BusinessWeek Mindanao (March 27, 2020)

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Briefly Seized scanners AGENTS of the National Bureau of Investigation, Region 10 (NBI-10) led other government agencies in confiscating some 203 pieces of Thermal scanners at a house in Barangay Gusa this city on March 24.

Authorities said the fever detectors against virus worth P1.9 million were confiscated during an entrapment operation conducted by the NBI, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Regulatory and Compliance Board (RCB), and local officials of Barangay Gusa.

NBI-10 Regional Director Patricio Bernales Jr. said the confiscated items were found stored in a residence allegedly owned by a person identified only by officials as a certain Mr. Chong in Barangay Gusa.

No rice hoarding GENERAL Santos City – Mayor Ronnel Rivera warned commercial rice traders on Tuesday against the hoarding of supplies amid reports on the sudden increase in market prices in the past several days.

Rivera said they will not hesitate to file charges against traders who will take advantage of the general community quarantine here and the neighboring areas due to the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) threat.

The mayor said he has directed the city’s price monitoring council to regularly check the prices and availability of rice supplies in the local markets.

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Friday|March 27, 2020

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By MINDANEWS

ENERAL Santos City – Cebu Pacific Air has chartered additional cargo flights to facilitate the shipment of more food products, including tuna, from the city and neighboring areas to Manila.

Edgardo Cueto, manager of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) here, said Wednesday the airline has commissioned

an Airbus A320 aircraft for three more cargo flights to Manila every week.

He said these will augment FLIGHTS/PAGE 11

Water district offers free services to LGUs on making disinfectants vs.COVID-19

By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN, Contributing Editor

FOODS FOR FRONTLINERS. Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano receives a donation from Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC) to be consumed by frontliners in the fight against COVID-19. The goods donated are sacks of rice, canned goods, bottled water, noodles, among others. photo by misamis oriental provincial information office

Chambers propose mass screening with RST to curb COVID-19 spread

By MIKE BAÑOS

THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry today endorsed to President Rodrigo Duterte a resolution from its affiliate chambers in Mindanao urging the ramping up of mass screening of possible COVID-19 cases in the country through the adoption of the Rapid Serologic Test (RST) as a surveillance tool.

In its letter to the president coursed through Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea dated today, PCCI President Amb. Benedicto V. Yujuico also requested the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant Emergency Use Authority to the application for registration of verifiable suppliers of RST kits, and to set up “PCR

SAN FRANCISCO,Agusan del Sur--- The local water utility here has offered local government units in the province free technical services on the proper use of the water-based chlorine disinfectant to combat the dreaded coronavirus disease

2019 (COVID-19).

“We want to help capacitate local government units from the municipality down to the purok level on the right mixture of chlorine and water and the proper application when disinfecting open areas SERVICES/PAGE 9

Rapid test kits

Sub-National Reference Laboratories” in all regions of Mindanao.

“We urgently need to check the health of our communities and this is only possible SEE FULL STORY/PAGE 6

DISINFECTANT. Ruben Jarabata Jr, senior chemist of San Francisco Water District, prepares the right mixture of a water-based chlorine disinfectant that will eliminate the coronavirus living on surfaces. The disinfectant is given free to clients visiting their office. chris v. panganiban

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2

Local

LTFRB-10 reminds PUVs to follow 'social distancing' rule

P

UBLIC utility vehicles that have continued operating within the region amid the community quarantine implemented by local government units should observe "social distancing."

Aminoden Guro, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-10 (LTFRB-10) director, said on Friday “social distancing” means that PUVs should reduce their regular number of passengers by at least 50 percent.

Guro said the regulation was mandated by a joint order of the

Department of Health and the Department of Transportation to prevent the potential spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

In a press briefing, Guro said under the "social distancing" rule, taxis are only allowed to carry four persons--including the driver--while public utility jeepneys should only ferry half of the total number of passengers, sitting one seat apart.

Buses are also required to adopt the one-seat-apart rule.

Jessi Boy Lentorio, manager of the Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. (RTMI) Yacapin branch,

said their buses continue to ply the Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, and Lanao del Norte routes.

Lentorio said they see to it that their employees and the riding public practice strict precautions when boarding RTMI buses.

RTMI has already provided handwashing stations at the city’s two integrated bus terminals, aside from subjecting passengers and personnel to thermal scanning on every bus, he said.

“All our buses are disinfected before the trip, and all passengers are one seat apart, at 50 percent capacity of the bus,”

Lentorio added.

Meanwhile, Donald Rey Ellarina, chief executive officer of Donsals Transport Corp., said their coaster buses are still operating within the city and some towns on the western side of Misamis Oriental.

Ellarina assured they are compliant with the "one-seat-apart policy," but admitted that there are instances that some passengers would insist on taking a ride--especially those that involve emergency situations.

“In consideration of these passengers, we just see to it that they wear a face mask and they must clean their hands with alcohol we provide,” he said.

Ellarina said their company is bearing the brunt of the community REMINDS/PAGE 11

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FRIDAY|MARCH 27, 2020

Caraga State U chemists produce disinfectant to fight Covid-19 BUTUAN City – Chemists and chemical engineers from the Caraga State University and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) have joined hands with the city government to produce at least four tons of disinfectants that will be used to clean public places here.

City Information Officer May Diez said the volunteer chemists heeded the call of the local government to help contain the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease here.

“Members of the Incident Management Team (IMT) will do the disinfection of the public place today,” Diez told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday.

She said the disinfectant will be available on public plazas, bus terminal, public markets, and the city's

main thoroughfares.

Chemists from CSU who joined the team in the production of the disinfectant include Dr. Felmer Latayada, Diana Juliet Anduyan, Margarito Caadan, Kenneth Ciudad, Brigette Orog, Benhur Medija, and Mark Anthony Lavapiez.

The DOST volunteers, meanwhile, are Jovelyn Sumagang, Laura Cril Famor, and Lyka de La Rosa while the chemical engineers include Mary Jane Jumawan, Christine Buyan, Emman Lliam Prisco, and Jonathan Agbayani.

“The city government of Butuan expresses its heartfelt gratitude to these chemists and engineers for sharing their time and expertise,” Diez said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Penaso, CSU president, vowed the state university's support in the continuing fight against Covid-19 in Butuan City and the rest of the Caraga Region.

Aside from helping produce disinfectants, Penaso said CSU is also involved in the production of face shields and nanocellulose films for facial and surgical masks.

In addition, Penaso said CSU is also providing mental health and psychological support services and the provision of relief goods to students from far-flung areas who PRODUCE/PAGE 11

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

3 Donate to #OneAgainst COVID19 through PayMaya N Advertising and Editorial E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com Contact nos. : 0917-7121424 • 0947-8935776

FRIDAY|MARCH 27, 2020

OW you can donate to various charitable foundations and humanitarian agencies mobilizing relief and response efforts against COVID-19 through PayMaya's digital payments platform.

The one-stop digital donation facility that can be accessed online or in-app is part of #OneAgainstCOVID19 drive that PayMaya launched with various partners to help raise funds for frontliners and the most vulnerable

communities affected by the pandemic.

“In this time of great and urgent need, coming together in the traditional spirit of bayanihan becomes ever more important so that no one gets left behind. This #OneAgainstCOVID19

harnesses the power of collaboration and digital payments as we fight this global pandemic,” said PayMaya Founder and CEO Orlando B. Vea. By visiting the #OneAgainstCOVID19 page in the PayMaya website (http://donate. paymaya.com) or going to the Pay Bills section of the PayMaya app, Filipinos can choose from a variety of charitable organizations to support with causes that range from providing medical front liners with meals and personal protective equipment to giving relief and medical packages to communities, among many others.

Recipient beneficiaries, meanwhile, will be able to receive the donations through PayMaya's platforms.

Anyone from around the world can go to the #OneAgainstCOVID19 website and donate using their credit, debit, or prepaid card. This means that even overseas Filipinos can pitch in for the various efforts. Online donation acceptance using a Philippine mobile number with a PayMaya account through Pay with PayMaya is also available. For PayMaya account holders, donating

via the Pay Bills section of the PayMaya app or by scanning a partner's PayMaya QR online is the fastest way to support #OneAgainstCOVID19 causes.

Partner organizations raising funds through the platform include the Philippine Red Cross, which is seeking donations for different aid packages that will be given to medical front liners and communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNICEF, on the other hand, is calling for donations to provide critical, medical and sanitation supplies for health facilities, as well as educating children and families on proper handwashing, providing parents with home-based educational activities for children and psychosocial support through counselling.

For Oxfam Pilipinas, proceeds will go to helping ensure that poor families have access to water, sanitation and hygiene items to protect their health, and help them recover from the effects of COVID-19—particularly those who lost their livelihood or income during the community quarantine period.

Caritas Manila is calling for cash donations to provide Caritas LIGTAS COVID-19 kits and Caritas Manna food bags to poor communities, families, and the elderly in Metro Manila, who are the most vulnerable during these difficult times.

Other #OneAgainstCOVID19 partner organizations that Filipinos can choose to donate to include the Philippine Business for Social Progress, Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, TV5's Alagang Kapatid Foundation, PLDTSmart Foundation, and #nowheretogobutUP, among others.

One big effort vs.

COVID-19 In launching the effort, PayMaya underscored the need for a multi-sectoral, concerted push that will help support the various front liners in the effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19 disease, as well as alleviate the plight of those living in vulnerable communities. As it makes its digital financial platforms available for the #OneAgainstCOVID19 DONATE/PAGE 11

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Opinion

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A great son Think a minute . . . This is a true story about a boy who dreamed of sailing around the world living a life of adventure on the sea. The day finally came at age 15 when he was old enough to follow his dream and join the Navy as a midshipman on a real war ship. Of course, his big challenge now was to convince his mother to let him go. But his dear mother had lost her husband only 5 years earlier and was left to raise more than a dozen children all by herself. So for her to give up her youngest son was asking almost too much. Yet she told him if that was what he really wanted, she would give her approval to let him go.

The day finally came to say goodbye. Her boy was standing in front of her in a dashing Navy uniform, ready to sail away. Suddenly his mother became overwhelmed with the pain of letting go of her youngest son. She began to cry uncontrollably and begged him to stay home to help her and the rest of the family. Her 15-year-old son was quiet for a long time before finally speaking. He

THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST wanted with all his heart to become a Navy officer—but not if it was going to break his mother’s heart. He was deeply sad and disappointed, yet he returned home to help his mother take care of the rest of the family.

But that’s not the end of t h e s t or y. For t h i s honorable young man who almost became a midshipman, later became the captain of a country. This devoted son who sacrificed everything became known as the Father of the Nation: George Washington, the first President of the United States.

The Son of God Himself sacrificed ever ything, SON/PAGE 11

FRIDAY|MARCH 27, 2020

CoViD-19 must awaken humanity from deep slumber

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ALLAN MARIO MEDIANTE Vice President for Corporate Affairs RUFINO T. MAGBANUA Vice President for Business Development

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ORLAN R. RAVANERA

It has been said that in the absence of a major change, the global systems will collapse in less than hundred years.

We are now on the 20th year of the 21st century but we are not anymore certain if we can reach the 22nd century which is only 8O years from now. The earth continues to warm, the 236-meter iceberg in the Arctic and Antarctic which is twice the area of Europe is melting without let-up at the rate of 1000 hectares every day, the oceans

are rising, endemic species are becoming extinct and the unimaginable is becoming imaginable: the end of life on earth.

For sacrif icing Gaia (Mother Earth) with all its biodiversity and the ecosystems to the altar of greed and profit, humanity is now taking the brunt of nature’s wrath. One of nature’s retaliatory moves against human’s cruelty is the 2019 Corona Virus.

Based on studies, it is the conclusion t hat “w hen ecosystems are degraded, new pathogens, pests, or invasive species spread with devastating consequences to food production and human health. Such can lead to the emergence of new human diseases such as zoonotic diseases that spread from animals to humans.

COVID-19 is that zoonotic disease transmitted from

bats to humans when the Chinese ate bats” The same phenomenon happened a hundred years ago when a zoonotic disease (HIV/ AIDS) was transmitted from chimpanzees to humans somewhere in West Africa as the result of human hunting and eating of chimpanzees as bush meat.

This grim unsustainable environmental scenario is made horrible by the unsustainable economic reality where the wealth of a few oligarchs in the world is equivalent to the total assets of some 3.6 billion people or half of the world’s population. Indeed, Mother Earth and the people are being sacrificed in pursuance of the growth-at-all-cost development strategy where money is used to make more money and not to enhance the quality of life of the people.

Unbridled materialism and

consumerism is the order of the day, devoid of spirituality where diabolic minds towards self-aggrandizement are in control.

The much needed paradigm shift towards new dimension of spirituality has become imperative, where the spiritual consciousness of the earth’s inhabitants must now focus on regaining back the lost ecological integrity and in the process, becoming God’s stewards having been created in the image and likeness of the Creator. Indeed, protecting God’s vanishing creations is the highest form of worship because creation is a reflection of the Creator Himself. Yes, the blooming of the flowers may be very beautiful but it pales in comparison to the blooming of the human spirit.

Such wonderful blooming of the spirit is now becoming AWAKEN/PAGE 11

Political correctness vs. moral correctness Both of them may share a lot of similarities. They can share some common ground.

But they too have a lot of differences, and sharp and radical differences at that!

We have to be keenly aware of these similarities and differences as much as possible so that we can be properly guided in our life. We cannot deny that nowadays many people just go by what they see around — the fads and trends — without checking on the basis and orientations of these fads and trends.

The similarities between political correctness, and for that matter, any idea or sense of correctness, on the one hand, and moral correctness

on the other, stem from the fact that the basic truths about man cannot be denied.

Everyone wants to know the truth and to pursue what is good and beautiful. That common, universal desire can put political correctness and moral correctness on the same footing. It’s when knowing what is true and what is genuinely good and beautiful when differences start to appear. And the differences can be sharp and radical.

The main source of their sharp differences is none other than that political correctness is based only on some political consensus that perhaps at the start and for a while can coincide with moral correctness, but it can

stray from it to the point of contradicting God’s laws.

Sad to say, we are seeing this trend in many places.

The idea of political correctness often regards God’s laws as not the primary consideration to make. What is considered of primary importance is what people want. And when they gather enough consensus, it can happen that God’s laws end up marginalized, then ignored, and t he n c ont r a d i c te d and rejected. Thus, some countries have now legalized abortion, euthanasia, samesex marriage, etc.

In many countries nowadays, to refer to God’s laws in the discussion of social and political issues,

HINTS AND TRACES

ROY CIMAGALA

for example, is considered a violation of political correctness. Nowadays in many places, to practice charity and mercy in politics is often deemed anathema.

In the understanding of many people about political correctness, one can be brutal CORRECTNESS/PAGE 11

The dire consequences of having family no. 2 Enforcing Governance and crafting a Succession plan for our clients in Asia are two of the most critical challenges that we encounter in our regular work at W+B Family Business Advisory.

Providing a tailor fitted approach for every family owning business and combining it with Asian values has been our core competence since the firm broadened its reach to cover Asia Pacific and South Asia.

But there are two other major risks (ownership and succession risks) that are often neglected and yet take center stage when immediate family, extended and in-law members battle for power and ownership.

Succession coupled with ownership issues gets mired in controversy when many marriages end in divorce, legal separation and annulment.

In S i ng ap ore a l on e , where I engaged most of my regional clients, the country’s divorce rate spiked a few years ago, catapulting

the Republic as one of Asia’s top six economies with very high incidence of failed marriages. The latter was exceeded only by South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan. But it is worth mentioning that a l l t he s e cou nt r ie s are among the most affluent in Asia that share a common Chinese cultural heritage background.

When we look at the total picture, the marriage rate in Asia has gone down in recent years while the divorce rate continued its upward trajectory. From a family business perspective, what does a failed marriage got to do with Succession and ownership issues? What are the implications when couples terminate their marital vows by saying “I don’t” or “I won’t any more” instead of continuously professing their “I do’s”?

The implications and the consequences are too important to ignore!

For starters, most couples who go into

business together never dream their relationship will end. But when things unravel and the divorce or separation is set in motion, the emotional turmoil is further complicated by the question of what happens to the business and the children produced by the union.

Problems emerge when a significant number of these parents will remarry, adding new children to the marriage and further complicating the already complex family business eco system.

The consequences can be quiet daunting as the creation of a not-so-merry mix of family members we refer to as a blended family can include half-siblings, step-siblings and children from the current marriage.

Expectedly, all of them will jockey for attention and as the y b ecome adults, will expect employment, p ower, par ticipation in decision-making and future ownership.

N a t u r a l l y, w e c a n

FAMILY BUSINESS COACH

PROF. ENRIQUE SORIANO ant icip ate de ep s chism and undercurrents within the blended family and if ignored, can cause real tension. Neglecting the latter can devour the best-laid plans of business succession!

But the biggest risk of them all is the inherent risk that will impact the family business system especially when Illness, incapacity and death of a key family shareholder happens. When the enterprise is caught unprepared, we can almost always expect the entire family, business, ownership system to tur n chaot ic DIRE/PAGE 11

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FRIDAY|MARCH 27, 2020

5

Banking&Finance

outlook on banking BSP seen to tap other policy Fitch industry turns negative tools more than key rates FITCH Solutions forecasts the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to further utilize other policy tools more than the key rates this year to address the economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

In a report, the unit of Fitch Group forecasts an additional 50-basis-point key policy rate reduction from the BSP this year after a total of 75-basispoint cut as of March.

During the rate-setting

meet of the policymaking Monetary Board (MB) last March 19, the Board allowed the temporary relaxation of BSP regulations on banks’ compliance reporting, calculation of penalties on required reserves, and the single borrowers limits.

It also approved the temporary cut in the term spread on rediscounting loans vis-à-vis the overnight lending rate to zero.

It likewise slashed its

average inflation forecast for this year from 3 percent to 2.2 percent, and the next year’s figure from 2.9 percent to 2.4 percent.

The BSP attributed this decision to “lowerthan-projected inflation outturns in recent months, a sharp decline in global crude oil prices, and the adverse effects of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on global and domestic economic activity.”

Rate of price increases

last February slowed to 2.6 percent from monthago’s 2.9 percent due to deceleration of the annual increase in the heavilyweighted food and nonalcoholic beverages index.

The government’s inflation target for this and next year is a range between 2-4 percent.

Fitch Solutions forecasts domestic inflation rate to average at 2.1 percent this year, and to accelerate to 3.2 percent POLICY/PAGE 11

Lending, financing firms urged to extend debt relief to borrowers THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is encouraging all lending and financing companies to adopt measures that will help borrowers cope with the impact and challenges brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

In a notice dated March 23, the SEC announced debt relief measures that financing and lending companies may adopt, such as lowering of interest rates, waiver or reduction of penalties, charges, and other fees, loan term extension, suspension of collection, payment holiday and debt consolidation.

Financing and lending companies may also develop and implement their own programs or schemes that will provide financial relief to their borrowers.

The SEC, through its Corporate Governance and Finance Department, is also communicating directly with financing and lending companies, which have been the subject of numerous complaints from the public, to urge them to adopt schemes that will help their borrowers.

“We call on financing and lending companies to adopt all possible measures that will help

ease the burden of their borrowers amid this public health emergency, which has disrupted the everyday lives of Filipinos, including their livelihoods,” SEC chairperson Emilio Aquino said in a statement on Tuesday.

A number of financing and lending companies have already adopted debt relief measures.

For one, the Philippine Finance Association has informed the Commission that at least 18 of its members have allowed the extension of payment deadlines, without penalties and fees, for borrowers. (PR)

FITCH RATINGS downgraded its outlook on the Philippine banking industry to “negative,” from “stable,” citing the growing fallout from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

In a note sent to reporters on Tuesday, the global debt watcher said the outlook for the banking industry turned negative “in the face of rising asset-quality risks amid a deteriorating operating environment as a result of the global coronavirus outbreak.”

A negative outlook means that banks’ ratings might be downgraded in the short to medium-term or in about six months to two years.

“We also see pressure on revenue from declining interest rates and the resulting economic slowdown, as enhanced community quarantine on Luzon Island — which accounted for more than 70% of the nation’s output — dents business operations,” Fitch said.

“Lower revenue, in conjunction with slower credit growth, will weigh on banks’ profitability this year.”

The latest policy rate cut worth 50 basis points (bps) could put pressure on banks’ net interest

margins (NIMs), Fitch added.

However, Fitch said that further reductions in the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) of banks could offset the yield compression up to a certain extent.

On Tuesday, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) slashed big lenders’ RRR by 200 basis points, effective March 30. The RRR for thrift and rural lenders was kept at its current levels of four percent and three percent, respectively, while those for non-bank financial institutions with quasibanking functions was maintained at 14%.

In its note, Fitch Ratings outlined the BSP’s relief measures to cushion the impact of the pandemic on the banking industry, including increasing the singleborrower limit (SBL) to 30% from the initial 25%, the suspension of penalties for reserve deficiencies, as well as staggered booking of allowance for credit losses.

“Notwithstanding such measures, the weaker operating environment is still likely to exert pressure on loan quality, especially as the quality of recent rapid credit growth has not NEGATIVE/PAGE 11

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FRIDAY|MARCH 27, 2020

Chambers propose mass screening with RST to curb COVID-19 spread T

By MIKE BAÑOS

HE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry today endorsed to President Rodrigo Duterte a resolution from its affiliate chambers in Mindanao urging the ramping up of mass screening of possible COVID-19 cases in the country through the adoption of the Rapid Serologic Test (RST) as a surveillance tool.

In its letter to the president coursed through Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea dated today, PCCI President Amb. Benedicto V. Yujuico also requested the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant Emergency Use Authority to the application for registration of verifiable suppliers of RST kits, and to set up “PCR Sub-National Reference Laboratories” in all regions of Mindanao.

“We urgently need to check the health of our communities and this is only possible using mass testing in the field. Having statistics of sick patients in the hospital is just too late,” said Ma. Teresa R. Alegrio, PCCI area vice president for Mindanao.

“We need to know actual cases in the field even before they become symptomatic or no longer symptomatic (unknowingly healed) to make targeted decisions before they even get to hospitals,” she added.

PCCI is advocating the immediate rollout of the mass screening program using RST by local government units in partnership with national agencies, Philippine Red Cross and other NGOs starting with all PUIs awaiting access to PCR testing, all PUMs, vulnerable persons within

the vicinity of a cluster of Covid-19 outbreak, and among front liners in the hospital and in the field.

Persons who test positive from RST mass screening should also be required to undergo priority confirmatory testing by PCR. The chambers are also requesting the Food and Drug Administration Philippines (FDA) to grant Emergency Use Authority to approve the applications for registration of verifiable suppliers of RST Kits that already underwent the registration process with their respective FDAs in their country of origin.

Not the least, PCCI also supports the call of many LGUs and regional bodies to set up sub-national reference labs in all regions of Mindanao in addition to the four already being set up in the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, the Baguio General Hospital & Medical Center in Benguet, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, and Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.

The Western Visayas Medical Center and the Bicol Public Health Laboratory are also being prepared for testing.

In addition to the University of the Philippines - National Institutes of Health

(UP-NIH), five private hospitals are also being assessed by the DOH and the World Health Organization as possible extension laboratories.

These are the molecular biology laboratories of St. Luke’s Medical Center - Global City, Makati Medical Center, The Medical City, St. Luke’s Medical Center - Quezon City and Chinese General Hospital.

Indonesian Experience A week ago, Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered the rollout of rapid tests for COVID-19 across the country in a bid to accelerate detection of the disease.

Rapid tests are easier to perform than regular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and can detect COVID-19 cases quicker.

Since rapid tests like the RST only require blood serum as a sample, these can be conducted by most health laboratories across the country enabling mass testing in COVID-19 hit areas to be performed quickly.

It is easier to implement than the regular tests like PCR, which must be performed in level two biosafety laboratories, since they involved the sampling of nasal fluids or larynx substances which contain the virus as main specimens.

Since rapid tests are easier to perform, Indonesia expects more people to be tested and sent to hospitals if found positive. To anticipate a rise in confirmed cases, Jokowi called for hospitals to set up health protocols for handling those who had performed the test.

PCR too slow to determine virus spread Although PCR

© RITM Researchers at the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine prepare to load reagents into a real-time PCR machine as they check their testing kits for the Zika virus on Wednesday, February 3.

(polymerase chain reaction) is a tried and tested method to confirm COVID-19 infection in PUIs and PUMs, it does not give a true picture of the spread of the infection in a community due to the length of time it takes to confirm a test, now worsened by the backlog at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) due to the sheer volume of samples, the shortage of testing kits to meet the demand, and the extended time to send samples to RITM due to the lockdown of the national transport network.

RITM is the sole testing facility in the country at present since the four additional regional centers are not yet ready to conduct tests.

Indirect Method “RST is an excellent tool to check the presence of antibodies naturally produced by the human body as a defense mechanism to fight the presence of a destructive foreign body, e.g. the SARS-CoV2 /COVID-19 virus,” said Roderico Biaco, PCCI-X Regional Governor. “It is an indirect method of detecting the presence of the virus (the infection), unlike the PCR test which detects the actual virus itself.”

“Each has innate limitations, serve different functions, but should be used together to complement each other in combating the global pandemic,” Biaco noted.

Biaco said needs a better surveillance tool that is affordable, reasonably accurate and reliable, easily deployable in the field with minimal technical skill (no need special laboratory with HVAC and negative room pressure, etc), and safer (no need to transport live virus samples).

It is also important to note that our field operatives and front liners know that they have fair access to the testing themselves to boost their morale, he added.

“Furthermore, we can map out (geo tag) the existence of the spread of the virus using GIS (geospatial information system) and updating the GIS database is faster using RST,” Biaco stressed.

“This is critical in planning and executing decisions in the field. We need to analyze faster patterns and trends the virus spreading in the community to make proactive policies and PROPOSE/PAGE 9

Dr. Michael Dao shows Covid-19 rapid tests he from South Korea . The test uses a drop of blood and can return results in 10 minutes. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register) SCNG

How South Korea tamed COVID-19

AFTER one of the world’s largest initial outbreaks outside China, South Korea has managed to bring daily new cases into relative decline without imposing draconian nationwide lockdown measures.

Comparing Italy to South Korea shows how dramatic the differences can be.

On March 1, Italy had only 1,701 cases and 41 deaths, while South Korea had 3,736 cases and 21 deaths. Three weeks later, on March 22, Italy’s caseload had exploded to 59,138, with 5,476 deaths, while South Korea’s total caseload had merely doubled to 8,897, with 104 deaths. https:// foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/23/coronaviruspandemic-south-korea-italy-mass-testing-covid19will-keep-spreading/ The key to South Korea’s success has been speed and an early push toward mass testing, rigorous contact tracing, and mandatory quarantine for anyone near a carrier of the virus.

The country, with a population of 51 million, tests more than 20,000 people a day at more than 600 testing sites nationwide, while integrating apps that not only track individuals if they have tested positive, but also warn them if they might have been exposed to a known case.

From a peak of 909 cases in February 29, South Korea has seen a decline of its COVID-19 cases since March 11 to as low as 74-76 daily. https:// www.nbcnews.com/news/world/how-south-koreaflattened-its-coronavirus-curve-n1167376 South Korea flattened the curve for new cases by ramping up its testing capacity to the current 20,000 people a day at 633 sites, including drive-thru centers and even phone booths.

Those tested can receive their results in less than 24 hours, and so far over 327,000 of South Korea’s 51-million population have been tested since January 21st.

"Acting fast was the most important decision South Korea made," said Hwang Seung-Sik, a professor at Seoul National University's Graduate School of Public Health.

By early February, the first test had been approved. Active collaboration among central and regional government officials and medical staff took place before cases began piling up. Early testing meant early detection of infections where a relatively larger proportion of patients showed either no symptoms or very mild ones, according to Hwang.

South Korean leaders have amped up efficiency for overwhelmed hospitals by digitally monitoring lower-risk patients under quarantine, as well as keeping close tabs on visiting travelers who are TAMED/PAGE 9

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Heed our advices, please - PB Sabio

A

MID Community Quarantine (CQ), Mohon Punong Barangay Francis Jerson Sabio appealed to his constituents to cooperate and heed simple advices.

These include: * If possible, stay at home * Practice personal hygiene * Halt at check-points and be sanitized there. * Secure quarantine pass (for govt and private employees) from the barangay * Obey the barangay curfew "These may be simple but these can help break the chain of transmission of the dreaded Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)," stressed PB Sabio.

Sabio also thanked tanods, barangay health workers and members of the Sangguniang

Kabataan in their barangay for their all-out support to the COVID -19 task force.

"Together," he stressed, "we can help contain COVID-19."

But if we become hardheaded, we might worsen the pandemic, underscored Sabio.

"So heed our advices, please."

The Punong Barangay likewise thanks those who share theirs (bread, coffee, others) for the barangay front liners of Mohon.

"This is one notable act of kindness amid crisis," he said.

In-and-out of people in Mohon is now strictly scrutinized.

Curfew is imposed starting 8PM. No quarantine pass, no entry policy is likewise imposed strictly.

PB Sabio hopes Mohon and the entire Tagoloan will remain COVID -19-free.

STRICTLY FOR COVID-19. Barangay Mohon in Tagoloan Town is strictly requiring every one entering the village to passby a foot bath to ensure being virus-free amid COVID -19 pandemic.

Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT 10th Judicial Region REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL Cagayan de Oro City

Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 12th Judicial Region, Branch 21 Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE JUDGE

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT AND EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF

IN RE: PETITION FOR RENEWAL OF APPOINTMENT FOR NOTARY PUBLIC

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE: EJF NO. 21-87

ORDER

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale in accordance with the provision of Republic Act No. 720, as amended filed by 1st VALLEY BANK, INC., represented by NERI B. BLISS, Branch Manager, MORTGAGEE, against Spouses ROBERTO V. MARIAS and ADELAIDA G. MARIAS of Purok Ipil-Ipil, Maranding, Lala, Lanao del Norte, MORTGAGOR, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness the principal amount of ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED NINETY THREE AND 42/100 (Php1,576, 793.42) PESOS, becomes due exclusive of interest, penalties, publication, Sheriff's expenses and other related incidental expenses, the undersigned or his duly authorized deputy will Sell at Public Auction on June 4, 2020 at 10:00 o'clock in the morning to 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon at the Office of the Clerk of Court, RTC, Branch 21, Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte to the highest bidder, for CASH or MANAGER'S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following described real property with all its improvements thereon, to wit:

Atty. Phillip Nelson F. Carpio and Atty. Dexter Baquiano Precioso filed the above verified petitions for commission as Notaries Public.

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-20,721 Register of Deeds of Lanao del Norte

Finding the petitions to be sufficient in form and substance let the same be set for summary hearing on March 25, 2020, at 10:00 o’clock in the morning before the sala of this Court. Interested persons or party may file a verified opposition in writing which should be received by the Court before the scheduled hearing why the petition should not be granted.

A parcel of Land (Lot 7-B-5-G of the subdivision plan Psd-12-003474, being a portion of Lot |E-5 Psd-12-003203), situated in the Barrio of Maranding, Municipality of Lala, Province of Lanao del Norte, Island of Mindanao. Bounded on the S., along line 1-2 by Lot 7-E-5-B; on the W. along line 2-3 by Lot 7-B-5-F both of the subdivision plan; on the N., along line 3-4 by Road (10.00 m. wide; on the E., along line 4-1 by Lot 7-B-5-H of the subd. plan. Registered in the name of ROBERTO V. MARIAS, of legal age, Filipino, married to Adelaida B. Generalao. Containing an area of THREE HUNDRED (300) SQUARE METERS, more or less.

ATTY. PHILLIP NELSON F. CARPIO, Petitioner, X- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - / IN THE MATTER OF THE RENEWAL OF COMMISSION AS NOTARY PUBLIC

NC. 2020-125

ATTY. DEXTER BAQUIANO PRECIOSO, Petitioner, X- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - /

Further, let this Order be published at the expense of the petitioners at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the Province of Misamis Oriental. Likewise, let a notice to the public of the hearing be posted in conspicuous places at the Hall of Justice of Cagayan de Oro City and the bulletin board of this Court.

Let a copy of this Order be furnished the Chapter President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Misamis Oriental.

SO ORDERED.

In CHAMBERS this 10th day of March 2020, Cagayan de Oro City.

BWM: March 13, 20 & 27, 2020

(SGD) DENIS Z. ALCANTAR Executive Judge

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-mentioned time and date.

In the event the Public Auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on June 11, 2020, without further notice.

Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte, Philippines, March 5, 2020.

BWM: March 13, 20 & 27, 2020

(SGD) ATTY. BERNARDINO M. BERING Clerk of Court VI & Ex- Officio Sheriff

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Mga restriksyon sa pagpasulod sa katawhan sa MisOr giklaro

H

UMAN sa makuti nga pagtuon ug pagrebisa, hingpit ng gipirmahan ni Gob. Bambi Emano ang maong kamanduan.

Kagahapong adlawa, Martes, Marso 24, 2020 gipaubos na sa General Community Quarantine ang lalawigan sa Misamis Oriental.

Pinasikad sa Executive Order GYVBE no. 202008 pinirmahan ni Gob. Bambi Emano, hingpit nang gipaubos ang tibuok Misamis Oriental sa General Community Quarantine.

Ang maong deklarasyon gianunsyo atol sa multiagency convergence & Coordination Meeting nga gitambongan sa mga sakop sa PNP, AFP, BFP, municipal mayors, MDRRMO, DILG ug DOH. Ipatuman ang hingpit nga implementasyon niini karong alas otso sa gabie marso 24 hangtud sa Abril katorse sa alas dose ang takna sa sayung kabuntagon.

Nalatid sa maong kamanduan nga dili na tugutan nga makasulod

diha sa entry points sa Lugait ug Magsaysay ang mga tawo nga nagikan sa laing probinsya ug nasud gawas kung kini magdeliver ug pagkaon, mga utanon, krudo o gas, medesina, pagkaon sa hayop, medical supplies, medical equipment ug construction supplies.

Ang mga drivers nga gitahasang mo deliver niini gikinahanglan nga makapresentar ug certification gikan sa ilang barangay ug sa tagiya sa kompanya Ang tanang pasahero ug motorista kinahanglan makapakita ug identification card nga dunay address, pagpamatuod nga residente sila sa misamis oriental.

Gitugtan rasab sa Gobernador ang tanang interbarangay, intermunicipality ug intercity transactions gikan sa Gingoog, El Salvador ug syudad sa Cagayan de Oro. Ang tanang klase sa pribado ug pampublikong tulunghaan padayong suspendido hangtud abril katorse. Padayong hingusgan ang social distancing sa tanang

panahon labi na sa mga public utility vehicles sama sa jeep ug motorela samtang gidili ang bisan unsang matang sa tapok2.

Ipadayon gihapon ang skeletal workforce sa matag departamento ug bisan na sa pribadong mga kompanya.

Samtang sirado hangtud Abril katorse (14) ang tanang malls sa lalawigan gawas sa mga supermarkets ug parmasya.

Ang mga kananan mamahimong mag operate basta muhimo lang ug pre emptive measures.

Nalatid sa Executive Order nga ang Northen Mindanao Medical Center kun NMMC lang ang magsilbing center sa covid 19 nga mga pasyente. Ang mga provincial hospitals kinajanglan dunay holding area alang sa nakitaan ug simtomas sa maong virus.

Suspendido sab sa

pagkakaron ang dalaw sa mga piniriso diha sa Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail kun MOPJ. Ipatuman gihapon ang curfew sa tanang edad sugod alas otso sa gabie hangtud alas singko sa buntag.

Monitoron sa department of trade and indutry kadtong nanago ug namaligya sa mga basic commodities labi na ang mga alcohol ug mask

nga labing gikinahanglan karon.

Ang masakpan nga nagpakatap ug fake news sa social media o print mamahimong kasuhan Kahinumduman nga nalangan ang pagdeklarar ug general community guarantine tungod sa makuti nga pagtuon sa technical working group aron walay malimtan nga mga mahinungdanong butang.

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FRIDAY|MARCH 27, 2020

Volunteers make 1,500 face shields for Iligan frontliners ILIGAN CITY -Volunteers from Motivation Philippines in cooperation with the Philippine Red Cross, this city, have been massproducing 'do-it-yourself ' (DIY) face shields to be distributed to COVID-19 frontliners.

Dubbed as the "One Thousand Five Hundred Project," these volunteers plan to make 1,500 pieces of improvised health protection shields.

Al Azanereeh Madale, volunteer nurse and founder of Motivation Philippines, said around 300 face shields were already handed-out to front liners.

"Nag-decide kami na gawin namin ito as soon as possible because we feel na may urgency. We also wanted to make our frontliners feel na meron ding mga taong concerned sa kanila," Madale said. ["We decided to do

this as soon as possible because we felt the urgency. We also wanted our frontliners to feel that there are people who cared for them."]

With enough money from their pockets and a few creative and resourceful members, Madale and his team designed safe, low-cost and durable protection from the highly-infectious COVID-19 disease.

"We have researched, pinag-aralan namin kung ano 'yong mga acceptable materials, we even started before the actual lockdown (enhanced community quarantine) ng city," he added. ["We did our research, we studied what are those accepted materials, and even started before the actual lockdown (enhanced community quarantine) of the city."]

Moreover, the team mapped a distribution

scheme on a 'first come first serve' basis except for health workers and security forces who are at risk.

The team is currently on its 876th face shield considering the budget, manpower, and scarcity of raw materials.

Moving forward, the team wanted to extend their help to the private sectors such as food and beverage workers, and even bankers.

"Sa mga frontliners,

gusto po namin ipahayag sa inyo na hindi po kayo nag-iisa sa laban na ito.

Sana naparamdam namin sa inyo na kami rin po ay nag-aalala kasi may mga pamilya din po kayong inuuwian," Madale consoled. ["To our front liners, we wanted you to know that you are not alone in this battle. Hopefully, you also felt our concern to you because we know that you all have families at home."] (CLV/ PIA ICIC)

Services...

office.

As preventive measure, clients going inside the SFWD building are asked to step on the foot bath and wash their hands with soap and observe a meter of social distancing when queuing at the cashier windows to pay their water bills. 70 percent Isopropyl alcohol are available for use to everyone.

Luzon said it is important to have proper mixing of chlorine and water if only to totally eradicate COVID-19 living on the surface.

“Improper mixture would just temporarily collapse the virus but not kill them,” he emphasized.

Ru b e n Jar ab at a , Jr. , SFWD senior chemist, said

the proper and scientific mixture is seven grams of chlorine granules for every liter of water which could totally disinfect the surroundings.

He recommended the municipal health office to regularly disinfect public place at least twice or even thrice a day to ensure that the dreaded virus cannot penetrate the municipality.

He however warned the chlorine disinfectant is not intended for hand washing and should be avoided on the skin and eye contact.

He advised those who will do the backpack spraying to wear protective gears such as goggles masks, gloves and aprons and be aware

that it is harmful to aquatic environment and plants.

He added the disinfectant can eliminate coronavirus on surfaces such as plastic tiles and ceramics.

He h owe ve r re m i n d s pr ay e r s t o b e c a re f u l when hitting metal surfaces because it is corrosive that it might damage metal surfaces of cars and motorcycles.

He advised to instead use non corrosive disinfectants like alcohol, detergents and Lysol.

Based on studies by the World Health Organization, the coronavirus can survive on hard surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel up to 72 hours and on cardboard up to 24 hours.

exposure for the body to produce enough antibodies detectable by RST. At that point, the infected person may start showing symptoms. Most healthy persons are expected to show mild reaction to the virus and may even be asymptomatic, but his immune system already produces antibodies combating the virus.

Upon successfully fighting the virus, the infected person gets rid of the virus in his system, but the antibodies may remain in his body for several days.

In this event, PCR test can no longer determine the presence of the virus nor diagnose if the person went through the infection in the first place in the absence of prior testing. However, in this case, RST can determine with a high degree of accuracy a past infection of the person from COVID-19.

“This is a critical function of RST not doable by PCR. RST is an excellent tool to diagnose the general health of the community, while PCR

for the individual patient,” Bioco said.

In the event of intercepting

by RST a healthy person that went through the disease undetected, we have the opportunity to conduct contact retracing, isolate, contain and mitigate and stop the cluster from breaking out (that otherwise PCR screening alone cannot do).

Reports also claim that most of the transmission of the virus is by asymptomatic persons. Thus, it is important to cast a wider net to catch the virus, and do it fast.

of their privacy rights to help prevent a national epidemic.

Now, hand sanitizer bottles are placed in front of nearly every entrance and elevator for public use. And of the 1,000 people who took part in a study

by Seoul National University, 97.6 percent responded that they at least sometimes wear a mask when they are outside, 63.6 percent of who said they always wear one.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 80 percent of COVID-19 cases can be categorized as mass infections.

A call center in southwestern Seoul was at the center of a local outbreak this month that generated more than 156 infections. About 90 cases were traced to a Zumba class.

South Korea has already started new testing on all arrivals from Europe, according to local news reports, preparing for a "second wave" of imported clusters. Even those who test negative are required to selfquarantine for 14 days.(with reports from foreignpolicy.com & NBCNews)

from page 1

of their surroundings to keep it COVID-19 free,” said Elmer Luzon, general manager of San Francisco Water District (SFWD).

O ve r t h e ye ars , t h e Department of Health has cited the SFWD laboratory with excellent rating for proficiency testing. Many pr iv ate c omp an i e s and government institutions sent samples to the laboratory for bacteriological, physical and chemical tests results.

Since last week, SFWD has been giving free bottles of ready-to-use chlorine disinfectants to their clients having transaction in their

Propose... from page 6

timely decisions.”

RST vs. PCR explained In the early stage of infection( first 5-6 days), a true positive person may be tested negative by RST (false negative) because his body may not yet have produced enough antibodies that can be detected by RST. RST is not the proper tool to monitor the ongoing infection, that is the role of PCR, he explained.

On the other hand, science journals are saying that the infection starts in the lungs and the virus may not still be present in nasal tracts or sputum 1-5 days after exposure for the PCR test to detect possibly yielding a false negative also.

PCR also cannot detect the virus if the person has already completely healed from the disease.

How RST buys time The IgM and IgG antibodies that are specific to the COVID-19 virus may take around 5-6 days after

Tamed...

from page 6 required to enter their symptoms into an app.

Sites like Corona Map generate real-time updates about where current patients are located and inform proactive Koreans focused on protecting themselves.

According to a survey conducted last month by Seoul National University's Graduate School of Public Health, 78.5 percent of respondents agreed that they would sacrifice the protection

9

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FRIDAY|MARCH 27, 2020

Reminds... from page 2

quarantine as local governments impose travel restrictions on the public.

“Despite our losses, we still continue to serve, especially our health practitioners and uniformed personnel so they can get home after their duty,” he said. (PNA)

Produce... from page 2

were stranded after the declaration of community quarantine in the city.

L ast we ek, t he CSU personnel also distributed hundreds of packed lunch, food items, face masks, and bottled alcohol to 100 frontliners at the Butuan Medical Center, as well as the government personnel manning the checkpoints in the towns of Carmen and Remedios T. Romualdez in Agusan del Norte.

Penaso said that CSU in Cabadbaran City in Agusan del Norte is also in the process of developing locally-made thermal scanners. (PNA)

Donate... from page 3

advocacy campaign, PayMaya is working with its partner merchants, Smart Padala agents, and employees to campaign for the cause.

Donate via online, mobile To d o n a t e v i a t h e #OneAg ainstC OVID19 web page, simply follow these steps: Go to http://donate. paymaya.com C ho os e t he sp e cif ic organization or cause that you want to donate to Choose the donation amount or package of your choice, then click ‘Add to Cart’ Review your cart or donate to other organizations as well, then click ‘Check Out’ Fill in the needed information, then click ‘Continue to Payment’. Review the details you entered, then click ‘Complete Order’ to be redirected to the secure payment page E nt e r y ou r c a rd or PayMaya details in the fields provided, then click ‘Pay Now’ Yo u w i l l r e c e i v e a confirmation of your donation via email or SMS, depending on the payment method To donate using the PayMaya app, follow these steps: Log in to your PayMaya account Click the ‘Pay Bills’ button Choose from among the organizations with the hashtag #OneAgainstCOVID19 you want to donate to In the Account Number field, enter ‘00000’ In the Amount field, enter the amount you want to donate Once done, click continue.

Review the information you have entered, then click ‘Pay’ You will receive an SMS in your mobile phone regarding the donation Donations collected via these #OneAgainstCOVID19 channels will be received

by PayMaya and remitted

to their respective recipient organizations.

To know more about this initiative, visit http://donate. paymaya.com.

Son...

from page 4

including His perfectly innocent life, because of His great love for us. Then three days later He came back to life to rule over everything He had created. Yet He still gives us human beings the freedom and choice whether or not we will accept His authority and follow His leadership over our life.

The great news is that we can trust Him, because He has already proven that He rules and leads us with His unfailing love that sacrificed Himself for us. Won’t you trust and ask Him to take full charge of your heart and life for the rest of your life?

You have nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain. Just think a minute.

Awaken... from page 4

more evident in the life of the Indigenous People who are now passionately advocating to regain back the lost ecological integrity.

Recently, the Higanonon, Talaandig and Manob o tribes in Bukidnon were organized into cooperative called the Igpanuyadug Sa Abaga Ta Bayug Agriculture Cooperative (PROTECT THE MINDAMORA W A T E R F A L L S A G R I C U L T U R E COOPERATIVE). This coming together of the tribal groups into cooperative came about because of their intense desire to save the Waterfalls from the intrusion of some Local Government Units in the nearby areas to transform the wonderful Falls into a tourist spot to rake money.

No way! That waterfalls flowing amidst the radiance of the blooming trees and flowers with flocks of birds hovering above in harmony with the musical sound of the wind and flowing water is sacred to the Indigenous People. Such amazing beauty of nature is the manifestation of the Unseen Creator. You want to know the Creator?

Be one with all of God’s creation through millions if not, billions of years.

Yet, humans have made these manifestations of God now extinct. Now, do you wonder why we have ecological disasters? But we are all deep asleep despite Sendong, Yolanda, Taal Volcano eruption, and what have you? Ah still sleeping?

This time COVID-19 looms!

For humanity that has been so enamored in so much materialism and consumerism that has reduced humans to just “self-gratification machines,” so engrossed in self-promotion, external looks and religious trivialities, let the awakening process now begins. Stop giving so much veneration to the profit motive that has already captured the minds of all governments, universities and religious institutions. Stop the denigration of our oneness

with all of God’s creation as so much environmental destruction has already been inflicted that we are now facing the earth’s 6th extinction.

GAIA is now in severe pain in a country that has already lost the 17 million hectares of dipterocarp forest and all the billions of life forms that dwell in the forest ecosystems for billions of years. Of the 25 major rivers in the country, 15 are already dried up or polluted; of the 13 major bays, 10 are already biologically dead.

Yes, the Earth is now dying in the absence of a major change. That major change is now in the offing by en hancing spir itu a l c on s c i ou s n e s s b e c au s e unless there is spirituality, materialism will continue to wreak havoc.

This is what really matters: the development of the human spirit and in effect, is exemplified through the blooming of human potentials in oneness with nature. Such truism is manifested by the biblical lines: “What profiteth a man if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of the Spirit.”

Dire... from page 4

overnight as practically all ownership related issues relating to shareholder’s composition, leadership and unity will end up in disarray.

It is therefore important to note that sensitive issues li ke ant icip at ing fai le d m ar r i a ge s , re m ar r i a ge, a d opt i ng c h i l d re n an d hav ing chi ldren out of wedlock are brought into the open so governance and ownership policies can be formulated. In doing so, there is less likelihood that family dissent will cripple the business during the critical next generation transition period.

Correctness... from page 4

and even violent in defending his position and views. They believe that is the only way truth and justice can be ferreted out from the many options placed on the table.

Part of the mistaken assumption behind this attitude is the belief that there is supposed to be separation between Church and state, and therefore anything that has reference to the Church, to God, to religion and faith, should not be made part of any political and social discussion.

Moral correctness, on the other hand, is based on God’s laws that are interpreted by the Church and by the individual consciences of persons. It covers the entire scope of our moral life. It is, of course, a very dynamic thing, for it requires nothing less than a vital identification with Christ that can and should take place in all aspects and levels of our life.

It involves a lot of things or requirements — study of the faith, development of one spiritual life, recourse to the spiritual and supernatural

m e a n s m a d e av a i l a b l e

by Christ in the Church, development of virtues, especially prudence and justice, etc.

Moral correctness is not rigidity or blind adherence to unbending principles.

There definitely is something absolute, essential, immutable and universal in it, but because its fundamental principle is charity, justice and mercy, it would also know how to adapt itself to changing circumstances. It would know how to flow with the times, updating itself constantly as new developments emerge.

We have to strive our best to aim at moral correctness, and not just political, or social, cultural correctness.

Better said, our political, social, cultural correctness, etc. should be inspired by moral correctness.

Policy... from page 5

next year.

It said reduction in the central bank’s average inflation projections until next year “gives the BSP ample room to cut rates further.”

It, however, believed that BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno will maintain his prudent stance and only cut rates another 25 bps, instead turning to other monetary policy tools to free up liquidity to the Philippine economy.

“The BSP will only shave its key policy rate another 50 bps to 2.75 percent in our view due to a need to attract foreign inflows and protect the peso amid an aggressive risk-off environment,’ it said.

On Tuesday, the BSP announced the 200-basispoint reduction in universal and commercial bank’s (U/ KBs) reserve requirement ratio (RRR) effective March 30, 2020 “to calm the markets” and to encourage banks to continue lending to both retail and corporate sectors.

“This will ensure sufficient domestic liquidity in support of economic activity amidst this global pandemic due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19),” it said.

It said a similar decision f or t h e R R R of o t h e r BSP-supervised financial institutions (BSFIs) “will also be explored.” (PNA)

Negative... from page 5

been tested over the course of an economic cycle,” Fitch said.

The debt watcher said that lenders that have higher exp osure to sma l l and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and tourism and hospitality sectors will face extra pressure on asset quality. “ The balance-sheet strength of large corporates, which make up the bulk of Philippine banking system loans, would for now help to cushion the impact on banks’ asset quality from a moderate s l ow d ow n i n b u s i n e s s operations,” Fitch said, but noted that “prolonged business disruptions could expose the banks to lumpy asset impairments.”

Fitch looked into the debt

profile of listed companies to estimate the possible impact on banks’ asset quality.

“The proportion of ‘debtat-risk’ — or those owned by non-financial corporates with interest coverage ratio of less than 1.2x — would only rise marginally from around 1% of total listed Philippine non-financial listed corporate debt at present if corporates earnings were to fall by 30%, but could jump to 57% assuming a uniformed 75% shock in listed non-financial corporates’ EBITDA, based on our estimates,” it said.

The default of big conglomerates will have “substantial repercussions on the banking system and the nation’s output, with total outstanding debt of listed non-financial corporates equivalent to around 35%40% of GDP,” Fitch said.

Fitch said that Philippine banks are armed with enough loss-absorption and liquidity buffers to withstand moderate stresses in the system.

“Any negative rating implications, therefore, would depend largely on the extent the operating environment is likely to weaken and any material and sustained deterioration in asset quality, profitability and balancesheet buffers,” it said.

Sought for comment, Fitch Ratings’ banking team clarified that they have not conducted a recent rating committee on Philippine banks.

The team noted that Issuer Default Ratings for the largest commercial banks including BDO Unibank, Inc., Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., and Bank of the Philippine Islands were affirmed at “BBB-” as of October and November 2019.

Aid...

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systems.

“We have also partnered with chefs, caterers, and restaurants in providing food to these modern day heroes,” Campos noted.

Last but not least, Campos stressed NutriAsia’s continued commitment to support all their employees and partners in operations, so they can, in turn, take care of themselves and their families.

“This is our way of paying it forward. This is our way of thanking everyone for all these years that we have been part of your family,” Campos explained. “As long as we remain strong and united as one nation, we will be able

to overcome the challenges before us.”

Nutri-Asia, Inc., (formerly Southeast Asia Food, Inc.) is the leading producer of condiment products in the Philippines. Among its best known brands are Datu Puti, Mang Tomas, UFC Catsup and Silver Swan. Last year, the company had of a total 116 distributors locally and internationally.

Flights... from page 1

the five regular cargo flights every week from Tuesday to Saturday of Cebu Pacific’s ATR 72 freighters.

Each additional flight, scheduled from Tuesday to Thursday, has an estimated cargo capacity of 9 tons or 9,000 kilos, almost the same capacity as the ATR 72, he said.

Cu e to s ai d t he f i rst Airbus A320 cargo flight left the city international airport around 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday and the regular ATR flight at 4:30 p.m.

The shipment was composed of asparagus, assorted vegetables, fruits, praw ns, f ish and ot her seafood products, he said.

These products were previously shipped to Mani l a v i a s e ve n d ai ly outbound passenger flights of Cebu Pacific and the Philippine Airlines.

All passenger flights to and from the city had been susp ended since March 17 due to the lockdown in Metro Manila and other areas in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) threat.

“This is a big relief to our producers and shippers as they mainly relied on the suspended passenger flights for their cargo,” he said in a phone interview.

Cueto said Cebu Pacific agreed to open the additional cargo f lights f o l l ow i n g n e g o t i at i on s w it h lo c a l sh ipp e rs, i n coordination with the city government.

S outh C otabato f irst district Rep. Shirlyn BañasNograles also help ed negotiate with the airline for the fielding of cargo flights that will cater to tuna and other products from the area.

The official added that the new cargo flights were on l y t e mp or ar y a s t h e Airbus A320 aircraft is mainly used by the airline for passenger operations.

(MindaNews)

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Nutri-Asia pledges P100-M food aid for most affected Metro Manila residents T HE Philippine’s leading producer of condiments is donating P100-million in food aid to residents of Metro Manila most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn brought by community quarantines and

lockdowns.

“For over 75 years now, Filipinos have welcomed NutriAsia on their table,” Nutri-Asia Chairman and CEO Joselito Campus, Jr. said in a statement. “We are extending our humble support and service to the most vulnerable of our countrymen

To express appreciation and gratitude for the invaluable efforts of frontline health workers and law enforcement officers who are working tirelessly to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country, NutriAsia gives Locally Dalandan Blended Juice Drink to various hospitals and checkpoints to help our frontliners boost their immune system and stay well-hydrated. (NAI)

severely impacted by this worldwide pandemic.”

“Today, when they need us the most, NutriAsia pledges P100 Million to help keep food on the table of our kababayans.

In an alliance with Project Ugnayan, grocery packs consisting of basic goods and food essentials or grocery vouchers will be distributed to the most affected residents of Metro Manila to tide them over this difficult time.”

“As we go through these extraordinary circumstances, we at

NutriAsia stand as one with the nation in embracing the spirit of Malasakit and Bayanihan,” Campos added.

As a tribute to health workers and the military for their selfless service in protecting Filipinos against COVID19, Campos said NutriAsia has reached out to nearly 80 hospitals and 8 LGUs by providing their medical, military and police front liners with juice drinks to keep them hydrated and help boost their immune AID/PAGE 11