Variety the focus of this year’s Eiga Sai f ilm festival

June 28, 2019 | 12:03 am

NOW ON its 22^nd year, the Eiga Sai Japanese Film Festival presents a selection of 17 full-length features from a variety of genres to “show not only one side of Japanese culture,” said an organizer.

The annual film festival is organized by the Japan Foundation Manila (JFM) and will run from July 3 to Aug. 25 at the Shangri-La Plaza mall cinemas in Mandaluyong City and in several cities across the country: Pangasinan, Naga, Cebu, Bacolod, Tacloban, and Davao.

The Manila run will be from July 3 to 14, 2019 at the Red Carpet, Shangri-La Plaza.

“Every year, the Eiga Sai aims to provide a glimpse into the different aspects of Japanese society through a diverse selection of films,” Kanami Namiki, program coordinator of JFM, said during the festival’s press launch on June 19.

This year, she said, there was no common theme between the films as the purpose was to be as varied as possible, though there was a focus on getting newer films.

The festival’s opening film is Bernard Rose’s Samurai Marathon (2019), based on Akihiro Dobashi’s novel Bakumatsu Marathon Samurai. It is about the Ansei Tooashi, Japan’s first marathon held in the 1800s by the Annaka feudal lord, Katsuakira Itakura, to train the minds and bodies of warriors.

Ms. Namiki said they chose a Japanese film directed by a Westerner as the opening film because it was interesting to see how other people look at Japanese period films or jidaigeki.

Samurai Marathon starts with the call of the feudal lord for his warriors, foot soldiers, or any able-bodied men to run a 50-km course with the winner being granted a wish by the lord. What was supposed to be a fun run is misconstrued as a rebellion by a spy from the central government who tips off the government which then sends assassins to stop so-called rebellion. Now, the race is also on for the spy to right the misunderstanding. The film stars Takeru Satoh, who is best known for his role as Kenshin Himura in the Ruruoni Kenshin live action film series.

Other films to be shown in the festival are The House Where the Mermaid Sleeps (2018) by Yukihiko Tsutsumi, which is also the festival’s closing film. Based on the novel of the same name by Keigo Higashino, the film follows a couple who is confronted by a tragedy involving their child which leads them to a difficult choice; After the Storm (2016) by Hirokazu Kore-eda, about a gambling-addicted father who reminisces about his days as a prize-winning author. While his family moves on without him, he tries to take back control of his life and find a place in his son’s life. The film was selected as an entry in the Un Certain Regard section of the 69^th Cannes Film Festival. Mr. Kore-eda previously won the Palme D’Or for Shoplifters in 2018.

Shoplifters is about a family of shoplifters who take in a new family member. The film made its Philippine premier in last year’s Quezon City International Film Festival and will have a special screening at the University of the Philippines’ Film Institute during the Eiga Sai festival.

The Third Murder (2017), also by Mr. Kore-eda, is a psychological thriller about a man, once convicted of murder, who is indicted again this time for killing and setting on fire the president of the company who laid him off and his lawyer who tries to help him get life in prison.

Yakiniku Dragon (2018), by Wishing Chong, is an adaptation of his play and portrays the joys and sorrows of a Korean family living in Japan.

Lying to Mom (2018), by Katsumi Nojiri, is a family comedy-drama about a father and a daughter telling their grief-stricken matriarch a once-in-a-lifetime lie. The director, Mr. Nojiri, will be at the Philippine premiere of Lying to Mom on Aug. 3 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines during the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

The Tears of Malumpati (2019), by Keita Meguro, is based on the true story of the Pandan Water Pipeline Project in Panay Island where Japanese and Filipino volunteers try to solve the problem of insufficient drinking water by building a 10-km pipeline.

Mixed Doubles (2017), by Junichi Ishikawa, is a drama-comedy about a woman scorned who forms a mixed doubles table tennis team to defeat her ex and his new girlfriend.

One Cut of the Dead (2018), by Shinichiro Ueda, is a sleeper-hit horror-comedy about an indie movie crew trying to shoot a zombie film in an abandoned building in the mountains who are then attacked by real zombies. The director is thrilled and keeps the camera rolling.

Perfect World (2018), by Kenji Shibayama, is the live-action adaptation of Rie Aruga’s manga of the same name about a paraplegic architect and the girl who has loved him since high school and their life together.

The Eight-Year Engagement (2017), by Takahisa Zeze, is the second feature in this year’s Eiga Sai which stars Mr. Satoh. This time, he plays a dedicated fiancee to a woman who has been in a coma for eight years.

The Crimes that Bind (2018), by Katsuo Fukuzawa, is the series finale for the film The Wings of Kirin and television series Shinzanmono. The film, based on the novel of Keigo Higashino, follows the story of an investigator who tries to solve the killing of a young woman in an apartment whose registered resident also vanished.

Kakegurui (2019), by Tsutomu Hanabusa, is the live-action adaptation of Homura Kawamoto’s manga of the same name. The film follows the lives of the students at a prestigious academy whose social hierarchy is based on a long-standing tradition of gambling.

Laughing Under the Clouds (2018) is another live-action adaptation of a manga, this time by Karakara Kemuri. The film tells the story of a family who is in charge of a shrine who learn that they and their bloodline are tied to the awakening of the dreaded serpent, Orochi, which will wreak havoc on their town.

Lu Over the Wall (2017), by Masaaki Yuasa, is an animated film about the encounter between a young boy and a mermaid.

Finally, Mirai (2018), by Mamoru Hosoda, is another animated feature about a spoiled little boy who gets jealous over his newborn sister. His life is upended after a girl appears and tells him that she is his sister from the future. The film was screened during the 2018 Cannes’ Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight.

Aside from the films, the festival will also hold a special performance by shamisen (Japanese traditional three-stringed instrument) player Keisho Ohno during its opening week.

Eiga Sai is open to the public and is free of charge except for the showings in Shangri-La Plaza which will cost P100 per screening. For the full screening schedule and dates for other cities, visit www.jfmo.org.ph or call 811-6155 to 58. — Zsarlene B. Chua

HSBC boosts Philippine private banking business

June 28, 2019 | 12:02 am

THE HONGKONG and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd. (HSBC) has expanded its private banking presence in the Philippines by deploying more relationship managers to service the growing wealth market.

In a statement, the global financial institution said it recruited three new relationship managers as part of HSBC Private Banking’s plans to grow its business in Asia and in the Philippines.

“We are delighted to welcome new talent to our team to serve the increasing wealth needs of our Philippines’ clients,” said Kevin Herbert, co-head for North Asia at HSBC Private Banking.

Valerie See-Tang and Janice Marie Laurel has been designated as its relationship managers in Manila. Prior to this, Ms. See-Tang was the branch head of HSBC’s Quezon City office, while Ms. Laurel was a premier team leader of HSBC Ortigas branch.

Meanwhile, Carmen Wong has joined in Hong Kong as a relationship manager for the Philippine desk. She joined the bank after being a relationship manager for the Philippine market at JPMorgan.

“Not only do we have one of the largest private banking teams supporting the Philippines market, we believe our strong business heritage, global network and experience working with families across generations, all give us a competitive edge,” Mr. Herbert added.

HSBC Private Banking said it is poised to support the growing high net worth (HNW) segment in the country as it has an onshore office in Manila working closely with the full service wealth management hubs in Hong Kong and Singapore.

According to a study conducted by ultra high net worth intelligence and data firm Wealth-X, the Philippines is one of the fastest-growing HNW countries globally, with a compounded annual growth rate of 9.4% between 2018 and 2023.

Ailene Manzano-Litonjua, HSBC Philippines’ head of private banking, said many of its entrepreneurial clients are in the process of transferring wealth and business to the next generation.

“Our extensive knowledge and experience of legacy planning and family governance is another key element of out offering that is important to Philippines clients,” she said.

Last month, UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. launched its private banking services in partnership with Lombard Odier (Singapore) Ltd. to offer wealth management for individuals and families with net worth of at least P100 million. The Aboitiz-led bank said the private banking unit eyes to grow assets under management by 25% annually.

HSBC was one of the biggest foreign banks in the country as of end-2018 with assets worth P160.5 billion. It operates 10 branches in the country, three of which are HSBC Savings Bank branches. — K.A.N. Vidal

What to see this week

June 28, 2019 | 12:02 am

5 films to see on the week of June 28 — July 4, 2019

Annabelle Comes Home

DEMONOLOGISTS Ed and Lorraine Warren keep the possessed doll Annabelle in what is supposed to be a safe room, yet she awakens evil spirits in the room and eyes a new target — the Warrens’ 10-year-old daughter and her friends. Directed by Garry Dauberman, the film stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, and Mckenna Grace. IndieWire’s Eric Kohn writes, “The movie joins It and Stranger Things as the latest resurrection of the ’80s-kids-in-peril routine, and it’s not exactly aiming to reinvent the genre. Still, it’s something of a relief that the movie pushes beyond the usual self-seriousness of these movies to allow for a more colorful array of characters and some modicum of humor surrounding their plight.”

MTRCB Rating: R-13

Step Up 6: Year of the Dance

YOUTH from all walks of life in Beijing come together to form a dance crew and learn what it means to be family. Directed by Ron Yuan, the dance film stars Jade Chynoweth, Sean Lew, and Janelle Ginestra.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Beyond the Edge

A LEGENDARY gambler gathers a team of people with supernatural powers in an attempt to win big at a casino. However, they must first defeat a stronger rival. Directed by Aleksandr Boguslavskiy and Francesco Cinquemani, the film stars Antonio Banderas, Milos Bikovic, Lyubov Aksyonova, and Aristarkh Venes.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Because I Love You

SUMMER followed the footsteps of her father and became a firefighter, despite her mother’s dream for her to become a beauty queen. Things take a turn when she meets Rael, a son of a business tycoon. Directed by Joel Lamangan, the film stars Shaira Diaz and David Licauco.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Kontradiksyon

THE socio-political action thriller depicts scenarios on the country’s controversial war on drugs and how the drugs effect a person’s physical and mental well-being. Directed by Njel de Mesa, the film stars Jake Cuenca and Kris Bernal.

MTRCB Rating: R-16

AGI to double capacity at casinos as PHL tourism climbs

June 28, 2019 | 12:02 am

A YEAR after taking over from his father as chief executive officer, Alliance Global Group, Inc.’s (AGI) Kevin Tan says tourism and consumer spending in the Philippines will drive growth as his real-estate-to-booze conglomerate doubles capacity at its Manila gambling resorts.

Westside City, the group’s second casino complex in the capital, will also boost the share of revenue from gaming by almost half to 20% over five years, said Mr. Tan, 39. Resorts World Manila, Alliance’s first gaming property, is expanding this year and the second resort will begin opening in 2021, he said.

The casino expansion along with a shift to premium products by Alliance’s distiller Emperador, Inc. and a property boom have Mr. Tan expecting to increase profit by about 15% a year at each subsidiary over the next five years. Consumer spending jumped more than 6% in the first quarter in the Philippines, where it accounts for more than three quarters of an economy that’s forecast to be one of Asia’s fastest growing this year.

“Fundamentally, the Philippine economy is quite strong and consumption is also quite high,” Mr. Tan said in an interview. “We will see a lot of our businesses thriving in this kind of environment.”

Mr. Tan’s group covers real estate, hotels, casinos and distilleries, including the local franchise of McDonald’s. Its unit Megaworld Corp. is the largest landlord for call centers in the Philippines, with more than 63 office towers, mostly in 24 mixed-use developments across the country.

Gaming unit Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc., a venture with Genting Hong Kong Ltd. and builder of Manila’s first casino resort, is betting on new capacity to maintain earnings growth after a profit surge in 2018 ended a three-year decline.

The rebound also represents a comeback for Travellers from a June 2017 fire at its Resorts World Manila casino that left 38 people dead. The blaze, set by an arsonist, cost the company about P60 million ($1 million) a day in lost revenue and cut traffic by half when it reopened.

“The next five years will be very exciting,” Mr. Tan said. “I am very confident about how well Travellers will do and how much contribution it will have to our overall top line. Westside will easily double our capacity.”

Rising consumer purchasing power in the Philippines is also helping the group’s liquor business along with growing overseas sales. The shift by Emperador, the world’s largest brandy maker, to more premium products may help the brand weather a planned increase in booze taxes, said Mr. Tan.

At the same time, Megaworld will remain a key growth driver for the group with a P300-billion budget in the five years through 2024 to build more apartments, office towers and shopping malls. “We are still experiencing a boom in the real-estate sector,” Mr. Tan said.

Investors have welcomed Mr. Tan’s appointment to succeed his father Andrew Tan, who’s still Alliance chairman. Alliance shares were up 28% this year as of Wednesday, compared with the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index’s 7% gain.

Alliance’s capital expenditures in the five years through 2024 will surpass the record P377 billion for the five years through 2019, Mr. Tan said. The expansion will be mostly funded internally.

Alliance debt rose to P297.7 billion as of the end 2018, 14% higher than the previous year. Cash flow from operations more than doubled in the period to P17.84 billion, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

“I am conservative when it comes to debt,” said Mr. Tan. “While the gearing at Alliance is something we are comfortable with, we are preparing to pare that down.” — Bloomberg

Tesla senior production executive quits

June 28, 2019 | 12:02 am

TESLA INC’S vice president of production at its Fremont factory, Peter Hochholdinger, has left after three years with the electric-car maker, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Hochholdinger, a former production executive at Volkswagen AG, is the latest high-profile executive to leave Tesla in the past two years as the automaker struggles to ramp up production of Model 3, which is seen as crucial for its long-term profitability.

He was tasked with improving production for Tesla’s luxury Model S sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle as well as helping build a cost-effective manufacturing program for the Model 3 sedan, the company had said in his appointment memo.

At Volkswagen, Hochholdinger spent 22 years supervising the production of Audi A4, A5 and Q5 models. When Audi set up a new production facility in Mexico, he served as an adviser.

Both Tesla and Hochholdinger did not respond to requests for comment.

Demand for Tesla cars has been one of the major concerns of investors amid escalating US-China trade tensions. The company reported a 31% fall in first-quarter deliveries and warned that profit would be delayed until the latter half of the year.

Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, however, said last month that the company was on course to deliver a record number of cars in the second quarter.

Musk reiterated the claim on Tuesday after automotive news website Electrek reported that the company faces delivery bottlenecks at the close of the second quarter.

Electrek was also the first to report on Hochholdinger’s exit from Tesla.

Earlier on Wednesday, Wedbush analysts lowered their current quarter delivery forecast to 84,000 units from an earlier forecast of 88,000 units, adding that Tesla hitting its quarterly delivery target is an “unlikely event.” — Reuters

Management theories in flux

June 28, 2019 | 12:01 am

My Asian Institute of Management-Master in Business Management alumni class has a very active Viber group and recently our exchange revolved around the debate on whether new management theory has been discovered. One view says that management theory hasn’t really changed in the past 50 years, except that framing of the theory has progressed in the elusive search for the winning management formula. This has given birth to an industry of best selling books written by experts claiming to have discovered the immutable laws of management and leadership.

But despite all of these professed solutions, organizational problems persist because at its core, most executives and managers find it difficult to adapt to change. We are hard-wired individuals and we rely too much on the patterns we personally experienced in our own path to success. Once managers move up in the organization, they think that whatever helped them in the process will continue to work for everyone else.

Geoffrey James, writing for Inc.com, wrote this piece entitled, “Elon Musk’s management advice is so brilliant that I threw away 37 business books.” In 11 short rules, Musk laid out what we need to know about management. Are these ideas truly worth throwing away business books? Put another way, is there a real short cut to learning about management? Here’s James’ edited version:

1. No large meetings unless they’re of value to the entire audience. Keep them short.

2. Don’t have frequent meetings unless the matter is truly urgent. Resolve it; stop meeting.

3. If you are not adding value to a meeting, walk out or drop off the call.

4. Don’t use acronyms and nonsense words for objects, software, or processes.

5. Avoid any terms that required explanation, because they inhibit communication.

6. Communicate directly with individuals rather than through a chain of command.

7. Any manager enforcing chain-of-command communication will be fired.

8. Don’t follow any “company rule” that doesn’t make common sense.

9. Ideas that increase productivity or happiness are always welcome.

10. Contractors who can’t find an employee to vouch for them will be fired.

11. Never do anything that would make a great Dilbert cartoon.

Management boils down to controlling resources and people and orchestrating both towards a desired mission-vision. Is it enough to pick up management concepts from a list like Musk’s? As one classmate noted, taking a full time MBM class the AIM case method way exposes the student to myriad management challenges. The daily cases during our AIM days allowed us to be exposed to hundreds of real life management problems. The virtual experience was definitely less costly especially by way of possible mistakes. Regular exposure to decision making in different context provides superior lessons compared to a list, even if the list is arguably correct. As our professor said, management training is about changing behavior and this takes time.

While management theory hasn’t changed much for traditional companies, for technology companies the theory and practice have drastically changed. The key word is agile. They do not believe in long term planning. They do not believe in very detailed feasibility studies. They want to launch products even before its fully ready. They do not want organizational charts. They mostly depend on learning and adapting to the environment and competition. They operate in a way they can make changes very quickly in hours, days or weeks instead of months and years.

The concept came from software developers and adopted by the technology companies. It appears to be the “flavor of the month” in management circles and is compatible with the working style of millennials. In an agile manifesto, software companies value individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation and responding to change over following a plan. Clearly, it runs counter to many of the things we learned decades ago in management school.

Even in management structure and organization design, there is the chicken versus lobster concept. Chicken or other animals with bones are very structured. The lobster on the other hand has its shell but no bone structure.

Management theories and specific concepts favored in the business community may change from time to time. During our earlier years, it was management by objectives, total quality management, management by walking around, management for results, situational leadership and so on. One thing remains certain though. In any management approach, employee engagement is key. Because at the end of the day, managers work with people and it will require team effort, not just individual talent, to deliver on the organization’s potential.

I am indebted to Prof. Junbo Borromeo and AIM classmates Greg Domingo, Art Falco, Eddie Yap, Minda Garcia, Ramon Lim, Philip Huang, Vic Bocaling and others whose ideas and thoughts I simply put together for this column.

Benel D. Lagua is Executive Vice President at the Development Bank of the Philippines. He is an active FINEX member and a long time advocate of risk-based lending for SMEs. The views expressed herein are his own and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX.)

This new CEO thinks he doesn’t need HR

June 28, 2019 | 12:01 am

We have a new company president who was pirated by the owner from a competitor. He is a supply chain expert who doesn’t believe in the importance of human resources (HR) as a support function in the organization. In a recent town hall meeting with managers, he told us that everyone can do the work of HR and it need not become a specialist function. Since I am the HR department head, it has become uncomfortable for me to work with him given his critical position against my job. I’ve been in this company for close to 20 years now. And I don’t have any plans of moving to another organization. Please give me your advice. — Bumpy Ride.

There was a young officer in the navy, after completing his training on an overseas cruise, was given an opportunity to display his capabilities at getting a ship under way. With a stream of commands, he had the decks buzzing with men, and soon the ship was steaming out of the channel en route to the Pacific Ocean.

His efficiency established a new record for getting a destroyer under way, and he was not surprised when a seaman approached him with a mobile phone call from the captain: “My personal congratulations on completing your last preparation exercise according to the book and with amazing speed at that! In your haste, however, you have overlooked one of our unwritten rules: “Make sure the captain is aboard before leaving the dock.”

As HR head, you too, must discover the unwritten rules of managing the expectations of your boss. And it appears there is an urgent need for you to level up with him and clarify his thoughts. But let me ask you. Other than small and micro enterprises with two to 20 employees managed by all-around entrepreneurs, can you name an organization in this planet that does not have a full-service, full-time HR department?

Every company needs at least one professional HR clerk or specialist as soon as its manpower complement breaches more than 20 warm bodies.

I’m not doubting your story here. But, would it be possible that you may have misinterpreted the CEO’s statement that “everyone can do the work of HR and it need not become a specialist function?” Better double check this with him. Of course, there are many management functions that should be done exclusively by line supervisors, managers, and other people managers without the intervention HR, up to a certain extent.

There is a basic, kilometric difference between a line function performed by people managers while a staff function is performed by HR managers who act as the internal expert or consultant on people management issues.

One important example is employee discipline. If certain employees become habitually absent or tardy, who will personally handle the issue? The correct answer is the concerned supervisor or manager who must advise, coach, and guide the erring workers up to a certain extent, depending on the gravity of the offense and its applicable penalty. The manager closest to the problem must promptly solve it, if not take remedial measures.

If the offense merits only a verbal admonition, this is best done by the concerned line supervisors or managers. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done. Many supervisors or managers think that a verbal reprimand done in a private room with a worker-offender will suffice. But that’s not all. The concerned manager must document the oral reprimand and require the employee to acknowledge it. Unfortunately, even HR managers don’t know this basic approach. So what can you expect from non-HR managers?

Such an “oral reprimand” complete with all details about the date, time, place, and other pertinent circumstances must be documented and filed in the 201 folder of the employee. This is imperative to give management a concrete basis for what to do with the second and subsequent offenses.

If the same offense continues to be committed by the same person, and this time, it merits suspension or dismissal from employment, what would you do? This needs the specific guidance of HR that can advise the line executives on how to observe the substantive and procedural due process to protect the company against claims of illegal dismissal.

Even in the case of employee performance appraisal, the best persons to handle the task are line executives who are privy to the specific target, job standards, resources to be used and timelines. The role of HR is to provide the policy guidelines, procedures, and the forms needed in evaluating employees. HR must also act as the mediator in case of any conflict in the interpretation of appraisal policies.

Expect the worst, but prepare for all the good things that could happen, including what you can offer to the CEO. Be familiar with the latest developments in HR strategy. For one, take heed of the advice of Forbes contributor Zoe Harte, who says there are three major trends that HR must be aware of and prepare their respective organizations for this year and beyond:

One, HR must partner with marketing to define the company’s “brand.” In the war for talent, this is necessary for every organization so that it can attract, select, develop, and retain the best and the brightest.

Two, HR must create a diversity program to define a balanced workforce. In relation to number One above, the organization must be ready to accept and nurture people from all walks of life regardless of their race, religion, creed, and even sexual preference.

Last, HR must harness the advantages of a “flexible work culture.” Because of technology and the requirements of customers, organizations must promote a work environment where employees are allowed to work according to schedules that fit their lifestyles and their customers.

These are more than enough reasons for everyone to understand the significance of HR in any industry, regardless of color, culture and size. There’s wisdom in having a full-service HR department that can act as a specialist in people management matters and as a generalist when it comes to formulating a business strategy and not as someone who is limited to the safekeeping of the employees’ 201 folders.

ELBONOMICS: An excellent conversation starts with active listening.

Send anonymous questions to elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.consulting

Your Weekend Guide (June 28, 2019)

June 28, 2019 | 12:01 am

Metro Manila Pride

THE LGBTQ+ community, in this year’s Metro Manila Pride themed #ResistTogether, will march in the streets of Marikina to celebrate life and protest against the injustices suffered by the community on June 29 at the Marikina Sports Center. Admission is free. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/mmprideorg/.

Disco Glam at RWM

ALL the glitz and glam of the disco era of the 1970s returns with Resorts World Manila’s new variety show, Disco Glam, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, 9 p.m., the Grand Bar stage. RWM’s house performers, headlined by award-winning theater actress Sheila Valderrama-Martinez, and soul belter and The Voice Philippines finalist Radha Cuadrado will perform alongside crossover all-male trio PRIMO, pop-jazz favorites the Singing Sensations, and European performers Acro Salsa, Moon Duo, and Dance Royalty. Disco Glam is open to patrons 21 years old and above. The Grand Bar is located at the ground floor of the RWM Grand Wing. Visit www.rwmanila.com or download the RWM Mobile App for details.

SM Home Fair

SM HOME presents the SM Home Turnover Fair at the SMX Center beside the Mall of Asia on June 28. This year’s SM Home Fair will feature discounts from 10% to 50% on selected new items (as opposed to old stocks) from over 50 premium brands carried by SM Home. The fair will also feature expert-led talks by some of the country’s up and coming designers who will offer practical advice and design hacks to guests at the fair. There will also be product and cooking demos featuring some of the latest cooking appliances available in SM Home stores. In keeping with SM Home tradition, there will be design vignettes positioned all over fair from which guests can derive inspiration. The SM Home fair is open to the public, entrance is free.

Virgin Labfest 15

VIRGIN LABFEST 15 — the 15^th iteration of the annual theater festival which focuses on unpublished, untried, and unstaged one-act plays — is ongoing until July 7 at various venues in the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex. The lineup includes 12 one-act plays and four sets of staged readings. Tickets are available at the CCP Box Office and TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

BASED on the true story of Carole King’s remarkable journey from teenage songwriter to rock ‘n’ roll legend, Beautiful features classic songs such as “You’ve Got a Friend,” “One Fine Day,” “So Far Away,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” and “Natural Woman.” Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, a production of Atlantis Twenty, runs until July 7 at the Meralco Theater, Pasig City. It stars Kayla Rivera and Nick Varricchio, and is directed by Bobby Garcia. Tickets are available at TicketWorld (891-9999, www.ticketworld.com.ph).

Duty Free Fiestamall Sale

DUTY FREE Philippines will hold a clearance sale with discounts of up to 50% from June 29 to 30 at the Fiestamall in Parañaque City. Discounts will be given on all the major categories of women’s fashion and featured fragrance (up to 50%); home furnishing (up to 50%); and special discount prices on chocolates; watches (up to 50%); eyewear (up to 50%); sporting goods (up to 50%); Keleo jewelry (up to 30%); toys (up to 20%); snacks (up to 20%); Lacoste (up to 20%); liquor (up to 15%); groceries (up to 10%); electronics and appliances (up to 10%). Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and balikbayans can purchase a Karcher auto cleaning/detailing package at up to 5% off.

Twice World Tour 2019

PULP Live World presents Twice World Tour 2019 “Twicelights” in Manila on June 29 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Twice, which bagged the 2018 MNet Asian Music Awards for Best Female Girl Group and Song of the Year, is made up of Jihyo, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, Momo, Sana, Tzuyu, Jeongyeon, Nayeon, and Mina. They started as trainees and contestants in the 2015 survival reality show, Sixteen. The show starts promptly at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at SM Ticket outlets nationwide and online through www.smtickets.com.

The BOYZ Asia Fan-Con

UP-AND-COMING K-pop group The BOYZ is coming to Manila this weekend as part of its Asia fan-con tour this year. Cre.ker Entertainment in partnership with Three Angles Production are bringing in the popular rookie group for a performance at the New Frontier Theater on Sunday, June 30, at 5 p.m. The group has 12 members, namely Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Ju Haknyeon, Hwall, Sunwoo, and Eric. The Boyz has won several rookie awards in various awards shows, including Korea Brand Awards, Soribada Best K-Music Awards, and Best New Male Artist a the 2018 Melon Music Awards. Tickets to The Boyz Asia Fan-Con Tour (The Castle) 2019 in Manila are still available. Prices are at 2,500 (bronze), 4,500 (silver 1 and 2), 6,500 (gold) and 8,000 (VIP) with fan perks depending on the ticket tier.

GERI aims to double rental revenues this year

June 28, 2019 | 12:01 am

GLOBAL-ESTATE Resorts, Inc. (GERI) projects to book P1.4 billion in rental and hotel income this year, as it opens 10,000 square meters (sq.m.) of new leasable spaces.

In a statement issued Thursday, the listed tourism estate and integrated lifestyle communities developer said this will be double the P651 million it generated from rental and hotel income in 2018.

The growth is expected to come mainly from Southwoods Office Towers in Laguna, which it completed in 2018. The company is also scheduled to open Alabang West Parade in Las Piñas City, Holland Park Retail in Laguna, Savoy Hotel Boracay’s retail area in Boracay Newcoast, and a land lease in Antipolo, Rizal this year.

“We expect another banner year for GERI as we see both leasing and hotel income to be the major drivers of our growth. Our residential sales remain strong, as we also expect new launches of residential properties in Twin Lakes and Boracay Newcoast this year,” GERI President Monica T. Salomon said in a statement.

Aside from the retail areas, GERI also expects its newly opened hotels to quadruple hotel income. It started operations of Savoy Hotel Boracay in Boracay Newcoast in 2017, offering 559 rooms and suites.

GERI also unveiled in 2018 the 126-room Twin Lakes Hotel in Laurel, Batangas.

“Through our hotel developments, we hope to contribute to the growth of the country’s booming tourism sector especially in key tourism destinations like Boracay and Tagaytay. Aside from just hotel rooms, we are also providing facilities for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) in these areas,” Ms. Salomon said.

GERI, which is a subsidiary of tycoon Andrew L. Tan’s property firm Megaworld Corp., grew its net income attributable to the parent by 41% to P477.47 million in the first quarter of 2019, following a 33% uptick in gross revenues to P1.87 billion.

Shares in GERI jumped 5.34% or seven centavos to close at P1.38 each at the stock exchange on Thursday. — Arra B. Francia

How PSEi member stocks performed — June 27, 2019

June 28, 2019 | 12:00 am

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Thursday, June 27, 2019.

How does the Philippines’ online gig economy compare to those in other countries?

June 28, 2019 | 12:00 am

Duterte cites need to preserve China relations after collision

June 27, 2019 | 10:01 pm

AMID calls to keep Chinese from fishing in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Malacañang said on Thursday that President Rodrigo R. Duterte will protect the country’s relationship with China, which is helping fund the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

“He is protecting the interest of the Filipino people. The ‘Build, Build, Build’ Program is precisely designed to uplift our economy, and necessarily to uplift the lives of the Filipinos,” the President’s Spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said in a briefing at the Palace on Thursday when asked if the President is trying to protect his infrastructure program.

Mr. Duterte, in his speech at the Palace Wednesday, noted that China has brought in a number of key projects, and rejected calls to ask Chinese nationals to stay away.

“Ang mga projects ngayon. Kita mo naman. You from Luzon. Kita mo ’yung highway ngayon? Kita mo ’yung mga… Tapos gusto mo lang na pilitin na umalis sila doon?” (You can see where the projects are — you are from Luzon. Are you aware of the highway projects? How can you force the Chinese to leave?) the President said.

Mr. Panelo said during the briefing that the economic relationship between the two governments is one of the major reasons why the President is being “very careful” in dealing with issues related to the West Philippine Sea.

“Siyempre, dahil magkakaibigan nga tayo eh,” (he is cautious because of the friendship between the two countries), Mr. Panelo said.

Asked to what extent the President will protect Philippine-China relations, he said: “Depende. Di ba sinasabi ni Presidente, ‘Kapag mayroong assault – assault ha – at mayroong nasaktan sa mga Pilipino, aba’y hindi ako papayag.’ Hindi ba sinabi niya? (It will depend if there’s assault. I will not stand for Filipinos getting hurt) ‘Makikipaggiyera ako sa inyo kahit na talo ninyo ako.’ (I will wage war even if we lose) ‘Di ba, klaro naman iyon eh. (Wasn’t he clear?) But I don’t think that it will come to that precisely because… he’s very smart.”

Mr. Panelo also said that it is “wrong” to assume that the Chinese government had anything to do with the June 9 collision at Recto Bank involving two “private” vessels.

“I was telling the Senate President, I think what started the whole confusion and fracas is because iyong mga kritiko or pati rin kayo siguro assumed na iyong Chinese vessel is owned by the Chinese government (The critics or maybe even you journalists maybe assumed that the Chinese vessel is owned by the Chinese government) and kaya tayo nag rereact, ang dating ay itong Chinese government na ito ang bumangga rito eh (which is why people reacted that way, because it seemed the Chinese government was behind the collision). Private eh. Bakit sinasama kasi natin ang Chinese government, isasama lang natin ang Chinese government kung wala silang ginagawa na gawing accountable iyong Chinese vessel (It was a private boat. Why are people dragging in the Chinese government? The Chinese government should only be brought up if it does nothing to hold the Chinese vessel accountable),” he said.

MUTUAL AGREEMENT
Mr. Panelo said there is a mutual agreement between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mr. Duterte that China will not interfere with Filipino fishermen in disputed waters.

“There was that agreement, mutual agreement… na…okay na mag-fish ang Pilipino doon sa disputed areas (that it was all right for Filipinos to fish in disputed areas),” he said.

He added, “The agreement from what I gather is, hindi nila papakialaman iyong mga fishermen natin doon (they will not interfere with our fishermen).”

He said the government will still enforce the law on Chinese nationals that illegally enter Philippine waters.

“Then we will enforce the law. If it’s unlawful for them to enter, then we will enforce the law,” he said. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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