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Philippines may see better growth if ‘community protection’ reached by November, says ADB

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) said growth prospects for the Philippine economy could further improve if a “good level of community protection” against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is seen in the capital region by November.

ADB Country Director Kelly Bird said they are seeing greater upside risks on their April’s forecast of a 4.5% growth this year since the pace of the vaccine rollout has picked up with 250,000 doses administered per day.

“At that rate and if it continues to increase, we do expect to see a good level of community protection achieved by November of this year, particularly in NCR (National Capital Region). That’s helping us to improve the upside risks to the growth scenario this year,” he said in an online forum on Tuesday.

“We are very confident that with a lot of these reforms that have been implemented, the Philippines will return to its longer-term growth of over 6% by 2023,” he added.

The government aims to vaccinate 70 million adults by year’s end to achieve herd immunity, with a focus on the NCR where COVID-19 infections remain elevated.

The Health department reported 4,114 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the active cases to 49,613.

The government has administered 11.71 million doses of coronavirus vaccines from March 1 to July 4, of which 8.84 million were first doses. So far, 2.869 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated.

However, Mr. Bird cautioned that new COVID-19 variants and potential surge in new infections still pose a threat to the recovery.

The government set a 6-7% growth target for this year. The Philippine economy slumped by a record 9.6% in 2020.

Mr. Bird said the Philippines remains well-positioned as a good investment location with its massive infrastructure program expected to provide huge boost in the economy and increased spending on the healthcare system.

In that same forum, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon highlighted the need for the government to focus on innovation to accelerate growth.

State economic managers projected the Philippine economy will expand by 7-9% in 2022 and 6-7% annually for the 2023-2024 period.

“The effective way to foster innovation is to create a level playing field and to promote healthy competition. Business strategies would actually tell us that we need to be open to technological advancements and it is these technological advancements that will pave the way to more innovations and a more efficient way of doing things,” Ms. Edillon said. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Converge to double data transmission capacity

CONVERGE ICT SOLUTIONS INC./YOUTUBE

CONVERGE ICT Solutions, Inc. will be doubling its data transmission capacity as it anticipates more demand on its fiber optic network.

The company announced in a disclosure to the stock exchange on Tuesday that it will double capacity to 800 gigabits per second (gbps) in response to cloud computing, big data, and virtual reality use.

These technological developments combined with remote storage and streaming technology use has led to massive demand on the company’s network and data centers, Converge Chief Executive Officer Dennis Anthony H. Uy said.

“We want to respond to the high-capacity needs of our network and customers, and to be able to accommodate any new-generation technologies they may have,” he said.

The upgrade would allow for more data center capacity, decreasing latency and improving high-speed data transfer that could support Internet of Things and smart cities technologies, Converge said.

“This latest technology allows us to use less hardware to efficiently deliver our services, limits the possibility of congestion whether in normal or outage situations, and reduces our energy consumption and cost,” Converge Chief Operating Officer Jesus C. Romero said.

Converge aims to link more than half of Philippine households to its pure fiber connectivity by 2025. The company’s fiber optic network has reached over seven million or 28% of total household as of March.

The company last month announced that it would start building a P1-billion data center in Cebu this year to serve the demand surge in Visayas and Mindanao. Its first data center was built in Metro Manila in 2016.

Converge’s attributable net income in the first quarter nearly tripled to P1.55 billion from P573.60 million in the same three months last year, mostly due to an increase in subscribers during the pandemic.

Converge shares closed 0.89% or 20 centavos higher at P22.75 each on Tuesday. — Jenina P. Ibañez

SEC greenlights Filinvest-sponsored REIT

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the initial public offering (IPO) of the real estate investment trust (REIT) sponsored by Filinvest Land, Inc.

“In its meeting on July 6, the commission en banc resolved to render effective the registration statement of Cyberzone Properties Inc. for a total of 4,892,777,994 common shares for listing on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), subject to the company’s compliance with certain remaining requirements,” the SEC said in a statement on Tuesday.

Based on the latest timetable submitted to the SEC, Cyberzone Properties aims to conduct the IPO from July 19 to 28. Meanwhile, its PSE debut is tentatively slated for Aug. 6.

Cyberzone Properties will change its name to Filinvest REIT Corp.

The REIT offer will include 1,634,187,850 common shares, with an overallotment option of up to 163,418,785 common shares. It will be priced at P8.30 each at most.

“New investors will corner 36.74% of Cyberzone Properties’ issued and outstanding common shares, while existing shareholders will retain the remaining 63.26%, should the company exercise the oversubscription option,” the SEC said.

Cyberzone Properties may net up to P14.35 billion from the IPO if the overallotment option is exercised.

Filinvest Land owns the offer shares and will be the sole recipient of the offer’s proceeds.

Its REIT portfolio includes 17 office buildings, 16 of which are located in Alabang and one is Cebu-based. The portfolio has an aggregate gross leasable area (GLA) of 299,158 square meters (sq.m.) for office spaces and 2,204 sq.m. for retail.

On Tuesday, shares in Filinvest Land at the stock market went up by 0.90% or one centavo to finish at P1.12 each. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Phoenix unit targets do-it-yourself asphalt sales

PHOENIX Asphalt Philippines, Inc. is targeting do-it-yourself consumer asphalt sales after launching its cold mix asphalt product on Tuesday.

The company will initially target large construction companies, tollway operators and distributors to small businesses before expanding to supermarkets by the end of the year.

Cold mix asphalt, which does not require heating, is new to construction firms in the country, Phoenix Asphalt General Manager Julius Jerry Aguas said at the virtual launch event.

“For hot mix, it’s really for large-scale repairs in terms of road maintenance and road construction. But for the cold mix, it’s really meant for small scale works.”

A unit of Dennis A. Uy-led Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc., Phoenix Asphalt will be selling the new products in 20-kilogram bags that can cover one square meter of space with at least two-centimeter thickness.

“It’s basically a do-it-yourself product,” Mr. Aguas said. “The plan is engaging these targeted hypermarkets before the year ends so that the product is really readily available.”

Phoenix Petroleum plans to focus on its retail and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) businesses to drive growth over the next five years.

Phoenix Petroleum shares went up eight centavos or 0.62% to close at P13.08 apiece on Tuesday. — Jenina P. Ibañez

A Brown sees gains from power, water units

LISTED A Brown Co., Inc. is expecting its power generation portfolio and its water business to contribute to the company’s flow of income as it moves to expand in these segments.

“We expect projects in the power generation, irradiation, and bulk water segments to be income contributors in the future as they progress in development,” Robertino E. Pizarro, president and chief executive officer of A Brown, said in a press release on Tuesday.

The company will expand its power generation portfolio, which will include wholly-0owned unit Vires Energy Corp.’s combined-cycle floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant in Simlong, Batangas.

Meanwhile, its other unit Irradiation Solutions, Inc. is putting up an e-beam commercial sterilization facility in Tanay, Rizal. Construction will begin this year for completion by the second half of 2023.

Its AB Bulk Water Co. business segment aims to expand to Opol and Laguindingan corridors and further expand its services in Cagayan de Oro City.

For its real estate offerings, the company plans to build a “master-planned” community in Tanay, Rizal, as well as a golf and retirement estate in Bukidnon.

A Brown is also eyeing to add new phases to its existing property developments, including in West Highlands in Butuan City, Coral Resort Estates in Misamis Oriental, and Teakwood Hills in Cagayan de Oro City.

The company’s shareholders approved the reclassification of its authorized but unissued capital to give way to 50 million preferred shares, which will be offered to the public. A Brown expects to net up to P1.5 billion from the offer.

PNB Capital and Investment Corp. was assigned as the transaction’s sole issue manager and lead underwriter.

Shares in A Brown closed unchanged at the local bourse on Tuesday at P0.94 each. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Aboitiz group to redeem P8.5-B fixed-rate bonds

ABOITIZ GROUP

ABOITIZ Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) said it would fully redeem the outstanding Series B of its fixed-rate retail bonds issued in 2015 a year ahead of its maturity date.

The company will prepay the bonds for P8.467 billion at an early redemption price of 100.5% of its face value on Aug. 6 this year.

“The repayment of the bonds is part of our continuing efforts to reduce costs and further improve profitability for all of our stakeholders,” AEV Chief Financial Officer Manuel R. Lozano said in a statement on Tuesday.

The seven-year Series B bonds with a fixed interest rate of 5.0056% were listed at the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. on Aug. 6 in 2015. It was said to be “crucial for AEV’s continued overall growth.”

Majority of the proceeds were used to finance the company’s cement venture with the acquisition of Lafarge assets in the Philippines via a joint venture with CRH Plc.

The Series B bonds were part of the first tranche of the company’s P25-billion debt securities program, which was issued in three series including Series A with a fixed rate of 4.4722% per annum and matured in 2020. It also includes the 12-year Series C bonds with a fixed rate of 6.0169%, which matures in 2027.

AEV said it would further refinance maturing debt and prepay existing higher-cost debt this year.

The company is now coordinating with BPI Asset Management and Trust Corp. and the Philippine Depository and Trust Corp. for notices and computation of the amounts due to bondholders of the 2015 Series B bonds.

On Tuesday, shares of AEV at the stock exchange went down by 0.59% or by 25 centavos to close at P42.05 apiece. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

And the 13 winners are…

TAA 2021 trophy study by Mac Valdezco

CCP announces the 13 Artists Award recipients online

FOR the first time since it began in 1970, the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) 13 Artists Awards (TAA) nominations and announcement of awardees were held completely online.

This year’s awardees are painter Allan Balisi, painter and new media artist Nice Buenaventura, painter Gino Bueza, printmaker Mars Bugaoan, visual artist and writer Rocky Cajigan, photographer Geloy Concepcion, painter and educator Patrick Cruz, painter and interactive installation artist Ian Carlo Jaucian, street art group KoloWn, photographer, video and site installation artist Czar Kristoff, painter Lou Lim, papercuttings sculptor Ryan Villamael, and interdisciplinary artist, designer, and writer Catherine Sarah Young.

The online submission of nominations closed in March. Then 97 nominees were contacted to submit digital portfolios. The selection committee chose 88 portfolios for evaluation. The selection of the 13 awardees was done through online evaluation.

This year’s selection committee was composed of artists who were themselves 13 Artists awardees — Imelda Cajipe Endaya (1990), Nona Garcia (2003), Nap Jamir II (1974), and Gerry Tan (1988) — along with Rica Estrada, the CCP’s Head of the Visual Arts and Museum Division.

“It was such a great dive into their practice to be able to see what all of the artists are doing now. And it’s really hard to box people in. And I think that’s a really great thing…,” said CCP’s Ms. Estrada at the online award announcement on July 1 held via Zoom.

“Moving forward, I’m seeing more diversity, [and] more experimentation. I’m seeing how artists will find new ways to talk about what’s happening in the world, in ways that we can’t even imagine yet,” she added.

The 13 Artists awardees will each receive a production grant to produce new work for a group exhibition at the CCP. This year’s exhibition will be curated by 2018 13 Artists awardee Shireen Seno. The trophy which the artists will receive will be designed by Mac Valdezco, a 13 Artists awardee in 2006. The awarding ceremony and exhibition will be announced at a later date.

CCP Chairperson Maria Margarita “Margie” Roxas Moran-Floirendo said in a video during the announcement: “We are always on the lookout for passionate and persistent creative visionaries to provide thought-provoking relevant ideas that can help international development. We hope the new batch of 13 Artists Awards recipients will continue to uphold the honors and responsibilities that come with the recognition.”

“We want to position the TAA as a springboard to the careers of exceptional young talent and believe that they will be noteworthy contributors of the Philippine art scene who continuously pursue artistic excellence over years of art practice,” she added.

Now on its 18th year, the CCP 13 Artists Award is the oldest government award for visual artists.

The award is named after the 13 Moderns, a group of artists in the mid-20th Century who broke with convention and moved away from the conservative formality of the country’s old masters. The idea of the 13 Moderns inspired then-CCP Museum Director Roberto Chabet to curate an exhibit called “Thirteen Artists” in 1970, all of whom were young and whose works were “a turning-away from past, familiar modes of art-making, a movement towards possibilities and discoveries.” In the decades that followed, exhibits and awards for the 13 Artists were held, with the artists chosen at first by Mr. Chabet, then by nomination and a review committee. Originally an annual then biannual event, the awards have been granted every three years since 2003.

It has named 198 artists-awardees since 1970, including one National Artist and four Gawad CCP awardees. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

GBP breaks ground for 115-MW peak solar plant

GBP.COM.PH

A UNIT of Global Business Power Corp. (GBP) has begun the construction of its 115-megawatt (MW) peak solar plant in Baras, Rizal, marking the firm’s foray into renewable energy (RE), it said on Tuesday.

The power plant, which will be built by PH Renewables, Inc., is expected to begin commercial operations in 2022. The facility will be located within the Philippine Communications Satellite Corp.’s grounds.

GBP said that the project aims to serve all three major islands across the Philippines.

“We have worked together with our partners to aid the growing demand for cleaner and affordable power supply. In response to the government’s push for renewable energy, we have persevered to finally commence construction of this timely project to fuel the nation’s progress,” GBP President Jaime T. Azurin said during the plant’s recent groundbreaking ceremony.

Three firms, namely: China Energy Engineering Group Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute Co., Solenergy Systems, Inc. and China Energy Engineering Co., Ltd. are in charge of the design, engineering, procurement and construction of the solar facility.

GBP said its entry into the RE space is in line with One Meralco Group’s long-term sustainability agenda, which covers renewable energy project development and sourcing.

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) Chief Executive Officer and President Ray C. Espinosa said that the group aims to shift to cleaner fuel sources by sourcing 1,500 MW of its power requirements from RE in the next five years.

GBP is a wholly owned unit of Meralco PowerGen Corp., which is the power generation arm of listed distribution utility Meralco.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., which has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

Shares in Meralco at the local bourse improved by 0.57% or P1.60 to close at P282.60 apiece on Tuesday. — Angelica Y. Yang

Keeping things fluid

Toxic by Ian Inoy

THE IDEA of fluidity inspired the works of artists Ian Inoy and Lara Latosa which are now on view in the two-artist exhibition titled – naturally —  “Fluidity” at the Nuzen Art Gallery.

“We thought about different concepts like [the] advocacy for the environment. In the end, we settled with ‘Fluidity’ since the theme can be interpreted in different ways,” Ms. Latosa said in an e-mail to BusinessWorld.

To be fluid, as described in the exhibition catalog, “is to be able to flow freely” and its indefinite structure “undergoes plenty of changes.”

Ms. Latosa interprets “fluidity” with brush strokes mimicking the movement of waves with ocean-inspired hues, accented with gold.

“I played there, making the background play from light to dark, mimicking the feeling of being underwater where one part is completely dark as an abyss, and the other a beam of light,” she said.

Two of the works — Depth of the Ocean and Near the Surface — Ms. Latosa’s tribute to diving. “I relate to these because I used to free dive few years back. It’s a time where I can play in the ocean and there’s nothing but silence and an entirely different world below.”

The gold waves accent is a detail found in most of her works. “It’s a signature style for me since I mix my own gold palette. So, looking closely at my work, I want it to have some elegance with varying gold hues that’s different from using other techniques.”

In contrast, Disrupting Colors focuses on a monochrome image of waves excluding the gold accent.

INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC
Meanwhile, multidisciplinary artist Ian Inoy’s expression of “fluidity” through the process of mixing neon and pastel paints, and scattered elements.

“In making art, there are certain rules that we must follow, and I have nothing against that. However, I think because it’s always a nature of mine to break through norms, I tried to create an approach wherein I express myself further, allowing my decisions and uncontrollable circumstances and elements to move my art the way it wants to,” Mr. Inoy said in an e-mail.

His works are made with rocks, beads, fish bait, resin, glitter, and “every gay material that he can find.”

Mr. Inoy said his works were titled after the popular songs or gay anthems that the gender fluid artist was singing and dancing along to while assembling materials and mixing colors — Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Cut to the Feeling.”

“I make sure the emotions felt at the moment are encapsulated in the chosen material. It’s somewhat like scrapbooking in a sense,” he said.

With the use of new and scrap materials, Mr. Inoy also hopes that viewers are made aware of their current environment.

“I’m always proud of the incorporation of treated junk and scraps in my work. It just makes me giddy thinking of how I lessen solid waste one step at a time without having to compromise my creativity,” he said.

A new series of artworks by Mr. Inoy, also named after songs, will be shown at the upcoming “Art in the Park” online opening on July 25. He is also working on another two-man show and group exhibition this month.

As for Ms. Latosa, her works are also featured in an ongoing exhibit in honor of Junyee at the Altro Mondo Gallery, along with those of over 80 artists. She is also working on private projects with collectors, galleries, and interior design-related businesses.

“Fluidity” runs until July 15 at Nuzen Art Gallery (www.facebook.com/nuzenartgallery) in Tagaytay City. View the e-catalog at https://bit.ly/3gGVAge. The gallery can be visited via scheduled appointments (contact Dia Magculang at 0906-315-3710). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) safety protocols are implemented at the gallery, which include the mandatory wearing of face shields and face masks. For more information, visit the artists’ websites at https://laralatosa.wixsite.com/website and www.ianinoy.com. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

BTr makes full award of T-bonds as rate drops on easing inflation

BW FILE PHOTO

THE GOVERNMENT made a full award of the reissued Treasury bonds (T-bonds) it offered on Tuesday as its rate went down following the release of data showing slower-than-expected inflation last month.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) on Tuesday raised P35 billion as planned via the reissued seven-year T-bonds with a remaining life of six years and nine months.

Total bids for the papers reached P61.175 billion on Tuesday, making the offering nearly two times oversubscribed. This caused the Treasury to open its tap facility to raise an additional P5 billion from the tenor.

However, Tuesday’s demand was lower than the P84.31 billion in tenders seen in the previous auction of the series on May 18.

The reissued seven-year bonds fetched an average rate of 3.576% on Tuesday, down by 10 basis points (bps) from 3.665% quoted in the previous as well as the 3.625% coupon of the series.

However, this was 10.8 bps higher than the 3.468% quoted for the seven-year tenor at the secondary market prior to the auction.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said the T-bonds fetched a lower rate at Tuesday’s offering after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported early on Tuesday that inflation slowed in June.

“The average rate in [Tuesday]’s auction is higher than the last dealt level of 3.55% at market earlier. Just shows that investors would like to ask for higher yield since it is long and wary of upside risks to CPI (consumer price index) given the behavior of crude prices in the world market,” a bond trader said via Viber on Tuesday.

Inflation eased to a six-month low in June, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday.

Preliminary data from the PSA showed headline inflation stood at 4.1% in June, easing from the 4.5% logged in May and the slowest rate in six months or since the 3.5% recorded in December 2020. However, this was above the 2.5% recorded in June last year.

The latest headline figure was lower than the 4.3% median in a BusinessWorld poll conducted late last week. It likewise fell within the 3.9%-4.7% estimate given by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for June, but was still higher than the central bank’s 2-4% target for the year.

For the first half, headline inflation averaged 4.4%, also above the BSP’s target band and its 4% forecast for 2021.

Meanwhile, international benchmark Brent crude oil was trading above $77 a barrel on Monday, or 1.2% higher in the session, as OPEC+ ministers called off oil output talks after clashing last week when the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rejected a proposed eight-month extension to output curbs, meaning no deal to boost production has been agreed, Reuters reported.

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman had called for “compromise and rationality” to secure a deal after two days of failed discussions last week.

But four OPEC+ sources said there had been no progress. OPEC’s Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said in a statement on Monday the meeting had been cancelled, without a date for the next one being agreed.

Some OPEC+ sources said there would be no oil output increase in August, while others said a new meeting would take place in the coming days and they believed there will be a boost in August.

Oil prices are at the highest since 2018 and have already prompted concerns inflation could derail a global recovery from the pandemic.

OPEC+ agreed record output cuts of almost 10 million barrels per day (bpd) last year, about 10% of world output, as the pandemic hit. The curbs have been gradually relaxed and stand at about 5.8 million bpd.

The UAE, sources said, on Friday accepted a proposal from Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ members to raise output in stages by about 2 million bpd from August to December but rejected extending remaining cuts to the end of 2022 from a current end date of April without adjusting its current baseline production.

On Monday, OPEC+ sources said the UAE’s position was unchanged. They said a ministerial panel chaired by Saudi Arabia and Russia, the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, needed more time to discuss the issue.

Decisions in OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries with Russia and other big producers, must be unanimous.

The BTr is looking to raise P235 billion from the local market this month: P60 billion via weekly offers of Treasury bills and P175 billion from weekly auctions of T-bonds.

The government wants to borrow P3 trillion from domestic and external sources this year to help fund a budget deficit seen to hit 9.3% of gross domestic product. — B.M. Laforga with Reuters

San Miguel to cut toll fees at Skyway Stage 3

SAN MIGUEL CORPORATION FB PAGE

SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC) will be reducing the proposed toll fees at its elevated expressway Skyway Stage 3 especially for motorists traveling short distances.

The company will start collecting fees on July 12 after waiving payments at the 18-kilometer expressway for almost seven months.

SMC has not yet released the revised matrix, noting in a press release on Tuesday that it will post the final rates at the toll plazas before the start of collections.

SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang said that the company decided to reduce fees after considering the effect of the pandemic on the economy.

He said the collected fees will provide company revenues to ensure operations and maintenance. The government will also generate income from the fees as it collects 12% value-added tax.

“These toll rates reflect our deferral of the collection of a substantial amount of the cost to build Skyway 3. We also further lowered the rates for those traveling shorter distances,” Mr. Ang said.

SMC said that it was issued a toll operating permit and a notice to start collecting toll by the Toll Regulatory Board.

Skyway Stage 3 links the South Luzon Expressway in Alabang to North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak. — Jenina P. Ibañez

7 arts companies receive CCP innovation grants

SEVEN arts and cultural organizations have qualified for the Innovation Grants Project 2020, a special project implemented by the Board of Trustees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP BoT).

They are: Ballet Manila; Casa San Miguel; FilDocs, Inc.; Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges, Marbel, Inc.; Sipat Lawin, Inc.; The Performance Laboratory; and Tuldok Animation Studios.

They will receive grants to create and produce new works in various art disciplines and distribute new content on the arts using online technology, blended or hybrid technologies.

THE PROJECTS
Ballet Manila’s project is Silver Linings: Ballet Manila@25 (Hope and Dance in Extraordinary Times). It aims to celebrate the ballet company’s 25th season during a global pandemic marked by lockdowns and the complete stoppage of live performances.  The project will showcase re-imagined presentations of classical pieces as well as new commissioned work specially developed for film as primary medium. It also includes Ballet Minis, a series of short dance films meant to reinforce Ballet Manila’s main strength of performing the classics with the Russian Vaganova discipline; and a Silver Linings Ballet Gala, which will showcase live performances from Ballet Manila studios and dancers’ homes and pre-recorded performances, which will be streamed live via Ballet Manila’s Facebook page and YouTube channels.

Meanwhile, Casa San Miguel’s proposal revolves around the concept of “Spring” in different iterations through music, dance, visual arts, and film. This includes a series of eight 10- to 15-minute episodes about renewal of hope, a celebration of creativity, and how arts have served artists and communities as a medium for reflection and healing.

FilDocs, Inc. hopes to continue the success of DaangDokyu film festival and consolidate the achievements of the virtual cinema festival to sustain and further widen the awareness of Philippine documentaries through various projects.  It intends to produce and distribute DaangDokyuDokBook which contains the full program of the festival’s over 45 documentary titles and film details, as well as essays on the study and appreciation of contemporary Philippine documentary. It also plans to have a virtual-access library which will offer private viewing of the documentaries featured in DaangDokyu program and collection. A portion of the grant will go to the development of DaangDokyu website, which will contain information on Philippine documentaries featured in the festival including creative and technical details, trailers, Q&A’s and other updates.

The Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges, Marbel, Inc. proposed “OpenStudio+OpenSeason [The Dancers are Absent but the dance is Not],” an art project undertaking non-traditional collaborations within art genres integrating the performing arts, visual arts, dance, and film.  It will feature five short dance films, selected from the Juror’s Choice winners of Teatro Ambahanon’s Director’s Prize Competition; installation art to be placed at the The Nest Art[ist]s Incubation (Teatro Ambahanon’s art space); and the Salamindanaw film project which seeks to create an omnibus film that delves on memory, space and body.

Sipat Lawin, Inc.’s Komunidad X Collective Business takes on “E-mahiNASYON: Community Performance Innovation for Social Change Festival,” a three-year performance innovation development platform which started in 2020 at the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic and will culminate in 2022, the year for the national elections. For its first edition in 2020, E-mahiNasyon gathered 10 next-generation performance-makers working and innovating performances with and within communities from different islands in the Philippines to collaborate with non-theater partners as part of the “Contemporary Ritual Makers Performance Platform.”  Further themes to explore will be climate change, new solidarities in time of physical distancing, citizen and voter’s education, rethinking notions of nation, queer and queering, combating discrimination and empowerment of women in children in the time of national and global crisis. The performances and documentation of the performance processes will be shared on kXchange.org.

The Performance Laboratory, Inc. —  in collaboration with Teatrokon: West Visayas Theatre Network and CCP Kaisa sa Sining Regional Arts Center Partners in Negros Occidental —  will launch “Ang Mga Alates,” a series of four short plays tackling current and relevant societal issues and incorporating stories of realities brought by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic —  as part of the weekly staged readings of plays written by emerging Negrense playwrights featured in The Blackbox Presents. The staged readings will be developed into full productions and will be part of an online web series to be premiered next year.

Finally, Tuldok Animation Studios will create an “Edutainment package for Cultural Advocacy: Reimagining Cultural Advocacy through Integrated and Synergized Edutainment (RISE),” which will include two five-minute animated folktales and one Pinoy komiks folktale with a mobile app for an augmented reality component.  The project aims to inspire Filipino artists to create compelling, world-class animated films highlighting the Filipino myth and legends.

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