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Tourism contribution to national output biggest since at least 2012

THE TOURISM INDUSTRY’s contribution to the economy grew in 2018, according to data which the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released on Thursday.

Preliminary data compiled by the PSA showed tourism’s direct gross value added (TDGVA) accounting for 12.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, bigger than the sector’s 12.2% share in 2017.

TDGVA measures the tourism-related value created by various industries.

Last year, the combined economic contribution of tourism activities was P2.2 trillion at current prices, up 14.3% from 2017.

The TDGVA indicator is based on the results of the Philippine Tourism Satellite Accounts report, in which the PSA compiles from the Department of Tourism.

The sector’s contribution to GDP in 2018 was the highest since 2012 when the government started using the 2012 input-output ratios in estimating the TDGVA.

Transportation had a 21.9% share of gross value added, followed by food and beverage services and entertainment and recreation services with 21.3% and 19.9% shares, respectively.

Domestic tourism expenditures hit P3.2 trillion last year, up 21%. Domestic tourism expenditures were equivalent to 24.9% of household spending in 2018, according to the PSA.

Meanwhile, tourism expenditure by non-residents amounted to P441.4 billion in 2018, down 1.6% from P448.6 billion in 2017.

Compared to the country’s total exports, the share of inbound tourism expenditure was 8%. According to the PSA, inbound tourism ranked third among the biggest export items in 2018, after “miscellaneous services” at 31.5% and semiconductors at 22.8%.

“The contribution of tourism to the Philippine economy in 2018 stood at 12.7%, 0.5 percentage point higher from 12.2% in 2017, [but] slower than the 1.5 percentage points growth in 2017. This is still considered decent despite the six-month closure of Boracay Island from April 26-October 26, 2018 and the slower global economic growth in 2018 due to the lingering US-China trade war since July 2018,” Michael L. Ricafort, economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), said in an e-mail.

“These reflect the consistent faster growth in tourism compared to GDP growth, even with Boracay’s closure in 2018,” Mr. Ricafort said, adding that growth in tourism likewise stimulated growth on “other allied/related industries” such as real estate, retail trade, and various service industries.

Robert Dan J. Roces, chief economist at Security Bank Corp., underscored tourism’s resilience last year amid elevated inflation.

“Despite high inflation in 2018, we still saw growth in terms of the sector’s contribution; this goes to show that tourism is inflation-proof, particularly from international tourists who use and exchange their own currency,” Mr. Roces said in a separate e-mail.

The end of Boracay’s six-month closure marks the first phase of a two-year rehabilitation plan, which is focused largely on addressing environmental degradation. The rehabilitation, which started on April 26, was prompted by President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s pronouncement that the island had become a “cesspool.”

RCBC’s Mr. Ricafort also noted that tourism’s total contribution to GDP was just 7.9% of GDP in 2012 compared to 2018’s 12.7%.

“This only shows the increasing significance of tourism as a major growth driver for the Philippine economy over the years and may still continue to grow amid improvements in tourism infrastructure… with tourism as one of the biggest beneficiaries with the construction of more airports, seaports, roads, bridges, rail networks that make more tourism destinations more accessible for greater number of foreign and local tourists and reduce travel time,” he said. “Tourism, being one of the major contributors and growth drivers in the Philippine economy, has also become a major source of employment/jobs in the Philippines.”

For Security Bank’s Mr. Roces, “employment growth naturally follows from the sector’s uptick as demand for services go up. Thus, tourism’s contribution to economic growth cannot be understated.”

Employment in tourism industries was estimated at 5.4 million in 2018, making up 13% of the total working population. For that year, it was up 1.8% from a year earlier.

Analysts are upbeat about tourism’s growth prospects in the coming years.

RCBC’s Mr. Ricafort noted that aside from the re-opening of Boracay Island and the development of other tourism destinations, tourism would also benefit from the extended authority of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to grant incentives to investors in the sector under the recently signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11262. RA 11262, which Mr. Duterte signed on April 10, amended RA 9593, or the Tourism Act of 2009 that gives TIEZA “sole and exclusive jurisdiction” to grant incentives to tourism businesses, in order to extend implementation of the incentive scheme for tourism enterprise zones for another 10 years. Under the old law, TIEZA had only until August 2019 to grant incentives.

“The tourism industry has enjoyed incentives/perks from the government over the years through the TIEZA in an effort to further promote the industry, and will continue to have more incentives over coming years as legislated recently,” said Mr. Ricafort.

Incentives that TIEZA grants tourism enterprises include six-year income tax holidays, a five percent preferential tax on gross income after that period ends, exemption from all taxes and duties on imported capital equipment, as well as exemption of transport equipment and spare parts from tariffs and duties.

TIEZA is also authorized to give “equal preference to large investments” that have “great potential for employment generation and… [to] local small and medium enterprises.”

“Tourism will continue to be one of the country’s major growth drivers, especially in areas outside Metro Manila, including far-flung provinces/localities, thereby creating more employment and business opportunities,” Mr. Ricafort said.

Mr. Roces shared this view, saying: “For [the first quarter], we have already seen a 7.59% increase year on year, and we see the Philippines still being viewed as a viable tourism destination from our Asian neighbors, particularly from the usual South Korean visitors.”

“Chinese visitors, on the back of friendlier ties with China, also contribute to the influx, as well as a high increase of Taiwanese.” — MAM

IMF chief warns US-China spat to slash 2020 global growth

WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) does not see the threat of a global recession brought on by a widening US-China trade war and potential US tariffs on Mexican goods and autos, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Wednesday.

Ms. Lagarde told Reuters in an interview, however, that such escalating tariff threats were sapping business and market confidence, and could slow growth that is currently expected to improve next year.

“We don’t see a recession,” Ms. Lagarde said when asked whether US President Donald Trump’s threatened tariff actions could turn global growth negative.

“Decelerating growth, but growth nonetheless — 3.3% at the end of this year, and certainly a strong US economy. We do not see at the moment, in our baseline, a recession.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the IMF said current and threatened US-China tariffs could cut 2020 global gross domestic product by 0.5%, or about $455 billion — a loss larger than G20 member South Africa’s annual economic output.

The estimate includes a recent US tariff increase to 25% on a $200 billion list of Chinese imports as well as Trump’s threat to tax another $300 billion worth of consumer imports, representing nearly all trade between the world’s two largest economies.

The IMF’s estimate does not take into consideration Mr. Trump’s threatened five percent tariffs on goods from Mexico starting on Monday over immigration issues and ratcheting up monthly. Mexico has overtaken China this year as the largest US trading partner.

Ms. Lagarde called such actions “self-inflicted wounds” that must be avoided, a message she will take to a G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Fukuoka, Japan this weekend.

“One more tariff here, one more threat there, one more negotiation that has not yet started, add to a global uncertainty which is not conducive to additional growth,” she told Reuters.

In a briefing note for G20 finance leaders, the IMF said that US tariffs and Chinese retaliatory measures currently in place could cut 2020 output 0.3%, with more than half of that impact coming from negative effects on business confidence and financial market sentiment.

The IMF also on Wednesday cut its China growth forecasts for 2019 and 2020 due to the growing trade tensions. The Fund is due to release preliminary findings of its annual assessment of the US economy on Thursday.

The IMF is predicting 3.6% global growth for 2020, but said this outlook is vulnerable to trade tensions, uncertainty over Britain’s exit from the European Union, and uncertain recoveries in some stressed economies such as Argentina and Turkey.

Asked whether the IMF needed to take a tougher stance against US tariff actions, Ms. Lagarde said the Fund had to keep presenting facts and economic research to tell leaders: “If you go in that direction, these are the consequences. It’s for political leaders and for policy makers to decide what is in their interest.”

Ms. Lagarde said she would discuss the IMF review of its quotas and other financial resources with G20 policymakers in Fukuoka this weekend. — Reuters

Singer Julio Iglesias calls 50-year career ‘a miracle’

LOS ANGELES — At age 75, singer Julio Iglesias can’t run and can no longer play soccer. But still singing for a living after 50 years? That, he said, is “a miracle in my life.”

The Spanish crooner kicks off the European leg of his 50 year anniversary tour in Antwerp on Sunday with a Grammy lifetime achievement award to add to his many accolades.

Long before the arrival on the pop scene of Puerto Rican Ricky Martin 20 years ago and the 2017 global sensation “Despacito,” Iglesias was turning out crossover international 1980s hits like “Begin the Beguine” and “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”

He has sold more than 300 million records in 14 languages, is the best-selling Latin artist ever and, in 2013, was named the most popular international artist in China.

Iglesias said in an interview he feels privileged to have had such a long career and dismisses concerns raised in the Spanish press about his recent health. He turned to singing after a car accident in 1963 that ended his burgeoning career as a soccer player.

“At 75 years old, of course I cannot play football. I cannot run, but I am in perfect condition,” he said.

“I still have the passion in my heart. If I don’t sing, my heart doesn’t beat so strong… Fifty years on the road, playing from China to Finland, it’s a miracle.”

After all the years, Iglesias said he still gets a thrill from being with an audience.

“The feeling is the same. You close your eyes and you are on the stage and you feel that warmth from the people,” he said.

“I am an artist who is grateful 1,000% to the people. I will belong to the people until I die,” he added.

After spending June performing in Europe, Iglesias will return to the United States for concerts in September and beyond.

A concert tribute to Grammy lifetime achievement honorees will be broadcast on PBS television in the United States later this year. Among those being honored are Iglesias, Black Sabbath, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Sam & Dave, Dionne Warwick, Ashford & Simpson and Johnny Mandel as well as late singers Billy Eckstine and Donny Hathaway. — Reuters

Godzilla from radioactive colossus to unlikely climate hero

LONDON — Ever since Godzilla first rampaged across cinema screens 65 years ago, film critics have seen the reptilian anti-hero as a symbol of the fears gnawing away in the deepest recesses of moviegoers’ minds.

With the giant lizard’s return in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, launched in cinemas last week, reviewers are parsing the blockbuster for insights into the world’s paralysis in the face of climate breakdown.

“It would be a mistake to dismiss Godzilla: King of the Monsters as mindless pap or escapist fantasy,” wrote anthropologist Nathaniel J. Dominy and biologist Ryan Calsbeek, both from Dartmouth, in the journal Science.

“What began as a pointed anti-nuclear fable has since evolved into a broader allegory for human folly and our reckless disregard for the natural environment.”

Godzilla earned its reputation as a bellwether of collective anxiety soon after Japanese director Ishiro Honda first depicted the dinosaur-like creature in his 1954 film Gojira — a nickname derived from the Japanese words for gorilla and whale.

In Honda’s film, a radioactive, 50-meter tall Godzilla lays waste to Tokyo after being awakened from the deep by underwater nuclear tests. Released barely a decade after atom bombs obliterated Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the film was a tacit reflection of Japan’s shared wartime trauma.

In King of the Monsters, directed by Michael Dougherty, an embittered former British army colonel, played by Charles Dance, believes modern civilization is on track to wipe out all life on the planet. The colonel and his paramilitary team go on a mission to release gargantuan mutant “Titans” from their resting places to try to tip the scales back into Earth’s favor.

No longer the enemy who once delighted in toppling Japanese skyscrapers, Godzilla is cast as an unlikely eco-warrior battling to defeat the Titan menace — led by the three-headed King Ghidorah — and save humanity from itself.

Film critics say the devastating elemental forces unleashed by the Titans in the 35th Godzilla film hold up a mirror to real-world fears of wildfires, super-storms and floods caused by growing man-made instability in Earth’s atmosphere.

“Dougherty’s film recalls America’s present-day anxieties over increasingly intense weather patterns tearing across the country from coast to coast,” culture writer Andy Crump observed in a review in The Week.

INNER DEMONS
Although post-apocalyptic climate scenarios have been a staple of the “cli-fi” genre for years — notable examples include The Day After Tomorrow and Mad Max: Fury Road — Godzilla has returned against a uniquely febrile backdrop. With hundreds of thousands of teen climate activists marching in cities across the world, and Extinction Rebellion bringing parts of London to a standstill in April, a new awareness of the crisis is seeping into mainstream culture.

While nobody pretends that a movie can directly deliver cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, fiction can serve as a vehicle to help communities face up to crises that might otherwise seem too overwhelming to contemplate.

“We need to engage with the reality of climate change in order to deal with it,” said Caroline Hickman, a psychotherapist who lectures at the University of Bath in southwest England, and is a member of the Climate Psychology Alliance. “The monster gives us a metaphor, a narrative through which we can do that.”

While the new Godzilla film has been panned in some quarters, Zhiwa Woodbury, author of a book on the psychology of the climate emergency, sees King of the Monsters as Hollywood’s most profound “cli-fi contribution to date.

By including a sequence where Godzilla is once more roused by an undersea nuclear blast, Woodbury says the film is asking audiences to heal the rupture in mankind’s relationship with the natural world that occurred at the dawn of the atomic age.

“Godzilla is spot-on in asking us to face our inner demons,” Woodbury wrote on his EcoPsychology NOW! blog. “Only then can we hope to rise like a Phoenix from the ashes of the petrochemical age, and regenerate our world on a path of climate recovery.” — Reuters

Stream with Pride: Netflix’ suggestions for Pride Month

IN celebration of Pride Month this June, Netflix has come up with a list of movies and shows about how love and family come in all colors and stories.

• Tales Of The City (streams on June 7) — Inspired by the books of Armistead Maupin, this Netflix Original Limited Series, Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, begins a new chapter in the story. Mary Ann (Laura Linney) returns to present-day San Francisco and is reunited with her daughter Shawna (Ellen Page) and ex-husband Brian (Paul Gross), 20 years after leaving them behind to pursue her career. Fleeing the midlife crisis that her picture-perfect Connecticut life created, Mary Ann is quickly drawn back into the orbit of Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis), her chosen family and a new generation of queer young residents living at 28 Barbary Lane.

• Trinkets (streams on June 14) — When three teenage girls from different corners of the high school cafeteria find themselves in the same mandated Shoplifter’s Anonymous meeting, an unlikely friendship forms. Elodie, the grieving misfit; Moe, the mysterious outsider; and Tabitha, the imperfect picture of perfection, find strength in each other as they negotiate family issues, high school drama and the complicated dilemma of trying to fit in while longing to break out.

• All In My Family (now streaming) — After starting a family of his own in America, a gay filmmaker documents his loving, traditional Chinese family’s process of acceptance.

• Special (now streaming) — Based on creator and star Ryan O’Connell’s memoir, Special is an irreverent comedy about a gay young man with cerebral palsy who decides to go after the life he has always wanted.

• Bonding (now streaming) — For grad student/dominatrix Tiff (Zoe Levin) and her cash-strapped gay best friend Pete (Brendan Scannell), S&M is a business, not a pleasure. Well, maybe there’s a little pleasure. Their professional relationship redefines their friendship, but more importantly helps them find themselves.

• Pose (now streaming) — From creator Ryan Murphy, Pose is a dance musical set in 1980s New York City, exploring the fabulous and fascinating world of LGBTQ+ ball culture. The groundbreaking series, which largely stars a transgender cast, was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Drama.

• Queer Eye (now streaming) — Laugh, cry, and be inspired by the Fab Five, as they change the lives of men and women, touching on everything from LGBTQ+ rights, social commentary, fashion, and how to whip up a tasty avocado dish.

• RuPaul’s Drag Race (now streaming) — Watch fabulous queens lip-sync for their lives in this long-running, Emmy-winning reality show hosted by RuPaul.

• Call Me By Your Name (now streaming) — An emotional and award-winning portrayal of first love between Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer). Luca Guadagnino’s coming-of-age drama earned multiple accolades, including a Best Picture nod and a Best Adapted Screenplay trophy at the Oscars.

• Will & Grace Season 1 to 8 (now streaming) — All eight seasons of the classic sitcom are now streaming on Netflix. Join roommates Will and Grace as they search for Mr. Right with the help of their hilarious sidekicks, Karen and Jack.

Actor Jussie Smollett not returning to Empire, the TV show’s creator says

LOS ANGELES — Jussie Smollett will not be returning to US television series Empire, the show’s creator says, marking the first public confirmation that the actor has been dropped after a furor over claims that he was the victim of a hate crime.

Responding to a Variety report that writers were discussing scenarios in which Smollett’s character would return towards the end of the sixth and final season, Empire creator Lee Daniels wrote on Twitter on Tuesday; “Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire.”

Smollett, 36, who is black and gay, ignited a firestorm by telling police in January that two apparent supporters of US President Donald Trump struck him, put a noose around his neck and poured bleach over him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs on a Chicago street.

Chicago police later accused Smollett of making up the attack but the actor maintained his innocence and prosecutors in March dismissed criminal charges against him.

Smollett, who played gay singer-songwriter Jamal Lyon on the show about a family in the hip-hop entertainment business, was dropped from the final episodes of season 5 earlier this year.

The Fox network, now owned by Walt Disney Co., said in April that there were no plans to bring his character back for Season 6, which is expected to air this fall, but left open a contractual option for Smollett to return.

Fox has said Empire will end after Season 6.

Representatives for Smollett did not return a request for comment on him being dropped from the show. — Reuters

Deloitte opens 1st global delivery center in PHL

By Denise A. Valdez, Reporter

INTERNATIONAL consultancy firm Deloitte is bullish on growth in the Asia Pacific through a newly opened delivery center in the Philippines.

Deloitte Consulting Philippines Delivery Center (PDC), Inc. launched Thursday a global delivery center in Bonifacio Global City, which will serve clients operating in Asia Pacific.

“There are some very ambitious growth plans for Asia Pacific within Deloitte Consulting and in order to cater to those plans, we need a very strong delivery arm within this time zone. Having that center in the Philippines is going to help us be closer to the Asia Pacific time zones,” Deloitte Consulting PDC Managing Director Uday Sreeram said during a media briefing at the company’s new office yesterday.

“Based on our research and our due diligence, we found that there is an amazing talent pool here in the Philippines. Good English-speaking skills and very passionate and enthusiastic young work force who want to make a mark,” he added.

Deloitte is a $43-billion firm that is mainly in the business of providing auditing, consulting, financial advisory and tax services to its clients, majority of which are Fortune 500 companies.

The company noted the global delivery center in Manila is its first in Asia Pacific and will have a focus on technology consulting services “with a focus on Digital, ServiceNow, Robotic Process Automation, SAP, and Workday.”

It is committed to grow the office size from its current 150 employees to around 300 by next year and around 1,000 in the next five years.

“We’re making a substantial financial investment and commitment over multiple years to stand up this center. Those investments are ongoing,” Delotte Consulting LLP Principal Jeff Jordan said.

“We’ve committed to around 700 (employees) over a few years, but… given the market and where we’re going, we’ll see several thousand people between now and 2024… The investment is directly proportional to the volume of people,” he added.

Deloitte currently has 26 delivery centers worldwide with more than 31,000 practitioners across the network. In the coming years, Mr. Jordan said the goal is to make the delivery center in the Philippines one of the company’s biggest all over the world.

“We have varying sizes, but when we accelerate or fast forward two years, this will be one of the top five (delivery centers) that we would have in terms of size and scale. And if we are really successful, it would easily be at the top 2 or 3,” he said.

Mr. Jordan noted the new global delivery center in the Philippines is part of Deloitte’s series of strategic investments to reach out to its growing client base across the world.

Prior to opening in the Philippines, Deloitte also set up regional delivery centers in China and Kuala Lumpur. The company has 26 global, regional and local delivery centers around the world.

Madonna loses appeal over auction of Tupac Shakur breakup letter

NEW YORK — Madonna lost a court battle to keep a trove of intimate belongings including a pair of satin panties, a brush containing her hair, and a breakup letter from a former boyfriend, the late rapper Tupac Shakur, from heading to the auction block.

A New York state appeals court in Manhattan on Tuesday cleared the way for an auction, saying Madonna could not pursue claims against Darlene Lutz, her former friend and art consultant, or the GottaHaveRockandRoll.com online auction website, to which Lutz consigned the items for sale.

The Appellate Division said Madonna’s claims were barred by a “very broad” release in her 2004 settlement agreement with Lutz, who was “free to do with the property as she wished” as its rightful owner.

Madonna, 60, had said she did not know until learning about the auction that Lutz, who worked for the singer from 1981 to 2003, possessed the more than 20 disputed items.

Lawyers for Madonna did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It is unclear whether she will appeal.

“The court came to the absolute right decision,” Hartley Bernstein, a lawyer for the defendants, said in an interview. “The property is Ms. Lutz’s to do with as she wishes.”

Tuesday’s 5-0 decision upheld an April 2018 ruling by Justice Gerald Lebovits of the state supreme court in Manhattan.

Lebovits said he dismissed the case because the statute of limitations had passed, and because Madonna’s settlement with Lutz contained a broad waiver covering the claims.

The handwritten letter from Shakur was dated Jan. 15, 1995, while he was in prison for sexual assault.

It said he was ending his relationship with Madonna because he thought dating a white woman could jeopardize his career.

“I felt due to my ‘image’, I would be letting down half of the people who made me what I thought I was,” Shakur wrote. “I never meant to hurt you.”

GottaHaveRockandRoll.com said the letter could fetch $400,000 at auction, court papers show. Shakur was killed at age 25 in a September 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. — Reuters

Ayala sets modest Maxus sales target this year

By Janina C. Lim, Reporter

THE AYALA group on Wednesday officially launched Chinese auto brand Maxus in the Philippines, with the introduction of a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and van.

Reginald G. See, general manager of the Automobile Central Enterprise, Inc. — a wholly owned subsidiary of AC Industrial Technology Holdings, Inc., said the company targets to sell up to 600 units this year, but aims to “double or triple” sales next year.

“We have a modest target this year because it has only six months to come out. We are looking at about 500 units to 600 units, but we plan to double or triple that next year with new product offerings. We start off with two products first, the G10 and the V80, but next year we will be coming out with more,” Mr. See told reporters on Wednesday night in Parañaque City.

The Maxus G10 is a nine-seater MPV, powered by a 1.9-liter turbo Euro 4-compliant diesel engine. It has an introductory price of P1.680 million.

The V80 comes in three variants — V80 Comfort, V80 Transport and V80 Flex.

The V80 Comfort, a 13-seater van, is priced at P1.57 million. The V80 Flex, best for transport of goods, products and services, with its 6.9 cubic meter space and carrying capacity of 1.1 tons, sells for P1.19 million.

V80 Transport, an 18-seater passenger van, intended for shuttle service business, has a P1.288-million price tag.

The Maxus vehicles can be used by small and medium enterprises in need of a regular delivery vehicle, as well as for shuttle and tourism services, as the Ayala group sees growth in the light commercial vehicle segment.

All Maxus vehicles come with a three-year or 100,000 kilometer warranty coverage.

At present, Maxus has a dealership with showroom and after-sales facility at the Greenfield District, Mandaluyong City. It will open within the year three more dealerships in the Manila Bay area, Quezon City and Cebu.

“Soon we will be appointing more dealers,” Mr. See said.

As a new player, Mr. See said it is a challenge for Maxus to penetrate the market but hopes the competitive vehicle prices will attract buyers.

The firm also intends to counter the negative perception on the quality of China-made products, according to Mr. See. He added Ayala is banking that the improving quality of products from China will entice buyers as well.

The Maxus is Ayala’s fifth auto brand in the market and second one that the firm launched in less than six months, the first being the relaunch of the Korean brand Kia.

The Maxus brand was first rolled out in 2004 by British firm Layeland Motor Ltd. and acquired in 2010 by Shanghai-based SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd.

The brand is present in 46 countries across America, Asia Pacific, Europe and Africa.

New training approaches seen needed for Gen Z first wave

AS THE EARLIER WAVES of Generation Z start to enter the workforce, education and training becomes more and more critical in insulating them from the threat of technological disruptions, a consultant said.

In an interview with BusinessWorld, Acumen Strategic Consulting, Inc. Managing Director Pauline G. Fermin said the bulk of Generation Zs, or those born starting 1997, are gearing up to join or are already part of the labor force. She added that most of the time the skills and training they come with are deemed insufficient.

“In five to 10 years, they will be middle managers so it is very critical. We need to be ready for them. I don’t think we are right now,” she said.

She stressed the need for schools to improve their curricula, adding “Ideally, it will help the education sector ramp it up. The methods, content and skills that we’re focusing on are just not adequate.”

Because they are so-called digital natives, — born and raised in an age of widespread use of technology and social media — Ms. Fermin said Generation Z’s learning styles are more visual and interactive as opposed to the traditional type of learning that is more teacher-centered.

Despite being more adept with basic technology, Ms. Fermin said there is still a need for companies to train Generation Z workers as they climb up the corporate ladder and manage institutions.

“Companies and businesses need to provide them with the tools and training in order to equip them to be productive employers and future leaders of organizations,” she said.

She added that with more forward-leaning training, younger workers will be able to withstand the threat of automation with the coming of the fourth industrial revolution. Technology is expected to complement work output since some areas will still be exclusive to humans, such as interpersonal skills and leadership skills.

“Automation is something that they will need in the workforce. In fact they expect it for repetitive tasks. They believe that certain things can be handled by technology,” she added.

Skills that are a must for young workers are interpersonal management, verbal and written communications; and critical thinking.

“They need to be taught the basic technical skills they need for the job… What they need is different kinds of skills. They have access to all the data but do they have the ability to analyze and draw out conclusions and think about it critically. These are the things they have to learn in order to be successful in any job,” Ms. Fermin said. — Gillian M. Cortez

Criminal haunting

By Zsarlene B. Chua, Reporter

The Inbetween
Blue Ant Entertainment

CRIME procedurals have always been a popular TV series genre and with the multitude of such series airing, the main challenge is how to offer something different — and that is what The Inbetween is trying to do as the show combines a crime procedural with the paranormal.

The Inbetween, which airs on CBS and is syndicated for Asia by Blue Ant Entertainment, follows Cassie Bedford (played by Harriet Dyer) as she tries to solve cold cases with her “sixth sense” which allows her to not only communicate but also experience what the dead went through.

She is often roped into these cases by the ghosts themselves and by her foster father, Detective Paul Hackett (Paul Blackthorne) and his new partner, former FBI agent Damien Asante (Justin Cornwell) who relocates to Seattle for unknown reasons.

The series could be said to be a cross between Cold Case (2003-2010) and Ghost Whisperer (2005-2010). Both series also aired on CBS and featured women in leading roles: Detective Lily Rush (Kathryn Morris) and Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love-Hewitt), respectively.

Like Cold Case, the series — which started airing on May 31 — opened with a Seattle detective trying to find a missing person only to realize that they’re also dealing with a cold case of a woman whose eyes were gouged out, but like Ghost Whisperer, the case isn’t as simple as it looks as Cassie dreams about a dead woman who is connected to the case.

The pilot episode opened much like any other procedurals, a newly minted detective gets a new partner and all his baggage, and a missing persons case turns into a murder case and then into another murder case, but with more attempts to shock people as audiences are treated to gory imagery less than 10 minutes in.

Cassie, as a medium, was established as a woman who struggles with her abilities but her often blase, sarcastic attitude towards skeptics seems to belie her difficulties though a drinking binge in the opening scene suggests that, yes, she is having a hard time.

Her father, meanwhile, immediately accepts the fact that neither Cassie nor him can walk away from such cases.

The super serious nature of the program provides little room for comedy though there are attempts — though very few elicit requisite chuckles from the audience. The effort is appreciated nonetheless, especially the quip Asante makes about drinking coffee because “this is America” and Hackett is most decidedly British and thus drinks tea.

What I do appreciate a lot about this program is Cassie not positioning herself as a guardian angel — she can be pretty vengeful and will willingly help a ghost exact revenge and even takes delight from it.

At length, I do like The Inbetween though I am not fond of scary stuff and jump scares which the show routinely does to emphasize that, yes, it is a paranormal program. The pilot also sets up several plot points and I hope they tie up everything up by season’s end. Do I think it has potential? Yes, if only they develop the characters more as all of them seem a bit bland on the first episode.

The Inbetween airs every Friday, 10:35 p.m. on Blue Ant Entertainment. Blue Ant Entertainment is available on SkyCable ch. 53 (SD) and ch. 195 (HD); SkyDirect ch. 35; Cignal ch. 120; and Cablelink ch. 37.

DM Wenceslao sees strong demand for MidPark Towers

D.M. Wenceslao & Associates, Inc. (DMW) is launching the third tower of its residential development MidPark Towers this month, after selling over P4.3 billion worth of units in same project over the last six months.

The listed property developer said in a statement that its wholly owned unit Aseana Residential Holdings Corp. has already sold 278 out of the 309 units in MidPark Towers since its launch last November. Units were sold at an average of P250,500 per square meter (sq.m.)

“The overwhelming response from homebuyers of MidPark Towers exceeded our expectations. This reflects strong demand for quality homes and real estate investment opportunities among Filipinos and foreigners,” DMW Chief Executive Officer Delfin Angelo C. Wenceslao said in a statement.

With this, DMW said the third tower will be available for sale starting this month. It will offer 204 residential units priced from P10.8 million for the smallest unit at 40 sq.m. This indicates a price per sq.m of P275,000, 25% higher than the P220,000 per sq.m price for the first two towers during their launch.

MidPark Towers will have four towers with 15 storeys each, with sales seen to reach more than P9 billion. With a total of 670 units, the entire project will contribute around 45,000 sq.m in saleable area to DMW’s portfolio. It will also house 2,000 sq.m of leasable area.

The company earlier said that buyers in its first tower were mostly families, BPO workers, and casino employees working in nearby Entertainment City.

MidPark Towers is DMW’s second residential project in Aseana City after the launch of Pixel Residences in 2016.

DMW expects to complete the project by 2023.

“By then, Aseana City will feature new landmarks, even more recreational and entertainment venues, vibrant public spaces and well-developed transportation links,” Mr. Wenceslao said.

Aseana City is a 107.5-hectare estate located along Manila Bay, which stands near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange. It will also see the opening of a new Ayala Mall in the next few years.

DMW last year said it will spend P12 billion to develop Aseana City over the next five years. This includes three residential projects and six commercial developments covering 280,000 sq.m. of leasable space.

DMW reported a nine percent increase in net income attributable to the parent to P507.09 million in the first quarter of 2019, after gross revenues also rose 13% to P608.58 million.

Shares in DMW climbed 1.41% or 14 centavos to close at P10.08 each at the stock exchange on Thursday. — Arra B. Francia

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