Manila Standard - 2020 May 22 - Friday

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Palace disowns ‘2nd wave’

Cabinet men, experts: DOH chief misread virus data he gave to senators

By Vito Barcelo, Willie Casas and Joel E. Zurbano

M

ALACAÑANG on Thursday disputed the claim of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III that the country is in the second wave of its coronavirus pandemic, saying the government and even experts are not even sure if the country has gone past the first wave of COVID-19 infections.

Palace spokesperson Harry Roque the first wave of the pandemic. said Duque’s statement given during a At the Senate hearing Wednesday, Senate hearing was his personal opinion Duque said the first wave consisted of and not the government stand, because the three first cases of COVID-19 in Next page the Philippines is still in the middle of

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 89 • 1 SECTION 4 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Energy panel vows relief to power users

By Alena Mae S. Flores

BIKE TO WORK. A masked resident pedals his way to work under a firetree-covered street which is part of famous recreational areas inside the University of the Philippines (Diliman

campus) in Quezon City. The UPD Covid-19 task force is mulling over the possibility of opening the academic oval to non-UP residents while the campus remains under ECQ. Incidentally, bicycle sales are rising in Metro Manila as some workers go back to work amid the ban on public transportation. Jimmy Domingo

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is looking at granting relief to power consumers in areas under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) by letting them pay their electricity bills over four to six months.

ERC spokesman Floresinda Digal said an advisory would spell out what kind of relief consumers would get Friday.

The ERC earlier directed distribution utilities such as the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to implement a four-month installment period for the affected billings under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to ease the burden of consumers.

Metro Manila transitioned from an ECQ to an MECQ on May 16, which relaxes quarantine restrictions and allows some businesses to operate.

Digal said the relief could come in the form of installment payments “maybe longer than four months.”

Consumers have been clamoring for relief after Meralco power bills soared in May amid high consumption, which raised questions on the company’s Next page

• Virus cases breach 5 M mark • Largest single-day rise – WHO THE number of novel coronavirus cases declared worldwide broke through five million on Thursday in an AFP tally of officially recorded infections at 0730 GMT. At least 5,006,730 cases, including 328,047 fatalities have been registered.

Europe has been the hardest hit with 1,954,519 cases and 169,880 deaths while the United States has 1,551,853 cases and 93,439 deaths. The statistics represent only a fraction of the exact total of cases with many countries testing only the most serious infections.

reported the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases Wednesday at 106,000 – the highest since the outbreak erupted in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.

The UN body’s chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “very concerned” about the situation in low- and middleincome nations.

Latin America has seen infections surge in recent days and, in some cases, countries have reinstated lockdown measures that had been eased. Brazil has been hardest hit, logging the third-highest number of cases in the world. Peru, Mexico and Chile have also seen steady increases in infections.

WORLD ROUNDUP

Highest single-day increase

The World Health Organization has

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM MAY 21)

13,434 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

846

213 NEW

4

DEATHS

NEW

3,000

68

RECOVERIES

NEW

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LOCAL ROUNDUP

• 30% budget cut • Contact tracers • Phealth explains

By Maricel V. Cruz, Willie Casas, Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo THE chairman of the House committee on public accounts on Thursday called for “deeper cuts” in this year’s P4.1Next page

From robot drummers to sex dolls What happens in stadiums without fans.

Livening up sport without fans is a challenge for competitions returning after the coronavirus, and organizers have tried several ways to make empty stadiums more appealing.

After South Korean Next page

HEAT WAVE? People enjoy the sunshine in London Fields on May 20,2020 as temperatures in the capital are expected to reach 28C.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered the hiring of 25,000 virus tracing staff so the country can make progress in its strategy to keep easing the nationwide lockdown.

House panel bucks Cha-Cha push: Not at this time

By Maricel V. Cruz

to the back burner proposals to amend the Constitution as Charter change THE chairman of the House commit- advocates push for Cha-cha amid the tee on constitutional amendments on COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am inclined to recommend to the Thursday said the leadership might put

Speaker that we shelve Cha-cha indefinitely so we can focus on measures to fight this pandemic, help our affected people and prepare the nation Next page

Medical supply depot in Clark Freeport raided

By Jess Malabanan, Vito Barcelo and Joel E. Zurbano CLARK FREEPORT—Government agents on Thursday raided a warehouse of unregistered Chinese medical supplies and medicines purportedly intended for an illegal makeshift hospital inside the Fontana Leisure Park.

Police Col. Amante Daro, regional chief of the 3rd Criminal Investigative Next page

28K AND STILL COUNTING. On the fourth day of the modified ECQ in Metro Manila,

at least 278 Filipino workers from Qatar arrive at the NAIA Terminal 1 and later went through thermal scanning as well as PCR testing before being transported to a designated hotel for quarantine. The latest batch brings to 28, 589 the total number of OFWs repatriated since the virus onslaught.

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FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sinas isn’t off the hook—Palace

By Joel E. Zurbano and Willie Casas

M

ETRO Manila’s top cop, Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, is still within the long arm of the law – despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement he would not fire him over allegations he violated quarantine protocols.

Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque said Sinas was still facing criminal charges over the mañanita on May 8 to mark his birthday, with critics alleging he violated the ban on mass gatherings and the social distancing rules amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But progressive groups were dismayed when Duterte defended Sinas during his address to the public on Tuesday, after he said he was responsible for his actions.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former

chief of the Philippine National Police, said Sinas set a bad example, adding that while he agreed with Duterte’s decision to retain Sinas, the top cop should be punished for what he did.

Sinas has apologized for the incident but maintained that attendees practiced social distancing during the event. He also claimed that photos that circulated online were edited.

Sinas and 18 other police officers face criminal charges before the Taguig prosecutor’s office for violating City

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trillion national budget to raise funds for COVID-19 response measures and the social amelioration program.

“I am proposing a reduction of at least 30 percent in non-essential expenses of the government. Some of these expenditures we can altogether forego and use the money to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and help the poor and other affected sectors,” Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor said.

Defensor earlier called for a 20-percent cut in such expenses, but the Department of Budget and Management opted to cut such items only by 10 percent. The DBM also slashed “programmed appropriations” by 35 percent.

Defensor said non-essential expenditures were part of the “maintenance and other operating expenses” or MOOE, for which P1.6 trillion is allocated in the 2020 budget.

“If the DBM can effect an acrossthe-board reduction of 30 percent, we can easily generate P480 billion for COVID-19 measures and SAP financial assistance to the poor,” he said.

January, all foreigners from Wuhan who traveled to the Philippines.

But Roque on Thursday said Duque’s statement was based on his own interpretation of the data.

Citing data from health professionals, Roque said the first wave started with the three COVID-19 positive Chinese nationals late January and went on until May when the Philippines started to report a decrease in coronavirus infections.

Roque said the country was just beginning to flatten the curve on new infections.

Dr. Anthony Leachon, an adviser to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, also questioned Duque’s statement, saying the country has not even flattened the curve on the first wave.

Hours after Roque disputed Duque’s assertion, the Department of Health agreed with the Palace assessment.

“Earlier presidential spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that we are still in the first wave of the epidemic. The DOH confirms that yes, we are on the first wave driven by a local community transmission,” Dr. Beverly Ho, director of the DOH Promotion and Communications Service, said during a televised briefing.

“We apologize for the confusion that this has caused but we hope that this does not in any way distract us from what we really need to do to change the course of this pandemic,” Ho said.

“If you remember, local community transmission happened when we first reported cases of Filipinos without exposure to positive cases or without trav-

PhilHealth explains State insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on Thursday explained the P8,150 package for testing on the coronavirus disease was a lot higher as compared to the other ones used due to a high demand during the initial onslaught of the pandemic in the country.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales said the P8,150 price was only for tests acquired in March when there was limited supply.

PhilHealth was recently questioned by senators on why test kits were priced at a high of P8,150, while other tests were priced at P2,700.

Morales said the drop in prices to a low of P2,700 came after the private sector stepped in and increased the available test kits in the country.

Modified checkpoints The Joint Task Force Corona Virus Shield (JTF CV Shield) on Thursday said it would implement modified checkpoints in Metro Manila and other urban areas nationwide to ease traffic congestion, as more vehicles were expected to ply roads with the partial resumption of business operations.

“With the downgrading of community quarantine status in almost all areas in the country, there is a significant increase in motor vehicles everywhere. There are times where we cannot check all vehicles passing through our fixed checkpoints since this could create monstrous traffic congestion, which will defeat the purpose of partially reopening the economy,” said JTF CV Shield commander, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, in a statement.

The move seeks to prevent long queues of vehicles at quarantine control points, especially that more people are now allowed to go out due to lifting of some restrictions under the modified enhanced community quarantine and the general community quarantine which took effect on May 16.

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From A1 for post-lockdown and post-coronavirus disease, or the new-normal life,” Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said.

He said he had no doubt Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano would favor his recommendation “since he has repeatedly declared that he wants us to work on COVID-19-related measures without any divisive issue distracting us.”

In the meantime, he said his committee was suspending consideration of any Cha-cha proposal.

Rodriguez made the statement fol-

Energy...

From A1 billing computation.

ERC has already directed Meralco to explain and show proof of its basis in calculating the kilowatthour (kWh) consumption of its customers for the billing periods of March to May during the ECQ. ERC sent the letter to Meralco on May 15 after receiving numerous complaints from customers.

“We have been bombarded with complaints on Meralco’s alleged high billings covering the past three months, including this May, and we need to look into these consumers’ allegations that we required Meralco to submit to us data or information for us to validate the accuracy of their billing calculations,” said ERC chairperson Agnes Devanadera.

Some March and all April bills of Meralco were estimated based on the past three months’ average daily consumption, following the Distribution Services and Open Access Rules (DSOAR) issued by the ERC. “We are adhering to our mandate of ensuring that the interest of the consuming public is promoted and protected,” Devanadera said.

ERC directed Meralco to submit documents within five days from receipt of the letter.

This includes the basis on the deter-

lowing reports local officials and other Cha-cha supporters identified with the Department of Interior and Local Government had resumed their signaturegathering campaign to push for Chacha even while the country was battling the pandemic.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año, a member of the inter-agency task force fighting the pandemic, has reportedly distanced himself from the revived constitutional amendment effort.

“This is not the time for the DILG and its allies to relaunch their signature drive and renew their push for Cha-cha. They should postpone it until this health crisis is over,” Rodriguez said.

Ordinance 12 of Taguig City, which requires the wearing of masks in public, and Republic Act No. 11332, or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act. Sinas thanked Duterte for his trust and confidence and said he hoped his critics would “move on” after the President defended him.

“If there was a mistake, it’s okay. I will continue working and doing good since that is the guidance of the President,” Sinas said.

Lacson said: “I won’t be surprised.

Because that’s a different matter. And he’s facing criminal as well as administrative cases on account of the mañanita case, while celebrating his birthday.

“But his performance as NCRPO director is different from that singular act

of indiscretion, shall we say. He really set a bad example. And the President I think was thinking along the line of what he has done and what he is doing in implementing the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) in NCR. “I think the President based his decision to retain him mainly on that.”

Because of what Sinas did, according to Lacson, the PNP and the NCRPO “itself, have been put in a bad light on account of that one singular act of indiscretion.”

“Wrong judgment because you are implementing ECQ and there are arrests. And then being the head of NCRPO himself, violating the ECQ, that’s in no way a good example,” he said.

Lacson earlier tweeted asking for compassion for Sinas who came under fire after the controversial birthday celebration.

el history,” she said in Filipino. “We are still in this wave.”

The presence of community transmission was confirmed in early March and became the basis for raising the alert level in the country.

Ho confirmed that the peak of the current wave happened on March 31 when the country recorded 538 new COVID-19 cases. “Since then the average number of cases has declined to around 220 cases per day,” Ho said.

“This is the reason why we are saying that we have started to flatten the curve,” she added.

Ho reminded the public that they should continue to practice physical distancing and good hygiene to help beat the pandemic.

Others in the Cabinet, including Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, also disputed Duque’s assertion.

But Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Thursday repeated Duque’s line, saying the first wave was “a minor one” that consisted of only three imported cases from Wuhan.

“This was already considered as a wave by our epidemiologists though we only had three cases before,” Vergeire said.

Dr. John Wong, who is also part of the government task force on COVID-19 sub-technical working group on data and analytics, also held the same view.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported 213 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total cases to 13,434. Four new deaths brought total fatalities to 846, while 68 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 3,000.

Reacting to Duque’s statement, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon

said “ignorance and incompetence are deadlier than COVID-19.”

He said inaccuracies in the data on COVID-19 would erode the government’s credibility in containing the virus.

“I do not know what is the point of it.

It serves no purpose except to heighten the tension. It is not true,” he said.

Among the DOH’s many lapses, Drilon said, are the basic data on the mass testing, when Duque claimed that the government aims to conduct 30,000 tests a day only to be corrected later on by Vince Dizon, National Action Plan Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer, who said the target is 50,000 tests per day.

“These are basic information which should be at his fingertips,” he added.

If the officials, who are at the forefront of this fight against COVID-19, cannot agree on basic data, it affects their credibility, he said.

“All these debates on whether to extend or not the lockdown would be solved by having an accurate data, specifically on how many are infected by the disease and their whereabouts. We will keep on imposing a lockdown if we do not know such basic data,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, meanwhile, urged Duque to correct his “ridiculous” statement about the second wave that he said created panic in many groups.

The Philippines admitting that it is on a second wave shows incompetence as it proves that the government was unable to control the first wave, Zubiri said.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate also slammed the Health secretary, saying if the first wave was indeed in January, then the quarantine measures imposed in March would have been too late.

mination of the kWh consumption of the captive customers during the ECQ particularly for the March to May billing periods and power bills issued by the suppliers used in the computation of the generation rate for the same billing period.

ERC also asked Meralco to submit invoices from National Grid Corp. of the Philippines used in the computation of the transmission and the uniform reportorial requirement (URR) for the said billing period.

“The data that we required of Meralco will enable the commission to determine if Meralco has indeed complied with the relevant rules issued by ERC, such as the DSOAR, and implemented accurately the pertinent advisories that we issued on 15 April and 5 May 2020 relating to the implementation of pass through charges to the consumers,” Devanadera said.

The Energy Department also asked Meralco to explain numerous complaints of high electricity rates in May. “I think we received many complaints and we’re asking for the explanation of Meralco…Let’s wait for Meralco’s reply [on] why rates went up,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

Meralco on Thursday said it will shoulder the convenience fee for payments made under the Meralco App during the ECQ period from March 16 to May 15.

Meralco received flak from consumers for charging consumers the P47 conveni-

ence fee for using their payment platform.

Meralco president Ray Espinosa, in a letter to Cusi dated May 20 said the charging of a convenience fee by a payment gateway provider like PayMaya is a common commercial practice in the online payment service industry.

“Perhaps what Meralco should have done during the ECQ” period – March 16 to May 15 – was to shoulder the convenience fee charged by the payment gateway provider considering that the Meralco Business Offices and Bayad Center branches and partner outlets were closed during that time,” Espinosa said.

“I sincerely apologize for this lapse.

Meralco will shoulder the convenience fee charged during the aforesaid ECQ period and refund to the customers the fees they paid during this period,” he said.

Espinosa said Meralco has several authorized payment channels for the payment of electricity bills, all at the option of the customer.

These includes the Meralco Business Centers for over the counter payment, Bayad Center branches and partners also for over the counter, authorized Banks, also over the counter, ATM machine, phone banking or auto debit arrangement, credit cards.auto charge arrangement and the Meralco Online App, electronic payment via Visa and Masterard networks, PayMaya or GCash.

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imported contraband was stockpiled.

Daro said once the owners have been identified, criminal charges would be filed against them.

Raiders seized a huge volume of assorted medical supplies and medicine with Chinese characters marking. The FDA is still assessing the value of the unregistered items seized.

The same group raided a makeshift hospital discovered at Fontana following complaints against the unlawful operation of the medical facility.

The hospital was said to be accepting only Chinese occupants of the different villas inside Fontana.

Hundreds of Chinese stay in Fontana either as workers of Philippine Off-

and Detection Unit (3CIDU) stationed in Camp Olivas, said the raid was an offshoot of Tuesday’s discovery of the makeshift seven-bed hospital inside Fontana aimed at treating Chinese nationals believed to be infected with the novel coronavirus.

Armed with a search warrant, Daro said the raiding team, including representatives from the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health, swooped down on Unit 17-C at the Philexcel Business Park, Clark Freeport Zone, where large amount of

World...

From A1 In-person G7 Summit Trump, determined to reignite the troubled US economy ahead of his re-election bid in November, said the country was “Transitioning back to Greatness” and announced he could host June’s G7 summit at a presidential retreat, instead of holding it as a virtual gathering.

“I am considering rescheduling the G-7, on the same or similar date, in Washington, D.C., at the legendary Camp David,” he said on Twitter.

“The other members are also beginning their COMEBACK. It would be a great sign to all – normalization!”

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said he would attend if “health conditions allow,” while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would “wait and see what happens.”

Promising studies

Governments around the world are desperately hoping for a vaccine that would allow them to dispense with the lockdowns that have hammered their economies.

There was encouraging news on that front as experiments on monkeys offered hope that humans can develop immunity to the virus.

Researchers reported progress from one study that looked at a prototype vaccine, and another on whether infection with COVID-19 confers protection against re-exposure.

“We demonstrate in rhesus macaques that prototype vaccines protected against SARS-CoV-2 infection and that SARS-CoV-2 infection protected against re-exposure,” said senior author Dan Barouch of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Gradual reopening

India said domestic air travel will resume on May 25 after a two-month shutdown, even as the world’s secondmost populous country reported its biggest daily jump in coronavirus infections, with more than 5,600 new cases in 24 hours.

New Zealanders were finally able to go back to the pub on Thursday, but acknowledged that normality was still a way off.

“I think we’ve got to be realistic and say it’s going to be pretty rubbish for the next six months,” said Kevin McAree, who runs an upmarket winery in Wellington.

“People’s habits have changed (during lockdown). They’re used to maybe having a nice bottle of wine at home and spending a bit more on takeaway food. But eventually they’ll want to get out and enjoy themselves.” AFP

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From A1 football club FC Seoul received a record fine for using sex dolls to fill seats, here are some of the innovations:

Robot drummers Sport took a surreal twist when Taiwan’s baseball league started last month, with robots providing live music as they drummed in the stands.

In what could have been a scene from Star Wars, a group of robots— some wearing wigs—banged drums for Rakuten Monkeys’ opening game.

Mannequins wearing team colors were placed around the stadium, along with cardboard cut-outs of fans, media and players’ family members.

Crowd sourcing

Cardboard cut-outs have been a popular way to fill seats, but German football club Borussia Moenchengladbach took the idea a step further when it gave fans the chance to have life-sized images of themselves in the stands.

Thousands of people have taken up the offer, where they pay 19 euros to have their image placed in the Borussia-Park stadium. AFP

shore Gaming Operations (POGOs) or as transient tourists and businessmen.

The seized items, Daro said were hauled to FDA office in Manila for safekeeping.

The Palace expressed alarm at the illegal operation of a Chinese hospital inside a village at Clark Freeport in Pampanga.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said persons behind the illegal operation of the hospital will face charges.

“Those arrested in Fontana Leisure Parks will be charged for violating the laws that prohibit the practice of medicine by unlicensed professionals and for using medications not registered by the FDA,” Roque said during a press briefing. With Willie Casas

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FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Housing czar lauds passage of Marawi rehab budget

IN BRIEF QC completes SAP distribution THE Quezon City government has already completed the special amelioration program payout, and returned the funds for redistribution to other qualified families.

“As of today (Wednesday), we have fulfilled the 100 percent payout to 377,584 families,” city administrator Michael Alimurung said.

At least P3.02 billion have been distributed to the qualified households, he added.

Some P23.5 million have been returned by the residents who have already received financial assistance from the Social Security System, Department of Labor and Employment or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

“The amount is being redistributed to eligible families in the waitlist,” Alimurung said. Rio N. Araja

By Rio N. Araja SECRETARY Eduardo del Rosario of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development on Thursday welcomed the latest move in the approval of the budget for Marawi projects as a “huge boost” to hasten the Islamic city’s rehabilitation following the 2017 siege.

“This serves as a huge boost for implementing agencies as they now have the funds needed to complete their respective projects aimed at rebuilding Marawi following the May 2017 siege perpetrated by the Maute terrorist group,” he said.

“They can now focus on their timelines and carry out measures to hasten their projects,” he added.

The Office of the President has approved this year the release of P3.56-billion budget with special allotment release order by the Department of Budget and Management to the different implementing agencies to fast track the completion of the projects under the Marawi recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction program.

Out of the total approved budget, the National Housing Authority shall receive the lion’s share of P1.91 billion for its various temporary and permanent housing programs in Marawi, while the Social Housing Finance Corp. would also receive P155.7 million for its Marawi permanent shelter program.

Del Rosario said construction works for the Marawi projects are slated to go on full blast in July.

He called on those affected by the siege to remain patient and continue working with the government to ensure the success of Marawi’s rehabilitation program.

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Taguig extends tax deadline SEND OFF. Senator Christopher Lawrence Go (front row, with vest), Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea (front row, 2nd from right), Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (right), Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista (left, in light blue), Communication Secretary Martin Andanar (in maroon), Agriculture Secretary William Dar (in black jacket behind Go), and other government officials send off the beneficiaries of the “Balik Probinsya Bagong Pag-asa Program” at the Manila Seedlings NHA lot, Agham Street, Quezon City on May 20, 2020. A total of 121 beneficiaries make up the first batch who will return to Leyte province under the program.

117 detainees eligible for parole—DOJ official

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Department of Justice on Thursday announced that 117 persons deprived of liberty have been confirmed eligible for parole, while 424 more are awaiting clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation to be deemed eligible for parole under the simplified guidelines.

Citing a report from the Board of Pardons and Parole, Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said 117 PDLs have been confirmed eligible for parole under the Interim Guidelines for Parole and Executive Clemency.

“Another 424 PDLs are likewise deemed possible eligible for parole under the said guidelines but await clearance from (NBI) before their eligibility is confirmed,” Perete said in a statement.

The initial batch of confirmed and possible beneficiaries under the Interim Guidelines—which so far total 541 PDLs—came from the 600 PDLs whose carpetas have

been transferred by Bureau of Corrections to the BPP for evaluation. The BPP is set to receive a new batch of carpetas for evaluation this week.

Perete added that those who will be released on parole will have to undergo quarantine at a facility in their respective penal farm and colony before being freed.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier approved a BPP resolution removing most documentary requirements for applications for parole and executive clemency following strong calls for the immediate release of elderly and sickly prisoners

DBP releases P1.48b cash aid to 297,000 small-scale farmers STATE-OWNED Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has released more than P1.485-billion in assistance to small-scale farmers under a cash aid program administered by the Department of Agriculture, a top official said.

DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Herbosa said a total of 297,000 farmers received the cash assistance of P5,000 each under the DA’s Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) Program.

“DBP has taken the necessary steps to fast-track the distribution of this assistance to help our farmers cope with the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and to compensate for the income loss due to falling prices of unmilled rice,” Herbosa said.

The RFFA is an unconditional

FOOD SECURITY.

Other than giving passersby a delightful, albeit tempting, sight, this patch of green and rainbowcolored vegetables, including lettuce and red pepper, proves that right in the urban jungle, one can convert an empty lot into a useful piece of edible paradise.

cash transfer program for rice farmers in 33 rice-producing provinces across the country who are tilling a land area ranging from 500 square meters up to two hectares. Each beneficiary receives a P5,000 cash aid which can be used for farm inputs and implements.

DBP, along with Land Bank of the Philippines, have been tapped by DA in the payment and distribution of cash grants. DBP has partnered with BSP-licensed cash outlets to expedite the release of funds to farmer beneficiaries.

“Our partnership with cash outlets allowed DBP to leverage on the nationwide coverage and network of these firms enabling the Bank to complete the pay-outs seamlessly and more efficiently,” Herbosa said.

House ratifies bill on Sports Academy

By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives early this week ratified the bicameral conference report on House Bill 6312 and Senate Bill 1086, that provide for the establishment of the National Academy of Sports System.

The bills aim to enhance the skills and talents of young students who are found to have full athletic potentials.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, a principal author of HB No. 6312, welcomed the ratification, saying that creation of the NAS System was one of the priority bills raised

by President Duterte during his State of the Nation Address in July 2019.

Cayetano said the establishment of the NAS System will inspire the youth to engage in sports and subsequently allow them to develop the essential traits to usher in a new generation of well-rounded and upright members of society.

“Sports helps to bring positive transformation in the community. The people and the community can learn so much from sports as it instills values of discipline, teamwork, dedication, patriotism, passion,

sportsmanship and sacrifice. But more importantly, it is a potent tool to prevent young children from getting addicted to illegal drugs,” he said.

Both bills mandate the NAS to train high school students with strong athletic potentials in a specialized school that would serve as the premier training institution for world-class Filipino athletes and future sports heroes.

Cayetano, who chaired the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee, also said that the country is now moving closer toward the development of a grassroots sports program.

The bill declares that the State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nationbuilding. Hence, the State shall, among other things, provide adequate training for students with athletic abilities to produce world-class athletes for competitive sports with solid academic background and strong patriotic ideals. Towards this end, an educational system geared towards promoting and preparing the youth for a long-term career in sports shall be instituted.

The bill provides for the creation of the NAS System to develop the athletic skills and

during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Interim Guidelines, which took effect on May 15, have simplified the procedure for the grant of parole and executive clemency to PDLs who are elderly and sick since they are considered most vulnerable to CoVid-19.

It also reduced the documentary requirements for parole and clemency application from a maximum of sixteen documents to just three. PDLs who could possibly be released on parole or executive clemency under the Interim Guidelines need only to submit Clearances of No Pending Cases and of No Appeal from the court, and an NBI Clearance.

However, PDLs who committed heinous crimes or were involved in cases relating to illegal drugs, or those classified as high risk by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) do not benefit from the Interim Guidelines.

The simplified rules also require the BPP to double their caseload for review and deliberation to speed up the processing of applications, Perete said

talents of students. Initially, it shall implement a secondary education program, combined with a special curriculum on sports.

The NAS System shall be a continuing source of excellent athletes and sports leaders for the preservation and promotion of competitive sports in the country. It shall be administratively attached to the Department of Education.

The main venue for the NAS System shall be established at the existing New Clark City Sports Complex in Capas, Tarlac. It shall be equipped with the modern sports facilities, housing and other amenities based on current international standards. School buildings shall also be constructed at the sports complex.

Governing the NAS System would be a Board of Trustees composed of the Department of Education Secretary as chairman, the Philippine Sports Commission chairman as vice chairman, the Commission on Higher Education chairman, the NAS executive director, representatives from the Philippine Olympic Committee and representatives from academe and sports community, respectively, as members.

THE Taguig City government announced on Thursday it is extending the scheduled deadline for payment of city taxes and other obligations up to June 30, 2020 in response to the impacts of coronavirus disease ourbreak on citizens.

Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano issued Executive Order No. 09 extending the deadlines of “all business taxes, real property taxes, transfer taxes, amusement taxes and other taxes, fees, charges and other financial obligations due and payable to the Taguig City Government during the period of the enhanced community quarantine.”

The executive order specifically applies the extensions to the payment of local business taxes, real property taxes, amusement taxes due, transfer and corresponding city taxes, as well as other taxes and fees, that fall due while the enhanced community quarantine is in effect. The order also extends to rents, charges, and other financial obligations to the city government.

It further ensures that the dues would not incur penalties, surcharges, and interests.

“We want to ease the burden the COVID-19 pandemic has given to Taguigeño stakeholders,” said Cayetano. “At this point, the safety, security and health of the families of the city take precedence over taxes.” Joel E. Zurbano

BARRM provinces receive medical aid COTABATO CITY—Three provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will be recipients of medical equipment and supplies from the US government, a statement released by the Office of the Press Attaché in Manila said.

The statement said the US government has provided P10 million ($203,000) more worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies to Philippine hospitals, including those in Maguindanao, Sulu and Basilan.

Working in partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Army, Marines, and Philippine Air Force, service members from the US Army, Marines, and Air Force have sailed together to deliver packages of medical aid to ten provinces across the country. Nash B. Maulana

Bulacan netizens question relief ops MALOLOS CITY—Bulacan Gov. Cesar Ramirez, also known as Daniel Fernando, is in hot water after netizens from his province questioned his decision to distribute relief goods to Bataan residents when his own constituents have yet to receive aid.

Archie Abelino, a resident of Felicisima Village, Mojon, in Malolos City, just a kilometer away from the Bulacan Provincial Capitol, said: “We are just at the back of the capitol and yet we don’t even have a cup of rice or even a drop of alcohol.”

Facebook pages of residents across the province were replete with stories of families lamenting having been left out in the distribution of relief goods.

Orlan L. Mauricio

Police group nurtures urban farming THERE’S a new kind of security policemen are beginning to uphold. It is food security, one that identifies the home or at their camps where people can grow their own food in tiered racks and tight spaces.

The brainchild of the Police Security and Protection Group advisory council, chaired by Dr. Reghis Romero II (RII), the sustainable agriculture project complements Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte’s “Joy of Urban Farming” (JFP) program, and aims to contribute to the nation’s effort to achieve food security and alleviate mass poverty. It also reflects RII’s active leadership in preserving the environment.

The project provides a nutritious and safe supply of agricultural products and increases the value of agricultural production in urban and peri-urban areas by utilizing environmentally sustainable solutions that respond to current demand for food.

PSPG is comprised of more than 2,000 personnel, which potentially

translates to over 2,000 urban farms that can be developed in their homes, which translates to savings and potential income source for their families.

This is aside from the 21 PSPG facilities in Malacañang grounds: Camp Crame, Batasang Pambansa, Intramuros and other satellite offices in the Philippines. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Quezon City Mayor’s Office provide the lectures and the seedlings of green leafy vegetables, which have shallow roots and can be planted in recycled containers.

In two months, members of the PSPG have generated tomato, okra, squash, eggplant, kangkong, peppers, bitter gourd, string beans in their backyards.

With the full support of RII’s PSPG Advisory Council, the PSPG shall achieve the JFP objectives by 2022.

This is in support of the agriculture policies in the Philippines seeking to enhance the level of participation of the small landholders to maintain food security and self-sufficiency.

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

A4

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

Business

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, May 21, 2020

22.53 PTS.

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES

5,604.49

450,183,620

TOTAL TRADES

78,135 4,730,165,857.88 75

DECLINES

86

UNCHANGED

57

Investments sharply down in 4 months

By Othel V. Campos

I

NVESTMENT commitments shrank 71 percent in the first four months of the year to P84.1 billion from P286.7 billion year-on-year, weighed down by the COVID-19 pandemic that restricted economic activities in the country.

“The downturn is expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic where economic activities and investments are disrupted due to lockdowns around the world. We have to prepare for a V-shaped recovery with a Bounce Back Plan,” said Trade Secretary and Board of Investments chairman Ramon Lopez Thursday.

“The economy demonstrated its resilience, contracting by just 0.2 percent in the first quarter of this year— a better performance even if compared with developed countries whose contractions have been from anywhere between 4 to 7 percent. The risk of global recession is real but for our part, we are making sure that this is only transitory and we are already laying the foundation for our recovery,” Lopez added.

Approved investment pledges from domestic sources dropped 68 percent to P70.7 billion from P219.7 billion a year ago, while those from foreign investors reached P13.4 billion, down 80 percent from P66.9

billion a year ago.

Investments on transportation and storage sector hit P60.2 billion, accounting for 71 percent of the total figure.

The rest went to real estate, P8.8 billion; manufacturing, P5.3 billion; power, P4.2 billion: and accommodation, P3.8 billion.

Seventy projects received fiscal incentives from the BOI and were expected to generate as much as 11,055 jobs.

France topped the list of foreign investments with P1.5 billion. Japan came in second with P790 million while Malaysia placed third with P601 million. India and the United Kingdom rounded up the top five with P325 million and P156 million, respectively.

Among the April approvals were Anflo Banana Corp.’s P616-million project covering the production of cavendish bananas in Davao Oriental, and Maclin Electronic’s P132-million project involving the production of electronic appliances such as electric fans, washing machines, spin dyers and air coolers in Rizal.

At least P1.6 billion of realized business leads are in the pipeline. These are mostly support projects for telecommunications and other infrastructure projects.

“During the past two months, the role of the BOI had shifted to providing support for firms—particularly those allowed to operate during the various phases of the quarantine period—to continue business operations and facilitate continuity in their value chain,” said BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo.

VILLAR GROUP TESTS. The Villar Group of Companies started conducting rapid tests on employees as part of its return-to-work protocol in Metro Manila. The tests, free of charge, will ensure the safety of the employees and their families. The Villar group uses FDA-approved rapid testing strictly in accordance with all the guidelines and issuances of the Department of Health.

Before the rapid testing, all offices of the Villar Group were disinfected and sanitized.

SM Investments booked profit of P9b in 1st quarter

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group said Thursday first-quarter net income stood at P9 billion, down 16 percent from the same period a year ago, reflecting the impact of the enhanced community quarantine and the COVID-19 pandemic on the company’s businesses.

SM Investments said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-quarter consolidated revenues just rose two percent to P111.2 billion from P109.0 billion in 2019.

The group’s banking business contributed 46 percent of the income, while property and retail accounted for 44 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

“The ECQ and broader pandemic started to weigh on our performance during the first quarter. Our strong balance sheet, capabilities and partnerships provide us with the flexibility to anticipate and adapt to changes in customer needs and behaviors,” said SM Investments president Frederic DyBuncio.

“We are actively enhancing digital and delivery services across all our core businesses, while also working to support and protect our employees, customers, MSMEs and business partners,” he added, Retail operations under SM Retail Inc., which consist of both food and non-food posted, revenues of P81 billion, up 3 percent from P79 billion n year.

Net income, however, declined 56 percent to P1.2 billion from P2.7 billion in the previous year.

Filinvest Land to launch P13.4-b projects in 2020 FILINVEST Land Inc., the property unit of the Gotianun Group, is launching P13.4-billion worth of residential projects this year despite the current uncertainties in the market due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Filinvest Land also said Thursday in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-quarter net income fell 25 percent to P1.79 billion from P1.35 billion year-on-year on the double-digit decline in revenues.

First-quarter revenues dropped 29 recent to P5.15 billion from P7.21 billion a year ago as overall business was affected by the implementation of enhanced community quarantine during the second half of March.

Real estate sales revenues sank 39 percent as a result of lower take-up in 2019 and delays in the completion of the projects during the ECQ period.

The property firm granted a grace period for homebuyers’ payments during the ECQ as support to customers.

Filinvest Land launched three residential projects worth P2.1 billion in the first quarter of 2020. The projects are in Rizal, Zamboanga and Alabang.

Rental revenues, meanwhile, increased four percent in the first three months of the year to P1.79 billion from P1.72 billion in 2019 due to the growth in office leasing, offsetting the decline in retail mall revenues.

The company’s office buildings continued to enjoy high occupancy rates and remained operational during the ECQ period.

Jenniffer B. Austria

IN BRIEF PEZA plans COVID-19 test hubs in ecozones THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority plans to create its own COVID-19 testing facilities within four public economic zones in Baguio City, Bataan, Cebu and Pampanga to ensure the strict enforcement of the health and quarantine requirements inside the ecozones.

Similar facilities are also expected to be strategically positioned in private economic zones as health support to workers.

“We are currently coordinating with the Department of Health (DOH) for this program.

We plan to provide both the rapid test kits and the PCR test on the said facilities so that the companies will have a choice on either of the methods,” said PEZA director general Charito Plaza.

PEZA will also construct dormitories or housing facilities in four public ecozones with shuttle services. Othel V. Campos

MGen, units donate P1.5m in relief goods MERALCO PowerGen Corp. and unit San Buenaventura Power Co. Ltd. donated 425 sacks of rice and more than 200 boxes of canned goods worth P1.5 million to aid the Quezon provincial government’s COVID-19 relief efforts amid the extended enhanced community quarantine.

Atimonan One Energy Inc., another subsidiary of MGen, provided personal protective equipment, including six boxes of N95 face masks, 450 pieces of washable face masks, 100 gallons of alcohol and 10 boxes of surgical gloves for the frontliners of Atimonan, Quezon.

A1E employees also donated 19 sacks of rice, while technical partners and contractors extended financial support and distributed food for residents and volunteers manning the checkpoints in the municipality. Unit Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc., another MGen subsidiary, provided hygiene products to residents of Barangay Cawag in Subic, Zambales.

Shift to cashless fare, PUV operators asked THE Department of Transportation urged public utility vehicle operators to shift to the cashless fare collection system as it announced that maintenance and processing fees for the system will now be waived.

“We want to promote a ‘new normal’ in public transportation. And shifting to cashless, and contactless transactions is part of that. Cashless payments will be beneficial to operators since it reduces pilferage, and other losses. It also automates accounting, and immediately provides ridership reports to the operator for analysis of its operations. This is a game-changer, as it enables the operator to further improve its service,” said DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade.

“And I have to commend AF Payments Inc. (AFPI) for deciding to waive its maintenance and processing fees. This would be a great help to our transport operators, drivers, and passengers,” Tugade added. Darwin G. Amojelar

DOF pushes lower corporate income tax FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III urged the Senate to include the economic team’s proposal on immediately cutting the corporate income tax rate from 30 percent to 25 percent starting July this year, along with other investor-friendly measures, when it opens plenary debates on Package 2 of the Duterte administration’s comprehensive tax reform program.

Dominguez said Congress can help stimulate the economy amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis through the urgent passage of the “calibrated” CTRP Package 2, previously known as the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Reform Act or CITIRA. With its direct integration into the country’s economic recovery program and proposed enhancements, the economic team has renamed the former CITIRA the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE). Julito G. Rada