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Briefly ReliefAgad A NEW online platform that would collect data of Social Amelioration Program (SAP) beneficiaries was launched on Thursday in order to hasten the distribution of the government’s relief program. Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Rey Caintic said the platform, dubbed ReliefAgad, is now available at reliefagad.ph. “ReliefAgad is a quick relief system which would allow LGUs (local government units) and DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) to quickly capture electronic data and deliver relief to target beneficiaries,” Caintic said during a virtual press briefing on Thursday.
Food security THE food security framework adopted by the government will seek to expand the role of local governments in food logistics and distribution, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said. The framwork, formally known as the Food Security Development Framework (FSDF), was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), which is coordinating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) containment effort. “The FSDF outlines the national government’s immediate action points and ‘rebound’ mechanisms. We will strengthen partnerships with local government units (LGUs), farmers’ groups and cooperatives, agricultural state universities and colleges, and the private sector,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said.
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Limited passengers still imposed for PUVs: LTFRB Thank you for trusting us!
By MARK FRANCISCO, Reporter
L
AND Transportation Franchising and Regulator y Board (LTFRB) 10 director Aminoden Guro reiterated on Thursday that public transport conveyances in the region shall remain plying in a limited capacity even as quarantine measures have been ordered lifted starting on May 16 in Northern Mindanao.
Guro said that public transport vehicles must continue to adhere to social distancing guidelines earlier imposed by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). This order covers all jeepneys, buses, taxicabs, multicabs and public vans, he said. “Even as there will be no more GCQ in Region 10, social distancing must still be STILL TIGHT QUARANTINE. Police officers continue to man a checkpoint in Barangay Alae in Manolo enforced because this is essential to our Fortich, Bukidnon even as Northern Mindanao is now placed under the General Community Quarantine LIMITED/PAGE 6 (GCQ) status. photo by gerry lee gorit
Zubiri appeals for GCQ retention in Bukidnon BUKIDNON Governor Jose Maria Zubiri Jr. has asked the national government Wednesday morning to retain the general community quarantine measures in the province.
Zubiri’s plea came after the national Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) classified the entire APPEALS/PAGE 6
MinDA forms special team to help poor access gov’t funds FISHING AT TWILIGHT. Fishermen in Pilar town, Siargao Island go out to fish in the town's tranquil seawater at dusk on Wednesday, 14 May 2020. mindanews photo by roel n . catoto
DAVAO City – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has created a special team to help people access available financing or grants from the government. In a Facebook post Wednesday, Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said
the initiative is part of MinDA's preparation for the post coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) Recovery Program and a support program for the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program (BPBPP) pushed FUNDS/PAGE 6
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Local
Schools to begin classes with psychosocial sessions: DepEd
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UBLIC schools will be holding psychosocial interventions at the start of the new school year on August 24, officials of the Department of Education in Region-10 (DepEd-10) said Wednesday. Dr. Arturo B. Bayocot, DepEd-10 director, said the program is part of the different approaches or modalities in learning in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. "Even in the curriculum that has been put in place, when we open our classes on August 24,
they (teachers) will not teach academics that instant. The first week of school will be spent on psychosocial interventions, mental health interventions," Bayocot said. He also said that for the entire first week of the school year, discussions will be focused on safety, and psychosocial needs. However, given the limited number of psychologists to handle all schools in the region, teachers and resident nurses and medical doctors were given training modules in
handling psychosocial intervention. Dr. Myra Yee, DepEd-10 Health and Nutrition Unit medical officer, said that the "new normal" in the education sector now includes both DepEd personnel and learners trained in health and psychosocial protocols. These include, Yee said, the emphasis on "bio-safety," which seeks to identify "vulnerable" students so that proper interventions can be made. "We are already training school health nurses, doctors,
including guidance counselors through webinars. Aside from understanding bio-safety, are also forgetting the reality that there are mental health issues and psychological (problems) also involved," she said. Myron Gil Talosig, DepEd-10 Education Support Services Division head, said teachers in Region 10 are in the best position to hold psychosocial interventions because a number of them were involved in previous training since the time of Marawi City siege in 2017. (PNA)
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Fishery resource sufficiency rate in Caraga at 80%: BFAR BUTUAN CITY – The sufficiency level of the fishery resources in the Caraga Region is now placed at 80 percent rate, based on this year’s study made through the National Stock Assessment Program (NSAP) of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in the Caraga Region (BFAR-13). “This study is conducted during the early part of every year. This is a yearly program of BFAR,” BFAR-13 Director Visa Tan-Dimerin told the Philippine News Agency Tuesday (May 12). Dimerin said the survey focused only on fish landings of captured fisheries or catches of fishermen and does not include the aquaculture sector. The latest assessments, done by NSAP enumerators in 57 landing centers, covered the major
fishing grounds in Caraga Region that include the Surigao Strait, Dinagat Sound, Hinatuan Passage, part of the Philippine Sea, Bohol Sea, East Siargao Waters, Surigao Sea, Lanuza Bay, Hinatuan Bay, Bislig Bay, and the Butuan Bay. Decreased sufficiency “Over the last two to three years, the sufficiency level in Caraga Region is registered within 77, 78 to 80 percent. Increases are recorded at one to two percentages only,” Dimerin said. She explained that any deficiency in fishery resources in Caraga Region is somehow undetected by residents because of the presence of food substitutes such as pork, beef, and chicken. “One cannot say that we have insufficient supplies of fish. When you go to the market we can see displays of fishes,” Dimerin said, adding that fish products from other regions are also sold in Caraga markets. “Our sufficiency level is going down. Almost all fishing grounds in the Philippines are already on its critical stage," she warned. "With the steady growth in the number of population in the country coupled with the upsurge of the fishing efforts or activities, we already face the dwindling of stocks FISHERY/PAGE 7
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CorporateWorld
Food industry expects minimal impact on food supply amid ECQ
T
HE country's food industry such as Aboitiz food business unit Pilmico Foods Corporation echoed the government's assertion on sufficient food supply amid uncertainties brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. “Pilmico’s business continuity plans are in place and running, and this has allowed us to
operate business as usual to meet the needs of our stakeholders," said Tristan Aboitiz, president and CEO of Pilmico Foods Corporation, in a statement on Tuesday. "We have rigorously implemented our strict biosecurity processes to ensure the safety of our teams who report to work, and our supply chain has remained largely intact during the various ECQs (enhanced community
quarantine) that have been implemented across the country. This means that our facilities are prepared to continuously cater to the requirements of our customers, which should allow us to deliver our products and meet their needs,” he said. During the last meeting of the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the Department of Agriculture
Local airlines cancel commercial flights until May 31 PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, Cebgo and Philippines AirAsia on Wednesday announced the extension of the suspension of their commercial flights until May 31. The local carriers issued their advisories after the government’s decision extending the so-called “community quarantine” period in Metro Manila and other areas until the end of May. PAL, operated by PAL Holdings, Inc., said: “We confirm that all Philippine Airlines domestic flights to or from our hubs in Manila, Cebu and Clark will remain canceled up to May 31, 2020.” The flag carrier also said it was
“evaluating the possibility of flying international routes and/or domestic routes to and from its Davao hub, in coordination with concerned government authorities.” “We will announce any planned flights once these are finalized,” PAL added. PAL plans to operate a reduced number of weekly flights on most domestic routes and on selected international routes by June 1. “But this will depend on the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) conditions: community quarantine restrictions, travel bans imposed by various governments and their impact on FLIGHTS/PAGE 7
(DA) presented the food supply outlook for 2020, with most commodities actually forecast to end at a surplus by year-end. In April, the DA was assigned to chair the Task Group on Food Security created by the IATF-EID. According to the adjusted DA report, the projected supply by the end of December 2020 will be 94 days worth for rice, 234 days for corn, two days for fish, six days for
vegetables, and 253 days for chicken. Pilmico assured the public and its stakeholders that its operations remain normal. “As a leadership team, we have spent the last few weeks learning as much as we can about the disease, and assessing how it has impacted and will continue to impact our industry. It is critical that we understand how it affects our team
members, customers, and communities, so we can make the necessary changes to different aspects of our operations,” Aboitiz said. “Our company remains committed to helping sustain the food value chain by consistently being present and delivering raw materials needed to continue food production,” Aboitiz said. “The flour and feed IMPACT/PAGE 7
THE Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has learned that San Miguel Corp. (SMC) pulled out its plan of acquiring Holcim Philippines, Inc. (HPI) when the antitrust body is nearly finished with the second phase of the review of the transaction. SMC made a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange Monday about backing out from the deal but PCC said it has yet to
receive formal notice from both parties withdrawing the transaction. SMC subsidiary First Stronghold Cement Industries Inc. (FSCII) will no longer buy the 85.73 percent share of HPI after the agreement has expired in accordance with its terms. The acquisition deal amounts to USD2.15 billion. “The Commission notes that the 10 May 2020
deadline was internally agreed upon by the transacting parties and was within their prerogative to extend as needed,” the PCC said in a statement Tuesday. The PCC is doing the Phase 2 review of the transaction but was suspended, along with all proceedings, due to the enhanced community quarantine. SMC and HPI have yet SMC/PAGE 6
SMC abandons Holcim buy as PCC closes to end review
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Opinion
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ORLAN R. RAVANERA You can live for 40 days without food, for 8 days without water and for 8 minutes without air. But you cannot live even for 3 seconds without love. Great religions have been bannering love – from the Hindus’ Bhagavad Gita, to the teachings of Buddha, Christ, Mohammad, and Bahaulla, love looms as the supreme force in the universe that commands all obedience. Be that as it may, it is quite puzzling to note that based on a Study by Oxfam, it is
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Climate-controlled family Think a minute . . . What is your dream climate to live in? A warm one or a cold one? A sunny one or a rainy one? Did you know that you can live in the climate you have always wanted? I’m not talking about the weather climate, but the far more important climate of your home. The daily mood of your marriage and family. Just like a garden lives and grows best in the right kind of climate, so does your family. Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? Do you let your environment control your home’s emotional temperature, or do you control the emotional temperature of your home? It is we ourselves who actually set and control the emotional climate in our family by the way we choose to talk and treat each other. We choose to be either hot-headed, impatient and angry, or we choose to be cold-hearted, distant and inexpressive to each other. The way we choose to react to our everyday problems, mistakes, and disagreements will determine the daily mood and feeling in our home. Do you wish your family was more peaceful and happy?
THINK A MINUTE
a conclusion that in these contemporaneous times, “humanity has given full veneration to the profit motive that has captured the minds of all governments, all institutions, all universities a n d e v e n o f re l i g i o u s groups. There is continuing denigration of spirituality because humanity is so enamored on externalities, external looks, religious trivialities and buried in so much materialism and consumerism.” Al l t hes e ye ars, t he egoic mind prevails that has manifested collective insanity. In the 20th century alone, human beings killed more than 100 million of their own kind and perpetuate a development paradigm controlled by global corporations that have put billions of species, be flora and fauna, to extinction. These species are the reflection of the Unseen Being, the Creator, that have been living
even before the homo sapiens came into being. Man is k i l ling Gaia (Mother Earth). Her lungs (the forests) are all gone together with billions of life forms that have been living in the forest-ecosystem for billions of years. Her veins (the rivers) are gone, either dried-up or polluted. Her stomach (the oceans) are acidic and rising as 1,000 hectares of the 386-meter high iceberg are melting every day in the Arctic and the Antarctic. Her head is now bald due to the depletion of the ozone layer and her skin (the grass lands) are burning due to wild fire in the amazons and Sahara Desert is expanding without let-up. Despite all the ecological warnings shown by the of occurrences of typhoons, of drought, of the eruption of volcanoes and what have you, mankind continues to perpetuate a development
paradigm which can be likened to workings of an auto-immune disease syndrome (AIDS), where no less than the body’s defense mechanisms are attacking the vital organs. Indeed, man has sacrificed Gaia to the altar of greed and profit. Where are the major religions and the essence of their teachings? We must realize that we are not just separate fragments in an alien universe but are connected as one to something that is so vast, so sacred and so immeasurable. Feel that connection with the Unseen Being, and we will be endowed with a consciousness that will motivate us to love God’s vanishing creation. If we continue on slaughtering Mother Earth, the truism is now appearing that the real virus is not COVID-19 but man himself. If you are the Creator, how will you awaken the homo LOVE/PAGE 7
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JUN LEDESMA BALIK Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) a program initiated by Sen. Christopher Lawrence “B ong” Go may yet be the strongest economic driver that runs parallel with the resumption of implementation of the infrastructure projects stalled by the crippling coronavirus pandemic. The senator has set the momentum. He has the support of the President
and provided the vision and mission. Everyone lives comfortably with a decent means of livelihood. Under BP2 program, the thousands of jobless and those living below poverty levels who had been lured to the national capital region and other urban centers with false hopes of employment will be be given a fresh start. They are those with minimal skills or none at all that ventured to the glitzy cities and found themselves later in slums, sidewalks, and under the dingy underthe-bridge talipapas. They are ashamed to go back as they might be ridiculed. But COVID has dumped that social backlash. This program had been tried a number of times in the past but failed miserably because the mechanisms and the strategies that could bring beneficial and sustainable means of livelihood were all
lip service and utopian. Sen. Bong Go, however, appears to have a very clear vision and strategies on how to achieve the goals of BP2. It helps that his mentor, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte stands foursquare behind him and his project because this may yet be one of the most relevant and lasting legacies of this administration. In a classic irony, the COVID 19 pandemic which could run for months or years, warns that the palliative social amelioration program will soon run dry. One thing clear in BP2 program is that it is doable. The remaining challenge is how to make the program sustainable and economically viable to the beneficiaries and therefore keep them in their new places of abode. Having spent my years in a rural environment, I have seen the opportunities and
the travails of a farmer's life. Fast forward, while serving as Director in Davao City Water District which brought me to hinterlands barangays, I have seen how traders and middlemen called jamboleros shortchanged rice, corn and vegetable farmers. The almost successful attempt to liberate farmers, fishermen, and hog raisers from unscrupulous traders and middlemen was the establishment of the Food Terminal Inc. The pilot project was FTI Taguig and FTI Davao. Sadly, vengeful politics mothballed all this along with NGA rice mills, silos and other valuable assets. I hate to relate how the vital real estate assets of FTI were creatively auctioned and sold to land developers practically for a song. FTI facilities were not maintained so that the new PROBINSYA/PAGE 7
Dreams beautiful and ugly JHAN TIAFAU HURST That you and your spouse did not argue as much? That your kids were happier and more confident? Remember, no one is forcing you to live in that kind of unhappy atmosphere. It is your choice. You must decide to be the first one to change and control your own heart, moods, anger, impatience, conflict, worry, fear, etc. We need to remember that “A man is only as big as the things that make him angry.” There are only a few things in life truly worth getting upset about. Most of the little things we get angry about are not nearly as important as our family’s feelings that we hurt. So take FAMILY/PAGE 7
Do we have control over our dreams? I suppose the conventional answer is that we don’t. Dreams just pop up on their own. They come at random. We may not even like them, but they just come. And yes, they can be beautiful or ugly, wonderful or weird, a delight or a nightmare. But if we have to take a closer look at how dreams come to us, we actually have some control over them. Definitely not full control, just like anything else in our life. But yes, some control. Dre ams come ab out because we are capable of what we are dreaming about. Knowing our capabilities gives us an idea of how we can have some control over our dreams. Definitely we are capable of dreaming something real and factual that happened in the past. We are also capable of dreaming something that
can happen in the future or is merely pure fiction. Our spiritual and psychological nature, whose b asic fac u lt ies are our intelligence and will together w it h ou r i m a g i n at i on , memory, emotions, passions, enable us to have all kinds of dreams. In other words, our dreams reflect our thoughts, desires, intentions. These thoughts, desires and intentions can be good or bad, something we like to pursue or we choose to repress or suppress. They either edify us or demoralize us. Dreams can also channel things that we have not considered in our conscious state. That’s why we sometimes wonder why we were dreaming of something purely fictional, something we do not know where they come from. This again is due to our spiritual and
psychological nature that is open to all kinds of things and can also go whichever way, including into the world of make-believe. But there is just one more thing that is important to reckon with. And that is that our spiritual and psychological nature can open itself to the world of the supernatural or the infranatural. That is why we can have dreams that are extraordinarily beautiful and wonderful or extraordinarily ugly and weird. Yes, it is possible that God, angels and saints can enter into our dreams as happened in the case of St. Joseph, for example. We can be divinely inspired. It is also possible that demons can enter into our dreams, even to the extent of possession. This is where we have to learn the art of proper discernment of spirit. I suppose that knowing
HINTS AND TRACES
ROY CIMAGALA these principles or theories can help us to have some control over our dreams. We can dream what we want to dream. We can dream what we have thought about, desired or intended to do. We can dream what we want to pursue or what we choose to hide. And we can dream what we have in our spiritual life, whether there is faith or unbelief, whether we tend DREAM/PAGE 7
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Banking&Finance Finance chief sees '20 deficit to be around P1-T FRIDAY|MAY 15, 2020
G
OVERNMENT expenditures for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is expected to increase the budget deficit to around PHP1 trillion this 2020. This was disclosed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III Wednesday but assured the public that the government was in a good financial position even before the pandemic hit. The inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) has set a 3.2-percent budget deficit cap for this year amounting to PHP677.6 billion. Dominguez said there are lots of numbers that economic managers are currently looking at, but cited “the first number you have to figure out (is) what exactly is going to be our deficit for the year.” “And our estimate is about a trillion pesos, around a trillion,” he said. Dominguez said the government’s four-pillar
Covid-19 response is being funded by the tax collections, the dividends from governmentowned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), and loans, among others. He said that although collections of taxes have been delayed due to postponement of filing of income tax returns (ITR) and other related documents because of the quarantine period, the government will still be able to collect these. He added the government was able to receive record-high PHP120 billion dividends from GOCCs, and this will be a plus for the Covid-19 response program. The government has signed several loan agreements with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank (WB), among others. These include the loan pact with ADB that allows the Duterte government to access up to USD1.5 billion in budgetary support for Covid-19 programs and
Bank lending expands faster in March
OUTSTANDING LOANS disbursed by universal and commercial banks rose by 12.9% in March, faster than the downwardrevised 12% pace in February, according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Inclusive of reverse repurchase agreements, lending rose by 14%, quicker than the upwardrevised 11.3% logged in the prior month. Data showed the rise in production loans, which made up 87.6% of the total credit, continued to be the main driver of growth. Lending to the sector grew quicker at a pace of 12% from the 9.4% seen in February. The sustained increase in production loans is attributable to an increase in credit for real estate activities (21.8%); information and communication (20.8%); financial and insurance activities (17.2%); wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (6.8%); and electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply (7.7%). Other sectors also saw rise in loans except for manufacturing (-0.4%) and mining and quarrying (-5.3%), the BSP said. On the other hand, growth of loans disbursed for households eased to 22.9% from the upward-
revised 37.7% logged in February. This was mainly due to the slower expansion in credit card and motor vehicle loans during the month. UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion attributed the pickup in lending to the market’s reaction after the easing moves done by the central bank since 2019. “Since last year, we know that the BSP has been on an easing stance. RRP (reverse repurchase rate) cuts were made including other liquidity measures such as the RRR reduction. The market has been responding and liquidity in the market has been ample and growing,” Mr. Asuncion said in an e-mail. In 2019, the BSP slashed rates by a total of 75 basis points (bps) before opting for a pause. By yearend, the overnight reverse repurchase rate was at four percent while lending and deposit rates were at 4.5% and 3.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, reserve requirement ratios (RRR) were slashed by a total of 400 bps last year, which reduced the RRR of big banks as well as thrift and rural banks to 14%, four percent, and three percent as of end-2019. BSP Governor LENDING/PAGE 6
the USD100-million loan from the WB. Dominguez said they are also in discussions with the governments of Japan, Korea, China, and France for “project-based bilateral financing.” He declined to give specifics on where the government’s Covid-19 response financing currently is since they are still awaiting the reports until end-April, but vowed to disclose this once the data is available. “We are exactly where we want to be,” he added. Meanwhile, Dominguez said Finance officials “are willing to look” at the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA) that Senators plan to pass to help companies recover from the economic impact of the global pandemic.
CITIRA is part of the government’s tax reform program that aims to correct the country’s tax system. Dominguez earlier said Senate Bill No. 1357, or the CITIRA, targets to make incentives given to companies more targeted, which will allow the country to be more competitive in the region. If this bill is approved this year, the special tax rate on gross income will be increased immediately this year from the present five percent to eight percent then to nine percent next year, and to 10 percent by 2022. On Wednesday, Dominguez said they are “willing to look at it (CITIRA) and most likely cut it further more quickly than originally planned.” (PNA)
PH banking system resilient vs. impact of health crisis
REFORMS instituted in the past serve as buffers for the Philippine banking system vis-à-vis the impact of the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said. In a briefing aired over the central bank’s Facebook page Thursday, Diokno said the domestic banking system and the Philippine economy in general is facing the pandemic “from a position of strength.” He said the domestic financial system is the country’s first line of defense against the pandemic, and the banking industry is up for this task since it remains adequately capitalized with total banking assets accounting for 81.7 percent of the financial system’s resources
as of last February. “Reforms have been put in place to maintain sufficient buffers in times of crisis and ensure business continuity to serve financial consumers and to keep the economy going,” he said. The sector’s overall loan quality “was satisfactory”, with a nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio of 2.1 percent, he said. Deposits remain the banks’ main funding source with a share of 85.2 percent of the total. Capital adequacy ratio (CAR), a gauge of banks’ financial strength, of universal and commercial banks (U/KBs), stood at 15.4 percent on a solo basis, and 16 percent on consolidated basis as of end-2019. These are higher than BANKING/PAGE 6
Gov. Emano, lig-ong mibarog sa depensa batok COVID-19 MAGPABILIN pa gihapon nga ubos sa general community quarantine (GCQ) ang Misamis Oriental subay sa desisyon sa interagency task force (National IATF) human niini gibakwi ang naunang desisyon nga ibalik na sa normal ang tibuok Rehiyon 10. Kini, matud pa ni Mr. Carlo Dugaduga, ang Provincial Information Officer sa Misamis Oriental, dili na kinahanglan pa sa Provincial Task Force for COVID-19 nga mo-apela sa naunang desisyon sa IATF nga bunloton na ang GCQ sa amihanang Mindanao karong Mayo 15, 2020. Sa wala pa matino nga rason, giusab sa IATF ang ilang desisyon kaganina, Mayo 13, nga ibalik na sa normal ang paglihok-
lihok sa mga tawo dinhi sa Rehiyon 10 sugod Mayo 15, ang expiration sa GCQ sa Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental ug Bukidnon lakip ang Cagayan de Oro. “All the while wala na sayop si Gov. Kay gi-lift na sa National IATF ang
GCQ into ‘low risk’ kung dili modified GCQ na ta. It means under quarantine gihapon. Sayo pa sab kaayo aron nga luagan ang atong pakigbatok sa COVID-19. Bisan pa man unsa ka hard atong fight against COVID-19, kung luagan na nato atong depensa, basin mapareha kita sa
Germany, wala miabot og 24 hours nag-triple ilang kaso,” matud ni Mr. Dugaduga. Dugang ni Mr. Dugaduga, tungod kay alang kang Gov. Bambi Emano ang IATF man ang mas nakahibalo, mosanong ang gobernador sa kasugoan sa kahitas-an.
Teachers Must Love and Understand AILEEN P. MATUNDAN BULUA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
There are students who are intelligent and others are not. This is evident in most schools nowadays especially that the education system today has changed. Many outputs are obliged them to submit on the deadlines, for them it is always a dead end as bunch of paper works and projects to make to be able them to pass. Some could make it on time and others are asking for extension because they are not finish yet. The system towards this is really heart melting as students are not well focus on how they learned but
how they get that passing grade. Is this because teachers want them to be fully capable of achieving through the given time or might they don’t know the story behind of a student knowing that there is always difference between them? Teachers must understand the inequalities of every student. To them, knowing that teachers care for t hem is w hat t he y need in order to strive hard, to break that anxiety within them and to lessen the pressure once. If teachers are continuing side blinded, they will lose their enthusiasm to go to school
because they are afraid that they cannot attain the expectation and worst they will fail. The significant of loving them despite of their differences is what the school should impose to the teachers. It is not only about attaining proper education nowadays because students are terrified about ample of requirements. They think if they could not pass it on time they will fail. This will be a huge downfall to them which lead to depression. Teachers must take action. One should love their indifferences today or tomorrow will be regret.
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SMC... from page 3
to get PCC’s nod after its Merger and Acquisition Office flagged competition c on c e r ns ar i s i ng f rom the transaction, such as monopoly in Northwest Luzon and increased market power and potential collusion among inter-related cement companies controlled by FSCII in the Northeast Luzon, Central Luzon, and Greater Metro Manila areas. “The Phase 2 review of the transaction was suspended upon the parties’ submission of voluntary commitments. PCC rejected the proposed commitments after they were found insufficient to address the competition concerns, reverting the transaction to Phase 2 review. The parties, however, have yet to file their respective comments to answer the competition concerns raised in the SOC,” the antitrust body said. (PNA)
Banking... from page 5
BSP’s 10-percent minimum threshold and B ank of International Settlements’ (BIS) 8-percent minimum requirement. Total portfolio grew by 10.2 percent year-on-year as of last February. “I believe the banking system is now benefiting from prudential reforms carried out during the last 20 years. Moving forward, the BSP will continue to pursue proactive measures aimed at further strengthening the banking system,” Diokno said. (PNA)
Lending... from page 5
Benjamin E. Diokno has said monetary policy tends to work with a lag of about three to nine months. For this year, the BSP has been aggressive as it seeks to curtail the impact of the virus on the economy. It has cut rates by a total of 125 bps thus far which reduced overnight reverse repurchase, deposit and lending rates to record lows of 2.75%, 3.25% and 2.25%, respectively. The BSP has likewise reduced RRR of universal and commercial banks by another 200 bps to 12%. In the coming months, the lockdown measures may dent lending growth, according to Rizal Commercial Banking C orp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort. “Bank loans could start to slow down in April and May 2020 and could even potentially contract in Q2 2020 together with the broader economy, depending on how long the lockdown would last,” Mr. Ricafort said.
Limited... from page 1
health,” he said. Guro also pointed out that they are now undergoing a dry run of the public transport modernization program particularly discouraging the overlapping of routes. “For instance, naa na man tay modern PUV sa syudad, mas ma-prioritize sila kay sa mga old jeepneys routes
ilabina diha sa highway from Opol to Bugo. Mas maayo g’yud nga dili mag-overlap ang mga ruta so sila ang dapat i-prioritize na 100 percent na ang biyahe after GCQ kining mga modern coaster,” Guro said. Guro added that LTFRB 10 will strictly enforce on May 16 for all jeepneys operators to install partitions on their units as pre c aut ionar y measure for social distancing system. “This will be a great help to our enforcers para dili na mano-mano ang pagkuwenta sa mga pasahero. It must be the operators’ initiative,” he said. On t he ot her hand, Guro is also calling on all taxi drivers especially those queuing at ports of entries like Laguindingan airport, Macabalan pier and westbound public terminal to strictly get the names, a d d re s s e s an d c ont a c t numbers of their respective passengers. As Northern Mindanao eases into new normal, there is an expected influx of passengers coming from other places.
Funds... from page 1
by Senator Christopher Lawrence Go. He said the program will be known as "Assistance in Loan Access for Livelihood and Agriculture Industries (AL AL AI)", which will provide free facilitation services to farmers, fisherfolk, and women who would like to start a small business. The MinDA ALALAI Special Team will determine and identify the various government loans, emergency assistance, and grants program per agency. It will also undertake an information drive both through the mainstream media and social media and face-to-face interaction to inform the public of the loan and assistance programs. “ It w i l l a l s o a s s i s t prospective applicants in the preparation of the feasibility and financial studies and other loan documents and link up prospective loans and grants beneficiaries with the banks or agencies with lending or financial assistance programs,” he said. Piñol added that a separate team will later be formed to closely monitor and supervise the implementation of the projects funded under the ALALAI Program. He noted that billions of pesos in government assistance and loan funds for livelihood and other economic activities are virtually gathering molds in bank vaults due to lack of borrowers. Among the government assistance which, he said, were not fully utilized are the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) of the Department of Labor (DOLE) livelihood assistance. He pointed out that ACEF which is collected by
Tagum City starts 3rd round of food relief distribution By CHE PALICTE
DAVAO CITY – Residents of Tagum City in Davao del Norte will be receiving additional food packs as the local government started its third round of relief operation Wednesday. In a statement, the city government said food relief assistance distribution will benefit 58,000 families who did not receive the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) cash aid of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Food packs and hygiene kits consisting of 10 kilos of rice, 15 canned goods, face masks, two soaps and alcohol are subsidized by city and provincial funds. Wednesday's houseto-house distribution was spearheaded by the the government from the importation of agricultural products offers a PHP1 million loan to individuals and PHP5 million to cooperatives and associations involved in agriculture and fisheries at a very low interest rate of two percent. The OWWA, on the other hand, offers livelihood assistance for returning OFWs so they could start a business and settle down in the country for good. He a d d e d t h a t t h e Department of Agriculture ( DA ) and it s att a che d agencies, like the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and even the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have funds, both for individual farmers and fishermen, and local government units with very low access rates. “There are two main reasons why these funds are not fully utilized -- one is most people do not know about the programs. And even if they know there are such programs, the voluminous documentary requirements are so tough that the ordinary farmer and fisherman would rather go to the 5-6 lenders to borrow money,” Piñol added. (PNA)
Appeals... from page 1
Northern Mindanao as a "low-risk" area due to its low number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases. Under the low-risk status, local governments are ordered to adopt minimum health standards and to loosen
officials and employees of the city government, ensuring that the protocols set in place to contain the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) were observed. Meanwhile, Mayor Allan Rellon said that the local Covid-19 Task Force, is reviewing the policies and guidelines for the city's transition from enhanced to general community quarantine. “The shift from ECQ to GCQ does not mean that Tagumenyos should relax their guard against the continued threats of Covid-19 considering that there is no available vaccine to cure the virus,” he said. As of May 12, Tagum City has 10 confirmed Covid-19 cases, one recovery and one death. (PNA) their community quarantine protocols. As Zubiri made the plea to the IATF-EID, Department of the Interior and Local Government Sec. Eduardo Año directed that local and provincial governments categorized under "low risk" areas may impose a "modified" GCQ. According to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, GCQ areas may loosen restrictions on the movement of people and work may resume under “new normal” practices such as the wearing of mask, social distancing, and other health protocols . Prior to Año's announcement, the Bukidnon Provincial Board passed a resolution appealing to President Rodrigo Duterte and the IATF “to retain and extend under the [GCQ] status and be authorized to observe and maintain the GCQ protocols in its quarantine control points in the boundaries of the province of Bukidnon”. Zuburi said lifting the GCQ would put the people of the province in danger of the coronavirus contagion since many of its municipalities shared a boundary with several provinces. To date, Bukidnon has only one confirmed Covid-19 case -- a barangay official from Valencia City who attended a cockfighting derby in Davao City. “We followed every order that you gave us, to the police, and we are proud to say that we are successful. Please listen to the people of Bukidnon,” Zubiri said in his letter of appeal. (PNA)
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Family... from page 4
a lesson from rocket science and “Count down before you blast off.” Studies show that most of the tension in a family comes from using the wrong tone of voice. “More than what you say is how you say it.” It’s the way we talk and treat each other that determines how much peace, joy, and love that your family experiences each day. But you cannot have a peaceful, happy marriage and family until you yourself have inner peace, joy, and self-control in your own heart. Won’t you ask Jesus to forgive you for your past anger, lack of self-control, and impatience with your family? Then ask Him to take full control of your heart and character, so you can start enjoying the happy, peaceful climate you want in your home every day of the year, regardless of the weather outside. Just think a minute .
Love... from page 4
sapiens? We have not been awakened by ecological disasters because man is not so concerned of the killing of billions of species and life forms and even of the life of Mother Earth. As we are so concerned of our very own life, perhaps COVID-19 is the awakening path. Let notice be served, man is the real virus that has been the cause of the massacre of billions of life forms on earth. Five decades ago, an environmentalist from USA by the name of Larry Heaney visited Mr. Kitanglad and was so amazed to see beautiful eagles hovering above as if dancing to the music of the wind and below were monkeys jumping from one branch to another amidst the blooming of radiating trees and flowers. Per unit area, the Philippines is the richest on earth with regards to megadiversity. Creation is sacred as such is the reflection of the Creator but are all gone now due to the virus called man. Life began at the sea, the home of billions of marine life forms. The Philippines has been described by the UN-FAO, as “the center of the center of marine life on earth.” Again these marine species are gone – forever. This time the call is to love and protect God’s vanishing creation. How? By awakening process called COVID-19. Corona Virus is an offshoot of the satanic forces – of greed, of the dominance of a few over the world’s resources where only 1% elite are in control, of the massive destruction of the very life on earth and severe pain inflicted upon Gaia COVID-19 is darkness, Love is the light. In the presence of light, darkness immediately vanishes and no way can darkness defeat the light. What is ama z i ng is that as we are combatting COVID-19, what has dawned upon humanity now is the
essence of love. We now must shout our love for GAIA – we love you Gaia! With that power of love radiating over the horizon, no way can the corona virus prevail. Let that love, that light loom to all of God’s creation, feeling that oneness, that sacredness, that principle and share that with one and all. Indeed, no greater love there is but one that is being shown now by the cooperatives. That compassion is the light looming amidst the darkness of COVID-19.
Probinsya... from page 4
centurions could sell these. Recently they gave FTI a new name to cover the despicable abuse and pillage of the past. It is time to revisit it. There may be something there that can still be salvaged. Let me take off from here to enunciate my view that Senator Bong Go’s BP2 can take off in a short term. Here is my two cents worth: I understand that there a r e n ow t h o u s a n d s o f squatter families living in the ghettos, pedestrian lanes, along reels, and underneath bridges who want to avail of BP2 program. They have to be categorized according to their skills. Not everybody loves the smell of the earth, not everyone can hammer a nail right (look what happened to Mar Roxas) not everyone knows how to even put bait on a fish hook and not a few mistake cogon grass for rice (like an Agriculture Secretary). C at e g or i z i n g of t a r g e t beneficiaries is key to the success of BP2. It is noteworthy that the Senator is focused on agriculture category which can be subdivided into subsectors, like: - Rice and Corn - Vegetable and Fruits - Fishing - Hog and Poultry For A, B, and D the wou l d - b e b e ne f i c i ar i e s would need land and the economically viable area wou ld b e 2.5 he c t ares. The DENR knows where these lands are available. Fish culture in fish pens and cages and deep-sea fishing can be handled by the Bureau of Fisheries or in tandem with existing deep-sea operators. The area is limitless. Senator Bong Go hinted that the Department of Budget and the Department of Agriculture may realign the DA’s budget to address the necessar y capital requirement to jumpstart t h e i mpl e m e nt at i on of the program. They might consider opening a special financing window for BP2 in the Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank. The DA must provide the technical assistance and initial seeds, seedlings, fingerlings, and the necessary agricultural inputs. T h e D e p a r t m e nt o f Agrarian Reforms will be tasked to open resettlement areas identified by DENR and DA. This comprehends
of land distribution and i n it i a l pre p ar at i on for the settlers to be able to start with the cultivation of their preferred project immediately. Ev e r y f a m i l y w h i c h will be relocated will need shelter. Since BP2 is a rapid deployment, temp orar y shelters must be provided. For permanent housing provision, The National Housing Authority must come up with a basic prefabricated 2-room housing u n it d e s i g n w h i c h t h e awardees will be able to expand later. This should be bid out. Labor to be used must come from carpenters, plumbers, masons from the BP2 beneficiaries. (Local labors should be given the opportunity to participate). I would estimate that the gestation period of all these project undertakings will be from three to four months. Within this period a parallel undertaking may be done, among these: organizing cooperatives for each sector to be able to avail of cheap financing, implements, and inputs. The cooperative organization is essential to e a ch of t h e s e c tors b ecaus e like in many failed agriculture-based ende avors t he far mers, hog, and poultry raisers and fishermen individually lack the wherewithal in t he f i nanc i ng , stor age, processing, and marketing. Here, the Bureau of Cooperatives should wake up from hibernation and do its pencil-pushing now. The sector cooperatives must be organized later into BP2 FEDERATION O F C O O P E R AT I V E S (BFEDCO). I touched on the FTI. Of late it was given another name but functions still as leasing firm. Whatever its functions now, its mandate has to be amended and should dovetail with the program of BP2. Senator B ong Go and President Duterte should seriously consider placing the FTI in Taguig under the auspices of BFEDCO. Legislation might be needed to shield this from political machination. Regional BFEDCOs must be established in several pilot areas, like Davao, Bukidnon, General Santos City, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Butuan City, Zamboanga, Jolo, Iloilo, Negros, Cebu, Leyte, Legaspi City, Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Norte, and Tuguegarao. The Local Government Units in each of the pilot areas must provide lands adequate enough to accommodate necessar y infrastructures like cold storage facilities, processing plants, classification area, and packaging areas to name a few. The prime consideration of sites is access to the sea, air, and land transports. BFEDCOs should be provided with reefer vans to deliver the members’ produce from designated pick-up stations to their regional BFEDCO storage, processing, and packaging facilities.
Part of the food and marketing chain is shipping. The cost of freight should at least be 50% of the rack rate charge by the airline, freight forwarders, shipping f i r ms , an d t r ai ns . T h e Department of Finance may consider giving tax credits for half of the freight cost and the remaining 25% be shouldered by BFEDCO. To guarantee the continuous movement of supplies, all airline firms must allocate cargo space for BFEDCO in each of their flight from the Regional BFEDCOs. FOR a starter, the main domestic destination of BFEDCO products should be in FTI Taguig. From there, wholesalers and retailers in Metro Manila will purchase their requirements like vegetables, fruits, fish and meat. That will be all for now. Complicated? It’s easier than how it looks when all the hands are on deck.
Dream...
from page 4 more to our rationality or to our animality, whether we are more open to the supernatural or to the infranatural. In short, our dreams reflect the kind of life we have, the kind of person we are. The dreams these trying times of the Coronavirus pandemic are occasioning, can serve as some kind of catalyst to show the kind of life we have and the kind of person we are. And mind you, it is not only the state of mental health or psychological condition that is reflected in these dreams. It is also the kind of spiritual and supernatural life one is having. Thus, our dreams can show whether we are dominated more by fear or by hope. In talking with people about their dreams that may be disturbing to them, I imagine that we should not just look into their mental, psychological or emotional condition. We have to look more into their spiritual life, because that is where the real condition of the person can be found and where the final solution can be given. Otherwise, we would just be giving highly temporary and unsure solutions.
Solidarity... from page 8
Ph i l ippi ne C ooperat ive Center (PCC) to procure more PPEs such as gloves, alcohol, masks, vitamins, a nd b ot t le d w at e r for the front liners (medical workers , g rocer y st a f f, janitors, garbage collectors, policemen, soldiers, etc.) nationwide. Co-operatives are part of the global humanitarian effort to ease the burden on people, especially those who are most vulnerable. Although co-operatives are among those affected by the coronavirus pandemic, they continue to serve their members and respective communities at this time of great need, says Ms. Bernadette O. Toledo, CEO of MASS-SPECC.
Fishery... from page 2
of f i s h e s i n ou r s e a s , particularly in near-shore fishing grounds or traditional fishing grounds, except those migratory fishes that are found in deep-sea areas,” she added. Climate change, pandemic Dimerin said the NSAP a s s e s s m e nt re s u lt s are submitted to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and will serve as basis for policies and guidelines to be issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on the fishery sector. Dimerin said climate change is also affecting the volume of fish captures and landings of fishermen in the Caraga Region and in the entire Philippines. “ The pandemic t hat t hre atens us, t he 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19), also affected the supplies of fish in markets due to the reduced operations of fishing vessels,” she added. Dimerin said all forms of illegal fishing are also considered as factors that contribute to the decrease of sufficiency level of fish resources in the country and the region. She also took note of the efforts of local government units (LGUs) in Caraga in fighting illegal fishing activities. Dimerin said among the recommendations BFAR-13 has made to DA based on this year’s NSAP is to strengthen the aquaculture sector in the region. The recommendation also considers the support to fishpond and fish cage developments in the area, she added. (PNA)
Flights... from page 3
passenger demand, and above all on the public health and safety situation in each of the countries that PAL serves,” it said. Affected PAL passengers can convert their tickets to a travel voucher. They may also rebook their tickets for free or request a refund without penalties. Cebu Pacific, operated by Cebu Air, Inc., and its subsidiary Cebgo said its domestic and international flights remain canceled from May 16 to 31. Philippines AirAsia, Inc. also canceled all its domestic and international flights until the end of May. Cebu Pacific and Cebgo said affected passengers can rebook their travel tickets for free, place the full cost of their tickets in a travel fund valid for one year, or request a full refund. “Processing of refunds will start after the Community Quarantine is lifted and regular work schedules resume. However, due to the unprecedented volume of requests for refunds, the process will take as long as three (3) to four (4) billing cycles,” Cebu Pacific said. For its part, Philippines AirAsia said its guests with
existing flight bookings made on or before 12 May 2020 with a departure date b etween March 23 and July 31, 2020 can select any new travel date before October 31, 2020 on the same route for an unlimited number of times without any additional cost, subject to seat availability. Philippines AirAsia also said its guests can choose to retain the value of their tickets in the AirAsia BIG Member account for future travel with the airline to be redeemed within 730 calendar days from the issuance date. “The travel date of the new booking can fall on any date within the published flight schedule on airasia. com,” it added. AirAsia Group Berhad announced recently the new rules that its passengers will have to follow when flight operations resume after the government-imposed lockdown period. It said guests will be required to bring and wear their own face masks before, during and after flight. Guests without masks will be denied boarding. PAL assured the public that all its aircraft have air filtration systems, and all its crew will be in full personal protective equipment to protect ever y passenger on board against viruses. S ocial-distancing cabin seating options as well as simplified meal or snack service will also be carried out. Cebu Pacific passengers, as in other airlines, will also be required to wear face masks upon entry at the airport terminal and for the duration of the flight. The budget carrier will minimize face-to-face contact between its ground staff and passengers.
Impact... from page 3
mills in Iligan and Tarlac, as well as farms, continue to operate, serving the needs of the customers despite challenges in logistics and distribution which can be attributed to COVID-19,” he added. Aboitiz said that Pilmico’s Southeast Asian facilities are operating normally as well. Last year, the company fully acquired Gold Coin, an international food group that operates within Southeast Asia (SEA), making Pilmico a significant regional player. “ We a r e c u r r e n t l y focused on ensuring that our current production facilities across the (SEA) region are optimized and that utilization is maintained at a high level so that we can adequately cater to the needs of our customers,” said Pilmico and Gold Coin Food Group President and CEO Hubert de Roquefeuil. “Needless to say, this includes integrating seamlessly with Food G ro up P h i l ip pi n e s , i n order to optimize synergies in procurement and crossselling across countries,” he said. (PR)
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Friday|May 15, 2020
The Mindanawon #CoopHEROtives: sparking courage, forging solidarity
C
o-operatives under MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center, the largest regional co-op federation in Mindanao, joined forces with other organizations in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As of April 29, 2020, 148 co-ops (almost 50% of MASS-SPECC’s total membership) reported to the federation a total outlay of over Php 1.045 billion for this purpose. The amount was used to distribute cash, food, and other necessities to their members, staff, community, and Local Government Units. In compliance with Republic Act 11469 or the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act,” co-ops in Mindanao implemented
Staff of MASS-SPECC Co-operative Development Center turned over 15 gallons of bleach to the representative of Barangay 11, Cagayan de Oro City.
the minimum thirty (30)day grace period for the payment of all loans of their members falling due within the period of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, without incurring interest on interest, penalties, fees, or other charges. The workforce of co-operatives was not forgotten in this time of crisis. Most co-op staff continued to receive their regular pay despite the shortened work-day and work-from-home arrangements. A total of Php 23.84 million was given to them as advanced 13th-month pay, monetized leaves and hazard pay. They also received in-kind assistance such as sacks of rice, groceries, and face masks. Apart from making
financial services available to members, the co-operatives mobilized their resources to extend support to various communities in Mindanao. The co-ops disbursed more than Php 10.33 million. Some co-operatives also helped the government distribute the Social Amelioration Program funds and payouts for Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) beneficiaries even in hardto-reach areas that are not serviced by banks. MASS-SPECC also disbursed Php 736,900.00 to various communities, organizations, and cooperatives that are unable to operate at this time. Around sixty-eight percent (68%) of the fund was coursed through the SOLIDARITY/PAGE 7