Air traffic mess: Ex-CAAP chief points to ‘unqualified’ personnel

By 

Catalina Ricci S. Madarang 

TECHNICAL GLITCH. Passengers at NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City queue at the check-in counter as it resumes its operation after Air Traffic Management Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines experienced a technical issue on Sunday (Jan. 1, 2023) However, on the official website of the Manila International Airport Authority, there are still international and domestic flights that have been canceled on Monday. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)

A former executive of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines blamed unqualified authorities for the air traffic mess last Sunday.

In an interview with DZRH, former CAAP Director General Daniel Dimagiba bared that the current management within CAAP lacked experts in the field of air navigation. 

Dimagiba recalled that such a muddle within the organization started when the Department of Transportation acquired CAAP’s projects.

“Nung naging DOTr ang DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications), lahat ng project ng CAAP, kinuha ng DOTr. Kaya wala silang espesyalista sa navigation. Meron silang civil engineer, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, but wala silang navigation engineer, 

“Ang inuna kasi ng DOTr, puro ano e. Build, Build, Build. Buildings, Buildings. Yan ang inuna nila. Sa navigation, pinabayaan nila,” the former official also stated.

The “Build, Build, Build” is the main infrastructure project of the previous administration.

Dimagiba further described supposed “consultants” of the transport sector as “walang indoctrination,” or sufficient training, in aviation.

“Wala silang indoctrination. Indoctrination ng airworthiness, operations, license in engineering and aircraft accident. Kami pa nagtuturo sa mga consultant. Baligtad,” he said.

Dimagiba requested Malacañang to hire people who are qualified in the field to resolve the prevailing air transport issues.

“Sana ang higher up natin, ang Malacañang, maglagay naman ng qualified. Hindi basta kakilala, ilalagay mo. Ang nangyayari ngayon, puro kakilala ang nilalagay e,” he said.

How Filipinos reacted online

Several users sounded off their frustrations over the alleged nepotism and corruption even within the aviation sector.

“This is a typical problem in most agencies that require highly trained and experienced personnel. Positions are being handed out to ‘people’ of political allies and friends without regard to their qualifications, starting at the top,” one Redditor said.

“This is beyond infuriating as CAAP is endangering thousands of flight passengers because of its incompetence and greed. Is there still any government office doing its job honestly and properly?!” another Redditor said.

Other Filipinos also called for the government to investigate into these allegations within CAAP, DOTr and other related agencies.

On upgrading new equipment

In the same interview, Dimagiba said he received a report from a former air traffic controller that CAAP supposedly did not consider the request to upgrade the memory card of its systems.

He noted that this memory card holds the necessary data to keep up with the current air travel operations.

“May nagreport sakin na air traffic controller, retired… May pinabibili ang controller ng memory card sa head ng CAAP. Hindi iniintindi, hindi binili. Yung memory card na yun, andoon lahat ng system para mai-deliver sa mga airline,” Dimagiba said.

“Yung lumang ginagamit pa natin, hindi na suitable para sa new operations. Kasi marami ng flights ngayon e,” he added.

The former CAAP executive also said that he received another report claiming a piece of equipment with a huge budget did not materialize.

“Meron pang isa. May nagsumbong pa sakin. Na yung navigation communication parallel system, naka-budget ng ilang million. Hindi daw nabili. Ewan ko… kung nasunog ang pera, di malaman,” Dimagiba said.

Current CAAP Director General Manuel Tamayo said in a previous briefing that the technology it is using is “outdated.”

“Now, our CNS/ATM (Communications, Navigation and Surveillance Systems for Air Traffic Management) was conceptualized way back in the late 90s’, naumpisahan ‘to I think 2010, and finally, it was completed in 2018.  So medyo — as far as the technology is concerned — it is already outdated,” Tamayo was quoted in a report.

The former head, however, reacted with disbelief at this admission.

“Kalokohan yun. Ang radar natin perfect. Meron tayong primary, meron tayong secondary radar. Lahat yan perfect yan. Mga technician natin, mag engineers natin, okay yan. Highly trained yan. Highly professional,” Dimagiba said.

Epic Fail in NAIA: Hundreds of Flights Cancelled , Thousands Stranded

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Year of resonance for PH athletes

by Kristel Satumbaga-Villar, MB

The Year 2022 proved that last year’s historic campaign at the Tokyo Olympics was not a one-hit wonder.

The national women’s football team captures the historic AFF Women’s Championship title last July. (File Photo)

This year, Filipino athletes continued to leave marks in the elite stage to show they are not done conquering the world. 

As expected, Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz bannered the success of Filipino athletes this year after clinching three gold medals at the 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Colombia this December.

A champion to almost all high-end tournaments such as the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games, the Asian Championships and the Olympics, Diaz finally captured the elusive world title to complete her golden romp in the elite level.

Her success was somehow an icing on the cake as fellow elite athletes such as gymnast Carlos Yulo, pole vaulter EJ Obiena and junior tennis sensation Alex Eala to name a few, also sustained their impressive showing in their respective fields.

Yulo, 22, stamped his class anew at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, England with his silver-medal triumph in vault and bronze in parallel bars.

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The 27-year-old pole vaulter Obiena, for his part, became the first Filipino athlete to win a medal at the prestigious World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon with a bronze medal while also establishing a new Philippine and Asian record of 5.94 meters.

Eala, meanwhile, made her mark with a historic victory at the US Open Girls Singles – the first Filipino to do so.

Other notable triumphs were equally momentous as well, like karateka Junna Tsukii’s golden effort at the World Games, the national women’s football team’s historic title run at the Asian Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship,

Carlo Paalam’s golden feat at the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Jordan, world championship titles for jiu jitsu athletes Meggie Ochoa and Kimberly Anne Custodio, and the World Teams 10-ball Championship crown for cue masters Carlo Biado, Johann Chua and Rubilen Amit, to name a few.

Last year’s significant Tokyo Olympics campaign just showed that Filipino athletes have so much more to offer and give. With more elite tournaments lined up in 2023 leading to the 2024 Paris Olympics, expect them to deliver more.

5.1-magnitude quake hits Surigao del Sur province

Published January 3, 2023, 10:41 AM

by Mike Crismundo

BUTUAN CITY — A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck Surigao del Sur in Northeastern Mindanao (The Caraga Region) on Tuesday morning, Jan. 3, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

In its bulletin, Phivolcs said the tremor was recorded at 6:09 a.m.

The epicenter was plotted 82 kilometers northeast of Hinatuan town, Surigao del Sur province.

The tremor had a shallow depth of only one km, Phivolcs said.

Intensity III was felt at the town proper of Hinatuan and nearby Lingig town of this same province while in its instrumental Intensities, Phivolcs said that intensity one was also registered in southernmost city of Bislig, also of Surigao Del Sur province.

The earthquake was tectonic in origin and the state agency is expecting aftershocks.

As of this writing, no damage nor casualty was reported, the Surigao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) there said.

Surigao del Sur Gov. Alexander T. Pimentel already mobilized its rescue team and personnel of PDRRMC to look into the situation of residents in Hinatuan town, neighboring towns, and especially those living along the coastal areas.

More flights cancelled despite full restoration of NAIA air traffic operations

by Aaron Recuenco 

At least 48 more domestic and international flights were cancelled on Monday, Jan. 2, as aviation personnel continue to adjust flight schedules following the technical glitch at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) that affected around 65,000 passengers from nearly 300 flights.

In an advisory released on Monday, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said the cancellation of some flights scheduled on Monday is part of the effects of the technical issue at the Air Traffic Management Center of the the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Sunday, Jan. 1.

The technical glitch was restored at 7:45 p.m. on Sunday. 

For international flights, cancelled flights of the Cebu Pacific were 5J 845 Manila-Dubai , 5J 760 Jakarta-Manila, 5J 502 Kula Lumpur-Manila, 5J 804 Singapore-Manila.

For the Philippine Air Lines (PAL), cancelled international flights were PR538 – Bali (Denpasar)/MNL, PR101/01 – Honolulu/MNL (originally departing from Honolulu on January 1)
and PR113/01 – Los Angeles/MNL (originally departing from Los Angeles on January 1).

Cancelled domestic flights for PAL were: 

-PR2808– Davao/MNL,

-PR1809/1810 – MNL/Davao/MNL,
-PR1811/1812 – MNL/Davao/MNL
-PR1841/1842 – MNL/Cebu/MNL
-PR1836 – Cebu/MNL
-PR1867/1868 – MNL/Cebu/MNL
-PR1859 – MNL/Cebu
-PR2781/2782 – MNL/Puerto Princesa/MNL
-PR2921 – MNL/Legazpi
-PR2557 – MNL/Dipolog
-PR2035/2036 – MNL/Caticlan/MNL

For Cebu Pacific, cancelled domestic flights were:

5J 885 Manila-Cotabato
5J 504 Manila-Tuguegarao
5J 891 Manila-Caticlan
5J 625 Manila-Puerto Princesa
5J 6055 Caticlan-Manila
5J 447 Manila-Iloilo
5J 381 Manila-Cagayan de Oro
5J 473 Manila-Bacolod
5J 963 Manila-Davao
5J 785 Manila-Butuan
5J 627 Manila-Dumaguete
5J 451/452 Manila-Iloilo-Manila
5J 383/384 Manila-Cagayan de Oro-Manila
5J 561/562 Manila-Cebu-Manila
5J 567/568 Manila-Cebu-Manila
5J 619/620 Manila-Tagbilaran-Manila
5J 373/374 Manila-Roxas-Manila
5J 325/326 Manila-Legazpi-Manila
5J 506/507 Manila-Tuguegarao-Manila
5J 655/656 Manila-Tacloban-Manila
5J 703/704 Manila-Dipolog-Manila
5J 895/896 Manila-Caticlan-Manila
5J 951/952 Manila-Davao-Manila
5J 485/486 Manila-Bacolod-Manila

CEBGO (DG)
DG 6113/6114 Manila-Naga-Manila

On the other hand, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport also announced the cancellation of the following flights: 

5J562 Cebu-Manila
5J608 Cebu-Clark
PR1836 Cebu-Manila
PR1841 Manila-Cebu
PR1842 Cebu-Manila

71st Miss Universe candidates arrive in the US

by Robert Requintina, MB

Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi (Facebook)

Some candidates have arrived in the US for the 71st Miss Universe Competition which will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on Jan. 14 (Jan. 15, Manila time).

Eighty-five lovely contestants are vying for the title of Miss Universe 2022. Reigning Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu of India will crown her successor at the end of the live telecast.

Miss Philippines Celeste Cortesi has arrived in Los Angeles, California for her final preparations in the upcoming pageant. Before heading to New Orleans, Celeste and her team enjoyed Disneyland in Anaheim. Other candidates also celebrated the new year in the US. 

From left: Jonas Gaffud, Miss Universe Philippines Celeste Cortesi and Voltaire Tayag (Facebook)

Celeste Cortesi and Voltaire Tayag (Facebook)

Other candidates who have departed for the US, as reported by Brian Javier in his YouTube, include India, Peru, Iceland, Curacao, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Venezuela, and Thailand.

All the girls are expected to converge in New Orleans beginning Jan. 3-5 for registration and fittings for opening number apparel. On Jan. 6, they will attend the Orientation Day.

On Jan. 11, the girls will take part in the preliminary competition where the judges will select the Top 20 contestants based on swimsuit, evening gown and preliminary interviews. But the semifinalists will be announced during the coronation night.

Prior, the contestants will also participate in the National Costume Competition. 

Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi wearing a pair of Bragais shoes, the official footwear of the 71st Miss Universe Competition (Facebook)

Tickets to the finals of the 71st Miss Universe Competition have been sold out since December, as announced by Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, CEO of JKN Global Group, new owner of the Miss Universe Organization, on Facebook.

The Miss Universe Organization has ended its five-year deal with popular American broadcast personality Steve Harvey as it revealed that a female host will be announced for the pageant.

“Among the changes in the move: Steve Harvey, who had hosted for five years as part of the pageant’s deal with Fox (with the exception of 2021, when that pact was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic), also won’t be back. According to Miss Universe Organization CEO Amy Emmerich, a new host — expected to be a female — will be announced in the coming weeks,” read the article for Variety, an international entertainment website.

Celeste Cortesi (Facebook)

In October, JKN, a Thai-owned media and content conglomerate, announced the acquisition of the MUO from IMG.

Changes at the Miss Universe continue as organizers will finally allow mothers and wives to compete in the next edition of the pageant.

Presently, the pageant rule states that only single women aged 18 and 28, who have never been married or had children are allowed to apply.

Davao has no incidents of indiscriminate firing

By Ruth Palo, Manila Times

January 3, 2023 

DAVAO CITY: Regional police chief BGen. Benjamin Silo Jr. confirmed Monday there were no recorded stray bullet victims or any reported police personnel who fired celebratory shots during the celebration of the New Year.

Silo said no police personnel or even civilians who indiscriminately discharged their service firearm on New Year's Eve.

Silo had earlier ordered all police chiefs in the region to strictly monitor their team members to prevent any such incident.

"For the record, there were no reports of incidents involving indiscriminate firing or injuries due to stray bullets, and no fire injuries or casualties," he said.

Silo, however, reported a slight leg injury from a small firecracker incident in Davao del Sur.

The victim was identified as Adriane Caña Andao, 19, student, and a resident of Tubod, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

Based on the police report, the victim lit up a pyrotechnic when it suddenly fell towards him and exploded, injuring his right leg.

Silo, meanwhile, said despite the firecracker ban in Davao City, the police have arrested one person and rescued 11 minors for the illegal use of an improvised bamboo canon called "lantaka."

The Davao City Police Office said 98 lantaka and 20 kwitis had been confiscated. There were no firecracker-related incidents recorded since Christmas and New Year.

Silo commended the personnel and the people of the Davao Region for the safe and peaceful celebration of the Yuletide season.

"New Year's Eve was celebrated peacefully and safely with no major incidents," he said.

Silo thanked the public for their cooperation and participation in their efforts to ensure a safe and secure Yuletide celebration through its program "Ligtas Paskuhan at Bagong Taon 2023."

The regional police deployed 1,178 personnel for Ligtas Paskuhan at Bagong Taon 2023.

Airlines mount recovery flights

By Franco Jose C. Baroña  and Benjamin L. Vergara

January 3, 2023 

CHAOS Passengers wait for their flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after flights were suspended because of a power glitch on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023.  PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

IT will take at least three days before airlines finish the recovery flights for stranded passengers affected by the power outage that canceled flights to and from Manila on New Year's Day, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said on Monday.

Although the arrival and departure of passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports continued on Monday, it is estimated that it will take 72 hours or 3 days before operations will normalize.

Local airlines said it will take time to fully restore their schedules as they reposition aircraft that had been held back or diverted to other airports and adjust the schedules of flights based on revised clearances in coordination with local authorities.

Bautista said that around 65,000 passengers were affected when the Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC), which serves as the facility for controlling and overseeing all inbound and outbound flights and overflights in the Philippine airspace, went down due to power outage, resulting in loss of communication, radio, radar and internet.

Airlines have been asked to operate additional flights or upgrade aircrafts in order to accommodate more passengers.

Bautista said he discussed with Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Cesar Chiong the possibility of operating the runway 24 hours until the recovery flights are over.

"We will also conduct maintenance checks of the runway on a daily basis so we can be sure that our runway is always safe," he said.

Airlines, he added, can use the runway even at night "so their operations will also normalize."

He said two uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) used to provide power to the air traffic management system of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) failed, forcing CAAP to tap commercial power which caused a power surge.

"There was a problem with one UPS that was being used. When they switched to the backup UPS there was still a little problem so our technical team made a way to fix it. Unfortunately when they fixed it, the incoming power to our equipment was 300 volts and it had an effect," Bautista said.

He explained that the malfunction could not be avoided because the ATMC system was outdated.

At present, a back-up power supply is being used and officials have procured a replacement power supply that is expected to arrive in 30 days.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) expressed hope that the government will release the requested P120 million budget to upgrade the system of the NAIA in Pasay City.

"As early as last year we asked for P120 million for spare parts [of the Air Traffic Management Center]," CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said in a radio interview over DZBB on Monday.

He said that the ATMC will be fully functional in the first quarter of 2023 if the budget is released immediately.

At least 3,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were affected by the disruption of flights on January 1.

Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said on Monday that all of the affected OFWs were provided assistance for the rebooking of their flights, while some 400 needed help in hotel accommodations.

Food and transportation assistance were also given to the stranded migrant workers.

The DoTr likewise liaised with the airline partners for the provision of food, refreshments, transportation, lodging and accommodation for passengers.

Philippine Airlines on Monday said that 18 domestic and three international flights were cancelled in addition to some delays caused by some flight adjustments.

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific said it continues to review its operations while AirAsia Philippines has implemented additional flight adjustments through a recovery flight on Jan. 3, 2023.

WITH CHRISTIAN CROW MAGHANOY

Inflation to remain a top concern for PH

Price check A shopper checks the prices of canned goods at a supermarket in Manila on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. PHOTO MIKE ALQUINTO

By Eireene Jairee Gomez, Manila Times

January 2, 2023 

THE one thing the Filipino consumer will probably remember about 2022 is that it was a year of skyrocketing prices. On basically all fronts, households had to contend with stretching already extended budgets while wondering how much more expensive things could get.

It wasn't how people expected 2022 to turn out. Hopes were high that, after two years of pandemic-spurred lockdowns, the world was on track toward soon reopening. However, a one-two first-quarter combo — a new Covid-19 surge and Russia's invasion of Ukraine — quickly clouded the outlook for economies worldwide.

Food and energy prices quickly soared in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine, which Filipinos immediately felt via a series of pump price increases that continued all through 2022. Rising demand, meanwhile, stressed supply chains and spurred price hikes elsewhere.

Domestic inflation, which started the year at a within-target 3.0 percent, skyrocketed to a 14-year high of 8.0 by November. The full-year picture still isn't complete — December data is scheduled to be released this Thursday — but the 11-month average of 5.6 percent is well over the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (BSP) 2.0- to 4.0-target.

The December result could end up being higher as the interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee last month raised its full-year inflation forecast to 5.8 percent from 4.5 to 5.5 percent. Last Thursday, the central bank said consumer price growth could have hit 7.8 to 8.6 percent last month.

The BSP's policymaking Monetary Board (MB) ended up raising key interest rates by a total of 350 basis points (bps) last year in a bid to rein in inflation, the last being a 50-bps hike in December that hiked the benchmark interest rate to 5.50 percent, the overnight deposit rate to 5.0 percent and the overnight lending rate to 6.0 percent.

Further adjustments haven't been ruled out for 2023 — the BSP expects its 2.0- to 4.0-goal to again be breached this year — and monetary authorities have stressed that they remain ready to take all actions needed to bring inflation within target "as soon as possible."

Last month, BSP Governor Felipe Medalla declined to rule out further tightening during the first two MB meetings this year, saying "one can never say never." The terminal policy rate for 2023, he added, could hit 6.0 percent.

Non-monetary measures

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), meanwhile, has said that the government remained committed to providing timely assistance to those hardest hit by inflation and implementing agricultural productivity measures to ensure the country's food security.

"The government is continuously implementing targeted subsidies and discounts to allay the impact of the higher prices of essential goods, especially for the vulnerable sectors and low-income earners of our society," Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said last year.

In anticipation of higher inflation in December, the Department of Budget and Management released P5.2 billion to cover the third tranche of the Targeted Cash Transfer (TCT) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. This covers a total of 9.8 million identified beneficiaries who are most affected by the continuous rise in commodity prices.

The TCT program grants unconditional cash transfers of P500 per month to the most affected households for six months to mitigate the effects of the increase in the prices of fuel and other non-fuel commodities.

"To ease price pressures, we continue to implement measures to boost food production and reduce the cost of bringing farm produce to the market," Balisacan said.

The Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, expanded the Kadiwa Program that aims to connect producers to consumers, allowing for higher profits for local farmers and more affordable prices for consumers.

The government is also supporting the agriculture sector by implementing programs to lower input costs, provide financial assistance in the form of fuel discounts to farmers and fisherfolk, develop innovations and strengthen the agricultural value chain.

On the provision of social assistance, Balisacan highlighted the importance of accelerating the government's digital transformation for a more efficient and faster delivery of services.

"We need to provide assistance, particularly to vulnerable groups, especially in times of high inflation. However, we need to improve our delivery mechanisms, particularly on the provision of ayuda (aid) to ensure that the aid reaches the right people in a timely manner," the NEDA chief said.

The medium-term plan

Meanwhile, the government's recently approved Philippine Development Plan for 2023-2028 provides other measures to address elevated inflation and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. last December 16 approved the plan, which sets out the economic and social transformation roadmap for his six-year term. It seeks to promote job creation and intensify poverty reduction by steering the economy back to a high-growth path.

The strategies include building information and communications technology, creatives, tourism and logistics ecosystems around manufacturing clusters; building a dynamic innovation ecosystem; harnessing the private sector's resources, technologies and potential for scale economies through public-private partnerships; and ensuring the effective devolution of critical social services to local governments.

The PDP 2023-2028 is anchored on the AmBisyon Natin 2040, a long-term vision where Filipinos will be enjoying strongly rooted, comfortable and secure lives by 2040.

"Given the uncertainties and headwinds that we face, the plan is our roadmap that will show us the way forward, guiding our efforts and initiatives as we sustain our robust economic recovery and aspire for no less than the economic and social transformation of our country toward a matatag, maginhawa at panatag na buhay (stable, comfortable and tranquil lives) for all Filipinos," Balisacan said.

A positive note

Meanwhile, amid the continuing economic challenges, the Philippines is expected to become the 27th-largest economy in the world by 2037 according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research's (CEBR) World Economic League Table 2023 report.

Gross domestic product growth is expected to average 5.3 percent over the next five years and 5.0 percent over the next 15 years. These will advance the Philippines to 27th in 2037 from 38th spot this year. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines will be the fourth-biggest economy by 2037 behind Indonesia (11th), Thailand (25th) and Vietnam (26th) but ahead of Malaysia (35th).

The Philippine economy shrank by 9.6 percent in 2020 as strict Covid-19 quarantine and lockdown protocols stalled business activities. However, it bounced back with a 5.7-percent expansion in 2021. For 2022, growth will likely reach 6.5 percent, according to CEBR, within the government's 6.5- to 7.5- percent target.

Balisacan is optimistic that the 2002 goal would be exceeded given expectations of a "robust" fourth quarter. "It's [been] quite exceeded already," he said last month. "I think given the indication that we're seeing in the fourth quarter, it's likely going to exceed even... the upper limit of that range."

The NEDA chief, however, noted that the government needed to expand and diversify the country's sources of growth if it was to keep the economy growing.

"Instead of just looking at consumption, we need to be seeing more investments... trade sources of growth. In the supply side, instead of just seeing services, we need to be seeing more manufacturing, more construction, more utilities, even mining, which we hope could contribute strongly in the medium-term growth," he said.

"Agriculture could also be a driver to the extent that we can increase productivity there and temper any pressures extended on food prices," Balisacan continued.

Alex Eala wins first qualifying round match in Canberra tourney

by Kristel Satumbaga-Villar, MB

Alex Eala started the year with a bang after a straight set victory in the first round qualifying of the W60 Canberra International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Australia Sunday, Jan. 1.

Alex Eala starts her year with a bang with a first-round qualifying win in Canberra. (From Alex Eala’s Facebook page)

The 17-year-old junior tennis sensation survived a shaky second set and prevailed over Mexico’s Marcela Zacarias, 6-3, 7-6 (0), to jumpstart her campaign. 

The triumph set her up a meeting with the winner between wildcard bet Catherine Aulia and Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva.

Interestingly, Selekhmeteva was Eala’s partner when she won the 2021 French Open Girls Doubles title.

“Hello 2023! Starting off the new year with a good win!” Eala wrote on her social media.

Eala is upbeat on this year’s season after making the cut in the qualifying rounds of the 2023 Australian Open late this month.

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This would be her first match in the pro level of a Grand Slam.