Manila Standard - 2020 May 11 - Monday

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 79 • 1 SECTION 4 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Selective ECQ lifting eyed Palace: Task force to rule on ‘granular and surgical’ easing in certain barangays in Metro LAST-DITCH BID. Several housewives commemorate Mother’s Day by queueing up as early as 5 a.m. outside the Bagong Pag-Asa Elementary School in Quezon City and join other residents in a last-ditch effort to obtain cash aid under the government’s Social Amelioration Program whose first tranche ends May 10, 2020. In another barangay in Dagat-Dagatan, Navotas City, SAP beneficiaries observe social distancing and take turns claiming the promised aid.

CNN Facebook page/Inset photo: Norman Cruz

New infections surge ahead of lockdown expiry

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM MAY 10)

10,794

184

719

15

1,924

82

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

By Rio N. Araja and Jess Malabanan PATIENTS reported to have recovered from the deadly novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) now number 1,924, after health authorities registered 82 new recoveries.

DEATHS

NEW

NEW

RECOVERIES

NEW

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TWO-WHEEL RIDE.

In this era of mandatory social distancing, a rideronly vehicle becomes the favored mode of transportation, like the electric scooter driven by a youngster along Padre Faura St. in Manila.

The government encourages the use of two-wheeled vehicles such as motorcycles and bicycles whose specs and safety features suit the ‘new normal’.

‘Ambo’, quake trigger warning

By Rio N. Araja and Maricel V. Cruz

It was the first weather disturbance to enter the Philippines in 2020.

The center of the tropical depression A LOW-PRESSURE area over the was estimated 545 kilometers east of Philippine sea east of Mindanao devel- Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, as of 4 p.m. oped into a tropical depression called on Sunday.

“Ambo” at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

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By Joyce Pangco Pañares, Vito Barcelo, Joel E. Zurbano, Rio N. Araja, Maricel V. Cruz

A

“GRANULAR” and “surgical” lifting of the Metro Manilawide lockdown after May 15 will likely be implemented at the barangay level and not per city, a well-placed Palace source said as the country continues to struggle to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Wuhan: 1st case in a month • UVC lamps in virus fight • 4 million cases worldwide

Unioil bares P2 price hike; demand rises

This after Metro Manila mayors were split on the possible lifting of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), with most local executives favoring another 15-day extension.

“We will make our decision based on data. If we do it per barangay, it is easier to implement ECQ measures,” the source said in a phone interview.

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WORLD ROUNDUP CHINA on Sunday reported the first case of coronavirus in over a month in Wuhan, the city where the outbreak first started in December last year.

China’s National Health Commission also reported the Next page

‘Quarantine for arrivals a must’

By Joel E. Zurbano and Rey E. Requejo

By Alena Mae S. Flores, Willie Casas and Joel Zurbano THE oil companies are expected to raise pump prices by more than P2 per liter starting this week to reflect the movement of oil prices in the world market.

ALL international air travelers are required to undergo quarantine for at least 14 days after arrival in the Philippines, the country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines said Sunday.

It issued this reminder to all arriving passengers as the government was set to resume today (Monday) inbound international flight operations for repatriating Filipinos.

On May 3, the government sus-

pended all inbound domestic and international passenger and commercial flights to the Philippines to further prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

The suspension covered nine airports including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Davao International Airport, Clark International Airport, Iloilo International Airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Zamboanga International Airport, Kalibo International Airport, Laoag Next page

Next page

Little Richard, music icon, 87 LITTLE Richard, whose outrageous showmanship and lightning-fast rhythms intoxicated crowds with hits like “Tutti Frutti” and Next page

Poland’s ghost election historic POLAND’S election day Sunday will be one for the history books as polling stations remain closed and turnout will clock in at zero due to a political crisis set off by the coronavirus pandemic.

The EU member of 38 million people has found itself in the bizarre “Twilight Zone” predicament in which the presidential ballot is formally neither Next page

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News

MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020

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Selective ECQ...

From A1 On Saturday, the 17 mayors, who comprise the Metro Manila Council along with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, failed to reach a consensus on whether to recommend a lockdown extension or a shift to a general community quarantine (GCQ).

“What they (mayors) want is for us to decide as one. Meaning, if you choose GCQ, it should be for the entire Metro Manila. If you choose ECQ, again it should be for the entire Metro Manila,” MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia said in a television interview.

San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, for one, wanted a two-week extension of the ECQ even if his city is being considered by the Interior department as among the two cities that can already shift to GCQ, along with Valenzuela.

“I am thankful that San Juan is among the two cities in Metro Manila that are being eyed for possible GCQ

by May 15...But I do not want to waste the sacrifices of my constituents for the past two months and gamble on their lives. Whatever economic losses we are suffering now, we can recover from that eventually,” Zamora said.

Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City,

which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases among Metro Manila’s 16 cities and one municipality, backed the lifting of the lockdown during the MMC meeting.

On Friday, Belmonte called for a “transition period” that would allow local businesses in Quezon City to resume operations while following strict health protocols under a “new normal setting.”

“While the health of our residents remains our primary priority, we also need to look after the local economy, which has been affected severely by the dreaded virus,” Belmonte said in a statement ahead of the Saturday meeting of Metro Manila local executives.

Last week, Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire claimed the country has already begun to “flatten the curve” after achieving a 10 percent COVID-19 test positivity rate, the benchmark of the World Health Organization.

The positivity rate is the percentage of people who tested positive for the infection out of the total number of persons tested.

At present, however, the government’s “mass testing” only covers severe to critical cases. The National Task Force COVID-19 said the number of tests will only reach the 30,000 daily mark by May 30.

Ateneo de Manila University math-

ematics professor Felix Muga II, for his part, contested claims that the country has already succeeded in flattening the curve.

“We are still seeing increases, even if these are slow. If we have flattened the curve, the case graph should look like a table top,” he said in a virtual forum Friday.

Muga also warned the real number of cases will increase once the Department of Health processes its backlogs.

Last week, the country breached the 300-mark for new cases for two consecutive days, posting record-high figures in the last month.

On Wednesday, the Department of Health recorded 320 new cases. A day after, the number of new cases reached 339.

From April 7 to May 5, the number of new cases only ranged from 102 to 295.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) will decide today (Monday) the areas in Metro Manila that would be placed under the GCQ. There’s no final decision, but the whole of Metro Manila would not be under GCQ and the whole of Metro Manila would not remain under ECQ after May 15, Roque said.

At least five to six areas will be downgraded from the ECQ to GCQ, Roque said during a briefing.

Quezon City has the most number of COVID-19 cases with 1,518, followed by Manila, with 749; Caloocan City, with 236; Las Piñas City, with 201; Makati City, with 472; Malabon City, with 58; Mandaluyong City, with 404; Marikina City, with 135; Muntinlupa City, with 176; Parañaque City, with 499; Pasig City, with 307; Taguig City, with 283; Pasay City, with 227; San Juan City, with 252; Valenzuela City with 122; Pateros with 24; and Navotas City with three.

He said decision to the transition from ECQ to GCQ by the IATF-EID would depend on the severity of the contagion in specific localities.

Meanwhile, Roque said the IATFEID also agreed to amend quarantine guidelines to allow construction and infrastructure projects even in areas under ECQ. He said construction personnel performing emergency work, disaster risk reduction, and rehabilitation works, sewerage projects, water service facility projects, and digital works are now allowed to report for work in ECQ areas.

Roque said the IATF-EID also allowed the priority public and private infrastructure projects for food production, agriculture, fishery, fish port development, energy, housing, communication, water facilities, manufacturing, and business process outsourcing.

‘Ambo’...

From A1

New infections...

From A1

“Ambo” was moving west-northwest at 15 kilometers per hour and packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said “Ambo” was expected to bring scattered light to moderate and up to isolated heavy rain over the Caraga region, Davao, SOCSKSARGEN and Maguindanao.

“Residents in these areas are advised to continue monitoring for updates, especially the local rainfall or thunderstorm advisories and heavy rainfall warnings of the Pagasa regional services division,” the weather bureau said in its 5 p.m. bulletin.

Meanwhile, an official said Sunday the people and government officials should not panic if a strong storm enters the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman said due to the physical distancing rule, those affected by the floods and landslides brought by a typhoon “cannot be packed into evacuation centers like before.”

“A typhoon on top of a pandemic is one that we pray will not happen, but we nonetheless should prepare for it,” said Hataman who represents Basilan.

“We should plan, prepare the responders and stockpile relief goods based on the worst-case scenario.”

At dawn on Sunday, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake jolted Occidental Mindoro while affecting parts of Luzon including Metro Manila.

The quake was of tectonic origin was estimated to have hit 22 kilometers north of Lubang.

Intensity 5 was felt in Lubang while intensity 4 was recorded in Batangas’ Lemery and Taal; Cavite’s General Trias and Imus City; Bulacan’s Obando and the National Capital Region’s cities of Makati, Manila, Navotas, Las Piñas and Parañaque.

The number of cases nationwide also climbed up to 10,794 with 184 new infections, only five days before the enhanced community quarantine over Metro Manila and other high-risk areas expires on May 15.

Of these new cases, 77 or 42 percent were from Metro Manila, 75 or 41 percent were from Region VII, while the remaining 32 or 17 percent were from other parts of the country, the Department of Health said.

Meanwhile, the death toll climbed to 719 after 15 more patients succumbed to the respiratory illness.

In the country’s former capital of Quezon City, the local government reported 1,524 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

In its statement, the city government said the number of COVID-19 cases

reached 1,524 as of May 9, 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs said there were no reported new cases of COVID-19 among Filipinos abroad.

This is the first time there were no new cases nor fatalities since the agency started issuing reports on COVID-19 affected Filipinos abroad.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad remains at 2,178, with 253 deaths.

As of Sunday, 1,283 of the identified cases are undergoing treatment for the disease, broken down regionally as follows: 147 in the Asia-Pacific, 412 in Europe, 531 in the Middle East and Africa, and 193 in the Americas.

This coincided with a statement from the Bases Conversion Development Authority in New Clark City that 50 OFWs diagnosed as carriers of the virus disease were undergoing treatment at a makeshift clinic of the National Gov-

ernment Administrative Center building since Thursday.

The patients, according to the statement, were transported to NCC to isolate them and for extensive treatment.

The BCDA did not mention the origin of OFWs and the specific place where they were picked up before they were transported straight to NCC in Capas, Tarlac.

BCDA president Vince Dizon said: “NGAC is one of the We Heal As One Centers put up by the government to reduce the community spread of the disease and decongest hospitals.

“In the quarantine center, COVIDpositive patients are provided with 24/7 medical care, free meals, and free Internet connection.”

NGAC currently has 688 cubicles but the facility, manned by BCDA and CDC under the supervision of the DOH, can still be expanded to accommodate up to 1,000 patients.

Little Richard,...

From A1 “Long Tall Sally,” has died. He was 87 years old.

Reverend Bill Minson, a friend of the legendary musician, told AFP Little Richard died Saturday morning following a battle with cancer.

With a distinctive range from robust belting to howling falsetto, Richard transfixed audiences and inspired artists including The Beatles as he transformed the blues into the feverish new

Unioil...

From A1 “Expect fuel prices to go up next week [starting May 12]. Diesel should increase by more than P2 and Gasoline should increase by more than P2,” Unioil Philippines said in its advisory.

The higher pump prices are expected as a result of optimism as many countries have started to ease on their respective COVID-19 lockdowns, thus spurring oil demand.

But a former Anakpawis Party-list representative on Sunday slammed President Rodrigo Duterte’s executive order increasing the tariff on imported oil by 10 percent, saying it will add to the burden of the poor families affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Ariel Casilao says the social amelio-

‘Quarantine...

From A1 International Airport and Puerto Princesa International Airport, civil aviation officials said.

Notice to airmen The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has released Notice to Airmen announcing the “lifting of the suspension imposed on inbound international flights for repatriating Filipinos starting on 11 May 2020.”

CAAP spokesperson and chief information officer Eric Apolonio said the notice said inbound international charter flights would only be allowed to land at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Mondays and Thursdays, provided that “necessary clearances are secured from the Department of Foreign Affairs and CAAP for slotting purposes.”

He added scheduled inbound international commercial flights would be

allowed to land at the NAIA on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, provided they secure approval from CAAP 48 hours before their scheduled departure from the airport of origin.

“This is to properly coordinate the necessary slotting and rescheduling of flights to subscribe to the 400 passengers per day capacity of NAIA, as imposed by the National Task Force (for Covid-19),” he said.

Apolonio said the restrictions, which will run from May 11 to June 10, 2020, shall only apply to NAIA.

Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez attributed the achievement to various circulars issued by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, which allowed video conferencing hearings and release of PDLs accused of minor crimes who were released on reduced bail or on recognizance.

Marquez said at present, video conferencing hearings were in full swing in cities including Baguio City up north, in Metro Manila, in Cebu in the Visayas, and some cities in Mindanao.

Of the PDLs released from March 17, 2020 to April 29, 2020, a total of 2,082 of them were in the National Capital Region; 4,657 in Luzon or outside of Virtual court hearings NCR; 1,072 in the Visayas; and 1,920 The Supreme Court’s mandated in Mindanao. video conferencing hearings in key cities have resulted in the release of more Money returned than 4,600 persons deprived of liberty.

More than 170 residents of Parañaque Data from the Office of the Court City showed honesty and returned the Administrator show that the video con- money given to them under the Social ferencing hearings from April 30, 2020 Amelioration Program, saying they were to May 8 have paved the way for the re- already beneficiaries of other financial lease of some 4,683 PDLs. assistance programs of the government.

style of rock ‘n’ roll alongside Fats Domino and Chuck Berry.

His raunchy 1955 song “Tutti Frutti” became a sort of opening salvo of rock ‘n’ roll’s entry into American life, starting with his nonsensical but instantly thrilling first line: “Awop bop a loo mop / Alop bam boom.”

Richard stunned buttoned-down post-World War II America with an otherworldly look of blindingly colorful shirts, glass-embedded jackets, a needle-thin mustache and a six-inch (15-centimeter) high pompadour.

A consummate entertainer, he would play piano with one leg hoisted over

the keys and, in one legendary concert in Britain, played dead on stage so effectively that the venue sought medical help before he resurrected himself to an astounded crowd.

Richard’s lifestyle – he spoke fondly of bisexual orgies – became the epitome of rock ‘n’ roll decadence.

But he never became an obvious icon for the African-American or gay communities.

Once openly – by standards of the time – attracted to men, Richard became a born-again Christian and renounced homosexuality as a temporary choice, anathema to the modern gay

ration assistance to the poor amounts to no more than P8,000, but that will now be eroded by the domino-effect of the price increases to be triggered by the executive order.

“A significant part of the financial assistance obviously will go to taxes,” Casilao said.

He claimed the regressive taxes were immoral and inhumane, as it was clear that the poor sectors had zero purchasing power due to the absence of sources of livelihood due to the lockdown.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries have started implementing a daily production cut of 10 million barrels per day, which has been followed by other oil producers such as Norway, Canada and America to boost prices.

The anticipated oil price increase this

week will not include the impact of the additional 10 percent import duty on crude petroleum and refined products that should translate to an increase of more than P1 per liter.

Malacañang issued Executive Order No. 113 on May 2 imposing an additional 10 percent duty on imported oil to boost the government’s budget and ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 5, the oil companies implemented an increase of P0.75 per liter of gasoline, although the prices of diesel and kerosene went down by P0.10 and P0.60 per liter, respectively.

That brought the total year-todate price adjustments to a net decrease of P14.52 per liter of gasoline, P16.99 per liter of diesel and P22.50 per liter of kerosene, according to the Energy department.

rights movement and psychologists.

And while he was one of the first African-American artists to cross the racial divide, a younger generation of black DJs had little interest in an artist seen as embedded in the white mainstream.

But his influence was incalculable.

Early white rockers including Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley all pursued Richard’s sound.

The upstart Beatles and Rolling Stones served separately as opening acts when Richard toured England, and a young Jimi Hendrix and members of Earth, Wind and Fire played in his back-up band. AFP

Poland’s...

From A1 postponed nor cancelled, because the government and opposition were unable to agree on a constitutional and safe solution.

“We’re in a fog of legal absurdity,” Warsaw-based political scientist Stanislaw Mocek told AFP, echoing the widespread head-scratching and concern.

The government “should have declared a natural disaster to lawfully postpone the election” under the constitution.

The right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party has explained away its refusal to do so by saying Poland’s coronavirus situation is not severe enough to warrant the move.

The party has also implied that were

World roundup...

From A1 first double-digit increase in countrywide cases in nearly 10 days, saying 14 new infections had been confirmed.

Two of the cases were imported into the country from overseas, the commission said.

The virus first emerged in Wuhan, a major industrial and transport city in central China, in December. The total number infected in China is 82,901, with an official death toll of 4,633.

UVC lamps light way in virus fight Could a new type of ultraviolet lamp be used in stations, airplanes and schools to kill dangerous viruses, becoming a gamechanger in the COVID-19 fight?

Researchers at Columbia University have been working on such uses for years, and the current pandemic could confirm the value of their efforts.

UVC lamps have long been used to kill bacteria, viruses and molds, notably in hospitals and in the food-processing industry. As the coronavirus pandemic knocks world economies on their heels, this technology is experiencing a boom.

But UVC (for Ultraviolet-C) rays are dangerous, causing skin cancer and eye problems, and can be used only when no one is present.

A team at Columbia’s Center for Radiological Research is experimenting with so-called far-UVC, rays whose wavelength of 222 nanometers makes them safe for humans but still lethal to viruses, the center’s director, David Brenner, told AFP.

4m cases worldwide The number of coronavirus cases worldwide topped four million as some of the hardest-hit countries readied Sunday to lift lockdown restrictions despite concern about a second wave of infections.

Governments around the world are trying to stop the spread of the deadly disease while scrambling for ways to relieve pressure on their economies, which are facing a historic downturn with millions pushed into unemployment.

Despite the intense political pressure to reopen, nations are also keen to avoid second waves of infections that could overwhelm healthcare systems, with reminders over the weekend of the threat posed by the virus.

In the United States, media reported Saturday that the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, was among three members of the White House coronavirus task force who will self-isolate after potential exposure.

Seoul braces for second wave South Korea’s capital has ordered the closure of all clubs and bars after a burst of new cases sparked fears of a second coronavirus wave, and President Moon Jae-in urged the public to remain vigilant.

The nation has been held up as a global model in how to curb the virus, but the order from the Seoul mayor on Saturday followed a new infection cluster in Itaewon, one of the city’s busiest nightlife districts.

More than 50 cases so far have been linked to a 29-year-old man who tested positive after spending time at five clubs and bars in Itaewon last weekend.

“Carelessness can lead to an explosion in infections,” said Seoul mayor Park Won-soon, adding the order will remain in effect indefinitely.

Of the 34 new infections reported on Sunday, 24 were tied to the Itaewon cluster, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Brazil tops 10,000 deaths Brazil, the hardest-hit Latin American country in the coronavirus pandemic, has surpassed 10,000 deaths, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health. AFP

it to declare a natural disaster, multinational corporations present in Poland would claim huge sums in compensation that the state would be hardpressed to pay.

But the liberal opposition and many observers also see another rationale for why the government was set on the May 10 date, despite opinion surveys showing that three out of four Poles wanted a deferral.

The opposition, which has long called for a delay over concerns that a free, fair and safe election is impossible under lockdown, believes the PiS wants the ballot held as soon as possible so that its ally and incumbent Andrzej Duda wins.

On Wednesday, the PiS and its allied Agreement party announced that the poll would be declared null and void after the fact. AFP

News

MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A3

Test center boosts EV war on virus

By Maricel V. Cruz

H

OUSE Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez on Sunday said the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing center in Tacloban City will boost the country’s fight against the spread of the virus, especially in Eastern Visayas.

The Romualdez couple also thanked the country’s health officials led by Health Sec. Francisco Duque III for accrediting as COVID-19 screening center the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City.

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much Sec. Duque and other health officials for the robust support that your group has been extending to our team.

The good work will continue to ensure the health and safety of the Filipino

people, especially in Region VIII,” the Romualdezes said in a statement.

“We can now help ourselves with our capability to handle the screening for COVID-19. This is a very crucial key in managing, containing and flattening the curve of COVID-19 infections,” they added.

In a related development, Quezon City Rep. Precious Castelo on Sunday urged the Department of Health to require all hospitals and other healthcare facilities to subject their frontline workers to weekly

Covid-19 test. “I am suggesting that we should have our healthcare workers undergo screening every week for early detection of the virus, since they are exposed to it in the hospitals. Early detection means early isolation, containment and cure,” she said Castelo said weekly testing would prevent infected healthcare personnel from spreading the virus to co-workers, friends, family, and other persons.

“Let us invest in regular screening, which should not cost much especially if done by laboratories owned by the national government and local government units, and the Red Cross. Early detection also means less cost in the future for treatment, which Philhealth pays for,” she said.

Castelo made the appeal after receiving complaints from some frontline personnel of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City that they were last

tested for Covid-19 three weeks ago.

The complaining personnel said they were told to undergo the screening after a co-workers tested positive for the virus.

That was their first and last Covid-19 test.

After that, they said they were surprised to read a news report that NKTI director Dr. Rosemarie Rosete-Liquete had admitted in a television interview that 23 frontline workers of the hospital had tested positive for the virus.

Jude Acide, Tingog second nominee, said that “the strongest boost to the project was when Reps. Martin Romualdez and Yedda Romualdez readily agreed to purchase from their personal funds the needed RT PCR machine for the testing center.”

The Romualdezes also said that the lack of testing centers may have caused the underreporting of COVID-19 cases that has been clogging up the already overloaded hospitals in the country.

IN BRIEF

Solon warns home agency on collection

Misdeclared goods worth P34m seized THE Bureau of Customs seized some P34.7 million worth of imported cigarettes misdeclared as furnitures and blinds contained in two containers at the Port of Manila.

Port of Manila District Collector Arsenia Ilagan said the shipments from China arrived last April 27 and May 1, 2020 and were consigned to Vierport International Co. and Anikas Will Industry Corp. which were declared as furnitures and window blinds.

Ilagan ordered the shipments on hold after customs examiners discovered discrepancy in the documents submitted to his office and directed customs agents to conduct a physical examination of the shipments.

“After the examination, several cartons of Two Moon cigarettes were discovered, “ Ilagan said. Vito Barcelo

LTO rings alarm bells against fixers AMID the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Land Transportation Office on Sunday warned the public against fixers who have “suddenly” appeared on social media extending “expedited approval and renewal” of driver’s license.

Romeo Vera Cruz, LTO executive director, said the agency has monitored a number of Facebook and Twitter accounts offering easy approval and renewal of licenses.

Those accounts have been flagged for investigation and prosecution, he said in a statement.

“This is clearly a scam. Obviously, this is not authorized by LTO. People who patronize this will suffer the consequence of their actions. The cards are patently fake,” he said.

“The services are clearly illegal. Our partner Dermalog is the only one authorized to process drivers licenses. No law abiding citizen should attempt to engage the illegal services offered,” he added. Rio N. Araja

With ECQ pass, farmers sell goods WITH the issuance of a quarantine pass to farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, they are now capable of earning a living and sustain food sufficiency despite the enhanced community quarantine.

In a statement, the Department of Agrarian Reform on Sunday cited a Laguna farmer, Lorenza Abaño, who was issued a quarantine pass to allow her as well as fellow farmers to distribute and sell her agricultural produce in affected areas of the lockdown.

“The quarantine accreditation pass has been a great help and enabled us to continue making a living for our family, by selling our agricultural products in areas affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ),” said Abaño, 54, of Barangay Alipit, Magdalena, Laguna.

She is the chairperson of the Pangkat Magsasaka ng Alipit and member of the Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee. Rio N. Araja

Azurin named Police R1 chief POLICE General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. has been designated as the new chief of police of Regional Office I, as ordered by Philippine National Police chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa.

Azurin, formerly the director of the PNP Maritime Group, replaced retiring Police Brigadier General Joel Orduña, a member of PMA Maringal Class of 1988, who had been at the helm of the Ilocos Region PNP since April 2019.

Azurin, a member of the PMA Makatao Class of 1989, also served as deputy director of the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management in 2019.

Meanwhile, Police Brigadier General Omega Jireh Fidel, former director of the PNP Engineering Service, will assume Azurin’s vacated post as director of the Maritime Group.

The early detection of potential COVID-19 cases will help address the fear that the growing health crisis may overwhelm the healthcare facilities, they said.

“This testing center will promptly identify and respond to any potential COVID-19 case which will help our campaign to curb the spread of the virus,” the Romualdez couple said.

In a letter dated May 8, Health Assistant Secretary Nestor Santiago, COVID-19 Laboratory Operations Team Lead Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, certified the fitness of the Molecular Laboratory of the EVRMC to conduct testing for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, testing of Tacloban City’s medical personnel will begin today, Monday.

According to the Romualdezes, the initial screening of 90 swab samples will help increase their daily tests to 700, even as they wished them “good luck.”

MOTHERS’ PLEA. Various groups composed of women and parents through Relisa Lucena have filed a writ of habeas corpus and writ of amparo before the Supreme Court for the release of her daughter Alicia Jasper Lucena, a minor, who was allegedly recruited by the communist groups CPP-NPA-NDF. Norman Cruz

INC donates rice, protective gear to Manila THE Iglesia Ni Cristo has donated 3,000 cavans of rice and 1,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the local government of Manila through Mayor Isko Moreno, who expressed gratitude for the “much needed assistance in this continuing time of need of the City” during the extended community quarantine.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno thanked the INC for its “continuing generosity and selflessness,” adding that he was assured by Church officials that more assistance would be forthcoming.

INC General Auditor Glicerio B. Santos Jr., speaking on behalf of the Church, said that Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo’s directive to “lead efforts at helping the national government, LGUs, public and private health institutions as well as citizen’s groups in their respective drives to combat the Covid-19 virus.

“We have been proactive in our assistance and relief efforts from the begin-

ning of the quarantine period in March.

The INC is fully committed to continue and intensify its efforts especially now that we need an extra push to flattecurve,” Santos, Jr. said.

The homegrown Filipino church has also provided one thousand pieces Manila (1,000) PPEs and a thousand gallons of disinfectant to the National Kidney Standard TODAY Institute worth P2-M and Transplant last April to improve the government hospital’s capacity at combatting the corona virus.

The INC has likewise donated 5 million pesos to the Quezon City local government for Covid-19 related relief as well as 3 Million pesos to the LGU of Davao City on top of earlier equipment donations to various QC hospitals.

Santos Jr. explained that they have closely coordinated with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious

Weed out illegal gaming operators, ASPAP urges FOLLOWING the approval for the limited operations of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators in the country, the Accredited Service Providers Association of PAGCOR called on the government to continue weeding out illegal gaming operators in the country.

In a statement, ASPAP spokesperson Margarita Gutierrez said that the group is not condoning and tolerating any form of illegal online gambling operations as its existence prejudices the interests of legitimate POGO operators subjecting their members to unfair criticisms.

She added that they also welcome the recent arrest of persons in Makati and Paranaque City suspected of involvement in illegal gambling activities, as circumstances of the arrests clearly show unlawful operations.

“Our group is compliant with governmental requirements and certifications and faithfully follows the laws and regulations governing regular business operations,” said Gutierrez. “We support the continuing campaign of law enforcers against illegal gambling to weed out the industry of the undesirables.”

Gutierrez added that they are supporting the initiative of Rep. JB Bernos for improved regulatory processes to eliminate illegal gambling which erodes the reputation of the legitimate ones.

The ASPAP spokesperson also said that they are grateful for the government’s decision to allow limited resumption of POGO activities and reiterated that they are committed to comply with the conditions set by Malacañang, PAGCOR and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to ensure the safety of everyone.

Diseases (IATF-EID) for the use of the Philippine Arena, the Philippine Sports Stadium and various facilities inside the Ciudad de Victoria in Bocaue, Bulacan as a “mega facility” for centralized medical operations by the government, especially for returning OFWs who are undergoing mandatory quarantine procedures.

“We’re all in this together. The fight against Covid-19 will be quicker and more effective with concrete and coordinated efforts. The INC, from the start, chose to be part of the solution instead of being part of the burden and problem to the government,” the INC official said.

A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Sunday warned the state-owned Home Development Mutual Fund, more popularly known as Pag-IBIG Fund, against requiring its members with existing loans to fully pay their unsettled monthly amortizations right after the enhanced community quarantine is lifted in their areas.

Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera said such move by the Pag-IBIG Fund was not only “unfair,” but also violates Republic Act (RA) 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act that she co-authored in Congress.

Herrera took exception to Pag-IBIG’s claim in its social media pages that all loan amortizations due during the quarantine period must be settled on or before the next due date after the lifting of ECQ. In issuing the warning against PagIBIG Fund, Herrera noted that one of the fund’s top officials even said in an interview that all amortizations due must be paid in full on the “first working day” after the ECQ is lifted.

Under Section 4 (aa) of Republic Act 11469, all lending institutions are instructed to grant a 30-day grace period or extension on loan payments during the ECQ without imposing interest or penalties on borrowers.

Pursuant to this provision, the Department of Trade and Industry issued Memorandum Circular No. 20-12, Series of 2020, which provides that any payment due during the ECQ will be deferred to at least 30 days after the due date.

In case of multiple loan payments due within the ECQ, these payments should be amortized or divided equally across six months after the 30-day grace period and to be paid on top of regular payments.

Herrera said the Pag-IBIG Fund should review the relevant provisions of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and the DTI circular, and apply them accordingly. “In these trying times, our primary goal must be to ease the burden of our people so that they can focus on overcoming this pandemic and not worry about finances,” Herrera said. Maricel V. Cruz

A Celebration of Life

Ernesto Del Rosario Francisco Former Manila Standard Chief Accountant has departed and back with Our Lord on May 8, 2020.

He died peacefully at Marymount Hospital due to cardio-renal complications and his congestive heart failure.

Service and viewing will be at Emmaus Foundation Garden at 171 Coloong 2, Valenzuela City, starting on May 9, 2020 at 11 a.m.

Interment will be at Tierra Santa, Malinta, Valenzuela City on Monday, May 11, 2020 at 4 p.m.

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

A4

MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020

Business

GDP seen contracting 5% in Q2 T

By Julito G. Rada

HE Philippine economy will likely contract by 5 percent year-on-year in the second quarter on the assumption that the enhanced community quarantine would be lifted by May 15, according to a bank economist.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist of the Economics and Industry Research Division of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said this would pull down the gross domestic product by 2 percent to 4 percent for the whole of 2020. The GDP shrank by 0.2 percent in the first quarter, the first time in 22 years, ac-

cording to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

“Philippine GDP [growth] for 2020 could range -2 percent to -4 percent [but would still be a function on low long the lockdowns last], but still better with less contraction compared to other Asian countries [around -5 per-

IN BRIEF

cent to -10 percent] and other developed countries around the world [around -10 percent to -15 percent estimated in some big European countries]. Thus, the risk of recession is now looming locally and globally,” Ricafort said in a report following the release of first-quarter GDP data on Thursday.

Ricafort said GDP growth could decline by the most in the second quarter because of the extended ECQ in Metro Manila and other high-risk areas up to May 15, representing half of the second quarter.

“Thus, Philippine GDP could contact further in 2Q 2020, by about -5 percent, as the ECQ/lockdown is already longer at 1.5 months [unless extended further]

in second quarter 2020 compared with 0.5 month in first quarter of 2020,” he said.

He said GDP growth could still continue to contract in the third quarter, but to a lesser extent as there could be some easing of the ECQ/lockdown.

Ricafort said social-distancing measures would likely continue as the economy reopens gradually and stimulus measures and monetary policy easing measures are taken to cushion the business/economic losses from Covid-19.

He expressed optimism that the economy could bounce back in fourth quarter of 2020, with the assumption that the pandemic would be put under control by then.

TRAIN DISINFECTION. Light Rail Manila Corp. will implement health and safety measures such as disinfection activities to fight the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 once the line reopens its trains to the public. The Department of Transportation released new safety guidelines for mass public transportation once the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila is lifted.

LRT 1 sanitizes trains ahead of reopening LIGHT Rail Manila Corp., the operator of Light Rail Transit Line 1, said it is implementing health and safety measures to fight the spread of Covid-19 once the line reopens to the public.

LRMC said it was working with partners to develop innovative sanitation technologies and methods to be more efficient and effective in keeping the railway safe for passengers.

It said it would provide employees with face masks, hygiene supplies, regular health checks and modified work arrangements. “We look forward to serving once again our passengers who rely on the LRT-1 for their daily commute. We are committed to keeping you safe and giving you peace of mind as you ride our trains and return to your routine,” said LRMC president and chief executive Juan F. Alfonso.

“Now more than ever, we appeal for your cooperation as we all face this new normal,” he said.

The company said it would leverage on the use of technology and encouraged passengers to go digital and use the ikotMNL mobile app to easily get updates and announcements, plan their trips, check the LRT-1’s schedule and crowd status at the stations ahead of time.

Darwin G. Amojelar

PH’s IPO compliance boosts FTA prospects THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights expressed hope that the country’s good standing for seven straight years in the Special 301 report will reinvigorate discussions on a possible free trade agreement with the US. The IPOPH said the Philippines’ strong enforcement of anti-piracy laws and activities would help ensure the country’s continued enjoyment of the US preferential trade program and further bilateral dialog on a long sought free trade deal.

“The strong cooperation within the NCIPR network has made this possible. We also laud the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, which serves as vice-chair of the NCIPR, for steering the monthly meetings to ensure harmony in the implementation of existing policies. They also helped in enhancing them to be firmer and more responsive to the changing needs of intellectual property (IP) rights holders,” said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.

A bilateral FTA will provide not only an expanded market access for Philippine products but a more stable and predictable economic environment, the agency said in a statement.

Othel V. Campos

Senate asked to probe Covid’s impact on energy SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian asked for an inquiry on the effects of the coronavirus disease pandemic on the upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas sectors.

Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee on energy, said the move would determine the measures that the government should implement to ensure the country’s energy security.

The lawmaker filed Senate Resolution No. 389, days after the Energy Department announced that at least 10 percent or 900 oil stations of the 9,003 service stations nationwide already suspended operations since the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. also said it shut down its 110,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Batangas for a month starting mid-May to preserve cash amid the negative margins brought about by low demand.

“Since the country is mainly dependent on imported fuel, Congress has to know about the short, medium and long-term effects and implications of Covid-19 on the oil and gas industry, in particular, the status of oil and gas exploration projects towards energy security,” Gatchalian said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Metro Pacific reviews schedule of toll road projects

By Darwin G. Amojelar METRO Pacific Tollways Corp. is reviewing the completion date of its toll road projects amid the enhanced community quarantine imposed by the government to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

“Construction of our toll road projects has been suspended because of the ECQ order,” MPTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said.

The completion of NLEX Harbor Link C3-R10 Section—a new 2.6-kilometer elevated expressway from Caloocan Interchange, C3 Road, Caloocan City to Radial Road 10, Navotas City— which was originally expected by March was moved to June, on assumption that

construction activities would resume by mid-May. Prior to the ECQ, the NLEX Harbor Link C3-R10 Section was at 93-percent completion. With completion of the project, travel time from Port Area to NLEX will be reduced to 10 minutes, which would benefit the transport logistics industry as cargo trucks would be spared from the truck bans on congested local roads.

Construction of the company’s other toll road projects were also temporarily suspended amid the ECQ. MPTC is constructing the P23.3-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, an eight-km elevated four-lane expressway extending NLEX southward from the end of Segment 10 on C3 Road

Caloocan City to PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila and connecting to Skyway Stage 3 by mostly traversing the PNR rail track.

The company expects to spend P107 billion to complete the current projects and an additional P25 billion if it secures the Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway.

Average daily vehicle entries on four of its domestic tollways declined 6 percent in the first quarter to 479,860 from 508,051 a year earlier.

Domestic daily vehicle entries averaged 574,000 in the first two months of 2020, an increase of 14 percent over the same period last year but declined to 57,000 a day after the ECQ. This increased to 115,000in late April.

SWAB SAMPLES.

Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. transports swab samples for coronavirus disease testing as requested by the Palawan Provincial Health Office. Puerto Princesa inflight medic Michael Joseph Masabio (left) holds the container swab samples for Covid-19 testing gathered from hospitals all over Palawan. With him are (center) PDOHO disease surveillance officers Tirso Lagrosa and Jennifer Lyn Balmonte.

Gov’t to allow BIR-registered, tax-compliant POGOs to resume operations THE Bureau of Internal Revenue said it issued strict regulations on the reopening of Philippine offshore gaming operations and their service providers.

It said in a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III that it would make sure that POGOs and their respective service providers were properly registered and would pay the correct income taxes and franchise fees to the government before they could resume operations under the quarantine period.

Under the guidelines and require-

ments issued by the BIR, all POGO licensees or operators should first show proof that they already paid the 2019 franchise taxes, withholding taxes due for the months of January to April this year and the first-quarter payments of their 2020 franchise tax, before they would be given tax clearances allowing them to resume operations.

POGO service providers, meanwhile, are also required to submit proof that paid their 2019 income taxes and remitted and paid withholding taxes for the

months of January to April this year, including the 25-percent final withholding tax due from their foreign employees, before the BIR would give them tax clearances to reopen for business.

The BIR said tax-compliant POGO service providers would not be issued tax clearances if their POGO operators or licensees failed to comply with the bureau’s new requirements.

All POGO licensees, operators and service providers should also submit a notarized undertaking affirming their

commitment to pay all tax arrears for prior years of their operations and should be registered with the respective Revenue District Office having jurisdiction over their places of business.

“Failure to comply with any of the [requirements] will result in the denial of the issuance of a BIR clearance for resumption of operations,” according to the rules issued by BIR’s POGO Task Force headed by revenue deputy commissioner Arnel Guballa.

Julito G. Rada

IMI secured big contracts in first quarter

By Jenniffer B. Austria INTEGRATED Microelectronics Inc., the electronics manufacturing arm of the Ayal Group, said it bagged new contracts in the first quarter that could potentially generate $58 million in annual revenues for the company.

IMI said in a presentation during a recent analysts briefing that the new contracts were in the automotive, aerospace, industrial and medical sectors. It said that in terms of geography, the new contracts were from the Philippines, the United Kingdom, China and Eastern Europe.

IMI reported a net loss of $4.6 million in the first quarter, as revenues fell 20.7 percent to $256 million from $323 million because of the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The situation led to lower gross profit results of $19.5 million with a 7.6-percent gross margin, a decline from 9 percent in the same period last year.

IMI said its global management teams were able to partly mitigate the negative financial impact by controlling overhead costs, reducing raw material expenses and securing ongoing support from various governments including Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Serbia and Singapore.

IMI’s wholly-owned businesses declined to $209 million of revenues, a 19-percent reduction from a year ago.

Hampered by government mandated shutdowns of its Chinese facilities in February and the enhanced community quarantine protocols in the Philippines that began in mid-March, revenues from Asian operating units declined by 20 percent to $105 million.

Operating sites in Europe and North America remained fully operational throughout the first quarter, but declined 15 percent in revenues as they contended with market disruptions in the global supply chain.

It said that while the overall market environment was challenging, it was pursuing additional business opportunities, particularly in the medical and telecommunications segments.

IMI said that since returning to full operational capacity in early March, IMI’s operating sites in China saw growth in demand for products used in medical equipment and 5G telecom infrastructure.

“IMI’s robust business continuity protocols allow us to smoothly adapt our operations to current circumstances while ensuring the health and safety of our employees,” IMI chief executive Arthur Tan said.

Stock market seen moving sideways on persisting risks STOCKS are expected to move sideways this week as investors assess the reopening of the domestic economy after May 15.

Analysts said that after the government reported a 0.2-percent contraction of the gross domestic product in the first quarter, investors shifted focus on longterm effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy.

“The week’s close at 5,621.94 highlights the risk-on theme remains fragile.

Bias in the near-term tilts to the downside and may see more price action towards the retest of the 5,000 levels in the near-term,” BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said.

Immediate support and resistance are seen at 5,500 and 5,900 levels, respectively.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 1.38 percent last week to close at 5,621.94 on May 8 as the government reported that the first-quarter gross domestic product contracted by 0.2 percent, marking the first negative growth since 1998.

Except for the property sub-index which climbed by 0.45 percent, other sub-indices ended in the red led by mining and oil (-3.99 percent), services (-3.72 percent), financials (-3.41 percent), industrial (1.98 percent) and holding firms (-0.22 percent).

Foreign investors were net sellers last week by P2.46 billion even as the average daily turnover improved to P5.6 billion from the previous week’s average of P4.9 billion.

Top gainers last week were Ayala Corp. which surged 21 percent to P704, Manila Water Co Inc. which climbed by 19.3 percent to P12.70 and GMA Network Inc. which advanced by 6.16 percent to P5.17.

Heavy losers were GT Capital Holdings Inc. which declined by 9.01 percent to P412, Cebu Air Inc. which dropped by 7.9 percent to P44.50 and Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. which dipped 7.7 percent to P38.30. Jenniffer B. Austria