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Udenna unit’s soundness again questioned in Malampaya sale

SENATOR Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate energy committee, on Tuesday questioned the Energy department’s evaluation of the financial and technical capabilities of a Udenna Corp. unit in acquiring a 45% stake in the Malampaya deepwater gas-to-power project.

This comes around five months after the Department of Energy (DoE) announced that it had cleared the transfer of Chevron Corp.’s Malampaya LLC’s (now UC38 LLC’s) stake in the indigenous gas field to UC Malampaya Philippines Pte. Ltd.

Based on a document presented by Mr. Gatchalian during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, the department only evaluated the financial capabilities of UC38 LLC, and not UC Malampaya’s.

“UC38 LLC’s available working capital reflected in the unaudited FS (financial statement) as of Sept. 2020 amounting to $177.421 million is more than enough to meet the proportionate financial commitment of $64.455 million for CY (calendar year) 2020,” his office’s internal evaluation dated Feb. 2, 2021 read.

“Hence, FS-CERCD (Financial Services-Conventional Energy Resources Compliance Division) finds UC 38 LLC financially capable as transferee of the 45% participating interest under SC No. 38,” it added.

The senator, however, pointed out that UC38 LLC is the transferor in the share stake deal, adding that the financial capability of UC Malampaya, the transferee, should have been scrutinized instead.

“Based on the financial side of our evaluation, UC38 LLC is a member of the (Service Contract or SC 38) consortium which is why we evaluated them,” DoE Director of Financial Services Araceli S. Soluta said.

SC 38 covers the Malampaya project. Entities that hold shares in the gas field are its operator Shell Philippines Exploration B.V., which holds a 45% stake, UC Malampaya which has 45%, and Philippine National Oil Co. Exploration Corp. at 10%.

During the hearing, DoE’s Ms. Soluta also confirmed that her office evaluated UC Malampaya’s unaudited and unsigned financial statements covering Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, 2020.

Asked why her office was not able to review the audited report covering the period, she answered that the firm did not provide any audited financial statements at that time.

“[But] you can actually request for an interim audited financial statement… We understand that this came in the middle of the year, but these entities can request their auditors to conduct an interim audited financial statement,” Mr. Gatchalian said.

Under a DoE department circular, which details the guidelines for the transfer of rights and obligations in petroleum service contracts, firms can prove financial qualification by “submitting audited financial statements and annual reports for the last three years,” among others.

“I have to remind [that] you are also part of the list of people that certified these documents are thoroughly read, reviewed, evaluated and endorsed for the secretary’s approval,” the lawmaker told Ms. Soluta, referring to a certificate of complete staff work on the UC38- UC Malampaya deal.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
On Tuesday, Mr. Gatchalian also questioned the DoE’s evaluation of the technical of subcontractors that are providing personnel to UC 38.

The work force was retained by UC Malampaya.

“We relied on their submission (to us), and they have passed through our evaluation,” said DoE Director of Legal Services Arthus T. Tenazas, referring to the technical qualifications and work experience of the subcontractors’ respective personnel.

But he said they were not able to talk to them in person or through e-mail to verify the accuracy of their submissions.

Mr. Gatchalian also questioned when the share sale actually occurred, noting that Chevron’s 2020 annual report mentioned that it had “completed the sale of its interest in the Malampaya field in March.”

However, the DoE only cleared the sale in March this year, he added, indicating that there may have been a violation of the consortium rules.

Based on the rules of SC 38, the rights and obligations of a second party cannot be transferred or assigned “without the prior approval of the office of energy affairs.”

“We welcome investors to come in, whether Udenna, Chevron and Shell. We welcome these foreign companies to come in but they have to respect our laws and those contracts that they entered into, particularly service contracts,” Mr. Gatchalian said.

“Definitely, there is a violation of our service contract and the legal department should have recognized that because that will set a bad precedent… We cannot let them do their own transaction[s] while leaving the government hanging… We don’t want investors to take us for granted and view us [as] inutile,” he added. — Angelica Y. Yang

Apollo Global unit enters new mines consortium deal

A SUBSIDIARY of listed holding firm Apollo Global Capital Inc. forged a mines consortium agreement for its offshore magnetite iron mining project in Gonzaga, Cagayan.

The listed firm said in a stock exchange disclosure on Tuesday that its subsidiary, JDVC Resources Corp., and Agbiag Mining and Development Corp. entered into an agreement with equipment procurement contractor, Pelletized Iron & Titanium Vanadium (Phils.) Corp. (PITV).

“JDVC has earlier constituted Agbiag as its mine contractor/operator under a mines operating, joint venture and mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) dated September 2014, effectively assigning 1,897.0242 hectares of its Cagayan Province offshore area located in the municipality of Gonzaga for exploration, commercial extraction, processing and exportation by Agbiag,” the disclosure said.

Under the agreement, PITV was assigned 100 hectares out of the 1,897.0242-hectare area. It will deliver and manage siphon vessels and commercial extraction production platforms comprising of ship management, maintenance, and operation.

“PITV guarantees a minimum monthly volume production of 100,000 tons of export or high-grade magnetite iron sand,” the disclosure said.

For its part, Agbiag — as the mining contractor — will supervise, monitor, and collect royalties for JDVC.

Meanwhile, Apollo Global said the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) recently approved the application of Agbiag for the establishment of an on-shore production platform for a magnetite iron ore upgrading plant, as applied by PITV. 

“This will be the strategic production platform of PITV, where instead of putting the magnetic separators on board a vessel, it will be installed onshore, inside CEZA, in order to achieve an output that has higher export grade magnetite iron for higher export value, through the upgrading plant,” it said.

In a separate stock exchange disclosure, Apollo Global said PT. JDVC Resources Indonesia (PT. JRI) forged a memorandum of understanding on Sept. 27 with PITV and Indonesian firms PT. Yakin Citra Mandiri (PT. YCM) and PT. Sumber Rezeki Solusindo (PT. SRS).

Apollo Global said PT. JRI is a recently created Indonesian subsidiary of JDVC Resources Corp.

“The memorandum of understanding sets out the agreement of the parties for the establishment of an upgrading plant by PITV that will process raw iron ore from Indonesian mines and process it to export quality iron ore with 63% and above magnetic fraction, to be sold locally or exported to other countries,” the disclosure said.

“Eventually, a pelletizing plant will be established for forward integration in the supply chain, ultimately selling iron pellets to the steel smelter plants in Indonesia or in other countries,” it added.

Under the memorandum of understanding, PITV will allocate the fund for the upgrading plant project; and the operation and maintenance of the two plants.

PT. JRI will get the permits and licenses for iron ore mining and trading; and for the operation of the upgrading plant. It is also the one assigned to conduct mining, training, and trading for iron ore operations; and allocate the site for the operation of the two plants.

PT. YCM, which possesses the iron ore mine tenements in Kalimantan, Indonesia, will provide the allowed mining area and guarantee long-term iron ore supply for the plants.

Further, PT. SRS will arrange for consultancy services and corporate social responsibility services.

“PT. JRI was incorporated to expand Apollo Global’s business operation and to explore possibilities of complementary mining operations in Indonesia…,” the disclosure said.

“PT. JRI was incorporated with the Indonesian Ministry of Law and secured its deed of establishment on Sept. 17, 2021. It also obtained a business license from the Ministry of Investments of Indonesia, which enables it to engage in the three lines of businesses: great trade of metal ores, big trade of non-metal materials, and wholesale trade of solid, liquid and gas fuel and related products,” it added.

According to Apollo Global, PT. JRI will apply for special production operation mining business license for trading with the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources as a requirement prior to the start of mineral trading.

“Coupled with a memorandum of understanding with an Indonesian mine owner, this Special Production Operation Mining Business License for Trading will allow PT. JRI the right to mine in the mine area subject of the memorandum of understanding,” the disclosure said.

Apollo Global recently finished its follow-on offering, which raised P988 million from the sale of 12.35 billion shares at eight centavos per share. It also acquired a 49% stake in Singaporean firm Poet Blue Ocean Offshore Services Pte. Ltd. as part of augmenting the company revenue.

On Tuesday, shares of Apollo Global at the stock exchange rose 5.36% or P0.006 to end at P0.118 apiece. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Multiple originals in limited editions

Among the artworks in 20/30: A Limited Edition Print Portfolio are these by (L-R) Mars Bugaoan, Elmer Borlongan, and Christina Quisumbing Ramilo.

IN PRINTMAKING, the inked or painted design is transferred to a surface such as paper, or cloth, or wood. Multiple copies of the design can be made — each image in the multiple copies is considered an original — but often these are limited to editions. Thus, one can see a print with a marking like 4/100, meaning it is the fourth print from an edition of 100 prints of the same image.

The images are “intimate” — they are meant to be seen up close. And thanks to a print portfolio project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the Association of Pinoyprintmakers (AP), one can get very up close and personal with the art.

Originally slated for the 50th anniversary celebration of the CCP, the special limited-edition print portfolio — 20/30: A Limited Edition Print Portfolio — is a collection of fine prints using traditional printmaking techniques by practitioners who have contributed to the development of Philippine contemporary printmaking.

20/30: A Limited Edition Print Portfolio is the second commemorative print folio project of the CCP in partnership with AP — the first was 25@45 produced in 2014, in celebration of CCP’s 45th anniversary.

Established in 1969, the Association of Pinoyprintmakers (AP) — formerly known as the Printmakers Association of the Philippines (PAP) — is a regular partner under the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division. In 1997, the CCP provided PAP with a printmaking studio at the back of the Folk Arts Theater, which the AP uses to this day. The CCP continues to partner with AP through regular programs such as annual exhibitions, demos at the CCP Pasinaya Festival, workshops, and studio visits with guest artists, curators, and cultural workers.

“Prints are intimate artworks. It is meant to be seen up close like illustrations in books. It is meant to be examined, like engraved maps… Art is a way of creating feeling, expressing oneself, thereby creating a link between one’s internal and external self,” artist Virgilio “Pandy” Aviado, AP President Emeritus, said at the online launch of the folio on Sept. 17 via Zoom.

THE ARTISTS AND THEIR PRINTS
The print portfolio consists of two sets of works by 40 leading printmakers.

The artists featured in this portfolio are or were affiliated with Association of Pinoyprintmakers (AP). Participating artists in Folio 1 are National Artist for Visual Arts Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, Alfredo Juan Aquilizan, Virgilio Aviado, Elmer Borlongan, Benjamin Torrado Cabrera, Imelda Cajipe Endaya, Fil Delacruz, Neil Doloricon, Jess Flores, Ofelia Gelvezón-Téqui, Raul Isidro, Manuel Ocampo, Dr. Rod Paras Perez, Rodolfo Samonte, and Juvenal Sansó.

In Folio 2, the prints are by artists Ambie Abaño, Leonard Aguinaldo, Mars Bugaoan, Kristen Cain, Salvador Ching, Joey Cobcobo, Janos Delacruz, Yas Doctor, Noel EL Farol, Eugene Jarque, Vilia Jefremovas, Lenore RS Lim, Angelo Magno, Hershey Malinis, Jonathan Olazo, Caroline Ongpin, Renan Ortiz, Henrielle Pagkaliwangan, Radel Paredes, Christina Quisumbing Ramilo, Rhoda Recto, Jun-Jun Sta. Ana, Suchin Teoh, Wesley Valenzuela, and Anton Villaruel.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns, painter Elmer Borlongan had the time to return to printmaking in his studio in Zambales. His works for the folio were done using a small etching press he borrowed from a fellow artist.

For his works in the book, Mr. Borlongan experimented with the drypoint process on plexiglass, and on carton packages.

“You always have the thing in reverse. Sometimes, I have drawn them on the plate and then I already carved it then I realized, the image is not in reverse. So, I have to do it all over again,” Mr. Borlongan said of the experience working on prints.

2021 CCP 13 Artist Awardee Mars Bugaoan began printmaking when he joined AP workshops in 2013. For his works in the folio, he used the silkscreen printing method to achieve a design made from discarded wires.

Meanwhile, for Christina Quisumbing Ramilo’s Artist Blocks, she explored the embossed method with prints on dry carved wood. She drew inspiration from the stacks of old books that accumulated in her home.

“Ang ganda ng sense of community and camaraderie with printmakers na wala kapag pintor ka or gumagawa ka ng sariling mong trabaho (There is beauty in the sense of community and camaraderie among printmakers which you can’t find as a painter or when working alone),” Ms. Ramilo said of having to work with a group.

“As we launch the limited edition print folio. I am certain that getting a copy will be of great worth, not only for art collectors and patrons, but for the artistic community as well,” CCP President Arsenio “Nick” J. Lizaso said.

The proceeds from 20/30: A Limited Edition Print Portfolio will go to CCP and AP fundraising programs. To order limited edition prints, visit https://bit.ly/OrderForm_20_30. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Coca-Cola to exit sachet business

COCA-COLA Beverages Philippines, Inc. on Tuesday announced that it will be exiting the sachet business next year as part of its environmental efforts.

The beverage company will also introduce paper straws and remove plastic straws from its juice and dairy products, Minute Maid and Nutriboost.

“We have made the bold decision to completely exit from our sachet business by 2022. Our reason for the shift in straws and our exit from sachets that we’ve been in a long, long time is due to significant challenges from plastic recovery [of] straws and sachets,” Coca-Cola Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Gareth McGeown said at a virtual event.

“The exit hasn’t been an easy decision for many reasons, but we believe as a business, it’s the right one to make.”

The company in its Cavite-based manufacturing site produces powdered juice drinks sold in non-recyclable sachets.

As the company stops its sachet production, the 109 employees in the plant will be transferred to other Coca-Cola sites, Mr. McGeown said.

The move is part of the global company’s World Without Waste initiative to recycle the equivalent of a bottle or can for every one the company sells by 2030 and to make 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025.

Meanwhile, the company’s P2.28-billion food grade bottle-to-bottle recycling facility joint venture with Indorama Ventures is still set to be operational by the first quarter next year. The facility will create around 200 direct jobs.

The global Coca-Cola company was named the world’s top plastic polluter by Break Free from Plastic in its annual audit last year. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Danish artist takes museum’s money and runs, calls it artwork

A DANISH artist has pocketed 534,000 kroner ($84,000) in cash that he received from a museum to incorporate into an artwork and changed the name of the installation to Take the Money And Run.

Jens Haaning had agreed with Kunsten museum, in northern Denmark, that he would borrow the money to replicate earlier work which displayed the annual incomes of an Austrian and a Dane. But when the museum in Aalborg opened the box that Mr. Haaning had shipped, the cash was missing from the two glass frames and the artwork’s title had been changed.

“The work of art is that I took their money,” Mr. Haaning told broadcaster DR.

Kunsten wants Mr. Haaning to return the cash, but he’s declining. The museum is now considering whether to report Mr. Haaning to the police if he hasn’t returned the cash by the time the exhibition ends in January. — Bloomberg

A Brown eyes master planned community in Tanay

A BROWN Co., Inc. is looking at developing a master-planned community in Tanay, Rizal province, which will be home to a residential estate, a themed restaurant, a hotel, and a condominium.

The company aims to recreate the concept it had with its mixed-use community in Northern Mindanao.   

“Our focus has always been on properties that underscore healthy, environment-friendly and low dense communities with a focus on [the] city, mountainside, agricultural, golf and sea resort, and lifestyle developments,” A Brown President and Chief Executive Officer Robertino E. Pizarro said in a statement on Tuesday.

Its Rizal property is said to have a view of Laguna Lake and the Sierra Madre mountain range.

A Brown said there will also be 15-hectare property in the area of its Rizal project that will cater to economic and socialized housing, featuring commercial spaces.

“We look to continue to deliver excellent value for money developments alongside our core competence of building quality homes and pioneering real estate concepts,” Mr. Pizarro said.

The community will be one of the projects that will be funded by the sale of its additional preferred shares.

A Brown is offering 10 million preferred shares for P100 apiece, with an overallotment option of up to five million preferred shares. The company may raise up to P1.5 billion, which will be used for the development of its projects, land banking activities, and for the funding requirements of its wholly owned subsidiary, Irradiation Solutions, Inc.

Despite the pandemic, A Brown said it logged a record P1.5 billion in property reservation sales in 2020, up from the P1 billion logged in the previous year.

“As we venture outside Mindanao, we will continue to pursue real estate products that are built for the long term — providing security, safety, healthy environments to create happy communities,” said Mr. Pizarro.

Shares of A Brown at the stock market inched up by 1.11% or one centavo on Tuesday, closing at 91 centavos each. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Telling stories of marine life in photos

GOING to beaches as a child and becoming aware of the concerns for the environment led 17-year-old photographer Ganden Medved-Po to publish a photography book focusing on the ocean.

“As my perspective matured, I watched the world change. And I was exposed to life behind the facade of beauty. The detriments of the ocean and nature we are facing were due to climate change and unethical practices,” Mr. Medved-Po, who started taking photos using his parents’ camera, said at the online book launch held via Zoom on Sept. 18. “Understanding the interconnections between my world and nature, fueled by passion to make change, to protect it, all had to start with my own personal action.”

The young photographer is the son of Christopher Po, chairman of Century Pacific Food, Inc., and Nanette Medved-Po, the founder and chairperson of HOPE and Plastic Credit Exchange. Outside his responsibilities as a senior high school student, Mr. Medved-Po is also a member of the WWF-Philippines National Youth Council where members — whose ages range from 16 to 24 — participate in programs aimed at environmental protection.

A joint project with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) — Philippines, Mr. Medved-Po’s book, Life Below Water is a compilation of photos he took of scenic seascapes and surreal marine life. The cover shows a sea butterfly.

“I began to work with the WWF, and eventually that led to me joining the National Youth Council. My work with WWF has many wonderful opportunities, including the Life Below Water book,” Mr. Medved-Po said during the book launch.

“Life Below Water is a young person’s experience of the ocean, expressed through his chosen art of photography.  The book is a reminder of why, what, how, and for whom we do our work of protecting our oceans,” WWF-Philippines Executive Director Katherine P. Custodio said of the book.

Mr. Medved-Po took the photographs in Anilao, Batangas and Palawan, under the mentorship of diver and underwater photographer Scott “Gutsy” Tuason.

“My mentorship with [Ganden] started when he was in his tweens, when he first came to [my diving gear] shop. I don’t get a lot of people in the shop his age looking for underwater cameras so it was really quite refreshing to have Ganden come over there with his mom,” Mr. Tuason said.

“The experiences are more raw underwater. What you see in documentaries and what you read, will give you the secondhand experience but it’s not the real thing. When you’re underwater with everything, you feel the actual connection to nature, and I think that was one of the really strong parts about it.”

All proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the sustainable fisheries work of the World Wide Fund for Nature – Philippines.

Life Below Water will be available by end October at the WWF-Philippines website (https://wwf.org.ph/). —  Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Keep abreast of evidence, don’t jump the gun on boosters — doctors 

A SENIOR citizen got injected with his first dose of the Sinovac vaccine at the Mega vaccination facility at the Marikina Sports Complex on June 15. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

By Brontë H. Lacsamana 

THOUGH booster shots of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have been proven safe based on a few limited studies, their efficacy remains inconclusive amid ongoing trials, according to doctors in a webinar on booster shots organized by the University of the Philippines (UP).   

“More antibodies produce stronger affinity,” said the Department of Science and Technology’s Vaccine Expert Panel chief Dr. Nina G. Gloriani, referring to antibodies that develop over time after vaccination. “Therefore, there is wisdom in waiting for the right time to boost. Hindi po pwedeng agad-agad. [We can’t do it right away].”  

She cited a study by Wang et al. which found that a third booster dose of an inactivated vaccine produced better neutralization of COVID-19.  

“The optimal timing for when to get a booster also depends on each vaccine’s dosage requirement or duration of immunity,” Dr. Gloriani said. 

According to National Institutes of Health professor Dr. Marie Carmela M. Lapitan, there are, thus far, 21 reports worldwide on boosters, all of which show a significant increase in antibody titers that are effective in preventing infection — they are, however, observational studies that have short follow-ups and thus provide low certainty evidence.  

There are ongoing trials, one of which is being conducted in UP-Philippine General Hospital.  

“Huwag muna tayo tumalon agad sa ating mga booster shots kung ang vaccines natin ngayon under emergency use authorization (EUA) pa,” said Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director-General Rolando Enrique D. Domingo. “Aaralin pa natin nang husto ’yan. [Let’s not jump the gun on booster shots while our vaccines are still under EUA. We need to conduct further studies.]”  

Emergency use of booster shots, he added, will be granted on the condition that they are effective, that the potential benefits outweigh risks, and that there is no adequate alternative treatment.  

Six congressmen recently filed a resolution for the government to provide booster shots for frontline health workers and patients. While the FDA recently allowed Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to be used for children as young as 12 years, the Philippine government has said that health workers, seniors, and people with comorbidities will still be prioritized due to supply issues.   

In light of the growing number of individuals getting a third shot ahead of those who haven’t even gotten a first, the World Health Organization and the Department of Health both previously warned the public in August that boosters do not guarantee protection against the Delta variant of the coronavirus.  

The Philippines has received close to 66 million doses of coronavirus vaccines. Around 19.38 million people or 25.12% of adults had been fully vaccinated as of Sept. 22.  

Gov’t fully awards 10-year bonds at higher rate

BW FILE PHOTO

THE GOVERNMENT made a full award of the reissued Treasury bonds (T-bonds) it offered on Tuesday even as its yield climbed due to concerns over rising inflation.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) raised P35 billion as planned via the reissued 10-year T-bonds it offered on Tuesday. The papers have a remaining life of nine years and nine months.

The offering was more than twice oversubscribed, attracting P73.59 billion in tenders, bigger than the P61.83 billion in bids seen when the papers were last offered on Sept. 14.

This caused the Treasury to open its tap facility to raise another P5 billion from the papers.

The average yield on the 10-year bonds jumped by 44.3 basis points to 4.689% on Tuesday from the 4.246% fetched when the series was last offered.

This was also higher than 4.363% fetched for the tenor at the secondary market prior to the auction, based on the PHP Bloomberg Valuation Service Reference Rates published on the Philippine Dealing System’s website.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said the average rate of the papers offered on Tuesday tracked US Treasury yields after the Federal Reserve said it could start reducing its asset purchases by November.

The rate of the benchmark 10-year papers went up to 1.48% on Monday from just 1.31% a week ago, based on US Department of the Treasury’s website.

The Fed, following its two-day policy meeting, last week said it could begin tapering its monthly bond purchases by November if jobs data will remain strong, Reuters reported.

Interest rate hikes may also begin next year once its bond-buying program ends, as nine of 18 Fed policy makers believe borrowing costs have to increase in 2022.

The yield on the reissued 10-year bonds also rose due to higher inflation forecasts for 2021 and 2022 from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Ms. De Leon said.

The BSP last week hiked its inflation forecasts as supply issues continue to push food prices higher. It raised its outlook for this year to 4.4% from 4.1% previously. For next year, the BSP also hiked its forecast to 3.3% from 3.1%.

Headline inflation quickened to 4.9% in August from 4% in July, its fastest pace in more than two years. This brought the eight-month average to 4.4%, above the central bank’s 2-4% target for the year.

Meanwhile, a bond trader said the rate fetched for the T-bonds was within market expectations, given the Fed’s hawkish hints and the BSP’s inflation outlook.

The trader added that the movement of bond rates will depend on the BTr’s borrowing plan for October.

“We can expect it to go higher, especially if the BTr decides to continue with the same borrowing mix for October. If there will be no 10-year paper next month, then we are likely seeing the peak for this space,” the trader said via Viber.

The BTr has raised P262 billion from the local debt market this month, excluding the results of the tap facility offer on Tuesday. This is above the P250-billion program for the month after it opened the tap facility on several occasions.

Broken down, it borrowed P185 billion via T-bonds, higher than its plan to raise P175 billion. It also raised P77 billion from the short-term T-bills, slightly higher than the P75-billion program.

The government wants to borrow P3 trillion from domestic and external sources this year to help fund a budget deficit seen to hit 9.3% of gross domestic product. — B.M. Laforga

PLDT Global, UniPin partner for online game payments

PLDT Global Corp. announced on Tuesday that it had partnered with UniPin, a digital entertainment provider for online games.

The partnership aims to provide online game vouchers and allow users to top up their accounts directly via Vortex, a digital distribution platform of PLDT Global, the international arm of PLDT, Inc.

“We recognize the growing demand for services that cater to the emerging industry of esports globally, and our partnership with UniPin allows us to provide Filipinos worldwide with digital products and services made available through Vortex,” PLDT Global Senior Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer Albert V. Villa-Real said in an e-mailed statement.

UniPin Chief Executive Officer Ashadi Ang said the partnership will enable the two companies to build a “finely tuned” digital ecosystem for enterprises and end users.

“Aside from that, PLDT has a strong network and IT infrastructure that is essential to thrive in this digital era and help businesses harness the power of technology for growth,” he noted.

PLDT Global said UniPin serves seven million active game users across 30 countries.

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

Singer R. Kelly convicted of luring women, underage girls for sex

SINGER R. Kelly attends Brooklyn’s Federal District Court during the start of his trial in New York, US, Aug. 18, 2021 in a courtroom sketch. — REUTERS/JANE ROSENBERG

NEW YORK — R. Kelly was convicted by a federal jury on Monday in his sex trafficking trial, where prosecutors accused the R&B singer of exploiting his stardom over a quarter-century to lure women and underage girls into his orbit for sex.

Jurors in Brooklyn federal court deliberated for a little more than a day before voting to convict the 54-year-old Mr. Kelly on all nine counts he faced, after a 5-1/2 week trial.

A woman watching from an overflow courtroom cried as the verdict was read, as did others who had waited to learn Mr. Kelly’s fate in a park adjacent to the courthouse. One supporter played the singer’s music there, including the song “Shut Up.”

Deveraux Cannick, a lawyer for Kelly, told reporters that the defense was disappointed. “I’m sure we’ll be appealing,” he said.

Mr. Kelly faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years behind bars, and could face up to life in prison at his May 4, 2022, sentencing.

The singer, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is one of the most prominent people tried on sex charges during the #MeToo movement, which amplified accusations that had dogged him since the early 2000s.

Like Mr. Kelly, many of his accusers were Black, differentiating the case from recent #MeToo convictions of comedian Bill Cosby and movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Mr. Cosby’s conviction was overturned in June.

Mr. Kelly had been charged with one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting people across state lines for prostitution. The racketeering charge gave prosecutors leeway to offer evidence that might otherwise be too old to prosecute.

“We hope that today’s verdict brings some measure of comfort and closure to the victims,” Acting US Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis told reporters. — Reuters

Theater-based alcohol education program addresses underage drinking  

SCREENSHOT VIA SMASHED PH 

SMASHED, a global alcohol education program, has been adapted to the local context by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) through a website (online.smashedproject.org) that includes an interactive film about three friends struggling with the misuse of alcohol.  

It will initially be rolled out in 120 schools, or 40,000 students, across Manila, Pasig, and Quezon City.  

To effectively reach the target audience of Filipino teenagers, the program “harnesses critical thinking through informed choices” and supplements this with a teachers’ guide that PETA’s curriculum committee designed, as basis for follow-up sessions on the effects of drinking, said Smashed Philippines’ Program Director Melvin E. Lee.  

The Department of Education assisted Smashed PH in adapting the program for grades 5 to 12, which already have an existing alcohol education curriculum, he added.  

Developed in the United Kingdom in 2004 by educational theater company Collingwood Learning, Smashed has since reached 1 million young people in 30 countries. The Philippines is one of several countries where the virtual program, which underwent a trial run in the UK, will be piloted on a larger scale due to the pandemic.  

“Globally, underage drinking is in decline. It’s less prevalent now than it was in the past, but that doesn’t mean the problem has gone away,” said Andy Summers, communications manager of Collingwood Learning, citing a report by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking which found that underage consumption declined in two-thirds of 63 countries. 

Smashed aims to shape teenagers’ understanding and attitude towards early alcohol consumption, particularly its facts, causes, and consequences. “Early onset alcohol consumption remains a predictor of alcohol-related problems in adulthood,” Mr. Summers said. 

In the Philippines, online alcohol sales went up in the past few months due to quarantine restrictions reducing operations of bars and restaurants. This led to alcohol firms pledging to prevent online sales to minors, who continue to undergo remote learning that leaves them at home where alcohol can be easily accessed.  

The localized Smashed short film, written by Joanna Marie “J-mee” L. Katanyag and directed by Randolph Longjas, is non-linear and interactive. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

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