BusinessMirror September 08, 2020

Roque: Bayanihan 2 to be signed mid-Sept

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RESIDENT Duterte is expected to sign the P165-billion Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or the Bayanihan 2 before midSeptember.

In an online briefing on Monday, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte is now just completing his consultations with agencies that will be covered by the bill.

“But I can assure you, once these consultations are completed, it will be signed by the President because he was the one who requested it from Congress,” Roque said.

“I don’t think the first two

LAS Piñas City Christmas lantern makers hope to bring cheer amid the pandemic with their handiwork, as the country known to have the longest Christmas season in the world faces a Christmas like no other. ROY DOMINGO

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weeks of September will pass without the bill being signed. I think, they are aiming that the bill should be signed this week, next week at the latest,” he added.

Of the P165-billion stimulus package included in the bill, P140 billion will be for outlay, while the remaining P25 billion will serve as standby fund.

The fund will purchase medical supplies; infuse capital to financial institutions to provide loans to establishments affected by the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic; and provide training and temporary work for displaced employees, among others.

The bill was submitted to the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs by lawmakers last week.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman criticized Duterte’s delay in signing the bill, saying such may lead to more business closures.

Many government agencies, including the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), look to Bayanihan 2 to get additional funding to continue with their Covid-19 response. Their interventions for those affected by the pandemic have now nearly been depleted of their allocated budgets this year. Samuel P. Medenilla

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HOUSE OKs FRANCHISE FOR BULACAN AIRPORT www.businessmirror.com.ph

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Tuesday, September 8, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 334

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BARANGAY health workers check on residents at Navotas Homes-2 in Barangay Tanza, Navotas City. A total of 51 households are placed under lockdown after 25 residents tested positive for the coronavirus disease. The residents are now being subjected to swab tests, with the local government providing food packs for them. The lockdown, which started on September 6, will last until September 19. NONIE REYES

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By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

HE House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading the bill granting San Miguel Corp. (SMC) a franchise for the construction of the “New Manila International Airport” in Bulacan.

Voting 218 affirmative, 6 negative, with two abstentions, House members passed House Bill 7507 granting San Miguel Aerocity Inc. a franchise to establish the domestic and international airport in the Municipality of Bulakan, and develop an adjacent airport city.

The bill will now be transmitted to the Senate for its own deliberations.

To be built on a 2,400-hectare property in Bulakan, Bulacan, just north of Metro Manila, the $15-billion airport complex will have four runways, eight taxiways

and three passenger terminals. It also has provisions for future expansion to sport six runways and to accommodate 200 million passengers per year.

It is also expected to help raise tourism levels to 30 million visitors annually, generate over a million direct and indirect jobs, and contribute roughly P900 billion annually to Philippine GDP by 2025.

Moreover, the bill mandates the grantee to secure the appropriate permits and licenses for the construction, development, establishment, operation and maintenance of its airport properties or facilities from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

The bill also requires the grantee to commence construction of the airport within one year from the effectivity of the proposal,

complete the construction for 10 years and to commence operations within one year from the approval of the operating permit from the CAAP.

50-year franchise

IT also entails the grantee to turn over the ownership of the airport to the government agency or local government unit concerned after the expiration of the 50-year franchise period.

The bill also reserves the right of the President of the Philippines to temporarily take over and operate the airport properties or facilities of the grantee, to temporarily suspend the operation of the airport in the interest of public safety, security and public welfare, or to authorize the temporary use and operation thereof by any agency of the government in times of war, Continued on A2

10K workers added to DOLE list of displaced

By Samuel P. Medenilla

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LMOST 10,000 additional workers have recently lost their jobs, according to the latest displacement report of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

From September 1 to 7, 2020, the number of permanently displaced workers registered by DOLE rose from 180,207 to 190,024.

This is the third weekly displacement report showing increases in the number of permanently displaced workers.

On August 24, 2020, DOLE reported 6,640 displaced workers, and on August 31, 2020, it tallied 9,082 jobless employees.

Areas of concentration

MOST of the 9,817 workers who became

unemployed last week were from Metro Manila (4,687) and Central Visayas (2,313).

In terms of industries, these permanently displaced were concentrated in the following industries: manufacturing (2,809); construction (2,034); accommodation and food service activities (1,137); and other services activities (1,601).

Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said a possible explanation to the trend is the growing number of businesses which could no longer sustain their operations because of the protracted community quarantine, which started in March.

“It could be more business losses, which they incurred even with their gradual opening. They also have less customers as people prioritize essential needs as many of the workers are now unem-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.5870

ployed,” Tutay told the BusinessMirror in a Viber message.

Temporary displacement

THERE was also an increasing number of workers affected by temporary displacement in the last three weeks.

As of Monday, DOLE said the number of workers who were affected by flexible work arrangement or temporary closure rose to 25,391. This brings the overall number of temporarily displaced workers to 3,140,651.

The number of temporarily displaced workers were at 3,115,260 (August 31) and 3,096,461 (August 24).

Additional funding

TO address this growing displacement, DOLE is eyeing its budget from the Baya-

nihan 2 bill and its proposed 2021 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), however, said the agency will need additional funding to provide sufficient aid to the thousands of displaced workers.

It is pushing for the passage of the Makabayan Bloc’s House Bill 7590 or the Unemployment Benefits Act, which provides displaced workers in the public and private sector with a minimum of P10,000 cash aid.

“This is a very welcome act from our patriotic and pro-people representatives in Congress. The bill, once enacted into law, will provide very much needed relief to our countrymen now amid the pandemic,” KMU chairman Elmer Labog said in a statement.

PHL PARTIALLY LIFTS BAN ON BRAZILIAN CHICKEN MEAT ITEMS

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HE Philippines has partially lifted the import ban on Brazilian chicken meat products, a few days after the Latin American state warned that it may dispute Manila’s ban before the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Less than a month after imposing a blanket ban, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has allowed the entry of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of chicken from Brazil on certain conditions.

Under Memorandum Order 42, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar explained that they reviewed the ban based on the documents submitted by Brazil on its measures in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in its foreign meat establishments (FMEs).

The DA banned the importation of chicken meat products from Brazil on August 14 following reports that certain samples of Brazil shipments to China tested positive for Covid-19.

Furthermore, the DA added that the high number of Covid-19 cases in Brazilian FMEs was among the key reasons for the ban, as safety of the workers in these establishments is a requirement in accrediting exporters.

“Only FMEs without Covid-19-positive meat plant workers shall be allowed to export poultry meat as provided herein in Annex A of this order,” the document read, which was released by the DA on Monday.

The DA has required Brazilian FMEs to include an additional attestation to their shipments stating that the exported product “was handled and processed in facilities with functional food safety management systems and where stringent hygiene and sanitation measures are practiced.”

Furthermore, the shipments must carry a safe handling label and all imports of MDM chicken shall be for the “sole use of an accredited meat processor in the manufacture of heat-treated products.”

"All shipments into the country not complying with foregoing conditions shall be confiscated by DA Veterinary Quarantine Officers/Inspectors at all major ports of entry,” Dar said in his order, which took effect immediately.

Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Ronnie D. Domingo said they lifted the ban on chicken MDM from Brazil since there is a “control mechanism” in tracing where the products are going—in this case, meat processors.

See “Ban,” A2

n JAPAN 0.4573 n UK 64.4069 n HK 6.2693 n CHINA 7.0997 n SINGAPORE 35.6027 n AUSTRALIA 35.3811 n EU 57.5416 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.9558

Source: BSP (September 7, 2020)

News BusinessMirror

A2 Tuesday, September 8, 2020

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Duterte pardons Pemberton, ends legal row over premature release

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RESIDENT Duterte on Monday granted United States Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton absolute pardon, ending a legal row over a court order that credited him with good conduct, thus cutting short his prison stint for the 2014 killing of Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude.

Following this decision, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Pemberton could now be released from jail after being convicted for the murder of Laude.

“The President erased the punishment, which should have been given to Pemberton.... He is now free to go since he was given the pardon,” said Roque, who once represented Laude’s family.

Roque noted the absolute pardon does not remove the conviction of Pemberton by a local court as a killer.

In 2015 Pemberton was sentenced to six to 10 years in prison for killing Laude in an apparent fit of rage the year before.

Last week, the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court deemed Pemberton could already be released even after only being detained for over six years since it counted his

Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA).

With the GCTA, the Court said Pemberton already served 10 years, one month, and 10 days in prison.

The Court decision was questioned by Roque as well as the Department of Justice (DOJ), since the GCTA given to Pemberton was not accompanied by the necessary recommendation by the Bureau of Correction.

The issue was rendered moot on Monday after Duterte pardoned Pemberton using his presidential powers of granting pardon and parole.

No specific explanation was given by Malacañang on why Duterte made the decision.

Asked if the decision means the government is now siding with the US with its rivalry with China,

Roque answered the country still maintains its neutrality on the said issue.

“The President is not antiUS. He is for independent foreign policy. He is a friend to all and an enemy to no one,” Roque said.

News of the pardon broke in a tweet by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. “Cutting matters short over what constitutes time served, and since where he was detained, was not in the prisoner’s control—and to do justice—the President has granted an absolute pardon to Pemberton. Here at the Palace,” tweeted Locsin.

The death of Laude on October 11, 2014, in Olongapo was the second reported criminal case involving a US Marine in the Philippines under the existing Philippines-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the first since the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca).

Since his conviction, Pemberton has been detained at the Joint US Military Assistance Group facility in Camp Aguinaldo.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier said prosecutors in Olongapo were drafting a motion seeking to overturn the order of Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde of the Olongapo City RTC Branch 74 last week.

Earlier on Monday, Laude’s

IN this December 1, 2015, file photo, convicted US Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton is escorted to his detention cell upon arrival at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City . TED ALJIBE/POOL PHOTO

camp welcomed the order of the Olongapo RTC to compel the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to formally submit a manifestation on Pemberton’s qualification for GCTA for his early release from prison.

Virginia Suarez, lawyer of Laude’s sister Marilou Laude-Mahait, told reporters that only the guard assigned to secure Pemberton while under detention made

the computation of the latter’s GCTA, which became the basis of Judge Jabalde to rule that the US soldier had served his 10-year maximum sentence.

“The court issued an order for the BuCor to update the computation, or for the BuCor to really say whether or not Pemberton, can really avail of a GCTA...,” Suarez said.

Samuel P. Medenilla, Recto L. Mercene, Joel R. San Juan

HOUSE OKs FRANCHISE FOR BULACAN AIRPORT Continued from A1

rebellion, public peril, calamity, emergency, disaster or disturbance of peace and order.

It prohibits the grantee from leasing, transferring, selling or assigning the franchise or the controlling interest thereof without the prior approval of the Congress of the Philippines. It requires the grantee to offer to Filipino citizens at least 30 percent of its outstanding stock in any security exchange in the Philippines or through other methods of encouraging public participation by citizens and corporations operating public utilities as allowed by law.

The measure also provides the grantee the authority to either purchase or negotiate any private lands for the acquisition and consolidation of lands for the development of the airport and acquisition of right of way to the airport.

During the term of the franchise and after a competent authority determines the grantee has fully recovered its investment cost, the grantee shall be entitled to generate income from the Airport City equivalent to a project Internal Rate of Return (IRR). If the Airport City IRR exceeds 12 percent per annum, the grantee shall remit to the national government.

Under the bill, during the 10-year construction period, the grantee shall be exempt from any and all direct and indirect taxes and fees of any kind, nature or description, which emanates exclusively from the construction, development, establishment and operation of the airport and airport city, including income taxes, value-added taxes, percentage taxes, excise taxes, documentary stamp taxes, customs duties and tariffs, taxes on real estate, buildings and personal property, business taxes, franchise taxes, and supervision fees, levied, established or collected, or may be levied, established or collected, by any city, municipal, provincial or national authority.

After the 10-year construction period and during the remaining term of the franchise, the grantee shall be exempt from income taxes and taxes on real estate, buildings

and personal property, levied, established or collected, or may be levied, established or collected, by any city, municipal, provincial or national authority.

However, such exemption shall expire as soon as it is determined by competent authority that the grantee has fully recovered its investment cost and expenses on the airport and on the Airport City, including financing and borrowing expenses. Then, the grantee shall be subjected to all taxes under the National Internal Revenue Code and Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

Forgone revenue

HOUSE Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said his committee is looking at forgone revenues of around P38 billion in national revenues from the period of construction, and around P1.5 billion to P2 billion annually once the airport begins to operate.

“Let me remind you, however, that most of this is notional. If the airport doesn’t happen, much of this would not be raised in the first place,” he said.

“Considering the P740 billion in new direct construction spending that this airport will create, the appreciation in real property values in the region, the new jobs and downstream development that the new airport will create, and the returns to government above the 12-percent profit margin, the fiscal cost is worth it. We can’t build it ourselves with that fiscal cost, for sure,” he added.

Earlier, Finance Assistant Secretary Teresa Habitan rejected the proposal to grant tax incentives for the proposed Bulacan airport.

“Typically for unsolicited bid under the BOT [Built-Operate-and Transfer] law, it says that government is now allowed to give subsidy, or guarantee or even equity.

We are not supportive of giving the corporation or the unsolicited bidder any tax exemption and we have not done that in the past for all other PPP projects that have been approved and now being implemented,” Habitan said.

Ban… Continued from A1

“Imported chicken cuts are now sold online. Government has little control on this new selling system.

With MDM, the memo cited a control mechanism,” Domingo told the BusinessMirror via SMS.

Industry sources said the partial lifting of the import ban on Brazilian chicken meat products is confusing and sort of problematic since MDM are produced in some FMEs that also produce and export chicken cuts.

A highly knowledgeable industry source noted that the partial lifting could be a compromise to balance the interests of local chicken producers and meat processors, especially after the latter warned that it may cause a shortage in their raw materials—something that in turn may cause prices of canned meat products to rise. Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez aired a similar concern.

In the view of Meat Importers and Traders Association President Jesus C. Cham, the partial lifting of the ban indicated that it was just a “protectionist measure” and was not “about any health concerns for the consumers.”

In a statement, the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) welcomed the lifting of the ban and assured the government and consumers that “prices of processed meats will remain generally stable for the rest of the year.”

However, in a separate interview with the Busi ness M irror , Pampi Spokesperson Rex Agarrado said they are still waiting for Annex A of the order, which would list where the industry could import MDM from Brazilian FMEs.

“Industry MDM inventory is precariously low and Pampi member companies are now borrowing from/ lending to each other. Until Annex A is released, EU and US MDM that are 35 percent to 40 percent higher priced are the only options,” he said via SMS.

“At these levels the industry is bleeding at the rate of P7.5 million per day,” he added.

WTO rules

IN a joint statement on September 4, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food supply argued that Manila’s ban was a “clear violation” of WTO agreements as it “did not follow necessary and mandatory principles and steps” under Chapter 5 of the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

“In this context, the Philippine government is the only one in the world currently imposing any restriction on Brazilian poultry based on the alleged risk of SARSCoV-2 transmission and it has not presented any scientific evidence to justify this decision,” it said.

“Therefore, Brazil will take the appropriate measures at the World Trade Organization, if the Philippine administration fails to lift the above-mentioned ban on imports of poultry meat or does not promptly present scientific, trustworthy evidence to justify maintaining this restriction,” it added.

Nonetheless, Brazil said it acted fast by answering all the questions raised by Philippine authorities and provided detailed documentation on the regulations, guidelines and protocols being followed by Brazilian FMEs.

Brazil also emphasized that there is “no scientific evidence” supporting the allegation of risk of contamination of human beings by Covid-19 through food of any kind. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Health, legal, economic issues bug DENR’s Manila Bay ‘white sand’ Continued from A8 But Nilad, in a statement, insists that it is “unnecessary, frivolous waste of public funds, and destructive to the environment.”

“The DENR is advised to conduct cleanup drives instead of pursuing this project. If the government is sincere in rehabilitating the bay, it should cancel all ongoing reclamation projects,” the group said.

Nilad, which has been organizing cleanup operations, vowed to continue mobilizing community groups in “protecting” Manila Bay.

The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said the project should be suspended until its suitability and sustainability to the rehabilitation program are established.

The environmental and health issues raised by experts, environmental and fisherfolk groups are “more than enough basis” for the DENR to suspend the project, Fernando Hicap, national coordinator of Pamalakaya, said in a statement.

“Synthetic beautification is far from genuine rehabilitation. Not even a huge amount of ‘white sand’ can hide the deteriorating environment and ecosystem of Manila Bay, which small fishers endure through depleted daily fish catch,” Hicap said.

For its part, scientist group Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (Agham) said that the DENR’s “beach nourishment” project clearly shows that the objective of the government’s Manila Bay rehabilitation is “aesthetic in nature.”

Agham also warned of the geophysical hazard of the dump-filling project, which involves alien and synthetic materials.

“The coast along Manila Bay, in particular along Roxas Boulevard, is constantly subject to strong waves especially during typhoons when storm surges erode the coasts. Only a thin layer of these powdered dolomite rocks is overlayed on the beach, on top of existing black sand. This makes an enriched beach susceptible to coastal erosion, especially considering the number of typhoons in the country,” Jerwin Baure, Agham spokesman, added in a statement.

Hicap noted the DENR has admitted its deviation from the SC mandamus by branding its project as “beach nourishment,” when historically, such as in the United States, they were carried out as part of public works program, to combat soil erosion and protect land development.

The first beach nourishment project in the US was in 1922 at the Coney Island, New York. It is presently famous as part of the city’s amusement center, the group said.

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Burgos, skilled rebel fighter, named new NOLCOM chief

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

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HE militar y’s campaig n against the communist-led insurgency in the northern portion of the country is expected to take a new tack following President Duterte’s designation of a senior commander credited for bringing the New People’s Army (NPA) Army on “the verge of collapse” in Southern Tagalog.

Maj. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. was installed on Monday as the new commander of Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) from his prev ious assignment as commander of the Army’s Southern Luzon Command in charge of Southern Tagalog, including Mindoro and Romblon.

Burgos, member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1988 and known in the military circles as the “consensus builder,” succeeded Lt. Gen. Manuel Ramiro Rey in a ceremony presided over by Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay.

Gapay congratulated Burgos for his “well-deserved designation and impending promotion to three stars,” while assuring the public the “he has the credentials and experience to ensure the success of military operations in this part of the country.”

The chief of staff prodded the new NOLCOM commander to “continue the AFP’s operational momentum in this critical part of our land by ensuring efficient interoperability between and among the different services which are now under your command.”

Gapay commended Burgos for the “headways that 2nd ID [infantry division], under your leadership, has recorded particularly in pushing the NPA terrorists’ Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee to the verge of collapse” while wishing the best for Rey, who will retire from the service.

Burgos, known for his operational expertise and his innovative ways in dealing with insurgency and its issues, took on the challenge of bringing a new direction to the campaign against the rebels in the whole of Northern Luzon.

“I am bringing with me the learnings and experiences that I accumulated in my more than 36 years of military service, as well as the innovations, approaches and best practices from the immediate south of Metro Manila, which has pushed the once mighty Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee on the verge of irrecoverable defeat,” he said.

Burgos thanked Duterte “for his unwavering trust and confidence in my abilities as a military commander” while directing the soldiers to “deal the NPA terrorists the decisive blows necessary to finish insurgency before the end of the President’s term.”

It was during the term of Burgos as the commander of the 2nd ID when the military captured, neutralized, or forced the surrender of the most number of rebels and their leaders in Southern Tagalog.

The 2nd ID is just awaiting for the formal declaration of the dismantling of the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) Guerilla Front Cesar, which operates in the provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Quezon and Bulacan, as Burgos exited from the division.

It would be the second NPA front under the STRPC that would be dismantled in two years following the demise of Guerilla Front Honda, which the 202nd Infantry Brigade dismantled in 2019 when Burgos was its commander.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Tuesday, September 8, 2020 A3

4Ps beneficiaries get ₧106-B financial aid under 2021 natl budget–lawmaker

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

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BOUT 4.3 million families covered by the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will receive P106 billion in financial grants under the 2021 P4.5-trillion national budget.

Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero of 1-Pacman said the aid to the “poorest of the poor” comprises the bulk of the proposed P169.3-billion 2021 budget for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which implements 4Ps. Romero, one of the authors of the law institutionalizing 4Ps, or conditional cash transfers, said the program grants a monthly subsidy of up to P1,500 to qualified families, provided they comply with certain conditions, including keeping children in school and attending family development sessions.

He added that the program funding for 2021 represents an increase of P5 billion over this year’s P101 billion.

He said the total appropriation for 4Ps for next year actually amounts to P113.8 billion, including P7.8 billion for administrative costs and other expenses.

He said P4.7 billion of the P7.8 billion will go to salaries, P1.6 billion to “cost of service,” P289 million

to “bank service fees,” P432 million to “monitoring and evaluation/spot checks,” P393 million to administrative expenses, P111 million to training, and P27 million to information, education and printing of manuals and booklets.

Romero also said these miscellaneous expenses form part of the annual appropriation for 4Ps.

Clarify

THE lawmaker, however, called on the DSWD to clarify certain yearly allocations, like those for “cost of service” and “bank service fees,” whether these are separate expense items, or are one and the same totaling a combined P2 billion.

He also urged state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines, the principal conduit of 4Ps cash grants, and other participating banks to reduce their service fees.

“A 50-percent reduction will mean an additional P1 billion that could go to beneficiaries, or more poor families benefiting from the program,” he said.

Romero said the P169.3-billion DSWD budget for next year also includes P41 billion for social protection programs like medical, transportation and burial assistance and P4.3 billion for disaster response such as the provision of relief goods.

DBM investigates ownership of two PPE, vitamin suppliers

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

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HE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Monday said it is now eyeing to revoke the contracts for the purchase of supplies to be used for the government’s response to control Covid-19 spread awarded to two companies suspected to be involved in irregularities.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said he was informed by DBM that it is now assessing the nature of ownership of Ferjan Healthlink Philippines Inc. and Ferjan Healthlink Enterprises.

“Now, if they [DBM] verify if both Ferjan [companies] have the same owner, the legal [team] of DBM is now studying if it can cancel the contract awarded to Ferjan Healthlink Philippines Inc.,” Roque said in an online briefing on Monday.

Last week, it was reported that Ferjan Healthlink Philippines Inc.

was awarded with four contracts for the acquisition of various supplies including vitamins and personal protective equipment (PPE).

The biggest of the said contract, which was worth P727.5 million, was for the supply and delivery of 500,000 sets of PPE. Concerns were raised on the awarding of the said contracts since DBM already included a Ferjan Healthlink Enterprises among its list of companies, which it blacklisted for violating Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act. Roque noted Ferjan Healthlink Enterprises was not a corporation and was under single proprietorship.

President Duterte earlier assured the public that the government will be transparent, when it comes to accounting for all of its expenses related to Covid-19.

He ordered all concerned agencies, including DBM, to regularly release to the public the winning bidders for contracts related to Covid-19.

No major damage reported after strong earthquake in Mindanao

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AVAO CITY—A strong earthquake struck southwestern Mindanao at near midnight Sunday, sending residents to scamper outside their houses in panic.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded the tremor at magnitude 6.4 at a depth of 143 kilometers at a mountainous region of Don Marcelino town of Davao Occidental at 11:23 p.m., Sunday.

The tremor was of tectonic in origin with no reported damage to business establishments and infrastructure, but its effect rippled through as far as General Santos City to its west that was felt at intensity 5, Kidapawan City to north at intensity 4 and much farther away to Gingoog City in northern Mindanao at intensity 3 and Bislig City in Surigao del Sur to the northeast at intensity 2.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said the Mindanao Grid

remained intact “as there are no reports of power interruption and damaged transmission facilities in Davao Occidental and nearby areas where the earthquake was felt.”

The eastern half of Mindanao continued to be troubled by earthquakes following the traumatic occurrence of successive quakes of more than magnitude 6 in a span of two weeks in late October last year. These occurred in the interior south-central town of Tulunan, South Cotabato.

Only last week, on August 31, a 5-magnitude quake occurred at a shallow depth of 18 kilometers of Kiblawan town, Davao del Sur. Since January this year, strong earthquakes of tectonic origin have been alternating from epicenters off Sarangani Island in Davao Occidental, Sarangani province and in various towns of Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental.

Manuel T. Cayon

Pre-pandemic

MEANWHILE, public budget and good governance think tank Institute for Leadership, Empowerment and Democracy (iLEAD) on Monday said the proposed 2021 P4.5-trillion national budget is still focused on pre-pandemic priorities.

The iLEAD said the budget allocation for pre-Covid-19 is contrary to the claim that the 2021 appropriations would be responsive to Filipinos’ needs following the negative impact of the pandemic on the country’s economy.

The iLEAD said the proposed budget, which the national government claimed to carry the theme “Reset, Rebound and Recover,” is still heavily invested on the infrastructure of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

“This is despite the significant losses in nearly all economic sectors in the Philippines, including a 16.5percent GDP drop in the second quarter of 2020. Massive layoffs, business closures, and the increasing number of hungry families raise alarms on Filipinos’ capacity to survive the pandemic. According to a study, as many as 5.5 million families can fall into poverty if they experience a 10percent decrease in their respective incomes,” the group added.

DPWH’s proposed 2021 budget

is at P666.5 billion, a 14-percent budget increase from 2020’s P580.9 billion. Meanwhile, DOTr’s proposed budget is at P128.8 billion, which is a 55-percent spike from the P83.1-billion budget of 2020.

These increases came despite the historical underperformance and underspending of both agencies.

However, the group said the welfare programs saw no significant additions.

“The 2021 budget also did not reflect funding for the social amelioration program. Funding for MSMEs [micro, small and medium enterprises] has also been cut. These despite the fact the country has experienced a record high 45.5 percent joblessness rate as of July 2020,” it added.

In the face of historic job losses, iLEAD Executive Secretary Zy-za Suzara said the government has a responsibility to provide massive stimulus and socioeconomic assistance.

“The government has to let go of pre-Covid spending priorities and instead become more responsive to the plight of Filipinos, particularly the poor,” he added.

While the national government is packaging the “Build, Build, Build” program as a way of providing employment to displaced workers, this approach is shortsighted, said Suzara.

“The broad job creation program

should go beyond the narrow focus on infrastructure,” she said, pointing out that only a fraction of those who lost jobs are actually involved in construction.

Meanwhile, the budget of the Department of Health decreased by 27.6 percent from this year’s level of P181 billion—from the 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and Bayanihan 1 and 2 allocations— to P131 billion, despite medical experts saying that the earliest period for the release of the Covid-19 vaccine would be in late 2021.

While the Department of Education has the highest funding allocation among government agencies, iLEAD also said that the increase in the agency’s budget is largely salary-driven, with little improvement in curriculum programs and learning tools.

The 2021 National Expenditure Program also saw an increase in the funding for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police. From the P187.33billion budget in the 2020 GAA, the 2021 NEP shows that the PNP now has P190.5 billion. This funding includes a P1.08-billion budget for the “End of Local Communist Armed Conflict” project. Meanwhile, the 2021 NEP reflects P203.3 billion funding for the AFP, from the P186 billion budget from the 2020 GAA.

A4 Tuesday, September 8, 2020 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

Solons back P5-billion budget hike for DAR to fund mega farms project

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AWMAKERS are seeking a P5billion budget increase for the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to fund the implementation of the Mega Farms and Food Security Program next year.

During the hearing on the 2021 budget of DAR, Undersecretary Lucius Malsi said the agency has sought P32.9 billion outlay for 2021 but the Department of Budget and Management has only approved P8.8 billion—or 7.09 percent lower from the department’s 2020 budget of P9.5 billion.

Undersecretary Bernie Cruz of the DAR Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Office said the agency’s budget for 2021 is not enough to fund the Mega Farms program, which needs at least P5 billion to implement.

The Mega Farms program seeks to attain food self-sufficiency/security for the country and achieve a steady flow of income for farmers.

Withthis,DeputySpeakerLuisRaymund Villafuerte and Magsasaka Rep. Argel Cabatbat moved to increase the DAR’sbudgetbyP5billiontoimplement the agency’s Mega Farms program.

“I strongly push for the budget increase of DAR by P3 billion to P5 billion for the Mega Farms concept,” Villafuerte said.

Cabatbat concurred, adding, “I would move to accommodate an increase in the budget of DAR in the amount of P5 billion to accommodate

this pilot project next year.”

According to Undersecretary for Field Operations Office David Erro, the agency has already identified government owned-lands (GOLs) that can be used not only for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) but for the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) program and Mega Farms and Food Security as well.

“The Mega Farm proposal is actually a concept pertaining to specializing a certain crop for a particular area. We are having this idea that around 50 hectares of land will be developed into a specialized production,” he said.

“The ARBs [agrarian reform beneficiaries] with individual titles shall form into organizations for the establishment of Mega Farms, consisting of at least 50 hectares in areas with an integration of values of land tenurial security, farmer entrepreneurship, support services, modern technology practices including establishments of processing plants and local and foreign investors’ participation,” Erro said.

President Duterte has signed Executive Order 75, Series of 2019, which was originally intended for CARP coverage, expanding its coverage to BP2 program, Mega Farms and Food Security.

BP2 is a government program encouraging people from congested ur-

ban areas like Metro Manila to return to their home provinces with the assurance of government assistance for their transition, in terms of support and incentives on transportation, family, livelihood, housing, subsistence and education, among others.

‘Worsen’

MEANWHILE, in a news statement peasant organization Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said that the proposed P8.8-billion budget of the DAR for 2021 will further worsen the landlessness of farmers and socalled social injustices endured by the rural population and agriculturebased sectors.

“The overall proposed budget of DAR is not supportive of free land distribution to farmers,” the group said.

DAR Secretary John Castriciones is pushing for the SPLIT program, or Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titles, a World Banksupported and funded project.

DAR will fund SPLIT with P500 million and World Bank will grant a loan of P24.6 billion. The project that will last until 2023 will cover more than a million hectares of collective titles, involving close to a million farmer-beneficiaries.

Castriciones said SPLIT program seeks to give farmer-beneficiaries, covered under collective certificates of land ownership awards (CCLOA),

the chance to identify and own their respective shares of farm lots.

He added SPLIT program seeks to subdivide CCLOAs into individual land titles so that every farmer-beneficiary may exercise full ownership and possession and have a complete say in cultivating it the way he or she sees fit.

But KMP Chairman Danilo Ramos said the “SPLIT will further enhance the marketability and disposability of CCLOAs as negotiating tool in the market—as collaterals for loans that could later on lead to cancellation of CCLOAs in case of nonpayment, and eventual foreclosure of government-awarded lands.”

“This project is highly divisive and as it is also a waste of resources.

This project also runs counter with existing laws stating that the collectivization or individualization of CCLOAs is solely an option to be made by farmer-beneficiaries and their organizations/cooperatives.

DAR cannot arbitrarily impose the SPLIT project,” said Ramos.

He said “our decades of experience under PD 27 and CARP shows that even Emancipation Patents of ARBs with full payment status, can be revoked or canceled especially in disputed lands, and whenever the landowner files for ejectment, exclusion from coverage, and other schemes to disposes farmer-beneficiaries.”

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Sen. Imee warns water shortage looms, long-term solution sought

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

S

EN. Imee Marcos renewed her call on Monday for the Duterte administration to solve the impasse in negotiations with tribal communities affected by the Kaliwa Dam project, as ongoing water supply disruptions revived concern over the long-term water security of Metro Manila and neighboring cities.

Marcos cited concerns that despite rains in recent months, Angat Dam’s water supply has continued to dip below its minimum operating level of 180 meters since Thursday, far from its highest level of 204.5 meters recorded in January.

In a news statement, the senator also advised that “as responsible citizens, let’s do our share in mitigating the effects of a looming water shortage. Keep water from gushing when doing the dishes, or the laundry, shorten shower time, or use a tabo, or dipper when taking a bath.

Let’s prepare our drums and buckets to catch and collect rainwater when we can.”

Without more rain, Marcos warned, Angat Dam’s water supply may drop to its critical level of 160 meters by November, if the present rate of decrease continues.

“Once and for all, let’s buckle down and solve Metro Manila’s perennial water problem, short-term and longterm,” Marcos said, addressing the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

The senator reminded, however, that “the translation of project documents that the Dumagats had requested so long ago will lend transparency to the negotiations in acquiring their free, prior and informed consent according to law,” recalling the request was made back in August 2019 during a hearing of the Committee on Cultural Communities that she chairs.

Marcos noted that 32 indigenous communities in the municipalities of General Nakar and Infanta in Quezon province, led by tribal leader Marcelino Tena complained over the weekend that the NCIP left them out of the distribution of the translated documents.

Moreover, Tena’s group informed the senator’s office that police escorts were serving as guards of the Chinese workers hired by the project contractor, China Energy Engineering Co. Ltd., proceeding to build access roads to the Kaliwa Dam site “despite lacking the required government permits.”

Despite the Covid-19 lockdown, the Senate committee was informed that workers have resumed building access roads in May, reneging on a promise the MWSS made in February during the last hearing of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities.

Recent developments prompted the Samahan ng Katutubong Agta/ Dumagat-Remontado na Binabaka at Ipinagtatanggol ang Lupang Ninuno to renew calls to solve the impasse in negotiations with tribal communities affected by the Kaliwa Dam project, even as water supply disruptions revived concern on long-term water security of Metro Manila and neighboring cities.

The Future of Work–skills of today and tomorrow

By Henry J. Schumacher

A

S we are still adjusting to the job challenges of the Third Industrial Revolution, so let’s familiarize ourselves what kind of further upskilling will be needed as we move closer to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Let’s have a look at the skills of today and skills of tomorrow: According to Harvard Business Review, the Fourth Industrial Revolution may bring about more difficult challenges as it automates not only blue collar but also white-collar jobs. The authors argued that the solutions remain the same, that is, there is a need to reskill or upskill in order to avoid displacement and raise wages. They also note that this transition is never easy.

On top of basic digital skills, the future of work would also require the need to emphasize training toward harnessing “soft skills” which are innate to humans, but which are not for machines, or artificial intelligence (AI). It is also anticipated that soft skills will be more in demand in the near future as the need for humans to work alongside intelligence machines increases as well. These soft skills include creativity, emotional intelligence, analytical and critical thinking, decision making, interpersonal skills, communication, collaboration, and quick adaptiveness. The harnessing of soft skills helps keep work “human centric” as we prepare to work with machines and AI. “Hard skills,” on the other hand, are focused on one’s specialization (e.g. baking a loaf, driving a vehicle) which can be vulnerable to developing technology, however, soft skills are more general,

flexible, and can withstand career shifts.

These skills have also been referred to as “transversal” skills,” or skills which can be improved through lifelong learning and can allow a worker to be adaptable to change and shifts in the job market.

One of the main challenges of reskilling and upskilling one’s employees is the fact that they are, or will be, trained while they are working. A representative we interviewed from the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) described the process as “changing the tires while the car is running.” Workers are being trained as they work and as companies also adapt to AI. According to Accenture’s report, it is not a choice between AI and the role of the worker but both adaptation and training should be done at the same time: “Accenture puts 60 percent of the money it saves from investments from AI into its training programs. Most AI technology will still need human workers to operate them while some AI technology can help human work, or jobs, be more efficient without removing their roles. However, the importance of addressing skill gaps of the current and prospective work force to work better with machines still needs to be done and at a larger scale.”

The Philippines will have its own set of challenges in adapting to the emerging technologies brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. A study done by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies noted the possible transition in the Philippines away from a recent growth sector in business-process outsourcing, to growth in the application of big data which will be one of the most relevant industries in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: “If projections on future required employment on data science and Big Data analytics are realistic, this means that the Philippines is on the brink of transitioning from its beginnings as a call-center provider and BPO hub to a processing hub of Big Data.”

The number of new jobs which can be created in the next five years is expected to increase but will be driven by more medium-high skill level criteria, which will include more cognitive, management, strategic, and problem solving skills. The focus will also be in the areas of financial analytics and programming. The private sector is beginning to respond to these market signals, particularly through

reskilling and upskilling initiatives.

However, in terms of government funding, IBPAP assessed that if a mass reskilling and up skilling initiative were to be done by the government, around P40 billion would be required (either of government funds, or of foreign assistance).

We were happy to see that the 17th Congress under the Trabaho bill allotted P5 billion annual assistance for reskilling and upskilling of workers. Unfortunately, that provision was removed in the latest version of the second tax reform package, but alternative incentives were put in place of the initial provision.

During an interview with Dan Lachica, president of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. (SEIPI) Foundation, he highlighted the willingness of the sector to reskill and upskill.

According to Mr. Lachica, due to the technical complications which vary per manufacturing company, skills training is essential at almost all levels. He admits that “smart factories” are starting to emerge but AI technology is more focused on detecting troubleshooting issues in the assembly line but has not made much impact yet on manual labor.

Mr. Lachica also discussed the involvement of the youth in manufacturing. Member companies of SEIPI are open to training and employing high school graduates (preferably 18 and older) after they train with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. He also noted that the demand will shift for workers who can participate in maintenance of advanced machines as well as programmers as technological developments accelerate.

That is most of the good news. There is more that we can dig into with respect to what the government and the private sector can do together to help people adjust to these changes. I will talk about those ideas in next week’s column.

I am currently working on “The Future of Work” in cooperation with The Asia Foundation-Philippines. Feedback is more than appreciated; you may contact me at hjschumacher59@gmail.com. However, note that the views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Asia Foundation-Philippines.

The World

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph •Editor: Angel R. Calso

A5

With 90,000 infections a day, India tops Brazil as 2nd worst-hit country

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ndia, the world’s new Covid-19 epicenter, surpassed Brazil as the second-worst-hit country. The country’s virus curve is showing no signs of flattening out, reporting more than 90,000 cases for a second day, as the pandemic threatens to overwhelm an already-overworked health-care system.

Health experts predict India will ultimately surpass the US as the worst outbreak globally. Unlike the US and Brazil, India’s case growth is still accelerating seven months after the reporting of its first infection on Jan. 30. The pathogen has only just penetrated the vast rural hinterland where the bulk of its 1.3 billion population lives, after racing through its dense mega-cities.

The US, India and Brazil account for more than half the world’s coronavirus cases, which have now topped 27 million.

The US added 44,737 cases on Saturday, a 0.7 percent increase that matches the average daily rise over the previous seven days, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. Deaths in the US climbed to 188,535.

Brazil cases, deaths slow

Br a zil reported 14,521 new cases, fewer than the 31,199 reported the previous day, for a total of 4,137,521. Another 447 people died, down from 701 the day before. Total deaths hit 126,650 in the nation with the third worst outbreak after the US and India.

South Korea sees fewest cases in 3 weeks

South Korea added 119 more cases in 24 hours, down from 167 a day earlier, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The new cases

are the fewest in three weeks, as infections remained below 200 for a fifth day.

The pace of new cases is slowing, helped by social-distancing steps, Yoon Tae-ho, health ministry official, said in a briefing. Authorities are not yet considering a travel ban over the Chuseok holidays that begin later this month.

Singapore finds new clusters in worker dorms

Singapore identified three new clusters of foreign-worker dormitories that are linked to earlier Covid-19 cases, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. That brings to 12 the number of clusters found in the last week in dormitories previously declared clear of the virus, the Straits Times reported. Dorms housing the low-paid foreign workers that underpin Singapore’s construction and services sectors have made up the vast majority of the Southeast Asian country’s cases.

Australia: Economic recovery will be slow

Australia’s government warned of mounting economic pain as Victoria state announced only a gradual easing of its coronavirus lockdown that will see retail, hospitality, tourism and entertainment under tight controls across Melbourne until at least the end of October.

The 5 million residents of the state capital will face restrictions

on when they can leave home until October 26, or until there are fewer than 5 new Covid-19 cases a day. Office staff will be told to work from home until at least Nov. 23, under the roadmap announced by state Premier Daniel Andrews.

Ireland cases surge

Ireland recorded another 138 new cases, with about half the new infections in Dublin, according to health authorities. That pushed the weekend total to almost 370, the worst weekend figure since early May.

France spread ‘worrying’

France reported 7,071 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, showing the pandemic is continuing to progress at a “worrying” pace, the health ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The death toll rose by just 3 to 30,701 since the start of the outbreak.

“The virus circulation is particularly active among young adults,” probably for lack of respect of health measures, the ministry said. Those aged over 65, who are more at risk, are much better abiding by rules, which could explain the weaker virus circulation, it said.

The number of new cases has multiplied by 12 since early July, while testing has more than doubled in the period, the ministry said. Some 4.9 percent of the tests carried out in the past week were positive.

Mexico registers 59 percent more excess deaths

Mexico reported excess deaths of 122,765 from March to August, a 59 percent increase from what was expected, as the coronavirus put the country fourth on the global list of Covid-19 fatalities.

The data from the National Center for Preventive Programs and Disease Control, or Cenaprece, takes into account the total number of deaths, regardless of the cause, general director Ruy Lopez said at a press conference Saturday night, according to

Hamas leader says group has missiles that can hit Tel Aviv

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EIRUT—T he leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Sunday warned Israel that his organization has missiles capable of striking the city of Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial and cultural center, and areas beyond it.

Ismail Haniyeh’s comments during a visit to Lebanon followed an escalation in recent weeks in which Hamas-affiliated groups fired rockets into Israel and Israeli warplanes struck areas in the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by Hamas.

Hamas announced last week that international mediators had brokered a new set of “understandings” with Israel, halting the latest round of fighting for the time being in exchange for an easing of Israeli restrictions on the Gaza Strip.

Haniyeh gave a speech in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh near the southern port city of Sidon, where he received a hero’s welcome by armed men who carried him on their shoulders.

Haniyeh and a Hamas delegation met earlier with the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, during which they discussed the situation in the Middle East and the recent normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, a Hezbollah statement said.

“Our missiles had a range of several kilometers [miles] from the border with Gaza,” Haniyeh said. “Today the resistance in Gaza has missiles that can hit Tel Aviv and beyond Tel Aviv.”

Hamas rockets have reached Tel Aviv and beyond in previous rounds of fighting, but such launches are rare and considered a serious escalation by Israel.

The seaside metropolis is located some 70 kilometers (45 miles) north of Gaza.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and several smaller battles over the last 13 years.

Neither side is believed to be seeking war, but any casualties could ignite a wider conflict.

In recent weeks, groups af-

filiated with Hamas launched incendiary balloons into Israel, igniting farmland in a bid to pressure Israel to ease the blockade it imposed on Gaza when Hamas seized power in 2007.

The group had also fired rockets into Israel in recent weeks, which was seen as a significant escalation.

Haniyeh was criticized during his visit by some in Lebanon on social media. One post sarcastically asked whether it would be better for him to threaten Israel from the West Bank, which is ruled by the Palestinian Authority and with whom Hamas has a longstanding feud. Another post said Lebanon has enough problems at the moment, and doesn’t need Hamas on top of that.

Lebanon is grappling with its worst economic and financial crisis in decades, and the capital Beirut was devastated one month ago by a massive explosion, the result of nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrates igniting at the port. The blast killed more than 190 and injured thousands. AP

national newspaper Reforma.

Mexico has registered more than 67,000 virus-related fatalities.

Virus fatigue is risk, ex-FDA head says

“Pandemic fatigue” is an additional risk as the US heads into the fall and winter, when infectious diseases traditionally spread more readily, former Food and Drug Administration head Scott Gottlieb said.

A vaccine is unlikely to be available for widespread use this year, and more than 20 percent of the US population could be infected with Covid-19 by year-end based on current spread rates, Gottlieb said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

“People are exhausted,” he said.

“People have been social distancing and wearing masks and staying home for a long period of time right now. Small businesses are hurting.”

UK cases jump

New infections in the UK rose by 2,988, health authorities reported on Sunday. That’s a 64 percent jump from the previous day and the biggest daily increase since late May, when the country was under lockdown. Two more people died after testing positive, bringing the total number of fatalities to 41,551 out of 347,152 cases. The new surge in cases is coinciding with millions of children going back to school and a government effort to convince people to return to work.

Israeli death toll tops 1,000

Isr a el’s Cov id-19 death toll passed 1,000 and the government is considering locking down places with the highest infection rates, chiefly ultra-Orthodox Jewish and Arab towns. The religious Jewish political parties, which form a significant part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, are putting pressure on the government to come up with less restrictive measures, local media reported. Bloomberg News

Australia OKs $1.2-B funding for vaccines

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ANBERRA, Australia— Australia announced on Monday it had struck supply and production agreements with pharmaceutical companies worth 1.7 billion Australian dollars ($1.2 billion) over two potential Covid-19 vaccines.

Under the agreement, Britain’s University of Oxford in collaboration with AstraZeneca and Australia’s University of Queensland working with CSL will provide more than 84.8 million vaccine doses for Australia’s population of 26 million people, almost entirely manufactured in the Australian city of Melbourne, a government statement said.

Australians would have access to 3.8 million doses of the University of Oxford vaccine in January and February, it said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said both vaccines would need to be proven safe and effective and meet all necessary regulatory requirements before being made available to the public.

Any vaccine would be free to all Australians. AP

A6 Tuesday, September 8, 2020 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Missing Cardinal Sin

F

ilipino Catholics observed the 92nd birth anniversary of the departed Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal L. Sin on August 31.

As the 30th Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Sin was a unifying force and inspiration to the Filipino people. He gave them courage to face challenges and led them in trying times when the country’s democracy was in peril and personal freedoms were being stifled.

Cardinal Sin was a titan of the 1986 People Power movement, alongside Corazon Aquino, a martyred senator’s widow who became president. The two shared a special bond not only as key figures at Edsa, which ousted the Marcos dictatorship, but also in other historic pro-democracy events.

They were also a potent influence in Edsa 2001, the 2nd peaceful protest that led to President Joseph Estrada’s resignation. Before that, they rallied around 600,000 people at Quirino Grandstand on September 21, 1997, to oppose attempts to tinker with the 1987 Constitution and extend the term of then President Fidel Ramos.

Ramos was a popular president but to his ultimate credit, after that rally, he heeded the people’s call and forgot about Charter change and term extensions.

Indeed, we miss Cardinal Sin, as a pro-democracy icon and as a leader of the Catholic Church, to which most Filipinos belong.

To Cardinal Sin, prayer power and people power are not antagonistic terms; the social and the spiritual dimensions of a people’s struggle are one and the same. He was never uncomfortable in involving the Church in political affairs.

To him one’s apostolate of clothing the naked and feeding the hungry also involves asking why they are so.

Cardinal Sin died on June 21, 2005, at the height of the “Hello Garci” election-rigging scandal that cast doubts on the legitimacy of Gloria Arroyo’s presidency (she had pledged not to seek her own term after serving the last two and a half years of the aborted Estrada term, but changed her mind soon after and ran in 2004). A day before Cardinal Sin was buried, Arroyo said sorry to the Filipino people over nationwide TV for what she called her “lapse in judgment.”

While nationwide protests were held calling for Arroyo to resign because of “Hello Garci,” the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) then remained neutral. Some bishops had called for the President’s resignation, but that was it. Some critics then surmised that Arroyo may have wielded influence over some bishops through huge donations to their pet projects and charities through Pagcor and PCSO funds.

Had Cardinal Sin been alive and healthy at the time of Hello Garci, perhaps the reaction from the Catholic hierarchy would have been stronger. He very likely would have, like Cory Aquino, asked Arroyo to resign.

Cardinal Sin was more than just one of the bishops of the Catholic Church, even if all the bishops are considered equals in the collegial CBCP. Other bishops looked to him for guidance and inspiration. Others would have followed him had he condemned the alleged massive vote-rigging in the 2004 elections and asked Arroyo to resign, and he surely would have, were he alive and healthy at the time.

And with Cory having Cardinal Sin join the calls for Arroyo to resign, who knows what could have happened? Perhaps another People Power? Or a President resigning or being ousted? There would not have been corruption scandals like the botched ZTE-NBN deal, and, who knows? The nation might have avoided the 2009 massacre in Maguindanao, as a President said to have abetted a warlord of a vote-rich fiefdom would no longer be in power.

It’s all in the realm of speculation, of course. But it surely makes one wish the Cardinal were alive, especially in light of today’s events.

What Cardinal Sin represented and fought for, Filipinos must never forget.

He presided at a time when the Church saw martyrs from its ranks in the long march to democratic restoration. And, lest people forget, he made sure, despite martial law’s constraints on the press, that the best works of Philippine media had a venue for recognition, if only to encourage practitioners to consider their profession like work in the Lord’s vineyard. With unstinting help from his good friend, the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, he set up the Catholic Mass Media Awards, one of the most prestigious in the country.

The Catholic Church, especially its leaders in the clergy today, have a lot to learn from Cardinal Sin’s prophetic practice of his duties as a father to the Catholic flock, which went beyond the merely pious and religious, delving into social activism and praxis.

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THE Entrepreneur

T

he latest unemployment data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority last week is revealing to policy-makers. The unemployment rate significantly dropped to 10 percent in July from a record-high of 17.7 percent in April.

More significant are the comparative months of April and July—the reckoning dates of the PSA report.

The strict quarantine rules from March to April severely restricted the movement of goods and workers, while the laxer restrictions from May to July allowed the economy to partially reopen.

The correlation between regional and community lockdowns with jobs, to me, is very clear. Only about 4.6 million Filipinos aged 15 years and over, according to government data, were unemployed in July this year, down by 2.7 million from three months ago. The reduced unemployment rate in July meant some 2.7 million jobs were created as the quarantine eased.

The reopening of the economy, in addition, allowed some 4.9 million workers to rejoin the labor force, bringing the total jobs restored to 7.6

million. Millions of Filipino workers went back to their workplace as Metro Manila’s rail system resumed operations, and more buses, jeepneys, taxicabs and tricycles plied their routes.

Acting Economic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority Director General Karl Kendrick Chua, in a labor force survey paper last week, presented a direct link between the level of quarantine restrictions and the labor market. His paper showed that when 78.8 percent of the economy was placed under enhanced community quarantine in the first half of May, the gross domestic product declined and the unemployment worsened.

The restrictive quarantine ultimately led to a 16.5-percent GDP contraction in the second quarter of the year and a higher unemploy-

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ment rate. By the first half of July, only 2.1 percent of the economy was placed under ECQ, resulting in the significant reduction in the unemployment rate and the return of over 7 million jobs.

The level of economic reopening in the succeeding months will clearly determine the country’s GDP output and job numbers. It also hinges on how the government contains the spread of Covid-19.

I am confident to say that we are starting to win the war against Covid-19. The daily confirmed cases appeared to have stabilized between 3,000 and 4,000, with total Covid-19 cases at 232,072 as of Friday last week. Total recoveries stood at 160,549 against 3,737 deaths.

President Duterte from the outset laid out a clear plan of containing the virus spread. Saving lives was the government’s top priority.

He placed a large part of the economy under ECQ and virtually shut down 75 percent of the economy as a result.

At the cost of the economy, the Philippines averted some 59,000 to 171,00 deaths, per Neda’s estimate.

Mr. Duterte’s strategy reduced the country’s death rate from a high of 17 percent to just 1.6 percent (2,687) as of August 18.

The government is also succeeding in limiting the virus spread by enforcing selective community lockdowns, instead of wider con-

Bed too hard; stock too expensive

T. Anthony C. Cabangon

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Jobs start to return as quarantine eases

OUTSIDE THE BOX

A

lchemy dates back some 2,000 years and was practiced throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. “Alchemists attempted to purify, mature, and perfect certain material,” the historical definition. Actually, these men—and women like Mary the Jewess and Paphnutia the Virgin—were interested in turning lead into gold and creating an elixir of immortality.

You have to give them credit for aiming high.

Around 1720, a distinction began between alchemy and chemistry, and the rest is history. Modern chemistry helped create the world we live in—from the clothes we wear, the gadgets we use, and the abundance of food we eat.

A company’s Financial Statement (FS) is a simple document. The Balance Sheet enumerates what is owned and what is owed. The Income Statement shows how much and from what sources money comes in and to whom and for what purposes

money is spent.

A Financial Analyst performs a serious function by examining the details of the FS and the facts behind the numbers. This is to insure that the truth of the company’s finances is accurately reflected in the FS. At some point though, the Financial Analysts decided that they could use their experience with Financial Statements to determine what a listed company’s stock price should be. In 1939 Australian pharmacologist Howard Florey and his team of chemists figured out a way of purifying penicillin in useable quantities.

What the financial analysts did was like Florey deciding then to create an elixir of immortality.

The analysts would become like Goldilocks, who was an expert on which bed was too hard. Of course Papa Bear’s bed was hard because it was built for a bear that weighed 250 kilograms not a 40 kg little girl. Goldilocks did not understand that. The analysts would decide which stock price was “expensive” and which one was “cheap.” They used all their financial formulas not unlike the ancient alchemists.

But they are mostly like English alchemist James Price who committed suicide when challenged to perform the turning of mercury into gold in front of credible witnesses.

What cost $10,000 in 2000 would cost $15,000 in 2020, so you need a 50 percent return to break even. The Dow Jones Industrial Average made history in January 2000 at about 12,000. It recently set a new record at about 28,000 for a 130 percent increase. But with inflation, that increase is only about 80 percent and after 20 years, a $10,000 investment is worth $18,000. That is only about 3.5 percent annual return, which is nothing.

tainment. The strategy seems to be working while we allow the economy to gradually reopen.

Meanwhile, we should allow more workers to return by increasing the access to public transportation.

Mr. Chua correctly noted that the GCQ reopened nearly 60 percent of Metro Manila’s economy. Only 35.5 percent of the economic activities, however, were effectively restored due to the insufficient public transport system.

“To bounce back from this crisis, we will need to open the economy even more. This will depend on everyone working together to adhere to health standards, as the government accelerates the implementation of the recovery program,” said Chua.

We can expect the economy to recover faster based on the number of jobs being restored. The employment data has noted that five sectors saw the most number of returning jobs in July—trade, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and transport. These sectors directly benefited from the relaxation of quarantine measures and would be important contributors to jobs and the GDP growth.

The improving employment data tells us that we should reopen the economy further.

For comments, e-mail mbv.secretariat@gmail. com or visit www.mannyvillar.com.ph.

Certainly, individual stocks can be fantastic like we have seen even this year with issues like Tesla, Apple, and Amazon. Using a Price Earnings Ratio—sometimes the Gold Standard for financial analysts—all these issues are beyond expensive. But then the analysts will justify the price by saying, “Well investors are buying for the future.” Note, all investors in all stocks are always “buying for the future.”

Yet we saw that the long-term prospects from 2000 were dismal— barely higher than bank rates. However, riding the “way too expensive” wave with individual issues made you rich.

It is great to create “formulas” to determine and measure expensive and cheap. But every retail store knows this truth: Too expensive prices go down when buyers stop buying. Prices that are too cheap go up when buyers are actively buying.

The same is true for the stock market.

Follow the money, not the analysts.

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

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Voluntary Assessment and Payment Program

The Grand Old Man of Cebu Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

Fulvio D. Dawilan

Tax Law for Business

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he Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is offering a program to taxpayers as a measure for the government to source additional funds needed during these unprecedented times, and at the same time providing an opportunity for taxpayers to avail themselves of some privileges through the payment of additional taxes. This new program is covered by Revenue Regulations 21-2020 (RR 21-2020), dated August 18, 2020, but released a couple of days ago.

This is not the first time a program of this nature was offered by the BIR. Issuances had been made in the previous administrations, although the policies behind the programs and the features differ.

Similar issuances in the past include the Voluntary Assessment Program, Economic Recovery Assistance Payment Program, Voluntary Assessment and Abatement Program, No Audit Program, among others. These differ from tax amnesties where erring taxpayers are usually granted full exoneration or immunities from civil and criminal liabilities upon availment and qualification. But these are also amnesties of sort as they provide certain reliefs and privileges to taxpayers, like relative or absolute immunity from tax audit or last priority in audit and investigation for the period and taxes covered by the program. In fact, some refer to these administrative programs as pseudotax amnesties.

Going back to RR 21-2020, this covers all internal revenue taxes, including taxes on one-time transactions, which can be availed for the calendar year 2018 and the fiscal year 2018 ending on the last day of the months of July 2018 to June 2019.

The program is available to any taxpayer, natural or juridical, including estates and trusts, but is not available to those who have already been issued final assessment notice which has become final and executory on or before the effectivity of the program. Unlike previous programs, it also extends to taxpayers currently under audit. In fact, it can be availed by taxpayers already issued final assessment notices provided that the assessment has not yet become final and executory.

Other taxpayers who are disqualified are (a) those under investigation as a result of verified information from an informer with respect to taxes that may be due out of such verified information; (b) those with cases involving tax fraud filed and pending in the Department of Justice or in the courts; and (c) those with pending tax evasion cases and other criminal offenses for violations of tax laws.

Interested taxpayers may avail of the program up to December 31, 2020 by voluntary paying an amount computed based on prescribed percentage of their 2018 gross sales or net taxable income, whichever is higher, but shall not be lower than the prescribed minimum amount due. The percentage of the 2018 gross sales ranges from 1 percent to 5 percent and the percentage of the 2018 net taxable income ranges from 5 percent to 9 percent, both depending on the increase or decrease in total taxes due from 2017 to 2018. The minimum amount due for corporations ranges from P100,000 to P1 million, depending on the amount of subscribed capital, while the minimum amount for individuals and other juridical persons is P75,000.

For withholding taxes, the voluntary payment shall be 5 percent of the total basic withholding tax remittance for taxable year 2018, and for one-time taxes, voluntary payment shall be the basic tax due of the unfiled tax return/unpaid tax due plus 5 percent. Payment shall be made in cash and not through other modes, like the application

This is an opportunity for taxpayers who have inadvertently failed to file tax returns and/or pay correct taxes to file and pay correctly. But it is not correct to say that the program is aimed only at errant taxpayers. Even those who believe they had correctly filed tax returns and pay taxes may avail themselves of the program to avoid the inconvenience and hassles experienced in the audits and investigations, especially during these times where there is difficulty in retrieving documents and presenting them to the tax examiners because of some restrictions in our movements. of tax debit memos.

What forms of relief do taxpayers expect from participating in the program? A taxpayer who validly avails of the program and issued a certificate of availment shall not be audited for the taxable year 2018 for the tax types covered if no audit has yet been conducted on the taxpayer.

For taxpayers being subjected to audit, the examination shall be suspended while the availment is under evaluation and shall resume if found invalid. If valid, a certificate of availment shall be issued and the notice to audit or the assessments already issued shall be withdrawn and canceled. For taxpayers participating in the program, the act of voluntary payment shall not be deemed as an admission on the part of the taxpayer that there was fraud in the declaration of its taxes and/or there was intention to pay the tax erroneously.

This is an opportunity for taxpayers who have inadvertently failed to file tax returns and/or pay correct taxes to file and pay correctly. But it is not correct to say that the program is aimed only at errant taxpayers. Even those who believe they had correctly filed tax returns and pay taxes may avail themselves of the program to avoid the inconvenience and hassles experienced in the audits and investigations, especially during these times where there is difficulty in retrieving documents and presenting them to the tax examiners because of some restrictions in our movements. It may also be a less expensive and more effective way, both on the part of the tax authority and the taxpayers, of settling assessments that had already been issued, which would otherwise be collected through enforcement efforts. So if I were asked whether or not this program is worth exploring, my answer would be yes. For the other details of the program, these may be referred to in the regulations itself and in the circulars to be issued by the BIR. Let us help you if you need guidance.

The author is the Managing Partner of DuBaladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law), a member-firm of WTS Global.

The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at fulvio.dawilan@ bdblaw.com.ph or call 8403-2001 loc 310.

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 A7

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he name “Osmeña” used to be a magic name in government and politics. For over a century, the Osmeña name dominated Philippine politics and the powerful clan had lorded over Cebu politics for many decades. Four members of the family, Sergio Sr., Sergio Jr. (Serging), Sergio III (Serge) and John Henry (Sonny) served the Senate with distinction. All four ran for vice president of our country, plus cousin Emilio (Lito), a former governor of Cebu, at different times and under different presidential bearers (Manuel L. Quezon, Fidel V. Ramos, Danding Cojuangco and Alfredo Lim).

Serging even sought the VP post as an independent in 1961 and bested the official NP bet, Gil P. Puyat Sr., but lost to Emmanuel Pelaez.

In the 1992 elections, Lito and Sonny both joined the VP sweepstakes but they lost to Joseph Estrada. Even the national arena was crowded for the Osmeñas. They could well compare with the illustrious Kennedy family who had ruled Massachusetts’s politics until recently when Congressman Joseph Kennedy III lost in his bid to dislodge Senator Edward Markey as senator of the state, which the late President JFK, and his great uncle Ted held for many years. The Kennedy siblings, together with Robert, served the US Senate and many members of the family held elective government positions.

The great political odyssey of the Osmeñas was started by Don Sergio. He was born on September 9, 1878 and tomorrow will be his 142nd birthday anniversary. He founded a nationalistic newspaper,

El Nuevo Dia, which he published in Cebu. He earned his law degree at UST and placed second during the 1903 Bar Examination. He was first appointed acting Governor of Cebu in 1904 and was elected to the same position in 1906. He was elected as the Assemblyman of Cebu and became the first Speaker of the National Assembly, which he served from 1907 to 1922. Quezon served as Osmeña’s Majority Leader in the National Assembly. At 29, Osmeña was the highest-ranking Filipino official in the government.

When the Philippine Senate was created by virtue of the passage of the Jones Law in 1916, Quezon ran for senator and became the Senate President while Osmeña stayed as the Speaker in the House of Representatives. Eventually, Osmeña was elected senator representing the 10th Senatorial District. He

served as Senate President Protempore under Quezon. By that time, Quezon was recognized as the leader of the Filipinos in the government. In the 1935 Commonwealth election, he accepted to be the running mate of Quezon and they both ran under the consolidated banner of the Nacionalista Party. The tandem was overwhelmingly elected by the Filipino people.

Quezon and Osmeña were reelected by a landslide in 1941 for another term. By December 30,1943, Quezon’s term as president would have expired and VP Osmeña would have automatically succeeded Quezon to serve until December 1945. Osmeña formally wrote Quezon about this but Quezon held the view that it would be imprudent to effect such a change while the country was at war. Despite the opinion of the US Attorney General Homer Cummings favoring Osmeña’s position and the support of Quezon’s wartime cabinet in the US, Osmeña himself suggested to ask the US Congress to suspend the constitutional provision for the presidential succession until after the war. The US Congress approved a Joint resolution in November 1943 before Quezon’s term expired. Osmeña was a statesman par excellence who sacrificed his own interest to preserve the unity of the Filipinos under the most trying times. But Osmeña would not be denied his right. On August 1, 1944, Quezon succumbed to tuberculosis and Osmeña became the second president of the Philippine Commonwealth, succeeding Quezon.

Osmeña joined General Douglas McArthur during the Leyte landing on October 20, 1944. The reins

Financing economic recovery

By Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

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S the socioeconomic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the length and breadth of Asia and the Pacific, finance ministries are continuing their relentless efforts to inject trillions of dollars for emergency health responses and fiscal packages. With continued lockdown measures and restricted borders, economic rebound seems uncertain.

Compared to 2019’s economic situation, over the past six months, countries in Asia and the Pacific have been experiencing sharp drops in foreign exchange inflows due to declines in export earnings, remittances, tourism and FDI. This is worrying as policymakers are tackling difficult choices over how to prioritize development spending, while continuing to expand their squeezed fiscal space.

The United Nations is contributing through a global initiative on Financing for Development in the Era of Covid-19 and Beyond, co-convened

by Canada and Jamaica, to articulate a comprehensive financing strategy to safeguard the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Governments are united together to ensure that adequate financial resources are available to steer an inclusive, sustainable and resilient post-Covid recovery. In the AsiaPacific region, several countries have already adopted financing plans in

three key areas. They aim to address the challenge of diminished fiscal space and debt vulnerability; to ensure sustainable recovery, consistent with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda; and to harness the potential of regional cooperation in support of financing for development.

The development arm of the United Nations in our region, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has recently launched its first-ever Regional Conversation Series on Building Back Better. We are joining forces with ministers, decision makers, private sectors and heads of international agencies to share collective insights in sharing pathways to resilient recovery from ongoing health pandemic and economic collapse.

To improve the fiscal space and manage high levels of debt distress, a growing call for extending the debt

moratorium under global initiatives like the Debt Service Suspension initiative is timely. Central Banks can continue to keep the balance right of supporting the economy and maintaining financial stability. This further involves enhancing tax reforms and improving debt management capacities, while using limited fiscal space to invest in priority sectors.

Exploring sustainability-oriented bonds and innovative financing instruments options such as debt swaps for SDG investment should be explored further.

In addition to economic considerations, the policy paradigm and financing architecture for recovery plans must mainstream affordable, accessible and green infrastructure standards, while promoting social equality and environmental sustainability principles as enshrined in the Paris Agreement. As we scale up the use of digital technology and innovative applications, the financing support of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises must go hand in hand with these national job-rich recovery strategies.

The Regional Conversation on Financing for Development highlighted that no country could take this agenda forward alone. Regionally coordinated financing policies can restart trade, reorganize

of government were turned over to Osmeña when Manila was liberated from the Japanese forces on February 27, 1945. Osmeña and then Senate President Manuel A. Roxas contested the presidential election on April 23, 1946. Osmeña did not campaign and instead devoted his time to his official work and in rehabilitating our country from the ravages of the war. Roxas ran under the newly formed Liberal Party with Elpidio Quirino as his running mate.

The Roxas-led opposition won over the Osmeña-Eulogio Rodriguez team and took control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

For the first time after almost half a century, Osmeña was out of the government. He retired in Cebu and died on October 19, 1961 at the age of 83.

In his tribute to Osmeña, Carlos P. Romulo said: “Quezon was…a meteor in Philippine skies, tracing a fiery path to its extinction; Osmeña on the other hand, was a steady light.

Where one was flashy and mercurial, the other was unassuming and patient…Osmeña maintained… the figure of a father and elder; speaking softly... removing himself from the limelight to stand in the shadows, in order to preserve unity.” For his part, the late Senator Arturo Tolentino said of him: “Great men are born, not for their generation alone, but for all times. In the course of time, they may be forgotten as mortal individuals, but the ideals and the things they stood for and represented in life will survive and remain with deathless freshness in the memory of their people. To the Filipinos, such a man is Sergio Osmeña, beloved Don Sergio, later in life known as the “Grand Old Man of Cebu.”

supply chains and revitalize sustainable tourism in a safe manner.

Thankfully, several countries in the region have valuable experiences to share.

Across Asia and the Pacific, governments must pool financial resources to create regional investment funds in areas such as liquidity funds for sustainability, funds for resilience and travel funds to relaunch our economies. Strengthening regional cooperation platforms to ensure that all countries receive an equitable number of doses of the vaccine on short notice to everyone everywhere is particularly essential.

Without an end to the pandemic, the economic and social costs can’t be contained.

Through ESCAP, we can scale these efforts across the region, working closely with our member States, the private sector and innovators to build a collective financing response to mobilize the necessary additional resources. Together, we can chart financing strategies of Asia and the Pacific, which can enhance societal well-being and economic resilience to future pandemics and crises.

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

The US has to get serious about wildfires

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alifornia’s wildfire season is off to a brutal start. Through August, this year already ranks as the second most destructive in the state’s history, with more than 1.6 million acres burned. Sparked by lightning strikes and record heat, fires in northern California have destroyed thousands of structures, wrecked air quality in the San Francisco Bay Area and carried smoke plumes as far away as Nebraska. With hot, dry weather likely to persist until November, the worst may be yet to come.

Looking farther ahead, the picture does not improve. As climate change worsens, wildfires are growing in number, scale and duration across the American West, overwhelming local firefighting capacities and putting property and lives in peril. Since 2017, fires have consumed more than 20 million acres

of land and caused at least $50 billion in economic losses. The US needs a coherent national strategy to address the threat.

New resources, including extra staff, are essential if fires are to be fought more effectively. But prevention matters as well. Addressing climate change is vital, but other kinds of mitigation are possible too. These could do a lot for little or no net outlay—$1 spent on fire prevention is estimated to save $3 in costs—and deserve to be taken much more seriously.

The first task is bolstering the supply of trained firefighters. In January, California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a $120 million initiative to hire more than 650 new staff, including more than 400 frontline firefighters, over the next five years at Cal Fire, the state’s firefighting agency. Due to the financial strain caused by the coronavi-

rus, that funding was cut by one-third in the budget Newsom eventually signed.

Firefighting teams are also getting less help from volunteer prison inmates, thousands of whom typically work as firefighters, but whose numbers have been reduced to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in prisons.

To meet staffing needs, Western states like California should offer bonuses for seasonal firefighters and offer full-time employment for those who serve on the front lines. Former prisoners who’ve received firefighting training while incarcerated should be allowed to apply for full-time jobs after they serve their time, as proposed in a bill passed

by California’s legislature. The federal government, which owns and manages 30 percent of the country’s forest lands, should work with states to fill existing

federal firefighter vacancies.

Much of the billions of dollars the federal government spends on antiwildfire measures goes toward fighting fires after they break out. A smarter approach would spend more on forest management, by conducting controlled burns and clearing vegetation during the off-season. Congress should pass legislation sponsored by California Senator Kamala Harris to help vulnerable communities improve their defenses. Over the longer term, a corps of skilled workers could help state and local authorities strengthen fire resilience and restore healthy forest ecosystems.

At a time of trillion-dollar deficits, spending more on wildfire mitigation may seem like a tall order. It shouldn’t be, for the simple reason that the costs of inaction are greater. Bloomberg Opinion

A8 Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Health, legal, economic issues bug DENR’s Manila Bay ‘white sand’

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By Butch Fernandez & Jonathan L. Mayuga

@butchfBM @jonlmayuga

HE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has come under increasing pressure to revisit its controversial P400million “white-sand” project in Manila Bay, with critics citing economic, health and legal implications.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday advised DENR officials to ensure that the project will last, while a civilian watchdog called out the department for allegedly violating its rules in exempting the project from obtaining an environmental compliance certificate.

Sen. Nancy Binay sought the project’s suspension on questions raised about health hazards from using dolomite—crushed rocks that mimic sand—while Sen. Risa Hontiveros was dismayed by the ill timing of the project amid the pandemic.

Gatchalian suggested to DENR officials involved in the multimillion project to make sure that the tons of sand supply dumped on the bay shores better “stay white.”

He said officials concerned could face an avalanche of charges if the Manila Bay white sand fades, resulting in waste of huge amount of public funds.

Gatchalian noted that the DENR itself confirmed nearly P400 mil-

lion was allotted for the white-sand project, prompting criticism that the huge expense was ill-timed, as the government scrounges for funds to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The project was approved before the Covid outbreak.

In a statement, Gatchalian acnowledged the good intention to “beautify the Manila Bay,” but added it was reasonable for taxpayers to expect that the government had at least thoroughly studied the project so the expense of public money is justified.

Health concern

In light of the health department’s warning of potential health hazards brought by the “white-sand project,” Senator Binay urged the DENR to immediately suspend the filling of synthetic white sands on Manila Bay’s shore.

The Department of Health on Monday confirmed that dolomite dust can cause adverse respiratory reactions, eye irritation and

discomfort in the gastrointestinal system. Dolomite is a type of mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate.

“The use of dolomite as a substitute for white sand only means that the Manila Bay rehabilitation did not go through the right process or was studied well. There was no public consultation, no environmental clearance, the EIA/EIS was done haphazardly, and the plan is not comprehensive,” Binay pointed out in a mix of English and Filipino.

According to the senator, the public deserved to be informed about the whole context of the project particularly its impact on the environment and public health.

Bad timing

At the same time, Hontiveros deplored the timing of the project amid the Covid contagion.

She wondered who was the “health expert” who suggested to the Duterte administration that the response to the pandemic is to dump white sand on Manila Bay’s shores.

T his, even as Presidentia l spokesman Harry Roque was earlier reported contending that the Manila Bay beautification project will help ease the public’s anxieties amid reports of a rash of mental health problems in the pandemic.

ECC exemption

Also on Monday, former government official turned watchdog Terry Ridon said that by seeking an exemption from its own ECC

regulations, DENR violated Presidential Decree No. 1586 (Environmental Impact Statement System Law) and DENR Administrative Order No. 2003-30, the agency’s own implementing rules and regulations governing environment compliance certificates.

According to Ridon, under PD No. 1586 and DAO No. 2003-30, projects that require an ECC are those located in Environmentally Critical Areas such as areas set aside as aesthetic potential tourist spots.

Executive Order No. 69, Series of 1999, designates portions of the waters in Manila Bay and its foreshore area as a special tourist zone.

“As such, there is absolutely no basis for the DENR to say that its project is not covered by ECC rules.

The proponents should have applied and received an approved ECC before starting the project,” said Ridon on a statement.

SC Manila Bay Advisory panel

In Ridon’s view, this “presents a prima facie case for a Writ of Kalikasan in the Supreme Court, including a temporary environment protection order stopping the Manila Bay white-sand project.”

At the very least, the Supreme Court should intervene under its Manila Bay Advisory Committee (MBAC) led by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, said Ridon.

The MBAC was reconstituted by the Chief Justice himself on December 19, 2019.

The committee is tasked to

maintain the mandate of the continuing mandamus issued by the high court in 2008 and enable it to verify the reports of the government agencies tasked to clean up the Manila Bay. The SC should be informed that DENR has not only violated its own rules, but also overstepped its mandate in Manila Bay, either based on SC’s continuing mandamus or President Duterte’s Manila Bay Task Force, Ridon added.

“Both bodies call for the cleanup, rehabilitation, restoration maintenance of the waters of Manila Bay to a level fit for swimming; and also to improve water quality through the reduction of coliform levels in all river systems and tributaries within Manila Bay. “Both make no mention of a mandate to beautify a thin stretch of Manila Bay’s 190-kilometer coastline,” he said.

Groups react

Several groups are also calling on the DENR to stop dumping crushed dolomite in Manila Bay. The latest to join the call to stop the project are members of Nilad Metro Manila Environmental Network who protest the dumping of the “white sand” and the reclamation of the coastline in the baywalk area.

The DENR, which earlier defended the project as a way to inspire the public to join the rehabilitation effort, was defended

by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Roque.

Continued on A2

Japan CG resumes air search for missing crew

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HE Japan Coast Guard (JCG) was set to resume an aerial search on Monday for the missing, mostly Filipino crew members of a cargo ship that sank off Japan last week at the height of a storm, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported.

A second, more violent storm had forced Japanese authorities to suspend their massive search on Sunday for survivors of the Panamanian-flagged vessel, Gulf Livestock 1 with a cargo of 5,867 cattle and 43 seamen, two of them New Zealanders, two Australians and the rest Filipinos.

“The area is still pounded by gusty winds and search by patrol boat is not possible at this time,” the DFA said. The DFA remained hopeful, through the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo and the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka, that the other Filipino seafarers could be found.

The Japan Times said Gulf Livestock 1 sent a distress call from west of Amami Oshima island on Wednesday as Typhoon Haishen barrelled through southern Japan and headed toward the Korean peninsula, bringing strong winds, heavy seas and drenching rains.

The JCG had rescued one Filipino crew member, Sareno Edvarodo, a 45-year-old chief officer from the Philippines, on Wednesday night while they were searching for the ship.

According to Edvarodo, the ship lost an engine before it was hit by a wave and capsized. When the ship capsized, the crew were instructed to put on life jackets. Edvarodo told the coastguard he jumped into the water and did not see any other crew members before he was rescued. Recto L. Mercene

The half-a-kilometer long Bicutan steel footbridge, located at the intersection of Bicutan in Taguig and the South Luzon Expressway, remains closed to pedestrians for repairs, drawing concern that at a time when public transportation is limited by the pandemic, people making the sacrifice of walking long stretches are deprived of a useful means for mobility. The 12-year-old footbridge was built at a cost of P98 million in 2008 by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. ROY DOMINGO

Oil firms announce price rollbacks for Sept. 8

By Lenie Lectura

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@llectura

IL companies announced Monday a price rollback to take effect Tuesday morning.

They said gasoline prices would

be reduced by P0.30 per liter, kerosene by P0.55 per liter and diesel by P0.45 per liter.

Pilipinas Shell, Petro Gazz, Seaoil Philippines, Cleanfuel, Petron Corp., Total Philippines, PTT Philippines said in separate advisories that their price adjustments

will be implemented at 6 a.m. of September 8.

Other oil companies are expected to follow suit.

Oil firms adjust their prices every week to reflect movements in the world oil market.

As of September 1, the net

decrease for gasoline reached P3.92 per liter; for diesel, P8.97 per liter; and for kerosene, P13.38 per liter.

The net decrease for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), meanwhile, has reached P2.95 per kilogram.

SSS pension loan releases mark ₧5-B milestone

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HE Social Security System (SSS) has hit its P5billion mark in pension loan releases benefiting 138,917 pensioners from September 2018 to July 31, 2020.

The National Capital Region (NCR) topped the highest amount of disbursements with P1.75 billion; followed by Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao area with P1.57 billion, P1.01 billion, and P724.12 million, respectively. In terms of the number of borrowers, Western Visayas 1 took the lead with 17,660 borrowers, followed by Northern NCR with 17,037 borrowers, and Southern Luzon 1 with 14,872 borrowers.

“We appreciate that this special loan program has served its purpose of providing retiree pensioners with their immediate financial needs especially in this time of health and economic crisis,” SSS President and CEO Aurora C. Ignacio said in a statement.

The Pension Loan Program was launched in 2018 to provide a secure, low-interest, and convenient loan program to its retireepensioners. Enhancements were made in 2019 increasing the maximum loanable amount to 12 times their basic monthly pension plus the additional P1,000 benefit, but not exceeding P200,000.

The age limit was also extended to 85 years old at the end of the month of the loan term. They are given four options to choose their loanable amount, equivalent to 3, 6, 9, and 12 times of their basic monthly pension including the P1,000 benefit given by SSS in 2017.

Qualified borrowers are retiree-pensioners who are 85 years old and below at the end of the chosen loan term and have already started receiving their monthly pension for at least a month.

However, pensioners with deductions from their monthly pension due to outstanding loan balances or benefit overpayments, as well as with existing advance pensions under the SSS Calamity Assistance Program are not qualified under the program.

“Cognizant of the influx of PLP applications, we prioritize the health and safety of our pensioners in visiting our SSS branches since they are more susceptible to the coronavirus disease [Covid-19]. As part of this precautionary measure, we strongly advise our PLP applicants to set an appointment first with the nearest SSS branch,” Ignacio said.

For further information, pensioners may call the SSS’ hotline at 1455 and follow the SSS Facebook Page “Philippine Social Security System,” Instagram Account “Mysssph,” or Twitter Feed “PHLSSS.”

Companies BusinessMirror

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Tuesday, September 8, 2020

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Makati City govt to help pandemic-hit firms

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By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

@alyasjah

he Makati City government said it is allocating a total of P2.5billion worth of grants to be distributed to registered businesses in the city for their recovery.

In a statement on Monday, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay said she relayed to the city council a proposal to provide P2.5 billion of subsidies for firms affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. She explained many businesses are suffering from low volume of customers nowadays, and are in need of state intervention to carry through.

Under Binay’s ordinance, the more than 78,000 registered enterprises in Makati can get up to P100,000 in grant from the local government depending on how many employees they sustain.

“I have endorsed to the city council today an ordinance for the

P2.5-billion Makati assistance and support for the business program,” Binay said. “Makati-based businesses can get a grant of up to P100,000 depending on the number of Makatizens they employ.”

“The target is to help some 78,000 businesses registered in Makati,” she added, stressing the assistance is not a loan but a form of subsidy.

In exchange, businesses that will obtain financial support from the government will be required to keep their Makati-based workers for two years. Likewise, they should be able to sustain operations for until 2022, and is there-

The skyline at Makati City, the country’s main financial district, is seen in this July 9, 2019, photo. BusinessMirror file photo

fore prohibited to shut down.

Further, they are mandated to enforce minimum health standards in their establishments to make sure

customers and workers alike are safe from the virus.

On top of the financial support, Binay announced she submitted to

the city council a separate proposal to turn Makati into the country’s online business hub. As such, the mayor is asking all online sellers to

register with the government and pay their proper taxes.

She vowed Makati will implement the lowest tax rate there is for digital retailers, and will roll out a simple process in registration to shun red tape.

As for the food service sector, the Makati mayor is allowing her citizens to buy from fast food and restaurants for up to 10 in the evening, two hours later than the curfew observed in the city.

She said customers just need to present the receipt as proof they bought their food within the window period.

Binay said this should help restaurants and fast food chains to get back on their feet, as an extended operating time will mean higher revenues for their firms.

“In a nutshell, Makati’s major initiatives are to help businesses.

First, we helped our citizens. Second, we are now helping our businesses recover. We need to give them assistance for them to survive and continue providing jobs to our kababayans,” she said.

PHL widens search for vaccine suppliers ‘Ransomware attacks

T

he Philippines is expanding its search for vaccine supplies as the spread of infections appears to slow in Southeast Asia’s virus epicenter.

The government is set to meet with Australia’s largest drug-maker CSL Ltd. for a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Queensland, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual briefing. The nation reported 1,383 new infections on Monday, the lowest since July 14.

The Philippines, which does not have its own vaccine manufacturing capacity, did not reach a commitment with Pfizer Inc. during a meeting last Friday since a law re-

stricts the government from “preordering without the products yet,” Vergeire said. The country also won’t be able to join Pfizer’s clinical trials, which are expected to finish by end-October. New infections have started declining since the Philippines returned the capital and its surrounds into a two-week lockdown in August. Total Covid cases stood at 238,727 on Monday, the highest in Southeast Asia.

Vergeire also said the government is now studying confidentiality disclosure agreement (CDA) of both clinical trials of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and Moderna for their respective Covid-19 vaccine candidates.

“Once those CDAs are finalized, we can move forward to further meetings to finalize our agreement with them,” Vergeire said in an online media forum on Monday.

She said Manila did not preorder the Pfizer vaccine as this will violate Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act. As for the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, she said the Philippine Embassy in Russia would coordinate with the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology to discuss the processes that Manila would put in place.

She also said the Vaccine Expert Panel of the Philippines is reviewing the technical details

from Gamaleya.

Vergeire assured the public that the government is having discussions with other vaccine manufacturers and foreign countries to expand the Philippines’s list of suppliers. “[We are holding discussions] so that our country and population could have the adequate vaccine we need. But the process is not easy,” she said, adding that developing a vaccine takes time.

“The clinical trials last up to six months before we [could] start [with] our negotiations. We want to ensure that the vaccine is safe before we give it to our population.”

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco, Bloomberg News

BOC wants to speed up release of parcels ABS-CBN unveils learning hub T

A

BS-CBN Corp., which has been forced to fully migrate into the digital space after it lost its bid for a new franchise, has launched an online learning hub to help parents and kids keep up with the demands of the times for education.

Called Just Love Kids, the learning hub it’s a “one-stop shop interactive platform” that provides users with content for entertainment and education.

It is “intended to supplement” the ongoing distance learning modalities that the government has introduced for the pandemic.

Just Love Kids features childapproved playlists consisting of various ABS-CBN content that are themed for easy selection and navigation. The themes range from good habits, proper conduct, and important family values presented in colorful stories that children can easily comprehend.

It is also categorized based on age brackets to ensure that content are age-appropriate for the audiences.

Aside from shows and music, the new showpage will also introduce printable worksheets and activities that will engage children offline and allow for some bonding time as parents and kids work on them together.

The show page will be available for public consumption starting Friday, September 11. Lorenz S. Marasigan

he Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it has distributed information materials and guidelines to customers to speed up the release of parcels and shipment.

The fliers outline the steps needed to properly claim and release parcels from the BOC Central Mail Exchange Center and other bonded warehouses.

Among the requirements are the proper way of filling up the postal declaration form, ways of tracking parcels, a brief explanation of Customs processes and steps to be taken in case the parcel is subject to duties and taxes, or needing permits for regulated items.

The fliers include warnings on scams made

by unscrupulous individuals where one is lured to pay supposed customs charges to release the parcels or packages sent by a chatmate. It also contains the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, which provides information on common issues and concerns.

The information drive campaign conducted for the stakeholders is in line with the directive of Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero to improve all processes for faster clearance and enhance stakeholders' engagement while promoting transparency and good communication.

District Collector Mimel M. Talusan said providing necessary information to stakeholders

is important as it would ensure a quicker and more efficient process in the release of cargoes and packages.

She added that more information on Customs’ process promotes transparency on the part of the Bureau of Customs and is in line with Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero’s thrust to provide better government service.

The Port of NAIA remains one with the rest of the Bureau of Customs in developing more initiatives to provide information to the public and promote ease of doing business as processes are geared more towards the promotion of zero contact and automation, Talusan said. Recto L. Mercene

BSA launches Asean Safeguard initiative

T

he Business Software Alliance (BSA), the leading advocate for the global software industry, is building on its Legalize and Protect campaign with its Asean Safeguard initiative, offering free consultation to 40,000 companies across Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

BSA said it is collaborating with the respective government bodies of countries in Southeast Asia, including the Optical Media Board (OMB) in the Philippines.

The companies BSA is reaching out to are those it has identified as high risk and particularly vulnerable to cyber threats, and Asean Safeguard is designed to support them on their journey towards full software legalization. Data from BSA members including IBM and McAfee shows that cyber security threats are exacerbated by the widespread use of unlicensed software in Southeast Asia, which is often packaged with malware or contains security vulnerabilities that leave devices open to attack.

Currently, 64 percent of companies in the Philippines are estimated to be using unlicensed software.

“Since the Covid-19 pandemic dramatically changed how people work, BSA has made cybersecurity our primary focus in the Asean region,” said

BSA Senior Director Tarun Sawney.

“With the rise in teleworking via online platforms and the normalization of work-from-home policies, businesses are exposed to higher risks of cyber fraud than ever before, and these online attacks have become more complex and damaging.

The Asean Safeguard initiative seeks to promote the use of licensed software among businesses, support them throughout the software licensing process, and help them prevent cyber attack damage.”

BSA has launched a landing page that displays randomized fact cards which describe the dangers of using unlicensed software. Visitors to the page can choose to learn more, prompting another fact card, or book an appointment with a consultant. The landing page is available in English, Thai, Vietnamese, and Bahasa Indonesia, and consultations will be conducted with local BSA representatives using the local language.

The consultations will begin with an introduction to the program, after which the organization’s representative will be asked to fill in a confidential software inventory survey detailing the software and licenses that are currently installed on their company’s devices. Following the survey, BSA will

check the validity of the provided license keys to determine the organization’s “licensing gap” and connect them with official suppliers from whom they can buy the appropriate licenses.

In July this year, BSA released an informative ebook designed to educate Asean businesses on how the crisis has made them more vulnerable to online threats and offer advice on the best ways to combat those threats. In addition to recommendations on best practices and employee training, the ebook describes using fully licensed software as “a crucial step in protecting against malware attacks.”

Government representatives in each target country have given their support to the ebook and the broader Legalize and Protect campaign’s efforts to aid economic recovery while encouraging businesses to comply with intellectual property laws.

This support continues for Asean Safeguard.

“Right now, in the middle of this chaos, I assure you that OMB remains unwavering in its conviction to protect and promote intellectual property rights,” said Atty. Anselmo Adriano, OMB chairman and CEO. “Together with our partners, especially BSA, we are hopeful that our message will be heard, and our call will be heeded.”

in SE Asia fell in H1’

A

re hackers on quarantine as well? Ransomware attacks in Southeast Asia for the first half of the year fell more than half to over 504,000, according to a cybersecurity firm.

In a report on Monday, Kaspersky said attempts to breach personal data on computers of Southeast Asian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) plummeted to 504,304 hits in the first semester, from 1.4 million during the same period last year.

All six countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—monitored by Kaspersky posted a decline in terms of ransomware attacks.

Among the six Southeast Asian economies, Singapore registered the highest decline by 89.79 percent ahead of Malaysia’s 87.65 percent and Indonesia’s 68.17 percent.

As for the Philippines, ransomware attacks declined by half to 9,701 hits, from 18,997 hits.

Kaspersky noted that Indonesia and Vietnam placed fourth and eighth, respectively, in its overall ranking of countries with most detected ransomware breaches in the second quarter. China, Brazil and Russia were the top three in its worldwide ranking for this period.

Ransomware is a malicious software that infects a user’s computer, locks the computer screen or encrypts important files with a key.

It also displays messages asking a

fee to be paid in exchange for the promise to have the computer to work again.

This kind of malware is used in criminal moneymaking schemes that can be installed through deceptive links in an e-mail message, instant messaging or web site, as well as a number of more sophisticated techniques.

Cybersecurity experts from Kaspersky have been forecasting as early as two years ago the decline of ransomware up to this year. Kaspersky projected that the number of ransomware attacks will go down because of growing awareness from the public.

Continuous reporting, as well as initiatives such as the No More Ransom project, which was cofounded

by Kaspersky, provided resources to assist individuals and businesses to recover their data and devices from ransomware attacks. Resources included free decryption tools.

According to Kaspersky, the observed decrease in the region is attributed to two reasons: first, the decline of one of the biggest ransomware groups that hit organizations worldwide in 2017; and second, because of upgrades in software systems that reduced the vulnerability of computer systems.

Microsoft Windows, one of the world’s largest operating systems, has been the target of this malevolent malware. Elijah Felice E. Rosales

IMI’s German unit to list at NYSE

V

IA Optronics AG, the German unit of Ayala-led Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI), on Monday said it filed a registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for its initial public offering at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

VIA will list its American Depositary Shares which will represent the ordinary shares of the company that mainly supplies enhanced display solutions to other companies. The company is 76 percent owned by IMI. The company said it has yet to determine the number of shares that it will offer to the public. It will be listed at NYSE under the ticker symbol VIAO. Berenberg will act as sole bookrunning manager for the proposed offering, the company said.

VIA’s has interactive display systems that combine system design, interactive displays, software functionality, cameras and other hardware components, it said.

“VIA’s intellectual property portfolio, pro-

cess know-how, and optical bonding and metal mesh touch sensor and camera module technologies provide enhanced display solutions that are built to meet the specific needs of its customers,” the company said.

IMI recorded a net loss of $21.5 million in the first half, from $5.78 income last year as revenues dropped 25 percent to $476.17 million, from $635.69 million mainly due to plant shutdowns in various operating regions including the Philippines, China and Mexico where government mandated quarantine protocols were implemented.

The global pandemic led to a 25 percent year-on-year drop in top line sales while margins are likewise challenged with gross profit at $30.5 million equating to a 6.4 percent margin. Reduction of overhead costs by approximately $10 million through streamlining initiatives and government incentives helped mitigate the effects of the extended market softness. VG Cabuag

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

September 7, 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 PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK COL FINANCIAL FIRST ABACUS FERRONOUX HLDG IREMIT MEDCO HLDG MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE

45 90.1 65.75 20.85 8.34 34.7 8.88 19.76 49.3 16 94 54.05 22 0.55 2.55 0.95 0.285 710 0.58 155.1 1910

46 90.15 65.8 21 8.35 34.75 8.99 19.98 49.7 16.28 94.15 54.1 22.05 0.58 2.69 0.96 0.295 760 0.6 158 1960

46.45 87.9 65.05 20.8 8.26 34 8.79 19.72 49.7 16 94.45 53.55 22.05 0.55 2.7 0.95 0.29 760 0.61 158 1950

46.45 90.25 65.9 21 8.46 34.75 8.9 19.9 49.8 16.28 95.4 54.1 22.05 0.58 2.7 0.95 0.29 760 0.61 158 1950

45.95 87.9 65.05 20.8 8.24 33.95 8.79 19.72 49.7 16 92.5 53.55 22.05 0.55 2.65 0.95 0.28 760 0.58 158 1950

46 90.15 65.8 21 8.34 34.75 8.88 19.76 49.7 16.28 94 54.1 22.05 0.58 2.65 0.95 0.28 760 0.6 158 1950

1400 1104610 1044140 96300 111500 1488400 2200 240300 1300 1600 901030 8020 100 19000 3000 14000 950000 20 128000 270 5

64435 46000 98974079 -3217153.5 68660250 -44004737.5 2014680 -508725 928703 -166662 51,442,145( 14,452,710.0004) 19432 4756692 -2050768 64635 25712 84860896 -16500293 431999 2205 10570 -8250 8050 13300 269100 15200 74570 -1800 42660 9750 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 2.89 2.9 2.72 2.89 2.71 2.89 19272000 54108190 ALSONS CONS 1.24 1.25 1.24 1.26 1.24 1.24 7986000 9914460 26.5 26.65 26.2 26.7 26.2 26.5 669500 17667435 ABOITIZ POWER 0.18 0.181 0.177 0.183 0.177 0.18 11040000 1957990 BASIC ENERGY FIRST GEN 24.15 24.6 23.85 24.6 23.5 24.6 334100 8051995 61 61.2 59.5 61.2 59.5 61 72250 4344198.5 FIRST PHIL HLDG 261 262.2 260 262.2 260 262.2 106970 27925812 MERALCO MANILA WATER 14.06 14.1 13.98 14.2 13.84 14.1 812800 11417156 PETRON 3.06 3.08 3.03 3.07 3.03 3.06 575000 1750150 3.1 3.26 3.25 3.26 3.25 3.26 8000 26070 PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM 10.96 11 11 11 10.7 11 14800 161140 PILIPINAS SHELL 17.7 17.74 17.74 17.8 17.42 17.74 468700 8312004 9.16 9.17 9.1 9.18 9.08 9.17 194000 1771305 SPC POWER 8 8.05 8.02 8.08 7.96 8.05 56900 456573 AGRINURTURE AXELUM 2.43 2.44 2.49 2.6 2.4 2.44 11007000 26947970 11.44 11.98 11.46 11.46 11.44 11.46 5800 66462 CNTRL AZUCARERA 17.48 17.5 17.3 17.5 17.3 17.5 1311800 22797296 CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE 4.68 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.67 4.68 81000 382500 DNL INDUS 5.04 5.05 5.01 5.05 4.96 5.04 876100 4398496 9.94 9.97 9.98 9.98 9.85 9.97 1079200 10692386 EMPERADOR SMC FOODANDBEV 65.05 65.1 66.5 66.5 65.1 65.1 54940 3581199 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.65 0.66 0.66 0.66 0.65 0.65 160000 104020 1.16 1.18 1.15 1.18 1.13 1.18 6285000 7249970 FRUITAS HLDG GINEBRA 45 46 44 46 42.05 45 84500 3769645 JOLLIBEE 137.3 138.1 136.1 138.4 136.1 138.1 499370 68654231 7.76 7.96 7.95 7.96 7.94 7.95 7700 61237 MACAY HLDG MAXS GROUP 4.77 4.79 4.79 4.8 4.75 4.77 163000 778190 SHAKEYS PIZZA 5.79 5.8 5.63 5.8 5.61 5.8 153500 880775 ROXAS AND CO 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.11 1.14 9481000 10804090 4.47 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.47 4.47 72000 323020 RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG 1.77 1.94 1.48 1.95 1.48 1.94 1034000 1792360 SWIFT FOODS 0.104 0.11 0.103 0.11 0.103 0.11 550000 57000 140 140.4 138.9 140 137.6 140 399820 55486238 UNIV ROBINA 0.77 0.78 0.77 0.78 0.76 0.77 893000 687480 VITARICH CEMEX HLDG 1.52 1.53 1.5 1.53 1.49 1.52 10542000 15972810 EEI CORP 6.72 6.73 6.43 6.73 6.43 6.72 3358100 22242212 5.98 6 5.91 6.09 5.77 6 2666500 16061305 HOLCIM MEGAWIDE 7.35 7.36 7.21 7.36 7.21 7.35 1807100 13210357 PHINMA 8.39 8.9 8.9 8.9 8.9 8.9 3800 33820 0.66 0.68 0.67 0.7 0.64 0.65 595000 387910 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 0.75 0.76 0.71 0.76 0.71 0.75 1192000 877710 CHEMPHIL 110.8 137.8 110.8 110.8 110.8 110.8 100 11080 1.92 1.97 1.92 1.92 1.9 1.9 95000 181250 CROWN ASIA EUROMED 1.85 1.86 1.94 1.94 1.86 1.86 97000 182430 LMG CORP 4.45 4.49 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.49 20000 89640 4.3 4.49 4.2 4.49 4.1 4.3 80000 346040 MABUHAY VINYL PRYCE CORP 4.11 4.16 4.16 4.16 4.16 4.16 28000 116480 CONCEPCION 20.2 23 19.7 22.5 19.7 20.1 11100 237262 GREENERGY 2.12 2.13 2.07 2.14 2.07 2.13 12292000 25992290 5.79 5.8 5.39 5.82 5.39 5.8 713600 4047850 INTEGRATED MICR IONICS 0.96 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.97 0.97 12000 11660 SFA SEMICON 1.41 1.43 1.44 1.45 1.39 1.43 911000 1287800 5.72 5.75 5.8 5.85 5.7 5.72 763100 4390212 CIRTEK HLDG

8687510 -851450 1747450 2266865 -691740 -14009722 740970 -22819.9999 -174845.9996 9080 48005 -24206720 -63030 3264482 -42660 -132536 -573021 -640714.0001 2865915 -13968254 90930 33099 9151920 -0 -9961728 -23100 2801440 3277056 -1228702 757498 17800 81280 4761850 -528098 -69215

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 0.495 0.5 0.48 0.5 0.475 0.5 21040000 10348200 ASIABEST GROUP 7.18 7.6 7.72 7.72 7.11 7.6 12200 89624 701 702 690 703.5 688 702 329100 230107045 AYALA CORP 48.45 49.4 48.95 49.4 48.3 49.4 297300 14574660 ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL 6.21 6.22 6.12 6.23 6.11 6.21 10770600 66692044 1.76 1.77 1.74 1.76 1.73 1.76 125000 218120 AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR 6.12 6.48 6.47 6.48 6.47 6.48 12200 79026 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.53 0.56 0.53 0.56 0.53 0.55 718000 394220 ATN HLDG A 0.54 0.55 0.56 0.56 0.54 0.55 2217000 1203140 5.05 5.07 5.13 5.13 4.96 5.06 143000 721380 COSCO CAPITAL 3.96 3.97 3.98 3.99 3.9 3.97 4936000 19428400 DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV 8.45 8.49 8.5 8.5 8.43 8.49 4300 36471 384 385 381 386.4 375.2 385 381400 145875908 GT CAPITAL 3.08 3.18 3.07 3.07 3.06 3.06 20000 61320 HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT 62 62.25 60.95 62 60.95 62 1567480 96860483 0.61 0.63 0.61 0.63 0.6 0.62 133000 81660 LODESTAR 2.45 2.46 2.37 2.45 2.37 2.45 3709000 8837560 LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP 8.57 8.7 8.7 8.7 8.51 8.7 797700 6891077 METRO PAC INV 3.36 3.38 3.35 3.38 3.3 3.38 28625000 95430960 0.75 0.78 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.79 1000 790 PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP 0.97 0.98 1 1 0.98 0.98 177000 173920 SYNERGY GRID 153.1 167 167 167 167 167 830 138610 870 894 845 894 830.5 894 163450 142708200 SM INVESTMENTS 100 100.1 101.8 101.8 99.5 100 179370 17939859.5 SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES 0.65 0.67 0.66 0.66 0.66 0.66 14000 9240 0.186 0.197 0.186 0.186 0.186 0.186 550000 102300 WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG 0.149 0.15 0.142 0.149 0.139 0.149 1580000 226010

-1083500 -86064625 -1632995 -7378739 176170 -1095040 -122371744 -60067882.5 -610 -1080370 35390.0005 -61758940 480575 -4680708 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.51 0.53 0.5 0.53 0.5 0.51 1262000 656360 ANCHOR LAND 7.04 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 200 1680 29.9 30 28.6 30 28.1 30 20669400 606716790 AYALA LAND 0.97 1 0.98 0.98 0.97 0.97 31000 30240 ARANETA PROP AREIT RT 25.5 25.55 25.3 25.6 25.3 25.55 1173300 29876410 1.34 1.37 1.35 1.35 1.33 1.34 380000 510070 BELLE CORP 0.74 0.75 0.73 0.76 0.72 0.75 3998000 2953950 A BROWN CITYLAND DEVT 0.87 0.88 0.85 0.88 0.84 0.88 244000 211770 CROWN EQUITIES 0.124 0.125 0.123 0.129 0.123 0.129 160000 19740 5.15 5.19 5.17 5.2 5.14 5.18 885600 4585275 CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP 0.365 0.37 0.36 0.365 0.36 0.365 450000 163250 CYBER BAY 0.26 0.265 0.265 0.265 0.26 0.265 460000 120250 14.78 14.8 14.88 15 14.72 14.8 275100 4080378 DOUBLEDRAGON 5.97 5.99 5.99 5.99 5.97 5.99 671300 4021051 DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST 0.26 0.265 0.265 0.265 0.26 0.265 110000 28900 0.088 0.091 0.089 0.089 0.088 0.088 220000 19460 EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND 0.92 0.93 0.93 0.94 0.92 0.93 1603000 1489370 GLOBAL ESTATE 0.79 0.82 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.79 301000 237790 8990 HLDG 7.5 7.75 7.88 7.88 7.5 7.75 5300 41180 1.15 1.17 1.12 1.17 1.12 1.15 4677000 5409050 PHIL INFRADEV MEGAWORLD 2.95 2.96 2.89 3 2.87 2.96 20671000 61047810 MRC ALLIED 0.232 0.233 0.233 0.235 0.228 0.232 18650000 4309300 0.285 0.3 0.285 0.285 0.285 0.285 600000 171000 PHIL ESTATES PRIMEX CORP 1.14 1.15 1.15 1.15 1.14 1.15 104000 118620 ROBINSONS LAND 14.92 15.2 14.88 15.2 14.64 15.2 1016300 15126660 1.52 1.55 1.55 1.55 1.52 1.52 83000 126220 ROCKWELL SHANG PROP 2.66 2.68 2.7 2.7 2.68 2.68 9000 24240 STA LUCIA LAND 1.98 1.99 1.93 1.99 1.86 1.99 211000 411260 SM PRIME HLDG 28.85 28.9 28 28.95 28 28.85 6203500 178020055 3.74 3.85 3.8 3.88 3.74 3.86 220000 835140 VISTAMALLS SUNTRUST HOME 1.18 1.21 1.21 1.21 1.18 1.21 1360000 1626360 VISTA LAND 3.14 3.15 3.05 3.21 3.05 3.15 2470000 7742040

-35443575 -3941210 25660 19710 -285764 -1845582 -775705 518060 -40430 -4798730 -12147824 -24240 -77400665 48400 -4332320

SERVICES ABS CBN 7.04 7.15 6.85 7.22 6.85 7.15 302800 2142938 GMA NETWORK 5.14 5.15 5.1 5.15 5.05 5.15 711700 3653609 0.39 0.395 0.39 0.395 0.39 0.39 180000 70500 MANILA BULLETIN MLA BRDCASTING 11.24 11.86 11.86 11.88 11.86 11.88 1000 11870 GLOBE TELECOM 2088 2090 2046 2106 2046 2088 33800 70563280 PLDT 1435 1440 1417 1440 1405 1440 70355 100441010 0.057 0.058 0.051 0.058 0.051 0.058 916020000 48919800 APOLLO GLOBAL DFNN INC 2.89 3 2.95 3.04 2.91 3 30000 89510 DITO CME HLDG 3.25 3.26 3.29 3.31 3.24 3.25 9544000 31198170 1.35 1.47 1.55 1.67 1.22 1.47 231000 324230 IMPERIAL ISLAND INFO 0.067 0.069 0.07 0.07 0.066 0.066 1720000 116820 JACKSTONES 1.58 1.62 1.54 1.62 1.54 1.62 38000 60820 2.36 2.37 2.22 2.4 2.22 2.37 16558000 38778330 NOW CORP 0.174 0.177 0.176 0.177 0.174 0.177 2740000 478320 TRANSPACIFIC BR PHILWEB 2.19 2.22 2.18 2.25 2.16 2.19 510000 1124120 2GO GROUP 8.35 8.45 8.44 8.7 8.23 8.4 15800 133382 3.31 3.34 3.3 3.39 3.3 3.34 616000 2046210 CHELSEA CEBU AIR 36.8 36.9 35.9 36.9 35.9 36.9 93500 3425390 INTL CONTAINER 105.4 105.9 103.7 106.9 103.7 105.9 2029490 213420610 0.74 0.83 0.78 0.78 0.78 0.78 50000 39000 LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA 4.71 4.74 4.8 4.8 4.63 4.71 2685000 12568160 METROALLIANCE A 1.58 1.59 1.52 1.6 1.52 1.59 184000 283250 5.75 5.9 5.93 5.93 5.72 5.72 14200 83860 PAL HLDG HARBOR STAR 1.09 1.1 1.07 1.13 1.06 1.1 4540000 5002610 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.027 0.028 0.028 0.028 0.028 0.028 5100000 142800 WATERFRONT 0.38 0.39 0.395 0.395 0.38 0.38 1230000 468950 6.31 6.99 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 2000 12600 CENTRO ESCOLAR STI HLDG 0.325 0.33 0.315 0.33 0.315 0.325 10890000 3522200 BERJAYA 2.57 2.62 2.4 2.7 2.4 2.62 1229000 3175930 6.91 6.96 6.9 6.97 6.66 6.96 8282900 56703891 BLOOMBERRY PACIFIC ONLINE 1.92 1.95 1.92 1.92 1.92 1.92 36000 69120 LEISURE AND RES 1.33 1.34 1.31 1.36 1.31 1.34 1322000 1739790 2.14 2.3 2.14 2.14 2.05 2.14 76000 156160 MANILA JOCKEY PH RESORTS GRP 2.15 2.3 2.35 2.35 2.25 2.25 26000 59100 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.325 0.33 0.33 0.335 0.32 0.33 14340000 4698450 ALLHOME 5.9 5.91 5.88 6.02 5.85 5.9 10442300 61424655 1.43 1.44 1.42 1.49 1.42 1.44 4505000 6518940 METRO RETAIL PUREGOLD 51 51.2 50 51.2 50 51.2 796300 40461645 ROBINSONS RTL 68.9 69 70 70 68 68.9 147320 10140476 121 125 122 122 121.1 121.1 130 15761 PHIL SEVEN CORP SSI GROUP 1.13 1.14 1.16 1.17 1.1 1.13 10065000 11439860 WILCON DEPOT 16 16.04 16.08 16.08 15.98 16.04 541400 8680706 0.29 0.295 0.3 0.3 0.29 0.295 4110000 1209200 APC GROUP 6.15 6.38 6.38 6.38 6.38 6.38 30600 195228 EASYCALL GOLDEN BRIA 284.2 307.4 290 309.6 290 309.6 30 8896 2.03 2.09 2.06 2.06 2.06 2.06 4000 8240 PAXYS PRMIERE HORIZON 0.221 0.223 0.223 0.224 0.221 0.222 2840000 630920 SBS PHIL CORP 4.33 4.49 4.33 4.33 4.33 4.33 18000 77940

6144890 -30382645 196760 417170 40440 5253010.0003 54250 -130800 8622 -1238395 -177301664 702910 -43100 12600 58400 26300 -12640727 2480 11250 693500 -16839027 -1164860 -14716215 -4389886.5 -6055 -672580.0001 288052.0003 118900 -

MINING & OIL ATOK 7.15 7.91 7.97 7.97 7.5 7.92 12300 92467 1.58 1.59 1.59 1.62 1.56 1.59 8352000 13288390 43300 APEX MINING 0.0008 0.0009 0.0009 0.0009 0.0008 0.0008 924000000 750600 ABRA MINING ATLAS MINING 3.77 3.78 3.57 3.88 3.57 3.77 1605000 5999500 -64080 BENGUET A 3.05 3.06 2.89 3.09 2.83 3.06 525000 1584420 2.94 2.99 2.85 2.98 2.85 2.98 320000 940470 73500 BENGUET B COAL ASIA HLDG 0.207 0.22 0.207 0.22 0.207 0.22 670000 142070 CENTURY PEAK 2.5 2.59 2.43 2.6 2.43 2.59 416000 1054420 764450 7.67 7.68 7.67 7.68 7.62 7.68 4700 35915 DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL 1.3 1.31 1.29 1.34 1.28 1.31 7052000 9251290 65430 GEOGRACE 0.232 0.233 0.231 0.232 0.229 0.232 190000 43900 0.15 0.152 0.15 0.154 0.148 0.15 14010000 2109530 LEPANTO A LEPANTO B 0.152 0.153 0.151 0.152 0.151 0.152 220000 33270 MANILA MINING A 0.0098 0.01 0.0099 0.01 0.0096 0.0098 243000000 2337600 MANILA MINING B 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 8000000 84000 0.99 1 1 1.01 0.98 1 3929000 3930280 -16880 MARCVENTURES NIHAO 2.06 2.07 2.14 2.2 2.02 2.06 2592000 5361690 105740 NICKEL ASIA 3.21 3.22 3.16 3.22 3.16 3.22 9595000 30681040 -294600 0.375 0.38 0.375 0.375 0.375 0.375 10000 3750 OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA 0.58 0.59 0.57 0.59 0.57 0.59 3119000 1809340 PX MINING 4.16 4.17 4.02 4.21 4 4.17 4456000 18501600 3156379.9999 9.64 9.65 9.42 9.64 9.42 9.64 558100 5344617 -767532 SEMIRARA MINING 0.0049 0.0052 0.0049 0.005 0.0049 0.0049 6000000 29500 UNITED PARAGON ACE ENEXOR 5.69 5.7 5.52 5.7 5.52 5.69 33800 189097 -3408 ORNTL PETROL A 0.0086 0.0089 0.0088 0.0088 0.0085 0.0085 61000000 518800 0.0083 0.009 0.0083 0.0083 0.0083 0.0083 3000000 24900 ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL 0.0089 0.0092 0.009 0.0093 0.0087 0.0093 296000000 2594300 PXP ENERGY 5.21 5.22 5.13 5.29 5.13 5.21 846900 4395178 19993

PREFFERED AC PREF B1 510.5 519 515 515 515 515 1380 710700 DD PREF 100.7 103 100.7 100.7 100.7 100.7 200 20140 1000 1028 1001 1001 1000 1000 2000 2001150 850000 GTCAP PREF A 100.2 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 10 1015 MWIDE PREF PNX PREF 3A 96.45 96.75 96.45 96.75 96.45 96.75 14030 1353613.5 PNX PREF 3B 99.8 100 100 100 100 100 10810 1081000 15000 945.5 949 948 949 948 949 1020 967835 PNX PREF 4 PCOR PREF 3B 1070 1089 1070 1070 1070 1070 60 64200 SMC PREF 2C 78.2 78.45 78.1 78.5 78.1 78.45 3380 264797.5 75.6 75.9 75.9 75.9 75.9 75.9 2570 195063 SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E 75.6 76.5 75.6 76.5 75.6 76.5 52620 3978659 SMC PREF 2F 78 79.2 79 79 79 79 6000 474000 76.1 76.85 76.85 76.85 76.85 76.85 10 768.5 SMC PREF 2G

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.9 6.6 6.8 28000 189420 8400 GMA HLDG PDR 4.93 5 4.98 4.99 4.97 4.98 408000 2033710 -1247000

WARRANTS LR WARRANT 0.61 0.64 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 22000 13420

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 10.46 10.5 10.74 10.8 10.24 10.5 655900 6891836 -4112710 ITALPINAS 1.8 1.81 1.83 1.84 1.8 1.8 672000 1218240 -42130 5.1 5.2 5.09 5.15 5.09 5.11 10100 51606 KEPWEALTH MERRYMART 2.98 2.99 3 3.02 2.95 2.99 8128000 24332510 -149940 XURPAS 0.5 0.51 0.52 0.52 0.5 0.5 1790000 896740 5000

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF 89.5 89.95 87.75 89.95 87 89.95 10170 901065 88566.5

www.businessmirror.com.ph

URC, Roxas Holdings set to finalize asset sale deal

By VG Cabuag

U

@villygc

niversal Robina Corp.

(URC) on Monday said it is pushing through with its deal with Roxas Holdings Inc. for the acquisition of the assets of Central Azucarera de la Carlota Inc. and Roxol Bioenergy Corp.

The deal involves the purchase of the sugar mill, bioethanol plant in La Carlota City in Negros Occidental and also shares held by Roxas Holdings in Najalin Agri-Ventures Inc. The company said the deal is pushing through after the companies secured a green light from the Philippine Competition Commission last week.

URC will acquire all buildings, improvements, machineries and equipment, laboratory equipment, and other related assets for operating the refinery and milling plant of La Carlota and the bioethanol plant of Roxol, as well as approximately 1.07 million square meters and 391,826 square meters of land where the assets are located in La Carlota.

URC is also set to acquire 520,115 Najalan Agri Ventures common shares being held by RHI and its nominee shareholders.

No acquisition price was disclosed. “The acquisition by URC of the sugar milling and bioethanol distillery assets will create synergies in the sugar industry in Negros Occidental. This transaction is expected to enhance capability of URC to provide good milling services to the sugarcane planters,” the company said.

URC said it will continue to use the assets for sugar milling operations and bioethanol production operations.

“Aside from the operational synergies that will be achieved between La Carlota and existing URC operations in sugar, the acquisition is also intended to help sugarcane planters increase their productivity, as well as help local communities in Negros Occidental by providing more op-

portunities. In addition, the acquisition will allow URC to continue in its efforts to support the development of the sugar industry in the Philippines,” it said.

The PCC approval was needed to consummate the deal, while Roxas Holdings needs to pay the existing debt of the sugar miller and bioethanol producer.

Roxas Holdings, meanwhile, said it will use the proceeds of the transaction to prepay all long-term debt and reduce short-term debt to levels sufficient for its working capital needs.

“The sale of the La Carlota assets will allow RHI to refocus its resources on rebuilding its Nasugbu sugar milling and refining facilities, among others. The paring down of existing debts is expected to result in a stronger balance sheet for the RHI Group, and in capacity to rebuild its operations in Nasugbu, Batangas,” it said.

PECO asks PCC to probe MORE Power

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

P

anay Electric Co. (PECO) wants the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to probe More Electric and Power Corp.

(MORE Power) for allegedly committing anticompetitive practices in light of overcharging system loss rate.

In a complaint filed before the PCC on Monday, PECO administrative manager and head of consumer engagement and government affairs Marcelo Cacho said MORE Power has been charging the Iloilo City consumers more than what is allowed under ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) Resolution No. 20-17.

“MORE has abused its dominant position by imposing upon its customers unfair price for services rendered,” PECO said in its 39-page verified complaint.

“In view of the foregoing, [we] respectfully pray that MORE be investigated and, after appropriate proceedings, be adjudged guilty of ant-competitive conduct constituting violations of the 1987 Constitution, EPIRA [Electric Power Industry Reform Act] and the Philippine Competition Act.” System losses refer to the cost of electricity that was either lost in transmission through power lines or pilfered. These losses are passed on to consumers up to a certain percentage or up to the so-called system loss cap, which refers to the limit beyond which a utility is no longer allowed to recover from its customers the cost of electricity.

MORE Power’s system loss charge in March stood at P0.4729 per kilowatt hour (kWh), P0.4719 per kWh in April, P0.7612 per kWh in May and P0.6617 per kWh in July.

PECO said that based on a reading of the electricity bills issued by MORE Power from March to July, there is a trend of system loss

charge increase.

PECO said its computation showed that MORE Power’s system loss in those months reached P0.4718 per kWh, P0.4735 per kWh, P0.4810 per kWh and P0.4935 per kWh, respectively.

Based on those figures, PECO said MORE Power overcharged consumers P0.0011 per kWh in March, P0.2802 per kWh in May and P0.1682 per kWh in July.

“If we get the summation of the overcharges rates and multiply it to the average monthly consumption of 55,000 kWh, it appears that the consumers of Iloilo City were overcharged the amount of P24,725,500.00,” said PECO in its 22-pge manifestation filed before the ERC. PECO said MORE Power violated Section 15(h) of the Philippine Competition Act when it implemented unfair pricing on customers.

“The system loss charge is a component of the total bill charged by MORE Power. In other words, the hapless consumers of Iloilo City are made to pay an unexplained and unaccounted for high rate system loss charge,” it said.

PECO said systems loss charge will only increase if there are problems in the capacity of the distribution facilities to deliver electricity and/or pilferage, meter reading errors, meter tampering and other reasons not related to physical characteristics of the electrical system.

“Thus, the question is, if MORE says it is improving its services in distributing electricity and that it is intensely targeting pilferers, why then did MORE increase its system loss charges in the months of May and July?

If MORE is truly transparent to its consumers, MORE should explain why these anomalous figures appear in the electricity bills of the consumers of Iloilo City?” PECO’s filing with the ERC stated.

MORE Power said it has yet to receive a copy of the complaint and manifestation.

Transfast announces tie-up with Pera Hub

M

ASTERCARD-OWNED Transfast has partnered with local financial service provider Pera Hub to enable people abroad to send money to the Philippines.

This partnership further strengthens Transfast’s network in the country as it now offers over 23,000 payout locations nationwide.

Also, it gives Filipinos an option to receive money from any of Pera Hub’s more than 600 participating locations across the country.

According to Transfast Senior Vice President Samir Vidhate, their company is fully dedicated to offer competitive pricing, quick transfer of funds, and personalized customer engagement.

“With this strategic partnership with Pera Hub, Transfast can enable a better, more reliable and accessible way for people to receive money in the Philippines, and ensure the seamless movement of money across the globe,” he said.

Meanwhile, Petnet President Ian Ocampo expressed elation over their alliance with one

of the fastest growing remittance brands in the Philippines.

“We look forward to opening our doors to new customers and extending this cash pick up service to our entire network. With a reputable remittance player such as Transfast, we are expanding our remittance services by truly becoming a ‘Pera Hub’ in the communities that we serve,” he said.

Petnet has been moving money for Filipinos for over 22 years. With more than 3,000 locations nationwide, its retail brand, Pera Hub, provides its customers with reliable financial services in one location.

Pera Hub is geared towards providing complementary products, cash, and paymentrelated solutions to its growing market.

International cross-border payments network provider Transfast offers nearly 300,000 cash payout points, as well as bank account and mobile wallet transfers in 100 plus markets and growing. Roderick L. Abad

mutual funds

September 7, 2020

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 191.17 -25.77% -11.52% -5.38% -24.09% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.0566 -32.16% -13.54% -3.51% -23.55% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.5566 -36.36% -16.21% -7.53% -30.49% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.659 -31.23% -13.16% n.a. -26.61% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.688 -19.76% n.a. n.a. -18.99% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.1182 -24.03% -9.74% -4.88% -22.71% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.6405 -26.46% -12.66% n.a.

-24.96% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 80.27 -31.5% n.a. n.a. -22.24% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 38.1849 -26.61% -10.3% -4.33% -25.54% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 412.13 -23.93% -9.47% -4.39% -22.65% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 0.8645 n.a. n.a. n.a. -16.08% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 0.9797 -25.33% -9.54% -3.89% -23.87% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 28.6916 -25.6% -9.18% -3.6% -24.29% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.7526 -26.75% n.a. n.a. -26.08% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 3.898 -26.24% -9.75% -3.65% -25.38% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 651.71 -26.13% -9.74% -3.77% -25.26% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.5888 -35.87% -13.67% -7.7% -30.84% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.0219 -29.72% -11.12% -5% -28.21% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.7466 -26.36% -9.95% -3.85% -25.4% United Fund, Inc. -a 2.7157 -26.67% -8.97% -3.26% -25.66% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 87.4801 -26.03% -9.33% -2.98% -25.2% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.0565 12.11% 0.54% 4.29% 2.73% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.5578 9.54% n.a. 12.99% 21.14% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.5635 -7.06% -4.47% -2.9% 0.04% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.0235 -12.48% -5.27% -1.6% -7.23% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.3644 -11.07% -3.82% -2.48% -10.15% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1706 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-25.34% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.8129 -7.52% -1.78% 0.02% -7.58% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.4162 -10.27% -3.34% -1.23% -9.84% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 15.2439 -10.63% -3.59% -1.37% -10.12% -4.61% -1.39% -11.46% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 1.879 -12.64% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.2054 -17.78% -5.73% -2.65% -17.03% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9192 -10.2% n.a. n.a.

-9.5% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.8141 -19.58% n.a. n.a.

-18.3% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.7877 -21.95% n.a. n.a. -20.69% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.787 -20.84% -7.03% -3.63% -19.27% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03904 0.46% 2.73% 2% 2.2% 4.03% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.0512 7.87% 1.43% 3.87% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.2452 13.01% 6.69% 6.54% 8.55% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.181 5.98% 3.5% n.a.

4.63% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 367.91 4.01% 3.08% 2.61% 2.79% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9483 1.82% 1.04% 0.09% 2.43% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.1993 3.92% 4.86% 5.02% 2.61% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.3002 3.67% 2.77% 2.33% 3.45% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4539 4.52% 3.41% 1.96% 4.02% 4.38% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.6654 7.77% 2.66% 6.69% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3108 5.76% 4.37% 2.47% 4.3% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.952 5.66% 4.21% 2.51% 4.32% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0373 8.75% 3.56% 1.97% 7.57% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1807 4.95% 4.86% 2.83% 3.42% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7433 3.79% 4.14% 2.24% 2.48% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $478.66 3.02% 2.48% 2.89% 2.2% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є217.19 -1.47% 0.69% 1.16% -1.18% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2399 3.36% 3.03% 2.79% 2.71% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0264 1.54% 1.7% 1.67% 2.33% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0905 -1.62% 0.08% 0.5% -0.28% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.5011 2.67% 3.57% 3.49% 4.06% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0610302 1.28% 2.06% 2.05% 1.21% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.2269 0.89% 2.02% 2.69% 1.63% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 128.97 3.54% 3.29% 2.51% 2.5% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0442 2.21% n.a. n.a.

1.74% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.289 2.87% 3.03% 2.61% 1.9% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.048 1.56% n.a. n.a.

0.93% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.034 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

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

-4.04%

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

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

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

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

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

see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Credit database a must to boost lending–CTB

T

he Chamber of Thrift Banks (CTB) is eyeing to onboard all its members to the country’s central credit registry data soon to improve bank lending amid the coronavirus pandemic.

CTB President Cecilio D. San Pedro said in a general meeting last week that over 80 percent of the group’s members are now submitting credit data to the Credit Information Corp. (CIC) and in full compliance with the Credit Information System Act. “Some are still in the testing stage and are expected to be in full compliance soon,” he added.

San Pedro shared that some thrift banks are accessing credit data from the CIC database as well.

This is a welcome move given that thrift banks have continued lending to micro, small and medium enterprises and consumers.

“Thrift banks have never ceased extending loans since the pandemic started,” CTB Executive Director Suzanne I. Felix told the BusinessMirror. “Despite the pandemic, there are sectors that not only survived but even grew, especially those catering to the needs of the new normal, thanks to the thrift banks that continue to support these sectors by providing new loans, renewals and restructuring.”

San Pedro said the association welcomes the Primary ID Number system that the CIC launched recently. The system allows individuals without government iden-

tification cards to be included in the credit database.

As a result, additional six million borrowers were recorded in less than a month. This brought the number of individuals “on-boarded” to the database to 18.2 million or nearly 26 percent of the country’s adult population as of end-August.

“I, therefore, encourage our members to start accessing the CIC data and enable your institution to reduce your overall credit risk and improve the overall availability of credit, especially to our niche markets: the MSMEs and the consumers,” San Pedro said. The CTB president also said that thrift banks are using the fresh liquidity from the 100-basis point cut in the reserve requirement to continue providing loans.

He said the monetary authorities’ move translated to billions worth of liquidity, allowing thrift banks to extend borrowings with longer term and reasonable rates.

Thrift banks saw their loan portfolio decline by 15.64 percent to P789.01 billion as of end-June from previous year’s P935.27 billion, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas revealed.

Restructured loans, meanwhile, were amounting to P5.01 billion in the first half, which is 7.05 percent higher compared to P4.68 billion in the previous year for the same period.

As of end-June, the thrift banks have a capital adequacy ratio of 14.28, which is above the minimum regulatory requirement. Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

Revisiting the ‘50-30-20’ budget framework

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practical application of economics is budgeting.

Human beings have unlimited needs and wants but also have finite resources such as money. Therefore, choices have to be made so that we maximize what we need and what we want based on what we have. Choices can still make us happy even against the backdrop of an imperfect world.

A popular budgeting framework is the “50-30-20” budget framework. In this framework, 50 percent of monthly income goes to needs, 30 percent goes to wants and 20 percent goes to future funds.

What should be the basis of the budget?

The answer is monthly income.

This should serve as the roof through which all components of the budget will adjust accordingly. If we spend beyond what we earn, we will run the risk of accumulating debt and this will be cumbersome.

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted a lot of cash inflows. Hence, active income can be generated by knowing what the talents and available resources are. Passive income can be generated by identifying the “New Normal” opportunities.

Given the new world, it is an opportune time to finally change the “50-30-20” framework to the “20-5030” framework. We must pay ourselves first. We must set aside funds for the future at the onset.

The first step in the 20 percent component is to save. Savings support future consumption. Building an emergency fund provides a valuable buffer during uncertain times. The emergency fund can be maintained to a level that represents the value of monthly lifestyle expenses multiplied with around 6 months to 12 months.

Part of the 20 percent can go toward the settlement of loan obligations.

Being able to settle debt provides financial and emotional relief. Paying short-term debt first can boost confidence in managing debt.

Another possible component of the 20 percent is insurance, which helps address risk. Insurance is like an umbrella that helps protect families from storms. In addressing risk, we need to protect ourselves in the form of life insurance and we need to protect the valuable assets that we own through non-life insurance.

Another possible component of the 20 percent can be investment.

The choice of investment will depend

Genesis Kelly S. Lontoc

personal finance on the clear goal, risk profile and time horizon of each individual.

Investments can help enhance purchasing power over time if earnings growth outpaces the inflation rate.

There are many viable investment options in the Philippines like financial instruments, real estate and businesses. Part of the 20 percent can also be devoted toward societal aspirations related to health, environmental and development programs.

The next step in the framework would be to allocate 50 percent of the monthly income to needs.

Not all expenses are created equal.

Needs should always be prioritized over wants. Needs are goods or services that are basic to human existence.

The popular needs globally are those related to basic food, basic shelter and basic clothing.

With the “New Normal,” additional needs like health, safety, utilities and connectivity are emerging and therefore have to be budgeted for. Expenses on needs should be reviewed and optimized. The last step in the framework is to allocate 30 percent or whatever is left to wants.These are items that make life more pleasant but are really not that essential in living. A common synonym of a want is a luxury.

The opportunity in terms of wants is to review them and determine what wants can be taken out completely and what wants can be minimized especially if times are difficult.

Financial literacy is not about converting people to become misers. Fun is part of human nature but fun should be budgeted so it can be sustainable.

Having a budgeting framework like the proposed “20-50-30” budget framework can be an effective way of allocating income. Money will be set aside according to our priorities in life.

Managing money is important because if we take good care of our money today, money will be able to take care of us in the future.

Gemmy Lontoc is a registered financial planner of the RFP Philippines. To learn more about personal financial planning, attend the 86th RFP program this October 2020. To inquire, e-mail info@rfp.ph or text <name><e-mail> <RFP> at 0917-6248110.

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 B3

Women access smaller loans than men, credit data shows

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By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@Tyronepiad

here is a wide gap between the average loan of male and female borrowers, according to the Credit Information Corp. (CIC).

CIC President and CEO Jaime Casto Jose P. Garchitorena said in a statement last Monday that the central credit registry records show that the average loan for females is P605,000 while the average loan for males is P1.1 million.

“That’s interesting and we’d have to verify that,” Garchitorena said.

Still, preliminary figures show that access to credit is “almost equal” for both genders, CIC said, with fe-

males at 59 percent and males at 41 percent.

“From the initial drawing of data, the best lenders in terms of number of female borrowers versus number of male borrowers seem to be microfinance with number of loans favoring women with 87 percent, with male borrowers showing 13 percent,” Garchitorena added.

While these are still raw data, Garchitorena said these can be used as a

source of statistical and behavioral data that can help establish relevant policies to further ease women’s access to credit.

He said that the CIC is committed to validating the numbers to determine whether the gender differences in credit use may be tagged as a policy, accessibility, opportunity or educational concern. “[If] the discussion point is equality versus equitability, that’s the kind of narrative [the] CIC data can validate,” the CIC chief said.

Meanwhile, Garchitorena earlier warned the public against the malicious use of CIC’s name by lenders.

He said that there were complaints from borrowers allegedly harassed by lenders, threatening them to report their defaults to the CIC. In addition, these said debt collectors also warned the borrowers

they would then be put in a negative list and be blacklisted by other financial firms.

Garchitorena assured that such a list does not exist in the first place.

“First, the CIC does not have any access to or keep any negative or blacklist of delinquent clients, nor investigate the status of the borrowers. Also, the CIC will never be part of any direct collection activities,” he explained.

As of end-August, its database onboards 18.2 million individuals or nearly 26 percent of the country’s adult population.

CIC said the credit database comprises 80.4 million contracts, 58.9 million of which are installment transactions.

The central credit registry has 519 submitting entities coming from different sectors of the financial system.

Govt continues to rely on local investors for funds

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

T

he Bureau of the Treasury fully awarded P20 billion in Treasury Bills (T-bills) on Monday despite rates going sideways.

The average rate for the 91-day T-bills declined while the rates for the 182-day and the 364-day tenors went up.

The auction was nearly threetimes oversubscribed, with tenors attracting combined total tenders of P56.687 billion.

Sought for comment following the auction results, National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon said good demand remains with volume

received in the auction.

“Rates remain low even with adjustment on 182-day,” De Leon told reporters in a message.

The 91-day T-bills fetched a rate of 1.167 percent, 1.3 basis points (bps) down from the previous average rate of 1.180 percent . Total bids for the security reached P19.028 billion, almost four times the P5-billion offer.

Meanwhile, the 182-day T-bills posted a rate of 1.518 percent, rising by 9.7 bps from the previous rate of 1.420 percent. Tenders for the tenor amounted to P11.008 billion, more than twice the P5-billion offer.

The 364-day T-bills recorded a rate of 1.807 percent, inching up by 1.9 bps from 1.788 percent previ-

ously. The security had total bids of P26.651 billion, increasing by more than two-fold of the volume offered at P10 billion.

The sideways behavior of the rates comes after US Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell announced the US monetary authority would adopt a flexible average inflation targeting strategy wherein it will give itself room to loosen policy and allow inflation to rise moderately above its 2 percent target.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also earlier announced its decision to take a “prudent pause” on monetary easing.

For this month, the Treasury programmed to borrow P160 billion

from the local debt market.

The government borrows to fund its spending requirements as well as to cover its ballooning budget deficit.

As tax collections are down amid the pandemic, the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) is projecting the country’s budget deficit to more than double to 9.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) or P1.815 trillion from only 3.4 percent of GDP or P660.2 billion last year.

The DBCC also expects the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio this year to increase to 53.91 percent of GDP—a level it hasn’t seen in over a decade— from a record-low of 39.6 percent of GDP last year.

‘Data-driven approach Coconut, coffee sectors to abet recovery plans’ assured by LandBank

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lobal payments technology Mastercard Inc. is emphasizing the necessity of a data-driven approach to boost economic recovery across the Asia Pacific region during this pandemic.

Data analytics, strategic planning, consumer behavior review and the shift to digital can help businesses to pave their way toward recovery, asserted Mastercard Advisors-Asia Pacific Senior Vice President Donald Ong. Ong said that firms in the AsiaPacific region have been enduring a protracted lockdown measure and, hence, need to resort to data-driven strategies to withstand its impact.

“Businesses in Asia Pacific have been dealing with the pandemic longer than anywhere else,” he said.

“In the midst of continued uncertainty in the operating environment and the ongoing change in consumer sentiment and behavior, businesses need a compass to chart their path to growth and many are finding that clarity through datadriven insights.”

In its report, Mastercard tackles six sectors—restaurants, finance, mass retail, health and beauty, travel and government—in case studies in the region that discuss effective strategies to maximize the use of data, such as perfor-

mance clustering, phased benchmarking and consumer segmentation.

The report also highlights “how to use the right data, tools and expertise to understand the impact of a crisis and drive response strategies.”

The report also shows that the recovery of the region’s tourism markets depends more on domestic sentiments than regional travel arrangements. While consumers are already spending and getting out, the payments firm said they are navigating within a “homecentered retail radius” only.

Travelers now prefer to stay in small hotels, according to the company. The firm noted that the recovery rate of small independent hotels has already surpassed the recovery of large hotels by more than 50 percent.

“An analysis of consumer cards compared to business cards shows that spending on consumer air travel and auto rentals is returning ahead of commercial travel,” it added.

On the other hand, Mastercard said that Italy, Russia and France are taking the lead in spending recovery for travel and entertainment. This is a result of the “opening of European corridors,” it explained. Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

I

n celebration of National Coconut Month and the 34th National Coconut Week from August 24 to 30, state-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) in a statement said it assures stakeholders of the coconut and coffee industries of the bank’s available credit facilities designed to help improve their operations and income.

On the last day of the 5-day webinar series organized by the Philippine Coconut Authority and the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines Inc. last August 28, LandBank President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo said “the bank stands ready to support coconut and coffee stakeholders through its existing lending programs with low interest rates.”

Under its coconut production and processing financing program, LandBank is extending credit assistance to coconut farmers and other industry stakeholders engaged in the production and processing of coconut-based products, the bank said.

The bank said it is also providing credit support to stakeholders involved in the production of high-value crops like coffee, as well as abaca, banana, cacao, rubber and vegetables, through its high-value crops financing program. Aside from promoting crop production, the Program also supports projects that involve the processing and marketing of high value commodities.

These programs, according to the bank, are open to individual small farm holders, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), cooperatives and farmers’ association, large agribusiness enterprises/corporations, local government units, non-government organizations and countryside financial

institutions (CFIs).

Eligible borrowers may apply for a loan under these programs with an affordable interest based on prevailing market benchmark rate. For smallholder farmer, interest rate of 5 percent per annum to fund coconut and coffee production, including new plantation, replanting, rejuvenation and rehabilitation; establishment of nursery gardens; post-harvest activities such as fermentation, drying, roasting, grinding/packaging and storage; processing/milling; and manufacturing and trading.

LandBank said production loans under these programs are payable based on crop cycle/gestation and payback period of the project. Meanwhile, the tenor for fixed asset acquisition is based on project cash flow but not more than the economic useful life of fixed assets or remaining useful life for second hand/refurbished machines. For permanent working capital and working capital, tenor of up to three years and one year, respectively, is provided.

Borromeo also expressed support for the establishment of coconut-based farming systems and the adoption of coconutcoffee intercropping to help coconut farmers become more profitable.

As explained by National Scientist Emil Q. Javier during the webinar, coconutbased farming system is the practice of growing other high-value crops, such as coffee, cacao, bananas, papaya, pineapple and vegetables, under the coconuts. Considering the increasing demand for coffee in the country, he said that intercropping of coffee with coconut trees will help farmers generate more income.

Insular Life appoints new marketing officer

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nsular Life Assurance Co. Ltd. (InLife), the country’s largest Filipino life insurer, announced the appointment of Rosalyn L. Martinez as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) with the rank of senior vice president.

As InLife’s CMO, Martinez will direct marketing operations and

implement the company’s growth agenda in all its distribution channels including InLife’s bancassurance business, the insurer said in a statement.

She brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise on product development, branding, marketing communication, e-

commerce, digital marketing, market research and “insighting,” the company added.

Martinez has close to 30 years of solid work experience in sales and marketing gained from multinational and domestic financial services companies where she handled portfolios covering

investments, deposits, liabilities, credit cards, consumer loans and insurance.

Martinez is a Magna Cum Laude BS Economics graduate of the University of the Philippines and a full Citibank scholar for Master in Business Management at the Asian Institute of Management.

B4

Art

BusinessMirror

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Today’s Horoscope

❶ Maybe

Tomorrow But Not Today, Lee Salvador, acrylic and collage on canvas, 36x24x3 inches

By Eugenia Last

z

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Dianne Doan, 30; Pink, 41; David Arquette, 49; Neko Case, 50.

❷ Do Anything

Happy Birthday: Push for change. Embrace the future with optimism, and refuse to let the past hold you back. Focus on the present and how you can parlay what you have done so far with your life into something bold and beautiful. Reaching for the stars will be rewarding and inspire you to explore options that encourage personal growth and enlightenment. Your numbers are 4, 16, 22, 28, 33, 39, 41.

for You, Lee Salvador, acrylic on canvas, 36x24x3 inches

❸ Whisper

From the Past, Lee Salvador, acrylic on canvas, 30x24x3 inches

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Work toward a goal. Avoid friction with colleagues or anyone who can ruin your day or reputation. Strive to be your best mentally, physically and emotionally, and you will ward off interference and complaints. HHHH

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t overdo it or take on too much. Keep working toward your goal until you are happy with the results you get. Don’t take risks that can hurt your relationship with someone you love or that can lead to injury or poor health. HHH

❷

❶

❸

Village Art Gallery presents Lee Salvador’s street on canvas

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labang-based art space Village Art Gallery mounted over the weekend a solo exhibition featuring Lee Salvador, wherein the street artist’s murals are rendered not on walls but on canvas, for a show staged online and not outside.

Salvador broke into the street art scene with his textured creations that went beyond public expression. He challenged viewers to surrender to introspection, embedding his saccharine pieces with bitter reality checks and, ultimately, a message of hope.

In a video posted on the social-media accounts of the artist and the gallery, Salvador displays his art making process when working on smaller, more pliant surfaces. He

makes use of found materials that he cuts and dips and nails and sprays, creating a collage of abstract backgrounds to replicate the rough walls he used to paint on.

“I’ve been wanting to go back on the streets to paint for a while now,” he said, alluding to how the pandemic limited him to work with what he can. “But in whatever I do, the message of hope is still there. It’s always been there.”

Despite crossing into other mediums, the street artist carries with him the same aesthetic as rugged as his themes.

The same goes with his paintings for his latest exhibition, titled Voices in My Head.

“The show is about thoughts on how to survive this situation, fighting for someone you want to protect, and losing self-trust,” he said.

A piece that lies at the intersection of the thematic Venn Diagram is Maybe Tomorrow But Not Today. In it, Salvador portrays his recurring teal-colored character with its head parted open, and in the space stands a girl knitting a noose.

“The girl shows how tricky our mind is, that sometimes there’s a voice in our head telling us that we’re not enough, that we’re not worthy of anything, but we need to hold on to what we have to live,” the artist said.

The central character in the piece shows signs of fightback. It holds a pair of scissors aimed at the dangling rope on one hand. On the other, it is clutching onto a caterpillar.

Salvador explained that the caterpillar represents our struggles—our directionless crawling—but with it is the promise of metamorphosis, that “someday we might be able to fly and see a brighter day.”

The artist revealed that even his teal character is a symbol of hope in itself. He said its color reflects that of the ocean, where he draws strength from to ride along the waves of life.

According to Sam Galvez-Lorenzo, who owns Village Art Gallery along with her husband Anton, Salvador has a unique approach in using recycled materials for his collage paintings.

Village Art Gallery stands as the pioneer art space at Alabang Town Center. It was established 39 years ago, when Sam’s mother, Agnez Galvez, founded the gallery with the mission to make life richer and more meaningful through art.

Galvez originally established Village Art Gallery at BF Homes to cater to the need for art in the country’s largest residential community. When consumer trends began to shift toward commercial spaces, she then decided to relocate the gallery to its present location at Alabang Town Center.

Through the years, Village Art Gallery has assisted clients to scout for valuable pieces from masters to emerging artists.

Under Sam Galvez-Lorenzo, the gallery has shifted its focus to contemporary art, while continuing the gallery’s avowed purpose of “developing artists who may be full of talent but lack exposure and motivation.” n

British Council, National Museum team up for virtual exhibit Art enthusiasts, students and cultural professionals will have a new way of discovering and experiencing art from their homes.

The British Council and National Museum of the Philippines are pleased to present the virtual exhibition Together Apart: Art World Voices That Connect Us Now, launched recently through the British Council in the Philippines’s web site.

The exhibition highlights thoughts of art leaders in the Philippines, UK and other parts of the world during a global crisis.

Responding through artworks from the British Council Collection, their reactions are deeply personal and serve as a reminder of the transformative power of art. Boots Herrera, Chief Curator of the Ateneo Art Gallery, and Rafael Schacter, Anthropology

Lecturer at the University College London, are just some of the participating leaders.

“We want to bring the experience to the Filipino audience during this time of closed art galleries, physical distancing and digital interaction,” said Pilar Aramayo-Prudencio, Country Director of the British Council in the Philippines. “As a cultural relations organization, we have always believed that culture connects us. As the world moves to a more virtual space, these digital innovations enable us to connect despite current restrictions.”

Co-curated by the National Museum of the Philippines, the presentation allows a global audience to discover select pieces from the National Fine Arts Collection.

The artworks bridge circumstances from the time they were created to today’s

context. They evoke familiar feelings and perspectives presented through the exhibition themes, from anxiety to the need for solidarity.

Notable artworks include those by Lucian Freud, well-known British portraitist, and pioneering female abstract artist Nena Saguil from the Philippines, just to name a few. “As the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic progresses, we learn that museums, through its collections, have important roles to remind us that, especially during hard times, we can always turn to art for social and personal redress,” shares Dr. Ana Labrador, deputy director general for museums, National Museum of the Philippines.

Together Apart: Art World Voices That Connect Us Now started as an online

campaign through Platform, a new avenue for cultural engagement, which ran earlier this year.

Since 1938, the British Council has been collecting works of art, craft and design to promote the achievements of the very best British artists, craft practitioners and designers. This global resource features over 8,500 works and has been referred to as a “Museum Without Walls.”

Meanwhile, housed at the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Fine Arts Collection is protected and promoted by the National Museum of the Philippines.

It represents Philippine art from the 18th century to today. The works are accessible to the public through programs that showcase the achievements and aspirations of the country’s artistic heritage.

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Speak from the heart, say what’s on your mind and do your best to resolve pending problems affecting your personal life. Address family matters, be willing to do your part and offer suggestions that help keep the peace. HHH

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Reach out to someone who needs your help. Be a good listener and a loyal friend, and you will gain respect, trust and admiration from someone who will be beneficial to you when you need help or reassurance. A partnership looks promising. HHHH

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Charm and diplomacy will be necessary to sidestep an emotional scene. Refuse to get into a debate with someone unpredictable. Keep the peace, get your facts straight and avoid letting anyone talk you into something you don’t want to do. HH

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Expand your interests, pick up new skills and keep up with technology. Being able to use what’s available to you will get you ready to move forward with your longterm plans. Be open to suggestions. HHHHH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take care of personal matters. Start a new diet or health routine that will help build strength and encourage you to look and feel your best. Spending time with someone you love will help bring you closer.

HHH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): People and activities that are informative and spark your imagination will draw your attention. Sign up for online conferences and classes to avoid taking unnecessary health risks. HHH

i

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Someone will give you the wrong impression or lead you to believe something that isn’t true. Before you get involved in someone else’s plans, do your research.

Focus on making changes that will improve your financial situation and health. HHHHH

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Make your place inviting, comfortable and convenient for you and your loved ones. The changes will encourage those you live with to do more to pitch in, and help with the chores and responsibilities without fussing or complaining. HHHHH

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take time to rejuvenate and pamper yourself. The break will be the pick-me-up you need to tackle some of the pursuits you have on your to-do list.

Romance should be a priority, and making plans with someone you love is favored. HHHHH

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Be careful how much information you share online or by phone. Keep your personal information a secret, as well as your plans. Listen to what others have to say, and absorb the information thoroughly before you comment or get involved. HH Birthday Baby: You are compassionate, understanding and dedicated.

You are determined and assertive.

‘places, everyone!’ by gary larson The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Hourly pay 5 The Michelle ___ Podcast 10 Low voice 14 Happily-after connector 15 Pie nut 16 Surmounting 17 Where actor Danson appears at the end of Cheers?

19 Up for it 20 Regarded (oneself) highly 21 Sharknado star Tara 23 Levi’s rival 24 Longtime senator Specter 25 Where actress Moreno appears at the end of West Side Story?

27 Word before “even” or “real” 28 Blunder 30 Like some simple questions 31 Biblical utopia 33 Previously 35 Sight or smell 36 Where actress Moore appears at the end of The Fugitive?

39 ___ Hawkins dance

41 Mire 42 Places to rejuvenate 46 Battlefield doctor 47 Kind of hall 49 Insect that digs tunnels 50 Where actor Momoa appears at the end of Aquaman?

54 ___ cuisine 56 Homophone of “wrecks” 57 Duel sword 58 The Crucible playwright Arthur 59 Valuable rocks 61 Borrower’s limit, and a theme hint 63 Pass-rusher’s goal 64 Ship that carries fuel 65 Part of A.D. 66 Anna’s sister in Frozen II 67 Model 3 automaker 68 Favorable votes DOWN 1 You might get a cookie when you visit one 2 Declared positively 3 Kind of fish for Passover 4 Wear down over time

5 Newspaper piece with a view 6 ___ Paese cheese 7 Squash variety 8 Like most male lions 9 1973 Rolling Stones classic 10 Suitcase 11 Puzzled 12 No-name?

13 Small swimsuit brand 18 Surrealist Magritte 22 It may “eat” a sock 25 Implore 26 Proceeds (one’s way) 29 Hourly charge 32 Rock bottom 34 Venus or Mars, poetically 35 Herb in many fall dishes 37 Microfilm unit 38 “Phrase” or “sentence” 39 A few 40 Mad Men figures, informally 43 Mario rescues her in Donkey Kong games 44 Vertical house extension?

45 Sound systems

46 Gloomy 48 Voucher 51 Florida theme park 52 Eagle’s lookout point 53 Old film spools 55 Quiet, as worries 58 Oscar winner Sorvino 60 Music genre influenced by calypso 62 Benicio ___ Toro Solution to Friday’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Alfred Vargas: Altruistic to the core Garrett Bolden

Garrett Bolden, Kyryll receive top recognitions at 33rd Awit Awards THE Clash season 1 alumni Garrett Bolden and Kyryll can only be more inspired to conquer greater heights in the music scene following their wins at the 33rd Awit Awards held via livestream on Saturday, August 29.

After being named as New Male Recording Artist of the Year at the 11th PMPC Star Awards for Music last January, balladeer Garrett is humbled to receive the People’s Choice Awards for Favorite New Male Artist at this year’s Awit Awards.

“I’m really thankful dahil I didn’t expect to receive any award especially during this time. Nakita ko po kung gaano kasigasig ’yung fans ko at nakakatuwang isipin na kahit na nasa gitna tayo ng pandemic, nandiyan pa rin sila para suportahan ako. I always give my best in all my performances para sa kanila because that’s one way of reciprocating their love and support for me,” related Garrett.

Meanwhile, soul singer Kyryll bagged the Best Performance by a New Female Recording Artist for her performance of “Silent Rumblings,” under GMA Music. She expressed her sincerest gratitude to the people behind this significant milestone.

“I was really surprised. Hindi ko po in-expect.

Nakaka-overwhelm po na na-recognize ako ng PARI and my very first single. I’m so grateful to GMA Music, GMA Artist Center at sa lahat po ng sumusuporta sa akin.

I don’t know how to put into words how grateful I am to my fans, especially sa mga taong nandiyan para sumuporta simula pa noong The Clash,” she said.

The Awit Awards is given by the Philippine Association of the Recording Industry to recognize the best in the Philippine music industry.

D

URING these challenging times, actorturned-politician Alfred Vargas admits that his hands are full.

The representative of the 5th District of Quezon City recently launched the “PWeDe” campaign which aims to support persons with disability through livelihood programs, small business start-up provisions (Puhunan Program), educational assistance (Pantawid Graduation), and supplying assistive devices to those with special needs, especially those who are physically challenged.

Vargas recalled that he was still very young when his grandmother was diagnosed with bone cancer which led to the amputation of her leg. “I saw firsthand how difficult the life of a physically challenged person can be, and it hit so close to home.

Back then, when I had the chance to drink from a soda in can, I’d automatically keep the pull-tab tin rings, collect and donate these to institutions that give away wheelchairs for those who cannot afford to buy. So when my dream of becoming a public servant came true, programs and bills that benefit people with disabilities became part of my priorities.”

“We are envisioning PWeDe, which means ‘possible,’ to eventually become a foundation that will cater to more beneficiaries. For now, we start small and plant the seeds that we can nurture and develop into comprehensive programs for people with disabilities,” he shared.

Since he became a congressman in 2010, Vargas has already pushed for at least four of the House bills that have benefited people with disabilities. The official launch of the PWeDe movement also fell on a very special day, the birthday of Vargas’s late mother, Atty. Susan Vargas.

Aside from his government post, family has always been a top priority for Vargas. He has three lovely children with his wife Yasmine: Alexandra Milan, Aryana Cassandra and Alfredo Cristiano.

“They are more than precious,” he enthused, adding, “They are my strength, my inspiration and my core.”

This already half-year pandemic has allowed Vargas to delve deeper into the meaning of human existence. “When the freedom to go outside was put to a halt, and most of our daily routine and work were limited to our own homes, we were given a lot of time to think and observe. We made realizations about what truly matters to us when survival is threatened.”

Vargas knows that good health, mental resilience, psychological soundness, and spiritual strength are all essential during these times. “I started to focus on my health and decided to try intermittent fasting. I eat healthy. I try to set aside worry and fear. I workout regularly knowing that a healthy mind can only coexist with a healthy body. The disciplines involved can be challenging but I just had to push myself to reach

my goals.” To date, Vargas has lost more than 20 kilos of weight, and turned unwanted fats into muscles. He and his family also pray a lot. “We really have to keep the faith alive.”

That same faith kept Vargas going a few months ago when he was bashed because he followed his inner voice and decided to inhibit himself from a controversial process in the Lower House. He stood by his decision, and never retaliated even if the punches were thrown so low at him. He simply followed his heart and he continues to do his job the best way he knows how.

His acting career has also taken a back seat for now. Tagpuan, the comeback film of Vargas directed

by Mac Alejandre from a Ricky Lee script, was supposed to part of the Metro Manila Summer Festival but the entire event was scrapped because of the pandemic. “Everything happens or does not happen for a reason. Resumption of movie screenings can wait because public health is of utmost importance at this time,“ he told us.

His role as a public servant during these trying

times seems like a 24/7 on-call kind of job. “There are so many issues to tackle. There are so many concerns to address. There are so many lives to protect. The general welfare of our constituents and people in general is threatened, and public health is in danger.”

He has also reached out quietly to many of his friends in and out of show business and politics. “We do not know how others are coping. Sometimes the helping hand we offer is the only one that has reached out to them. We should always, always check on our friends and families, especially those who are just within reach.”

Alfredo Vargas III will turn 39 next month and he told us that he continues to learn about life, politics and people, including himself. “The learnings and discoveries go on. I believe that we all have a moral responsibility to be kind, respectful and true to ourselves and to others.”

Effective altruism is an important quality in our leaders. It is essential because it combines both the head and the heart. Alfred Vargas is altruistic to the core. n

Chadwick Boseman honored as hometown hero in native South Carolina ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ on Netflix

FROM the producers of The Haunting of Hill House comes the next installment in the anthology series, The Haunting of Bly Manor, a gothic romance based on the ghost stories of Henry James. The nine-episode season premieres on Netflix on October 9.

From The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan and producer Trevor Macy comes The Haunting of Bly Manor, the next highly anticipated chapter of The Haunting anthology series, set in 1980s England.

After an au pair’s tragic death, Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas) hires a young American nanny (Victoria Pedretti) to care for his orphaned niece and nephew (Amelie Bea Smith, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) who reside at Bly Manor with the estate’s chef Owen (Rahul Kohli), groundskeeper Jamie (Amelia Eve) and housekeeper Mrs. Grose (T’Nia Miller). But all is not as it seems at the manor, and centuries of dark secrets of love and loss are waiting to be unearthed in this chilling gothic romance. At Bly Manor, dead doesn’t mean gone.

Producing partners Flanagan and Macy drew from the iconic supernatural stories of Henry James to create the ensemble drama, which also stars Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel and Tahirah Sharif.

ANDERSON, South Carolina—Chadwick Boseman was remembered as a hometown hero who brought a sense of pride to his native Anderson, South Carolina.

The city paid tribute to Boseman in a public memorial on Thursday evening. The actor, who became widely popular through Black Panther, was honored after he shockingly died last week at the age of 43 following a private four-year battle with colon cancer. A viewing of Black Panther was held at an outdoor amphitheater where people practiced social distancing. Most attendees wore masks, while others—mostly kids—dressed up in Black Panther costumes. Some artwork of Boseman was displayed onstage during the tribute.

“He is the epitome of black excellence,” said Deanna Brown-Thomas, the daughter of legendary singer James Brown and president of her father’s family foundation. She remembered when Boseman visited her family in Augusta, Georgia, before the actor portrayed her father in the 2014 film Get on Up. Boseman was a playwright who acted and directed in theater before playing the Marvel Comics character King T’Challa in Black Panther, which became one of the top-grossing films in history. He also wowed audiences in his portrayal of other Black icons, including Jackie Robinson in 42 and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, and shined in other films, such as Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods.

Brown-Thomas joked about how her family teased

Boseman for being too tall to play her father. But she said Boseman was perfect for the role, admiring his humility as a high-profile actor.

“He wasn’t Hollywood, and that’s what I loved about him,” she said. Anderson mayor Terence Roberts said people around town always knew Boseman would be special. “You know, he was always

reading and always trying to get better,” Roberts said.

“So from a work ethic point of view, it just doesn’t happen overnight. He showed us that we’ve got to hone our skills and just persevere.”

In Anderson, a city of about 28,000 people, “there’s deep sadness and grief, but it has a bounce out of it that is such inspiration,” city spokeswoman Beth Batson said. That’s because Boseman inspired so many people in the community, she said.

“It has been amazing to watch the grief, so to speak, blossom,” she said. “Now young people say ‘what can I do, what can I be.’” Pastor Samuel Neely said Boseman was active in church, speech and debate. The pastor said he baptized Boseman. He also praised Boseman for having high character.

“Even though he plays these different people, I still see the person I knew as a child,” said Neely, who was Boseman’s childhood pastor. “When I see him, it’s almost like seeing my own child. He’s still Chad.”

Thursday’s tribute was not a funeral, and members of Boseman’s immediate family did not plan to be in attendance, Boseman’s publicist, Nicki Fioravante, said in a statement.

“On behalf of the Boseman Family, we appreciate the community’s outpouring of love and admiration for Chadwick,” Fioravante said. AP n The Associated Press Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. contributed to this report from Los Angeles.

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B6 Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Valenzuela City creates 869 short-term jobs to JODAs via cash-for-work program

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O ensure that they will be able to provide their families’ needs amid their still suspended operations and the extended General Community Quarantine (GCQ), a total of 869 jeepney operators and drivers from Valenzuela City were temporarily employed from August 20-29, 2020 through the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWD)’s Cash-for-Work Program.

As stipulated in the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Cash-forWork Project or DSWD Administrative Order 15, the project shall serve as a “short-term intervention to provide temporary employment to distressed/ displaced individuals by participating in or undertaking preparedness, mitigation, relief, rehabilitation or risk reduction projects and activities in their communities or in evacuation centers.”

The program may also be carried out before, during, or after the occurrence of a natural or man-made calamity wherein participants will be compensated in cash for the service they rendered, which, in turn, they can use for the purchase of the basic needs of their respective families.

During the 10-day program facilitated by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), the members of seven (7) Valenzuela City-recognized jeepney operators and drivers associations (JODAs) were deployed to their assigned barangays to do community service.

For a full day’s work, which involves street sweeping and creek and canal declogging, a participant receives Php 500 or a total of Php 5,000 for the entire 10-day work assignment. The three-day payout being conducted at the ALERT Center’s Multi-purpose Building site concludes on September 4, 2020.

Together with some 631 members of an urban poor group and solo parents from the City, the JODA members completed this year’s roster of Cash-for-Work beneficiaries. Among the recipients were the operators and members of the Karuhatan-T. de Leon-Ugong Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (KARTUJODA), M a l i n t a -Va l e n z u e l a - No v a l i c h e s Operators and Drivers Association, Inc.(MAVANODA), Malanday-Polo-

Jeepney operators and drivers were assigned to different barangays for community service through Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWD)'s Cash-for-Work Program. (Clinton Ramos/VC PIO)

Paco Operators and Drivers Association, Inc. (MVBJODA), MeycauayanLawang Bato-Punturin-Bignay Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association, Inc. (MELAPBJODA), Alliance-ValenzuelaMeycauayan Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association, Inc. (AVAMEJODA), Malinta-Caloocan-Novaliches Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association, Inc. (MACANOJODA), and the NovalichesMalinta Jeepney Transport Service Cooperative (NMJTSC).

Back in mid-March, as the entire Metro Manila was placed under ECQ, the lockdown rendered an estimated 70,000 drivers jobless.

It was only on June 22 when modern jeeps or e-jeeps were allowed to return to the streets while additional traditional jeepneys considered as “roadworthy” were permitted to ply their routes on July 3.

Of the 49 approved Metro Manila routes, only the jeepneys traversing the KaruhatanUgong route was granted permission to operate again in Valenzuela City, Last August 26, the BagbaguinMalinta route was added to the 23 routes authorized to resume operations. As only a limited number of traditional jeepneys are allowed to operate within the metro, quite a number of traditional jeepney drivers have already resorted to begging on the streets just so they could put food on their tables.

On June 10, Mayor REX called for a dialogue with the members of the City’s JODAs together with Transportation Office Head Mr. Jay Valenzuela,

Cooperative Development Office (CDO) Head Ms. Josephine Osea, and Committee Member on Public Utilities and Facilities and District 1 Councilor Ghogho DeatoLee, to broach the idea of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

The City Mayor assured the operators and drivers of the City’s help in the registration process once they decide to form transportation cooperatives.

Ms. Osea was tasked to assist the JODAs in their transition to modernization. On June 18, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) held the first online PreRegistration Seminar (PRS). It was followed by a series of Cooperative Education Transport Operation Seminars (CETOS) conducted by the Office of Transportation Cooperative (OTC) on July 10, 13, and 17. Ending the virtual seminar series was another CDA PRS on August 7.

Two (2) new cooperatives, the Malanday Valenzuela Transport Service Cooperative and the Valenzuela Bignay Transport Service Cooperative, attended the seminars as a requirement for the registration process.

Currently, the CDO is in close coordination with these cooperatives as they draft the Articles of Coordination and Bylaws and prepare the documents required by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for the consolidation of the routes of the new franchisees.

Manila Water Foundation, partners install hybrid handwashing facilities in QC public areas

L-R: JCI QC Capitol Member CJ dela Cruz, MWF Executive Director, Reginald Andal, JCI QC Capitol Dean Prado, Mayor Joy Belmonte, MWC Senior Territory Manager Connie Lising, at DOH Health Promotion Officer Andrea Lee-Llacer.

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S the pandemic persists, Manila Water Foundation (MWF), together with its partners P&G Safeguard Philippines, JCI Quezon City Capitol, and the Quezon City Government, formally inaugurated four new handwashing facilities and rehabilitated two (2) existing ones in various strategic public areas in Quezon City on September 4.

The handwashing facility’s unique “hybrid” design allows users to turn on the faucet in two ways, either via a lever that can be used by a hand or an elbow, or by using a foot pedal. There is also a one-meter distance between faucets to observe physical distancing.

The facility is PWD-friendly as well as it has a ramp and a lowered sink, which can also be accessed by small children. Each facility is built with three faucets with readily available soap containers, and signages about COVID-19 precautionary measures, proper handwashing, and water conservation.

The general public frequenting the QC Hall Complex, patients and medical frontliners of the Kamuning and Murphy Super Health Centers, and 64 locally-stranded individuals are immediate beneficiaries of these handwashing facilities because

they can readily wash their hands as they enter or leave the premises. Compared with makeshift handwashing facilities, this "hybrid" infrastructure design is more reliable and sustainable because it has direct access to clean water and connection to a drainage system.

Salvador Patingo, a former construction worker who lost his job due to the pandemic took temporary shelter in the Quezon City Memorial Basketball Court. He shared, “Malaking tulong po ito sa amin—itong pasilidad na ito. Makakainom kami ng malinis na tubig, makakapaghandwash din po. Hindi lang po sa amin, pati po sa ibang tao po na gagamit ng pasilidad na ito (This facility is a huge help for us. We can now drink clean water and wash our hands. This is helpful not only for us but for those who will use this facility as well).”

As the first line of defense against the coronavirus, proper handwashing is essential, but the lack of handwashing stations in Metro Manila can be a challenge, especially for marginalized communities.

Mayor Joy Belmonte stressed the importance of these facilities in relation to meeting the minimum health standards in battling COVID-19. “One of the most

important—if not the most important—is washing of hands—good hygiene. [However,] so many of our communities and our people do not have access to clean water, with which to wash their hands. Kaya naman, labis-labis ang pasasalamat ko, because— handwashing facilities—minsan hirap na hirap ang local government to provide this. (That’s why we are very much grateful because it is very difficult for the local government sometimes to provide these handwashing facilities.) With the help of Manila Water, we are able to provide this for our citizens.”

Belmonte also emphasized the significance of collaboration between the public and private sectors. “By working together—the public and the private sector—we will really conquer the COVID-19 pandemic."

An ongoing partnership for WASH in Pandemic

Aside from providing these hand hygiene structures, MWF also turned over 1,800 packs of hygiene kits and IEC (information, education, and communication) materials for special concern lockdown (SCL) communities to help address the immediate sanitation needs of the residents, as well as additional 200 packs for the beneficiaries in these new handwashing facilities.

The installation of these hybrid handwashing facilities and distribution of hygiene packages are under Manila Water Foundation’s banner program “WASH in Pandemic” which aims to help protect communities from the spread of COVID-19 and provide an enabling environment for proper handwashing.

For more information and ways to help the WASH in Pandemic Program of Manila Water Foundation, visit its website at www. manilawaterfoundation.org.

Top global BPO partners with schools to bolster existing programs, prepare students for work

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ITEL Group, a global leading business process outsourcing (BPO) company, reinforces its commitment to skills training and education by strengthening collaborative partnerships with universities, colleges and technical vocational institutions in the Philippines. Through these partnerships, Sitel provides a variety of informative online classes to students via webinars and Facebook.

"As we continue to adjust to the current situation brought on by the pandemic, it has become vital for our programs to be more targeted and deliberate," shared Fatima Tigas, Senior Manager, Sitel Academy. We quickly transitioned to online learning and through Sitels University and Community Partnership program, engaged our educational partners to help bring these classes to their students.

Sitel Academy is a pioneering BPO skills development program offered for free for near-hires, far-hires, students, out-of-school youth and differently abled individuals. The program has partnered with universities and colleges in Metro Manila and in the various provincial locations where Sitel operates. Partner schools include Polytechnic University of the Philippines, ABE International Business College, Cainta Catholic College, STI, Tarlac State University, Palawan State University, Western Palawan University and MFI Polytechnic Institute, Inc. The modules designed by Sitel are created to bolster existing school programs and prepare students for work after graduation.

Before the pandemic, we had already been working closely with the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) to deploy the Service Management Program to schools in Palawan to help bridge the gap between what students learn in school and the additional skills they will need to

succeed in the workplace, explained Tigas. The quarantine may have put this project on hold, but we have continued to pursue providing modules for these essential skills through online webinars and Facebook live events that are designed to give students proper guidance and expose them to actual work environments giving them the leg up they need to be competitive in the workforce.

Sitel Academy launched its first webinar on Labor Day, in May 2020, and discussed what it was like to work with Sitel and the customer experience industry. This was followed by a webinar called Destination New giving students an overview of the BPO, hospitality, and management industries. The Web is Your Classroom module delving into the online shift of education came next and had over 3,000 active participants. Modules on language skills, effective communication, and proper pronunciation followed.

For the City High School in Palawan, Sitel additionally launched the Salamat sa K-12, Handa na Ako! program for graduating senior high school students interested in the BPO industry. The class had over 80 participants who underwent training for a week. The program experienced a 100% pass rate and students who completed it and wanted to work were lined up for opportunities within the company.

"We're thrilled at the overwhelmingly positive response weve received so far. For Sitel Academy, our goal is not just to teach skills but also to create lifelong learners. The feedback weve received from students who have attended the webinars is that they want to attend more and learn more. Our partner institutions have also expressed their interest in creating even more learning programs together in the future," Tigas said.

TeaM Energy pushes education initiatives amid COVID pandemic

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EAM Energy Foundation (TEFI) is pursuing efforts to help public schools in its host communities prepare for the start of the new school year this coming October, while grappling with the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic.

In coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) and different local government units in Quezon and Pangasinan, TEFI donated various learning and hygiene materials that will help teachers and students adjust to the new normal once classes begin, in support of the DepEd’s Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan.

“We realize the importance of sustaining the learning process for students in a safe and effective manner, while addressing the challenges brought about by this global pandemic,” said Greggy Romualdez, Head of External Affairs, TeaM Energy.

TEFI donated 650 reams of bond paper and more than 200 ink cartridges to DepEd Quezon Division. These materials will be used to print learning modules for the teachers and students in Quezon. Additionally, TEFI also partnered with DepEd Quezon to facilitate the airing of learning programs over Quezon local radio.

Even when face to face classes are suspended this school year, TEFI still managed to participate in this year’s Brigada Eskwela by donating essential learning tools, as well as hygiene and disinfection packages

to schools in Quezon and Pangasinan. More than 300 boxes of surgical masks, 240 gallons of isopropyl alcohol and 60 gallons of bleaching solution were provided to various schools in both provinces through the program.

Aside from its yearly participation in Brigada Eskwela, TEFI has also built a total of 20 fully-furnished classrooms in Quezon and Pangasinan since 2014, in partnership with the DepEd and various local government units.

DepEd plans to push through with the opening of classes this year in the face of the global pandemic. This school year, students and teachers will go through their lessons through three different learning channels: one, online - for students who have access to the internet; two, printed learning modules – these printed modules may be delivered to the students’ homes or picked up by their parents at an agreed place and time; and three, radio and TV broadcast – radio and television networks will be used to air lessons during this school year.

TEFI is the social development arm of TeaM Energy, which operates two coal-fired power plants: the 735 MW Pagbilao Power Station in Quezon Province and the 1,200 MW Sual Power Station in Pangasinan. It also has a 50% stake in the 420 MW Pagbilao Unit 3 Power Project in Quezon, and a 20% stake in the Ilijan natural gas project in Batangas.

Greenhills Mall wins 2020 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award

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REENHILLS Mall has been recognized as a 2020 Travelers’ Choice awardwinner. Based on a full year of Tripadvisor reviews, prior to any changes caused by the pandemic, award winners are known for consistently receiving great traveler feedback, placing them in the top 10% of hospitality businesses around the globe.

“It has been our mission since Greenhills opened its doors in the 70’s to be the ultimate shopping and dining destination for Filipinos as well as travelers from all over the world.

We are beyond honored and grateful for this award given to us despite this pandemic as it inspires us to continuously provide the greatest shopping experience to all our customers,” expressed Arch. Renee C. Bacani, VP of Ortigas Malls.

Greenhills Mall is an ever-growing mall complex in the heart of San Juan City, which boasts 16-hectares of mixed-use shopping, residential, and leisure development to cater to everyone’s needs. From high-end pearls,

well-loved restaurants, fashion finds, to the latest gadgets, Greenhills has everything that earned its place as the ultimate shopping destination in the Philippines. It is also one of the four Ortigas Malls in Metro Manila.

“Winners of the 2020 Travelers’ Choice Awards should be proud of this distinguished recognition,” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor. “Although it’s been a challenging year for travel and hospitality, we want to celebrate our partners' achievements. Award winners are beloved for their exceptional service and quality. Not only are these winners well deserving, they are also a great source of inspiration for travelers as the world begins to venture out again.”

To see traveler/diner reviews and popular stores, restaurants, and services of Greenhills Mall, visit Greenhills’ attraction page on Tripadvisor.

For more information, visit Greenhills’ Facebook and Instagram pages and subscribe to Ortigas Malls’ newsletter.

Sports BusinessMirror

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

BUCKS LIVE ANOTHER DAY

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AKE BUENA VISTA, Florida—Giannis Antetokounmpo was waiting in the locker room for his teammates Sunday, standing on his bad right ankle to greet every one of them.

His day ended early.

His season isn’t over yet.

Khris Middleton scored 36 points, including a big 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds left in overtime, and the Milwaukee Bucks avoided a sweep by beating the Miami Heat, 118-115, in overtime of Game Four of the teams’ Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The Heat still lead 3-1, but the Bucks—the best team in the regular season—are still alive, even after Antetokounmpo left early in the second quarter with an aggravation of his sprained right ankle.

“Khris is very unique,” Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer said.

“He’s got a way about him. He wanted to play. He asked to stay in the game.”

As if there was any other option.

Middleton’s seasonhigh before Sunday was 40 minutes—he logged 48 in Game Four, taking over with Antetokounmpo watching from the locker room.

“Just keep fighting,” said Middleton, who also had eight rebounds and eight assists. “That’s all my teammates did.”

Bam Adebayo had 26 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for Miami.

Duncan Robinson scored 20 points, Jae Crowder had 18 and Goran Dragic and Jimmy Butler each finished with 17 for the Heat.

“We didn’t deserve to win that game,” Butler said.

Miami had an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter, promptly allowed the Bucks to score the next 12, and now needs to come back Tuesday in an effort to finish the series off.

“At the end of the day, we should have played like we did in Game One, Game Two and Game Three,” Adebayo said.

Antetokounmpo scored 19 points for the Bucks in only 11 minutes, while Brook Lopez and Eric Bledsoe each had 14 for Milwaukee. George Hill added 12 for the Bucks.

Miami managed only two points in the first 4:30 of overtime, got within one on a 3-pointer from Tyler Herro, but Middleton delivered the biggest shot of the night to make it 116-112.

Herro made another 3-pointer with 3.0 seconds left, but Middleton sealed it with a pair of free throws—and Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra lauded Milwaukee’s effort afterward.

“The reality is, they deserved to win the game,” Spoelstra said. “They were doing things with more force, more consistency.”

Antetokounmpo had 19 of Milwaukee’s first 30 points, shooting 8-for-10 from the floor. But in an instant, everything changed for the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo aggravated his sprained right ankle with 10:18 left in the second quarter, rolling it inward—just as he did in Game Three on Friday—as he tried to drive past Miami’s Andre Iguodala. He tumbled to the court, grabbing the ankle and screaming in pain.

He took the free throws; without doing that, he would not have been permitted to return.

But at halftime, the Bucks delivered the word that he would not be back.

So, his game was over.

The Bucks’ season wasn’t. Milwaukee said Antetokounmpo would get plenty of treatment Sunday night and Monday before a decision is made about his availability for Tuesday. AP

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO is down on the floor with a sprained ankle. AP

EXPECT AWKWARD SEASON AT BARCA B

ARCELONA, Spain—Lionel Messi and Barcelona forged an extraordinary winning combination for more than a decade until cracks in the foundations of the soccer dynasty grew, leading the Argentine great to doubt his future at the club.

Now that Messi is staying for one more year, after an unseemly dispute with club executives, one clear outcome looks like being an awkward season ahead at Camp Nou. The marriage between player and club appeared perfect. Messi brought one-of-a-kind talent for darting past defenders, along with brilliant passing and scoring goal after spectacular goal. Barcelona provided the coaching minds, world-class teammates, and a playing style perfectly suited to help Messi blossom into arguably the best player the game has ever seen.

But the team’s dominant form dipped as seasons went by and Barcelona’s 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich last month in the Champions League quarterfinals extinguished Messi’s flickering hopes that he could turn things around at his boyhood club. It was the worse

defeat in Messi’s career.

After several days of silence, Messi made public what he called the “painful decision” to inform Barcelona that the time had come to leave the club, his home since he was 13.

Tellingly, after six Ballon d’Or trophies, a club record 634 goals, and 34 titles, Messi felt his best chances for success lie elsewhere.

Barcelona demanded that he finish the contract that runs until June 2021. It claimed that the clause invoked by Messi to leave had expired on June 10 and said that he had to pay a buyout clause of €700 million (around $830 million) if he wanted to depart now. It was a fee too high even for Messi, now 33 and fighting off the twilight of his golden career.

Messi argued that his contract allowed him to opt-out after the extended season but relented on Friday when he said that he would stay since “I could never imagine taking Barca to court since it is the club I love.”

Now many fans hope new Barcelona Coach Ronald Koeman can convince Messi to stay beyond this season.

In an interview with Goal.com on Friday— his only public comment since the Bayern defeat—Messi gave no clear indication about his future.

Barcelona President Josep Bartomeu has said that he wants Messi to sign a new contract.

But the club is to hold elections in March to replace Bartomeu and it’s unclear if Bartomeu’s “lame duck” season helps or hurts the club’s chances of retaining Messi.

Messi has publicly said he feels betrayed by Bartomeu, who according to Messi had promised

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 B7

LEBRON JAMES says the Lakers have adjusted from their Game One loss. AP

him that he could leave for free this summer.

PEP TALK

SPECULATION in the Spanish media sees Lionel Messi eventually heading to Manchester City to reconnect with Pep Guardiola, the coach who allowed him to fully flourish.

With Guardiola coaching Barcelona in 2008, Messi’s true potential was unlocked. Guardiola shifted Messi to the heart of the team’s attack, where he could improvise with midfielders Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.

Mesmerizing play, big wins, and trophies followed.

Then came the Luis Enrique era, when in 2015 Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez led Barcelona to repeat a sweep of the Champions League, Spanish league and Copa del Rey first achieved under Guardiola.

Messi’s failures to reach the equivalent heights with Argentina only reinforced the belief that he had no better club to call home than Barcelona.

But the exit of Neymar, Messi’s friend and heir apparent, for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 precipitated the team’s decline.

The squad aged and the club’s expensive signings of Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann to replace Neymar, Xavi and Iniesta did not pan out.

“I always said I wanted to end my career here,” Messi said Friday. “But I also said that I wanted a winning project. And the truth is that there has been no project or anything like one for a long time. They [the club] scramble to patch up holes as time goes by.” AP

MANY fans are hoping Barcelona, with a new coach, could convince Lionel Messi to stay beyond this season. AP

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AKE BUENA VISTA, Florida—Boston and the Los Angeles Clippers struck first.

Toronto and Denver came back with strong rebuttals.

So, with that, the leads in a pair of knotted-up conference semifinal series will be a reward to the winners on Monday night.

Boston and Toronto will play Game Five of their Eastern Conference series to open the doubleheader, followed by Game Three of the Western Conference matchup between the Clippers and Nuggets.

The Raptors lost Games One and Two to the Celtics before winning Games Three and Four.

The Nuggets were blown out in Game One, then never trailed in Game Two against the Clippers.

Celtics-Raptors, Nuggets-Clippers all tied up “We’re playing a little better, it feels like,” Raptors Coach Nick Nurse said. “I think really, as a team and certainly individuals are starting to come back to who we know they are, who they can be.”

The Raptors needed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from OG Anunoby to win Game Three and avoid a 3-0 series deficit, then grinded out a win in Game Four. But Celtics Coach Brad Stevens isn’t worried about his team’s capability to bounce back after consecutive losses.

“We’ve got a lot of competitive, tough guys in there,” Stevens said. “We’ll play better.”

The Clippers have that same sort of unshaken resolve. They fell in Game Two on an off night from Kawhi Leonard, who was held to an uncharacteristically low 13 points on fourfor-17 shooting. It’s reasonable to think he’ll be a lot better in Game Three.

“We will be ready for Game Three,” Clippers forward Paul George said. “There’s no pep talks for it. It’s the playoffs. We have to be ready and we have to be a lot stronger, and we’ll be up for

the fight and challenge in Game Three.”

Denver Coach Michael Malone said he was pleased with the way his team was tougher in Game Two but noted more changes must come before Game Three.

“Obviously, one area we have to clean up is the offensive rebounds,” Malone said. “We played great defense, but they were able to grab 19 rebounds for 27 points. So if we can defend at the same level and clean up the glass, then we have a chance to really make some headway in this series.” AP

JOHNSON BUILDS 5-SHOT LEAD AT EAST LAKE A TLANTA—Dustin Johnson watched his opening drive sail long and fall gently to the right, just like he imagined. So did the next drive. It was like that all day at East Lake, and the outcome was predictable.

Johnson is playing the best golf and looks tougher than ever to beat.

When he finished with a 10-foot birdie, Johnson matched the low round Sunday with a six-under 64 to build a five-shot lead over Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele in the Tour Championship, leaving him one round away from the FedEx Cup and its $15 million prize.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in everything I’m doing right now,” Johnson said.

A quick fix on the range the previous evening was all he needed to get straightened out. Johnson missed only three fairways, and not by much. He putted for birdie on all but

three holes and made seven of them.

“He’s showcased what he can do,” Schauffele said. “If he does what he normally does, it’s going to be almost impossible to catch him.”

Normal these days for Johnson must be daunting for everyone else.

He was at 19-under par, making this his four consecutive start with at least a share of the 54-hole lead. He converted one of those into an 11-shot victory at the TPC Boston. He lost to a 65

by Collin Morikawa in the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Championship and to a 65foot putt by Jon Rahm in a playoff last week at Olympia Fields.

“We’re going to need Dustin to throw us a bone and not have a good day,” said Rahm, who was six shots back.

Johnson knows better than anyone that

it’s not over. He had a six-shot lead in Shanghai three years ago and failed to win, though he had a new set of irons and was coming off a fiveweek break. He also had a five-shot lead at The Northern Trust two weeks ago and obliterated the course and the field to win by 11.

“If he hits the ball like everybody knows he can and the way he’s putting...I haven’t seen him putt that well in a long time,” Harris English said. “It’s hard to stop.”

Only four players have a reasonable chance of catching him.

Schauffele, a big-game player who won the Tour Championship three years ago, dropped only one shot on the front nine and finished with a 10-foot birdie putt for a 67 that put him in the final group with Johnson.

Thomas missed a 16-inch par putt on the 10th hole that he carelessly went to tap in, bounced back with a 25-foot birdie putt on the toughest par 3 at East Lake and made two more birdies coming for a 66.

They were at 14 under.

“DJ is clearly playing well. It wasn’t easy today,” Thomas said. “It’s still East Lake. But anything can happen around this course. You can shoot 63 or 64 and you can shoot 73 or 74 very easily. I just need to hope that tomorrow is my 63 or 64.”

Rahm has had a wild week. He opened with a 65, followed with a 74 and bounced back with a 66. He played bogey-free and his round only felt better when he finished with two birdies.

“The one good thing I have going for me is we’re here to win, so tomorrow is a green light for everything,” Rahm said.

Morikawa rallied with five birdies on the back nine to salvage a rough start for a 67. He was seven behind.

Daniel Berger also had a 64, but he made up no ground on Johnson was remained nine behind. Also at 10-under was Sungjae Im, who played in the final group with Johnson and must have wondered what hit him. Im shot 72.

The FedEx Cup has been on Johnson’s mind

ever since he squandered a great chance to win it in 2016.

He went into the final round that year tied for the lead and then couldn’t find a fairway, closing with a 73. He still had a chance to win the FedEx Cup when it was based on points. Only one player could have beaten him that day and it was Rory McIlroy, who holed a shot from the fairway on the 16th for eagle and then won in a three-way playoff.

Johnson moves on from wins and losses, no matter how high or how crushing. Even so, he thinks about that day, mainly because the FedEx Cup is filled with big names and his isn’t among them yet.

“To be the FedEx Cup champion is something that I want to do. It’s something that I want on my resume when I quit playing golf,” he said. “Yeah, it means a lot to me. So yes, I do want to win this tournament.... I had a chance to win it a few years ago. I couldn’t control winning by my golf.

Tomorrow, I do.” AP DUSTIN JOHNSON gains his confidence back. AP

James, Davis help Lakers stay strong vs Rockets

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AKE BUENA VISTA, Florida—The Los Angeles Lakers were on a wild ride at Disney.

A huge lead in the first half had turned into a two-point deficit after three quarters. If they didn’t turn things around, the No. 1 seeds would be down 2-0, though Anthony Davis said they weren’t thinking about that.

“Our mindset was, ‘How do we win this game?’” he said.

Having LeBron James take over usually does the trick.

James had 28 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, Davis added 34 points and 10 rebounds and the Lakers evened the Western Conference semifinals by beating the Houston Rockets, 117109, on Sunday night.

Markieff Morris scored 16 points for the Lakers. They opened a 21-point lead in the first half, gave up 41 points in the third quarter to fall behind, and then regrouped behind some high-flying plays by James to pull away again.

“We’re at our best when he’s in attack mode,” Lakers Coach Frank Vogel said.

James took only 15 shots in Game One and was scoreless in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 112-97 loss, saying afterward that the Lakers needed to experience a game to understand how fast the small-ball Rockets play.

“I think we adjusted from Game One to Game Two,” James said.

And when the Rockets adjusted from the first half to the second, James was dominant on both ends in the final period. He had eight points in the quarter and a powerful blocked shot on Russell Westbrook that flew far out of bounds.

James Harden scored 27 points and Eric Gordon made six 3-pointers and added 24 for the Rockets, who made 22 3-pointers. PJ Tucker had 18 points and Robert Covington 17, but Westbrook finished only 4 for 15 while scoring 10 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

“They just came out and played harder than us, I feel like,” Harden said. “In the second half, we woke up and took the lead. We’ve just got to have that intensity at the beginning of the game and we’ll be all right.”

Game Three is Tuesday night.

The Lakers also dropped their opener against Portland in the first round but won Game Two comfortably on their way to four straight victories.

This one appeared it would be easy, then appeared it might not come at all.

But James had a dunk to open the fourth and tie the game and another dunk on a lob during an 8-0 run that gave them the lead for good. They put it away later in the period with a 9-0 burst, featuring two baskets from Davis, to make it 113-101.

Morris sparked a big finish to the first quarter. He had a 3-pointer with 1:11 left, then connected again at 52 seconds and a third time with 31 seconds left, pushing the lead to 33-17. Rajon Rondo made one more at the buzzer to give the Lakers a 36-20 cushion.

“Middle of the first all the way to end of the first, they just hit us in the mouth,” Houston Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We didn’t play with enough intensity to match their fire.

We adjusted in the second half in the sense that we played harder.”

James scored six quick points in the second to make it 42-21. Houston had a good stretch to cut it to nine with just under five minutes remaining in the half, but the Lakers quickly ran off 10 straight to push the lead back to 61-42, and it was 67-51 at the break. AP

Sports BusinessMirror

B8 Tuesday, September 8, 2020

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

DJOKO’S STREAK ENDS MISERABLY

By Howard Fendrich The Associated Press

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EW YORK—Novak Djokovic was kicked out of the US Open for accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a tennis ball after dropping a game in his fourth-round match Sunday, a stunning end to his 29-match winning streak and bid for an 18th Grand Slam title.

As he walked to the Arthur Ashe Stadium sideline for a changeover, trailing Pablo Carreño Busta 6-5 in the first set, Djokovic—who was seeded and ranked No. 1 and an overwhelming favorite for the championship—angrily smacked a ball behind him. The ball flew right at the line judge, who dropped to her knees at the back of the court and reached for her neck.

During a discussion of about 10 minutes near the net involving tournament referee Soeren Friemel, Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli and chair umpire Aurelie Tourte, Djokovic pleaded his case.

“His point was that he didn’t hit the line umpire intentionally. He said, ‘Yes, I was angry.

I hit the ball. I hit the line umpire. The facts are very clear. But it wasn’t my intent. I didn’t do it on purpose.’ So he said he shouldn’t be defaulted for it,” said Friemel, who made the decision to end the match. “And we all agree that he didn’t do it on purpose, but the facts are still that he hit the line umpire and the line umpire was clearly hurt.”

Friemel didn’t see what happened, and said he was not allowed to check a video replay, but was given a rundown by Egli and Tourte. Friemel said that even if Djokovic didn’t intend to hurt the line judge, she was hurt, and that was

enough to merit the ruling.

Eventually, Djokovic walked over to shake hands with Carreño Busta. Tourte then announced that Djokovic was defaulted, the tennis equivalent of an ejection.

“I was a little bit in shock, no?” Carreño Busta said later at a news conference done via videoconference because of social distancing rules at the US Open, the first Grand Slam tournament staged amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Djokovic quickly left the tournament grounds without speaking to reporters, posting an apology on social media hours later.

“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. I‘m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong,” Djokovic wrote.

“As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being,” he wrote. “I apologize to the @usopen tournament and everyone associated for my behavior.”

Asked whether he thought Djokovic should have been allowed to continue to play, Carreño Busta shrugged and replied: “Well, the rules are the rules.... The referee and the supervisor [did] the right thing, but it’s not easy to do it.”

Indeed, the US Tennis Association issued a statement saying that Friemel defaulted Djokovic “in accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook, following his actions of intentionally hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent

disregard of the consequences.”

The USTA went on to say Djokovic forfeits the ranking points and $250,000 in prize money he earned in the tournament—“in addition to any or all fines levied with respect to the offending incident.”

“Novak was angry. He hit the ball recklessly, angrily back. And taking everything into consideration, there was no discretion involved,” Friemel said. “Defaulting a player at a Grand Slam is a very important, very tough decision.

And for that reason, it doesn’t matter if it’s on Ashe, if it’s No. 1, or any other player on any other court, you need to get it right.”

This was the latest example of Djokovic finding himself at the center of the tennis world for a reason other than his best-in-the-game returns, can’t-miss groundstrokes and bodycontorting defensive prowess.

Djokovic tested positive for the coronavirus—as did his wife, one of his coaches and other players—after participating in a series of exhibition matches with zero social distancing he organized in Serbia and Croatia in June.

Then, on the eve of the US Open, he helped establish a new association he says will represent men’s tennis players.

And, of course, there’s been his dominance on the court.

Djokovic began the day 26-0 this season and with an unbeaten run that extended to his last three matches of 2019. He had won five of the past seven Grand Slam tournaments to raise his total to 17, closing in on rivals Roger Federer, who has a men’s-record 20, and Rafael Nadal, who has 19.

Women’s hoops in PSA Forum

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YCLING and an emerging women’s professional basketball league share the spotlight in Tuesday’s online edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.

PruLife UK Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga will talk about the canceled PRURide PH because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) Executive Vice President Rhose Montreal, meanwhile, will take about the country’s first-ever professional league for women. She will be joined by WNBL ambassadress Bea Daez-Fabros and NBL Chairman Celso “Soy” Mercado in the Forum.

The 10 a.m. public sports program is presented by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, Milo, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and is powered by Smart, with Upstream Media as webcast partner.

The Forum is aired live via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/ PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and also shared by Radyo Pilipinas 2 Facebook page.

Abando puts on Knights’ armor

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NOVAK DJOKOVIC checks on the female linesman after hitting her with a ball in reaction to losing a point. AP

JAO GROUP KEEPS LID ON U.S.T. PROBE de vera III

mitra

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HE Joint Administrative Order (JAO) group on Monday neither confirmed nor denied that University of Santo Tomas (UST), the Growling Tigers and resigned Head Coach Aldin Ayo violated health protocols by conducting a training bubble in Sorsogon City for three months starting in June.

Instead, the JAO group left all decisions to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the issue that left a UST men’s basketball team in tatters with the resignation of its coaches and almost half of the players and a school that faces potential charges for breach of protocols.

“It’s too early to conclude because we have just finished the fact-finding stage. It’s

now up to the DOJ to dig deeper,” Prospero de Vera III, chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, told a cast-heavy online press conferences that included top officials of the Philippine Sports Commission, CHED, Department of Health and Games and Amusements Board (GAB).

Not even GAB Chairman Abraham Mitra opted to divulge the contents of UST’s own fact-finding body as well as the JAO group’s report that were submitted also on Monday to the IATF and DOJ. All indications—from Ayo’s resignation and those of the players—and former Tigers’ skipper CJ Cansino being dropped from the team because of defiance to his coach—however, show probable violations of health and safety protocols.

Asked if local government units from Manila on the way to Sorsogon City could be liable, de Vera said “the DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government and the DOH have the proper jurisdiction.”

Travel restrictions remain in place amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the government

specifically bars individuals younger than 21 and older than 60 to leave their homes.

In the Tigers’ case, most players are 20 or under and questions arose how Ayo was able to provide passage to the team which had to traverse five provinces through two two regions all of which have very strict protocols.

“We must see if there are also violations on local government ordinances in the areas where they allegedly held the bubble. That’s where the DILG comes in,” de Vera said.

De Vera, meanwhile, said college athletes should wait some more before they could actually return to training.

He said the CHED created a technical working group that will formulate guidelines for the resumption of workout sessions for student-athletes.

“We will be crafting the guidelines. It may take two to three weeks,” de Vera said in the same press conference.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Monday that college athletes

Roglic wrests Tour lead after epic mountain trek

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ARUNS, France—Primoz Roglic finally seized the race leader’s yellow jersey after another hectic day of Tour de France racing in the mountains as debutant Marc Hirschi of Switzerland delivered an impressive 90-kilometer solo effort across four Pyrenean climbs.

Roglic, the Slovenian favorite this year alongside defending champion Egan Bernal, displayed his strong climbing credentials in

the final ascent Sunday to dethrone overnight leader Adam Yates.

Jumbo-Visma leader Roglic has been flawless so far and able to respond to every attack with ease over the first weekend in high mountains. It’s a performance that earned him the first yellow jersey of his career after nine days of racing.

“Everyone is dreaming about wearing it,

I’m super happy,” said Spanish Vuelta champion Roglic, a former ski jumper. “But the mission is to try to win the race in Paris, we need to maintain our focus. It’s just the beginning.”

Hirschi, a former under-23 road race world champion, got away from the peloton in the first major ascent of the 153-kilometer trek then resisted the favorites’ chase until he was caught with only 2 kilometers left. He launched a sprint

would be allowed to conduct training sessions in areas under the general community quarantine

and modified general community quarantine provided CHED completes the protocols.

“We will start with small groups, small number of participants,” de Vera said. “There are different sports within a league, so we will look into the specific concerns per sport disciplines.”

De Vera said the CHED is looking at easing the 20-year-old rule for student athletes.

“We will give exemptions,” he said said.

The CHED is working with the PSC and GAB in formulating the returnto-training policies for student athletes, while seeking assistance from professional leagues, including the Philippine Basketball Association, Chooks-to-Go 3x3 Pilipinas and Philippine Football League.

Ramon Rafael Bonilla

to the finish line but was not fast enough as Tadej Pogacar prevailed to win Stage 9 ahead of fellow Slovenian Roglic. Hirschi finished third in the town of Laruns.

“It’s really crazy, after that hard day to win the stage,” said Pogacar, who put his hands on his helmet after winning his first Tour stage at just 21. “Actually I wanted to gain as much time as I could in the general classification, but in the last 100 meters I thought of the 10 seconds awarded to the winner. I focused on the sprint, I just went full gas.”

A Tour debutant, Pogacar is lagging 44 seconds behind Roglic in seventh place.

Ahead of Monday’s first rest day, Roglic leads Bernal by 21 seconds thanks to the bonus time he amassed at the top of the mountain and on the finish line. Frenchman Guillaume Martin is third, 28 seconds off the pace. Bernal finished the stage in the same time as Pogacar. AP

WILLIAMS RETIRES Former Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Kelly

Williams announces on Instagram on Monday his decision to retire at 38 years old. He was the overall No.1 pick by Sta. Lucia in 2006 and immediately made an impact to win Rookie of the Year honors. He also helped the Realtors rule the All-Filipino in his sophomore year. He was traded to TNT in 2010 and won five championships. He also donned the national colors several times.

Primoz Roglic climbs the Marie Blanque pass during the ninth stage on Sunday. AP

ORMER University of Santo Tomas (UST) star Rhenz Abando brings his act to Letran after leaving the Growling Tigers’ lair amid the Sorsogon City bubble.

Abando is the third former Tiger who will don the Knights’ armor after Brent Paraiso and Ira Bataller.

After resigned UST Head Coach Aldin Ayo dropped former captain ball CJ Cansino for defiance, the Tigers are now a tattered team with the school facing possible sanctions from various fronts because of that unauthorize bubble.

The La Union native averaged 11.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for UST last season in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Abando was at the forefront of the Tigers’ Season 82 run, but were swept in the Finals by the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Paraiso had norms of 7.2 points and 4 rebounds in a UST uniform last year. Bataller, on the other hand, could give the Knights strength in the shade with his 6-foot-4 frame.

The former Tigers are bound to get into their comfort zone at Letran, which, like UST, is a Dominican institution. The players, however, need to complete a season residency.

Ramon Rafael Bonilla

HEAVY RAINS FOIL E.J.’S BID

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HEAVY downpour foiled pole vaulter EJ Obiena from recording potential explosive numbers after it prompted organizers to cancel the Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, Austria, on Sunday.

According to Dr. Philip Ella Juico, president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, heavy rains flooded the competition venue.

“It was not only heavy rain which, if it occurred back home [Manila], it would’ve caused some street flooding,” Obiena told Juico. “It was really a thunderstorm.”

Obiena was accompanied in Innsbruck by his Ukrainian Vitaly Petrov, head coach of the World Athletics elite training camp in Formia, Italy, where Obiena and Brazilian Rio Olympic champion Thiago Braz, are based.

The Tokyo Olympics-bound Obiena is eyeing four to five more competitions this month, one of them the Rome leg of the Diamond League on September 17.

Obiena clinched the bronze medal in the Diamond League’s Monaco leg with 5.70 meters. Swiss-American Armand Duplantis won the gold at 6.0m.

Juico, meanwhile, said he is in discussion with Adam Guermali, father and coach of Said, 23, and Yacine, 21, for the two athletes’ possible inclusion in the national athletics team. Both were injured and were dropped from the roster for last year’s 30th Southeast Asian Games.

The Guermalis dominated the 800, 1,500, 5,000 and crosscountry events during their stint at Gonzaga University.