BusinessMirror May 09, 2020

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Children in pain in pandemic

INFORMAL settlers, including children, from the slums of Del Pan, Binondo and Parola in Tondo line up as members of the Indian nonprofit organization Manav Seva Sansthan give packed lunch to some 400 individuals living in the vicinity of Del Pan Bridge. BERNARD TESTA

Young ones also need all the care and support in face of virus contagion lockdown.

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By Estrella Torres* | Special to the BusinessMirror

FEW weeks ago, two children were forcibly made to lie inside a coffin in Cavite as a form of “punishment” for violating curfew rules under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) intended to control the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19). A video clip of the visibly scared children was uploaded on social media with a voice apparently coming from a man telling them they should “learn their lesson.”

In old Balara, Quezon City, a police officer was reported to have repeatedly hit a 13-year-old boy with a baton, causing injury on the young man’s back. The boy was reportedly sent on an errand by his mother to buy some items for cooking at a neighborhood store.

As the world grapples to find a solution to the Covid-19 pandemic that has led to the death of more than 265,000 people around the world as of Thursday (May 7), the impact of quarantine measures continues to take a dev-

astating toll on children, who are the most vulnerable.

The children are more likely to suffer from hunger after their parents may have lost their jobs and daily income due to the ECQ, miss out on school and suffer from many forms of violence and abuses.

Right treatment

ATTY. Alberto Muyot, chief executive officer of Save the Children Philippines, said the children and youth who are accused, or even those who are proven to be guilty, of breaking

the quarantine rules must be treated with dignity and respect, and should be turned over to their parents and guardians and not be thrown inside detention centers.

He raised his concern following a string of reported cases of cruelty and degrading treatment of children who violated quarantine rules.

Kiss-and-dance punishment

IN Pampanga, a 15-year-old boy was arrested on the occasion of the observance of Palm Sunday along Continued on A2

Airlines, airports seen needing costly revamp for virus era

By Alan Levin & Ryan Beene

A

A WORKER wears a “smart helmet” scanner to measure the body temperature of passengers, at the Rome Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, May 6, 2020. ROBERTO MONALDO/LAPRESSE VIA AP

Bloomberg News

IRLINES and airports must adopt even more measures against the spread of Covid-19, some of which would imply major new costs for an industry already suffering steep losses, a public health expert will tell lawmakers.

Passengers should be screened for elevated temperatures and all employees should be required to wear masks and gloves, according to testimony prepared for a Senate hearing by Hilary Godwin, dean of the University of Washington’s School of Public Health. In-flight seating, she said, must be arranged so that people aren’t too close together, and airports have to be reshaped to promote social distancing.

The air-travel industry and government agencies overseeing it must allow public health con-

siderations to “play a far greater role than before this pandemic,” Godwin said in the remarks. She is among four witnesses scheduled to appear on Wednesday before the Senate Commerce Committee in a hearing on the state of the airline industry during the coronavirus pandemic.

Protecting passengers

WHILE the hearing will be held in person despite the virus, Godwin thanked the committee for allowing her to testify remotely.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.5140

Her testimony was obtained by Bloomberg News.

Industry officials echoed some of Godwin’s concerns, according to their testimony, in some cases calling on the federal government to create new guidelines and standards to protect passengers and to help restore public confidence in the reeling air-transportation sector.

She recommended dramatic changes to how airport terminals looked before the pandemic, when passengers clustered in boarding areas, restaurants and security lines. Now, there should be social distancing in all those areas, she said.

“The probability that healthy individuals will interact with one, or more individuals, who are infected but may not know increases exponentially as the number of people passing through the airport increases,” she said in her written testimony.

Other measures that should be considered include requiring Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4753 n UK 62.5313 n HK 6.5172 n CHINA 7.1297 n SINGAPORE 35.7267 n AUSTRALIA 32.8038 n EU 54.7218 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.4525

Source: BSP (May 8, 2020)

NewsSaturday BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, May 9, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Children in pain in pandemic Continued from A1

with three LGBTQI+ individuals for violating curfew rules. The minor was made to witness a sexy dance and kissing of the LGBTQI+ individuals as punishment.

Meanwhile, four boys and four girls were also arrested in Binondo, Manila, on March 19 for the same offense. Local officials forcibly cut the hair of seven of the children, while the one who resisted to have his hairdo “restyled” was stripped naked and ordered to walk home unclothed.

Local officials also placed five young people inside a dog cage on March 20 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, for violating curfew rules.

The ‘right treatment’

“WE call on all local government officials to adhere to the Joint Memorandum Circular issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Council for the Welfare of Children that clearly defines the procedure in handling children who are caught violating the quarantine guidelines,” Muyot said in a news statement.

The Joint Circular mandates officials implementing ECQ rules to observe strict guidelines by reaching out to children in street situations, avoiding harm, or risk against children, including physical, mental or psychological in nature.

It also reiterates protocols in reaching out to children, including those in need of special protection, children at risk, and

children in conflict with the law during the ECQ.

Impact

CHILDREN also worry over the lack of food, and suffer feeling of disconnection from friends and the anxiety that their loved ones may get infected with the Covid-19 virus.

This was revealed in consultations with children conducted by the Building Urban Children’s Resilience Against Shocks and Threats of Resettlement (BURST) Project of Save the Children Philippines.

Separate consultations were conducted using online platforms, SMS and phone calls with children aged 11 to 17 from informal communities in Pasay City and relocation sites in Naic, Cavite.

The children who were consulted said most people in their neighborhood complain about their situation, particularly on issues about “where to get food to put on the dinner table, how to survive, and the uncertainty of not knowing when the enhanced quarantine will end.”

When asked how they feel about the situation, one of them said: “Malungkot po, dahil wala kaming magawa [We’re sad because we can’t do anything about it].”

While at home, some children have to bear with extreme heat but may not be able to take a bath and maintain personal hygiene due to lack of water.

Distressed by circulating ru-

mors and fake news, and the lack of information in their communities, the children are asking local officials to provide them accessible and child-friendly accurate information on what Covid-19 is all about, why the quarantine is being done, how the government is addressing the Covid-19 pandemic and how they can protect themselves and other children in their communities.

Relief goods given to their families are simply just not enough, according to the children, stressing they also need medicines and vegetables. Children also urged local leaders to provide them educational and leisure materials so they can continue learning and be productive during the quarantine period.

Engagement

LOURDES PAMBID, program manager of the BURST Project, said it is vital to engage children and their communities to understand firsthand how their lives have been affected by the crisis from the Covid-19 pandemic. The results of the consultations will provide guidance in planning child-based programs through a needs assessment with children’s participation as the Covid-19 crisis unfolds in the Philippines.

She said the consultations also included advocacy on how children and their families can protect themselves against the spread of the virus through awareness of personal hygiene, social distancing and cough etiquette, and how to

ensure public health and safety in times of emergencies.

Pambid said children and their families in Cavite and Pasay urgently need relief assistance, including food and hygiene kits, and livelihood opportunities for their parents and guardians.

“Immediately, local leaders should ensure that relief assistance, or child-sensitive cash transfers, or vouchers are distributed to the poorest families to maintain their income sources and livelihood and, where [and when] possible, aligned with a longer-term government strategy on social protection,” said Pambid.

Violent brew

THE quarantine measures also expose children to violence at home, particularly when parents and

guardians face distress due to loss of income and livelihood as a result of limited mobility.

“The loss of income by thousands of families, especially the vulnerable groups, can immediately translate into not being able to put food on the table resulting in thousands of children who will go to bed hungry,” said Muyot, even as he called on local government officials to expedite the release of cash assistance and other economic support to qualified families under the Social Amelioration Program.

He also said local governments should integrate protection of children from violence, abuse or exploitation as part of the Covid-19 pandemic community response.

“Many children may suffer and witness abuse and violence at home

due to heightened stress, anger and anxiety of parents and guardians following the loss of jobs and livelihood, and the uncertainty of how to provide for their family,” said Muyot.

With the possible lifting of quarantine measures next week, many children will still be missing out on school, trapped with feelings of anxiety and facing risks of violence at home and outside.

The lifting, to be sure, won’t ensure the end of the children’s burdens, and authorities still have time to act to ease their pains as the pandemic’s impact is expected to last for more than a year. *Estrella Torres is head of Media and Communications of Save the Children Philippines.

PRC CHAIRMAN & CEO SENATOR RICHARD J. GORDON’S WORLD RED CROSS DAY MESSAGE (NOTE: It’s been a busy past year for the Philippine Red Cross, which raced to the frontlines to help the government and local communities deal with successive problems of dengue, and a resurgent polio—and, in 2020, even more problems topped by the Taal Volcano and the Covid-19 public health crisis. It’s Red Cross Day, and the Philippines’ chairman, Sen. Richard J. Gordon, shared this message to the “troops”.)

May 8, 2020

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HROUGHOUT the world, we have 191 national societies and we have millions of volunteers and staff that are out there working, fighting the virus called Covid-19.

One of the finest things about Red Cross Movement is that we have met challenges whether it’s war, whether it’s hunger, whether it’s pestilence like we’re having.

If you’ll recall, the Red Cross played a very, very strong role in the 1918 great influenza that hit the whole world. It killed 50 million to a hundred million people. We are doing that again all over the world. Our volunteers and our staff, especially here in the Philippines, even before it was conceived, when SARS hit us, when we were hit by major disasters, we have learned to think ahead. And that is why there is a lot of reasons why we must applaud, not because

we’re tapping ourselves in the back, but we recognize the strenuous effort of vision, the values that we have, the volunteerism that we excel in and that creates solidarity so powerful that we know, we can prevail.

And so, on the occasion of World Red Cross Day, our theme is “keep on clapping”. Sounds like we’re trying to pat ourselves in the back, but that’s not the point. The point is we have to keep on clapping because we want to give hope to one another, we want to gain strength from one another, and above all, we must make sure that the hope and the strength that we have translates to hope and strength for the people we serve.

So, a big applause to all of you all over the world from the Philippine Red Cross. Mabuhay! That means long life, that means serve the people in the world.

Thank you very much.

Airlines, airports seen needing costly revamp for virus era Continued from A1

passengers, or aviation employees, to attest they are healthy before being allowed to travel or report to work. It may also be possible soon to test each person for infection before entering airports, she said.

Challenges

“WHILE each of the strategies discussed here comes with inherent limitations and poses its own logistical challenges, combining them together creates a ‘net’ that will help to reduce overall risk to the millions of individuals who work in, travel using, and benefit from the aviation industry each day,” she said.

While all large US airlines now or will soon require flight attendants and passengers to wear face coverings, standards for other employees vary. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners, for example, have the option to work without masks.

Similarly, some airlines have said they are taking measures to keep passengers spaced apart, but policies vary and some flights have been packed in spite of the steep drop in people willing to fly.

Airlines have been burning through $10 billion a month as passenger totals have tumbled more than 90 percent during the past month, according to Airlines for America.

Additional actions

THERE is no doubt “that the US airline industry will emerge from this crisis a mere shadow of what it was just three short months ago,” Nicholas Calio, president of Airlines for America, said in pre-

pared testimony for the hearing.

“There is simply no way around the detrimental and lasting economic impact this pandemic will have on our industry.”

The industry embraces additional actions, such as widespread temperature checks and increased tracing of those who come in contact with infected people aboard planes, Calio added.

The TSA is considering using its airport screeners to conduct health checks of passengers, Bloomberg reported on Friday.

No decisions have been made and it creates numerous tricky logistical issues.

Addressing an issue that has drawn criticism, Calio said airlines cannot afford to reimburse every passenger who canceled a flight because of the virus without going into bankruptcy. Airlines have followed US law requiring refunds when the carrier itself cancels a flight, he said.

Eric Fanning, president of the Aerospace Industries Association trade group, plans to tell senators on the Commerce Committee that companies of all sizes in the sector are weighing job cuts and furloughs, citing one company that had to lay off half of its engine manufacturing staff, according to a copy of his prepared remarks.

Fanning also plans to raise questions about whether the rules governing $17 billion in aid offered by the Treasury Department for national security-critical companies under the bill is too restrictive.

Airports take hit

THOUSANDS of airports across the US are also suffering dire financial consequences from the

virus outbreak, said Todd Hauptli, president of the American Association of Airport Executives, in testimony prepared for the hearing.

Revenues from a ticket tax assessed on some airline passengers and parking fees have plummeted since early March, Hauptli said.

While the $10 billion in emergency airport grants approved

by Congress have helped, it is less than half of the projected financial losses, he said.

Airports and other related businesses will need additional help, or they’ll risk defaulting on bond payments, he said.

While airports are taking numerous steps to improve cleaning and allow social distancing, Hauptli also called on Congress and federal agencies for help.

Clear and consistent guidelines

“WE will need clear and consistent federal guidelines and standards— especially on the matter of health screenings—to ensure that passengers know what to expect when they arrive at the airport regardless of which airport it is or what airline they may be flying,” he said.

No labor leaders were scheduled to testify, but the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union issued a press release denouncing airlines for taking steps to cut worker pay even though the intent of a federal aid package was to preserve jobs.

“If left unchecked by Congress, the Treasury Department and other oversight bodies, the result will be a race to the bottom, penalizing companies that do right by their workers in disbursing payroll grants to workers as Congress intended,” the union said in a letter to senators.

News

BusinessMirror

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

BSP bares $1.48-B net outflow of hot money on virus fears

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HORT-TERM investments to the Philippines left the country in the first three months of the year, largely reflecting global risk aversion brought about by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported a foreign portfolio investments (FPI) net outflow of $1.48 billion in the first three months of the year. This is a reversal of the $293-million net inflow seen in the same three-month period of 2019.

Aside from the disruption caused by the pandemic, the BSP also said some other uncertainties contributed to the outflow of investments during the period. Among these developments include the continuing geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran; ongoing trade negotiations between the US and China; and the renegotiation of the contracts of the country’s water concessionaires.

FPI are known as “hot,” or “speculative” money because they are easily pulled in and out of the local platforms with the slight change of global and local sentiment.

This type of foreign investment is usually a measure of the global economy’s investing sentiment toward the Philippines in short-term prospects for yields, in contrast to foreign direct investments (FDI), which are investments placed in the Philippines in search for long-term yield.

Bulk of the quarter’s outflows was seen in March, where the net outflow amounted to $961 million.

It was a bigger outflow compared to March 2019’s $739 million and a reversal of the recorded net inflows of $40 million in February.

The heavy net outflow during the month resulted from the total $1.9-billion outflows not being compensated by the $954 million total inflows.

“This may be attributed to the general risk-off sentiment in the market that has prompted investors to liquidate portfolios and keep money in cash amid heightened worries over adverse economic impact of the coronavirus [Covid-19] pandemic and despite the initial fiscal stimulus package of the government,” the BSP said.

For the month, about 93 percent of investments registered were channeled to listed securities pertaining mainly to property companies, holding firms, banks, food, beverage and tobacco companies and transportation services firms; while the remaining 7 percent went to investments in Peso government securities.

The United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong and Luxembourg were the top 5 investor countries for the month, with combined share of 83.9 percent.

The US received 68.5 percent of total outflows.

Saturday, May 9, 2020

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Deficit seen to rise to 7% of GDP with okay of ₧485-B stimulus bill

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas

HE government’s economic team and several economists see the country’s budget deficit this year rising to over 7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) if the government passes the proposed ₧485-billion Philippine Economic Stimulus Act (PESA) bill.

In a five-page joint position paper on the PESA bill addressed to House Speaker Alan Peter S. Cayetano, the economic team expressed general support for the bill’s provisions to protect various sectors, but they pointed out that the consolidated bill “will add at least 2 percent of GDP to the present already high deficit.”

The economic team’s current deficit target for the year is around a trillion pesos, or about 5.3 percent of GDP, according to Finance Undersecretary and Chief Economist Gil Beltran.

Thus, the economic managers said, “the proposed program will have to be managed carefully to balance fiscal with economic recovery objectives,” read the economic team’s position paper, a copy of which was obtained by the BusinessMirror.

“We are one with Congress in affirming the need to help people and businesses adversely impacted by the pandemic, which can be done in a fiscally sustainable manner,” it read.

The position paper was signed

by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, Budget Secretary Wendel E. Avisado and Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua.

The economic team also commented on several provisions so that the support that will be provided through the stimulus bill “will be ver y targeted and equitable.”

Flexibility needed

The economic team also proposed that Congress “consider removing fixed budget allocations from the bill, to allow for some flexibility considering evolving needs and resources.”

The managers suggested that Congress frame the provision on the use of appropriations after Republic Act 11469, or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, for f lexibility and consistency, and to undertake discussions with the economic team to determine resource availability. “ T he economic managers are ready a nd w i l l ing to e x tend tec hnica l suppor t on t he comput at ion of act u a l budget a r y requirements to implement the proposed econom ic inter vent ions,” t hey sa id. “ We t ha n k Cong ress for t he oppor t u nit y to comment on t hese prov isions, and we hope to share our v iews in g reater det a i l du r ing t he for m a l de l iberat ion s on t he proposa l.”

Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, co-chairman of the House Defeat Covid-19 Committee economic cluster and one of the PESA bill authors, said the bill will spell an additional 1.8 percentage points above the 5.3-percent deficit-toGDP projection for 2020.

“A budget deficit of 7.1 percent of GDP is approximately 3 points lower than the midpoint for Asean countries [Malaysia at 15.9 percent and Vietnam at 5 percent],” Quimbo told the BusinessMir ror .

Meanwhile, the government’s impact assessment that passage of the P485-billion stimulus bill will add a deficit of 2 percent of GDP is also in line with the projections of economists.

UnionBank Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion told the BusinessMirror that the stimulus bill will cause the government’s current 2020 deficit target of 5.3 percent of GDP to put on an extra 2.5 percent. He thus projects the deficit this year to increase to 7.8 percent of GDP, assuming the money to finance the stimulus bill would be borrowed.

Asked if a deficit of 7 percent of GDP is still considered manageable, Asuncion replied: “We had worse.”

“Other economies like Singapore are at 13 percent or 15 percent already,” he added.

However, he said increasing the deficit means the government must tighten its belt and “some expenditures will have to be evaluated accordingly.”

Asked how this affects the government’s “Road to A” plan, Asuncion said this would have “to stay in the back seat momentarily.”

“Sandali lang naman [It’s just a short period after all] as we go through this unprecedented storm. But, I must say that increasing the budget deficit wh i le pr ior it i z i ng l ives a nd

health of the Filipinos is worthwhile than a letter achievement.

We can get there if we do it right,” he said.

Former Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad also sees the budget deficit “likely” reaching at least 7 to 8 percent.

“With the announcement by the SOF [Secretary of Finance] that the deficit has reached P1trillion, that will bring us to 5.3 percent already.

If they borrow more to finance more public health and economic relief and recovery spending, we may likely reach 7 percent to 8 percent at least, depending on the magnitude of the borrowing,” Abad said in a message to BusinessMirror.

“It’s not the additional appropriations that counts. It’s cash disbursement that matters. If the government borrows to fund that new enactment on top of current deficit, the deficit will go up to over 7 percent,” he added.

R iza l Commercia l Bank ing Corp. (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L . R icafor t said the P485-billion PESA bill—equivalent to more than 2 percent of GDP—does not really alarm him, “given the priorities/exigencies that require immediate financial aid/assistance to the most vulnerable sectors, but should be taken with caution.”

“Besides, many other countries around the world are also doing massive deficit spending,” he said.

Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development Director Alvin P. Ang also expects the deficit-to-GDP ratio to increase to as high as 8.6 percent of GDP (or P1.6 trillion) in a worst-case scenario where revenues drop by 50 percent and the P485-billion PESA bill is passed.

If a “worse case” happens that the government suffers a 20-percent revenue drop and the PESA

bill is passed, the deficit would increase to 7.2 percent of GDP or P1.3 trillion, Ang said.

For his part, ING Bank Manila Senior Economist Nicholas T. Mapa said they are pegging the deficit-to-GDP gap to -5.9 percent “due to shrinking GDP prospects and also due to expectations for a higher deficit as expenditures rise at a time that revenue collections will be challenged due to the crisis we are faced with.”

“We are expecting the deficit to hit -5.9 percent of GDP, if the fiscal response was not as substantial, the deficit could be -5.6 percent,” he said in an e-mail to BusinessMirror.

“The PESA bill proposed by Congs. [Joey] Salceda and [Stella] Quimbo is a welcome development as we’ve long hoped for a commensurate fiscal response to help offset the negative impact of the virus on the economy. 1Q GDP has shown us a glimpse of the destructive capability of lockdowns on the economy, leaving gaping holes in our GDP growth. Government will need to act quickly to plug the gaps caused by Covid-19,” Mapa added.

Luis F. Dumlao, dean of Ateneo de Manila University’s John Gokongwei School of Management, however, said that although the P485-billion PESA bill is equivalent to 2.5 percent of GDP, it does “not necessarily” mean that the country’s budget deficit would reach the 7 percent level.

“Not necessarily because government will also cut spending on some undetermined items. But I would not be surprised if the deficit-to-GDP ratio hits its highest post-Marcos years,” he said, noting that the widest gap posted after Edsa 1986 was “in 2002 when deficit to GDP hit 5 percent.”

With reports from Cai U. Ordinario and Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

UA&P: 2 million job loss may cost economy ₧200B Naia facilitates 6 sweeper flights to ferry

By Cai U. Ordinario

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he 2 mil lion Filipinos who may be bound to lose their jobs would cost the economy some P200 billion, as the pandemic would drastically cut their consumption this year, according to local economists.

University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) School of Economics Dean Cid L. Terosa said each worker would lose an income of around P100,000 this year due to Covid-19.

ING Bank Manila Senior Economist Nicholas T. Mapa said the estimate made by Terosa was not far from their own estimate of around P193 billion.

“For the 2 mil lion who lost their jobs, about P200 billion in consumption for the year w il l be lost, or P100,000 per person who lost their jobs,” Terosa said. “[T his covers] any thing we consume daily.”

Terosa said the amount, which could also increase to around P210 billion, or P105,000 per person, would have been spent on various consumer goods such as food, clothing, water and other needs.

De La Salle University economist Maria Ella C. Oplas told the BusinessMirror that the spending of the 2 million workers would likely decline to only 30 percent of what they were used to spending.

Oplas said the reason she does not think a 100-percent decline in

consumption among those who lost their jobs is because many of them may have found other ways to earn, and consequently spend.

She added that among those who lost their jobs such as professional makeup artists and photographers were able to band together and find other ways to use their skills, or adapt to the present needs of their communities.

“The 2 million [workers] are still spending but [at a] lesser volume.

My estimate is maybe they spend only 30 percent of their previous spending,” Oplas said. “People are creative and resilient. They find ways to survive.”

However, Oplas said, she is not discounting the fact that workers may find it hard to get other options to earn while the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is in place, not only because of the restrictions but also the limited opportunities during ECQ. She added that there will also be those who may not find any other source of income and, therefore, would not be able to spend. These people are the ones that would require the most help, Oplas said.

Help from the government will be good for the economy and boosting consumption is key to growing the economy simply because the Philippine economy is driven by spending, she added.

Ateneo de Manila University School of Social Sciences Dean

Fernando T. Aldaba told the BusinessMirror that on the average, workers in Metro Manila earn P13,200 per month, while in Luzon, around P9,700 per month.

Around 75 percent of these wages are spent by workers. But if they receive assistance from the government, they would tend to spend it all.

Aldaba said based on the 2018 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES), the Marginal Propensity to Consume of Filipinos is 95 to 99 percent.

This means that for every peso increase in their income, they spend P0.95 to P0.99 on various goods and services.

“If they get a subsidy they would probably spend it almost 100 percent,” Aldaba said, which is why government subsidies are crucial, especially this year.

Based on the latest gross domestic product data, Household Final Consumption slowed to 0.2 percent, the lowest in the latest 2018-based series.

Alcohol and tobacco products consumption contracted the most at 16.4 percent followed by spending for restaurants and hotels, which contracted 15.4 percent.

This was followed by transportation, which contracted 8.9 percent and furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance at 7.4 percent.

With Samuel P. Medenilla

stranded passengers to their destinations

By Recto Mercene

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inoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) facilitated six sweeper flights mounted by several local and international carriers on Friday, airlifting stranded foreign passengers and Filipinos back to Manila from Cebu.

Cebu Pacific (CEB) mounted three sweeper flights that picked up stranded foreign tourists who spent several weeks in Cebu due to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Another flight, 5J 571, departed Naia at 10 a.m. also on Friday to airlift another stranded batch of Filipinos and foreigners who are residents of Cebu.

Air Asia Philippines flight Z2 186 left Naia around 3 p.m. Friday bound for Kansai, Japan to ferry stranded Japanese tourists caught by the lockdown in Manila.

Meanwhile, a chartered plane of Lanmei Airlines (LQ 9770) landed at Naia on Friday, loaded with Filipinos who were stranded in Cambodia. The plane’s turn around flight, LQ 9771, departed Naia in the late afternoon to transport Cambodians back to Phnom Penh.

40K Pinoy seafarers bound for home

In a related development, some 40,000 Filipino seafarers who remain stranded on cruise ships in the US, are expected to arrive in Manila starting next week up to June by air and sea.

The Filipino seafarers, along with their foreign counterparts are quarantined on at least 50 cruise ships floating in US waters, according to recruitment expert Manny Geslani.

He said the Filipino crewmen have been at sea for the past two months and are expected to arrive in Manila by the middle of May up to June after cruise operators succeeded in chartering flights,

while the rest remain on board to sail to Manila.

According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), the seafarers are stuck in their cabin and not allowed to leave since the passengers disembarked.

“There’s no natural light, some are stuck right at the bottom of the ship, while others stay in passenger cabins with balcony. They’ve lost their jobs and they’re very scared about the future,” Geslani said.

The key issue is repatriation as the CDC does not want crew men to board commercial flights fearing the spread of Covid-19.

“A lot of cruise companies are choosing to keep their ships at sea with tens of thousands of staff.

Many are sick. Many are dying. And the situation is only getting worse,” Geslani said.

Meanwhile Royal Caribbean is preparing a major plan for the repatriation of thousands of its crew men back to their home countries.

Michael Bayley, president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean International, told the crewmen in a latter that their repatriation would be carried out by their cruise ships, including available charter flights.

Harmony of the Seas, meanwhile, will sail to Barbados, where Royal Caribbean have asked a charter company to airlift Filipino seafarers to Manila every three days, starting May 11.

Liberty of the Seas, for its part, will stay near Miami to airlift the Filipino crewmen by charter flights starting May 18.

Carnival ships, with about 25,000 Filipinos on board, are in the process of transferring crewmen to other ships that will sail to Asia, Europe and China.

Filipinos on board Carnival ships docked in Miami will board charter flights starting May 11 “as soon as the Naia opens this week for charter flights,” the local manning agency said.

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The World BusinessMirror

Saturday, May 9, 2020

‘Devastating’ April jobs report to show Covid-19 impact on US

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ASHINGTON—The US government on Friday is poised to report the worst set of jobs numbers since recordkeeping began in 1948, a snapshot of the devastating damage the coronavirus outbreak has inflicted on the economy.

The unemployment rate for April could reach 16 percent, or more, according to economists surveyed by the data provider FactSet. Twenty-one million jobs may have been lost. If so, it would mean that nearly all the job growth in the 11 years since the Great Recession ended had vanished in one month.

Even those numbers won’t fully capture the scope of the damage the coronavirus has inflicted on jobs and incomes. Many people who are still employed have had their hours reduced. Others have suffered pay cuts. Some who lost jobs in April and didn’t look for a new one in light of their bleak prospects won’t even be counted as unemployed. A broader measure—the proportion of adults with jobs—could hit a record low.

The scale of the job loss has been breathtakingly sudden.

During the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009, the nation lost 6.5 percent of its jobs over a two-year span. It was the worst loss in any

recession since World War II. Yet in just April alone, the expected job loss of 21 million would amount to 14 percent of all jobs—more than twice as much.

The impact on individuals has been vast. One of the newly unemployed, Sara Barnard, 24, of St. Louis, has lost three jobs: A floor manager at a pub and restaurant, a bartender at a small downtown tavern and the occasional standup comedian. Her main job was at McGurk’s, an Irish pub and restaurant near downtown that closed days before St. Patrick’s Day. She had worked there continually since high school.

McGurk ’s tried selling food curbside, Barnard said, but it was costing more to keep the place open than the money that was coming in. Around that time, the bar where she worked closed, and comedy jobs ended when social distancing requirements forced clubs to close.

McGurk’s is a St. Louis land-

mark, and Barnard expects it to rebound quickly once it reopens.

She just doesn’t know when.

Job losses and pay cuts are ranging across the world. Unemployment in the 19-country eurozone is expected to surpass 10 percent in coming months as more people are laid off. That figure is expected to remain lower than the US unemployment rate. But it doesn’t count many people who either are furloughed, or whose hours are cut but who receive most of their wages from government assistance.

In France, about half the private-sector work force is on a government paid-leave program whereby they receive up to 84 percent of their net salary. In Germany, 3 million workers are supported in a similar system, with the government paying up to 60 percent of their net pay.

In the five weeks covered by the US jobs report for April, 26.5 million people applied for unemployment benefits. The job loss to be reported Friday may be less because the two are measured d if ferent ly: T he gover nment calculates job losses by surveying businesses and households.

It’s a net figure that also counts the hiring that some companies, like Amazon and many grocery stores, have done. By contrast, the total jobless claims is a measure of just the layoff side of the equation.

For the United States, a key question is where the job market goes from here. Applications for unemployment aid, while high,

have declined for five straight weeks, a sign that the worst of the layoffs has passed. Still, few economists expect a rapid turnaround.

The Congressional Budget Office has forecast that the unemployment rate will still be 9.5 percent by the end of next year.

A paper by economists at the San Francisco Federal Reserve estimates that under an optimistic scenario that assumes shutdowns are lifted quickly, the unemployment rate could fall back to about 4 percent by mid-2021.

But if shutdowns recur and hiring revives more slowly, the jobless rate could remain in double-digits until the end of 2021, the San Francisco Fed economists predict.

Raj Chetty, a Harvard economist, is tracking real-time data on the economy, including consumer spending, small business hiring and job postings. Chetty noted the economy’s health will hinge on when the viral outbreak has subsided enough that most Americans will feel comfortable returning to restaurants, bars, movie theaters and shops.

The data suggests that many small businesses are holding on in hopes that spending and the economy will rebound soon, he said. Small business payrolls have fallen sharply but have leveled off in recent weeks. And job postings haven’t dropped nearly as much as total jobs have. But it’s unclear how much longer those trends will persist.

“There’s only so long you can hold out,” Chetty said. AP

Vietnam rejects South China Sea fishing ban

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ietnam h a s re je c te d China’s “unilateral decision” to ban fishing in the South China S e a f rom M ay 1 t o A u g u s t 16 , Fore i g n M i n i s t r y s p ok e s w om a n L e T h i T hu Ha ng sa id i n a ne ws st atement p o s t e d on t he go v e r n me nt ’s w e b s it e.

V i e t n a m h a s s o v e r e i g nt y over its waters as def ined by t he 1982 United Nat ions Convent ion on t he L aw of t he Sea, Ha ng sa id. “ Viet na m ask s C h ina not to f u r t her compl icate t he sit uat ion in t he Sout h C h ina Sea,” she sa id.

The Vietnam Fisheries Society earlier this week asked the government to take “strong action” against China’s fishing ban.

Bloomberg News

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ussian A mbassador to the Philippines Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev harks back to a time during World War II when leaders of the world’s great powers, namely, Franklin Delano Roosevelt of the United States; Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom; and Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union gathered together in Yalta to fight a common enemy—the Nazis of Germany.

On Friday, Khovaev issued an appeal to the great world powers of the United States, China and Russia to come together as friends “to fight a common enemy, the coronavirus.”

“As a diplomat, we need to learn lessons of history. The victory over Nazi was [made] pos-

China drug maker Sinovac in discussions for global coronavirus vaccine test

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he drug maker behind one of China’s most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates is in talks to conduct late-stage trials globally as the race for immunization against Covid-19 intensifies.

Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd. is in discussion with regulators in other countries, and the World Health Organization (WHO), to launch phase III clinical trials in regions where the novel coronavirus is still spreading rapidly, Chief Executive Officer Yin Weidong said in an interview on Thursday.

“To evaluate whether the vaccine can give protection, we need to study the relation between disease incidence and vaccination,” Yin said. “You can’t do that when there’s no cases.”

With China hav ing largely curbed its growth of new infections, its drug makers will need to seek international cooperation to test their vaccine candidates in other countries—a task that may be complicated by tensions between China and some nations, especially the US, over how and where the virus originated.

Sinovac is one of three Chinese companies at the forefront of efforts to halt a pandemic that’s sickened over 3.8 million people worldwide and killed nearly 270,000.

While there are over 100 vaccines in development globally, only around 10 have reached the crucial final stage of human testing.

A working vaccine is the best hope for countries to reopen their suffering economies and resume normal life without a surge in cases. But vaccines typically take years to develop and still do not exist for many diseases, like HIV. W hile declining to specif y which countries they plan to hold trials in, Sinovac’s Yin hinted that the US is an ideal location. “The US has the most developed biotech industry, the most sophisticated regulatory framework and its epidemic is now the worst,” he said.

A mer ican dr ug ma kers like

Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson also have vaccine candidates in human trials, as do researchers from Oxford University. Besides Sinovac’s candidate, Chinese scientists have three others in human trials: one from the Chinese military in collaboration with Tianjin-based CanSino Biologics Inc., and two from state-owned China National Biotec Group Co. C a n Si no’s e f for t a l so h a s plans to go global: the company submitted an application last month to conduct clinical trials for its vaccine in Canada.

Phase III challenge

Most of the leading efforts are now in the midst of phase I and II of clinical trials, where experimental vaccines are administered to hundreds of healthy individuals to see whether they’re safe and can elicit an immune response.

It’s phase III—involv ing a control group of individuals who receive placebos or remain unvaccinated—that shows if those who have received the vaccine are able to steer clear of infection more than those who did not. This requires both groups, t he vaccinated and t he control, to be in an environment where the virus is still spreading.

“The real challenge lies in the Phase III trial,” Ding Sheng, director at the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute at Tsinghua University, said. “It will tell whether the immune response indicated in early trials can really be effective.”

Sinovac previously developed a vaccine against SARS, the 2003 pandemic caused by a close cousin of the coronavirus. The company had to stop development at the phase I stage as that outbreak, which sickened 8,000 people, came under control.

“We’ve got the vaccine ready,” Yin said. “Once any country approves the clinical trial, we will launch it immediately.”

Bloomberg News

Singapore expats ask for rent cuts as employers face squeeze

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Fishing trawlers sit anchored at Tan Quang harbor in Quang Nam province, Vietnam, on June 26, 2019. Fishermen are on the front lines of Asia’s most complex territorial dispute, which involves six claimants and outside powers like the US with an interest in protecting a waterway that carries more than $3 trillion in trade each year. Maika Elan/Bloomberg

Russian envoy to Manila calls on Trump, Xi, Putin to unite in fight against virus

By Recto Mercene

www.businessmirror.com.ph

sible because three great nations, the Soviet Union, the United States and the United Kingdom combined their efforts in order to fight [the] Nazis.”

He said the great leaders of those times—Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill—“were able to put their differences aside, overcome their disputes and to combine their efforts in order to fight a common enemy. Now all of us also have a common enemy, the coronavirus,” Khovaev said during a Zoom news conference.

The gathering that Ambassador Khovaev was referring to was the Yalta Conference meeting of three World War II allies who met in February 1945 in the resort city of Yalta, located along the Black Sea coast of the Crimean Peninsula, to plot their common effort to defeat Adolf Hitler.

Today, the Russian envoy is making an appeal to US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who are politically at odds with each other, to emulate the Yalta gathering to form a solid front against the deadly coronavirus that has so far killed 270,000 and infected 3.85 million across the globe.

“I think it should be a message to all of us,” Khovaev said, “It’s high time for all of us to put aside all disputes, all differences, and concentrate all our combined efforts in the struggle against a common enemy.”

He added that it is obvious to reasonable people that not one country could defeat this coronavirus on its own, “[but] this evil can be defeated only if all of us combine all our efforts.”

“That’s why I am saying again, this lesson of the past should not be forgotten because the lesson is very relevant.”

K hovaev inv ited the media to the Zoom news conference to remember the 75th Anniversar y of the Second World War today (May 9), where, he said, 27 million Russians were killed. “ T he pr ice ou r ow n people h ad to pay w a s i nc re d ible,” Russi a’s c h ief envoy in Ma ni l a sa id , add i ng “t h at e vent wa s a ver y pa i n f u l ph a se i n ou r people’s memor y.” “ We know the price [of war], we don’t like to fight, we don’t want fighting, but we know how to fight to defend our countr y,” he said, adding, “the lesson of [the last war] shou ld not be forgotten because today, it is ver y relevant.”

ingapore expats are often envied for their generous pay packets but facing the prospect of salary cuts as the coronavirus batters businesses, some are tightening their belts and asking for lower rent.

Clarence Foo, a real-estate agent at APAC Realty Ltd. unit ERA, has come across seven such cases over the past month—the highest number of requests he’s received during his seven-year career. Four were successful.

One was an American woman who texted Foo last week. In her message, she said she had just been informed of a 20-percent drop in pay effective from May 1 until July 31, after which her employer will reassess the company’s financial health.

The executive, in her 30s, is leasing a one-bedroom apartment at Tanjong Pagar, near Singapore’s financial district, for S$3,400 ($2,400) a month. She was granted a rent reduction of S$250 a month, or around 7 percent.

“At first glance, it isn’t a lot. But over three months, the duration of her pay cut, it’s a substantial saving,” Foo said.

Singapore is expected to sink deeper into recession this year as it extends a partial lockdown, now into its fifth week. Wages will take a bigger hit than jobs as businesses try to cut costs in an economy bracing for a sharp con-

traction, the central bank said last month.

W hile the government has unveiled a range of support measures, most are aimed at Singapore citizens. More than S$7 billion was paid out to employers in April to co-fund the wages of over 1.9 million local workers, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said earlier this week. Some levy waivers and rebates have also been provided to help firms meet their obligations to foreign employees.

The city-state has one of the world’s most expensive property markets. Residential rents surged to a three-year high last year, with prices boosted by strong overseas demand. Rentals of private residential properties increased by 1.1 percent in the first quarter, government data show.

In Singapore, the rental market is typically dominated by people from overseas. There’s very high local home ownership and around 80 percent of Singaporeans reside not in private condominiums but in housing development board f lats.

Lester Chen is another realestate agent who is dealing with rent reduction requests from expats. One, living in an apartment in Sentosa Cove, a residential area on an island off Singapore’s south coast, managed to get his rent lowered by 20 percent.

The World BusinessMirror

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Kim Jong Un lauds China’s virus actions, wishes Xi ‘good health’

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orth Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent his first formal message to China since reemerging from an almost three-week public absence, praising President Xi Jinping for his “success” in managing the coronavirus.

The official Korean Central News Agency said Friday that Kim sent a verbal message congratulating Xi, saying the Chinese leader was “seizing a chance of victory in the war against the unprecedented epidemic.”

K im a lso “w ished X i Jinping good health,” as he and the ruling Communist Party move forward to “win a final victory,” KCNA said.

W hile North Korea has often sent such messages to its neighbor and main geopolitical benefactor, this one may receive more scrutiny because it follows Kim’s prolonged absence from events. That lull ended when official media showed a smiling Kim appearing at a May 1 ribbon-cutting event to open a new fertilizer factory, wearing a Mao suit and being greeted by the cheers of workers.

Reuters reported last month, citing people familiar with the matter, that China had sent a medical team to North Korea to advise on Kim. North Korea state media has made no allusions to Kim’s health, but the Seoulbased JoongAng Daily newspaper separately reported that the North Korean leader had been in self-quarantine after one of his bodyguards was confirmed with a coronavirus infection.

In a separate North Korean media report Friday, a spokesman for North Korea’s armed forces called a South Korean military drill set for this week “reckless” and a “provocation.”

The North Korean side has often used such exercises as a pretense for its own military displays.

The comment came after Seoul accused North Korean troops Sunday of firing on South Korean personnel in the demilitarized zone that divides the two countries. South Korea said the action violated a 2018 military agreement between President Moon Jae-in and Kim to suspend hostile actions that could prompt conf lict.

Beijing has for decades worried about leadership instability in nuclear-armed North Korea that could ignite a humanitarian crisis on its border, or even a collapse of the regime. That would open the door to the emergence of a unified Korea supported by the US.

No cases?

The stability of impoverished North Korea concerns not only China and its other immediate neighbors, but the world. A power vacuum would raise questions about who controls its estimated stockpile of enough fissile material for as many as 60 nuclear bombs and hundreds of missiles capable of delivering an atomic payload.

Despite being between China—the original epicenter of the virus outbreak—and South Korea, which brief ly was one of the hardest-hit countries, North Korea has said it hasn’t had any confirmed cases of Cov id-19.

Some, including the commander of US Forces Korea, have expressed doubts about that claim.

China and South Korea have both seen dramatic falls in new infections over the past several weeks and are starting to reopen their economies after massive efforts to contain the virus.

Bloomberg News

Saturday, May 9, 2020

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China, US teams concur to work to implement bilateral trade deal

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he top trade negotiators for China and the US pledged they will create favorable conditions for the implementation of the bilateral trade deal and cooperate on the economy and public health.

China’s Vice Premier Liu He talked with US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin by phone on Friday Beijing time, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce. They also agreed to maintain communications.

“Both sides agreed that good progress is being made on creating the governmental infrastructures necessary to make the agreement a success,” according to an e-mailed statement after the call from the USTR. “In spite of the current global health emergency, both

countries fully expect to meet their obligations under the agreement in a timely manner.”

The phone call was the first time Liu and Lighthizer have officially spoken about the agreement since it was signed in January, which was just before the global coronavirus pandemic hit the world’s two biggest economies and upended global supply chains.

The deal called for Liu and Lighthizer to talk every six months.

S&P 500 futures hit their session highs after reports that China and the US had a phone call on trade. Japan saw gains of about 1.5 percent, the largest moves, while

Liu He, China’s vice premier, left, and Robert Lighthizer, US trade representative, wave to members of the media before a meeting at the Office of the US Trade Representative in Washington, D.C., on October 11, 2019. The Chinese vice premier arrived for a second day of trade talks with US officials in Washington before a scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House at 2:45 p.m.

shares also rose in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Sydney. The yuan nudged higher.

President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that he’d be able to report in the next week or two if he’s happy with how the trade deal is progressing.

The purchases so far have been behind the pace needed to reach the

target of the first year’s $76.7-billion increase, as imports of US goods declined by 5.9 percent in the first four months of 2020 from a year ago due to the coronavirus outbreak. Given that imports in 2019 were smaller than 2017, the pressure to catch up is mounting.

The uncertainty and weaker economy caused by the coronavirus outbreak could impact

China’s ability to meet those targets, including through lower domestic demand, clogged logistics and supply chains, and a reduced capacity in the US to supply the goods and services.

China has made progress in the other sections of the trade deal, lifting restrictions on a variety of US agricultural imports including beef and poultry, scrapping foreign ownership limits in the financial sector, and publishing a guideline on intellectual-property protection.

Relations between the US and China have deteriorated further since America became one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus. Trump blamed China for misleading the world about the scale and risk of the disease, and even threatened more tariffs as punishment. China’s foreign ministr y has in turn accused some US officials of trying “to shift their own responsibility for their poor handling of the epidemic to others.” Bloomberg News

Amid pandemic, the world’s Next Covid crisis could working poor hustle to survive be a ‘wave of suicides’

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UBAI, United Arab Emirates—From India to Argentina, untold millions who were already struggling to get by on the economic margins have had their lives made even harder by pandemic lockdowns, layoffs and the loss of a chance to earn from a hard day’s work.

The toll for families is hunger and poverty that are either newfound, or even more grinding than before. Hunkering down at home to ride out the crisis isn’t an option for many, because securing the next meal means hustling to find a way to sell, clean, drive or otherwise work, despite the risk.

Here are six stories from six corners of the world of people whose lives were upended by the same invisible menace.

Nairobi, Kenya

Judith Andeka has seen tough times before, but nothing like this.

The 33-year-old widow and mother of five used to earn $2.50 to $4 a day washing clothes in Nairobi’s Kibera, one of the world’s biggest slums. With people not going to work because of restrictions on movement, neighbors can’t afford her services.

She’s been forced to send her kids to live with relatives who are slightly better off: “I had no choice, because how do you tell a 2-year-old you have no food to give them?”

Each time she goes out looking for food, or a chance to earn, she risks being robbed of the few belongings she ow ns in her shack. Her most prized possessions are a small gas burner and an old black-and-white T V.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Rose mary Pá e z C arabajal u su a l ly pu shes a cof fee c a r t on t he st reet s of A rgent i n a’s c apit a l , but t he loc kdow n forced her to stop. Páez Carabaja l, her blacksmith husba nd who’s a l so out of work a nd t hei r t wo c h i ld ren rent a si ng le room i n a t wo - stor y br ic k bu i ld i ng for t he equ iva-

lent of $119 a mont h.

Now the cart sits idle in the hall, and the home is stacked with textbooks as the couple try to homeschool their lone schoolage child, a 7-year-old son.

The coronavirus came at a time of already painful recession in Argentina, with more than a third of its 44 million residents in poverty, according to figures from late 2019.

“W hen the quarantine was coming,” Páez Carabajal recalled, “I said: ‘We’re all screwed, us dayto-day vendors.’”

Jakarta, Indonesia

When Budi Santosa lost his job as a cook in a Chinese fast food restaurant, the father of two toddlers became one of nearly 2 million who’ve been put out of work in Indonesia as a result of the pandemic. Restrictions to contain the v irus also impacted the 32-year-old ’s side job where he earned extra cash moonlighting as a driver.

Santos hasn’t had much time to dwell on his misfortune because he has to think about essentials: food, rent and paying down the debt on his motorcycle. He now averages a little over $4 a day making deliveries.

“The government told us to stay at home,” he said, “but if I stay home my wife and children will have no food to eat.”

Cairo

W hen the government shuttered traditional coffee shops, or “ahwas” as they’re famously called in the Middle East, it cost Hany Hassan his job. He had been earning just $5 a day, but at least it was enough to feed his family.

“It’s a ver y difficult situat ion...We a re f i na nc i a l ly r uined,” the 40 -year-old father of four said.

With no chance of finding another job in Cairo, he returned to his family and hometown in the province of Minya, south of Cairo. But chances of finding work are slim in the villages, too. He

goes out daily looking for a job, but he’s come up empty-handed.

He’s borrowed money to keep his family af loat.

Amman, Jordan

Jordan’s wide-reaching lockdown has hit hard in al-Wehdat, a crowded, impoverished refugee camp in the capital. Brothers Mohammed and Khalil Yousef used to scratch out a day-to-day existence as truck drivers hauling construction supplies and produce. Each earned between 10 and 20 dinars, or $14 to $28, a day.

Bet ween t hem t hey have nine children, all under 16. In K halil ’s cement shack, the refrigerator is bare save for some tomatoes, onions and a few bags of pita bread.

After being idled for weeks, they are now only partially getting back to work as some restrictions on drivers are eased.

Moha mmed sa id residents usually help each other out in hard times, but borrowing from neighbors isn’t an option today. “ T he whole camp is w it hout work now,” he said. “Ever yone is broke.”

Lucknow, India

Mahesh and Gita Verma ran a f lower stall outside a Hindu temple honoring the monkey god Hanuman in this northern Indian city. W hen authorities ordered a lockdown, they found themselves indefinitely sidelined just like others in the informal sector, which makes up 85 percent of India’s labor force.

T he Vermas and their five children, ages 8 through 20, were a l ready l iv i ng h a nd to mouth before the coronav irus.

Now they’ve restricted themselves to mainly potato-based dishes.

Mahesh borrowed money from friends to convert the flower stall into a milk and bread stand, a business exempt from the lockdown restrictions.

Still, “we cannot have food like we used to have,” Gita said. AP

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he isolation, grief and economic hardship rel ated to Covid-19 are creating a mental-health crisis in the US that researchers warn could make the already-rising suicide rate worse.

A study released on Friday tried to quantify the toll. The paper, which was not peer-reviewed, found that over the next decade as many as 75,000 additional people could die from “deaths of despair” as a result of the coronavirus crisis, a term that refers to suicides and substance-abuse-related deaths. The research was done by the Well Being Trust and researchers affiliated with the American Academy of Family Physicians.

“I hope in 10 years people look back and say, ‘Wow, they way overestimated it,’” said John Westfall, director of the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care, who co-wrote the report.

Even as the American economy rebounded after the last recession, suicides and overdoses cut into Americans’ life expectancy. Mental-health experts worry that the economic uncertainty and social isolation of the pandemic will make things worse at a time when the health-care system is already overwhelmed.

The suicide rate in the US has been rising for two decades, and in 2018 hit its highest level since 1941, according to a viewpoint piece in JAMA Psychiatry in April called “Suicide Mortality and Coronavirus Disease 2019—A Perfect Storm?”

Author Mark Reger argued social distancing could hamper suicide prevention efforts and said ensuring that doesn’t happen is a “national public health priority.”

“There’s a paradox,” said Jeffrey Reynolds, president of a Long Islandbased nonprofit social services agency, the Family and Children’s Association. “Social isolation protects us from a contagious, life-threatening virus, but, at the same time, it puts people at risk for things that are the biggest killers in the United States: suicide, overdose and diseases related to alcohol abuse.”

Since the middle of March, the number of people filing for unemployment benefits has reached around 33 million. Americans’ life satisfaction has eroded rapidly throughout that

same period, according to a poll released Friday by Gallup.

The percentage of US adults who are very content with their current lives and optimistic about their future outlook has dropped to a low not seen since November 2008 during the Great Recession, showed the analysis of more than 4,000 surveys.

“One of the main things people should take away from this paper is that employment matters,” said Benjamin Miller, chief strategy officer at the Well Being Trust and a clinical psychologist who worked on the paper. “It matters for our economic livelihood, and for our mental and emotional health.”

The financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, coupled with the pervasive sense of isolation exacerbated by stay-athome orders, makes this moment unprecedented—different from any other economic downturn in recent history—and thus, potentially difficult to model based on past events.

“It’s useful to have a wake-up call,” said Ken Duckworth, chief medical officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “Unemployment is going to have a very important impact on deaths of despair.”

Already data is showing lower-income Americans are more impacted by coronavirus-related stress than their wealthier counterparts: A Kaiser Family Foundation study that showed 26 percent of people making less than $40,000 a year said the virus had a “major negative impact” on their mental health; only 14 percent of people making $90,000 or more a year said the same held true for them.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health started measuring “mental distress” starting in March drawing on studies from the SARS epidemic of 2003. Early in the month, hot spots like California, Washington, New York and Massachusetts reported mental distress “significantly increased”—even when adjusting for variables like age and income.

Distress was higher among people who used alcohol, or marijuana, more frequently in the past week, or who’d consumed more media or social media. It was also higher in younger people, perhaps surprising given that Covid-19 is more lethal for older people. Bloomberg News

A6 Saturday, May 9, 2020

ExportUnlimited BusinessMirror

Food panic diminishes for now as nations row back export curbs

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HE wave of protectionist measures on agricultural goods that emerged as the coronavirus spread around the world has already begun to recede.

Of at least 17 countries that sought to limit food exports to protect local supplies, about half have backtracked all, or some of the measures, according to a tracker from the International Food Policy Research Institute.

That includes several major grain shippers such as Vietnam and Romania, although top wheat exporter Russia has kept its curbs in place.

Immediate worries about food shortages have eased in many parts of the world as supply chains continue to flow despite lockdowns.

Meanwhile, even short-lived restrictions have resulted in spoiled crops and stranded cargoes. Organizations such as the United Nations have urged against measures that could harm food security and raise prices.

“There wasn’t really any issue with having tight inventories,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, senior economist at the United Nations’s Food & Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO). “These measures at the very best would have just harmed the countries themselves.”

Many governments have been encouraged to ease limits after assessing global reserves and being reassured that there is ample supply, according to Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the IFPRI. Russia, which hasn’t ruled out future quotas, remains an exception, and any harvest shortfalls from bad weather could mean other curbs are reinstated.

“We hope that we have seen the end of export restrictions,” Glauber said by e-mail. “But people will be watching

countries such as Russia to see whether the current quota and restrictions are extended into the new crop year.”

For now, the International Grains Council is forecasting bumper wheat and rice harvests, and rains in the European Union and Black Sea region have helped to ease concern about a dry spell in the heart of the grain-growing period. Ongoing limits also risk derailing exporters’ reputations as dependable suppliers and could negatively impact farmers as local prices diverge from international markets.

Here’s a roundup of major food-export limits around the world: Romania ROMANIA, the EU’s second-biggest wheat shipper, ended a sudden ban on grain sales outside the bloc a week after it began. That came after the European Commission expressed disapproval of the limits, which stalled at least one wheat cargo destined for top buyer Egypt. The government cited renewed confidence that reserves will last until harvest and said there’s no risk of staple foods going scarce with restaurants closed. Still, it cautioned that a drought could reduce crop prospects and export limits may be revived if needed.

Kazakhstan ONE of the world’s top flour shippers signaled that export limits on the product and other grains may expire in June. It also boosted the quota allowance for May shipments from April, doubling flour availability to 150,000 tons. The country has already seen that lifting restrictions

HARVESTED rice grain is transferred into a truck. BLOOMBERG PHOTO

doesn’t guarantee a swift rebound in demand. After removing a monthlong ban on vegetable exports, the Kazakh government ended up buying cabbages for its own reserves after the head of the Turkestan region asked for its help to sell 250,000 tons of the crop as demand dropped in neighboring Russia, driving prices lower, according to state-owned news agency Kazinform.

Vietnam THE world’s third-largest rice shipper will lift export limits at the start of May. The restrictions had helped send benchmark prices soaring amid worries that other producers would take a similar tack and some cargoes spoiled as thousands of containers piled up at ports. Vietnam’s ricebelt farmers collected a sufficient crop despite a drought, and normal sales can now resume, the prime minister said. That’s a relief for exporters suffering financial losses and nearby buyers from Japan to Australia that sounded off on the ban.

Ukraine THE Black Sea nation’s government ten-

tatively decided against imposing a cap on this season’s corn sales after meeting with top traders in late April. Officials will continue to monitor supply, though global corn demand has slumped as the oil rout batters biofuels production and Ukraine’s prices crater to a four-month low. The country is maintaining a ceiling on wheat sales through the end of the season, with 1.1 million tons still available, while recent rain has helped to revive the outlook for the coming crop.

Russia GRAIN-SALES quotas through June have already been exhausted, though exports still have a way to go before supply dries up. The nation still had almost half of the planned 7 million tons to ship in the coming weeks, and global grain demand has fallen as the pandemic slows production of biofuels and meat processing. Russia’s limits are due to be lifted in July, though a bakers union has asked for tighter rules and the agriculture ministry signaled quotas will be used again in the future.

Bloomberg News

PHL trade drops in March due to Covid-19 restrictions–Neda

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HE coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic around the world and the resulting restrictions in production supply chains and global trade flow led to the decline in Philippine trade in March 2020, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday that the country’s total merchandise trade dropped to $11.44 billion—its lowest level in two years.

This trade performance is 25.7 percent lower than the $15.40 billion recorded in the same month in the previous year.

Both exports and imports registered declines of 24.9 percent and 26.2 percent, respectively.

“Merchandise trade may recover in 2021, but this will depend on how fast we can contain the spread of Covid-19 and mitigate its economic impact through government policies to support affected industries and workers,” acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said in a news statement.

To improve the country’s trade performance, Chua said export manufacturers are encouraged to use digital technology and innovative approaches to continue operation and secure new markets.

“Firms will have to put in place alternative business processes that will become the new standards for engaging with clients, buyers and suppliers,” he added.

Chua said the export industry needs

to be more responsive to the changes in consumer spending and redesign their product lines accordingly.

Firms should consider the needs and preferences of those working from home, such as in terms of garments, personal care, health equipment and household tools.

“We may see increased interest in advanced electronics and software for artificial intelligence, plastic products that serve as a barrier for storefronts, and other protective equipment,” Chua, also acting Neda director general, said.

Chua further said policies that will expedite the sector’s recovery with the health of the population in mind will be critical to the country’s trade upturn.

“We are working closely with Congress to craft an economic recovery program that is attuned to the needs of affected industries, particularly our small and medium enterprises, which were forced to scale back, or totally close operations, due to this unprecedented health crisis. The program will include highly targeted tax incentives that are time-bound, transparent, and performance-based to help us attract the right types of investments and help firms recover,” he said.

Chua said support measures in the form of wage subsidies and guaranteed loans are being considered for critically affected export and import industries, including the supply chain.

Covid-19 drives momentum toward digital shift–experts

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HE impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has spurred the momentum to use digital platforms in the Philippines, but the government must take the lead, in consultation with the private sector, to resolve major challenges toward digital readiness, according to experts.

In a webinar tackling digital readiness, the experts agreed that there is no going back in the push toward digitalization, an unexpected outcome of the Covid-19 pandemic that has seen people turning to digital platforms amid lockdowns and social distancing rules.

Monchito Ibrahim, chairman of the Industry Development Committee of the Analytics Association of the Philippines, said that with the virus outbreak, the country has gone beyond the “tipping point” and can no longer go back to the traditional ways of doing business.

“People will actually start using digital platforms,” Ibrahim predicted, recalling how people years ago similarly also found using automated teller machines (ATMs) hard but eventually grew accustomed to it out of necessity.

The challenge with digital platforms, as with ATMs earlier on, he said, is a matter of security-people’s fear of losing money online, which can be addressed “ by establishing the digital identity of everyone.”

Ibrahim said a national ID system would help make it easier for people to open digital accounts and banks to comply with regulations. He also said it should be a whole-of-government move, but while government must take the helm in making the country digitally ready, the campaign also has to take a “multilateral and multi-stakeholder approach.”

At the same webinar hosted by the Asian Institute of Management, Jose Ramon Albert, senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, pointed out that at present only the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is encouraging people to go digital.

“I don’t see this happening across the entire bureaucracy,” he said, adding that other agencies should also work to convince people to use technology.

Albert also said regulators must start recognizing that the times have changed and “a new normal” is in place. He also observed that regulations are long outdated and need to be reviewed and updated. Not only that, “government processes continue to be unprepared for digitalization happening.”

As an example, Albert noted that despite an e-commerce law passed two decades ago, government agencies are still not allowed to use electronic signatures. Moreover, most of the time, new regulations are being passed that only make doing business more difficult, he added.

The “digital divide” is another challenge to digitalization that needs to be addressed, Ibrahim said. Ibrahim, former undersecretary at the Department of Information and Communications Technology, said that almost 30 million Filipinos still don't have access to digital platforms.

Albert added that only 70 percent of the adult population has Facebook and cited a new survey suggesting that only about 20 percent of Filipino households have Internet access.

This means that “people are probably going to the Internet by buying loads [to put] on their cell phones, or they’re accessing through the office, accessing somewhere else, maybe free Wi-fi, free Facebook,” he said.

For his part, Eugene Acevedo, president and chief executive officer of RCBC, said Covid-19 has somehow accelerated the digital transformation of the country and he believes the Philippines will “catch up” to others that are more digitally prepared.

He said there are now mobile apps that allow people to do things that they were unable to do before in terms of online banking transactions.

“Banks now have become more responsive because there’s clamor for these services,” Acevedo said. For instance, he said, the number of new users of Instapay for the whole banking sector was “in hundreds of thousands” and this was only in March when the quarantine period started.

“The momentum is very strong. People are convinced that [digitalization] is the solution,” Acevedo said.

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Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, May 9, 2020 A7

77-year-old stroke patient recovers from coronavirus

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By Pigeon Lobien

AGUIO CITY—Mayor Benjamin Magalong has called the discharge from a hospital here of a 77-year-old male as a “special day” since the man beat the Covid-19 despite being a stroke patient.

Staff members of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) held a simple

send-off program for its 12th discharged and oldest Covid-19 patient on Saturday.

THE 77-year-old stroke patient who earlier tested positive for Covid-19 was discharged from the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center on May 2, 2020, after recovering from the disease. The patient’s recovery raised hope that the others who were afflicted will also go home well. PNA PHOTO FROM BGHMC

Magalong expressed hope that other patients will also recover from Covid-19.

Baguio and the whole of the Cordillera Administrative Region recorded only one death out of 42 positive cases.

In a post on its official socialmedia account, the BGHMC management described the elderly’s recovery as “one ray of hope.”

The hospital’s post also shared a statement from the patient’s spouse who said, “we are absolutely overjoyed and impressed with the hospital for helping so many people.”

The recovery of the male elderly

from Maria Basa in Pacdal Village brought the number of recoveries to 14.

Fifteen of the 30 Covid-19 positive cases are still under medical care, 10 of them are health-care workers, including three physicians. Three of them are residents of nearby La Trinidad, Benguet, but work at the BGHMC. Of the non-health care workers afflicted, one is an expatriate from New York, who remains in hospital care for more than 40 days now. There is also a two-week-old baby, a 41-year-old hotel employee, and a 61-year old overseas Filipino worker. PNA

Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan: Promoting the health How Covid-19 became the last war for elderly veterans and well-being of indigenous Filipinos

GALVEZ TAN

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

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SIDE from being known as a champion of public health, Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan is also a strong advocate of community development. Currently, the former undersecretary of the Department of Health is busy helping members of the Blaan tribe improve their lives. This group of indigenous people can be found in seven Mindanao provinces. At present, they have a population of 450,000.

“They are one of the most marginalized IPs and oppressed people in Mindanao, Galvez Tan told the BusinessMirror in a recent interview via Facebook Messenger.

The Blaans have a long history dating back 1,000 years ago. According to their oral history, the Blaans originally lived by the sea but were pushed by the lowlanders to the mountains. During martial law, the Blaan ancestral lands became smaller as the political allies of the Marcos administration appropriated the land to build their own political fiefdom.

Under his Health Futures Foundation, Inc., Galvez Tan is developing a Blaan Wellness Tribal Village in Landan, Polomolok, South Cotabato. HFI recently completed a culturally sensitive Blaan birthing home in Polomolok.

“The reason why we put up the Blaan birthing center is because they were being discriminated by the health centers during their birthing period. Furthermore, the hospital staff are not culturally sensitive to the beliefs and traditions of the Blaan,” said Galvez Tan. The doctor established HFI in 1998 to “advocate and act to the best interest of the poorest to achieve total health development.”

The HFI programs include communitybased primary health care, health systems development, health and wellness promotion, health human resource development, disaster preparedness response and rehabilitation, ethnography of Filipino traditional medicine, indigenous people’s health, empowerment and development services, health systems review, health policy analyses, health planning and programming, local government capacity building on health and development, qualitative and quantitative health research, project proposal writing workshops and health and wellness workshops.

Galvez Tan and the HFI crafted a program to make the Blaans self-reliant regarding their health needs. So far, the Blaan community already has five midwives who passed the board examinations. One of the five midwives became a nurse after passed the nursing board exams. These health workers are currently working with their respective Blaan communities.

“No one is taking medicine yet. If the 2020-2021 school year starts there will be one enrolled in medicine and two enrolled in nursing. There are 12 new scholars in their first year in midwifery,” Galvez Tan said.

The Blaan community has a very interesting culture and tradition that has a huge potential for tourism. Moreover, ecotourism is going to be promoted in Polomolok to help these indigenous people.

There are also plans to put up a heritage village as part of the capacity building program so that visitors can experience the Blaan way of life, which also promotes a healthy lifestyle. For vegetarians like Galvez Tan, the place is a paradise as the village is growing 10 types of vegetables that are not sold in Metro Manila. “These plants are good sources of protein,” he said.

“There are 35 centenarians living in the area. In fact, I’ve met a 100-year-old man who can still climb the mountains. I found out that they have a plant-based diet consisting of beans, nuts, lentils, peanuts and related vegetables,” Galvez Tan said.

The affable doctor expressed concern over the eating habits of Filipinos. Citing the 1978 National Nutrition Survey, Galvez Tan said 70 percent of the Filipinos surveyed ate fruits and vegetables. However, there was a big drop in 2017 as only 20 percent of the respondents said they eat fruits and vegetables.

He said the proliferation of cheap canned goods and fast-food establishments contributed to the shift in the eating habits of Filipinos.

A firm believer in the potential of herbal drugs, Galvez Tan said the country must continue developing herbal drugs, saying they can potentially help millions of Filipinos access affordable medicine.

Galvez Tan is pushing for the development of herbal medicines because many Filipinos are going to benefit from it—from the producers to the consumers.

“We should remember that the Philippines is one of the top 5 most diverse countries for bio technology and biodiversity,” he said, adding that the development of herbal drugs will have a huge impact on the country’s health system, including our economy.

“Drug pricing is going to be a major concern in the country if we don’t invest in our natural resources,” Galvez Tan said. We are going to be plagued by high prices of medicines if we don’t move now,” he added.

The doctor said talent is not a problem because Filipino scientists have the capability to pursue scientific works in biotechnology. The problem, according to Galvez Tan, is the dearth of funds to pursue research and development.

Reproductive health management is also one of his advocacies. In his stint at the Department of Health, Galvez Tan and the innovative Health Secretary Juan Flavier pursued responsible parenthood programs aimed to provide a better quality of life to ordinary Filipinos. Under its “Let’s DOH It” slogan, the program got a lot of mileage.

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RNOLD HABER beat colon cancer and survived a massive heart attack. He later lost the use of both legs after a severe infection. But even when confined to a wheelchair, the 230-pound US Army veteran managed to stay active, his children said. They called him the “Bionic Man,” because nothing could stop him.

In 2017, Haber moved into the New Jersey Veterans Home at Paramus, part of a national network of elder-care facilities for veterans and their families. When the novel coronavirus arrived this year, it ripped the place apart. Of the 281 residents there in early April, at least 189 have tested positive and 65 have died—the most of any nursing home in the hard-hit state.

Among the 670 licensed long-term care facilities in New Jersey, at least 508 have witnessed outbreaks, with 3,733 deaths, close to half of all Covid-19 deaths in the state. Nationally, about one-fifth of all Americans who have died from the virus had been in nursing homes. Elected officials have vowed to get to the bottom of what went wrong, to shed light on how months of delays and mistakes allowed the contagion to cut short the lives of America’s most vulnerable.

At veterans’ nursing facilities, there is an additional layer of sorrow. These homes are the last post for American servicemen and women who are no longer able to care for themselves. Willing to die for their country, many of these former soldiers, sailors and marines are meeting their end bereft not only of the comfort of loved ones, but the dignity and timely military funeral rites that are their due. Haber, an Army corporal who served in Germany during the Korean War, was one of them. He died last month at the age of 91, a victim of the coronavirus.

“My father was very proud to be an American and fight for his country,” said Mitchell Haber, 60, a day after his father was buried in a small, short service, with no bugler to play taps or the flag ceremony his family had planned years ago. “This is not the way my father deserved to go.”

The US Veterans Health Administration, which calls itself the “largest integrated healthcare system” in the nation, has been criticized for shortcomings in care and services, both by federal watchdogs and veterans’ advocates.

Veteran nursing home care is provided in three settings: VA-owned homes known as community living centers, often part of VA medical centers; facilities owned and operated by the states, whose funding is subject to federal regulation; and through contracts with more than 1,700 public and private locations, known as community nursing homes.

State-run veterans’ homes date to the end of the Civil War, when America was overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of men who had been injured or maimed in the bloody defeat of the slave states. Today, every state has at least one, for a total of 157, while the VA runs 134, with a subsidy program for veterans in general-population nursing homes.

Veterans who move into these facilities often do so because they lack the financial resources to afford privately run homes. If veterans need nursing home care because of a military service-connected disability, the VA pays the full cost; otherwise, it pays only part of the expense. About two-thirds of state-run homes participate in Medicare or Medicaid.

The VA system, which includes hospitals, reported 6,672 Covid-19 cases and 413 deaths as of April 25. It doesn’t report data for specific homes; neither does the National Association of State Veterans Homes, an advocacy group. Only some states publicly disclose such information, and they differ

A RESIDENT at a veterans’ nursing facility. These veterans’ homes are the last post for American servicemen and women who are no longer able to care for themselves. BLOOMBERG PHOTO

in whether they report only fatalities at the facility or those that occur at hospitals.

Even before the pandemic, the system was under stress. The Government Accountability Office, which had been asked by Congress to examine the program amid concern about quality of care, reported last year that between 2012 and 2017, there were 576 deficiencies at 126 VA-run homes, including infection control, and 192 deficiencies at 148 state-run homes, with problems spanning safety, health assessments and quality of care.

The near-apocalyptic scale of death wrought by the virus on these homes may illustrate the GAO’s call for increased oversight.

“In the week where we will acknowledge the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, to lose some of these veterans to this thing, after all that they did for our country, is just particularly wrenching,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on May 2.

Across America, the coronavirus has been detected among residents or staff in veterans’ homes run by at least 17 states. Alabama officials said they are assessing procedures at a veterans’ home in Alexander City after 64 residents and 23 employees tested positive and eight residents died. In New York, where 59 residents at the Long Island State Veterans’ Home died, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered an investigation of all nursing homes in the state.

In Pennsylvania, Maine and Louisiana, the story has been the same.

While veterans’ homes appear equally susceptible to Covid-19 as other elder-care facilities, it was in Massachusetts, at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, where the nation first learned of the horrendous toll the pathogen has taken on them. At least 80 residents died, while 160 residents and staff have been infected. Federal and state officials announced investigations of the facility, including for potential civil-rights violations.

“There wasn’t enough personal protection equipment,” said Cory Bombredi, internal organizer for SEIU Local 888, a union that represents 270 nurses and staff at the Holyoke home. He said they were told: “You don’t need a mask. This is like the flu. If you leave, you might as well leave your ID at the door.”

Massachusetts officials have boosted staffing and assembled a clinical team, according to Brooke Karanovich, a spokesman for the state’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Val Liptak, the new acting administrator of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, declined to comment on the status of the facility or its staff, though her predecessor has pushed back against criticism by state officials.

In New Jersey, there are three veterans’ homes with a combined 900 beds. In normal times, they run at full capacity and have waiting lists, according to Kryn Westhoven, spokesman for the state’s Division of Military and Veteran Affairs. The Paramus home where Arnold Haber lived is in Bergen County, a densely populated suburb of New York City—itself ground zero for the pandemic in America.

With close to 16,185 cases and 1,210 deaths of it own, the county has the most cases in New Jersey. A second state veterans’ home located in Edison, also near New York City, has had 163 cases and 61 deaths. The third facility, on the southern end of the state in rural Cumberland County, has reported only six infections.

Arnold Haber and his wife Rena raised their family in Paramus. In the years after World War II, he worked in New York City’s lingerie industry, starting out as a shipping clerk. After the Korean War, he would eventually buy his own store, Lea’s Corset Shop on Broadway.

His children would follow in his footsteps a few decades later, opening their own lingerie stores in New Jersey.

When three years ago Haber began to fall and his wife could no longer care for him, he moved into the Paramus veterans’ home. Rena Haber, 87, visited him every day, and his kids dropped by several times a week, chatting with other families in the day room. “They had never been apart a day in their life,” Loren Haber said of her parents.

That changed on March 12. The home, like so many others, sealed itself off to prevent the spread of the virus. The family said Arnold Haber shared a room with a resident who had tested positive for Covid-19, and that staff waited several days before testing their father, even though he was coughing and lethargic. The family’s only contact with him was through a caring aide.

On April 18, the aide called from Arnold Haber’s bedside. Their father was unconscious and on his deathbed. “He’s on the way out,” Rena Haber said that night. Early the next morning, Arnold was gone.

Westhoven, the New Jersey state spokesman, said Paramus veterans’ home Chief Executive Matt Schottlander wasn’t available for comment. Westhoven said the facility was following US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidance issued April 2, which stated that confirmed Covid-19 patients aren’t to be placed with patients who haven’t tested positive.

Steve Mastropietro’s father, 91-year-old Thomas Mastropietro, arrived at the Paramus home in February. He also died of the coronavirus last month. Bloomberg News

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Saturday, May 9, 2020

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

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SANITARY napkin brand Kotex has teamed up with I Support the Girls to provide menstrual hygiene products to disadvantaged women, domestic violence victims, and homeless shelters.

ISTG is working together with the Religious of the Good Shepherd to distribute essential goods across the country.

INTEL BUYS MOOVIT APP FOR $900M TO BOOST BET ON ROBOTIC CARS

Network shutdown leaves TV dramas unfinished

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T press time, ABS-CBN has signed off after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Tuesday ordered the network to “cease and desist” from broadcasting on television and radio, a day after the company’s 25-year operating franchise expired.

A cease-and-desist order (CDO) dated May 5 said the network must stop its broadcast operations “due to the expiration of its congressional franchise” on May 4. As of 8 pm Tuesday, ABS-CBN Corp. has stopped its broadcast operations in compliance with the NTC order.

At home, it was bad news for my mom because of her “dramas.” At 80 years old, my mom doesn’t care much for cable TV. She alternates between ABS-CBN, GMA and GMA News TV. For TV dramas, she is loyal to ABS-CBN, but most of the day she is also glued to GMA News TV for varied content.

When the shutdown was announced, my mom exclaimed, “What will happen to my dramas?” No kidding, she did.

I wish I could make her watch Netflix or Viu or both but that would require an extensive orientation and education, and she is not really the type to be embracing new learnings.

One of the Korean dramas (because my mom loves dramas) that I wish she would watch is a love story about two people who were each other’s first loves in their younger years.

When My Love Blooms, the newest romance drama by tvN, premiered recently and its first episode received an average rating of 5.4 percent, claiming the top spot in its time slot across cable channels.

You can watch When My Love Blooms on Viu, the goto streaming platform for the latest Korean and Asian dramas and variety shows.

The Viu app is available as a free download on Google Play Store and AppStore, or you can access the service on your browser at www.viu.com. The romance drama’s new episodes are available on Viu every Sunday and Monday.

You can get your Viu Premium subscription for as low as P25 per month as a limited time offer. You can upgrade to Premium through in-app purchase or credit card. If you prefer charging your subscription to your mobile load, you can upgrade via Globe. For

online shoppers, subscriptions are also available on Lazada and Shopee.

In more personal news, my best friend Gianna Maniego, who also writes for this newspaper, is seriously ill with pneumonia. Gianna and I have been friends for over 30 years and it’s sad that I can’t even go to the hospital to visit her.

I can’t even comfort her daughter, who is alone at home. If there is one thing I have learned in this crisis: our health-care system is broken.

Our health-care system only favors the moneyed, which is only a small percentage of the population.

The rest suffer. You go to a public hospital, or go to a private one and risk becoming heavily in debt.

One of the biggest problems for women during this enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period is obtaining hygiene supplies like sanitary napkins.

In our household, where no one can go out because we have an 80-year-old living with us, it is very challenging. I have a nearby Watsons store where I just send a message on Viber and they deliver to us within 24 hours. We’re lucky to have this privilege.

I am glad to hear that Kotex, one of the country’s leading brands for sanitary protection products, has donated 200,000 sanitary pads to nonprofit organizations and public hospitals in Metro Manila.

Imagine the nightmare these hospitals are having in obtaining supplies, considering that they need sanitary protection in bulk.

In line with its pledge to deliver the best skin comfort and protection to women, even while enduring a pandemic, Kotex has distributed nearly P2 million worth of its Natural Care pads, supporting women in at-risk areas, medical workers, genderbased groups and new mothers across the nation.

To assist with the immediate dispatch of products for frontline medical workers in public hospitals, Kotex is working with Frontline Feeders PH to distribute sanitary pads to medical workers nationwide. Products were also delivered to Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, Ospital ng Makati, East Avenue Medical Center, National Children’s Hospital, Valenzuela Medical Hospital, and Taguig Pateros District Hospital to help medical staffers and new mothers through the ongoing crisis.

“A woman’s monthly period shouldn’t add to her worries, especially during this time,” said Ann Avellaneda, senior brand manager of Kotex Philippines. “We want to ensure that Kotex does its part in empowering and protecting women— from our selfless frontliners and courageous community leaders, down to our loving mothers.”

Kotex is also working with Power In Her Story, a self-identified feminist publishing house that addresses the needs of urban poor women, PWDs, gender-based violence watch groups, day-care center workers and female community leaders. The brand helps provide sanitary pads to the Power In Her Story Collective Caring packs, which are being distributed

to the most vulnerable towns of the country.

To extend the assistance to other underserved communities in Metro Manila and across the nation, the brand has teamed up with I Support the Girls, a global women-led collective that works hand-in-hand with the Religious of the Good Shepherd to provide menstrual hygiene products and other essential goods to vulnerable women and children. Kotex also tapped Project SMILE, a youth-led initiative providing items to marginalized families, street-dwellers and bluecollar workers in remote areas all over the country.

The brand also assures consumers of a steady supply of its feminine hygiene products, such as Kotex Luxe, Kotex Soft & Smooth, Kotex Super Overnight, and Kotex Fresh Liners in supermarkets, drugstores and retail outlets as the country goes through this ECQ. Distribution to over 700 stores nationwide continues, ensuring that stock on hand remains sufficient throughout the situation.

“As a company that prides itself in producing personal care essentials, we remain committed to support nationwide efforts to address this health crisis. Access to feminine hygiene products is currently harder due to limitations in mobility, resources and time. Through our donation, we want to help ensure the accessibility to these necessities so women can safely manage their menstruation with dignity during these trying times,” said Michael Vainio, general manager of Kimberly-Clark Philippines, the company behind Kotex. ■

BERKELEY, California—Intel is buying transportation-planning service Moovit for $900 million as the world’s largest computer chip maker moves further down the road in its effort to build selfdriving cars.

The deal announced on Monday gives Intel another tool to use in its push to become a major player in the race to create the technology needed to build fleets of taxis that will be able to transport passengers without a human driver behind the wheel.

Moovit, an eight-year-old company based in Israel, makes an app that compiles data from public transit systems, ride-hailing services and other resources to help its 800 million users plan the best ways to get around. Intel plans to combine Moovit with Mobileye, a self-driving car specialist that Intel bought for about $15 billion in 2017.

Since that deal, Mobileye’s revenue has ballooned from $210 million in 2017 to $879 million last year.

That’s a reflection of the big bets being placed on automated driving by both major technology companies, such as Google spinoff Waymo and Apple, and automakers, such as General Motors and Toyota.

“Intel’s purpose is to create world-changing technology that enriches the lives of every person on Earth,” said the company’s CEO Bob Swan.

Despite its rapid growth, Mobileye still only accounts for a sliver of Intel’s annual revenue of $72 billion.

Intel, which is based in Santa Clara, California, is upping its ante on self-driving cars at a time when many other companies are bracing for an extended economic downturn that already has thrust more than 30 million people into the unemployment lines.

But the stay-at-home orders imposed as part of the global pandemic have only made people more aware of how dependent they are on technology, including the Intel Corp. chips inside personal computers and a wide range of other devices.

While the recession will take a bite out of the technology industry too, the long-term picture for the biggest companies still looks bright.

Deep-pocketed companies such as Intel, which is sitting on $11.4 billion cash, are expected to forge ahead with their investments in fields they believe will turn into gold mines.

Intel already acquired a stake in Moovit in 2018 when it was among a group of investors who injected $50 million into the startup. Since its inception, Moovit had raised more than $130 million from venture capitalists and other investors.

After Intel invested in Moovit, Mobileye CEO Amnon Shashua joined the startup’s board of directors as an observer. Shashau will now oversee Moovit’s roughly 200 employees including its cofounder and CEO Nir Erez, who will become an executive vice president within the Mobileye group.

Intel’s stock gained 52 cents Monday to close at $57.99. The shares have fallen by about 16 percent from their 52-week high reached in January. AP

Citi, Lazada bring back 10% off on FriYays THE return of the FriYays promotion for Citi creditcard holders has been announced by Citi and Lazada.

From now until February 19, 2021, Citi creditcard holders can get 10-percent off their Lazada purchases every week. They can order essential items from Lazada and LazMart from the safety of their homes and have them delivered. Citi cardholders must check out with their Citi credit card on Fridays from 12 nn to 2 pm and enter the promo code “CITIFRIYAY20” to avail yourself of the weekly discount. The offer is valid for a minimum purchase of P3,000 and maximum discount of P400.

A safe and convenient way to stock up on household essentials, this code can be applied even to items already on sale, excluding digital goods. That means customers can get more bang for their buck, and can get their food staples, cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, pet food and more all in one go. It’s also the perfect addition when looking for great deals during Lazada’s upcoming big sales.

Customers should note that other promo codes and vouchers can’t be used at the same time.

The list of delivery dates and areas not serviceable due to the enhanced community quarantine is available on the Lazada app or bit.ly/2W6X0WZ. Those who are not yet cardholders but want in on this deal can avail of the Citi credit card easily by applying online at www.citibank.com.ph/apply.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

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Apple pinched by pandemic; profit, iPhone sales decline

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BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE The Associated Press

ERKELEY, California—Apple’s profit dipped slightly while revenues rose in the JanuaryMarch quarter, reflecting early fallout from a coronavirus pandemic that shut down its factories and then forced hundreds of Apple retail stores to close.

The results released Thursday give the first sign of how one of the world’s best-known companies is faring as the US economy plunges into its first recession in more than a decade.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the current downturn could be harder on the company than what it experienced during the Great Recession of 20072009, when consumers were still captivated by the then-new iPhone.

The current conditions represent “the most challenging global environment in which we’ve ever operated our business,” Cook said.

Apple’s revenue edged up by 1 percent from the same time last year to $58.3 billion during the company’s fiscal second quarter. To no one’s surprise, the iPhone was the company’s hardest hit segment, with sales for the device falling 7 percent from the same time last year. Apple’s profits fell to $11.2 billion, a 2 percent decline from last year. The company told investors Thursday that iPhone sales will deteriorate even further during the April-June quarter.

The numbers were far better than analysts, who were braced for a 6 percent revenue decline, had feared. “Investors were expecting a Friday the 13th like quarter,” Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives said. Those worries appeared well-founded.

That’s because Apple’s supply chain was already constrained by the pandemic’s early outbreak in China, which forced the company to temporarily close local factories that make most of its iPhones and other products. The factories in China are open and operating at normal levels again, but the closures created ripple effects that are expected to delay the fall release of Apple’s next iPhone models by at least a month. Apple’s stores still remain closed in many parts of the world as part of efforts to limit the spread of Covid-19.

The numbers offered a sobering reminder of how much the world has changed in just three months.

In late January, Apple’s stock price had just hit its alltime high $327.81 and management had forecast its revenue for the first three months of the year might reach as high as $67 billion.

Now, everything remains so uncertain that Apple isn’t making any forecasts for the coming quarter, although it’s clear the next quarterly report will be worse than this one.

Overall, Apple remains in an enviable position.

It is bolstered by a strong brand, $94 billion in cash and a loyal customer base. That’s a big reason why Apple’s stock still remains above its levels of just five months ago, though it probably will be awhile before

APPLE’S new iPad brings PC-like trackpad capabilities for the first time, as the company seeks to make its tablet even more like a laptop computer.

Apple says the trackpad will offer more precision than fingers in selecting text and switching between apps. AP

it approaches its late January peak again. The shares shed 2 percent to $288.10 in Thursday’s extended trading after the quarterly numbers came out.

To help prop up the stock during the downturn, Apple plans to spend $90 billion buying back its own shares and also announced a 6 percent increase in its quarterly dividend to 82 cents per share.

Apple might be hurting even more had the company not spent the past few years developing paid-subscription services for the owners of more than one billion iPhones and other products that are still in use. The services division, which includes Apple Music and the company’s recently launched video streaming service, Apple TV Plus, generated

revenue of $13.3 billion, up 17 percent from last year.

A recently released cheaper iPhone could also help insulate the company. The second-generation iPhone SE starts at almost $400, a relative bargain given that other models sell for $700 to $1,000. The lower price could appeal to consumers who need a new phone during tough times. Whenever the next line-up of new iPhones comes out, it’s expected to include at least one model capable of connecting to new, ultrafast wireless networks known as “5G” that are still under construction around the world. Those state-of-theart iPhones are expected to a be a hot commodity for consumers who can still afford to splurge on the latest in tech gadgets. ■

Sprout launches Rescue Kit to empower businesses amid pandemic

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES MAJOR cloud-based human resources management (HRM) and software company Sprout Solutions recently launched its Rescue Kit to help organizations transcend traditional on-premise limitations and embrace the new frontier of remote business operations and compliance.

“The ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] has been a transformative experience for many businesses,” Sprout CEO Patrick Gentry said in a press statement.

“The fundamentals stay the same, but there’s been a complete upheaval of everything we thought we knew about how to do business,” Gentry added.

Gentry said Rescue Kit combines Sprout’s existing digital HR services in addition to loans and business continuity consultation from the company’s ISO 31000-certified Lead Risk Manager, who has an extensive background in the ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management System.

In line with Sprout’s mission to improve Filipino businesses, Sprout is offering free registration for Rescue Kit until May 31.

“Staying operational and compliant is an unprecedented challenge given today’s situation, but

it need not be a crushing expense. Recovery doesn’t have to wait until after the lockdown is lifted, and we’re here to help companies do what they do best,” Gentry explained.

To help companies be updated on the country’s labor laws and business regulations, Gentry said Sprout’s HR and payroll modules help businesses by managing its top-tier timekeeping, 201 file management, and automation of 32 pay rates on multiple shifts.

Through cloud-based and mobile application technologies, he said Sprout’s services don’t require additional hardware investment and are accessible from any device at any time with a reliable connection to the Internet.

Furthermore, users can also remotely self-onboard through a completely digital implementation process that melds a built-in learning experience on the software’s dashboard and access to Sprout’s technical support team.

Aware of the financial impact of Covid-19 to employees and their families, Gentry said legitimate employees of a company in just a few clicks can now borrow up to P25,000 through Instacash from the Sprout HR dashboard. The emergency funds are transferred straight to the employee’s bank account,

enabling access in a matter of minutes.

To ensure local companies stay compliant, Gentry said Sprout has an ISO 270001 Information Management Systems-certified standards, which leverages the cloud to protect user data from potential abuse and accidental loss.

To ensure business continuity in these challenging times, Gentry said Sprout’s Rescue Kit will provide exclusive consultation from the company’s ISO 31000-certified Lead Risk Manager to help companies create an effective business continuity plan that will help them adapt to any kind of crisis.

The service provides instruction on how to accurately assess the impact of a crisis on business and how to design an efficient response.

According to Gentry, increasing business volatility and a pressing change in the way business is done is a signal that migrating from analog to digital has become all the more necessary.

“The virus is an incredible indicator that business needs to evolve beyond returning to the status quo,” he said. “This is not the first time something has forced massive shifts in our way of life, and it certainly will not be the last. We have to look to technology and innovation to guide our progress and future prosperity.”

Saturday, May 9, 2020

TWITTER TESTS NEW LAYOUT OPTIONS FOR SOME iOS, WEB USERS

TWITTER is testing new features to organize long threads of conversation on the social-networking web site and testing prompts to revise replies to tweets that are considered harmful. Twitter says it’s currently testing the new format and a small group of users on iOS and the web site will be able to see it. The new layout includes indentations that separate comments into threads, similar to how comments on Reddit are organized.

Social-networking sites including Facebook and Twitter have come under pressure to clean up the platforms that have become rife with misinformation and destructive trolling.

Twitter has struggled for years with the issue, including how to handle everything from synchronized bots and shadow accounts up to politicians and world leaders who may issue sweeping global pronouncements with one tweet and insult someone with crude language in the next.

The company says it’s also experimenting with placing functions for liking, retweeting and replying behind a single tap for replies. Twitter says it wants to see how the change “affects following and engaging with” a conversation on its platform. The tests follow Twitter’s earlier announcement that it would ask users to watch their language, prompting users to reconsider their response if it contains slurs or profanity. BLOOMBERG NEWS

Google, Dashboard Philippines partner to bring real-time information in response to Covid-19 ACCESS to important information and latest news updates is just as crucial in helping suppress the curve of the pandemic.

With this, Google has provided Cloud and Maps services support to local web site Dashboard Philippines to help Filipinos access relevant and credible information related to Covid-19. Dashboard Philippines is one of the first local web sites that track donation drives and initiatives to communities, as well as mapping out medical facilities that are in need of supplies.

Fully developed by volunteers, it collects publicly available information from trusted resources to consolidate them in one dashboard for the public’s ease of access.

With regard to the coronavirus crisis, Dashboard Philippines updates its web site to show more relevant information, such as checkpoints, donation centers, open establishments, shuttles for essential workers, and hospitals that have available beds, among others. The web site uses Google Cloud and Google Maps platforms to present all this information in an intuitive and accessible manner.

As part of its Covid-19 response efforts, Google has given Google Cloud Platform credits to Dashboard Philippines to run the application at no cost on their end. This enables the developers to focus on building new features and enhancements to the app. The company has also provided free Google Maps API credits so Dashboard Philippines can continue to show real-time information and updates in response to the Covid-19 crisis.

“As the fight against the pandemic continues, we strive to build more local response efforts and enter into more partnerships to organize highly relevant and credible information that Filipnos can easily access and use. We are glad to collaborate with Dashboard Philippines and power its web site with Google Cloud and Maps technologies so more Filipinos can be armed with helpful information,” said Bernadette Nacario, country director of Google Philippines.

“Dashboard Philippines and Google believe that helping the public to be informed plays an important role in overcoming the pandemic. Through our collaborative effort with Google, we hope to keep Filipinos updated with realtime information as we heal as one and stand together in the fight against Covid-19,” said Weston Lim, founder and lead developer of Dashboard Philippines.

Google is also working with Dashboard Philippines for donations and relief operations by integrating data of Dashboard Philippines into Google Maps and Waze, providing an easy process for those who want to contribute to ongoing efforts. Dashboard Philippines can be accessed anytime and anywhere at www.dashboardphilippines.com.

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www.businessmirror.com.ph

Phishing attacks against banks jump with pandemic used as lure

BY YALMAN ONARAN Bloomberg News

CYBER attacks trying to trick bank employees to click on malicious links jumped in the first quarter, with criminals attempting to take advantage of fear and confusion caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

While the so-called phishing campaigns, which surged by a third in the period, haven’t so far resulted in any major breaches in the industry, smaller lenders remain at a greater risk than bigger banks, according

to the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, known as FS-ISAC. “Working from home has definitely made it tougher to protect firms,” FS-ISAC Chief Executive Officer Steve Silberstein said in an interview. “Now most work is done outside the firm’s firewall.”

As of April, there were 1,500 web sites using pandemic-related lending programs as bait to fool people into disclosing personal information, FS-ISAC found. While most of the sites are taken down once they’re discovered, new ones pop up in their place, the

group warned.

Other industries have seen rising cyber attacks during the outbreak as well. Health-care providers and medical facilities in the US and Europe, as they struggle to handle an influx of patients suffering from Covid-19, have seen a surge of ransomware attacks.

To help its 7,000 member-firms share information about cyber attacks and defenses while most staff work from home, FS-ISAC last month rolled out a secure chat platform to connect thousands of cyber-security employees across the industry. It’s

also speeding up the release of a new version of its information-sharing portal that will be easier to access from mobile phones.

The first channel activated on the chat platform, called Connect, was for security workers sharing information on pandemic-related attacks and vulnerabilities. The improved portal for sharing intelligence, known as Share, will employ a commonly used cyber-security tagging system to sort through and find alerts on categories of attacks more easily. Share will go live later this month.

The Silicon Valley workplace will never be the same

BY PRIYA ANAND Bloomberg News

Smart celebrates Mother’s Day with big Signature Sale MOBILE services provider Smart Communications Inc. is celebrating Mother’s Day in a big way with its Signature Sale on the Smart Online Store (www.store. smart.com.ph) ongoing until May 15.

With exclusive freebies and huge discounts of up to 50 percent off on select Apple, Huawei, Samsung and OPPO devices, the Smart Signature Sale offers a wide range of gift options to make Mother’s Day even more special.

The Smart Signature Sale gives subscribers up to 50-percent discount on the iPhone XS, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad 6, which they can use to enjoy the latest Apple TV+ shows or Apple Arcade games.

The Smart Signature Sale also offers the Huawei Mate20 Pro with a free Huawei Watch GT (worth P12,990) and Huawei AM61 BT Sport Headset (worth P1,540).

During the sale, Smart subscribers can also get the Huawei P20 Pro which comes with free Huawei Freebuds Lite (worth P4,990) and a Huawei M2 Speaker (worth P2,990); while the Huawei P20 comes with free Huawei Freebuds Lite.

The sale also offers the Samsung Galaxy S10+ with a free Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (worth P7,990).

Moreover, during this period the Samsung Galaxy S10 comes with free Galaxy Buds (P6,990), while the Samsung Galaxy S10e with a free Samsung AKG Speaker (worth P4,000).

The Smart Signature Sale also offers the OPPO Reno2 Series with a special discount.

The Smart Signature Sale also gives subscribers the chance to help Covid-19 frontliners as a portion of their purchases will go the PLDT-Smart Foundation, which has mobilizing efforts to support health workers, emergency response teams, and communities affected by the pandemic.

All Smart, TNT and Sun customers can also donate to the PLDT-Smart Foundation using their prepaid load, or charged to their postpaid account by texting DONATE<amount> to 3456. This Text-to-Donate platform accepts donations until July 16.

Mark your calendars and prepare to get the perfect gift for your mom during the Smart Signature Sale on www.smart.ph/moveoutsale.

W

HEN the headquarters of Mission Bio reopens next week, employees will find many of the familiar perks they enjoyed before Silicon Valley went into lockdown have changed. Instead of the communal trays of catered lunches served a few times a week, each employee will get their own boxed meal.

The snacks will remain free, but the soda machine and tub of almonds will be replaced with canned beverages, bottled water and individually wrapped protein bites. One new benefit: Every two weeks, the start-up plans to provide Covid-19 tests onsite to any staff member who wants one.

Mission Bio is returning to the office sooner than most businesses in Northern California. Officials have extended stay-at-home orders through the end of May, and some of the largest technology companies have indicated that they may keep offices closed for even longer. Mission Bio, which develops cellular chemistry technology, said it decided to reopen after consulting local officials who determined that the start-up’s cancer research qualifies as essential. “Cancer didn’t work from home,” said Nigel Beard, the chief technology officer.

The start-up’s preparations for a return to the office offer a window into the unique challenges of adapting the Silicon Valley workspace to a pandemic.

Mission Bio’s desks are arranged in an open-floor plan, a mainstay of the tech office that’s entirely incompatible with social distancing guidelines. The company will keep the office open seven days a week and ask employees to select shifts, so that only a third of staff are present at a time.

The lab stations are designed to be communal, but researchers will be required to work solo.

Employees will have their temperatures checked by thermometer guns upon arrival and will be asked whether they or their family members have had coughs, fevers or trouble breathing.

The biggest tech companies are taking similar steps for when they finally return to campus. Apple Inc. intends to stagger the introduction of employees back to the office, conduct temperature checks, keep people apart and create some kind of health checklist, Tim Cook, the chief executive officer, told employees in a virtual meeting last month. He said the Cupertino, California, headquarters won’t reopen until at least early June and workers would likely be reintroduced on a “staggered basis.” Google, whose campuses are designed to draw employees together to their many cafeterias and volleyball courts, doesn’t plan to return until at least June, either.

Facebook Inc. is looking at ways to reconfigure its open-floor plan but is in no hurry to return because most employees can do their jobs from home, David Wehner, the chief financial officer, said on Bloomberg

Television. Amazon.com Inc. told corporate staff across the world that if they are able to work effectively from home, they can stay there until at least October. Those who come in will be given face coverings.

On the day tech workers finally do go back, the first change many will notice is on their morning commute. The shuttle buses provided by larger companies may not operate at full capacity, and some employers might encourage people to drive to avoid public transportation. Upon arrival, they’ll find redesigned lobbies. To funnel thousands of workers safely, companies are looking to use design tricks like stickers on the floor or carefully placed furniture to create barriers, said Primo Orpilla, cofounder of the San Francisco-based interior design company Studio O+A, whose clients include Microsoft Corp., Slack Technologies Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. Tech companies are particularly concerned with changes that could compromise their carefully curated aesthetic. Nobody wants rope barriers that make people feel like they’re at an airport, Orpilla said. They’re looking for an artistic version of crowd control. “If Shepard Fairey were in charge of making sure social distancing was part of your space, how would he do it?” Orpilla said, referring to the creator of the “Hope” Obama campaign posters. In a change that would please George Costanza, some clients are considering rebuilding bathroom stalls so the walls extend from the floor to the ceiling, he said.

Many companies are realizing that the open office—once considered forward-thinking for the way a lack of separation between workers fosters collaboration—is unsustainable. “Maybe that was innovative,” said Andrew Holmes, the director of

marketing at Loftwall, a Dallas, Texas-based maker of room dividers and desk partitions.

“Now it just feels like a place for germs to run wild.”

Sales of Loftwall dividers have at least doubled since the coronavirus outbreak. Apple, Google, Microsoft and Tesla Inc. are among the companies that have placed orders with Loftwall in the last 18 months, Holmes said.

A cubicle revival might not be enough, said Philip Martin, head of security at San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. If a colleague coughs while standing up, for example, they could infect neighbors. Martin anticipates officials might set guidelines for offices, such as reducing the number of people allowed in buildings or requiring barriers between workers. He’s making early preparations for Coinbase’s eventual return, but the company said it doesn’t expect things to get back to normal until January or later.

Some workplaces are more challenging to redesign. Xwing, a start-up developing autonomous aircraft, used to conduct biweekly test flights at an airfield in Concord, California, before the pandemic.

The company would pack three or four employees equipped with headsets about an arm’s length apart from one another inside a small, noisy vehicle. The founder, Marc Piette, is trying to determine whether it’s feasible to have fewer engineers in the air and whether microphones would still be able to pick up their voices when wearing face masks.

“We’re all about flying aircraft autonomously,” Piette said. “If we can’t fly aircraft, it becomes a difficult problem to solve.”

WITH ASSISTANCE FROM MARK GURMAN, SARAH FRIER, CANDY CHENG AND GERRIT DE VYNCK

China chipmaker’s $3 billion listing a hedge against US curbs SEMICONDUCTOR Manufacturing International Corp. is planning a Shanghai share sale that could fetch billions of dollars for a Chinese chipmaker Beijing’s counting on to help reduce reliance on US technology.

The Hong Kong-listed company known as SMIC surged 11 percent, the most in more than two years, after its board approved plans to float as many as 1.69 billion new shares on a Shanghai market created to host fast-growing enterprises. It could end up raising more than $3 billion based on its closing value of more than $11 billion.

SMIC is one of several chip companies that

embody Beijing’s hope of creating a self-reliant and world-class semiconductor industry. It plans to use the proceeds to develop next-generation chipmaking to try and compete with Intel Corp. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. That effort comes at a time the Trump administration may tighten restrictions on the sale of technology to China, threatening to deny domestic companies like SMIC or Huawei Technologies Co. access to crucial components and circuitry.

“Strategically, we believe SMIC is gradually severing ties to the US capital markets, as the tension between the US and China escalates because of

Covid-19 and another round of trade war is brewing,” Bernstein analysts wrote in a note.

SMIC’s decision moves the tech giant closer to its roots, following its voluntary delisting of American depositary shares from New York last year. Its envisioned listing is a boost for the SciTech Innovation Board—better known as the STAR market—which has struggled to attract major technology companies since its launch last year. The offering could raise some $3.2 billion and add to an existing cash pile of about $2.2 billion, according to Sanford C. Bernstein analysts Mark Li, Hanxu Wang and Edward Hou.

It aims to pour new funds into research and deepen its capability in 12-inch wafers, helping it better compete with far larger rival TSMC, especially as Washington considers constraints against the Taiwanese company as well.

Like TSMC, SMIC is a so-called foundry that helps fabricate silicon based on other companies’ designs.

It currently competes against its bigger rival in nodes larger than 14 nanometers, a technology widely used in processors for smartphones and servers.

But it lags behind in more advanced technologies that customers from Apple Inc. to Huawei crave.

BLOOMBERG NEWS

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Saturday, May 9, 2020 A11

The truth about the AppGallery APP AND COMING

N

O Google, no problem?

The absence of the Google services has become that one big caveat when buying Huawei devices, but is it really a deal

breaker?

Here’s our unrestrained review of Huawei’s AppGallery. It may be the third-biggest app market, but does it have apps you need, or will it just keep you wishing for more?

Its been almost a year since the US placed Huawei on its “Entity List,” thus banning companies, such as Google from dealing with the world’s second-biggest smartphone manufacturer. And while there has been numerous extensions, there has been no resolution, with Huawei devices ultimately losing Google Play and Google Mobile Services support.

Losing access to Google would’ve been catastrophic for any other Android phone maker, but for Huawei, it became an opportunity for them to focus their resources on partnering directly with app developers and strengthening their native AppGallery.

WHATSAPP TO WHAT APPS?

THE first thing you have to know about the AppGallery is that it isn’t a band-aid solution that Huawei came up with just because of the ban. The AppGallery was launched way back in 2011 in China (where there’s no Google) and presented it to the rest of the world in 2018.

Like I said, its already the third largest app marketplace globally with 400 million monthly active users (MAUs), from over 170 countries/regions.

The AppGallery isn’t just an app marketplace, as the Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) has created an entire ecosystem, including integrated services for payment, in-app monetization, subscriptions, data analysis, and other vital developer capabilities.

When the Mate 30 series was launched in September, Huawei said the AppGallery already had around 45,000 apps, a number that has probably ballooned in the past few months, especially with Huawei’s aggressive push and their $1 billion incentive fund for developers.

Now, that is still a far, far cry from the 2.8 million apps available on Google Play Store. But I doubt the regular user would install a thousand apps on their devices. In fact, according to a study done by TechJury, the average person installs around 80 different apps on their phones, only 9 of which are actually being put to daily use.

So, it’s not really a matter of quantity but more of quality. The AppGallery might have covered all the apps needed by its Chinese users, but does it have the apps we Pinoys usually use?

Exploring the AppGallery, you’ll find that it is divided into five tabs: featured apps categories, top apps, manager, and your profile. The app catalog is further divided into 18 categories: games, books and references, business, cars, communication, education, finance, food and drink, kids, lifestyle and convenience, media and entertainment, navigation, personalized themes, photography, shopping, sports and health, tools, and travel and accommodation. The “top” tab shows the app rankings, while the manager tab shows you which apps need to be updated.

In the profile tab, you can see and claim gifts and rewards, see your reviews and comments, monitor your preorders and wish lists, purchase history, comment notifications, plus the rest of the settings and help options. The gifts and rewards are a particularly interesting feature of the AppGallery.

They frequently give out special points, app vouchers, gift packs, VIP privileges, and other incentives you don’t get from other platforms. I got a 30-day premium membership coupon for Viu (Korean streaming service); 30 days free Camscanner Premium, Paymaya reward and several in-game freebies from different games. This is separate from the rewards which give you free coupons.

NOW for the actual apps, I do have to commend Huawei for adding a lot of new essential apps that were not present a few months ago. Here are some of the most useful.

For banking/finance, you have the BDO mobile banking app, EastWest, UnionBank, Chinabank OTP, RCBC Online, Metrobank Mobile, PSBank, Maybank, PayMaya, GCash, Cashalo, Investagrams, and Pesoloans For entertainment there’s TikTok, Kumu, ShareIt, WeTV, Viu, Booky, and ClickTheCity. There’s BeautyMNL, Lazada, Shopee, SM Advantage Card, Alibaba, Zalora, Carousell, and Rustans FSP for shopping and rewards. Government apps like PCSO and SSS are now also in the AppGallery. For travel, you get Agoda, Booking.com, OWTO, Philippine Airlines, AirAsia, and GetGoPH. For games, you can download Game of Thrones, Asphalt 9, Rise of Kingdoms and Lords Mobile. For social media and communications, there’s Viber, WhatsApp, WeChat and Zoom. And lastly for photography, Camera360, PicsArt, VivaVideo, InShot, and Filmora are on hand. Microsoft Office comes preloaded but you could download WPS office or Office Suite, as well.

So what about Facebook/ Messenger? Instagram or Twitter? What about iWant and Netflix? Is there YouTube? Or delivery apps, like Lalamove or even Grab?

Some of these apps aren’t actually on the AppGallery like some other reviewers say. When you search for Facebook, for example, you get a browser link where you can download it. As for Twitter and iWant, the AppGallery includes it as a quick app (which is like “streaming” an app without actually downloading it). If there’s no link or quick app shortcut, you can still install the apps but you have to get them from other app markets like APKPure, Aptoide, and APKMonk, to name a few. This was how I was able to install the games I wanted, like Call of Duty: Mobile and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, etc.

To watch YouTube videos, I used the Huawei Browser, but that was before I found a couple of good alternatives called NewPipe and Vanced.

You could also use the Huawei Browser to access Gmail (Yahoo Mail, etc.), upload to Google Photos, Drive, and use Google Maps. I’ve already gotten used to the Huawei e-mail app though, and the Huawei browser itself is a decent alternative to Chrome. The only downside if you are using it on a Huawei P40, for example, is that you have no option to change the default search engine, which is BING, giving you less than ideal search results. There were reports that Huawei is also developing its own search app, but that remains uncertain.

Another trick for apps that you can’t download from the AppGallery, like the BPI app, is to create a web shortcut and add it to your home screen or if you have a previous Android phone, you can transfer your favorite apps via Phone Clone. As for Netflix, I have yet to find the most recent working version, but other users have found a way to make it work.

When it comes to protection and privacy, Huawei is implementing a four-layer detection security that ensures all user data is contained within the device, and every app installation is screened for any threats without exemption. AppGallery features strict security detection, privacy check, security vulnerability scanning, and manual real-name security check. These steps ensure all the apps featured on the store are safe for users.

With that said, if your question is; “Can you rely SOLELY on the AppGallery for all your apps?”

The answer is not yet (unless all the apps you are using were mentioned above).

But is it a deal breaker as others claim it to be?

Not exactly.

As someone who’s gone Google-less for almost seven months, I admit there was a bit of adjustment at first, and it did take a bit of extra effort to source out all the apps I wanted. But on the positive side, I learned a lot from discovering those work-arounds and even found some new and better replacements for the apps I frequently used.

The good news is that Huawei is already working with around 1.3 million app developers worldwide and persuading even more developers to be part of their AppGallery. Huawei has also become even more

aggressive to deliver more apps that their non-Chinese users are clamoring for, with a huge increase in the number of localized apps in the AppGallery. That is a good sign that they are fulfilling those wishlists.

If there’s one category that Huawei needs to work on double or triple time, it’s their game library. Not to mince words but their current selection besides their top picks is just awful, full of knockoffs and terrible games. I even found one “disguised” as the Canva app, but after installing it, it “transformed” into a game called Space Buggy. The same-day release of “Game Of Thrones: Beyond the Wall,” however, is a good sign that there is hope that the AppGallery can get those “A” titles finally in its selection.

Any smartphone is only as useful as the apps you can install on it and the Huawei AppGallery is gradually becoming a competent replacement for the Google Play Store. Again, quantity isn’t the problem; it’s quality. But to be fair, the AppGallery is still new, growing fast, and shows a lot of promise.

MATEPAD PRO QUICK REVIEW

THE MatePad Pro is Huawei’s first premium productivity tablet, separating itself from its more entertainment-focused MediaPad series. Many have been comparing it to the Apple iPad Pro, with its stylish design, premium build, productivity features and the addition of a keyboard folio and a stylus pen.

The MatePad Pro has a gorgeous 10.8-inch 2K QHD display with the world’s thinnest tablet bezels measuring only 4.9mm to give it a 90 percent body ratio. In comparison, the bezel thickness of the Apple iPad Pro is 8.3mm, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 measures 8.5mm. It is also the first tablet to implement a punch hole design to house the 8MP front camera. I’ve used a lot of tablets and I must say the MatePad Pro is really a thing of beauty. From its slim and symmetrical design and aluminum body, to what it calls a “micro-arc design” that provides a natural ergonomic hold. It has a more solid build compared to the other tablets I’ve used, which I felt would break if I held it too firmly or accidentally twist/bend.

The panel is engineered to deliver cinematic experiences while showing all the content in crisp

detail and vibrant colors. It supports up to 540 nits brightness and 1500:1 contrast ratio, so the MatePad Pro reproduces colors with high contrast, deep blacks and stunning accuracy. Watching videos on this tablet is made even more immersive thanks to its quad-channel, quad-speaker sound system with Huawei’s Histen 6.0 3D stereo and Harman Kardon’s audio tuning. I guess this is why they didn’t include a pair of earphones because everything is meant to be played through its quad speakers. They’re among the loudest and probably best speakers on an Android tablet; it’s like having a portable mini-theater complete with subwoofer and surround sound.

The MatePad Pro is powered by Huawei’s latest and fastest Kirin 990 processor and comes with 6GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB UFS 3.0 storage. As expected, everything runs like a breeze and there’s no slowdown when doing multiple tasks or switching between several open apps. The MatePad Pro has a 7,250mAh battery with support for fast charging as well as reverse charging—another first for a tablet.

The best feature of the MatePad Pro for me has to be desktop mode. I’ve been using it to do a lot of my blog posts recently and the UI and keyboard experience is great. The smart magnetic keyboard is way better than all the previous Android Bluetooth keyboards I used. It pairs quickly via Bluetooth and charges wirelessly. It also doubles as a case so you can store your tablet safely on your bag and just prop it up like a laptop at two different angles.

Desktop mode is what distinguishes the MatePad Pro from other tablets because it lets you work on office apps, browse web sites with an interface that’s just like on your PC. Features like multi-window, app multiplier and Huawei Share could make the MatePad Pro a viable laptop alternative for who those who do a lot of office document work as well as photo and light video editing tasks. I might just leave my laptop and bring the MatePad Pro instead the next time I travel.

It’s also ideal for students who don’t really need an expensive laptop. Also worth noting is the M-Pencil that adds even more versatility to the MatePad Pro and allows you to explore your artistic side through apps like MediBang Paint, Ibis Paint X, and Nebo. ■

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Saturday, May 9, 2020

Sports BusinessMirror

Editor: Jun Lomibao | mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

LE TOUR SUPPORTS USE OF BICYCLES IN ‘NEW NORMAL’ T

HE organizers of the Le Tour de Filipinas is encouraging all cycling advocates in the country to draw a unified plan that would make the two-wheeled vehicle as the preferred mode of transportation in the “new normal.”

LTdF Founder Alberto Lina and President Donna Lina said a unified plan of action would ride alongside protocols to be set by government when the enhanced community quarantine is relaxed in favor of a general community quarantine—and eventually in the so-called new normal wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Using the bicycle or similar two-wheeled vehicles is advocated globally. The experts are correct, there is physical distancing when you are riding your bicycle,” said Alberto, who is also the chairman of the PhilCycling.

The LTdF was canceled this year after 10 years of racing. A Category 2.2 race in the International Cycling Union calendar, the tour was supposed to be raced last May 1 to 5 in the Ilocos region for its 11th edition.

“It has always been our advocacy for cycling not only as a competitive sport, but a healthy mode of transportation,” Donna, also the president of UBE Media, the organizer of the LTdF, said.

The Linas said the bicycle should now have a bigger “share” of the road, considering that the Covid-19 has yet to be contained in the absence of a vaccine.

“There is no guarantee for a virus-free public

transportation system. Many people, if not all, would be reluctant to ride jeepneys, buses and trains, even taxis,” Alberto said.

The unified action, according to the Linas, should be strongly considered by Malacañang, especially through the Department of Transportation and local government units where there are heavy volumes of commuters.

The PhilCycling, they said, would be a major participant in the action being the national governing body for cycling.

The association is headed by Cavite (8th District) Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, also the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

“The LTdF organization will be convening [virtual] to draw its own suggestions or proposals for the new advocacy in the ‘new normal,’” said Donna, stressing that bicycling lanes should be given more priority and space in major roads and thoroughfares.

“This new advocacy could go deep into the government’s ‘Build, Build, Build program,’ which should incorporate the use of bicycles, even the electric bikes,” she said.

PhilCycling Secretary-General Atty. Billy Sumagui said the association has its full support to the extensive use of bicycles as a mode of transportation especially in the metropolis.

“Besides focusing on elite cycling, the PhilCycling has as one of its priorities the use of bicycles as a vehicle to get around,” Sumagui said. “We are also encouraging all cycling

L

WBC setting up judging from home via video

ONDON—World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaiman expects professional boxing to return without spectators and with judges officiating by video from home.

Sulaiman said the WBC has produced a protocol for fights during the coronavirus pandemic that limit, for instance, a four-fight card to about 40-50 people at a venue.

Those numbers include one handler for each fighter, boxing commission supervisors, media and TV production crews.

“The judges will be judging from home via access to the live video,” Sulaiman said by videoconference this week.

“The video we would have without commentary of the television network so it’s a clean international feed. They are in secure communication. The judges score the round, it gets fed into the system administration, it gets to the supervisor and the local commission. There is a contingency plan for failure of connections. So we have Plan A, Plan B and Plan C.” All people at the venue would be tested for Covid-19.

“We all are tired of watching TV, and old fights. I do really think that with responsibility, taking all the precautions with a very well-prepared protocol, we could have boxing events again without any risk,” he said.

Sulaiman believed it could be up to two years before pro boxing looks like as it was, and urged promoters “to be pioneers with ideas.”

He added the WBC will be flexible on dates for champions having to take mandatory challenges.

As an example, he said Nordine Oubaali was set to defend his bantamweight title against Nonito Donaire, a four-weight champ. A purse bid was accepted and only a date and American venue were to be finalized before boxing was shut down. “[Oubaali] lives in France and he has been in an apartment, completely in lockdown for 40 to 50 days. No sparring, no training,” Sulaiman said. “That’s a different

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press

W

ITH sports still largely on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, athletes and coaches have been looking for ways to pass all that unexpected

free time.

We’ve heard plenty of familiar pursuits. Binge-watching a television series. Hunkering down with video games. Play time with the kids.

Some have gotten more creative.

Olympic swimmer Hali Flickinger has taken up gardening and home renovations. Detroit Lions Coach Matt Patricia is strumming his ukulele. Atlanta Falcons lineman Jake Mathews hopes to get as proficient on the grill as he is at protecting Matt Ryan.

“When I’m full-time into swimming, I’m not going outside to plant a plant,” Flickinger, who competed at the 2016 Rio Games and hopes to make it to Tokyo next summer, said with a chuckle. “This is such a great opportunity to do those things we wouldn’t normally be able to do.”

Flickinger, a 25-year-old Pennsylvania native who now lives and trains in sweltering Arizona, sulked on the sofa for a couple of days after the entire nation essentially locked down in an attempt to contain the virus, which has claimed more than 70,000 American lives and a quarter-

scenario from a fighter who could be in the United States or Mexico with sparring [privileges], with training and full facilities. We’re going to work together with them, with the promoters. [Oubaali] might not be able to travel for three or four months. There is no mandate from the WBC that will hurt any person, any fighter, any promoter.”

But International Boxing Federation (IBF) lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez said he was prepared to further delay his unification bout with WBCWorld Boxing Association-World Boxing Organization champ Vasiliy Lomachenko—originally scheduled for May 30—until fans were allowed to fill venues because

LE TOUR de Filipinas Chairman Donna Lina, Founder Alberto Lina and PhilCycling Secretary-General Atty. Billy Sumagui see the importance of bicycles during quarantine and even post-quarantine.

groups and advocates to unite in this endeavor as the world faces this new challenge posed by the pandemic.”

The LTdF, Donna said, will encourage continental teams 7-Eleven Roadbike Philippines Cliqq Air21 and Go For Gold and Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance

he feared fights without spectators “won’t work” at stopping boxers contracting the coronavirus.

“I feel like it won’t work. That’s why I feel like one fighter will probably get it during those times that they are trying to entertain the fans,” Lopez said by videoconference from his sister-in-law’s Arkansas home,

Team and Philippine Army Team and all professional and weekend riders, as well as the organizers of Ronda Pilipinas and PruRide Philippines to help in the formulation of a program that will install the bicycle as the “King of the Road” in the “new normal.”

where he decamped to from New York.

Lopez said he understood where boxing organizations and promoters were coming from, but said he thinks it’s too soon.

“I’m not going to fight without seeing what’s really going on,” Lopez aid. “I want to make sure that no fighter is getting infected, no fighter is getting the coronavirus and everything. I want to see firsthand how it works. If it does go smoothly, like [they] planned that it will be, then we could talk about having a fight without the fans.” AP

With sports on hold globally, athletes take up new pursuits

Olympic swimmer Hali Flickinger has taken up gardening and home renovations. AP

Patricia, heading into his third season as the Lions coach, normally adheres to the lessons learned in Bill Belichick’s advanced class, “Tight-Lipped 101: Making Sure You Never Divulge Anything The Least Bit Interesting To The Media.”

That’s what made it so surprising when he revealed during a recent video session with Detroit-area reporters that he dabbles with the small, four-stringed guitar of Hawaiian descent.

“I can’t say I don’t have things that I always like to try to mess around with here,” Patricia said, suddenly turning to grab his musical instrument. “There, I don’t know if you can see it, but that’s a ukulele. So, there you go. I gave you a little tidbit.”

Of course, it didn’t take long for that Belichick training to kick in again. When asked it he could regale everyone with a tune, Patricia clammed up.

“I may call them songs,” he quipped. “You would call them noise.”

Mathews, who has spent the past six seasons as Ryan’s primary protector at left tackle, was hunkering down at his off-season home in Texas.

While the Falcons have been holding remote meetings almost every day and urging their players to stay in condition through a regular workout plan, Mathews still found time to dig out a forgotten gift from his quarterback.

“After the 2017 season, Matt Ryan got all the linemen a Big Green Egg,” Mathews recalled. “I put it together and had all

these great ambitions to do stuff and become a master smoker, but I have not touched it since then.”

Strange, coming from a guy who checks in at more than 300 pounds.

Now, at least, he’s putting it to good use.

“Oh man, I’ve done some salmon and a few steaks,” Mathews said proudly, while also stirring a few hunger pangs. “I may venture into some chicken soon.”

Another Falcons player, defensive lineman Grady Jarrett, has also been perfecting his cooking skills.

Who knows? After his playing days are done, he might nab a show on Food Network.

“One of my favorite things I’ve started cooking is sea bass,” Jarrett said. “I never had cooked that before, but once I learned to cook it the right way, it was great.”

He also bought a Peloton stationary bike, which brings up some intriguing ideas for an advertising campaign.

Instead of that sexist, dystopian commercial the company rolled out ahead of Christmas, we’d much rather watch the 290-pound Jarrett pedaling away on his high-tech bike, perhaps joined by 285-pound teammate Allen Bailey.

“Me and Allen are friends on there,” Jarrett said. “We do a class together and compete against each other.”

Jarrett has only one complaint.

“That seat is a little uncomfortable,” he said. “I’ve got

million around the world.

Then, she decided to start living again.

Flickinger and her husband began with the outdoors.

“I’m learning how to garden,” Flickinger said proudly in a telephone interview. “I’m planting plants. I’ve never planted a plant in my life, but we’ve done that.”

There have been a few hiccups along the way, of course.

“We started out with these things called, well, I think they’re called oleanders,” Flickinger said. “But we found out they’re really poisonous. So we dug those up and replanted a bunch of palm trees. They are little baby ones, but hopefully they’ll grow to be big.”

Flickinger and her spouse then turned their attention indoors.

“We’ve remodeled a bathroom,” she continued.

“Out here in Arizona, they have these textured walls. I had never seen them before, but they’re super popular here. Well, I wanted my walls to be flat. So we learned how to level out the walls. We also took down the old mirror and old medicine cabinet so we could put up a new medicine cabinet. We repainted the whole thing.”

How did the young couple suddenly acquire all this useful household knowledge?

“YouTube has been very helpful for us,” Flickinger replied.

IN UFC, IT’S BLOOD, SWEAT AND SWABS

E

VEN before they check in to the hotel, every fighter, coach, cameraman, journalist and UFC employee arriving in Jacksonville, Florida, is immediately directed to a screening station. Their temperatures are taken, and their fingers are pricked for a coronavirus antibody test.

And then comes the part that reduces even the world’s most fearsome cage fighters to squirming schoolchildren: a long swab is pushed deep into the back of their nasal cavities.

“That thing in the nose, that was the second time I did it, and it wasn’t good at all,” laughed 6-foot-4, 255-pound Francis Ngannou, who will fight fellow heavyweight title contender Jair Rozenstruik on the main card at UFC 249 on Saturday night.

“It’s too weird. I think I’d rather take a punch than take that.”

The UFC is returning to action this weekend after an involuntary eight-week pause while the coronavirus pandemic upended President Dana White’s determination to keep fighting amid a devastating public health crisis. The mixed martial arts promotion is holding three shows in eight days in a fan-free arena in Florida, where state officials were willing to allow it.

These unique conditions required the UFC to come up with unprecedented health and safety precautions. They’re collected in a 25-page document written over the past six weeks by the UFC’s executives and physicians.

With no blueprint for keeping athletes safe while they compete amid a pandemic, the UFC consulted regulatory officials and outside experts to develop its protocols.

They were also helped by Jeffrey Davidson, the UFC’s chief physician, who had already dealt with Covid-19 cases in his other job as head of the emergency department at Valley Hospital in Las Vegas.

The work was done remotely, since the people in charge of figuring out a way for fighters to compete safely couldn’t work in the same room safely.

“We know we’ve got a great plan in place,” UFC chief operating office Lawrence Epstein said. “I’m sure we’ll learn something about how we can do things better or differently or more efficiently, but the key is making sure everything is proceeding as scheduled and trying to figure out whether or not there are ways we can enhance things, or become more efficient.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on everything that happens, and we’ll see how things go. But so far, so good.”

The UFC stages shows around the globe each year, and the promotion has plenty of experience in dealing with each location’s unique rules, or creating new testing protocols for everything from HIV to doping.

That experience provided a framework, but the UFC still had to fill it in with details. Their guiding principles were minimization of the size of their endeavor, along with constant social distancing—except inside the cage, of course.

The UFC has trimmed the number of people involved in running an MMA show to an absolute minimum—less than half of the usual 300-plus people, according to Epstein.

The promotion also required everyone involved to adhere to isolation and strict social distancing standards whenever possible for the entire week, both in the hotel and in VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

Everybody working the event, even perhaps some referees, will be wearing masks and gloves. The cage floor, inevitably sprinkled with sweat and blood, is supposed to be disinfected constantly.

The broadcast crew will sit apart from each other at three different tables. Joe Rogan won’t conduct his traditional post-fight interviews in the octagon, with the fighters instead putting on a sanitized headset backstage after leaving the cage. Even people working in the broadcast trucks at the pay-per-view event will be separated by plastic barriers and social distancing practices.

After the initial testing this week, everyone was asked to isolate in their hotel rooms until the results of the nasal swab test were received. Everyone receives a temperature check each morning for their entire time in Jacksonville, and they’re required to wear masks at all times in public. The fighters practice, train and cut weight in individual workout areas within the hotel.

Even with all this diligence, the UFC realizes it’s attempting an enormously difficult task. A positive test for an asymptomatic person is quite possible, given the number of people involved in even this scaled-down show. AP to find me a cushion or something.”

Taking on an even more daunting challenge is Yetur Gross-Matos, the Carolina Panthers’ second-round draft pick. He has apparently managed to find a pool, giving him a chance to rectify a missing part of his childhood, one that is often unavailable to kids of color.

“I’m trying to learn how to swim,” the rookie said in a Twitter post. “I never learned how to swim growing up.”

With Major League Baseball still trying to work out a plan to begin its season, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. has been dabbling with a former hobby.

Look out, DJ D-Nice.

DJ D-Smith might be taking over Club Quarantine.

“I kind of did it in the past,” Smith said. “I actually had a laptop that I would make mixes on, but I got a virus on it and kind of stopped. So now that I’ve got more time to sit down and relax, I might pick it back up and just go back where I left off at.”

Flickinger, meanwhile, is considering an even more elaborate home renovation plan.

A complete gutting of the master bathroom.

“I’m a little of an amateur,” she said, a tinge of doubt creeping into her voice. “But I hope to get better with each project.”

She’s got plenty of time to learn.

The Olympics are still more than 14 months away.