Manila Standard - 2020 March 24 - Tuesday

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PH cases hit 462, deaths climb to 33

By Macon RamosAraneta, Willie Casas, Rio N. Araja, Joel E. Zurbano and Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Health on Monday said there are now 462 confirmed cases for COVID-19 coronavirus with 82 new cases, 33 deaths and 18 recoveries.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, however, admitted the numbers could be double that because not all cases could be detected due to the limited testing capacity of the country’s labaratories.

As of Sunday, the DOH has tested at least 1,513 patients, of which 380 were positive for the novel coronavirus and 662 negative. The results of 471 patients were still pending.

“With the increasing... testing capacity, we will know the real trend of transmission in the Philippines,” Duque said.

Earlier, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said with the continuous testing, the DOH is expecting a further rise in the number of positive cases.

"We’re now catching up with our backlogs. This is because we also have extended the capacity of other laboratories," she said.

Before, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City was the only facility which had the capacity to test patients for COVID-19. Test results were released within 24 to 48 hours.

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VOL. XXXIV • NO. 50 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

STANDING FOR SOLIDARITY. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (inset) and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, with other leaders and members as well as some members of the Duterte Cabinet, stand together in a show of solidarity during the plenary of the House of Representatives Monday, while senators stand at attention during their special session with Senate President Vicente Sotto III (inset) presiding. Ver Noveno, Senate PRIB

Emergency bill approved Congress grants Duterte powers vs. virus minus 'takeover' proviso

By Maricel V. Cruz, Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo

C

ONGRESS approved late Monday night a Palacebacked measure declaring a national emergency that will enable President Rodrigo Duterte to realign funds under this year’s national budget to address the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

CAREFUL, CHURCHGOER. An unidentified churchgoer uses a hand sanitizer as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19 during a Mass at the Holy Redeemer church in Bangkok on Sunday. AFP

In a special session, lawmakers led by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano convened the House of Representatives into the committee of the whole to approve House Bill 6616, otherwise known as “Bayanihan Act of 2020” before returning to its plenary functions.

Senators, coordinating with their congressional counterparts to avoid convening a bicameral conference committee that would take days, then adopted

the House measure that lawmakers had vowed they would pass “by hook or by crook” in just one session.

The House started its session at 10 a.m. and held a marathon session to finish its deliberation on the measure, according to Rep. Eric Yap, chairman of the House appropriations committee.

TheSenate'sspecialsessionmeanttobolster the country's fight against COVID-19 Next page

Health workers need no DOH accreditation THE Palace said Monday health workers do not need accreditation from the Department of Health to be exempted from the enhanced community quarantine, which was imposed to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said health workers will only have to present their medical license or ID card issued by their employer.

He said health workers were “real life heroes” and the government would not give them a hard time over accreditation.

He also said the government has provided free shuttle service after some health workers were forced to walk due to the ban on public Next page

Pandemic toll soars, nations reel Palace mourns passing of 3 doctors due to COVID

ROME―Global emergency efforts to slow the coronavirus pandemic ratcheted up Monday with more nations and cities imposing extraordinary lockdowns, as the death toll soared towards 15,000.

From Germany banning gatherings of more than two people, New Zealand announcing a four-week lockdown and Hong Kong shutting its borders to all non-residents, the new round of containment efforts highlighted a deepening sense of panic around the world.

The Tokyo Olympics slated for July also looked increasingly likely to be postponed, with Canada announcing it would not send athletes to Japan then and Australia saying it was preparing for a one-year delay.

In the United States, President Donald

Trump ordered thousands of emergency hospital beds to be set up at coronavirus hotspots as a trillion-dollar economic rescue package crashed in the Senate.

"We're at war, in a true sense we're at war," Trump said.

The death toll from the virus surged to more than 14,400, according to an AFP tally on Sunday, with Europe the epicentre.

Italy's world-worst toll from the pandemic approached 5,500 with another 651 deaths reported on Sunday, a day after it surpassed China with the highest number of fatalities.

European nations continued to choke people movement, with Greece on Monday morning to follow Italy, Spain and France in imposing a nationwide lockNext page down.

Bats started it all—researchers

WHERE and when did the novel coronavirus, which had threatening ripples and been on a rampage in more than 100 countries, start waving its threat?

While a lot about the virus is still unknown, part of the answer to that mystery, according to several researchers in an article in Women's Health published online by Yahoo, may have to do with an animal more commonly thought of as an important part of any good Hallow-

een decoration display—the bat.

The novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan City in the central province of Hubei in China has spread across the Next page

MALACANANG on Monday mourned the passing of three doctors – a cardiologist, an anesthesiologist, and an oncologist – who contracted the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) while treating infected patients.

In a press statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo urged the public to pray for all health workers who risked their lives fighting the pandemic which has affected a total of 462 Filipinos, including 33 deaths.

“Let us join hands in solemn prayers for our health frontliners who daily put their lives on the line as they treat those who have the virus,” he said.

He also reminded health workers to look after themselves, as it was the only way they would be able to fulfill their duties Next page

FALLEN HEROES.

Malacañang has mourned the deaths of three frontline doctors— anesthesiologist Gregorio Macasaet III of Manila Doctors Hospital, cardiologist Israel Bactol from the Philippine Heart Center, and oncologist Rose Pulido of the San Juan de Dios Hospital (from left)— who succumbed to Covid-19 in the last two days. Facebook photos

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PAGCOR gives govt P12b for virus response THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) on Monday formally released P12 billion cash dividends to the National Treasury to help cushion the economic impact of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.

PAGCOR turned over the cheque a day earlier than the set date (March 24).

The amount, which comprises the agency’s 2019 cash dividends, is P5.67 billion higher than the P6.33 billion dividends that PAGCOR is required to remit, based on the agency’s 2019 financial report.

Pursuant to Republic Act 7656, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) like PAGCOR are required to remit at least 50% of their annual net earnings as cash, stock or property dividends to the national government.

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo said that with the remittance, the agency’s 2019 cash dividends was 44.74% higher than the required 50% annual net earnings of the agency.

In a letter to PAGCOR, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said PAGCOR’s remittance will “make a substantial contribution to the efforts of the national government to cushion the impact of severe drop in government revenues, brought about by the slowdown in business activities due to measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19.”

PAGCOR has earlier donated total of P2.5 billion to the national government to help curb the transmission of COVID-19 in the country.

COVID claims power bigwig Dr. Alan Ortiz

By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER industry stakeholders have mourned the loss of Dr. Alan T. Ortiz, president of the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations, who passed away in Paris early morning on Monday while he was on a business delegation in France due to complications from the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Ortiz served as the president of the non-stock, non-profit and non-partisan corporation devoted to "studies and research, information and related activities" on "vital issues of foreign policy."

His profile with the PCFR stated that Ortiz is “an avid shooter, rescue diver, big biker, and amateur photographer.”

Ortiz was also the former president of SMC Global Power Corp. and former president of state-run National Transmission Corp.

“We mourn the loss of Alan Ortiz, and pray for his soul…We thank him for his contribution to the energy sector,” said Tetchi Capellan, chief executive officer of SunAsia Energy Inc. Ortiz also also served the Philippine government as Assistant Director-General of the National Security Council, and vice-chairman and chief operating officer of the Development Bank of the Philippines, among others.

Ortiz obtained his AB Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University; his MA (cand.) in Economics from the University of the Philippines; and his Ph.D. in International Relations (With Distinction) from the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in Multinational Enterprise and Economic Development at Penn’s Wharton School.

“Alan was a brilliant and articulate Filipino all around executive and public official, He is a loss to our people.” Art Aguilar, BioPower Group president said.

“We are saddened at the news of the passing of Dr. Alan Ortiz, former president of our SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. His passion and commitment guided SMC Global Power in its formative years. He made a deep and lasting impact not just on our organization, but also to many employees who worked with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time," SMC said.

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including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, and is described as the product of natural evolution, according to findings them, quoting the journal Nature Medicine.

Word from researchers How did bats get the novel coronavirus in the first place? It's unclear exactly how bats picked up novel coronavirus, but researchers do know they carry it and are the reason it's been passed on to humans.

COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease, which means it is caused by an animal virus that has been picked up by humans, explains

Palace debunks lockdown yarn Palace spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the false advisory posted in the social media is “fake news” which claimed President Rodrigo Duterte would announce a nationwide lockdown next week, including all wet markets, to stop people from going out of their homes.

A screenshot of a message claiming that Malacañang will be declaring a lockdown spread like wildfire on Facebook and other platforms.

This prompted Senator Win Gatchalian on Monday to describe the persistent

spread of disinformation over cyberspace amid a public health emergency as a "pandemic worse than the coronavirus disease."

He said both the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) should expedite their investigations to track down, sue, and lock up fake newsmongers over the Internet “who sow panic and confusion in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.”

Puttong fake news peddlers behind bars, Gatchalian said, would send a message that

those who spread disinformation will not get away it.

Panelo advised the public to be more discerning when using social media as it denied the lockdown rumors.

“Absolutely not true. Stop believing false news and information,” he said.

Panelo said people should not readily believe what they read on social media, adding that false information will only create panic, confusion, and fear.

“We denounce the proliferation of such false narratives,” he said.

“We encourage our people to keep calm and stay vigilant. Rest assured that the government is here to protect everyone and is working for their safety and well being,” the spokesman added.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles likewise said it is fake news. Senator Christopher “Bong” Go also denied any government plan of an impending nationwide

Emergency...

"That''s what special power means for example: the power to direct businesses if they don't want to obey the government," he said.

"In the draft, it's not 'take over' ― but as last resort, if they don't cooperate, that's when government will take over because that's in the Constitution. But we changed that, including the wording, to simply 'direct' businesses,” Cayetano added.

Also on Monday, the Department of Justice on Monday justified the inclusion of a “take-over provision” in the proposed emergency powers being sought by Malacanang to address the COVID-19 crisis.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the temporary take-over powers provision is allowed under Article XII, Section 17 of the Constitution.

Section 17 provides that “In times of national emergency, when the public interest so requires, the state may, during the emergency and under reasonable terms prescribed by it, temporarily take over or direct the operation of any privately-owned public utility or business affected with public interest.”

Guevarra said his role was to ensure that provisions of the emergency powers bill would stand on solid constitutional ground.

“It is prudent to have it in the bill now rather be caught unprepared should things suddenly deteriorate, God forbid,” he added.

In observing social distancing protocols, only 20 congressmen were allowed to physically attend the session while about 298 House members participated in the plenary deliberations through teleconferencing.

HB6616 also allows the President to “direct the operation of “private hospitals, health facilities, hotels and other similar establishments to House health workers, serve as quarantine areas or quarantine centers, medical relief and aid distribution locations or other temporary medical facilities.”

The bill also proposes to allow the President to direct the operation of public transportation systems to carry health, emergency and frontline personnel, and other persons.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea addressed fears over the power to take over private utilities.

“Even as originally worded, the intent of the proposal was to simply grant the government a standby power,” Medialdea said.

But Medialdea said the executive does not consider it necessary for such a power “to be exercised at all times because the establishments that are needed to deal with this crisis have, to their credit, been mostly cooperating with government.”

“The power to take over is intended merely as a stand-by power in the event the crisis reaches its worse, when our most critical institutions are nearing a total shutdown, and government is left with no choice but to take over these establishments," he said.

In a speech at the start of the session, Medialdea said the Duterte administration has the track record of not abusing emergency powers as evidenced by the declaration of martial law in Mindanao when the bandit Maute Group attempted to take over Marawi City.

In a radio interview, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said daily wage earners displaced by the lockdown are given the minimum wage for 10 days in exchange for disinfecting their homes and communities.

DOLE has set aside P180 million for an emergency employment program which will be offered to 16,000 informal sector workers.

“We will distribute disinfectants, give them to those in the list who will disinfect their homes, their street, and their neighbors' houses. They do that for 10 days, mininum wage of P300. Here in Manila it's P537, the Labor chief said. – Vito Barcelo DTI says food supply is enough There is enough supply of food to last until the end of the enhanced community quarantine, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Monday.

“Production continues, so we are covered until after the quarantine,” Lopez said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview over radio dzBB. Lopez issued the statement after the

Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) warned of a possible "severe shortage" of canned goods by next month, as inventories could only last for two weeks.

PAMPI cited logistical issues given the implementation of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, which restricts travel within the region in efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Poor should be taken into account The government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic should take into account the poor and the marginalized that have long been disadvantaged by the country's health system, health policy students and faculty members of the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila said.

Current measures do not fully consider the urban poor, who cannot practice social distancing in their dense communities and daily wage earners who risk their lives to provide for their families, according to the University of the Philippines-Manila Master of Arts in Health Policy Studies (Health Social Sciences) Program.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday announced the ban on gatherings of more than two people. She did so while in quarantine herself because she had met an infected doctor.

Like in Europe and elsewhere around the globe, the lockdowns have decimated the tourism industry.

"That was heartbreaking. We have made a huge investment preparing for a successful tourism season," hotel owner Tamriko Sikharulidze told AFP in Tbilisi after Georgia declared a state of emergency over the weekend.

Pope plea Police patrolled the deserted streets of Rome on the weekend, while checks were carried out on Italian beaches after local officials complained people were defying isolation orders by catching some time in the sun.

In his weekly prayer, streamed online to avoid attracting crowds, the Pope urged all Italians to follow isolation measures "for the good of us all."

Spain's prime minister said he would ask parliament to extend a 15-day state of emergency, which bars people from leaving home unless absolutely essential, until April 11.

Spain recorded close to 400 new fatalities Sunday, bringing the total to 1,720, suggesting the lockdown was failing to be effective. Opera star Placido Domingo said he had tested positive.

Residents across France, where the death toll jumped to 674, remained shut in their homes.

A curfew was imposed in some regions and the mayor of Paris called for even more drastic confinement measures in a city under lockdown.

Britain inched towards similar measures as Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the country was a couple of weeks behind regis-

tering similar numbers to Italy.

Great Depression fears In the United States, more than a third of Americans were under various forms of lockdown, including in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, but the number of infections in the country has continued to climb.

Highlighting the desperation inside the world's biggest economy, the mayor of New York said his city was just 10 days away from running out of ventilators.

And a trillion-dollar Senate proposal to revive the US economy crashed Sunday after receiving zero support from Democrats, further traumatising investors who are watching stock markets implode worldwide.

Asian markets were hammered on Monday, and European stocks followed with a drop of four percent at the open, as they absorbed the failed US stimulus effort and the barrage of other bad news from across the world.

Richard J. Kuhn, PhD, a professor of biological sciences at Purdue University.

By Kuhn’s estimate, about 80 percent of viruses that exist are zoonotic viruses, and they work in both directions: animals can pass them to humans, and humans can pass them back to animals.

The novel coronavirus that caused this current outbreak comes from a family of zoonotic viruses. Viruses from this family have been passed to humans from animals before and usually result in coldand flu-like respiratory symptoms for humans.

But the illnesses they cause can also lead to death in animals, according to a study from the University of California, Berkeley.

However, researchers have found that when bats contract these viruses, their particularly strong immune systems prevent them from getting sick or dying from the infections.

This means they can continue to carry and pass on the virus, whereas other animals that contract it may get sick and die, and therefore are less likely to pass it on.

The analysis of public genome sequence data from SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses also found no evidence that the virus was made in a laboratory or otherwise engineered.

Bat's immune system strong The UC Berkeley researchers found that a bat’s immune system is so strong, in fact,

that when a virus infects a bat, the animal’s immune system response is thought to cause the virus to adapt and replicate even faster.

That means when the virus infects an animal with a weaker immune system (let’s say a human), the virus is able to wreak havoc.

One of the reasons bats have such strong immune systems is thought to be the fact that they can fly, according to the UC Berkeley study.

When they fly, bats elevate their metabolic rates to a level that would hurt other mammals, but for bats, helped them develop an immune system that is able to quickly repair the cell damage caused by flight, the researchers found.

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

alacañang on Monday denied reports that the government will impose a nationwide lockdown next week and ration food to contain the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

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was stalled for about two hours on Monday due to a lack of quorum, as six senators from both administration and opposition were either self-quarantined or in the provinces and thus unable to make the session.

"The absence of the minority bloc in the special session is not a boycott," Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon stressed in a text message.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, and Social Welfare Rolando Bautista also attended the session as resource persons.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday said there was no mention of emergency powers in the Senate verison of the bill.

“The copy they're talking about was a draft; it was drafted by some lawyers," he sald.

Under the Senate version filed by Sotto on Monday, the executive branch will be only be allowed to use additional funds to provide aid for some 18 million indigent families, the Senate president said.

He said each indigent family is expected to receive about P8,000 monthly for two months.

"There will be oversight. Congress will have oversight. They should not be worried because there are safeguards,” Sotto added.

Cayetano, on the other hand, said their version might include special powers for Duterte “as a last resort.”

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tansporation during the Luzon-wide lockdown.

Masks not needed to go shopping The government said there is no regulation that says shoppers must wear face masks to enter a supermarket.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles issued this statement after some groceries began denying entry to shoppers who were not wearing face masks.

Supermarkets and other establishments are only required to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease, he said.

Jobless workers tapped for disinfecting Informal sector workers who have temporarily lost their livelihood will be given temporary disinfecting jobs due to the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon, the Department of Labor and Employment said Monday.

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lockdown, calling the information a classic example of fake news.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has already warned the public that fake news peddlers could be charged for violating Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The law provides for an imprisonment of six to 12 years to those found guilty.

Gatchalian said that a Cebu-based optometrist, for instance, who allegedly spread a false report on COVID-19 was sued for violating Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 6 and Section 4 (c) 4 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The senator noted that another fake news story that recently went viral is an alleged statement from the United States (US) State Department, which warns of potential looting incidents in Luzon during the monthlong lockdown period.

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On Friday, the DOH designated four other laboratories for testing COVID-19.

They are San Lazaro Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila; Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, and Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.

Vergeire said the DOH will also put up testing centers in Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City and Bicol Public Health Laboratory in Legazpi City.

Vergeire said the DOH is now able to conduct almost 1,000 tests for COVID-19 every day after several sub-national laboratories became operational.

Duque also said at least seven laboratories now have the capacity to conduct testing. He said testing kits have been pouring in from different countries such as China, South Korea, and Singapore amid a global shortage.

With only 98 personal protective equipment (PPE) suits and isolation gowns, the Lung Center of the Philippines called for donations of after it was designated by the government as among the country’s dedicated COVID-19 hospitals.

Dr. Antonio Ramos, head of the hospital’s administrative services division, warned that at the end of the day they will have nothing and their doctors and other health workers would be endangered.

Besides PPE suits, he said the Lung Center of the Philippines also needs isolation gowns. For the suits, he said Filipino doctors would fit in size medium to large suits.

Ramos said those who can deliver the suits to the hospital can simply drop them off at their donation desk by the entrance.

He also said they are now trying to set up a private fund so they can buy from private suppliers even if the prices have gone up to P3,000 per suit from just P500 before the COVID-19 became a pandemic.

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.

“We must all take care of ourselves because in doing so we take care of others,” he said.

Cardiologist Israel Bactol from the Philippine Heart Center, anesthesiologist Gregorio Macasaet III of Manila Doctors Hospital, and oncologist Rose Pulido of the San Juan de Dios Hospital succumbed to Covid-19 in the last two days.

The Philippine Heart Association, in a statement on Sunday, announced Bactol's passing, describing him as "a young, brilliant, promising doctor" and a "casualty of this war."

“It is a sad day for the whole association as we have lost one of our own in the fight against Covid. He is a casualty of this war. We honor him as he lost his young life while fulfilling his duties as a doctor, a young cardiologist, and a dedicated member of PHA," the PHA said.

Manila Doctors Hospital, in a separate statement, confirmed Macasaet's passing, who was dubbed as "one of the best anesthesiologists in our country."

“No words can convey the depth of our sadness as we lost not just a doctor but a friend, colleague, co-worker, father, and husband. He had impacted the lives of his patients at Manila Doctors and his fellow doctors and the nurses who worked beside him," the Manila Doctors said.

The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila also issued a statement on the death of a College of Medicine alumnus, who was a doctor to the barrio.

"He was a scholar whose humble beginnings guided his future. He was a doctor to the barrio and a hero," the PLM statement read.

It is not clear if the PHA member and the PLM alumnus were the same persons.

Reports showed that there were also several doctors in critical condition while health workers and medical staff were made to undergo quarantine after exposure to infected patients.

The Medical City president and chief executive officer Dr. Eugenio Jose Ramos said almost 150 health workers of the hospital exposed to Covid-19 were also made to undergo quarantine.

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P3.50 rollback applied by PH’s oil firms

By Alena Mae S. Flores

HE country’s oil firms implemented another hefty price rollback of as much P3.50 per liter effective Tuesday, March 24, to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

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The oil firms cut the price of gasoline and kerosene by P3.50 per liter and diesel by P2 per liter.

“Petron will implement the following price rollbacks effective 6 a.m. on March 24: P3.50/li for gasoline;

P2.00/li for diesel; and P3.50/li for kerosene. These reflect movements in the international oil market,” Petron Corp.,” the country’s biggest oil firm said.

Other oil firms also cut pump

prices namely Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Philippines, Seaoil Philippines, Total Philippines, PetroGazz and PTT Philippines also cut pump prices.

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines cut pump prices ahead of the other oil firms starting 6am on March 21, implementing a rollback of P2 per liter for diesel and P3 per liter for gasoline.

This is the third consecutive weekly oil price rollback as countries become severely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19.

World oil prices plunged in the past weeks after Russia rejected the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) call for deeper production curbs in the wake of the COVID-19 global demand drop.

This prompted Riyadh and the UAE to say they would both ramp up output to record levels.

For its part, Russia is set to fully return to production levels reached before the OPEC+ deal in October 2018, restoring about 200,000 barrels per of production.

Salceda wants ‘Pantawid Quarantine’ assistance

IN BRIEF City of Dreams donates P50m MELCO Resorts (Philippines) Foundation Corp.

(MRP Foundation), the charitable arm of City of Dreams Manila’s developer, Melco Resorts and Entertainment (Philippines) Corp., in coordination with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), is donating P50 million worth of food packs for the government’s food relief efforts during the Enhanced Community Quarantine across Luzon.

This is “in unison with the national government’s and private sector’s collective efforts in combatting the COVID-19 coronavirus and to aid fellow Filipinos affected by the pandemic,” the company said in a statement Monday.

The donation consists of 125,000 food packs each containing rice, canned goods, noodles and water, which aims to help vulnerable families tide over the challenges during the quarantine period. The skeleton workforce who are on property are helping pack the bags that will be immediately turned over to the Office of the President.

“We are heeding the call to lend a helping hand in mitigating the economic situation of those most in need during this temporary COVID-19 crisis. Hand in hand through the spirit of bayanihan, we’re one with the government and other private sectors as we do our part in combatting this pandemic,” City of Dreams Manila’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Benning said on behalf of MRP Foundation.

Benning also thanked PAGCOR Chairman Andrea Domingo for the swift approval of the release of the funds.

Earlier, the resort also donated ample bottles of water to the Parañaque city government, and food packs for the city’s Disaster and Rescue team and the Local Health Office. It is currently lending its fleet of seven buses to help transport health workers in and around the city under the direction of the city government.

MVP Group backs COVID frontliners MORE efforts to help health workers at the frontlines of the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak have been undertaken by Tulong Kapatid, the consortium of the corporate social responsibility consortium of companies, foundations, and affiliates led by businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan.

Roxas Holdings, Inc., recently turned over 4,000 liters of 70% ethyl alcohol from Roxol Bionergy Corp. to frontline health workers of key government hospitals, including facilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The alcohol shipment was delivered to the Philippine Navy and the Malacañang Palace through the Manuel L. Quezon University in Quiapo, Manila.

An allocation was also deployed at the Asian Hospital under the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. for distribution to other MPIC hospitals which are also handling COVID-19 cases.

The ethyl alcohol donation was brought to Metro Manila through the assistance of the Metropac Movers, Inc., PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) and the Makati Medical Center Foundation.

“This is the initial delivery. More are coming. We are exerting all efforts to get supplies of materials and equipment that are badly needed in protecting our health workers but are very difficult to secure. This is critical in the fight against COVID-19,” said PLDT and MPIC Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan.

SEAOIL discounts for docs, med pros FOR medical frontliners with their own vehicles, SEAOIL announced Monday that a P5.00 gasoline and P3.00 diesel discount in selected stations across the country has been made available.

These frontliners include medical professionals and technicians, hospital and clinic staff, uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippine, Philippine National Police and Coast Guards, and local government officials, health workers, and quarantine enforcers.

Selected stations now continue to stay open where possible, allowing customers to still get their fuel and lube requirements without hassle, the company said in a statement.

Service crew are equipped with proper safety gear, hygiene kits and protocols to ensure their health and safety while on duty.

To avail of the discount or fuel assistance, the driver of the vehicle must present an ID that verifies their profession. Vehicles that are properly marked such as ambulances, military and police vehicles used for COVID mobilization efforts also qualify even with the absence of a frontliner.

“SEAOIL is committed to helping our frontliners #ConquerCOVID19. We have utilized our resources to help our employees and the community. Keeping our stations open where possible, is one way to ensure our frontliners get to where they are needed,” said Glenn Yu, SEAOIL CEO. He added that SEAOIL is actively working with partners to extend their free and discounted fuel supply where it is most needed.

SEAOIL is also providing free fuel assistance to partner hospitals nationwide, logistics groups including GrabBayanihan, and Ube Express, the free shuttle service of Kaya Natin, among others.

SEAOIL, the leading independent fuel company in the country, is one with the nation in combating the COVID-19 virus to minimize its impact on people’s lives. The company has allocated P10 million in free fuel and discounts to support the frontliners from hospitals, LGUs and transport groups.

Saudi Aramco also bared plans to raise its output capacity to more than 12 million bpd starting April.

Last March 14 to 17, the oil companies implemented price rollbacks of P4.25 per liter for gasoline and diesel, and P4.35 to P4.50 per liter for kerosene.

Year-to-date adjustments stands now at a net decrease of P9.35 per liter for gasoline, P11 per liter for diesel and P12.79 per liter for kerosene, according to latest data from the Energy Department.

HELPING HANDS. Johnnies-on-the-spot – from Antipolo City to Paranaque City to the De La Salle University campus in Manila, show their spirit of solidarity with their countrymen while COVID-19 continues its rampage nationwide. In Antipolo, thousands of food pack are ready for distribution at Barangay Bagong Nayon multipurpose covered court while relief goods make an encouraging sight in Paranaque City, with 69 homeless individuals from Metro manila find refige at the DLSU campus in Manila where they are quarantined. PNA, Norman Cruz

Barbers wants POGOs P50-b unpaid taxes collected

By Maricel V. Cruz

SURIGAO del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Monday told the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

(PAGCOR) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue to collect the P50 billion unpaid taxes by licensed Chinese-owned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and use the funds to be collected in the fight against the spread of the dreaded corona virus “that came from China anyway.”

“If only the PAGCOR and BIR could compel these POGOs from paying their tax due of P50 billion in 2019, that would be sufficient enough for use in the fight against Coronavirus-19. There is no more need for Congress to enact laws and for the government to secure loans to fight the virus.”

Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, urged Pag-

cor and BIR to dun Chinese-owned POGOs in the wake of a PAGCOR press release that POGO operators have donated P150 million in the campaign stem the spread of COVID19 and provide treatement for the victims.

“While we appreciate and are grateful for the much-needed donation, it is just a miniscule part of the taxes they owed to the Philippine government.

Perhaps now is the perfect timing for them to pay their taxes. And that’s P50 billion. Let us not be fooled by a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” he said.

At a Senate hearing on February 10, lawyer Sixto Dy Jr. Office of the Deputy Internal Revenue Commissioner for Operations, said majority of the 60 licensed POGO operators failed to pay an estimated P50 billion in withholding, income and franchise taxes in 2019.

“Aside from non-payment of billions

of pesos in taxes, these POGOs brought social ills and crimes,” Barbers said.

These POGO operations, he said, could be used by Chinese drug and other crime syndicates as tool for money laundering, and are blamed for other illegal activities such as the kidnapping of gamblers who fail to pay their debts to financiers, prostitution, human trafficking, murder, online fraud, tax fraud, drug trafficking, among others.

Barbers said the Department of Health and the various private and government hospitals in the country, including the doctors, nurses and other concerned health workers badly needed funds to procure medical protective gears, testing kits, among others, to help them in their jobs to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 that originated in the science research center in Wuhan, Hubei province.

ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, chair of House Ways and Means Committee has proposed a cash transfer assistance for the poorest 20 percent of the Luzon population bound to be affected by the government’s enhanced community quarantine against the COVID-19 threat.

In a recent aide memoire to the House leadership, Salceda said his proposed “Pantawid Family Quarantine” Program, a mass-based social mitigating measure, involves, among others, a “13th Month” cash grant for recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and a full-year advance to Unconditional Cash Transfers (UCT) beneficiaries, within the quarantine period.

The lawmaker, who was first among his colleagues to propose a lockdown against the rise in COVID-19 infections, said “the poorest 20 percent of the population will be unable to survive the enhanced community quarantine without significant national government assistance, considering that most of their employment is informal and hence hampered by the Luzon-wide mobility restrictions.”

In a separate radio interview, Salceda said “keeping poor people in their homes involves keeping them within a decent level of subsistence. Kailangan mabigyan ng mga insentibo ang publiko upang mapasunod sila ng maayos (They need incentives to enablem to follow) the ordered enhanced community quarantine.”

“Ensuring compliance with the enhanced quarantine’s restrictions among those who cannot support themselves is absolutely critical in denying the virus room to grow. Without any means of income substitution, earners from lowest income families will be forced to work and possibly become vectors for infection, just to make ends meet,” he stressed.

The proposal has two components: 1) 13th month 4Ps grant worth Php 6 billion for 2.54 million 4Ps family beneficiaries in Luzon and; 2) full-year advance of P3,600 per family of 6.2 million UCT recipients under the TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) law, who are mostly informal families.

Salceda said the advantages of these two would be: 1) they are funded in the 2020 GAA; 2) they are well targeted to the lowest 50% of the poor; 3) the beneficiaries are welllisted and qualified; and 4) the Department of Social Welfare and Development has experience and technical capacity in disbursing it.

“These two combined, will benefit more than 8 million families, or two-thirds out of the 12 million poorest families, with a balance of 4 million – the middle-middle class up to the top 10%,” he added

Gov’t continues providing shuttle buses for OFWs

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE government continues providing shuttle bus services to assist departing and arriving overseas Filipino workers going to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Manila International Airport Authority officials said seven buses were mobilized to pick up OFWs at the NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 3 for transport to designated dropoff points in Dau, Pampanga; Calamba, Laguna; and within the National Capital Region.

Last week, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in close coordination with the Manila airport authority launched “Hatid-Sundo sa Stranded OFWs” to provide free transport service to OFWs and their families affected

by the public land travel restriction as the entire Luzon was placed under the enhanced community quarantine and state of calamity due to the threat of coronavirus disease 2019.

But due to localized lockdown implemented by various provinces, some OWWA shuttle buses encountered challenges in transporting the OFWs to the designated drop-off points.

Despite some issues encountered at the local checkpoints, OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac expressed optimism that affected OFWs will be provided with necessary assistance.

“This a national emergency and in our effort to help we will encounter challenges.

This is not the time to get bogged down by these challenges. Let us all move forward and continue our efforts”, said Cacdac.

QUARANTINE PASS. A freeloader shows Monday her Quarantine Pass – given to

people by their respective barangays to enable holder (one per household) to go out of holder’s house while the main island of Luzon is under lockdown – while scrounging for discarded items along Marcos Highway in Antipolo City in the eastern outskirts of the national capital. Teddy Pelaez

2 MMDA ranking officials go on self-quarantine—following DOH protocol TWO ranking officials of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority went on self-quarantine after learning one of the persons attended their meeting last week got infected with the coronavirus disease.

“Following Department of Health’s protocols, MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia is now in self-quarantine after learning that a COVID-19 positive person was present in a meeting he at-

tended last week,” the agency’s Public Information Office stated in its advisory released to members of the media Monday.

Garcia is confident he will not get infected because he is strictly practicing precautionary measures like wearing a face mask, proper handwashing, and good hygiene.

Meanwhile, MMDA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Pircelyn Pialago in

a viber message sent to reporters said she also went on self-quarantine.

“As advised by our General Manager Jojo Garcia, I am one of those who need to self-quarantine since I attended a meeting where another attendee later tested positive for Covid-19” she said. “The GM himself was at the same meeting and is also doing selfquarantine.”

This is part of the protocol to stop the

spread of the disease, according to Pialago.

“I ask those I have been personally in contact with, please do the same, as you may be at risk. Please don’t underestimate Covid-19 and make sure to carry out proper hygiene and health measures,” she added.

Pialago clarified “Hindi pa po magpapa-test. Priority po muna iyung may mga symptoms.” Joel E. Zurbano

A4

Opinion

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

It will get worse AS OF this writing, over 300 people in the Philippines have been infected with COVID-19. Over 20 have died. It seems things will get worse before they get better.

...before it gets better.

With the lockdown in Luzon and elsewhere, people are told to stay at home and observe social distancing. This is to avoid community-level transmission. Students and workers are quarantined. Everything is closed except supermarkets and drugstores.

Checkpoints are very much around, and those who have no business entering Metro Manila are banned. However, cargo trucks bearing essentials are allowed.

At least, with the order on barangays to distribute passes to families, my wife and I can now have our food and medicine.

During the Japanese occupation, life was really hard—it was pure survival.

My family and I stayed in Manila and then went to Northern Luzon to join my two elder brothers who were in the guerrilla movement. I became a bootblack just to earn a few pesos for my daily snacks and watch stage shows.

Still, believe it or not, life was still easier then than today with the threat of the virus.

The only difference is that then, when you saw Japanese soldiers, you had to bow to them. If you did not, you get slapped. I did get slapped when I was living in Quiapo; I forgot to bow.

At least, then, we knew who the enemy was. Now our common enemy is unseen.

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

During the Japanese occupation we could but food and other essentials, unlike now where only one family member can go out of the house.

Now, too, we are worried we would get infected wherever we are. The risk is so much greater for the elderly like me. COVID-19 could be the Angel of Death for many senior citizens!

What is tragic is that if a member of the family gets infected, he or she must be isolated and nobody is allowed to visit. If the person dies, he or she has to be cremated right away. Imagine you cannot even see your loved one at his or her deathbed.

The World Health Organization says that it may take 18 months before a cure is discovered. Santa Banana, this means that the lockdown may still be extended! Until when, nobody knows.

But while the bulk of the people is struggling these days, there is a silver lining. Some taipans like the Sy family are doing their best to do their part in helping those in need, even granting free rent to their mall tenants. Ramon Ang supplies food items and much-needed alcohol to help prevent the spread of the virus. Lucio Tan provides alcohol as well as other disinfectants. The Ayalas are not collecting rent. Other taipans doing similar deeds are Razon, Pangilinan and Tan. The owners of McDonald’s and Jollibee are also doing their share.

If we Filipinos do not help one another, who will? It is important that we get through this crisis together.

For mass media, we should set aside the thought of profits and simply perform our vocation. *** Meanwhile, what about POGOs? They seem to be the exception in this lockdown. They continue to operate and Pagcor tells our President that we need their money. Duterte should stop them altogether. Money is not everything, Santa Banana!

Indeed, we are living in dangerous times.

A disturbing development

S

INCE the Luzon-wide lockdown began, Filipinos were told that they should stay home to stay safe from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The mayor adds that there are more than just three cases—but she has been unable to say how many more COVID-19-positive patients have been sent home.

The practice has serious implications for entire communities in the city, as this may make their families and neighbors more vulnerable to the disease. Households in poorer districts, for example, may be unable to keep their infected kin in the isolation required to protect everybody else in the same house.

The practice, apparently, is covered by a Department of Health memorandum that states “persons under investigation (PUIs) and positive COVID-19 patients who exhibit mild symptoms with no co-morbidities and are non-elderly are advised to be sent home for strict self-isolation and close monitoring by local health authorities.”

The Department of Interior and Local Government, meanwhile, has issued a memorandum directing all barangays to set up isolation facilities

Now that advice seems suspect, given reports that hospitals in Metro Manila, already stretched to their limits, are sending home patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 for self-quarantine.

“In the past, when you test positive, they pick you up, they take you in into a facility,” said Mayor Joy Belmonte, who says she knows of at least three COVID-19 patients who were asked to go home in Quezon City. “But what happens now is that when you test positive, you're just told that you just go home and you self-quarantine.”

Two of the patients who were sent home to Quezon City had actually sought admission in hospitals in Manila and Taguig.

for cases that need not be immediately admitted to hospitals.

But not all barangays are able to comply, and those that do likely do not have enough space to safely isolate more than a handful of patients.

The situation highlights how unprepared our health care system is to deal with a deluge of infectious patients—and how urgent action is required now, before more COVID-positive patients are sent home for self-isolation with uncertain results.

“In an ideal situation, all COVID positives should be in an institution, or institutionalized in a hospital, but the problem is that there's really a lack of bed spaces in all our hospitals now,” the Quezon City mayor says.

Clearly, this is a problem beyond the expertise and resources of local government units. The national government must step in to quickly address the dire shortage of hospital beds, a problem that threatens to thwart all the benefits we hoped to gain from the Luzon-wide lockdown.

Government during plagues

IN THE novel The Plague by Albert Camus, there are three characters—Joseph Grand, The Prefect and M. Othon—who represent how government officials respond to pestilence. In this coronavirus pandemic, their responses are mirrored by today’s officials.

First let us examine Joseph Grand.

He is a 50-year-old clerk working for the city government. A poorly paid government functionary, he leads an austere life. When the plague started to ravage the city of Oran, Grand joins a team of volunteers, acting as its general secretary, recording all the statistics.

He is described as "the true embodiment of the quiet courage that inspired the sanitary groups." Grand also catches the plague himself but thankfully recovers.

Second, The Prefect. He believed at first that the talk of plague is a false alarm. He plays it safe so that when things do not work out, he will not be made to account. He waits for somebody to give the order. But as soon as the effects of the plague become undeniable, he finally takes responsibility for tightening up the regulations and issuing the order to close the town.

Many government leaders are much like The Prefect—they tried to play down the crisis as long as possible, refused to make decision, prioritized the economy at the expense of human health, and were forced to capitulated and take the necessary containment and mitigation measures only because the emergency has become too big and a potential catastrophe begins staring them in the face. Wuhan, Northern Italy, the Philippines, the USA, Spain, etc. would not be where they are now if only leaders acted early and decisively.

Finally, there is M. Othon, the magistrate of Oran. He treats his wife and children unkindly, but after his son dies of the plague, his character softens. He contracts the plague and dies.

M. Othon today lives in officials who passively and helplessly wait for what will unfold next, paralyzed by their

own circumstances.

Thankfully, in this country, we have more Joseph Grands than Prefects and Othons.

There are six real frontliners in the war vs COVID-19. Many of them are like Grand, selfless servants of the people, but some act more like The Prefect and M. Othon—hesitant, reluctant, unable to make sacrifices.

First, there are our heroic health workers—doctors, nurses, medical technologists, and support staff who work in public and private health facilities and chaplains, ministers, and religious that serve the sick. Every day, they are out there treating patients, saving lives, and accompanying the dying, they risk their health and lives.

Ordinary people can do extraordinary things. When this is over, never again will doctors and nurses be a butt of jokes or of snide remarks about how many of them just want to go abroad to get rich.

Joseph Grand, The Prefect, and M. Othon Second, there are local government officials—from governors, mayors, and barangay leaders to their staff— who is the main presence of government in most places. In Metro Manila, I would include Mayors Vico Sotto, Isko Moreno, Rex Gatchalian, Francis Zamora, Abby Binay, and Joy Belmonte. Mayor Joy has been criticized in social media but I think that is more due to politics and sexism than any major inadequacy on her part. These officials, including many in the provinces, are like Grand.

We need more not less local autonomy in the response to COVID-19.

Diminishing their powers and role, even for the theoretically laudable goal of a unified approach, is counterproductive. In an archipelago, a national framework to respond to a big disaster but it must be flexible to allow local leaders to adapt and innovate as their particular situation might require.

Third, some national officials who Turn to A5

Why not on-site COVID-19 test kits?

AS THE number of deaths from COVID-19 continues to rise, why can't the Department of Health prioritize the immediate procurement of on-site test kits for possible infections?

With some barangays already placed under total lockdown because of the alarming number of suspected COVID-19 cases in the country, "that's where the on-site test kits play their most important role, as people need not go to hospitals and laboratories since the tests may be conducted in their own homes," said Nico delos Angeles, country representative of Hero Pass, one of the frontline companies in China's fight against the virus as distributor of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech's COVID-19 test kits in Macau and Hong Kong.

In a letter to Dr. Rolando Enrique D. Domingo, Director General of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), delos Angeles appealed for an exemption from product registration for Covid-19 test kits and for it to be allowed to undertake the direct importation of Wondfo Biotech's Covid-19 on-site test kits.

The Wondfo test kits have already been approved by China's Food and

Drug Administration as well as the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The test kits have also received the CE mark for Europe.

"Our COVID-19 testing kit does not use the Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) method but the lateral flow method. I also understand

We should try them here. that the WHO and DOH only uses the PCR method to account for the confirmed cases in the country. However, this does not diminish the need and use of our product," delos Angeles pointed out.

"The lateral flow method does not require a laboratory to interpret the

results and can be deployed at the barangay level as first-level screening by conducting it in the homes of people. It can be deployed to save the PCR tests for those who are already confirmed positive," explained delos Angeles.

"There are valid arguments for the lateral flow method as you will only test positive on the second or third from the onset of the symptoms. First, you will only complain or seek a doctor when you have symptoms to begin with. Second, since it is simple to use as I can take the test with my household and if negative, I will not take the test after 2-3 days later to confirm if we are indeed negative. This will at least confirm that we are negative for the time being," he stated.

"For first liners such as police, military and medical professionals, I would take the test once a week because you never know when you were accidentally infected.

"As for the PCR method, although it is more accurate and is what is required by the WHO and DOH, I have concerns over the logistics and implementation.

First, we only have four laboratories in the country which will be receiving all Turn to A5

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Opinion

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Week Two LAST week I grieved the passing of Nida Paqueo, the second local virus fatality, wife of my fraternity brother and FEF colleague Dr. Vic Paqueo who himself is still struggling to recover—my wife’s and my friends over the decades from UP and from postings around the world.

She was quickly followed by Dr. Aileen Baviera, a China expert and former UP dean whose late husband used to do international work for the NDF. This week was the turn of another FEF colleague to merit my prayers—Dr Alan Ortiz, who passed away yesterday in Paris after contracting the disease during a business trip through China and Russia. A former Napocor president, he had just finished co-writing a comprehensive water sector reform bill similar to the EPIRA law he drafted as a principal author two decades ago to reform the power sector. I knew this Ateneo product less well than Vic, but the two shared the same intellectual curiosity and passion for reforms.

There are other friends who are in their sickbeds, some of them in critical shape.

I’m sure all of us by now have similar stories to tell about being touched this way by the epidemic. They’re touching reminders of the fragility, as well as the interconnectedness, of our human condition. *** As we enter the second week of the lockdown, a number of perhaps hitherto unfelt realities seem to be taking shape at least before my eyes.

One is the resilience of our people— often remarked, often insulted, but now so essential to our common survival. So far there has been no looting or rioting in the streets—though it may still be too early, after just one week, to rejoice over that. The streets are empty, the skies are clearer, the self-deprecatory humor that keeps the Filipino spirit afloat can be

found everywhere online.

A second is everybody’s generosity. It isn’t just the big-time generosity of the tycoons who’ve collectively donated a billion and a half pesos to date. It’s also the open-handedness of ordinary folks who organize food runs or medical donations. Most of all, it’s the heroism of our health workers who’ve become our heroes of the day. Then again, we’ve always known that what makes our healthcare system so special isn’t advanced technology or bottomless resources— forget those!—but the kind of people who make it work.

This lockdown has made me realize a number of things.

A third is the eye-opener that govgov ernment—at least this one now in powpow er—does listen. We’ve seen responses to substantive online suggestions: government hospitals dedicated to COVID patients; special traffic lanes for unrestricted cargo truck entry; shuttles and temporary accommodations near hospitals for health workers. Tireless mayors like Manila’s Isko Moreno and Pasig’s Vico Sotto remind us that it’s in local government where you’ll find—not gasbags and windbags, but—real talent and dedication.

Admittedly, sometimes even the trapos can surprise. At this writing, Congress has reportedly already agreed to grant special powers to the President to deal with the emergency. I haven’t seen how much funds are being made available, but I hope they followed the lead of the likes of Senator Lacson in prudently looking for the additional money from unspent funds going as far back as two budgets ago.

For my part, what’s been a real eye-opener for me, after binge-watching Netflix for the entire week, is just how much fun local soap operas can be. I’m coming up right now to the midpoint of

a 2017 series teleserye called “A Love to Last.” So far I’m impressed by: how readily our actresses can shed tears at the drop of a line; how spectacularly beautiful Filipinas are (attention: Bea, Iza, Julia); how sappily entertaining our script writers can be (this crop is obviously from UP); and how truly, really important the family is to us.

As we endure a couple more weeks of lockdown, what’s good that will come out of it—apart from squelching the virus bug—is having to spend all that enforced family time together. I know of cultures where the family members would be climbing up the walls after a few days of that. Somehow I think that the outcome of that for us will be very different, and a lot better. *** Healing, and by water, is the common theme of today’s Mass readings.

In the book of Ezekiel (Ez 47: 1-9), after the prophet has spoken in earliearli er chapters about the uncompromising wrath of God against His wayward people, Ezekiel then describes his vision of a spring within the temple from which endless water flows, out into a river that “teems with every kind of living creature…Where these waters flow, they refresh; everything lives where the river goes.”

And in the Gospel (Jn 5: 1-16), Jesus encounters a cripple lying beside Bethesda, a healing pool inside the temple, whom no one has helped to bathe in the pool whenever its healing springs are stirred up. So Jesus commands him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” And the man is healed—not by the pool itself, but by Jesus’ admonition to rise and walk.

The spring in Ezekiel’s vision was only a precursor of the real source of Divine healing in this world, according to John—of One who is of the water, but above it. It’s something worth remembering as we join next week in a national week of prayer against the virus—declared, ironically enough, by our frequently blasphemous president.

Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@ yahoo.com.

Quarantine in jail for lockdown violators

MOST of us are literally struggling with how the prevailing public health crisis, which compelled a nationwide community quarantine, has adversely affected our activities of daily living, livelihood, career, family and social life.

Many have failed to abide by the rules on social distancing.

The “enhanced community quarquar antine” or, simply, lockdown is indeed a bitter pill to swallow but it is an imperative which I personally think should have been imposed days earlier. I do not mean to second-guess President Duterte but it’s something that his advisers should have seen coming, in view of the COVID-19 outbreak across the globe.

Thanks to the President’s decisiveness and political will, he placed the whole Metro Manila on community quarantine on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency-Task Force headed

by Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque.

This extreme measure may have had some good effects, as well as it may have deterred a wider spread of the coronavirus.

Owing to the suspension of public transportation and the massive shift to work-from-home by public and private offices, there has been less vehicular traffic on the road and, therefore, less air pollution.

With the loss or lessened income, particularly for those wage earners under “no work, no pay” condition, a tighter budget management and frugality is a must.

Best of all, homebound parents and children have found time for family bonding, encouraging each other to observe personal preventive measures to avoid contracting coronavirus.

Unfortunately, it is in the rule on social distancing that we have failed neighto abide by miserably in many neigh borhoods.

There have been persistent reports of rampant loitering, gathering and hanging out, gossiping and engage in public drinking to while away time.

This is in utter disregard of the health authorities’ repeated warning against person-to-person transmission of COVID-19.

Obviously, it hasn’t hit home for a number of our kababayan, including their barangay officials, that the sooner we get our act together the sooner we may get out of the situation.

Barangay captains and other officials who refuse or fail to enforce community quarantine rules must

Government...

From A4

are 24/7 directing the country’s unified effort, including the health secretary, cabinet secretary, and local governments secretary—and their support staff are also frontliners and making big sacrifices as Grand did. We must support them.

Fourth, there are our public safety people—they police and military who are deployed to do several tasks without adequate training and equipment. They are, like Grand, risking their lives and health because of their sense of duty.

Fifth, we must not forget the herculean efforts of social workers, community leaders, and volunteers, including those in church organizations and NGOs, that are serving the poor and making sure their needs are met in this difficult time. Joseph Grand would be proud of them.

Sixth, sadly the poor and marginalized are in the bat-

face stiff sanctions by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). As Manong Digong said during his declaration of the state of national public health emergency, those barangay captains who do not take the COVID-19 crisis seriously might as well resign their posts.

There have also been reports of some barangay officials charging residents fees for securing their community quarantine ID or pass that a member of the family must carry when going out to the store to buy food and other necessities.

It is high time to teach these violators and the barangay officials a serious lesson about the seriousness of the predicament we’re all in.

Those barangay quarantine violators, especially during curfew hours, who are found loitering, drinking in public and engage in illegal gambling should be spend their quarantine time behind bars or be compelled to perform duties like disinfecting their neighborhood.

They must be made to actively help preventing further spread of the deadly unseen contagion. They should help seek out those possible COVID-19 patients in need of testing and treatment instead hanging out and exposing themselves to infection.

We must be thankful that current conditions in the country’s localities are not as bad as those abroad, such as Italy, China, Iran, Spain and Korea where thousands die from COVID-19 each day.

tleground not by their own choice and without protection.

One big gap in Camus’ novel is that there are no Arab characters and no noteworthy female characters. But in any plague, the excluded are in the middle of the pestilence. Their stories are just as important.

Everyone else, including politicians, are not in the frontlines. We can help but let’s not exaggerate our role.

Otherwise giving politicians preference in testing would be entirely justified. That this is happening—preferential treatment in testing for the coronavirus of asymptomatic legislators and officials and worse, their families—is totally unacceptable. This must be stopped and an independent investigation must be launched so that people can be held accountable.

In a plague, let’ s all act more like Joseph Grand and not follow the example of The Prefect and M. Othon.

Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylavs

A5

A deadlier pestilence Perhaps it’s the instinct of self-preservation. You’ve been meeting with many people or may have travelled to another country in the past few months or so. Given the frightening news, you would want to know whether you have the virus or not.

You would like to be sure that that you have not exposed your loved ones to danger as well—even if neither you nor them are experiencing symptoms in the first place.

What if you are a public official who made an oath to serve the people and place their interest above yours?

What if you know that your country does not have adequate testing capacity in terms of test kits and facilities to run those test kits?

And what if you know all too well that others have worse symptoms, and that hospital frontliners get exposed to the virus every minute they are at work?

Would you still get yourself tested? *** Amazingly, many public officials did. Some of them actually went on social media documenting their experience.

“Salamat sa Diyos!” One senator exclaimed as he relayed the news that he had tested negative for COVID-19.

“Dalangin ko po ang kaligtasan ng bawat Pilipino.” There was a medical worker beside him when he took a gleeful selfie. Certainly he did not look like someone who spent a few harrowing days waiting for his results.

How his piece of good news could be related to the safety of every Filipino is a logical leap we cannot fathom.

A governor of a province south of Manila admitted he may have skipped protocol and triage algorithms in having himself tested. “I take full responsibility if you think I took advantage of my position.” The second clause, the one with the “if,” rankles. One should take full responsibility for one’s actions; it does not matter what other people think.

Other VIPs got tested even if they did not show any symptoms—some Cabinet members, some senators including one who is in the perpetual company of the President, and even the President, his children and his common-law wife.

All these amid the woeful dearth of testing kits.

On Sunday, a series of screen shots from an insider at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine made the rounds of social media. The conversation detailed what was really going on at the testing facility: VIPs were getting, well, VIP treatment. They had their own code, their own queue.

“I could just retch at what these evil politicians are doing,” the worker said in Filipino. “There were days we had to stop the testing for Persons Under Investigation to give way to the VIPs. I could just cry.”

Those VIPs, the worker said, sent over their samples to the RITM with instructions that they be prioritized over the others. There were even threats of suspension if the results were not released within 24 hours.

These demands did not just apply to

the VIPs but to their entire families.

“The whole family of [former senator jailed on plunder charges, and who lost the senatorial race in 2019] we released the results yesterday.

Another senator had the gall to demand a repeat test just to make sure the results were really negative.

You can’t wash off entitlement even if you sang Happy Birthday 100 times over.

The RITM worker said that the RITM head was being made the scapegoat and being replaced by another. A subsequent document circulated Sunday evening confirmed this development—and then on Monday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque “clarified” that RITM director Celia Carlos is not being replaced. Somebody else was just coming in to “help” her.

The special codes, according to the RITM worker, have since disappeared. But the VIP samples remain with the samples from ordinary citizens who are Persons Under Investigation. Again, denials. The senator who posted a selfie insisted he had felt symptoms. Yet another senator said he used an unregistered test kit. The DOH issued a document vehemently insisting that there is no “palakasan” going on.

Sure. *** The number of positive cases has risen exponentially in the past few days. If the additional kits do come— and we hope they do, very soon—we should expect the numbers to surge still. Only if we get an accurate picture of how badly we are really affected can we adequately combat this pestilence. How can you treat when you don’t know whom to treat, and how how many they are?

Meanwhile, what does this practice of VIPs jumping the line amid the deadly shortage of testing kits tell us?

It tells us that even in the worst of times, some people continue to believe that they are more important than others. They believe that they are entitled to special privileges by virtue of their stature in society—never mind that their peace of mind will mean life or death to other people.

It tells us that it is this sense of privilege that will doom our society, because decisions are made based by those whose judgments are skewed in their own favor to begin with.

It tells us that when confronted, they will only give lame excuses for their behavior.

What, then, can we do? Today in this crisis, while we keep ourselves healthy and prevent the virus from spreading, it suffices that we do the work online. We post about injustice, write about injustice, and demand accountability from our leaders even only from behind our computer screens.

When we’re better and stronger, in the next elections, perhaps, we’ll see how we can wash them off as vigorously and thoroughly as we wash our hands. adellechua@gmail.com

Why not...

From A4

the samples. This requires logistics and there is limit as to how much a particular lab can handle.

"Second, the swab must be accurately taken at the right place or you will get a false negative. Not only that, the risk of infection is great if the patient accidentally sneezes at the medical professional while conducting the test and infecting our already limited medical staff.

"Third, the transport of the PCR test kits requires a minus 20 degrees temperature or a frozen container or truck. Delivering the PCR in ordinary trucks or containers with our hot weather may affect the efficacy of the test kits or may even totally spoil the test altogether.

"Fourth, we should decongest crowded hospital facilities and free medical professionals from conducting PCR tests so they can already begin treating patients.

By letting barangay officials or non-medical staff conduct the lateral flow test as initial screening, this allows medical staff to focus only on confirmed patients," delos Angeles concluded his letter.

Our FDA has yet to approve any COVID-19 point-of-care test kit or rapid test kit similar to pregnancy test kits that show results in minutes.

What the FDA has approved as COVID-19 test kits utilize the RT-PCR method.

This is a process that requires a PCR machine in the laboratory and personnel who know how to operate the machine.

The Department of Health has also issued a circular saying that there's no clear evidence on the efficacy of the use of the lateral flow (IgG/IgM) rapid test for Covid-19. The DOH insists that only laboratories accredited by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (DOH-RITM) can process RT-PCR-based kits.

We can understand the urgency with which the distributor of the COVID-19 on-site test kit wants health authorities to approve it as soon as possible. The disease threatens the lives of practically every Filipino. If their test kit has worked in China and Europe, why can't we try it here and see whether it can save lives? ernhil@yahoo.com

A6

LGUs

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020

lgu@manilastandard.net

School nurses sent to checkpoints I N A bid to strengthen its fight against the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the city, the local government of Muntinlupa has drafted nurses assigned in public schools to serve as additional medical personnel in local quarantine control points.

Muntinlupa City Health Office acting chief Dr. Manuel Casador Jr. said 27 city-paid school nurses have been assigned to three checkpoints in the city to help implement quarantine control measures including checking of temperature, survey of travel history and symptoms, among others.

“We have deployed our school nurses to augment the staff from the City Health Office and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office stationed in San Pedro –Muntinlupa boundary, Commerce Avenue checkpoint, and Victoria Homes checkpoint to ensure that no individuals suspected to have contracted with the virus can enter the city,” Casador said.

The local health officer added that isolation rooms have been installed in quarantine control points to accommodate individuals manifesting symptoms and high temperature for further assessment.

A field hospital has been constructed in Ospital ng Muntinlupa to treat patients with COVID-19 symptoms.

Isolation areas in barangays are also in place for residents suspected to have contracted with the virus for monitoring by the local health office.

Barangay health workers and physicians in barangay health centers are on high alert against sustained local transmission in the communities. Health personnel in the barangay daily monitors reported cases of persons under monitoring and patients under investigation. PUMs and PUIs in the communities with underlying conditions are also given vitamins and medicines.

According to the Muntinlupa City Health Office, there are currently two city residents under the care of two community isolation areas in Barangay Tunasan and Sucat for monitoring.

MAYOR IN ACTION. Binan City Mayor

Arman Dimaguila, along with Councilor Jedi Alatiit, distributed over 200 free range chicken and broth to select residents of Brgy. Dela Paz this morning as part of local government's assistance to its indigent residents amid COVID-19 threat. Roy Tomandao

Smart supports Siargao Island’s bid to protect the environment SPECTACULAR waves, beautiful spots, and sunset views have made Siargao one of the favorite spots for many professional and amateur surfers, as well as local and foreign tourists in the Philippines.

With the island’s booming tourism, the local government units have been taking measures to mitigate any harmful impact to the environment in the long run.

In the municipality of General Luna where the renowned Cloud 9 is located, one of the environmental initiatives

Deadline for land, business taxes in Las Piñas moved LAS PIÑAS City Mayor Imelda T. Aguilar recently announced the postponement of the deadline for the payment of business and real property taxes for the first and second quarters of 2020 to provide relief to thousands of taxpayers affected by the economic slowdown caused by COVID-19 crisis.

The City Council led by Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery approved the extension of the deadline during its special session held last week.

Aguilar said the first quarter deadline for real property tax is moved to May 15 instead of March 30, while the second quarter payment for business taxes will be on May 20, instead of April 20, 2020.

There are 13,0000 business establishments in Las Piñas.

“No penalties and surcharges will be imposed to business and property owners during the said extension period,” she said.

Aguilar likewise appealed to property owners to “act with compassion and benevolence in dealing with their tenants who ceased to operate during the period of enhanced community quarantine by waiving rentals for at least one month and/or allow deferment scheme in the payment of monthly rentals to alleviate their situation at this time of crisis.’

The mayor also urged property owners to defer legal actions such as evictions or imposition of penalties for tenants/lessees who are unable to pay rent due to loss of income resulting from the COVID-19 crisis.

She also appealed to business owners to provide financial aid or assistance to their employees who are affected by the enhanced community quarantine.

Meanwhile, Aguilar repeatedly appealed to city residents to stay at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

She assured residents of Las Piñas that the distribution of food packs in every household is ongoing.

"Humihingi po ako ng pang-unawa sa ating mga residente na manatili sa kanilang mga pamamahay habang inihahanda at inaayos ang food packs na ihahatid sa kani-kanilang mga bahay, lalong lalo na sa ating mga kababayan na higit na nangangailangan."

SMART MOVE.

Government officials, locals, tourists, and volunteers participated in the coastal cleanup drive at General Luna in the island of Siargao in partnership with Smart Commuications.

Smart also donated material recovery facilities to be deployed in different barangays and tourist sites in General Luna.

These will help the local government maintain cleanliness and encourage proper waste disposal.

was a cleanup drive where almost a thousand volunteers consisting of employees from the public and private sector, students, and tourists participated in picking up trash from the coastal areas.

Smart Communications, Inc (Smart) supported this initiative by sending employee volunteers, just like Community Development Officer Josh Dael.

Dael is no stranger to volunteer work.

“I started with volunteer work in high school. I took the lead in the environmental organization we had back then.

Davao City starts rationing food to 50k families to cope with virus Cagayan stValley reports 1 case of COVID-19

DAVAO CITY—The city government rolled out food rations to some 50,000 families beginning Monday, March 23, as part of the aid package for those affected by the restrictive measures adopted to prevent the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Mayor Sara Duterte said those who qualify to receive the food rations are the

indigents and out-of-work head of a family, contractual workers who were not paid and out-of-work heads of a family, selfemployed and out-of-work head of a family, and low-income head of family with significant loss or reduction of income.

“To those who are not residents of this city, do not worry because we [mayors in Davao Region] agreed to give food rations

in our respective constituents,” Duterte said.

She added that in order to avail of the relief goods, ration cards are distributed through the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) and the barangay leaders.

“During the distribution of the relief goods, we still have to observe social distancing,” she said, adding that

a system will be in place to ensure the smooth distribution of the rations.

Mayor Sara said barangay chairpersons distributing the ration cards are monitored by team leaders consisting of the members of the City Council to ensure that the rationing is properly implemented, as well as to manage the issues in the barangays.

Carmona implements liquor ban, curfew

COVID-19 UPDATES. Marinduque Gov. Presby Velasco Jr. (center) held a meeting with Marinduque Electric Cooperative after consulting with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council with regards to the Corona Virus Disease updates in the Province of Marinduque.

THE Local Chief Executive of Carmona headed by Carmona Cavite Mayor Atty.

Roy M. Loyola, along with the Carmona Municipal Police, inspected the current situation of the barangays the other day as the curfew and liquor ban was implemented in the whole municipality.

They are continuously making sure that all citizens would be able to understand that the curfew and liquor ban are part of the compliance of the municipality on the declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte's "Enhanced Community Quarantine" as well as Carmona's preventive measures to maintain being coronavirus-free. Mayor Roy Loyola urges all members of the member to comply with the curfew and liquor ban for the safety of everyone.

Municicpal Mayor Roy Loyola imparted to his constituents that two Persons Under Investigation in Carmona have died while still waiting for the result of their Sars CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus detection tests.

The said PUIs were not able to report to the Carmona Municipal Health Office (MHO) right away as they went directly to the Philippine General Hospital and De La Salle University Medical Center who both informed the MHO of the situation of the two this morning.

MHO once again reminded Carmona residents to coordinate their situation with the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams if they have experienced symptoms or have travel history and contacts with COVID-19 positive persons. Benjamin Chavez

By Jessica M. Bacud TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan— Official of the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) has confirmed its first patient positive of COVID-19 by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

In a phone interview, Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao, CVMC medical center chief, said that the patient tagged as PH275 under the national database of the Department of Health is currently isolated at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) and so far is stable.

“For now, we have 39 persons-underinvestigation (PUI) in Cagayan Valley region were tested negative of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19, Dr. Baggao confirmed.

Cagayan Gov. Manuel N. Mamba said that the patient arrived in Tuguegarao City on March 11 before the lockdown from Manila.

The 44-year old male patient was a resident of Caritan, Tuguegarao City and a government employee of the Bureau of Fire Protection assigned in Sta. Mesa town, according to Mamba.

World

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020

A7

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Echoes of Great Depression: Aussie jobless queue for help SYDNEY ― Jobless Australians flooded unemployment offices around the country Monday as Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned the coronavirus pandemic would cause an economic crisis akin to the Great Depression.

After a record 29 years of economic growth, Australia is poised to spiral into recession as the global coronavirus outbreak wreaks havoc on the country’s economy despite a Aus$189 billion ($100 billion) government relief package.

In scenes not seen in Australia for decades, queues stretched around the block at unemployment offices around the country as the forced closure of pubs, casinos, churches and gyms began at midday on Monday.

An online portal for government services also crashed as job seekers rushed to register for income support payments, which have been temporarily doubled by Aus$550 a fortnight to help people cope with the coronavirus crisis.

With tens of thousands of jobs on the

MAKE WAY. Police officials lead a team of Chinese medical experts on the COVID-19 coronavirus upon their arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport on Monday to help local authorities deal with the virus. AFP

IN BRIEF 1st French hospital doc dies of COVID

PARIS―A French doctor caring for coronavirus patients has died of the illness, authorities said Sunday, the first such death in the country that is grappling with the mushrooming outbreak.

The 67-year-old emergency room medic worked at Compiegne hospital, north of Paris, the town’s mayor told AFP. Mayor Philippe Marini said that he was “someone who came back to work voluntarily to treat people and knew he was taking a risk.”

The doctor was named as Madagascarborn Jean-Jacques Razafindranazy by France 3 television, who said his wife, a family doctor, was also sick with the virus and has been quarantined at home.

His son posted an emotional message on Facebook, describing Razafindranazy as “my father the hero”, according to France 3.

“He was passionate about his work and chose not to retire. He has a left a family behind him who will never forget him,” he added.

The son thanked those who cared for his father in his final days in hospital in the northern city of Lille, and warned that “this illness is extremely serious and must not be taken lightly.” AFP

$1.7-t US rescue package nixed W ASHINGTON—A trillion-dollar Senate proposal to rescue the reeling US economy crashed to defeat Sunday after receiving zero support from Democrats, and with five Republicans absent from the chamber because of virus-related quarantines.

Democrats said the Republican plan failed to sufficiently protect millions of American workers or shore up the critically under-equipped health care system during the coronavirus crisis.

The bill proposed an estimated $1.7 trillion or more in funding to cushion the blow for American families and thousands of shuttered or suffering businesses.

Despite intense negotiations between Republicans, Democrats and President Donald Trump’s administration, the roll call was 47-47, far short of the 60 votes

needed to advance.

Five Republican senators are in selfquarantine and did not vote, including Senator Rand Paul, who announced Sunday he had tested positive for the COVID-19 illness.

Even as infighting derailed the plan, lawmakers carried on with closed-door negotiations deep into Sunday hoping to get the package back on track.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin “are working late into the night, and they just had another produc-

JERUSALEM―The Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem will be entirely closed to the public from Monday, the authority that administers Muslim holy sites in the city announced.

The rare move is aimed at combatting the spread of the novel coronavirus.

It is the first time since 1967 that Islam’s third holiest site would be closed to worshippers due to a directive from the Waqf, the Muslim foundation that runs the compound, Al-Aqsa mosque director Sheikh Omar al-Kisswani told AFP. Israel, which controls the entrances to the compound, has previously blocked access to the flashpoint site, which is a focus of Palestinian aspirations for statehood.

According to statement from the Waqf on Sunday, worshippers will not be able to visit the site temporarily, “in response to religious and medical recommendations.”

Several hundred people attended the main weekly prayers at the compound on Friday after the mosque itself was closed by the Waqf in response to the virus outbreak—a stark drop from the 30,000 who usually attend, as coronavirus prevention measures kept most away.

Only mosque employees will be able to continue to pray on the esplanade outside the mosque, Sunday’s statement added. AFP

WASHINGTON―The Afghan government and the Taliban on Sunday held their first discussion on arranging prisoner exchanges, a key step in a broader push for peace, the US special envoy for Afghanistan said on Twitter.

“Today, the US and Qatar facilitated the first Afghan government to Taliban technical talks on prisoner releases, via Skype video conferencing,” Zalmay Khalilzad said.

He had said on Wednesday that it was “urgent” to quickly conclude plans for such exchanges -- as called for in a historic US pact with the Taliban -- as the coronavirus pandemic was complicating diplomatic contacts.

The agreement, signed by Khalilzad and a senior Taliban official on February 29 in Doha, established a framework for bringing to an end America’s longest war, begun after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

It called notably for the liberation of up to 5,000 Taliban fighters held by Kabul, and up to 1,000 members of the Afghan government forces in insurgent hands. AFP

tive meeting,” a Schumer spokesman said.

The shock Senate result heaps major pressure on Congress to overcome divisions and swiftly greenlight a federal government intervention -- likely the largest of its kind in US history.

The impasse likely will have a profound effect on already-traumatized stock markets when they open Monday.

The futures on the main US stock exchange indicators were dropping around four percent or more, indicating that Wall Street could open sharply lower.

Hong Kong stocks plunged five percent upon opening.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted the Democratic opposition and warned of economic devastation ahead if Congress does not act promptly.

“The notion that we have time to play games here with the American economy and the American people is utterly ab-

surd,” he fumed.

“We need to signal to the public that we’re ready to get this thing done.”

He said he wanted lawmakers to recognize “the need to act before the markets go down further and the American people become even more depressed about our lack of ability to come together under the most extraordinary circumstances.”

- ‘Not’ there yet Schumer insisted the bill falls well short of sufficiently protecting US employees, millions of whom are at risk of losing their jobs as the economy grinds to a halt, while offering a “large corporate bailout with no protections for workers and virtually no oversight.”

He accused Republicans of trying to “skimp on funding” to address shortfalls for hospitals, equipment, medical personnel and other health care infrastructure. AFP

Brazil and Uruguay agree to close border for 30 days

Al-Aqsa mosque closed to public

Kabul, Taliban gab for prisoner swap

line, Morrison told his compatriots they faced an economic crisis “the likes of which we have not seen since the Great Depression”, referring to the global financial meltdown in the late 1920s and 1930s.

“They are lining up at Centrelink offices as we speak -- something unimaginable at this scale, only weeks ago,” he told Parliament.

“They have lost their jobs, many, and we know many more will. This is the biggest economic shock our nation has faced in generations.”

Services Australia, which operates the social welfares offices known as Centrelink, said it was “experiencing very high demand” and urged people not to visit unless there was a “critical need” to do so.

Ahead of closing non-essential services, Australia had already shut its borders to international arrivals, while some interstate borders have been effectively shuttered and all non-essential travel is banned. AFP

LOOKING ON. Children look on from windows as Moroccan military armoured personnel carriers (APC) patrol a street, instructing people to remain at home, in the capital Rabat on Sunday. A public health state of emergency went into effect in the Muslim-majority country late on March 20. People have been ordered to stay at home, and restrictions on public transport and travel between cities are also in place. AFP

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay—Brazil and Uruguay agreed on Sunday to close their land border for the next 30 days, the Uruguayan foreign minister said.

“Brazil has just issued a decree, which is the one we agreed upon, and we will issue a mirror decree” in the next few hours, Ernesto Talvi said in a statement.

According to the Brazilian ministerial decree, only Brazilian citizens or residents, as well as Uruguayans who have Brazilian spouses or children, may enter from the neighboring country.

Freight transport may continue to cross the border in both biological mother’s name is “JOCELYN Republic of the Philippines directions, and the measure also ACILING BENDECIO” (Annex “A-2”) REGIONAL TRIAL COURT under the pretense that they were allows for the free movement of National Capital Judicial Region married. those who reside in border citBRANCH 222, QUEZON CITY In the aforesaid certificate of live birth, her biological mother was the ARGIELA SHANE ACILING A.K.A. ies. informant. Entry No. 20 is of the ARGIELA SHANE DAWING The Uruguayan decree will Certificate of Live Birth is hereto subACILING, marked as Annex “A-4”. Likewise, here Petitioner, follow the same lines. biological mother supplied that she was married to petitioner’s biological father.

Brazil on Thursday an-versusSP. PROC. CASE NO. Entry number 18 is of the Certificate R-QZN-19-09804-SP nounced it was closing its land of Live Birth is hereto sub-marked as Annex “A-5”. borders for 15 days to nearly THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR, On June 25, 2004, petitioner’s ET.AL., all its neighbors to prevent the biological mother registered again her Respondents. birth but under the name “ARGIELA spread of the coronavirus.

SHANE DAWING ACILING” (Annex x--------------------------------------------x ORDER “B”). This is the name used by the A ministerial decree said it Upon motion by the counsel for petitioner in all her official and personal was blocking entry “by road the petitioner, let the hearing on the transactions (Annex “D” to “T”). compliance with the jurisdictional In the second registration of or land” from all neighboring requirements be reset on APRIL 3, certificate of live birth, her biological 2020 at 8:30 in the morning. mother supplied that she was not countries, with the exception of Notify the petitioner and concerned married to petitioner’s biological Uruguay to the south. father. Entry no. 18 is of Certificate government agencies. of Live Birth is hereto sub-marked The decree, which went into as Annex “B-5”. There was likewise SO ORDERED. an affidavit of acknowledgment/ immediate effect, prohibits enQuezon City, February 7, 2020. admission of paternity in page 2 of try to foreigners from Argen(Sgd.) EDGAR DALMACIO SANTOS the birth certificate is hereto submarked as Annex “B-6” and the name Judge tina, Bolivia, Colombia, French and signature of Israel Varga Duma is Republic of the Philippines hereto sub-marked as Annex “B-7” and Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, REGIONAL TRIAL COURT made an integral parts thereof.

Peru and Suriname.

Lastly, due to the conflicting entries National Capital Judicial Region The restrictions do not apply BRANCH 222, QUEZON CITY in the date and place of marriage, petitioner was constrained to verify the same in the Philippines Statistics Office ARGIELA SHANE ACILING, to Brazilian nationals or to forand she discovered that her parents a.k.a. ARGIELA SHANE DAWING eigners residing in the country. were never married. A Certificate of No ACILING a.k.a. JOCELYN ACILING Marriage was appended hereto (Annex BENDECIO AFP “C”). In the same certificate, petitioner

Colombia prison riot kills 23; Chile virus curfew up MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay—Panic over the spread of the coronavirus sparked a prison riot in Colombia that killed 23 inmates on Sunday, as Chile became the latest Latin American country to announce restrictions on movement.

Rioting swept through the crowded jail overnight in the Colombian capital Bogota amid rising tensions over the virus in the penitentiary system.

Justice Minister Margarita Cabello described the violence as an attempted mass breakout, part of what she said was a coordinated plan with inmates who caused disturbances in 13 jails across the country.

The minister rejected accusations by rights groups that the riots were

sparked by unsanitary conditions inside a prison system that was woefully unprepared to face the pandemic.

A curfew in Chile “will take effect throughout the national territory from 10:00 pm to 05:00 am the next day,” Health Minister Jaime Manalich announced Sunday. The country, which has 632 infections, registered its first death from the pandemic at the weekend.

Ecuador, which implemented a curfew on Tuesday, marked its highest daily increase in deaths and new cases on Sunday, with 14 dead and 789 affected.

The number of fatalities rose from seven on Saturday at 2200 GMT to 14 on Sunday at 1500 GMT, while the infected surged from 532 to 789,

according to the country’s National Risk and Emergency Management Service.

Ecuador has the region’s secondgreatest number of deaths after Brazil’s 18.

The news comes as governments in the region are stepping up efforts to try to slow the spread of the pandemic, which has claimed 13,500 lives. worldwide Argentina, Bolivia, El Salvador and Paraguay are among a growing number of countries to impose a total lockdown of their populations.

Colombia will join the group from midnight on Tuesday with a 19-day mandatory lockdown of its 48 million population.AFP

Petitioner,

used the name “ARGIELA SHANE DAWING ACILING” (Annex “C-1”).

SPECIAL PROC. NO. Finding the petition to be sufficient in R-QZN-19-09804-SP form and substance, the initial hearing THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF of this case is set on September 6, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. and all interested QUEZON CITY, THE parties are directed to appear before ADMINISTRATOR AND CIVIL this Court and show cause why the REGISTRAR GENERAL OF petition should not be granted.

THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS Let a copy of this Order be served OFFICE (PSA) formerly NATIONAL to the petitioner through his counsel, STATISTICS OFFICE (NSO), the Civil Registrar of Quezon City, the ARGENTINA DAWING Philippine Statistics Office (formerly ACILING AND RAMON AMBROSIO NSO), the Office of the Solicitor BENDECIO ALL OTHER PERSONS General and the Office of the Quezon WHO HAVE INTEREST OR CLAIM City Prosecutor’s Office. Lastly, let a copy of this Order be published once TO THIS INSTANT PETITION, a week for three (3) consecutive weeks Respondents. x-----------------------------------------------x in a newspaper of general circulation to be chosen by raffle the Office of ORDER the Executive Judge, at petitioner’s This pertains to the petition for the expense. correction of entry, change of name, SO ORDERED. and cancellation of late registration in the Certificate of Live Birth of Given in Chambers this 18th day of Argiela Shane Aciling registered July 2019 in Quezon City. with the Office of the Quezon City Civil Registrar filed by the petitioner, (Sgd.) EDGAR DALMACIO SANTOS through counsel, on October 19, 2018.

Judge In her subject petition, petitioner Copy furnished: alleges that on 22 January 2000, Argiela Shane Aciling (P) petitioner was born to common law PAO (C/P) spouses, Argentina Dawing Acling LCR-QC PSA and Ramon Ambrosio Bendecio in OSG Quezon City.

OCP In her Certificate of Live Birth CMO-OCAD (Annex “A”), it was registered that her (MStandard - Mar. 17, 24 & 31, 2020) -versus-

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph; sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020

IOC won’t cancel Tokyo Olympics but postponement possible—Bach LAUSANNE—International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach on Sunday said the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would not be cancelled but that a postponement was an option as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.

"The IOC executive board emphasized that a cancellation of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 would not solve any of the problems or help anybody," said Bach.

"Therefore, cancellation is not on the agenda."

The IOC added that a decision on the potential scenarios for the Tokyo Games—"including the scenario of postponement"—would be made inside four weeks.

The Games are due to get underway on July 24.

"The IOC will, in full coordination and partnership with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Japanese authorities and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, start detailed discussions to complete its assessment of the rapid development of the worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including the scenario of postponement," said Bach.

"The IOC is confident that it will have finalized these discussions within the next four weeks."

The IOC has faced strong pressure to push back this summer's Tokyo Games in the last few days, with sporting federations and athletes expressing worries about the health risk as the COVID-19 death tally continues to rise.

Earlier on Sunday, track legend Carl Lewis said he wanted the 2020 Olympics delayed by as much as two years.

The 58-year-old American—a ninetime Olympic champion—told Houston television station KRIV that he backed the calls for postponement by USA Track and Field and USA Swimming due to disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Lewis' comments came after president of the French Athletics Federation (FFA) urged the IOC to organize new dates for the Olympics and the country's health minister questioned the idea of sending athletes to Japan. AFP

Sports

Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz takes the proper stance as she prepares to make a lift during the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia in this file photo. She went on to win the gold in her category.

Hidilyn not giving up dream to reach ‘20 Tokyo Olympics IDILYN Diaz has not officially qualified yet and the holding of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics hangs in the balance because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but she is not about to give up on her Olympic dream.

H

Japan Olympic Committee deputy chief Kozo Tashima said he himself had contracted coronavirus. He insists, however, there's no deadline to call off the event and that it was still going ahead as planned.

Hidilyn remains hopeful that the Olympics will be held as scheduled and that she officially makes it soon.

She continues to work hard, trains diligently and is thankful for the people who supported her including Kaffea Coffee which is a constant companion when she trains.

“Kaffea Coffee kasi isa sa company na sumusuporta sa akin noon pa. Nagbibigay kulay ito sa aking umaga. Ang

gusto ko sa Kaffea masarap pero guiltfree dahil sa coconut sugar,” said Hidilyn.

Her hard work and sacrifice have certainly borne fruit. She won gold in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines.

This January she won three golds in the 55-kilogram women’s division in the 2020 Weightlifting World Cup in Italy.

“I thought noong nagka three golds ako masaya ako kasi iniisip ko yung mga tao sa likod ng success kong ito.

Mga sacrifices nila at syempre mga sacrifices ko rin. Lahat naman nagbun-

Hidilyn Diaz says Kaffea Coffee is a constant companion during her training.

Canada pulls out of Olympic Games; delay inevitable TOKYO —Canada pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics over coronavirus fears as Japan's prime minister Monday admitted a delay may be "inevitable" and the

International Olympic Committee said a decision should come within weeks.

Australia also told its athletes to prepare for a Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as

A perfomer stands next to the Olympic flame during the olympic flame handover ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics in Athens. AFP

expectations grew that the Games— scheduled to start on July 24—would be postponed as the virus crisis convulses the globe.

Japanese and Olympic officials had stuck resolutely to the line that the Summer Games will go ahead on time, but criticism from athletes and sports bodies has swelled to a crescendo in recent days.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament that Japan was still committed to a "complete" Games, but added: "If that becomes difficult, in light of considering athletes first, it may become inevitable that we make a decision to postpone."

It was the second major concession in a matter of hours after the IOC said "the scenario of postponement" was one of the options under consideration, with a final decision due within four weeks.

"Human lives take precedence over everything, including the staging of the Games," IOC president Thomas Bach wrote in an open letter to athletes after emergency talks.

"Cancellation would not solve any problem and would help nobody," Bach

added. "Therefore it is not on our agenda."

Not solely about athlete health Athletes and sports bodies have become increasingly vocal after restrictions imposed because of COVID-19 trashed competition schedules and often made training impossible—and risky.

Canada highlighted the dangers to the broader community as they became the first team to withdraw from the Olympics and Paralympics, urging a year's postponement.

"This is not solely about athlete health—it is about public health," the Canadian Olympic Committee said.

"With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games."

Canada's pull-out came despite the IOC promising to hold "detailed discussions" on the "worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including the scenario of postponement", with a decision expected "within the next four weeks." AFP

PBA chief extends suspension of team practices

By Peter Atencio BREAK from team practices has been indefinitely extended.

Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner Willie Marcial said this as the entire Luzon island entered its second week of enhanced community quarantine.

“In light of the country’s current situation, the Office of the Commissioner is extending all its member teams’ two-week break from practices, scrimmages and other related activities,” said Marcial in

a letter addressed to team owners.

The break was was supposed to end March 27 (Friday).

But PBA officials said it will continue “until further notice.”

Declaration no. 929, which President Duterte issued last March 16, places the whole country under state of calamity and the nation’s capital under ‘enhanced quarantine.’

This was done by the government as it made efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

The PBA called off its season last March 11, just

three days after the opening of Season 45.

The suspension covers the 2020 Philippine Cup as well as the league’s other activities, This includes the D-League Aspirants’ Cup, which started last March 2 and the PBA 3X3 inaugurals.

In the memo, Marcial advised all squads to stay at home and follow the guidelines set by the government.

“We ask your full cooperation and compliance and encourage everyone to stay fit and healthy in the confines and safety of their homes,” he said.

ga,” said Hidilyn.

She is currently ranked no. 5 in in the world in the 55-kilogram women’s category. She is behind Chinese lifters in Jiang Huihua, Liao Qiuyun, Zhang Wangqiong and Li Yajun.

Under the International Weightlifting Federation rules the top eight athletes per category, but only one per country, will gain Olympic spots. She is virtually a shoe-in but needs to compete in one more IWF event to formalize her entry.

“I still need to compete in one more Olympic qualifying then okay na po ako. No doubt naman ako na makakapunta ako sa Tokyo. Medyo mahirap lang ang qualifying ng weightlifting ngayon,” said Hidilyn.

The 29-year-old Hidilyn is in in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia now. She had hoped to compete in a qualifying tournament in Europe and another in South America.

NBA’s Gobert details COVID-19 effects to his body LOS ANGELES—Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, whose positive coronavirus test prompted the NBA to shut down its season, says the virus has caused him to lose his sense of smell.

The French big man, whose defensive talents earned him the nickname the "Stifle Tower," tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11, the result bringing the NBA season to an abrupt halt.

In social media posts since then, the 27-year-old had said he was feeling better, but on Sunday he tweeted that he was experiencing one of the lesser-known symptoms of the illness.

"Just to give you guys an update, loss of smell and taste is definitely one of the symptoms, haven’t been able to smell anything for the last 4 days," Gobert wrote on Twitter. "Anyone experiencing the same thing?"

More than a dozen NBA players have tested positive for COVID-19.

Gobert's teammate Donovan Mitchell was the second player diagnosed, and the total includes four players from the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets players testing positive included superstar Kevin Durant, who has been sidelined all season recovering from injury.

Days before his positive test, Gobert had shrugged off safety measures aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus, pointedly touching every microphone and voice recorder on a table in front of him at a media availability.

The cavalier stunt took a serious turn after it emerged he had tested positive. Gobert apologizing for his actions and saying he wished he had "taken this thing more seriously."

The global death toll from the virus surged to more than 14,300 on Sunday, according to an AFP tally. AFP

IN BRIEF

GMA-7 allotting P350m to workers and talents GMA Network Inc. on Tuesday said it alloted P350 million to support its employees and rolled out various efforts to help frontliners, and Filipinos in need during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Gozon-led broadcasting network, which recently announced it would provide financial assistance to Kapuso employees, talents and support personnel, earmarked an estimated P350 million to cover the salaries, cash equivalent of rice benefits and cash advances while operating on a skeletal work force and adapting to special work arrangements.

GMA, which airs on free TV channel 7, also said talents and project employees would 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 payouts.

GMA Kapuso Foundation the broadcast giant’s socio-civic arm, also launched the ‘Labanan ang COVID-19’ campaign for the workers at the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

BSP assists banks in Luzon checkpoints THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas issued a memorandum allowing supervised financial institutions to pass through checkpoints and report for work in their head offices and branches upon presentation of their identification cards during the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

The BSP said in a statement Monday the memorandum aimed to facilitate the population’s continued access to banking services during the entire period of enhanced community quarantine.

“BSP Memorandum M-2020-10 recognizes identification cards issued by BSPsupervised financial institutions as sufficient compliance with requirements of the memorandum of the Executive Secretary on guidelines governing the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in the whole of Luzon,” BSP said.

“This is in line with BSP’s multi-sector efforts to provide continuous banking services during the enhanced community quarantine,” the bank regulator said. Julito G. Rada

Telecoms ready to manage surge in data traffic amid Luzon quarantine

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE country’s two largest telecommunication companies said Tuesday their networks are ready to handle the surge in data traffic as demand for mobile and broadband connectivity among consumers and businesses are rising amid the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

“After a week of life under enhanced community quarantine, we continue to provide regular communications services to our customers and the public. Data traffic has grown by around 15 to 20 percent,” PLDT said in a statement.

“On the part of PLDT, this is not surprising given that we have provided a speed boost for our fiber customers in the Greater Manila area,” the company said.

PLDT said mobile data usage was also increasing along with voice calls and short messaging service..

It said a certain amount of substitution was also taking place. Some of the traffic that used to originate from offices are now coming from homes.

PLDT said the fixed and mobile networks of PLDT and Smart have the capacity to handle the increased traffic in data, calls and SMS. “Having said that, we are not standing still and are taking steps to expand the capacity of our networks, particularly for data. We are, for example, increasing the capacity of our international cable networks which will improve our ability to carry Internet traffic which comes mainly from overseas,” PLDT said.

“We are also significantly increasing the capacity of our domestic transport network by utilizing our newly installed transformed transport fiber network,” it said.

Globe Telecom said the sudden rise in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines jumpstarted the adoption of telecommuting among businesses in the country, thereby raising the demand for mobile data and broadband connectivity.

“Given the present-day realities with enterprises deciding to adopt flexible work arrangements, employees need to be able to collaborate and be productive anywhere they may be and in real-time, for businesses to continue to operate efficiently. That is why we are doing our best to provide our clients with the tools to help them optimize the way they do business,” Peter Maquera, senior vice president for Globe Business, said.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020

B1

Power plants to scale down operations to save on fuel

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Yuchengco Group assures employees HEEDING the call of the government for solidarity and support, the Yuchengco Group of Companies, through chairperson Helen Yuchengco Dee, assured all employees of the conglomerate will continue to have their jobs and receive their full monthly salary during the lockdown period.

Dee’s commitment followed Labor Secretary Secretary Silvestre Bello’s appeal to the private sector to provide assistance to workers and employees during the enhanced community quarantine. The government agency specifically requested the employers extend financial assistance to employees, especially for the daily wage workers, to tide them over during the public emergency.

“I would like to reassure that all employees of the Yuchengco Group of Companies will continue to have jobs and none will be laid off and will continue to receive their full monthly salary, not charged to their 13th month pay,” Dee said in a letter to Bello.

YGC is one of the oldest conglomerates in the Philippines whose diversified businesses include financial services, real estate, education, construction and healthcare, among others.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

BOTTLED WATER. The Office of Civil Defense, led by National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, activates the pre-agreement with United Nations Office of Disaster Risk Reduction ARISE Philippines network and partner Nature Spring, with the first delivery of 43,000 SM bottled water to several frontliners in Metro Manila dealing with the COVID-19 health emergency. ARISE is the Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, the DRR network of private sector entities in the Philippines. SM Prime is the UNDRR ARISE secretariat, headed by Hans Sy, chairman of the executive committee, while lead partner is the National Resilience Council.

Big business groups raise P1.5b for 1m poor families

M

AJOR business groups raised over P1.5 billion to fund the distribution of grocery vouchers to 1 million urban poor families in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis.

Business groups said in a statement posted online Project Ugnayan plans to distribute P1,000 gift certificates to more than 1 million households in the poor communities of the Greater Manila Area.

“Project Ugnayan is a collaboration with business groups in cooperation with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation to raise funds in support of ongoing initiatives to help poor families that were economically displaced by the ongoing Enhanced Community Quarantine in Metro Manila,” the groups said.

“In compliance with social distancing guidelines, gift certificates delivered door-to-door will be redeemable for food items from accessible groceries and supermarkets,” they said.

The groups will initially engage with Caritas Manila’s Project Damayan and ABS CBN’s Pantawid ng Pag-ibig program for the door-to-door distribution of grocery vouchers redeemable for food items from accessible groceries and supermarkets. “Distribution is ongoing in four pilot areas and will scale-up in cooperation with project partners,” the groups said.

The business groups supporting Project Ugnayan include Aboitiz Group, ABS-CBN/Lopez Group, Alliance Global/Megaworld, AY Foundation and RCBC, Ayala Corp., Caritas Manila, Century Pacific, Concepcion Industrial Corp., DMCI, Gokongwei Group of Companies/Robinsons Retail Holdings, ICTSI, Jollibee, Leonio Group, Mercury Drug, Metrobank/GT Capital, Nutri-Asia, Oishi/Liwayway Marketing Group PDRF, PLDT/Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Puregold, San Miguel Corp. and SM/BDO, Sunlife of Canada and Suyen Corp.

The groups said talks with more companies that had signified their intention

to contribute resources to expand the reach of the project were ongoing.

The International Medical Corps and Heart to Heart International, meanwhile, tapped FedEx Express to deliver 53 pallets of household essentials and medical items from Europe and the US to the Philippines to help COVID-19 patients and Taal victims. .

“We are grateful for the support of the business community and hope that this initiative will inspire more acts of kindness in this time of crisis. Now is the time for our communities to help as one,” said Fr. Anton Pascual, executive director of Caritas Manila.

“The national health crisis that confronts us is instructive of the need to adopt a holistic perspective that enjoins every sector of society to partake in mitigating the adverse effects of this health debacle. We believe that the current national emergency needs pro-active and harmonized intervention of all sectors of society. An inclusive approach that taps all available resources and talents,” Pascual said.

FEDEX DELIVERY.

The International Medical Corps and Heart to Heart International tap FedEx Express to deliver 53 pallets of household essentials and medical items from Europe and the US to the Philippines to help COVID-19 patients and Taal victims.

S&P reduces GDP growth target to 4.2%

By Julito G. Rada

Bangko Sentral obtains nod to buy P300b worth of gov’t securities THE Monetary Board said Monday it authorized the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to purchase P300 billion worth of government securities from the Bureau of Treasury under a repurchase agreement with a maximum repayment period of six months to support the Filipino people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It said in a statement the fund to be generated from the agreement would be used to support the government’s programs to counter the impact of COVID-19 to the economy in general.

“We continue to support the government’s initiatives and objectives during the enhanced community quarantine.

This additional amount is intended to provide support for those most affected by the ECQ, especially in Luzon, for the next 60 to 90 days,” said BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno.

“Rest assured that the BSP, in coordination with the relevant government agencies, will continue to fulfill its man-

SAN Miguel Corp. said Monday power plants will likely scale down operations to save on fuel and secure supply for the coming months.

The company, however, assured the public of sufficient power supply during the enhanced community quarantine period.

“We will continue to operate all our power facilities safely despite the challenges we face and make sure that we supply power where it’s needed. We have prepared for these types of situations and we are ready,” SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said in a statement.

Ang, who also heads power subsidiary SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., said while there was no issue with power supply today, it would be prudent for power facilities to save as much fuel to ensure continuous operations.

“The COVID-19 crisis is a worldwide issue, and while we all hope for a resolution soon, it’s better if we are prepared if it extends. If there is excess capacity today, particularly since major business and commercial centers and industries are practically shut down, then perhaps government can require power plants to only produce what is needed in order to save on fuel,” he said.

He said SMC’s facilities continued to operate 24/7 to provide uninterrupted supply.

SMC Global Power, one of the country’s leading and most reliable energy companies, owns and operates a multi-fuel portfolio of baseload power plants around the country.

Its power generation facilities are located in Bataan, Bulacan, Zambales and Davao Occidental. It also administers some 2,500 megawatts of capacity from Sual, Ilijan and San Roque plants.

“As far as our facilities are concerned, we can assure sufficient and uninterrupted capacity supplied to the Luzon and Mindanao grids,” Ang said.

SMC Global Power activated its business continuity plan to ensure constant supply, employee safety and operational reliability following the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.

date with the benefit of the Filipino people in mind,” he said.

National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon said the arrangement “is the most costeffective way for us to provide an extra lifeline to the national government to support the programs to fight this pandemic.”

The Duterte administration’s economic team announced last week the rollout of a P27.1-billion package of priority actions to help frontliners fight the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic and provide economic relief to people and sectors affected by the slowdown in economic activity.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, who chairs the Duterte Cabinet’s Economic Development Cluster, said the measures in the package are designed to ensure that funding is available for the efforts of the Department of Health to contain the spread of COVID-19 and provide economic relief to those whose

businesses and livelihoods have been affected by the spread of the disease.

“As directed by President Duterte, the government will provide targeted and direct programs to guarantee that benefits will go to our workers and other affected sectors. We have enough but limited resources, so our job is to make sure that we have sufficient funds for programs mitigating the adverse effects of COVID-19 on our economy,” he said.

The fiscal support package crafted by President Duterte’s economic team includes the mobilization of an additional P3.1 billion to contribute directly to efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, including the acquisition of test kits.

Dominguez also said the government would go ahead with regular budgeted expenditures, as accelerated government spending was now even more necessary to stimulate economic activity and provide direct support to vulnerable groups and individuals. Julito G. Rada

DEBT watcher S&P Global Ratings now expects the Philippine economy to grow by just 4.2 percent this year, slower than the actual expansion of 5.9 percent in 2019, taking into consideration the assumptions of economists that the coronavirus disease 2019 will peak in August.

The new growth assumption was contained in a report S&P released on March 23, which estimated the cost of coronavirus at $620 billion.

It said despite the downward GDP revision, the estimate for the Philippines wa sstill stronger than 2.9 percent for China, 4.1 percent for Indonesia, 2.7 percent for Malaysia, 1 percent for New Zealand, 1.6 percent for Taiwan and 0.5 percent for Thailand.

Other Asia-Pacific countries are seen to post negative growth, including Hong Kong with -1.7 percent; Japan, -1.2 percent; Singapore, -0.8 percent; and South Korea, -0.6 percent.

S&P estimates that by 2021, the Philippines would grow strongly at 7.5 percent, next only to China’s 8.4 percent and Vietnam’s 8 percent. The economy is seen to grow by 6.7 percent in 2022 and 6.6 percent in 2023.

“S&P Global Ratings has updated its estimates of the total and permanent income loss for Asia-Pacific from COVID-19: approximately $620 billion. This loss will be distributed across sovereign, bank, corporate and household balance sheets,” it said.

“We have revised our real GDP, inflation, policy rate, and unemployment rate forecasts. We now expect China’s GDP growth rate to slow to 2.9 percent in 2020.

Economies will contract in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and a newly deflationary Japan. The region’s average growth rate will be 2.7 percent,” S&P said.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020 extrastory2000@gmail.com

PH, Asian stock markets drop T

HE stock market fell Monday in step with the rest of Asia despite massive economic stimulus efforts worldwide, with investors spooked by the relentless march of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index shed 35.39 points, or 0.7 percent, to 4,743.37 on a value turnover of P5.7 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 133 to 55, with 35 issues unchanged.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is into toll roads, water and electricity distribution, hospitals and infrastructure, sank 14.9 percent to P2.28, while Security Bank Corp., the sixth-biggest lender in terms of assets, slumped 10.4 percent to P103.

Megaworld Corp., the largest lessor

of office spaces, tumbled 9.6 percent to P1.89, but Globe Telecom Inc., the seond-biigest telecommunciations firm, advanced 11.6 percent to P1,850.

The rest of Asian stocks declined. The negative mood was fuelled by the failure of US lawmakers to agree on a trilliondollar emergency package to help the reeling American economy.

The global death toll from the virus has surged past 14,700, with nearly a billion people confined and non-essential businesses shut in dozens of countries and growing fears about a recession.

Wellington nosedived 7.6 percent as New Zealand announced a four-week lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong was down 4.4 percent, Sydney dropped 5.6 percent, Shanghai shed 2.3 percent and Taiwan was off by 3.7 percent.

Singapore tanked 7.5 percent, Jakarta lost 3.8 percent and Seoul was down 5.5 percent.

Tokyo was the exception, closing two percent higher as a cheaper yen against the dollar boosted Japanese markets.

Nikkei heayweight SoftBank Group said it would sell up to $41 billion in assets to finance a stock buyback, reduce debt and increase its cash reserves, boosting its share price by more than 18 percent in the last hour of trade.

Economists and analysts are now worried about how deep the impact of the pandemic could be on the global economy, with social distancing measures and lockdowns dealing serious blows to many industries.

Airlines have been hit particularly hard, with isolation measures shutting down routes and grounding fleets worldwide.

Long-haul giant Emirates announced a two-week suspension of all passenger flights, following a UAE government directive.

Singapore Airlines, meanwhile, said it would ground most of its fleet until

the end of April. The carrier said it was facing the greatest challenge in its existence.

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan Chase have all forecast a drop in US GDP, according to Bloomberg News.

“These rapid and unprecedented downgrades illustrate just how fast we’ve moved from a brief health scare to a full-blown global recession,” said Stephen Innes, global chief markets strategist at AxiCorp.

Constance Hunter, chief economist at KPMG, agreed, telling Bloomberg TV: “It’s a health crisis that’s started morphing into a financial crisis.”

US senators failed to agree on a trillion-dollar proposal to rescue the American economy on Sunday, as Democrats said the Republican plan failed to provide sufficient protection to millions of workers or shore up the critically underequipped healthcare system. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Monday, March 23, 2020

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

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ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FIRST ABACUS MANULIFE METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK

41.75 50 90 0.51 18.4 15.9 7.01 0.5 600 37.5 8 20 133 17 108.4 1,395 54.95

43.95 54.2 95.3 0.66 21 15.9 7.49 0.5 600 38.5 8.2 20 145 17 108.4 1,399 54.95

40 49.7 88 0.51 18.4 15.9 7 0.5 600 35 8 18.5 133 16.5 101.5 1,351 52

FINANCIALS 40 5,700 51.4 4,152,890 94.7 4,040,550 0.66 52,000 19.86 168,700 15.9 1,800 7 304,600 0.5 89,000 600 50 36.1 3,253,600 8.2 23,000 18.6 748,700 145 420 16.5 2,400 103 601,720 1,390 110 52 16,800

244,305 215,175,638 368,471,799.50 28,290 3,350,828 28,620 2,146,493 44,500 30,000 119,562,095 186,002 14,047,296 57,403 39,780 62,560,030 150,905 889,304

ABOITIZ POWER AC ENERGY AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS AXELUM BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG 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 PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VIVANT VULCAN INDL

23.9 1.48 5.94 0.46 1.01 1.94 0.16 0.94 10.96 3.82 1.75 2.52 4.2 6.48 5.69 7.5 1.75 14.7 46 1 32.8 0.7 10.7 3.52 0.9 98 3.1 4.75 8.55 4.65 6.82 200 0.103 1.34 3.28 2.09 9.66 18.8 3.85 4.3 1.32 1.42 0.56 5.24 46.5 6.9 0.75 100 0.7 15.08 0.52

25.1 1.57 6.34 0.465 1.01 1.94 0.171 0.98 10.96 3.82 1.9 2.52 4.2 7.08 5.69 7.5 1.96 14.98 46 1.05 32.8 0.7 12.36 3.54 0.97 99.9 3.25 5.2 8.83 4.65 6.82 218 0.106 1.34 3.28 2.09 9.66 18.9 3.85 4.6 1.32 1.42 0.63 5.24 47 7.02 0.75 105.4 0.75 15.1 0.54

20.5 1.45 5.6 0.46 1 1.88 0.15 0.93 10.5 3.65 1.75 2.52 4.05 6.48 5.3 6 1.75 14.4 43 0.98 25 0.65 10.7 3.3 0.9 91.5 3.09 4.75 8.23 4.2 6.1 199 0.103 1.3 3.28 2 9 17.5 3.82 4 1.22 1.38 0.56 4.55 45.95 6.85 0.75 98.2 0.66 15.08 0.49

INDUSTRIAL 25.1 2,651,200 1.51 3,428,000 6.31 243,500 0.46 390,000 1 2,000 1.89 647,000 0.171 2,850,000 0.96 3,587,000 10.56 3,204,100 3.8 216,000 1.9 50,000 2.52 14,000 4.07 2,913,000 6.7 763,700 5.6 15,000 7 257,200 1.8 6,796,000 14.7 1,909,900 43.6 81,500 1.01 7,609,000 29.95 46,300 0.65 74,000 12.36 1,100 3.31 84,000 0.96 260,000 95 2,580,240 3.25 10,000 5.2 200 8.52 2,191,300 4.25 523,000 6.33 236,700 218 551,470 0.106 100,000 1.34 29,000 3.28 2,000 2.04 5,081,000 9.5 130,300 17.8 261,700 3.82 27,000 4.6 23,000 1.31 620,000 1.38 58,000 0.63 358,000 5 360,100 46.6 767,900 6.85 78,000 0.75 3,000 103.3 1,470,340 0.73 8,019,000 15.1 700 0.51 510,000

62,200,250 5,223,010 1,524,127 179,500 2,010 1,232,270 450,280 3,402,220 33,773,352 810,810 93,370 35,280 11,834,420 5,121,363 83,988 1,735,733 12,658,000 28,286,226 3,635,480 7,718,330 1,351,380 49,840 13,430 281,840 243,250 247,233,692 31,070 995 18,784,973 2,227,740 1,511,030 112,345,506 10,450 38,380 6,560 10,388,580 1,237,953 4,671,530 103,380 97,050 775,590 80,800 213,570 1,799,513 35,901,955 543,231 2,250 151,300,900 5,843,300 10,568 264,610

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

0.46 30.05 5.75 0.54 6.3 5.6 0.53 400 1.44 5 3.5 7.22 400 42 4 6.8 0.39 3 6 2.6 2.7 0.9 2.4 83 670 0.65 0.76 140 0.18 0.112

0.47 30.8 6.1 0.54 6.3 5.96 0.53 420 1.44 5 3.51 7.25 410 45 4 6.8 0.39 3 6.6 2.64 2.7 0.9 2.4 83.15 748 0.69 0.83 140 0.18 0.133

0.44 28.2 5.75 0.54 6 5.2 0.52 390 1.4 4.25 3.19 6.5 381 38.5 4 6.8 0.37 2.76 6 2.28 2.7 0.68 2.4 80.55 670 0.6 0.75 139.9 0.162 0.112

HOLDING FIRMS 0.45 2,780,000 30 1,228,100 5.98 2,391,700 0.54 23,000 6 12,200 5.5 4,600 0.52 30,000 415 538,600 1.43 554,000 4.29 1,525,000 3.35 14,845,000 6.7 70,100 390 186,600 45 2,349,800 4 200 6.8 45,900 0.375 30,000 2.79 633,000 6.14 3,514,500 2.28 63,955,000 2.7 3,000 0.7 139,000 2.4 75,000 83.15 258,280 746 431,110 0.69 59,000 0.83 222,000 140 600 0.18 60,000 0.13 340,000

13.5 0.455 1.36 0.47 25 1.03 3.6 5.02 0.335 0.74 0.115 0.23 6.12 16 0.77 0.65 1.86 0.116 0.55 0.211 1.45 11.12 1.44 2.55 23.4 1.83 0.89

PROPERTY 13.5 705,600 0.475 757,000 1.36 2,000 0.5 1,050,000 27.5 28,629,500 1.18 178,000 3.89 393,000 5.8 16,700 0.335 2,880,000 0.74 1,000 0.115 570,000 0.23 410,000 7 2,300 16.1 558,300 0.77 10,000,000 0.65 1,040,000 1.89 45,301,000 0.123 1,510,000 0.6 949,000 0.211 360,000 1.6 45,000 12.5 6,493,400 1.45 651,000 2.7 8,000 24.7 14,121,300 2.02 58,000 0.92 197,000

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

13.5 0.5 1.44 0.47 25 1.12 3.92 5.02 0.35 0.74 0.12 0.23 6.13 16.3 0.82 0.66 2.06 0.125 0.63 0.225 1.5 11.74 1.53 2.79 23.5 2.03 0.95

13.5 0.5 1.44 0.5 28.2 1.21 3.92 5.8 0.35 0.74 0.12 0.23 7 16.34 0.82 0.67 2.09 0.125 0.63 0.225 1.62 13 1.54 2.79 25 2.03 0.98

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP -4,000 -49845833.5 -36979826.5 -168,656 1,590 -370,780 -44,500 -66,188,615 376,554 13,300 -23,269,884 -1,243,705 -821,090 -1,411,598 -31,960 872,420 686,512 20 -2,520 -3087629.9997 1,955,921 422,133 -14,740 3,705,116 -3,103,320 -633,030 290,890 -26,410.00 -3,560 -56,893,818 -3,250 -2,717,121 -1,000,830 -464,495 3,906,583 -17,420 -5,567,800 409,036 49,300 774,094 33,655,430 12,600 -105732428.5 -9,060 -24,500

NAME

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS

3.4 3.4

3.4 3.59

3.07 3.39

3.07 3.39

2,928,000 63,000

9,191,460 218,570

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

4.35 15.56 1.36 5.04 0.31 0.04 1.8 4.4 0.024 39.95 6.9 2.04 4 1,650 4.71 334 12.8 0.61 1 72.5 1.1 12.48 1.19 0.62 4.17 0.315 2 1.24 1.13 1.22 11.9 1.14 1.52 6 3.22 132 1.3 857.5 0.3 0.19 30.5 49.8 0.99 0.38 0.13 0.38 12.34

5.5 15.6 1.36 5.16 0.31 0.04 2 4.59 0.026 40 6.9 2.07 4.5 1,850 4.71 335 12.8 0.61 1 73 1.14 12.48 1.3 0.62 4.75 0.32 2 1.25 1.35 1.46 13.74 1.15 1.52 6 4.5 132 1.35 930 0.3 0.19 31.7 50 0.99 0.39 0.143 0.4 12.54

4.3 15.1 1.36 4.5 0.28 0.039 1.8 4.26 0.024 35 6.5 1.98 4 1,650 4.28 334 12.8 0.58 1 66.1 1.05 11.9 1.15 0.62 4 0.315 2 1.16 1.05 1.05 11.9 1.09 1.49 5.5 3.22 126 1.2 839 0.255 0.173 30.5 48 0.9 0.36 0.13 0.37 12.3

SERVICES 5.45 15.42 1.36 4.5 0.28 0.039 2 4.3 0.026 36.7 6.5 2 4.5 1,850 4.5 335 12.8 0.61 1 69.5 1.11 11.9 1.3 0.62 4.75 0.32 2 1.16 1.22 1.38 13.74 1.12 1.5 5.5 4.5 129.5 1.25 920 0.26 0.176 30.65 49.9 0.93 0.39 0.14 0.38 12.5

46,000 162,400 1,000 704,100 250,000 4,300,000 59,000 5,900,000 3,500,000 270,000 200 806,000 8,000 85,175 145,000 520 100 313,000 15,000 1,556,420 11,351,000 2,400 182,000 30,000 1,446,000 60,000 20,000 1,868,000 2,951,000 10,000 2,100 412,000 57,000 17,500 5,000 303,850 642,000 210,820 12,140,000 1,630,000 880,700 252,000 1,641,000 1,440,000 70,000 240,000 1,532,100

224,000 2,493,570 1,360 3,256,923 74,000 171,900 107,400 25,478,110 88,100 10,100,895 1,340 1,614,870 33,800 150,570,980 644,350 174,180 1,280 185,470 15,000 108,757,830.50 12,534,950 29,374 219,090 18,600 6,521,750 19,050 40,000 2,295,070 3,681,380 12,870 25,588 461,370 85,540 101,889 19,720 39,348,755 817,900 188,027,735 3,287,550 291,340 27,266,920 12,357,885 1,516,330 557,650 9,730 90,700 18,982,572

-16,500 -201,526 -25,600 -9,910,410 -4,151,675 17,910 25,387,575 -8,210 -32942430.5 790,180 -18,600 2936479.9997 -360,340 14,510 0 -132,520 53,102,755 -1937049.9997 -33,440 -6,952,410 -8,901,955 -36,450 -252,100 5,304,594

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

0.001 5.18 0.59 1.75 10.3 2.43 6 0.475 0.177 0.066 0.062 0.006 0.52 1.57 0.77 0.435 0.0081 0.0067 1.9 3.94 8.64

0.001 5.18 0.59 1.76 10.3 2.46 6 0.48 0.177 0.07 0.07 0.006 0.56 1.57 0.78 0.445 0.0091 0.0067 1.93 3.94 11

0.001 4.45 0.57 1.75 10.2 2.41 5.71 0.46 0.176 0.06 0.06 0.006 0.45 1.49 0.77 0.4 0.0081 0.0067 1.85 3.65 8.43

MINING & OIL 0.001 9,000,000 5 56,200 0.57 434,000 1.75 51,000 10.3 5,500 2.46 345,000 6 1,200 0.475 3,760,000 0.176 100,000 0.07 4,440,000 0.068 220,000 0.006 5,000,000 0.5 303,000 1.5 2,574,000 0.78 154,000 0.445 90,000 0.0091 6,000,000 0.0067 11,000,000 1.85 350,000 3.7 318,000 10.6 3,469,200

9,000 254,846 252,760 89,260 56,480 839,510 6,963 1,774,400 17,690 286,650 13,680 30,000 146,035 3,901,350 119,090 37,850 51,600 73,700 664,890 1,183,230 32,531,692

-95,900 -108,950 -599,870 2,340 514,870 34,360 4710511.9997

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2R ALCO PREF B CPG PREF A DD PREF FGEN PREF G GMA HLDG PDR HOUSE PREF A PCOR PREF 2B PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B PNX PREF 4 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

14 506 496 100.2 101 98 107 4.8 95 1,010 1,006 1,004 99.1 103 981 76 75 74 75 75 75 75.5

14 506 496 100.2 101 98 107 4.8 95 1,010 1,006 1,006 99.1 103 990 76 75 74 75 75 75 75.5

13.5 506 496 100.2 100 97.7 107 4.8 95 1,010 1,006 1,004 99 103 981 75 74 74 74 75 75 75

PREFERRED 14 38,800 506 10 496 3,110 100.2 16,780 100 20,290 98 84,060 107 3,500 4.8 3,000,000 95 2,210 1,010 500 1,006 25 1,004 1,410 99 7,190 103 20 990 1,650 76 99,700 75 21,830 74 17,000 75 86,100 75 34,970 75 87,940 75 97,220

530,862 5,060 1,542,560 1,681,356 2,036,655 8,224,826 374,500 14,400,000 209,950 505,000 25,150 1,416,345 711,896 2,060 1,633,050 7,498,149 1,633,900 1,258,000 6,456,900 2,622,750 6,595,500 7,292,500

4,960 -14,400,000 -49,050 16,533 -

LR WARRANT

0.65

0.65

0.65

WARANTS 0.65 41,000

26,650

-

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

1.65 5.7 0.49

1.72 5.7 0.49

1.65 5.1 0.47

1.72 5.13 0.47

142,740 151,694 129,500

-

FIRST METRO ETF

72

73

70

USD DMPL A2

10.02

10.02

9.7

MS 1,252,400 36,309,750 14,112,321 12,420 73,824 25,406 15,770 219,797,538 777,890 6,597,180 49,755,760 478,095 74,111,708 98,268,560 800 312,120 11,350 1,801,060 21,594,723 154,418,850 8,100 107,280 180,000 21,411,275.50 306,851,110 35,870 176,750 83,990 10,210 43,340

9,525,600 353,455 2,800 522,100 762,822,470 196,690 1,475,110 91,690 978,200 740 65,700 94,300 14,737 9,025,132 7,963,500 684,320 89,316,780 182,120 536,150 78,960 67,200 77,666,594 964,310 21,660 343,947,720 113,100 180,020

-100 -4,936,680 958,511 21,075 2,844,140 -558,560 -166,140 -14,036,300 -359,744 -8,280,286 -2,860,650 204,450 -9,414,041 -27,227,740 -75,974.50 -11,041,735 6,000 -32,200 -

-1,360 113,830,010 12,930 -1,150 2,300 -2,283,792 -3,724,820 -37,065,970 -19,914,184 -411,700 -2,320 -42,327,260 -39,060

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

OPEN

Trading Summary

SHARES

FINANCIAL

24,330,213

INDUSTRIAL

62,114,233

HOLDING FIRMS

97,008,391

PROPERTY

120,812,343

SERVICES

60,642,210

MINING & OIL

47,944,510

GRAND TOTAL

413,311,631

SME

85,000 27,900 270,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 71.75 72,630 9.7

DDS

2,330

-4,062,710 -

5,213,506

205,002.50

22,974.20

-

VALUE 1,104.13 (down) 59.56 1,723,342,244.27 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 5,940.25 (down) 82.40 783,272,411.564 HOLDING FIRMS 4,643.61 (up) 41.55 1,136,546,782.32 PROPERTY 2,440.60 (down) 27.73 1,041.09 (up) 3.38 1,348,533,253.65 SERVICES MINING & OIL 3,897.47 (up) 152.00 637,684,419.75 PSEI 4,743.37 (down) 35.39 42,352,780.52 All Shares Index 2,927.02 (down) 21.63 5,677,371,466.67 Gainers: 55; Losers: 133; Unchanged: 35; Total: 223

Lopez Group pledges P100m to assist poor communities

By Alena Mae S. Flores

CONGLOMERATE First Philippine Holdings Corp. of the Lopez Group has pledged P100 million to support poor families whose work and means of livelihood are affected by measures to contain the 2019 corona virus disease (COVID-19).

FPH said in a statement Monday the P100-million is a seed fund allowing the immediate launch of sister company ABS-CBN Corp.’s “Pantawid ng Pagibig” project, a campaign coordinated with local government units to provide indigents with food and other necessities in the midst of an enhanced community quarantine.

ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pagibig project is raising money from private companies and individual funds, which the network is using to buy food items and other essentials for repacking and distribution to families and households in poor communities, whose residents are affected by quarantine restrictions.

FPH saw the need to help after monitoring reports about workers and small traders who worried about where to get money for their next meal following the implementation of enhanced community quarantine that cut them off from their work and means of livelihood.

“FPH sees the ABS-CBN Pantawid campaign as a template, which can be replicated in other parts of the country where indigents are likewise unable to work or get needs due to quarantine restrictions to their movement,” the company said.

Under the Pantawid campaign, ABSCBN coordinates with the local government units in distributing the food packages.

By bringing food bags to the affected households, Pantawid at the same time helps stop the spread of Covid-19 because it encourages the indigents to stay home. These families need not go to their barangay centers or to ABS-CBN to get their needs.

FPH has subsidiaries with operations in other parts of the country. These include First Gen Corp., the country’s largest clean and renewable energy producer, whose power plants are operating in the provinces. ABS-CBN also has its own broadcast stations in the provinces.

CDO court issues new arrest order vs. KAPA officials

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Cagayan de Oro City Regional Trial Court issued another warrant of arrest against Kapa-Community Ministry International founder and president Joel Apolinario for syndicated estafa.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said in a statement Monday the Cagayan de Oro City RTC Branch 21 on February 18 issued the warrant of arrest against Apolinario, along with eight other people connected to KAPA, for syndicated estafa which is non-bailable.

The other respondents were Junnie Apolinario, Maria Pella Sevilla, Cristobal Barabad, Nonita Urbano, Nelia Nino, Jouelyn Del Castillo, Joji Jusay and Albert Buhangbuhang.

The Bislig City RTC Branch 29 earlier issued warrants of arrest against Apolinario, along with KAPA corporate secretary Reyna Apolinario, trustee Margie Danao and promoters Reniones Catubigan, Marisol Diaz, Adelfa Fernandico and Moises Mopia for violations of Republic Act No. 8799, or the Securities Regulation Code.

Mr. and Mrs. Apolinario and Catubigan surrendered on February 19 and 27, respectively, and posted bail for their temporary liberty while facing the investment fraud charges filed by prosecutors at the Department of Justice.

The DOJ earlier accused KAPA of “willfully, unlawfully and criminally” engaging in the selling or offering of securities for sale or distribution in the Philippines without a registration statement filed with and approved by the SEC. The criminal proceedings stemmed from the complaint filed by the SEC in June last year against KAPA, after finding the group to have enticed the public to invest at least P10,000 in exchange for a 30-percent monthly return for life, without doing anything other than invest and wait for the payout.

The SEC also found KAPA to have employed a Ponzi scheme, an investment program that offers impossibly high returns and pays investors using the money contributed by future investors.

Entertainment ALWAYS #TRENDING

GMA Public Affairs, SocMed leader in online promotions WITH over 44 million followers across all social media platforms, GMA Public Affairs has become a digital powerhouse and a primary innovator in social media promotions for TV programs in the Philippines.

The department successfully reached digital audiences from all demographics and social strata with game-changing initiatives in online content production.

“Our Public Affairs social media team successfully brought our programs to the attention of the younger, mobile generation. I am very proud of how they do not just creatively promote our shows, but are also pioneers in the creation of digital first content,” said Nessa Valdellon, GMA Network First Vice President for Public Affairs.

Despite the changing social media algorithms, GMA Public Affairs Social Media Team managed to stay relevant and generate millions of additional fol-

lowers every year.

Its official YouTube channel already surpassed the rival network’s official news account. To date, the GMA Public Affairs YouTube channel is nearing the 10 million mark with 9.42 million subscribers, 940,000 subscribers ahead of ABS-CBN News, which only has 8.48 million subscribers. In 2019, GMA Public Affairs’ YouTube channel recorded over 2.77 billion views— almost twice higher compared with ABSCBN News’ 1.5 billion views.

Leading the list of the most followed Public Affairs shows on social media is the country’s number one program, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho. Its Facebook page alone has over 11 million Facebook likes. At the same time, its story “Dalaga sa Davao, bakit tila hindi tumatanda?” emerged as the Philippines’ top trending video on YouTube for 2019 after garnering more than 17.7 million

SNAPSHOT

Araneta City supports TB-free workplace ON MARCH 23, TB-Free Araneta City Campaign, marked its 1st anniversary. Chaired by J. Amado Araneta Foundation, the social development arm of the Araneta Group, the campaign was launched during the World TB Day Celebration in Gateway Mall, Araneta City.

Araneta City has put the health of its communities in the frontline of priorities, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal #3 on ensuring healthy lives and the promotion of the well-being for all at all ages. More particularly, the UN SDG 3.3 target is to end the epidemics of AIDS, TB, malaria and

other communicable diseases by 2030.

According to World Health Organization, about one million Filipinos have active TB disease. This is the third highest prevalence rate in the world.

It is a highly-curable disease. Yet, it is the number one killer among all infectious diseases. Every day, more than 70 people lose their lives to TB in the Philippines needlessly, or 3 Filipinos die every hour. Ending TB requires concerted action by all sectors and all care providers. Everyone has a role to play in ending TB – individuals, communities, businesses, governments and societies.

Advertising professional

to represent PH at Mr. Gay World 2020 LEONARD Kodie Cavite was second Macayan bested runner-up.

Kelvin 14 candidates and Kai Angala, 25, a snagged the Mr. Mass CommunicaFahrenheit 2020 tion graduate from title during the San Pedro, Laguna finals held at F and Virgilio Llego, Club Philippines, in 26, model from ArQuezon City last month. gao, Cebu finished as third and fourth Macayan, 30-year-old, graduate of runners-up, respectively.

Fine Arts, maThe Mr. Fahrjor in Advertisenheit 2020 was ing and works directed by Rodgas an Account il Flores and Manager, will is an annual be the counpresentation try’s repreof the Mr. Gay sentative at the World Philippines 12th Mr. Gay Organization World pageant ( MGW PO), to be held in h e a d e d Knysna, South

by Wilbert Ting Africa in May Tolentino. It aims 2020. to eradicate steMacayan, reotypes from who hails from public percepQuezon City, tion, combat sexalso bagged the ual prejudice for best in national equality, as well costume and as to promote the best in formal HIV/AIDS Early wear special Detection Proawards.

He gram and erase was crowned the stigma of testby reigning and discrimiing Mr. Gay nation attached to World, Janjep the disease.

Carlos of the M G W P O , Philippines. through the pagD e l i o eant, hopes to Leonard Kodie Macayan, 30, will wear the Gonzales, a use its influence 3 8 - y e a r - o l d , Philippine sash at this year’s edition of Mr. for the advanceteacher from Gay World scheduled to take place in South ment of HIV/AIDS Africa in May. Makati City, treatment and rewas named first search, and use its runner-up, while Richard Farinas, winners to be the voice of any media 30-year-old, businessman from cal breakthrough.

views on the video-sharing platform.

As it celebrates its 15th year, there is no stopping KMJS from dominating online. The hashtag, “#KMJS15” is a consistent top trending topic on Twitter Philippines every Sunday— and at times, even worldwide.

“Programs from GMA Public Affairs feature the best storytelling in the country, and our digital team aims to continue to bring these to Filipinos here and abroad, no matter the device and platform they use,” said Jaemark Tordecilla, GMA Network Assistant Vice President for News and Public Affairs Digital Media.

GMA Public Affairs also joined the Gen Z trend by creating its own TikTok account, which already gained over 150,000 followers in less than a month. GMA Public Affairs also joined the Gen Z trend by creating its own TikTok account, which already gained over 150,000 followers in less than a

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020

B3

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

Leading the list of the most followed Public Affairs shows on social media is the country’s number one program,’ Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.’

month. Just recently, the video of internet sensations Jelai Andres and Jon Gutierrez also known as “JoLai” hit two million views. The popular tandem will be part of GMA’s upcoming program Owe My Love. Unang Hirit’s informative video on how to avoid pimples featuring dermatologist Dr. Winlove Mojica also earned over 1 million

views. TikTok is a video-sharing social networking service that has been gaining popularity among netizens all over the world.

As GMA Network celebrates its 70th anniversary, its Public Affairs department will deliver more innovative and trendsetting content that promotes “Serbisyong Totoo” worldwide.

Lopez Group donates P100-M

to provide food for Filipinos affected by community quarantine

L

EADING media ABSCBN launched the “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” fund-raising campaign on March 19 in partnership with local government officials in Metro Manila and private companies to provide food and basic necessities to Filipinos greatly affected by the enhanced community quarantine.

While the government has appealed to the public to stay at home in order to help stop the spread of the virus, many Filipinos are unable to work or continue with their livelihood to sustain the needs of their families.

“We hope that no Filipino will suffer from hunger at this difficult time. As we have proven many times before, it is our love and concern for each other that will get us through any crisis,” said ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak.

Through the donations from the public, ABS-CBN will be purchasing food and other basic necessities that

REAL LIFE DARNA. Angel Locsin, often cited for her work in addressing the needs of her underprivileged countrymen, urges the public to heed the network’s call for donations. the Filipino families need. At least four These are Century Canning Corporacompanies have already pledged to al- tion, Suy Sing Commercial Corporalocate stocks for the relief packages. tion, Republic Biscuit Corporation, and the Lucio Tan Group.

The “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” items Television action hero will be turned over to the local governCoco Martin joins ment units in Metro Manila. All 17 ABS-CBN’s biggest Metro Manila mayors will then lead the stars in the network’s preparation and distribution of relief well-meaning effort. packages for families in need.

Two of ABS-CBN’s biggest stars also urged the public to heed the network’s call for donations.

“I know that your kindness is limitless, so let us pour our love to our fellowmen,” said multi-awarded TV and film actress Angel Locsin.

Coco Martin, the lead actor and director of top-rating primetime teleserye FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano added “we don’t know when this will end. But I am sure we will overcome all this because Filipinos don’t leave their families behind.”

To jumpstart the campaign, Katigbak announced that the Lopez Group of Companies has donated P100 million to “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig.” With more help coming in from both the public and private sectors, and the continued trust and cooperation of local government officials, ABS-CBN hopes to extend the campaign to areas beyond Metro Manila where many other Filipinos are also in need of help.

Those who would like to help may make a cash donation through ABSCBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya bank accounts BPI peso account 3051-11-55-88, Metrobank peso account 636-3-636-08808-1, BDO peso account 0039301-14199, and BDO dollar account 1039300-81622.

Life

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

B4

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020

By Monica Sanchez

W

E HAVE been reminded over and over again of the simple ways to prevent the further spread of coronavirus. From as simple as regularly washing hands to the implementation of enhanced community quarantine in Luzon, safety measures in place are meant to contain the situation and, hopefully, put an end to it.

Stop the spread

Remember, even if you’re not a frontliner, you can still help to stop the spread.

Wash your hands This cannot be emphasized enough: always, always wash your hands using soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating or preparing food, and after touching visibly dirty and frequently used objects and surfaces (e.g. door knobs, handles, light switches, gadgets, remote controls, etc.).

In an article published on National Geographic, Sarah Gibbens wrote, “No matter what you touch, soap and water is the best way to remove any potential coronavirus from your hands before it can lead to infection. The coronavirus does not penetrate through skin because your outermost layer is slightly acidic, which prevents most pathogens from entering the body.”

“Soap works so effectively because its chemistry pries open the coronavirus’ exterior envelope and cause it to degrade. These soap molecules then trap tiny fragments of the virus, which are washed away in water. Hand sanitizers work similarly by busting apart the proteins contained in a virus.”

Wear a mask if necessary and don’t touch your face The general rule of thumb when it comes to mask wearing is that, you have to if you’re sick (coronavirus-related or not) or if you’re taking care of someone who is sick.

According to the World Health Organization, mask is effective only “when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.” The WHO also reminded those wearing face masks to ensure their hands are clean before putting it on and after removing it. Do not re-use single-use masks.

Wearing face mask outside could he helpful in avoiding touching your face with your hands.

Ways to avoid coronavirus transmission SITTING PRETTY. As much as possible, as long as your work and other responsibilities do not require you to go outside, stay at home and act like you have coronavirus to avoid transmission.

Clean and disinfect surroundings Make sure your surrounding space is clean and disinfected. The Centers for Disease Control offers guidelines in cleaning and disinfecting households (Read: ‘How to clean and disinfect your home’ published on March 19 in MS Life).

The CDC, as well as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) both recommend environmental cleaning and the cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched objects and surfaces, using both a regular household cleaning

spray and a disinfectant. For the latter, one must contain ethanol as the main antimicrobial agent.

Devices also count as “frequently touched objects” thus it’s important to sanitize them as well.

Lightly apply antimicrobial spray or alcohol on a microfiber cloth and wipe down mobile phone, tablet, laptop, and other gadgets. Don’t forget to wash their covers as well.

Stay at home As much as possible, as long as your work and other responsibilities do not require you to go outside, stay at home. In fact, experts recommend to act like you have coronavirus as many of those infected may be asymptomatic or have mild symptoms—thus are unaware that they have it—but can still transmit the virus.

Those who are working from the comforts of their home can set up virtual meetings, transfer work files online, save important documents through cloud storage for easy access and communication with colleagues.

PLDT Home has rolled out FREE speedboost for all Fibr subscribers in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna, and Cavite to increase the minimum speed to 25 Mbps until April 30.

Be informed Stay up-to-date on the right information about COVID-19 via official sources. Share news and other reports from verified government and news agencies such as the Department of Health, National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council, and Philippine Information Agency.

COVID-19 HOTLINES AND DESIGNATED EMERGENCY HOTLINES DOH COVID-19 Hotline: (02) 894-COVID (26843) Free calls for PLDT, Smart, Sun, and TNT subscribers COVID-19 Hotline: 1555 National Emergency Response Center: 911 Citizen Complaint Hotline: 8888 NDRRMC Trunk Lines: 8911-5061 to 65 local 100 NDRRMC Operations Center: (02) 8911-1406 / 8912-2665 / 8912-5668 / 8911-1873 Philippine Red Cross Hotline: 143 Emergency Response Unit: (02) 8790-2300 local 604

Our current situation requires all of us to avoid touching our faces, wash our hands often, clean and disinfect our surroundings, and protect ourselves.

Metro Manila Emergency Hotlines Caloocan: 5310-6972 Las Piñas: 8552-7694 / 8776-7268 Makati: 168 / 8236-5790 Malabon: 8921-6009 Mandaluyong: 8533-2225 Manila: 8527-5175 Marikina: 161 Muntinlupa: 8925-4351 Pasay: 8551-7777 Pateros: 8642-5259 Quezon City: 122 / 8928-4396 San Juan: 7238-4333 Taguig: 8789-3200

Telemedicine aims to address COVID concerns MARIDOL D. Ylanan, chief executive of Global Telehealth, Inc. which runs KonsultaMD, said telemedicine is a viable alternative to visits to hospital emergency rooms which should be reserved for more critical situations, especially as COVID-19 cases continue to escalate Telemedicine customers can have 24/7 access to doctors while ensuring that they are not at risk of getting or spreading any disease since there is no physical interaction with medical practitioners and other patients.

“KonsultaMD, for instance, has a team of doctors who are fully equipped with the knowledge on how to deal with various medical concerns including COVID-19. Through telephone triaging, the doctor can advise the customer whether they need to go to the hospital for further evaluation or testing,” explained Ylanan.

In other countries like the US, telemedicine is already viewed as a key tool to help fight COVID-19. The US National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also alerted US hospitals to be prepared to use this.

KonsultaMD introduced to the Philippines this innovative healthcare service five years ago. To access, dial 79880 toll-free from Globe or TM mobile phones, or (02) 7798-8000 from any landline.

Anyone may talk to a doctor to ask for medical information for primary conditions, maternity, pediatrics, mental health, COVID-19, health coaching, nutrition counseling, reading of laboratory and diagnostic results, and permissible medication, among others.

For unlimited immediate access to doctors 24/7, customers may opt for

either an individual subscription fee of P15 a week or P60 a month for Globe Prepaid and TM customers, deductible from their prepaid load.

Globe Postpaid customers, on the other hand, may subscribe to a P99 per week plan which may be extended to one additional family member or P150 per month with four extensions, chargeable to their monthly bill.

Non-Globe and TM customers may also avail of KonsultaMD services through a one year subscription of P150 per month for group or P60 a month for individual, payable via credit card or mobile money, and subject to regular cell phone charges if call is via mobile.

Go to www.konsulta.md/subscribe or call 79880 toll-free via mobile (for Globe/TM customers) or (02) 77988000 to subscribe.

The doctor is... on the line through telemedicine that allows clients to have 24/7 access to physicians via phone call.

Valenzuela: 8352-5000 / 8292-1405 Rizal Emergency Hotline 8620-2487 / 8571-4375 Bulacan Emergency Hotlines Bulacan: (044) 791-0566 / (044) 760-7049 Malolos: (044) 791-0630 Meycauayan: (044) 258-1030 San Jose del Monte: (044) 913-7243 Cavite Emergency Hotlines Bacoor: 161 / (046) 417-0727 Cavite: (046) 431-0752 Dasmariñas: (046) 686-3339 / (046) 851-0995 Imus: (046) 471-0629 Gen. Trias: (046) 437-8184 Tagaytay: (046) 4830446 Trece Martires: (046) 419-0353 Laguna Emergency Hotlines Biñan: 7530-0015 Cabuyao: 8832-2809 Calamba: 7545-1697 San Pablo: 7562-8116 San Pedro: 8808-2020 Sta. Rosa: 7530-0015