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27 New RTC judges appointed

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has appointed 27 new regional trial court judges. The Palace released to reporters on Tuesday copies of the appointment papers of the following: Luis C. Velasquez, Stela Marie G. Asuncion, April Joy M. Aguila, John Voltaire C. Ventura, Elenita E. Casipit, Marinel A. Santos, Junoffre A. Alzate, Cristina R. Beltran, Reuben Ritzuko T. Veradio, Enrico Voltaire S. Rivera, Roland Dennis G. Molina, Flerida Z. Banzuela, Caroline R. Jaucian, Carl B. Badillo, Malani Fay V. Tadili, Micahel F. Real, Percival T. Atinaja, Santiago M. Beltran, Jr., Allene T. Pena, Edwin S. Bonifacio, Francis M. Espinola, Rene E. Reyes, Jeovannie C. Ordoño, Erick A. Sadural, Benigno C. Abila, Rodrigo I. Del Rosario, and Ramon Corazon P. Blanco. — Arjay L. Balinbin

HRW tells UN it is ‘not too late’ to investigate PHL drug war killings

NEW YORK-BASED Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the United Nations (UN) to conduct an investigation on the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, saying the members states of the international organization have “stoody by” despite the killings and other violations in the Philippines. “The Philippines’ descent into an all-out human rights crisis, with thousands of extrajudicial executions and a crackdown on basic liberties, has generated an outcry, but no strong action, from United Nations members states,” said HRW Deputy Director Laila Matar in a statement released late Monday. “UN member states stood by while thousands were killed, but it’s not too late for them to act to prevent the killing of thousands more. When the Council convenes in Geneva today, they have an opportunity to do just that — by urgently establishing an international investigation,” she added. HRW cited the findings of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that an estimated 27,000 people had been killed, with no one brought to justice.” Ms. Matar said, “The police deny this figure but do admit to killing more than 6,600 people, only underscoring the need for serious investigations, which the government has unsurprisingly been unwilling to undertake.” She noted that the Philippines “is a member of the UN Human Rights Council and thus is expected to uphold the highest standards of human rights.” — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

13 PHL cities join WWF’s One Planet City Challenge 2019-2020

THIRTEEN CITIES around the country made the list of qualifiers for the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) 2019-2020. Pasig, which won the country-level OPCC award for 2017-2018, is again in the running. Other returning participants are: Parañaque and Quezon cities in the National Capital Region (NCR); Santa Rosa in Laguna; Batangas; San Carlos in Negros Occidental; Cagayan de Oro in Northern Mindanao; and Tagum in Davao del Norte. Completing the 13 are first-time qualifiers Muntinlupa in NCR; Malolos, Bulacan; La Carlota, Negros Occidental; Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte; and Davao City in the Davao Region. In a statement, WWF said it has partnered with ICLEI Southeast Asia to provide technical assistance to these cities. “With these new cities joining this iteration of the OPCC, it shows that, year by year, we as a country are becoming increasingly concerned with our impact on the environment,” WWF-Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Joel Palma is quoted in the statement.

PAST WINNERS
The OPCC, a biennial global challenge, was previously the Earth Hour City Challenge launched in 2011. It recognizes a city’s accomplishments and commitments in infrastructure, housing, transportation, and mobility towards a climate-resilient future. “Now on its sixth run, the OPCC has grown to become the largest and longest-running challenge of its kind, with 411 cities having accepted the challenge and recorded a total of 5,732 recorded actions. With these positive impacts, WWF projects that 3,856 metric tons of greenhouse gases could potentially be saved by the year 2050,” the organization said. Previous OPCC global winners include Vancouver, Canada in 2013; Cape Town, South Africa (2014); Seoul, South Korea (2015); Paris, France (2016); and Uppsala, Sweden (2018). In the Philippines, which joined for the first time in 2015-2016, the challenge was won by Santa Rosa in Laguna.

‘Innovate Iloilo’ roadmap aims to tap technology, science for better local governance

By Emme Rose S. Santiagudo, Correspondent

THE DEPARTMENT of Science and Technology (DoST) and stakeholders in Iloilo City are working on the “Innovate Iloilo” plan, a roadmap towards better governance using science, technology and innovations (STI).

“In 2017, Iloilo City was named as one of the 25 digital cities in the country. It has the potential of becoming a smart city. Ngayon ‘yung (Now the) challenge, if Iloilo City will adopt the technologies being offered by DoST, then maybe they can be the first smart city,” DoST Undersecretary for Research and Development Rowena L. Guevara said during the recent 9th anniversary celebration of the DoST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).

DoST-Western Visayas Regional Director Rowen R. Gelonga said they already had discussions with officials of the city and Iloilo provincial governments, private sector, and other stakeholders for the roadmap.

“Here in Iloilo, we have initial discussions involving the city government, provincial government, other government agencies, and private sector. We are coming up with ‘Innovate Iloilo’… where we would like to position Iloilo City and province as an innovation hub,” he said.

“We are hoping that some of the technologies which will be presented today can be considered for adaptation and utilization of the LGU (local government unit),” Mr. Gelonga said.

The DOST has been encouraging LGUs to adopt STI to provide better governance and services to the people.

“It’s about increasing the role of data and information in governance, that’s making them smart. There is no more ad hoc decision-making done. Every decision is based on science, its evidence-based, and we’re looking forward to this kind of future in governance,” said DoST-PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico C. Paringit.

As part of the celebration, DoST-PCIEERD presented 13 technologies made by local researchers and scientists from DoST and universities around the country.

These technologies can be used by LGUs to provide solutions to key issues such as transport system, environmental protection, critical infrastructure monitoring, housing, disaster risk reduction, education, and food safety.

Iloilo Economic Development Foundation Inc. Executive Director Francis Gentoral said having a “smart” LGU forms part of the wider smart city goal.

“DoST plus the academic institutions and the business groups and DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), we are having ‘Innovate Iloilo’ this October and the idea of having this program is really to develop the ecosystem for a start-up community, and of course part of that ecosystem is to ensure that LGUs are smart,” he said.

Calixto V. Chikiamco, political economist and president of Foundation for Economic Freedom, said Iloilo has the potential to “be a hub for tech industries” given its “good universities.”

He said, “Good software programmers and developers could form the core for tech start-ups, that would be the basis of whole new industries but that would need support from the government and investor. But you have the people, that’s the advantage of Iloilo, their educational system… You can be a tech center here, but of course with the right policies in place.”

Other projects of contractor of collapsed covered court in Zamboanga City put on hold

ZAMBOANGA CEO

THE ZAMBOANGA City government has put on hold all other projects awarded to the contractor of the covered court in Sinubong National High School, which collapsed Monday causing minor injuries to at least eight students. City Engineer Christopher Q. Navarro, in a briefing Monday, said Lamitan VJ Construction and Supplies has been ordered to stop work on the rehabilitation of the public market and Phase 3 of Nuñez Extension Road. The company has also been ordered to immediately repair the covered court, and to pay for all the medical expenses of the injured students. Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has also instructed the City Engineer’s Office, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, together with the Department of Education, to undertake a thorough investigation into the incident and inspect all infrastructure projects undertaken in schools. Last May 24, Ms. Salazar issued a memorandum ordering an intensified implementation of the Building Code and Safety Measures. Mr. Navarro explained during the press briefing that while there was an initial acceptance of the covered court project following its completion, no permission was given yet for the school to use the facility pending a formal turnover. However, the principal decided to use the facility for classes due to lack of classrooms. Ms. Salazar said the city’s legal office will look into possible charges against the contractor and others who may be found to have committed building code violations.

Indonesia, PHL to strengthen border security patrols in Davao Oriental

INDONESIA and the Philippines are enhancing their border security cooperation, particularly in areas off the province of Davao Oriental. The agreement came following the recent arrival of the new Indonesian consul general, Dicky Fabrian, in Davao City. Mr. Fabrian met with Lt. Gen. Felimon T. Santos Jr., commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command, to discuss the steps that the two countries would undertake to improve border security cooperation, according to a statement from the military. Among these steps are conducting joint patrol and improving the border crossing stations in two Davao Oriental areas: Balut Island under the town of Sarangani, and Tibanban in Gov. Generoso. Indonesia and the Philippines have a longstanding Border Agreement and their accord clarifying the boundary where their exclusive economic zones overlap, signed in May 2014, is expected to take effect this year. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Nation at a Glance — (06/26/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Nation at a Glance — (06/26/19)

Calling all applicants for world’s largest women-focused startup competition

The Philippines has long been lauded for having one of the narrowest gender-gaps in the world. But, unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the tech industry.

The local startup ecosystem remains dominated by men, who comprise a whopping 72 percent of founders. And that’s to the detriment of not only women, but the startup community as a whole — with some studies showing that female-founded startups outperform their male-run counterparts in terms of revenue, ringing in as much as $68,000 more over a five-year period.

That’s why She Loves Tech, the world’s largest women and technology focused competition, is coming back to the Philippines for its second run, taking place on August 3, 2019 at QBO Innovation Hub. Deadline for applications is set for July 1, 2019.
She Loves Tech is a global initiative showcasing the convergence of the latest trends in technology, entrepreneurship, innovation and the opportunities it creates for women.

“We’ve been vigilant in our efforts to improve the participation of female founders in the startup ecosystem through our Startup Pinay program, and we’re happy to be furthering this push by continuing our support for She Loves Tech” says Katrina Chan, Director of QBO Innovation Hub.

As the world’s largest women and technology startup competition held in over ten countries, She Loves Tech’s global startup competition is designed to give the world’s most promising women tech entrepreneurs and women impact startups a unique opportunity to showcase their businesses to a global audience of investors and influencers.

She Loves Tech’s goal is to provide a platform for international and Chinese tech companies, investors, entrepreneurs, startups and consumers together, to promote technology for women and technology by women.

“Last year’s winner, Olivia, with the support of DOST did the Philippines proud in the global competition. I’m looking forward to meeting the startups who will vie for the prize this year and seeing more lady bosses take the stage.” Chan said

Prizes

The winners of the Philippine round will receive a trip to Beijing, China where they will attend the She Loves Tech 2019 International Conference, participate in a week-long boot camp, secure a spot to pitch on the international stage, and gain numerous networking opportunities with China’s leading tech ecosystem players.

The winners from the local round of each country will receive the following prizes:

Startup Booster Pack – An exclusive mentorship from leading investors and industry experts, consulting services, fast-track entry to partner programs, media exposure, workspaces, and more

China – Global Tech & Innovation Hub – A trip to Beijing, China where they will receive a spot to pitch on an international stage at She Loves Tech 2019 International Conference, and participate in a specially curated boot camp consisting of company visits to leading technology companies and numerous networking opportunities with China’s tech ecosystem players

Investment Opportunities – Teja Ventures, a venture capital fund with a gender lens and She Loves Tech’s official venture partner, and other affiliate funds will be actively looking to invest in the top startups coming out of the global competition

Global Network – Access to an interconnected community of technology startups from all over the world

Criteria

The criteria for startups who can participate in this competition are:

1. STAGE: Seeking Angel, Seed or A round funding (under US$5m funding raised) with, at minimum, a viable product past its conceptual stage

2. FOCUS: (a) Any entrepreneur, male or female, who is using technology to impact women positively:

  • Are a significant proportion of end-users or consumers female?
  • Are products specifically designed with women users in mind?
  • Does the product itself address a problem that disproportionately affects women?

OR

(b) At least one female entrepreneur must be part of the founding team who is using technology to solve a problem

3. TECHNOLOGY: The use of science and innovation to invent useful things to solve problems, particularly in these verticals:

  • FinTech
  • AI & Big Data
  • Internet of Things
  • MedTech
  • Clean Energy
  • AgriTech
  • EdTech
  • ConsumerTech

Once again, the deadline for applications for the Philippine round of She Loves Tech 2019 Global Startup Competition is on July 1, 2019, with the local round of the competition taking place on August 3, 2019 at QBO Innovation Hub.
For more information, check the rules and regulations at http://www.shelovestech.org/ or email philippines@shelovestch.org.

Moving on: How to leave your company the right way

Have you ever had days where you dragged yourself to work? Or have you looked at your pay slip and felt like you’re just not earning what you deserve? If you have, then it’s time to pay close attention to your work life: These are just some of the many reasons for leaving a company.

Once the workplace honeymoon is over, it’s tempting to draft and file your resignation letter as soon as your shift ends. But leaving a company isn’t a single decision. It’s a process — one that requires much introspection and consultation.

Losing one’s spark

When you first joined the company, you might have signed on because the opportunity matched your expectations for responsibilities, work arrangements, or professional growth. At some point, however, you might have found that those expectations weren’t being met. For most, that’s due in large part to less than savory co-workers.

In her first job, Vivian* dreaded going to work because of one of her bosses. “I felt like we just didn’t work well [together]. Instead of getting inspired, I was more afraid of her which was affecting my work,” she said.

Over time, these issues could affect you so negatively that you become apathetic. Absences and tardiness cases pile up; tasks are done with mediocrity. Once an employee reaches this state of “brownout”, it becomes difficult for them to find joy in their jobs. No reason is enough for them to stay, always canceled out by justifications for quitting.

Every employee reaches the point where they want to move on to new prospects. While this may be a ubiquitous occurrence, it’s still something that must be approached with rationality and patience.

“Resigning is a big career decision,” said Gina Jusay, managing director at SFI Career Center. “So make sure that it’s really a wise decision, and make sure that it will benefit you.”

Make time to find some clarity.

“Brownout” is reason enough for most employees to leave. But some still teeter on the decision because they’re afraid of change. Career Coach Malou Treñas-Del Castillo says this fear can be overcome by a good action plan.

“Have information that makes it clear to you that you should resign… based on what is important to you, what you enjoy doing, and what you want long-term,” she said. After this process of discernment, you can start identifying which of these needs you would be willing to compromise (after all, no workplace is 100 percent perfect).

Danielle Cruz, career coach and counselor at SFI Career Center, says reaching out to friends and family could help in that introspection process. “[They can help] in giving not only moral support but also different perspectives,” Cruz said. “There might be things that you don’t see that others can.”

The end goal of this process isn’t to find peace with your current situation, but to arrive at some clarity as to why exactly you’re professionally dissatisfied. At the end of it, you may find that the reasons for leaving stay, but the anxieties around quitting go away.

Live in the present.

Once you’ve formalized your resignation, your last 30 days could go in a blink of an eye. To keep a happy and proactive mindset, try using Martin Seligman’s PERMA Model:

  • Positive emotion – Stay optimistic about your future and remind yourself constantly of everything that you’re grateful for. This is good not only for your mental well-being but also for your physical health.
  • Engagement – Maintaining a state of flow keeps a person satisfied and motivated, something that may have been lost due to busyness with work. Recover your flow by doing activities that you’ve long wanted to do or that make you happy.
  • Relationships – You may have missed out on some reunions because you were too busy with work. Use this time to genuinely reconnect with friends and family.
  • Meaning – Instead of dwelling too much on the negativity that drove you to resign, focus on the good things that you got out of them. For example, if your boss wasn’t a very good mentor, acknowledge that this may have helped you to become more independent.
  • Accomplishments – It takes guts to quit a job, so be proud of your bravery and celebrate it. A gesture as simple as treating yourself to your favorite food not only makes you feel good about yourself but also helps you look forward to the next chapter of your career.

Of course, anticipating the future doesn’t mean that you should forget the present. Ensure that you turnover properly in your last days as an employee of the organization. Fulfill last requests from your supervisor, organize necessary documents, and fill out the necessary paperwork for a smooth transition.

The relationships that you’ve formed are just as important. Maintain your close friendships, promise to keep in touch with stakeholders, and keep things civil even with colleagues that you may have clashed with in the past. “We think that we move in a big world, but when it comes to the professional world… it’s really small. That’s why it’s not good to burn bridges because in the future, we might get to work with those people again,” said Cruz.

Find the next thing.

The work doesn’t stop after you’ve cleared your desk– at least when it comes to your career. No doubt you’ve already been casually searching the job market well before you left. But now it’s time to hunt in earnest.

Check multiple job-finding platforms to ensure a wide selection of options; not all employers are present on every website. You can also ask across the professional connections that you’ve formed through the years.

Use this time as well to learn more about your craft. Accomplishing certified online courses, for instance, can boost both your skillset and your CV.

“If you perceive your vacant period would be much longer, employers will ask what you did during that time,” said Richard Monteverde, career coach and counselor at SFI Career Center. “It would be good to justify that you accomplished something. It shows your initiative and dedication to the profession.”

Leaving a job may seem daunting. You may be frozen by the fear of uncertainty, or guilted by the workload you’re leaving behind. But at the end of the day, an ill fit hurts everyone in the workplace, not just you. Find clarity by taking inventory of your priorities. Cut cleanly and amicably. And let your passions move you forward and upward to the next thing.
________________________________________

Editor’s Note: Some names changed for privacy.

Asia is not ‘Silicon Valley Lite’

If you attend a startup event anywhere in Asia, you’ll most likely hear mentors, advisors, and other judges using the ecosystem’s universal jargon. They’ll speak of the need to build a lean startup, create a minimum viable product, and pivot when needed. Such terminology comes of course from the Lean Startup by Eric Ries.

While the lean startup framework undoubtedly provides enormous value to entrepreneurs in Asia still learning about tech entrepreneurship, few people have volunteered additional ideas or models that might further guide founders in Asia. The perspective that Ries was writing from was Silicon Valley, after all, which is vastly different from emerging Asian markets like Manila, Philippines or Jakarta, Indonesia, or even the region’s financial hubs like Singapore or Hong Kong. The markets in Asia Pacific are just different, and perhaps they require additional or more region-specific ideas to guide founders in building products, services, and companies here.

Asia is just not a microcosm of Silicon Valley. We are not Silicon Valley Lite.

Proof of this fact is evident in the numerous startup business models that have been copy-pasted from Silicon Valley into emerging Asia only to fail, sometimes spectacularly, including everything from carpooling to crowdfunding. Many of these companies also tried to employ lean startup principles, but they nonetheless floundered. Some faced regulatory issues. Others did not find product-market fit. Many could not achieve escape velocity to scale.

The vast majority of these startups would not have been saved by newer, more localized models and ideas. But some would have benefitted. That’s why it’s important to rethink how we think about innovation in Asia.

While there are several thought leaders doing exactly that, one of the most promising models comes from serial entrepreneur Winston Damarillo. Damarillo is one of the very few founders in the world who have scaled and exited technology companies in both Silicon Valley (acquisitions to IBM, Iona Technologies, and Intalio) and Asia (IPO of Morph Labs). This fact is less interesting as a biographical tidbit were it not for the fact that it shows that Damarillo can see across the divide: He knows what works in Silicon Valley vis-a-vis what works in Asia.

In a talk at Echelon Asia Summit 2019, e27’s flagship tech series, Damarillo put forth a new model for tech innovation and corporate investing, which he dubbed Corporate VC 3.0.

In Silicon Valley, startups can be dragon-slayers. So long as they have a brilliant idea and great execution, they can take down even the largest and most entrenched incumbents.

Asia stands in sharp contrast to this model. Damarillo argued that startups and corporates need to work hand-in-hand to innovate in their core business, with each providing key resources that the other lacks. Corporates provide high-distribution capabilities for startups, who would otherwise lack access to scalable markets, and startups provide corporates with technologies that internal dynamics would otherwise preclude them from creating. In corporate-speak, it’s a win-win.

In Damarillo’s view, Corporate VC 3.0 is a natural and necessary evolution from how corporates previously thought of corporate investing. In 1.0, corporates invested in startups in adjacent industries, and in 2.0, they invested in startups in their direct ecosystem. In 3.0, corporates work in close collaboration with startups to innovate their core business, in active rebellion of the dreaded innovator’s dilemma.

In explaining this framework, Damarillo drew on his own experience building Saphron, an insurance-tech startup already working with some of the biggest insurance companies in Asia, such as Pioneer. Saphron’s mission is to make insurance radically accessible, using mobile and internet technologies including AI and data analytics to package and deliver the most relevant insurance products, to the masses who need it most.

Other startups in Asia would be well-served to follow Damarillo’s example, if not his model. By laser focusing on what corporates may need and articulating how their solution fills that exact gap, startups can move away from the ethos of growth-hacking.

Rather than having to experiment with a suite of digital marketing tactics to find the one that yields hockey-stick growth, startups can tap into the corporate distribution networks that already have a proven pathway to millions of users.

Inflation as experienced by low-income households (bottom 30%)

INFLATION for low-income families accelerated in May after six straight months of slowing down, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Monday. Read the full story.

Inflation as experienced by low-income households (bottom 30%)

Price impact on the poor worsens

By Christine Joyce S. Castañeda
Senior Researcher

INFLATION for low-income families accelerated in May after six straight months of slowing down, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Monday.

The inflation rate for the country’s bottom 30% income households clocked in at 4.6% in May, faster than the year-on-year overall price increase of 4.3% in April, but was slower than 6.4% in May 2018.

The latest reading brought the year-to-date pace for this income segment to 4.9%, still slower than the 5.7% in 2018’s first five months.

That compared to a 3.2% headline inflation experienced by the average household in May, which is faster than the three-percent reading in April. The May headline figure likewise snapped six consecutive months of deceleration even as the consumer price index (CPI) used in measuring headline inflation uses 2012 prices compared to the CPI for the bottom 30% income households, which uses 2000 prices.

Aside from differing base years, the CPI for the bottom 30% income segment of the population reconfigures the model basket of goods, assigning heavier weight on food, beverage and tobacco (FBT), as well as other necessities as these are thought to more accurately capture the spending patterns of the poor.

“The main driver of inflation — both in overall inflation and even more pronounced in the country’s lower 30% [income households] — is food price gains,” ING Bank NV Manila senior economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa said in an e-mail when sought for comment. “Given the heft of the food basket, we can expect overall inflation to take its cue from the movement in the food sub-component.”

In a separate e-mail, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) economist Michael L. Ricafort said the year-on-year uptick for the bottom 30% inflation “may be partly attributed to the mild El Niño drought that caused a slight uptick in the prices of some food/agricultural products.”

“The uptick may also be attributed to higher oil prices and weaker peso in the earlier part of May 2019,” he added.

The FBT index recorded the biggest jump among commodity groups at 4.8% in May from 4.5% in April. Likewise, the food-alone index went up to 4.3% from 3.9% previously.

The PSA noted that relative to annual rates in April, bigger annual increases were noted for: dairy products (3.3% from 3.2%); fish (7.8% from 6.8%); fruits and vegetables (9.9% from 6.9%); miscellaneous foods (5% from 4.7%); clothing (3.2% from 3.1%) and miscellaneous goods (2.5% from 2.4%).

At the same time, decelerations were seen in fuel, light and water at 3.9% in May from 4.3% in April; and housing and repairs at 4.1% from 4.2%. The annual rate of services steadied at 3.7%.

While inflation experienced by poor households in May was faster on average, its impact varied among regions. Inflation among the bottom 30% income segment outside Metro Manila saw a faster rate at 4.6% in May from 4.3% in April, while it steadied at 2.6% for those living in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Among regions, five posted inflation rates above the 4.6% national average, with the fastest pace observed in the MIMAROPA Region — consisting of Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan south of NCR — at 10.3% in May.

Looking forward, RCBC’s Mr. Ricafort said he expects both headline and bottom 30% inflation rates to have eased in the following month “due to the relatively lower global crude oil prices among three-month lows” as well as a stronger peso exchange rate against the US dollar and “higher base/denominator effects.”

The Philippine Statistics Authority is scheduled to report June inflation data on July 5.

“The rice tariffication law and the government’s non-monetary measures would offset any continued adverse effects of the mild El Niño drought that led to some uptick in local food/agriculture prices,” Mr. Ricafort said, referring to Republic Act No. 11203 which replaced quantitative import restrictions on the staple with regular tariffs and liberalized importation, in turn slashing retail prices and, ultimately, tempering inflation.

Similarly, ING’s Mr. Mapa noted: “We’re still monitoring food prices given its importance and weight in the CPI basket, but at least rice prices continued to decline in June compared to the same period in 2018.”

Rice contributed 0.16 percentage point to the 3.6% average headline inflation rate as of May, compared to 0.33 points of the 4.1% average in last year’s first five months. The staple accounts for about a tenth of the theoretical basket of goods widely used by the average Filipino household.

Inflation as experienced by low-income households (bottom 30%)