Manila Standard - 2020 March 31 - Tuesday

HOUSE RUSHES SUB-PANELS TO BOOST BAYANIHAN LAW IMPLEMENTATION

By Maricel V. Cruz and Rey Requejo A HOUSE of committee on began forming in preparation

Representatives ad hoc the COVID-19 crisis various sub-committees for the implementation

of a law granting President Duterte emergency powers.

Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, who sponsored the House-approved version of Republic Act 11469, said the ad hoc panel is set to meet online this week

to complete the composition of the subcommittees.

House Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and his wife, Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, meanwhile, urged Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to

expedite the accreditation of screening centers to boost the government’s fight against COVID-19.

The legislators noted that several local governments have started establishing their own screening centers.

They welcomed the scheduled

onsite assessment by a team from the Department of Health and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) of the first testing center for COVID-19 in EasternVisayas.

“We call on the DOH to assist local Next page

Año favors end to lockdown Says bad for economy; Duque ambivalent, Lacson sees trouble

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

E

XTENDING the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or lockdown due to the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) —which has killed 78 and infected 1,546 nationwide, with 128 new cases reported as of 4 pm – was not advisable, as this measure would adversely affect the domestic economy, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Monday.

The Department of Health (DOH) itself cannot forecast yet if the Luzonwide lockdown wil be over soon.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday cited the case of Wuhan, China, which started its lockdown on January 23 but restricted just the same.

This meant, Duque added, that the lockdown was not completely lifted.

The mixed signals from the authorities on whether the ECQ, imposed on March 16 across the country of 108 million people, will be extended or not after April 14 came as senators warned of social unrest from daily wage workers who have been unable to work during the lockdown.

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 48 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Monday warned of “a serious social problem” if the Philippine government would not act swiftly following reports that families, especially the daily wage earners, were going hungry already.

Lacson said “a hungry stomach knows no law,” saying that in Isabela province there were reports that some people were eating corn fungus to stave off hunger.

“If the Executive (department) does not act with dispatch, we may have a serious social problem to face,” the senator said.

Duque said in an interview on Dobol Next page

FDA okays 5 rapid test kits to slow virus spread

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo THE Food and Drug Administration approved the use of five rapid test kits for COVID-19 on Monday in support of government efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, the agency’s director general, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said.

He said these point-of-care test kits are registered for use in countries with reliable regulatory agencies such as China and Singapore.

“We approve kits that are registered and used in countries with advanced technology and wide experience with COVID-19.

We want the people to have access to testing but of course, proper evaluation and safeguards will still be in place,” Domingo said.

He noted the rapid test kits will yield a faster result compared to polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based kits, but it is important that the results are evaluated and interpreted by a trained Next page health professional.

‘WHEN YOU LIE, WE DIE’

Doctor in Lionair plane crash gave grim reminder to patients

By Nickie Wang and Joel E. Zurbano

John Richard Hurst (right) and Marilyn De Jesus

“WHEN you lie, we die. I stand with the medical community in honoring one of our fallen comrades in his battle with COVID-19. He was a frontliner who was fulfilling his line of duty.”

This was one of the final sentiments posted on Facebook

by Dr. Cenover Nicandro “Nicko” Bautista—who was among the eight casualties of the fatal Lionair aircraft crash at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Sunday evening.

Next page

CONTRASTS OF COMMERCE. The vegetable trading post in La Trinidad, Benguet is teeming with goods and activity—before local authorities ordered an extreme enhanced community quarantine that led to the suspension of trading activities at midnight Monday. Meanwhile, cashiers, baggers and supermarket staff at the Gaisano City Mall in Cagayan de Oro City kneel in prayer—with social distancing – just before opening its doors to the public during the coronavirus quarantine. Dave Leprozo

Moscow on lockdown as global cases top 700k MOSCOW—Russia’s capital became the latest world city to impose a coronavirus lockdown on Monday as declared cases globally topped 700,000 and the planet braced for a drawn-out battle against the disease.

Worried governments are imposing fresh confinement measures in the face of a spiralling COVID-19 death toll that saw

another 800 people die in the last 24 hours in Spain alone.

With leaders everywhere warning it will take months to restore normality, Africa’s largest city Lagos was also preparing to join the more than one third of humanity ordered to stay in their homes.

Across the globe, desperate hospitals

Chloroquine: wonder drug vs. COVID? Edmark Jael

Dr. Cenover “Nicko” Bautista

WASHINGTON ― Could a pair of decades-old, relatively inexpensive drugs be the solution to the novel coronavirus pandemic?

Around the world, countries are expanding access to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine (CQ), related compounds that are synthetic forms of quinine, which comes from cinchona trees and has been used for centuries to treat malaria.

HQ which is the less toxic of the two, is also used as an anti-inflammatory to treat conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, purposes it is primarily known for outside the tropics.

The medicines have shown early

promise against the COVID-19 illness in early studies in France and China, which led US President Donald Trump this week to call them a “gift from God” -even as experts urge caution until bigger trials validate their effectiveness.

Here is what you need to know.

Why they might work China used CQ on a trial of 134 patients in February, finding it was effective in reducing the severity of the illness, according to officials.

But these results haven’t yet been published. Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan, who leads a government task force in response to the epidemic, Next page

are filling up with patients despite governments imposing the most dramatic changes to the way people live since World War II in a bid to halt the deadly march of the disease.

The sweeping measures have wiped out millions of jobs, left economies teetering and rendered once-teeming cities Next page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM MARCH 30)

1,546

NUMBER OF CASES

78

DEATHS

42

RECOVERIES

128

NEW CASES

A2

News

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Govt posts rules for wakes, burials T Here are government guidelines on wakes and burials under the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon: 1. For deaths unrelated to COVID-19, the Philippine National Police said only the immediate family of the deceased and ministers or officiants are allowed to attend wakes.

2. For deaths due to COVID-19, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said bodies must be placed in cadaver bags which are wrapped, sealed and sprayed with sodium hydrochloride. The remains should be cremated within 12 hours.

3. For Muslim deaths due to COVID-19, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the body should be placed in an air-tight sealed bag and buried in the

nearest Muslim cemetery within 12 hours, in accordance to Muslim rites.

24/7 hotlines launched The University of the Philippines Manila Philippine General Hospital (UPPGH) on Monday launched a dedicated 24/7 hotline number, 155200 powered by PLDT Inc., for its COVID-19 Bayanihan Operations Center Through the hotline service, UP PGH aims to provide assistance to the public and manage the influx of patients to its COVID health care center, by enabling those who are ill to call and consult with professionals regarding the symptoms they are experiencing, without having to check in at the hospital.

The hotline, which will operate 24 hours

daily, is also a channel through which the hospital can accept donations such as those for personal protective equipment and other badly needed supplies.

DepEd, CHED rules Meanwhile, the Department of Education issueds OM-OSEC-2020-004 to guide Regional Directors for action on requests by local government units (LGUs) to use DepEd schools and engage DepEd personnel in activities related to COVID-19.

The memorandum, consistent with OM-OSEC-2020-002 issued on March 26, 2020, delegates to the Regional Directors the responsibility to approve or deny requests by LGUs to use DepEd schools for activities related to the COVID-19 outbreak, based on evaluation by the Schools Division Superintendent in consultation with the school heads.

DepEd teaching and nonteaching personnel may participate in these activities, in a voluntary and personal capacity, under the supervision of the LGU and consistent with the alternative

Año...

Meanwhile, Duque said the COVID-19 fatality rate in the country had decreased from 8% to 5%.

He also reiterated that as the backlog on COVID-19 tests would be completed in the coming days, more reflective figures on the number of new cases would emerge.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine committed to finish all its backlogs by end of March.

Lacson also mentioned another Filipino saying,“Aanhin pa ang damo, kung patay na ang kabayo” (what use is grass to a dead horse) should be repeatedly reminded to the officials in charge of implementing the distribution of the cash dole-outs to the 18 million families.

At this time when daily wage earners must have exhausted whatever limited savings and personal loans they subsist on, the senator noted that every meal missed by their children means desperation.

“We know what desperation can drive a head of the family to do when he sees his family starving,” said the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Joel Villanueva said they expected to receive President Rodrigo Duterte’s first report on how the executive department used additional funds and powers approved by Congress to boost the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis.

“I expect to receive a report on the distribution of financial aid to the 18 million families of the informal sector,

mass testing specially in urban areas, and prioritization of the safety and welfare of the frontline health workers,” said Sotto.

Villanueva said he wanted to see the specific mechanisms on how the government operationalized the release of the emergency subsidy worth P5,000 to P8,000, the implementation of the expanded 4Ps, as well as the additional allocation for our emergency employment programs like CAMP and TUPAD. He said the immediate roll-out of these programs should help stem the hunger already being felt by Filipinos.

Under the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act”, Sotto said the President must submit a weekly report to Congress, detailing how the government utilized public funds to send aid to indigent families and health workers battling COVID-19.

He said Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and senators Pia Cayetano, Christopher Go, and Panfilo Lacson were assigned to represent the Senate in the Congress’ joint oversight committee.

While the law exempts coronavirusrelated purchases from the procurement process, the executive branch will still have to subject itself to state audit, said Drilon.

“I want to emphasize that the rules of the Commission on Audit and the law on anti-graft are not being waived in so far as the execution of this law is concerned,” he added.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said it’s been five days since the emergency powers, and as required by law, IATF needs to submit

HE government has issued guidelines limiting wakes and burials in Luzon for families until April 12 as it barred the public from holding mass gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now infected 1,546 and killed 78 in the country.

From A1

B sa News TV, that even while Wuhan had plunged to a single digit in regard to reported cases, Wuhan authorities had not completely lifted the lockdown.

Ano noted the number of COVID-19 cases in China peaked three weeks after it implemented community-wide quarantine protocols, adding in another interview on Dobol B sa News TV that if the lockdown were extended, the country’s economy would suffer.

He said authorities would help make the curve flat during the last two weeks, but stressed none should be disobedient and everyone should follow the protocol.

Año made the statement amid the continuous increase of COVID-19 cases in the country, which the Department of Health said was expected due to the increased testing capacity.

Año, the vice chairman of the national action plan against COVID-19, explained that there had been a continuous rise on the number of coronavirus cases because of the release of the results of the testings conducted.

He believes that if the government did not impose an enhanced community quarantine, the number of cases in the Philippines could have reached 20,000 by now.

There are currently 874 persons under investigation and 6,321 persons under monitoring.

FDA...

From A1

“We have to be very cautious in using these rapid test kits because they measure antibodies and not the viral load itself.

The body takes time to develop antibodies and this might give a negative result for patients who have been infected but antibodies have not yet developed antibodies,” he said.

The test kits will bear a warning that they are not intended for personal use, and that they must be administered by a trained health professional. Comfirmatory testing is also required.

The FDA called on local government chief executives, heads of agencies, hospitals and private companies to be cautious in the use the these test kits.

The FDA has also approved the SARS Cov2 kit by Gene Xpert, a PCR-based test kit from Abbott Laboratories that can detect the virus within five minutes.

To date, FDA has approved 17 PCR-based test kits for commercial use.

Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña announced that the public can expect the approval for the locally made COVID-19 test kits this week.

“The field validation for the COVID-19 testing kits is ongoing and is expected to be finished by Wednesday, April 1,” he said.

The SARS-CoV-2 PCR Detection Kit, which is the first locally-made COVID-19 test kit, was developed by scientists from the University of the Philippines National Institute of Health (UP-NIH) and the Philippine Genome Center with the support of the Department of Science and Technology. It is being manufactured by Healthtek Inc. The kit earlier received a Certificate of Exemption from the

Doctor...

From A1

Dr. Bautista was alluding to a colleague who died after contracting the virus from a “lying” patient, one of the 12 doctors and medical frontliners claimed by the coronavirus disease that has forced the country to go into lockdown.

“And because of that one lie, one has lost his life, while 38 more were quarantined, and a lot more unknown,” his post continued.

Bautista was one of the frontliners at the Mandaluyong City Medical Center.

He has an older sister who is also a physician and a frontliner.

In his last post, the 33-year-old doctor urged patients to declare their travel history and health status so they won't endanger the lives of people who help contain the deadly virus.

His sister, lead vocalist Ria Bautista of OPM rock band Paramita, took to Facebook to express her grief.

“I lost my brother on that flight. No words can describe how devastating it is to lose a family member in such a horrific way. How do you process something

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so it could proceed with field testing.

De la Peña said the Certificate of Product Registration, which will allow its commercial sale, is expected on Friday, April 3.

“We have informed the FDA that requirements for CPR Certification will be submitted on Wednesday, April 1 at the latest,” said Dela Pena, adding that a total of 120,000 test kits have already been ordered for manufacturing.

“The company has also reported that the first batch of reagents arrived, which will enable them to start the manufacturing process,” De la Peña said.

He said an initial 26,000 test kits funded by the DOST and UP-NIH project will be used from April 4 to 25. He said these will be distributed to the Philippine General Hospital, Makati Medical Center, The Medical City, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Southern Philippines Medical Center, and Baguio General Hospital.

“The remaining 94,000 testing kits will be sold commercially

by Manila HealthTek at around P1,300 per kit, which is cheaper than the units currently being used in hospitals, which cost about P8,000,” De la Peña said.

“Manila HealthTek said they have enough orders from the private sector who intend to donate them in turn to the Department of Health (Philippines) and hospitals,” he said.

The SARS-CoV-2 PCR Detection Kit is a real-time PCRbased test kit. This is the same as the World Health Organization test kits donated to the Philippine government. PCR-based test kits can only be used in the laboratory.

The test itself lasts for a couple of hours but the whole process, including the transportation of samples, can last for 24 to 48 hours for patients expecting their test results.

like this?” Bautista, who also said that her brother fought like a hero, shared with her 40,000 followers on Facebook.

The Office of the President Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila posted a message Sunday night: "It is with extreme sadness that I inform you that PLM lost another one of its own while performing his sworn duty to save lives. Dr Nicko Bautista, a 2014 graduate of the PLM College of Medicine, died in a medical evacuation flight that crashed earlier tonight at NAIA airport en route to Haneda, Japan.

“Dr. Bautista is the 2nd PLM doctor that we lost in two weeks. Dr Israel Bactol died last week due to COVID 19 infection."

This developed as aviation authorities grounded the entire fleet of Lionair, Inc. Monday after two of its medical evacuation planes crashed in a span of seven months, killing 17 people aboard the two flights.

On Sunday, a Filipino medical mission team and two foreign nationals were killed while aboard a Westwind 1124A type-aircraft which caught fire while taking off from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 7:57 p.m.

work-from-home and skeletal work force arrangements as provided by Malacañang.

At the same time, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has issued guidelines to LGUs that plan to use the facilities of state universities and colleges (SUCs) as quarantine centers as the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic continues in the country.

The Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has earlier adopted a policy that all LGUs who plan to use the facilities of SUCs as quarantine centers must enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the CHED to ensure consistency and accountability in the operation of these facilities.

The CHED has organized a Public Health Experts Group led by University of the Philippines Manila College of Public Health Dean Jun Belizario to provide technical assistance to both LGUs and SUCs in establishing and running quarantine centers. Darwin Amojelar

to Congress and effectively to the people a progress report every week.

He report should answer these questions: 1. On resources: The law specifies savings from the Executive Branch and its special purpose fund, how much resources have been identified for this anti-COVID all-Philippines’ effort?

2. On the health strategy: The law focuses on prompt and free testing, has a system been put in place to do this during the lockdown? What about a system for transporting front-liners? Have the donated medical products in the BoC been released? How many test kits, PPEs, medical devices, and medicines have since become available? What seems to be hindering the conduct of these tests? At what stage of preparation for the peak of COVID cases are we?

3. On the economic strategy: The law foresees the continuing need for food and other essential goods, has the DTI lifted its order for food manufacturers to stop operations? How long will the present food supply last? How many food producers (farmers and fishers), food workers (in food, medicine, and medical supply manufacturing), and transport and logistics personnel (drivers, pahinante) have been granted passes? What system is in place to keep them safe (PPEs for them) and to transport them and their goods to their place of work and to the market? How many of the 18 million low-income households have already received their P5,000 to P8,000 in emergency subsidy?

Moscow...

From A1

eerily empty, yet there remains no real end in sight to the pandemic.

More than 33,000 people have died worldwide and the number of confirmed cases passed 700,000 on Monday, according to an AFP tally. More than 3.38 billion remain under lockdown.

In a sign that the world is in for a long haul, President Donald Trump on Sunday extended emergency virus restrictions until April 30 for the United States, which now has more confirmed cases than any other nation.

“Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won,” said Trump, as his top scientist Anthony Fauci warned up to 200,000 people could die there.

A charity began setting up a field hospital in New York’s Central Park to help take some of the strain.

“The hospitals all over the city are filling up and they need as much help as they can get,” said Elliott Tenpenny, a doctor and team leader for Samaritan’s Purse COVID-19 Response Team.

‘Very long battle’ In Moscow, Europe’s largest city with a population of 12 million, the streets

Chloroquine:...

From A1

said in a press conference last week that the data would be widely shared soon.

In France, a team led by Didier Raoult of the IHUMediterranee Infection, Marseille reported last week they had carried out a study on 36 COVID-19 patients, finding that HCQ drastically reduced the viral load in a group which received the drug.

The effects were especially pronounced when it was used with azithromycin, a common antibiotic used to sweep out secondary bacterial infections.

What’s more, HCQ and CQ drugs have been proven to act against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in lab settings, and a paper published by a Chinese team last week in Cell Discovery offered a potential mode of action.

Karine Le Roch, a professor of cell biology at the University of California, Riverside, explained that both HCQ and CQ are weak bases that elevate the pH of parts of human cells called organelles -- which are analogous to organs in animals -- and which are normally acidic.

This in turn interferes with the virus’ ability to enter the cells -- and also seems to block them from replicating once they are already inside.

But, she added: “While it worked in vitro, I am still waiting to see published results of large blind clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of HCQ in vivo,” she told AFP. (subhead) The case for caution

SMC to supply P500m in PPEs to frontliners SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC) is tapping its global network of suppliers to purchase P500 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) that doctors, nurses and other health care workers desperately need to continue treating COVID-19 patients.

“It’s very crucial that we get more PPE – protective masks, gloves, surgical gowns, among others - out there as fast as we can. We are hoping to fill the gap and continue supporting our government in whatever way we can. Our health care workers and government responders are risking their own lives to save ours but they are running out of equipment to protect themselves,” SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang said.

At the same time, Ang also urged domestic manufacturers to retool their facilities, if they can, to produce these equipment and ramp up production to secure the supply chain.

SMC is currently mapping out available PPE capacity from its own suppliers even as it continues to look for domestic suppliers to help increase production of the protective equipment.

He asked the government to provide private sector with technical specifications and standards the protective items must meet. Macon Ramos-Araneta, Darwin G Amojelar

House...

From A1

governments working on the establishment of their own testing centers to arrest the COVID-19 pandemic. Their guidance and expertise are needed to ensure that testing centers are compliant with the standards,” they said in a joint statement.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said the number of overseas Filipinos who have been infected with COVID-19 rose to 335.

Figures from the DFA showed that 220 of the Filipinos are undergoing treatment while 111 patients have recovered.

Also, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has extended its original 16-day lockdown period until further notice.

In an advisory, the DFA advised Filipinos working there to check with their employer or agency for upcoming trips to Saudi Arabia and to adjust their travel plans accordingly. were deserted following the closure of all non-essential shops, including restaurants and cafes, although some traffic was still seen on the roads.

Citizens will only be allowed to leave their homes in a medical emergency, to travel to essential jobs and to shop for food or medicines. They will, however, be allowed to walk their dogs within a 100-metre radius of their homes.

President Vladimir Putin has declared a “non-working” week in Russia, which on Monday reported 302 new cases—the biggest daily increase so far—taking the total tally to 1,835 infections and nine deaths.

Coronavirus is tightening its grip on the rest of Europe, with Britain and hard-hit Italy warning at the weekend that measures to prevent the spread of the disease would be in place for months to come.

“We are in a very long battle,” said Italian government medical adviser Luca Richeldi.

Spain, which has the world’s second biggest death toll from the disease, announced another 812 virus deaths in 24 hours, although it was the first decline since Thursday.

Locked-down France staged its largest evacuation of coronavirus patients to date from hospitals in the hard-hit east on Sunday, with two specially equipped highspeed trains carrying 36 patients. AFP

Promise doesn’t mean proof, and the small studies carried out so far amount to “anecdotal” evidence, according to Anthony Fauci, head of infectious diseases at the US National Institutes of Health.

What’s more, a small Chinese study on 30 patients that was also published this month found HCQ was no better than standard care—meaning treating the symptoms via bed rest, fluids and so on—adding a note of caution to the discourse.

The only way to know for sure is to carry out randomized clinical trials, scientists say. Such experiments are considered the gold standard in the field but last months or years and involve thousands of patients, often from around the world.

Patients are assigned at random to either receive the drug under investigation or a placebo, and the studies are “blinded” meaning the participants and their doctors are unaware which group they are in, to further reduce bias.

Overhyping medicine can have several unintended effects, warn experts.

“One of the unintended consequences are drug shortages of chloroquine, for people that need to manage their rheumatoid arthritis, for example,” Peter Pitts, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration told AFP. A few countries are taking a cautious approach. Spain, for example, announced Monday said that “until further notice” these arthritis and lupus patients would be given priority access to the drug.

French Health Minister Olivier Veran meanwhile said the compounds can be used only to treat the most severe cases of COVID-19.AFP

News

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘ECQ brings more domestic waste in C. Luzon’

IN BRIEF Koko’s wife gives birth to baby girl KATHRYNA Yu-Pimentel, the wife Senator Aquilino Pimentel III wife Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, who tested positive for COVID-19, gave birth to a baby girl on Sunday, March 29, according to reports.

The baby named Maria Kathryn Helena is the senator’s first child witn Katryna. He has two sons from his previous marriage to former Bb. Pilipinas Universe Jewel Lobatan.

The senator married Kathryna last October 2018 after his marriage to Lobaton was annuled.

Katryna gave birth a week after the senator tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019.

Instead of receiving public sympathy after his test for the new coronavirus turned out positive, the Mindanao lawmaker drew flak for allegedly breaching the protocol on COVID-19 confirmed cases.

The senator admitted accompanying his wife on the night of March 24 to Makati Medical Center (MMC) where she was scheduled for a caesarian operation the next day. He was also reported to have gone shopping at S & R, BCG branch on March 16 when in fact, he has shown symptoms of the virus on March 14.

However, the procedure was temporarily halted as Kathryna was subjected to a COVID-19 test. The senator declined to reveal in public the results of the RITM test, saying his wife is a “private citizen.”

In an interview by ABS-CBN, Kathryna refused to give details about her delivery, but described their child as “a miracle baby.”

Reports said that Kathryna was moved to an undisclosed hospital where she gave birth.

The MMC management has lambasted Pimentel for endangering particularly their healthworkers when he has yet to complete his 14-day quarantine.

MMC Medical Director Saturnino Javier had described Pimentel’s action as an “irresponsible and reckless” breach of protocol, as it exposed their staff to the virus and “added to the burden of a hospital trying to respond to its most competent and aggressive manner to cope with the daunting challenges of this COVID-19 outbreak.” Macon Ramos-Araneta

Pegasus denies yarn of senator visiting club A MEN’S club in Quezon City on Monday denied that a senator visited their place on March 16, and that their staff who were in contact with him were placed under self-quarantine.

In a statement sent to the media, the management of Pegasus KTV-Ultimate Men’s Club “vehemently denies social media posts about a government official who was allegedly seen inside the establishment on March 16, 2020.”

It reacted to a March 25 Facebook viral post using the club’s letterhead that “one senator (was) seen drinking beer inside the bar” with a “closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed him enjoying at table no. 3...” on March 16.

The netizen who posted the supposed fake news, however, did not identify who the senator was.

“Beware of fake news circulating on social media that a government official was seen inside our establishment on March 16 when in fact we issued a notice of temporary suspension of operations from March 14, 2020 until April 14, 2020,” the club management’s statement read.

“Unfortunately, information on social media regarding a government official who was allegedly seen at the establishment on March 16, 2020 has started to circulate through a fake announcement that used the establishment’s logo. Please beware of fake news,” Pegasus said.

“The management of Pegasus said it would like to state on record that it abhors the use of fake information as irresponsible and damaging, not only to the company but also to the people whose names were mentioned in those malicious information,” it added. Rio N. Araja

Relax rules on fringe benefit tax, BIR asked SENATOR Win Gatchalian has called on the Bureau of Internal Revenue to be more liberal in applying certain rules on fringe benefit tax during the enhanced community quarantine.

He said this will encourage Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in giving additional benefits to their employees so they can stock up on necessities while they stay indoors.

These benefits, he said, can come in the form of allowances, grocery items, or any financial assistance equivalent to one month pay.

The lawmaker said although fringe benefits or any perks given to rank and file employees are not subject to fringe benefit tax, the tax code requires employers to pay 35% fringe benefit tax on the benefits given to managerial and supervisory employees.

Gatchalian said that MSMEs might think twice in giving additional benefits to all of their employees given the hefty fringe benefit tax. Macon Ramos-Araneta

A3

By Jess Malabanan

ORDERLY WAITING. Residents practice ‘social distancing’ as they fall in line to buy goods from the Carmona Market

in Carmona, Cavite.

QC opens 2 PUI site nd

By Rio N. Araja

HE Quezon City government has identified a second site for temporary quarantine facility for persons under investigation (PUIs) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019).

T

Mayor Joy Belmonte said the second quarantine facility called Hope-II would be housed at the Quezon City University Complex in Novaliches starting today.

“The quarantine facility has a 168-bed capacity for PUIs who are unable to undergo self-quarantine in their respective homes,” she said.

She said she was now working for the establishment of more quarantine facilities to help limit and control the spread of the disease in different communities.

Earlier, she raised alarm over the Department of Health’s protocol mandating hospitals to send home PUIs and positive COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms

for strict self-isolation and close monitoring.

“We cannot effectively control the spread of the virus if we send home PUIs and positive COVID-19 patients without the means to self-quarantine,” the city mayor said.

The city government assured the patients admitted to HOPE-II that they would be provided with meals, an isolated space, personal hygiene kits, proper medication and attention by medical health professionals under the 14-day quarantine.

The use of Hope-II would help limit the exposure of medical workers, the other health staff and community members

to COVID-19, the city mayor said.

“This would also help maximize the availability of hospital beds for patients who are in dire need of hospitalization,” she added.

On March, the city government established Hope-1, a 49-room alternative medical facility, designed to isolate and monitor identified PUIs and COVID-19 patients.

In Manila The Manila City government on Monday imposed a temporary liquor ban amid the Luzon lockdown.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso had signed an executive order prohibiting and selling any alcoholic beverages starting March 30.

Domagoso urged Manila residents to follow the guidelines imposed by the government amid the present public health emergency, adding he was dismayed over some Manila residents who were not following the government’s rules banning mass gatherings due to the mandatory quarantine.

ANGELES CITY—The amount of domestic waste being collected from households has been increasing in the past weeks due to the strict home quarantine implemented by authorities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Waste collection and disposal has been identified as one of the essential services by the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF), because the proper management of household waste becomes especially critical at a time like this, to further safeguard public health.

A study revealed that each household member produces at least half a kilo of garbage every day or three kilos for a family of six and 90 kilos for 30 days.

In Capas, Tarlac, Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation’s (MCWMC) engineered sanitary landfill maintains its operations, with more than 100 workers, drivers and helpers as well as support staff continuing to provide hauling and disposal services as well as accepting garbage at the company’s disposal site.

“Garbage collectors and waste disposal site workers are also frontliners,” said Vicky Gaetos, MCWM Executive Vice President. “They are on duty 24/7 to address the mounting domestic waste being disposed from different households cross Central Luzon.”

Gaetos said critical workers at the sanitary landfill have requested to temporarily stay within the site premises to ensure that disposal of household waste from LGU’s and industrial clients continue uninterrupted during the ongoing health crisis.

The company has taken all the necessary precautions, and is strictly implementing these policies inside its landfill facilities. These include social distancing, regular disinfection and all other necessary hygienic practices.

Domestic waste if not disposed properly will expose residents to additional health risks, said Gaetos, at a time when people must do everything they can to stay healthy. She said garbage must be collected as soon as possible to prevent illneses in their communities.

Makati delivers food packs to PWDs

By Joel E. Zurbano THE City of Makati has started the doorto-door delivery of medical supplies to residents while also extending financial assistance and food packs to persons with disabilities, Mayor Abigail Binay said on Monday.

The city chief executive said the direct delivery of medicines, previously enjoyed only by senior citizens aged 70 and older and bedridden residents, aims to encourage residents to stay home and prevent the possible transmission of coronavirus disease.

Senior citizens, pregnant women, and individuals with weak immune system are considered at high risk for infection.

“We continue to think up ways to make essential needs accessible to Makatizens without them leaving the safety of their homes,” said Binay, adding that the modified distribution scheme will be in effect throughout the enhanced community quarantine.

On the mayor’s orders, some 13,181 registered PWD residents of Makati will be receiving P1,000-cash assistance and food packs from the city government beginning today, March 30. Other sectors that have received financial aid and food packs from the city include over 2,000 solo parents and over 6,800 tricycle and jeepney drivers.

“As I have said earlier, we are giving priority to the more vulnerable sectors who would most likely feel the brunt of the limited mobility and loss of livelihood arising from our current situation,” Mayor Binay said.

Under the modified distribution scheme for free medicines, non-senior citizens who have medical prescriptions from barangay health centers only need to give the list of medicines to Makati Action Center (MAC) personnel in health centers and their medicines will be delivered to their residence.

Meanwhile, senior citizens who receive medicines every month should give their medical prescriptions to MAC personnel who will then deliver three months’ supply of their maintenance medication to their homes.

Earlier, Binay ordered the distribution of around P11.9 million in financial assistance to tricycle, jeepney, and pedicab drivers living in Makati.

The mayor said the initial amount of P2,000 for each recipient is meant to help the drivers and their families get through the first two weeks of the enhanced community quarantine period.

DISINFECTION. Employees of the “Go Bayanihan Covid Buster” in Cabuyao, Laguina conduct misting operations on cars and (inset) along the national road on Monday. Norman Cruz and JR Josue

Grab urged to protect own drivers DOJ adopts online

By Maricel V. Cruz inquest system THE enhanced community quarantine imposed by the government in an effort to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus has endangered the livelihoods of tens of thousands of TNV drivers who acquired their units through financing or installment, prompting a party-list legislator on Monday to appeal to TNV managements to seek concessions from car dealerships and auto-loan companies.

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Rep. Jericho Nograles said Grab and otherTNVs should ask car dealers and their financing companies “to forego amortization collection during the months covered by the Enhanced Community Quarantine and suspend all foreclosures for their partner-drivers.”

If the car dealers and their financiers prove to be recalcitrant, Nograles said Grab Philippines could offer to pay in advance or underwrite the unpaid loans of the driver-partners who are now left without any livelihood because of the crisis caused by the Chinese virus.

He said majority of Grab’s 60,000 or more driver-partners, are still paying

monthly amortizations and their sole source of income as transport network vehicle service (TNVS) providers has been lost with the ECQ caused by the spread of the virus that originated in Wuhan, China.

Following the ECQ, Nograles said, “many of Grab’s driver-partners can now hardly put food on the table because of economic dislocation so it is impossible for them to have the money to pay for their car mortgage.”

“I appeal to Grab to take care of its driver-partners who are now worried over the repossession of their units,” said Nograles, a deputy majority leader, said “Grab should talk to the banks and car dealers to suspend billing and not repossess vehicles in case the owners failto pay,” he added.

Having earned billions of pesos since it started its operation in the Philippines, Nograles said Grab owes its success to their driver-partners who have capitalized their life savings to purchase vehicles on installment and work for the Grab network.

“This Covid-19 crisis should become an opportunity for Grab to show its support and compassion for its driver-partners.”

By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice has adopted online inquest proceedings to resolve cases while the country is still grappling with the coronavirus disease pandemic.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that the inquest proceedings would be conducted online for as long as concerned parties—the Philippine National Police, prosecution offices and courts—are Internetcapable.

During inquest proceedings, the DOJ prosecutors determine whether a person who is arrested and detained without warrant should be charged in court.

“It’s just the same procedure done online among internet-capable PNP units, courts, and prosecution offices,” Guevarra said in a text message.

Prosecutor General Benedict Malcontento explained that it is effectively a “virtual conduct of inquest proceeding using any online platform for video calls and conferences and all available electronic communications.”

The online inquest, which is paperless and does not require physical presence of parties, started last Friday.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

POGOs with police escorts?

SANTA Banana, with the lockdown in Metro Manila and Luzon ending sometime in mid-April, the question is: What happens next? The President himself is on self-quarantine until April 11.

I hope this is just fake news.

My educated guess is that either the lockdown will be extended, or that there will be a lifting of some restrictions. This is to address public anxiety especially among those who have lost their jobs or those who are dependent on government help.

Considering the fact that the number of confirmed cases, persons under investigation and persons under monitoring has been rising, I believe that the restriction will not be relaxed anytime soon.

That means more sacrifices from the people. More frontliners will be exposed the virus, and more will be infected. This is why I pray that we can find a cure! We all want this pandemic to end.

My wife and I have been staying home even before President Duterte declared a lockdown. I am 92 and my wife is 88. I wonder how those who have a hand-to-mouth existence are getting by. I cannot imagine for how long they can endure the situation, especially since it appears that things will get worse before they get any better.

Santa Banana, the government has to find ways to help those in need! *** At Merville Park Subdivision, where my wife and I live with my daughter Nina, the security guards do not even allow newspaper deliveries and other couriers. But there are more disturbing developments—is it true that POGOs are still operating and that Chinese workers can still freely go in and out of villages—and with police escorts at that?

I have no means of validating this information. I hope this is just fake news. If it is true, it means that POGOs are more privileged than Filipinos, even here in our own country.

Is our government allowing this just because of the money that comes in from POGO operations?

There have been suggestions that the government should do mass testing to determine who have been infected. We have been reading about how VIPs are given preferential treatment. My gulay, I have been told that some senators were even tested at home. This takes the cake!

Old habits die hard. Who said that people in the Philippines could ever be equal? *** When I wrote that there is social disparity here in the Philippines, I can only think of how reckless and irresponsible Senator Koko Pimentel was when he went to Makati Medical Center to be with his wife who was about to give birth. He breached protocol. He endangered everybody else in the hospital. While he has apologized, the harm was already done.

Now comes Senator Manny Pacquiao defending Pimentel, saying he cannot be faulted for wanting to be

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Setting examples

I

N THE early days of the Luzon-wide lockdown in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, a 69-year-old homeless woman in Manila was arrested after she shouted at barangay police who woke her up to enforce a curfew.

Dorothy Espejo, who lived on the streets in Leveriza, Malate, faced three charges, including violation of a law that prohibits resistance and disobedience to authority, which is punishable by a fine not exceeding P100,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.

More recently, two health workers caught back-riding on a motorcycle on their way home to Bulacan were fined P5,000 by traffic enforcers in Valenzuela City.

Gerald Libiran, who works at Philippine Orthopedic Center, told a TV interview that he fetched his brother Mark from the National Children’s Hospital because the shuttle provided to health workers goes through Fairview instead of MacArthur Highway.

They were stopped at Potrero Malabon, but traffic enforcers there waved them through after they showed them their IDs. They were frontliners, they were told. They were okay.

But when they arrived in Valenzuela, traffic enforcers confiscated Gerald’s license, telling them the Department of Transportation has prohibited back-riding. When Gerald returned the next day to claim his license, he was stunned to

learn that the fine was P5,000—almost half his monthly salary.

Valenzuela’s mayor shrugged the incident off, saying the guidelines on the social distancing rules do not allow exemptions for frontliners caught back-riding.

We understand that in enforcing the law—or directives in a public health emergency—examples need to be set.

However, in both cases, it is the government that failed the quarantine violators.

After all, whose fault was it that homeless people were not attended to before the lockdown began? What was the Department of Social Welfare and Development doing?

The government failed the Libiran brothers too—by failing to provide a responsive transportation system to bring frontline health workers safely to and from their place of work.

The authorities in Valenzuela compounded the insult by their callousness—and refusal to offer the frontliners any relief.

In the midst of a pandemic, the government keeps telling us that health workers are the new heroes, risking their lives for our safety. Is this the thanks they deserve?

A recent call for volunteers to work in three government hospitals that are straining under the number of COVID-19 cases drew a response from almost 700 health workers—who were then told that they will be paid a paltry P500 a day for their service.

By now, of course, we shouldn't be too surprised by the mixed messages that government sends out.

In stark contrast to the iron-fist policy against ordinary folk, government officials seem to be in no hurry to penalize senators who blatantly violate the Department of Health guidelines on social distancing, and who endanger the lives of those they come in contact with, including frontline health workers.

One senator went to a private hospital and a large supermarket, even though he knew he was awaiting the results of his COVID-19 test. How many people did he endanger? Why did one of his colleagues in the Senate ask for compassion, when nobody showed any compassion to Espejo or the Libiran brothers?

Another senator distributed aid to a large crowd of fire victims in Butuan City. A selfie of the senator and the crowd of aid recipients was posted on the Philippine Information Agency’s Facebook page, a mockery if ever there was one of social distancing guidelines.

What kind of examples are we setting?

Turn to A5

How to heal as one REPUBLIC Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, was enacted by Congress on March 24, 2020 and signed by the President on the same day. Will this law help the country respond to the COVID-19 pandemic or will it have the perverse effect of making the response even weaker than it already is?

With colleagues Joy Reyes and Jayvy Gamboa, I have analyzed the law and have concluded that it has both positive and dangerous aspects.

First, the constitutional provision on emergency powers is invoked by the law. Therefore, it should be treated as a grant of emergency powers and it is imperative that the constitutional provisions should apply, including that on the temporary nature of the grant of power, and that unless this grant is sooner withdrawn by resolution of the Congress, such emergency powers “shall cease upon the next adjournment thereof.”

One must observe though that many of the powers given to the President in the Act are already within his current powers as executive. Thus, even when this Act expires, he can continue to exercise them.

The good aspects of the law are those that deal directly with the pandemic.

First, it authorizes the President to issue rules, regulations, and directives as may be necessary to carry out the following powers, including, but not limited to, adopting and implementing measures to prevent or suppress further transmission and spread of COVID-19; expediting and streamlining accreditation of testing kits and facilitating prompt testing; ensuring that all local government units (LGUs) are acting in line with the directives issued by the National Government pursuant to the Act; directing the operation of any privately-owned hospitals and medical

health facilities, including passenger vessels and other establishments; and continuing to adopt measures to protect people from hoarding.

Thankfully, the government backed out of the original proposal to take over privately owned utilities and facilities like hospitals and hotels to house COVID-19 patients.

Criminalization is inconsistent with a public health crisis.

Second, the law also gave the President the power to procure hospital equipment, goods and services for social amelioration measures in favor of affected communities, utilities, telecommunications, and other critical services in relation to operation of quarantine centers, and other such necessary items in the most expeditious manner, as exemptions from the provisions of Republic Act No. 9184 or the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” The most salient parts of the law are its health and economic provisions. It specifies the support and aid that could be delivered to the Filipino public and health workers during the COVID-19 crisis and community quarantine.

For the Filipino public: (1) Emergency subsidy to low income households, ranging from 5,000-8,000 Pesos per month for two months; (2) PhilHealth coverage for cost of treatment for COVID-19 patients; (3) Expanded and enhanced 4Ps in the form of cash, cash voucher, or goods for households who have no incomes, those working in the informal economy (e.g.), and those not existing recipients of the current 4Ps program; (4) Moving deadline of payment of taxes; (5) Minimum of 30-day grace period for payment of all loans in public and private banks, financing and lending companies, including GSIS, SSS, and Pag-ibig Fund; and (6) Minimum of 30-day grace period Turn to A5

Mass testing vs. COVID-19 an urgent need WE'VE already argued in our past two columns for the urgent need for the Department of Health to resort to mass testing of Filipinos for possible infection from the coronavirus. We reiterate our stand that this is the only way to keep the crisis from escalating further and causing more fatalities in the days ahead.

This is the only way.

The DOH insists that the Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) assay method is the "gold

standard" in determining who's positive or negative for the virus. The problem with this "gold standard" is that it takes too long to know the results, taking as long as ten days or more, with patients dying without even knowing they tested positive.

That tells us our health authorities should use every available means to expand mass testing and use the rapid test kits that show results in as fast as five minutes.

The experience of other countries that have tested for infections using the rapid or on-site test kits delivering fast results and slowed down the exponential increase in COVID-19 incidence demonstrates very clearly that the DOH should now use more weapons in its arsenal to contain the plague.

We can understand that the DOH appears totally overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the crisis because it lacks the necessary resources to do more. But it can offset these with wise decisions, chief of which is to move firmly toward mass testing. Saving more lives should be the priority.

Turn to A5

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Opinion

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Testing is key

Week Three AS WE near the midpoint of this one-month lockdown, more and more of us are hearing of friends, even relatives, being felled by the virus. I’m no exception, and because their numbers are mounting, this week let me honor them by singling out a special and representative name: Dr. Raul Jara, one of the first, and to date the most senior, of the eleven (and counting) physicians who died while doing their duty.

Doc Raul was my cardiologist for many years, out of Capitol Med and the Heart Center. Because he headed the non-invasive diagnostics unit at the latter, as well as the cardiology department at the UP medical school, he was clearly a pillar of his profession. I knew I was in the hands of the very best when he oversaw my heart bypass in 2008, then a follow-up angiogram years later. He was so conservative in his treatment protocol that he decided at the last minute, while the catheter was still stuck inside me, to cancel the angioplasty that was supposed to follow immediately.

Raul was also a year ahead of me at the UP High School, where he was one of the kinder PMT (later called CAT) officers who didn’t haze us neophytes so much. After my bypass, while I was still in the recovery ICU, my wife says she saw the two of us together singing the tune “All in the Game,” a hit in our time by the British singer Cliff Richard.

It was a tune he’d ordered me to research the lyrics for as a neophyte assignment in high school when he was courting his future wife Leni, my batchmate and later his fellow physician (together with three of the five children they would have).

I was blessed to benefit from his medical ministrations in the past two decades, and I count myself lucky to have been a small part of the romantic story that brought Leni and him together, in that long-ago springtime of our lives. Thank you for your life, Doc. *** After two weeks of an online barrage of news—both fake and semi-fake—and unsolicited advice—most, though not all, of it from amateurs who don’t know any better—a number of ideas seem indisputable and worth repeating here.

First, the ideal situation would be to have a 100 percent effective cure for, and/or vaccine against, the virus. But we don’t have that yet, and may not have it in commercial quantities at least in the next few weeks

while the epidemic rages. In terms of our present situation, pharmaceutical antidotes are still out of the question.

Second, the virus is known to have a lifespan of at most three weeks. This is what drives the lockdown timing. If the restrictions on movement of people are comprehensively observed, this means the lockdown should stay in place at least six weeks, i.e. extended beyond one month for at least åtwo more weeks after April 14, up to end of April. China beat back the virus in two months. Bill Gates—whose extensive medical philanthropy gives him some authority--recommends 6 to 10 weeks. One and a half months for us, in that light, is a minimum.

If distancing could be perfectly observed, by definition any viruses still around by the end of week 3, this week, would be dead by end of week 6.

Third, because of the virus lifespan, social distancing is all-important. The key elements of this as most people know by now: Stay at home. Wear face masks (and gloves) if you have to go outside. Keep your distance from others (that includes being careful about the surfaces you touch). Disinfect everything on yourself when you get back home.

If distancing could be perfectly observed, by definition any viruses still around by the end of week 3, this week, would be dead by end of week 6.

Which brings me to the subject of those already stricken, as well as persons under interest (PUIs) or under monitoring (PUMs). Perfect distancing also means isolating especially those already infected. Close down the hospitals, keep the infected at home. That applies in particular to the elderly and those medically compromised. As and when they begin dying off, the virus also dies with them in the same isolation from others.

Of course, this quite rational policy would be unthinkable for us. There will still be more—perhaps far more—infected cases who will recover with proper treatment.

Their lives will be worth the fewer cases who die, including any afflicted frontline workers. This is why I think resourcing our health system with all those newly-released emergency funds is far more important than testing only for contact tracing purposes.

How...

From A4

for payment of residential rents For the health workers: (1) Special risk allowance, in addition to hazard pay granted by existing law; (2) PhilHealth coverage for medical expenses for work-related injury or disease; (3) Compensation of 100,000 Pesos to those who may have severe COVID-19 infection while in duty, starting February 1, 2020; and (4) Compensation of 1,000,000 Pesos to those who may die from COVID-19 infection while in duty, starting February 1, 2020.

These are good provisions and will help sectors as well as the country as a whole in responding to the pandemic.

The dangerous provisions are on the budget and on criminalization of certain acts.

On the budget, there are concerns regarding giving the President the power to reprogram, reallocate, and realign savings. This is subject to abuse. The safeguard is the President must give a weekly report on how he has implemented the Act. The law also provides for penalties, and enumerates some of the offenses that would warrant such. Some

POGOs...

From A4

with his wife.

The only thing I can say is, they are two of a kind! *** We see both bad news and good news during this pandemic.

Remember, we are neither a Japan nor a South Korea that can wield contact tracing like a scalpel to selectively implement distancing. This crisis will not make us catch up to them overnight. A total lockdown, like a blunderbuss, achieves the same thing--more brutally and less efficiently, true, but it works within our limited capabilities and gets us to the same place. Use the emergency funds as well to cushion the blow on those who are most vulnerable— on informal settlers, not subdivision dwellers, as one plain-spoken government official put it.

As for the business people I read online who worry about the state of a post-lockdown economy: please, let’s cross that bridge when we get to it. With two trillion dollars of assistance planned by the US, as well as half a trillion pesos of monetary and fiscal relief in our country, let’s stop wringing our hands over our businessmen.

There’s another reason we don’t just keep the infected in their homes and let them die there. That’s what wolf packs do, when they leave behind the old, the sick, those members who can’t keep up with the pack or do their share. But it’s not yet an impossibility for us. Let’s pray that we don’t get so overwhelmed by the virus—as in Italy, or Spain—that we have no choice but to triage, a fancy term for what wolves do. Social distancing may spread the pack apart, but it will keep them alive. *** The first reading (Nm 21: 4-9) tells about how the Lord punishes an ungrateful Israel by sending venomous serpents among them. After they repent, Moses, at the Lord’s instruction, fashions a bronze serpent mounted on a pole that will heal anyone bitten by the serpents who just looks at the bronze icon.

This clearly prefigures the Passion drama in which we are now deeply engaged, as in the Gospel account (Jn 8: 21-30) of how Jesus will let Himself be hung upon a tree in order to heal men from the venom of sin. He admonishes the crowd: “If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins…When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me.”

This is the gift of the Unnameable One: salvation from our sins, offered—only through His Son, and not to wolves—but only to men who, by their compassion to others, lift Him up and show that they believe in Him. Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@yahoo.com.

of these acts include disobedience of LGU officials; unjustifiable refusal to operate hospitals by their owners; engaging in hoarding, profiteering, and other market-related transactions; refusal to accept contracts by private entities necessary for the Act; refusal to provide 30-day grace periods; deceiving the public through scams; failure to comply with limitations on transportation; and impeding access to roads.

Criminalization is inconsistent with a public health crisis. What is at stake here is the public health emergency, provision of medical and healthcare, and prevention of transmission of the virus. It is not a fitting response to the crisis we now have. It distracts us from what has to be done.

Notably, creating, perpetuating, or spreading of false information or “fake news” regarding the COVID-19 crisis on social media and other platforms is also criminalized by said law with vague and insufficient standards. This will have a chilling effect on freedom of information and the press—which are essential rights during pandemics.

As this law is implemented, we must be vigilant.

Otherwise, the cure becomes worse than the problem.

Facebook page: Professor Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylavs

The good news is that in Wuhan City, Hubei province in China, where the virus is said to have originated, there are reports that life is returning to normal. This shows that China has managed to contain the spread of the virus. This was expected since China is an authoritarian country. The people must obey, whether or not they like it.

The return to normal shows that

A5

the imposition of draconian measures has its merits.

The bad news is that the United States now has the greatest number of COVID-19 cases. Even Mexico has closed its borders, when before it was the US wanting to close the borders that it shares with Mexico.

With this development, the Mexicans could be laughing at the US.

THE clerical error that said ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap had tested positive for COVID-19 demonstrates the human element involved in this whole concerted effort to resolve the public health crisis.

This is how we curb this pandemic.

After the Department of Health (DOH) made the public clarification that the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine committed the mistake, encoding Cong. Eric as COVID-19 positive, at once he ruled out any punitive action against RITM or its staff My longtime friend Cong. Eric fully understands the possible human error that could occur at any time in the course of such an intricate laboratory test in diagnosing coronavirus infection.

He wholeheartedly appreciates the unbelievable job and dedication these public servants render at the frontline, which are the more important human element, in the war on COVID-19.

The experience at RITM all the more prompted Cong. Eric, who happens to chair the House appropriations committee, to push for increased budget for the institute to upgrade its efficiency.

I strongly hope that all the sub-national testing centers in the regions outside Metro Manila in the Visayas and Mindanao would be equipped adequately as well.

The young lawmaker also expressed support for better compen-

sation package for health workers.

They deserve no less. A measly P500 per day pay for our volunteer health workers is not even enough to cover for daily allowance.

With better compensation package for our frontline volunteers under RA 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, and with increasing capacity for testing, there is hope that the we can turn this thing around. It’s welcome news that we have received tens of thousands of testing kits from China, Singapore and business tycoon Jack Ma. Things are bad as it is but the enhanced community quarantine imposed by the government has helped contain the spread of this global pandemic in the country.

Still, a lockdown in itself is not going to stop or eliminate the local coronavirus epidemic. In fact, it may spur person-to-person transmission inside homes if those who may be sick among us do not get tested at all.

It is the job of the barangay officials, as well as every one of us, to locate and identify those who are showing signs and symptoms of possible infection and assist them in getting proper evaluation by competent medical authorities. If they have to do a house-to-house survey, ala-tokhang, then do so.

It is through proper and efficient testing with which we identify those who are actually sick and need treatment that we can stop the virus’ spread. It is the key to flattening the curve on the COVID-19 incidence.

The rest of us must cooperate to help make the curve a steep mountain on a graph. Definitely there will be more COVID-19 patients, but there will be fewer people sick at one time as those come in get treatment.

There is clear indication that COVID-19 positive patients can recover with proper treatment. There's light at the end of the tunnel.

Mass testing...

From A4

What happens if you're hospitalized from COVID-19?

We've already seen many guidelines on avoiding falling ill from COVID-19 issued by various agencies. But from another perspective, this time from the actual experience of top Chinese medical experts, the "Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment" (available for free download from Alibaba Cloud), provides a close look at dealing with COVID-19. Some parts may be too technical for the layman, but on the whole it gives you a good idea of what to expect if you find yourself under hospital care.

The handbook lists down four clinical classifications of the infection: 1) Mild Cases: The clinical symptoms are mild and no pneumonia manifestations can be found in imaging; 2) Moderate Cases: Patients have symptoms such as fever and respiratory tract symptoms, etc. and pneumonia manifestations can be seen in imaging; 3) Severe Cases: Adults who meet any of the following criteria—respiratory rate: 30 breaths/min; oxygen saturations; 93 percent at a rest state; arterial partial pressure of oxygen/oxygen concentration of 300 mm.; Patients with 50 percent lesions progression within 24 to 48 hours in lung imaging; and 4) Critical Cases: Those meeting any of the following criteria: occurrence of respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation; presence of shock; other organ failure that requires monitoring and treatment in the ICU. Critical cases are further divided into early, middle and late stages according to the oxygenation index and compliance of respiratory system.

Medical personnel will continuously monitor patient condition, especially changes in consciousness, respiration rate and oxygen saturation. They will also monitor symptoms such as cough, sputum, and chest tightness, and adjust oxygen therapy as needed.

In mild cases, medical personnel will perform air isolation, blood oxygen saturation monitoring, conduct 2019 Novel Coronavirus RNA Detection in sputum and feces; perform blood routine, biochemical profile, urine routine, stool routine; coagulation function; blood gas and lactic acid analysis; thyroid function, and respiratory virus test, among others. They will also perform liver, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen ultrasound, echocardiography and lung CT scan. As for medication in mild cases, patients will be given Arbidol tablets, Lopinavir/Ritonavir tablets, and Interferon spray.

In moderate cases, patients will undergo all the above procedures and will be given Ambroxol as additional medication.

In severe cases, all the above procedures and additional medications: NS 100 ml and methylprednisolone; NS 100 ml and pantoprazole; Caltrate tablet; lmmunoglobulin; and NS 100 ml and Ambroxol.

In critical cases, patients will undergo all of the above plus blood culture, electrocardiogram, cytokine, and sputum culture. Additional medication will include Thymic peptides; NS 50 ml and isoproterenol; Human serum albumin; NS l00 ml and piperacillin/tazobactam; and Enteral nutrition suspension through nasogastric feeding.

What do we make of all this?

COVID-19 can be fatal, particularly for the elderly—the most vulnerable to the infection, according to experts, since they already have pre-existing medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney and liver problems, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

But there are also recoveries especially if given the proper care by hospitals.

We're glad to know that PhilHealth has promised to pay the full cost of treatment of COVID-19 patients. But what if the patient dies without an official test result showing that he's positive for the disease? Will the hospital charge him an astronomical amount? A friend of mine estimated that it would cost around P500,000 for all the tests, medication and hospital bed in a very short period of about 10 days, and you can't even be sure that you'll be able to get leave the hospital in a vertical position. ernhil@yahoo.com

A6

World

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cruise liner seeks port for virus ship

IN BRIEF Police site crashes amid heavy traffic NEW Zealanders have become so keen to report their neighbours for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules that police on Monday said a website dedicated to addressing the issue crashed soon after going live.

The South Pacific nation is in the midst of a four-week COVID-19 lockdown, with residents under orders to stay at home or remain at least two metres (6.5 feet) apart if they must go outside.

Police commissioner Mike Bush said that a police website www.police.govt. nz/105support opened on Sunday afternoon and received such heavy traffic that it temporarily crashed.

“We’ve had 4,200 reports of people believing others weren’t complying,” he told reporters.

“It shows how determined Kiwis are that everyone complies with us.”

Bush said breaches included a party of about 60 people at a backpacker hostel in Queenstown and tourists continuing to travel the country in campervans.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern backed the informants and also urged the public to report any price gouging at supermarkets via a dedicated email address.

“Now is not the time to bend the rules. This is a time to stay at home and save lives,” she told reporters.

New Zealand, with a population of about five million, has 552 confirmed COVID-19 cases, one of them fatal. AFP

In Iraq, no resting place for the dead FOR Saad Malik, losing his father to the novel coronavirus was only the beginning of his nightmare. For over a week, cemeteries across Iraq refused to allow the elderly man’s burial.

Fearing the respiratory illness could somehow spread from the corpses to nearby population centres, Iraqi religious authorities, tribes and townspeople have sent the bodies of COVID-19 victims back to hospital morgues, where they are piling up.

“We couldn’t hold a funeral for him and haven’t been able to bury his body, even though it’s been more than a week since he died,” Malik told AFP, his voice laced with bitterness.

Armed men claiming to be tribal leaders threatened Malik, his family and his friends, saying they would set fire to his car if they tried to bury the body in their area.

“Can you imagine that across this huge country Iraq, there aren’t a few square meters to bury a small number of bodies?”

In Islam, a person must be buried as soon as possible after death, usually within 24 hours. Cremation is strictly prohibited.

Iraq has confirmed more than 500 COVID-19 cases and 42 deaths from the respiratory disease, but the real numbers are likely much higher as few of the country’s 40 million people have been tested.

Authorities have declared a countrywide lockdown until April 11, urging citizens to stay at home and adopt rigorous hygiene routines to forestall the spread of the virus. AFP

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region BRANCH 222, QUEZON CITY ARGIELA SHANE ACILING A.K.A. ARGIELA SHANE DAWING ACILING, Petitioner, -versus-

SP. PROC. CASE NO. R-QZN-19-09804-SP

THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR, ET.AL., Respondents. x--------------------------------------------x

ORDER

Upon motion by the counsel for the petitioner, let the hearing on the compliance with the jurisdictional requirements be reset on APRIL 3, 2020 at 8:30 in the morning.

Notify the petitioner and concerned government agencies.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, February 7, 2020.

(Sgd.) EDGAR DALMACIO SANTOS Judge

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region BRANCH 222, QUEZON CITY ARGIELA SHANE ACILING, a.k.a. ARGIELA SHANE DAWING ACILING a.k.a. JOCELYN ACILING BENDECIO Petitioner, -versusSPECIAL PROC. NO. R-QZN-19-09804-SP THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, THE ADMINISTRATOR AND CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS OFFICE (PSA) formerly NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE (NSO), ARGENTINA DAWING ACILING AND RAMON AMBROSIO BENDECIO ALL OTHER PERSONS WHO HAVE INTEREST OR CLAIM TO THIS INSTANT PETITION, Respondents. x-----------------------------------------------x

ORDER

This pertains to the petition for the correction of entry, change of name, and cancellation of late registration in the Certificate of Live Birth of Argiela Shane Aciling registered with the Office of the Quezon City Civil Registrar filed by the petitioner, through counsel, on October 19, 2018.

In her subject petition, petitioner alleges that on 22 January 2000, petitioner was born to common law spouses, Argentina Dawing Acling and Ramon Ambrosio Bendecio in Quezon City.

In her Certificate of Live Birth (Annex “A”), it was registered that her

biological mother’s name is “JOCELYN ACILING BENDECIO” (Annex “A-2”) under the pretense that they were married.

In the aforesaid certificate of live birth, her biological mother was the informant. Entry No. 20 is of the Certificate of Live Birth is hereto submarked as Annex “A-4”. Likewise, here biological mother supplied that she was married to petitioner’s biological father.

Entry number 18 is of the Certificate of Live Birth is hereto sub-marked as Annex “A-5”.

On June 25, 2004, petitioner’s biological mother registered again her birth but under the name “ARGIELA SHANE DAWING ACILING” (Annex “B”). This is the name used by the petitioner in all her official and personal transactions (Annex “D” to “T”).

In the second registration of certificate of live birth, her biological mother supplied that she was not married to petitioner’s biological father. Entry no. 18 is of Certificate of Live Birth is hereto sub-marked as Annex “B-5”. There was likewise an affidavit of acknowledgment/ admission of paternity in page 2 of the birth certificate is hereto submarked as Annex “B-6” and the name and signature of Israel Varga Duma is hereto sub-marked as Annex “B-7” and made an integral parts thereof.

Lastly, due to the conflicting entries in the date and place of marriage, petitioner was constrained to verify the same in the Philippines Statistics Office and she discovered that her parents were never married. A Certificate of No Marriage was appended hereto (Annex “C”). In the same certificate, petitioner used the name “ARGIELA SHANE DAWING ACILING” (Annex “C-1”).

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the initial hearing of this case is set on September 6, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. and all interested parties are directed to appear before this Court and show cause why the petition should not be granted.

Let a copy of this Order be served to the petitioner through his counsel, the Civil Registrar of Quezon City, the Philippine Statistics Office (formerly NSO), the Office of the Solicitor General and the Office of the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office. Lastly, let a copy of this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation to be chosen by raffle the Office of the Executive Judge, at petitioner’s expense.

SO ORDERED. Given in Chambers this 18th day of July 2019 in Quezon City.

(Sgd.) EDGAR DALMACIO SANTOS Judge

Copy furnished: Argiela Shane Aciling (P) PAO (C/P) LCR-QC PSA OSG OCP CMO-OCAD

(MStandard - Mar. 17, 24 & 31, 2020)

China’s central bank on Monday cut interest rate on loans to banks by the largest margin in five years and injected $7 billion into the financial system to help the world‘s second largest, export-dependent economy weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. AFP

China rate-cut pumps $7b into its economy T

HE GLOBAL spread of the coronavirus has dampened hope of a quick recovery in export-dependent China, where the pandemic first erupted in December

China’s central bank on Monday cut an interest rate on loans to banks by the largest margin in five years and injected 50 billion yuan ($7 billion) into the financial system to help the world’s second-largest economy weather the coronavirus impact.

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) said it launched a 50-billion-yuan reverse repurchase operation on Monday and lowered the seven-day reverse repurchase rate from 2.40 percent to 2.20 percent.

It was the “largest cut since 2015 and takes the 7-day reverse repo rate to its lowest on record”, said Julian EvansPritchard, senior China economist at Capital Economics.

“By offering funds at a lower rate, the PBoC will be able to keep market interbank rates low even as the liquidity from the RRR (reserve requirement ratio) cuts is absorbed by the banking system,” he said, referring to an earlier lowering of the amount of cash lenders must keep in reserve.

The deadly pathogen has claimed almost 40,000 lives worldwide, hitting businesses and consumers, and its global spread has dampened hope of a quick recovery in exportdependent China, where the pandemic first erupted in December.

The latest move comes as governments and central banks around the world ease monetary policy and unveil titanic stimulus measures worth around $5 trillion to counter the economic impact of the pandemic, which forecasters warn will cause a deep recession.

The Communist Party’s decision-making politburo also called last Friday for stronger counter-cyclical policy measures and a step-up in stimulus.

The politburo said where appropriate, the fiscal deficit ratio should be raised, special treasury bonds should be issued, and that there should be an increased quota of local government special bond issuance, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Effective loan rates should also be guided down, “maintaining reasonable and sufficient liquidity”, officials added.

Monday’s move appears to have had little impact on market sentiment, with Shanghai’s key stock index about one percent lower in the afternoon.

As COVID-19 ravages the global economy, analysts have cut growth forecasts for China, which was the first to see the effects from containment measures aimed at halting its spread.

S&P Global Ratings said its revised economic growth estimate for China in 2020 is now almost half its pre-outbreak growth assumption of 5.7 percent.

ANZ Research economists Xing Zhaopeng and Raymond Yeung said in a note that the PBoC’s rate cut “is intended to lower Chinese corporates’ funding costs”.

They expect it will be followed by cuts in the medium term lending facility rates and loan prime rate. AFP

PASSENGERS on a virus-stricken cruise liner entered the Panama Canal in Central America Sunday after they were told the company was still searching for a port which will allow them to disembark, even as they pleaded for help.

The Panama Canal Authority said the Zaandam liner had entered the canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, on Sunday afternoon after transferring healthy passengers to another ship and restocking supplies.

Holland America Line President Orlando Ashford admitted they were still searching for a port after the mayor of Fort Lauderdale—the ship’s intended destination —said the Florida city could not take the risk of accepting the passengers.

Ashford said in a video message the company was still trying to “figure out” where to disembark passengers from the stricken Zaandam liner -- four of whom have died.

The situation was “difficult and unprecedented,” he said.

The Zaandam had been stuck in the Pacific Ocean since March 14 after dozens of the 1,800 people on board reported flu-like symptoms and several South American ports refused to let it dock.

Panama on Saturday reversed its decision to block the Zaandam from its canal, and said it would be allowed to transit from the Pacific to the Caribbean side for humanitarian reasons.

But Fort Lauderdale mayor Dean Trantalis later said allowing the Zaandam to dock in his city was “completely unacceptable” as no special assurances had been given about the passengers’ onward travel arrangements.

“No assurances have been given that they will be escorted from the ship to either a treatment facility or placed in quarantine. This is completely unacceptable,” Trantalis said on Twitter.

“We cannot add further risk to our community amid our own health crisis here with thousands of people already testing positive for the deadly and contagious COVID-19 virus,” Trantalis said, adding that the National Guard and the Department of Homeland Security “must create a plan to protect the community.”

Ships ‘in tandem’ Passengers showing no signs of the virus were ferried a short distance to a sister ship, the Rotterdam, off Panama on Saturday. The Rotterdam had arrived from San Diego carrying medical staff, testing kits and food for the beleaguered vessel.

The Rotterdam also began transiting through the Panama Canal, authorities said Sunday. AFP

US won’t pay for security of Harry, Meghan PRESIDENT Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States would not pay security costs for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, appearing to confirm that the royal couple have moved to live in California.

They reportedly flew by private jet from Canada to Los Angeles before the border between the two countries closed because of the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

The couple, who had been living in Canada for several months, rocked the royal family earlier this year with their decision to no longer represent the British monarchy and to pursue a new, independent life.

“I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom,” Trump tweeted.

“It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!”

But a spokeswoman for the pair later released a statement saying they had no intention of soliciting help from Washington, media reports said.

“Privately funded security arrangements have been made,” the statement said, according to the Washington Post.

Meghan grew up in Los Angeles and her mother, Doria Ragland, still lives in the city.

The one-time actress has a network of friends and work contacts in Los Angeles, where she could now restart her career.

Disney announced on Thursday that she will narrate a new film about a family of African elephants.

Harry was reportedly caught in a hoax telephone call recently in which he attacked Trump for his stance on climate change.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will formally step back from royal duties on March 31. AFP

The Education City Stadium under construction in Doha, one of several projects that have relied on foreign labor. AFP

Gulf’s massive migrant workforce fears virus limbo MILLIONS of migrant workers across the Gulf face uncertainty as host countries lock down, employers withhold wages or mull redundancies, and strict coronavirus containment measures lead to deportations and confinement.

“We’ve been in lockdown for the last eight to 10 days, we don’t know when it will end,” said a 27-year-old Pakistani engineer in Qatar beginning a second week under mandatory quarantine.

“The basic issue we are facing now is groceries. The government is providing us with food but only after some days -- and little things only.”

He is among tens of thousands of workers strictly confined to Doha’s Industrial Area after dozens in the bluecollar district tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Advocacy groups including Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty

warn that cramped accommodation and inadequate sanitation endanger migrant workers across the Gulf, who may not have access to healthcare.

They also face salaries going unpaid and arbitrary dismissal or deportation—an outcome that could spell disaster for families at home dependent on their income.

‘Already disadvantaged’ “Migrant workers in the Gulf are already disadvantaged (under) a labour governance system that gives employers excessive powers over migrant workers and drives their abuse and exploitation,” HRW’s Gulf researcher Hiba Zayadin told AFP. “Gulf countries should go above and beyond in introducing measures to prevent the spread of the virus in migrant accommodations and migrant detention centres.”

With the region so far reporting 3,200 cases of the disease, Amnesty said that workers “trapped in camps” are particularly vulnerable, enduring conditions that make social distancing impossible.

Foreign workers in the oil-rich Gulf region, predominantly from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, account for around 10 percent of all migrants worldwide.

Many who spoke to AFP say they now fear for their health and job security.

Saudis receive paid leave Some labourers in Saudi Arabia, home to 10 million expat workers, complained that they were required by bosses to work while Saudis were permitted paid quarantine leave.

One said he was told to accept unpaid leave if he felt unwell, but opted to continue working. AFP

Business

A7

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks tumble; Puregold drops T HE stock market tumbled Monday along with the rest of Asia, following a steep drop in Wall Street as the jubilation from last week’s enormous US stimulus package faded and investors returned their attention to the soaring infection and death rate of the coronavirus.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slumped 135.46 points, or 2.6 percent, to 5,131.16 on a value turnover of P5.3 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 134 to 49, with 37 issues unchanged.

Puregold Price Club Inc. of retail ty-

coon Lucio Co. retreated 7.7 percent to P36, while Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is into toll roads, water and electricity distribution, hospitals and infrastructure, also fell 7.7 percent to P2.40.

Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest lender in terms of assets, dropped 6 percent to P60.10, while parent Ayala Corp. declined 4.9 percent to P469.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, finally signed off the more than $2 trillion in pump-priming measures on Friday, but equities—which enjoyed a rally for much of the week—ended on a negative note as dealers took profits.

The downbeat mood weighed on Asian equities, though most pared their morning losses. Tokyo ended more than one percent down, while Shanghai and Hong Kong were both off 0.9 percent.

Mumbai lost more than two percent,

while Taipei slipped 0.7 percent.

Seoul was flat, while there were also losses in Bangkok and Jakarta.

Singapore slid more than three percent as investors brushed off the citystate’s monetary policy easing measures that came days after data showed it was heading for a deep recession.

However, Sydney soared seven percent in its best one-day performance ever following a more than five percent slide Friday.

While the disease ravages populations and the global economy grinds to a halt with 40 percent of the planet in lockdown, experts are struggling to get a grip on the scale of the crisis that is forecast to cause a worldwide recession.

And analysts say there are likely more dark days ahead, with Trump abandoning his timetable for life returning to normal in the United States and extend-

ing emergency restrictions for another month.

The president said he expected the country to “be well on our way to recovery” by June 1—dropping his previous target of mid-April.

Meanwhile, senior US scientist Anthony Fauci issued a tentative prediction that COVID-19 could claim up to 200,000 lives in the US. Governments and central banks have acted to shore up the global economy, pledging around $5 trillion in stimulus support, with China on Monday joining the party by lowering bank borrowing costs and pumping billions of dollars into financial markets, while Singapore also eased rates.

AxiCorp.’s Stephen Innes said markets looked like they were “nearing policy fatigue where it becomes less effective, and as the surprise element diminishes, no one cares.” With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Monday, March 30, 2020

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

44.65 63.9 102.1 20.7 15.8 8 2.51 718 0.265 37.8 21 170 45.4 17.3 105 53

44.65 63.9 102.3 20.7 15.8 8 3.18 718 0.265 37.8 21 170 45.4 17.5 105 53.85

44.5 59.15 97.05 19.72 15 7.5 2.5 718 0.265 36.2 19.62 157.1 44.65 16 99.5 53

FINANCIALS 44.5 400 60.1 3,571,860 99.2 2,602,400 19.8 159,200 15.6 3,400 7.51 184,400 3.18 6,000 718 10 0.265 20,000 37.6 3,882,500 19.62 92,600 168.9 2,790 44.65 900 17 20,900 101.5 686,030 53.85 520

17,830 214,139,792 256,171,382.50 3,200,422 52,350 1,400,781 16,890 7,180 5,300 143,774,670 1,836,576 460,846 40,330 339,800 69,489,750.50 27,789.50

-40707223.5 -78103025.5 -431,462 -143,587 -4,091,335 -855,562 264,400 -24,415,547 -

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

26.45 1.9 6.6 0.55 0.84 2 0.166 1.09 13.3 6.24 45.5 1.79 3.25 4.9 7.65 5.34 8.49 1.95 17.04 48.05 1.16 31.95 0.8 11.6 4.32 0.96 106.9 3.5 4.8 9.2 4.84 5.97 220 1.62 2.99 2.3 9.5 18.7 4.09 4.5 1.33 0.7 5.04 50.5 7.88 0.72 98.15 2.2 0.87 14.7 0.58

26.5 1.94 6.81 0.56 0.91 2.08 0.166 1.09 13.5 6.55 45.5 1.8 3.3 5.01 7.78 5.34 8.49 2 17.04 48.85 1.16 32 0.8 12.4 4.6 1 106.9 3.8 4.8 9.4 4.84 6.4 221.8 1.79 2.99 2.4 10 18.8 4.1 4.5 1.44 0.75 5.04 50.8 8.15 0.72 98.15 2.52 0.87 15.1 0.58

24 1.8 6.04 0.49 0.84 1.94 0.156 1.01 12.7 5.8 45.5 1.75 3.25 4.8 7.4 5 7.92 1.88 15.92 47.5 1.1 28.8 0.75 11.6 4.3 0.93 100.1 3.5 4.8 9 4.5 5.64 210 1.62 2.5 2.17 9.1 18.1 4.09 4.08 1.28 0.67 4.88 47 7.6 0.72 95 2.2 0.82 14.7 0.57

INDUSTRIAL 24.05 2,284,200 1.9 6,784,000 6.39 100,000 0.5 823,000 0.9 388,000 2.08 919,000 0.164 600,000 1.05 3,432,000 13.5 120,000 6.4 2,309,100 45.5 10 1.8 66,000 3.25 6,000 4.8 1,742,000 7.5 370,900 5.01 200,400 8.11 103,300 1.95 881,000 16 2,003,900 47.5 158,100 1.12 10,785,000 32 12,100 0.78 351,000 12.3 16,600 4.57 270,000 0.99 520,000 103 801,630 3.8 2,000 4.8 3,000 9.3 1,896,200 4.59 260,000 6.19 1,279,500 214.4 310,440 1.73 1,873,000 2.5 14,000 2.4 1,814,000 10 195,000 18.5 934,100 4.1 6,000 4.29 46,000 1.44 2,161,000 0.73 459,000 4.91 202,700 47 307,640 8.14 56,700 0.72 2,000 97.6 1,518,510 2.52 12,000 0.86 813,000 15 500 0.57 41,000

56,160,830 12,663,210 627,637 422,920 328,210 1,859,400 98,600 3,572,180 1,578,516 14,246,084 455 116,750 19,550 8,533,090 2,775,001 1,020,012 835,457 1,703,090 32,362,796 7,512,225 12,103,780 386,005 272,260 199,116 1,227,840 498,450 82,543,465 7,300 14,400 17,582,288 1,195,350 7,760,147 65,844,206 3,158,100 36,980 4,162,110 1,919,145 17,276,668 24,580 193,790 2,912,890 332,080 1,005,858 14,834,434 442,561 1,440 148,409,648 26,720 684,970 7,490 23,390

-10,661,465 -433,180 -251,291 20,000 -2,050 668,060 1,292,002 4,488 -3,250 -3,123,000 -1,240,660 25,050 176,343 -130 3,486,216 3,738,355 339,400 338,545 -9,420 -16,156 -370,010 -6,983,097 -14,400 -8,763,492 -258,270 -1,529,208 -18,824,780 -1,172,470 5,600 -162,700 -331,300 -6,713,576 -50,130 -164,020 -7,000 -523,575 1,690,809 149,475 -67,808,317 24,200 -3,020 -

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

0.5 33.2 6.85 0.57 6 5.93 0.53 0.53 484.8 1.71 5 3.55 9 419.8 3.65 51 6 0.41 2.83 7.2 0.54 2.6 2.75 0.83 2.6 90 800 0.63 150 152.5 0.185 0.132

0.52 35.2 6.85 0.57 6 5.93 0.53 0.54 484.8 1.83 5 3.72 9 419.8 3.65 52.7 6 0.425 2.83 7.2 0.54 2.62 2.75 0.83 2.6 91.45 805.5 0.64 150 152.5 0.185 0.132

0.48 30.65 6.5 0.53 6 5.5 0.495 0.53 459.8 1.7 4.5 3.5 8 382 3.6 46.15 6 0.41 2.82 6.99 0.54 2.34 2.75 0.83 2.6 87.2 751 0.63 130 152 0.185 0.132

HOLDING FIRMS 0.5 2,310,000 35.2 639,900 6.55 1,689,700 0.53 151,000 6 1,800 5.5 21,100 0.52 397,000 0.53 51,000 469 850,660 1.7 566,000 4.5 316,500 3.6 21,090,000 17,100 8.4 390 338,880 3.6 119,000 49.5 1,915,570 6 13,200 0.41 30,000 2.83 244,000 7.1 2,563,900 0.54 2,000 2.4 116,262,000 2.75 1,000 0.83 1,000 2.6 2,000 91.4 95,890 770 412,060 0.63 60,000 144 160 152 350 0.185 10,000 0.132 100,000

1,150,820 21,671,065 11,110,546 84,320 10,800 117,685 198,645 27,130 399,347,774 977,590 1,488,042 75,591,650 138,840 133,070,978 428,600 95,560,523 79,200 12,450 688,890 18,147,469 1,080 281,229,250 2,750 830 5,200 8,612,557 320,977,735 37,900 22,600 53,235 1,850 13,200

103,570 4,686,285 -2,123,832 -3,306 -86,356,738 -460,200 15,858,010 -20,639,934 -324,200 -63397336.5 -332,800 -1,964,758 -46,731,390 -425,629.50 80,954,320 36,480 -

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

11.82 0.52 9 1.04 0.55 30.95 1.39 3.85 6.1 0.37 0.74 0.133 0.23 6.9 16.28 0.92 0.7 2.34 0.142 0.305 0.64 0.27 1.7 14.6

12.48 0.52 9 1.04 0.57 32 1.39 3.99 6.1 0.375 0.74 0.133 0.235 7.5 16.4 0.93 0.75 2.5 0.142 0.305 0.67 0.275 1.7 14.6

11.6 0.5 9 1.04 0.55 28.55 1.27 3.6 6.1 0.36 0.7 0.128 0.23 6.9 15.8 0.86 0.7 2.19 0.133 0.305 0.62 0.27 1.69 13.14

PROPERTY 11.98 23,600 0.51 1,001,000 9 1,200 1.04 11,000 0.57 109,000 31 13,388,400 1.31 381,000 3.9 1,131,000 6.1 68,400 0.37 1,610,000 0.72 83,000 0.128 390,000 0.235 100,000 7 147,700 16.1 401,700 0.92 21,893,000 0.75 721,000 2.5 69,077,000 0.138 4,790,000 0.305 20,000 0.65 7,260,000 0.275 420,000 1.69 51,000 14 3,175,500

278,602 512,480 10,800 11,440 60,010 414,259,835 498,650 4,416,330 417,240 595,150 60,200 50,680 23,050 1,034,430 6,461,854 19,699,550 515,950 159,622,250 652,280 6,100 4,713,960 115,050 86,300 43,311,004

-4,892 138,236,420 296,690 -1,804,270 0 14,800 205,100 -1,556,126 3,410,720 45,454,750 -4,585,006

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

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

1.5 2.7 28 2.15 1.15 4.24 3.35

1.5 2.9 28 2.15 1.18 4.24 3.5

1.48 2.7 26.1 2.15 1.05 3.78 3.27

1.48 2.75 27.35 2.15 1.18 3.91 3.45

315,000 106,000 13,865,200 5,000 609,000 1,760,000 352,000

468,200 291,850 377,980,485 10,750 683,330 6,987,520 1,193,440

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

6 15.98 4.6 0.255 0.036 2 5.86 0.028 43.45 6.04 2.61 1.96 5 1,910 5.16 9.12 0.72 74.2 7 0.08 1.55 11.64 1.3 0.61 4.9 1.44 1.5 1.4 12 1.32 6.75 2.03 3.8 130 1.6 1,050 0.3 0.202 35.9 54.55 6 1.2 0.41 0.155 0.38 13.48

6 15.98 4.6 0.255 0.038 2.28 5.87 0.028 46.5 6.04 2.61 1.96 5.1 1,949 5.2 12.76 0.73 74.2 7.44 0.08 1.59 11.98 1.5 0.61 4.92 1.45 1.54 1.4 13 1.35 6.75 2.03 3.94 131.9 1.6 1,088 0.31 0.202 37.5 58.95 6 1.21 0.41 0.156 0.395 13.48

5.8 15.4 4.31 0.24 0.034 2 5.1 0.027 41 6.04 2.42 1.7 5 1,910 5 9.12 0.7 69 7 0.08 1.44 11.5 1.3 0.61 4.55 1.31 1.45 1.39 12 1.3 6.5 2.03 3.8 130 1.41 1,026 0.28 0.19 35.5 54.35 5.4 1.1 0.395 0.15 0.38 12.48

SERVICES 6 15.88 4.49 0.245 0.038 2.28 5.87 0.027 46.5 6.04 2.53 1.7 5 1,912 5.18 12.76 0.7 74 7.44 0.08 1.53 11.64 1.34 0.61 4.73 1.41 1.49 1.4 12.98 1.33 6.69 2.03 3.94 130 1.44 1,070 0.295 0.195 36 58.95 5.4 1.15 0.4 0.152 0.395 12.8

16,100 219,700 1,928,000 610,000 3,600,000 14,000 2,406,900 3,700,000 306,000 6,000 1,159,000 2,000 9,400 56,105 905,300 500 514,000 1,088,600 9,900 20,000 36,531,000 1,600 10,047,000 200,000 1,257,000 1,588,000 1,039,000 31,000 1,700 992,000 11,700 3,000 12,000 79,400 1,493,000 225,595 3,130,000 420,000 4,173,600 583,850 5,500 861,000 900,000 1,590,000 120,000 974,700

95,245 3,426,984 8,562,070 151,950 133,200 31,160 13,245,478 101,800 13,020,165 36,240 2,879,280 3,660 47,208 107,426,260 4,670,649 5,330 369,160 78,327,630.50 69,502 1,600 55,335,120 18,668 13,466,860 122,000 5,971,270 2,171,950 1,538,890 43,350 20,696 1,308,740 77,779 6,090 45,990 10,322,950 2,179,800 238,806,260 916,950 81,320 151,250,105 32,070,421.50 30,000 1,015,690 361,050 246,030 46,900 12,436,700

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

0.0011 5.25 0.73 1.8 10.86 2.56 6.68 0.56 0.186 0.074 0.078 0.007 0.0071 0.54 1.56 0.82 2 4.19 10.5

0.0011 5.4 0.73 1.86 10.86 2.56 6.68 0.56 0.195 0.074 0.079 0.0071 0.0071 0.55 1.6 0.86 2 4.19 10.8

0.001 4.9 0.68 1.8 10.86 2.56 6.14 0.5 0.186 0.068 0.078 0.0064 0.0071 0.54 1.48 0.82 2 3.88 10.22

MINING & OIL 0.0011 4,000,000 5.25 218,700 0.71 514,000 1.86 28,000 10.86 9,100 2.56 50,000 6.5 2,500 0.53 5,135,000 0.187 80,000 0.069 1,040,000 0.079 30,000 0.0064 5,000,000 0.0071 1,000,000 0.55 2,234,000 1.51 5,551,000 0.86 61,000 2 252,000 3.95 363,000 10.7 938,400

4,300 1,125,730 356,170 50,460 98,826 128,000 16,188 2,686,520 15,410 72,140 2,360 34,700 7,100 1,228,630 8,409,140 52,050 504,000 1,442,490 9,976,648

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2R ALCO PREF B DD PREF 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 2H SMC PREF 2I

14.02 498 495 98 97.7 4.9 95 1,039 1,015 1,001 98.7 105 998 76 74 74.05 74.25 74.8 74.3

14.02 498 495 98 97.8 5.3 95 1,039 1,015 1,010 98.7 105 998 76 74 74.05 74.3 74.8 74.3

13.8 498 495 98 97.7 4.9 93 1,039 1,014 1,000 98.7 102 998 75 74 74 74.15 74 74

PREFERRED 13.8 25,000 498 1,100 495 310 98 2,000 97.7 6,070 5.3 5,182,400 93 970 1,039 5 1,014 4,600 1,010 1,150 98.7 3,000 102 60 998 10 75.5 84,930 74 7,500 74 28,850 74.15 50,650 74 34,430 74 10,260

346,100 547,800 153,450 196,000 593,077.50 25,411,040 90,240 5,195 4,666,500 1,151,510 296,100 6,180 9,980 6,386,098 555,000 2,135,016.50 3,756,357.50 2,548,770 759,558

LR WARRANT

0.68

0.68

0.68

WARRANTS 0.68 4,000

2,720

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

2 5.85 0.48

2 6 0.48

1.89 5.8 0.46

2 5.8 0.48

FIRST METRO ETF

80

80

77.3

MS USD DMPL A2

10.28

Trading Summary

10.28

SHARES

FINANCIAL

16,051,445

INDUSTRIAL

108,780,068

HOLDING FIRMS

151,195,118

PROPERTY

143,325,056

SERVICES

88,097,832

MINING & OIL

26,575,578

GRAND TOTAL

535,835,836

10.28

SME

394,000 21,900 1,320,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 77.3 58,130 DDS 10.28

6,260

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP -93,240 -80,789,415 -1,278,750 585 -598,690 4,833,043 -437,430 27,784 -98,650 -59,056,830 -71,000 -8,549,803.50 -13,300 -800 368,920 4,020 -295,400 -86,530 -33,530 -9,503,000 -144,020 50,536,050 -3,840 -35,459,325 -14150890.5 -84,710 -308,050 7,767,226 42,000.00 1,860 128,000 -676,950 7,100 -3,636,650 130,620 853,344 -24,757,120 -889,480 -3,756,357.50 -1,884,930 -759,558 -

767,570 128,045 625,050

5,850 -23,750

4,557,205

23,516

64,352.80

-

VALUE 1,176.45 (down) 40.83 905,378,796.20 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 6,071.63 (down) 132.91 1,038,241,827.88 HOLDING FIRMS 4,984.04 (down) 158.07 1,523,321,963.58 PROPERTY 2,721.57 (down) 59.58 1,169.63 (down) 7.64 1,045,972,644.615 SERVICES MINING & OIL 4,047.55 (down) 54.92 788,324,741.21 PSEI 5,131.16 (down) 135.46 26,219,077.109 All Shares Index 3,144.31 (down) 75.19 5,333,546,072.47 Gainers: 49; Losers: 134; Unchanged: 37; Total: 220

PCC clears Lotte’s bid to hike stake in Pepsi-Cola

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Philippine Competition Commission approved the proposed acquisition of shares in beverage and snack maker Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc.

by Korean beverage firm Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. Ltd. The PCC said the deal would not likely result in a substantial reduction of competition in the sector.

The PCC based the finding on the assessment of the Mergers and Acquisitions Office that sufficient competitive constraints remain in the market for the supply of carbonated soft drinks, non-carbonated beverage,and bottled water in the country.

The government’s anti-trust body said the share acquisition would not likely give the parties an increased advantage in the supply of Polyethylene Terephthalate in the world market and in the distribution of non-alcoholic beverages in the national market.

Lotte Chilsung in January announced it was acquiring up to 2.134 billion common shares of PCPPI through a tender offer at a price of P1.95 per share.

The shares represent 57.78 percent of PCPPI’s total issued and outstanding capital stock.

Lotte Chilsung held an approximately 38.8-percent stake in PCPPI while the US beverage giant PepsiCo Inc. owned a 25-percent interest in the Philippine company.

Lotte Chilsung said the tender offer was as an opportunity for shareholders to sell their shares and potentially realize their investment. It conducted the tender offer as a strategic initiative to enable it to acquire a significant economic interest in PCPPI. The Securities and Exchange Commission in February ordered Lotte Chilsung to stop the tender offer due to a questionable fairness opinion report.

Lotte Chilsung, one of the biggest beverage companies in South Korea, in 2010 acquired a significant stake in PCPPI after purchasing the combined holdings of Guoco Inc., Hongway and other minority shareholders.

Share price of PCPPI on Monday surged 33.1 percent to P1.73.

The PCC to date has received applications on 211 mergers and acquisitions for review. The agency approved 194 of these local and global transactions, with a combined value of P3.81 trillion.

8990 suspends buyback scheme amid COVID-19 MASS housing developer 8990 Holdings Inc. said it will suspend its share buyback program in the light of challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Instead of conducting a buyback program, 8990 Holdings said Monday in a disclosure to the stock exchange it would instead focus its resources in supporting employees and funding operational activities.

“In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the management of 8990 Holdings Inc. has decided to suspend its share buyback program initiated on 04 February 2019. Management believes this suspension to be the prudent course of action given the uncertainty and challenges that may result from this pandemic,” 8990 Holdings said.

The company said it would resume its share buyback program under the same terms and conditions it set once the overall situation improved.

“The company continues to closely monitor the situation and is taking appropriate actions to optimize cash flows and minimize costs,” the mass housing developer said.

The company in February last year announced plans to re-acquire P2 billion worth of common shares until August 1, 2020 to boost share value.

The company said it would repurchase the stocks in cash through the PSE’s open market and book them as treasury shares.

8990 has purchased 126,591 million of its shares worth P1.8 billion since the company announced the repurchase program.

The company expects revenues this year to hit P20 billion with the launch of new projects this year.

It said it was also considering plans to issue bonds this year to refinance maturing bonds issued in 2015 and raise ₱2.4 billion from a planned securitization. Jenniffer B. Austria

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

A8

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020

Business

Suntrust Home raising $300m for hotel casino

By Jenniffer B. Austria SUNTRUST Home Developers Inc., a company that is 51-percent owned by Asia’s largest junket operator Suncity Group Holdings Limited., plans to raise at least $300 million until the end of July to build a hotel casino project in the country.

Suntrust said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it signed a third supplemental agreement extending the period to raise the funds needed to develop the hotel and casino within the 31-hectare integrated resort and gaming complex Westside City.

The supplemental agreement also extended the closing of the subscription agreement between Fortune Noble Ltd., a wholly owned company of Suncity and Suntrust.

Under the shares subscription deal, Fortune agreed to subscribe to 2.55 billion Suntrust shares, which were issued out of the increase of Suntrust’s authorized capital stock to P23 billion from P3 billion.

Suncity signed a deal last year with Westside City Resorts World Inc. and Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., two companies led by businessman Andrew Tan that are in charge of developing Westside City.

Under the deal, Suncity, through Suntrust, will lease a portion of Westside City for the development and operation of a main hotel and casino.

The lease for the project site covers a period of 20 years at an annual rental of $10.6 million starting from the date of handover to SunTrust. It is automatically renewable for a further term of 25 years.

The planned hotel and casino project is scheduled for completion by the fourth quarter of 2022.

Westside City will be the fourth resort and casino development to rise in Entertainment City.

The first three are Solaire Resorts & Casino of Bloomberry Resorts Corp. which opened in March 2013, City of Dreams Manila of Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp. which opened in December 2014 and Manila Bay Resorts of Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada which opened in 2016.

The share price of Suntrust rose 2.6 percent Monday to close at P1.18.

TRADING CENTERS. As vegetables and other farm produce are left wasted amid the coronavirus lockdown, the private sector urges the government to put up emergency trading centers to ensure continuous supply of healthy food. Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food president Danilo Fausto (second row, fourth from left) says emergency trading centers in barangays and subdivisions nearest to consumers will give people access to the food they need while the enhanced community quarantine is in effect. With Fausto is Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar (fifth from left) and other industry leaders in the agriculture sector.

NGCP giving P1b to help govt in fighting COVID-19

By Alena Mae S. Flores

G

RID operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said it is donating P1 billion to support the government’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

NGCP president and chief executive Anthony Almeda said in a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte through Senator Christopher Lawrence Go dated March 30 the company would donate P500 million in the form of goods and medical equipment and another P500 million in cash for other COVID-19 response purposes.

“On behalf of NGCP’s board of directors, particularly major stockholders Henry Sy Jr., Robert Coyiuto Jr. and the State Grid of China Corp., we would like to inform you that NGCP will donate P1 billion to aid our medical front-

liners to support the president’s efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Philippines,” Almeda said in the letter.

He said NGCP would coordinate with the Duterte administration for the turnover of the donation.

“We will also continue to look for opportunities to support the government in battling this pandemic,” Almeda said.

NGCP, the country’s lone network operator, earlier said its system operations and transmission line and substation personnel all over Luzon continued to operate, maintain and improve the country’s transmission grid amid the enhanced community quarantine.

“Our personnel continue to pursue activities which are critical to the reliability of the transmission network and which cannot be deferred, especially those essential to the coming summer season,” it said.

NGCP said its business continuity plan requires all linemen and substation personnel to regularly have their temperature checked during the course of their activities and to religiously practice personal

Vivant CEO passes away on coronavirus complications

MONEY TRANSFER.

Dina de Leon (third from left) and her frontline workers don surgical face masks as they serve customers in their Smart Padala

by PayMaya Center in North Caloocan, which has become a lifeline for workers and employees stuck in Metro Manila amid the enhanced community quarantine.

As Metro Manila was placed on enhanced community quarantine on March 15, de Leon’s small remittance outlet turned into a lifeline for many workers virtually trapped inside the nation’s capital.

Japan bank sees PH economy contracting 1.9% in 2020

By Julito G. Rada A JAPANESE bank said the Philippine economy could contract as much as 1.9 percent this year, following the 5.9-percent expansion in 2019, if the lockdown would be extended until May and expanded nationwide to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Nomura said this would be a “bad case” scenario where the negative effects from external factors would be more amplified.

“Hence, we forecast 2020 GDP growth to fall into negative territory to -1.9 percent. Our assumption here, in addition to the external factors, is that social distancing measures locally are extended over the second quarter, with

and equipment sanitation protocols.

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

NGCP is also evaluating the implementation of maintenance rescheduling, except for grid operating and maintenance program; isolation of entrance to control centers, substations and backup control centers; and provision of transportation, board and lodging for dispatchers and substation engineers.

NGCP also implemented contingency measures to minimize the effect of COVID-19 on its workforce.

These measures include the cancellation of official travels to affected countries and non-essential large events, protocol on employees returning from abroad, stricter procedure on entry of guests and introduction of alternative approach to meetings such as video conferencing.

the lockdown lasting until May and expanded nationwide,” Nomura said.

“The disruption in economic activity will be much more widespread, and non-linear effects will kick-in as a result of a combination of massive job losses, more insolvency problems particularly for SMEs, asset quality concerns of banks, which in turn will lead to tighter lending standards and some bouts of social unrest,” it said.

“In this scenario, we would expect the government to raise the fiscal deficit further to 5 to 6 percent of GDP. On monetary policy, we expect an additional 50bp in policy rate cuts by BSP and a further 200bp in RRR [reserve requirement] cuts relative to our base case,” it said.

Nomura said under a “good case” sce-

nario, it expects a 3-percent expansion of GDP, taking into account a trajectory of weakening growth through the second quarter due to a sharp decline in external demand, which is compounded by the domestic disruption from the lockdown, “which we assume gets lifted as scheduled.”

The month-long enhanced community quarantine in the entire Luzon island is set to end on April 12, 2020.

Nomura said a shallow recovery could ensue in the second half as in this scenario where the non-linear effects in the bad case are avoided, and normal conditions return more quickly partly because policy responses gain some traction and containment efforts become relatively successful.

THE chief executive of Cebu-based listed company Vivant Corp. passed away on Saturday because of complications from the coronavirus disease 2019.

Vivant said chairman and chief Dennis Garcia passed away on March 28.

He was 70 years old.

Garcia had prior respiratory health issues, specifically emphysema, before COVID-19 was a known issue.

He was hospitalized at Cebu Doctor’s University Hospital on March 25 where he was tested for COVID-19.

He tested positive for COVID-19 on the same day that he died at 6:38 p.m.

Based on the Health Department’s guidelines, Garcia was cremated at the earliest available slot the following day, at 10 a.m.

“Vivant is working with the Cebu City government to track his movements in the two weeks prior to his hospitalization in order to identify people he was in close contact with for monitoring, quarantine and possible testing,” the company said.

Vivant said it would also make this information available to other affected LGUs and/or national agencies.

Vivant, controlled by the GarciaEscaño families of Cebu, was incorporated on May 28, 1990. The company, through subsidiaries and affiliates, has interests in various companies engaged in electric power generation (renewable and non-renewable energy), electric power distribution and retail electricity supply business.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Shell’s income climbed 11% to P5.6b in 2019 PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. said Monday net income grew 11 percent in 2019 to P5.6 billion from a year ago on strong marketing delivery and refinery cost savings.

Pilipina Shell said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the higher income helped temper the suppressed regional refining margins and higher excise taxes that affected the oil industry.

“We are pleased with Pilipinas Shell’s business delivery for 2019, particularly in the light of last year’s business environment. Our company remains fundamentally robust and resilient. The marked volume growth across our business segments last year was not by chance; it is the result of consistent strategy and clear-cut focus on our objectives,” said Pilipinas Shell president and chief executive Cesar Romero.

Romero, however, said the company was cognizant of the tremendous impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on people and business.

“We continue to look for ways to appropriately support our key stakeholders and business partners, and commit to make the right sustainable decisions for the company in this time of challenges and uncertainties,” he said.

A robust marketing agility, technological capability and adaptability, integrated value chain and financial discipline helped the company post a positive performance amid a volatile business environment.

The company spent P6 billion to expand the retail network, support refinery growth projects and enhance supply and distribution capabilities in 2019.

Pilipinas Shell said retail volumes grew by 1.2 percent in 2019 despite higher excise taxes.

“This growth was driven by targeted marketing activities coupled with loyalty programs and further expansion of our network,” said Randy del Valle, Pilipinas Shell vice president for retail. Alena Mae S. Flores

IN BRIEF

San Miguel earmarks P500m to acquire PPE CONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. is spending P500 million to purchase P500 million worth of personal protective equipment for frontline health workers in their fight against the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“It’s very crucial that we get more PPE― protective masks, gloves, surgical gowns, among others―out there as fast as we can.

We are hoping to fill the gap and continue supporting our government in whatever way we can. Our health care workers and government responders are risking their own lives to save ours but they are running out of equipment to protect themselves,” San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said.

The conglomerate said it was tapping its global network of suppliers to purchase muchneeded PPE for Philippine health workers. It also continues to look for domestic suppliers to help increase production of the PPE. “We are leveraging our network of suppliers to assist government in addressing this shortage. But this may not be enough. That’s why we are also calling on local suppliers, even the small ones, to come forward. We will help purchase your products and get it out in the market where it’s most needed,” Ang said.

Jenniffer B. Austria

MPIC hospital group creates crisis team THE Metro Pacific Hospitals Group, the largest private hospital operator in the country, said it is beefing up efforts to help alleviate the coronavirus pandemic in cooperation with key government hospitals.

Metro Pacific Hospitals, which is composed of 16 hospitals in various parts of the country, said it formed a crisis team to coordinate activities designed to cope with the rising number COVID-19-related cases.

Pilar Nenuca Almira, who heads both the Cardinal Santos Medical Center and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, was appointed head of the crisis team.

“The country’s healthcare system faces unprecedented challenges because of the ongoing pandemic, caused by a virus that is unfamiliar, and seems easily transmitted. Our hospitals are focusing their resources on critical concerns― particularly hospital care for the most critically-ill patients infected by COVID-19,” Metro Pacific Hospital chairman Manuel Pangilinan said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Work-from-home schemes for BPOs THE Department of Information and Communications Technology asked the business process outsourcing sector to explore workfrom-home arrangements to maintain business continuity during the Luzon-wide quarantine period.

The DICT issued a circular recommending that work-from-home arrangements, as far as practicable, be adopted by ICT-BPO companies.

It said the ICT-BPO sector should transfer the necessary equipment to facilitate WFH arrangements within the period set by the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease.

ICT-BPO companies were also allowed to continue workplace operations through a skeleton workforce.

“Employees are permitted mobility to and from their place of work within areas affected by the quarantine, provided that appropriate temporary accommodation and/or shuttle service arrangements, within the immediate vicinity of the workplace shall be provided,” the DICT said. Darwin G. Amojelar

Sports

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

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020

B1

Celtics’ Smart COVID-19-free, 10 days after positive test

Despite the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the coronavirus, Team USA Kayak athlete Joshua Joseph trains in the Potomac River in Brookmont, Maryland. Officials announced on Tuesday that the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo are being postponed by one year due to the global COVID-19 outbreak. AFP

Foam in hole, toilet paper for prizes, golfers play on despite virus LOS ANGELES—While most global sport has shut down over the coronavirus pandemic, a US thirdlevel women’s golf tour is playing through, aided by a ruling declaring Arizona courses as essential businesses - and where a winner’s prize recently included a toilet roll.

The Cactus Tour will stage its 12th 54-hole event of the year, and third since major US sports league went silent, starting Tuesday at Sun City Country Club in Arizona.

There are precautions to allow for safety and cut the chances of spreading or contracting the deadly virus, with players only in pairs to help follow distancing guidelines.

And while last week’s top prize was only $2,800, it brought winner Sarah Burnham an even more prized treasure seldom seen on store shelves these days.

“They gave some toilet paper,” Burnham told the Detroit News. “He was like, ‘Here’s a little extra prize for the winner.’”

She described the atmosphere to the newspaper, such as no rakes in bunkers and players leaving flagsticks in cups, which were partly filled with pieces of pool noodles— children’s foam floating swim toys—so players could more easily reclaim their ball.

“We practiced all the social distancing guidelines and stuff like that,” Burnham said. “It’s not like a huge group.”

Burnham had played one event of her second LPGA season in Australia when the campaign shut down. It’s not set to return until May 14 with no assurance that date will hold given the growing healthcare crisis.

Two weeks ago, it was two-time major winner Anna Nordqvist of Sweden who won a $2,000 top prize at Phoenix, beating compatriot Lisa Pettersson on the second playoff hole.

Nordqvist is an eight-time LPGA winner whose first tour title was a major, the 2009 LPGA Championship, and whose most recent win was also a major, the 2017 Evian Championship.

What has helped Brown continue while the LPGA and its top developmental tour have shut down is a decision by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey to classify golf courses as “essential” business to remain open while many others are closed due to the coronavirus. AFP

New Olympic Games’ dates decided this week T

OKYO—New dates for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will likely be revealed this week, organisers said Monday after the coronavirus forced the historic decision to postpone the Games until next year.

Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori told reporters they were weighing the pros and cons of a summer and spring Games and he expected a decision from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) soon.

“I think perhaps there will be some kind of communication from (IOC) President (Thomas) Bach this week,” Mori told reporters.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were due to open on July 24 and run for 16 days, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the first peace-time postponement of the Games.

The IOC and Japan had for weeks insisted the show could go on but the rapid spread of COVID-19 prompted growing disquiet among athletes and sporting federations.

The Olympics was the highest-profile sporting casualty of the coronavirus that has wiped out fixtures worldwide and all but halted professional sport.

There was some speculation that Japa-

nese organisers could take advantage of the blank canvas to shift the Games to spring, avoiding the heat of the Tokyo summer that had been their main concern before coronavirus struck.

Due to the heat, the marathon has been moved to Sapporo, a city some 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the north of Tokyo where the weather is cooler even at the height of summer.

But given the ongoing pandemic and need for preparation time, the most likely plan would be for the Games to begin on July 23, 2021, public broadcaster NHK said over the weekend, citing sources within the organising panel.

The postponement has handed organizers the “unprecedented” task of rearranging an event seven years in the making, and Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto has admitted the additional costs will be “massive”. ccording to the latest budget, the

Games were due to cost $12.6 billion, shared between the organizing committee, the government of Japan and Tokyo city.

However, that number is hotly contested with a much-publicised government audit suggesting the central government was spending several times that amount—on items organisers claim are only tangentially related to the Olympics.

‘Mankind’s victory’ The postponement affects every aspect of the organisation—hotels, ticketing, venues and transport being among the major headaches.

Hotels have had to cancel bookings, dealing them a bitter blow at a time when tourism is already being hammered by the coronavirus.

Some venues that had booked events years in advance will potentially have to scrap them to make way for the rescheduled Olympics and there is still uncertainty about whether ticket-holders will get refunded.

Another thorny issue is the athletes’ village, which was due to be converted into luxury apartments after the Games, some of which have already found buyers. AFP

Team Lakay bares grand goals for 2020 THINGS may have slowed down a bit as a veil of uncertainty looms over the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the goal never changes for Team Lakay.

Once ONE Championship gets rolling, the team will be on a quest to regain the three World Titles they lost over the last 15 months.

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, and Joshua “The Passion” Pacio once held World Titles in their respective divisions at the end of 2018.

They lost all of those in the first three months of 2019, though Pacio was able to recover the ONE Strawweight World Title in April.

Their coach, Mark Sangiao, has not forgotten about the other three.

“The plan moving forward is to keep on winning, work on their weakness, become more rounded, so there’s no weakness in them, whether that be on the ground or with wrestling,” he said.

“We want them to be complete because we want all the belts back that we lost.”

Asked about who he sees as the closest guy to the belt, it is Danny “The King” Kingad.

Kingad made it to the finals of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Championship last year, and though he lost to Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson he showed a lot of promise for a 24-year-old.

With a victory over Xie “The Hunter” Wei to open 2020, it will not be surprising to see Kingad in contention for the ONE Flyweight World Title currently held by Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes.

“We want Danny to win it. As much as possible I am also hoping for Kevin’s

resurgence and maybe Eduard can get his belt back as well,” Sangiao said.

“We have to make sure that we keep on learning, that we’re not stagnant, that each day we learn new things. It’s also about making sure that they are prepared, both physically and mentally.

“If we identify what these athletes need, then we’re in good shape. After all, they’re the ones competing in there.”

Catch all the ONE Championship action live and for free by downloading the ONE Super App.

Members of Team Lakay are shown with ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong (right).

Asean Football Federation tourneys postponed

By Peter Atencio INTERNATIONAL football meets throughout the Southeast Asian region have been postponed.

Officials at the Philippine Football Federation said the decision was made by the ASEAN Football Federation last Wednesday.

The postponement of these events, which were slated for the next four months, was due to ongoing efforts to

stop the coronavirus pandemic.

This is in compliance of the decisions made by International Football Federation and Asian Football Confederation to put off the dates of their competitions for another time.

Among those that were included are the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifiers, which were to be scheduled for March and June 2020.

The AFC club competitions scheduled for March and April

2020 are in the list.

Then, there’s the AFF Under-18 Women’s Championship (June 2020), the AFF Under-16 Boys’ Championship (July 2020), and the AFF U19 Boys Championship (August 2020).

The new dates as will be announced later.

The Philippines will be fielding teams in these tournaments.

The AFF Women’s Championship Qualifiers, which will be hosted by the

Philippines between May and June 2020 have also been reset to another time.

The inaugural ASEAN Club Championship, where PFF has nominated Ceres-Negros FC to compete in the tournament, has been rescheduled for 2021.

Other AFF competitions scheduled for the latter part of the year, including the AFF U15 Girls’ Championship (September 2020) and the AFF Suzuki Cup (November 2020), are set to push through, though.

LOS ANGELES—Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who tested positive for the new coronavirus 10 days ago, has been cleared by American health officials, he announced Sunday on Twitter.

“Corona Free as of two days ago.

Cleared by Mass (Massachusetts) Dept of Health,” Smart wrote on social media. “Thanks for everyone’s thoughts and prayers and I’m doing the same for everyone that’s been effected by this. Stay safe and stay together- apart! Much love!”

So far at least 14 NBA team members have tested positive for COVID-19, including the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant and Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. He joins France’s Gobert and Mitchell and Detroit Piston’s Christian Wood with all-clears after coming down with the illness.

Earlier this month, league commissioner Adam Silver said NBA players should be considered “super spreaders” of the disease. Silver’s comments followed criticism that wealthy athletes were getting tested ahead of critically ill patients in American hospitals.

Smart said he was tested March 14 and got the results five days later.

He added that he had no symptoms and felt good enough to play an NBA game if he had to.

In 53 games in 2019-20 season, Smart was averaging 4.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. Smart is a first-round pick of the Celtics in the 2014 NBA draft.

As of Sunday night, more than 142,000 Americans have been diagnosed with the new coronavir us with 2,490 fatalities, a c c or d i ng to Johns Hopk i n s University.

AFP

Marcus Smart

Bryant’s towel fetches $33,000 at auction: report LOS ANGELES—The towel that Kobe Bryant wore over his shoulders during his farewell speech after his final National Basketball League game has fetched over $33,000 at auction, the US media said on Sunday.

With the towel draped around him to help mop up his sweat, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar closed his speech with his signature phrase, “Mamba Out.” The towel ended up in the hands of a fan as Bryant walked off the court and was then sold several times before the latest online auction.

The winning bid on Sunday was $33,077. The buyer also received two used tickets to the April 13, 2016 Lakers game.

Bryant scored 60 points in the Lakers’ 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz that night.

Jeff Woolf, president of Iconic Auctions, told American news broadcaster CNN that the winning bidder is famous for having a large Lakers memorabilia collection.

“He is a devoted Lakers fan,” Woolf said. “His long-term plan is to create a museum in southern California.”

Bryant died in January at age 41 in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles that killed eight others, including his daughter Gianna.

Bryant played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers. The superstar guard led the club to five NBA titles during his stay.

He was an 18-time NBA All-Star and the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player and also helped the United States capture Olympic gold in 2008 at Beijing and 2012 in London. AFP

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

B2

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020

Bob Dylan retells assassination of JFK in new ballad AMERICAN singer-songwriter Bob Dylan surprised fans overnight into Friday by releasing his first original music in eight years, a 17-minute ballad about the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Backed by delicate piano, strings and muted drums, "Murder Most Foul" retells the shooting of the US president while describing the evolution of 1960s counterculture.

"This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant, and may God be with you," Dylan posted on

his website, along with a portrait of Kennedy, who was slain in 1963 while riding in a motorcade through Dallas.

The song is packed with artist name-drops and pop culture references, including to The Beatles, Charlie Parker, the Eagles, Stevie Nicks, and the Woodstock festival.

"Shot down like a dog in broad daylight / Was a matter of timing and the timing was right / You got unpaid debts; we've come to collect / We're gonna kill you with hatred; without any respect," Dylan recounts in his signature sandpaper vocals.

It's the folk singer's first original song

LA Santos, Singing Idol

since his 2012 album Tempest, though he has released a number of cover albums in the interim.

"Murder Most Foul" is also the first song Dylan has penned and released since he reluctantly accepted the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature, the first songwriter awarded the honor.

At 78, Dylan has maintained a relentless touring schedule, though he was forced to cancel a string of April dates in Japan over the coronavirus pandemic.

The artist is still set to kick off a North American tour in June. AFP

US poet and folk singer Bob Dylan has released his first original music in eight years.

Online concert raises P4m for Filipinos in need ah performing a short duet with Janine.

You can still watch their performances by visiting Landers Superstore’s official Facebook page (https:// www.facebook.com/LandersPH/). Donations are still accepted at One Voice Pilipinas’ website: www.onevoicepilipinas.landers.ph

Singer LA Santos continues his musical journey as a record label owner.

SINCE he entered the scene in 2016, it can be said that LA Santos has successfully carved a name for himself in the local music industry.

Looking back, the talented lad started to make his presence felt by serving as front act for highly established artists like Patti Austin, the Stylistics, Air Supply, and Jukebox royalties Imelda Papin, Claire dela Fuente, and Eva Eugenio.

This paved the way for his grabbing a music contract under Star Music.

Dubbed as the “Singing Idol”, he captivated the hearts of music aficionados through his mesmerizing vocal prowess and talent in composing ditties. His selftitled album under Star Records spawned the hit, “Tinamaan” along with other recognizable pieces like “One Greatest Love,” “Miss Terror,” “Ikaw Kasi,” “Bakit Pag-ibig,” “Mine,” and his covers of Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man,” Sarah Geronimo’s “Forever’s Not Enough,” and Angeline Quinto’s “Hanggang Kailan.”

He also successfully headlined his own concert in 2018 titled, #Petmalu at the Music Museum with special guests Jaya, Ian Veneracion, Jona, Michael Pangilinan, Claire dela Fuente, Imelda Papin, Eva Eugenio, and Boobsie Wonderland.

In 2019, LA made a revival of the classic OPM song “Isang Linggong Pag-ibig” originally done by Music Queeen Imelda Papin. The latter gave her blessing for LA to remake one of her signature pieces. The millennial take of the song gave a more upbeat and RnB kind of feel for the song which embodies LA as a young adult.

In November 2019, the good-looking young crooner has performed in a concert in Israel together with Concert King Martin Nievera. Earlier in October, he

SHTICKS JOSEPH PETER GONZALES was one of the guests in Imelda Papin’s hit show at the Philippine Arena. He also did a concert titled, Three’s A Company in August and in May-June, he flew to Canada for the show Heart and Soul featuring Patti Austin and Ian Veneracion.

Apart from singing, LA has ventured as well in the acting department. He did a supporting part in the movie Maria topbilled by Cristine Reyes and in the independent film Dudurugin ang Droga. He made several guest appearances as well in ABS-CBN programs.

His artistic competence is also recognized by various award-giving bodies. In 2019, he received recognition from the Gawad Amerika Awards. Prior to this, he grabbed the PMPC Most promising Award trophy in 2018 while in 2017, he was adjudged “New Male Artist of the Year” by the Awit Awards.

At present, the young singer-actor has just put up his own music label which he calls 7 K Sounds. He also has a new song titled “Sala sa Lamig” which he co-wrote with Paula Alcasid. He had a series of shows at various SM mall branches and a few more scheduled to be announced soon.

Truly, for a talented and determined individual like LA, the best is yet to come for him. He has a long way to go in the field. Don’t miss LA’s series of shows in different SM malls in the coming days plus his new single “Sala sa Lamig.” Definitely, we’ll be seeing more of this talented lad.

A

STAR-STUDDED online concert, featuring pop stars, and celebrities whose heartwarming voices and gener generous hearts, raised muchneeded funds for families affected by the lockdown.

Landers Superstore, together with the Philippine Army, raised P4 million as it sparked hope and cheer through an online benefit concert named One Voice Pilipinas to help families in need during the enhanced community quarantine.

Hosted by Matteo Guidicelli, the online event featured performances by his celebrity friends, including Kean Cipriano Cipriano,, Joey Generoso, Janine Tenoso, Jason Dy, Jed Madela, and Kylie Versoza.

Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo and Sarah Geronimo also joined the online concert, with SarSar

Landers Superstore’s online concert, ‘One Voice Pilipinas,’ is hosted by Matteo Guidicelli.

‘Pantawid ng Pag-ibig’ campaign delivers first P100m worth of goods to LGUs SOME 200,000 families all over Metro Manila will soon receive food and basic necessities after ABS-CBN turns over the first P100 million worth of food and products purchased using donations to the network’s “Pantawid ng Pagibig” campaign to 16 local government units (LGU) this weekend.

The goods will be repacked and delivered by the LGUs to homes of Filipinos who are unable to make a living while the nation’s capital is under enhanced community quarantine.

The P100 million is part of the P285.3 million raised by ABS-CBN as of March 26, in cash donations and pledges, to help people who have lost their sources of income or livelihood due to the quarantine implemented by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Kapamilya network expresses its gratitude to all donors from all over the world, as well as the private corporations that ensured stocks of their products for “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig.” These items include rice, canned goods, noodles, biscuits, milk, coffee, shampoo, soap, detergent, and vitamins.

Also playing a key role in this multi-sectoral initiative are the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and logistics com-

Around 200,000 families to benefit from ‘Pantawid ng Pag-ibig,’ an online campaign of ABSCBN in partnership with 16 local government units.

panies Air 21 and Entrego, which deliver the items from ABS-CBN warehouses to the different LGUs. Millions of donations poured in during ABS-CBN’s “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig: At-Home Together Concert” last March 22 where over 100 Kapamilya artists performed from their own homes, shared words of support and encouragement for our frontliners, and urged the public to help our less-fortunate Kapamilyas. The digital fundraising concert was streamed on iWant and other ABSCBN platforms online and aired live on ABS-CBN, S+A, ANC, MYX, DZMM TeleRadyo, DZMM Radyo Patrol 630, MOR 101.9, and on The Filipino Channel (TFC) for those abroad.

ABS-CBN continues to call on the public and the private sector for donations as it aims to also reach localities outside Metro Manila, where more Filipinos are in need of help.

Those who would like to donate may deposit to ABSCBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya bank accounts: BPI peso account 3051-11-55-88, Metrobank peso account 636-3-636-08808-1, PNB peso account 1263-7000-4128, BDO peso account 003930114199, and BDO dollar account 1039300-81622.

Life

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

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020

B3

By Steph Llarena

C

ORONAVIRUS knows no age. The youngest person diagnosed with coronavirus disease or COVID-19 is a newborn in China. Here in the Philippines our youngest patient is a oneyear-and-nine-month-old girl in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.

But while nobody is invulnerable, one age group has it worse than the others.

Collected global and local data show that the elderly at higher risk for severe illness due to COVID-19.

As of March 30, the Department of Health reported a total of 1,546 positive cases, 78 deaths, and 42 recoveries. Previous data (March 19) showed 38 percent of total positive cases were senior citizens or 60 years old and up. In addition, fatality from COVID-19 has been concentrated among seniors, as 51 of the 68 deaths as of March 28 were 60 years old and above.

In hard-hit countries like Italy and China, most deaths recorded have been people over 70 years old.

Hence, older adults, as well as immunocompromised individuals, are encouraged to follow recommendations from experts to keep themselves protected against the virus. A brand of bladder leakage pad reminds seniors to:

Practice social distancing Everyone, especially older adults are advised to avoid crowds, mass transit systems, and other non-essential social gatherings. As part of the distancing measure, it’s best to avoid sharing utensils or any means that may acquire another person’s saliva. Younger and healthier family members should be encouraged to practice distancing from mature household members as they may be asymptomatic carriers.

Separate towels, bags, and anything that may carry viruses.

Avoid close contact with sick people As much as possible, seniors must avoid hospitals except in emergency cases. If possible, call before visiting a healthcare facility.

According to St. Luke’s Medical Center’s oncologist Denky Dela Rosa, M.D., senior citizens who have the following conditions are at higher risk: asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, tuberculosis or any lung disease, diabetes, heart and kidney problems especially those undergoing dialysis, cirrhosis, hepatitis, or any liver problems, and autoimmune disease like lupus.

Those who are taking Prednisone, Dexamethasone, Decilone, or Me-

6 habits to decrease seniors’ risk of acquiring COVID-19 STAY HOME, SENIORS. Individuals aged 60 and above are strongly encouraged to stay at home and avoid non-essential gatherings, as well as practice social distancing and other safety measures to lower their risk of becoming infected with coronavirus.

drol, and those diagnosed with any cancer at any stage are also most vulnerable and are strictly advised to self-quarantine.

Limit news consumption While it’s good to stay informed at this time, seniors are advised to limit their news consumption. Research shows that chronic TV watchers and news followers have increased fear because everything they see starts to feel like occurring outside their door. When important news items have been seen or read, filter the rest.

Seniors are recommended to keep themselves away from negativity and misinformation, and instead use technology to connect with family and friends to minimize anxiety. Also a good alternative is to clear mind through prayers and meditation, light exercises, reading positive books and articles, or engaging in activities that stimulate cerebellum—the part of the brain that coordinates balance, posture, and movement.

Strengthen immune system Those whose duties do not require

Seniors are recommended to limit their news consumption and stay away from negativity to reduce anxiety.

them to be out are recommended to get ample sleep, exercise, and eat well to boost their immunity. Seniors should

include immune system boosters such as citrus fruits, garlic, broccoli, spinach, turmeric, green tea, papaya, poultry, and shellfish, as well as zinc sources like beef, oyster, asparagus, and malunggay.

Soak up the sun in the morning. Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water per day.

Practice good hygiene Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Should there be a need to go out, quickly take a shower as the virus can thrive for a few hours on clothes. Wear a face mask around people and pets. Refrain from handshaking and touching your face. Cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard it immediately. Use a tissue or elbow to touch switches and elevator buttons. Sanitize phones, doorknobs, and other frequently touched items.

Avoid public toilets Experts remind the public to follow safety guidelines as the world battles coronavirus.

Entertainment journalists Cristy Fermin and Lolit Solis share tips for dealing with a common health problem among seniors.

Cleanliness in public toilets are often not guaranteed, thus seniors are

advised against using them. Those who suffer from urinary incontinence (leaks urine by accident), which is common among older people, and have to go outside may opt to wear bladder leakage pads.

So Sure Bladder Leakage Pad offers 340mm pads designed for light flow and 450mm pads for moderate incontinence. They can be worn while outside or even while at home.

For instance, talk show host Cristy Fermin makes sure her sleep is undisturbed by using So Sure 450mm pads which absorb heavy amounts of urine and guide it through the inner layers of the pad. “What I like most about it is its ability to eliminate urine’s strong scent.

I love waking up every day free from odor and irritation,” she shares.

Entertainment journalist Lolit Solis’ bladders tend to overreact, and sometimes, sneezing, laughing, or coughing result in light drips. She uses So Sure 340mm pads.

Platform enables information sharing among medical personnel worldwide AS THE world battles coronavirus, a multi-lingual platform has been launched to enable information sharing among medical personnel across the globe.

Over 440 medical institutions from 104 countries and regions have applied to learn and share experiences in battling coronavirus disease through the International Medical Expert Communication Platform.

The platform, a centerpiece of the Global MediXchange for Combating COVID-19 (GMCC) program, was jointly established by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation. It was designed for medical experts around the world to communicate seamlessly with each other to share their invaluable experience of fighting COVID-19.

To date, the most applications have come from medical institutions in the US, Turkey, the UK, Pakistan, Spain, and Germany.

“Knowledge is power! We launched an online platform for doctors and nurses around the world to exchange ideas, lessons, and know-how to fight the virus. We welcome all hospitals to join Chinese hospitals on this open platform covid-19.alibabacloud.com. One world, one fight!” Jack Ma wrote in a tweet.

Medical staff need to apply and be approved to join the platform. Once they’re accepted, they’re free to participate in individual or group discussions and sessions.

Tapping Alibaba Group’s DingTalk messaging and communications functions, the digital platform provides free audio and video conference functionality, along with live broadcast functions for more complex scenarios.

Medical workers from different countries can choose to communicate with their fellow doctors individually, or they can participate in live-sharing

group sessions to interact with multiple participants using real-time artificial intelligence translation to overcome communication barriers.

The first affiliated hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (FAHZU), for example, has been using the platform to share their valuable experience with 92 medical institutions from 44 countries and regions.

AI translation from and into 11 languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese) enables the platform to build a virtual community.

Also as part of the GMCC programme, the Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment, authored by Zhejiang University School of Medicine and complied The multi-lingual International Medical Expert Communication Platform enables medical according to clinical experience, is avail- workers from different countries to communicate with fellow doctors. able at no cost and in seven languages: Chinese, English, French, Italian, JapaThe handbook provides comprehen- China’s top experts for coping with nese, Spanish, and Turkish. sive guidelines and best practices by COVID-19.

B4

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020

TECH & Gadgets

Alcatel-Lucent Rainbow

Coronavirus may prove virtual sports game changer P

ARIS—With an unprecedented captive audience of three billion people in coronavirus lockdown virtual sports events are wooing fans after traditional live sports were shut down and public gatherings banned in many countries.

Horse-racing, boxing, cycling, football and motor-racing chiefs are desperate to maintain their fanbase and are scrambling to provide a fix and maintain revenues.

With stadiums closed and events such as the Tokyo Olympics and Euro 2020 postponed, organisers are generating advertising revenue by streaming virtual sports on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch or even broadcasting them on traditional television platforms.

Sports is where the numbers are and fans denied real games are turning to live streaming, watching people play games, and taking part in those video games themselves.

Italy’s Mugello motorcycling circuit, which would have attracted 200,000 people for its MotoGP weekend on Sunday, may just have pulverised that figure with a live-streamed virtual race promoted as “The stay at home GP”.

Honda’s world champion Marc Marquez came fifth as the globe’s top riders sat uncomfortably on their sofas livestreaming from their living rooms.

Alex Rins looked bored playing with his pet dog on his knee.

Alex Marquez, younger brother of the world champion, won the race and asked jokingly “will the points count to the championship?.”

Millions of fans, credit cards at the ready, are expected to copy them after downloading the app.

Ryan Preece, driver of the #37 Cottonelle Chevrolet, races John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #38 ROMCO Ford, during the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Race - O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 at virtual Texas Motor Speedway on March 29, 2020 in Fort Worth, Texas. AFP

Old-school purists will be heartened by veteran Valentino Rossi’s refusal to take part.

The seven-time world champion said this week he was “cheering on the people of Brescia and Bergamo, those who usually cheer me on. It looks like a war zone,” he said of his coronavirusstricken region.

“I have seen very bad images, we must hold on,” he told Sky Italia, who will also broadcast the virtual race.

‘And he’s back from the dead here’ Formula One chiefs have also galvanised some of their drivers to grab their gaming controllers, racing a Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix which was abbreviated because of technical difficulties.

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who died in 2016, was even back in action, beating Sonny Liston again on Friday in a virtual bout with 35,000 YouTube viewers.

Ali will now meet the long retired

Mike Tyson after he beat up George Foreman on Saturday.

Racing-mad Britain comes to a standstill each year for the Grand National and with the courses all closed, broadcaster ITV will show a virtual race on April 4.

The real race can be a dangerous lottery with horses and riders potentially suffering serious injuries in the many falls, but it makes millions for the bookies, who this time will run online betting for the field of 40 runners. AFP

Business continuity at comfort of one’s home IT HAS been a week since the government officially announced a community quarantine in all of Luzon due to COVID-19. People are instructed to stay inside their homes in hopes to control the virus transmission and prevent the numbers from increasing. This change might be sudden, but it is undeniable that the economy is already experiencing drastic repercussions due to this global crisis.

What keeps the national economy afloat are the businesses that were taken at home. Remote work is now more than an employee perk as it seems to be the only option that prevents operations from ceasing and helps in promoting business continuity even in these unusual times.

The challenge, however, is finding the right strategy to effectively implement the setup to ensure productivity and orchestrated communication among employees.

“In essence, good communication is a constant need. Right now, we need to unite and find ways on how to always keep in touch with everyone,” said Kit Andal, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Country Manager - Philippines. “This is where technology comes into play.

Now that companies are currently in a remote work setup, it is technology that enables them to easily adapt to the situation. More importantly, it enables teams to be on the same page and keep things moving,” he added.

Companies must equip its employees with innovative tools to help them efficiently carry out their tasks. The ease of use of such tools is also significant to allow maximum productivity and make the experience as natural as possible. It is also recommended to invest in cost-effective, functional, and highly collaborative platform since emails, group chats, online meetings, audio and video calls and conference will be the cornerstone to impactful remote work.

MyKuya app Learn at Home: Globe MyBusiness launches sees surge e-learning webinar for educators in services WITH the entire city of Metro Manila under lockdown as part of countermeasures against the spread of COVID-19, much of the city’s 12 million-strong population has been confined indoors. With movement in and around the city then restricted via a combination of checkpoints and curfews, citizens have had to find new ways in order to get things done: This is where the app MyKuya steps in.

Recently, the on-demand service has had to contend with an unprecedented spike in demand for services catering to basic needs.

“Because of the growing threat of COVID-19, Filipinos in Metro Manila had to quickly confine themselves to their homes. Unfortunately, most still lack basic supplies, such as food, water, and sanitation items. Many of these people are now turning to MyKuya to get help with whatever they need,” explained Shahab Shabibi, the founder of MyKuya and a Forbes 30 Under 30 inductee.

Founded in 2017, MyKuya is a Filipino super app that assists each user with hiring the people and services they need in two minutes or less. They’ve become known for their ability to provide people with a personal assistant for just about everything—standing in line for you to pay the bills, grabbing something in particular for you from the stores, or even just simply cleaning your home.

Such a service would already be helpful in a normal state of affairs—but as thousands around the metro are starting to discover, it can be an absolute game-changer in the midst of a pandemic and lockdown.

“Normally, I’d just put things off after work,” explained one of the app’s newest users, Sofia Hernandez. “Take for example having to buy an item at the grocery. I would normally head over to one after my shift is finished to pick up what I need.”

But because of the combination of checkpoints around the city and curfews recently enacted by the city’s local government units, even getting to a grocery store will be difficult—to say nothing of the endless lines if patrons do manage to arrive and shop.

WITH schools closed for the duration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon, many educators deem it as the perfect time to harness the power of communications technology so that students can still learn while in the comfort and safety of their homes.

Globe MyBusiness supports this idea, and is encouraging an in-depth discussion through a webinar that is open to educational institutions, with experts offering insights on the right tools and techniques for utilizing and maximizing digital learning.

The E-Skwela webinar, which will be held on March 31, will discuss the possibilities of current learning technologies and their integration in the school system during the time of the COVID-19 crisis.

The webinar will help school owners and educators understand digital learning and how it can be implemented remotely.

Moderated by Gerson Abesamis,

Executive Director of Habi Education Lab and Senior Lecturer at UP Diliman and Miriam College, the webinar is designed to help school administrators, key decision makers, and faculty members understand and learn how to integrate tools and activities that are intentionally experiential, collaborative and reflective to maximize learning.

Panel members for the E-Skwela discussion are experts who will share best practices in integrating e-learning: Bro. Dennis Magbanua, FSC, Community Director at La Salle College, Hong Kong; Rogelio Dela Cruz, Head of the Center for Instruction, Research, and Curriculum- Education Technology Office at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde; Miguel Bermundo, Head of Citizenship and Advocacy Marketing Division at Globe; and Mark Abalos, Learning Technologies Scholar and Education Industry Lead at Globe.

Among the topics for discussion are strategies to help schools become crisisready by integrating technology in their ecosystem, best practices in leading schools on handling the quarantine situation, challenges of the use of technology in teaching and learning, processes to set up an e-learning program for students, and impacts of this teaching practice on the future of education in the country.

Globe myBusiness helps educational institutions integrate technology and digitally transform to help teachers and students continue being productive and informed as they stay #SafeAtHome during the time of the COVID-19 crisis. As it helps customers stay connected in this period of social distancing, it continues doing its part towards nation-building as a reliable and trusted partner for educators in promoting 21st century Learning.

To know more about E-Skwela and

other events and programs by Globe myBusiness, visit https://www.facebook.com/globemybusiness/.

PH company Virtualahan is global champ DAVAO-BASED social enterprise Virtualahan was awarded as Global Champion under the Young Innovators category at the World Summit Awards held at the Erste Campus in Vienna, Austria last March 8 to 11.

Virtualahan was hailed the best among 407 solutions from 91 countries and earning a globally recognized quality seal for digital innovation. Among the top five global finalists were Almeta from the Syrian Arab Republic, Forest and Climate from Serbia, Shuttle from Bangladesh, and Liberate: My OCD Fighter from India.

WSA Young Innovators is a special recognition for young social entrepreneurs under 26 years of age who demonstrate how young people from all over the world use ICTs and their entrepreneurial creativity to support the achievement of the UN SDGs. “The worldwide network of WSA and the Global Champions of 2020 show that action, not fear, leads to avoiding suffering and alleviating need. This results in sustainably positive transformations in our society and a significant advancement towards the UN SDGs,” WSA Chairman Peter A. Bruck states.

Virtualahan is the first Filipino company to win as a Global Champion at World Summit Awards putting Philippines in the spotlight. Among the previous winners who were on the WSA Top 40 were Arko (2014) under the Inclusion & Empowerment category, Rappler (2015)-Media & News, and Universal Structural Health

Ryan Gersava, Founder and President of Virtualahan delivers his pitch during the final round at World Summit Awards in front of the international grand jury and the WSA Community.

Evaluation and Recording (USHER) System (2018)-Smart Settlements & Urbanization.

Founder and President of Virtualahan Ryan Gersava who delivered the pitch to the international jury says, “It is a huge honor and great validation of our impact formula to

be recognized and join the WSA Community as a Global Champion. This is for our community and to everyone who continues to believe and contribute to our mission.

I hope that this will also inspire young Filipinos to take an active role in solving social issues in our country and share their impact to the world.”

Inclusive Employment and the Future of Work Virtualahan was also praised at the World Summit Awards for its courageous and noble move of working with people who are socially excluded in the workplace like Persons with Disabilities, recovering drug addicts, formerly incarcerated, solo parents, and other disadvantaged groups. It ensures that the most excluded populations of society are given equal opportunities for highlevel work in the new digital economy using an impact formula that integrates well-being sessions and community-building with digital job skills training. Virtualahan is determined to help build the future of work that is truly inclusive and leaves no one behind.

“It’s only fitting that Virtualahan has become the first organization from the Philippines to be recognized as a Global Champion at the World Summit Awards. Virtualahan has always been on the forefront of promoting inclusive employment, which will be needed more than ever as the world transitions into new ways of working in 2020 and beyond,” said Ezra Ferraz, Managing Partner at Ambidextr, one of the employment partners of Virtualahan.