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K-pop pioneers BTS’ time-out leaves fans tearful, investors irate

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK.COM/BANGTAN.OFFICIAL

SEOUL — K-pop pioneers BTS faced tears and sympathy from fans but anger from shareholders in their management company on Wednesday, a day after the band, pleading exhaustion, announced a break from group musical activities to pursue solo projects.

Many in South Korea reacted with shock and dismay at Tuesday’s news that, with some of its seven members approaching military service age, also triggered speculation about the future of a band whose upbeat hits and messages of youth empowerment have turned them into global stars.

“I could relate to them as they shed tears and honestly told us how they felt,” fan Nini Lee told Reuters from a café in Seoul where she had gathered with other fans.

“Their voice gave me huge strength when I had tough times, and I’m no longer afraid of such headwinds …Now I want to give my voice of courage to them.”

Kim Young-sun, who runs the cafe, said she felt sorry that she as a fan had only wanted more from BTS at a time when they were struggling, wishing them a well-deserved break to recharge their batteries.

BTS Leader and rapper RM, in a tearful video released on Tuesday on the ninth anniversary of a group that last year became the first Asian band to win artist of the year at the American Music Awards, said he had “felt guilty and afraid” to ask for the rest that he desperately needed.

Singer Jimin said they were struggling to find their identity in what he called an “exhausting process,” while RM also lamented that the K-pop industry could not provide young artists with “time to mature.”

On social media, some other fans blamed BTS’ management group HYBE for relentlessly pushing for new albums and other moneymaking opportunities.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The K-pop and idol industry had long been running on a profit-making system where the stars cannot take a rest even when they burned themselves out,” said Jung Duk-hyun, a South Korean cultural critic.

SHAREHOLDER ‘DYNAMITE’
Tuesday’s unexpected announcement fueled anger among investors in HYBE, which went public two years ago and whose shares plunged 25% on Wednesday, wiping nearly 2 trillion won ($1.55 billion) off its market value.

“They’ve planted ‘dynamite’ in the hearts of shareholders,” one wrote on a Samsung Securities stock trading platform, referring to one of the group’s hit songs.

HYBE shares had performed relatively poorly in recent months, and the company’s chief executive and some BTS members unloaded stock totaling 10 billion won ($7.75 million) in December.

All able-bodied South Korean men are subject to about two years of military service, and the oldest member of BTS, Jin, is required to begin his duty next year.

A bill pushing for providing military exemptions to globally renowned artists is pending in parliament, amid prolonged debate over whether BTS deserves similar benefits that sport athletes enjoy.

Lee Ki-hoon, an analyst at Hana Financial Investment Co. Ltd., wrote in a report that BTS’ lack of public activity including the impact of military service could result in a 750 billion won revenue loss in 2023. — Reuters

First Gen unit seeks more time to build LNG terminal

FIRST GEN Corp. said on Thursday that its unit had requested the Energy department to extend the validity of its permit to build its interim offshore terminal for imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).

In a disclosure, the Lopez-led energy firm said FGEN LNG Corp. made the request for an extension to March 23, 2023 from Sept. 23, 2022, the previous validity of its permit to construct, expand, rehabilitate and modify the proposed facility.

“The request is due to projected delay in the completion of the Project caused by events and circumstances not within the reasonable control of FGEN LNG,” First Gen said, without disclosing the specific cause of delay.

The company added FGEN LNG and the provider of its floating storage regasification unit BW FSRU IV Pte. Ltd. had agreed to move delivery of the vessel to the second or early third quarter of next year.

The delivery was previously set for the first quarter of 2023.

FGEN LNG is developing the project “to accelerate its ability to introduce LNG to the Philippines, to serve the natural gas requirements of existing and future gas-fired power plants of third parties and FGEN LNG affiliates,” First Gen said.

The First Gen unit said the LNG project would play a critical role in ensuring the energy security of the Luzon grid and the Philippines, “particularly as the indigenous Malampaya natural gas resource is expected to decline in the next few years.”

Last month, a company official said First Gen had allocated $550 million, or around P29 billion, for capital spending this year, with its renewable energy subsidiary cornering nearly half of the budget followed by its LNG terminal project.

The company also said last month that the LNG terminal had been allotted a $135-million capex this year as it completes construction. The facility was expected to be ready to commercially operate in the fourth quarter of 2022.

First Gen, the country’s leading gas power generation company, has around 2,000 megawatts (MW) in operating gas facilities comprising four gas-fired power plants, namely: the 1,000-MW Santa Rita power plant, the 500-MW San Lorenzo, the 414-MW San Gabriel, and the 97-MW Avion power plant.

First Gen earlier said that its LNG project could also potentially supply natural gas to the 1,200 MW Ilijan power plant.

The country’s existing gas-fired power plants are currently fueled by the Malampaya gas-to-power project off Palawan’s shore.

On Thursday, shares in the company rose by 1.45% or 24 centavos to close at P16.80 apiece. — Victor V. Saulon

Final Pitch’s new season highlights tech ideas

BUSINESS reality show The Final Pitch (TFP) launches its 8th season with an all-tech lineup of startups and entrepreneurs. And after two years of filming remotely because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the show will be filming episodes on-site this season.

The Final Pitch Season 8: Tech Edition is accepting applications until June 24. Interested participants are to pitch their ideas for their prospective startups or for the next stage of growth of their existing startups.

A report by venture capital fund Foxmont Capital Partners (FCP) and global management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group, “Philippine Venture Capital Report 2022” said startup businesses in the country raised over $1 billion in funding in 2021, a 179% increase from 2020.

“The eighth season of the show is a very deliberate slant towards [technology] and we are looking forward to backing startups that will help our economy transition back to pre-pandemic growth levels,” the show’s creator and host John Aguilar said in a statement.

Returning to the show as investor judges this season are John Janusczcak, president and CEO of fintech company UBX; former TFP mentor Amor Maclang of the public relations firm Geiser-Maclang; and Rosemarie Bosch-Ong, SEVP and COO of Wilcon Depot. Joining the show this season as investor judges are Wei Zhou, CEO of crypto wallet Coins.ph; Francis Plazaco, founder and CEO of PayMongo; and Avin Ong, founder and CEO of the Fredley Group of Companies.

Kaiser Estrada, managing director of Streamlined Campaigns Philippines, will serve as one of the mentors. Mr. Estrada will provide his expertise to help maximize the benefits of online strategies and social media platforms for the competing businesses.

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITIONS
The investor judges said that they are looking for technological solutions in specific industries and startup business ideas that can potentially grow to have a global market.

“New technologies like blockchain, guarantees of authenticity, immutable data, etc. These are the types of things that technology addresses. We’re looking for startups that have creative solutions for real problems. We want to work with a founding team with a strong vision, clear goals, and the drive to get things done,” said Coins.ph’s Wei Zhou during an online press conference on June 6.

“What I hope to do on this experience, is not to just bring products and services and startups to users in the Philippines, but maybe even bring those products to a much larger global audience,” he added.

Wilcon Depot’s Rosemarie Bosch-Ong said that her previous experience as an investor judge was very rewarding. “[Being a digital immigrant], I got to learn more from those who presented. It’s [about] continued learning and being inspired by the promising startup companies,” she said.

“I want to see a solution that focuses on digital technology and some applications that can enable us to provide that same experience virtually. For example, augmented reality and automated business operations, and the incorporation of technology in finance,” she said of this season’s applicants.

The Fredley Group’s Avin Ong advised participants to “stay hungry, stay curious, and do more to achieve more.”

The show will be filmed on July 5 and 6 at the Okada Manila. Okada Manila SVP for Hotel Operations Ivaylo S. Ivanov will also participate as a guest judge on the second day of the participants’ pitches.

This season will be a prelude to The Final Pitch: ASEAN, which will involve participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam in 2023. It will be filmed and broadcast across Asia.

“We are aiming for the show to be the regional platform that will enable cross-border investment and cooperation across Southeast Asia. Proudly Filipino produced, for a global audience,” Mr. Aguilar said.

To join The Final Pitch Season 8: Tech Edition, interested parties may fill up the application form at TheFinalPitch.ph/application or get in touch with the show via e-mail at submit@TheFinalPitch.ph or admin@DragonsNest.co. The deadline for submission of applications is June 24.

The Final Pitch 8 premieres on July 31, 8:30 p.m., on CNN Philippines. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Converge expands call center operations in Pampanga as demand heightens

CORPORATE.CONVERGEICT.COM

LISTED fiber internet provider Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. said it has expanded its call center operations through its partner Universal Access and Systems Solutions, Inc. (UAS Solutions) in Pampanga to meet heightened demand.

“Every month, we receive over 700,000 inquiries through e-mail, social media, and the hotline,” Converge Chief Customer Experience Officer Albert L. Santos said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday.

UAS Solutions has a new site in New Street, Balibago, and expanded its seat allocation in ComClark, Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles City.

“Since 2020, we have tripled our customer service teams and embarked on a multi-million digital transformation project to refine our processes and make the customer journey as seamless and convenient as possible,” said Dennis Anthony H. Uy,  chief executive officer and co-founder of Converge.

The company aims to expand its presence nationwide and grow its subscriber base.

“With the recent expansion, UAS will grow its agent seats to over 1,000 or a year-on-year increase of about 80% by the end of the year. As of end-March 2022, UAS reported a response rate of 98% from its call center agents,” Converge noted.

For Mr. Uy, the additional call center seats will go a long way in making the company’s customer support experience “more efficient to meet the growing number of customers we have nationwide.”

“Additionally, we will also give much needed employment in our home province of Pampanga.”

According to the company, it is serving 1.8 million subscribers nationwide as of March 2022.

The company’s network has reached over 12 million homes as of the first three months of the year, with a household coverage of 47%, it noted. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Entertainment News (06/17/22)

Advance tickets for Thor: Love and Thunder on sale

MARVEL fans can book tickets in advance to watch Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder, which opens in theaters on July 6. The film is the fourth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Thor saga. Advanced tickets may be bought by checking the show timings at https://movies.disney.ph/thor-love-and-thunder and at the nearest cinema. In Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) embarks on a journey of self-discovery, but his efforts are interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi, who also directs the film), and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor.

Netflix renews Sweet Home for 2 more seasons

THE HIT Netflix Series Sweet Home has been officially renewed for a second and third season, following the success of the pilot season in 2020. The show — a South Korean apocalyptic horror series that follows a teen and his neighbors as they fight to survive in a world where humans turn into monsters — has garnered international awards such as the 2021 Asian Academy Creative Awards (AACA) and the 3rd Asia Contents Awards. The continuation of the hit Korean thriller will see the return of its original cast members: Song Kang, Lee Jin-uk, Lee Si-Young, Ko Min-si, and Park Kyu-young. New cast additions Yoo Oh-seong, Oh Jung-se, Kim Moo-yeol, and Jung Jin-young will round out the ensemble moving forward. “Season 2 will include a new setting, and the technical details that we couldn’t refine in Season 1 will be further honed in Season 2,” says director Lee Eung-Bok, hinting at a wider franchise universe and even more stunning visuals.

Tom Hanks co-stars in Elvis biopic

OSCAR-winning actor Tom Hanks plays Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, in Warner Bros.’ film Elvis, a biopic on the King of Rock (played by Austin Butler), directed by the Oscar-nominated Baz Luhrmann. “While this story is called Elvis, it’s also Colonel Tom Parker’s story — the telling of it at least,” says Mr. Luhrmann on the importance of Mr. Hanks’ role in the film. The Presley biopic will be in cinemas across the country starting June 22.

HERO and Matthaios collaborate on song

UP and coming rap star HERO collaborates with fellow artist Matthaios on a new single “Dito,” released under Universal Records Philippines. The new track is an anthemic rap love song, with both Matthaios and HERO delivering their signature vocal performances. An accompanying music video has the two artists dating girls who happen to be twins, played by Ritchelle and Rochelle San Pedro. “Dito” can be streamed now on Spotify and Apple Music.

Netflix PHL releases new web series Alas Netflix

INSPIRED by the success of recent popular Netflix titles, Netflix Philippines launches a new web series called Alas Netflix, hosted by Jaz Reyes and Pipay. Each episode of Alas Netflix has popular celebrity friends playing K-variety show-inspired games to test their teamwork, friendship, and knowledge on the latest Netflix titles. The first episode featured P-Pop group BGYO competing in a game while dressed as Squid Game contestants. Weekly episodes of Alas Netflix drop every Tuesday at 7 p.m. on Netflix and YouTube.

Ro Woon fan meet set on June 26

IN CELEBRATION of the 3rd anniversary of Globe’s KmmunityPH, Ro Woon, the lead actor of Netflix series Tomorrow will have a fan meet-and-greet at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, on June 26. The event will be exclusive to Globe One App subscribers. Launched in 2019, KmmunityPH is a multi-platform interest community for customers interested in K-culture. Globe customers can win tickets to the event until tomorrow, June 17, through the Ultimate Stan Promo, or watch Ro Woon via livestream when Globe customers register to Daebak499 from June 20-26 via the New Globe One app. Globe customers will receive 3GB for three days, a unique ticket code to the livestream event, and a lifestyle voucher of choice from partners Agoda, Boozy, or Klook.

Knives Out sequel to be released year end

DIRECTOR Rian Johnson is set to follow up his 2019 film Knives Out with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Starring in the film are Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson and Dave Bautista. The movie is a mystery/thriller, following detective Benoit Blanc as he travels to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery involving a new cast of colorful suspects. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will be available on Netflix this coming holiday season.

Joji releases new single

JAPANESE-born internet sensation-turned critically acclaimed singer Joji comes out of a two-year hiatus with a new piano ballad entitled “Glimpse of Us,” released under his music collective 88rising. An accompanying music video also came out last week on Joji’s YouTube channel. Joji is one of the world’s most viral artists, with over 7 billion streams to date. His last album, Nectar, debuted at No. 1 on Spotify’s inaugural US Weekly Top 50 Albums chart, No. 1 on Billboard’s Independent albums chart, and No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Nectar debuted at No. 1 in Australia and in the top 10 in New Zealand, Canada, UK, and Norway.

Fans mark new BTS album with 3 million tweets

ON June 10, superstar Korean boyband BTS dropped their new anthology album, Proof. Fans across the world shared in the excitement for the project, with 3 million tweets made at the hour of the project’s release. Twitter even launched custom BTS emojis for the album’s promotional hashtags, such as #BTS, #방탄소년단, and #BTS_PROOF.

DoT presents podcast on tourist spots

THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism (DoT) recently launched their first podcast, entitled Escape: Stories from the Road, highlighting the best tourist destinations in the Philippines from the perspectives of different personalities. Every episode follows a theme, some examples being adventure, identity, and food. The podcast-documentary is hosted by travel filmmaker and photographer Aaron Palabyab, along with guest co-hosts national athlete Maureen Schrijvers; designer, musician, and filmmaker Kate Torralba; and sports broadcaster and podcaster Cesca Litton. The podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Castro, Overcast, and Anchor.

Steve Aoki, Taking Back Sunday team up for song

TWO-TIME Grammy-nominated electronic music producer Steve Aoki returns to his alternative roots, collaborating with the American pop-punk band Taking Back Sunday for a new single entitled “Just Us Two.” “I come from a punk background and it’s always so good to work with artists that share the same passion for live music,” says Aoki, speaking about his collaboration with Taking Back Sunday. In the past, Aoki has collaborated with artists such as BTS, Maluma, Snoop Dogg, Linkin Park, and blink-182, among others.

Celebrate Father’s Day with hit movies on HBO GO

HBO GO invites viewers to celebrate Father’s Day by browsing through their catalog of movies, from the classics to the latest titles. There are action-adventure titles like The Batman and The Croods: A New Age, more father-and-child-centered movies like King Richard, My Son, and Stillwater; and family comedies like Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and The Addams Family. These titles and more are available on HBO GO.

Netflix greenlights Squid Game based competition

Initially aired in September 2021, the award-winning Korean thriller Squid Game became Netflix’s most popular series of all time and has been officially renewed for a second season as of June 12. In relation to this, Netflix, Inc. recently greenlit the production of a reality competition adaptation of the series entitled Squid Game: The Challenge, with the largest cast and lump sum cash prize in reality TV history: 456 real contestants vying for $4.56 million, much like in the original Netflix series where desperate people join a contest where they play children’s games hoping to win a huge prize. Unlike in the original show, Netflix assures that losing contestants in the reality competition will not be killed. Recruitment for the reality show is now open at SquidGameCasting.com.

Theatrical release dates for Dragon Ball Super out

ON JUNE 14, streaming service Crunchyroll and Toei Animation Co. revealed details on the global theatrical release of Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO, an upcoming animé film. The second film in the Dragon Ball Super franchise will open in theaters worldwide in August and September, distributed by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment. The sequel will open in the Philippines on Aug. 31. For more information on Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO, visit https://www.2022dbs-global.com/.

PSE bullish on reaching P200-B capital raising

THE top official of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) said he is bullish on hitting the target of around P200 billion in capital raised by the end of the year.

“We’ll do more capital raising this year, except the peso magnitude in total will not be as big as last year, but we expect to hit about P200 billion in capital raised,” PSE President and Chief Executive Ramon S. Monzon said in a televised interview on ANC’s Market Edge.

In 2021, the PSE raised a total of P234.48 billion, more than double the P103.76 billion total capital raised in 2020.

“We have to understand last year was a record year. We had one big initial public offering (IPO), Monde Nissin Corp. In the present IPO scenario, that would comprise seven to eight IPOs,” he added.

Mr. Monzon said that the exchange has a robust pipeline of IPO applications for the remainder of the year.

“For the first half of the year, we’ve raised about P62 billion of capital so far. We are presently processing another P36 billion in capital raising applications and in the pipeline we’ve commenced talks with three big capital raising activities,” he added.

Mr. Monzon said that the exchange also continues to encourage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to list on the stock exchange.

“We are not ignoring SMEs. They might add little in terms of contribution of capital raised or listing fees, but encouraging more SMEs to list in the market will be good for the economy,” he said.

“Interest rates are rising and companies are going to need working capital or expansion capital. When interest rates are rising, they will be reluctant to raise capital in the debt market, that would be the bright side of the interest rate spike. Hopefully like last year, they would go to the equity market,” he added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

What to See This Week (06/17/22)

Lightyear

THIS animated sci-fi action adventure is the origin story of Buzz Lightyear of Toy Story fame. Lightyear follows the Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure alongside a group of ambitious recruits and his robot companion Sox. Directed by Angus MacLane, the film features the voices of Chris Evans, Taika Waititi, Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, Peter Sohn, Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, and Isiah Whitlock, Jr. The Wrap’s Alonso Duralde writes, “The most 1995 aspect of Lightyear comes from Evans’ performance, but only if you imagine he’s intentionally impersonating George Clooney for the entire movie; that’s how it sounds, anyway. The laughs generally come from Sohn, Aduba and Taika Waititi as an inexperienced member of the Space Ranger reserves who gets pressed into service….” Film review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 81%.

MTRCB Rating: PG 

Ngayon Kaya

THE FIRST Filipino film to be shown in regular movie houses since the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Ngayon Kaya is about college friends Harold and AM who reunite at a friend’s wedding five years after graduation. Harold is a shy probinsiyano who is secretly in love with AM. They contemplate the “what ifs” of their lives and find a way through their unresolved feelings. Directed by Prime Cruz and written by Jen Chuaunsu, the film stars Paulo Avelino and Janine Gutierrez.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Carlos Yulo targets more medals in World Artistic Gymnastics

GYMNAST CALOY YULO — PAOLO DEL ROSARIO/ONE SPORTS

CARLOS “Caloy” Yulo is closing in on a spot to the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship set late this year in Liverpool, England where he seeks a third gold medal, and possibly more.

The two-time world champion flexed his powerful muscle and qualified in the finals of three apparatuses at the start of the 9th Asian Senior Championships in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday.

The pocket-sized wonder from Leveriza, Manila paced the qualifiers in his pet floor exercise where he drew a score of 14.800 and finished sixth in the still rings where he had 14.100.

The quintuple Southeast Asian Games gold winner, however, smoked out in the pommel horse where he slipped to 20th with a 12.933.

It was enough though to keep Mr. Yulo in the individual all-around lead after three apparatuses with a 41.833.

He was barely pacing Youth Olympics golden boy Yin Dehang of China with a 41.800 and another Chinese Yang Jiaxing with a 41.700.

Mr. Yulo has a chance to qualify in the other events — vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar — that were being played at press time.

Interestingly, Mr. Yulo is a strong contender in vault and parallel bars where he brought home a gold and silver, respectively, in last year’s World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan.

The finals are set this weekend.

Mr. Yulo, who is also a world champion in vault in Stuttgart, Germany three years ago, expectedly carried most of the fight for Team Philippines as countrymen Jan Gwynn Timbang, John Ivan Cruz and Juancho Miguel Besana all failed to advance. — Joey Villar

SEC flags anew YDYS Trading operating under new name

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has flagged YDYS Trading OPC, which has been continuing its solicitation activities under a new name, Omnimeta Global Solutions.

In April, the SEC issued an advisory against YDYS Trading for soliciting investments from the public without a license. The firm was registered as a one-person corporation, but it did not have the authorization to solicit investments from the public.

According to the commission’s investigation, YDYS Trading and Omnimeta Global Solutions are operated by the same owner, Mar Albert Hidalgo.

Omnimeta Global Solutions was found to be allegedly offering investment schemes to the public through a Facebook group for a minimum amount of P5,000, and promising passive earnings of at least 20% per month.

The SEC said that the mentioned schemes involve the sale of securities to the public, which must be duly registered with the commission. The concerned corporation and its agents must also have the appropriate registration or license.

According to the SEC advisory, records from the commission show that Omnimeta Global Solutions is not registered either as a corporation or as a partnership. It is also not authorized to solicit investments from the public since it has not secured prior registration or license from the commission.

“The public is advised not to invest or stop investing in any investment scheme being offered by any individual or group of persons allegedly acting for or on behalf of Omnimeta Global Solutions and to exercise caution in dealing with any individuals or group of persons soliciting investments for and on behalf of it,” the regulator said.

The SEC said that any salesmen, brokers, dealers or agents for Omnimeta Global Solutions in selling or convincing people to invest in the investment scheme being offered by the said entity, including solicitations and recruitment through the internet, may be prosecuted and held criminally liable.

Individuals engaged as such with the firm may be penalized with a maximum fine of P5 million or up to 21 years of imprisonment.

“Also, those who invite or recruit others to join or invest in such ventures or offer investment contracts or securities to the public may incur criminal liability, or otherwise be sanctioned or penalized accordingly,” the SEC added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Stuff to do (06/17/22)

Bonifacio High Street celebrates with whiskey

FATHER’S DAY is fast approaching and it’s high time to shower your rock and ally from day one with all the love they can get. In partnership with Bosch and Chivas Regal Extra, awesome gift boxes await you and your dads at BHS as you avail of their Father’s Day promo. From June 6 to June 19, 2022, you can avail of these specially-curated Dad’s Day gift boxes which include a liquor flask, a 700mL bottle of Chivas Regal blended scotch whisky, and a set of power tools from Bosch by presenting a single or accumulated receipts worth P10,000 from Bonifacio High Street establishments! A treat for dad is a treat for you too as you enjoy your purchases at BHS. Click this link to see the full promo mechanics: https://tinyurl.com/mr9avtdk.

Father’s Day, National Dog Day at Century City Mall

CENTURY City Mall has events and activities lined up to celebrate Father’s Day and National Dog Day this month. In honor of Father’s Day, Anytime Fitness will be holding an obstacle course challenge at the Al Fresco area of Level 4, to test dad’s strength on June 17-19. Select Century City Mall merchants will also be selling some dapper dad essentials that weekend. With June 21 being National Dog Party Day, Century City Mall invites the public to bring their pooches to the Skyloft for a furry party. For more information and updates on Century City Mall activities, follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Century City Mall is located at Century City, Kalayaan Ave. corner Salamanca St., Makati City.

Father’s Day celebration at Alabang Town Center

THIS June, Alabang Town Center has a lineup of activities for fathers and father-figures. Biker’s Bite will be open at Town Plaza from June 13 to 23, where the biker dad can grab a cup of coffee and check out that bike brands that will be on display for purchase. Workshops on bike maintenance and troubleshooting will also take place. On June 24, join the South Biker’s Community as they celebrate their anniversary at Bike Night with live music and exhibitions at the Corte de las Palmas. From June 17 to 23, the RC Track Competition and FreePlay will be at the Activity Center. There will be indoor radio-controlled car racing for Drift, Rally, and Offroad rides. There will be multiple competitions available: June 18 for the Rally, June 19 for Drift, and June 17 and 20 to 23 for FreePlay. A single purchase receipt worth P500 entitles one to a slot in the race. From June 24 to 26, racing enthusiasts who want to take their skills to the next level can join the Tuason Racing e-Sports School to learn more about racing etiquette. If the kids take their dad to watch Lightyear on June 18 and 19, they will receive a free Snack Box, including rock chocolates, chocolate-covered pretzels, jelly sticks, jelly vitamins, doughnuts from Krispy Kreme, and a special mug for Dad. The Movie Bundle will be available for P500. This includes one movie ticket, a hotdog, a tub of popcorn, a bottle of water, a Bench Fix discount, and a free game of hoops at Timezone.

Alliance Française presents Fête de la Musique

THE ALLIANCE Française de Manille (AFM) presents Fête de la Musique, also known in English as World Music Day, an annual music celebration, starting on June 21. The Philippines celebration of Fête de la Musique is presented by AFM, in partnership with the Embassy of France, and B Side Productions, and co-organized by the Department of Tourism. For more information on the programs, performers, and stages, visit https://www.alliance.ph/event-infos/?eventId=5291#/.

Benilde celebrates Pride Month

DE La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) celebrates Pride Month with a number of activities. An upcoming online event  entitled “Gay Writes: A Pride Week Special” features different digital artworks, comics, queer media spotlights, and informational discussions all by young student artists. The event also serves as a campaign for LGBTQIA+ discussions and representation, highlighting diverse gender identities and expressions. The event is organized by Media Max, the professional student organization of the Multimedia Arts Program of the DLS-CSB. Some points of interest include a Pride History 101 crash course, a Pride Online Freedom Wall for self-expression, and the release of a Boys Love (BL) comic called Sing Your Heart Out!, launched by DrawInk, the official comic book illustration and enthusiast organization of Benilde. There is also a digital Pride Art Gallery, consisting of original artworks of, for, and by the school’s LGBTQIA+ community. The School of Design and Arts-School Student Government also published a preview of some of the most renowned queer media worldwide. The series opens with Heaven’s Official Blessing (2020), a BL donghua (Chinese animation) based on a novel of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. Also included in the line-up are Billie & Emma (2018), a Filipino sapphic film by Samantha Lee, and Pose (2018 to 2021), a 1980s dance musical by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals, among others. The crash course, artworks, comics, and freedom wall are all available on view on the official Facebook pages of the host organizations: Media Max Benilde, SDA-SSG, and DrawInk.

French films to be screened in June

LE CINÉ Club at The Alliance Française de Manille (AFM) will be screening films on-site every Wednesday this month. Catch Cléo de 5 a 7 on June 22, and Ghost Song on June 29.  Online, IFcinéma à la carte returns this month with a broad selection of films. On offer are seven fiction, two animation, and two documentary films, all available until June 30. Watch them for free at https://www.alliance.ph/if-cinema-2/#/. The French cultural center is located at 209 Nicanor Garcia St. (formerly Reposo), Bel-Air II, Makati.

Power Mac Center marks Father’s Day

THE POWER Mac Center’s “Don’t Skip Dad’s Day” campaign offers deals specially made for fathers. The special discounted offers are: up to P12,000 off on iPhone 13 and up to P8,490 off on iPad Pro M1, up to P3,000 off on AirPods Pro and up to P1,500 discount on select Apple Watch series; discounts of up to 95% on accessories like cases, charging cables, connectors, storage, audio, and car accessories. Customers get free shipping when they purchase a minimum of P2,500 worth of accessories on Power Mac Center online stores from June 15 to June 19. Anyone who purchases a minimum of P30,000 worth of items at Power Mac Center and The Loop stores has a chance to be one of five winners of a P10,000 gift certificate from Saddle Row, a boutique fitness concept creating tailor-fit indoor workouts for cycling and rowing. The discounts are now being offered until June 19 at all Power Mac Center and The Loop stores nationwide, web store, Viber store, and Power Mac Center official Lazada and Shopee stores.

ILO finds only 6% of domestic workers enjoy social protections

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Thursday that only about 6% of domestic workers worldwide have access to comprehensive social protections.

The remainder lack “access to the full range of protections, covering medical care, sickness, unemployment, old age, employment injury, family, maternity, invalidity, and survivors’ benefits,” the ILO said in a statement, citing a study it conducted this year.

“Even where they are legally covered, only one in five domestic workers are actually covered in practice because the vast majority are employed informally.”

The labor organization said that 76.2% of domestic workers are women, and the lack of social protection would leave them vulnerable.

The ILO noted the Philippines is the only country in Asia and the Pacific that ratified the Domestic Workers’ Convention in 2011. A year later, the country passed the Kasambahay Law that set a minimum wage, benefits, and improved terms of employment for domestic workers.

“The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has made ‘glaringly apparent’ the social protection coverage gaps experienced by domestic workers,” the ILO said. “They were among the worst-hit during the pandemic, with many losing their jobs and livelihoods.”

The ILO recommended raising awareness among domestic workers and employers about their basic rights and obligations, ensuring adequate work conditions, and promoting a participatory and integrated policy-making process.

The report cited the Philippine Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which covered the repatriation costs for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) during the global pandemic.

OWWA provided P10,000 cash aid to returning OFWs from the agency’s trust fund.

“The Philippines is a major migrant worker-sending country, home to some of the most important labor migration corridors from the Philippines to Malaysia and Hong Kong (China), as well as to Qatar, Lebanon, and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa region,” the ILO said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) estimated that the number of OFWs dropped by 18.6% to 1.77 million in 2020 from 2.18 million in 2019.

In a survey conducted in 2019, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and the PSA said that 83% of the 1.4 million domestic workers in the Philippines are not covered by social security benefits.

DoLE earlier said that domestic workers in 13 regions will have higher monthly pay this month, with wage increases between P500 and P1,500 in some regions. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

VNL: Poland upsets Asian powerhouse Thailand in five sets

POLAND pounced on a series of unfortunate events suffered by Asian powerhouse Thailand and eked out a come-from-behind 22-25, 27-29, 25-16, 25-16, 15-13 victory on Thursday to enhance their bid in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 2 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Already saddled by the absence of key players due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Thais also lost opposite hitter Pimpichaya Kokram to injury in the middle of the third set that made their situation even worse.

And like a predator to a helpless prey, the World No. 10 Polish was quick to swoop down on the 15-time Southeast Asian Games champion as the former took the last three sets to complete the dramatic comeback.

Poland not only clawed out of the grave, but also leapt to No. 6 overall with 10 points on four wins in five outings.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for Thailand, who slipped to fifth with 12 points on a 4-2 record but could have climbed up the ladder even more had it won this one.

Japan leads the way with 14 point followed by China with 13.

World No. 1 and many-time VNL titlist United States was at No. 3 with 12 ahead of No. 4 Brazil also with 12.

Before Ms. Kokram went down, the Thais have already replaced Sasipaporn Janthawisut, Natthanicha Jaisaen, Hattaya Bamrungsuk, and Tichakorn Boonler with Wipawee Srithrong, Jarasaporn Bundasak, Kannika Thipachot, Tichaya Boonlert, and Khatthalee Pinsuwan.

But Thailand remained unflappable in spite of it calmly and emphatically taking the first two sets and appeared headed to cruising to another victory that would have bolstered their title chances.

Ms. Kokram’s injury didn’t help their cause as Poland came roaring back by seizing the third and fourth sets and fended up Thailand in the decider when the former broke out from a 13-all deadlock with a service ace by Zuzanna Górecka and a block from Klaudia Alagierska to snatch the match.

Olivia Różański paced the Polish with 20 points and Martyna Czyrniańska and Weronika Szlagowska scattered 18 hits apiece.

“It feels great that we won, we know that they’re a really good team,” said Ms. Rozanski. “We changed something in our mentality. We started to believe in ourselves and know we can do great things, that’s the idea.”

PLDT is a presenting partner while The STAR, Quezon City headed by Mayor Joy Belmonte, Maynilad, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee are among those backing this ultra-competitive 16-country event. — Joey Villar

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