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Italian conductor Ruggero Barbieri, 60

RUGGERO BARBIERI

RUGGERO Barbieri, Italian conductor and former music director and principal conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), died at age 60 of a brain aneurysm at the Pope John XX111 Hospital in Bergamo, Italy on March 20.

Mr. Barbieri had worked with the PPO from 1996 to 2004 and was the first foreign conductor to hold two consecutive terms with the orchestra.

“It is with deep sadness for the PPO to have received the news of the passing of our former music director and principal conductor, Maestro Ruggero Barbieri yesterday, March 21, 2022,” said PPO orchestra director Eugene Delos Santos in a statement from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). “As music director from 1996 to 2004, he was an amazing and generous mentor who tirelessly contributed to the training and musical growth of the PPO. We feel so lucky that we got to know and learned from him during his term as our principal conductor. He will surely be missed.”

Mr. Barbieri brought the orchestra on a series of successful Asian and European tours, including its first European Concert Tour in 2001 which he organized and conducted.

Mr. Barbieri made his Asian debut as an opera conductor with Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the CCP in 1997, followed by Don Giovanni (1999) and Il Trovatore in Singapore (2001).

More recently, Mr. Barbieri conducted the Pundaquit Virtuosi String Ensemble’s European tour in June to July 2019, organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, he was set to be the group’s Resident Conductor in the beginning 2020.

“We owe many of our memorable, magical and cinematic moments to the Maestro, not only in music-making, but outside as well,” wrote founder and Artistic Director of the Pundaquit Virtuosi, Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata on social media. He went on to tell about when the conductor “unexpectedly appeared backstage in Belgium a minute before the rising of the curtain, as we were about to walk onstage… with his booming bass, already clad in his signature blue barong and holding his baton.”

From 2003 until 2019, Mr. Barbieri would conduct the PPO at the annual Christmas Concert at The Pen, returning to the Philippines for the occasion when he was based in Italy. He had been scheduled to return this year to conduct the concert again.

Posting a video clip on Facebook of her rehearsal with the PPO for the Christmas concert in 2019, soprano Alexa Kaufman wrote: “He is one of the most appreciative and kind conductors I know. May he rest in peace.”

Born on May 5, 1961 in Bergamo, Italy, Mr. Barbieri studied at the Guiseppe Verdi Conservatory of Milan, the Music Academy of Pescara, and the Konservatorium fur Musik in Vienna.

Mr. Barbieri is survived by his 21-year-old son Piolo and two sisters, Daniela and Federica. — MAPS

PATAFA to take legal action against POC’s 90-day suspension

PATAFA President Philip Ella Juico — PHILIPPINE STAR FILE PHOTO

THE Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) will resist and take legal steps against the 90-day suspension it recently received from the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

“We will continue as official NSA (national sports association) of track and field and we’ll send our athletes to the Southeast Asian Games,” said PATAFA President Philip Ella Juico during Wednesday’s online briefing. “We will continue what we are mandated to do until our international federation tells us to stop.

“We are resisting and we hope other NSAs will see this, but it’s up to them. We are taking all the necessary legal steps,” he added.

PATAFA chair Rufus Rodriguez, for his part, called the ban “arbitrary, premature and whimsical.”

“There is an ongoing mediation between us and Mr. (EJ) Obiena and here comes the POC and out of nowhere suspended us,” said Mr. Rodriguez. “We are autonomous and we’ve always decided what’s best for our athletes. The suspension is illegal and unfounded.”

POC has suspended PATAFA for failing to serve its purpose as an NSA, which according to the former must have “the dedication and commitment toward the development of the sport, promoting the ideals of the Olympic Movement and the spirit of sportsmanship.”

The ban came in the aftermath of PATAFA’s non-endorsement of Ernest John “EJ” Obiena to the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia last week and the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games set on May 12 to 23.

Meanwhile, 27 members of the national team, which included four Southeast Asian Games gold medalists, and 11 national coaches have thrown their support to PATAFA.

“I think it’s time for PATAFA to teach him (Mr. Obiena) a lesson,” said national coach Jojo Posadas.

“I think this issue teaches us that we should now start to focus on other local athletes, not just him,” said another national mentor Dario Enriquez. — Joey Villar

Tax court sides industrial park owner in case vs BIR

THE Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) granted the appeal of First Philippine Industrial Park, Inc. to set aside the deficiency tax liabilities of P13.7 million for the calendar year 2009.

In a resolution on March 18, the court prohibited the commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) from collecting the amount from the company.

“Such being the case, the subject tax assessments issued against the petitioner for the taxable year 2009 are void, for lack of authority of the revenue officers to examine the petitioner’s books,” The court ruling written by CTA Associate Justice Maria Belen M. Ringpis-Liban said. “Being a void assessment, the same bears no fruit, hence the subject tax assessments cannot be legally enforced against the petitioner.”

The petitioner is a domestic corporation engaged in the business of acquiring, developing, and managing industrial estates. The company is also registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority as the owner of First Philippine Industrial Park, a special economic zone.

The respondent is the BIR commissioner who has the authority to decide disputed assessments, refunds of internal revenue taxes, and penalties imposed in relation to provisions under the country’s tax code.

The company argued that the tax assessment issued by the commissioner should be considered void for a lack of a valid letter of authority (LOA).

On the other hand, the respondent claimed that the assessment was issued within the period prescribed by law, and the company was not deprived of its right to due process.

The CTA affirmed the petitioners’ claim that the revenue officers who conducted the audit were not authorized by the required letter.

“In cases where the BIR conducts an audit without a valid LOA, or in excess of the authority duly provided therefore, the resulting assessment shall be void and ineffectual,” the court said citing previous jurisprudence. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Tonik wants to grow loan book, offer cryptocurrency products

TONIK DIGITAL Bank, Inc. is looking to expand its lending portfolio and offer cryptocurrency products a year since it launched in the Philippines.

Tonik said they are looking to launch services such as Buy Now, Pay Later schemes and home loans this year, the bank said in a statement.

It said each client may be given up to a P2.5-million credit limit.

“The Philippines is one of the biggest markets in demand of crypto and lending services in the world, and we are laser focused on making these available soon in our app,” Tonik Founder and Chief Executive Officer Greg Krasnov said.

In February, the bank raised $131 million via a Series B funding led by Mizuho Bank.

Deposits with the digital bank reached P5 billion in December, eight months since it launched in March 2021.

The bank’s 6% annual deposit rate is relatively higher compared with traditional lenders. Since it launched, it has also offered physical debit cards and a cash loan product.

“2021 has been a challenge for all of us, and we saw how the health crisis increased the demand for digital banking and cashless services,” Mr. Krasnov said.

“Armed with our unwavering dedication to accelerate financial inclusion in the country, Tonik assures that more accessible, simplified and customer-centric banking products will be available to more Filipinos in many more years to come,” he added.

Tonik is among the six entities given digital bank licenses by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas last year. — L.W.T. Noble

Secuna eyes partnership with gov’t for cyberattack simulation

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

SECUNA, a cybersecurity testing platform provider in the Philippines, said it is in talks with a national government agency to use its platform “for free.”

The company is serious about “collaborating” with the government on cybersecurity, Secuna Chief Executive Officer Allan Jay “AJ” Dumanhug told BusinessWorld in a recent virtual interview.

“Why for free? Our competitors in the United States are actually doing it in a small amount, but we want to do it for free because we want to help the government secure our countrymen, our citizens, as they also have our data,” he added.

On its website, Secuna describes itself as “the biggest and most trusted cybersecurity testing platform” in the country helping startups and small and medium-sized enterprises “by connecting them to the most advanced and highly-vetted cybersecurity professionals in the world to simulate cyberattacks and find security flaws that real-world malicious hackers can exploit and leverage to gain access to IT systems.”

Mr. Dumanhug noted that Secuna is also developing a business model with government agencies that is similar to “Hack the Pentagon” and “Hack the Air Force” cybersecurity programs in the US, in which ethical hackers identify security holes in an entity’s computer networks.

“We are planning the same thing like ‘Hack the Comelec’ (Commission on Elections). So that’s how we will generate revenue,” he added.

“This is a community of researchers, and we want to bring this idea to the Philippines.”

Data analytics and consulting company GlobalData said organizations should start strengthening their cybersecurity defenses amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

“Malicious state-sponsored cyber activities have historically escalated when geopolitical tensions are high. Concerns about increased cyber activity amidst the Russia-Ukraine crisis serve as a stark reminder of the importance of identifying the threat model and altering risk management objectives accordingly,” Manish Dixit, principal disruptive tech analyst at GlobalData, said in a statement.

Pranjali Mujumdar, also a GlobalData tech analyst, said companies must also invest more in information security, with risk management teams aiming for a fine balance of technology, people, and processes to manage risk.

“Both Russia and Ukraine have a high level of expertise in information technology and computer hacking, thus, cyberwarfare can not only target big companies or government organizations; any small business involved in the public sector’s supply chain will also be vulnerable.”

Dutch publisher recalls discredited book on Anne Frank’s betrayal

HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/ COLLECTIE ANNE FRANK STICHTING AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM — The Dutch publisher of a discredited cold case investigation into the betrayal of teenage Jewish diarist Anne Frank on Tuesday said it was recalling the book following a critical report on its findings.

The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation, by Canadian best-selling author Rosemary Sullivan has been widely dismissed by experts since its release in January.

The book named a Jewish notary, Arnold van den Bergh, as the main suspect in exposing the family’s hideout to the Nazis.

There was a backlash by Jewish groups, historians and independent researchers who subsequently criticized the cold case team’s conclusion.

Last month, the main umbrella group for Europe’s national Jewish communities urged HarperCollins to pull the English edition, saying it had tarnished Anne Frank’s memory and the dignity of Holocaust survivors.

On Tuesday, a counter-report by World War II experts and historians was released in the Netherlands, saying the conclusions of the cold case team, led by a retired US FBI investigator, did not withstand professional scrutiny.

“It is without exception very weak, sometimes based on an evidently erroneous reading of the sources, fabricated additions to sources, and has not in any way been subjected to a critical assessment,” the report concluded.

“There is not any serious evidence for this grave accusation,” the experts found.

In response, Dutch publisher Ambo Anthos said: “Based on the conclusions of this report, we have decided that effective immediately, the book will no longer be available. We will call upon bookstores to return their stock.”

The English edition of the book was published by HarperCollins. HarperCollins did not respond to a request for comment.

Anne’s diary about life in hiding has been translated into 60 languages. She and seven other Jews were discovered in August 1944 after they had evaded capture for nearly two years in a secret annex above a canal side warehouse in Amsterdam. All were deported and Anne died in the Bergen Belsen camp at age 15. — Reuters

Converge ICT Solutions acquires Alaska Aces franchise

DENNIS ANTHONY H. UY

AS ITS entry as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) newest member was formally announced, Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. management vowed to form a competitive squad that will give the league’s powerhouses a run for their money.

Converge is officially taking over from Alaska after the PBA board of governors unanimously approved on an 11-0 vote the sale entered into by its co-founder and CEO Dennis Anthony H. Uy and Aces owner Fred Uytengsu.

“Converge will be a strong and active member of the PBA. With full management support and continuous recalibration, we’ll be competing at a high level and we’ll be bringing topnotch basketball to Filipino fans,” said Converge’s designated governor, former commissioner Chito Salud, in a presscon with commissioner Willie Marcial and Alaska governor Dicky Bachmann.

“Our brand of basketball will be reflective of the core values of hard work, discipline, creativity, grit and excellence,” added Mr. Salud.

Converge purchased Alaska lock, stock and barrel and has the option to retain the old Aces squad and coaching staff.

“We have barely three months to prepare for the next season in June and I’ll be working closely with Mr. Dicky Bachmann on this. Together, we’ll assess the performance of the players and coaches and we’ll make a decision soon,” said Mr. Salud. “We believe this team has great potential and we just need to recalibrate and move forward.”

Converge executives are grateful to PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan for allowing the company to come in despite essentially being a competitor.

“Mr. Uy wants to highlight the sporting spirit Mr. Pangilinan showed in accepting the entry of Converge. In the mind of Mr. Uy, Mr. Pangilinan is a true ambassador of the sport and does the PBA proud with this sporting gesture,” said Mr. Salud.

The amount of the purchase was not disclosed but is estimated to be at least P100 million in addition to franchise transfer and other league fees.

Mr. Bachmann presented a framed signed Alaska t-shirt each to Converge and the pro league during the presser. “The proceeds of this sale could have stayed with the PBA… We want to thank the PBA for allowing Mr. Uytengsu and Alaska Milk Corp. to actually receive all the proceeds from this sale,” he said. — Olmin Leyba

Cebu Pacific net loss reached nearly P25 billion in 2021

First A330neo delivery to Cebu Pacific

BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) on Wednesday reported a net loss of P24.9 billion for 2021, widening from a loss of P22.2 billion a year earlier.

The airline “continues to weather through the coronavirus pandemic,” it said in an e-mailed statement.

“CEB generated P15.7 billion in revenues in 2021, 30% below 2020,” it added.

The airline said the decline in revenues was mostly driven by the 50% drop in passenger revenue to P6.3 billion from P12.6 billion in 2020.

“Cargo operations continued to flourish in 2021 as it posted record sales of P6.5 billion, a 20% increase versus 2020,” it noted.

The airline’s total operating expenses fell by 10% to P38.9 billion “despite the higher fuel prices.” It cited the limited flying activities, supported by cost-cutting initiatives such as right-sizing of its network, fleet, and manpower.

“With these, CEB posted an operating loss of P23.2 billion, 12% bigger than the previous year,” the airline noted.

At the same time, the budget carrier incurred non-core losses of P1.12 billion, “driven primarily by higher peso translation of its US dollar debt and mark-to-market losses from the derivative value of its convertible bonds, which were partially offset by P1.4 billion gained from aircraft sale and leaseback transactions.”

The airline said it remained resilient and ensured its long-term sustainability despite the losses.

“Aside from its cost-saving initiatives, [CEB] successfully raised over $1.6 billion from various fund-raising initiatives,” the airline noted.

“This not only allowed for an even longer liquidity runway but also resulted in a stronger balance sheet with cash balance of P19.6 billion, surpassing even the pre-pandemic cash levels.”

The budget carrier sees “strong” domestic demand becoming apparent.

Bookings have been “increasing,” it noted, adding that it anticipates recovery to its pre-COVID domestic capacity levels by the second quarter of the year.

The airline, operated by listed Cebu Air, Inc., said it flew more than 3.4 million passengers last year, 32% lower than the previous year.

“In the first quarter of 2020 alone, before the onset of the air travel lockdown in March 2020, Cebu Pacific flew close to 4.4 million passengers on about 30,000 flights,” it noted.

Cebu Air shares closed 2.60% higher at P43.40 apiece on Wednesday. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Commonwealth Insurance tops nonlife companies in terms of bond performance

COMMONWEALTH INSURANCE Co. (CIC) topped nonlife insurers in terms of bond performance in 2020, the Insurance Commission (IC) reported on Wednesday.

The list ranks nonlife insurance companies on premiums on direct or bond business or premiums for bonds received by insurers before considering reinsurance ceded.

CIC had the highest bond earnings in 2020 at P447.45 million, followed by Travellers Insurance & Surety Corp. with P406.08 million.

Other companies in the top 10 were Stronghold Insurance Co., Inc. (P256.90 million); MAA General Assurance Philippines, Inc. (P237.55 million); United Coconut Planters’ Bank General Insurance Co., Inc. (P213.94 million); Malaysian Insurance Co., Inc. (P155.39 million); BPI/MS Insurance Corp. (P146.77 million); Milestone Guaranty & Assurance Corp. (P120.54 million); Alpha Insurance & Surety Co. (P114.53 million); and Bethel General Insurance & Surety Corp. (P89.86 million).

IC Circular Letter No. 2018-47, which outlines the rules on insurers’ issuance of bonds, organizes bonds into five classes.

Insurance companies generated a total of P3.01 trillion from bond premiums in 2020, based on data from the IC.

Class 3 Bonds, which include Performance Bonds and General Bonds, among others, made P1.40 billion or 46.69% of the total income from over 103,000 policies, latest data from the commission showed.

The Philippine insurance sector is composed of 135 licensed life and nonlife insurers as well as mutual benefit associations. — T.J. Tomas

Beyonce, Billie Eilish among musical performers to take Oscars stage

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

LOS ANGELES — Music superstars Beyonce and Billie Eilish will perform their Oscar-nominated songs live at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony on March 27, producers announced on Tuesday.

Beyonce will sing “Be Alive,” a song she co-wrote for the movie King Richard about the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, at the film industry honors on Sunday.

Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell will team for their James Bond theme “No Time to Die.”

Country music star Reba McEntire also will take the stage to sing “Somehow You Do,” a song written by Diane Warren for the movie Four Good Days. “Dos Oruguitas” from animated musical Encanto will be performed Sebastian Yatra.

All four are competing in the category of best original song at the Academy Awards ceremony that will take place in Hollywood and be broadcast on Walt Disney Co.’s ABC.

The fifth nominee, “Down To Joy” from the movie Belfast, will not be performed during the telecast. Singer Van Morrison declined because of his tour schedule, organizers said. — Reuters

Samsung launches new midrange Galaxy A series smartphones

SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd. last week announced its latest midrange Galaxy A series smartphones, the A73, A53 and A33, which have 5G connectivity and better battery life.

“We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the positive impact mobile technology can have on their lives,” TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung Electronics’ MX (Mobile eXperience) Business, was quoted as saying in a statement. “With the latest Galaxy A series release, we’re making it easier than ever to enjoy Galaxy’s advanced, innovative mobile experience at a great value.”

The Galaxy A73 5G has a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the Galaxy A53 has a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate for an immersive experience. The A33 features a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The phones are made with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and have IP67 water and dust resistance.

The Galaxy A series phones are also equipped with 5000mAh batteries, which can power up to two days of use and support 25W super fast charging.

The phones’ AI-powered camera is powered by a 5nm processor for improved image and video quality even with low lighting. The A73 has a 108-megapixel (MP) main camera as well as 12MP ultra-wide, 5MP depth and 5MP macro lenses for its rear setup and a 32MP front camera, while the Galaxy A53’s quad-camera system features a 64MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens and 5MP depth and macro lenses. It also has a 32MP front camera.

Lastly, the A33’s rear setup has a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP depth and 5MP macro sensors, while it has a 13MP front camera.

The Galaxy A series does not come with a charger plug and is packaged with sustainable materials. The Galaxy A53 5G also guarantees up to four generations of One UI and Android OS upgrades and up to five years of security updates to maximize its life cycle.

The new phones are secured by Samsung Knox. The Secure Folder offers an encrypted, digital safe, while Private Share allows users to control access to files.

The Galaxy A73 5G will be available starting April 22 and will come in Awesome Gray, Awesome White, and Awesome Mint for P29,990 (8GB RAM + 256GB memory), P27,990 (8+128GB) and P26,990 (6+128GB, online exclusive).

Meanwhile, the Galaxy A53 5G and A33 5G will come in Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Blue, and Awesome Peach variants.

The Galaxy A53 5G will be available starting April 1 in all authorized Samsung Stores and online for P25,490 (8GB+256GB), P23,490 (8+128GB) and P22,990 (6+128GB, online exclusive).

The Galaxy A33 5G will be available beginning April 22 for P21,990 (8+256GB), P19,990 (8+128GB) and P18,990 (6+128GB, online exclusive). Its white 128GB and 256GB versions are also online exclusives.

Also, a new Onyx color of the Galaxy Buds2 and Buds Live is set to be launched in April. — BVR

TaskUs, Cignal TV strikes partnership to support Cignal HD Spikers in PVL

TASKUS AND CIGNAL formalize partnership to support Cignal HD Spikers in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Open Conference. (LEFT TO RIGHT) Eric Centeno, Cignal’s vice-president of channel sales; Dino Laurena, Media5’s chief operating officer; Victoria Alcachupas, TaskUs’ division vice-president of integrated marketing; Paul Garcia, TaskUs’ accounts director for geos and employer branding; and James Meneses, team owner of Cignal HD Spikers.

TASKUS, a provider of outsourced digital services and next-generation customer experience to innovative and disruptive technology companies, entered a sponsorship deal with Cignal TV, Inc. to support the Cignal HD Spikers women’s volleyball team in the famed Premier Volleyball League (PVL).

The partnership was formalized during a contract signing that was attended by Victoria Alcachupas, TaskUs’ division vice-president of integrated marketing; Paul Garcia, TaskUs’ accounts director for geos and employer branding; Dino Laurena, Media5’s chief operating officer; Eric Centeno, Cignal’s vice-president of channel sales; and James Meneses, team owner of Cignal HD Spikers.

“TaskUs shares the same work ethic of the Cignal HD Spikers. Both TaskUs Teammates and Cignal HD Spikers inspire others by believing in themselves and are always striving for excellence,” said Ms. Alcachupas. “We are very excited to support these young and highly ambitious athletes in clinching the gold. We believe they deserve the spotlight as sports arenas are now open to athletes.”

Cignal TV, Inc. has been sponsoring the Cignal HD Spikers since 2013. This is the first time that they will be partnering with TaskUs to support their impressive 2022 rosters in the women’s division of PVL.

“Professional athletes need support now more than ever as sports leagues bounce back from the pandemic,” said Mr. Centeno. “With TaskUs on board, the Cignal HD Spikers have become stronger in bringing their A-game and inspiring their supporters.”

“We are very excited with this partnership with TaskUs, an organization that is known for their unique, collaborative, and innovative approach to work — just exactly how the Cignal HD Spikers are known in the court,” said Mr. Meneses. “With the support of TaskUs, we are confident that the Cignal HD Spikers are more empowered to strive for gold.”

The PVL games will be airing live on One Sports (Channel 41 on free-to-air TV and Channel 6 on Cignal) and One Sports+ (Cignal Channel 91 on SD and Channel 261 on HD), with both channels also available on Cignal’s OTT platform and Cignal Play. The livestream of the games will also be accessible on Smart GigaPlay — a platform exclusive for Smart subscribers.

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