Manila Standard - 2020 March 21 - Saturday

House sets special session By Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas

THE House of Representatives is preparing to convene a special session to provide extra funding for the campaign against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said Friday. “This is a call of duty and we are committed to respond to President Duterte’s request to ensure possible quick response to defeat COVID-19, help Filipinos living below poverty line, protect people in the frontline,

and map out other contingency measures,” Romualdez said. “Plans, including observing social distancing amid quarantine are being finalized to guarantee the safety of our House employees, officials, media, and lawmakers attending the special session,” Romualdez added. Dasmariñas City Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, Jr. also backed the President’s call a special session to approve a bill proposing a P1.65 billion supplemental budget for the Department of Health (DOH) to address the COVID-19 threat. Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 40 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

COVID PANDEMIC. Flags of the countries affected by the new coronavirus, COVID-19, are projected on the statue of the Christ Redeemer atop Corcovado Hill in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 18, 2020. AFP

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‘Stand down, obey orders,’ mayors told Duterte issues stern warning as some LGUs defy lockdown By Vito Barcelo, Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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PH virus cases, 230; deaths, 18 By Macon Ramos-Araneta, on March 28, remains “fit and healthy” even after his exposure to Duque. Rio N. Araja and Earlier, Duterte, along with his Rey E. Requejo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte may need to undergo a retest for COVID-19 if Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who is under a 14-day quarantine, tests positive for the novel coronavirus. “In case the President interacted with Secretary Duque and the results of his test turn out to be positive, then we will advise the President to get tested again and to undergo self-quarantine,” said Health Assistant Secretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire, when asked about reports that Duque met the President on Monday. Malacanang has assured the public that Duterte, who turns 75

long-time aide, Senator Christopher Go, tested negative for the virus. Duque, who is hypertensive and asthmatic, has gone on home quarantine. In an interview over radio dzMM Friday, Duque said he is okay, and in fact, waiting for the 25,000 test kits from South Korea and 100,000 from China to start arriving Saturday so the Bureau of Customs will expedite their release. “I work. That’s it, I’m monitoring my asthma and hypertension because those are pre-disposing factors,” Duque said. Duque said he has no new symptoms and his symptoms “were the Next page

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte warned local government units (LGUs) to follow the national government’s rules for the month-long lockdown in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), saying they will face charges should they go beyond the guidelines set.

Gov’t bans entry of aliens

“We are in a critical time...Now I call [upon] LGUs. The national government needs your help during this time, but I want to tell you: Do not make this quarantine more difficult for our people than it already is,” the President said in a televised speech early Friday dawn. “Let me make this clear. You are not separate republics. There is only one republic here, the Republic of the Philippines. And therefore, you should abide by the directives of the national government... [A]bide by the directives of the whole for the good of the country and the protocols observed during the time of the lockdown,” he said.

BEGINNING March 22, Sunday, all foreigners will be prohibited from entering the Philippines as a measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). “There will be a temporary travel ban on foreigners entering the country starting 12 a.m., 22 March 2020, the Transportation Department said in a statement. Only returning Filipino workers, repatriated Filipinos, their foreign spouses and children (who must be traveling with the Filipino national), foreign government officials

ROUNDUP Italy tops China toll; California under lockdown ITALY surpassed China on Thursday as the country with the most deaths from coronavirus as California, home to more than 39 million people, was placed under lockdown in the most drastic containment measure yet by a US state. President Donald Trump said meanwhile that the United States is fast-tracking antimalarial drugs for use as a treatment and lashed out at China for not informing the world earlier about the original outbreak.

No new cases China for its part reported on Friday a second day with no new domestic cases since the virus appeared in the central city of Wuhan in December, before spreading worldwide. The country’s drop in cases offers a ray of hope for the rest of the world as a slew of other nations go into lockdown in an effort to emulate China’s tactic against the disease. The number of deaths in China has also slowed dramatically, with the National Health Commission reporting only three new fatalities, the lowest daily increase since it started publishing figures in January. Next page

He said “wayward” officials should follow what the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has set. “Let me be clear to everyone. When the IATF says: ‘Do not restrict the flow of cargo of whatever type,’ then no LGU should say that they only follow or allow food or essential goods to come in. You are setting already your standards, and making this quarantine more difficult for all,” the President said. Next page

By Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo

and representatives of international organizations accredited by the Philippines will be allowed to enter the country. Filipino workers, balikbayan and foreign nationals may leave for abroad through any of the ports in Luzon during the enhanced community quarantine. Travelers must present proof of their international travel itinerary. Filipino tourists will not allowed to leave during the lockdown. Land, air and sea travel of uniformed personnel for official business, especially those transporting medical supplies, laborator y Next page

FRONTLINE HEROES. Medical workers from Adventist Medical Center Manila and St. Luke’s Hospital flash their common messages urging the people to stay at home amid the Luzon-wide “enhanced community quarantine” the Duterte administration has imposed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health workers get more buses for free ride THE Transport department said Friday it was continuing its mission to ferry health personnel to their workplaces daily as its free ride for health workers rolled out on its third day. The free ride is being done amid the implementation of an Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon. The free bus service, which started on March 18, 2020, following the instruction of Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade to his men to ferry health workers who are now at the frontline of the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 or COVID-19. From only three routes during its initial deployment, the free bus service now serves health workers on thirteen routes:

Northwest Area Revised ROUTE 1 Meralco (Malanday)* Valenzuela City General Hospital Next page

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Malls waive tenant’s rentals By Jenniffer B. Austria

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HOPPING mall operators Megaworld Corp. and SM said Friday they are waiving the rental charges on the tenants in their commercial properties following the Luzon-wide COVID-19 quarantine.

Megaworld said it is waiving the rental charges on its tenants and retail partners in its malls and commercial centers in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon from March 16 to April 12, 2020, particularly those who unable to operate as a result of the quarantine. “We understand the impact of our mall closures to our retail partners and merchants, and we would like to provide them with this reprieve in order to help them recover during this difficult time,” said Graham Coates, first vice president and head of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls. In related developments:

*MORE than 660,000 JOB orders and contract of service workers affected by the lockdown following COVID-19 will continue to receive their wages during the duration of the enhanced community quarantine. Data from the Civil Service Commission shows that of the 2.4 million workers in the government, more than 660,000 workers fall under the job orders or contract of service contracts. Some 360,000 government contractual workers are in Luzon, where the national government ordered an enhanced community quarantine until April 14 due to COVID-19.

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that in the event that a special session is called, only he, the majority leader, and the minority leader can physically attend the session, while voting by its members can be done through a videoconferencing. Barzaga said House rules may be relaxed during a national health emergency. He added that any legal challenge would not prosper. Reps. Fidel Nograles of Rizal and Luis Raymund Villafuerte also backed the holding of a special session intended to pass the supplemental budget. Villafuerte, deputy speaker for finance, said a consensus is shaping up on the holding of a special session to enable Congress to pass emergency measures to let the Duterte administration provide immediate and substantial relief to families and small businesses most affected by COVID-19 outbreak. Nograles said Congress is ready to do its part to help arrest the spread of the disease. The House committee on appropriations last week approved a P1.65 billion supplemental budget for the DOH to respond to the current public health crisis. The agency originally sought P2.35 billion. Health Undersecretary Roger Tong-An, however, said that the DOH actually needs P3.1 billion to procure more test kits, personal protective equipment (PPEs), and pay the salaries of additional frontline personnel recruited to battle the virus. So far, 217 Filipinos have been infected with the virus, with 17 deaths. Senator Christopher Go, a constant companion of President Duterte, said he discussed the special session with Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Cayetano, who both said they were ready to hold the session either on Saturday or Monday next week. Based on their discussion, Go said the priority woild be ensuring that additional funds can be allocated for immediate health care needs and for much-needed financial and food assistance to Filipinos, particularly the vulnerable sectors, daily wage earners and those working in the informal economy who are affected by the strict quarantine measures. He said both Houses of Congress committed to find ways to respond to the needs of the people, especially at this time when decisive government action is imperative. Sotto said Congress could convene in a special session on Saturday if they can receive a letter from Malacañang on Friday. Speaking in an interview over radio dzMM, Sotto said Congress could pass a bill that would allow the President to use unspent funds to ensure food security amid the health crisis. “I’m not sure if we would call it a supplemental budget but it would be like a bill or a law allowing the President to use unused funds for COVID-19,” he said.

“I am ordering all LGUs that are doing this to stand down, and to abide by the directives of the IATF… Make sure that what the IATF says should be closed, [are] closed, and those that should be open, stay open. If you go beyond the standards that we have set, you are abusing your authority...Criminal cases cannot be far behind.” “I am therefore directing the DILG and DOJ to closely monitor the compliance of LGUs with the directives of the office and to file the necessary cases against wayward officials,” the President added. Palace spokesperson Salvador Panelo reminded local government executives that the country is under a national emergency and that they should follow what the national government says. “The President said you have to follow the guidelines. You cannot go beyond the guidelines. It is not the time to do things your way,” Panelo said. The President also expressed confidence that the strict implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon would “effectively kill” COVID-19. Duterte said the situation may be difficult now for the people from Luzon, but “placing the entire island under enhanced community quarantine is the only way to step up the government’s battle against COVID-19 that continues to plague the country.” He allayed public concerns, saying that the Philippines is not the only country that has imposed an enhanced community quarantine, which similar to total lockdown. The President also assured the public that those living in Luzon could still enjoy their freedom because one member of each household is allowed to go outside of their homes when they need to buy basic necessities. The President said he had received reports that several LGUs were implementing the enhanced community quarantine in different ways, and, in some cases, contrary to the directives of the national government. “In the coming days, we will need the help of the LGUs more and more. So I want to make this clear early on. Let us

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Quezon City General Hospital Balintawak* MCU Hospital (Monumento)* Our Lady of Fatima University Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center Philippine Orthopedic Center United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*

MCU Hospital (Monumento)* Caloocan City Medical Center Tondo General Hospital Our Lady of Fatima Metropolitan Medical Center San Lazaro Hospital Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center University of Santo Tomas Hospital Chinese General Hospital United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)* *Pick-up/transfer points

Northwest Area Revised ROUTE 2 Valenzuela Gateway Complex*

Gov’t bans... From A1 specimens related to the COVID-19, and other humanitarian assistance, will be allowed. The department said all previously issued visas will be canceled and foreigners possessing visas issued by the Philippine Foreign Service Posts, primarily temporary visitor/tourist visas, will be denied entry to the Philippines starting March 22. In Malacañang, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging

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“Contractual workers in government agencies, such as those categorized as either job order or contract of service, who will be required to work from home, shall be paid their corresponding salaries or wages during the community quarantine period,” read a joint circular from the Commission on Audit and the Department of Budget and Management. *The labor group Partido Manggagawa has called on employers to grant paid leave to workers affected by the closure of the ecozones in Cavite, saying more than 100,000 workers would be affected by the month-long closure due to the COVID 19 outbreak. The biggest export complex in the country, the Cavite Economic Zone in the town of Rosario, was closed on Thursday while the First Cavite Industrial Estate in Dasmariñas will be closed at midnight on Friday. “We estimate that more than 100,000

workers from the two ecozones are affected by the lockdown. Foreign Investors should shoulder temporary losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” PM national chairman Rene Magtubo said. Megaworld Lifestyle Malls has shopping malls and commercial centers in in Luzon like Eastwood City in Quezon City, Uptown Bonifacio, Forbes Town, McKinley Hill and McKinley West in Taguig City, Newport City in Pasay City, Arcovia City in Pasig City, Alabang West in Las Piñas City, Twin Lakes near Tagaytay, Southwoods City in Laguna and Lucky Chinatown in Binondo, Manila. Megaworld Lifestyle Malls said it will also help mall merchants like supermarkets, pharmacies, clinics and banks that have been allowed to open during the quarantine period in terms of in-store sanitation and disinfecting efforts. With Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo

work together to implement this quarantine, but it should all begin with LGUs making sure that their actions are consistent with national directives,” he said. “To do otherwise sows confusion. All over the world, there is confusion already because of these lockdowns. We are not alone. But let our country lead the way in imposing a lockdown that is strict enough to effectively kill COVID-19, liberal enough so that our people will not die of hunger, and orderly enough so that our country will not be driven towards chaos during this difficult time.” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Friday said the President, as a former mayor, recognizes that all LGU chief executives have a mandate and a responsibility to their constituents. “But as he pointed out last night, the COVID-19 outbreak is an emergency of national proportions that requires a coordinated and national response––so it is the national government that is taking the lead in formulating the policies and regulations to be applied in our efforts to contain COVID-19,” the Palace official said. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said local government units have no power to suspend international and domestic flights despite health threats from COVID-19. At a press briefing, Año said there must be coordination between LGUs and the national government. “There must be a dialogue and there must be an agreement… [or] you’ll find a lot of people stranded because some LGU officials suddenly declare[s] that domestic flights in their respective areas are already canceled,” he said. Año’s statement came after Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the President’s daughter, suspended all air travel to and from Davao City effective immediately to contain the spread of the disease in her area. The mayor said the suspension would last until the state of public health emergency in the Philippines has been lifted. Cebu province has also suspended all flights from Cagayan de Oro City, Clark International Airport, Dumaguete City, and Legazpi City by virtue of an executive order signed by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Saturday, March 14. The order bans all incoming flights from those areas for 30 days. Taguig City Mayor Lino Edgardo Cay-

etano, meanwhile, reprimanded two barangay leaders for not following protocols imposed by the city government. The failure of the chairpersons of barangays Tanyag and Pinagsama prompted the city government to take over quarantine operations and the distribution of food packs in those communities. With 15 new cases reported by the Department of Health as of 4 p.m. Thursday, the Philippines now has 217 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Cayetano said there were two new cases of COVID-19 in Taguig, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the city to seven. He added all these cases are confined in hospitals, and treated in isolated facilities. To avoid people congregating at health centers and risking COVID-19 transmission, the city government has decided to activate medical teams wearing personal protective equipment that would conduct door-to-door services. “The teams go door to door to conduct immunization; distribution of maintenance medications for diabetes, hypertension and asthma; delivery of medication for tuberculosis and HIV, and vitamins for pregnant women, as well as reproductive commodities,” he added. The city is continuing relief operations to help households meet their basic food requirements. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday urged local government units to introduce clear, definitive guidelines in addressing the plight of the homeless during the Luzon-wide lockdown. Gatchalian said homeless people live in environments where they have little access to facilities for basic hygiene, making them more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and making it difficult to realistically self-isolate from anyone who might be carrying the virus. He says this in itself is already a violation of the government’s social distancing policy. LGUs should have the discretion on how to handle the cases of the homeless as Gatchalian said it is crucial that they seek out those who have no shelter, put them under a decent roof, and help them gain access to health care services. Food and hygiene kits should also be distributed, he added. “How can they self-quarantine if they have no place to live and stay apart from the others?” asked Gatchalian.

Infectious Diseases guided the Department of Foreign Affairs in its decision. Only one person is allowed to bring or fetch a passenger to and from the airport and must depart immediately after picking up or dropping off the traveler, the Transportation Department said. The driver should carry a copy of the airline ticket of the passenger as proof of conveyance. Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente announced that the bureau will temporarily suspend several transactions at BI offices in Luzon, except for outbound passengers intending to depart the Philippines, following the memorandum on

the enhanced community quarantine and stringent social distancing measures from Malacanang. Transactions include tourist visa extension for foreign nationals stranded in the country during the enhanced community quarantine period. “We are temporarily suspending several transactions in Luzon and are downgrading our workforce to the barest minimum to ensure compliance to stringent social distancing measures,” said Morente. “This would likewise allow foreign nationals who are unable to go out of their residences to file their applications at a later time due to the quarantine,” he added.

Lockdown cuts MM crime rate 50%—Palace By Vito Barcelo THE crime rate in Metro Manila fell by as much as 50 percent following the government’s implementation of the Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine, which imposed curfew hours and set up police and military checkpoints on the roads, Malacañang said Friday. Palace spokesman Salavdor Panelo advised the public not to believe in the reports on social media that robbery and burglary were rising in some areas, saying such reports were false. “There is a proliferation of false narratives about the supposed increase in the number of crimes amid the implementation of [the] month-long enhanced community quarantine in Luzon,” Panelo said. “We denounce the proliferation of such false narratives. We ask the citizenry to be discerning on what they read on social media and not to readily believe them.” Panelo made his statement even as the Philippine National Police intensified its operations against people taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, arresting three people selling hoarded and overpriced Ethyl Alcohol in Manila and Caloocan City on Thursday. PNP Spokesman Bernard Banac said the three suspects were arrested after selling overpriced alcohol to police agents and personnel from the Department of Trade and Industry in two separate operations in Sangandaan, Caloocan City and Bambang in Sta. Cruz, Manila. Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation said Friday it was investigating the allegations of hoarding and overpricing of commodities. The NBI said this was now one of the main priorities in its enforcement operations amid the Luzon-wide quarantine due to COVID-19. “NBI still accepts complaints and conducts raids and arrests criminals and will continue this nationwide,” NBI Director Eric Distor said. With Francisco Tuyay and Willie Casas

PH virus... From A1 same as before.” He and his wife, also a doctor, who has coughs but no fever, are watching each other. “We are monitoring each other from afar,” said Duque who went on a selfquarantine after a DOH director from its Central Office tested positive for the virus. In a separate interview, Vergeire said Duque was tested for COVID-19 because he is asthmatic and hypertensive. She said the COVID-19 test would be administered only to the elderly and patients who have been exhibiting symptoms of the disease including fever, headache and cough, among others, due to the to the limited number of testing kits in the Philippines. At the same time, the DOH official said there no need yet to conduct mass testing, but she said the government is ready to do it if the need arises. She admitted that the government is having some difficulties with its testing and laboratory capacities with the deluge of patients that need to be tested. “We are being challenged right now with our testing capacity and laboratory capacity. Reports about delay in testing are true,” she said. However, she said the government is already taking all measures to spread and extend the capacities of laboratories. At present, Vergeire said 1,170 COVID-19 tests have been administered in the country.

Philippine Heart Center East Avenue Medical Center Philippine Children’s Hospital Centris Station (EDSA/Quezon Ave.)*

Italy... From A1

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But the United States on Thursday warned against any international travel due to the coronavirus pandemic and advised citizens to come home if possible. “In countries where commercial departure options remain available, US citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period,” the State Department said as it upgraded its Borders tightened travel advisory to the highest level. While there was a glimmer of hope “US citizens who live abroad should in China, several nations tightened avoid all international travel,” it said. their borders and imposed lockdowns, trapping tens of millions of people in Innovative tech Meanwhile, Asian countries have their homes. AFP

East Area ROUTE 4

SM City Masinag* Marikina Valley Medical Center Northeast Area Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center Revised ROUTE 3 BFCT East Metro Transport TermiSM City SJDM (Bulacan) nal* Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial (CaQuirino Memorial Medical Center loocan) Araneta Center Bus Terminal SM Fairview* Robinsons Galleria* Diliman Doctors’ Hospital The Medical City Ortigas Veterans Memorial Medical Center *Pick-up/transfer points Lung Center of the Philippines

US warning

embraced innovative, if somewhat invasive, tech to counter the coronavirus pandemic―such as electronic bracelets and phones that report your whereabouts, text messages if you stray too far from quarantine, and digital detectives tracking where you’ve been When Hong Kong stylist Declan Chan flew home from Zurich earlier this week he was greeted by officials who placed an electronic device on his arm. The wristband was connected to an app that he had to install on his phone as he headed into two weeks of compulsory self-quarantine at home.

News Joma urged to help unite Filipinos amid COVID-19 crisis By Vito Barcelo and Franciso Tuyay MALACAÑANG on Friday called on Communist Party of the Philippines ( CPP) founder Jose Ma.Sison to grab the “golden opportunity” to unite the Filipino people and show his patriotism by extending his hands for peace, for the sake of the Filipino people in this time of crisis. “This is the best time to show his patriotism and work for peace,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement. Despite the government’s sincere call for peace, Sison instead claimed that President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels was “premature, insincere, and false.” “Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairperson Jose Ma. Sison is again engaged in ranting nonsense that only highlights his perverted vision of reality as well as his insensitivity to the present grave peril that the Filipino people he professed to fight for face,” Panelo said. Duterte on Wednesday ordered the suspension of military operations from March 19 to April 15 to pave the way for the government’s response to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Duterte directed the military and the police to stop offensives against the CPP and its armed and political wings, the New People’s Army and the National Democratic Front. Sison, however, said there is “no clear basis” yet to reciprocate the unilateral ceasefire declared by Duterte. “The NDFP is not assured and satisfied that the reciprocal unilateral ceasefires are based on national unity against COVID-19, the appropriate solution of the pandemic as a medical problem and protection of the most vulnerable sectors of the population, including workers, health workers, those with any serious ailments and the political prisoners,” he added. Panelo said the ceasefire is part of government’s efforts to keep public health assistance unimpeded in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. The Philippines is now under a state of calamity due to the rising cases of COVID-19, which originated from China’s Hubei province late last year.

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NBI to go after purveyors of fake news By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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N AN effort to intensify the campaign against the proliferation of fake news on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the National Bureau of Investigation has activated various units of the bureau to trace the source of fake news, especially those that sow chaos and lead to unrest and anarchy in the country.

NBI Director Eric Distor said he has instructed the different units of the NBI including the Cyber Crime Division (CCD), the Digital Forensic Division, other Investigative units such as the Regional Operations Service, to trace the source of fake news. Distor also said the International Operations Division is currently coordinating with its foreign counterpart to verify the accuracy of the statement. The new directive by the NBI Director was prompted by an alleged statement from the U.S. State Department warning of potential looting incidents during its month-long lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19. The NBI refuted a supposed US warning on potential looting incidents in Luzon during a month-long lockdown to curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. A text message that recently made rounds claimed that the Philippines was

vulnerable to looting because the average Filipino family only had a week’s worth of savings. The message cited a supposed study done by the US State Department. “No such study exists,” said Distor, who quoted information from his agency’s US counterpart. The Philippine National Police on Friday said the supposed US study on looting was unverified and false. Distor said all these reports are baseless and totally untrue. He said that the US has clarified it releases information and advisories only through its official media platforms and website. The International Operations Division is now gathering relevant data and other information for possible case build up and filing of cases against the perpetrators of fake news. Distor said the CCD is now investigating all possible sources of fake news being spread in various social media

platforms and will submit its results to the Secretary of Justice. He assured the public that the NBI will take all the necessary steps to protect its citizens against the proliferation of fake news and prosecute those responsible for it. He stressed that the public is welcome to seek clarification from the NBI on the accuracy of any report that intends to cast doubts on the efforts of the government’s determined effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go told purveyors of fake news to “quarantine their mouths” especially during this time of COVID-19 crisis. The former aide of President Rodrigo Duterte cited many screenshots of messages circulated through various social media platforms and messaging apps that narrated incidents of violence, looting, and other criminal activities. “These were confirmed to be false after the Philippine National Police investigated them,” said Go. Hs also encouraged the public to report those who share fake news so that they can be penalized under the law. Go also reminded the public about the existing Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Anyone found spreading false information can be punished and may face imprisonment of six to twelve years.

PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines will cut pump prices by as much as P3 per liter effective 6 a.m. Saturday to reflect the movement of prices in the world market. “Phoenix Petroleum Philippines will implement an early decrease in the prices of diesel by P2 per liter and gasoline by P3 per liter effective 6 a.m. of 21 March 2020,” the company said. Other oil companies are expected to follow suit although they historically implement price adjustments every Tuesday. Laban Konsyumer Inc. president Vic Dimaguiba said oil prices may go down by P2 to P2.60 per liter for diesel and P4 to P4.60 per liter gasoline. World oil prices continues to plunge due to the coronavirus diesel (COVID-19) amid a significant decline in global demand for transport and other services. Meanwhile, oil companies like Unioil Petroleum Philippines joined companies saluting all heroic frontliners who are working tirelessly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic by providing a hefty discount for their fuel needs. Unioil announced that healthcare workers, Philippine National Police/ military personnel, and local government units (LGUs) get P2.50 off per liter on Euro 5 Diesel, P3 off per liter Euro 5 Gasoline 91, and P5 off per liter on Euro 5 Gasoline 95 and 97 at participating Unioil stations starting March 19. As this developed, the Energy Department through its Oil Industry Management Bureau, gave assurances of unhampered energy services in the downstream oil industry during the quarantine period. “As the potential impact of the COVID-19 enhanced community quarantine resulted to lessen most of the economic activities in the Philippine energy sector, this crisis shall not diminish our roles to fully cooperate with the government and provide 24/7 energy services to our consumers,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

By Willie Casas THE Manila City Council has passed a resolution suspending the payment of rent for all market vendors and stall owners in view of the enhanced community quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution was drafted and passed following the appeal of Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso to alleviate the effect of the pandemic on the city’s market vendors and stallholders. Under Resolution No. 85 series of 2020, the City Council granted the suspension of payment of rent for market stallholders for the duration of the quarantine. “(The City Council) grants a moratorium to all market stallholders within the City of Manila, whether public or privatized, from paying their rents for the duration of the enhanced community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” the resolution read. The council agreed with the Mayor’s appeal that the suspension of payment will mitigate the impact of the declaration of enhanced community quarantine on their business operations. Under the implementation of enhanced community quarantine, the national government instructed citizens to observe strict home quarantine. It has also suspended mass public transportation during the period.

MILF forces start ‘decommissioning’

KEEP DISTANCE, PLEASE. A security guard tells shoppers to observe social distancing outside a supermarket in Cartimar, Pasay City on Friday morning. Norman Cruz

Phoenix PH, SM Foundation donates P100m to PGH others to cut oil pump prices, By Alena Mae S. Flores

Manila defers stall owners, vendors’ rentals

TO HELP battle the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Philippines, SM Foundation (SMFI), the social good arm of the SM Group of companies, turned over today the first tranche of its allocated Php 100M donation to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). Dr. Gerardo Legazpi, director of PGH, together with his team, expressed their gratitude to the SM Group and Sy family in a video, as they received the cash donation. The donation will be used toward acquiring urgentlyneeded personal protective equipment (PPEs), test kits, alcohol, and other medical supplies. Aside from the PGH, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and other government hospitals nationwide are also set to receive help from the SM Group, through SM Foundation, to fight this ongoing crisis of COVID-19 in the country.

In a statement, SM Prime’s Hans Sy said, “To ensure the safety of medical frontliners, SM is bringing in personal protective equipment (PPE)-face masks, gowns, visors, hoods, gloves, and shoe covers, as well as urgent medical

supplies to help government hospitals who badly need them.” The whole SM Group enjoins the public to continue supporting the brave front line volunteers in their collective efforts to contain the COVID-19.

OLD Provincial Capitol, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao– Roel Aliasgal, a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) Southern Sulu Provincial Committee, patiently waited for this turn to be processed inside this sprawling government complex that was converted for several months into an assembly and processing area. Aliasgal, a Tausug born and raised in the island province of Sulu, was the last of the 12,000 MILF combatants to be decommissioned under the second phase of the decommissioning process, which began last August 28, 2019 and ended this month. The decommissioning of MILF forces is among the key provisions of the Annex on Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) forged between the government and MILF, which aims to help former combatants transform into peaceful and productive citizens. For Aliasgal and his comrades who travelled for more than twenty hours by boat from the island-province of Sulu to reach Maguindanao, the decommissioning process is very personal. For more than four decades, MILF fighters like him were engaged in armed battle against the government, for self-rule over the ancestral lands in Mindanao. However, the peace agreement in 2014 and the subsequent passage and ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) has shifted the MILF’s struggle from an armed one into a peaceful, and development-driven revolution. This development has given way to the transformation of communities once wracked by armed conflict and the implementation of more responsive policies under the leadership of the newlyestablished Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) interim government.

Clark offers free board, lodging to stranded OFWs By Jess Malabanan CLARK FREEPORT—Stranded overseas Filipino workers have been accommodated in different hotels and villas here as part of the government emergency program to ensure the welfare and security of our modern day heroes amid threat from corona virus disease 19 (COVID 19), key official said in a statement. More than 200 passengers, most of them recently arrived OFWs, have been stranded for days at Clark International Airport due to the community quarantines imposed in their respective provincial destinations. “To ensure the welfare and safety of these passengers amid the COVID-19 threat, BCDA, CDC, CIAC and LIPAD have coordinated efforts to provide them with the necessary assistance, as the entirety of Luzon observes the Enhanced Community Quarantine.” The Clark

Development Corporation stated. CDC said Clark is a safe haven for returning OFWs. Starting Thursday, March 19, these passengers will be provided with free food and lodging. They will be housed in various locations in this freeport. “Stranded OFWs will be taken good care during their stay in Clark, until the imposed lockdowns in their destinations are lifted.” CDC stated further. The Clark International Airport will remain operational should there be inbound and outbound international flights. Only OFWs, balikbayans, and foreign nationals will be allowed to leave, while inbound international passengers will be subjected to strict quarantine protocols. Meanwhile in Angeles City, local government chief executive here placed the city under state of calamity to ensure readiness in the event of COVID 19 spread.

PRC-PNB COOPERATION. Philippine National Bank President/CEO Arnulfo “Wick”

Veloso (left) and Philippine Red Cross Governor & DMS/Safety Committee Co-Chairman Saeed A. Daof shake hands after their successful talks and formal signing of agreement for the nationwide training of PNB employees in Disaster Management and Safety Services. Governor Daof, who initiated the project cooperation between the PNB and PRC, received on behalf of Senator and PRC Chairman/CEO Richard J. Gordon the P5 million pesos initial donation of the PNB through the Tan Yank Kee Foundation of the LT Group of companies for the purchase of two ambulances for use in Mindanao and the Visayan Region.

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Opinion

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Wanted: Medical and social solutions vs. COVID19 I AM writing this as my two grandchildren are happily playing and horsing around. Without a care in the world, their shrieks and laughter reverberate in my home. They stay with me when their parents, both doctors, are on duty in different hospitals. My grandchildren are lucky and privileged. Like them, I am also privileged. My only responsibility at this point is to not get sick. So I stay home, work from home, and help from home. This is a time for people to care for others.

The poor are the ones having the most difficult time. I worry, too. My daughter and son-in-law, because they are medical doctors, are exposed to this virus. Although they take all the necessary precautions, I still fear for them because like many other health service providers, there is an acute shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for them. The worry, fear, and pain that families of our medical people feel as they fulfill their responsibilities may not be understood by others but this is very real. Many doctors are now sick to the point that in some hospitals, even the consultants are being called upon to be front liners. One Filipino doctor has already passed on. Our front liners are at risk. If more of them get sick, who will take care of the public? We do not have enough testing

kits. People with symptoms are dying without getting tested and therefore are not included in our COVID-19 statistics. Many who experience “mild” symptoms try to get tested but are turned away by hospitals because they lack the precious kits. Thus, we really cannot rely on the numbers released by government because very few get tested. I wonder how many in poor and congested communities have the virus, or have died without even knowing they had the virus? While other countries’ COVID-19 cases are now being controlled and numbers are going down, ours are on the upswing. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) scenario for the Philippines is grim. There will be an estimated 75,000 cases in the next five weeks and five per cent of these will be severe. How is the country going to cope if, (more likely, when,) this happens? Health Secretary Francisco Duque said that more testing kits are coming and supposedly, already arrived. For now, we are waiting for the kits developed by the University of the Philippines scientists to be ready for use so more testing can be done. Another problem now is the time lag between testing and having the results of the test. On the average, it takes two weeks. Sadly patients expire before even knowing that they had COVID-19, just like the cases of patients in the cities of Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro. This is because we only have ONE facility with trained human resources that does this function and it is the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in the city of Manila. No wonder, it takes long. No wonder, hospitals are asking for private donations of ice packs and ice chests for proper transport of specimens to the RITM for processing.

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Compassion is good business

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HESE extraordinary times provide business their people and recognize their owners the perfect opportunity to show their immeasurable contribution to the organization and commitment to decency and humanity.

Already, the threat of the novel coronavirus has upended our way of life, from the way we maintain distance from our loved ones and friends, the way we earn our living, even the way we ponder our mortality. Businesses—some industries more than others—have seen their revenues plummet because of the diminished economic activity. Things certainly do not look good for their first quarter figures, and likely for the rest of the year. Already forecasts for the economy have been slashed; stocks have bled in the past few weeks. Since the lockdown has immobilized the bulk of the working population, workers have worried about whether they would be able to maintain their earning capacity. Some are fortunate to have the option to work from the safety of their homes. Others, due to the nature of their jobs, simply do not have this luxury

and must brave the checkpoints, the absence of public transportation, and the risk of contracting the virus. This, or risk seeing their family members go hungry. Amid all this, we see pockets of good practice. Some companies have assured their employees of their salaries and full benefits whether or not they are able to come to the office. Others have pledged to advance the 13th-month payments, usually disbursed in December, to help tide families through these difficult times. Those who are sick are provided medical assistance. Some executives have opted for a pay cut just to prevent the laying off of workers. All these are provided despite the adverse financial environment. While some painful business decisions eventually have to be made, these business owners and executives show, first and foremost, that they care about

the job. To them, employees are more than names and numbers—they are human beings who, aside from performing their tasks, are also parents or children, are commuters or motorists, and who want to remain healthy and productive despite the threat of COVID-19 and other diseases. We also commend establishments that have gone the extra step to suspend rental and bill payments, donate food and equipment to health care frontliners, manufacture much-needed goods and show that corporate social responsibility is best seen in action, not in empty declarations. Such good examples are needed in these bleak times. The clout and influence provided by a successful organization is important. The bottom line is important. But genuine compassion —which in normal times should be a given, especially so in a crisis—is the real measure of a good and worthy leader.

Turn to A5

Coronavirus has already precarious music careers buffering By Maggy Donaldson AFTER four years of work, composer Paola Prestini was just a week away from premiering her commissioned opera with a company in the US state of Minnesota—before coronavirus abruptly halted performances worldwide. The global pandemic has effectively shut down live music everywhere from prestigious houses to indie venues, Broadway to festivals, and left artists in the United States like Prestini with an unclear path forward in a country with a minimal safety net for anyone, let alone creatives. The New York-based musician, who also co-founded Brooklyn’s popular arts institution National Sawdust, said learning that production of her opera “Edward Tulane” was postponed until 2021 was a moment when “your heart stops.” “Being a new music composer and a woman, it’s like these opportunities that we’ve fought for years and years and years to have, and working so hard to get to this point -- it’s heartbreaking,” she told AFP. “The ripple effects of this are going to have a really huge impact on the industry at large,” Prestini said of the virus that has all but ended public life across many nations and infected at least 209,500 people globally, leaving more than 8,700 dead. Coronavirus hit pause on scores of concerts as music venues fell like dominoes, including New York’s

Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall, where Prestini’s husband, a cellist, also lost a show. A similar pattern played out elsewhere, as countries including France, Italy and Spain went into strict lockdown. Institutions across the globe are encouraging ticket holders not to ask for refunds, or to pay it forward with donations or by purchasing gift certificates. “I think every company is doing their best to honor artists and pay them,” said the 44-year-old, who was born in Italy and raised in the US. “But what we’re seeing is these really fragile ecosystems being exposed,” she said. “It’s a real come-to-your-knees kind of moment.”

Think before you click Thoughtless posts contribute to the panic.

‘Unrealistic system’ Keeping arts institutions—especially small ones that often lack the wealthy donor support older stalwarts rely on—afloat is tough in any environment, and the current crisis has laid bare an already precarious situation, Prestini says. “There’s just very little backbone for artists in general. It’s a completely unrealistic system to create in, I’m not going to lie,” Prestini said. On Wednesday France’s Minister of Culture Franck Riester announced an initial “emergency aid” of 22 million euros to support music, entertainment, publishing and visual arts. Turn to A5

THIS phrase was uttered by my batchmate at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Laboratory High School, Rommel de Guzman, to warn other members in our chat group against posting without verifying news and commentaries regarding updates on COVID-19 which later turn out to be fake. Instead of helping propagate information on how to combat this dreaded virus, such posts contribute more to panic and alarm among us. But while Mel’s intention was to counter the proliferation of fake news, particularly among our

group, I think the phrase could also apply to our leaders, who, in their enthusiasm to defeat the virus, sometimes come up with ill-advised action. Plan of action called for immediate implementation without being assessed for its possible repercussion. Take the case the 72-hour window President Rodrigo Duterte earlier declared for individuals departing for overseas. Apparently, the President was ill-advised on this matter as instead of helping contain

the contagion, it could have helped spread it drastically, what with all those scheduled to depart, trooping to the airports to have their flights rebooked within the window period. If there was one carrier among those who stormed the airports that, it could have caused more damage than good. It was a good thing that the InterAgency Task Force, through the intercession of the Department of Tourism, he Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment, reconsidered its decision and lifted the 72-hour window for individuals departing overseas. Now, OFWs, balikbayans, and foreign nationals will be allowed to leave at any time during the Enhanced Community Quarantine Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Wanted:... From A4

Because of this problem, Marikina City’s local government unit led by Mayor Marcy Teodoro went ahead and purchased the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) equipment, trained health workers to use it, and set up a molecular biology laboratory needed for testing possible COVID-19 cases and processing the tests. The good mayor said that starting March 24, they will be able to start providing free testing and processing using its equipment and laboratory. If Marikina can do this, certainly other LGUs, and the national government can, too. This way, the results of tests are known within a short period of time and the chances of patients to get immediate treatment become greater. Hospitals are calling for the designation of specific hospitals as exclusive treatment facilities for COVID-19 cases. The Health Department directed all hospitals to accept such cases and this has resulted in the inability of hospitals to

EMMANUEL V. RUBIO quest that Manila Standard take the President and Chief Executive necessary steps to correct the inaccurate information, including a retrac- Officer Aboitiz Power Corporation tion from Mr. Manalo.

treat other cases. In fact, there are those that closed their Out-Patient Departments (OPD). This means that people who are sick of other diseases are being turned away. This may have also caused the infection of more health providers because the confirmed cases are scattered and there is a shortage of PPE. Concentrating on COVID-19 cases is one strategy used by other countries that are now succeeding in addressing the disease. Doing this will also maximize government resources since the need for PPE and supplies will also be concentrated in the facilities. We should learn from them and listen to the ones in the front lines. Now, to realize social distancing, we need the government to immediately come up with a package of assistance for daily wage-earners (whose work are not crucial to the continued functioning of the country), the workers in the informal economy, and those in poor and congested areas. They are out because they need to survive and not because they want to disobey the “rules” for no one in her/his right mind would

Think... From A4

in Luzon, provided they travel only to the airport within 24 hours of the date and time of their departure. Outgoing passengers must provide documents of their departure, such as an electronic ticket or f light itinerary. However, Filipino citizens are still not allowed to take outbound international flight to countries where travel restrictions are in place. Outbound passengers may be accompanied only by one companion/driver to and from the airport, who shall likewise carry a copy of such e-ticket or itinerary. Aside from the Travel Restrictions, hotels and similar establishments shall remain closed under the guidelines of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, except for the following: (a) those with foreign guests that have existing booking accommodations as of March 17, 2020; (bb)those with checked-in guests on long-term leases; and, (c) those accommodating employees from exempted establishments under the provisions of the March 16, 2020 Memorandum from the Executive secretary. To assist tourist, the DOT has created a Tourism Airport Team to provide 24-hour service to tourists at airport including assistance in arranging flights, securing bookings, transportation, meals and accommodation. DOT is in close collaboration with local government unit officers, local airport staff and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for this effort. The Regional Offices of DOT have been proactive in informing tourism stakeholders such as hotels, island resorts, tour operators and local government units to communicate the intensified travel restrictions of the Enhanced Community Quarantine to foreign tourists in each destination, especially those in remote islands. Well, while the initial approach regarding the departing passengers might not have been well-thought of, clicking on the implementation button even before it was given time to be assessed, at least DOT’s subsequent reaction was carefully well-laid.

Coronavirus...

want to get the virus. Such package should include: an assurance that they will not lose their jobs (for the employed); financial help to tide them over; food and other necessities such as alcohol, masks, soap, etc. If these are done, those who go out will significantly decrease and the curve will be f lattened. For now, the poor are the ones having the most difficult time. They are exposed to the virus as they try to earn some so their families have food to eat. The national government must come in. Otherwise, it will be very hard to contain the virus. President Duterte has repeatedly said that they have enough funds to address CoViD19. If this is true then there should not be major problems in effectively and efficiently fighting the virus. Implement medical and social solutions beyond tapping the police and military to solve what, after all, is a HEALTH crisis. @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

*** Just in time. While Boracay to date remains COVID-19-free (and we pray it stays that way), the local government of Malay, Aklan has imposed a 14-day quarantine for everyone entering the island. Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista, through Executive Order 013, directed the implementation of the mandatory 14day quarantine period that will start this coming Sunday for all persons entering the town. Fortunately for the Island of Boracay, hour before President Duterte actually placed Metro Manila under community quarantine last week, the DOT unveiled its partnership with the MVP Group of Companies to enhance the island’s hospital facilities, and assist in maintaining hygiene for its visitors. In support of the Department of Health’s call for personal hygiene, the DOT partnered with the MVP Group of Companies—pecifically SMART, the PLDT-Smart Foundation, and the Metro Pacific Foundation – for its Tulong Kapatid Program. As part of its social responsibility, the consortium of the MVP Group of Companies donated 60 automated sensor hand sanitizers to the hospital, airport, seaport terminals, and other public places in the island. Makati Medical Foundation and its private sector partners donated medical equipment that will level up the Ciriaco S. Tirol Hospital from an infirmary to a level 1 trauma hospital. Long-term trainings and technology transfer will also be conducted, including the implementation of a Pandemic Preparedness Program to help bring back tourism confidence here in Boracay from a health security perspective. Smart Communications earlier provided Boracay and other DOT Regional Offices with mobile SAT phones, which aids communication during calamities or other emergencies when the normal 2G signal and internet network are down. The island may still be COVID-19-free, but with the help of DOT and the MVP Group of Companies’ Tulong Kapatid, Boracay is now ready to respond should such situation arise. Just hoping that the need to respond on such occasion won’t happen.

right now.” “There is no real safety net when you make music for a living,” the 36-year-old said. From A4 “It’s about what we value as a society—we value music but we don’t want to pay for it; we Not so stateside, where much of the country’s value art but we want it for free.” workers including artists rely on “gig economy” jobs to skate by, and where paid sick leave is a luxury. Resilience Amid shutdowns vocalist Emily Cavanagh This week MusiCares—the charitable arm of left New York for her hometown Chicago to be the Recording Academy, the body behind the with family—and to reassess how to keep up Grammys— launched a $2-million coronavirus music career as the virus spreads. relief fund for music industry workers. “I want to stay optimistic,” she told AFP. “But Eligible music professionals—those who I still had to pay my rent before I left town... it have had at least five years of employment in was like, this is all the money I have to my name the music industry, or six commercially released

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Faith, doubt and love during plagues

MAIL MATTERS

IT HAS come to our attention that the March 19 column of Mr. Charlie Manalo entitled “Oligarchy is back” mentioned that Vivant Energy Corporation is owned by the Aboitiz Group. We would like to clarify that the Aboitiz Group is neither the owner nor a shareholder of Vivant Energy Corporation. In this regard we respectfully re-

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020

A CENTRAL character in the novel The Plague by Albert Camus is Father Paneloux, a learned and militant Jesuit, an expert on the thought of Saint Augustine, and representing what Christian doctrine can offer in times of pestilence. From his story, as Camus tells it, there are lessons that today’s pastors and churches should heed.

God did not will the coronavirus to punish us. But this death and suffering will make manifest His love for us.

terial and spiritual sustenance of the faithful. In this first week of what could be a long lockdown, my family have been consoled by our ability to attend online the daily masses of Pope Francis broadcast from Santa Marta in Vatican City, in celebrating last Sunday’s Eucharist and Lenten recollection with Cardinal Chito Tagle from Coleggio Filippino in Rome, and in joining also online the daily vespers conducted with Neocatechumenal communities in the Redemptoris Mater International Mission Seminary based in Parañaque. Eventually Father Paneloux in The Plague changed his mind when he witnessed the agonizing death of a young plague victim, a child actually. This experience radically changed his views about suffering, especially of the innocent. He found himself listening to the protests of his friend Dr. Riuex, the main protagonist in The Plague: “No, Father. I’ve a very different idea of love. And until my dying day I shall refuse to love a scheme of things in which children are put to torture.” In a second sermon recalled in the novel, the good priest preaches Christian hope and faith rather than retribution. He asks: How could a good God do this to children? In a time when many are falling ill or even dying and where the poor has abandoned because of the pandemic, we may be asking ourselves the same question. Father Paneloux proposes that whoever willed the plague, that is not an excuse to not do anything about it. Remembering an incident in Marseille when many monks fled because of a plague and only one stayed, he shouts “My brothers, each one of us must be the one who stays!” The Gospel of John tomorrow, which is the fourth Sunday of Lent, recalls how Jesus’ disciples asked him about a blind man, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” – which means Sent -So he went and washed, and came back able to see. The neighbors of the blind man were astonished seeing him able to see. God did not will it but through this man’s disability, God’s power will be made manifest. God did not will the coronavirus to punish us. But this death and suffering will make manifest His love for us. The person of faith will surely have doubts during a pestilence, but one must keep on loving – our families of course, the poor most especially. By doing that, we become witnesses to a loving and almighty God. Through the coronavirus, by how much we love each other in these times, we make the works of God visible to the world.

In the novel, when the bubonic plague was just beginning to manifest itself in the Algerian city of Oran, Father Paneloux preaches a sermon on a Sunday High Mass celebrated under the auspices of St. Roch, the patron saint of plagues. It was a big event, with a huge congregation filled the nave, overflowing on to the steps and precincts. Father Paneloux had a powerful, rather emotional delivery, and at the outset lunged at his congregation in a fiery tone. He said: “Calamity has come on you, my brethren, and, my brethren, you deserved it.” After this initial salvo, he continues: “The first time this scourge appears in history, it was wielded to strike down the enemies of God. Pharaoh set himself up against the divine will, and the plague beat him to his knees. Thus from the dawn of recorded history the scourge of God has humbled the proud of heart and laid low those who hardened themselves against Him. Ponder this well, my friends, and fall on your knees.” Father Paneloux, with fiery eloquence, preached that the congregation deserved punishment because of their iniquities: “If today the plague is in your midst, that is because the hour has struck for taking thought. The just man need have no fear, but the evildoer has good cause to tremble. For plague is the flail of God and the world His threshing-floor, and implacably He will thresh out His harvest until the wheat is separated from the chaff. There will be more chaff than wheat, few chosen of the many called.” Today, we see this thinking again reflected by religious leaders who are framing the coronavirus crisis as a chastisement by God for human sinfulness. This is all our fault; repent and the virus will go away! Thankfully, others reject this idea. That includes the Catholic Church where the Pope and bishops all over the world, including the Philippines, have risen up to Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina the occasion – heeding science while still providing for the ma- Twitter: tonylavs

recordings or videos—can apply for funds, and show proof of concert cancellations over coronavirus. It’s a start—but artists like Prestini wonder where the government support is in this “unsure landscape.” In order to retain its community National Sawdust aims to start a digital platform, first putting up archived content for free and once public health constraints allow it letting artists stream live shows, viewable for a fee, to keep momentum. “Once things are healthier, I think people will want to convene, people will want to be together,” Prestini said.

“That’s what cities are made for—people coming together and colliding with new ideas.” She and Cavanagh both said that despite the current chaos, their circles have been beacons of support. Cavanagh said a stranger who listened to her on Spotify found her Venmo handle and sent her money on the payment app, as a friend vowed to hold a house concert for her post-pandemic and sent her $500. “I do think that people more than ever want to find a way to support their community,” she said. “On the more hopeful side of me... artists are really good at being resilient.” “I think it’s just part of the job.” AFP

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Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

‘BAYANIHAN’ TO FIGHT COVID-19

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team of industrial designers, chemists and engineers from the University of the Philippines (UP) colleges of fine arts, science and engineering, are burning the midnight oil to come up with an affordable, easy-to-build sanitation tent for public spaces, to battle the threat of covid-19 in the country. Describing themselves “a team of UP Diliman students and alumni”, the group announced on various social media sites this week that the sanitation tent can be used at hospital entrances, railway stations, bus stops, offices, grocery stores and public markets, among others. In their facebook,. Twitter and Instagram posts, they promised that once

the design is finalized, it will be made available to the public, specifically to all local government units (LGUs) and institutions, free of charge. LGUs are requested to visit [tinyurl.com/covidsanitationtent] to be added to the team’s database for faster coordination. The team can likewise be contacted at covidsanitationtents@gmail.com

World-class sports dorm for Benilde

FLUSHING YOUR BLUES AWAY, IN STYLE. Kohler Co., a global leader in the design of kitchen and bath products, recently launched the Revolution 360° technology platform, offering contemporary aesthetics, and optimized flushing performance. The Kohler Revolution 360° flush technology, featured in the newly designed ModernLifeTM series of toilets, has a larger flush valve with a diameter of up to 3.25 inches (compared to the 2.8 to 3-inch valves of other toilets) and an additional water jet to generate high-speed water flow. This flush technology saves up to 40 percent of water with only 3 liters per half flush and 4.5 liters per full flush (versus the average of 6 liters of water per flush. The high-speed water flow forms itself into a flush that reaches the entire inner bowl to leave it thoroughly clean and without residue, ensuring 360° hygiene. For more information on the Kohler Revolution 360° technology platform please visit www.kohler.ph.

THE Benilde Sports and Dorm Building, now considered as the new Home of the Blazers, recently opened its doors to athletes and academic scholars of the De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). The five-story complex, standing on the 4,196.8 square-meter lot in San Isidro Drive corner Dominga Street with the Taft and SDA Campuses as neighbors, was designed by Architect Leandro A. Poco of L.A. Poco Architects and Associates. It was constructed by DM Consunji Inc, who both considered the tropical country’s climate to ensure proper ventilation and natural lighting. The second to fifth floors house 64 rooms dedicated as living quarters for 147 athletes, 48 artists and 19 academic scholars. The Sports Area features a 25 m x 16.44 m swimming pool and two sets of basketball courts, dug-out rooms, and shower rooms for the teams. The amenities likewise include a fitness gym for weight and endurance drills, physical therapy clinics, and several athletic facilities for the various teams such as a studio for the pep squad and training rooms for taekwondo, and other martial arts. “In putting up the Sports and Dorm Building, we are sending the message that we commit to nurture our athletes, artists, and scholars to reach their best potential,” declared De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde President Br. Dodo Fernandez, FSC.

PROTECTING THE VALUE OF CONDOS. Owning a condominium property in the Philippines can be one of the better investments out there for those who are looking to grow their passive income. But it can be a challenge to manage a rental property, or a future retirement home, if the owner is overseas, or too busy to handle all the legwork personally. Enter Century Properties Group which established Siglo to extend after-sales service Century by helping them lease out their units, handle dayto-day maintenance, and give the proper advice on what needs to be done to keep their units in excellent condition. Siglo Suites also acts as a partner of unit owners by offering effective marketing strategies for short-term, medium-term and long-term serviced stays for them. Siglo Suites currently handles over 1,500 units in Makati City (The Milano Residences, The Gramercy Residences, The Knightsbridge Residences); Mandaluyong City (Acqua Private Residences); Paranaque City (Azure Urban Resort Residences); and Quezon City (The Residences at Commonwealth).

MAKING IT TO THE TOP

SOUTHERN HAVEN. Project developer Cathay Land is building its latest mixed-use residential project, Ananda Square, at Alabang-Zapote Road. Cathay Land President Jeffrey Ng said the soon-to-be shorter travel time via the Skyway and the LRT-1 Extension for those who work in Makati and Entertainment City, positions Ananda Square as a perfect base. Now at the pre-selling stage, Ananda Square is set for turnover in 2023, and will be ready once industrial locators have started operating, and their executives and senior staff have begun looking for properties to rent, or buy near their workplace. The first of Ananda Square’s four towers is a 20-storey mixed-use building. Ananda Square will total about 700 units, mainly studio and 1-bedroom suites. Only 40 commercial units are planned for development. A 24-sq.m. studio unit at Ananda Square starts at P2.8 Million; a 32.63-sq.m. 1-bedroom unit goes for up to P3.2 Million. Bigger spaces are available at the two penthouse floors where buyers have option to combine adjacent units.

FOR global investors looking at the Philippines, Parkway Corporate Center—an office condominium in Filinvest City, Alabang—offers a unique opportunity to further boost the country as a businessfriendly location, with a strong financial future and high capital growth. The project is located in Filinvest City—a central business district which has cemented its position as the new frontier in Metro Manila, commanding land values up to P378,000 per sqm. Filinvest City is one of the first urban hubs to register for a LEED-ND (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Neighborhood Development) V4 certification granted by the US Green Building Council. Parkway’s live-workplay environment means business owners or investors have access to a wide-range of establishments: Festival Mall, Westgate Center, and Palms Country Club for retail; Botanika Nature Residences, Bristol at Parkway Place, Studio City, West Parc, and The Levels for residential options; medical institution like Asian Hospital; several educational establishments like San Beda College Alabang, Far Eastern University, and De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute, among others.

World IN BRIEF Spain orders closure of all hotels MADRID―Spain has ordered all hotels in its territory to close to help stem the spread of coronavirus, under a new measure announced in the state official bulletin on Thursday. The measure orders “the suspension of opening to the public of all hotels and similar lodgings, tourist accommodation and other short-term accommodation... situated on national territory,” the official notice published in BOE read. Hotels in Spain, the number-two tourist destination in the world, will close immediately for seven days. Long-stay accommodation can remain open, providing they have the necessary infrastructure for residents to abide by the conditions of total confinement currently in force in the country. Spain is the country that has been fourth-hardest hit by COVID-19, with 767 deaths and 17,147 infections. AFP

Film festival shuffles dates PARIS―The Cannes film festival will not take place as planned in May because of the coronavirus, its board said Thursday, with its directors looking at postponing it until late June. While a slew of other major entertainment events including the Eurovision Song Contest have fallen victim to COVID-19, the world’s biggest film festival has been bullish about its chances of survival. Director Thierry Fremaux said last week that you “cannot look at May through the lens of March”. But the Cannes board conceded Thursday that in the light of the severity of the pandemic they were now looking at rescheduling the 12-day festival, which was due to start on May 12, until “the end of June-beginning of July”. Several other smaller film festivals, including Tribeca, SXSW and Edinburgh have already been cancelled or put back. Doubts still remain though about whether Cannes will be able to go ahead, with film shoots halted or called off across the world. The board said postponement was the main one of “several options” it was looking at. The festival’s president Pierre Lescure said last week that despite its proximity to the fierce Italian coronavirus outbreak, he was hopeful that Hollywood big hitters would still come. “We remain reasonably optimistic hoping that the peak of the epidemic will be at the end of March and that we can breath more freely in April,” he told the French daily Le Figaro. AFP

US citizens freed in Iran, Lebanon WASHINGTON―The United States on Thursday hailed the release of its citizens in Iran and Lebanon as the coronavirus pandemic heightened global fears for prisoners’ health. The United States also pressed Venezuela to free dual nationals detained from oil company Citgo and President Donald Trump held out hope for Austin Tice, a journalist missing in war-ravaged Syria since 2012. In two very different cases, Iran transferred a US veteran who had apparently gone to the rival nation to see a woman he met online, while Lebanon handed over a naturalized American accused of abusing prisoners as part of a pro-Israel militia. US Navy veteran Michael White was given in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad to a team from Switzerland, which represents US interests in the absence of diplomatic relations, and flown to the capital Tehran, the State Department said. “The United States will continue to work for Michael’s full release as well as the release of all wrongfully detained Americans in Iran,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. AFP

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

California goes on virus lockdown L OS ANGELES―California was placed under lockdown in the most drastic step yet by a US state to contain the fast-spreading coronavirus as Italy surpassed China as the country with the most deaths from the pandemic. The United States meanwhile is speeding up antimalarial drugs for use as a virus treatment, President Donald Trump said, as he lashed out at China for not informing the world earlier about the original outbreak. China for its part on Friday reported a second day with no new domestic cases since the virus appeared in the central city of Wuhan in December, before spreading worldwide. While there was a glimmer of hope in China, several countries tightened their borders and imposed lockdowns, trapping tens of millions of people in their homes. And the UN chief warned “millions” could die if the virus spreads unchecked around the globe.

Governments and central banks have unleashed a blockbuster series of measures to prop up the teetering global economy, only to see the once-in-a-century pandemic seemingly spiral further out of control. The death toll soared in Europe as Italy announced another 427 fatalities on Thursday, taking its total to 3,405, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources. China has officially reported 3,248 deaths from the virus, which can cause respiratory failure, particularly in the elderly. Globally, the death toll from the virus has risen to almost 10,000 with more than 232,000 cases in 158 countries and territories, according to the AFP tally.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday of the virus’s potentially devastating effects. “If we let the virus spread like wildfire—especially in the most vulnerable regions of the world—it would kill millions of people,” Guterres said. The number of infections and deaths in the rest of the world has surpassed those in China, which appears to have staunched the virus with strict measures including a complete quarantine of Wuhan since January. Trump, who has come under fire for his response to the crisis, charged Thursday that the world was paying for China’s lack of transparency about the outbreak there. “It could have been contained to that one area of China where it started. And certainly the world is paying a big price for what they did,” he said. Trump said US authorities were fasttracking antimalarials chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for use as a coronavirus treatment, making them available “almost immediately.”

The drugs are synthetic forms of quinine, which has been used to treat malaria for centuries. As the toll surged in Italy, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the national lockdown, which has been copied around Europe, would be prolonged to April 3. France also mooted extending its two-week lockdown ordered this week by President Emmanuel Macron, as the interior minister blasted “idiots” who flout home confinement rules and put others at risk. In Argentina, President Alberto Fernandez announced a “preventative and compulsory” lockdown from Friday to March 31, while Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state will close its famed beaches as well as restaurants and bars for 15 days to try to contain the pandemic. California Governor Gavin Newsom said the state’s lockdown—affecting more than 39 million people—would begin Thursday evening in a “recognition of our interdependence.” AFP

India hangs four over 2012 Delhi bus gang-rape

NON-RESIDENTS BANNED. A group of tourists walk in front of the Opera House in Sydney on March 20, 2020, after Australia moved to seal off its borders the day before, announcing unprecedented bans on entry for non-residents in the hope of stemming the rise of COVID-19 coronavirus infections. AFP

The bus gang-rape and murder that shocked India NEW DELHI―Four men were hanged Friday, more than seven years after a gang-rape and murder that stunned India. Here are the facts surrounding the crime. Jyoti Singh, 23, was returning home from the cinema with a male friend when they boarded a private bus on the evening of Sunday December 16, 2012. Six assailants knocked out the male friend and dragged Singh to the back of the vehicle where they raped and assaulted her with a metal rod. After an ordeal lasting more than an hour, she and the friend were dumped for dead. Singh survived long enough to identify her attackers but died a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. She was dubbed “Nirbhaya” (“fearless”) by the Indian media. Police tracked down the driver of the bus and arrested him and three others on December 18. The remaining two were arrested within a week. The five adults and one juvenile were charged with 13 offences in February

2013 by a fast-track court. A month later, the main accused Ram Singh was found dead in his prison cell. Officials said he killed himself, but his family and lawyer alleged he was murdered. That August, the juvenile was found guilty of rape and murder and sentenced to three years in a correctional facility. The four remaining adults were found guilty and sentenced to death the following month in a fast-track court. But it took more than six more years until they were hanged after a series of legal appeals. Singh was studying physiotherapy and worked at a call centre. Her family had moved from a rural area and her father earned around $100 a month as an airport baggage handler. The men on the bus―Ram Singh, Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta―did menial jobs and lived in a slum in south Delhi. Nearly 34,000 rape cases were reported in India in 2018 but there are likely many more victims too scared

to come forward. Huge and at times violent demonstrations involving tens of thousands of people broke out in Delhi and elsewhere over Singh’s case. Under pressure the government introduced harsher penalties for rapists and the death penalty for repeat offenders. But justice remains elusive, and horrific crimes against women continue to be reported. At the end of 2017, there were almost 150,000 rape cases pending trial in India’s labyrinthine legal system. India is among a dwindling group of nations that still have capital punishment. A total of 186 people were given the death penalty in India in 2018, according to Amnesty International which said it was the highest in nearly two decades. At the end of 2019 there were 378 people on death row, according to the National Law University. However executions are rarely carried out, the last being in 2015 over bomb attacks in Mumbai in 1993. AFP

NEW DELHI―India executed four men on Friday for the gang-rape and murder of a woman on a Delhi bus in 2012 that sparked huge nationwide protests and international revulsion. The four were hanged before dawn at Tihar Jail in the Indian capital, the head of the prison, Sandeep Goel, told AFP, in India’s first execution since 2015. “All four convicts [were] hanged at 5:30 am,” Goel said. The brutal attack on Jyoti Singh sparked weeks of demonstrations and shone a spotlight on the alarming rates of sexual violence and the plight of women in India where around 95 rapes are reported daily. The execution sparked small celebrations outside the prison early on Friday. “We are satisfied that finally my daughter got justice after seven years,” the victim’s mother Asha Devi told reporters outside the jail. “The beasts have been hanged.” “Today all Indian women received justice,” Delhi resident Meena Sharma told AFP, clutching an Indian flag. “I came here around 3:00 am in the morning. I waited here as today is a great day for us.” Singh, 23, was returning home from the cinema with a male friend on the evening of December 16, 2012, when they boarded a Delhi bus, thinking it would take them home. Five men and a 17-year-old boy had other, darker ideas. They knocked the friend unconscious and dragged Singh to the back of the bus and raped and tortured her with a metal rod. The physiotherapy student and the friend were then dumped on the road. Singh died 13 days later in a Singapore hospital from massive internal injuries. “A decent girl won’t roam about at 9 pm,” one of the perpetrators later told a BBC documentary that was banned in India. Nearly 34,000 rapes were reported in India in 2018, according to official data. This is considered the tip of the iceberg, with many more victims too scared to come forward. But Singh’s ordeal, and the fact that she was part of a generation of young women trying to break out of a still very traditional society, struck a chord. AFP

‘Nut rage’ heiress, brother in succession feud SEOUL―The “nut rage” heiress who forced a plane to turn back over her macadamias is fighting a bitter battle―with activist shareholder support―against her brother for control of the family airline, highlighting the resistance to reform in South Korea’s chaebols. Cho Hyun-ah, 45, whose family control the Hanjin group that includes flag-carrier Korean Air, made headlines worldwide with her furious reaction when she was served nuts in a bag instead of a plate in first class. A series of scandals centering on abuse of subordinates rapidly made the Chos the South’s most vilified billionaires. But now her struggle against brother Cho Won-tae could mark a watershed moment for the family-controlled conglomerates known as chaebols that dominate business in the world’s 12th-largest economy. She has joined forces with an activist investment fund, Korea Corporate Governance Improvement (KCGI), which says better chaebol management will improve

efficiency, employee engagement, and shareholder returns. Cho Won-tae inherited the chairmanship of the conglomerate’s holding company Hanjin Kal after the siblings’ father Cho Yang-ho―who led the successful bid for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics―died last year. But “you can’t just run a company because you happen to be a grandson of its founder”, said Lee Seung-hoon, KCGI’s head of global business. Many chaebol families retain only a small ownership stake in their companies, but maintain control through complex webs of cross-shareholdings between subsidiaries, and rapid promotions for family members. Lee told AFP: “Many are under the delusion they have 100 percent ownership.” The Hanjin group was in financial trouble long before the coronavirus outbreak wreaked havoc on airline finances worldwide—subsidiary Hanjin Shipping was once one of the world’s top 10 container lines, but went bankrupt in 2017. AFP

EMPTY ON RUSH HOUR. A deserted highway is seen during rush hour in Miami, on March 19, 2020. The Miami Beach mayor, Dan Gelber, warned of “devastating consequences” over the virus and ordered bars and gyms to close this week, telling springbreakers: “You’ve got to think about the person next to you and even the person you don’t know.” AFP

Sports

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

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

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SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020

2 Lakers, one Sixer positive for coronavirus NEW YORK—Two members of the Los Angeles Lakers have tested positive for the new coronavirus on Thursday as the Philadelphia 76ers also confirmed that three of their players had contracted the disease. The Lakers said they tested their players because on March 10 they played the Brooklyn Nets, who had four players previously test positive for the virus. The Lakers said team doctors are closely monitoring the two players. “We learned today that two Lakers players have tested positive,” said Lakers spokesperson Alison Bogli in a news release. “Both players are currently asymptomatic, in quarantine and under the care of the team’s physician. “All players and members of the Lakers staff are being asked to continue to observe self-quarantine and shelter at home guidelines, closely monitor their health, consult with their personal physicians and maintain constant communication with the team.” The Sixers said the positive cases were uncovered after health authorities warned that certain players, coaches and support staff may have been exposed to COVID-19. Like the Sixers, the Lakers declined to name the players who tested positive. Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets also announced positive tests on Thursday for COVID-19. On Wednesday, commissioner Adam Silver said NBA players should be considered “super spreaders” of the disease. Silver’s comments came amid criticism that wealthy athletes are getting tested for the virus ahead of critically ill patients in American hospitals. The Sixers said their three individuals were in self-isolation while being monitored by medical professionals. “Three individuals have received positive test results for COVID-19,” the Sixers said. “All other tests results are currently negative. We have reported this information to state and local health authorities as required.” “The health of our players, staff, fans and community is paramount, and we continue to be guided by medical experts at this time,” the team said. Also, the Celtics said Thursday at least one player tested positive as part of a series of tests they are conducting on their team. Immediately after the Celtics announcement, guard Smart revealed he had tested positive. Smart said he was tested five days ago and got the results back on Thursday night. “What’s up everyone,” said Smart in a video on his Twitter account. “So I just found out I tested positive for the coronavirus. I am OK. I feel fine. I don’t feel any of the symptoms. “Help protect others by protecting yourself.” More tests coming The Celtics said Smart would continue to be isolated. “The testing was initiated because of exposure to a known positive case,” a Celtics spokesman said. “The team is awaiting further testing results and will communicate them as appropriate.” Earlier, the Denver Nuggets said one member of the organization had tested positive, but did not specify whether the person was a player. “The person, who was tested after experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 on March 16th, is currently under the care of team medical staff and in self-isolation,” the team said. These are just the latest NBA players to test positive for COVID-19 since Utah’s Rudy Gobert was confirmed to have contracted the disease last week, prompting the league to impose an indefinite suspension on play. AFP

Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 10, 2020 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.This was apparently the game, where players infected each other with the coronavirus or COVID-19.

Chess meet goes online amid COVID-19 outbreak

By Randy M. Caluag

C

OVID-19 threat? Not a problem for the Philippine chess community as Filipino top players banner the first Philippine National Bullet Chess Championship, which will be played via an online platform. The first of the 10 qualifying legs will start on Saturday, March 21 at 1 p.m. (Philippine time) to be played on Lichess. org server, according to National Chess Federation of the Philippines executive director Atty. Cliburn Anthony Orbe. The next qualifers will be played every Saturday thereafter, to be followed by the semifinals and grand finals. “It will be an 11-round Swiss (2 games, 1 white, 1 black per round) 2-minute, 1-second increment time control,” added Orbe. Leading the Philippine charge are 13time Philippine Open champion Grandmaster Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. and reigning National Open champion Grand-

master Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla Jr. “It will be a very tough match against fellow Pinoy woodpushers,” said Antonio, the First Filipino World Chess Cup qualifier. Barcenilla could only agree. “We are expecting tough matches, but we will try our best,” said Barcenilla, a two-time (1989 and 1990) Asian Junior champion in India and Dubai and a 1991 Bronze medalist in World Juniors’ championship in Romania. The web-based tournament offers a total pot of P220,000, sponsored by Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur rep. Prospero “Butch” Arreza Pichay Jr., who is

also the National Chess Federation of the Philippines chairman/president. Other registered players are International Master Chito Garma, Fide Master Arden Reyes, Arena Grandmaster Henry Roger Lopez, Arena Grandmaster Datuali Sinsuat, Arena Grandmaster Srihaan Poddar and non-masters Dandel Fernandez, Alberto Dacallos, Jr. , Jace Oliver Fortin, Cyrus James Damiray, Art Noblijas, Ghian Michael Aleria, Chester Neil Reyes, Aurelio Haber and Stewart Manaog, Jr. The qualifying legs’ top-notcher will receive cash prizes amounting P3,000, the semifinal winner will pocket P6,000, while the champion in the grand finals will win P30,000. For inquiry, email ncfptournaments@ gmail.com The government has put the entire Luzon under enhanced Community Quarantine that restricts movements among citizens, through social distancing while prohibiting mass gathering, including the holding of sports tournaments.

Volley stars talk about sports, love, life in ‘Kalye Confessions’ “KALYE Confessions,” hosted by volleyball star Cherry Nunag, is the newest segment to watch for on ABSCBN S+A’s “The Score.” The segment, which debuted recently, allows volleyball stars to step out of their comfort zone and have a deep and unusual chat about playing the game and anything about life. The segment’s first two episodes featuring volleyball superstars Alyssa Valdez and Risa Sato are available online on the ABS-CBN Sports Facebook page and YouTube channel, and already garnered hundreds of thousands of views. In the first episode, Cherry drives around with UAAP legend Alyssa Valdez, who shares the stories behind her iconic final walk and her volleyball stint abroad. She also reveals the fellow players that she idolizes and even opens up about her lovelife with boyfriend and fellow Phenom Kiefer Ravena. To follow this up, she had her nemesis at the net, Creamline Cool Smashers middle blocker Risa Sato in the second episode. The Filipino-Japanese stunner talks about the struggles she con-

Alyssa Valdez joins Cherry Nunag in The Score’s Kalye Confessions.

tinues to face because of the language barrier, especially after being named as team captain of the NU Lady Bulldogs. She also reveals the Filipino food she has grown to love since moving to the Philippines at 19 years old. “Kalye Confessions” is the hosting debut of Cherry, who plays middle blocker

for the PetroGazz Angels in the Premier Volleyball League. The segment was inspired by another segment in “The Score” called “Extra Rice with Beau Belga.” Just like Beau, Cherry has a charming and relatable personality, and the natural ability to make her guests feel relaxed even if she asks them tough questions.

Monaco F1 GP cancelled, ending 65-year run PARIS—The iconic Monaco Formula One Grand Prix, a glittering fixture on the world motorsport calendar for 65 years, was cancelled Thursday, the latest event to fall victim to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The race, due to be held in the Principality on May 24, was axed completely while the Grand Prix in the Netherlands and Spain were postponed. “The situation is no longer tenable,” said a statement by the Automobile Club de Monaco.

“After careful consideration as to the gravity of this crisis worldwide, it is with great sadness that the board of directors has taken this decision.” It will be the first time since 1954 that there has not been a Monaco Grand Prix, part of motor racing’s fabled ‘Triple Crown’ which also includes the Le Mans 24 Hour Race and Indy 500. Winners of the celebrated race, which winds its way around the well-heeled streets of the millionaires’ playground on the Riviera, include legends such as Ayrton

Senna, a six-time champion, and Michael Schumacher, victorious on five occasions. Lewis Hamilton won in Monaco in 2019 on his way to a sixth world title. The binning of the Monaco race and postponements in the Netherlands and Spain follow the cancellation of the seasonopening Australian Grand Prix last week, and the postponement of the Chinese, Bahrain and Vietnam Grand Prix races. The Dutch GP, due to return to the calendar for the first time since 1985, was set to be held at Zandvoort on May 3, with the

Spanish race following a week later. “Due to the ongoing and fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation globally, the FIA, Formula One and the three promoters have taken these decisions in order to ensure the health and safety of the travelling staff, championship participants and fans, which remains our primary concern,” a joint statement from F1 and the FIA read. The Dutch and Spanish organisers will study the viability of finding alternative dates to run their races later in the year. AFP

IOC: Premature to postpone Tokyo Olympics WASHINGTON—International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said it would be “premature” to postpone the Tokyo Games Thursday but admitted the body was “considering different scenarios” as the coronavirus pandemic advances. The IOC will act on advice from its own taskforce and the World Health Organization, Bach told the New York Times, after a week when the IOC has weathered criticism over its response to the crisis. But he remained optimistic about holding the Tokyo Olympics on schedule from July 24 to August 9, and said there was no question of cancelling the Games altogether. “Of course we are considering different scenarios, but we are contrary to many other sports organizations or professional leagues in that we are four-and-a-half months away from the Games,” Bach said. “For us, (postponement) would not be responsible now and it would be premature to start speculation or make a decision at a time when we do not have any recommendation from the task force,” he added. Speculation has been growing over the Games, scheduled to start on July 24, after the COVID-19 outbreak closed sports competitions around the world, and paralysed many countries along with international travel. Olympic qualifiers are among the tournaments affected, with 43 percent of athletes yet to book their spots. But Bach said the situation was still too uncertain to make a decision about Tokyo. “What makes this crisis so unique and so difficult to overcome is the uncertainty. Nobody today can tell you what the developments are tomorrow, what they are in one month, not to mention in more than four months,” he said. “Therefore it would not be responsible in any way to set a date or take a decision right now, which would be based on the speculation about the future developments.” Athletes lashed out at IOC advice this week to continue training “as best they can”, with Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi accusing the body of “putting us in danger.” But Bach said health considerations were “first and foremost”, adding “the decision of the IOC will not be determined by any financial interest.” AFP

IN BRIEF Globe asks LGUs to allow cell sites

GLOBE Telecom Inc. asked local government units to cooperate in building cell towers across the country to ensure connectivity for all customers during the COVID-19 quarantine period. Globe said its efforts to invest in building more cell sites relies on the cooperation of local government units, barangays and other stakeholders which grant permits to jumpstart the construction. “LGUs play a vital role in building the necessary ICT infrastructure to improve the internet and mobile experience of our customers. Now with the sudden changes in work arrangements, there is an urgent need to build more cellular towers to serve the current data traffic that continuously grows exponentially,” Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo said. “We need more cell sites to keep up with the demand but deployment is only the final step to a long permitting process,” he said. “This is the time for all of us to work together for the greater good. Now, more than ever, we need sufficient mobile coverage to keep in touch with our family and friends, conduct business transactions, make emergency calls, to name a few. And in this increasingly digital environment, we need the internet to get important real-time information about what’s happening around us, and for businesses to continue operating even with a reduced or skeletal workforce,” Castelo said. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

Agri workers warn of food shortage THE Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura warned that food security in the country would be imperiled because of the overly strict implementation of the lockdown by security forces and certain local government units that do not consider the particular situation of the rural economy. It said that aside from food security, the lockdown would also lessen the immediate food supplies of the rural population and even harm the well-being of the people. UMA chairperson in Cagayan Valley Antonio Flores said even when there was no case of COVID-19 infection yet, farmers and farm workers were prevented from harvesting rice especially if there are no public transportation to take them to the rice fields. Even those who need to buy farm inputs or sell vegetables, fruits, and rice cakes to augment their income are not able to do so, he said. He said that in Tumauini, Isabela, the vegetables just rotted when the farmers were not allowed to sell them to the market. Flores said even the harvest and milling of sugarcane in Batangas was affected as mill workers who had not motorbikes could not go to work because of lack of transportation.

MWM suspends operations of transport hub MWM Terminals Inc., a consortium led by Megawide Construction Corp., said it temporarily suspended the operations of Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange after the government placed the whole of Luzon under an “enhanced community quarantine” to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019. “The suspension covers both transport and commercial operations of the landport,” MWM Terminals said. “To ensure the safety and protection of the PITX facility, thorough disinfection and sanitation efforts are regularly conducted within the premises,” it said. MWS said despite the shutdown of main landport facilities, PITX functions as one of the staging areas for the Department of Transportation’s free bus service for medical frontliners. “PITX is honored to be of assistance in the said initiative, which transports health workers and major frontliners to hospitals and health facilities within the southwest area of Metro Manila,” the company said. Buses transport passengers daily at 5 a.m., 7 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. MWM Terminal said PITX continued to work closely with the Transportation Department and other concerned agencies for the resumption of transport and terminal operations. “We will advise the public should there be any updates on the matter,” the company said. Darwin G. Amojelar

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020

B1

Meralco halts meter reading amid quarantine By Alena Mae S. Flores

BOC processes medical shipments THE Bureau of Customs said Friday it successfully processed 189 shipments of medical and other emergency supplies that arrived in the country’s various ports as of March 19. These shipments were facilitated in only ten days since President Duterte’s declaration of a state of public emergency on March 9 to check the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease 2019. More supplies for frontline workers are expected to arrive in the Philippines over the next few weeks. It also plans to establish a one-stop shop to accelerate the release of donated and other relief goods, in line with the president’s declaration placing the entire country under a state of calamity for six months following the sustained community transmission of COVID-19. “As part of the bureau’s action plan, all of the ports were directed to ensure the continuous and unhampered delivery of goods and services, especially shipments that are needed to address this emergency such as face masks, personal protective equipment, and other medical supplies,” Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said in his report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. The 189 shipments of medical and other essential supplies came through the Port of Clark, Manila International Container Port and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Guerrero said. Julito G. Rada

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

ABOITIZ’S ASSISTANCE. The Aboitiz Group, led by CSR arm Aboitiz Foundation, turns over 5,700 N95 masks to representatives of the Department of Health and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. Outside Metro Manila, the Aboitiz Group aims to send surgical gloves, infrared thermometers, folding beds, nitrate and latex gloves, N95 masks, laboratory and disposable goggles, personal protective equipment gowns and tents.

Gov’t asked to provide massive fiscal stimulus A By Julito G. Rada

N ECONOMIST said the decision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to cut the key policy rates by 50 basis points on Thursday should be backed up by “massive fiscal stimulus”.

Bank of the Philippine Island chief economist Emilio Neri Jr. said that given the current situation where the onslaught of the coronavirus disease 2019 was threatening to slow the economy, “it [rate reduction] appears to be the appropriate response on the monetary front.” “More importantly, this has to be complemented by a massive fiscal stimulus that will target key sectors and industries including health, travel, tourism but most specially the families that depend on daily wages,” Neri said. Neri said that “most banks may need

increased access to the BSP’s rediscounting facility and, in turn, keep credit lines open for their clients.” COVID-19, which already claimed thousands of lives around the world, compelled the Duterte administration to implement a month-long enhanced community quarantine in Luzon until April 12, 2020. The country was also placed under a state of calamity. The 50-bps cut in interest rates was the first time in more than 11 years since the BSP cut the policy rates by 50-bps to 5 percent on Jan. 29, 2009. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the Monetary Board also authorized the time-bound, temporary relaxation of BSP regulations on compliance reporting by banks, calculation of penalties on required reserves and single borrower limits. It also approved a temporary reduction in the term spread on rediscounting loans relative to the overnight lending rate to zero. Diokno said the BSP would issue the detailed guidelines on these monetary measures and regulatory forbearance items.

Latest baseline forecasts indicate a lower path of inflation for 2020 and 2021, with inflation expectations remaining firmly anchored within the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent over the policy horizon, according to Diokno. “Meanwhile, the balance of risks to the inflation outlook now leans toward the downside for both 2020 and 2021. The uncertainty over the potentially protracted pandemic poses significant downside risks to aggregate demand,” he said. Inflation in February slowed to 2.6 percent from 2.9 percent in January, bringing the first two months’ average to 2.8 percent, below the target range. The Monetary Board noted that while the enforcement of quarantine measures could help in slowing the spread of the virus, the resulting disruptions to industries and private spending would likely reduce economic growth in the near term. COVID-19 also dampened prospects for the global economy, which could negatively impact tourism and trade, overseas Filipino remittances and foreign investments.

FOOD ASSISTANCE.

Megaworld Corp. extends food assistance to healthcare and medical personnel in several Metro Manila hospitals, including border security personnel from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Bureau of Fire Protection deployed in different parts of Metro Manila. Over 1,000 food packs and water were distributed to frontline medical and healthcare personnel at Philippine General Hospital, Pasig City General Hospital, Pasay City General Hospital, San Lazaro Hospital, Taguig General Hospital and Ospital ng Makati and the National Capital Region border security teams.

SMC expects infra projects to remain on track despite pandemic By Darwin G. Amojelar SAN Miguel Corp. said it expects no delays in the construction of infrastructure projects amid the enhanced community quarantine imposed in Luzon to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. San Miguel said it was not expecting the situation to cause delays in the delivery of the supply of raw materials for use in the company’s projects. “Neither do we expect delays in the progress of the construction of our infrastructure projects, unless there is a restriction on the free movement of workers and the delivery of supplies and raw materials,” San Miguel said.

San Miguel is constructing the Metro Rail Transit Line 7—a 22-km light rail transit route that will link the new rail with the Light Rail Transit Line 1 and MRT Line 3. The company is also building the Skyway Stage 3 project—a 14.82km, six-lane elevated expressway that will extend the existing elevated skyway from Buendia to Balintawak and will link the South Luzon Expressway to NLEX. It is also developing Skyway Stage 4—a 58.09-km roadway from South of Metro Manila Skyway to Batasan Complex, Quezon City. San Miguel said it was expecting lower vehicle traffic for its tollway business

because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The decrease in the number of travelers will likely also impact the volume of vehicles making use of our toll roads,” San Miguel said. San Miguel operates South Luzon Expressway—a 36-km toll road that runs from Alabang to Sto. Tomas, Batangas. The company is also the operator of Skyway Stage 1—a 9.3-km elevated road that runs from Bicutan to the Makati Central Business District and the Skyway Stage 2—a 6.86-km elevated expressway that consists of six lanes in the Bicutan-to-Sucat section, and four lanes in the Sucat-to-Alabang section, with ramps leading to the South Luzon Expressway.

POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. said it is holding off physical meter reading and bill deliveries amid the 30day enhanced community quarantine. Meralco said that for customers with meters scheduled to be read from March 17 to April 14, billing would be based on the average consumption for the past three months, as prescribed by the Energy Regulatory Commission. “The difference will be reflected on your next bill and corresponding charges will be adjusted,” the company said. Meralco said it would also provide a 30-day payment extension for bills due from March 1 to April 14, 2020. Meanwhile, the National Electrification Administration asked electric cooperatives to provide a 30-day payment extension for electricity bills in support of the government’s efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019. NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong issued Memorandum No. 2020-011, endorsing the Department of Energy’s advisory that urges distribution utilities, including the 121 ECs nationwide, to give their consumers a 30-day extension in settling their electricity bills due from March 15 to April 14, 2020. The move is in line with the government’s declaration of a state of calamity throughout the country for six months, and the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine over the entire island of Luzon due to the continuing spread of COVID-19. The Energy Department issued an advisory to all private and public corporations in the power sector on deferring payments of obligations and dues for 30 days after April 14, 2020 for the benefit of consumers. “The Philippine energy family is in full solidarity with the entire nation in the battle against COVID-19. Energy services must be available 24/7 for everyone, most especially our frontline heroes who are risking their lives daily for the benefit of our fellow countrymen. The memo we issued is an additional measure to help keep the energy sector, as well as our stakeholders afloat during this time,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

Hot money posted net inflow of $40m in February—BSP FOREIGN portfolio investments or “hot money” posted a net inflow of $40 million in February, compared to the $340-million net inflow a year ago, as investors became wary of the global economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday. The February net inflow was a reversal of the $486-million net outflow in January 2020. This brought hot money in the first two months to a net outflow of $446 million, a steep reversal of the $1.15-billion net inflow recorded in the same period last year. “Developments for the month included the ongoing concern on the potential global economic impact of the coronavirus disease outbreak, and release of 2019 corporate earnings report of several listed firms,” the BSP said in a statement. About 68.7 percent of investments registered in February were in Philippine Stock Exchange-listed securities while the remaining 31.3 percent went to investments in peso government securities. The United Kingdom, Singapore, the United States, Luxembourg and Japan were the top five investor countries in February, with combined share of 72.8 percent. Registration of inward foreign investments with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is optional under the liberalized rules on foreign exchange transactions. Portfolio investments are also called “hot money” because of the ease they are invested in and taken out of the domestic financial markets. Global and domestic uncertainties compelled foreign fund managers to pull out their investments from the local financial markets last year. Hot money last year posted a net outflow of $1.9 billion in 2019, a turnaround from the $1.2-billion net inflow in 2018. Julito G. Rada

B2

Business

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market rallies; Ayala Land jumps T HE stock market rebounded Friday on bargain-hunting, lifted by the decision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to cut interest rates Thursday by 50 basis points.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 155.34 points, or 3.4 percent, to 4,778.6 on a value turnover of P6.7 billion. Gainers beat losers, 117 to 85, with 30 issues unchanged. Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. jumped 14.6 percent to P26.30, while BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, advanced 14.1 percent to P97. Jollibee Foods Corp., the largest fastfood chain, climbed 9.8 percent to P100, while LT Group Inc. of tobacco and air-

line tycoon Lucio Tan rose 9.6 percent to P6.03. The rest of Asian equities, meanwhile, enjoyed some much-needed gains Friday after another volatile week on global markets as investors took solace in a blockbuster series of government and central bank measures aimed at cushioning the economic blow from the coronavirus. The dollar also eased somewhat after a lengthy rally fueled by traders cashing out of their investments, while the embattled oil market extended Thursday’s gains. With the deadly pandemic showing no sign of ending, countries are going into lockdown, effectively shutting down the global economy and leaving experts in the dark as to how deep and long an expected recession will last. On Thursday, US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell presented a $1-trillion emergency relief package to

combat the turmoil, with $1,200 cash handouts for individuals. It also includes $208 billion in loans for companies hit by the crisis—$58 billion of it for the troubled airline sector— and $300 billion in small business loans. The plan is the latest in a series of measures put forward by Washington and comes on top of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and pledges worth hundreds of billions of dollars to provide liquidity to creaking financial markets. It also comes in tandem with similar moves by governments and banks around the world, which have provided some support to investors, but which many observers warn could still be too little as the crisis rumbles on. Hong Kong stocks rose 2.9 percent in the afternoon, while Shanghai was up 0.3 percent, Sydney added one percent and Seoul jumped more than five percent.

Taipei gained more than six percent, and Bangkok jumped 2.6 percent with Mumbai more than one percent higher. Wellington jumped one percent, while there were also gains in Singapore. Tokyo was closed for a holiday. “For now... the artillery barrage from the world’s central banks and government treasuries seems to have stopped the rot sweeping the global economy for now,” said OANDA’s Jeffrey Halley. The advances followed a positive lead from Wall Street and Europe. But, while healthy, the advances come at the end of another tumultuous week for equities and there are warnings of further troubles down the line. Many analysts expect markets to remain highly volatile and under pressure until health authorities get a better grasp of the scale of the outbreak in the United States and Europe and how long it will curtail activity. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Friday, March 20, 2020

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 44 2,700 55 3,893,850 97 5,081,010 20 47,700 15.9 8,800 7.5 287,700 650 90 0.3 200,000 39.1 5,897,600 8 15,000 20 416,500 132.1 2,300 36 8,600 17 15,700 115 429,470 1,420 35 54.1 4,090 1 12,000

117,225 214,445,825 470,636,099 928,930 139,560 2,136,447 58,500 60,000 231,825,860 122,206 8,338,353 310,259 315,095 243,514 46,526,796 49,200 219,543.50 12,000

-62,407,655 6,233,516.50 19,000 518,583 -73,669,075 -1,520,708 3,900 39,500 -3,676,254 -

22.9 1.48 6.22 0.45 1.01 1.9 0.16 0.93 10.3 3.71 29 56 1.75 2.5 4.01 6.4 5.5 6.76 1.61 14.52 46 1.01 32 0.66 10.08 3.38 0.86 95.65 3.33 5.22 8.55 4.41 6.56 196.1 0.105 4.95 1.26 2.7 2.08 8 9 17.7 3.82 4 1.22 0.55 5.2 44.5 6.71 0.55 105 2.2 0.71 0.48

INDUSTRIAL 24 2,030,700 1.54 7,088,000 6.49 98,000 0.45 400,000 1.01 201,000 1.95 440,000 0.16 320,000 0.99 8,568,000 10.8 6,211,100 3.85 398,000 29 200 61.6 30 1.92 180,000 2.5 199,000 4.07 11,364,000 6.48 632,300 5.68 106,800 7.5 1,995,400 1.72 5,834,000 14.76 6,767,900 46.05 41,200 1.05 9,922,000 32.8 9,700 0.7 1,189,000 12.4 454,100 3.52 38,000 0.96 567,000 100 1,994,100 3.33 1,000 5.22 600 8.76 9,874,800 4.45 343,000 6.82 882,100 200 712,850 0.105 10,000 4.95 1,000 1.3 455,000 3.15 24,000 2.1 3,926,000 9.38 3,200 9.7 396,300 18.5 136,400 3.82 2,000 4.6 26,000 1.35 804,000 0.55 133,000 5.24 153,600 46 581,200 6.9 107,000 0.73 78,000 108.7 1,987,850 2.2 108,000 0.72 1,776,000 0.52 60,000

48,283,700 10,767,130 627,009 184,300 203,010 843,680 52,250 8,215,160 66,677,692 1,524,170 5,895 1,736 341,260 501,460 46,752,420 4,207,469 600,071 14,243,374 10,442,220 99,842,954 1,898,735 10,301,670 318,100 861,990 ( 5,250,636 131,050 531,170 198,180,334.5 ( 3,330 3,132 85,746,549 2 1,554,760 6,158,599 145,049,251 1,050 4,950 586,100 66,460 8,415,130 27,338 3,675,416 2,526,012 7,640 113,290 1,026,450 75,300 818,002 26,665,265 728,718 55,200 217,175,134 237,600 1,288,970 30,100

-18,532,345 -510,850 108,757 -97,710 3,744,330 31,722 27,440 211,580 -433,450 -37,706,910 459,680 -259,790 -429,004 16,800 46,290,976 -1,170,625 147,440 278,760 118,379.9998) -1,403,034 -24,230 -154,560 51,633,969.5) ,040,677.0003 -92,250 -4,735,645 -40,991,856 -65,070 -2,861,380 -345,908 -31,390 -6,860 -391,822 17,721,405 2,070 -29,904,487 237,600 -

0.45 30.5 5.3 0.54 6 5.11 0.41 0.48 402 1.4 4.51 3.28 7.5 407 43 5 0.375 2.9 5.72 0.4 2.6 2.75 73.5 689.5 0.65 0.76 140 0.156 0.114

HOLDING FIRMS 0.47 2,380,000 30.95 1,896,100 6.23 8,247,400 0.54 26,000 6.54 14,100 5.5 5,700 0.5 1,015,000 0.48 2,220,000 410 889,270 1.5 1,374,000 4.75 486,000 3.69 18,271,000 7.6 34,100 407 186,740 43.35 2,263,600 5 11,200 0.375 670,000 2.9 1,071,000 6.03 13,274,900 0.44 50,000 2.68 35,312,000 2.75 1,000 83 616,550 721.5 1,030,380 0.7 17,000 0.8 59,000 140 100 0.188 230,000 0.133 390,000

1,113,350 59,572,405 49,434,754 14,040 90,386 31,495 491,475 1,089,600 370,440,570 1,991,310 2,225,210 64,215,510 259,000 79,791,400 99,715,140 56,000 251,300 3,120,580 80,400,833 21,300 95,293,650 2,750 50,711,265.50 742,360,165 11,120 47,010 14,020 36,370 51,330

-15,066,805 -14,273,322 18,600 835,500 -95,227,904 360,810 -22,317,650 -18,220 -50,665,706 -19,508,260 1,171,500 -21,373,430 -16,859,440 -5,003,668.50 3,750,870 8,000 -

13.4 0.49 1.03 0.4 23.6 1.12 3.8 0.345 0.69 0.65 0.12 0.21 6 16 0.205 0.82 0.66 2.06 0.12 0.3 0.59 0.225 1.5 11.06 1.51 2.45 25 1.85

PROPERTY 14 1,405,300 0.51 2,080,000 1.3 782,000 0.47 2,565,000 26.3 27,880,600 1.2 99,000 3.94 1,146,000 0.35 2,910,000 0.69 20,000 0.75 16,000 0.12 80,000 0.23 150,000 6.55 55,500 16.3 1,227,600 0.325 620,000 0.82 14,240,000 0.67 592,000 2.09 39,344,000 0.125 2,010,000 0.32 130,000 0.63 536,000 0.225 40,000 1.62 14,000 11.74 3,724,600 1.55 3,000 2.6 55,000 26 22,492,800 2.04 225,000

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO UNIBANK CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

41.75 56.5 91 19 15.9 7.01 650 0.3 40 8.2 24.7 145.8 36.55 15.62 104.7 1,400 52.1 1

44 59 97 20 15.9 7.9 650 0.3 40.15 8.2 24.7 148.5 39 17 124.9 1,420 55 1

41.75 52 88.2 19 15 7.01 650 0.3 38.7 8 19 132 36 14 103 1,400 52.1 1

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

24.2 1.56 6.22 0.46 1.01 1.9 0.165 0.93 10.3 4.2 29.95 56 1.75 2.8 4.01 6.7 5.6 7.69 1.86 15 46.5 1.01 32.8 0.66 11.2 3.42 0.89 97.5 3.33 5.22 8.62 4.54 7.7 220 0.105 4.95 1.38 2.7 2.1 8 9 17.7 3.82 4.5 1.22 0.57 6 44.5 6.8 0.55 112 2.2 0.71 0.48

24.8 1.64 6.85 0.48 1.01 1.98 0.165 1 10.98 4.2 29.95 61.6 1.92 3.2 4.5 7.09 5.8 7.69 2.19 15 46.85 1.09 32.9 0.75 12.4 3.52 0.96 103.7 3.33 5.22 9.29 4.68 7.9 226 0.105 4.95 1.38 3.28 2.31 9.38 9.7 19 3.82 4.6 1.38 0.58 6 49 6.9 0.8 118 2.2 0.74 0.53

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

0.45 32.15 5.99 0.54 6.6 5.99 0.41 0.49 430 1.5 4.51 3.35 7.5 475.8 46 5 0.38 3 5.72 0.45 2.6 2.75 74 700 0.65 0.8 141 0.156 0.141

0.49 33.95 6.3 0.54 6.68 5.99 0.51 0.495 460 1.5 4.75 3.71 7.6 496.4 48.9 5 0.38 3.01 6.95 0.45 2.84 2.75 84 740 0.7 0.8 141 0.188 0.141

8990 HLDG A BROWN ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND

13.5 0.5 1.05 0.51 23.6 1.12 3.92 0.355 0.69 0.65 0.121 0.21 6.4 16 0.205 0.83 0.66 2.21 0.12 0.3 0.59 0.225 1.63 12.36 1.51 2.6 27 2.06

14 0.53 1.42 0.55 26.5 1.2 4.04 0.365 0.69 0.75 0.121 0.23 6.6 16.74 0.325 0.88 0.68 2.4 0.127 0.32 0.68 0.225 1.65 13.4 1.62 2.6 28.4 2.06

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS

0.93 3.63 3.62

1.04 4.19 3.71

0.9 3.2 3.55

0.95 3.4 3.55

519,000 2,725,000 71,000

489,930 9,609,610 258,480

-3,601,480 -

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ALLHOME APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC EASYCALL FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER ISLAND INFO ISM COMM LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B 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

4.1 15.04 5.42 0.29 0.034 12.22 1.9 4.5 0.025 40 6.66 2 2.83 4.75 800.5 1,745 4.65 338 0.56 1.09 71.65 0.057 1.04 7.51 1.15 0.61 4.19 0.305 1.25 1.23 1.12 1.11 1.58 5 3.1 7.6 135 1.26 924 0.315 0.196 30 45.05 7 0.97 0.4 0.14 0.38 11.04

4.5 16.2 5.99 0.34 0.04 15.98 2.1 5.3 0.026 41.5 6.66 2.15 2.83 4.75 800.5 1,769 4.73 338 0.62 1.09 77 0.062 1.14 12.74 1.2 0.61 4.75 0.31 1.4 1.42 1.34 1.21 1.58 6.05 3.22 7.6 135 1.48 930 0.315 0.196 32 50 7 1 0.44 0.15 0.41 12.98

4.1 15 5 0.29 0.034 12.22 1.9 4.4 0.025 39.15 5.6 1.96 2.82 4.75 800 1,650 4.35 335 0.56 1 71.65 0.057 1.03 7.51 1.15 0.61 4.16 0.305 1.25 1.1 1 1.11 1.53 5 3.1 7.6 120 1.26 849 0.29 0.185 29.65 45.05 6 0.88 0.39 0.13 0.38 11.04

SERVICES 4.35 15.8 5.05 0.31 0.04 15.98 2.1 4.59 0.025 39.9 5.6 2.08 2.82 4.75 800 1,658 4.73 335 0.62 1 76 0.058 1.14 11.08 1.15 0.61 4.18 0.31 1.25 1.17 1.22 1.13 1.54 6.05 3.22 7.6 131.4 1.3 860.5 0.3 0.19 32 49.95 6.2 0.95 0.395 0.145 0.41 12.34

16,000 213,000 2,097,400 480,000 3,000,000 20,700 44,000 4,363,000 6,900,000 346,800 800 651,000 31,000 5,000 200 102,600 344,000 110 649,000 26,000 3,455,390 910,000 16,830,000 3,200 32,000 23,000 427,000 140,000 5,169,000 1,485,000 154,000 1,412,000 20,000 18,700 4,000 800 2,635,590 1,132,000 272,890 1,550,000 1,920,000 1,971,800 345,800 14,900 3,563,000 2,550,000 450,000 280,000 2,091,600

69,290 3,326,386 10,954,727 145,700 102,600 259,126 85,700 19,657,580 173,000 13,850,670 4,798 1,321,860 87,430 23,750 160,055 174,422,950 1,539,430 37,150 378,990 26,460 255,917,415 52,880 18,511,120 39,265 37,050 14,030 1,861,570 43,200 6,565,550 1,859,230 174,950 1,614,600 31,000 99,455 12,640 6,080 342,472,816 1,502,360 236,787,235 465,750 369,530 61,963,500 16,558,040 91,000 3,330,660 1,001,800 62,220 107,300 25,799,588

8,600 -827,788 144,628 -2,709,260 -105,300 -2,088,625 2,800 154,310.00 88,055 -48,492,665 620 21,010 -2,154,583.50 -29,000 -1,256,160 329,250 -866,360 -66,080 -54,850.00 1,540 500 1,650,993 -372,190 -37,978,980 -14,800 -50,300 3,317,555 -346,245 173,500 -866,500 -38,200 328,350

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

0.001 5 0.58 10.38 1.09 2.46 0.25 6.15 0.46 0.18 0.066 0.084 0.57 1.55 0.79 0.0082 0.0081 0.0067 1.98 3.95 9.99

0.0011 5.5 0.65 10.38 1.09 2.48 0.25 6.15 0.5 0.181 0.068 0.084 0.57 1.6 0.79 0.0082 0.0091 0.0067 1.98 4.5 9.99

0.001 4.65 0.58 10.1 1.09 2.43 0.23 5.75 0.46 0.177 0.066 0.081 0.485 1.47 0.77 0.008 0.0081 0.0067 1.89 3.95 8.3

MINING & OIL 0.001 163,000,000 5.19 39,000 0.58 1,124,000 10.3 5,500 1.09 38,000 2.43 208,000 0.25 150,000 5.76 4,900 0.47 7,610,000 0.177 2,210,000 0.066 2,860,000 0.081 20,000 0.5 170,000 1.57 2,594,000 0.78 113,000 0.0082 61,000,000 0.0091 6,000,000 0.0067 7,000,000 1.9 877,000 3.95 362,000 9.1 3,194,700

163,200 195,600 682,730 56,386 41,420 510,240 36,700 29,900 3,632,600 395,210 190,640 1,650 84,960 3,957,100 87,690 498,200 51,600 46,900 1,702,140 1,484,710 28,332,526

-5,000 0 49,450 -2,217,950 -357,700 491,080 -123,110 -60,500 -9,925,639

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2R ALCO PREF B CPG PREF A DD PREF FGEN PREF G FPH PREF C GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR 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 2H

14.98 506 496 100.4 100.5 98 107 490 499.8 4.9 902.5 96.5 99.9 1,010 1,005 1,005 99.1 102 1,000 76 75 75.5 75.2 75

14.98 506 500 100.4 100.5 99.8 107 490 499.8 4.9 990 96.5 100 1,010 1,006 1,006 99.1 102 1,000 76.5 75 75.5 75.2 75

14 506 496 100.2 100.5 98 107 490 498 4.9 902.5 95 96.6 1,010 1,005 1,004 99.1 102 990 75.05 75 75 75.2 74

PREFERRED 14 23,000 506 260 500 290 100.2 6,070 100.5 2,000 98 57,720 107 2,100 490 1,000 498 2,090 4.9 2,000,000 990 960 95 12,060 98.5 39,050 1,010 1,305 1,006 10,265 1,006 1,700 99.1 140 102 1,610 990 2,370 76.2 129,940 75 13,570 75 10,800 75.2 70,400 74 82,400

322,490 131,560 144,080 608,352 201,000 5,722,380 224,700 490,000 1,044,528 9,800,000 871,650 1,155,305 3,903,980 1,318,050 10,326,540 1,707,410 13,874 164,220 2,350,500 9,878,146 1,017,750 815,000 5,294,080 6,176,048

7,000 -99,200 -9,800,000 48,250 -

LR WARRANT

0.63

0.65

0.6

WARRANTS 0.63 40,000

24,940

-

226,690 336,150 373,100

-46,722 9,700

3,949,692.50

186,300

1,513

-

NAME

MS 19,003,878 1,048,100 952,420 1,289,310 709,888,590 117,040 4,432,170 1,028,450 13,800 10,500 9,640 31,700 358,225 20,152,152 197,350 11,828,290 395,440 84,445,450 246,780 39,600 344,710 9,000 22,850 44,744,734 4,680 140,110 587,372,150 429,510

2,499,564 -151,000 -5,600 22,750 67,908,660 -23,820 13,110.00 6,500 2,300 -246,164 -5,170,354 -5,149,770 -36,367,410 -11,580,590 13,260 -84,879,930 -318,600

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

1.8 5.8 0.49

1.9 5.99 0.54

1.6 5.65 0.46

FIRST METRO ETF

74.95

77.95

73

USD TECH B2

0.89

Trading Summary

0.89

SHARES

FINANCIAL

17,777,847

INDUSTRIAL

89,714,412

HOLDING FIRMS

92,390,859

PROPERTY

127,867,896

SERVICES

70,629,195

MINING & OIL

260,065,797

GRAND TOTAL

659,466,966

0.89

1.71 5.7 0.48

SME

136,000 58,200 760,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 73.5 52,860 0.89

DDS

1,700

VALUE 1,163.69 (up) 72.74 1,065,944,033.07 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 6,022.65 (up) 47.22 1,054,500,928.65 HOLDING FIRMS 4,602.06 (up) 166.28 1,727,368,763.34 PROPERTY 2,468.33 (up) 59.73 1,037.71 (up) 11.03 1,506,642,923.64 SERVICES MINING & OIL 3,745.47 (up) 24.60 1,260,927,938.79 PSEI 4778.76 (up) 155.34 42,205,688.002 All Shares Index 2,948.65 (down) 67.07 6,662,482,971.99 Gainers: 117; Losers: 85; Unchanged: 30; Total: 232

San Miguel defers plan to issue P60b worth of CP By Jenniffer B. Austria DIVERSIFIED conglomerate San Miguel Corp. said it will defer its planned issuance and listing of P60 billion worth of commercial paper due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19). San Miguel chief finance officer and treasurer Ferdinand Constantino said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the company had informed the Securities and Exchange Commission of the planned deferment. “The company will defer the processing of the registration statement and the issuance and listing of the P60 billion commercial papers until such time that conditions stabilize, taking into consideration the COVID- 19 outbreak and following the adoption by the Philippine government of enhanced community quarantine and stringent distancing measures over the entire island of Luzon effective 17 March 2020 until 12 April 2020,” the conglomerate said. “In view of the foregoing, we hereby waive the 45-day review period under Section 12.6 of the Securities and Regulation Code (Republic Act No. 8799). We shall advise the SEC once the company decides to continue with the registration of the commercial papers program,” it added. The SEC in February approved San Miguel’s planned P60-billion commercial paper program. San Miguel plans to offer P15 billion in the initial tranche, with an oversubscription option of up to P5 billion. The company tapped BDO Capital & Investments Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp. and SB Capital Investments Corp as joint arrangers and joint lead underwriters of the offering. Philippine Commercial Capital Inc. is the sole issue manager. The commercial paper will have a term of 363 days and will be issued in scripless form in minimum denominations of P50,000 each and multiples of P10,000 thereafter. San Miguel will use net proceeds from the offering to partially fund the redemption of Series 1 preferred shares of the company at P75 per share. The offering period was supposed to start March 23 until March 27, while issue and listing date was originally scheduled on April 3, 2020.

Alsons increased 2019 net income by 67% to P938m By Alena Mae S. Flores ALSONS Consolidated Resources Inc., the publicly-listed company of the Alcantara Group, posted a consolidated fullyear net income of P938 million in 2019, up 67 percent from P563 million in 2018. Alsons said net earnings attributable to the parent rose to P148 million in 2019 from P94 million in 2018. Consolidated revenues in 2019 grew to P6.8 billion from P6.66 billion in the previous year, driven by the operation of the 210-megawatt coal-fired baseload power plant of Sarangani Energy Corp. in Maasim, Sarangani province. The SEC plant began operating at full capacity with the start of operations of the plant’s second 105-MW Section in October 2019. SEC currently delivers power to around six million people in Sarangani, General Santos City and other parts of Mindanao. Alsons, the first private sector power generator in Mindanao currently has a portfolio of four power facilities with an aggregate capacity of 468 MW, serving over eight million people in 14 cities and 11 provinces, including key urban centers such as Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Iligan and Zamboanga City The company is building a P4.5-billion 14.5 MW, run-of -river hydro power plant at the Siguil River Basin in Maasim, Sarangani—Alsons’ first foray into the renewable energy sector. The Siguil hydro power plant is expected to begin commercial operations in 2022 and will provide power to Sarangani, General Santos City and key municipalities of South Cotabato. Alsons is also building the 105-MW baseload coal-fired power plant of San Ramon Power Inc. in Zamboanga City, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2023. Apart from power generation, the company is engaged in property development. The company is in partnership with Ayala Land Inc. in the development of Azuela Cove, a 26-hectare township project in Davao City. The first two Ayala Land Premier towers, successfully launched in 2018, are under construction.

Entertainment

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020

B3

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

GMA Network gives aid to employees during enhanced community quarantine GMA Network rolls out measures to provide financial aid to its employees amid the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Kapuso Network equally assures its workforce by catering to their financial needs while the entire Luzon is under enhanced community quarantine.

The network announced on Wednesday, March 18, that all its employees will be getting their full salaries as well as the cash equivalent of their rice benefits. These are on top of the year-round medicine allowance and health card benefits accorded to all regular employees and their eligible dependents. Meanwhile, talents and project employees will still be able to receive their

salaries on March 25 and 30, respectively. In addition, a cash advance will be made available for them for their April 10 and 15 pay-outs. While remaining true to GMA’s commitment of delivering Serbisyong Totoo to the public, the Kapuso Network equally assures its hardworking workforce by catering to their financial needs during these challenging times.

Puppeteer eyes top title in Binibining Pilipinas 2020 W

HILE the new coronavirus pandemic put on hold the activities of Binibining Pilipinas 2020 search, it has not dampened the spirit of bubbly, 26-year-old Danica Joy Peralta Acuña, one of the most promising candidates among this year’s batch.

Romblon’s pride Danica Joy Peralta Acuña is one of the promising candidates in this year’s edition of Binibining Pilipinas.

Dani, a freelance model and Theater Arts graduate of Miriam College, advocates promotion of the importance of education and children empowerment through art, like engaging kids in the art of puppetry or ventriloquy, a skill that she learned when she met a puppeteer. “I want to be remembered in my journey in Binibini as the friendliest candidate. I think my edge over the other girls is my bubbly personality,” Dani said during the meet-and-greet dinner held for her recently at the Penthouse of Platinum 1000. A runner up at Miss Scuba Philippines and former Miss Philippines Earth candidate, Dani looks up to Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray as her role model and inspiration. The beauty from Romblon is most proud of her mother’s hometown where she is spending the pageant’s break while the entire Luzon is under enhanced community quarantine. She hopes that the world would soon discover the anti-vaccine to contain the dreaded contagion.

‘Puno ng Buhay’ host Maymay Entrata

Kids at home continue to learn with Knowledge Channel WITH a whole month to spend at home, students need not stop learning because they can catch the lessons they will miss this fourth grading period on Knowledge Channel (SKYcable CH 5, SKYdirect CH 19, ABS-CBN TVplus CH 7), under its “Edukalidad sa Kalamidad Emergency Education Program.” Parents will find the lineup of shows to be perfect for their kids as the lessons are delivered in fun and easy-tolearn formats. If your children are in the elementary, they can learn Math the easy way in three shows: MathDali, where Robi Domingo and his friends discover math concepts through real-life situations; Solved!, an intermediate Math show in English; and Mathtinik, a direct instruction series for grades 1-6 math. For science and technology we have lined up the well-loved Sineskwela series for grades 3-6. Primary grade kids may learn English in Epol Apple and continue learning Filipino reading and grammar in Wikaharian, a creative mix of 2D animation, catchy tunes, funny puppets, and engaging stories that develop the children’s love for reading. They also get to learn social studies the exciting way in Pamana, Wow, Kasaysayan TV, and Salam. Younger kids can continue to learn to sing and count with Awit, Titik at Bilang na Pambata or ATBP, and develop listening, comprehension, read-

Danica with her mentors Rodgil Flores (right) and James Tiu

Joshua Garcia banners new Jollibee TVC WHO can ever resist the mouth-watering aroma of a freshly-cooked Jollibee Yumburger? Certainly not Jollibee ambassador Joshua Garcia and his friends, as we see in a brand new commercial. The tempting and alluring scent of the beefy langhap-sarap Yumburger is the star of this new TVC, as we witness exactly what it can do. As Joshua indulges in that delicious burger that’s made with 100 percent pure beef, his friends take in its goodness that’s drifting in the air—and they already know they’re about to have something unforgettably delicious. It also brings them closer together, too. “Filipinos know that the first step in enjoying a Jollibee Yumburger is taking in that first langhap of its scrumptious and savory scent, so we

wanted to pay homage to it in this new commercial,” said Cathleen Capati, Jollibee Marketing AVP for the Bestsellers Category. “Joshua Garcia definitely does a good job in showing how all of us feel when we’re about to have a really good Yumburger—it’ll make everyone crave for one right away, for sure!” You’re going to want a Yumburger after watching this new commercial! Get the Yumburger for only P35.00 or the Cheesy Yumburger for only P45.00, available for dine-in, take-out, drive-thru, and delivery at all Jollibee stores nationwide. For more info and updates on Jollibee products, like Jollibee Philippines on Facebook, subscribe to Jollibee Studios on YouTube, and follow @jollibee on Twitter and Instagram.

ing, and basic number skills in the animated series Kwentong Pambata. Meanwhile, high schoolers may catch K-High, Knowledge Channel’s first animated program about five high school students who learn math from actual daily experiences, and K-Hub, a show on practical lessons and experiments in science. They can also follow Maymay Entrata and Khalil Ramos› nature-loving educational adventures in Puno ng Buhay, and learn lots of technical and vocational skills in Pamilya Masigasig. Helping parents with their teens’ concerns is the educational talk show, Gab to Go, where hosts Mitch and Gab give advice on how to cope with their daily lives. The show weaves English lessons into discussions on values and gender concerns. For the complete schedule of the shows, parents can visit Knowledge Channel’s websitewww.knowledgechannel.org and Facebook pages: /knowledgechannel and / k nowledgecha n nelfou nd at ion. The shows may also be accessed and downloaded online at www. knowledgechannel.org and on its official YouTube Channel / knowledgechannelorg. In its commitment to serve as a vehicle for relevant information, the foundation will also continue to regularly post educational updates on the COVID-19 Pandemic via its website and social media pages. Kapamilya actor Joshua Garcia in a scene from the leading fast food chain’s latest commercial.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

B4

TOURISM AND CULTURE

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020

MERCURY RISING

Tourism in captivity

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

W

ITH the continuing increase of COVID19-infected persons and its soaring mortality rate, self-proclaimed soothsayers are quick to say that we have reached the end times. Struggling to view this crisis through rose-colored glasses, I would prefer to look at it as a wake-up call for us to realize how ill-prepared the world is to handle a pandemic.

WAITING GAME.

As the Philippine tourism industry takes a hit from the COVID-19 crisis, stakeholders work together to find ways to help mitigate the severe impact of the pandemic.

The tourism industry, here and abroad, is in a state of suspended animation—we know we have to do something, and we are doing something, but we also know it will not produce the desired results because the world is at a standstill. No amount of Harry Potter wizardry can produce the business that we, stakeholders, need very badly. Unless this virus scare blows over, we feel like we are captives in a borderless prison, feeling frustrated over being useless. However, we just cannot let this menace rule over us. So those of us heads of tourism organizations sat down to discuss thoroughly the pressing issues of the day. We also brought up several suggestions to help mitigate the severe impact of this worldwide virus scare. Thanks to our dear colleague, Bobby Joseph, chairman of the Network of Independent Travel Agencies (NITAS), we got to-Tourism gether Undersecretary at the Benito Bengzon, Jr. E l k ’s Club to come up with a position paper I n which we submitted t h e to Tourism Undersecevent that retary Benito Bengzon, Jr., the DOT does who assured us of a swift renot have enough sponse to our petitions. trainers, I volunSince nothing can be done teered the services of about the absence of business, doour members (Pacific Asia mestic and foreign, I find it best to use Travel Association) who have this “break” to further strengthen the already expressed their willingintegrity of our local tourism industry. ness to conduct such seminars. I have no doubt that once things return Towards completely eradicating the to normal, the erstwhile surge of our in- scare factor, the DOT should find a way dustry will continue, resulting in healthy to communicate effectively the procefigures for all stakeholders. dures we have in place in fighting off In anticithe effects pation, my of this visug ge st ion rus. The is for the other day, YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE Department I received What’s the best thing about Switzerland? of Toura press reI don’t know, but the flag is a big plus. ism to offer lease that free updates said: “Maand training laysian Hoseminars intels and Revolving all aspects of our industry. Top- sorts Compliant with Anti-COVID-19 ics like Tourism Laws, Tourism Finan- Medical Standards.” Something like cial Management, Sales and Marketing, this can easily put potential travelers Ticketing and Reservations, Tour Guid- at ease because they know they will be ing, etc. will definitely be beneficial for safe in the country. the staff of our tourism establishments. The nice thing about all this chaos is These seminars will further give us the that government agencies are showing competitive edge over our counterparts their true values, as they fully cooperin the neighboring countries and will ate with various sectors in need. The ensure the delivery of world-class ser- Department of Labor and Employment vice to our foreign and domestic guests. came out with the good news yesterday

Paradise awaits after the pandemic.

Nature recharges while the world is at a standstill.

that they have allocated a budget for financial assistance to be given to displaced or underemployed workers. All the tourism establishment has to do is to submit a list of these workers to the DOLE office where they belong which, in turn, will authorize Landbank to release the amount to the concerned establishment. Even workers who are still on probation may avail of this financial assistance. I guess when we are committed to continue working for the success of our tourism industry, nothing can actually hold us captive because our minds continue to fly high and come up with bright ideas and strategies that will make us overcome any challenge we are faced with. Tourism org heads strategize over lunch: (standing, from left) Ritchie Tuaño (PTAA), the For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

author (PATA), Cecil Contang (NAITAS), Racquel Sabucaldo (NAITAS), (seated, from left) Mellie Lotho (ASTA), Reena Lagdameo (WIT), Angel Ramos Bognot (NITAS), Thaemar Achacoso (NAITAS), and Maria Paz Alberto (PIATA).

Public art livens neighborhood IN SOME townships and communities, art often lands last on the list of projects and priorities, set aside to make way for other basic necessities and essential facilities. But vibrant modern metropolis are recognizing the importance of art in defining their respective character and providing platforms for conversation among its citizens. Backed by its live-work-play mantra, Filinvest City in Alabang has recognized the unique opportunity to inspire its “Cityzens” to come together by making art a part and parcel of its growth and development as a community. The Garden City of the South commissioned artists to create something that will soften the built environment and invigorate the public spaces. Among the featured works is by visual artist and sculptor Jinggoy Buensuceso, whose commissioned work entitled “Ikigai” stands proudly at the corner of Corporate and Parkway Avenues. Buensuceso honed his craft through international exposure in Singapore and New York where he was based during the early days of his career. He has collaborated with top retail companies, developers, and hotels in and out of the Philippines. The acclaimed artist, a material expert, works primarily with wood, cement, and metal. “Metal is my favorite (material). Not many artists use metal because it’s hard to manipulate but I love manipulating materials. I treat my materials like I have a relationship with them, parang may conversation,” he shares. According to the sculptor, the “Ikigai,” made of powdercoated aluminum to withstand the elements outdoors, is inspired by crumpled paper. Buensuceso explains, “Artists, architects, engineers, songwriters, poets, even lovers, use paper for writing plans or ideas. If they’re not happy with their idea, they crumple the paper and throw it away. That meaningful moment was what I wanted to capture because I consider that a journey to perfection.” The art piece is painted in the artist’s signature shade of red to depict life and emotion. Working on it for more than five months, Buensuceso says “Ikigai” is meant to serve as “food for the soul” for the people of Filinvest City. “Art is important. If you see an art piece, it evokes dif-

Acclaimed sculptor Jinggoy Buensuceso poses with his creation entitled ‘Ikigai,’ a bright red powdercoated aluminum inspired by crumpled paper.

ferent emotions, it helps you learn, and sometimes it even answers your questions. I’m happy that many companies are now investing in public art because it gives people easy access to works of art,” he says. Private developments and the local government’s decision to invest in public art have helped boost the art scene in the country. To be part of that movement is in itself, a feat for Buensuceso. He shares, “What I love about working with Filinvest is that they give me full creative freedom. For artists, that is important so they can give their heart to the pieces they are creating.” Don Ubaldo, vice president for townships, says, “Filinvest City’s masterplan is to be a central business district, but we also want to provide more than the essentials for conducting business. One of our first efforts in making Filinvest City a vibrant live-work-play community is the presence of public art.” “Having art that is freely accessible within the community not only triggers cultural consciousness but also promotes the community’s collective identity—one that instills a sense of pride, belonging, and human connection,” adds Ubaldo.