BusinessMirror July 10, 2020

Cyberattack risks rise with digital banking

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

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ITH more people opting to use digital banking, Moody’s Investors Service warned that the banking sector’s vulnerability to cyberattacks is on the rise as well.

The debt watcher said the lockdown measures to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) have accelerated the adoption of digital banking for both businesses and consumers.

Moody’s said that social distancing has increased demand for online services such as contactless payments and digital cash transfers. These consumers now expect better user experience as they will not likely return to brickand-mortar banking even after the lifting of lockdown measures.

On the part of the banks, the credit-rating agency said that business decisions have become more data-driven amid the increased use

ARTISTS and peasant advocates hang a poster calling on legislators to junk the recently signed Anti-Terrorism Law, at the Catch 272 bar in Kamuning, Quezon City. Six petitions in all have been filed with the Supreme Court asking it to strike down the law for what critics call unconstitutional provisions. Respondent government officials and agencies were given 10 days to comment. NONOY LACZA

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of technology to back it up.

“Additionally, the widespread implementation of remote work during the pandemic will likely lead to more bank employees working from home on a regular and long-term basis,” Moody’s said.

While these boosted banks’ productivity amid the pandemic, this has also made the financial institutions more vulnerable to cyber threats, it added.

“Greater demand for and dependence on digital banking technology has increased the risk of successful cyberattacks by increasing the strains on banks’ critical IT infrastructure through the rapid rollout of new digital solutions for customers,” Moody’s explained.

Scammers, for example, are baiting customers through phishing e-mails or social engineering to acquire bank information, Moody’s cited.

Citing VMware Carbon Black, the debt watcher said the most common cyberattack vector was wire fraud transfers. Fraudsters usually take the opportunity to infiltrate the wire transfer verification process should they find gaps.

Moody’s said that cyberattacks usually go for personal data (77 percent), credentials (35 percent) and bank data (32 percent).

“The average overall cost of a data breach for the financial sector is $5.9 million, second only to that in the health sector,” it cited.

Amid the threats, Moody’s said the banking industry is well prepared to face the potential attacks with cyber risk awareness and mitigation measures in place.

The credit-rating firm said it was “important to ensure organizations allocate sufficient budget to information security and to make certain that management will be appropriately engaged during a crisis.”

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AMID COVID-19 FALLOUT ’FACTS, LAW, PUBLIC POLICY WILL BE BASIS OF VOTE ON ABS-CBN’

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By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

S the House Committee on Legislative Franchises is expected to decide soon on the bills granting ABS-CBN a franchise, the leadership of the House of Representatives vowed to vote based on facts presented by both those pro and against the TV network.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the relevant laws and public policy will be carefully considered by committee members during the voting process, but reiterated that the network’s franchise is not just about an issue of press freedom.

“The time has come for us to make a decision. A decision that would hinge on facts, public policy and existing law. Juxtaposed to issues that go to the core of our democracy,” said Cayetano.

Legislative Franchises Chairman Rep. Franz Alvarez has created a technical working group to study and draft the recommendations on the application for franchise of ABS-CBN. The franchise hearing will resume on Friday.

Lawmakers are eyeing to vote on the ABS-CBN franchise on Friday.

“As we approach the final and most critical part of the deliberation, we call on our members to base their decision on their appreciation of the facts and testimonies presented by both sides,” said Alvarez.

Earlier, Cayetano had also urged colleagues to cast a “conscience vote” in line with the ABS-CBN franchise bill.

Moreover, the Speaker said press freedom and the grant of a legislative franchise to ABS-CBN are separate issues.

“We all agree that freedom of the press must be protected. But, as these hearings have shown, we disagree from whom and how. We will all agree on the basic premise that big business, conjoined with commercial media, should not be allowed to engage in partisan politics by wielding its power to protect their interest, meddle and interfere in elections, and surreptitiously support certain candidates in the guise of reporting the news,” he said.

Business as kingmaker SOUVENIR shops open at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, almost four months since they were shuttered due to government-enforced lockdowns to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. NONIE REYES

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas

ESPITE the heightened risks in the global economy due to the spread of Covid-19, the Philippine peso ranked first, year-to-date, among four Asian currencies that maintained their value against the US dollar.

In an economic bulletin on Thursday, Finance Undersecretary and Chief Economist Gil S. Beltran said the Philippine peso, one of the

most stable Asian currencies, appreciated by 2.21 percent relative to the US dollar as of July 8 when it closed at P49.53:$1 from P50.66:$1

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 49.5500

as of end-2019.

In comparison, the Hong Kong dollar, Taiwan dollar and Japanese yen appreciated by 2.07 percent, 1.68 percent and 0.87 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, the peso-dollar exchange rate also remained stable this year as it placed third among 12 regional currencies and posted a coefficient of variation at 0.73 percent, lower than the Asian average of 1.86 percent.

A higher coefficient of variation means higher volatility of the exchange rate.

Beltran also pointed to the country’s strong balance of pay-

ments (BOP) position—or the summary of the Philippines’ transactions with the rest of the world— and the rising Gross International Reserves (GIR) as the main reasons behind the peso’s growing strength and stability.

According to the Department of Finance, the BOP surplus continued through May this year coming from a seven-year high last year.

A BOP surplus means that the country is earning more dollars than it is spending for a given period.

For the first five months of the year, the country generated a BOP surplus of $3.688 billion buoyed by

“HOW shall we decide on claims that it will be a blow to press freedom if the owners of a private media corporation [are] denied the privilege of using public airwaves for a private business that protects their interest and supports their handpicked candidates, while targeting those who oppose them? I submit that this is not press freedom. It is the theft of government from the people while hiding under the pretense of freedom of the press,” he added.

In 2016, then Senator Cayetano filed a temporary restraining order (TRO) against a controversial ad made by former Senator Antonio Trillanes. The ad showed children reacting to some of then presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial remarks and acts. The former senator and now House Speaker was able to secure a TRO against the negative political advertisement against Duterte, alongside whom he ran for the vice presidency.

“The use of media for propaganda is not a new concept. We were victims of it during the years of the dictatorship and it has left deep scars of distrust in our views of the relationship between government and the media industry. But even as we guard against the abuses of public officials, the peculiar and sacred place that the ’free press’ holds in our consciousness blinds us to the fact that big business is just as likely to use media to mold public opinions and perceptions as the meanest tyrant,” he added.

“These hearings, despite the unfair and unwarranted attacks it has elicited both from the supporters and haters of ABS-CBN, has afforded the nation with a rare glimpse on the fragility of our democracy. Of how the very pillars that we

Continued on A2

See “Peso,” A2

n JAPAN 0.4621 n UK 62.5073 n HK 6.3935 n CHINA 7.0736 n SINGAPORE 35.6167 n AUSTRALIA 34.5859 n EU 56.1600 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.2116

Source: BSP (July 9, 2020)

News BusinessMirror

A2 Friday, July 10, 2020

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Bayanihan 2, fiscal bills priority when House resumes sessions

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz & Samuel P. Medenilla

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HE leadership of the House of Representatives on Thursday said it will prioritize the immediate passage of the proposed Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2 and other fiscal measures as soon as they begin their Second Regular Session of the 18th Congress this month.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano made a statement following the pre-State of the Nation Address (Sona) forum of the Economic and Infrastructure Cluster last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, government economic managers and lawmakers have finally agreed on the provisions of the Bayanihan 2 bill, raising the chances legislation will soon be finalized.

In an online press briefing on Thursday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque reported the breakthrough in the deliberation

of both parties on the extension of the emergency powers of President Duterte in addressing the effects of the Covid-19 as well as the contents of the stimulus package to address the economic impact of the pandemic.

However, Roque said the final version of the bill might not be completed until after the President’s Sona later this month.

This after Malacañang expressed uncertainty whether Duterte will still call for a special session in Congress to tackle the Bayanihan 2 bill.

“We are still considering if there will be a need for a special session since [Congress will soon be] opening the regular session,” Roque said in an online press briefing.

He issued the statement after meeting with Duterte in Davao on Wednesday.

Last week, Roque had said there was a high chance that the President will call for a special session after the economic managers and lawmakers nearly resolved the provisions of the Bayanihan 2 bill.

However, no less than Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the special session is already unlikely since Congress will already resume its regular session on the day of Duterte’s Sona later this month.

Cayetano said on Thursday Bayanihan 2 and other fiscal measures are needed to ensure that micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) and banks are given assistance and opportunities to bounce back from the financial losses caused by the pandemic.

At the pre-Sona forum, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said that, while there are initiatives to mitigate the impact of Covid-19,

the BSP continues to push for the passage of several legislative priorities and measures.

Among these measures are: the Financial Institutions Strategic (FIST) bill, the Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE) bill and the proposed Bayanihan Act II. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to uplift the lives of our kababayan. In the coming days, we will be working and coordinating closely with various national government agencies in preparation for President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth Sona and the beginning of the 18th Congress’s Second Regular Session,” said Cayetano.

The 5th Sona and the opening of the Second Regular Session are set for Monday, July 27.

Meanwhile, Cayetano said the House is consulting with different sectors and groups to ensure that its legislative agenda is aligned with the needs of the people and the vision of the President.

Under the Bayanihan Act II, the BSP and the Securities and Exchange Commission are encouraged to adopt measures, including

the relaxation for regulatory and statutory restrictions, that will encourage the banking industry and other financial institutions to extend loans and other forms of financial accommodation to help businesses recover from the economic effect of Covid-19 and enable the banking industry to manage appropriately its risks and potential losses.

They are likewise authorized to grant reporting relief to its supervised entities by allowing staggered booking of allowance for credit losses for all types of credit accommodations extended to individuals and business entities affected by Covid-19.

Before the Congress’s sine die adjournment in June, the chamber approved House Bill 6815 or the P1.3-trillion Accelerated Recovery and Investments Stimulus for the Economy (ARISE) bill; House Bill 6817, or the Anti-Covid-19 Discrimination bill; House Bill 6864, or the Better Normal for the Workplace, Communities and Public Spaces bill; and House Bill 6920, or the P1.5-trillion Covid-19 Unemployment Reduction Economic Stimulus (CURES) bill.

Peso…

Continued from A1

slower imports and outward payments amid shrinking foreign demand.

To recall, the country had a BOP surplus of $7.844 billion in 2019, 2.2 percent of GDP, the highest since 2012.

The GIR also rose by 9.3 percent year-on-year to $93.3 billion as of end-May from $85.4 billion the year before.

This is equivalent to 8.4 months worth of the Philippines’ imports of goods and payments of services and primary income, up from 7.4 months as of end-May 2019.

The country’s GIR is the level of foreign-exchange holdings the Central Bank has during a given period. The GIR is a crucial component of the economy as it is often used to manage the country’s foreign-exchange rate against excess volatility and an important line of defense against an economic rundown.

Beltran also expressed optimism that the country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals will support the country’s favorable financial footing despite the pandemic and global economic contraction.

Investor confidence in the country will also be maintained as long as budget deficits remain manageable and monetary settings are promptly adjusted in response to current developments, he said.

Lopez’s Knowledge Channel offers help to DepEd ‘Facts, law, public policy will

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HILE the fate of its franchise still lies in the House of Representatives, the ABS-CBN’s Knowledge Channel is offering to share its video lessons as the Department of Education (DepEd) will shift to distance learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI) president and executive director Rina Lopez-Bautista appealed that KCFI be given the chance to share with the government its expertise for the sake of the children.

Before ABS-CBN went off the air on May 5, Knowledge Channel aired over SKYCable, SKYDirect, ABS-CBN TVPlus, and other cable and direct to home satellite TV providers, reaching millions of students. The Knowledge Channel could reach as many as 7.6 million students, a huge portion of the 27 million expected to enroll this school year.

“We believe that learning must continue for all and that no child should be left behind. We appeal to our lawmakers and the Filipino people to recognize ABSCBN’s contributions to education and that ABS-CBN is granted a new franchise so that we can again reach the children no mat-

ter where they are in the Philippines. The Knowledge Channel Foundation continues, and will be working to continue to be in the service of Filipino children," Bautista said.

For his part, KCFI director for operations Edric Calma said that Knowledge Channel is prepared to work with the government.

“We have created and acquired more than a thousand video lessons, all based on the K-12 curriculum of the Department of Education, and these are ready for use,” Calma said.

For 21 years, KCFI said it has developed and acquired multimedia educational materials that public schools nationwide, especially in remote regions, used to enhance teaching and learning.

These educational materials are aired over Knowledge Channel and used for instruction by KCFI-trained teachers and are also designed for home-based learning.

According to Calma, KCFI has developed into video format 50 percent of the most essential learning competencies (MELC) that DepEd requires to be taught for the school year, and that KCFI can easily develop the remaining 50 percent.

Knowledge Channel’s method of us-

ing TV technology has proven to improve the performance of children in school.

Studies conducted by the DLSU La Sallian Institute for Development and Educational Research and the UP Statistical Center for Research Foundation’s Impact Study for Proficient Measures for Quality Education revealed that children who were taught using Knowledge Channel video lessons performed better in tests.

“The most essential learning competencies are the minimum curriculum-prescribed skills that students must acquire,” Calma said stressing that the 21st-century DepEd curriculum is about understanding and creating designs, systems and processes, unlike in the past when students were just required to memorize.

Subjects like mathematics and the sciences, he said, involve understanding of processes, and they need to be visually illustrated for kids to understand.

“With this kind of curriculum, we need TV,” he added.

Calma added that Knowledge Channel’s multimedia resources also teach kids critical thinking.

“Children’s critical thinking and cre-

ativity are triggered by video lessons because we challenge them with questions at the beginning, halfway through and at the end of the episode,” Calma said.

Alice Panares, who sits on the board of the National Council for Children’s Television, said that the government is faced with the near-impossible task of training a 900,000-strong teaching workforce to teach students using media before the August opening of classes.

To address this problem, Panares suggested that Knowledge Channel be tapped at the very onset of the distance learning program.

“While the teachers are being trained, why not tap first the lessons of Knowledge Channel since it already has existing materials,” Panares said, adding that “Knowledge Channel has done a very complete work in educating the students in different areas.”

Panares said Knowledge Channel is ready with the different subjects that are already in the form of TV lessons made for different grade levels.

“I’ve watched many of the lessons and they are ready for airing for the DepEd,” she said. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

be basis of vote on ABS-CBN’ Continued from A1

thought were holding it up were merely façades that hid the ugly, selfish side of our political system. An elitist system that sadly still favors and protects those whose days are spent behind gated subdivisions, while casting to the wind those Filipinos who have to scrounge for the very walls that make up their homes,” Cayetano said.

Special privilege

FOR his part, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, citing the Supreme Court in a case, said “a legislative franchise is a special privilege granted by the state to corporations.

“It is a privilege of public concern which cannot be exercised at will and pleasure, but should be reserved for public control and administration, either by the government directly, or by public agents, under such conditions and regulations as the government may impose on them in the interest of the public,” Romualdez said.

“It is Congress that prescribes the conditions on which the grant of the franchise may be made.

Thus, the manner of granting the franchise, to whom it may be granted, the mode of conducting the business, the charter and the quality of the service to be rendered and the duty of the grantee to the public in exercising the franchise, are almost always defined in clear and unequivocal language,” he added.

8 major issues

ALBAY Rep. Edcel Lagman reiterated that the ABSCBN Corp. will sweep all the eight major issues in favor of the granting of the franchise.

“My scorecard shows an 8-0 sweep of the major issues in favor of ABS-CBN Corporation’s franchise renewal. This is my personal assessment of the outcome of the lengthy and grueling hearings conducted by the joint committees on legislative franchises and good government,” he said.

Lagman, citing his scorecard on the eight major issues, said Gabby Lopez is a natural-born Filipino citizen, although he has dual citizenship as an American by accident of his place of birth in the United States which adopts the principle of jus soli.

“With respect to the 100-percent Filipino capitalization and management of mass media, the Constitution does not distinguish between a Filipino of single citizenship and a Filipino with dual citizenship. We must not also distinguish,” he said.

However, Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta asserted that Gabby Lopez is an American citizen, saying there is no evidence that Lopez’s parents were still Filipino when he was born in 1952 in America.

On the issuance of Philippine Deposit Receipts (PDRs), Lagman said with ABS-CBN’s underlying shares, this refers to instruments of investment, not transfer of stock ownership or participation in management. Lagman stressed the constitutional requirement of 100-percent Filipino capitalization and ownership of mass media is not violated by such PDRs.

“Corporations which have been operating for more than 50 years are not disqualified from being granted a renewal or a new franchise,” Lagman added.

“There is no constitutional provision or statute which prohibits the renewal or grant of legislative franchises to corporations which have been in operation for more than half a century. These time-tested corporations have achieved adequate experience and relevant expertise, aside from having invested millions of pesos in their businesses,” Lagman said.

Marcoleta insisted, however, that ABS-CBN has violated the constitutional restriction on foreign ownership and participation when it sold 187 million PDRs to foreigners.

“Said [PDR] holders are deemed beneficial

owners of underlying stocks of ABS-CBN with corporate-control enhancing mechanism that can influence the major corporate actions that management may institute,” Marcoleta said.

Also, Lagman said the 50-year limitation in the Constitution for a legislative franchise only means that there must be a cap of not more than 50 years for each franchise that Congress can issue at a time.

“Corporations, like wine, become better due to the passage of time. The Constitution did not envision or intend that the badge of inutility must attach to corporations which have reached the golden age,” he said.

After the Edsa People Power Revolution, Lagman said the Lopez family lawfully and deservedly reacquired ABS-CBN network after it was illegally confiscated and its facilities used without compensation during the martial-law regime.

“The reacquisition was authorized by legal issuances from the Office of the President, the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and the Supreme Court,” he said.

On the tax-evasion issue, Lagman said the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and other agencies have certified that ABS-CBN has no unpaid taxes, tariffs and/or fees.

For his part, Marcoleta said it was proved that ABS-CBN and its subsidiaries engaged in complex schemes to unjustly avoid paying taxes or unconscionably reduce the taxes due to the government.

Labor issues

ALSO, Lagman said ABS-CBN Corp. has complied with labor decisions which may have become final and executory, and will abide with other decisions of labor and judicial tribunals which will subsequently become final and executory.

“The more important labor issue is the displacement of more than 11,000 employees and workers of ABS-CBN and its affiliates consequent to the non-renewal of its franchise,” he said.

Lagman added the adoption by ABS-CBN of its TVPlus and other innovative devices and programs is consistent with government’s mandate for digital migration, thus authorizing TV networks to operate multiple channels.

“Neither did its expired franchise nor any law prohibit ABS-CBN’s offering of pay-per-view services,” he said.

However, Marcoleta said during the hearings it was also proved without doubt that ABSCBN violated its franchise by airing multiple channels through TVPlus. “It was also proved that it sold digital receivers of blackboxes to the viewing public without the approval of NTC.”

On the related issues on “biased reporting” and “meddling in politics,” Lagman said these are actually non-issues because critical commentary, reasonable preference, and even incidental bias of TV and radio networks are fully protected by the expansive veil of freedom of the press and free speech. It is tolerable and not censurable.

Meanwhile, Marcoleta said it is high time that the sovereignty of the airwaves be restored to the people, “the one who will finally decide to whom and when to grant this special privilege called franchise.”

“If ABS-CBN wants to be in the service of the Filipino people, it should stop mixing up its economic objectives with the simple aspirations of the ordinary citizens. These two are different and poles apart,” he added.

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PSA satellite office opens in Valenzuela with addl services

By Roderick L. Abad @rodrik_28 Contributor

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HE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Civil Registry System Valenzuela City Outlet is now open to deliver closer and more convenient to Valenzuelanos.

Rooted from the Task Force Project AYOS, through Executive Order 153, Series of 2015, it once rolled out caravans in various communities of the city offering legal and documentation assistance while working closely with the Local Civil Registry (LCR) and the PSA. The center and the LCR’s main services then included assistance on the copy issuance of birth, marriage and death certificates, late registration, court decrees, legal instruments, petitions for correction and marriage license.

This PSA’s satellite office now caters authentication of CENODEATH; viewable online documents for birth, marriage and death certificates, certificate request, and CENOMAR/ CENODEATH; and docprint from viewable of online documents and premium annotation.

With this development, PSA requires this newly renovated Project AYOS! Center to comply with its Civil Registry System modernization project along with its contractor, Unisys Public Sector Services Corp.

The computerization makes it easier for PSA to collect, access, store, maintain and manage civil registry documents and the specimen signatures of all city and municipal registrars.

Along with the services of Valenzuela City 3S+ Online Services, or the Paspas Permit, it opens a faster “Ease of Doing Business” transactions with the national government.

Just wait for SC’s verdict, Peco told

By Lenie Lectura

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@llectura

HE congressional representative in the lone district of Iloilo City has appealed to Panay Electric Co. (Peco) to refrain from conducting events, or even issuing statements, meant to push its claim to the ownership of the Iloilo City power distribution franchise.

“Peco has raised a lot of issues after it was not given a new congressional franchise and its provisional permit to operate was not granted anew by the ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission]. Since Peco already filed several cases and will not accept the fact that it was denied a franchise by Congress, I advise Peco to await the final ruling of the Supreme Court,” Rep. Julienne Baronda, a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Energy, said in a news statement.

She added: “I pray that Peco will heed the appeal for sobriety and wait for the Supreme Court to decide on the issue it raised on the constitutionality of the law passed by Congress.”

For his part, Iloilo City Councilor Alan Zaldivar clarified that he did not blame MORE Power Corp. for the power outage incidents caused by the rehabilitation and preventive maintenance work.

“I have not, in any way, castigated, or imputed, anything bad against the president of MORE. In fact, we were so thankful at the City Council for MORE’s presence in the fact-finding investigation because MORE cleared all the air of doubts regarding the prevailing power situation in the city of Iloilo. And we really appreciate that kind gesture, a gesture that the former composition of the City Council never had during the time of Peco,” Zaldivar said.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, July 10, 2020 A3

PHL’s first missile-capable frigate to be commissioned today in Subic

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By Henry Empeño | Correspondent & Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

UBIC BAY FREEPORT—The country’s most powerful warship, the BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), will officially enter military service today (Friday, July 10, 2020) after handover, christening, and commissioning ceremonies at the Alava Pier here that will be led by no less than President Duterte who will “attend virtually.”

Navy chief Vice Adm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said on Tuesday that with President Duterte’s virtual availability, they would push through with the commissioning of the first multimission capable warship.

“It’s virtual. He is going to deliver a message,” Bacordo said of the Commander in Chief, whose presence, or at least his participation, in the event had been invoked by the Navy.

He said they got a confirmation on Tuesday afternoon that Duterte would attend the ceremony via the

cyberspace, and this had prompted military officials to carry on with the preplanned schedule.

The multirole frigate, which arrived in this free port from South Korea on May 23, 2020, will be commissioned by the top brass of the Navy, with Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana as guest of honor in place of the physical presence of President Duterte.

“We want the President to be the guest of honor for this, even whether physically or virtually. This is such an important activity for us that the

4 TFAT personnel at Naia test positive for Covid-19

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HE Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered the closure of the Task Force Against Trafficking (TFAT) office at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after four of their personnel tested positive for Covid-19.

The four TFAT personnel were tested at the Philippine General Hospital last July 2, 2020, and were found to be positive for the virus.

They were ordered to go on selfquarantine for 14 days.

Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) Undersecretary-in-charge Emmeline AglipayVillar also ordered, the TFAT offices be placed on a 14-day lockdown beginning July 8, 2020 to July 22, 2020.

“The said offices will undergo immediate disinfection and cleansing procedures during the 14-day period as a preventive measure,” Villar said, adding during the temporary closure, all personnel and the general public are prohibited from entering the infected premises.

The order also indicated that reporting and coordination with other concerned agencies shall be immedi-

ately undertaken for contact tracing among those who may have been in close interactions and dealings with the four TFAT personnel.

The personnel were apparently infected while performing regular work, assisting in the repatriation efforts at the airport, and conducting surveillance activities.

Villar also ordered all TFAT personnel, including 18 others who underwent swab test in PGH last July 2, 2020, to undergo strict selfquarantine measures for 14 days.

They were ordered to report any health symptoms like fever, itchy throat and loss of appetite during the 14-day lockdown period.

“All existing work assignments shall be, as far as practicable, done from their respective homes where everyone is expected to be on call for urgent matters, or concern,” Villar ordered.

She said a return to work order and schedule shall be submitted for recommendation by the head of the Naia-TFAT at the end of the 14-day quarantine period.

Recto Mercene , Joel R. San Juan

GO TO LGU EXECS: DON’T WASTE SEF

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

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EN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has called on local government units (LGUs) to wisely utilize their Special Education Fund (SEF) allotment in preparation for the country’s learning continuity plan amid the pandemic.

The senator on Wednesday reminded LGUs to carefully and wisely utilize their respective SEF as the Department of the Interior and Local Government recently called on them to assist the Department of Education (DepEd) in preparing for the coming school year.

“Ni piso ay hindi dapat masayang.

Gamitin po natin ng tama ang pondo ng bayan upang matulungan ang ating mga kababayan, lalo na ngayon na may krisis.

Gamit ang SEF, let’s make sure that students are able to continue their education in a manner that will not put them at harm because of the risks

caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said in a news statement.

In a separate statement, Go also announced the launching of the 74th Malasakit Center at the Dr. Fernando B. Duran, Sr. Memorial Hospital (formerly Sorsogon Provincial Hospital) located in Sorsogon City, Sorsogon, last Wednesday.

Go, who attended the inauguration via videoconference, reiterated his commitment as chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography to push for better healthcare services and increased access to medical and financial assistance all over the country.

The Malasakit Center in Sorsogon is the third in the Bicol region and 36th in Luzon. It is the third branch to open within the last seven days, the others being in Romblon Provincial Hospital in Odiongan, Romblon and Aurora Memorial Hospital in Baler, Aurora. More centers are scheduled to be launched in the coming months.

THE country’s newest and most powerful warship, the BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), enters Subic Bay during its arrival on May 23.

President is needed for this activity,” Bacordo added.

“Because of this Covid-19 and the new normal, the virtual presence of the President is as good as a physical presence,” the Navy Flag Officer in Command added.

Capt. Jerry Garrido Jr., who is the ship’s commanding officer, will render a readiness report at the start of the ceremony, to be followed by a welcome message by Bacordo, and a reading of commissioning and assignment orders by naval adjutant Col. Stephen Cabanlet.

Following the ship’s commissioning, Garrido will formally assume command of the frigate and officially set the watch, which is to assign the

crew to specific duties on the ship.

The commissioning will be witnessed by representatives from the Navy and the Olongapo City police office, as well as officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

SBMA Chairman Wilma T. Eisma said it will be an honor for Subic Bay to host the commissioning rites for the country’s newest and most powerful military ship.

“Like this frigate, the Subic Bay Freeport symbolizes the new hope of the Philippine government to modernize and be self-reliant towards true independence and sustainability,” Eisma said.

“It is the pride of every Filipino to witness this historic event when we

realize our common aspirations for a secure and stable future,” she added.

The BRP Jose Rizal is the first brandnew frigate to be brought into the service of the Philippine Navy and the first to have missile capability. It was launched in Korea fully a year before its arrival in Subic.

Armed with missiles and torpedoes, it is touted to be capable for anti-surface, anti-air, anti-submarine, and electronic warfare—a capability boosted by a top speed of 25 knots and the proficiency to stay out at sea for 30 days straight.

The 107.5-meter long frigate costs P8 billion, and is among the first two brand-new frigates to be acquired by the Philippines under a P16-billion ($315 million) contract awarded to Hyundai Heavy in 2016. Another P2 billion has reportedly been earmarked for the ships’ weapon systems and munitions.

BRP Rizal’s sister ship, the BRP Antonio Luna, is expected to be delivered in September after undergoing sea trials like the first frigate did.

The Philippine Navy said the BRP Jose Rizal was initially scheduled for commissioning on June 19, 2020, to coincide with the birthday of its namesake, the national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, but this was canceled after one of its crew tested positive for the new coronavirus disease.

A4 Friday, July 10, 2020 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

ERC orders DUs to refund certain charges to customers

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By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

HE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has issued an order to all distribution utilities (DUs) on refund of certain charges to their customers.

In its latest advisory on billing refund guidelines, the agency said Thursday the feed-in-tariff allowance (FiT-All) and Universal Charge -Environmental Charge (UC-EC) that were collected from their consumers during the quarantine period should be returned.

The ERC has deferred the collection of the FiT-All for the billing months of March and April as stated in its April 15 and May 5 advisories.

The FiT-All represents payment to renewable-energy developers.

This currently amounts to P0.0495 per kilowatt-hour. This is collected by the National Transmission Corp. (Transco) from all electricity consumers.

Also, the ERC indefinitely suspended the collection of UC-EC amounting to P0.0025 per kWh beginning in June, as stated in its May 22 advisory.

More important, customers who overpaid on their electricity bills are also entitled to a refund.

These are the overpayments made by consumers arising from monthly billings issued based on estimated consumption and verified against actual meter reading, and overpayments resulting from the non-implementation of the installment payment scheme prescribed by the ERC. Confusion over power bills started when consumers received their June bills because they

were asked to settle their bills from March, April and May, even though the government allowed payments for the said months to be settled in four to six monthly installments.

The country’s largest electricity distributor, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), earlier agreed to return excess collections made during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ ).

In particular, Meralco President Ray Espinosa said customers who paid their bills in full are entitled to a refund should they opt to avail of the installment plan.

The necessary clarifications will be carried out via the issuance of a letter to all Meralco customers whose meters were read in May but whose bills contain a previous reading that is actually based on estimated March and/or April consumption.

“We have our shortcomings. The previous estimates for March and April, those added to the confusion.

We plan to clear up everything in a letter,” Espinosa had said.

The ERC also directed all DUs that overpayments must be accurately and clearly reflected on the

billing statement. Likewise, various refund options must be presented to their customers.

“For consumers who are entitled to refunds due to overpayments, they may, in lieu of cash refund, request the DUs to apply the amount to be refunded as credits that will be applied in the immediate future billings,” the ERC said, adding that any refund option chosen by the customer must be acknowledged by the DU within 48 hours upon receipt.

Meanwhile, for consumers who already paid in full their monthly billings that fell due during the ECQ or modified ECQ that is covered by the mandated installment arrangement, they shall also have the option to seek a refund and avail of the mandated installment payment.

The DUs are required to submit to the ERC a monthly report on overbillings and the refund undertaken.

The first report must be in not later than August 15.

For DUs in Cebu province, particularly in places that are still under the ECQ, they are directed not to effect any disconnection on account of unpaid ECQ bills of electricity consumers until September.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Govt to build 1st agri-industrial biz corridor in New Clark City to invigorate food production

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

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HE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it will enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to set-up the country’s first 30-hectare “agriindustrial business corridor” at the New Clark City next year.

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said the New Clark City has the potential to kick-start and sustain economic growth in the “new normal” because of its “vast agricultural resources and strategic location that grants access to markets in both northern and southern Luzon, including Metro Manila.”

“The agro-industrial business corridor, or ABC, that will rise at the New Clark City will be a holistic approach, which aims to integrate smallholder farmers by providing them access to resources, including state-of-the-art production technology, capital, and value-adding facilities,” the DA chief said in a news statement.

Dar said the establishment of the ABC in strategic areas, such as that in New Clark City, shall help provide new jobs for Filipinos under the new normal, especially those laid-off due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on businesses.

The identified 30-hectare area in New Clark City where the ABC shall rise would include modern agri-business and multipurpose facilities, including a national seed technology park, the DA said.

“The soon-to-rise ABC will complement the planned Clark Fresh Market to be constructed at the Clark Civil Aviation Complex,” it said.

“The market complex will have an integrated post-harvest facility, catering niche markets for organic produce, halal-certified and premium quality food products,” it added.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Vince Dizon said the establishment of the ABC would boost the development of Tarlac and adjoining provinces in Central and Northern Luzon, with at least the creation of thousands of new jobs.

“This agri-industrial business corridor will not only enhance the productivity of our farmers but will also boost economic activity in the region,” Dizon said.

The DA said the investment required for the ABC would be determined during the crafting of the MOA with BCDA for the project.

The DA added that it is eyeing to put-up ABCs in 12 new economic zones identified by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority to entice more and bigger investments in the agriculture sector.

DICT seeks ₧46.6-B Experts press digitalization of food chains in Asian cities budget for 2021 to I boost ‘digital renewal’

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

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@lorenzmarasigan

S digital becomes an integral part of the “new normal,” the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is pushing for the approval of its proposed P46.6-billion budget for 2021.

DICT Secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II said the budget will help “effectively implement the department’s strategic programs towards digital transformation in the new normal.”

Under its proposal, the DICT seeks to allot P22.1 billion for its Digital Connectivity and Access Programs, which include the National Broadband Program (NBP), the Free WiFi for All in Public Places and State Universities and Colleges Program, and the Government Emergency Communications System.

“Digital connectivity and access is the foundation of digital transformation. It is only with a secure and reliable Internet connectivity for every Filipino can we implement programs and initiatives towards digitalization in various sectors of our society,” he said.

Roughly P11.7 billion will also be allotted to digital government initiatives, while P10.2 billion for digital work force and digital education projects, P55 million for digital cities and provinces programs, P1.05 billion for cyber security, and P1.3 billion for internal programs.

Honasan’s proposed budget is significantly higher than the P6-billion budget that it received this year.

“We hope that both houses of Congress will approve our proposed budget for 2021. Now more than ever, the call for digital transformation has never been more urgent. We need all the resources to fast-track the country’s digital transformation for us to better adapt to the new normal brought by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

He added that the proposed budget is in one with the goals set by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), as well as the Inter-Agency Task Force-Technical Working Group on Anticipatory and Forward Planning, both of which are looking at ways to rebuild the economy during the new normal.

F governments could raise their investments efforts in the digitalization of their food chains, experts from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) believe that food supply in cities will stabilize and incomes will increase in rural areas.

In an Asian Development Blog, ADB Director, Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Division, East Asia Regional Department Qingfeng Zhang and Senior Natural Resources

Economist, East Asia Department Jan Hinrichs said as digital technology role expands in society, efforts to digitize supply chains become imperative.

The authors said the raging pandemic has acted as a catalyst to increase the role of digital technology in improving and adapting the supply chain to the needs of the times.

“With social distancing and quarantine measures not likely to be going

away any time soon, food supply chains require further digital innovations to be ready,” Zhang and Hinrichs said.

The authors said these investments should be made in public sector food safety and quality certification to service decentralized and digitally connected food value chains.

Zhang and Hinrichs also said investments are needed to make food processing supply chains more digitally

connected with alternative logistics providers to ensure resilience.

“There is no doubt that digitization has helped improve existing supply chains and catalyzed supply chain restructuring. However, key enterprises and supportive government policies are the drivers for the evolution of food supply chains to be more robust to restrictions such as Covid-19,” they said. Cai U. Ordinario

Community health workers paid under ₧50 a day–study continued from a8 One of the possible areas of increasing LGU budgets is the Mandanas ruling, the Supreme Court decision upholding former Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas’s contention that the IRA share of LGUs should be based on all government fees collected, and not just those from the main revenue drawers, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs. Abrigo said this is a good opportunity to give LGUs additional support in addressing health and nutrition issues.

However, increasing the budget will not necessary lead to the desired

results. Abrigo said in the case of LGUs whose IRA increased by virtue of becoming cities from municipalities, health and nutrition were not the usual areas where the increase in funds are spent on.

Abrigo said usually, if the IRA of LGUs increase, the funds are devoted to education, general services and employment. And if there were any increases in the budget for nutrition, these are devoted to nutrition month expenses, particularly the nutrition month parade.

“The Mandanas ruling can be a good opportunity to expand resourc-

es,” Abrigo said. “But what is important is how the funds are spent.”

Training lack

IN the same forum, PIDS Research Fellow Aubrey Tabuga said apart from the low pay and uncertainty in the employment of these workers, they also lack training.

She said no standards are implemented for making measurements such as weight or height of children.

These measurements are crucial in deterring malnutrition and stunting rates.

And, with only a few community

health workers and the lack of communication in rural areas, many residents could not count on the availability of midwives, for example, to provide care for pregnant women, Tabuga also said.

She cited instances when a queue would form in health centers, only for people to find out that the midwife or health worker is not coming because of training or some other impediment.

Abrigo said LGUs must revisit the work assignments of midwives to even out the workload. The schedule of the visit of midwives to health centers must also be well-communicated.

Agri groups to DA: What’s real score on current rice supply? continued from a8 “They should also explain why their stock estimates keep on changing every time they make an announcement,” he added.

Asked by the BusinessMirror, the DA said the bulk of the 2.7 MMT current rice supply is held by households and commercial warehouses, without divulging exact figures of each segment.

The BusinessMirror also sought comments from the National Food Authority (NFA) on their current buffer stock level but they did not respond as of press time.

Rice Watch and Action Network Executive Director Hazel Tanchuling said the government needs to divulge the real volume of rice being held by the NFA in light of Pagasa’s forecast that at about 10 to 17 tropical cyclones will enter the country this year.

NFA stocks are now solely used for buffer stocking during calamities following the implementation of the rice trade liberalization law last year.

“It is very hard to rely on the goodness of the hearts of traders to offer cheap rice in a disaster situation. It should be NFA. And because we do not know their stock level and

with the foiled importation by the Philippine International Trading Corp., it is possible that the government has less than the mandated 30-day stock level,” Tanchuling told the BusinessMirror.

Discrepancies

BASED on the data obtained by the BusinessMirror, the DA projects total rice supply demand this year at 14.536 MMT, about 12.91 MMT of which are for food consumption.

The DA arrived with the 12.91 MMT rice demand for food consumption using a 108.66 million population multiplied by a 118.81 kilogram per capita consumption based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.

The BusinessMirror learned that the 118.81 per kilogram per capita figure used by the DA is based on the PSA’s supply and utilization account (SUA) figures, a data set that some pundits have questioned to be unreliable in estimating food demand.

The SUA uses the so-called disappearance method which treats rice consumption as merely residual after computing rice stocks and removing

exports and waste, among others.

Nonetheless, using DA’s own figures, a BusinessMirror analysis indicated that indeed, the 2.7 MMT current stock is only equivalent to 76 days and not 82 days.

The 2.7 MMT would be equivalent to 82 days of consumption if the daily consumption rate is lowered to 32,926.83 MT, which would mean a lower per capita consumption of 110.6 kilograms, BusinessMirror analysis showed.

Based on official food consumption survey (FCS) data of the PSA, the country’s rice per capita consumption as of 2015-2016 is nearly 110 kilograms.

In 2018, the BusinessMirror published a long-form article explaining how the government uses two sets of data that can result in data discrepancies that make rice demand and supply difficult to evaluate.

A mere 1-kilogram reduction in the estimated per capita rice consumption of Filipinos is already equivalent to 108.66 million kilograms or 108,660 metric tons.

Government officials admitted to the BusinessMirror that they in-

deed face discrepancies in using the FCS data and the SUA figures in evaluating the country’s rice supply and harmonizing the two data sets is close to, if not totally, impossible. (Read the BusinessMirror’s award-winning BroaderLook special report: https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2018/08/30/ snapshot-of-rice-consumption-data-remains-grainy-as-pinoys-grapple-withsupply-prices/) Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (Pcafi) President Danilo V. Fausto said the government should establish a sound data system so it does not resort to “guesstimates” that may put the country’s supply in jeopardy.

“We ask the DA to review their estimates based on actual data. We run the risk of having a shortage of rice if we do not have reliable data that could cause prices to spike,” Fausto told the BusinessMirror.

“A difference of 3 kilograms in per-capita consumption computations for example is huge. That is already equivalent to 300,000 metric tons which is what the PITC wanted to import earlier,” Fausto added.

Editor: Angel R. Calso

The World BusinessMirror

Friday, July 10, 2020

A5

Australia ends HK Global cases breach 12 million; extradition treaty US infections surge to 3 million C lobal coronavirus cases ANBERRA, Australia—Australia’s prime minister says his country has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and extended visas for Hong Kong residents in response to China’s imposition of a tough national security law on the semiautonomous territory.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday announced a range of visas that will be extended from two to five years and offers of pathways to permanent residency visas. It is not clear how many residents are

expected to get the extensions.

The move comes after China bypassed Hong Kong’s Legislative Council to impose the sweeping security legislation without public consultation.

Britain, too, is extending residency rights for up to 3 million Hong Kongers eligible for British National Overseas passports, allowing them to live and work in the UK for five years.

Canada has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and is looking at other options including migration. AP

United, American Airlines extend suspension of Hong Kong flights

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nited Airlines Inc. extended its suspension of flights to and from Hong Kong, citing new coronavirus testing protocols for crew arriving in the Asian financial hub, while American Airlines Group Inc. also canceled plans to resume services from Dallas/Fort Worth.

Hong Kong updated its Covid-19 prevention and control measures this week, requiring all air crewmembers arriving at the city’s airport starting on Wednesday to provide throat saliva samples at a government facility nearby.

“UA877 was canceled due to recent changes in testing protocol at HKG, and United flights to and from HKG are suspended through July 10 westbound and their corresponding returns,” United said in a statement referring to its flight due to depart San Francisco on Wednesday. HKG is the Asian city’s airport code.

“We are currently assessing how this impacts our future operations,” the airline said.

American’s Flight 125 due to depart Dallas/Fort Worth on Thursday also was canceled, according to its web site.

The flights were due to be both airlines’ first commercial passenger operations to the city since they suspended services in early February.

Hong Kong has become a focal point of increasingly frayed relations between the US and China as Beijing moves ahead with national security legislation over the city, prompting the Trump administration to declare that Hong Kong no longer is sufficiently autonomous.

Hong Kong has reported an increase in coronavirus cases following an almost threeweek lull, with the government warning that the city might be in the early days of a wider outbreak. Hong Kong has reported a total of 1,323 cases and seven deaths, while US infections and deaths stand at 3.1 million and more than 132,000, respectively.

Bloomberg News

Harvard, M.I.T. sue to block ICE rule on international students

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OSTON—Colleges and universities pushed back on Wednesday against the Trump administration’s decision to make international students leave the country if they plan on taking classes entirely online this fall, with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filing a lawsuit to try to block it, and others promising to work with students to keep them on campus.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement notified colleges on Monday that international students will be forced to leave the US or transfer to another college if their schools operate entirely online this fall. New visas will not be issued to students at those schools, and others at universities offering a mix of online and inperson classes will be barred from taking all of their classes online.

The guidance says international students won’t be exempt even if an outbreak forces their schools online during the fall term.

In a statement, the US State Department said that international students are welcome in the US, but the policy “provides greater flexibility for nonimmigrant students to continue their education in the United States, while also allowing for proper social distancing on open and operating campuses across America.”

The guidance was released the same day Harvard announced it would be keeping its classes online this fall. Harvard says the directive would prevent many of Harvard’s 5,000 international students from remaining in the US. Har vard President Lawrence Bacow said the order came without notice and that its “cruelty” was surpassed only by its “recklessness.” “ I t a p p e a r s t h at i t wa s d e s i gn e d purposefully to place pressure on colleges and universities to open their on-campus classrooms for in-person instruction this fall, without regard to concerns for the health and safety of students, instructors, and others,” Bacow said in a statement on Wednesday.

“This comes at a time when the United States has been setting daily records for the number of new infections, with more than 300,000 new cases reported since July 1.”

Universities across the US say the more than 1 million international students have an important place in their communities. Many schools have also come to depend on revenue

from international students, who typically pay higher tuition rates.

It creates an urgent dilemma for thousands of international students who became stranded in the US last spring after the coronavirus forced their schools to move online. Those attending schools that are staying online must “depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction,” according to the guidance.

“They may have just re-signed leases on apartments...Our university starts in six weeks or seven weeks. They have been planning to be here, they have already spent money so it’s really devastating,” said University of Southern California lecturer Melanie Johnson.

The university last week reversed course on a plan to bring students to campus, saying classes will be hosted primarily or exclusively online. Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and Rutgers in New Jersey this week made similar announcements amid surging Covid-19 cases.

Johnson worries that even students who start off on campus will be prevented by travel restrictions from going home if a surge forces classes online mid-semester.

“What if a student like that, who for no fault of their own, finds themselves here without their classes and ends up in a detention center or deported?” she said.

Pro f e s s o r s f i e l d e d m e s s a g e s f ro m frantic students seeking assurances that at least some of their courses would be face -to-face.

“They are, of course, all concerned,” said University of Iowa Associate Professor Jan Wessel. “I am on board with anything we can do to circumnavigate these circumstances, and I’m willing to do any in-person arrangement if it helps a student.”

But Wessel, who runs the university’s cognitive neurology lab, said it was more important to take a stand against the policy “and say politics should not use our students as a poker chip in whatever they are trying to do.” He said he would suspend his teaching if any of his students was forced out.

At Brown University, President Christina Paxson issued a statement supporting the Harvard and MIT lawsuit and said she was working with peers to find other ways to oppose the new policy. AP

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topped 12 million, with the US accounting for 3 million as surges in California and Texas drove infections in the country to another daily record.

Even places that have been relatively successful in containing infections faced flare-ups, with Hong Kong seeing rising cases.

Beijing appeared to make headway in stamping out a recent outbreak, reporting no new local cases for a third day. Mexico had its biggest daily jump in infections, bringing the total number past 275,000.

US cases rise 2 percent

Coronavirus cases in the US rose 59,655 from a day earlier to 3.02 million, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. The 2 percent increase was higher than the average daily increase of 1.8 percent over the past week. Deaths rose 0.8 percent to 131,857.

Texas had its second straight day of record virus deaths, at 98, bringing total fatalities in the state to 2,813. Virus cases rose 4.7 percent to 220,564, exceeding the seven-day average of 4 percent. The 9,979 new cases were second only to yesterday’s record of 10,028. Hospita lizations jumped by 324, or 3.5 percent, which was less

than the seven-day average of 5.2 percent.

As cases continued rising in Houston, epicenter of the state’s biggest outbreak, Mayor Sylvester Turner said he was canceling the Republican Party’s state convention that was to be held in the city next week. The mayor also objected to proposals to reopen public schools in August, saying it was premature for such discussions until the outbreak is under control.

Florida reported 223,783 cases, up 4.7 percent from a day earlier, less than the average increase of 5 percent in the previous seven days. Deaths reached 3,889, a 1.2 percent rise.

Arizona had 3,520 new cases, bringing that state’s total to 108,614, a 3.3 percent increase that was below the prior sevenday average of 4.1 percent.

Idaho cases rose 6 percent to 8,539, according to the data collected by Johns Hopkins and Bloomberg News.

California reported 11,694 new virus cases, its largest oneday increase and above the sevenday average of 8,116 daily infec-

tions. The data for Wednesday includes some backlog of cases from Los Angeles County, Governor Gavin Newsom said at a press briefing. The state had 111 additional deaths, he said.

The rate of positive tests over the past 14 days has jumped to 7.1 percent, compared with around 5 percent two weeks ago. Newsom said the state is monitoring that figure “very closely” and warned it can quickly spike into double digits.

He urged people to continue to stay home except for essential needs.

President Donald J. Trump intensified a pressure campaign to reopen schools, criticizing US guidelines as too onerous.

Mexico’s cases jump

Mexico reported a record daily rise of 6,995 confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 275,003, according to data released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday night. Deaths rose by 782, to 32,796.

Mexico has reported record daily rises in Cov id-19 cases three times in the last week as the country has moved forward with reopening its economy. It has surpassed Spain and France to become the country with the fifth deadliest outbreak.

HK’s new outbreak worsens

The government found six add it ion a l loc a l ly t ra n sm it ted v ir us cases af ter t he 4 p.m. cutoff time for the daily count on Wednesday, HK01 reported, citing unidentified people.

An almost three-week lull in local infections has come to an abrupt end, with 19 new community transmissions reported on Wednesday and the government expressing fears that the city might be in the early days of a wider outbreak.

Iran suffers deadliest day

More than one-third of 200 fatalities in Iran’s deadliest day of the outbreak were reported in Tehran alone, authorities said during an emergency meeting of the country’s coronavirus taskforce.

The country has recorded 12,000 fatalities from more than 248,000 known cases.

South Africa ICU beds scarce

South Africa is likely to run out of intensive-care unit beds within four weeks, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told parliament. The scarcity of beds will come even as the number of infections, which are expected to hit a high point in August, are expected to be lower than initially projected, he said. So far, 4,831 health workers have been infected.

Tokyo to support nightlife industry

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will offer subsidies to nightlife establishments in stricken areas that close because of the coronavirus, Asahi reported, citing an unidentified official. Outlets that close for 10 days or more will receive 500,000 yen ($4,660), according to the report.

Bloomberg News

Allies, China denounce U.S. pullout from WHO G ENEVA—Top US allies on Wednesday denounced the planned pullout of the United States from the World Health Organization, with the Italian health minister calling it “wrong” and a political ally of Germany’s chancellor warning that the withdrawal could make more room on the world stage for China.

US Secretar y of State Mike Pompeo, m e a nw h i l e, ratc h e te d u p t h e Tr u m p administration’s months of criticism of the U.N. health agency. The US, which is facing criticism for its own handling of the coronavirus, leads the world in confirmed cases and deaths, a situation that President Donald Trump has sought to blame on China.

In his comments, Pompeo repeated the WHO’s alleged failures in responding to the virus’s emergence in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December and accused the agency of having “a long history of corruption and politicization” in dealing with other diseases.

The new broadsides appeared aimed at refocusing attention during a presidential election year on the shortcomings of WHO and China early in the pandemic that has since reached 12 million confirmed cases and a death toll approaching 545,800.

“There is a real focus on the failures that took place around Wuhan and the World Health Organization’s fundamental inability to perform its basic core mission of preventing a global pandemic spread,” Pompeo said.

The United Nations and the US State Department announced on Tuesday that Washington had submitted formal notification that the US would withdraw from the WHO within a year. The notice made good on President Donald Trump’s vow in May to terminate US participation in the WHO over its alleged missteps and kowtowing to China.

Tru m p’s p re s u m p t i ve o p p o n e nt i n November’s election, former Vice President Joe Biden, has vowed to rescind the decision on his first day in office, if he is elected.

Underscoring the unprecedented nature of the planned US exit, the WHO doesn’t have language in its constitution about how a country could leave: The administration is mostly bound by US legislation that requires a one-year notice and payment of any arrears in full before departure.

“We’ll get it right, but as the president has made ver y clear, we are not going to under write an organization that has historically been incompetent and not per formed its fundamental func tion,” Pompeo said.

Questions were rife about how quickly the US might start backing away from an

organization it helped build over decades with both funding and expertise on global health issues as diverse as the fight against polio and smallpox to tobacco use, obesity and sugar consumption.

The Trump administration’s latest step to selfisolate—after pulling out of the Paris climate accord, the UN’s human rights body and other international institutions—was bound to affect the WHO through the loss of both US money and medical know-how, experts said.

Critics insist the pullout also will have a negative impact on the US from losing both a voice and an ear in some of the world’s top conversations on healthcare.

WHO officials have declined to comment on the withdrawal, saying they have not directly received formal US notification. They previously suggested that the loss of American expertise, such as from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, would hurt as much if not more than the loss of funds from the agency’s top contributor.

The US provides WHO with more than $450 million per year and currently owes some $200 million in current and past dues.

Italian Health Minister Rober to Speranza called Trump’s pullout decision “serious and wrong.”

“The health crisis has shown that we need a reformed and stronger WHO, not a weaker one,” he said. Italy was the onetime epicenter of the pandemic in the West and relied heavily on WHO’s guidance as it struggled to contain the virus and treat Covid-19 patients.

His German counterpart, Jens Spahn, d e c r i e d a “s e t b a c k f o r i nte r n at i o n a l cooperation” on Twitter, writing that more global cooperation, not less, is needed to fight pandemics.

“European states will initiate #WHO reforms,” Spahn tweeted.

S p a n i s h Fo re i gn M i n i s te r Ara n c h a González Laya said the WHO needs “more autonomy” and the world needs more cooperation to prepare for future pandemics.

“What we need today is more multilateralism and less national sovereignty as a guarantee for protecting our citizens, even if that means that we go against what others have said in other parts of the world,” González Laya told reporters. “Let’s not get carried away by siren songs.”

Juergen Hardt, a foreign policy spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right coalition, said that the US withdrawal damages American and Western strategic interests just as China, a key WHO member state, has been taking a greater role in international institutions. AP

A6

Friday, July 10, 2020 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Covid-19 protection with new technology

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F you took the time to look at your spam e-mail in the past few months, you might have noticed that “Non Contact Touch Free Thermometer is critical to your health.” One local online shopping group was selling a face mask for P5,200 per piece. It is now out of stock, which tells us something.

While there are comments that the coronavirus will be with us for some time—maybe forever according to one expert—there is no question that we are in a new age of concern for our health. There is also no question that there are a lot of scams out there to take advantage of our fear. Caveat emptor and let common sense and a little research save you money.

Nonetheless, there will be new technologies deployed in the public arena to help keep the population safe.

The Financial Times published an interesting analysis last month on this topic, which deserves closer examination. “Employers are rushing to make workplaces safe with rudimentary tools such as hand sanitizers, face masks, and the use of stairs rather than lifts. But engineers are developing more radical technologies to keep the virus out of offices.

“Pandemics like this can provide fertile ground for creative minds to think about how to do things differently,” said Shaun Fitzgerald, visiting professor at the University of Cambridge.

You may have noticed that local companies from the Philippine Stock Exchange to the MRT-3 have been forced to shut down to disinfect their buildings and facilities. There are differing conclusions as to whether the virus can exist in a harmful and infectious state on surfaces. However, we are conditioned to be wary of surface contact in public places.

Every kid using the comfort room at a mall has probably been reminded, “Don’t touch the toilet seat.”

Companies are expanding on the use of antimicrobial agents on surfaces to kill viruses. A UK company, NitroPep, has developed a coating—not a chemical—that physically destroys the outer membrane of the virus and kills it. It can be applied to surfaces like the handrail on stairs or a doorknob and punctures the virus, like those spikes do to your car tires if you try to leave a parking lot without paying.

You have to admit, that is sort of cool.

Another company is rethinking the use of ultraviolet light that kills bacteria and viruses, like those used in water purification. A big stationary UV unit or even a mobile robot could be sent around an office building at night—just like a normal cleaning crew—zapping the virus in the air and on surfaces. The robot idea sounds like it came out of a Star Wars movie but could be amazingly effective.

We think of buildings as being big open structures, but there are also many small spaces like elevators. Other companies are trying to develop technologies that could detect hot spots of virus concentration not unlike a smoke detector.

As the coronavirus, as well as many other pathogens, spread through aerosol droplets, great focus is being targeted at air-conditioning and the subsequent airflow inside buildings of all sizes. The idea is to not have massive flows of air from one room or one part of the building to another.

Whatever the future holds, we are not going back to the “old normal” for a long time.

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lasma is the liquid portion of our blood, comprising up to 55 percent. It is mostly water, containing vital substances like hormones and nutrients. It also carries antibodies, a type of protein synthesized by a person’s immune system to help the body fight off foreign substances like viruses.

People who have recovered from Covid-19 are known to have plasma that carries the antibodies that can fight and protect the body from the virus. Such “convalescent plasma” can be transfused from a Covid-19 survivor to one who is critically ill, with the objective of boosting the latter’s defensive response to the virus.

Given that we are still developing and testing many new drugs and treatments amid the pandemic, the idea of transfusing convalescent plasma as a possible form of therapy isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem. In fact, convalescent plasma therapy has quite a history. It was first used in the 1890s, and then in the early 20th century, to reduce the severity of a number of outbreaks of measles, mumps, and influenza. In recent times, it was used in 2009 during

the H1N1 influenza pandemic, and then in 2013 for the Ebola outbreak in Africa.

With such a track record, convalescent plasma transfusion is now considered an investigational treatment for Covid-19 patients.

In India, a trial has been carried out, with 18 out of 20 patients recovering after plasma therapy was administered. The United Kingdom and the United States of America have also held their own studies and clinical trials, with generally favorable results for using convalescent plasma therapy in seriously ill Covid-19 patients. Also, Dr. Michael Ryan, head of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies program, has officially stated that a Covid-19 patient can be given a boost through the antibodies that will be received. This pronounce-

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Saving lives with convalescent plasma

SERVANT LEADER

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rothers and sisters, just last week, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque joyfully greeted the Philippines because it supposedly beat the forecast claimed by experts from the University of the Philippines regarding the expected number of Covid-19 cases by the end of June. In UP’s projection, the number of Covid-19 cases may reach around 40,000 in June, but based on the government’s data, the number of recorded cases reached slightly more than 36,000.

Even if we included the backlog of 1,000 Covid-19 cases that are yet to be confirmed, it wouldn’t have reached the overall number predicted by UP. “Congratulations, Philippines!” Secretary Roque said, while raising his fist like how he watches a basketball game where his favorite team is winning. Our country is winning the fight against Covid-19. We will do it again this month of July.

Secretary Roque’s enjoyment is out of place.

What is the point of beating UP’s forecast? Aren’t the cases of Covid-19

continuing to rise in number every day? Have we yet to achieve what is called “flattening the curve” where we are able to decelerate the rate of positive cases of the virus? Hasn’t the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed the Philippines has the fastest rate of rising number of Covid-19 cases within the Western Pacific Region? And now, we see this rise spreading outside Metro Manila, such as Cebu City, and other places in Mindanao, but we still haven’t focused on the medical needs of the people infected with this virus here

ment comes as no surprise, as the WHO has considered convalescent plasma therapy as a valid and safe treatment for H1NI, SARS, MERSCoV and Ebola.

Here, the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital and the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development are working to contribute to the growing body of knowledge regarding Covid-19 convalescent plasma.

Their joint research will evaluate the safety and effectivity of the treatment among hospitalized Covid-19 patients.

As a Covid-19 survivor, I have donated my plasma numerous times since recovering from the virus in April. I first learned about the therapy when one of the doctors who treated me asked if I was interested in donating plasma for another critically ill patient. I did not hesitate— perhaps out of a sense of gratitude for the utmost care I received while in confinement from our able doctors and nurses.

While I was recovering and beginning to get back to work, my staff and I noted that there wasn’t any concerted effort to gather Covid-19 survivors interested in donating their convalescent plasma and link them with severely ill patients. This prompted my office to coordinate with Bacolod-based web developer Talking Myna toward

We are taught by the Catholic social teaching that it is the duty of any institution, especially the government, to care for the lives of people, propagate our dignity, and ensure we achieve the common good. It is the government’s duty to help its citizens fulfill their roles for others and for society. in Metro Manila.

Aside from UP, our leaders have other misconceived “enemies” that they prioritize their time for rather than improving our solutions to address Covid-19. Our lawmakers are busy finding ways to bury ABS-CBN. Our leaders are busy silencing critical journalists. The Duterte administration was busy passing the Anti-Terror Act that, regardless of it not being implemented yet, makes some officials in the government aggressively red-tag those, according to them, sympathizers of progressive groups.

Authorities are busy in capturing and detaining peace protesters even if they follow social distancing. The government is busy getting online sellers to pay taxes, and killing the livelihood of jeepney drivers without providing

developing a digital solution that would make convalescent plasma donation easier to do.

This collaboration led to the recent launching of the web site plasmangpagasa.com, where Covid-19 survivors can privately register their intent to donate. Partner hospitals—which for now include the Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, and both St. Luke’s Medical Centers in Taguig and Quezon City—will be immediately alerted. Our team is currently working to expand the network of partners, especially in provinces like Cebu, which is experiencing serious spikes in Covid-19 cases.

We must use all possible tools at hand—digital or not—to address the pandemic. Hence, those who have survived the ravages of Covid-19 should answer the call to help those who are still suffering from it. One way is to donate their convalescent plasma—hopefully using plasmangpagasa.com. Short of an actual cure or vaccine, convalescent plasma therapy may just prove to be one of the lifesaving options for our fellow Filipinos.

Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service

for 15 years—nine years as representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and six as senator. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws. He recently won another term in the Senate.

E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com|Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @sonnyangara.

the help they need to stand up every day while they are not allowed operate.

We are taught by the Catholic social teaching that it is the duty of any institution, especially the government, to care for the lives of people, propagate our dignity, and ensure we achieve the common good. It is the government’s duty to help its citizens fulfill their roles for others and for society. But if the leaders of our government focus their attention towards covering their shortcomings and the things that were ineffective in solving the crisis we are facing— and this is the Covid-19 pandemic— it is difficult to say they are properly doing their moral duty.

Brothers and sisters, leaders are essential in times that our country is facing heavy crises, and Covid-19 is our true enemy. Their skills to govern are being challenged by the hardest chapter in our history. As stated in the book of Proverbs 24:10, “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!”

Make it a habit to listen to Radio Veritas 846 Ang Radyo ng Simbahan in the AM band, or through live streaming at www.veritas846.ph, and follow its Twitter and Instagram accounts @veritasph, and YouTube at veritas846.ph. For your comments, e-mail veritas846pr@gmail.com.

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Friday, July 10, 2020

A7

Policy Brief–Developing Negative the National Bicycle Policy Tito Genova Valiente

Genesis Kelly S. Lontoc

EAGLE WATCH

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S the economy gradually opens up amid the pandemic, Filipinos keenly anticipate whether many of the “old normal” conditions will still hold true or whether new developments will prevail in the “new normal.” One of the challenges that would probably still be present would be the traffic situation. It is therefore an opportune time for the government to assess what it needs to continue doing, what it needs to stop doing and what it needs to start doing in addressing the issue of traffic.

Traffic hurts health through its impact on emissions that dampen the quality of the environment.

Emissions Inventory per Region (in percentage) as of 2018

Region Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4A Region 4B Region 5 Region 6 Region 7 Region 8 Region 9 Region 10 Region 11 Region 12 Region 13 NCR CAR Total Philippines

Stationary Sources 11% 0.03% 20% 7% 9.48% 3% 12% 29% 1% 0.2% 43% 4% 2% 4% 18.42% 0.05% 16%

Mobile Sources 79% 95.29% 75% 87% 90.42% 76% 61% 67% 90% 99.2% 44% 35% 62% 91% 81.15% 54.77% 73%

Area Sources 9% 4.68% 5% 6% 0.10% 21% 27% 4% 9% 0.6% 13% 61% 36% 5% 0.43% 45.18% 11%

Source: Environmental Management Bureau

Mobile sources contribute the bulk of emissions both in the total country perspective and in the majority of the regions. The Environmental Management Bureau further adds that the major pollutants coming out of the mobile sources are Volatile Organic Compounds and Carbon Monoxide. The new normal ushers in a heightened sense of awareness in health. A healthy Philippines is where emissions can be addressed. Healthy citizens help build a wealthy economy.

Traffic also has a huge economic cost.

The long hours spent by people in traffic lead to a lot of lost productive labor hours and high opportunity costs. The Metro Manila Development Authority estimated that the traffic in Metro Manila cost the economy P3.5 billion daily in 2018. The Japan International Cooperation Agency adds that the daily number can escalate to P5.4 billion by 2035 if changes would not be implemented. A productive Philippines is where good traffic solutions help people save time.

Addressing the problem of traffic may imply having a wide array of plans and programs. However, one possible solution could be the passage of urgent legislation related to the development of a National Bicycle Policy. In terms of health, bicycles do not have harmful emissions unlike motorized vehicles.

In terms of cost, regular bicycles are significantly cheaper than motorized vehicles. In terms of space in the road, bicycles occupy a lot less space than motorized vehicles.

The National Bicycle Policy will hopefully provide the framework for bicycle policies and support programs to be coordinated well across the national and local governments. The Philippines can benchmark with how other progressive countries have been able to successfully draft and implement bicycle plans and programs. Government must liaise closely with various private sector stakeholders who have keen interest in biking so that the programs will be inclusive and realistic.

There must be a specific and accountable portion of the national budget and local government funds that must be allocated to the National Bicycle Policy.

One major initiative that can be done is to increase the number of dedicated bicycle lanes and links in applicable major and minor roads. The budget can initially focus on the top regions where the mobile sources contribute the most to emissions. These are Region 9, Region 2, Region 13, Region 4B, Region 8, Region 4A and NCR. To complement the bicycle road network, investments in necessary infrastructure projects should be earmarked toward structures and equipment that protect the collective safety of bikers, motorists and pedestrians. Parking facilities for bicycles must be provided in establishments. Fines can be imposed for road violators and the proceeds from fines can be utilized by the national and local governments to fund environment preservation, health care and other development programs.

To further promote the use of bicycles, special loan facilities and special subsidy programs can be made available at the different local government units so that a good number of people can be influenced to adopt the healthier mode of transport. From a human capital view, the increased use of bicycles can improve wellness of people and may even spur more entrepreneurial activities.

Success of the National Bicycle Policy will entail sustained investment in terms of continuous educational awareness. Schools can incorporate in curricula the benefits of biking to the youth. Local governments can initiate seminars that tackle responsible biking and the importance of the environment and health. The national government can promote advocacy campaigns in popular communication platforms that will encourage people to explore bicycles as transport alternatives.

Clearly, for the Philippines to thrive economically, government and the citizenry should work well together in ensuring that both health and wealth improve in a sustainable manner. Promoting the active use of bicycles can help protect the environment, improve health and boost the economy.

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his is the time for reckoning.

It has been more than three months when I vacated that apartment. The history of the universe lies on top of the history of time; Marlon Brando stares at Laurence Olivier, both now rendered biographical. More books lined up the stairs going to two unused rooms. For days in January, huge rats would slid down the stairwell. The two never confronted me then. As there is no one there at present, the two and their children and grandchildren rat must be running the place.

I miss my place. I miss the rats. I miss anything that is alive, moving.

It was the 12th of March and the news was Manila would be locked down. Loida, ever updated with the latest gossip and the news, asked me what that lockout meant. I did not know. She looked at me, her grin caught between feeling equal with me for the first time and trying to make sense of my newfound ignorance.

I did not know that would be the last time I would partake of her barbecue, legendary in the Scout area of the city. It is true what those gilded cinemas of yore show: sad actors never get to say goodbye when the world is about to end. Only in bad films could we grant a character to move around to say goodbye to all the characters who peopled his dull life.

Now I wish I were in a B-movie, I would have gone to my favorite café, the one that I wrote about always. The one that would play old tango music at 7 in the morning, as the world outside stopped, and the salad and bread hinted of the hands of angels. There was always strange joy in that café when the baristas could not tell which was more bitter—the Americano or the brewed. Always, I ended up having the bitter earth without retaining the name of the origin of this non-sweetness.

Where are those young men and

women tending the coffee shop?

One had a home in Bulacan; another in a barangay in the hinterlands of Tanay. They have lost their jobs and perhaps their motorcycle. Without salaries, what kinds of coffee do they drink in their homes? I can see on the damp table near an open window a plastic thermos, and a collection of 3-in-1s. Looking out of the garden is depression.

I miss the officious ticket sellers and guards on the floor where the cinemas of this great mall were. The guard in particular always looked at the ticket you handed to him as if he could, one day, spot a fake one.

The ticket sellers—two of them anyway—were grumpy always especially when grumpier senior citizens wanted to be served immediately.

Are they more officious now that Covid-19 is officiating the events of their lives or the absence of events in their lives? Are they still able to buy those floats when they are on breaks? But why should they be enjoying breaks when they have no jobs anymore?

That night of the 12th I travelled by bus from Manila to Naga.

No one knew in that bus what awaited us for the next week. It is true then what they recall in history—people who were driven to their death did not feel anything because they did not know where the journey would end.

We did not know the weeks would

turn into months and, god forbid, into a year.

Unlike in my past travels when I composed rhapsody about the night and the towns all asleep, there was nothing in the night and in the travel deserving of my pain and pen. It was a night that refused both poetry and prose. It was also an odd, lazy drive. The driver and his co-driver were on the lookout for checkpoints.

There were none. The country and its leaders were still clueless a few days before lockdown.

Who would ever think they would be clueless for the next three months and, god forbid, till the end of the year?

When we reached the last town before the city, the bus stopped.

Drivers from buses that arrived earlier came onto the bus. They were talking about the “epidemic.”

That was the first time I heard the word uttered by people not tasked with delivering the news.

One of the drivers was making fun of the name of the virus—corona. Bragging, he quipped if one got sick with the virus, you ended up having a corona of flowers.

‘Our own Mt. Rushmore Memorial’

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We had our own version of Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.

Sculpted on the mountainside of Pugo, La Union was a 30-meter (98 feet) high concrete bust of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It was built upon the orders of Marcos using government funds in 1978 but completed in 1980 at the height of Martial Law.

The iconic monument which served as a background for the event was carved into the granite wall of Mt. Rushmore in Black Hills region of Keystone, South Dakota and features the giant faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. For his reelection bid in 2020, Trump’s new campaign slogans are “Keep America Great” and “Promises Made, Promises Kept.”

Looking down on what is happening in America now under Trump’s watch, the four presidents must be turning in their graves.

Ignoring the advice of medical experts and the resurging cases of Covid-19 infections, which had hit over 50,000 cases per day before the holiday weekend, Trump went ahead with the July 4th commemoration which observers viewed as a political show to revive his floundering presidential campaign. Ignoring the protocols, the administration organized a massive crowd consisting of his political base without proper dis-

coronavirus. A victim who traveled to South Dakota—Kimberly Guilfoyle, girlfriend of Donald J. Trump Jr. and an active campaign official of Trump—tested positive for coronavirus. A pandemic has no respect for holidays and acquaintances of the president.

We had our own version of Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.

Sculpted on the mountainside of Pugo, La Union was a 30-meter (98 feet) high concrete bust of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It was built upon the orders of Marcos using government funds in 1978 but completed in 1980 at the height of Martial Law. Like Mt. Rushmore which was constructed on land grabbed from the native Indians, the Pugo statue was controversial as “the land used was grabbed from the indigenous Ibaloi people” as reported

by Wikipedia. It was an impressive monument which travellers would not miss on their way up to the city of Baguio using the Marcos Highway.

The self-glorification project was financed by the Philippine Tourism Authority to serve as the centerpiece of Marcos Park, named after the president. The park, however, was not completed before Marcos was deposed. The monument was allegedly destroyed by treasure hunters who

Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES he US of A had a grand birthday celebration on the 4th of July, which placed Mt. Rushmore National Memorial very much in the news. Holding the 244th anniversary of America’s independence at the majestic mountain beneath the colossal monument of four of the US’s greatest presidents was President Donald J. Trump’s way of extolling himself before his sycophantic supporters. It was another political exercise to “make America great again,” Trump’s campaign slogan that carried him to his successful presidential bid in 2016. tancing and the audience mostly wearing no face masks. President Trump made an impassioned plea and railed against his political foes that he claimed wanted to defame America’s heroes and distort the country’s history by destroying the country’s famous landmarks. It was a dark message typical of Trump and a departure from the traditional Independence Day presidential address, which normally talks about peace and unity in America, and bringing the country together.

The pompous event was highlighted by a magnificent display of air power by the US Air Force, followed by a dazzling show of fireworks. It was sad that the pandemic, which has ravaged his nation, was only briefly mentioned by Trump at the beginning of his speech. It was a day of revelry well attended

by Trump’s partisans from the State of South Dakota and visitors from other states numbering several thousands. One uninvited and unseen guest who had a great day mixing with the crowd was the

They all laughed.

These drivers were used to making a return trip. They started counting the days. If we leave tonight, we are in Manila tomorrow. Could we still drive back and be home here? One driver assured himself, ah that is fine. I can manage. The older driver was brave enough to ask: what about our salary?

Eventually, everything stopped.

The buses stopped being seen on the highway, their colors recognizable for either efficiency, courtesy to passengers or reckless driving.

Many drivers got stuck in the big city, with its big crisis and hunger.

After three months, some of them got a free ride home. Those buses brought with them passengers and the virus further mutated.

Did that night bear no foreboding? I was not looking. Was the moon the “dead dead” moon of Federico Garcia Lorca? Maybe it was, but the journey night may have waylaid my eyes and saved my heart from lying, or negating the happiness that is around even when the world is ending itself.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

thought that treasures were hidden inside the bust. Another report revealed that the statue was destroyed by the NPA under the Molintas Command, which claimed responsibility for the bombing. The group claimed that “it is an abomination that has to be eliminated.” Had the Pugo statue remained to this day, it would stand as a ghastly reminder of the ignominy and suffering of our people under a detested regime.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a plan to rebuild the busted Marcos bust by repairing what remains of it. It had been badly defaced but the profile is still intact. Revisionists of history won’t stop until the facts are substituted by falsehoods; they won’t cease and desist until lies prevail over the truth. The late strongman put up his own monument using government money in a public park named after himself while he was still alive at the height of his power. On the other hand, our main international airport was named after Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. more than four years after his death. Out of delicadeza, the law, RA 66398, renaming the Manila International Airport to Ninoy Aquino International Airport was enacted without executive approval on our martyr’s birthday on November 27, 1987. Ninoy shed his life in the tarmac of Naia felled by an assassin’s bullet. His martyrdom led to the People’s Power Revolution that ousted the ruling dictator. From the parliament of the streets, we now have a free-wheeling Congress with some members who have seemingly forgotten the supreme sacrifice of Ninoy to regain the freedom that they now enjoy. Let’s continue to honor Ninoy and bear witness to his conviction that “the Filipinos are worth dying for.” Even John Wayne got his airport in Orange County, California.

A8 Friday, July 10, 2020

Covid-19 cases hit 51,754; DOH reports more cases of clustering

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By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco | Correspondent & Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

TOTAL of 488 instances of clustering—when there are two or more cases in a specific area— nationwide have been reported by the Department of Health (DOH), as cases in the country reached 51,754 on Thursday, with 1,395 new cases logged.

As of July 8, the 488 clustering instances were recorded in: 46 health facilities, 24 jails, 379 communities and other areas, 39.

Of the 488, 34 new clusters were reported from July 6 to 8: one in a health facility, one in jail, and 32 in communities.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire noted that the increase in cases is not only due to clustering but also to “community transmission,” but they could no longer see the “link” of current cases to any infected persons. Community transmission is when someone gets the virus with no known contact or exposure.

To avoid confusion since she

used the word “ link,” she explained, “What I said was that based on our findings, community transmission is observed to be the primary driver of the recently reported infections.”

As such, she added, “this may entail that we cannot necessarily trace all cases to a specific case/source as opposed to previously that we were able to trace a specific cluster of cases to a source , such as an imported case or a case from closed-settings—this is the very definition of community transmission.”

Cebu’s situation

DESPITE the decline in infections and fatalities related to Covid-19

in Cebu City, the DOH said the city will remain under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for now.

In an online press briefing on Thursday, Heath Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said it is still “too early” for them to recommend to downgrade the community quarantine in Cebu City.

However, he noted the stricter enforcement of quarantine measures and minimum health standards in the city has already resulted in an improvement in the government’s anti-Covid-19 measures there.

“There was a decline in the positivity rates here in Cebu [City] because of the ECQ and there was also a decreasing trend in their mortality rates. So the [implementation of] ECQ in Cebu [City] is effective right now,” Vega said.

The positivity rate is the ratio between the number of people who were tested and those who were infected.

Ongoing preparations

VEGA said that if a continuous decline in Covid-19 incidents in Cebu City is noted, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) may decide to lower the ECQ in Cebu City into a general

community quarantine (GCQ).

The health official said they are now preparing the health-care facilities in the city to cope with a possible surge in Covid-19 cases in case it is placed under GCQ. “Its health-care system should have the capacity and should network [including] both public and private [hospitals] to provide proper referral to patients who will need [medical care],” Vega said.

Part of this preparation, he explained is requiring medical facilities in Cebu City to allocate a maximum of 30 percent of their bed capacities for Covid-19 patients.

Last month, the IATF placed Cebu City under ECQ amid the spike in new Covid-19 cases there as well as its diminished available critical health care.

President Duterte attributed the spread of Covid-19 infections in Cebu City to the lax enforcement of quarantine measures there.

He deployed the National Task Force against Covid-19 (NTF) to help contain it Covid-19 infection in the city.

As of July 8, 2020, Cebu City still has the highest active Covid-19 cases among cities and provinces nationwide with 4,380.

It was followed by Quezon City (1,899), Manila (1,719), Cebu province (1,551), and Caloocan City (793).

Minimum standards

ON Wednesday, the DOH appealed to the public to “religiously” follow the minimum public health standards as cases are soaring due to community transmission.

“This is precisely why everybody needs to religiously subscribe to our minimum public health standards.

It may sound repetitive but we will not stop reminding everyone to wear masks, observe physical distancing, sanitize,” Vergeire said.

Vergeire also stressed that by observing the minimum public health standards, the country may avoid reaching the levels of infection projected by the University of the Philippines (UP) OCTA Research —that Covid-19 cases may reach more than 100,000 by the end of August.

“This is DOH’s call to everybody, whether you be in the private or public sector, if you are going out and exposing yourself and your loved ones to an unseen enemy, protect yourself. By doing so, you protect your family, you protect your community, you protect the nation,” Vergeire stressed.

The UP group said the infection rate increased after recording a 1.6 Reproduction number during the general community quarantine, meaning one infected individual can infect at least one other individual.

Vergeire said they welcomed the study of UP experts as it would help them analyze the data presented.

She, however, reminded the public to “interpret with caution.”

Overseas Filipinos

MEANWHILE, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported an additional 30 confirmed Covid-19 cases among Filipino nationals abroad, bringing the total to 8,792.

There are 17 new recoveries in Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Africa, for a total of 5,254; and two new fatalities in Africa to bring the fatalities to 592.

Those undergoing treatment are now 2,946.

Cardinal Tagle gets 3rd position from Vatican

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ARDINAL Luis Antonio Tagle continues to be entrusted with more responsibility in the Vatican after being given another new appointment

by Pope Francis.

In its online news web site, the Vatican reported Tagle was appointed by Pope Francis on Wednesday as a new member of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

The Pontifical Council is the central office of the Church for the promotion of inter-religious dialogue in accordance with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council.

It is the third appointment bestowed

by Pope Francis on Tagle.

Pope Francis appointed Tagle as the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in December 2019, and as a cardinal bishop last May. Retired Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes said the Pope made a “good choice” in assigning Tagle to his new position due to the former Manila archbishop’s experience in interacting with other religions.

“Asia and the Far East are home to the major religions of the world. In the Philippines we have Muslims and Buddhists,” Bastes said.

He said Tagle’s current assignment as the head of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which manages the Bishops in “mission territories,” will also enable him to further promote inter-religious dialogue.

Retired Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma agreed with Bastes that Tagle’s new position is a sign that the Church is now more willing to interact with other religions.

“Since Cardinal Tagle comes from Asia, the birthplace of the world religions, and the Philippines is practically the only majority Christian country in Asia, this sends a message to us for the New Evangelization,” the former head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Interreligious Dialogue. Samuel P. Medenilla

Agri groups to DA: What’s real score on current rice supply?

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

V

@jearcalas

ARIOUS rice and agriculture industry groups have urged the Depar tment of Agriculture (DA) to be “more transparent” on the real score of the country’s current rice supply situation as data provided by the department indicated apparent discrepancies.

Federation of Free Farmers National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor said the DA’s recent pronouncement that the country’s current rice inventory of 2.7 million metric tons (MMT), equivalent to 82 days of consumption, is somehow misleading.

Montemayor explained that the 2.7 MMT stock level is sufficient only to last for about 76 days at a 35,369.57 MT daily nationwide consumption rate—this, based on a per-capita consumption of 118.81 kilograms and a population of 108.66 million, which the DA uses in its projections.

Furthermore, Montemayor said their estimates show that supply stocks at the start of July 1 may be at 2.4 MMT, which is a tight volume to consider since it is only good for 68 days of consumption.

Montemayor explained how they arrived at the 2.4 MMT volume: with an 8.2 MMT estimated palay production in the first semester, combined

with the 2.675 MMT beginning inventory and 1.5 MMT rice imports to date, less the estimated total utilization of 7.13 MMT. Montemayor questioned the DA for seemingly changing, from time to time, the per-capita consumption they use in their supply projections and current supply stock estimate.

“We urge the DA to be more transparent in how they arrive at their inventory estimates. For example, they should divulge their estimates of local palay production and the per-capita rice consumption figure that they use,” he told the BusinessMirror.

Continued on A4

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS PAID UNDER P50 A DAY–STUDY

By Cai U. Ordinario

C

@caiordinario

OMMUNITY health workers in rural areas are paid less than P50 per day, according to the findings of a study released by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

In a presentation in a webinar on Thursday, PIDS Research Fellow Connie Dacuycuy said the health workers, at least in Catarman, Leyte, received P500 to P1,250 per month. This would mean a daily wage of around P17 to P42 per month.

In Zamboanga del Norte, PIDS Research Fellow Michael R.M. Abrigo said his findings showed

community volunteers—the health frontliners in communities—are paid anywhere from P350 to P1,200 per month. This translates to a daily wage of P12 to as much as P40 per day.

“They generally do not enjoy the same level of benefits, e.g., compensation security of tenure, despite working [volunteering] virtually full time,” Abrigo said. “[They handle] as [many] as 150 young children and 110 pregnant women.”

Dacuycuy agreed that these frontline workers are overworked, saying that ideally, the ratio of barangay health workers to the number of households should be 1 is to 20. This means

there should be 1 barangay health worker for 20 households.

No job security

ON top of the low salaries, Abrigo added these workers serve at the pleasure of the local executive.

This, he said, has an important implication on the supply of trained/capacitated frontline workers.

The budget lack remains to be a challenge, especially in rural areas. Many local government units, particularly in remote areas, rely on the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), and this significantly limits their ability to hire more workers or increase their pay.

Continued on A4

Companies BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Friday, July 10, 2020

B1

Govt eyes CDFs to avert liquidity crises

T

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is paving the way for the creation of corporate debt funds (CDFs), an entity that will mainly invest in debt papers of large and medium enterprises.

The SEC has opened for public comment the draft rules providing the minimum requirements and guidelines in the creation and operation of such investment companies. It is open for comment through next week.

“With the proposed regulatory

framework, we hope to help avert credit and liquidity crises that may arise from the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and support the recovery of businesses and the overall economy therefrom,” SEC Chairman Emilio B. Aquino said.

“The new investment vehicle will be particularly helpful in providing for the liquidity needs of large- and medium-sized corporations for repayments, emergency spending and investments necessary to sustain their operations and preserve jobs in these challenging times.”

A CDF is a closed-end investment company that offers for sale a fixed number of non-redeemable units of participation or shares and has a limited offer period. Its objective is to invest in the portfolios of corporate debt papers of large corporations and medium-sized enterprises operating or deriving income in the Philippines, or any company guaranteed by a large or mediumsized domestic corporations or by the Philippine government or its agencies.

The CDF may offer different share or unit classes with similar investment objectives but are managed as separate asset pools. Each class shall correspond to a distinct part of the assets and liabilities of the CDF. Subscription in a CDF is done only on initial public offering and redemption is at maturity although it can make periodic distribution of income to investors on a pro-rata basis. It may also pay out the proceeds of the underlying investments of each share/unit class upon their liquidation until the termination and maturity of its securities.

To incorporate, the CDF shall have a minimum subscribed and paid up capital of P50 million. But as an exception, the subscribed and paid up capital shall not be lower

than P1 million, if the CDF forms part of a group of investment companies to be created or already in existence to be managed or under management by the same fund manager with a track record of at least five years.

The CDF shall be exempt from the registration requirements prescribed under Section 8.1 of the Securities Regulation Code. However, such exemption must be confirmed or approved by the SEC and, for such purpose, the CDF shall submit a simplified prospectus and a product highlight sheet.

The CDF may issue its shares or units in tranches. It shall issue the first tranche within six months from the approval of its simplified prospectus and product highlight sheet, and the subsequent tranches

within three months from the filing of a current report outlining the material changes in its prospectus and the updated prospectus.

The CDF may offer the securities to qualified buyers, such as banks, pension funds, insurance companies and registered investment houses under private placements, or to not more than 19 non-qualified buyers in the Philippines during a 12-month period.

It shall invest the proceeds from the issuance of securities in corporate debts such as bonds and promissory notes of large corporations and medium-sized enterprises.

However, it may also invest in deposits and money market instruments pending the deployment of the proceeds in accordance with its investment objectives.

‘AllHome observes strict safety measures’ Meralco seeks ERC nod for installation A of power transformer

llHome Corp., the listed retail firm of the Villar group, on Thursday said it continues to implement safety measures even as quarantine restrictions are slowly being relaxed by the government.

The company said these measures include the wearing of face masks, foot baths, hand sanitation stations at its store entrances, regular customer temperature scanning and social distancing protocols.

“It is important to note that we are paying close attention to safety, especially in these times,” AllHome President Benjamarie N. Serrano said. “We have implemented several measures to ensure safety of our

company personnel and our customers as well.”

“To help mitigate the risk of Covid-19, we have included in our store protocols the early closure of stores to allow for more stringent sanitation and the replenishment of essential products, the practice of social distancing, as well as the placing of limits on customer traffic at any one time inside all stores, all with the objective of answering the customers’ need for both safety and a pleasant home shopping experience.”

The company said its customer facilities, such as bathrooms, elevators and escalators are regularly

sanitized, as well as elevator buttons and escalator handrails. All its stores, on top of regular in-house sanitation, are also regularly disinfected by Shieldtec, an All Value affiliate with institutional knowledge of disinfection. These measures have encouraged customer visits after the lockdown, translating to higher transaction and sales turnout, it said.

To further minimize customer contact, AllHome said it employs cashless payment whenever applicable, via QR Code facilities or through card payment as well as the implementation of smart shopping by browsing through its e-commerce

platform allhomeclick.com.

The company also partnered with the Department of Public Works and Highways through the provision of construction materials and other supplies to convert the Philippine International Convention Center into an improvised health facility. It said this helped to decongest Metro Manila hospitals and segregated the Covid-19 cases from non-Covid-19 patients.

AllHome said it managed to allocate this donation from its accumulated current year earnings, which grew 30 percent to P270.2 million in the first quarter, from last year's P207.1 million. VG Cabuag

‘China auto Vivant shakes up board, names new CEO sales recovery picks up pace’

A

utomakers may recover from China’s slump faster than initially expected, with an industry group revising its 2020 vehicle-sales forecast to a less severe drop of potentially just 10 percent as the coronavirus pandemic eases in the country.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) is set Friday to forecast a drop of 10 percent to 20 percent in wholesales for this year, a smaller decline than the 15 percent to 25 percent it predicted in May, according to a person familiar with the matter. That still would put annual sales in the world’s largest vehicle market at their lowest level since 2014. The person asked not to be identified before CAAM releases its forecast.

While demand has been picking up since the depths of the pandemic at the beginning of the year, challenges still remain as an economic slowdown undermines consumers’ willingness to spend on big-ticket items. Yet buyers are gradually returning to showrooms as the government eases restrictions, adding to evidence that the auto market may be rebounding.

The outbreak exacerbated a twoyear decline in car sales in China, with an economic slowdown, trade tensions with the United States and stricter emission standards further weighing on demand. Giants such as market leader Volkswagen AG, Toyota Motor Corp. and Tesla Inc. have spent billions of dollars building manufacturing plants in China in recent decades.

The revision by CAAM brings its forecast closer to that of another major industry group, China Passenger Car Association, which is projecting a decline of about 10 percent for this year.

A CAAM representative declined to comment. Bloomberg News

C

ebu-based listed firm Vivant Corp., which has investments in power and infrastructure, has reshuffled its board and management of the company, installing Ramontito E. Garcia as its new chairman of the board and CEO. Ramontito, previously the company's president, replaced Dennis N.A. Garcia, who died of Covid-19 in March.

The company also appointed Edgar John A. Garcia, 69, as its new vice chairman while Arlo A.G. Sarmiento, formerly the company’s executive vice president, was promoted as the president of the company.

Emil Andre M. Garcia has been appointed senior vice president for power. He is also EVP and COO of power unit Vivant Energy, which serves as holding company for the firm's interests in the energy sector.

“As I take the helm of Vivant, it is important to note that our mission, vision and values remain. We have always maintained a futurefacing approach to how we do busi-

Ramontito E. Garcia

ness with an emphasis on adaptability in order to face challenges and grab opportunities to improve the everyday lives of the Filipino people,” Garcia said.

“While this year has seen more unpredictability than any other year in Vivant's history, I am confident in the abilities and resilience of our team and the strength of our

relationships with our partners and communities to know that we will overcome these obstacles and emerge even stronger than before.”

Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista, president of GT Capital Holdings Inc., was appointed as chairman of the finance committee. Also appointed to other positions were Jess Anthony N. Garcia as SVP for infrastructure, corporate secretary, chief information officer; Minuel Carmela N. Franco as SVP for corporate and shared services, group CFO, treasurer, compliance officer, chief risk officer; Grant Clark as assistant vice president for administration and information technology, data privacy officer; and Shem Jose W. Garcia as AVP for corporate communications.

Vivant is one of the few Cebubased companies that is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. It is a management and holding company with investments in the energy sector and a growing interest in infrastructure development. VG Cabuag

World’s rich question fees with wealth hitting $74T

E

ven before this year’s market crash, the wealth-management industry’s richest clients were frustrated about fees.

A third of those with more than $1 million of investable assets were uncomfortable with them in 2019, according to Capgemini SE’s World Wealth Report 2020. Such discomfort will likely rise in today’s volatile markets. The survey of more than 2,500 individuals found that about one in five plans to switch their primary wealth management firm in the next year, with high fees the top reason. Their main concerns were about transparency, performance and value received. They also said they preferred fee structures to be performance- and service-based instead of asset-based.

It’s the latest sign of the pressure the industry is under as clients balk at

costs and digital competitors emerge.

The majority of investors weren’t satisfied by the quality of personalized information they receive and about three-quarters of those surveyed said they would consider offerings from non-traditional providers like the big tech firms.

The discontent comes even as the rich get richer: The report estimates that the net worth of wealthy individuals climbed to $74 trillion at the end of 2019, up 8.7 percent from 2018 and $46 trillion in December 2012. The population of millionaires reached almost 20 million, including 183,400 with a net worth above $30 million, versus 18 million in 2018 and just 12 million in 2012.

For the first time since 2012, the Asia-Pacific region didn’t lead wealth growth last year—it was North

America. The United States alone had 5.9 million millionaires at the end of 2019, up from 5.3 million in 2018 and more than any other country. Japan followed, with 3.4 million millionaires, followed by Germany, China and France.

The wealthy favored equities in the first two months of 2020. They allocated 30 percent of their assets to stocks, compared with 17 percent to fixed income, 15 percent to real estate, 13 percent to alternative investments and 25 percent in cash. The survey did flag some promising growth areas for wealth managers. Those under 40 were far more likely to be willing to pay for value-added services such as real estate investment advice and tax planning. Sustainable investing is another bright spot, especially for the richest investors. Bloomberg News

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

T

he Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has sought approval from the regulators to carry out the emergency installation of one 83MVA power transformer, worth P70.78 million, in the Tegen substation in Manila.

“The application filed by Meralco for the approval of its emergency capital expenditure project is hereby approved with modification,” the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said in its 56-page decision.

The ERC said Meralco’s proposed facility shall be subject to optimization based on its actual use during the reset process for the next regulatory period. It also has to pay the commission P530,836.74 for a permit.

Meralco said the new transformer would prevent “massive and prolonged power interruption” in the area where the Tegen substation is located.

The said substation serves the Manila area including major and vi-

tal customers such as Malacañang Palace, LRT Lines 1 and 2, Manila City Government, Philippine General Hospital, Supreme Court of the Philippines, Manila Hotel, Adamson University and Mapua Institute of Technology.

Meralco said the emergency installation of the new power transformer and the de-energization of transformer bank no. 8 will improve the Tegen substation’s power transformer banks for loading and will also reduce the system loss annually by 867,942 kilowatt hour.

In granting Meralco’s application, the ERC explained that it is crucial for Meralco to immediately implement the replacement of the defective transformer at the Tegen substation to continuously provide electricity to the area.

“By implementing the project, power interruptions in the affected areas would be avoided and Meralco’s customers would not be burdened with higher line losses that would have resulted form the load shifting,” said the ERC.

Construction of Cavitex-C5 Link Expressway segments starts

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

C

avite x Inf rastr ucture Corp. (CIC) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority on Thursday broke ground for two new segments of the Cavitex-C5 Link Expressway, which will help decongest major roads in Metro Manila, including Edsa.

With the groundbreaking ceremonies, CIC may start constructing Segment 2 and Segment 3A-2 of the said expressway. Segment 2 refers to a 1.9-kilometer road that will run from R1 to Sucat Interchange, while segment 3A-2 refers to a 1.6-kilometer lane that will run from Merville to RSG Subdivision in Paranaque.

Both projects are expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2022.

“These projects will decongest EDSA and Sales Road in Pasay City by about 50,000 vehicles per day, and connect major business districts in Taguig and Makati to Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Cavite. Continuing with ‘Build, Build, Build’ activities will help spur economic growth to get us back on track from the effects of the pandemic,” Department of Public Works and High-

ways (DPWH) Secretary Mark A. Villar said.

A.M. Oreta & Company Inc. and China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. were tapped for the construction of Segment 2 and Segment 3A-2.

“These new segments will play a huge role in our national recovery, as we continue to seek ways to help the Filipino people cushion the impact of Covid-19,” Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. President Rodrigo E. Franco said.

Upon completion, Segments 2 and 3A2 are expected to reduce travel time to Makati and Taguig cities from Parañaque City, Las Pinas City, and Cavite Province by 30 minutes.

“Once operational, Segments 2 and 3A-2 of Cavitex C5 Link Expressway will help provide fast, safe and efficient movement of people and goods, and create at least 1,000 new jobs in construction, operations and maintenance,” CIC President Roberto V. Bontia said.

In total, the two segments cost about P8.8 billion. Both are also fully funded.

Cavitex-C5 Link Expressway is envisioned to be a 7.70-kilometer dual three-lane expressway that will run from R-1 Parañaque Toll Plaza to C-5 Road in Taguig.

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, July 10, 2020

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

July 9, 2020

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

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK COL FINANCIAL FILIPINO FUND IREMIT MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH VANTAGE

46.7 96.1 72.2 20.9 7.79 36.9 8.36 20.75 47.35 17.08 102.4 53.6 20.4 8.15 0.98 650 0.58 162 1.05

46.8 96.2 72.6 21 7.8 37.15 9.08 21 47.85 17.16 102.5 53.95 20.65 8.2 1 745 0.59 166.5 1.06

46.9 96.95 74.4 21 7.8 37.15 9.14 21.35 47.85 17.18 103 53.6 20.5 8.5 0.92 749.5 0.59 166.8 1.05

46.9 96.95 74.4 21 7.8 37.9 9.19 21.4 47.85 17.18 103.5 53.95 20.5 8.5 0.98 749.5 0.59 167 1.06

46.8 95.6 72.05 20.7 7.72 36.9 9.1 20.6 47.85 17.02 102.1 53.6 20.4 8.02 0.92 749.5 0.57 162 1.05

46.8 96.1 72.2 21 7.79 36.9 9.1 20.75 47.85 17.08 102.5 53.95 20.4 8.15 0.98 749.5 0.58 166.5 1.06

1400 3160830 710380 137300 522200 1896300 5700 2750700 600 1900 821150 12390 19800 12700 16000 30 29000 2920 104000

65560 303492982 51868824.5 2873750 4060020 70482815 52282 57754160 28710 32486 84311414 667421.5 404020 102971 15360 22485 16790 480753 109800

46800 -136572267 9108178.5 -877001 -39340885 -56768655 -20169356 -636323.5 -193070 46200

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 2.24 2.25 2.27 2.29 2.24 2.25 2048000 4621720 ALSONS CONS 1.17 1.19 1.17 1.17 1.16 1.16 233000 272290 ABOITIZ POWER 26.95 27 28 28 26.75 27 1077200 29157900 BASIC ENERGY 0.151 0.157 0.158 0.158 0.157 0.157 60000 9430 FIRST GEN 24 24.3 24.25 25 23.8 24 1354200 32883505 FIRST PHIL HLDG 64.2 64.5 64 64.5 64 64.2 179150 11468151 270.2 277.8 281.2 282.4 270.2 270.2 227510 62713400 MERALCO 13.76 13.86 13.82 14.2 13.64 13.86 3333100 46315886 MANILA WATER 3.14 3.15 3.13 3.16 3.08 3.14 5451000 16991440 PETRON 3.16 3.29 3.26 3.3 3.05 3.3 305000 990110 PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM 11.18 11.44 11.4 11.44 11.16 11.44 170100 1940338 18.86 19 18.8 19 18.6 19 523700 9879914 PILIPINAS SHELL SPC POWER 8 8.03 8 8 7.99 8 176600 1412549 AGRINURTURE 7.42 7.45 7.49 7.49 7.41 7.45 30200 224628 AXELUM 2.4 2.41 2.51 2.55 2.4 2.4 2041000 4994810 CNTRL AZUCARERA 11.5 12 11.6 12 11.6 12 31100 366800 CENTURY FOOD 14.58 14.6 14.8 14.8 14.58 14.6 126300 1849182 DEL MONTE 4.15 4.16 4.16 4.16 4.16 4.16 7000 29120 4.97 4.99 5.05 5.07 4.97 4.97 1149000 5722130 DNL INDUS 8.34 8.35 8.15 8.35 8 8.35 1095900 9030207 EMPERADOR 69.8 69.95 70 70 69.8 69.8 266000 18571252.5 SMC FOODANDBEV 0.57 0.59 0.56 0.6 0.56 0.59 818000 485570 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.27 1.29 1.3 1.3 1.27 1.27 3464000 4431890 31.5 31.65 31.6 31.6 31.5 31.5 47500 1496280 GINEBRA JOLLIBEE 139.8 140 146.4 146.4 140 140 695070 98422285 MACAY HLDG 6.56 6.88 6.54 6.88 6.54 6.88 2100 13768 MAXS GROUP 5.41 5.43 5.5 5.5 5.4 5.43 160500 872023 MG HLDG 0.135 0.146 0.147 0.147 0.135 0.135 150000 20400 SHAKEYS PIZZA 6.2 6.22 6.34 6.39 6.2 6.2 573600 3580477 ROXAS AND CO 1.38 1.4 1.41 1.46 1.38 1.39 2345000 3296960 0.106 0.109 0.106 0.109 0.106 0.109 90000 9720 SWIFT FOODS 124 124.5 124.5 125.5 124 124 1045550 129975474 UNIV ROBINA 0.84 0.85 0.84 0.86 0.84 0.84 4293000 3675400 VITARICH 57.1 62 59.95 62.05 58.5 62 900 54917.5 CONCRETE A CONCRETE B 59.2 68.4 59 71.85 58.5 71.85 370 22384 CEMEX HLDG 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.04 1.01 1.03 9042000 9254050 EAGLE CEMENT 9.85 9.9 9.9 9.98 9.8 9.82 109700 1081348 EEI CORP 5.45 5.5 5.39 5.5 5.35 5.5 2314400 12590317 HOLCIM 6.27 6.3 6.7 6.7 6.25 6.27 7129800 46243505 MEGAWIDE 7.3 7.31 7.15 7.38 7.06 7.3 4341100 31561765 PHINMA 8.5 9 9 9 9 9 1100 9900 TKC METALS 0.69 0.73 0.7 0.74 0.7 0.74 32000 22520 0.82 0.83 0.81 0.83 0.81 0.83 297000 243530 VULCAN INDL EUROMED 2 2.01 2.03 2.03 1.96 2 765000 1533260 MABUHAY VINYL 3.67 3.74 3.74 3.74 3.66 3.66 5000 18410 PRYCE CORP 4.06 4.08 4.24 4.24 4.08 4.08 345000 1418640 19 20 20.3 20.3 19 19 15000 293658 CONCEPCION 1.83 1.84 1.84 1.85 1.81 1.84 2080000 3801550 GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR 5.82 5.87 5.9 5.9 5.77 5.82 219900 1281553 IONICS 1.02 1.05 1.05 1.05 1.01 1.03 722000 735880 PANASONIC 4.48 4.5 4.73 4.73 4.47 4.5 35000 158760 SFA SEMICON 1.34 1.35 1.44 1.44 1.33 1.35 5326000 7369020 CIRTEK HLDG 7.71 7.72 7.9 7.95 7.71 7.71 4279500 33395271

-591369.9998 -14861505 -1372830 -10483406 -24712858 -5104774 -14397570 -87698 827254 -1065600 8184 22989.9997 -630200 -20800 -2948930 -2056207 -8881795.5 183300 1297800 -8876672 -17952 -442317 47600 -6540 -80422531 27200 -1158600 -597049 3479460 -597200 -8753510 -24920 30525 432530 438803 742012

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 0.46 0.465 0.46 0.465 0.46 0.465 3380000 1568950 ASIABEST GROUP 8.12 8.38 8.38 8.42 8.11 8.39 23200 191277 AYALA CORP 761.5 762 755 767.5 748 762 199480 151571595 ABOITIZ EQUITY 49.1 49.2 49.65 49.65 49.05 49.2 884200 43514435 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 6.3 6.37 6.4 6.46 6.3 6.3 5908500 37481024 AYALA LAND LOG 1.68 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.67 1.68 739000 1239020 0.475 0.495 0.47 0.47 0.47 0.47 40000 18800 ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A 0.52 0.54 0.54 0.54 0.52 0.54 883000 468160 ATN HLDG B 0.54 0.56 0.54 0.56 0.54 0.56 314000 169580 COSCO CAPITAL 5.28 5.34 5.46 5.56 5.26 5.28 700700 3772750 4.11 4.12 4.25 4.28 4.12 4.12 11005000 46382140 DMCI HLDG 8.8 8.87 8.89 8.89 8.8 8.8 343500 3025145 FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL 447.8 448 451 453 448 448 192380 86405298 JG SUMMIT 67.9 68 66 68.45 66 68 2149050 146020231 LODESTAR 0.73 0.74 0.7 0.75 0.69 0.73 3535000 2566070 LOPEZ HLDG 2.71 2.73 2.73 2.73 2.68 2.71 1444000 3897310 LT GROUP 8.33 8.4 8.45 8.46 8.2 8.4 1225300 10,199,941( MABUHAY HLDG 0.46 0.51 0.46 0.53 0.46 0.52 33000 15790 3.62 3.64 3.6 3.65 3.58 3.62 18846000 68312510 METRO PAC INV 3.06 3.25 2.75 3.8 2.73 3.25 507000 1592100 PACIFICA HLDG 0.81 0.85 0.8 0.86 0.8 0.85 72000 58920 PRIME MEDIA 2.64 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 5000 14000 REPUBLIC GLASS SYNERGY GRID 150 168 165 165 165 165 500 82500 SM INVESTMENTS 944.5 945 965 965 943.5 945 649600 615640785 SAN MIGUEL CORP 99.9 100 102 102 100 100 69800 7016840 SOC RESOURCES 0.65 0.68 0.64 0.65 0.64 0.65 18000 11660 TOP FRONTIER 130 132.4 127 127 125 125 2210 277265 ZEUS HLDG 0.136 0.143 0.135 0.149 0.135 0.143 3070000 425660

-167150 -56411490 6580585 -18744951 -3331082 -24408830 -2883165 -26351352 -19847232 -241000 2,770,239.9999) -7268710 84900 20000 400516805 -1408876 -243185 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.53 0.55 0.56 0.56 0.53 0.53 670000 356470 ANCHOR LAND 8.17 8.79 8.19 8.19 8.17 8.17 6500 53225 AYALA LAND 32.9 32.95 34 34 32.7 32.95 9778500 323081305 ARANETA PROP 0.99 1.02 1.03 1.03 0.99 1.02 75000 74390 BELLE CORP 1.42 1.43 1.42 1.43 1.42 1.43 12000 17100 A BROWN 0.75 0.76 0.71 0.76 0.71 0.76 4366000 3250810 5.07 5.09 5.14 5.14 5.02 5.09 1723400 8790405 CEB LANDMASTERS 0.37 0.38 0.37 0.375 0.37 0.37 7750000 2867800 CENTURY PROP 16.98 17 17.2 17.44 17 17 236600 4035692 DOUBLEDRAGON 6.15 6.24 6.16 6.25 6.1 6.24 45300 280243 DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST 0.265 0.27 0.255 0.265 0.255 0.265 720000 189150 EVER GOTESCO 0.102 0.103 0.102 0.103 0.097 0.103 1490000 149410 FILINVEST LAND 0.99 1 0.99 1 0.99 0.99 9329000 9267340 GLOBAL ESTATE 0.81 0.82 0.81 0.82 0.8 0.81 194000 157380 8990 HLDG 9.12 9.25 9.21 9.25 9.12 9.12 47000 432348 PHIL INFRADEV 0.82 0.83 0.81 0.82 0.81 0.82 238000 193790 CITY AND LAND 0.71 0.74 0.7 0.75 0.7 0.75 36000 26940 MEGAWORLD 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.1 3.03 3.07 16564000 50681970 0.148 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.148 0.149 3140000 466920 MRC ALLIED PRIMEX CORP 1.38 1.42 1.36 1.42 1.35 1.42 55000 74990 ROBINSONS LAND 16.5 16.54 16.92 16.92 16.34 16.5 2922600 48172262 0.231 0.237 0.229 0.243 0.229 0.239 60000 13980 PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL 1.6 1.64 1.63 1.68 1.6 1.64 363000 591370 SHANG PROP 2.7 2.72 2.72 2.72 2.71 2.72 33000 89460 STA LUCIA LAND 1.81 1.9 1.88 1.9 1.8 1.9 543000 983580 SM PRIME HLDG 30.5 31 31.75 31.85 30.5 30.5 5449300 167204030 VISTAMALLS 3.65 3.75 3.7 3.75 3.65 3.75 24000 88050 SUNTRUST HOME 1.32 1.33 1.31 1.36 1.31 1.33 1188000 1584390 PTFC REDEV CORP 37.05 45 40 41 40 41 500 20200 VISTA LAND 3.72 3.75 3.9 3.9 3.72 3.72 1782000 6748550

-182366435 -1185008 -362700 -656918 9900 -1768700 -194180 26240 -22335250 -31777686 81300 -64373140 17290 -4516170

SERVICES ABS CBN 15.16 15.18 14.96 16.14 14.54 15.18 941500 14268322 GMA NETWORK 5.7 5.71 5.6 5.99 5.5 5.71 11595000 66709601 MANILA BULLETIN 0.34 0.35 0.34 0.35 0.34 0.34 80000 27400 MLA BRDCASTING 11.1 11.9 11.06 11.1 11 11.02 3500 38730 GLOBE TELECOM 2066 2092 2100 2102 2066 2066 46665 96900610 PLDT 1360 1361 1350 1371 1345 1360 311540 423252115 0.05 0.052 0.051 0.052 0.05 0.052 13340000 671360 APOLLO GLOBAL DITO CME HLDG 3.07 3.08 3.1 3.15 3.03 3.08 15922000 49104990 1.45 1.62 1.32 1.63 1.32 1.62 15000 22520 IMPERIAL ISLAND INFO 0.073 0.077 0.077 0.077 0.077 0.077 50000 3850 JACKSTONES 1.8 1.83 1.78 1.92 1.78 1.8 276000 501210 NOW CORP 2.14 2.15 2.14 2.19 2.13 2.15 2231000 4818500 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.167 0.168 0.169 0.17 0.167 0.167 2590000 435950 PHILWEB 2.05 2.09 2.06 2.1 2.04 2.09 663000 1369740 2GO GROUP 9.55 9.6 9.48 9.67 9.48 9.55 17900 171107 CHELSEA 3.66 3.67 3.55 3.68 3.45 3.66 508000 1817060 CEBU AIR 42 42.2 41.55 42.4 41.5 42.2 117600 4924265 INTL CONTAINER 99.4 99.45 99.8 99.85 99 99.45 1629020 161990396.5 12.6 13.1 13 13.1 12.5 13.1 1300 16870 LBC EXPRESS MACROASIA 6.24 6.25 6.31 6.4 6.22 6.25 5766500 36269275 2.05 2.06 2.11 2.13 2.04 2.06 767000 1586030 METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B 2.06 2.24 2.04 2.06 2.04 2.06 7000 14320 PAL HLDG 6.52 6.6 6.52 6.65 6.5 6.6 10300 67367 HARBOR STAR 0.81 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.81 0.81 253000 206120 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.023 0.024 0.024 0.024 0.024 0.024 500000 12000 DISCOVERY WORLD 1.53 1.65 1.66 1.66 1.51 1.51 14000 22290 WATERFRONT 0.375 0.38 0.375 0.38 0.375 0.38 80000 30050 STI HLDG 0.295 0.3 0.295 0.3 0.295 0.3 1190000 354650 BERJAYA 2.1 2.14 2.11 2.15 2.1 2.14 76000 160620 BLOOMBERRY 8.04 8.08 8.15 8.15 8 8.04 2440100 19632468 1.89 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.95 2000 3900 PACIFIC ONLINE 1.37 1.38 1.37 1.4 1.37 1.38 107000 146690 LEISURE AND RES 2.28 2.35 2.35 2.36 2.35 2.36 19000 44800 PH RESORTS GRP PREMIUM LEISURE 0.31 0.315 0.315 0.315 0.31 0.315 6680000 2092950 7.12 7.14 7.07 7.21 7 7.14 2899600 20560011 ALLHOME 1.62 1.63 1.6 1.62 1.59 1.62 3106000 4973220 METRO RETAIL PUREGOLD 46.6 46.9 46.6 46.9 46.05 46.9 3513500 163511970 ROBINSONS RTL 63.8 64 64.8 64.8 63.55 63.8 320160 20504133.5 PHIL SEVEN CORP 124 125 125.4 125.4 124 125 5110 638464 SSI GROUP 1.16 1.18 1.19 1.19 1.16 1.16 2270000 2643840 WILCON DEPOT 16.34 16.42 16.42 16.42 16.02 16.42 1232400 19851584 APC GROUP 0.305 0.31 0.305 0.315 0.305 0.315 240000 73400 6.8 6.94 6.98 6.98 6.75 6.8 17600 120074 EASYCALL GOLDEN BRIA 294 300 280.2 300 280 300 1130 319002 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.198 0.2 0.198 0.201 0.198 0.2 1570000 313240

-47844490 -37490785 469470 96750 -58279.9997 6960 -1206745 -132583084 1125018 -1706654 -1950 69910 740900 -6369093 2457600 14235530 -11355261 92546 -1478670 4338484 3050 -

MINING & OIL ATOK 8.8 9 9 9 8.62 8.8 30100 262874 APEX MINING 1.31 1.32 1.35 1.37 1.32 1.32 10259000 13777380 -1048060 ABRA MINING 0.0009 0.001 0.0009 0.001 0.0009 0.0009 484000000 440000 -900 ATLAS MINING 2.35 2.39 2.3 2.45 2.3 2.35 511000 1217460 -16450 BENGUET A 2.05 2.06 1.88 2.26 1.88 2.05 2705000 5704250 1.95 2.08 1.83 2.2 1.83 1.95 1136000 2335890 16460 BENGUET B 0.181 0.191 0.182 0.182 0.181 0.181 240000 43670 COAL ASIA HLDG CENTURY PEAK 2.65 2.7 2.63 2.7 2.63 2.7 41000 109630 107000 7.35 7.42 7.38 7.5 7.35 7.39 12900 95374 DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL 1.03 1.04 1.01 1.04 1.01 1.03 5437000 5557930 -212060 0.231 0.235 0.235 0.235 0.231 0.235 40000 9360 GEOGRACE LEPANTO A 0.103 0.105 0.101 0.105 0.101 0.105 20130000 2069640 LEPANTO B 0.102 0.104 0.101 0.105 0.101 0.104 1030000 105900 -1010 MANILA MINING A 0.0075 0.0078 0.0074 0.0077 0.0074 0.0077 100000000 759000 MARCVENTURES 0.62 0.63 0.62 0.65 0.6 0.63 1449000 879610 NIHAO 1.31 1.33 1.3 1.38 1.3 1.32 681000 901580 NICKEL ASIA 2.17 2.18 2.13 2.17 2.09 2.17 15471000 33017750 -5011750 0.355 0.365 0.35 0.37 0.35 0.37 70000 24700 OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA 0.55 0.56 0.53 0.59 0.5 0.56 1037000 570130 PX MINING 2.77 2.78 2.85 3 2.75 2.78 20580000 58269750 -7959270 12.04 12.1 12.36 12.36 11.98 12.04 4892100 59345796 -8009284 SEMIRARA MINING 0.0055 - 0.004 0.0055 0.004 0.0055 368000000 1848100 UNITED PARAGON ACE ENEXOR 6.27 6.28 6.59 6.59 6.26 6.28 275800 1756589 12761 ORNTL PETROL A 0.0089 0.0091 0.009 0.0092 0.0089 0.009 25000000 223600 ORNTL PETROL B 0.0092 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 11900000 119000 PHILODRILL 0.0075 0.0078 0.0075 0.0076 0.0075 0.0075 14000000 105100 PXP ENERGY 7.1 7.11 6.44 7.1 6.44 7.1 4140400 28495598 -140879

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A 100.1 100.5 100 100.5 100 100.1 21840 2184534 AC PREF B1 510 520 519 519 519 519 480 249120 AC PREF B2R 505 506 505 505 505 505 4920 2484600 CPG PREF A 99.95 100 101 101 100 100 77410 7741830 500000 DD PREF 101.2 101.8 101.9 102 101.8 101.8 1150 117259 FGEN PREF G 106.1 110 110 110 110 110 80 8800 511 535 520 520 520 520 290 150800 GLO PREF P GTCAP PREF A 995 1005 1000 1000 1000 1000 285 285000 GTCAP PREF B 1019 1020 1019 1019 1019 1019 3020 3077380 PNX PREF 3A 99.8 101.2 99.8 99.8 99.8 99.8 50 4990 PNX PREF 4 1006 1016 1016 1016 1016 1016 200 203200 PCOR PREF 2B 1035 1040 1035 1035 1035 1035 500 517500 PCOR PREF 3A 1050 1051 1050 1051 1050 1050 3780 3970250 PCOR PREF 3B 1065 1075 1075 1075 1075 1075 50 53750 SMC PREF 2C 77.5 78.5 78.45 78.5 78.45 78.5 14340 1125019 SMC PREF 2D 75 75.55 75.55 75.55 75.55 75.55 10030 757766.5 SMC PREF 2E 75.5 77.15 76 76 75.5 75.5 13500 1020360 SMC PREF 2F 77.6 79 77.5 77.5 77.5 77.5 16300 1263250 76 77 76 76 76 76 5000 380000 SMC PREF 2H

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 14.12 14.48 14.5 14.5 14.04 14.12 268100 3866030 -3427272 GMA HLDG PDR 5.33 5.35 5.2 5.51 5.2 5.32 1745800 9374455 -4283850

WARRANTS LR WARRANT 0.7 0.71 0.69 0.7 0.69 0.7 4000 2790

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 24.5 25.15 26.5 27.9 24.5 24.5 3911800 102271045 -9748855 ITALPINAS 1.97 1.98 1.99 2.05 1.97 1.98 4452000 8905750 69400 KEPWEALTH 5.51 5.7 5.81 5.81 5.7 5.7 99500 571779 MERRYMART 3.06 3.07 3.03 3.16 3.03 3.06 21749000 67269280 246900 XURPAS 0.57 0.58 0.56 0.58 0.56 0.58 489000 277270 -570

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF 94.05 95.65 95.45 96.5 94.05 94.05 16670 1585992.5 130365.5

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Kia exec: Car sales in PHL this year to beat forecasts

T

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

@alyasjah

he automotive industry may be challenged by the decline in consumer spending caused by the global pandemic, but it can still sell at least 275,000 units in the country, according to the local distributor of Kia units.

Kia Philippines President Manny Aligada said his firm is projecting vehicle sales for the whole industry to hit around 275,000 units by the end of the year. This forecast is more optimistic than the industry estimate of 240,000 unit sales for 2020.

Aligada said this projection is based on latest figures showing

the slow but steady recovery of automobile sales in the Philippines.

“In April we hit our lowest sales in history, but you can see in May there was already a pickup. We believe that the same will happen in June and figures will be a lot better for July onward, reverting to normal levels before the pandemic,”

Aligada said in a virtual briefing on Thursday.

When compared, industry sales of 275,000 units is 35 percent less than the 420,000 units sold in 2019, but this is an improved figure when pitted against the industry expectation of a 40-percent decline.

For one, Aligada said the demand for private cars should go up because of the people’s worry for riding public transport. At the time of virus transmission, he argued households would go as far as stretch their finances by buying a car for safety than to risk contracting an illness by taking mass transport units.

Further, he said the growing platform of e-commerce, especially at the height of cashless transactions, would benefit the commercial vehicle segment, particularly utility vans, of the automotive industry.

“People now want ease of move-

ment in terms of transport of goods. As people are avoiding physical contact, they would shift their purchases to online, where there would be need for logistics and, in specific, delivery vans,” the Kia Philippines chief said.

Of the forecasted 275,000 unit sales this year, Aligada disclosed his firm is hoping to contribute at least 4,000 units. This would bring Kia Philippines to its short term goal of cornering around 1.5 percent of the local vehicle market.

“We have a reachable target, and we hope to achieve that as early as this year,” Aligada said.

Kia Philippines is expanding its dealership network in the face of the pandemic by opening up shops in Marikina, Fairview in Quezon City, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and Isabela. This would bring the car distributor’s dealer count to 34 sales and service facilities.

India becomes unlikely M&A hot spot M

ukesh Ambani’s ambitious courtship of international investors has helped turn India into a rare bright spot for dealmaking in 2020, a shift that bankers say is likely to continue as the battle for the country’s digital economy heats up.

Thanks in large part to $15 billion of investments in Ambani’s technology venture from the likes of Facebook Inc. and Silver Lake Partners, India accounts for more than 12 percent of announced deals in the Asia Pacific region so far this year, the highest ratio since at least 1998. The country’s tally has jumped 18 percent from a year ago to $55.3 billion, defying an 18 percent slide for the region, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

With half a billion Internet users and growing, India is witnessing pitched battles in everything from e-commerce and content streaming to messaging and digital payments— similar to the early days of China’s digital boom. The sector’s importance has only increased this year as the Covid-19 pandemic pushed India to impose the world’s biggest lockdown in late March.

“India has become one of the busiest markets for M&A [mergers and acquisitions] in Asia,” said Kerwin Clayton, co-head of M&A for Asia Pacific at JPMorgan Chase & Co. “Global companies and investment

funds are pondering more options to enter India, in a similar way to what happened with China a decade or so ago.”

Billionaire Ambani’s Jio Platforms Ltd., which houses movie, music apps and India’s biggest wireless carrier, is front and center in the surge of activity. The latest to join Jio’s list of investors is an arm of computer chip giant Intel Corp., propelling its valuation to $65 billion.

“There was significant deal activity in the tech space already but nothing of the speed and quantum we witnessed in Jio Platforms,” said Aalok Shah, managing director at Rothschild & Co. “Jio Platforms is a unique opportunity which attracted significant investor interest.”

The health care and infrastructure sectors are also going to see a surge in investment, Shah said. Sectors such as industrials and travel that have borne the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic will be hit with divestment, and distressed asset sales will take place, he said.

The pandemic has also put pressure on the country’s long-suffering financial sector. Indian companies, including banks, are more likely to raise funds in the markets to boslter their buffers, according to Srinivas Balasubramaniam, a senior partner at KPMG India. ICICI Bank Ltd. said Wednesday that it plans to raise

Araneta City’s J. Amado Araneta Foundation launches #ResilientPinoy

I

f there is one realization during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is the fact that the struggle is real—especially for businesses. There are those in the micro, small, and medium (MSM) scale industries who are not as wellresourced as those who are in large businesses.

With an invisible culprit, the environment has suddenly changed, and the norms were shaken. There are those who hit the bottom and quit, those who found new opportunities, and those who are resilient enough and bounced back. This is their story.

This is why #ResilientPinoy was born.

J. Amado Araneta Foundation (JAAF), the social responsibility arm of Araneta City, envisions #ResilientPinoy to be an online guide for MSM enterprises, and to be shared with the rest of the business world to help those

who intend to get on their toes and run their businesses efficiently soon.

Interspersed with helpful information, #ResilientPinoy will feature human interest stories of resilience and recovery.

The information will help businesses answer the following questions: 1. How can I navigate through the crisis to emerge stronger?

2. How can I use my learnings through this experience to win in the new world?

The stories in JAAF’s #ResilientPinoy will feature spirited Pinoy entrepreneurs’ inspiring tales of staying relevant, being tough, and going on with business at this time of the new normal. JAAF’s #ResilientPinoy comes out every Tuesday in the digital pages of J. Amado Araneta Foundation. Check them out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

as much as 150 billion rupees ($2 billion), while Axis Bank Ltd. announced plans last week to raise as much as $2 billion.

“A consolidation of financial services will start once the capital raising is done and dusted,”

mutual funds

Balasubramaniam said. “The current economic slowdown coupled with the pandemic is likely to see the central bank force the hand of banks that have large subsidiaries and regulate them to dilute their stakes.” Bloomberg News July 9, 2020

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 205.26 -23.5% -9.23% -4.79% -18.51% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.0657 -36.17% -13.19% -4.84% -22.89% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.7866 -33.26% -13.65% -6.94% -24.24% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7026 -26.93% n.a. n.a. -21.68% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.682 -23.11% n.a. n.a.

-19.7% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.4047 -20.56% -7.76% -4.31% -17.33% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.6979 -21.69% -10.22% n.a.

-18.24% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a

81.3 -34.11% n.a. n.a. -21.32% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 41.473 -21.89% -7.43% -3.53% -19.13% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 440.82 -20.09% -7.01% -3.97% -17.26% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 0.8992 n.a. n.a. n.a. -12.71% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.0407 -22.68% -7.41% -3.47% -19.13% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 30.6491 -22.37% -6.96% -3.15% -19.13% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8122 -23.79% n.a. n.a. -20.22% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.2241 -21.59% -6.89% -2.83% -19.13%

707.21 -21.39% -6.87% -2.99% -18.9% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.644 -31.87% -10.76% -7.14% -24.36% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.251 -26.03% -8.42% -4.34% -22.76% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8116 -21.47% -7.02% -2.99% -18.9% United Fund, Inc. -a 2.9488 -22.05% -5.87% -2.65% -19.28% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 94.9431 -21.18% -6.38% -2.16% -18.82% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.0202 2.1% 1.15% 1.11% -0.8% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.4221 7.81% 7.12% n.a.

3.15% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.5774 -10.16% -3.93% -3.13% 0.93% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.0884 -11.01% -4.13% -1.42% -4.25% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.454 -8.64% -2.52% -2.45% -6.75% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1885 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-17.51% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.8647 -4.61% -0.75% 0.06% -5.01% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.5441 -6.19% -1.81% -1.08% -6.47% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 15.761 -7.35% -2.17% -1.29% -7.07% 1.9499 -9.96% -3.24% -1.03% -8.27% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.3355 -14.92% -4.15% -2.29% -13.67% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.961 -6.43% n.a. n.a.

-5.39% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.8708 -15.28% n.a. n.a. -12.61% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.8469 -17.33% n.a. n.a. -14.73% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8258 -17.81% -5.07% -3.31% -15.29% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03852 2.64% 2.53% 1.69% 0.76% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.0118 1.42% 1.04% -2.51% 0.95% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $3.952 4.26% 5.05% 4.14% 1.05% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.1266 1.48% 2.63% n.a.

-0.19% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 366.55 4.58% 3.17% 2.58% 2.45% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9431 2.25% 0.99% -0.02% 2.16% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.1934 4.65% 5.1% 5.11% 2.47% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.3021 5.11% 3.12% 2.39% 3.47% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4529 5.88% 3.47% 2% 3.98% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.6324 10.5% 4.4% 2.64% 5.93% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3003 6.9% 4.17% 2.29% 3.47% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9717 7.77% 4.43% 2.41% 4.84% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0311 9.89% 3.58% 1.77% 6.93% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1774 7.11% 4.84% 3% 3.3% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a

1.7457 6.01% 4.2% 2.53% 2.62% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $474.52 3.33% 2.52% 2.72% 1.35% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є215.58 -1.17% 0.65% 0.98% -1.89% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2251 3.31% 2.6% 1.48% 2.94% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.026 1.17% 1.45% 1.28% 0.78% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.072 -1.43% -0.02% 0.29% -2.12% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.4481 4.02% 3.32% 3.06% 1.84% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0606456 2.17% 1.96% 1.85% 0.55% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1833 2.99% 2.15% 2.43% 0.25% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 128.27 3.74% 3.24% 2.43% 1.98% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0421 2.61% n.a. n.a.

1.54% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2841 3.07% 3.04% 2.59% 1.54% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0454 1.63% n.a. n.a.

0.79% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.0061 n.a. n.a. n.a.

0.63% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.93 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-6.06%

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."

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Friday, July 10, 2020 B3

Audit all Covid-related financial transactions, lawmaker asks COA

A

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

@joveemarie

lawmaker on Thursday asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct a special audit on all financial transactions using the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which includes government spending as well as foreign loans, grants and bonds related to the Covid-19 response.

Citing reports, ACT-CIS Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo, a member of the Social Services Committee of the House of Representatives, said the Department of Finance (DOF) secured

$7.76 billion in foreign funds and that $5.11 billion of that total has been disbursed.

“I ask the Commission on Audit to urgently conduct a special audit of all the

BSP DONATION Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno (middle) poses during the turn-

over of P14 million in donations to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Philippine General Hospital in rites held on July 9 at its head office in Manila as part of the BSP’s 27th anniversary celebrations. PRC and PGH received checks worth P10 million and P4 million, respectively. The BSP has been providing financial support to the two health institutions for a number of years. Photo shows Governor Diokno with (from left) PRC Chairman and Sen. Richard J. Gordon and PGH Medical Director Dr. Gerardo D. Legaspi. Photo courtesy of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

‘Reflections and the Future of Associations’

A

fter three months of attending the weekly “Strengthening Associations Series” webinars of the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE), I made sure not to miss the last one on June 24, 2020.

Entitled “Reflections and the Future of Associations,” it featured a special C-suite panel composed of Australian Dental Association Federal CEO Damian Mitsch, Restaurant & Catering Industry Association Australia CEO Wes Lambert and Australian Property Institute CEO Amelia Hodge.

AuSAE CEO Toni Brearley facilitated the conversation and deep-dive discussion into the road to recovery for associations in Australia.

Though Australian-focused, these takeaways will also resonate with associations in the Philippines. This situation may be applicable to associations everywhere.

1. Resilience—The pandemic has impacted associations in terms of cancellation of major events and their ability to deliver face-to-face training programs and networking events. However, associations have adapted swiftly and made quick decisions on the use of technology to reach out to their members’ needs and aspirations. We use “technology on steroids,” one panelist commented.

2. Members first—Instinctively, members are first on the minds of association leaders. “You’ve got to be in the trenches with them,” said one panelist. “You’ve got to be with your members in crisis,” said another. Boards and management teams worked together to serve members wanting to seek solutions to their own problems and to fill their hunger for connection during these trying times. “Service was fast and furious,” another panelist commented.

3. Continuous collaboration— Working with other associations, while being done before, became more pronounced during the pandemic. Associations leverage on synergies and economies of scale to mitigate the adverse impact of the crisis and move onto the next stage: recovery and rebound.

Association World Octavio Peralta 4. Entrepreneurial innovation— Another positive result of the crisis is associations’ ability to become experts and problem solvers. Associations have also begun working on different revenue channels to accomplish their mission. “There is no turning back. It is not the time to be saying, ‘when can we go back to the old way and how we used to do it’,” noted one panelist.

5. Flexibility—Whether it’s the way they deliver value to their members or how they have invested in their people, associations have become agile, lean, and fastmoving. “Workplace flexibility is here to stay,” said one panelist. Associations have proven that they can all work productively and successfully from home.

The panel’s final thought: “Let’s not take our foot off the pedal just yet. We keep hearing this, but associations have never been more important than they are now. This period of time has highlighted to members, non-members, and the broader community the pivotal role that associations play to advocate and be the single source of truth for entire professions. We should use this time and harness this attention to continue to provide meaningful solutions to member problems.”

Aren’t these what associations here are saying and experiencing, too?

The column contributor, Octavio “Bobby” Peralta, is concurrently the secretary-general of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific and the Founder & CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives. PCAAE is holding the Associations Summit 8 on November 25 and 26, 2020 with the theme, “Leading with Agility.” The two-day virtual event is supported

by Adfiaf, the Tourism Promotions Board, and the PICC. E-mail inquiries@adfiap.org for more details on AS8.

Bayanihan Act spending and of Covid-19 foreign loans, grants and bonds. We want to be sure that all these funds were, are and will be judiciously and properly spent for intended purposes,” Tulfo said.

“The COA audit should start very soon.

Time is of the essence because very soon the budget hearings for 2021 budget will get underway and because the Bayanihan Act II is pending in Congress now,” she added.

Data from the DOF showed that $7.63 billion (about P379.44 billion) in budgetary support financing was already raised as of July 1. This includes the issuance of $2.35 billion dollar-denominated global bonds. Of the $7.63-billion budgetary support financ-

ing, $5.11 billion (P254.12 billion) has been disbursed to the government, the data cited

by Tulfo said.

“The people and Congress must know all the details of these foreign loans, grants, and bonds and whether they were spent properly.

The COA is the constitutional body with the specific mandate on this matter,” the lawmaker added.

Tulfo said that the figures given by Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque tallied with what the DOF has disclosed.

“Secretary Roque said $5.8 billion but what the DOF has said is $7.8 billion,” she explained.

“Perhaps, …Roque should leave specialized topics to the real experts. A gap of two billion

dollars is too wide to be considered a lapse or simple mistake.”

Tulfo also asked the COA to look into how the P275 billion are being used as Covid-19 relief under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Republic Act 11469).

“The COA must also sift through and leave no stone unturned as regards all the funds authorized under the Bayanihan Act. The details of these funds are known only to a few in the DOF, DBM [Department of Budget and Management] and disbursing agencies,” she said.

“Outside of them, no one knows the complete picture and the nuts and bolts. This cannot be as a matter of transparency and full disclosure,” Tulfo added.

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Friday, July 10, 2020

Why ‘I was just being sarcastic’ can be such a convenient excuse

A

BY ROGEďż˝ J. KREUZ University of Memphis

FTER President Donald J. Trump said during his June 20 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that increased testing was responsible for the surging number of infections, the condemnation of the inaccurate claim was swift.

Six days later, during a Fox News town hall, Sean Hannity asked Trump about those remarks on increased testing. “Sometimes I jokingly say, or sarcastically say, if we didn’t do tests we would look great,� he replied.

This seems to be a pattern. Two months earlier, the president had mused about the beneficial effects of injecting disinfectants into the body to combat Covid-19. After many health officials expressed their dismay, Trump repeatedly claimed that he was just being sarcastic.

That same month, after he misspelled “Nobel Prize� in a tweet—writing it out as “Noble Prize�—he deleted the tweet before falling back on on a familiar excuse: sarcasm.

What is it about sarcasm that makes it such a convenient excuse for people who are trying to distance themselves from what they’ve said?

As I describe in my recent book on irony and sarcasm, most cognitive scientists and other language researchers think of sarcasm as a form of verbal irony.

Both ways of speaking involve saying the opposite of what you mean. But the goals of irony and sarcasm are actually different.

For example, if someone slowly intones “What beautiful weather!� on a cold and rainy day, it’s clear they’re speaking ironically about a disappointing state of affairs. In general, irony is used to provide commentary on unexpected and negative outcomes.

Sarcasm, on the other hand, is most frequently used to disparage the actions of other people. If someone tells you that you’re a real genius after you forgot to meet them for an important appointment, they clearly don’t mean that you’re mentally gifted.

Simply put, irony is commentary, but sarcasm is criticism. That seems straightforward enough. But in actual practice, the line between irony and sarcasm is blurry and confusing. Many people assert they are being sarcastic when they are in fact being ironic, as

ANDI MANZANO and daughter Olivia

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Jessica Simpson, 40; Adrian Grenier, 44; Sofia Vergara, 48; Arlo Guthrie, 73.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Follow your passion. Be creative in the way you live your life. Being able to adapt to the changing times will help you plan your future and execute your plans expeditiously. Don’t fret if someone close to you takes a different path. It will add to the relationship, not tear you apart. Sharing your separate experiences will lead to personal growth. Your numbers are 9, 13, 23, 26, 35, 39, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Stick to what you know and do best. Take care of responsibilities before someone complains. Do your best to get along and to avoid unnecessary arguments. Focus on health, physical fitness, and looking and feeling your best. ★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll crave change. Don’t wait for something to happen; be the one to initiate and demonstrate what you have to offer. Use your smarts and experience to motivate others to support your actions. You can make a difference. ★★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Refuse to let anyone lead you astray. Manipulative tactics are apparent and should not be implemented or allowed by you or anyone else. Fair is fair; take the high road, and you’ll have no regrets. ★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A plan you shelved years ago will work now if you give it a trendy twist. Do something that can make a difference in the way you move forward. Don’t let anger or someone’s negativity stand in your way. ★★★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Life lessons will be costly if you let an outsider meddle. Listen to suggestions, but when it comes to doing the work or following up, do it yourself. The process will help you understand the intricate steps required to be successful. ★★★

or sarcasm, we might employ cues to signal our nonliteral intent. We may, for example, speak in a tone of voice that’s slower, lower and louder than how we speak normally. Our pitch may swoop up or down.

Ironic statements are also frequently accompanied by facial displays, such as a smirk or the rolling of the eyes. And that’s why, when being sarcastic over text or email, we’ll use emojis to relay nonliteral intent.

Of course, even then, there’s no guarantee that the recipient will interpret the message correctly.

in the previous example of the weather.

The enlargement of the domain of sarcasm—at irony’s expense—is a linguistic shift that has been going on for some time. In fact, linguist Geoffrey Nunberg called attention to this phenomenon 20 years ago. So it’s hard to fault the president for conflating the two.

Another element that makes sarcasm tricky to grasp has to do with saying the opposite of what is meant. The recipient of such a statement isn’t supposed to take it literally.

For this reason, when we use verbal irony

CONTINUED ON A9

How parents can transition to an organic lifestyle WITH the current times changing the way we protect our own health and our family’s, a lot of moms are now starting to switch to organic options for their children’s food and nutrition. While some moms tend to get the impression of such a lifestyle shift as unreachable, Promil Organic mom Andi Manzano shares her experience on how she made the choice to go organic and a few helpful tips on how her fellow moms can do so, too. ■START SMALL AND LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Andi and husband GP got further motivated to make a lifestyle check when they had their first daughter, Olivia. Aside from staying active all throughout, she slowly started adding more greens and fruits on her plate, and made the conscious effort of looking for healthier options to serve at home. “I would get organic peanut butter instead of what was on the shelves and if we could make it from scratch, then the better.� She also believes that kids see how they are every day and that she wants to lead

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by example. “In order for Olivia to eat more veggies and fruits, we had to show her that we, her parents, love eating them too.�

■INTEGRATE “GREENS� INTO YOUR HOMES. Another good reason for Andi to do the shift is that she would also like to help reduce the amount of toxins and chemicals in the environment. While eating more greens is one good start, going organic is not just limited to changing your diet. Gradually integrating naturally made products into your household can also make a huge difference such as using handmade soaps instead of the bottled ones, or adding plants into your homes. For example, citronella plants are natural mosquito repellants so you can place them in strategic areas in order to protect your kids from mosquito bites. ■SUPPORT BUSINESSES THAT ARE INTO SUSTAINABILITY. Andi initially thought that going organic would be beyond their budget, and that it would be difficult to find. She later on found out that the prices of organic products were not much of a difference compared to the commercial ones. Moreover, there are also now more

outlets that sell organic produce. ■GATHER MORE INFORMATION AND ENJOY THE PROCESS. Now a mom of two beautiful kids, Andi mostly did her own research and listened to other moms on how to live healthier. She doesn’t exclusively serve organic food to her family, but she does choose smart when it comes to Olivia’s milk. After doing a thorough research and consulting fellow moms, Andi discovered Promil Organic. Made by the leading formula milk manufacturer in the Philippines, Wyeth Nutrition, Promil Organic is made with 100 percent organic milk sourced from certified organic dairy farms. It is certified organic by the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines Inspection and Services Inc. It is the only organic formula milk in the Philippines intended for preschoolers aged three and above that contains DHA and AA—important nutrients that help support children’s brain development.

More information is available at bit. ly/2O2HuXc.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): If you let someone play mind games with you, you will be in a vulnerable position. Step up, speak your mind and clarify what you will put up with and what you will not. Set fair guidelines that accommodate everyone’s needs. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Pay attention to your needs. It’s important to rejuvenate and pump up your confidence. A new look will put a spring in your step and a smile on your face. Keep the changes you make simple, sophisticated and within budget. ★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Expressing your thoughts and feelings will help you sort out any situation that has left you feeling uncertain, clearing the way for new and exciting adventures. You are overdue for a change, so stop dreaming and start doing. ★★★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t believe everything you hear. Someone will try to confuse you with false information or gestures.

Spend more time with the person who has always been there for you and brings out the best in you. ★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Look and follow through. You’ll have great ideas that can transform your home, relationships or lifestyle.

Mix the old with the new, and you will be able to cut corners that will allow you to spend on things that matter. ★★★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put greater emphasis on fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. Personal improvements will put you in a better frame of mind and help you make better decisions when it comes to your living arrangements.

Let experience be your guide. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Consider the changes you want to make. Look at what you have done and how you feel about your accomplishments, and you’ll know what’s required to help you reach your goals. ★★★ BIRTHDAY BABY: You are smart, determined and aggressive.

You are ambitious and intuitive.

‘t for two’ BY JIM HOLLAND The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Badly off base, briefly 5 SNL alum Oteri 10 Dorothy’s dog 14 “Will you let me?�

15 Televised 16 You might preheat it 17 Rain on one’s parade?

19 “If I ___ you...�

20 Word before “mill� or “wool�

21 General ___ chicken 22 Upper arm muscles, informally 23 Tibetan monk 25 Polaris, for one 27 One may hold a TV dinner 31 Luxury German vehicles 35 Pirate’s drink 36 “Boo’d Up� singer Mai 37 France’s Emmanuel 38 Not yet eliminated 40 Present, for the verb “present�

42 Citizen ___ 43 Druids and Wiccans 45 $$$ dispensers 47 Actress Farrow

48 49 51 53 54 57 59 63 64

Plagiarized Crime scene clue left by a vehicle Ness, for one “Got it!�

Rorschach test image Like Death Valley Ties, as the score Tomato type Solution for someone who’s stuck in the past?

66 Cain’s brother 67 Budget-conscious prefix 68 “A ___ formality!�

69 One may influence eye color 70 Monopoly payments 71 Nudge DOWN 1 Play parts 2 Crosswalk verb 3 Start of many a story 4 Probable 5 Cable ___ (San Francisco ride) 6 In the strike zone 7 Big band and disco, in music history 8 Rest

9 10 11 12 13 18 24 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 37 39 41 44 46 49 50 52 54

That is, to Cicero One may pull an Escape Higher than Garr or Hatcher Least valuable US bills Bring cheer to “Happy Days� ice-cream drinks Great bond rating Sets off, as a fire alarm Charge toward Buddy, in Baja California Island west of Maui Comedy counterpart Type of column Quarterback ___ Viral videos, e.g.

Fishy story Like grating noise Classical beginning?

Take the helm Not just two times Give a new look to Seek to please, with “to�

What many parents do about their kids?

55 56 58 60 61 62 65

Brain section Sign for the superstitious “That’s my cue!�

On any occasion He “fiddled� while Rome burned Vehicle rarely seen in the summer How-___ (instructional books)

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

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CINEMALAYA 2020 ANNOUNCES SHORT FILMS FINALISTS

THE Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival has announced the 10 finalists who will compete in the Short Film Category. The finalists are: Ang Gasgas na Plaka ni Lolo Bert by Janina Gacosta and Cheska Marfori; Ang Pagpakalma sa Unos (To Calm the Pig Inside) by Joanna Vasquez Arong; Excuse Me Miss, Miss, Miss by Sonny Calvento; Fatigued by James Robin M. Mayo; Living Things by Martika Ramirez Escobar; Quing Lalam ning Aldo (Under the Sun) by Reeden Fajardo; Pabasa Kan Pasyon by Hubert Tibi; Tokwifi by Carla Pulido Ocampo; Utwas by Richard Jeroui Salvadico and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay; and The Slums by Jan Andrei Cobey.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the country’s biggest independent film festival will transition to virtual theater via Vimeo. This year’s festival will focus on Short Films in Competition, Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, Cinemalaya Retrospectives, Short Films in Exhibition, and many more.

Coproduced by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation, Cinemalaya 2020 will run from August 7 to 16.

Why ‘I was just being sarcastic’ can be such a convenient excuse CONTINUED FROM A8 President Trump does, at times, clearly make use of sarcasm. For example, at a December 2019 rally in Hershey, Pennsylvania, he said, referring to the House’s imminent decision to initiate impeachment proceedings, that the Democrats “also understand poll numbers, but I’m sure that had nothing to do with it.” He signals sarcasm by using absolute words like “sure” and “nothing” and by gesturing broadly with both hands. He also pauses to give his audience a moment to interpret his remark as the opposite of what he has said—that, in fact, “my high poll numbers have everything to do with impeachment.” The remark is sarcastic because there’s a clear target: the Democrats in Congress.

But at both the Tulsa rally and his April press conference, the president’s controversial remarks didn’t have such accompanying verbal and nonverbal cues. He wasn’t being critical of anyone; he was simply asserting that testing leads to more infections, or asking what appeared to be sincere questions about the use of disinfectants to combat the virus. Chances are he literally meant what he said.

As the president has repeatedly demonstrated, a claim of intended sarcasm can be used to walk back a remark that has been criticized or otherwise fallen flat. Thanks to our slippery understanding of the term, along with the way sarcasm can be easily missed, it can function like a “Get Out of Jail Free” card: The speaker can take a conversational mulligan and try to make things right.

We’ve all said things that we later regretted and appealed to “just kidding” or “I was being sarcastic.”

However, if we habitually reach for such excuses to absolve ourselves of linguistic sins, it becomes, like the little boy who cried wolf, less and less effective.

THE CONVERSATION

Friday, July 10, 2020

B5

The regions rage and the archipelago is reborn F

OR weeks now, news was circulating online about a group of regional filmmakers banding together. For those familiar with the 12-year old Cinema Rehiyon, which has evolved through the years, there exists an annual festival of filmmakers from the regions. The initiative is basically backed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. But the pandemic and the isolation it has brought upon us all has stopped filmmaking of any kind.

Some weeks back, a group of independent as well as mainstream film leaders formed a coalition. They talked for days and slowly came up with guidelines for film production in this age of affliction and easy contamination. I have written about this story already how Film Development Council of the Philippines also came up with its own guidelines and the rest is conflict history.

While all this was happening, there were already voices expressing that the guidelines drafted do not seem to address the concerns of the smaller, underfunded regional filmmakers. Being in the periphery, the regional filmmakers were justified to think that the policies made on the national level may not be particularly applicable to them.

Things would prove to move very fast. Last week, filmmakers from the region were displaying their new profile showing them as part of the newly established Regional Filmmakers Network—RFN. This week, there was a meeting of the Luzon coalition of the network. I was invited early on but I was a bit hesitant as I fear my presence may alienate some members who do not know me. But something important was about to happen and there I was “outside the room.” I thus said yes to the invite and clarified that I was there as an observer, with the plan to write about them and what they envision to accomplish. As with any organizational meetings, the exchange was impassioned.

On July 7, the official statement of the Regional Filmmakers Network was released. Its opening statement states how “In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, regional filmmakers, workers, cineastes and leaders of film communities have come together to evaluate and define how we can best move forward amid the challenges of the times. As a result, we have bonded together to form the Regional Filmmakers

For a long time, regional cinema was first defined by critical minds in Manila and those “people in places of power.” It is about time Bikol defines what is Bikol cinema. It is about time to understand what Central Luzon or Northern Luzon means when it comes to the cinemas coming from those places. In fact, it is time to break apart those huge “central” and “north” to allow specific places within those massive orientations to define a film.

Network—a space that recognizes diversity and the unique cinematic expressions in the regions, as well as to promote and nurture our rights and welfare.”

One of its most important propositions is contained in this paragraph: “Through the years, we have enriched our regional cinema movement and its trajectory toward a decentralized national cinema that is reflective of the archipelagic nature of our country.

Free and independent, we are unencumbered by government institutions or by the hegemonic critical establishment. We are an industry in the offing with a distinct mode of production that provides the filmmaker not only the source of creativity and labor, but also ownership of the artistic output.”

Most interesting is their claim to developing a decentralized national cinema that reflects (and I may propose, refracts) the archipelagic nature of the Philippines. This is an assertion that stands against the de-facto assumption, happily debunked I believe, that films made in Manila by “established” filmmakers necessarily become national cinema.

Is this document the first to assert regional cinema as part of the evolving national cinema, albeit decentralized? The document does not forget to accomplish an act whose time has long been overdue, which is the definition of regional cinema. Thus, the document states how they would take the opportunity “to define regional cinema as an organic development in the artistic life of the regions whose direction we must be able to determine for ourselves, and not by people in places of power.”

This is significant because for a long time, regional cinema was first defined by critical minds in Manila and those “people in places of power.” It is about time Bikol defines what is Bikol cinema. It is about time to understand what Central Luzon or Northern Luzon means when it comes to the cinemas coming from those places. In fact, it is time to break apart those huge “central” and “north” to allow specific places within those massive orientations to define a film. The document can be read as an assurance

that smaller cultural sites currently shadowed by official geographical divisions be allowed “organic development”—to be themselves.

It was my luck to be able to observe the meeting when the Luzon group was discussing details about the guidelines for shooting in their locality. For these (basically) young filmmakers, the issue about seeking permits for the use of sites in the regions is not mainly about health concerns. Carla Pulido and Mark Lester Valle brought in the issue of environmental support and conservation, a respect for the surroundings and the environment. They were vocal about the fragility of the cultural and physical ecologies of the Cordillera.

All over, cultures of colonized nations are vulnerable in many destinations generally exploited by visiting filmmakers.

While the discussion was going on, something was happening somewhere: a report that a SONA team headed by filmmaker Joyce Bernal was going to Sagada to shoot some footages. The news trickled in how the team bringing a special permit from Malacañang was trying to get into an area. Presently, the rule is for FDCP to give that permit but always in coordination with the local governments and other governmental agencies. Did the team skip the protocol? There were many questions.

The meeting of the Luzon group was finished already but with any online engagement, the conversation went on. This time, the talk was on the situation in the Cordillera. The Joyce Bernal team was refused entry to Sagada. A piece of news said the filmmaker was in tears; after all, they traveled far.

Tracked, the team was in Baguio already. Was the team eventually refused entry by Banawe?

The document reverses the rules: the regions are now owned by the regions. ■

Getting all ‘Ryled’ up Ge RYLE SANTIAGO

FIRST of all, I would like to use this moment to apologize to Ryle Santiago.

Ryle is one of the few (actually many because I’m malandi) new celebrities whom I have openly declared my love for.

We have tried to set up a one-on-one interview a couple of times but the timing was not right, as some of the items needed to be publicized about him were still being prepared. Or, by the time there was something newsworthy about him, he had become too busy, or his publicist would never invite me to his press conference. And since I’m also a “fabulous career woman who always does power business lunches,” sometimes I get to be the one who’s too busy for him.

A few days ago, I got a press release which said: “Ryle Santiago aches for being looked down on by the people around the girl that he loves in his debut song ‘Iniismol,’ released by Star Music and produced

by TNT Records.”

“It is a song about someone I loved for two years but we could never be,” the Hashtags’ member disclosed about the song’s meaning. “The people

around her didn’t want her for me.”

The raw sentiments in the track is Ryle’s first venture into songwriting, which was arranged by his brother Lorenz Tan and Edward Del Fierro Mitra, and executive produced by TNT Records head Pete Dizon.

Despite the song’s gloomy theme, Ryle said “Iniismol” also leaves an encouraging message about being vulnerable around someone.

“The song reminds me that even though things are destined to happen, we can do so much in opening ourselves, sharing our hearts and baring our souls to somebody,” he said.

Ryle’s hard work on the song has apparently paid off, given the many flattering reactions posted on YouTube.

First catching the attention of people as a member of the boy group Hashtags on It’s Showtime, Ryle is also a multitalented artist. Aside from being a dancer, singer and host in the noontime show, he is also an actor and a brand ambassador. He likewise writes and performs his own music.

Don’t be afraid to open yourself up despite what other people might say. Watch the music video of Ryle’s “Iniismol” on ABS-CBN Star Music’s YouTube channel, and stream the song from leading digital music platforms.

As of this writing, I never got back to him to schedule that one-on-one interview. Sorry again, Ryle. You know I love you and will always have my support, and I look forward to the day we can finally have that conversation.

I’m sure it will be exciting and one for the books.

And to borrow the opening line of your song, hindi naman siguro “walang hanggang paghihintay” ang mangyayari before we finally get to do that damn interview.

CHRISTIAN BAUTISTA

JULIE ANNE SAN JOSE

‘ALL-OUT SUNDAYS’ RETURNS TO TELEVISION ON JULY 12

ALDEN RICHARDS

BEGINNING July 12, the fun and all-out entertainment resumes as GMA’s musicalcomedy-variety program All-Out Sundays: The Stay Home Party airs simultaneously on television and online via the network’s official social-media pages with a new time slot at 12:45 pm.

The weekend should easily become more bearable while in quarantine with the song and dance performances from Alden Richards, Julie Anne San Jose, Rayver Cruz, Christian Bautista, Aicelle Santos, Mark Bautista, Gabbi Garcia, Ken Chan, Rita Daniela, Miguel Tanfelix, Ruru Madrid, Kyline Alcantara, Jak Roberto, Mavy Legaspi, Golden Cañedo, Jeremiah Tiangco, Garrett Bolden, Thea Astley, Kim de Leon, Shayne Sava and Lexi Gonzales.

In “Four The Win,” singers Aicelle, Thea, Golden and Julie Anne showcase their powerful vocals as they belt out the hits of OPM band Side A. Meanwhile, actress and recording artist Bianca Umali launches her debut single “Kahit Kailan” in the show with Mikee Quintos and Rodjun Cruz.

The most iconic 1990s hit songs, on the other hand, take a bow as the stars gather for a fun game, dubbed as “Mass Dancing.” Pekto, John Feir and E.A Guzman are showcased in the hilarious segment “Walang Talent Show” vying for the title of Walang Talent with judges Ai-Ai delas Alas and Boobay, hosted by Paolo Contis.

Exciting surprises are also in store for the audience as lucky viewers will get the chance to win amazing prizes.

GMA viewers from across the globe can also catch their favorite shows via the network’s international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International. More information is available at www.gmapinoytv.com.

B6 Friday, July 10, 2020

Marriott Worldwide Business Council donates P1M to Save the Children

PH Horse Racing Coffee Table Book among the World’s Best in 2020 IABC Gold Quill

The men behind the coffee table book, from left: Atty. Alfonso "King" Reyno III, MJC President; Atty Alfonso Reyno Jr., MJC Chairman; and Ramoncito Cruz, Media Wise President.

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Save The Children’s Director for Fundraising and Marketing Celine Santillan and Chief Operating Officer Atty. Albert Muyot with Marriott Philippines’ Cluster General Manager Bruce Winton and Market Director of Human Resources Marian Barnes during the signing of the partnership agreement.

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ESPITE COVID-19 challenges, giving continues as Marriott Worldwide Business Council - Philippines reportedly donated a total of P1,053,129 to support Save the Children Foundation with a total of 10,392 volunteer hours rendered to help grant access for children to quality education, improve their health and nutrition, and have their rights protected. It was May 31, 2019, Marriott International in the Philippines announced a partnership with Save the Children Philippines the world's leading independent children's

organization. While hotel operations have halted in the last four months, Marriott continues to believe that business plays an important role in creating a positive and sustainable impact whether being involved in volunteer programs from hospitality and F&B trainings to organizing fundraising activities from charity runs and bazaars.

Apart from Save the Children Foundation, Marriott Worldwide Business Council - Philippines has also extended support to various organizations and programs such as

Philippine Red Cross, Children's Hour Philippines Foundation, Inc., Cordillera Conservation Trust, Philippine Cancer Society, Mindanao Earthquake Relief, Aeta Pagsasarili Program, and more garnering over 6 million in-kind donations with a total of 115 charitable activities initiated by Manila Marriott, Sheraton Manila, Clark Marriott, Sheraton Manila Bay, and Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo.

For more information or to support the Marriott Worldwide Business Council Philippines contact Michelle Garcia at michelle.garcia@marriott.com

Shell Philippines legal team named best in Asia, Middle East & North America

EDIA Wise Communications Inc./ Muse Books clinched yet another Gold Quill Award from the San Francisco, USA-based International Association of Business Communicators, this time for the coffee table book The Front Runner: 150 years of the Manila Jockey Club, during virtual awarding ceremonies held June 17 (Manila time) streamed over YouTube.

“These are extraordinary times and we wish we could have received the award in the usual manner, in the company of numerous brilliant communications practitioners all over the world,” said Ramoncito Ocampo Cruz, Media Wise CEO. The 2020 Excellence Gala, celebrating the highest achievements in communication, was supposed to be held in Chicago but was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Still, the change in mode does not take away from our pride in clinching this recognition for communication achievement,” Cruz said.

The 300-page The Front Runner documents the journey of the Manila Jockey Club (MJC) from 1867, when it was informally established as an exclusive horse-racing club of Manila’s elite, to today, more than 150 years later, as the premier venue for the country’s most popular racing sport and as one of the oldest horseracing clubs in the Asia-Pacific region.

Nine chapters of text and photos tell the story of the evolution of horseracing in the Philippines. The Front Runner – a must-have for any racing aficionado – blends history, sport, business, and culture through powerful photos and compelling narratives.

The Publishing team was led by Atty Alfonso Reyno III, President of the Manila Jockey Club Inc. as publisher with Achilles B. Mina as editor.

Earlier this year, the book won the PRSP

Anvil Gold and Platinum Awards from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines. This was MediaWise's second consecutive Gold and Platinum win, the previous year being for On the March: The Jesuits in the Philippines Since the Restoration, which chronicled the mission of the Jesuits in the Philippines.

IABC’s Gold Quill is the only awards program that honors the dedication, innovation and passion of communicators on a global scale.

Since 2008, more than 4,451 projects have been entered in the Gold Quill Awards.

All IABC Gold Quill Award entries are evaluated by international professional communicators with more than 10 years of experience. The majority of evaluators have earned Gold Quill Awards and many are either IABC accredited or certified by the Global Communication Certification Council.

All are trained to evaluate entries against established criteria aligned to IABC’s Global Standard of the communication profession.

MediaWise’s IABC wins include the 2017 IABC International Gold Quill (awarded in Washington DC) and the Asia Pacific IABC Silver Quill Award (awarded in Singapore) for the coffeetable book Jesuits In Mindanao: The Mission.

In 2019 and 2020, it received the IABC International Gold Quill (awarded in Canada) and the Asia-Pacific IABC Silver Quill Award ( to be awarded in Wellington, New Zealand) for On the March: The Jesuits in the Philippines Since the Restoration.

“We are humbled by the recognition that puts us among the ranks of the best communicators in the world,” said Cruz.

“We will continue reaching for these heights with our current and future projects, telling compelling stories of Philippine organizations to the world.

CSA offers online courses

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HE College of Saint Anthony (CSA) in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan will be opening its doors to its first batch of freshmen learners this Academic year 2020-2021 intake via a fully online learning modality.

Courses include Multimedia Arts major in Graphic Design, Communication Arts major in New Media, Early Childhood Education, Special Needs Education major in Elementary

SCIP LEGAL TEAM. Shell Companies in the Philippines (SciP) legal team (L-R): Atty. Mark Hadrian Gamo, Atty. Charles Edward Cheng, Atty. Ellie Navarra, Atty. Ma. Lourdes Dino, Atty. Jannet Regalado, Maria Teresa Ranada, Atty. Kiril Caral, Atty. Erwin Orocio, Lerina Tamayo, Atty. Raul Quiroz, Regina Pajao, Atty. Vince Juan, Atty. Ryan Andres. Not in the picture: Atty. Florimon Bernardo, Atty. Rubin Cura, Mae Mojares, Tina Lozano

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HEN operating at a global scale, the level of legal competency and acumen needed to align a company’s business strategy with the regulatory requirements of the international arena is no small consideration.

As a testament to their dedication towards good corporate governance and consistent legal compliance, the Shell Companies in the Philippines (SciP) legal team was recognized as the In-House Legal Team of the Year at the fifth annual In-House Community Counsel of the Year Awards.

The In-House Community is a prestigious consortium of in-house legal teams that represent some of the largest multinational corporations in the world. The group holds an annual recognition ceremony to celebrate the top-performing legal teams in the categories of dedication, innovation,

efficiency & value, integration, encouragement & improvement, and CSR & diversity.

Besting 13 other companies in the Asia and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions, the SciP legal team won the award as a result of several milestone achievements, including the protection of an open and competitive fuel market.

SciP’s legal team streamlined legal knowledge management for faster, effective, and compliant decisionmaking. By developing a one-page guideline that distills the relevant laws and jurisprudence on job contracting, handling competitively sensitive information, and employee discipline and performance management, top and mid-level managers are now more informed of the legal aspects of their transactions.

The legal team was also recognized

for seeking and receiving accreditation by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to conduct in-house training on corporate governance for Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation’s (PSPC) management, board of directors, and key officers.

“This award is a testament to the team’s efforts for the past several years. The team has consistently demonstrated excellence and strong performance, by providing legal advice in a pro-active, timely, cost effective and professional manner. The award, which is actually the second accolade the team has received from its peers, having received the prestigious Asian Legal Business award for Philippine In-House Team in 2016, is proof that indeed the SciP Legal Team is one of the best corporate legal teams in the world,” says Atty. Jannet Regalado.

Education, and Accountancy.

With its in-demand courses not only locally but also globally, its caliber line-up of lecturers, and very reasonable rates, CSA hopes to be a leader in the area for quality tertiary education.

For particulars, do visit its website at collegeofsaintanthony.com. You may also call at 8986-9375 and 0917 8385846 or email admissions@collegeofsaintanthony.com.

Communications agency delivers special packages for SMEs to respond to changing times

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HINKING small is the key to bouncing back, that’s what inspired the team at NJYN, the youngest and newest Hakuhodo agency in the country, when they considered how best to respond to the social and business challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We wanted to be able to help those who needed it most, the small enterprises in the country,” shared NJYN CEO Lawin Bulatao “and we saw that if anyone needed a leg-up on communication, marketing, and the stuff that advertising in general has to offer, it’s small enterprises - especially the ones we’ve been seeing mushroom in the wake of Covid-19.”

NJYN has decided to do a pivot and redesigned one of their business offerings to include highly accessible Fixed-Rate Starter Packages to SMEs which they call BizKits.

“The BizKits are bite sizes that pack a nice well-rounded punch for even the smallest businesses without knocking out your budget,” explains Lou Santos, NJYN Client Service Director.

“Imagine, for as little as P40K you can already have multiple design options for your logo, multiple name studies, a content plan, even sample content - all the things you need to get you seen and noticed.

NJYN CEO Lawin Bulatao

Exciting stuff,” added Santos.

"The economy doesn’t bounce back if we can’t help the littlest guys succeed,” continues Bulatao. “And that’s a challenge NJYN is more than ready to take.”

For more information on NJYN and BizKits, please visit www.facebook.com/ NJYNInc

Sports BusinessMirror

Editor: Jun Lomibao

NBA 2K Team Pilipinas routs Indonesia

Fernandez

DPWH thanks PSC in campaign vs pandemic

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HE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) thanked the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for the sports agency’s initiative of offering its facilities in support of the government’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We at DPWH has recognized your unwavering support for the conversion of the Ninoy Aquino Stadium [NAS] and the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex facility as a designated quarantine facility for Covid-19 patients,” Emil Sadain, DPWH undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office Operations and Technical Services, said in the department’s letter to PSC. Sadain lauded the PSC, through Chairman William Ramirez, for its prompt response to fill in the inadequacy of health facilities for virus patients.

The DPWH official, who also heads the Task Force on Augmentation of National and Local

Healthcare Facilities, praised the cooperation of the public and private sector.

“The combined efforts of public and private entities have helped in the swift implementation of the national and local health-care facilities as one of the urgent measures in addressing the current health crisis,” Sadain said.

PSC OIC Ramon Fernandez thanked the DPWH on behalf of Ramirez and the PSC Board and assured the DPWH of the sports agency’s continuous support to fight the global health crisis.

“We thank DPWH for trusting us and working with us. Rest assured that the PSC will always be supporting this fight against Covid-19 in every way we can,” Fernandez said.

The PSC turned over three major facilities—NAS, Rizal Memorial Coliseum and the PhilSports Multi-Purpose Arena in Pasig City—early this year and were converted as “We Heal as One Centers.”

Spurs’ Mills donating $1M to fight racism

As US team sports prepare to resume, journalists are facing the same reckoning that their colleagues who cover politics and entertainment have encountered— coming up with new approaches despite reduced access.

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ATTY MILLS will play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) restart, and the San Antonio guard said Wednesday that the reason why he’s decided to participate is so he can give just over $1 million of his salary to causes in his native Australia devoted to fighting racism.

The exact amount, Mills said, for the Spurs’ eight remaining regular-season, or seeding, games will be $1,017,818.54. He will split that money between three causes—Black Lives Matter Australia, another group that deals with the problem of Blacks dying when in custody, and to the newly formed We Got You campaign that he helped organize to address the issues of racism within Australian sport.

“So, I’m playing in Orlando because I don’t want to leave any money on the table that could be going directly to Black communities,” Mills said.

Mills isn’t the only player that has announced he will be donating his salary for the eight games to charity. Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard revealed earlier this week that he will give the remainder of his salary for the season to a charitable initiative he started called Breathe Again, which was designed to fight hatred and racism.

Mills is the longest currently tenured player on the Spurs.

“He’s a guy that I think everybody looks to for motivation and stuff like that,” Spurs teammate Trey Lyles said Wednesday, not long after Mills made his announcement. “I think along with his actions and his words backing up his actions...he’s definitely been somebody that I think not only the team but the league realizes is a community leader and somebody that’s always caring for other people.”

This is not the first time Mills has tried to shine a light on race-related issues this season.

Mills—an Australian whose mother is Aboriginal and whose father is from the Torres Strait Islands—and the Spurs hosted a celebration of Indigenous people back in January, which he hoped helped educate people on the importance of recognizing the value of other cultures.

“Australia is a great country. America is a great country,” Mills said. “We all have issues and different aspects. But the point of it is, is being able to come together to be able to work together.”

The Spurs leave for the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida, on Thursday, when they will be among the final eight arrivals of the 22 teams that will be participating in the NBA restart.

The season has been halted by the coronavirus pandemic since March 11.

Mills was to have earned about $12.5 million this season, had the season not been interrupted and some games been canceled because of the pandemic. AP

PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan (center), Smart President and CEO Al Panlilio (fifth from left) strike a pose with Smart VP for Consumer Market Development Lloyd Manaloto, PlayBook CEO Richard Brojan and NBA 2K Team Pilipinas.

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OP executives from PLDT and Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) celebrated the top-notch performance of the NBA 2K Team Pilipinas in the recent International Basketball Federation (Fiba) Esports Open 2020 where the

squad beat Indonesia, 5-0.

The event was the first international eSports tournament sanctioned by Fiba with PLDT providing the Philippine team the fiber connectivity that they used in the competition.

PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan and Smart President and CEO Al Panlilio met with PlayBook CEO and NBA 2K Team Pilipinas Manager Richard Brojan, along with some players of the squad.

“I am very proud of our team for winning all five games against Indonesia. Also, it’s a collaboration between sports and technology. We are grateful to Fiba for allowing us to be a part of this historic event,” said Panlilio, who also heads the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

Just like Gilas Pilipinas, the NBA 2K Team Pilipinas is supervised by the SBP. Panlilio added that eSports is becoming part of the new normal.

“I think technology brings a lot of these things together, that even amid a pandemic, we’re able to host this kind of tournament. So, we’re looking forward to more tournaments like these in the future,” he said.

Brojan said that they are very happy that PLDT Fibr powered their studio in Libis, Quezon City, where the players competed in the tournament.

“They [PLDT and Smart] made sure that we had the highest bandwidth, and it was optimized during those playing days, which translated to better gameplay for the event,” Brojan said.

“This will boost the growth, not just only of our team, but also the growth of eSports community in this country, especially in 2K as PLDT and Smart helped showcase the Filipino gamers’ play style and competence throughout the whole world, through Fiba,” said Philippe “Izzo” Herrero IV, who plays center.

“To eSports fans, basketball fans, Filipinos in general, thank you for the support last Fiba Esports Open. Hope you can support us more in future tournaments,” Herrero said.

By Joe Reedy

The Associated Press

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ANY familiar pregame sights won’t be back when baseball and the National Basketball Association (NBA) return later this month.

Managers won’t exchange lineup cards at home plate and basketball lineup introductions won’t feature special high fives.

There also won’t be the ritual of a gaggle of reporters crowding around a manager before the game or waiting for LeBron James or Brad Stevens to emerge for interviews after an NBA game.

As US team sports prepare to resume, journalists are facing the same reckoning that their colleagues who cover politics and entertainment have encountered—coming up with new approaches despite reduced access.

“I consider this the most challenging year ever in terms of sports writer coverage,” said Bob Glauber, the National Football League writer for Newsday and president of the Pro Football Writers Association.

Professional leagues closed media access to locker rooms and clubhouses in early March.

Even when the games restart, that access is not going to return immediately.

The NBA is the only league that will allow reporters to ask players questions in the same room, and that will be a very limited group.

The league will allow no more than 12 media members to live full-time in the Walt Disney World bubble where all the NBA players will also live and play. The reporters must quarantine for seven days after arriving. Besides covering games, the reporters will be allowed access to the postgame media room and practices. They won’t be able to see leave the

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SPORTS COVERAGE IN NEW NORMAL

KANSAS City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is surrounded by media after his team won Super Bowl 54 against the San Francisco 49ers in Miami Gardens, Florida, last February. AP

resort or have visitors for as long as they stay, and the rest of the season should last about 72 days.

Reporters covering games near Orlando but not residing in the bubble can watch from the stands and will only be allowed to interview players on Zoom. The NBA’s credential advisory states no more than 12 media members will be allowed in this group, which will not attend any news conferences or practices.

Manager, coach and player interviews in baseball and the NHL will happen via Zoom, not in casual conversations in the clubhouse or the rink.

The NFL is not allowing any face-to-face interviews with players during training camp.

Coaches will be available, socially distanced, depending on the team.

Journalists have seen access declining in recent years, especially as leagues and college athletic programs have taken more control of team’s messaging through their team sites and channels.

Many journalists worry that less access can

mean less oversight, especially with players sometimes feuding with teams and leagues about safety issues and making political statements.

“The best, most compelling stories require personal interaction and opportunities to see how the people we cover handle themselves on the job, how they act in the clubhouse or locker room and what they say when the recorder turns off,” said Kerry Crowley, who covers the San Francisco Giants for the Bay Area News Group. “I’m not confident leagues are going to restore writers’ access to the level it was at before the coronavirus pandemic and I think publications, individual writers and the athletes we will all suffer because of that.”

Many organizations are assessing whether it is worth it to send reporters to games if locker rooms remain closed.

“Sure, we’ve all got phone numbers and can text players and coaches all we want, but it’s tough to replicate the one-on-one interactions in open locker rooms or on the road,” said Abbey

The declining access also comes at a time when the most compelling stories aren’t confined to just the field.

Mastracco, who covered the New Jersey Devils for Gannett’s New Jersey papers.

Mastracco was hoping to chronicle the National Hockey League’s (NHL) return next month, but she was a part of a wave of layoffs that hit the

Poignant moment of silence as MLS returns to action

K PATTY MILLS is donating his salary for eight games to the Black Lives Matter Australia, another group that deals with the problem of Blacks dying when in custody and to the newly formed We Got You campaign. AP

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Friday, July 10, 2020

ISSIMMEE, Florida—Nani called it beautiful and emotional.

He wasn’t talking about either goal he played a part in during Orlando City’s 2-1 victory over Inter Miami on Wednesday night.

Nearly 200 players took the field for an eight-minute and 46-second moment of silence to protest racial injustice before Major League Soccer’s (MLS) return to action. Players wore black t-shirts, black gloves and black face masks emblazoned with Black Lives Matter. The shirts had varying slogans that included Black And Proud, Silence Is Violence and Black All The Time.

The players walked toward midfield, raised

their right arms one at a time and held the pose so long that some could be seen stretching fatigued muscles afterward.

It was a poignant moment that put two of the nation’s most prominent changes over the last four months—masks and movements—at the forefront of the sport’s return.

“I felt for a couple of minutes,” Nani said shortly after scoring the go-ahead goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time. “We all want to change the world. We want a better world—no differences, no discrimination.... Everyone in the world should stop for a couple of minutes and think about our children and teach them how to be a

better person and create a better world.”

The group setting the tone was formerly called the Black Players Coalition of MLS but changed its name this week to Black Players for Change. Originally announced on Juneteenth, the group started in the wake of George Floyd’s death with the hope of combating systemic racism both in soccer and the players’ communities. The league and the players’ union endorsed the organization.

Several other players from Orlando City and Inter Miami took a knee near midfield during the demonstration.

The two in-state teams delivered their own

news industry over the past three months.

The declining access also comes at a time when the most compelling stories aren’t confined to just the field.

“It would be disingenuous for coverage to ignore issues of health and race moving forward,” Crowley said “I think we’ll find stories will become more authentic if we as writers acknowledge that sports doesn’t exist inside a bubble.”

Broadcasters are also sending fewer journalists. Remote announcing has been around for many years, but has been upped to a new level out of necessity. ESPN Executive Producer Mark Gross says his network has learned a lot of new things, such as a Korean baseball game that was called by announcers in two different states.

“We’re waiting to see how everything plays out because things change quickly,” he said. “Ideally we want to be at a stadium, but the important thing for us is to put together a quality broadcast. Fans aren’t hung up on where the announcers are but who their team is playing and what they think.”

Fox Nascar races have had only one pit reporter with announcers Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon calling the action from a studio in Charlotte. Fox Executive Producer Brad Zager said things continue to evolve quickly.

“What we know today isn’t going to be the same plan tomorrow. We also know that what works for Nascar isn’t going to work for every sport.

This isn’t a copy and paste solution,” he said.

ESPN’s Karl Ravech, who has called baseball, college football and basketball remotely, hopes remote coverage doesn’t become the norm.

“There is value for sure in being on site. That connection between analyst and viewer is enhanced because of the access to players and coaches leading up to the game,” he said. “The announcer and analyst are able to work together better because they have discussed what they are going to talk about.”

No matter the challenges media will face, Glauber thinks interest will be high.

“Column writing won’t be as difficult because you’re not bound by access issues, but there will be a much higher degree of difficulty with beat reporting. Because of limited access and a handful of Zoom, there will be a sameness to much of the coverage,” he said. “But readers will still come to us for information, and because sports have been away for so long.” moment of silence by taking a knee along with the referee and the line judges just before the opening kick.

The national anthem was not played before or after the demonstration. MLS previously said it would not be played because no fans were in attendance.

Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes.

Prosecutors said that a police officer had his knee on the neck of Floyd for seven minutes, 46 seconds—not the 8:46 that has become a symbol of police brutality.

MLS players had weeks to decide what to do prior to the MLS is Back tournament at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World. AP

Motoring BusinessMirror

Henry Ford Awards Best Motoring Section 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2011 Hall of Fame

B8 Friday, July 10, 2020

Editor: Tet Andolong

Commuters curse Covid-19; 3Ms from Volvo

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HE vicious virus is without pity, this time knocking down the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3, the train system traversing Edsa from North Avenue, Quezon City, to Baclaran and back. So, if our commuters continue cursing Covid-19, can you blame them?

With some 186 of MRT’s personnel suddenly testing positive for Covid-19 this week, the railway was forced to shut down for

a minimum of at least five days beginning on July 7.

A good number of ticket sellers were among those infected,

10 Reasons why the H-100 is your heavyweight partner in business

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ROUND the globe and even in the Philippines, business owners are trying their best to adapt to the “new normal” lifestyle, because getting back on their feet allows them—and their respective communities—to thrive during this global pandemic. But adapting to the new normal might be challenging, as this means working roundthe-clock while taking precautionary measures for the quality goods and services they’ve been accustomed to providing.

This is where a reliable workhorse comes in, and luckily, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI), the Philippines’ official distributor of Hyundai personal and commercial vehicles, has a heavyweight contender that has gained a following among business owners for its dependability and efficiency: the Hyundai H-100, complete with “Biga10” benefits for your mobility needs.

Biga10 Benefit #1: The H-100 is social distancing-ready. Before the new normal, the H-100 carried 21 pax in its shuttle configuration. But to make way for social distancing that can keep us safe from spreading the virus, the H-100 can now be reconfigured to a nine-seater—complete with individualized seating, plastic dividers and even a contactless payment system for your passengers!

Biga10 Benefit #2: The H-100 has 1,080kg load capacity. Those in the business of delivering goods know just how crucial the extra load capacity can bring them, and with the H-100’s whopping 1,080kg load capacity (that’s 285kg or the total weight of four average Filipinos, more than some of its competitors’), they can feel assured knowing they have the capacity to always deliver.

Biga10 Benefit #3: The H-100 has a longer wheelbase for better stability and more cargo space. Standing wide and proud, the H-100 isn’t compromising your cargo space as well as your stability on the road because of its 2,430mm wheelbase.

Biga10 Benefit #4: The H-100 is 4,955mm long.

For those who are in the business of moving or lipat-bahay, you’ll always have more than enough to carry appliances and other household items with the H-100’s length of 4,955mm (including its shuttle body!) Partner that with the 2,430mm wheelbase, and you can be assured that no item would be left behind.

Biga10 Benefit #5: The H-100 has the power and torque that makes it a formidable runner.

With the H-100’s maximum power of 130ps and maximum torque of 255 Nm, you won’t have reasons

to dread pick-up or delivery addresses that involve challenging road conditions or uphill climbs.

Biga10 Benefit #6: The H-100’s six-speed M/T makes long drives fuel efficient. If you’re thinking of entering the pasabuy business that enables entrepreneurs to buy and deliver goods so their community members can simply stay at home, then you won’t be disappointed with the H-100!

Powered with a 6-speed manual transmission, the H-100 allows you to make every drop of fuel count, highway driving and long drives won’t put a strain on your fuel budget.

Biga10 Benefit #7: The H-100 keeps you safe with its Load-Sensing Proportioning Valve (LSPV).

The H-100 is engineered with LSPV, which is known for providing better braking stability. You can trust that the H-100 has balanced its stopping power and agility that will come to play whenever you feel like hitting the brakes, thus keeping you safe and sound while on the road.

Biga10 Benefit #8: The H-100 feels comfortable and car-like. We all know that driving all day, every day can take its toll on the driver’s health and well-being. So whether you’re planning to drive the H-100 yourself or you’re assigning it to one of your drivers, you can feel confident knowing that driver comfort is not compromised with the H-100’s car-like modern driver space.

Biga10 Benefit #9: The H-100 can stand the test of time. If you’re looking for a workhorse that can stay strong for years to come, then you can find the perfect match in the H-100 models proudly assembled at the Hyundai Assembly and Logistics Inc. (HALO). That’s because they’ve undergone the 7-dip Electrodeposition (ED) Process which makes their bodies resistant to rust and corrosion—without being weighed down!

Biga10 Benefit #10: The H-100 lets you stay worry-free for five years. Some may offer one or two or three years’ worth of warranty. But not the H-100, because it comes with a Five-Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty for your cab and chassis! Match that with the rust-resistant body of HALO-assembled H-100 models, and you’ll surely have nothing to worry about as you continue focusing on your business operations, no transportation setbacks and delays whatsoever.

These are just some of the many ways the H-100 is the bigatin that can keep your business moving forward even in these trying times. To learn more about the Hyundai H-100, visit www.hyundai.ph/ van/h100 .

paralyzing the sales force and putting thousands of passengers in peril of having to grapple for bus seats as they go about their daily grind from home to office.

The MRT work force, almost about 3,200, will have to be tested without delay, and management said it needs at least 1,300 of them to test negative to at least keep operations humming—even on a limited basis.

As I write this, the staff was still short of 964 employees of management’s target for work deployment in aiming for a speedy restart, hopefully, on Saturday (July 11).

Even before the shutdown, only 10 to 12 trains were operating from MRT’s full force of 16 to 19 trains plying 13 stations at Edsa.

Of the nearly 200 employees infected as of Monday, 166 were maintenance workers at the railway’s underground depot at QC’s TriNoma.

Ah, that virtual cave. I was there once when Gen. Berroya was still MRT 3 chief and, God, the cavernous atmosphere there could choke a claustrophobic to death.

Crippling as the situation is now

at the 21-year-old MRT 3, Transport chief Art Tugade rose to the occasion and swiftly dispatched 90 buses to assist thousands of affected train commuters, with 150 buses more to be added in the Edsa artery beginning on July 13 from Monumento to PITX (Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange).

Indeed, it is during a crisis when true leaders surface to unleash their wares, or what’s left of their wits.

Volvo’s 3Ms

COME now Volvo’s three Ms: Merriment, Magic, and a Million pesos off.

In celebration of this cherished Swedish midsummer month tradition, Albert Arcilla, the affable lawyer top gun at TCCI, said Volvo Philippines has offered up to P1 million off on select Volvo units including T8 Plug-In Hybrid variants.

This also includes the elegant Volvo S90 sedan, dynamic Volvo XC40 crossover SUV, the sophisticated Volvo XC60 compact SUV, and the luxurious Volvo XC90 midsize SUV. “More than the reduction in prices,” said Arcilla, “it is Volvo’s

desire to share with the motoring public the advantages of driving a car that has been designed with people in mind. The T8 Twin Turbo Plug-in Hybrid models on offer are not like any regular vehicle. These are Volvos that have been meticulously crafted to deliver freedom of movement in a personal, sustainable, and safe way.”

W it h Volvo’s world-fa med plush and ergonomic seats, Arcilla said passengers will breathe clean air through a system that prevents up to 95 percent of incoming air particles from entering the cabin.

“Switching to electric powertrains and plug-in hybrid cars are also one of the ways to contribute to a healthier environment,” Arcilla said.

He concluded: “While you can’t dance around a maypole, share platefuls of pickled herring, and down jugs of flavored schnapps yet [let’s still observe social distancing during celebrations], you can still celebrate the summer solstice through the amazing P1 Million Off Volvo Midsummer Offer.”

The Volvo Concierge is available online through the Volvo Philippines

Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ volvophilippines.

Alternatively, customers may also reach Volvo PHL at +63 917 623 6366 and +63 922 859 3216, through email at volvoph@volvophils.com, or at the Volvo Philippines web site at www.volvocars.ph.

PEE STOP From Honda’s Arianne

Colene Jalalon: “Honda Cars Philippines Inc. [HCPI] will voluntarily recall 10,136 units of 2018-2019 Accord, BR-V, Mobilio, City, Civic, Jazz, HR-V and CR-V models due to faulty fuel pumps containing defective impellers. The initiative aims to ensure customer safety and address fuel pump-related vehicle concerns such as the inability to start-up or becoming inoperative.

For further details, please go to www.hondaphil.com/recall.” I am deeply touched, Arianne. How can I not bow to this? Here’s to Honda for a genuine gesture of deepest love and concern for its customers.

Bravo!... Birthday greetings (July 9) to Malaya M. Sadiwa, from Ricky, MayaSoh & Ikap; Coach D, Shang, Mayo, Dada & Migel; and, writer Sol F. Juvida. Cheers!

The rugged-looking D-MAX Boondock is now available in 4x4 option. Isuzu Philippines

Isuzu brings in D-MAX Boondock 4x4 variant Story by Randy S. Peregrino

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SUZU Philippines Corp. (IPC) finally brought in the muchawaited 2020 D-MAX Boondock 4x4 variant. Recently launched during IPC’s first-ever digital event via Facebook Live, Isuzu’s ultimate off-roader and the perfect vehicle to herald IPC’s motoring lifestyle campaign—“Live Life Differently”—boldly responds to the challenges of the new normal.

Within the Live Life Differently mantra, IPC encourages its clients and would-be customers to discover the endless possibilities of driving an Isuzu vehicle. It also implies to go beyond the comfort of our homes, to explore the outdoors, and open ourselves up to more adventures, all while driving an Isuzu vehicle. With the 2020 D-MAX Boondock 4x4, off-roaders are given the added confidence to take their adventures a notch higher, more robust, and farther.

“Purposely named after the mountains, the Boondock boasts rough and rugged styling, coupled with the exceptional engine performance of Isuzu—perfect for offroad driving,” said IPC President Hajime Koso. No other pickup can symbolize the Filipino off-roader’s reemergence from months of home confinement than the 2020 D-MAX Boondock 4x4, which has been designed to handle practically all types of terrain: sand, gravel, riverbed, mud, and rocks.

Based on the popular 3.0L DMAX 4x4 LS-A model, motivation

The Boondock customized graphics that pay tribute to the country’s highest ‘boondock’, Mt. Apo.

comes from the ever-reliable 4JJ1TCX 3.0-liter four-cylinder in-line with VGS turbocharged diesel engine with Blue Power technology.

This Euro-4 compliant motor is capable of producing 175 hp at 3,600 rpm and 380 N-m of maximum torque between 1,800 to 2,800 rpm.

It is mated to an option of a sixspeed manual transmission with gearshift indicator or a six-speed automatic with sequential shift.

Identical to its 4x2 variant sibling, the new variant also dons modern rugged aesthetics such as 17-inch off-road rally type design black alloy rims wrapped in 265/70

R17 all-terrain tires, honeycombdesigned steel side steps bearing the ‘Boondock’ insignia, roof rail, cargo extender, rocker panel, and over the fender. The Boondock decal on the tailgate, meantime, is now paired with a new hood and body customized graphics that pay tribute to the country’s highest ‘boondock,’ Mount Apo. Moreover, suspension setup was reinforced by monotube nitrogencharged performance shock absorbers for faster damping reaction. Now with bigger tires and tuned dampers, ground clearance was increased to 247 mm. It gave the pickup 1, 900

mm overall height perfect for the off-road look and muscular stance which conveys that tough character ready to surpass anything—a true embodiment of a “can-do” off-roader attitude.

The 2020 D-MAX Boondock 4x4 is available and is priced at P1.725 million (MT) and P1.795 million (AT). Also, as a part of Isuzu’s Monsoon Promo, a P95,000 discount was given away until the end of June.

Body colors to choose from are Red Spinel, Cosmic Black, Titanium Silver, and Silky Pearl White.

For more details, log on to www. isuzuphil.com.