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Gov’t finalizing details of new deal with Manila Water

THE GOVERNMENT’S new water concession contract with Ayala-led Manila Water Co., Inc. will be finalized this week, according to the Justice department.

“We already ironed out major issues in our previous meeting. We will have a meeting this coming Wednesday. And I suppose, kung ano man ’yung natirang minor points ay mapa-plantsa na ’yun during the meeting,” Justice Secretary Menardo I. Gueverra told a televised press briefing on Monday.

The talks with Maynilad Water Services, Inc., which holds the concession for the west zone of Metro Manila, will start after the deal with Manila Water is finalized, Mr. Guevarra said.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered the Justice department to review the government’s concession agreements with the two water companies after discovering “onerous” provisions in the existing contracts. He also threatened to file a case of economic sabotage against them.

The President’s directive came after an international arbitration court ruled that the Philippine government must pay Manila Water P7.4 billion and Maynilad P3.4 billion for losses incurred from unenforced water rate increases. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Philippines eyes grants from United Kingdom’s prosperity fund

REUTERS

THE PHILIPPINES is looking to secure grants from the United Kingdom’s £34-million (P2.3-billion) cross-government prosperity fund for capital market development programs and green energy initiatives. 

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez, III and UK Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding for the Philippines’ participation in the UK Cross-Government Prosperity Fund for the ASEAN Economic Reform Program and the ASEAN Low Carbon Energy Program.

The fund will also benefit other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The UK government allocated £19-million for the six ASEAN countries to “develop their respective capital markets, encourage improvement in their accounting standards, and expand the use of financial technology.”

Another £15-million is set aside for the ASEAN members’ green finance and energy efficiency projects.

Mr. Dominguez said the prosperity fund is valid until March 31, 2022.

Mr. Dominguez said the government would use the funds to strengthen Philippine capital markets and implement reforms to reduce the cost of doing business.

“This will provide us a solid foundation for international companies to invest and operate in the Philippines. Increased investments would mean more funds to support higher levels of long-term investments and sustainable quality job creation,” he said.

“The fund will help countries adapt quickly to the boom in digital technology through the establishment of an industry fintech sandbox. Filipino startups will be encouraged to come up with innovative financial products and co-create solutions to society’s most pressing issues.”

During the same event, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said technical support from the two programs would help the central bank in developing a green finance and open banking framework.

“The continuous capacity building of our staff and the enhancement of our policies and methodologies in these areas, including capital market and fintech, will support our primary objective of maintaining stable monetary and financial systems,” Mr. Diokno said. — B.M. Laforga

Beyoncé, Taylor Swift make Grammys history

LOS ANGELES  —  Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish won the top prizes at the Grammy Awards on Sunday in a ceremony that also saw Beyonce become the most awarded female artist in Grammy history.

Ms. Swift’s surprise lockdown record Folklore was named album of the year and Ms. Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted” won record of the year. Sunday’s win made Ms. Swift, 31, the first woman to take home album of the year three times.

Ms. Beyonce’s four Grammys on Sunday took her total career wins to 28, surpassing the previous record for a woman set by bluegrass singer Alison Krauss.

British singer Dua Lipa won best pop vocal album for her dance-y Future Nostalgia.

The writers of “I Can’t Breathe” by R&B artist H.E.R won song of the year. It was written in response to the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States last summer.

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion was named best new artist and the 26-year-old known for promoting women’s empowerment won two more Grammys for her rap performance of single “Savage,” featuring Beyonce.

Hosted by Trevor Noah, the hybrid ceremony was packed with pre-recorded and live performances by the likes of Lipa, Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Cardi B, DaBaby, Black Pumas and Mickey Guyton.

It took place both indoors and outdoors in Downtown Los Angeles but mostly without the elaborate sets and special effects that traditionally mark the highest honors in the music business.

K-Pop band BTS lost in the best pop duo or group performance against Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande for their single “Rain on Me” but performed their hit English-language single “Dynamite” from South Korea at the close of the show. — Reuters

Key winners at the 2021 Grammy Awards

THE GRAMMY Awards, the highest honors in the music industry, were handed out at a ceremony on Sunday, broadcast on CBS television and hosted by Trevor Noah.

Following is a list of winners in key categories.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR — Folklore, Taylor Swift

RECORD OF THE YEAR —  “Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish

SONG OF THE YEAR — “I Can’t Breathe,” Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)

BEST NEW ARTIST — Megan Thee Stallion

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE — “Rain On Me,” Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM — Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE — “Shameika,” Fiona Apple

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE — “Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé

BEST ROCK ALBUM — The New Abnormal, The Strokes

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM — Wildcard, Miranda Lambert

BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM — Jesus is King, Kanye West

BEST MUSIC VIDEO — “Brown Skin Girl,” Beyonce, Blue Ivy, WizKid

BEST MUSIC FILM — Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice, Linda Ronstadt

BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM — Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette and original Broadway cast — Reuters

Re-enacting the circumnavigation 500 years later

THE TRAINING ship
Juan Sebastián Elcano — ARMADA.DEFENSA.GOB.ES

IN SERVICE to the King of Spain, five ships were sent on an expedition in 1519 in search of the Spice Island. Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan commanded the Trinidad, the lead ship, and four other vessels: the San Antonio, Conception, Santiago, and Victoria.

In 1521, the expedition was completed with only the Victoria returning to Spain carrying 18 surviving sailors out of the original 270. It was the Castilian navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano who took command and completed the expedition after Mr. Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan. Mr. Elcano completed the first recorded circumnavigation of the globe, covering a distance of 14,000 leagues.

During an on-ground and Zoom press conference on Mar. 9 at his residence, Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Moragas said that the circumnavigation “was a leap forward” in areas of communication and geography such as the discovery of the Pacific Ocean.

“The objective of the expedition was commercial — to search an alternative route to Moluccas through the west route. Through that they reached the Philippines,” Mr. Moragas said.

“It was not about conquering a mission but to trade with a nation,” Mr. Moragas said. It was about finding and trading for spices such as cinnamon, nuts, and white pepper which, the ambassador said, were “very valuable in Europe at that time.”

On Mar. 16, the Spanish training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano, carrying navy trainees and students, will arrive in the Philippines — one stop in its reenactment celebrating the 500th anniversary of the circumnavigation of the globe.

The third tallest ship in the world, the Elcano is a 113-meters long four-mast brig-schooner. Since it was built in 1928, the training ship has completed 77 training voyages, and has covered more than 3.7 million kilometers. This trip marks the 10th time the ship has circumnavigated the world.

The visit of the Spanish vessel was organized by the National Defense and Foreign Affairs departments, the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the Guiuan Municipal Local Government, and the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

The Elcano will arrive in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, on Mar. 16 and will be anchored in Suluan and Homonhon islands until Mar. 18. Then, it will dock in Cebu from Mar. 20 to 22 in the exact spots where the expedition made the first visual contact.

“The vessel is doing the tour with strict COVID-19 (health and safety) regulations,” Mr. Moragas said, noting that staff from the ship are prohibited from leaving the ship or no guests are allowed to enter it.

Aside from the ship’s visit, historical markers will be unveiled in the specific areas where Mr. Magellan’s expedition made first visual contact with the islands. Between Mar. 16 and Oct. 28, 34 historical markers will be unveiled in the Visayas, Palawan, and Mindanao, marking the 34 sites of the Philippine route of the Magellan-Elcano expedition.

In line with the commemorative event, the Embassy of Spain has programmed a full series of activities from April to June, organized by the Instituto Cervantes in Manila and Casa Asia in Spain.

On Apr. 8 and 13, Casa Asia will hold a webinar called “From the second half of XIX century to the Independence of the Philippines.” A streaming concert on  “guitarras del mundo” will be held on Apr. 30.

Casa Asia will hold a webinar on May 12 and 13 called “Current bilateral relations and future perspectives.” Meanwhile, the National Museum of the Philippines will open the exhibit The Longest Journey on May 24. And on May 26, 6 p.m., Instituto Cervantes will hold a webinar called “The Origins of the Santo Niño image.”

Instituto Cervantes will hold a webinar, “A long standing friendship. The first blood pledges,” on Jun. 23.

For more information on the quincentennial commemorative activities, visit https://nqc.gov.ph/en/events/. — MAPS

Bamboo seen as ideal building material for sustainable homes

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia, Managing Editor

BAMBOO isn’t often used to build homes in the Philippines, as many consider this as “a poor man’s material.”

Base Bahay Foundation, Inc. is hoping to change this perception, as it pushes for the use of bamboo as an alternative building technology for socialized housing in the country.

“What we want to change with this misconception is that bamboo, just like any other material, can be used just as well for strong structures when used properly and with the sufficient technology,” Maricen Jalandoni, president of Base Bahay Foundation, Inc. said in an e-mail interview with BusinessWorld.

She said a German engineer named Corina Salzer wrote her master’s thesis in 2012 on the use of bamboo for affordable homes in Asia and Pacific countries that face natural disasters every year.

“The Philippines has both the bamboo — a resource that grows incredibly fast and is freely available — and the complexities of a developing country with challenges on housing and natural disasters. This makes bamboo an ideal building material for sustainable housing in the country; especially for the many people living in informal settlements, vulnerable to disasters,” she said.

Base Bahay, together with non-governmental organizations and Hilti Foundation, pioneered the research and development of new bamboo building techniques.

Luis Lopez, head of technology at Base Bahay Foundation, Inc. said they developed the cement bamboo frame technology (CBFT), a prefabricated frame system that uses load-bearing bamboo with metal connections and mortar cement plaster.

“The raw materials and connections are tested to ensure a durable and reliable load transfer that will allow for a structural design that will match the intended resistance of the system. This system is also tested for resistance to earthquakes, typhoons, fires, and insect infestation,” Mr. Lopez said.

To address concerns over “bokbok” termite infestation in bamboo homes, Base has also developed a treatment process that eliminates bamboo starch and introduced solutions to protect it from termites.

In January, Base Bahay Foundation, Inc. launched the Base Innovation Center (BIC), considered the “first research and testing facility for sustainable and disaster-resilient construction technologies” in the Philippines.

“BIC is a venue for research and testing programs, as well as continuing professional education and training. We had built this with the goal of advancing bamboo-based technology and other alternative building technologies in mind — towards creation of a better sustainable future,” Dr. Pablo Jorillo, general manager of Base Bahay Foundation, Inc. said.

The center has a universal testing machine, a bamboo wall panel reaction frame, fabrication tables, and a model house, where new materials and building techniques are tested.

MORE COST-EFFICIENT
Base is hoping to widen the acceptance of cement-bamboo frame houses in the country.

Mr. Lopez said cement-bamboo frame houses are “more cost-efficient by 15 to 20%, compared to a conventional house of the same quality.”

“For our projects, we make sure to build houses that are no less than 25 square meters to ensure a comfortable and decent space for the families to live in… With bamboo and cement plaster as its main components, the CBFT-produced homes and structures have also been thoroughly tested and proven to be disaster-resilient, insect-resilient. Apart from being more affordable, it is also able to provide a more comfortable indoor temperature than conventional cement houses,” he said.

A cement-bamboo frame house also has 74% less environmental impact compared to conventional concrete house, Mr. Lopez noted.

“In absolute terms, this relates to a reduction of 9.3 tons of carbon monoxide CO2 equivalents over a service life of 25 years,” he said.

A cement-bamboo frame house typically costs around P8,500-P9,500 per sq.m. with an average of P225,000 for a 25 sq.m. house, Mr. Jorillo said.

“The total cost will ultimately also depend on the location and wind zone of the area. The house includes the space for a common area, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom which can further be divided into two rooms,” he said.

MORE HOMES
Base has already helped build over 800 homes, when the Hilti Foundation teamed up with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific to build homes using sustainable materials in Estancia, Iloilo after super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) devastated the area.

“Since then, Base has helped build over 800 homes while providing livelihood to farmers and treatment workers within the value chain; from bamboo harvesting, treatment, to house construction — Base’s supply partners harvest, treat, and conduct quality-controls of more than 100,000 full culm bamboos annually,” Ms. Jalandoni said.

She said the foundation is aiming to build 10,000 cement-bamboo frame houses in Negros Occidental, with partners, Habitat for Humanity and HILTI Foundation in line with the Negros Occidental Impact Coalition.

“By using bamboo, Base also supports the livelihood of bamboo farmers and workers in the supply and treatment process, creating a green value chain from bamboo harvesting, treatment, and finally construction of the houses. In this way, we are not only helping the beneficiaries of our socialized homes, but also those who contribute to the success of our construction projects,” Mr. Lopez said.

80-year-old Philippine Airlines to stay aloft, COO says

FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), which celebrated its 80th anniversary yesterday, remains optimistic about its recovery from the pandemic crisis.

“Our message to our country and the world: Buhay pa tayo. ‘Andito pa tayo. At hindi tayo aalis (PAL is alive, we’re still here, and we’re here to stay,” PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Gilbert Gabriel F. Santa Maria said in his anniversary message on Monday.

“This great lady — Philippine Airlines — will stay aloft while she is in our care,” he added.

The coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the aviation industry. Aviation think tank Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has said airline revenues are expected to be “close to catastrophic” in the first half of the year.

The flag carrier, operated by PAL Holdings, Inc., continues to focus on repatriation and cargo transport efforts as travel demand remains low.

Local airlines have been pushing for the relaxation of travel restrictions to gradually restore air travel demand amid the public health crisis.

CAPA expects business travel to be at “as much as 50% of previous levels” in the second half of 2021.

PAL noted it had been rebuilding its network of commercial flights on key international and domestic routes.

“The flag carrier has restored regular commercial flights to the United States., Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and several Asian countries as well as most of its domestic trunk and inter-island routes,” it said.

It reported to have carried home more than 73% of the 420,000 displaced overseas Filipinos since March last year.

“Within the same period, tens of thousands of foreign nationals flew back to their home countries via PAL. At present, the airline is airlifting shipments of anti-COVID vaccines to various areas in Mindanao, Luzon and the Visayas,” the flag carrier added.

PAL’s total revenues for the first nine months of 2020 stood at P45.29 billion, down 61.6% from the previous year’s P117.85 billion.

Its net loss to parent equity holders hit P28.85 billion, or more than three times the P8.49 billion recorded in 2019.

Passenger revenues for the three quarters dropped 65.4% to P35.56 billion. Cargo revenues declined 12.2% to P6.05 billion. Ancillary revenues decreased 55.5% to P3.68 billion, while its other business segments generated P6.93 million, 76.9% lower than the previous year’s figure. — Arjay L. Balinbin

FDCP film fest celebrates women in cinema

THE FILM Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) kicked off its celebration of  National Women’s Month on Mar. 8 —  International Womens’ Day —  by launching Cine Filipina: Juana sa Gitna ng Pagbabago. The program includes women-led films, both feature length and shorts, and talks on women empowerment on the FDCP Channel (fdcpchannel.ph).

The Cine Filipina talks, limited screenings of the opening and closing films, and the CineMarya short films and panel discussions can be viewed for free. Meanwhile, 10 films are available through video-on-demand (VOD) for P99.

“Through Cine Filipina, we hope to further the rights and welfare of women with our online film screenings and events. Our Cine Filipina film selection was curated to represent the story of every Juana — the struggles, the challenges, the triumphs — in light of gender empowerment and equality,” FDCP Chairperson and  Mary Liza Bautista Diño-Seguerra said in a statement.

The following films are on view until Mar. 31: Sonata, directed by Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes; Ang Babae sa Likod ng Mambabatok, by Lauren Sevilla Faustino; White Slavery and Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, both directed by Lino Brocka; Chasing Fireflies by Sheron Dayoc; Bagahe by Zig Dulay; Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria by Remton Zuasola; Lorna by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo; Adela  by Adolfo Alix, Jr.; and Miss Bulalacao by Ara Chawdhury.

Short films and replays of panel discussions from the CineMarya Women’s Short Film Festival will be shown for free from Mar. 20 to 21.

The two CineMarya film talks from the 2020 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) that will be featured are: “Women in Philippine Cinema,” moderated by producer Armi Cacanindin featuring film editors Tara Illenberger and Ilsa Malsi, producers Pamela Reyes and Ria Limjap, and director and cinematographer Lee Briones-Meily; and “Women in Public Service” featuring FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño, Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Marjorie Jalosjos, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Movie and Television Review and Classification Board Chair Rachel Arenas, with Issa Litton as moderator.

Meanwhile, two FDCP Film Talks on Cine Filipina will be streamed live on Mar. 27 and 28, 6 p.m., on the FDCP’s YouTube channel and Facebook pages. These are: “Si Juana at ang Lockdown” (Mar. 27) on women in the film industry’s vulnerable and marginalized sector and their experiences during the pandemic; and “Women Artists in Lockdown” (Mar. 28) on art, womanhood, and the lockdown, along with the works that were made as a response to the pandemic and the lockdown.

Cine Filipina’s closing ceremonies will be streamed on Mar. 31, 7 p.m., on the FDCP’s YouTube channel and Facebook pages. This will be followed by a one-time free screening of Verdict, directed by Raymund Ribay Gutierrez, at 7:30 p.m. on the FDCP Channel.

To watch the Cine Filipina films, log in at the FDCP Channel (or create an account for free) and click the Events tab. For more information and inquiries, visit https://www.facebook.com/fdcpchannel.ph or https://fdcpchannel.ph.

Sta. Lucia Land shows resilience amid crisis

PROPERTY DEVELOPER Sta. Lucia Land, Inc. is showing its resilience amid the pandemic, as it continues to develop high-quality and value-for-money residences around the country.

“At Sta. Lucia Land, we always strive to do business the right way. We deliver what we promised our homebuyers — we do not take shortcuts. We know that every investment is a product of their hard work and that’s why we make sure that our projects are indeed worth every centavo,” Sta. Lucia Land President Exequiel D. Robles said in a statement.

“This is why we continue to build projects of premium quality, partner with some of the most dependable marketing arms and do joint ventures with other highly established land owners and developers,” he said.

The listed company has developed over 250 projects, ranging from townships, condotels, golf courses, offices, commercial spaces, house and lots, and lakeside communities.

Its projects include Nottingham Villas in Iloilo; Mesilo at Nueva Vida in Dasmariñas, Cavite; Valle Verde Cebu in Lapu-Lapu City; and Woodside Garden Village in Urdaneta, Pangasinan.

Sta. Lucia has also developed the Acropolis Loyola, a 40-hectare estate covering parts of Quezon City and Marikina City; the 220-hectare Summit Point Residential Estates and Golf & Country Club in Lipa, Batangas; Club Morocco Beach Resort and Residential Estates in Subic, Zambales; and the 707-hectare Eagle Ridge Golf & Residential Estates in Cavite.

“Our projects are built with all the essentials needed for our residents to experience even better days ahead. We provide them with amenities and facilities that would encourage them to live a multifaceted lifestyle. And with the pandemic still proving to be a challenge, trust that we will continue to create communities where they will feel safe and secure,” Mr. Robles said.

Sta. Lucia Land said it is committed to developing projects that are value-for-money and have premium quality. It also ensures the communities “will be the homebuyers’ own legacy, which they can pass on to the next generation.”

“We’ve always made sure to study and understand what the market needed. In doing so, we were able to come up with projects that were attuned to their preferences, enabling us to further expand our footprint in more areas,” Mr. Robles said.

Ayala unit secures $67-million funding for solar farm in India

COMPANY HANDOUT

AYALA-LED AC Energy and Infrastructure Corp. (ACEIC) and its partner UPC Solar Asia Pacific Ltd. have reached financial close for a 100-megawatt (MW) solar farm in India, according to a press release issued by Ayala Corp. on Monday.

ACEIC’s listed parent firm told the stock exchange that the $67-million (around P3.25 billion) Sitara Solar project located in the desert state of Rajasthan, has secured a 20-year loan from the US International Development Finance Corp. (DFC).

It will be funded through a 75:25 debt-to-equity financing scheme.

Ayala described the project as a “major milestone” for its joint venture company UPC-AC Energy Solar, moving the latter closer to its target of achieving over 1 gigawatts of solar energy across Asia.

UPC-AC Energy Solar is a 50-50 joint venture between ACEIC through AC Renewables International Pte. Ltd., and UPC Renewables through UPC Solar Asia Pacific.

“We are very thrilled with this financial close during the current challenging environment, where we were able to meet DFC’s high standards for environmental and social compliances,” Pranab Kumar Sarmah, chief executive officer of UPC-AC Energy Solar and co-founder of UPC Solar Asia Pacific, was quoted as saying in the press release.

“The project is poised to enhance renewable power supply in India,” he added.

Patrice R. Clausse, chief operating officer of AC Energy International Holdings Pte. Ltd., said that the company was “well-positioned to establish a meaningful presence in India and contribute to its renewable energy goals.”

“These sustainable developments highlight our commitment to support the country’s aim to source over 60 percent of energy capacity from renewable sources in 10 years,” Mr. Clausse added.

Sitara Solar is expected to go online by the first half of 2021, as construction of the farm began last year. The project aims to supply power to the government-owned Solar Energy Corp. of India Ltd., which is India’s sole central public sector undertaking dedicated to the country’s solar energy sector.

Solar capacity in India stood at less than half or 36.91 GW of the nation’s installed renewables capacity, which stood at 90.39 GW, as of November 2020.

In a separate disclosure on Monday, the Ayala group’s listed energy platform AC Energy Corp. (ACEN) said that it is infusing P350 million worth of redeemable preferred shares to its wholly owned unit ACE Endevor, Inc.

ACE Endevor will use the subscription to fund the pre-development and equity funding requirements of its projects.

Last month, ACEN said that its 400-MW solar farm in New South Wales, Australia, secured funding from three foreign banks for the project’s first stage.

Earlier in February, ACEN President and Chief Executive Officer Eric T. Francia said in a media briefing that the firm was looking at a 2030 portfolio mix where local and foreign projects will have equal sharing. He added that the company expected to exceed its 2025 target of reaching 5 GW of attributable capacity from renewables.

On Monday, shares of ACEN in the local bourse shed 4.65% or 33 centavos to close at P6.77 apiece. Meanwhile, shares of parent firm Ayala Corp. decreased 5.42% or P42 to finish at P733 apiece. — Angelica Y. Yang

Dayaw’s 10th season focuses on culture bearers

THE LIVES and struggles of Filipino culture bearers are the focus of the 10th season of the documentary series Dayaw.

With the 10th season theme “Salinlahi: Legacies for a Changed World,” this time the show will cover the stories of the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) awardees, and the students and protégés they are mentoring to continue indigenous Filipino traditions.

A production of ANC and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the series depicts the challenges faced by the country’s National Living Treasures.

“Our very first season, aired in 2015, talked about the natural elements that shaped traditional life. This 10th season talks about current, very real problems that affect the lives of our indigenous people,” said the show’s host, former senator and current Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda, in a statement.

“The GAMABA awardees face the same problems all Filipinos face —  poverty, lack of economic prospects, growing old and being gradually displaced. Yet, they continue to create and teach,” she said.

The series was shot prior to the pandemic and explores indigenous traditions across the country.

The first episode follows Alonzo Saclag from Kalinga who is passing on the ways of the baglan as he teaches dances and chants to young Kalinga men and women. The second episode follows Teofilo Garcia of Abra who makes tabungaw hats. The third episode follows Eduardo Mutuc and his sons who are preserving the art of pinukpuk —  crafts made by stamping embellishments on metal sheets.

The later episodes will feature two weavers who have passed away: the late Lang Dulay, the T’boli dreamweaver known for her 100 patterns and designs, and Bai Yabing Masalon Dulo, who mentored young women in South Cotabato. The show will also feature the young crafts people of Escuela Taller, a training center for traditional skills for poor, out-of-school youth.

The six episode series will air on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, and the ANC Facebook page on Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. starting Mar. 18. For updates, visit. www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom.

MPIC eyes investment in Discovery World

INFRASTRUCTURE conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) is in talks with the owners of Discovery World Corp. for a “potential investment.”

“There are ongoing discussions with the Tiu family for a potential investment in Discovery World Corp. and/or its subsidiaries,” MPIC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange on Monday.

“However, no definitive agreement has been signed to date. We will inform the Exchange and the investing public in the event any disclosable transaction is signed,” it added.

Without mentioning MPIC, Discovery World said in a separate disclosure: “As… the company is proceeding with the development of its various projects, it is open to investor groups who are supportive of such projects.”

Discovery World, a subsidiary of holding company JTKC Equities, Inc., is engaged in the hotel and resort business under the names and styles of Discovery Boracay, Discovery Shores, Platitos Resto-Bar, Sands Lounge, Indigo Resto-Bar, Sunken Pool Bar, Forno Osteria, Estate XI, and 360 Roof Lounge.

“A few parties have expressed interest, however, these are at their early stages of discussion,” Discovery World added, noting that there are no discussions of “any complete control” of the company.

Among its wholly owned companies are Euro-Pacific Resorts, Inc., Discovery Fleet Corp., Cay Islands Corp., Palawan Cove Corp., Sonoran Corp., Long Beach Property Holdings, Inc., Lucky Cloud 9 Resort, Inc., and Balay Holdings, Inc.

MPIC used to invest in the real estate business. It exited in 2014 after it divested from Landco Pacific Corp., the developer of the Peninsula de Punta Fuego, an exclusive seaside residential resort in Nasugbu, Batangas. 

MPIC sold all its holdings in property developer Rockwell Land Corp. to the Lopez group in 2012.

The conglomerate also sold in early 2014 its entire stake in NE Pacific Shopping Center Corp. — owner of a commercial area in Nueva Ecija — to Cosco Capital, Inc.

It sold its interest in Fort Bonifacio Development Corp. in 2001.

MPIC shares closed 5.26% lower at P3.78 apiece on Monday.

MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of First Pacific, the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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