BusinessMirror August 20, 2020

PhilHealth privatization bill filed T

HE cochairman of the economic cluster of the House of Representatives on Wednesday filed a bill granting the President the power to privatize the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), which is facing a slew of investigations for fraud on various fronts.

In a news conference, Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo said her House Bill 7429 or the Social Health Insurance Crisis Act seeks to grant the President with the power to privatize any or all segments of PhilHealth, in order to make these segments more effective, efficient and innovative in the provision of social health insurance.

This, as senators unanimously adopted on Wednesday a resolution urging the President to suspend PhilHealth officials who have allegedly obstructed investigations meant to unearth fraud in the state insurer, said to be bleeding billions for

THE BROADER LOOK » A4-A5

WORK FROM HOME: LEGISLATIVE FORESIGHT HELPS KEEP ECONOMY RUNNING AMID PANDEMIC

ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDS

2006 National Newspaper of the Year 2011 National Newspaper of the Year 2013 Business Newspaper of the Year 2017 Business Newspaper of the Year 2019 Business Newspaper of the Year

more than a decade.

Senate Resolution 502, sponsored by Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri, gained support of all senators, endorsing the imposition of sanctions against erring PhilHealth officials found to be blocking the probe being conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation and the Commission on Audit (COA).

The resolution stressed the need to suspend the erring officials to avert attempts to tamper evidence, including vital records of PhilHealth.

It noted that such acts constitute obstruction of justice and violation of the auditing code.

Moreover, the resolution asked the Executive to assert supervisory powers over PhilHealth, including suspension of erring officials of the agency.

During the Senate hearing on Tues-

day, COA Director Clotilde Tuazon testified that since the start of their review, they encountered difficulties auditing PhilHealth as they were deprived of access to documents, including contracts and bidding records.

Reorganize PhilHealth

UNDER Quimbo’s bill, within 24 months from the approval of this proposal, the President of the Republic is hereby empowered to revamp the executive leadership and reorganize PhilHealth, including the privatization of any or all segments of these agencies, operations or facilities if necessary, to make them more effective and innovative to address the social health insurance crisis.

To carry out this purpose, Quimbo said the President may abolish or create offices, transfer functions, institute drastic

cost-cutting, and take other related measures to carry out the given objective.

“PhilHealth has been suffering from a failure of leadership, due to a lack of technical expertise at the helm. Frequent changes in top management have been insufficient to resolve this, and unsuccessful in curbing corruption. Indeed, certain PhilHealth officials have been promoted within the organization despite being charged in court,” Quimbo said.

“This underscores the need for a massive overhaul of the current system, through the reorganization and privatization of PhilHealth,” she added.

Transition team

SHE said the bill also proposes the creation of an Executive-Legislative Commission

Continued on A2

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS

BUSINESS NEWS SOURCE OF THE YEAR (2017, 2018)

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2018 BANTOG MEDIA AWARDS

PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY

DATA CHAMPION

BICAM FOR BAYANIHAN 2 WRAPS UP FINAL VERSION www.businessmirror.com.ph

n

Thursday, August 20, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 315

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 16 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK

AT left photo, street vendors displaced by a clearing operation in Baclaran, Pasay City, receive cash assistance under DSWD’s Livelihood Sustainable Program with the help of City Hall. At right, another badly hit sector, public-utility jeepney drivers bring out welcome placards as they await the arrival of TV host and actor Wilfredo “Willie” Revillame, who gave away P5 million worth of donations to PUJ drivers at the central office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Wednesday. At least 3,211 drivers—some of whom had been reduced to begging—received aid. NONIE REYES/ROY DOMINGO

M

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

EMBERS of the congressional bicameral conference committee deliberating on the P166-billion package sustaining government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic raced against time till late Wednesday to finish the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or the Bayanihan 2.

Deputy Speaker for Finance Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the bicameral committee is “trying to finish today [Wednesday]” its meeting for immediate ratification of both houses of Congress. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, main sponsor of the Senate Bayanihan 2 version, affirmed this timetable.

Villafuerte said Bayanihan 2 will provide for Covid-19 response and recovery interventions and will provide a mechanism to accelerate the recovery and bolster the resiliency of the economy by providing funds.

This, notwithstanding wran-

gling within the bicameral panel over the huge difference in the Senate and House versions on provisions for the tourism sector, one of those hardest hit by the pandemic. The disposition of the P10-billion Department of Tourism budget identified for Covid response has sparked recriminations all around.

See related story: “Data speaks: Nearly all tourism outfits small, medium, micro.”

Under the bicameral version of the bill as of 7 pm Tuesday and shared with the media, the following amounts shall be used for the response and recovery for the Covid-19 pandemic: Continued on A2

LGU Bayanihan fund liquidation slow

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

L

OCAL government units (LGUs) have so far liquidated only about a third of the P37-billion Bayanihan Grant a month before their deadline to use their respective allocations from the fund.

Budget Undersecretary Laura Pascua said 32.35 percent or a total of P11.98 billion out of the P37-billion Bayanihan Grant have so far been liquidated by 572 LGUs as of August 14.

While she said the utilization rate is “likely higher,” the budget official said they can only fully assess the utilization rate after all LGUs have sent liquidation reports.

“They only have until September 16 to utilize their Bayanihan Grant allocations, not unless the national state of calamity is extended,” Pascua said in a message to the BusinessMirror.

Funds which remain unutilized after the lifting of the state of calamity, by Presidential proclamation, shall revert to the National Treasury by the recipient LGUs.

In July, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) issued Circular Letter 2020-10, prodding LGUs to speed up their utilization of their respective allocations from the Bayanihan Grant earlier released by the government to help them better respond to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This, as DBM lamented the “low utilization rate” of the allocations of the

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.6270

LGUs from the Bayanihan Grant, citing initial reports on fund utilization and status of implementation of programs, activities and projects submitted by LGUs to the department.

In line with the implementation of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, the DBM, upon approval of the Office of the President, released the P30.824-billion Bayanihan Grant to cities and municipalities and the P6.197-billion Bayanihan Grant to provinces.

Under Local Budget Circulars 125 and 126, the allocations of the recipient LGUs from the Bayanihan Grant may be utilized for the duration of the state of calamity as declared by the President by virtue of Proclamation 929 dated March 16, 2020.

The DBM also said the LGU concerned shall immediately submit to the department a complete report on fund utilization of its allocation from the Bayanihan Grant.

Upon reversion of the undisbursed allocation of the LGU from the Bayanihan Grant to the National Treasury, if there is any, the LGU concerned shall formally notify the DBM and the Bureau of the Treasury of the details of said reversion, such as the amount reverted and the date of reversion.

The DBM also then warned local officials that they will be held accountable should they fail to comply with the provisions on the implementation of projects, activities and projects and proper utilization and disbursement of their allocations from the Bayanihan Grant.

DATA SPEAKS: NEARLY ALL TOURISM OUTFITS SMALL, MEDIUM, MICRO

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo Special to the BusinessMirror

C

LOSE to 100 percent of tourism and tourism-related enterprises are micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), contrary to the claim of some lawmakers that big business is driving the clamor for bailout funds for pandemic-lashed businesses.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show there are 144,640 companies in accommodation and food service activities in 2018, of which 144,535 are MSMEs. Total MSMEs in the country are 998,342, of the 1 million establishments on PSA’s database. MSMEs are companies with employment between 1 and 199 staff.

This developed as more than 50 national and regional tourism associations have joined the call for government officials and lawmakers to provide a rescue package to the ailing tourism sector, by the extension of working capital loans. These include tourism associations from Bicol and Davao, according to a list provided by the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP).

In a news statement, the TCP sought to impress on lawmakers currently trying to reconcile the Senate and House versions of the proposed Bayanihan 2 Act that the Covid-19 has had a massive impact on the tourism sector, and how a P10billion credit facility “would allow us, the micro and small players of the industry, to quickly recover from the pandemic [as provided in Senate Bill 1564].”

The TCP was created under Republic Act 9353 (Tourism Act of 2009), and is mandated to represent the private sector interests of the tourism sector.

“We are the small tour operators, travel agencies, transport operators, resorts and hotels, restaurants, dive shops, suppliers Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4613 n UK 64.4016 n HK 6.2745 n CHINA 7.0248 n SINGAPORE 35.6242 n AUSTRALIA 35.2205 n EU 58.0412 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.9665

Source: BSP (August 19, 2020)

News BusinessMirror

A2 Thursday, August 20, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PhilHealth settles ₧700-M debt to Red Cross for Covid testing

H

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

EALTH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Wednesday said the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) Corp. has already settled its balance to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for the conduct of Covid-19 tests.

“We already coordinated with them and actually the balance was already sent to them yesterday by PhilHealth,” Vergeire said in an online media forum, referring to the P700.2-million payment of PhilHealth to the PRC. Vergeire also underscored the contribution of the PRC on the expanded testing efforts of the government.

“We recognize the role of Phil-

Is the killing of Army intel team by Jolo cops bound for cover-up?

Continued from A8

Presiding over the inquiry, Senator de la Rosa, a former National Police Chief, said he found it “unfortunate” to be holding the Senate hearing to tackle “the issue concerning not just the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, but also the State’s ability to maintain peace and order as a whole.”

He lamented that the June 29, 2020, incident resulted in the death of two commissioned officers and two enlisted personnel of the AFP in Jolo, Sulu. He recalled the records show that the four AFP personnel—identified as Maj. Marvin Indammog, Capt. Irwin Managuelod, Sgt. Jaime Velasco and Cpl. Abdal Asula—assigned to the Philippine Army’s Intelligence Regiment of the 9th ISU or Intelligence Service Unit were killed while on a mission. They were allegedly shot by six members of the Jolo Municipal Police Station and three personnel of the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit of Sulu PPO.

The senator noted conflicting claims have been presented by the different parties about what happened.

“But I am happy that the PNP and the AFP agreed to let the NBI conduct an independent probe in the incident,” Dela Rosa said, adding: “I would like to congratulate Gen. Felimon Santos, the former Chief of Staff; AFP and Gen. Gilbert Gapay, the former Commanding General of the Philippine Army and now the current Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; and Gen. Archie Gamboa, the Chief PNP for effectively handling the situation from going out of control. I would also like to recognize the local government of Jolo, under the leadership of Mayor Kerkhar Tan for their cooperation in the investigation.”

This, as AFP chief Gapay, who was Army chief when it happened, signalled his dismay that appropriate cases have yet to be filed against the nine policemen involved in the June 29 misencounter at Jolo, Sulu, that killed four Army soldiers.

The Army general lamented that weeks passed since the incident but no case has yet been filed. In turn, PNP Chief Gamboa informed the Senate committee that the nine policemen involved in the incident were placed under “restrictive custody” but he could not yet impose administrative suspension as he has no power to do that until their guilt is proven in court.

The PNP Inspector General explained that being under restrictive custody means a person is confined to a limited area, but can continue doing his job.

ippine Red Cross in our current capacity for testing. When we try to analyze all of the outputs that our laboratories are generating, almost 40 percent came from Red Cross,” Vergeire stressed, noting that the largest laboratories across the country belong to the PRC. Earlier, Sen. Richard Gordon warned that they will stop conducting their Covid-19 tests if PhilHealth fails to settle its obligations to PRC.

He stressed the need of PRC to replenish the dwindling supply of the laboratories.

Higher output

WITH their current capacity of 40,000 tests a day, Gordon is confident that the testing output could still increase.

Gordon made the pronouncement as PRC data revealed that it has already conducted close to 500,000 Covid-19 tests since it opened its first molecular laboratory at its national headquarters on Edsa in April, at the height of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila.

“We’re still on top in spite of the fact that we only started on April 14. We have conducted almost 500,000 tests. With our current testing capacity of 40,000 tests a day, we could still increase our output and do more tests daily,” Gordon added.

Gordon recalled that during the early days of the Covid-19 pan-

demic, they immediately discussed the available testing systems with medical experts because “we already believed then that testing would be the key to preventing the spread of the virus.”

PRC records show that a total of 484,151 tests have been processed in its laboratories across the country as of August 15, 2020.

Data from the Department of Health showed that in the same period, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine ran a total of 203,577 tests, Detoxicare, 181,370 tests; Baguio General Hospital, 87,762; Chinese General Hospital, 76,094; Western Visayas Medical Center, 59,041; Jose B. Lingad Memorial Medical Hospital, 56,191; Cebu TB Reference Laboratory, 55,577; Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, 53,244; and St. Luke’s Medical Center BGC, 45,897.

The PRC started by opening its first molecular laboratory, which has a total testing capacity of 4,000 tests a day, on April 14 on the mez-

zanine of its national headquarters on Edsa. This was soon followed by another one at its Logistics and Multiple Center, just behind the national headquarters, on April 29.

Then, other molecular laboratories were also opened in Port Area-Manila, Clark, Subic, Batangas, Cebu, Bacolod and Zamboanga.

Meanwhile, the PRC’s molecular laboratories in Cagayan de Oro, Surigao, Isabela, Albay, Quezon, Lucena, Cotabato and Laguna are currently on different stages of completion.

“Setting up these laboratories was, and still is, hard work. When we were setting up our first laboratories, we had to charter planes to get the testing systems from China. We also had to renovate our facilities and build the laboratories in two weeks so that we could immediately conduct tests because more people were already getting infected and dying,” Gordon said as he lamented the blow to the country’s economy.

BICAM FOR BAYANIHAN 2 WRAPS UP FINAL VERSION Continued from A1

• P10 billion for testing;

• P13.5 billion for Department of Health’s continuous employment of existing human resource for health;

• P3 billion for procurement of PPE sets; • P4.5 billion for construction of temporary medical isolation and quarantine facilities; • P13 billion for cash-for-work for displaced workers, and unemployment or involuntary separation assistance for displaced workers;

• P23.4 billion for the infusion of capital to government financial institutions such as PhilGuarantee Corp., Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines, Covid-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises Program; • P24 billion to provide direct subsidies or loan interest rate subsidies under the programs of the Department of Agriculture; • P9.5 billion to finance criti-

cally impacted businesses in the transport industry under the Department of Transportation; • P100 million to finance the training and subsidies for tourist guides;

• P3 billion to assist state universities and colleges;

• P600 million for subsidies for subsidies and allowances to qualified students of public and private elementary, secondary and tertiary education institutions; • P300 million for subsidies and allowances of affected teaching and non-teaching personnel, including part-time faculty, in private and public institutions;

• P1 billion as additional scholarship funds of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; • P6 billion to finance programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development; • P4 billion to assist the Department of Education in the implementation of Digital Education,

Information Technology (IT) and Digital Infrastructures and Alternative Learning Modalities; • P1.5 billion as assistance to LGUs; • P180 million to finance the allowances for national athletes;

• P820 million for the augmentation of the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Migrant Workers Affairs 2020 Assistanceto-Nationals Fund; • P10 billion for critically impacted businesses in the tourism industry, to be distributed as: P1 billion for tourism road infrastructure programs; P6 billion for the Covid-19 assistance for the CARES program of the Small Business Corp. for the tourism industry and P3 billion for the cash-for-work for displaced workers from the tourism sector;

• P4.5 billion for the construction and maintenance of isolation facilities, food and transportation of the Office of Civil Defense;

• P5 billion to finance the hir-

ing of 50,000 contact tracers; • P2.5 million for the Professional Regulation Commission;

• P2 billion as subsidy for payment of interest loans secured by LGUs;

• P10 million for research fund of the Health Technology Assessment Council;

• P15 million for the establishment of a computational research laboratory in the University of the Philippines.

The bill also provides for a P26.5-billion standby fund, to be made available once additional funds are generated from savings.

The standby fund will be allocated to support the banking facilities and other government financial institutions.

These amounts are still subject to amendments by the bicameral conference committee. As of 6:45 pm, Wednesday, the bicameral committee was still reconciling the conflicting provisions of the stimulus bill.

PhilHealth privatization bill filed Continued from A1

to design the policy framework and carry out all necessary steps to reorganize PhilHealth. The commission shall also designate a Transition Management Team, to be chosen through competitive selection, to assume the management of the corporation until its reorganization, which will be completed within two years.

In this time, the Transition Management Team is tasked to improve the management of PhilHealth and the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), and help transition the corporation toward effective privatization. The team itself will be contracted from senior management within the private sector who possess the necessary technical expertise to ensure the proper management of the NHIP. In 1995, Republic Act 7875 was passed, establishing the NHIP to provide health insurance coverage and ensure affordable and accessible health-care services for all citizens of the Philippines. The same act also established PhilHealth to manage and administer the NHIP.

With the passage of the Universal Health Care Act in 2019, Quimbo said every Filipino shall now be automatically included in the NHIP, thereby institutionalizing its crucial role as our people’s universal payor for health care.

“However, despite legislative support, the NHIP has failed to provide sufficient financial risk protection for Filipinos. PhilHealth coverage continues to be less than universal, as willingness to pay for health insurance is relatively low among the informal sector. Utilization of PhilHealth benefits by sick Filipinos needing hospital care is below target, with an average PhilHealth claim rate of 78 percent,” she said.

“Support value is also low, with 78 percent of case rate payments classified

by PhilHealth as ‘underpayments’,” she added.

The lawmaker lamented that PhilHealth continues to be mired in controversies on fraudulent claims and other questionable transactions.

In August 2020, the Senate and the House of Representatives launched a series of hearings to investigate the corruption allegations mounted against PhilHealth. Among the issues these inquiries tackled are the alleged overpriced information technology equipment procured by the corporation, the alleged manipulation of its financial statements, the implementation of its case rate system, and the implementation of its interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM), all of which are likely mechanisms for fraud and/or corruption.

“The findings from these discussions point to the gross mismanagement of public funds and pervasive systematic fraud within the corporation. This has cost our people billions of pesos in losses—funds that are even more crucial today, as Covid-19 continues to spread with no end yet in sight. Indeed, we are in the midst of a social health insurance crisis,” said the lawmaker.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz, Butch Fernandez

Data speaks: Nearly all tourism outfits small, medium, micro Continued from A1

and service providers employing the drivers, waiters, booking agents, tour guides, dive masters and other workers who turn the wheels of the entire industry,” said the group, in response to the claim of some congressmen that only large tourism companies would benefit from the P10-billion financial assistance under Bayanihan 2.

PSA data show that tourism benefitted some 5.7 million workers and contributed close to 13 percent of the country’s economic output, as expressed in the gross domestic product, in 2019.

The group said, “Travel restrictions for most of the first half of this year have pushed us to the brink of bankruptcy and will surely nudge us over the edge in the coming weeks with no intervention by the government.”

(See, “Tourism sector loses P190 billion in March-July,” in the BusinessMirror, August 13, 2020.)

Loans, not doleout

THE TCP underscored, “We are not asking for a doleout…. We are seeking credit facilities, to be administered by the government financing

institutions like the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Land Bank of the Philippines, to provide us with loans that will tide us over. The funds will help us rehabilitate our facilities and upgrade our businesses to conform with the current health and safety standards set by the authorities and more importantly, help our employees financially. We are committed to paying these emergency loans as tourism restarts domestically and globally.”

Tourism stakeholders across the country had vocally opposed House Bill 6953, the lower chamber’s version of Bayanihan 2, for allocating P10 billion to infrastructure projects to be constructed by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, an attached agency of the Department of Tourism.

Government sources said congressmen in the bicameral conference committee were holding up the enactment of the Bayanihan 2 Law, with their extreme stance on keeping the P10-billion largesse for Tieza. On Tuesday night, a high-ranking leader of the House of Representatives started calling senators on the bicameral panel

Road signage projects: Easy way to make money in tourism?

W

ERE road signages, other tourism-oriented infrastructure part of the reasons for the heated debates on the disposition of P10-billion tourism funds that were included for reallocation as pandemic response under Bayanihan 2? It would seem so, according to sources.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat earlier said the P10 billion would go a long way in helping save the tourism industry from the brink of collapse given the 71.5-percent drop in tourist receipts to P81 million from January to July 2020 from P284 million in the same period last year. She said reallocating the funds to build tourism infrastructure like roads is pointless if there are no more tour operators and travel agencies to bring in much-needed tourists.

Apparently stung by criticisms over the fund realignment and allegations that the P10-billion infrastructure fund could be a source of corruption like PhilHealth, officials of the DOT’s infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), on Monday expressed solidarity with industry stakeholders. Tieza chief operating officer Pocholo Paragas urged the House of Representatives to prioritize financial support to tourism workers, travel agencies, resort and accommodation facilities and other tourismrelated enterprises.

Congressional sources, however, were skeptical of Paragas’s sudden change of heart.

They claimed that since he was sworn into office, Paragas has been constantly lobbying Congress for more funds to finance his pet projects. According to Tieza insiders, Paragas was allegedly keen on pushing the installation of signages in tourist areas—a corruptionprone project banned by former public works secretary Babes Singson. At that time, signage projects were allegedly preferred by Road Board officials since commissions can go as high as 50 percent.

“The signage project has been the subject of heated debates within the Tieza board.

Some directors have openly expressed serious opposition to this project due to its ties to corruption,” sources said.

The same insiders said it is possible that certain Tieza officials made commitments to lawmakers so they can build infrastructure projects in their respective districts; thus, their insistence on building roads and comfort rooms instead of helping tourism enterprises that employ thousands, if not millions, of Filipinos.

“COO Paragas cannot simply wash his hands over this controversy,” they added, noting that he seems to be trying to avoid a “direct confrontation with industry stakeholders in grave danger of losing their livelihood.”

badgering them, this time, not to earmark any funds at all for the tourism sector, if the latter would take away the P10-billion allocation for Tieza.

A source working with the bicameral panel said the compromise agreement on Tuesday among panel members was this: of the P10-billion funds, P6 billon would go to the Small Business Corp. earmarked for tourism enterprises, P1 billion for the Department of Public Works and Highways for tourism infrastructure, and P3 billion for the Department of Labor and Employment for tourism wage subsidy. SB Corp. is a government entity extending credit line and guarantees to MSMEs. “We therefore appeal to the members of Congress, particularly the bicameral conference committee currently deliberating on the final version of Bayanihan 2, to seriously consider the plight of the workers of the tourism industry, if the intent of the legislation is to provide emergency relief and stimulus to restart the economy.

This was also how the other countries helped their tourism industry,” said the TCP in its news statement.

News BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Lawyer insists SC should order disclosure of Duterte’s health

By Joel R. San Juan

L

@jrsanjuan1573

AWYER Dino de Leon has asked the Supreme Court anew to reconsider its decision denying his plea for a “full disclosure” of President Duterte’s current state of health.

In a 10-page manifestation, de Leon said the Court should resolve to his favor the motion for reconsideration he filed last July 24 of the Court’s May 8 decision in light of various speculations, notably on social media, pertaining to the President’s health condition.

“The health of the President, especially at a time like this, should rightfully be disclosed to the public. After all, the enlightened minds behind the system of government the country have adopted originally envisioned an energetic [Chief] Executive essential for the protection of the community and the steady administration of laws,” he said.

The High Court, in its majority decision issued last May 8, held that the outright dismissal of de Leon’s petition is proper since on its face, the petition failed to raise arguments that would necessitate the granting of the mandamus petition.

De Leon cited rumors that a medical jet landed in Davao City last Tuesday and made an immediate return flight to Singapore, fueling speculations that a high-profile personality was aboard for treatment.

He noted that even before any person of public significance claimed that the President was indeed onboard the medical jet, Malacañang immediately issued a statement denying that the President left the country for Singapore to seek medical treatment.

Concerns about the President’s health, according to de Leon, was further fueled by

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año’s disclosure that he was recently tested positive again for Covid-19.

“This again raised questions regarding the state of health of the President, as it was confirmed by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque that the President was exposed to the virus when he personally met with Secretary Año just a few days before,” the motion read.

This was followed by Roque’s separate pronouncement that the President was under “perpetual isolation.”

Last Monday, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go also released a photo showing the Chief Executive in Davao sitting close to some members of the First Family and a video footage showing the President sitting beside him.

De Leon said the photograph belie Roque’s claim that no one could come near the President.

The lawyer described the appearance of the President in the picture to be “lethargic and edematous, with his right eyelid visibly drooping and contrary to Roque’s claims, the Presidential Security Group actually had to support the President while walking.”

De Leon said Duterte’s actual health condition should be made public to prevent it from further disrupting the attention of the people from the Covid-19 issues.

“With the health crisis plaguing the country, the focus of the people’s concern should be, among others, the nation’s collective response in confronting the increasing cases of Covid-19, the country’s losing battle against the virus, the fact that nearly half of our country’s labor force, around 45.5 percent have been jobless by the end of July 2020, and the worst recession in recent history,” de Leon argued.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, August 20, 2020 A3

Ombudsman suspends 13 top PhilHealth execs amid probe

T

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

@joveemarie

HE Office of the Ombudsman has suspended for six months 13 ranking officials, including top executives, of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) which is currently being probed for alleged corruption.

In two separate orders, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said PhilHealth officials who were suspended for six months without pay pursuant to Section 24 of the RA 6770 are: Senior Vice President (SVP) for Management Service Dennis S. Mas; SVP for Health Finance Policy Sector Israel Pargas; Vice President for Corporate Affairs Shirley B. Domingo; Legal Sector SVP Rodolfo del Rosario Jr.; Former Acting President Roy B. Ferrer; Former Interim President Celestina Ma. Jude dela Serna; Chief Operating Officer Ruben John A. Basa; Chief of Staff Raul Dominic Badilla, Acting Senior Manager of Operations Audit Department Leila Tuazon, Angelito Grande and Lawrence Mijares.

In a separate order, the Ombudsman also suspended for six months Ferrer, Basa, Grande, Quality Assurance Group Vice President Clementine A. Bautista and Field Operations Division Chief Engr. Eugenio G. Donatos II. However, PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Ricardo Morales was not included in the two suspension orders.

“The evidence on record shows that the guilt

of respondents is strong and the charges against them involve grave misconduct, oppression, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, which may warrant removal from the service and considering that their continued stay in office may prejudice the case filed against them,” said the Ombudsman.

The suspension orders against the PhilHealth officials were sent to Morales’s office and PhilHealth ex-officio Chairman and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for implementation.

Under Section 24 of Republic Act 6770, the Office of the Ombudsman, or his deputy, may preventively suspend any officer, or employee, under its authority pending an investigation, if in his judgment the evidence of guilt is strong, and (a) the charge against such officer, or employee, involves dishonesty, oppression, or grave misconduct, or neglect in the performance of duty; (b) the charges would warrant removal from the service; or (c) the respondent’s continued stay in office may prejudice the case filed against him.

The preventive suspension shall continue until the case is terminated by the Office

of the Ombudsman but not more than six months, without pay, except when the delay in the disposition of the case is due to the fault, negligence, or petition, of the respondent, in which case the period of such delay shall not be counted in computing the period of suspension.

Earlier, resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud officer Thorsson Montes Keith revealed that P15 billion of the state insurer’s funds were allegedly pocketed by its officials and members of the “mafia” in the PhilHealth.

Fourteen high-ranking PhilHealth officials, including Morales, have already signed bank secrecy waivers allowing the Anti-Money Laundering Council to check their bank transactions amid the reported irregularities in the agency.

Aside from Morales, other officials who signed the waivers were Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Arnel de Jesus, SVP Dennis Mas, SVP Atty. Rodolfo del Rosario Jr., SVP Jovita Argona, Acting SVP Nerissa Santiago, SVP Renato Limsiaco Jr., SVP Israel Francis Pargas, MD, Vice President (VP) Oscar Abadu, Corporate Secretary Atty. Jonathan Mangaoang, VP Shirley Domingo, MD, Area VP Walter Bacareza, Area VP Francisco Soria, and Senior Manager Bernadette Lico.

PhilHealth, in a Tweet on Wednesday, said it has yet to receive a copy of the order placing some of its senior officers under preventive suspension.

“As of this time, the concerned officers are not aware of the charges against them. We will issue a full statement as soon as we get hold of the said order,” PhilHealth said.

With Bernadette Nicolas

TheBroa

Business

A4 Thursday, August 20, 2020 | www.businessmirror.com.ph

Work from home: Leg keep economy runnin

By Jovee Marie dela Cruz @joveemarie & Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

W

HEN he was painstakingly shepherding through Congress the Telecommuting Act, more popularly known as the Work-from-Home (WFH) law, Senator Joel Villanueva never imagined that in barely a year since its enactment, his legislation would provide the framework and shelter for industry and labor crippled by pandemic-induced lockdwns.

Overnight, what many businesses had taken too long to acknowledge reluctantly complying with the law’s mandate for each workplace to have its own internal implementing mechanism for telecommuting suddenly became a necessity, not an option. Indeed, it became a matter of survival for millions of workers faced with the chilling reality that the colleagues and friends and clients they mingle with each day could in fact be asymptomatic carriers or “super spreaders” of Covid-19. Or, vice versa, they could be threats to them as well.

And so, as the stringent, sequential lockdowns were declared in Luzon starting mid-March, companies from conglomerates employing tens of thousands to small and medium companies with a few hundred or dozens found themselves in the same boat: they must migrate as many of their workers to impromptu offices in their own homes, if only to save lives.

Suddenly, worries about how to super vise employees remotely or ensuring quality of work; for workers, how to be able to charge overtime or, at least, avoid work spilling over into personal time these soon dissolved as the three letters “WFH” became the general rule.

Still not over

STILL, the work is not done, as Villanueva himself acknowledges, even after passage of the law. Already, some legislators in both chambers have said they’d want it amended in order to incorporate the lessons learned from the law’s baptism of fire, i.e., the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We should continue to introduce meaningful legislation that prepares our country for ongoing trends around the world,” the chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor said, pointing out that the WorkFrom-Home Law gives employers more flexibility when it comes to new ways of working.

“It may not be for everyone, but businesses in general should consider transforming their operations to ensure business continuity with very minimal disruptions in case of an unexpected event like the Covid-19 pandemic.”

A c k nowled g i ng t he lesson s learned from its first implementation, Villanueva would not readily claim credit for anticipating the

game-changing scenarios in the world of work that would suddenly become the norm for many businesses.

“Work from home is one of the ways to ensure continued productivity and operations, as we have learned today in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Villanueva said in an inter view with the BusinessMirror.

Tech advancement

HOWEVER, he noted that infrastructure remains to be a challenge in terms of implementing WFH arrangements.

The senator said the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) should continue its implementation of the Free Public Wi-fi [wireless-fidelity] law, as well as pushing telecommunication companies to improve their services.

The DICT also has to “work continuously with various government agencies, including the local government units, in lessening the requirements and process cycle time for the grant of permits for the construction of cell towers and other related telecommunication structures,” according to Villanueva.

The senator’s view strikes a harmonious chord at the Lower Chamber from Deputy Speaker for Finance Luis Raymund L. Villafuerte.

According to Villafuerte, good Internet service will benefit Filipino with work-from-home arrangements.

Internet speed is crucial to the timely accomplishments by workers of their assigned jobs.

“Disruptive technologies are already around and corporations need to be open to technological advancements for them to survive and gain competitive advantage,” Villafuerte said in a statement.

Citing a survey by the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Villafuerte said 87 percent of Philippine-based companies are open to telecommuting if there would be favorable factors such as better Internet connection.

The ECOP survey aimed to determine the prevalence of telecommuting practices following the enactment into law of the Telecommuting Act (Republic Act 11165).

Realizing benefits

TELECOMMUTING has become the “new normal,” according to

Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe F. Nograles of Rizal.

“Be it because of the continued health and safety risks posed by physically reporting to work during this pandemic or because of the realization of the benefits and advantages of working from home, telecommuting has permeated into society and is most likely here to stay,” Nograles said.

Hence, Villafuerte said, “this is probably the time for our companies to give RA 11165 a chance by pilottesting or trying out this alternative job arrangement of allowing their employees, if possible, to work in their homes instead of reporting to their respective offices until this new viral outbreak subsides.”

“We now have this opportunity for employers to support RA 11165 while at the same time help the national government fight the global outbreak of [Covid-19] by letting their workers, if possible, to work in the safety of their homes until this global emergency situation subsides, with the use of their computers and other telecommunication technologies,” added Villafuerte, the principal author of the Telecommuting Act in the House of Representatives.

Upon Agreement

VILLAFUERTE’S appeal is based on the spirit of the law that only encourages employers to allow telecommuting.

Telecommuting allows employees in the private sector to work at home with the use of telecommunications and/or computer technologies, instead of them having to go to their respective offices on a daily basis.

The law states that “an employer in the private sector may offer a telecommuting program to its employees on a voluntary basis, and upon such terms and conditions as they mutually agree upon provided that such terms and conditions shall not be less than the minimum labor standards set by the law, and shall include compensable work hours, minimum number of work hours, overtime, rest days and entitlement to leave benefits.”

But at the outset, Villanueva made it clear that the adoption of a WFH arrangement is not mandatory.

“It is voluntary on the part of the employers and the employees based on their mutual agreement,” he said. Villanueva clarified this arrangement could not be made mandatory because “enterprises are differently situated and some jobs are not suited for a work-from-home arrangement.”

Guarantees labor standard

THE voluntary tone of RA 11165, however, is currently superseded by the government’s Covid-response on labor, with guidelines stating that work-from-home should be adapted to every extent possible.

The tough requirements for reopening work sites employers must provide shuttle, ensure constant workplace disinfection and give all means for protection for workers are also proving to be disincentives for onsite operations; thus making working from home, at least during the pandemic, an option that’s easier to manage.

Villanueva hastened to point out that the enabling legislation signed

job ruzgal

into law by President Duterte in December 2018 guarantees that any telecommuting program “should not be less than the minimum labor standards set by law.”

Affirming that the WFH Law treats employees fairly, Villanueva reminds employers to ensure that telecommuting employees are “given the same treatment as that of comparable employees working at the employer’s premises.”

“Employees on a work-fromhome arrangement should not be isolated,” the senator stressed. He added that employers “must ensure that measures are taken to prevent the telecommuting employee from being isolated from the rest of the working community in the company.”

The senator has another reminder: “the employer w il l be responsible for tak ing the appropriate measures with regard to software to ensure the protection of data used and processed

by the telecommuting employee for professional purposes.”

Getting more productive

ACCORDING to Villanueva, scientific studies show that workers become more productive when they have flexibility.

He cited a University of Stanford study showing that call center

employees actually increased their productivity by 13 percent when allowed to work from home. Another study from the University of Texas at Austin, he added, showed telecommuters worked 5-hours to 7-hours more than their in-office counterparts.

“For employers, the adoption of a telecommuting work arrange-

It may not be for everyone, but businesses in general should consider transforming their operations to ensure business continuity with very minimal disruptions in case of an unexpected event like the Covid-19 pandemic.”—Sen. Joel Villanueva

aderLook

sMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace | Thursday, August 20, 2020

A5

gislative foresight helps ng amid pandemic employees in the Philippines.

“They found out that 70 percent of their respondents who worked ‘on-the-go’ claimed that they were more productive and creative. Also, 93 percent said that they used their smartphones for work while 73 percent said that working-from-home is an ideal work.”

The solon acknowledged that “on making telecommuting mandatory, not all industries or sectors can implement a work-from-home arrangement, adding a quip: “For instance, I doubt if morticians would want to bring their work home.”

Overhead expenses BUT not every Filipino is happy with the arrangement because of the unexpected costs of working from home.

One of them is Jake Batac.

“My siblings and I started working from home in March following the implementation of the community quarantine,” Batac said. “We are using several gadgets such as laptop, tablet and cellphones for our everyday work and all of these [gadgets] need electricity to work.”

According to Batac, while telecommuting gives them flexible arrangements, “working from home also gives us additional expenses, such as payment for electricity consumption as well as Internet connection, which come out from own pocket.”

He said their electricity bill has doubled from P6,000 monthly prior to the quarantine to P12,000.

Rep. Divina Grace C. Yu of Zamboanga del Sur said these additional expenses are paid for out of the employee’s own pockets without additional income.

Nograles added that aside from increased electricity bills and unreliable Internet connectivity, other challenges in the work-from-home arrangement include increased stress and disturbed mental health.

“In this light, it is but proper to legislate measures that would assist the Filipinos transitioning to new modes of work and alleviate their concerns,” the lawmaker said. “One of these concerns is the sudden surge of electricity expenses at home.”

New bills filed ment can also lower the overhead costs of companies, and provide a bigger talent pool to the company,” the senator said.

He cited another study showing that IBM Corp. achieved a 40-percent to 60-percent decrease in real estate cost per site after the Big Blue began a telecommuting program in the 1990s. Such move translated into $35 million in savings for IBM in a year.

On the other hand, Villanueva added that AT&T Corp. reduced overhead by 50 percent and cut office space from 12 floors to 2.5 floors when they equipped their southwest sales force with laptop computers.

Laying the groundwork

MOREVER, the senator said the law also “ helps reduce our carbon footprint because we spend less time in traffic and we reduce the cost of going to work.

It g ives workers t he f le x ibi lity to manage their time well.”

That plus-point for telecommuting did not factor in the day public transportation would be literally halted by a pandemic.

“Having a pandemic was farthest from our imagination during the deliberations of the Work-FromHome law. Our priority in pursuing the bill has always been to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution by laying the groundwork for workers in the future in terms of doing their work,” Villanueva told the BusinessMirror. “The law ensures that those who would opt to work-from-home are assured their rights and terms of their employment should not be lower than the minimum standards set by law.”

To be fair, the senator credited fellow lawmakers, as well as employers, for not putting up major challenges, thus enabling the bill’s passage.

“Thankfully, there was no major opposition to the bill.”

He added that “in fact, during

the discussion of the bill, several employers even shared their experience in implementing a work-fromhome work arrangement and how it benefited their workers and their companies.”

Employer acceptance

ASKED if he was guided by certain models in other countries when they crafted the law, Villanueva recalled a report of the International Labor Organization (ILO) when telecommuting started in the 1980s.

“Now, telecommuting is a global practice which is observed in the Asia Pacific Region, Americas, Europe and parts of the Middle East, especially in components of work like communication and architecture,” the solon said. “Unfortunately, very few companies have adopted telecommuting in the Philippines.”

Villanueva noted that in 2014, the US Software company VMware Inc. did a study involving corporations with more than 500

REPS. Yu, Nograles and Leonardo L. Babasa Jr. of Zamboanga del Sur have separately filed measures seeking to expand the coverage of the Telecommuting Act and providing incentives for employees like Batac.

In House Bill (HB) 7093, Yu said employers of big companies and micro, small and medium enterprises alike have already advised their employees to no longer physically report to their respective offices and simply work from their respective homes as part of precautions to prevent the spread of the virus and protect their own employees.

Yu’s HB 7093 seeks to expand the coverage of RA 11165 to include the public sector as government employees also require assistance.

The proposed bill also seeks to require employers to provide employees who are telecommuting with a non-taxable allowance of P1,000 (currently equivalent to around $20.60) per month to allay the additional costs of utilities incurred from telecommuting.

Nograles is also pushing for the

passage of his HB 7107 to provide telecommuting employees with allowable tax deductions for electricity expenses to cushion the blow on the probable surge in their bills as they adapt to telecommuting. That is, if their employers do not provide them with allowance.

Similar legislation that provides telecommuting employers non-taxable cash buffers to subsidize their additional costs for internet and electricity is being pushed in the Senate by Sen. Francis Tolentino.

WFH incentives

SHOULD the employer provide allowances, Nograles said his bill also wants allowances exempted from taxes so employees receiving such “enjoy the benefit to its full extent.”

Under HB 7107, individuals earning compensation income shall be entitled to a deduction of P25 from their taxable income for every hour worked under a work-from-home or telecommuting arrangement.

Provided, that the employee shall certify under oath, the number of hours served under the work-fromhome or telecommuting program for the year, which shall be filed as an attachment to the employee’s income tax return.

Also, the bill provides that allowances or other benefits granted by employers to their employees to cover expenses necessary for telecommuting, not exceeding P2,000 (currently at about $41.20) per month, shall be considered as nontaxable benefit.

Amounts granted in excess shall be subjected to existing tax rules.

This is provided that employees receiving this benefit shall no longer be entitled to the hourly deduction from income tax provided under the same proposal.

Also, the bill seeks to entitle an employee to an additional 50-percent income tax deduction for allowances granted within the specified ceiling.

Allowance, tax deductions

BABASA’S HB 7190 also seeks tax exemptions for employees working from home.

“While working remotely has been a ‘muscle memory’ for some sectors of the industry, those who were forced to shift had to adjust and develop new habits to sustain productivity in work,” Babasa said.

He also cited increased electricity bills and unstable Internet connection as major challenges to employees on a WFH arrangement.

Babasa said his legislative measure seeks to provide workers with allowable tax deductions for electricity expenses to cushion the blow on the probable surge in their bills as they adapt to telecommuting, if their employers do not provide them with allowance.

Likewise, this bill will also ensure that similar allowances and benefits given to the employees are exempt from the imposition of tax.

“Finally, this bill will also encourage the furnishing by the employers of these needed allowances by allowing them to deduct 50 percent of the amounts they furnish to their employees for income tax purposes,” Babasa said.

Citing Department of Labor and Employment data, Babasa said more than 111,000 workers employed by

at least 2,300 business enterprises have been affected by measures against the Covid-19 outbreak.

“Those fortunate enough to retain their bread and butter despite the pandemic are either facing the daily struggles of commuting and transportation to and from the office or working” from home, the lawmaker added.

Respecting views

ARE there provisions of the law that could have been improved so that the law would be more suited to the challenges of the Covid-imposed lockdowns, both for employers and employees?

“We crafted the law to be dynamic, recognizing the continuous evolution of technology,” Villanueva replied. “Instead of amendments to the law, [the] DOLE can amend its implementing rules and regulations to suit any changes in the market.”

At the same time, Villanueva said he was open to fellow lawmakers suggesting amendments to the law, barely a year since its implementation, even as he played down perceived shortcomings in the law itself, or in its implementing rules and regulations.

“We respect the views of some of our colleagues who are pushing for amendments to the law; we are always open to discussing these proposals and listening to various stakeholders on what they think about the proposed amendments,” he told the BusinessMirror, quickly adding that, “nevertheless, our position is that some of these suggestions can be immediately addressed without need for amendatory legislation to the Telecommuting Law.” For instance, he noted that on the grant of a telecommuting allowance by employers, the BIR could include this allowance in its guidelines on de minimis benefits, which are benefits of small value given to employees such as rice allowance, clothing allowance, and the like.

Devastating

ASKED to cite how the work-fromhome law saved the day for many businesses, the senator acknowledged that the lockdown has been devastating for the economy.

“For businesses who managed to continue operations through [the] work from home [set up], that meant continued productivity, easing the impact of the lockdown. Not only that, the recognition of this work arrangement also ensured that employees continue to have work despite the closures of their physical offices, ensuring a steady flow of income at a time when there are so many people losing their jobs.”

Asked what motivated him to work for the bill’s approval up to enactment in 2018, Villanueva noted that the WFH law or Telecommuting Act is “a landmark piece of legislation as it gives our workers flexibility, work-life balance to give them more time to spend with their families, rather than spending several hours in traffic especially in Metro Manila.”

He emphasized that when it was being discussed in Congress, the idea of working from home due to a pandemic was far from everyone’s minds.

With the pandemic, however, that will definitely change.

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

When the message is massaged

A faith that must serve Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

Alálaong Bagá

Val A. Villanueva

Businesswise

T

wo words recently sent into a tailspin a nation that has been reeling for almost half a year from the Covid-19 pandemic and the havoc it is wreaking in the economy. “Perpetual isolation”—these words were probably meant to assure an already stressed-out public that all is well with President Duterte who was rumored to have been airlifted to Singapore for medical treatment.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque uttered the phrase on Monday in a public broadcast. Instead of clearing the air about the president’s state of health, however, Roque’s statement fomented bewilderment, and exposed him and Duterte to ridicule.

The words were ambiguous : Was the president in isolation in perpetuity? Has he been granted eternal rest? Senator Bong Go was quick to chastise netizens for spreading “fake news,” but who started it anyway?

In a statement, Roque said his use of “perpetual isolation” was a mere figure of speech “to highlight the prudence exercised by the Presidential Security Group (PSG) in safeguarding the physical wellbeing of the President in this challenging time of Covid-19.”

That’s the problem when a spokesman shoots messages from the hip. A clarification would not have been necessary had Roque been straightforward, and used clear and simple terms.

This is not the first time Roque’s hysterical statements have become fodder for Internet memes. In June 30, he merrily hailed the Philippines for beating the prediction of the University of the Philippines that the country could have 40,000 Covid-19 cases by month’s end. “Congratulations, Philippines! We have limited the cases to 35,000 instead of what could have been at least 3 million cases,” Roque proudly trumpeted, carelessly and absurdly reducing the fight against the deadly Wuhan virus into a form of college intramurals.

When the Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll, conducted between July 3 and 6, revealed that joblessness in the adult labor force reached a record-high 45.5 percent, Roque quipped: “Will you be surprised that they lost their jobs when the lockdown of our economy reached months? I am glad that we are not 100 percent jobless.” The SWS survey showed that unemployment rates in the country increased by 28 percentage points, from just 17.1 percent in December last year to the 45.5 percent in July 2020 due to the pandemic. Roque was quick to attribute it to the resiliency of the Filipino working class.

The Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), a labor organization of 200 local unions nationwide with a mass membership of over 100,000 laborers, was quick to castigate Roque for his “toxic positivity” that was “stupid and revolting.”

The BMP said: “By expressing his delight that the unemployment rate did not reach 100 percent and by further asserting that this was due to our supposed resilience, Mr. Roque deeply insulted the 27.3 million unemployed Filipinos who are currently at a loss on how they are going to survive the foreseeable future.”

Personally, I found Roque’s statement unfeeling, especially at this time when the country is grappling with health and economic crises. To put Roque’s pronouncement in its proper context: during the Great Depression, the unemployment rate was at 25 percent, and there is an apparent parallelism between that troubled era and these worrisome times.

In 1929, the US economy descended from a manageable unemployment rate of 3.2 percent into massive unemployment at 25 percent in 1933. First, there was the stock market crash in October 1929, which wiped out $14 billion of investments. Over 9,000 banks failed throughout the 1930s, and those that did survive stopped creating new loans. With people’s investments rendered worthless and workers laid off en masse, savings were soon diminished or depleted, and consumer spending grounded to a halt. Loans were not paid, and repossessions and evictions became everyday occurrences. Without jobs, the people did not have enough money to spend, and unsold inventory accumulated.

Consumer spending that would have somewhat alleviated the economic situation became scarce.

Sounds familiar?

Our economy suffered its deepest contraction on record amid one of Asia’s strictest lockdowns against the coronavirus. Gross domestic product shrank 16.5 percent from a year ago, according to the National Statistics Office, the worst reading since 1981. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of 21 economists was for a 9.4 percent contraction.

GDP declined for a second consecutive quarter on a quarter-on-quarter basis, down 15.2 percent, implying that the economy is in recession.

Roque should be told that the dramatic decline in GDP was as spectacular as the explosion in the unemployment rate. Unemployment rate represents what is not produced that could be produced.

The country’s economic managers said they now expect the economy to shrink 5.5 percent this year— down from earlier estimates for a 2 percent to 3.4 percent decline—before rebounding strongly next year.

He should know that one jobless person may represent a family that will not be able to eat three meals a day; a loan that will not get paid; consumer products that would not get bought, and so on. In this socalled Information Age, mistakes like the ones he keeps making are unacceptable, particularly when it comes from someone who speaks on behalf of the President about matters of public interest. While novelty in communications may be encouraged in this era of constantly advancing digital technologies, uttering confusing “figures of speech” is not the kind of experimentation the country needs at this time. Communication is critical, and effective only when it is clear, correct, concise, complete, coherent, concrete, and courteous. Flippant, insensitive, and disconcerting pronouncements have no place in civil society.

But perhaps Roque knows of truths that we’re not being told of; and he’s supposed to massage the messages he publicly gives out to adhere to this administration’s narrative. And that is dangerous.

A failure in communications could foster chaos and further divisiveness in a nation grappling with one crisis after another. Such situation maybe too hot to handle even for an administration that boasts of having people with the best and brightest of minds.

For comments and suggestions, e-mail me at mvala.v@gmail.com

T

hese next two Sundays we shall meditate on Peter’s ministry as Jesus’ chosen servant for a special task in the service of the Church. Two Sundays back in the story of the Lord walking on the stormy sea, we saw Peter typifying the disciples’ faith, daring but doubting and needing the outstretched hand of Jesus. Now, in speaking out the faith of the disciples in Jesus, Peter receives from Him an unexpected responsibility in the community of faith (Matthew 16:13-20).

‘You are the Christ’ For the formation of His disciples, Jesus is about to reveal to them the mystery of His passion and death.

Faith is clearly necessary for those following the suffering Messiah.

Jesus sounds them off first about the people’s opinion of Him, then zeroes in on their own perception of Him. The very diversity of ideas shows that faith needs guidance to mature. Peter’s confession: “You are the Messiah [the Christ], the Son of the living God” is the gist of the faith of the disciples in Jesus as the longawaited savior sent by God. This most likely post-resurrection proclamation of faith in Jesus as “the Son of the living God” (1 Corinthians 15:5) is placed here by the evangelist as some sort of climax

to the disciples’ formation to illustrate the importance of the witness of their faith in Jesus for their mission of leading others to Him. The very location of the confession underlines its momentous significance.

Caesarea Philippi in the foothills of Mt. Hermon, a traditional site for encounters between God and His people, underscores that Peter’s faith is indeed coming not through human means (“flesh and blood”) but through revelation from Jesus’ “heavenly Father.”

‘You are Peter’

TO believe in Jesus as the Christ means to be involved and to be committed. Faith entails responsibility, and the name Peter (kepa in Aramaic, transliterated as kepas in Greek,

Thursday, August 20, 2020 A7

The apostles’ faith is a divine gift intended as a basic means of stability and permanence to the Christian community. Jesus promises, “The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” The forces and power of death shall not overcome the Church; faith served by those appointed to maintain it makes her invincible. petros in Latin, means “rock”), particularly assigned by Jesus to “Simon son of Jonah,” indicates the task being entrusted to Him: to be the rock support that provides solidity and stability to the community of faith, the “ekklesia” (exactly “katipunan” in Filipino) Jesus is assembling and calling together. The apostles’ faith is a divine gift intended as a basic means of stability and permanence to the Christian community. Jesus promises, “The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” The forces and power of death shall not overcome the Church; faith served by those appointed to maintain it makes her invincible.

The pivotal role of Peter as a vital witness of faith to the early community is further emphasized by the symbolism of the keys (Isaiah 22:15-25). The keys of the kingdom of heaven signify that he has the authority to unlock and lock up, to allow in and to bar out, to “loose” and to

“bind,” to permit and to forbid, anything or anyone that may be good or bad for the faithful in terms of God’s reign. And this authority on earth is confirmed in heaven; it will not just be human whim but fidelity to the divine intention. Under the stewardship of Peter as leader of the Twelve Apostles, the faithful did survive the aftermath of Jesus’ death, the persecution by the Jews and by the Romans, and the confrontations with conflicting cultures and ideas. The burden of authority has been given to Peter for the welfare of all those who would come to believe in Jesus through the ministry of the apostles.

Alálaong bagá, to recognize and confess Jesus is the Christ in times of joy as well as in moments of doubt and fear is the responsibility of Peter and his successors ensure till the end of time. Church stewardship is a loving service for the faith that saves; it is faith that serves that all may be saved. Authority in the Church is for the Church, to enable those responsible to carry out their tasks of love and service in, through and for the community of faith. It is received with a sense of unworthiness because it is a sacred trust undeserved. It is a share in Jesus Christ’s invincible mission to carry out the Father’s plan of salvation for all humankind.

Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, from 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www.dwiz882.com.

‘Quo vadis’ Philippines in a fragmenting global economic order?

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

‘G

oing back to normal” is the mantra of Philippine officials who seek a return to the pre-Covid economic situation. Going back to normal means going back to yesterday’s economy.

Is this possible? The Covid-19 pandemic has radically changed the way business is organized and the manner work is done in the Philippines and around the world. Just google the endless adjustments and changes being made by all the economic actors, from the restaurant business to the aviation industry. Even if a vaccine is successfully developed in the coming years, these adjustments and changes are likely to remain.

In this connection, a major policy challenge facing the Philippines is how to adjust to a global economic order that has radically changed in the light of the pandemic and other global “disruptions.” As outlined

by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) in its World Investment Report 2020, the Covid-triggered economic crisis arrives on top of three major developments fragmenting the pre-Covid global production system.

The first disruptive development is the “New Industrial Revolution” (NIR), which is dubbed by the Davos summiteers as the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” or FIR. Major technology trends such as roboticsenabled automation, enhanced supply chain digitalization and 3D or additive manufacturing enable the multinational corporations to redesign work processes in a flexible manner and minimize any form of global outsourcing. Thus the phenomenon of “re-shoring,” meaning the MNCs are bringing back to their home countries the assembly

Jimenez. . .

continued from A6

also the people who very quickly fall for grifters and scammers who promise that they can provide a Voter ID, for an exorbitant fee, of course.

Fakes are not worth it.

A word to the wise: don’t believe

The response of the policy-makers to the fragmented and flattened global production system is unclear. However, the effort of some legislators and economic managers to push the CREATE bill lowering corporate income tax as a priority bill in order to attract FDI indicates a poor reading of the global economic situation.

and ancillary work they have outsourced to other countries. Factory Asia, which refers to the production of different parts and components outsourced by the MNCs to different Asian producers and assemblers, is now fragmenting.

The second disruptive development is the “growing economic nationalism” or trade protectionism among the developed countries. This is illustrated by the deepening trade conflicts between US and China and the silent (although largely unreported) trade conflicts between Japan and South Korea.

The third development—“imperative of sustainability”—is also disruptive because it forces countries to modify industrial production processes in support of the global battle against global warming. Care for the environment can lead to job-displacing arrangement, for example, electric vehicle production has a very lean robotized set-up compared to the traditional car assembly that employs thousands of workers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced the foregoing trends. For example, the argument for the reduction of global production outsourcing now includes the need to avoid the spread of the virus.

As to economic protectionism, politicians in the developed countries do not hesitate to declare what their priorities are in crisis times— national interests first, jobs for citizens first. Thus in the United States, Donald Trump’s “America First” has

now a competitor program in Joe Biden’s “Make in America” economic blueprint. This means the US-China trade war is likely to continue under a Biden presidency. Two major goals in “Make in America” program are to bring back critical supply chains that are not dependent on China and to give American manufacturers and workers incentives to enable them to compete with Asian producers for blue-collar manufacturing jobs.

As to the environmental issue, the quarantine response of most governments has surprised the environmentalists. Air has become cleaner because of the ban on transport vehicles.

However, the efforts of governments and civil society organizations to reduce GHG emissions are continuing.

This means continuing efforts too to re-engineer industrial plants in order to make them “green” or “greener.”

So what should the Philippines do? Quo vadis?

The response of the policy-makers to the fragmented and flattened global production system is unclear.

However, the effort of some legislators and economic managers to push the CREATE bill lowering corporate income tax as a priority bill in order to attract FDI indicates a poor reading of the global economic situation. The Department of Trade and Industry should ask its Bureau of International Trade Relations and the Philippine Ambassador assigned to the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva to provide the home office a rigorous assessment of the changing global

these scammers who tell you they can get you a voter ID. No matter how authentic those little bits of card may seem to you, they are guaranteed fakes. And there’s a very real chance they might get you in some very authentic hot water.

The lawyer friend I asked about this rattled off so many potential violations I lost track. For one thing, a person possessing a fake ID in their

name or bearing their image could get in real trouble for the falsification of a public document. You might even say that since a voter’s ID may only be issued upon the authority of the Commission, then a fake ID is most likely an election offense. And then there are possible charges of counterfeiting or imitating signatures—a felony under the Revised Penal Code.

economy and its implications on the Philippines.

Such an assessment should go beyond the Unctad analysis, which is focused mainly on the crumbling global value chain or global production system. Why, for instance, are the WTO rules being ignored by the United States and other countries?

For developing countries, the WTO’s marching order is to liberalize trade and investment regimes, and yet, for the developed countries, the WTO’s posture is usually one of silent acquiescence to the latter’s abrasive behavior.

The point is that we really cannot go back to the “old normal” or the old ways of doing business.

As it is, leading economists such as Joseph Stiglitz, Dani Rodrik, Nouriel Roubini and so on have all been proclaiming that the world has now entered a new era: a postneo-liberal economic order. The “Washington Consensus” built around the doctrines of privatization, economic deregulation and investment/trade liberalization (translated by the IMF-WB into “structural adjustment program” or SAP) has been upended by the “Beijing Consensus,” which promotes domestic and export growth with a very strong and visible support from the government (and the Chinese Communist Party).

Is it not time for the Philippines to re-strategize its economic relations with the outside world based on new and emerging realities, not on the old paper assumptions being made by neo-liberal economists who keep dreaming of a borderless, seamless and rules-free world economy that does not exist? Is it not time for the new leadership of Neda to formally bury the SAP program, in place for over four decades, for the program is an utter failure in the delivery of jobs and welfare for the Filipino masses?

For inquiries, please e-mail reneofreneo@ gmail.com.

Over all, going for that fake ID is a risky proposition. It’s also not very intelligent considering that voter certifications are so easy to get legally.

Many—if not all—of the agencies and offices (even businesses) accept the voter certification as proof of a person’s status as a registered voter.

Most prominent of these agencies, of course, is the Department of Foreign Affairs.

A6 Thursday, August 20, 2020 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

‘Climate change could be worse than Covid-19’

‘A

global crisis has shocked the world. It is causing a tragic number of deaths, making people afraid to leave home, and leading to economic hardship not seen in many generations.

Its effects are rippling across the world. Obviously, I am talking about Covid-19. But in just a few decades, the same description will fit another global crisis: climate change. As awful as this pandemic is, climate change could be worse.”

That’s Bill Gates talking. He said if Covid-19 is awful, climate change will devastate us. “To understand the kind of damage that climate change will inflict, look at Covid-19 and spread the pain out over a much longer period.”

Even as the world works to stop the pandemic and begin recovering from it, Gates said we also need to act now to avoid a climate disaster by building and deploying innovations that will let us eliminate our greenhouse-gas emissions.

What is greenhouse-gas emission and how can we help eliminate it?

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called greenhouse gases. These consist of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Each of these gases can remain in the atmosphere for different amounts of time, ranging from a few years to thousands of years. All of these gases remain in the atmosphere long enough to become well mixed—meaning the amount that is measured in the atmosphere is roughly the same all over the world, regardless of the source of the emissions.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil), solid waste, trees and other biological materials, and also as a result of certain chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture of cement).

Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices and by the decay of organic waste in solid waste landfills. Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste, as well as during treatment of wastewater. Fluorinated gases are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that are emitted from a variety of industrial processes.

Scientists say climate change is here, and it’s causing a wide range of impacts that will affect virtually every human on Earth in increasingly severe ways.

In the US, one of the most extreme heat waves in generations is smothering California this week and pushing the region’s power grid to the brink of collapse. The Associated Press reported that since Friday, millions of Californians have been abruptly plunged into darkness with little notice as utilities work to keep the state’s grid from collapsing. Californians are facing a difficult choice between enduring the heat at home and seeking relief elsewhere in a state that’s reported more virus infections than any other.

Scientists said the heat wave gripping the West Coast stems from a stubborn, high-pressure system that has parked itself across the Great Basin spanning Nevada and other western states. It essentially acts as a lid trapping hot air, and there aren’t any indications it’s going to budge soon. Such phenomenon, sometimes called heat domes, is getting worse because the Earth’s climate is changing. Prepare yourself for extreme weather. Nobody will be spared.

Since 2005

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

What you need to know about Voter IDs James Jimenez

spox

I

N 2012, the Comelec made the decision to discontinue the issuance of Voter IDs, in anticipation of the arrival of the new National ID system. And although the National ID still hasn’t been launched (the whole idea got a boost during the early days of the lockdowns, but I haven’t heard much about it since), the Comelec still does not issue new Voter IDs.

Just to be clear, the Voter IDs actually issued before 2012—if you haven’t claimed yours yet—are probably already available at the Comelec office of the city or municipality where you registered. But that’s all that’s left. There will be no new Voter IDs issued—at least for the time being.

Not needed for voting …

From an elections perspective, this is not particularly worrisome.

Voter IDs are not required for the exercise of your right of suffrage.

Man bites dog

✝ Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua

John Mangun

Founder Publisher Editor in Chief Associate Editor News Editor Senior Editors

Online Editor Creative Director Chief Photographer Chairman of the Board & Ombudsman President Advertising Sales Manager Group Circulation Manager

Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Dennis D. Estopace Angel R. Calso Ruben M. Cruz Jr. Eduardo A. Davad Nonilon G. Reyes Judge Pedro T. Santiago (Ret.) Benjamin V. Ramos Aldwin Maralit Tolosa Rolando M. Manangan

BusinessMirror is published daily by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc., with offices on the 3rd floor of Dominga Building III 2113 Chino Roces Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines.

Tel. Nos. (Editorial) 817-9467; 813-0725. Fax line: 813-7025.

(Advertising Sales) 893-2019; 817-1351, 817-2807.

(Circulation) 893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. E-mail: news@businessmirror.com.ph.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Printed by brown madonna Press, Inc.–Sun Valley Drive KM-15, South Superhighway, Parañaque, Metro Manila MEMBER OF

OUTSIDE THE BOX

T. Anthony C. Cabangon Lourdes M. Fernandez

In fact, coupling the right to vote with an ID requirement can be— and has been—used as a particularly effective voter suppression tactic. Imagine being able to disenfranchise indirectly, but not less effectively, by simply refusing to give them a ballot unless they can produce a valid Voter ID. Thankfully, if you’re already a registered voter, all you need is any valid ID—a driver’s license, a company ID, or a school ID—for as long as it can be used to prove that you are eligible to vote in the

D

uring the “Golden Age” of newspapers, there was a “Golden Rule” for story placement on the front page. This was particularly true on “slow-news” days. “If it bleeds, it leads.”

While that phrase was first formalized in 1989, every newspaper editor knew that as a truth long before then, just as advertising people knew that “sex sells.” In the current time of digital delivery of news we call the practice used to increase web site traffic “click-bait.”

Another rule in newspaper journalism stretches back much farther to Alfred Harmsworth, British newspaper and publishing magnate, owner of the Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror. Harmsworth is credited with being the “Father of Popular Journalism,” meaning providing news and stories for the working class. He figured the average person really was not all that interested in “the news” but also wanted something sensational to read about. Not much has changed in the past 100 years.

An unspoken newspaper rule was credited to Charles Anderson Dana who was the aide to Horace Greeley, managing editor of the powerful New York Tribune. Dana was once asked, “What constitutes news?” He replied: “If you should see a dog biting a man, don’t write it up. But if you should see a man biting a dog, spare not money, men nor telegraph charges to get the details to my office.”

Headline writers have probably used “Man Bites Dog” to get clicks on a story about a sausage-eating contest. “Man Bites Hot Dog” is not very exciting.

Part of the problem is that people have a short attention span.

According to a study by Microsoft, the average human being now has an attention span of eight seconds.

That number is probably not accu-

Voter IDs are not required for the exercise of your right of suffrage. In fact, coupling the right to vote with an ID requirement can be—and has been—used as a particularly effective voter suppression tactic. Imagine being able to disenfranchise indirectly, but not less effectively, by simply refusing to give them a ballot unless they can produce a valid Voter ID.

place where you want to vote. For practical reasons, this means that you—if challenged—are expected to be able to prove that you live in the place where you’re planning to cast your ballot.

Unfortunately, there are still many, many, people who believe that they can’t vote without a voter ID. Unscrupulous political operators take advantage of this by deliberately fostering that belief in people who don’t know better and have no easy access to information resources. In other words, a huge chunk of the electorate.

Part of the problem is that people have a short attention span.

According to a study by Microsoft, the average human being now has an attention span of eight seconds. That number is probably not accurate since the average time spent on “Porn Hub” is 10 minutes. Actually, Filipinos and Thais spend more than 11 minutes. rate since the average time spent on “Porn Hub” is 10 minutes. Actually, Filipinos and Thais spend more than 11 minutes. But rarely will you find an outline article that takes more than five minutes to read, with many web sites telling the viewer how long it will take to read an article.

However, the average person can be fooled into believing almost anything with a headline and an incomplete first paragraph. Nobody seems to want to know the details. For example; “SWS July Survey: Adult joblessness rises to record-high 45.5 percent.”

All true but the overwhelming majority will spend their eight seconds on the headline and maybe two paragraphs. The details are more important. The previous high reading was in March 2012 at 34.4

...but useful still

This is not to say, however, that the Voter ID previously being issued by the Comelec was devoid of value. To the contrary, leaving aside that it was not necessary for voting, the Voter ID was, in fact, useful for almost everything else.

Banks accepted it as a second ID, on a par with a Passport or a Driver’s License; so did hospitals, schools, and local government units. In short, everywhere you needed to prove who you were, a Voter ID was likely to be honored. This was because the Voter ID was categorized as a “governmentissued” ID. And on top of that, you didn’t have to have a job to get it; you didn’t need to be able to drive to qualify for it; and it literally cost you nothing to get. The fact that it was free and so widely-honored made the Voter ID a truly desirable identification document. Except you couldn’t use it to vote.

Which, of course, meant little to people who proudly boast that they only register for the ID—people for whom democracy is just a matter of form. Ironically, these are typically See “Jimenez,” A7

percent. But you have to read the total nine paragraphs to learn that 21 percent lost their jobs before the Covid-19 quarantine and 21 percent since. Therefore, without Covid, unemployment is not at a record.

That is no help to those without jobs, but from a public policy standpoint it is critical. Where can efforts be focused to get that quarantineaffected 21 percent back to work? Is it construction related, manufacturing, or services sector? Can specific quarantine rules, including for transportation, be targeted at employees and businesses in construction, for example?

It is estimated that 8 million Filipinos are employed in the tourism sector. While international tourism is probably dead for the next 12 months, how many will come back to work on domestic tourism alone and how can government help?

An informed and thinking public is the greatest weapon of democracy, not just a whining and complaining public. Use your attention span wisely. The nation needs it.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Visit my web site at www.mangunonmarkets.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stockmarket information and technical analysis tools provided by the COL Financial Group Inc.

A8 Thursday, August 20, 2020

Stung by high costs, feed millers want animal drugs back under DA

T

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

HE Philippine Association of Feed Millers Inc. (Pafmi) has urged the government to extend a joint administrative order (JAO) that oversees the registration of animal drugs and vitamins in order to prevent disruptions to food production amid outbreaks of transboundary animal diseases.

In a statement, Pafmi President Nicole Sarmiento-Garcia proposed that the government extend JAO 2013-006 by five years to give the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Health (DOH) time to sort out regulations over veterinary drugs and products.

The JAO, a product of the Food Safety Act of 2013, allowed the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry to “register veterinary drugs and products, veterinary biological products intended solely for animal use and license the establishments manufacturing, distributing, exporting and selling the same.”

However, the JAO expired in 2018 and was only extended until last year.

Due to the expiration of the JAO and lack of legal basis, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar has ordered BAI to cease performing the function of registering veterinary drugs and products, Pafmi said.

“The DOH had five years to learn the know-how. The government had five years to allow DA to transfer technologies to DOH but the DOH, particularly the Food and Drug Administration, has never met with the private sector nor with the DA to help collaborate on this,” Sarmiento-Garcia told the BusinessMirror.

The expiration of the JAO meant that only FDA could issue a license of registration or importation for veterinary drug products, which in-

cluded vitamins and minerals that feed millers incorporate in their animal feed products, SarmientoGarcia explained.

Demurrage

THE absence of the issuing authority has resulted in some feed millers’ incurring losses from demurrage due to unreleased shipments at the ports pending new registration and licenses, she added.

Sarmiento-Garcia said vitamins and minerals account for 10 percent to 15 percent of their animal feed product composition.

“With problems right now with Covid-19, I think the FDA should unburden themselves. The FDA takes a really long process of six months to a year to issue a license to the products,” she said.

“Our appeal is that if they are too busy, then the DA and BAI can do it since they are competent about the matter,” she added.

The function of registering veterinary drug products and veterinary biological products was under the DA-BAI prior to the passage of the Food Safety Act of 2013, Sarmiento-Garcia said.

It is crucial, she argued, that the government address the matter amid the outbreaks of transboundary animal diseases locally

and globally such as African swine fever and avian influenza.

If farmers cannot access vitamins and veterinary products, then their livestock and poultry animals may be more vulnerable and susceptible to transboundary animal diseases, she explained.

“Pafmi recommends that all animal feed inputs, especially vitamins and minerals, be placed under DA supervision since the animal industry has always been part of the DA’s technical and administra-

tive management coverage and is a major contributor to the country’s agricultural output,” she said.

Sarmiento-Garcia said it was also cheaper for the industry when the regulation was under DA-BAI as registration with FDA today is costlier by twice or thrice than before.

A cheaper registration cost would mean a reduction in the final cost of animal feed products since additional fees are only passed on within the agricultural value chain, she added.

UNIFORM NCR CURFEW, MORE RESTRICTIONS DESPITE GCQ

By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

T

HE start of the reimposition of the general community quarantine (GCQ ) in Metro Manila on Wednesday was marked with additional movement and business restrictions, including a uniform curfew.

On Tuesday, the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) together with members of the Cabinet in consultation with local chief executives of the National Capital Region (NCR) decided to enforce a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the cities of Manila, Muntinlupa, and Pasig, were unable to immediately enforce the new policy since they currently have different curfew hours than what was approved by the NTF. However, he noted t he three cities have committed to comply with the uniform c u r few hou rs, wh ic h wa s agreed upon.

The measure is part of the government initiative to limit the unnecessary movement in the country’s capital, which remains the epicenter of local novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.

Movement restrictions

In the same meeting, Roque said the NTF let LGUs decide whether or not to require quarantine passes for their constituents.

“But for those in localized lockdowns, the quarantine passes will be required,” Roque said during an interview in PTV.

The NTF also allowed motorcycle backriding in NCR as long as the passenger is an Authorized Person Outside Residence (APOR), according to Roque. The driver, he noted, need not be an APOR. “For motorcycle backriding under GCQ, riders living in the same house, there is no need for motorcycle barrier.

For riders not living in the same house, there must be an A ngk as-desig ned bar r ier,” Roque explained.

Additional conditions include the motorcycle must be privately owned and not for hire. Both riders should also have face masks and full-face helmets that must be worn at all times while back riding

Deferred reopening

The NTF also decided to defer the reopening of nonessential establishments.

The affected establishments include personal care and aesthetic procedures and services, gyms/fitness studios and sports facilities, testing and tutorial centers, review centers, Internet cafés, drive-in cinemas, and pet grooming services.

“Dine-in restaurants, salons and barbershops and all their services, except full body massages, are allowed. The local government unit where the establishments are located would determine the capacity,” Roque said.

To further minimize the possible spread of Covid-19, Roque said face shields, apart from face masks, are required in commercial places, workplaces (indoor) and public transport.

DTI recalls go-ahead for gyms’ reopening

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

@alyasjah

T

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Wednesday reversed its policy to reopen gyms, Internet cafés and educational facilities in areas that reverted to general community quarantine (GCQ).

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told reporters the reopening of gyms, Internet cafes, as well as review center in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan is still prohibited. This, in spite of the areas reverting to GCQ on August 19.

On the other hand, dine-in restaurants and barber shops will be allowed to resume business in the nation’s capital and nearby provinces.

The government maintained a number of establishments closed in order to maintain the crowd of people going outside, Lopez explained. They will be closed until August 31, when President Duterte is expected to announce new quarantine guidelines for the country.

“The reopening of the last batch sectors, like gyms, review centers, Internet cafés, will be postponed until August 31 following the principle of gradual reopening from MECQ [modified enhanced community quarantine] to GCQ,” Lopez said.

These establishments may be barred from reopening in Metro Manila and surrounding areas, but they are allowed to do so in areas that have just maintained their GCQ restriction. These provinces include Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Quezon, Iloilo and Cebu City.

Gyms, Internet cafés and review centers were formerly allowed to reopen in Metro Manila, but were ordered to close again after the President placed the capital region back to MECQ. Duterte in early August decided to intensify quarantine protocols in the Metro as per the recommendation of health workers who were attending to a surge of Covid-19 positive cases.

On Wednesday, Metro Manila reverted to GCQ upon the Chief Executive’s decision, as keeping it under strict quarantine measures is no longer sustainable for the government on apparently a lack of funds for social amelioration.

The Philippines is now implementing one of the longest quarantines in the world, as the Covid-19 tally in the country has reached nearly 170,00 cases. Many of the country’s neighbors in the region, such as Vietnam and Thailand, are now reopening their economies after slowing down their infection rates to manageable levels.

Is the killing of Army intel team

by Jolo cops bound for cover-up?

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

S

ENATE probers are poised to dig deeper into the recent “misencounter” bet ween troops of the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police in Jolo, Sulu, as military officials expressed disgust on Wednesday over the fact that nine policemen who killed six members of a counterterrorism intelligence team have not been suspended or charged.

Airing a lingering concern at the initial Senate inquiry by the Committee on Public Order, chaired by

Sen. Ronald de la Rosa, Sen. Risa Hontiveros admonished probers to be wary of potential attempts to “cover-up” the incident.

“Let’s not allow any cover-up by some PNP members in the attack on an Armed Forces unit in Jolo,” the senator said in Filipino. “I’m sorry, but the killing of the soldiers really looks premeditated. Otherwise, Mr. Chair, the whole thing simply doesn’t really make sense.”

Hontiveros reminded fellow probers: “There are pieces of the puzzle, we don’t know. We still do not know the intent or the motive of the killing. We have the when, where, how, some of

the who, because, for instance, the one in red in the video seems taller than Patrolman Mandangan and Police Staff Sergeant Susulan who is there now joining us in this inquiry; one cannot help but suspect something is wrong,” she added.

The senator admitted that the Senate inquiry, in aid of crafting remedial legislation, still needs to obtain more information. “Until we know the answer to why, we cannot piece together the complete picture and this may be repeated. Who called the shots and why? We need the answers.”

Continued on A2

Companies BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, August 20, 2020

B1

SMC to pump capital into units from shares sale

C

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

onglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) on Wednesday said it filed for a shelf registration of 533.33 million preferred shares, half of which will be initially be offered for sale and the proceeds of which will be used to infuse capital into the company’s units.

In a disclosure, the company said it is selling 266.66 million preferred shares, half of which would be primary offering and the other half oversubscription options, at P75 per share with a par value of P5 per share.

The said preferred shares will fall under the company’s series 2 shares, which are cumulative, non-voting, non-participating, nonconvertible, redeemable, peso-denominated and perpetual.

The company said the offer period starts September 29 and ends October 9.

Proceeds from the offer will be used by San Miguel “to invest, by

way of equity, in any of the following subsidiaries: San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc.; Petron Corp.; SMC Global Power Holdings Corp.; San Miguel Holdings Corp.; and, San Miguel Properties Inc.” BDO Capital and Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., Philippine Commercial Capital Inc., PNB Capital and Investment Corp., RCBC Capital Corp., SB Capital Investment Corp. were picked as joint issue managers, joint lead underwriters and bookrunners.

San Miguel can sell the rest of the preferred shares within three years upon approval by regulators.

Net loss

The sale of shares comes after San Miguel reported a net loss of P7.59 billion for the first half of the year from last year’s income of P13.23 billion as its entire operations from petroleum refinery to beer brewing were affected by government’s lockdown measures against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Revenues declined 31 percent to P352.79 billion from last year’s P509.49 billion, while consolidated operating income plunged 74 percent to P14.9 billion from the previous P57.61 billion.

“The first half was particu-

larly challenging for most in the business sector but we are seeing strong indications of a recovery for SMC businesses, and we remain focused and determined to build on these gains,” San Miguel President and COO Ramon S. Ang said. “Government reopening the economy, and allowing businesses to operate under strict health and safety protocols, was a very good call. Given that we’re still in a pandemic, saving lives is still our priority. As such, we fully support the new modified enhanced community quarantine in support of our medical frontliners.”

San Miguel starts mud-crab project Ayala Land to offer

S

an Miguel Corp. (SMC) announced the start of a project aiming to grow mud crabs in its 10-hectare mangrove plantation in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

“Along with our goal to help address flooding through the planting of mangroves in these priority areas identified by the DENR [Department of Environment of Natural Resources], we are seeding 100,000 mud crabs monthly at Hagonoy’s mangrove plantation area to help boost the country’s mud crab production,” San Miguel President and COO Ramon S. Ang said.

Ang noted that the mud crab business has been an established industry in the country with the Philippines being one of the top producers in the world.

SMC documents explained that Hagonoy, Bulacan, is one of the company’s priority areas for its massive mangrove-planting program “to help address perennial flooding in Bulacan province and Central Luzon.”

Hagonoy’s coastal area is part of the total 76 hectares under SMC’s mangrove-planting program, according to the company. SMC added that it plans to plant 190,000 mangroves in the coastal areas covering Bulacan and Central Luzon.

The company said it has planted the first 8,000 of the 25,000 mangroves in a 3-hectare area in Hagonoy’s Barangay Tibaguin last July 29. The company expects the remainder completed within the year.

Game-changer

According to Ang, the mangrove areas are a good breeding ground for mud crabs and will provide the local government unit of Hagonoy, fishermen, local entrepreneurs and rural communities with a “sustainable source of income given the mud crabs’ high-income potential.”

SMC said mud crabs are considered a “culinary delicacy.” It added there is a growing demand for mud crabs both in local and international markets, making it a “foreign exchange earner” and “major source of livelihood” for Filipino fishermen and fishpond owners.

Aside from additional income, Hagonoy residents are expected to

benefit from the project by preventing floods brought on by the rainy season, tidal floods and waters coming from the Pampanga basin, SMC said.

SMC said its mangrove planting program is part of the company’s flood-mitigation plan ahead of the construction of the Manila International Airport in October.

“These flood mitigation measures are all integral to airport development. It’s very important to address these environmental concerns before investing over P700 billion for the airport,” Ang said.

“This airport is a game-changer for everyone and will help revive the economy of Bulacan and the country against the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added. Jasper Emmanuel Arcalas

CDC eyes ‘Physical bank branches to stay’ Xevera

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

M

ABALACAT CITY–The Clark Development Corp. (CDC) is eyeing the Xevera housing complex in Barangay Tabun here as venue for thousands of Clark workers and locators who want to avail of housing units inside this freeport during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a presentation at the complex’s clubhouse on Wednesday, an official said some 5,000 housing units classified as A, B and C are already RFOs, or “ready for occupancy.”

Rodolfo G. Valencia, chairman of the RGV Group that recently acquired the housing complex from the Home Development Mutual Fund, said buyers can already move in to his or her unit in one week or two weeks upon approval of his/ her loan and a cash out of 5 percent of the total amount of the housing unit or P58,000 all-in for class C buyers.

The housing units cost around P1.1 million for class C, P1.3 million for class B, and P1.5 million for class A, according to Valencia.

He added the “township” feature of the housing complex benefits home owners since it provides everything.

Valencia said children of homeowners are guaranteed free schooling from grade 1 to 10 inside the township and even up to college offered by the nearby Mabalacat City College.

There is also a Catholic church, a shopping center, restaurants and even the City Hall inside Xevera, he added.

The location of Xevera is also ideal since it is within the proximity of National Government Administrative Center at the New Clark City (NCC) in nearby Capas, Tarlac, the Clark International Airport, as well as major shopping malls. Valencia said the complex is about 80 kilometers from Manila via the North Luzon Expressway and the soon-to-operate North-South Commuter Railway, which will run from the NCC all the way to Calamba, Laguna.

The complex will just be about 15 minutes from the Clark Freeport Zone, which is a source of job and employment, via a spur road that is already up for construction, Valencia added.

“About 800,000 jobs are expected in Clark,” he said.

CDC President Noel F. Manankil, who is also present during the presentation with other CDC executives, said the spur road will be a two-lane highway and 4.2-kilometers long. It will directly connect Xevera to the Clark freeport. Ashley Manabat

U

nion Bank of the Philippines said that more transactions are being completed in its digital platform now compared in physical branches as customers show changes in banking behavior.

Ana Maria A. Delgado, the bank’s senior vice president, chief user experience officer and head of consumer finance, said in a webinar on Wednesday that more customers now prefer contactless transactions.

“As of May, we are already seeing that our [online] transactions are surpassing the branch transactions by the millions,” she said.

According to her presentation, it was only in March this year when online and branch transactions reached the same level. It was also around the time when the government enforced its lockdown measure to contain the coronavirus. Online transactions took the lead after.

“Customer choice is quickly shifting to favor those with comprehensive digital services and how conve-

nient and seamless the experience in your app and other digital platforms is,” Delgado explained.

But Delgado clarified that branches are not “going to disappear completely in the near term.”

She said that their role, however, might change, explaining that branches can be geared toward helping more customers to go digital.

“When we say contactless experience, we are not referring to [devoid] the experience of human feelings and interactions,” she said. “We are pushed away by this pandemic to stay away physically but we feel that the experience should still, or perhaps, now even more allow people to connect to each other.”

Among the online offerings of UnionBank are digital check deposit and digital account opening.

Customers can now even pre-book their transactions before going to the branches to minimize the time transacting their physically.

In a separate release on Wednesday, Singapore-based insurance firm Igloo announced its partnership with UnionBank and Akulaku.

UnionBank Senior Vice President and Fintech Group Head Arvie De Vera said that this agreement will make Igloo’s microinsurance products available on UnionBank’s application program interface.

“This plays a vital role in enabling and boosting insurance penetration rates in the Philippines through innovative means, and contributes to our shared goal of financial inclusion as Filipinos will gain greater access to affordable insurance solutions,” he explained.

Earlier this month, UnionBank and Lazada Philippines, along with Mastercard, rolled out the first ecommerce credit card in the country.

The UnionBank Lazada Credit Card allows cardholders to directly earn Lazada wallet credit from their online spending via the e-commerce platform.

The virtual credit card can already be used for online transactions, once application is approved, even without the physical card. It can be viewed through the UnionBank Online app, with security controls such as biometrics and one-time password.

Hyundai, Petron support DOTr

H

yundai Asia Resources Inc. (Hari), the official Philippine distributor of the Korean auto brand in the country, and Petron Corp., the country’s largest oil company, forged a new partnership to support free transportation program of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

The DOTr program ensures continued mobility for health workers and front liners, with 20 defined routes and designated drop-off and pick-up points for medical workers.

Hari has turned over three “Covid-Ready Vehicles” that will serve the DOTr’s program. Hari said its principal developed and produced this special “Covid-ready” lineup based on its H-100 Shuttle, HD36 Shuttle and Modern Jeepney HD50S Class 2.

Hari said the units are compliant with the DOTr’s guidelines for the transport sector under community quarantine. These vehicles, the first in the auto industry, showcase contactless payment systems, individualized seating, plastic dividers

and features for sanitation.

To date, the Hyundai shuttles have served over 3,000 medical frontliners, including doctors, to ensure uninterrupted patient care in Metro Manila.

“With Petron as our partner, expect our vehicles to be at optimal service for our frontliners as we move towards a better normal,” Hari President Maria Fe Perez-Agudo said. “This cements our commitment to provide the riding public vehicles that are safe and convenient in these challenging times.” Petron President Ramon S. Ang said: “We are pleased to join Hyundai in its program as its official fuel partner, as we look to further our mobility aid efforts by offering free fuel to the DOTr and MMDA, giving fuel discounts to frontliners, and making essential food items available at our service stations.”

Petron said it has been actively supporting since March “the country’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.” The company said through its

foundation, it has focused its assistance to doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel by donating complete sets of Personal protective equipment kits to several Covid-19 referral hospitals in Metro Manila, as well as pre-loaded value cards, through funds raised from its donation drive. Petron said it also initiated a number of efforts focused on helping its scholars and “fenceline” communities.

“Since we began our commercial vehicle business in 2016, we have strongly supported PUV Modernization. The situation, however, has drastically changed and we have quickly adapted our vehicles in order to keep on serving the public,” Agudo said.

“In just a few weeks since its conceptualization, we were able to manufacture vehicles that now allow hundreds, if not thousands of Filipinos, to get to their destination with the safety and peace of mind provided by these ‘Covid-ready’ vehicles,” she added. Lenie Lectura

new 5-yr debt paper

P

ropert y developer Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) said on Wednesday that it will offer some P6.25 billion in five-year fixedrate bonds and has offered its holders of October 2020 paper to exchange their holdings with the new debt.

In its disclosure, the company said it is inviting debt holders of the company’s bonds maturing on October 10, which has a yield of 4.625 percent, to exchange their holdings with the new offering.

According to Ayala Land, “holders of the October 2020 bonds will be provided the option, without any obligation, to settle their subscription [fully or partially] by exchanging at a ratio of 1:1 based on the principal amount of the respective bonds.”

All holders of the October 2020 bonds who purchase the bonds and opt for the bond exchange as a settlement option shall receive the accrued interest, net of applicable taxes, as of the day of issuance and listing of the bonds, in cash, on the

Issue Date, which is indicatively set on a date prior to the maturity date of the October 2020 Bonds, depending on market conditions, and subject to receipt of regulatory approvals, Ayala Land added.

Upon issuance, the new bonds will be the fifth tranche of Ayala Land’s P50 billion 3-year shelf registration that regulators approved on April 22, 2019.

The offer and issuance of bonds shall be at such price and under such terms and conditions to be determined by the company’s management in consultation with the Joint Lead Underwriters and bookrunners. The bond exchange would be the first of its kind in the corporate Philippine peso debt capital markets, Ayala Land said.

The company has mandated BDO Capita l and Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., First Metro Investment Corp. and SB Capital Investment Corp. to manage Ayala Land’s offer. VG Cabuag

Phoenix Petroleum cuts loss

P

HOENIX Petroleum Philippines Inc. reduced its net loss in the second quarter to P5 million, from P386 million in the first quarter brought about by the strong demand of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) product.

The company said LPG outperformed the rest of its business and emerged as an essential product for households as individuals and families stayed and prepared meals at home during the lockdown. The surge in demand, it added, was ably supported by the oil firm’s partnership with Singapore-based Hengyi Industries International Pte. that Phoenix Petroleum said ensured security and reliability of supply.

Growth was across the board for the Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Vietnam markets with total volume up 88 percent year-on-year in the first half. Phoenix Gas Vietnam, in particular, delivered a 409-percent volume increase with only selective movement restrictions and no widespread lockdowns in place in the country.

The company’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization stood at P1.22 billion in the first half, driven by a 43-percent quarter-on-quarter growth in volume led by the overseas business, particularly by LPG, improved overall margins, and significant cost actions in the second quarter.

Revenues were down 30 percent, mainly due to a sharp year-on-yearyear decline in oil prices. However, limited inventory replenishment due to credit tightening curtailed recovery and resulted in weaker-thanexpected volume in domestic fuel.

“We continue to deliver quality and safe products, and essential

services to our customers whose patronage helped minimize disruptions to our business. To the extent that we can, we will continue to assist customers during these challenging times by granting credit extensions,” Phoenix Petroleum President Henry Albert R. Fadullon said.

“However, regional and local developments within the industry and credit markets have tightened access to working capital. We saw this hamper our recovery in the second quarter as we had to divert resources to debt service and pull back on inventory replenishment,” Fadullon added.

Prior to the community quarantine, the company said it reduced inventory levels by delaying imports, which allowed Phoenix Petroleum to minimize inventory losses resulting from falling prices and the slowdown in demand. In addition, the oil company benefited from the structural cost reductions following the streamlining of the lubricants and FamilyMart supply chains last year and the rationalization of its road transport unit this year.

With leaner operations, Phoenix Petroleum is able to reduce operational expenses (Opex) and sustainably improve long term productivity.

Opex per liter was down 30 percent in the first half. With implemented Opex cuts close to P400 million, the oil firm expects P800-million worth of savings by year-end. Also, Phoenix Petroleum is actively seeking more efficiencies after achieving P1.3 billion of its P1.5 billion goal of capital expenditure savings. “We are pleased with the progress we’ve made in stabilizing the business as we are on track to bringing the business back into profitability by third quarter,” Fadullon said. Lenie Lectura

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, August 20, 2020

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

August 19, 2020

Net Foreign Stocks Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Buy (Sell) FINANCIALs

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG MEDCO HLDG NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE

44.85 91.75 62.5 20.35 8.12 35.95 19.84 48.75 16.4 97.95 53.95 0.83 20.7 2.69 0.28 0.62 157 1900

45.1 91.8 65 20.4 8.14 36 19.86 48.8 16.7 98 54 0.84 22.4 2.7 0.29 0.64 158 1920

45.1 92.5 65.8 20.35 8.21 36.2 20.4 48.95 16.4 97.6 53.95 0.85 21.5 2.79 0.29 0.66 157 1701

45.1 92.7 65.8 20.45 8.25 36.25 20.4 48.95 16.4 98.4 54.45 0.85 22.5 2.79 0.29 0.66 157 1910

45 91.55 62.5 20.35 8.06 35.85 19.86 48.75 16.4 97.5 53.95 0.84 20.7 2.7 0.29 0.62 155 1700

45.05 91.8 62.5 20.4 8.14 36 19.86 48.75 16.4 98 54 0.84 22.5 2.7 0.29 0.64 157 1900

12500 1905100 2625430 60400 607200 2857600 135800 600 200 700150 6630 6000 107200 63000 270000 93000 370 305

563000 175138896.5 167376286.5 1231495 4937528 102940150 2700244 29280 3280 68544331.5 358008 5090 2237370 170190 78300 58510 57770 551705

563000 -75587979 -36282770.5 140715 -106101 -38581885 -2332718 -22708266 -2900 294480

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 2.7 2.71 2.75 2.78 2.7 2.71 18276000 49818840 1.27 1.28 1.31 1.33 1.27 1.27 2701000 3482520 ALSONS CONS ABOITIZ POWER 25.1 25.75 26.1 26.2 25.1 25.1 690300 17517210 0.16 0.162 0.162 0.163 0.16 0.162 1920000 307880 BASIC ENERGY 23.75 23.8 23.95 23.95 23.6 23.8 2678400 63796450 FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG 60 61.8 58.7 61.5 58.7 60 442560 26042406.5 271 273.6 279 279 271 271 107340 29305698 MERALCO 13.06 13.08 13.08 13.1 12.96 13.08 2434700 31790890 MANILA WATER PETRON 3.08 3.09 3.1 3.11 3.08 3.08 597000 1847590 3.18 3.35 3.2 3.35 3.2 3.35 4000 13100 PETROENERGY 11.12 11.34 11.36 11.36 11.06 11.34 100000 1123908 PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL 17 17.04 17.02 17.04 16.9 17 933800 15868618 8.45 8.47 8.3 8.56 8.3 8.47 54500 461334 SPC POWER AGRINURTURE 7.71 7.92 8.03 8.04 7.65 7.92 730800 5827798 AXELUM 2.47 2.48 2.38 2.55 2.37 2.48 211040000 507386990 11.24 12.94 11.96 13 11.12 12.98 1400 16438 CNTRL AZUCARERA CENTURY FOOD 16.34 16.36 16.4 16.5 16.22 16.36 737900 12,086,928( DEL MONTE 5 5.04 4.94 5.08 4.94 5 114000 568240 5.09 5.1 5 5.15 5 5.1 2491500 12,688,612( DNL INDUS EMPERADOR 10.16 10.18 10.3 10.3 9.87 10.18 1659300 16738036 SMC FOODANDBEV 67.8 67.95 68.05 68.05 67.7 67.8 266030 18033644.5 0.65 0.66 0.66 0.67 0.66 0.66 105000 69350 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.21 1.22 1.18 1.25 1.18 1.22 13298000 16285430 39 39.9 39 40 39 39.9 1900 75030 GINEBRA 140.2 141.1 141.5 143 140.2 140.2 549710 77351596 JOLLIBEE MAXS GROUP 4.89 4.9 4.88 5 4.88 4.9 139000 687210 0.132 0.134 0.137 0.137 0.133 0.133 1570000 211310 MG HLDG 5.74 5.75 5.62 5.8 5.62 5.75 1060900 6100464 SHAKEYS PIZZA ROXAS AND CO 1.2 1.21 1.24 1.24 1.16 1.2 2490000 3006290 4.31 4.4 4.45 4.45 4.45 4.45 1000 4450 RFM CORP 139 140 142.8 143 139 139 906890 127036509 UNIV ROBINA VITARICH 0.78 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.77 0.78 911000 709760 52.3 55.45 53 53.5 52.3 53.5 580 30756 CONCRETE B 1.3 1.31 1.22 1.33 1.21 1.31 55567000 71805710 CEMEX HLDG DAVINCI CAPITAL 4.02 4.07 4.02 4.07 4.02 4.07 8000 32210 10 10.04 10 10.1 10 10 265200 2653790 EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP 5.34 5.35 5.3 5.37 5.3 5.34 539900 2881213 HOLCIM 5.49 5.5 5.25 5.56 5.2 5.5 3095100 16885316 6.57 6.58 6.45 6.58 6.45 6.58 1355100 8888306 MEGAWIDE VULCAN INDL 0.73 0.74 0.74 0.75 0.73 0.73 155000 115170 1.92 1.94 1.89 1.94 1.87 1.94 172000 329210 CROWN ASIA 1.9 1.92 1.9 1.92 1.88 1.92 291000 555810 EUROMED MABUHAY VINYL 3.7 3.88 3.82 3.82 3.82 3.82 5000 19100 4.05 4.06 4.15 4.15 4.05 4.06 8000 32560 PRYCE CORP 1.83 1.85 1.86 1.88 1.82 1.85 5072000 9405590 GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR 4.77 4.9 4.73 4.9 4.7 4.77 66000 317570 0.96 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.95 0.97 282000 272010 IONICS 1.46 1.47 1.5 1.51 1.42 1.46 3488000 5064940 SFA SEMICON CIRTEK HLDG 5.79 5.8 5.88 5.88 5.73 5.79 508600 2949975

256490 16830 -13846230 -897200 84322 -17998716 -5707262 -124000 -908686 -260 -495955430 3,189,466.0003) -318180 5,375,869.9997) -465247 202639 -269420 -18905641 19870 -158149 -491060 348107 12544430 512110 -1005978 -3175989 -77600 5670 -615220 -18930 154072

HOLDING & FRIMS

ABACORE CAPITAL ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV SYNERGY GRID SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER ZEUS HLDG

0.475 7.5 735 49.6 6.41 1.73 6.31 0.5 0.57 5.02 3.95 8.61 407 2.86 63.5 4.1 0.59 2.31 8.59 0.52 3.26 155 900 102.3 0.67 128.1 0.147

0.48 7.79 743 50.45 6.42 1.74 6.49 0.51 0.58 5.11 3.96 8.74 409 2.9 63.95 4.96 0.61 2.33 8.6 0.58 3.3 173 909 102.5 0.68 132 0.151

0.475 7.8 751.5 51.55 6.44 1.75 6.33 0.5 0.58 5.1 3.88 8.74 422 2.89 65.6 5.05 0.61 2.32 8.65 0.53 3.35 151 918 103.5 0.68 131 0.149

0.48 7.8 762 51.55 6.48 1.75 6.33 0.52 0.58 5.11 3.97 8.74 424 2.9 65.6 5.05 0.61 2.32 8.75 0.6 3.36 151 920 103.6 0.68 132 0.152

0.465 7.48 735 49.6 6.31 1.71 6.3 0.5 0.56 5 3.85 8.74 407 2.89 62.65 5.04 0.59 2.31 8.59 0.53 3.26 151 898 102.2 0.68 131 0.147

0.475 7.78 735 49.6 6.41 1.72 6.3 0.51 0.58 5.02 3.96 8.74 407 2.9 63.5 5.04 0.6 2.31 8.6 0.58 3.26 151 900 102.5 0.68 132 0.151

4450000 8800 201760 368290 10813600 743000 2900 263000 812000 3384000 5698000 600 345050 25000 1151640 1200 88000 168000 1549400 261000 25904000 300 609550 63830 54000 2670 890000

2109700 66067 150309100 18464134 69202413 1281870 18310 134160 460550 17,013,828( 22423020 5244 142160814 72400 73114553.5 6050 52820 389010 13368343 145510 85144150 45300 554370185 6554685 36720 352360 131580

PROPERTY

ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND ARANETA PROP AREIT RT BELLE CORP A BROWN CITYLAND DEVT CEBU HLDG CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP DOUBLEDRAGON DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE 8990 HLDG PHIL INFRADEV CITY AND LAND MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL SHANG PROP STA LUCIA LAND SM PRIME HLDG VISTAMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

0.52 31.85 0.99 25.9 1.35 0.86 0.8 5.78 5 0.355 15.16 5.98 0.255 0.094 0.93 0.79 8.1 1.04 0.69 3.07 0.245 0.29 1.21 14.96 0.23 1.52 2.62 1.74 31 3.73 1.14 3.27

0.53 31.9 1.01 25.95 1.37 0.87 0.81 5.98 5.01 0.36 15.2 6 0.265 0.095 0.94 0.81 8.13 1.05 0.75 3.08 0.246 0.3 1.22 14.98 0.233 1.55 2.7 1.85 31.4 3.83 1.15 3.28

0.53 32.95 1.02 25.8 1.35 0.86 0.81 5.78 5.01 0.355 15.42 6 0.255 0.09 0.93 0.81 8.55 1.01 0.7 3.03 0.25 0.29 1.15 15.3 0.233 1.55 2.71 1.86 31.9 3.73 1.14 3.38

0.53 32.95 1.02 26 1.35 0.88 0.81 5.78 5.01 0.36 15.5 6 0.265 0.098 0.94 0.81 8.55 1.07 0.7 3.11 0.255 0.29 1.39 15.32 0.233 1.55 2.71 1.86 31.9 3.82 1.14 3.4

0.52 31.85 1.02 25.65 1.35 0.85 0.81 5.78 4.98 0.355 15.1 5.98 0.255 0.09 0.91 0.79 8.1 1 0.7 3.02 0.246 0.29 1.15 14.92 0.233 1.53 2.71 1.7 31 3.71 1.13 3.2

0.53 31.85 1.02 25.95 1.35 0.87 0.81 5.78 5.01 0.36 15.2 6 0.265 0.09 0.94 0.79 8.1 1.04 0.7 3.08 0.246 0.29 1.22 14.96 0.233 1.53 2.71 1.86 31 3.82 1.14 3.28

558000 6485700 3000 4667200 126000 2204000 52000 4100 6736000 3940000 334400 757200 1090000 610000 7222000 170000 66000 6014000 22000 21742000 37610000 70000 1923000 2482200 20000 89000 1000 206000 10127900 35000 484000 2077000

-270450 -92800795 -11200407.5 -8463222 -378700 3,759,723.0004) -4212380 -71884096 -72400 -31113940 1010 -273180 4698695 -57853110 424153580 -4071799 -

292150 208467375 3060 120900825 170100 1891050 42120 23698 33687530 1401650 5100722 4542996 278350 54980 6708990 136160 541468 6282820 15400 66856640 9350240 20300 2456920 37283364 4660 136350 2710 352240 319799985 130780 549960 6843370

-144237295 3060 -83239565 -86400 -836620 -14400 -3195972 -48000 588540 -16000 -67160 -823560 -31549780 -21459274 -3720 206828435 -3914260

SERVICES ABS CBN 7.25 7.26 7.26 7.34 7.23 7.25 146500 1065436 5.14 5.15 5.19 5.2 5.13 5.15 711800 3674377 GMA NETWORK MANILA BULLETIN 0.395 0.4 0.415 0.435 0.395 0.395 1830000 748100 11.6 12.14 11.8 12.14 11.6 12.14 1800 21152 MLA BRDCASTING 2128 2130 2130 2148 2130 2130 37640 80464900 GLOBE TELECOM PLDT 1379 1380 1360 1395 1360 1380 70135 97079075 0.053 0.054 0.053 0.054 0.051 0.054 68010000 3599410 APOLLO GLOBAL 3.11 3.2 3.05 3.5 3.05 3.11 591000 1920470 DFNN INC DITO CME HLDG 3.22 3.23 3.35 3.35 3.2 3.22 33493000 109205850 1.6 1.64 1.6 1.66 1.6 1.6 17000 27270 JACKSTONES 2.12 2.13 2.12 2.16 2.1 2.13 2280000 4865650 NOW CORP TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.181 0.182 0.183 0.183 0.18 0.181 3350000 603520 1.95 1.97 1.98 1.98 1.95 1.95 172000 336990 PHILWEB 2GO GROUP 8.61 8.7 8.5 8.7 8.5 8.61 52900 456956 CHELSEA 3.32 3.34 3.4 3.43 3.3 3.34 678000 2283470 38.8 38.85 39.5 39.8 38.75 38.85 172000 6,735,830( CEBU AIR INTL CONTAINER 108.1 108.4 110 110 106 108.1 1688820 182515852 LBC EXPRESS 15.02 15.7 16 16 15.7 15.7 1500 23700 0.74 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.79 3000 2370 LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA 5.05 5.06 5.12 5.35 5.05 5.06 3500100 18060572 METROALLIANCE A 1.67 1.69 1.67 1.7 1.67 1.67 82000 137610 6.05 6.1 6.2 6.21 6.05 6.05 37400 230897 PAL HLDG HARBOR STAR 0.92 0.93 0.88 0.93 0.87 0.92 4106000 3711330 1.15 1.23 1.16 1.16 1.16 1.16 30000 34800 ACESITE HOTEL 0.031 0.032 0.032 0.032 0.031 0.032 16800000 523700 BOULEVARD HLDG WATERFRONT 0.39 0.395 0.385 0.395 0.385 0.39 520000 202750 6.3 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 800 5120 CENTRO ESCOLAR 565.5 599 590 590 565 566 340 192705 FAR EASTERN U STI HLDG 0.305 0.31 0.31 0.315 0.305 0.31 1160000 360500 2.14 2.17 2.13 2.17 2.13 2.17 12000 25720 BERJAYA 6.14 6.15 6.12 6.18 6.1 6.15 5782900 35564310 BLOOMBERRY PACIFIC ONLINE 1.96 2.06 1.96 2.06 1.96 2.06 33000 64790 1.21 1.29 1.29 1.29 1.21 1.21 3000 3710 LEISURE AND RES 2.15 2.25 2.2 2.23 2.15 2.15 36000 79550 PH RESORTS GRP PREMIUM LEISURE 0.29 0.295 0.295 0.295 0.285 0.295 5260000 1525600 6.27 6.3 6.39 6.39 6.25 6.3 1226700 7753824 ALLHOME METRO RETAIL 1.44 1.45 1.49 1.49 1.44 1.45 818000 1184640 PUREGOLD 51.85 51.9 51.25 51.95 50.75 51.9 3472590 179082554.5 67.1 67.15 65 67.65 64 67.1 2257330 151303125.5 ROBINSONS RTL PHIL SEVEN CORP 125 127.9 121 128 121 125 28920 3614909 SSI GROUP 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.05 1.03 1.04 1997000 2077490 15.64 15.9 15.6 15.9 15.5 15.9 3497000 55012230 WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP 0.295 0.3 0.3 0.305 0.3 0.3 2230000 669550 EASYCALL 6.23 6.49 6.5 6.5 6.21 6.49 3800 23735 4.25 4.58 4.15 4.26 4.15 4.2 13000 54860 IPM HLDG PRMIERE HORIZON 0.221 0.222 0.214 0.228 0.214 0.222 59990000 13224540

-3496740 -12239360 -5070 -1001290 -1950 850 4,267,510.0003) -42257858 -42387 -7440 6200 39000 11300 -29951037 90 11550 -3959751 -379940 15562548.5 50064204.5001 -721471 -162570 -14628460 318050 2140

MINING & OIL ATOK 8 8.4 8.49 8.49 8.45 8.47 700 5929 APEX MINING 1.66 1.67 1.7 1.7 1.64 1.66 9410000 15741020 -485080 0.0009 0.001 0.0011 0.0011 0.0009 0.0009 402000000 400100 200 ABRA MINING 2.77 2.79 2.69 2.8 2.68 2.77 1337000 3642180 -1621500 ATLAS MINING BENGUET A 2.1 2.2 2.19 2.26 2.08 2.2 159000 340010 2.05 2.23 2.24 2.24 2.24 2.24 2000 4480 BENGUET B 0.197 0.199 0.185 0.199 0.185 0.199 270000 51430 COAL ASIA HLDG CENTURY PEAK 2.58 2.67 2.61 2.67 2.58 2.67 130000 343640 266100 7.47 7.51 7.62 7.64 7.47 7.47 497100 3715592 DIZON MINES 1.12 1.13 1.12 1.14 1.11 1.13 2079000 2330350 -7119.9999 FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE 0.239 0.24 0.239 0.241 0.238 0.239 80000 19090 0.148 0.149 0.151 0.153 0.147 0.148 31020000 4644090 LEPANTO A LEPANTO B 0.149 0.151 0.149 0.154 0.149 0.151 2360000 359790 76500 MANILA MINING A 0.0098 0.0099 0.01 0.01 0.0099 0.0099 8300000 82470 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 12000000 126000 MANILA MINING B MARCVENTURES 0.92 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.92 0.94 1179000 1095990 1.85 1.86 1.79 1.93 1.79 1.85 2207000 4075390 -75610 NIHAO 3.02 3.03 3.13 3.13 3.02 3.03 12312000 37667750 -1953520 NICKEL ASIA OMICO CORP 0.385 0.4 0.39 0.39 0.385 0.385 240000 93000 0.58 0.59 0.57 0.59 0.57 0.59 222000 129360 ORNTL PENINSULA 3.4 3.42 3.48 3.48 3.36 3.4 1079000 3674920 -962740 PX MINING SEMIRARA MINING 9.55 9.56 9.59 9.66 9.4 9.55 12285100 117620578 -58431395 0.0055 0.0056 0.0055 0.0055 0.0053 0.0055 19000000 102400 UNITED PARAGON 5.65 5.76 5.7 5.92 5.65 5.76 97600 556857 ACE ENEXOR ORNTL PETROL A 0.0086 0.0088 0.0085 0.0087 0.0085 0.0087 6000000 51300 0.0087 0.0092 0.0086 0.0092 0.0086 0.0092 8000000 69400 ORNTL PETROL B 0.0099 0.01 0.0098 0.01 0.0098 0.01 13000000 129200 PHILODRILL PXP ENERGY 5.84 5.88 5.96 5.99 5.83 5.84 374800 2198999 8354

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A 99.5 101.5 99.5 99.5 99 99.5 61550 6098305 510 519 510 510 510 510 700 357000 AC PREF B1 CPG PREF A 101 102 101 101 101 101 1000 101000 101.5 103 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 6340 643510 643510 DD PREF 105 105.5 105.5 105.5 105 105 7600 801300 FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P 503 515 510 510 503 503 4000 2014270 1010 1035 1020 1020 1010 1010 10420 10613700 GTCAP PREF B 98.05 100 100 101 98 101 51510 5138505 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B 103 106 106 106 102 103 4590 469860 950 966.5 989 989 950 950 82630 79697620 -1851525 PNX PREF 4 1030 1050 1030 1030 1030 1030 630 648900 PCOR PREF 2B PCOR PREF 3A 1052 1060 1059 1060 1055 1055 7235 7652060 1070 1090 1070 1070 1070 1070 30 32100 PCOR PREF 3B SMC PREF 2C 78 78.15 78.15 78.15 78 78.15 16660 1300272 75.4 75.8 75.2 75.4 75.1 75.4 2000 150599 SMC PREF 2D 75.5 76.85 75.55 75.55 75 75 58900 4436835 SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2G 75.75 76.9 76.6 76.6 76.6 76.6 1000 76600 76 77.5 75.85 75.85 75.85 75.85 134000 10163900 SMC PREF 2H 78.3 78.85 78.3 78.3 78.3 78.3 20650 1616895 SMC PREF 2I

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS GMA HLDG PDR 4.82 4.83 4.8 4.82 4.78 4.82 429000 2058970 -1511710

WARRANTS LR WARRANT 0.6 0.63 0.61 0.61 0.6 0.6 65000 39340

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 13.7 13.76 13.56 13.96 13.3 13.7 812100 11126946 -1541672 1.79 1.81 1.78 1.83 1.77 1.8 1543000 2775770 ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH 5.21 5.3 5.21 5.22 5.2 5.21 15100 78653 1.94 2.14 2.14 2.14 2.14 2.14 5000 10700 MAKATI FINANCE 3.13 3.14 3.19 3.22 3.08 3.14 46298000 145664680 11196040 MERRYMART XURPAS 0.55 0.56 0.57 0.57 0.55 0.56 1304000 726260

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF 92.45 92.5 93.2 93.5 92.5 92.5 9080 842788.5 20448.5

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ACEN to build solar plants in Pampanga, Zambales

A

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

C Energy Philippines Inc. (ACEN) announced two new solar power projects worth P6.2 billion in Central Luzon with an aggregate capacity of up to 150 megawatts (MW).

The first project is a solar plant with up to 75-MW capacity located in Arayat and Mexico, Pampanga.

It is expected to start its power generation in the fourth quarter of next year.

The P3.3-billion solar power project will be jointly undertaken by Acen and Citicore Renewable Energy Corp.,

which has 50-percent economic ownership on the project.

The second project is a 75-MW solar plant worth P2.9 billion. It is located in Palauig, Zambales and expected to reach completion in the first quarter of 2022.

This is fully owned by ACEN and will be in close proximity to the 60-

MW GigaSol Palauig solar plant, which was announced by the company early this year and is currently under construction.

The two solar plants will bring Acen’s total Philippine projects under construction to 480 MW, which includes 330 MW of solar and 150 MW of peaking diesel plants.

“While we are facing significant challenges amidst the current crisis, Acen remains committed to investing in the country and drive renewables expansion,” ACEN President and Chief Executive Officer John Eric T. Francia said. “We take the long view when investing, and we also recognize that investments are very much needed urgently to help reignite the economy and create jobs.

This is the true meaning of sustainable investing,” Francia said.

ACEN said it aspires to be the

largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia, with the goal of reaching 5,000 MW of renewable capacity by 2025.

Meanwhile, the ACEN Executive Committee approved up to P2.2 billion investment into its subsidiaries, Bataan Solar Energy Inc. and Giga Ace 4 Inc. The amount will be used to finance the future investments in clean energy technologies, and for various development activities including securing land, permitting, undertaking project studies, project planning, and procuring and installing equipment available from the new technologies.

The committee also approved the revised land acquisition plan of subsidiary ACE Endevor Inc. to expand for development of power generation and other types of projects, with a total budget of up to P5 billion.

RCBC extends ‘accessible’ financing to MSMEs

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

R

izal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) is eyeing to make financing more accessible by launching a loans marketplace feature on its digital financial inclusion application.

The Yuchengco-led bank said DiskarTech will introduce the said feature to formal and informal workers, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), displaced overseas Filipinos and smallholder farmers and fishers, among others.

RCBC is rolling out this project with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The collaboration is seen helping over 7 million informal and unregistered home-based microbusinesses secure affordable financing.

Apart from this, RCBC and DTI— through DiskarTech's NegosyanTech program—have digitalized over 8 million community-based microenterprises.

The said program was launched in October last year to promote inclusive livelihood and social business.

Sari-sari stores and small business owners will be able to accept digital payments through quick-response

codes with the use of DiskarTech. The payments will be deposited to their DiskarTech savings account which can earn 3.25 percent interest per annum. “We are very much delighted by the warm acceptance of the public of DiskarTech given the exponential number of downloads and high engagement rate,” said RCBC president and CEO Eugene Acevedo.

In a little over a month, RCBC said the local finance app has reached one million downloads.

Recently, the Yuchengco-led bank disclosed that its application to offer offshore noncumulative subordinated additional tier 1 capital securities was greenlighted by the Monetary Board. It is expected to be rated as Ba3 by Moody’s Investor Service.

Credit Suisse was tapped as the sole global coordinator and sole bookrunner of the transaction.

RCBC earlier held off its offshore offering, noting that it was still waiting for the right opportunity to go back to foreign bonds market.

In the first half, the listed bank saw its net income climb by 17 percent to P3.1 billion from P2.66 billion last year because of higher trading gains, which surged by 80.3 percent to P5.9 billion. Provision for potential losses surged by 94 percent to P5.2 billion

QLO borrowers to get free Sun Life insurance

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

S

elect Sun Life of Canada (Philippines) Inc. (Sun Life) insurance products will soon become available to borrowers of Quick Loans Online (QLO), a cost-free and risk-free salary loan facility powered by fintech lending company MR Angel Credit Corp. (MRACC).

In a statement on Wednesday, Sun Life said this initiative aims to make insurance more accessible to Filipinos.

Under the initiative, qualified QLO borrowers will automatically enjoy free Sun Life personal accident insurance with a maximum coverage of P80,000. Once insured, the borrower will be covered for a full year for contingencies such as loss of life, dismemberment, and loss of sight due to accident. The insurance covers various occupations except police, military, naval or air service.

The strategic partnership between Sun Life and MRACC was formalized through a virtual contract signing attended by Sun Life CEO

and Country Head Benedict Sison, Sun Life President Alex Narciso, MRACC CEO and President Mica F. Tan, and MRACC Vice-President Ruth Oquendo.

“We are excited about this tie-up with MRACC under their QLO facility, as it allows us to widen our reach and protect more Filipinos from life’s uncertainties. It’s a step towards Sun Life’s goal of helping Filipinos achieve lifetime financial security,” Sison said. “We thank MRACC for their trust and support.”

MRACC CEO and President Mica F. Tan said this is also in line with their goal to help working Filipinos achieve financial security and peace of mind.

“This tie-up between QLO and Sun Life came at a time when the outbreak was at an unprecedented level. For this reason, it was important for us to find ways to provide free insurance coverage for our borrowers. QLO is not only lending funds in times of emergency—we are also committed to providing safety and security for our borrowers and their loved ones,” Tan said.

as of end-June from P2.68 billion year-on-year.

RCBC shares ended f lat at

mutual funds

P16.40 each amid the 1.86-percent plunge for the benchmark index on Wednesday.

August 19, 2020

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 202.15 -21.4% -10.09% -4.91% -19.73% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.0153 -34.23% -13.81% -5.07% -26.53% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.6965 -32.48% -14.98% -7.39% -26.69% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.6931 -26.39% -11.7% n.a. -22.82% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.6896 -19.33% n.a. n.a.

-18.8% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.3428 -19.05% -8.41% -4.39% -18.5% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.6822 -20.67% -10.82% n.a.

-20.08% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 77.73 -34.63% n.a. n.a.

-24.7% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 40.621 -20.91% -8.72% -3.83% -20.79% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 435.68 -18.93% -7.95% -3.94% -18.23% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 0.9065 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-12% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. - a 1.0291 -21.04% -8.34% -3.55% -20.03% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 30.271 -20.82% -7.86% -3.24% -20.12% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8065 -20.6% n.a. n.a. -20.78% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.1467 -20.48% -8.14% -3.1% -20.61% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 693.21 -20.35% -8.15% -3.29% -20.5% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6178 -32.07% -12.49% -7.47% -27.44% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.2028 -25.33% -9.58% -4.51% -23.91% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.7945 -20.58% -8.34% -3.31% -20.61% United Fund, Inc. -a 2.8954 -21.47% -7.29% -2.78% -20.74% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 93.1188 -20.14% -7.68% -2.46% -20.38% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

$1.0705 17.41% 1.23% 2.69% 4.09% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.5018 19.52% 8.36% n.a.

8.93% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.5762 -6.47% -4.3% -3.1% 0.86% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.0772 -9.71% -4.53% -1.54% -4.76% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.4403 -7.65% -2.99% -2.3% -7.27% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1863 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-18.47% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.8534 -4.86% -1.32% 0.08% -5.52% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.5411 -6.58% -2.25% -0.96% -6.55% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 15.7561 -7.18% -2.59% -1.16% -7.1% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 1.9363 -9.65% -3.79% -1.12% -8.76% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.3166 -14.74% -4.77% -2.41% -14.16% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9555 -6.07% n.a. n.a.

-5.93% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.8607 -14.14% n.a. n.a. -13.62% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.8342 -16.5% n.a. n.a. -16.01% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8206 -17.71% -5.75% -3.32% -15.82% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03929 1.47% 3.12% 2.01% 2.85% 1.84% 2.97% 3.8% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.0505 9.61% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.1198 11.44% 5.9% 5.01% 5.35% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.162 5.31% 3.2% n.a.

2.95% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 368.18 4.15% 3.22% 2.59% 2.86% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9504 2.08% 1.11% -0.02% 2.54% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a

3.1981 4.03% 4.95% 5.02% 2.57% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.3157 4.3% 3.31% 2.39% 4.15% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4627 4.74% 3.64% 2.03% 4.39% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.7113 8.98% 4.92% 2.87% 7.74% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3104 5.83% 4.38% 2.46% 4.27% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.96 5.85% 4.39% 2.27% 4.54% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0462 9.57% 4.1% 1.94% 8.49% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1982 5.51% 5.12% 2.88% 3.99% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7594 4.63% 4.52% 2.36% 3.43% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $478.17 3.29% 2.59% 2.79% 2.09% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є216.97 -1.43% 0.72% 1.06% -1.28% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2392 3.88% 3.1% 2.65% 2.67% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0264 1.93% 1.83% 1.59% 2.33% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0926 -1.15% 0.4% 0.51% -0.09% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.5085 3.66% 3.9% 3.4% 4.37% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0610621 1.57% 2.12% 1.92% 1.26% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.2305 1.54% 2.27% 2.6% 1.74% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 128.76 3.52% 3.28% 2.49% 2.33% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0441 2.34% n.a. n.a.

1.73% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2879 2.94% 3.05% 2.61% 1.81% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0473 1.6% n.a. n.a.

0.87% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.0241 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.95 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-4.04%

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

1 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 2 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 3 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019.

4 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 5 - Launch date is December 09, 2019.

6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund). 7 - Launch date is July 6, 2020.

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

Health&Fitness BusinessMirror

Observe 20-20-20 rule

to avoid dry eye I

By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

f you have been spending a lot of time online, make sure that you take breaks to rest your eyes to lessen the risk of developing dry eye.

Mayoclinic.org defines dry eye as a condition where your tears are unable to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes. This is due to an unstable tear film which causes a wide variety of symptoms, visual impairment and is sometimes accompanied by ocular surface damage.

Dr. Keshia Lourdes DuyongcoLenon, Cornea, External Diseases and Refractive Surgery Consultant at the Eye and Vision Institute of The Medical City, explained that the tear film is made of three components. The first component is the lipid or oil which is produced by the meibomian glands found in the upper and lower eyelids. These glands prevent tear evaporation.

The second component is aqueous or water which is mainly secreted by the lacrimal gland. It is made up largely of tear film and nourishes the cornea or the front

part of the eye. The third component is the mucin or adhesive which is responsible for the adherence of tears to the eye. This is vital to the wettability of the ocular surface.

“A deficiency in one or more of the tear’s components can lead to an unstable tear film or dry eye disease,” Dr. Duyongco-Lenon explained. “The symptoms of dry eye may include tried eyes, eye heaviness and discomfort, eye pain, foreign body or sandy sensation, a fluctuating vision, eye redness, tearing, light sensitivity and eye itching.”

There are several risk factors for dry eye. For age and gender, dry eye is more common in people aged 50 years old or older and it affects more women than men and the risk is further increased during menopause. Certain eye conditions also contribute to getting the ailment like the prolonged use of contact

lenses, meibomian gland dysfunction which can cause evaporative dry eye and usually occurs with advancing age and eye surgeries such as cataract, laser refractive surgery.

Certain medications can also lead to dry eye and they include antihistamines and decongestants, blood pressure control agents and anti-anxiety medications. Medical conditions like diabetes, thyroid disease and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis are also known to cause dry eye.

“Prolonged screen time or visual display terminal use is a major risk factor for dry eye. That’s because during screen time, insufficient blinking and increased tear evaporation occur,” Dr. Duyongco-Lenon explained. “Exposure to windy, smoky and warm environments can increase tear evaporation and prolonged exposure to air-conditioned rooms can also cause dry eye.”

Dry eye is a chronic disease which can be managed by both medical and lifestyle interventions. To identify the interventions needed, Dr. Duyongco-Lenon said it is important to identify and modify all risk factors. By identifying what is lacking in the tear film and assessing the severity, an appropriate treatment strategy can be formulated.

There are procedures that can address certain types of dry eye.

An example of this is the application of punctal plugs to retain the aqueous tears in the eye. Another procedure is Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) for meibomian gland dysfunction where the IPL stimulates the production from the meibomian glands to prevent tear evaporation.

“The best way to prevent dry eye is the identification and modification of risk factors. For example, cutting down on screen time by observing the ‘20-20-20’ rule can go a long way for dry eye prevention,” Dr. Duyungco-Lenon explained.

“The ‘20-20-20’ rule involves taking a 20 second break for every 20 minutes of screen time by looking at something 20 feet away. This prevents dry eye not only but digital eye strain as well.”

If you have already been diagnosed to have dry eye, it is important to adhere to the prescribed dry eye medication and to follow its recommended schedule.

“Alongside medical treatment, lifestyle interventions such as eating a healthy diet, observing the ‘20-20-20’ rule, avoiding direct and prolonged eye exposure to sunlight, wind, and air currents and modifying your workstation should be practiced,” Dr. Duyongco-Lenon said.

Lawmakers urged to ensure enough funding for health-care laws

H

By Roderick L. Abad

EALTH industry stakeholders have asked Congress to guarantee adequate funding for the enforcement of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law and National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA) amid the Covid-19 crisis.

“We cannot wait until this pandemic is completely over in order to revive the economy.

With public health and the economy in the balance, the way forward is for government to utilize the next year’s budget to reform the country’s health-care system, strengthen social protection, and provide the muchneeded enabling regulatory environment coupled with transparency and accountability measures,” Prof. Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase ADR Institute (ADRi), said during a recent virtual town hall discussion they organized with CitizenWatch Philippines and Cancer Coalition of the Philippines.

According to Dr. Clarito U. Cairo Jr., program manager of the National Integrated Cancer Control of the Department of Health (DOH), the 2021 proposed budget of P542 million

for cancer assist ance under the NICCA is still waiting for approval of the Department of Budget Management (DBM).

The allocated amount will fund the Expanded Breast Cancer Medicines Access Program (P321.6 million), Expanded Childhood Cancer Medicines Access Program (P80 million), Early Cervical Cancer Detection Access Program Using HPV DNA Test (P28 million), Gynecologic Cancer Medicines Access Program (P20 million), Early Colorectal Cancer Detection Access Program (P16.5 million), Medicines Access Program for Blood Cancers (P49.989 million), Thyroid Cancer Treatment and Surveillance Access Program (P1.104 million, and Palliative and Hospice Care Medicines Access Program (P25 million).

“If you take the case of a breast cancer patient with HER2-positive subtype which usually requires 18 cycles of chemotherapy costing around P500,000, the proposed budget will only treat a little over 1,000 patients,” he said, while citing that this is not enough to cover the 24,798 new breast cancer cases recorded in the country two years ago based on the World Health Organization-International

Agency for Research on Cancer.

Citing the 2018 data from the DOH, Cairo added that “there are 110,000 new cases diagnosed yearly and the death toll from cancer for both adults and children is about 66,000 Filipinos per year. Increasing the budget for cancer assistance will decrease the mortality especially of the poor patients.”

With regards to the UHC, Congress has appropriated P71.35 billion—less than half of the original allocation request of P153 billion—for the implementation of the law this year aimed at providing health insurance benefits to all 104 million Filipinos.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

(PhilHealth), however, moved the enforcement of UHC to mid-2021 since its 2020 premium collection declined by 90 percent due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Former Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, prime proponent of the UHC and NICCA while he was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, supported the full funding and execution of the law.

“I will not allow any delay in the implementation of this law [UHC] since this will be

a disservice to the Filipino people. This is a landmark law which should start to benefit all Filipinos,” he said. “I will also appeal to our former colleagues to support the needed budget of the NICC Act. It’s been more than a year since this law was passed; it is now high time to push for its gradual implementation.”

Quezon City 5th District Rep. Alfred Vargas also expressed his support for the funding for both laws, saying that “I am here to reiterate my undying support to the public health sector.

As one of the principal sponsors of NICCA, we have approached DBM and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano regarding the funds needed to cover our costs.”

Cancer Coalition of the Philippines President Paul Perez urged the DBM and Congress to ensure that adequate funds are allocated for cancer control as required under Section 32 of the NICCA which states that the amount should be included in the General appropriations Act. House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairman Rep. Paul Ruiz Daza pointed out that there are still other many laws that were passed in the past years that have yet to be funded and need to be prioritized.

Thursday, August 20, 2020 B3

D.O.H. tells public to exercise caution on COVID-19 posts

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

W

hile acknowledging the suggestions of various stakeholders in presenting Covid-19 data, the Department of Health (DOH) has reminded the public to be cautious and discerning of “analyses” being posted in various social-media platforms for some may be inaccurate.

As Covid-19 cases soared to 169,213 on Tuesday, the DOH clarified the post of a known political strategist on Covid-19 data presentation circulating on social media.

The DOH said that for reliable data, the public may refer to the DOH web site where the current Covid-19 tracker includes data analysis and presentations through a visual dashboard.

“We believe this is essential in improving public discourse and citizen engagement. It is important, however, to clarify certain terminologies so as not to cause unnecessary confusion,” the DOH said in a statement.

The post showed “how Covid-19 cases should be reported” and even encouraged people to “share” the post.

“In this statement, we clarify the following terms/concepts: Negative and Positive Rates, Death Rate, Mortality Rate, and the ‘Chances of Not Dying of Covid19,’” the DOH said, stressing that the agency utilizes set terminologies based on “globally-accepted standards and formulae.”

Testing Data

The DOH said testing data can refer to either the number of tests done or the number of individuals who were tested.

“The number cited in the post was actually referring to the number of individuals tested based on DOH data and not the number of tests done,” the DOH said.

Meanwhile, the Positivity Rate, referred to as the “Positive Rate” in the post is the proportion of individuals tested who become positive via confirmatory testing.

The total individuals tested in the DOH tracker includes individuals who tested either as negative or positive. Thus, the “Negative Rate” can be derived by subtracting the “Positive Rate” from 100.

Total Deaths

Death Rate or Mortality Rate is computed with total deaths as numerator, the population as the denominator, and a given multiplier. It is expressed as follows: number of deaths per 100,000 population.

According to DOH, the “death rate as percent of positive tests is more correctly termed Case Fatality Rate or the percent of cases who died. This is computed with deaths among cases as numerator, the number of cases [confirmed Covid-19 cases] as the denominator, and a multiplier of 100.”

Mortality rate was computed by the political analyst in the social media as 0.002 percent but the DOH said it “should be presented as a rate, ie: 2.43 deaths per 100,000 population.”

“We would also like to clarify that mortality rates may refer to ‘All Causes’ Mortality Rates which will include all causes of deaths in its numerator and ‘Cause-specific’ Mortality Rates which will only include deaths from a specific cause of death, such as Covid-19. The mortality shown in the post is a Covid-19 specific Mortality Rate.”

On the other hand, the “Chances of Not Dying of Covid-19” was computed by subtracting the case mortality rate from 100 percent.

“This is incorrect. In epidemiological terms, ‘chance’ refers to what factors increased or decreased the chances or the likelihood of a case from having a specific outcome, in other words, who will die versus the other cases. The 99.9 percent reported here takes into account those who have never contracted Covid-19 and not just those who already recovered or are still active.”

While some of the computations from the post are incorrect, the DOH stressed it is accurate to say that most of our cases are mild and that there are relatively fewer deaths compared to other countries.

“We encourage the public to be cautious and discerning of ‘analyses’ being posted in various social-media platforms. You may refer to the DOH web site where the current DOH Covid-19 tracker includes data analysis and presentations through a visual dashboard,” the DOH emphasized.

SM Foundation donates more ventilators to hospitals nationwide

Novartis partners with De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute to establish Center of Excellence for Clinical Trials

N

ovartis Healthcare Philippines and De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to establish a Center of Excellence for Clinical Trials that will focus on research and development of innovative medicines and vaccines. The agreement also aims to enhance the capability of DLSMHSI as a Center of Excellence in clinical studies and research in the country.

“Our partnership with DLSMHSI is part of our continuing commitment to strengthen the country’s clinical research capabilities and enhance Philippine health care. We believe that health-care research will play a key role in containing the Covid-19 pandemic and creating a more resilient health-care system,” said Jugo Tsumura, President and Managing Director of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

“We welcome our collaboration with Novartis to conduct clinical trials across communicable and noncommunicable diseases.

Although the signing of this MOA was delayed for many months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, today’s formalization of our collaboration is a testament to our resilience and commitment to work together in strengthening clinical research in the country,” said Dr. Charles Yu, DLSMHSI Vice Chancellor for Research.

The participants during the virtual MOA signing (from top left, clockwise): Br. Augustine Boquer, president, DLSMHSI; Jugo Tsumura, country president and managing director, Novartis Healthcare Philippines; Dr. Gio Barangan, chief scientific officer, Novartis Healthcare Philippines; and Dr. Charles Yu, vice chancellor for research, DLSMHSI.

Located in Dasmariñas City, Cavite, DLSMHSI is one of the country’s leading academic and health-care institutions, with world-class medical specialists and global clinical trial capabilities. De La Salle University Medical Center, a DLSMHSI division, is the largest tertiary hospital in Region 4A and the first ISO 9001 certified hospital in the Philippines.

In previous years, Novartis has partnered with several hospitals in Metro Manila to establish similar Centers of Excellence. The company’s

MOA with DLSMHSI marks the first time it has partnered with a hospital outside the National Capital Region to establish a Center of Excellence for Clinical Trials.

“Our partnership with a research-driven health-care company such as Novartis is aligned with the Lasallian core values.

DLSMHSI aims to provide opportunities for the training and development of the staff as competent, compassionate, and ethical healthcare providers. We want to continuously

improve health-care services through research and the use of state-of-the-art facilities and technology,” said Br. Augustine Boquer FSC, EdD, President of DLSMHSI. The De La Salle Angelo King Medical Research Center (DLSAKMRC) is DLSMHSI’s medical and health research hub. It produces groundbreaking researches that aim to offer solutions to national health concerns such as TB, dengue, cancer, and other health issues.

It has a Level 3 accreditation from the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board, the highest accreditation level that the PHREB grants to Research Ethics Committees in research institutions, which enables it to conduct studies for Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) registration of food, drugs, and devices.

The center also advocates for the integration of evidence-based complementary and integrative medicine in health care.

Under the MOA, Novartis will prioritize DLSMHSI as a site for its clinical research projects that will be conducted in the Philippines while DLSMHSI will consider Novartis as a preferred research partner. Clinical research activities will focus on the following areas: innovative research, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), institutional review board capacity building, registry development, and health technology assessment (HTA).

Calamba Doctors Hospital in Laguna

S

M Foundation Inc. (SMFI) donated 25 ICU-grade ventilators to hospitals with high Covid-19 cases across the country, as part of its continuing Covid-19 response.

This additional donation of ventilators will help augment each hospital’s capacity to manage severe Covid-19 cases, particularly with patients who require intubation.

The hospital recipients include Tarlac Provincial Hospital, Calamba Doc-

tors Hospital, General Emilio Aguinaldo Hospital, Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital, West Visayas Medical Center, Cebu South Medical Center, Zamboanga City Medical Center, Northern Mindanao Medical Center, and other government hospitals.

To date, SM has donated almost P400 million in essential medical supplies, equipment, RT-PCR testing, and assistance to help national efforts in the fight against Covid-19.

B4

Show BusinessMirror

Thursday, August 20, 2020 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Labor rep calls film workers idiots

I

BY JOEL SARACHO

T was a scene straight out of a comedy of errors.

But nobody’s laughing.

A labor party-list representative called film workers “idiots� while in a subcommittee hearing on the Eddie Garcia Bill. A response to the fatal accident that befell the screen icon while taping a drama series last year, the bill seeks to create occupational and safety standards for the film and television entertainment industry.

Industry workers and leaders actively participated in the public hearings. Among the attendees from the entertainment sectors were representatives from the film and television industry, the Inter-Guild Alliance (IGA) and the FDCP (Film Development Council of the Philippines).

It took five versions and several long meetings before the bill was approved in the subcommittee level. It will now move to the main committee (Labor) before the bicameral session.

But much like in a teleserye, there has to be a villain, a kontabida, to provide dramatic tension.

This time, it came from, ironically, a labor party-list representative who called the industry people idiots without realizing his microphone was not on mute.

One of the major contentious issues is work hours. Industry representatives said a eight- to 12hour work schedule is not realistic for an industry that requires long hours for ingress, set-up and egress with several scenes to shoot in between.

Industry workers are pushing for a maximum of 16 hours.

But Rep. Ray Mendoza, who is presiding over the hearing, recommended that such matters be discussed in the tripartite council that will be formed after the bill has passed into law. Mendoza argued the existing labor laws cannot be tampered with to serve one sector. It is best, he said, that these matters be discussed in the tripartite council and be made part of the implementing rules and regulations.

The industry speakers, consisting mostly of the members of the Inter-Guild Alliance and the FDCP plus stakeholders in the entertainment industry, expectedly pressed their points. And the discussion on the provision dragged to over an hour.

Just as the parties were coming to an agreement, a voice, which sounded exasperated and angry, was heard form the unmuted microphone: “[Mendoza] is pandering to these idiots.... These are idiots from the films industry. My God!�

The comment came from Cong. Luis Corral, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Party-List Representative. A brief silence ensued.

Rep. Christopher de Venecia, cochairman of the subcommittee, moved for a one-minute break that lasted to over 10 minutes as, presumably, tempers had to be checked.

When session resumed, Rep. Mendoza (also from TUCP) apologized profusely before calling on Corral who said, “I am mortified and very embarrassed.�

Corral said he didn’t know his mic was not on mute.

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Misha Collins, 46; Amy Adams, 46; Billy Gardell, 51; Al Roker, 66.

He reiterated his commitment to support he film industry and “hope we can move forward.�

The participants accepted the apology, but not without addressing the faux pax.

Mackie Galvez of the Liga ng Sinematograpong Filipino said the entertainment industry is complicated enough to understand, and the hearing was one occasion for its intricacies to be discussed and understood by policy-makers. This was echoed

by Mara Marasigan, spokesman of the IGA, who said industry workers join the deliberation “because we want a safer place for our community.�

Rez Cortez, current head of the Mowelfund and known for his anti-villain roles, said he didn’t know there were villains in the TUCP, too: “Meron din palang kontrabida sa TUCP.â€? Liza DiĂąo of the FDCP also asked the congressmen to be more patient and understanding.

But Corral has not heard the end of it. In Facebook, lawyer-producer Joji Alonso immediately posted a screencap of Corral’s picture with scathing words: “Your apology was obviously perfunctory. You had to apologize because you forgot that your microphone was not muted and everyone in attendance heard you.� The post generated various reactions, with actress and director Laurice Guillen coming up with a tongue-in-cheek: “Who is this unfortunate man?�

Moving forward, Rep. De Venecia ended the episode with these words: “There is no place in this committee for that kind of language.�

And Corral was booted out of the meeting. â–

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take a deep breath, and stay focused on what you have to accomplish. Keep close tabs on your health and your emotional well-being. Put your energy to good use, and maintain balance and composure when dealing with others. ★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A change will encourage you to do things differently. Look over your options, and do your best to reduce stress and anxiety. You have everything to gain if you are straightforward and focus on what’s important to you. Romance is favored. ★★★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t leave anything to chance. Look at what’s unfolding, and take care of personal business yourself instead of relying on others. Someone will misinterpret what you say or use emotional manipulation to get his or her way.

Be abrupt, and get things done. ★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Spend more time with someone you love. Work through differences, and figure out a way to make your life better. An opportunity will put you in an excellent position to make a good move. Embrace change, and see what happens. ★★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Get the lowdown before you make a move. It’s essential to have a solid plan in place before you take on additional tasks. Listen to suggestions, and you’ll find a way to keep everyone interested in working with you to achieve your goal. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Do your best to help. Offer support, advice and experience to organizations, peers and your community, and be part of the solution. Refuse to let something stand between you and doing what’s right. ★★★

â?ś

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take pride in what you do, and don’t stop until you finish what you start. Your input, imagination and desire to do what’s right and best for everyone will encourage you to make changes that will improve your life. Romance is featured. ★★★★

Kyle Decampong and Nina Malveda traveled all the way from Metro Manila on July 31 to experience SM Cinema’s Drive-In at the SM City Pampanga Amphitheater.

Cinema’s Drive-In, customers watch Train to Busan: Peninsula in the comforts of their parked cars with the Pampanga Eye, the country’s tallest and biggest Ferris wheel in the background.

â?ˇ YOUNG couple

â?¸ AT SM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Set priorities to ensure you use your time wisely this year. You have plenty to gain if you are persistent and open to new concepts and technology. Implement personal updates as well.

Freshen up your appearance to reflect what’s trending and what will help you market yourself for projects you want to pursue. Aim to please. Your numbers are 8, 14, 26, 28, 33, 41, 44.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Push forward with poise. Stand tall, be bold and let your thoughts be known. A change you make will be well-received and help you launch something you’ve always wanted to pursue. ★★★

â?ś IATF safety

protocols like social distancing and thermal scanning are practiced as guests enjoy the newest out-of-home entertainment experience.

â?ˇ

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be careful what you say. Someone will be quick to twist your words around or offer misleading information that will push you in the wrong direction.

Stick close to home, and channel your energy into making home and personal improvements. ★★

â?¸

Drive-in movie experience gets makeover ALL roads recently led to the SM City Pampanga as film enthusiasts filled its designated parking lot for the premiere launch of SM Cinema’s DriveIn at the mall’s amphitheater. They were all eager to experience watching a movie under the stars from the comfort of their own cars in the new normal. And it seems they all enjoyed SM Cinema’s #SafeAndFunMovieWatching experience. “My SM drive-in cinema experience was great,� says Kapampangan beauty queen and broadcast journalist Nicolette Henson-Hizon. “Thank you SM City Pampanga for giving us a fun, memorable and out-of-home movie experience while ensuring the safety of everyone amid the pandemic. Kudos for pioneering this in the country.�

Bajong Pangilinan of North Boys, whose members

include award-winning actor Allen Dizon, said that the group “was happy about the good service at the Drive-In movie. Young movie enthusiasts drove all the way from Manila for the experience. A young couple celebrating their anniversary said, “It’s a first in the Philippines, so I wanted to part of history.�

After the screening of Train to Busan: Peninsula, viewers were happy about the experience. “Instead of watching Netflix at home, everything should be here,� said one movie lover in a GMA TV interview, while another said that it was a “nice experience. A good alternative for the new normal.�

The SM Cinema Drive-In is open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at the SM City Pampanga Amphitheater. Current films showing are Train 2 Busan: Peninsula and My Spy.

Entry to the SM Cinema Drive-In will start at 4:30 pm. There will be one movie screening per day, and the movie will start at 6:45 pm. All tickets must be purchased online in advance. Each ticket costs P400 per person, and this already includes a Snack Time bundle consisting of bottled water, regular-sized popcorn, and beef franks.

For the best movie-viewing experience, two persons are allowed per vehicle with a maximum of four persons. To optimize the viewing experience for all our guests, each vehicle will be assigned their parking spots upon arrival depending on the size of their cars. Traffic marshals will assist guests and direct them to their designated spot.

More information is available at www.smtickets.com/ sm-drive-in-cinema.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ll be right on the mark when it comes to negotiations or dealing with financial, legal or medical issues. A decision you make with someone you love will lead to a healthier, happier home environment. ★★★★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Slow down, go over what’s transpired and rethink your strategy before moving forward. Relive what’s happened, and figure out how you can prevent repeating history. Anger will not help settle a pending problem, but a reasonable solution will. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Emotions will surface and, if channeled correctly, can be used to your advantage. Show how passionate you are about your beliefs, concerns and prospects, and you will get the respect and support you need to excel. Romance is encouraged. ★★★ BIRTHDAY BABY: You are reliable, persuasive and proactive.

You are smart and resourceful.

‘repeat viewings’ BY ANDREW RIES AND CAITLIN REID The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 “Oh, shoot!�

7 2020 Zoom event: Abbr.

10 Pro column entry 14 Swiss home 15 Debt’s ink color 16 Colorado-to-Missouri direction 17 Double feature about burglars and a French bachelor?

19 Cuisine with many curries 20 Pomeranian sounds 21 Word on a penny 22 Interrupt 23 Double feature about a creepy hotel and a kicking child?

25 Lake that straddles a Western state border 28 It means everything 29 Breakfast sandwich meat 30 Neighbor of Lanai 32 Many a godmother 36 Double feature about a soldier and a patriotic barber?

39 Tamper (with) 40 Subway branch 41 “Itsy ___ Spider�

42 McMullin of politics 44 Sired, biblically 45 Double feature about baseball and Saharan treasure?

50 Composition of “The Squad� in Congress 51 Gather in 52 Fence entrance 56 Cosmetics giant 57 Double feature about a talk show host and an after-hours barista?

59 Makes after expenses 60 Long, long ___ 61 Brennan of Clue 62 Former TV show about a singing club 63 Web portal since 1995 64 Commonly donated substance DOWN 1 Like a lovelorn heart 2 “Easy now!�

3 Accessibility aid 4 Charitable relief 5 Peg with a concave top 6 Lip warmer, for short 7 Numbered set in a golf bag

8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 33 34 35 37 38 43 44 45 46 47

Ritzy abode ___ to Joy Porky’s paramour Actress Christine Bolt of great speed?

Jellyfish injury Spike behind a camera Victor Blackwell’s channel Collette of Hereditary “Sign me up!�

Hardly risque Unreturned serves Natural good judgment (Pow!) Major streets in small towns ___ Taylor (clothing chain) Until Prepare for a baby, say Have a taste of Familial group “Ri-i-ight�

Moving wheels?

Toy Story 4 shepherd Nasal voice quality Dumpy digs Overplay a role

48 49 52 53 54 55 57 58

Tip one’s hand Breakfast bit ___ monster (poisonous lizard) Grows older Those people Decade Volcano in Sicily Quick flight?

It means nothing

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Parentlife BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Thursday, August 20, 2020

B5

CLOCKWISE: Top K-drama offerings on Netflix include Secret Garden, Inheritors, Chicago Typewriter and Uncontrollably Fond.

Almost half of teens who date experience stalking and harassment

BY EMILY ROTHMAN Boston University FALLING in love for the first time can be a thrill, and teen dating is important to adolescent development. But according to the results of a study that my research team recently conducted, these early forays into romance often veer into unhealthy territory.

As many as 48 percent of 12- to 18-year-olds who describe themselves as having had a dating partner in the past year have also experienced dating-related stalking and harassment.

Not only can dating-related stalking and harassment cause anxiety and depression in teens, but it can also be a harbinger for more serious forms of abuse should the relationship continue.

Our study collected self-reported survey data from 320 adolescents from across the US through the Survey on Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence. Youths with dating experience were asked whether a dating partner had ever spied on or followed them, damaged something that belonged to them or gone through their online accounts. Nearly half—48 percent—said that they had experienced one or more of these behaviors, while 43 percent said that they had done these things to someone who they were dating.

Disturbingly, these statistics suggest that surveilling or acting aggressively toward a crush or partner isn’t just common among teenagers.

They may also think it’s normal or acceptable.

Due to inexperience, adolescents may not recognize when they’re being treated poorly.

And, because they’re still developing, they may not know how to handle a situation in which someone’s attention is overwhelming or scaring them. It can be difficult for young people to know what constitutes healthy and unhealthy romantic pursuit, as well. Meanwhile, their media and social media diets don’t necessarily feature ideal relationship role models.

It’s important for teenagers to hear from adults that it isn’t normal to constantly want to know what their partner is up to and that monitoring their social media posts or going into their private accounts is invasive—before, during and after a relationship.

I find that parents tend to have one of two extreme reactions to the idea of their teens dating for the first time. There’s the “over my dead body” reaction, which usually means they forbid their children from dating altogether. Or there’s the “aw, puppy love is so cute” response, in which they don’t dig too deeply into the contours of the relationship.

A third option is for parents to appreciate the ways in which dating is normal and helpful for the development of social skills; for example, dating can give teens practice ending relationships, which can give them the confidence to get into and out of intimate partnerships in adulthood. At the same time, there’s a role for parents: Pay attention to what’s going on, and be there to guide them if there are signs that a relationship is becoming unhealthy. THE CONVERSATION ■ Eva Bahrami, Nnenna Okeke and Elizabeth Mumford of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago contributed to this research.

What’s your ‘K-tharsis’?: Part II

L

AST week, I shared the first batch of my K-drama recommendations on the topic of self. This week, I will continue on with my “K-thartic” reflections on love, relationships and society.

LOVE ■ Encounter—(Park Bo-gum, Song Hye-kyo) Viu ■ The Time We Were Not in Love—(Lee Jin-wook, Ha Ji-won) Dramacool ■ Secret Garden—(Hyun Bin, Ha Ji-won) Netflix ■ A Millionaire’s First Love—(Hyun Bin, Lee Yeonhee) Dramacool ■ My Suspicious Partner/Love in Trouble—(Ji Changwook, Nam Ji-hyeon) Viu Admittedly, I only watch K-dramas with a love angle. A lot of them are about first love, unrequited love or tacit affection. I realized how my idealism on this topic still exists despite my age. I cried so much watching A Millionaire’s First Love and Encounter.

As much as people say you never end up with your first love, I am still grateful that it was a sweet memory for me. From tons of snail mails, long distance calls, surprise gifts and pranks in school, these were four years of my high school life that, as my best friend would say, I still put on a pedestal. I would always tell my daughter that I wish her first love to be this pure and rooted in friendship. It was so funny when I actually introduced him to my daughter in our high school reunion last year.

While watching The Time We Were Not In Love, it

made me feel thankful that my husband and I share that deep of a friendship in our marriage. I like how I find comfort in all our laughs, our adventures and even in our arguments. I remember writing in my past column entry “Diary of a Mom With No Limits: My Kismet” (June 6, 2018): “Thank you for being my rock! Thank you for always supporting my dreams, taking care of our family and having my back no matter what. Like in the movie Me Before You, you’re that someone who sees my worth more than I ever can. And for this, I’m forever grateful for My Kismet.”

RELATIONSHIPS ■ Crash Landing On You—(Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin) Netflix ■ Inheritors—(Lee Min-ho, Park Shin-hye) Netflix ■ A Piece of Your Mind—(Jung Hae-in, Chae Soo-bin) Viu ■ Moment to Remember—(Jung Woo-sung, Son Yejin) Dramacool ■ Uncontrollably Fond—(Kim Woo-bin, Bae Suzy) Netflix Many say we are a product of our life relationships.

Our memories with our family, friends and significant people around us mold our view of life. Crash Landing On You and The Heirs were spot-on in identifying the value of relationships over wealth. The Heirs puts it in a simple question: What is your crown? Wealth, fame or love? I also can’t help but remember the people who have gone ahead but has truly steered me to be the person I am today. Below was my entry after watching A Piece of Your Mind: “‘See you tomorrow’... After hearing this line from the series, I felt so much sadness and longing for people who have gone before me. It is a different feeling from before of wanting to die so young so I could leave. Today, I bear the longing to stay with joy for the life they have guided me to have today. I miss Sakopo [Grand Aunt], Manang Eyang [my nanny], Angkong [Grandfather] and Amah [Grandmother] so much. I am so grateful God granted me precious time with them.

“When I see you again, I would like to hug you so tight and say an even bigger thank you for never once leaving my side even when you were gone. I promise to live the life of love you taught me. I promise to be that person whom you would be proud to call your daughter, Sakopo and Manang Eyang. I became a teacher because of both of you. I have become patient in life because of the patience you have shared to a forgetful girl who just wanted to not be ‘adopted.’

“See you tomorrow. I love you very very much.”

Moment to Remember and Uncontrollably Fond both depicted middle-aged characters losing their memory.

In the latter, Jun-Yong would lose his memory intermittently during his last days. He would forget even the people he loves. I wish when I leave this Earth that I may be able to say my proper goodbyes to the people I love. I hope that if ever I do lose my memory, my kids can relate my life to me.

SOCIETY ■ Descendants of the Sun—(Song Joong-ki, Song Hyekyo) Netflix ■ Chicago Typewriter—(Yoo Ah-in, Im Soo-jung) Netflix ■ It’s Okay, That’s Love—(Jo In-sung, Gong Hyo-jin) Netflix ■ Chocolate—(Yoon Kye-sang, Ha Ji-won) Netflix ■ A Poem a Day—(Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Yu-bi) Viu I enjoy watching how detailed the depictions are on real-life professions in K-dramas. I especially like how they explain specific medical fields like neurology (Chocolate), psychology (It’s Okay, That’s Love) and even physical therapy (A Poem a Day). Definition of technical terms would even appear to educate the viewer. I also got educated a lot more on mental illness and the psychological conditions people face caused by past traumas. I wish for myself and our society to be more emphatic, accepting and more encouraging to people who face these conditions.

Last but not the least, K-dramas also made me even more grateful to the frontliners who sacrifice their lives during this pandemic.

Happy K-drama viewing, everyone. ■

❶ AIRism Sheet ❷ AIRism Pillow Cover

❸ AIRISM Bra Sleeveless Top

❹ KIDS AIRism

A new way of everyday comfort

❶

❸

❷

WITH the global health crisis that the coronavirus pandemic has wrought, more families are heeding the advice of medical professionals and scientists to continue sheltering in place.

The Japanese global apparel retailer Uniqlo (www.uniqlo.com/ ph) has not only released a new collection of stylish and easy clothing but also expanded the product range of its popular AIRism brand. The expanded product range now a full line-up of bedsheets and pillow covers.

This season, Uniqlo showcases the complete range of its AIRism collection, with pieces for men, women, kids and the home.

Found in the whole collection is exceptional innovation, which wicks away moisture and releases heat to give maximum comfort and cooling.

Combining clothing

technology and fabrics, the collection is made to be worn all day, for whatever task lies ahead.

The fabrics features in this collection include AIRism Cotton and AIRism UV Cut. Found in Men’s Crew Neck Shirts, Men’s Tank Top and Women’s Ribbed Bra Sleeveless Top, the AIRism Cotton is a dual layer material with cotton on the outside and AIRism on the inside. It combines the quick drying properties of AIRism and moisture absorbency and release of cotton. In addition, the AIRism UV Cut found in items such as the Women’s AIRism UV Cut Mesh Long Sleeve Hoodie blocks 90 percent of UV rays. Perfect for everyday life, the Uniqlo AIRism collection gives a new way of comfort.

Kids, meanwhile, get to say goodbye to the stuffy or sticky feeling in a humid environment.

Pieces like the AIRism UV cut mesh hoodie feature basic cuts in AIRism cotton blend, which can quickly dry sweat as they stay active.

And homemakers have even more reason to delight in the new Uniqlo AIRism range: Make your stay at home comfortable with its lightweight and breathable bedding, perfect for hot and humid weather.

The bedsheets, pillow covers and duvet covers will be available for single, semidouble, double, king and queen size beds. These are cool to the touch, moisture-wicking and feature a quick-drying property that stays smooth and dry. The color options include White, Grey, Dark Brown and Pink. The AIRism bed sheets, pillow covers and duvets will come to market by late August in the Philippines.

UV Protection Long Sleeve Mesh Hoodies

❹

B6 Thursday, August 20, 2020

Park, shop, and get sanitized at SM Alaska Fortified Ironkids goes virtual on its 10th anniversary

O

NE of the most anticipated kids triathlon events, Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS, adapts to the times as it introduces an all-digital running program for its 10th year anniversary, amid the pandemic.

“It’s time we bring Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS to new heights, and at the same time adapt our current situation right now,” shares Princess Galura, General Manager for Sunrise Events, Inc. a part of the IRONMAN Group. “Having an all-digital run program means we are able to bring the race to more kids, ranging from 4 to 16 years old, either beginners or trained runners. This is a good opportunity for the kids to jump start their journey to a healthier lifestyle, even without going outside. For the existing IRONKIDS, it’s a good program to continue their development in the sport.”

“We are grateful to be pioneering this first all-digital run program of IRONKIDS, with Sunrise Events. It has always been the vision of Alaska to be able to provide nutrition to kids with the support of an active lifestyle platform like Ironkids,” shares Harvey Uong, Managing Director of Alaska Milk Corporation.

Over the years, Alaska Fortified has been fueling hundreds of kids to kickoff and continue their journey to a healthier lifestyle. Alaska IRONKIDS has always been a stepping stone for young kids who wish to give running a shot for a healthier lifestyle, and those who aspire to pursue longer distances and professional races in the future. Taking his year’s race further, Pinoy pride triathlon champion, August Benedicto, together with global triathlon Aussie champs Dimity Lee Duke and Tim Reed, will be sharing their expertise and insights to help the kids train.

The 3-month journey began with registration on August 10 at IRONKIDSphil. com/KEEPFITATHOME, and continues until October 23.

Kids between 6 to 14, may register for 1KM, 1.5KM, 2KM or 3KM run, and will be clustered per age group.

Participants may register per race, or in discounted packaged rates for 5 events and 10 events Participants will be given the weekend

to complete the distance they registered for.

Then participants will have to log their best times on a specific link provided.

There will be a choice of how and where the kids may run. If equipped with VR tools, kids may run and submit necessary results.

Participants may use a treadmill, or may do an actual run within their location, provided it is aligned to their local government’s rules and regulations on quarantine.

Leaderboard will be published after every weekend.

Providing support for our participants, Sunrise Events, Inc., in partnership with Alaska Fortified, is publishing weekly webisodes all about training and fitness, carefully crafted by the Filipino Ironwoman, Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS race director, Coach Ani de Leon - Brown.

Coach Ani de Leon-Brown will be teaching our kids easy exercise routines in the morning on August 22 and October 3, as well as IRONKIDS training tips for swimming and running on September 5 and October 17, respectively.

The triathlete champs and participants will also be joining the webisodes. August Benedicto and Sam Betten will be talking about run training on September 26 and October 10; and Dimity Lee Duke to talk about biking on September 19.

On August 29, nutritionists, together with Alaska Fortified, will be talking about the importance of nutrition and milk during breakfast.

These webisodes will be housed in the Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS Facebook

and Youtube pages.

Apart from the webisodes, there will be weekly live sessions on Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS Facebook page talking about various topics about adjusting to the new normal and everything to help the parents and kids to cope, and maintain healthy living.

On August 14, a triathlon family will talk about home workouts, while on October 2, activities for families in the new normal.

There will also be topics on homeschooling and kids’ nutrition on August 28 and September 25, respectively.

Members of the Alaska Aces team will be joining a live session to talk about starting sports at a young age on September 11; and on October 16, join Princess Galura of Sunrise Events, Inc., as we take the ride down memory lane to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS and talk about the future or kids races.

These sessions will be hosted by Ironman mainstays, Chiqui Reyes and Dexter Santos.

Visit the facebook.com/IRONKIDSphil for more details.

To top up all the webisodes and live sessions that Alaska Fortified and Sunrise Events, Inc. will be providing a library of instructional videos to help your kids jumpstart their running journey. There will be videos on how to do proper warm-up, stretches, and core-strengthening exercises.

For more information, visit the Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS Website IRONKIDSphil. com/KEEPFITATHOME, stay tuned on facebook.com/IRONKIDSphil and follow Instagram @IRONKIDSphil.

DOOH Ph launches the biggest, tallest digital billboard screen, calls for unity amid this trying time

The GA Tower–Our Lady of Guadalupe Billboard–had a soft launch on August 19.

T

HE lockdown could be the craziest thing that happened for many Filipinos -- and definitely for the rest of the human race -- for disrupting our normal activities. But there's always a silver lining behind this crisis: we all learn together to make do with what we have, live simply and love & look for the well-being of every member of the family.

"More than anything else, all we need now is healing and prayer for everyone, to

lift up one another, to build up partnerships, and unite," said Alvin Carranza, founder of Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH) Philippines, one of the foremost billboard companies in the country.

Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the best, and unfortunately, the worst -- in some members of the human race. But for the amiable CEO, the current crisis is not the time to play the blaming game.

"What we can do is to wait for God to calm this storm we are all in. He alone can defeat the unseen enemy that is trying to devour us. The most we can do is to trust and pray to Him for the world's healing, for protection of families and every frontliner we know, for provision and for calmness to all in facing this crisis," said Carranza.

No wonder, DOOH Ph has been instrumental in bringing in unity among the Filipinos and serving the much needed concrete information for all in recent years. If you are reading public information on digital displays such as Pray for Wuhan, Bangon Batangas, and Pray for Lebanon -- those must be from DOOH Ph. With the digital billboards, it has become a usual sight to see updates on the country's battle against the virus and other calamities in the form of messages, important numbers, contact persons, and the like. DOOH PH which has currently 3,700 platform sites in the metro is airing the public announcements all for free. This is done during free airtime according to Carranza.

That's why even in the midst of the pandemic, the company has lighted its EDSA Mandaluyong northbound Digital Billboard on August 19 without the usual fanfare that

goes with event launching.

The biggest and tallest digital billboard screen in EDSA, measuring 2400cm (W) x 8600cm (H), DOOH Ph intends to help global and local brands sell their products and services. Further, the company intends to help the country's dwindling economy due to the the Covid-19 pandemic by helping the SMEs to reopen their businesses and sell local products as well. This is aside, of course, from providing free broadcast announcement by different government agencies in line with the current crisis.

DOOH Ph provides a wide array of outdoor media platforms from static to digital. Moreover, it goes beyond advertising by providing an ideal tool in communicating relevant and purposeful messages.

Considering the needs of advertisers and consumers themselves, DOOH products include billboard site locations, street furniture, large format printing, various signages and digital displays. Services include installation, fabrication, conceptualization, lay outing and media-planning.

"These products and services, in a nutshell, make Out-of-Home advertising not the usual and traditional but thinking out of the box," Carranza said.

"Marketing a media should be able to reach out its message everywhere and anytime. With our newest digital billboard screen in EDSA Mandaluyong City NB, our digital billboards could surely ensure that advertising their products and services continues to become progressive and effective," Carranza explained.

For more information, contact Digital OutOf-Home Philippines via email:outdoorman@ icloud.com, or visit http://www.dooh.ph.

W

ITH health and sanitation becoming a top priority during the pandemic, SM Supermalls is helping customers in the south stay safe and healthy with Park, Shop, and Get Sanitized at SM City Bicutan, SM City BF Parañaque, SM City Sucat and SM Hypermarket Sucat-Lopez.

With this, customers can get a free car disinfection service which comes complete with UV sterilization and antibacterial fogging by

simply presenting P10,000.00 worth of single or accumulated receipts from the participating malls until September 30, 2020.

SM’s health and sanitation initiative is made possible by trusted partners in the sanitation industry, Ecosteam Sanitation and Clean MNL, which have been providing professional cleaning and disinfection services for the residential and commercial communities of its malls.

Shop at SM City Bicutan, SM City BF Paranaque, SM City Sucat and SM Hypermarket Sucat-Lopez and for a minimum spend, get a thorough disinfection of your car interiors by sanitation specialists, Ecosteam Sanitation and Clean MNL.

Red cross payments updated – PhilHealth

P

HILHEALTH has paid a total of P 504.2 million to the Philippine Red Cross as of August 12, 2020 representing 115,500 RT-PCR tests conducted by the agency.

The payments covered more than half of the P910 million limit set by its Board of Directors in May this year. The payables amounting to P714.6 million being referred to by Sen. Dick Gordon were covered by three separate billing statements which PhilHealth received on August 13, 14 and 15, 2020.

These will be processed in accordance to the imposed limit subject to additional allocation as may be approved by the Board.

Young and new bakers unite for a Better PH!

South jeepney drivers happily recieve goodies and treats from 'Bake Sale for Better PH' organizers, Kia Alampay and Jaime David.

O

VER half a year of COVID-induced quarantines, many Filipinos have discovered the joys of baking. Now that burgeoning community of Pinoy home bakers has given rise to a movement for good, built on the back of that old reliable in fundraising efforts: the humble bake sale.

Two college kids - Kia Alampay and Jaime David, both from Ateneo de Manila - have, over Instagram, organized amateur and small-bakery owners alike to raise funds for a variety of beneficiaries - from displaced jeepney and tricycle drivers and beleaguered journalists, to homeless elderly LGBTQs. Kia and Jaime’s “Bake Sale for Better PH” (BSFB-PH) raised nearly P132,000 in a weeklong bake sale in July, of which every centavo went to the above charities. Now, for the August round of BSFB-PH, they hope to outpace that effort, and raise funds for IT gadgets for students in the provinces, food supplements for young mothers, a COVID-19 dashboard for the youth, financial aid for children of Katipunan jeepney drivers, and a shelter for stray dogs.

Equally noteworthy for Bake Sale for Better PH is the community of young, new, and growing bakers that have gathered around the cause of helping others. The first round of the bake sale raised funds on the back of goods donated by 30 bakers. This August, 40 volunteers are making batches of cakes, cookies, pastries, bottled coffee, and pies savory and sweet. The bakers donate the goodies, Kia and Jaime take care of the marketing and sales, and ALL the money raised go to the list of charities ultimately selected by the buyers.

You can follow @BakeSaleforBetterPH on Instagram. The August bake sale started on August 19, and will run until August 25, for limited batches baked up by the volunteer

and donor bakers.

Bakers interested to donate and volunteer for subsequent bake sales - Kia and Jaime plan monthly week-long runs may email them at bakesaleforbetterph@ gmail.com.

How it works, Around once a month, the BSFB-PH team holds a week-long virtual bake-sale on Instagram to raise funds for relevant issues. Donors are given the freedom to decide which funds they would like to donate to, and purchase products using their donation receipts. The catalogue of goodies, which includes treats from bakers, bakeshops, and baristas, is available every bake sale on their Instagram page.

Bake Sale for Better PH (BSFB-PH) is a fundraiser via online bake sale currently operating in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the little brother of Canada-based fundraiser Bake Sale for Better, which was founded by 28-year-old Mia David. David drew inspiration from similar Instagram projects such as @ bakesaleforbail, and sought to implement a similar idea in Toronto. Her younger brother, fresh Ateneo graduate Jaime David, found an opportunity to bring the project pacific to the Philippines, and partnered with fifth-year Ateneo undergraduate (BS Environmental Science) Kia Alampay to establish and run the fundraiser.

BSFB-PH aims to create continuous assistance, and community engagement for various social causes in the country.

July 8, 2020 marked the end of the first week-long bake sale. The fundraiser raised P131,848 in donations, made to The Golden Gays, Project Kaagapay (Covid-19), National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, TODA Pansol Tricycle Drivers, and the South Jeepney Drivers Donation Fund (SucatBaclaran).

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PHL advances agenda for Asean-Canada cooperation

I

N the 17th Asean-Canada Dialogue on August 11, the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) tackled Asia-Pacific regional architecture, the global economic environment, cooperation on countering violent extremism and terrorism, people-to-people exchanges, as well as developments in the bloc and the North American country.

THE Philippines’s Asean Senior Officials’ Meeting Leader Elizabeth P. Buensuceso

The Philippines’s SOM Leader Elizabeth P. Buensuceso, who led discussions on setting the direction of future dialogue relations, suggested practical modalities that will advance and enhance AseanCanada cooperation. These include practical suggestions to maximize the Asean-Canada Plan of Action by socializing it with other sectors of the region’s community and enhancing the matrix of recording the implementation of action lines in the Asean-Canada Plan of Action, and devoting close attention to a coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid19)-responsive framework based

selection of candidates to ensure that specific needs of the region’s member-states are addressed.

The Philippine SOM leader invited Canada to align its Feminist International Assistance Policy with Asean priorities as outlined in the 2017 Asean Declaration on the Gender-Responsive Implementation of the Asean Community Vision 2025 and Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Joint Statement on Promoting Women, Peace and Security in Asean, specifically by supporting the work of the Asean Women for Peace and Reconciliation Registry and other initiatives.

ECCP: Businesses can’t afford another round of lockdowns

EUROPEAN Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) President Nabil Francis (left) and Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires Thomas Wiersing. PNA

I

T will be harder for businesses to survive and recover if the government will extend stringent community quarantine, according to European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) President Nabil Francis.

In an online press conference, Francis said the current modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) should be the last, and that the government should start to ease restrictions.

“No, it cannot happen,” the ECCP head answered when asked if businesses could survive an extended MECQ after August 18. For him, lockdowns are measures to help boost the health-care capacity of the country while slowing down the spread of the virus.

“Our recommendation would be to ease the restrictions starting from mid-August. Otherwise, the longer we close, the more difficult the recovery [will] be,” Francis emphasized, adding the Philippines has already the longest and hardest lockdown so far.

During the webinar, the ECCP released the results of its survey on impacts of the pandemic on European businesses in the Philippines, where 56.6 percent of the respondents said the pandemic has had a high impact on their trade.

Majority cited travel restrictions, reduced demand, and business cash flows as among the top concerns for European firms here.

About 75 percent of them also expressed dissatisfaction over the current measures and economic stimulus efforts of the Philippine government.

European enterprises also called for government support, such as fast-tracking Internet and infrastructure improvements, further easing of doing business, as well as providing tax breaks and extending tax filing.

The survey also reported that 57.2 percent of European businesses “put on hold additional investments,” and either “delayed investment decisions or implementation.”

“We might not have seen the worst yet,” Francis opined, then mentioned uncertainties for new projects in the pipeline.

“If you put yourself in the shoes of the investor and you don’t see the light in the tunnel, it’s hard...to put money in the economy,” he said. Kris Crismundo/PNA

on the Asean Pandemic Recovery Programme in the immediate future while continuing traditional areas of socioeconomic and political/security cooperation.

The senior officials agreed the challenges posed by the pandemic will continue to require a collective response from the international community.

On the Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development initiative, or SEED, Buensuceso proposed that the Asean-Canada Joint Coordination Committee and Asean Secretariat and/or the Asean Committee in Ottawa be included in the

B7

LA VOZ DE MÉXICO Ambassador of Mexico to the Philippines Gerardo Lozano Arredondo

A foreign policy based on conciliation, multilateralism

M

Canada’s Assistant Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Paul Thoppil (top), Asean-Myanmar SOM Leader Soe Han (bottom) and others from the region’s member-states. DFA

Finally, Buensuceso emphasized the importance of establishing a dedicated Asean-Canada Cooperation Fund to support the two entities’ collaborative programs that will allow the partnership to undertake more projects and bloc-based activities. DFA

Israel aids distance, blended education for Pinoy students T HE State of Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, or MASHAV, recently donated learning equipment to the Department of Education (DepEd) as assistance for the latter’s efforts in coping with the pandemic while providing distance learning to Filipino students.

Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) a.i. Yulia RachinskySpivakov led the turnover ceremony on August 13 at the Embassy of Israel in Manila. The learning equipment consisted of heavy-duty copiers, laptops and office printers. Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones witnessed the ceremony virtually, while Education Undersecretary Revsee A. Escobedo and the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of Middle East and African Affairs Dean Jason N. Arriola also graced the event.

“The pandemic has put a stop to our regular way of...education. Since we are determined to continue the process, we have turned to blended learning without the face-to-face component,” Briones said, as she thanked the embassy for the equipment. “I have been thinking of [the way to select] lucky recipients of these gifts. We will prioritize those who need [them] the most.”

Further, the secretary expressed her appreciation toward Israel’s achievements in science and education, as well as her willingness to develop bilateral cooperation in these areas.

Thursday, August 20, 2020

PHILIPPINE government officials led by Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones (on TV screen), Embassy of Israel’s Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Yulia Rachinsky-Spivakov (second from right) and incoming Deputy Ambassador Nir Balzam (right). EMBASSY OF ISRAEL

“We are [elated] to give assistance to Filipino students,” Rachinsky-Spivakov said. “...Aware of the challenges that DepEd is facing in terms of the blended learning approach...we decided to give support to the Filipino youth, teachers and the [department].”

She added in Tagalog: “Sana magamit [ang mga] ito nang maayos, at marami ang makinabang.

[We hope the equipment would be maximized, and that many would benefit from it.]”

During the event, Israel’s CDA mentioned former president Manuel L. Quezon’s noteworthy deed which saved Jewish refugees during the Holocaust: “Israel will forever be grateful to the Philippines for that. This is one of our humble ways to pay back.”

SFA cites UNFPA rep’s work in online farewell call

S

ECRETARYofForeignAffairsTeodoroL.LocsinJr.conveyedtheappreciationofthe Philippines for the contributions of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) during the virtual farewell call of Country Programme Representative Iori Kato.

The leadership of Kato particularly saw the promotion of Filipinos’ rights to accessible reproductive health information and services, including family planning and prevention of gender-based violence, especially during the pandemic.

Locsin reassured Kato of the “continued commitment of the Philippine government to strengthen its partnership and cooperation with UNFPA especially in these unprecedented times,” and looks forward to the potential collaboration in Kato’s new role as Senior Regional Adviser for Asia of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

In the two years he was stationed in the Philippines, Kato led the implementation of UNFPA’s eighth Country Programme for 2019 until 2023, in collaboration with relevant government agencies and civil society organizations while spearheading various initiatives in the country.

Two-thousand ninteen marked the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, a critical document that laid the foundation of the UNFPA’s work, its 50th anniversary coinciding with that of the Philippines’s Commission on Population and Development, as well as the formation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao—one of the key project sites of UNFPA in the country. In 2020, a series of crises tested the responsiveness of the UNFPA Philippines programs in the country: from the Taal Volcano eruption in January 2020, and right until the pandemic started to unfold.

UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND Country Programme Representative Iori Kato (on screen) in his final call with Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. (right) DFA

Kato will be seconded to the IOM in Geneva as the Office of the Director General’s senior regional adviser for Asia. Prior to the Philippines, he was stationed in UNFPA Bangladesh as a representative from December 2016 to January 2018, where he managed multiple humanitarian responses.

Joining the SFA in the farewell call were Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Brigido J. Dulay, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for United Nations Other International Organizations Noralyn Jubaira Baja, UN and Other International Organizations Sociocultural Division Director Emma R. Sarne, Special Assistant to the SFA Therese Cantada, and UNIO Desk Assistant Wendell Gaa. DFA

EXICO was one of the 51 founding countries of the United Nations (UN) and has been a member of the intergovernmental organization since 1945.

Throughout the 75-year existence of the UN, our country has always maintained a commitment to its purposes and principles, as well as a multilateral vocation that recognizes its potential to promote cooperation between nations. That is why, to this day, the Mexican government is fully convinced that, in times of crisis such as the one we are currently facing, global solidarity and renewed multilateralism are the most important instruments at the disposal of the international community. The search for collective solutions to problems that afflict humanity and the UN remains the highest international forum and possesses the ideal framework to agree on common strategies.

As a committed member of the community of nations, Mexico has made substantive contributions to the UN in areas such as the peaceful settlement of disputes, promotion of disarmament, protection of migrant workers’ rights, climate change, the fight against illicit drugs and trafficking, hosting of UN conferences in Mexico—including the Summit on Financing for Development, as well as the signing of the Convention against Corruption and the Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones.

To deal with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), our country recently spearheaded the adoption of a resolution to have universal access to vaccines, drugs, treatments and medical equipment.

In recognition of its foreign policy based on conciliation and multilateralism, Mexico was elected in June as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), as it will represent Latin America and the Caribbean region for the period of 2021 until 2022. With a total of 187 unopposed votes and five abstentions, this represents 97 percent of the total votes cast by member-states and is the greatest support that my country has received to be elected and form part of the only UN body with the capacity to issue legally binding decisions upholding international peace and security. It will be the fifth time that we have had a

seat on the council after serving in 1946, 1980 to 1981, 2001 to 2002 and 2009 to 2010.

After its election, Mexico reiterated its commitment and conviction to promote multilateral foreign policy as a way of settling controversies in a diplomatic and peaceful way, international law, the 2030 Agenda, and the country’s projection of its feminist foreign policy.

Understanding the changing nature of conflicts and overall threats to international peace and security, Mexico will promote the following priorities: 1. Contribute to the design of norms in international peace and security, particularly for issues where Mexico has had broad experience such as the peaceful settlement of disputes, mediation processes and international human rights law; 2. Make people’s well-being at the center of the council’s action, with emphasis on the protection of civilians, women and children in armed conflicts; 3. Privilege sustaining peace as the driving force for the prevention, comprehensive management, and solution of conflicts; 4. Promote an integrated approach on the impact that small arms and light weapons have on conflict situations and on memberstates’ security, that includes their diversion and illegal trade; Among other priorities, Mexico ensures to promote a gender perspective in the decisions of the UNSC; support efforts to strengthen the early warning capacity, preventive diplomacy and mediation mechanisms of the UN, relevant regional organizations and member-states; as well as ensure respect for international law and human rights in the post-Covid-19 agenda by prioritizing public health, as the pandemic still threatens people’s health, life and economic development.

In its participation in the UNSC, Mexico trusts and counts on the support of the Asean countries—including the Philippines—to promote its commitment with the peaceful settlement of disputes, the importance of the rule of law in upholding peace, international security and international humanitarian aid while pursuing the maintenance of international peace and security.

Online reunion: ‘Ideal gateway’ for K-pop, Filipino talents

T

ALENT, entertainment and culture need not be sacrificed despite the onslaught of the pandemic. As the Korean Cultural Center adapts to the “new normal,” the landmark event Pinoy K-Pop Star (PKS) will also have a different look this year.

This year, in place of the highly anticipated annual contest that brings together talented vocal and performance cover artists from all over the country, the event will reminisce successful years of the competition and celebrate the talented winners while paying homage to the remarkable evolution of K-pop through “PKS Rewind 2020: The Online Reunion.”

The first-ever online concert under KCC’s “Korea at Home” campaign that will bring K-Culture closer to the Filipinos, “PKS Rewind 2020...” will be a nostalgic yet electrifying virtual reunion for some past PKS winners and personalities.

Happening on KCC’s official YouTube channel on August 21 at 3 p.m., “PKS Rewind 2020...” will feature exceptional performances from various champions and winners. Adding spice to

the lineup are two staple names in the contest’s history: YouTube star and PKS judge Dasuri Choi, as well as trending “Pinoy pop” boy group SB19, whose members have previously competed in the contest themselves. Apart from the acts, the show will also feature interviews and “catching up” with the guests, as well as a set of raffles of goodies for the most avid supporters of K-culture and KCC. “PKS Rewind 2020...” is the opening salvo and just one of the many diverse activities that KCC has prepared for all K-Culture supporters under “Korea at Home” this August. Joining past “Korea at Home” themes such as K-food, K-music, K-film and K-arts are new categories, namely K-contests, K-pop, and K-language. On top of learning and being entertained by Korean culture contents, KCC’s followers will also get the chance to take home prizes through this month’s photo and essay contests, as well as the weekly K-quiz bee.

For more information or inquiries, e-mail pr@ koreanculture.ph. Follow KCC in the Philippines on Facebook and @kccphil on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for more updates on events and activities.

Sports BusinessMirror

B8 Thursday, August 20, 2020

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph / Editor: Jun Lomibao

PLAYOFFS TOP SEEDS TOPPLED

By Brian Mahoney

L

The Associated Press

AKE BUENA VISTA, Florida—First it was Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, unable to call upon what was one of the best defenses in the league.

Then came LeBron James and the Lakers, clanging three-pointers off the rim to provide a steady sound in a mostly empty gym.

These National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs already promised to be the most challenging yet. They got a little tougher Tuesday for the league’s top teams.

Milwaukee and Los Angeles lost their playoff openers, the first time both conference No. 1 seeds have been beaten by the No. 8s to start their postseasons since 2003.

So good for most of the season, the top seeds are having trouble in the bubble.

There’s no home-court advantage to lose in this postseason at Walt Disney

World, making it easier not to panic in what would normally be a tougher predicament.

“No frustration because the game is the game and we came in with a mindset to win.

We didn’t take care of business, but we’ve got another opportunity on Thursday to even the series and that’s my only mindset,” James said.

The Lakers knew they were in against a tougher-than-usual No. 8 seed in the Portland Trail Blazers, who came back from the coronavirus-caused suspension of the season healthy and then played their way into the postseason by winning a play-in series.

Los Angeles didn’t help itself in trying to slow down a hot opponent by shooting just 15.6 percent (5 for 32) from three-point range and wound up losing 100-93.

Milwaukee’s problem was on the other end.

The Bucks surrendered

three 30-point quarters—and 29 in its best period—to the short-handed Orlando Magic in a 122-110 loss. That was an especially poor performance from a team that led the league in a number of defensive categories and held opponents to a league-low 41.4 shooting percentage. Orlando made 49.4 percent.

“They played good. You’ve got to give that to Orlando and we’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing and hopefully things in Game Two can switch around,” Antetokounmpo said. “But just keep playing hard, keep playing together.

That’s all you can do.”

Neither team can blame its Most Valuable Player candidate. Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists. James had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 16 assists, the first 20-15-15 game in NBA playoff history.

But neither team has looked particularly sharp in Orlando. They had arrived at the restart well ahead of their competitors for the No. 1 seeds and were focused more on staying

healthy than getting wins in the eight seeding games leading into the playoffs.

They couldn’t turn things around when things became serious and by the time the day was done it was the first time both No. 1s lost since Orlando knocked off Detroit in the East and Phoenix beat San Antonio out West in 2003.

The Spurs recovered to win that NBA title, just as the Toronto Raptors did last year after falling to the Magic in their opener. The Lakers’ Danny Green was on that team, so he wasn’t concerned about what either topseeded squad faces now.

“It’s the same kind of scenario,” Green said.

“Down 0-1, they’re down 0-1. They’re the topseeded team for a reason, we’re the top-seeded team for a reason. We just have to dig down and find it, figure it out. I believe we will.”

James Harden, meanwhile, had 37 points and 11 rebounds as the Houston Rockets rolled past the Oklahoma City Thunder, 123-108, also on Tuesday in Game One of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Houston All-Star Russell Westbrook, who played

his previous 11 years with the Thunder, was out with a quad injury. The fourth-seeded Rockets still made 20 three-pointers and shot 48 percent from the field.

Jeff Green scored 22 points and Eric Gor don added 21 for Houston, which isn’t sure how long it will be without Westbrook. The Rockets got 42 points from their bench.

Danilo Gallinari matched a playoff career high with 29 points for the fifth-seeded Thunder. Chris Paul, who joined the Oklahoma City in the trade that sent Westbrook to Houston, finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Steven Adams added 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Jimmy Butler, on the other hand, does plenty of talking on the court to anyone who will listen: opponents, referees or teammates.

Luckily for the Miami Heat, on Tuesday Butler also listened.

Bam Adebayo has been imploring him to shoot three-

pointers, and Butler knocked down two big ones late in the fourth quarter to help the Heat pull away for a 113-101 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the opener of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Butler scored 28 points and Goran Dragic had 24 for the Heat, who pulled away in the closing minutes, long after the Pacers had lost star guard Victor Oladipo to an eye injury.

LeBron James lies flat on his back on the court as the Lakers lose their series opener, but not Jimmy Butler and the Heat. AP

‘Social distance ambassadors’ to monitor players at US Open

F

ORTY “social distance ambassadors” will monitor the US Open grounds to make sure players and others are avoiding close contact and wearing face coverings—the US Tennis Association (USTA) bought 500,000 masks to distribute—as part of efforts to avoid a coronavirus outbreak during the fan-free Grand Slam tournament.

“We’re trying to leave nothing to chance,” Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Chief Operating Officer Danny Zausner said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press, “and make it as stress-free for the players as possible.”

The USTA announced Tuesday that one person, who is not a player, turned up positive for Covid-19 out of 1,400 tests administered in the controlled environment set up for the US Open and another tennis tournament preceding it at the same site in New York.

The Western & Southern Open, moved this year from Cincinnati because of the pandemic, begins Saturday. The US Open starts August 31.

Two tests are taken 48 hours apart when a player or member of an entourage arrives at one of the two official hotels or one of the private homes the USTA made available for rent on Long Island. (Eight players chose the private housing option.)

The person, who is asymptomatic, came up positive on the second test and will be isolated for 10 days. Contact tracing will attempt to determine who might have been exposed.

“We expected this to happen,” USTA CEO Mike Dowse said during a conference call with reporters. “Mathematically, we expected to have a positive, if not more than one. So we did anticipate this and we have put very specific protocol in place to prevent this from spreading broadly.... Our No. 1 priority is to take care of this person first, and secondly to prevent the spread from going any further.”

Once the US Open begins, a player testing positive would be kicked out of the tournament.

“This is all about mitigation of risk, lessening the exposure,” Tournament Director Stacey Allaster said.

She said about 350 players—roughly 90 percent of the field—already are in the “bubble.” AP

T

HE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) hinted at creating its own “bubble” once the various national teams return to training amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

PSC Chairman William Ramirez said national athletes and coaches would be strictly confined at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and PhilSports Complex in Pasig City for their training once quarantines are relaxed to most tolerable levels.

“We want to make sure that the athletes and coaches will not get infected. I know that these

vitug

T

PSC EYES RIZAL, PHILSPORTS ‘BUBBLE’ athletes are doing their jobs by staying in top physical and mental shape in their homes,” Ramirez told the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.

The Manila and Pasig facilities were transformed into quarantine facilities since last March, forcing the PSC to maintain a skeletal force for its daily operations and at the same time send athletes and coaches home and train on their own.

With new cases still numbering thousands each day, the PSC facilities would still cater to Covid-19 patients although the

PSC and the Department of Health religiously disinfect both complexes.

“Rest assured, the PSC would put the safety of the national teams before opening the doors of the facilities,” Ramirez said.

Several leagues all over the world are adopting the “bubble” to restart training and competition. Athletes, coaches, game officials and essential personnel are corralled in a complex known as the “bubble.”

Nobody is allowed to enter or leave the “bubble” unless extremely necessary and

testing and disinfection are done periodically.

Ramirez is hoping that it would only be a matter of time for the PSC facilities to become available for athletes, especially for those who have qualified for the postponed Tokyo Olympics and who are still seeking qualification.

Besides serving as quarantine centers, the PSC also opened the Rizal Memorial Stadium as staging area for locally stranded individuals or LSIs under the supervision of Presidential Management Staff Assistant Secretary Joseph Encabo.

The Nationals targets September opening

HE Nationals—originally set to kick off last March—intends to open its second season in September this time online as the Covid-19 pandemic remains uncurbed.

The Nationals Commissioner Ren Vitug said the league is well aware of the pandemic situation but believes that sports, especially eSports where social distancing doesn’t pose a problem, could provide a much-needed reprieve.

“Sports could bring joy and hope to the people—and in all of sports, eSports is the

best in terms of social distancing protocols,” Vitug said.

“Of course, the league also generates jobs for a lot of players, their support staff, and in many other interfaces,” he added.

While online play is synonymous with eSports, The Nationals is unique—all of its tournament games last year were played in a studio setting, thus opening opportunities in production like live audiences, captured player reactions and on-the-spot interviews.

B

Barcelona in deep crisis, ‘et tu’ Messi?

ARCELONA is on the verge of announcing a new coach, and it may have a new president next year.

The club is also promising “wide-ranging” and “profound” structural changes after one of its most humiliating defeats ever—the 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Friday.

The one big question that remains is whether it will be able to keep Lionel Messi.

The team’s biggest star for more than a decade has a contract with Barcelona until 2021, but he hasn’t been hiding his dissatisfaction with the club.

“I haven’t spoken with Messi but I talked to his father,” Barcelona President Josep Bartomeu told Barça TV on Tuesday. “Messi is disappointed and frustrated, just like everyone else. It was painful but we have to pick ourselves up. It’s what we all have to do.”

Messi has been more outspoken than ever this season, talking about the team’s problems and pointing to poor decisions by club directors.

Although he has never really hinted about leaving, his recent actions have raised doubts about his future.

“Football is a game that comes and goes very quickly in your life, so this next two years, where he’s still going to have the power to influence games the way he does, is he going to want to be doing that not really competing for the big titles? I don’t know,” former player Rio Ferdinand said.

Spanish media has reported that negotiations to extend Messi’s contract

beyond next June have been on hold since the problems at the club escalated. One Brazilian outlet, Esporte Interativo, said Messi actually wants to leave now instead of waiting until next year.

Rumors of clubs wanting to sign Messi started to surface immediately after the team’s loss to Bayern, with Pep Guardiolacoached Manchester City reportedly among the front-runners.

Many think the humiliation against Bayern may have been the tipping point for the Argentina great. Messi looked like he had already given up at halftime, when images showed him sitting at one end of the bench looking down and biting his nails while waiting to go back on the field.

Messi and

For 2020, The Nationals plans to line up three conferences for each of the games the league featured last season—Tekken 7, Dota 2 and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

But because of the health crisis, Vitug said the season will be played to 50 percent capacity from last year to three conferences.

The Nationals have been working closely with the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) to ensure that once the league resumes, the health and safety of

his teammates had to face furious Barcelona fans who confronted them and criticized the team at the club’s training center after the squad returned from Portugal.

Messi has been unusually quiet since the loss in Lisbon and hasn’t made any public statements, unlike after the team lost the Spanish league title to Real Madrid a few weeks ago and he came out to openly talk to the media.

Earlier this season, Messi criticized Barcelona directors for some of their decisions. He was especially upset with sports director Éric Abidal after he criticized players’ efforts amid a series of poor results.

Barcelona said Tuesday that the club and Abidal had reached a mutual agreement to part ways.

Messi had also said that he didn’t think Barcelona would succeed in the Champions League the way things were

stakeholders would be prioritized.

The Nationals is the country’s first franchisebased eSports league which debuted last year with three games. The league pays monthly salaries to active players and handed out at least P5 million in cash prizes in the inaugural season.

The Nationals players were members of the national team that topped 30th Southeast Asian Games last year, bagging three gold, one silver and one bronze medals in the six-event competition.

at the club.

The club is also facing a difficult financial situation because of the coronavirus pandemic, which could make it harder to negotiate with Messi.

Still, Barcelona President Josep Bartomeu has always said he expects Messi to finish his career at the club, and that Messi wants the same.

The president reiterated that he was confident the playmaker would remain with the club, especially with former Dutch player Ronald Koeman set to become the team’s new coach.

“Messi wants to finish his career with Barcelona, he has said it many times,” Bartomeu said. “I spoke with Koeman and he told me that Messi will be the central piece of his project.”

The result of next year’s presidential elections will likely play a crucial role in Messi’s decision, and it will also be important whether he is happy with the work of the team’s new coach.

The 33-year-old Messi is among the aging players within the squad, along with Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Jordi Alba. The youngsters touted as promising stars include Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig, though it’s too early to know how much they will be able to contribute to the first team in the future. AP THE one big question that remains is whether or not Barcelona will be able to keep Lionel Messi. AP

Pacio

Pacio joins Team Lakay MTB craze

T

EAM Lakay is hands down the most prolific martial arts team in the Philippines with established stars such as former One lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang and former bantamweight king Kevin Belingon leading the pack.

Team Lakay is the absolute elite in Asian martial arts.

But because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Team Lakay had to resort to alternative methods of training to keep their fitness at the highest level.

Fortunately, the team is situated in one of the most breathtaking locales in the entire country, Baguio City, with its lush greenery, cool weather and fresh mountain air.

Reigning One strawweight world champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio recently took up the Team Lakay pastime of mountain biking and now a handful of the team members regularly hit the dirt roads to experience the fun and excitement of the sport offers.

“I took up mountain biking because I saw Kuya Edward [Kelly], Kuya Geje [Eustaquio], and Kuya Honorio [Banario] doing it. So I tried it way back then, but it took me two years to buy my own bike. I’ve only just now made it a regular thing. Now we all go biking together, and it’s a lot of fun,” Pacio said.

“Mountain biking is a leisure activity, but it’s also good for cardio exercise,” he added.

Pacio and the team typically integrate mountain biking into their training regimen, riding at least once a week during training camp and two to three times a week when they don’t have upcoming bouts.

The ride is in Baguio City’s hills, valleys, rivers and flourishing wildlife.

For Pacio, it’s a chance not only to get in a great workout, but also to absorb the unique energy of mother nature.

“We ride a lot. It’s one of the ways we bond.

We ride together and experience the outdoors.

It’s reenergizing and revitalizing, great for the mind and body,” he said.