BusinessMirror May 20, 2020

Tariff hikes not right fix, govt warned

By Elijah Felice Rosales

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USINESS leaders and economists on Tuesday sounded the alarm against government plans to raise tariffs on certain imports to refill its coffers. Their word of caution to government: importers will just pass on additional costs to consumers already reeling from lost income.

In interviews with the BusinessMirror, members of the private sector and the academe agreed that this might be the worst time to increase tariff rates on imports, particularly on basic goods and medical products. They argued that any additional cost to importers will likely just end up getting passed on to buyers.

In a television interview, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said the government is studying the option of raising tariffs on specific imports to generate

AS the National Capital Region stirs with the easing of quarantine restrictions, allowing malls and public transportation to operate in some areas, people are reminded of the unseen danger with markings found on mall entrances and bus stops, enjoining them to keep their distance, as seen at a mall in Taguig City, and a bus stop on Edsa. NONIE REYES/NONOY LACZA

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revenue—a move many economists are expecting to occur in a time of crisis like this.

“We are considering, but that’s still being studied right now,” Lopez disclosed, when asked if the government is looking into increasing import duties right now.

“If at all, it would be minimal tariff to raise funds. [It is] under study right now.

It’s not for protectionism; it is simply to raise some revenues for the government.”

Former Tariff Commissioner George N. Manzano warned the government to go slow with such plan, especially at a time that poor households are in need of essentials and health workers lack personal protective equipment (PPEs).

He said “basic consumer items that are consumed by the general population, especially the poor,” should be spared any See “Tariff,” A2

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ON BORROWINGS—DOF

UNIVERSAL ROBOTS

IN POST-LOCKDOWN: ‘COBOTS’ WILL HAVE BIGGER ROLE IN BIZ

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas & Butch Fernandez

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HE government is “not skimping on borrowing funds,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III told senators on Tuesday, as he was grilled about how the Duterte administration planned to mobilize resources in the continuing battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

The finance chief made this clear in a “hybrid” session—with some senators physically present and others joining by videoconference—after Sen. Ralph Recto said the government should spend more money and borrow more funds, given the gravity of the health crisis spawned by Covid-19.

“The point is this, marami kasing nagtatanong sinasabi natin na maganda ang credit rating natin, panahon na ngayon para umutang siguro [many people are asking why we keep saying our credit rating is good; maybe it’s a good time to borrow], I am sorry for saying,” Recto said in a mix of English and Filipino. Tuesday’s Senate hearing was the first called by the cham-

DOMINGUEZ: “You cannot just say we only spent P200 billion. We have released into the economy P400 billion in additional liquidity through Central Bank. We have lower interest rates. We have a P50-billion program to support the small- and medium-enterprise employees so it’s not, I mean don’t belittle it.”

ber’s Committee of the Whole on the status of the government’s response to Covid-19 and how to restart the economy.

Recto pointed out that the government may need to have a bigger

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.7800

fiscal stimulus package to pump the economy, which he said could contract by 10 percent under a worstcase scenario, citing reports.

“And if we contract by 10 percent, unemployment will increase to roughly about 10 million jobs as well. Having said that, you may need to have a bigger fiscal stimulus package,” he said.

Dominguez said last week that the government is eyeing to spend about P130 billion to as much as P160 billion to help in the economy’s recovery from the pandemic, which forced a lockdown since midMarch, paralyzing most businesses and displacing millions of workers, including thousands of overseas Filipino workers in host countries impacted by the virus. “[You think that’s enough, the] P130-billion fiscal response considering that this is the biggest challenge of our lifetime in the last 100 years, considering that this is a global pandemic, jobs are going to be lost, businesses are gonna close and that is all that we need to address the needs of the time to help Filipino families get back [on their] feet, to provide relief? And to assist companies, so that they don’t fire workers, or that we protect employment or so forth?” Recto asked.

In a separate statement ear-

lier, Recto asserted that, “instead of shrinking the SAP [Social Amelioration Program], the challenge is how to expand it, how to include the new poor,” Recto said. “This would be the 10 million Filipinos ‘in the middle of the middle-income bracket’ whose maximum subsistence capacity of four to six months is nearing empty,” he added.

‘Don’t belittle response’

HOWEVER, Dominguez quickly argued that the senator should not “belittle” the government’s response as the state has already been borrowing a lot of money, adding that the government’s response has been equivalent to 9.1 percent of GDP or P1.74 trillion under its four-pillar socioeconomic strategy.

“We have tapped our multilateral agencies. We have issued our single largest bond and, by the way, the lowest interest rates we’ve paid, so we are not skimping on borrowing funds,” Dominguez said, referring to the government’s dollar-denominated global bond sale where it raised $2.35 billion (about P119.1 billion) in 10-year and 25-year tenors.

“You cannot just say we only spent P200 billion. We have released into the economy P400 billion in additional liquidity through Central

‘Cobots, humans can coexist’

IN assembly lines, for instance, Adams said that workers and cobots can share roles that would divide the labor between them but better the efficiency.

“Cobots fit snugly into the Philippine market, enabling humans and robots to share tasks along a production line. With the assistance of cobots, local manufacturers can achieve higher levels of efficiency and rapid productivity gains,” Adams explained.

Cobots can also be reprogrammed to carry out new tasks to overcome short-term production challenges and can be adjusted thereafter to do advanced functions, Adams added.

The Universal Robots executive also said the adoption of cobots can boost innovation and capacity for micro, small and medium enterprises. Doing

UNIVERSAL ROBOTS

HYBRID rubber-tired gantries, which can stack five containers high and six containers wide, are seen at the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) at the Port of Manila. International Container Terminal Services Inc., MICT’s operator, expects the global business disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to alter importation trends. BERNARD TESTA

ILL we see more of robots and less of laborers in assembly lines in the aftermath of this health crisis? A Danish firm proposes a future bordering on science fiction.

Denmark-based Universal Robots on Tuesday called on Philippine manufacturers to accelerate the inclusion of automated systems in their workplaces. The maker of collaborative robots—or “cobots,” as the firm calls them—argued automation will keep any business ahead of the curve, especially in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Universal Robots, the adoption of cobots in the manufacturing sector could boost productivity by up to 30 percent, as the technology is made to bridge the gap between manual labor and automated work.

Universal Robots Head of Southeast Asia and Oceania Darrell Adams said the Philippines is headed toward the path of automation with the infrastructure buildup that the government is undertaking. However, he was quick to deny that robots will replace humans in the labor force, as cobots in particular are created to coexist with operators and engineers.

See “Cobots,” A2

Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4733 n UK 61.9668 n HK 6.5514 n CHINA 7.1415 n SINGAPORE 35.8186 n AUSTRALIA 33.0832 n EU 55.4416 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.5215

Source: BSP (May 19, 2020)

News BusinessMirror

A2 Wednesday, May 20, 2020

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BIR, BOC ₧28.17B short of their revised revenue goal at end-April

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas

HE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) missed their revised combined target of P735.03 billion as of end-April, as both agencies only collected a total of P706.85 billion for the period—half of which saw the country dealing with the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

THE Bureau of Customs office in Manila KLODIEN | DREAMSTIME.COM

year-on-year from the P706.78 billion it collected in the same period last year.

On the other hand, BOC also missed its P206.59-billion revenue goal by 13.14 percent, collecting P179.44 billion for the first four months of the year.

Year-on-year, BOC’s collection for the period is P14.11 billion or 7.29 percent lower than last year’s P193.55 billion.

For the month of April alone, combined BOC and BIR collections amounted to only P105.75 billion, which is 19.27 percent below the combined BIR and BOC target of P131 billion.

This is also 63.48 percent lower than last year’s P289.6 billion.

BIR, which accounts for 78

percent of the state’s tax collection capacity, reported collections of P71.78 billion for April this year, or 69.83 percent short of its April 2019 actual collection of P237.93 billion.

For its part, BOC’s collections for the month only reached P33.97 billion, or 40 percent lower than its target of P56.54 billion.

This is also a 34.27-percent drop from its April 2019 collection of P51.67 billion.

Despite the significant decline in the revenue collections of both bureaus, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III reiterated that the country is “financially able” to meet the unexpected challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a result of these conserva-

tive fiscal policies, Dominguez said the government was able to roll out a four-pillar socioeconomic strategy to defeat Covid-19. These budgetary, fiscal and monetary measures had a combined value of P1.74 trillion, or around 9.1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The Development Budget Coordination Committee last week further slashed the 2020 collection targets of BIR and BOC to P1.744 trillion and P520.4 billion, respectively.

Last month, BIR’s collection target was initially slashed to P2.26 trillion from the original P2.576 trillion, while BOC’s goal was previously reduced to P706.861 billion from the original P751.250 billion.

Citing preliminary data submitted by BIR and BOC, the Department of Finance (DOF) said the agencies were P28.17 billion short of the revised target.

The combined collection of the agencies for the period is also 21.49 percent or P193.48 billion lower than last year’s P900.33 billion.

Finance Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa S. Habitan told the BusinessMirror that the monthly and quarterly revenue programs were also adjusted downwards in line with the lower estimates for

full-year revenue collection.

Total collections of BIR as of end-April this year settled at only P527.41 billion, falling 0.19 percent short of its P528.44-billion target for the period.

The DOF said this was the result of the community quarantine measures in Luzon and other parts of the country, which also prompted the agency to extend the deadlines for the filing and payment of income and other taxes to next month.

As of end-April this year, BIR’s collections slid by 25.4 percent

‘Give ₧100-B aid fund left for covered families now’

Govt not holding back on borrowings–DOF Continued from A1

Bank. We have lower interest rates.

We have a P50-billion program to support the small- and medium-enterprise employees so it’s not, I mean don’t belittle it…,” he said.

Recto told Dominguez he is not belittling anything, pointing out that he is just separating the monetary and fiscal responses of the government just like what other countries do.

Multilaterals

RECTO: “The lifting of the lockdown does not give the government the excuse to end the assistance.”

Continued from A8

He added: “Withholding it is like pulling the financial ventilator of hard up families.” He said “the lifting of the lockdown does not give the government the excuse to end the assistance.”

Recto invoked Section 4(c) of Republic Act 11469, providing an emergency subsidy to around 18 million low-income households, with an amount ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 per month for two months.

The senator said this is intended for quarantined families who have lost their incomes, noting that “it was never contingent on the status of the lockdown.”

Recto recalled that the first tranche will cover the first month of the quarantine, adding that since the lockdown has gone on for 60 days, “it’s but right to give the aid to the beneficiaries.”

The Duterte government’s cash aid initially targeted over 17.7 million families, Recto recalled, noting that as of mid-May, the Department of Social Welfare and Development disbursed P96.5 billion, nearly half of the P200-billion allotted for the program. “So there should be a balance of about P100 billion. If it’s in two gives, they should release immediately the other half, especially now that they already have a list,” the senator said. Butch Fernandez

ASKED by Sen. Manny Pacquiao on the government’s sources of financial support for its battle against the pandemic, Dominguez said multilateral agencies, such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), have

already provided financial assistance to the Philippines.

Broken down, Dominguez said the ADB has already provided the country grants and loans worth $3.933 billion, while the World Bank provided $1.3 billion and the AIIB, a $750-million loan.

Aside from this, Dominguez said the government continues to borrow from the local debt market by issuing debt papers.

He said the Philippines has also received a lot of assistance from a lot of countries.

The government expects the economy to contract by 2 percent to 3.4 percent this year—deeper than its initial expectations— in what could be the worst GDP growth rate of the country since the 6.9-percent GDP contraction

in 1985 based on 2018 prices.

‘We’re flattening the curve’

AT the hearing, administration officials took turns assuring senators that their round-the-clock monitoring of the Covid contagion indicates a “flattening of the curve.”

In a teleconferenced presentation, Health Secretary Francisco Duque told senators, “We see a flattening of the curve,” citing latest reports indicating 250 new cases a day, down from “no more than 500 cases as before.”

Duque conceded health officials were taking some time containing Covid-19, admitting “it is difficult because it is a new virus,” even as Sen. Cynthia Villar voiced concerns that the extended lockdown is “bad for the economy.”

Villar added that “if we are having bad business, [that means] employment is down.”

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that following the presentation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, they expect the Committee of the Whole to consolidate reports and updates on the contagion in writing the committee report and assessing the need for remedial legislation, if any.

For his part, Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri, one of three senators who got infected in March by the virus, cited the need to have “modernized equipment to deal with Covid.” In turn, DOH officials assured senators the department has ordered and is now awaiting delivery of testing machines, saying “we are working on it.”

Cobots… CENSUS TO BE MOVED FROM MAY TO SEPT Continued from A1

so would improve the manufacturing sector’s output as a whole to the benefit of the economy, he proposed.

According to Universal Robots, firms that went into automation increased their productivity by about 300 percent, lowering defects by 90 percent and pushing profits by at least 20 percent in the process.

The Danish firm is targeting to introduce the use of cobots in the electronics, automotive, food and beverage, furniture, and consumer product industries. It is imagining a future that is run by high-skilled workers assisted by intelligent devices, such as cobots.

Citing data from research firm ABI Research, Universal Robots disclosed that sales of cobots are seen to jump sixfold to $11.8 billion by 2030, from $1.9 billion in 2018, as the technology is now considered one of the fastest-growing products in automation.

Firms are now being told to invest in automation after witnessing the vulnerability of relying too much on manual labor. The twomonth lockdown of Luzon, for one, kept millions of workers at , resulting in the closure of factories and a plunge in productivity.

Elijah Felice Rosales

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HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) plan to move the decade census to September this year due to the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

In a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said they will be writing to the House of Representatives and Senate of the Philippines regarding the matter.

According to Batas Pambansa 72, the

government needs to conduct a population census every 10 years beginning 1980. The census should be conducted starting on the first day of May.

“We will be writing to both Houses of Congress to seek your indulgence [regarding this matter] at this difficult time,” Chua said.

Chua said the decision to move the census takes into consideration the safety of enumerators and households at this time.

The 2020 CPH will be the 15th census

of population and 7th census of housing to be undertaken in the country since the first census in 1903.

The CPH refers to the entire process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing, publishing and disseminating data about the population and living quarters in a country.

It entails the listing and recording of the characteristics of each individual and each living quarter as of a specified time and within a specified territory.

Cai U. Ordinario

‘Contact tracing as crucial as testing in war on Covid’ Continued from A8

The infected inmates were immediately isolated. They found out there were also asymptomatic detainees.

Labella said some of the patients are already on their way to recovery after observing them for 14 days.

Baguio’s experience

DURING the DOH virtual press conference, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong also underscored the importance of contact tracing.

“We have to remember three things to have a successful contact tracing: first, speed is important.

Every second matters. Second is quality of information and capacity of contact tracing.”

As a former police officer, Magalong compared the work to an investigation being conducted.

“Contact tracing is very similar to investigation. We establish the story behind every interaction,” he said, to be able to identify the potential high-risk or potential infected person contacted by a virus-positive individual, in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Early detection is key to prevention,” Magalong stressed.

For his part, Dr. Rio Magpantay, DOH-2 Regional Director, said it is a big challenge to find those who might be infected by the positive case.

“To prevent the transmission, we have to identify the close contact and isolate them immediately.

We will check who that person cared for, lived with, transacted with or traveled with, and worked with,” Magpantay said.

Vergeire noted that persons deemed “close contact” are those exposed to infected persons less than one meter apart and within a close setting for hours.

Those falling in this category will be isolated for 14 days and monitored for symptoms. Only those showing symptoms will be tested as stated under DOH protocol, as prioritized for Covid-19 tests.

These include severe and critically ill, symptomatic individuals and those vulnerable sectors (e.g., 60 years old or older, have other illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes, or are immunocompromised).

Tariff…

Continued from A1

tariff increase. Further, import duties on medicines, PPEs and medical products—all crucial in the fight against Covid-19—should remain the same, he added.

Double-edged sword

LIKEWISE, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Executive Director Ebb Hinchliffe said that hiking tariff rates could be a double-edged sword to the economy.

On one hand, it is an easy way for the government to generate cash that it can utilize to bolster its Covid-19 health efforts and social services. On the other hand, importers can just pass on additional costs to consumers; therefore, making it inflationary.

“We all recognize the need to refill the coffers, but usually if the cost of higher tariff is passed on to the consumer by the importer, this could be inflationary,” Hinchliffe said.

Similar to Manzano, Hinchliffe said the government should spare food and pharmaceuticals from any extra tariffs.

As well, he added on the list the inputs that semiconductor firms need to assemble electronic parts, the country’s largest export product.

In a meeting last week, World Trade Organization (WTO) members also voiced out concerns on protectionism, which is the expected response of many states in response to the still-growing impact on industries and on jobs of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to estimates by the International Labour Organization, about 25 million workers worldwide are at risk of going jobless due to the economic impact of the pandemic. This effect on employment could be a driving force enough for governments to impose policies that would protect their own industries but to the detriment of free trade.

David Walker, chairman of the WTO’s General Council, said in the meeting that markets must remain open in order to facilitate the flow of essential goods, particularly medical products, as well as agricultural and food items.

WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo also called on members to resist enforcing policies that may further contribute to the disruption of supply chains. He said that for the world economy to restart, states should uphold the rules and values of the multilateral trading system.

Apart from the plan to raise tariffs, Lopez announced that the government is adopting a policy mandating contractors of public infrastructure to source construction materials from domestic manufacturers in order to stimulate demand.

“Sometimes, you don’t have to give subsidy or support in cash.

You only need to give them the demand, the market for their products, and they will live for another day,” Lopez said.

“Business and local employment will be strengthened [by this policy]. There has to be that kind of either a mindset or a policy guideline. Just to clarify, this is not for protectionism, but simply to stimulate demand for the economy and create jobs,” the trade chief added.

Lopez added that the government is on top of the standards compliance of manufacturers, and there is no reason for contractors to worry about the quality of locally made materials.

Most of the work in Metro Manila, as well as in many rural areas, is now allowed to resume, as the government last week decided to relax quarantine restrictions.

Among those permitted to do business again are construction firms, particularly those in charge of infrastructure projects that are listed under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

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SC order widens scope of pilot test of ‘virtual’ court processes

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

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HE Supreme Court has decided to expand the pilot testing of the use of videoconferencing to address the delay in the resolution of pending cases in various courts nationwide due to the virus outbreak.

Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez has identified 84 court stations from different regions across the country that have been authorized to pilot-test hearings through videoconferencing of all matters pending before them, in both criminal and civil cases.

The SC has authorized the use of videoconferencing in both criminal and civil cases, whether newly filed, or pending, and regardless of the stage of the trial.

“Considering that the entire country has been on different levels of quarantine in the last two months, court action on pending cases before courts, which have not been authorized to conduct hearings through videoconferencing has been delayed. Hence, there is a need to authorize more courts across the country to conduct hearings through videoconferencing to address unacted matters which in the meantime have accumulated,” Marquez said in his latest Circular 96-2020.

Marquez added SC Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta had approved the expanded pilot testing of videoconferencing in the following areas: Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur; Bauang, La Union; San Fernando City, La Union; Lingayen, Pangasinan; Urdaneta City, Pangasinan (Region 1); Aparri, Cagayan; Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; Lagawe, Ifugao; Cauayan, Isabela; Echague, Isabela; Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya (Region 2); Malolos City, Bulacan; San Jose del Monte, Bulacan; Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; Gapan City, Nueva Ecija; Macabebe, Pampanga; Paniqui, Tarlac; Tarlac City, Tarlac; Iba, Zambales (Region 3); Batangas City, Batangas; Lipa City, Batangas; Bacoor City, Cavite; Dasmariñas City, Cavite; Biñan City, Laguna; Cabuyao, Laguna; San Pedro, Laguna; Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Catanauan, Quezon; Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro; Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro; Roxas, Palawan Romblon, Romblon (Region 4A/4B);

Ligao, Albay; Daet, Camarines Norte; Iriga City, Camarines Sur; Libmanan, Camarines Sur; Pili, Camarines Sur; Virac, Catanduanes; Masbate City, Masbate; Gubat, Sorsogon; (Region 5); Roxas City, Capiz; Sipalay, Negros Occidental; Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental; Silay City, Negros Occidental; Barotac Viejo, Iloilo; Culasi-Sebaste, Antique (Region 6); Carcar City, Cebu; Talisay City, Cebu; Bogo City, Cebu; Naga City, Cebu; Oslob, Cebu; Malabuyoc-Ginatil-Algeria, Cebu; Bais City, Negros Oriental; Tagbilaran City, Bohol; Talibon, Bohol; Talibon-Getafe, Bohol; Loay-AlbuquerqueBaclayon, Bohol; Trinidad-San MiguelBien Unido, Bohol (Region 7); Maasin City, Southern. Leyte; Catbalogan, Samar; Gandara, Samar (Region 8); Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental; Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental; Tangub, Misamis Occidental; Butuan City, Agusan del Norte; Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur; Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur; Valencia, Bukidnon; Mambajao, Camiguin (Region 10); Nabunturan, Davao de Oro; Tagum, Davao del Norte; Panabo, Davao del Norte; Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte; Mati, Davao Oriental ; Davao City, Davao del Sur; Malita, Davao Occidental; Surallah, South Cotabato; Bislig, Surigao del Sur (Region 11); Cotabato City, Maguindanao; Kabacan, North Cotabato; Isulan, Sultan Kudarat; Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat (Region 12).

Marquez earlier said videoconferencing would be utilize “while there is public health emergency unless extended by the Supreme Court, thereafter.”

He added that videoconferencing will be the “new normal during public health emergency” for the judiciary.

The videoconferencing has long been practiced and adopted during court trial of cases in the technologically advanced countries like the United States to address delays in court proceedings.

The method is described as “the holding of a conference among people at remote locations by means of transmitted audio and video signals.”

Through these conferences, “individuals meet one another in a real-time virtual manner “as if they were in the same room” without the hassle and expense of traveling.”

DFA official: Manila may have reached limit to accept more OFWs, for now

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By Recto Mercene @rectomercene & Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco | Correspondent

HE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has admitted that after receiving 27,000 returning overseas Filipinos, Manila’s “absorptive capacity” may have reached its limit, thus, preventing more arrivals “so as not to exceed national resources that would place everyone in danger.”

“Unfortunately, there are several considerations that hamper the immediate return of all who have decided to come home,” Assistant Secretary Edwardo “Ed” Meñez, Office of Strategic Communications and Research said on Tuesday.

He said some 20,000 repatriates are still waiting to return home due to testing and quarantine requirements.

However, Meñez said that the primary reason the estimated 20,000 more overseas Filipinos could not return “is the travel restrictions imposed by other nations where inbound and outbound flights are prohibited.”

The Emirates web site, he said, lists only eight countries where they currently operate, not including the Philippines, “[but] I believe the government is trying to build capacity so that other entry points and LGUs [local government units] might allow more returnees to come in elsewhere.”

Pew Research said that “at least nine-tenths, or 91 percent, of the world’s population, or 7.1 billion people, live in countries with restrictions on people arriving from other countries, who are neither citizens nor residents, such as

Senate bill pushes establishment of quarantine facilities in every region

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S quarantine protocols and physical distancing measures are crucial in the fight against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), as well as other health emergencies, there is a need for the country to be more proactive in preparing for future possible pandemics.

In light of this, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go filed Senate Bill 1259, or the “Mandatory Quarantine Facilities Act of 2020,” which mandates the establishment of quarantine facilities in every region in the country strategically located near a Department of Health-managed public hospital.

“Let us learn from this Covid-19 experience. Ngayon palang, habang nilalabanan natin ang sakit na Covid-19, ihanda na rin natin ang bansa sa anumang krisis na maaaring dumating,” Go said.

The senator explained that it is crucial for every locality, or region, to have its own quarantine sites to accommodate high-risk individuals suspected of having an infectious disease.

“Nararapat lamang po na maging proactive tayo at umpisahan nang maglatag ng mga measures na magsisiguro sa ating kahandaan sa mga darating pang krisis gaya nito,” he stressed.

In the explanatory note of his proposed measure, Go cites the World Health Organization guidelines and recommendations in combatting pandemics, stating that “isolating persons who have or may have been exposed to a serious contagious or infectious disease is a long-established public health strategy in order to prevent transmission.”

“ This isolation mechanism should be part of the standard precautions that should be taken to prevent the spread of any infectious disease,” Go further stated, adding that with the continuing emergence of infectious diseases, “there is a pressing need to establish quarantine facilities in the country.”

If passed into law, SB 1259 will establish quarantine facilities in every region designed for patients who are suspected to be infected, or colonized with epidemiologically important pathogens that can be transmitted by airborne, or droplet transmission or by physical contact.

The proposed quarantine facilities will also be fully equipped to include the needs of individuals who are quarantined, including adequate food, clothing, means of communication and competent medical care, among others.

To ensure the accessibility of the quarantine facilities to health-care facilities, the bill proposes that their locations are mandated to be easily accessible to a DOH hospital and strategically located to ensure the safety of the community. The location will be identified by the DOH in close coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units (LGUs) concerned.

Likewise, the DPWH, in coordination with LGUs, will be in charge of the construction of quarantine facilities, formulation of building specifications based on standards, issuances and other guidelines.

Meanwhile, the DOH will be primarily responsible for the operation, supervision, and management of the quarantine facilities.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 A3

“Hangga’t wala pong bakunang nadidiskubre sa Cov id-19, our fight against it continues. Kaya naman hindi po tayo dapat maging kampante sa paglaban sa virus na ito,” he said.

Go cited that the adverse socioeconomic impact of the Covid-19 crisis has shown weaknesses in the health-care system globally.

Hence, there is a need for the government to be more proactive in preparing for such pandemics by continuously enhancing the country’s health facilities and the whole health-care system.

“Gawin po natin lahat ng ating makakaya para maiwasan ang krisis na ganito sa susunod na mga panahon at ma-protektahan ang mga Pilipino at ang susunod pang henerasyon,” he said.

Go also noted that although all affected countries were not prepared for the Covid-19 outbreak, this crisis also highlighted the importance of establishing facilities in preparation for these kinds of situations.

“Nakita naman po natin na ginagawa ng gobyerno ang lahat para rumesponde sa krisis. Nagtayo agad ng quarantine facilities sa iba’t ibang lugar gamit ang available infrastructure na meron na tayo. Dahil sa bayanihan natin at sa tulong rin ng private sector, nagamit rin ang mga barko para maging floating quarantine vessels, at iba pang mga gusali,” he explained.

“Pero kung mayroon na tayong nakahandang pasilidad para sa ganitong mga krisis o sakuna, mas mabilis at mas mabisa nating maproprotektahan ang kalusugan ng kapwa nating Pilipino. Maghanda na po tayo bago pa dumating ang susunod na problemang kailangan nating harapin,” he added.

tourists, business travelers and new immigrants.”

“Roughly 3 billion people, or 39 percent, live in countries with borders completely closed to noncitizens and nonresidents,” added Pew Research Center on the analysis of border closure and the United Nations population data.

Meñez added that repatriation is also hampered by the lack of Philippine embassies, or consulates, in all the places where Filipinos are found. “This presents an added complication to repatriation efforts,” he said.

However, Meñez said, the government remains fully committed to repatriating all Filipinos who wish to return home.

Meñez said Covid-19 restrictions present a challenge in communication and coordination with the Filipino community with authorities.

He cited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where some 600,000 Filipinos are served by two posts that have been repatriating distressed Filipinos even before Covid-19 began.

“Each country presents unique conditions that we must assess and prioritize as well,” Meñez pointed out.

The DFA had advised overseas Filipinos in the Middle East, where

the DFA has received many queries, who wish to return home “to contact our consulate in Dubai to register their desire to come home as soon as possible.”

Meñez said if there are no commercial flights available, and there are enough Filipinos enlisted, the DFA would try to arrange chartered flights, assuring the overseas workers that “the DFA is working 24/7 to bring everyone home despite the challenges being faced.”

A side f rom t he 20,0 0 0 to 25,000 Filipinos wishing to return home, some 7,500 more are cocooned in cruise ships in Manila Bay since April, waiting to be cleared by the Bureau of Quarantine and the Red Cross.

“This is evident as seen by our continuing efforts that have resulted in over 27,000 Filipinos arriving through Metro Manila since February 2020. Unfortunately, there are several considerations that hamper the immediate return of all who have decided to come home,” the DFA said.

Allow more UAE flights–Gordon

PHILIPPINE Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sen. Richard J. Gordon has proposed to allow more passenger flights carrying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the United Arab Emirates, stressing that most of them are already unemployed and stranded there for months.

Empathizing with the plight of hundreds of OFWs, Gordon, in a letter, requested the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to propose opening the airports in Clark, Subic and Mactan to be able to accommodate more flights carrying OFWs. “I’m aware that we have to take precautions, but I think it would not be a problem, if we allow more flights to come in and distribute

them to other airports such as Clark, Subic and Mactan,” the PRC chairman said in a letter to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., IATF’s chief implementer and his deputy, Vivencio Dizon, who is also president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

He pointed out that while the need for precautions prompted the government to impose a limitation of 400 arrivals a day at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport due to the coronavirus disease 2019 or Covid-19 pandemic, the predicament of the OFWs should also be taken into consideration and their suffering should be alleviated.

Gordon assured that diverting flights to the airports in Clark, Subic and Mactan would pose little risk to efforts to combat the spread of the disease since PRC testing centers will be operational within the week in the said areas. They have hotel accomodation capabilities as well.

“I’m sure your prompt action would be greatly appreciated by our kababayan in the Middle East whose suffering would be alleviated because they will be able to come home to their families. It must be very hard, being stranded and jobless in a foreign land, far away from your loved ones and unsure of where to get money for your next meal and other daily needs. I have also received e-mails pleading for help about their situation,” he stressed.

The Philippine Embassy in the UAE earlier wrote to the IATF seeking assistance for the hundreds of OFWs who are unable to return to Manila. They have been stranded because Emirates and Etihad airlines canceled several repatriation flights from Dubai to Manila after airports in the Philippines were temporarily closed to passenger flights due to the pandemic.

BRP ‘Jose Rizal,’ PHL’s first brand-new frigate sails home

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

T

HE first of the two South Korean-built frigates for the Philippine Navy is already on its way home where it will be christened into service as BRP Jose Rizal (FF 150), even as the military reasserted the country’s ownership of the Pag-asa Island by docking for the first time a military ship in the area being disputed by China.

The entry into service of the newly built warship is expected to provide additional muscle to the country’s sea force, which, along with the military’s major armed services, is coping with security challenges in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) brought by Beijing’s assertive claims characterized by instances of harassments.

The voyage of the country’s first brand-new frigate was announced by the Navy following the sail off ceremony held at the shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in Ulsan, South Korea, on Monday, which was attended by officials from both countries.

HHI was contracted by the military through the Department of National Defense to build the two frigates at a cost of P15.7 billion. The deal was earlier rocked by controversy following the decision of defense officials led by Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana to agree to an alleged inferior combat management systems (CMS) for the two warships.

Navy officials previously recommended and even pushed for a more advanced CMS, considered as the brains of any military ship, but HHI went for the CMS built by fellow South Korean company Hanwha Systems, a move that was not challenged

by Lorenzana and other defense of-

ficials despite the objections of the Navy leadership then under Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado.

A news statement from the Navy said that during the sail off ceremony, representatives from HHI and Hanwha Systems also donated Covid-19 relief supplies for the Navy which were received by Defense and Armed Forces Attaché to Republic of Korea, Capt. Armil M. Angeles.

The frigate is expected to arrive at the anchorage area in Subic, Zambales, on May 23 wherein its crew will undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine before the warship’s technical inspection and “low-key” acceptance ceremony.

Navy public affairs office chief Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas said the arrival of the frigate will give the Navy its “first ever” multimission ship capable of conducting anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and electronic warfare operations.

With a maximum designed speed of 25 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots and a range of 4,500 nautical miles, the frigate has successfully undergone sea trials and sea acceptance test before it began sailing for the country.

Roxas said the first of the two frigates contracted under HHI was supposed to be delivered by the third or fourth week of April this year, but it was extended due to travel restrictions amid the pandemic.

The second frigate, to be christened BRP Antonio Luna (FF 151), is expected to be delivered by end of this year.

At the Pag-asa Island in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), the Naval Forces West (NFW) under Commodore Renato David, docked the BRP Ivatan and physically reasserted the country’s ownership of the island,

which is part of the West Philippine Sea that China is disputing.

The Navy’s vessel berthed at the newly constructed port in the island on May 13, according to the NFW’s public affairs officer Lt. Maivi Neri.

Neri said the Ivatan was the first military vessel to dock in the island, and it was made in connection with the NFW’s troop rotation and reprovisioning mission (RORE) for the military’s different detachments in the West Philippine Sea. “Said vessel already arrived at Puerto Princesa City early morning of May 17, 2020, after weeks of traversing the West Philippine Sea for troops’ RORE at the different KIG detachments which also include Rizal Reef Detachment [RRD], Lawak and Patag Islands,” Neri said.

Blessing of new Covid trucks

THE Philippine Army has put into service 50 newly acquired troop carrier trucks procured under the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (RAFPMP).

Army spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala said the 50 trucks, designated as KM250, will augment the Army’s existing mobility assets and were temporarily issued to the Army Support Command (ASCOM) to further increase its mobility readiness and to be utilized in the operations against the Covid-19 pandemic.

“KM250s, along with their other counterparts, have become synonymous to the Army’s sustainment operations. These 2 1/2 ton-workhorses are all over the country” in internal security operations, development efforts, reliefs, partnerships, and now in our pandemic operations, said Army chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay during the blessing.

A4 Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Survey: Govt should provide shuttle service for workers during MECQ

T

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

HE government could not simply rely on the private sector to ferry workers between their workplaces and homes, as it would be costly too for the drivers and operators, as well as businesses, which may just as well close shop due to high costs of operations.

This was the conclusion of a survey conducted by Publicus Asia Inc., whose research showed that 89 percent of Metro Manila residents approve of “governmentcontrolled transportation services during the quarantine.”

The modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), a more lenient lockdown, allowed certain industries to resume operations, but public transportation is still banned. Instead of providing public transportation modes for workers to report to work, the government is encouraging employers to provide shuttle services to their employees.

“The lack of public transportation options during the MECQ will make it difficult for workers to report to their physical places of employment unless they own a car, or motorcycle. This would defeat the purpose of reopening certain

sectors of the economy in the first place,” Publicus Executive Director Aureli C. Sinsuat said.

He noted that the government should provide government-controlled buses or shuttle services to help businesses and employees resume to their operations.

“The idea of providing government-controlled transportation during the quarantine is a popular one among our Metro Manila panelists.

It also makes sense from a policy perspective. Government-operated buses and shuttles would give workers critical access to transportation and allow authorities to strictly enforce physical distancing and other health measures onboard,” he said.

Sen. Ralph G. Recto added that the government should assist their transition to the new normal.

“Their crucial role entitles them a place in front of the line for the

A SMALL fleet of electric jeepneys were deployed by the Department of Transportation to ferry frontline health workers from Alabang Starmall to Ospital ng Muntinlupa, Asian Hospital and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa. Muntinlupa is one of the areas still under modified enhanced community quarantine. ROY DOMINGO

stimulus fund. After all, what they get from the government will not be for their personal consumption, but to retool the vehicles for the riding public’s safety,” he said.

Recto explained that the private sector cannot simply absorb the impact of Covid-19 and the lockdowns, as it would be too expensive for businesses—including public transport operators and drivers—to thrive.

“Any semblance of normalcy requires us to move people and products around safely. Absent this, is a picture of an economy at a standstill,” he said.

Sinsuat and Recto both agreed

that the government should put prime importance to people mover initiatives, given that without public transport, people will be forced to stop reporting to work, as they have no means to do so.

“It is doubtful that the private sector will be able to serve 100 percent of the demand of their employees for home-to-work shuttles.

This is why the government should seriously consider stepping in if they want the shift to MECQ and partial reopening of the NCR [National Capital Region] economy to succeed,” Sinsuat added.

Initial results of a study conducted

by PhilCare, a health-care service provider, showed 60 percent of Filipinos are still not comfortable going to work despite the over two months of community quarantine in many parts of the country.

Workers argued that they have the right to refuse to work under Section 6 of Republic Act 11058, or the Occupational Standards and Health Act, given that the government has yet to do mass testing to identify Covid-19 carriers.

Labor groups have also blasted the government for its apparent lack of intent of providing mobility solutions to workers.

Pandemic drags down demand Fintech firm pushes wider commuter for raw sugar by 10.26 percent use of cashless payment of taxi fares to 1.279 MMT, SRA data show

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

T

HE country’s raw sugar output as of April 26, 2020, has declined by 5.08 percent to 1.901 million metric tons from 2.03 MMT recorded volume in the same period of last year, latest Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) data showed.

Preliminary SRA data showed that total sugarcane milled from August 1 to April 26 of the current crop year 20192020 fell by 1.53 percent to 20.764 MMT from 21.088 MMT last year.

Likewise, total demand for raw sugar during the reference period declined 10.26 percent to 1.279 MMT from 1.425 MMT, SRA data showed.

Industry players earlier attributed the decline in sugar demand due to shutdown of the hotel, restaurant and institutional sector coupled by trade disruptions due to lockdowns imposed to prevent spread of Covid-19.

Refined sugar output from September 1 to April 26 declined 5.72 percent to 674,690.65 MT from 715,646 MT, while demand for refined sugar fell 14.23 percent to 680,203.25 MT, based on SRA data.

SRA data showed average mill-site price of sugar has remained relatively flat from previous year at P1,501.98 per 50-kilogram bag from P1,487.24 per 50-kilogram bag in the same period of last year.

The country’s raw sugar output could fall to 2.025 MMT, the lowest level in

nearly a decade, as El Niño and rains battered plantations in key sugar-producing areas in the Philippines.

Erratic weather has been the Achilles heel of the sugar sector in recent years. Sugar output declined for two consecutive crop years (CY) after the Philippines produced a record-high 2.5 MMT in CY 2016-2017.

Based on government documents obtained by the BusinessMirror in March, SRA estimates indicated that sugar output in CY 2019-2020 may be slightly lower from the previous crop year’s 2.072 MMT. The projected output is the lowest since CY 2009-2010, when it fell to 1.97 MMT due to the ill effects of El Niño, based on historical data from the SRA. Industry stakeholders attributed the possible decline in the current CY’s output to adverse weather conditions and the contraction in lands planted with sugarcane. SR A figures showed that total sugarcane areas is at 406,490 hectares, slightly lower than the previous crop year’s 409,714 hectares.

In April, a Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report projected that the country’s sugar output in the next crop year may fall to an 11-year low of 2 MMT as sugarcane areas continue to shrink due to land conversion.

The GAIN report said the projected output is relatively flat with the estimated production of 2.025 MMT in the current CY 2019-2020.

A

FTER the government decided on implementing new measures on transportation, including the use of contactless solutions for fare transactions, financial technology player GCash has stepped up to collaborate with taxi operators to allow the riding public to pay for their metered fares via their mobile wallets.

GCash said it will “empower” taxi drivers to accept digital payments through its scan-to-pay via QR solution, which only requires users to scan the unique code of the taxi unit they are riding to pay for their fares.

It is also offering taxi operators its enterprise solution called GCash PowerPay+, which is a disbursement facility for salaries, allowances and commissions.

“GCash strongly supports the government’s call for the use of mobile payments to lessen the risk of spreading Covid-19 through surfaces such as paper money,” GCash Head of Payments Jovitt Bajar said.

Bajar explained that aside from reducing the security risks in cash handling, GCash’s payments and disbursement facilities are more transparent, while it also promotes accountability. He further noted that using cashless solutions for transactions are “safer than cash,” especially since paper money may retain viruses and bacteria on their surfaces for a period of time.

To recall, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued on Friday Memorandum Circular (MC) 2020-018, allowing the resumption of taxi operations in areas under the general community quarantine (GCQ). They were also required to accept digital payments to promote cashless transactions.

Bajar noted that collaborating with taxi operators will further promote financial inclusion in the Philippines, where only 3 out of 10 adults are considered banked. He explained that through GCash, drivers now have access to fi-

nancial tools, such as savings, credit, insurance and even investments.

“The implementation of cashless transactions for transportation in the new normal promotes greater accountability, transparency and efficiency. It also allows drivers to participate in the financial landscape through financial technology.

As a strong government partner, GCash fully supports this initiative and we are more than willing to pour in more support to other government endeavors,” he said.

Busted

IN a related development, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested three suspects in Quezon City for alleged violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act and estafa after they reportedly swindled money from their victims, whose identities were also stolen. The arrests were made possible with the assistance of GCash, a leading mobile wallet in the Philippines.

Law enforcers nabbed suspects Joselito Floresca, Antonino Guevarra, and Henry Lachica for allegedly stealing money from a number of individuals. The three suspects pretended to be GCash, Grab, Lalamove, or Mr. Speedy employees. They convinced their victims that their accounts were compromised and pretended to assist them in fixing their accounts.

They asked their victims of their personal details, including the account number, mobile personal identification number (MPIN), one-time password (OTP), authentication code, birthday and e-mail addresses. Believing they are for real, the victims gave the details needed to gain access to their accounts.

Criminal charges will be filed against the suspects for violating Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and Republic Act 315 (Swindling) of the Revised Penal Code.

Lorenz S. Marasigan

ADBI blog blames lockdowns for dip in global oil prices

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

T

HE lockdowns imposed on various countries due to the pandemic is one of the biggest reasons for the decline in oil prices, according to the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI).

In an ADBI Asia Pathways blog, Japan-based Associate Professor for economics Farhad TaghizadehHesary said the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) reduced the oil consumption of major countries, such as the United States, the European Union, People’s Republic of China, and Japan, which caused prices to plummet.

As a result, Taghizadeh-Hesary said, this will lead to lower government budgets of oil-producing countries, such as Azerbaijan, Brunei Darussalam, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Oman, Qatar, Nigeria and Venezuela.

“This will have negative impacts on the development plans of these economies and, most importantly, in the current timing, for providing sufficient government funding to the health-care sector for fighting Covid-19,” Taghizadeh-Hesary said.

He added that economies whose exports depend on fuel commodities, including natural gas and coal, as well as oil and oil products, will also be negatively affected.

Taghizadeh-Hesary said that almost 30 percent of Indonesia’s exports and 20 percent of Malaysia’s exports depend on fuel commodities.

As such, he said, these governments also face lower tax revenue in the current low oil price era.

Taghizadeh-Hesary noted that demand is expected to fall by a record 9.3 million barrels per day (mbd) year-on-year in 2020.

He added that the International Energy Agency said that for the second quarter of 2020, demand is expected to be 23.1 mbd below the previous year’s levels.

“It is unclear to what degree low oil prices will act as a benefit to consumers amidst the coronavirus fallout because there is just not enough demand,” TaghizadehHesary said.

With oil-producing countries facing declining revenues, Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development (ACERD) Director Alvin P. Ang and Institute for Migration and Development Issues (IMDI) Executive Director Jeremaiah M. Opiniano estimated around 300,000 to 400,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will be laid off or suffer pay-cuts due to the pandemic.

Most of the country’s OFWs are located in oil-producing nations.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that 1 in 4 OFWs are working in oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

PSA said OFWs who worked in United Arab Emirates comprised 15.7 percent. Hong Kong (6.3 percent),Kuwait (5.7 percent),Taiwan (5.5 percent) and Qatar (5.2 percent) were the other popular destinations of OFWs. Given the expected job cuts, Ang and Opiniano said this will likely cut the remittances from OFWs by 10 to 20 percent, or as much as $3 billion to $6 billion, “the steepest decline in remittances in Philippine migration history.”

This means remittances could only reach $24 billion to $27 billion this year from $30 billion in 2019.

DOTr aims to complete MRT 3 rail replacement work by Sept., or six months ahead of schedule

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HE government aims to complete the rail replacement work at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) by September, a good six months ahead of its original target, as its temporary closure due to the lockdown of Metro Manila had provided contractors a leeway to work even during commercial hours.

“We are working hard to deploy the new rails. Our contractors told us that we are on time. In fact, when we last met, they said that they will pursue a September delivery of the project, ahead of the February 2021 scheduled completion date,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said.

Rail replacement works were previously done between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. only, or during the non-operating hours. Since resumption of rail replacement works was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) last April 6, working hours were extended from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.

“We are focused on quickly deliver-

ing this project so that the riding public can benefit from this,” Tugade said.

Currently, 36,540 linear meters out of 65,892 linear meters of rail have been replaced. This represents 55.45 percent of the total rails to be replaced.

After completion of rail replacement activities, the MRT 3 will also

conduct a system check in October.

This is to test the alignment of tracks, the overhead catenary system, and the signaling and communications systems of the mainline.

Should all these be completed, the railway will gradually increase its speed from the current 30 kilometers per hour. Increments of 10 kph will

be implemented starting October to December, when the system should be running at its original speed of 60 kph.

Increasing the speed also translates to shorter headway, the waiting time in between trains. Headway is expected to be cut from 8.5 minutes to 3.5 minutes. Lorenz S. Marasigan

Editor: Angel R. Calso

The World BusinessMirror

Reports: World economy faces tough journey back from crisis

W

ASHINGTON—The world economy likely faces a long slog back from the coronavirus crisis.

Two reports out on Monday predict that global growth will struggle to bounce back from the lockdowns, travel restrictions and business closures meant to contain the pandemic.

IHS Markit said that it expects the world economy to shrink 5.5 percent this year, triple the damage it sustained in the 2008 financial crisis, and then struggle to regain traction.

“While growth in the hardest hit economies may snap back briefly, the momentum will soon fade,’’ the financial research firm warned. It expects the US economy to contract 7.3 percent this year and the collective economy of the 19 European countries that share the euro currency to recoil 8.6 percent.

Hobbling the rebound, IHS predicts, will be a wave of business bankruptcies and cautious spending by consumers trying to repair their household finances and uneasy about resuming old habits that drive economic growth—shopping, eating out, booking vacations and going to movies.

“Government leaders wanted to err on the side of caution, and, as a result, we basically shut down large parts of the economy,” said

Sara Johnson, executive director at IHS Markit.

“I suspect we overdid it, but it’s perhaps too soon to second guess.’’

L i ke w i s e , D e u t s c h e B a n k We a l t h Management warned on Monday that a “hoped-for’’ rebound in the second half of 2020 won’t be strong enough to undo the damage absorbed in the first, at least among the advanced economies of the United States, Europe and Japan. “We don’t expect developed economies output to be back to pre-crisis levels until 2022,’’ the report said.

Eco n o m i e s n o r m a l l y b o u n ce b a c k rapidly—registering so-called V-shaped recoveries—from sudden shocks such as natural disasters. But Deutsche Bank notes that the virus is different: Recovering from the pandemic won’t require any of the growth-stimulating rebuilding that follows earthquakes and typhoons.

Many economists say any recovery is likely to be subdued until the virus has been tamed by a vaccine or effective treatments.

“I don’t believe you can have a credible economic recovery or a V-shaped recovery unless you have the pandemic really largely under control,’’ said Jacob Kirkegaard, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. AP

Heavy smoking blamed for Indonesia’s 6.6% coronavirus death rate

I

n a country with one of the developing world’s worst Covid-19 fatality rates, public health experts see a link between the new coronavirus and an old hazard: tobacco.

While smoking has been declining globally, in Indonesia it’s still common—and growing—and public health experts argue it’s no coincidence that many of the 18,000-plus coronavirus patients in the vast island nation have died. The fatality rate in the country is about 6.6 percent.

“Many of the fatalities from this coronavirus disease were contributed by the poor health of the patients’ lungs, which were mostly because they are smokers,” said Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia.

“The fact that Indonesia has such a high tobacco consumption is not helping us in this fight.”

Nearly two-thirds of Indonesian males 15 and older smoke, and with its large population, the country has been one of the tobacco industry’s last big growth markets. Now, as the coronavirus death toll mounts, Indonesia illustrates the dangers of a permissive public health approach to smoking—and a reliance on tobacco industry tax revenue—amid the outbreak of a virus that turns especially deadly when it reaches the lungs.

The US Food and Drug Administration said in April that smoking makes people more susceptible to coronavirus, and the World Health Organization has said that the effects of coronavirus hit smokers harder. “A review of studies by public health experts convened

by WHO on April 29, 2020 found that smokers are more likely to develop severe disease with Covid-19, compared to non-smokers,” it said in a statement.

The link isn’t entirely straightforward. In Greece, the only country where smoking is more prevalent than Indonesia, the coronavirus outbreak has been relatively mild, with fewer than 3,000 cases, though nearly 6 percent of patients have died. In Germany, where smoking is also prevalent, the rate of coronavirus fatality is a relatively low 4.5 percent, suggesting the difference a robust health-care system can make. French scientists are looking at whether nicotine—or, in medical applications, nicotine substitutes—might offer some protection against the virus.

In Indonesia, smoking is only one of several factors that contribute to poor health, pulmonary and otherwise. Air quality in the capital city of Jakarta is poor. Not everyone has access to quality medical care. And the Covid-19 fatality rate is, as of now, really just an educated guess: only a small number of Indonesians have been tested for the virus, out of a total population of more than 270 million.

Still, the government has made scant efforts to discourage tobacco use, and a pack of cigarettes can be bought for as little as $1. In January, the government raised the excise tax on cigarettes, and four months later agreed to delay tax collection from the tobacco companies as part of an economic stimulus package. AP

B

Macron said the proposal was a way “to make Europe move forward.”

“We must draw all lessons from this pandemic,” he said, insisting on the need for “solidarity” between EU member-states.

Macron acknowledged that a French- Ger man dea l a lone “doesn’t mean an agreement from the 27.” The EU’s executive Commission would make its own proposal to EU member-states and “we hope that the French-German deal will help,” he said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the proposal. “It acknowledges the scope and the size of the economic challenge that Europe faces, and rightly puts the emphasis on the need to work on a solution with the European budget at its core,” she said.

There has been concern in European capitals that the pandemic and the bloc’s initial uncoordinated response to it could boost antiEU sentiment in member-states.

Merkel said it was important to ensure that all EU countries could

A5

WHO bows to calls from countries for independent coronavirus probe

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ENEVA—The World Health Organization bowed to calls on Monday from most of its member-states to launch an independent probe into how it managed the international response to the coronavirus, which has been clouded by finger-pointing between the US and China over a pandemic that has killed over 300,000 people and leveled the global economy.

T he “comprehensive evaluation,” sought by a coalition of A fr ican, European and other countries, is intended to review “lessons learned” from WHO’s coordination of the global response to Covid-19, but would stop short of looking into contentious issues such as the origins of the new coronavirus. US President Donald Trump has claimed he has proof suggesting the coronavirus originated in a lab in China while the scientific community has insisted all evidence to date shows the virus likely jumped into humans from animals.

In Washington on Monday, Trump faulted WHO for having done “a very sad job” and said he was considering whether to cut the annual US funding from $450 million a year to $40 million.

“They gave us a lot of bad advice, terrible advice,” he said. “They were wrong so much, always on the side of China.”

Later on Monday, Trump tweeted a letter he had sent WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In the letter, Trump said “the only way forward” is if WHO “can actually demonstrate independence from China.”

Trump said that unless WHO commits to “substantive improvements over the next 30 days,” he will make a temporary suspension of US funding permanent.

WHO’s normally bureaucratic annual assembly this week has been overshadowed by mutual recriminations and political sniping between the US and China. Trump

has repeatedly attacked WHO, claiming that it helped China conceal the extent of the coronavirus pandemic in its early stages. Several Republican lawmakers have called on Tedros to resign.

US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Monday it was time to be frank about why Covid-19 has “spun out of control.”

“There was a failure by this organization to obtain the information that the world needed and that failure cost many lives,” Azar said. Speaking hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China would provide $2 billion to help respond to the outbreak and its economic fallout, Azar said the US had allocated $9 billion to coronavirus containment efforts around the world.

Tedros said he would launch an independent evaluation of WHO’s response “at the earliest appropriate moment”—alluding to findings published on Monday in a first report by an oversight advisory body commissioned to look into WHO’s response.

The 11-page report raised questions such as whether WHO’s warning system for alerting the world to outbreaks is adequate, and suggested member-states might need to “reassess” WHO’s role in providing travel advice to countries.

In his opening remarks at the WHO meeting, Tedros held firm and sought to focus on the bigger troubles posed by the outbreak, saying “we have been humbled by

Germany, France propose virus recovery fund for EU economy

ER LIN—T he leaders of Ger many and France agreed on Monday on a one-off €500 billion ($543 billion) fund to help the European Union recover from the coronavirus pandemic, a proposal that would add further cash to an arsenal of financial measures the bloc is readying to cope with the outbreak ’s economic fallout.

Following a video call, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said the plan would involve the European Union borrowing money in financial markets to help sectors and regions that are particularly affected by the pandemic.

Crucially, the money would be disbursed in the form of grants rather than loans, with repayments made from the EU budget, an unprecedented proposal that overcomes long-standing objections in Berlin to the notion of collective borrowing.

“Because of the unusual nature of the crisis we are choosing an unusual path,” Merkel told reporters following the joint announcement.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

respond to the economic challenge “and that requires this unusual, one-off effort that Germany and France are now prepared to take.” “ The goal is for Europe to emerge from the crisis stronger,” she said.

National parliaments will have their say on the proposal, which is also likely to run into strong resistance from fiscal hawks in the bloc.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said his country remained opposed to the idea of grants.

“Our position remains unchanged,” Kurz wrote on Twitter. “We are ready to help most affected countries with loans. We expect the updated (EU’s sevenyear budget framework) to reflect the new priorities rather than raising the ceiling.”

Dutch Finance Ministry spokesman Jaap Oosterveer said the ministry was studying the plan and had no immediate comment.

Merkel expressed cautious optimism, however, that the agreement between Berlin and Paris would win widespread support.

“I believe that if Germany and

France send a signal, that’s something which encourages the quest for consensus in Europe,” she said.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte called the proposal “a first, important step in the direction hoped for by Italy.”

But Conte added in his Facebook post on Monday evening: “To overcome the crisis and to help businesses and families, the #RecoveryFund needs to be broadened.”

He described himself as “confident of an ambitious proposal by @EU_ Commission.”

So far, EU countries engage in only limited common borrowing, for instance through the European Investment Bank and the union’s bailout fund for crisis-hit governments, the European Stability Mechanism, but require eventual repayment by member states.

By using the financial clout of the whole bloc, bondholders get a high degree of certainty they will be paid back, meaning the EU can borrow on more favorable terms than individual member states, though at the price of collective liability. AP

In this February 24, file photo, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization, addresses a press conference about the update on Covid-19 at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The European Union is calling for an independent evaluation of the World Health Organization’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, “to review experience gained and lessons learned.” Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP

this very small microbe.”

“This contagion exposes the fault lines, inequalities, injustices and contradictions of our modern world,” Tedros said. “And geopolitical divisions have been thrown into sharp relief.”

China, meanwhile, sought to divert attention to its renewed efforts to slow the coronavirus pandemic, with Xi announcing the $2 billion outlay over two years to fight it. Last year, China donated about $86 million to WHO. US National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot characterized China’s newly announced contribution as “a token to distract from calls from a growing number of nations demanding accountability for the Chinese government’s failure to meet its obligations.”

He said that since China was “the source” of the outbreak, it had “a special responsibility to pay more and give more.”

Xi insisted that China had acted with “openness, transparency and responsibility” when the epidemic was detected in Wuhan. He said China had given all relevant outbreak data to WHO and other countries, including the virus’s genetic sequence, “in a most timely fashion.”

Xi said that in recent weeks, China has dispatched medical supplies to more than 50 African countries and that 46 Chinese medical teams were currently on the continent helping local officials.

Other world leaders including the presidents of France, South Korea and South Africa and Germany’s chancellor also piped in to throw their support to the WHO, which has been put on the defensive from a Trump administration that has blamed it for mishandling

the outbreak and showering excessive praise on China’s response.

The European Union and others staked out a middle ground.

The Trump administration has claimed that WHO criticized a US travel ban that Trump ordered on people arriving from China.

Trump ordered a temporary suspension of funding for WHO from the United States—the health agency’s biggest single donor—pending a review of its early response. The advisory body, echoing comments from many countries, said such a review during the “heat of the response” could hurt WHO’s ability to respond to it.

Xi said China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to Covid-19 and that it should be “based on science and professionalism led by WHO, and conducted in an objective and impartial manner.”

Tedros emphasized that WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency on Jan. 30, its highest level of alert, at a time when there were fewer than 100 cases outside of China.

In the following weeks, WHO warned countries there was a narrowing “window of opportunity” to prevent the virus from spreading globally.

During the first few months of the outbreak, WHO officials repeatedly described the virus’s spread as “limited” and said it wasn’t as transmissible as flu; experts have since said Covid-19 spreads even faster. It declared the outbreak to be a pandemic on March 11, after the virus had killed thousands globally and sparked large epidemics in South Korea, Italy, Iran and elsewhere. AP

A6 Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Can TV and radio replace classrooms?

C

lassrooms in many areas in Luzon are currently empty, as the Philippines is grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic, which can only be defeated by physical distancing. While children and teenagers are reportedly less affected by Covid-19, they must stay away from their schools for now as they could carry the virus that causes the disease to their homes. They have been away from their schools since March 17, when government implemented the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon to contain the spread of the disease.

The Department of Education has announced that classes will start on August 24, but it is exploring other options to limit face-to-face interaction to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 cases. DepEd said in a statement it issued on May 11 that even in areas where schools will be allowed to open, physical distancing will still be required. This means that schools will have to combine face-to-face learning with distance learning.

The big challenge for the DepEd is not just to ensure the health and continued education of children during the pandemic, but also to prevent Covid-19 from deepening the divide or inequality between rich and poor kids. Given the uncertainties created by Covid-19 and the lack of a vaccine, we urge the government to explore extensively the adoption of other learning modalities, such as the use of television and radio. This will serve the purpose of delivering educational materials to those in remote areas while we await improvements in Internet connectivity.

To reach students in far-flung areas, government should upgrade the capability of public TV and radio stations by investing in equipment, such as transmitters. Public school teachers must be trained to provide education via distance learning. Expanding distance learning also entails fast-tracking efforts to provide free Wi-Fi in other areas, as mandated

by Republic Act (RA) 10929.

Enacted in 2017, RA 10929 includes public basic education institutions and state universities and colleges as well as Technical Education and Skills Development Authority technology institutions in the coverage of the free Internet access program. However, Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian noted that the Department of Information and Communications Technology has fallen short of its target of adding 5,308 sites in 1,500 cities. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education Arts and Culture, said the list provided in the DICT web site indicated that there are only 3,707 live sites for the free Wi-Fi for all hotspots in public places.

This backlog will present huge challenges to government efforts to shift to online learning during a public health crisis. And it will be difficult to erase this backlog and retool public school teachers by August given the restrictions to mobility. What compounds the problem for public educators is the fact that they do not have the necessary equipment, such as laptops, that will allow them to teach online.

We support Senator Gatchalian’s call to conduct an inquiry into the implementation of RA 10929 to find out how we can improve and move forward. In revisiting the law, we hope policy-makers will remember the lessons from this Covid-19 pandemic. In preparing the Philippines for the future, it would do well for policy-makers to keep in mind the disruption caused by an organism that is invisible to the naked eye.

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SSS, moving toward checkless benefit disbursements Aurora C. Ignacio

All About Social Security

A

few years back, issuance of checks is the most popular mode of benefit disbursements in Social Security System (SSS), whether for sickness, maternity, disability, retirement, death and funeral benefits. This also include salary loan and calamity loan checks, among others. However, members encountered several problems in getting their short and long-term benefits such as delayed and nonreceipt of checks due to insufficient or unlocated addresses, lost checks, encashment difficulties due to invalid and/or erroneous information in members’ available valid ID cards, truncated names of member-borrowers on benefit and salary loan checks, etc.

Instead of immediately enjoying their cash benefits from SSS, members are easily stressed out in getting their benefit checks or waiting for long periods of time for check replacements. With these kinds of problems, SSS has finally resolved

members’ difficulties by partnering with various participating financial institutions through banks and checkless disbursements.

Back in 2015, SSS initiated a program called Sickness and Maternity Benefits Payment-thru-the-Bank

Back in 2015, SSS initiated a program called Sickness and Maternity Benefits Paymentthru-the-Bank Program (SMB-PB) to ease the benefit disbursement process and ensure timely receipt of SSS benefits, which are now being disbursed through members’ chosen SSS-accredited partner banks.

Program (SMB-PB) to ease the benefit disbursement process and ensure timely receipt of SSS benefits, which are now being disbursed through members’ chosen SSS-accredited partner banks. This program is mandatory to all members, whether they are self-employed, voluntary or overseas Filipino worker (OFW) whose approved amount of benefit is more than P1,000 and address is within 30 kilometers to the nearest SSS-accredited banks.

Under this scheme, employers should enroll in the SMB-PB by

Work from home is fine...for now

By Conor Sen | Bloomberg Opinion

T

here are reasons to be optimistic about corporate America getting more comfortable with work-from-home arrangements brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Workers gain more flexibility around their working and living arrangements.

Both companies and workers stand to save money by relying less on high-cost real estate. If it results in no loss of productivity, what’s not to like? But as we’ve seen with smartphone and social-media culture, what can start out as an exciting new way of doing things can have negative effects that may only become apparent after wide adoption and long-term use.

The most obvious one is a further encroachment of the workplace on home life. For many professionals in industries such as media, finance and technology, this might not represent much of a change from the status quo. For other types of workers accustomed to a firmer divide between work and other activities, they might be in for a shock; what starts out as optional can quickly become obligatory. Teachers, for instance, are probably not in a hurry to agree to let parents and students request Zoom calls at any hour of the day, seven days a week.

If the ability to work from home becomes a requirement in the hiring process, it raises the question of what types of workers this might leave behind. When high-powered jobs require senior workers to relocate to New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles, workers who are unwilling or unable to make such a move get left out. But a similar version of this filtering process might take place in the case of work-fromhome requirements. Workers have largely organized their lives around

the assumption that they would travel to and work in an office five days a week. If working from home becomes the norm, employees will be expected to have quiet private home-office space, a high-speed Internet connection, secure file cabinets, a computer that is more capable than one needed for casual home use, a scanner and printer and office supplies. For some workers, that could be more of a burden than they faced under the officework paradigm.

More troubling, removing geography as a constraint to employment might level the playing field between American and overseas workers, leading to a new wave of job outsourcing like that affecting manufacturing during the past two decades. A corporate culture that can seamlessly manage engineers working remotely in San Francisco, Austin, Texas, Omaha, Nebraska and Richmond, Virginia, could presumably incorporate engineers working in Romania or India. What’s more, the adoption of remote work could be corporate

If working from home becomes the norm, employees will be expected to have quiet private home-office space, a high-speed Internet connection, secure file cabinets, a computer that is more capable than one needed for casual home use, a scanner and printer and office supplies.

For some workers, that could be more of a burden than they faced under the office-work paradigm.

America’s way to hedge against an intensifying political climate of nationalism and closed borders.

Within organizations there would likely be some employees who are made better off and others who are made worse off. People entering the workforce and starting new jobs have to learn not only new skills but also office decorum, culture and interpersonal norms.

A big part of that involves not just formal training but also observing coworkers and seeing how they act and think. Often, the best mentors are more experienced workers with whom you don’t work directly with or for, but who can offer insight and guidance without either person worrying about creating liabilities or conflicts. But it’s precisely those potential mentors—mainly older workers with experience and perhaps less room or desire for professional advancement—who may be the most tempted to work from home. Without their physical presence in the office, who will younger

submitting the duly accomplished SMB-PB Enrollment Form to the accredited bank where they have an existing account. The concerned bank shall submit the enrollment forms to the SSS. Meanwhile, self-employed, voluntary, and OFW members without single savings/current account shall be given a Letter of Introduction form to be filled-out and submitted to the SSS-accredited banks for the opening of a single savings account/cash card account. Members who wish to use their Unified Multipurpose Identification card as Automated Teller Machine card may also enroll with the selected SSS branches with Union Bank kiosks for account enrollment to the program.

The complete listing of accredited banks can be obtained at the SSS web site and SSS branches nationwide.

Aurora C. Ignacio is SSS president and chief executive officer.

We welcome your questions and insights on the topics that we discuss. E-mail mediaaffairs@sss. gov.ph for topics that you might want us to discuss.

workers learn from, both formally and informally, and how will large, far-flung organizations establish or maintain any consistent kind of culture?

There’s also the question of increased legal liability. As many workplace scandals show, wellpaid financial traders and corporate executives put inappropriate comments into e-mails and text messages all the time, even when they’ve been trained and told not to.

How much more prevalent will these types of problems be if many more workers have even more of their workplace communications, which normally might be face-to-face but are now recorded on Slack, Zoom and other collaboration tools in the less-formal home-office setting?

What we do know is that the initial effects of technology-enabled shifts are relatively easy to determine and predict. For example, in the case of Facebook, it started out as a place to see pictures of and keep up with friends and family. With a shift to work-from-home culture, it’s clear that the obvious advantages are increased flexibility and the potential for cost savings. It’s the secondary effects that can take years to tease out. In the case of Facebook, it was a whole host of issues, from data privacy to fake news to manipulative ads. Even if it’s not clear what those negative secondary effects will be from a broad shift to remote work, it’s inevitable that they’ll occur. What we need to do now is do our best to think them through and address the undesirable ones before they emerge.

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

To give or not to give SAP tranche 2

By Xandra Liza C. Bisenio

H

ow many mothers have been forced to leave their little ones at home, walk far, and stand in long lines for ayuda only to go home empty-handed? How many senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs), despite their frailty and limits, still tried to get support but in vain?

What can government say to people asking: “Paano na kami, ano nang kakainin namin sa susunod? Kung ano-ano nang ginagawa sa itlog—nilalaga, sinisigang, inaadobo” or “Itinutulog na lang ng mga anak ko ang agahan at tanghalian, kasi pang-isang kain na lang ang meron kami.” There are countless, grimmer accounts of such despair.

As of May 16, exactly two months after the lockdown to contain Covid-19, the official count of beneficiaries that have not received the first tranche of social amelioration was still quite a number—811,193 families or some 4 million people. Even if everyone gets served eventually, the point is that millions of Filipinos were made to wait that long for the much-needed aid to come. Yet the Duterte administration dilly-dallies about distributing the second tranche of the social amelioration program (SAP), as if it is an option to give or not to give.

Those who are in modified enhanced communit y quarantine (MECQ) areas unarguably need continued support from government. The lockdown has caused two months of difficulty in terms of jobs, livelihood and incomes.

But the over 13 million families who now fall in the category of general community quarantine also still need continued support. They were also under lockdown for six to eight weeks and, at best, only got a small amount of support under the first tranche.

Moreover, data as of the exact second month of the lockdown showed that there were even 659,850 households in GCQ areas who have actually not yet received their first tranche. This included 189,467 households in the new GCQ areas.

There should be no question that the second tranche needs to be distributed not just in the remaining MECQ areas but in the GCQ areas as well.

‘Bayanihan’ is explicit about it

The SAP targets 17.7 million beneficiaries. The National Capital Region, Region III except Aurora and Tarlac, Laguna, Mandaue City and Cebu City are under MECQ until the end of the month, covering about 4 million beneficiaries. Erstwhile ECQ areas Benguet, Pangasinan, Calabarzon except Laguna, Iloilo, Cebu, Davao City and Bacolod City now join the rest of the country under GCQ—bringing the number of SAP beneficiaries in GCQ areas up to 13.7 million.

The usual economic activities can resume in GCQ areas. There are still minimum health requirements such as physical distancing, frequent handwashing, and bodily protection because the battle against the coronavirus continues. MECQ areas, meanwhile, maintain restrictions on mobility outside the home, as well as on nonessential activities.

Malacañang initially announced that only MECQ areas will get the second tranche of social amelioration. Soon after, the President gave orders to not just give it all 18 million families but to actually add 5 million more, earning him additional popularity points. Yet is this really something for the President to give or not give according to how generous he is feeling?

The Bayanihan to Heal as One Law or Republic Act 11469 is actually clear.

Section 4 (c) explicitly states that the government shall “Provide an emergency subsidy to around 18 million low income households: Provided, That the subsidy shall amount to a minimum of P5,000 to a maximum of P8,000 a month for two months.”

Making the people wait

AT the onset of the Bayanihan law, the government promised P250 billion for social amelioration and health response. It acknowledged the huge task of strengthening the country’s health system to contain the corona-

virus and to save lives. It also recognized that the lockdown would result in widespread displacement of jobs and disruption of livelihoods, badly hitting the majority of the country’s low-income households.

Two months later, there is still no consensus among scientists and medical professionals on whether or not the pandemic curve is flattening.

The number of confirmed cases continues to rise, now exceeding 12,700, and also deaths at over 830 already.

Our health workers and frontliners are holding the line as best as they can.

But they are also the first to take the brunt amid a private sector-dominated health system that is itself ailing from a gross lack of equipment, facilities, infrastructure and manpower to deal with the pandemic.

The government owes the health sector a grand boost, in the same way that it owes the people in the GCQ areas the second tranche of SAP.

To what end

IS the administration’s dilly-dallying part of a script where, to be able to give help to now 23 million SAP beneficiaries, the government will now be forced to sell public assets to fund social amelioration? Who is buying—China?

Time and again, Malacañang has said that it doesn’t have enough funds, and that it’s only thanks to the President’s prudence that the government has found money to spend. Still, resources are limited so the people have to wait. Or even sacrifice—social welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista even said that not receiving the second tranche is perhaps actually in the spirit of Bayanihan, in freeing up resources for others.

Yet there are funds that can be tapped without the government selling off its assets. IBON estimates a universe of P3 trillion worth of funds that can be explored and tapped. This includes: realigning “Build, Build, Build” and confidential and intelligence funds; realigning debt service payments by pushing for a debt moratorium, restructuring or even cancellation; and raising new revenues from issuing Covid-19 solidarity bonds and higher income taxes and wealth taxes on the super-rich.

This would indeed mean a big shift for the Duterte administration whose economic managers already have their minds set on a recovery program that pushes instead of thwarts those business-biased measures, for example, big-ticket infrastructure, tied debts, lower corporate income taxes, and tax incentives for investors. But there should be no second thoughts either about doing everything necessary to help the people survive the crisis.

Some Metro Manila local government units (LGUs) did not make people trapped in the lockdown wait for too long. They defied the apparent limitations of the bureaucracy by tapping internal funds to distribute assistance to their constituents early in the ECQ. They combined technology and people’s volunteerism to deliver help as expediently as they could.

The people have been at the center of these LGUs’ emergency relief operations. This does not seem to be the case with the Duterte administration or even its predecessors. Because, if they were, why is our health system still at a loss with Covid-19? Why can’t the government drop everything to make sure that all vulnerable households get the first and second tranche of social amelioration immediately?

Why are more hapless citizens arrested than are tested? Also, why are relief volunteers, community leaders, mobile kitchens, and even journalists—who are merely trying to fill in gaps in emergency assistance—being harassed, arrested, or even killed by law enforcers?

The huge health and economic crisis that the country is facing now can only be hurdled, humanely and effectively, if the people were heeded and not hindered from actively participating.

Ms. Bisenio works for IBON Foundation Inc., an independent development institution established in 1978 that provides research, education, publications, information work and advocacy support on socioeconomic issues.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 A7

The wisdom of the elderly amid Covid-19 Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

MAKE SENSE

A

fter being confined to quarters (home) since March 17, 2020 when the whole of Luzon was declared under enhanced community quarantine by the government’s InterAgency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to prevent the spread of the Covid-19, I was practically counting the few remaining days to the May 15, 2020 ECQ deadline.

I was both excited and worried at the same time that as the ECQ deadline approached, it would be extended again for the third time by the IATF. Who would not be concerned if the ECQ would again be extended, especially for a 77-year-old like me who is still an active advocate, businessman and executive? For me, being restricted from leaving home, except for some essential needs, is practically a torture.

But life has its realities such as, things that are meant to happen, will happen. And extending the ECQ in the National Capital Region for the third time under an adjusted scheme called the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), as

announced prior to the May 15, 2020 ECQ deadline, was one of those realities. I am not complaining about the extension because I know that it is for a good reason. However, I cannot rationalize why the senior citizens would specifically be mentioned as those restricted from leaving home, supposedly for their vulnerabilities to Covid-19.

I am amused, if not confused, why all those aged 60 and above would be treated as susceptible to the virus by the IATF when the country’s 2020 life expectancy at birth is 71. I find it biased, if not discriminatory, to discern all seniors to be weak and defenseless against the virus because of their age.

On the other hand, the wisdom of the elderly is infinite. And wisdom being the quality of having experience, knowledge, good judgment and being wise, the young who willingly listen to the life stories of the elderly learn a lot of lessons from them.

This might even be the reason why President Duterte appointed many senior citizens to his cabinet for their wisdom, loyalty, training and experience. Just as many business conglomerates in the country have senior citizens for their top posts, also for their experience, training, wisdom and tried and tested business decisions.

Thus, depriving the senior citizens of their economic activities amid the Covid-19 pandemic by confining them to their homes during the quarantine period just because they are 60 years old and over would be unfair, if not arbitrary.

Moreover, if top government officials and business executives who are already senior citizens can go anywhere they want to go with their IATF pass, provided they follow the IATF Covid-19 safety protocol, why can’t the other senior citizens who are healthy be allowed as well, to get their economic life back? Why should they be treated differently from senior citizens who are top

officials of the government and business conglomerates?

The MECQ was declared by the IATF for economic reasons. Knowing that after a two-month furlough, the Philippine economy has to start its hard grind to fiscal recovery, certain business sectors have been allowed to reopen under IATF safety protocols.

This should give senior citizens, especially those still active in their business and professional careers, more reason to be allowed to leave their homes to exercise their trade and expertise, if only to help in the government’s economic recovery program.

As the famous proverb says, “What is good for the goose, is good for the gander.” Indeed, if senior citizens holding top positions in the government and the private sector were tapped for their expertise, training and wisdom, the other senior citizens could just as well be productive with their knowledge, patience and sophistication, especially amid the Covid-19 pandemic, where the government needs every help it can get for its economic recovery program.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries and Fight Illicit Trade; a broad-based, multisectoral movement intended to protect consumers, safeguard government revenues and shield legitimate industries from the ill effects of smuggling.

Smashing eggs, dumping milk: Farmers waste more food than ever

By Marvin G. Perez, Michael Hirtzer & Deena Shanker Bloomberg Opinion

F

ood waste is taking on a new meaning in the pandemic era.

Dumped milk in Wisconsin. Smashed eggs in Nigeria. Rotting grapes in India. Buried hogs in Minnesota. These disturbing images have stirred outrage around the world. But here’s the surprising part: the world may not actually be wasting more than normal, when a third of global food production ends up in landfills.

What’s changing now is that rather than being thrown out by consumers as kitchen waste, an unprecedented amount of food is getting dumped even before making it into grocery stores.

Blame the broken supply chains.

Across the globe, production is handled through what’s known as justin-time methods. Output from farms can be shuttled into stores or restaurants within just a few days, and the next batch of crops and livestock is ready to take its place immediately.

When those chains face challenges—as has been the case with trucking, ports, labor crunches, restaurant shutdowns and slowed trade -- there’s a huge backlog of supply that never makes it to stores.

That will likely have devastating consequences on food security. Prices could end up rising further as millions are already suffering financially from the Covid-19 fallout.

“People who can barely afford to feed themselves now will face even more problems,” said Marc Bellemare, a co-editor of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics.

“What worries me is human welfare.”

Before the pandemic, an estimated $1 trillion of food produc-

tion ended up lost or wasted. The great bulk of that came from trash at home—about 40 percent in the US. Now as people deal with fewer trips to the store and concerns over prices, dumping from the kitchen is expected to tumble, countering other losses. Some analysts say total waste could still be “potentially” higher this year, but close to a dozen interviews showed that no one was ready to take a firm stand on that.

“We don’t know whether it’s going to be more or less food waste in total this year, because you cannot underestimate that people are checking their own behavior at home. But I’m very worried about the waste situation when it comes to food security,” said Bellemare, who’s also a professor at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Applied Economics in St. Paul.

World hunger could double. That’s according to a letter last month to world leaders signed by Nestle SA, Unilever NV, Danone SA and PepsiCo Inc. The United Nations has also warned of the risk, with its World Food Program saying the number of people facing acute food insecurity could reach 265 million.

Some groups are already trying to solve the disconnect between food waste and hunger. The US Department of Agriculture, for example, is buying $3 billion worth of surplus American meat, dairy and fresh produce that the agency will then partner with distributors to deliver to food banks and other organizations.

The initiative is known as the “Farmers to Families Food Box Program.”

But it’s hard to say how much of a dent those kinds of measures will make.

All this is happening at a time when food production in many ways has never been greater. Global harvests of rice and wheat—crops that account for about a third of

the world’s calories—are poised to reach all-time highs in the upcoming season. The US, the No. 1 meat exporter, has seen its hog herd balloon to a record while poultry and egg production have also climbed.

But just because food is getting produced, doesn’t mean it’s getting to those who need it. That’s true under normal circumstances, but grows much more acute because of supply-chain disruptions caused by the pandemic.

“A good chunk of the food waste is due to the rigidity of our food system -- highly specialized processing plants” such as dairy facilities that make cheese for restaurants and which can’t redirect ouput toward grocery stores, said Dana Gunders, the executive director of ReFED, a US-based nonprofit focused on reducing food waste.

Take the case of Michael Hill, who has been growing blueberries in central Florida for five years. He and his wife run two farms producing about 700,000 pounds a year, collected between March 20 and May 1. The breakdown in the supply chain meant retailers have placed limited orders, while restaurant shutdowns wiped out another chunk of demand. He had to leave 30 percent to 40 percent of his crop uncollected in the ground, where it will be eaten by birds or rot.

Across the ocean, Adewole Oluwagbenga owns a poultry farm and a fish farm in Nigeria. He’s seen demand drop by about 70 percent because of recent closures for restaurants and bakeries. In a given week that means about 5,000 to 6,000 eggs go unsold.

“Right now, some go bad,” he said.

“We have not really been able to do much about it, and that’s where we have been having discussion on what we can do to begin to preserve. Nobody saw this coming, nobody was

PhilHealth is bound to abide by the law MAIL

T

his is with regards to the article of Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual “Lessen the burden being carriedby OFWs”

published in the BusinessMirror on May 15, 2020.

We fully understand Fr. Pascual’s sentiments relative to the increase in PhilHealth premiums of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

However, allow us to clarify that the increase in premium rates is in accordance with Republic Act 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act. Specific provisions of this law are clear on the rate of premiums for all direct contributors, which include migrant workers. PhilHealth is bound to abide by the law.

Cognizant of the concerns over the new premium rate, we have

explored several possibilities to cushion the impact of the increase through flexible payment terms in the recently published PhilHealth Circular 2020-0014. Such affordable and flexible installment scheme is beneficial to our OFWs whose priority is to secure the health of their families in the country through social health insurance. However, due to this pandemic, we have announced a moratorium in payments for the duration of the crisis, and deferred the collection of premiums from OFWs in compliance with the Bayanihan We Heal as One Act. We would like to assure Fr.

prepared for this.”

For food banks and other nonprofits, the incoming supplies are larger than most groups have the resources to deal with.

Fareshare, the UK’s biggest food waste charity, received 758 metric tons of food in a recent week, more than double what it would get before the virus-lockdown era. The organization redistributes food from suppliers and supermarkets to charities and community groups via its regional distribution centers.

“What you don’t have is a perfect match of what is surplus, what is waste and what the charity sector needs,” said Lindsay Boswell, Fareshare’s chief executive officer. “There are quite a few businesses giving us their food as more people are suddenly more conscious of people going hungry. But if you’re hungry, a pallet of lemons doesn’t help you much.”

Home waste

It’s not all bad news.

Worries over catching the virus means fewer trips to the grocery store and less time spent there. That’s forcing people to become more conscientious food shoppers, according to Jennifer Molidor, a senior food campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity.

That’s likely bringing down food waste at home, and the new habits could show staying power postpandemic.

Consumers are choosing shelfstable items that will last longer, bringing grocery lists to reduce the time they spend in the supermarket and becoming more mindful about their cooking habits. Data from the UK drives this point home—nearly half of respondents in a survey said they are throwing away less food, according to research commissioned by environmental group Hubbub.

Pascual and your readers that PhilHealth is fully committed to giving more meaning to the right to health of every Filipino family. We are committed to putting to good use the hard-earned contributions of our members in the realization of UHC for the benefit of all Filipinos. We continue to assure OFWs and their families in the Philippines of continued service up until their return to the country to retire. Thank you.

(Sgd.) Shirley B. Domingo, MD

Vice President Corporate Affairs Group PhilHealth

A8 Wednesday, May 20, 2020

‘Give ₧100-B aid fund left for covered families now’

S

ENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, calling for Congressional action, reported Tuesday the need to augment the quickly dissipating P1-billion antiCovid fund left in the second phase of aid distribution in so-called general community quarantine (GCQ) areas.

Recto recalled that senators who wrote the provision in the law (Bayanihan to Heal as One Act) providing for over P200 billion in Covid-19 response measures, especially the cash aid to targeted beneficiaries, made it clear the second installment should still be given to beneficiaries “even if their residence has been downgraded to a general quarantine area.”

Recto stressed that records of the plenary debate were clear, “that it should be given in two installments,” and the grant is not linked to the quarantine status of the place. “It didn’t say there that when a quarantine status is downgraded, we abort the grant of scheduled aid,” he added, in a mix of English and Filipino.

The Senate President Pro Tempore, citing official records that some P100 billion or about half of the money for the assistance is still with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), suggested that “this should be released pursuant to law.”

Continued on A2

‘Contact tracing as crucial as testing in war on Covid’

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

M

Correspondent

ASS testing is important, but so is the contact tracing to combat Covid-19, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) stressed on Tuesday.

“We would like to highlight the contract tracing as part of our Covid response. We often say test, test and test but we are doing more

aside from testing,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual media forum for health reporters.

During the forum, Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella attested that extensive contract tracing led to the discovery that 95 percent of the 1,749 Covid-19 patients were asymptomatic. “We have to underscore that contract tracing is a very important component to combat Covid -19,” Labella stressed.

On May 7, Cebu recorded a spike of cases at 200 in one day.

“Here in Cebu City we were able to come up with very effective and extensive contract tracing methods,” Labella said after the cases in the city surged. After the contract tracing, Labella said those who were in close contact with positive

patients were immediately isolated.

“We were able to isolate 95 percent asymptomatic [persons] in our barangay isolation centers as part of our protocol,” he said, adding that their barangay isolation centers can accomodate 3,648 patients.

According to Labella, the successful contact tracing, by personnel from barangay health centers, city health office, DOH regional office and policemen, resulted in a low mortality rate of .091 percent.

The same methods, Labella said, were implemented in Cebu City jail where over 300 people were infected with the coronavirus.

Continued on A2

House drops provisional permit for ABS-CBN T HE leadership of the House of Representatives on Tuesday abandoned its plan to grant the ABS-CBN Corp. a provisional franchise until October 31, 2020.

In a speech, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the lower chamber instead will push through with hearings for the full 25-year renewal application of the ABS-CBN franchise.

EASTERLIES AFFECTING VISAYAS AND MINDANAO as of 4:00 am - May 19, 2020

“Because of all this divisiveness, I, together with the House of Representatives leadership, decided to forego with the provisional franchise and immediately proceed with the hearings for the full 25-year renewal application of the ABS-CBN franchise,” he said.

“Let us direct our committee [on Legislative Franchises] to immediately and continuously hold

hearings until everyone is heard.

And after everyone is heard, then we can decide. Let us give Chairman Chikoy Alvarez and our Committee on Legislative Franchise complete autonomy,” he added.

Cayetano said the hearings to be conducted by the House committee must be fair, impartial, comprehensive, and thorough.

“All voices must be heard and all issues for or against will be discussed,” he said.

With this decision, Cayetano said lawmakers will now have enough time to tackle important bills, including the proposed P568billion Philippine Economic Stimulus Act, that would help the goverment amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I still believe that dedicating all our efforts to defeating Covid-19 and giving our countrymen something to hope for is the right thing to do. And more importantly, this is the right thing to do now,” he added.

“I think people will agree with me today [whether you are for the 25-year franchise or for the shutdown] let us agree that we are going about it the wrong way. I can agree that my way is also wrong. But there has to be a way,” the speaker said.

Cayetano also reiterated that the sudden turnaround of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) from its earlier commitment during a March 10 House hearing to provide a provisional authority allowing ABS-CBN to continue operations has distracted Congress from focusing on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last May 5, the NTC ordered

ABS-CBN to stop the operations of its television and radio stations since the broadcast firm no longer has a franchise. ABS-CBN Convergence’s franchise expired last March 17, 2020, while ABS-CBN Corp.’s franchise ended May 4, 2020.

“Congress relied on the legal precedents, the DOJ opinion, the unanimous support of both houses of Congress and the NTC’s commitment under oath that they will issue a provisional authority,” Cayetano said.

“On that point, let me add that Congress will never allow these agencies to lie and mislead us in their sworn testimonies. If they lie to us, they lie to the people,” he added.

On Monday, the House of Representatives reconsidered the second reading approval of Cayetano’s House Bill 6732 granting the ABSCBN Corp. a provisional franchise to operate until October 31, 2020.

This, after lawmakers expressed different positions on the constitutionality of the second reading approval of the House Bill 6732 on the same day, Wednesday.

Still, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the House’s procedures on the HB 6732 are “constitutional” and “not defective.”

Under Section 24, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution “all appropriation, revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of local application, and private bills shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives.” A franchise bill is considered a local bill. Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

Govt can support 1-M contact tracers–Neda

By Cai U. Ordinario

T

@caiordinario

HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said the government can support as many as a million contact tracers for the next three months.

In a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said currently, the government is looking at employing 136,000 contact tracers.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III added that the Department of Health (DOH) requires 130,000 contact tracers.

“We are ready to support 1 million cash-for-work beneficiaries,” Chua said during the hearing.

Duque said if contact tracers will

be employed for three months and receive a salary of P30,000, this will require a budget of P11.7 billion.

If this computation is applied to the 1 million contact tracers that Chua said the government can support, this will cost about P90 billion.

Earlier, the Department of Finance (DOF) said part of Bayanihan II, which was already part of the existing bills filed in Congress, is the hiring of contract tracers.

Dominguez said through the funds, the government can hire around 300,000 to as many as 500,000 workers. They will undergo training for one to two days.

As contact tracers, Dominguez said, they will be tasked to get information on those people that Covid-19 positive individuals came in contact with in the past two weeks.

Most Pinoys want Church rites back, says survey

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

O

VER 60 percent of Filipinos nationwide want to resume Church masses, according to a new survey of Church-run Radyo Veritas.

However, almost half of the respondents of the latest Veritas Truth Survey(VTS) in Luzon, which still has a troubling number of Covid-19 cases, do not support such resumption.

The VTS survey from May 1 to 15, 2020, showed 62 percent of 1,200 respondents wanted the masses to resume in modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and general community quarantine areas (GCQ) on condition that strict social distancing and hygienic practices are implemented in Churches.

The text-based and online VTS has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

In a statement, VTS sociologists Clifford T. Sorita said this is indicative of the "spiritual hunger" for Church masses, which was suspended in most parts of the country since last March due to the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Twenty-two percent of the respondents said they were undecided, and the remaining 16 percent said they were against it.

Sorita said those who opposed the resumption of masses cited their concern that the religious activities could lead to the spread of Covid-19.

Divided position MOST or 90 percent of the respondents from Visayas back the holding of masses during the Covid-19 crisis.

A similar trend was also observed in Mindanao with 80 percent of the respondents in area backing the resumption of masses.

Respondents from Luzon were the least receptive to the proposal, with only 55 percent of them expressing support for it.

Sorita explained the number of respondents for each of the country's three major islands was "stratified," which meant the areas with the number of participants from each area depends on their population size.

Church officials are currently calling on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to remove the "unreasonable" cap of participants for religious activities in MECQ and modified GCQ (MGCQ) areas.

The IATF only limited the maximum number of participants for religious activities to five—regardless of size of the worship area—in places under MECQ and 10 in areas under modified general community quarantine MGCQ.

Financial impact IN an online article in Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines's (CBCP) online news site, CBCPNews, several Church official admitted that the twomonth suspension of masses has led to the "drastic drop" in the budget of several parishes and dioceses.

Manila Archdiocese Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo said this is particularly challenging for parishes that are currently providing help for the poor, who are affected by Covid-19.

In his diocese, Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos said he and other members of the clergy donated their monthly allowances to help pay for their employed personnel.

For his part, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza said they are currently engaged in cost-cutting measures so they will not resort to retrenching any of their personnel.

To address this, the Council of the Laity of the Philippines appealed to the faithful to continue providing financial support to their respective parishes and dioceses even during the community quarantines.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

B1

SC ignores ABS-CBN plea for TRO against NTC order

T

By Joel San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

HE Supreme Court (SC) has ignored the plea of ABS-CBN Corp. to immediately set aside the cease and desist order (CDO) issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on May 5 following the expiration of the broadcast network’s franchise.

Thus, ABS-CBN cannot yet resume its radio and television broadcast nationwide because the NTC’s CDO remains in effect.

Instead, the Court gave the NTC 10 days to justify its decision to order the broadcasting company’s shutdown.

It wasn’t clear, however, whether the SC would still rule on the prayer of ABS-CBN’s for the TRO once the

NTC submits its comment on the main petition.

SC Spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said: "There was no action yet by the Court on the prayer for the TRO.” “The Court required Respondent NTC to file a comment on the petition of ABS CBN Corporation within a non-extendible period of 10 calendar days from receipt of notice,” the SC said in a resolution unanimously ap-

proved by 14 members of the Court.

The order was issued during yesterday’s virtual en banc session of the justices.

During the session, the magistrates separately impleaded the Senate and the House of Representatives as a party to the case and required them to comment on ABS-CBN’s petition within a non-extendible period of 10 calendar days from receipt of notice.

“The Respondent NTC was also required to file a reply within a nonextendible period of 5 calendar days from personal notice of the said comments of the Senate and House of Representatives,” the SC said.

The Court also denied the motion filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon seeking to consolidate his petition for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) to enjoin the NTC from issuing a provisional authority to operate in favor of ABS-CBN, to the latter’s petition seeking to set aside the CDO issued by the commission.

Last Monday, ABS-CBN begged the SC to grant its urgent prayer for

the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) and/or a preliminary injunction against the NTC’s CDO citing “grave and irreparable injury” on the part of the company, its stakeholders, employees and the general public as a result of the order.

The company also acknowledged that it might take some time before it could obtain a provisional franchise despite Senate’s assurance and willingness to act immediately on the measure of the House of Representatives to issue it.

The petitioner also expressed apprehension that it might not be able to resume broadcast on radio and television as the provisional authority is still subject to the approval of the Office of the President.

Thus, ABS-CBN has pinned its hopes on the SC to re-open its television and radio stations.

The broadcast company stressed that the NTC order endangers the livelihood of its 11,000 employees and their families and their families.

Continued on B2

DOE to Meralco: Explain online fee

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

& Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

T

he Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) was asked by the Department of Energy (DOE) to explain the rationale behind the collection of the P47 fee from consumers who pay their bills via online.

In a letter sent to Meralco President Ray Espinosa, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said Meralco’s collection of P47 per transaction effectively increases the electricity cost to the consumers. This, the DOE noted, is “a clear deviation to all the government efforts to bring

down the cost of utilities, especially during these difficult times.”

“We have been receiving reports that your system effectively obliges the paying customer to depart from exiting payment arrangements i.e., through banks and now they have to go through your app for which they have to pay a fee of P47 per transaction,” said Cusi.

Meralco said Tuesday that the P47 fee that customers pay for was provided to address customers' clamor for a 24/7 payment option.

Moreover, Meralco stressed that this is "purely voluntary" on the part of the customer and is just one of the many available payment options.

“The online fees are not Meralco's fees and does not accrue to Meralco, but are the fees

charged by online payment service providers to those using their platform or system to transact online payments for their convenience,” said Meralco Senior Vice President and head of Legal and Corporate Governance William Pamintuan.

The DOE said, however, that Meralco was supposed to obtain approval from the government “to do something like this.”

“Apparently, your offices are justifying that you do not need to go through the government because this fee collection does not go to Meralco--that it goes to your app service provider,” said Cusi.

The DOE wants Meralco to explain the rationale of the said payment scheme and if such was approved by management. “Likewise, we

would like to question your intentions on this and your decision to time the introduction of this new process during this pandemic.”

Pamintuan also said Meralco is not charging the online fees to its rates “This will create cross subsidies not allowed by EPIRA [Electric Power Industry Reform Act]. In the interest of fairness and transparency, only customers availing of our online payment system should be charged with the online fees.”

Meralco was also ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to explain how it computed electricity bills for March to April this year.

Continued on B2

‘Dorms can PAL eyes weekly flights by June 1 become part of continuity plans of firms’

M

yTown, the co-living brand under Philippines Urban Living Solutions (PULS), said it has proven to become part of the business continuity plans of its clients during the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis.

The company, which operates one dormitory each in Bonifacio Global City and Makati, said its facilities remained open for young professionals and corporations as the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is extended, and in the process, helped companies minimize the operational impact on their business. MyTown said it will construct two more dormitories.

“As a co-living brand that values the welfare of our corporate and individual clients, MyTown continues to serve safely and responsibly during the crisis,” said Jelmer Ikink, PULS Group Director.

He said the "knee-jerk response" to co-living during the pandemic was the risks involved as tenants live in close quarters.

Co-living, however, reduces the number of people one is in contact with since tenants can walk to work and avoid the daily inconvenience of relying on cramped public utility vehicles.

“While it is true that coronavirus can be contracted in a matter of seconds, those living near work and with a fixed group of roommates results in reduced exposure to unknown surfaces and people,” the company said.

MyTown said it has implemented stringent safety controls, including temperature checks upon entry, digital health declaration forms, obligatory protective gear for tenants and staff, regular building and unit disinfection with antiviral and alcohol-based products and the implementation of stringent social distancing rules. VG Cabuag

By Recto Mercene @rectomercene

F

lag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said it is planning to operate a reduced number of weekly flights on most domestic routes and on selected international routes by June 1.

PAL said, however, that this will largely depend on community quarantine restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019, travel bans imposed by other governments as well as the public health and safety situation in each of the countries that the airline serves.

The company said it will announce the list of operating flights and routes for June, once the details are finalized.

“Kindly check our website www.philippineairlines.com, or follow our social media accounts, so that you'll be updated the moment we release advisories on new developments,” it said.

PAL said it will continue to operate occasional special flights to repatriate stranded passengers and to transport urgent cargo such as medical equipment and supplies to help sustain critical supply chains across the Philippines and on selected international routes.

“Rest assured that your health and safety is always our first and most important concern,” the company added.

PAL said on Tuesday that domestic and international flights to and from its hubs in Manila, Cebu and Clark will remain cancelled up to May 31. The company said it is working on plans to operate a few domestic routes from our Davao hub, “possibly to Iloilo, Siargao and General Santos, to help support the economic recovery of Mindanao with the easing of quarantine restrictions there.”

“We are coordinating with concerned government authorities and will announce any flight details once finalized.”

PAL said the continued pause in Manila, Cebu and Clark hub operations is in compliance with the government's declaration of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) and related local restrictions from May 16 to 31.

“We are in the process of notifying affected passengers by e-mail (many of you may have already received a notification by now),” the company said.

If a passenger is booked on a cancelled flight, PAL said the current ticket remains valid.

Grab starts delivering frozen products from select restaurants

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

G

rab announced on Tuesday that it is now delivering frozen goods from partner restaurants in Metro Manila, expanding the options that it offers to customers via its food delivery service GrabFood.

In a media advisory, Grab said “select restaurant partners in Metro Manila” are now selling their frozen goods via GrabFood.

Included in the list are certain branches of Max’s Restaurant, Pancake House, Starbucks, Panda Express, Teriyaki Boy, Lugang Cafe, Tuan Tuan, Minute Burger, Bucky’s, Racks, Potato Corner, Conti’s, and Ayer’s Lechon.

“This will further help provide Filipinos acquire essential goods, and support the income of partner merchants with the ongoing community quarantine,” the advisory read.

Grab noted that menu availability may vary per branch due to mobility restrictions.

“ To continuously safeguard consumers and delivery-partners, GrabExpress will strictly adopt contactless delivery by keeping at least one-meter distance when delivering the order," the advisory read.

Grab also encouraged its users to go cashless by using GrabPay, a built-in mobile wallet within the Grab app, for full contactless experience and safer transactions.

Recent ly Grab Phi l ippines through its GrabExpress on-demand delivery service launched its partnership for the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita Program whereby customers across Metro Manila can purchase fresh produce and meats from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) eKadiwa web site (http://www.ekadiwa.da.gov. ph/) and be delivered through GrabExpress.

“As the everyday everything app, Grab proudly supports the Department of Agriculture’s vision of unlocking the many potentials of agriculture and agripreneurship through technology and innovation,” the company said.

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

May 19, 2020

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

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

47.8 92.85 62 19.4 7.05 33.95 20.7 42.5 15.8 86.15 54 15.6 2.33 0.66 167 0.96

48.25 93 62.05 19.46 7.1 34 20.75 43.45 16.1 88.8 54.7 15.8 2.49 0.68 169 1

48 92 61.15 19.54 7.58 35.1 20.85 42 16 91.3 54.6 16 2.79 0.74 169 0.95

48.25 93.95 62 19.54 7.58 35.2 21.1 43.45 16.02 92.45 54.7 16 2.79 0.81 174 1

48 92 61.05 19.4 7 33.95 20.75 42 15.8 86 54 15.6 2.31 0.63 169 0.95

48.25 93 62 19.4 7.05 33.95 20.75 43.45 15.8 86.15 54 15.6 2.31 0.68 169 1

11000 1769430 1555360 25500 742000 4918500 542400 800 5600 1444480 1560 2400 16000 2932000 4250 16000

530040 164613127.5 95924407 495008 5268302 168592140 11339395 34095 89268 127997763.5 85165 37590 40170 2095430 721510 15550

525215 10352476.5 17205335 -388106 -1561847 -2452665 -87510 -65972175 -0 -230341 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 2.22 2.23 2.25 2.25 2.2 2.23 5418000 12006570 ABOITIZ POWER 25.8 26 26 26.25 24.6 26 2135500 54727110 BASIC ENERGY 0.161 0.166 0.165 0.166 0.165 0.165 60000 9910 FIRST GEN 18.02 18.08 18.24 18.24 17.98 18.02 577800 10410494 FIRST PHIL HLDG 54.9 55 54.85 55.4 54.85 55 98020 5391091.5 MERALCO 272.2 273.8 272 275.4 270 272.2 359900 98323774 MANILA WATER 11.9 11.92 11.98 12.26 11.92 11.92 1077500 12951204 PETRON 3 3.01 3.05 3.06 3 3 1007000 3042580 PETROENERGY 2.38 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.38 2.38 11000 26360 PHX PETROLEUM 11.04 11.24 11.14 11.44 10.92 11.36 90700 1023298 PILIPINAS SHELL 16.94 17 17 17.28 16.8 16.94 340500 5809906 SPC POWER 7.85 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.8 7.85 168600 1328915 AGRINURTURE 7.26 7.35 7.3 7.44 7.12 7.35 164000 1197400 AXELUM 2.72 2.74 2.7 2.75 2.66 2.72 922000 2491410 CENTURY FOOD 15.28 15.3 15.44 15.44 15.28 15.3 680200 10401026 DEL MONTE 3.83 3.88 3.96 3.96 3.83 3.86 13000 50790 DNL INDUS 5.06 5.14 5.06 5.25 5.05 5.06 1760200 9006637 EMPERADOR 7.64 7.7 7.7 7.72 7.63 7.65 1255400 9612905 SMC FOODANDBEV 61.9 62 61 62 60.95 62 648820 39728004 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.54 0.56 0.55 0.56 0.53 0.54 500000 269030 FRUITAS HLDG 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.31 1.32 4225000 5587300 GINEBRA 29.7 30 30.5 30.5 29.7 30 51700 1550505 JOLLIBEE 139.7 140 138 140 137.4 140 778900 108122324 MACAY HLDG 6.32 6.82 6.7 6.82 6.7 6.82 4200 28332 MAXS GROUP 5.79 5.8 5.78 5.9 5.77 5.79 152300 884118 MG HLDG 0.12 0.122 0.125 0.128 0.12 0.122 2580000 315250 PEPSI COLA 1.9 1.91 1.91 1.91 1.9 1.91 87000 165420 SHAKEYS PIZZA 5.83 5.84 5.99 5.99 5.8 5.84 177300 1033908 ROXAS AND CO 1.62 1.63 1.64 1.65 1.53 1.62 2904000 4630510 UNIV ROBINA 124.2 124.3 126.5 128.5 124.2 124.2 1259730 158869859 VITARICH 0.78 0.79 0.79 0.8 0.79 0.79 1658000 1311640 CONCRETE A 48.15 57.9 57.9 57.9 57.9 57.9 20 1158 CEMEX HLDG 1.07 1.08 1.06 1.09 1.05 1.08 9906000 10598530 EAGLE CEMENT 8.21 8.22 8.57 8.57 8.2 8.22 31300 263372 EEI CORP 5.05 5.07 4.94 5.08 4.9 5.06 359000 1784030 HOLCIM 7.74 7.9 7.92 8 7 7.9 685400 5330410 MEGAWIDE 5.2 5.21 5.1 5.2 4.9 5.2 9390800 48045867 PHINMA 8.3 8.84 8.84 8.84 8.84 8.84 100 884 TKC METALS 0.78 0.8 0.79 0.87 0.79 0.8 72000 57810 VULCAN INDL 0.63 0.64 0.64 0.66 0.63 0.64 531000 335400 CROWN ASIA 1.7 1.74 1.74 1.74 1.74 1.74 6000 10440 EUROMED 2.63 2.64 2.68 2.73 2.58 2.64 991000 2608650 MABUHAY VINYL 3.45 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 12000 42000 CONCEPCION 23 23.95 23.3 23.3 23 23 800 18610 GREENERGY 1.32 1.33 1.25 1.34 1.25 1.33 4321000 5694810 INTEGRATED MICR 5.46 5.47 5.22 5.49 5.22 5.46 302700 1626618 IONICS 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.26 1.2 1.21 1077000 1331890 SFA SEMICON 1.34 1.35 1.29 1.37 1.28 1.35 12929000 17189160 CIRTEK HLDG 7.94 7.95 8.28 8.38 7.9 7.95 3961800 31830327

-417460 -10149325 -5315466 -5061090 -31888062 -2696598 283650 -1728014 33466 108510 -1180020 3179353 -9536197 33082282 -224520 7388756 -10050 -132383 236660 15280 -173639 -73146309 -673730 -30845 147000 -77220 -18061979 -38430 -61780 -104597 -67770 67810 652926

HOLDING & FRIMS

ABACORE CAPITAL ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR ATN HLDG A COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP METRO PAC INV PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER ZEUS HLDG

0.51 7.92 650 39.3 6.12 1.64 5.98 0.51 5.11 4.05 8.14 0.155 382 3.56 46 4.82 0.51 2.44 7.25 2.77 0.76 0.98 810 95 0.65 131 0.139

0.52 8.15 652.5 41.5 6.2 1.65 6 0.52 5.18 4.07 8.2 0.17 387.2 3.77 47.8 5.2 0.53 2.45 7.33 2.78 0.8 0.99 811 96.4 0.68 136 0.146

0.51 8.07 658 38.5 6.09 1.69 6 0.51 5.07 4.07 8.14 0.153 400 3.73 46 5.16 0.5 2.5 7.49 2.75 0.76 0.99 812 96.4 0.65 131 0.14

0.52 8.3 664 41.5 6.24 1.7 6 0.54 5.25 4.15 8.2 0.17 405 3.8 47.8 5.16 0.55 2.61 7.5 2.8 0.77 1 816 96.75 0.69 136 0.146

0.5 7.9 650 38.5 6.08 1.65 5.98 0.51 4.95 4.05 8.14 0.152 380.4 3.73 45.2 5.16 0.5 2.45 7.25 2.74 0.76 0.99 805 94 0.65 131 0.138

0.51 7.92 650 41.5 6.2 1.65 5.98 0.51 5.11 4.05 8.2 0.17 382 3.8 47.8 5.16 0.52 2.45 7.25 2.78 0.76 0.99 810 96.4 0.65 136 0.146

1950000 117000 322310 831100 1819400 4926000 10400 983000 1608000 5224000 7500 140000 329730 135000 2187000 50000 68000 5596000 3358000 25796000 105000 55000 135710 269360 6000 410 330000

992170 -148060 931911 80200 211583810 -42644120 33,904,570( 13,614,414.9996) 11171332 -173097 8211330 -17450 62372 508500 8223382 973046 21270340 -1631480 61432 -18040 21550 127300098 -51809020 509910 -344400 101457910 -16580705 258000 36230 13770820 -948220 24713697 -1464824 71719230 18804770 79820 54820 109962170 7021795 25752427 44578 4000 54210 -0 46760 4140

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.51 0.52 0.51 0.52 0.5 0.52 181000 91860 AYALA LAND 31.9 32 32.25 32.5 31.85 31.9 10646700 342408005 ARANETA PROP 1.02 1.06 1.02 1.06 1.02 1.02 125000 127840 BELLE CORP 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.35 1.33 1.33 73000 97310 A BROWN 0.53 0.54 0.53 0.54 0.52 0.53 551000 292030 CITYLAND DEVT 0.73 0.75 0.73 0.75 0.73 0.75 19000 13890 CROWN EQUITIES 0.123 0.13 0.123 0.123 0.123 0.123 90000 11070 CEB LANDMASTERS 3.95 3.96 4.01 4.01 3.96 3.96 163000 648800 CENTURY PROP 0.34 0.345 0.34 0.355 0.335 0.345 8740000 3,010,150( CYBER BAY 0.28 0.285 0.285 0.285 0.285 0.285 60000 17100 DOUBLEDRAGON 16.6 16.7 16.1 16.74 16.08 16.6 459600 7513810 DM WENCESLAO 6.52 6.7 6.53 6.6 6.52 6.52 131200 855955 EMPIRE EAST 0.28 0.3 0.285 0.285 0.285 0.285 150000 42750 FILINVEST LAND 0.91 0.92 0.91 0.92 0.91 0.91 2814000 2574830 GLOBAL ESTATE 0.79 0.8 0.78 0.79 0.78 0.79 22000 17170 8990 HLDG 10.12 10.32 10.18 10.18 10.12 10.12 16700 169478 PHIL INFRADEV 0.76 0.77 0.79 0.79 0.76 0.76 1028000 789660 CITY AND LAND 0.62 0.72 0.72 0.72 0.71 0.71 13000 9290 MEGAWORLD 2.57 2.58 2.52 2.58 2.49 2.57 16763000 42521260 MRC ALLIED 0.142 0.143 0.143 0.143 0.142 0.142 1820000 259060 PHIL ESTATES 0.29 0.305 0.285 0.3 0.26 0.3 480000 140550 PRIMEX CORP 1.46 1.5 1.43 1.5 1.4 1.5 35000 50310 ROBINSONS LAND 14.5 14.82 14.64 15.04 14.48 14.82 2087500 30667862 PHIL REALTY 0.231 0.239 0.239 0.239 0.239 0.239 220000 52580 ROCKWELL 1.45 1.5 1.46 1.47 1.45 1.45 118000 171920 SHANG PROP 2.68 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.68 2.68 242000 649940 STA LUCIA LAND 1.89 1.9 1.82 1.9 1.82 1.9 11000 20820 SM PRIME HLDG 29.5 29.75 29.7 30 29.2 29.5 4096400 121329700 VISTAMALLS 3.63 3.73 3.7 3.78 3.61 3.63 70000 258630 SUNTRUST HOME 1.2 1.21 1.2 1.23 1.19 1.2 1633000 1959790 VISTA LAND 3.53 3.57 3.77 3.77 3.53 3.53 1876000 6709740

SERVICES ABS CBN GMA NETWORK MANILA BULLETIN MLA BRDCASTING GLOBE TELECOM PLDT DITO CME HLDG IMPERIAL ISLAND INFO NOW CORP TRANSPACIFIC BR PHILWEB 2GO GROUP CHELSEA CEBU AIR INTL CONTAINER LBC EXPRESS MACROASIA METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B PAL HLDG HARBOR STAR ACESITE HOTEL BOULEVARD HLDG DISCOVERY WORLD WATERFRONT CENTRO ESCOLAR STI HLDG BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY PACIFIC ONLINE LEISURE AND RES MANILA JOCKEY PH RESORTS GRP PREMIUM LEISURE ALLHOME METRO RETAIL PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL PHIL SEVEN CORP SSI GROUP WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP EASYCALL GOLDEN BRIA PRMIERE HORIZON SBS PHIL CORP

15.86 5.02 0.36 14.2 2212 1216 2.19 1.31 0.062 1.72 0.181 2.31 9.7 3.07 39.95 84.5 12.52 4.4 2.69 2.3 6.9 0.82 1.05 0.024 1.65 0.375 6 0.3 2.07 5.25 1.83 1.43 2.22 2.3 0.3 5.85 1.62 45.8 69.1 130.1 1.14 14.9 0.295 6.93 300 0.209 5.61

15.88 5.03 0.37 15.88 2216 1220 2.2 1.58 0.079 1.73 0.183 2.33 9.72 3.1 40 84.55 13.78 4.42 2.7 2.75 6.95 0.84 1.1 0.025 1.77 0.385 6.29 0.305 2.1 5.31 1.85 1.48 2.3 2.37 0.305 5.88 1.63 45.9 72.4 132 1.15 14.96 0.305 7.09 315.6 0.212 5.88

16.22 4.96 0.36 16.3 2220 1210 2.24 1.6 0.079 1.72 0.18 2.43 10.2 3.16 40.15 82 13.78 3.58 2.88 2.75 6.98 0.83 1.13 0.024 1.77 0.365 6 0.3 2.14 5.2 1.83 1.42 2.15 2.5 0.305 5.8 1.62 46.6 68.95 131 1.16 15 0.28 7.09 300 0.208 5.98

16.22 5.05 0.36 16.4 2226 1224 2.25 1.6 0.079 1.77 0.183 2.43 10.28 3.18 43 84.5 13.78 4.5 2.98 2.75 7 0.86 1.13 0.025 1.77 0.385 6 0.305 2.14 5.45 1.85 1.43 2.2 2.5 0.305 5.95 1.68 46.8 72.4 131 1.18 15 0.31 7.15 300 0.214 5.98

15.6 4.91 0.36 14 2174 1210 2.17 1.5 0.079 1.72 0.18 2.28 9.7 3.1 39.7 82 13.78 3.53 2.69 2.63 6.93 0.8 1.01 0.024 1.77 0.365 6 0.285 2.03 5.19 1.83 1.42 2.15 2.26 0.3 5.8 1.61 45.55 68.9 130 1.12 14.8 0.28 6.93 300 0.206 5.98

15.88 5.02 0.36 14.2 2212 1220 2.19 1.55 0.079 1.73 0.183 2.31 9.7 3.1 40 84.5 13.78 4.4 2.7 2.75 6.94 0.83 1.11 0.025 1.77 0.385 6 0.3 2.1 5.25 1.85 1.43 2.2 2.37 0.3 5.88 1.63 45.8 72.4 131 1.15 14.9 0.3 6.93 300 0.21 5.98

1284000 455000 60000 5100 29305 79795 12595000 50000 10000 511000 510000 1483000 156300 68000 119700 1233630 500 37404000 9166000 17000 8900 173000 47000 12600000 1000 70000 300 3390000 23000 20136300 54000 66000 12000 87000 6160000 3457000 1911000 4357500 652790 35500 2240000 4007800 610000 61300 410 1630000 12700

20387292 2256980 21600 74884 64818210 97170370 27805070 79550 790 887560 92310 3447290 1546811 211860 4865880 103222584.5 6890 155109130 25869380 45940 61939 141520 49610 304700 1770 26350 1800 988300 48290 105278285 98920 94360 26350 201810 1848350 20351387 3127870 201127480 45575689.5 4648264 2567490 59559782 182400 428749 123000 340590 75946

MINING & OIL

2097090 -20090 -604700 1,951,549.9997) 2026214 -70657 76390 3080 11021740 -36919.9998 -667176 -64270 5641620 -5261050 -8353050 -9258235 -1504800 -27660 1820 -93000 -2257765 2768287 53495160 2778 10200 1800 -197150 50510429 9064010 -816640 6684175 -724502 3914 -208659.9996 -6738868 -102000 -

ATOK 9.81 10.64 11 11 9.7 10.66 50400 501200 APEX MINING 0.93 0.94 0.97 0.97 0.91 0.93 1351000 1260550 -3800 ABRA MINING 0.0009 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 113000000 113000 ATLAS MINING 1.84 1.85 1.9 1.9 1.85 1.85 28000 52200 BENGUET A 1 1.11 1.14 1.14 1.12 1.12 8000 9040 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.171 0.179 0.18 0.18 0.17 0.179 530000 92380 CENTURY PEAK 2.68 2.73 2.68 2.73 2.68 2.73 59000 160620 136500 DIZON MINES 7.01 7.12 7.16 7.16 7.01 7.12 1800 12743 FERRONICKEL 0.74 0.76 0.78 0.79 0.72 0.74 4595000 3416910 50700 GEOGRACE 0.199 0.203 0.202 0.205 0.199 0.201 610000 122040 LEPANTO A 0.076 0.08 0.076 0.076 0.076 0.076 180000 13680 LEPANTO B 0.072 0.079 0.079 0.079 0.079 0.079 10000 790 MANILA MINING A 0.0063 0.0065 0.0065 0.0065 0.0065 0.0065 1000000 6500 MARCVENTURES 0.52 0.55 0.56 0.56 0.53 0.53 99000 52690 NIHAO 1 1.03 0.98 1.05 0.98 1 16000 16460 NICKEL ASIA 1.51 1.53 1.49 1.54 1.49 1.51 6643000 10078370 -6513130 ORNTL PENINSULA 0.48 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.495 0.5 19000 9460 5000 PX MINING 2.26 2.3 2.33 2.36 2.23 2.3 461000 1057280 -174490 SEMIRARA MINING 11.5 11.56 11.82 11.82 11.5 11.5 311900 3594896 -1021408 ACE ENEXOR 6.55 6.65 6.65 6.69 6.55 6.68 23800 158104 -3300 ORNTL PETROL A 0.0084 0.0087 0.0087 0.0087 0.0087 0.0087 1000000 8700 ORNTL PETROL B 0.0085 0.0095 0.0085 0.0095 0.0085 0.0095 6000000 54000 PXP ENERGY 5.05 5.07 5.38 5.5 4.91 5.05 6219900 31759628 372986

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A 98 99.7 99.7 99.8 99.7 99.8 11020 1098793 AC PREF B1 501 507 501 501 501 501 20 10020 ALCO PREF C 100 106.8 100 100 100 100 500 50000 DD PREF 99.85 101 99.5 99.5 99.4 99.5 2390 237705 27860 GTCAP PREF B 983 998 998 998 998 998 70 69860 MWIDE PREF 100.3 100.5 100.5 100.5 100.5 100.5 14680 1475340 PNX PREF 4 997 999 997 997 996 996 5510 5488050 PCOR PREF 3A 1020 1021 1019 1020 1019 1020 1665 1697800 SMC PREF 2C 77 77.4 77.45 77.45 77.45 77.45 3280 254036 SMC PREF 2F 75.9 77 77 77 77 77 4150 319550 SMC PREF 2G 75.3 76 75.8 76 75.8 76 10070 763430 SMC PREF 2H 75.25 76.95 75.95 76 75.25 75.25 13270 1006256.5 75250 SMC PREF 2I 76 76.5 76 76 76 76 15650 1189400

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 14.4 15 15 15 14.06 15 399200 5882408 809794 GMA HLDG PDR 4.65 4.84 4.61 4.65 4.61 4.65 8000 37080

WARRANTS LR WARRANT 0.7 0.73 0.71 0.72 0.71 0.71 41000 29120

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ITALPINAS 1.9 1.91 1.93 1.97 1.88 1.9 1271000 2423040 209100 KEPWEALTH 6.11 6.15 6.23 6.4 6 6.15 15600 96768 XURPAS 0.59 0.6 0.59 0.61 0.59 0.59 1581000 942190 29500

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF 84.45 85.1 84 85.5 84 84.45 7370 627093.5 11935

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Metro Retail income plunges in Q1 on shutdown of stores

By VG Cabuag

C

@villygc

ebu-based Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. (MRSGI) said its income in the first quarter dropped to P7.98 million, 87 percent lower than the previous year’s P62.93 million, despite higher revenues.

The company said its first quarter net sales rose 10 percent to P8.49 billion, from last year’s P7.72 billion.

Total food retail sales increased 19 percent from last year, as demand rose due the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Gross margin percentage to sales

fell 89 basis points on account of higher share to business of food retail, slower department store sales and compliance with governmentimposed pricing protocols.

Blended same-store sales grew 3 percent, but total general merchandise business declined 10 percent due to the coronavirus disease 2019-related disruption in all department stores.

“As Luzon and Visayas start to ease its quarantine restrictions, MRSGI affirms its commitment to continue serving the interests of its customers, employees, shareholders and the general public and contributing to the economic recovery. Regular disinfection of all touch points

and high traffic areas in the stores before, during, and after operating hours have been rolled out,” the company said.

The company’s supermarkets, hypermarkets and pharmacies remain open during the lockdown in most parts of the country. Meanwhile, its department stores will soon open in areas under general community quarantine and modified ECQ, it said.

Metro Retail has launched a program where customers can order products via call, text and online. It has also forged partnerships with online grocery operators to make its products available to the growing communities

that these entities serve.

On the expense side, Metro Retail incurred additional overhead costs for newly opened stores including the partial re-opening of the flagship store in Cebu City. This was offset by the temporary closure of all department stores due to the lockdown starting mid-March, resulting in the 4.6-percent decline for the quarter.

Non-core income fell due to the last tranche of insurance recoveries to P104.4 million, from P190.5 million a year ago.

The results for the period also reflect the net impact of the new accounting standard on rent PFRS 16, which amounted to P20 million after tax, lower compared to last year.

SC ignores ABS-CBN plea for TRO against NTC order Continued from B1

OSG backs probe

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has backed House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s move to conduct an investigation into the alleged violations of ABS-CBN related to its legislative franchise.

In a statement, Solicitor General Jose Calida also denied meddling with the affairs of Congress when he wrote a letter to NTC warning it of possible criminal liabilities if it accedes to the request of Cayetano and other members of the House to issue a PA in favor of ABS-CBN. The April 30 letter of the Solicitor General to NTC advised that a provisional authority cannot be issued in the absence of a law.

The letter clarified the issue on whether a provisional authority to ABS-CBN can be issued on the basis of equity.

In the letter, the Solicitor General stated that principle of equity cannot be applied because there is no perceivable gap in law as regards the legality of the operations of an entity after its franchise expires.

Calida also warned the NTC of its possible encroachment on legislative power if it issues a provisional authority sans a law authorizing it.

He added that he was merely performing his duties as statutory counsel of the NTC. “There is no rule requiring the Solicitor General to give notice to a different branch of government of an internal communication intended for a client in the executive branch. In a strict sense, a lawyer-client communication is confidential in nature, which the Solicitor General is sworn to uphold,” said Calida.

“Actually, the Solicitor General acted with circumspection because voicing out his concerns to Congress without being requested by it would have constituted meddling in its affairs, apart

DOE to Meralco: Explain online fee Continued from B1

“We have been bombarded with complaints about Meralco’s alleged high billings covering the past three months, including this May, and we need to look into these consumers’ allegations,” said ERC Chairperson and CEO Agnes VST Devanadera.

The ERC and DOE earlier directed distribution utilities and retail electricity suppliers to defer customer electricity bills falling due within the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) without interest, penalties, fees and other charges.

Likewise, electric bills should be staggered for up to four months.

Allegations

The National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (NASECORE), meanwhile, alleged that Meralco violated ERC’s directive to provide a 30-day grace period for the payment of bills.

NASECORE National President Pete Ilagan also said the utility firm failed to amortize accumulated bills in four equal payments in four succeeding billing months after the 30-day grace period commencing from the end of the ECQ. “MERALCO violated the ERC advisories when it sent out the bills this month of May with a due date for payment on May 29, 2020 which is still within the ECQ period. Since the ECQ in NCR was extended to May 31, the due date in the bill should have been or should be within 30 days from the end of the ECQ,” said Ilagan.

The Power for People Coalition (P4P), meanwhile, sent a bill amounting to P19.126 billion to Meralco for all refunds, plus interest, that remained unpaid since 2003.

“The amount concerns all Meralco payables due to consumers that the company has not paid. These payables come in the form of refunds ordered by the Supreme Court and the ERC for various illegal billing practices of Meralco since 2003, plus interest, as penalty for their tardy and inconvenient methods of refunding, and as a cut of the profits Meralco made by keeping the cash for so long. Following standard Meralco practice, we consider this bill immediately due,” said P4P Convenor Gerry Arances.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, said all complaints against Meralco will be taken up during the Joint Congressional Energy Commission (JCEC) hearing on Friday.

House resolution

The Makabayan bloc has filed a resolution urging the House Committee on Energy to investigate the "sudden surge" in Meralco bills despite the assurances of the Inter-Agency Task Force in Managing Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) that there is an overcapacity of power supply.

In House Resolution 879 filed last Monday, the bloc, citing President Duterte’s report to Congress dated May 4, said there is was in fact an “excess capacity over peak demands have been registered with Luzon only using 3,341 megawatts (MW), Visayas only 858 MW and Mindanao 878 MW.” It said on May 11, the President also reported that “major island grids exhibited excess capacity over peak demand with Luzon at 23 percent (2,683 MW), Visayas 28 percent (718 MW) and Mindanao at 30 percent (743 MW)."

According to lawmakers, Congress through Republic Act 11469, or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, gave the President powers to “conserve and regulate the distribution and use of fuel, energy and power, and ensure adequate supply of the same.” The group said Meralco implemented an increase of P0.1050 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), from P8.8901 per kWh to P8.9951 per kWh last April. The increase is equivalent to a P21.00 hike in the total bill of typical residential customers consuming an average of 200 kWh. Meralco claimed the increase was mainly due to the normalization of the universal charge (UC) following a one-time refund.

Also, the bloc said Meralco claimed that the generation charge would have increased

by P0.0259 per kWh if not for the invocation of the “force majeure” provision in its power supply agreements (PSAs).

This May, the bloc noted Meralco's claim that there might be an increase in power rates, due to the rise in consumption of electricity because of the ECQ, since consumers who stayed home used more their appliances that consume more power, like air conditioners and refrigerators.

House Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate and Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares asked the ERC to investigate Meralco.

“The recent Meralco justification that the surge in electricity bills of consumers is a result of higher consumption, is questionable especially since President Duterte reported a downward trend in demand during the lockdown period," said Zarate.

from the fact that the issues he is raising are sub judice,” he added.

Calida noted that he had a pending quo warranto petition before the SC to question ABS-CBN’s violation of its old franchise.

“That is where any arguments regarding the media firm’s violations should be heard,” said Calida.

However, Calida said he fully supports the conduct of an investigation by the House into ABS-CBN’s alleged violations before a provisional franchise or a legislative franchise is issued in its favor.

These allegations include ABS-CBN’s violation of its legislative franchise when it operated a pay-per-view channel through free-to-air signals, ABS-CBN’s issuance of Philippine depositary receipts through ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. that runs counter to the foreign ownership restriction of mass media under Section 11, Article 16 of the Constitution and ABS-CBN Convergence’s violation of its franchise under Republic Act (RA) 7908 when the transfer

mutual funds

of this franchise was made without prior approval from the Congress.

“These issues must be resolved first before a bill authorizing ABS-CBN to operate is passed, even if what is being granted is only a provisional franchise. Certainly, one cannot put the cart before the horse,” said Calida.

“The grant of a legislative franchise is imbued with public interest. It cannot be haphazardly issued,” he added.

Calida reminded solons that issuing a provisional franchise to allow ABS-CBN to continue its operation despite the lapse of its franchise without conducting a hearing “would amount to Congress acting speedily for the sake of acting speedily, which is a disservice to the Filipino people.”

The chief government counsel also said he did not attend the Senate hearing on Tuesday as the issues to be discussed in the proceedings are considered “sub judice.”

May 19, 2020

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 181.32 -27.9% -12.46% -8.62% -28.02% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 0.9269 -40.78% -15.35% -9.79% -32.93% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.4332 -37.87% -16.97% -11.43% -33.85% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.6302 -29.52% n.a. n.a.

-29.75% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.6614 -20.34% n.a. n.a.

-22.12% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 3.9712 -23.82% -9.42% -7.79% -25.47% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.6111 -26.41% -13.51% n.a.

-28.41% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 73.95 -39.08% n.a. n.a. -28.43% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 36.1561 -26.82% -11.06% n.a. -29.49% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 390.78 -24.47% -10.23% -7.58% -26.65% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 0.834 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-19.04% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 0.9353 -25.93% -10.03% -6.89% -27.32% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 27.3391 -26.11% -9.71% -6.79% -27.86% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.7167 -27.25% n.a. n.a.

-29.6% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 3.6834 -26.39% -10.63% -6.78% -29.48% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 615.67 -26.29% -10.62% -6.99% -29.4% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.5679 -36.93% -14.09% -10.62% -33.3% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 2.9057 -29.72% -11.39% -7.83% -30.97% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.7063 -26.47% -10.77% -6.91% -29.43% United Fund, Inc. -a 2.658 -25.56% -8.39% -5.71% -27.24% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 82.5595 -26.19% -10.15% -6.18% -29.41% ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $0.88 -9.54% -2.87% -3.9% -14.43% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.2518 -0.7% 3.2% n.a.

-9.2% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.4925 -9.95% -5.53% -5.18% -4.5% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 1.9376 -13.64% -6.12% -4.03% -11.16% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.3071 -9.78% -3.58% -4.92% -12.33% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1806 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-20.96% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.7716 -5.9% -2.16% -1.94% -9.75% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.2792 -8.61% -3.96% -3.5% -13.46% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 14.6708 -9.42% -4.13% -3.58% -13.5% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 1.8154 -13.11% -5.24% -3.4% -14.6% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.0933 -17.44% -6.21% -4.65% -19.94% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.8868 -8.47% n.a. n.a. -12.69% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.7745 -19.15% n.a. n.a. -22.27% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.7494 -21.51% n.a. n.a. -24.55% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.7624 -20.72% -7.31% -6.26% -21.79% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03783 3.76% 2.06% 1.3% -1.05% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $0.927 -3.52% -1.09% -1.97% -10.69% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $3.6039 -1.48% 2.23% 1.55% -7.85% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.0635 -1.47% 0.85% n.a.

-5.78% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 363.22 4.2% 2.99% 2.47% 1.51% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.9321 2.3% 1% -0.16% 1.58% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.1746 4.78% 5.13% 5.1% 1.87% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2789 5.16% 2.8% 2.25% 2.42% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4241 6.78% 3.1% 1.83% 2.76% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.5156 11.06% 3.71% 2.24% 3.26% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.2818 6.69% 3.74% 2.02% 2% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.8861 7.25% 3.81% 1.99% 2.58% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0209 10.68% 3.37% 1.56% 5.87% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1322 7.98% 4.62% 2.81% 1.83% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7286 7.45% 4.06% 2.31% 1.62% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $469.52 3.08% 2.31% 2.43% 0.28% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є214.2 -0.89% 0.51% 0.71% -2.52% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.1962 2.25% 2.23% 2.04% -0.91% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0257 1.18% 1.06% 0.96% -0.39% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0522 -1.65% -0.72% -0.87% -3.93% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.3982 5.18% 2.72% 2.42% -0.23% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0597406 2.1% 1.53% 1.47% -0.95% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1597 5.44% 2.06% 2% -0.49% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 127.62 3.84% 3.13% 2.37% 1.46% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0384 2.7% n.a. n.a.

1.18% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2794 3.33% 3.01% 2.54% 1.17% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0422 1.65% n.a. n.a.

0.48% Feeder Fund Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.9 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-9.09% a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

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

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

6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund).

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

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance

More Pinoys using digital-only banking by 2025, study bares

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @Tyronepiad

M

ore Filipinos are encouraged to open accounts with digital-only banks, or socalled neobanks, as online banking’s popularity is seen to be increasing in the country, according to a study.

The study by Backbase Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd. and International Data Corp. (IDC) noted that 60 percent of the bankable customers in the country are willing to shift to more digital banks.

Majority or 80 percent of the customers in the country is also expected to open new bank accounts with other banks by 2025, according to the study titled “Fintech and Digital Banking 2025.”

With the increasing presence of neobanks and financial technology, the report said that the unbanked and underbanked segments in the Philippines are anticipated to be reduced by half to around 20 percent in five years.

Riddhi Dutta, Backbase regional head in Southeast Asian region and India, said that the digital solutions have offered flexible and quick banking services and platforms for the customers during the current pandemic.

“For an emerging market like the Philippines with high Internet users and large underbanked population, digital banking is a key area of investment,” Dutta said.

“With digital banking increasing

in popularity, a focus on customers and digital core platforms to simplify online banking processes for Filipinos is crucial to facilitate the digital transformation movement in the Philippines.”

In Asia Pacific, the study said that over three in five customers (63 percent) are open to switching to neobanks in the next five years as well.

This, as 100 new financial institutions are expected to be established in the region by 2025.

Incumbent banks were advised to intensify digital efforts to address need for availability and access, among others.

The report said that 38 percent of traditional banks’ revenues are put in jeopardy as more fintech players and digital disruption come into picture by 2025.

“Incumbent banks should deliver unique products through leveraging customer data analytics as more fintechs and distribution partners accelerate their customer adoption with personalization content and frictionless experiences within digital channels,” the study said.

By 2025, 48 percent of the banks in Asia Pacific are expected to use artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies in making business decisions.

The Backbase-IDC study was conducted from fourth quarter of 2019 to first quarter this year, with participants coming from Australia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Ethical use of the Internet

W

ithout doubt, the Internet has become so widespread in today’s world.

While we can appreciate it as one of the important developments in communication, we also know that the Internet can be an instrument for evil, although of course we realize that the dangers ascribed to the Internet are not exclusive to it—the harmful effects of the web are equally spread through other means of communication such as television and print.

The ethical problem of the Internet is the problem of how to use it correctly, or how to foster the virtues necessary to use it properly, both on the part of the one who puts the information on the web, and the one who makes use of it. Making good use of the Internet means that it should be used for something specific–looking for specific information, knowing where to find it (or employing a search engine that is well-known, such as Google), seeking to purchase a specific product, etc. There is no sense in going on the Internet simply because one has time to kill.

While it is a great thing that children these days are so technically savvy (I feel embarrassed at how far behind I am compared even to my grandchildren!), their use of the Internet (often for video games) must be guided in the sense that they must be taught to balance their free time—spending time with friends or siblings, going outdoors, visiting museums or the theater and acquiring the habit of reading. It has been found that children who spend all their time in front of the computer or smart phones lose their ability to socialize or relate with other people.

Moreover, children and adolescents have not yet matured and acquired stable moral virtues, thus making them more susceptible to negative influences.

We all know how the Internet has been used to ensnare young people to pornography, gambling and the peddling of other vicious information. This is why parents and adults responsible for young people must be very vigilant.

In many instances, parents are technically challenged, and this is why it is important that parents must “learn and practice the skills of discerning viewers and listeners and readers, acting as models of prudent use of media in the home,” as stated in the Vatican document, “Church and the Internet.”

Finex free enterprise Mercedes B. Suleik Parental supervision should include making sure that filtering technology is used in computers available to children in order to protect them from the threat of virtual monsters who prey on the very young. Parents should encourage their children to report to them anything they find strange or uncomfortable.

How can parents ensure that their children are safe from these unwelcome intrusions into the minds of their children?

Of course, filters and the installation of secure systems may be offered, which may cost them something. A simple way of ensuring that children do not wander into dangerous territory is to locate computers (and television sets for that matter) in a part of the house that is more or less “public,” which has a lot of traffic.

It is not a good idea to have individual computers (and television sets) in the rooms of the children, especially if they are still very young. The same prudence applies to older children, such as teenagers, who are as much a target of internet predators.

It is however not a good idea to “forbid” the use of the internet, because information media is very much a part of our world today. Moreover, smart phones which are now very much in use, can circumvent that “public” presence. Thus parents must exercise prudence and vigilance in accordance with the ages of their children.

In the end, the ethical use of the internet must really depend on the moral virtues and the proper convictions of mature adults who are responsible for children and young people, as in the case of parents and teachers (who are surrogate parents outside of the home), as well as of their own selves.

The technical means of protection are simply aids to the proper use of the internet, and while the prudent adult knows that he can rely on these to help him, he must always be convinced of his role as a child of God who loves his neighbor as himself.

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 B3

Congress seeks to impose taxes on Google-like firms

L

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

awmakers are pushing for imposing taxes on foreign companies that thrive in the digital economy; revenues that Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda estimates could help the country’s battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

That is also what Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. believes when filing Resolution 410. Revilla’s resolution enables the Senate Committee on Ways and Means to consider the proposal in aid of crafting remedial legislation that will “authorize tax collections from multinational online streaming services and the digital economy in general.”

In filing the resolution, Revilla noted the Philippines’s shift towards digitalization continues to accelerate amid the imposition of community quarantine measures brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). He added that the rapid growth of the digital economy is an opportunity for government to increase its income, which can be “used for providing services for all Filipinos affected by the pandemic.”

Revilla said that the establishment of a digital taxation framework is among the strategies recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force Technical Working Group for Anticipatory and Forward Planning.

“We need to embrace the digital revolution of our time, and to comprehensively review and update our existing tax laws regarding digital economy,” the solon said.

Revilla recalled that even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Philippine digital economy was already expected to grow by more than 250 percent from $7 billion to $25 billion by 2025. These figures, the lawmaker said, represent 5.3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

Network orchestrators

AT the Lower House, Salceda filed House Bill (HB) 6765 or the Digital Economy Taxation Act of 2020.

He explained that HB 6765 estimates annual incremental revenues of as much as P29.1 billion from 12-percent value-added tax (VAT), 35- percent corporate income tax and 5-percent digital service tax that will be imposed on the digital economy.

Of the total estimated yield, P1.20 billion will come from improvement of the tax compliance with “network orchestrators” as withholding agents; P4 billion from digital advertising; P2.9 billion from other digital services such as games and other digital media and P2.2 billion from

subscription-based services VAT. Subscription-based services include music streaming such as Spotify, video streaming such as Netflix and electronic publishing such as ebooks, the bill read.

Also, P3.5 billion will come from “network orchestrators” as withholding agents for VAT, P9.7 billion from e-commerce platforms as withholding agents for VAT and P5.7 billion from the corporate income from digital services.

The bill defines “network orchestrators” as persons, typically aided by information technology, who act as a network of accredited service providers and service consumers and as intermediaries that facilitate the matching of a consumer’s service needs with a provider’s available services.

SocMed users

Salceda clarified that his tax proposal will not affect social media users who do not advertise on these platforms.

“No new taxes here, we just want them to pay their fair share,” the lawmaker explained.

“Assuming you’re a company that sets up in the Philippines and you do video-streaming or music-streaming services, you will definitely pay taxes; but companies [operating] Netflix and Spotify don’t. That’s obviously not fair,” Salceda added.

“When you’re a network in the Philippines, advertising services paid to you will be subject to VAT; but Google and Facebook are not subject to VAT for advertising,” he further explained. Salceda said these companies earn so much from Filipinos but doesn’t pay a single centavo as VAT. “Internet marketplaces like Lazada and Shopee are growing very rapidly due to Covid-19, but there may be issues of tax compliance among its partners, too,” he added.

“And we are not able to capture that because our current definitions do not include them as withholding agents.”

Google, Facebook

The bill seeks to amend the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

“Simply put, these are not new taxes. These are tax administration measures that we hope will capture the value more fairly,” Salceda explained. “Especially when local businesses are struggling due to Covid-19, and there are these companies that are making a killing because of isolation, but are not paying enough taxes.”

The bill makes “network orchestrators” like Grab, Angkas and other similar services withholding agents for income taxes, to ease their partners of the burden of having to pay their own taxes, while also encouraging tax compliance.

It clarifies that services rendered electronically in the course of trade or business are liable to VAT. The bill also clarifies that digital advertising by internet giants such as Google and Facebook and subscription-based services such as those of Netflix and Spotify, are subject to VAT. The measure also makes network orchestrators for leased services like AirBnB and electronic commerce platforms such as Lazada and Shopee as withholding agents for VAT. It also requires those who render digital services to do so through a resident agent or a representative office in the Philippines, to address the issue of companies having significant presence in the country without having a physical establishment in the Philippines not being liable for tax and regulatory purposes.

Not affected

According to Salceda, digital taxation is imposed in India and Indonesia and “these companies are still doing well.”

“If you are just a regular user, you will not be affected [by this taxation]. If anything, these social media platforms need you, the user, to keep using, so that they could earn from digital advertising, the same way TV networks need viewers so they could get advertising contracts,” Salceda said. “So, the usual social media channels will definitely remain free. The whole idea that somehow, this bill will make social media networks charge users who don’t advertise, that’s a bad reading of the proposal.”

Revilla also noted that technologically-advanced countries such as Norway, Australia, Japan, France, South Korea, United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia have already adopted and passed their respective versions of a digital service tax law.

The law enables their respective governments to collect taxes from local consumption and use of digital content and services from foreign providers, according to Revilla.

According to Revilla, Filipinos are recognized as “voracious online users.”

They typically spend around 10 hours and two minutes of their time on the Internet, exceeding the global average online time of six hours and

42 minutes daily, Revilla said.

He added that Filipinos spend around four hours and 12 minutes on various social media platforms every day, nearly double the global daily average of two hours and 16 minutes. Filipinos spend at least 3.3 hours daily watching online content on mobile devices, Revilla said.

‘New Normal’

Revilla suggests that revenues raised from taxing the digital economy be used to finance the national economic recovery plan, especially the rehabilitation of industries severely affected by measures to stem the Covid-19 pandemic. He also suggests the revenue could be used to build “Schools for the Future,” which would be equipped with digital technologies and laboratories.

As we continue to implement quarantine measures like social distancing and prohibiting mass gatherings; and us we enter what we call the “New Normal,” it’s expected that more and more citizens would use technology-based services like online streaming at online market, Revilla said in Filipino.

He also noted that while local online businesses have already been covered by “our taxation laws, multinational corporations with more sophisticated technological capabilities, less physical presence yet wider reach may have to be properly taxed given the outdated provisions and leakages in our tax measures.”

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), he said, issued Revenue Memorandum Circular 55-2013 reminding the taxpayers’ obligations in relation to online business transactions including online shopping or online retailing, online intermediary service, online advertisement/classified ads, and online auction.

Revilla also cited multilateral efforts at unifying tax rules regarding digital economy, such as the one led by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, to address overlaps with individual state measures and avoid double taxation, considering the borderless nature of such transactions.

New sources

Salceda said his proposal stems from the economic managers’ opinion that government needs “to find new revenue sources every time we propose new spending.”

Aside from HB 6765, Salceda has also filed a POGO tax proposal and a road users’ tax proposal that, he said, “will not erode economic growth and will not tax the poor at all.”

He said these proposals estimate a yield of around P65 billion to P70 billion a year if the BIR and the other collection agencies “could make good with collection efficiency.”

“This is about another P30 billion.

The House Ways and Means Committee is already solving a P100-billion share of the problem of revenues,” Salceda said.

‘Disposing noncore assets may provide banks wider elbow room’

B

anks should consider dropping their noncore assets to maintain healthy liquidity and capital levels amid the economic pressure from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, a financial expert said.

Isla Lipana & Co. Assurance Partner Zaldy D. Aguirre said, in an email to the BusinessMirror that disposing noncore assets could provide the banks extra liquidity.

“Banks should consider unloading rather high-risk investments and heavily risk-weighted non-performing assets to minimize market volatilities while saving on unnecessary capital charge,” Aguirre said.

According to latest data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the banking industry’s total capital accounts declined

by P11.2 billion or 0.48 percent to P2.32 trillion in March from a month ago.

Capitalization, however, grew by 8.41 percent from P2.14 trillion in 2019 for the same period.

Moody’s Investor Service said the Philippine bank sector’s capital will remain stable given that rated local banks have an average common equity tier 1 capital ratio of 13.7 percent as of end-2019.

“In the current environment, it is prudent for banks to stick with their traditional lending business and not engage in highly speculative transactions that could prompt unwanted volatilities in the P&L [profit and loss],” Aguirre added.

The Isla Lipana official said that banks should also be monitoring its li-

quidity position, conducting stress test to ensure that they have sufficient funds.

“Banks should religiously stress-test their liquidity standing and ensure that they have enough liquid assets to cover massive fund requirements by both depositors and borrowers,” he said.

Aguirre stressed the need to enhance digital capabilities as many are expected opting to use online platforms for banking services as safety measures even after the enhanced community quarantine.

Banks should be able to have reliable and secure digital infrastructures to process large volume of digital transactions, he said.

Through data analytics, Aguirre said that banks can design new online products and services from the influx of digital transactions amid lockdown.

“The collective digital footprints of clients offer a wealth of information on behaviors, trends, preferences, etc. With the right data analytics tools, banks can process the information in a nuanced manner to extract good insights,” he explained.

The local banks have been preparing for the pandemic by increasing their loan loss buffer as BSP recently shared that nonperforming loans (NPLs) may reach P556.6 billion this year or 5 percent in NPL ratio.

The Bankers Association of the Philippines, meanwhile, estimates that NPLs may surge to approximately P240 billion to P300 billion in the coming months. It is expecting that 50 percent to 80 percent, or P120 billion to P240 billion, will be written off. Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

B4

Show BusinessMirror

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

z

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Matt Czuchry, 43; Tony Goldwyn, 60; Bronson Pinchot, 61; Cher, 74.

Happy Birthday: Gear up to get moving. You’ll surpass your goal if you are steadfast and use your skills to push past the competition and toward the finish line this year. Nothing is impossible if you give your all and follow through with your plans. Don’t hesitate when time is of the essence. Take a position of leadership.

Your lucky numbers are 8, 11, 24, 27, 33, 36, 45.

NOT THE MARRYING TYPE

THESE two showbiz personalities have been together for sometime and many people have expected them to be at least engaged, if not married, by this time. But they still aren’t, reportedly because the guy refuses to commit. He’s been in many other relationships, also with actresses, and nothing came out of those.

He seems not to be the marrying type but his current girlfriend is, and she’s been telling people that she expects to be engaged this year at the latest or it would seem to her that her boyfriend is not serious about their relationship. Whatever the reason is, we hope the girl gets her ring soon.

WITH HIS APPROVAL

SO the actor is being linked to a popular online personality, who has said there is no romance between them. But people close to the actor, most of them gay, have been shading the female online personality in their social-media posts. This is not the first time this has happened and it makes people wonder why they are so possessive of the actor. In the past, they’ve attacked the actor’s costars and friends.

Their posts make it seem that they are not just friends with the actor, or have (or have had) a relationship with him beyond the professional. It makes it look like they’re spurned lovers. This leads us to the next question: Is the actor gay? There’s nothing wrong with being gay. It’s just strange how they’re acting this way when the actor is being marketed as a matinee idol. It’s odd that they are allowed to throw shade at women the actor works with because everyone knows they are close to him. Does it signify that their actions have his approval? That he allows them to bash his coworkers and friends?

NO TO EXPOSURE

THE actor and the actress are coparenting their child despite them being separated. There was much discussion on whether the actor should be allowed to see the child but in the end, the actress agreed to it despite her family’s objections. She was, however, shocked to see that the kid was used for one of her ex’s appearances. The actress herself has never exposed the kid’s face as she and her family want to protect the child. They want the kid to grow up in an environment where he is treated normally and not as the child of celebrities. The actress is reportedly is reconsidering her decision to allow the actor access to his child.

NOT AN EX

WHO is the actor allegedly seeing an ex-lover even during ECQ? His poor wife had to find out the hard way that the guy and her husband have reconciled.

The guy was around in the actor’s life at the time when he and his the girlfriend (the wife) had split for a while. He helped the actor and his family financially.

When the actor and the girlfriend got back together, the guy took a backseat and the couple eventually got married and started a family. However, the actor’s circumstances have resulted in him not being able to fully support his family financially and he’s had to turn to his ex for help.

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t give in or give up. Set your sights on what you want, and don’t stop until you achieve your goal.

Persistence will pay off and encourage you to set higher objectives. Someone will honor a promise he or she made. HHH

b

JOHNNY DEPP

Ex-lovers of Johnny Depp come to his defense in libel case

L

ONDON—Two former romantic partners of actor Johnny Depp came to his defense on Wednesday in his libel suit against British newspaper The Sun, dismissing claims that he was violent or abusive.

Actresses Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder offered supportive statements for the Pirates of the Caribbean star, who is suing the tabloid paper’s publisher, News Group Newspapers, over an April 2018 article which referred to the 56-year-old Depp as a “wife-beater.”

The article contained allegations by Depp’s ex-wife, Amber Heard, who filed for divorce after requesting a domestic violence restraining order.

Depp has strenuously denied the allegations.

In a hearing conducted remotely, lawyers for Depp argued that statements from Ryder and Paradis should be included as evidence in the actor’s case against the publisher.

“We’ve been partners for 14 years and we raised our two children together,’’ Paradis said, court documents show. “Through all these years, I’ve

known Johnny to be a kind, attentive, generous, and non-violent person and father.”

She added that he was “never violent or abusive.’’

Depp’s lawyers also want to include evidence from Ryder, who was in a relationship with the star in the 1990s. “I cannot wrap my head around [Heard’s] accusations,’’ she said according to the documents.

“He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me.” Heard’s representative issued a statement after the case management hearing, saying that “in relation to Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder’s evidence, we are glad they did not have the same experience as Ms. Heard.”

“However, one woman’s experience does not determine the experience of another woman,” the statement said. A two-week trial was due to start in London on March 25, but it was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lawyers for NGN told the court they agreed to Paradis and Ryder being witnesses at the trial now set for July. AP

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Avoid a conflict of interest brought on by an emotional situation.

Choose to be creative but realistic. Strive to keep a steady pace free of interference or outside influence.

Follow your heart, not what someone else wants. Make health and fitness priorities. HHH

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Watch what others do, and learn. A thoughtful response will grab someone’s attention far quicker than ridicule. Find a way to open a conversation, not to silence how others feel. How you choose to do business will define how well you do. HHHH

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Do the things you enjoy the most. Take a break from the stress you are facing, and daydream about your aspirations and desires. A commitment you make should be for the right reason. Make only the necessary changes. HH

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Keep both eyes open. Someone will mislead you if you are too trusting. Look for practical ways to expand your interests, improve your life or make a calculated move that will enrich your experience personally and professionally. HHHHH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A change to the way you handle your finances should include a cap on nonessential purchases. A misleading ad promising to fix a flaw you see in yourself will tempt you. Knowledge is power; research will eliminate the uncertainty. HHH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A change someone makes will catch you off guard.

Don’t overreact or respond too quickly. Look for alternative ways to get what you want. Having a backup plan will put your mind at ease. An investment will disappoint you. HHH

i

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): An unanticipated change will leave you in a quandary. Don’t act in haste. Hearsay will be misleading. Personal improvement and doing what’s best for you are encouraged. Trust issues will develop if you or someone close to you withholds information.

HHH

Kapuso Foundation’s ‘Operation Bayanihan: Bagyong Ambo’ seeks donations for typhoon victims EVEN as the world continues to reel from the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic, families in North and Eastern Samar are now also dealing with aftermath of Typhoon Ambo, which hit the country over the weekend.

Now, the GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) has launched “Operation Bayanihan: Bagyong Ambo” to help thousands of Filipinos impacted by the typhoon, particularly residents of coastal towns such as San Policarpo and Dolores in Eastern Samar whose houses were destroyed.

GMAKF is calling on the public to come to the aid of typhoon victims.

To donate online to GMA Kapuso Foundation, visit www.gmanetwork.com/kapusofoundation/donate.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Consider what you enjoy doing most, and turn it into a part of your daily routine. Fine-tune your skills to ensure that you take care of your responsibilities efficiently and in the least amount of time. Change begins with you. HHH

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Refuse to let what others do limit you. Focus on what you want to do, and you’ll encounter an unexpected opportunity. Your ability to outmaneuver anyone you come up against will lead to a profit. Play fair. HHHHH

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Revise your skills. Implement new technology, and invest time, money and effort in you. Love and romance are on the rise, and discussing your intentions will help you get a better view of what’s to come. HH

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t make a decision based on someone’s opinion. A problem with a friend, colleague or relative will cause self-doubt. Talk to an expert to help you figure out your best course of action. HHHHH

One of the devastated coastal towns in Eastern Samar.

Birthday Baby: You are patient, observant and hardworking.

You are sensitive and assertive.

‘nlf owners’ by kevin salat The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Pics you might explain 5 Musical about a group of young artists 9 Sermon source 14 1968 US Open champion Arthur 15 Greenish-blue 16 Earth Day’s month 17 Majority shareholder?

18 (Uh-oh) 19 Breakfast spots?

20 Arizona NFL player’s business connection?

23 Minute 24 Not written, as an exam 25 Oscar winner Laura 27 French : monsieur :: Italian : ___ 30 Charming characteristic 34 Prefix for “pod” 35 Wanderer 37 Full 38 Enjoy a book 40 Cosmic Buddhist concept 42 Theater box 43 Brit’s “Right?”

45 Keeps a sauce from congealing

7 Snooze 4 48 Carrier for a terrier 50 Feel bitter about 52 Walrus cousin 53 State whose east and west borders are rivers 54 Website help section 56 Minnesota NFL player’s mid-body joints?

62 Handy 64 “Como ___?”

65 Per person 66 The Little Mermaid 67 Secluded valley 68 Popular streaming device 69 Airplane and Low Power 70 What seawater contains 71 Yemen port city DOWN 1 Controversial powder 2 Home of Sri Lanka 3 With 5-Down, 2017 superhero film directed by Taika Waititi 4 Pass along 5 See 3-Down 6 ___ rights

7 Void’s partner 8 Touches lightly 9 Hard-to-miss signs 10 2019 Levi Strauss & Co. event: Abbr.

11 Cleveland NFL player’s manner of speaking?

12 Common filler word 13 Alternatively 21 Fe, in chemistry 22 Ore-___ (Tater Tots maker) 26 Tehran currency 27 Remove, as paint 28 Fame singer Cara 29 New York NFL player’s British pound?

30 A la ___ menu 31 Port type on many TVs 32 Soccer star Rapinoe 33 Skilled 36 It may be rigged 39 Board game cubes 41 Haughty 44 Goes abroad, maybe 46 Hems, but doesn’t haw 49 Wong of Always Be My Maybe 51 Desert that covers much of Libya

3 What drones collect, informally 5 54 Cappuccino’s top 55 Picked hairdo 57 Beer barrels 58 “La ___ Bonita” 59 Music player with a Touch model 60 Nose (around) 61 Like a spiderweb 63 “Get it?”

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Image BusinessMirror

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Ergonomic space design guide for WFH beginners

Counterbalance: Part 1

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EADERS have the unenviable position of knowing what management wants and the financial bottom line; at the same time, they also know the temperament of their team. What makes it difficult is reconciling them so both management and your team achieve a shared organizational objective which eventually will lead to enhanced productivity and active engagement.

It becomes more difficult if you do not know your organization’s goals nor your team’s professional and personal inclinations.

And with the proliferation of a generationally diverse workplace, leaders are hard-pressed into balancing what the organization needs and what the team aspires. Add this to the concept of emotional quotient and the need to be attuned to how employee sentiments affect productivity and engagement, how leaders adapt to the hats they are required to wear becomes even more important. A cursory glance of the types of leadership yield two prominent leadership styles—the transactional and the transformational. While contemporary management books laud the transformational style of leadership, the transactional leader is still necessary under certain conditions.

The transactional style of leadership was first brought to the forefront by a German sociologist, Max Weber, in 1947 and was expounded further by Bernard Bass in 1981. The main idea of this transactional style is that the follower’s main objective is to comply with the directives of the leader. The influence of the leader stems from the formal authority given to him by organization and by virtue of his position. This is beneficial especially when the leader is the subject matter expert, and when the organization is still starting out. The leader is then expected to steer the ship and make decisions based on what is expected of the team by the organization, and what are clear and necessary steps in achieving the team’s target.

If the leader is the subject matter expert, this leadership style would be valuable in turbulent times when everything is up in the air and the team needs clear direction on what is expected of them and the leader needs to provide detailed steps on how to get there. This is especially needed when the team is confused on what needs to be done under the new circumstances. During these unnerving times, a leader needs to be decisive on where to go and how to

During these unnerving times, a leader needs to be decisive on where to go and how to get there. We have seen some of our local government officials flounder and grasp at straws as they scramble to address the current coronavirus pandemic. This is actually the best time to have a transactional style of leadership because people need clear and decisive steps in surviving this health and economic crisis. get there. We have seen some of our local government officials flounder and grasp at straws as they scramble to address the current coronavirus pandemic. This is actually the best time to have this leadership style because people need clear and decisive steps in surviving this health and economic crisis.

The team follows the leader not just because of the authority he is endowed but also because of a system of rewards and punishments. The transactional leader intervenes only when there is a deviation from the set practice and redirects the efforts of the erring individual toward the norm. What is completed is rewarded and sanctions are imposed on those who cannot deliver as expected. So the transactional leader only monitors so far as corrective actions can be taken and unacceptable performances are punished.

But what is also good with this kind of leader is that rewards for following are also clear and attainable. I think the motivation of the team for following this kind of leader is not just because of the inherent authority given to the leader, but also because of the benefit a team receives by obeying.

It also gives people motivation to follow because directions are clear, thus their motivations are aligned to what the leader expects them to deliver—the leader sets the bottom line and the team just needs to follow the steps in achieving the goals.

The transactional leader also looks at the bean counter as a definitive measure of how much work is done. Productivity is the bottom line. Hence, standard practices and processes are set in place to become efficient and productive. You should expect transactional leaders to have clear guidelines and structures in place so everyone knows how each one should operate. This is especially helpful for industries where leaders have a firm grasp of what needs to be done and how to do it. Transactional

leaders go to great lengths to ensure that the processes in place are efficient in delivering the optimal results.

A downfall is that transactional leaders are perceived as unyielding and insensitive because they follow set processes and protocols. Even if they get the work done by improving processes, there is little room for the team to contribute. What is important for this kind of leader is how the team can contribute to the organizational goals by following. Creativity is limited because it might result in confusion and a change in the systems and processes already in place, so this kind of leader tends to dismiss new ways of working. They are more concerned with looking at existing processes and making these more efficient for the team. The team enjoys a clear structure for what is expected of them and, at the same time, is motivated to achieve targets and even exceed them, because the rewards are clear and there is a clear path on how to achieve them. This also allows the leader to focus on ensuring everyone follows and incentivizes those who do and penalizes divergent members.

Which leads the team to perceive transactional leaders as unyielding to new ideas and insensitive to the welfare of members because the leader only cares about the bottom line. Creativity is limited and there is also the danger of limiting the expertise to one person which puts succession planning and knowledge transfer difficult.

Next week, we will look at the other style of leadership, called Transformational Leadership, and its advantages and disadvantages. But in times of great confusion and unrest, transactional leaders provide a sense of security and comfort because they know what needs to be done, how we should do it, and what is in it for us when we follow. And this can be most effective when the leader acts quickly and decisively to do what is best for everyone. n

MILLIONS of Filipinos engage in the gig economy— from freelancers to several different independent contractors—and work remotely. But with the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping through the country, working from home (WFH) has become the new normal. Government offices and select companies have adopted telecommuting policies following the temporary closure of physical stores and offices, and the strict physical distancing measures implemented during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) while keeping operations afloat. It is realistic to assume that many employees (and companies) are working from home for the first time, and find it challenging in terms of routine, collaborating with colleagues and clients, and putting boundaries between home and work life.

Regardless of working style, here are some tips on how to adjust and arrange a productive workspace. n DECIDING ON WHERE TO WORK. Your home office options highly depend on your living arrangements and the type of work you do. Having a dedicated workspace in a separate room gives you a quiet and private place to do business in. For those with small living spaces, try to pick an area with the least amount of distraction or is spacious enough for your needs, with power outlets nearby for your gadgets. n FURNISHING YOUR HOME OFFICE. You spend hours in front of your computer so it’s important to make it comfortable and enjoyable. An ergonomic workspace can relieve day-to-day discomforts such as eyestrain or back pain, cut the risk of injury, and encourage proper posture. Choose a chair with a backrest and armrests for support, with adjustable seat height, and one that allows you to move around without overstretching yourself. A proper desk can accommodate your gadgets, files and other essentials.

It also lets you work at ease with your computer screen and peripherals positioned correctly. You should be able to sit back on your chair with your feet flat on the ground, with your shoulders relaxed, elbows bent around 90 degrees, and your arms hovered over the keyboard. Readjust as needed. n MAKING IT AN IDEAL WORKSPACE. Natural light is beneficial in your working area as it brings energy into the room, so best to set up by the window or next to other light sources. Create the right ambiance with essential oils or your choice of ambient work music.

Add a visual breather with indoor plants, photos and art-inspired decor for inspiration.

Lastly, take note of air circulation. Too warm and you’ll suffer from fatigue/headache, feel sleepy, or irritable; too cold and you’ll be susceptible to illness. Summer days are upon us and investing in a quality and efficient air-conditioning unit helps control temperature and humidity, in turn increasing productivity and reducing sick days. This also cools your computer/laptop and makes them work better. Best to keep the AC unit around 25°C to attain thermal comfort while staying awake and productive.

Make sure to pick an air-conditioning unit that has an energy-saving or sustainability component, such as those offered by Mitsubishi Electric (ph. mitsubishielectric.com), as you work from home more often (or all the time) this month. And should the work-from-home arrangement extend, remember to give your air-conditioning unit a good clean by carefully taking out the filter and dusting it off, or spraying it gently with water.

Mitsubishi Electric’s air-conditioning unit combines energy efficiency, quiet operation, sleek design and atmospheric comfort that are perfect for your home workspace.

Pandemic exposing UK inequalities in age, education and work

By Jill Ward & Edward Robinson Bloomberg Inequalities in age, education and work are being exposed and reinforced by the pandemic in the United Kingdom, reports published Monday show. Children from better-off families are spending 30 percent more time on educational activities per day than those in the poorest households, a survey from the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed. They’re also much more likely to receive online classes or private

tutoring. Schools have been closed for most students since March 23 as part of a nationwide lockdown.

Among adults, anxiety is running high that restrictions to rein in the spread of the coronavirus will jeopardize their livelihood. With the country in a deep recession, one out of five workers fear losing employment in the next six months, and 77 percent believe this crisis will be worse than the slump in 2008, according to a poll from the Centre for Labour and Social Studies (CLASS), a London-based research group.

Those earning low incomes tend to be more vulnerable to reductions in hours, pay cuts or permanent layoffs.

While the government has put in place unprecedented help for furloughed workers, paying 80 percent of their wages, there’s concerns that jobs will be lost once the program is tapered as changes to the economy become permanent. Tourism and hospitality have been shuttered as a result of the lockdown, with slim chances of a quick rebound.

“The coronavirus has put society in an X-ray machine to reveal its structural weaknesses and it is magnifying existing inequalities,” said Faiza Shaheen, CLASS director. “Protecting workers now requires us looking past emergency measures to a recovery plan.”

Noting that wages for workers in education and social care fell between 2011 and 2019, Shaheen called on the government to raise pay in sectors hit hard by the virus.

Increasing opportunities for young people will also be crucial. Those starting their professional lives in the midst of an economic downturn can suffer negative effects for almost a decade. Over a quarter of 16- to 25-year-olds say their career prospects have already been damaged, and around half say it will be harder than ever to get a job, according to the Prince’s Trust, a charity that helps young people into jobs, education and training.

B5

B6 Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Virgin Labfest 2020 online takes off in June U.S. Military provides Php10 Million in medical supplies to Philippine frontliners

U.S. and Philippine service member's pose with donated PPE.

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ERVICE members from the U.S. Army, Marines, and Air Force delivered over Php10 million ($203,000) in personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies to hospitals in ten provinces across the Philippines, working in partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard, Army, Marines, and Air Force.

This new donation brings total U.S. government COVID-19 assistance to the Philippines to more than Php780 million (nearly $15.5 million).

The assistance, delivered in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy and Philippine Department of Health, will provide medical clinics from Luzon to Mindanao with much-needed PPE and other essential equipment to support frontline workers battling COVID-19.

This joint U.S.-Philippine operation builds on decades of bilateral military

cooperation in counterterrorism, humanitarian relief, maritime security, and many other fields.

Lt. General Ramiro Manuel Rey, AFP Northern Luzon Commander, expressed thanks for the donation, “Indeed, there is strength in unity.

We would like to express our gratitude for the aid given by the U.S. Embassy.

These items will greatly benefit the Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center in Bataan and Talon General Hospital in Tarlac City for a better COVID-19 response. With the world in unison, we truly will heal as one.”

Over the next month, this medical equipment will be distributed to fourteen medical clinics, hospitals, and local Departments of Health in Palawan, Isabela, Tarlac, Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Sulu, Zamboanga del Sur, Maguindanao, and Basilan. The

supplies include disposable gloves, masks, medical clothing, various types of face protection, and tools such as infrared thermometers.

“With this effort, we are trying to do our part to provide the heroes of this fight, the medical professionals, with the necessary tools that they need to protect their fellow workers and citizens. Times like these show the strength of our friendship, partnership, and alliance as we work together to combat this virus,” said Captain Tim Johnson, Team Leader, Civil Military Support Element – Philippines.

The United States has provided more than Php228 billion ($4.5 billion) in development assistance to the Philippines over the past 20 years, including over Php29 billion ($582 million) in health assistance.

The Creative Frugal Architecture: How to do better with less?

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S architects (and humans), we must overcome the instinct to build things the way we have always been built. We should build ‘more of less’ (resources and harmful to environment). We must acknowledge the destruction we have created and take responsibility for shaping a better future. Understanding the values of our resources helps us to handle them with greater care and respect thus, our ability to produce ‘more with less’.

Most of us would like to make a change but are not in the position to assert new and impactful technologies.

Our focus needs to shift and be more: about healing and less: about ‘improving’.

The most significant opportunity that regenerative design could offer must be that it could enable us to live, work and play in genuinely sustainable places.

It offers a pathway to a future where development can ‘give back’: not just ecologically but also in terms of livability.

Frugal living is not about being cheap and of inferior quality. In the domain of same reasoning, frugal living is spending less on things that do not matter much but rather divesting the resources where practicable.

Frugality is designing and building a smaller, Regenerative home: so you can have more space for growing foods; less materials processed nor quarried means lesser habitat destruction; practical choice of regenerative materials means avoiding non-renewables like cement, sand, and gravel; altruistic choice of planned obsolescence.

Frugal living allows you to unfollow herds of impulsive consumers and think about what you value most.

One of the most critical emerging models of value creation for both businesses and the customers they serve is Frugal Innovation. Developed

by Radjou and Prabhu, it provides real practical examples of how we can all learn the lessons of frugal innovation and the concept of “prosumers” in a way that is both engaging and practical. It is also called Jugaad Innovation with a Hindi meaning of an innovative fix or an improvised solution born on ingenuity and cleverness.

A good example of frugal innovation and their significant social contributions such as the: (1) Mitti cool refrigerator - a designed refrigerator by Mansukh Prajapati, made of simple clay, costing a meager two thousand rupees that keeps vegetables and fruits fresh without electricity. This helps people from rural places, where there is no constant supply of electricity or no supply at all, to get the luxury of cold water. They are also ale to store their fruits and vegetables for about three days; (2) One Liter light - In some Philippine slums or even rural areas, solar skylights made from one-liter soda bottles filled with water and bleach can provide light equivalent to that produced by a 55 watt bulb. An ingenuous solution especially on communities having no supply of electricity.

Frugal innovation is the ability to “do more with less’ – that is, to create significantly more business and social value while minimizing the use of diminishing resources such as energy, capital and time in the “age of scarcity”. It removes (or reduce) all the complexity and cost of a good and its production process. Such services and products need not be of inferior quality but must be provided cheaply. While frugal innovation has been associated with good-enough performance, in some sectors such as healthcare, frugal innovation must offer maximum performance without compromising on quality. In May 2012 The Financial Times newspaper called the concept

“increasingly fashionable”.

In today’s high tech world, people may feel that “jugaad” is only for those who are simple and under privileged.

The authors have shown that Fortune 500 companies to have geared up and introduced these principles to establish their hold in the market in this troubled financial world. The book has write ups on twenty big business ventures spread around the world – Google, Facebook, 3M, Apple, Best Buy, GE, IBM, Nokia, Procter and Gamble, Pepsico and Philips to name a few and of course the evolution of their own ‘Nano’ and India’s Mars orbiter – Mangalyan that has been assembled and released into space on a comparatively low scale budget has its place in the book.

The novel corona virus pandemic shrug the whole world and bring us to the new world. This may be the end of too much waste ‘consumerism’ and the growth of new a market called ‘prosumers’.

Reducing waste and other creative austere living practices are inherently environmental friendly. Resist the urge to acquire possessions in a belief that having more is good. Certainly, you do not want a trap buying a very expensive device (with lots of features you do not really need) that is programmed to self-destruct for a couple of years.

Suddenly, you realized it is overrated and overpriced, yet you are gravitated buying another once again.

The world economy is having a hard time. Each one of us will have difficulty unless we change the way we do things, and reinvent the way we live, even with little to nothing because we still deserve – living the good life.

(Excerpt from e-book: CONNECTED: Understanding Regenerative Architecture)

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HE Cultural Center of the Philippines presents ten new works, three revisited works, and six staged readings in the 16th edition of Virgin Labfest, billed as “VLF 2020 KAPIT: Lab in the Time of Covid (A Virtual Labfest Lockdown Edition),” which goes online for the first time from June 10 to 28, 2020 on CCP’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

In view of the COVID-19 crisis, CCP braves a new front and adjusts to new realities as the Virgin Labfest playwrights, directors and actors take steps to bring the annual festival of untried, untested and unstaged works to a virtual stage.

The three-week festival features ten featured works; “Doggy” by Dustin Celestino, directed by Roobak Valle; “Pilot Episode” by Floyd Scott Tiogangco, directed by Giancarlo Abrahan; “Dapithapon” by Jay Crisostomo IV, directed by Sigmund Roy Pecho; “Papaano Turuan ang Babae Humawak ng Baril” by Daryl Pasion, directed by Erika Estacio; “BlackPink” by Tyron Casumpang, directed

by Jethro Tenorio; “Multiverse” by Juliene Mendoza, directed by Fitz Edward Bitana; “Titser Kit” by Jobert Grey Landeza, directed by Adrienne Vergara; “Mayang Bubot sa Tag-araw” by Mark Norman Boquiren, directed by Mark Mirando; “Gin Bilog” by Luisito Nario, directed by James Harvey Estrada and Anthony Kim Vergara’s “The Boyboy and Friends Channel” directed by Joshua Tayco.

All these plays will be premiere with live performances at the CCP’s Youtube channel and Facebook page. From June 14 to 28, they will be streamed on IWANTv. “Doggy” (live on June 10, 3pm and June 26, 2pm) is about a man's fiancee’s sexual peculiarity that becomes his source of repressed anger.

“Pilot Episode” (live on June 13, 5pm and June 24, 8pm) shows a young gay man who just quit his job through a text message, and how his parents attempt to de-escalate his extreme manic-depressive episode.

“Dapithapon” (live on June 14, 3pm and June 27, 5pm) follows the story of three boys in their senior high school years who have to confront their greatest fears in a single day: flunking out of school, impossible parental expectations, and an unhealthy infatuation with a teacher.

“Papaano Turuan ang Babae Humawak ng Baril” (live on June 13, 3pm and June 24, 2pm) shows what happens when a man reunites with his pregnant wife upon returning home from an encounter against the NPA. “BlackPink” (live on June 11, 5pm and June 28, 8pm) tells of a father‘s discovery that his youngest son who is a staunch fan of Blackpink was prohibited by his school principal to dance “Kill This Love” in their Family Day talent contest, and the only way for him to join the competition is if he finds other male students to dance with him.

“Multiverse” (live on June 14, 8pm and June 26, 8pm) reunites two estranged brothers - a writer and a recovering alcoholic. The two reconnect through their mutual love of comic books.

“Titser Kit” (live on June 11, 3pm and June 27, 2pm) tells of a young student who gets into trouble in his new

school and hides inside a dilapidated storage room, afraid of what punishment the Principal might sanction him with. He feels safe until “Titser Kit” finds him there.

“Mayang Bubot sa Tag-araw” (live on June 12, 5pm and June 23, 2pm) is a painful tale of two Ayta children whose friendship is tested as they choose different paths.

“Gin Bilog” (live on June 12, 3pm and June 25, 2pm) focuses on old issues that are rehashed in a drinking session of family and friends.

“Boyboy and Friends Channel” (live on June 12, 8 pm and June 23, 8 pm) was written by Anthony Kim Vergara and is directed by Joshua Tayco. It tells the tale of friends who lost their jobs as production crew members after the timely untimely shutdown of their TV network and find successful making a new career as Youtubers. Now, Boyboy with his buddies make a decision that forever changes their friendship.

The Revisited Plays include: “Fangirl” by Herlyn Alegre, directed by Charles Yee (June 14, 5pm and June 25, 8pm); “Anak Ka Ng” by U Z Eliserio, directed by Maynard Manansala (June 10, 8pm and June 23, 5pm); and “Wanted: Male Boarders” by Rick Patriarca, directed

by George De Jesus III (June 10, 5pm and June 27, 8pm).

Catch the Staged Readings: “Jenny Li” by Buch Dacanay, directed by Nour Hooshmand (June 20, 5pm); “Dominador Gonzales - National Artist” by Dingdong Novenario, directed by Bunny Cadag (June 19, 5pm), “LadyMasters” by Rouchelle Dinglasan, directed by Joy Cerro (June 25, 5pm); “Matira ang Matibay” by Bernice Dacara, directed by Alon Segara (June 26, 5pm); “Bagahe”

by Nicko de Guzman, directed by Joel Saracho (June 18, 5pm); and “Mongoloida’s Casa de Pun” by Claro delos Reyes, directed by Guelan Luarca (June 24, 5pm).

The VLF Playwright's Fair, one of the components of the theater festival, will be held online on June 11-14, 1720, 25-27 at 8pm. A collaboration of the CCP Intertextual Division, the VLF Team and The Writers’ Bloc’s Rody Vera, the fair features Filipino writers. Other events include online discussion (June 18-21) and digital marketing platform for the expertise, services, publications and other products of writers of theatrical productions. Check out the FB page of VLF 2020 for the complete line up of speakers and activities.

The Virgin Labfest 2020 Writing Fellowship Program will take place on June 16–28, 2020. It is a two week mentorship program for young aspiring playwrights on the study and practice of dramatic writing for the stage. Participants will learn from lectures, script critiquing, writing sessions and interactions with known playwrights, directors and actors. The Fellowship Program will culminate in an online staged reading of the fellows’ works on June 28 at 2 and 5pm.

Established in 2005, the Virgin Labfest is copresented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, its resident theater company Tanghalang Pilipino and the playwrights' group Writer's Bloc Inc. For more details, visit the CCP website and official social media accounts, and the VLF Facebook account.

Lamudi: Property seekers turn to properties outside CBDs, renew interest in houses

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ENTRAL business districts (CBDs), the financial and lifestyle hubs of Metro Manila, received a huge portion of activity on Lamudi pre-COVID due in part to the concentration of listings in and near these areas.

Interestingly, during the time of the ECQ, the preference in location of property seekers has remained unchanged (67%), though a good 26% is looking in new areas. A further 7% are widening their scope by continuing to watch the locations they were originally interested in while keeping their options open for new locations. As for those that have either changed or expanded their area of search, the pattern is clear: properties outside of CBDs are gaining in popularity.

Property seekers who are exclusively looking for CBD properties during the ECQ were already eyeing propertiesn in the same areas before the pandemic.

However, some of the property seekers who were previously only interested in CBD properties are now looking at a combination of CBD and non-CBD properties.

From 25% of the respondents considering properties in non-CBD areas before the ECQ, the number is now at 83%. On top of this, 50% are now looking exclusively at non-CBD properties.

The survey shows an increase in the interest in

affordable cities in the NCR. In Metro Manila, certain areas saw large increases in inquiries after the implementation of the ECQ. In particular, Caloocan saw a steep upward trend emphasized after the first week of the ECQ. Other areas in Metro Manila that have seen positive activity during the ECQ are the cities of Manila, Las Pinas, Quezon City, Valenzuela, and Marikina.

Makati, Taguig, Muntinlupa, and San Juan, saw a little bit of a slump after the first week of the ECQ. Muntinlupa and Makati, however, were already seeing a slight increase in views in the second week of April.

The week-by-week change in inquiries received by cities such as Pasig, Mandaluyong and Paranaque, meanwhile, have shown no significant changes before or after the ECQ’s implementation. Pasay, which followed a similar trend, saw a sharp decrease in interest in the fourth week of the ECQ. During the ECQ, property seekers have renewed their interest in residential lots. As the property type with an almost steady upward increase after the ECQ, it echoes what property developers have been saying about real estate, that the need for a house is something that does not go away.

Visit Lamudi.com.ph for more details.

SOS Children’s Villages Philippines gets help from Allianz employees

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LLIANZ PNB Life employees have raised funds in a response to help SOS Children’s Villages Philippines as the non-government organization continues to provide for almost a thousand abandoned and neglected in their 8 villages across the country.

SOS Children’s Villages Philippines is experiencing a decrease in donations as its regular donors have also been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The employees rallied and donated PhP150,000 of their own money to help cover the basic necessities of the children.

“We commend our employees for stepping up and helping a vulnerable sector during this pandemic. While we continue to send support to our front-liners, let us not neglect others whose food and shelter have also been severely affected,” said Allianz PNB Life Chief Marketing Officer Gae Martinez.

SOS Children’s Villages Philippines rely on support from organizations and individuals to sustain its operations. Its villages have been placed under lockdown to ensure the health and safety of the children under its care.

“As SOS Children's Villages remain at work for

abandoned and neglected Filipino children under quarantine, we thank Allianz PNB Life for helping us keep the children safe, healthy, and in loving homes. Their outpouring of generosity in this time of crisis ensures that although our children are isolated, they are not alone,” said Romil Rayos del Sol, Deputy National Director of SOS Children's Villages Philippines.

This is not the first time that the employees extended their help to different organizations. In February, as part of Dare To Be Fit 3 program, the employees did a number of activities that earned points and which were then converted into pesos and donated to different organizations.

Last April, Allianz PNB Life donated meals to the Lung Center of the Philippines. The company sent freshly cooked dinner to the front-liners of the hospital for four weeks.

Allianz has also ensured the well-being of its employees and intermediaries since the start of the quarantine period, providing them with financial and mental health assistance, as well as releasing safety guidelines to keep everyone secure and out of danger.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 B7

Creating safe spaces: Communicating to build trust in the time of COVID-19 Following through is also necessary. Then whatever learning one has, if proper protocoled, it will be a success. Acting with urgency and productivity are necessary as well.

The crisis within a larger crisis

Amor Maclang

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first dibs in real estate

EAL estate is not spared from the difficulties that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought upon us.

The industry has been hit heavily, with predictions that it might take years to recover in the US. Will it be the same for us here in the Philippines?

Now more than ever, we underscore the importance of communication during crisis, which of course, applies to real-estate practitioners. How do we handle customers and retainers? Is there such a thing as overcommunication?

The first thing we must remember is that no one is really born to handle crisis.

When it strikes, people must act with empathy and objectivity. Admittedly, it is not easy to handle crisis objectively—in fact, it’s the first thing to fly out, once crisis hits. This is because interestingly enough, crisis can bring about symptoms that are similar to being in love, which can be an addictive feeling. It is crucial that we keep our heads during this time and be mindful of the decisionmaking we are doing to avoid being subjective.

Last April 30, I joined a webinar by the Urban Land Institute, titled “Creating safe spaces: Communi-

cating to build trust in the time of Covid-19.” Here are key learnings from the webinar that are crucial to those in real estate and even to anyone renting or interested in the industry, during the pandemic:

Trends and solutions in local real estate “Property is here to serve humans,” reiterated Carl Dy, president of Spectrum Properties, first and foremost. “So if you want to understand property, you have to understand how human behavior is.” He then stated some immediate concerns in real estate, post-ECQ. These are, one, customers will be renting out their small properties in Metro Manila as warehouses, via groups in social media.

Properties along the street will also be rented out more to restaurants for example, with malls being closed. This is so customers can gain easy access and buy

their take-out food orders. The last is having a self-standing staff house, which can especially be applicable to BPOs. This is so that employees don’t need to go home and can use the staff house as their living quarters during the work week, minimizing the need to travel.

Dy also offered some solutions to pressing concerns in real estate during this time. For those worried about having uncertain income and have three or more years to pay for the property they are renting, Dy stated the Maceda Law for those planning to cancel their payments. “If you pay for more than two years, you can get 50 percent cashback,” he said. If it is less than two years, one must appeal to their developer if they can have some of their money back.

Another suggestion for those who have difficulty in paying rent, is the Bayanihan Act, where you will pay rent after being given a 30-day grace period. This also applies for commercial properties.

Taking inspiration from farmers who need bridges so they can sell their crops to customers, Dy is offering a link for property owners who quickly want to sell their properties at good prices. Visit bit.ly/bayanihansaleproperties and they will help sell your property,

ideally at lower market value.

Communicating and selling during sensitive times Mark de Joya, marketing director of Max’s Restaurant and Head of Corporate Communications of Max’s Group, also gave advice on engaging with others especially during difficult times.

“It’s all about defining why, and why the organization exists,” explained de Joya. “If our why in the past was all about running restaurants, we have to redefine that purpose in a world today where we are only operating one-third of our network. It has been a challenge to navigate this sort of environment mindfully.”

He also gave a three-step rule they follow when it comes to risk management. One is centralization and assessing their risk appetite. “Panic is okay, it’s natural; the leader should own it so rest of organization doesn’t have to,” shared de Joya. “When things are foreseen, we are then able to overcommunicate it to the organization.”

The second, “two x two,” is that agility is not a buzzword.

“It’s a model of Max’s group,” he explained. “No one would have foreseen a world like this, like Covid-19’s.” But during the team’s

planning for an action plan, every single scenario has already been considered by them such that whatever happens, they are ready to respond. An example is the 5C’s they came up with for safe deliveries to get customers to trust them during these times.

The third, “three principles, three stakeholders” has three keywords—genuine, thoughtful and delightful. This was applied in their Pledge a Plate for frontliners campaign, where they were able to provide 50,000 meals, which they hope embodied the three keywords.

Managing in crisis Meanwhile, Christopher Vicic, country head of JLL Philippines, gave pointers on how to thrive during this crisis, having been exposed to high-risk areas internationally during his career.

For Vicic, managing in crisis is about being ready with ways and processes that are ready for a certain point. For him, it is important to act despite having limited information. Focusing on safety of people is also very crucial. Working with stakeholders during and after crisis is necessary to achieve this.

Then just like de Joya, he emphasized agility and flexibility as important in thriving during a crisis.

Last, Brad Geiser, cofounder of GeiserMaclang Marketing communications Inc., then explained how crisis communications can be done during these times.

“The same misfortune happened to everybody but we’re not suffering it equally,” explained Geiser. Realistically speaking, this may persist for many months even after government eviction restrictions have lapsed. Whole industries have collapsed while others have flourished—e-gaming is flourishing, while events and travel are disintegrating.

The fact remains though, that many lost jobs and can no longer support themselves during lockdown since conducting business will put lives at risk. Projects have also been canceled and been put on hold. Social and business behavior are also rapidly shifting, as well as values and virtues.

To weather a crisis, Geiser stated three assets needed: psychology, structure and communication.

For psychology, he recognizes how mentally disruptive crisis can be.

This is where the ability to be neutral and detached is important.

For structure, specific processes are required to handle crisis effectively. These processes must accommodate different scenarios and have alternative systems when needed. And last, for communication, writing and speaking skills, as well as strategies (such as crafting apologies) are must-haves in order to speak to media and stakeholders effectively.

When it comes to handling investors and tenants, one must be ready to craft a holding statement.

The importance of overcommunication, establishing trust, and good risk management, cannot be emphasized enough during these times.

Homeseekers will still buy house A sustainable residential masterpiece for the middle class online even after pandemic

By Roderick L. Abad @rodrik_28

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MID the challenges and limitations brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, AboitizLand Inc. has been able to sustain half of its pre-lockdown reservation volume.

The Aboitiz Group’s real-estate arm attributed this to its active and constant innovation on the new mode of home purchasing via digital technology, making it safe and convenient for the customers.

“The reason why we’re at 50 percent is because the other 50 percent are traditional buyers who [still] prefer to see the property first before buying,” AboitizLand President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Rafael said, adding that the pandemic has, in fact, been a catalyst to contactless home buying.

Even prior to this unprecedented health crisis, the company had already started to adopt a digital approach in selling its residential projects.

It felt that this approach dubbed as “contactless home buying” was already a necessity to broaden its client reach.

“This has been our major strategy since 2019. Fortunately, Aboitiz has a dedicated group [on digital transformation] at the parent level that we were able to tap. Because of our early investments and preparations, we were not caught unprepared,” Rafael said, referring to the limitations brought about by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Following a favorable response from their residential clients despite the government-imposed lockdown, this strategy is here to stay, or even accelerate after the pandemic, according to him.

The challenge, though, he conceded is to continue training the salesforce on how to adapt and be comfortable in using the technology. This way, the new scheme can complement the traditional way of purchasing dwellings.

“We are not going to ease up; we barely scratched the surface. We are still going to invest to improve contactless home buying such as in the areas of customer relationship management and measuring the productivity of our salespeople, among others,” he noted.

Buying housing units online leverages on platforms such as the company web site, social media, and e-mail marketing for lead generation.

Interested buyers may use AboitizLand’s 360-degree virtual tours on its web site www.aboitizland.com to view amenities, features as well as property locations, or request for an actual video of the unit and book a dedicated property specialist or an agent to assist with all their inquiries and conduct a comprehensive online presentation.

Reservations may be done online and clients may choose from a range of online modes of payment, including bank transfers, mobile banking apps, or through AboitizLand’s own payment portal.

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FTER the success of Aspire Corporate Plaza, Golden Bay Land Holdings’ Pioneer project, the boutique land developer ventures on to its first residential project: Garden City.

Groundbreaking only this month, the six tower development stands at 17 stories high within Bacoor City, near the future LRT Bacoor Station. Golden Bay Landholdings’ COO Jardin Wong shared that it’s a “full-fledged mini city that features a good work-life-play balance for residents.” The residential development will house select floors for offices and a retail strip for the convenience of its inhabitants.

“After the momentum we’ve had from Aspire Corporate Plaza, we’re keeping the energy going with this larger project. I think the execution will be much smoother than our last project because of our operational experience but the pressure is definitely higher,” said Wong. He and his team are hard at work at making Garden City true to its name: a refreshing paradise escape from the city, within the city.

With most units having a Manila Bay view, Wong and his team aims to make the development’s chi well-balanced so residents can truly recharge and escape the hustle and bustle of urban Manila. A huge fraction of the development has been allocated for breathing spaces, greeneries, and communal areas where residents can actually develop a coherent relationship with their neighbors.

“In condos, you don’t really establish closeness to your neighbors but for this particular project we really made an effort in designing the amenities to bring the residents together. We want to bring back that sense

of community and connection in Garden City, which is actually good for everyone’s mental health,” shared Wong who prides the property’s 15 or so amenities. “No day will ever be the same for its residents,” Wong teased.

With its life-work-play scheme nailed down and delivered to a tee, Wong and his team are also extremely proud to share that Garden City prioritizes sustainability aside from an amazing resident experience.

“It’s our responsibility as a developer to do our part in taking care of the environment,” the young COO shared. He gives us a peek of the bio-wood, rain-catchment system and eco-friendly lights that will be used for the property. “We’ve tried our best to scout for suppliers who have the same sustainable vision as us. From tiles to lights, it might be more expensive but it’s an

investment in the long run,” Wong shared.

Even the design itself features passive cooling for better ventilation and welcomes in natural light to use less electricity. They’ve even dedicated the names of the towers to honor the endangered wood species that is known to thrive in the Philippines, such as Narra, Molave and Yakal.

The property’s exterior, aided by WTA Architects, is designed to be refreshing and warm. It’s Zen-inspired and very relaxing, somewhere to escape to after the stress of the city. “When people invest and live here, I like to think that in a small way, I’ve helped them achieve the life they want through the design and experience of the property,” shared Wong. Wong and his team are targeting a high growth segment of young families and aspiring entrepreneurs who want a qual-

ity space they can call their own.

Garden City offers two types of squarecut units, typical studio units start at 30 sq m while standard two-bedroom units are at 70-75 sq .m, all of which have balconies facing Manila Bay, Las Piñas and Makati. “You’ll always be bound by size with condos but with smarter layouts that we have, you can really maximize the space.”

“It’s an investment but it’s also a bargain, We really designed this property as a masterpiece for the middle class. Quality and design at an accessible price,” Wong shared.

Garden City will soon rise at the AlabangZapote growth corridor, a short 10-minute commute from the Macapagal Bay Area, the project is envisioned to transform the Bacoor landscape and open up exciting economic opportunities for future residents.

Sports CYCLING FOR ALL IN NEW NORMAL BusinessMirror

B8 Wednesday, May 20, 2020

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HE kingpins of Philippine cycling started putting their act together to instill a culture of cycling come the “new normal” brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lina Group of Cos.’ Bert Lina (AIR21), Ronda Pilipinas’s Moe Chulani (LBC) and Go For Gold’s Jeremy Go kicked off the virtual organizational meeting via Zoom on Tuesday morning, aiming to chart the route that would make the bicycle a major mode of transportation during and after the quarantine.

Le Tour de Filipinas President Donna Lina and race Project Manager Sunshine Joy Mendoza, 7-Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines AIR21’s Ric Rodriguez, Lina’s Chief of Staff Titus Reyes and national team

bert lina

coaches Ednalyn Hualda (Go For Gold) and Reinhard Gorantes, also of Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance, joined the initiative that also seeks to assist government in the establishment of regulation bike lanes in national, city and municipal roads.

Lina, in his capacity as chairman, and Chulani along with Jun Lomibao, as members of the board of directors, represented PhilCycling in the meeting.

This marks the first time in Philippine cycling history that the sport’s major stakeholders, race organizers and team managers banded together amid government’s effort to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus by making public transportation safe.

“There is a need to develop a proof-of-concept [POC]

design adopting the bike lanes that have already been launched,” Lina said. “The group could come up with a proposal to fix the existing bike lanes.”

Chulani said bike lanes have already been established in Antipolo City, Iloilo City, Quezon City, Marikina City, Pasig City, among others, and stressed Ronda Pilipinas’s full support to the endeavor.

“Ronda Pilipinas launched two cycling lanes in Iloilo and Antipolo two years ago,” Chulani said. “The bike lanes are maintained by private groups.”

Go concurred but stressed the configuration of bicycle lanes should prioritize the safety of riders. “A separate bike lane must be created and cyclists must also learn to follow the traffic regulations,” he said.

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

donna lina

MOE chulani

The concern regarding bicycle lanes is one of several objectives the group aims to accomplish. The other major concern is on how to instill a cycling culture in the community.

Rodriguez, citing the Indonesian model, said cities and municipalities should be encouraged to observe a regular cycling holiday when all motorized vehicles are banned in a particular area in favor of the bicycle at least one day each week.

The group said it will be supporting Congress’ efforts favoring the use of bicycles. Representatives Karlo Nograles and Jericho Jonas Nograles filed in 2016 House Bill 174 that seeks the creation of the Local Bikeways Office while Sen. Pia Cayetano filed

JEREMY go

last week Senate Bill 1518 that aims to establish a network of pop-up bicyle lanes and pathways during the pandemic.

The stakeholders said they also hope that Sen. Francis Tolentino revive the cycling advocacy he established when he was the chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

Lina also pinpointed the Central Luzon State University as a potential pilot venue for the advocacy.

The group would be creating a data base of cycling clubs and organizations to expand the advocacy’s reach, as well as connect the effort with the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission.

SEX DOLLS ‘WATCH’ SOCCER MATCH IN SEOUL Al Mendoza alsol47@yahoo.com

THAT’S ALL

SAN MIGUEL CORP OFFERS FREE VIRUS TEST FOR PBA STAFF

Soft spot in my heart

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LL 41 employees of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will undergo free Covid-19 testing courtesy of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) through its President and COO Ramon S. Ang. SMC is extending its campaign against the pandemic to the PBA after earlier providing testing booths and kits to all 17 local government units in the National Capital Region.

The umbrella group of PBA teams San Miguel Beer, Magnolia and Barangay Ginebra also donated RT-PCR testing machines and automated RNA machines to key government hospitals.

Barangay Ginebra board of governor and SMC Sports Director Alfrancis Chua visited the PBA office on Monday as the league Management Committee convened for the first time in two months since the country was put under enhanced community quarantine.

Chua told PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial and members of the management committee about Ang’s generous offer to have all regular league employees undergo testing for free.

Marcial profusely thanked the SMC executive for his kindhearted act.

“We are extending our heartfelt gratitude to SMC President Ramon Ang for the generous effort to make sure everyone in the PBA is safe and healthy,” Marcial said.

Marcial added the move is a major step towards league’s effort to resume its 45th season that was stalled indefinitely following the outbreak.

The Covid-19 testing will be done at the SMC headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

The management committee met to formulate protocols that will be implemented once regular operation resumes.

The PBA offices intends to activate its operations as early as the last week of May.

UP-CHK sets up step-down facility

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HE University of the Philippines (UP) opened the Kalinga Center of the College of Human Kinetics (CHK) Gym as a step-down isolation facility for recovering Covid-19 patients and for those awaiting results of their retest.

“We saw the value and significance of serving the UP community. For as long as we are on remote learning at UP, we will support this cause,” UP-CHK Dean Francis “Kiko” Diaz, also the school’s representative to the University Athletic Association Board, said.

The newly converted step-down facility is the training venue for the UP women’s basketball team and pep squad.

It is equipped with tents, mattresses and beddings, as well as showers and toilet amenities, water dispensers, washing machines and hygiene kits.

The step-down facility is a tripartite initiative among UP-CHK, Maynilad and UP ACTasONE headed by Rep. Mike Defensor.

THE facility will attend to recovering Covid-19 patients and for those awaiting results of their retest.

CHEERING mannequins are installed at empty spectators’ seats during a soccer match between FC Seoul and Gwangju FC at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul. AP

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EOUL, South Korea—A South Korean soccer club has apologized after being accused of putting sex dolls in empty seats during a match.

FC Seoul expressed “sincere remorse” over the controversy, but insisted in a statement that it used mannequins—not sex dolls—to mimic a home crowd during Sunday’s 1-0 win over Gwangju FC at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Following a weeks-long delay because of the coronavirus pandemic, the K-League returned to action on May 8 without spectators, days after professional baseball began under similar conditions. The leagues plan to play in empty stadiums until the risks of coronavirus infections are lowered.

With players competing in front of rows of empty seats, some soccer and baseball teams have been trying to create a festive and humorous atmosphere that involves filling stands with huge team banners, pictures of mask-wearing fans, or even vegetables.

FC Seoul said it was attempting to add “an element of fun” with the mannequins. The team said it was repeatedly reassured by Dalkom, the company that produced the mannequins, that they weren’t sexual products.

But when providing its products for the stadium, Dalkom reused some of the mannequins it previously supplied to another company, FC Seoul said.

The club’s statement didn’t directly address

criticism of why it chose to work with Dalkom, which does manufacture sex dolls, according to the company’s web site, or why nearly all the mannequins at the stadium were female in design.

On Monday, South Korea reported 15 new cases of the coronavirus and one more death, bringing its totals to 11,065 cases and 263 fatalities. Its caseload has slowed from early March, when it was reporting 500 new cases per day, allowing officials to relax social distancing guidelines, schedule a reopening of schools, and allowing the return of professional sports.

The K-League has advised players to avoid excessive goal celebrations, while handshakes, spitting and talking closely with other players on the field are banned as part of its antivirus measures.

In Manchester, England, the Premier League has been told by government experts that coronavirus restrictions could endure for at least a year across English football, with players allowed to resume only noncontact training from Tuesday.

England’s top division has been studying how the Bundesliga was able to resume competition at the weekend while being realistic about missing its aspiration of getting back underway by June 12.

“We have to be flexible about it,” Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said in a media call Monday. “The Germans are a couple of steps ahead of us obviously and we can learn from

them and watch them and take confidence from their success.”

Team executives will hold talks next Tuesday to discuss protocols for allowing players to take part in contact training, but it is dependent on government approval and there being no new spike in Covid-19 cases after an easing of lockdown restrictions. “[Once] we have had a proper discussion with clubs about how much is required to create the fitness levels before they can start playing, we are then in a position to be able to confirm when the season start is,” Masters said.

The 20 clubs on Monday agreed to protocols for small groups of players to train while maintaining social distancing that exists in wider society. Inspectors will drop into training complexes to check the rules are being followed.

“That will enable us to give everyone confidence that the protocols are being complied with, and give the public confidence that we are trying to create a very safe working environment,” said Richard Garlick, the league’s director of football.

“We can request information from videoing of the sessions and GPS data, too.”

The protocols have been formed in conjunction with the government, which has cautioned a Covid-19 vaccine may not be developed at all, despite the huge global effort to produce one. AP

Volleyball stars relentless vs Covid-19

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HE Volleyball Community Gives Back PH (VCGBPH) continues its campaign against the pandemic by initiating a raffle show business personalities’ memorabilia to raise funds.

Among the items that the celebrities will give away are Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach’s Converse sneakers,

Dingdong Dantes’s motorcycle helmet and Kathryn Bernardo’s two pairs of Sunnies sunglasses.

Derek Ramsay, Jennylyn Mercado, Rovilson Fernandez, Angelica Panganiban, Marco Gumabao, Mimiyuuh, Elisse, Hashtag Luke and Paulo Arvie are also taking part in the Celebrity Bundle raffle the proceeds of which are intended to

ONE of the last major tournaments that escaped the curse of Covid-19 was the PAL (Philippine Airlines) Interclub Golf Championship held in Bacolod City.

Its standard two tournaments held yearly the last three decades or so went on as scheduled in February to March, with rain-inducing glitches creating just a minor dent in seniors play.

The PAL Seniors competition, played February 26 to 29, was won by Canlubang in a thrilling finish befitting a championship finale.

In winning its 11th Seniors title, Canlubang had to steady itself in the homestretch to snatch a dramatic 4-point victory over Luisita, its longtime rival in the 34-year history of the event reserved for 55-year-olds and above.

The Sugar Barons from Laguna immediately dedicated their triumph to Luigi Yulo, the perennial team manager who missed the tournament for the first time as he was recuperating from an ailment.

But while the seniors fought fiercely for every point, not so in the PAL men’s regular played from March 4 to 7.

Manila Southwoods immediately floored the pedal and, going to the fourth and final round, its victory was as sure and right as rain.

Southwoods’ 22-point rout of runner-up Del Monte will go down as one of the largest winning margins ever in the 73-year history of the event.

The turbulence-hit tournament, abetted somewhat by Covid-19, had claimed two casualties: The PAL Media Golf was scrapped and the traditional coverage by Manila’s broadsheets was shelved.

Understood all right but for me, it hurt a little.

The PAL Media Golf occupies a soft spot in my heart.

That’s because 23 years ago, I won the golden staging of the PAL Interclub’s PAL Media Golf in 1997 that netted me two business class tickets Manila-New York-Manila via Vancouver.

Ah, manna from heaven it was. Suddenly, I believed in fairy tales.

That year proved providential. I had a scheduled trip to the Big Apple on an official business. So, who would use the two PAL tickets I won, in the process becoming my travel mates to the US? My wife and daughter.

It was a trip to remember, a trip to end all trips.

I just wish that with PAL returning to full operations more or less starting on May 31, the nation’s flag carrier will soar mightily once more. And, hopefully, the PAL Media Golf could resume with the anticipated 74th staging of the PAL Interclub next year?

As Humphrey Bogart said in Casablanca: “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”

THAT’S IT The 10-episode The Last Dance exclusively featured in Netflix for several weeks is finally over. We’ve learned many lessons about success from Michael Jordan in this documentary film. What stood out was Jordan’s uncanny ability to seemingly have an answer to every situation, especially the most difficult ones. Indeed, he is one of a kind on matters of overcoming even the hardest of challenges. Seemingly, Jordan invented the battle cry, Never give up! An idol for the ages.

produce more personal protective equipment (PPEs).

Led by Alyssa Valdez, Charo Soriano, Amy Ahomiro, Gretchen Ho, Aby Maraño and Amanda Villanueva, VCGBPH has produced 2,000 PPEs which have already distributed to Sultan Kudarat, Quezon Medical Center Batangas, Aklan, Puerto Galera, Cebu, Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro, Muntinlupa and Quezon City.

The program is part of the #ServeOurFrontliners: Raffles For Heroes campaign that saw the players raffling off their

LBJ: I’m not giving up on THE season LEBRON JAMES says he wishes that the season comes back “sooner than later.” AP

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eBron James reiterated Monday that he is hopeful the National Basketball Association (NBA) season can resume, with the caveat that the health and well-being of players won’t be jeopardized by a return to play.

The Los Angeles Lakers star, speaking on the Uninterrupted platform’s “WRTS: After Party”show that was released Monday, said it remains his wish that the season comes back“sooner than later.”The NBA suspended the season on March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and two unidentified members of the Lakers were among the league’s players who subsequently tested positive for the virus.

“Definitely not giving up on the season,” James said. “Not only myself and my teammates, the Lakers organization, we want to play.

There’s a lot of players that I know personally that want to play. And

memorabilia, including jerseys, training shirts, shoes and a coffee table books.

“We are continuously producing PPEs to serve our frontliners and we plan to keep on donating them through the referral hospitals in various provinces, as well as here in Metro Manila,” the VCGBPH said in a statement.

All raffle items will be shipped once the lockdown has been lifted. Donations could be sent to Ryan Sordan through BPI bank account 8069 0632 77, GCash 0917-5003390 and PayMaya 0917-5003390.

obviously, we don’t ever want to jeopardize the health of any of our players or any of the players’ families and so on and so on.

“This is a pandemic that we have no idea [about]. We can’t control it,” James added.

James was among a group of some of the league’s highest-paid players, National Basketball Players Association President Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder also part of the group, who met last week to talk about the season. Those players affirmed to one another on that call that they would like to see the season resume.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told players’ union members on May 8 that he was hoping to make some sort of decision about the future of the season within no more than a four-week window. By that timeframe—barring any adjustments based on what’s happening with the pandemic—Silver and the NBA would be hoping to decide upon some course of action by June 5. AP