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Alibaba Cloud targets 5,000 local firms on digital transformation

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

CHINESE cloud computing company Alibaba Cloud, a subsidiary of Alibaba Group, said Thursday that it is targeting to support 5,000 Philippine enterprises on their digital transformation journey.

“We aim to support at least 5,000 enterprises, train at least 50,000 talents, and certify 10,000 clouders till the end of 2023,” Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Country Head of the Philippines Allen Guo said at an online briefing.

Alibaba Cloud Intelligence President Selina Yuan said the company has trained more than 5,000 local talents.

“The Philippines is a very important market for us, even now that we are just very new  in this market,” she said.

Ms. Yuan also stressed that it is important to support local enterprises with technology solutions during a pandemic crisis to help them continue their businesses.

“In the next three years, Alibaba Cloud will continue to invest another 200 billion yuan to build a data center and support cloud operation systems, servers, chips, internet, and other core projects” in the region, Ms. Yuan added.

In the Philippines, Alibaba Cloud offers retail & e-commerce, fintech, and digital media solutions, Mr. Guo said.

The company also offers data intelligence and artificial intelligence (AI) services such as chatbox and data analytic platforms.

Alibaba Cloud said its technologies also supported this year’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, which generated $74.1 billion in gross merchandise value over an 11-day period.

“In the cloud-native era, it is even more pivotal for businesses to be able to take advantage of innovative Database as a Service (DBaaS) offerings to enhance and support high-concurrency and high-volume web applications such as e-commerce, online gaming, and financial technology. Many Fortune 500 firms are already using our Cloud DBaaS for mobile apps, backups and tests, and the most recent impressive performance of our proprietary solutions during the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival is yet another strong endorsement on our capability,” said Li Feifei, president of Database Business, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

The company said its real-time computing platform “processed data streams totaling 4 billion items per second during peak time, a considerable surge from 2.5 billion last year.”

“MaxCompute, Alibaba’s proprietary data warehousing platform, handled 1.7 exabytes (an exabyte is equal to 1 billion gigabytes) of data on average per day during the 11-day festival from November 1 to 11, equivalent to processing 230 high-res photos of each of the 7 billion people in the world,” it added.

Drive-in movie launch as Japanese film fest moves online

THE POPULAR Japanese Film Festival (formerly known as Eiga Sai) has shifted to online for this year’s edition, though the opening film will follow in the steps of Cine Europa and be shown at the new SM Cinema by the Bay drive-in theater at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Nov. 20 and 22.

“In this time when we can’t go out and visit places, films allow us to take glimpses into new worlds, experience things, see places and gain new perspectives while staying safe in the confines of our homes. Online movies have become the trend because of the pandemic and the Internet as its venue for instant exchange of information and culture,” Ben Suzuki, director of the Japan Foundation Manila, said during a press conference held via Zoom on Nov. 11.

“There’s no better time to harness the power of art than now,” he added.

The festival, called Japanese Film Festival Plus, runs from Nov. 20 to 29 and will feature 28 classic and contemporary Japanese films which will be streamed for free on the festival website (https://watch.jff.jpf.go.jp/).

For those wondering why the change in the festival’s name, the Japan Foundation Manila said that the festival — which has iterations in other Southeast Asian countries, Australia, India, China, and Russia — started rebranding under one unified name: Japanese Film Festival. The Philippines bid goodbye to Eiga Sai in March and welcomed the new festival name. The festival is organized by the Japan Foundation Asian Center in partnership with JT International (Philippines), the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, and SM Cinema.

The opening film is the live action adaptation of well-loved mecha anime Mazinger Z which aired from 1972 to 1974. The 2020 film, Project Dreams — How to Build Mazinger Z’s Hangar by Tsutomu Hanabusa, revolves around a group of office workers who decide that they will build the Mazinger Z and thus begin living in an imaginary anime world as they continue their quest of building the robot. While all of the other films in the festival are free, the opening film has a P100 admission fee which includes popcorn, beef franks, and bottled water.

The film festival slate includes films from several genres, from classic and contemporary Japanese films, anime (Japanese animations), and documentaries. The film selection, according to Mr. Suzuki, was designed to let people enjoy because “in this situation, we have to stay at home, so maybe you have many stresses and a depressed mood already.”

“I think the tendency in selecting films this year is more entertainment-oriented. So please enjoy,” he explained.

Some of the films in the festival are: Our 30-Minute Sessions (2020) by Kentaro Hagiwara, Little Nights, Little Love (2019) by Rikiya Imaizumi, The Great Passage (2013) by Yuya Ishii,

Sumikkogurashi: Good to be in the Corner (2019) by Mankyu, and several animated films by Takeshi Yashiro: Gon, the Little Fox (2015), Moon of a Sleepless Night (2015), Norman the Snowman – The Northern Light (2013), and Norman the Snowman – On a Night of Shooting Stars (2016).

Some of the documentaries in the festival are: Peace (2010) by Kazuhiro Soda, Tora-san in Goto (2016) by Masaru Oura, and Tsukiji Wonderland (2016) by Naotaro Endo.

To reserve tickets for the drive-in screening of Project Dreams — How to Build Mazinger Z’s Hangar,  visit https://www.smtickets.com/events/view/9516. The Japanese Film Festival runs from Nov. 20-29. Each film will be available for 24 hours on the festival website (https://watch.jff.jpf.go.jp/). To view the full schedule of the films, visit http://jff.jpf.go.jp/ or the JFM website (http://www.jfmo.org.ph) or follow their social media accounts. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Swedish retailer Ikea opens 500 Philippine jobs

SWEDISH furnishing retailer Ikea plans to hire nearly 500 employees for its first Philippine store in Pasay City, which it said will be the largest Ikea branch in the world.

Ikea Philippines will run online operations by the second quarter next year, ahead of its physical opening at the Mall of Asia Complex.

Its local operations will include a call center and a warehouse for its ecommerce sales, Ikea Southeast Asia and Mexico said in a press release on Thursday.

The company plans to hire 496 people for a range of jobs, including sales associates, food assistants, and customer service associates, as well as part-time work. New employees will join a local team of 73 people at its Makati office and the project office in Pasay.

Ikea will also transfer 20 Overseas Filipino Workers from stores in other countries to work at the local site. The company plans to continue hiring for local positions until June 2021.

“Part-timers are treated like full-time members of the family, with all the same benefits as full-timers on a prorated basis—including health insurance, annual leave, subsidised meals and Ikea discounts,” Ikea Philippines Market Development Manager and Store Manager Georg Platzer said.

The local store was initially set to open this year, but construction delays postponed the opening to 2021.

The Philippine branch will be the retailer’s 10th store in Southeast Asia. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Quarantine hiatus leads to more personal music for boy band

WHEN American boy band Why Don’t We announced that it was going on a writing hiatus in January, it was meant to be a short hiatus so the members could focus on creating their new album. Then the pandemic hit and the short hiatus turned into nine months, but the good thing about this hiatus, according to a band member, was that they were able to really grow into their art.

“We went into it knowing that we wanted to take a break but we didn’t really think it was going to be that long but it ended up being [a good thing],” Zach Herron, a member of the band, told BusinessWorld in an interview on Nov. 10 via Zoom.

“It gave us a lot more time to perfect the album. A lot of the songs we wrote during quarantine and this craziness — we wouldn’t have any of these songs if quarantine didn’t happen,” he added.

Why Don’t We is a five-member pop boy band that started in 2016. To date they have two albums, including the newest one titled The Good Times and the Bad Ones set to be released in January 2021, and six extended plays. They are known for their songs “8 Letters” and “Trust Fund Baby.”

The members are Mr. Herron, Jack Avery, Corbyn Besson, Jonah Marais, and Daniel Seavey.

To date, the band has had over 3 billion global career streams, and 703 million YouTube views, among other achievements.

The first single off of their new album, titled “Fallin’ (Adrenaline),” was written in July, and Mr. Marais said that their favorite songs off of the 10-track album were written during quarantine.

“Fallin’ (Adrenaline)” enters with heavy drums sampling Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” from his 2013 album Yeezus, and it just builds up the atmosphere from then on, telling a story of how falling in love feels both dangerous and exciting.

The song’s music video has more than 16 million views on YouTube and over 46 million global streams. It debuted at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, the band’s first Billboard entry. “Fallin’” also proved to be a TikTok sensation, with more than 109 million profiles using the song.

The single has been performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

“This album was fully written and produced by us… it’s the first time we’ve really been like, taking our universe into our own hands. It really gave us a lot of confidence. I think it really gave us a lot of respect for each other as well,” Mr. Marais said.

This nine month-long hiatus also led them to grow into their own as “real artists”, according to Mr. Herron. And because they have had a lot of time writing the songs on the album, they made sure that there is a song for everybody.

“There’s a song for everyone here — if you’re going through a breakup, there’s a song for you, and if you’re having fun and [are] in love right now, there’s a song for you, and if you’re having some anxiety right now, there’s a song for you,” Mr. Marais said.

Why Don’t We is taking their music into their own hands and now that they’ve experienced crafting their own sound and songs, Mr. Herron said that they would like to do their succeeding albums the same way, with songs born out of personal experiences. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Banks resilient, have enough buffers vs shocks, says Diokno

BW FILE PHOTO

BANKS CONTINUE to be armed by strong buffers as defense versus the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their asset quality, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said.

“The result of our stress tests suggest that banks can continue to lend and prosper through a broad range of adverse scenarios,” Mr. Diokno said in a speech at the General Membership Meeting of the Money Market Association of the Philippines on Wednesday.

The central bank chief said loan quality slightly weakened amid losses and cash flow interruptions experienced by borrowers due to the pandemic.

“We don’t see this trend to extend in the long run, however,” he said.

The banking industry’s non-performing loan ratio stood at 3.4% as of September, the highest in more than seven years or since the 3.42% logged in May 2013, as bad loans surged 60% to P364.672 billion from the P227.6 billion logged a year ago.

The BSP expects banks’ NPL ratio to hit 4.6% by end-2020. In 2002, the industry’s bad loan ratio reached 17.6% in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis.

“We expect the banking industry to book additional provisions as they continue to reassess the quality of the loan portfolio,” Mr. Diokno said.

Allowance for credit losses surged 60% year on year to P334.57 billion at end-September from P209.069 billion as banks sought to guard against defaults.

This higher provisioning has resulted into lower net income for lenders. However, this is likely to be offset by lower operating expenses and the deferment of capital expenditures and non-essential expenses, Mr. Diokno said.

He said they observed that big banks refrained from major changes in their portfolios as they continue to gauge liquidity risks.

“Exposures are mostly concentrated in highly-liquid and investment grade instruments. As a natural consequence, profitability declines,” the central bank chief said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Diokno said they are hopeful banks will continue providing support to micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises following regulatory relief measures from the BSP meant to encourage lending to the sector during the pandemic.

The central bank has allowed banks to count their lending to MSMEs as alternate reserve compliance. It has likewise reduced the credit risk weight for loans disbursed to small businesses.

“The banking system’s new MSME loans used for compliance with the reserve requirements have averaged P127.5 billion as of the reserve week of Oct. 22 from P9.3 billion as of April 30,” Mr. Diokno said. — L.W.T. Noble

‘Balik Scientist’ program attracts 28 returnees

THE Department of Science and Technology’s “Balik Scientist” program was supporting 28 returning researchers beneficiaries as of November, according to data made available to BusinessWorld.

Twelve scientists were assigned to the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development; six in the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development; and 10 to the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development.

All the overseas-based beneficiaries were placed in the program’s three priority areas. The 45-year-old Balik Scientist program has since facilitated the return of 555 scientists.

The program considers overseas-based scientists who are willing to return to the Philippines for engagements of varying durations.

This year, a number of Balik Scientist projects were put on hold due to the lockdown, according to University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (MSI) Executive Director Laura T. David.

At an online briefing Tuesday, Ms. David said: “We had difficulty at the start with respect to (the scientists) conducting research in the field because there were restrictions on travel…There were really some research projects that had to be put on hold because of the pandemic,” she said. The MSI is one of the institutions that hosted Balik Scientist participants this year.

When travel restrictions were lifted, the scientists were able to conduct their projects.

Ms. David added that all the Balik Scientist awardees were “very tech-savvy,” which made it easier for them to transfer their lectures online.

Chief Academic Officer and the Dean of the Professional Schools of the University of Mindanao Eugenio S. Guhao, Jr. said his department experienced challenges in communicating with the scientists due to the “slow internet connection” in the area.

Under Republic Act 11035 or the Balik Scientist Act, the program aims to reverse brain drain, strengthen science and technology, and promote the sharing of knowledge, among others. — Angelica Y. Yang

ABS-CBN starts subscription-based streaming service for global viewers

ABS-CBN CORP. launched on Thursday a subscription-based streaming service for its global viewers.

iWantTFC will provide entertainment, news, and information to Filipinos “wherever they are in the world,” ABS-CBN said in an e-mailed statement.

The media company said iWantTFC is available on  iwanttfc.com and on iOS and Android apps.

“It allows users to choose from different subscription options with different levels of access to content and new platform features to suit their needs,” ABS-CBN added.

The platform’s features include offline viewing of select movies and series.

The company said the new platform also offers an “enhanced viewing experience” on bigger screens through select TV brands.

“Premium subscription costs P119 monthly and gives users ad-free access to its entire catalogue and all platform features, while standard subscription can be availed at P59 and allows users to watch ad-supported content. However, monthly subscription prices for iWantTFC users outside of the Philippines vary across territories,” ABS-CBN added.

The media company has reported a net loss of P3.33 billion for the third quarter compared with the attributable net income of P813.03 million it posted in the same period last year.

Its third-quarter revenues dropped 66.9% to P3.72 billion.

ABS-CBN shares on Monday closed 0.35% lower at P11.32 apiece. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Wonder Woman 1984 to hit theaters and HBO Max on Christmas

LOS ANGELES — Superhero movie Wonder Woman 1984 will debut simultaneously in US theaters and on AT&T Inc.’s HBO Max streaming service starting on Christmas Day, an unusual release plan prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

AT&T’s Warner Bros studio said on Wednesday that the blockbuster film will be shown in theaters outside the United States, where HBO Max is not available, starting on Dec. 16.

“For a movie of this scale, this is unprecedented,” WarnerMedia Chief Executive Jason Kilar said in a blog post explaining why the company decided to provide the movie in homes and theaters at the same time.

Movies typically play exclusively in cinemas for roughly 75 days before they become available elsewhere.

An action spectacle starring Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman 1984 had originally been scheduled to reach cinemas in June 2020.

But Hollywood studios delayed most of their summer blockbusters until 2021 as the virus has kept many theaters in key markets closed, devastating theater operators including AMC Entertainment and Cineworld Group Plc.

Wonder Woman 1984 was moved several times and is the last big-budget action film on the 2020 schedule.

Director Patty Jenkins, who had pushed for a theatrical release, supported the plan.

“At some point you have to choose to share any love and joy you have to give, over everything else,” Jenkins wrote on Twitter. “We truly hope that our film brings a little bit of joy and reprieve to all of you this holiday season.”

Gadot said the move “wasn’t an easy decision.”

“We never thought we’d have to hold onto the release for such a long time,” she tweeted, “but COVID rocked all of our worlds.”

Kilar said he believed the strategy would benefit fans, theater operators, and the company, “in the form of fan response both theatrically and via HBO Max in the US.”

The company is trying to attract new subscribers to HBO Max, a $15-per-month subscription launched in May to compete with Netflix Inc.

It is unclear how many people will head to theaters during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic when they can watch Wonder Woman 1984 in their living rooms. Theaters in Los Angeles and New York, the biggest US moviegoing markets, remain closed. Cinemas open in other areas have limited ticket sales and taken other steps to prevent transmission of the virus.

Wonder Woman 1984 is a sequel to 2017 hit Wonder Woman, which collected $821.8 million in global ticket sales. — Reuters

TCC eyes majority stake in BPICTL

TOKYO CENTURY Corp. (TCC) is taking majority ownership of Bank of the Philippine Islands’ (BPI) leasing firm, which is a joint venture with the foreign firm.

BPI said in a disclosure to the local bourse on Wednesday that TCC’s board of directors on Nov. 9 decided to increase its stake in BPI Century Tokyo Lease & Finance Corp. (BPICTL) to 51% from 49% previously, effectively taking a majority interest in the joint venture.

BPI’s own board of directors on Nov. 18 approved the acceptance of TCC’s offer.

The bank said the transaction is expected to close before the year ends and is subject to the requisite approvals and documentation.

“With TCC as majority shareholder, this allows the joint venture to optimize the value of TCC’s expertise in the full service operating lease industry while capitalizing on BPI’s customer base,” the Ayala-led bank said.

BPI in 2014 entered into a joint venture with TCC for a leasing and financing firm that offers direct leasing, sale of equipment and leaseback, among others.

“This strategic partnership allowed BPI to innovate in asset financing products and enhance the service experience of an expanding base of Philippine consumers and corporations seeking asset leasing and rental solutions,” the local lender said.

BPI’s net income dropped 33.7% to P5.5 billion in the third quarter due to higher loan loss provisions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

This brought BPI’s net profit for the first nine months of the year to P17.17 billion, down 22.1% from the P22.03 billion booked in the comparable year-ago period.

BPI shares closed at P86.70 apiece on Thursday, rising by P2.25 or 2.66% from its previous finish.

Less than a third of LGUs have met digitization mandate — DILG

ONLY 30% of local government units (LGUs) have taken measures to digitize their processes, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.

DILG Undersecretary Epimaco V. Densing III said at an online briefing Thursday that only a small fraction of local governments have been digitizing some aspect of their operations, from registration processes to pandemic response.

The Anti-Red Tape Authority has been urging LGUs to digitize business permit registration and link their systems to its central business portal.

Mr. Densing said minimal human contact between government officials and the transacting public would also reduce corruption. More e-government would also help attract foreign investment, he added.

He noted that foreign investors can now “even register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or local government units (from) out of the country.”

Other than major urban areas like Metro Manila, Mr. Densing held up the example of Cauayan City, Isabela in adopting digital measures to the registration process.

“We’re developing a system where those who have already advanced their way of transacting with the public through digitizing their licensing and permitting systems be given some incentives and assistance from us,” he said.

The Philippines rose to 95th from 124th in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2020 report, but remained one of the lowest-ranked in Southeast Asia. — Jenina P. Ibañez

San Miguel continues to ramp up corn purchases to boost income of farmers

SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC), via its food division San Miguel Foods, has purchased 87,946 metric tons (MT) of corn from local farmers’ cooperatives in October to early November as part of its efforts to augment the income of farmers affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a statement on Thursday, SMC announced that its total year to-date corn procurement had reached 524,155 MT, 20% higher than 436,209 MT it had in September.

“This is by far the largest volume ever that we have sourced directly from farmer cooperatives. This is part of our continuing efforts to help boost the incomes of our farmers, who have also been affected by the pandemic,” SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang said.

Moving forward, Mr. Ang said SMC can now purchase more corn from farmers in Isabela, Pangasinan, and Mindanao after the completion of its new feed mills across the country.

“The new facilities, equipped with large silos with aerators, are capable of stockpiling and storing corn and other grains for a year. This will enable the company to buy and store bulk corn longer, giving more income to local farmers, and boosting food security,” Mr. Ang said.

To recall, SMC announced that it would intensify its procurement of raw materials from farmer cooperatives referred by the Department of Agriculture (DA) after the government’s implementation of strict quarantine measures due to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, SMC said that for 2020, it has already procured 102,608 MT of local cassava from farmer cooperatives across the country under its Cassava Assembler Program.

The company has partnered with the DA to establish “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” marketing stores at Petron gas station that brings fresh produce to more consumers across Metro Manila.

It also created another market called Better World Diliman, where excess produce purchased from farmers at above-farmgate prices are sold to resellers and consumers at cheaper prices.

“SMC is also exploring other ways to support farmers whose agricultural lands were devastated by super typhoons Rolly and Ulysses,” the company said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Stuff to do (11/20/20)

Japanese Film Festival opens with drive-in screening

THE JAPANESE Film Festival opens on Nov. 20 and 22, 6 p.m., with a screening of Project Dreams — Building Mazinger Z’s Hangar (2020) by Tsutomu Hanabusa at the SM Cinema by the Bay Drive-in Cinema at Mall of Asia, Pasay City. Tickets are priced at P100 and include popcorn, beef franks, and bottled water. To reserve tickets visit https://www.smtickets.com/events/view/9516. The Japanese Film Festival runs from Nov. 20 to 29 online with free screenings at https://watch.jff.jpf.go.jp.

Korean films screened online

THE KOREAN Cultural Center (KCC) is holding a special screening from Nov. 21 to 27 featuring three films centered around the theme of “harmony and hope and love.” The three films are The Queen of Walking (2016) by Baek Seung-hwa, Like for Likes (2016) by Park Hyun-Jin, and My Love, My Bride (2014) by Im Chan-Sang. The films can be accessed via the KCC website at http://phil.korean-culture.org/. Viewers residing in the Philippines may catch all the films for free on their Android or iOS devices. KCC has also teamed up with Adarna House, Inc. for a special Film Pop Quiz, wherein participants can get the chance to win the locally translated version of the Korean bestselling title I Decided to Live as Me by Kim Soo-Hyun published by Woods of Mind Books, straight from the publication’s Apop collection.

Estancia holds 3-day sale this weekend

GET deals and discounts up to 70% off when shopping at Estancia Mall from Nov. 20 to 22, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. There will also be freebies and special promos at restaurants, and buy 1 take 1 promos, and referral discounts. Participating stores are Twenty Four Bakeshop, Miniso, Cortefeil, Onezo, Sige Kiya, James and Daughters, La Reve Patisserie, Macao Imperial Tea, The Color Bar, Daniel Hechter, @Tokyo, Fino Leather Wear, Lock N Lock, Kuchenomics, Watsons, The Travel Club, Skin Station, Toys R Us, and Digital Walker. What’s more, The SM Store will also be holding its three-day sale with items up to 50% off.

Webinar, workshop on home schooling, art

AS PART of the ongoing Art Express: CCP Children’s Biennale, the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) Arts Education Department will be hosting a webinar on Nov. 20, 4 p.m., with Prof. Katherine Claudette A. Tandoc, also known as Teacher Claude, who will share insights on how parents can overcome the challenges of the new educational set-up and how children can get most out of it. The webinar will be live streamed via the Batang Sining and CCP Facebook pages. Before the webinar, there will be an Arts and Parents workshop, facilitated by Nikki Junia, on the same day, at 3 p.m., streaming live at the Batang Sining and CCP Facebook pages. Ms. Junia will discuss parenting and the role of arts in the holistic development of children. Parents will get the chance to ask questions on how to develop art appreciation among children and how to engage them in artmaking. The workshop and the webinar are parts of the CCP Children’s Biennale, ongoing until Nov. 29. For more information, visit the CCP website www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and follow the CCP and Batang Sining Facebook pages.

Webinar on culture, art in the pandemic

INDUSTRY experts will answer the question “What becomes of the Filipino artists and the industry in a world without physical spaces of community?” in a webinar entitled “Now What? Conversations on Arts and Culture.” The talk is hosted by Benilde Arts Management (BeAM) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts (SDA). Speakers are Geraldine Araneta, the co-founder of Art Fair Philippines and Art in the Park, Head of the Visual Arts Committee of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and academic adviser and former chairperson of Benilde Arts Management Program; Sandra Palomar-Quan, an arts management instructor at the SDA and fine arts teacher at the Foundation University in Negros Oriental; and marketing expert Bennet Dychangco, a resource person for marketing, branding and business pitching at the Philippine Trade Training Center, and contributing writer in the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. The webinar will be moderated by Arts Management Program Chairperson Alain Zedrick Camiling. They will discuss the impact of the pandemic in museums, theaters, performance venues and other cultural and creative hubs that have closed their doors since March. They will also tackle how the artists thrive despite the restrictions on public events and live theater productions through alternative and innovative creative platforms. They aim to equip the participants with the knowledge on marketing to boost their artistic careers in this time of crisis. “Now What? Conversations on Arts and Culture” will be conducted via Zoom on Nov. 21 and 22, 2 to 4:20 p.m. Admission is P50. Interested participants may register through this link: bit.ly/BeAMNWHT. For inquiries, visit the Program’s official Facebook account @BenildeArtsManagement or e-mail beam@benilde.edu.ph.

Deaf students bring hope through online festival

DEAF students aim to bring aspiration amid trying times through the first ever online edition of the annual 2nd Deaf Festival, themed “Festival of Hope: Moving from a spirit of hopelessness to a spirit of hope.” Hosted by the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), the event  serves as an engaging venue for the Deaf students to enrich their knowledge, skills and creativity. It includes a two-part seminar that allows both the hearing, the Deaf and hard of hearing participants to understand and learn more about each other’s lifestyle. Webinars that guide the Deaf on how they can work with interpreters and how they can adapt and be productive during the pandemic are likewise conducted. The event provides an opportunity for the hearing participants to learn the basics of Filipino Sign Language (FSL) as well as make a new friend with the special online program coined as Meet and Interact with the Deaf. There are a series of activities including Zoom games and poster making contests. An online bazaar, currently on the festival’s official Facebook page, promotes the small businesses of the Deaf, from savory side dishes and desserts and pastries to health and beauty essentials. Deaf students, FSL learners and educators have shared a song of hope through the Sing it with Signs! event permanently available on view through this link: https://youtube.com/channel/UCpVxa0cx7dGV0mC44w1Yk7w. The Festival of Hope will wrap up with a cultural show that showcases the artistic talents of the Deaf students through a collection of interpreted songs, dance numbers, poetry and short stories — all to raise funds to support their online learning. Interested parties may attend the online cultural show on Nov. 28, 2 to 3 p.m. It will be held on a private Facebook group. Tickets are P80 for students and P100 for adults. Register through this link: https://forms.gle/VpABBm7gZKMhYbYPA. For inquiries or donations, contact sdeas.deaffestival@benilde.edu.ph or dea.faustino@benilde.edu.ph or visit the event’s official Facebook account @SDEASDeafFestival.

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