BIZ BUZZ: IPOPHL open to scrutinizing Shaira Moro

Amid the recent copyright issues hounding Shaira Moro, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said it will accept complaints that may be filed by foreign artists whose musical creations the local pop artist allegedly infringed on.

Moro, whose real name is Shaira Abdullah Alimudin, rose to fame via Tiktok as her songs “Selos” and “Forever Single” went viral. However, she has received backlash from her alleged use of similar melodies from the songs of foreign artists, including Australian singer-songwriter Lenka.

IPOPHL Director Emerson Cuyo said they would entertain complaints coursed through accredited local collective management organizations (CMOs), such as the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

“They have what is called reciprocal agreements—arrangements with their counterparts in other countries. In reciprocal agreements, they can actually bring up and they can protect because they represent the rights of the members of the CMOs,” Cuyo said. He noted, in particular, similar organizations that protect artists’ rights in Australia and the United States. —Alden M. Monzon

Pressured but unfazed

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the only local carrier linking the Philippines to the United States but competition intensified when United Airlines established its footprint in the country just last year.

Admittedly, PAL president Stanley Ng said they felt a “little pressured” with another airline offering nonstop flights to North America.

READ: BIZ BUZZ: PAL ready for takeoff to Seattle

According to the flag carrier’s recent financial report, it had a 47-percent market share in the United States and Canada last year—lower than the 65-percent in 2022.

“It is not something that we’re bothered about really. We just have to compete and provide the service we can to our customers,” Ng said.

PAL currently flies to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Honolulu and Guam. By Oct. 2, the flag carrier will start its new Manila-Seattle route. —Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

Convert coins to digital assets

If you’re that type of person who hates carrying loose coins or has an idle pile at home, Maya Bank wants to take them off your hands and turn them into high-interest savings and investment.

Through its latest partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the PLDT-backed digital bank said people can now deposit their spare change to their Maya accounts using the Coin Deposit Machine (CoDM) of the central bank at shopping malls.

It’s easy: just let the CoDM count the coins and select Maya as fund destination. Then cash in by entering the total amount of coins shown on the CoDM screen to your Maya app to receive the code for the transaction to proceed.

People have the option to earn interest rates of up to 14 percent per annum on Maya savings and up to 6 percent yearly via time deposit accounts. They can also invest in crypto and other assets using the in-app features of Maya.

With a total of 25 CoDMs in the Greater Manila Area so far, Maya—among the six players in the country’s nascent digital banking industry—has another vehicle to raise more deposits, a major lifeline for banks. — Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral

Crusader vs postharvest losses

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has formed three different teams aimed at bolstering local food production and reducing postharvest losses, all led by Agriculture Undersecretary Jerome Oliveros.

The teams are tasked to complete the feasibility studies of priority infrastructure projects, focusing on local household staples rice and corn. They will craft the framework and plans for the proposed postharvest program as well as the building of solar-powered cold storage facilities and irrigation systems.

READ: DA sets upgrade of rice processing facilities to cut postharvest losses

Projects must comply with the requirements of the DA clearinghouse system and the Investment Coordination Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. had said the government would need around P93 billion in the next couple of years to build postharvest facilities for rice and corn and another P1 billion to build cold storage facilities to stretch out the shelf life of vegetables.

Since assuming the highest DA post in November last year, Tiu Laurel has consistently said he wants to lessen the country’s dependence on imports and scale up domestic food output.

Well, for one, the country breached its previous record of palay production in 2023 as the volume totaled 20.06 million metric tons (MT), beating the previous record high of 19.96 million MT in 2021, based on Philippine Statistics Authority data.

The question is… will the Marcos administration achieve its promise of food self-sufficiency and greater rice production by the end of his term in 2028? Abangan! — Jordeene B. Lagare