UP Professor is Ramon Magsaysay peace awardee 2024

PH peace negotiator, professor is 2024 Ramon Magsaysay awardee

Story by Aric John Sy Cua 
Manila Times
31 August 2024

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino peace negotiator and University of the Philippines political science professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer is among four recipients of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Coronel-Ferrer was awarded under the categories Reduced Inequalities; Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; and Partnerships for the [Sustainable Development] Goals.

She was described as a Filipino peace negotiator who "championed inclusivity and women's participation in nation-building."

"A peace negotiator in the Philippines, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer has been changing this landscape. Her impassioned engagement in political issues started in the late 1970s, when, as a student activist, she joined the resistance against martial rule," according to the description on her profile on the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation (RMAF) website.

"The RMAF board of trustees recognizes her deep, unwavering belief in the transformative power of non-violent strategies in peace building, her cool intelligence and courage in surmounting difficulties to convey the truth that it is through inclusion rather than division that peace can be won and sustained, and her unstinting devotion to the agenda of harnessing the power of women in creating a just and peaceful world," it added.

Coronel-Ferrer is presently a senior mediation adviser at the United Nations.

The 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees were named in a 42-minute live video on its Facebook page on Thursday

Apart from Coronel-Ferrer, the other awardees included Korvi Rakshand of Bangladesh for quality education, Eugenio Lemos of Timor-Leste for sustainability and Ravi Kannan of India for healthcare.

The awards, established in 1958, were named after former president Ramon Magsaysay, is Asia's premier prize and highest honor.

PH choir wins Grand Prix in Arezzo, Italy

PH choir Los Cantantes de Manila wins Grand Prix in international choir competition in Arezzo, Italy

Inquirer.net
31 August 2024

Los Cantantes de Manila (LCDM), a community choir based in Sampaloc, Manila, won the coveted Grand Prix at the recently concluded 72nd Concorso Polifonico Internazionale “Guido D’Arezzo” last August 20-25, 2024 in Arezzo, Italy.

LCDM bested 11 elite choirs from nine countries around the world by showcasing different styles of choral music in three competition categories: Compulsory, Sacred Music, and Secular Music programs. The group bagged the First Prize in each category, earning them the right to compete in the Grand Prix round of the competition. 

During the Grand Prix round, the choir emerged as the winner against fellow finalists Coro de La Rupe (Italy), Imusicapella (Philippines), Nuove Voci (Poland), and St. Paul’s Co-educational College Treble Choir (Hong Kong).

With their victory, LCDM earned the right to qualify in the 2025 European Grand Prix (EGP) for Choral Singing in Tolosa, Spain. This historic feat marks Los Cantantes de Manila as the first Filipino community choir to qualify for the prestigious competition.

“Now that we won in Arezzo, we have bigger plans for the future. We’re the first Filipino community choir to compete in the European Grand Prix, and we have a responsibility to represent the country well,” said Darwin Vargas, the conductor of the choir.

He also added, “We hope that we made the country proud with our victory here in Europe. We also wish for the Philippine choral community to continue supporting us as we prepare for the EGP next year.” 

Prior to their success in Italy, LCDM won the First Prize in the Sacred and Free programs at the 29th Béla Bartók International Choir Competition last August 1-4, 2024 in Debrecen, Hungary. They also received a Special Prize for the Best Interpretation of a Compulsory Piece (Cantate Domino).

Los Cantantes de Manila will continue to tour across different countries in Europe for concerts and competitions until September. This initiative is part of the group’s 10th-year anniversary celebration. 

PH positioned as hub for sustainable manufacturing, services

PH positioned as hub for sustainable manufacturing, services

Story by Connie Fernandez-Brojan
Inquirer.net
31 August 2024

CEBU CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) seeks to transform the country into Southeast Asia’s hub for smart and sustainable manufacturing and services.

This was disclosed by Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo during the Cebu leg of the business forum organized by Security Bank Corp. and SyCip Gorres Velayo (SGV) & Co. at Nustar Resort in Cebu City last Aug. 16.

Aside from Rodolfo, the two other panelists were Maria Elena Arbon, DTI director for Central Visayas, who talked about the potential of small- and medium-sized enterprises; and lawyer Jules Riego, who stressed the need for effective wealth management and succession planning to protect families’ legacies.

Rodolfo, also managing head of the Board of Investments (BOI), said sectors such as renewable energy and semiconductors need to be further developed for the country to become Southeast Asia’s hub for smart and sustainable manufacturing and services.

Others include smart/high-tech light manufacturing, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test, high-tech agriculture, and data centers/telecommunications infrastructure.

Free trade deals

So far, Rodolfo said the Marcos administration had undertaken reforms toward this goal, including entering into free trade agreements (FTA) with various countries, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership with Asia-Pacific nations for possible technology transfer and influx of investments.

The government was also negotiating an FTA with the European Union and a reauthorization of the Generalized System of Preferences with the United States, he added.

The administration had also eliminated tariffs on electric vehicles and removed equity restrictions on foreign entities regarding renewable energy projects to entice more direct investments.

Collaboration

In Cebu, Rodolfo noted that the BOI approved P3.912 billion worth of projects from the private sector.

These are in various sectors such as cold storage, renewable energy, information technology and business process management, and manufacturing.

Still, Rodolfo stressed a need for greater collaboration between the government and private sector to strengthen economic growth in the Philippines. “This is crucial given the country only has a short window in achieving its goal to be Southeast Asia’s hub for smart and sustainable manufacturing and services,” he added. Security Bank regularly hosts events and forums as an extension of its BetterBanking brand promise.

“We hold these forums as part of our commitment to provide our clients with valuable insights for everyday business and investment decisions. This forum embodies our BetterBanking mission to enrich lives, empower businesses, and build communities sustainably. It also leverages our partnership with organizations and industry leaders, such as the DTI and SGV, to facilitate discussions on actionable strategies in today’s rapidly evolving economic landscape,” said Sanjiv Vohra, president and CEO of Security Bank.

Office space occupancy in PH ranked 3rd globally

PH office space occupancy 3rd highest globally in H1 - consultancy firm

Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas
GMA Integrated News
30 August 2024

Philippine office space occupancy averaged 80% in the first half of the year, the third highest in the globe mainly due to the growth of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, real estate consultancy firm PRIME Philippines said Thursday.

According to PRIME Philippines executive vice president Cholo Florencio, the country’s office rate was only behind Singapore’s 88% and India’s 85%. It is also higher than the global average of 70%, the United States’ 62% and Europe’s 60%.

Florencio attributed the occupancy rate to the BPO sector, which reported an annual growth rate of 7% to 8%, the increasing demand from the government, and the high adoption of flexible working arrangements.

For Metro Manila alone, the occupancy rate was recorded at 85%, slightly higher than the previous year’s 84%.

“I think we will be able to sustain our momentum in terms of adding a bit of occupancy levels. The challenge really is when more buildings will be left by the online gaming companies,” Florencio said on the sidelines of a briefing in Makati City.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in his third state of the nation address (SONA) in July, announced the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), and ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to wind down and stop all operations by the end of the year.

A cost-benefit analysis by the Department of Finance (DOF) showed that the POGO industry had a net cost of P99.52 billion to the Philippines, equivalent to 0.41% of the country’s economy as of 2021.

According to Florencio, there has been a decline in office space takeup, especially from POGOs since the COVID-19 pandemic, and vacancies are expected moving forward following the ban ordered by Marcos.

“There has been a very sharp decline ever since the pandemic. As you all know, the pandemic really triggered everything. It’s unfortunate lang, of course, we’ve heard a lot of negative stories about criminality, about scams that have really affected the POGOs here,” he said.

“The President has announced of course a total ban so once it is fully implemented, it will be more challenging for developers to attract more (locators) to come in,” he added.

To address the decline of takeups expected from the exit of POGOs, Florencio said developers should offer more to prospective locators such as including more benefits for them to take up space, like building more amenities.

Florencio noted, however, that he believes the country will be able to sustain the office occupancy rate as demand is still picking up from occupiers.

“Major economic driver pa rin talaga ang BPOs and then government has taken a large share of office space,” noting that government agencies have picked up demand as a lot of them need an interim space given the ongoing rehabilitations of their headquarters.

“Demand can also translate to co-working facilities, so it’s not just the traditional office space you’re seeing right now. There’s consistent demand for co-working spaces, because co-working also technically is part of the office sector,” he added.—RF, GMA Integrated News

PH has the potential to be Asia's shopping capital

PH has potential to be Asia’s shopping capital, Go says

Alden M. Monzon
Inquirer.net
30 August 2024

Economic czar Frederick Go on Thursday said that the country has potential to become one of Asia’s shopping capitals, but this will depend on the passage of two important measures.

First off, Go said that the country needs to have an electronic visa (e-visa) system, a program that has been suspended by the Department of Foreign Affairs since November of last year, to attract more foreigners to shop in the Philippines.

“We need the e-visas to become a shopping capital. That means you’re attracting visitors from all over the world to come here and enjoy and shop,” Go told reporters on the sidelines of the opening of the two-day National Retail Conference and Expo at the SM Mall of Asia Convention Center in Pasay City.

“We need to make it easier for travelers to come to the Philippines,” he added.

Refund process

The second one is a value-added tax (VAT) refund process, said Go, citing that “practically every country in Asia” has this system.

“So, if we indeed want to become a shopping capital of Asia or of the world, we need to have those two as basic. These are what you call very basic, very fundamental to becoming a shopping capital,” said Go.

Roberto Claudio, president of the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), said in his speech during the event that a VAT refund process would boost retail sales and tourism revenues.

“This is a major breakthrough for retail,” he said, highlighting that nine Asian countries already have such a system in place.

In the Philippines, the retail sector contributes about 18.6 percent to the country’s gross domestic product, according to the PRA official.

This translates to an estimated P750-billion contribution yearly, said Claudio.

Philippines is hosting World Travel Awards for first time

Philippines is hosting World Travel Awards for first time

ABS-CBN News

Aug 29, 2024

The Philippines is set to host the World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia and Oceania gala ceremony for the first time, solidifying the country's position as a destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE). 

Organized by the Department of Tourism, the red-carpet event will be held on September 3 at City of Dreams Manila. 

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said this does not only mark a milestone for the country, but also "serves as a testament to the Philippines' growing prominence and readiness to host high-caliber international events."

"We are glad that esteemed global organizations like the World Travel Awards are recognizing our capacity to deliver world-class hospitality, superior event management, and unparalleled tourism experiences," she said in a statement. 

Established in 1993, the WTA recognizes outstanding players in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries.

The Philippines is vying for 7 awards in WTA this year: Asia's Leading Beach Destination, Asia's Leading Dive Destination, Asia's Leading Island Destination, Intramuros as Asia's Leading Tourist Attraction, Boracay as Asia's Leading Luxury Island Destination, Cebu as Asia's Leading Wedding Destination, and the Department of Tourism as Asia's Leading Tourist Board. 

"Each of these nominations signifies recognition of the unique and diverse offerings of our beautiful archipelago -- from our pristine beaches and world-renowned dive sites to the vibrant culture and food and the innate hospitality and friendliness of the Filipino people," Frasco said. 

Aside from the WTA, the Philippines has also been recognized by different publications and award-giving bodies this year. Among these are the 23rd Annual Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards by United Kingdom's Wanderlust Travel Magazine, the 2024 International Travel Awards, and the Asia Best of Best Awards. 

"The Philippines' beauty and the warmth of the Filipino people make tourism a natural endeavor," said Frasco. 

"The challenge lies in envisioning a future that transcends mere visitor arrivals, focusing instead on tourism revenues that provide livelihood and employment, instituting the necessary infrastructure and improvements in connectivity, as well as valuing heritage preservation, community upliftment, and fostering a deep appreciation for our culture."

Pinay is no. 1 in Muay Thai Ranking

Philippines' Islay Erika Bomogao now world’s no. 1 in Muay Thai ranking

Story by Yoniel Acebuche 
Philstar
27 August 2024

Pinoy pride!

Filipina athlete Islay Erika Bomogao ranked no. 1 in the world in the - 45kg female elite category of the International Federation of Muay Thai Associations (IFMA) ranking, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

"Saludo kami sa iyong husay! Pinatunayan mong #BidaAngBayaningManlalaro!" the PSC wrote in the caption.

Bomogao beat Australia's Sarah Kwa via unanimous decision in a match held in Kenwick, Australia earlier this month.

Bomogao has been doing martial arts at Team Lakay, one of the top mixed martial arts gyms in Asia, since she was 15.

According to the Muaythai Association of the Philippines, she became a world gold medalist during the 2018 International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA) Youth World Championships held in Bangkok, Thailand. She also clinched gold at the Jincheon 1st World Youth Martial Arts Masterships in 2017 in Jincheon, South Korea.

When asked what she loves the most about the sport, Bomogao said, "Muaythai is an awesome and effective martial art. It builds your self-confidence and teaches you to remain calm. It makes you become a happier person, and it teaches you how to love yourself."

She added, "But what I love most about Muaythai is that it gives you a great physique as 'strong and healthy is the new 'sexy!'"

The Pinay athlete, who is also a licensed secondary teacher, became the first Filipino female world Muay Thai champion when she bagged two medals in the 2023 IFMA Senior World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. In the competition, she topped the senior female elite 45kg category and bagged silver in the senior female Wai Kru (boxing dance) category.

In the same year, she won silver at Individual Female Wai Kru at the 2023 World Combat Games in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Korean drifter experiences Philippines hospitality firsthand

Korean drifter singles out Philippines for hospitality

Luisa Morales 
Philstar.com
August 27, 2024

MANILA, Philippines – For the longest time, the Philippines has been known for its hospitable nature to its guests.

When South Korean drifter Miji Kang came to the Philippines for an event last week, it was no different.

Despite her drifting career taking her all over the world to participate in various races and events, Kang held a special place in her heart for the Philippines not because of the track, or the cars, but because of the people that she met along the way.

“I got to drift in the Philippines, it was beautiful. The people in the Philippines really know how to take care of their guests,” she said.

Kang participated in the second round of Drift Matsuri Philippines at the R33 Drift Track in San Simon, Pampanga last weekend as a special guest. Handled by Raymond Ronquillo and R33 Cars, the 29-year-old felt right at home.

“My team owner’s name is Raymond. He took really good care of me from the moment I arrived until I left. So yeah, the Philippine event is more unique than another overseas drift competition,” she said.

Her affinity with the Philippines doesn’t end in the drifting scene, either, as she also looked up to the younger Filipino racer Bianca Bustamante.

Though on different tracks — literally and figuratively — in their careers with drifting and Formula racing, Kang said that she was eager to see another female driver succeed in a male-dominated world like motorsports.

“I’m inspired by Bianca. Bianca is very popular in the Philippines and Asia, even in the USA. My role models are two great women,” she said, adding she also admires Amanda Sorensen of Formula DRIFT.

Much like Bustamante and Sorensen, Kang also finds herself with another responsibility: building a budding audience on social media.

Bustamante and Sorensen both have upwards of a million followers on Instagram alone, and with Kang closing in on the million mark as well, she said that she counted herself lucky to be among the role models of women in motorsport.

“I consider myself very lucky about my job. It is an honor to me. I’m always thankful to my fans, supporters. I'm also so grateful to people who give me the opportunity,” said Kang. 

“That’s why I always work hard because I’m lucky to get this opportunity. I want to share drifting with the world.”

After the Philippines, Kang is headed to the World Time Attack Challenge in Sydney at the end of the month.

She also competes in Thailand’s D1GP Lights and the Indonesian Drift Series.

Philippines named emerging region in Esports Awards

Philippines named emerging region in Esports Awards

Michelle Lojo  
Philstar.com
August 26, 2024

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines was cited as the "Esports Ones to Watch: Emerging Region" in the 2024 Esports Awards held at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last August 24 (August 25, Manila time) during the inaugural Esports World Cup.

According the Awards’ website, the Esports Ones to Watch Award is "a distinguished honor that recognizes emerging talent within the esports industry" and highlights players, creators, esports figures that show exceptional potential and are poised to make significant impacts in the future."

The country has been winning numerous awards in esports, courtesy either of Filipino pro teams or of Filipino national athletes. Many Filipino pro teams have won championships abroad, cementing the dominance of Filipino players in the likes of Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB), Valorant, Dota2, Tekken, PUBG Mobile and many more. 

Last year, the Philippines was awarded the first National Federation of the Year Award by the International Esports Federation (IESF), with the country's national esports team, Sibol, being crowned the Grand World Esports champs at the 2023 World Esports Championship.

In the first half of 2024, many international esports organizations began partnering with local MLBB teams like Team Liquid Philippines, which acquired ECHO; Team Falcons partnering with AP.Bren; Fnatic partnering with ONIC Philippines; and Aurora Gaming, which made its debut in the current season of the Mobile Legends Professional League.

"It's a sweet moment for us. This is a testament that we Filipinos are excelling in esports. ‘Pag pumasok yung mga foreign brands, that is a validation na may ginagawa tayong tama," said Philippine Esports Organization (PESO) executive director Marlon Marcelo.

He adds, "I'm happy for the teams that partnered with these organizations kasi mas maraming opportunities, mas maraming support and again validation that they are true top-notch esports players."

Other winners in the 2024 Esports Awards were game publisher Riot Games, which took home Esports Publisher of the Year, Esports Game of the Year for their FPS game Valorant, Esports Content of the Year for their League of Legends music video, and the Esports Breakthrough Game of the Year for their title Teamfight Tactics; while Moonton Games' Mobile Legends Bang Bang won the Mobile Esports Game of the Year.

First held in 2016, the Esports Awards is the lone awarding body that celebrates achievements in the esports industry. It was previously held every December of each year, but the Awards had recently announced a three-year partnership with the Esports World Cup in hopes of bringing the entire world together to commemorate esports excellence.

BSP Gov bags highest grade in Global Finance report card

Remolona gets ‘A-’ in global central bankers’ report card

Story by Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral
Inquirer.net
26 August 2024

MANILA, Philippines — Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona Jr. bagged an “A-” grade for his first year as head of the Philippine central bank in the 2024 report card of New York-based Global Finance magazine.

Remolona, who took over the BSP helm in June 2023, got the third highest grade in the annual report card that uses an “A+” to “F” scale for success in areas such as inflation control, economic growth goals, currency stability and interest rate management.

Notably, he earned the same grade as US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who announced in a hotly anticipated speech last week that “the time has come for policy to adjust” amid a slowdown in the American job market.

“A” represents an excellent performance, with “A+,” “A” or “A-” being the highest grades that central bank governors of nearly 100 key countries can receive. An “F” means outright failure.

Global Finance announced only the top-rated central bankers for this year in a statement dated Aug. 19. Published annually since 1994, the full 2024 report card will appear in its October issue.

Fighting inflation

“Central bankers have waged war against inflation over the past few years, wielding their primary weapon: higher interest rates. Now, countries around the world are witnessing the tangible results of these efforts, as inflation has dropped significantly,” said the magazine’s founder and editorial director Joseph Giarraputo.

“Global Finance’s annual Central Banker Report Cards honor those bank leaders whose strategies outperformed their peers through originality, creativity and tenacity,” Giarraputo added.

In his first year as BSP governor, Remolona carried on the works of his predecessor, Felipe Medalla, in battling persistently high consumer prices.

In a bid to tame inflation, the BSP raised its policy rate by a total of 450 basis points (bp) to a more than 17-year high of 6.5 percent, among the most aggressive tightening in Asia.

This included an urgent 25-bp rate hike during an off-cycle meeting of the BSP’s policymaking Monetary Board (MB) that Remolona presided over in October last year.

A flare-up in inflation was seen again in 2024 due to high global energy prices and the El Niño onslaught.

In July, inflation jumped to 4.4 percent, the first time this year that price growth breached the BSP’s target band again.

But the BSP now expects inflation to go on a downtrend starting in August, as lower rice tariffs reduced the risks of upward price pressures in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the economy grew 6.3 percent in the second quarter, but favorable base effects masked an anemic consumption that had been weakened by high prices and expensive borrowing costs.

To finally give the economy a shot in the arm, the BSP early this month announced a 25-bp reduction in its policy rate, its first easing move in nearly four years, and Remolona said one more cut of the same size is possible either at the October or December policy meeting of the MB.

Solid experience

This year, only three central bank governors got an A+ grade from Global Finance: Denmark’s Christian Kettel Thomsen, India’s Shaktikanta Das and Switzerland’s Thomas Jordan.

Remolona is the seventh governor of the BSP and MB chair.

He has extensive policy and operational experience in monetary policy and international finance, having worked for 19 years at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and 14 years for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The Basel, Switzerland-based BIS is an international organization that serves as a bank for central banks, acting as a forum to promote discussion and policy analysis and a center for economic and monetary research.

From 2019 to 2022, Remolona served as professor of finance and director of central banking at the Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur.

He also taught at Williams College, Columbia University, New York University and the University of the Philippines-School of Economics.

Before his appointment to the MB in 2022, Remolona served as an independent director of the Bank of the Philippine Islands and chair of its risk management committee.