BusinessWeek Mindanao (October 19, 2020)

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Surigao test lab BUTUAN City – Amid the rising cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Surigao del Norte, local officials are optimistic the province's first molecular laboratory can help boost pandemic response through faster diagnostic results, rapid identification of infected patients, and faster contact tracing to limit the contagion Surigao del Norte assistant provincial administrator Sim Castrence said the laboratory's construction in Surigao City started last month and is expected to be completed by the second week of November.

“Governor Francisco Matugas has urged the mining companies to help build the molecular laboratory in the province to boost our fight against Covid-19,” Castrence told the Philippine News Agency Tuesday.

Coco farmers aid COCONUT farmers in Agusan del Sur has recognized the intervention made by the Philippine Coconut Authority in Caraga (PCA-13), saying it came just in time as they are reeling from the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. `From Sept. 1 to Oct. 6 this year, PCA-13 distributed around PHP6.3 million financial aid to at least 1,153 coconut farmers in Agusan del Sur under the agency’s Participatory Coconut Planting Project (PCPP).

PCPP is a participatory and cash reward program for coconut farmers to help them develop their plantation and encourage farmers to expand their areas and promote the industry to non-coconut farmers.

We strive for Excellence!

Philippine Press Institute Civic Journalism Community Press awardee for the following: 2013 Best in Business and Economic Reporting 2014 Best in Environmental Reporting 2017 Best in Business and Economic Reporting 2018 Best in Business and Economic Reporting

IN-DEPTH

Monday|October 19, 2020

P15.00

Davao-Singapore flights resumption slated anew S Thank you for trusting us!

By ANTONIO COLINA IV, MindaNews

ILKAIR, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, plans to resume the direct flights between Davao City and Singapore, Davao Citu Mayor Sara Duterte said.

“SilkAir has already reached out. They will work on restoring Davao CitySingapore flights. That’s another good news for Davao City,” Duterte said over the

city-owned Davao City Disaster Radio on Friday.

Duterte’s announcement came four days after she said the city welcomes resumption FLIGHTS/PAGE 9

Camiguin taps TikTok, vlogging in virtual lanzones festival 2020 PROTOCOLS STRENGTHENED. Police and traffic enforcers man a COVID-19 checkpoint in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur on Friday as contraction cases continue to rise. mindanews photo by chris v . panganiban

Nornin now tops COVID-19 cases in Mindanao region

By CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS , MindaNews

NORTHERN Mindanao has surpassed the Davao region’s seven-month record of having the highest number

of COVID-19 cases among Mindanao’s six regions.

Nor t he r n Mi nd ana o surpassed Davao’s record

out of the beauty pageant, disclosing in a Facebook post on Friday evening that she

tourism.

In an interview Friday, G ove r nor Ju rd i n Je sus Romualdo said the public is invited to participate in the festival's online launch VIRTUAL/PAGE 9

on October 13, with 3,727 cases against Davao’s 3,679, up from 3,577 and 3,611 on October 12, according to data from the Center for Health CASES/PAGE 9

CDO beauty bows out of Miss U-PH due to Covid-19 A CANDIDATE of the Ms. Universe Philippines 2020 from here has dropped

THE province of Camiguin will be using online platforms, such as TikTok and video weblogging (vlogging), to mark the celebration of its 41st Lanzones Festival that aims to promote local

contracted the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

BEAUTY/PAGE 9

DISTANCE LEARNING. A Grade 3 pupil attends an online class in Malaybalay City. Schools have adopted distance learning to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. mindanews photo by h . marcos c . mordeno

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Local 2 Iligan City restaurant opens doors online

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“You don’t need to be a big brand to flourish in the market. Small players can still succeed.”

Glenn Villacin flashed a big smile as he firmly expressed those words.

One would not expect that he had trials to overcome to keep his restaurant business afloat in this time of pandemic with his bright demeanor and positive outlook in life.

Glenn’s knack for running a food business started way back in college when he first opened a barbecue stand with his friends. He later moved forward with a lechon house, then a restobar called Club Seven where he eventually met his wife who was of Japanese descent.

They moved to Japan shortly after having their firstborn. There he immersed in the Japanese culture as he worked in a food bento manufacturing company that supplies bento boxes

to Family Mart and other convenience stores. A few years later, Glenn moved his family back to Iligan City. Using the skills and experiences he gathered in his years of living in Japan, Glenn introduced the ramen craze in the city by opening RamenYah! Japanese Noodle and Bento Restaurant. While managing the restaurant, he went back to Japan to work as a teacher and enrolled in cooking classes in Tokyo in his free time.

After two years of studying, he finally decided to settle down in Iligan for good.

As a first mover in the market, Glenn successfully introduced to the locals a taste of Japan through his mouthwatering dishes. He took the risk to expand his business by opening another branch in a big shopping mall. Things were turning out according to his plan until the Marawi siege broke out.

Glenn refused to give

Mr. Glenn Villacin of Iligan City’s Kogi-Yah Yakiniku Bar provided assistance packages to his employees and encouraged them to start a business. One of his cooks started a barbecue business amid the pandemic.

up and continued to open his second branch.

Together with other members of the Iligan Hotels and Restaurants Resorts Association (IHARRA), he also introduced food parks around the city to improve the adverse economic condition of the market.

His entrepreneurial spirit kicked in again when he opened his second major food project and registered it as a national brand—KogiYah Yakiniku Bar. It was a place conceptualized for people who love unique cuisine, interesting flavors, and novel ways of dining which was to cook food in the table.

But while the food industry was still recovering from

the repercussions of the Marawi siege, the restaurants were once again challenged when the pandemic started and threatened the business operations. The totality of the business was not very positive as Iligan City was immediately placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) as early as March. It gradually eased down to general community quarantine (GCQ), modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), but went back to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) last September.

The restaurants experienced significant loses and weekends became very quiet; most members of IHARRA considered themselves lucky if they can earn even just 20% of their usual profits. While it was a disheartening experience, Glenn looked at it as a level playing field as the new normal became a complete opposite of how people normally behave.

“Everything has been put on hold but the current situation allows us to explore new things,” he said. “In order to survive, we have to explore new

ideas, new concepts, and new markets as well.”

Refusing to close the doors of his business, Glenn opened KogiYah in Food Panda, Streetby, and other local delivery applications.

He changed his focus to speed, quality, quantity, and price to sustain his business, resulting in an improvement of profitability a month since he started adapting to deliveries and take-outs.

“It’s an exciting way to market your products and I hope people will acknowledge that we have moved into another concept of our lives, another way of marketing our products. These platforms really helped turned the wheels of the economy,” Glenn shared.

“We came from a lot of difficulties, but I still see a lot of future for Kogi-Yah and Ramen-Yah!” With the help of the Kapatid Mentor Me (KMME) program, Glenn was able to form network linkages with his fellow mentees while acquiring process business trainings and benchmarking. More importantly, he was able to learn from the best. He credited the Department of Trade Industry (DTI) for keeping the entrepreneurship spirit alive by always keeping ONLINE/PAGE 11

ACS Suggested Strategies on Modular Learning MAYLYNN P. BAYLOCES, TIII

In accordance with the directive of the Office of the President that no face-toface classes shall be held until the vaccine for COVID-19 becomes available, the distance learning delivery modalities (DLDM) shall be implemented this SY 2020-2021.

Furthermore, should the vaccine become available, parents and learners are still given the discretion to continue with distance learning as long as there is a qualified learning facilitator who shall guide and supervise the learner at home.

In this connection, the Alubijid District specifically Alubijid Central School is implementing this kind of modality. Every Friday , the teachers will distribute to the parents the 7 subjects /modules for week 1 quarter 1. And it will be answered for 1 week by the pupils. In succeeding week , in Friday these module will be returned by the parents and get another sets of modules for that week. To make

learning manageable for learners, they may be given a set time frame to undertake a lesson or accomplish an activity. The setting of the time frame shall be guided by the suggested time allotment a MELC can be mastered. Learners who are not meeting expectations shall be provided with remediation while those who may accomplish the tasks as contained in the SLMs shall be given enrichment activities.

To ensure that learners are on task and are guided on what they are expected to accomplish within a specific week, teachers shall prepare a Weekly Home Learning Plan and a Thinking Log as a reflection for their task. Sufficient break times shall be ensured. In cases of legal celebrations and holidays as well as cancellations/ suspensions of classes due to natural and man-made calamities, adjustments in the time frame for accomplishing learning tasks based on the Weekly Home Learning Plan shall be considered accordingly.

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

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MONDAY|OCTOBER 19, 2020

Coca-Cola’s Balik Pinas program helps OFWs to restart back home “Even as I left Qatar, I always envisioned that I would head back to work there. But with (the) “Balik Pinas (Program)” of Coca-Cola, I would say that I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else and be away from my family again.”

CARLOS MANZANO “I was suddenly jobless, and during a global crisis. I worried about supporting my family,” says Carlos Manzano, 43-yearold breadwinner for a family of two. “I really didn’t have any plans for when I returned to the Philippines—especially since I was an OFW for almost a decade.”

Carlos had been working as a company messenger in Qatar for eight years—until the COVID-19 pandemic shook the trajectory of his career and, consequently, the well-being of his family. Carlos shares that he had just planned for a short visit to his loved ones back home in the Philippines when his company carried out company-wide layoffs. “I couldn’t have known,” Carlos shares, “that my short trip would be a permanent one.”

Carlos and his brother Jazz, who shared the same fate as his, returned to the Philippines. Their livelihoods were casualties of the pandemic: their future, and that of their families, was marked by uncertainty. Their outlook mirrored those of the 180,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated due to the pandemic and the numerous crises it gave rise to.

A ROAD TO A NEW START With equal parts determination, resilience, and unflagging hope, Carlos, Jazz, and their father Lito—who himself had been an OFW for eighteen years—set up a beverage distribution business called Naga Jac Beverages Trading in their hometown of Naga. But, as with any new business venture, the family’s

45-year old Billy Belleza, a pioneer member of the Coca-Cola Balik Pinas program, said that through the full support of Coca-Cola, his business has been thriving even amidst the pandemic. optimism was tempered with anxiety over how it would all turn out—especially during such tenuous times.

During the construction of their warehouse, however, a perfect opportunity to succeed presented itself in the form of the “Balik Pinas Program of Coca-Cola”, which was offered to the Manzano family

by Carlos Rivera, the Territory Sales Manager of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI) in Naga City.

For the Manzanos, the gesture strengthened their hopes regarding their family’s future. The support and opportunities provided by the Balik Pinas Program—the trust that they held for Coca-Cola — allowed them to restart back home, taking comfort in the knowledge that they had help.

Lito can still remember his first order of coke products: 60 cases. He is all smiles as he shares that the business has grown to an average of 4,000 cases a month, just five months

after they started and in the middle of pandemic, to say the least. They have also invested in routing units—a multicab and a tricycle.

For the Manzanos, “Balik Pinas” has allowed them to continuously support their family. “Even as I left Qatar, I always envisioned that I would head back to work there.

But with (the) “Balik Pinas (Program)” of Coca-Cola, I would say that I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else and be away from my family again,” said Carlos.

“Saro ining blessing,” says Jazz Manzano in Bicolano. It was a blessing.

a simple janitor to a sales manager in Brunei,” says Billy.

“I had the confidence and the experience; I told myself I didn’t need to worry too much.”

Billy was among the pioneer members of the program. His business, Andre Water Station, soon became an outfit that primarily sold Coca-Cola products— and has since become one of the prominent distributors in his

I decided to take part in the Balik Pinas Program,” shares Billy. Besides direct guidance and support from CCBPI Territory Sales Manager Carlos Rivera, the Company helps grow Billy’s customer base and taps him to be the official supplier for booth set-ups in his area.

“The Balik Pinas program started as a small-scale effort here in Naga to help former OFWs like Billy, Carlos, and

with the COVID-19 pandemic having disrupted lives and livelihoods. “Balik Pinas” is one of those programs; it aims to help returning OFWs like Carlos, Jazz, and Billy as they restart in the Philippines and support their families through new businesses.

With the program, the Company provides an opportunity to become a part of the Coca-Cola family as a distributor, wholesaler, stills distributor, or a community reseller.

This is a journey that the Company and these new entrepreneurs take together at every step—from setting up the business, to sustaining it, to ensuring growth. CCBPI assists former OFWs in choosing a suitable business model for their area, helps in managing their cash flow and inventory, and sees to it that they are given proper guidance and training until they are fully ready and equipped to operate on their own—all in all, a sustainable and profitable business founded on practical support from a global beverage brand.

With programs like Balik Pinas, Coca-Cola remains firm in their commitment to help local communities, contributing to the restart of the national economy—by way of reaching out to Filipinos.

“Coca-Cola’s commitment to Filipinos has only grown stronger, in weathering this crisis together,” says Gareth McGeown, CCBPI President and CEO. “We will help and support where we can.

Through Balik Pinas, our goal is to help repatriated OFWs who have lost their livelihood abroad to start anew, via owning and operating their own business and be successful here, at home, with their

Since starting his business in 2019, Billy is now one of the prominent Coca-Cola distributors in his area and has added another mini truck to serve more routes and deliveries. Billy is one of the pioneers of Coca-Cola’s Balik Pinas program.

A REFRESHING RESTART 45-year-old Billy Belleza, on the other hand, was excited to head home after 20 years of working in Brunei. He voluntarily left in March 2019 to start a water-refilling station business in Naga. “I was excited to head back home. I was able to rise up from being

Just a couple of months after returning home, Carlos Manzano and his family was able to set up their business as Coca-Cola distributor through the Balik Pinas Program, which Carlos said has reshaped his life and outlook forever. IN PHOTO: Carlos and their family’s multi-cab routing unit with the Coca-Cola Naga Sales team.

area after he, too, discovered the Company’s Balik Pinas Program. Billy shares his first delivery from Coca-Cola— “It was during the Traslacion in Naga. It was a blessed-filled kickstart”.

Billy has since bought another routing unit, a mini truck, to expand his routes and deliveries. Andre Water Station also transferred their warehouse to a bigger and better location to support a growing business.

“Coca-Cola has never failed to present opportunities for me and my business to grow since

Jazz and their families to set up and successfully run a business,” shares CCBPI’s Rivera. “With their success and in light of current events, this program has been expanded to a national scale to help repatriated OFWs and their families recover gradually during these trying times.”

THE COCA-COLA BALIK PINAS PROGRAM Coca-Cola in the Philippines has consistently sought to create programs to support MSMEs, more so now

families.”

With the help of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), CCBPI aims to reach more OFWs who are interested to start their own business through Balik Pinas.

To know more about the program, you may reach Coca-Cola’s contact center at (02)-8813-COKE (2653). For SMART/PLDT users: toll-free number: 1800-1888-COKE (2653); and for GLOBE users: toll-free number: 1800-8888COKE (2653). You may also contact 0919-160-COKE (2653) via SMS.

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Opinion

The BusinessWeek Mindanao is published by BusinessWeek Mindanao Corporation every Monday to Friday with office address at Tanleh Building, Abellanosa, Cagayan de Oro City. It is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Company Registration No. CS201531633 with BIR Certificate of Registration No. 2RC0000831068, TIN No. 463-826-272-000 – VAT. Reg., and with Business Permit No. 2020-04015. Tel. Nos.: (088)856-3344, (088) 810-100, 0923-432-0687, 0917-7121424 Website: www.businessweekmindanao.com E-mail : businessweekmindanao@gmail.com

BUSINESSWEEK MINDANAO CORPORATION Publisher DANTE M. SUDARIA President/CEO ALLAN MARIO MEDIANTE Vice President for Corporate Affairs RUFINO T. MAGBANUA Vice President for Business Development VICENTE C. DELA VICTORIA Vice President for Operations JOE FELICILDA Vice President for Administration JOHN AARON M. DEL BANDO Vice President for Events and Promotions JOE PALABAO Vice President for Marketing ROSE MARY D. SUDARIA, PhD Vice President for Finance MIKE BAÑOS Vice President for Digital

NELSON CONSTANTINO Editor-in-Chief

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Motoring Editor

Regional Editor - Caraga

MIKE BAÑOS Contributing Editors

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Feature Editor

Juni Law Office Cruz Taal St., CDO Legal Counsel

MANILA OFFICE: 9th Floor, Unit 918, CityLand Herrera VA Rufino Cor. Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City Tel. # : 5555392,Cell No.: 0977-152-8860 LANI VALLIDO-Marketing Manager DAVAO MARKETING OFFICE Door 223, Doña Segunda Bldg., CM Recto Ave., Davao City Telephone #: (082) 298-8815 Regional Mktg Manager-JOE PALABAO- 0926-8430152 Circulation-JOHN PAUL AQUINO, 0907-331-5640

Member: Philippine Press Institute Oro Chamber

I hope you dance (Pt. 2) Think a minute… In 1972 Life magazine published a story about the true adventures of John Goddard. When he was 15-years-old John heard his grandmother sadly say: “If only I had done that when I was young…” At that moment, John determined not to have regrets at the end of his life, so he wrote down 127 goals for his life.

He named 10 rivers he wanted to explore and 17 mountains he wanted to climb. He wanted to read the entire Bible, Encyclopedia Britannica, plus everything written by Shakespeare, Plato, Aristotle and other famous authors. He wanted to marry and have children.

Professionally he wanted to pursue a career in medicine, as a pilot, and also serve as a missionar y. Sound impossible? Already at the age of 47, John Goddard had accomplished 103 of his 127 goals!

You may not have as many goals as John Goddard. But if you do not have any goals in your life, you will not have much motivation to get up in the morning, nor will you have much satisfaction at the

THINK A MINUTE

JHAN TIAFAU HURST end of each day—let alone at the end of your life.

However, living life to the fullest is not only about achieving goals of activities and tasks. This is a letter written by an 83-year-old woman to her friend. “Dear Bertha, I’m reading more and cleaning the house less. I’m enjoying the view without worrying about the weeds in the garden. I’m spending more time with my family and friends…I wear my favorite clothes every day. If it’s worth doing, I try to do it now.

I think if people had known they were dying, they would have called family and friends, including those they needed to apologize to DANCE/PAGE 11

of people, goods and services between provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities under different community quarantine classification.

Intrazonal movement, meanwhile, refers to the movement of people, goods and services between provinces, highly urbanized cities and indep endent component cities under the same community quarantine c l a s s i f i c at i on , w it h out transiting through an area placed under a different classification.

Related to Interzonal and Intrazonal Movement, the IATF considered health and

emergency frontline services p ers onnel, gover nment officials and government frontline personnel, dulyauthorized humanitarian assistance actors, persons travelling for medical or hu m a n it a r i a n re a s on s , persons going to the airport for travel abroad, and anyone crossing zones for work or business permitted in the zone of destination and going back home as Authorized Pers ons O utside Their Residences (APOR).

The IATF likewise updated their list of APOR, which now includes returning or repatriated overseas Filipino workers and overseas

NUTS & BOLTS

JEROME DE LA FUENTE

Filipinos returning to their places of residence and other persons transported through the efforts of the national government upon observance of the necessary IATF/PAGE 11

Putting power where it rightfully belongs Stop poverty and ecological degration thru cooperativism KIM'S DREAM

Cell No: 09352379999

CHAINCERLIE SUMALPONG Advertising

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Thursday, October 15, 2020, approved the adjustment of age-based stay-at-home restrictions.

Persons from 15 to 65 years of age are now allowed to go out. Local government units (LGUs) may impose a higher age limit for minors, depending on the COVID-19 situation in their respective jurisdictions.

The IATF likewise made more specific the definitions of interzonal movement and intrazonal movement.

Interzonal movement is defined as the movement

ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI

Layout Artist

MONDAY|OCTOBER 19, 2020

IATF Res. No. 79 from spokesperson Harry Roque

2f, ICS Building Tel.No.: 881-0176 Tiano cor. Montalvan sts.

Legal Counsel

CLIFFORD SANTILLAN

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ORLAN R. RAVANERA As the countervailing force against poverty and ecological degradations, power must be put to where it rightfully belongs- with the people.

This has become imperative in a Republican State which brandishes that sovereignty lies with the people and all powers emanate from them.

The consequences of putting it somewhere else, such as to a dictator during Martial years or to a few elite- has become fatal.

Such is very glaring in the life of the Philippine natural forest which for many years has been exploited and massacred with impunity by a

few loggers. These “berdugos” of the forest ecosystem have raked billions of dollars in connivance with cabal of vested political interest.

They have decimated the 17 million hectares of forest that our country had a century ago down now to half a million hectares.

By so doing, they were able to amass so much wealth that catapulted them to wield political power. That these loggers were issued Timber License Agreement as political patronage in exchange for gargantuan amounts that flowed to buy votes on elections (as exposed by Ms. Marites Vitug in her book, “Power from the Forest”) manifested that contention of drawing their wealth and powers from the forests.

Such has become possible because our indigenous people who have been living sustainably in the forest ecosystem for thousands of years have been rendered powerless. Today, with the

advent of C ommunitybased Forest Management Agreement where the Lumads and the forest dwellers are organized into cooperatives to nurture, conserve and protect the remaining forest, power to have access and control over the remaining forest is now being placed where it rightfully belongs- with the Indigenous Peoples.

Another scenario where stripping local communities of their “power” has become tragic, is shown in the life of our poor farmers. The Philippines is an agricultural country and any long term development can be won or lost through agriculture.

Yet, poverty in our country is primarily a rural phenomenon. Two out of three poor persons are located in the rural areas and are dependent on agriculture for income. But farming has become economically-non viable as farming is anchored on conventional agriculture.

Would you believe that during the height of the harvest

season of rice and corn, there are massive entry of cheaply grown rice and corn substitutes from other countries, at the expense of our farmers. In fact, 4 of 5 farmers especially the young ones are leaving the countryside to work in the urban centers as drivers, janitors or waiters, that now congest the cities.

The poor farmers are re nd e re d p owe rle ss by market-driven conventional agriculture. Where in the world can you find farmers tilling the land not their own and using seeds beyond their capacity to sustain? Such is a great social injustice as farmers do not control the mode of production and marketing. Because of this, everyone is profiting from farming especially the seed growers, chemical companies, landlords, compradors, etc. but never those who do the back-breaking job of land tilling- the poor farmers!

Where does power POVERTY/PAGE 11

Cooperation, not competition The Ayala Group is widely recognized in the Philippines and in Asia as a pioneer in ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) with its formal adoption of the Ayala Sustainability Framework. In a recent webcast conversation with ATR Asset Management’s Julian Tarrobago, Jr., Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (JAZA), Chairman and CEO of Ayala, explained the genesis of this corporate philosophy.

In a nutshell, this is about using the economic engine and for-profit discipline of enterprises to address social issues – not as a philanthropy but as an integral part of doing business. This is a new philosophy designed to foster an environment where there is inclusive growth. This is achieved by engaging disenfranchised sectors and going beyond just the financials.

This is reflected in how Ayala purposively evolved over the years and how it has operated during the crisis.

This explains how and why Ayala Land continues to make urban centers more livable and more friendly, why Ayala Land projects aim to become carbon-neutral a few years down the road, why AC Energy continues to improve its mix of energy sources, consistent ly incre asing reliance on renewables, why Ayala has ventured into health and into education, and why BPI has dramatically upsized its microfinance.

This explains why during the crisis, Ayala’s first concern was to ensure both the physical and financial wellbeing of its stakeholders. This includes Ayala’s employees and those of the various ecosystems (read that as 250,000 SMEs) which support Ayala.

This meant P10 billion, to date, of foregone revenue, to help in their recovery and fostering sustainable growth beyond the crisis.

Finally, JAZA explains why “this is a time for us to learn to cooperate rather

than be at odds with each other. Our modern capitalist system is massively integrated in a way that it wasn't in the past. And because we have an integrated system, we are tied to each other in ways that we either all succeed together, or not. If one component of that system is allowed to fail, then you start to break up what makes modern capitalism so strong. The supply chain, the integration, the way we work off each other, each person providing their own component of the system.

If we don't help each other, particularly in the publicprivate sector to reenergize and restart that great engine, then we will fail. Perhaps, this is a period in time where cooperation is being demanded more from all of us both in the private sector alone and in the privatepublic interaction, to see how we can all work together to address the many pain points that we will face as a nation if we are to get out of this

SPEAKING OUT

IGNACIO BUNYE pandemic.”

Change your passwords often Even prior to the pandemic, incidents of unauthorized ATM withdrawals by third parties have been reported on the rise. It is perhaps opportune to issue this reminder. Essentially, it is about keeping our User IDs and passwords safe. One normally reads this reminder on our bank’s website. This is what the bank usually tells us.

1. The bank will never COOPERATION/PAGE 11

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MONDAY|OCTOBER 19, 2020

5

Banking&Finance

OFW remittances downfall expected until next year

T

HE continued job losses among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are expected to hurt remittance inflows to the Philippines until next year, with the contraction this year expected to hit as much as 10 percent.

On Thursday, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported the reversal of remittance inflows last August after cash inflows posted a 4.1 percent year-on-year

decrease following the 7-percent level expansions in the previous two months.

In a report, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort said the diversification of OFW markets provides for the continued inflows of remittances, adding that as more workers lose their jobs, this would impact the remittances.

Ricafort said he was

optimistic about the seasonal rise of inflows in the last quarter of the year due to the holidays, noting that “some adverselyaffected OFWs could also tap (into) their savings” and “some laid-off OFWs could also tap (into) part of their separation pay.”

He, however, said inflows in the coming months “could still continue to contract year on year,” provided OFWs who lost their jobs regain them or find another job

either in the same country or another area.

“An offsetting positive factor is the fact that some OFWs work as frontliners, especially in the health/medical sector and other essential industries, enabling some of them to continue working and sending remittances to the Philippines,” Ricafort added.

The BSP forecast remittances to contract by 2 percent this year, an improvement from

the earlier forecast of -5 percent.

In the first eight months of the year, cash remittances channeled through banks posted a 2.6-percent year-on-year contraction.

ANZ Research forecast remittances to the Philippines to contract by 7 percent as it projected the weakness in inflows shown in the August 2020 figures to continue in the coming months.

In a report, it said

the diaspora of OFWs backed the resiliency of remittances but since the pandemic has affected all countries, inflows from Filipino workers overseas have also been affected.

It dubbed as one-off the recovery of remittances last June and July, which was attributed partly to the re-opening of economies, general weakness of the US dollar that favors other currencies like the peso, and the fiscal support in DOWNFALL/PAGE 11

largely to provisioning.

Revenues in the first half of the year rose 24 percent year-on-year to P23.6 billion and net interest income was up by 19 percent to P17.5 billion.

Meanwhile, Veloso said they continue to urge their account holders to enroll in the REASONABLE/PAGE 11

TO help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) continue their operations amid the challenging business environment, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) appeals to landlords to provide rent relief for stall and store lessees.

In a statement Thursday, PCCI president

Benedicto Yujuico urged landlords and MSME lessees to negotiate on rents that will not negatively affect the capital expenditure of the property owners.

“While we understand all businesses are experiencing financial difficulties, for MSMEs, these difficulties could be insurmountable,” Yujuico RELIEF/PAGE 11

PCCI asks landlords PNB sees 'reasonable number' to give rent relief to MSMEs for bank's 2020 net income A “REASONABLE NUMBER” is being considered for Tan-led Philippine National Bank’s (PNB) income this 2020, given the huge provisioning as of August and the improvement of the domestic economy as of the third quarter.

In a virtual briefing Friday, PNB President

and chief executive officer Jose Arnulfo Veloso said they increased loan loss provisions to nearly P9 billion as of last August to address the impact of the pandemic.

“But the P9 billion worth of provisions is something that, if trend in terms of economic numbers continues to

improve, can be called back and therefore be part of net income. So, we’re optimistic given the third quarter numbers in terms of expected improvement in the economy,” he said.

In the first half of the year, the bank’s net income contracted to P1.4 billion from P4 billion in the same period last year due

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Monday|October 19, 2020

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Suzuki Welcomes 4th Quarter with Extension of Exciting Promos

S

UZUKI Philippines offers a convenient and hassle-free way of providing a test drive experience through their Shall We Home Test Drive initiative. The innovative program promotes less faceto-face interaction among customers in dealerships and also limits the need for prospect buyers to go and leave the comforts of their homes.

Since August, Suzuki Philippines makes Home Test Drive more compelling by giving away an

exclusive Doraemon Merchandise Kit to customers who will successfully accomplish a home test drive. This small gesture does not only aim to remind them of the fun-loving and well-loved Japanese cartoon character, but also to spark joy especially in these trying times.

Requesting for a home test drive can be done in just a few clicks of a finger just by visiting https://auto.suzuki. com.ph/test-drive and filling out the form.

However, the Doraemon experience

does not stop there.

It will be raining Doraemon items until December 31, 2020 as Suzuki Philippines also offers another set of limited Doraemon Merchadise Kit to every customer who will purchase any Suzuki Dzire variant starting August.

Furthermore, an additional Php 25,000 discount can be availed by customers who will purchase the Dzire GA variant.

To help the community bounce back, the recently introduced Back 4 More Deals with

flexible payment schemes will be extended further. The promo is now valid until the end of the month. Interested?

Learn more about the mechanics of this promo on their website.

For our front liners who continue to fight for every Filipino every single day, the Big Hero Promo that entitles every front liner across different industries nationwide to an additional Php 15,000 discount on top of the standard discounts of dealership for

different models is also extended until the end of October.

To find out more about the Big Hero Promo, visit Suzuki Philippines page.

These promos are just some of the many upcoming offerings Suzuki Philippines has in store for the Filipino. Truly, it is now more than ever when brands need to be there for their customers and Suzuki Philippines happily paves more avenues to prove their commitment to those who continue to believe in their brand.

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MONDAY|OCTOBER 19, 2020

Bukidnon farmer supplies 'ube' planting materials in DavNor town DAVAO City– A farmer in the Bukidnon town of Lantapan who has been engaged in ube or purple yam cultivation for 12 years, will supply planting materials to an isolated tribal community in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, under the “Adopt-aTribal Family” program of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

In a Facebook post on Thursday, MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Teofila Llausas' ube tubers and

farming techniques would be used to help some 150 AtaManobo families start their own plantation.

“Ube farming is one of the livelihood activities (that) will be introduced to the 150 Ata-Manobo families, called the 'Lost Tribe', who was discovered by Army LongRange Patrols living in the forests in the tri-boundaries of Davao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Bukidnon,” Piñol said.

He said Llausas was

THE NEW NORMAL By: BARBARA FRANCIS GALAGNARA- ZULUETA TEACHER I EL SALVADOR CITY CENTRAL SCHOOL

People entered the year 2020 with many plans as to how they want their year to happen. During the first quarter of the year, people were still able to gather and go to different places.

Also, many people expected various events to come through. Many students and parents anticipated wondrous graduation and moving up ceremonies.

All these happened to be ceased due to the pandemic.

Certainly, normal life has been unknowingly changed

by COVID-19 in just a flash. As the rate of cases continues to lessen and recoveries increase day by day, it is evident that the community is now gradually standing up from the chaos brought by the virus. With the rise of the new normal, people must get used to the changes in life. This new way of living helps people in maintaining the eradication in the spread of the virus.

Several things have been perceived as new normal due to the pandemic; one of which is social distancing.

With this being a new way, a gathering of people is discouraged. Today, we now celebrate things distantly b u t w h o l e h e a r t e d l y.

Additionally, we ar ing of face masks is now a necessity in life. It has become an important item that serves as a gate pass wherever you go. Also, public transportation has become different as it exhibits physical distancing.

Hence, income attained by the owners of the public vehicle might have also lessened. Truly, lucky for those who have enough privilege to own a vehicle that can transport people anywhere with no hassle.

Today, individuals could not do what they normally do before the pandemic as things that make up the community became d i f fe re nt and s e ve r a l strict rules were set to be followed.

Furthermore, changes

in the way people work or study have shifted. The education we normally perceive has changed into something people thought but never expected. Indeed, schooling not being held in the comfort of a classroom continues to be one of the hardest shifts every student gets to encounter.

These days, education is done through online and modular learning wherein students take lessons homebased and self-paced. Given this way, students will experience independence as they will learn on their own and just have their parents to guide them when they need help. This also requires cooperation within the household to smoothly attain enough learning.

Similarly, with this new normal, the home also has become the new workplace of many people. Many have shifted to working from home thus making online meetings became the new way of gathering. A lot have changed, time will come that some workers will slowly shift back to working at an office, however with the easing of restrictions, working from home might become a regular basis.

In contrast, there are also people that are required to work outside, most especially the blue-collar workers. Unfortunately, not all have the same privilege. Hence, the best way to survive this ongoing pandemic is to help each other as much as you can.

With the uncertainty of the pandemic going all the way, it is best to adapt to this new of way living.

For people having a hard time getting used to the new normal, allow yourself to grieve over the things that changed. Until then, start discovering things that can go well with this new setting; create new routines in your daily life; develop acceptance of everything that has happened as it will help you build a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos.

happy that she would be getting a good price and a ready market while the tribal families are expected to benefit from her ube.

“After touring her farm, we came to an agreement that she will supply planting materials to our tribal family program. Our role was simply linking Mrs. Llausas and the tribal families,” Piñol

added.

MinDA's "Adopt-a-Tribal Family” aims to provide decent homes, sustainable livelihood projects, education for the children, and basic services to tribal communities in Mindanao.

He said MinDA would also assist the Kapalong tribal community to generate other income-earning activities,

such as tree farming and the growing of high-value coconut and abaca.

“Sourcing purple yam or ube proved to be a challenge because not very many farmers are producing it.

But thanks to Facebook, after I posted an article about our search for purple ube planting materials, a professor from the Central

Mindanao University (CMU) sent me a message saying that her mother has an ube farm,” Piñol said.

On Friday, he said, Llausas' tubers would be planted on site to mark the start of the program to "improve the lives of marginalized and neglected tribal families in Kapalong, Davao del Norte." (PNA)

Beauty...

when, and where she got infected with Covid-19.

She said she is now confined in a hospital in Metro Manila, and assured her family, friends, and supporters that she was "in good hands.”

“I sincerely apologize for what happened. Please be always on the lookout for your health and safety,” she added.

A graduate of Technology Communication Man a g e m e nt f rom t h e University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines in 2017, Vacalares is now a high school teacher at one of the private schools.

No t n e w t o b e au t y contests, Vacalares was crowned third runner-up in the Ms. Cagayan de Oro 2019 pageant. She also won both titles in the Ms. El Salvador City and Ms. Camiguin in

2015 and 2016, respectively.

Public healthl Meanwhile, Mayor Oscar Moreno said Saturday while he acknowledged the statement of Department of E du c at i on ( D e p E d ) Secretary Leonor Briones about gradually shifting to face-to-face instruction in "low-risk areas," but that he would like to put the city on "stable ground."

Moreno said the city must deal with the increasing C ovid-19 cases, noting the rising cases since the pandemic was declared in March.

As of Saturday, health officials said the city has a total of 1,212 cases, 383 of which remain active, with 775 recoveries.

Currently under t h e Mo d i f i e d G e n e r a l Community Quarantine, the city government has existing non-pharmaceutical interventions which include aggressive contact tracing

and enforcement of minimum health protocols in public areas.

Dr. Gina Itchon, Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC ) re s e arch and development chief, said the cases would have been higher if the city had not implemented aggressive containment strategies early on.

"Our analysis of what accounted for the slight delay (in the surge of Covid-19 cases in Cagayan de Oro City) is the containment strategies of the City Hall which provided enough quarantine facilities very early on and we paid attention to our arrivals," Itchon said.

She blamed the recent surge in Covid-19 cases on the "minority who didn´t comply (with the health protocols) that prevented the city from overcoming the virus. If not for them, the city´s situation would be a lot better." (PNA)

from page 1

“With a heavy heart, allow me to break the news to all of you that I tested positive for Covid-19 past October 14. This means that I will not be able to continue with my journey to the Miss Universe Philippines crown this year,” 23-year-old Vincy Vacalares said.

The pageant contender said she and her team did their best to strictly follow all the health and safety protocols, “but still the virus hit me.”

“To those that I had close contact with, please inform the City Health Office so they can also check on your state (health status). I pray that you are safe from the virus,” Vacalares said.

Vacalares, however, did not offer details on how,

The Challenges of Teachers in Teaching Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) in the New Normal JASMIN H. MOSQUEDA Teacher 1 Kalingagan National High School Villanueva District Division of Misamis Oriental

Teaching becomes more challenging in the new normal because our delivery mode has shifted from face-to-face to blended learning in which education is delivered through online and/or the use of modules.

Lesson-workshops or practical and hands-on laboratory activities with teacher’s supervision are no longer conducted due to health safety protocols.

However, teachers are encouraged to contextualize the lessons in their unwired learning materials (e_ Modules) or home-based mo du les w hich a l low learners to perform the lesson-workshops at home based on the well-designed s elf-directed learning activities or worksheets

by Technical & Livelihood Education (TLE) teachers.

L earning still take place even if students are in their respective homes with parents’ supervision.

The learning activity sheets and idea exemplars are provided with practical dayto-day livelihood activities to enrich students’ learning.

Subs e quent ly, workshops and laboratory exercises with teacher’s demonstration specifically on cooking procedures and housekeeping, for instance, are provided by teachers through videos which are downloaded or posted to the google classroom and student’s e-book prepared by the subject teachers.

These, however, require for teacher’s initiative and creativity.

Health Knowledge and Health Practices of Grade Six Pupils

By VIVIAN CAIREL TARIAO

This study was conducted in the twelve complete elementar y schools in the District of Alubijid, Misamis Oriental. The respondents of the study were the 200 grade six pupils. The instrument used to utilize a rating scale of 1 to 3 to determine the item rated by the grade six pupils by checking the corresponding number in each column. The mean for every area was computed by adding the ratings of all the statements in each section.

The number of answered items was divided by the sum. After administering the questionnaire-checklist to the grade six pupils, data were carefully tabulated, classified, analysed and interpreted.

The findings of the study are as follows: First, the grade six pupils in the District of Alubijid know well their health knowledge such as personal cleanliness; community home and school health pr a c t i c e s ; e m ot i on a l , social and mental health,

growth and development; and first aid and safety.

Second, the grade six pupils often practiced all the five areas of health practices.

Third, there was significant relationship between the level of health knowledge of the grade six pupils and their health practices.

On the basis of these findings, the following conclusions are drawn: First, the grade six pupils in the District of Alubijid know well the five areas of health knowledge and health practices, therefore, the grade six pupils have practiced these health practices personally well.

Second, the grade six pupils in the District of Alubijid are very aware that health knowledge and health practices play an important role in their academic performance.

And lastly, there is a significant relationship of the health knowledge to the health practices of the grade six pupils in all the five areas, therefore, the null hypothesis is accepted.

9

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Flights... from page 1

of international flights by any interested airlines.

She expressed confidence the Davao International Airport (DIA) is ready to accommodate additional flights for as long as the airlines could follow their schedules to prevent convergence of arriving passengers in the airport.

Its last international fligt was in mid-March as the airport closed due to the COVID-19 quarantine.

Generose Tecson, City Tourism and Operations Office chief, on Saturday said there is no definite date yet as to the resumption of the direct flights between Singapore and Davao. “There is none yet. We are still in the initial talks. We are waiting for head office,” she said.

Aside from SilkAir, Tecson said Philippine Airlines has expressed interest to resume flights between Davao and Tagbilaran City in Bohol province.

SilkAir currently flies from Singapore to Manila and Cebu, according to the flight schedules published on the website of Singapore Airlines.

The COVID-19 cases in the city are still growing, some of them air passengers who turned out positive for the infection after undergoing a reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test upon arrival

If interested, contact:

at the DIA. Domestic flights going to Davao from Manila, Clark, and Cebu have been allowed since June 8.

C a t h a y D r a g o n’s Davao-Hongkong-Davao and XiamenAir’s DavaoQuanzhou(Jinjiang)-Davao flights were suspended in February while Cebu Pacific’s Davao-Singapore-Davao, Garuda Indonesia’s DavaoM a n a d o - D a v a o, Q a t a r Air ways’ D avao-Q at arDavao, and SilkAir in March.

Last July 22, Duterte required swab testing for arriving passengers without “negative” results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), test issued within 72 hours before their scheduled departure from the airport of origin, at the Davao International Airport.

Once cleared, passengers could proceed to a mandatory 14-day home quarantine.

Based on the data released by the City tourism and Operations Office, arrivals in the city through air travel from March to August this year were reported at 128,542, a decrease by 90% from 1,349,730 reported for the same period last year.

Virtual... from page 1

on October 18.

Among the four-day fe st iv a l ' s maj or on l i ne activities is the Handurawan Online Photo Contest, which is open to both amateur

DANICA SUDARIA

hobbyists and professional photographers.

"These activities are lined up starting Sunday (October 18), then these (will) continue every day. We have the mechanics that can be viewed at facebook.com/ lanzonesfestival,” Romualdo said.

TikTokers may also show their talents through the Buwahan Tiktok Challenge, which has the solo, duo, and family categories.

Challengers must create content that is aligned with the theme “Celebrating Lanzones Festival at Home”.

C ash pr i z e s w i l l b e awarded to the top three winners of each category.

Designers and individuals with a keen eye for the arts can also join the Aggama Ki Ta Paksoy Design Competition.

Interested participants may submit their apparel creation, which can be used in a casual lunch or dinner in a corporate or business setting, to lanzonesfestival@ gmail.com.

The provincial government also urged students to join the Digital Cover Poster Design Contest, anchored on the theme “Camiguin: Embracing the New Normal”.

The artwork may be a digital illustration/painting, a single photo, a photo collage, or mixed, so long as it is original.

For modern video enthusiasts, the Camiguin Vlogging Contest is also open to all residents of the province,

dannycarosesudaria0512@gmail.com 0936-046-2356

whether currently residing in the island-province or not.

One video entry is allowed per content creator and must focus on the theme “Camiguin: Discover More”.

Towns in the province have also been urged to join the Ag Adorno Ki, a municipal hall dress-up contest.

With the theme “New Normal. New Moments. New Memories”, the contest aims to highlight the lanzones fruit, local produce, or legends of Camiguin’s towns.

Romualdo said the province’s products, crafts, and delicacies can be availed of during the festivity through the Ugmad Online 2020.

Camiguinons can also view the culinary heritage of the province online through the Camiguin Foodscapes, which will be streamed on the Lanzones Festival Facebook Page.

"These activities are all done virtually and there are no gatherings except for TikTok. But for TikTok, this is done in the house with the family. This is unique but this has to be done in this time of health crisis," he said.

As for this year’s lanzones harvest, Romualdo said they are expecting a yield of more than 100,000 boxes at 20 kg. per box.

Compared to last year’s 250,000 to 300,000 boxes of lanzones, this year’s harvest is a bit low due to the weather condition, he said.

Camiguin's lanzones is sold at P15 per kg. straight

from the farmers and PHP30 per kg. if it includes packaging and transportation to other markets. (PNA)

Cases...

from page 1 Development (CHD) in the two regions.

A month earlier, on September 13, Northern Mindanao (Region 10) had only 1,994 cases against Davao’s 2,478.

Nor t he r n Mi nd ana o recorded 3,827 cases on October 14; 3,917 on October 15 and 3,981 on October 16.

The Davao region (Region 11) logged 3,771 cases on October 14; 3837 on the 15th and 3,919 on the 16th.

Nor t he r n Mi nd ana o comprises the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental and the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, E l S a l v a d o r, G i n g o o g , Malaybalay, Valencia, Tangub, Oroquieta and Ozamiz.

The Davao region is composed of the provinces of Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental and Davao Oriental and the cities of Davao, Digos, Mati, Panabo, Samal, Tagum, Mindanao’s total number of cases as of October 13 was 15,245 and 519 deaths, according to data from the DOH regional offices in the five regions and the Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous

Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

It rose to 15,583 including 536 deaths on Oct.14; and increased to 15,935 with 539 deaths on October 15.

Region 9 or the Zamboanga Peninsula had 2,518 cases as of Oct. 13; 2,587 on the 14th; 2,668 cases as of Oct. 15. As of 4 p.m. on October 17, its DOH-CHD had yet to post the October 16 statistics.

Region 12 or Soccsksargen recorded 1,981 cases on Oct. 13; 1,938 on Oct.14,; 1,986 on Oct. 15 and 2,038 on Oct. 16.

C araga reg ion cas es reached 2,035 on Oct. 13; 2,068 on Oct. 14; 2,123 on Oct. 15 and 2,191 on Oct. 16.

BARMM , on the other hand reported 1,385 cases on Oct. 13; 1,392 on Oct 14; 1,404 on Oct. 15 and 1,421 on Oct. 16.

M i n d a n a o’s f i r s t COVID-19, Patient 40 or the 40th COVID-case in the country, passed away on March 13 at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center.

The 54-year old male from Lanao del Sur had moved to Metro Manila for refuge during the 2017 Marawi Siege and had just returned when he was admitted at the Adventist Medical Center in Iligan City on March 3.

He was transferred to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City on March 8 and passed away on March 13.

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Monday|October 19, 2020

SHELL’S 2ND VIRTUAL ART INTERACT SPOTLIGHTS MINDANAO CREATING STORIES OF HOPE IN ISOLATION

M

INDANAO is hailed for its abundant natural resources and breathtaking landscapes. But beyond its pristine beaches and lush mountains is a burgeoning community of creatives who are injecting their unique Mindanaoan identity into art and using it as a force for good. As the country continues to grapple with COVID-19, Mindanaoan artists are stepping up to create stories of hope while in isolation.

Following the theme of “HOPE IN OUR ART,” Pilipinas Shell’s 53rd National Students Art Competition (NSAC) held the second leg of Virtual Art Interact last October 17, in collaboration with creative collective Fringe Manila. Virtual Art Interact is also a platform where creatives can share their insights about their profession for the next generation.

While the pilot event focused on the Luzon art scene, this recent forum put the spotlight on the growing community of creators in Mindanao.

Since NSAC’s inception, Shell has acknowledged the vital role of visual artists, illustrators, sculptors, and other imaginative talents in shaping the youth and country’s future— especially now.

“Through NSAC, we pledge our support to keep artists and art institutions alive.

We want to amplify the youth’s voices, and continue the conversation on art’s importance,” said Sankie Simbulan, Country Social Performance and Investment Manager of Pilipinas Shell.

Simbulan continued, “The ethnic and cultural

diversity of Mindanao and its rich history have given birth to a young generation of artists whose voices need to spread and be heard throughout the Philippines.”

Andrei Pamintuan, Creative Director of Fringe Manila and host of Virtual Art Interact, added, “This is a great opportunity to share stories from Mindanao.

It’s important to be inclusive, especially for platforms like this, so that we can showcase the

‘Zoom in Zamboanga City’ that is inspired by our rich history, nature, tourist spots, native patterns, and more,” Zabala explained.

Being no strangers to crises, Zabala and fellow Mindaoan artists immediately heeded the call to once again inspire hope and courage as COVID struck the country. He shared, “The pandemic is a challenge for everyone. People have lost jobs, families have gone

what we are going through.”

Zabala also pointed out one essential, if often overlooked, role that artists perform during crisis: “We also act as historians who visually piece together this moment in time—including all the contemplation and uncertainty it holds. When we look back on this period someday, art will help us make sense of it.”

Isko Andrade, a former contestant

and find inspiration in everything— whether they’re big or small [Pero ngayong pandemic, nakafocus ako sa sarili ko at sa art ko. Na-appreciate ko din ang bawat bagay, maliit man o malaki].”

The Bulacanbased Andrade looked back on how opportunities presented themselves to him in the middle of adversity. One such door was his win during the NSAC competition

Top (from L-R) Zamboanga-based Multimedia artist Ced Zabala; Bulacan-based painter and NSAC Alumnus Isko Andrade | Bottom: Festival Director of Fringe Manila and Creative Director of Pineapple Lab Andrei Pamintuan

diversity of what’s happening in the Philippines.”

Having survived many conflicts and calamities, Mindanao has proven itself to be a region of resilience—with artists at the helm of inspiring hope that propels the community forward.

Through his projects with Mindanao local governments, Zabala has been championing a fresh perspective of the region that does not let its past define its future. “At work, our goal is to recreate Mindanao’s image using art. For example, we created a campaign called

hungry, and mental health is affected.

As public servants and artists, our work should never stop.

We have since created several campaigns that promote generosity and kindness in the community.”

Zabala, who did a live demonstration of digital illustration during the event, also discussed the many themes present in today’s art. “There are so many stories now about struggles and difficulties, both personal and in our country [Ang daming stories ngayon tungkol sa struggle].

As creatives, we use art to express our emotions and

and three-time winner of the NSAC, shared how he overcame the more discouraging moments during the pandemic.

“COVID-19 has affected my career as an artist because of cancelled shows and exhibits, but I choose not to dwell on the negative side [Maraming nagiba since nagkaCOVID. Na-affect yung career ko as an artist kasi madaming cancelled shows at exhibits, pero di lang ako tumitingin sa mga negative]. “‘The pandemic has given me time to focus on myself, my craft, and taught me to appreciate

in 2014. His winning oil on canvas piece, entitled ‘Ipinagkakait na Kalayaan,’ was in itself an example of triumph over adversity: this lifechanging canvas depicts paintbrushes ready to be buried, and was inspired by the death of his mother and the pains that come from being part of a broken family.

He said, “As a young student artist from the province, I had simple dreams of finishing college and getting a normal job.

I didn’t think I could ever win NSAC, but it was such a big help for me and my family.

I was able to pursue my art, and I learned

to dream bigger.

[Dati, pangarap ko lang sa probinsya ay makatapos ng pag-aaral at kumuha ng trabaho.

Nakakatuwa dahil di ko akalain na mananalo ako sa NSAC. Sobrang laking tulong ng NSAC. Nakatapos ako ng pag-aaral at natuto akong mangarap ng higit sa pangarap ko.]”

Zabala concurred that creative platforms such as NSAC are bringers of hope that can keep communities alive during the most difficult times. He said, “Art is a great tool for healing.

It’s cathartic. We can use it to give people something to hold on to as they live through the pandemic.”

Simbulan reminded the audience to remember and explore its rich heritage to mine stories for encouragement. She said, “As Filipinos, we have a wealth of culture and creativity that can act as reservoirs of hope and fuel for economic recovery.

We can all learn a thing or two from artists—how to create more with less, how to discover new perspectives in the mundane, and how to find the silver lining amid this isolation..”

The next and final leg of Shell Virtual Art Interact is set to happen on November 7 and will focus on the Visayas region. Meanwhile, the awarding of the NSAC, which currently has 1,300 entries, will take place on November 27. For more information, keep posted on Shell Philippines’ website and social media accounts.

Website: www.shell.com.ph Facebook: Shell

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Dance... from page 4

and forgive past offenses and hurts. I’m now doing these important things, such as telling my husband and parents more often how much I love them. I’m trying not to put off anything that would add laughter or luster to our lives. Every morning I remind myself that it is wonderful to be alive. Every day, every minute, every breath is a gift from God. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but we can still dance and live it to the fullest.”

How about you? Won’t you ask the One Who designed and made life to take full charge of your life every day?

Only He can help you start making every single moment count both for now and for your everlasting life after death. Just think a minute…

IATF... from page 4

quarantine protocols with the concurrence of the receiving LGUs. The interzonal movement of persons not authorized outside of residences (nonAPOR) between areas placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) or modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) for any purpose shall be permitted, subject to the reasonable regulations imposed by the LGU concerned, or in the case of Boracay Island, subject to those imposed by the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force.

The same applies with the intrazonal movement of nonAPORs across areas placed under GCQ or MGCQ and the interzonal movement of non-APORs between areas placed under MGCQ and the New Normal.

Related to this is the issue of curfews. The IATF e nj oi n e d LG Us n ot to cover workers, APORs, and necessary establishments in the application of their curfew ordinances, to coordinate between and among each other and standardize curfew rules, and relax curfew hours.

As part of the gradual reopening of the economy, the IATF authorized the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to adjust the permissible on-site operational capacities of all business establishments and/ or activities under GCQ or lower.

Also, business establishments and malls may hold activities to spur consumer and economic activity, subject to the DTI guidelines in the operations of malls and shopping malls.

T h e D e p a r t m e nt of Tourism (DOT), meanwhile, is given authority to determine the allowable operational capacity for accommodation establishments as well as the ancillary establishments within their premises.

In addition, the IATF revised the 48-hour-prior-tothe-date-of-arrival negative RT-PCR requirement to those traveling to Boracay Island contained in IATF Resolution No. 74. The Test-BeforeTravel requirement now

stands not earlier than 72 hours prior to the date of travel.

In the same 79th meeting, the IATF lifted the restriction of non-essential outbound travel of Filipinos effective October 21, 2020. They may be allowed to leave the country subject to the submission of confirmed roundtrip tickets and adequate travel and health insurance for those traveling in tourist visas, execution of an immigration declaration acknowledging the risks involved in traveling and a negative Antigen result taken within 24 hours before departure, subject to the Department of Health (DOH) guidelines. Outbound Filipino travelers shall likewise follow the Guidelines of the National Task Force (NTF) for returning overseas Filipinos.

Also approved, subject to conditions, are the holding of a beach volleyball tournament by the Philippine Super Liga under a “sports bubble concept,” operation of offtrack horse race betting stations under GCQ or lower, and operation of licensed cockpits and the conduct of cockfighting activities in areas under MGCQ or lower.

Poverty... from page 4

in agriculture lie? Some contend that it lies with the rich agri-business sector that pursues the dominant market-oriented industrial agriculture. Its drive is to promote conventional agriculture which is anchored on promoting cash crops to satisfy the market, increase production through chemical farming using HYVs (high yield varieties) including genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Their objective is to produce food not selfsufficiency or to meet the needs of local communities but to produce crops with market value to sell in the world market. This is the reason why until now, despite our vast agricultural resources, the Philippines must still import more than two million metric tons of rice every year just to feed its hungry people.

When power in agriculture shifts to the farming communities, cooperativism will be the empowering path to put the farmers in control.

By this set-up, agriculture will be re-claimed back by the farming communities.

They will have access and control over their lands and resources including appropriate technologies which must restore the land degraded by the agriculture industry.

Through their respective cooperatives, the people are now reclaiming back the future for their children.

History tells us that structural wrongs and social injustices can only be rectified by the people themselves when they take responsibilities for their communities and take the future into their own hands. But first, they must be empowered to do so. It is only by harnessing

their collective potentials, skills and energies can they effect social transformation, for after-all, that is what cooperativism is for!

Indeed, cooperativism will bring about the much needed paradigm shift of empowering the farmers to make farming viable to achieve food security and to generate jobs so that those who left farming will go back to the rural communities – thus, decongesting the highly congested cities at the time of the pandemic. This is the very essence of the Balik Probinsiya, Bagong Pag-asa Program. ITO PO TALAGA ANG TUNAY NA DIWA ANG KO OPERABISMO KUNG SAAN ANG TUNAY NA KAPANGYARIHAN AY NASA MAMAMAYANG PILIPINO. Let not global c or p or at i ons t a ke t h i s away from us as they are now entering Mindanao, transforming the island into massive plantations to satisfy the consumerist lifestyle of the people in the North!

GUMISING NA PO TAYO!!!

Cooperation...

from page 4 ask you to provide your User IDs or Passwords through e-mail or SMS so don’t fall for unsolicited messages that your account has been temporarily disconnected and that you have to change your password.

2. Never click on links from suspicious e-mails and SMS. Hackers can gain access to your account, plant malware, and steal your identity.

3. Monitor your accounts regularly and immediately report any discrepancies.

If I may just add, don’t ask anybody to withdraw money from the ATM for you. For added protection, you may want to use Code Red, an RFID and NFC Anti-Scanning Card. It is a smart card that provides protection from identity theft by manipulating the radio signals using E-field technology. Simply put it inside your wallet and it will make your personal data invisible to electronic thieves and hackers. (Thanks BPI EVP Mon Jocson for this last tip.)

Note: You may wish to share the foregoing article via Facebook, Twitter and/ or Linked-In.

Downfall... from page 5

the US, which accounts for a large part of remittance inflows to the Philippines.

However, with more OFWs losing their jobs and being repatriated and the impact of the stimulus program in the US dissipates, which in turn results in sluggish disposable income in the world’s largest economy, ANZ Research forecast additional pressures to remittances.

The report cited the revision in the BSP’s remittance forecast for this year but ANZ Research forecast remittances to slip by 9.7 percent in the second half of the year.

“This will translate into

a full-year contraction of 7 percent year on year,” it added.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa forecast remittances to decline by 5 percent to 10 percent this year “with OFs abroad still facing challenging labor markets in their jurisdictions (Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Europe and the US) while the stock of OFs abroad falls by roughly 300,000 after the wide-scale repatriations.”

OFW remittances are among the domestic economy’s structural drivers in the past decades since they fuel consumer spending.

Mapa, however, said the expected contraction of inflows starting this year would impact on domestic growth.

“The loss of remittance support to household consumption will likely be felt well into 2021, weighing on growth rebound prospects,” he added. (PNA)

Reasonable... from page 5

bank’s digital platforms to further benefit from improvements being made on this area.

He said PNB has about 696,000 digital channel users as of last September, up by 31 percent against the same period last year.

He said mobile banking transactions rose by 18 percent to date compared to the pre-pandemic level.

“We s e e an upw ard trend on digital transaction activities as more customers get enrolled. Customers have started to embrace and become more comfortable i n u s i n g t h e s e d i g it a l applications through their desktops and smartphones,”

he said.

During the same briefing, PNB Chief Financial Officer S onny Re yes s aid t he y allocated around P2.5 billion this year for information technology (IT) expenditures, 15 percent higher than last year.

He said the pandemic has proven the need for higher investment on IT and this is being discussed with greater importance for their 2021 allocations.

“So chances are we are going to increase it. But as to how much we are still trying to decide. This will obviously be a very big priority so far for capital expenditures is concerned,” he added. (PNA)

Relief... from page 5

said.

He proposed that lessors can reduce rental rates “in exchange for a percentage of sales of their MSME tenants” until the time that tenants are able to meet their contractual obligations.

Aside from helping struggling MSMEs to become viable again, Yujuico said their spaces will not be vacant and they can still earn from a trusted tenant rather than taking new tenants “who have not proven themselves”.

“Sales have plunged to their worst in decades. There has been a cascade of store closures and jobs losses. The persistence of low consumer confidence and limited public transportation and mobility is making it difficult for enterprises to recoup their operational costs to be able to pay the rent on top of the utilities and their workers,” he added.

Although the government has prioritized MSME lenders

TeacherPreneur…

Financial freedom By: ROSEMARIE FE M. LAVADOR TEACHER I EL SALVADOR CITY CENTRAL SCHOOL

Now a day, we experienced lot of struggles in life.

Financial problem among teachers is the most common. Even we have a monthly salary but it seems not enough. We have different reasons on why we are in this situation.

We are financially stressed of our debts and bills. The worst is we don’t have an emergency fund in times of crisis. It has a big impact in our day to day life. We are drain emotionally and affect our performance in work.

It’s time to take actions.

Let’s educate ourselves into financial literacy. There is a solution in every problem.

It’s up to us on what to decide. The only reality is we need more money that’s why we need to create at least one additional source of income.

The internet has made it easy to earn extra income during our extra time using our Facebook in social media. We can start a small business with small

capital. We can post it in our Facebook and convince our FB friends to buy our products. Online selling gives us platform where we can conveniently post items for sale and keep in touch with our buyers in just a few clicks.

Personally, it was a big help for my family expenses. Now I have full control of our basic needs and I am free from worry about the what-ifs of life.

You just need to work it out.

Learn some strategies, offer a good service and give extra effort. I am still on my journey and I am praying to God that he will bless me so that in return I can be a blessing to somebody.

According to Mark Victor Hansen…the journey to financial freedom starts the minute you decide you were destined for prosperity not scarcity, abundance not lack. Can you see yourself living a bounteous life-a life more than enough? It only takes one minute to decide. Decide now.

in government-owned financial institutions like Small Business Corp. and Philippine Guarantee Corp. while relaxing banking rules for MSMEs, the PCCI chief said “more effort is needed to nurse MSMEs back to health”.

With this, more businesses will survive and more jobs will be saved, he added. “ To b e e f f e c t i v e i n alleviating the difficulties of our small enterprises and to sustain their recovery in the medium and long terms, we need a whole-of-society approach. It is in this regard that we are appealing to mall owners and commercial building landlords under the Bayanihan spirit as embodied by the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act,” Yujuico said. (PNA)

Online... from page 2

the MSMEs in mind and providing them the avenue to improve and sustain their businesses.

His strong vision, combined with his learnings from the KMME program, encouraged him to move his business to Cagayan de Oro once the economic condition becomes better in order to expand his market for authentic, affordable, and tasty dishes.

For Glenn, one must be willing to explore a new market in order to improve sales and to succeed. (DTI10)

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF EDI A. LEONG KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That the late EDI A. LEONG died intestate on January 12, 2012 with last known residence at Iligan City, Philippines; that at the time of his death, the decedent left the following real property with TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-37,055 situated in the Barrio of Tubod, City of Iligan, Island of Mindanao, containing an area of ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED (1,500) SQUARE METERS, more or less and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF EDI A. LEONG, filed by the heirs of EDI A. LEONG, per DOC #12; PAGE #3; BOOK #9; Series of 2019 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. ALFREDO R. BUSICO. BWM: Oct. 12, 19 & 26, 2020

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH DEED OF SALE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That the late JOSE ABA REYES who died without any will on September 12, 2013 in Opol, Misamis Oriental, that at the time of his death, the deceased left a property a parcel of land with Tax Declaration No. 0815000730201 situated in the Barrio of Igpit, Municipality of Opol, province of Misamis Oriental and Island of Mindanao, containing an area of TWO HUNDRED ELEVEN (211) Square Meters, more or less, and has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH DEED OF SALE, filed by the heirs of JOSE ABA REYES, in favor of LUCIA E. JAGONAL, per DOC #42; PAGE #8; BOOK #117; Series of 2018 under the Notarial Registry of ATTY. RAUL M. LLACUNA. BWM: Oct. 5, 12 & 19, 2020

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Monday|October 19, 2020

12

MOVIE WATCHING IS MORE SAFE AND FUN AT SM CINEMA

M

OVIEGOERS can again enjoy movies on the big screen as SM Cinemas re-open at select branches starting on October 14 with enhanced safety measures for a muchmissed fun movie watching experience.

With that, film enthusiasts can look forward to watching the much-awaited Break The Silence: TheMovie, the latest film from global K-Pop superstars BTS; as well as Digimon, ananime film from Japan, Train to BusanPeninsula and My Spy. The branches re-opening include SM Cinemas in Angono, Bacoor, Baguio, Baliuag, Cabanatuan, Calamba, Cauayan, CDO Downtown, Dasmariñas, Davao, Lanang, Legazpi, Lucena, Marilao, Masinag, Molino, Naga, Olongapo Central, Pampanga, Rosales, San Jose, San Mateo, San Pablo, Santa Rosa, Tarlac, Taytay, Telabastagan and Trece Martirez.

These areas placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) following the guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

As its theaters welcome movie

goers once more, SM Cinema highlights the safety procedures that need to be observed for a worry-free movie going experience through its #SafeandFunMovieWatching campaign.

All patrons need to wear face masks and face shields. A seat gap policy will be enforced. There will be fewer screenings daily for mandatory intensive sanitation of the theaters and high-touch surfaces.

Alcohol and sanitizer dispensers are mandatory within the cinema premises.

SM Cinema is encouraging cashless transactions by booking tickets in advance through the website and mobile app as well as by using touchfree payment methods. A contact tracing program is also in place through scanning the QR code found in the cinema lobby.

For more information about SM Cinema’s safety protocols and latest movie updates, follow SMCinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram. Book your tickets at www. smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema app.

PENINSULA is the next nailbiting chapter in acclaimed director Yeon Sangho’s postapocalyptic world. This comes four years after South Korea’s total decimation in TRAIN TO BUSAN, the zombie thriller that captivated audiences worldwide Now showing at SM Cinema at SM CDO Downtown Premier.