Tom Jones joins small-gig kick-start for UK live music scene

July 9, 2021 | 12:04 am

LONDON — Tom Jones and Rag’n’Bone Man are the star names in a line-up of singers scheduled to give more than 300 concerts at grassroots venues across Britain this summer, helping to kick-start a live music industry shut down during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The National Lottery is contributing 1 million pounds ($1.38 million) towards touring and production costs for the Revive Live Tour, which it launched on Wednesday along with UK charity Music Venue Trust.

“Musicians can record in their bedrooms, but they can’t learn to perform in public without a place to play,” veteran crooner Jones, who will give a one-off show in September at the Cambridge Junction in Cambridge, said. “Without that, there is no way you can communicate directly to people.”

Chart topper Rag’n’Bone Man, singers Mahalia, James Arthur, Frank Turner, and Sam Fender as well as band Fontaines D.C. will also perform one-off shows. Revive Live will also feature more than 20 tours with artists such as The Futureheads, The Magic Gang, Olivia Dean, and Twin Atlantic.

Like elsewhere, live music in public ceased in Britain during its coronavirus lockdowns. According to a Music Venue Trust survey, UK grassroots venues are carrying collective debt of 45 million pounds ($62 million). — Reuters

Digital banking sector to grow amid rise in online transactions

July 9, 2021 | 12:03 am

ONLINE TRANSACTIONS have climbed due to the coronavirus pandemic. — KATEMANGOSTAR /FREEPIK.COM

THE RISE in online transactions has opened opportunities for digital banking as many Filipinos remain unbanked or underbanked, Fitch Solutions Country Risk & Industry Research said, although the country’s underdeveloped digital infrastructure may limit the sector’s growth.

“The Philippines’ large unbanked population, one of the highest in South East Asia, creates a sizeable market on which to leverage fintech services which we believe will offer investors positive returns,” Fitch Solutions said in a note on Thursday.

“Regulatory backing and the country’s demographic environment have created a supportive environment for the uptake of mobile banking services, giving a positive outlook for investors,” it said.

Only 29% of adult Filipinos had accounts with financial institutions as of 2019, leaving some 51.2 million unbanked, based on data from the central bank’s Financial Inclusion Survey that year.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) hopes to bring 70% of adult Filipinos into the banked population by 2023. In that same year, it also wants 50% of transactions, both in terms of volume and value, to be done digitally. The central bank said Filipinos are becoming more comfortable with cashless payments due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Aside from the BSP’s financial inclusion initiatives, Fitch Solutions noted the new framework called CHIP (Connect, Harness, Innovate, and Protect) adopted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology will also be instrumental in the country’s digital transformation. The framework looks to expand the uptake of digital services in mobile payments, telemedicine, and e-commerce.

“Initiatives like CHIP that aim to digitize government services and create a conducive environment for the development of fintech products are vital for their uptake and realizing returns,” Fitch Solutions said.

It noted that government subsidies to about 6 million Filipinos as well as the relatively high mobile penetration rate of 58% in the country will also help boost digital transactions and open up opportunities for fintech players.

On the other hand, Fitch Solutions said interest in the sector could be dampened by “poor” digital infrastructure in the country, which it noted as a laggard in the region. It said this has restrained the potential of e-commerce in the Philippines.

“Fixed broadband is extremely limited across the archipelago and users often experience noticeable latency. Drivers of digital payments uptake like e-commerce use is restricted and often a frustrating experience,” it said.

Because of this, players that are part of telco conglomerates have the competitive advantage, Fitch Solutions said. It noted that Globe Telecom, Inc.’s mobile wallet GCash already has 31 million users, with transactions already surpassing the P1-trillion mark. Meanwhile, PayMaya Philippines, which is owned by PLDT, Inc., had 28 million users and saw the value of transactions coursed through the platform surge by 3.5 times at end-2020 from the prior year.

“Gaining competitive edge in the market will be challenging but Voyager has recently moved into adjacent verticals such as providing business loans and health insurance to augment its offering,” Fitch Solutions said.

Voyager Innovations, where PLDT is the main shareholder, last month raised $167 million for the expansion of PayMaya, including the establishment of a digital bank.

The BSP has granted digital banking licenses to the Overseas Filipino Bank, Tonik Digital Bank, Inc. (Philippines), and UNOBANK. The Monetary Board initially set a cap of five licenses following the establishment of its digital banking framework, but the central bank has said it is open to granting more, depending on demand.

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. — L.W.T. Noble

SC defends bar exams after DoLE seeks review of certification tests

July 9, 2021 | 12:03 am

Bar-exams-result — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

CHIEF JUSTICE of the Supreme Court (SC) Alexander G. Gesmundo said the bar examinations are necessary for filtering out unsuitable candidates for the legal profession, after Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Silvestre H. Bello III’s remarks about the need to study the certification process of certain professions.

“I respect the view of Secretary Bello, but as far as the practice of law, I think we should maintain the bar examinations so that we can sift those who are competent, considering the nature of the legal profession,” Mr. Gesmundo told reporters Thursday in a chance interview.

He added that he sees no need to abolish the bar examination as it “has been the traditional way of measuring who can join the legal profession.”

He added that “the legal profession is vested with public interest.”

On Wednesday, Mr. Bello appeared to question the need for qualifying examinations for lawyers, engineers, nurses, dentists, and other professions, noting that trained graduates will have gone through multiple exams during their school days.

He said: “Those who topped the bar examinations are not that good in practice, although I am not trying to demean them.”

On Thursday, however, Mr. Bello clarified in an appearance on the ABS-CBN news channel that he is not proposing to do away with all professional examinations, but was only calling on regulators to study the possibility of removing the requirement to be certified in certain professions.

“My proposal is for the Philippine Nurses Association and PRC (Professional Regulation Commission) to study the possibility (of removing the examination requirement), so I did not propose for the scrapping,” he said.

Mr. Bello said he may back a bill to do away with some board examinations should he become a legislator, but added that he does not have final political plans yet for 2022.

The Senator who chairs the chamber’s labor committee weighed in in support of professional certification exams.

“Despite our disappointment with how the PRC has been failing our graduates with the way they’ve postponed and pushed back scheduled board exams since last year, it is very clear to us that the professional certification exams such as the various boards exam must remain,” Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva said in a statement Thursday.

Mr. Villanueva filed a resolution in the Senate in March calling on the PRC to find alternative means to conduct board examinations during the pandemic. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Emperador considers secondary listing in Singapore

July 9, 2021 | 12:03 am

EMPERADOR, Inc. on Thursday said that its management is looking into listing in Singapore after its “strong operating and financial performance” caught the attention of global institutional investors.

“Emperador, Inc. is on the constant lookout to grow its global presence and a secondary listing in Singapore could be an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of an international company headquartered in the Philippines,” the company clarified in a disclosure to the exchange.

The company issued the clarification after reports citing Bloomberg news agency circulated that Emperador was considering a secondary listing in Singapore, aiming to raise as much as S$1 billion.

It further said Emperador had “leveraged its strong market position in the Philippines,” establishing a global brands portfolio available in over 100 countries across six continents.

“We will submit the required approvals and public disclosures in the appropriate time regarding our efforts in this direction,” Emperador said.

Emperador earmarked P1.5 billion for its capital expenditures this year, 50% higher than last year’s P1-billion budget to cater to the company’s global expansion plans.

Its attributable income to owners went up by 43% in the January-to-March period to P2.1 billion from P1.46 billion year on year, while Emperador’s topline recorded a 13% growth to P12.1 billion from P10.66 billion. The company attributed its “robust performance” to its global business.

On Thursday, shares of Emperador at the local bourse closed unchanged at P12.10 each. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Rock legend memorabilia in ‘A Century of Music’ up for auction

July 9, 2021 | 12:03 am

EDDIE van Halen’s Kramer Stryper guitar is one of the items in the “A Century of Music” auction. — LIVEAUCTIONEERS.COM/

NEW YORK — Memorabilia from emblematic 20^th century musical events and acts such as the Woodstock Festival, the Beatles, Van Halen, and Lynyrd Skynyrd are up for grabs in an online auction next week.

Surprising items include former US President Bill Clinton’s saxophone, and the doors from New York’s Hotel Chelsea where Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Jerry Garcia once lived.

Also featured are Benny Goodman’s clarinet, and a guitar used by the late Eddie Van Halen who gave his rock band its name and sound.

“This was a handmade original and so it certainly should bring a six-figure amount, one would think,” said Arlan Ettinger, president of Guernsey’s Auction.

Original photos and slides of the 1969 Woodstock concert taken onstage by the official photographer Barry Levine are up for sale, along with the Leica still camera he used to record the event.

Other items include original works by John Lennon and guitars owned by Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney.

Proceeds from guitars once owned by Jason Becker will go toward the medical costs of the musician’s battle with ALS.

The “A Century of Music” auction takes place online July 14-15. — Reuters

PSE to continue push for short selling

July 9, 2021 | 12:02 am

THE Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) will continue pursuing its plans to allow short selling in the local bourse this year, despite experiencing delays in securing regulatory approvals.

“Unfortunately, foreign investors continue their exit from the market and I really believe — and I’ve been trying to impress this upon our regulators — that the passage of these new rules on short selling could help attract the foreign investors back to our market,” PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Monzon said in an interview with Bloomberg Markets on Thursday.

Foreign funds logged net outflows worth P77.8 billion in the first six months of the year. On Thursday, net foreign selling surged to P838.94 million from P211.97 million the previous day.

Short selling happens when investors sell borrowed securities when prices are high. They will then buy these back once prices fall.

“[We want to] give them the ability to hedge their investments instead of having to go out when things don’t look good in the market,” Mr. Monzon said.

The PSE was targeting to allow short selling by the second quarter this year, but Mr. Monzon said the target date for allowing short selling will have to be moved another quarter as they follow up with regulators.

The PSE is currently trying to address “two regulatory hurdles” as it awaits go signals from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

“We have been waiting for the final approval of our regulators, both the Securities and Exchange Commission in the accrediting the Philippine Depository Trust as the security lending and borrowing unit and also approving the offshore collateral request of foreign investors,” Mr. Monzon said.

“At the Bureau of Internal Revenue level, we’re waiting for their approval to accept what you call a global master securities lending agreement,” he explained.

Mr. Monzon also said the PSE is eyeing a bigger initial public offering (IPO) target for the second half of the year.

“We hope to hit about $2.6 [billion] or $2.8 billion and I’m not even including yet the IPO of our electric transmission company, which the energy regulator has mandated into an IPO. I have not included that yet and that’s a big one,” Mr. Monzon said. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

UN warns excluding women from top jobs threatens COVID-19 recovery

July 9, 2021 | 12:02 am

Women-mobile phones are silhouetted — REUTERS

LONDON — Global efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic are under threat because women are being excluded from critical decision-making roles, the United Nations (UN) said on Thursday.

Only 6% of coronavirus task forces, which are responsible for coordinating government responses to the deadly virus, have equal numbers of men and women, while 11% have no women at all, found the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

“The pivotal decisions being made today will affect the well-being of people and planet for generations to come,” Achim Steiner, UNDP’s administrator, said in a statement.

“Sustainable recovery is only possible when women are able to play a full role in shaping a post-COVID-19 world that works for all of us.”

New data by the UNDP and the Gender Inequality Research Lab at the University of Pittsburgh found that women hold less than one in three top leadership positions in public administration globally, jeopardizing a green and inclusive recovery.

While 58% of employees in health ministries are women, they only hold 34% of health policy decision-making positions, their research in 170 countries found.

The analysis comes as many countries grapple with the economic and social fallout from COVID-19, which UNDP said could push another 105 million women and girls into poverty by 2030.

UNDP highlighted an “alarming rise in violence against women and girls” and the “large loss of jobs and income, which are threatening to set back progress on gender equality.”

It said that governments are more responsive and accountable and the quality of public services, particularly around health, childcare and violence against women, significantly improves when women take leadership roles in public administration.

“While the findings are disheartening, they are not surprising,” Henriette Kolb, head of the gender and economic inclusion group at the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“Women in both the public and private sector are severely underrepresented in leadership positions. However, if we want to create a resilient, equitable, inclusive and growing economy, we need everybody to have a seat at the leadership table.” (Reporting by Sharon Kimathi. Editing by Katy Migiro. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. — Thomson Reuters Foundation

FSCC looking to address emerging risks from debt servicing issues

July 9, 2021 | 12:02 am

THE FINANCIAL Stability Coordination Council (FSCC) is formulating initiatives to respond to systemic risks stemming from borrowers’ inability to pay their debts due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor and FSCC Chairman Benjamin E. Diokno said.

“We have to deal with the systemic risk itself, meaning the difficulty of borrowers to service the maturing obligations, rather than be limited as to who is the appropriate authority over non-financial corporations. In this regard, we have a number of initiatives at the late stages of development. I hope to announce this soon in line with authority provided to the council by Executive Order (EO) 144,” Mr. Diokno said at an online briefing.

EO 144 signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on July 6 institutionalized the FSCC as an interagency body that will focus on assessing systemic risks to financial stability and formulating policies to address these issues.

Prior to this, the FSCC was a voluntary initiative. It includes officials from the BSP, the Department of Finance, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Insurance Commission, and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp.

Systemic risks refer to disruptions to any part of the financial system that could affect the rest of the economy.

The FSCC earlier cited debt servicing as a risk to financial stability, but said this is expected to be manageable in the near term.

Gross nonperforming loans climbed 83% to P479.481 billion in May from P262 billion a year earlier, BSP data showed. Analysts attributed this to the pandemic’s impact on the economy.

Mr. Diokno said companies facing problems in repaying their debts are not under the watch of financial authorities, so their situations should be reviewed by the FSCC as a whole.

“The problems that these nonfinancial corporations face is a result of the recession induced by COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and the measures that had been taken to contain the spread of the virus. The problems, therefore, are not from any reckless behavior on the part of the borrowers…,” the BSP chief added.

Mr. Diokno said they are seeing signs of improvement as the economy gradually reopens. However, the FSCC acknowledges that the pandemic has affected lives and livelihood, and risks should continue to be monitored so appropriate responses can be made, he said.

“We note that the scars may linger [from the pandemic], and that there are changes that run deep. This is why we say that the new economy will be fundamentally different from the pre-COVID market arrangements,” he said.

EGOV PAY TRANSACTIONS RISE
Meanwhile, at the same briefing, Mr. Diokno said EGov Pay, which facilitates online transactions for government agencies, saw increased usage in May due to fees for clearances and tax payments.

Data from the central bank showed EGov Pay transactions surged in terms of both volume (5,000%) and value (2,000%) in May from their year-ago levels.

“Aside from curbing revenue leaks, fostering better audit trail and enhancing transparency, the wider usage of EGov Pay is seen to promote efficiency in the country’s revenue generation efforts under the New Economy,” the BSP chief said.

Mr. Diokno said 387 government billers are already onboard the facility, which represents 90% of the institutions targeted to be included in the facility this year.

EGov Pay was launched in 2019 and is expected to help the BSP reach its target to have 50% of the value and volume of transactions in the country done digitally by 2023. — L.W.T. Noble

Entertainment News (07/09/21)

July 9, 2021 | 12:02 am

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Warner’s ADA Asia partners with Lilystars Records

ADA Asia, part of Warner Music Group’s independent artist and label services division, has announced jointly with Lilystars Records, an independent record label based in Manila, that they have formed a strategic alliance. The deal will see ADA Asia support the Lilystars label — collaborating on new releases, catalogues, brand partnerships, as well as live and synchronization deals — marketing and distributing its artists’ music across South East Asia and beyond. Artist-owned independent record label Lilystars Records was founded by Clem Castro, the frontman of alternative rock and indie pop band Orange & Lemons, which led the revival of Original Pilipino Music in the early 2000s. Currently, the label’s roster of artists includes ADR, Bryan Estepa, Day & Dream, Dey Rose, Dragonfly Collector, Dustybuns, Galaxy Lodge, Hey, Jane!, Kubra Commander, Lily On The River, Orange & Lemons, Paper Satellites, Parasouls, Project Orange, The Bernadettes, The Camerawalls, The Geeks, The Gentle Isolation, The Midnight Greetings, The Sun Days, Them Bloody Royals, Sunflower Station, and Svvell. Lilystars Records is the first partner in the Philippines that ADA Asia has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with.

Itchyworms releases music video

POP-ROCK band The Itchyworms kick off their 25^th anniversary in the music industry with the official video release of “The Life I Know,” a piano-backed ballad off their fifth studio album, Waiting For The End To Start — released on digital music platforms via Sony Music Philippines. Filmmakers Marie Jamora and Jason McLagan of Indie Pop Films with animation by Apartment D, the music video is a first of its kind in the Philippines to feature a stop-motion animation format that is embedded with Filipino cultural sensibilities.

Two new HBO Asia original docus out in July

HBO’s six-part, half-hour documentary series, Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes, and HBO Asia Original documentary series Traffickers: Inside the Golden Triangle, will both be released this month. Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes brings to life Ronan Farrow’s hit podcast. Intimate, revealing interviews with whistleblowers, journalists, private investigators and other sources, were conducted for the Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist’s podcast and bestselling book Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and A Conspiracy to Protect Predators. The series expands on the podcast and the book, with never-before-seen footage and new insights into this culture-shaking story. It will debut with two back-to-back episodes on July 13, 9 a.m., exclusively on HBO and HBO GO. Two new episodes will air back-to-back every subsequent Monday at the same time. Meanwhile, Traffickers: Inside the Golden Triangle exposes the secretive epicenter of illicit drug production inside the Golden Triangle. The documentary series premieres exclusively on HBO GO from July 23 and follows the rise and demise of three infamous drug kingpins in Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. The three-part hour-long documentary series is the first documentary that lifts the lid on the hidden world of drug production in the Golden Triangle and dives into this mysterious secretive criminal underbelly revealing tales of some of the most infamous drug lords in the region. In English, Thai, Burmese and Lao, the documentary series was filmed on location in the Golden Triangle, Thailand, Burma, China, the USA, Malaysia, the Philippines and Australia. Stream or download Traffickers: Inside the Golden Triangle on HBO GO.

The Kissing Booth 3 out on Netflix in August

THE THIRD installment of The Kissing Booth will premiere in August, Netflix announced. It’s the summer before Elle heads to college, and she’s facing a hard decision: whether to move across the country with her boyfriend Noah or fulfill her lifelong promise to go to college with her BFF Lee. Directed by Vince Marcello, the series stars Joey King, Joel Courtney, Jacob Elordi, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Meganne Young, and Molly Ringwald. The story is based on the books of the same title by Beth Reekles. The Kissing Booth 3 premieres Aug. 11.

South Korea’s Voice 4 is now on iQiyi

THE FOURTH season of the South Korean crime thriller series Voice is now streaming on iQiyi and iQ.com. Created by screenwriter Ma Jin-won and director Shin Yong-hwi, Voice 4 trails Derek Jo (Seung-heon), the team leader of the LAPD Olympic Division’s Gang Unit, as a hunt for American gangsters takes him to South Korea. However, his sister is murdered when she witnesses a crime, prompting him to collaborate with the Golden Time Team led by Kang Kwon-joo (Ha-na) to track down the suspect, Circus Man. The show features a mix of South Korea’s veteran and upcoming actors, including returning cast members Lee Ha-na, Son Eun-seo, Kim Joong-ki and Song Boo-gun along with new cast members Song Seung-heon and Kang Seung-yoon (of the boy group Winner). Episodes of Voice 4 will drop every Saturday and Sunday on iQiyi. Download the iQiyi app or log in to www.iQ.com.

J Loonyo, Rockboi salute frontliners in song

THREE months after the success of his trendsetting summer dance anthem, DJ Loonyo has released his second single, “Kaya Natin ‘To.” In line with the single’s release, a month-long video contest is being held on Facebook with the hashtag #KayaNatinTo and #SalamatFrontliners. The objective is to create a video honoring the hard work of frontliners. Winners will get a chance to win P20,000 and will be announced on DJ Loonyo’s Kumu livestream on July 31. Stream “Kaya Natin ‘To” on Spotify and Apple Music.

My Sunset Girl out soon on iWantTFC

METRO Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2020 Best Actress Charlie Dizon stars in a new iWantTFC mini-series. My Sunset Girl follows 18-year-old Ciara who suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum, an illness that could turn deadly if she is exposed to sunlight for too long. As a result, Ciara is unable to travel the world, but she makes up for this by watching travel vlogs and making friends online. She develops a bond with a travel enthusiast Lucas (Jameson Blake) who promises to help her accomplish her travel bucket list. But her strict mother Melissa (Mylene Dizon) and Lucas’s father Elias (Joem Bascon) get in the way. Co-produced by Dreamscape Entertainment and All Blacks Media, the iWantTFC original series is directed by Andoy Ranay. My Sunset Girl will start streaming on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and on iwanttfc.com on July 14, 8 p.m.

Boy Abunda in Binibining Pilipinas contest primer

THE BINIBINING Pilipinas 2021 candidates faced TV host Boy Abunda in a quick Q&A mentorship session at the Gateway Mall Atmos Cinema in Araneta City as part of this year’s Road to the Crown pageant primer. The quick but intensive and rigorous Q&A training with the King of Talk tested the contestants’ wit, spontaneity, and grace under pressure. Livestreamed via the official YouTube channel of Binibining Pilipinas, the 2021 primer bared the candidates’ ability to survive the interview segment of the pageant. The Binibining Pilipinas 2021 Grand Coronation Night will be aired live on July 11 at 9:30 p.m. on A2Z Channel, Kapamilya Channel, and Metro Channel. It will also be simultaneously livestreamed on iWantTFC and the official Binibining Pilipinas YouTube page.

Gov’t song writing contest deadline set on July 23

GOVERNMENT workers with a talent for song writing may join the Civil Service Commission (CSC) National Song Writing Contest. The deadline for submission of entries is on July 23. Job Orders and Contracts of Service may also join the contest, which is part of the upcoming 121^st Philippine Civil Service Anniversary celebration in September. Regional and national winners will receive cash prizes, and the winning entry will be featured as the competition song in the next Government Choral Competition, also hosted by the CSC in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Contestants may submit a maximum of two entries, and each entry must not exceed four minutes. They can be in any Filipino language or dialect (including the English translation), and should adhere to the PCSA 2021-2031 theme, “Transforming Public Service in the Next Decade: Honing Agile ang Future-Ready Servant-Heroes.” Interested parties may download the complete mechanics and entry form from visit the CSC website at www.csc.gov.ph, or send an e-mail to ro04@csc.gov.ph or pcsa@csc.gov.ph.

BT21 x Sunsilk packs available on Lazada

FANS of the global K-pop sensation BTS fan are probably also BT21 fans. BT21 is a collection of characters created by the BTS members with Line Friends. Sunsilk has now come out with an official BT21 merchandise collection. The limited edition BT21 x Sunsilk packs will be available on July 12 on Shopee and on July 14 on Lazada. Each BT21-branded box includes two 350ml Sunsilk bottles as well as a limited-edition official BT21 pouch featuring the various characters. The BT21 x Sunsilk packs are available for P699 per box or P2,696 for the four sets.

Changing work arrangements

July 9, 2021 | 12:01 am

My sister Malou works for Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. I was there in March 2020 where I witnessed the Atlanta lockdown and saw how she had to shift from the regular work schedule to a work-from-home arrangement. She had daily morning Zoom meetings, after which she did her paperwork. Based on our latest conversation, her unit intends to return to face-to-face work in August. However, some of them, especially those with comorbidities but with better than average performance, will be allowed special arrangements to work from home.

My brother Benhur retired a few months prior to the pandemic because he felt tired and stressed from the travel required by his IT/finance consulting work. He was based in Orange County, Los Angeles but his job required him to travel a lot to different states. He worked from good hotels and while it was great at the start, at some point, it became taxing. Now, he tells me that his former colleagues who stayed behind are able to do the same tasks, without needing to travel. The pandemic changed everything.

These may be anecdotal circumstances, but various reports confirm the changing landscape in the workplace. As fully immunized communities return to normal, elements of the work-from- home arrangement that were functional will remain as the country reaches the safe stage.

An article in The Economist by Bartleby raises the issue of the relationship of working hours on the person’s well-being. Unemployment is bad for mental health, leading to depression, anxiety and reduced self-esteem. Surprisingly, the study by The Centre for Business Research at Cambridge suggested that the threshold for good mental health was a very low one day a week. The boost from working comes from the feeling of purpose, the social status and the camaraderie with colleagues. Long hours lifestyle is bad for worker’s health.

In sum, work from home will probably be here to stay in some form. But this leads to another source of inequality when we start to distinguish between knowledge workers and front-liners whose work essence demands face-to-face contact. There will arise a new classification of work — work that can be done from the house and those that need actual presence.

For example, in the banking industry, the tellers need to be always present and the credit investigation and account officers have to face their clients. The backroom in charge of facilities needs to inspect their hardware. But there are functions like risk analysis and accounting work that can be handled remotely. This presents both opportunities and potential problems.

The positives include the findings that workers’ rating for transparency and communication by employers seem to have improved tremendously. The Economist article on “From desktop to laptop” cites a Gallup poll stating that the share of American employees “engaged” at work reached its highest level since the same poll began in 2000. Remote work has forced people to communicate better. Tomas Chamorro-Prezumic noted that the pandemic has encouraged managers to place more trust in technology that lets workers communicate and collaborate effectively, even when out of office. Managers are challenged to get their message across better.

In the Philippines, I found a study online by Jon Pauline Ramos and Yogi Tri Prasetyo based on a sample of 250 electronic questionnaires. Based on the study abstract, work-from-home factors have significant positive effects on job satisfaction and productivity but not on job stress. However, the same factors have negative effects on job performance which, in turn, negatively affects productivity. The conclusion appears positive on satisfaction but contradicting on the issue of productivity. If confirmed, domestic businesses will hesitate on pursuing such arrangements.

Factories need to be manned. Service outlets have to employ technicians in the field. Someone has to clean the offices and personally attend to selling booths. These are functions that cannot be done from home. The front-liners and essential workers will evolve to be a special category in the workplace that will have to be evaluated under a different set of policies, and even of laws.

The workplace that we were all familiar with will look different in the future. Businesses that are able to adapt correctly will have to consider lasting effects on job satisfaction (the people) and on productivity (the company). It will be a tough balancing act.

Benel Dela Paz Lagua was previously Executive Vice-President and Chief Development Officer at the Development Bank of the Philippines. He is an active FINEX member and an advocate of risk-based lending for SMEs. The views expressed herein are his own and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX.

Understanding a boss who delays decisions

July 9, 2021 | 12:01 am

I report to a department manager at a medium-sized enterprise. This is my third job and I know much about the working style of various bosses. My current boss appears to be overburdened with many unnecessary tasks that slow his decision-making, at times making things complicated for him. I have offered to help him but he doesn’t listen. Two weeks ago, I asked for the release of some petty cash so I can attend a management webinar. Up to now, he has not decided. What’s wrong with him? — Lemon Juice.

Two sidewalk vendors were talking at a street corner when a nun with her arm in a sling crossed in front of them. One of the vendors called out to her: “Good morning, sister! What happened to you?” The nun explained that she had slipped in the bathtub and broke her arm. The vendor turned to ask his fellow: “What’s a bathtub?”

The other replied: “How should I know? I’m not Catholic.”

For many managers, making a decision is easy if you have all the relevant information. That’s one part of the problem. Sometimes, managers find it difficult to make decisions due to their limited authority on certain issues.

Also, much depends much on the style of top management, some of which cling to a centralization strategy rather than empowering their managers to make independent decisions. Take the example that you’ve cited. What is preventing your boss from approving a petty-cash expense for your webinar? It may seem like a small amount to invest in your development. But, is it really the reason for the delay?

Maybe your boss is not convinced that you need that webinar, in the first place.

Be that as it may, you need to discover for yourself the cause or causes for the delayed decision. It could be that he’s not at fault. You will never know the answer unless you press gently.

STRATEGIC APPROACHES
Don’t judge your boss right away. To avoid complicating things, you must talk to him at the right time and place. Set the right atmosphere. Do it after submitting a project he has been waiting for. Or, give him any good news. The opportunity could help open doors. Nevertheless, there are some approaches that might help you understand his circumstances:

One, ensure that you follow the basic steps in communicating with the boss. It’s not enough that you would want to attend a management webinar. For what? How important is it? What type of problem are you trying to solve? Are there other solutions available? How do you weigh the pros and cons of the alternatives? How about the return on investment? For all we know, the minor expense is irrelevant to the issue at hand.

Two, recommend a continuous improvement program. This is in response to your perception that your boss is overburdened. It doesn’t matter whether you call such an intervention either Kaizen or Lean. What’s important is for you to come up with a pilot project to help you identify and resolve those operational issues using the tools and techniques of Kaizen or Lean.

Three, understand the boss’s authority and responsibilities. It’s not the fault of every manager why they’re dragging their feet on every decision. It could be that they lack the authority and they’re too proud to admit it to you. The office system for approvals may be the source of the problem. Regardless of the size of an organization, it boils down to the desire of top management to centralize certain issues and devolve other things to the line managers.

Four, make it easy for the boss to make decisions. One way for a department head to make faster decision is to give them all the relevant details about a proposal. You can present the pros and cons of your idea, plus its attendant costs and other implications. By doing this, you’re able to foresee all potential difficulties that may arise down the road.

Last, document all ideas, suggestions, even issues. Protect your blind side. Talk to your boss about your proposal and confirm the highlights of your discussion through an e-mail. List down all possible negative repercussions, in case of a delayed decision. That’s because you don’t want to be the sacrificial lamb in case something goes wrong should your boss continue to drag his feet.

CO-OWNERSHIP
Whatever you do, avoid falling into the trap of saying something that could be misinterpreted as disrespectful. Don’t be too hard on your boss, who may see it as an affront to his authority. You may have to think things over. There are situations that can be resolved without the boss making a decision. On the other hand, anticipate all the circumstances that might make matters worse.

Without being too aggressive, you could offer your help to attain a degree of co-ownership. I’m sure your boss knows all the advantages of participative decision-making. This includes soliciting the opinion of other people whose ideas may not be instantly accepted. It’s worth trying.

If the boss fails to respond positively to this idea, then don’t take it against him. Don’t rock the boat as it could cost your job, no matter how good your intentions are.

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

ABB’s local unit eyes more ties with RE firms

July 9, 2021 | 12:01 am

THE local unit of global technology firm ABB Ltd. said it is looking at working with more Philippine renewable energy (RE) firms in the next one to two years.

“I think we’ll have a lot of collaboration with renewable energy companies. We [will] continue to work and provide solutions for them,” ABB Philippines Country Managing Director Olivier Coquerel told reporters in a virtual briefing on Thursday. He was referring to a question on the company’s outlook for the next year or two.

He added that ABB’s local unit is planning to develop more smart buildings and continue providing digital solutions, which can help in monitoring energy consumption, among others.

Previously, Switzerland-based ABB announced that it had partnered with San Miguel Corp.’s power unit to install three battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the Philippines. The systems are part of SMC Global Power Holdings Corp.’s nationwide project.

Aside from BESS technology, Mr. Coquerel said on Thursday that the firm sees opportunities in solar, hydro and geothermal power.

“We are helping a lot of solar companies to basically inject solar power into the grid so that’s one area where we will be very active — in renewables. [We will also be active in] hydro and geothermal,” he said.

The Philippines is among the “top three” highest revenue-generating countries for ABB’s business in Southeast Asia, he said, adding that the country is “moving up” in the region.

ABB Philippines’ core businesses are electrification products, motion, industrial automation, and turbocharging. — Angelica Y. Yang