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Whether you are looking for serene living spaces, a home fit for elegant living, or a treasured property that you can hand over to your children, Prestige by Filinvest offers all these through its well thought out developments in the country’s primest of locations.
Prestige by Filinvest is made to complement sophisticated lifestyles through specially-crafted living spaces and leisure concepts. Its communities, built with world-class facilities and refined amenities, are legacies of enduring value meant to be cherished from one generation to the next. In Metro Manila, embodying such features are its prime condominium developments — The Signature in Quezon City, and Fortune Hill in San Juan.
Serving as your Private Courtyard, The Signature lets its residents experience tranquility inside and the bustling city outside. The three-tower condominium is located along A. Bonifacio Avenue, Balintawak, Quezon City, a neighborhood popular to the Filipino-Chinese community.
Finding inspiration from the Beijing Summer Palace, The Signature’s design uses the basic principles of balance and harmony. Nature is the centerpiece of this urban oasis with the gardens and the pool at the heart of the property.
Living in The Signature is synonymous to having staycations everyday as it houses over 7,000 square meters (sq.m.) — almost a hectare — of amenities made for relaxation and play. Among the array of indoor and outdoor amenities at Tower 1 are the pools, sundeck, meditation garden, fully equipped fitness center, and multipurpose function rooms.
The Signature gives respite in the middle of a busy city with its spacious units ready for occupancy. You can move in hassle-free in a 139 sq.m. fully-furnished three-bedroom unit where you can find all the necessities that a home must contain. The unit includes a foyer, balcony, home office, powder room, master bedroom with en suite T&B, kids room, and more.
Exclusivity is also evident at The Signature, being a condo with only nine units to a floor. It offers three-bedroom and two-bedroom units only.
With such features, The Signature is revitalizing the A. Bonifacio area with an elevated city living that is in harmony with nature.
One key ingredient of Prestige developments is their highly accessible location. Fortune Hill, located in the most coveted local in San Juan, Metro Manila, an area where the Filipino-Chinese community has grown attached with, exhibits this desirability of address — where residents can get to enjoy the best of both worlds. It is tucked away in a quiet residential district surrounded by quaint townhouses, yet a stone’s throw away from life’s necessities.
Fortune Hill is a mid-rise residential enclave with architecture that blends Chinese tradition with modern aesthetics. This exclusive, low-density community with family-oriented amenities is in Addition Hills, and is a short drive away from shopping centers like Greenhills, Shangri-La Mall, Mandala Park; leisure destinations like Wack-Wack Country Club; and schools like Xavier School and Immaculate Conception Academy. Residents, especially families, will surely find an expansive and cozy home at Fortune Hill that captures the panoramic view of the city.
Allowing you to live comfortably, Fortune Hill puts safety and security as primary essentials. Like The Signature, exclusivity is imbued in the features of Fortune Hill, especially with its low-density floor plan with only four units to a floor. The elevator, which has key card access, opens to a foyer exclusive only to the unit owner.
Fortune Hill also offers three-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Its three-bedroom unit at the Gold Tower measures 151 to 200 sq.m., while the three-bedroom unit at the Platinum Tower spans 151 to 179 sq.m.
Meanwhile, the various amenities at Fortune Hill are made for family time, entertainment, and wellness. Families can spend quality time in the function room, main lounge, family room, and game room. The kids can also enjoy the library, indoor and outdoor play area, kiddie pool, and music room. Residents can also mind their wellness at the infinity pool, sundeck, gym and yoga studio, meditation garden, and landscaped lobby courtyard.
Fortune Hill, being in San Juan, is arguably located in the most tranquil part of the metropolis. Furthermore, the condominium is accessible to major thoroughfares, hence the central business districts of Makati, Ortigas, and Quezon City are within reach. Fortune Hill, therefore, stands in a safe and serene environment and is comfortably close to urban conveniences.
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THE PHILIPPINES’ April trade deficit narrowed month on month to $4.8 billion, as exports slightly picked up and imports grew at their slowest pace in 13 months amid the Russia-Ukraine war and supply chain disruptions.
Preliminary Philippine Statistics Authority data showed the value of merchandise exports grew by 6% year on year to $6.129 billion in April, the fastest since 15.8% recorded in February.
The export expansion was slightly up from 5.9% in March, but slower than 74.1% a year ago.
“Based on the PSA’s preliminary data, April 2022 was estimated to be 14.5% higher than the pre-pandemic average from 2017 to 2019,” the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said in a separate statement.
The country’s merchandise imports rose by 22.8% to $10.902 billion in April, the slowest since 22.1% in March 2021.
Import growth eased from 153.2% in the same month last year and 27.7% in March.
The trade-in-goods deficit narrowed to $4.773 billion, from the record $5.007-billion gap in March. However, it was wider than the $3.098-billion shortfall a year ago.
For the first four months, exports jumped by 8.9% year on year to $25.551 billion, above the revised 7% growth projected by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) for this year.
Imports climbed by 26.7% to $44.219 billion during the period, well above the government’s revised 15% goal for 2022.
Year to date, the trade balance has ballooned to a $18.668-billion deficit.
“The slight increase in exports in April is actually a continuation of the falling trend in exports after February 2022,” University of Asia and the Pacific Senior Economist Cid L. Terosa said in an e-mail.
This reflected global market jitters arising from the Russia-Ukraine war and weaker global demand because of the strict lockdowns in China.
“Without these external events, I believe exports would have grown faster,” Mr. Terosa said.
He also attributed the uptick in exports and slower import growth to base effects.
“Imports in April grew slower than March because production activities have been affected by the protracted geopolitical tension, oil price increases, and disruption in supply chains worldwide,” Mr. Terosa said.
Security Bank Corp. Chief Economist Robert Dan J. Roces said the Russia-Ukraine war, elevated inflation and coronavirus lockdowns were downside risks to the Philippine trade and manufacturing outlook.
“On the output side, headwinds are apparent as capacity utilization weakened while producer price inflation accelerates, so this affects the export side,” he said in an e-mail.
“Imports, on the other hand, are costlier with a depreciating peso, but this is expected to outpace exports with higher capital and consumption goods demand in the medium term,” Mr. Roces said.
Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict that started in February, global crude oil prices have climbed above $100 per barrel amid supply concerns. Russia is the world’s second-largest oil producer.
Outbound shipments of manufactured goods, which accounted for 76.1% of total exports in April, slipped by 1% year on year to $4.661 billion.
Electronic products, which made up 70% of manufactured goods and more than half of total exports that month, inched up by 0.8% to $3.250 billion. Three-fourths of electronic product sales came from semiconductors, which increased by 2% to $2.461 billion.
The DTI said coconut products contributed nearly half or $164 million of the $348-million additional exports in April.
“This was primarily driven by exports of coconut oil which grew 2.5 times its export level compared with last year. Since February 2021, exports of coconut oil have been increasing at double-digit growth rates,” it said.
Meanwhile, the country’s orders of raw materials and intermediate goods rose by 18.6% to $4.279 billion in April. These accounted for more than a third of the total April import bill.
Imports of capital and consumer goods were valued at $2.939 billion (up 3.4%) and $1.598 billion (up 7.1%), respectively.
Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials more than doubled to $2.012 billion from $861.820 million last year.
China, which accounted for 15.9% ($971.743 million) of the total receipts, was the top destination of locally made products. It was followed by the United States (15.6% or $955.170 million) and Japan (13.4% or $820.962 million).
Likewise, China was the country’s main source of imports, with a 20.8% share ($2.269 billion) of the total bill, followed by South Korea (11.1% or $1.205 billion) and Indonesia (9.3% or $1.009 billion).
Mr. Terosa said as long as external headwinds persist, achieving the government targets for export and import growth this year would be challenging.
“Without these external events, the country would easily exceed both export and import targets for 2022,” he said. — Lourdes O. Pilar
By Keisha B. Ta-asan
HIGHER daily minimum wages and jeepney fares will likely drive inflation beyond the central bank’s target this year, analysts said.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reiterated it is keeping a close eye on the inflation spike’s second-round effects such as wage and transport fare increases.
“The BSP is prepared to respond to a sustained buildup of inflation pressures and second-round effects that can disanchor inflation expectations,” BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said at the launch of the World Bank Philippines Economic Update June 2022 report on Thursday.
Inflation jumped to 5.4% in May, faster than 4.9% in April and 4.1% a year ago, as food and fuel prices continued to climb amid the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war.
The BSP last month raised its average inflation forecast for 2022 to 4.6% from 4.3%, exceeding the 2%-4% target.
The implementation of a daily minimum wage hike in 14 regions and a P1 increase in fares for public utility jeepneys in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Mimaropa this month will likely add to inflationary pressures.
Starting June 4, the new minimum wage in Metro Manila increased by P33 to P570 for non-agricultural workers and P533 for agricultural workers.
These hikes will further accelerate inflation this month, UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said in a Viber message
“I am pretty sure this contributes to headline inflation’s rise for this June and the coming months. We still expect average 2022 inflation at 4.7% and 4% in 2023… How June inflation looks like, I believe, will definitely make a re-think possible. At this point, we expect June inflation at 5.8%,” Mr. Asuncion said.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in March estimated that a P1.25 increase in jeepney fares would increase inflation by 0.4 percentage point. A P39 increase in the daily wage in Metro Manila would lead to a one percentage point increase in inflation, it added.
“Given that the fare hike is limited to NCR (National Capital Region) and Regions 3 and 4 so far, the impact might currently be less than (the NEDA’s earlier estimates). However, we think that transport fare hikes in other regions might similarly be approved soon as pump prices remain elevated,” China Banking Corp. Chief Economist Domini S. Velasquez said.
Security Bank Corp. Chief Economist Robert Dan J. Roces said higher fares increase the risk of price hikes this year.
“The projection is that inflation is already poised to remain above target for the rest of the year. There may be shifts to consumption nonetheless, for instance less of selected foods in favor of higher transport costs as the Filipino’s budget shrinks,” he said.
Incoming BSP chief Felipe M. Medalla has signaled at least two more rate hikes to curb inflation.
The Monetary Board is set to review policy settings on June 23.
WAGE HIKE
Meanwhile, the Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board has approved a new daily minimum wage for the region.
In a statement, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said the Zamboanga wage board had ordered a P35 daily minimum wage increase for nonagricultural workers, and a P20 hike for agricultural workers.
If approved by the National Wages and Productivity Commission, the daily minimum wage for nonagricultural workers will rise to P351 from P316.
The daily pay of agricultural workers employed by an establishment with more than 10 workers will rise to P338 from P303. The daily wage for those who work in agricultural enterprises and establishments with fewer than 10 workers will rise to P323 from P303.
Domestic workers in the region will also get a P500 hike, bringing the monthly wage to P4,000 for first-class municipalities.
The DoLE said about 30,513 workers in private establishments and 18,984 domestic workers are expected to benefit from the minimum wage increases.
In a separate statement, DoLE said it had ratified the 1986 Instrument of Amendments to the Constitution of the International Labor Organization (ILO). The amendment calls for increasing the number of nonobserver countries in the global labor body.
“This is a step closer to its entry into force towards democratization in the organization with the end in view of realizing our shared vision of leaving no one behind in the world of work,” Labor chief Silvestre H. Bello III said at the ILO conference held in Geneva, Switzerland. — with John Victor D. Ordoñez
THE BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is targeting to launch a news sentiment index (NSI) by 2023, as it seeks to ramp up the use of big data in its monitoring activities.
BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno on Thursday said the NSI would “capture relevant views or sentiment on key macroeconomic events that may affect the current and emerging economic and financial environment.”
“The NSI will leverage on big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance the BSP’s monitoring activities for policy development and macro-financial surveillance,” he said.
The NSI project involves the development of software that will instantly gather information on consumer and business sentiment from online news sources.
The information will then be processed using algorithms to derive the general sentiment on the economic and financial fronts. This sentiment can either be positive, neutral or negative.
“As news covers a wide range of subjects, we further take advantage of the rich information available in the news data by categorizing news articles by topic. Through topic modeling techniques, we will be able to extract sentiment data on key themes relevant to our policy decisions,” Mr. Diokno said.
The BSP said the NSI would be a “cost-effective and efficient data-gathering solution” for monitoring economic developments.
“The sentiment index that we are developing is based on most recognized and reputable media outlets in the Philippines only. We define recognized and reputable media outlets as those that have garnered awards or citations and are recognized by other members of the press or organizations,” Mr. Diokno said.
To ensure that the index accurately captures the overall economic sentiment, only news from financial and business sections of media outlets will be included, the BSP chief said.
“The BSP ensures it only uses truthful and fact-checked data in its decisions and policies,” Mr. Diokno said.
The NSI will complement the respondent-based sentiment surveys, such as the business and consumer expectations surveys that the BSP releases every quarter.
The NSI is part of the central bank’s big data roadmap initiative. — Keisha B. Ta-asan
APRIL FACTORY ACTIVITY eased to its slowest pace in 13 months, as factories grappled with higher production costs due to supply chain issues and soaring fuel prices.
Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries showed manufacturing, as measured by the volume of production index (VoPI), inched up by 3.4% year on year in April.
This was significantly slower than the revised 352.3% growth in March and 157.8% a year earlier.
The April result was the slowest uptick in 13 months, or since the 73.1% contraction in March last year.
Manufacturing growth averaged 54.8% in the four months to April, a turnaround from the 19.4% average decline a year earlier.
“Factory output eased because of the high cost of production driven by a surge in fuel prices coupled by supply chain constraints,” Asian Institute of Management economist John Paolo R. Rivera said in an e-mail.
Mr. Rivera noted that some manufacturers might have limited production to deal with rising prices of raw materials, when they are unable to pass these costs to consumers.
In a separate e-mail, UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said manufacturing’s slower reading in April was due to base effects.
“It’s clearly coming from a very high base year on year. We also have to consider the continuing impact of the supply-chain challenges due to geopolitical risks, not to mention the China slowdown impact,” he said.
S&P Global’s Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to over four-year high of 54.3 in April from 53.2 in March. The 50 mark separates manufacturing expansion from contraction.
The sector’s recovery has been hampered by the Russia-Ukraine war, which sent global prices of oil and commodities to multi-year highs. Russia is the second-largest producer of crude oil while Ukraine is one of the top exporters of crop and wheat.
Meanwhile, China’s strict lockdowns stalled production in major hubs and disrupted global logistics and supply chains.
PSA data also showed 14 out of 22 industry divisions recorded expansions in April. Manufacture of textiles surged by 45.6% during the month, faster than the previous month’s record of 24%. It was followed by machinery and equipment except electrical (39.2% in April from 48.4% in March) and chemical and chemical products (33.7% from 28.3%).
On the other hand, declines were recorded for eight industry divisions led by electrical equipment (28.1% in April from 30.5% in March), printing and reproduction of recorded media (17.3% from 11.8%), and furniture (14.5% from 1.6%).
Capacity utilization rate — the extent to which industry resources are used in producing goods — averaged 69.2% in April, slowing from the revised 70.9% in the previous month.
Eighteen of 22 manufacturing subsectors reached an average capacity utilization of at least 60%.
Manufacturing output could fall in the coming months should fuel costs continue to increase, Mr. Rivera said.
Mr. Asuncion said factory output growth is expected to continue at a slower pace.
“We’re expecting it to be sustained but a slowdown may be expected. We have sensed this from the PMI data of late where it was marginally softer than the previous month. We still have manufacturing slightly above the expansion area by the end of this year,” he said. — Abigail Marie P. Yraola
THE FILM Development Council of the Philippines’s (FDCP) PeliKULAYa: International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival returns for a third year, this time in a hybrid format, from June 10 to 26.
The film festival’s name is a portmanteau of the words pelikula (movie), kulay (color), and laya (freedom). “Through film, there is freedom to show your true colors,” FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza B. Diño-Seguerra said at the film festival’s launch at the Amrak Comedy Bar on June 7. “This festival aims to celebrate independence and pride in the month of June.”
With the theme “Pantay-Pantay, Iba’t Ibang Kulay!” (Equal, Different Colors) this year’s film festival will include online and onsite film screenings, competitions, and film talks.
SCREENINGS AND MORE
Fifty local and international films will be screened online and onsite in this year’s festival lineup. The films are co-presented by partner embassies and organizations: the Embassies of Sweden, Denmark, Chile, Spain, Canada, the US, Mexico, the British Council, the Korean Cultural Center, and Instituto Cervantes.
Unless noted, all the on-site events will be held at the Cinematheque Center Manila.
There will also be six subscription films and one available for rent on the FDCP Channel, 10 films from this year’s PeliKULAYa LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition, and six films from the Cinespectra Short Film Festival 2019 that can be streamed for free throughout the festival.
The festival begins with a one-time special screening of Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca on June 10 (7 p.m.).
Among the FDCP Film Talks during the festival is “The ABCs of SOGIE,” a discussion that delves into the basics of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression and the lives of the Filipino members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The talk will be held on July 11, 2 p.m.
The film Women Do Cry, by Vesela Kazakova and Mina Mileva, will have its Philippine premiere, with a special video message from the filmmakers, on June 11, 6 p.m.
Film historian, scholar, and filmmaker Nick Deocampo will launch his book Alternative Cinema, on June 12 (10:30 a.m.). The book launch will include the screening of four of his films as part of the festival’s Nick Deocampo Film Retrospective: Oliver, Sex Warriors and the Samurai, Private Wars, and Memories of Old Manila.
A special screening followed by a talkback session of the film Boys Don’t Cry, co-presented by the US Embassy, will be held on June 16, 5:30 p.m.
On the same day, the PeliKULAYa: Short Film Competition – Set A Gala Night will be held at 6 p.m. at Cinema ‘76 Anonas in Quezon City.
The PeliKULAYa: Short Film Competition – Set B Gala Night will be held on June 17, 6 p.m., at the Cinema ‘76 Anonas. It will be followed by a talkback session with the filmmakers of the competing films.
Gutierrez “Teng” Mangansakan II’s film Topografia will have its world premiere at 6 p.m. on June 17, followed by a talkback session at the Cinematheque Center Davao.
On June 18, 2:30 p.m., “The Color Reel,” a panel discussion on the roles of members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the audiovisual industry will be held as part of the FDCP Film Talks. Jun Robles Lana’s film Big Night! will have its Gala Night that day at 6 p.m. followed by a talkback session.
The From His/Her/Their Lens: A Nick Deocampo Film Retrospective Gala will be held on June 18, 2 p.m., at the Cinematheque Centre Iloilo. The event will also screen Deocampo’s films Private Wars and Oliver.
Ivan Andrew Payawal’s Gameboys The Movie will be screened on June 19, at 6 p.m., followed by a talkback session. There will also be a special screening of Markova: Comfort Gay by Gil Portes that same day at 5 p.m. at the Metropolitan Theater.
In celebration of Manila Day on June 24, PeliKULAYa will hold special screenings of Manila By Night by Ishmael Bernal and Esoterika: Maynila by Elwood Perez at the Cinematheque Centre Manila.
On June 25, 11:30 am., the panel discussion “Trans Representation in Media” — part of the FDCP Film Talks — will delve into the representation of transexuals in Philippine media, how it evolved, and what else needs to be done. The day concludes with a screening of Kimberly Peirce’s 1999 film Boys Don’t Cry at 5:30 p.m.
There will also be screenings of the films of the finalists of the PeliKULAYa: Short Film Competition, the Healthy Pilipinas Short Film Festival, and CineIskool Film Lab and Festival at the Gateway Cinemas in Cubao, Quezon City.
The film festival concludes on June 26 with the Closing Program, Para sa Makulay na Bukas! (For a colorful tomorrow). The winners of the PeliKULAYa: Short Film Competition will be announced during this event.
HOPEFUL RETURN
Asked when Filipino titles will return to commercial cinemas (currently only international films are being screened), Ms. Diño-Seguerra said that the FDCP is coordinating with Filipino producers.
“We’re still in touch with the Filipino producers na magpapalabas ng mga pelikula nila (who will release their films). Nood Tayo ng Sine (Lets Watch a Movie) will be the main program that will identify these films and create a promotional plan para masuportahan sila (to support them),” Ms. Diño-Seguerra told BusinessWorld after the film festival’s launch.
Nood Tayo ng Sine is the FDCP’s campaign on the promotion of local films. It is currently supporting the promotion of Prime Cruz’s Ngayon Kaya, starring Janine Gutierrez and Paulo Avelino, which is set for theatrical release on June 22.
Ms. Diño-Seguerra also hopes for the return of the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino in theaters in September.
For more details and the full lineup of films to be shown in PeliKULAYa: International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, visit https://www.fdcp.ph/updates/fdcp-celebrates-pride-month-pelikulaya-international-lgbtqia-film-festival.
The Cinematheque Centre Manila is at 855 Kalaw Ave., Ermita, Manila. The Cinematheque Centre Davao is at Teodoro Palma Gil St, Poblacion District, Davao City, while the Cinematheque Centre Iloilo is at MHX9+JQC, Solis St., Iloilo City Proper, Iloilo City. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman
INTERNATIONAL Finance Corp. (IFC) is providing $8.3 million to EdgePoint Infrastructure Sdn Bhd as indirect equity investment in the telecommunications tower platform’s entry into the Philippine market.
In a press release on Thursday, the global financial institution said the investment — equivalent to around P440 million — would improve the country’s mobile network capacity and create a competitive market.
IFC, a World Bank member with focus on the private sector in developing countries, said the amount is part of a larger investment in digital infrastructure assets across emerging markets managed by affiliates of US-listed DigitalBridge Group, Inc., including EdgePoint.
“This equity investment in EdgePoint marks a significant milestone in digital development in the Philippines, paving the way for more people and businesses to have access to mobile services,” said Isabel Chatterton, IFC regional industry director for infrastructure Asia and the Pacific.
“With the Philippines poised to grow, strong consumer demand and a vibrant labor market will undoubtedly lead to even greater calls on telecom services,” she said. “This investment will help meet future needs, which is vital as digital connectivity is so fundamental to helping ensure people and businesses can flourish.”
The investment involves the acquisition of more than 2,900 towers from the PLDT, Inc., through a sale and leaseback agreement, in addition to the construction of additional build-to-suit towers, the IFC said.
Last week, PLDT closed its first tower deal involving 3,013 telecom towers, or more than half of what is due to be sold, and received about P39.2 billion from the sale.
IFC said mobile connectivity in the Philippines is inadequate largely due to network congestion.
“The country ranks 95th out of 142 countries for mobile internet download speed,” it said.
The country’s network congestion, or the number of mobile subscribers per tower, is also comparable to that of other low-income countries, and is more than three times higher than the average in the East Asia and Pacific region, it added.
Reliable electricity for towers is also a problem, as IFC estimates that just 5% of towers in the Philippines are expected to be located in off-grid areas.
EdgePoint Chief Executive Officer and Founder Suresh Sidhu said the expansion in connectivity would create new job opportunities for the sector.
“The Philippines telecoms sector has tremendous potential, and we look forward to being part of its future,” he added.
IFC said its support and investment “will continue to increase competition within the telecom sector, which will lead to better service quality and more affordable rates.” — Tobias Jared Tomas
NEW YORK — Hard as it is to believe, this year is the 50th anniversary of the debut of The Bob Newhart Show, the beloved 1970s sitcom about a psychologist trying to lead a sane and fulfilling life.
Now 92, and married to wife Ginny for almost 60 years, Newhart is still making people laugh in his unique understated style.
For Reuters’ “Life Lessons” series, the comedy legend sat down to chat about his remarkable run in show business.
Q: What was your first job as a kid?
A: I grew up in Chicago, and I was a delivery boy for a meat market. I think I got something like $7 a week for delivering meat. But somehow I got screwed up in my accounts, and ended up owing my employer $7. So the whole week was for nothing. That was my introduction to the world of business.
Q: Were the early days of breaking into comedy pretty rough?
A: First I went to Loyola University in Chicago, and got a degree in accounting. All my buddies were getting engaged and married and having kids. Meanwhile, I was working behind the counter at the unemployment office.
I figured I would try to bust into comedy, and thought if it didn’t come through, I could just go back to accounting.
Q: What was that one big break for you?
A: In everybody’s life, you have to have someone who believes in you and tells you to stay at it. I had a friend in Chicago, Dan Sorkin, and he was that guy for me. He was a popular DJ, and he told the people at Warner Bros. Records, “I have a friend, and I think he’s funny.”
I had three routines — Abe Lincoln, Driving Instructor, and Sub Commander — and I put them on tape. They liked it, gave me a recording contract, and persuaded a nightclub in Houston to let me go onstage. That was recorded in 1960, and went on to become Album of the Year (The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart).
Q: How did you find your unique voice onstage?
A: If you are in the stand-up world, there is no book to learn from. Every opportunity you have, you have to do it in front of an audience. Of course, it used to be safe to be a stand-up comedian. Now, with what happened to Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock, I’m going to get a helmet, just to be on the safe side.
Q: What life lessons have you taken away from the comedy world?
A: One of the interesting things about comedy is that comedians often have very long marriages. Ginny and I next year will have been married 60 years. There is something about laughter and the longevity of marriage. It helps you get past the rough spots. That’s what comedians do — is get people through difficult times.
Q: You have a number of kids and grandkids, so what life advice do you give them?
A: It all comes down to family and friends. That’s what the whole thing is all about. God knows I’ve had great friends and great kids, and I just tell them, treasure your friendships and family. All the other stuff doesn’t mean all that much.
Q: What has the pandemic been like for you?
A: It’s been weird, because for a long time nobody was doing any shows. People didn’t want to be in closed environments, with people they didn’t know sitting right next to them. So for two years, I didn’t really do any stand-up, and I missed it. That was my first love, it really was. I had a lot of success in television, but I missed going onstage and getting that immediate reaction.
Q: What will you remember most about your career?
A: When you are on television, you really become a part of people’s lives. That doesn’t happen in movies — only in TV. People say that you are like a part of their family, which is important and a great feeling.
The most rewarding of all is when someone writes and says that they were going through a difficult time and were contemplating ending the whole thing — but they watched your show, and it helped them through that period.
That’s what laughter is; it helps us to deal with the bad times. At moments like that, you go, “Boy, I’m glad I do this.” — Reuters
By Revin Mikhael D. Ochave, Reporter
E-COMMERCE startup Growsari is eyeing to have 300,000 partner stores by 2023 as part of efforts to boost its presence and transform small physical retail stores such as sari-sari stores across the country into comprehensive service hubs of their communities.
Maimai Madrid-Punzalan, Growsari chief marketing officer, said in a round table discussion on Thursday that the startup is aiming to reach the underserved areas outside metropolitan areas.
“We hope to reach 300,000 stores by early next year. We’ve shown we can go beyond the Tier 1 and now getting into the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, really reaching even the further underserved outside of the metro,” Ms. Punzalan said.
“We’re trying to stretch beyond the outskirts. Growth will remain continuous,” she added.
Growsari Co-Founder Reymund Rollan said that the startup has expanded into cities across Visayas and Mindanao such as Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, and General Santos. With this, the startup’s presence is now in 20 key cities and 400 municipalities across the Philippines.
He added that the expansion to Visayas and Mindanao aids in helping the digital transformation of the small stores served by the startup.
“As we get farther out into the provinces, a lot of sari-sari store owners are underserved given the challenges of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) distributors to physically reach them. Digital inclusion in these areas has also been lower. So, we see this as a huge opportunity where Growsari can come in to make a difference in the lives of small physical retail store owners,” Mr. Rollan said.
“This 2022 is quite significant for us because this is our first time [that] we venture out of Luzon. We felt that it was time to also build presence in other provinces outside Luzon. We want to be able to solve the inter-island logistics challenge. We felt that it was also the time for us to build that muscle and the playbook is strong enough so that some of the risks are properly studied before we expand,” he added.
Mr. Rollan said that the startup’s store partners will also be able to offer services beyond the selling of FMCGs with the use of Growsari’s application. The added services include telco credits, money remittance, bills payment, e-commerce, WiFi, and other electronic services.
“Through our platform, store owners have access to new revenue streams, which allow them to maximize their capital. In addition, we are doubling down on our capabilities to improve the overall customer experience and look to expand our ability to provide access to credit and basic financial services, which is a key pain point for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who have limited access,” Mr. Rollan said.
“We’ve raised $110 million over four rounds of funding. We’re able to get support from local conglomerates. We are happy that there is validation even at a global investment scale that sari-sari stores have a role to play and that’s why they are investing in this business,” he added.
Growsari started in 2016 as an ordering platform that serviced around 1,000 sari-sari stores. By end-2021, it reached over 100,000 sari-sari stores across Luzon.
ROBINSONS Galleria South in San Pedro, Laguna will be home to more than 200 bonsai plants and suiseki stones as it hosts the 2022 BSAPI (Bonsai and Suiseki Alliance of the Philippines, Inc.) National Bonsai and Suiseki Exhibit and Competition. Bonsai, the art of cultivating miniature plants, and Suiseki, the art of stone appreciation, have been gaining interest nationwide with their unique take on beauty, grace, and power to evoke the greatness of nature. The specimens, sourced from various provinces in the country, will be displayed from June 10 to 16. Six industry experts will determine the best entries and will be awarding the winners on June 11, 10:30 a.m., while horticulturists and enthusiasts can take part in a series of workshops, lectures and demos to be conducted on June 11 to 15, 1 to 4 p.m.
ENJOY A WEEKEND of beer, music, and food at the Philippine Craft Beer Festival on June 10 to 12 (4 p.m. to midnight) at the Mayflower Parking at the Greenfield District, Mandaluyong City. More than 20 local breweries will serve food and drinks. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/338174381745548/?active_tab=discussion.
INTEGRATED resort Resorts World Manila (RWM) marks the 124th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 12 with the Galing Pinas! Fair, highlighting all things Filipino for the whole month of June at the Newport Mall at the Newport Garden Wing. The Plaza at Newport Mall has set-up shop for the Likha: Pinas Muna Tayo Fair to celebrate world-class Filipino craftsmanship. The fair features Filipino-made products from accessories, religious artifacts, leather crafts, local delicacies, and more from June 6-12. The Obra: Newport Mall-seum exhibit features two ground-breaking local artists, sculptor John Paul Duray whose works will be seen at the Newport Garden Wing Main Entrance, and the works of Otep Bañez which will be seen by the Garden Wing Cafe from June 12-30 at the Newport Garden Wing. Many restaurants will also be marking the occasion. Feast of uniquely Filipino dishes at Casa Buenas, which will have a special set menu highlighted by a Cebu Lechon-style roasted suckling pig. Guests can order the item ala-carte for P9,500 or as a set for P10,000 that includes Paella Mixtas, Sticky rice suman with sweet chorizo, Mixed vegetables with adlai and flavored soy sauce. For reservations, contact 0917-878-8321 or 7908-8988, or e-mail casa.buenas@rwmanila.com.
TO HELP visitors better appreciate the beauty of Philippine culture, Araneta City is marking this year’s Independence Day with offers and events under the theme Kasarinlan; Likha at Talento. Among the things visitors can do there on Independence Day is strike a pose in front of the giant #ProudPinoy installation in Gateway Mall and show their selfies or groufies on social media. A Freedom Wall is also found at the Ali Mall MacArthur Lobby Entrance from June 11 to 17. Araneta City will hold the Tela Pilipinas Exhibit from June 12 to 17 at the Gateway Mall Activity Area. The event is organized by the Philippine Textile Research Institute and the Department of Science and Technology and will showcase Philippine tropical fabrics and other textile products of the country. On June 11, Filipino music will fill the Ali Mall Activity Area which will host the Kasarinlan Mall Concert, featuring OPM band Nobita and the Banda Kawayan Pilipinas. On June 12, enjoy the Sayaw Pinoy performances by the Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation, Inc. at the Gateway Mall Activity Area (as part of the Tela Pilipinas Exhibit Ribbon Cutting ceremony), and the Musikang Pinoy performances by the Banda Kawayan Pilipinas at the Farmers Plaza Activity Area. Live mural painting will take place at Ali Mall on June 9, with the theme Kamalayan sa Kalayaan. A time-lapse video will be produced out of the mural painting workshop. Pinoy products will be on sale at the Sinag Art Fair at the Ali Mall MacArthur lobby entrance from June 11 to 17. The Gateway Gallery is set to open The Maps to Freedom exhibit from June 12 to July 12. When dining at Food Express, Food Plaza, Food Gallery, and Dampa from June 12 to June 19, visitors can try the new Lemon-Dou drink for free! Get a free can of Lemon-Dou (Signature Lemon, Honey Lemon or Devil Lemon) for every ₱260 single or accumulated receipt.
FOR FRANCIS Nacion’s 13th solo exhibition, the artist presents ImaheNACION, a glimpse of the artist’s memories with his mother. Taking inspiration from Paul Klee, a German artist who is known for his quilts of color and simple stick figures, Nacion has come up with an artistic style that is all his own. The exhibition will run until June 12 at Art Lounge Manila – Molito Lifestyle Center, Ayala Alabang. For more information, visit the Art Lounge Manila website www.artloungemanila.com.
ARANETA City in Quezon City has opened the Araneta Fiesta Park just beside the Araneta City Bus Station (along Times Square Avenue). It features rides and attractions that each member of the family will love. For the young there are kiddie F1 Cars, dinosaurs at the Jurassic Adventures, and the Boat Pool ride. There are also the Mini Trampoline, Soft Playground, and Happy Inflatables. Kids and adult companions ride the Express Train and Happy Car. There are also carnival game booths with prizes to be won, and food stalls. All rides and attractions were shipped from Taiwan, and are operating for the first time in the Philippines via Araneta Fiesta Park. Araneta Fiesta Park is open daily from 4 to 10 p.m. Tickets for each ride start at ₱50, or ride them all for ₱500.
SUPER app Grab has launched on Wednesday its in-house mapping and location-based service called GrabMaps, which is intended to fully power the Singapore-based company by the third quarter of 2022.
Categorized under the company’s enterprise and new initiatives business, GrabMaps will also be offered to enterprises as a business-to-business (B2B) offering, allowing Grab to tap into the $1-billion market opportunity in Southeast Asia (SEA).
Grab co-founder Tan Hooi Ling pointed out that SEA cities have back alleys and side streets that don’t show in conventional maps, but are navigated by its drivers and delivery partners daily.
“We’ve invested to turn this intelligence into a competitive advantage, allowing us to serve our users and partners with great experience, at the same time driving efficiency and cost-savings for the business,” she said in a press release about the hyperlocal solution.
GrabMaps is built on the principles of community-based mapping and draws data from orders and rides served daily, with real-time feedback from drivers and delivery partners on changes like road closures and business addresses.
By contributing data like street imagery and traffic signs to the maps, drivers and delivery partners also earn additional income.
The technology is also a way to improve the experience of micro-entrepreneurs in the platform, according to Grab Philippines.
“By helping delivery-partners locate merchants faster, they can deliver food that is hotter and fresher to customers,” the company said in an e-mail.
“Grab has always sought to build innovative tech that addresses Southeast Asia’s hyperlocal needs and GrabMaps is a great example of that,” added Ms. Tan.
GRABMAPS FOR ENTERPRISE
As a B2B solution, GrabMaps offers enterprises the following:
• Base map data: the choice to license data on places, roads, and high-resolution, street-level imagery. Grab expects to grow to 37 million its over 33 million points of interest at present.
• Map-making tools and software-as-a-service: an end-to-end stack that customers can leverage to build their own maps. Grab is working on a next-gen camera that incorporates 360-degree imaging capabilities.
Its current map-making camera, Kartacam, is being piloted by partner companies in Paris, Johannesburg, Dubai, and Seattle.
• Application programming interface (APIs) and mobile software development kits (SDKs): to be launched later in 2022 and in 2023, respectively, these will allow teams to leverage GrabMaps’ technology to improve or build their own applications and geolocation capabilities.
Per a benchmark study of GrabMaps versus a third-party mapping provider, the former’s error rate was four times lower, and its latency (or how fast the system serves a response) 10 times lower. Company data also show that — for countries that have moved fully to GrabMaps — the ease of finding the right point of interest for transport bookings improved three percentage points. Further, the accuracy of estimated travel time improved between one to 7.8 percentage points.
GrabMaps powers more than 800 billion APIs calls per month. — Patricia B. Mirasol
