What To See This Week (04/01/22)

April 1, 2022 | 12:02 am

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Morbius

DANGEROUSLY ill with a rare blood disease, biochemist Dr. Morbius attempts to cure himself. While at first it seems to be a radical success, he infects himself with a form of vampirism. Directed by Daniel Espinosa, this latest film from the Marvel Comics Universe stars Jared Leto, Adria Arjona, and Matt Smith, Jared Harris, AI Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson. The film garnered a very low score of 19% on the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregate site. Barry Hertz from the Globe and Mail wrote: “If there is any justice in Hollywood, Morbius will be retconned to the margins of superhero cinema history. If the film doesn’t bury the genre alive first, that is.”

MTRCB Rating: PG

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

AFTER settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he is a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands. Directed by Jeff Fowler, this animated feature is voiced by Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, and Jim Carrey. Variety’s Peter Debruge writes, “Sonic 2 ends much as the first one did, with hints that this blue hedgehog will buzz-saw his way through more adventures. Stick through the credits to find out which franchise character Paramount and Sega promise to introduce next.” Movie review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 56%.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Lending growth picks up in Feb. on rising demand

April 1, 2022 | 12:02 am

LENDING GROWTH was faster in February as demand for credit among consumers and businesses increased amid rising economic activity. — BW FILE PHOTO

BANK LENDING growth quickened further in February as credit for both businesses and consumers expanded during the month and as domestic liquidity recorded a steady rise.

Outstanding loans by big banks rose by 8.8% in February, picking up from the 8.4% pace seen in January, preliminary data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday showed.

Inclusive of reverse repurchase agreements, bank lending rose by 8.5%. It also expanded by 0.4% month on month.

The growth logged in February marked the seventh straight month of increase and is the quickest since the 9.6% in June 2020.

“Credit activity continues to gain momentum as easing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions drive the improvement in mobility and market demand,” BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said in a statement.

In February, the government eased restrictions in Metro Manila to Alert Level 2 as the Omicron surge waned. This boosted economic activity as more businesses increased their operating capacity.

“Faster loan growth was also seen as some borrowers rushed financing activities in view of the increase in borrowing costs locally and globally amid elevated inflation and, as a matter of prudence, in preparation for the widely expected US Federal Reserve decision,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

The Fed started to raise interest rates in March. Prior to this, the Fed had signalled to the market its plan to gradually normalize their policy settings to quell inflation and as the job market improves.

Meanwhile, ING Bank N.V. Manila Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa said the lending growth in February reflects the lagged impact of the BSP’s rate cuts in late 2020.

“Monetary accommodation alongside improving economic prospects propelled lending faster,” Mr. Mapa said in an e-mail.

The central bank slashed rates by a total of 200 basis points in the first year of the pandemic in order to support the economy during the crisis. Despite this, lending contracted for eight straight months until July last year due to risk aversion among banks and borrowers before eventually picking up in August.

Loans for production activities rose by 9.7% in February, a tad faster than the 9.5% a month earlier. This was driven by the expansion in credit for real estate activities (16%); wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (5.7%); information and communication (33.3%); financial and insurance activities (13.2%); manufacturing (11%); and electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply (0.4%).

Meanwhile, consumer lending rose by 0.9% in February, a turnaround from the 0.4% decline in January. Credit card loans rose by 8%, while motor vehicle (-5.2%) and salary-based loans (-8.4%) continued to decline.

Mr. Diokno said they are ready to adjust their monetary policy settings to fulfill their price and financial stability mandate if there is a need to ensure non-inflationary and sustainable growth.

“The BSP continues to see scope to safeguard the momentum of economic recovery amid increased uncertainty, even as indications of sustained improvement in credit activity allows the BSP to gradually unwind its pandemic-related interventions,” the central bank chief said.

The Monetary Board at its March 24 policy review held rates steady to maintain support for economic recovery, which it said has already gained traction. It said the geopolitical tensions in Europe as well as the ongoing pandemic continue to threaten the growth outlook.

ING’s Mr. Mapa said lending growth trend may moderate in the coming months as borrowing costs are expected to rise.

On the other hand, RCBC’s Mr. Ricafort said the further relaxation of pandemic restrictions could boost loan demand further in the months ahead.

M3 GROWTH STEADY
Meanwhile, domestic liquidity rose by 8.5% for the second straight month in February, based on preliminary BSP data.

M3 — which is the broadest measure of money supply in an economy — picked up by 0.3% month on month.

Domestic claims rose quicker by 8.8% in February from 8.3% a month earlier “due to the faster expansion in net claims on the central government as well as the sustained improvement in bank lending to the private sector.”

Net claims on the central government grew faster by 21%, while claims on the private sector increased by 4.9%. Net foreign assets (NFA) rose 6.5%.

“The expansion in the BSP’s NFA position reflected the increase in the country’s level of gross international reserves relative to the same period a year ago. Likewise, the NFA of banks increased as banks’ foreign assets grew at a faster pace on account of higher interbank loans receivable and deposits maintained with nonresident banks,” the central bank said.

“Going forward, the BSP will ensure that domestic liquidity and credit conditions remain appropriate in sustaining the momentum of domestic economic recovery, to the extent provided by the outlook on inflation and growth,” it added. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Kia Philippines plans Bacoor City expansion

April 1, 2022 | 12:02 am

KIA PHILIPPINES is set to establish a dealership in Bacoor City, Cavite as part of efforts to expand its network.

In a statement on Thursday, the car manufacturer said it held the groundbreaking for Kia Bacoor on March 17. The planned branch is situated along Bacoor Boulevard in Bacoor City and is managed by Iconic Dealership, Inc. (IDI).

“The Kia Bacoor branch will become IDI’s 5^th dealership and Kia Philippines’ 43^rd,” the company said.

According to Kia Philippines, the Kia Bacoor dealership is projected to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2022.

“Kia Bacoor is strategically situated in Cavite’s second-largest city, a premiere business hub south of Metro Manila. The area is rapidly shifting from a largely agricultural community to a residential and commercial urban center. This makes it the ideal location for a new Kia dealership where buyers will certainly find the perfect Kia vehicle to suit their needs and lifestyle,” Kia Philippines said.

“Upon completion, it will stand as a prime example of a dealership that offers the 3S’s: sales, services, and spare parts. The dealership and its staff add delightful value to the ownership journey from inquiry to purchase to aftersales services, by providing professional and quality vehicle maintenance and repair. The 3S dealership standard will also be seen and felt in the premiere showroom, customer lounge, and service bays,” the company added.

In February, Kia Philippines President Emmanuel A. Aligada announced that the company was targeting to open seven new dealerships in 2022 and operate 50 operating dealerships by 2023.

Mr. Aligada said the company was also seeking to sell 6,000 units in 2022, higher than the 3,748 units sold last year. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Mapua Cardinals and UPHSD Altas shooting for their second win

April 1, 2022 | 12:02 am

UNIVERSITY of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) and Mapua seek to steal some of the spotlight from the big guns as they battle San Sebastian Stags and Jose Rizal University (JRU) Bombers, respectively, on Friday in the 97^th NCAA basketball tournament at the La Salle Greenhills Gym in Mandaluyong.

The Altas, who downed the Bombers, 77-56, on Tuesday, tackle the Stags (0-1) at 12 noon while the Cardinals, who escaped past the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals, 73-67, on Sunday, battle the Bombers at 3 p.m. nothing in mind but to join Letran and San Beda, both unbeaten in two starts, at the helm.

“We just want respect,” said UPHSD coach Mike Saguiguit, who is shooting for a second win since assuming the job three years ago.

The Las Piñas-based dribblers bared their true intentions in the first game where they came out exceeding expectations after strong performances by remnants Kim Aurin, Jeff Egan and Jielo Razon.

Of the three, Mr. Aurin was most impressive with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists while Messrs. Egan and Razon scattered 14 and 13 points, respectively, and there are high hopes they could sustain their form on this one.

“We need them to really step up big for us although it would still take the whole team to come through for us to win again,” said Mr. Saguiguit.

The Cardinals are expected to rely anew on the duo of Carl Lacap and Warren Bonifacio, who scored all their combined 21 points in the fourth quarter that led to their come-from-behind win. — Joey Villar

GM workers in northern Mexico vote to keep union contract

April 1, 2022 | 12:02 am

MEXICO CITY — General Motors Co. (GM) workers in northern Mexico have voted by a broad margin to keep their collective contract with one of Mexico’s biggest unions, weeks after GM workers in central Mexico elected independent representation, ousting the long-dominant group.

In votes last week at General Motors in the city of Ramos Arizpe in the border state of Coahuila, several thousand workers cast ballots to keep ties with the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), the union said.

Contract ratification votes are required under Mexico’s 2019 labor reform, which underpins a new trade deal with the US and Canada, to ensure workers are not bound to contracts that were signed behind their backs, hampering them from demanding better pay.

In the global propulsion systems area of the GM plant, 94% of 1,379 votes cast were in favor of the contract, as were 96% of 2,657 ballots cast in the larger assembly area, CTM said in a statement.

More than 4,500 employees were eligible to vote at the 40-year-old plant, which produces Chevrolet Blazer and Chevrolet Equinox cars as well as two engine types.

General Motors did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The outcome marks a stark contrast from a vote at a larger GM plant in the central Mexican city of Silao last year where several thousand workers rejected their contract with CTM, a process closely watched by the US government after allegations of irregularities.

In February the Silao workers elected an independent union, SINTTIA, opening the door to the prospect of bigger pay rises. — Reuters

Entertainment News (04/01/22)

April 1, 2022 | 12:01 am

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FDCP calls for producers for Cannes networking

THE FILM Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is searching for producers to participate in the Marché Du Film – Cannes Producers Network which will be held at the Cannes Film Festival in France from May 19 to 23. The FDCPs will be selecting five Spotlight Producers and five Featured Producers with projects in development to represent the country in the event. The Spotlight Producers will participate and present their projects in the networking platform consisting of 500 producers from around the world. Filipino producers with a project in development can use this opportunity to build their peer network and get international co-production projects off the ground. Interested applicants must prepare a short introductory video showcasing themselves and their project along with other requirements. To access the application form, visit https://bit.ly/FDCP-CPN2022. The deadline to send the requirements to projectlab@fdcp.ph is April 6. Applicants must also be registered at the FDCP National Registry (https://nationalregistry.fdcp.ph/).

Season 2 of He’s into Her starts April 20

THE LOVE story of Deib and Max (Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano) at the fictional Benison International School will continue on April 20 on iWantTFC (for Premium users outside the Philippines). Produced by ABS-CBN Entertainment, Star Cinema, and iWantTFC, viewers can access all the episodes of season 2 of He’s into Her by subscribing to iWantTFC Premium for $12.99 (USA) and C$9.99 (Canada) a month. New eligible users can enjoy streaming free for 30 days. iWantTFC users can watching advanced episodes on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and website (iwanttfc.com) beginning April 22, with a new episode dropping every Wednesday for iWantTFC Premium users outside the Philippines.

Super Radyo DZBB airs new noontime program

GMA NETWORK’s flagship AM radio station Super Radyo DZBB 594 launches a new noontime drama program titled SumasaPuso, hosted by Toni Aquino. The show focuses on how every piece of music has a story. SumasaPuso airs Monday to Friday at 12:30 p.m. on Super Radyo DZBB 594 kHz. Audio livestream is also available on DZBB’s official website www.gmanetwork.com/radio/streaming/dzbb.

Collab version of ‘roses & and sunflowers’ out

AFTER racking up 6.3 million streams on Spotify, Timmy Albert’s 2019 single, “roses & sunflowers,” gets an alternate version with a collaboration Angelina Cruz titled “roses & sunflowers (Together)” which is available to stream on Spotify.

Gloc-9 releases album’s title track

TO mark Gloc-9’s 25^th year in the industry, he is slated to release a new album, which will be called Pilak, under Universal Records. The rapper has released the album’s title track on all streaming platforms. For his new album, the rapper delivers new poetic songs with musical arrangement, mixing, and mastering by Thyro Alfaro and cover artwork by CLMRarts.

K-Pop group Oh My Girl drops new album

SEVEN-member Korean pop group Oh My Girl returns with their new full-length album and lead track “Real Love.” The 10-track release follows the Dear OHMYGIRL EP which was released in May 2021, and their 2019 album, The Fifth Season. The group’s sophomore album centers on perfumes and lingering fragrances as narrative motifs in telling stories of young romance and infatuation. It also explores an eclectic range of music styles spanning pop, EDM, R&B, Latin, and hip-hop influences. Real Love is available on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment Korea.

Tate McRae releases new single

SINGER-DANCER Tate McRae releases her new track for “chaotic” via RCA Records and Sony Music. It is available on all digital music platforms worldwide. The emotionally charged ballad continues to showcase more of Tate’s personal lyrics and reunites her with Grammy Award winning songwriter/producer Greg Kurstin. The song will be featured on Tate’s debut album which is due out early Spring. The Calgary native has had over 3.2 billion music streams, over 700 million video views, a #1 Top 40 hit and multiple #1 dance hits. She was listed on Forbes 30 Under 30 List for 2021 as the youngest musician on the list as well as Apple’s Up Next Artist for 2021.

Netflix’s The Sound of Magic to premiere in May

NETFLIX has confirmed the worldwide release of The Sound of Magic on May 6. The story features Yoon Ah-yi — a girl who has lost her dreams in the face of reality — and Na Il-deung — a boy pressured to fulfill his dreams. The story takes off as the two encounter the magician Rieul. Directed by Kim Sung-oun, the series stars Ji Chang Wook, Choi Sungeun, and Hwang In Youp.

Spotify introduces new Blend features

Blend playlist cover with K-Pop boy band BTS

Spotify is expanding Blend, a feature which allows users to create shared playlists, with two new features: Blend will now allow users to merge musical tastes starting with 20 artists, and users can create a Blend playlist with up to 10 other people. Previously, users could Blend with one friend or family member at a time. Launched in August 2021, Spotify Blend combines the best of the platform’s personalization capabilities and collaborative playlist functionality into a single shared playlist, making it easier for users to connect, discover, and bond over the music they love. Available for Free and Premium users, music lovers can create personalized playlists. Listeners can now connect more deeply with their favorite artists by creating a Blend playlist with a growing list of top artists, including BTS, AB6IX, Charli XCX, Kacey Musgraves, Lauv, Megan Thee Stallion, Mimi Webb, Tai Verdes, Xamã, Camilo, Diplo, Angèle, Badshah, Kim Loaiza, CRO, Benjamin Ingrosso and Bennett Coast. Users will also receive a share card showing their listening preferences in relation to the artist’s, and the songs that bring them and their idol together. This may be shared directly to Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or Twitter.

Six key trends impacting global supply chains in 2022

April 1, 2022 | 12:01 am

KPMG recently released an article regarding key trends impacting global supply chains in 2022.

As the effects of COVID-19 continue to impact the global supply chain, how should businesses seek to build resilience into their supply chains moving forward? Below are some of the major disruptions affecting supply chains and strategies that are being rapidly deployed by leading organizations to help build resilience and agility.

1. Logistics disruption

The ongoing global logistics disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact businesses and consumers as the flow of consumer goods into key markets such as North America and Europe, South East Asia and India is restricted by the continued shutdowns of major global ports and airports, largely in China, South Korea, and the US.

Assuming that these disruptions recede and access to sea and airfreight reverts back to pre-pandemic levels, it will likely take some time before things return to normal. In the interim, we expect to see higher prices (as excessive freight costs are passed onto the consumer), and longer waits for retail shelves to be replenished (especially imported products). Consumers should reset expectations, as items requiring repairs and maintenance could also be delayed in lengthy service queues.

Government and industry leaders are seeking to define strategies that build resilience and boost our domestic capabilities, thereby becoming less reliant on regional and global supply chains. Companies should look to re-design alternative supply chain flows, inventory storage capabilities closer to their customers, and determine how to best enhance last mile deliveries and returned goods.

2. Production delays

Production delays during COVID-19 have become headline news. Manufacturers are competing for limited supply of key commodities and logistical capacity, leading to consumers experiencing empty shelves and long purchase lead times. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The pandemic has intensified the focus on supply chain evaluation and evolution. Industry is evaluating and investing in their long-term supply chain strategies, paving the way for a new post-pandemic normal.

The days of buffering inconsistent supply with excessive inventory at the lowest purchase cost are quickly becoming a relic of the past. Manufacturers are evaluating risk first as a key decision point in their supply chain development.

3. Over reliance on a limited number of third parties.

Despite the inherent risk associated with focusing on “one major trading partner,” many businesses have strong relationships with one major supplier, one large customer (or export market) and/or one major supply chain partner. As we emerge from the COVID-19 slowdown, many businesses recognize the need to better equip their supply chains by identifying alternative trading partnerships.

Businesses can build greater agility and resilience into their supply chains by working with providers who provide new capabilities as a service. New technologies (trading systems, planning and analytics capabilities, etc.) and additional logistics requirements, provided as variable cost solutions rather than long-term fixed overheads, thereby providing more flexibility and better cost control. The outcomes can create a more diversified and strengthened supply chain with greater potential for risk and cost mitigation in the future.

4. Doubling down on the technology investment

The initial investments made in the previous 18 months by many companies were aimed at automating key nodes within the supply chain (such as intelligent automation used to enable efficient, effective and safe operations) including stores, warehouses, manufacturing facilities and even corporate office buildings. In 2022, we expect to see an accelerated level of investment as businesses seek to enhance critical supply chain planning capabilities by adopting more advanced digital enablers, such as cognitive planning and AI-driven predictive analytics as well as adding greater integrity and visibility into secure supply chains by using advanced track and trace and blockchain technologies.

One can observe that many supply chain managers are currently troubled by a lack of visibility throughout their extended supply chains, as there are so many nodes and participants within the extended chain. Leading organizations are using advanced technologies to significantly improve visibility and thereby become far more responsive to major disruption and variability within their domestic, regional and global supply chains.

5. Commodity pricing

Today, supply chain and procurement professionals are expected to have much more knowledge of categories rather than just being negotiators. A deeper understanding of commodities helps in leveraging the necessary levers and understanding the right price of purchase.

Spend transparency remains poor. While the category price is available, the detailed break up of price in terms of the material component, wastage, conversion, labor, premium added are not defined.

To overcome this, teams are focusing on digital transformation and technology — seamless flow of information across value chain and insights delivers faster decision making. Organizations are leveraging spend analytics tools and software packages to increase visibility of where, how and when they spend. Consolidation of spend enables improved buying leverage and negotiating power to help drive value or push for improvements. Often spend consolidation acts as a precursor to vendor consolidation and ESG segmentation and helps in reducing the variation in quality and pricing for the same type of product/service across geographies.

6. Workforce and labor

The COVID-19 period has been riddled with uncertainties and labor market shortages have further complicated post-COVID-19 recovery scenario for many industries. The shortages are for both white and blue collared workers alike in terms of both skills and numbers. Apart from the labor constraints due to the improvement in post-COVID-19 demand, there are several other non-COVID-19 related factors in play that organizations should look into to mitigate the staffing related issues.

The onset of new technology has fundamentally changed the way supply chains operate globally. The consumers are becoming more demanding, and this is leading the supply chains to change and evolve at a faster rate. Modern operations are focused on technology and innovations, and as a result, supply chains are becoming more complex. With this, the boundary between blue collared and white collared workers are diminishing. Technology cannot operate in silos and it needs workers that are equipped with the right skills and capabilities. Hence, supply chain and manufacturing operations need a blend of both physical and technological skills to sustain and grow at present and in the future.

WHAT’S NEXT?
With these aforementioned supply chain issues dominating board-level discussions for some time now, many organizations have experienced a resulting loss of focus on their existing transformation mandates.

There are several considerations to assist companies as they face these challenges:

• Operations should be flexible and resilient enough to adapt and adjust in real-time to changes in trade flows, new regulations, the impact of COVID-19, climate change, trade tensions and other geopolitical movements.

• Technology should be effectively utilized to help reduce operating costs, provide visibility, and diversify the way customer needs are met.

• Capability to adapt to digital operations and drive actionable improvements from data is important.

• Fleet management and supply chain networks should be responsive to increasing customer requirements.

• Collaboration and supplier partnerships, and ongoing risk monitoring are all needed to de-risk the supply chain.

To address the rigidity, companies should focus on building a network of trusted vendors (customers, supply chain partners, and suppliers) to help manage disruptions and support business continuity. Cultivating a resilient supply chain means that the organization can be better at anticipating, reacting and planning against the unexpected by enabling cross-functional integration and collaboration with its ecosystem of vendors.

***

The opinion expressed herein does not necessarily reflect the views of these institutions and BusinessWorld.

Michael Arcatomy H. Guarin is the 2022 president of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), vice-chairman of FINEX Research & Development Foundation, and the head of the Deal Advisory Group of R.G. Manabat & Co. (KPMG in the Philippines)

ACEN invests $140M in international subsidiary

April 1, 2022 | 12:01 am

AC ENERGY Corp. (ACEN) subscribed to about 1.402 million redeemable preferred shares of its subsidiary ACEN Renewables International Pte. Ltd. (ACEN International) for $100 apiece for additional direct investment.

In a disclosure to the exchange on Thursday, ACEN said it would shell out a $140.2 million as the subscription price to the shares of its Singapore-based unit. The listed energy platform is the controlling shareholder of ACEN International through AC Energy International, Inc.

The subscription payment will be used by ACEN International for its projects in various renewable energy and development companies in Indonesia, Vietnam, India, and Australia wherein it holds interests.

On March 15, ACEN through ACEN International took full control of its Australia joint venture company UPC-AC Renewables Australia after buying the 52% stake of its partner UPC Renewables Asia-Pacific Holdings Pte. Ltd. and Anton Rohner.

The acquisition was valued at $243.4 million, which will be paid in two tranches. It is expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year.

UPC-AC Renewables Australia is building a 520-megawatts (MW) solar farm in New England, Australia and has a development pipeline of more than 8,000 MW spanning New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, and South Australia.

ACEN is targeting to become the biggest listed energy platform in Southeast Asia as it aims to put up 5,000 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2025.

At home, the company is building around 484 MW of wind and solar capacity. Across the region, it has around 3,800 MW of attributable net capacity, of which, renewables account for a share of 87% or 3,300 MW.

At the stock exchange, ACEN shares on Thursday went up by 20 centavos or 2.34% to close at P8.73 apiece. — Marielle C. Lucenio

Pinay booters drop Malditas moniker for ‘Filipinas’

April 1, 2022 | 12:01 am

pff-wnt-qualification — THE FIFA world ranked no. 54 Filipinas — PHILIPPINE FOOTBALL FEDERATION

The FIFA world no. 54 sets up training camp in Australia

THE Philippine women’s football team, now officially going by the moniker “Filipinas,” has set up a training camp in Australia to bolster its preparations for next month’s Southeast Asian Games (SEAG).

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Women’s World Cup-bound Filipinas, who reached an all-time high of 54^th in the latest FIFA world rankings last week, are also scheduled to play Fiji in a pair of international friendlies on April 7 and 11 while encamped in Sydney, where coach Alen Stajcic is based.

The Pinay booters’ Australia camp will run until early May before they embark on the hunt for a breakthrough gold in the SEA Games in Vietnam.

“It is crucial that the team gets as much time as possible to prepare,” said team manager Jefferson Cheng. “We hope that the work put in on this camp will bring great results in the upcoming tournaments.”

Aside from the SEAG, the Filipinas are set to see action in two other major meets this year — the AFF Women’s Championship at home in July and the Asian Games in China in September.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Football Federation announced that the women’s squad will exclusively use “Filipinas” to identify itself moving forward. In the process, it is dropping the old “Malditas” moniker, which it felt had a “negative connotation” in large parts of the world.

“It (Filipinas) is simple and nationalistic. Our athletes are Filipinas. They are strong-willed, determined, passionate and driven by the goal to represent not just themselves but the country,” said Mr. Cheng. — Olmin Leyba

Worker refuses promotion to supervisory post

April 1, 2022 | 12:01 am

Johnny is a loyal, hardworking and consistent high performer. He has been with us for the past five years. When we offered to promote him to a supervisory post, he declined as he admitted to lacking the confidence to manage people and their complex issues. We told him he can be in a leadership program simultaneously with his promotion. Just the same, he refuses to accept the proposal. What can we do to recognize his efforts? What if we charge him with insubordination? — Over the Rainbow.

There’s more to this issue than meets the eye. You must take many things into consideration, including the possibility of sending the wrong signal to other like-minded employees.

Assuming you have a robust salary structure that is regularly updated to ensure its competitiveness within the industry, a promotion from within policy, and everything in between, you must consider what he wants in the first place. Dig deeper into the root causes of Johnny’s refusal. You must understand where the refusal is coming from by asking a lot of probing questions.

Then, map out his answers against what you can offer. Do not force the issue here; you can come to an agreement by exploring a good number of options.

Whatever happens, don’t hire outside supervisors unless extremely necessary. This creates more problems than you can prepare for. Supervisors who are pirated from another company may bring in new ideas but they may not jell with the company’s culture. Sometimes, current employees may also not like the idea of being supervised by outsiders.

Another important issue is how Johnny’s salary will look like in the years to come. I’m assuming that your organization gives out annual merit pay increases to deserving employees. I’m referring to Johnny’s salary moving into red circle territory, which means his pay exceeds the upper bounds of a person in his position should get under your salary structure.

TWO-TRACK SYSTEM
Dig the well before everyone gets thirsty. This means a lot of preparation in order to arrive at a holistic solution. If you don’t have much time, you may focus on revising your promotion from within policy to ensure that you offer a two-track system that offers both line and staff opportunities to qualified people.

Let me explain. A line supervisor requires an incumbent to manage workers and see to it that they perform according to standards and meet department goals. A line supervisor does a lot of administrative work like creating schedules, inspecting the work output for quality, managing internal issues, and ensuring teamwork, among others.

On the other hand, a staff position has nothing to do with the direct management of workers. People who hold these jobs are treated as internal experts or consultants who specialize in certain special advisory functions like public relations, government relations, legal, marketing research, accounting, training, or business development.

A staff supervisor need not manage a group of workers except one or two executive assistants to manage paperwork, depending on the size of the organization and the complexity of the business.

Therefore, any worker who refuses to be promoted out of a reluctance to manage people and solve their issues may be offered the staff supervisory track. However, this needs a lot of preparation as well. The sooner that you identify a candidate for either line or staff tracks, you must put them in a long-term Management Development Program (MDP).

An MDP will help you develop leaders and give them the confidence to perform their jobs long before a need arises to promote them.

OTHER OPTIONS
As to your second question, promoting someone from within need not result in disciplining them for insubordination if they refuse. Confidence levels vary, and if the worker admits to lacking the qualities to become a line or staff supervisor, then you must believe him.

It is better that way, rather than forcing the issue, which management may regret later on.

If Johnny insists that he cannot be promoted, then explain that you can’t continue to give him an annual merit increase because you wish to avoid creating a red circle situation in which a person becomes overpaid for his job description.

Whatever happens, don’t browbeat him. Explain all the possible consequences if he continues to reject the promotion. Then document everything. Documentation will guide other managers in dealing with him in the future. Just the same, allow him to join the MDP when the time comes. Continue to encourage Johnny. Nothing is permanent in this world. There’s always a chance he may change his mind in due time.

In the meantime, look for another person that you can promote as the next supervisor.

Have a chat with Rey Elbo via Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter or send your workplace questions to elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.consulting

National government outstanding debt

April 1, 2022 | 12:00 am

THE NATIONAL Government’s outstanding debt hit a record P12.09 trillion as of end-February, as domestic and offshore borrowings increased, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said on Thursday. Read the full story.

How PSEi member stocks performed — March 31, 2022

April 1, 2022 | 12:00 am

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Thursday, March 31, 2022.