Manila mayor files candidacy certificate for top Philippine post

October 4, 2021 | 8:28 pm

Isko Moreno — ISKO MORENO DOMAGOSO FB PAGE

MANILA City Mayor Francisco “Isko” M. Domagoso, a former matinee idol who beat former President Joseph E. Estrada in the 2019 local elections, on Monday filed his certificate of candidacy for President.

He filed his certificate with cardiologist and social media personality Willie T. Ong, who will be his vice-presidential mate.

Mr. Domagoso, whose rags-to-riches story has captivated many Filipinos, and Mr. Ong are running under Aksyon Demokratiko.

The tandem has promised to create a unifying government that will focus on the country’s pandemic recovery.

Mr. Domagoso earlier said he would create the “broadest form of government” and hire millennials if he becomes President. He said he would appoint officials who are competent and not because they are his friends.

The Manila chief has slammed the government’s pandemic response and the leadership style of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, whose late-night speeches he has criticized.

Mr. Domagoso, among the top presidential bets in opinion polls, used to be a scavenger and pedicab driver in a Manila slum before he was discovered by a talent scout.

Political analyst Cleve V. Arguelles has said Mr. Domagoso’s narrative could be easily discredited “because it’s personality — rather than platform-oriented.”

Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo, who has been endorsed by an opposition coalition as its presidential candidate for the 2022 elections, had been in talks with Mr. Domagoso as part of her efforts to form a united opposition.

Meanwhile, at least four members of Mr. Duterte’s Cabinet would run for senator next year, Alfonso G. Cusi, president of a faction of the ruling PDP-Laban, told the ABS-CBN News Channel.

These are presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr., chief legal presidential counsel Salvador S. Panelo, Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar and Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Greco B. Belgica.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III and Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade were also considering running for senator, Mr. Cusi said.

The six were part of the initial slate of senatorial candidates under the Cusi faction of PDP-Laban.

Meanwhile, former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol on Monday said he would run for senator under the Nationalist People’s Coalition. He also resigned from his position as head of the Mindanao Development Authority.

In a statement, the Agriculture chief said he would continue his advocacy for agriculture in the Senate.

Meanwhile, Mr. Cusi said that there was a “possibility” that Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio would run as the presidential candidate of PDP-Laban. The party can adopt a candidate who is aligned with its advocacies, he added.

Mr. Duterte on Saturday said his daughter would run for President in tandem with Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go next year.

Ms. Carpio has filed her certificate of candidacy for a third term as Davao City mayor.

Mr. Duterte, who had flip-flopped on his 2016 presidential run, earlier said he would drop out of the vice-presidential race if his daughter runs for President. On Saturday, he claimed he would retire from politics after his six-year term ends.

A Social Weather Stations poll in June showed that six of 10 Filipinos thought Mr. Duterte’s vice-presidential run would be illegal.

Ms. Carpio, whose regional party has allied itself with traditional parties less than a year before the 2022 elections, has topped presidential opinion polls.

Political analysts have said the ruling camp might be doing everything they can to protect Mr. Duterte from potential lawsuits, especially in connection with his war on drugs.

Politicians have until Oct. 8 to file their certificates of candidacy. The substitution of candidates will be allowed until Nov. 15. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Russell Louis C. Ku

Pharmally exec recants confirmation on swindling gov’t in face shield supply

October 4, 2021 | 8:27 pm

Senate hearing-Pharmally — SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES YOUTUBE PAGE

AN EXECUTIVE of a pandemic supply company under congressional probe has taken back a statement made before the Senate that the firm delivered expired face shields to the government.

Krizle Grace Mago, regulatory affairs head of Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp., said in a House of Representatives committee hearing Monday that she was not in the “best frame of mind” when she gave the recanted response to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

“After the Senate hearing, I realized that the delivered items had not been inspected yet and, as a result, had not been allocated and distributed to the end-users. Additionally, we did not receive any payment from the government for the partial delivery,” she told the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.

She said it was a “pressured response.”

Senator Richard J. Gordon, Sr., in a Sept. 24 hearing, asked Ms. Mago if Pharmally swindled the government, to which she replied, “I believe so, Mr. Chairman. I believe that is the case.”

The question came after Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros-Baraquel showed a recorded video of a Pharmally warehouse worker who testified that the certificates for two million face shields that expired last year had been replaced with new certificates dated 2021.

Ms. Mago admitted the practice, saying it had the blessing of the company management, particularly Pharmally Treasurer Mohit Dargani, who denied the allegation.

Ms. Hontiveros said the testimony was vetted for weeks and the witness was not paid any money after the lawyer of Pharmally Director Linconn Ong said that the senator’s office bribed the warehouse worker.

Ms. Mago voluntarily placed herself under the protective custody of the House of Representatives on Friday to “help (her) speak freely without unnecessary compulsion.”

Days prior, she could not be contacted by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee following her revelation on the face shields.

Ms. Hontiveros, in a statement Monday, hit back at Ms. Mago’s retraction and recommended a review of the Senate committee proceedings.

“Let us remember that Ms. Mago was under oath when she was speaking before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing. Questions were only directed to her and she, in fact, answered forthrightly,” the senator said.

“If there is anyone pressuring her, it must be someone powerful for her to take back what she initially told us,” Ms. Hontiveros added in Filipino.

House lawmakers, mostly allies of the current administration, have insisted that the government’s deals with Pharmally were above board. — Russell Louis C. Ku

PHL to sign labor agreement with UK on nurse deployment

October 4, 2021 | 8:26 pm

nurses-PHILSTAR-MICHAELVARCAS — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE PHILIPPINES is set to sign a memorandum of understanding with the United Kingdom (UK) on the welfare and deployment of more Filipino nurses.

British Minister for Asia Amanda Milling will come to the Philippines on Friday for the signing with Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, according to Raul M. Francia, the Labor department’s information director.

In a news briefing last Sept. 15, Mr. Bello explained that the memorandum is a “labor affairs agreement” to deploy more Filipino nurses to Great Britain and in exchange, the state will provide additional benefits for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there, especially healthcare workers.

The national government has decided to keep the country’s current deployment cap on nurses at 6,500 annually, but this does not include the UK and Germany given their respective government-to-government agreements with the Philippines.

In another development, the two remaining OFWs allegedly abused by a retired Saudi general have been released by their employer after the Labor department threatened to temporarily suspend the deployment of workers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Francia said the Philippine government has already booked the flights of the two OFWs and are set to come home soon.

In 2018, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Saudi Arabia received reports of 16 OFWs being physical abused and deprived of their salaries by a retired general who is allegedly “a close ally of a Saudi Prince.”

The 14 others have been repatriated with assistance from the Philippine government. They have also received their unpaid salaries amounting to about P100,000 to P300,000 each. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

GCG’s low fund utilization rate questioned at Senate budget hearing

October 4, 2021 | 8:24 pm

THE GOVERNANCE Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations’ (GCG) low fund utilization in 2020 and this year must be solved by yearend, a senator said Monday during the agency’s budget hearing.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian cited that GCG has unspent funds of P73 million or 36% of its allocation in 2020, while 46% or P96 million remain in the 2021 budget.

He noted that the validity of the 2020 budget was extended. “So in other words, you can spend the unspent amount up to the end of this year.”

“I want to make sure that while debating your budget on the floor, these amounts will be spent towards the end, and that you’ve already made the necessary actions” to do so, he said. The committee asked for a breakdown and timetable of the agency’s spending arrangements.

GCG Director Jaypee O. Abesamis said that for the 2020 budget, about P31 million was returned to the National Treasury for unimplemented projects such as the procurement of motor vehicles, network and security upgrade, and data privacy consultancy, among others.

Another P19 million, he added, was returned because the designated activities were already provided funds in the 2021 General Appropriations Act.

He said there were already ongoing procurements for the P23-million balance remaining.

As for the 2021 budget, Mr. Abesamis assured that the budget spending would increase towards the end of the year because programs for procurement such as motor vehicles and consultancy services for information and communication technology management systems already have purchase requests. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

12th typhoon of the year brings rains over central Philippines

October 4, 2021 | 8:24 pm

STATE WEATHER bureau PAGASA warned against landslides and flooding as tropical depression Lannie was expected to bring heavy rains over central parts of the Philippines until Wednesday.

As of Monday 5 p.m., Lannie made eight landfalls within a 15-hour period with two each in the northern part of Mindanao, Southern Leyte, and Bohol, and one each in Negros Oriental and Cebu.

PAGASA weather forecaster Ariel Rojas, in a briefing Monday morning, said

Lannie, the 12^th typhoon to enter the country this year, was likely to make more landfalls as it moves slowly over the Visayas islands and Palawan.

Lannie was forecast to remain within tropical depression category, with a possibility of slight intensification once it is over the Sulu Sea or West Philippine Sea.

“It may likely be upgraded into a tropical storm by Tuesday evening or Wednesday early morning,” the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

PAGASA Administrator Vicente B. Manalo called on the public and emergency response teams to maintain vigilance despite the tropical depression category, the lowest within the tropical cyclone intensity scale with just up to 61 kilometers per hour (kms/hr) of sustained winds.

Mr. Manalo said Lannie is still a typhoon and it will bring rains that could trigger flashfloods and landslides, especially in high-risk areas and those that have already been experiencing monsoon rains in previous weeks.

“Wag tayo mag-kumpyansa (Let us not let our guards down) because it will bring heavy rains,” he said.

As of PAGASA’s 5 p.m. bulletin on Monday, Lannie was located in the vicinity of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental with maximum sustained winds of 45 kms/h near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kms/h.

Typhoon signal #1 was up over parts of the provinces of Mindoro, Masbate, Romblon, and Palawan, and most areas of the Central and Western Visayas regions.

Lannie is expected to exit the Philippine area on Thursday morning. — MSJ

Customs at PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate

October 4, 2021 | 8:23 pm

CONSTRUCTION of a Bureau of Customs (BoC) building within the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Misamis Oriental will start soon following last week’s cornerstone-laying ceremony for the project. Elvira Cruz, BoC-Cagayan de Oro district collector, said a Customs office within the estate will contribute to ease of doing business at the Mindanao Container Terminal, one of the country’s main ports. The project is expected to be completed by April 2022.

Manufacturers object to safeguard measures on 2 key plastic raw materials

October 4, 2021 | 8:03 pm

MANUFACTURERS said they oppose the imposition of safeguard duties on imports of two key raw materials for making plastic goods — high-density polyethylene (HDPE), used in bottles and pipes, and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), used in bags, toys and containers.

Danny Ngo, Philippine Plastics Industry Association, Inc. president, said in a statement Monday that the safeguard measures will trigger price hikes in commodities that use such plastics for packaging, such as food, beverages, cosmetics, personal and home care goods, and medicine.

Mr. Ngo said safeguard duties on HDPE and LLDPE will also make his industry uncompetitive against imported products.

“The move is very untimely (due to the pandemic) … businesses at present are still recovering from losses, while the majority of Filipinos have been battered by the series of lockdowns and mobility restrictions which forced many livelihood activities to stop,” Mr. Ngo said.

Republic Act 8800, or the Safeguard Measures Act, authorizes regulators to impose safeguard duties if domestic industries are harmed by a surge in competing imports.

On Sept. 17, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued Department Administrative Order No. 21-05, making note of petitions by the petrochemicals industry, represented by JG Summit Petrochemical Corp. (JGSPC), for safeguard measures on imported HDPE and LLDPE.

The Tariff Commission will conduct a formal investigation to determine the extent of the harm done to domestic industry, with two separate preliminary conferences set to be held on Oct. 7.

“The DTI has established the existence of a causal link between increased imports of the products and serious injury to the domestic industry,” according to the order.

Mr. Ngo said the issue emerged when JGSPC started failing to deliver orders of HDPE and LLDPE to its manufacturing clients.

“The lapses have created a severe shortage of raw materials that significantly disrupted the supply chain in the downstream plastic sector,” Mr. Ngo said.

“This alarming situation inadvertently compelled plastic converters to source their raw material from stable and steady foreign suppliers so that their plants will continue to operate. Many had stopped or had been operating partially due to the severe raw material shortage,” he added.

According to Mr. Ngo, the petitions will adversely affect downstream enterprises.

“About 417 plastic downstream enterprises employing more than 23,000 workers will be severely affected should the government decide in favor of the sole giant company,” Mr. Ngo said.

“More than 23,000 consumer products manufacturers, with an aggregate 343,262 workers, (accounting for) about P1.79 trillion of national output, and the 110 million Filipino consumers will be deleteriously affected by this additional cost,” he added. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Refinery output down by 67% in first half after Shell exit

October 4, 2021 | 8:02 pm

REFINERY PRODUCTION fell 67% year on year to 1,284 million liters (ML) in the first half after Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.’s exit from the refining business, according to the Department of Energy (DoE).

In a recent report posted on its website, the Energy department said diesel accounted for 42% or 535 ML, gasoline 25% or 321 ML; and naphtha, asphalts, petrochemical products and petcoke (classified as “others”) 17% or 219 ML.

Avturbo accounted for 8% or 105 ML, and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) 6% or 78 ML. Fuel oil was 1% of the total or 18 ML, and kerosene 1% or 9 ML.

“Diesel output fell by 68.1%, gasoline output dropped by 63.6%, fuel oil decreased by 94.7%, avturbo declined by 66.1%, LPG reduced by 59.2%, and kerosene lessened by 44.7%,” the DoE said.

The volume of crude oil processed in the first half dropped 67% year on year to 1,299 ML, according to the department.

“The country is now left with only one refinery with a maximum working crude distillation capacity of 180,000 barrels per stream day as Pilipinas Shell decided to permanently shut down its oil refinery operations in Tabangao, Batangas sometime in September last year,” it said.

At present, Petron Corp.’s refining plant in Limay, Bataan is the country’s sole.

Pilipinas Shell earlier transformed its 110,000 barrels-per-day refinery into an import terminal. Last year, it said its refining operations were no longer economically viable amid tighter margins during the global health emergency.

The import facility, which was inaugurated earlier in June, has a storage capacity of up to 263 ML. — Angelica Y. Yang

Gov’t backs waiver of vaccine IP protections to widen access

October 4, 2021 | 8:00 pm

THE President’s spokesman said Monday that the government is in favor of a waiver on intellectual property (IP) protections for coronavirus vaccines to accelerate inoculations worldwide.

“Kabahagi tayo ng buong developing world sa kagustuhan nating magkaroon ng vaccine equality, at isang pamamaraan dyan ay ’yung TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver (Like all developing countries we want vaccine equality, and one way to do that is via a TRIPS waiver),” Palace spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said at a televised news briefing.

“Buksan na ang mga intellectual property ng mga bakuna at ito naman po ay isang suhestiyon din ng

mismo (The sharing of vaccine IP is a proposal made by the US itself),” he added.

He was responding to claims by a coalition of health advocates who pointed out that the Philippines has not moved to pressure the World Trade Organization (WTO) to waive IP protections for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines.

India and South Africa have submitted proposals asking the WTO to waive IP rights for vaccines and other medicine and technology that will help contain the pandemic.

The India-South Africa proposal has been sponsored by Bolivia, Fiji, Indonesia, Maldives, Mongolia, Pakistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, the African Group, and the Least Developed Countries Group.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who has criticized wealthy nations for hoarding coronavirus vaccines, has yet to make public his position on a TRIPS waiver.

Earlier this year, Mr. Duterte accused the European Union (EU) of withholding vaccine supplies for other countries, citing the bloc’s rule that drug makers obtain permission before shipping vaccines outside the region.

Instead of addressing the inequitable distribution of vaccines, the government has “no coherent position on the proposal at the WTO has been put forward,” the Coalition for People’s Right to Health (CPRH) said in a statement over the weekend.

“Government pronouncements have highlighted the lack of vaccine supply, yet do not acknowledge the question of inequity on an international scale — one that the TRIPS waiver dares to answer by providing more opportunities to manufacture and produce vaccines outside the profit-oriented pharmaceutical monopolies,” it said.

The CPRH said that it was only at a House budget hearing that it learned that the Technical Committee on WTO Matters, an inter-agency panel responsible for setting Philippine policy on WTO matters, held meetings on the TRIPS Waiver as well as the EU’s counter-proposal, which the coalition said only “pushes existing flexibilities on the status quo instead of overhauling it amid a public health emergency.”

The counter-proposal seeks to simplify the process for obtaining a compulsory license by “waiving the requirement for prior effort to obtain authorization from the owner of the patent,” according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The proposal also seeks to declare “circumstances of the pandemic as a national emergency or of extreme urgency, to authorize Members to grant compulsory license,” it said.

The European proposal also seeks to lower the level of compensation for the owner of the patent and simplify notification requirements, it added.

The CPRH said it has tracked “affirmative positions from certain Department of Health and DFA officials, but has not seen a categorical stance from these agencies as a whole.”

“In contrast, the Department of Trade and Industry and Intellectual Property Office (IPO) are reluctant to support while the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force/NTF (National Task Force)) is silent,” the coalition said.

“The TRIPS Council meets in a matter of days — informally on 4 October and formally on 13-14 October — the Coalition argues that the Philippines cannot afford to remain mum on the matter,” it added.

The CPRH called on health workers, health advocates, and the general public to “to clamor for an official and firm commitment towards supporting the TRIPS Waiver proposal from the various government agencies leading the COVID-19 pandemic response.”

“The case of the Philippines is perhaps the clearest example yet for a need for the TRIPS Waiver,” it said. “Ultimately, no amount of regulatory approval or procurement agreements can guarantee vaccine and health equity, amid unequal distribution and massive profiteering.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Corn tariff review to wrap up this month

October 4, 2021 | 8:00 pm

THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) said its review of the tariff regime for yellow corn, a key raw material for animal feed, is expected to be completed this month.

Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel T. Cayanan said at a virtual briefing Monday that a technical working group (TWG) will be coming up with its recommendation before the month ends.

“Within the month, we will give our recommendation to Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar. The recommendation will then be presented to the Economic Development Cluster and the Tariff Commission for further consideration,” Mr. Cayanan said.

Mr. Dar signed Special Order No. 540 on July 29 which created a TWG chaired by Mr. Cayanan to examine the “possible reform of the tariff structure for yellow corn and to identify the necessary measures to ensure protection of our corn tillers if the tariff reform is implemented.”

The order directed the TWG to review a proposal to lower the tariff of yellow corn from non-ASEAN countries.

“We are trying to determine the right modalities on the importation, including the tariff line. It is not the DA’s end in mind to lower the tariff. If the results of the study show that we should lower, then we will recommend its reduction. However, if the study determines that it should remain as it is, then we will do that,” Mr. Cayanan said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Hitachi Rail asked to submit proposal for Malolos-Tutuban E&M, track works

October 4, 2021 | 7:59 pm

THE TRANSPORTATION department said it has initiated the process of directly contracting a Japanese supplier for the Japan-funded North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project (Malolos-Tutuban) and hopes to award the contract for the electrical and mechanical (E&M) systems and track works by the end of the year.

“The target is within this quarter,” Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan said in a statement Monday, after a query from BusinessWorld on the timetable for awarding of the contract.

The department issued a “request for proposal” on Aug. 20 addressed to Jorma Oksanen, head of sales and business development at Hitachi Rail STS Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Japan’s Hitachi, Ltd.

The department said the procurement method for the contract is “direct contracting” in accordance with the applicable “Guidelines for Procurement” of the Japanese ODA (official development assistance) Loan.

This means that the procurement process is open only to the prospective supplier selected for the project.

Hitachi Rail STS, as the prospective supplier, was instructed to submit its “offer” on Sept. 20 this year accompanied by an offer security of ¥1 billion.

Part of the proceeds that the Philippine government received from the Japan International Cooperation Agency for the NSCR (Malolos-Tutuban) will be used for the project’s E&M systems and track works contract.

The 38-kilometer first phase of the 148-kilometer NSCR project aims to connect Malolos, Bulacan to Tutuban, Manila. It is expected to accommodate more than 200,000 commuters daily.

Hitachi, Ltd. announced recently that a Philippine subsidiary has also been tapped to provide elevators and escalators for the NSCR Phase 1 project.

Hitachi Elevator Philippines has been awarded a contract to supply 13 elevators and 26 escalators for the railway project’s Manila, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue stations.

The company will also deliver eight elevators and 20 escalators for Balagtas, Guiguinto, and Malolos stations. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Well-milled rice retail prices rise in six regional trading centers

October 4, 2021 | 7:59 pm

THE average retail price of well-milled rice increased in six regional trading centers in early September, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA said in a report that the Sept. 1-5 period, which it calls the “first phase” of the month, were higher than the levels recorded in mid-August.

Prices in Legazpi City rose P4.42 to P40.42 per kilogram (/kg) from mid-August, those in Tuguegarao City were up P1.55 at P35.50, in Kidapawan City up 87 centavos at P39.75, in Iloilo City up 46 centavos at P38.58, in the National Capital Region (NCR) up 23 centavos at P43, and in Butuan City up four centavos at P42.24.

Declines were recorded in Calapan City, of P1.41 to P43.27. Average prices in Baguio City fell P1.30 to P38.27, in Pagadian City 76 centavos to P38.99, in Digos City 49 centavos to P43.20, and San Fernando City 48 centavos to P38.64.

The PSA said the average retail price of bone-in pork rose in five trading centers during the period.

Cebu City prices rose P21.67 to P205.83/kg. In Baguio City they rose P12.73 to P292.73, in Digos City P2.55 to P280.61, in Legazpi City P2.25 to P342.61, and in Cagayan de Oro City 50 centavos to P180.

Prices fell in San Fernando City by P80 to P230. In Calapan City they declined P34.53 to P285.47, in Butuan City P20.24 to P234.76, in Cabanatuan City P15 to P330, in the NCR P9.22 to P309.89, and in Iloilo City P5 to P245.

The PSA said the average retail price of galunggong (round scad) rose in five areas during the period.

San Fernando City prices rose P35 to P180/kg. In Legazpi City they were up P12.08 at P166.75, in Calapan City P11.11 at P233.33, in the NCR P5.23 at P231.67, and in Baguio City P2.43 at P170.

Prices decreased in Butuan City by P80.77 to P158.91. In Cabanatuan City they were down P50 at P170, in Tacloban City P33.48 at P133.91, in Digos City P25 at P110, and in Kidapawan City P3.72 at P152.56.

The PSA said the average retail price of red onion rose in nine trading centers during the period.

In Cabanatuan City prices rose P30 to P120/kg. In Pagadian City they were down P17.70 at P121.97, in Tuguegarao City P15 at P105, in Legazpi City P13.95 at P150.70, in Tacloban City P6.10 at P126.10, in Digos City P5.50 at P134, in Butuan City P3 at P132.50, in Baguio City P1.96 at P107.84, and in the NCR P1.34 at P111.78.

Prices fell in Calapan City by P5 to P125. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave