BusinessWeek Mindanao (November 4, 2020)

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Volume XI, No. 65

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Briefly

EU-PH trade meet

IN-DEPTH

Wednesday|November 4, 2020

D

ECONOMIC COOPERATION and trade meetings between the Philippines and the European Union (EU) are set to continue before year’s end, the EU delegation said.

“We are happy to announce that these subcommittees will take place before the end of the year, obviously in virtual, remote (setting),” First Counsellor of the EU Delegation to the Philippines Rafael de Bustamante said.

Under the EU-Philippines Partnership Cooperation Agreement, the two sides created three subcommittees: development cooperation, trade, investment and economic cooperation, and good governance, rule of law and human rights.

Agri ventures DAVAO City — The Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) said it signed partnerships with six companies for various agriculture ventures that will showcase the economic potential of the autonomous region.

Former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camps, which are undergoing transformation as part of the peace agreement with the government, are among the sites that will be developed as model farms and learning centers.

“This is our share in the peace building efforts being led by the government,” Antonio S. Peralta, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP)-Southern Mindanao Business Council in an online interview.

P15.00

Stable power supply crucial for Mindanao www.businessweekmindanao.com

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By PREXX MARNIE KATE TROZO, PNA

AVAO City - A business leader here said having stable power supply remains crucial in Davao Region as well as Mindanao's industrial, manufacturing, and tourism sectors.

PAINTINGS FOR SALE. A local painter displays his works at P2,500 each at a park in Roxas Boulevard in Manila to augment his family's income as the pandemic continues to wreck havoc worldwide. photo by gerry lee gorit

Business and tourism leader Joji Ilagan-Bian lamented in an interview Monday that the sporadic power supply in several areas in Mindanao has been a perennial problem to various industries.

“For an economy to continue to develop and grow, it’s essential to have a very stable power supply. This fuels our economy, particularly the industrial and manufacturing sectors. A country's GDP (gross domestic product) is also affected by the stability of

its power supply,” said Bian, a former chairperson of the Mindanao Business Council.

Bian said frequent brownouts and low service connections, generation and transmission problems, and high cost of power have all been "direly affecting the investments and economic prosperity of the affected areas".

“It’s a more complex problem that has b een h au nt i ng t h e bu s i n e s s community, (and it) would CRUCIAL/PAGE 7

Govt seeks more pork shipments from VisMin AMID the rising prices of pork products in the country's caputal, Metro Manila, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has secured a partnership with the hog raisers in

VIsayas and Mindanao in a bid to increase the shipments of supply and eventually curb the market demand.

In a virtual meeting with hog PORK/PAGE 7

ERC extends no-disconnection policy for poorer power users THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said Thursday that it ordered all power distributors to delay any disconnections of poor consumers until the end of the year.

“Distribution utilities are directed not to implement any disconnection on account of non-payment of bills until Dec. 31, 2020 for consumers POLICY/PAGE 7

MEDIA SAFETY - Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, the spokesperson of the Bangsamoro region, assures members of the media of their safety while working in the region in a forum in Cotabato City on Monday, International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. mindanews photo by ferdinandh cabrera

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2

Iligan opens Covid-19 'command center'

ILIGAN City – Iligan City's local government launched Thursday its "One Hospital Command Center (OHCC)" that will act as an information and response hub for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.

Dr. Belinda Lim, health cluster manager of the Iligan Emergency Operation Center, said during Thursday's virtual presser, the OHCC was established to better manage data and information related to Covid-19 cases from both the government and private hospitals in the city.

Lim said the OHCC can be reached at hotline numbers 0966 760 1888 and 0995 479 1880.

Meanwhile, Iligan City Councilor Macky Macapagal, chairperson of the City Council's Committee of Health and Sanitation, said the city is pushing with the establishment of a Covid-19 testing laboratory.

Macapagal said contractor Endec Inc. has been tasked with the delivery, installation, commissioning and training of laboratory staff.

The company will also supply the machine, generators, biosafety cabinets, and computers

for the PHP19-million testing laboratory.

"Parallel to that, we are also processing the license and accreditation [of the laboratory]”, he said, adding that 23 more beds have been added to the cityrun Gregorio T. Lluch Memorial Hospital to cater more Covid-19 patients.

Macapagal said the Covid-19 testing laboratory is expected to be operational by December. (PNA)

Local

WEDNESDAY|NOVEMBER 4, 2020

GenSan trike drivers turn into micro-entrepreneurs GENERAL SantosCIty – At least 100 tricycle drivers here have become microentrepreneurs through an innovative livelihood program initiated by the city government in partnership with telecommunications giant Globe Telecom.

Leonard Flores, head of the City Economic Management and Cooperative Development Office (CEMCDO), said Friday the tricycle drivers are now doubling as Globe retailers while operating their assigned routes in the city.

The Teaching of Values RASHMIAH P. PENDATUN Teacher I at Manubiray Elementary School Kalilangan, Bukidnon

Values can be taught and learned. People are not born as values-aware. Different forms and evaluation of values in different societies show that they are learned later in life (Aydin, 2010).

The purpose of Values Education was to raise individuals who had good character to ensure social and psychological wellbeing of individuals in every aspect. It has been reported that one of the objectives of values education in schools is to develop a healthy, consistent and balanced personality in students(Aydin, 2010).

Te a c h e r s h a v e a n imp or t ant role in t he

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process of adding values to their students due to their position . Values education could be provided at schools by using active learning methods, modeling and cooperating with families. A study by Guven (2015) concluded that a family understanding that contradicts with the values education given at school would confuse students and eventually the education pro cess would not succeed. For this reason, school-family associations should act as bridges between schools and families and organize ac tive and pro duc tive activities.

He said the initiative, dubbed “Fun Sakay sa GenSan: Proyektong Pangkabuhayan para sa mga Tricycle Drivers,” is among the city’s socio-economic interventions amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis. “(The program) aims to provide an alternative source of income to tricycle drivers affected by the (Covid-19) pandemic,” he said in a statement.

Flores said the beneficiaries are composed of transport franchise holders

and members of Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associations.

They were identified and endorsed by barangay officials, in close coordination with the CEMCDO, he said.

The official said qualified tricycle drivers mainly received a cellphone unit with initial capitalization on their retailer subscriber identification module or SIM cards provided by Globe.

Aside from loading service, he said the drivers can also sell Globe and Touch Mobile SIM cards to their

passengers and other persons wherever they go.

He said promotional pyramids that remind on the observance of the minimum health standards were also installed on top of the tricycles of the recipients.

The packages were released by Globe early this week and immediately distributed to the beneficiaries, he said.

Flores said the local government provided the tricycle drivers with food packs as additional assistance.

(PNA)

The emergence of technologies in blended learning

By AIZA P. LIM, Teacher I Labo Central School Division of Ozamiz City

One day, we will go back to our pre-coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) lives, but it will take a while even after the discovery of a vaccine. As we try to bring back “normalcy” in our society, we sense that our way of living, working and learning will never be the same.

This forced schools to shift their courses to online learning and that has been ver y problematic. With this new reality, educators all over the world have an opportunity to re-think about how education is to be delivered to succeed.

Online learning is described as an emerging approach where students access education anytime and any w here using a range of technology tools either asynchronously or synchronously.

Many schools resort to emergency remote t e a c h i n g by l e c tu r i n g online via Zoom or MS Teams. This is essentially not online learning since students cannot learn at their own pace. Our school curriculum is simply not designed for online delivery and bring it online using web-conferencing platforms

will not work over the long term.

Understanding technology integration is important because schools tend to select technologies t hat are inappropr iate or unfitted. Technology integration is the wellcoordinated use of digital tools for problem-solving, deeper learning and understanding. It facilitates access to curriculum but is not the curriculum itself.

E du c ators must g u i d e learners in using technology as a tool for accessing and understanding educational content.

How teachers and students adjust to the new normal

By BERNADETH O. CERVANTES, Teacher I Labo Central School Division of Ozamiz City

In less than two months, the coronavirus crisis will turn a year old. It continues to ravage the entire world.

The education sector is one of the sectors most affected by the crisis because of the lockdowns it caused. As a result, the online learning platform began to operate as the best way to pursue one’s education.

We surely have missed sending them fluffy little gifts or bursts of colors or even words of love and

thanks. This time, yes.

Because for the past years, this day’s always a roll of highlight.

Wi t h t h e o n g o i n g pandemic, here we are – stuck in our homes waiting for learning modules and the official signal for go’s.

Well, classes begin today.

And we have anticipated this fresh setup.

Maybe we know we can’t hug them today, sadly, but we can always look back at their experiences and

learn from their struggles even before the pandemic started.

Our teachers need us as much as we need them. Let’s make them feel that they are not alone in this fight. In this journey. We understand their discomforts. They also understand our struggles.

Maybe our demand for a better system – if we collectively raise our voices – would give them, give us, the dive in the space we truly deserve.

CAGAYAN DE ORO MAIN BRANCH P & J Lim Bldg., Tiano Brothers Kalambagohan Sts., Tel. # (08822) 727-829 * Telefax # (088) 856-1947 CAMIGUIN BRANCH B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Tel. # (088) 387-0491 CORRALES BRANCH Corrales Ave., Cagayan de Oro City DIVISORIA BRANCH Atty. Erasmo B. Damasing Bldg., #61 Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 857-3631 LAPASAN BRANCH Lapasan Hi-way, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-6739 CARMEN BRANCH Vamenta Blvd., Cagayan de Oro City Tel. # (088) 231-2011

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WEDNESDAY|NOVEMBER 4, 2020

3

CorporateWorld

Del Monte PH earns P900M in first quarter DEL Monte Philippines, Inc. maintained a yearon-year P900-million net profit in the three months to July on the back of “strong” domestic sales in the period.

The listed food and beverage firm on Friday said it booked P1.4 billion in operating income in the quarter, rising by 27% “with higher sales and improved sales mix in the Philippines, lower costs, better margins, and controlled operating expenses.”

It posted P7.4 billion in overall sales, mainly attributed to the 18% year-on-year growth of

its Philippine sales to P4.5 billion. “The higher revenue demonstrates Del Monte’s brand strength and solid fundamentals amidst the pandemic,” the company said.

The sales improvement was shown in its culinary, beverages, and fruit businesses, especially during the pandemic when consumers stayed at home and prepared homecooked meals.

Sales from its retail channels grew by 32%, offsetting the decline in foodservice sales after shifting to e-commerce and community delivery services. The move was

done to partially recoup from the impact of restaurant closures during the lockdown period.

The domestic sales growth cushioned the impact of “lower’ international sales – coming from S&W brands

operating across Asia and the Middle East – which stood at P2.4 billion.

“Sales were down in the first quarter as higher sales of shelf-stable packaged products were offset by lower sales of fresh pineapples in China,”

the company noted. Fresh pineapple sales were also impacted.

With the slow decline in international fresh fruit sales in July, “the company expects its fresh business to expand in the remainder of the year and

improve its margins with cost management and operational efficiencies,” it said.

Likewise, its international business, in general, showed “encouraging signs” of recovery, Del Monte said.

Puregold profit plummets as sales ease amid pandemic PUREGOLD Price Club, Inc. posted 4% lower earnings in the third quarter as its sales started slowing down when the lockdown rules in key cities were eased.

In a regulatory filing on Wednesday, the listed

grocery operator said its net income for the July-toSeptember period stood at P1.65 billion, down from P1.73 billion a year ago.

Its net sales were likewise flattish, inching up 1.09% to P39.17 billion, while cost of sales were

Are children overdependent on technology?

slightly higher, climbing 1.35% to P32.71 billion.

On a nine-month basis, Puregold’s net income rose 11% to P5.05 billion, attributable to the 20% earnings growth it recorded during the first six months of the year.

Its year-to-date net sales grew 10% to P121.14

billion, while cost of sales expanded 11% to P101.29 billion. “[The growth] was principally driven by the continuous organic expansion of the group’s grocery retail outlets on the back of a sustained strong consumer demand.

PUREGOLD/PAGE 7

By LIZEL V. BACUS, Teacher I Antero D. Hinagdanan Elementary School Division of Ozamiz City

When schools decided to go online because of the lockdown, the biggest concern for parents was the extended screen that their kids would be looking at. Six months later, parents now say that their children cannot be separated from technology. Whether it is doing their homework online or participating in extracurricular activities, children have aced the online game, but have also come to rely on technology a lot. This has left parents wondering whether the positives outweigh the negatives.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak

began, the typical dependence on technology among people has surged drastically, and some mental health experts warn that could create major problems once the pandemic subsides.

To help prevent a long-term dependence on technology, it’s more important than ever to put down the device and set aside some time to be present.

Internet technologies afford immensely transformative possibilities across almost every aspect of modern society. Yet the question remains: do we use technology more than is

healthy, not only for ourselves, but also for society and the environment?

Internet communications technologies are fundamentally mindaltering; indeed, some argue that they are the most powerful mind-altering technologies to permeate society.

Particularly as students, we should be conscious of the environmental implications of our technological dependence, both because we are most likely to have technology, such as smartphones, and because we will disproportionately bear their future environmental consequences.

If interested, contact:

DANICA SUDARIA

dannycarosesudaria0512@gmail.com 0936-046-2356

4

Opinion

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Grace to change Thin k a minute… The statesman and financer Cecil Rhodes who started his world-famous Rhodes Scholarships was also known for being a fine dresser. He once invited a young man to his home for dinner. This guest traveled far by train, so he arrived just in time to go directly to Rhodes’ home in his wrinkled, travel-stained clothes. When he got there, he was embarrassed to see all the other guests wearing their finest evening clothes.

But the host, Rhodes, was nowhere to be seen.

A few moments later Rhodes returned wearing a shabby old blue suit. The young man later learned that his host, the distinguished Mr. Rhodes, had been dressed in a formal evening tuxedo. But when he heard of his guest’s embarrassment, he slipped away to change into an old suit. Grace is doing whatever it takes to make a person feel accepted.

A passenger on a train was in the dining car looking over the lunch menu. The list included both a chicken sandwich and a chicken salad sandwich. He decided to get

THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST the chicken salad sandwich, but mistakenly wrote chicken sandwich on the order slip.

When the waiter brought the chicken sandwich, the customer became angr y.

Instead of showing the customer his order slip that proved he was the one who made the mistake, the waiter kindly returned the chicken sandwich and brought the customer a chicken salad sandwich.

Later, the customer picked up his order slip and saw that he had been wrong, not the waiter. He apologized and offered to pay for both sandwiches. But the waiter said nicely: “It’s no problem, sir. I’m glad you ended up with CHANGE/PAGE 7

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WEDNESDAY|NOVEMBER 4, 2020

The Fury of Nature

With the recent ecological tragedies experienced by our people in the form of super typhoons and flooding which have become more often and more vicious causing so much havoc to both life and properties, we are now cornered and have no more options left than to hear the cries of Gaia (Mother Earth).

It is time to admit the truth that we are all guilty of the sins of omissions for not being able to fulfill our mandate as God’s stewards of His vanishing creation, now threatened more than ever.

We h a v e t o t a k e cognizance of the bitter reality that our countr y is now facing an alarming ecological crisis, which unless soon averted will l e a d t o a n i mp e n d i n g e nv i ron m e nt a l l y - b a s e d economic and social collapse.

Much of the country’s p hy s i c a l re s ou rc e s are already seriously depleted.

Only four million hectares or 13% of the forest cover remains. Seventy percent of mangrove forest destroyed.

Forty percent of our watersheds seriously eroded.

Fifty percent of fishery overfished, degraded or polluted; and seventy-five percent of coastal reefs severely damaged by destructive illegal fishing and siltation.

Indeed, we have lost

Eden. But why is this so?

It is my contention that ecological degradation in this country could be traced to our colonial past. For 400 years until 1946, the Philippines had been an outright colony of imperial powers. And since 1946, we have lived as a nation-state, sovereign and independent kuno, but so under the over whelming influence of h i g h ly d e vel opme nt countries that have exploited our resources.

Thus when we gained our independence in 1946, the condition and mechanisms of what would give way to the massive and systematic plunder of our natural resources were well entrenched in the national structure. It would then be a matter of time when that beautiful paradise would become a lost Eden. That way why, from 17 million hectares of dipterocarp forest a century or so ago, we barely have 500,000 hectares left.

The ideal forest cover of the Philippines is 54%.

Now it is less than 13%.

This is the reason why a denuded mountain would just crumble down and literally erase a village, as in the case of Guinoyonon, Leyte last year. Indeed, the sins of a few loggers are now visited upon our people.

We have to understand that the issues of ecological and social injustice are inextricably linked and therefore need to be addressed simultaneously.

Citing some of these issues will bring to the fore what we should do to correct social flaws.

Ecological degradation is rooted in the powerlessness of the ecological people to have access and control over their resources which are now fast sipping through their fingers. The benefit only goes to a few. Our country has been consign3ed to be exporter of cheap raw materials, foremost of which is timber. The Philippines, in effect, has b een subsiding the timber needs of developed countries.

Foreign debt problem further aggravates environmental degradation.

Debt servicing alone eats up 43% of our national budget. This means we are paying 150 million pesos everyday for interest alone.

In our frenzy to pay our debt, we relentlessly exploit our natural resources. The results are devastating; timber exporting has denuded our forest, cash crops exports depending heavily on polluting pesticides and fertilizers, commercial fishing has

KIM'S DREAM

ORLAN R. RAVANERA destroyed coral reefs and mine tailings have polluted rivers and bays.

We must also examine the present economic paradigm as I believe that the cause of environmental crisis can also be largely attributed to a growth-centered development vision equating development with the output of g o o d s a n d s e r v i c e s despite the deprivation of our people’s livelihood, environmental destruction and depletion of our resource base. The underlying pattern of development only serves the consumerist lifestyles of foreign people and fellow citizen far beyond their share of the world’s natural resources.

It behooves upon all of us now to make some reflections and make amends for what we have done to Gaia, as it is only ours to protect for the coming generations.

Balancing Act IF there’s one thing that really benefited from the pa ndemic a nd f rom t he qua ra nt ine...it’s Mot her Nature! After so much use and abuse by the people who should be protecting them, Mother Nature had its much-deserved rest!

Wit h lesser ca rs a nd motorists on the streets, one can breathe fresh air and see the clear blue skies of Metro Manila.

Wit h lesser people loitering and littering in the parks, grasses are greener and f lowers abloom.

Wit h lesser people flocking to the beaches, the shores and sea waters are clean and sea life aplenty.

Mother Nature had a good respite!

But with the quarantines being rela xed a nd loca l tou r i sm b e i n g a l lowe d again, the above may be short-lived...but I hope I am wrong.

There is no debate t hat we a lready need to o p e n m or e i n du s t r i e s , specif ica l ly t he tourism industry, to help jumpstart ou r economic recover y.

A f t e r a l l , t h e t ou r i s m industry contributes 12.7 % to our Gross Domestic Produc t (GDP) but t he industr y is projected to decline by more than 55% this year.

To u r i s m S e c r e t a r y Bernadette Romu loPuyat sa id t hat revenue from tourist arrivals in the Philippines last Januar y

t o A pr i l d e c r e a s e d b y 55 percent, from P180.5 bi l lion to P79.8 bi l lion, compared to figures during the same period in 2019. As for the rest of 2020 with the pandemic still raging, prospects for international tourism appear dim. This translates to thousands of tourism job losses.

We understand and fully support the reopening and promotion of local tourism.

But this initiative comes with a challenge.

How do we open again our parks and beaches for business but still protect our environment? How do we strike that balancing act?

Pe rh ap s , t h i s i s t he t i me for t he Ph i l ippi ne Tourism industry and our Local Government Units to rethink the current business model and shift it towards more sustainable a nd responsible tourism. Where t he ac c ou nt a bi l it y a nd responsibility of protecting our environment are not only on the government of f icia ls a nd business owners but is shared by the tourists themselves.

I re a d a n a r t ic le i n Jakarta Post, for instance, t hat i n Ba l i, one of t he top international tourist destinations, a $10 tax on foreign tourists is being proposed by their officials.

The money is supposed to fund programs to preserve t he env i ron ment a nd Balinese culture.

A s t udy c a r r ie d out

by Ud ay a na Un iversit y repor ted ly fou nd t hat tou r ist s wou ld have no problem paying the fee if it helps the environment.

As someone who f requent ly t ravels, I couldn’t agree more. I have joined a number of tours where we were collected env ironmenta l fees a nd I didn’t mind because I saw how they were able to protect and preserve their natural wonders. They even impose a substantial penalty for those who will be caught l it ter i ng or d a m a g i ng / hurting any plants, trees, or animals. That is sustainable and responsible tourism with consequences for noncompliance.

Now t hat we have opened some of our tourist destinations, it is not enough that we only monitor the tourists for their compliance with the health protocols. Because while it is important for tourists to present proof that they’re Covid-19 free, properly wear their masks and face shield, obser ve social distancing, etc, it is equally important that t hey a re made awa re of t he i r re s p on s i bi l it y t o protect and preserve this natural wonder that they are visiting. And that there are consequences should they choose not to.

But these efforts should be initiated by the LGUs and business owners and

MINDFUL

JAY LEDESMA must a lso i nclude loca l c o m mu n i t y ow n e r s h i p a nd enga gement so t he loca l residents can appreciate the long-term value of protecting their environment and sites while having a say on how things are done and receiving a fair share of the gains.

Let us not put to waste the lessons we learned and continue to learn during t h i s pa ndem ic . L et t he COV I D be t he t u r n i ng point for sustainable and responsible tourism.

Let us be mindful that while we need to open our tou r ism busi nesses a nd generate jobs, we are all responsible for protecting a nd preser v i ng Mot her Earth! It’s not as if we have a spare Earth in our pocket.

We d o n ’ t n e e d t o quarantine people just to enjoy again the fresh air, the clear skies, the clean beaches, and the greener pa rk s . We ju st need to involve all parties and do our own share to find the right balance!

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WEDNESDAY|NOVEMBER 4, 2020

5

Banking&Finance

Further monetary stimulus may boost peso, push up bond yields

T

HE CENTRAL BANK may adjust monetary policy further to support the government’s limited fiscal space and strong balance of payments (BoP) position, Nomura said in a report, but this would result in loose liquidity, a stronger peso and slightly higher

government bond yields.

In its latest scorecard of 20 emerging markets, Nomura lumped the Philippines with Brazil, India, China, Poland and Thailand as economies having a strong BoP but weak fiscal position.

“Here there are fairly strong incentives for central banks to intervene

School Distance Affects Pupils’ Achievement RASHMIAH P. PENDATUN Teacher I at Manubiray Elementary School Kalilangan, Bukidnon

Poor academic performance has been associated with the location of primar y schools in various studies.

Most of the learners were affected by the distance which made them use most of their time on travelling than learning.

The distance travelled to school everyday has substantial adverse effects on attendance at school.

Younger children at the crucial stages of education are often the most vulnerable to dropping due to the distance from school. Rural school are frequently located further from children’s homes than urban schools, and may suf fer addit iona l

supply constraints such as poor facilities and low teacher quality. Children may be discouraged from attending school if they are punished or chastised for arriving late after a lengthy walk to school. It takes a great determination on the part of children and their families to overcome these barriers.

These should be contemplate by our policy makers, teachers, parents and community members about the importance of appropriate future planning and practice in building n e w pr i m a r y s c h o o l s on proper strategies to institute better learning environment.

in both the FX market and government bond market. We would expect liquidity to be loose, local currencies to be stable to stronger against USD, and government bond yields to be stable to higher,” Nomura said in its Emerging Markets Special Report dated Oct. 28.

It said central banks can also limit currency appreciation and preserve the competitiveness of exports to help with the limited fiscal space.

“The weak fiscal

position justifies central banks continuing their government bond purchase programs to avoid a spike in bond yields, especially for countries with very weak GDP (gross domestic product) growth and if public debt and bond yields are relatively high,” it added.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has released some P1.9 trillion in liquidity into the financial system so far this year through monetary actions rolled out to help

cushion the economy from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

To aid the government and its limited fiscal space, the BSP approved a P540billion provisional cash advance last month. This came after the government settled its outstanding loans worth P300 billion.

The BSP can provide the government provisional advances of up to P850 billion only.

However, Nomura warned of the potential risks that may arise from

these interventions.

For instance, it said central banks have the option to lower the amount of government bonds they buy, which could be due to the fear of losing monetary policy autonomy or if the potential increase in bond yields is constrained as this attracts more capital flows to the local bond market.

It said it could help manage a possible sharp appreciation of currency through reduced MONETARY/PAGE 7

`V-shape' recovery on consumer spending seen A UNIT of Fitch Group forecasts a 'V-shape' recovery in consumer spending in the country by 2021.

In its commentary released on Friday, Fitch Solutions projected that the country’s household spending next year will grow by 5.7 percent from this year’s contraction of 8 percent.

It added that the household spending growth forecast for 2021 improved from the 5.5-percent year-on-year projection it estimated from a pre-pandemic environment in 2019.

“We predict that all of the main consumer spending categories

BWM: Oct. 21, 28 & Nov. 4, 2020

will return to positive growth in 2021. Food and non-alcoholic drink spending were prioritized in household budgets in 2020, and so growth in spending on these items, while remaining positive, will be slightly lower in 2021,” Fitch Solutions said.

Fitch Solutions revised its growth projection for the consumer spending category due to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Food and nonalcoholic drinks category is expected to increase by 9.3 percent this year from Fitch Solution’s pre-Covid projection of 8.4 percent; clothing and footwear spending is projected to

contract by 15.6 percent from a pre-Covid growth forecast of 7.2 percent; alcohol drinks and tobacco spending revised to -16.7 percent from the initial forecast of 7.8 percent; furnishing and home spending, to -15.2 percent from 7.8 percent growth forecast; recreation and culture spending, now expected to decline by 17.8 percent from 1.1 percent contraction; and restaurants and hotels spending, down by 16.8 percent from pre-Covid growth forecast of 9.3 percent.

By 2021, all these categories are expected to increase between 5.3 percent and 15.3 percent.

Fitch Solutions noted that the drop in unemployment will aid household spending.

Government data show that the unemployment rate jumped to 17.7 percent amid the Covid-19 outbreak here and at the height of the lockdown measures in April. It slowed down to 10 percent in July when the government gradually relaxed community quarantine measures.

However, Fitch Solutions said that remaining restrictions such as on movement, curfew, and intercity and interstate travel are affecting Filipinos’ RECOVERY/PAGE 7

BWM: Oct.28 & Nov. 4 & 11, 2020

6

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WEDNESDAY|NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Importance of Weekly Home Learning Plan in Teaching and Learning Process

By MARICEL A. ABA-A, Teacher I Maningcol Central School Division of Ozamiz City

The Weekly Home Learning Plan shall aid teachers and parents in keeping track of the day-to-day in-school and off-school general learning processes as they implement the most suitable and feasible alternative learning modality based on the context of their school.

We know that over the half the battle of teaching is being ready. Master teachers sp end time examining

where their students are academically, even socially, and then determine where the students are going for the upcoming week.

When planning, master teachers take into account so many different factors: school events, support from other teachers, how fast the class moves through the curriculum standards, reviewing other data that determines how fast or slow

the teacher can introduce new topics, as well as connecting to older topics.

The planning a teacher does is evident in their weekly plans, and even more evident when you watch them during instruction.

These teachers don't just plan to meet district, school, or even the principal's expectations, they develop plans to meet the needs of the kids first!

Tracking these standards on less on pl ans helps teachers understand and assess how their students are doing towards their mastery.

On our lesson plans we also know how many times we have addressed these standards. We can then target specific standards according to data; this can be done for the class and for individual students. This can be powerful!

Promoting the Overall Wellbeing of Teachers in the New Normal

By MARESTELLE M. OLANDRE Special Education Teacher 1 OCCS, Ozamiz City Division

The existence of COVID -19 Pandemic marks a significant different “new normal� for all the people, including the norms of L e ar n i ng D e l ive r y Modalities. Since there is a change of the trend of education, the Department of Education extends miles of efforts on how education will be continued and be sustained. It looks into consideration how well the learners are today. Of course, it also looks into how well the teachers are, and how ready they are; if they can manage the daily stresses, can maintain the effective strategies, methods and pedagogies productive for learning and can cultivate supportive and caring partnerships with parents and students.

In order to ensure these, promoting the overall wellbeing of the teachers must be taken into actions.

These will be made possible through the assistance of the school heads and

higher officials of the department. There are suggested activities and practices for these.

One is to create school environments that promote feelings of belonging, respect, value and trust.

Anot her wou ld b e to ensure equal treatment for them, regardless of gender, working hours and age. Other activities will be to provide them with equal support and treatment, to give opportunities for them to develop profession networks, to make available opportunities for them to learn, develop and grow together following the safety protocols and to supply opportunities for them to participate and be heard in making decisions that involve them.

Through these suggested activities, teachers will be helped to be ready and be well in implementing the new Learning Delivery Modalities for the welfare of the learners.

BWM: Oct. 28, Nov. 4 & 11, 2020

BWM: Nov. 4, 11 & 18, 2020

7

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WEDNESDAY|NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Puregold... from page 3

This has been augmented by combined management strategies and programs to boost revenue contributions from both the base stores as well as new stores,” Puregold said in its filing.

It noted it rolled out trade discounts such as rebates and conditional discounts during the nine-month period, which drove up sales from both new and existing stores.

The primary drivers of the company’s revenues are its Puregold stores, S&R membership shopping warehouses and S&R pizza stores.

“We t h i n k t h at t h e slowdown of revenue growth was attributed to the consumer sentiment as they are now less worried…

We’ve seen no more panicbuying and consumers don’t stock goods in their homes as much as they did during the (strict lockdown),” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Associate Claire T. Alviar said in a text message.

While lockdown rules have not been completely lifted since mid-March, the Philippine government has started relaxing p r o t o c o l s s i n c e Ju n e , allowing consumers to go to supermarkets with more ease than in the early months of the coronavirus outbreak.

While this resulted in a slower growth for Puregold’s net sales in the third quarter, Ms. Alviar said it may likely pick up in the last quarter of the year due to holiday-driven spending and the continuous reopening of the economy.

Monetary... from page 5

bond purchases and more foreign exchange intervention.

“A perhaps small but possible tail risk of the central bank stepping back from its government bond purchases amid a weak fiscal position is that it may raise investor concerns over public debt sustainability, stoking capital flight instead of capital inflows,” it said.

Nomura expects the six countries with weak fiscal positions to maintain loose liquidity and a stable to stronger currency against the greenback, with government bond yields seen to be stable or inch up.

The country’s BoP surplus widened to $2.104 billion in September from $38 million

in the same month last year.

Year to date, the BoP surfeit climbed 24% year on year to $6.88 billion.

The BSP expects the overall BoP position to yield a surplus of $8.1 billion by yearend.

Meanwhile, the government’s budget deficit narrowed by 22% to P138.5 billion in September, bringing the nine-month gap to P879.2 billion, up 194% from the year prior.

Recovery... from page 5

consumer spending.

“Continued restrictions on movement will dampen spending outlooks, especially in markets with underde vel op e d e- c ommerc e operations,” the Fitch unit said.

On the other hand, the downside risks to the 2021 outlook include renewed restrictions if Covid-19 daily cases continue to rise, delay in vaccine availability, and public backlash to new restrictions.

“Should movement restrictions be re-imposed, then there is a risk of public backlash. This could lead to governments placing greater restrictions on retail and hospitality operations.

Protests would also decrease consumers’ desire to shop, travel, or dine out,” Fitch Solutions added. (PNA)

Crucial... from page 1

require a practical solution,” she said.

Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) last year, the country’s top agricultural exports are grown mostly in Mindanao or are produced in large quantities on the island. The strong export demand adds to an expanding industrial and manufacturing sector in the Davao Region and Mindanao.

Bian said the increase in demand would "undoubtedly lead to added pressure" on the region and the island’s power supply, making it more important to have robust power infrastructure in place.

She said the government should look into the "system and technology strategies" to reduce the cost of power so that businesses can survive and thrive especially in a post-pandemic environment.

Meanwhile, Bian noted that tourism spots across the Davao Region are now gradually opening up while

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strictly observing health protocols.

"Along with the spike in tourist traffic is the corresponding increase in the demand for power and other utilities," she said.

Bian also added that infrastructure does not only refer to the bridge that is set to be built to connect the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) and this city.

“In f r a st r u c tu re a l s o means human resources, accommodation facilities, and environment management, key areas that must also be prioritized. Even the social impact must also be carefully studied,” she said. (PNA)

Pork...

from page 1 pro ducers, Ag r ic u lture Secretary William D. Dar said weekly pork shipments will involve 27,000 to 30,000 animals from Davao, General Santos City, and Cagayan de Oro. This will eventually add to the dwindling supply in Luzon, which has suffered due to African Swine Fever, Dar said.

“This is a problem of logistics — including sourcing, distribution and marketing — which we can address without difficulty. All we ask is the full cooperation of key players in the entire hog industry value chain,” Mr. Dar said.

At the same meeting, San Miguel Corp. committed to increase shipments of frozen pork carcasses to four containers or 48 metric tons per week from Mindanao, while DA regional directors in the Visayas confirmed that live hogs from Cebu, Iloilo, and Leyte will also be sent to Luzon.

Dar sought the assistance of Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, who agreed to work wit h shipping companies to increase ship traffic to Luzon from Cagayan

de Oro, General Santos City, Davao, and major ports in the Visayas.

“We will elevate our p ar t n e rs h ip s w it h h o g producers and traders, ship owners and operators, and local government officials in the Visayas and Mindanao to supply Metro Manila and Luzon with hogs and frozen pork, and eventually bring down prices for the benefit of consumers,” he said. (PNA)

Policy...

from page 1 with monthly consumption not higher than twice the ERC-approved maximum lifeline consumption level,” the commission said in its advisory.

The order effectively raises the no-disconnection “lifeline” threshold for Manila Electric Co., the country’s largest power utility with more than seven million customers, to users consuming 200 kilowatt-hours (kWh). The normal lifeline level is 100 kWh, according to ERC Commissioner Floresinda G. Baldo-Digal.

The regulator also ordered all p ower providers to implement at least a 30-day grace period on payments w h i c h fe l l du e w it h i n the period of enhanced c om mu n it y qu ar ant i ne and modified enhanced c om mu n it y qu ar ant i ne “without incurring interest, penalties, and other charges.”

Unpaid balances after the extension lapses will be paid in three monthly installments,

also without incurring other charges.

Public offices and other government agencies are not covered by grace periods and installment arrangements, the commission noted.

The ERC encouraged customers who have the ability to pay to settle their electric bills within their due date “to help manage the cash flow in the energy supply chain and ensure the continuous supply of electricity.”

Distribution utilities may

offer “less onerous” payment terms to encourage early payment, it said.

Power utilities were also directed to submit each month to the ERC their power supply contract utilization reports, records of customer payments, and records of their payments to suppliers.

The ERC advisory was issued on orders of the Department of Energy under the authority of Republic Act No. 11494, or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan II).

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT BETWEEN HEIRS WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late RAUL O. VILLARIN, who died on December 06, 2018 at NMMC, Capitol Cmpd., Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, without any will, that the said deceased RAUL O. VILLARIN died intestate without leaving any known debt which has remained unpaid or unsettled up to the present, and all the obligations incurred during his death were all paid and/or settled; that the said deceased at the time of his death, left a parcel of land situated at Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City and more particularly described as follows, to wit: Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-175938 situated at Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of FIFTY FOUR (54) SQUARE METERS, more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT BETWEEN HEIRS WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE, filed by the heirs of RAUL O. VILLARIN, in favor EDITA GENEROL GABUT, per DOC #444; PAGE #89; BOOK #CXV; Series of 2020 under the Notarial Registry ATTY. JORGE B. MAGDAONG, JR. BWM: Nov. 4, 11 & 18, 2020

BWM: Nov. 4, 11 & 18, 2020

BusinessWeek MINDANAO CREDIBLE

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Wednesday|November 4, 2020

8

New Digital Solution Help Users Get Ahead Of COVID-19 Risk In The Philippines

Nauts and Vectors Company Inc., NAVCO, the official distributor of Garmin smart wearables in the Philippines, announces a partnership with WellteQ, a Singapore-headquartered digital wellbeing platform that enables access to the latest innovative healthcare.

Highlights * Through Garmin’s official distributor in the Philippines, Nauts and Vectors Company Inc, (NAVCO), the partnership enables Garmin users a seamless integration into WellteQ’s wellbeing platform to consistently monitor and track health data for comprehensive wellbeing analysis. * This partnership allows companies to equip their employees and their spouses with the necessary tools to keep tabs on their own health both at work and at home to create healthier and safer environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. * Both NAVCO and WellteQ recognize that it is critical to proactively track health data as lead indicators of health and wellbeing status, and can be vital in the fight against COVID-19.

Integrated Solution Supports Employees Working From Home Garmin Philippines’ mission is to help Filipinos enhance their overall health and wellbeing in an attempt to build resistance against the current virus outbreak. The data a Garmin device collects and the mapping features it provides are invaluable in monitoring general health and wellbeing as well as being able to track changes in mental and physical wellbeing that might not be easily perceptible to a nonmedical professional.

With Garmin’s new integrated FirstBeat technology, it’s been discovered that an increase of eight beats per minute (BPM) in resting heart rate equates to an increase of one degree centigrade in temperature. This data is monitored through the WellteQ digital

ecosystem for a costeffective, accessible and efficient COVID-19 defence that could help minimise the spread of the virus.

By integrating Garmin’s smart wearables and fitness trackers capabilities and features into WellteQ’s digital wellness platform, WellteQ extends the use case of digital wellbeing into continuity of care.

Its suite of digital health assessment and wellbeing tools now extend past objective health risk assessment and preventative coaching into measurable action in a user’s health and wellbeing profile.

Combined Technologies Support Overall Resistance To Illness While a user works towards their health and fitness goals, measurable evidence of their progress is tracked in the WellteQ platform for consistency, aiding sustained behavioural change. Starting with smaller goals and with the aid of intelli-nudges, a personalised in-app notification to help keep the user on track, momentum is built-up until the user feels more confident to tackle larger health objectives.

Strong general wellness has been proven as the greatest resistance against developing non-communicable diseases, improving mental health issues and reducing the risk of

contracting viruses. With the precision accuracy of Garmin’s health data, metrics such a sleep cycles, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and stress levels, measured through heart rate variability (HRV), small changes in physiological responses are tracked and benchmarked against the user’s own history, as well as WellteQ’s global population database.

How Businesses Can Use This New Solution For employers, this collaboration offers an end-to-end solution for their workforce that spans prevention programs and wellness resistance improvement, to disease management and home-based health monitoring.

The combined solution provides employees with the right tools to stay active, strengthen their immune system, and maintain their fitness level during periods of lockdown in the ongoing health crisis: * More accurate employee profiling allowing employees to get ahead of the risk before the situation becomes more serious and costly. * Safe and secure digital environment for employees ensures user anonymity as only aggregated information is reported back to the employer. * A dedicated solution that improves the lives of the workforce irrespective of location.

Understanding the increased time spent at home during various stages of lockdown, the enterprise solution is extended to both employees and their spouses in the Philippines region to create a supportive environment that can be enjoyed in the family home.

Neil Anthony Tan, Managing Director of NAVCO (exclusive distributor of Garmin in the Philippines), said: “We’re excited about NAVCO’s partnership with WellteQ, combining workplace physical data insights with Garmin’s wellbeing hardware, science, and technology that aims to provide a holistic wellbeing approach for employees and their workplaces.

In this collaboration with WellteQ, we’ll be able to provide better data-driven employee assistance programs that go beyond the workplace.

It’s now possible to provide them with tools which are dedicated to understanding how they can make the employees’ lives better.

By using advanced, functionally-integrated technology, we create landmark products that set new standards for user-centric health and wellbeing experiences.

This will not only help employees but increase the return of investment for businesses. We make a really simple and

transparent process for companies to see their return on investing in wellbeing. I am very excited to see how we can transform workplace health together.”

Scott Montgomery, CEO of WellteQ, said: “Now is a unique time in our history, presenting business owners with both challenges and opportunities to manage and improve workplace environments. The current pandemic has fast-forwarded the use of the latest digital tools as the world comes to terms with extended periods of social distancing, various stages of lockdowns and the new norm of working from home.

We’re thrilled to be deepening our relationship with Garmin as we now expand into the Philippines, a region that’s been on our radar for quite some time. We feel we have a huge advantage having NAVCO as our on-the-ground partner in offering a new standard in health and wellbeing technology.

By combining our client relationships and years of experience, we’re positive that we’ve developed a solution for the market, by the market.

Understanding the importance of family in the Philippines, we’ve extended our solution to include spouses, a unique offering that we envision will not only encourage employees

engagement but will aid in the creation of a health support networks outside of the workplace. We can’t wait to get started.”

About NAVCO As a strategic partner to global brands, we develop domestic brand building strategy and initiatives that strictly abide by global brand guidelines. With our focus on consumer insights, we aim not just to grow awareness, but to build lasting trust, love, and affinity towards the brands that we handle.

We mount integrated marketing campaigns with a strong focus on digital.

With our nationwide network of dealers, customers, and retail partners, we help brands penetrate strategic channels across the Philippines. Our strategically located offices and warehouse facilities in Manila and Cebu ensure both reach and focus in building strong channels. We also have a B2B sales force to handle big corporate and institutional accounts and are building a brand new fulfilment centre as we create a stronger online presence.

About WellteQ WellteQ is an awardwinning, holistic digital wellness solution for employee engagement and HR data analytics.

Our suite of innovative engagement programs includes activity challenges, mental wellness, financial wellness, HR onboarding and virtual coaching for employees. We offer the most comprehensive data analytics for real-time engagement and postprogram ROI in market.

Programs are highly customizable and provide an experience packed with gamification, group projects, social interaction rewards and charity all to maximize healthy behavioural change – there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

With customization comes flexibility, which is paramount for businesses of all shapes and sizes around the world. WellteQ’s platform is available for white labelling.