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Israeli firms eye investments in PHL infrastructure, water sectors 

A worker is seen balancing on steel frames at a construction site in Metro Manila, Dec. 23, 2016. — REUTERS/ROMEO RANOCO

By Alyssa Nicole O. Tan and
Revin Mikhael D. Ochave, Reporters

ISRAELI FIRMS are interested in investing in the infrastructure, agriculture and water, and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors in the Philippines.

Israel Head of Economic and Trade Mission to the Philippines Tomer Heyvi said that Israeli firms are awaiting the law amending the Public Services Act.

“BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) projects, agriculture, and water are definitely interesting,” he said in a roundtable discussion with BusinessWorld editors and reporters on Feb. 28.

For the water sector, Mr. Heyvi said Israeli firms are looking at desalination projects.

Congress last month ratified the measure amending the PSA Act, which was forwarded to Malacañang for President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s signature.

Once signed, telecommunications, domestic shipping, railways and subways, airlines, expressways and tollways, and airports will no longer be subject to the 40% foreign ownership cap under the Constitution.

However, distribution and transmission of electricity; petroleum pipeline transmission systems; water distribution systems; seaports and public utility vehicles will continue to be subjected to the 40% foreign ownership cap.

At the same time, Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss said Israeli firms are interested in expanding in the BPO sector in the Philippines.

“I think in terms of investments, it will be mainly in the BPO sectors so we have here Israeli companies that do BPO services and they found (that the) Philippines is a good place to outsource and I think it will only increase,” he said during the same interview.

Mr. Fluss said that Israel’s priority is to advance the relations between the two countries by focusing on economic development and innovation.

“What I would like to do is create what I call ‘innovation bridges’ between Israel and the Philippines,” he said.

Israel is known for its expertise on technology and innovation, with 13% of its gross domestic product coming from the high-tech industry. More than 300 multinational corporations have research and development centers in Israel. It also houses nearly 4,000 startup companies.

Total bilateral trade between Israel and Philippines reached a value of $338 million in 2019. Some of the trade between the two countries include agricultural products, semiconductors,  BPO services, and tourism.    

Meanwhile, an agreement seeking to improve economic and investment relations between Philippines and Israel is almost completed.

Nir Balzam, deputy chief of Mission at the Embassy of Israel in Manila, said the Philippine-Israel Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) is almost finished and may be signed before the Duterte administration ends in June.

“We just finished the negotiation last Thursday. There are a few internal issues that they have to resolve, both Israel and Philippines. Hopefully, it will happen in the second quarter and probably during this administration,” Mr. Balzam said.   

Mr. Fluss said the agreement will “give a really strong signal to the private sector.” He said the IPPA would ensure investors from both sides are protected, and there will be no interference in business interactions involving huge investments.   

“The agreement provides how do you protect investors on both sides in case something goes wrong, how do you prevent governments from interfering in business interactions, and how do you make sure that this money is protected,” he said.

“I think the most important thing here when we sign this agreement is it’s a message from both governments, assuring investors that they are welcome, they are protected, their money is protected, and the two governments want to see more business interaction between the two countries,” he added.

Disney said it will introduce ad-supported version of Disney+ streaming service

THE WALT Disney Co. Friday said it will offer a cheaper, ad-supported version of its Disney+ streaming service later this year as it seeks to reach its goal of profitability by 2024.

Disney joins a growing number of media companies, including AT&T’s WarnerMedia, Comcast, Discovery ,and Paramount Global, in offering ad supported tiers of their streaming services to capture price-sensitive customers.

“Expanding access to Disney+ to a broader audience at a lower price point is a win for everyone — consumers, advertisers, and our storytellers,” Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, said in a statement.

Pricing was not disclosed.

Ad-supported services borrow from a model that has sustained television for decades, with commercials subsidizing the cost of programming.

“There’s a load of people that will never pay for television,” said Discovery CEO David Zaslav in a recent Discovery investor call, “But they can go to and view this content and that’ll be advertiser supported.”

Disney already offers ad-supported versions of its Hulu and ESPN+ streaming services. —  Reuters

Foreign exchange transfer systems designated as systematically important

BW FILE PHOTO

THE MONETARY BOARD approved the designation of the Philippine Domestic Dollar Transfer System (PDDTS) and the Philippine Peso – US Dollar Payment versus Payment System (PvP) as systematically important payment systems (SIPS), the central bank said in a statement on Monday.

These systems will be subjected to tighter supervisory rules of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) due to the systemic risk they could pose to the financial system, based on Circular No. CL 2022-019 signed by BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno on March 2.

Both the PDDTS and PvP are operated by the Philippine Clearing House Corp. (PCHC) and were established by the Bankers Association of the Philippines.

The PDDTS is the only Philippine payment system that allows the transfer of dollar funds from one bank to another without going through correspondent banks in the United States.

Meanwhile, the PvP is the only exchange-of-value settlement system for the peso and dollar. It is facilitated by both the PDDTS and the Peso Real-time Gross Settlement System or PhilPaSS.

Following the designation, the PCHC, as an operator of a designated SIPS, will need to ensure that operations of the PDDTS and PvP remain safe and efficient. The PCHC also needs to comply with requirements under the Republic Act 11127 or the National Payment Systems Act.

As designated payment systems, the PDDTS and PvP shall likewise observe the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures. These principles were developed by the Bank for International Settlements and the International Organization of Securities Commissions to help ensure the stability of payment systems amid the crisis.

“Adoption of the said internationally accepted standard will support the BSP’s goal to digitalize half of retail payments by 2023,” the BSP said.

Meanwhile, participants of PDDTS and PvP will need to comply with reports requested by the central bank for evaluating the systems.

Last year, the PhilPaSS was designated by the monetary board as a systematically important payment system. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

SPNEC aims to raise P10B for 10-GW solar projects

SOLAR Philippines Nueva Ecija Corp. (SPNEC) on Monday said it plans to offer 5.12 billion shares to the public so it can raise P10 billion for the completion of its solar projects with a combined capacity of 10 gigawatts (GW).

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, SPNEC said it aims to raise the funds “through a stock rights offering planned to be filed in the second quarter of 2022 and subject to regulatory approvals; and a possible private placement and follow-on offering.”

“While the terms of these offerings are typically determined later in the process, suffice it to say, the pricing must be attractive for the company to be able to raise its required capital,” it added.

The company said the move is among the steps it was looking at to reach its goal of creating P15 million per megawatt (MW) of value from its 10 GW of solar projects by 2025.

Another step is for it to focus on being a developer rather than being an independent power producer (IPP), it said. This means diverting its attention to developing solar farm sites “while working with other IPPs on financing and construction once the land is ready.”

“We believe the greatest challenge for solar in the Philippines is neither a lack of demand nor a surplus of projects, but rather, the challenge of consolidating land and permits that has resulted in a shortage of developed solar sites,” the company said.

Leviste-led SPNEC said it would also prioritize projects through partnerships with other IPPs to accelerate the country’s transition to renewable energy.

“Solar Philippines has reserved its 10 GW of planned projects pursuant to agreements with various companies to invest in its projects subject to certain milestones,” it said.

Meanwhile, Terra Solar Philippines, Inc., its joint venture with Razon-led Prime Metroline Infrastructure Holdings Corp. will get 1,000 hectares of the land being acquired.

Last week, SPNEC said it targets to complete its asset-for-share deal with its parent company Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings, Inc. by the middle of this year.

Once executed, SPNEC will have 32,497,400,005 shares, from which, it will issue at least 5,124,832,502 shares to the public through a stock rights offering, private placement, or follow-on offering.

On Monday, its shares at the Philippine Stock Exchange slipped 13 centavos or 6.13% to close at P1.99 apiece. — Marielle C. Lucenio

Fernandez beats Osorio in three thrilling sets to retain her Abierto title

FIL-CANADIAN Leylah Fernandez kissing her trophy. — ABIERTO GNP SEGUROS

By John Bryan Ulanday

LEYLAH Fernandez carved out a thrilling 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 (3) finale victory over Camila Osorio of Colombia to retain her title in the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico on Monday.

The Filipina-Canadian flipped a 1-4 deficit including five championship points (5-6) in the rubber to cap off a dramatic escape act for her second straight Monterrey crown.

As the No. 2 seed and reigning champion, Ms. Fernandez loomed as heavy favorite against the fifth-seeded Colombian but needed all the stops down the stretch highlighted by four aces to atone her first-set meltdown.

The 19-year-old wunderkind, who made a historic finals appearance in the 2021 US Open, zoomed to a 4-1 lead in the opening salvo only to surrender a 6-7 defeat with only two games won since.

She took command with a similar score in the next set but Osorio clawed back to zero in on at 4-5 before Ms. Fernandez closed it out to forge a decider, where she unleashed a comeback of her own.

“I’m very happy to have gone through these hard moments and have fought and found solutions. I hope we have many more finals with Camila because without her, I don’t think this tournament final would be as special,” said Ms. Fernandez in the grueling duel that lasted almost three hours.

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) No. 21 Fernandez last year cruised to an easy 6-1, 6-4 win against Viktoria Golubic of Switzerland.

But this time was not a walk in the park as she also met strong resistance from Chinese standouts Qiang Wang and Qinwen Zheng as well as Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia on her way to the Last Dance.

The WTA No. 44 Osorio, for her part, just could not get the job done despite riding on a massive upset win against No. 1 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the quarterfinals.

RLC expands Antipolo mall

ROBINSONS Land Corp. (RLC) is expanding its mall in Antipolo, Rizal, in anticipation of increased foot traffic during the summer months.

In a statement, the Gokongwei-led developer said the expansion of Robinsons Place Antipolo will open by May 2022. This will increase the mall’s gross floor area by 40%.

Arlene Magtibay, RLC senior vice-president and general manager for Robinsons Malls, said the mall is being expanded to target the “young and upwardly mobile market.”

“We are opening the expansion mall in the summer which is when a lot of people visit Antipolo. We are excited to welcome our shoppers to this new wing that will surely make their malling experience at Robinsons Place Antipolo even more delightful,” she said.

Robinsons Place Antipolo will have more international and local retail shops, restaurants, clinics, courier services, pet grooming shop, and select government agencies.

Robinsons Movieworld, kids’ amusement centers, and hobby shops will also open as restrictions ease.

“The new wing will provide our customers an experience that goes beyond traditional shopping. It will address their desire for more global fashion brands as well as elevate their dining experience with must-try restaurants,” Ms. Magtibay said.

RLC reported a 47% rise in net income to P6.44 billion in the first nine months of 2021, as the government eased lockdown restrictions.

Last year, the company opened Robinsons Place La Union, the 53rd Robinsons Mall in the country.

Bridgerton producer Rhimes, 11 others, heralded with Barbie dolls

SHOP.MATTEL.COM

LONDON — US TV producer and writer Shonda Rhimes, British make-up artist Pat McGrath, and French blogger Lena Mahfouf are being honored with Barbie dolls in their likeness as part of a celebration of female business founders.

In its latest Barbie role models line-up, toy maker Mattel is paying tribute to women from around the world, including Sonia Peronaci, founder of Italian cooking website GialloZafferano, and German digital entrepreneur Tijen Onaran.

Rhimes, whose Shondaland Media company is behind hit Netflix series Bridgerton and Inventing Anna, took to Instagram to share a picture of her doll from the collection ahead of International Women’s Day.

“I have my own Barbie! Proud to be among the 12 amazing women, all of which are breaking barriers in their respective careers,” Rhimes, also known for medical drama Grey’s Anatomy and political series Scandal, wrote on Instagram on Thursday.

Other honorees include McGrath, a fixture backstage at fashion week shows and founder of Pat McGrath Labs, as well as 24-year-old Mahfouf, a social media influencer of Algerian heritage.

“It’s a huge honor and it’s something quite unbelievable because when I was younger we used to only have… a few models of Barbie and they all looked kind of the same — blonde, tall with straight hair — and I didn’t feel represented by that,” Mahfouf said. “So now to have my own Barbie with some curly hair and a bit darker skin, I’m happy to see that.”

Mattel said its global Barbie Dream Gap project was teaming up with charitable organization Inspiring Girls International to work with local schools in various countries delivering workshops and advice.

“It is crucial for girls to have role models, because you cannot really dream of becoming something if you haven’t seen it,” Inspiring Girls International founder Miriam Gonzalez Durantez said. “So having that visibility is crucial for girls.” —  Reuters

Rediscount window untapped in Feb.

BANKS left the central bank’s rediscount facility untouched in February as loan demand remains relatively slow amid the crisis.

There were no availments for the Peso Rediscount Facility as well as the Exporters’ Dollar and Yen Rediscount Facility in February year to date, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said in a statement on Monday.

Last year, banks only tapped the rediscount window in June, July and September. These peso rediscount loans amounted to P6.12 million.

Rediscount loans in 2021 were significantly smaller than the P26.9 billion in 2020.

Through the BSP’s rediscount facility, banks can access additional money supply by posting their collectibles from clients as collateral.

Lenders may use the cash denominated in peso, dollar or yen denominations to extend credit to corporate or retail clients and service unexpected withdrawals.

Lenders did not touch the rediscount facility in February due to still relatively muted loan demand amid the pandemic, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

Metro Manila and some provinces were under Alert Level 3 in January. In February, these areas were placed under Alert Level 2, which allowed for increased business operations.

Latest BSP data showed outstanding loans by big banks rose by 8.5% in January. Production loans rose by 9.6% year on year, while consumer borrowings increased by a mere 0.1%.

Mr. Ricafort said there is excess liquidity in the financial system, which also reduced banks’ need to borrow from the BSP’s rediscount windows.

Domestic liquidity grew by 9.8% in January, faster than the 7.3% expansion in December.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno earlier said the BSP has infused about P2.3 trillion in liquidity support to the financial system, which is equivalent to about 12.5% of GDP.

For this month, the central bank’s rediscount rate for peso loans is at 2.5% regardless of maturity.

Meanwhile, applicable rates for dollar and yen-denominated borrowings regardless of maturity are at 2.50429% and 1.98862%, respectively. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

MREIT profit surges to P2 billion

MREIT, Inc. reported a net income of P2 billion for the second semester of 2021, up from P325 million in the first half of the year, it told the stock exchange on Monday.

MREIT, the real estate investment trust (REIT) firm of Megaworld Corp., said its half-year performance is inclusive of a fair value gain on its investment properties worth P702 million.

Meanwhile, revenues for the same period were registered at P1.5 billion from P227.2 million in the first half, as rental income surged due to new leases and properties acquired in December.

The company’s board on March 4 declared dividends amounting to P0.24 per share for the fourth quarter of last year.

“This compares favorably to the dividends declared for the previous quarter of P0.24 per share, which included a bonus dividend equivalent of P0.05 for income generated in June when it started operations,” MREIT said.

For 2021, total dividends paid by the company stood at P0.48 per share. The dividends are payable on March 31 to shareholders on record as of March 18.

Last December, MREIT acquired four income-generating properties of its parent company Megaworld for P9.1 billion. This resulted in a 25% increase in its portfolio’s gross leasable area (GLA) to 280,000 square meters (sq.m.) and a 19% growth in its value to P58.5 billion.

“We aim to build on this momentum as we embark on our expanded acquisition plan this year,” MREIT President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin L. Tan said.

MREIT said it is looking to acquire up to P20-billion worth of office assets in 2022.

“We are looking to reach our target portfolio GLA of 500,000 sq.m. earlier by the end of 2023 and achieve an annual total shareholder return of at least 10% via organic growth and new acquisitions. We also want to look at opportunities to expand our portfolio footprint to Megaworld’s other townships. Our enhanced pipeline will help us deliver on these targets,” Mr. Tan said.

MREIT said it plans to eventually expand its portfolio GLA to 1 million sq.m. before the end of the decade.

At the stock exchange, MREIT shares fell by 34 centavos or 1.73% to P19.30 on Monday. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

PSI hopes national swimmers will recover in time for competitions

PHILIPPINE Swimming, Inc. (PSI) president Lani Velasco has high hopes the national team will continue to improve and recover its form in time for several international competitions including the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games slated for May 12 to 23.

The PSI staged two national team selection competitions, one in at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac in October last year and the other at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Pool, formerly Rizal Swimming Center, in Manila last month with hopes of giving local tankers a venue to shrug off some of the pandemic jitters.

“A lot of them struggled for form in light of the Omicron surge early this year,” said Ms. Velasco. “But there are a few up-and-coming swimmers who made mark.

“Slowly but surely, we will get back in form as we host more local competitions and as the health restrictions ease up,” she added.

One of the tankers Ms. Velasco was referring to was Thanya dela Cruz, who set a new national women’s 50-meter breaststroke record.

“And she (dela Cruz) did so by shaving off almost half a second off her previous time,” she said.

Apart from the Hanoi Games, Ms. Velasco said the national team is looking forward to seeing action in the FINA World Championships set on July 14 to 30 in Fukuoka, Japan and the Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled Sept. 10 to 25.

“It will still be a mix of those based abroad and our grassroots swimmers. We cannot say for sure yet what the final lineup will look like but we do intend to send a competitive team as always,” said Ms. Velasco. — Joey Villar

DMCI Homes adds 4th building to Alder Residences

DMCI Project Developers, Inc. last month launched the fourth and last building of its Alder Residences project in Acacia Estates, Taguig City.

Sylvan is the fourth building at Alder Residences, which also includes the Andea, Manzuria, and Oregon buildings. Andea and Manzuria buildings are targeted for occupancy in June and September 2024, respectively, while Oregon is scheduled for March 2025 and Sylvan in December 2025.

Sylvan units feature layouts with two, three and four bedrooms, ranging from 64.5 square meters (sq.m.) to 151.5 sq.m.

Amenities include kiddie pool, leisure pool, lap pool, gardens, basketball court, children’s play area, and coworking space. There is also a roof deck at Alder Residences’ four 18-storey buildings.

DMCI Homes Vice-President for Project Development Dennis Yap said Alder Residences sells an average of 34 units per month even with lingering concerns over the pandemic.

“Our Acacia Estates projects have always been consistent big sellers because of the township’s advantageous location. You get to live in a serene and exclusive neighborhood while enjoying easy access to the airports and the BGC and Makati business districts,” Mr. Yap said.

Alder Residences units start at P7.28 million. DMCI is also offering flexible payment options for buyers.

Entertainment News (03/08/22)

Spotify relaunches K-Pop global playlist

AS K-POP dominates the global music landscape, Spotify is elevating the K-Pop listening experience with a complete relaunch of its flagship playlist (and its accompanying Twitter handle), K-Pop Daebak, now known as K-Pop ON! (). With over 230% growth in listening and with almost 8 billion monthly streams globally, the genre has definitely taken over Spotify — as noted by the over 4.7M searches for “K-Pop” on the platform across the last 90 days. The new name — K-Pop ON! () — is a double-entendre, combining the Korean word “” meaning, “100,” or “whole,” with the English word “on” to display the action of “turning on,” a word that’s accessible to many languages around the world. To celebrate the launch, listeners can look forward to seeing some of their favorite K-Pop artists including NMIXX, BTS, aespa, BLACKPINK, Red Velvet, NCT Dream, SEVENTEEN, ATEEZ and more on billboards around the world including LA, NYC, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and Toronto, with more content to come across the platform and Spotify’s owned channels.

Pinoy pop convention set for April

Pinoy pop — or P-Pop — groups and fans will come together for 2022 PPOPCON, a two-day event filled with music and fun activities. The Pinoy Pop Convention (PPOPCON) will be held on April 9 and 10 at the New Frontier Theater and Araneta Coliseum in the Araneta City center in Quezon City. The event is expected to be attended by the groups SB19, MNL48, BGYO, BINI, Alamat, 1st.One, Press Hit Play, and 4th Impact. Up and coming acts like VXON, KAIA, DAYDREAM, YARA, VER5US, G22, and more will be gracing the convention stage as well. “P-Pop is quickly gaining international attention and many fans are recognizing the talent and passion of many P-Pop acts. Through PPOPCON, we are celebrating the growing P-Pop community through the first event of its kind right here at the City of Firsts,” said Andhie Salutin, Project head of PPOPCON. The convention will be held at the New Frontier Theater and will be capped off with a concert at the Araneta Coliseum. The hybrid concert will happen on-ground, with fans to be allowed inside the venue, and will be livestreamed online simultaneously. The concert will be held on April 10, 3-7 p.m. The convention will feature fanbase activities, booths, selling of official merchandise, games, and performances by some of the trendiest names in P-Pop today. Concert ticket prices start at P1,000. Both convention and concert tickets can be purchased at www.ticketnet.com.ph. For more information about the event, visit www.ppopcon.ph.

Faith Da Silva releases new single

ACTRESS-singer Faith Da Silva expresses the pain of letting go in her latest single, “Sana Sabihin Mo Na Lang.” “Letting go of someone you love after holding on and fighting for your relationship for so long is never easy. The song is about being in that difficult situation and being able to choose yourself instead of your partner or the relationship to make things better for the both of you,” Ms. Da Silva said in a statement. The new song is her first single as an official recording artist of GMA Playlist. Her previous singles with GMA Network, “Pabalik-balik,” “Stay,” and “Wag Na Lang,” were used as the theme songs of GMA dramas The Good Daughter, I Can See You Season 2, and Las Hermanas, respectively.  “Sana Sabihin Mo Na Lang” is available to stream on Spotify, iTunes, YouTube Music, and other digital platforms worldwide.

Taste Buddies moves to a new time slot

NEW EPISODES and a special lineup of celebrity guests are lined up in GMA Network’s lifestyle show Taste Buddies as it moves to a new time slot on Sundays at 5:30 p.m. before 24 Oras Weekend on GMA-7. On the show, hosts Solenn Heussaff and Gil Cuerva explore more great food, trendy restaurants, and unique places for the whole family to enjoy.

Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran release collab single

THREE-TIME Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Camila Cabello has released her new single and music video, “Bam Bam,” featuring Ed Sheeran, via Epic Records. “Bam Bam” was produced by Ricky Reed, Edgar Barerra and Cheche Alara, and was written by Ms. Cabello, Mr. Sheeran, and Ricky Reed. The song marks the singer’s first release this year. The video was directed by Mia Barnes, in collaboration with Dave Meyers, who also directed Ms. Cabello’s “Havana,” “Senorita,” “My Oh My” and “Liar” videos. Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8VfKZCOo_I.  Pre-order/Pre-save “Bam Bam” at Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran – Bam Bam (feat. Ed Sheeran) (lnk.to)

Benjamin Khen releases new single

POP R&B artist Benjamin Kheng returns on the scene with a new song, “Good for a Time,” an acoustic pop-R&B song that features Filipino artist Bea Lorenzo on vocals. Mr. Kheng teamed up with fellow Singaporean singer-songwriter, Linying, best known for penning and performing the theme song for Singapore’s 2021 National Day Parade, “The Road Ahead.” “‘Good for a Time’ is more than just a breakup song, it’s about a couple presently breaking up and going through the painful process of unteethering while looking back fondly and appreciating the love that was.” Mr. Kheng said of the song. The single is available to stream on all digital platforms.

Ashe releases first new song since debut album

California-based singer-songwriter Ashe has released “Another Man’s Jeans” (out on Mom+Pop Music), with an accompanying music video. “Another Man’s Jeans” cuts right to the chase in conversation with an ex. “‘Another Man’s Jeans’ is about unashamed and uninhibited confidence, loosening up and having a good time. It sounds like what carefree feels like. It’s sexy! And loud! And fun! It’s a reminder to not take life too seriously,” said Ashe in a statement. The song follows the release of Ashe’s debut album Ashlyn. The record featured “Till Forever Falls Apart” with FINNEAS, which was named one of the best songs of 2021 by the Los Angeles Times and just surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify.

Rising rapper Hero releases new song

SINCE becoming a part of the Universal Records artist roster, Hero has slowly but surely risen to be a respected MC in the local hip-hop scene. He has released a new track called “Primera” under Universal Records, another product of his teamwork with producer Russel “Goodson” Tiquia. The two-minute song is packed with bars that show off his talent as a wordsmith. The official music video of“Primera” was artistically filmed at a prominent boxing training gym. Directed by Aaron Maagma. The song is currently available on streaming platforms including Spotify.

ANIMA brings Filipino film talent to global stage

SEVERAL notable Filipino films supported by ANIMA — formerly known as Globe Studios — made the country proud as they reaped awards and recognition in the past year, uplifting Philippine cinema amid the dragging impact of the pandemic. “Globe continues its commitment to strongly support Filipino talent. ANIMA has been a strong ally of Filipino film creators, producing films that have been acclaimed both locally and on the global stage,” said Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO, during the WAGI! Celebration of Filipino Excellence event at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Feb. 18. ANIMA is now under the umbrella of Kroma Entertainment, Inc., a new entertainment company backed by the Globe Group of Companies. WAGI! featured director Erik Matti’s award-winning On The Job (OTJ): The Missing 8, the lone Filipino entry to the 78th Venice International Film Festival in 2021. Its lead actor John Arcilla won the coveted Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the festival. Another award-winning film backed by ANIMA is Leonor Will Never Die, the first Filipino feature film to premiere in the distinguished Sundance Film Festival in over 15 years. The film, the directorial debut of Martika Ramirez Escobar, received the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Innovative Spirit at the prestigious US independent film event. ANIMA’s other works include Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral and Fan Girl, which were streamed over Netflix, and the web series Gaya sa Pelikula. To learn more about ANIMA, visit https://www.anima.ph.

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