Manila Standard - 2020 July 23 - Thursday

NCR may revert to MECQ

Palace says 85,000 cases to trigger shift; Latest infection tally tops 72,000

By Vito Barcelo, Willie Casas, and Rio N. Araja

M

ETRO Manila is poised to revert to a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) by next month, as coronavirus cases continue to surge.

Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday the return to MECQ from the current general community quarantine (GCQ) in the National Capital Region and other areas may happen if the number of COVID-19 cases in the country reach 85,000 by the end of July, as projected by experts from the University of the Philippines (UP).

“That’s a distinct possibility, although it’s a possibility that I wish would not happen,” said Roque in an interview with CNN Philippines That was likely to happen, the same UP experts said Wednesday, as the actual numbers are already well past their updated “low” estimate of 67,500 cases by July 31.

The Department of Health (DOH) announced Wednesday that the nationwide

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 149 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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Wear no face mask, spend 10-30 days in jail MORE ‘PASAWAY.’ A shirtless young man is led away by a member of Quezon City’s Task Force Disiplina as a policeman stands by in a roundup of quarantine violators in the city on Tuesday. These persons are taken to holding cells such as the one at the Manila Police District (inset), where antiCOVID-19 teams liberally spray the areas with disinfectants to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

QC PIO, photo courtesy Rappler

PEOPLE caught not wearing face masks could be jailed for 10 up to 30 days, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Wednesday.

He said he had a meeting with local chief executives to discuss a uniform policy on penalizing violators of quarantine protocols.

“We will now have a uniform implementation of health standards and punishment for violators. We suggested 10

to 30 days,” Año told a forum and press conference.

“And if you are fined, it’s going to be P1,000 to P5,000.”

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said police were more tolerant of quarantine violators at the start of the lockdown, but with President Rodrigo Duterte’s order, law enforcers would have to be stricter against them.

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5.2m Pinoys suffer hunger in lockdown

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JULY 22)

By Vito Barcelo AT LEAST 5.2 million Filipino families—around 20.9 percent of the population—experienced hunger once in the past three months, the highest recorded since September 2014, according to a recent survey by Social Weather Stations.

The polling firm held its survey from July 3 to 6 and it involved 1,555 respondents.

It showed hunger increasing by 4.2 points, or from 16.7 percent in May 2020 and 12.1 points from 8.8 percent in December 2019.

The rate is the highest since the 4.8 million families registered in September 2014.

The 20.9-percent rate in early July represented Moderate to Severe Hunger. SWS defines Moderate Hunger as “those who experienced hunger only once or a few times” in the last three months, while those who experienced Severe Hunger went through it “often or always.”

72,269 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,843

Duterte SONA to bare recovery roadmap amid pandemic effects COVID-19 pandemic during his fifth and penultimate State of the Nation PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will Address (SONA), Malacañang said on present a roadmap that will help the Wednesday.

“He (Duterte) will be presenting now country recover from the effects of the

46,803 ACTIVE

6

NEW

23,623

342 NEW

PGH reports ‘overflowing’ COVID ward

Residents of a barangay in San Andres, Manila stake out under a bridge along Osmena Highway, behind a sign asking for help from passersby as they wait for volunteers scheduled to deliver relief goods to them on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy ABS-CBN News

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By Maricel V. Cruz

NEW

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

CRY OF HUNGER.

1,594

a roadmap for recovery which the eco- Harry Roque said in an interview with nomic team has not unveiled yet and I CNN Philippines. think the reason is they want to unveil Despite the threat posed by COVit in the SONA itself and many fora af- ID-19, Duterte decided to be physiter the SONA,” Presidential Spokesman Next page

11th plea filed vs. ‘terror’ law

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Philippine General Hospital said Wednesday its COVID-19 ward was already “overflowing” with 215 patients, over its limit of 210 capacity for coronavirus disease patients.

The hospital will still accept nonCOVID-19 cases, said PGH spokesman Jonas Del Rosario said.

“Our COVID-19 ward is full. It’s overflowing. We went past our set limit of 210 patients,” Del Rosario told ABSCBN’s Teleradyo during an interview.

“Many private patients went to PGH probably because private hospitals were also full,” he added. Willie Casas

Hike COVID-19 bed capacity, govt hospitals told

RETIRED Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales led a group of constitutional law professors from the University of the Philippines to file the

The government is now requiring public hospitals to increase its allocation

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Better handling of Bilibid deaths set protocols for handling deaths inside the country’s prisons.

In a pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) press briefing, Justice Secretary MeTHE Department of Justice (DOJ) and nardo Guevarra acknowledged that the existthe Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on ing protocols are “somehow inadequate.”

Next page Wednesday vowed to implement improved

By Rey E. Requejo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja LONG LINE, LONG WAIT. A new batch of locally stranded individuals or LSIs seek shelter at the Manila North Port on Wednesday as they wait for boats to take them to their home provinces. Norman Cruz

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THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020

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‘Airborne virus is infectious’ ASHINGTON ― Scientists have known for several months the new coronavirus can become suspended in microdroplets expelled by patients when they speak and breathe, but until now there was no proof that these tiny particles are infectious.

been made public.

The same team wrote a paper in March showing that the virus remains airborne in the rooms of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and this study will soon be published in a journal, according to the lead author.

“It is actually fairly difficult” to collect the samples, Joshua Santarpia, an associate professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center told AFP. The team used a device the size of a cell phone for the purpose, but “the concentrations are typically very low, your chances of recovering material are small.”

The scientists took air samples from five rooms of bedridden patients, at a height of about a foot (30 centimeters)

over the foot of their beds.

The patients were talking, which produces microdroplets that become suspended in the air for several hours in what is referred to as an “aerosol,” and some were coughing.

The team managed to collect microdroplets as small as one micron in diameter.

They then placed these samples into a culture to make them grow, finding that three of the 18 samples tested were able to replicate.

For Santarpia, this represents proof that microdroplets, which also travel much greater distances than big droplets, are capable of infecting people.

“It is replicated in cell culture and therefore infectious,” he said. AFP

Bandoy noted that the continued rise in infections is being driven by increased community transmission, and recorded by rising testing capacity. The professor stressed that the purpose of their projections is to change the behavior of people and let them know that if they don’t comply with minimum health standards during the pandemic, the potential that cases will continue to rise is high.

David said he is hoping that like Cebu City, Metro Manila could flatten the curve once the government revisits placing the region under MECQ from the current GCQ after July 31.

“That would be the decision of the government (for a stricter status). What we have observed in Cebu City is, Cebu was able to slow down the spread of the disease and to flatten the curve,” he told the Standard.

“That is one possibility (the stricter MECQ). I know it is not the only solution. The government is trying different methods, such as a surgical lockdown and mass testing. Isolation is important.

Home quarantine does not work,” David said.

“Should other methods not work, our healthcare system is to be overwhelmed. Nothing more. We could run out of options. If we reach 85,000 (by end of July), our hospitals would be fully occupied,” he added.

Moreover, David said: “We have fears for our frontliners. We cannot

restart business (completely) until we have wiped out COVID-19.”

Home to 12 million people, Metro Manila has remained under the more relaxed GCQ since June 1.

But Roque said a tougher lockdown would result in economic difficulty, since the country could not afford another shutdown.

“If we have to and there’s no alternative, we need to do it,” he said.

Roque reiterated President Rodrigo Duterte’s appeal to all Filipinos to cooperate with the government and folow health protocols.

“I’m confident that the Filipinos actually will cooperate to [an] even greater degree than they have shown.

Yesterday, I announced that we’re second in the world as far as wearing face masks is concerned, and that shows that the Filipinos will cooperate when they have to,” he said.

On Wednesday, the five areas with the highest number of new cases were Metro Manila with 971, Cebu with 252, Zamboanga Del Sur with 53, Negros Occidental with 35, and Rizal with 26.

The DOH said 46,803 active cases are undergoing treatment or quarantine, 90.1 percent of which are mild, 9 percent are asymptomatic, 0.5 percent are severe, and 0.4 percent in critical condition.

Figures reported Wednesday were based on data submitted by 78 out of the 89 operational laboratories, the department said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, meanwhile, rejected allegations of unfair application of the rule of law by authorities in arresting violators of quarantine rules.

“It’s really a matter of perception because the number of those in the lower income levels that were being caught is greater, but it does not mean at all that there is an unfair application of the law,” Guevarra said in a virtual interview.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Duterte was prob-

ably only “joking” when he said people should soak their masks in gasoline to disinfect them after use.

“You know how it is when the President speaks. It was probably only a joke,” Vergeire said in an online forum.

Año made his statement after Duterte called on police officers to nab and detain those caught not wearing face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier, presidential spokesman Harry Roque asked the public to wait for the ordinance that would proclaim the punishment for those refusing to wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Still, a recent survey conducted by

YouGov in partnership with the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London showed that 91 percent of Filipinos always wore masks whenever they went out.

Of the 29 countries the Londonbased data analysis group surveyed between June 22 and June 28, the Philippines was the second country with the highest percentage of citizens who always wore masks when they went out of their homes.

The country with the highest percentage was Singapore, with over 94 percent of its population always wearing a mask outdoors. Rey E. Requejo and Willie Casas

former Supreme Court Public Information Office chief Theodore Te, and Senior Professorial Lecturers Victoria V. Loanzon and Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu. Also joining the Carpio petition are former Magdalo Party-list representative and security analyst Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo and incumbent UP University Student Council councilor Tierone James M. Santos.

Carpio’s counsel, John Molo, who had argued several landmark cases before the Supreme Court, said the petitioners sought to strike down the anti-terrorism law in its entirety.

“Since ATA’s operational provisions are unconstitutional for failing the ‘strict scrutiny’ test—whether the law chose the least restrictive means or narrowly tailored the means to protect

the compelling state interest—the ATA cannot be implemented and must be voided in its entirety,” Molo said.

Also serving as counsels for the petitioners are UP law professors Luisito Liban, a former senior partner of Sycip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan; Gwen de Vera, former dean of the Manuel L. Quezon School of Law; and Darwin Angeles.

“In its fight against terrorism, the government must not be the source of terror and impunity itself. We must never let reason continue to escape us,” Morales said.

Carpio argued that the Constitution declares the right of the people to be secure in their persons against unreasonable seizures of whatever nature and for any purpose is inviolable.

“To guarantee this, the Constitution

erected two fortresses: the first fortress is that only a judge can issue warrants of arrests; the second fortress is that warrants of arrest must be issued only upon probable cause. What has the ATA done? The ATA has demolished both,” Carpio said.

Instead, the law reinstates the arrest, search and seizure orders (ASSOs) of the martial law era, he said, noting that Section 29 of the ATA begins with the “tell-tale” heading: “Detention Without Judicial Warrant Arrest.”

In the past few days since its approval by Congress, Batongbacal said they have already seen examples of how over-eager government agents have erroneously invoked the ATA to support attempts to suppress dissent and disapproval, or claimed more powers than the ATA actually grants.

“There is no other problem as big as [COVID-19] right now,” he said. “The President will summarize the effects of the pandemic as well as the responses of the government and the way forward on how the government will actually approach this problem.”

As of Tuesday, the Philippines has logged 70,764 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 23,281 recoveries and 1,837 deaths.

Duterte has eased the quarantine restrictions in the country to pave the way for the gradual reopening of the economy.

Earlier, he consulted doctors and experts on the possible reopening of the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was told that the country could afford to resume more economic activities, provided that localized lockdowns

are implemented, COVID-19 testing capacity improves and the vulnerable groups are protected.

Duterte will not be anywhere near guests when he delivers his fifth SONA on Monday (July 27), a Palace official said Wednesday.

Secretary Karlo Nograles said Duterte will still go to the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City but will be delivering his SONA in a chamber separate from guests to mitigate the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

“He (Duterte) will be addressing the nation from the same podium, but for the safety of all the members of Congress and the employees of the House, he will deliver his SONA in a chamber that will not be filled by the legislators, officials, and dignitaries that usually attend this function,” he said. PNA

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A new study by scientists at the University of Nebraska that was uploaded to a medical preprint site this week has shown for the first time that SARSCoV-2 taken from microdroplets, defined as under five microns, can replicate in lab conditions.

This boosts the hypothesis that normal speaking and breathing, not just coughing and sneezing, are responsible for spreading COVID-19 -- and that infectious doses

of the virus can travel distances far greater than the six feet (two meters) urged by social distancing guidelines.

The results are still considered preliminary and have not yet appeared in a peer-reviewed journal, which would lend more credibility to the methods devised by the scientists.

The paper was posted to the medrxiv. org website, where most cutting-edge research during the pandemic has first

PGH...

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NCR...

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of bed capacity for COVID-19 patients to 50 percent to 70 percent in the event there is a surge in COVID-19 cases, Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said on Wednesday.

Vergeire said the new requirement is part of the One Hospital Command strategy of the government to decongest hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public hospitals are required to allocate 30 percent of their bed capacity to COVID-19 patients, a requirement that not all hospitals have been able to meet due to a lack of resources.

Private hospitals, on the other hand, are required to allocate 20 percent of their bed capacity for COVID-19 patients and hike this to 30 percent in case there is a surge in cases.

Vergeire said they are looking at providing incentives for private hospitals that expand their bed capacity for COVID-19 cases. – Willie Casas

COVID total was at 72,269 after 1,594 new confirmed cases were reported yesterday.

The number of people who recovered from the contagious disease rose by 342 to 23,623. The DOH also reported six new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 1,843.

The country has averaged 1,565 new cases a day over the last 14 days or since July 9, DOH data shows. Assuming the average holds and the government does not change the current lockdown regulations, total cases would reach over 86,300 by July 31, which is nine days away, the experts noted.

“It (MECQ) might happen,” said Professor Guido David of the UP Institute of Mathematics and OCTA Research Team.

“Our conservative estimate is that this (trend) will continue for the following days up to August 1, and the average of our projected values is at 76,000,” UP Los Baños assistant professor Darwin Bandoy, David’s teammate, said.

Bandoy said the Philippines’ reproductive number currently stands at 1.07, meaning that each COVID19-positive individual can infect more than one person. To flatten the curve, the reproduction number should be less than one. A value higher than one indicates the pandemic is spreading, the UP team said.

More dialysis capacity needed

The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) on Wednesday said other COVID-19 referral centers would be capacitated to accept patients, including those for dialysis, as the hospital continues to run on full capacity.

“I hope other centers accepting COVID patients will also have the capacity for dialysis because they still go to us. Almost 90 percent here are undergoing dialysis. Capacitate centers to accept and also increase their dialysis capacity,” NKTI Executive Director Rose Liquete said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo.

Liquete said other dialysis centers closed down because of lack of manpower and also due to issues related to their PhilHealth reimbursement. – Willie Casas Duque not a whipping boy, Palace says Malacanang on Wednesday denied that President Rodrigo Duterte is using Health Secretary Francisco Duque III as a “scapegoat” for the government’s lapses in the COVID-19 response.

11th plea...

From A1 11th petition against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, asking the Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional.

The petitioners also asked the 15-member bench to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the law from being carried out, and to conduct oral arguments so they could explain why the law was unconstitutional.

Joining Carpio and Morales as copetitioners were constitutional law professors from the UP College of Law, namely Associate Dean and Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea Director Jay L. Batongbacal; Institute for the Administration of Justice Director Dante B. Gatmaytan,

Duterte...

From A1 cally present at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City when he delivers his fifth SONA. However, there will only be a limited number of people who can attend this year’s SONA to minimize Duterte’s risk of exposure to the novel coronavirus.

The Presidential Security Group has also ensured that heightened security measures would be in place during the annual event to keep Duterte safe from COVID-19.

Roque said Duterte is expected to discuss “in much detail” the government’s efforts to combat the disease, as well as its plan to help the country recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

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From A1 “You know when the BuCor people presented to us their protocols we noted that these are somehow inadequate. So this will be the subject of further discussion, how to improve their protocols in case of death among prisoners,” Guevarra told reporters.

Guevarra earlier ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of nine high-profile inmates, including drug convict Jaybee Sebastian, allegedly due to COVID-19.

Sebastian, who was one of the witness in one of the illegal drug trade cases filed against opposition senator Leila de Lima, died on July 17 and was

Ressa pleads not guilty to tax evasion EMBATTLED journalist Maria Ressa pleaded not guilty Wednesday to tax evasion as President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration faced growing calls to drop all charges against the veteran reporter.

Ressa, 56, and her news site Rappler have been the target of a series of criminal charges and probes after publishing stories critical of Duterte’s policies, including his drug war that has killed thousands.

The award-winning former CNN journalist is on bail pending an appeal against a cyber libel conviction last month for which she faces up to six years in jail.

Ex-Rappler journalist Reynaldo Santos was also found guilty in that case.

In a video on Twitter after the hearing, Ressa said she pleaded not guilty to tax evasion—one of five tax-related charges she faces—in the capital Manila.

Her application to quash the charge was rejected by the judge and Rappler was added to the charge sheet, she said.

Ressa, who is also a US citizen, is accused of providing incorrect information for a company tax return involving nearly P300,000 ($6,000) in 2015, Rappler reported.

“We’ll fight every step of the way because we will hold the line,” Ressa said defiantly in the video.

“I’m not going to voluntarily give up my rights.”

Ressa posted on Twitter selfies of herself and her lawyer, both wearing face masks and shields, at the court.

Rights groups and press advocates say the charges against Ressa and Rappler, and a government move to strip the news site of its license, amount to state harassment.

Fellow alumni, teachers and staff from Princeton University took out a full page ad in The Washington Post on Tuesday calling for US President Donald Trump’s administration to “exercise its influence” to convince the Duterte administration to drop all the charges against Ressa, Santos and Rappler.

“Presidents throughout the history of the United States have used their leverage against authoritarian governments that violate the rights of U.S. citizens abroad; the current administration should do the same,” the open letter said. AFP and Vito Barcelo

5.2m Pinoys...

From A1 SWS said 15.8 percent or an estimated 3.9 million families experienced “Moderate Hunger,” while 5.1 percent or an estimated 1.3 million families experienced “Severe Hunger.”

The polling firm said Moderate Hunger rose from 13.9 percent in May 2020 to 15.8 percent in July 2020—the highest since the 17.6 percent or an estimated 3.8 million families registered in September 2014.

The Visayas posted the highest hunger rate with an estimated 27.2 percent or 1.3 million families suffering from a lack of food, while Mindanao had 24.2 percent and Luzon 17.8 percent.

SWS found that hunger was higher among the households with a low socio-economic status and educational attainment.

The hunger incidence rose among the households of non-elementary graduate respondents, or up from 21.1 percent to 35.6 percent.

SWS gathered its data through mobile phone interviews of adult Filipinos who were 18 years old and above.

The polling firm said the sampling had an error margin of ±2 percent for national percentages, ±6 percent for Metro Manila, ±5 percent for Balance Luzon, ±5 percent for the Visayas and ±5 percent for Mindanao. immediately cremated.

BuCor initially refused to confirm the death of Sebastian and the eight other high-profile inmates, prompting speculation that they were actually freed or summarily executed.

“So many stories have been swirling around that seems to dispute that the cause of death of these convicted drug offenders was COVID-19. In fact there are theories that they did not die and so forth and so on and that the bodies have already been replaced by someone else andthey were let go.

Because of these various theories and also for the benefit of the BuCor to dispel any doubt that there was an anomaly over these deaths allegedly due COVID-19, the we thought it proper and prudent to request the NBI to make its own inquiry into the matter,” Guevarra said.

News

‘Bring franchise denial to plenary’

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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MUSLIM CEMETERY.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno leads the groundbreaking of the first historic Muslim Cemetery to be built inside the Manila South Cemetery on Wednesday (see story on A4). Norman Cruz

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives has asked the House Committee on Legislative Franchises to submit the technical working group report and the committee report on the denial of the ABS-CBN franchise application to the plenary for ratification.

In a letter addressed to Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez, chair of the House franchise committee, the Makabayan congressmen appealed to the committee to have the matter discussed in plenary session to allow every legislator to give inputs on whether or not the franchise committee did the right move to reject the network’s application for franchise renewal.

The Makabayan Bloc is composed of Reps. Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite, and Eufemia Cullamat of Bayan Muna; France Castro of ACT Teachers, Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Women’s and Sarah Elago of Kabataan.

Alvarez, for his part, has yet to respond to comments from reporters regarding the letter of the Makabayan Bloc.

Alvarez’s committee deliberated on the ABS-CBN franchise renewal bills with the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability chaired by Bulacan Rep. Jonathan Sy-Alvarado.

‘KAPA victims deserve justice’ Solon: move class opening to Sept.

By Maricel V. Cruz A CONGRESSIONAL leader on Wednesday batted for the opening of classes to September following President Duterte’s signing of Republic Act 11480 or the “Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from 200 Days to Not More Than Two 220 Class DaysRep. Ronnie Ong of Ang Probinsyano party-list group said the enactment of the measure will provide the government the option to move the opening of classes when the country’s educational system is really ready and equipped to conduct the virtual classes and the Department of Education’s socalled “blended learning.”

Ong, one of the authors of R.A. 11480, said the law provides President Duterte more latitude to re-adjust the opening of classes in times of national emergency.

R.A. 11480 has amended R.A. 7797 which requires that opening of classes should be between the first Monday of June to the last day of August.

“Through RA 11480, the DepEd is no longer obligated to push for the opening of classes as prescribed by RA 7797 even if it is barely ready to conduct classes because of the continuing national health emergency caused by the Covid- 19 virus,” Ong, vice chair of the House committee on rural development, said.

By Maricel V. Cruz

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HE Philippine National Police on Wednesday expressed hope that the victims of the alleged investment scam by the Kapa Community Ministry International will be one step closer to justice with the arrest of its founder Joel Apolinario.

In a press statement, PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa lauded the Police Regional Office in Caraga Region on the arrest of Apolinario, who has been at large following the release of several warrants of arrests for large-scale syndicated estafa.

“The special directive came from

President Rodrigo Duterte: Arrest Apolinario and his cohorts to vindicate the thousands of members from Visayas and Mindanao who were victimized by Kapa’s massive investment scam,” Gamboa said in a statement.

He added that the Caraga cops have

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Wednesday arrested two Chinese nationals and a Filipino in a buy-bust operation involving 20 kilos of suspected shabu worth P136 million in Quezon City.

The suspects—Yao Yuan, Piao Hong and Israel Ambulo—were nabbed inside the Quezon Memorial Circle along Elliptical Road, Diliman in Barangay Central at 1:52 p.m. yesterday.

A PDEA agent who posed as a buyer of shabu met with the suspects after a negotiation.

The suspects yielded 20 kilos of shabu, the buy-bust money, a Nissan Cefiro car (ZAW-576) and four mobile phone units.

According to PDEA director general Wilkins Villanueva, the three personalities would be charged with violation of Sections 5 an 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165 before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

Rio N. Araja

Gordon won’t release ‘ninja’ cop from Bilibid BLUE RIBBON committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon on Wednesday said it will not release alleged “ninja cop” Police Maj. Rodney Baloyo to the Pampanga police.

Baloyo has been detained at the New Bilibid Prison since October for being “very evasive” during a Senate hearing into the “ninja cops” controversy.

He was the head of the anti-drug operation in Pampanga in 2013 where he and 12 other Pampanga policemen were charged with grave misconduct and demoted by one rank in 2017.

Gordon said Pampanga had asked his committee if it could release Baloyo from detention so he could testify in court.

“We are being asked by the police authorities in Pampanga to send Maj. Baloyo to Pampanga to appear in court. According to them, there’s a court order. Baloyo is from Pampanga and the cases occurred in Pampanga and that he would be in his own element there,” Gordon said. Macon Ramos-

and his men when they tried to serve the warrant of arrest against the KAPA leader.

Two armed men of Apolinario were killed while one was reportedly wounded and brought to Bislig City District Hospital.

Authorities also confirmed that numerous high-powered firearms were recovered including various types of rifles, machine gun, carbine, shotgun, caliber 45 pistol, and assorted rounds of ammunition.

Esquivel said government troops are still in the area securing the place of the incident as the Provincial Crime Laboratory Office of the Surigao del Sur police is still accounting and doing an inventory of the pieces of evidence.

Employers’welfare amid virus sought

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

IN BRIEF

PDEA nabs 3 suspects, seize shabu in buy-bust

been monitoring the whereabouts of the suspect and his armed men since January this year.

Apolinario, founder and leader of the Kapa Community Ministry International and his 23 armed men, were arrested on Tuesday in an isolated island resort in Sitio Dahican, Barangay Handamayan, Lingig, Surigao del Sur. He said the operation is also pursuant to the PNP’s campaign against loose firearms as Apolinario was reportedly carrying “unlicensed high-powered firearms and ammunition for his personal bodyguards.”

PRO 13 Director Brig. Gen. Joselito Esquivel Jr. reported that the operating team engaged in a firefight against Apolinario

MORE VIOLATORS. John Ela (third from right), a Nigerian national, and 40 others were arrested for violating community quarantine health protocols in Dasmarinas, Cavite. JR Josue

Fil-Chi contractor tells Duterte of DPWH ‘corruption’

By Vito Barcelo A FILIPINO-CHINESE contractor filed a complaint before the Office of the President for alleged corruption in the bidding of multi-billion peso mega projects in Mindanao, favoring a single Chinese contractor for several projects.

Jingxy Fu of China Geshouba Group Corporation Ltd. claimed the alleged corruption inside the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has been going on amid coronavirus pandemic.

In a two-page letter addressed to President

Rodrigo Duterte, Fu fearlessly mentioned the name of Usec. Emil K. Sadain CESO (Career Executive Service Officer) for UPMO Operational and Technical Services of DPWH, as the one behind the alleged corruption in the said government agency.

Sadain could not be contacted for comment as of presstime. Efforts to reach Public Works Secretary Mark Villar also proved fruitless.

According to Fu, a syndication and illegal contracting of the foreign projects is being practiced in the agency, particularly in the foreign assisted projects loan,

specifically the Rio De Grande Mindanao Project that costs P30, 322,381,952.44 worth of foreign loan.

“Usec Emil K. Sadain CESO 1 for UPMO Operational and Technical Services of DPWH, along with his “Partner” inside is behind the syndication and illegal contracting of the foreign projects. He is also accountable in pursuing the Chinese Embassy to be repeatedly recommending their contracted bidder because he will receive a 15% kickback that is delivered in his main office and to be received by his “Partner”,” part of the letter said.

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III has filed a bill giving private employers immunity from coronavirus pandemicrelated lawsuits from their employees who contracted the dreaded virus in the workplace.

Sotto, however, explained that Senate Bill No. 1515, is not an absolute blanket shield from any liability of the employer as it will not cover acts that constitute the commission of a crime.

In filing SB 1515, which shall be known as “Employer’s Liability Protection from Covid-19 Act”, the Senate leader underscored the need to boost the reopening of the economy.

He said employers and private establishment owners are aware of the risks their returning employees will face in the workplace and their responsibilities to their workers as employers.

He saw the need to protect private establishments and its owners from lawsuits and claims of their employees who may have contracted the Covid-19 virus in the workplace or in the performance of their work.

Meanwhile, Senator Joel Villanueva has asked the Department of Labor and Employment to clarify Labor Advisory No. 17, which it issued in May on the resumption of business operations, saying that the guidance on wage and wagerelated benefits are apparently abused by some employers.

‘Build monument for fallen frontliners’

By Maricel V. Cruz A PARTY-LIST congressman on Wednesday filed a bill that provides for the erection of a monument commemorate the heroism of fallen frontline workers and the declaration of a National Day of Mourning and Remembrance for them.

Rep. Ron Salo of the Kabayan partylist group filed the bill to honor the sacrifices of frontline workers, both medical and non-medical amid the still-raging Coronavirus Disease-19 pandemic.

House Bill 7109 or the Frontliner’s Commemoration Act provides for the construction of a national monument to be known as the “Bantayog ng mga Bayaning Frontliners” and the annual observance of a “National Day of Mourning and Remembrance,” which will be a special working holiday.

“The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis that awakened the hero

within every Filipino,” Salo, chairman of the House committee on public information, said.

The measure recognizes the invaluable contribution of the frontliners who responded to the call of duty during the pandemic. It aims to inspire Filipinos on the heroism of ordinary men and women who rose to the occasion and willingly and valiantly performed their duties in the service of their countrymen despite the clear and imminent danger to their own health and safety.

“We need to give appropriate recognition, both tangible and intangible, to yjr frontline workers’ acts of heroism,” Salo added.

Under the bill, a Certificate of Heroism shall be issued by the National Commission on the Culture and the Arts (NCAA) to the family of fallen heroes. A scholarship grant and financial assistance shall be extended to their children to enable them complete their baccalaureate degrees.

FREE TAHO. Taho vendor Gimmy Conod from Quezon City gives away free ‘taho’ to motorists who line up at the COVID-19 Drive Thru Testing Center at the Manila City Hall early Wednesday. Norman Cruz

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

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Manila constructs Muslim cemetery

By Willie Casas

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020

BIG CATCH. Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) record the evidence after a buy-bust operation at the Quezon City Circle parking lot. where they arrested two Chinese nationals and one Filipino, identified as Israel Ambulo, Yao Yuan, and Piao Hong, and confiscated 20 kilos of shabu worth P136 million. Lino Santos

P2.5-m fake cigarettes confiscated

By Jessica Bacud and Brenda Jocson SANTIAGO CITY—Two suspects, including a Chinese national, have been arrested and detained by the authorities while P2.5 million worth of fake cigarettes had been seized by authorities during a raid by local police as well as a Customs officer and a representative of the Japan Tobacco Inc. By virtue of Letter of Authority 0707-053-2020 from the Bureau of Customs signed by Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, a raid was conducted at the warehouse and store of TOP Warehouse in this city which resulted in the seizure of 81 boxes Marvel Filter King and 5 boxes Mighty Green fake cigarettes amounting to P2,580,000 loaded in an Isuzu Forward truck.

The suspects were identified as Tonron Ferrer Quejada (Filipino), 23 years old, single, assistant manager, a native of Lourdes, Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, residing in Mabini, Santiago City, and Fubin Huang, (Chinese National), 25 years old, single, manager, residing in Cauayan City, Isabela.

MANILA City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso on Wednesday led the groundbreaking ceremony of the capital’s first Muslim Cemetery.

About P49.3 million will be allocated by the city government for its construction. The project will cover about 2,400 square meters of land and includes the creation of a Cultural Hall for Muslims.

The new cemetery will serve as an exclusive ground for the interment and transfer of remains of Manila City’s deceased Muslim residents.

In a statement, Domagoso emphasized the important contributions of Muslims to the history and culture of the nation’s capital, saying “despite their cultural contribution, we seemed to have forgotten them and did not give them the attention they deserve.”

“Muslims brought greatness to us even before the Spaniards reached our shores. We were then the “Land of Rajahs” because rajahs ruled then the Kingdom of Manila, specifically the Rajah Sulayman Dynasty,” the Mayor said.

“Why is it important to discuss the role of Rajah Sulayman in the history of Manila? It is to show that there is a need to give due recognition to the Muslims in the development of our city as it was them who founded and made great the Kingdom of Maynila before the Spanish conquest,” he said.

Lot owners get P1.1-b for subway

By Joel E. Zurbano

P

ROPONENTS of the Makati Subway system shelled out more than P1.1 billion to pay the owners of 55 lots who agreed with the city government to use their property for the project.

City administrator lawyer Claro Certeza, who chairs the Private-Public Partnership project Selection Committee, said the initial 55 lots had a combined value of P1.18 billion and cover a total area of 7,638.83 square meters.

“These landowners who promptly accepted the offer, will each get a P1-million incentive granted by Makati Subway, Inc.,” Certeza said.

Five of the 55 property owners have submitted all the required documents and have been paid a total P62.9 million by the Makati Subway, Inc. The owners of the remaining 49 lots are currently processing the documents for the transfer, Certeza said.

“Despite the ongoing crisis, the Makati Subway has remained on track.

Our private sector partner has been communicating and negotiating with concerned property owners for the acquisition of lands needed for the project,” he said.

Certeza said the city government was hoping that other property owners would follow suit so that the initial phase of the project could be completed, and the private partner could proceed to the construction itself.

In July last year, Mayor Abigail Bi-

nay led the historic signing of the joint venture agreement between Makati City and Philippine Infradev Holdings, Inc. for the subway project.

According to Certeza, “The subway project comes at an opportune time when we are trying to rebuild our economy and to secure employment for thousands of Filipinos displaced by the pandemic.”

Around 10,000 jobs are projected during its construction and operation, particularly for city residents, including senior citizens who are still fit to work.

It will link the central business district, city hall and other key areas in the city, and is expected to increase work productivity by cutting down the daily commute or travel time of workers.

FAKE CIGARETTES.

Boxes of fake cigarettes worth P2.5 million greet authorities after a search at theTOP Warehouse along Hawkson Street, Purok 5 Mabini, Santiago City.

Jessica Bacud

Free legal assistance launched

By Jun David MAYOR Oscar Malapitan has launched a free legal assistance program for residents of Caloocan City who need guidance on legal matters, especially in this situation with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mayor advised residents to call city hall at the numbers they posted, in case they could not go to a lawyer in person because of quarantine regulations.

For residents who have their own transportation, they can schedule a meeting with the City Legal Department at New City Hall, Malapitan said.

The "no waiting time" rule is ready for those who have scheduled legal services.

Police nab suspected trafficker in buy-bust POLICE arrested a suspected drug trafficker and placed two minors under custody during a buy-bust operation in Paranaque City on Tuesday.

The authorities seized more than P1.3 million worth of shabu from suspect Mack Kadil, 34, a native of Cotabato City and resident of Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City. He is

now detained at the Paranaque City jail.

The minors, both 17 years old and residents of Las Pinas City and Cavite, were placed under police custody for being accomplices to the crime.

A team from the Southern Police District, Paranaque City Police, and Quezon City Police-Intelligence Divi-

sion conducted the entrapment in front of a fast-food restaurant at the corner of Boulevard and Opena Streets in Barangay Baclaran around 12:30 p.m. On July 21.

The police operation was also coordinated with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-National Capital Region Office. Joel E. Zurbano

Full capacity for P’que hospital THE Paranaque City government announced on Wednesday that its owned hospital and seven other facilities for COVID-19 patients were now reaching full bed capacity as confirmed cases continued to increase.

Paranaque recorded a total 2,134 coronavirus cases, including 891 active cases and 77 deaths as of Tuesday. However, the city recorded 1,166 or 54.6 percent recoveries, one of the highest recovery records in Metro Manila cities.

Dr. Jefferson Pagsisihan, director of Ospital ng Parañaque, said allocated beds for COVID-19 patients in the eight facilities were now 88.43 percent occupied and might not be able to accommodate new cases in the coming days.

Pagsisihan reported that 262 out of its 349 maximum bed capacity were now being occupied by COVID patients as of Tuesday, July 21.

Mayor Edwin Olivarez had ordered the heads of the health facilities to place on mandatory isolation all individuals found positive of the deadly disease.

In a memorandum, Olivarez instructed city health officer Dr. Olga Virtusio to follow the existing protocols being implemented by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

Olivarez explained that COVID-19 cases in the city would continue to rise as the local government expanded its testing, but assurances situation was “still manageable.”

The city chief executive said the city government’s “big headache” were the residents staying in the slum areas who were hardheaded and not obeying quarantine and health protocols despite daily reminders.

Last Monday, the city recorded the biggest one-day in the COVID-19 cases in four months, with total of 86 new cases. Joel E. Zurbano

Globe sends pre-owned laptops to provincial schools TO SUPPORT distance learning during the coronavirus pandemic, Globe says it is sending pre-owned laptops to various public schools.

With the adoption of distance education this academic year 2020-2021, internet connectivity and personal computers, laptops or tablets become essential requirements for teaching and studying, Globe said in a statement.

However, not all schools are sufficiently equipped with the information and communications technology (ICT) tools necessary for effective learning.

This situation prompted Globe, it said, to look for ways to help educational institutions with the ICT tools they

need while at the same time, remain aligned with the company's sustainability programs such as electronic waste management and 21st century education and teacher training.

For this initiative, Globe utilizes the laptops which employees normally return upon separation from the company or after three years of use.

So far, Globe has delivered 10 preowned laptops to San Vicente National High School in Baguio City, seven units to San Pedro Elementary School in Sasmuan, Pampanga, and 32 units to the DepEd Division in Cagayan de Oro City for use of Cadayonan Elementary School, Donggoan Elementary School,

Iba Elementary School and Magayad Elementary School.

“Instead of disposing the pre-owned laptops when many Filipinos have no access to a computer, we decided to refurbish the units and give them a new purpose to schools. This way, we are able to help our teachers and students as well as extend the usable life of the devices,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications.

To this, San Pedro ES Principal II Rodolfo Sibug, Jr., said: “This donation is pivotal to the delivery of basic quality education to our clientele as we embrace the challenges of the new normal.

CLEANING BY SMOKE. A worker uses a sterilizer machine to disinfect the

interiors of a car during a demonstration by local company Stay Safe Philippines, which manufactures safety products, in Tayuman, Manila on Tuesday amid the coronavirus pandemic. Norman Cruz

Opinion EDITORIAL

Arrogance of power the House of Representatives killed ABS-CBN’s bid to renew its legislative franchise, throwing some 11,000 of its workers into unemployment.

Clearly, these politicians had made their point. Or had they?

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NYONE with any interest in investing in the Philippines would take one look at what is happening to ABS-CBN and head for the hills.

Here we see a prime example of political bigwigs trying to use their power to run what was once a thriving business into the ground. Although they used legalistic arguments to justify their actions, their behavior during the recently concluded congressional hearings about the broadcast network’s legislative franchise left no doubt that they had an axe to grind.

Often, it was a crude axe they wielded, pressuring the owner of the network to prove his citizenship by reciting a patriotic oath that, for most people, has been locked away with other childhood memories. Or, ignoring the testimony of government agencies that had told them that the network had no outstanding tax liabilities, and that there was nothing irregular in the way it conducted its business affairs.

So it was that the lawmakers from

The display was just breathtaking.

In an online discussion last week, the lawmakers who had led the charge against ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal made it clear they were not done yet.

As public criticism of their behavior mounted, they went on the attack, with one lawmaker suggesting that they slap a P2 trillion fine and seize the network’s headquarters in Quezon City.

In the discussion, they regurgitated many of the accusations they had used to deny ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.

Other lawmakers “suggested” that ABS-CBN sell its assets to other parties that could make use of the facilities to save its employees—a move

reminiscent of gangster movies in which storeowners being sold protection were made an offer they could not refuse. Or the seizure of ABSCBN properties during martial law.

Or of Nazis who seized properties that Jews were forced to “sell.”

After the informal online discussion, one lawmaker proposed a follow-up meeting with the chairmen of relevant House committees to decide on how to take further action against the company.

It was a show of vindictiveness the likes of which we have not seen since then President Benigno Aquino III used the entire machinery of government to vilify and oust Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012, then hounded him with tax cases until his death in 2016.

And we thought we would be better than that.

If the lawmakers’ motives in holding their online discussion was to defend themselves and to sway public opinion in their favor, we suggest they are going about it the wrong way. The arrogance of power on display was breathtaking—and completely off-putting.

The PNP and COVID-19 EVER since the start of the pandemic, the Philippine National Police has been an integral part of the government effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. In fact, it is not only the police but also the military to some extent. In addition, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease which is the ad hoc government body managing the pandemic is full of high ranking retired police and military officers occupying decision-making positions.

This is because the President believes in the abilities and competence of uniformed people to get the job done. But when it was recently announced that the police will assist in locating the whereabouts of mildly infected people who are self-quarantining in less-than-ideal circumstances to transfer them to government run quarantine facilities, protests were heard forcing the IATF to rescind the order. The foreign media even picked up this piece of news.

The objections appear to center on the now infamous Oplan Tokhang of the government's anti-drug war where many innocent people were allegedly killed. It could also be due to the recently passed Anti-Terrorism Law. Human Right Groups are suddenly suspicious that there might be other government motives other than simply lessening the COVID-19 infection rate. The virus is truly ravaging the country. These groups seem to have forgotten or simply do not want to give any credit to the PNP for performing responsibly and remarkably well in COVID-19 related activities.

Because of their work, 1,600 police personnel have been infected. Under certain strict guidelines and supervision, perhaps the police can still assist due to the gravity of the situation.

Leaving this chore to civilian offi-

DUTY CALLS

FLORENCIO FIANZA cials might not be enough to get the job done. I suspect however, that the police is thankful that they have been excluded because of the difficulty of the work.

If we only had the discipline.

If we Filipinos only have the discipline, there would be no need for police involvement in this exercise.

But unfortunately, discipline is the one commodity that is sorely lacking. People continue to break simple health protocols like social distancing and the proper wearing of masks. In fact, I was a witness to this behavior last Sunday when I accompanied my grandson to Starbucks to buy coffee.

There was a woman who did not want to fall in line, argued with an employee, did not wear her mask properly and refused to fill out contact tracing documents as required. She barreled her way in without due regard to other people who were in the queue. We see this behavior all too often among people in the Metro area who seem to think that the problem is over and behave irresponsibly.

In Japan, all that was needed was a government order and the people followed. Japan also declared a national emergency when COVID-19 cases started to increase last April but the Japanese government did not have to mobilize the police to enforce orders.

Because of the discipline of the Japanese people, they followed and the

country was able to flatten the curve and eventually reduce infection in a very short time. When a Japanese senior official was asked how Japan was able to make the people follow health protocols with very little effort, he pointed to the Japanese character and the depth of Japanese society.

As a simple comparison, when we go to Luneta to celebrate the New Year, we leave all our trash in the park when we are done. When the Japanese go to the ball game, they bring their trash with them when they leave the stadium. We still have a long way to go. When our daily infection started to breach 600, Senate President Vicente Sotto remarked that we must be doing something terribly wrong because in spite of all the hard work done, infections are still raging.

It would be easy to point to the missteps of the government as the principal culprit but we must also add the lack of discipline and cooperation of the public. The government to be fair has not been remiss in reminding people to wash their hands, wear masks properly, and practice social distancing. The weak link from all indications are people in areas where social distancing is almost impossible. Finding ways to ensure compliance of health protocols is the big challenge. A recent United Kingdom study found our country second to Singapore in the number of people wearing masks worldwide with 91 percent of Filipinos wearing masks all the time. It is quite an accomplishment but 9 percent of people not wearing masks in the metro area with about 13 million people translates to more than one million people who can infect others. I agree that violators of health protocols should just be arrested outright and fined or both.

Simply talking will not be enough.

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net)

NAKED THOUGHT CHARLIE V. MANALO

Never-ending inconsistencies

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THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020

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The English language’s downs BUSINESS CLASS

RUDY ROMERO AS A result of its deployment against the novel coronavirus, the two-syllable English word “lockdown” has come to be etched in the consciousness of every Filipino. But lockdown is not the only two-syllable English word whose second syllable is “down.” There are many others, some positive in character and others negative. Let’s look at a few of such words.

There are so many two-syllable words ending with “down.”

There, for starters, is knockdown.

Knockdown is negative when it is used in the boxing context—one of the protagonists receives a blow that causes him to drop to the floor of the ring— and positive when it is used in manufacturing operations to connote a product, such as a motor vehicle or a piece of furniture, that is marketed in dismantled form.

Showdown is another two-syllable English word ending in “down.” A showdown takes place when two individuals or groups of individuals confront one another, to put an end to a contentious situation. When thinking of a showdown, people who are old enough remember the film “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral which was set in the gunslinging era of America’s Wild West.

Shutdown has the same meaning and significance as lockdown. However, shutdown is the preferred word when the subject matter is a structure, such as a building or factory.

Another two-syllable “down” word, touchdown, has a positive connotation whether used in a transportation context or a sports context. The touchdown of an

aircraft is a felicitous thing and so is a US football player’s scoring points with a touchdown.

A markdown is not a good thing. Assets undergo a markdown when they are not sold despite their having been on sale for a long period. Prolonged economic crises give rise to markdowns.

When a person does not honor a promise or fails to live up to expectations of him, one speaks of a letdown. Being at the receiving end of a letdown is a very sad experience.

Still another two-syllable English word ending in down has an administrative— sometimes sinister—connotation, An official of an institution can ask an underling for a rundown on an individual or on a program of activities. The requested rundown may merely be intended to update the official with regard to someone or something that has not been receiving the official's close attention. But, as indicated, a request for a rundown can have a similar connotation. A request from an official of an investigative or security institution for a rundown on the activities of an individual can only mean that the individual is a person of interest to that institution.

Shakedown is another example. It is a negative word. It bespeaks corrupt behavior, one person tries to extort money or favors from another person by means of threats or exposure of incriminating information.

Another two-syllable word ending in "down" is meltdown. Its primary connotation is technical—the meltdown of a nuclear reactor, for instance. But meltdown can also connote a situation in which an individual's mental or emotional condition deteriorates to a point where he or she is unable to function in a rational and stable manner.

Yet another example of a two-syllable English word ending with "down" is rubdown. A rubdown is administered when a person is feeling very tired or is experiencing chills or has an unusually high temperature. A rubdown is a highly pleasurable process.

As can be seen, the English language has so many two-syllable words ending in "down" that one can speak of it as having the Down Syndrome.

Inevitable change OVERSIGHT

DANILO SUAREZ PROPOSALS for constitutional amendment have been up for discussion numerous times in the Legislative. The current and past administrations have seen several contentious provisions in the 1987 Constitution, particularly on its inapplicability to and debilitating effects on these modern times. Many political and constitutional scholars say that a Constitution is supposed to endure changes in society over time. However, the extensive and substantial changes in the political, economic, and social atmosphere in the country over the last decades now demand a re-examination of the present Constitution in order to adapt to major developments.

The 1987 Constitution has been regarded as a reactionary one. It can be recalled that the appointment of the members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission was not through popular election. While many criticized the selection process, it is deemed that the crafted Constitution stood by the belief that anything that favors the Marcoses was bad for the country.

The provisions of the current Constitution were carefully worded as an anti-authoritarian and anti-dictatorial revolution through enactment of democratic policies and a presidential form of government.

Despite the good intentions of the framers of the Constitution, our current fundamental law debilitates governance and national growth at the present time.

Hence, to fully maximize our national capacities, constitutional amendment is undoubtedly necessary.

I have long supported the idea of amending the Constitution. Certain provisions have become anachronistic due to new scientific discoveries, inventions, and technological innovations. The expansion of foreign trade and international relations require flexibility of certain economic provisions. Moreover, Supreme Court decisions which overruled past interpretations and filled the gaps in certain constitutional provisions need to be reflected to avoid unnecessary and repetitive disputes.

Apart from this, at the local govern-

ment level, the inequitable distribution of the national revenues poses a challenge in the implementation of national programs and local projects, especially in provinces. The decentralization of government has proven to cause confusion in the delivery of public services, especially in infrastructure development. These issues led to the call for a federal system of government back in the previous Congress which persists today to allow provinces to rightfully enjoy the revenues generated within their jurisdictions.

Amending the present Constitution merits a timely consideration.

For these reasons, we can agree that amending the present Constitution merits a timely consideration. A more systematic legislative process must be adopted to allow unimpeded discussions and debates on the proposed amendments. Public consultation and participation must be assured to render an inclusive and comprehensive discourse. The end goal is to come up with effective, justifiable, and sufficient provisions that will withstand changes through the years, taking into account the rate of growth and development in all aspects of society. The new Constitution should be reflective of the national objective to improve the lives of the people, resolve political and social tensions, push for economic development, and promote peace and order in the entire country.

Notwithstanding this, we should not lose sight of the present need to resolve the COVID-19 crisis. While I believe that the government can pursue different priorities and actions at the same time, the primary focus should still be on the protection of the health of the people in the midst of this pandemic. While we take steps in ensuring economic productivity, we should take big leaps to contain transmission of the disease, address the limited number of health facilities, and provide the necessary assistance to our health workers, local government units, and COVID-19 patients. At the end of the day, the government is expected to respond to the needs of its people and serve to the best of its abilities.

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor

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Pompeo urges world: Stand up to China L

ONDON―US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged “the entire world” Tuesday to stand up to China but denied forcing Britain’s hand in its decision to ban the communist superpower’s private telecoms giant Huawei.

DECEPTIVE PEACE. Tourists wearing face masks visit the Opera House in Sydney as a seagull sweeps into the fram on July 22.

Australia reported a record 502 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, nearly four months after the epidemic initially peaked, with authorities warning the country was entering a critical new phase. AFP

US: Chinese hackers targeted COVID research WASHINGTON―Two Chinese nationals have been indicted for seeking to steal COVID-19 vaccine research and hacking hundreds of companies in the United States and abroad, including defense contractors, the US Justice Department said Tuesday.

Li Xiaoyu, 34, and Dong Jiazhi, 33, also targeted human rights activists in the United States, China and Hong Kong,

Assistant Attorney General John Demers said.

The indictment comes amid rising tensions between the global superpowers fueled by the coronavirus pandemic which President Donald Trump blames on China.

Li and Dong, who are believed to be in China, acted in some instances “for their own personal gain” and in others for the benefit of China’s Ministry of State Secu-

rity, Demers said at a news conference.

“China has now taken its place, alongside Russia, Iran, and North Korea, in that shameful club of nations that provide a safe haven for cyber criminals,” Demers said.

The Justice Department said Li and Dong, who were classmates at an electrical engineering college in Chengdu, have been engaged in a computer hacking campaign for the past 10 years. AFP

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Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air, with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A330NEO #8 with CAB Registration No. RP-C3907), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City.

Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air, with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A330NEO #12 with CAB Registration No. RP-C3911), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(SGD) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(MS-JULY 23, 2020)

Pompeo met Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the heat of an emerging crisis in relations between London and Beijing over everything from China’s treatment of Hong Kong to its persecution of more than one million ethnic Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities.

The top US diplomat used a press conference with his UK opposite number Dominic Raab to air a host of grievances President Donald Trump’s administration had built up against Beijing.

He accused China of engaging in “a cover-up and co-opting” the World Health Organization by allegedly suppressing early details of the “preventable” coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 610,000 people globally.

The Chinese Communist Party’s “exploitation of this disaster to further its own interest has been disgraceful”, he said.

Pompeo also castigated China for claiming disputed areas of the South China Sea “you have no lawful claim to” and trying to “threaten and bully” its neighbours.

“We think that the entire world needs to work together to ensure that every country, including China, behaves in the international system in ways that are appropriate and consistent with the international order,” he said.

US defense chief plans China visit In Washington, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper plans to visit China for talks on how to improve two-way communications in a crisis as geopolitical tensions between the superpowers rise and con-

cerns mount over a potential South China Sea flashpoint.

Esper said Tuesday that he hopes to make the trip before year-end to “establish the systems necessary for crisis communications and reinforce our intentions to openly compete in the international system in which we all belong.”

Last week, the United States formally declared Beijing’s pursuit of territory and resources in South China Sea as illegal, explicitly backing the territorial claims of Southeast Asian countries against China’s.

It has also downgraded relations with Hong Kong after China implemented a new security law in violation of its promises of autonomy for the territory.

“We are not in search of conflict,” Esper said in an address to the International Institute of Strategic Studies.

But China “has no right to turn international waters into a zone of exclusion for its own maritime empire,” he said.

‘Right thing to do’ Pompeo’s last visit to London in January came just days after Johnson ignored Washington’s warnings and allowed Huawei to take a leading role in building Britain’s next-generation mobile data network.

This trip was announced just a day after Johnson last week decided to risk drawing the wrath of China and phasing out Huawei from the speedy new system.

The Chinese foreign ministry responded by accusing Britain of becoming “America’s dupe.” AFP

Twitter deletes QAnon conspiracy theorists SAN FRANCISCO―Twitter has removed more than 7,000 accounts linked to the “QAnon” movement over abuse and harassment concerns, saying Tuesday it will limit the spread of conspiracy theories by its supporters.

Members of the informal, pro-Donald Trump group believe -- with no credible evidence -- that the United States has been ruled for decades by a criminal organization involving people they describe as the Satan-worshipping global elite, including Hollywood stars

and the “deep state”.

The right-wing group is also convinced of a secret plot against Trump, and its members have targeted his political opponents on social media with harassment.

“We’ve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behavior that has the potential to lead to offline harm,” Twitter said.

“In line with this approach, this week we are taking further action on so-called ‘QAnon’ activity across the service,” it added.

“We will permanently suspend accounts Tweeting about these topics that we know are engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspension.”

A spokesperson said that the social media giant had decided to act because QAnon followers were causing increasing harm.

The FBI has identified QAnon as a potential domestic terrorism threat, according to US media. AFP

(MS-JULY 23, 2020)

IN BRIEF N OTICE

N OTICE

Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air, with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A330NEO #9 with CAB Registration No. RP-C3908), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City.

Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air, with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A330NEO #13 with CAB Registration No. RP-C3912), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(SGD) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(MS-JULY 23, 2020)

(MS-JULY 23, 2020)

N OTICE

N OTICE

Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air, with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A330NEO #10 with CAB Registration No. RP-C3909), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City.

Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air, with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A330NEO #15 with CAB Registration No. RP-C3914), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(SGD) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(MS-JULY 23, 2020)

(MS-JULY 23, 2020)

N OTICE

N OTICE

Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air, with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A330NEO #11 with CAB Registration No. RP-C3910), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City.

Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air, with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A330NEO #16 with CAB Registration No. RP-C3915), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(SGD) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(MS-JULY 23, 2020)

(MS-JULY 23, 2020)

Virus-hit bodies litter Bolivian streets, homes LA PAZ, Bolivia―Bolivian police said on Tuesday they recovered more than 400 bodies from streets and homes over a five-day period, with 85 percent of the dead believed to have had coronavirus.

A total of 191 bodies were recovered in the Cochabamba metropolitan area alone from July 15-20, with another 141 collected in La Paz, national police director Coronel Ivan Rojas told journalists.

In the country’s biggest city, Santa Cruz, authorities recovered 68 bodies.

The Santa Cruz metropolitan area is the worst affected by coronavirus in Bolivia and accounts for almost half of the country’s more than 60,000 cases. AFP

Colombia heli crash has 9 dead, 6 wounded BOGOTA, Colombia―The Colombian army said nine soldiers were killed and six wounded after a military helicopter went down Tuesday in the country’s southeast during an operation against guerrillas.

The Black Hawk helicopter went down with 17 people aboard on a stretch of the Inirida River, in the country’s southeastern Guaviare jungle region.

“Unfortunately, we have found the bodies of nine of our personnel,” a military spokesperson said on Twitter.

The military did not say if the helicopter crashed or was shot down. Neither did it say anything about the other two soldiers who had been aboard the helicopter. AFP

Ardern sacks minister over gov’t office affair WELLINGTO New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern sacked a senior cabinet minister Wednesday over an affair with an ex-staffer, amid heightened scrutiny on lawmakers’ behaviour ahead of a general election in September.

Ardern dismissed Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway after discovering he had an affair with a former colleague who was working at a government organisation that reported to him.

The centre-left leader said Lees-Galloway’s role as minister for workplace relations, which regulates employment conduct, made his position untenable. AFP

FOREST FIRE. A tree stump keeps burning as hail covers the ground

as it fell directly on the Hog fire near Susanville, California on July 21. A thunderstorm cell mixed with a pyrocumulus ash column from the Hog fire, bringing with it erratic winds and lightning before evolving into a hail storm that extinguished a portion of the fire. AFP

7.8 quake triggers tsunami warning WASHINGTON―A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the Alaskan peninsula, triggering a tsunami warning for areas within 200 miles (300 kilometers) of the epicenter.

The shallow quake hit at 0612 GMT Wednesday about 500 miles southwest of Anchorage, and around 60 miles south-southeast of the remote settlement of Perryville, the US Geological Survey said.

“Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters ... hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 km of the earthquake epicenter,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

A tsunami warning was in effect for the Alaskan peninsula and south Alaska.

“For other US and Canadian

Pacific coasts in North America, the level of tsunami danger is being evaluated.”

The quake was felt hundreds of miles away.

“Bed and curtains were going.

Felt like a very long quake!” one witness in Homer, Alaska, 400 miles from the epicenter, said on the quake monitoring website msc-csem.org.

Alaska is part of the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.

Alaska was hit by a 9.2-magnitude earthquake in March 1964, the strongest ever recorded in North America. It devastated Anchorage and unleashed a tsunami that slammed the Gulf of Alaska, the US west coast, and Hawaii.

More than 250 people were killed by the quake and the tsunami. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business

B3

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks tumble; Jollibee declines Spain: 13% S of restaurants, bars and hotels are shut down

MADRID, Spain―Devastated by the loss of customers during the virus crisis, around 40,000 bars, hotels and restaurants in Spain have permanently closed, the hotel and catering industry said Tuesday.

The figure amounts to 13 percent of such establishments in Spain, a country in which tourism plays a major role in the economy, and where the population tends to eat out very often, Spain’s hostelry federation said.

By the end of the year, that figure is expected to rise to 65,000―or 20 percent of the total.

“It confirms our worst-case scenario,” said José Luis Izuel, head of Hosteleria de Espana, at a press conference.

At the height of summer and a month after European borders were reopened, “in popular tourism areas, there are no tourists, that’s the harsh truth,” he said.

In areas like the Balearic Islands, he said, less than half the bars and restaurants had reopened.

Business was also terrible for restaurants in business districts of Spain’s biggest cities, which have remained largely deserted due to people working from home.

“Working from home is affecting breakfasts, the (late-morning brunch run for) Spanish omelette and churros, and the lunch menu, particularly in Madrid,” he said of a culture in which people often eat out from early in the day.

The sector’s turnover could be slashed by as much as 50 percent, said the federation, which fears that between 900,000 and 1.1 million jobs, both direct and indirect, could be lost.

Speaking just hours after EU leaders approved a landmark 750-billioneuro ($860-billion) virus recovery deal, industry leaders said they wanted “significant resources” for a sector that represents six percent of gross domestic product and about nine percent of employment.

The world’s second-most popular destination after France, Spain was badly hit by the virus that has claimed more than 28,400 lives and dealt a major blow to its tourism industry, which accounts for 12 percent of GDP. At the end of June, the government presented a 4.2 billion euro aid package for the tourism industry, mostly in the form of loan guarantees.

But the sector has called for bigger gestures such as transferring funds, tax breaks or even “holiday voucher” schemes for Spaniards to subsidize holiday costs and boost national tourism, as seen in Italy. AFP

HARE prices slumped Wednesday along with the rest of Asia, with optimism over a possible coronavirus vaccine tempered by profit-taking and concerns about the slow progress being made by US lawmakers in drafting a new stimulus package.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index tumbled 72.05 points, or 1.2 percent, to 6,064.26 on a value turnover of P4.5 billion. Losers beat gainers, 105 to 89, with 35 issues unchanged.

Jollibee Foods Corp., the biggest fastfood chain, fell 3.5 percent to P130, while MerryMart Consumer Corp., the newly-listed supermarket line owned by businessman Edgar Sia II, dropped 4.1 percent to P2.36.

JG Summit Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group declined 3.1 percent to P66.20, while conglomerate Ayala

Corp. shed 2.5 percent to P746.

News that trials on a vaccine had shown early promise provided a muchneeded boost to Asian equities, particularly as a spike in new infections around the world has caused governments to reimpose business-strangling containment measurements.

But with the European Union finally locking in their $860 billion deal on Tuesday, attention turns to Washington, where Republicans are struggling to put together a new bill to support the world’s top economy, with the $3 trillion of measures passed earlier this year about to dry up at the end of the month.

With one eye on developments on Capitol Hill, Asian equities moved in and out of positive territory through the day.

Hong Kong led losses, tumbling 2.3 percent after rising more than two percent on Tuesday, and following figures showing another record rise in new infections in the city that has led to new fears of tighter restrictions being imposed.

Tokyo shed 0.6 percent and Sydney

lost 1.3 percent, while Singapore, Bangkok, Wellington and Jakarta were also down.

But Shanghai rose 0.4 percent, Mumbai added 0.1 percent and Taipei put on 0.6 percent.

The wall of government cash and central bank back-stop, along with similar measures in other countries, have helped fire a surge in equities across the planet since they hit their March depths.

However, while Democrats have drawn up a new $3.5-trillion plan, Republicans and officials in the White House are bogged down trying to draw up their own package, which is said to be around $1 trillion.

Among the sticking points are the extension of a supplement to unemployment benefits and Donald Trump’s desire for tax cuts, and with Congress due to take a break in August there is a concern a deal will not be agreed, leaving millions without cash.

Still Trump said he was optimistic, telling a White House briefing: “We’re working very hard on it, we’re making a lot of progress. With AFP

TOP GAINERS

TOP LOSERS

MOST ACTIVE

TRAIN STATION CHECK. A traveller has her temperature checked at the security gate, prior to boarding a TGV high-speed train at the Gare de Lyon train station in Paris, on July 21, 2020, as part of sanitary measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus. AFP Manila

China holds economic leverage against UK BEIJING, China―Just five years ago, Britain was predicting a “golden era” in trade with China. Today, the shine has faded as the two countries square off over Hong Kong, Huawei and human rights.

Beijing is now threatening “consequences” after London withdrew its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, a former British colony. That followed Britain’s decision to blacklist the telecoms giant Huawei.

China is also angry at British criticism of its treatment of ethnic minority groups in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

Here are some possible targets in China’s sights: Commercial exchanges China could close its borders to British products as it did with Norwegian salmon to punish Oslo after the Nobel committee awarded its Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010.

Last year, Britain exported 30.7 billion pounds (34 billion euros) worth of goods and services to China―a record that has been growing

steadily for four years, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Beijing is London’s third-largest customer after the European Union and the United States.

The Asian giant is also the UK’s fourth-largest supplier of goods.

China has ploughed nearly $60 billion of investment into Britain over the past decade, according to data from Dealogic. That includes marquee companies such as Heathrow Airport, British Steel and the manufacturer of London’s iconic black cabs.

Gold against telecoms British exports to China last year were topped by gold―used especially in nanotechnology―plus petroleum products, vehicles and pharmaceuticals.

These four sectors accounted for two-thirds of British exports, according to UK data.

In the services sector, accounting, legal and consulting activities―as well as tourism and transport―were the most in-demand by China in 2018, the year of the latest available data. AFP

Rich Russians fuel private jet demand to skirt virus lockdown

By Andrea Palasciano MOSCOW, Russia―For highflying Russians used to spending summer holidays at Mediterranean resorts or in London penthouses, coronavirus restrictions that closed borders and grounded flights have made international travel a distant dream.

Yet many of Russia’s superrich who hold second passports or residence permits abroad have discovered an elegant way of bypassing anti-virus measures to reach second homes in London, Cyprus, Monaco or Nice: private jets.

Privately-operated flights from Moscow’s airports more than doubled between April and mid-June, the RBK business news portal reported in late June citing sources at two of Moscow’s airports.

Soaring from 400 to 850 per month, a majority of the flights were bound for overseas, RBK reported.

Russians skirting the restrictions have to provide evidence that the journey is a necessary work trip or is essential for health reasons, as part of a multilayered approval process with aviation authorities.

PSEi July 22, 2020

A worker prepares a helicopter for a flight at Heli Club outside Moscow on July 15, 2020. AFP

For unlucky Russians who do not own a jet, a handful of companies that rent planes also offer to cut through the red tape of getting permission to fly from the nation’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia.

At the Moscow branch of jet rental agency Leading Charter Technologies (LTC), director Lev Shalayev dressed from head to toe in Gucci, is delighted at the increase in requests to “more than 50” per day.

“Many people who used to fly

business class are now our customers,” he told AFP. He said popular destinations include luxury spots like Nice, Malaga, Alicante and Barcelona.

Many clients are flocking to Cyprus, a favorite among Russians for business and leisure.

“Right now, most of our travelers are going on vacation,” he said.

In planes that seat up to 13, the price of a ticket can start at 4,000 euros ($4,575), he said.

With borders closed, the only

way to fly out of Russia is on board flagship carrier Aeroflot, which sells seats on irregular outbound flights returning stranded Russians from abroad.

“Since June, Russians have been allowed to fly for medical reasons... so some medical tourism is developing,” said Russian aviation columnist Anastasiya Dagayeva.

“For example, you can book a treatment at a Spanish clinic and fly to Spain.”

Avoid contact with people Russian reality TV star and one-time presidential hopeful Ksenia Sobchak alluded to this workabout when she wrote on Instagram that her friends were escaping Russia for foreign seaside destinations.

“My friends have already left, some on foreign passports, some due to ‘medical needs,’” she said.

Shalayev of LCT says the private jet boom could continue even after Russia reopens its borders.

“Lots of people say they are thinking of using our services on a regular basis going forward since they can avoid coming into contact with a lot of people” and reduce the risk of getting infected, he said. AFP

Standard

TODAY

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING FOR

: The Stockholders of CENTURY PROPERTIES GROUP INC.

FROM

: The Corporate Secretary

SUBJECT : 2019 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on AUGUST 27, 2020 Please be informed that the annual stockholders’ meeting of CENTURY PROPERTIES GROUP INC. (the “Corporation”) shall be held on AUGUST 27, 2020, Thursday at 9:00 a.m., to be conducted virtually and attendance at the meeting will be via remote communication only.

Only common stock shareholders as of AUGUST 4, 2020 shall be entitled to notice and to vote at the said meeting.

The agenda for the said meeting shall be as follows: 1.

2.

3.

Call to order Certification of notice and the existence of a quorum Approval of the minutes of the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held on June 28, 2019 4. Annual Report of the President 5. Ratification of all Acts and Proceedings of the Board of Directors and Corporate Officers 6. Approval of the 2019 Audited Consolidated Financial Statements of the Corporation 7. Election of Members of the Board of Directors and three Independent Directors 8. Appointment of External Auditor for 2020 9. Other Matters 10. Adjournment In light of the current conditions and in support of the measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there will be no physical meeting.

Stockholders may only attend and participate in the meeting by remote communication. Stockholders may vote electronically in absentia, subject to validation procedures.

Stockholders who intend to attend by remote communication are required to REGISTER via https://www.century-properties.com/asm2020/ on or before August 12, 2020.

The instructions, procedures and requirements for electronic voting in absentia and participation by remote communication shall be sent to the email address provided in the stockholder’s registration from.

The link through which the Meeting may be accessed shall be sent to the email address of the registered stockholder after validation. The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting of votes in absentia will be set forth and discussed in details in the Company’s Definitive Information Statement (SEC Form 20IS).

The Definitive Information Statement, Management Report, Audited Financial Statements, Quarterly Report/s and other documents relative to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting, including the Procedures and Guidelines on the participation by remote communication and voting in absentia may be accessed, beginning on August 5, 2020 through any of the following: 1.

Go to the Corporation website via this link: https://www.centuryproperties.com/

2.

3.

Go to the PSE EDGE portal via https://edge.pse.com.ph/ or; Request for a copy by sending an email to icsales@centuryproperties.com or danny.bunyi@divinalaw.com

For ASM-related queries, you may send an email to icsales@century-properties.com or danny.bunyi@divinalaw.com or contact us at (02) 7-7938905.

ATTY. DANNY E. BUNYI Corporate Secretary (MS-JULY 23, 2020)

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

B4

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020

PSE INDEX CLOSING Wednesday, July 22, 2020

72.05 PTS. 6,064.26

TOTAL VOLUME 3,006,296,599 TOTAL TRADES 70,624 TOTAL VALUE 4,501,135,668.38 ADVANCES 89 DECLINES 105 UNCHANGED 35

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.3160

Japan

Yen

0.009366

0.4619

UK

Pound

1.272800

62.7694

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129022

6.3628

Switzerland

Franc

1.072041

52.8688

Canada

Dollar

0.743163

36.6498

Singapore

Dollar

0.723170

35.6639

Australia

Dollar

0.713200

35.1722

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655196

130.943

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266724

13.1538

Brunei

Dollar

0.720565

35.5354

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000068

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.031586

1.5577

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.4274

Euro

Euro

1.153500

56.8860

Korea

Won

0.000838

0.0413

China

Yuan

0.143252

7.0646

India

Rupee

0.013417

0.6617

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.234742

11.5765

New Zealand

Dollar

0.664000

32.7458

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034010

1.6772 Source: BSP

Lafarge Holcim abandons plan to sell PH subsidiary

Business Gov’t posted budget surplus in June as tax take rose 54%

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE government posted a P1.8-billion budget surplus in June, a reversal of the P41.8-billion deficit a year ago, as revenue collections jumped 50 percent with the reopening of the economy, data from the Bureau of the Treasury show.

“The fiscal surplus was driven by 50.06-percent growth in government receipts as the 2019 income taxes came in and the resumption of some economic activities, outpacing the 26.65-percent expansion in government spending,” the Treasury said in a statement.

It said despite the strong tax collection in June, the government incurred P560.4-billion deficit in the first six months. It was 25.4 percent below the P751.1-billion revised program but wider than last year’s budget gap of P42.6 billion.

Revenue collection hit P351.0 billion in June, up by 50 percent or P117.1 billion from last year’s P233.9 billion. Of the total, 93 percent or P325.4 billion came from taxes which accelerated by 54.56 percent, while the remaining 7 percent, or P25.6 billion, came from non-tax revenues.

Six-month revenue collection declined 6.09 percent to P1.453 trillion from P1.547 trillion a year earlier but 0.12 per-

cent or P1.7 billion higher than the adjusted P1.451-trillion program.

The bulk of the collections came from the Bureau of Internal Revenue which improved its take by 79.10 percent in June to P282.7 billion, marking a recovery from three consecutive months of contraction.

“BIR’s strong performance for the period was attributed to the collection of the 2019 income tax dues during the month as well as the resumption of economic activities due to the easing of some quarantine restrictions,” the Treasury said.

This enabled the agency to collect P956.4 billion in the first half and surpassed its revised program of P933.5 billion for the period by 2.45 percent. This lagged behind last year’s actual revenue of P1.066 trillion by 10.31 percent or P109.9 billion.

Customs collection fell 16.97 percent in June to P42.6 billion because of the adverse impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on imports. Six-month collections of the Bureau of Customs also dropped 16.47 percent to P253.1 billion from a year ago and were 0.45 percent short of the P254.2-billion adjusted goal.

The Bureau of the Treasury generated P11.3 billion in June, beating last year’s level by 5.85 percent.

“Collections for the month were buoyed by higher remittance of interest on advances from GOCCs [governmentowned and –controlled corporations] and dividends on shares of stocks held by the government which offset the decline in national government share from PAGCOR income,” the Treasury said.

By Jenniffer B. Austria LAFARGE Holcim dropped its plan to sell cement producer Holcim Philippines Inc. after a deal with San Miguel Corp. fell through.

Holcim Philippines president and chief executive John Stull said during the virtual annual stockholders’ meeting the company was “no longer in the sale process” and was even studying expanding the group’s capacity after the pandemic.

“In May of 2020, the agreement between Top Frontier Holdings [parent company of SMC] and Lafarge Holcim for the sale of its shares lapsed without approval of the PCC [Philippine Competition Commission], therefore HPI will remain the major shareholder of Holcim and we will grow with the company and the country,” Stull said.

“We are very pleased to note that we are no longer in the sale process, and we are very excited about the future in working with one of the largest, most successful companies in the building material sector, and we’re happy to remain part of the group,” he said.

San Miguel earlier dropped plan to acquire a controlling stake in Holcim Philippines after the agreement lapsed without getting the required regulatory approval.

Stull said the company was studying projects over the long term that would include increasing capacities of facilities in Luzon and Mindanao as overall prospects for country remained positive.

The cement firm has manufacturing facilities in La Union, Bulacan, Batangas, Misamis Oriental and Davao.

Meanwhile, the company expressed confidence that it would overcome the pandemic after it put in place strong health and safety culture and operational improvements.

“Our health and safety culture makes us confident in our ability to continue running our facilities safely as we embrace the new normal,” Stull said.

IN BRIEF

PSALM selling eight lots in Paco, Manila

STATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. is selling a property in Isla de Provisor, Paco, Manila for at least P513.439 million.

PSALM started the issuance of the bid package on July 13 and set the pre-bid conference for the sale on July 28. Bid submission deadline is set on Sept. 10.

The property includes eight lots with an indicative area of 20,975 square meters and is adjacent to the Meralco Tegen substation. “Bids received below the minimum bid price shall be automatically rejected at bid opening,” it said.

The sale is on “as is, where is” basis and the bidding is open to all individuals, sole proprietorships, corporations or partnerships organized under Philippine laws and at least 60-percent owned, joint ventures or consortiums, government corporate entities and local government units authorized to acquire real properties assets. Alena Mae S. Flores

Kidzania Manila to close to Aug. 31 PLAY Innovations Inc., a subsidiary of ABSCBN Corp., said it will shut down the operations of KidZania Manila, an indoor play city for kids, by Aug. 31 because of the pandemic.

ABS-CBN said Play Innovations decided to cease the operations of KidZania Manila after five years of operations.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing community quarantine, we have complied and suspended operations to prevent the further spread of the virus, which resulted to a massive impact on our revenues,” ABS-CBN said.

Kidzania generated P524 million in revenues with a total of 339,000 visitors in 2017.

“Even if we are allowed to operate in the future, the ‘new normal’ will prohibit mass gathering and require children to remain at home.

These conditions have left us with no choice but to close the play city’s doors permanently,” it said. Darwin G. Amojelar

DBP calls on public to buy Progreso bonds STATE-OWNED Development Bank of the Philippines asked depositors and the public to avail of the Bureau of Treasury’s “Progreso Bonds” (Retail Treasury Bonds Tranche 24) and help the government raise funds for vital projects to combat the pandemic.

DBP president and chief executive Emmanuel Herbosa said for a minimum amount of P5,000, the public would have the chance to invest in a safe and higher-yielding instrument, which fetches an annual fixed interest rate of 2.625 percent, payable quarterly over the next five years.

“We urge the public to invest in RTB-24 as it will fund priority health initiatives to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 crisis and to extend support to returning overseas Filipino workers and small and medium enterprises,” Herbosa said.

The “Progreso Bonds” is the 24th issuance under the RTB Program since its inception in 2001 and the second issuance of RTBs in 2020.

It is a five-year government-issued debt security, especially designed for retail investors.

DBP along with Land Bank of the Philippines are joint lead issue managers with eight other financial firms as issue managers.

InLife taps fully digital platform

ROAD TO SANGLEY. Road works start in Sitio Pulo in Barangay Dalahican, Cavite City for the 9-kilometer access road to Sangley Airport after several months of delay because of the pandemic.

DICT seeking P13.4-b budget for national broadband

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Information and Communications Technology proposed a P13.49-billion allocation in 2021 to implement the national broadband program next year.

The amount is much higher than the P296.46-million budget allocation of NBP for 2020.

“The P13.4 billion earmarked for the NBP in 2021 envisions increased public reach of connectivity services by developing and enhancing our digital infrastructures,” DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said.

“The establishment of a national fiber optic backbone is a very pressing matter, not just in light of the public health emergency, but for the sake of national competitiveness. We are putting in place these strategies to reinvigorate the country’s participation in the global digital economy to achieve our vision of a Digital Philippines,” he said.

OTOP AMBASSADOR.

One Town One Product Philippines taps Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray as the new OTOP Philippines Ambassador. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (right) bestows a certificate and token to Gray to solidify the engagement. As OTOP ambassador, Gray will bring attention to OTOP Philippine’s initiatives and spread the importance of Filipino history through weaver’s designs, textiles and patterns.

The DICT is seeking a 2021 budget of P46.64 billion to fund five key strategic programs to propel government digital transformation as the nation transitions to the new normal. These programs include digital connectivity and access, digital government, digital education and digital workforce, digital cities and provinces and cybersecurity.

The NBP is the national government’s initiative in building and enhancing existing ICT broadband infrastructure to make Internet connectivity pervasive, accessible and more affordable for the public.

It is structured into six components, including the national fiber optic cable backbone, cable landing stations, accelerated tower build, accelerated fiber build, satellite overlay and broadband delivery management service.

Among these components, the national FOC backbone successfully tested 158 dark fiber segments of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.

The backbone aims to cover the entire

Philippine territory to reach unserved and underserved areas by targeting the installation of a 2,295 km FOC in 2021.

The DICT, together with the Bases Conversion Development Authority, also completed the construction of the cable landing stations in Baler, Aurora and Poro Point, La Union, pursuant to the second component.

The construction of the 240-km fiber highway is also underway and is expected to improve access to 2Tbps capacity by 2021. Component 2 will cover the operations and maintenance of the two cable landing stations and four repeater stations.

The DICT also issued the policy guidelines on the co-location and sharing of passive telecommunication tower infrastructure for macro cell sites on June 08 to fast-track the rollout of common towers.

The policy aims to accelerate telecommunications infrastructure rollout in the private sector to provide remote areas with affordable and fast Internet

Partial subway operations eyed by end-2021 THE Department of Transportation said it is on track to start the partial operations of the Metro Manila Subway Project by the fourth quarter of 2021 despite the delays in the construction because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a virtual briefing with the House committee on economic affairs the construction activities for Metro Manila Subway were delayed by three months amid the pandemic.

“But we are catching up. We are trying to be able to… The subway, we are keeping the schedule. We intend to have partial operability last quarter of next year,” he said.

The DOTr began with the clearing works and fencing activities in parts of Valenzuela City and Quezon City in December 2019. This represents the partial operability section of the P355billion project.

The section of the subway includes the first stations in Valenzuela City and

Quezon City, the line’s depot in Valenzuela and buildings for the Philippine Railway Institute, the country’s first railway training center.

Dubbed as the “Project of the Century,” the underground rail line is expected to serve 370,000 passengers daily in its first year of full operations and is scheduled to be partially operational by 2021.

Once completed and fully operational, the project will have 15 stations, including a terminal at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

It will be financed via official development assistance from Japan, with an interest of 0.10 percent per annum, payable in 40 years, inclusive of a grace period of 12 years.

Japan International Cooperation Agency already signed a loan agreement with the Philippine government to provide a loan of up to 104.53 billion yen for the first phase of the project.

Darwin G. Amojelar

INSULAR Life fuses several technological breakthroughs to sell insurance policies and service customers’ needs especially during the pandemic.

It launched the Virtual Business Enabler platform which allows InLife financial advisers to complete insurance selling without any face-to-face interactions with the client.

“ViBE is a multiplatform system hinged on digital tools and innovative procedures,” said InLife senior executive vice president and chief distribution officer Raoul Littaua.

InLife has started putting in place the necessary technologies since early 2015, such as the automated underwriting system to enable the company to transition its business model into the digital age. The AUS has allowed InLife to quickly render underwriting decisions to life insurance applications in less than 30 minutes.

Skyjet launches charity flights to transport locally stranded persons SKYJET Airlines teamed up with the Office of the President, 250th Presidential Airlift Wing, Office of the Special Assistant to the President, Presidential Management Staff and office of Senator Bong Go to mount charity rescue flights to Davao City, General Santos City and Iloilo City to help locally stranded individuals affected by the quarantine and travel restrictions.

The rescue flights were made possible through the efforts of Skyjet chairman Wilson Tieng and president Joel Yang while working closely with the Office of the President and Office of Senator Bong Go in making the flights possible. The airline deployed BAE 146-200 aircraft to mount the charity rescue flights helmed by chief pilot Capt. John Jatico and his crew.

The first flight departed on July 18 to Davao, followed by another roundtrip flight to General Santos City and Iloilo on July 19 and July 20, respectively.

Skyjet said the effort is in line with the company’s CSR to serve Filipinos and help LSIs be reunited with their families at a time when cross-province and inter-island travel is limited.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed last year a law granting Magnum Air or SkyJet a 25-year franchise to “establish, operate and maintain domestic and international air transport services” in the country.

The rescue flights were also made possible through the assistance and coordination with the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, PMS RFUs 6, 11 and 12 and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Sports

PH athletes’ training may start in Aug., says Patafa

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020

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By Peter Atencio THE training of national athletes in athletics could start again next month.

Officials of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association are making plans to make this happen by the second week of August.

Private venues have been tapped to hold training sessions and possibly, competitions in the months ahead.

PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico said they are now coordinating with government agencies to make this possible.

Discussions are now ongoing with the Philippine Sports Commission, along with the Interagency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Health.

“The PATAFA has been in constant discussion with the PSC and some elements of the IATF and the DOH to ensure that the national team can train no later than Aug. 15,” said Juico in an online video conference last week.

Members of the national team will be brought to the De La Salle University-Laguna campus in Canlubang.

The track oval and living quarters of athletes are being prepared to accommodate the national team.

The PATAFA is doing this in coordination with secretar y general Terry Capistrano, and marketing and communications head Edward Kho. Another venue being looked at is the Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus, Cavite.

National Training Director Marc Velasco of the PSC recently informed Juico that the Philsports complex is currently being tapped as a quarantine facility and monitoring for coronavirus patients.

The venues inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex are also in use.

But they will soon be disinfected once the facilities have been cleared for use for athletes, who will train for Olympic qualification competitions.

There were plans to move national athletes to the provinces like Cebu City.

But this has been shelved since the province has been heavily hit by the pandemic.

The PATAFA has adopted policies that will embrace the new normal when it begins resuming activities and competitions in the latter part of the third quarter.

President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee Yoshiro Mori wears a face as he attends a news conference after giving a presentation to the International Olympic Committee about the rearrangement of the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games for next year, in Tokyo on July 17, 2020. Tokyo 2020 organizers said they have secured all the venues needed to hold the Olympics next summer, clearing a major hurdle to hosting the event postponed over the coronavirus. AFP

COVID-19 vaccine key for Olympic go-ahead T

OKYO—The development of a coronavirus vaccine or treatment will be key to allowing the postponed Tokyo 2020 games to open in a year’s time, organising committee president Yoshiro Mori said Wednesday.

Asked what factors will be crucial for the rescheduled Games to go ahead, Mori said “it would be whether the coronavirus woe is settling down.”

“Specifically, the first point will be that a vacci ne or d r ug has been developed,” he said in an interview with national broadcaster NHK, published Wednesday.

Asked whether Tokyo could hold the Games if the virus situation remained unchanged, Mori said: “If things continue as they are now, we couldn’t.”

But he said that scenario was hypothetical. “I can’t imagine a situation like this will continue for another year,” he said Tokyo 2020 should have been opening on Friday, but the Games were postponed in March as the coronavirus spread across the globe, marking the worst disruption to an Olympics

since two editions were cancelled during World War II. The Games are now set to open on July 23, 2021, but recent polls have shown less public enthusiasm for hosting the event, as virus cases show a resurgence in Japan.

Just one in four people in Japan want to see the delayed Tokyo Games held next year, with most backing either further delay or a cancellation, according to a survey published by Kyodo News this week.

Most of those backing a delay or cancellation said they simply didn’t believe the pandemic could be contained in time for the Games.

Among the options that have been floated for a Games held during a pandemic is the possibility of limited spectators, or holding the event behind closed doors.

But Mori said reducing the number of

spectators would be tough.

And he said holding the event without any fans was not an option for now.

“If it’s the only way to do it, then it’s something we’d have to consider. If that happens, there might be talk of cancellation,” he was quoted as saying, without elaborating.

With just over a year to go until the rescheduled Games, there are persistent doubts about whether the delay will be sufficient for the pandemic to be brought under control.

Japan has so far reported 26,300 COVID-19 cases with 989 deaths, but Tokyo has seen an increase in cases recently and the country’s borders remain almost completely sealed to overseas visitors.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which would have opened on Friday, were postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, becoming the first in peacetime to suffer that fate.

They are now scheduled to start on July 23, 2021 but the threat of the virus still threatens to force an unprecedented cancellation. AFP

AWS launches 1st AWS DeepRacer Women’s League AMAZON Web Services Inc., an Amazon.com company, is launching the world’s first AWS DeepRacer Women’s League in Southeast Asia.

The event features a race using fully autonomous, scaled-down cars that have been trained to drive using reinforcement learning, and is designed to encourage women in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand to participate in technology by developing machine learning skills. The virtual race is open to participants with no prior knowledge of ML, or who want to experiment with it for the first time.

Making machine learning fun and easy to learn The AWS DeepRacer Women’s League will enable female students from vocational institutions, polytechnics, and universities to explore ML in a new way, as they train and race the AWS DeepRacer autonomous vehicles on simulated tracks.

AWS DeepRacer vehicles are cloudbased, 1/18th fully autonomous race car that is built using Amazon Sagemaker and powered by RL - a machine learning technique that is ideaally suited to autonomous driving.

AWS DeepRacer Race Car

Tan Lee Chew

Participants will have access to AWS Educate, Amazon’s global program that provides students and educators with a comprehensive resource for building skills in cloud technology at no cost.

Participants can enroll themselves on AWS Educate’s Machine Learning Pathway, to acquire knowledge in artificial intelligence (AI), ML and deep learning, and discover how technology can be used to create innovations to solve real-world problems in areas as

diverse as natural language processing, self-driving cars, enhanced data mining, and medical science.

“At AWS, we understand the importance of building an inclusive workforce with diverse talent to help organizations to innovate, grow, and thrive,” said Tan Lee Chew, Managing Director for ASEAN, Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services. “By hosting the very first AWS DeepRacer League for women here

in Southeast Asia, we are offering female students the opportunity to learn new skills in advanced cloud technology. Helping women build critical skills for a more diverse and future-ready workforce will help power Southeast Asian economies.”

Race spanning five cities The AWS DeepRacer Women’s League’s virtual race will kick off on 1 August in Thailand, followed by Malaysia on 8 August, Indonesia on 15 August, Turn to C2

Ronaldo eyes more records as Juve closes in on crown MILAN—Cristiano Ronaldo is eyeing more records as Juventus head for Udinese on Thursday with a ninth consecutive Serie A title within their grasp.

Ronaldo scored a double on Monday against Lazio to bring his tally to 51 Serie A goals since arriving in Turin in July 2018.

The 35-year-old not only became the first player to achieve a half century of goals in Italy, Spain and England, but was also the fastest, doing so in 61 league games.

Last year the five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored 21 goals in his first season in Italy, but thanks to his brace against Lazio he brought his tally to 30 this term, with four games remaining.

Another goal would see him match former Italy World Cup winner Felice Borel, who was the last player to score 31 goals for Juventus in the 1933-34 season.

For Ronaldo the title of top scorer— ‘Capocannoniere’—is up for grabs, as he is currently level on 30 with Lazio’s Ciro Immobile.

And he could even overtake Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, the top scorer in Europe with 34 goals in the Bundesliga this season.

There is also the record of Argentine teammate Gonzalo Higuain, who was Serie A top scorer under Sarri at Napoli in the 2015–16 season with 36 goals.

“Cristiano is unpredictable,” said Sarri. “If he puts his mind to something, he’s very determined.

“Not only physically, but, above all, mentally: he is a champion with his feet, but also with his head.”

‘Give your all’ “Very important victory! We’re almost there guys! Let’s go,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram after the Lazio game.

Juventus can seal the title with a win over 16th-placed Udinese, but it depends on Inter Milan, who are eight points behind the champions, losing to Fiorentina at the San Siro on Wednesday.

Otherwise they could win their 36th Scudetto on Sunday, at home against Sampdoria, giving Sarri, 61, his first league title.

It would allow them to start preparing for the Champions League, and overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit against French club Lyon in the last 16 next month.

“Juventus are still the best side in the league,” said Inter boss Antonio Conte, who coached the Turin side to the first three titles in their current run of league triumphs. AFP

PSC gets major revamp in wake of payroll fraud

Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr.

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez announced Wednesday that changes in the agency’s organizational setup were approved in an executive meeting held that same morning, a revamp which the board felt was needed in light of an employee’s fraudulent actions discovered last week.

According to the sports chief, “it was a collective decision of the board as part of a plan to re-stabilize the organization.”

Part of the said revamp is the appointment of Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr. as acting Executive Director vice Merlita Ibay who resumes

her position as Deputy Executive Director for Finance and Administrative Services, her original appointment before being tapped to take on the acting ED role. Queenie Evangelista, will head the Bureau of Coordinating Secretariat and Support Services as its Acting Deputy Executive Director.

Not one to wince in the face of challenge, Ramirez acknowledged the lapses in the agency and vowed to ensure that necessary investigation, correction, and sanction are done. “As the highest accountable official of the agency, I take responsibility to effect

changes, to make sure that there are no gaps in the organization. I feel sad, frustrated, and hurt but we all have to have composure,” shared Ramirez, adding that he hopes all stakeholders and partners “are at peace with these decisions and continue to support us through this.”

So far, the National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General have been asked to assist with the investigation and case.

Other leadership changes within the agency are set to be undertaken within the week.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

Manila

Standard

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TODAY THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020

Portman, celebrities behind new women’s soccer team L

OS ANGELES—A group of celebrities led by Hollywood star Natalie Portman has founded a women’s professional soccer team set to debut in 2022, the women’s pro soccer league said Tuesday.

Natalie Portman

Big-names involved in the effort include tennis megastar Serena Williams, as well as Hollywood stars Jessica Chastain, Eva Longoria, America Ferrera and Jennifer Garner.

“A majority woman-founded group” led by Portman “has secured the exclusive right to bring a professional women’s soccer team to Los Angeles to kick off in Spring 2022,” the National Women’s Soccer League said.

The team’s formal name is yet to be announced, but “the group has formally coined itself ‘Angel City’ in honor of its planned home in Los Angeles,” the statement said.

It would become the 11th team in the NWSL. Currently, there are nine teams in the league, but one other team—the Louisville FC—is set to rejoin the league in 2021.

The founding investor group includes Williams’s young daughter Olympia, and several former US Women’s National Team players including Mia Hamm, Lauren Cheney Holiday and Abby Wambach. Gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman will be the franchise president.

“Today we take an exciting step by announcing the first women majority-owned and led ownership group,” said Portman, who won an Oscar in 2011 for her role in “Black Swan.”

“Sports are such a joyful way to bring people together, and this has the power to make tangible change for female athletes both in our community and in the professional sphere,” she said.

Portman, who has been active in causes such as the “Time’s Up” movement against sexual abuse in the entertainment industry, said that the franchise hopes “to make a substantive impact on our community, committing to extending access to sports for young people in Los Angeles.”

The NWSL, which had its inaugural season in 2013, was the first US professional sports league to restart activities amid the novel including Megan Rapinoe. coronavirus pandemic.

The tournament’s final game is scheduled for Sunday.

The league’s Challenge Cup tournament has been held since The United States is a powerhouse of women’s soccer and the June 27, with teams playing in two stadiums in the state of Utah without spectators and without some of its biggest stars, current world champions. AFP

PGA Tour Series-China cancelled due to virus

(MS-JULY 23, 2020)

Arjan Bhullar

Bhullar looks forward to title clash with Vera

TOP heavyweight contender Arjan Bhullar joined ONE Championship in late 2019, looking to make an immediate impact in the promotion. Since coming over directly from the UFC, he’s certainly made a big splash. After defeating a former ONE World Title challenger in Italy’s Mauro Cerilli last October in his debut, Bhullar earned his shot at ONE Championship gold.

Filipino-American veteran Brandon Vera has held the ONE Heavyweight World Title since capturing the belt in 2015. He’s one of the longest reigning World Champions in ONE history.

While Bhullar is no doubt excited to lock horns with Vera sometime in the near future, presumably after the Covid-19 situation has drastically improved globally, the Indian superstar has shown a lot of respect for the man they call “The Truth.”

“I respect Vera for what he has accomplished in this sport. For how long he has been fighting the best, for how he has represented ONE as a champion, for what he has done for the Philippines and the Filipino people, and for what he has done for himself and his family. I want to do all of that and more for myself, for India, for Indians worldwide, and for ONE,” said Bullar.

“Vera is a great ambassador for the sport and has treated me with the utmost respect. The feelings are mutual, until we become competitors in the Circle.”

Weighing in at over 240 lbs., Bhullar is much bigger than Vera and physically more imposing. He has an extensive wrestling background, having represented Canada at the 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011

AWS launches...

From C1

the Philippines on 22 August, and Singapore on 29 August. The 5 women with the fastest race time will win AWS promotional credits valued at USD $300 each, and the first three place-getters will also take home a trophy.

The three winners for each country will

World Championships, at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, at the 2007 Pan American Games and at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

This is in stark contrast to Vera’s strengths, which is rooted more in Muay Thai and striking disciplines.

Bhullar knows exactly what he’s up against, however, and is cultivating his skills so that by the time he steps in the Circle with Vera, he will have all the confidence in the world to score a monumental upset.

“His strengths are clear. He has a tremendous amount of experience and has seen all the different looks a fighter can see in the cage. He can fight out of both stances, going forward and backward. He is well-rounded everywhere, and has excellent Muay Thai. That has allowed him to finish every single heavyweight threat he has faced,” said Bhullar.

“But none of those guys were named Arjan Singh Bhullar, nor bring what I do to the Circle.”

Making the decision to jump from the UFC to ONE Championship wasn’t difficult for Bhullar.

To him, getting the chance to represent the people of India, with an organization that he was proud to be a part of, was one of the most important goals in his life.

“One of my biggest factors to come over was how much the company valued me for their plans for Indian and the global Indian market,” said Bhullar.

“I believe in the greatness of my people and the ability for this sport to connect with them. I believe myself and Ritu Phogat (ONE Championship atomweight) are the perfect athletes with the right stories and wrestling lineage to ignite the country.”

advance to the grand finale, where they will compete with winners from other countries in Southeast Asia. The grand finale will be held in September, and prizes will include AWS promotional credits valued at USD $1,000 each, a high-end monitor, and a trophy. More details about the race are available at https://buildonasean.com/awsdeepracer/ The AWS DeepRacer Women’s League 2020-ASEAN is a part of AWS’s Build On,

BEIJING—Golf’s PGA Tour Series-China season has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic and related travel restrictions, officials said Wednesday.

The professional golf tour, which was a launchpad for China’s top player Li Haotong, in January held the first of three qualifying tournaments.

But the pandemic struck and began to spread, eventually ending any hopes of getting the 2020 season off the ground, along with sport across the globe.

In May the Mackenzie Tour, the PGA Tour-backed developmental circuit in Canada, also cancelled its season.

Both feeder tours attract upand-coming players from all over the world and provide a pathway to the Korn Ferry Tour, which is one tier below the main US PGA Tour.

“It’s a disappointment but I know our players and fans understand... that the health and safety of everyone associated with the series is of the utmost importance,” said Greg Carlson, executive director of the series.

“And staging a tour based in China with players from five different continents is just not feasible at this time.

“We will continue to evaluate what is happening with the coronavirus and hope the situation alleviates itself so we can again resume tournament golf in this part of the world in 2021,” Carlson added.

The PGA Tour Series-China’s 2019 season finale in Hong Kong was also cancelled last October, with officials on that occasion citing “safety concerns” because of a wave of pro-democracy protests roiling the city.

ASEAN 2020 hackathon, where undergraduate students from vocational institutions, polytechnics, and universities, participate to solve challenges such as pandemic, air pollution, traffic congestion, and flood warning, using AWS promotional credits offered by the AWS Educate program.

For more details on the AWS DeepRacer Women’s League 2020 or Build On, ASEAN 2020, please visit http://buildonasean.com.

(MS-JULY 23, 2020)

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Entertainment I

T’S not easy to stay positive, stay in touch, and stay grounded in the pandemic. But Jannelle So-Perkins knows just how to try.

On Saturday, July 25, 10:00 p.m.

ET / 7:00 p.m. PT (July 26, Sunday in Manila), Janelle brings all her guests, friends and advertisers together and give surprises in the form of content, performances, cash, products, and services at her Third Anniversary Virtual Party “SOjourn.”

“Even though there’s been a lot of losses, fear, and uncertainty, we all still have something to give,” said Janelle who made a name for herself as the creator, and original host and producer of America’s first and only daily show for and about the Filipinos which aired on KSCITV-LA18 from 2006 until 2014.

"Through the years, I’ve met such supportive friends and colleagues who’ve helped me keep my show going and it’s so heartwarming to see everyone together as we all realize, everyone needs a pick me up,” she carried on.

Apart from performances from her talented friends, Jannelle’s speakers and sponsors are contributing items like a fresh and glow makeup kit by celebrity artist Mally.com, chocolate products from Theo and Brom, and selfcare products and gift certificates from Lay Bare. Author and STEM Advocate Janice Lao is giving away copies of her book, Big Home Problem.

Registered viewers also get the chance to receive certificates from Filipino favorite Red Ribbon and t-shirts from new fitness gear brand, F.SXY. Even beloved luxury timepiece brand Philip Stein is donating their sleep bracelets with natural wearable technology for viewers who have trouble sleeping and resting through the pandemic. This Virtual SOjourn is co-hosted by Jollibee, with collaborators TOFA, Martin Purefoods, and BillPay. In the spirit of giving, Jannelle is also gifting the families of three live viewers with a cash surprise of $100 each. Only audience members who register in advance at SoJannelle.com and present online at the time of drawing can have a chance to receive the “surprizes” after sending their shipping address.

After a three-year hiatus to start a family, Jannelle started her own production company, Jannelle So Productions, LLC in 2017. In July of that year, she launched her new weekly magazine/lifestyle show, SO Jannelle that now airs every Sunday, 3:55 p.m. Pacific / 6:55 p.m. Eastern on The Filipino Channel, the premier Global Filipino Channel, with replays on Lifestyle Network.

By March 2018, the show was syndicated on KSCITV- LA18.

For the global audience, Jannelle extended interviews can be viewed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/ sojannelle.

Aside from being executive producer/host, Jannelle, now a mother to two kids, also consults with several companies on their events and marketing strategies.

“When I started, people kept telling me to put my effort somewhere else. But I kept on investing my resources in my FilAm community because I want to honor kababayans who make a difference in our community and in our world. I want to share and highlight culturallyrelevant stories, also so that we can persevere it for our children.

So that the young Filipinos here in America can grow up with an understanding and appreciation of their Filipino culture and heritage.

And with the help of loyal advertisers and friends, here we

Jay Altarejos joins in rising BL community in PH

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020

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Janelle So with her beautiful family

Resorts World Manila gives its audience front row seats of some of the world-class performances now delivered virtually in their homes.

New gig in town

Janelle So’s virtual

‘SOjourn’

NOTHING can equal the magic that comes between a live performer and the audience watching. But in our current world where gatherings are not just discouraged but can mean real trouble, both sides have to make do with the next best thing.

A few days ago I joined a presser for The L.O.V.E Project, the acronym standing for Live On-request Virtual Entertainment, which according to its initiator Resorts World Manila (RWM), aims to help its regular performers and other partner artists “to continue their livelihood despite the current COVID-19 situation in the country.” It is an online platform allowing “interested patrons to book and pay for online live performances via livestream.”

The gig format may come in various forms such as mini-concert, dance performance, date night serenade, and the like.

To make it even simpler arithmetic, a booker will spend as low as P600 to enjoy a 15-minute exclusive live performance viewable by way of whatever gadget and app available to see the performer. The artists, it adds, “will be directly corresponding to those who will book upon paying via bank transfer, GCash, or remittance.”

RWM’s current roster includes, among others, Singing Sensation’s Cris Pastor, Charlotte Fergusson, and Jasmine Fitzgerald; El Calle regulars Jay Kent, Hans Dimayuga, and Rox Puno; Grand Bar and Lounge performers Jon Joven and James Uy; ballet dancer Kim Abgrogena, vlogger and singer Julia Serad, pop-rock artist RJ Jimenez, and theater actors Lance Reblando, Jom Logdat, and Kiara Dario.

Michael Stuart Williams, co-artistic director of Full House Theater Company,

emphasized that the said artists can wholly enjoy their fees in this arrangement,” clearing out, “Potential YUGEL customers now have LOSORATA the chance to directly interact with and book the artists of their choice, without having to go through talent managers and coordinators. They can also request appropriate performances for the specific occasions they are celebrating.”

Learning about this project reminded me that a couple of weeks back, my 75-yearold father, now based in California, requested during a Zoom family gathering that I sing his favorite classic song “Boulevard” by Dan Byrd and he’d pay me. I took the challenge for fun and put out my guitar. My father being generous, I earned a few dollars equivalent to two thousand pesos. I do play as a bass player in a band and get paid in some gigs. But I can’t recall ever earning that much for a one-song solo performance.

While online performers can come everywhere and in “any wear,” booking RWM performers means dealing with world-class singers and thespians.

Professionalism is a major edge that separates experienced acts from bathroom singers. Be likewise aware that apart from having to see them perform without going through traffic and other hassles of watching a live show, these artists usually feeding off energy from live stage atmosphere have to double efforts in delivering their all.

Mind you, true artists won’t ever shortchange the audience so extra internalization will go with their online performance. That's value-added.

Miss Universe queens join global Pinoys in TFC’s ‘Bahay Book Club’

are, marking our third anniversary,” she exclaimed.

“Since we’re in the middle of a pandemic, I thought to ask my guests and friends to interact with our viewers and supporters in a way that can be helpful, fruitful, and valuable to them,” Jannelle said.

The pandemic and protests brought us to a very real place. In this threepart sojourn, Jannelle speaks with activities that made us woke, LGBTQ artist and advocate Angel Bonilla, and three friends from New York who founded Strategy for Black Lives, including how we cope with all the current events by consulting mental health expert Dr. Consuelo Cagande.

In the second and third stopovers of the sojourn, Jannelle speaks with Mally Roncal, the positivity preacher and make-up mogul how to stay positive and STEM advocate Janice Lao how to stay productive. He also asks the Briones family how our readers can stay focused on their goals, Mama Bares how to take care of our kids and Arnel Calvario how to stay fit and healthy. Will Stein, founder of luxury watch and natural wearable technology brand Philip Stein rounds up the thought leaders as he talks about why getting enough sleep and rest will help us feel less stressed in these times.

Register at www.sojannelle.com for more information.

Progressive director Jay Altarejos plans to create a BL series this August.

THE storytelling continues as TFC launches the second season of “Bahay Book Club,” narrated both in Filipino and English languages by some global Filipinos like Catriona Gray, Pia Wurtzbach, Apl De Ap, Jaime Kailani, Bobby Rubio, and Ali Ewoldt.

“Bahay Book Club,” which can be seen in various platforms of TFC, is a collection of stories that are five to ten minutes long each, written by Filipino authors. The project aims to introduce the rich Filipino culture to the younger Filipino generations and the non-Filipinos around the world.

Kicking off the second season was the story The Sea Creature and the Legend of the Pearl narrated by 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray.

It is a story about the sea creature Hiyas and how a mother inspired her to create what we know now as pearls.

Six stories are available.

Legend of the Rainbow, which will be narrated by Mama Earth Organization founder and children’s book author Jamie Kailani tells the story of how a king’s effort to make his daughter smile brought into the world the colorful rainbow.

Broadway star Ali Ewoldt reads the story Lola’s Hands, a touching story of a young girl who remembers her Lola (grandmother) while she prepares the latter’s signature family dish.

2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurthzbach reads Maria Makiling, a story about the nymph named Maria who teaches two men a lesson after one of them ignored her request despite the generosity she showed them.

Bobby Rubio, the writer and director of Pixar’s Float, lends his voice this time in narrating the story The Centaur and the Elves, which is about a boy who gets lost while on his way home, meets a centaur and an elf along the way, and is puzzled as he finds himself repeatedly circling the same mango tree.

Meanwhile, Filipino-American rapper Apl De Ap narrates The Epic of Ibalon, which follows the quest of Lam-Ang in finding his missing father where he will be joined by two magical creatures, a rooster and a dog.

“Bahay Book Club” can be seen via TFC on cable and satellite. It can also be seen via TFC IPTV, and on TFC Online (www.

TFC.tv) exclusive for Premium subscribers.

SEASONED director and independent filmmaker Jay Altarejos is set to release a boys love (BL) series this August taking cue from the growing demand of similar contents online.

Altarejos is known for his queer themed movies Ang Lihim Ni Antonio, Kasal, Pink Halo-Halo, and Tale Of The Lost Boys. He recently launched his online channel 2076 Online Channel that shows his latest series Balangaw and other lockdown shows.

Balangaw gets inspiration from ABS-

CBN shutdown. It receives good reviews from independent movie reviewers.

“We’re creating a BL series very soon.

While developing the story, we’re also thinking of the actors who can possibly play important parts. To give you an idea, it’s a story of an older man and a young. They meet again after five years,” Altarejos shared.

Altarejos added that once he begins shooting for the project, his team will comply with the authority’s strict health and social distancing protocols.

Miss Universe titleholders Catriona Gray and Pia Wurtzbach unite with other global Filipinos in TFC’s Bahay Book Club that aims to introduce local literature and culture to the world.

Life

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

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HOUSEHOLD

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020

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PRE-WAR mansion in Parañaque reopens its doors to couples planning to get married during the “new normal.”

Palacio de Memoria is now accepting reservations for intimate civil wedding ceremonies, receptions, and pre-nuptial photo shoots.

Couples can celebrate their love and commitment to each other surrounded by history and luxury in the resplendent Lhuillier-managed estate. Wedding photos are much more special what with the family’s unrivaled curated collection of Euro-Filipino art pieces adorning the restored mansion.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their loved ones can enjoy a private dinner at a special dining hall on the ground floor of Palacio de Memoria.

They may also opt to set up their dining area at the Los Tamaraos Ballroom, style it to their liking, and dine under an impressive Murano chandelier. For the bride and groom who love the outdoors, they can dance the night away at the Loggia by the garden.

Palacio de Memoria says it will also soon open its chapel for traditional nuptial masses.

Other opulent amenities ideal for weddings, receptions, and photo shoots in the estate include the Mosphil Lounge, a passenger plane refitted to be a lounge for special occasions; the Bridal Suite where brides and their bridesmaids can prepare for the ceremony; the Bunker Bar on the top floor for drinks and conversations;

Can’t wait to tie the knot?

Venue reopens for intimate weddings Postcard-pretty grounds of Palacio de Memoria and its other amenities such as the Mosphil Lounge (inset).

PARENTING

Parents can turn to creative play activities to keep their children busy.

Webinar to discuss children stress management I DO. Restored pre-war mansion Palacio de Memoria is now accepting reservations for intimate civil wedding ceremonies, receptions, and pre-nuptial photo shoots. and the picturesque scenes of the mented to ensure the health of couBack Garden perfect for wedding ples and guests. photos.

For inquiries and bookings, e-mail Strict safety measures are imple- hello@palaciodememoria.com.

SHOPPING

Fresh finds at farmers market in Eastwood City

Safety protocols are implemented at the farmers market to ensure customers and vendors’ safety.

ons, dragonfruit, eggplant, upo, squash, and more fresh fruits and vegetables from Benguet, Baguio City, Bulacan, Quezon Province, and Batangas.

- Boneless Dagupan Bangus and other seafood items such as tiger prawns, tilapia, espada, talakitok, and more.

- Fresh strawberries from Baguio.

- Fresh organic, chicken, and salted eggs from Bulacan.

- Coconut products including skimmed coconut milk.

- Flavored yogurt from Batangas.

- Pechay, mustasa, and patola seed packs from Bureau of Plant Industry.

- Thai milk tea and grab-and-go meals from Mango Tree.

- Cow Cow Ice Cream from Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory.

- DIY Ramen from Menya Kokoro.

Shoppers who prefer to have their goods delivered to their doorsteps can use the personal shopping service app MyKuya and pay cashless using PayMaya.

They can also get in touch directly with the farmers—contact information are posted on Eastwood City’s Facebook page, Viber Communities, and website—to preorder products and pick them up at the curbside pick-up station at Eastwood Central Plaza.

Cashless personal deliveries for food purchases from participating restaurants can also be made via LalaFood and Mr. Speedy.

After its Eastwood staging, the weekend farmers market will move to Venice Grand Canal in McKinley Hill on July 31 to August 2, before heading to Uptown Bonifacio on August 7-9.

SHOPPERS in north and east metro looking for fresh produce, seafood, meat products, and other food items have one more chance to catch the Harvest to Goodness Weekend Market at Eastwood Central Plaza in Eastwood City this weekend.

An initiative by the Department of Agriculture, in partnership with Megaworld Lifestyle Malls and non-profit group RestoPH, the weekend market aims to provide a venue for farmers, fisherfolks, and Filipino-owned restaurants to showcase and market their products in a safe shopping environment. It’s open on July 24-26.

Some of the fresh finds for sale at the Harvest to Goodness Weekend Market include: Fresh produce, seafood, meat products, and other food items straight from the source are - Bananas, avocados, watermel- available at Harvest to Goodness Weekend Market.

TO HELP parents dealing with fussy and frustrated kids in quarantine, Dr. Colleen Carlos-Viray, a pediatrician specializing in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, will talk about signs of stress in young children and what to do about them.

The live webinar, entitled “Managing Stress in Children During Quarantine,” will be hosted by Healthy Options on July 25 at 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. via Crowdcast and Facebook Live. It’s open to all and free of charge.

To register, go to https://www. crowdcast.io/e/healthyoptionsxbabyganics/register. Limited slots are available.

According to Healthy Options, the pandemic can also take a toll on young children. Some may be feeling anxious, cranky, or stressed out, while others may not be able to identify and communicate their feelings in times of uncertainty.

Dr. Colleen Carlos-Viray

The webinar will help parents and guardians take care of children at home, and learn the best ways to guide them in adjusting to changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The all-natural and healthy products retailer suggests nurturing kids’ mental, physical, and emotional health; parents must talk to their children, keep them busy with creative play activities, and nourish them with healthy snacks.

How to protect baby’s skin Baby’s delicate skin requires gentle products that cleanse, moisturize, and protect.

OUR skin is our body’s first line of defense, regardless of age. However, babies have a weaker skin barrier— as it is still developing—and therefore have a higher risk of exposure to irritants, allergen penetration, and infection than adults.

“Delicate baby’s skin needs extra special care,” asserts Dr. Marivi Dizon, a pediatric dermatologist.

“That is why for the first year of an infant’s life, it is important to choose gentle products that have been carefully formulated to support a healthy skin barrier and protect babies from common skin conditions,” recommends Dr. Dizon.

Cleansing products parents use on babies must be gentle and have

the ability to protect infants’ skin against harsh elements, according to experts.

A brand recommended by pediatricians and dermatologists, Johnson’s baby wash and lotion are clinically proven to be gentle and mild.

According to its maker, they can be used from the first moments of a child’s life and shown not to disrupt a baby’s naturally developing skin barrier.

“Together with Johnson’s, moms today can find a trusted and reassuring partner in keeping their babies’ skin healthy and protected at all times,” says Johnson’s Baby South East Asia marketing director Maimai Punzalan.