Manila Standard - 2020 June 2 - Tuesday

GCQ opener: Transport lack

Commuters endure long wait for rides, gov't asks for patience, understanding

By Vito Barcelo and Joel E. Zurbano

C

OMMUTERS returning to work after a two-month lockdown waited long hours for rides that never came on the first day that Metro Manila shifted to a general community quarantine (GCQ), which eased restrictions imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Celine Pialago, acknowledged that public transportation was insufficient, but said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) was working to ensure that more vehicles would be available in the coming days for commuters.

Under the GCQ, buses along EDSA only had four drop-off points, but commuters who did not know this gathered in other bus stops.

Pialago said commuters who are far from the identified bus stops in North Avenue and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City, Next page

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 98 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

QUEUES EVERYWHERE. Lines, both human and vehicular, mark the first day of the general community quarantine in Metro Manila and other regions. These pictures show commuters in Valenzuela and Caloocan given free rides by their local government leaders, a scramble to ride a van along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, orderly queues with social distancing at the LRT and MRT train stations, and a snaking chain of point-to-point buses before they run the length of EDSA, where only four stops were authorized for passengers to ride and alight from. Ey Acasio, Norman Cruz, JR Josue, Joseph Muego and ANC

Rody certifies Senate allows school opening beyond August anti-terrorism bill as urgent postpone the opening of classes beyond August.

Should the measure become a law THE Senate has approved on third before the opening of classes, the President and final reading Senate Bill No. 1541 and the Department of Education (DepEd) authorizing President Rodrigo Duterte to would have more flexibility if COVID-19

By Joel E. Zurbano, Maricel V. Cruz and Rio N. Araja

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday certified as urgent a bill that proposes amendments to the country's existing anti-terrorism law, despite criticism from netizens and activist groups.

In a letter to House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte certified House Bill No. 6875, which amends the Human Security Act of 2007, as urgent.

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NEW OIL PRICES (As of 6 a.m. June 2)

Kerosene +P0.80/liter Diesel +P0.25/liter Gasoline -P0.25/liter LPG -P0.30/kilo Auto LPG -0.17/liter Participating oil firms: Pilipinas Shell, Seaoil Philippines, Total Philippines, PTT Philippines, Petro Gazz, Flying V, Phoenix Petroleum, Eastern Petroleum

cases continue to surge and threaten the safety of learners, teachers, and nonteaching personnel.

The bill, which amends Republic Act 7797, authorizes the President, upon the Next page

Latin America cases hit 1m; Brazil hotspot

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 1)

18,638 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

552 NEW

3

DEATHS

NEW

3,979

70

RECOVERIES

NEW

DoH claims all infections data updated

By Willie Casas, Joel E. Zurbano

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LISTUP BEGINS. In this handout photo from the Department of Education, teachers of the Sabino Acorda Central School in Enrile, Cagayan take calls from parents who confirm their children's enrollment for the new school year, tentatively set to begin August 24. The enrollment period started Monday and ends June 30.

Clashes erupt near White House demonstration outside the White House over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police in Washington, DC on Sunday. Thousands of National Guard troops patrolled major US cities after five consecutive nights of protests over racism and police brutality that boiled over into arson and looting, sending shock waves throughout the United States. AFP

AT A GLANCE

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BRASÍLIA―Confirmed coronavirus cases in Latin America have surged past one million, while hard-hit Britain and Russia eased lockdowns Monday, despite not having their outbreaks fully under control.

Governments around the world are moving to ease restrictions that have wrecked their economies, even as the number of cases tops 6.1 million and virus deaths exceed 371,000.

With more than half a million known infections, Brazil now has the second-

CHAOS IN DC. Tear gas rises above as protesters face off with police during a

COVID-19 PH

WASHINGTON—Police fired tear gas outside the White House late Sunday as anti-racism protestors again took to the streets to voice fury at police brutality, and major US cities were put under curfew to suppress rioting.

With the Trump administration branding instigators of six nights of

rioting as domestic terrorists, there were more confrontations between protestors and police and fresh outbreaks of looting.

Violent clashes erupted repeatedly in a small park next to the White House, with authorities using tear gas, pepper spray and flash bang grenades to disperse crowds

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THE Department of Health (DOH) announced that it has cleared its backlog of COVID-19 cases for validation based on lists submitted by 28 licensed laboratories.

Since May 28, the DOH reformatted its case bulletin to indicate which of the newly validated cases are recent or “fresh” cases--referring to cases whose lab results were released within the last three days of the date of reporting-and which are “late” cases, referring to those with results released four days or more behind the date of reporting, but just recently validated due to delayed submissions from the laboratories.

While the DOH said the clearing of the backlog was a welcome development, it called on the remaining 14 of the 42 operational laboratories to submit their respective complete line lists, which contain all test results conducted since the beginning of their operation.

The DOH said it also expects all

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TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

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News

’No way ABS will resume ops’ S “ABS-CBN has committed too many violations which went unnoticed and unpunished. But we are determined to root out such illegal practices,” Calida told legislators at the resumption of the joint hearing of the House committee on legislative franchises and on Good

government and public accountability.

“ABS-CBN is motivated not by service but by greed and a desire for power and influence. Their brazen acts must come to an end. The hour of reckoning may have been delayed, but it has now come.”

But ABS-CBN president Carlo

Katigbak said the company had not violated any laws and had remained compliant with the Constitution. He said former chairman and president Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III "is a natural born Filipino citizen by virtue of his being born to Filipino parents, specifically his father, in 1952."

Katigbak also said the Philippine Depository Receipts issued by ABS-CBN Holdings Inc. were cleared and upheld as legal by the Securities and Exchange Commission on Oct. 4, 1999.

He said "the company was never transferred to the Marcos government or any of the dictator’s cronies.

Calida appeared before the joint panel via Zoom to explain his role in the closure of the media giant and why he was absent

GCQ...

economy without due consideration to the safety and welfare of workers, the national government has once again succeeded in heaping more unnecessary burdens to the working class,” Matula said.

“Worse, with this transport fiasco, the DOTr and the MMDA risk wasting all the sacrifices forced on everyone for more than two months of lockdown to stop Covid-19,” he said.

He said that all these could have been avoided had the national government provided “safe and free” transportation by implementing service contracting of PUVs that could have augmented the limited public transportation available.

He said the Move As One coalition proposed service contracting of PUVs to transport workers.

Under service contracting, the government pays the operators and drivers to run pre-determined routes to ferry workers. This is far different from the prevailing “boundary system,” in which earnings are based on the number of passengers ferried.

Senator Grace Poe on Monday urged the government to provide public transportation to returning workers now that Metro Manila and nearby provinces are under a GCQ. "The long lines of commuters in bus stations, workers walking to offices and people scampering to get on every available ride should not be part of the new normal under GCQ," Poe said.

Clearly, she said, the mass transportation the country has does not meet the surge of people who have come out of quarantine to begin working again to feed their families.

"Government must show it is on top of

the situation and take the necessary action to make available more public utility vehicles without compromising safety," said Poe. "We also urge companies and businesses to maximize the work-fromhome scheme, to help lessen the number of people who will need to go out and take mass transportation," she added.

Earlier, MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said public utility buses and jeepneys would be difficult to monitor for physical distancing and other quarantine requirements, given that they drop off and pick up passengers along the road.

Garcia said the point-to-point (P2P) bus services were allowed to operate since these can easily be monitored by authorities. P2P buses ferry passengers straight to their destination, with no pickups en route.

Meanwhile, Quezon City Rep. Precious Castelo urged the IATF to allow backriding on motorcycles for couples in Metro Manila.

“I think the government should not apply the ban on married couples riding together using their motorcycle as means of transportation in going to their workplaces or to the grocery to buy household essentials,” Castelo said.

“But if they can sleep together, dine together, why can’t they travel together?” she said.

Castelo added that it would be safer for couples to ride together on their motorcycle than to take the bus, where passengers would be at risk of getting the virus even with physical distancing.

Castelo pointed out that allowing couples to use motorcycles would ease

2021 to September or even later in the event that public health authorities would recommend the postponement of the school year in order to contain the spread of COVID-19," said Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on basic education, arts and culture, and co-author of the bill.

Senate Bill 1541 is a substitute bill consolidating proposals by Senators Joel Villanueva, Francis Tolentino, and Senate President Vicente Sotto III. In the House, a party-list legislator filed a similar bill.

Rep. Manuel Cabochan of Magdalo

party-list group, in House Bill 6797, seeks to amend Republic Act 7797 which provides that the school year should start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.

“There is a growing concern for the safety of the children if classes will resume on August. The rising number of COVID-19 cases and limited testing capacity pose high health risk for the students and the faculty. Immediate resumption of classes may also increase transmission of the virus. It is for these reasons that I am for the deferment of the start of the school year,” Cabochan, an independent lawmaker, said.

By Maricel V. Cruz

OLICITOR General Jose Calida said Monday there is no way his office will allow ABS-CBN Corp. to resume operations after it allegedly committed “too many violations” of the Constitution and its previous franchise.

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Ayala Avenue in Makati and Taft Avenue in Pasay City would have to take the MRT for now.

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) had earlier authorized 300 buses to operate on EDSA to augment urban train service of the MRT-3 and LRT. They formed long lines at both ends of the highway at Quezon City and Pasay City, as they could only leave on a set schedule.

Taxis, ride-hailing cars, shuttle services and bicycles are also allowed to operate at limited capacity from June 1 to 21, the first phase of public transport resumption.

For the second phase, from June 22 to June 30, public utility buses, modern jeepneys and UV express vans will be allowed to operate.

Labor groups assailed the government for its failure to provide adequate public transportation to thousands of workers on the first day of the GCQ, causing chaos and confusing workers who scrambled to get to work.

The Nagkaisa Labor coalition said they were disappointed with Department of Transportation (DOTr) for its failure to perform its primary mandate to provide "efficient, and dependable transportation systems” during the first day of GCQ. In a statement, Partido Juan Manggagawa chairman Sonny Matula said physical distancing was completely compromised as commuters waited for transport services.

“For many, the wait was in vain as the MMDA did not provide bus stops from Quezon Avenue to Ayala Avenue,” he said.

“In its rush to jump start a stalled

Senate...

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recommendation of the secretary of Education,to move the start of the school year during a state of emergency or calamity. The bill covers all basic education institutions, including international schools.

RA 7797 originally mandates the start of the school year from the first Monday of June to the last day of August.

"The immediate effect of this legislation would be to empower the President to move the start of the School Year 2020-

DoH...

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laboratories to send daily accomplishment reports on all tests completed for the day, which will be reported the following day.

These reports will provide an accurate picture of the progress of cases as the country adjusts to a general community quarantine (GCQ).

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, meanwhile, urged Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to set aside the planned hiring of contact tracers as an added measure to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.

He said the DOH should instead use the P11.7 billion budget for the hiring of 130,000 contact tracers for the treatment of persons with COVID-19.

"It will be wiser and more practical to divert the P11.7 billion for the treatment of patients. We need funds to treat our sick countrymen," Sotto said.

Sotto said the budget would go to waste if it were spent hiring people who are not trained for the job.

"You cannot just deploy anyone to do the job. Contact tracing can only be effective if you use people who are trained in investigation like how they handled it in

Rody...

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The President said the call for a speedy passage aims to "address the urgent need to strengthen the law on anti-terrorism in order to inadequately and effectively contain the menace of terrorist acts for the preservation of national security and the promotion of general welfare."

Certifying the bill as urgent would allow the House to expedite its passage.

The Senate in February passed a similar

Baguio. If the DOH hires people who have no experience in investigation, then the program is practically useless," Sotto said.

Sotto said the DOH can coordinate their contact tracing efforts with other government agencies that have the experience and manpower to go around the country.

"The DOH does not need to hire new people to do contact tracing. It can coordinate with other government offices and tap displaced employees to carry out the task at no additional cost to the government," he said.

Duque told senators in one of the hearings of the Senate committee of the whole that the DOH needs P11.7 billion to fund contact tracing efforts against COVID-19. He said the department plans to hire 130,000 contact tracers for three months to cover a 1:800 ratio in the entire country.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, on the other hand, questioned the DOH practice of disaggregating cases in the reporting of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

"What is the basis for disaggregating cases and how does that affect our interpretation of flattening of the curve?

Has the inter-agency task force (IATF) considered these figures in its decision to shift to general community quarantine?" he said. version of the bill.

Earlier Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Congress should finish tackling proposed amendments to the country's existing anti-terrorism law before it goes on recess this week.

"It is certified urgent bill so it could be passed before Congress goes on recess before June 5," he said in a virtual press briefing.

Over the weekend, netizens criticized the proposed legislation on concerns that it might violate basic rights. The hashtag #JunkTerrorBill trended in the Philippines

Latin...

during the last hearing.

He denied meddling with Congress when he advised the National Telecommunications Commission not to grant ABS-CBN provisional authority that would allow the network to broadcast while the renewal of its legislative franchise remained pending.

NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba again apologized to Congress for the “confusion” caused by the closure order against ABS-CBN even as he maintained that the NTC merely followed the law Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta earlier rallied his fellow legislators to reject ABS-CBN's bid for a fresh 25year franchise, citing many "flagrant violations" allegedly committed by the radio-broadcast network.

passenger demand for and congestion on buses. Before the pandemic, motorcycles comprised 36 percent of public transportation, she said.

The Gabriela Women’s Party also urged the government to allow jeepneys, buses and other mass transport services to resume operations during the GCQ to help cash-strapped Filipinos to report again for work.

The Department of Transportation fended off criticism, saying that providing transport under a GCQ was a public health issue more than a public transportation issue.

“The threat is still here. And in this time of pandemic, health and safety must be of higher importance than comfort and convenience,” the department said in a statement.

“As mentioned by Secretary Arthur Tugade, while the mandate of the DOTr is to provide transportation, mobility and convenience, we are likewise vested with the responsibility to the people to help abate the spread of COVID-19.

“We do not want public transportation to become transmission vectors of the disease. Hence, the resumption of transportation entails a calculated, gradual, and partial approach if it is to regain its moniker as the lifeblood of the economy, not as an instrument of death,” the statement read.

Also on Monday, the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) called on all public utility jeepneys to participate in the Busina Balik-Pasada nationwide protest action on Monday, at around 10 a.m. There were pockets of protests, but were a far cry from the nationwide transport strikes that PUJ drivers staged in the past. With Maricel V. Cruz and Willie Casas

MORE than 31,000 Filipinos abroad have been repatriated since the Department of Foreign Affairs started bringing back those affected by the coronavirus pandemic in February this year, the agency said Monday.

Of the 31,528 Filipino repatriates, 65.5 percent or 20,635 were sea-based and 34.5 percent or 10,893 were land-based. Those included the most recent repatriates arriving from France on the last day of the modified enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, the agency said.

The department also said 160 Filipino tourists, workers and students were finally repatriated to Manila from Japan after being stranded there for two months due to flight cancellations and other problems.

Deputy Chief of Mission Robespierre Bolivar said the returning Filipinos were provided welfare and financial aid, especially the tourists and students who went to Japan on a limited budget and who could no longer support themselves during their unplanned prolonged stay there.

At the Senate, Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday urged the government to address the food and health needs of the Filipino Workers stranded for several days at various transport terminals.

Kerosene, diesel prices up; LPG, gasoline down

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE oil companies raised the price of kerosene by P0.80 per liter and diesel

by P0.25 per liter effective 6 a.m. on Tuesday, but cut the price of gasoline by P0.25 per liter.

They also cut the price of cooking gas by P0.30 per kilo, or P3.30 per 11— kilogram tank effective June 1.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. said the latest price adjustments did not include the impact of the higher duties on pump prices from the imposition of Executive Order 113 imposing an additional 10-percent duty on all crude and refined petroleum products to help boost government revenues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The increase is in imported costs only.

The bill also provides for qualifying examinations that would determine if The additional 10-percent duty is not yet the student could accelerate to the next reflected,” Pilipinas Shell said.

Seaoil Philippines, Total Philippines, year level if the state of emergency or PTT Philippines, Petro Gazz, Flying state of calamity is prolonged.

V, Phoenix Petroleum and Eastern Meanwhile, a group of private Petroleum also adjusted their prices. school teachers and professors called On May 26, the oil firms implemented on the government to help them amid hefty price increases of P2.65 per liter a 50 percent drop in the enrollment of of kerosene, P2.10 per liter of diesel students. and P1.75 per liter of gasoline. The Jonathan Geronimo, Alliance of adjustments followed strong optimism Concerned Teachers (ACT) Private that demand would rise as many countries Schools secretary general, said they reopened. have launched a signature campaign for a unity statement seeking amelioration from the government.

Clashes...

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highest caseload in the world, but its antilockdown President Jair Bolsonaro again defied social distancing recommendations on Sunday.

Wearing no face mask, the far-right leader met a tightly packed group of supporters in the capital Brasilia as the crowd chanted "Myth! Myth! Myth!"— echoing his dismissal of the virus threat.

Bolsonaro has been a staunch opponent of lockdowns as a tool for containing the coronavirus, saying they are unnecessary and harmful to the economy, but he has faced intense criticism from worried state authorities and angry citizens.

Despite his skepticism, the virus rages on in Brazil and other parts of South America, with the situation in Chile, Bolivia and Peru also worsening.

While South America and parts of Africa and Asia have only just started to feel the full force of the pandemic, hardhit European countries have cautiously begun easing lockdowns as they seek a return to some form of normality.

But experts have cautioned that moving too fast could spell disaster, with no vaccine or effective treatment yet for COVID-19.

In Britain, where schools were set to partially re-open on Monday, some senior government advisers warned things were happening too rapidly.

"COVID-19 spreading too fast to lift lockdown in England," tweeted Jeremy Farrar, a member of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

Hard-hit Russia, which saw an explosion of infections in recent weeks, was also set to re-open shopping malls and parks in Moscow, despite the stillhigh number of cases.

While Muscovites welcomed the opportunity after weeks of being cooped up at home, many ridiculed Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin's "experiment" aimed at regulating people's walks and exercise based on their home address.

Popular comedian Maxim Galkin even released a sketch about President Vladimir Putin and Sobyanin discussing a "breathing schedule" for the capital's residents.

'A beautiful feeling' The pandemic has devastated the global economy, which is facing its worst downturn since the Great Depression, and with businesses and citizens growing tired of confinement, there is pressure on many leaders to press on with reopenings —especially in nations where outbreaks appear to be slowing. AFP

on Friday, ABS-CBN News reported.

The country's existing antiterrorism law had been criticized for being useless because of provisions penalizing law enforcers with the payment of P500,000 in damages per day of detention of any person acquitted of terrorism charges.

The proposed measure removes the said provision but sets the number of days a suspect can be detained without a warrant of arrest to 14 days, which can be extended by another 10 days.

Lorenzana, however, claimed that the

criticism against the bill has no basis, saying the measure provides safety nets for human rights.

“I read the measure and their opposition to the bill has no basis. There is enough provision for human rights and there are also enough penalties for law enforcement agencies who will abuse their power. Our countrymen have nothing to worry about,” he said.

To allay concerns on possible abuse of power, the bill states that the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) should be notified in case of detention of a suspected terrorist. Willie Casas

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DFA says 31k OFWs returned since virus hit

who lit several large fires and damaged property.

Local US leaders appealed to citizens to give constructive outlet to their rage over the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, while night-time curfews were imposed in cities including Washington, Los Angeles and Houston.

One closely watched protest was outside the state capitol in Minneapolis' twin city of St. Paul, where several thousand people gathered before marching down a highway.

"We have black sons, black brothers, black friends, we don't want them to die. We are tired of this happening, this generation is not having it, we are tired of oppression," said Muna Abdi, a 31-yearold black woman who joined the protest.

Hundreds of police and National Guard troops were deployed ahead of the protest.

At one point, some of the protestors who had reached a bridge were forced to scramble for cover when a truck drove at speed after having apparently breached a barricade.

The driver was taken to hospital after the protestors hauled him from the vehicle, although there were no immediate reports of other casualties.

The New York Times said he was later arrested.

There were other large-scale protests in cities including New York and Miami.

Washington's mayor ordered a curfew from 11:00 pm until 6:00 am, as a report in the New York Times said that President Donald Trump had been rushed by Secret Service agents into an underground bunker at the White House on Friday night during an earlier protest.

Gucci, Rolex stores ransacked Looting was reported Sunday night in Philadelphia and the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Monica, and images on Fox TV showed ransacked Rolex and Gucci stores in New York city. AFP

News

PROPER PROTOCOL.

Passengers maintain physical distancing as they ride a train at the PNR station in Tutuban, Manila Monday during the first day of implementation of general community quarantine in the city. Norman Cruz

By Willie Casas THE National Bureau of Investigation announced on Monday the arrest of two people in an entrapment operation in Intramuros, Manila on May 29.

NBI Officer-In-Charge Eric Distor identified the suspects as Avi Siwa and her mother, Glorina Juliana Carandang. They were arrested for violation of R.A. 9711, or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.

Suspect Avi Siwa, a.k.a. Abegail Siwa, a.k.a.

Avigail J. Siwa, and a.k.a. Avigail Julian Siwa and suspect Glorina Julian Carandang, and other unidetified suspects were recommended for prosecution before the Office of Prosecutor of Manila for violation of Section 11 of R.A. 9711, FDA Circular 2020-004 dated March 2020 and FDA Advisory 2020-498 dated April 1, 2020, in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and violation of Article 315 (Estafa) of the Revised Penal Code, as amended.

Distor said the case against Siwa stemmed from a complaint filed on May 12, 2020.

Govs protest Padilla’s ‘libelous’ remarks HE League of Provinces of the Philippines on Monday denounced what it described as “libelous, irresponsible, reckless and utterly false statement” made by a medical team leader of Project ARK (antibody rapid test kits) during the nation address of President Rodrigo Duterte last May 26.

T

LPP National President, Gov. Presbitero Velasco Jr. of Marinduque, said the sweeping allegation made by Dr. Ma. Dominga “Minguita” Padilla of Project ARK had unjustly maligned the local government units, which “have

been working tirelessly to address all concerns of their constituents, including the returning overseas Filipinos,” In particular, the LPP said Dr. Padilla uttered the following libelous statement: “That’s why I think it’s the ig-

norance only on the part of the LGUs (local government units) eh, they don’t understand, you know, so I think tama ho yong sinabi n’yo (it’s correct what you said) we should lecture on them, we should have seminars.

“I’m willing to give it even via Zoom, right? We are doing this anyway to the LGUs, we can do it for them and to educate them.”

Velasco, a retired associate justice of the Supreme Court before joining politics, debunked Padilla’s statement, saying “To say that LGUs are ignorant is but a reflection of her knowledge,

or lack thereof, of how LGUs have been tirelessly working and coordinating with the National Government to implement measures and provide assistance to all Filipinos to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 despite limited resources.”

“LGUs are no strangers to heavy criticisms which are inevitably attached to public service. As front liners themselves, LGUs bear the brunt of the public’s clamor for a more adequate, immediate and efficient government response against the pandemic,” the Marinduque governor added.

Du30 names Ursabia new PCG chief

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Vice Admiral George Ursabia Jr as the 27th Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), replacing Admiral Joel Garcia who bowed out after 35 years of the Coast Guard service on June 1.

Ursabia started his military career in 1983 when he entered the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and graduated as a member of “Hinirang” Class of 1987.

Later on, he pursued a Master of Science Degree in Maritime Safety and Environmental Protection (MSc, MSEP) as a scholar of Sasakawa Foundation, Japan, and eventually earned said post-graduate degree from the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden in 1999.

In his more than 36 years of active service, VADM Ursabia held various positions with major responsibilities, both in the Philippine Navy and the PCG. Prior to his last designation, as the Commander of the PCG - Marine Environmental Protection Command, Ursabia became the Commander of Coast Guard Districts in Central Visayas, Palawan, Southeastern Mindanao, and Northern Luzon, as well as the Commander of the Coast Guard Ready Force and Staff for Maritime Safety Affairs.

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2 women nabbed

by NBI face charges

By Rey E. Requejo

TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

'LET US RETURN.' Drivers of the popular mass transport vehicle jeepneys chant slogans during a protest in Quezon City in the metropolis on Monday, calling on the government to let them return to work after authorities eased measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus but a ban on public buses and jeepneys still remains. AFP

‘Tax reform bill passage is needed’

By Maricel V. Cruz THE economist of the House of Representatives on Monday said Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE), the second package of the comprehensive tax reform program, was long overdue.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, who heads the committee tasked with raising funds for the government said passage of the measure was needed to enable the country to survive the economic devastation caused by the Coronavirus-2019 pandemic.

Salceda, who chairs the Committee on Ways and Means, said that tax reform had been on the agenda of the Congress “since my first term in 1998 and every Congress from that year,” and that “I have filed some version of this reform.”

“If this passes this year, it will be the culmination of decades’ worth of work, and not some rush to get it done.”

Salceda said that as early as 1998, he filed the “Subsidy Council Act,” which is “the intellectual ancestor of a performance-based, time-bound, targeted, and transparent regime” under CREATE. “Then as now, I would dare opponents of fiscal incentives reform: Show me your financial statements, and let me see how the reform hurts you, so that we can make adjustments. After all, my career before being a congressman involved analyzing financial statements—so there is nothing there that I will not understand. I’m on my fifth term in Congress now, and no one has taken up that request among all the opponents of the reform.”

SC upholds Thermal, detection camera up in Caloocan dismissal

By Rio N. Araja

CALOOCAN City employees, residents and those transacting business at city hall have to pass through a thermal and face detection camera before they could enter the premises, Mayor Oscar Malapitan said on Monday.

The technology is the first to be set up by a local government unit, Malapitan said.

He thanked the owner of Velocity Advance Solution Inc.—Dennis Baello—for his donation of the detection

camera for the implementation of the new normal inside the complex amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The detection camera is now installed at the main entrance of the city hall designed to closely monitor and implement physical distancing between security personnel and the public.

"This high technology is really useful in our fight against COVID-19. This would greatly help in our objective to protect our workers and the public visiting the city hall,"

Malapitan said.

Meanwhile, the city mayor reminded the people of Caloocan to seriously take the government’s warning on obeying the health and safety protocols while the National Capital Region remains under the general community quarantine.

He has directed the Caloocan City police chief, Col. Dario Menor, to increase police visibility in all major roads and other public places to ensure that people are wearing face masks and observing physical distancing.

Farmers get delivery channels

WRENCHING WAIT. Commuters

wait for public utility vehicles at the Marikina-Infanta Highway in Antipolo City, Rizal on Monday. Mass transportation, except for jeepneys, resumed operations in limited numbers under a more relaxed general community quarantine in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. PNA

THE United States government has assisted the Philippines in developing a new distribution channel for domestic agricultural products to help Filipino farmers generate more income and support food security during the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States Agency for International Development has partnered with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade Chain Solutions to establish DELIVER-e, a digital platform connecting Luzon farmers to buyers through an innovative, end-to-end electronic market system that addresses supply chain gaps during community quarantine.

In a statement, the US Embassy in

Manila said the USAID was supporting Philippine government efforts to help Filipino farmers transport their produce to key markets and address urgent food security issues.

“We are proud to work with the Philippine government and private sector to open new distribution channels for agricultural produce, which will restore farmers’ incomes and support food security,” US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said.

Through the DELIVER-e platform, which better links producers with consumers, farmers generate more income by selling fresher fruits and vegetables to buyers and less food goes to waste. Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has sustained the decision of the Court of Appeals that found a municipal city mayor guilty of dishonesty and neglect of duty and affirmed the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision dismissing him from his post.

In a six-page resolution, the CA’s First Division denied the petition filed

by Talitay, Maguindanao Mayor Montasir Sabal seeking the reversal of the CA’s decision issued on November 21, 2018 which junked the mayor’s petition assailing the Ombudsman’s order dismissing him from his post in 2017 and resolution dated November 6, 2019 denying his motion for reconsideration.

Sabal was named by President Rodrigo Duterte as among the country’s “narco-politicians” along with his brother and former Talitay vice mayor Abdul Wahab.

Wahab, who later became mayor of the municipality of Sultan Sumagka, formerly known as Talitay, was shot dead by a lone assailant in Malate, Manila.

In its ruling, the high court upheld with modification the CA’s decision by declaring Sabal guilty of dishonesty instead of serious dishonesty for submitting untruthful statements of assets, liabilities and net worth for the years 2014 and 2015 and guilty of simple neglect of duty for his failure to seek permission from the provincial governor of Maguindanao for his travels abroad on January 2, 2016 and August 28, 2016. Rey E. Requejo

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

A4

TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

PSE INDEX CLOSING Monday, June 1, 2020

91.33 PTS. 5,930.17

TOTAL VOLUME 820,039,399 TOTAL TRADES 113,740 TOTAL VALUE 6,972,211,145.08 ADVANCES 127 DECLINES 63 UNCHANGED 37

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.5850

Japan

Yen

0.009287

0.4698

UK

Pound

1.234300

62.4371

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128979

6.5244

Switzerland

Franc

1.040583

52.6379

Canada

Dollar

0.726691

36.7597

Singapore

Dollar

0.707664

35.7972

Australia

Dollar

0.666100

33.6947

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653787

134.241

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266418

13.4768

Brunei

Dollar

0.705169

35.6710

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.031447

1.5907

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.7729

Euro

Euro

1.111600

56.2303

Korea

Won

0.000812

0.0411

China

Yuan

0.140158

7.0899

India

Rupee

0.013229

0.6692

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.230150

11.6421

New Zealand

Dollar

0.619400

31.3323

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033396

1.6893 Source: BSP

Galoc oil field to halt operation on low prices

Business

Yuchengco Group closes 5 Honda, Isuzu dealerships

By Jenniffer B. Austria

H

ouse of Investments, the listed holding company of the Yuchengco Group, closed down five car dealerships to streamline operations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Honda Fairview, Honda Marikina, Honda Marcos Highway, Isuzu Greenhills and Honda Kalookan (under Honda Kalookan Inc) would be shut down Tuesday.

HI vice president for finance Esperanza Joven said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the decision to close down the dealerships was made after the company conducted a careful and thorough assessment of its car business organization, dealerships and the needed manpower, machines and process.

“Pursuant to such assessment, the company has decided to implement business measures that will ensure overall greater efficiency, particularly the close of the following car dealerships, effective June 2, 2020 and the implementation of a redundancy program in connection with the same,” HI said.

The company did not disclose how many workers would be affected by the closure of the car dealerships.

HI is a diversified holding and investment management company with core investments in car dealership, construction, education and project and property management. Its portfolio investments cover pharmaceuticals, energy, afterlife services and consumer finance.

The group owns and operates car dealerships under the Honda and Isuzu brands. Its Honda dealerships are in Quezon Avenue, Manila, Marikina, Fairview and Marcos Highway. It has one service center in Tandang Sora.

HI also owns a majority stake in Honda Cars Kalookan Inc. that owns and operates dealerships in Kalookan and Greenhills.

The company’s Isuzu dealerships are in Manila, Commonwealth, Greenhills and Leyte.

HI owns a majority stake in EEI Corp., one of the largest Philippine construction and general contracting firms with domestic and international operations in Asia and Saudi Arabia.

It also owns a majority stake in iPeople Inc. which owns the Malayan Education System Inc. under the name of Mapúa University.

The share price was unchanged at P3.25 Monday.

By Alena Mae S. Flores A JOINT venture that includes Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corp. said Monday production at the Galoc oil field in northwest Palawan will be suspended in September amid the low oil prices brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

Oriental Petroleum, a joint venture partner of Service Contract 14, Block C-1 (Galoc block), said in a disclosure to the stock exchange that the operator, Galoc Production Company, set the cessation of the oil field on Sept. 24.

This came after the issuance of the termination notice from the floating production storage and offloading service provider, Rubicon Offshore International.

“The matter has been relayed to the DOE [Department of Energy] and is seeking approval of the initial drawdown on the abandonment fund for the implementation of the suspension plan,” Oriental Petroleum said.

Oriental Petroleum said GPC relayed its total commitment to the long-term future of the Galoc asset “and is currently evaluating several scenarios to retain flexibility for the earliest possible production re-start as and when the market conditions improve.”

An industry source said production would stop starting October with a possible resumption once oil prices in the world market improve.

“There were huge losses per barrel of oil produced at current price,” the source said.

The benchmark Dubai crude plummeted by about 66 percent to $23 per barrel by end-March from $67 a barrel as of end-December last year.

Galoc oil field has been in production since 2008 and yielded nearly 20 million barrels. There are four producing wells that flow into FPSO Rubicon Intrepid which has 450,000 barrels of storage capacity.

IN BRIEF

Foreign traders buck drug price regulation THE European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines said it strongly opposes the enforcement of Executive Order No. 104 entitled “Improving Access to Healthcare through the Regulation of Prices in the Retail of Drugs and Medicines”.

ECCP instead urged the government to consider increasing the budget for health and medicine subsidies. It said recommended expanding pooled procurement and multi-year contracts to increase volume of healthcare products and to institutionalize price negotiation based on sound review of medicine prices and economic viability of reduced prices of pharmaceutical products.

It said a temporary price freeze on medicines listed under EO No. 104 could be implemented under a declaration of a public health emergency.

“These measures will help create a business environment that is conducive to research, development and innovation, resulting in the improved capacity of the Philippine healthcare system. Ultimately, the effective implementation of such policies will help build the country’s resilience to the current and emerging public health threats,” the group said.

Othel V. Campos

Phoenix reported P215-m loss in Q1 OIL distributor Phoenix Petroleum Philippines said it booked a net loss of P215 million in the first quarter, a reversal of the P415-million net income in the same period last year.

Phoenix said in a disclosure to the stock exchange that after navigating the challenging first quarter, the company posted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and appreciation of P503 million, down from P1.4 billion a year ago.

“We were not spared, but we were able to navigate the downturn better because of our earlier investments in strategic, higher margin areas such as retail and LPG. Our portfolio today is more diversified, with LPG particularly thriving in this pandemic.

From a non-essential item in the kitchen, LPG became an essential household product, especially during the enhanced community quarantine,” said Phoenix Petroleum chief executive Dennis Uy. The company said the volatility in oil markets driven by geopolitical tensions significantly challenged the industry at the start of the year. This was compounded by the COVID 19 pandemic and the consequent containment measures, which began to materially impact demand towards March. Alena Mae S. Flores

AllHome’s income jumps 105% to P1.1b

ACCIONA’S DONATION. Acciona, a global leader in providing sustainable solutions for infrastructure and renewable energy projects, donates 30,000 surgical face masks to the Department of Transportation to demonstrate its support for the government and the healthcare workers in the fight to contain this pandemic. Shown are representatives from Acciona, DOTR and Spanish Embassy in Manila during the turnover ceremony.

NLEX Harbor Link’s C3-R10 section to open on June 15

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Public Works and Highways said the entire C3-R10 section of the North Luzon Expressway Harbor Link Segment 10 will be opened to motorists on June 15, two months behind of the March target because of the Luzon lockdown.

“We are glad to announce that another flagship project, the C3-R10 Section of NLEX Harbor Link, is now back on track and is expected to be completed by June 15,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.

“When completed, the Harbor Link project is expected to cut travel time from Quezon City to Manila from 2 hours to only 10 minutes,” he said.

NLEX Corp. resumed works on the C3-R10 Section, following new DPWH protocols on construction activities.

SANITATION SOLUTIONS.

Firstline Sanitation Solutions, a subsidiary of Thaison Builders & Developers Inc., a construction and maintenance company that specializes in providing healthcare-ready facilities, envisions a safe and economical reopening for local businesses. FSS is composed of and supported by a team of disease and safety experts who employ hospitalgrade materials and equipment to ensure virus-free workspaces.

Villar said the segment was originally targeted for completion earlier but works were suspended for two months because of the restrictions from enhanced community quarantine.

NLEX Harbor Link C3-R10 Section is a 2.6-kilometer, 4-lane elevated ramp that will extend NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 to Radial Road 10 using C-3 Road as its route.

The NLEX Harbor Link C3-R10 Section is among the flagship infrastructure projects under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program aimed at moving the country forward and improving the lives of Filipinos by implementing major projects involving roads, expressways, bridges, railways, airports and green cities.

The new elevated expressway will reduce travel time between NLEX and R10 in Navotas City from 60 minutes to 10 minutes, ensuring the timely delivery

of goods to and from the ports of Manila.

It hopes to divert 30,000 vehicles daily away from the traffic choke points of Metro Manila.

Aside from improved movement of cargo in the North and South Harbor, the new expressway is expected to improve the daily traffic congestion in the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela.

The DPWH said that when it opens this month, the C3-R10 Section will feature stone mastic asphalt surfacing, computerized toll collection and 24/7 traffic management systems, emergency parking areas with emergency call boxes, variable message signs, and closed-circuit television cameras.

Roadway lighting and weighing stations for commercial vehicles will also be available in the elevated expressway.

2GO deploys vessels to bring home OFWs SHIPPING and logistics company 2GO Group Inc. increased its passenger service operations to support the government’s directive to speed up the homecoming of more than 24,000 overseas Filipino workers stranded in Metro Manila amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The group, which operates the Philippines’ largest integrated supply chain, said it was “ready, willing and capable”’ of safely transporting the locally stranded OFWs and other individuals to the Visayas and Mindanao. It is also supporting the Balik Probinsiya program of the government.

The company said that on May 24, two vessels—M/V St. Therese of Child Jesus and M/V St. Leo the Great—left Manila with 1,000 repatriated Filipinos on board who were finally on their way home after being held up in the capital while undergoing the mandatory 14-day quarantine since April.

Its fleet of passenger ships made numerous hassle-free trips between Manila to 12

service ports in the Visayas and Mindanao, from Bacolod to Zamboanga.

It said that to ensure the safety and wellness of passengers and crew, the management set in place strict health and sanitation protocols that are being enforced to the letter. New sea travel guidelines are also being implemented such as social distancing in the sleeping and dining areas, regular temperature checks and less contact with crew throughout the trip.

The company said it could accommodate and bring home over 6,000 individuals for this week’s sailings to Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan De Oro, Dumaguete, Ozamis, Iligan, Zamboanga and Nasipit.

All OFWs who wish to get on board should show proof that they have undergone the required quarantine and were given a clean bill of health by concerned authorities. Other required documents are ID cards showing proof of residence, passport with arrival stamp and Bureau of Quarantine certificate.

ALLHOME Corp., the listed one-stop shop home store of the Villar Group, said Monday net income jumped 105.3 percent in 2019 to P1.1 billion from P511.4 million in 2018 on aggressive store expansion.

AllHome said in disclosure to the stock exchange total sales increased by 68 percent to P12.1 billion last year 2019 from P7.2 billion in 2018.

“Together with AllHome’s debut in the stock market, 2019 was a milestone for the company also in terms of operations as we registered strong growth in both topline and bottomline numbers for the year,” said AllHome chairman Manuel Villar Jr. “We are very pleased with the company’s solid performance in achieving our full-year target. As we have previously mentioned, the home improvement industry in the Philippines is still underpenetrated, and we are taking advantage of such by aggressively opening AllHome to more locations across the country,” he said.

AllHome president Benjamarie Therese Serrano attributed the company’s strong financial performance in 2019 to aggressive store openings. Jenniffer B. Austria

BDO hikes provisions by another P20b to cover delinquencies

By Julito G. Rada BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s larger lender controlled by the Sy family, said Monday it allocated an additional P20 billion in upfront provisions on top of the P2.1 billion set aside in the first quarter in anticipation of the disruptive economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns.

BDO said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it was expecting delinquencies to increase this year with the disruption in business activities, tightness in corporate liquidity, lower consumption levels and contraction in full-year gross domestic product by as much as 3.4 percent based on government estimates.

“As such, the bank is allocating a total of 170 bps [basis points] in anticipated credit costs for the effects of the pandemic. While the bank expects an increase in the NPL [non-performing loan] ratio, actual write-offs or losses are seen to be much less,” the bank said.

It said that despite the additional provisions, the capital adequacy ratio was expected to remain stable and it would continue with its regular dividend declaration.

“The move, following a comprehensive review of its loan portfolio, is anticipatory in nature and it meant to safeguard the bank’s balance sheet.

The bank’s current NPL coverage ratio is currently one of the highest in the industry,” it said.

BDO said that with the additional provisions, the coverage ratio was expected to remain strong and among the highest in the industry. It said it was working with various borrowing clients to provide continuing support and find ways to navigate through the difficult operating environment.