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PHL open to more global bond offerings

REUTERS

THE GOVERNMENT is open to raising more funds through global bonds as it evaluates coupon rates and exchange rate risks, the Finance chief said on Thursday.

“We are looking at a possible issuance of bonds,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Thursday.

He said the government would assess coupon rates, tenors, and exchange rate risks before making a decision.

“That is the most important thing now — we want to stretch our tenors further. And of course, what is the exchange rate risk?” Mr. Dominguez said.

“So far, in our case, we have a total of almost a $108 billion in reserves against our total debt of around $100 billion. So, we’re very comfortable that our foreign exchange reserves will see us through any possible challenge on the peso.”

In a Viber message to reporters, Mr. Dominguez said that “all options are open as we evaluate the alternatives against longer tenors, lower cost and less exchange rate risk.”

This year, the government raised $3 billion (P146 billion) from the sale of US dollar-denominated global bonds in a dual-tranche offering.

It also raised €2.1 billion (P122.4 billion) from a triple-tranche offering of euro-denominated bonds and ¥55 billion (P24.2 billion) from a three-year, Japanese yen-denominated Samurai bond offering.

The government last month also raised an initial $866.2 million (P43.81 billion) from its maiden offering of retail dollar bonds targeted at individual investors after a series of promotional events aimed at Filipinos working overseas.

“We were quite surprised that the uptake was actually four times more than we expected,” Mr. Dominguez said.

He said that a 60% debt-to-GDP ratio is still achievable for the country, noting that the economy could be “very robust as soon as the restrictions on mobility are lifted.”

As Metro Manila transitions to less restrictive coronavirus lockdown restrictions that would allow more business activity, Mr. Dominguez said that the government expects to meet the 4-5% gross domestic product (GDP) target.

“We still quarantine areas depending on the number of (coronavirus) cases they have so it’s very, very targeted and we expect our economy to really start opening up this quarter,” he said.

Second-quarter GDP grew by 11.8% year on year, bringing average growth to 3.7% in the first half. The Philippine economy contracted by a record 9.6% in 2020 due to long and stringent lockdowns in the capital.

The capital region will be placed under Alert Level 3 from Oct. 16 until the end of the month. — Jenina P. Ibañez

No need to increase direct advances to NG — BSP

BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS GOVERNOR BENJAMIN E. DIOKNO — PHILIPPINE STAR/ GEREMY PINTOLO

THERE MAY BE no need for the central bank to provide additional bridge financing for the National Government (NG) amid the further reopening of the economy, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said on Thursday.

“The way I see it, now that we have turned a corner — I’m positive about this, the number of cases has been cut, we’re now reopening the economy — maybe there’s no more need for the P540-billion bridge financing for the Department of Finance (DoF),” he said at an online briefing.

The direct advances so far availed by the National Government are in line with the Republic Act 7653 or the New Central Bank Act, which allows the BSP to lend 20% of its average revenue to the government. This is equivalent to P540 billion.

Mr. Diokno said the 30% increase that allows the National Government to access up to P850 billion in direct advances authorized by the Congress through Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act has not been tapped by the DoF so far.

“So I don’t see any need for additional bridge financing other than the P540 billion which is currently being made available to the DoF,” he said.

The BSP in July granted a P540-billion short-term, no-interest loan to the National Government payable within three months. This is the fourth time it provided direct advances to the National Government since the pandemic started.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said in a Viber message that the payment for the loan has been “extended for another three months,” similar to the previous agreements.

Asked whether the National Government has been over-relying on the central bank, Mr. Diokno said: “The short answer is no. The unprecedented nature of the shock caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic required a whole of government approach to address the crisis.”

“The BSP and the National Government’s policy actions are part of the coordinated and complimentary policy responses for both monetary and fiscal authorities to restore market confidence, mitigate the impact of debt crisis, facilitate economic recovery, and minimize the long-term scarring effects on the economy,” he added.

Mr. Diokno also noted that “heavy lifting came from fiscal authorities as policy interventions such as pro-poor spending programs, public health measures and social protection schemes are more targeted and directed.”

Legislators have been pushing for a third stimulus package worth up to P400 billion. While Bayanihan III has been approved by the House of Representatives, it is still pending at the Senate. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Philippine rule of law remains one of Asia’s weakest

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS
RULE OF LAW in the Philippines remains one of the weakest in East Asia and the Pacific, according to the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2021. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

By Bianca Angelica D. Añago, Reporter

RULE OF LAW in the Philippines remains one of the weakest in East Asia and the Pacific, as the country’s ranking slipped three spots in the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2021.

The WJP Rule of Law Index, which is based on surveys of more than 138,000 household and 4,200 experts in 139 countries, showed the Philippines fell to the 102nd spot this year.

The Philippines’ score also dropped by 2.9% in this year’s index to 0.46 on a zero to one scale. A score of one indicates the strongest adherence to the rule of law.

Philippines slips in rule of law rankings

The score placed the Philippines at 13th out of 15 countries in the East Asia and the Pacific region, unchanged from the previous index and ahead only of Myanmar and Cambodia.

The country slumped to 18th out of the 35 lower-middle income countries, from 13th last year.

“Significant trends for the Philippines included a deterioration in the factor measuring order and security,” the WJP said.

For order and security, the Philippines ranked 110th with a score of 0.63 from 0.65, previously. The Philippines placed 120th in the factors measuring criminal justice with a 0.31 score, and 123rd for fundamental rights with a score of 0.39.

On the other hand, the country stood at 71st place with a 0.50 score in the factor measuring open government, and 77th spot with a 0.44 score for “absence of corruption.”

Topping the WJP Rule of Law Index are Denmark, Norway, and Finland, the same as last year.

On the other hand, the Congo Democratic Republic, Cambodia, and Venezuela, remained in the bottom three.

For the East Asia and the Pacific region, the top three countries in the index are New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. Japan replaced Singapore as one of the region’s top three countries last year. Singapore slid to fourth place this year.

The WJP said this year’s index showed more countries declined in overall rule of law performance for the fourth straight year.

“With negative trends in so many countries, this year’s WJP Rule of Law Index should be a wakeup call for us all. Rule of law is the very foundation of communities of justice, opportunity and peace. Reinforcing that foundation should be a top priority for the coming period of recovery from the pandemic,” WJP Co-Founder and CEO Bill Neukom was quoted as saying in the statement.

The Philippine’s overall position in the WSJ Rule of Law index has steadily declined since 2015 when it ranked 51st, dropping to 70th in 2016. It ranked 88th in 2017 and 2018, and 89th in 2019.

Asked to comment on the country’s drop in ranking, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said in a mobile message that the general crime rate “has been on a downtrend, and that our law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial institutions, while not perfect like all other human institutions, are nevertheless functioning as they should.”

In a mobile message, University of Santo Tomas Political Science Professor Marlon M. Villarin said the decline in the Rule of Law Index is likely to continue “until the government would be able to resolve…all issues pertaining to abuses committed by government agents on the implementation of (President Rodrigo R.) Duterte’s war on drugs.”

A 2020 report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights estimated that there have been more than 8,000 deaths related to the drug war since it started in July 2016.

Last month, the International Criminal Court announced that it will open a full investigation into the Philippines’ war on drugs and the alleged Davao Death Squad.

University of the Philippines Political Science Professor Maria Ela L. Atienza added that illegal drugs remain a problem in the country, hence there is a “continuing dominance of (Mr. Duterte) and the Executive branch vis-a-vis the legislature and the judiciary instead of the checks and balances principle being observed, continuing cases of graft and corruption, and threats to freedom of speech, assembly and the press.”

National Union of Peoples Lawyers President Edre U. Olalia in a phone interview said this result is “both a wakeup call and a sad commentary on the state of rule of law in our country.”

“The fact that the Philippines, in the index, failed in fundamental rights and criminal justice system means that there is something terribly wrong, (and) this does not give any comfort in the public’s confidence in the justice system,” he added.

IKEA franchisee reports 3.3% revenue growth to P42 billion

SWEDISH furniture maker IKEA’s franchisee in Southeast Asia and in Mexico reported a 3.3% turnover growth in its financial year ending August 2021 to generate P42.1 billion, driven by the new stores in Singapore and Mexico.

Ikano Retail is one of the 12 IKEA franchisees, which operates in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Mexico through 11 IKEA stores and five IKEA-anchored shopping centers.

It is also the firm behind the world’s largest IKEA store, IKEA Pasay City, which will launch soon in the Philippines.

“We lost 17% of our trading days, faced the worst supply challenges in our history and contended with limits on food operations and further restrictions,” Ikano Retail Chief Executive Officer Christian Rojkjaer said in a statement on Thursday.

However, Mr. Rojkjaer said e-commerce sales in Ikano’s markets grew by 57% to P7.7 billion.

For its financial year covering September 2020 to end-August 2021, visits to the IKEA websites by those within Ikano’s markets totaled 113 million. Of which, about a million are traced back to the Philippines.

Some 864,000 online orders were placed in Ikano’s current four markets, which is 64% higher year on year.

In Southeast Asia, Ikano said it also relaunched IKEA for Business and new IKEA Planning Studios were opened in Thailand and Singapore.

Ikano Centres, which are said to be meeting places, in Malaysia and Thailand also secured a healthy lease rate of 92%.

“We made sure that our centers continue to be meeting places for the many, offering a safe and fun day out as our economies open up and learn to live with COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019),” said Mr. Rojkjaer.

Ikano’s turnover in Malaysia declined by 13.9% year on year to P14.8 billion. Malaysia is home to four IKEA stores, IKEA Damansara, IKEA Cheras, IKEA Tebrau, and IKEA Batu Kawan.

Meanwhile, Singapore saw a 21% growth in revenues to P13.4 billion. It has three IKEA branches, including the newly opened small-format IKEA Jurong, IKEA Tampines, and IKEA Alexandra.

Thailand is home to three IKEA stores, namely: IKEA Bangna, IKEA Bang Yai, and IKEA Phuket. Turnover in the country for the fiscal year inched down by 3.3% to P12.1 billion.

Ikano opened its first store in Mexico City, IKEA Oceania, which accounted for P1.8 billion. It is the first in Latin America and recorded 15 million visits both in IKEA Oceania store and its website.

Ikano reported that 2.9 million are members of the IKEA Family loyalty club, of which 206,000 are from the Philippines. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

New streaming service offers shows old and new

FOLLOWING in the footsteps of Disney+ which consolidated its numerous brands and channels into one streaming service, here comes discovery+, a subscription streaming service from Discovery, Inc. which is now live and available, giving customers access to 20,000 episodes from Discovery’s iconic brands, the BBC, the History Channel, TLC, Asian Food Network, HGTV, Food Network, Investigation Discovery, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and more, along with exclusive originals.

Thanks to a partnership between discovery+ and Globe Telecom, Inc., Globe subscribers now have access to the service on very favorable terms.

Aside from familiar shows from channels like TLC and the History Channel, discovery+ also has original content that is exclusive to the streaming service. JB Perrette, CEO of Discovery International, said during a press conference this week that original content will premiere on the service every week.

Discovery+ is available across multiple platforms, including connected TVs, web, mobile, and tablets. Platforms at launch include iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Google devices and platforms, including Android phones and tablets, Google TV and other Android TV OS devices, and Google Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices. Each subscription includes up to five user profiles and four concurrent streams.

Globe Telecom, Discovery, Inc.’s partner for entering the country, is offering multiple deals to its subscribers. Globe’s customers on select plans can access exclusive, limited time, discovery+ offers. Globe At Home customers who purchase a Globe Streamwatch 2-in-1 Entertainment Box are eligible for a year of access to discovery+ at no additional cost. Globe at Home Prepaid WiFi customers who load HomeSURF999 or HomeSURF1499 via the Globe At Home app are also eligible for this one-year of access, which can be claimed once per user. Globe, TM, and Globe at Home customers are also eligible to purchase one year’s access for P129 instead of the standard price of P999.

“We have cemented our leadership in lifestyle and factual content in the Philippines since we launched here more than 25 years ago,” said Tony Qiu, General Manager for East and Southeast Asia of Discovery, Inc.

“The launch of discovery+ in the Philippines represents another step forward in the platform’s global expansion and further strengthens our direct-to-consumer proposition across Asia Pacific,” said Simon Robinson, President, Asia Pacific, Discovery, Inc., in a statement last month.

Some of the shows appearing on the streaming platform include 90 Day Fiancé, Naked and Afraid, and Ghost Adventures. The service will also bring to the Philippines the hit series Drag Race, featuring international adaptations of the franchise, as well as the highly anticipated Drag Race Philippines in 2022.

The extensive library of top true crime content from Investigation Discovery will be available in the Philippines on discovery+, including launch titles Unseamly: The Investigation of Peter Nygård, Signs of a Psychopath, Evil Lives Here, and If I Can’t Have You: The Jodi Arias Story.

The service also features exclusive content from OWN, the joint venture with Oprah Winfrey, as well as premium shows from Magnolia Network, the multiplatform joint venture with Chip and Joanna Gaines, including Fixer Upper: Welcome Home and Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines.

Additionally, discovery+ offers a definitive collection of nature and environmental programming, headlined by access to the BBC’s largest natural history offering, including Planet Earth and Blue Planet, as well as top non-fiction library content from History Channel, including Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, and The UnXplained, and VICE, such as Most Expensivest with 2Chainz and Point Blank.

Additional hit international content includes I Can See Your Voice US, MasterChef, and The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, as well as all 12 seasons of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.

“We know how passionate Filipinos are about Discovery’s iconic shows and personalities,” said Mr. Qiu. “The launch of discovery+ represents the next step in our journey here.” — JL Garcia

Jollibee’s P12-billion follow-on offering draws retail investors

JOLLIBEE Foods Corp. (JFC) listed its P12-billion follow-on offering of preferred shares, attracting retail investors as the base offer is said to be more than three times oversubscribed.

“It humbles us to see that our offering of eight million preferred shares has been oversubscribed by 3.11 times,” Ernesto Tanmantiong, president and chief executive officer of JFC, said during the listing ceremony on Thursday.

“Thank you especially to the retail investors who accounted for the vast majority of the investment in our preferred shares,” he added.

JFC offered in total 12 million Series A preferred shares with a 3.2821% per annum (p.a.) rate and Series B shares with a rate of 4.2405% p.a. for P1,000 each. The company allocated an overallotment option of four million shares.

The P12-billion preferred shares offering is said to be the company’s second capital raising activity at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) since its market debut in 1993.

The offered shares form part of the first tranche of JFC’s shelf-listed P20-billion preferred shares, the remaining will be offered within three years.

Majority of the proceeds from the offering will be used to partially buy back JFC’s senior perpetual securities and for general purposes, such as the company’s commissary and plans for store expansion.

Its wholly owned unit Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) is buying backup to $250-million guaranteed senior perpetual securities as JFC continues its plans to have a stronger balance sheet through “fewer debt obligations, more distributed financial maturities over the next few years,” among others.

PSE Chairman Jose T. Pardo said the results of JFC’s follow-on offering “reflects the confidence that investors have in the company’s leadership and management, the brands in its portfolio, and its strategic initiatives moving forward.”

JFC is now operating 17 brands in 34 countries with over 5,800 stores across the globe. The company attributes its success to its listing at the PSE, which “gave a significant contribution” to its growth.

“[Going public] enabled us to broaden our capital, invest in more restaurant outlets and factories, and acquire local and foreign brands,” said Mr. Tanmantiong.

“We list our first-ever preferred shares on the [PSE] with the conviction that the future of the Jollibee group of companies is even brighter,” he added.

JFC is planning to further expand its stores in North America and in Europe as well as become “a major player” in the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. It aims to be “one of the top five restaurant companies in the world.”

On Thursday, JFC shares at the stock exchange gained 6.39% or P13.80, closing at P229.80 apiece. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Original content available on discovery+

D+ Show Art

ASIDE from existing content, Discovery, Inc.’s new streaming service discovery+ will also have shows that are original and exclusive only to the platform, many of which are companion shows or expansions to existing franchises. Here’s a teaser of those shows available upon downloading the app.

  • 90 Day Bares All: Hosted by Shaun Robinson, this companion series to 90 Day Fiancé bares the lies, the secrets, and everything they couldn’t show on TV. The show puts cast members in the hot seat where they reveal pivotal new information and speak completely uncensored.
  • 90 Day Diaries: Another companion series to 90 Day Fiancé, the show gives an intimate look into the lives of 90 Day Fiance couples, told from their perspective. Without producers or crew, the cast members film themselves in their day-to-day lives, as they navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the new challenges it brings to their relationships.
  • 90 Day: The Single Life: Yet another companion series to 90 Day Fiancé, the show follows six single cast members from previous seasons of 90 Day Fiancé who are looking to find love again, while attempting to let go of baggage from their past.
  • Prisoner of Love: This series follows prison matchmaker Chelsea Holmes as she helps her clients find love with compatible inmates.
  • Say Yes to the Dress: In Sickness and In Health: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, brides have had their wedding dreams crushed, but Say Yes to the Dress star Randy Fenoli and designer Hayley Paige will stop at nothing to help these women have their special day.
  • My Feet Are Killing Me: Footnotes: The foot doctors of My Feet Are Killing Me present never-before-seen cases, as well as follow-ups with memorable patients.
  • Long Island Medium: In light of COVID-19 restrictions, medium Theresa Caputo delivers messages and readings without always leaving her home. This season features those who couldn’t say goodbye to loved ones, and celebrities receiving virtual readings.
  • Guy! Hawaiian Style: TV chef Guy Fieri takes his family on a 20-day adventure to Hawaii, exploring it by land, sea and air. In addition to deep-sea fishing and catching waves, they dive into some of Hawaii’s best eats.
  • Cocktails & Tall Tails with Ina Garten and Melissa McCarthy: Daytime Emmy Award-winning host Ina Garten and Primetime Emmy Award-winning actress, writer, and producer Melissa McCarthy have long been fans of one another from afar. Now the two get to meet — virtually that is — as they explore new cocktail concoctions.
  • Bobby and Giada in Italy: Longtime friends and celebrity chefs Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis take viewers on a culinary tour of Italy.
  • Duff’s Happy Fun Bake Time: Baker Duff Goldman, along with a cast of puppets from The Jim Henson Company, teaches the basics of cooking and how ingredients work together.
  • Amy Schumer Learns to Cook: Uncensored: An updated and uncensored look at the Emmy-nominated series featuring the comedian, Amy Schumer.
  • Luda Can’t Cook: Ludacris is both a legendary rapper and successful restaurateur, but his skills in the kitchen don’t match his talent in the studio — and this show proves it.
  • Mary McCartney Serves it Up: Mary McCartney (a photographer and a daughter of that Beatle) invites viewers into her London kitchen to serve up family favorites and vegetarian food her friends adore. In each episode, she’ll be joined by a famous friend, including Cameron Diaz and Nicole Richie, Dave Grohl, Kate Hudson, Gayle King, Mark Ronson and Liv Tyler.
  • Cakealikes: A comedic cake off competition challenges experts to create life-size cakes that are the spitting image of famed celebrities. It is hosted by Tregaye Fraser and judged by hyper realistic cake artist Natalie Sideserf, with food commentator Kalen Allen, and a rotating guest judge.
  • Christina: Stronger by Design: Christina Anstead, star designer and home renovation expert, starts a fresh chapter in her life and reflects on what inspires her as she rethinks her own home’s design. She also shares her personal wellness journey, her routine for self-care and a few of her favorite go-to beauty regimens with her makeup artist and best friend Shannon.
  • Design Star: Next Gen: Eight designer/renovators are brought to the Design Hub, a custom village where they face a gauntlet of challenges. Celebrity guests join Allison Holker Boss and judges Jonathan Adler and Lauren Makk as designers compete for $50,000 and their own show.
  • One Week to Sell: Interior designer and home stager Taylor Spellman transforms unsold homes into hot properties. Aided by Kate Dickens, Spellman creates personalized design plans for lagging listings, making them market-ready with high-end style on a small budget.
  • Clipped: Hosted by actor Michael Urie, with judges Martha Stewart, lifestyle/landscape expert Chris Lambton, and landscape designer Fernando Wong, this is the first-ever competition series set in the world of topiary. Each week a topiarist is eliminated until one triumphs as “Clipped Champion” and wins $50,000.
  • Frozen in Time: Maureen McCormick and designer Dan Vickery overhaul homes that are stuck in a design time warp.
  • Home Town: Ben’s Workshop: Master woodworker Ben Napier will share his expertise in craftsmanship and carpentry with celebrity guests including astronaut Scott Kelly, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, comedian Loni Love, and country singer Chris Lane in this four-episode series.
  • Unseamly: The Investigation of Peter Nygård: Canadian King of Polyester Peter Nygård built an international fashion empire and led an extravagant lifestyle constantly surrounded by beautiful, young women. But hiding beneath the outlandish public persona, scores of women say, was a dangerous sexual predator. Their accusations led to an investigation by the FBI and Mr. Nygård’s December arrest in Canada for extradition to the United States. Now, Mr. Nygård and his alleged crimes are exposed in a documentary nearly two years in the making.
  • If I Can’t Have You: The Jodi Arias Story: One of the most heavily covered murder cases of all time, Jodi Arias was put on trial for the murder of Travis Alexander. This special grants viewers access to Arias’ personal diaries, unseen police interviews and exclusive testimony, and interviews with the defense, prosecution, and friends and family of those connected to the case.
  • Children of the Cult: It started as a Christian community in the 1960s, but the Children of God soon became a notorious cult, rife with corruption, trafficking, and abuse. Three British women born into the cult tell the story of how they escaped and helped bring it to justice.
  • JonBenet Ramsey: What Really Happened: This feature-length documentary exploring the JonBenet Ramsey case, one of America’s most notorious unsolved murder mysteries, showcases the exclusive and previously unheard audio diaries of detective Lou Smit, who worked on 200 murder cases and was brought out of retirement in Denver to work on this homicide.
  • Queen of Meth: Meth didn’t start at our border, it started with Lori Arnold, sister of star Tom Arnold, in a cabin in Iowa back in 1984. By 1986 she was at the center of the country’s meth boom – the Queen Pin of a multimillion-dollar enterprise, manufacturing and distributing the drug throughout the Midwest. Now, for the first time, she tells her whole story.
  • American Detective with Joe Kenda: Homicide detective Lt. Joe Kenda is back exclusively on discovery+ with an all-new series.
  • Onision: In Real Life: Greg Jackson, aka “Onision,” discovered YouTube when the platform was still new in the digital world. And as the power of YouTube grew, the character “Onision” grew with it, luring in viewers with his off-kilter, opinionated and dark humor. But while his channels were twisted, his real life might be more sinister. This investigative series explores the mystery, controversy and alleged criminality surrounding Greg Jackson.
  • Gold Rush: Freddy Dodge’s Mine Rescue: Gold recovery expert Freddy Dodge helps struggling mine owners in this six-part series.
  • Beyond Borders: On Aug. 13, pilot Juan-Peter Schulze and travel vlogger Louis Cole set off to circumnavigate the world in a single-engine, 1974 Cessna T210L airplane. The duo had 81 days to complete the journey.
  • First To The Top Of The World: It starts out like a bad joke — an insurance salesman and a doctor walk into a bar — but this epic, true story ends with the most unlikely team of explorers re-writing the history books by becoming the first people to actually reach the North Pole.
  • Expedition Deep Ocean: Multibillionaire and adventurer Victor Vescuvo sets off to build and navigate a vessel that can safely take him to never explored ocean floors around the world.
  • Attack of the Murder Hornets: In this program, horror movie producer Michael Paul Stephenson crafts the definitive documentary, equal parts horror and camp, following the wacky and motley cast of characters at the Department of Agriculture whose urgent mission is to find, trap and destroy these giant hornets before the slaughter season begins.
  • Meet the Meerkats: This is the story of very special meerkat families. Rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, they’re being returned to their rightful home, the Kalahari.
  • Homemade Astronauts: Meet the leaders of a new movement — the DIY (do-it-yourself) space race.
  • Francesco: From Oscar-nominated director and producer, Evgeny Afineevksy, Francesco features unprecedented access to Pope Francis.
  • Valley of the Kings: The Lost Tomb: The Eastern Valley of Egypt’s The Valley of the Kings has more than 60 tombs but just over a ridge is the unexplored Western Valley. Archaeologists led by Zahi Hawass is going into the Western Valley of the Kings to hunt for evidence of a new tomb.
  • Lily Topples the World: This coming-of-age story of artistry, passion and unlikely triumph follows 20-year-old Lily Hevesh, the world’s greatest domino toppler and the only woman in her field.
  • Ghost Adventures: Cecil Hotel: The Ghost Adventures team investigates an LA hotel with a long history of unnatural deaths and dark forces.
  • Fright Club: A frighteningly friendly competition to freak each other out with the creepiest, craziest paranormal evidence ever caught on camera featuring Jack Osbourne and the Ghost Brothers – Dalen Spratt, Marcus Harvey and Juwan Mass.
  • The Haunted Museum: The creepy collection of haunted artifacts housed inside Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum are getting the spotlight in this new horror anthology series produced in collaboration with filmmaker Eli Roth.
  • The Exorcism of Roland Doe: A secret diary reveals shocking new details of the real exorcism case that inspired the iconic horror film The Excorcist.
  • Sing Again: Former K-pop singers take to the stage for another chance to sing again in this new competition show.
  • It Takes A Village: Tasked with building an eco-friendly house from scratch, the Korean celebrity participants must also grow seasonal crops or find food in nature as they attempt to survive country life.

SPC Power stockholders clear firm’s foray into renewables

INVESTORS in SPC Power Corp. have given the green light for the company to embark on the exploration and development of renewable energy (RE) resources.

In a regulatory filing on Thursday, SPC Power said that majority of its shareholders allowed the firm to revise its articles of incorporation, reflecting its planned foray in the RE business.

Stockholders representing more than two-thirds of the outstanding capital stock voted to include in the firm’s primary purpose, “to carry on the general business of exploration, development and utilization and/or lease of natural resources, such as… solar, wind, biomass, hydro, geothermal, ocean, wave and other RE sources of power or hybrid systems, for the production of electricity.”

They also allowed the company to own, lease and develop real or personal properties, including land; and invest in the management of domestic corporations, partnerships and entities to attain its primary purpose.

The development comes two months after the listed electricity retailer’s board cleared its amended articles of incorporation.

Earlier in May, SPC Power said it is keeping RE projects “on its radar,” after sharing its plans to build one solar project and two battery energy storage facilities.

The firm added it is also looking at partnering up with a hydro power generation firm, but provided no further details.

According to its annual report, SPC Power holds a 40% share in KEPCO SPC Power Corp., which maintains a 200-megawatt circulation fluidized combustion coal-fired power plant in Naga, Cebu.

Shares in SPC Power at the local bourse improved by 2.99% or 40 centavos to finish at P13.80 apiece on Thursday. — Angelica Y. Yang

2 girls and social media: New romcom tackles the vicissitudes of romance and online contests

THE CHALLENGES and reality of a struggling romantic relationship is the focus on the new WeTV Original series BetCin which premieres today.

The romantic comedy series follows Beth (played by Kylie Padilla) and Cindy (Andrea Torres), a social media celebrity couple called “BetCin,” who join an online contest called “#RelationshipGoals” and are perceived as having a perfect relationship. But outside the filtered posts, things are barely smooth sailing as their differing priorities and needs begin pulling them apart. As they figure out what’s next for them, BetCin is selected as a finalist for #RelationshipGoals. The couple is then challenged to “fake it until they make it” for the “likes” and the cash prize.

“We thought that the stories of… two women in a romantic relationship is something that needs to be heard more,” said WeTV Philippines country manager Georgette Tengco, during an online press conference on Oct. 12,  talking about giving a platform for more inclusive love stories.

“Not a lot of people talk about it, it’s a perspective, that’s usually given a platform. It’s a perspective that is not usually given a loud voice, and so we felt that time has come that we needed to put a spotlight on it and found the perfect project,” she added.

Directed by Shugo Praico, the eight-episode series balances out the drama of a relationship on the rocks with punches of humor. The series is line-produced by Rein Entertainment Productions and written by Fatrick Tabada and John Carlo Pacala. Also in the cast are Elora Españo and Chai Fonacier.

“One of the brilliant elements of Fatrick Tabada’s original script for BetChin, when we were developing it as a part of an anthology series years back, is its tone — a charming blend of wit and absurdist humor,” Mr. Praico, the director, said in a statement.

“When WeTV asked us to turn it into an eight-episode series, the genius JC Pacala and I decided to stick with that tone, push the comedy, and add poignancy into the mix, to tell the break-up story of an odd but lovable couple trapped in the zany situation they created. We wanted to give the audience a fresh take, a unique experience on this familiar kind of story.”

Mr. Praico said that both lead actors were committed to their roles.

“You will see the level of commitment in the project through their performance,” he said during the press conference.

Actress Andrea Torres admitted that she is the opposite of her character. She described Cindy as someone who is social media active and outgoing.

“I feel like no day is wasted with her. She is always game (for anything). She is good with experiencing anything and feels as if she can do anything,” Ms. Torres said in English and Filipino.

Meanwhile, Ms. Torres’ co-star Kylie Padilla expressed how she related to her character, Beth and hopes to play the role again if given the chance.

“The show was such a blessing for me because it came at a time where I really wanted to sink my teeth into a project that I really loved… I just have so much fun, and this was the perfect project for that,” Ms. Padilla said.

“I know her. I need to give this character justice. I know what she’s going through. I know her wants and needs and I just knew that I could make a character I would enjoy,” she added with enthusiasm. “It wasn’t really a challenge. I had so much fun. Nabitin ako (It left me hanging). I really want to play her again.”

Ms. Padilla said that both characters are relatable and lovable despite their flaws.

“You’re going to learn to love each character. In all their flaws and all their mess, you will love both because they are relatable,” Ms. Padilla said in English and Filipino. “That’s what I love most about the show. They are imperfect people, but they try their best.”

BetCin starts streaming exclusively on WeTV on Oct. 15, 8 p.m. New episodes will drop every Friday. WeTV and the iflix app are available on the App store and Google Play. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Forbes: Jollibee, Ayala, AEV among world’s best employers

RESTAURANT operator Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) as well as conglomerates Ayala Corp. and Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) made it to Forbes’ annual list of the world’s best employers.

JFC was at the 256th spot, Ayala ranked 487th, and AEV was at the 665th place. They were among the 750 firms across the globe that are in the publication’s ranking.

Forbes worked with market research firm Statista to compile survey results of over 150,000 full-time and part-time employees of multinational firms and institutions from 58 countries.

A company’s branding, economic footprint, talent development, gender equality, and social responsibility were taken into account. Respondents were also asked if they would recommend their employers to friends and families as well as evaluate other employers in their industries.

Companies that made it to the list recorded the highest survey scores.

Forbes said employers now “offer more competitive compensation packages” in an attempt to retain and attract workers.

The list ranked South Korea’s Samsung Electronics as the top employer for this round, trailing behind are four US-based firms, namely: IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

‘Profound experience’: Star Trek’s Shatner becomes world’s oldest space traveler

STAR TREK actor William Shatner experiences weightlessness with three other passengers during the apogee of the Blue Origin New Shepard mission NS-18 suborbital flight near Van Horn, Texas, US in a still image from video Oct. 13. — BLUE ORIGIN/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

VAN HORN, Texas —  Having made a career out of playing an explorer of the cosmos, William Shatner —  Captain James T. Kirk of Star Trek fame —  did it for real on Wednesday, becoming at age 90 the oldest person in space aboard a rocket ship flown by billionaire Jeff Bezos’s company Blue Origin, an experience the actor called profound.

Mr. Shatner was one of four passengers to journey for 10 minutes and 17 seconds to the edge of space aboard the white fully autonomous 60-foot-tall (18.3 meters-tall) New Shepard spacecraft, which took off from Blue Origin’s launch site about 20 miles (32 km) outside the rural west Texas town of Van Horn.

The crew capsule returned to the Texas desert from the suborbital flight under parachutes, raising a cloud of dust. Mr. Shatner emerged gingerly from the capsule in the desert silence, appearing reflective as the others celebrated by cheering and popping champagne bottles.

Mr. Bezos was on hand and embraced Mr. Shatner, who was wearing a cap and a blue flight suit with the company’s name in white letters on one sleeve.

“What you have given me is the most profound experience I can imagine,” Mr. Shatner told Mr. Bezos as the two chatted for several minutes. “I am so filled with emotion about what just happened.”

The all-civilian crew experienced a few minutes of weightlessness, having traveled about 65.8 miles (106 km) above the Earth’s surface —  higher than the internationally recognized boundary of space known as the Karman Line, about 62 miles (100 km) above Earth.

It marked the second space tourism flight for Blue Origin, the company Mr. Bezos —  the Amazon.com, Inc. founder and current executive chairman —  founded two decades ago. Mr. Bezos flew aboard the first one in July.

Mr. Shatner —  who embodied the promise of space travel in the classic 1960s TV series Star Trek and seven subsequent films —  said he had prepared himself for experiencing weightlessness, but was stunned at the dramatic contrast of the beauty of the blue Earth and the blackness of space.

“You’re looking into blackness, into black ugliness,” Mr. Shatner said. “And you look down, there’s the blue down there —  and the black up there —  and it’s just, there is Mother Earth.”

“This is life and that’s death, and in an instant, you know —  whoa – that’s death,” Mr. Shatner said. “That’s what I saw.”

“Is that the way death is?” Mr. Shatner asked.

Before the flight, each astronaut rang a bell and then entered the capsule atop the rocket ship, with Mr. Bezos closing the hatch. Winds were light and skies were clear for the launch, conducted after two delays totaling roughly 45 minutes.

Joining Mr. Shatner were former NASA engineer Chris Boshuizen, clinical research entrepreneur Glen de Vries, and Blue Origin vice-president and engineer Audrey Powers.

‘BEAM ME UP’
Mr. Shatner, who turned 90 in March, has been acting since the 1950s and remains busy with entertainment projects and fan conventions. He is best known for starring as Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the starship Enterprise on Star Trek.

During the opening credits of each episode of the series, he called space “the final frontier” and promised “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

“Beam me up,” Mr. Shatner’s character would tell the Enterprise’s chief engineer Scotty, played by James Doohan, in a memorable catchphrase when he needed to be transported to the starship.

Mr. Shatner’s participation helped generate publicity for Blue Origin as it competes against two billionaire-backed rivals —  Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. —  to attract customers willing to pay large sums to experience spaceflight. The flight represented another important day for the nascent space tourism industry that, according to UBS, could reach an annual value of $3 billion in a decade.

Blue Origin had a successful debut space tourism flight on July 20, with Mr. Bezos and three others aboard on a trip lasting 10 minutes and 10 seconds. On that flight, pioneering female aviator Wally Funk at age 82 became the oldest person to reach space. The previous record was set in 1998 when pioneering astronaut John Glenn returned to space as a 77-year-old US senator. Mr. Branson inaugurated his space tourism service on July 11, riding along on a suborbital flight with six others. SpaceX debuted its space tourism business by flying the first all-civilian crew to reach Earth’s orbit in a three-day mission ending Sept. 18.

In his annual address to world leaders last month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized “billionaires joyriding to space while millions go hungry on earth.”

Asked about Mr. Shatner’s flight, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday that Mr. Guterres “very much continues to believe what he said in the General Assembly.” — Reuters

Space agency site to rise in New Clark City

THE Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has started seeking interested consultants for the formulation of a master development plan for its official site in the New Clark City.

“The Philippine Space Agency now calls for the submission of eligibility documents of interested consultants,” the national space agency said in its invitation published by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on its Facebook page on Thursday.

The Bids and Awards Committee Secretariat of the agency will accept eligibility documents until Oct. 19 at its office in UP Diliman, Quezon City.

The agency said the consultant will be selected and employed in accordance with “quality-cost based evaluation” procedures.

The National Space Center will have phases 1 and 2, both in the New Clark City, Tarlac.

PhilSA, established through Republic Act No. 11363, functions to address all national issues and activities related to space science and technology applications.

It serves as the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, and administrative entity of the executive branch of the government to advance the national space program in accordance with the Philippine Space Policy.

The PhilSA facility will include offices, meeting facilities, research and testing laboratories, as well as areas, structures, and settings deemed necessary by the agency. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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