FDA allows ASF-free Mekeni to sell pork products

December 6, 2019 | 7:06 pm

THE Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the redistribution of pork-based products of Pampanga-based Mekeni Food Corp. after these were cleared of the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus.

“They already tested negative and are now allowed,” FDA Director General Rolando Enrique D. Domingo said in a text message.

“After a thorough review of the documents and test results, the FDA gave Mekeni the clearance to redistribute,” Mekeni said in a statement.

The company has agreed to allow tests of incoming raw meat from both foreign and local suppliers, while periodic environmental swabbing of its facilities will also be done to prevent possible contamination.

The meat processor on Nov. 22 submitted to the FDA corrective actions it had implemented, as well as the results of the test conducted by Standard Global Services (SGS).

This was after branded and unbranded processed pork products were confiscated at Calapan Port in Oriental Mindoro on Oct. 6 that tested positive for ASF. There were unconfirmed reports during that time that the branded processed pork products had come from Mekeni.

The meat processor voluntarily recalled its pork-based products on Oct. 26.

Mekeni President Prudencio S. Garcia said they would continue to work with the government in controlling the spread of the virus. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

Dollar reserves hit $86.39B at end-November

December 6, 2019 | 7:06 pm

THE country’s dollar reserves rose by $560 million from a month earlier to $86.39 billion at the end of November, giving the central bank enough buffer against liquidity shocks, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Friday.

The month-on-month increase in gross international reserves reflects the inflows arising from BSP’s foreign exchange operations and income from its investments abroad, and the National Government’s net foreign currency deposits, it said in a statement.

“The end-November level provides an ample external liquidity buffer that is equivalent to 7.5 months’ worth of imports of goods and services and payments of primary income,” the central bank said.

It was also equivalent to 5.6 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.1 times based on residual maturity.

Net international reserves, which refer to the difference between the central bank gross international reserves and total short-term liabilities, also increased by $560 million to $86.38 billion during the period, BSP said.

Peso continues rally against dollar

December 6, 2019 | 7:06 pm

THE peso continued to rally against the dollar on Friday on positive market sentiment about inflation.

The currency closed at P50.765 against the greenback, 3.5 centavos stronger than a day earlier, according to data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines.It also appreciated by 4.5 centavos week on week.

The peso opened at P50.72, which was also its strongest level. It weakened to as much as P50.79.

Dollars traded slipped to $899.2 million from $1.02 billion a day earlier.

Better-than-expected inflation figures reported on Thursday supported the peso’s rally against the dollar, a trader said by telephone.

“The better than expected consumer price index helped the local unit’s strength,” he said.

November inflation was at 1.3%, well within the government’s target, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The local currency was also boosted by US data on its service sector, which slowed in November because of trade tensions with China, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael L. Ricafort said.

Reuters reported that the US service sector slowed in November due to trade tensions as well as a labor shortage that has dragged production to its lowest level in a decade. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Collateral registry up by May

December 6, 2019 | 7:06 pm

A PROPOSED online registry for loan collaterals will go live in May next year and is expected to widen the access of micro, small and medium enterprises to credit, the Finance department said on Friday.

The registry is in keeping with a law on personal property security and would boost the share of these businesses in band lending to 40% in the next five to 10 years from 6% now , Finance Undersecretary and chief economist Gil S. Beltran said.

The rules that will enforce the Personal Property Security Act gave the Land Registration Authority nine months to set up the electronic registry, but the agency is targeting to launch it in six months at the latest. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Pru Life UK brings PRURide PH 2020 to Clark, Pampanga

December 6, 2019 | 5:26 pm

Pru Life UK is set to launch another edition of PRURide PH, the country’s biggest cycling festival. In 2020, Pru Life UK is bringing its high-octane races to Clark, Pampanga, taking place from March 11 to 15.

Next year’s edition is expected to welcome more than 2,500 cyclists, including 18 local and international professional teams, who will race in 10 categories. Competing participants can join the Virtual PRURide, and PRURide Criterium which feature different races, including fixed gear, road bike, and mountain bike races. Meanwhile, non-competitive rides such as the Gran Fondo is perfect for families, beginners and hobbyists, while the Striders Cup is for children aged two to six, who will race using non-pedal bikes. The event next year will also include the Fun Cycle, a new cycling activity meant for Pru Life UK agents and employees.

PRURide PH 2020 ambassadors Zoren Legaspi and Gretchen Ho, together with Race Director Ian Alacar, share their experiences during last year’s PRURide PH and Prudential RideLondon.

Another highlight of the event will be the PRURide UCI 2.2 Stage Races, a three-day race accredited by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world’s governing body for cycling, which will allow cyclists to chalk up points to advance to bigger international competitions. This is PRURide’s second year to be included in the UCI World Calendar.

“We are excited to launch PRURide PH 2020 after the success of our first three editions. Since becoming UCI 2.2-accredited in 2019, PRURide PH is expected to grow bigger and become more exciting,” shares Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga. “It is now a five-day marquee featuring recurring cycling activities made more thrilling with the addition of new routes in Clark and Tarlac. With these, we aim to offer the best PRURide PH yet to our recreational and professional cyclists from the Philippines and Asia.”

The festival will also usher the return of PRURide PH’s celebrity ambassadors, Gretchen Ho, Kim Atienza, and Zoren Legaspi. Together with other participants, they are expected to compete in various full-powered festival rides.

PRURide PH 2020 ambassadors Zoren Legaspi and Gretchen Ho, join SVP and Chief Customer Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga, as the first UCI cycling event of 2020 commences its registration.

Launched in 2016, PRURide PH aims to engage the growing cycling community in the Philippines, raise awareness on cycling as a sustainable alternative mode of transport, and promote health and wellness through Pru Life UK’s We DO Health commitment.

“Through PRURide PH, we want to show that having an active lifestyle can be a fun activity enjoyed by friends and families. At the same time, we hope to inspire others to get on a bike and start their own fitness journeys,” adds Tumbaga.

To register and know more about PRURide PH 2020, visit https://www.pruride.ph. Early-bird discounts and limited-edition freebies are also offered to participants who will register on or before December 31, 2019.

All registered participants will receive a PRURide PH 2020 race kit, while all finishers will be given a finisher medal. Over PHP 2 million worth of cash prizes will be given away.

Approved foreign investment pledges (Q3 2019)

December 6, 2019 | 12:32 am

COMMITTED foreign direct investments (FDI) approved by the government’s seven main investment promotion agencies (IPAs) grew more than fourfold to the biggest amount in nearly seven years last quarter, helping to fuel a year-to-date surge, according to preliminary data the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Thursday. Read the full story.

Committed investments surge

December 6, 2019 | 12:32 am

Pledged FDI increased by 327.9% to P182.44 billion in the third quarter from P42.64 billion in the same three months last year.

The latest tally was the biggest amount since the P230.22 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The seven IPAs tracked by the PSA are the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Board of Investments (BoI), Clark Development Corp. (CDC), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB), BoI-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BoI-ARMM) and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA).

Third-quarter inflows brought year-to-date committed FDIs to P278 billion, 216.6% more than the year-ago P87.79 billion.

Approved committed investments from Filipinos and foreign nationals totaled P515.71 billion last quarter, 187.7% more than the P179.26 billion committed in the same three months last year. Domestic investors accounted for P333.27 billion or 64.6% of the total.

Should they materialize, foreign and local investments pledged in the third quarter are expected to generate 50,575 jobs across industries, 22% more than the 41,447 prospective jobs from investments pledged a year ago.

Foreign investment commitments differ from the actual capital inflows monitored by the central bank for balance of payments purposes. Investments tracked by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also go beyond projects and include other categories like reinvested earnings and lending to Philippine subsidiaries and affiliates through their debt instruments.

With the wider definition, latest BSP data showed that foreign direct investment net inflows sank by 39.7% to $4.535 billion in the eight months to August from $7.526 a year ago.

“The growth in investment pledges were mainly driven by investments in the information and communication industry,” said the PSA, which grew 11,109.6% to P134.51 billion in the third quarter.

This was followed by electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply, with a share of 19.2%, got P35.01 billion; manufacturing’s P7.06 billion; and administrative and support services’ P2.59 billion.

The three months to September saw BoI contributing the biggest chunk of the foreign investment pledges at P170.98 billion or 93.72% of the total. PEZA followed far behind with P10.29 billion or 5.643%, SBMA with P476.33 million, BoI-ARMM with P306.81 million, CDC with P152.9 million, AFAB with P150.77 million and CEZA with P72.35 million.

BoI reported separately on Thursday that total committed investments it has so far approved more than doubled to P1.04 trillion as of October from P434 billion in last year’s comparable 10 months, with FDI pledges surging 818% to P331 billion and domestic investments growing 78% to P709 billion.

Among regions, Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon (Calabarzon) just south of Metro Manila got bulk of total foreign pledges in the third quarter with P40.30 billion or 22.1% of the total, followed by the National Capital Region with P2.68 billion and Central Luzon with P2.16 billion.

By country of investor, Singapore sent the most committed FDIs during the nine months to September with P174.33 billion (62.7%), followed by South Korea with P35.52 billion and Japan with P17.33 billion.

ING Bank NV Manila Branch Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa said in an e-mail that the surge in pledges might have come from “corporates [that] may have expressed interest in the Philippines but are awaiting clarity on the CITIRA bill before they actually translate these pledges into FDI flows into the country.”

He was referring to the proposed Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act that will gradually cut the corporate tax rate to 20% in 10 years from 30% currently and overhaul fiscal incentives.

For UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. (UnionBank) Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion, foreign investors considered the country for “positive” reasons as the “challenge” of protectionism in global trade rises.

“Aside from its resilient growth story in 2018 and now 2019, there are economic reforms that help the country be a great investment destination,” Mr. Asuncion said in an e-mail.

“The country’s investment climate improvement is seen in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report, where the Philippines jumped 29 places from ranking 124^th to 95^th among the 190 economies surveyed.”

For his part, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Economist Michael L. Ricafort attributed the surge in foreign investment commitments to the sharp decline in the local inflation and key interest rates as well as the higher government spending and infrastructure during the quarter.

“Thus, some bottoming out in local interest rates already encouraged more FDI commitments that will be funded with much lower borrowing or financing costs,” he said.

“Furthermore, government spending and infrastructure spending posted sharp growth rates in the latter part of [the third quarter], thereby benefiting some related FDIs that form part of the supply chain,” Mr. Ricafort added.

In the third quarter, inflation further decelerated to 1.7% from three percent in the second quarter. This brought the year-to-date average inflation to 2.8%, still within the government’s target of 2-4%.

Inflation slowing from last year’s near-decade-high 5.2% has enabled the BSP to partially dial back 2018’s cumulative 175-basis-point hike in benchmark interest rates, by 75 bps so far. The BSP will hold its eighth and last policy review for 2019 on Dec. 12, where it is widely expected to hold fire on further cuts for now.

“On external factors, the US and China agreed to resume talks in the latter part of the [third quarter], increasing the chances of a partial or phase-one trade deal between the two countries, thereby improving risk appetite in the financial markets and economy…” Mr. Ricafort added.

Looking ahead, UnionBank’s Mr. Asuncion said, “FDI pledges may actually grow further the fourth quarter as better prospects come forth regarding the future of institutional and game-changing reforms being undertaken by the current administration.”

“Reforms that will clarify investment themes, communicate a specific industrial policy and the emphasis to improve connections and the decongestion of business and financial centers in the country that can further create investment opportunities and demand creation,” Mr. Asuncion said.

RCBC’s Mr. Ricafort said that approval of the final version of corporate income tax reforms will lend “more certainty to both foreign and local investors,” encouraging “them to become more decisive in their investments into the country.”

He added that “FDI pledges could continue to go up further especially if financing or borrowing costs for FDIs have indeed bottomed out in the third quarter this year… This would prompt more aggressive borrowings to finance some FDIs after waiting over the past couple of months for interest rates to go down further.” — Carmina Angelica V. Olano

Oct. finds fewer Filipinos jobless, though underemployed ranks grow

December 6, 2019 | 12:31 am

THE LATEST official labor data showed the ranks of jobless Filipinos decreasing in October, though those wanting more work to augment income increased slightly, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.

Preliminary results of the PSA’s October 2019 round of the Labor Force Survey (LFS) put the unemployment rate at 4.5%, down from the 5.1% recorded in the same survey round last year.

This is equivalent to 2.05 million jobless Filipinos, down from 2.203 million in October 2018.

While the underemployment rate — the proportion of those already working, but still looking for more work or longer working hours — improved to 13% from 13.3%, the actual number of the underemployed edged up to 5.615 million from 5.502 million previously.

The latest unemployment and underemployment rates were the lowest among the October rounds of the LFS since the government adopted new definitions for the LFS in 2005.

The size of the labor force was approximately 45.196 million out of the 73.528 million Filipinos aged at least 15 years old, yielding a labor force participation rate (LFPR) of 61.5%. This was higher than last year’s 60.6%.

The employment rate, which is the proportion of the employed to the total labor force — inched up to 95.5% in October from 94.9% the previous year.

In a statement, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said that the latest employment rate was the highest in all previous October rounds since 2009.

NEDA also noted that employment generation averaged around 1.3 million this year, exceeding the government’s annual target of 900,000-1.1 million.

In a statement, NEDA Officer-in-Charge Adoracion M. Navarro, undersecretary for Regional Development, said that the government remains on track in terms of reducing the unemployment rate to 5.1% in 2019, which is within the target range of 4.7-5.3% set in the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022.

By economic sector, services made up the biggest share of the employed population. In October, the employment share in that sector grew to 57.7% from 56.8%.

Industry accounted for 18.9% of employed Filipinos in October, down from last year’s 19.1%.

Agriculture employed 23.5% of the workers, down from 24.1%.

“The decrease in the unemployment rate can be ascribed to better economic conditions that resulted in stronger employment creation,” University of Asia and the Pacific economist Cid L. Terosa said in an e-mail, citing “accelerated effort” to implement the government’s infrastructure program as well as the “rush to finish many of the facilities” that are currently being used in the Southeast Asian games in generating jobs and lowering unemployment.

“The drop in the underemployment rate shows that quality jobs have been created in the economy during the period. This augurs well for the economy as it implies better job opportunities that will help realize the productive potential of those in the labor force,” Mr. Terosa added.

In a separate e-mail, Security Bank Corp. Chief Economist Robert Dan J. Roces said that the record-low figures on unemployment and underemployment indicate “an improvement in the labor market.”

“However, the slight increase in the LFPR relative to better employment levels also suggests some workers are probably dropping out of the workforce and joining the informal sector to take up ‘gig economy’ work. However, the report should be welcome news, but there is still a very long way to go,” he added.

YOUTH LABOR DATA MIXED
The employment rate among the youth — defined as those aged 15-24 years old, was 87.2% in October — up from 86.7% in October last year.

The proportion of youth not in employment, education and training improved to 17.1% from 18.7% in October 2018.

On the other hand, the youth LFPR inched down to 37% in October from 37.2% last year.

“Decrease in youth unemployment and underemployment shows young workers getting gainfully employed as better labor market conditions enable better absorption of jobseekers from this age range, perhaps due to more job categories that demand competencies possessed by a younger set of workers,” Security Bank’s Mr. Roces said.

“However, the corresponding decrease in the youth LFPR suggests younger jobseekers are also dropping out from the labor market which could mean some might be going back to school to take up post-graduate degrees, but could also mean a shift to more ‘gig-based’ work which are mostly uncovered by labor laws and leaves young wage earners unprotected by social safety nets.”

NEDA’s Ms. Navarro said the latest LFS results “reflected a vibrant labor market” but that the government must still continue to fast-track the implementation of programs and policies that improve labor productivity and quality of employment. — Jobo E. Hernandez

Inflation picks up in Nov., but on target — PSA, BSP

December 6, 2019 | 12:30 am

INFLATION inched up to 1.3% in November following five straight months of easing, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.

November’s headline inflation rate was up from 0.8% in October, albeit slower than the six-percent inflation rate posted in November 2018.

The reading was higher than the 1.2% median estimate in BusinessWorld’s poll of 16 economists last week but fell within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 0.9%-1.7% range for the month.

The overall rise in prices of widely used goods averaged 2.5% in the 11 months to November compared to the BSP’s 2.4% forecast and 2-4% target range for 2019.

Stripping out volatile energy and food prices, core inflation steadied at 2.6% in November. Year-to-date, it averaged 3.3%.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which last week signaled that it would watch out for this latest inflation data, said in a statement yesterday that it “will consider all the latest economic developments here and abroad in the Monetary Board’s policy meeting on Dec. 12 to ensure that monetary policy stance remains consistent with the BSP’s price stability objective while being supportive of economic growth.”

The PSA attributed the latest inflation result to higher annual increases in the following commodity groups: alcoholic beverages and tobacco (17.6% from 16.5% in October); housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (1.2% from 0.6%); health (3.1% from 2.9%); and communication (0.3% from 0.2%).

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said in a statement that November inflation was “mainly driven” by faster prices of fish, the “slower deflation” in rice and electricity, gas and other fuels, and the “waning base effects” from last year.

The heavily weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages index was flat in November versus October’s 0.9% dip.

Food-alone inflation continued to decline by 0.2% in November, but was slower than October’s 1.3% contraction.

Performance among food groups varied, with some exhibiting faster price increases while others posted slower declines. Rice, which saw a 9.7% contraction in October, continued to decline albeit at a slower rate of 8.3% in November.

Price increases in fish and meat accelerated to 2.5% (from 0.8%) and 3.2% (from 2.7%), respectively. Vegetables likewise picked up by one percent from a 0.8% decline previously.

Economists interviewed said that November’s inflation data means the BSP will likely will likely resume monetary policy easing in the first quarter of 2020.

“UnionBank’s Economic Research Unit sees that there is ample traction for another rate cut, but the BSP Governor [Benjamin E. Diokno] himself did cite the impact of volatile global oil prices, which is very critical to inflation’s longer-term prospects. Thus, the BSP is expected to continue easing next year and that this year’s easing cycle is already done,” UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said in an e-mail.

ING Bank N.V. Manila Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa expects the BSP to hold fire in its Dec. 12 policy review.

Mr. Mapa noted, however, that given Mr. Diokno’s “dovish leaning,” the rate cut cycle may resume as early as the first quarter next year.

“The peso may recover in the short-term as faster inflation will mean that a BSP rate cut is off the table for now,” he added.

JPMorgan Chase Bank NA Singapore Branch Economist Nur Raisah Rasid expected the same: “Amid ongoing growth concerns and a well behaved CPI (consumer price index) trajectory, we continue to expect 25 [basis points or bps] policy easing in [the first quarter of 2020],” she said in a note.

In a separate note, Capital Economics Asia Economist Alex Holmes expected “more easing” in 2020 “with economic growth set to fall short of the government’s 6.5%-7.5% forecast for next year and with inflation likely to remain well within target.”

“We are sticking with our view that the central bank will cut rates by a further 50 bps in 2020…” he said.

BSP’s Mr. Diokno has said early last month that the BSP was done with its policy easing cycle for this year after cutting benchmark interest rates by a total of 75 bps and banks’ reserve requirement ratio by a total of 400 bps.

INFLATION OUTLOOK
“The latest inflation outturn remains consistent with the BSP’s prevailing assessment that inflation has bottomed out in October and is expected to gradually approach the midpoint of the target range [of 2-4%] in 2020 and 2021,” the BSP said in its statement.

Meanwhile, JPMorgan’s Ms. Rasid said in a note that inflation will “likely trend higher” in the coming months “in part reflecting the implementation of higher excise taxes on tobacco and alcoholic beverages from January next year.”

“Headline CPI will likely average 2.4% in [the first half of 2020], and a rise to 3.1% in the [second-half]. The CPI profile suggests that inflation will likely remain comfortably within the BSP’s 2-4% target range through 2020,” she added.

UnionBank’s Mr. Asuncion said the inflation print in December is “expected to be more than one-percent as well” with full-year 2019 inflation expected to settle at 2.4%.

For his part, ING Bank’s Mr. Mapa said that the acceleration in inflation would continue to pick up going into 2020 and “settle at around 3% throughout the most part of next year.”

“For as long as supply conditions remain favorable, we can expect inflation to remain in-check, however, we are unlikely to visit the sub-2% level for at least the next 12 months,” he added. — Edwin C. Aruta, Jr.

December Ave. is most streamed artist in PHL

December 6, 2019 | 12:08 am

ORIGINAL Pilipino Music (OPM) reigned supreme in 2019 according to music streaming service Spotify, as indie rock band December Avenue topped the Most Streamed Artists list in the Philippines, the first time a Filipino did so.

Last year, American indie-pop band LANY topped the annual Spotify Wrapped, a list which compiles which artists, albums, songs, playlists, and podcasts the platform’s listeners enjoyed throughout the year.

This year, aside from December Avenue topping the Most Streamed Artists list, the top four places in the platform’s Most Streamed Tracks are from Filipino artists: December Avenue and Moira dela Torre’s “Kung Di Rin Lang Ikaw,” I Belong to the Zoo’s “Sana,” This Band’s “Kahit Ayaw Mo Na,” and Ben&Ben’s “Maybe the Night.” Rounding up the top five is the only foreign song on the list, Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower,” the theme from the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse.

Following December Avenue on the Most Streamed Artists list in the Philippines are chart mainstays like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Ben&Ben, and finally, Ariana Grande.

Both Ms. Swift and Mr. Sheeran topped the Most Streamed Female and Male Artists lists, respectively, while December Avenue also topped the Most Streamed Groups and Most Streamed Local Artists lists.

This year, the Philippines streamed Ms. Swift’s seventh album, Lover, the most, followed by LANY’s Malibu Nights, Post Malone’s Hollywood is Bleeding, Ariana Grande’s thank u, next, and Shawn Mendes’ eponymous album.

Globally, American rapper Post Malone (real name: Austin Richard Post) was the Most Streamed Artist, followed by Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, and Bad Bunny.

“This year, Post Malone claimed the spot of most-streamed artist with over 6.5 billion streams from fans around the globe. It’s the rapper-singer-songwriter’s first time topping Spotify’s Wrapped list, and he did it just 12 weeks after dropping his album Hollywood’s Bleeding (which also happens to be the second most-streamed album globally this year),” Spotify said in a Dec. 3 blog post.

American singer Billie Eilish may be in the second spot on the Most Streamed Artists list globally, but she took the top spot in the Most Streamed Albums list with WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? followed by Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding. The list is rounded up by Ariana Grande’s thank u, next, Ed Sheeran’s No. 6 Collaboration Projects, and Shawn Mendes’ eponymous album.

Ms. Eilish is the first female artist to top the Most Streamed Albums chart, and she’s only 17.

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s Latin pop song, “Señorita,” topped the Spotify’s Most Streamed Tracks list, followed by Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower,” Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings,” and the viral hit “Old Town Road (Remix)” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus.

With the decade ending in a few weeks, Spotify named Ariana Grande as the Most Streamed Female Artist of the decade while Canadian rapper Drake (real name: Audrey Drake Graham) is the Most Streamed Artist of the decade with “more than 28 billion streams to his name,” according to the service.

Spotify users can also generate their own Wrapped lists via the app or spotify.com/wrapped.

SPOTIFY WRAPPED 2019 PHILIPPINES TOP LISTS

• Most Streamed Artists

1. December Avenue

2. Taylor Swift

3. Ed Sheeran

4. Ben&Ben

5. Ariana Grande

• Most Streamed Male Artists

1. Ed Sheeran

2. Khalid

3. Post Malone

4. Lauv

5. Shawn Mendes

• Most Streamed Female Artists

1. Taylor Swift

2. Ariana Grande

3. Moira dela Torre

4. Camilla Cabello

5. Billie Eilish

• Most Streamed Local Artists

1. December Avenue

2. Ben&Ben

3. Moira dela Torre

4. This Band

5. I Belong to the Zoo

• Most Streamed Groups

1. December Avenue

2. Ben&Ben

3. LANY

4. BTS

5. BLACKPINK

• Most Streamed Tracks

1. “Kung Di Rin Lang Ikaw,” December Avenue, Moira dela Torre

2. “Sana,” I Belong to the Zoo

3. “Kahit Ayaw Mo Na,” This Band

4. “Maybe the Night,” Ben&Ben

5. “Sunflower,” Post Malone, Swae Lee, from Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse

• Most Streamed Albums

1. Lover, Taylor Swift

2. Malibu Nights, LANY

3. Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone

4. thank u, next, Ariana Grande

5. Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes

SPOTIFY WRAPPED 2019 GLOBAL TOP LISTS

• Most Streamed Artists

1. Post Malone

2. Billie Eilish

3. Ariana Grande

4. Ed Sheeran

5. Bad Bunny

• Most Streamed Albums

1. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, Billie Eilish

2. Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone

3. thank u, next, Ariana Grande

4. No. 6 Collaborations Project, Ed Sheeran

5. Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes

• Most Streamed Tracks

1. “Señorita,” Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes

2. “bad guy,” Billie Eilish

3. “Sunflower,” Post Malone, Swae Lee

4. “7 Rings,” Ariana Grande

5. “Old Town Road — Remix,” Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus

• Most Streamed Female Artists

1. Billie Eilish

2. Ariana Grande

3. Taylor Swift

4. Camila Cabello

5. Halsey

• Most Streamed Male Artists

1. Post Malone

2. Ed Sheeran

3. Bad Bunny

4. Khalid

5. J Balvin

• Most Streamed Podcasts

1. The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal

2. My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

3. Gemischtes Hack

4. Fest & Flauschig

5. The Misfits Podcast

• Most Streamed Podcast Genres

1. Comedy

2. Society & Culture

3. True Crime

4. News

5. Health & Fitness — Zsarlene B. Chua

High Court halts Mandaluyong RTC ruling vs MORE franchise

December 6, 2019 | 12:07 am

ILOILO CITY — The Supreme Court (SC) has temporarily blocked the decision of a regional court in Mandaluyong that declared as void and unconstitutional some provisions of MORE Electric and Power Co.’s (MORE Power) new congressional franchise covering Iloilo City.

In a three-page temporary restraining order (TRO) issued Dec. 3, the country’s highest court directed Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Monique A. Quisumbing-Ignacio and the Panay Electric Co. (PECO), which filed the case, from implementing her decision issued in July.

“Effective immediately and continuing until further order from this Court, Branch 209 RTC in Mandaluyong and PECO, are hereby commanded and directed to cease and desist from implementing the judgement dated July 1, 2019 which declared Sections 10 and 17 of RA (Republic Act) 11212 void and unconstitutional and made permanent the TRO dated on March 14,” the SC order said.

Congress denied PECO’s application to renew its franchise that expired in January this year.

Sec. 10 of RA 11212, which contains MORE Power’s franchise, authorizes the company to exercise the power of eminent domain, meaning expropriate PECO’s existing assets.

Section 17 of the law allows PECO, which has been Iloilo City’s sole power distributor for 95 years, to operate the existing system until MORE Power establishes its own within a period of not more than two years.

PECO Legal Counsel Estrella C. Elamparo, in a phone interview on Wednesday, said they will “definitely” and “respectfully” ask the SC to reconsider the TRO.

She also said that MORE Power should not insinuate that the SC TRO affects the expropriation-related case it filed before a court in Iloilo.

“The TRO, it only concerns RTC Mandaluyong, it does not order the RTC Iloilo to continue with the expropriation case,” she said.

Last Nov. 18, Iloilo RTC Branch 35 Presiding Judge Daniel Antonio Gerardo S. Amular ordered “to suspend further proceedings in this case in the interest of judicial fairness, respect to the Honorable Supreme Court and for practical considerations.”

MORE Power Chief Executive Officer and President Roel Z. Castro, on the other hand, said they are pleased about the SC order.

“This goes to show that the Supreme Court, the court of last resort and final arbiter of all legal questions brought before it, found that MORE Power has a clear and unmistakable right to be protected… (that) there is an urgent need for the writ to prevent irreparable injury to MORE Power, and; no other ordinary, speedy, and adequate remedy exists to prevent the infliction of irreparable injury other than the issuance of said TRO,” he said. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

4th CineFilipino Film Fest finalists announced

December 6, 2019 | 12:07 am

THE CineFilipino Film Festival has announced the finalists for its fourth installment. Organized by Cignal TV and Unitel Productions, Inc, the film festival will showcase stories in feature length, shorts, and series categories by young and aspiring Filipino filmmakers.

“We may find the next great Filipino filmmaker, as well as the next great Filipino film, in the festival,” CineFilipino Festival Director Madonna Tarrayo was quoted as saying in a press release. “CineFilipino supports the celebration of 100 years of Philippine cinema, and we’re always on the lookout for exceptional talent that can help drive the art and the industry in the present and future.”

Eight finalists from over 100 entries were chosen for the Feature Length category. They are: Jopy Arnaldo’s 27 EXP, which centers on a boy who uses a disposable camera to move on from love lost; Charlson Ong and Angelo R. Lacuesta’s Cargo, about a Tausug fast-boat pilot who gets involved in a murder; Sue Aspiras’ Homecoming, about a young diwata who gets a dazzling homecoming; Christopher Gozum’s Ilikdem Mo So Matam (Close Your Eyes), about A Filipina filmmaker in Seoul who enters into a forbidden relationship; Steven Paul Evangelio’s Maya-maya Paparito Na, about a family’s Christmas reunion which is interrupted by a devastating storm; JP Habac’s Olsen’s Day, which follows a production assistant who travels with a strange old man and his son whom threatens him but at the same time, gives him the answers he seeks; Rob Jara’s Ouroboros, a coming-of-age drama about a young man who waits 20 years to avenge his father’s death; and Dolly Dulu’s The Boy Foretold by the Stars, about a gay high school student driven by a fortuneteller’s predictions to prove to a boy that they are destined to be together.

The eight finalists each recieved a P2-million grant to be produced.

Competition head and film director Jose Javier Reyes noted that the film’s representation of being Filipino, how it caters to the Filipino audience, and the fresh perspective of young directors were the criteria for choosing the films. “We do not make films for international film festivals, we make films for Filipinos,” Mr. Reyes said during a press conference on Nov. 21 at Cities Events Place in Quezon City.

“Hindi magkakaroon ng bagong hugis at hindi tutugma sa antas ng panahon ang mga pelikula kung hindi ito magbibigay ng pagkakataon sa mga bagong boses, pananaw, at pangarap ng ating mga filmmakers (films will not gain a new form and suit the times if we do not provide a chance to the new voices, insights, and dreams of our filmmakers),” he added.

For the Series category, the 10 finalists are: Jeremy Luke Bolatag’s B124; Christian Mark Vidallo’s Balete: The Animated Series; Rob Jara’s Delikado; Kris Ulrich and Maze Mirada’s Life After College; Ronald Van Angelo A. Dulatre’s Manila Encounters; Dustin Celestino’s Philippine Gothic: Habang Buhay; Ronald Batallones’ Raket; Efren P. Malabanan’s Sa Pusod ng Dagat; Carlo Obispo’s The Junkyard Hippies; and Jelani Maniago’s Tindero.

These finalists will be pitching their stories to a panel made up of SM Lifestyle Entertainment SAVP of Ad and Corporate Sales Isabelle Santillan, filmmaker and producer Perci Intalan, Viva Communications Producer and AVP for TV Production Tess Fuentes, and screenwriter and filmmaker Wanggo Gallaga. Five of the pitches will be shortlisted and be granted a budget for production.

Ms. Tarrayo noted that the selected series are those that have a potential for succeeding seasons.

Meanwhile, the nine finalists in the Shorts category are: Dolly Dulu’s 7-Year Itch; Dexter Paul de Jesus’ Alex & Aki; Claudia Fernando’s Ang Alamat ng Sari-Saring Sari Store; Zsarina P. Lacumba’s Ang’gulo (Unclear); Eluigi Macalintal and James Garcia’s Delta; Lorys Plaza and James Hermoso’s Kita (nalang) Duha; Noel Tonga, Jr.’s Memento Mori; Ronald Dulatre and Elaiza Rivera’s Tayo (Stand Up); and Reeden Fajardo’s Quing Lalam Ning Aldo (Under the Sun).

The full length feature and short films will be shown in selected cinemas in May next year, while the shortlisted series will air on Cignal TV.

For more information, visit www.cinefilipino.com or https://www.facebook.com/CineFilipino. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

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