CONTROL ISSUES.
As a soldier stirs a big pot of meat and vegetables on Monday to serve to families affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Tatalon, Quezon City, the government is struggling to contain the 'undisciplined' Filipinos in Luzon who continue to walk or drive out in droves, as in the scene at an intersection along Espana in Manila (left) or at the wet market at nearby Blumentritt (above). PNA, with Norman Cruz and CNN Philippines via Twitter
COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE
(AS OF 4 PM APRIL 20)
6,459
NUMBER OF CASES
428 (19 new) DEATHS
613 (41 new) RECOVERIES
200
NEW CASES
VOL. XXXIV • NO. 62 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
LGUs asked to lift ‘window’ market hours due to risks By Vito Barcelo
PNP: No more warning, just arrest ECQ violators By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz
THE Department of the Interior and Local Government, anxious about social distancing measures in areas for essential services, has asked local government units to remove window hours for market and grocery trips during the lockdown. In an April 18 advisory, the DILG discouraged LGUs from imposing a "narrow or limited window period" on the access to supermarkets, wet markets, grocery stores, and pharmacies. "The imposition of such restrictions further creates congestion of people who flock to these establishments at the same time, and poses risks on the implementation of social distancing," the DILG said. At the same time, Malacanang said
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HE Philippine National Police said Monday that quarantine violators would be arrested without warning, once the government decides to implement “a martial lawtype” of lockdown.
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CLAIMED BY COVID. Former Senator Heherson Alvarez (left) and Dr. Wilbur Jan Robert Demafiles both passed away on Monday. Alvarez was 80, Demafiles was 30. Facebook photos
Former Sen. Alvarez, 80; frontline doctor, 30
PAL's stylish new PPE for stewards AIRLINE cabin crew in full gear —a stylish personal protective equipment suit for each crew of the Philippine Airlines while the coronavirus pandemic remains in Next page the air.
FORMER Senator Heherson Alvarez lost his battle against COVID-19 on Monday--even as Health department data showed that the number of recoveries from the disease continued to surpass the number of casualties for the sixth time the same day. The department said 41 COVID-19 patients recovered from COVID-19 compared with the 19 people it killed as of Monday afternoon. The number of recoveries totaled 613 compared with 428 fatalities, but
the 200 new confirmed cases brought the total to 6,459. Hexilon Guidote Alvarez confirmed the death of his 80-yearold father who served as secretary of the Environment and Agrarian Reform departments. The senator, a staunch critic of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, also represented Isabela province as a congressman. “We are all still in a state of grief and shock,” the younger Alvarez said.
In the line of duty Doctor Wilbur Jan Robert Demafiles died in the line of duty on April 19 attending to COVID-19 patients, according to his brother Robert Sean. He said Dr. Wilbur died of a heart attack after working nonstop for threedays. He was 30 years old.“He martyred himself for those afflicted with COVID-19 at the hospital,” Robert Sean wrote in a message shared by a Twitter user on Sunday.
The military on Sunday confirmed the authenticity of a leaked internal memo ordering the Air Force to prepare after President Rodrigo Duterte warned that the police and military would take a more active rule in enforcing quarantine restrictions similar to martial law. In an interview over radio dzMM, PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said the President’s statements suggest that the police “would really make some arrests.” So far, the police have merely issued warnings to some 96,000 out of 130,000 quarantine violators. Arrests were avoided so as not to congest jails. But Gamboa said he has asked Metro Manila police chief Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas to prepare facilities for quarantine violators once a “martial law-type” lockdown is imposed. Next page
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Duterte, Trump Singapore faces World agonizes when, how to reopen talk on bilateral second wave of efforts vs. virus rapid infections
SINGAPORE ― Singapore reported a record daily jump of more than 1,400 coronavirus cases Monday, taking its total to over 8,000, with almost all new infections linked to dormitories housing foreign laborers. The city-state was initially successful in keeping its outbreak in check with a strict regime of testing and contact tracing, but is now facing a fast-moving second wave. Health authorities in the financial hub, which now has the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia, reported 1,426 Next page
NEW YORK—Governments across the world, including the United States, are debating how and when to ease the lockdowns due to the deadly coronavirus pandemic that have kept more than half of humanity — 4.5 billion people — confined to their homes and crippled the global economy. After emerging in the industrial central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, the respiratory virus has claimed roughly 165,000 lives, with nearly two thirds of the victims in Europe. The state of New York, epicenter of America's coronavirus infections, appeared to have passed the peak of the outbreak Sunday, as President Donald Trump bumped heads with governors over the pace of endinglockdowns.
The United States has so far recorded more than 758,000 coronavirus cases and nearly 41,000 deaths, far more than any other nation. While some US governors warned that the administration has failed to adequately boost testing, thousands of Americans were flouting stay-at-home orders to protest their states' prolonged closures. In Germany, which been among the most successful in Europe to contain the disease and where authorities have declared it "under control," smaller shops in some regions were to re-open on Monday. There were encouraging signs over the weekend in Europe with daily death tolls dropping in Italy, Spain, France and Britain. Next page
By Vito Barcelo MALACANANG on Monday said that President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Donald Trump discussed bilateral efforts to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as the world continues battling the pandemic that has claimed more than 165,000 lives since December 2019. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said President Duterte receive call from US President Trump at about 10 p.m., but he did not offer any details of their 18-minute conversation. The Philippines has the highest number Next page
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‘Protest new Sino claims in WPS‘ A By Rey E. Requejo
Former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and former Ambassador Albert del Rosario said the province would have territorial jurisdiction over the disputed South China Sea where the Philippines and neighboring Southeast Asia nations have overlapping claims.
Carpio and Del Rosario played vital roles in securing a historic judgment against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016. “DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) should protest because Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef is part of our Kalayaan
Island Group. Vietnam already protested. If we do not protest, China will later claim we acquiesced,” Carpio said. Del Rosario shared Carpio’s sentiments, saying: "We therefore respectfully urge our government to protest this recent action of China, as it rightly did over the sinking of the Vietnamese fishing boat on April 8, 2020." Del Rosario also bewailed China for taking advantage the coronavirus disease pandemic to advance what he called its illegal territorial claims in the heavily disputed waters. "These recent events in the South China Sea remind us Filipinos to be eternally vigilant in the defense of our
PNP... The PNP Highway Patrol Group also said Tuesday it has apprehended over 1,200 motorists who have violated ECQ guidelines since April 15. Most of them were so-called "authorized persons outside of residence" but their companions in their vehicles weren't. Meanwhile, 40 staff at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) have tested positive for COVID-19, as director Dr. Celia Carlos said most of the infected staff were asymptomatic while under quarantine at the institute’s dormitory. The RITM is the country's primary facility for testing samples from patients for possible COVID-19 infection. Carlos said the institute had to scale down its operations to make way for disinfection procedures. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said President Duterte is expected to announce this week whether to gradually lift, continue or extend the ECQ based on the recommendation of health and economic experts, including the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). Roque also brushed aside reports of a martial law-like ECQ extension, saying the martial law is declared during times of invasion and rebellion when the public safety requires it. The first step should be to “locate, isolate, cure” persons suspected with COVID-19, to stop the spread of the disease, he said. He said that under the modified ECQ, strict home quarantine and the use of pass is still a must. “Large gatherings will still be prohibited, some establishments, schools and churches will remain closed, and border control checkpoints will be present,” Roque said during a televised press briefing. He said people are encouraged to practice social distancing and most importantly, to stay home in order to save lives. To date, the Philippines has 6,259 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 409 deaths and 572 recoveries. On Thursday, Duterte threatened to order the military and police to take control of the country's capital if people do not start obeying a virus lockdown. "The military and police will enforce social distancing at curfew… It's like martial law. You choose," he said. Duterte's remarks came as nine inmates locked up at the Quezon City Jail in Manila-which is so overfull that prisoners have to take turns sleeping in staircases and openair basketball courts--tested positive for the virus. About 30 other prisoners at the facility were showing virus symptoms, sparking urgent calls from rights groups to avert "catastrophe" by easing congestion. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Monday ordered the National Bureau of In-
vestigation to probe the source of an audio clip spreading false news that the national government would implement a total lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease. “I will ask NBI to investigate this phone clip on social media that seeks to agitate and alarm the public with a falsehood,” Guevarra said, in a text message to reporters. Besides the NBI, the Philippine National Police, through its Anti-Cybercrime Group, would also investigate the audio clip to determine those responsible for spreading the false news. In the voice clip, a woman’s voice would be heard warning people about a supposed total lockdown. Government officials, including Roque and Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, have already disowned the audio clip. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the number of new COVID-19 cases in the remaining days of April will be the final factor in determining whether the ongoing Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon be will extended or not. Lorenzana said this is also the reason the government is worried over some Filipinos' continuous violation of quarantine protocols on social distancing and mass gatherings. “These sights do not inspire confidence that we will achieve our objective by end of this month," he said. He added that this is also why he has instructed Armed Forces of the Philippines chief-of-staff Gen. Felimon T. Santos Jr. to deploy more troops in Metro Manila and other areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases. He added that military personnel will augment the police to strictly implement social distancing and Enhanced Community Quarantine. Senator Francis Pangilinan said the expeditious delivery of assistance to low-income Filipino households, not martial law, will address the increasing number of violators of the Enhanced Community Quarantine. Senate President Vicente Sotto III, on the other hand, said a military role in enforcing the ECQ does not amount to martial law. "Whatever it is, it is not martial law. It's a type of enforcement for the hard- headed ones," he said. But Pangilinan said martial law is not the answer to public’s hunger, delivery of the cash assistance is. Citing Duterte’s report to Congress in relation to government’s measures on the coronavirus pandemic, Pangilinan said that only 25 percent of 18 million beneficiaries of the social amelioration program has received the assistance. “So you have 75 percent of your people not being able to cope with loss of jobs, who are not earning anything today, who are going hungry and they would have to go out to figure out how to address the hunger,” Pangilinan said.
“Between a martial law-type of crackdown and fast-tracking the assistance, I think the right direction is to fast-track the assistance and make sure the cash assistance and relief goods reach those in lockdown,” the senator added. He said the national government should release the funds and necessary resources already to local government units and monitor the releases. "I would trust the local governments. Let’s trust the local governments because they are the ones accountable to their constituents. Let us give our local governments wider support." "If there are corruption issues, then monitor them. If there are beneficiaries who are not receiving the assistance, then report it. But the funds have to be released to them,” he added. Under the recently passed Bayanihan law, poor households will be given P5,000 to P8,000 a month for two months during the lockdown period. Earlier, the DILG directed barangay chairmen to make public the names of their community’s beneficiaries for the social amelioration program to promote transparency in the process of releasing funds for the needy. Senator Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, proposed a modified ECQ that is still compliant with social distancing. He said this would balance the issue of public health and the effects on the country's economy. Lacson called for an Economic Risk Assessment and Action Plan to look into the effects of the lockdown, particularly on smalland medium-sized businesses. Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, on the other hand, said any lifting of restrictions should be done gradually to prevent any large scale outbreaks. He said this would also allow certain more essential services and industries to operate--some public transport, some stores and smaller establishments but with strict guidelines. "This must be done after fully preparing local governments down to the barangay level for the do’s and don’ts," he said. Pangilinan proposed a “calibrated partial lifting” of the ECQ in Luzon. If the quarantine will be fully lifted, he said it would only result in another wave of infections. However, a partial lifting of the quarantine especially for essential services can be in place. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said the ECQ should be extended in areas where there are many infections, and a modified ECQ in areas that have fewer cases. But he said such an arrangement can only be done after massive testing, isolation and treatment. "Lifting the lockdown in certain areas with low or no transmission will allow people to work, earn and provide for their
families. That will help in restarting our economy," he said. Party-list lawmakers on Monday backed proposals for the government to implement a modified ECQ after April 30. "I am for extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine but with modifications," said Rep. Angelica Natasha Co of BHW party-list. "For example, areas with currently admitted COVID-19 positive patients and COVID-19 confirmed but under home quarantine should still be in ECQ," Co said. But ECQ for areas with no more positives in hospital or at home and with no new confirmed cases or COVID-19 free for two weeks may be lifted, Co said. Deputy Speaker and 1-PACMAN partylist Rep. Michael Romero, president of the Party-list Coalition Foundation, Inc. in the House of Representatives, also said the agricultural sector or establishments primarily engaged in crop and rice production, animal production, harvesting of fish and other agricultural support activities should resume their operations after April 30. "Otherwise, our food production will have a problem in a few months’ time. Crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture and forestry must start by May 1, 2020 but with COVID-19 safety protocols," said Romero. While Co and Romero supported a modified ECQ, Rep. Alfred delos Santos of Ang Probinsyano appealed to the Department of Trade and Industry to consider exempting small business owners from paying rent for the period covering the ECQ. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, for his part, pushed for another two-week extension of Luzon's Enhanced Community Quarantine, saying the reopening of the Philippines' most populous island despite the continuous spread of the coronavirus "would be willful neglect." "Lifting the Enhanced Community Quarantine amounts to carelessly exposing the entire population to infection, no matter what residual social distancing," Salceda said in a statement. "We’re simply not there yet no matter how much we wish this pandemic to end," said Salceda, who co-chairs the House Economic Stimulus Cluster. "It would be almost willful neglect to say that the country can now reopen," he said. With about 130,000 COVID-19 tests expected to be conducted by April 30, the government has only tested 0.1 percent of the population. The leftist bloc in the House of Representatives, however, denounced the alleged "martial law-type of lockdown" to be enforced by the government after April 30. "Let's call a spade a spade. Mobilizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines to impose the lockdown is nothing else but martial law, not a type of martial law, not just like martial law, it is martial law," said Rep. Ferdinand Gaite of Bayan Muna.
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Dr. Wilbur served on the frontlines of Manila Doctors Hospital and was also a volunteer doctor at LoveYourself Inc., where staff expressed their gratitude to him. "We remember him for his enthusiasm and commitment to use his role as a medical practitioner to help in our advocacy campaigns," LoveYourself Inc. wrote in a social media post. Guidelines revised The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has revised its guidelines on the expanded testing for the coronavirus disease. The agency made the announcement as the Philippines moved closer to the end of the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine on April 30. Cabinet Secretary and IATF spokesman Karlo Nograles says the expanded testing will only be conducted on people who are “atrisk of contracting the COVID-19 infection.” He says those required to undergo testing are “suspect cases, individuals with relevant history of travel and exposure or contact—whether symptomatic or asymptomatic— and health workers with possible exposure, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic.” Indiscriminate testing beyond close contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 case is not recommended, Nograles says. Macon Ramos-Araneta
of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, with 6,259 cases. Of that number, 409 have died and 572 have recovered. The US, meanwhile, has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths worldwide, with 735,366 people who have contracted the disease and 39,095 deaths because of it. Rapid tests get FDA nod Sixteen COVID-19 rapid antibody test kits for commercial use has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as of April 16, 2020, it was reported on Monday. FDA Director General Eric Domingo said the applications have completed necessary documentary requirements and have undergone review and evaluation by the FDA. "These test kits are independent from each other and each product has different specifications. These are manufactured by different companies, in various countries and settings. Each uses a technology and validation technique which may vary from others," he said. He said rapid test kits detect the presence of antibodies in an individual’s blood or serum. The FDA chief said it is important to consider the timing of the infection and the condition of the patient during the time of specimen collection. PhilHealth guarantees COVID-19 coverage The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. said Monday it would reimburse the hospitalization cost of COVID-19 patients admitted before April 15. PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales offered this assurance after a patient, who asked not to be named, said he paid a private hospital P358,000 because PhilHealth covered only P15,000 of his bill. With Macon Ramos-
new cases, taking its total to 8,014, including 11 deaths. Cases have surged since authorities started carrying out widespread testing of foreign workers living in crowded dormitory complexes, many of whom are construction workers from South Asia. Around 200,000 workers live in dorms and typically toil for long hours earning in the region of $400 to $500 a month building the city-state's glittering skyscrapers and shopping malls. Following criticism of poor living conditions in the dorms, the government moved thousands of workers to other sites—including apartments and floating accommodation usually used in offshore industries—to try to lessen the chances of infection. Several dormitories with serious outbreaks have been quarantined, with workers not allowed to leave the premises for two weeks. The government is providing meals, and cleaning services have been ramped up. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the weekend warned that the number of foreign workers found to have contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, is likely to rise further as more are tested. "Fortunately, the vast majority of the cases are mild because the workers are young," Lee wrote on Facebook. While the government is working to stop transmission in the dorms ‘’it will take some time to show results, so we must expect to see more dorm cases for while longer,’’he said. AFP
In Washington state, an early US virus hotspot, more than 2,000 people— many of them ignoring social distancing guidelines—congregated at the capitol to demand the governor re-open the state's shuttered economy. Sunday's anti-lockdown protests there and in Denver—where some demonstrators wore Trump 2020 face masks at a "ReOpen Colorado" rally—highlighted the growing frustration some Americans have over how state governments are responding to the crisis. "This 'cure' is deadlier than COVID!" read one sign carried by a maskless protester in Denver, referring to policies that have shuttered the US economy and led to 22 million Americans losing their jobs. New York has borne the brunt of the virus, which has killed more than 18,000 people in the state, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker. "We are past the high point, and all indications at this point is that we are on the descent," state governor Andrew Cuomo told a press conference. "Whether or not the descent continues depends on what we do, but right now we're on the descent," he said. New York's improving data came as the political battle between Trump and other state governors dragged on, with virus testing rates emerging as the focus. Trump pointed to continued "improvement with declining trajectory of cases" in cities like Detroit, New Orleans and Houston as evidence that his containment strategy was working. AFP
RETIRED Supreme Court justice and a former diplomat have urged the government to lodge a diplomatic protest against China for establishing two districts in Hainan province.
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Araneta and Rey Requejo
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country’s territory and sovereign rights even as we confront a very grave threat as COVID-19," the country’s former top diplomat said in a statement. The former officials made the statements following reports that China has created two new districts in Sansha, a city in the southern island of Hainan province. The reports said these new districts would govern the Paracels and Macclesfield Bank, both being claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, as well as the Spratly Islands and their adjacent waters, where there are overlapping claims by the Philippines and other neighboring Asian nations.
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3 more soldiers killed in 2 battles with NPA fighters By Francisco Tuyay THREE more soldiers were killed—this time in an encounter with New People’s Army terrorists—in two separate battles in Patikul, Sulu, and in Negros Occidental on Sunday. That brought to 15 the total number of military men slain in three days. The fighting that killed the three members of the 94th Infantry Battalion took place in Sitio Tugas, in Carabalan village, Himamaylan City, in Negros Occidental. The soldiers were responding to a reported presence of CPP-NPA guerrillas extorting provenance from some residents in the community when the rebels detonated a bomb on the road along their route around 10 a.m.
Local oil firms cut diesel prices by P1.15 a liter By Alena Mae S. Flores THE country’s oil firms cut pump prices early Tuesday by as much as P1.15 per liter for diesel to reflect the movement of prices in the world market. “Petron will implement the following price rollbacks effective 6 a.m. on April 21: P0.55 per liter for gasoline; P1.15 per liter for diesel; and P0.60 per liter for kerosene,” Petron Corp., the country’s biggest oil firm, said in a statement. Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, PTT Philippines, Total Philippines, PetroGazz, Flying V and Seaoil Philippines issued separate advisories for their rollbacks. World oil prices plunged as traders are not convinced that the production cut implemented by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will offset the huge slowdown in global demand due to the coronavirus pandemic (See related story on A6 – Editors).
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there was no need to declare a liquor ban in the country because of the ECQ following the COVID outbreak since many local government units had passed resolutions prohibiting liquor in their respective localities. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the national government did not impose a liquor ban right after declaring the lockdown, but was imposed by mayors to prevent further violence that might arise during ECQ. In a related development, the DILG said Monday barangay leaders should post lists of cash aid beneficiaries to ensure transparency during the lockdown, which millions to stay home. Lists of recipients should be placed in "strategic areas" within the barangay so that residents could say if they were left out, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said. The "strategic areas" include the barangay hall, city or municipal hall, social center, gymnasium, auditorium, transport terminal, public market, health center, hospital, and other similar public places, the DILG chief said. Government bars photocopies of social amelioration cards for COVID-19 aid program of DSWD to validate beneficiaries of COVID-19 cash aid after distribution. But DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya told ABS-CBN News, in an interview beamed nationwide, that the advisory was "subject to adjustments depending on local conditions." Año previously said window hours should not be imposed by LGUs since that was against the government’s call to observe physical distancing to help combat the spread of COVID-19.
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PAL has teamed up with Mandaluyong City-based Edwin Tan, one of Filipino designers who have joined the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. Tan, who has to his credit 23 years experience dressing people and 14 years with the airline, was asked to design protective gowns for PAL’s flight attendants. He has been known for his made-toorder creations, and has been producing protective equipment for healthcare workers who had been ranged against the outbreak two weeks into the Enhanced Community Quarantine, at the same time calibrating his machines in his shop to give way for the production of PPEs. On Facebook, PAL posted photos of their cabin crew in full gear: an all-white PPE with a detail of the PAL's iconic colors blue, yellow and red.
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Manila mayor orders total lockdown of Sampaloc district By Willie Casas MANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso has confirmed that a lockdown will be implemented in Sampaloc, Manila due to the high number of coronavirus cases in the district and violations of the Enhanced Community Quarantine. Domagoso convened on Monday police and military officials led by Manila Police District chief Police Brigadier General Rolly Miranda and AFP Joint Task Force NCR commander Brigadier General Alex Luna.
Also in the meeting were MPD Special Mayor’s Reaction Team chief Police Major Rosalino Ibay Jr. and MPD Station 4 commander Lieutenant Colonel John Guiagui. The officials tackled sensitive matter regarding the looming total lockdown of the Sampaloc district. In a statement issued on Twitter Sunday evening, the Manila Public Information Office said that the schedule of the lockdown has yet to be announced. The Manila government had been studying the possibility of implementing a 48-
hour total lockdown of Sampaloc. Sampaloc Station Commander Police Lieutenant Colonel John Guiagui said a total lockdown would mean that all quarantine passes would be canceled and all residents would be prohibited from leaving their homes, but for a few exceptions. “Ang lockdown is basically nasa loob lang sila ng bahay. All those that are needed will be provided by the government. There will be an ample time for the residents to be ready. Sa ngayon lang is nako-condition na na magkakaroon ng lockdown,” he said in a report on
By Joel E. Zurbano
HERE is no double standard in the implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine rules amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Joint Task Force Corona Virus Shield said Monday.
IN BRIEF Release qualified detainees, courts told
Exempt SMEs from paying rent—solon A PARTY-LIST lawmaker has appealed to the Department of Trade and Industry to consider exempting small business owners from paying the rental fees for the period covering the Enhanced Community Quarantine. In a letter to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez dated April 13, Rep. Alfred delos Santos of Ang Probinsyano requested the DTI to modify its Memorandum Circular 20-12 issued on April 4, which provides for a 30-day grace period on payment of commercial rental fee during the ECQ and settling it under a six-month installment plan to help them cope with the pandemic that has forced many businesses to shut down. “However, Ang Probinsyano Party-list would like to propose a modified solution for the MSMES sector,” Delos Santos wrote in the letter. “Instead of a 30-day grace period or a six-month installment payment plan which will still entail full rental costs on the part of MSME despite the lack of inflow of income and continuing overhead costs, we are respectfully suggesting to either waive the rental costs for MSMEs for the duration of the ECQ or provide a certain percentage of discount on the rental costs of MSMEs,” the lawmaker appealed to Lopez. Maricel V. Cruz
MMDA chief tests negative for virus METRO Manila Development Authority general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. announced on Monday he was tested negative for coronavirus disease. “I am pleased to inform everyone that I have now tested negative for the COVID-19. I would like to thank you all for your prayers and support. I will continue to self isolate in accordance with the DOH guidelines,” said Garcia in a statement. Garcia went on self quarantine after learning one of the persons who attended their meeting last month got infected with the deadly disease. He said he went on home quarantine as part of the health protocol to stop the spread of the disease. Aside from Garcia, MMDA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Pircelyn Pialago is also currently on self quarantine. Last Sunday, Garcia participated in a video conference meeting with MMDA chairman Danilo Lim, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Senator Richard Gordon, and other government officials, including Metro Manila mayors, to discuss the planned mass testing of those considered persons under investigation and monitoring. Joel Zurbano
GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday. As of Saturday, April 18, there have been a total of 432 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Manila. Of the number, 95 were located in Sampaloc. The area is also near Quezon City, which currently has the highest number of cases in the Philippines. Under the lockdown, only medical personnel, emergency responders, security services personnel, and employees of pharmacies, drug stores, and funeral parlors will be allowed to leave their homes.
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Marilao officials may face child abuse raps
THE Office of the Court Administration has ordered lower courts to speed up the release of those who are qualified to post bail or speedy trials while awaiting the Supreme Court decision on the petition seeking for the immediate release of prisoners who are vulnerable to coronavirus disease infection. In a three-page circular, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez reminded the judges in the first and second level courts to follow the Guidelines for Decongesting Holding Jails by Enforcing the Rights of the Accused Persons to Bail and Speedy Trial. The circular said lower court judges should comply with Section 5 of the guidelines wherein an “accused who has been detained for a period of at least equal to the minimum of the penalty for the offense charged against him shall be ordered released motu propio or upon motion and after notice and hearing, on his own recognizance without prejudice to the continuation of the proceedings against him.” Marquez also cited Section 10 of the guidelines that covered the rules on provisional dismissal, such as when the delays are caused by the absence of an essential witness whose whereabouts are unknown and cannot be determined. The court would then provisionally dismiss the action with the consent of the detained accused. Rey E. Requejo
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APPRECIATION. As an appreciation to frontliners who give their full time in taking care of all patients especially those COVID-19 victims, a man arranges a message to the frontliners in front of a close business establishment in Sampaloc Manila yesterday. A looming lockdown will be implemented in the whole area of Manila this week. (Inset). Barangay officials of San Isidro in Dasmariñas, Cavite distribute door-to-door fresh fish produce for residents in the area. Norman Cruz/JR. Josue
No disconnections, water firms assure clients By Rio N. Araja AMID the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, major water concessionaires-- Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. -- have assured their millions of customers of no-water disconnection despite non-payment of bills for three months. In an interview over dzMM, Jennifer Rufo, Maynilad’s corporate communications head, said “we want to help our poor customers.” “But for those who are capable of paying, they may look into our social media account for payment through GCash, PayMaya and Smart Padala,” she added.
She said the water firm understands the “difficult financial standing” of the people who have been severely affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine due to COVID-19. “However, we encourage those who could pay to settle their bills already,” she reiterated. “To avoid a bill shock, we assure you that we are finding ways to ease your burden. Our regulator is discussing this,” she said. Maynilad would compute one’s monthly bill based on the average of one’s statement of accounts in the past three months, she said. Also interviewed over dzMM, Jeric
Sevilla, Manila Water’s corporate communications head, is encouraging welloff customers to settle their payments “through online channels” despite the absence of a statement of account. “Whatever you pay in excess would be ‘automatically’ adjusted to your account in the next billing once everything is back to normalcy,” he said. He gave the assurance that there would be no disconnection, too. “Our meter readers could not go out to read the water consumption of every customer. A consumer’s bill would also be based on the average of his or her payments in the past three months,” he said.
JTF CV Shield commander, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar made the remark after some unit owners of the Pacific Plaza Condominium in Taguig City complained against policemen who entered the condominium’s premises without authorization and allegedly accosted residents there for quarantine violations on Sunday afternoon. “The ECQ Guideline is plain and simple: Stay at home and observe social distancing when going out of your house-- anytime, anywhere, and regardless of your social status. Thus, that condo residential place and the people living there are not exempted,” Eleazar said in a statement sent to reporters. He said the move shows that people, regardless of social status, can be arrested for violation of quarantine protocols. “This is exactly the reason why we initiated a crackdown on private vehicles engaged in non-essential travels in the past days alongside with our aggressive operations against curfew violators,” Eleazar said. As far as JTF CV Shield and the Philippine National Police are concerned, he said there is no difference between Unauthorized People Outside Residence walking or riding motorcycles on the streets to buy something in the public market and those on private vehicles queueing up to buy coffee at shops. “We will both apprehend them for ECQ guideline violation,” Eleazar said. In a statement, the National Capital Region Police Office said the operation stemmed from a call from the Taguig Mayor’s Office regarding a complaint on the continued operations of public amenities such as swimming pools inside the Avida Towers, Serendra and Pacific Plaza condominiums at the Bonifacio Global City, which violate quarantine rules and social distancing measures. Taguig City officials on Monday asked the police to help them strictly monitor and enforce the ECQ protocol in subdivisions to ensure the safety of residents. Taguig Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano confirmed that he has requested Taguig City police station to visit the establishment after his office received several reports that common areas, such us clubhouses, swimming pools and common gardens in several subdivisions and residential condominiums in the city are still open. “I asked the Philippine National Police [PNP] and other relevant departments of the city to make sure that all rules on ECQ are strictly enforced,” he said.
Anakpawis members held for ECQ breach By Francisco Tuyay and Willie Casas AT LEAST six members of leftist group Anakpawis were arrested by authorities after they violated the Enhance Community Quarantine at a checkpoint in Norzagaray, Bulacan Sunday morning. The arrest, however, was immediately condemned by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, describing the arrest as ‘baseless.’ In a police report, a green jeepney with license plate ZHN 869 where six Anakpawis members are on board was flagged down by policemen after they tried to pass a police checkpoint in Brgy. Bigte, NorZagaray town at 11 a.m. the other day. The Anakpawis members were identified as Karl Mae San Juan, 29; Marlon Lester Guete, 26; Robero Medel, 52; Eriberto Pena Jr., 60; Raymar Guaves, 21 and Tobi Estrada, 22. Upon investigation, Policemen manning the ECQ checkpoint said that the Anakpawis members did not carry appropriate quarantine pass, saying instead that they were conducting relief operation. During the conduct of visual inspection on the relief items the Anakpawis members were carrying, policemen found pamphlets, magazine and circulars with subversive contents as well as propaganda campaign on the left leaning organizations affiliated with the communist terrorist groups, and tarpaulins with inscription “Sagip Kanayunan and Tulong Anakpawis” hanged at both side of the jeepney.
RETROFITTED. Former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson announced on Monday, April 20, the completion of a joint project with the Lopez Group and The Medical City to retrofit Singson’s MetroTent Convention Center in Pasig City into a temporary home for TMC frontliners fighting the spread of COVID-19
Chavit, Lopez group, TMC unite to help frontliners FORMER Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson announced Monday, April 20, the completion of a joint project with the Lopez Group and The Medical City to retrofit Singson’s MetroTent Convention Center in Pasig City into a temporary home for TMC employees fighting the spread of COVID-19. “Masaya ako at nakatulong tayo mabigyan ng lunas ang problema ng marami nating bayani sa TMC na nahihirapan mag-commute papasok sa TMC at pauwi
ng kabahayan nila dahil sa kawalan ng public transport sa panahon ng ECQ [Enhanced Community Quarantine],” Singson said. Singson has partnered with Lopez company First Philippine Holdings Corp., with help from FPH’s construction arm First Balfour, to retrofit MetroTent in Ortigas Center, Pasig, into a 120-bed temporary shelter for employees of TMC, a hospital also in Pasig just a few hundred meters away from the MetroTent.
After First Balfour completed the retrofitting last Saturday, 18 April, Singson turned over MetroTent to the management of TMC, which in turn put in place its own anti-COVID-19 protocols to assure the safety of its medical frontliners who are temporarily housed there. Singson added: ““MetroTent is now ready to serve as shelter for the TMC employees. Huwag na nating problemahin ang upa sa MetroTent dahil libre ko itong pinapaubaya sa TMC habang meron ECQ.
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Opinion
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
An apology
EDITORIAL
during these times, we need to sacrifice and follow the rules for our common good. This is why China was able to fight the pandemic despite the fact that it was its first epicenter. Now Wuhan has returned to normal. Experts also say that this is why the United States has become the new epicenter of the pandemic —they always invoke human rights, my gulay! We don’t need martial law to win this war. But we need discipline. ***
WHEN President Rodrigo Duterte declared an enhanced community quarantine for Metro Manila and Luzon, my greatest fear was not that I might contract the virus but that I would be unable to check whatever I read on the Internet and social media, and what I hear on the radio. I knew it was possible for me to commit mistakes or fall victim to fake news. And this was exactly what happened last Saturday, when I wrote about Chinese in Boracay. I said that this was not only criminal but that it could indicate that we were already a province of China. I blamed Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat for it, adding that she should be fired. It turned out that the article on which I based that column had actually come out in February, when Chinese from Wuhan could still come to the Philippines, and use a special flight to go to Boracay. I admit my mistake and apologize for it. I will be more careful next time. *** There have been many depressing reports about the pandemic’s impact on the Philippines. The numbers show we are a long way from beating the virus. But while there is a lot of bad news, somehow I am glad that the number of recovered patients has now exceeded the number of deaths. The best news of all is the fact that some health experts are saying the spread of the virus has been in control in the Philippines, and that the curve may soon be flattened. I am praying so hard for this to happen. The problem is that despite the lockdown, there are many Filipinos who continue to go out and walk around, defying the quarantine rules. This is the problem of Filipinos—a lack of discipline. I am not advocating martial law, but
Adelle Chua, Editor
I made a mistake and I am sorry. I lived through World War II and I think life was easier then. This is because back then, we knew who the enemy was. Now you cannot tell when the coronavirus will strike you, or even who is carrying it. During the war, you needed to bow to the Japanese when you saw them, but you could still watch stage shows in theaters! It was only when my family decided to join my two older brothers who were members of the USAFIL-NL that we experienced hunger and danger. *** I cannot understand why some senators are pushing for the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque for his shortcomings in the fight against COVID-19. This is not the time for finger-pointing and blame-throwing. The senators should just help Duque do his job better. I think Duque is trying his best. The response of the President is timely. In the fight against COVID-19, all Filipinos must come together for the common good. Speaking of resignations, it would be interesting to know the true reasons that moved Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia to quit. Please, Mr. Pernia, tell us why you resigned.
Madman across the water
W
E do not know what was said when US President Donald Trump talked to President Rodrigo Duterte on the phone this week. We only know from Mr. Duterte’s constant companion, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, that it was the American president who called, and that the two leaders discussed “bilateral cooperation on the COVID-19 response.” Regardless of what was said, we can only hope that President Duterte listened politely then completely disregarded what Trump said the moment he put down the phone. If the COVID-19 crisis has proved anything, it is this: The American president is insane. In Washington, this week, Trump urged Americans in states led by Democratic governors to take to the streets to protest quarantine restrictions there—
even though it is these measures that keep people safe. "LIBERATE MINNESOTA!" the US president exclaimed in one tweet. "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" he cried in another. "LIBERATE VIRGINIA! and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!" he wrote in a third. When small bands of his deranged followers took his advice and, against all social distancing guidelines, gathered in groups, Trump defended them, saying some governors had overreached in their efforts to fight the pandemic—efforts that were based on the advice of leading health officials in his own administration. “I really believe that they’re being unreasonable,” Trump said, citing the Democratic governors of Michigan and Virginia. “There are a lot of protests out there. And I just think that some of the governors have gotten carried away.” Trump spoke hours after protests took place in Texas, Maryland, Indiana, Nevada and Wisconsin against ongoing stay-at-home restrictions enacted to fight the spread of COV-
ID-19. Several such demonstrations have already taken place in recent days in several states, including in California, Michigan, Ohio and New Jersey. TV commentator Stephen Moore, who is on Trump’s task force charged with helping reopen the nation’s economy, compared the quarantine protesters to civil rights icon Rosa Parks. “I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parks—they are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties,” Moore said. Asked about the ludicrous comparison, Trump replied, “There is a lot of injustice.” On a day when deaths from COVID-19 in his country surpassed 40,000 and the number of infections shot up to more than 758,000, the American president was at a podium bragging about what a great job he and his administration have done. President Duterte and this country have nothing to learn from this American president, whose behavior has put millions of his own people at risk, and has already killed untold thousands.
The most meaningful Earth Day ever
POPE Francis, in his Laudato Sii encyclical issued five years ago, helps us to see what Earth Day requires— an integral ecology that take us to the heart of what it is to be human. He reflected on the legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi: Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever he would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise. He communed with all creation, even preaching to the flowers, inviting them to praise the Lord, just as if they were endowed with reason.
Our planet still exists. Saint Francis’ response to the world around him was so much more than intellectual appreciation or economic calculus, for to him each and every creature was a sister united to him by bonds of affection. That is why he felt called to care for all that exists. His disciple Saint Bonaventure tells us that, “from a reflection on the primary source of all things, filled with even more abundant piety, he would call creatures, no matter how small, by the name of ‘brother’ or ‘sister.’” Such a conviction cannot be written off as naive romanticism, for it affects the choices which determine our behavior. If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously. We know we are stewards, gardeners, and caregivers. In Laudato Sii, Pope Francis always makes sure that the poor is ubiquitous; raising always the question of the im-
pact of an issue on poor people, emphasizing all the time fairness and justice as a guide to how the world must respond. More positively, Pope Francis also gives examples of a commendable human ecology practiced by the poor despite the challenges they face. He gives us an example indigenous peoples who see “land is not a commodity but rather a gift from God and from their ancestors who rest there, a sacred space with which they need to interact if they are to maintain their identity and values.” According to Laudato Sii: “When they remain on their land, they themselves care for it best. Nevertheless, in various parts of the world, pressure is being put on them to abandon their homelands to make room for agricultural or mining projects which are undertaken without regard for the degradation of nature and culture.” Pope Francis explains why we must not separate the state of our planet from what is happening to many of its people: “The human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related to human and social degradation.” This means we must work to institutionalize environmental and climate justice, which requires the integration of human rights, at all levels of governance—global, national, and local. The cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are resounding in this time of the pandemic. This is why Earth Day this year is the most meaningful ever. Everything we have said could go wrong because of environmental irresponsibility has gone wrong at great economic and human cost. Moving forward, we must abandon outdated notions of cost-benefit analysis and tradeoff between economic and environmental interests when what is at stake is human well-being and public health. When an activity or industry can cause a pandemic or global climate change, there is no economic or other justification that can be invoked that allows for that activity. I hope government and business will internalize this now. In my case, never again will I accept any action, law, or agreement that compromises the health of our planet and sacrifices the poor. (Full version at www.manilastandard.net)
Health problem does not need a military solution PUNISH everyone for government's rank failure to adequately address the COVID-19 pandemic. That's the long and short of President Rodrigo Duterte's latest rambling and incoherent after-midnight press conference where he threatened to impose even more draconian measures reminiscent of martial law in the 1970s to deal with what he perceives as violations of already stringent and stifling rules under the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon and other areas. It's bad enough that the near-total nationwide lockdown, which started March 15 and has been extended to April 30, was imposed without adequate preparations on the part of the government to respond to a mainly public health emergency with commensurate medical interventions. Instead, it relied mainly on the police and local governments to enforce quarantine measures such as curfew and social distancing. It was only later on that the government moved to set up more isolation facilities for suspected and probable virus carriers. This should have been done as early as February. One takeaway from recent developments is that we have a health care system that's woefully inadequate, understaffed and under-budgeted. Our Department of Health and public hospitals are simply overburdened in coping with the exponential rise in COVID-19 cases despite the best efforts of medical
frontliners—doctors, nurses, medical technicians and utility personnel—to cope with the crisis. The lack of adequate test kits, personal protective equipment and even transportation for health workers shows how the government has been ill-prepared to deal with a grave public health crisis.
Let’s not even talk about local officials turning into petty tyrants. President Duterte's threat to call on the military and the police to prepare for martial law-era restrictions, including, presumably, the prospect of indiscriminate arrest and indefinite detention of those violating lockdown rules, such as curfew and social distancing, will only open the floodgates to more human rights violations that we have experienced under this administration's war on illegal drugs. I believe that the longer the national
government keeps the ECQ, the longer it demonstrates its failure to address a grave public health concern. The extension of the lockdown and threatened resort to more draconian measures are unnecessary given their adverse impact on an already battered economy. The Enhanced Community Quarantine or total lockdown in the whole of Luzon that's supposed to end on April 30 should be lifted. Our people, particularly the poor, have already suffered enough from the loss of jobs and livelihood opportunities. Temporary lockdowns may be necessary in certain areas where there's a big number of suspected and probable carriers, but a big burden in communities where authorities do not even know the actual extent of COVID-19 incidence. Let's not even talk about local officials turning into petty tyrants implementing policies that do not really address the public health crisis such as inflicting cruel punishment for violations of curfew and social distancing regulations, and severely limiting the access of non-residents to buy food and other daily necessities to only one day in barangays with public markets. What happens to residents of barangays without public markets? Where will they buy food? The Luzon-wide lockdown, with the attendant prohibition of all modes Turn to A5
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Opinion
ROUNDING into Week Six of the lockdown, I continue to be amazed at the twists and turns that human nature can take amid a calamity. Comes now, for example, one Erwin Elechicon, president of the Pacific Plaza condominium corporation. In a letter to his fellow residents, this fellow complains about a group of policemen who barged into their hallowed premises, “loudly berated” residents hanging out in the common pool area, and “curtly shouted at them to go away.” As it turns out, in a subsequent clarification by Taguig Mayor Lino Cayetano, the current lockdown does include “the closure of common areas and spaces in subdivisions and residential condominiums.” I didn’t fact-check his statement, but I have no reason to expect a local mayor to lie about something as important as the lockdown rules. The idea, of course, is for the Pacific Plaza residents to stay inside their units, period. Evidently, though, they think it would be cruel and unusual punishment for them to be confined to units that cost—what, P50 million each? A hundred million? All those zeros make my head spin. If they really don’t like it, there’s a dozen families that can easily fit into each of those units, right outside the Fort’s walls in any one of Makati’s teeming urban poor communities. You guys want to contribute to the common good, you should consider doing something like that instead of afflicting the rest of us with your pampered sense of entitlement. As for the temerity of mere policemen to raise their voices to the residents, I can only offer Mr. Elechicon my sympathies. Sometimes, we benighted masses forget how to behave properly around our social betters. ***
Let’s look at what really happened beginning January. January: NY Times first report on coronavirus (6). Global media coverage ramps up (7-20). DOH monitors boy from Wuhan positive for unidentified virus (21). Family of first HK coronavirus case flies to Manila (22). China places Wuhan on lockdown. DOH says no need to quarantine HK family. PH aviation authorities bar flights to/from Wuhan (23). Two patients under virus watch in Palawan hospital (25). Duterte says PH preparing for the worst, but rejects travel ban against China. DOH Secretary Duque warns of repercussion from such a ban (29). DOH confirms first case of coronavirus. Filipinos demand travel ban against China (30). Duterte orders travel ban only against Hubei province and plans to meet Cabinet the following week about the virus (31). February: First coronavirus death in the PH and outside China. Duterte widens travel ban to include all of China, HK and Macau. Timing of ban the same as Korea and New Zealand, but ahead of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia (2). Duterte makes several soothing statements about public fears over virus (3). WHO says it’s wrong
to impose travel ban against China (6). DOH includes Taiwan in travel ban. Duterte curses “idiot na coronang ito” (10). Repatriation of Filipinos from China. New Clark City designed quarantine facility for Central Luzon (Late Feb). March: Declaration of State of Public Emergency (8). With beginnings of localized transmission, Code Red alert issued for virus. Luzon placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine ECQ (12). Congress passes Bayanihan Heal as One Act (23). National Action Plan on COVID-19 is adopted (24). *** So, looking at the above series of events, when should Duterte have declared a lockdown earlier than March 12? Aside from the usual caveat about perfect hindsight as we try to answer this “what if” question, a couple of other caveats bear mentioning: One: what a president says is not— in fact, should not be—the same as what he does. Speech and action have very different purposes from such an exalted position. A president who cracks down must also soothe public fears. A president who eases up must also scare people into line. Two: Any action particularly involving another country can never be undertaken in isolation of the totality of the relationship between us and that country. This is especially true for China, whose trade, aid and investment we are wooing while simultaneously trying to hold the line against their maritime expansionism. The proper question, then, is this: Was the unfolding sequence of official statements and actions consistent with the gradual escalation of the problem as well as the pace of improvement in acquiring the needed information on events? Keep in mind that it’s only this week when we’re expecting to be able to start doing enough testing— around 8 to 10,000 tests per day—to get a reasonably reliable handle on the progress of the virus. The reader can be the judge. (Full version at www.manilastandard.net)
QCMC THE other day, the Quezon City Government, through Josephine Sabando, director of the Quezon City General Hospital sent a letter to the Manila Standard desk, in response to my column. On April 16, I wrote about the plight of the doctors of the Quezon City Medical Center. I appreciate Ms. Sabando as she did not, in any way, denied the veracity of what I have written and in fact, validated it. In her letter which was published in Saturday’s edition of the Manila Standard, she said that the Quezon City Government under the helm of Mayor Joy Belmonte “values tremendously the commitment of the city’s health workers in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.” Unfortunately though, Ms. Sabando said the present administration just inherited the problem from past administration that allowed the increase of the number of resident doctors “without any concomitant increase in the approved plantilla positions for the hospital.” In fact, Ms. Sabando said, the present administration “immediately sought to remedy this lapse by compensating our resident doctors by increasing the compensation due to them, even before the onset of this pandemic.” According to Ms. Sabando, the city government “raised the compensation of our contractual resident doctors from zero to levels comparable to the national average retroactive Jan. 2, 2020 (first-year residents from zero to P25,000 and second-year residents from P21,000 to P35,000). If there would be any delay in the processing of these benefits, this delay shall immediately be resolved and the benefits received in full by our health workers.” And to further assist the health workers, Ms. Sabando bared “the city has passed several executive orders and ordinances to provide the health workers with additional benefits such as hazard pay and special risk allowances, as well as to protect them
against all forms of discrimination.” And just last Monday, Ms. Sabando said the City Council passed an ordinance that would grant frontliners who contract COVID-19 with substantial financial assistance. However, Ms. Sabando was quick to add that the doctors have to wait for sometime as they cannot shortcut the process and has to strictly abide by the rules set by the Civil Service Commission.
More on the plight of doctors. Nice to hear the Quezon City Government is finally doing something to address the injustice committed against our frontliners. In fact, the source of my article, an insider actually, would like to express her appreciation of Ms. Sabando’s pronouncement. Only she adds that prior to the publication of my article, Belmonte was aggressively asking the QCMC doctors to sign a waiver which would absolve the city government and the Department of Health of any responsibility should they contract the dreaded disease. Also, the source said Belmonte could have done something to address their plight even before she became mayor as she was also a part of the past administration to which Ms. Sabando is putting the blame. Belmonte has served as vice mayor for nine years from 2010 up to last year when she assumed the city mayorship. According to my source, it was the City Council which is in charge of allocating budget for every depart-
Health problem... From A4
of public transportation, near-total closure of all business firms except those establishments engaged in essential services such as food outlets, pharmacies and banks, has made the economy grind to a halt. We fully support the moves to urge the national government to lift the Luzon-wide lockdown by April 30 and gradually return to normalcy even as measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak are strengthened. While at this, we agree with the recommendation of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for government to consider public transportation as an essential industry and therefore exempt from undue delay in checkpoints.
ment and office the city government manages. In fact, the source said that during the height of the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, the City Council under then Vice Mayor Belmonte allocated additional budget amounting to several millions of pesos for additional beds and food provisions for about 400 drug users admitted to the hospital for rehabilitation. “She could have done something even then but she opted not to. But everything suddenly changed when the article (April 16 my column) came out. Biglang nagbago ihip ng hangin. Pero maraming salamat pa rin at nabigyan ng boses ung mga bata para makakapagsabi ng mga hinaing nila,” the source said in a message sent to this writer. “Hindi sila binigyan ng item by the way. Binigyan sila ng adjunct item na wala pa ring hazard pay,” the source added. “It's a small win but still a win anyways. Thank you very much for shedshed ding light on this matter and giving the doctors a voice,” the source added. When I checked my FB messenger, I was surprised to receive a message request from someone I didn’t know. I realized it was apparently from one of the doctors from QCMC. The message read: “Sir, if you’re the journalist that exposed the QCMC residents’ situation, I can’t thank [you] enough!!” This was my reply: “It would be a greater crime if you see an injustice being done right before your eyes and you decide to walk away and do nothing. “But to be honest, if there’s someone who is owed gratitude here. It is you the doctors, the health workers and all others at the frontline. It is you whom we owe a lot. If I am still here writing, exposing things as I see them, it is because you have made that possible you are risking everything you have while we are here in the comfort of our homes. No words can be enough to express our gratitude. Mabuhay kayong mga nasa unang hanay!”
The PCCI is correct: Restrictions in the movement of goods have become problematic for the supply chain, despite the exemptions listed during the ECQ. If the government decides to partially lift the quarantine in Luzon, PCCI recommends that public transportation be allowed to operate, while still observing social distancing. “Tight control over the movement of goods has caused delays and cancellations in deliveries and affected the supply of essential commodities in some areas of the country... For companies that were allowed to continue their operations amid the ECQ, restrictions on public transportation have disrupted the mobility of workers and posed additional costs to employers,” the PCCI said. We agree completely. ernhil@yahoo.com
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Tested positive, tested negative
Week Six This early, the President’s tireless critics are already coming up with a revisionist view of the origins of the epidemic that squarely puts the blame on him. It’s a rising crescendo of fake news, blame game, and leftist agitprop that can only be orchestrated by who knows what malign hand is at work out there. These critics, with perfect hindsight, want us to believe that Duterte waited too long before cracking down on the virus. Let’s look at what really happened back then, according to several sources I came across, one critical of him and the others not:
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020
IN THE deadly and depressing world of the coronavirus, two phrases have emerged as the most important in public discourse. They relate to the testing of a person for infection with the virus: “Tested positive” if the test showed that the person had become infected by COVID-19, and “tested negative” if the person was found free of the virus. Being “tested positive” is not a death sentence, for worldwide experience thus far is that around 80 percent of “tested positive” persons eventually recover; on the other hand, being “tested negative” might mean that the test may have given a false-negative result, which according to reports happen about 30 percent of the time.
What is our result for integrity, competence, discipline and civic-mindedness? The people of this country are filled with joy every time they learn that a PUI (person under investigation) or a PUM (person under monitoring) has tested negative for the coronavirus. But they think that it is not only infectation with COVID-19 that their fellow-citizens—especially their public officials—should be tested for. In their opinion there should also be “tested positive” or “tested negative” determination for fellow citizens in the areas of integrity, competence, diligence and civic mindedness. Integrity tops the list of things that Filipinos want to be made the object of testing. Today’s Philippine society is up to its neck in corruption. One only has to mention the clearance of 6.4 tons of methamphetamine (shabu) through the Bureau of Customs, the unimpeded disappearance from the Manila Customs zone of no less than 2,000 containers, the PhilHealth scams and the series of anomalies at the Bureau of Immigra-
tion to appreciate the extent and depth of corruption in the government. The Filipino people want to see most of the integrity-test subjects—especially the civil servants—to be “tested positive” for integrity, but that is probably a forlorn hope. Another test to which Filipinos wish their fellow citizens could be subjected is a test for competence. Sad to say, incompetence abounds in Philippine society today. Incompetence may be simple—such as simple negligence on bureaucratic delay—or it may be gross, as in inability to make sound and practical decisions. But, gross or not, incompetence slows down the progress of the nation and leads to waste of its resources and time. “Tested positive” for competence—or to put it the other way, “tested negative for incompetence”—is what all Filipino professionals and civil servants should be. A further desirable outcome of the current pandemic would be the testing of the people of this country for capacity to observe discipline. Being disciplined is not the average Filipino’s strong suit; he is inclined to chafe at—and, when he can, circumvent—rules and regulations. Yet Filipinos bridle when foreigners say that there is no culture of discipline in this country. Yes, like the test for infection with the coronavirus, there should be testing for discipline so that the citizens of this country can be determined to be ‘tested positive’ or ‘tested negative’ in that regard. A list of the tests that Filipinos ought to undergo when all the anti-coronavirus tests shall have been completed is a test for positiveness or negativeness vis-à-vis civic-mindedness. To the question “Are most Filipinos highly civic-minded?”, the correct answer would probably be No. The people of this country, generally speaking, are not highly civic-minded. Filipinos can, and do, show concern for the needs of their community or neighborhood; for matters relating to the nation, the level of concern is generally lower. The most significant demonstration of this at this time, surely, is the widespread defiance of the stay-at-home order issued by the government to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The development and progress of this country will proceed more rapidly and with greater stability if its citizens, especially leaders, “tested positive” for integrity, competence, discipline and civic-mindedness.
Damned if we do, damned if we don’t
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will reportedly receive by Friday, April 25, the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the COVID-19 crisis on whether to lift or extend the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon. There’s a strong indication that the IATF would propose another extension of the lockdown based on several factors the panel had listed earlier: The trend in the COVID-19 epidemiological curve, capacity of the healthcare system, social, economic and security factors. The decision on whether to end or prolong the ECQ rests solely on the President. But it appears that Manong Digong is confronted with the predicament of “damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” If he lifts the lockdown, he would be blamed for the further spread of novel coronavirus. If he extends the ECQ, he will be blamed for the total collapse of the economy and the suffering of millions of jobless people. Manong Digong alone will have to take the flak. I beg to disagree with this narrow-minded notion. I say, with or without a continued lockdown, the responsibility for any eventuality falls upon every one of us, as a result of how much we have cooperated in observing the community quarantine rules since March 16. The rationale of the ECQ is having each of us doing our part in our own home, strictly observing personal preventive measures against contracting coronavirus. We don’t need the authorities nor anybody, for that matter, to tell us to wear a face mask when we go out to buy our food and necessities or cover our mouth when we cough or sneeze. The bottom line is each of us is accountable for our own health and well-being. Even with another extension of the ECQ, either with relaxed rules or total lockdown, the cases of COVID-19 will continue to increase simply because there are still not enough laboratory testing facilities accessible to the poor people, especially those in remote areas in the Visayas and Mindanao. We have not reached out to explain to them the need to get checked up. It also important to point out that lockdown by itself will not stop the spread of
the virus. In fact, it may have caused its spread in some cases in crowded households, including slums. We need to seek out and isolate the sick, not scare them into lockdown. The role of the local government units is crucial in that every LGU should be responsible for identifying and issuing through its City Health Officer a “health clearance” to every barangay that is proven COVID-19-free.
Each of us is accountable for our own health and well-being. That means every barangay’s health officer will have conducted a house-tohouse survey and, in case of suspected COVID-19 case, will have performed contact-tracing and conducted quarantine procedures. The LGUs should, once and for all, strictly enforce the laws and ordinances against smoking in public places, spitting, urination, and waste disposal. At the workplace, medical checkup and medical clearance should be mandatory. Work-from-home program should continue to be encouraged in both government and private institutions where applicable and practicable. While many of us would want an end to the lockdown, we also fear of a fullblown local epidemic of the COVID-19 just like in Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, China, and the United States where hundreds of people die from the dreaded disease each day. Note that these countries worst-hit by the global pandemic are the countries that continued to allow in travelers and tourists, particularly from China even after the outbreak of the novel-coronavirus in Wuhan City, Hubei Province. It will be recalled that the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country were those of Chinese tourists who had traveled from Wuhan. That is why we should continue the travel ban of foreigners into the country unless each of them can be subjected to an “onsite rapid testing” for COVID-19 upon arrival at the airport. Likewise, Filipino citizens should be prohibited from going to countries affected by the pandemic. Last but not the least, an updated Health Education including the subject of Infectious Diseases should be incorporated in the primary and secondary education.
World
TUEDAY, APRIL 21, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
STORIES ONLINE
(at manilastandard.net) Middle East braces for bleak Ramadan Pandemic exposes weak health system Israelis demonstrate to ‘let democracy win’ Austrian anti-Nazi campaigner dies
Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) tactical unit confer after the suspect in a deadly shooting rampage was neutralized at the Big Stop near Elmsdale, Nova Scotia, Canada, on April 19, 2020. - A gunman killed at least 10 people in an overnight shooting rampage across rural Nova Scotia, before being found dead following an hours-long manhunt, Canadian federal police said April 19. Earlier identified as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, the suspect had been on the run since Saturday night, when police were alerted to shots being fired in the small community of Portapique, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Halifax, capital of the Atlantic province. AFP
Latin America posts 100k plus infections
IN BRIEF Virus wipes away firm’s expansion AFGHAN toilet paper entrepreneur Zuhal Atmar overcame patriarchy and security threats to build a business that was set to go global due to a coronavirus-induced shortage. But then, the supply of her key raw material—trash—dried up. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a lockdown in Kabul, forcing scavengers off the streets and slashing access to the waste paper and cardboard which Atmar recycles into pink-and-white loo roll. As she prepared to suspend operations at her factory, she told AFP the virus was “the biggest challenge” she had ever faced. “Even while dealing with security risks, we were still able to do business. Now I have no option but to throw my hands up,” the 35-year-old said. Her plight highlights the global nature of the pandemic which has disrupted lives across the world, posing a huge challenge even to businesses used to working under sharp constraints. A rare female face in Afghanistan’s male-dominated business world, Atmar is well-versed in the art of finding creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems. AFP
16 dead in Canada’s shooting rage A GUNMAN who drove a mock-up police car killed at least 16 people including a female constable in a shooting rampage across Nova Scotia, Canadian federal police said Sunday, the worst case of its kind in the country’s history.
The shooter, identified as Gabriel Wortman, 51, was shot dead by officers after a 12-hour manhunt across the eastern province ended Sunday morning. Among the victims was a veteran female constable with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which also handles municipal and provincial law enforcement in the province. Police said the suspect had been on the run since Saturday night, when officers were alerted to shots fired in the town of Portapique, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Halifax.
Gun violence in Canada is far less frequent than in the neighboring United States, and weapons more strictly controlled, but the killings were the country’s worst ever, exceeding the toll in 1989 when a gunman murdered 14 female students at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique. “This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province’s history,” said Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil. Public broadcaster CBC quoted RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki as
saying police know of at least 16 victims, besides the shooter. “What has unfolded overnight and into this morning is incomprehensible and many families are experiencing the loss of a loved one,” Nova Scotia RCMP commanding officer, Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman, wrote on the force’s local Facebook page. Bergerman said the dead included Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the force. In addition to Stevenson, a mother of two, a male officer was injured and was in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Bergerman said. The National Post newspaper said another victim was an elementary school teacher, citing a Facebook post from the woman’s sister. Several victims were discovered both outside and inside a house in Portapique,
Hungry, jobless Americans turn to food banks
Ghetto uprising rites in Warshaw low-key POLAND commemorated the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising on Sunday, replacing its annual official ceremonies with low-key gatherings on site or online as the coronavirus pandemic prevented any big events. Wearing a protective mask, Poland’s chief rabbi Michael Schudrich recited a prayer at the monument dedicated to the uprising in front of a few dozen people who observed social distancing rules before laying a wreath. April 19 commemorates the day in 1943 when Jewish insurgents began a violent resistance against police and SS auxiliary troops who planned to deport the Jews in the ghetto to concentration camps. Their revolt, which the insurgents knew was doomed but allowed them to die fighting rather than in gas chambers, bogged down the German advance into the ghetto by several weeks. The main part of the revolt lasted 10 days but it was only definitively ended almost a month later on May 16 when the Nazis demolished the Great Synangogue of Warsaw. AFP
Prince Harry, Meghan blacklisted 4 tabloids LONDON—Prince Harry and his wife Meghan blacklisted four major British tabloids on Sunday, accusing them of publishing stories that were “distorted, false and invasive beyond reason”, UK media reported. In a scathing letter to the editors of the Sun, Daily Mail, Mirror and Express, the couple, who have formally stepped down as senior members of the British Royal family, said there would be “no corroboration and zero engagement” with the newspapers, the Guardian said. “This policy is not about avoiding criticism. It’s not about shutting down public conversation or censoring accurate reporting,” according to a purported copy of the letter shared by Financial Times media reporter Mark Di Stefano on Twitter. But they did not want to be used as “currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion”. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have watched people they know—as well as complete strangers—have their lives completely pulled apart for no good reason, other than the fact that salacious gossip boosts advertising revenue,” according to an excerpt published by the Guardian. AFP
sparking the manhunt through multiple communities, police said. “The search for the suspect ended this morning when the suspect was located. And I can confirm that he is deceased,” RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather told a press conference. Leather said that at one point, the suspect appeared to be wearing part of a police uniform and was driving a vehicle made to look like an RCMP cruiser. Fires burned RCMP tweeted several times that he was not an officer and warned he was considered “armed and dangerous.” “The initial search for the suspect led to multiple sites in the area, including structures that were on fire,” Leather told the news conference. He said: “There are several locations across the province where persons have been killed.” AFP
Food and packages of donated goods are distributed to people at a food bank in Chelsea, Massachusetts. AFP
New Zealand to ease Oil prices collapse on storage fear lockdown next week NEW Zealand will ease a nationwide coronavirus lockdown next week after claiming success in stopping “an uncontrolled explosion” of the disease, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday. “We have done what very few countries have been able to do,” Ardern said. “We have stopped a wave of devastation.” She said New Zealand would move its maximum Level Four COVID-19 alert to Level Three from late evening on Monday, April 27, and remain there for two weeks to assess the situation. The announcement means businesses deemed safe can reopen, along with some schools, while limits on local travel are also relaxed and gatherings of up to 10 people allowed for events such as weddings or funerals. While restrictions will be loosened slightly, social distancing rules will remain. “I couldn’t feel prouder of the start we have made together but I also feel a huge responsibility to ensure that we do not lose any of the gains we have made either,” she said. New Zealand entered a four-week lockdown in late March, which included closing the island nation’s borders, countrywide stay-at-home orders and shuttering all non-essential businesses and services. The draconian measures made the country one of the most successful in containing the virus, with around 1,100 known cases among the five-million population, including 12 deaths and 974 recovered patients. AFP
OIL prices collapsed to more than twodecade lows Monday as traders grow concerned that storage facilities are reaching their limits, while signs that the coronavirus may have peaked in Europe and the United States were unable to help Asian equities extend their recent advances. US crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate briefly plunged almost 20 percent to below $14.50—its lowest since 1999—as stockpiles continue to build owing to a crash in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysts said this month’s agreement between top producers to slash output by 10 million barrels a day was having little impact on the oil crisis because of lockdowns and travel restrictions that are keeping billions of people at home. WTI was hit particularly hard as its
main US storage facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma, were filling up, with Trifecta Consultants analyst Sukrit Vijayakar saying refineries were not processing crude fast enough. There are also plenty of supplies from the Middle East with no buyers as “freight costs are high”, he told AFP. “I think we will see a test of the 1998 lows at $11 sooner rather than later,” OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley told AFP. And AxiCorp’s Stephen Innes added: “It’s a dump at all cost as no one... wants delivery of oil, with Cushing storage facilities filling by the minute. “It hasn’t taken long for the market to recognise that the OPEC+ deal will not, in its present form, be enough to balance oil markets.”
AMERICAN families slammed by the coronavirus pandemic are turning more and more to food banks to get by, waiting hours for donations in lines of cars stretching as far as the eye can see. And with 22 million people out of work seemingly overnight as business after business closes under the Great Lockdown, these charities feeding hungry and scared people fear the day will come when they cannot cope with the tsunami of demand. On Tuesday, for instance, some 1,000 cars lined up at a distribution center set up in Pennsylvania by the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Demand for its bags of food soared nearly 40 percent in March. At eight centers like that one, some 227 tonnes of food were placed in the trunks of cars of families suddenly unable to put meals on the table, said the organization’s vice president Brian Gulish. “A lot of people are utilizing our service for the first time. They’ve never turned to a food bank before,” said Gulish. So they do not know there is a network of 350 distribution points in southwest Pennsylvania. “That’s why those lines are so long. Because they don’t know that network that we have,” Gulish added. All over America, from New Orleans to Detroit, people abruptly stripped of a paycheck are flocking to food banks -sad scenes of desperation among people waiting for their small share of stimulus money included in the $2.2 trillion emergency relief package approved by Congress last month. Perhaps the most dramatic picture of some Americans’ new food insecurity unfolded April 9 in San Antonio, Texas, where a staggering 10,000 cars showed up at one food bank, with some families arriving the night before to just sit and wait. AFP
Google, Facebook must pay for Aussie news contents AUSTRALIA will force Google and Facebook to pay media outlets for their content, the government announced Monday, vowing to lead the world in making the tech giants share lucrative advertising revenues with traditional media. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said a mandatory code of conduct—to be fully unveiled by July and made law soon after—will require the US-based firms to reimburse Australian media companies for using their news and other content. “It is about holding these tech titans to
account, about ensuring genuine competition, (and) it is about delivering a level playing field,” Frydenberg said. “It is about keeping jobs in journalism and it is about ensuring a fair outcome for all.” Google and Facebook have had a huge impact on Australia’s news industry, capturing two-thirds of online advertising spending. In response to falling revenues, Australian news outlets have slashed 20 percent of jobs in the last six years. AFP
Business
A7
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com
Stocks retreat; Ayala, Dito gain S TOCKS fell Monday on profit taking along with the rest of Asia, as signs that the coronavirus may have peaked in Europe and the United States were unable to help the region’s equities extend their recent advances.
The Philippine Stock Exchange Index shed 56.32 points, or nearly 1 percent, to 5,733.65 on a value turnover of P4.8 billion. Gainers, however, beat losers, 109 to 83, with 44 issues unchanged. Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, declined 3.7 percent to P122.10, while Manila Electric Co., the largest retailer of electricity, dropped 2.7 percent to P261.80.
Dito CME Holdings Corp., formerly ISM Communications Corp. and the third telecommunications company owned by tycoon Dennis Uy, however, surged 11.5 percent to P2.33, while conglomerate Ayala Corp. added 1.5 percent to P606. Meanwhile, oil prices collapsed to more than two-decade lows Monday as traders grew concerned that storage facilities are reaching their limits. The rest of Asian stock markets were mostly lower despite governments starting to consider how and when to ease lockdowns that have crippled the global economy. Shanghai, Mumbai and Bangkok rose but most other markets were in retreat. Hong Kong was flat, while Tokyo fell more then one percent as Japan struggles to contain the disease, while Sydney shed 2.5 percent. Seoul dropped 0.8 percent. There were also losses in Tai-
Analysts said this month’s agreement between top producers to slash output by 10 million barrels a day was having little impact on the oil crisis because of lockdowns and travel restrictions that are keeping billions of people at home. WTI was hit particularly hard as its main US storage facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma, were filling up, with Trifecta Consultants analyst Sukrit Vijayakar saying refineries were not processing crude fast enough. There are also plenty of supplies from the Middle East with no buyers as “freight costs are high”, he told AFP. “I think we will see a test of the 1998 lows at $11 sooner rather than later,” OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley told AFP. And AxiCorp’s Stephen Innes added: “It’s a dump at all cost as no one... wants delivery of oil, with Cushing storage facilities filling by the minute. With AFP
pei, Singapore, Wellington and Jakarta. “The longer investors have to contemplate future economic issues while they wait for more countries to be on the downward slope of the pandemic curve, the more scope there is of risk assets pricing in a difficult future,” Chris Iggo, of AXA Investment Managers UK, said. Investors are keeping an eye on Washington, where Congress and the White House are working towards a $450-billion economic relief plan for small business to add to the trillions already pledged to support the economy. Big-name companies including IBM, Netflix and Coca-Cola are due to deliver their earnings reports. US crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate briefly plunged almost 20 percent to below $14.50—its lowest since 1999—as stockpiles continue to build owing to a crash in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Monday, april 20, 2020
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ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FERRONOUX HLDG IREMIT MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK VANTAGE
48.9 61.6 105 0.78 19.86 15.5 7.95 3.12 0.97 0.29 41.95 0.67 8.21 16.02 25.1 163.1 43 17.28 107.7 54.05 0.96
48.9 61.8 107 0.88 19.92 15.9 8.08 3.12 0.97 0.31 42.3 0.67 8.79 16.02 25.6 169 43 17.34 107.7 54.8 0.96
48.5 60.05 102.5 0.77 19.86 15.5 7.85 3.1 0.97 0.29 40 0.61 8.21 16 24.55 163.1 42.5 17.28 104.8 54 0.96
FINANCIALS 48.5 1,500 60.75 1,581,860 102.5 2,104,730 0.88 269,000 19.9 98,800 15.8 8,800 8 283,900 3.1 12,000 0.97 12,000 0.31 400,000 41.35 3,086,100 0.61 53,000 8.79 17,300 16 20,000 24.9 331,100 165 170 42.5 1,400 17.34 3,000 104.8 461,210 54.75 16,360 0.96 300,000
72,915 96,301,102.50 218,149,811 232,870 1,964,190 139,040 2,259,530 37,240 11,640 119,800 126,709,130 32,390 144,933 320,012 8,276,175 28,231 59,680 51,862 48,863,279 889,242.50 288,000
4,890 -35,114,840 -72,203,806 -544,776 -26,317 -4,465,265 -1,868,570 572,311 -559,628 281,280
ABOITIZ POWER AC ENERGY AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS AXELUM BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG FRUITAS HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VULCAN INDL
27.15 2.2 7.78 0.53 0.95 2.55 0.185 1.09 14.38 129.8 8.8 12.64 27 41.15 1.82 3.7 6.15 8.2 5.51 7.98 2.68 17.96 56 1.44 33.8 1 11.5 6.78 1.07 148.5 4.7 3.33 4.81 11.16 6.58 7.9 269 0.14 1.78 2.4 3.25 10.86 19.24 4.35 1.4 1.32 1.12 6.03 59.9 8 0.73 126.8 0.82 0.71
27.15 2.3 7.86 0.53 0.95 2.76 0.188 1.1 14.64 156 9.64 12.64 27 56 1.82 3.7 6.15 8.38 5.7 7.98 2.9 18.44 57.05 1.46 33.8 1.09 11.96 6.78 1.13 149.9 4.7 3.47 6 11.4 6.7 7.94 275 0.145 1.84 2.4 3.36 11.14 19.28 4.6 1.45 1.32 1.12 6.14 59.9 8.05 0.75 127.2 0.88 0.73
26.2 2.15 7.61 0.5 0.94 2.54 0.172 1.06 14.38 129.8 8.1 12.64 26.5 41.15 1.82 3.6 5.85 8.18 5.51 7.92 2.66 17.78 55.05 1.38 32.6 1 11.36 5.63 1 143 4.7 3.21 4.81 10.88 6.42 7.68 261.8 0.14 1.78 2.31 3.21 10.2 18.52 4.35 1.39 1.3 1 6.01 58 8 0.72 122 0.81 0.7
INDUSTRIAL 26.6 1,018,000 2.22 23,360,000 7.86 1,193,800 0.52 2,257,000 0.94 8,000 2.64 5,037,000 0.185 1,410,000 1.06 6,512,000 14.38 2,890,700 156 870 9.61 11,814,200 12.64 300 26.5 1,200 56 100 1.82 38,000 3.6 41,000 5.88 1,082,400 8.2 2,107,300 5.56 2,904,800 7.98 7,063,100 2.8 13,410,000 18.06 1,537,300 57.05 228,610 1.4 7,909,000 32.6 40,700 1.09 8,348,000 11.6 374,000 6.37 1,915,300 1.12 910,000 143 1,587,640 4.7 1,000 3.45 27,000 6 400 11.08 2,958,000 6.5 981,800 7.68 1,704,400 261.8 213,760 0.145 220,000 1.81 1,969,000 2.31 37,000 3.29 3,421,000 11 471,300 19.04 617,100 4.5 7,000 1.45 1,707,000 1.3 28,000 1.08 2,437,000 6.12 1,470,100 59 594,420 8 11,700 0.73 83,000 122.1 1,399,020 0.87 10,984,000 0.73 632,000
27,178,540 51,799,420 9,270,930 1,147,820 7,580 13,219,530 248,620 7,000,490 41,694,140 122,566 104,830,096 3,792 31,900 4,689 69,160 148,700 6,418,450 17,301,450 16,250,786 56,362,105 37,369,080 27,722,762 12,838,275.50 11,099,760 1,327,400 8,851,020 4,322,546 11,911,344 972,560 230,578,052 4,700 90,990 2,043 32,780,634 6,420,352 13,185,794 56,423,146 31,300 3,556,870 85,850 11,250,170 5,154,532 11,726,796 31,550 2,415,700 36,860 2,583,640 8,893,767 35,067,269 ( 93,631 60,100 172,937,652 9,298,990 447,990
3,485,880 -2,111,410 -974,388 56,300 -6,619,290 -4,230,850 99,648 614,537 2,700 -101,400 -905,390 -4,557,466 -1,174,758 -55,942,194 -160,170 -11,869,272 -270,324.50 -270,900 -28,070 -1,285,122 -94,870 26,250 -22,996,214 -13,583,134 118,420 -6,213,657 -20,793,510 -947,790 -1,699,250 1,082 644,546.00 -150 5,550 -21,549 13,785,398.5) -76,027,815 -172,560 -
ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ASIABEST GROUP ATN HLDG A AYALA CORP AYALA LAND LOG COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG
0.58 44.2 7.11 0.55 6.1 7.58 0.47 597 1.68 4.98 4.4 9.2 498 3.95 53.85 5.5 5.01 0.445 2.8 7.86 0.475 2.77 2.71 0.73 100.2 858 0.63 0.98 166 145.1 0.173 0.132
0.59 44.2 7.2 0.55 6.1 7.93 0.47 606 1.72 4.99 4.45 9.2 513 3.95 54.5 6.28 5.01 0.45 2.83 7.88 0.5 2.77 2.71 0.74 100.4 863 0.72 0.98 168 145.1 0.174 0.137
0.56 43.1 7.1 0.53 6 7.26 0.455 576 1.61 4.85 4.38 9 480 3.94 53.3 5.5 5.01 0.435 2.78 7.63 0.46 2.62 2.4 0.73 98 845 0.61 0.98 162.1 136.2 0.172 0.132
HOLDING FIRMS 0.59 7,244,000 43.25 1,030,900 7.13 2,621,400 0.55 15,000 39,000 6 7.77 17,300 0.465 880,000 606 433,730 1.71 3,394,000 4.95 722,000 4.41 3,452,000 9 11,200 494 139,620 3.95 9,000 53.3 1,378,640 6.28 6,100 5.01 1,300 0.45 40,000 2.78 1,903,000 7.64 1,315,500 0.495 2,250,000 2.72 35,387,000 2.65 42,000 0.74 190,000 100 471,110 845 324,100 0.72 54,000 0.98 2,000 162.1 720 144.2 26,320 0.172 430,000 0.137 170,000
4,188,780 ( 44,847,030 18,688,579 8,230 235,240 128,367 402,850 258,158,345 5,671,290 3,571,690 15,239,660 100,920 69,123,788 35,480 73,822,594.50 33,628 6,513 17,800 5,307,690 10,155,906 1,108,750 95,295,530 109,670 139,800 46,640,539 ( 275,826,335 33,810 1,960 119,190 3,776,404 74,210 22,590
606,890.0001) -20,450,275 -7,323,941 211,000 80,277,145 77,020 -2,004,920 -2,342,340 1,800 -16,385,322 -47,907,757 -207,430 -7,080,869 -785,000 2,763,160 25,175,421.5) -82,957,980 -3,201,457 -
11.58 0.54 9 1.04 0.54 30.5 1.35 4 0.36 0.7 0.71 0.28 6.9 15.86 0.285 0.93 0.8 2.73 0.141 0.81 1.74 14.54 1.5 2.62 30.5
PROPERTY 11.58 160,200 0.55 2,907,000 9.09 1,000 1.05 75,000 0.55 752,000 31.1 11,689,400 1.35 72,000 4.03 596,000 0.365 1,890,000 0.72 21,000 0.74 15,000 0.28 250,000 6.9 190,200 16.1 275,000 0.3 50,000 0.93 14,995,000 0.8 139,000 2.82 15,684,000 0.145 4,240,000 0.85 1,412,000 1.77 11,000 15.7 2,417,100 1.52 37,000 2.71 9,000 31.5 7,963,000
8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL INFRADEV PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG
11.8 0.55 9 1.06 0.54 31.75 1.37 4.03 0.365 0.72 0.71 0.28 6.97 16.3 0.285 0.96 0.84 2.82 0.143 0.82 1.74 15.28 1.5 2.62 31.95
11.8 0.56 9.09 1.06 0.55 32.05 1.37 4.17 0.365 0.72 0.74 0.28 7 16.38 0.3 0.97 0.84 2.84 0.145 0.85 1.77 15.8 1.53 2.71 31.95
VOLUME
VALUE
NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP
NAME
NAME
HIGH
LOW
CLOSE
VOLUME
VALUE
STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS
1.95 1.26 4.12 3.61
1.95 1.27 4.3 4.03
1.87 1.21 4.06 3.61
1.9 1.27 4.15 3.9
88,000 1,865,000 1,786,000 288,000
165,380 2,311,710 7,457,280 1,095,610
2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL ALLHOME APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC DITO CME HLDG EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER ISLAND INFO LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PH RESORTS GRP PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT
6.2 17.38 1.14 5.95 0.325 0.04 15.9 2.21 6 0.032 51.8 6.01 2.96 2.82 2.13 5.3 2,220 4.98 330 0.98 1.12 82 0.082 12.5 1.42 0.87 5.02 0.39 1.53 1.88 1.77 10.26 1.75 1.7 7.19 3.3 130 2.38 1,132 0.32 0.214 46.2 62.7 1.33 0.39 0.18 0.46 14.9
6.24 17.38 1.25 6.35 0.325 0.04 15.9 2.38 6.08 0.035 53.5 6.01 3.2 2.95 2.35 5.3 2,220 4.98 330 0.99 1.45 82.95 0.086 12.5 1.44 0.87 5.1 0.39 1.56 1.99 1.9 10.26 1.82 1.7 7.2 3.44 135 2.69 1,165 0.33 0.22 47.5 62.7 1.33 0.395 0.184 0.46 15.08
6.11 17.08 1.14 5.54 0.3 0.04 15.9 2.21 5.94 0.032 51.8 6.01 2.96 2.8 2.13 5.09 2,154 4.95 320 0.87 1.12 79.95 0.082 11.94 1.4 0.87 4.88 0.365 1.53 1.81 1.77 10.24 1.69 1.68 6.8 3.06 130 2.35 1,120 0.315 0.21 46.2 60.95 1.26 0.37 0.176 0.42 14.46
SERVICES 6.15 17.28 1.25 6.2 0.315 0.04 15.9 2.37 5.99 0.034 52.85 6.01 3.2 2.95 2.33 5.1 2,180 4.95 330 0.92 1.45 80.45 0.086 12.5 1.42 0.87 5.04 0.365 1.55 1.86 1.9 10.24 1.81 1.68 7.2 3.06 135 2.69 1,150 0.315 0.215 46.5 61.4 1.28 0.38 0.184 0.45 15
40,300 77,800 21,000 4,373,400 650,000 600,000 800 49,000 17,287,900 6,700,000 96,370 500 2,908,000 86,000 107,448,000 12,300 37,850 153,000 590 2,736,000 40,000 619,780 140,000 1,400 280,000 13,000 7,461,000 370,000 1,143,000 8,218,000 72,000 2,500 2,671,000 45,000 21,900 75,000 50 3,307,000 166,680 5,810,000 2,880,000 4,905,000 481,680 3,133,000 42,680,000 3,440,000 240,000 2,142,900
247,955 1,338,398 25,640 26,866,666 201,550 24,000 12,720 108,960 104,182,444 222,500 5,088,239.50 3,005 8,999,690 246,310 238,511,890 62,989 82,782,610 758,030 190,000 2,546,190 50,060 50,010,507 11,640 17,444 397,960 11,310 37,362,000 137,950 1,769,740 15,381,010 133,390 25,640 4,710,790 75,620 155,052 239,330 6,600 8,468,080 189,209,720 1,852,850 622,290 229,292,360 29,588,002.50 4,035,370 16,358,300 620,320 108,000 31,716,112
ABRA MINING ACE ENEXOR APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK BENGUET A CENTURY PEAK COAL ASIA HLDG DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A MANILA MINING A MANILA MINING B MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON
0.001 6.48 0.9 1.9 11 0.95 2.73 0.21 7.14 0.76 0.195 0.08 0.0066 0.0071 0.55 1.72 0.95 0.495 0.0085 0.0083 2.11 4.2 12.98 0.004
0.0011 6.85 0.93 1.9 11 1.12 2.75 0.21 7.15 0.79 0.195 0.08 0.0066 0.0071 0.57 1.74 0.99 0.52 0.0095 0.0083 2.23 4.89 12.98 0.0042
0.001 6.2 0.89 1.9 10.5 0.95 2.73 0.2 6.76 0.74 0.193 0.079 0.0065 0.0071 0.55 1.69 0.95 0.495 0.0085 0.0083 2.1 4.18 12.6 0.004
MINING & OIL 0.001 40,000,000 6.74 203,500 0.91 1,096,000 1.9 5,000 10.5 80,400 1.1 49,000 2.75 300,000 0.2 1,040,000 6.97 1,200 0.78 5,223,000 0.195 130,000 0.08 5,060,000 0.0065 68,000,000 0.0071 1,000,000 0.57 167,000 1.71 6,781,000 0.95 114,000 0.52 190,000 0.0095 8,000,000 0.0083 1,000,000 2.23 349,000 4.81 4,841,000 12.76 723,800 0.0042 6,000,000
41,800 1,332,397 987,630 9,500 854,360 52,610 822,180 211,140 8,263 4,012,090 25,320 404,360 442,500 7,100 93,860 11,617,680 108,700 95,225 72,000 8,300 760,450 21,959,400 9,232,094 24,600
14,344 297,000 274,590 -7,750 -7,171,780 -359,050 292,410 2,278,842 -
ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2R CPG PREF A DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 4 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I
16.2 500 490 99.5 97.5 102.3 499.8 4.87 977 96 99.9 1,009 98.5 995 76 74.2 75 74.3 74 74.25
16.2 500 495 99.5 97.5 102.3 500 4.89 977 96 100 1,013 98.5 1,000 76.1 74.2 75.5 74.35 75 75
15.7 500 490 98.5 97.1 102.3 499.8 4.87 977 96 99.9 1,006 98.5 995 76 74.2 75 74.3 73.8 74.25
PREFERRED 16.2 9,200 500 20 495 300 98.5 3,300 97.5 48,870 102.3 1,000 500 410 4.89 5,000 977 500 96 360 100 3,000 1,013 170 98.5 1,000 1,000 14,840 76 22,340 74.2 3,450 75.5 29,510 74.35 1,300 75 23,650 75 274,310
147,540 10,000 148,000 327,420 4,754,570 102,300 204,950 24,410 488,500 34,560 299,965 171,345 98,500 14,807,480 1,698,034 255,990 2,220,005 96,605 1,762,838 20,570,195
29,850 486,000 24,960 -
LR WARRANT
0.75
0.81
0.7
WARRANTS 0.81 84,000
63,560
MS 1,868,374 1,599,560 9,045 78,930 409,140 365,100,300 98,490 2,399,380 687,000 15,100 11,040 70,000 1,321,824 4,391,930 14,850 14,110,390 111,400 43,676,110 606,410 1,179,170 19,200 37,527,704 55,750 24,300 248,690,115
71,222 -50,567,200 -43,790 -1,094,770 1,420 -118,930 -1,729,852 -9,610,200 -1,247,040 -10,200 8,899,532 -67,665,470
NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP
OPEN
ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS
1.68 6.2 0.57
2.05 6.35 0.59
1.63 6.16 0.55
FIRST METRO ETF
87.6
89
86.3
USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2
9.9 9.65 0.88
9.9 9.65 0.88
9.9 9.65 0.88
Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL
SHARES 9,063,198
137,196,263
HOLDING FIRMS
64,383,754
PROPERTY
75,074,371
SERVICES
235,411,639
MINING & OIL
150,361,016
GRAND TOTAL
703,699,743
2.05 6.35 0.59
SME
28,822,000 34,900 3,313,000
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 86.3 33,130 9.9 9.65 0.88
DDS
5,000 4,000 400
316,680 -1,240 -90,230 7,926,924 3,180 27,301,038 -1,394,551 -41,480 9,302,380 -30,730,660 -82,880 -9,804,754.50 -22,558,630 -210,580 20,000 13,000 2,600 26,900 69,588,950 157,500 14,546,550 -10,000,978 -1,377,970 -11,933,300 -24,990 12,547,902
-
52,818,790 217,607 1,898,400
395,910 3,105 -6,160
2,883,444.50
61,120
49,500 38,600 352
-
VALUE 1,222.56 (down) 13.16 504,985,128.37 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 7,445.67 (down) 121.15 1,115,459,203.98 HOLDING FIRMS 5,686.06 (down) 45.66 960,205,184.90 PROPERTY 2,932.17 (down) 31.52 1,299.23 (up) 4.39 901,131,396.72 SERVICES MINING & OIL 4,781.10 (up) 92.88 1,162,324,893.574 PSEI 5,733.65 (down) 56.32 53,200,094.574 All Shares Index 3,473.90 (down) 18.53 4,755,135,011.59 Gainers: 109; Losers: 83; Unchanged: 44; Total: 236
Megawide set to build more Metro Manila hospital hubs By Jenniffer B. Austria MEGAWIDE Construction Corp. fielded volunteer employees and subcontractors to build emergency quarantine facilities for major hospitals in Metro Manila. Megawide said Monday it sent out volunteers, including engineers, electricians, plumbers and carpenters, to help construct quarantine facilities designed by architect William Ti of WTA Architecture and Design Studio at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) and the Fe Del Mundo Medical Center (FDMMC). Megawide is also building quarantine facility units for Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital (DJNRMH) and Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC). The quarantine facilities will help decongest major hospitals in Metro Manila dealing with COVID-19 cases. “The emergency quarantine facilities are part of the company’s efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak,” said Eric Tan, Megawide deputy chief for construction. “Our staff have committed to volunteer for a total of 12 days to build the EQFs, and we finished construction of the EQFS for FDMMC and NKTI on Day 5. We are targeting to complete construction for the DJNRMH and CSMC EQFs by Day 10,” Tan added. Each quarantine facility measures 3.1 meters tall, 26 meters long, and six meters wide, and can hold 15 beds and two toilets. The facilities will be used to accommodate persons under investigation who need to be quarantined but can no longer be admitted by hospitals. The facilities are designed with different entrances for patients and healthcare workers, with doctors having their own external testing box to check patients without having to go inside the quarantine area. Megawide will erect additional quarantine facilities in other Metro Manila hospitals in partnership with other organizations. Meanwhile, Megawide, through the Megawide Foundation, donated muchneeded medical supplies to COVIDexclusive facilities and hospitals in its host communities. “To date we have donated alcohol, face masks, face shields, and protective suits to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, Taytay Emergency Center, San Juan Medical Center, and San Juan de Dios Hospital. We have also donated a disinfection chamber to the Quezon City government,” he said.
BDO Leasing reversed to net profit of P83m in first quarter BDO Leasing and Finance Inc., the leasing unit of BDO Unibank Inc., recorded a net income of P83 million in the first quarter of 2020, a reversal from a P24-million loss year-on-year. BDO Leasing attributed the turnaround to successful measures it undertook to address margin compression that dragged down financial results in 2019. Gross revenues in the first three months amounted to P696 million, while total expenses dropped 30 per cent to P569 million, largely due to the 52-percent decline in interest and financing charges as funding costs normalized. Earlier this year, BDO Leasing’s parent announced it signed an agreement to sell a controlling stake in BDO Leasing to a third party as part of the bank’s bid to restructure the leasing business. The sale transaction is subject to closing conditions and approval of regulatory authorities. BDO Leasing is the leasing and financing entity of BDO Unibank, which provides customers with direct leases, real estate leases, sale and leaseback arrangements as well as receivables factoring. It also provides operating leases through wholly-owned subsidiary BDO Rental Inc. BDO Leasing and Finance is among the industry’s dominant players in terms of total assets, capitalization and profitability.
Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com
A8
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020
Business
Data revisions raised 2019 GDP expansion to 6% THE overall revision and rebasing of the Philippine System of National Accounts from 2000 to 2018 resulted in higher gross domestic product growth figures over the past two decades. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the 2019 GDP growth was revised from an initial estimate of 5.9 percent to 6.0 percent, as it adopted the 2018 as the new base year, instead of 2000. This means the 2019 GDP growth fell within the government’s growth target of 6 percent to 7 percent for the year. GDP refers to the monetary value of all final goods and services produced within the economy in a given period. The PSA also updated the annual GDP growth to 6.3 percent in 2018, 6.9 percent in 2017, 7.1 percent in 2016 and 6.3 percent in 2015. Data showed that under the 2018 base year, the annual growth rates from 2000 to 2019 averaged 5.5 percent, higher than the 5.4-percent under the 2000 base year. The PSA said it revised and rebased the national income accounts to capture changes and trends in the current economic structure, particularly the digitalization of the economy, the rise of global production networks and buying chains and agglomeration economies. The PSA is expected to release the official first-quarter GDP figures next month which would partially reflect the Luzon-wide lockdown imposed starting March 16 amid the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The International Monetary Fund reduced its 2020 growth forecast for the Philippines to 0.6 percent from a previous estimate of 6.3 percent after the debilitating impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 on the economy. IMF resident representative to the Philippines Yongzheng Yang, however, said economic growth would likely rebound strongly to 7.6 percent next year. “Real GDP growth in 2020 is projected to slow down to 0.6 percent before it rebounds to 7.6 percent in 2021. The downward revision of the 2020 growth forecast is mostly attributable to supply disruptions related to COVID-19 and weaker demand in the Philippines’ major trading partners,” Yang said following the release of the World Economic Outlook in April 2020.
VILLAR GROUP’S ASSISTANCE. The Philippine General Hospital receives a disinfecting apparatus from the Villar Group for use of the hospital, as cleared by the Department of Health. The Villar Group led by businessman Manuel Villar also installed disinfecting apparatus at the Bataan General Hopital and the PICC Quarantine Facility, which the group converted, along with the Department of Public Works and Highways and EEI Corp. Nine other hospitals also received the disinfecting apparatus, including RITM in Alabang, Las Piñas General Hospital and Don Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan, Rizal Medical Center in Pasig, Quirino Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center and Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City and San Lazaro Hospital and Santa Ana Hospital in Manila.
Ayala consolidates utility and transport businesses C By Jenniffer B. Austria
ONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. is consolidating its energy, water and transport and logistics businesses under AC Energy Inc. to create a sizeable and agile platform that will boost its foothold in the physical infrastructure space.
Ayala Corp. said Monday “The energy and infrain a disclosure to the stock exstructure platform emerges change wholly-owned AC Enas one of the major pillars of ergy Inc. would be renamed Ayala, along with real estate, AC Energy and Infrastructure banking, and telecommuniCorp. to house listed compacations,” he said. nies AC Energy Philippines Ayala Corp. president Inc. and Manila Water ComFernando Zobel de Ayala pany Inc. and unlisted unit AC said the consolidation Infrastructure Holdings Corp. could generate a host of “We believe that consoli- Fernando Zobel de Ayala opportunities for various dating our various infrainfrastructure businesses. structure interests creates a formi- He said the group would continue dable platform with a strong balance the rapid expansion of AC Energy sheet and allows Ayala to participate in the renewables space and scale in the many opportunities in infra- up investments in transport and structure development in a more sig- logistics. nificant way,” Ayala chairman and It will also continue to invest significhief executive Jaime Augusto Zobel cantly in the water sector to ensure long de Ayala said. term water sustainability and reliability.
DOF expects ‘very bad’ tax haul in April
BACK TO NORMAL.
Operational levels at the Manila International Container Terminal return to normal levels led by the efforts of port stakeholders. Overall terminal utilization is now under 67 percent and reefer utilization at under 65 percent, with cargo pullouts during the enhanced community quarantine peaking last week.
Experts ask Asian ministers to back tobacco harm reduction A PANEL of experts asked the ministers of nine Asia-Pacific countries to restate tobacco harm reduction as a core policy in the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to be held in The Hague, Netherlands in November this year. The Expert Advisory Group of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates reminded the health, commerce/trade, tourism and finance ministers of the nine countries that the WHO-FCTC had repeatedly failed to pursue its mandate of identifying tobacco harm reduction as a core tobacco control policy. The CAPHRA experts sent the letter to the top ministers of Australia, Hong
Ayala has a well-diversified infrastructure portfolio. Ayala has one of the fastest growing regional energy platforms with nearly 2000 megawatts of capacity in renewable and conventional power. AC Infra, meanwhile, has investments in mass transportation, mobility and logistics. The group recently formed a partnership with ports tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. as to be strategic investor in Manila Water. The transaction will bring P10.7 billion in fresh funds for Manila Water, which will support its capital spending program to improve the water and wastewater distribution system in Metro Manila’s east zone concession. Aside from Metro Manila East Zone concession, Manila Water also operates and develops various water, wastewater and other related assets in the Southeast Asian region including Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. It is constantly on the lookout for opportunities in the region. Share price of Ayala Corp. rose 1.5 percent Monday to P606.
Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand where cigarette smoking continues to cause deaths and diseases among large segments of their population. The panel of experts said more than a decade of evidence has established the potential of innovative technology-aided THR products such as snus, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes and electronically-heated or heat-not-burn tobacco products to combat the rise of combustible tobacco use and its associated harm. Experts said these less harmful smoke-free products offer smokers the best way to quit. This is because it has been known for decades that tar, and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke,
cause the death and disease associated with smoking, and not nicotine. “Governments continue to implement policy measures that are harming the potential for current tobacco consumers to switch to reduced risk modes of consumption of nicotine. Consumers are forced to ‘accelerate’ their harm rather than reduce them because of the restrictive options bestowed by these policies and the lack of widely available information from trusted sources,” the experts said. The experts said that across developing countries, national initiatives to promote access and affordable harm reduction tools for diverse tobacco consumers including women and vulnerable populations were negligible or woefully lacking.
FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Monday he expects a “very bad” tax collection performance this month amid the implementation of enhanced community quarantine in Luzon that was extended until April 30. “[We] will issue soon the preliminary figures up to 4/15 [April 15]. As you can imagine, they will be very bad,” Dominguez said in a message to reporters. Data showed that actual collections by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs declined by P10.17 billion in the first quarter to P600.86 billion from a year ago because of the Luzon lockdown which paralyzed businesses. The Finance Department also extended the deadlines for tax amnesty and filing of income tax returns until April 30. It issued Revenue Regulations No. 10-2020, further extending filing deadlines to submit or file necessary documents and/or pay taxes required under the Tax Code of 1997, as amended, following President Rodrigo Duterte’s extension of the ECQ period in Luzon. The new regulations amended Section 2 of RR No. 7-2020, which was issued earlier to implement the provision in Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act extending various tax return deadlines that fell due during the original ECQ period. RR 10-2020 also extends the filing, submission and payment of various forms and requirements into May and June 2020. For example, the filing and payment of annual income tax returns was pushed down to May 30 from the earlier extended deadline of May 15. Julito G. Rada
Peso stable despite rising global risks, COVID-19 By Julito G. Rada THE peso remained firm and nearly steady from its 2019 year-end level despite the rising risks in the global economy heightened by the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 and the collapse of global stock markets. The Finance Department said in an economic bulletin that the peso as of April 15 ranked third among the three currencies in Southeast Asia that maintained their value against the US dollar since the start of the year. “During the year, the peso appreciated by 0.04 percent relative to the US dollar, ranking third behind the Japanese yen which appreciated by 2.05 percent and Hong Kong dollar which appreciated by 1.28 percent. All the other currencies depreciated against the US dollar,” the agency said. It said the peso-dollar exchange rate remained stable throughout the period, with a coefficient of variation of 0.26 percent which ranked first among 12 regional currencies. It was also lower than the 1.94 percent Asian average. “The main reasons for the peso’s growing strength and stability are the country’s strong balance-of-payments position and rising gross international reserves,” the department said. “Strong foreign exchange inflows from exports of services, remittances, income from investments abroad, direct foreign investments and foreign borrowing all contributed to the strong BOP position. These in turn boosted the confidence in the Philippine peso,” it said. It said the exchange rate adjusted for the GDP price deflator is significantly correlated to the size of the BOP surplus relative to GDP and the size of the GIR relative to imports of goods and services. The Philippines posted a balance of payments surplus of $7.844 billion in 2019, representing 2.2 percent of GDP, the highest since 2012.
IN BRIEF AC Energy eyes profit despite virus outbreak
LISTED AC Energy Philippines Inc. plans to post a positive bottom line this year despite the coronavirus pandemic through an aggressive expansion program and improved operational efficiencies. ACEPH, controlled by the Ayala Group, posted a net loss of P417 million in 2019 after the company underwent a transformation through the acquisition of Phinma Group’s energy assets and the sale of some of its thermal assets. “We expect the turnaround initiative to prosper and are aiming for a positive bottom line by 2020,” ACEPH chief executive officer Eric Francia said. “While we are facing significant challenges amidst the current crisis, the company remains solid and steadfast in its commitment to a sustainable future,” Francia said. He said ACEPH would continue to expand and diversify its capacity. It aims to build power generation capacity to over 1,500 megawatts this year and significantly increase the output renewable energy. Alena Mae S. Flores
MICT operations back to normal, says ICTSI
INTERNATIONAL Container Terminals Services Inc. said operational levels at the Manila International Container Terminal have returned to normal as utilization rate is now at under 67 percent. The port operator owned by business tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. said MICT’s reefer utilization stood at under 65 percent, with cargo pullouts during the enhanced community quarantine peaking last week. The pullouts last week do not include numerous containers of unclaimed cargo, carefully transferred to other yards and facilitated by the Bureau of Customs and the Philippine Ports Authority. Moreover, all incoming ships are able to dock as scheduled, with no waiting time. “Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our frontline employees and many port stakeholders, the terminal has been able to pull off this feat. Efforts should continue, however, to ensure that we have no repeat of the dangerously low level of pullouts we experienced at the end of March and in early April,” said Christian Gonzalez, ICTSI executive vice president. “The statistics have proven that government implemented exemptions for cargo and penalties for overstayers worked and that these, along with the efforts of importers, have avoided the unmanageable consequences we would have had if we did not respond as we did,” he said. Darwin G. Amojelar
PAFMIL seeks more orderly food delivery
THE Philippine Association of Flour Millers cited a need for a more systematic program to deliver food aid to the needy and to those who are temporarily jobless. The group said the only way to relieve pangs of hunger of the poorest in this unusual time of enhanced community quarantine was to provide food or the means to acquire food. The most severely affected by the quarantine was the small and medium enterprises, which were forced to stop operations and lay off employees, PAFMIL said. PAFMIL proposed the reopening of these businesses, especially those in processing and trading to ensure the availability of basic food items in the supply chain. It also suggested that government relief agencies and LGUs procure relief goods from the SMEs that are willing to sell at factory prices, while allowing the entrepreneurs to operate and provide employment to laid-off workers. “We also suggest that farmers and farm workers be exempt from quarantine rules as farmers need to tend to their farms to ensure the productive yields to their efforts,” it said. Othel V. Campos
Fil-Am Green skips college, picks different path to NBA
Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020
By Peter Atencio FILIPINO-AMERICAN Jalen Green, a top high school prospect in next year’s National Basketball Association draft, feels that developing his leadership skills against more experienced players is among that things that he needs to grow on. Being a leader on court will prepare Green for bigger challenges when he turns professional. “I have to be a leader,” said the 18-year-old prospect from Merced, California. Last week, the 6’5” Green, whose great grandfather is Filipino and traces his roots to Ilocos Sur, signed a contract with the NBA G League for the 2020–21 season, and his decision will have him bypassing a chance to play college basketball in the United States. He recently talked about his decision following an online interview aired on DZMM. “I’m preparing myself to be strong, and a be leader,” added Green. This makes him the first player to take part in the G League’s professional pathway, a one-year development program outside the US basketball’s traditional team structure, which pays elite prospects over $500,000. In the last three years, Green has visited the Philippines twice (2018 and 2019), playing for US-based teams which saw in action in the SM-National Basketball Training Center of coach Eric Altamirano. And in those last three years, Green said he had always been working on his game. “I have been working a lot. I have been in the gym, working on my game,” said Green. Green’s decision comes at a time when NBA commissioner Adam Silver and G League president Shareef AbdurRahim have been working to eliminate two big hurdles to convincing players who are not seeking a future in college basketball an alternative. The league reportedly offers $125,000 contracts to elite players. Aside from Green, another top prospect Isaiah Todd, also signed up to play in the NBA G League for next season. Both players will join a new team G League team which has no affiliation with any existing NBA G League franchise or NBA team. They will play a limited schedule of about 20 games instead of being on the regular 50-game G League schedule. The G League is also said to be pursuing other top high school seniors, including 6-foot-9 Texas forward Greg Brown and 7-1 center Kai Sotto, of the Philippines. Green is an explosive and charismatic combo guard out of Napa Valley (CA) Prolific Prep. He represents the United States internationally but has also shown interest in playing for the Philippines in the future due to his Filipino background. He made his national team debut for the United States at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Formosa, Argentina. In five games, he averaged 9.8 points, two rebounds and one steal per game, helping his team win the gold medal. He was named MVP of the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup in Argentina after averaging a team-high 15.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game and winning the gold medal. Green also won another gold medal with the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Heraklion, Greece. As the youngest member of his team, he averaged 10.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
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THE LAST DANCE. ESPN and Netflix on Monday began streaming the first two parts of their highly anticipated 10-part Documentary Series ‘The Last Dance.’ It features Michael Jordan (above) and the Chicago Bulls’ quest for a sixth NBA Championship in 1998 is produced by Mandalay Sports Media, in association with NBA Entertainment and Jump 23.
Sports Vargas named PBA’s nd top exec a 2 time R
ICKY Vargas was elected to a third consecutive term as chairman of the league’s 45th season of the Philippine Basketball Association due to his brand of leadership, bringing stability to the board for the last two years.
After earning the confidence anew of the entire Board during its annual planning session last January, Vargas, representing the TnT Katropa, became the first to serve as chairman for three straight terms since Luis ‘Moro’ Lorenzo Sr. of Pepsi from 1991 to 1993. Vargas earned the respect of his peers with his cool and calm demeanor but strong-minded will that helped the board work as a collective unit again and steer the league to better times. The tremendous work done by the TnT Katropa executive earned him the unanimous choice as the Danny Floro Executive of the Year by the PBA Press Corps. Vargas, the former Philippine Olympic Committee president, was supposed to be feted with the award last March 16 at the Novotel Manila
in Araneta Center, but the event presented by Cignal was indefinitely postponed for a later date following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. This is the second time Vargas will be honored with the award named after the late affable team owner Valeriano ‘Danny’ Floro of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers. Vargas, who is also chief of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, first won the award handed out by the men and women regularly covering the PBA beat during the 2006-07 season. Past recipients of the prestigious honor include San Miguel team owner Ramon S. Ang, MVP counterpart Manny V. Pangilinan, Alaska boss Wilfred Uytengsu, Rain or Shine co-
Ricky Vargas
team owners Raymund Yu and Terry Que, to name a few. Elmer Yanga, the amiable team manager of the RFM franchise in the 90s, was the first recipient of the award, winning the honor during its first three years from 1993 to 1995. SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua was the last to be conferred with the title in 2018.
Koepka: Playing without fans will be weird LOS ANGELES—World number three Brooks Koepka is bracing for a “weird” experience of playing golf tournaments without fans as the US PGA Tour eyes a return to competition in June. “It’s going to be so weird, man,” Koepka said on the Pardon My Take sports podcast on the prospect of playing without galleries because of continuing coronavirus concerns. “The energy that the fans bring, that’s what we all live for, we all strive for,” Koepka said. “You want to play coming down the stretch and have everyone cheering for you. Imagine this: you sink the putt on the last hole and no one’s clapping. You’re just there by yourself, and you’re like ‘Yes!’ Just you, your caddie and just silence.” Lack of a gallery could have a more concrete effect as well, Koepka said. “Every once in a while, we just hit
some foul balls and the fans kind of help you find it,” he said. “I mean, guys are going to lose balls because of that.” Koepka’s comments came a day
Brooks Koepka
before the US PGA Tour said Thursday it is targeting a June 11 restart at Colonial Country Club in Texas, the first of four tournaments that will be played without fans in attendance. The RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, and the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit are scheduled to follow. In announcing the revised schedule to a season halted after the first round of the Players Championship on March 12, tour commissioner Jay Monahan said officials would follow the guidance of local and state health authorities. “The health and safety of all associated with the PGA Tour and our global community continues to be our number one priority, and our hope is to play a role—responsibly—in the world’s return to enjoying the things we love,” Monahan said. AFP
Social distancing takes a hit as Taiwan baseball teams brawl TAIPEI—Playing to empty stadiums, Taiwan has managed to keep its baseball league running during the coronavirus pandemic—but social distancing went out of the window on Sunday when a game descended into an on-field brawl. The island has been held up as a model for how to battle the virus outbreak. Despite its close proximity and economic links with China, it has just 422 confirmed cases and six deaths. As a measure of its success, Taiwan has one of the few professional sports leagues in the world still operating, and a new international audience starved of games back home. But on Sunday night, fans following on TV watched as the Rakuten Monkeys against Fubon Guardians erupted in a bench-clearing brawl. The melee broke out after Fubon pitcher Henry Sosa hit in-fielder Kuo Yen-wen in the hip with an inside ball, the fourth inside pitch at Kuo. “There are some tempers exploding out there right now,” an Englishspeaking commentator said on Eleven Sports Taiwan, which has started broadcasting Rakuten Monkeys home games in English worldwide. “For our international viewers, you need to understand that this never really happens in the CPBL,” he added, referring to the league’s formal name. “It’s usually a very conservative league. They don’t even argue balls or strikes or outs very often.” Taiwan’s new baseball season opened last weekend —although fans are not allowed into the stands in a bid to keep infections down. Rakuten made headlines after they unveiled a troupe of robots to bang drums and mannequins to stand it for real fans. Eleven Sports Taiwan said it had close to a million views during two games live-streamed with English commentary last week. Many other sports leagues have tough decisions to make on whether and when to let new seasons begin during the ongoing pandemic. Pro baseball leagues in South Korea and Japan are targeting starts in May and June respectively after delays. But the US Major League Baseball (MLB) may cancel the 2020 season altogether as America’s coronavirus deaths soar past 40,000. AFP
Team Lakay vows to regain lost belts in 2020 By Paul David Gelario MEMBERS of Team Lakay started strong this year as they found their rhythm early and asserted dominance in the cage, finishing in lopsided fights or submission. When Team Lakay’s hopes of title redemption slowly saw the light of day, COVID-19 suddenly entered the picture and gave new challenges to the team. “The main challenge that we are having now due to the lockdown is that we can’t have our regular training at the gym and outdoor,” Team Lakay’s coach, Mark Sangiao said. “Our communication is limited and you know, communication over cups of coffee or simply in the sauna room after training is very important for a team like us. That’s the downside.” In the ONE Fire & Fury held in Manila
last January, four Team Lakay bets won their respective fights, with reigning ONE Strawweight champion, Joshua Pacio winning via a split decision, Danny Kingad and Gina Iniong taking unanimous decisions, and Lito Adiwang submitting his opponent in only three minutes. To preserve the team’s winning momentum, Sangiao said that he still mentors the team and constantly gives reminders in a group chat. “We have our group chat and we constantly discuss there if needed and I give my reminders there, too. For home training routines, they are all professionals, so they know what to work on, unless I need to give them specific orders or they ask me to,” he said. This year has been a rollercoaster ride so far as disasters struck one after another, but Team Lakay fighter and for-
mer ONE Flyweight Champion, Geje Eustaquio remains hopeful this year will be better and perhaps add more championship belts to the team. “The year 2020 is not yet over, I want to stay positive. Half of the year is not yet done, I believe this year will end with fireworks. I am looking forward to more competition before the year ends if God permits, we will have more championship belts in the mountains,” Eustaquio said. Team Lakay’s rising star Danny Kingad echoed the same sentiment and said he will seize every opportunity for a title fight. “Team Lakay will always look forward to have the belts back again. Personally, if ONE Championship will let me or schedule me for a title fight this 2020, I would really feel grateful. I once
Members of Team Lakay are shown here, namely (from left) Gina Iniong, former ONE Lightweight champion, Eduard Folayang, Team Lakay Coach, Mark Sangiao, former ONE Bantamweight champion Kevin Belingon and reigning ONE Strawweight champion, Joshua Pacio.
tried to get the belt, I am looking forSangiao concluded that the team is ward to have it soon. For now, I have to determined to reclaim the belts and that train harder,” Kingad said. has been the team’s goal all the time.
Entertainment
Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com
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TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020
SHTICKS JOSEPH PETER GONZALES
MASK T IS A
MUST
‘FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano’ star Coco Martin and TV and social media personality Ivana Alawi are among the ABS-CBN talents who encourage people to wear face masks and observe social distancing.
HE cast of ABS-CBN television series FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, Love Thy Woman, 24/7, and Ang Lihim ni Ligaya reminded Filipinos to protect themselves by covering their faces if they need to go out in public and buy essential items amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Coco Martin and Yassi Pressman led the cast of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, along with John Prats, Bianca Manalo, Michael De Mesa, John Arcilla, Shaina Magdayao, Rowell Santiago Santiago, and Lorna Tolentino as part of the social media campaign #MasOkPag #MasOkPagNakaMask and ABS-CBN’s “Ligtas Pilipinas” advocacy. They are seen wearing white shirts and face masks in the photos marked with “Mask is a Must” published on Dreamscape Entertainment’s social media pages. “Stay at home, Kapamilya! But if you really need to go out, you should have a washable mask ready. Let’s do this to protect our families #LigtasPilipinas,” said the photos’ captions. Ivana Alawi, Angel Aquino, and Melissa Ricks also released tutorial videos for making do-it-yourself face masks and en encouraged netizens to do the same. Also joining the campaign are Love Thy Woman stars Yam Concepcion, Eula Valdes, Sunshine Cruz Cruz, Zsazsa Padilla, Jen Sevilla, David Chua Chua, MJ Cayabyab, Richard Juan, and Tim Yap, 24/7 stars JC Santos, Joross Gamboa Gamboa, Pen Medina, Joem Bascon, and Bodjie Pascual Pascual, and the cast of upcoming series Ang Lihim ni Ligaya cast’s Kit Thompson son, Agot Isidro, Ryle Santiago, and Hasna Cabral Cabral, among others. Last week, the government required all residents in areas affected by the enhanced community quarantine to wear masks or improvised face shields to reduce potential transmission of COVID-19.
HAD the president lifted the enhanced community quarantine last week, today, April 21, could have been our Day Seven. But with the extension of the ECQ to April 30, people will still have to stay home as the whole country continues its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Life in isolation and physical distancing has changed everything in the way we live and connect. In the midst of challenging times however, there is hope --- with increased recovery rate, increased capacity of health units to accommodate patients, and as the country begins its COVID-19 mass testing. Through these, Globe remains committed to standing with the Filipinos in this fight and shares its message of hope through a video that shows support and faith that we will all overcome this crisis: “Dyan ka muna. At dito ako. Magkalayo. Kasi close tayo.” (Link here for the video https://youtu.be/AZNnrEKbyJ4) The story talks about the “pain” that Filipinos are experiencing. Social and physical distancing, while a solution to help flatten the curve, continue to bring families and loved ones apart. The video attests to how Filipinos continue to show support to one another
TV HOST Robi Domingo gets reminded of Pinoy Big Brother because of the ongoing enhanced community quarantine. He weighs the similarities of ECQ to being inside the PBB house. “Because of the ECQ, memories of my life at the PBB House came back. It’s like all of us are housemates. Now, I feel my parents and siblings. It’s one good opportunity in which I can bond with them,” he shares during an episode of Myx Daily Top 10. The 30-year-old TV personality still can’t believe that a single virus could put the entire world on lockdown. During the first few days, he admits that he was perplexed and asked himself what’s happening. “It’s like a movie that turned into reality. Imagine, you can’t go out…you can’t visit the usual places you hang around and there’s physical distancing. But as days passed by, I thought that it’s indeed happening and we have to accept it,” Robi relates. As a result, Robi learns to value his family even more. He also starts to recognize those people whose works aren’t given much importance in ordinary times. “I learn to appreciate those people more. Take for instance, the barbers. You will realize their importance especially at this point when you just can’t go out to have a simple haircut because of the quarantine. There are also our helpers at home who are always serving you and see to it that your basic needs are met. I value them more now,” he says. “These days, even if you have money to spend on food, you can’t enjoy it because you can’t go out. Even if you have a car, you can’t roam around. At the end of the day, you will realize that your family is all that matters. All things lose their value but not your family who’s with you through thick and thin,” he adds. Meanwhile, Robi feels proud that he was able to exhibit his piano skills in one of the recent episodes of ASAP Natin ‘To where he even accompanied Sarah Geronimo in one production number. Little did people know, he started playing the instrument when he was just seven years old and only stopped because he got so immersed with his academics. “I saw the performance and I’m simply happy about it. It was a dream come true for me. I have to say that Sarah will be one of my favorite singers and personalities. I thought it would never happen but thanks to ASAP, one of my cherished dreams materialized,” Robi shares. *** In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Erik Santos realizes that material things are not the most important in life.
Heartwarming message of hope amid isolation Community and human connections prevail as Globe stands with Filipinos in this COVID-19 crisis with the premiere of a digital film that shares a heartwarming message.
ROBI
likens ECQ to being a PBB housemate Host and TV personality Robi Domingo weighs the similarities of the ongoing enhanced community quarantine to being inside the ‘Pinoy Big Brother’ house.
“It’s true. Because of this experience, my attachment to material things vanished. Even if you have lots of money and you possess the most expensive things, it’s useless because you’re just at home,” the pop singer avers. Once the crisis is over, Erik vows to be more a more adventurous person and do things that he hasn’t done before. “Life is short so do whatever it is that you want to do.” The enhanced community quarantine has made Erik appreciate the importance of sharing quality time with his family. “After this phase, I want to invest in wonderful experiences in life. Like, cherish my relationships with my family and friends even more. It would also be nice to travel than to buy things which only give temporary happiness. While you have bought a lot of nice clothes and shoes, you can’t use them now because of the quarantine. So, I want something that will have a lasting memory in my heart and mind.” Erik admits that he also avoids reading or watching negative reports these days. He says it gives him peace of mind. “Our anxiety is too much. So, I just want to remain positive and calm,” ends Erik.
and become part of the communities they belong to. Human connections prevail as friends and families bond; show love and concern; trade stories, workout, dance, laugh and cry together albeit on virtual grounds. Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO assures customers, "While we go through this crisis together, Globe will do what it can to provide uninterrupted connectivity especially during these times.” Since the start of the ECQ, Globe has been supporting its customers with various solutions from free access to Covid-19 hotlines and government websites, free WiFi in hospitals, groceries and quarantine facilities, telemedicine services through KonsultaMD, mental health support through HOPELINE, humanitarian aid through Globe Rewards and up to 60-days credit extension for its postpaid mobile and broadband customers. Globe continues to respond to COVID-19 with initiatives for its customers to stay connected, informed and #SafeAtHome. For more information on how you can take part in #OneGlobeVsCOVID, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/SafeAtHome.
GMA Regional TV Live! brings fresh start to our mornings
For its pilot season, Balitang Bisdak Senior Correspondent Nikko Sereno takes the helm as host of GMA Regional TV Live!.
TELEVISION viewers in the regions have more reasons to “wake up to a new morning and get ready for a fresh start” with GMA Regional TV Live!. Airing weekdays at 8:00 a.m. via GMA Regional TV’s Central and Eastern Visayas channels, GMA Regional
TV Live! is hosted by GMA Regional TV Cebu’s pool of anchors and correspondents. The latest morning show boasts of segments that highlight positive features and stories of people, specifically that of Kapusong Bisdak or Cebuanos. For its pilot season, which started yesterday, April 20, Balitang Bisdak Senior Correspondent Nikko Sereno takes the helm as host of the program from GMA Cebu’s studio. Sereno brings with him years of experience in field reporting as he dishes out news and information to fuel the day of the viewers. In light of the enhanced community quarantine and in compliance to the strict observance of social distancing, Sereno will conduct the interviews on the hottest issues with featured movers and shakers in Cebu using video conference applications. Meanwhile, veteran news presenter Cecille Quibod-Castro handles one of the
show's major segments, "BizTalk." Here, Quibod-Castro candidly interviews celebrities and personalities to discuss latest trends and advocacies. On its pilot week, GMA Regional TV Live! gets to talk with various stars led by Dingdong Dantes, Alden Richards, Barbie Forteza, Bianca Umali, and Sanya Lopez. GMA Regional TV Live! also gives viewers the day’s weather with “Panahon Karon” to keep them updated. At the same time, viewers will see special features produced by RTV’s correspondents and video journalists all over the country. The morning program is produced by the same teams behind the top-rating and awardwinning newscast, GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak. Even when the key areas in the Philippines are under ECQ, GMA Regional TV has reaffirmed its commitment to deliver
news and other relevant updates, continuing to air all its regional newscasts—GMA Regional TV Balitang Amianan, GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak, GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas, and GMA Regional TV One Mindanao—from Monday to Friday at 5:00 p.m.. “Amid the health crisis we are facing today, we remain optimistic and continue to instill hope and inspiration among our viewers,” says GMA Regional TV Vice President and Head Oliver Amoroso. “While GMA Regional TV Live! has been in the pipelines as early as last year, we see this launch at this point as another opportunity to further serve our Kapuso in the regions by giving them more reasons to wake up each morning and start fresh. With years of delivering local news that matters, we are taking advantage of technology to bring more Serbisyong Totoo to our viewers in Central and Eastern Vi-
Veteran news presenter Cecille Quibod-Castro handles one of GMA Regional TV Live!'s major segments, 'BizTalk.'
sayas,” he ends. GMA Regional Live! airs weekdays at 8:00 a.m. on GMA Network’s regional channels GMA TV 7 Cebu, GMA TV 10 Tacloban, GMA TV 11 Bohol, and GMA TV 12 Ormoc.
Life
By Monica Sanchez
E
VERYONE reacts differently to stressful situations. Antoinette, who currently lives alone in her studio apartment since the pandemic has begun, tries to stay away as much as possible from the news. She still keeps herself updated by reading them, but she has to limit her exposure because after an hour or two of browsing and reading, she feels uneasy.
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Bernadette Lunas, Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020
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Keep calm
AT HOME COPING WITH COVID STRESS. One of the effective ways to deal with fear and anxiety during outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control and Precention said, is to focus on your well-being.
Don’t even get her started on reading comment threads on Facebook. That’s a whole other nightmare, she said. “I don’t have a problem with staying at home by myself, or reading the news in general. But after a few weeks in isolation, I feel lonely. Whenever I think about the uncertainty, of what’s going to happen tomorrow or next week or next month, I find it hard to sleep, let alone concentrate,” related Antoinette. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, how a person responds to outbreaks can depend on their background and the community they live in. Older people and those with chronic diseases may react strongly to the stress of the crisis, as well as children and teens, healthcare providers and first responders, and people with mental health conditions. Anxiety and fear are common reactions to diseases such as COVID-19, but there are ways to cope with stress during this time.
Take a break from the news The CDC advises turning off any sources of news for the meantime, including social media, as “hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.” Doesn’t feel like moving or doing something else? No problem. Breathe, meditate, sleep—all you need is a quiet space, close your eyes, and focus on yourself. Experts say let thoughts come to you, then let them pass. If you want to try meditation, check out free meditation apps for beginners and soothing music online to help get you started.
Take care of yourself Find a way to stay active while at home—it doesn’t have to be a rigid exercise, although that’s not a bad idea, it could be something as simple as stretching or lifting weights or jumping jacks—that will suit your level and preference. Look for exercise videos or tutorials online for guidance and motivation. A boost of happy hormones after exercising is guaranteed. Another way of taking care of yourself is by eating healthy, well-balanced meals. There’s a reason why snack and comfort foods—which are mostly loaded with salt or sugar or fat—are on the rise during this time: they provide comfort and relief in times of crisis,
Take a break from watching, listening, or reading the news as ‘hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.’
“it’s a feel-good food,” a registered dietitian said in an interview with Today. It also helps that chips and chocolates and cookies are shelf-stable. But while it’s not a crime to munch on chips, a healthy diet is particularly important today. With a virus as the enemy, a strong immune system is the best defense. Eat food items rich in vitamins and minerals, such as fruits and vegetables. It helps to have a structure when eating; stick to eating meals twice or thrice a day, not six or seven times a day. Don’t overeat. Eat snacks mindfully; preferably, don’t eat from the bag. Take vitamins and drink lots of water. Sleep.
Do something else To keep fear and anxiety from spiraling out of control, give yourself something else to do. Clean, declutter, and organize your things at home. Connect with loved ones online—creative ideas to do so include movie parties or playing online board games. Better still, learn a new skill. Learn how to play a musical instrument, try to draw or write poetry, enroll in online classes, watch countless tutorials and courses on the web.
Philips ramps up production of ventilators, other products Philips ramps up production of portable ventilators and other critical health technology products and solutions that help diagnose and treat coronavirus disease.
Health technology company Royal Philips has increased production of certain critical care products and solutions that help diagnose and treat patients with coronavirus disease. The current pandemic has significantly upped the demand for patient vital signs monitors and portable ventilators and medical consumables for noninvasive and invasive ventilation to treat a broad range of respiratory conditions. Earlier in March, Philips announced that it was ramping up the production of hospital ventilators. It also plans to double production within the next eight weeks and achieve a four-fold increase by the third quarter of 2020. The company is mobilizing its global supplier network to step up support and production. Philips has a global manufacturing footprint with final assembly sites in North America, Europe, and Asia. It also has a global network of certified materials and component suppliers. In line with the recent call to action by the International Chamber of Commerce and World Health Organiza-
tion, Philips is also calling on governments to facilitate enhanced access to critical materials and components by not imposing restrictions such as export controls and tariffs, and to provide help to accelerate logistics, as well as exemptions for critical suppliers from lockdown measures. “There is an unprecedented global demand for medical equipment to help diagnose and treat patients with COVID-19. We are working around the clock to double our hospital ventilator production within the next eight weeks,” said Frans van Houten, chief executive officer of Royal Philips. In its effort to cater to the demand for more critical health technology products, the company has hired additional manufacturing employees, added manufacturing lines, and increased number of shifts to 24/7. Further, Philips is working closely with its suppliers to secure materials supply, leveraging innovation capabilities to re-purpose adjacent product ranges to address the increased demand, and engaging with third party contract manufacturers.
Earth Day 2020: Pledge for the future
Pearl of the Philippines 2016 first runner-up Sade Nicha plants her own herbs and fruit to lessen her need of buying them in the market.
IN CELEBRATION of this year’s Earth Day on April 22, Discovery launches a campaign that encourages everyone to take action for the planet’s future even while at home. The #ActNow@Home urges individuals to do their part to address climate change. Individuals can share their efforts and challenge their friends to do the same by posting photo or video pledges on social media with the hashtag #ActNow@Home and #WorldIsOurs. BamBike founder Bryan McClelland and 2016 Pearl of the Philippines first runner-up Sade Nicha pledge to fight for a sustainable future. Filipino-American social entrepreneur
McClelland, through his socio-ecological enterprise, works with community members of Gawad Kalinga workers to build bicycles made of bamboo. “Bamboo may very well be the most useful plant on the planet,” he says in his video pledge. “It is one of our most important tools to mitigate climate change.” Meanwhile, eco warrior Nicha plants her own fruits and herbs as she believes that it helps in lessening her use of plastics compared to when she buys them from the market. “We can never reach total zero waste, but that is no reason to create zero action,” says the beauty queen.
BamBike founder Bryan McClelland partners with community workers to create eco-friendly bicycles using bamboo.
TECH & Gadgets
Riera U. Mallari, Editor
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TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020
PLDT donates 30 vehicles to AFP frontliners PLDT Inc. is turning over 30 of its service vehicles to the Armed Forces of the Philippines for its use in anti-COVID-19 operations. The vehicles include 14 Toyota Innova multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), 10 Toyota Avanza units (MPVs), 4 Isuzu mini trucks, and 2 Isuzu Crosswind crossover utility vehicles (XUV). Sixteen of the vehicles were delivered last week and the balance are scheduled for delivery this week. Of the 30 vehicles, seventeen have been assigned to the AFP health services —specifically the Health Service Command, the Office of the Surgeon General and the Military Treatment Facilities of the Army, Navy and Air Force. These units are providing health care support for troops that are deployed in checkpoints in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. The remaining 13 vehicles will be deployed to various senior offices such as the AFP Command Center, the Joint Task Force NCR, the Special Operations Command, AFP, the AFP Communications, Electronics and Information Systems Service and the AFP Civil Relations Service. PLDT and its wireless subsidiary has been providing communications support to the AFP and the Philippine National Police for their COVID operations. Earlier, Smart donated SIMs and load cards for more than 1,000 AFP personnel deployed in Metro Manila, to provide for their connectivity needs during the enhanced community quarantine. PLDT Enterprise has also provided 200 smartphones with free postpaid subscriptions for the use of AFP and PNP personnel manning about 60 checkpoints in Metro Manila. These smartphones will be used to access the Rapid Pass online application which is designed to facilitate movement of people through checkpoints in the National Capital Region. “Helping the country’s frontliners in the fight against COVID-19 is a key focus of our efforts during this health emergency. This includes keeping our frontliners safe and healthy. With more and more soldiers and policemen falling ill with the virus, we hope that these service vehicles will help the AFP Medical Corp to protect our men and women in uniform,” said PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.
Need a hug?
Facebook will give you one, to go with em ji update
In this photo illustration, the two new ‘care’ emojis which show support for the fight against Coronavirus, in Facebook and Messenger are displayed on the screen of an iPhone in Arlington, Virginia. The care Facebook emoji (L) has started appearing in Facebook’s main app. AFP
S
AN FRANCISCO —Facebook is reaching out to give the world a hug—in the form of an emoji people can share while staying safely apart.
The lineup of characters available to express feelings in the social network will be expanded next week to include a well-known round yellow cartoon face with arms that gently embrace a red heart. The move to express “care” adds to the existing emojis including the wellknown “like” button and more recent icons to express love, laughter, sadness, anger and awe. “We’re launching new care reactions on Facebook app and Messenger as a
way for people to share their support with one another during this unprecedented time,” spokesman Alexandru Voica said in a series of tweets Friday. “We hope these reactions give people additional ways to show their support during the #COVID19 crisis.” It has been about five years since Facebook expanded its emoji options for expressing feelings by tapping on a character and sharing it with a friend. The new symbol “will start rolling
Samsung Galaxy A01 is now available SAMSUNG’s newest smartphone, the Galaxy A01, is now available. For only P5,490, the Galaxy A01 brings many cool features in a very affordable package. Perfect for binge-watching videos, playing games, or chatting with loved ones through video calls, this newest smartphone is sure to be a hit with its 5.7-inch HD+ Infinity-V Display and its 3,000 mAh battery. It also has a Dolby Atmos feature that lets users have a cinema-quality experience in the
comfort of their own homes. The Galaxy A01 is equipped with 16GB internal memory, expandable to 512GB of storage, perfect for storing music, videos, and other files. It also has a built-in Face Recognition Unlock system for added security and a Dual-Sim card capability for multi-network needs. The Galaxy A01 comes with Android 10 Q right out of the box so users can be sure that their smartphone is up to date with the latest Android operating system. The Samsung Galaxy A01, which comes in blue and black variants, is sure to give budget phone seekers a sophisticated, featurepacked phone at an affordable price tag. Samsung’s new budget friendly phone is now available nationwide and in online partner stores. To know more about the new Samsung Galaxy A01 visit samsung.com/ph
out next week globally and you can use it to react to posts, comments, images, videos, or other content on the app and Facebook.com,” Voica said. Facebook’s mobile Messenger service is getting a new emoji as well, this one a multi-hued bluish red heart drawn as though it is beating. The use of Facebook and its services including messaging and video chat—used by more than two billion people —has surged as users around the world turn to the social networks to remain connected during the virus lockdowns. Meanwhile, Australia announced Monday it will begin forcing Google and Facebook to pay news companies
for content, in a landmark move aimed at shielding traditional media from the tech giants’ digital dominance. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said a mandatory code of conduct to be unveiled by July would require the firms to reimburse Australian media companies for using their news and other content. “What we want to see is a level playing field. What we want to see here is a fair go for the companies and for the journalistic content that is prepared,” he told Channel 7. It comes just weeks after France’s competition authority ordered Google to negotiate with publishers over payments to reuse snippets of content in its news aggregator and Google Search. Google and Facebook have had a huge impact on Australia’s news industry, with the number of newspaper and online journalists falling more than 20 percent since 2014 as digital advertising revenues were overwhelmingly captured by the two titans. The new regulations follow an 18-month inquiry into the power of digital platforms by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which recommended an overhaul of existing regulations. Frydenberg said the government was imposing the measures after discussions on a voluntary code failed to make headway, with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on advertising revenues hastening the need for action. “That hasn’t made meaningful progress so now we are taking the decisive decision to create a mandatory code, seeking to be the first country in the world to ensure that these social media giants pay for content,” he said. A similar move by Spain saw Google shut down its News service there in 2014, while the company has threatened to do the same in response to the new French laws. Australia’s new regulations will also cover the sharing of data, and the ranking and display of news content, to be enforced by binding dispute resolution mechanisms and penalties. An estimated 17 million Australians use Facebook each month and spend an average of 30 minutes on the platform a day, while 98 percent of Australian mobile searches use Google.
Fortinet Secure SD-WAN delivers optimal user experience By Rajesh Kari ONE of the most critical strategies for businesses undergoing digital transformation is to ensure that growth and expansion is built on a distributed infrastructure. This not only enables them to quickly adapt to today’s dynamic business environments. It also more effectively supports their BCDR (business continuity and disaster recovery) strategy so they can stay open and productive even in the face of a crisis—whether it’s a natural crisis, like the current pandemic, a technological issue, such as the breakdown of critical infrastructures, or even a financial crisis. The key is to build flexibility into the infrastructure that allows for rapidly shifting the workforce to a remote teleworker model. Without proper strategies and solutions in place, organizations are faced with addressing significant technological challenges to enterprises—such as application access, optimal perfor-
mance, and uninterrupted connectivity to critical assets/resources— in a highly compressed timeframe. And that can lead to serious issues, especially with regards to security. Fortinet Secure SD-WAN with Multi-link Support Keeps You Connected Continued connectivity is essential for a smooth transition to a remote workforce. In addition to the obvious business continuity advantages provided by seamless connectivity, it also reduces the number of support tickets and shortens the wait time for network issues to be resolved, which can overwhelm and frustrate both IT staff and teleworkers alike. A dramatic shift in the remote workforce, however, will cause a drastic increase in demand for bandwidth on the dedicated WAN infrastructure that is usually assigned for an organization’s remote workforce. An SD-WAN solution provides significant advantages for remote workers, especially during times of rapid transition. It is not only an ideal
solution for branch offices, but can also be deployed to support power users, such as remote IT technical support, emergency support teams, and executives who need secure access to a wide range of network services, including corporate finance and other sensitive data. Fortinet’s Secure SD-WAN solution is built in to the operating system and offered as a free turn-key feature on any FortiGate appliance. For existing FortiGate customers, Fortinet Secure SD-WAN supports multiple WAN connections including MPLS, broadband, and LTE. This provides organizations with the flexibility of load-balancing remote workforce traffic across different links, ensuring redundancy in case of a WAN link failure. This means infrastructure and IT staff can readily support WAN redundancy without sacrificing performance, which ensures your remote workforce stays connected to datacenters, the internet, and the cloud at all times to access critical resources.
Globe, DepEd host second E-skwela webinar WITH the extension of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon to April 30, normal school operations continue to be closed and disrupted, making many schoolchildren and the youth, along with their parents and families, feel the impact of semi-isolation. The pandemic is challenging educational institutions that are in varying stages of developing and implementing their online learning capabilities. One of the urgent plays for the education industry is to create the demand for schools to onboard their teachers and their institutions with the right tools and techniques in maximizing and utilizing digital learning while they stay connected, informed and #SafeAtHome. Globe myBusiness ties up with the Department of Education (DepEd) for the second E-skwela Webinar session on April 21, Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. via Zoom with the theme “Making Homes the Extended Classroom: Parent-Teacher Collaboration in the time of COVID-19.” The E-skwela series is intended for faculty
members and parents to help them integrate technology tools and interactive activities at home that are intentionally experiential, collaborative and reflective in order to maximize the learning experience. Leading the discussion are notable educators, thought leaders, and technology experts including Alain Del Bustamante Pascua, Undersecretary at DepEd, and Ginger Arboleda, Co-Founder and COO at Taxumo Inc. and CEO at Manila Workshops. They will be joined by representatives from Globe: Mark Arthur Payumo Abalos, Education Industry Lead and Learning Technologies Scholar; Michelle Peralta, Campaign and Communication Strategist and Founder and Moderator of Fab Inay; and Miguel Martin Bermundo, Head of Citizenship and Advocacy Marketing Division. The panel will discuss key questions such as how parents and their school-age kids are coping with the crisis; what activities can parents and their children
do together as part of the young ones’ learning experience; what challenges have they observed and experienced with the use of technology in teaching and learning at home in this period; how can they maximize learning time with their kids while at home; and how can parents and teachers work together to promote continuous learning from home. Globe myBusiness, in partnership with DepEd, continues to advocate the adoption of technology to create future-ready schools and educational institutions. Among the information and communications (ICT) services that the telco has pushed for are high-quality connection, automated school administration tools, and advanced learning management systems (LMS). Besides easing school operations and facilitating digital learning, ICT will also prepare students to be globally competitive now and in their future ventures. Register to the webinar for free via glbe.co/
Webinar to discuss the demand for the right tools and techniques to utilize digital learning amid the COVID-19 crisis
eskwela2. For more information on Globe’s ongoing efforts to make everyone connected, informed and #SafeAtHome, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/stay-safe-at-home.html.