BusinessWeek Mindanao (January 1, 2021)

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Briefly Rice importation THE ADDED time given to rice importers to bring in their shipments is “ill-advised” and could disrupt the market for domestically-grown rice if shipments coincide with the harvest, a farmer’s organization said. In a statement Tuesday, Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor said the additional time given to rice importers could depress prices of palay, or unmilled rice, hindering the recovery efforts of farmers harvesting their dry-season crop in March after the late-year typhoons in 2020. In a Dec. 16 memorandum circular, the Department of Agriculture (DA) allowed an additional 25 days for importers to bring in their rice, after the industry raised concerns about possible delivery delays.

BARMM budget COTABATO City – The PHP75.6billion proposed 2021 budget for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was approved by the region’s lawmakers on Wednesday night. With 55 voting “yes", zero “no" votes and no abstentions, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) parliament approved BTA Bill No. 73 entitled “An Act Appropriating Funds for the Operation of the Bangsamoro Government from January 1 to December 31, 2021, and for Other Purposes.” Following its approval in the plenary, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim signed the bill into law as the Bangsamoro Appropriations Act (BAA) 2021.

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Friday|January 1, 2021

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Stricter border controls expected in Mindanao D Thank you for trusting us!

By CAROLYN O. ARGUIILLAS, MindaNews

AVAO City – Stricter border controls are to be expected in the5 island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi following the discovery of a new strain of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sabah, East Malaysia.

Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Director-General of Malaysia’s Ministry of He a lt h , an n ou n c e d on December 23 that a new strain of COVID-19, dubbed A701B mutation was found from samples taken in Sabah. The Straits Times of Malaysia quoted him as saying A701B is “similar to a strain found in South Africa, Australian and the Netherlands” but they have yet to ascertain “whether this strain has a high infectivity level and whether it is more aggressive than usual.” The Health Ministry, he said, detected the mutation

in 60 samples taken from COVID-19 patients under the Benteng Lahad Datu cluster in Sabah. Noor Saada, a former Education Assistant Secretary in the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said there is a need to be “pro ac t ive in t he Su lu Archipelago and Zamboanga Peninsula” given the new strain found in Sabah. Naguib Sinarimbo, Local G ove r n m e nt s M i n i s t e r and spokesperson of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) told MindaNews EXPECTED/PAGE 10

GLOWING LIGHTS.The facade of San Isidro Cathedral,in the background, glows with the Christmas lights at Plaza Rizal in Malaybalay City. photo by h. marcos c. mordeno/mindanews

MisOcc solon welcomes probe to clear name in DPWH mess MISAMIS Occidental 2nd District Rep. Henry S. Oaminal welcomed on Tuesday any investigation on his alleged involvement in corruption within the Department of Public Works

and Highways (DPWH). In a statement posted on his Facebook account, Oaminal said he was saddened that his name was included in the list prepared by the Presidential Anti-Corruption

Commission (PACC) and made public by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday. Despite this, he said he continues to support the President's anti-graft WELCOMES/PAGE 10

Air travelers warned vs fake COVID test labs in Manila By ANTONIO L. COLINA IV, MindaNews

FISH TRAP. A fisherman checks his fish trap in Barangay Caub in Del Carmen town, Siargao Island. mindanews photo by roel n . catoto

DAVAO City– The local government has warned against fake laboratories in Manila offering cheap COVID-19 tests after finding

out that most passengers who arrived at the Davao International Airport since August with invalid test results were scammed, City

Tourism and Operations Office head Generose Tecson said. In a text message Tuesday, Tecson said that of the 21 passengers who were WARNED/PAGE 10

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FRIDAY|JANUARY 1, 2021

P7.09-B project seen to stabilize power transmission in Mindanao

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AGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) recently energized the Toril-Bunawan 230kV transmission line, the final component of its Mindanao 230 kiloVolt (kV) backbone project. This will secure the reliability of power transmission services in the entire Mindanao. As one of NGCP's critical projects, the Mindanao backbone will connect bulk generation from the northern and southern parts of Mindanao and ensure stable and continuous power from Lanao del Norte, passing through Misamis Oriental and

Bukidnon, all the way to Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental. Among the generating facilities which will connect to the line are the GNPower Kauswagan Clean Coal-Fired Power Plant, Therma South Incorporated Power Plant, and San Miguel Consolidated Power Corporation, with a total combined capacity of 1,440MW. With an ERC-approved cost of P7.09 billion, the project involves the construction of the Matanao-Toril 230kV and Toril-Bunawan 230kV transmission lines, the upgrade of the Balo-iVillanueva-MaramagBunawan line from 138kV to 230kV, as well as the

NGCP recently energized the Toril-Bunawan 230kV transmission line, the final component of its Mindanao 230 kiloVolt (kV) backbone project. This will secure the reliability of power transmission services in the entire Mindanao. (NGCP)

BALINGASAG, MISAMIS ORIENTAL National Highway Balingasag, Barangay 4, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental Mobile Number/s: 0933-823-3161, 0933-823-3304 Tel. Number: 333-5161 CAGAYAN DE ORO P&J Lim Building, Tiano Kalambagohan St., Barangay 14, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel No. (08822) 727-829 / 231-6629 Telefax No. (088) 856-1947 Mobile No. 0933-823-3303 / 0943-708-7065 CAGAYAN DE ORO WAREHOUSE Warehouse 7, Bonbon Road, Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Mobile No. 0917-825-4149 / 0943-708-7065 CARMEN, CAGAYAN DE ORO Vamenta Blvd., fronting CEPALCO, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel. No. (088) 233-2011 Mobile No. 0933-823-3159 CORRALES, CDO Corrales Ave., Barangay 29, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Telefax No. (088) 231-2055

DIVISORIA, CDO A. Velez St., Barangay 9, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Telefax No. (088) 856-1947 Mobile No. 0917-841-4000 / 0933-823-3164 GINGOOG CITY G/F Wyne Militante Bldg., Lugod St., Barangay 22, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental Telefax No. (088) 861-0104 Mobile No. 0933-823-3168 LAPASAN, CDO National Highway (FICCO Bldg.), Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel. No. (088) 231-6739 Mobile No. 0933-823-3160 PUERTO, CDO Purok 6, Puerto, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Tel. No. (088) 859-0574 Mobile No. 0943-708-7537 CAMIGUIN B. Aranas St., Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin Telefax No. (088) 387-0491 Mobile No. 0943-708-7539

upgrade of its substations in Malita, Matanao, Toril, Bunawan, Balo-i, Villanueva, and Maramag. Energization of the project components started with the power transformer in Villanueva Substation and MaramagVillanueva 230kV Line 2 in September 2019, while the Balo-i-Villanueva Lines 1 and 2 were energized in September and October of the same year. Transformers in Bunawan Substation and the Maramag-Bunawan 230kV lines were energized also in October 2019. This was followed by the energization of another new transformer in Villanueva Substation and the Maramag-Villanueva POWER/PAGE 11

P264-M crops, infra losses in Agusan Sur due to 'Vicky'

BUTUAN City – Tropical Depression Vicky destroyed in Agusan del Sur some P264.3 million worth of crops, properties, and infrastructures, officials said. "Vicky" also affected thousands of families, especially in the town of Prosperidad, when the

storm hit the province and several other areas in Caraga Region last week, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (PDRRMO) Armando Gomez said Wednesday. The other towns heavily affected include San Francisco, Rosario, Bunawan, and Talacogon, Gomez said. He said the damage to houses totaled P8.1 million, affecting 28,227 in 14 towns. At least, 10,583 families had to be evacuated from their homes, Gomez said. “Of all infrastructures, the roads were greatly damaged due to Vicky. Some roads have major scouring,” Gomez said. "Vicky" caused the worst flooding in years in Rosario and San Francisco towns, with floodwaters reaching as far as rooftops. Gomez said the losses could still increase as the PDRRMO is still assessing the extent of damage in the affected areas. Vicky (international name Krovanh) was the Philippines’ 22nd tropical cyclone for 2020 and the first for December.(PNA)

CorporateWorld 3 PH ranks 110th in internet speed Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

FRIDAY|JANUARY 1, 2021

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HE PHILIPPINES ranked 110th out of 139 countries in mobile internet speeds in November, according to the Speedtest Global Index run by American internet testing and analysis firm Ookla. The country’s ranking inched up one spot with average mobile connectivity download speeds of 18.49 megabits per second (Mbps).

In contrast, the top ranked United Arab Emirates saw 170.30 Mbps on average. Southeast Asian neighbor Singapore ranked 16th, followed by Thailand (44th), Vietnam (63rd), Malaysia (88th), and Cambodia (102nd). The Philippines also went up four spots to rank 103rd out of 176 countries for fixed broadband download speeds,

with 28.69 Mbps compared with top-ranked Singapore’s 241.10 Mbps. Thailand ranked third, while Malaysia came in 43rd followed by Vietnam at 49th. Cambodia came in 113th with 25.31 Mbps. While lockdowns had affected internet speeds due to surging traffic, Ookla by July said that global internet speeds had mostly stabilized

to pre-pandemic levels. President Rodrigo R. Duterte in July threatened to shut down telecommunications companies Globe Telecom, Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc. if they fail to improve services by the end of the year. National Telecommunications Commissioner Gamaliel A. Cordoba earlier last month

SM Prime’s rebound hinges on holiday boost DESPITE the lack of catalyst during last week’s shortened trading, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. is expected by analysts to recover on the back of holiday spending as well as the gradual reopening of the economy. A total of 26.73 million shares worth P1.022 billion were traded from Dec. 21 to 23, making SM Prime the third most actively traded issue last week, data from the Philippine Stock Exchange showed. Financial markets were closed on Dec. 24 and 25 in observance of the

Christmas holidays. Shares in the Sy-led property developer inched up by 1.7% to P38.55 apiece last Wednesday from the P37.90 finish last Dec. 18. The stock has risen by 67.6% since the start of the year. China Bank Securities Corp. Research Director Rastine Mackie D. Mercado said SM Prime’s movement last week was largely in line with the performance of the property sub-index, which also traded sideways. “No notable company development this week,

trading was mostly influenced by index fund flows and technical factors,” Mr. Mercado said in an e-mail interview. Meanwhile, SM Prime unveiled on Dec. 18 its plan to issue 2.5- and five-year P5-billion fixed-rate bonds with an oversubscription option of up to P5 billion. This will be the second tranche of bonds issued under its P100-billion fixed-rate bonds shelf registration approved by the corporate regulator last February. Local debt watcher

Philippine Rating Services Corp. assigned these planned papers the top credit rating of “PRS Aaa,” which means that the company is expected to have an “extremely strong” capacity to meet its financial obligations. “SM Prime plans to use the investments to fund new malls and other expansion projects, which may include reclamation project,” COL Financial Group, Inc. Senior Research Manager Richard G. Laneda said in an e-mail. REBOUND/PAGE 11

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said that telecommunications companies had improved services since then, noting that the average fixed download speed in the country was at 25.07 Mbps and mobile download speed was at 16.95 Mbps in July. He said that internet connectivity demand increased by 500% during the stricter lockdown in March and April.

Residential property demand in Cebu seen to rebound in 2021 CEBU CIity– Global property consultancy firm Colliers International sees a rebound in residential property demand in Cebu this year, saying the metro remains a major investment hub outside of Metro Manila. “Colliers projects a potential rebound in residential demand in 2021 and thus sees a faster pace of price increase from 2021 to 2022 to reflect a stronger residential market,” Joey Bondoc, senior research manager at Colliers Philippines, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday.

DANICA SUDARIA

Sharing his outlook for 2021, Bondoc pointed out that Cebu continues to be a premier investment hub outside of Metro Manila and has undergone significant transformation over the past few years. “The residential sector of the area is at a discount as compared to projects located within the country’s capital. The proliferation of both local and national developers in Cebu has raised land and property values,” he said. The property analyst said this was complemented by the rising demand for DEMAND/PAGE 11

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Training for parents (Pt. 1) Think a minute . . . Scientific studies have shown that if you put a frog into boiling water, it will jump out immediately to save its life. But if you put that same frog into water that is normal room temperature, then raise the heat of the water very slowly, the frog will just sit there until it boils to death! Why? It gets comfortable with the water at each slightly raised temperature, so it does not realize how dangerously hot its environment has become—until it is too late. In a similar way, our ch i l d re n’s l ive s c an b e destroyed if we do not realize how gradually they are being negativelhy influenced by their bad social environment of the wrong friends—and even by our daily bad examples as their parents. Before we know it, our kids have grown older without becoming the honest, self-controlled, loving and courageous adults we want them to be. Even though we are living with them every day, we fail to see the dangerous direction their character and friends

THINK A MINUTE

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FRIDAY|JANUARY 1, 2021

A very Merry Christmas!

As I wrote in one of my previous columns at this corner: the virus is there, but C h r ist mas c an ' t b e deleted. Surely, we will have to celebrate Christmas very differently this year. Not only we. The whole world has too in the background against a dramatic increase in new case numbers. Please allow me to remind you my dear readers: Christmas, this great day, bears the message that God is with

us. Even in the darkest moments of our time, He has not ab and one d t he world. Let us not despair, then however much our d i f f i c u lt i e s r i s e b e fore us, either in our personal surroundings, or in the life of humanity. In celebrating Christmas, we celebrate our faith in survival and in the salvation of humanity and of all God's creation. A n d a l re a d y a l itt l e f ore s i g ht e d : As w e a re

close to wrapping up t his ter r ible ye ar 2020, let us look for ward to a brand new year 2021 year full of new and exciting possibilities. Stay safe and healthy always and a very Merry Christmas to everyone! +++ Email : dor ing klau s @ g mail.com or follow me on Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter or visit my www. germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.

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What we can learn from the past to start recovering from COVID-19's impact on hotel industry today HOTELS around the wor l d f i n d t h e ms e lve s facing a unique situation, with huge challenges and difficult decisions to make. A pandemic of this scale is unprecedented and its impact will be studied for decades to come. But in the midst of it, hotels still have decisions to make and strategies to put in place. While we’re in unprecedented times for the travel industry, we can still take lessons from the past. It’s u n d e r s t a n d a b l e i f you’re ove r w hel me d or unsure. But there are resources available, both in the form of government and regional policies, as well as the helpful advice of experts who have studied how businesses make a comeback from economic recessions, market downturns, and natural disasters. Smart cost cutting, according to successful post-recession businesses Cost-cutting measures are almost certainly every businesses first step. But it’s essential that you don’t value short-term gains over long-term strategy. In an analysis of businesses’ post-recession performance, Harvard Business Review (HBR) points to what they call “progressive companies,”

as the biggest winners. Companies that balanced defensive (cost cutting) and offensive (investments) measures flourished, typically making 10% more in sales and profits. Companies that performed best cut costs by focusing on operational efficiency rather than permanently reducing their workforce. While some layoffs, both temporary and permanent, may be necessary in the short term, it should not be the core strategy to keep afloat during difficult times. According to the HBR study, companies that re-examined their business model reduced their op erational costs permanently, as opposed to the temporary boost of laying off staff. For hotels, this translates to an examination of everything you rely on to operate your hotel. • Examining your tech stack: does the technology you’re using to manage and market your hotel efficiently integrate with one another? Does it allow you to effectively communicate with guests, share updates, and promote direct bookings? Are you spending time on manual tasks that could be automated? • Can you bring down the

operational cost of empty rooms? Energy management technology can reduce energy consumption by 25 to 35%. • Conduct a distribution audit. When travelers are able to visit again, how can you increase your direct bookings to reduce OTA commissions? Revenue management strategies from past recessions Every hotel is struggling with the uncertain future. But one thing is sure: we will recover from this, and when we do, people will be desperate to get away from the house they’ve been selfisolating in. After cutting costs, thinking about future revenue is essential. The one consensus is to avoid slashing prices too quickly without considerable planning. One revenue manager, who worked both in a hotel in Las Vegas after the 2017 shooting and then later in Bahamas after a category-5 storm told Skift, “The hotels who took the most desperate measures with their revenue management strategy in the short run had the toughest time recovering in the longrun.” It will be tempting to start competing on price immediately to get the first influx of visitors. However, as

NUTS & BOLTS

JEROME DE LA FUENTE

evidenced by an analysis by STR of post-recession hotels in Chicago, hotels that held their rates within 10% of normal did lose occupancy, but had significantly higher RevPAR than those that cut their rates. Instead, take a longer term approach. Sherri Kimes, a researcher and expert in revenue management, polls revenue managers every year and compiled recommendations following the 2008-2009 recession. Here are some of her strategies to avoid competing on price: • Compete on quality with value-adds on booking (breakfast, airport pickups, welcome packages) • Make use of your loyalty program, if you have a pointsbased system, incentivize loyal guests with a lower HOTEL/PAGE 11

Reversing “Knowing me, knowing you” JHAN TIAFAU HURST are taking them. We need to save our kids from this destructive, increasingly “hot water” by changing our unhealthy parenting habits before it is too late. Today and tomorrow we will talk about a few of the most important things that can help us train our kids well, so they can become the honorable adults we want them to become. First, nagging and yelling at our children can become a bad daily habit that is actually counterproductive and does not work. An angry family is not a happy family! We might think getting angry will get our kids to obey; but the more we yell TRAINING/PAGE 11

THAT ABBA song, “Knowing me, knowing you,” while having a very nice tune typical of their brand of music, actually has a very sad message because it is about a break-up of two lovers. It highlights what they consider to be the irreconcilable differences between the two. “Knowing me, knowing you,” it says, “there is nothing we can do. / Knowing me, knowing you / We just have to face it / This time we’re through….” These lyrics can only tell us that the two cannot be together definitively. The root of the problem is, of course, because one of them makes as the basis of their relationship his or her own self-knowledge, of how he or she is at the moment, which definitely will always have differences with the other party in spite of the things they share in common. And if one insists on how he or she is, then sooner or later the differences will overwhelm what they have

in common. That relationship is doomed. What should rather happen is that instead of starting with oneself, we have to start knowing the other, the object of our love, and from there try to make the necessary adaptations for the relationship to hold. In other words, it should be “Knowing you, knowing me.” That way, one gives priority to the object of his love and adjusts himself to the way the other party is. That is what loving is. The lover identifies with the beloved and adjusts himself to the beloved, not the other way around, and that relationship would last. But obviously, since all of us have our defects and weaknesses, knowing the object of our love would not be enough for us to relate to him or her properly. If we simply base our loving on the way the other party is, then sooner or later the couple will share the same defects and weaknesses, even

as they also share some good qualities. The likelihood of a break-up would be high. The ideal condition to have is first to know and love God so that we may know and love ourselves and others properly. Thus, instead of “Knowing me, knowing you,” it should rather be “Knowing you (God), knowing me.” This was what St. Augustine precisely said. “Noverim te, noverim me,” Latin for “May I know God, may I know myself,” St. Augustine said. It is when we know and love God first that we can know who we really are and ought to be. God is our Creator and Father in whose image and likeness we have been made. How he is, who is pure love in essence, is also how we ought to be. It is God who will tell us what is true and false, right and wrong, moral and immoral. It’s not us who define and determine these things. And if we know God first, then

HINTS AND TRACES

ROY CIMAGALA we would know how to relate ourselves with the others, how to love them properly the way God loves us, as shown, taught and commanded to us by Christ himself. Thus, if we really want to truly fall and remain in love with our beloved, if we want our relationships to last long until forever, then we have base it on our knowledge and love of God first. There can be no other way to assure us that our relationships here on earth would last!

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Economist sees further jumps in PH’s BOP surplus A N economist forecasts further jumps in the Philippines’ balance of payments (BOP) surplus partly due to recovery in foreign direct investments (FDIs), foreign portfolio investments, and remittance inflows. This, after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday reported the November 2020 BOP surplus of $1.47 billion, which brought the year-to-date level to $11.79 billion. In a report, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort said that while the November BOP surplus is lower than month-ago’s $3.44 billion, it is almost among the eight-year highs and is an increase compared to year-ago’s $541 million surplus. Aside from the improvement

of foreign investments into the country, Ricafort said narrower trade deficit also boosted the country’s BOP position, citing that exports are back to pre-Covid levels while imports growth remains low. Proceeds of the government’s foreign borrowings, partly due to increased requirements to finance pandemic-related spending, also boosted the BOP position. Other factors that support the BOP position, along with the gross international reserve (GIR), are revenues from the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, income of BSP’s investments overseas and gains from foreign exchange operations, and other income from abroad. “BOP surpluses could be sustained at relatively high levels as the inflows is US dollars from aforementioned inflows could still

be sustained in the coming months, consistent with and helping GIR reach new record highs,” Ricafort said. BOP refers to the balance of money coming in and out of a country within a given period. Relatively, the country’s foreign reserves to date hit a record-high $104.82 billion, which is equivalent to about 11.2-months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. “Sustained BOP surpluses to fundamentally lead to record high gross international reserves (GIR) into uncharted highs well above latest new record high of $104.508 billion that have structurally supported the appreciating trend of the peso exchange rate vs. the US dollar in recent weeks/months,” Ricafort added. (PNA)

PNB, PSBank extend fee waiver for digital banking transactions By JOANN VILLANUEVA, PNA

MANILA – Both the Philippine National Bank (PNB) and the Philippines Savings Bank (PSBank) have decided to extend their fee waiver for InstaPay and PesoNet transactions to encourage more clients to use digital banking channels. In a statement Tuesday, the Lucio Tan-led PNB said it is extending until March 31, 2021 the waiver for InstaPay and PesoNet fund transfer fees. PNB president and CEO Arnulfo Veloso said they fully support the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) bid to widen the usage of digital modes for financial transactions, which got a boost after Malacañang placed Luzon under lockdown in mid-March until end-April, and until end-May for Metro Manila, as part of the measures to address the pandemic. “We see digital banking is gaining ground as customers learn more about the benefits

of these services. This extension will encourage more customers to use digital channels,” he said. Veloso said, “while all of our branches are open, PNB is giving customers the safer option of banking online to minimize the need to go out of their homes to visit branches and ATMs.” He cited the upward trend in the number of PNB clients who are enrolling their accounts for digital banking. “Customers have become more comfortable in using these digital applications through their computers and smartphones. All these efforts are aligned to our bank-wide initiatives as we continue to thrive in the ‘New Normal’,” he added. PSBank, in a statement, said aside from PesoNet and InstaPay transaction fees it will also waive “until further notice” fees for its cash transfer service PaSend, which can be accessed

areas serviced by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), the decline in domestic rice prices, and the continued strengthening of the peso against the US dollar. “Looking ahead, the BSP will continue to monitor economic and financial developments to ensure that its primary mandate of price stability conducive to balanced and sustainable economic growth is achieved,” Diokno added. Last November, inflation posted its fastest phase

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BDO – CDO HAYES Trendline Bldg.,Hayes Street, 8568151/727405

METRO BANK- GAISANO 8561720

BDO – COGON Sky hi Bldg JR Borja St. Cogon, Cdoc 8577963/ 725209/ 725203 BDO – OSMEÑA Osmeña corner Ramon Chavez St. Cdoc 724567/8563727 BDO – LAPASAN Lapasan Highway Cdoc 8563233 /8563234 / 725178 BDO – RN- PELAEZ George Town CyberMall Rn Pelaez Blvd Kauswagan Cdoc | 8562617/729052 BDO – CARMEN Maxsuniel cor.V Neri St. Carmen, .Cdoc 8584854 /8581133 BANK OF COMMERCE- VELEZ Akut- Velez St.Cdoc | 8564371 / 726880 BANK OF COMMERCE- LAPASAN

CM Recto Ave. Lapasan, Cdoc, 8563991/727731

BPI FAMILY SAVINGS BANK RER kauswagan,HW Cdoc 8573733 /722519 BPI FAMILY SAVINGS BANK Gaston Park Cdoc | 8801518 BPI – LAPASAN Cm Recto HW Lapasan Cdoc 724076/ 8524602 BPI- VELEZ Velez-JR Borja St.Cdoc 8564213/722406 BPI – CAPISTRANO Capistrano St. Cdoc 8574264/8574263 BPI- COGON Osmeña St. Cdoc 8571297/8571298 CHINA BANK –GAISANO 745887/745880

through the bank’s mobile app and online facilities. “This extension aims to further encourage the Bank’s customers to take advantage of the opportunity to send money to other banks for free, maximize the use of its reliable online banking facility, and utilize the powerful functionalities of its mobile application – allowing banking transactions to be done simply and safely in the comfort of their own home,” it said. Metrobank’s thrift banking arm cited the “exponential rise” of digital banking

utilization since the start of the pandemic and vowed continued innovation to further improve its digital capabilities. “PSBank is still committed to improve on them given the fast adoption of consumers to non-contact platforms necessitated by the health crisis,” it said. For inquiries, the bank encourages its clients to call its hotline at (632) 8845-8888 or access the bank’s website, https://www.psbank. com.ph, or its Facebook account, https:// www.facebook.com/ psbankofficial/. (PNA)

BSP eyes Dec ’20 inflation rate between 2.9, 3.7% RATE of price increases for December 2020 is seen to remain manageable, with the range seen between 2.9 and 3.7 percent, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said. In a Viber message to journalists Tuesday, Diokno said upticks in domestic oil prices along with key agricultural products are projected to push inflation rate for the month higher. These factors are, however, forecast to be countered by the drop of electricity rates in

5

Banking&Finance

since February 2019 after it accelerated to 3.3 percent. Inflation in February last year is faster at 3.8 percent while the December 2019 figure is slower at 2.5 percent. Average inflation rate in the first 11 months this year stood at 2.6 percent, at the lower half of the government’s 2 to 4 percenttarget band until 2024. BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB) forecasts average inflation this year to be at 2.6 percent while it is seen to be at 3.2

percent in 2021 and 2.9 in 2022. BSP recently said economic managers consider the inflation target band as “appropriate quantitative representation of the medium-term goal of price stability that is optimal for the Philippines given the current structure of the economy and outlook of macroeconomic conditions over the next few years.” Inflation print in 2023-24 would largely be affected by economic recovery postpandemic, it added. (PNA)

CHINA BANK- JR BORJA JR Borja St. Cdoc 8572212/8573274 CHINA BANK- LAPASAN CM Recto Lapasan HW Cdoc 8561325 /722240 CHINA BANK – CARMEN Max Suniel, Cor. Yakal St. Cdoc 8583903/723091 CHINA BANK – DIVISORIA RN Abejuela St. Divosoria Cdoc 8575759/722641 CITY SAVINGS BANK TS Fashion Ave.Justo Ramonal Corner St.Cdoc 2316060/ 2316059 CHINATRUST Suite U&5 G/LGateway Tower Lapasan Lkk Cdoc 8521846/8521844 D’ASIAN HILLS BANK HW. Lapasan Cdoc | 8564201/ 8564201 D’ASIAN HILLS BANK Vamenta Carmen Sts. Cdoc | 8585366 DBP – CORRALES Corrales Ave., St. Cdoc | 8572087/722649 DBP – CAPISTRANO JR Borja Capistrano St. Cdoc 8567776/722819

PBCOM Tiano-HayesSt. Cdoc | 726519/8571558 PLANTERS DEVELOPMENT BANK

Tiano Bros St. Cdoc | 727083 /727082 PHILTRUST BANK Ramonal OsmeñaSt. CDO 8807234/2316694/2316695 PNB- CORRALES Corrales Avenue Cdoc | 729500 / 729723

PNB- LKK MALL NORTH CONCOURSE

LKK Mall N.Concourse Cdoc 8574149/8575682

PNB- CARMEN Elipe Bldg.Carmen, Cdoc | 8583158/ 8584203 PNB- LKK LKK Lapasan, Cdoc | 8564347/722872 PNB CDO– DIVISORIA Tiano Bros.Cruz Taal St., Cdoc 722861 /722816 PNB CDO– LAPASAN LKK Center Lapasan, Cdoc | 8564732 / 723992 PNB CDO– COGON LKK Center Lapasan, Cdoc 8571991/ 723992 PHILIPPINE POSTAL SAVINGS BANK, INC. bels_domingo@yahoo.com.ph Rizal Chavez Cdoc 8572194/725438 PS BANK Velez Corner A. Mabini St., Cdoc 8574183/725184 PHILIPPINE VETERANS BANK Tiano-Abejuela St. Cdoc 722644/8573386 QUEEN CITY DEVELOPMENT BANK, INC. Sacred Heart Mont. Cm RectoAve., Cdoc 8562390 RCBC- VELEZ Velez-Borja St. Cdoc | 8564982/8568888 RCBC- COGON Simplex Bldg. Osmeña St. Cdoc 8562888/725863/8521329 RCBC- LAPASAN Cm. Recto Lapasan HW. Cdoc 8561888/722449 RCBC- LKK Gateway, Tower 1 LkkCenter, Cdoc 8563707/722449 RCBC SAVINGS- CARMEN Walingwaling St.,Carmen St. Cdoc 8585793/ 8586248 RCBC SAVINGS- VELEZ Velez St. Cdoc | 729083/8562460 RCBC SAVINGS- AGORA 8807891/8807892 RURAL BANK OF CABADBARAN, Inc.

#58 Tiano FernandezSt.CDO 727215/ 8563552 *805

SECURITY BANK- OSMEÑA Osmeña St. Cdoc | 8563965/ 723411/728774 SECURITY BANK- LKK Limketkai | 8801258/8801625

EAST WEST BANK #5 Juan Sia Bldg. Apolinar Velez St.Cdoc 8578801/720081

SECURITY BANK- VELEZ Velez Montalvan St., Cdoc | 728334/856632

EAST WEST BANK Cogon De Oro Constraction Bldg. LKK Drive 8500339/8500331

STERLING BANK OF ASIA Tiano Velez St. CDO | 8528171/8528168

ENTERPRISE BANK INC. Centro Mariano Bldg Osmeña St. Cdoc 723869/ 3093395 FIRST CONSOLIDATED BANK CM Recto Ave., Cor.Agudo Road Cdoc 8565360/2316678 LBP – CAPISTRANO Capsitrano St. Cdoc | 8565515/727678 LBP – VELEZ LunaVelez St. | 723549/8563198 LBP – PUERTO Puerto Cdoc | 8558858 MAYBANK JR Borja Tiano Cor. Bldg. Cdoc 8574439/726060 METRO BANK- DIVISORIA Pabayo Abejuela St. Divisoria Park, Cdoc 724783/8576999 METRO BANK- VELEZ A. Velez St. Cdoc | 8561724/726054 METRO BANK- JR BORJA JR Borja St. Cdoc | 8572999/724415

UCPB BANK- LAPASAN Osmeña Corner Lkk Drive, Cdoc 85771842/ 725135 UCPB BANK- VELEZ Velez Corner C. Pacana St. CDO 8564474/8564527 UCPB BANK SAVINGS-CAPISTRANO

Capistrano Corner CruzTaal St. CDO 8524099/722695

UCPB BANK SAVINGS- OPOL Gf forever Books Bldg.Bulua National CDO 754519/8588063 UNION BANK Lapasan Cm.Recto Cdoc | 8566847/8563805 WEALTHBANK Velez Gomez St. Cdoc | 8568942/722174 1ST VALLEY BANK Vamenta Blvd. CornerLirio St. Carmen, Cdoc 8501871/ 8584146 OROBANKERS CLUB Inc. Pnb Carmen | 09151850242

BusinessWeek MINDANAO CREDIBLE

Editor: GILBERT Y. CHAO

ENVIRONMENT

RELIABLE

IN-DEPTH

Friday|January 1, 2021

6

Sardine Varieties in the Philippines

Oceana calls for sardines mgmt plan in closed fishing season

C

RAVING for sardines or tuyo because of the past days’ feast of meat dishes? Would you know how important sardines is in our fisheries stocks? Oceana supports the closed fishing season in the Visayan Sea for sardines and other selected fish and for sardines in the Zamboanga Peninsula, as the group also calls for complementary measures to ensure food and livelihood security for municipal fisherfolk and commercial fish workers during the period. “The declaration of closed fishing season by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources this year takes a more significant turn because the National Sardines Management Plan was signed and up for implementation. Secondly, we have the rules on vessel monitoring measures also ready for implementation that will help in effectively enforcing the closed season,” said Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Oceana Vice President. The international ocean conservation group said the strong enforcement of the closed season can

be complemented by the participatory process that the Sardines Management Plan provides. Ramos said this is an opportunity to engage fisherfolk, civil society groups, local governments, and other stakeholders in crafting the Fisheries Management Plan of sardines as an important element of managing the impact of the closed fishing season. “With the spatial and temporal closure in the portion of the Visayan Sea, it is imperative for Fisheries Management Area 11 and pertinent Fisheries Management Areasthrough the Management Body and put in place a monitoring and evaluation mechanism that will look into the biological condition of the fisheries resources, and socioeconomic impact of this harvest control measure. This science-based intervention of policies and plans that are developed through the participatory mechanism of the Fisheries Management Area will be most helpful,” explained Ramos. According to Oceana, sardines is an important fisheries resource

especially in this time of pandemic and calamities when it is one of the items commonly given out to the affected families in relief and emergency response packs. However, our sardines municipal fisherfolk are also among the poorest of agriculture sector that are most in need of this support. In the recently released third quarter report of the Philippine Statistics Authority, fisheries registered a 1.9 percent increase in output. It contributed 15.8 percent to the total agricultural production. Bali sardinella or tamban posted a 31.5 percent growth and among the two other fisheries species that posted higher production growths. The others being bigeye tuna with 39.9 percent increment, and blue crab at 25.5 percent. “The sustainable management of sardine fisheries is one of the goals of the National Sardine Management Plan. Part of the plan is to determine the impact of the close season and support the provision of job opportunities during the close season. As we

continue to grapple with the challenges of the pandemic, climate change and fisheries management. the, our fisherolk bear the heavier burden than any other sections of our population. Ironically, they are our food producers that suffer the most from hunger, barely able to give their children their basic necessities of shelter and education,” Ramos said. Based on the Fisheries Administrative Order no. 167-3, issued in 2013, portions of the Visayan Sea are closed for catching, selling, and buying of sardines and herrings (tamban/ tabagak/ tamban-tuloy/ balantiong) and mackerels (hasa-hasa/ gumaa/ bulao/ alumahan). Meanwhile, the Zamboanga Peninsula’s closed fishing season is for sardines only. Species not permitted for catching, selling, and buying only include sardines and herrings (tamban/tabagak/tambantuloy/balantiong) and mackerels (hasa-hasa/ gumaa/ bulao/alumahan). BFAR VIA DA-6 The closed season in the Visayan Sea started on November 15 and will

end on February 15, 2021. The Zamboanga Peninsula closed season for sardines will be on December 1, 2020 to March 1, 2021. According to Ramos, banning commercial fishing in municipal waters is considered one of the harvest control measures that the FMA should enforce. “The use of technology like Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite can be used to detect violations during the close season. The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) recently issued the rules for vessel monitoring mechanisms. The installation of tracking device in the commercial fishing vessels will highly improve the enforcement efforts,” Ramos added. Oceana is an international advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans. Since 2014, Oceana has been working closely with national and local government agencies and stakeholders to restore the abundance of Philippine fisheries and marine resources.

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FRIDAY|JANUARY 1, 2021

SME Owners Need Telehealth Now More than Ever to Protect Businesses

W

ITH the steady rise of COVID-19 cases, medical and pharmaceutical services have never been more important. However, going to clinics and seeing doctors in person may pose risks. Many Filipinos are anxious, especially those who may need to see a doctor

during this pandemic. The pandemic has been a driving force to many digital innovations in the world, including telehealth. Globe myBusiness recognizes the need of its SME customers to provide health benefits to their businesses’ employees and as such, partnered with KonsultaMD, the

Globe myBusiness brought together expert speakers to talk about telemedicine and how businesses can stay afloat throughout the new normal

country’s pioneer in telehealth. It conducted an online seminar to enable entrepreneurs to explore benefit options for their employees’ health. The webinar entitled Telehealth in the PH: Protecting Your Business and Your Employees aimed to help entrepreneurs take care of the health conditions

of their employees. The online event featured a powerhouse of resource speakers from the Department of Health (DOH), KonsultaMD, and Globe Telecom, and was moderated by Apple Mendoza. The first speaker was Dra. Beverly Ho, Director IV at the DOH, who discussed the basics of

telemedicine and how the need for it has been accelerated by the COVID pandemic. She defined the concept as delivering healthcare at a distance through telecommunication or digital means. The need for telemedicine comes from the DOH’s goal of bringing Universal Health

Care (UHC) to Filipinos, which is a combination of better health outcomes, responsive health system, and financial risk protection. Telemedicine, then, contributes to the goal by improving access to services, maximizing available resources, and coordinating end-to-end service delivery across facilities. She then gave a brief history of the concept, and discussed the remaining challenges we face today with regard to telehealth. All in all, she painted a clear picture of where the Philippines is in terms of telehealth services, what milestones our country has already achieved, and how things could still improve. Following Dra. Ho was Alfie Paulino, Sales Manager of Globe Telehealth Inc. She discussed how, KonsultaMD, a subsidiary of the Ayala Group under 0917 Ventures, can help Filipinos. KonsultaMD would like to create a new normal for businesses by providing them with 24/7 PROTECT/PAGE 11

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FRIDAY|JANUARY 1, 2021

RESORTS, HOTEL & RESTAURANTS DIRECTORIES

A PUBLIC SERVICE BY:

ALGEN’S DIVE RESORT (088) 3872015 APPLE TREE RESORT & HOTEL 735411 / 754525 Fax: 754497 0917-7144040 / 0923-3269366 / 0939-9076948 BAHAY BAKASYUNAN SA CAMIGUIN (088) 3871057 / 3870131 Fax: 3870278 BASAMANGGAS RESORT 08822-760564 Fax: 760565 CAGAYAN RIVERVIEW INN 8584245 / 729039 Fax: 8584245 CASA CRYSTALLA 8561704 / 722465 Fax: 722480 CASA ISABELLA (088) 8564065 CASA AZUCENA 8563402 / 09236593973 CHALI BEACH RESORT 732840 / 8552108 Fax: 8555941 CHANANTHON BED & BREAKFAST 8568189 / 3093095 COUNTRY VILLAGE HOTEL 8583004-06 Fax: 8583006 D’BUDGETEL 8564200/726643 Fax: 8564300 DAHILAYAN FOREST PARK 8568562 to 63 DE LUXE HOTEL 8572144 / 724548 Fax: 724563 DISCOVERY HOTEL 727814 / 8563896 Fax: 8563897 DUKA BAY RESORT (088) 3312290 Fax: 725265 DYNASTY COURT HOTEL 8574802 Fax: 857900 GRAND CITY HOTEL 8571900 / 728469 Fax: 723718

PRYCE PLAZA HOTEL 8583131 Fax: 726687 PRAWN HOUSE (088) 3095992 Fax: 8519219 RIDGE VIEW CHALET 8588946 / 8587946 Fax: 8588946 SEDA CENTRIO HOTEL 3238888 / 0917-577-5910 SOUTHWINDS HOTEL 724803 / 8562036 Fax: 8562036 STARGATE DREAM VACATION RESORT 8515003 / 8509999 THE VIP HOTEL 726080 / 8562505 Fax: 726441 RED PLANET 8800888/8801306 TRAVELERS POD 8518988 UPTOWN CONDOTEL 8511800 VILLA PARAISO APARTELLE 3870419 Fax: 3870429 HONORARY MEMBERS: DEPT. OF TOURISM 723696/726394 / 8564048 Fax: 723696 RESTAURANTS: BIGBY’S CAFÉ 72-1071/857-5511/8575836 Fax: 711843 CAFÉ LAGUNA 8582999 Fax: 8567001 DM VILLARUY RESTAURANT 733790 GOLDEN AJIRANG I 856-5271 Fax: 727876 GRAND CAPRICE RESTAURANT 72-6955/856-2302 Fax: 72-4986

HOTEL CONCHITA 8563856 / 727355 Fax: 8563857

KAGAY-ANON RESTAURANT 728958 / 8563688 Fax: 8563843 / 729003

HOTEL KORESCO 8589749-50 Fax: 8589748

LA ILONGGA RESTAURANT 72-6183 / 857-3652 Fax: 72-4605

HOTEL SOGO 8520383 KINGSTON LODGE 8585696 Fax: 8585696

MISSY BON BON 8566852 / 09228606442 Fax: 8566852

MAPAWA NATURES PARK 8584402 Fax: 725265 MALLBERRY SUITES 8541999 / 7249999 Fax: 8544999 MAXANDREA HOTEL 8572244/729943 Fax: 724090 MIAMI INN 8581901 to 02 Fax: 725279/728486 N HOTEL (088) 8801924 PARAS BEACH RESORT 8568563 Fax: 8568563 PHILTOWN HOTEL 726295 / 8564402 Fax: 723104

SLERS HAM & CAFÉ 8551438 THAI ME UP 738424/3108424 Fax: 738424 BARKADAHAN GRILL 8551234 LA TEGOLA CUCINA ITALIANA 8585959 LIMKETKAI LUXE HOTEL 8800000 DEAR MANOK 8564914 / 8573413 LIMKETKAI LUXE HOTEL Landline: (088) 880-0000, Mobile: 0917-312-4563 Email: info@limketkailuxe.com

Celebrate the Season of Giving with Huggies, Anne Curtis, And Baby Dahlia; Help Them Raise 1,000 Gift Pack Donations This Christmas C HRISTMAS is the perfect time for surprises and gifts. This time around, Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies® brand comes with both as it welcomed actress and firsttime mom Anne Curtis and her daughter Dahlia as their newest endorsers. Alongside the announcement was the introduction of a special holiday gift pack aimed to help moms and babies in need. Introduced via Facebook Live hosted by Patty LaurelFilart, Huggies revealed Anne and Dahlia as moms’ Secret sANNEta and Dahlia ReinDEAR this Christmas season; bringing with them a specially curated Secret sANNEta gift pack as part of its ongoing Buy 1, Get 1, Give 1 promo. Starting December 20, every purchase of one (1) case of Huggies Dry Pants comes bundled with one (1) Secret sANNEta gift pack that contains baby care essentials such as one (1) pack of comfortable Huggies Dry Pants, one (1) pack of skin-loving Huggies wipes, two (2) packs of Kleenex Facial Tissues, one (1) roll of Kleenex bathroom tissue, and one (1) Hugsy teddy bear. With every purchase of this bundle, Huggies and Anne will match and donate the same amount of Secret sANNEta gift pack to Dream Machine, who will then distribute it to families in need from their partner hospitals. A total of 1,000 gift packs will be up for sale. This offer is available exclusively on Lazada until January 15, 2021 or until supplies last. As we continue to face the challenges of the pandemic, all the more people will need basic childcare supplies, and what

better way than Huggies to collaborate with Dream Machine, a platform founded by Anne that stands both as a voice against dream shaming and as an enabler to make dreams come true. One of Dream Machine’s advocacies is the youth, and with this, Huggies is extending its efforts to provide comfort and care to moms and their babies, especially to those who need it the most. “I’m so delighted to be moms’ Secret sANNEta this Christmas season,” shares Anne. “My Dahlia reinDEAR has been a Huggies user even before we were welcomed in the family, so we feel so grateful to be a part of this special Buy 1,

Get 1, Give 1 promo. I hope everyone is as supportive to reach our 1,000-donation goal for Dream Machine’s partner hospitals.” “Huggies continues to put forward its goal of being the parenting partner, adds Brian Duruin, Head of Marketing, KimberlyClark Philippines, Inc. “We should all uplift each other as we remain hopeful for the coming year.” Since the start of the year, Huggies has also donated over 100,000 newborn diaper packs to children’s hospitals and maternity wards. They also launched the Huggies Club: Facebook Live, a fiveweek online forum series that aimed to guide and

provide moms the reliable support system they need by connecting them to other moms and healthcare professionals to tackle relevant parenting topics and advice. Now, with the Secret sANNEta gift pack, Huggies affirms its role and commitment to being your trusted parenthood partner for generations to come. To purchase the Secret sANNEta gift pack, head to Huggies LazMall now. For the latest news and updates, follow the Huggies PH Facebook page or visit huggies.com.ph. Join the Huggies Club for free and get access to more parenting tips, as well as exclusive perks and deals!

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FRIDAY|JANUARY 1, 2021

Year in review:

Go’s people-centered legislative accomplishments M ANILA – Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and other crises faced by the country this year, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go continues to deliver on his promise to serve Filipinos through his legislative work in the Senate, and through his initiatives to help those in need wherever they are inside and outside the Philippines. “Ginagawa ng gobyerno ang lahat para maiahon ang ating mga kababayan mula sa hirap na ating dinaranas. Magtiwala po tayo dahil kapakanan ninyo ang inuuna naming (The government is doing its best to help our countrymen get out of the hardships they are experiencing. Trust us that we will prioritize your welfare),” Go said. “Ako naman po, patuloy lang ang aking serbisyo sa bawat Pilipino. Wala na akong hihingin pang iba, ibinigay na po ng Diyos sa akin ang pagkakataon na manilbihan sa bayan. Kaya ibabalik ko sa inyo ang serbisyo na dapat niyong makuha mula sa gobyernong palaging nagmamalasakit sa inyo (I will continue serving every Filipino. I could not ask for more, God gave a chance to serve the nation. So, I will give the services you deserve to get from the government that cares for you),” he added. As Go explained, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the government and the people to adapt to new ways in accomplishing things. But on top of these, numerous Filipinos have been adversely affected also by various calamities that hit the country this year. “Marahil sinusubok ng taong ito ang ating pananampalataya at katatagan (Perhaps this year tests our faith and resilience). Now, more than ever, unity and cooperation are necessary for us to overcome these challenges. Kaya patuloy lang po dapat tayong magtulungan at magbayanihan (We should continue helping each other),” Go said. Throughout the year, Go and his team continues to provide aid to Filipinos in crisis situations on top of and in support of what government agencies have been providing. “As I have said numerous times, I will not limit myself to serving as a Senator only. Bilang public servant, magseserbisyo

PEOPLE-CENTERED SERVICE. Senator Christopher “Bong” Go talks to a woman in one of his people-centered accomplishments in 2020. Go called for unity as he promised to push more measures that will help more people get out of poverty next year. (Contributed photo)

po ako sa inyo kahit saan man kayo sa mundo para tugunan ang inyong mga suliranin, pakinggan ang inyong mga hinaing, at mag-iwan ng ngiti sa oras ng inyong pagdadalamhati (As public servant, I will continue to serve you wherever you are to help solve your problems, listen to your needs, and give you inspiration),” Go reiterated. “Kahit anumang problema ang inyong hinaharap — nasunugan, tinamaan ng lindol, apektado ng pagputok ng bulkan, nabahaan, lahat ng klaseng krisis — handa akong tumulong at maserbisyo sa inyo sa abot ng aking makakaya (Whatever problems we face – fire, earthquakes, volcano eruption, floods, all kind of crises, I’m ready to serve you as long as I can),” he added. Legislative works On the legislative side, Go highlighted the results of his continuing work which included improving the quality of and access to healthcare services, and addressing the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn. He authored or sponsored nine out of 14 Senate bills which were passed into law in the present 18th Congress. One of his biggest legislative accomplishments is the passage of Republic Act No. 11463, otherwise known as the ‘Malasakit Centers Act’ that he authored in the Senate. The law directs the mandatory establishment of a Malasakit Center, a one-stop shop for medical assistance, in the Philippine General Hospital in Manila City and every hospital managed and

administered by the Department of Health throughout the country. Go also principally authored and pushed for the passage of RA 11462 which postpones the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections from May 2020 to December 2022. The postponement gave village officials more time to finish their programs and projects while saving valuable public funds. Another priority measure he filed was RA 11466 or the ‘Salary Standardization Law 5’ which raises the salaries of all government employees, including public nurses and teachers, for 2020 to 2023. Following the emergency declaration in the wake of the pandemic, Go co-authored and cosponsored RA 11469 or the ‘Bayanihan to Heal as One Act’. This allowed the Executive Department to respond to the threat of Covid-19 with greater flexibility, effectiveness, resources and haste. To ensure it can undertake all necessary actions, Go helped see to the passage of RA 11494 or the ‘Bayanihan to Recover as One Act’ as one of the Senate bicameral conferees on the measure. The law gives government the response fund needed so it can carry out stimulus packages and recovery plans for struggling sectors, such as micro, small, and medium enterprises, tourism, transport and agriculture sectors, in order to help them cope with the impacts of the pandemic. As the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Go sponsored the passage of 11 bills which increased the bed capacity

or upgraded the services of the following local hospitals: Bicol Medical Center in Naga City; Bicol Women's and Children's Hospital in Pamplona, Camarines Sur; the Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao City; Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City; Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center in Las Piñas City; Malita District Hospital in Malita, Davao Occidental; Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City; Siargao District Hospital in Dapa, Surigao del Norte; Maria L. Eleazar District Hospital in Tagkawayan, Quezon; Talisay District Hospital in Talisay City, Cebu; and Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City. Go also authored RA 11470 or the ‘National Academy of Sports (NAS) Act’, seeking the establishment of the NAS in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac. The academy shall offer the student-athletes a quality education with an integrated special curriculum on sports. He also co-authored RA 11476 which institutionalized Good Manners and Right Conduct and Values Education as core subjects in the K-12 curriculum in both public and private schools to improve the delivery of education in the years ahead. In addition, Go coauthored or co-sponsored six other bills which were passed by both houses of Congress. These are Senate Bill No. 1318 or the ‘Organic Agriculture Act’ which promotes the practice of organic farming; SBN 1365 or the ‘Alternative REVIEW/PAGE 11

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on Saturday that they have directed their provincial Inter-Agency Task Forces (IATF) on COVID-19 “to enforce stringent measures against entr y of people coming from Sabah.” Nearest to Sabah’s Lahad Datu Tawi-tawi is the nearest province to Sabah’s Lahad Datu. Mobin Gampal, Provincial Administrator and IATF Focal Person in Tawi-tawi, said they will meet on Monday to discuss the matter and “enhance measures to ensure more safety. “ Gampal explained that sea borders have been closed since Day 1 of the lockdowns in March but “meron pa rin di maiwasan na lumulusot sa area” (there are still people who manage to enter the area). He assured the situation is “manageable.” On December 19, the official advisory from the IATF reiterated requirements for entry into Tawi-tawi by sea and air by returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs). Anyone entering Tawitawi will have to present a medical certificate from the local health unit, travel authority issued by Task Force COVID Shield, recent RTPCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) “yielding a negative result with one week validity” and certificate of prior coordination issued by the Provincial IATF. Safeguards and preemptive measures In a statement on Friday, Sulu Governor Saur Tan said his province, which “traditionally and historically (has) close trade and interpeople’s relations with Sabah,” views the report of a new strain of COVID-19 “seriously and will continue to liaise and make representations with the National Inter-Agency Task Force MEID (on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) on how best to handle the emerging situation” “We have porous coastlines and a vast Sulu Sea between us and Sabah, and only the National Government is equipped with the capacity and logistics to put in place and in operation, safeguards and preemptive measures called for,” Tan said. Sulu voted against inclusion in the BARMM in the January 2019 plebiscite but is part of the BARMM as the law provides that the core area of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao votes as a geographic unit. Sulu has a pending petition before the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro law. Tan said the Sulu Task Force Covid-19 is calling on the public “not to panic and to heed advisories only from official sources. With our frontline partners, we will intensify our monitoring and utilize all material and human resources at our disposal to assure our constituents, as we

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reiterate our call to them to avoid speculations and the spread of fake and harmful mongering.” REFS: Returning Filipinos from Sabah Travel by commercial ferry between Sabah and the western part of Mindanao has been suspended since the COVID-19 lockdowns st ar te d i n m i d - March . Travel was allowed only for undocumented Filipinos in Sabah deported by the government there, now referred to as “REFS” or Returning Filipinos from Sabah. Some 5,300 REFS were supposed to have been repatriated in batches of 400 every 15 days, to be sent home with negative RT-PCR test results. But only six batches, or a total of 2,119 persons, have returned home, leaving some 3,000 more in Sabah. The first batch of 395 REFS from Sabah arrived in Tawitawi on July 4 and the sixth batch of 151 REFS arrived on November 10. MindaNews learned that a seventh batch was supposed to leave Sabah on December 14 but the repatriates were not allowed because a substantial number of REFS tested positive in the RT-PCR test. The vessel sailed back to the Philippines without passengers. Earlier, on September 1 4 , Pre s i d e nt R o d r i g o Duterte appealed “to the humanitarian sense of the Malaysian government to please help our citizens in your country, as we would do for your citizens if they are in our country.” (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

Welcomes...

from page 1 campaign. "As the President mentioned, there is no hard evidence on the PACC report, and a reading of the same is 'not a condemnation or indictment.' He said that it should also not be taken as gospel truth that any of those mentioned are involved in any corrupt activities. I can categorically say that I am not involved in any anomalies or corrupt activities," Oaminal said. Aside from Oaminal, the list included Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, Isabela Rep. Alyssa Sheena Tan, Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza, Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Yap, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, and former Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. The other lawmakers that Duterte named have also issued statements denying the allegation. Meanwhile, Oaminal clarified the President's statement that he owned the HSO Construction Corp., which allegedly has several construction projects in Misamis Occidental. "HSO Construction was founded in 1988, long before I entered public service in 2007. When I became a congressman, I sold all my shares in accordance with the

law. Upon verification, HSO Construction Corp. does not have any construction projects in all government agencies in Misamis Occidental, including DPWH," he said. Despite the allegation, Oaminal assured he would remain supportive of Duterte’s war against illegal drugs and organized crime groups in his province. Oaminal's son, Ozamiz City mayor Sancho Fernando, also defended his father by saying that HSO Construction Corporation has participated in and has bagged contracts in many parts of the country since the early 1990s, which all the projects awarded to the company were secured through competitive biddings without any influence from his father. "That being said, we thank the President for recognizing that the complaints made against our father, and the eight other congressmen supposedly involved in corrupt transactions with the DPWH, are not supported by any evidence and is not to be taken as gospel truth," he said. (PNA)

Warned...

from page 1 caught with invalid reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results, 18 were scammed. Te c s o n , c o n c u r r e n t head of the Airport Health Monitoring Team, said in an interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) that scammers offered to get the swabbing done at the residence of their clients for as low as P1,000 without issuing official receipts. The local government re qu i re d i n c om i ng ai r travelers to present negative RT-PCR test results taken within 24 to 48 hours at their place of origin before their scheduled flight, or subject themselves to free testing upon their arrival at the DIA. The official added that airport authorities were unable to verify their falsified test results with COVID-19 laboratories in Manila. “What happened was, they were given a test result with a EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF FRANSISCO S. CABALLES WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

QR code. But when you scan it, it would provide you with a name of a different person. Others don’t have a QR code, but you can see already from the letterhead and format that it is not something that we normally encounter in the airport. We verify all of these in the laboratories in Manila,” she said. She said some of the victims claimed they got swabbed by agents of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Molecular Laboratory. “ The Philippine Red Cross does not have an agency. If you were told by the agency, you should be doubtful already. It is better that you personally go to the laboratories,” she said. Nam e s of P R C an d Philippine Airport Diagnostic Laboratory were often used by scammers to lure air travelers, she added. Out of the 21 passengers, only one was a resident of Davao City. None of them tested positive for COVID-19 during their testing at the airport, according to Tecson. She reminded the public to avoid suspicious individuals offering COVID-19 tests to prevent waste of money. She said cases of falsification of documents have been filed against three individuals who deliberately forged their virus test results, including P/Lt. Joy Line Cumbao, a forensic officer assigned at the Philippine Nat i ona l Pol i c e C r i me Laboratory-Davao. Cumbao, who is facing dismissal from police service for grave misconduct and dishonesty, presented a falsified virus test result upon her arrival at the DIA last December 10, but no record of such test was found when the local government verified it with Camp Crame, Tecson said. “It’s really dangerous when they get used to faking (a virus test). I know most of them did what they did so that they could leave the airport right away,” she said. As of December 23, Department of HealthDavao reported a total of 11,839 COVID-19 cases in EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE AMONG HEIRS WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That the late FRANCISCO S. CABALLES, who died intestate on September 27, 2009 at Iligan City; that the said deceased, at the time of his death, is the owner of a certain parcel of land with Transfer Certificate of the Title No. T-90303, situated in the Barrio of Iponan, City of Cagayan, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of Eighty Six (86) square meters, more or less and has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF FRANSISCO S. CABALLES WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE, filed by the heirs of FRANCISCO S. CABALLES, in favor of Corazon S. Caballes, per DOC #324; PAGE #05; BOOK #196; Series of 2013 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. GIL U. BANAAG.

This Agreement is executed by and among SERENIETA P. LLUISMA, SELINE LUCY P. LLUISMA, SHERRY LYNN P. LLUISMA, SERGS FREDERICKLUKE P. LLUISMA, all of legal age and a resident of NHA, Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City, all the surviving heirs of LINO LUSTERIO LLUISMA, who died on October 22, 2020, without a will and with no known debts, the decedent left a parcel of land with a house standing thereon under Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-62839 and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE AMONG HEIRS WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS, filed by the heirs of LINO LUSTERIO LLUISMA, per DOC #322; PAGE #XIII; PAGE #65; Series of 2020 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. KEN RINEHART V. SUR.

BWM: Dec. 18 & 25, 2020 & Jan. 1, 2021

BWM: Dec. 18 & 25, 2020 & Jan. 1, 2021

the region, with 1,857 active ones, 9,516 recoveries and 466 deaths. Of the total cases, Davao City reported 8,348, Davao

de Oro 581, Davao del Norte 1,423, Davao del Sur 843, Davao Occidental 122, and Davao Oriental 522. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

PH targets to ratify RCEP next year By KRIS CRISMUNDO

MANILA – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) eyes the country’s ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) next year before politicians get busy for the national elections in 2022. DTI Assistant Secretary Allan Gepty told reporters last week that the RCEP deal will come into force as soon as nine RCEP participating countries ratify the free trade agreement (FTA) in their respective nations. “(The) plan is (to) finish the ratification and concurrence by Senate by next year. Since there’s an election (in 2022), so our target is next year,” Gepty said. The nine RCEP participating countries are six members of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and three Asean external partners that shall deposit their instruments of approval. RCEP is the trade pact

among the 10 member states of Asean and the bloc’s five FTA partners – Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, and South Korea. The deal was concluded last November 15. He added that the RCEP participating countries have committed to work hard to ratify the deal next year so that member countries will start to benefit from the new trade pact. “It (RCEP) is like a tool that has to be utilized,” Gepty said. The trade official added that DTI ensures the competitiveness of local industries through its current initiatives and programs that are aligned with the RCEP deal. Gepty cited local sectors that will benefit the most from RCEP which include manufacturing, transportation, and even agriculture, as well as subsectors such as auto parts, chemicals, and construction, among others. (PNA)

Talisayan NHS Gulayan sa Paaralan Continues Amidst Pandemic By: JENEVA DAIGDIGAN UGAT, Teacher II Talisayan National High School San Jose, Talisayan Misamis Oriental

Part of the greatest mission of the Depar tment of Education is to provide quality and relevant e du c at i on am ong t h e citizens of the country. Along with this mission is also the assurance of good health of the students. The Department of Education, through the Bureau of Learner Support ServicesSchool Health Division (BLSS-SHD), sust ains the implementation of the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) under Deped Order No. 5 series of 2014 - "Establish a School Based Gulayan sa Paaralan". The DepEd aims to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in many schools. Thus, all schools are encouraged to establish school garden for the continuous supply of vegetables, root crops and the like in place for the school feeding. Moreover, during this pandemic, the Deped Order No. 5 is in conjunction with the LGU Talisayan’s Executive Order No. 17 Series of 2020 – an Order enjoining all residents of the Municipality to ensure food security, self-sufficiency, and economic resiliency

amidst the corona virus pandemic (covid-19). These provisions aim to eliminate not just ma lnut r it ion among students but also to secure food during health crisis. As a response to the department’s endeavour a n d p u r s u a nt t o t h e LGU’s EO No. 17 - 2020, t he T. L . E te a che rs of Talisayan National High School initiated a Gulayan Area. The objective is to showcase a small vegetable production, to produce vegetable consumption and to inculcate to the students the values of gardening, good health and nutrition. But with the current situation, only the chosen students and school staff are allowed to conduct the said activity following the minimum health standards mandated by IATF. The output will then be showcased through social media. The result of the conferences and consultations urged the TLE teachers to support the desires and even willingly fulfil the endeavour to achieve and eliminate malnutrition in our school.

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Protect... from page 7

access to loc a l doc tors anytime, anywhere, making it easier and more convenient for employees to stay healthy and engaged in their health care. On the side of the business owners, this means increased productivity, and accurate health services for the employees they value. It’s fair to note that they also have the lowest subscription rates in the market at only P1/day. The value proposition behind all this is avoiding hospitals in the time of the pandemic and subsequently avoiding the risk of getting infected. Additionally, not every symptom requires a visit to the doctor, so phoning in a consultation saves time, money and effort on the part of the patient, without skimping on accuracy and ef fectiveness. Fina lly, it allows people living in places where doctors cannot be physically present to still be able to consult with a physician, be it over the phone or online. Rounding up the panel of spea kers was Nicola Ebrada, Industry Manager at Globe myBusiness. She enumerated the digital tools offered by Globe myBusiness to entrepreneurs, focusing on those that would improve resi lience a nd aug ment business continuity. With solutions like the e-commerce platform Rush E-Store, the Facebook Ad Creator, the Rush Loyalty rewards system, the AMBER Automated SMS Blaster, the Virtual Private Cloud, Backup-as-a-Service, contactless payment through GCash, collaboration tools like Office 365 and GSuite, and various Cybersecurity or HR solutions, business owners can surely leverage on technology to overcome any limitations placed on their businesses by the pandemic. Overall, the event was educat iona l a nd hig h ly useful for the audience of entrepreneurs.

Power... from page 2

Line 1 in November 2019, while a power transformer in Toril Substation was energized shortly after in the same month. The Matanao-Toril 230kV Lines 1 and 2 were energized in December 2019 and January 2020, respectively, while the Matanao-Culaman 230kV Lines 1 and 2 were energized in the same period. The final component, the Toril-Bunawan 230kV Lines 1 and 2, were energized in November 2020, despite the difficulties posed by the varying lockdown protocols implemented across the country. “With this completion, the line will supplement the existing Davao-TorilMatanao 138kV transmission line in transmitting any and all available and incoming generation, ensuring transmission service reliability for the entire region,” said NGCP. Apart from this, the

Mindanao 230kV Backbone project is an integral part of NGCP’s Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP), which will link the Visayas and Mindanao islands and realize sharing of power within the entire country. “The Mindanao Backbone is critical to the MVIP because through this project, the new transmission line will accommodate the capacities needed to fully support and utilize the capabilities of the interconnection,” stated the company. NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders and Vice Chairman of the Board Henry Sy, Jr. and Co-Vice Chairman Robert Coyiuto, Jr. (NGCP/PIA10)

Training... from page 4

we yell and nag, the more our kids learn to tune us out and take us less seriously. Then we may actually lose control and seriously hurt our children with our words, or even physical harm, to force them to obey us simply out of fear. The healthiest, most effective way to discipline our kids is to take away their favorite possessions or privileges for a short time. This way they learn the natural consequences of their own bad choices and behavior. Then, they have only themselves to blame. That is how they learn to control themselves and change for the better. Today you can ask Jesus to forgive you for whatever wrong, unhealthy ways you have been teaching and disciplining your kids? Only He can help you change so you do not make the same mistakes with your kids that your parents possibly made with you. Just think a minute . . .

Hotel... from page 4

number of points needed • Reward advance bookings, because following the last recession, booking windows shortened and we can expect the same again Across the board, revenue managers recovering from previous recessions and from unexpected natural disasters agreed that marketing is an essential cost. Instead of slashing public room night rates, revenue managers stressed a marketing-based

approach to recovery. The trick is to be smart about it. Sales and marketing to recover faster Keeping your marketing afloat during COVID-19 is difficult, and we know that most hotels are working with a reduced staff. Finding time and resources to focus on marketing right now is a challenge. H o w e v e r, a g o o d marketing strategy is key to getting ahead first. Ta k i ng a m ar ke t i ng approach also means you can avoid the easy tactic of slashing public rates when you open. That may get you an initial boost in occupancy, but will undo any work you’ve done to increase ADR. In another post-recession analysis, researchers at Cornell Hospitality Quarterly found that hotels’ marketing expenses were a determining factor in post-recession success. While all hotels cut marketing expenses, hotels that made the deepest cuts to marketing and sales budgets had lower RevPAR than those that only made minor cuts. Reaching an entirely new market segment is a costly marketing endeavor. Instead, take a longer-term approach, using the staff and on-site resources you should already have. • Given changing travel restrictions, your local market will be able to take advantage of food & beverage, spa, or other ancillary services sooner than travelers, so consider going local for the time being. • According to the Cornell study, hotels’ sales staff are essential: post-recession winners increased sales expenditures indicating that frontline sales staff, personal contact and negotiations are key to recovery • Return to your database with the aim of both reaching out to key accounts with a personalized approach, and to clean it up for future use What’s next We’re facing an uncertain future—there are many predictions on when hotels will start to recover, but there are still too many factors to name a date. Now is the time to act to set your hotel up for a swift and profitable recovery. Focus on long-term growth over quick costcutting measures, because the future is bright and your future guests are excited to travel soon.

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At present, SM Prime has 74 shopping malls in the Philippines with 8.5 million square meters (sq. m.) of gross floor area. It also has seven malls in China with 1.3 million sq. m. of gross floor area. It has 51 residential projects — 40 in Metro Manila and 11 outside the capital region. SM Prime’s property portfolio includes 12 office buildings with a combined gross floor area of about 708,000 sq. m. as well as four convention centers, three trade halls, and eight hotels. SM Prime’s consolidated revenues dipped by 28.6% to P60.69 billion as of September this year amid the lockdown measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus that temporarily closed business establishments such as malls. It s at t r i b u t a b l e n e t income during the JanuarySeptember period was nearly halved to P14.37 billion from P27.60 billion last year. Mr. Mercado expects SM Prime to recover amid the holiday spending season. “Profitability should continue to improve over the next quarters and in 2021 (visa-vis 2020) especially given the outlook for economic recover y (e.g., recover y in demand, continuing relaxation of quarantine measures, vaccine rollout),” he said. “ H o w e v e r, p o s s i b l e impacts of the growing adoption of e-commerce (vis-à-vis shopping in malls) to SM Prime’s mall segment remain to be seen. Continued deployment of capex for new projects should also buoy profitability down the line as these developments come online,” Mr. Mercado said. Mr. Laneda, meanwhile, sees rental concessions to be slowly rolled back starting next year. “Online sales [are] not a threat, but will mostly complement brick-andmortar businesses as the SM Group is taking advantage of online channels,” Mr. Laneda said. As the economy slowly opens up, he expects SM Prime’s net income to be higher next year, pencilling in a bottom line of P34.7 billion.

integrated communities, resort-oriented developments, and projects on the higher end of the price segments. In 2019, launches and takeup in the province reached a record-high 10,500 units and 9,500 units, respectively. Given the impact of the pandemic, launches and takeup in the first half of 2020 only reached 1,700 units and 3,100 units, down 72 percent and 42 percent year-on-year. The demand for midincome condominium units has been driving launches and take-up in Metro Cebu. In the first half of 2020, the mid-income segment accounted for more than half of take-up during the period. “This indicates the rising purchasing power of Cebuano investors and end-users over the past few years. We expect projects under the segment to partially fuel the recovery of demand in 2021,” Bondoc said. Colliers urges developers to continue ser ving the requirements of Cebu’s enduser market. Aside from condominiums, Colliers sees that house and lot projects remain attractive among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). “Anecdotally, OFWs are one of the major drivers of Cebu’s horizontal residential market as they are also the end-user. Given the impact of the pandemic, developers should also highlight their sanitation and emergency preparedness protocols. The pandemic has only raised the need to live within a building that employs strict property management procedures,” Bondoc said. (PNA)

Learning System Act’ which addresses the basic learning needs of out-of-school youth, adults and children in special extreme cases; and the SBN 1520 or ‘Doktor Para sa Bayan Act’ which institutionalizes a medical scholarship program for deserving and qualified medical students. He also co-authored or co-sponsored SBN 1844 that gives the President the authority to expedite the processing and issuance of national and local licenses, permits, and certifications; SBN 1807 designating the month of October as ‘National Cooperative Month’; and SBN 1396 expediting the delivery of benefits to coconut farmers through the creation of a trust fund. On top of t hese, Go continues to push for bills that would streamline functions and enhance the capabilities of government to respond to the needs of Filipinos especially amid the changing times. G o f i le d SBN 173 8 inst itut iona lizing t he transition of the government to e-governance, SBN 1949 establishing the Department of Overseas Filipinos, and SBN 205 establishing the Department of Disaster Resilience, among others. “Sa pagpasok ng bagong taon, magkaisa po tayo para sa ikabubuti ng ating bansa at para maibigay sa bawat Pilipino ang mas komportableng buhay tulad ng naipangako ng ating mahal na Pangulo (As we enter new year, let’s unite for the good of our country and so that we can give to every Filipino a comfortable life as promised by our President),” Go said. (PR)

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Globe donates employee Christmas Party funds to COVID-19, disaster beneficiaries P RIOR to the pandemic, Filipinos would already be flocking to local malls and tiangges for the perfect Christmas decors, presents, and Secret Santa gifts. Kitchens are abuzz with potluck preparations, while restaurants and function halls are fully-booked for Christmas parties. Loved ones abroad start to fly home and airports are at full capacity. All over the world, Christmas is being celebrated differently this year because of Covid-19. For the Filipino who is known to be passionate, there is one sure thing that will echo very strongly this season the tradition of giving. As a brand that truly cares for others and stays closer to customers, Globe is recreating Christmas as it leads a different celebration of the season this year.

At the start of December, Globe launched its first virtual Wonderful World of Globe unwrapping more data promos, online gaming and content partnerships, online streaming of the traditional MMFF through Upstream. ph, and community outreach programs led by customers themselves. Spreading Christmas cheer further, Globe announced that it is forgoing its traditional all-employee Christmas party this year, and instead will donate at least P5 million to various causes, namely COVID-19 support, distance learning, disaster response, hunger alleviation, and child protection. With all the challenges the nation faced this year, nothing makes Christmas more meaningful than to do a #GlobeOfGood. “The annual Christmas party has been something our employees look forward

Globe employees in Isabela join forces to help victims affected by recent typhoons

to yearly, as it has become a gathering of over 8,000 of our dearest Ka-Globe to enjoy and unwind after each hardworking year. As

all gatherings shift virtually amidst the pandemic, we gladly reallocated the budget to serve more Filipinos who need the most support in

light of recent events and calamities,” says Renato Jiao, Globe’s Chief Human Resource Officer. Beneficiaries of the

donation are long-standing partners of Globe in its mission to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG): PGH Medical Foundation for COVID-19 assistance, Ayala Foundation for both COVID-19 assistance and distance learning, Gawad Kalinga for child and youth development, Rise Against Hunger for disaster response, and UNICEF for child protection. Whenever donations are made on-ground, Globe ensures the safety of both the volunteers, its distribution partners, and the public by strictly following government health protocols of observing social distancing and using face masks. Get to know more products, services, and community initiatives of Globe. Visit www.globe.com. ph