Cut the lines of scam call centers

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Apr 25, 2023 00:00 AM

  

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A scourge of these tech-driven times, scam call centers have proliferated, like a viral infection that threatens not only to destroy a body, but intends to infect an entire society. Scam call centers do a myriad of illicit activities, usually implemented by people who were illegally recruited or trafficked from economically challenged communities.

With the end goal of embezzling money from hapless victims, all illegal methods are used, most of which involve a call center agent making a series of calls to phish personal details or account numbers. All tools are used, even fake Facebook profiles, dating apps, imposter websites copying legit company websites, or AI-generated texts and voices.
Again, these scam call centers exist because there are people that they could fool, and it seems that global authorities are having a challenging time to shut down their operations. In fact, the Wall Street Journal has written that “Americans lost more than US$ 10 billion to online scammers in 2022, the highest level since the FBI began tracking losses in 2000.” The FBI even said that it “recorded more than 800,000 complaints in 2022, or more than 2,000 complaints a day.” The numbers are staggering and this does not include other nationalities who are victims, too.

Online articles have revealed that these scam call centers are usually located in South Asian countries, but recent investigations have revealed that these have been sprouting in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar. The Philippines, however, is not far behind.

This was revealed by a statement from Senator Risa Hontiveros, when she raised the alarm on the notorious cryptocurrency scamming industry, saying that many of its operations are “also conducted right here in the Philippines.”

"Sadly, right under our very noses, the Philippines is hosting its very own scam hubs. Large condominium buildings are being repurposed as living and working facilities for trafficked human beings forced to perform scams on hapless victims," Hontiveros said.

The senator warned that the scam call centers are now “employing foreigners trafficked into the country,” noting that the trafficked victims are from Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, etc.

In Hontiveros’ statement, she was doubly alarmed with the so-called “pig butchering scam,” which is now a thriving fraud scheme. A cursory research on this scam, also known as “romance scam” is a “long-term fraud where scam call center agents search dating and social media sites for victims. The scammers typically create a fake profile and reach out to potential victims through dating apps. The goal is to become the victim’s ‘lover’ or ‘friend.’  Once trust is established, then it would be easy for the scammer to access personal details, bank accounts, or credit card numbers.“

"It is frightening that these criminal activities have been made easy by social media platforms. But it is more frightening to hear how effortless foreigners can get into the country, with the aid of unscrupulous immigration officials. This is a serious national security concern that we must urgently address. We cannot allow these syndicates to turn our country into outlaw territory," Hontiveros said.

All efforts must be done to cut the lines of these scam call centers. A community must be vigilant, especially since these call centers operate in condos or villages. There should also be support from the social media platforms as illegal ads still proliferate the online world. It would take a high-tech solution to combat this fraud which uses online tools. Our authorities have to keep up with the times, or else, the scammers will always be one step ahead.

Dina Bonnevie: 'I need to work hard to earn everything what I want to have'

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

  

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Dina Bonnevie (Screenshot from YouTube)

Actress Dina Bonnevie revealed how her father brought her into business at an early age.

During a recent interview with broadcaster Korina Sanchez, Dina revealed that she was raised in a well-to-do family, but that she knew how to work to make her own money.

At 11, Bonnevie already understood what the business is, her parents coached them to work hard and earn whatever they want the hard way. Because they believed that "not everything is easy."

Bonnevie, who rose to fame via the movie "Underage," remembered what her father had told her. “You can do better than that, you should never settle for mediocrity, but always aim for excellence. If you want to have something, you should earn it. She needs to work for everything she wants to have.”

Dina Bonnevie (left) and Korina Sanchez (Screenshot from YouTube)

Aside from being an actress Dina also has businesses in the country - the ‘La Bonne Vie’ which means ‘Good Life’. It is handloom woven textiles for the home, clothing, shoes, and bags.

Bonnevie, 61, also co-owns Victorino’s Restaurant with her husband/politician Deogracias Victor Savellano.

Victorino’s Restaurant isknown for its Ilocano dishes: bagnet, bagnet chips, poqui-poqui, warek-warek, to name a few.

Since then, Dina has worked hard to get everything she has at the moment. She also listened to the advice of her parents.

(Contributed by Hannah Nicol/Malabon University/OJT)

SC sets work skeds for courts in areas under Covid-19 Alert Levels 1 and 2

BY REY G. PANALIGAN

  

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The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered a 50 to 75 percent workforce from April 25 to April 30 in courts in areas under Covid-19 Alert Levels 1 and 2 as identified by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

In a circular, Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva said that while face-to-face hearings “are given priority,” trial court judges are allowed to conduct fully remote video conferencing for court proceedings for at least three times a week.

With clearance from Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, Villanueva said that courts are physically open starting at 8 a.m., Saturday duty and night courts are not allowed, and pleadings and other documents may be filed or served through registered mail or through accredited couriers.

“All health and safety protocols against Covid-19 prescribed by the Court and the Office of the Court Administration (OCA), as well as those required by the IATF and the Department of Health, shall be complied with whatever is the Alert Level of a particular area,” Villanueva also said in his circular to judges.

Also, he said that “court personnel who are not scheduled to report to the court/office shall be considered under a work-from-home arrangement, wherein their official time for work will be in accordance with what is prescribed in OCA Circular No. 09-2015.”

Those working from home should make sure that their communication lines are always open, he also said.

Based on IATF, the OCA said areas under Alert Level 1 in Luzon are National Capital Region (NCR); Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Baguio City, Benguet (Buguias, Sablan and Tublay), Ifugao (Alfonso Lista [Potia], Kiangan, Lagawe, Lamut);

Region 1: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Dagupan City; Region 2: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, City of Santiago; Region 3: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, Olongapo City;

Region 4A: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Lucena City, Quezon Province (Alabat, Atimonan, Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Dolores, Gumaca, Lucban, Mauban, Padre Burgos, Pagbilao, Perez, Plaridel, Polillo, Quezon,.Sampaloc, San Antonio, Sariaya, Tiaong, Unisan);

Region 4B: Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (Cagayancillo, Culion, El Nido [Bacuit], Kalayaan); and, Region 5: Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Naga City, Camarines Norte (Basud, Capalonga, Daet, San Vicente, Talisay), Masbate (Balud, Batuan, City of Masbate, Mandaon, Milagros, San Fernando).

In the Visayas, areas under Alert Level 1 Region 6: Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, Bacolod City, Iloilo City; Antique (Anini-y, Barbaza, San Jose, Sebaste, Tobias Fornier [Dao]), Negros Occidental (Cadiz City, Candoni, City of Himamaylan, City of Talisay, City of Victorias, Enrique B. Magalona [Saravia], Ilog, La Carlota City, Murcia, Ponteverde, Pulupandan, Sagay City, San Enrique, Silay City, Valladolid);

Region 7: Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Bohol (Alburquerque, Balilihan, Batuan, Calape, Corella, Dimiao, Duero, Garcia Hernandez, Jagna, Lila, Loay, Loboc, Maribojoc, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia [Pitogo], San Isidro, San Miguel, Sevilla, Sikatuna, Tagbilaran City), Cebu Province (Alboy, Borbon, City of Naga, City of Talisay, Oslob, Pilar, Poro, Santander, Tudela), Negros Oriental (Amlan [Ayuquitan], Bacong, Dauin, Dumaguete City, Valencia Luzurriaga], Zamboanguita);

Region 8: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, Tacloban City, Leyte (Abuyog, Albuera, Bato, Barugo, City of Baybay, Dulag, Hindang, Inopacan, Javier [Bugho], La Paz, Leyte, Matag-ob, Matalom, Palo, Pastrana, Tabontabon, Tunga, Villaba), Samar [Western Samar] (City of Catbalogan, marabut, Mpotiong, Pagsanghan, Paranas [Wright], San Sebastian, Talalora, Tarangnan, Zumarraga).

In Mindanao, areas under Alert Level 1 are: Region 9: Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, City of Isabela, Zamboanga City;

Region 10: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte (Bacolod, Baroy, Kauswagan, Kolambugan, Lala Linamon, Tubod);

Region 11: Davao Oriental, Davao City, Davao de Oro (Mawab, Montevista, Nabunturan, New Bataan), Davao del Norte (Braulio E. Dujali, Island Garden City of Samal, Santo Tomas), Davao del Sur (Padada), Davao Occidental (Don Marcelino, Malita, Santa Maria);

Region 12: South Cotabato, General Santos City, Cotabato [North Cotabato] (Antipas, Arakan, City of Kidapawan, Kabacan, President Roxas), Sarangani (Maitum), Sultan Kudarat (Bagumbayan, City of Tacurong, Kalamansig, Lebak, President Quirino);

Region 13 (CARAGA): Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Butuan City, Dinagat Islands (Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo [Albor], Loreto, Tubajon);

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM): Lanao del Sur, Cotabato City, Maguindano (South Upi, Upi), Sulu (Hadji Panglima Tahil [Marunggas]; and Tawi-Tawi (Turtle Islands).

Areas under Alert Level 2, except in provinces where certain cities or municipalities have been placed under Alert Level 1, are Luzon: Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Benguet, Ifugao;

Region 4A: Quezon Province; Region 4B: Palawan; and, Region 5: Camarines Norte, Masbate.

In the Visayas, areas under Alert Level 2 are Region 6: Antique, Negros Occidental; Region 7: Bohol, Cebu Province, Negros Oriental; and, Region 8: Leyte, Samar [Western Samar].

In Mindanao, under Alert Level 2 are Region 10: Lanao del Norte; Region 11: Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental; Region 12: Cotabato [North Cotabato], Sultan Kudarat; and,
Region 13 (CARAGA): Dinagat Islands; and, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM): Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu; Tawi-Tawi.

Hey, daydreamer

A daydream is a meal at which images are eaten. Some of us are gourmets, some gourmands, and a good many take their images precooked out of a can and swallow them down whole, absent-mindedly and with little relish. —W. H Auden

BY AA PATAWARAN

Apr 23, 2023 08:47 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The writer is cursed, yes he is. He has been sentenced to a life of daydreaming in a world, where “Gising(wake up)!” translates to “Get off your lazy ass and do something.”

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But as a writer you cannot help it. You have to do it. It is in daydreams that your stories originate and then percolate and that’s also where you initially string the words needed to express them. In fact, you can write an entire article or flash fiction in your head. Meanwhile, even your own mother will snap her fingers in your face because “Hey, don’t you want to go out there and make friends? Play basketball or patintero or something.” Either that or you’re jolted out of your reveries and told to make your bed or wash the dishes or sweep the floor or do any chore because you just can’t stare out of the window all day.

Sometimes, you walk down the street from school and mouth words you invent out of imagined conversations. And someone catches you doing it as you cross their path and they either give you a puzzled look or they flat out tell you you’re a lunatic, talking to yourself like that.

It’s not far out for others to decide for you who you are. It’s not hard to believe their accusations that you are lazy when you know you can spend hours just looking up at the sky. It’s not hard to believe their accusations that you are crazy when you spend the weekend reading the medical encyclopedia and then the following week feeling all the symptoms. Yikes, I went through that myself and maybe I should thank my lucky stars that, just as I was halfway through the volume on mental disorders, my grandmother decided to keep the encyclopedia away from me, under lock and key.

Writing is hard enough, but it’s even harder that so few understand it, not even those who generously praise you for your gift of words. Yes, maybe they do consider it an art form to write well, but not as much as they value paintings or sculpture or even fashion. They think it’s easy because you don’t really need that much to write—just pen and paper and, well, a whole lifetime spent to fill the paper with something magical or extraordinary or well done.

As a young person growing up with dreams of writing, it is almost an instinct to keenly observe the world around you and chances are you will come off weird. “He gives me the creeps,” whisper your classmates. “When he looks at you, it’s like he stares.” What they do not know is that you might be checking them out in case one of them will figure in a future novel. Not really. In the eye of a writer, everything is a potential story and you do not want to miss out on the details.

If you are gregarious, instead of shy, which many writers are before they find their voices or come to terms with the passion pre-ordained for them, it’s likely you will be quite the storyteller, inventing encounters or experiences and exaggerating everything for maximum impact. In prep school, I regaled my classmates with a movie I didn’t see, a movie that didn’t exist, about a science experiment gone wrong that made itself to the oceans and made giants of squids and shrimp and octopi, as well as a sperm whale that threatened to be bigger than earth. I don’t know why I lied. I guess it was more believable as a movie than as a figment of my imagination. But I was so terrified when a classmate said his father couldn’t find the movie.

It’s not easy growing up to be a writer, unless maybe your parents were fictionists or National Artists for Literature. Or even then, it’s not impossible you will simply stay in their shadows. Otherwise, you might just worry them when you move your writing desk to the top of the stairs so you can write with the steep stairs behind you and you can imagine something ghastly creeping up on you as you write. I did that a couple of times, convinced that I wrote better when I was scared.

So you live your life like that, much of it in your head, up in the clouds, among the stars, and of course between the covers of a thousand and one books. And then, at last, you become a writer and in order to do what you love to do, which is writing, you realize you have to be everything you did not practice to be—you have to be socially charming, you have to be marketing-savvy, you have to wean yourself off your dependence on inspiration because the deadline trumps it, you have to keep your ears on the ground rather than in tune with the song of the muses. Alas, writing isn’t only about pounding on the keys of your writing instrument. Imagination isn’t the only world you ought to inhabit; real life, too, especially real life.

Yet, you still need some kind of schizophrenia, some kind of madness, especially if you are a fictionist or a portraitist or a journalist. Imagine all the shoes you ought to put yourself in to write your stories. Imagine how much time you need to cover, from past to present to the future, near or distant, imminent or improbable.

It does take a little madness to be a writer.

Alex Eala to face German rival in first round of Madrid Open

 BY KRISTEL SATUMBAGA-VILLAR

Apr 24, 2023 02:14 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The 17-year-old Eala drew with world No. 71 Tatjana Maria in the opening round of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 event where some of the best tennis players around the globe are competing for the crown.

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Alex Eala will face a more experienced German foe when the 2023 Matua Madrid Open fires off Tuesday, April 25, at the claycourts in Madrid, Spain.

Alex Eala earns a wildcard ticket in the main draw of the Madrid Open. (File Photo/Alex Eala's Facebook page)

The 17-year-old Eala drew with world No. 71 Tatjana Maria in the opening round of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 event where some of the best tennis players around the globe are competing for the crown.

Eala, who won last year’s US Open Girls Singles title, earned a wildcard berth in the main draw round that has top seed Iga Swiatek of Poland, Great Britain’s No. 1 player Emma Raducano, and this year’s Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, to name a few.

However, this wouldn’t be the first time that Eala would be battling the 35-year-old Maria, who holds three WTA singles titles.

Eala and Maria actually clashed against each other late in January at the Hua Hin Thailand Open, where the Filipino bet bowed to the sixth-seeded German, 6-2, 6-2, in the first round.

Maria eventually went on to finish in the quarterfinals.

While Eala has been unsuccessful in her title bid so far this year, Maria boasts of ruling the Copa Colanitas in Bogota, Colombia early this month.

Eala hopes to make an impact in her second appearance in this tournament after also earning a wildcard entry but losing in her first qualifying match last year.

 PANORAMASPECIALS

Let’s fly together

Nine travel industry top guns form an alliance to help tourism not only get back on its feet but also sail away and soar

BY AA PATAWARAN

Apr 23, 2023 11:45 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• ‘Passengers are booking multiple trips even until next year, whether domestic or international destinations.’

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FRIENDS WHO TRAVEL TOGETHER TravelingBFFsPH in Nagasaki

“Wanderlust is real,” said International Journey’s Kem Aldrich Lim to me when I asked him how the travel industry was recovering from the disruption caused by the pandemic.

He and eight other travel agents, including Skynet Travel Corporation’s Dorothy Aytona, Travel Specialist Ventures Group’s Rowena Coloma, Skywin Travel and Tours’ Shirley Go, Travel Plus International’s Emily Lo, Golden Sky Travel and Tours’ Dolly Santos, Globetrotters’ Helena Ty, Travel Warehouse’s Jaison Yang, and Fiesta Tours and Travel Corporation’s Robbie Young, banded together to form TravellingBFFsPH when business ground to a halt in 2020 as a result of the global lockdowns. Each member, needless to say, is at the helm of his or her travel agency as president, general manager, vice president, or business development head.

SHIRLEY GO Vice president, Skywin Travel and Tours Corp.

“TravelingBFFsPH is a non-formal alliance of travel industry professionals, who support each other, though there are times we also compete with each other, which is normal for a small industry like ours,” explained Jaison. “But we are also real friends.”

I had the privilege of taking a Philippine Airlines trip with all nine of them to Fukouka, Nagasaki, and Nagoya in Japan just as the world was opening up in earnest after closing up borders to international tourists for over two years to keep Covid-19 at bay.

KEM ALDRICH LIM President, International Jouneys, Inc.

In those times that everything was at a standstill and operation at travel agencies was indefinitely suspended, this group sought each other’s help, doing other things, including several advocacies and community engagements. “It was to help each other out not necessarily financially, but more emotionally, mentally by keeping ourselves busy,” added Jaison.

“In the pandemic, TravelingBFFs was the most visible group in the industry. Though most of our businesses were closed, we collaborated with the Tourism Promotions Board, the Department of Tourism, and some airlines to help domestic tourism by slowly organizing familiarization trips to help local destinations recover. Eventually, we started working with international carriers to promote newly opened destinations like Vietnam, Thailand, and now Japan.”

ROWENA COLOMA President and general manager, Travel Specialist Ventures Group, Inc.

Now that it’s almost business as usual, TravelingBFFs is an alliance beneficial not only to its members, but also to its clients, the industry, and allied industries like airlines, hotels, and F&B. “At the very least,” said Jaison, “we learn from each other. We share each other’s trade secrets. We celebrate each other’s successes, and we sympathize with each other’s failures.”

But is it really business as usual for travel in the Philippines?

JAISON YANG President, Travel Warehouse, Inc.

“Yes,” said Rowena. She has observed that preferences have changed dramatically after the pandemic. “Before the pandemic, they were more budget-conscious. They would want the most economical way of traveling—economy class tickets, three-star accommodations…They would join group tours or bus tours, which are more affordable,” she explained. “But now, we receive a lot of requests for private tours, small groups, and premium travel. They want to experience luxury travel with their families.

They are conscious about social distancing, so they prefer to take business class. It’s more convenient and less crowded.”

To Emily, in a way, it’s the same as before the pandemic. “But families and friends want to spend time together now more than before,” she said. “More and more people want private tours and DIY tours rather than joining bigger groups to lower the cost. They really do want to spend quality time and build on core memories.”

DOROTHY AYTONA President and general manager, Skynet Travel Corporation

The traveling behavior of Filipinos, according to Dolly, has indeed changed post pandemic. “Majority tend to splurge and buy a minimum of two packages of tours for the family—one long haul (Europe, the US, Canada, or the Middle East) and the other, short haul (Asia),” she said. “They prefer relaxing and meaningful experiences, rather than fast-paced and the usual itineraries. Most of them, especially the well-traveled, go for new destinations with different cultures, specifically destinations like Morocco, East and West Africa, and for the religious, Israel.”

“Among the main changes with the pandemic is that Filipinos want to experience more unique itineraries, as compared to more generic itineraries prior to the pandemic,” added Kem.

HELENA TY Managing director, Globetrotters, Inc.

Revenge travel? I asked and Helena exclaimed, “Yes, there is such a thing! Filipinos now are eager to travel all over the world, no matter what it takes. Even then, they are still very practical about their itinerary, choosing the best, most affordable options for their trips.”

Dorothy agrees. “When Filipinos travel, they’re looking for a good time. They want to take advantage of things like low prices and more vacation days,” she says, adding, however, that for her, it’s business more than usual. “Passengers are booking multiple trips even until next year, whether domestic or international destinations,” she explains. “Most of our clients’ popular types of trips are leisure, business, or education.”

DOLLY SANTOS President, Golden Sky Travel and Tours Corp.

Truth be faced, travel is more expensive now. Let’s not even talk about the fluctuating oil prices. “Filipinos have been including travel insurance in their travels more,” Shirley pointed out. “Due to the pandemic, they are more health conscious than before. They also ask about charges regarding how we’ll take care of them in case they get Covid during their trip. Other factors such as inflation also changed their perception in travel. Travel has again become a luxury unlike before the pandemic, when it was budget friendly.”

ROBBIE YOUNG Business development specialist, Fiesta Tours and Travel Corporation

People want more from travel now, that’s the essence of revenge travel, and therefore so much more is expected of the travel agent. In TravelingBFFsPH, each of the nine members can now draw from the pool of experiences that they have individually and collectively gathered in the line of duty as well as from their own personal travels.

To Robbie, there are three key things that a travel agent must be able to manage for a client on any given trip—Expectations, perceptions, and memories. “These three factors connect the entire processes of the trip, which then create the tourist experience and may even influence other tourists’ expectations for the same or different types of trips,” he said.

EMILY LO President, Travel Plus International, Inc.

But what are a travel agent’s expectations from a trip he or she designed for others? “It’s my pet peeve that Filipinos visit and leave a place without any insight as to the history of the country. Most of our tours, tour members just love taking nice photos,” said Kem. “We should read up on history and interact with the locals. It’s the best way to understand nations and cultures. You also learn about yourself more as you learn more about other places.”

Kem also shared something unique about the Filipinos as travelers. “It is often marveled at that Filipinos always travel with three generations—kids, parents, and grandparents,” he said. “The idea is unimaginable in other countries, where lesser weight is put on family ties.”

There’s a reason Filipinos are at home anywhere in the world. Travel runs in our genes, and passed on through the gene pool, plus ours is an archipelago of such diversity on its 7,641 islands that even travel within the national borders can be extensive enough to make travelers of each of us.

In order to hone such great potential, the travel industry and the government must really get their act together, just as these nine travel professionals got together, nine better than one, as TravelingBFFsPH.