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John Arcilla wins Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival

John Arcilla, via John Arcilla/Instagram.

A DAY before the 78th Venice International Film Festival’s awarding ceremony, actor John Arcilla posted on Instagram a roster of photos of actors who won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. Part of his caption read, “…I wish I can have one someday!”  

At the awarding ceremony on Sept. 11, Mr. Arcilla’s wish came true as he was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for the film, On the Job: The Missing 8.   

He joins previous winners of the Volpi Cup for Best Actor including Brad Pitt, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Joaquin Phoenix, Javier Bardem, Ben Affleck, and Sean Penn. 

Happening (L’événement), a hard-hitting French drama about illegal abortion in the 1960s, won the Golden Lion award for best film at the Venice festival on Saturday. 

The film, by director Audrey Diwan, wowed viewers on the Lido waterfront with its portrayal of a young woman desperate to arrange a termination, at a time when it could mean a prison term or death, to continue with her studies. 

Among other awards, the runner-up Grand Jury prize went to Italian director Paolo Sorrentino for The Hand of God, his deeply personal film about losing his parents as a teenager. 

Spain’s Penelope Cruz won the best actress prize for playing a single mother in Pedro Almodovar’s Parallel Mothers. 

OTJ: THE MISSING 8 GOES ON TV
On the Job: The Missing 8 made its world premiere at the Main Competition of this year’s Venice International Film Festival.   

The 208-minute crime thriller is a sequel to On the Job (released in 2013). Directed by Erik Matti and written by Michiko Yamamoto, the story follows journalist Sisoy Salas (played by Mr. Arcilla) who investigates the disappearance of his colleagues and of Roman Rubio (Denis Trillo), a prisoner temporarily brought out of prison to carry out executions.  

“I know that we come from different countries, and we have different languages and cultures. And yet, I can feel oneness tonight. And I can feel that you understand me, and we understand each other because of the art of cinema. So, thank you so much,” Mr. Arcilla said in a video of his acceptance speech shown during the ceremony. The actor had not been able to go to Italy for the festival. 

At the awarding ceremony in Venice, which was streamed on the Biennale Channel on YouTube, the film’s director Mr. Matti accepted the award on Mr. Arcilla’s behalf.   

A combination of the first film and its sequel was developed into a TV series titled, On the Job: The Series. The six-part series which includes never-before-seen footage from the first film is available to stream on HBO Go beginning today. 

RELEVANT FILM
The festival’s top winner, Happening, is set in France in 1963 but its central theme is as relevant today as it was then, its visibly moved director Ms. Diwan told the audience at the awarding ceremony, just as the debate about abortion rages again in the United States following new restrictions in Texas. 

“I did this film with anger, with desire, with my belly, my guts, my heart and my head,” she said.

The awards ceremony wrapped up the 11-day movie marathon, with critics calling the line-up one of the best in years as many films had been held back because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

“It is amazing that you managed to make this happen,” said New Zealand’s Jane Campion, who won the Silver Lion prize for best director with 1920 frontier saga The Power of The Dog. “It is special for us film-makers to be here live with audiences and experience what we dream about.”

Stars from far and wide turned out in force on the Venice red carpet — a vital ingredient for the success of a festival, and even more so after last year’s subdued edition. 

Ben Affleck — holding hands with Jennifer Lopez — Matt Damon, Timothee Chalamet, and Kristen Stewart were among the Hollywood A-listers who made the trip for the world’s oldest film festival. 

Also creating a big buzz were two films which screened outside of the main contest, and were not eligible for awards — Denis Villeneuve’s remake of science fiction classic Dune and Ridley Scott’s medieval epic The Last Duel. 

FEMINIST FESTIVAL?
 Ms. Diwan’s film was a fitting winner for a festival with many strong women’s stories, in a year where the #MeToo movement has appeared to make a mark on the cinema industry. 

Adapted from Annie Ernaux’s autobiographical novel, the picture’s tight framing immerses the audience in the private trauma lived by Anne, its protagonist. 

“On set, I was always thinking: Let’s not look at Anne, let’s be Anne,” Ms. Diwan said. 

She is the sixth female director to win the Venice showcase, here in its 78th edition. Happening is also the second French movie to triumph at a major festival since Julia Ducournau’s Titane scooped the Palme D’Or in Cannes in July. 

Among other awards, the runner-up Grand Jury prize went to Italian director Paolo Sorrentino for The Hand of God, his deeply personal film about losing his parents as a teenager. 

Spain’s Penelope Cruz won the best actress prize for playing a single mother in Pedro Almodovar’s Parallel Mothers. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman and Reuters

COVID-19 alert system for metro OK’d

The Philippine capital and nearby cities will only have two lockdown levels with several alert levels in a policy shift that seeks to shield the economy from a coronavirus pandemic, according to the presidential palace. 

An inter-agency task force has provisionally approved the rules on the pilot enforcement of an alert level system for the capital region from Sept. 16 to 30, presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. told a televised news briefing on Friday. 

Metro Manila will either be under an enhanced community quarantine or general community quarantine. Restrictions in areas under a general lockdown would depend on the alert level imposed on specific areas within it, he said. 

Areas in the capital will be placed under alert levels 1 to 4, with 4 being the strictest and under which dining, personal care services and mass gatherings will be barred. 

The government was still finalizing the list of specific establishments under the categories and the allowed activities per alert level. 

Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Epimaco V. Densing III said houses and streets with clustered coronavirus infections might be placed under a “stronger granular lockdown.” 

Only health workers, inbound and outbound overseas Filipino workers and people in “highly extraordinary circumstance” like those needing urgent medical care will be allowed to go in and out of an area under a granular lockdown. 

Mr. Roque said families affected by granular lockdowns would receive aid such as food from local governments and the Social Welfare department. 

DoH reported 17,964 coronavirus infections on Friday, bringing the total to 2.18 million. 

The death toll rose to 34,899 after 168 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 9,067 to 1.97 million, it said in a bulletin. 

There were 175,470 active cases, 87.8% of which were mild, 7.8% did not show symptoms, 1.3% were severe, 2.48% were moderate and 0.6% were critical. 

DoH said 86 duplicates had been removed from the tally, 74 of which were tagged as recoveries and two as deaths, while 79 recoveries were reclassified as deaths. Four laboratories failed to submit data on Sept. 8. 

Meanwhile, 502,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine made by AstraZeneca Plc arrived on Friday. Mr. Roque said 37.7 million vaccine doses have been given out — Bianca Angelica D. Añago 

US underlines navigation freedom at sea

Some of the about 220 Chinese vessels reported by the Philippine Coast Guard, and believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel, are pictured at Whitsun Reef, South China Sea, March 7, 2021. — PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD/NATIONAL TASK FORCE-WEST PHILIPPINE SEA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

The United States has vowed to uphold freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, reiterating calls for China to abide by a 2016 arbitration ruling that voided its claim to more than 80% of the waterway. 

US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken made the call during his first face-to-face meeting with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, US State Department spokesman Edward Price said in a statement posted on the agency’s website. 

“The Philippines is a strong supporter of the rules-based international order including the freedom of navigation, and we’ll certainly be talking about that, and many more things,” Mr. Blinken told journalists there before meeting with his Philippine counterpart, according to a transcript posted by the agency. 

The State secretary also said the US was committed to help the Philippines combat the coronavirus pandemic, according to the statement. The two statesmen also discussed economic engagement and human rights. 

He also thanked President Rodrigo R. Duterte for recalling a decision to end a military agreement between the two nations on the deployment of troops for war games. 

“We were very gratified to have the recent renewal of the visiting forces agreement,” Mr. Blinken said. “We are standing shoulder-to-shoulder in combating COVID-19. and looking at ways to build back better from the pandemic.” 

Mr. Locsin praised America’s fast vaccine rollout.

The Philippines and US are celebrating the 70th anniversary of their Mutual Defense Treaty and 75 years of diplomatic ties. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

House approves VP budget

The House committee on appropriations has approved the Office of the Vice-President’s P713.41-million budget for next year. 

The panel approved the budget, which is 21% lower, without a hearing — consistent with the tradition of parliamentary courtesy to a co-equal government branch. 

Under the spending plan, P139.58 million will go to personnel services, P558.5 million to maintenance and other operating expenses, P3.66 million to capital outlays and P11.37 million to retirement and life insurance premiums. — Russell Louis C. Ku 

Labor Party drops Pacquiao

SENATOR MANNY PACQUIAO FB PAGE

Labor Party Philippines on Friday said it would no longer endorse Senator Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao, Sr.’s presidential bid after he expressed intention to remain with the ruling PDP-Laban. 

“The manifestation puts us in a legal bind,” Oscar L. Morado, spokesman of the group also known as Workers’ and Peasants Party said in a statement. “We truly respect Mr. Pacquiao’s decision.” 

The PDP-Laban under the Pacquiao faction plans to hold a national assembly on Sept. 19, when they will announce party officials and candidates for the 2022 elections. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

Lawmakers nix Comelec budget cut

PHILSTAR FIEL PHTO

A congressman wants to restore the P15-billion cut in the 2022 budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure the efficiency of the May 2022 elections. 

“The Comelec budget really needs to be restored,” said Surigao del Norte Rep. Francisco T. Matugas, who heads the committee on appropriations. 

Party-list Rep. Ferdinand R. Gaite also pushed to restore the Comelec’s P42-billion budget for next year to ensure “clean, honest and COVID-free” elections. 

Comelec spokesman James B. Jimenez last month said the budget cut would not affect orders for equipment and supplies for the May 2022 elections because funds for these had been allotted this year. 

Teachers who guard the votes during elections will be affected the most because the increase in their honoraria under the law depends on the available budget. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago 

June FDI bounces back

By Beatrice M. Laforga, Reporter 

Foreign direct investments (FDI) rebounded in June on base effects and an improving economic landscape, according to the latest central bank data. 

FDI net inflows surged by 60.4% to $833 million from a year earlier, based on preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The net inflows nearly doubled from $433 million a month earlier. 

This pushed first-half FDI net inflows higher by 40.7% year on year to $4.298 billion. 

“Concerns over the spread of a more transmissible Delta variant may have prompted investors to remain on the sidelines,” the central bank said in a statement on Friday. 

FDIs spiked from a low base in the first half of 2020, when lockdowns across the country were more stringent, spooking investors, said Cid Terosa, a senior economist at the University of Asia and the Pacific. 

“The economic revival in many developed countries and the intense effort to vaccinate more Filipinos must have buoyed investor sentiment about the Philippines,” he said in an e-mailed response to questions. 

Nonresidents’ net investment in debt instruments, consisting mainly of inter-company borrowings between foreign direct investors and their units in the country, grew by 152% to $630 million in June. 

Meanwhile, nonresidents’ net investments in equity capital went down by 48.4% to $93 million in June, as a 38.2% drop in equity capital placements to $119 million offset a more than double jump in equity capital withdrawals worth $26 million. 

Majority of equity capital placements came from Singapore, Japan and the United States, and were channeled into manufacturing; financial and insurance; and the electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning sectors. 

Reinvestment of earnings also grew by 23.4% to $110 million in June. 

In the six months to June, foreign net investments in debt instruments grew by 86.5% to $2.805 billion. 

Net investments in equity capital fell by 48.4% to $971 million, with equity capital placements dropping by 10.4% to $1.14 billion and equity capital withdrawals falling by 18.3% to $165 million. 

Reinvestment of earnings, on the other hand, rose by 7.7% year on year to $522 million in the first half. 

The BSP expects FDI net inflows to hit $7.5 billion by year-end. 

Foreign investors would probably remain cautious due to renewed lockdowns as the pandemic drags on, Mr. Terosa said. 

More targeted lockdowns could ease the negative effect on investor sentiment, he added, apart from credit rating companies not drastically changing their outlook for the Philippines. 

The enactment of a measure that lowered the corporate income tax and reformed the country’s fiscal incentive system, coupled with low interest rates and a pickup in global demand had also helped buoy foreign investments, said Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC). 

“Relatively lower cost of inputs for investments as a result of softer demand conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have also made FDIs cheaper from the point of view of global companies that constantly invest around the world,” he said. 

BSP raises P110B at auction

BW FILE PHOTO

The Philippine central bank fully awarded the short-term debt it offered on Friday as rates dipped after last-minute changes to the country’s lockdown status. 

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) raised P110 billion from 28-day bills, as total bids reached P137.82 billion. 

The auction was 1.25 times oversubscribed, but the demand fell from P148.05 billion at the auction last week. Yields sought for the securities ranged from 1.7% to 1.742%, wider than 1.713%-1.728% last week. 

The bills fetched an average rate of 1.718%, compared with 1.719% a week ago. 

“The auction results continue to show that market conditions remain normal, supported by ample liquidity in the financial system,” BSP Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila, Jr. said in an e-mailed statement. 

“The BSP’s monetary operations will remain guided by its latest assessment of liquidity conditions and market developments,” he added. 

Rates of short-term debt eased after the government extended the strict lockdown in Metro Manila for another week, said Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. 

Earlier this week, presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said Metro Manila would be under a modified enhanced community quarantine until Sept. 8, reversing a plan for targeted lockdowns. 

This sparked outrage from small businesses, especially restaurant owners who had prepared to open their stores and stock up on inventories. 

The country is facing its worst coronavirus outbreak since the pandemic started last year, caused by a more contagious Delta variant. 

The Health department reported 17,964 new coronavirus infections on Friday, pushing the total active cases to 175,470. 

A stronger peso against the dollar had also helped pull down the yields on the short-term debt, easing inflationary pressures via cheaper import prices, Mr. Ricafort said. — Beatrice M. Laforga 

Meralco raises September rates

PHILSTAR

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has raised power rates this month, citing higher generation charges. 

In a statement on Friday, the company said the overall rate for a typical household this month would rise by P0.1055 to P9.1091 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from August. 

Residential customers consuming 200 kWh will experience a P21 increase in their power bills for September. Those consuming 300 kWh, 400 kWh, and 500 kWh will experience an increase of P32, P42, and P53, respectively. 

“Despite the slight adjustment, this month’s rate is still lower than the P10.0732 per kWh registered in the same month in 2018,” Meralco said. “It also marks an 11% decrease from the P10.2647 rate registered in the same month a decade ago.” 

The generation charge for September went up by P0.1117 to P5.0439 per kWh from August, the company said. The generation charge accounts for 55% of customers’ electricity bills. 

The utility giant said charges from power supply agreements also rose by P0.2494 per kWh. 

“The reduction in demand brought about by the reimposition of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and neighboring regions led to lower excess energy deliveries, which are priced at a discount, from South Premiere Power, San Miguel Energy and AC Energy,” Meralco said. 

It added that charges by independent power producers had also increased by P0.0955 per kWh due to lower average plant dispatch with the forced outage of Quezon Power from Aug. 18 to 22 and the planned outage of San Lorenzo Module 50 starting Aug. 16. 

Meralco said fuel costs at the Santa Rita and San Lorenzo natural gas plants had also gone up as it used more expensive alternative liquid fuel for their sustained operations given limited gas supply from Malamapaya. 

On the other hand, wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) charges fell by P0.7504 per kWh. 

“Lower demand in the Luzon grid also offset the impact of higher plant outages during the August supply month,” Meralco said. 

“Charges from the WESM would have further decreased by P0.5646 per kWh without the correction on the net settlement surplus component in the July 2021 WESM bill, and the generation charge adjustment would have been only at P0.0553 per kWh,” it added. 

Meralco said the transmission charge for residential customers in September fell by P0.0520 per kWh to P0.6803 per kWh from August given lower ancillary service charges. Subsidies, taxes and other charges increased by P0.0458 per kWh. 

The collection of the universal charge-environmental charge worth P0.0025 per kWh remained suspended, as ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission. 

Meralco distribution, supply and metering charges have been unchanged for 74 months after reductions in July 2015. 

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., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave 

NEDA sees electronics, manufacturing keeping economy afloat

REUTERS

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said the electronics and manufacturing sectors are proving to be the main drivers of the economy during the pandemic.  

In a televised briefing Friday, NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said the electronics sector has been “very resilient during this time,” noting that demand for electronics is rising worldwide.  

Ms. Edillon added that the NEDA sees the manufacturers, specifically those of health-related goods, as among the standouts in the economy 

In a report to President Rodrigo R. Duterte Wednesday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA head Karl Kendrick T. Chua said growth in 2021 and 2022 “remains encouraging.” 

According to Ms. Edillon, this is especially due to the quick response of the labor market to the lifting of lockdown measures.  

“When restrictions are eased, our countrymen return to work quickly,” she said.  

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Tuesday that the unemployment rate declined to 6.9% in July from 7.7% in June. However, the labor force participation rate fell to 59.8% from 65%.  

As such, Ms. Edillon highlighted the need to safely reopen the economy by focusing on risk management, accelerating vaccinations, and avoiding any “long-term scarring” on any particular industry.  

“We really need to reopen (the industries) that we can reopen right away to avoid or minimize scarring,” she said. 

Ms. Edillon said the effect on gross domestic product (GDP) is around P144 billion for every week of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest lockdown setting, in the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite. The impact of the more lenient modified ECQ (MECQ) is around P74 billion per week. – Bianca Angelica D. Anago 

DBM sitting on ‘For Later Release’ funds, legislator says

A HOUSE legislator called for the immediate disbursement of billions worth of funds classified as “For Later Release” (FLR), claiming that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is improperly holding on to the money and undermining the role of Congress in identifying spending items. 

Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez said in a statement Friday that the Executive branch is acting unconstitutionally. 

“These are line items in the 2021 budget law or General Appropriations Act, which the House and the Senate approved and which President Duterte signed. The President’s approval is not needed for their release because they are contained in a law,” Mr. Rodriguez said.   

He also said that withholding the funds would “render the exclusive power of Congress to appropriate funds useless,” adding that the President could have chosen to veto any line item in this year’s budget. 

“It cannot be overemphasized that our people are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and are barely making both ends meet. We need to give them jobs and income, and the best way to do that is to spend funds for infrastructure, social services, and other projects,” he said. 

Acting Budget Secretary Tina Rose Marie L. Canda said during a Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefing at the Senate Wednesday that FLR funds for this year total P140 billion, with P33 billion or 23.6% having been released. 

She also said that the disbursement of the FLR funds require the approval of the President.   

Senators urged government agencies, especially those with infrastructure projects, to ramp up spending to help the economy bounce back from the pandemic. — Russell Louis C. Ku 

DTI says funds sufficient to assist half-million MSMEs in 2022

PCOO.GOV.PH

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said Friday that his department’s budget for 2022 and leftover cash from the Bayanihan II economic stimulus package might be sufficient to provide loans and livelihood aid to 500,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). 

Mr. Lopez said at a House budget hearing that the 2022 budget for MSME loans is P1.5 billion while P1 billion has allotted for livelihood kits. The department can also tap P2 to P3 billion in cash remaining from Bayanihan II intended for MSMEs. 

He said the funds are sufficient for assistance to the 500,000 MSMEs at an average of P10,000 each. 

There are one million registered and around six million unregistered MSMEs. 

“If wecwere to target assisting 1 million MSMEs, ideally we would need P10 billion,” Mr. Lopez noted. 

In June, the department said the program for businesses affected by the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had disbursed P4.5 billion worth of loans to 30,408 applicants. 

Around half of small businesses reported declining sales in June, off the high of 90% reported in July 2020. – Arjay L. Balinbin 

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