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Cavite sees ‘signs’ to seal JV for Sangley airport

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

THE Cavite government sees “signs” that it will finally seal a joint venture (JV) agreement by Nov. 24 with MacroAsia Corp. and its partner China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. (CCCC) for the $10-billion Sangley Point International Airport project.

“November 24 is the last day for the partners to enter into a joint venture agreement. We have given them an extendable deadline, so we will know then. But all signs point that they will sign the agreement before that,” Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla told BusinessWorld in a recent phone interview.

Mr. Remulla stressed he is optimistic that the airport project will push through.

Jesse R. Grepo, Cavite’s public-private partnership selection committee legal officer, said on Sept. 24 that the Lucio C. Tan-led MacroAsia and its partner CCCC were given another 90 days to complete their post-qualification requirements for the airport project, after they missed the Sept. 9 deadline.

“The consortium was able to make partial submission of documents as required by Notice of Award. However, considering the continuing adverse impact of Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and in the exigency of service, the request for extension of 90 days immediately after air travel resumes between China and the Philippines to comply with all the conditions of the Notice of Award is granted,” Mr. Grepo said in a mobile phone message.

He said the extension was granted because of the “firm commitment” of the consortium to fully comply with the requirements on or before the new deadline.

MacroAsia said in a recent disclosure to the stock exchange that among the documents it had already submitted was the “newly and fully authenticated copy” of the joint venture proposal.

The post-qualification documents were supposed to be completed and submitted 60 days after the group received the notice of award in February.

Cavite had initially given the consortium until June to process and submit the documents before a joint venture development agreement could be signed.

The groundbreaking for the first phase of the airport project was initially expected to take place in the second quarter of the year.

The first phase of the project, which will cost $4 billion, includes the construction of the Sangley connector road and a bridge to connect the Kawit segment of the Manila-Cavite Expressway to the airport.

Phase 1 also involves the construction of the airport’s first runway.

The airport is rated at 25 million passengers yearly, and is intended to help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

It is expected to be fully operational by 2023, with partial operations to start a year earlier. The fourth runway will be opened after six years.

The same consortium will work on the other two phases of the airport project, but there may be contract renegotiations, according to the Cavite government.

The second phase, which will cost about $6 billion, involves the construction of two more runways, giving the airport an annual capacity of 75 million passengers.

The last phase is the expansion to four runways, bringing capacity to 130 million passengers.

MacroAsia incurred losses of P269.44 million in the third quarter, a reversal of its profits a year ago, as the group’s core business segments “continue to be impacted by the downturn in air travel due to COVID-19-related quarantine and airport restrictions from March 2020 onwards,” the company said in a recent stock exchange disclosure.

In the same quarter last year, MacroAsia recorded an attributable net income of P300.05 million.

LVxNBA capsule collection now available in the country

LOUIS VUITTON and the National Basketball Association (NBA) recently partnered on a capsule collection which is now available at the LV Greenbelt 4 branch in Makati City.

Done under the artistic direction of American Louis Vuitton designer Virgil Abloh, the LVxNBA collection is “motivated by the exchange between French craftsmanship and American sports.”

For the line, Mr. Abloh created a limited clothing and accessories collection which he is described as uniting the emblems of the two renowned institutions.

The collection adapts the designer’s codes with the visual images of the basketball world, and honors the values of relatability and inclusion which Mr. Abloh has been underscoring since joining Louis Vuitton as artistic director for men’s wear in 2018.

Taking its cue from a player’s wardrobe, the collection captures three main dress codes: travels and transits are represented in a grey cashmere tracksuit adorned with graphics informed by the lines of a basketball; game arrivals manifest in a blue hooded leather jacket, Monogram jeans and T-shirts; and the press conference dress code is expressed in suits and a dress shirt.

Among the prominent features here is how the NBA logo is employed in an infinite houndstooth pattern used in tailoring, shirting and a tie.

Multi-functional bags draw on the red, blue, and white colors of the NBA logo. The collection sees the debut of a multi-pocket backpack in LV’s classic Monogram pattern with white contrast straps as a nod to the graphics associated with the game.

Shoes meld the insignia of Louis Vuitton and NBA in classic loafers, chunky-soled leather derbies, slip-ons, and in lace-up leather boots fused with components from existing sneakers; each recognizable by the new LVxNBA emblem embossed on the foot-bed.

Fashion jewelry have NBA logos as pendants, highlighting the meshing of sports and craftsmanship.

“Fashion muses aren’t predictable. Ideas of luxury can be found in the sports world and its champions as much as in traditional forms of artistry. This collection celebrates the cultural contribution of basketball and its diverse characters, and the idea of relatability as a force of unity today,” said Mr. Abloh of the collection in a statement. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

AC Energy readies sale of stake in Bataan and Mindanao power projects

AYALA-LED AC Energy, Inc. plans to sell its investments in coal-fired power plant projects in Bataan and Lanao del Norte in line with its goal to generate more than half of its energy output from renewables by 2025.

Eric T. Francia, AC Energy president and chief executive officer, said the company had completed the transfer of all onshore Philippine assets to publicly listed subsidiary AC Energy Philippines, Inc., or ACEN, except for these projects.

“Ang hindi lang in-infuse na Philippine assets ng AC Energy, Inc. is the GNPower plants, both Mindanao, Kauswagan; and ‘yung AA thermal, ‘yung Dinginin and tsaka Mariveles,” he told reporters in an online briefing.

(The Philippine assets of AC Energy, Inc. that were not infused are the GNPower plants, both the one in Kauswagan, Mindanao, and those under AA Thermal, Inc.—the projects in Dinginin and Mariveles.)

GNPower Kauswagan Ltd. Co. is building a four-unit, “clean”, coal-fired power plant, each with an identical capacity of 138 megawatts (MW) or a total of 552 MW in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.

AC Energy has a stake in the 632-MW GNPower Mariveles Coal Plant Ltd. Co. and in the 668-MW supercritical coal-fired plant GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co. AA Thermal holds AC Energy’s interests in the Mariveles and Dinginin projects.

AC Energy, whose change of name to AC Energy and Infrastructure Corp. (ACEIC) was approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission on Nov. 18, is the holding firm for ACEN’s energy platform.

“‘Yung naiwan kay ACEIC because we have plans of divesting those coal plants… We didn’t feel the need to infuse those large coal plants in ACEN,” Mr. Francia said.

He earlier said that ACEN would need around $1.8 billion to $2 billion to help it realize that vision. He said that the company would undergo corporate restructuring in the next couple of years, and that ACEN would seek to raise funds of $500 million to $600 million as growth capital to add to its $700 million cash reserves.

The company aspires to exceed 5 gigawatts of attributable capacity and generate at least 50% of energy from renewables by 2025.

On Friday, shares in ACEN rose by 11.96% to close at P5.80 apiece. — Angelica Y. Yang

Lush Prize aims to stop animal testing

LUSH is a beauty brand that prides itself on being cruelty-free by not testing its products on animals, and now it is giving prizes to anyone with ideas on how to stop the practice. This is because, as a company release says, “Every year, it is estimated that more than 115 million animals are used in testing laboratories around the world.”

Earlier this month, Lush awarded the £250,000 Lush Prize (P16,022,500 at an exchange rate of P64.09 = £1), the largest prize fund in the non-animal testing sector. There are nine winning projects, organizations, and scientists from seven countries, as well as a winner of the Andrew Tyler Award. The winners share the total prize fund.

Several projects won for finding ways of testing and assessing chemicals and molecules without having to use animals in the process. The MIE Atlas Team from Cambridge University/Unilever in the UK, presented a study called “In Silico Models to Predict Human Molecular Initiating Events.” Edoardo Carnesecchi, from Utrecht University’s Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) in the Netherlands won for an innovative software platform to assess chemical mixtures’ toxicity and exposure, while Domenico Gadaleta from the Computational Toxicology Unit — Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Italy won for the study “Screening Based on Structure-Activity Relationships Predicting Molecular Initiating Events of Neurotoxicity.”

Other projects won for lobbying, public awareness, and training. The Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST), won for a lobbying project which aims to erase mandatory animal testing requirements and prioritising non-animal testing methods in the chemical registration process. Meanwhile, SOKO Tierschutz in Germany won for an undercover investigation at the Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology in Mienenbuettel, Germany. Helpathon from the Netherlands won for its “innovative brainstorming sessions to help scientists who currently use animals explore new approaches,” according to the Lush Prize Instagram account.

The rest of the winning projects took a look at biology. Nadine Dreser from the University of Konstanz, Germany won for a project about early neurodevelopmental disturbances during sensitive periods of stem cell differentiation. Dr. Johana Nyffeler, from the US Environmental Protection Agency, presented a study on “High-throughput phenotypic profiling of human neural progenitor cells to identify putative modes-of-action of developmental neurotoxicants.” Dr. Yuan Pang from Tsinghua University, China won for the project “Construction of advanced in-vitro tissue models based on 3D bioprinting and their application in drug discovery and toxicity tests.”

Andrew Rowan, PhD took home the Andrew Tyler Award, a nonfinancial prize, for oustanding contributions to ending animal testing. Mr. Rowan is President of Wellbeing International, and was the former CEO of Humane Society International. He has also served on the committees of several animal protection groups, including the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

“The judges were particularly excited by the fact that this year’s shortlist contained a new wave of projects which were modelling the cellular pathways of toxic molecules in their datasets. This combination of 21st century technologies showed perhaps the greatest promise yet for a widespread replacement of older and less reliable animal models on a global scale,” said Rob Harrison, Lush Prize Director.

In the Philippines, Lush is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. — JL Garcia

SMC vows stricter measures after Skyway accident

SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC) President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang on Sunday said the company and its contractor EEI Corp. will be implementing “stricter” safety measures at the  Skyway Extension project site after an accident that resulted in one fatality and four injuries.

Mr. Ang “vowed that the incident will be investigated thoroughly, and that SMC and its contractor EEI will make sure even stricter measures are in place at the project site,” SMC said in an e-mailed statement.

A steel girder from the project fell on six vehicles, killing one person and hurting four others, at the East Service Road, Cupang in Muntinlupa City on Saturday morning, according to the company.

“To the family, I can only offer my sincerest and deepest condolences, and my personal assurance that your family will be taken care of. To those who were injured, please be assured we will provide all the means necessary for you to recover and restart,” Mr. Ang said.

The company announced on Saturday its new deadline for the P10-billion project because of the accident.

“From the December 2020 deadline, target completion is now February 2021,” it said.

The project aims to extend the Skyway from Susana Heights on the South Luzon Expressway to Sucat and back and provide direct access to the elevated section of the Skyway. Construction of the four-kilometer elevated viaduct started in June last year.

Once fully completed, the project’s three new northbound lanes will be able to accommodate an additional 4,500 vehicles per hour. The two additional southbound lanes will be able accommodate an additional 3,000 vehicles per hour. — Arjay L. Balinbin 

SRP imposed on more meat, vegetable products

wet market meat section
BW FILE PHOTO

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it has expanded the list of basic commodities subject to a suggested retail price (SRP), including more types of meat and vegetables following the series of late-year typhoons that hit the Philippines.

In an administrative circular, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar issued the new price-control list applicable to wet markets and supermarkets in the National Capital Region.

“These events have resulted in the tightening of supply, resulting in the declaration of a state of calamity in Luzon,” Mr. Dar said.

“In order not to aggravate the current difficulties of the Filipino people who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the series of calamities, there is a need to manage prices for basic necessities in the market,” he added.

The government is authorized by law to cap prices during emergency periods.

The price caps are listed as follows:

Beef rump – P380 per kilogram

Beef brisket – P300 per kilogram

Ampalaya (Bitter gourd) – P80 per kilogram

Sitaw (String beans) – P80 per kilogram

Native pechay (Chinese hit cabbage) – P80 per kilogram

Squash – P30 per kilogram

Eggplant – P60 per kilogram

Tomato – P100 per kilogram

Cabbage (Scorpio) – P60 per kilogram

Carrots – P80 per kilogram

Baguio beans – P100 per kilogram

White potato – P70 per kilogram

Baguio pechay – P60 per kilogram

Chayote – P30 per kilogram

The DA derives its pricing authority over agricultural goods from Republic Act No. 7581 or the Price Act.

The DA and other government agencies recently implemented a price freeze on selected agricultural and fishery commodities after President Rodrigo R. Duterte placed Luzon under a state of calamity due to the effects of typhoons Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses.

Some of the products covered by the price freeze include milkfish, tilapia, sugar, pork, and chicken, among others. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

T-bill rates seen moving sideways

RATES OF the Treasury bills (T-bills) on offer this week may inch down or remain unchanged on the back of high liquidity among investors and the central bank’s latest rate cut.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) will offer P20 billion in T-bills on Monday: P5 billion each in 91-day and 182-day papers and P10 billion in 364-day securities.

A trader said T-bill yields may remain unchanged or move sideways on the back of strong liquidity in the financial system.

“There is still ample liquidity in the market. While inflation grew at a faster rate in October, it remained benign and within the government’s target for this year,” the trader said in an e-mail.

“The interest rates from the central bank could encourage more demand for short-term debt, especially for the 91-day tenor as investors are still waiting for better indicators of economic growth,” the trader added.

Another trader said T-bill rates may continue to decline slightly as investors prefer shorter tenors amid an uncertain economic environment, with coronavirus cases rising anew around the world.

“Investors will continue to park their excess cash on T-bills amid the low-interest environment and lack of better economic outlooks,” the second trader said in an e-mail.

The Treasury last week increased its award of T-bills as yields mostly declined on the back of strong liquidity and as investors continued to favor short-dated debt.

The BTr borrowed P22 billion via the T-bills it auctioned off on Monday, more than the programmed P20 billion, as the offer was over four times oversubscribed, with bids amounting to P80.407 billion.

Broken down, the BTr awarded P7 billion in 91-day papers, higher than the P5-billion program, as tenders reached P24.631 billion. The three-month debt fetched an average rate of 1.019%, down by 0.5 bp from the 1.024% seen in the previous auction.

The government accepted more bids from non-competitive investors for the three-month securities to take advantage of the lower average yield.

Meanwhile, the Treasury awarded P5 billion in 182-day T-bills as planned as bids for the tenor amounted to P22.246 billion. The six-month papers were quoted at an average rate of 1.443%, 1 basis point (bp) lower than the 1.453% logged in the previous offering.

Lastly, the government borrowed the programmed P10 billion via 364-day T-bills as tenders reached P33.53 billion. The average rate of the one-year securities was steady at 1.745%.

At the secondary market on Friday, the 91-day, 182-day and 364-day T-bills were quoted at 1.084%, 1.429% and 1.758%, respectively, based on the PHL Bloomberg Valuation Reference Rates published on the Philippine Dealing System’s website.

Inflation rose to its fastest pace in three months in October, the government reported earlier this month.

Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed headline inflation at 2.5% in October, picking up from the 2.3% pace the month before.

The October inflation result marked the fastest pace in three months or since the 2.7% reading in July 2020.

Year to date, inflation settled at 2.5%, still within the central bank’s 2-4% target this year.

Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) unexpectedly cut benchmark rates to new record lows on Thursday, the fifth reduction this year, citing the continued uncertainty caused by a fresh surge in coronavirus cases globally and the impact of recent typhoons on the struggling economy.

The Monetary Board on Thursday trimmed the rates on the BSP’s overnight reverse repurchase, lending, and deposit facilities by 25 bps to 2%, 2.5%, and 1.5%, respectively. 

The latest easing move followed a “prudent pause” by the central bank since its June meeting. The central bank has already cumulatively lowered interest rates. The central bank also upgraded its inflation forecast this year to 2.4% from the 2.3% it gave in the October meeting.

On the other hand, the inflation outlook for 2021 and 2022 were lowered to 2.7% (from 2.8%) and 2.9% (from 3%), respectively, due to the slower-than-expected pickup in domestic activity, the decline in global crude oil prices, and the strengthening of the peso.

The Treasury plans to borrow P140 billion from the domestic market this month: P80 billion in weekly T-bill auctions and P60 billion in fortnightly Treasury bond auctions.

It is also offering another tranche of Premyo bonds to raise at least P3 billion. The offer period is set to run from Nov. 11 to Dec. 18.

The government wants to raise around P3 trillion this year from local and foreign lenders to help fund its budget deficit, which is expected to hit 9.6% of the country’s gross domestic product. — KKTJ

British Council and Design Center to map design economy in the Philippines

THE BRITISH Council in the Philippines and Design Center of the Philippines have commissioned a study to analyze the economic contribution and value chain of the design industry by mapping the design ecosystem of nine areas: Manila, Makati, Quezon City, Taguig, Baguio, Pampanga, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro.

Recommendations from this undertaking will contribute towards the formulation of a National Design Policy to support the Philippines’ development agenda following the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on designers and creative enterprises in the country.

“The Philippines has a rich design tradition. However, its impact and contribution are not fully understood. With this mapping project, we hope to provide an evidence-based model of the country’s design ecosystem that would be instructive on how we can unleash the power of design to nurture globally competitive MSMEs (micro-small-medium enterprises) and contribute design-led strategies to nation building,” Rhea Oreta Matute, Executive Director of Design Center of the Philippines, was quoted as saying in a release.

The mapping study will be conducted by Nordicity, a London-based creative economy consultancy; Bayan Academy, known for its social enterprise work in the Philippines; and Anna Whicher, who has conducted design ecosystem studies in Wales and Scotland.

In the UK, evidence-based policies have helped spur the growth of the creative industries sector that now contributes £111 billion to the UK economy.

The results of the design economy mapping will be presented at the International Design Conference next year, which will be hosted by the Design Center of the Philippines. UNESCO has declared 2021 the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development.

Tax appeals court affirms canceled taxes on Manila Medical Services

THE Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) affirmed the cancellation of the alleged tax deficiency of Manila Medical Services, Inc. (Manila Doctors Hospital) for 2009 worth P127.6 million.

In a 12-page ruling dated Oct. 29, the court, sitting en banc, affirmed the decision of its special third division and denied for lack of merit the appeal of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

The court’s division in January last year granted the petition of Manila Doctor Hospital to nullify the Warrant of Distraint and/or Levy issued in July 2014 over its alleged tax deficiencies for violation of due process requirements.

It ruled that there was not as there was no sufficient evidence to prove that the company received the preliminary assessment notice (PAN) and final assessment notice (FAN).

“After a careful review of the records of the case, the Court En Banc finds no cogent reason to deviate from the Special Third Division’s assailed 30 January 2019 Decision and its 09 May 2019 Resolution, respectively,” the court said.

The court said that on the PAN that the bureau claimed to have personally served the hospital, there was not receiving copy found in the BIR records.

The court also said that the BIR failed to prove that the hospital received the FAN sent through registered mail, noting the declaration of a witness that no action was taken to ensure that the company received the assessment notice.

Even if there was valid issuance of the notices, the assessment for deficiency taxes will be “struck down as void for failing to comply with due process requirements,” the court said. The court noted that the division found that the FAN was issued before the lapse of the 15-day period for the company to respond to the preliminary assessment.

“Tax assessments issued in violation of the due process rights of a taxpayer are null and void,” the ruling read.

“While the government has an interest in the swift collection of taxes, the BIR and its officers and agents cannot be overreaching in their efforts, but must perform their duties in accordance with law, with their own rules of procedure, always with regard to the basic tenets of due process,” the court said.

The BIR in its petition claimed that a valid PAN and FAN were issued and received by the respondent. It also claimed that pharmacy sales to in-patients are not included in “hospital services”, which are exempt from value-added tax (VAT). It also said that valid waivers extended the prescribed period for three years, and its right to assess the company has not yet prescribed.

Manila Medical Services, on the other hand, said the claims of the bureau were “mere rehash” and were already resolved by the division. It cited the division’s ruling that there was no valid service and receipt of the notices and the assessment should be cancelled due to denial of due process. It also claimed that sales to in-patients are exempt from VAT.

Due to void assessment, the court said it deem “unnecessary to delve” into the validity or invalidity of the waiver executed and the VAT treatment of its sales to in-patients. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Segment Okavan-guard

Geely unveils the Okavango electrified seven-seater crossover

By Kap Maceda Aguila

SOJITZ G AUTO PHILIPPINES (SGAP), local distributor of Geely, recently launched its third offering in the country — the Okavango.

Positioned as a seven-seater crossover multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), the Geely Okavango is expected to further solidify the presence of the China-headquartered automaker which debuted here in September 2019.

The MPV takes its name after an inland delta in Botswana, Africa — formed where the Okavango River “reaches a tectonic trough in the central part of the endorheic basin of the Kalahari.” Of note, this is the end of the line for the water; it does not find an inlet into another body of water and simply evaporates or seeps into the soil. The Okavango Delta has been declared as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.

SGAP President and CEO Mikihisa Takayama said, “Coming from the successful launch of the Coolray and Azkarra, we are confident that the new Geely Okavango will be a game-changer in the industry as it combines the best qualities of a multi-purpose vehicle and an SUV into one exciting seven-seater mid-size crossover. This promises to give you a luxurious, uncompromising, and wonderfully distinct ride.”

Outside of China, where the Okavango is badged as Haoyue, the Philippines is the first country to get the vehicle. Remarked SGAP General Manager for Sales and Marketing Froilan Dytianquin to “Velocity” in an exclusive interview, “Geely would really like to expand in the ASEAN market having both Malaysia (as Proton) and Philippines as their initial successful market.”

He added that since the country has a left-hand drive configuration, our market “had the opportunity to be the first to (sell) it after China. I believe the Middle East/GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) markets will follow soon given different conditions (there), e.g. extreme heat.”

The Okavango is presented as a “wonderfully distinct” vehicle in of terms of “space, technology, design, power, and safety to elevate the driving experience.” It is also the only 48V EMS (electric motor synergy)-equipped seven-seater vehicle in the country today — promising more efficient performance with the aid of a mild hybrid system which works with its 1.5-liter turbocharged engine for a system output of 190hp and 300Nm. The power plant, jointly developed by Geely and Volvo, is mated to a seven-speed wet-type dual-clutch transmission.

It gets six SRS air bags, a 360-degree panoramic camera system with “a best-in-class guidance system and dynamic auxiliary lines,” speeding warning, electronic stability control, hill start assist, central locking with speed-sensing auto lock, and hill descent control.

The crossover boasts a spacious cabin, with three-row seating configurable in 19 ways. For added convenience, the vehicle gets an impressive 42 storage nooks and compartments. It also receives a triple-zone air-conditioning system, enabling the driver, front passenger, and rear passengers to select their own desired temperature setting. A CN95 cabin filter helps assure air quality within the vehicle.

During an online Q&A session with Geely and SGAP executives, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group’s Ashley Sutcliffe expressed hope that the Haoyue’s success in China would be mirrored by the Okavango in the Philippines. “We’re off to a good start (in China), and hopefully it would translate there.”

As for its “game-changer” positioning, the Okavango is said to possess value propositions unique in its segment/price point — such as the aforementioned heightened safety feature, mild hybrid system, and the “highest power-to-weight ratio in its class,” according to Mr. Dytianquin.

Addressing the timing of the release, Mr. Takayama acknowledged, “It has been a challenging year for all of us particularly in the automotive businesses,” and said hopefully that the Okavango comes “in at the right time” with renewed vehicle demand in coming months, “particularly on core segments such as subcompact cars, MPVs, and SUVs.”

The niche that Okavango is getting into is populated with heavy hitters. “It’s challenging, but our intention is to be able to present to the market that we’re delivering products that you’re missing out on… We’re different and we’re able to deliver products that (give) value for money,” explained Mr. Dytianquin.

SGAP targets to sell some 400 units of the Okavango a month. Concluded the executive, “Geely definitely sees a huge potential in the Philippine market to further grow (demand for the vehicle) given our 110 million-strong population.”

The vehicle comes in two variants with the following pricing: Comfort (P1.208 million) and Urban (P1.328) million. Geely Philippines presently has four dealerships (North EDSA, Quezon Avenue, Cagayan de Oro, and Imus Cavite), and intends to grow that to 28 by the end of 2021.

TNT to dominate market by yearend — Smart

TELCO brand TNT is expecting to dominate the market by the end of 2020 after it gained the most subscribers in the third quarter of the year, Smart Communications, Inc. said.

As of Sept. 30, TNT’s subscribers reached over 40 million, Smart said in a statement at the weekend. TNT had over 37 million subscribers in the same period last year, according to PLDT Inc.’s disclosure to the stock exchange.

“TNT’s growth was driven largely by an increase in data users among its subscribers and an increase in LTE SIM and LTE device users. Market research has shown TNT to be the strongest telco brand in the market today—enjoying significant growth in the prepaid category, and looking to dominate by the end of 2020,” it added.

PLDT’s disclosure showed Smart’s subscribers, both prepaid and postpaid, declined by 5% to over 25 million for the nine months ended September, compared with last year’s nearly 27 million users. Sun subscribers, both prepaid and postpaid, also went down by 9% to more than six million from last year’s total subscribers of over seven million.

These brought PLDT group’s total mobile subscribers as of Sept. 30 to more than 72 million, up to 1%.

Meanwhile, Globe Telecom, Inc. saw its “cumulative subscribers” for the nine-month period decline by 20% to over 78 million from last year’s more than 97 million users.

Broken down, Globe postpaid cumulative subscribers went down by 4% to more than two million, the company’s recent disclosure said. Prepaid subscribers, which include TM, decreased by 20% to over 75 million.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Agriculture startup seeks to empower farmers through digital sale platforms

By Revin Mikhael D. Ochave, Reporter

AGRO-DIGITALPH, a startup, hopes to organize a new “digital ecosystem” of farmers to encourage greater use of technology in the industry with the end goal of raising farmer incomes following the disruptions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In an interview with BusinessWorld, Agro-DigitalPH Founder Henry James M. Sison said the company hopes to empower farmers through greater adoption of digital platforms.

“Farmers can also use gadgets nowadays. It is ironic that the people feeding this country are among the poorest members of society,” Mr. Sison said.

Mr. Sison said the startup’s primary service is its production management module, which forecasts demand and likely prices for crops selected for planting.

“The problem usually for farmers is that they don’t usually record. They just plant their crops,” Mr. Sison said.

“If you plan out what you plant, and guarantee that somebody is going to buy your produce at a certain price point, it is a game changer. Our farmers should not be thinking of where they will sell their produce” he added.

Mr. Sison said the company also organizes smallholder farmers into cooperatives and associations and advises on which crops to plant.

The digital platform also links farmers directly to institutional buyers to cut out middlemen.

“We forecast what crops the farmers should produce and we bring them upfront to these distributors and marketplaces,” Mr. Sison said.

“With our digital platform, farmers can solely focus on production, which also raises their productivity,” he added.

However, Mr. Sison said not all farmers who subscribe to the platform are tech savvy, but added there are workarounds to bring them around to using the platform proficiently.

Mr. Sison said before the company teaches farmers how to use their platform, it teaches the basics of using other digital platforms such as social media.

“You don’t expect a 60 or 70-year-old farmer to use Facebook and our platform. But there are some farmers who really want to learn,” Mr. Sison said.

For technology-challenged farmers, Mr. Sison said one solution is to enlist the aid of their children or nieces and nephews.

“We ask the farmers to bring their child or any member of the family who is capable of using technology and get them involved,” Mr. Sison said.

Established in February 2019, Mr. Sison said the digital platform currently has 84 partners consisting of institutional buyers and cooperatives. By the end of the year, Agro-DigitalPH aims to add 20 more partners to its system.

“Our platform is really striving to change and transform the lives of our farmers and our producers in general,” Mr. Sison said.

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