Manila Standard - 2020 March 13 - Friday

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VOL. XXXIV • NO. 32 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

WHO declares pandemic, hits out at 'inaction' THE new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak can now be described as a pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization announced Wednesday.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was troubled by the spread and severity of the outbreak, along with a lack of action taken to combat it.

“WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we’re deeply concerned, both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction,” he told a news conference in Geneva.

“We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be character-

ized as a pandemic.”

The number of cases in over 100 countries around the world has risen to more than 124,000, with over 4,500 deaths, including a jump in fatalities in Iran and Italy in particular.

China remains the worst-affected Next page

NO PHOTOS. A Presidential Security Group personnel restrains Thursday a professional photographer on the beat from snapping pictures outside Malacañan Palace which was closed for disinfection as threats of infection from COVID-19 continue to hound the public with at least 49 cases in the Philippines. Ey Acasio

Rody orders MM lockdown Suspends travel to/from Metro effective Mar.15, prolongs class suspension

By Joyce Pangco Pañares, Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Julito G. Rada

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday imposed a communitywide lockdown for the whole Metro Manila and suspended all land, domestic air and domestic sea travel to and from the metropolis starting March 15 as cases of the novel coronavirus soared to 52.

LOCAL ROUNDUP

PRESIDENTIAL PRESCRIPTION. President Rodrigo Duterte, during a nationwide broadcast addressed to his countrymen at 9 p.m. Thursday night, among others, suspends work in certain national government agencies without prejudice to the formation of skeletal forces to maintain unimpeded public service, but underlined the Filipinos should not panic as the government is doing everything to stand up to the pandemic coronavirus.

In an address to the nation late Thursday evening, Duterte, who underwent testing for COVID-19, raised the public health alert to Code Red Sub-level 2 – the highest level prescribed by the World Health Organization.

Under Code Red, Sub-Level 2, the strategy will shift from intensive contract tracing to community-level quarantine or lockdown, and suspension of work or school.

The recommendations of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease, which Duterte approved and will formalize through an executive order, are as follows: • Land, domestic air, and domestic sea travel to and from Metro Manila shall be suspended starting March 15 and will end April 14; • The suspension of classes in all levels in Metro Manila is extended until April 12, provided that all students shall continue to fulfil their educational requirements during the said period. The Department of Interior and Local Government shall be responsible for implementing measures to ensure that students remain in their homes during the duration of the suspension.

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Court hearings on hold, says SC

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of court hearings in the first, second and collegiate courts from March 13 to 18 as a preventive measure against COVID-19.

The Court issued the order after Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta released a circular to guide the lower courts on how to prevent the spread of the virus.

During this period, justices and judges are directed to reset hearings and inform parties of the new schedule; disinfect court premises; write orders and decisions; and act on other matters pending before their respective courts.

Justices and judges are expected to continue to report to the Office of the Next page

WORLD ROUNDUP

Tom Hanks,wife tested positive HOLLYWOOD megastar Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for the new coronavirus while in Australia for a film project, the Oscarwinning US actor revealed Thursday.

Hanks and Wilson, both 63, are in isolation at the Gold Coast University Hospital after being confirmed with the disease, Queensland state health officials said.

Hanks is the first major Hollywood star to publicly state that he has the virus, which has sickened more than 125,000 people worldwide and killed more than 4,600.

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TEMPORARILY CLOSED. National Economic and Development Authority and several state-owned agencies (left) have temporarily closed their buildings for disinfection and sanitation amid the novel coronavirus pandemic while security personnel (right) stand guard outside the main gate of the Senate in Pasay City after officials imposed a selective lockdown after a public hearing resource person was found positive of COVID-19 infection on March 6. Ey Acasio

Arrest hoarders, Malacañang orders

By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Joel Zurbano MALACAÑANG has warned the public against hoarding of food and other essential goods following reports of the rising number of confirmed coronavirus in the country—52 after dusk Thursday night—which sparked panic buying at supermarkets.

NBA SUSPENDS 2020 SEASON SPORTS A8

At the same time, the Department of Trade and Industry has warned it will file criminal charges against people who are overpricing and and those hoarding medical devices and products like alcohol, medicines, masks of N-88, N-95, other similar face masks, alcohol/sanitizers, and medical devices.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said: Next page

COVID-19 survivor's story inspires hope AN AMERICAN woman who has recovered from the novel coronavirus has a simple message for people who are worried: Don’t panic―but do think about high-risk individuals and stay home if you feel ill.

Elizabeth Schneider lives in Seattle, the Next page

LOVE KNOWS NO BARRIER. Persons Deprived of Liberty, a euphemism for those in jail, chat with their loved ones Thursday at the Manila City Jail as the BJMP implemented measures like 'virtual visits' to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Norman Cruz

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News

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

WHO...

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country with more than 80,000 confirmed cases and over 3,000 deaths.

Tedros said that over the past two weeks, the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold and the number of affected countries had tripled.

He said he expected the number of cases and deaths would grow in the coming days and weeks.

“Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly,” he told reporters, but he stressed that “describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by the virus.”

It should not be taken by countries as a signal to give up on efforts to contain the virus with methods like contact-tracing, he said.

Tedros pointed out that over 90 percent of cases had been registered in just four countries, and that countries with no or only a few cases could still halt the virus in its tracks.

“We should double down, and we should be more aggressive,” Tedros said, adding: “We are not saying the world should move from containment to mitigation... the blended approach should continue.

“It will be a mistake to abandon the containment strategy,” he said.

He acknowledged that the world had “never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus,” but emphasized that “we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled at the same time.”

Countries can still change the course of the outbreak, he said.

Michael Ryan, who heads WHO’s emergencies program, insisted on the need to slow the outbreak to give time to hospitals to prepare for more cases, warning that many countries’ health systems were showing a lack of resilience.

“If you do not try to suppress this virus it can overwhelm your health system,” he said.

Tedros said the WHO was grateful for the measures being taken in countries around the globe and was aware that they were taking a “heavy toll” on societies.

He also said hard-hit Iran was trying its best to control the outbreak but needed more supplies.

Iran is suffering from a shortage of ventilators, oxygen and protective gear for health workers, reporters were told.

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday urged world governments to urgently scale up their response to COVID-19 if they are to stand a chance of stemming its spread.

“Today’s declaration of a pandemic is a call to action—for everyone, everywhere,” the secretary general said in a statement.

“We can still change the course of this pandemic—but that means addressing inaction,” he said. “I call on every government to step up and scale up their efforts—now.”

“The best science tells us, if countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize their people in the response, we can go a long way to mitigating transmission,” Guterres said. AFP

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Parade postponed

New York City has postponed its annual St Patrick’s Day parade over the global coronavirus pandemic, officials said late Wednesday, days after other events in US cities were canceled.

State governor Andrew Cuomo said the decision was taken after a meeting with parade organizers.

“One of the most effective ways to contain the spread of the virus is to limit large gatherings and close contacts, and I applaud the parade’s leadership for working cooperatively with us,” said New York state governor Andrew Cuomo in a statement.

Permits canceled

China has canceled permits for Mount Everest because of the coronavirus, expedition organizers said Thursday, ahead of the spring climbing season on the world’s highest peak.

Last year’s traffic-clogged spring window saw a record 885 people summit Everest, 644 of them from Nepal and 241 from the northern flank in Tibet.

The Nepal side remains open for now although some expedition operators have seen cancellations and climbers have been asked to submit a 14-day travel history and medical reports.

30-day ban

US President Donald Trump announced a 30-day ban on travelers from mainland Europe Wednesday as the continent reeled from the rapid spread of a coronavirus pandemic that has emptied streets, shuttered shops and disrupted travel for millions.

The edict came amid signs of a widening European crisis, as Italy clocked more than 2,300 new cases in 24 hours and infections in Spain jumped by a quarter to more than 2,100.

Ireland, Albania, Belgium, Sweden and Bulgaria registered their first deaths Wednesday, bringing Europe’s total to 930, from more than 22,000 infections.

“This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history,” Trump said in a prime-time television address from the Oval Office― his latest attempt to counter criticism of his response so far. AFP

P108-b stimulus fund proposed The economic decline is expected to last until June.

Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo said the travel and tourism sectors will be hard hit by the virus’ spread, with the National Economic and Development Authority predicting a fall of 1.42 million in the number of tourist arrivals.

Quimbo, a member of the appropriations committee, filed a bill that seeks to reallocate P108 billion to finance a fiscal stimulus package as the main economic measure with which the government will address the public health emergency.

“Assuming a multiplier of about 1.7, a P108-billion stimulus to the economy

will compensate for the expected losses from COVID-19 and keep the economy on track. This package may be funded through the GAA contingency fund and the unspent funds from the previous year, Quimbo said.

She said the Tourism department foresees a loss of as much as P49.2 billion due to the fall in the number of foreign tourists arriving in the Philippines.

On the other hand, she said, the Labor department estimated that some 30,000 to 60,000 workers would lose their jobs in the tourism sector.

She said at least 47 companies with more than 4,000 workers had implemented flexible work arrangements,

Rody...

Under the resolution, a barangay-wide quarantine or lockdown is advised when there are two positive COVID-19 cases belonging to different households in the same barangay.

A municipality-wide or city-wide quarantine is advised when there are at least two positive COVID-19 cases belonging to different barangays in the same municipality or city.

A province-wide quarantine is advised when there are at least two positive COVID-19 cases belonging to different municipalities, component cities, or independent cities in the same province.

Aside from Duterte, his close aide and now Senator Christopher Go also underwent COVID-19 test, while several Cabinet members went on selfquarantine due to exposure to persons who tested positive for the virus.

Going into isolation for 14 days are Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Bases Conversion and Development Authority President Vince Dizon and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno.

“With regards to the health of President Duterte who chose to undergo testing for the coronavirus disease, he has not shown any signs of the deadly illness,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

“They (Duterte and Go) are undertaking this preemptive step as per the advice of health officials given that they have regularly engaged with Cabinet officials, some of whom have opted to undergo self-quarantine as they were exposed to those infected with COVID-19,” Panelo said.

The Philippines has seen a jump this week in cases, including people who recently attended events with Senate lawmakers and government officials, potentially exposing them.

Health authorities also announced the nation’s second death, the first since an infected Chinese tourist died last month.

In response, the Senate building and Philippine central bank were undergoing cleaning, and several officials announced they would isolate themselves as a precaution.

Meanwhile, most senators have decided to stay home to await the results of tests done on Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Nancy Binay, who had direct contact with a COVID-19 patient whose wife, who was also infected, died at the Manila Doctors Hospital.

“We, the senators should be all tested for Covid-19 as we were exposed to a

number of people. I had been warning my colleagues on the conduct of public hearings during these times but obviously some of them did not heed my warning,” said Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.

He noted that the first Filipino casualty was the wife of a resource person who attended Gatchalian’s hearing. He is in critical condition now, Zubiri added.

“Many think we are panicking but if you love your parents and your grandparents, then you should take this virus very seriously because most of those who have died are senior citizens,” Zubiri said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He urged the Department of Health to make thousands of testing kits available.

Following the decision of Gatchalian to go into self-quarantine, Binay said she too would do so.

“Senator Gatchalian and I were present during the March 5, 2020 hearing, and it is with a heavy heart to learn that one of our resource speakers has been tested positive for COVID-19,” she said.

“I have asked my staff to do the same and take precautionary steps to limit face-to-face interactions,” Binay added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, too, said he would go into self-quarantine.

“In my case, since I shared the elevator with Senator Gatchalian yesterday afternoon on our way to the session hall, I am taking precaution by doing self-quarantine while waiting for the result of his test.

If he tests positive, I will have to undergo the test myself,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said he had no exposure to the COVID-19 patient when he went to the Senate on March 5, but would go into self-quarantine anyway in view of his exposure to Gatchalian and Binay.

Meanwhile, presidential daughter and Mayor Sara Duterte submitted herself for a voluntary, monitored home quarantine and signed up as a Person Under Monitoring (PUM) under the Davao City Health Office.

“She is now confined in an isolated bedroom at her residence and will continue to work through emails, messaging, and videotelecon,” a city hall statement released on Thursday reads.

The BSP issued an advice Thursday morning that work in the main office in Malate, Manila as well as the Security Plant Complex in Quezon City—where the banknotes and coins are produced—was suspended until March 13 to facilitate disinfection of the premises as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19.

By Maricel V. Cruz

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LEGISLATOR asked the House of Representatives on Thursday to pass a bill setting up a P108-billion stimulus fund to lift the economy that is reeling from the downturn caused by the China virus.

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• Local government units which have imposed community quarantine in their respective jurisdictions, upon declaration of a state of calamity, shall be allowed to access their Quick Response Fund.

• Work in the executive branch shall be suspended during the said period, without prejudice to the formation of skeletal workforces to ensure unimpeded delivery of services to the public. The legislative branch and the judiciary are encouraged to adopt the same policy.

• Flexible work arrangements shall likewise be encouraged in the private sector. The Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry shall issue guidelines to safeguard the welfare of workers.

• Mass public transports such as the Light Rail Transits, the Metro Rail Transit and the Philippine National Railways shall continue to operate but social distancing shall be encouraged.

“This is not martial law. This is not even something that is extraordinary. What we want is to fight the virus and exact compliance,” the President said, saying the military and the police will be tapped to help implement the lockdown.

At least 40,000 policemen will be deployed in the event the government decides to implement a lockdown in certain areas in Metro Manila, Philippine National Police chief Archie Gamboa said in an earlier interview.

Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., for his part, said the military is prepared to augment the PNP for a “whole-of-government” approach in containing the spread of the virus.

Duterte said the provisions will be “subject to review every day, especially if there is a slowdown in the contagion.”

“Do not panic. Don’t be too stressed to the point that you disrupt your normal life. You can still continue to do so but with restrictions because of the crisis. The crisis is very, very clear,” the President said.

He also warned citizens to follow the restrictions. “The government is doing everything possible to make it controllable. But if you dont cooperate, the problem will start with you and end with you.

Disobedience is punishable under the Revised Penal Code.”

“We are in a crisis and there is no solution in sight—no solution, unless there is a vaccine,” the President added.

Arrest...

From A1 “We have recommended to the President the issuance of an Executive Order for easier procedure of filing of cases and imposition of stiffer penalties for profiteering.

“The proposed EO will arm the DTI together with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, and National Bureau of Investigation with visitorial powers to address the issue on prices and supply of medical products.”

In a statement, Palace spokesperson Salvador Panelo said people who hoard supplies of basic commodities over the COVID-19 threat would be arrested.

“There is no need to hoard goods. There is no need to be afraid. The Department of Trade and Industry guarantees that we have sufficient goods,” he said.

Warning vs. hoarders “The Office of the President hereby gives warning to those hoarding vital commodities, which create a hike in the prices, as well as selling them beyond their regular prices, that their actions will be dealt with accordingly in pursuance of public safety and order,” Panelo said.

“Those who unscrupulously take advantage of the health crisis will also be arrested and dealt with in accordance with law.”

Court...

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Court Administrator any development or circumstance regarding the spread of COVID-19.

Use masks on public transport

The chairman of the House transportation committee, Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento, said the government should mandate the use of face masks or any other article that can be used to cover one’s nose and mouth before people are allowed to ride on all forms of public transport. At the same time, Sarmiento said that the government should continue to ensure that public transportation remains available to serve the people. Sarmiento also called on the country’s public transport operators, including the management of the Philippine National Railways, the Light Rail Transit system, to regularly disinfect their vehicles and coaches to reduce the chance of transmission.

Cebu Pacific booking policies

Cebu Pacific said its flights continue to

Meanwhile, the Manila International Airport Authority reported that Xiamen Air went on flights scheduled to and from Xiamen on Thursday, despite the travel restriction imposed by the Philippine government in connection with the coronavirus disease outbreak which rippled out from Wuhan, China.

The MIAA Media Affairs Division said Xiamen Air flight MF 819 from Xiamen to Manila at 8:20 pm Thursday and its return flight to Xiamen at 9:20 p.m. went according to schedule, but it stopped short of saying whether the flights carried Filipino or non-Chinese passengers.

Last month, the Philippine government imposed a ban on travel of Filipinos to mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, along with restrictions barring foreign nationals from China from entering the Philippines (except for those holding Philippine-issued Permanent Resident Visas) following the COVID-19 outbreak.

The President has instructed the DTI, Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to monitor the price of face masks and alcohol to prevent cases of hoarding.

Since the confirmation of the first case of COVID-19 infection in the country last February, there have been multiple reports of panic buying of surgical masks, alcohol, and vitamin C in pharmacies and supermarkets.

Public health emergency Aside from the supply of alcohol, canned goods, vegetables and meat products almost run out in supermarkets in Metro Manila.

operate as scheduled but said it was changing its booking policies due to rebooking and cancellation requests from passengers due to concerns over COVID-19. The airline said passengers traveling to Philippine and international destinations from March 10 to April 30, 2020 who would like to rebook or cancel their flights can avail of free rebooking; place the full cost of the ticket in a Travel Fund that can be used as payment for a future booking; or avail of the CEB Flexi plan that enables travelers to rebook their flights up to two times for free.

Children are affected, too

The Save the Children Philippines group called on parents, caregivers and community leaders to take urgent precautions to prevent exposure of children to COVID-19, saying they can still be affected by the virus. “Children are being separated when their parents and caregivers are being quarantined or when confined in hospitals,” said Alberto Muyot, chief executive of the group. More than 22 million children and adolescents have been missing out on school since

Monday after major cities suspended classes to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. “Schools should limit the impact of disruption to education through open, distance and online learning,” Muyot said.

Baguio suspends classes

The Baguio city government on Thursday ordered the suspension of classes in all levels for both public and private schools here from March 13 to 22 to allow school authorities to sanitize and disinfect classrooms and facilities. Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the measure was in line with the state of public health emergency proclamation of President Rodrigo Duterte, ordering all local government units to help address and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

La Trinidad freezes public events

La Trinidad, Benguet Mayor Romeo Salda has suspended all crowd-drawing events and tourism-related activities in the town, including concerts, pageants, fun runs, and barangay and co-op assemblies. Private-sector-led activities must get a special permit from the mayor’s office.

such as short hours and reduced working days. At least 300 workers had been dismissed.

The other sectors of the economy will also be affected, she said.

But Quimbo said the General Appropriations Act or national government budget for Fiscal Year 2020 allocated only P13 billion as fund subsidies for contingencies, thus there was a need to allocate more funds to provide assistance to businesses that had experienced or were expected to experience substantial losses as a result of COVID-19, and provide sufficient safety nets and immediate assistance to the workers who had lost their livelihoods.

“The BSP, however, shall continue normal open market and PhilPass settlement operations as well as the servicing of cash withdrawals by banks at the SPC,” the statement read.

Diokno said the conduct of the second policy meeting for the year of the Monetary Board on March 19 will go on as planned. “It will be held as scheduled,” he said. He said work will resume at the BSP on Monday.

On Wednesday night, Dominguez said in a Viber message that he was on a selfquarantine after learning that a COVID-19 patient was in an event last Thursday and Friday.

“I was told that a fellow I met with last Thursday and Friday last week has tested positive for COVID-19 today. I have no symptoms but I am self isolating until I get tested,” Dominguez said.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno also said he would go on self-quarantine after returning from London where he met with the UK’s task force on the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank’s said in a statement that its staff were temporarily working from home starting Thursday following advice that a visitor to the bank has tested positive for the coronavirus COVID-19.

“The bank’s Manila headquarters facility will be closed from 12 March to undertake cleaning and disinfecting. Bank operations will continue. ADB Management will make a decision in coming days on when to reopen the bank premises,” it said.

“The safety of staff, visitors to the bank, and their families is of utmost importance to us. We are providing support to staff who interacted with the visitor,” said ADB vice president for administration and corporate management Deborah Stokes.

The House of Representatives’ headquarters at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City will undergo cleaning and disinfection procedures starting Friday until Sunday (March 13 to 15).

The head office of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Pasay City was closed on Thursday following the confirmed case at the Senate.

“In light of the confirmation that a resource person who attended a hearing at the Senate (housed in the GSIS building) tested positive for Covid-19, the GSIS Head Office in Pasay City is temporarily closed as an urgent precautionary measure,” the GSIS said in an advisory. With Willie Casas, Rio N. Araja, and AFP

COVID-19...

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biggest city of Washington state, which has the most deaths in the United States from the disease sweeping the globe.

The 37-year-old, who has a PhD in bioengineering, said she was sharing her story “to give people a little bit of hope” through her own relatively mild experience with the infection, which she treated herself from home.

But, she added, “obviously, it’s not something to be completely nonchalant about, because there are a lot of people who are elderly or have underlying health conditions.

“That means that we need to be extra vigilant about staying home, isolating ourselves from others.”

Meanwhile, high-profile fixtures of Shanghai’s skyline began to re-open Thursday on a limited basis in a sign of confidence that the coronavirus was being tamed in the Chinese financial center.

The 632-meter Shanghai Tower―the world’s second-tallest building―and the futuristic Oriental Pearl Tower Radio and Television Tower were among the skyscrapers to announce viewing platforms and other public areas had opened again, subject to various restrictions.

The Shanghai Museum said it was reopening on Friday but would cap daily visitors at 2,000.

This week, US health authorities citing Chinese data said 80 percent of cases had been mild, while the remaining serious cases that required hospitalization affected mainly people over 60 and those with conditions like diabetes, heart disease or lung disease.

Schneider first began experiencing flulike symptoms on Feb. 25, three days after going to a party that was later identified as the place where at least five other people also got infected.

“I woke up and I was feeling tired, but it was nothing more than what you normally feel when you have to get up and go to work, and I had been very busy the previous weekend,” she told AFP in an interview Wednesday. AFP

News

Sandiganbayan finds budget officer guilty A

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

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By Maricel V. Cruz

FORMER budget officer in Maguindanao province has been sentenced by the Sandiganbayan to a lengthy prison term, disqualification from government service and a helfty fine over irregularities he committed in the purchasing medical supplies in 2008 and 2009 from a nonexistent drug store.

The anti-graft court found Datu Ali Abpi, Al Haj guilty of corruption and sentenced him to eight to 12 years imprisonment, fine of P14.5 million and disqualification from employment in the government for life.

Abpi, the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division said, violated Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in the procurement of P14.25 million worth medical supplies worth from Farmacia Minda in 2008 and 2009.

The court also ordered Abpi to return the P14.25 million used in the bogus purchases of medicines and other medical supplies.

Former provincial accountant John Estelito Dollosa Jr. and former provincial treasurer Osmeña Bandila, who are Abpi’s coaccused in the case were ordered arrested by the anti-graft court.

Both are at large.

On the other hand, three of the original defendants, former provincial administrator Norie Unas, former officer in charge of the provincial engineer’s office Landap Guinaid, and provincial general services officer Kasan

Macapendeg, died while the case was pending.

The illegal transactions happened during the term of former Maguindanao Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr. However, but the Ombudsman did not include him in the indictment because he died July 17, 2015 before the charges were filed in court.

The cases were filed after a special audit on Internal Revenue Allotment spending of Maguindanao totaling P80.207 million was conducted. About P65.96 million were supposedly paid to Henry Merchandising supposedly for food supplies, while P14.25 million in medicines were allegedly purchased from Farmacia Minda.

Abpi was convicted after the Ombudsman proved Henry Merchandise and Farmacia Minda did not exist and thus, the transactions could never have happened.

However, Abpi was only held liable for the transactions involving Farmacia Minda for not having signed any of the documents relative to the fake purchases from Henry Merchandising.

Clark Waste Mgm’t ready to help NCR

By Rio N. Araja AMID a worsening garbage crisis in the country, the Metro Clark Waste Management is geared to face the challenge to help the government address the problem.

At a media briefing, Victoria Gaetos, executive vice president, said “we will not reject it” should the National Capital Region and the other regions ask their help.

“Our 20-hectare [engineered] landfill can accommodate 4,000 metric tons of trash a day. Right now, we are only getting just 2,800 metric tons a day,” she said.

“We can cater to Metro Manila. We have the technology.

We know how to expand and how to put it. We are Department of Environment and Natural Resources-compliant. We are also Department of Labor

and Employment-compliant. We pay taxes correctly. Aside from these, we have three ISO certifications,” she added.

She said they are confident of handling all kinds of wastes.

She stressed that “when wastes are delivered here, we assure you that they are very safe here.”

MCWM is a 100-hectare facility in Capas, Tarlac with 70 hectares allocated as landfill and 30 percent for buffer zone, material recovery facility, orchard and office spaces.

Gaetos assured the public and the people of Capas that they were driven by commitment and guided by principles in pursuit of excellence using a German technology.

“Our surge now is Zambales.

Since the second quarter of 2019, we have been servicing the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, aside from Clark,” she said.

‘DOLE must help labor mart’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo WITH the threat of unemployment looming large as a result of the spread of COVID-19 in the country, Senator Joel Villanueva has called on the Department of Labor and Employment to expedite the implementation of programs that would help affected workers weather the tough times as they transition to new jobs.

Villanueva noted that the labor department must already begin their efforts to help the labor market brace itself for shocks that could send unemployment figures in an upward trend as the infectious disease continues to make difficult business operations which could result to layoffs.

He said the livelihood of our workers should continue even if some of them would lose their jobs as a result of COVID-19 affecting the operations of their employers.

“We call on DOLE to immediately implement programs to ensure displaced workers would still be able to earn a living for their families instead of totally being unemployed,” said Villanueva, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development.

Meanwhile, thousands of daily minimum wage workers are restive over the lack of company guidelines and deficient policy in the event government imposes mandatory workplace lockdown, the labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said.

The TUCP also said workers under the “no work-no pay” policy would be greatly affected once a regional lockdown was imposed by the government to prevent contamination due to the growing 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic.

In the Senate, Senator Francis Pangilinan said daily wage earners would be hurt with a lockdown, wherein nobody could enter or exit lockdown areas, unless there were proven family or work reasons.

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020

BULACAN (CALUMPIT; HAGONOY; AND PULILAN) BETWEEN 3:00AM AND 6:00AM – THE WHOLE OF CIRCUIT CALUMPIT 32YQ; AND PORTION OF CIRCUITS CALUMPIT 325YQ AND 38YQ Portion of Hagonoy – Calumpit Provincial Road from Sta. Lucia Road to and including Bgys. Meyto, San Jose, Panducot, San Isidro and San Juan in Calumpit and Hagonoy.

Portion of Iba Road from Meralco – Calumpit substation to Palapat Road including Bgys. Iba Este, Iba O’Este, Iba – Ibayo, Iba, Palapat, Carillo and San Juan in Calumpit and Hagonoy.

Portion of Hagonoy – Calumpit Provincial Road from Palapat Road to and including San Miguel, Tampok San Agustin, Sta. Monica, Sto. Niño, San Sebastian, Mercado, San Nicolas, Sagrada Familia, Sto. Rosario, Sta. Elena, San Pascual and Sta. Cruz in Hagonoy.

Pulilan Uno Steel Corp. along Pulilan Regional Road in Bgy. Dampol II – B, Pulilan.

REASON: Maintenance work inside Meralco – Calumpit substation.

CAVITE (DASMARIÑAS CITY; AND IMUS CITY) BETWEEN 6:30AM AND 7:00AM AND THEN BETWEEN 6:00PM AND 6:30PM – THE WHOLE OF CIRCUITS DASMARIÑAS 40DA AND 41DA Portion of General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway from Golden City Subd. Phases I & II in Bgy. Anabu II – F, Imus City to Governor’s Drive including Toyota – Dasmariñas, Digitel, National College of Science and Technology, Red Ribbon Bakeshop and Dasmariñas Public Market; San Lorenzo Heights Village Phases 1 & 2, Agustine Grove Subd., Augustine Grove Villas Subd., Cityhomes Resortville Subd. Phases I – V, Cityland Greenbreeze Subd. Phases I-B & III, Golden City Subd. Phases III – V, Southwood Villas Subd., Cardinal Dasmariñas Villages I & II, Molino Homes Phases I & II, South Garden Homes, St. Anthony Village, Town and Country Subd. Phase 2, Vine Village, Windsor Estate Subd., Don Gregorio Heights Subd. and Marilag Subd. in Bgys. Salitran I – IV, Burol Main, Dasmariñas City Proper, San Agustin I & II, Langkaan I & II and Sampaloc I & II in Dasmariñas City; Diamond Village Central Phase I, Patricia South Villa Subd. and Diamond Village Phase III & 8 in Bgy. Anabu II – F, Imus City.

Portion of Congressional Ave. from Jose Abad Santos Ave. in Bgy. Salitran III to and including Bgys. Sta. Lucia, Datu Esmael, San Manuel I & II, San Dionisio, San Miguel Archangel I & II, San Juan, San Isidro Labrador I & II, Sto. Niño II, San Esteban, St. Peter I & II and Sto. Cristo in Dasmariñas City.

Portion of Governor’s Drive from Wellton Corp. to and including SM City – Dasmariñas, Robinsons Place – Dasmariñas, Sydenham Laboratories and Coca Cola – Dasmariñas Sales Office in Bgys. Sampaloc and Langkaan in Dasmariñas City.

REASON: Replacement of facilities inside NGCP - Dasmariñas substation.

CAVITE (TRECE MARTIREZ CITY) BETWEEN 9:30AM AND 2:30PM - PORTION OF CIRCUIT TMC-II 45WA Regina Ville Classic Subd. in Bgy. De Ocampo.

REASON: Line reconstruction work in Regina Ville Classic Subd., Bgy. De Ocampo, Trece Martirez City, Cavite.

CAVITE (BACOOR CITY) BETWEEN 10:00AM AND 3:00PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT BACOOR 412WX Portion of Panapaan IV Road from Tirona Highway to and including Princess Suites & Inns and Mariche Apartelle in Bgy. Panapaan IV. REASON: Replacement of facilities along Tirona Highway in Bgy. Panapaan IV, Bacoor City, Cavite.

WEDNESDAY TO THURSDAY, MARCH 18 – 19, 2020

TAGUIG CITY (WESTERN BICUTAN AND SIGNAL VILLAGE) BETWEEN 11:00PM AND 11:29PM (WED., 03/18/20) AND THEN BETWEEN 4:31AM AND 5:00AM (THU., 03/19/20) – PORTION OF CIRCUIT GARDNER 55GG Portion of Pinagsama Village Phase 2 in Bgy. Western Bicutan.

BETWEEN 11:30PM (WED., 03/18/20) AND 4:30AM (THU., 03/19/20) – PORTION OF CIRCUIT GARDNER 55GG Portion of 8th St. from Block 15 St. to and including 11th, 10th, 7th and Block 17 Sts. in GHQ Village; and 11th Ave. in Hen. Headquarter Support Group in Bgy. Signal Village.

REASON: Replacement of poles and line reconductoring work along 8th St. in Bgy. Signal Village, Taguig City.

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 PASAY CITY

BETWEEN 8:00AM AND 8:29AM AND THEN BETWEEN 2:31PM AND 3:00PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT NAIA 413VX Portion of St. Augustine St. from near St. Mary St. to Aurora Blvd. including St. Agnes and St. Joan Sts. in Maricaban.

BETWEEN 8:00AM AND 2:30PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT NAIA 413VX Portion of St. Francis St. from St. Peter St. to near St. Bernadette St. including portion of St. Augustine St. in Maricaban.

REASON: Replacement of rotten poles and line reconductoring work along St. Augustine and St. Francis Sts. in Maricaban, Pasay City.

MANILA (STA. CRUZ)

CAVITE (TANZA)

BETWEEN 8:30AM AND 2:30PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT TUTUBAN 56VT Portion of Anacleto St. from Tayuman St. to S. Herrera St. including Filipino-Chinese Bakery Association, Lao Lam Bldg., Tayuman Commercial Center and Landbank.

Portion of S. Herrera St. from Anacleto St. to Rizal Ave. Portion of Rizal Ave. from S. Herrera St. to and including Favoredland Bldg., PNB and Purefeeds Corp.

REASON: Replacement of rotten pole, line reconductoring work and installation of additional lightning protection devices along Rizal Ave. and Anacleto St. in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

BETWEEN 9:30AM AND 2:30PM - PORTION OF CIRCUIT TMC-II 45WA Woodside Subd. in Bgy. Paradahan 1.

REASON: Relocation of facilities along Trece Martirez City – Tanza Road in Bgy. Paradahan 1, Tanza, Cavite.

QUEZON PROVINCE (LUCENA CITY) BETWEEN 10:00AM AND 3:00PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT LUCENA 425LCN Portion of Gov. Leon Guinto St. from Edano St. to and including La Milagrosa Subd., Purok Sampaguita and Purok Pantok; Balimbing, Don Queblar and Ramon Flancia Sts. in Barangays 9 & 10 in City Proper.

REASON: Replacement of rotten wood pole along Ramon Flancia St. in Barangay 9, City Proper, Lucena City, Quezon Province.

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2020

BULACAN (SAN ILDEFONSO, SAN MIGUEL; AND DOÑA REMEDIOS TRINIDAD) ; AND PAMPANGA (CANDABA) BETWEEN 5:00AM AND 5:59AM AND THEN BETWEEN 7:01AM AND 8:00AM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT SAN MIGUEL 312YN Portion of Pan Philippine Highway from Ortiz Ville in Bgy. Sapang Putol to and including Bgys. Maasim, Calasag, Calawitan, Malipampang, Matimbubong, Pulong Tamo and Telepatio in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

BETWEEN 6:00AM AND 7:00AM – THE WHOLE OF CIRCUITS SAN MIGUEL 314YN, 315YN, 323YN 324YN, 325YN AND 326YN; AND PORTION OF CIRCUIT SAN MIGUEL 312YN The whole of town of San Miguel, Bulacan The whole town of San Ildefonso, Bulacan excluding portions of Bgys. Calasag, Calawitan, Maasim, Malipampang, Matimbubong, Pulong Tamo, Sapang Putol and Telepatio.

Bgys. Barangka, Lourdes, Magumbali, Mandile, Mapanique and Salapungan in Candaba, Pampanga.

Bgys. Kalawakan, Camachin, Sapang Bulak and Talbak in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan.

REASON: Emergency repair work inside Meralco – San Miguel substation.

PASAY CITY BETWEEN 8:30AM AND 2:30PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT NAIA 413VX Portion of St. Augustine St. from near St. Mary St. to Aurora Blvd. including St. Agnes and St. Joan Sts. in Maricaban.

REASON: Replacement of poles and line reconductoring works along St. Augustine and St. Francis Sts. in Maricaban, Pasay City.

QUEZON CITY (NOVALICHES) BETWEEN 9:00AM AND 2:00PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT DILIMAN 425VU The whole of BIR Village in Bgy. Sauyo.

REASON: Line reconductoring work, replacement of poles and installation of facilities in BIR Village, Bgy. Sauyo, Novaliches, Quezon City.

LAGUNA (SAN PEDRO) BETWEEN 9:00AM AND 2:00PM - PORTION OF CIRCUIT GMA 43XF Portion of Bayan-Bayanan – Estrella Barangay Road from Southern Heights Subd. in Bgy. Bayan - Bayanan to and including Villa Rosa Homes in Bgy. Estrella.

REASON: Replacement of pole and line reconductoring work along Bayan – Bayanan – Estrella Barangay Road in Bgy. Estrella, San Pedro, Laguna.

CAVITE (DASMARIÑAS CITY) BETWEEN 9:30AM AND 2:30PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT ABUBOT 39XZ The whole of The Orchard Townhomes in Bgy. Salitran.

REASON: Line conversion work and installation of poles in The Orchard Townhomes, Bgy. Salitran, Dasmariñas City, Cavite.

TUESDAY TO WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17 – 18, 2020 MAKATI CITY

BETWEEN 11:30PM (TUE. 03/17/20) AND 5:30AM (WED., 03/18/20) – PORTION OF CIRCUIT KAMAGONG 49VK Portion of Kalayaan Ave. from Zapote St. to and including Pililia, Baler, Peñafrancia, Iriga, Infanta, Legaspi, J. B. Roxas, Anselmo, Samat, Banahaw, Makiling, Biak Na Bato and Imus Sts.; Buddy’s Restaurant and Nicanor Garcia Sr. Elementary School in Bgys.

Valenzuela and Olympia.

Portion of J. P. Rizal St. from Legaspi St. to and including Honradez St.; and Philippine National Bank (PNB) in Bgy. Olympia.

Portion of Montojo St. from Caledonian International Bldg. to Visita St. in Bgy. Sta. Cruz.

Portion of Ponte St. from Chino Roces Ave. (Pasong Tamo) to near Primo De Rivera St. in Bgy. Tejeros.

REASON: Line reconstruction work along Kalayaan Ave in Bgys. Olympia and Valenzuela in Makati City.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020 PARAÑAQUE CITY (SAN ISIDRO)

BETWEEN 9:00AM AND 2:00PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT BF – PARAÑAQUE 422WU F. C. Santos Compound along Dr. A. Santos Ave. REASON: Line reconductoring work in F. C. Santos Compound, Bgy. San Isidro, Parañaque City.

PASIG CITY (UGONG) BETWEEN 9:30AM AND 2:30PM - PORTIONS OF CIRCUIT HILLCREST 422VZ Along Zinia, Lily and Rosas Sts. from Camia St. to Rosas St. in Valle Verde 2 Subd.

REASON: Replacement of cracked poles and installation of additional lightning protection devices in Valle Verde 2 Subd., Bgy. Ugong, Pasig City.

CAVITE (NAIC) BETWEEN 10:00AM AND 3:00PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT TMC-II 46WA Portion of Umboy St. from Naic – Ternate Road to and including Kalye Cena St. in Bgy. Labac.

REASON: Replacement of facilities along Naic - Ternate Road in Bgy. Labac, Naic, Cavite.

THURSDAY TO FRIDAY, MARCH 19 - 20, 2020 CALOOCAN CITY; AND MANILA (TONDO)

BETWEEN 11:00PM AND 11:30PM (THU., 03/19/20) AND THEN BETWEEN 4:30AM AND 5:00AM (FRI., 03/20/20) – PORTION OF CIRCUIT GRACE PARK 421RD Portion of Rizal Ave. from near 11th Ave. in Grace Park, Caloocan City to P. Salita St. in Tondo, Manila including 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Aves.; Del Mundo, F. Roxas and J. Teodoro Sts.; Alasco Vinyl Corp., East West Bank, Mercury Drug, UCPB, PBM Co., BDO, Solid Bank, VSP Condominium, Fruit Magic, Sterling Bank, International Exchange Bank, Buffalo Steel Corp., Asia United Bank, Philtrust Bank, Performance Parts Corp., Jollibee, Bitstop Network Services Inc., P.I. Tractor Parts Sales, Mitsui Trading Philippines Limited Co., Philippine Business Bank, Affordable Private Education Center (APEC), Pizza Hut, Metro Printer International Inc. and MWSI Reservoir in Grace Park, Caloocan City.

BETWEEN 11:00PM (THU., 03/19/20) AND 5:00AM (FRI., 03/20/20) – PORTION OF CIRCUIT GRACE PARK 421RD Portion of M. H. Del Pilar St. from near 7th Ave. to 9th Ave. in Grace Park, Caloocan City.

Portion of 9th Ave. from M. H. Del Pilar St. to Maria Clara St. in Grace Park, Caloocan City.

Aurelio Building and Metrobank along Rizal Ave. in Grace Park, Caloocan City.

REASON: Replacement of rotten poles and line reconductoring work along M. H. Del Pilar St. in Grace Park, Caloocan City.

MUNTINLUPA CITY (CUPANG) BETWEEN 11:30PM (THU., 03/19/20) AND 4:30AM (FRI., 03/20/20) – PORTION OF CIRCUIT AYALA ALABANG 423WR Portion of Canterbury St. from Don Jesus Blvd. to and including PAREF Southridge School in Hillsborough Village.

REASON: Line reconductoring work and replacement of facilities along Don Jesus Blvd. in Hillsborough Village, Bgy. Cupang, Muntinlupa City.

FRIDAY TO SATURDAY, MARCH 20 – 21, 2020 PARAÑAQUE CITY (STO. NIÑO)

BETWEEN 11:30PM (FRI., 03/20/20) AND 4:30AM (SAT., 03/21/20) – PORTION OF CIRCUIT BF-PARAÑAQUE 424WU Portion of E. Rodriguez Jr. and Dr. Jose Rizal Sts. from Ninoy Aquino Ave. (Imelda Ave.) to and including Dahlia, Sampaguita, Rosal, Col. E. De Leon, 1st, 2nd and Gomburza Sts.; Parañaque Science High School (PSHS) and S & R Parañaque.

REASON: Replacement of poles and line reconductoring work along E. Rodriguez Jr. and Dr. Jose Rizal Sts. in Bgy. Sto. Niño, Parañaque City.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020

QUEZON CITY (SOUTH TRIANGLE) BETWEEN 9:00AM AND 3:00PM - PORTION OF CIRCUITS KAMUNING 42VP; AND QUEZON CITY 19VA CTTM Square Bldg., SGI Phils. and Rapide Auto Service Experts along Timog Ave. REASON: Line conversion work along Timog Ave. in Bgy. South Triangle, Quezon City.

QUEZON CITY (HOLY SPIRIT) BETWEEN 9:00AM AND 2:00PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT DILIMAN 434VU Portion of AFP Road from Corregidor St. to and including Odonnel Road, Dalton Road, Capas Road and Artillery Road; Fort Santiago St.; and Judge Feliciano Belmonte Sr. High School in Veterans Village.

The whole of Garcia Heights Subd.

REASON: Line reconductoring work, replacement of poles and installation of facilities along Samat Road in Bgy. Holy Spirit, Quezon City.

SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2020

MANILA (PACO AND PANDACAN) BETWEEN 8:30AM AND 9:00AM AND THEN BETWEEN 2:00PM AND 2:30PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT TEGEN 56B Portion of United Nations Ave. and Paz M. Guanzon St. from Tanque St. to Cristobal St. including Santibañez St.; Landers Superstore Otis and Unilever Philippines Inc. in Paco.

Portion of Nagtahan St. from Kabaka Training Institute to Jesus St. in Paco and Pandacan.

Portion of Jesus St. from Nagtahan St. to near David St. including Caritas Manila Compound in Pandacan.

BETWEEN 8:30AM AND 2:30PM – PORTION OF CIRCUITS TEGEN 14B AND 56B Portion of Paz M. Guanzon St. from Mitsubishi Motors to Mendiola Ext. St. including Pacopandana Executive Homes Subd.; Acropolis Drive, Aphrodite and Athena Sts.; Landers Superstore Otis, Malayan High School, Toyota Otis, Ford Manila, S & T Bldg., TW & Company Inc., Panelon Development Corp., Integrity Motors Corp., East West Bank and Diamond Millennium Corp. in Paco.

Portion of Mendiola Ext. St. from Paz M. Guanzon St. to M. Guanzon St. including I. Mendoza St.; and UNITEC Resources Inc. in Paco.

Portion of Quirino Ave. from M. Guanzon St. to Zamora St. including Caltex Gas Station, Anskor Trading Corp., DHL Express and Ygeia Medical Center in Paco and Pandacan.

Portion of Zamora St. from Quirino Ave. to and including Puregold and Naki & Javi G Foods Corp. in Pandacan.

REASON: Line reconstruction work, line reconductoring work and installation of additional lightning protection devices at various areas in Paco and Pandacan in Manila.

TAGUIG CITY (WESTERN BICUTAN) BETWEEN 9:00AM AND 2:00PM – PORTION OF CIRCUIT SUNVALLEY 422WG Portion of Veterans Road including Fuller Life Direct Selling Philippines Inc. in Veterans Village.

REASON: Replacement of pole and line reconductoring works along Veterans Road in Veterans Village, Bgy. Western Bicutan, Taguig City.

A4

Opinion

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

No country can cope with COVID-19 A TEAM of doctors from the World Health Organization and China studied 55,924 cases of COVID-19 in China mainland last February 2020—the largest study ever of the coronavirus infection.

After 114 countries were hit, almost 125,000 infected and 4,585 deaths, WHO on Wednesday officially declared coronavirus a pandemic.

It changes little, except alert countries invaded to be more aggressive in taking actions first to contain it, and then, mitigate its impact. No country under attack can take it easy.

Except, perhaps, China—with its wealth, its authoritarian government, its healthcare resources, and the single-mindedness to impose draconian measures.

The Italian government is the first country in the world to lock down nationwide. And yet, infection keeps spreading. In just one day, after four days of lockdown, infection rose 23 percent to 12,462 and deaths rose 32 percent to 827.

No country, however, rich or resource-endowed, can contain it.

Except China—with its wealth, its authoritarian government, its health care resources, and the single-mindedness to impose draconian measures.

Among the major findings of the WHO-China joint mission: COVID-19 is mild, doesn’t attack children; those above 60 are the highest risk; patients recover within two weeks. Incubation period is five days, not 14. It takes two

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

weeks to recover if one is infected.

Other findings: • COVID-19 is a zoonotic virus. It is believed to have come from an animal in Wuhan City’s Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market. From Wuhan, the virus radiated to other parts of Hubei province and China, which explains a relatively high R0 (pronounced r-zero or R naught) or reproduction number of 2-2.5. R0 is the number of persons, on average, an infected person will infect.

Measles has an RO of 12 to 18.

• Symptoms, including mild respiratory symptoms and fever, appear 5-6 days after infection (mean incubation period 5-6 days; range 1-14 days).

• Most people infected with COVID-19 virus have mild disease and recover.

Approximately 80 percent of patients had mild to moderate disease, which includes non-pneumonia and pneumonia cases, 13.8 percent have severe disease (dyspnea, respiratory frequency ≥30/minute, blood oxygen saturation ≤93 percent, PaO2/FiO2 ratio <300, and/or lung infiltrates >50 percent of the lung field within 24-48 hours) and 6.1 percent are critical (respiratory failure, septic shock, and/or multiple organ dysfunction/failure).

• Individuals at highest risk for severe disease and death include people aged over 60 years and those with underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer.

Disease in children appears relatively rare and mild. About 2.4 percent of cases were under 19 years. A very small proportion of those aged under 19 years have developed severe (2.5 percent) or critical disease (0.2 percent).

• Of 44,672 infections, only 965 (2.2 percent) were under 20 years of age and there was just one recorded death (0.1 percent) in this age group. About 78 percent of cases were in the 39-63 year-old age bracket.

• The median time from onset to clinical recovery for mild cases is approximately 2 weeks; 3-6 weeks for patients with severe or critical disease.

• As of Feb. 20, 2020, 2114 of the

T

Recession fears

HE rapid spread of the coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, from China to Asia, Europe and the United States has drawn unprecedented responses from many governments.

From a countrywide lockdown in Italy to President Donald Trump’s decision to ban all travel from mainland Europe to the US for a month to fight COVID-19, the state reactions are prompting people to alter their work schedule and lifestyle. Factories and work in offices are slowing down as a result of the anxiety, while consumers are rushing to supermarkets to stack up on food and hygiene essentials.

The global economy is starting to feel the pinch, with nervous stock market investors fearing a global

recession. Global stock markets crashed again Thursday after the World Health Organization officially declared the outbreak a pandemic. The disease has virtually affected all sectors of the economy, with tourism bearing the brunt in the aftermath of travel bans and quarantine requirements.

Here in the Philippines, the National Economic and Development Authority is reducing the 2020 gross domestic product forecast by 1 percentage point from a range of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent to a band of 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent. Reduced economic activities imply lesser job opportunities.

The Department of Tourism said earlier up to 50,000 jobs were at risk in the sector that employs roughly 5.4 million of the labor force. The Philippines received a record 8.26 million foreign visitors in 2019 with tourist receipts reaching $9.3 billion. The

figures translated into $128 spent by each tourist based on the average number of days they stayed in the country.

The Philippine economic team and monetary authorities should now craft plans to pump prime the economy and limit the damage of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, for one, should implement bigger cuts in interest rates this year to spur economic expansion.

The government can also draw up a rescue fund and tax breaks in the tourism sector to assist those reeling from travel bans and dwindling tourist numbers, especially the small businesses.

The Philippine economy, along with the rest of the world, will surely recover from the COVID-19 outbreak. But the government must create the right financial environment that will speed up economic recovery.

Turn to A5

Not weak but wanting THE past four days could probably be the most dreadful the country has ever experienced. For from three COVID-19 positive patients for the past three month ever since the virus was discovered, the numbers of those infected in the Philippines spiked by 1,100 percent to 33 as of Tuesday evening.

Unfortunately, too, since last Saturday when the news of additional patients broke, it seemed that Quezon City, one of the country’s premier cities, has been looking for a leader.

While the executives of nearby cities were taking precautionary measures such as suspending classes, Mayor Joy Belmonte was out, doing rounds of interviews.

Feeling the heat from the criticisms she had been receiving over her actions (or inaction), Belmonte issued a statement refuting her critics.

“People attacked me for being indecisive and weak. On the contrary, I am decisive and strong. I decided from the start I would not allow a mob to influence how I make decisions. I will decide based on information and sound analysis. My badge of courage are my 20k bashes. Bashes based on not suspending school when it was the popular thing to do even if the information was still incomplete,” her statement read.

To complement her statement, the Quezon City Health Department issued a press release saying that the patient found positive for coronavirus disease-2019 barely went out of his house in the past 14 days because he was already ill.

“Based on the interviews conducted by the QCHD, the patient barely went out of the house because he was not feeling well in the past two weeks,” the press release quoted Belmonte saying,

adding that while the said patient has already been moved to a hospital outside of Quezon City as he undergoes further treatments and tests, the six other people living with the patient were interviewed and swabbed by the QCHD, and samples were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for testing.

So far, none of them have exhibited signs or symptoms of the virus, according to the press statement.

Additionally, health officials said they are trying to locate a relative who had visited him recently. However, the statement was quick to add that the said relative had already been swabbed and tested at a private hospital and authorities are awaiting results.

Mayors should lead the way—and properly.

Now, first of all, no one is saying Belmonte is indecisive and weak as she could be far worse than that. Last Sunday night, while other local government units in Metro Manila had already suspended classes in their own localities, Belmonte tried to do something classy by suspending only a particular school in Crame in Quezon City, citing its proximity to Greenhills in San Juan where someone tested positive for the virus.

However, Belmonte, in an early morning flag ceremony at the Quezon City Hall, revealed the case of the District 1 patient, meaning she already had the information on that particular case even earlier. While she had the guts to suspend classes in the school in Crame due its proximity to San Juan, it’s quite puzzling why she would not also do the same to the whole of Quezon City when the city had yielded its own COVID-19 patient.

Turn to A5

Science and shamanism

By Richard Sargent WITH Malaria and tuberculosis screening out front and sacrifices to jungle gods out back, health worker Htan Pi and her shaman mother are an unlikely double-act in their isolated Myanmar village.

Their family have been the local healers for generations in the northern community of Satpalaw Shaung near the Indian border.

This is Naga territory, a tribal region of former headhunters with myriad languages and customs still largely based on animist beliefs.

But trainee Htan Pi, 24, is helping usher in modern medicine thanks to a band of health mentors on motorbikes.

Sitting on the porch of her family's bamboo house that doubles as a clinic, Htan Pi who can administer basic health care insists she is not in competition with her mother—the village shaman.

"People come to me first and only go to my mum if they don't get better," she tells AFP. Her mother Jang Ngon picks up the story, describing the case of a man suffering from severe swelling all over his

body which did not respond to treatment at the hospital, a day's walk away.

"We needed to call his soul back from the jungle, so we sacrificed a chicken and the patient got better," said Jang Ngon—who believes she is around 50-years-old.

Daring doctors Retreating British colonialists left Naga tribes divided between India and Myanmar.

Those on the Myanmar side of the border remain largely cut off from the rest of the country in an area still desperately under-developed.

In Lahe, one of three Naga townships, it can be a gruelling walk of several days to reach the nearest developed town, negotiating precipitous, muddy paths over sharp mountain ridges.

Picking up a phone signal is a rare triumph, two in five villages have electricity, and only one in five boasts a government-run health clinic.

"The needs are so huge...the government cannot do it alone," says regional MP Kail, who goes by just one name.

To bridge the gap, intrepid health workers from Medical Action Myan-

mar head to the remote communities by motorbike, foot and even boat.

Lines of patients await their arrival for the monthly mobile clinics that often run late into the evening by firelight.

Alongside more common ailments, TB is a constant threat and the hunting traditions of local tribes add risk.

"Their lifestyle is quite injury-prone," says the NGO's regional head Dr. Zaw Min Lay, wiping the mud from his glasses after undertaking a ride of steep hairpin bends, ramshackle bridges and a river crossing by rowing boat.

But the NGO's success lies primarily in its network of health volunteers.

One person in each of the area's 275 villages has been trained to distribute basic medicines, from painkillers to rehydration salts, screen for TB, and— crucially—conduct malaria tests.

Patients give a drop of blood and receive a result in just 15 minutes, flagging cases of the often fatal sickness early.

The organization provides transport to the nearest hospital for anyone needing emergency help, saving Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

Survival CROSSROADS

J.A. DE LA CRUZ THE United Nations Commission on Trade and Development recently issued this cryptic statement which every concerned citizen should take to heart as we all together navigate our way through the wave of fear and panic gripping the entire planet specially now that the World Health Organization declared the two month old Covid-19 outbreak a global pandemic: “Apart from the tragic human consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak, the economic uncertainty it has sparked will likely cost the global economy US$1 trillion in 2020.”

That likely scenario of economic uncertainty leading to a major slowdown has been shared not only by governments and major international companies but by various think tanks and economists worldwide as everybody is concerned about surviving in a new normal of global disruptions in almost all aspects of our daily existence.

Indeed, as our feared health and medical issues appear to be on the verge of being overcome. The global health and science community is coming around to finally discovering the vaccines, retardants and, yes, cure to COVID-19. There is increased focus on the measures to mitigate the economic and social impact of the outbreak specially on the most vulnerable countries, industries and peoples.

Surviving the disease healthy and wise is primordial, of course. But one cannot and should not simply wave off matter-of-factly its economic consequences as reports of lay offs, multi-billion-one-day share price losses in almost all stock exchanges, supply chain disruptions, factory closings, postponed sports and cultural events, class suspensions across the board, super slowdown in travel and tourism activities and so on and on continue to pour in side-by-side with the daily WHO briefings.

Apart from fine tuning and enhancing the medical plans, how to jumpstart and, if possible, turbo charge economic activities is now on top of everyone’s mind

as it should be specially since the Chinese government has signaled a “return to work,” with the recent visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Wuhan, the COVID-19 epicenter. It will not be easy.

As the US Center for Strategic and International Studies noted in a recent study, the official data of economic data in China, for example, confirmed a widespread slowdown in economic activity across the board with manufacturing and services plunging to record lows. Exports fell by 17.2 percent in January and February and automobile sales sank to a record 80 percent. China watchers have revised the country’s economic growth downward to its lowest since 1999.

This as well as long-term stability, growth and healthy living for all.

On the other hand, while the US economy remains buoyant, the spike in COVID-19 infections in a growing number of states (38 of 50) has raised alarms prompting a call for bipartisanship at this time even as both President Trump and democratic leaders are exchanging barbs on the handling of the COVID-19 responses at both federal and state levels. The Chinese slowdown as well as the standoff between the OPEC members headed by Saudi Arabia and Russia over oil production cuts will also bear heavily on the US economy. The Chinese slowdown will definitely affect its promised increased importation of US agricultural products from the US Midwest while the oil standoff will bear heavily on the US shale oil producers—a situation which will have an oversized impact on the US presidential elections.

The situation in Europe is not as encouraging. Economists now suggest that Italy, the worst affected European country which remains under total lockdown, will see its GDP down by 1015 percent while other countries within the European Union including Britain as it transitions under Brexit will face headwinds with some possibly going into recession. Such a gloomy outlook

No country...

From A4

55,924 laboratory confirmed cases died for a crude fatality ratio of 3.8 percent. CFR varies by location and intensity of transmission (5.8 percent in Wuhan vs. 0.7 percent in other areas in China).

• COVID-19 is transmitted via droplets and fomites during close unprotected contact between an infector and infectee.

Fomites are objects that carry infection like clothes, utensils, and furniture.

• In China, human-to-human transmission of the COVID-19 virus is largely occurring in families.

• Contact follow up is painstaking, with a high percentage of identified close contacts completing medical observation.

Between 1 and 5 percent of contacts were subsequently laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19, depending on location.

• COVID-19 is a newly identified pathogen. There is no known pre-existing immunity in humans. Everyone is assumed to be susceptible.

• COVID-19 has low attack rate on people 18 and below (only 2.4 percent of reported cases). No transmission from a child to an adult noted.

• The main signs and symptoms of CO-VID-19 include fever, dry cough, fatigue, sputum production, shortness of breath, myalgia or arthralgia, sore throat, and headache.

Nausea or vomiting has been reported in a small percentage of patients (5 percent).

• Patients with COVID-19 are not permitted visitors.

Staff use coveralls, masks, eye cover, and gloves, removing PPE only when they leave the ward.

• In Wuhan, there are 45 designated hospitals, six of which are designated for critical patients, and 39 for severe patients and/or any patients >65 years old. There are an additional 10 temporary hospitals reconstructed from gymnasium and exhibition centers, which are for mild patients.

• There are no specific anti-viral or immune modulating agents proven (or recommended) to improve outcomes. All

Science...

From A4

excruciating journeys by foot.

"We have no motorbikes and no money to pay for a motorbike taxi," says farmer Mon, 30, visibly relieved after testing negative for malaria in Toe Lawt village.

Improved rural health services are largely credited for driving down malaria across Myanmar by more than 90 percent between 2010 and 2017, World Health Organization figures show.

But Naga is particularly problematic.

"Language, transportation and zero telecommunications are the major challenges," explains Zaw Min Lay. The trainees offer a lifeline—how-

faces Japan and South Korea which have registered the most Covid-19 infections in Asia-Pacific outside China.

The same is true with the oil producing countries in the Middle East as well as other commodity (raw material) dependent countries—all of which are also heavily indebted like Argentina.

UNCTAD Director for Globalization and Development Strategies Richard Koizul-Wright has been quoted as saying that it is likely only a few countries will be left unscathed with the envisaged slowdown and its financial ramifications. Thus, the UN agency has called on “governments to take urgent steps to reduce the economic impact..” One such measure Kozul-Wright advised is for governments to “spend now in time to prevent the kind of meltdown that could be even more damaging than the one that is likely to take place over the course of the year.” Such expansionary measures will most likely be the first steps as each and every country from the two biggest economies, US and China, and the OECD members from Germany, France and Britain and Japan, South Korea and even India down to the littlest economies try every means to thwart off recessionary pressures.

Other policy measures are being studied on a country-by-country basis which, if left uncoordinated far longer than necessary, may turn out to be counter productive. For example, the quarantines and related travel and trade restrictions being imposed need to be reworked and coordinate with international bodies both at the level of governments and the private sector to have a more coherent and, hopefully, improved work out. The same is true with the financial measures being discussed by various central banks, the World Bank, IMF and regional development banks such as ADB, European Central Bank and the like. Again, coordination is the key to ensure that the financial markets will not go awry to prevent a repeat of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Truly, as the medical response to the COVID-19 clearly showed what is needed at this time like in all epidemics, disasters or global slowdowns, clear thinking, compassionate and tightened coordination is the key to survival. Actually, not just survival but long-term stability, growth and healthy living for all.

patients are monitored by regular pulse oximetry.

• Patients were treated according to China’s National Clinical guidelines. The guidelines include supportive care by clinical category (mild, moderate, severe and critical), as well as the role of investigational treatments such as chloroquine, phosphate, lopinavir/ritonavir, alpha interferon, ribavirin, arbidol.

• Coronavirus’ closest relationship was with the bat SARS-like coronavirus strain BatCov RaTG13, identity 96 percent.

• China capitalized on the use of technology, big data and AI for COVID-19 preparedness, readiness and response.

Authoritative and reliable information, medical guidance, access to online services, provision of educational tools and remote work tools have been developed in and used across China. These services have increased accessibility to health services, reduced misinformation and minimized the impact of fake news.

• China practiced meticulous case and contact identification for COVID-19. From one percent to 5 percent of contacts were found infected.

In Wuhan, it deployed more than 1,800 teams of epidemiologists with a minimum of five per team, to trace tens of thousands of contacts a day.

Contact follow up is painstaking, with a high percentage of identified close contacts completing medical observation.

Between one percent and 5 percent of contacts were subsequently confirmed cases of COVID-19.

In Shenzhen City, near Hong Kong, 100 percent of the contacts of 2,842 infected persons were traced. Of the 2,842 contacts, 2,240 (72 percent) completed medical observation.

Among the close contacts, 88 or 2.8 percent were found infected. In Guangdong province, 99 percent of 25,493 COVID-19 cases were contacted. About 479 (4.8 percent) were found infected.

• The infected were tested for influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infection. All their visitors were tested for fever. biznewsasia@gmail.com

ever basic—for communities, especially in the rainy season when mud and landslides can leave villages completely marooned.

Rickets riddle But the NGO's army of volunteers has also uncovered a medical anomaly—a high concentration of rickets.

The bone disease, which can result in irreversible limb deformities and stunted growth, is often caused by a lack of vitamin D, obtained in part from sunlight and hardly an expected problem in tropical Myanmar.

Mon's six-year-old son, Mg Taing Khite, is one of about 300 such cases in the area, his legs so bowed and painful, he was unable to walk just a few months ago.

Thanks to a course of Vitamin D and

calcium supplements, Mg Taing Khite now cavorts around with the village's other kids.

MAM is conducting research into the conundrum.

Zaw Min Lay thinks it could be caused by a combination of a poor diet, genetic predisposition and lack of sunlight in the thick jungle.

As the health workers pack up their bikes to leave Satpalaw Shaung village, Jang Ngon says she accepts modern medicine is easing out the family tradition of shamanism.

She says it's not easy to take up the shaman trade, reeling off a list of costly sacrifices of chickens, pigs and oxen.

Besides, she adds, she is getting older and her eyesight is going.

"I tell educated people to go to the clinic instead." AFP

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Turning crisis into an opportunity for renewal

LIKE I’ve said all along, we could not afford to be complacent these days. At the same time, we should not panic. In either instance, the lack of understanding about the coronavirus does not help at all.

In the face of increasing cases of confirmed COVID-19 infection, we must get our act together and do everything to prevent a local epidemic.

I personally believe that we can contain the spread of coronavirus if we pull ourselves together and heed medical experts’ advice.

It’s important to note that despite the global pandemic threat of the highest level, World Health Organization experts and prominent doctors assured us that those afflicted with coronavirus have had 98-percent chance of recovery. Doctors said that those who have died of the disease had suffered with some other serious illnesses that weakened their autoimmune condition.

Still, more people suffer and die from other diseases.

And just as the lack of knowledge about the nature of the illness, entertaining fake news and fake information may pose more danger than the virus does and aggravate the situation in the community.

There is no lockdown in Metro Manila as of the time I submitted this column, contrary to the rumor being spread in the social media in the past couple of days. It remains a consensus among the national and local government officials that the current situation does not merit a metro-wide lockdown.

It is just unfortunate that some unscrupulous individuals get the kick out of peddling fake news or hoaxes.

It cannot be discounted that saboteurs might be behind them to spur destabilization.

We, Filipinos, must make a decision as one people to take things in stride and to act as one in the spirit of bayanihan to curb the possibility of this conflagration worsening as to disrupt our normal activities of daily living altogether.

Yes, we can all step up and overcome this global health crisis into an opportunity for renewal, to revitalize our healthy lifestyle and, more importantly, to strengthen our faith in God. It is imperative to practice personal preventive measures to minimize the risk of contracting COVID-19. Take the following steps to protect yourself:

Not weak...

From A4

In the press statement released by the QCHD, she was quoted saying the District 1 patient “barely” went of the house. Barely is different from totally.

Barely does not eliminate the risks of possibly spreading contamination.

She proceeded to say the six other persons living with the patient had already been swabbed and tested negative. But isn’t there a 14-day quarantine for those possibly infected? If swabbing is enough, then why does the Department of Health has to impose a 14-day quarantine for those coming from infected areas?

Further, the statement contradicts itself. One moment its claims the QCHD was trying to locate another person who had visited the patient. The next moment it claims that person had already been swabbed and is just awaiting results. Which is which?

The other day, in another interview, Belmonte confirmed two more cases in Quezon City. And while she might have been doing something to address the situation, it is somehow limited in scope, dealing only with the patient and the persons he or she could possibly directly interacted with.

And that’s where Belmonte’s actions fall short. COVID-19 contamination doesn’t only occur in person-to-person contact. According to health advisories issued by the DoH and the World Health Organization, the virus could spread to surfaces touched by the carrier and that includes elevator buttons the patient might have touched, parts of the vehicles of a public transport he or she might have taken, any part of an establishment he or she might have entered, the escalator railings, etc. other crucial information includes the 14day incubation for the virus and the

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60-percent alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

It is imperative to practice personal preventive measures to minimize the risk of contracting COVID-19.

Avoid close contact with people who your are sick. Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

Also, take steps to protect others.

Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care. Learn what to do if you are sick.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. Throw used tissues in the trash.

If you are sick: You should wear a face mask when you are around other people, especially when sharing a room or vehicle. If you are not able to wear a face mask, then you should do your best to cover your coughs and sneezes, and people who are caring for you should wear a face mask if they enter your room.

If you are NOT sick: You do not need to wear a face mask unless you are caring for someone who is sick. Face masks may be in short supply and they should be saved for caregivers.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of taking vitamins, particularly Vitamin C, unless one has a medical condition that needs doctor’s advice.

Last but not least, I’m one of those who believe in the power of prayer.

Perhaps, we could join in prayer this eight-year old girl, Dastine Danielle, who begs God for Divine Intervention in helping us find cure to coronavirus and vaccine to stop its further spread. Check this out: https:// youtu.be/VvVrYEf _ Hw0

tendency for some carriers to show no symptoms at all. And yet, Belmonte’s action are limited only to the patient and other persons he or she might have directly got in contact with.

But what else is new with Belmonte’s action and inaction? In fact she had gained notoriety for her late suspension of classes in times of typhoons and flooding, for the simple reason she doesn’t want to be accused of riding the bandwagon of mayors calling for early class suspension.

This is not a case of bandwagon syndrome. And all other mayors of the other cities in Metro Manila should take note, especially those who have been fence-sitting the past few days, as if awaiting a cue from above.

This is not the time for reactive responses. This is time for preventive actions. People will not mind if local executives come up with an otherwise knee-jerk reaction. These days, people are concerned for their health and safety.

In fact, I don’t even think that Belmonte’s action and inaction constitute indecisiveness and weakness.

What do you call someone who suspends classes in a particular school because of its proximity to the city where someone tested positive for COVID-19 and yet refuse to suspend classes when someone tests positive for the same virus within her city?

What do you call someone who relies mainly on swabbing and ignores the prescribed 14-day quarantine period?

What do you call someone who focuses only on the patient’s direct contact with other persons by ignores the patient’s contact with physical surfaces which could probable aid in spreading the virus?

Definitely not indecisive and weak.

Still, her actions are still wanting.

Rest assured, Mayor, that we will be behind you as we battle this dreaded virus. Just lead the way properly.

A6

News

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Makati girl arrested after claiming ecstasy pills at CMEC GOVERNMENT agents busted another individual suspected to be involved in a drug syndicate, which uses the country's postal system in its operation, after claiming a shipment of ecstasy tablets at Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City.

Arrested was Kim Fuentes, a resident of Makati City, who claimed two smuggled parcels containing ecstasy pills worth P1.8 million.

Elements of the Bureau of CustomsNinoy Aquino International Airport, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group apprehended the suspect and placed her under PDEA custody.

The parcels came from Leusden, Netherlands and were misdeclared as “bag of candy.”

The authorities subjected the packages under 100 percent physical examination and discovered the 1,073 ecstasy tablets concealed in caramel-colored candy bags.

Laboratory test conducted by the PDEA yielded positive results for ecstasy, a dangerous party drug that killed five people during a rave party four years ago in Pasay City.

The prohibited drugs were turned over to PDEA for proper disposition and for the appropriate filing of criminal charges against the suspect.

Customs personnel have been apprehending illegal drug shipments in compliance to the Bureau of Customs commissioner’s directive to secure the borders and the anti-drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In August 2018, Customs agents also intercepted parcels containing 14,720 tablets of ecstasy worth P25 million and arrested one Joan Reynoso, 42, a resident of Cavite, who claimed ownership of the parcel also at the CMEC. Shabu, marijuana and ecstasy are the top three narcotics distributed in the streets and these prohibited substances are manufactured by Chinese, Taiwanese and Mexican drug syndicates, according to PDEA. The authorities vowed the government’s crackdown on drug dealing in the country would continue with the goal of catching protectors and financiers of the illegal drug trade. Joel E. Zurbano

Heavy traffic along Shaw Blvd. as MMDA closes Sevilla bridge

By Joel E. Zurbano

A

UTHORITIES on Thursday advised motorists and commuters to brace for a one-month heavy traffic along Shaw Boulevard and other main thoroughfares nearby due to the closure of Sevilla Bridge to give way to the ongoing construction of Skyway Stage 3 project.

Around 30,000 to 40,000 motorists are expected to be affected by the total closure to be imposed by the Metro Manila Development Authority beginning Saturday (March 14) until April 14.

“The bridge, crossing San Juan

River and connecting Shaw Boulevard in Burol, Mandaluyong City and P. Sanchez Street in Sta. Mesa, Manila, will be closed starting Saturday at 10 p.m.,” said MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr.

in a press briefing held at the MMDA main headquarters in Makati City.

Garcia said the bridge closure is to give way to the construction of the Skyway Stage 3 project, an 18.68-kilometer elevated expressway from Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City to Balintawak in Quezon City.

“One-way traffic scheme going to Manila will be implemented every 5 a.m. onwards for one month,” he said.

Trucks will also be prohibited from entering the Valenzuela-P. Sanchez intersection going to Shaw Boulevard.

Motorists coming from Manila are advised to take alternative routes: Turn

‘Virus wake-up call on illegal wildlife trade’

By Rio N. Araja

CLOTH FACE MASKS. Elderly trainees of the Taguig Manpower Training Center sew cloth face masks on Thursday to help fill up the dwindling supply of medical face masks amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Norman Cruz

PAL opens Manila-Siargao route, resumes 2 more flights THE Philippine Airlines announced that it has started its flight service operation in between Manila and Siargao on Thursday and resumed its services to Basco and Busuanga from Manila in time for the summer vacation.

PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said for flight operation on these routes, the airline will be using the new Dash 8-400NGs (formerly known as the Bombardier Q400NG) which are comparable to bigger jets in terms of performance, efficiency

and inflight comfort.

She added the Dash 8s provide passengers a quieter cabin and comfortable seats compared to previous-generation turboprops.

The new Manila-Siargao-Manila route brings to four the total number of hubs operating flights to the popular surfing destination. PAL also flies to Siargao from Clark, Cebu and Davao.

With the brand new flights (ManilaBasco/Manila-Busuanga) passengers

may fly to picturesque Basco from Manila or Clark and to idyllic Busuanga from Manila, Clark or Cebu.

The flag carrier earlier announced it has also expanded its network in Mindanao with the re-introduction of flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to and from Pagadian.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade commended PAL for its timeliness in expanding its domestic route network which creates connectivity in the

country’s southern areas.

PAL, which recently won the World's Most Improved Airline award from Skytrax, also beefed up its hub network from Cebu, from which PAL now serves a total of 17 destinations, namely: Bacolod, Busuanga, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Caticlan, Camiguin, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, lloilo, Kalibo, Legazpi, Ozamiz, Puerto Princesa, Siargao, Zamboanga and Tacloban.

Joel E. Zurbano

OFW group appeals for ban exemption

By Willie Casas OVERSEAS Filipino workers from mainland China appealed before a Committee on Health meeting in Congress that they be excused from the travel ban.

The OFWs were accompanied by Migrante International Chairperson Joanna Concepcion and House Rep. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Women’s Party-list.

Marjorie Reyes, an OFW who works as an Electronics Engineer in a factory in Zhuhai, China, was among the panelists who raised the group’s concerns to the Department of Health, represented by Secretary Francisco Duque III. Reyes said that OFWs have already been asked by their companies to return to work. Reyes also said that there have been zero cases in the past few weeks in Zhuhai and the last two cases have already been discharged after their full recovery.

“There are no new recorded cases, and we’re not just talking about days of no new recorded cases. It’s [been] more than three weeks already…China is so big. We

right to Bagumbayan; and turn left to Lubiran (Bacood Bridge) to New Panaderos going to destination.

The MMDA has been closely coordinating with the local government officials in the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Manila and Makati to mitigate the expected traffic congestion that the construction project would cause.

A number of traffic enforcers will be deployed to manage traffic in the area and to guide the affected motorists.

Meanwhile, Garcia also announced that the Old Sta. Mesa Bridge is now open to vehicular traffic.

don’t need to generalize it to Wuhan,” Reyes said.

Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Senior Special Assistant Olivia Palala stated that they will carefully study whatever information they will get from their posts in Mainland China and they will then raise it to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the OFW group’s appeal will be discussed in his meeting with the Chinese Ambassador and President Rodrigo Duterte. The IATF-EID is scheduled to hold another meeting next week.

Deploring the poor state of health care and public services in the Philippines and the impact of COVID-19 to ordinary Filipinos, Brosas said, “It’s a bigger problem for us if the people will be deprived of their livelihood. No wealthy person will ever share even a bottle of alcohol…we are all seriously affected but most of all, the poor.”

THE government, through the Office of the Solicitor General, on Thursday justified the legality of the arrest and detention of former New People’s Army leader Rodolfo Salas for his involvement in the alleged mass murder of his comrades in the 1980s.

During oral arguments before the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Jose Calida argued that Salas' detention at the Manila City Jail is pursuant to a lawful order by the court, particularly the arrest warrant issued by a judge in the Manila City Regional Trial Court.

Gov’t eyeing SMC’s P22-b payment offer

By Maricel V. Cruz

HEALTH CONCERNS. Members of the Alliance of Health Workers held a press conference in Quezon City where they slammed the Department of Health on what they claimed as its laxness in safeguarding the health of both health workers and patients against the COVID-19. They also demanded for a P16,000 national minimum wage and higher health budget by 5 percent of the gross domestic product. Manny Palmero

Arrest, detention of ex-NPA leader Salas legal—Calida

By Rey E. Requejo

COVID-19 is a wake-up call on illegal wildlife trade, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Secretary Roy Cimatu echoed the view of several experts that the spread of COVID-19 should serve as a wakeup call on the need to stop illegal wildlife trade.

“The ongoing COVID-19 global outbreak should serve as a stark reminder of the dire consequence for humans of the illegal wildlife trade, which has been pushing endangered and vulnerable wildlife species toward extinction,” he said.

Cimatu renewed his call to end illegal wildlife crime amid the spread of COVID-19.

The first cases of infection were traced to the Wuhan market that was reportedly selling meat from a wide range of exotic wild animals, including camels, snakes, bats and pangolins.

Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. expressed hope that the findings pointing to pangolin as “potential” intermediate host for COVID-19 virus would sound the death knell for the commercial trade of the insect-eating mammal and all other wild animals.

“Such findings are very important, and the public must be aware of these.

We should stop patronizing and buying wildlife species," he said.

"Some say wildlife crime is a victimless and second-class crime and offense, but they are wrong,” he said.

“Your Honors, given that Rodolfo is confined under a lawful order, the proper remedy is to pursue the orderly course of the criminal proceedings and exhaust the usual remedies,” Calida said, in his opening statement.

The high court is hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by Salas' son, Jody, who is seeking the release of his 72-year-old father based on an argument that the murder case is absorbed in his rebellion conviction in 1991.

Through lawyers from the Free Legal Assistance Group, the petitioner insisted that his father’s conviction, for which he had finished serving his sentence, was based

on a plea bargain agreement shielding him from future prosecution for all common crimes committed in furtherance of rebellion.

Salas was arrested last month for 15 counts of murder over the 2006 discovery of the skeletal remains of alleged victims of the communist purge in the 1980s. The accused is set to be arraigned on March 17.

According to the Solicitor General, a petition for habeas corpus is the wrong remedy as the elder Salas was legally arrested. The ordinary remedy would be for Rodolfo to file a motion to quash the murder charges at the RTC, the chief state lawyer said.

THE government will study the offer of a San Miguel Corp. subsidiary to pay in advance its obligations for administering a 1,200-megawatt power plant in Batangas.

“We will study it,” lawyer Irene Garcia, president and chief executive officer of state-owned Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., told the House committee on public accounts and the committee on good government and public accountability on late Wednesday.

This developed as Rep. Mike Defensor of party-list group Anakalusugan, chairman of the committee on public accounts, said he would support a decision on the part of PSALM to accept SPPC’s offer.

“We can use the money to augment the funds of the Department of Health and government hospitals in containing the spread of the coronavirus disease and in treating patients,” he said.

Garcia said if PSALM accepts the offer, it would be without prejudice to pursuing its previous billings to South Premier Power Corp. amounting to P23.9 billion, which the SMC subsidiary had contested in a complaint filed with the Mandaluyong regional trial court more than five years ago. The case is still pending.

The two committees are looking into the P95.4 billion in debt owed by big energy sector companies and cooperatives to PSALM, including the nearly P24 billion from SPPC. During Wednesday’s hearing, the SMC subsidiary formally presented its offer to advance its monthly payments totaling P22.6 billion up to June 2022 for administering the Batangas power plant.

SMC announced the offer through the media a day ahead of the inquiry.

Sports Obiena, Tsukii get Olympic boost THE 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics is just around the corner. With thousands of athletes set to compete for national and international glory, the Philippines has seen a string of successful victories on the lead up to the Tokyo games.

For Tokyo 2020 Olympian EJ Obiena and Olympic hopeful Junna Tsukii, aminoVITAL® has effectively provided them with the motivation and power to bring home Olympic gold this July at the Summer Olympics.

In her quest to qualify for the Olympics, Tsukii has participated in various Karate matches around the world. She is now ranked 10th in the world and racing for time to enter the Olympics. “aminoVITAL® has given me the strength to push myself when I train,” said the 30th Southeast Asian Games Karate gold medalist Tsukii.

“I have been training very hard to get into the Olympics. I know that when this happens, I will be competing for the Philippines. I believe that I can overcome any challenge that stands in my way.

And with the power of aminoVITAL®, I want to be victorious at the Tokyo O l y m pics.” a m i n o V I TAL® is AjinomoObiena to’s newest sports nutrition brand. It is a jellybased drink that contains 3,000mg of amino acids, including BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acid). aminoVITAL®, together with proper diet, helps reduce fatigue and muscle loss during high-intensity training and strenuous physical activity.” “aminoVITAL® has helped me maintain my energy in training,” says pole vaulter, EJ Obiena. “I train for four hours, and my energy just goes down.

But with aminoVITAL®, I take a sip at the start and middle of training and I’m full of energy until the end. It’s really helpful, and hopefully, everyone has the chance to try it out.”

Understanding the need to encourage Filipino athletes nationwide, Ajinomoto introduced aminoVITAL® to the Philippines in November 2019 and wasted no time in empowering a growing number of gold medalists. The Philippines emerged as the biggest winner at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, scoring 386 medals in total. With 149 Gold Medal wins, Filipino athletes across all ages and disciplines established the country as a dominant force towards the 2021 Southeast Asian Games. The Philippines also looks forward to clinching medals for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games. As the first Filipino athlete to qualify for the Olympics, Obiena understands the pressure on his shoulders.

“What keeps me motivated in each jump is my will to always push and give my best in every attempt,” adds Obiena. “Because I believe in the game day. That’s where it all matters.

That’s where everything sinks in. I’m attempting something big. I brought my a-game in every training. I pushed myself. Motivated or unmotivated, I push everything that I have. Therefore, I’m as ready as I can ever be.” aminoVITAL® is now available on LazMart, an online store on LazMall, and selected Chris Sports branches for just PHP 100.00 per pack. Simply consume aminoVITAL® 30-minutes before any activity and allow yourself to reach heights of physical accomplishments. For more information about Ajinomoto and its products, visit www. ajinomoto.com.ph and facebook.com/ CookmunitybyAjinomotoPH.

A7

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

World no. 1 Ko, Solaire ink rich deal SOUTH Korean world No. 1 Jin Young Ko gives her title-retention drive in next week’s Volvik Founders Cup in Phonenix, Arizona a big boost as she inked an exclusive sponsorship agreement with Solaire Resort and Casino recently.

Ko, who will turn 25 in July, pulled through from a crowded leaderboard and edged four rivals by one to rule the $1.5 million Founders Cup last year.

She would nail three more championships, including two majors, to claim the LPGA Player of the Year trophy, one year after winning the Rookie of the Year honors.

With Solaire as her chief backer, Ko said linking up with the country’s premier integrated resort comes with great responsibility but the 11-time winner on the LPGA of Korea Tour vows to dish out her best in every tournament and deliver the goods.

“I am truly grateful for the support from Solaire and I will continue to comAXA STRENGTHENS PARTNERSHIP WITH NBA. AXA Philippines chief customer officer Amor Balagtas (second from left) recently flew to Chicago, Illinois, to attend the NBA All-Star 2020 as a display of AXA’s support towards longtime ally, pete in LPGA tournaments with greater the National Basketball Association (NBA). AXA is the official insurance partner of the NBA in the Philippines—a partnership responsibility as its new brand ambasgrounded on shared principles of innovation, teamwork, and foresight—that helps customers power up their game plans sador,” said Ko. “I was fortunate to have on the playing field or the hard court that is life. With Balagtas are (L-R) NBA Associate Vice President, Global Business achieved some of my biggest milestones Development Paolo Pastore, NBA Asia Associate Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships Jim Wong, and NBA Canada but will continue to challenge myself Global Marketing Partnerships Senior Manager Simon Gordon. with new goals and repay Solaire with many victories.”

As the new Solaire ambassador, Ko will be playing with Solaire in her cap for the next two years on the LPGA Tour and other major championships.

“On behalf of Solaire, we are happy to announce that Ms. Jin Young Ko is Solaire’s new Brand Ambassador. We are honored and proud to have the world No. 1 to partner with us,” said Razon, chairman of Bloomberry Resort and Hotel, a subsidiary of Sureste Properand monitoring” at the RMSC North ITH the World Health Organization declaring the ties, Inc., which runs Solaire.

Tower under the watch of the medical “Her tenacity and consistency makes COVID-19 situation a world pandemic, the Philippine of the agency. her the ideal partner to carry our brand as Sports Commission issued policy directives, one of them to team Foreign travel has also been suspended we continue to grow our presence in the place its two major facilities—Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and for all athletes, coaches, officials and global integrated resort industry. We look Philsports Complex (Pasig) on “restricted access” to ensure the safety employees to lower the risk of contractforward to welcoming her to Solaire and ing the illness or spreading it locally. of its national athletes, employees and the public. to the Philippines,” added Razon, also the “This shall be in effect for a month, from chairman and president of International “We have to be pro-active in this situa“Only those who get an endorsement March 14 to April 14” stated the advisory Container Terminal Services, Inc., which tion and take these hard decisions for the to proceed from Olympics Chef de Mis- signed by PSC Officer-in-charge Comsponsors the Manila safety of our athletes and employees,” ex- sion Nonong Araneta will be allowed to missioner Celia Kiram.

Summary of three-category Standard The same advisory also informed that Extra Judicial plained PSC Chairman William Ramirez, travel overseas” instructed Ramirez. Napro golf circuit TODAY Settlement addressing the Management Committee tional sports associations, under whose all bookings and reservations for the use in the country.

Notice is hereby given that the of the agency this morning. The escala- supervision athletes train, would have of its facilities are revoked or canceled. It A l t h o u g h estate of the late Andrew S. de tion of the risk-spread of the dreaded more information to give a good assess- also reiterated a previous announcement Reyes was extra-judicially the exact terms los settled among his heirs on virus went very quickly from high to ment and advice better on whether to that PSC projects, programs, and events of the agree- February 13, 2020, per Doc. including those sponsored and organized pandemic in a matter of days. proceed. ment are con- No. 514, Page No. 104, Book in cooperation with NSAs or LGUs are Except for those still preparing for qualAthletes coming back to the country No. I, series of 2020 before fidential, the Notary Public Audrey Nicole Y. ifying competitions for the Olympics, all from competitions will be received at the indefinitely postponed. level of support Ng, Notary Public for Makati The agency has also advised the public national athletes and members of the jun- airport by PSC personnel and will either City with Appointment No./ is consistent ior team have been requested to go home be assisted to their plane, bus or boat ride that work is suspended on Friday, March Commission No. 180 (2018with what Ko 2020) until December 31, 2020 as all dormitories need to be vacated as to their respective residences. They may 13, to give way to sanitation efforts to be Roll of Attorney No. 72118. deserves. part of the agency’s prevention plan. also opt to take a 14-day “preventive rest undertaken by its Operations Department.

Ramirez orders restricted access on sports facilities

W

(MS-MAR. 6, 13 & 20, 2020)

Davco supports 45 season of pro league th

THE 45th PBA Season held a successful opening last March 8, 2020 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with longstanding partner Davco, a Sika Brand, continuing its support to the league for five years now.

Davco, known for its quality Tile Adhesive, Waterproofing and Skim Coat range of products, is designated The Official Building and Finishing Partner of the PBA for this 45th Season.

The continued partnership was inked last November 24, 2019, through a formal contract signing between PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, and Sika Philippines Inc. newly-appointed General Manager Mr. Christophe Lejeune. Also in attendance during the signing were Laurent Bouet, former General Manager of Sika Philippines Inc., and Davco brand ambassador, Mr. Alvin “The Captain” Patrimonio.

The strong collaboration covers the entire 45th PBA Season which includes the awarding of the “2020 PBA Davco Best Import of the Conference” for the Commissioner’s Cup and Governor’s Cup in the latter part of the year.

Swiss company Sika secured the Davco brand with the global acquisition of Parex last year. Sika is a global market leader in the construction chemicals with

JIMMY BONDOC VIRAY, Petitioner, -versus-

Civil Case No. R-QZN-20-00537 For: Judicial Recognition of Foreign Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage

LYDIA SARIBAY BERZABAL, LOCAL CITY CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL OF PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY AND OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL, Respondents x----------------------------------------------------------x

ORDER

Shown here are (from left) Alvin Patrimonio, Davco brand ambassador; Sika Philippines Inc. newly appointed General Manager. Christophe Lejeune; PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial and former General Manager of Sika Philippines Inc., Mr. Laurent Bouet.

subsidiaries in 101 countries and over 200 factories around the world.

Sika Philippines, Inc., a whollyowned subsidiary of the Sika Group, has been serving the Philippine Market for more than 25 years.

Aside from Building Finishing products, Sika Philippines offers other construction solutions such as concrete admixtures, specialty mortars, seal-

San Beda Basketball Camp slated THE 15th season of the San Beda Basketball Camp is set to start next month.

Registrations are now open for classes in both the Mendiola and Taytay campuses, starting on April 16 and 17, respectively.

Classes will commence in Mendiola every Monday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

On the other hand, the Rizal classes will held every Tuesday and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m..

The camp is open to boys and girls aged 6 years old and above.

Interested parties, may contact Oliver Quiambao at 735-6011, local 2104, or at

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 225-QUEZON CITY

0929-1971071, and through camp organizer Edmundo Badolato, at 0908-8624543.

Lessons for first timers and advanced students will be handled by coaches from San Beda.

Fees for the sessions of the camp is set at P4,000 for an 8-day session, which includes a San Beda shirt and a Molten ball. A package deal of P7,000 is offered for those who will enroll in both the April and May sessions.

Enrollees will get a San Beda jersey at the start of the camp and a Molten at the end of the sessions.

ants and adhesives, damping and reinforcing materials, structural strengthening systems, industrial flooring as well as roofing systems.

With its Davco Brand, Sika Philippines, supports the Filipinos’ love for basketball as it continues to provide reliable quality solutions for the building construction needs of the country.

Golf Tour suspends events THE Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., organizer of the country’s premier three-category pro circuit, yesterday announced the suspension of all tournaments in the Philippine Golf Tour, the PGT Asia and Ladies PGT over growing concerns related to the coronavirus outbreak that has now affected over 120,000 people worldwide with 4,634 confirmed deaths.

Close to 70,000 have recovered from the virus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) yes-

terday declared as pandemic.

“The past few days have seen significant development relating to the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Due to the confirmation of localized transmission and the possibility of community transmission, the Department of Health has raised the COVID-19 Alert System to Code Red, Sublevel 1 as a ‘preemptive call to ensure that national and local governments and public and private healthcare providers can prepare for possible increase in suspected and confirmed cases.

A verified petition was filed on January 10, 2020 by petitioner through counsel praying that judgment be rendered: 1) granting judicial recognition of the judgment for dissolution of marriage dated February 9, 2017 issued in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Domestic Relations Division, Illinois, USA in Case No. 2017 D 230037, dissolving the marriage between petitioner Jimmy Bondoc Viray and Lydia Saribay Berzabal; and 2) ordering the Office of the Local Civil Registry of Quezon City, and the Philippine Statistics Authority, to record and register the Decision rendered by the Honorable Court in the proper Books of the Civil Registries and to cancel the registration of the marriage of Jimmy Bondoc Viray and Lydia Saribay Berzabal solemnized on May 2, 2007 in Quezon City.

Finding the verified petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the Court gives due course thereto.

WHEREFORE, let the copy of this Order be Published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks at petitioner’s expense, upon coordination with the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court Quezon City. Hearing on the verified petition is hereby set on May 7, 2020 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning at the Hall of Justice annex Building, Quezon City, at which time and place, any person having an interest in the petition may appear.

Let copies of this Order be posted by the Branch Sheriff thirty (30) days before the hearing date at the following place at the expense of petitioner.

1. At the main entrance of the City Hall Building Quezon City 2. On the Bulletin Board of the Court, Hall of Justice Building, Quezon City 3. At the Barangay Hall of the barangay where the petitioner resided.

Let copy of this Order be furnished the Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City, the Consulate General of United States of America, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Further, petitioner through counsel is ordered to furnish respondent Lydia Saribay Berzabal with a copy of this Order together with petition and its annexes at her given address and to show proof of compliance before the hearing date.

SO ORDERED. January 20, 2020, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

(Sgd.) MARIA LUISA LESLEG GONZALES-BETIC Presiding Judge

Copy furnished:

Atty. Geraldine Grace F. Tibigar-Rabago – Rm. 207 ACRE Bldg., 137 Malakas St., Quezon City Jimmy Bondoc Viray c/o Atty. Geraldine Grace F. Tibigar-Rabago – Rm. 207 ACRE Bldg., 137 Malakas St., Quezon City Office of the Solicitor General, Makati City Office of the City Prosecutor, Quezon City Office of the Local Civil Registrar, Quezon City Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly NSO) – Vibal Bldg., Quezon Avenue, Quezon City Embassy of United States of America – 1201 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City (MStandard - Mar. 6, 13 & 20, 2020)

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

Olympic flame ceremony under virus lockdown OLYMPIA, Greece—The Olympic flame for the 2020 Tokyo Games will be lit in a ceremony in Olympia on Thursday but spectators will be barred because of fears over coronavirus.

After dozens of people tested positive for COVID-19 in the broader western Peloponnese, the Greek Olympic Committee has said the ceremony must be held without spectators. Up to 12,000 had been expected to make their way to Olympia, where the ancient Games were held.

Only 100 accredited guests from the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, compared to 700 originally, will be allowed to attend the ceremony.

The dress rehearsal on Wednesday was also closed to the public and dinners and galas arranged for the torch lighting have been scrapped.

The only precedent is in 1984 when the Greek leg of the torch relay was abandoned in a protest by Greek organizers against what they saw as the commercialization of the Los Angeles Olympics.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has cancelled plans to attend but the state will be represented

by President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, a day before his term ends.

The flame for Tokyo 2020 is scheduled to be lit with a traditional ceremony and following a torch relay in Greece will be handed to the Tokyo organisers at another ceremony on March 19 at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.

In a statement, Tokyo 2020 said that it would “reduce the size of its travelling delegation as much as possible”.

The torch relay in Greece will pass through 37 cities and 15 archaeological sites covering 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) and 842 nautical miles (1,559 km) and will be carried by 600 runners.

Greek Olympic shooting champion Anna Korakaki will be the first torch bearer, the first time a woman has been chosen for the role.

Korakaki has called the assignment an “immense honour” and says she hopes to be “the first in a long line of women” to do likewise.

The mayor of Olympia, Yiorgos Georgiopoulos, said the ban on spectators has “disastrous” consequences for local operators, though the government has pledged to help cover financial losses. AFP

Coronavirus shuts down NBA games LOS ANGELES, United States—Sport across the United States and Canada was gripped by coronavirus fears on Wednesday (Thursday Philippine time), with the NBA suspending its season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for COVID-19.

The NBA’s move followed a dramatic last-minute postponement of Utah’s scheduled game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City, league officials taking action after deliberating during the day how best to proceed in the face of the outbreak.

“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said.

“The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”

The move came days after the Indian Wells tennis tournament in California became the first high-profile casualty of the crisis.

Mounting concern over the possible spread of COVID-19 also prompted Canadian authorities to cancel the World Figure Skating Championships, which were due to take place in Montreal from March 16-22.

The decision came after escalating anxiety about the potential for unchecked transmission of the virus among fans attending sporting events.

Shortly after the NBA’s decision, the NHL said it would update the status of its season on Thursday.

“The National Hockey League is aware of the NBA’s decision tonight to indefinitely suspend its season due to a player testing positive for the coronavirus,” the NHL said in a statement. AFP

Performers hold the Olympic flame at the Temple of Hera during a dress rehearsal of the lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame in ancient Olympia. Coronavirus fears and a local outbreak of the deadly disease are forcing authorities to take unprecedented measures at Olympic Flame lighting ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Games. AFP

Marcial grabs gold in Asia/Oceania tilt

By Peter Atencio

T

OKYO Olympics-bound Eumir Marcial connected with mean body shots in the second round, and this earned him enough points to put away Abilkhan Amankul of Kazakhstan via a split decision victory on Wednesday evening in Amman, Jordan.

This earned the 24-year-old Marcial the middleweight crown in the 2020 Asia/ Oceania boxing qualifying tournament.

According to livestream accounts, Marcial prevailed in a clash of fighting styles, Amankul was more flat-footed though physically strong.

The quicker Marcial, who was more fleetfooted and had faster hands, first weathered Amankul’s bid as the latter tried to get ahead with right handed attacks.

But, with Marcial adjusting by moving to the left, he takes the first round, 3-2.

Then, after going all out with body shots in the second round, Marcial took the second, 3-2.

With Marcial landing with the harder shots, and hurting with his right jab, it no long mattered if he slipped and fell towards the close of the round, as the Filipino fighter was ahead on points in the third round.

“So very happy. Despite my struggle and my trials. Nothing is impossible to God,” said Marcial.

The Zamboanga City-born Marcial

made it to the championship round after he hurdled Ashish Kumar of India via a split decision victory in their middleweight division semifinals.

His semifinal fight also almost had the same results, when Marcial got a standing eight-count following a left jab from Kumar in the third round but Marcial recovered.

The title win of Marcial was icing on his qualification to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with women’s flyweight Irish Magno.

Magno, bowed out of contention in the round of 16, when she repulsed Tajikistan’s Sumaiya Qosimova via unanimous decision, 4-1, in the box-off.

There will now be four Filipinos who will go to the Tokyo Olympics.

This includes pole vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnast Carlos Yulo.

Tokyo governor: Cancelling Olympics ‘unthinkable’ TOKYO, Japan—Cancelling the 2020 Olympics is “unthinkable” although the classification of the coronavirus as a pandemic will likely have some impact on the Games, the Tokyo city governor said on Thursday.

“It can’t be said that the announcement of a pandemic would have no impact...

But I think cancellation is unthinkable,” Yuriko Koike told reporters.

Doubts are increasingly being raised over whether the Olympics can be held as scheduled from July 24 to August 9.

Organizers have insisted the Games will go ahead as planned and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with whom the final decision rests, has said there has not yet been any talk of cancellation or postponement.

The IOC has said it will coordinate closely with the World Health Organization, which has now officially classified the outbreak as a pandemic.

Koike vowed to work with the IOC and Tokyo 2020 organizers on what she described as a “global issue”, promising to devote her “utmost efforts” to holding the Games.

But coronavirus has already taken a huge toll on sport across the globe with a long list of competitions affected.

US basketball was the latest sport to be hit, as the NBA said it would suspend the

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (right) fistbumps Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (left) during their meeting at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on March 12, 2020.

Cancelling the 2020 Olympics is ‘unthinkable’ although the classification of the coronavirus as a pandemic will likely have some impact on the Games, the Tokyo city governor said on March 12. AFP

season starting on Thursday after a preliminary test on a Utah Jazz player came back positive for COVID-19.

In Italy, the hardest-hit European country, all sporting events including Serie A football have been suspended until April 3.

Arsenal’s game at Manchester City on Wednesday was the first Premier League football fixture to be called off, while Champions League matches have been played be-

hind closed doors and Indian Wells, one of the biggest events of the tennis season, was cancelled.

‘Global problem’ Coronavirus has already had some impact on the Games, as the traditional flame-lighting ceremony in Olympia, Greece, is expected to be held without spectators after dozens tested positive for the virus nearby. AFP

Ceres Negros blanks Bali United, 4-0 in AFC Cup CERES Negros FC overcame a sluggish and difficult start in turning back Bali United of Indonesia, 4-0, on Wednesday evening in a closed door game of the Asian Football Confederation Cup at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

After finding chinks in the Indonesian side’s defense, Ceres finally scored in the 35th minute when OJ Porteria followed up on a saved shot

by Stephan Schrock.

“It’s not easy to play them.

It’s not easy to control the ball, and gain possession, and control the game. Especially with a team that’s very tight on defense,” said Risto Vidakovic.

After the Busmen finally put enough pressure on the Indonesians, Bienve Maranon came throughn with a penalty in the 54th minute before sending in a third marker in the 69th minute.

Robert Lopez Mendy finalized Ceres Negros’ victory with a 73rd minute strike.

With the win, Ceres Negros is now in the solo lead of Group G with their 2-1-0 win-draw-loss record. Than Quảng Ninh is in second at 1-1-1.

Bali remains at the bottom of the group (1-0-2), with Svay Rieng in third (1-0-2).

Action was played behind closed doors as due precautions were taken by organizers because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s always very hard to play when the opponent is defending so deep.

The first goal was important to open it,” added Vidakovic. Peter Atencio

Tiger Woods elected to World Golf Hall of Fame

Tiger Woods of the USA plays out of a bunker on the final day of the US Masters at Augusta, Georgia in 1997 file photo. Woods went on to win his first major tournament with a record low score of 18 under par. AFP

MIAMI, United States—US superstar Tiger Woods, a 15-time major champion, will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2021.

The hall, located in St. Augustine, Florida, released a statement on Wednesday saying Woods had been advised of his impending induction in the male competitor category in a phone call from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

“I am both honored and humbled to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame,” Woods said in a statement. “This past year has been such an incredible journey and the support I’ve received from my family, friends and fans has been overwhelming.

“This achievement is the ultimate recognition to never give up and keep chasing.”

Woods, 44, was among 10 finalists named in March as candidates for 2021 enshrinement.

His 93 worldwide victories include a recordtying 82 US PGA Tour titles.

He won his 15th major title at the Masters last April, ending an 11-year major drought after career-threatening injuries.

Woods is a three-time winner of the career Grand Slam and in 2000-01 completed the “Tiger Slam” when he became the first golfer since Bobby Jones to hold all four major championship titles at the same time.

“Tiger has done more for the game of golf than anyone ever thought possible, and his historic feats on the course are only one aspect of his impact,” Monahan said, calling Woods’s imprint on the game “immeasurable.”

The 2021 class was chosen by the Hall’s selection committee, a 20-member panel co-chaired by members Beth Daniel, Nick Price Annika Sorenstam and Curtis Strange. AFP

IN BRIEF

GrabShare service to be suspended

GRAB Philippines said it will suspend GrabShare services in Metro Manila and Cebu starting Friday amid the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019.

“To aid in the social distancing prescribed by the Philippine health officials with regards to the public health situation on COVID-19, Grab will be suspending its GrabShare services in Metro Manila and Cebu starting March 13, 12 noon,” Grab Philippines said.

The company said the services would resume as soon as the public health situation de-escalated.

“Other Grab transport services will remain to be available to serve our commuting public. We would like to remind everyone to plan their trips prudently and take personal hygiene seriously,” it said.

Meanwhile, Grab said it would also suspend passengers account on fake names to ensure responsible use of the platform.

“As a general safety procedure, Grab’s Safety and Anti-fraud teams regularly go through and suspend accounts with fake, incomplete and unverified names. With this, users will not be able to book rides until they have updated their names on the system,” Grab said. Darwin G. Amojelar

ERC affirms MORE franchise THE Energy Regulatory Commission said it stands by its decision to award the provisional certificate of convenience and public necessity to MORE Electric and Power Corp. as the distributor of electricity in Iloilo City.

The ERC issued the CPCN to MORE on March 5 and revoked the provisional CPCN it issued to PECO. PECO has filed an appeal.

“MORE has franchise, PECO does not.

Only thing being discussed now is authority to operate DU [distribution utility]. So that’s where order is concentrated on…In so far as the matter within the exclusive authority of the ERC by virtue of the law which is called EPIRA [Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001], we stand by its order on March 5,” ERC chairperson Agnes Devanadera said in a radio interview.

She said MORE is recognized as the only distribution utility of Iloilo City and “this should be clear among parties.”

Devanadera said the EPIRA Law also allows utilities to engage in emergency contracts between utilities and power suppliers to ensure that there is no disruption in electricity service. Alena Mae S. Flores

Business Market crashes to 7-year low on pandemic report

By Jenniffer B. Austria

T

HE stock market suffered its second biggest singleday loss since the global financial crisis in 2008, pulling down the benchmark index to a seven-year low after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease 2019 as a pandemic.

The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index sank 616 points, or 9.7 percent, to close at 5,736.27 Thursday.

It was the second worst one-day drop since Oct. 27, 2008 at the height of the global financial crisis.

It plunged deeper by 10.33 percent at 2:53 p.m., triggering the circuit breaker which allowed the bourse to implement a 15-minute trading halt. The break aimed to give investors time to digest

the impact of an unusual market drop and help restore normalcy to the stock market.

“It was another day of harsh selloffs for local equities as the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and urged countries to tackle the growing surge in new cases globally,” said Luis Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital Development Corp.

BDO Capital and Investments Corp. president Eduardo Francisco said the investors’ behavior turned irrational, causing the market to continue with its steep decline.

The index was down more than 2,000 points, or 26.6 percent since the start of the year which pointed to a bear market.

Anxiety over the virus heightened after the government reported new COVID-19 cases in the country.

President Rodrigo Duterte would undergo a precautionary test for the virus, while Finance Secretary Carlos Domin-

guez and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said they would go on self-quarantine after learning that they were exposed to a person who tested positive for COVID-19.

Analysts are now expecting the market to test the 5,500 level.

Meanwhile, equities and oil prices across the world fell through the floor again on Thursday after Donald Trump banned all travel from Europe to the US for a month to fight the coronavirus, ramping up fears the global economy will careen into recession.

Asian equity markets, already deep in the red in reaction to the WHO announcement, cratered after Trump’s address.

Tokyo ended down 4.4 percent, while Sydney lost 7.4 percent in the ASX 200’s worst day since the 2008 financial crisis. Hong Kong fell 3.5 percent in the afternoon while Shanghai was off 1.5 percent.

Coronavirus outbreak delays power projects NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines said Thursday it is assessing the impact of coronavirus disease-2019 on the implementation of power projects across the country.

The projects include the MindanaoVisayas Interconnection, Western Luzon 500kV Backbone, Mindanao 230kV Backbone, San Jose-Quezon 230kV transmission line and various projects aimed at addressing low voltage in the three power grids.

“The COVID-19 outbreak has put on an extended hold the delivery of critical construction and transmission equipment from vendors and manufacturers in the affected countries,” NGCP said in a statement.

Power generation projects are also facing delays as COVID-19 limited the movement of people and goods and services worldwide.

The company said it put in place a contingency plan, which includes the use of existing NGCP equipment in stock and resort to other suppliers not affected by COVID-19, to mitigate further the impact of the disease on project deadlines and its overall effect on power transmission operations. Alena Mae S. Flores

SMC registered flat net profit of P48.57b last year CONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. said net income was flat at P48.57 billion in 2019 as the steep decline of its fuel and oil business tempered the positive contribution of food and beverage and power generation businesses.

San Miguel said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues were also flat at P1.02 trillion last year while income from operation dipped 1 percent to P115.7 billion.

San Miguel Food and Beverage delivered a 6-percent growth in net income to P32.2 billion from P30.5 billion in 2018 as revenues climbed 9 percent to P310.7 billion.

The unit’s beer business posted a 14-percent increase in net income to P27 billion as net sales went up by 10 percent to P142.2 billion.

Ginebra San Miguel also booked net income of P1.67 billion in 2019, up 59 percent from P1.05 billion in 2018 as net sales rose 17 percent to P29 billion.

Food business, however, suffered a 41-percent decline in net income to P3.4 billion even as net sales inched up by 5 percent to P139.4 billion.

San Miguel’s packaging group posted net sales of P37.8 billion in 2019, slightly higher than P37.3 billion registered a year ago. Income from operations rose 9 percent to P3.5 billion.

San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. booked P14.36 billion in net income, an increase of 73 percent from P8.3 billion while net sales improved by 12 percent to P135 billion.

The power generation firm posted consolidated off-take volume of 28,112 gigawatt-hours, up 18 percent from the same period last year.

Jenniffer B. Austria

GREENING PROGRAM. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and SteelAsia Foundation Inc. are jointly pursuing a five-year greening program for 23 hectares of forest land in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. Signing the memorandum of agreement are (from left) Misamis Oriental provincial environment and natural resources officer Aldrich Resma, Environment Undersecretary Juan Miguel Cuna, SAFI trustee Leena Go, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and SAFI trustees Tina Yu and Adrian Cristobal Jr.

Ayala Corp.’s net income grew 11% to P35.3b in 2019 CONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. said Thursday net income increased 11 percent in 2019 to P35.3 billion from P31.8 billion in 2018 level as the divestment gains from thermal assets and education business offset the huge re-measurement loss of Manila Water and losses from manufacturing business.

Ayala said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it booked divestment gains of P23.6 billion from AC Education and AC Energy. It also recorgnized an P18.1-billion re-measurement loss for its interest in Manila Water and a P2.4billion net loss from AC Industrials.

“The events of the past year have challenged the stability of our corporate momentum over the last decade.

However, Ayala has proven its resil-

ience across multiple business cycles over the 186 years that we have been in operation,” Ayala Corp. chairman and chief executive Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said.

“This ability to deal with adversity has been built on our fundamental strengths of adhering to the highest standards of corporate governance, always looking to develop value over the long term, remaining flexible to adjust to changing circumstances and constantly aligning our business objectives with the broader development needs of the country. These fundamental values have stood us in good stead through the years, have defined Ayala as a successful multi business group and ensured its continuity and relevance throughout the

years,” he said.

Ayala Corp. president and chief operating officer Fernando Zobel be Ayala said while the company’s water and global manufacturing businesses faced challenges in 2019, its real estate, banking, telco and power units continued to provide strong growth for the company.

Ayala Land’s net income grew 13 percent to P33.2 billion as its office and commercial and industrial lot sales and a growing leasing operations supported earnings expansion. Total revenues increased by 2 percent to P168.79 billion Bank of the Philippine Islands also reported a 25-percent jump in net income in 2019 to P28.8 billion as revenues grew 20 percent to P94.3 billion.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

B1

ATI sees signs of improving trade in March

By Darwin G. Amojelar ASIAN Terminals Inc. said Thursday it is seeing signs of trade improvement heading into mid-March after a sluggish February performance triggered by a regional holiday and the coronavirus disease 2019 disruption.

“Manila South Harbor has experienced signs of improvement compared to the latter part of February with vessel calls, especially those from Chinese ports, starting to pick up. Inbound and outbound container flows have likewise sped up pace, with more container inventories recorded at the terminal,” ATI said.

The company said the same positive improvement trend was observed in Batangas port.

ATI said that ports in China also resumed operations, consistent with the pattern observed in the company, coming off a sluggish start after the Chinese New Year, traditionally a lean season for global trade.

“ATI hopes that the cargo uptrend continues. It also underscored that both its international gateway terminals in Manila and Batangas are business as usual, with contingency measures in place to ensure unimpeded cargo flow and the safety of its stakeholders,” the port operator said.

The port operator owned by businessman Eusebio Tanco earlier posted a net income of P3.7 billion in 2019, up 28.9 percent from P2.9 billion in 2018.

Revenues increased by 8.6 percent last year to P13.3 billion from P12.3 billion in 2018, driven by higher international containerized cargoes handled by gateway ports in Manila and Batangas.

Double-digit cargo growth was recorded by Manila South Harbor and Batangas Container Terminal which handled a consolidated container volume of 1.61 million TEUs (twentyfoot equivalent units)-- the highest thus far for the listed port operator.

International boxed cargoes in Manila South Harbor reached 1.3 million TEUs, or over 10 percent higher than 2018 figures. Manila South Harbor handled over 100,000 TEUs for nine out of the 12-month period, setting new operations milestone, capped by nearly 124,000 TEUs in March.

Batangas Container Terminal, meanwhile, sustained its strong volume growth as it officially broke through the 300,000-TEU mark in 2019, finishing the year with over 311,000 TEUs for a volume increase of over 25 percent compared to 2018.

NEW MYC MEMBER.

Energy Undersecretary Donato Marcos (third from right) receives a membership certificate from Manila Yacht Club Inc. membership and Marina development committee chair and former commodore Ildefonso Tronqued (center), while commodore Robert Lim Joseph congratulates him. With them during the event at Grand Hyatt Manila in Fort Bonifacio are (from left) former MYC commodore Reuben Lista, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, MYC assistant corporate secretary Atty. Marian Ivy Fajardo, past commodore and director Valerio Kalaw and former commodore Toto Arellano.

SSS offers unemployment benefits to 60,000 workers displaced by COVID-19

By Julito G. Rada STATE-RUN pension fund Social Security System said Thursday it is prepared to pay unemployment benefits to 30,000 to 60,000 workers who would lose their jobs as a result of the possible layoffs or closures of companies amid the coronavirus disease 2019 spread.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, who is the concurrent chairman of the Social Security Commission, said he was assured by SSS president and chief

executive Aurora Cruz Ignacio that the state-run pension fund was ready to shell out P1.2 billion under a worst-case scenario where as many as 60,000 of its premium-paying members could lose their jobs in the months ahead and apply for unemployment benefits.

SSS premium-paying members can avail of unemployment benefits equivalent to a half of their average monthly salary credit for a maximum of two months if they are displaced because of redundancy, installation of labor-saving

devices, retrenchment, closure or cessation of operation and disease or illness.

They should have paid the requisite minimum number of monthly contributions for three years to qualify for the unemployment benefit, twelve of which should have been made in the last eighteen months.

The unemployment benefit is one of the landmark provisions of Republic Act No. 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018.

Dominguez said he was expecting that affected workers mostly in the travel,

tourism and hospitality industries, and, to some extent, those in the manufacturing sector to apply for the unemployment benefit.

“The estimate of the Department of Labor and Employment is that there will be a drop in employment of 30,000 to 60,000 jobs. This is going to affect mainly the tourism industry, the hotels and airlines. The job displacement will probably last six months,” Dominguez said during a meeting Wednesday with SSS officials.

B2

Business

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 extrastory2000@gmail.com

SEC okays Filinvest bond offering T

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HE Securities and Exchange Commission approved the P15-billion fixed rate bond offering of Filinvest Development Corp., the listed holding company of the Gotianun Group.

The SEC approved the registration statement of Filinvest on fixed rate bonds worth P8 billion with an oversubscription option for P7 billion. The bonds will have tenors of five and seven years.

The publicly listed holding company will offer the fixed-rate bonds at face value. The offer may comprise of two series―five-year bonds due 2025 and

seven-year bonds due 2027―at the company’s discretion.

The company will issue the bonds in minimum denominations of P50,000 each and in integral multiples of P10,000 thereafter. They will be listed and traded in denominations of P10,000 on Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp.

Filinvest plans to use the net process from the bond offering to refinance maturing debt obligations in 2020.

Filinvest has investments in real estate, hotels, financial services, sugar, infrastructure and power generation.

The conglomerate tapped BDO Capital & Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., East West Banking Corp. and First Metro Investment Corp. as joint lead underwriters and book-runners of the offering.

A Filinvest-led consortium earlier acquired a 19.2-hectare reclaimed land

in South Road Properties Cebu City for P6.7 billion.

The consortium of Filinvest companies and Sytengco-owned firms signed a deed of absolute sale with the Cebu City government to purchase the property.

The group plans to develop the property into mixed-use development with residential, office commercial and retail components.

FDC is also focused on boosting its infrastructure business.

In January 2019, North Luzon Airport Consortium, comprising of FDC, JG Summit Holdings Inc., Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. and Changi Airport Philippines (I) Pte. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Changi Airports International, was awarded the operations and maintenance contract of the Clark International Airport.

Meanwhile, the SEC approved the

planned listing of Altus Property Ventures Inc., a unit of Robinsons Land Corp., by way of introduction of Altus Property plans to distribute up to 100,000,000 common shares to stockholders of Robinsons Land by way of property dividend.

The dividend shares will then be listed under the small main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange at an initial listing price of P10.10 per share. The price is based on the valuation and fairness opinion of independent advisor Navarro Amper & Co. PSE rules allows listing by way of introduction if the securities of an unlisted issuer are distributed by way of property dividend by a listed company.

Altus Property, formerly known as Altus San Nicolas Corp., owns and operates Robinsons Place Ilocos in Ilocos Norte.

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review thurSday, March 12, 2020

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FERRONOUX HLDG FIRST ABACUS IREMIT MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

43.65 71 132.1 0.7 23.1 17.6 9.67 3.36 0.52 1 700 0.4 47 0.65 10.64 18 27.7 152.5 103.2 49 19 135.8 1,750 51.6 1.17

44 71.1 132.1 0.76 23.1 17.8 9.67 3.36 0.52 1 700 0.425 47 0.65 10.64 18 27.7 152.5 103.2 49 19 135.8 1,750 56.6 1.17

43.65 65.1 120 0.59 21 17.4 9 3.03 0.5 1 700 0.35 43.05 0.6 10.6 18 25.5 149.5 103.2 45.1 18.4 126 1,750 51.6 1.06

FINANCIALS 44 1,100 65.5 2,933,630 120 4,319,940 0.76 110,000 21 146,500 17.4 26,200 9 776,500 3.33 44,000 0.5 273,000 1 11,000 700 100 0.35 2,370,000 43.35 6,519,300 0.6 243,000 10.6 59,500 18 1,100 25.6 916,100 149.5 22,870 103.2 200 45.1 2,000 18.4 80,700 126 810,150 1,750 10 56.5 25,990 1.17 782,000

48,365 196,707,344.50 537,339,057 71,660 3,193,090 459,840 7,224,372 135,350 138,340 11,000 70,000 910,050 291,307,720 148,050 631,760 19,800 23,773,400 3,432,000 20,640 93,540 1,495,060 103,812,892 17,500 1,421,361.50 843,170

-22,299,962.50 -164,632,950 -158,745 -133,280 -4,834,188 51,000 -84,493,495 27,150 18,000 -9,978,840 -31,474,500 -382,763.50 -

ABOITIZ POWER AC ENERGY AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS AXELUM BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG FRUITAS HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHINMA PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP ROXAS AND CO SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VIVANT VULCAN INDL

26.05 1.79 6.41 0.57 1.03 2.26 0.122 87 1.07 13.66 150.1 5.1 29 50 55 1.75 5.37 3.31 6.01 9.05 7.21 8.42 2.98 16 58.2 1.27 36.5 1.06 13.3 4.55 1 162 4.5 3.28 6 10.5 6.25 11.52 255.4 0.124 1.59 3.24 3.05 8.79 9.52 23.6 4.3 1.29 0.83 7.25 66.9 8.13 0.112 0.76 115.3 2.42 1.07 14.04 0.7

26.05 1.79 6.88 0.57 1.03 2.3 0.19 92 1.07 13.66 150.1 5.1 29 50 55 1.8 5.37 3.31 6.01 9.05 7.21 8.46 2.99 16 58.35 1.32 36.5 1.06 13.3 4.79 1.09 162 4.81 3.28 6.4 10.58 6.25 11.52 255.4 0.153 1.59 3.24 3.05 8.79 9.94 23.6 4.49 1.35 0.83 7.25 66.9 8.13 0.112 0.76 119.8 2.42 1.07 14.04 0.7

24.9 1.55 6.19 0.56 1 2 0.122 85 1.01 13 140 4.13 25 50 50.1 1.75 5.37 3.2 5.61 7.2 6.02 8.36 2.35 14.5 55 1.14 30 0.94 12.9 4.3 1 150 4.4 3.1 5.8 9.96 5.75 11 230 0.121 1.45 3 2.83 8.02 9.5 22.1 4.2 1.29 0.71 6.7 60 7.5 0.1 0.69 112.1 2.4 0.96 14.04 0.55

INDUSTRIAL 25.2 3,060,800 1.55 6,406,000 6.4 1,235,700 0.56 2,805,000 1.01 133,000 2.05 4,362,000 0.185 1,850,000 92 550 1.02 6,875,000 13 2,668,500 140 300 4.34 1,195,000 25 4,500 50 300 55 1,040 1.76 305,000 5.37 1,000 3.2 94,000 5.66 4,840,200 7.2 302,900 6.1 96,200 8.38 6,117,000 2.35 6,863,000 15.16 2,915,100 55 785,230 1.18 29,340,000 33.9 67,900 0.97 1,340,000 13.1 695,500 4.31 820,000 1.02 273,000 153 1,198,200 4.4 42,000 3.2 8,000 6.4 6,000 9.96 6,520,400 5.8 1,119,300 11.5 582,200 230.2 632,130 0.153 710,000 1.49 88,000 3 117,000 2.85 3,966,000 8.02 6,000 9.88 202,000 22.3 689,100 4.2 497,000 1.34 174,000 0.71 1,099,000 6.85 1,748,300 61.8 127,830 7.5 251,400 0.1 1,630,000 0.69 801,000 1,331,770 116 2.4 358,000 1.01 2,951,000 14.04 400 0.55 2,031,000

77,031,775 10,483,860 8,057,751 1,571,400 135,270 9,193,940 321,900 46,990 7,107,750 35,216,616 43,606 5,711,249 114,400 15,000 55,583 534,590 5,370 305,090 28,099,886 2,577,749 606,376 51,213,356 18,351,270 44,430,662 44,078,806 36,024,680 2,208,710 1,332,840 9,108,806 3,625,730 285,110 184,133,107 187,010 25,230 36,210 65,750,208 6,669,758 6,556,240 153,651,962 88,220 134,170 364,600 11,670,870 49,660 1,976,320 15,593,415 2,109,240 229,080 803,040 12,009,192 8,023,960 1,945,501 172,060 564,710 153,546,739 859,460 2,964,120 5,616 1,239,410

-30,014,825 -262,550 88,256 -1,673,420.00 -714,060 30,495,372 -75,111 -74,000 27,500 -272,490 1,396,781 -1,448,656 -156,958 -6,007,963 277,330 4,805,000 -1,078,869.50 -232,390 884,790 -9,960 2,659,400 -446,960 -10,087,645 9,000 16,217,461 599,925 -3,932,046 -56,718,404 5,000 -25,720 -5,275,220 2,658,260 21,200 -6,461,477 -3,883,975 790 35,000 1,243,479 828,000 26,500

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ASIABEST GROUP ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP AYALA LAND LOG BHI HLDG COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.59 39.9 9.83 0.6 6.1 8.3 0.83 0.8 622 2 800 6 5.06 11 0.214 612 4.08 61.6 5.21 0.45 3.71 8.2 0.53 3.42 3.3 0.87 2.52 119 880 0.7 0.95 149.8 0.191 0.141

0.59 39.9 9.95 0.6 6.1 8.5 0.83 0.8 625 2 960 6 5.08 11 0.214 612 4.08 61.6 5.21 0.45 3.71 8.2 0.53 3.44 3.3 0.9 2.52 119 880 0.74 0.95 150 0.191 0.152

0.53 37.5 9.7 0.55 5.7 7.6 0.68 0.75 581 1.88 800 5.71 4.75 11 0.212 551.5 4 52.4 5.21 0.43 3.68 7.4 0.48 3.06 3 0.76 2.52 98 770 0.65 0.95 147 0.191 0.132

HOLDING FIRMS 0.58 6,131,000 37.7 2,225,300 9.75 24,383,200 0.55 190,000 5.98 48,400 7.75 12,400 0.68 3,950,000 0.75 470,000 600 845,010 1.88 1,737,000 960 15 5.72 2,484,000 4.88 24,363,500 11 3,000 0.212 220,000 580 295,300 4 126,000 53.65 2,301,800 5.21 25,400 0.43 450,000 3.68 5,071,000 7.9 4,131,600 0.48 1,259,000 3.06 86,573,000 3 79,000 0.76 553,000 2.52 32,000 110 298,080 790 671,990 0.65 99,000 0.95 1,000 147 930 0.191 70,000 0.132 1,150,000

3,436,740 84,456,235 238,303,372 108,180 288,697 100,872 2,860,890 362,800 505,785,435 3,305,860 12,800 14,694,822 120,318,245 33,000 46,660 171,631,855 508,660 128,512,912 132,334 198,450 18,747,520 32,556,235 628,940 277,648,490 245,830 435,350 80,640 33,573,328 542,668,315 65,240 950 138,333 13,370 154,760

155,590.00 -58,322,425 102,197,276 254,227 -36,750 -190,366,975 5,135,041 -16,983,700.00 73,451,980 -227,860.00 1,951,339.50 -11,824,680 5,831,026.00 6,885,260 90,000 -16,089,543.50 -95,348,250 -46,040 -

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND

14.14 0.72 8.9 1.34 0.66 37.3 1.42 4.33 5.74 0.46 0.75 0.151 0.28 7.42 16.5 0.335 0.089 1.04 0.91 3.15 0.156 0.32 0.8 0.265 2.04 20.2

14.14 0.74 8.9 1.34 0.66 37.45 1.42 4.33 6.04 0.46 0.75 0.151 0.29 7.43 16.5 0.335 0.089 1.05 0.91 3.15 0.156 0.32 0.8 0.29 2.04 20.3

14.08 0.6 8.9 1.29 0.57 32.25 1.32 4.01 5.74 0.445 0.72 0.14 0.28 7.2 14.36 0.32 0.08 0.95 0.87 2.87 0.145 0.32 0.69 0.255 1.3 17.54

PROPERTY 14.08 855,600 0.63 9,991,000 8.9 100 1.29 40,000 0.57 1,228,000 33.9 22,573,500 1.33 917,000 4.28 425,000 6.04 20,100 0.45 3,390,000 0.72 55,000 0.14 1,160,000 0.28 290,000 7.32 373,200 866,300 14.8 0.32 1,470,000 0.08 1,180,000 0.99 35,106,000 0.87 3,946,000 2.9 26,424,000 0.145 14,790,000 0.32 90,000 0.69 1,368,000 0.255 770,000 1.42 4,069,000 18 1,944,700

12,067,204 6,811,770 890 52,600 751,480 792,106,225 1,240,360 1,775,570 115,404 1,535,100 40,350 165,110 82,800 2,728,816 13,110,000 484,400 94,990 35,445,370 3,505,650 78,257,550 2,216,390 28,800 977,260 204,150 7,285,630 36,025,158

-146,848 19,500 23,220 -1,170.00 -57,413,630.00 -274,990 258,060 15,000 1,769,454 1,326,002 -12,174,640 -4,622,990 14,000 -10,200 -21,890 -11,532,589

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS

1.82 2.98 34.75 2.31 1.28 6.3 4.16

1.82 2.98 34.75 2.31 1.28 6.3 4.74

1.7 2.9 29.55 2.15 1.15 5.8 4.14

1.7 2.9 30.9 2.19 1.16 5.8 4.14

224,000 13,000 26,126,700 507,000 13,531,000 16,441,200 95,000

392,390 38,150 830,215,175 1,116,190 16,156,960 95,601,336 408,920

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL ALLHOME APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA GRAND PLAZA HARBOR STAR INTL CONTAINER IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PH RESORTS GRP PHIL RACING PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

6.5 19.2 1.35 9.37 0.38 0.039 16.3 2.2 6.9 0.031 66 6.1 2.95 3.6 1.61 6.2 1,750 5.15 370 12.88 0.84 87 5.02 0.082 1.34 13.1 1.53 0.82 7.1 0.4 2.5 1.48 2.01 2 11.48 1.5 1.84 6.2 3.26 7.9 145 1.88 1,015 0.37 0.227 33.15 54.7 6.9 1.45 0.49 0.17 0.45 17

6.5 19.2 1.35 9.37 0.38 0.039 16.3 2.4 6.9 0.031 66 6.12 2.95 3.99 1.61 6.2 1,779 5.15 370 12.88 0.84 87 5.02 0.082 1.35 13.1 1.53 0.82 7.1 0.42 2.5 1.5 2.2 2.2 11.48 1.5 1.89 6.2 3.95 7.9 145 1.99 1,019 0.37 0.23 33.95 54.75 6.97 1.45 0.49 0.17 0.51 17

6.3 16.52 1.23 8.12 0.32 0.037 16.3 1.99 6.35 0.027 56.05 6.1 2.7 3.6 1.61 5.25 1,702 4.96 348 12.88 0.7 80 5 0.08 1.11 13.1 1.4 0.75 5.61 0.39 2.3 1.38 1.63 1.8 11.48 1.22 1.8 5.75 3.26 7.9 142 1.52 980 0.325 0.21 31.6 48 6.75 1.14 0.43 0.15 0.3 14

SERVICES 6.3 16.6 1.23 8.25 0.33 0.039 16.3 2.29 6.35 0.028 58 6.1 2.7 3.99 1.61 5.5 1,739 5 364 12.88 0.79 80.05 5 0.082 1.11 13.1 1.4 0.75 5.8 0.39 2.3 1.4 1.67 1.8 11.48 1.24 1.89 6.2 3.95 7.9 145 1.52 980 0.33 0.22 32.55 52 6.75 1.14 0.44 0.151 0.45 14.34

10,700 1,183,900 112,000 850,300 6,010,000 33,900,000 500 214,000 8,648,300 12,900,000 161,470 7,500 619,000 13,000 14,000 25,600 115,820 1,020,400 430 200 1,112,000 4,368,080 11,000 420,000 52,171,000 100 136,000 156,000 1,542,300 1,940,000 30,000 6,369,000 6,259,000 94,000 13,900 2,988,000 45,000 32,300 20,000 10,000 423,070 1,911,000 228,680 26,760,000 5,710,000 2,212,800 905,730 5,200 4,497,000 3,140,000 2,730,000 660,000 3,942,000

68,053 21,317,620 139,350 7,390,469 2,095,150 1,291,200 8,150 450,500 56,681,933 378,800 9,351,438.50 45,782 1,734,530 49,830 22,540 142,068 200,255,425 5,150,565 154,580 2,576 840,840 361,136,431.50 55,100 33,840 63,183,700 1,310 201,980 122,260 9,480,444 770,600 71,500 9,119,110 12,314,100 181,090 159,572 4,109,670 81,230 194,478 70,590 79,000 60,740,344 3,410,770 227,199,022.50 8,967,350 1,225,320 71,537,430 47,053,461 35,854 5,742,930 1,384,150 411,820 297,400 62,044,038

ABRA MINING ACE ENEXOR APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK CENTURY PEAK COAL ASIA HLDG DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A MANILA MINING B MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING

0.0012 5.82 0.87 2.02 10.7 2.74 0.27 6.1 0.65 0.193 0.088 0.0042 0.56 1.99 0.85 0.51 0.0083 0.01 0.0082 2.52 4.7 17

0.0012 5.82 0.87 2.02 10.7 2.74 0.27 6.15 0.65 0.195 0.091 0.0053 0.56 2 0.85 0.54 0.0083 0.01 0.0085 2.52 5.25 17

0.0011 5.5 0.75 2 9.4 2.52 0.26 5.99 0.56 0.185 0.085 0.0042 0.51 1.68 0.8 0.5 0.0082 0.009 0.0082 2 4.55 14.4

MINING & OIL 0.0011 185,000,000 5.65 380,100 0.77 3,840,000 2 325,000 10.64 52,500 2.6 3,259,000 0.26 600,000 6.15 2,000 0.56 16,093,000 0.185 3,400,000 0.085 160,000 0.0053 11,000,000 0.51 125,000 1.8 10,322,000 0.8 1,467,000 0.54 206,000 0.0083 9,000,000 0.009 22,000,000 0.0085 5,000,000 2.33 984,000 4.7 709,200 14.46 1,832,300

206,200 2,174,432 3,082,160 650,310 511,068 8,675,620 157,600 12,064 9,723,860 638,960 14,080 53,400 65,200 19,080,060 1,200,900 103,990 74,100 209,000 41,700 2,340,830 3,384,193 28,051,108

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B2R ALCO PREF B CPG PREF A DD PREF FGEN PREF G GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2B PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B PNX PREF 4 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

17.24 502 100.3 102.5 101 108.5 5.08 995 990 100 100.1 1,010 1,050 1,061 100.1 104 1,020 77.8 75.9 76.35 76.4 75.95 75.75 76.9

17.24 502 100.3 102.5 101.1 108.5 5.09 1,000 990 100 100.2 1,010 1,050 1,061 100.1 105 1,020 78 75.9 76.45 76.4 76 76.45 76.9

15.9 498 100.3 102 101 108.5 5.08 995 990 100 100.1 1,010 1,049 1,061 99.6 104 1,005 77.8 75.4 76 76 75.75 75.75 76.85

PREFERRED 15.9 72,600 502 3,360 100.3 6,600 102 1,700 101 165,050 108.5 3,790 5.09 14,200 1,000 650 990 1,000 100 8,200 100.1 85,880 1,010 320 11,300 1,049 1,061 4,275 99.6 8,280 105 1,750 1,006 28,040 77.8 11,650 75.4 31,760 76 56,080 76 43,400 75.75 18,300 76.45 40,730 76.85 15,010

1,201,484 1,685,680 661,980 173,900 16,670,053 411,215 72,266 649,500 990,000 820,000 8,596,698 323,200 11,861,700 4,535,775 826,383 183,450 28,262,170 906,728 2,395,609 4,283,479 3,306,160 1,389,206 3,110,535.50 1,153,519

LR WARRANT

0.8

0.8

0.71

WARRANTS 0.71 72,000

52,480

MS ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

1.98 7.09 0.57

1.98 7.09 0.58

1.8 6 0.51

FIRST METRO ETF

96

96

87.75

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.28 10.3 0.95

10.28 10.3 0.95

10.28 10.3 0.9

Trading Summary

SHARES

FINANCIAL

20,477,823

INDUSTRIAL

116,708,289

HOLDING FIRMS

175,639,289

PROPERTY

190,526,413

SERVICES

196,869,940

MINING & OIL

276,908,912

GRAND TOTAL

981,127,194

1.8 6 0.51

SME

453,000 214,600 3,040,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 87.8 286,890 DDS 10.28 10.3 0.9

3,390 7,960 50,500

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

-77,855,825 -6,930 -3,547,645 650 397,949 35,000 -287,200 8,625,029 15,000 -4,608,862.50 9,792 68,250 49,830 87,892,945 6,750 -127,138,759 293,500 33,000 1,527,281 7,945,180 113,160 90 8,625 265,798 -366,530 -20,289,245 112,800 4,851,515 3,059,203 -760,910 -879,950 -48,510 9,191,382 -69,516.00 7,700 10,000 311,790 -5,780,640 -48,600 -3,292,350 -137,190 57,579 -16,394,298 4,043 100,100 -

850,370 1,338,171 1,658,880

3,600 560

25,998,776

114,260

34,849.20 81,988 45,475

-

VALUE 1,364.01 (down) 153.50 1,173,449,300.805 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 7,117.18 (down) 481.38 1,185,962,200.97 HOLDING FIRMS 5,600.90 (down) 624.21 2,272,954,709.47 PROPERTY 3,061.86 (down) 371.30 SERVICES 1,148.31 (down) 87.91 1,959,431,421.407 MINING & OIL 4,961.75 (down) 725.77 1,260,371,611.81 PSEI 5,736.27 (down) 616.99 80,463,083.7522 All Shares Index 3,492.77 (down) 315.96 7,962,483,594.91 Gainers: 7; Losers: 226; Unchanged: 25; Total: 258

Max’s Group’s net profit rises 15% to P724m MAX’S Group Inc., operator of the largest casual dining restaurant chain, said Thursday net income climbed 14.8 percent to P724.2 million in 2019 from P631.1 million in 2018 on steady increase of revenues.

Max’s Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange systemwide sales, a measure of sales from company-owned and franchise stores, rose 7 percent to P20.1 billion from P18 billion in 2018.

“Our performance demonstrates the success of our strategies to focus on our core business and spur long-term expansion through franchising. Our continued investment in our commissaries also marshals the integration and modernization of our operations,” Max’s Group president and chief executive Robert Trota said.

“We are cognizant of the headwinds in the current business environment and assure the investing public that our teams are well-equipped to sustain levels of service and profitability,” he said.

Restaurant sales amounted to P11.79 billion, up 4.4 percent from P11.30 billion in 2018. Commissary sales increased 13.6 percent to P1.78 billion from P1.57 billion.

Franchising and other revenue rose 1 percent to P828.92 million from P820.41 million in 2018.

Max’s Group said the partnerships with food aggregators helped accelerate growth. Combined with in-house delivery operations, systemwide delivery sales grew 20.4 percent to P1.87 billion from P1.55 billion in 2018.

“Following a year where we invested in our brands to drive mainstream relevance, our focus now is to deliver on the increased demand. Our integrated supply chain programs are designed to furnish consistent quality, cost-optimized, and responsive services to our growing customer base and store network. The fundamentals we put in place will serve us well in light of the challenges we now face in 2020,” said Max’s Group chief operating officer Ariel Fermin.

MGI opened 82 new stores including 22 overseas last year. These brought the company’s total store network to 760, with 70 situated across several locations in North America, the Middle East and Asia.

The restaurant chain also approved to increase the size of a share buyback program to P1 billion. The company extended the period of the buyback to March 13, 2022. Jenniffer B. Austria

SMC completes ‘new’ bridge over San Juan River

By Darwin G. Amojelar SAN Miguel Corp., through infrastructure unit San Miguel Infrastructure, said Thursday it reopened a “new” and stronger San Juan River bridge, also known as the Pinaglabanan Bridge, following reconstruction works that began late last year.

The bridge that connects Old Sta. Mesa Manila and N. Domingo in San Juan was closed on September 15 following realignment of the Skyway Stage 3 project over San Juan River.

“We would like to thank motorists for their patience while we carried out a very important work. In less than six months, we were able to rebuild the bridge to its original design, only this time it is new and stronger,” said SMC president Ramon Ang. The Skyway Stage 3 is an elevated expressway project extending the Skyway system from Buendia in Makati City all the way to the North Luzon Expressway exit in Balintawak.

With a length of 17.93 kms., it will reduce travel time between these two points from 2 hours to 20 minutes or less.

The project is set for completion in July and is expected to significantly decongest traffic along EDSA. Skyway Stage 3 has four sections, with Section 1 running from Buendia to Plaza Dilao, Section 2 from Plaza Dilao to Aurora Boulevard, Section 3 from Aurora Boulevard to Quezon Ave. and Section 4 from Quezon Avenue to EDSA/Balintawak.

The company plans to construct the Skyway Stage 4, a 58.09-km road from the south of Metro Manila Skyway to Batasan Complex, Quezon City.

The project aims to decongest EDSA, C5 and other major roads, while providing a faster alternative route for motorists coming from Rizal and the CALABARZON area. It is expected to be completed by 2022.

World

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FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

No hope as Syria war enters 10 year th

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EIRUT―As it enters its tenth year, the war in Syria is anything but abating, as foreign powers scrap over a ravaged country where human suffering keeps reaching new levels.

When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century’s biggest war.

Nine years on, President Bashar alAssad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground and half of the country’s entire

population displaced.

Nearly a year after the Islamic State group’s “caliphate” was dismantled, the West’s attention towards Syria was only pricked again last month when Turkey threatened to open the floodgates for migrants seeking to flee to Europe.

While the number of fronts has been reduced by Damascus’ reconquest in recent years, the nature of the war is changing and violence is still raging in the northwest.

Some other regions have long been pacified, but people there have yet to feel the dividends of peace as Syria plays host to a complex international showdown involving Russia, the United States, Turkey, Israel and Iran.

“It’s certainly not a simple international conflict,” said Syria researcher Fabrice Balanche.

Nine years ago, teenagers inspired by

Arab Spring uprisings they saw on television, spray-painted a message on the walls of a school in the southern city of Daraa.

“Down with the regime. Your turn, Doctor,” they scrawled, referring to Assad, a trained ophthalmologist.

Within days security forces detained them, sparking angry protests many say triggered Syria’s uprising.

But a violent crackdown soon saw revolutionaries take up arms with backing from Gulf nations, and wrest key areas from government control.

Jihadist groups also emerged, most notably IS, which swept across large parts of the country and neighbouring Iraq in 2014.

As the situation unravelled, foreign armies soon entered the arena, eventually leading Damascus, with the support of Russia and Iran, to regain the upper hand.

It now controls 70 percent of the country.

Alarmed by IS, Washington inter- ly target Iranian and Lebanese fighters. vened in 2014 with air strikes on SyrOmar Abu Leyla, an activist now livian soil as the head of a global coalition ing abroad, accuses Western powers against the jihadists. who initially took a stand against Assad A year later Moscow waded in on of shifting all their focus to fighting jiAssad’s side in a move that would turn hadists after 2014—to the detriment of the tide of Syria’s war. the revolution. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Iran, with its elite Revolutionary Guards and allied Iraqi and Lebanese Republic of the Philippines fighters, also took an active role in backNational Capital Judicial Region ing the regime, in what analysts say was REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Branch 84, Quezon City a move to secure access to the Mediterranean.

IN RE: PETITION FOR Turkey, meanwhile, launched the NATURALIZATION OF EMILY ROSE FAST, first of several incursions across its Petitioner. southern border in 2016 and last x--------------------------------------------x SP. PROC. NO. R-QZN-19-18790-SP year seized a 120-kilometre (70ORDER and NOTICE OF HEARING mile) long strip of land from KurdOn December 18, 2019 Petitioner through counsel, filed this ish fighters it views as “terrorists”. verified Petition praying that after due notice, publication and Israel has carried out hundreds of hearing, an order be issued granting the Petition by declaring that has all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications strikes in Syria, which it says most- petitioner for acquisition of Philippine citizenship thru naturalization under C.A. 473; and issuing an order that a Naturalization Certificate be issued and that said Naturalization Certificate be registered in the appropriate civil registry.

IN BRIEF Sanders shrugs off primary defeats

BURLINGTON―Bernie Sanders on Wednesday shrugged off a string of primary defeats and pressure to drop out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, saying he remains in the fight against centrist front runner Joe Biden.

In his first remarks since losing to Biden in Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho on Tuesday, the leftist senator from Vermont said his main priority was defeating “dangerous” President Donald Trump.

He acknowledged, however, in a brief, passionate speech that many Democrats see him as less electable than the 77-yearold former vice president―perhaps preparing the ground for his eventual exit.

Speculation had been growing that he might respond to pleas from Democratic activists to step aside for party unity, giving Biden―his only rival―a chance to focus on campaigning against Trump.

But Sanders, 78, broke his silence to say he was preparing for his first one-on-one televised debate Sunday “with my friend Joe Biden.”

While he remained defiant, Sanders did make a number of unusual statements, accepting both his losses during the primary race and perceptions that he would fare less well against Trump.

“I cannot tell you how many people our campaign has spoken to who say they agree with us but will vote for Joe because they believe he’s the best to beat Donald Trump,” he said.

“Needless to say, I strongly disagree with that assertion, but that’s what millions of Democrats and independents say.” AFP

Six-fold jump in polar ice loss

PARIS―Greenland and Antarctica are shedding six times more ice than during the 1990s, driving sea level rise that could see annual flooding by 2100 in regions home today to some 400 million people, scientists have warned.

The kilometers-thick ice sheets atop land masses at the planet’s extremities sloughed off 6.4 trillion tonnes of mass from 1992 through 2017, adding nearly an inch to the global watermark, according to an assessment by 89 researchers, the most comprehensive to date.

Last summer’s Arctic heatwave will likely top the 2011 record for polar ice sheet loss of 552 billion tonnes, they reported in a pair of studies, published Wednesday in Nature.

That is roughly the equivalent of eight Olympic pools draining into the ocean every second.

While less visible than climate-enhanced hurricanes, sea level rise may ultimately prove the most devastating of global warming impacts.

Indeed, it is the added centimeters― perhaps added meters by the 22nd century―that make storm surges from climateenhanced tropical cyclones so much more deadly and destructive, experts say.

“Every centimeter of sea level rise leads to coastal flooding and coastal erosion, disrupting lives around the planet,” said University of Leeds professor Andrew Shepherd, who led the analysis along with Erik Ivins from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. AFP

Court delays final verdict on Pell appeal

CANBERRA―Australia’s High Court on Thursday delayed judgment in Cardinal George Pell’s appeal against child sex abuse convictions, with a decision now not expected for months.

The court adjourned after two days of dense legal argument over the case of the 78-year-old former Vatican treasurer, who is trying to overturn a six-year sentence for sexually assaulting two 13-year-old choirboys in the 1990s.

Pell, who once helped elect popes, is the highest-ranking Catholic Church official ever convicted of child sex crimes.

He was not present for the two-day hearing and will remain behind bars while seven of Australia’s top judges consider his fate.

A court official told AFP it typically took between three to six months for a decision in cases where judgment had been reserved.

Pell’s lawyer, Bret Walker, on Thursday urged them to quash the conviction rather than order a retrial, saying it was “the power and duty of this court”.

He also accused the prosecution of an “inappropriate and over-engineered attempt at improvisation to make matters fit that won’t fit”.

The defense has argued Pell would not have had the time or opportunity to molest the boys in the sacristy, which would have been a “hive of activity” after Mass. AFP

AFTER THE SENTENCING. Attorney Donna Rotunno speaks to the media outside the courthouse after movie mogul

Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison on March 11, 2020, in New York City. Weinstein was sentenced to 20 years for first-degree criminal sexual act and three years for third-degree rape, with the sentences running consecutively. AFP

Disgraced In Damascus, war-scarred Syrians movie mogul weary as conflict enters 10th year Weinstein gets 23 years in jail NEW YORK―Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault Wednesday, capping a sensational downfall for the once-powerful producer in a landmark case for the #MeToo movement.

Weinstein, who turns 68 next week, faces spending the rest of his life behind bars after New York Justice James Burke rebuffed his pleas for the minimum five-year sentence.

The judge, issuing a heavy term close to the maximum 29 years allowed, was unmoved by a rambling statement Weinstein made to the court in which he failed to express any remorse for his actions or apologize to victims.

“I’m totally confused,” Weinstein said, before blaming the #MeToo global reckoning against men abusing positions of power for his predicament.

“I was the first example and now there are thousands of men being accused. I’m worried about this country,” he added.

The sentencing completed a dramatic fall from grace for the titan-turnedpariah, who lost much of his $150 million fortune fighting allegations that surfaced in October 2017.

Nearly 90 women, including Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, have come forward alleging 40 years of vile predatory behavior by the Oscarwinning producer of “Shakespeare in Love” and many other critical and box office hits.

The Silence Breakers―a group of 24 Weinstein accusers that includes Ashley Judd, Rosanna Arquette and Rose McGowan―said Weinstein’s legacy would always be his rape conviction.

“He is going to jail―but no amount of jail time will repair the lives he ruined, the careers he destroyed, or the damage he has caused,” they said in a statement.

Weinstein was taken away from the Manhattan criminal court in a wheelchair as the six accusers who testified at his trial, including actress Annabella Sciorra of “The Sopranos,” hugged in the front row. AFP

DAMASCUS―The guns may have died down around Damascus as Syria’s war enters its 10th year, but florist Abdelqader Qasem says the conflict has left scars he will never forget.

The 42-year-old limps slightly as he carries two tree saplings in his right hand in a city market, the empty left sleeve of his coat stuffed into his pocket.

“It’ll be difficult for me to ever forget the war,” he says.

“It robbed me of everything I held dearest―my son Mazen and my left hand, as well as causing a permanent fracture in my leg,” says Qasem, who was wounded in a 2013 car bombing.

Syria’s war has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions at home and abroad since it started on March 15, 2011 with anti-government protests.

After years of fierce bombardment and fighting to expel rebels and jihadists from the capital’s doorstep, relative calm has returned to Damascus since late 2018.

But residents like Qasem say they are still struggling to rebuild their lives after years of violence.

Today he ekes out a living selling tree saplings, shrubs and flowers on a curb in the Damascus market.

Dressed in his trademark orange coat, he places a cigarette between his lips with his right hand and lights it.

“The war in Damascus has ended for many,” he says, beyond plants blooming in red, yellow and pink.

“But it will stay with me until my final years,” says Qasem, who also lost his home in the war.

Beyond the psychological scars, many Damascus residents are struggling to resume normal lives in a war-battered economy.

Behind the wheel, taxi driver Nabil al-Sharif says he drives on average 15 people around the capital on a daily basis, and every day he hears them complain.

“This car has become filled up to the brim with people’s worries,” says the 63-year-old. AFP

Brieftly, the petitioner alleged that she is a Canadian Citizen, of legal age, single, born in Langley,Canada on 3 September 1996 and presently residing at No. 85B Pingkian 1, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City; that the petitioner was a resident of 8835-213 Street, Langley, British Columbia, Canada; that she is a daughter of Pastor Michael John Fast and Eva Rose Wiebe who are residing in the Philippines for more than 23 years doing missionary works with the Baptist Conference in the Philippines; that at the age of 3, Petitioner and her family came to reside in the Philippines. They arrived in the Philippines on September 8, 1999 together with her parents who came here in pursuit of their missionary works. They landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on board Japan Airlines with Flight No. JL745 and Petitioner was carrying Passport No. VG891161 issued by the Government of Canada. Such fact is shown at the Certification issued by the Bureau of Immigration; that petitioner holds an Alien Certificate of Registration No. G1906013876TV with SSRN No. 1410EF1209234726 issued by the Philippine Government which is valid until June 25, 2020 and a holder of Canadian Passport No. HM689374 valid until November 15, 2026; that petitioner holds an Alien Certificate of Registration No. G1906013876TV with SRRN No. 1410EF4209234726 issued by the Philippine Government which is valid until June 25, 2020; that having resided in the Philippines at an early age, Petitioner started and completed her schooling in the country and which is detailed as follows: Pre-school – SEATS Preschool – 670 Edsa, Brgy. E. Rodriguez, Cubao, Quezon City; Primary – Gospel Light Christian Academy – Matahimik St., cor. V. Luna, Brgy. Malaya, Quezon City; Secondary – Gospel Light Christian Academy – Matahimik St., cor. V. Luna, Brgy. Malaya, Quezon City; Tertiary – University of the Philippines Diliman – Bachelor of Arts in Film – Magna Cum Laude (2013-2018); that presently, Petitioner is a freelance photographer, videographer and film maker. She is also is the official film maker for the Baptist General Conference of Canada and was assigned in the Philippines to assist the South East Asian Theology Schools, Inc. in filming lecture videos; that in pursuit of her missionary works, Petitioner teaches in Pingkian Kid’s Net (2013 to present). This is a weekly values class for local children from the ages of 3 up to 12 years old. Together with 9 other missionary workers, Petitioner teaches lessons, prepares the activities and cooks snacks for the kids of Pingkian 1 Central, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City; that she is also a Leader of the Pingkian Youth Ministry (2014-present). This is a weekly gathering wherein around 30 youth of the community come together to discuss the Bible in Pingkian 1, Central, Brgy.

Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City; that she acts as the Secretary of Pingkian 1 Neighbor Youth Association (PINYA) (2013-present) in Pingkian 1 Central, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City. This is a government-recognized association that promotes community service and involvement of the youth in local events. As a member of PINYA, she is involved in different activities like organizing Christmas presentations, holding workshops, setting up garage sales, street-sweeping, and other community activities; that petitioner likewise, is a Sunday School Teacher of the Metro Manila Bible Community (MMBC) (215-present) in 19 Col. Salgado St., Brgy. West Kamias, Quezon City. This involves teaching Bible stories and values lessons to children every Sunday; that petitioner was a member of the University of the Philippines Cinema Arts Society (UP CAST) (2013-2017) and served as Secretary; that all of the foregoing activities and membership in different organizations establishes the strong tie of the Petitioner with the Filipinos and through such constant association, she can fluently speak in Pilipino/Tagalog, learned to love and embrace the Filipino culture, customs and traditions; and that she has been residing in the Philippines for more than 20 years particularly at the address stated above and has been a law-abiding resident of Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City; that petitioner seeks to acquire Philippine Citizenship thru naturalization under Commonwealth Act No. 473 (C.A. 473) otherwise known as “ An Act to Provide for the Acquisition of Philippine Citizenship by Naturalization; that petitioner has complied with all the other formal and substantial requirements under C.A. 473 for the acquisition of Philippine Citizenship thru naturalization including age and years of residence in the Philippines; that she possesses all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications set forth in C.A. 473; that in the 20 years of petitioner’s stay in the Philippines, she was able to establish and maintain a good reputation among her students, peers, religious group, classmates and within the community; that petitioner has never directly or indirectly disobeyed the Philippine Constitution since she believes in the underlying principles thereof; that neither did she transgressed any laws and regulations for the period of her stay in the Philippines; that since 2013, petitioner serves as the Secretary of Pingkian I Neighbor Youth Association (PINYA) in Pingkian 1 Central, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City; that not only moderate knowledge of conversational Pilipino Tagalog, Petitioner can speak Pilipino/Tagalog fluently having been raised and lived in the Philippines since age of 3. In fact, her accent and the way she pronounces Tagalog words will let one think or believe that one speaking is Filipina – not a foreign national.

She is likewise fluent in English; that she does not defend or teach necessity of violence, personal assault or assassination for the predominance of ideas that she is not a polygamist or believer in the practice of polygamy; that petitioner have not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude; that petitioner is not suffering from mental alienation or any incurable contagious disease; that petitioner has socially mingled with Filipinos.

Her various missionary activities and membership is different organizations establishes the strong tie of the Petitioner with the Filipinos and through such constant association, she learned to love and embrace the culture, customs, traditions and ideals of Filipinos; that petitioner is a national of Canada which country grants Filipinos the right to become a naturalized citizen or subject thereof; that she believes in the underlying principles of the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines and undertakes to preserve and protect the same; that petitioner will continue to reside in the Philippines from the date of filing of this petition up to the time of her acquisition of Philippine Citizenship; and that upon being admitted as Filipino citizen, petitioner will renounce her allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, protectorate, state or sovereignty and particularly to Canada of which she is a citizen at present.

NOTICE is hereby given that the instant petition will be heard before this Court sitting at Room 105, Hall of Justice Building, Quezon City on JULY 27, 2020 at 8:30 in the morning at which date and time, all persons interested and concerned may appear and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Let this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation to be chosen by raffle, the last publication of which shall be at least more than four (4) months before the date of hearing. Petitioner is ordered to serve a copy of the Petition upon the Office of the Solicitor General and the respondents, and to submit proof of service thereof at least ten (10) days prior to the date of scheduled hearing. The respondents and/or any interested person may file opposition thereto within fifteen (15) days from notice of this Order or from the last date of publication of this Order.

SO ORDERED. Given this 27 day of February 2020 at Quezon City, Metro Manila.

(Sgd.) HON. LUISITO G. CORTEZ Presiding Judge

ANNIVERSARY. Police detain Tibetan activists during a demonstration near the Chinese embassy to mark the 61st anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day, which commemorates the 1959 revolt, in New Delhi on March 12, 2020. AFP

cc: Atty. LELAND R. LOPEZ Counsel for the Petitioner Block 5, Lot 14, Sampaguita St., Palmera Homes Phase II, Brgy. Sta. Monica, Novaliches, Quezon City EMILY ROSE FAST Petitioner No. 85B Pingkian I, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City Office of the Solicitor General No. 134 Amorsolo Street Legaspi Village, Makati City Local Civil Registrar Quezon City National Statistics Office East Avenue, Quezon City City Prosecutor’s Office 4th Floor, Quezon City Hall of Justice Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION and DEPORTATION Port Area, Intramuros, Manila

(MStandard - Mar. 13, 20 & 27, 2020)

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

B4

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

BACK IN BUSINESS. Leading the ribbon cutting ceremony for the reopening of the San Juan (Pinaglabanan) Bridge reconstructed by San Miguel Infrastructure were Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, San Juan Mayor Francis Javier Zamora (middle), Vice Mayor Warren Villa (left), MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim (2nd from left), and Toll Regulatory Board Director Abraham Sales (right).

Armyworm infests villages in Mati City

DAVAO CITY—The Agriculture Office of Mati City has alerted farmers in 11 villages to take precautionary measures to stop the infestation of fall armyworm on corn.

CAO said seven of the FAW-affected villages have been severely impacted based on corn samples.

These are Danao, Libudon, Dawan, Bobon, Don Enrique Lopez, Sainz, and Badas.

Romel Avance, CAO agricultural technician, said FAW monitoring started in December last year as soon as the infestation was detected.

Avance said an information campaign was immediately conducted on the affected farmers to better equip them in combating the infestation.

“Among the interventions by the City Agriculture are biological and synthetic pesticide, light trapping to minimize the adult FAW to lay eggs, and to continue the information dissemination to barangay extension technician,” he added.

Fall armyworm is an insect native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. In the absence of natural control or good management, FAW can cause significant damage to crops.

Angeles mayor TO STEM COVID-19 RISE sets checkpoints for foreigners

Munti eyes resident census

By Romeo Dizon ANGELES CITY—Mayor Carmelo Lazatin has ordered 24-hour checkpoints here to restrict the movement of foreigners as a health and safety precaution against spread of the novel coronavirus.

Lazatin said checkpoints will be deployed in strategic places to prevent the entry and exits of foreign nationals from countries like China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy.

The checkpoints started at midnight Tuesday and will continue until further public notice from government authorities, he added.

The restriction will not apply to thousands ofKoreans already residing in the city, mostly small and medium enterprise owners along the Friendship Road in Barangay Anunas, but to those who wish to enter the city.

Lazatin said putting up the city checkpoints was approved by the regional offices of the Department of Health and Department of Interior and Local Government.

“It was approved during an emergency meeting with Director Cesar Cassio and Director Martin Mora of DILG and DOH respectively,” he said.

Pinoys urged to check US visa site

T

HE local government of Muntinlupa assured the public on Thursday it is taking precautionary measures against the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) following the rise of new confirmed cases in the country.

To reduce the risk of large-scale local transmission and spreading of COVID-19 among city residents, Mayor Jaime Fresnedi ordered barangay officials and the City Health Office to intensify identification of residents with travel history for monitoring.

“We have alerted the barangays to deploy health workers to conduct a census of residents with travel history abroad, especially from countries with wide-

spread or ongoing community spread.

The City Health Office shall assess these residents and depending on their travel history, they will be asked to stay home for a period of 14 days from the time of their arrival,” Fresnedi said.

The World Health Organization recorded high numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea.

Barangay government units are also pre-

paring to install isolation areas for residents suspected to have contracted the virus for monitoring of the local health office.

Muntinlupa City Health Officer Dr. Teresa Tuliao said the identification of high risks individuals is part of the city’s preventive measure to contain the spread of the virus and prevent community transmission.

“If we are able to identify residents with travel history, we are in a better position to minimize the risk of potential local transmission. The local government is closely coordinating with the Department of Health and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine regarding the management of suspected COV-

CDC sets anti-COVID guidelines for Clark

CDC president and CEO Noel Manankil (2nd from right) checks on the fumigation machine prior to actual spray of disinfectant in open spaces as part of the agency’s protection measures to fight the spread of COVID-19. Also in photo are (from left) CDC VP for Security Services Atty. Ramsey L. Ocampo, CDC Health and Sanitation Division Manager Dr. Clemecita C. Dobles, CDC VP for Legal Affairs Atty.

Perlita M. Sagmit, OP staff Arvin Castro, and Sanitation staff Filemon Angeles.

CLARK FREEPORT— Following the issuance of Presidential Proclamation 922 which placed the country under the state of Public Health Emergency, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) issued on Thursday guidelines on preventive measures against the novel coronavirus disease or COVID-19.

The guidance provides precautionary methods that will help all workers and stakeholders in the Freeport in responding to COVID-19 especially in their respective areas and workplaces.

In the guidelines, the state-owned firm also mentioned it will conduct misting disinfection on all offices, public places, and playgrounds within the Freeport. The same will be done on the Clark loop buses to guarantee the protection of workers and commuters here.

Accordingly, CDC also announced the postponement of all scheduled public events in the Freeport. The pronouncement covers “public areas where either CDC serves as co-organizer or has issued a permit for such.”

Intensified preemptive actions and disinfection protocols were also recommended by CDC to all establishments in the Freeport. These include banks, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, schools, places of worship, recreational facilities, fitness gyms, bars, coffee shops, and transportation terminals.

By Ben Moses Ebreo BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya— An American diplomat has urged Filipinos seeking various forms of US visas to visit their website to avoid scammers and fixers.

Sarah Kahnt, Vice Consul of the Embassy of the United States, said visa applicants should also tell and declare the truth during interviews and in their application forms.

“Contrary to what others say, our website contains all the information that every applicant needs for various visas. Do not lie, just tell the truth when interviewed,” she said.

Kahnt was referring to their “Walang Sikreto” campaign for Filipino visa applicants, which seeks to help and facilitate the processing of their documents in the US Embassy.

The visa applications and requirements, among others can be accessed at www.ustraveldocs.com/ph. It also contains general information about Nonimmigrant and immigrant visas.

Kahnt also said they do not endorse VISA applicants to private agencies for their VISAs.

ID-19 cases,” Tuliao said.

“We are also coordinating with local hospital administrators for the real-time updating of persons under investigation admitted in their respective facilities,” the local health officer noted.

Tuliao added there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among Muntinlupa residents to date.

The City Health Office advised the public to report cases of individuals in their communities with travel history that manifest symptoms of COVID-19 respiratory disease. Muntinlupa City residents can coordinate with the City Health Office at 541 4813 or Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office at 925 4382.

Tiangco: Navotas still coronavirus-free

By Jun David AMID rumors circulating online, Mayor Toby Tiangco has assured residents that Navotas remains free from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Tiangco clarified that the city has 13 Persons Under Monitoring (PUM) as of March 11, and all are under self-quarantine and regularly checked by personnel of the City Health Office as well as the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT).

“As of now, Navotas has 13 PUMs but remains COVID-free. PUMS are those who had travel history to a place with confirmed COVID-19 cases or had history of exposure to COVID-19. They don’t exhibit signs and symptoms of the disease and are placed under self-quarantine,” he explained.

Persons Under Investigation (PUI), on the other hand, have the same description as PUMs, except they show signs and symptoms of COVID-19. They are admitted to a hospital to undergo further tests.

The mayor said the Navotas Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 has been proactively tracing residents who might be affected by the disease.

He reminded Navoteños they may also call 8281-1111 for reports or questions regarding COVID19.

Tiangco also appealed to the public to practice social distancing as prescribed by the Department of Health.

Social distancing aims to limit instances for people to be in close contact with each other. This includes not shaking hands, hugging or going to places or events that draw large crowds.

‘TIKAS’ PROGRAM. Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar (center) attends the flag ceremony at Camp Vicente Lim in Canlubang, Laguna with Calabarzon Police Director Brig. Gen.Vicente D. Danao (left) to unveil P90 million worth of buildings at the police camp under the P6-billion DPWH ‘Tikas’ Program for all police and military facilities. The new buildings include officers’ quarters, an RSPU building and a grandstand. Roy Tomandao

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

YOUNG LIFE

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

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By Angelica Villanueva

F

OR Moira Dela Torre, the theme song of Disney film Mulan means a lot.

According to her, it was first song of which she learned the entire lyrics and performed before an audience. “It basically launched my love of music,” she said.

“It’s the first-ever song I performed in public, and also the first full song that I learned on my own,” related the 26-year-old singer-songwriter.

Thus she was excited—emotional, even—when she learned Disney tapped her to sing the Philippine version of “Reflection,” which was first sung by another talented Filipino: Lea Salonga for the 1998 animated

Moira Dela Torre

finds her reflection

WHO IS THAT GIRL? Singer-songwriter Moira Dela Torre sings the Philippine version of 'Mulan' theme song 'Reflection,' first sung by Lea Salonga.

film. Christina Aguilera also recorded her version which became her debut single when she was 17 years old.

Disney Philippines made the announcement weeks prior to the Philippine preMoira says 'Reflection' was the first full song she learned and performed in public.

All-women teams run fast food stores WHO run the world? Girls! Literally in this case, as all-women teams run the Philippine branches of a fast food giant on March 9.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, female employees of McDonald’s Philippines took over the chain’s restaurants nationwide, demonstrating the strong representation of women in the company’s workforce.

To date, women employees account for more than half or 55 percent of McDonald’s Philippines’ total workforce, exceeding global benchmarks for a gender-equal workforce. Across over its 670 restaurants, an average of 56 percent of restaurant general managers and 62 percent of service crew are women.

“We are celebrating these employees

miere of the live action adaptation of the 1998 film on March 25.

Mulan is based on the Chinese folklore The Ballad of Mulan, which follows the story of Hua Mulan who disguised herself as a man to take her ailing father’s place in the Imperial Chinese Army, harnessing her strength and embracing her true potential.

It’s theme song, “Reflection” has become one of the most popular Disney

songs, with 40 official versions worldwide.

The song is about self-doubt and expresses the way an individual (in this case, Mulan) feels about wanting to express herself and show the world who she really is instead of pretending.

During the listening party, Dela Torre became emotional as she recalled the meaning of the song to her before, and how it came at the right in this point of her life.

“I became very emotional because ‘Re-

flection’ is very special to me,” she shared.

“It’s funny how it speaks about selfdoubt and questioning who you see on the mirror every day. That’s basically me, but every time I feel that happening now, I feel braver. This song came back at a perfect time in my life, and I could only be happy and grateful,” enthused Moira.

Disney Philippines will soon release the music video of Moira Dela Torre’s rendition of “Reflection.”

Happy World Sleep Day! Celebrate by getting more Zzz’s today and on days after

this International Women’s Day as they have proven to be instrumental to the company’s continued growth. I’m very proud of the fact that 67 percent of key leadership positions are held by women— they are driving the business, and accelerating progress in creating a workplace that supports the growth and development of everyone in the country equally,” said Kenneth Yang, president and chief executive of McDonald’s Philippines.

Margot Torres, managing director of McDonald’s Philippines, said, “I am proud to be part of a company that gives all of its employees opportunities to grow in their roles. In McDonald’s, women are trusted and given equal opportunity to learn and develop, enabling them to lead.”

Decompress and turn off all lights and gadgets to sleep faster and better.

ON HECTIC days where the to-do list is long, busy bees end up sacrificing sleep to get more done. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” sounds cool but not healthy, let alone sustainable.

In celebration of World Sleep Day on March 13, smartwatch and fitness tracker brand Fitbit, which pioneered sleep tracking, brings the party to the bedroom.

Following a sleep schedule allows the body to wake up at the most optimal time of the day.

Turn off all lights and screens

All-women crew takes over McDonald's Philippines branches in celebration of International Women's Day.

This one’s pretty basic: Switch off all sources of light, not only the main lighting, but all electronics that emit any form of light, such as mobile phones, laptops, or tablets.

Aside from suppressing the production of melatonin—we’re looking at you, blue light!—gadgets could keep the mind awake, and the body along with it.

Set a curfew when to stop checking messages, scrolling through social media feed, and doing other smartphone activity. Keep these devices away from arm’s reach before bed to train mind and body to focus on sleep for the night.

Cut back on caffeine and alcohol

Female employees account for more than half or 55 percent of the fast food giant's workforce.

If possible, limit caffeine intake to just a morning cup of coffee, as caffeine could affect sleep for hours after drinking. Relying on alcohol to sleep? Studies have shown that drinking alcohol before bed may help a person fall asleep faster, but will also cause them to toss, turn, or wake up in the middle of the night, as it may affect normal production of chemicals in the body that trigger sleepiness.

Set a sleep schedule

Sleep Score offers a nightly score— based on heart rate, restlessness, time awake, and Sleep Stages—in the Fitbit app for better insight into the sleep quality. Finally, Fitbit devices with Sleep Mode simultaneously disable screen display and silence notifications for a night free of disturbances.

Take advantage of sleep innovation

Decompress after a long day

A consistent bed time can greatly improve sleeping habits. Our body naturally craves regularity and keeping circadian clock dialed-in is crucial in upholding quality sleep. As the body adjusts to getting enough sleep, waking up naturally at the optimal time each morning follows.

Fitbit’s latest sleep features let users better understand their sleep, as well as provide the features to help improve it.

For instance, Sleep Stages, records the time spent in different sleep stages— light sleep, deep sleep, and REM—using the PurePulse heart rate and sensitive motion detectors.

Learning how to de-stress and maintain a positive outlook even after a long, hectic day is one of the most underrated ways to improve sleep and overall health. Find simple ways to unwind at the end of the day—go for a walk, take a yoga class, meditate, or take a two-minute guided breathing session with Fitbit’s Relax feature.

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Entertainment

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Palanca winning piece ‘Kung Paano Maghiwalay’ F

to be staged

IRST witnessed as a stage reading in 2008, Carlos Palanca Memorial award-winning two-act play Kung Paano Maghiwalay is back to once again tackle the timeless subject of falling out of love in a series of vignettes that present perspectives on break-ups.

‘Paano Maghiwalay’ tackle the timeless subject of breakups and falling out of love

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) brings a non-linear episodic piece which presents the different stages of disintegrating relationships of diverse couples threaded by the common trajectory as it puts the value of love in question.

Kung Paano Maghiwalay was written by actor, director, playwright and Egg Theater Company. CoFounder George de Jesus III, whose expertise in his craft earned him several awards from the Centennial Literary Competition, the National Commission of Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Teatro Bulwagan Playwrighting Competi-

tion, and the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.

His masterpiece will be brought to life by artist-educator Eric Villanueva Dela Cruz, the founder and creative navigator of TAXI (Theater.

Applied. Experiential. Immersive) Theater, an interdisciplinary collaborative platform for practitioners who explores innovation in storytelling and audience engagement.

The over-all scoring will handled by composer, sound designer, mixing engineer and music producer Simo Dacanay.

The stellar cast is headlined by veterans, to include Gawad Buhay

for Best Actress awardee Sherry Lara and experienced theater actor Alexx Agcaoili.

They will be supported by promising young Benildean artists.

It is produced by Teatro 77, a community of Theater Arts students from the School of Design and Arts (SDA) of DLS-CSB in partnership with TAXI Theater and Egg Theater Company.

Kung Paano Maghiwalay is scheduled on March 26 and March 27 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and March 28 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m..

It will likewise be screened from April 1 to April 3 at 1:00 p.m. and April 4 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m..

Shows will be at the 6/F Black Box, School of Design and Arts Campus, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, 950 Pablo Ocampo (Vito Cruz) Street, Malate, Manila.

‘Westworld’ returns for 3rd season THE Emmy winning drama series Westworld returns for its eightepisode third season same time as the U.S. on March 16, 9:00 a.m., exclusively on HBO GO and HBO. A dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the birth of a new form of life on Earth, the show was created for television by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, who are also executive producers.

Returning cast includes Evan Rachel Wood (Dolores), Emmy winner Thandie Newton (Maeve), Ed Harris (Man in Black), Jef-

frey Wright (Bernard), Tessa Thompson (Charlotte), Luke Hemsworth (Stubbs), and Rodrigo Santoro (Hector Escaton).

Joining the cast this season are Aaron Paul (Caleb), Vincent Cassel (Serac), Lena Waithe (Ash), Scott Mescudi (Francis), Marshawn Lynch (Giggles), John Gallagher, Jr. (Liam), Michael Ealy (Jake), and Tommy Flanagan (Conells).

The first two seasons of Westworld received a combined 42 Emmy nominations. The second season›s 20 Emmy nominations result-

ed in three wins, including: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Thandie Newton), Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) and Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series.

Westworld was created for television by Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy, who are executive producers with J.J. Abrams, Athena Wickham, Richard J. Lewis, Ben Stephenson, and Denise Thé. Production companies: Kilter Films and Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television; based on the film written by Michael Crichton.

As of Jan. 31, Sagip Kapamilya has served a total of 20,735 families or 103,675 individuals with relief packs.

ABS-CBN conducts clean-up drives, gives away safety bags

HBO sci-fi series finally returns with its highly anticipated Season 3.

Seth Fedelin turns up heat as March’s celebrity VJ IT’S ABOUT to be golden at MYX this March as Kadenang Ginto breakout star Seth Fedelin is this month’s Celebrity VJ. The PBB Otso alumnus, who also starred in iWant’s Wild Little Love film with Andrea Brillantes last year, tries his hand at hosting as he delivers today’s freshest music on MYX. Further firing up the heat this month is another talented teen, MYX Headliner Darren Espanto, who just released the extended music video to his hit single “Sasagipin Kita.”

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on this month’s MYX Spotlight artist, the Brit-

Teen singer Darren Espanto is this month’s featured artist.

MYX’s March celebrity VJ Seth Fedelin

ish band New Rules composed of Ryan Meaney, Alec McGarry, and Nathan Lambert. The group recently held a series of mall shows in the country before headlining their UK and Ireland tour last month.

The MYX Live! stage is also about to be “lit” this month with popular OPM artists slated to deliver electrifying performances. Electro-pop rock band Gracenote kickstarted the fun last Saturday (March 7), followed by poetic singer-

songwriter Unique tomorrow, March 14, “Asia’s Nightingale” Lani Misalucha on March 21, and beloved band Kamikazee on March 28.

SB19’s loyal legion of fans, who proudly call themselves “A’Tin,” was able to watch out for the group on MYX Presents on March 7, 8, and 10.

Embrace the heat with MYX Celebrity VJ Seth on Pinoy MYX today until Saturday, Mellow MYX from March 15 to 21, and My MYX from March 22 to 28.

THE status of Taal Volcano is down to Alert Level 2 but Kapamilya love continues to be felt by displaced families through ABS-CBN’s “Tulong-Tulong sa Taal” public service campaign.

The Kapamilya network has united with various groups for clean-up drives done in Agoncillo and Tanauan in Batangas, relief operations, and distribution of Ligtas Bags with the support of donors, volunteers, and partners like public servants Senator Ralph Recto and Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto.

As of Feb. 6, Sagip Kapamilya has served a total of 23,923 families or over 100,000 individuals with relief pack in evacuation centers and homebased evacuation sites. There were also 5,403 individuals served with hot meals through Soup Kitchen, while 663 individuals received psychological first aid.

Since children are the most vulnerable during disasters, Bantay Bata 163 social workers organized therapeutic play activities in Calumpang East Elementary School in San Luis, Batangas.

Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto

ABS-CBN also continues to distribute “Ligtas Bags,” which contain necessities for survival in case an emergency or a disaster strikes, in different areas in Batangas.

Sen. Ralph Recto and Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto recently partnered with the ABS-CBN Foundation to deliver relief packs and Ligtas Bags to people in San Nicolas, Agoncillo, Lemery, Taal, Laurel, and Talisay.

“Let us thank ABS-CBN. They don’t just give us joy every night, they also help Filipinos during difficult times,” said Recto.

Rep. Santos-Recto echoed her husband’s statements. “I take this opportunity to thank ABS-CBN for all the help that they have extended here in Batangas. These Ligtas Bags are very useful. Salamat,” she shared.

For more details about “Tulong-Tulong Sa Taal” and how you may help, follow ABS-CBN Foundation (@abscbnfoundationinc) on Facebook or visit www.abs-cbnfoundation.com.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

TODAY

CLASSIFIEDS

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FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Manila

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in Figure 2 below.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

TODAY

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO DEVELOP, OWN, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN DEDICATED POINT-TO-POINT LIMITED FACILITIES TO CONNECT TO THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM OF NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (NGCP), WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TARIFF COMMISSION

ERC CASE NO. 2020-001 MC KIANGAN MINI HYDRO CORPORATION Applicant. x ---------------------------------------------------------------- x

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Pursuant to Section 1608 of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and in relation to Section 1603(b) and 1603(h) of same, the Tariff Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed reduction from 10% to zero of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) rate of duty for frozen potato fries falling under ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) 2017 Subheading 2004.10.00, as petitioned by Prime Pacific Food Corporation and Multi-M Food Corporation (Investigation No. MFN-2019-Frozen Potato Fries).

The public hearing will be held on 26 March 2020, 9:00 A.M., at the Tariff Commission Conference Room, 4th Floor, West Insula Condominium, No. 135 West Avenue, Quezon City.

All interested parties are requested to submit to the Commission their comments, inputs and/or positions on the subject matter on or before 06 April 2020 using the position paper template provided on the Commission’s website www.tariffcommission.gov.ph.

For inquiries, Director Ma. Lourdes M. Saluta, Head of the Task Force, may be reached at Telephone Number (8)926-7476 or at email address TC.Assist@mail.tariffcommisison. gov.ph.

Issued this 11th day of March 2020, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

MARILOU P P. MENDOZA Chairperson (MS-MAR. 13, 2020)

Republika ng Pilipinas

National Irrigation Administration

(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig) Regional Office No.III

Office Address : Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Telephone Nos. : (044) 766-2467, 766-4839, 816-6808 Website : www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Email Address: niar03@yahoo.com Telefax No. (044) 766-2467 TIN No. 000-979-570-000

Invitation to Bid Construction of Diversion Works, Canal System & Slope Protection of Bukaran SIP and Construction of Canal System & Access Road of Bernabe CIP ITB No. NIAR3-2020-BAT-BUKARAN-BERNABE-10 1.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered contractors to bid for the project, through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2020, intends to apply the sum of Fifty Two Million One Hundred Ninety One Thousand Seven Hundred Twelve Pesos and 58/100 (P 52,191,712.58) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the contract for NIAR3-2020-BAT-BUKARAN-BERNABE-10. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

3.

Only who submitted Document Request List (DRL) from PhilGEPS including updated company profile by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding.

4.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 now invites bids for Construction of Diversion Works, Canal System & Slope Protection of Bukaran SIP and Construction of Canal System & Access Road of Bernabe CIP located in Dinalupihan and Balanga City, Bataan. Completion of the Works is required within Three Hundred (300) calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

5.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

6.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

7.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on March 11, 2020 to March 30, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., Monday to Friday, and March 31, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Fifty Two Thousand Pesos (P 52,000.00).

8.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on March 18, 2020, 10:00 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

9.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:30 a.m.

(PST) of March 31, 2020 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of March 31, 2020 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10.

All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR.

11.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

12.

For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608 (SGD.) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC – Chairman

Noted by: (SGD.) JOSEPHINE B. SALAZAR Regional Manager

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 28 January 2020, Kiangan Mini Hydro Corporation (KMHC) filed an Application dated 20 January 2020, seeking for authority to develop, own, operate and maintain dedicated point-to-point limited facilities to connect to the transmission system of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), with prayer for provisional authority (Application).

Figure 2. Single Line Diagram Transmission Line19 21. The Transmission Facility is also classified as a “Connection Asset” under the ERC Resolution since it is primarily designed to connect the Project to the Grid and will be used for the conveyance of electricity from the Project to the Grid.20 If the Transmission Facility is taken out of the transmission grid system of NGCP, such disconnection will only affect KMHC and will have no effect on the Grid, or other connected customers.

The pertinent portions of the said Application are hereunder quoted as follows: 1. KMHC is a power generation company duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at Level 3B, 111 Paseo de Roxas Building, Paseo de Roxas corner Legazpi Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City. It may be served orders and other legal process through its undersigned counsel.

The Project is included in the DOE List of Private Sector-Initiated Power Projects for Luzon.

2. KMHC’s primary purpose is to “engage in the business of developing renewable energy resources, such as run-of-river hydroelectric power, and in the pursuit thereof: invest in, own, construct and operate hydroelectric generating plants, commercial houses and/or buildings, offices and such other edifices needed and necessary in the ordinary course of business and life; develop, produce, erect, construct, maintain, alter, repair, pull down and restore, either alone, jointly with or through other companies or persons, works of all descriptions, including engines, machineries of every description, electric works, computers, electric supply/transmission lines, substations, drainage and sewer works and pipelines; sell as reseller or aggregator the electricity produced from its operations, and to take charge or supervise any electrical computer, installation or project to acquire, purchase, import, buy, distribute, market, sell, dispose of otherwise deal in with (except in retail) building and construction materials, supplies, equipment and machineries, articles and/or supplies, equipment, machineries articles and goods, as may be necessary, suitable or appropriate for the foregoing purpose.”1

22. The Project is one of the committed projects in the DOE List of PrivateSector Initiated Power Projects for Luzon as of July 31, 201821 and is consistent with the Transmission Development Plan of NGCP.22 KMHC has the technical and financial capability to develop, construct, operate and maintain the Transmission Facility 23. KMHC has the technical capability to develop the Transmission Facility.

23.1 KMHC is currently in the process of soliciting proposals from qualified contractors for the construction of the Transmission Facility.

23.2 KMHC has the financial capability to undertake the development and construction of the Transmission Facility. The development and construction of the Project and the Transmission Facility will be funded by KMHC through both equity and project financing.23

3. KMHC is a registered renewable energy (“RE”) developer with the Department of Energy (“DOE”) with exclusive contracts for the exploration, development and utilization of hydropower energy resource, among others.

24. Since KMHC will solely fund the development and construction of the Transmission Facility, it will be exclusively used by KMHC for the operations of the Project and will not serve any end-user, the Transmission Facility will not have an impact on the transmission rates currently being charged to the public.

4. In the 2016-2040 Demand-Supply Outlook, the DOE recognized the growing demand for power in the Philippines. For the Luzon Grid, the DOE projects the energy demand to triple, from 9,276 MW in 2016 to 29,852 MW in 2040. Based on the foregoing, the Luzon Grid still needs 24,385 MW additional capacity, which consists of 13,635 MW of baseload capacity, 8,300 MW of mid-merit capacity, and 2,450 MW peaking capacity to meet the electricity demand.2

25. Upon completion of its construction, KMHC will negotiate with NGCP to engage the latter to handle the operations and maintenance of the Transmission Facility.

5. As indicated in the briefing on the Electric Power Industry presented by the DOE Secretary3, recent developments in the power industry showed that the required power system capacity for the Luzon Grid between the years 2016 to 2040 is 24,385 MW.

26. KMHC undertakes to file an application for a Certificate of Compliance with the Honorable Commission.

27. The foregoing clearly shows that the proposed Transmission Line complies with Section 9 of the EPlRA, and the relevant regulations issued by this Honorable Commission.

6. To help address the need for additional capacity in the Luzon Grid, KMHC will design, engineer, procure, construct, supply, start-up, test, commission, own, operate and maintain a Mini Hydropower Plant with a capacity of approximately 17.83 MW (the “Project”), located within the vicinity of Barangays Bokiawan, Dalligan, Munggayang, Municipality of Kiangan and Barangay Cudog, Municipality of Lagawe, Province of lfugao. The Project’s target date of energization is in Year 2022. Power for export generated from the Mini Hydropower Plant shall be delivered to the Luzon Grid.

Motion for Provisional Authority and Allegations in Support of Prayer for Provisional Authority 28. Rule 14 of the Honorable Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure authorizes the issuance of a provisional authority or an interim relief prior to a final decision, provided that the facts and circumstances warrant the issuance of the same.

7. The Project is located in the following areas covered by Hydro Service Contracts (“HSC”) issued by the DOE: 7.1 Asin River covered by HSC No. 2013-06-258-A; 7.2 Hungduan River covered by HSC No. 2013-06- 263-A; and 7.3 Ibulao 1 River covered by HSC No. 2013-06-261- A.4

29. KMHC respectfully prays that the Honorable Commission provisionally authorize the development, ownership, and operation of the Transmission Line considering that the facts, circumstances, and the magnitude of the opportunity costs entailed by any further delay in the interconnection of the Project warrants the issuance of a Provisional Authority.

8. On 4 December 2018, KMHC filed a Request for Consolidation of Hydro Service Contracts covering the Asin (HSC No. 2013-06-258-A), Ibulao 1 (HSC No. 2013-06-261- A) and Hungduan (HSC No. 2013-06-263-A) Hydro Power Projects.5 The Request for Consolidation of Hydro Service Contracts is pending with the DOE.

29.1 KMHC hopes to be able to complete development and construction of the facilities at the soonest possible time in order to be able to dispatch electric power supply to the grid.

9. The DOE also issued Certificates of Registration6 and Certificates of Confirmation of Commerciality for the Project.7

29.2 The Project is one of the energy projects under Republic Act No. 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, which aims to accelerate the development and utilization of the country’s renewable energy sources. Thus, it is in the interest of the government to help RE developers such as KMHC to achieve commerciality and commence operations at the soonest practicable time.

10. To test, commission, and dispatch from the Project after its completion, KMHC proposes to connect the Project to the system of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (“NGCP”) through a dedicated point-to-point limited transmission facility, which consists of the 69 kV Switchyard, 69 kV transmission line and 69 kV Switching Station (the “Transmission Facility”).8 KMHC is currently in the process of soliciting proposals from various qualified contractors for the construction of the Transmission Facility.

29.3 The construction of the Transmission Line is a pre-requisite for the testing and commissioning, and ultimately, the commercial operations of KMHC. The Project is projected to be completed and energized in Year 2022. Consistent with this timeline, KMHC intends to complete the development and construction of the Transmission Line by Year 2022.

11. KMHC has secured the relevant permits for the Project and the Transmission Facility.

11.1. On 28 February 2019, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Environmental Management Bureau (“DENR-EMB”) issued the Environmental Compliance Certificate (“ECC”) for the Project and the Transmission Facility.9

29.4 Moreover, the use of hydropower energy reduces the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, which not only minimizes harmful carbon greenhouse emissions in the environment but also reduces the country’s exposure to price fluctuations in the international markets.

11.2. On 19 December 2018, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (“NCIP”) issued Resolution No. 07-159.2018 approving the issuance of a certification precondition for the Project and the Transmission Line.10

29.5 Further, given the immediate need for additional capacity by 2018, the completion of the Project within the timeframe is critical to ensure additional capacity will be available to the grid in a timely manner.

12. KMHC intends to connect the Transmission Facility to the Luzon Grid via tapping in between NGCP Cudog Load-end substation and pole structure #375 of the existing Lagawe-Bayombong 69 kV Transmission Line through a Switching Station.11 The Transmission Line will have a length of around 3.5 kilometers.

30. It is in such context that KMHC respectfully prays that provisional authority be immediately issued for the development and construction of the proposed Transmission Line.

13. The proposed Connection Scheme Single Line Diagram for the Project’s Transmission Facility shall be as follows:

PRAYER WHEREFORE, KMHC respectfully prays that this Honorable Commission:

(MS-MAR. 13, 2020)

1.

Immediately ISSUE an order provisionally authorizing KMHC to implement the development, ownership and operation of a dedicated point-to-point limited transmission facility to connect the Project to the Luzon Grid; and

2.

After due notice and hearing, GRANT KMHC the authority to develop, own, operate and maintain a dedicated point-to-point limited transmission facility to connect the Project to the Luzon Grid.

Republika ng Pilipinas

National Irrigation Administration

(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig) Regional Office No.III

Office Address : Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Telephone Nos. : (044) 766-2467, 766-4839, 816-6808 Website : www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Email Address: niar03@yahoo.com Telefax No. (044) 766-2467 TIN No. 000-979-570-000

Invitation to Bid Construction of Protection Works for Danasa 2 CIP and Diversion Works, Canalization and Road System of Betania CIP

Other reliefs as may be appropriate under the circumstances are likewise prayed for.

The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, pre-trial conference, and presentation of evidence on 25 March 2020 (Wednesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.) at the ERC Hearing Room, 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City.

ITB No. NIAR3-2020-NE-DANASA 2-BETANIA-9 1.

2.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered contractors to bid for the project, through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2020, intends to apply the sum of Thirty Seven Million Eight Hundred Seventy Two Thousand Three Hundred Eighty Six Pesos and 68/100 (P 37,872,386.68) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the contract for NIAR3-2020-NE-DANASA 2-BETANIA-9. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

3.

Only who submitted Document Request List (DRL) from PhilGEPS including updated company profile by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding.

4.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 now invites bids for Construction of Protection Works for Danasa 2 CIP and Diversion Works, Canalization and Road System of Betania CIP located in Gabaldon and Laur, Nueva Ecija. Completion of the Works is required within Three Hundred (300) calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

5.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

6.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

7.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on March 11, 2020 to March 30, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., Monday to Friday, and March 31, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Thirty Seven Thousand Pesos (P 37,000.00).

8.

9.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on March 18, 2020, 10:00 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:30 a.m.

(PST) of March 31, 2020 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of March 31, 2020 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Figure 1. Connection Scheme Single Line Diagram12

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1) The petitioner’s name and address;

14. Consistent with the projected date of energization of the Project, the target completion which includes testing and commissioning of the Transmission Facility is on Year 2022.13 The estimated cost is One Hundred Forty Five Million Five Hundred One Thousand and Nine Hundred Seventy Three Pesos and Five Centavos (Php 145,501,973.05), based on the Transmission Facility cost estimates.14 15. The proposed connection of the Project is the most viable and reasonable option among the interconnection schemes considered, recommended, and evaluated by KMHC that will enable it to dispatch the Project’s capacity when the need arises.15 15.1 A System Impact Study (“SIS”) on the proposed Transmission Line has been approved by NGCP, and based on the results thereof the said interconnection is technically feasible.16

2) The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and 3) A statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before KMHC rests its case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1) The name and address of such person; 2) A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

15.2 A Facility Study has been undertaken and approved by NGCP.17 16. KMHC has a Connection Agreement and Transmission Service Agreement with NGCP and is in the process of finalizing the Metering Service Agreement.18 17. Section 9(f) of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (“EPIRA”) provides: A generation company may develop and own or operate dedicated point-to-point limited transmission facilities that are consistent with the TDP: Provided, that such facilities are required only for the purpose of connecting to the transmission system, and are used solely by the generating facility, subject to prior authorization by the ERC.

3) The grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from the Applicant that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. KMHC is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Commissioners ALEXIS M. LUMBATAN, CATHERINE P. MACEDA and PAUL CHRISTIAN M. CERVANTES, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 3 February 2020 in Pasig City.

18. In accordance with the requirement of Section 9(f) of the EPIRA, KMHC hereby seeks the Honorable Commission’s authorization to develop, own, and operate a dedicated point-to-point limited interconnection transmission facility, to connect the Project to the grid.

JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal Service

10.

All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR.

19. The proposed Transmission Facility meets the requirements provided in Section 9 of the EPIRA and the relevant regulations issued by this Honorable Commission as follows:

11.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

19.1 The Transmission Facility is a dedicated point-to-point limited interconnection asset whose sole purpose is to connect the Project to the grid and is considered a “Connection Asset” under ERC Resolution No. 23, Series of 2016 (“ERC Resolution”);

2

19.2 The Transmission Facility will be exclusively used by KMHC for the operations of the Project and will not serve any end-user; and

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12.

For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608

Noted by: (SGD.) JOSEPHINE B. SALAZAR Regional Manager

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(SGD.) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC – Chairman

(MS-MAR. 13, 2020)

For fast ad results, please call Advertising Department 8832-5547

19.3 KMHC has the technical and financial ability to develop, construct, operate, and maintain the Transmission Facility.

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The Transmission Facility is a dedicated point-to-point interconnection asset and will be used exclusively by KMHC. 20. To reiterate, the Transmission Facility is designed for the sole purpose of connecting the Project to the Grid. The single-line diagram of the proposed interconnection shows that the Transmission Facility will be exclusively used by KMHC and is not designed and configured to serve end-users.

20.1 The Single Line Diagram of the Transmission Facility is illustrated

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Copies of KMHC’s Certificate of Incorporation, Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, and Company Background are attached hereto as Annexes “B”, “B-1”, “B-2” and “B-3” and made integral parts hereof; A copy of the DOE’s Power Development Plan 2016-2040 (Please ( see Figure 16, Luzon Demand-Supply Outlook, 2016-2040, p.45) is attached hereto as Annex “C” and made an integral part hereof; A copy of the DOE presentation by Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi is attached hereto as Annex “D” and made an integral part hereof; Copies of the Asin, Hungduan and Ibulao 1 HSC Nos. 2013-06-258, 2013-06-263, and 2013-06-261 are attached hereto as Annexes “E”, “E-1”, and “E-2”. Copies of the Asin, Hungduan, and Ibulao 1 Amended HSC Nos. 2013-06-258-A, 2013-06-263-A, and 2013-06-261-A are attached hereto as Annexes “E-3”, “E-4”, and “E-5” and made integral parts hereof; A copy of the Request for Consolidation of Hydro Service Contacts is attached hereto as Annex “E-6” and made an integral part hereof. 6 Copies of the DOE Certificates of Registration covering the development of 7.04MW Asin, 4.04 MW Hungduan and 6.75MW Ibulao1 Run-of-River Hydropower Projects are attached hereto as Annexes “F”, “F-1”, “F-2” and made integral parts hereof; Copies of the DOE Certificates of Registration covering the development of 7.04MW Asin, 4.04 MW Hungduan and 6.75MW Ibulao1 Run-of-River Hydropower Projects are attached hereto as Annexes “F”, “F-l”, “F-2” and made integral parts hereof; Copies of the DOE Confirmation of Commerciality issued to the Ibulao 1, Hungduan, and Asin Hydroelectric Power Projects are attached hereto as Annexes “G”, “G-l”, and “G-2” and made integral parts hereof.

A copy of the description and scope of the project denominated as Project Description is attached as Annex “H” and made an integral part hereof; A copy of the Environmental Compliance Certificate is attached as Annex “I” and made an integral part hereof; A copy of the Resolution is attached as Annex “J” and made an integral part hereof; A copy of the Conceptual Engineering Design is attached as Annex “K” and made an integral part hereof; KMHC’s System Impact Study, p-4; A copy of the Project Schedule Gantt chart is attached as Annex “L” and made an integral part hereof; A copy of the Project Cost Estimate is attached hereto as Annexes “M” and made an integral part hereof; The discussion of the options/alternatives considered in lieu of the proposed Transmission Line is attached as Annex “N” and made an integral part hereof; Copies of the NGCP Letter dated April 11, 2017 and the System Impact Study are attached as Annex “O” and “O-1” respectively and made integral parts hereof; Copies of the NGCP Letter dated December 14, 2017 and the Facilities Study are attached as Annexes “P” and “P-1” respectively and made integral parts hereof; A copy of the Connection Agreement executed between KMHC and NGCP is attached as Annex “Q” and made an integral part hereof; KMHC’s Facility Study, Annex B. A copy of the Single Line Diagram is attached as Annex “R” and made an integral part hereof; Resolution Adopting the Amended Rules on the Definition and Boundaries of Connection Assets for Customers of Transmission Provides, ERC Resolution No. 16. Series of 2011, Annex A, § 2, p.1; A copy of the DOE List of Private Sector-Initiated Power Projects (Luzon), as of July 31, 2018 is attached as Annex “S” and made an integral part hereof; please see pp. 9 and 11 thereof; A copy of pp. 30-31, Table 5.3(a) of the Transmission Development Plan 2016-2040 is attached as Annex “T” and made an integral part hereof; A copy of KMHC’s General Information Sheet, Audited Financial Statements, and Projected Financial and Economic Cost Analysis are attached as Annexes “U”, ‘’V” and “W” are made integral parts hereof; (MS-MAR. 13, 2020)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

C4

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

Motoring

F1 AUSTRALIAN GP

Ferrari aims to put smiles on people’s faces

F

ERRARI Formula One boss Mattia Binotto urged his team to “put a smile on people’s faces” at the Australian Grand Prix as Italy went into lockdown to combat coronavirus.

Most teams, including the Scuderia, are already in Melbourne for the opening race of the year on Sunday, which organisers have said will go ahead as scheduled in front of packed grandstands despite the coronavirus outbreak.

In contrast, all sporting events in Italy have been suspended until April 3 as part of tough measures announced by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday to tackle the disease, and Bahrain, the season’s second race, has barred fans.

Italy’s clampdown came into force after the country reported 97 more deaths on Monday, taking its toll to 463. Australia has recorded three deaths with 101 confirmed cases as of Tuesday morning.

Ferarri said in a statement that despite it being “a very difficult time in Italy” the Australian Grand Prix would start as planned and the Scuderia “will be there”.

Binotto added that he hoped the Maranello-based team, and the grand prix weekend as a whole, could help take people’s minds off the crisis.

“At what is a difficult time for Italy and the world as a whole, as part of a global sport, it is our obligation to try and put a smile on people’s faces as they prepare to watch the first race of the season with the same sense of anticipation as ourselves,” he said.

Long winter Ferrari head into the season with a new SF1000 car, which is narrower than last season’s SF90, and with a deeper

red colouring.

The team is pinning its hopes on the machine earning the drivers’ and constructors’ titles that have eluded them for 12 and 11 years respectively.

“After a long winter working on building and developing our car, the time has come to get a first indication of our performance level and how effective are the improvements we have introduced over the past few months,” said Binotto.

“We know that the opposition is strong, but we also know that it is the start of a long season where development rate, reliability, and our operational effectiveness will be key.”

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, who impressed on his debut last season, will again be in the cockpits.

Vettel said he was keen to get racing underway after pre-season testing in Spain suggested world champions Mercedes would be the team to beat once more.

“The first race of the season is always special and I think it will allow us to get a better idea than we had in testing as to what the hierarchy is between the teams,” said the German.

He added that the Albert Park track was “a real technical challenge and that’s probably the reason we drivers like it so much”.

Ferrari has nine wins in Australia, the first through Gerhard Berger in 1987 and the last from Vettel in 2018. AFP

Formula One: Title-hungry Hamilton targets Schumacher record LEWIS Hamilton targets a record-equalling seventh world title.

An air of unrest and uncertainty hangs over Formula One as the global motor racing bandwagon flies to Melbourne for the start of the 71st championship season at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton’s bid to equal Michael Schumacher’s tally of a record seven drivers’ titles, and to overhaul his total of 91 race wins, will surely be the greatest focus of on-track attention as his younger rivals rise to challenge his supremacy.

COMMUTING can be just as unpredictable as the weather. Road closures, traffic incidents, or even a slight rain can make your commute a nightmare.

With the Skyway extension project and several lane closures underway, motorists and commuters are spending even more than three hours on the road. A study by the Boston Consulting Group shows that Filipinos spend the equivalent of about 16 days a year stuck in traffic.

While many of these infrastructure projects should bring us comfort in the near future, heavy traffic might be with us for a while. Instead of re-adjusting your alarm clock, here are three ways you can cut the commute time at your own convenience: New transport modes Save yourself the struggle by taking advantage of new routes and modes of transportation. Now there are P2P buses with routes that come straight from BF homes in Paranaque or as far as Calamba to Makati or BGC. With regular trips every half hour during peak periods and only one stop ahead, P2P buses are faster and more convenient

Against a backdrop of climate crisis demonstrations and coronavirus fears, not to mention an angry anti-Ferrari schism in the pit-lane, it is hardly likely to be a peaceful season.

Hamilton is in the final year of his current Mercedes contract amid persistent rumours of a possible future move to Ferrari while the sport itself is bracing for the introduction of a radical new rule-book and revamped formula in 2021 –- and the need for a green revolution beyond that.

The 2020 calendar, originally a bloated and unprecedented 22 races, including

new events in Vietnam and the Netherlands, has been hit by late alterations including the postponement of China’s race in April, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and doubts over other Grands Prix.

It is a situation demanding day-to-day reviews with the races in Bahrain on March 22 and in Hanoi on April 5 most susceptible to enforced delays or cancellation before the revived Dutch Grand Prix, on May 3, marks the opening of the European season.

On Sunday, Bahrain announced a plan to race without spectators.

Credibility, durability Three years on from Liberty Media’s takeover, F1 is at the threshold of an exhausting examination of its credibility, durability and, in some quarters, relevance as the world around it swirls with influential events yet there is still evidence of its rude health in the queue to host races, huge budgets and extended number of races.

Hamilton and Mercedes’ hegemony is under threat from not only Ferrari’s oldand-new pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, but also the unquestionable brilliance of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who holds the records as youngest driver, at 17, and winner, at 18.

Now 22, he aims to take Vettel’s record as youngest champion.Verstappen, however, has shrugged aside talk of records to focus, instead, on unsettling his target.

AFP

How you can cut the commute

alternatives to regular buses.

If you’re considering more convenient modes of transportation, there are more options to choose from with the addition of ride-sharing providers such as Grab, Angkas, Owto, and others. But if you’re open to unconventional alternatives, the re-launched Pasig Ferry is open from Monday to Saturday and passes by a scenic route from Guadalupe to Escolta.

Work From Home Another way to deal with traffic is not having to deal with it at all.

With worsening congestion on the road, more companies are letting their employees work from home. Forbes listed that apart from lower costs, the benefits of telecommuting include improved productivity, improved health and well-being for employees, and eventually, a lower turnover rate.

ON THE LOOSE. The wait is over. Nissan

in the Philippines continues to excite the market with the arrival of the Nissan 370z.

The adrenaline-inducing sports car was spotted on Philippine roads prior to the long awaited SuperZonic Nissan 370z drive event next month. The iconic vehicle is a product of Nissan’s proud performance heritage, and is hailed as the Nissan GT-R’s sibling sports car. The sports car boasts Premium and NISMO variants.