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BACK IN BUSINESS. A client at an Internet café along Judge Jimenez Street in Kamuning,

Quezon City transacts business behind a plastic barrier on Thursday, July 30, 2020. Internet cafés, gyms, and review centers in areas under general community quarantine have made preparations in compliance with health protocols prior to reopening on a limited capacity on August 1, 2020. Gymnasium worker (inset) disinfects the premises, gear and equipment to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Robert Alfiler and JR Josue.

Palace backs special audit of virus funds By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz and Benjamin B. Chavez MALACANANG said Thursday it is open to having the government spending in response to the COVID-19 pandemic audited. VOL. XXXIV • NO. 157 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DOH retags data; cases spike

Posts highest single-day tally at 89,374; senator warns of economic decline with MECQ By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas EALTH officials reported 3,954 additional COVID-19 cases Thursday, the highest single-day tally since the pandemic began that brought the total infections to 89,374, even as Senator Juan Edgardo Angara warned Thursday that the economy could collapse if Metro Manila reverts to a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

Eid’l Adha a regular holiday

LOCAL ROUNDUP

• LGU tracing capability low • Danger zone

By Vito Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo

By Willie Casas, Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta BAGUIO City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the government’s contact tracing czar, said Thursday only 0.068 percent of local government units (LGUs) had an established contacttracing capability, citing the results of a diagnostic survey.

BLOOD DONORS.

Members of the Philippine National Police donate blood during the 25th Philippine Community Relation with the theme “Pinaigting na Ugnayan ng Mamayan at Pulisya Laban sa Covid-19 Pandemya” held at the Multi- purposed hall in Camp Crame.

Trump: Defer US elections US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Thursday suggested delaying the 2020 election, in which he is currently lagging badly in the polls, citing the coronavirus and what he said would be “fraudulent” voting. “Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” Next page

TODAY is a regular holiday across the Philippines to observe Eid’l Adha, the Islamic Feast of Sacrifice. The Palace issued Presidential Proclamation 986 on July 29 declaring July 31 as a regular holiday. Eid’l Adha is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year, and it is considered to be holier than Eid’l Fitr that marks the end of Ramadan. The Labor department said privatesector employees who will work today will get 200 percent of their basic salaries, while those who will not report for work Next page

Sabah claim reignites row between PH, Malaysia top diplomats

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, on Thursday stood by its position that Sabah was not part of Malaysia, but an integral part of the Philippine territory, citing “historical factual” basis.

Malacañang immediately stood by Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. in insisting on the Philippines’ claim over Sabah. Citing Article 1 of the 1987 Constitution, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in a virtual press briefing in Quezon City, said the Philippine territory included “all the other territories

• Global cases soar past 17m • Dine-in ban

By Jess Malabanan and Joel E. Zurbano

bah. In his riposte on Thursday, Locsin insisted he was just asserting the Philippines’ claim over the territory similar to what he was doing with the West Philippine Sea issue. “You summoned our ambassador

WORLD ROUNDUP

Ex-lawmaker arrested for wife’s killing, graft A FORMER member of the House of Representatives and religious cult leader was arrested Thursday over his wife’s killing and corrupt practices, police said, ending a years-long manhunt. Ruben Ecleo Jr., 63, was head of a group called the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association when the remains of his wife, Alona Bacolod-Ecleo, were found decomposing in a ravine in Dalaguete, Cebu in 2002. Ecleo, also known as Manuel Riberal, was arrested months later in a police raid on his home on the island of Dinagat, during which 17 people were killed. Ecleo obtained temporary liberty in 2004 and won a Congress seat in 2010 – waved as an example of an

over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction.” Locsin also lamented the move of Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for summoning the Philippine ambassador to Kuala Lumpur over his tweets on the country’s claim over Sa-

IN CUSTODY.

Sixty-three-year-old former legislator and leader of a religious group, Ruben Ecleo, sits inside a room at police regional headquarters following his arrest in Manila on July 30, 2020 for the killing of his wife.

THE number of coronavirus infections recorded worldwide has soared through 17 million, according to an AFP tally from official sources on Thursday. At least 17,022,877 cases have been registered as the pandemic accelerates with a million new infections detected in the last four days. The United States is the worst-hit country with 4,426,982 cases including 150,713 deaths. Next page

News

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Senators divided over ‘death bill’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta

vive in the midst of the pandemic. She says unless the justice system is reformed, the poor will be in a pitiful situation because they cannot afford the best lawyers. Only the wealthy defendants can afford the best defense lawyers to get a lighter sentence or escape conviction. Senator Sonny Angara says he needs to see “compelling evidence” that the death penalty will effectively deter crime and that the “miscarriage of justice” will not be committed. “I need to see compelling evidence that it will be effective. That we won’t be prosecuting, killing the wrong people. You might have miscarriages of justice. I don’t want that to happen,” Angara said. Senator Ronald Dela Rosa acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic should be the government’s top priority,

but this should not stop the Senate from tackling other measures like the 10 death penalty bills filed in the Senate. He said COVID-19 had killed almost 2,000 Filipinos and infected more than 85,000, but the drug problem could also be considered a pandemic. But Senator Francis Pangilinan pressed Dela Rosa to explain how the re-imposition of the death penalty could help solve the unemployment problem and address COVID-19. Dela Rosa slammed Pangilinan, saying “we just voted yesterday after the third hearing on Bayanihan 2. If you really want to help our people recover from this pandemic that we are facing now, everybody should have voted for the Bayanihan Act 2 because the real purpose of this Bayanihan 2 is the economic recovery of the Philippines.”

ing the total death toll from COVID-19 to 1,983 while active cases stood at 22,327. The government will take “new” initiatives to help Metro Manila combat COVID-19, the Palace said Thursday. In a virtual press conference aired on state-run PTV-4, Roque said one of the new initiatives to be applied in Metro Manila is the use of pool testing to boost the COVID-19 testing capacity in the country’s metropolis. He said pool testing, which makes use of one reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test kit for at least 10 persons, would expand the actual testing to “10 times.” The average cost of one RT-PCR test kit is P3,000 but 10 persons can split the bill and pay just P300 each, he said. Malacañang earlier raised the possibility that Metro Manila, which is currently under general community quarantine, might be placed under MECQ, which is the second most stringent community quarantine level. Roque, however, declined to confirm whether the quarantine status in Metro Manila would revert to MECQ after July 31. “I will not preempt the President. But as I said, it will not be business as usual,” he said. For her part, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Thursday defended the DOH after Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero said it wasn’t doing enough. Vergeire, in an interview over GMA Network’s “Unang Hirit,” said the DOH has been doing its best to address the pandemic since January. “Each of us has our own opinion,” she said in Filipino. “The public sees that we are doing

our best in this response and that we are in high mode in our response since January,” she said. On Wednesday, Escudero said that the national government could do more than just presenting statistics on COVID-19 cases. Escudero noted that the government has enough funds and power to intensify its measures to curb the pandemic. “Everyday, all I see in the DOH are the statistics of those who are positive, recovered, and deaths,” he said in Filipino. “I haven’t heard them saying, so far at least during the past two weeks or one month any new initiative regarding our fight against COVID-19 other than waiting for a vaccine,” he said. Senator Richard J. Gordon called on President Rodrigo Duterte to present a comprehensive master plan for the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. While the President presented some good plans in connection with education in his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday, he did not give a game plan in the fight against COVID-19, Gordon added. Clarifying earlier news reports, the DOH said Thursday only 21 percent of total bed capacity in all state hospitals and 10 percent in private hospitals are allocated for COVID-19 patients. In an interview on GMA News’ Unang Balita, Vergeire gave the clarification following reports of hospitals reaching full capacity with regards to COVID-19 patients. The DOH has established a “hospital command,” with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III as head, to strengthen the referral system among hospitals, she said.

erations resume. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, said there will be no work today in all the courts nationwide because of the holiday. But the high court said the signing of the roll of attorneys will proceed today as scheduled. The signing of the roll of attorneys is the last step before one is officially called a lawyer. The presidential order directing the

observance of the holiday said people should still comply with community quarantine regulations and social distancing measures. The Philippines has been observing Eid’l Adha as a national holiday for nine years. Republic Act No. 9177 declared Eid’l Adha a regular holiday in 2002, but only in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Trump asked in a tweet. “With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It

will be a great embarrassment to the USA,” the tweet said. Only Congress can change the election date, which is set by law on November 3. With Democrats ruling the lower House, that seems highly unlikely to happen. Trump has previously insisted that he sees no problem going ahead with the election, where he faces Democratic

challenger Joe Biden. The coronavirus pandemic remains out of control in swaths of the United States, including most recently in Republicanled states like Florida and Texas. During the presidential primary contests earlier this year, several states delayed voting or opened fewer polling sites. AFP

arate tweet. Hussein earlier summoned Ambassador to Malaysia Charles Jose to explain Locsin’s tweet that “Sabah is not in Malaysia.” Roque backed Locsin, saying the Philippines obtained Sabah from Brunei as a gift for helping put down a rebellion on Borneo Island. However, he also recognized the country’s conflicting claims with Malaysia, which believes that Sabah was ceded to them. The Philippines claims Sabah was only leased, not ceded, to the

British North Borneo Co. Despite this unresolved territorial dispute, Roque said the Philippines and Malaysia continue to enjoy “friendly” bilateral ties in recent years. “You know this unresolved territorial dispute has been dormant. It has not affected our friendly bilateral relations and I think we will definitely maintain this friendly bilateral relations despite and in spite of this unresolved dispute,” he said. He acknowledged that there may not be a resolution to the territorial dispute

in the near future, but noted that it will not affect the long-established bilateral ties between the two countries. Locsin stood by his statement, which Hussein has branded as “irresponsible” and “affects bilateral ties.” “We have and continue to assert our rights in the Spratlys/WPS [West Philippine Sea]. I am doing that with regard to Sabah,” Locsin stressed. “There have been repeated attempts to sell that claim but no Philippine president has succumbed,” the DFA chief noted.

ENATE President Vicente Sotto III said Thursday the Philippine National Police might as well forget reviving the capital punishment if it would insist on meting out the death penalty to those found in possession of 50 grams of illegal drugs.

He stood his ground that the death penalty, if revived, should only be imposed on big-time drug traffickers, disagreeing with PNP Chief Archie Gamboa’s position that the possession of 50 grams of illegal drugs should warrant the death penalty. He says it is easy to plant 50 grams of marijuana, and that current laws allow a drug suspect to post bail when caught with up to 200 grams of illegal drugs. Senator Christopher Go says the re-

imposition of the death penalty could be a strong deterrent to the commission of other heinous crimes. “In effect, if we can stop crimes from happening, the unfortunate encounters in police operations will also be avoided and the lives of both police and the public can be protected,” Go said. Senator Nancy Binay questioned the timing of the President’s call on lawmakers to re-impose the death penalty when the people were struggling to sur-

Palace... From A1

DOH... From A1

“We have nothing to hide. We welcome the call of some senators for a special audit of the government’s expenses to curb the spread and impact of COVID-19 in the country,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said, adding that the Office of the President has submitted weekly reports to Congress on its implementation of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Roque was responding to a Senate resolution asking the Commission on Audit (COA) to scrutinize the Duterte administration’s spending on its COVID-19 response, including the purchase of allegedly overpriced medical supplies. “The President and Malacanang have nothing to hide. All the spending and the money intended for COVID-19 went to the government’s COVID-19 response,” Roque said in a press briefing. Roque said President Duterte regularly submits reports to Congress on all efforts made against COVID-19 after the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act went into effect. As of June 30, the government had released P374.89 billion to provide cash aid to millions of low-income families isolated by months-long lockdown, purchase medical equipment and bankroll other projects as spelled out in the Bayanihan law. A bulk of the amount — P200.98 billion — went to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which handled the distribution of cash aid to poor families. Senate Resolution 479, filed by seven senators on Wednesday, urged COA to scrutinize the government’s expenses, loans, and donations made under the now-expired Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (RA 11469). The Senate resolution was signed by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Senators Panfilo Lacson, Juan Edgardo Angara, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, and Leila de Lima. RA 11469, which lapsed on June 25, allowed Duterte to use emergency powers and spend P275 billion as an emergency fund to curb the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. Under RA 11469, the government was also given the authority to grant emergency subsidies ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 to low-income families to help them cope with the COV-

At the same time, the Department of Health reported a record 38,075 recoveries in its July 30 case bulletin – the bulk of which were mild or asymptomatic cases that were re-tagged as recovered – bringing to 65,064 the total number of patients who have recovered from the disease. “Of the 38,075 recoveries reported today, 37,166 were part of the time-based tagging methodology (cases with mild disease or asymptomatic whose date of onset of illness or specimen collection was more than 14 days ago and shall be tagged as recovered) from the enhanced data reconciliation efforts with local government units,” the department said. In an interview over the ABS-CBN News Channel, Angara said applying rigid lockdowns is not the right approach because these simply postpone the inevitable. “The model approach is trying to live with COVID, not trying to avoid COVID. At some point...you have to face it and you have to learn how to live with the virus, you have to increase your testing,” Angara said. “Whether you’re a private company or the government, you have to periodically test your people,” Angara said, noting that a test result two days ago could be completely different in 24 hours. Talk of stricter quarantine restrictions has increased with the rise in COVID-19 cases since Metro Manila was placed under general community quarantine in June. On Thursday, the Department of Health recorded 23 new fatalities, bring-

Sabah... From A1 for a historically factual statement I made: that Malaysia tried to derail the Arbitral Award,” Locsin said in his Twitter post. “He was already summoned. It was about to happen. They are always trying to sneak in an attempt to implicitly abandon our claim. But I warned our diplomats. Never,” Locsin said in a sep-

Ex-lawmaker... From A1 infamous culture of impunity in the country, where the rich and powerful were rarely held to account. In 2012, a year after he stopped attending the trial, a Cebu court convicted him of parricide and sentenced him to 30 years in prison. Manila police described Ecleo as the “#1 Top Most Wanted Person” in the Philippines, who has a P2-million bounty on his head, based on a warrant issued by the First Division of Sandiganbayan. The Sandiganbayan convicted him in 2006 and sentenced him to 31 and

Eid’l Adha... From A1 will be paid 100 percent of their salaries, The department, however, said some companies may defer the payment of the holiday pay until the national health emergency arising from the COVID-19 pandemic ends and normal business op-

Trump:... From A1

a half years of imprisonment in connection with the irregularities over the construction of the public market and town hall, and repairs of his cult’s building in San Jose, Dinagat Islands when he served as mayor there. A police report said he was arrested Thursday at a gated housing enclave in Angeles City, 88 kilometers north of Manila, where he had been living under another name. His driver, Benjie Relacion Fernan, was also detained for trying to obstruct Ecleo’s arrest, police added. In 2006, another court convicted Ecleo of corruption committed when he was a town mayor in Dinagat in the early 1990s. With AFP

World... From A1 Southern and western regions of the United States were grappling Thursday with a renewed surge of coronavirus infections. Brazil is second to the US in terms of cases and fatalities, and also reported a sobering figure as it surpassed 90,000 deaths. Exactly six months after the World Health Organization declared an international emergency over the deadly pathogen, countries around the globe are seeing rises in infections that are damaging economies and forcing dis-

ruptive protection measures. Even nations that believed they had largely curbed the disease are being gripped by worrying second and thirdwave resurgences, with Australia on Thursday reporting a record number of new infections and its deadliest day of the pandemic so far. Global daily cases are now approaching the 300,000 mark, with the curve showing no sign of flattening – it took just 100 hours for one million new cases to be recorded.

Revamp task force vs. Covid-19, says ex-adviser By Willie Casas A FORMER special adviser of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 said Wednesday Health Secretary Francisco Duque III may be overwhelmed by his many responsibilities, so he proposed a reorganization of the leadership within the Inter-Agency Task Force. Tony Leachon told Dobol B sa News TV that Duque also heads the IATF and is chairman of the board of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. “So, therefore, papaano ka makakapag-focus eh kada meeting ng IATF ang haba. Sino pa ang mag se-secretary of Health, sino pa ang mag chechairman of the board ng PhilHealth?” Leachon said. He suggested that the IATF be handed over to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to help Duque focus on the Health department and PhilHealth, and especially amid the allegations of corruption within PhilHealth. “Dapat ang IATF ay ilipat muna sa isang competent din na Cabinet member, si Secretary Año kasi siya ang vice chair tsaka siya din ang head ng LGUs, nasa kanya din ang kapulisan,” Leachon said. “Para maka-focus si Secretary Duque sa DOH at saka sa PhilHealth na ngayon ay tinutuligsa sa mga anomaly, kailangan natin ang focus dito. I think overwhelmed masyado si Secretary Duque who is holding three important positions.” On April 16, several senators filed a resolution demanding Duque’s immediate resignation due to his alleged “failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight and inefficiency” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local... From A1 Magalong, who has been holding trainings in different regions, said he gave the questionnaire to around 8,100 LGUs but only over 600 said they have established contact-tracing capability. “Nakakalungkot lang po na talagang napakababa po ng ating contact tracing,” he said.

Quarantine sites The national government’s mega quarantine facilities for COVID-19 are now over 70 percent full, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said, adding the the following mega temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs) were now in the “danger zone”: Ultra Stadium, Quezon Institute, Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Philippine Arena, and the ASEAN Convention Center. Vergeire noted that the occupancy rate of TTMFs in Metro Manila and in Regions 1, 7, 10, and 12 was in the warning zone as of July 28. Meanwhile, the overall occupancy rate of the 81,636 beds in TTMFs nationwide stood at 24 percent. The government earlier discouraged home quarantine for COVID-19-positive individuals and advocated for a facility-based quarantine.

22 more quarantine facilities The government’s task force against COVID-19 will open 22 mega quarantine facilities in Metro Manila to accommodate the growing number of patients with mild symptoms and asymptomatic, according to testing czar Vince Dizon. Public Works and Highways Secretary and chief isolation czar Mark Villar said a total 150 facilities that were constructed and repurposed were now being used as facilities for quarantine, isolation and offsite dormitories of COVID-19 patients and frontline workers. Citing the latest “We Heal as One” Report, Villar said that of the 150 facilities, 19 were newly-constructed and 131 were DPWH-constructed evacuation centers that were recently repurposed as COVID-19 facilities.

– introduced to control the spread of coronavirus – following widespread public anger. All restaurants in the city of 7.5 million were ordered Wednesday to only serve takeaways as part of a raft of ramped-up social distancing measures aimed at combating a fresh wave of virus cases. But social media was quickly swamped by photos of primarily blue-collar workers forced to eat on pavements and parks – and even inside public toilets to escape a torrential downpour. Restaurant groups with links to HK reverses dine-in ban influential pro-Beijing parties also Hong Kong’s government on Thurs- voiced dismay at the measures, which day reversed a day-old ban on res- had been urged by epidemiologists to taurants serving dine-in customers slow infections. AFP

News LTO to implement online transaction program in 2021

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

House held 123 meetings—solon By Maricel V. Cruz ARRIVAL. BRP Lapu-Lapu

By Rio N. Araja THE Land Transportation Office wants to implement its online transaction program called the land transport management system in full operation in early 2021. LTO chief Edgar Galvante said the agency is now working on the connectivity issues of all LTO offices nationwide so they could roll out the LTMS in every LTO office. “Currently, we have 24 pilot sites in different locations nationwide, but we are working it out so that we can have all of our satellite offices able to do transactions online,” he said. The LTMS can be accessed through their website https://portal. lto.gov.ph, wherein one may conduct transactions with LTO from the comfort of your home or office table. The project is set to be finished by September but agency sources claimed the previous service provider has yet to complete the turnover of the database to LTO’s new service provider Dermalog. “We have a new service provider now, Dermalog. It is a German company, and that it is one of the best worldwide. LTO benefits from their experience,” Galvante said. The latest data on the 24-pilot sites of the LTO LTMS showed a 100 percent usage in 19 areas, and a little over 90 percent in the other five offices. “We still have to get the complete database from the previous provider but I have said we will have all of this and complete the project by early next year,” the LTO chief said.

(MMOV- 5001) arrived at Tagbilaran Port in Bohol with 65 locally stranded individuals (LSI) from Manila. The LSIs were met by frontline personnels from the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Bureau of Fire Protection which supervised the disembarkation and health protocols.

WestMinCom chief takes over as Army head INCUMBENT Western Mindanao Command chief and Medal of Valor awardee, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, will take over the Philippine Army following the appointment of its head, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, as the next Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff effective August 3. “Yes (he will be taking over the PA),” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday when asked for confirmation. Sobejana, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1987, com-

manded the Joint Task Force Sulu, the Maguindanao-based 6th Infantry Division, and the Western Mindanao Command, to name a few. He won his Medal of Valor in 1995 for continuing to fight an estimated 150 Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Isabela, Basilan with his platoon despite sustaining crippling wounds in the encounter. Meanwhile, in a media interview, Sobejana said he was very happy to be selected to head the PA. “Of course, I am very happy to be

selected to lead the Philippine Army. I consider this as a new challenge and I am very thankful to our Almighty. God is so good and to God be the glory,” he said. When asked for his plans as Army chief, Sobejana said he intends to build up the capability of the organization in terms of equipment and human resources. “Of course, you have to come up with the doctrine, techniques, tactics, and procedures that will ensure (the) victory of our troops as they are deployed to the front line,” he said.

OUSE of Representatives’ Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on Thursday said 27 standing and four special committees held 123 hybrid and virtual meetings via Zoom application during sine die break aimed at passing quality laws, improving the delivery of basic services and ensuring the country’s survival from the COVID-19 pandemic. Romualdez, chair of the House Committee on Rules, said the chamber as an institution performed its tasks commendably and with distinction to deliver the legislative agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte. “I thank my fellow House members for their exemplary work ethic and willingness to adopt technological tools that allowed us to work non-stop even during our break and the lockdown,” said Romualdez on the 123 meetings by 31 regular and special panels. The 302-strong House of Representatives has a total of 63 standing committees and 16 special panels. Citing data from the Committee Affairs Department, Romualdez said the 31 panels held 92 regular committee hearings, 26 technical working group meetings, four executive hearings, and one ocular inspection from June 6 to July 24. Before adjourning sine die last June 5, the House of Representatives adopted the motion of Romualdez authorizing all standing and special committees to conduct public hearings and inquiries during the break.

DOST, UP jointly develop ‘severe wind hazard map’ AS the Philippines enters the rainy season, researchers from the Department of Science and Technology and the University of the Philippines unveiled the development of severe wind hazard maps for susceptible buildings around the country. Funded by the DOST and monitored by the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development, the researchers from the program “Severe Wind Hazard and Risk Assessment for Cebu City” developed fundamental datasets and information on hazard, exposure, and vulnerability of different building types against strong winds, providing critical information for local disaster response teams. The research team from the DOST Philippine Atmospheric,

Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration developed regional wind hazard maps for the entire country. Severe wind maps for 78 provinces and 41 local wind hazard maps for 41 provinces. The regional wind hazard maps were modified to local settings like terrain and other topographic factors. DOST PAGASA also developed a risk exposure database for 2, 600 buildings in Cebu City to prepare local chief executives on the effects of strong winds in their LGU. On the other hand, researchers from the UP Institute of Civil Engineering are developing a building vulnerability classification system that classifies structures according to their susceptibility to damage when battered by severe winds.

NAIA Customs personnel seize smuggled shabu worth P4.5m By Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo

trict Collector Carmelita Talusan discovered the smuggled shipment during the examination conducted at DHL Cargo Warehouse. “It was discovered while our Customs examiners were conducting 100 percent physical examination of unclaimed DHL cargoes intended to expedite the disposal of abandoned and/or overstaying cargoes at the NAIA Customs Bonded Warehouses,” said Talusan.

CUSTOMS agents assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International airport intercepted a smuggled shipment of shabu worth P4.5 million at a bonded warehouse in Pasay City. The 640 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride were concealed in two cans of chocolate wafer declared as “toy present” and shipped from Las Vegas, Nevada,USA Manila REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES and is consigned to Standard TODAY COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS a certain resident of Hagonoy. ANNOUNCEMENT “In an apparent President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has submitted attempt to conceal to the Commission on Appointments (C.A.) for confirmation the ad interim appointments of the the said shabu, the following officials: same were described Judicial and Bar Council in the covering AirMr. Torribio Elises Ilao Jr. – as Member, way Bill as “Toys/ Judicial and Bar Council, Supreme Court of the Philippines, representing the Private Present”. However, Sector ensuing physical exArmed Forces of the Philippines amination thereof to the rank of Brigadier General revealed the same to Lyndon J. Sollesta, PA (GSC) contain chocolates; The public may submit any information, written report, or sworn/notarized complaints or oppositions in stuffed toys; candy; thirty - two (32) copies on the above appointments to slippers; socks; and 2 the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, D. Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila. cans of chocolate wafer where the illegal For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone drugs were hidden numbers 8834-2713, 8831-1824, 8831-0527, 8832and used to conceal 9830, 8834-2706 and 8551-1989. the illegal drugs,” the 30 July 2020. BOC said. Customs-NAIA HECTOR A. VILLACORTA examiners under the Secretary supervision of Dis(MS-JULY 31, 2020)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor

TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2020 lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Mayor Gabino P. Ganggangan

Mayor shuts road to blunt drug trade By Abe Almirol

LEARNING ON WHEELS. Teachers and staff of the Department of Education-Division of Sarangani test tablets and other gadgets as they held a successful dry run of the Learning

Resources on Wifi Hub for Expanded e-Learning in Sarangani (LR on WHEeLS) at the Calay Indigenous Peoples School in the upland barangay of Lun Masla in Malapatan town. LR on WHEeLS is an innovation of DepEd Sarangani to make e-learning possible to more students in the province, including in areas with no internet connection or signal reception, and is part of the “blended” no-contact learning mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Conrado and Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation Inc. (CLAFI) of Alsons Corp. donated 50 units of tablets through the Sarangani Provincial Government’s Sulong Karunungan program as part of its corporate social responsibility.

SBMA blasts wrong info on OFWs’ return By Butch Gunio SUBIC BAY FREEPORT -- The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) bristled at claims that it is withholding information about a government plan to bring home repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) through the Subic Bay Freeport. SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the plan to use Subic as gateway for OFWs is not an SBMA initiative, but a program managed by the National Task Force on Returning Overseas Filipinos (NTF-ROF). The group is headed by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and reinforced by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Department of Tourism (DOT), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and the Office of the President (OP). Eisma issued the clarification after a social media post on Sunday by former Olongapo City mayor Rolen Paulino claimed that SBMA has kept the plan under wraps and that the mayors of communities around the Subic Freeport, as well as their representatives to the SBMA board of directors, were kept in the dark about it. “If former Olongapo mayor Rolen Paulino is saying that we did not consult them about this plan, then he is promoting disinformation. He is also barking up the wrong tree, and prematurely at that,” Eisma said. “If ever, he should demand consultation from the DOTr and other agencies because this project is national government-driven, not SBMA-driven. The SBMA is but a tiny cog in this big machine that is undertaking the program,” she pointed out.

Angeles mayor’s daughter victim of ‘basag-kotse’ By Jess Malabanan ANGELES CITY – The daughter of City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. fell victim to suspected members of a “basagkotse” car theft gang while her sports utility vehicle was parked inside the Grand Palazzo Royale Golf Course at Barangay Cutcut on Wednesday. Lawyer Rafaela Lazatin told investigators she parked her white Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV at the golf course past 2 p.m. and played golf with her friend for a couple of hours. Lazatin said she was surprised when she returned to her car because the glass window was broken and all items inside the car, including high-end gadgets, were missing. The mayor’s daughter sought the help of Grand Palazzo Royale security, hoping to get the perpetrator. “The incident happened between 2 and 3 p.m. while the victim was busy playing golf,” said Police Lt. Colonel John Bernard Tacdoy, the chief of police of Porac town. Porac police took over the case as the golf course falls under its jurisdiction. Only the entrance of the golf course is part of Angeles City, said Tacdoy over the phone. Tacdoy said the golf course owner must be held liable over the security lapses.

Makati begins free flu, pneumonia vaccinations By Joel E. Zurbano

he city government of Makati on Thursday launched a massive flu and pneumonia vaccination drive for residents as part of its measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease. “We want to give our Makatizens added protection against the coronavirus. Giving everyone flu and pneumonia vaccines, especially the most vulnerable sectors, will improve their resistance to SARS-CoV-2 — the cause of COVID-19 infection,” Mayor Abi-

gail Binay said. For the first time, according to Binay, residents can sign up online to receive free vaccines. She said this will make the registration process more efficient for city healthcare service workers and keep person-to-person contact at a minimum. Binay explained that Makati residents with Yellow and Blu Cards can use their smartphones or computers to go to the #ProudMakatizen website (proudmakatizen.com), select “Vaccination Registration”, and complete the easy to follow registration process. Residents will be asked to enter their Yellow Card ID or Blu Card ID number for verification. Yellow Cardholders may register their declared dependents for vaccination as well. Once verified, residents will receive a message confirming their schedule.

“This is another first from Makati City,” said Binay of the online registration for the vaccines. “We are implementing new strategies to ensure the unhampered delivery of healthcare services to over 500,000 Makatizens. This is part of our drive to innovate and set new benchmarks for the new normal,” the city chief executive also said. The Department of Health has recommended flu and pneumonia vaccines to prevent the complications caused by COVID-19. Makati health officials said residents will receive trivalent flu shots that cover three strains of influenza (influenza A or H1N1, influenza A or H3N2, and influenza B). Earlier, 5,130 frontliners and essential workers in Makati City received flu vaccines. Pneumonia shots, on the other

CLARK OPPORTUNITIES. Various developments in the Clark Freeport Zone have paved the way for the creation of more job opportunities and sources of livelihood for residents and workers from the freeport’s adjacent communities. CDC-CD Photo

Clark Airport Corp. defers rental payments from 45 locators CLARK FREEPORT — The Clark International Airport Corp. has deferred rental payments due from 45 locators and investors hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, CIAC president Aaron Aquino announced Thursday. Aquino said the deferment will surely help the financially distressed locators mostly engaged in cargo distribution and aviation-related business instead of laying off the employees. “We told them that they don’t have to pay their rental for the months of April to

June and don’t worry about paying their interest or penalties at moment,” he said. Aquino said the rent deferment was in line with the fifth State of Nation Address of President Duterte Monday, calling on the nation to assist business sectors affected by the coronavirus lockdowns as part of his roadmap for economic recovery. The deferment of rental worth several million pesos aims to help locators at the 2,367-hectare aviation complex to restart their businesses under the “new normal,” Aquino said.

He said the deferment is awaiting the approval of CIAC’s mother agency, the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Businesses in the Freeport and elsewhere in the world stood still from April to June due to implementation of public health measures such as the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and General Community Quarantine (GCQ) in Luzon to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

SADANGA, Mountain Province – Mayor Gabino P. Ganggangan here has issued an executive order prohibiting the use of a Sadanga municipal road section as route for all tourists visiting the neighboring municipality of Tinglayan in Kalinga Province, especially Barangay Buscalan, where acclaimed tattoo artist Wang-ud lives. Executive Order No. 18, series of 2020 was premised on the long-standing notoriety of the route in the local marijuana drug trade via the Halsema Highway going to Baguio City. “Such ominous purpose proved itself true as evidenced by several arrests of a few but steadily growing numbers of tourists in possession of illegal marijuana bought from Buscalan,” the order reads. Ganggangan pointed out historical and current circumstances justifying his executive order, a day after President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated the importance of his war on drugs in his fifth State of the Nation Address. “In the mid-1990s, tourists and marijuana local traders accompanied by some local folks from the Municipality of Tinglayan used the mountain ranges passing through some parts of Belwang, Sadanga as their trans-shipment route to transport raw marijuana leaves from the plantations in Tinglayan to Sagada as its trading post,” the mayor explained. The arrest of several individuals caught transporting illegal marijuana resulted in the Tulgao-Sadanga Tribal War. “Those who were accosted retaliated by surreptitiously entering Sadanga and mercilessly hacked one unsuspecting Sadanga old folk,” he added.

Cavite to put up virus testing lab in Dasmariñas

THE provincial government of Cavite is putting up one of the country’s biggest laboratories for COVID-19 testing, which once fully operational would be able to finish 10,000 tests a day for the coronavirus. Governor Jonvic Remulla announced this Thursday in a Facebook post, saying the first laboratory will be built at the De La Salle UniversityDasmarinas Hospital, which can perform 3,000 tests a day. “We are building two more laboratories to service the province,” Remulla said. In preparation for the coronavirus vaccine once it is available, he said Cavite shall implement a provincial ID system for effective administration purposes. “Once a vaccine is made available, the government should be ready to respond to the following public concerns: 1. How do we administer 220,000,000 doses (2 shots per person x 110 million Filipinos)?,” the governor said. “2. How do we do it without creating the least amount of panic and hysteria? Who gets it FIRST and how do people get it quickly enough? 3. How do we apply the lessons learned from the challenges we encountered during the SAP distribution and avoid the same mistakes when it comes to the availment and administration of the vaccine?” Remulla said. “We should expect more from the Government,” he said, quoting Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero.

Villages pour P3.5m into sanitary landfill By Ben Moses Ebreo QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya—Village officials of the 12 barangays in this town recently poured in P3.5 million for their sanitary landfill (SLF) project. John Babliing, barangay captain of Runruno, said setting aside funds for the landfill was the decision of the majority of barangay officials here to support the Republic Act 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act (SWMA). “This was our agreement so that we can already go on with our SLF project that will benefit our barangays and constituents in general,” he said. The fund was sourced from the

2018 Annual Social Development and Management Program of the barangays funded yearly by FCF Minerals Corp. FCF Minerals operates the goldmolybdenum project in barangay Runruno. Babliing said the SLF will be constructed based on the national standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The landfill will address the environmental issues and concerns in the municipality, as it will also serve as a major dumping site for the growing waste among the villagers, including the mining company’s waste.

INAUGURATION. Bataan 2nd district Rep. Joet Garcia, Vice Gov. Cris Garcia, and Limay Mayor Nelson David (from left) attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Limay Dialysis Center last Friday. Butch Gunio

Opinion Refugee LSIs at massive risk POINT OF IMPACT

ERWIN TULFO THE Duterte administration must act swiftly to help the thousands of so-called “locally-stranded individuals” or LSIs in Metro Manila go back to their homes in the provinces. Unfortunately, some local government unit officials have stood in the way of the LSIs’ return to their homes and families for fear of a COVID-19 outbreak in their respective localities. This has prompted flight cancellations in their domestic airports. As ordered by President Duterte, the Department of the Interior and Local Government must make it clear that the LGUs cannot just prohibit their constituents from returning home; it is illegal to do so. The DILG ensures that repatriated LSIs have undergone RT-PCR test and confirmed negative for COVID-19. These overzealous politicians, governors and mayor should be reminded that the 1987 Constitution guarantees the Filipino’s liberty of abode and must welcome the LSIs. Instead, LGUs are duty-bound to beef up their local healthcare system to conduct mass testing, contact tracing, treatment and care of local COVID-19 patients, as well as set up their quarantine facilities. LSIs, also known as “bakwets,” are evacuees or refugees who got stranded in the National Capital Region (NCR) when President Duterte on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force ordered the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) imposed Luzon-wide in March. It was rather a late reaction to the outbreak of coronavirus disease and yet it proved too drastic for the economy. The LSIs are travelers who failed to return to their hometowns due to cancelled flights and shutdown of public transportation. Bakwets are also the poor families of those who have lost their jobs and livelihood and are now incapacitated to sustain their needs in the city. Still, others are repatriated overseas Filipino workers OFWs and other returning Filipinos from overseas, including who went on tourist visa to look but failed to land jobs in countries like Japan and Dubai due to the pandemic. The number of these Filipino refugees is expected to balloon even more as millions are feared to lose their jobs, particularly in

Metro Manila, amid the continued increase in COVID-19 cases and the possibility of another total lockdown. The homecoming of thousands of OFWs who lost their jobs abroad is also anticipated. A number of the LSIs have been shipped to the Visayas and Mindanao with the help of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which has rendered a tremendous job assisting repatriated overseas Filipino workers and other returning Filipinos from overseas.

It is unlawful to prevent them from returning home. The DILG has transported hundreds of other LSIs in Luzon provinces and the Bicol region. But thousands of LSIs remain in Rizal Memorial Stadium, Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, Manila Science High School, Philippine Army Gymnasium, Villamor Air Base Elementary School, and at the NAIA Terminal 3. Literally just a few kilometers away, Malacańang must have caught on TV news the disheartening sight of the 10,000 LSIs, including women and their small children, getting drenched in the rain at the stands of the Rizal Memorial Stadium and hundreds of others at the Luneta Grandstand. The President’s men on high horses must come to the rescue of these Filipino refugees to prevent the clear and present danger of massive social transmission of COVID-19, in which case may be said to be a by-product of their panicky and heavy-handed approach to the public health problem. Such eventuality would be just as horrifying and devastating as the chaotic sight of millions of impoverished people almost dying of hunger while lining up for the first dole of the Social Amelioration Program cash assistance, during which time wearing of face masks and social distancing were not enforced yet. Just last month, Malacańang officials promised there will not be a repeat of the tragedy of Michelle Silvertino, the 33-year old LSI who succumbed to illness while desperately waiting for a bus ride home to rejoin her three children in Camarines Sur. Such promise must be fulfilled as soon as possible before any more tragedies transpire.

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Two SONA reactions

Everyman

How Congress can work better By Ernesto G. Banawis WE LIVE in troubled times, President Rodrigo Dutgerte said in his SONA opening statement. Among the most troubled were the people who helped draft the President’s speech. They had difficulty putting together in a logical, coherent, and forthright manner the many complex problems confronting the nation and troubling the President. The President is proposing the creation of new departments, one of which is to address exclusively the concerns of the millions of Filipinos working overseas. He also issued executive orders directing some of his cabinet members to draw programs which will put our country on stream with worldwide developments in science and technology and in diplomacy. The President has asked Congress to enact measures which will cover the urgent problems he outlined in his speech and to pass

long pending legislative bills which are now badly needed. Admitting that graft and corruption, the drug menace, and social inequities remain entrenched, he called on Congress and the people to join him in confronting these problems in the last two years of his term. He stressed that the pandemic has deepened the gravity of these problems and stunted efforts to shore up the battered economic situation. With most of the members of Congress quarantined and more occupied with preserving their political footholds, the chances of the urgent legislative measures getting passed is negligible. But there are ways by which Congress can work better and help the President. Instead of conducting hearings and investigations, Congress should hold workshops and consultations. It should invite the best and the brightest people from the private sector and key officials from government agencies to

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020

EDITORIAL

Falling economies T

HE global coronavirus pandemic has sparked an economic "crisis like no other," said the International Monetary Fund last month. That assessment may be cautiously optimistic when ranged against the actual economic performance of major industrialized nations in the second quarter.

economy, will release second-quarter data anytime soon confirming that the coronavirus pandemic resulted in a historic plunge of 35 percent in the GDP and in a high number of unemployment filings.

The government should not ignore the call of workers to reclaim their jobs.

Major economies are about to report their gross domestic product results in the AprilJune period, and many analysts are already conditioning themselves to disastrous performances. The Philippines, too, is expecting the worst after virtually shutting down the economy from March to May through a series of lockdown measures that disrupted the supply chain and rendered many workers jobless. The United States, the world's biggest

Closer to home, Singapore sank into recession in the second quarter after growth dropped 41.2 percent quarter-on-quarter. Its economy slumped 12.6 percent year-onyear, an unprecedented development. The second-quarter results put the city state in recession for the first time in 10 years. The IMF has predicted the world GDP will decline 4.9 percent this year and wipe

out $12 trillion over two years. Global business closures meant hundreds of millions of jobs were lost. The slightest global economic contraction is disastrous, especially for low-income countries and households. The IMF has warned that a lower GDP output lessens job opportunities and endangers the progress made on reducing extreme poverty. Here in the Philippines, economic managers are hoping the nation already experienced the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in the second quarter. But local private economists believe the local GDP contraction could be deeper in the second quarter, considering that the lockdown imposed by the government to contain the spread of the disease almost covered the entire April-to-June period. Reopening the economy further, thus, is a must if the administration wants to preserve the recent gains it achieved. The government should not ignore the call of workers to reclaim their jobs.

Correcting errors in your birth certificate IS YOUR first name different from the first name in your birth certificate? For example, have you been using Elen when your real name is Eleanor in the birth certificate? Does your birth certificate say that your sex is male when your sex at birth is female? Is your year of birth, for example, in 1986 but your birth certificate says that you were born in 1981? If your answer is “yes” to any of those questions, then you may need guidance in correcting errors in your birth certificate. I recall my father, Tranquil Jr., who was then a sitting Judge, adamantly telling me to personally fill in the details of my children’s birth certificates and not to delegate nor rely on someone else to do it for me. He said that any discrepancy in the names appearing in the school records and the birth certificates of my children may pose a problem in the future, should they decide to take courses that require board or bar examinations. It is important to note that when I was reminded by my father in the late 90s, Republic Act No. 9048 or otherwise known as the law “allowing correction of clerical or typographical error[s] in an entry and/or change of first name or nickname in the civil register without judicial order” was still not in place, as it was passed only in 2001. Prior to 2001, the correction of any entries or changes in birth certificates were only possible if they were judicially approved. However, after R.A. 9048 took effect, administrative clerical corrections of entries or the changing of a first name or nickname in birth certificates have been allowed. Despite these, changes of surname, middle name, nationality, age, status or sex of the petitioner in the birth certificate may only be made under a judicial order. The name or nickname may be administratively corrected if the petitioner shows that: (a) the first name or nickname is ridiculous, tainted with dishonor or extremely difficult to write or pronounce; (b) the new first name or nickname has been habitually and continuously used by the petitioner and has been publicly known in the community; or (c) the change will avoid confusion (Section 4, R.A 9048). The petition shall be in the form of an affidavit. The affidavit shall state the merits of the petition and the entry or entries which the petitioner wants corrected and/ or changed. The petition shall be supported with: (a) a certified true copy of the certificate or of the page of the registry book to

thoroughly discuss the problems or issues in any specific subject of legislation. In effect, Congress is calling on the people to draft the laws which will address their concerns or govern the industry to which they belong. This means the legislative measures they recommend are not only products of wide consensus but are the true sentiments of the people directly involved.

Workshops would be a good idea. The workshops will minimize, if not prevent, lobbying by vested interests who are powerful and influential because of their financial and political clout. This will also lessen the need for congressional hearings and investigations which are held mostly in aid of publicity instead of legislation. Congressional hearings are often prolonged and are usually disjointed, since the issues are not always clearly defined or joined. These workshops will be highly welcomed by the business community, particularly by the various business organizations. The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Indus-

FOOTNOTES

TRANQUIL G.S SALVADOR III be corrected or changed; (b) at least two (2) public or private documents showing the correct entry or entries upon which the correction or change shall be based; and (c) other documents which are relevant and necessary for the approval of the petition. In case the petition is for a correction or change of a first name or nickname, the petition shall be published at least once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation. The petitioner shall also submit a certification from the appropriate law enforcement agencies that he has no pending case or no criminal record. All petitions for the correction of clerical or typographical errors or changing of first names or nicknames may be availed only once (Section 5, R.A 9048 as amended by R.A. 10172).

Prior to 2001, the correction of any entries or changes in birth certificates were only possible if they were judicially approved. Who may file the verified Petition in the local civil registry? Any person having direct and personal interest in the correction can do this. He may be the owner of the record, the owner’s spouse, children, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, guardian, or any person authorized by law (Rules 3.1 and 3.2, IRR-NSO Administrative Order No. 1, s.2012) to do so. However, if the error sought to be corrected is a clerical error with regard to the sex of the petitioner, he/she shall personally file the petition. The petition shall be filed with the local civil registry of the city or municipality where the birth record is being kept. If the petitioner has migrated to another place in the country, the petition

try and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the local associations of foreign business enterprises in the country often find it difficult to register their views and participate in debates over legislative proposals affecting their interests. The workshop is not a novel idea. It was initiated in the last Congress before martial law. Then-Speaker Cornelio Villareal sponsored a workshop to address the problems of the rice and corn industry. He challenged the leaders of the vital sectors of the rice industry to draft the laws which should promote the growth and development and govern their industry. He also invited respected technocrats and key officials of the department of agriculture and banking institutions to participate in a two-month workshop which discussed all the concerns of the industry from A to Z. The late Congressman Frisco San Juan presided and moderated the workshop of 39 people who were directly involved or knowledgeable about the rice and corn industry. The workshop came out with a number of legislative measures, and two proposed basic concepts; first, giving the control of the industry to the private sector and the second, to create a rice quedan system similar to the sugar quedan as a source of continuing credit

may be filed with the local civil registrar of the place where the interested party is presently residing or domiciled. The two (2) local civil registrars concerned will then communicate to facilitate the processing of the petition. On the other hand, if the petitioner is presently residing or domiciled in a foreign country, he may file the petition in the nearest Philippine Consulate (Section 3, R.A. 9048). R.A. 9048 was later amended by R.A. 10172 in 2012 to include the correction of mistakes with regard to the entries of the day or month in the person’s date of birth, or on matters of sex which are visible. These can be corrected or changed only by seeking reference to other existing records. In other words, the year of birth cannot be the subject of an administrative correction in the birth certificate. The change of sex, likewise, extends only to those errors which are purely clerical. Hence, a person who has undergone a sex change may not avail of the clerical correction of entry as to sex. No petitions for the correction of an erroneous entry concerning the date of birth or the sex of a person shall be entertained except if the petition is accompanied by the earliest school record or earliest school documents, medical records, baptismal certificates and other documents issued by religious authorities. Any entry involving sex may only be corrected if the petition is accompanied by a certification issued by an accredited government physician attesting to the fact that the petitioner has not undergone a sex reassignment procedure of any kind (Section 5, R.A. 10172). Like the petition for the change of first names or nicknames, the correction of an erroneous entry concerning the day or month in the date of birth, or the sex of a person, shall be published at least once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation. The birth certificate appears to be a harmless public document, so much so that some even ignore its timely filing. It is, however, an important document that is required to be presented when we apply for school admission, try to get a passport or visa, apply for employment, register as a voter, and apply for membership with the GSIS or SSS, among others. The importance of the birth certificate is not limited to recording the identity of the child and the fact of his or her birth, since more importantly, it establishes filiation to members of his family.

mechanism. For the first time in the history of Congress, the entire members of the House were briefed on the bills who all the volunteered to sponsor the legislative measures. The Grains Industry Development Bill and its corollary measures passed handily in the House and but got snagged in the Senate when martial law was imposed. President Ferdinand Marcos, having been briefed by high officials in the agricultural department on the merits of the bills, issued Presidential Decree No. 4, making the grains industry bills the first pending bills in Congress made into law by presidential fiat. Unfortunately, the bright boys of the martial law administration mangled the original concepts submitted by the House measures. They made the government take full control of the rice industry. It became a tool for political control. The quedan system was no longer feasible since the farmers were not organized as cooperatives and lacked the funds to set up industry infrastructures. Workshops and full-scale seminars are far more effective consensus builders in addressing the most pervasive problems and concerns. Mr. Ernesto G. Banawis was formerly legislative consultant of Speaker Cornelio Villareal and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr.

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US federal forces agree on pullout from Portland PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s administration agreed to a deal to defuse weeks of clashes in the US city of Portland with the withdrawal of federal forces whose presence enraged protesters, but the timing remained in dispute. Oregon Governor Kate Brown said the forces—whose deployment was seen by many as part of Trump’s law-andorder strategy for re-election—would begin their phased pullout on Thursday. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf indicated, however, that the officers will withdraw only if there are guarantees that local police can ensure the federal courthouse will be secured. Trump’s administration earlier this month sent the federal tactical teams, many wearing combat-like gear, to intervene in the western US city after weeks of protests against racism and police brutality saw windows broken and graffiti scrawled on the federal courthouse and other buildings. But their deployment only served to inflame the situation, especially following video footage of protesters being snatched off the street by federal forces and put into unmarked cars. “After my discussions with (Vice President Mike) Pence and others, the federal government has agreed to withdraw federal officers from Portland,” Brown tweeted Wednesday. “They have acted as an occupying force & brought violence. Starting tomorrow, all Customs and Border Protection & ICE officers will leave downtown Portland.” Manila AFP

Standard TODAY Manila Standard NOTICE

TODAY Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late MR. ENRIQUE L. MORENO was extrajudicially settled among the heirs as per Doc. No. 133, Page No. 28, Book No. III, series of 2020 before Notary Public Atty. Deborah R. Capili of Makati City. (MS-JULY 31, AUG. 7/14, 2020)

Manila

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SURVIVORS. Displaced Syrian boys play on a damaged metal structure at a camp for the internally displaced near the town of Sarmada in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province on July 29, 2020, as Muslims across the world are getting ready to celebrate Eid’l-Adha. AFP

Cops make #HKIndependence trend CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

S CHINA moves to intimidate and punish anyone who voices support for Hong Kong independence, an unlikely source has inadvertently ignited a Twitter trending hashtag advocating just that—the city’s police force. To the amusement of pro-democracy supporters online, Hong Kong police used #HKIndependence in a tweet on Wednesday night announcing the arrest of four students for online posts deemed a threat to China’s national security. “They were suspected of secession by advocating

#HKIndependence. Investigation is underway,” the overnight tweet to the force’s 84,000 followers read. China’s vociferously nationalist staterun tabloid Global Times picked up the same phrasing and tweeted to its 1.8 million followers. Hong Kong’s Twitter warriors were quick to pounce, many of them mocking the city’s police force for helping to make the phrase go viral. They pointed to the irony of police warning on Wednesday that writing online comments about Hong Kong indepen-

dence could constitute inciting secession. “incite” and “promote secession” than some “Oh HK police just created a new teens with some leaflets ever did. Let them hashtag #HKIndependence, hope it go or arrest your social media manager.” Beijing imposed its national security doesn’t trend,” wrote one in a tweet, which soon racked up more than 5,000 likes and law on Hong Kong last month in a bid to restore stability after last year’s huge proretweets each. @HongKongHermit, a popular ac- democracy protests. It targets four types of crime: subversion, count run by a foreign Hong Kong resident who is frequently caustic towards the secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces—with up to life in prison. city’s police, chipped in. Overnight certain political views be“You do realise that you just created a #HKIndependence hashtag and are caus- came illegal, such as advocating indeCYANpendence MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK or greater autonomy for Hong ing it to trend?” he wrote. “Congratulations, you just did more to Kong. AFP

TODAY

Notice is hereby given TO THE PUBLIC that the estate of the late BE IT KNOWN Romualdo B.. ReyesTHAT and JASA BUILDER’S Marcelina A. Reyesowned was by SAMUEL C. LAM with extra-judicially settled address La Perla among athis123heirs on St. Luciente10,1st Bolinao, December 2019, per Pangasinan has changed Doc. No. 206, Page No. its ownership from 42, Book No. XL, series single of 2019proprietorship before Notaryto corporation on March 14, Public Atty.John Edward Trinidad Notary 2019 and isAng, now JASA GD Public for Manila with 2000 CONSTRUCTION Manila Notarial Commission No. CORPORATION with 2018-117 address until December business at 123 TODAY 31, Perla 2019 Roll of Attorney La St. Luciente 1st No. 68731. Bolinao, Pangasinan.

STIMULANT. People

wearing face shields stand next to ‘Hiropon’—an anime-type character with monstrously huge lactating breasts—by artist Takashi CYAN Murakami during the media preview of “STARS: Six Contemporary Artists from Japan to the World” at Mori Art Museum in Tokyo on July 30, 2020. AFP

Standard

(MS-JUL. 24, 31 & AUG.(MS-JULY 7, 2020) 24, 2020)

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that the estate of the late MRS. ANNA Y. SYCIP was extrajudicially settled among the heirs as per Doc. No. 205; Page No. 42; Book No. V; Series of 2020 before Notary Public Atty. Felippe Mart E. Closa of Makati City. MS (JULY 17/24/31, 2020)

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that Stock Certificate No. 48991 worth One Million Two hundred Twenty One Thousand Five Hundred Fifty One (1,221,551) Shares of Stocks of FMF Development Corp., under the name of George Edwin Sycip was reported loss per Document notarized before Notary Public Atty. Alexandra E. Lioanag of California San Francisco County MS (JULY 17/24/31, 2020)

NOTICE NOTICE Is hereby given that Stock Certificate Nos. C-77, C-123 & C-130 worth Nine Hundred Ninety Thousand Five Hundred Eighty Seven (990,587) Shares of Stocks of AMSEC Holdings Corp., under the name of George Edwin Sycip were reported loss as per document notarized before Notary Public Atty. Alexandra E. Lioanag of California San Francisco County. MS (JULY 17/24/31, 2020)

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that an Extrajudicial Settlement of the Estate of EMILINA M. FERNANDO has been entered into and executed by her heirs as per Doc. No.175, Page No.36, Book V Series of 2020 of the Notarial Register of Notary Public Atty. Vincent Angelo P. Calara, MBA. MS (JULY 17/24/31, 2020)

Ginsburg hospitalized again Judd wins appeal in Weinstein case for non-surgical procedure US SUPREME Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the four liberal justices on the top US court, has been hospitalized again, the court said late Wednesday. The 87-year-old liberal icon was undergoing a “minimally invasive non-surgical procedure” in a New York hospital, the country’s highest judicial body said in a statement. The operation was undertaken “to revise a bile duct stent” that was originally inserted last August at the same hospital, the prestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, according to the statement. The statement specified that such procedures are common and done in an effort to

avoid future infection, according to Ginsburg’s doctors. Ginsburg “is resting comfortably and expects to be released from the hospital by the end of the week,” the statement said. The nine US Supreme Court justices are appointed for a lifetime tenure. If Ginsburg’s health required her to step down, President Donald Trump would have the opportunity to fill the third court opening of his term – and tilt the court even further to the right. Ginsburg, known by supporters as “RBG,” had already been hospitalized for a potential infection earlier this month and in May. She was also hospitalized several times in 2019 and 2018. AFP

A US court of appeals ruled that actress Ashley Judd has the right to pursue her sexual harassment lawsuit against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, overturning a lower court’s decision. The three-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday found that Weinstein, who is in prison, held power over the actress and her career when he invited her to his room in a luxury Los Angeles hotel in the mid-1990s. The lower court had previously dismissed Judd’s claim on grounds that the sexual ad-

vances Weinstein allegedly made to her were not covered by sexual harassment laws relating to a professional relationship since she was not his employee. But it had allowed the actress to pursue defamation claims against the producer. But the appeals court disagreed, saying that Weinstein and Judd’s relationship “consisted of an inherent power imbalance wherein Weinstein was uniquely situated to exercise coercion or leverage over Judd by virtue of his professional position and influence as a top producer in Hollywood.” AFP

China slams US threat if Brazil picks Huawei 5G

MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

BEIJING on Thursday slammed US warnings of “consequences” if Brazil chooses Chinese telecoms company Huawei to develop its 5G network, accusing Washington of “unscrupulous oppression” of the country’s tech companies. Huawei—the world’s top producer of telecoms networking equipment—has become a pivotal issue in the geopolitical standoff between Beijing and Washington, which claims the firm poses a significant cybersecurity threat. Brazil is due to launch a tender next year for a project to develop the next generation of telecoms technology in Latin America’s most populous country, home to 212 million people. But the US ambassador in Brasilia, Todd Chapman, warned in an interview of “consequences” if Brazil goes against US advice and picks the Chinese firm. Beijing on Thursday called the ambassador’s remarks an example of the US “openly coercing other countries to obey the will of the United States.” Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the US opposed the use of Huawei products not on national security grounds, but because they objected to the rise of Chinese firms. “When other countries’ enterprises achieve a leading advantage, US politicians will fabricate excuses to use national power to conduct unscrupulous oppression,” Wang said at a regular press briefing. Washington has essentially barred Huawei from the US market and waged a global campaign to isolate the company. AFP

Virus, slashed numbers make for safest-ever hajj

THIS year’s downsized hajj may prove to be the safest ever despite the ever-present threat posed by the novel coronavirus. In past years pilgrims have faced a host of viral illnesses, with some falling sick, but a raft of measures are in place for the relatively modest number allowed to attend this year. The hajj is usually attended by upwards of two million Muslims, who converge on the Saudi city Mecca for one of

the world’s biggest annual gatherings. That poses enormous health and logistical challenges. In the past, pilgrims returning home have developed respiratory diseases after mingling with large crowds and staying in cramped pilgrim camps where social distancing was unheard of. Kuwaiti worshipper Alia al-Dulaimi told AFP she suffered a severe cough for three months after performing the pil-

grimage in 2003. “I couldn’t even get close to the Kaaba at the time because of how many people were there,” she said. The Kaaba is a large cube-shaped structure in the centre of Mecca’s Grand Mosque towards which Muslims around the world pray. “I wish I was in Mecca this year to see the new health measures,” Dulaimi said. AFP

Business

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

US bracing for historic GDP plunge in 2nd quarter WASHINGTON―US data reports Thursday are set to confirm the coronavirus pandemic caused a historic plunge in GDP as well as a worryingly high number of new unemployment filings. Analysts forecast the economic crash in the second quarter was 35 percent annualized, while new claims for jobless benefits in the week ended July 25 will remain in the 1.4 million range as the COVID-19 continues to hammer businesses. The data will underscore how the US failure to contain the virus has wrecked the world’s largest economy. Despite a promising rebound in June, July has seen a resurgence of cases across the country with several new one-day records, causing some states to roll back the reopening measures that benefitted sectors like retail and travel. “Several high-frequency indicators... support our estimate of a material slowing in the pace of recovery beginning in July, as households and businesses curtail activity in response to a resurgence of new COVID-19 infections,” IHS Markit said in an analysis. Dependent on virus Economists warn the situation will not get better until COVID-19 is stopped, and the Federal Reserve’s rate-setting committee said Wednesday, “The path of the economy will depend significantly on the course of the virus.” Another concern weighing on the outlook is the lack of agreement in Congress on another relief measure to follow-up on the $2.2-trillion CARES Act passed in March. The aid for businesses and the supplementary unemployment benefits for individuals, which expires Friday, have been credited with buoying consumer spending and saving jobs. Without weighing in directly on the negotiations in Congress, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday the recovery will depend on how much support the government provides, while warning the rise in virus cases is weighing on the economy. AFP

PSEi July 30, 2020 TOP GAINERS

TOP LOSERS PRO-NIGHTLIFE. A man holds a sign reading “Bankrupt Leisure” in Barcelona on July 29, 2020 during a demonstration against the closure of nightclubs and event halls after a surge in coronavirus cases in Catalonia. Barely a month after Spain ended its monthslong state of emergency, new infections have been rising, with health officials increasingly pointed to nightlife as fertile ground for the spread of the virus. AFP

Market declines; PLDT, Globe Telecom advance S TOCKS fell Thursday on mild profit taking ahead of an announcement from President Rodrigo Duterte today about major changes in government’s tack to battle COVID-19 in the face of rising infections.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 37.82 points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,928.45 on a value turnover of P5.1 billion. Gainers, however, beat losers, 114 to 78, with 47 issues unchanged. Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., the holding company of the Aboitiz Group, declined 2.9 percent to P48.05, while BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, shed 2.8 percent to P88. PLDT Inc., the largest telecommuni-

cations firm, however, rose 1.8 percent to P1,340, while rival Globe Telecom Inc. climbed 2.2 percent to P2,064. The rest of Asian equities were mixed Thursday after the Federal Reserve pledged to provide as much support as necessary for the US economy, with early gains reversed by fears a fresh wave of virus infections could push the global recovery off track. While the central bank did not unveil any new measures and broadly met expectations, analysts said it instilled some much-needed confidence that the Fed had their back. Bank boss Jerome Powell said the Fed had noted the spike in new US cases was denting economic activity and warned the downturn was “the most severe of our lifetimes,” while adding recovery depended on staunching the virus so Americans could go out and spend again. The policy board repeated its intention to hold rates near zero “until it is

confident that the economy has weathered recent events and is on track to achieve its maximum employment and price stability goals.” Observers said focus now turns to the next policy meeting in September, which could see more measures unveiled. That was enough to give a boost to equities, which have struggled in recent weeks on concerns about the spread of coronavirus around the world and containment measures that have been reintroduced in some countries. Wall Street’s three main indexes saw healthy gains which were followed by Asia in the morning, but the advance fizzled as the day wore on. Hong Kong and Tokyo slipped 0.3 percent, Shanghai shed 0.2 percent and Singapore shed more than two percent―owing to a sharp drop in banks after the country’s regulator called on them to cap dividend payments. Bangkok was also down. AFP

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Singapore Airlines posted first-quarter net loss of $800m SINGAPORE―Singapore Airlines (SIA) reported a first-quarter net loss of more than US$800 million Wednesday, the latest carrier to take a massive hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Passenger traffic was reduced to almost zero in the three months to June, SIA said, leading to the Asian carrier’s biggest-ever quarterly net loss of Sg$1.12 billion ($816.58 million). The numbers extended the flagcarrier’s financial bloodletting after losing Sg$732 million in the 2019 fourth quarter ended March 31, leading to its first-ever annual loss. “Demand for air travel evaporated as travel restrictions and border controls were imposed around the world to contain the spread of the virus,” SIA said. Earnings from cargo flights were not enough to offset the massive decline in passenger numbers, and group revenue plunged 79.3 percent year-on-year, it said. Shukor Yusof, an analyst with aviation consultancy Endau Analytics, described SIA’s first-quarter earnings as “grotesque”, reflecting the severity of coronavirus on the global industry. “Unfortunately there will be more losses in the coming quarters and which will require SIA to sadly layoff staff,” he told AFP. It was also unlikely that the bulk of the airline’s 19 Airbus A380s would return to service as there would be overcapacity, he said. Wholly dependent on international routes, the airline was particularly hard-hit by the virus and cut passenger services by 96 percent from April to June -- grounding most of its fleet. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that airlines operating in the Asia-Pacific region stand to lose a combined $27.8 billion this year. On Tuesday IATA said global air traffic is unlikely to return to precoronavirus levels until at least 2024 —a year later than previously projected.AFP

NOTICE OF THE 2020 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS Notice is hereby given that Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation (AT or the Corporation) will conduct its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders for 2020 (“AGM” or the “Meeting”) virtually on 24 August 2020 at 2:00 p.m. with the proceedings livestreamed and voting conducted in absentia through the Corporation’s secure online voting facility, for the purpose of considering and acting on the following matters on the Agenda:

I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII.

AGENDA Call to Order Proof of Notice of Meeting & Determination of Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) held on 07 May 2019 Approval of the Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements for 2019 Election of Directors (including Independent Directors) for 2020-2021 Ratification of actions and proceedings of the Board of Directors, Board Committees and Management Appointment of External Auditor Other Matters Open Forum Adjournment

Enclosed is a copy of the Rationale/Explanation for the Agenda items for reference. Only Shareholders of record as of 28 July 2020 are entitled to receive notice of, participate and vote at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof. The Shareholders’ list will be available for inspection at the Corporation’s principal office located at 5F FiveE-com Center, Palm Coast Avenue corner Pacific Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City 1300 (the “Office”). The Stock and Transfer Book of the Corporation will be closed on 28 July 2020. There will be no physical meeting on 24 August 2020 for the safety of everyone and in compliance with regulations prohibiting mass gatherings and imposition of community quarantine. Shareholders may participate in the virtual meeting either by remote communication by themselves or by proxy or by casting their votes in absentia. To participate and vote in the virtual meeting, Shareholders must register and/or cast their votes by registering at asmregister.atlasmining.com.ph until 20 August 2020.

Tourists walk with their luggage outside the airport upon their arrival to Palma de Mallorca on July 27, 2020. Tour operator TUI has canceled all British holidays to mainland Spain until August 9, after the UK government’s decision to require travelers returning from the country to quarantine. AFP

Virus quarantine fears boost UK ‘staycation’

By William Edwards with Jean-Baptiste Oubrier BATH, United Kingdom―With pandemic storm clouds gathering over Britain’s tourism industry, the collapse in foreign holidays has presented an opportunity by boosting the demand for “staycations.” British hotels, campsites and restaurants were only allowed to reopen late in July and the fickle British weather dampened hopes of an immediate boom, leading some to write off the season. But business has slowly picked up, and the government’s announcement on Sunday that those traveling from Spain now need to selfisolate for 14 days following a spike in cases has further boosted prospects. With the threat of other countries joining the list as cases rise across Europe, many are considering “staycations” in Britain rather than risk having to self-isolate for two weeks, particularly those who cannot work from home. Carry on Camping “A UK staycation... carries much less disruptive risk,” Jane Pendlebury, executive director of the Hospitality Professionals Association, a hotel industry association, told AFP. “Of course, the threat of regional outbreaks is real, but the restrictions imposed won’t be as impactful―with returning home from within the UK far easier than doing so from abroad. “Whilst we can’t necessarily offer the same weather as the Balearics or the Canaries, what we can do is offer exceptional hospitality―albeit with necessary precautions in place,” she added. Tour operator TUI has taken the blanket decision to cancel all its planned holidays to mainland Spain until August 9.

Meanwhile, British campsites and holiday home operators, such as Sykes Cottages, have enjoyed a surge in bookings. “News of Spain’s travel restrictions at the weekend resulted in a 53 percent year-on-year rise in bookings,” Sykes’ chief executive Graham Donoghue told the BBC. “We’re also seeing a steady stream of bookings for holidays in 2021 too,” he added. The Whitbread group, which owns the Premier Inn hotel chain, said it had seen strong demand in summer bookings for hotel rooms in tourist hotspots since the beginning of July. The exclusive department store Fortnum and Mason is even offering a dedicated “perfect staycation” package―including a picnic basket, champagne and tea, of course. Jobs fears But even if more Britons decide to stay put this year, it is unlikely to make up the shortfall for the tourism sector, which is pleading with the government for help to weather the crisis. VisitBritain, British tourism’s lobbying body, estimates that the number of foreign tourists could fall by as much as 60 percent this year due to the pandemic. The Labor opposition has already warned of an unemployment crisis, with rates rising faster than the national average in the English regions most dependent on tourism such as Cornwall (south-west), Yorkshire (north) and the Lake District (north-west). Destinations popular with foreign tourists, such as Bath, southwest England, are also struggling to draw in the crowds. The sight of a few tourists milling around the city’s famous Roman Baths is in stark contrast to the usual throng that packs out the city, which normally welcomes around six million visitors a year. AFP

Successfully registered Shareholders may cast their votes in absentia through the Company’s secure online voting facilty, asmvoting.atlasmining.com.ph, and shall be provided access to the live streaming of the Meeting. The “Guidelines for Participating via Remote Communication and Voting in Absentia” is enclosed to the Definitve Information Statement, posted on the Company’s website and PSE Edge. We are not soliciting your proxy. Any Shareholder who wishes to attend the Meeting by proxy must submit a duly accomplished proxy (which need not be notarized) during registration. Validation of proxies and ballots is set on 21 August 2020. Relevant comments and question on the agenda items which are submitted by email bearing the subject “ASM 2020 Open Forum” to AT2020asm@atlasmining.com.ph by 20 August 2020 will be considered during the open forum. Please visit https://www.atlasmining.com.ph/company-disclosures complete information on the AGM.

annual-stockholders-meeting-2020

for

Pasay City, Metro Manila, 23 July 2020. Thank you.

Maria Eleonor A. Santiago Assistant Corporate Secretary RATIONALE/EXPLANATION OF AGENDA ITEMS Proof of Notice of Meeting and Determination of Quorum Only Shareholders of record as of 28 July 2020 shall be entitled to notice and vote at the Meeting The Notice and Agenda of the AGM with the Definitive Information Statement (IS) shall be posted at the Corporation’s website at https://www.atlasmining.com.ph/companydisclosures/ annual-stockholders-meeting-2020. The Notice and Agenda of the AGM which shall contain the date and hour to the virtual Meeting and the matters to be taken up, shall be published for two (2) consecutive days in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in both print and online formats. The Corporate Secretary shall certify that due notice of the Meeting was made and the existence of a quorum. The Shareholders present and/or who voted in absentia, representing a majority of the outstanding capital stock shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Approval of the Minutes of the AGM on 07 May 2019 A copy of the Minutes of the AGM held on 07 May 2019 was posted on the Corporation’s website (https://www. atlasmining.com.ph/companydisclosures/ minutes-asm) immediately after the meeting. A resolution approving the minutes will be presented to the Shareholders which shall constitute a ratification of the accuracy and faithfulness of the minutes to what transpired during the said meeting. 2019 Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements The President will report on the Corporation’s financial and operating results for the year 2019 (the Annual Report). The Audited Financial Statements (AFS) as of 31 December 2019 and Annual Report are contained in the Definitive Information Statement (IS) available on the Corporation’s website https://www.atlasmining.com. ph/company-disclosures/annual stockholders-meeting-2020. The AFS as audited by the external auditor, Sycip Gorres Velayo & Company (SGV), have been reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee (AuditCom) and the Board of Directors (BOD). A resolution noting and approving the Annual Report and AFS will be presented to the Shareholders for approval which shall constitute a ratification of the Corporation’s performance during the previous fiscal years as contained in the Annual Report. Election of Directors (including Independent Directors) The nominated directors were determined to be qualified and competent for election as directors for 2020-2021 by the Corporate Governance Committee (CGC) after their qualifications were duly reviewed. The list of nominees and their profiles are provided in the IS and posted in the Corporation’s website https://www.atlasmining.com.ph/ company-disclosures/annual stockholders-meeting-2020 for the information and examination by the Shareholders. The CGC recommends their election. Ratification of acts and proceedings of the Board of Directors (BOD) and Management for 2019 All acts, resolutions and proceedings of the BOD, the BOD Committees and the Management of AT from the date of the last AGM to the date of this Meeting, including all significant related party transactions if any, will be presented to the Shareholders for ratification. A resolution noting, approving and ratifying all acts, resolutions and proceedings of Management, the BOD Committees and BOD will be presented to the Shareholders for approval. Re-appointment of SGV as External Auditor The BOD, based on the recommendation of the AuditCom, endorses the re-appointment of SGV as the Corporation’s external auditor for 2020. The profile of the external auditor is provided in the IS. The Shareholders are also requested to delegate to the BOD the authority to approve the appropriate audit fee for 2020. A resolution for the appointment of the external auditor will be presented to the Shareholders for adoption. Other Matters Other business as may properly come before the Meeting may be raised. The Chairman will decide whether such business may be properly taken up in the meeting or in another Shareholders’ meeting or other proper forum. Open Forum Only relevant comments and questions on the Agenda items which are submitted by email to AT2020asm@ atlasmining.com.ph with subject “ASM 2020 Open Forum” on or before 20 August 2020 will be considered during the open forum as time will allow. Questions and comments received but not read during the Open Forum due to time constraints will be addressed separately. (MS-JULY 31 & AUG. 1, 2020)

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

B4 FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020

Business

10% economic contraction in Q2 tolerable, says BSP chief

China Bank’s net profit jumped 24% in 6 months CHINA Banking Corp., the sixthlargest lender in terms of assets, said Thursday net income jumped 24 percent in the first half to P5.2 billion from a year ago, despite the higher provisions it made for delinquent loans. The bank said in a statement it continued the strong performance amid the community quarantine since March this year. The first-semester number translated into a return on equity of 10.64 percent and a return on assets of 1.07 percent. “Our first-half results reflect China Bank’s continued strength and resilience, and demonstrate the soundness of our strategies to thrive in the new normal. I am very grateful to our employees for their dedication and flexibility and to our customers for their continued trust and patronage,” China Bank president William Whang said. “The year 2020 will go down in China Bank’s history, not just for our centennial anniversary, but for our resolve to make the best out of a very difficult situation, keeping in mind the safety and welfare of our stakeholders,” he said. The bank ramped up provisions more than 14 times to P4.8 billion in anticipation of the impact of COVID-19 and ongoing quarantine measures on asset quality. Total operating income climbed 40 percent year-on-year to P21.0 billion. Net interest income grew 39 percent to P16.2 billion on the back of higher volume of earning assets and lower funding costs as market interest rates declined. Net interest margin improved to 3.8 percent from 3.2 percent. Meanwhile, non-interest income surged 41 percent to P4.7 billion primarily from strong trading and securities gains, which grew 212 percent to P2.8 billion. Julito G. Rada

37.82 PTS. 5,928.45

TOTAL VOLUME 1,336,157,530 TOTAL TRADES 68,967 TOTAL VALUE 5,085,086,126.70 ADVANCES 114 DECLINES 78 UNCHANGED 47

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.2170

Japan

Yen

0.009530

0.4690

Pound

1.300400

64.0018

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129034

6.3507

Switzerland

Franc

1.096491

53.9660

Canada

Dollar

0.749963

36.9109

Singapore

Dollar

0.728067

35.8333

Australia

Dollar

0.718900

35.3821

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652872

130.566

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266681

13.1252

Brunei

Dollar

0.725426

35.7033

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.031797

1.5650

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.4011

Euro

1.179500

58.0515

Korea

Won

0.000840

0.0413

China

Yuan

0.142831

7.0297

India

Rupee

0.013347

0.6569

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.235793

11.6050

New Zealand

Dollar

0.666900

32.8228

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034174

1.6819 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday a gross domestic product contraction of 10 percent in the second quarter would be tolerable, but a deeper decline of more than 20 percent would create a lot of problems for the country. Diokno made the comment in an online briefing ahead of the release of GDP figures next week. Diokno did not give any forecast for economic growth in the April to June period, saying it would be best for everyone to wait for the release of the important data next week. “What I can say is that if it is a single-digit decline [in the secondquarter GDP], that is nice… But if that is higher than 20 percent, that is problematic,” Diokno said. He said a second-quarter contraction of a little more than 10 percent would remain “tolerable.” GDP contracted by 0.2 percent in the first quarter at the start of the pandemic and the Taal Volcano explosion. This was a reversal of the 5.7-percent growth a year ago and 6.4 percent expansion in the fourth quarter of 2019. Economists expect the secondquarter contraction to be deeper because the lockdowns implemented by the government to contain the spread of the disease encompassed almost the entire period. The US economy, the world’s largest, likely sank 35 percent in the second quarter, according to a poll by MarketWatch. The interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee now expects the Philippine economy to contract 2 percent to 3.4 percent in 2020, before rebounding by 8 percent to 9 percent next year on expectation that the virus outbreak would be contained. Diokno earlier said the country already experienced the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and better GDP numbers could be expected beginning the third quarter.

PSE INDEX

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Fund managers withdraw $3.3b

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM. Players in the tourism and technology industries gather via a web forum to provide insights and draw up guidelines on protocols for safe and sustainable tourism in the new normal. The forum, billed #TravelSmart: Safe and Sustainable Tourism in the New Normal, was organized by Smart Communications Inc., the Department of Tourism, InnoPub Media, Grassroots Travel NGO, Bojo Aloguinsan Ecotourism Association and Paymaya Philippines.

PH office space take-up fell 57% in first semester T By Othel V. Campos

HE coronavirus pandemic dampened real estate deals in the first six months, as the office take-up dropped 57 percent from a year ago, according to consultancy firm Colliers International Philippines. Colliers said in its latest property market overview the demand-supply imbalance would result in higher vacancy rate in Metro Manila. “Practically we have a double whammy for the office market, and for 2020, by most optimistic view, is that vacancy will increase to 5.3 percent higher than what we had in 2018 which was 4.3 percent,” said Colliers senior research manager Joey Bondoc. Colliers said office space take-up of voice and knowledge process outsourcing dropped 54 percent to 91,000 square meters in the first six months from 197,000 sqm in the same period last year. The take-up of traditional transactions also decreased 66 percent to 91,000 sq.m. from 264,000 sqm, while gaming posted the biggest drop of 71 percent to 79,000 sq. m. from 268,000 sq. m.

It said that for regular transactions, takeup declined 64 percent from 2019. New supply of office space in Metro Manila reverted back to pre-POGO (Philippine offshore gaming operators) levels of about 530,000 sq. m., down from the estimated 1.07 million sq. m. space in 2019. Muted or stalled transactions in the second quarter involved 8,000 sq. m. in the fringes of Ortigas; 33,000 sq. m. in Makati central business district; 5,000 sqm in the Bay Area; 54,000 sq. m. in Alabang; 24,000 sqm in Quezon City; 30,000 sq. m. in Ortigas business district; and 36,000 sq. m. in Fort Bonifacio. Completions were also down in the second quarter amid soft demand from POGOs. Only one building was completed with 57,000 sq. m. of leasable area in Ortigas. Colliers said that despite the dull

demand from POGOs and the BPO industries, traditional companies kept the property sector together. “The gaming segment still accounts for 30 percent of the transactions recorded in the first half of the year. But you have to note that these transactions covered pre-leasing during the first few months of 2020. The challenge is will they have new employees for the remainder of 2020. We have to note that travel restrictions to and from China has been constricting these companies to expand and employ Chinese POGO employees,” Bondoc said. Bondoc said while the Philippines is not yet a big player in the flexible working space segment, the pandemic might increase the use of co-working facilities to 3.5 percent from 2.5 percent. “This lockdown has compelled us to implement a big work-from-home experiment, but what companies realize is that this is an opportunity for them to rationalize their real estate needs. While they still have their major headquarters, they are looking to occupy smaller spaces in noncore locations, outside of the major business districts,” he said.

Wilcon, Robinsons Retail posted weaker sales in Q2 By Jenniffer B. Austria RETAILERS Wilcon Depot Inc. and Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. posted weaker sales in the second quarter as business operations were affected by the various lockdowns imposed by the government to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Wilcon said in a disclosure to the stock exchange second-quarter net income fell by 95.3 percent to P24 million from P511 million recorded in the same period last year, following the closure of stores under the enhanced community quarantine. Wilcon said that with the easing of quarantine restrictions, it reopened all 58 stores. Wilcon president and chief execu-

tive Lorraine Belo-Cincochan said the company saw a steady ramp-up of sales from the time all stores were re-opened on May 16. “Since we reopened on May 16, we saw continued improvement in our sales performance week per week. We felt confident enough about the market that we proceeded with the opening of two new depots in Central Luzon in June. We now have 60 branches, of which 53 are depots and seven are Home Essentials,” Belo-Cincochan said. Robinsons Retail also reported a 33.2-percent decline in net income in the second quarter to P720 million from P1.07 billion a year earlier. Second-quarter consolidated net sales dropped 12.4 percent to P34.9

billion from P39.86 billion a year ago. Majority of the company’s stores across all formats resumed operations on May 16 following the relaxed quarantine restrictions. However, operating hours were shortened and foot traffic was down. Blended same-store sales declined 13.9 percent in the second quarter. The SSSG of the supermarket and drugstore segment eased in the second quarter, from a high double-digit SSSG in the first quarter. Robinsons Retail had a portfolio of 1,890 stores including 262 supermarkets, 49 department stores, 222 do-ityourself stores, 512 convenience stores, 520 drugstores and 325 specialty stores as of end-June.

FOREIGN fund managers withdrew $3.3 billion from the domestic financial markets in the first half in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday. The BSP said in a statement registered foreign portfolio investments or “hot money” posted net outflows of $3.3 billion, larger than the $721-million net outflows a year ago. Data showed the gross outflows of $9 billion offset the $5.7-billion gross inflows in the sixmonth period. The BSP said other reasons for the withdrawals of investments from the domestic markets were the “continuing geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran; ongoing trade negotiations between the US and China; and renegotiation of the contracts of the country’s water concessionaires.” Portfolio investments posted net outflows of $235.38 million in June, wider than the $36.03-million net outflows a year ago. Gross inflows for the month reached $1.019 billion, lower than the $1.411 billion a year ago, while gross outflows hit $1.254 billion, down from $1.447 billion in the same period last year. Julito G. Rada

Lopez holding firm allots P29-b capex

FIRST Philippine Holdings Inc. of the Lopez Group said it will spend P29 billion this year primarily to finance the expansion of its energy and real estate businesses. FPH president Francis Giles Puno said during the virtual annual stockholders’ meeting the company would spend P14 billion for the development of an offshore liquefied natural gas terminal in Batangas. It also allotted P11.4 billion for its real estate business under Rockwell Land Inc. and First Philippine Industrial Park. The balance would go for the construction sector and for FPH’s new businesses in healthcare and education. Puno said despite the pandemic, the company remained open to new opportunities and continued to review and evaluate potential new projects. Puno said the company would likely register lower recurring net income this year on the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Jenniffer B. Austria

CebuPac to mount more foreign flights

CEBU Pacific said it will restart flights between Manila and key Asian destinations in August. This is on top of its once-a-week flights between Manila and Dubai which re-started in mid-July. Beginning Aug. 1, CEB will be flying twice weekly from Tokyo (Narita) to Manila (Wednesday and Saturday). On Aug. 6, CEB will be flying two times weekly (Thursday and Saturday) between Manila and Singapore; and every Thursday from Seoul (Incheon) to Manila. Twice weekly flights (Wednesday and Friday) between Taipei and Manila are scheduled to begin on Aug. 7. One-way flights to Manila from Osaka (Kansai) are also scheduled to begin on the same day. “We are taking a conservative and agile approach to rebuilding our international network. While demand remains soft, there is latent demand for travel, particularly from stranded individuals and those who are eager to come home to visit their families,” said Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and customer experience of Cebu Pacific. Darwin G. Amojelar

House to pass 3 bills under Bayanihan 2

THE House of Representatives is set to pass a set of three vital and urgent bills under its Bayanihan II Act package aimed at saving the economy from further damage amid the recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, chair of the House ways and means committee, said the bills, listed as priority by President Duterte during his earlier 5th State of the Nation Address are the Financial Institutions Strategy Transfer, the Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery and the MSME regularization program. Salceda said the House aimed to pass these bills in one big package to fast track President Duterte’s request. The FIST bill aims to help financial institutions in their bad debt resolution and management of their non-performing assets to cushion the adverse impact of the pandemic. The NPAs consist of nonperforming loans, real estate properties and other assets acquired in settlement of loans and receivables. The GUIDE measure seeks to strengthen the capacity of government financial institutions, including the Philippine Guarantee Corp., Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines to provide needed assistance to micro-, small and medium enterprise and other strategically important business ventures.

DICT asks telcos to support common towers By Darwin G. Amojelar

BEST PRACTICES. Manelyn Boloron, a cashier at Metro Supermarket Market! Market! wears a face mask and a face shield as she serves customers. Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. received additional recognition for best practices in food safety and sanitation. The development makes MRSGI the only retailer in the country with the distinction of holding Good Manufacturing Practices and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points for three of its supermarkets.

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology asked telecom companies to share with common towers after President Rodrigo Duterte slammed companies for alleged lousy services. DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II encouraged telcos to support and avail of the benefits of the agency’s Common Tower Initiative, which the government expects to stimulate the growth of the independent tower company sector. There are 24 independent tower companies registered with the DICT. The initiative widens the base of common towers in the country towards better internet quality and more extensive telecommunications service coverage. Honasan said the telcos’ collocation in the common towers that are being rolled out across the country would enable them to service the wider popula-

tion and deepen and enhance wireless network coverage and quality of ICT services that would contribute to a healthy, competitive ICT environment. “Collocating with common towers will also help telcos cut back on their expenses allocated in building up and maintaining their own towers; expenses which,” Honasan said. The DICT earlier issued a joint memorandum circular to remove red tape by streamlining the procedures and requirements for permits, licenses, clearances, certificates and other requirements in the construction of shared passive telecommunications tower infrastructures or common towers, reducing processing time from 200 days to just 16 days. “We recognize that telcos have existing commitments with some independent tower companies to collocate on the latter’s common towers for shared cell sites—we commend them for that,” Honasan said.

Sports

Mother cheers for Giannis and brothers ATHENS, Greece—If by any chance the four Antetokounmpo brothers face each other on the basketball court, for whom would mother Veronica cheer? NBA MVP Giannis or Thanasis of the Milwaukee Bucks, Kostas of the Los Angeles Lakers or Alexis of the Spanish club Murcia? “Either me or Kostas as we are the youngest,” claims Alexis who just celebrated his 19th birthday. Alexis admitted that his dream is to play in the NBA as his three other brothers. “I talked to my family and they agreed it was the right choice to play in the Spanish league,” Alexis said. “I decided to play in Europe as I believe that this will give me the opportunity to feel earlier the pressure of professional basketball, compete with older and more experienced basketball opponents and most importantly learn and gain knowledge from the European basketball which, I believe, will help me into my next career steps.” Alexis said Murcia “showed their interest in me from the very beginning and seems that they are interested in helping me develop further my talent and leave me space to make mistakes in order to get better.” He said older brother Giannis “advises me to be at my best always and this is what I aim for”. “I started playing basketball at the age of 10. My older brothers have been a great influence on me regarding basketball and sports in general,” Alexis said in an interview with the OPAP Champions program. He began playing at a young age for the Greek side Filathlitikos and after moving to the United States played for the Dominican high school squad in Wisconsin where he graduated this year. Alexis made the first All Conference team back to back from 2018 to 2020 and became the youngest to reach 1,000 points. He finished as the second highest scorer in Wisconsin history averaging 30 points and 20 rebounds a contest. Alexis was twice finalist for the best high school athlete in Wisconsin in his junior and senior years.

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020

Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans during a scrimmage on July 27, 2020 at The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida. AFP

Obiena will compete in online tournaments By Peter Atencio

HILE waiting for his chance to join the Diamond League, Tokyo Olympics bet Ernest John “EJ” Obiena will compete online.

Obiena, who is currently training in Formia, Italy, will see action against other 2021 Tokyo Olympians in a virtual contest this August. During the online showdown, Obiena will see action next to Tokyo Olympics qualifiers from Poland and the United States. Now ranked no. 16 on the World Athletics Rankings, Obiena will fight for glory against world no. 8 Paweł Wojciechowski

of Poland and no. 29 Matt Ludwig of the United States. In 2015, Wojciechowski cleared 5.85 m to win bronze at the World Championships. In 2017, he improved his personal best to 5.93 m. On the other hand, Ludwig registered a 5.85 meters in the 2020 US National Championships last February. As for Obiena, he secured a berth in the 2020 Summer Olympics by surpassing the qualifying standard by clearing 5.81 meters in a tournament in Chiara, Italy in September 3, 2019. His effort was also a national record. And Obiena is now aiming to surpass his own record by leaping 5.85 meters or more in training, or maybe in competition. He recently overcame a discomfort that he felt during training. His coaches, led by world champion

Vitaly Petrov, have done their best to prevent the young Obiena from getting a serious back problem. To keep a certain muscle group from getting stressed during training, EJ has done work outs on other areas on his back. So far, Obiena is continuously training with Olympic gold medalist Thiago Braz da Silva. He has been doing his daily physical routines and preparations to join the the Diamond League, which is an annual series of elite competitions across Europe. The Diamond will have 15 one-day competitions, and only a few will have pole vault events. The 26-year old Braz is the reigning Olympic Gold medalist and holds the Olympic record of 6.03 meters. And Braz has provided Obiena a lot of inputs since he started training in Italy. AFP

Barty pulls out of US Open over coronavirus fears SYDNEY, Australia—World number one Ashleigh Barty pulled out of the US Open Thursday over fears about the coronavirus pandemic in a major blow for the Grand Slam, which is scheduled to start in New York on August 31. The Australian is the biggest name so far to withdraw from the tournament, with her decision coming as the United States marked a grim milestone when its Covid-19 deaths topped 150,000. “My team and I have decided that we won’t be travelling to the US for the Western and Southern Open and the US Open this year,” she said in a statement to Australian media. “I love both events so it was a difficult decision but there are still significant risks involved due to Covid-19 and I don’t feel comfortable putting my team and I in that position.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor

Ashleigh Barty of Australia returns the ball to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in this file photo taken February 28, 2020 during the semifinals of Qatar Total Open tournament in Doha. World number one Ashleigh Barty pulled out of the US Open July 30, 2020 over fears about the coronavirus pandemic in a big blow for the Grand Slam, which is scheduled to start in New York on August 31. AFP

“I wish the USTA all the best for the tournaments and look forward to being back in the US next year,” she added. Her decision came despite the New York area keeping coronavirus cases at a relatively low level since spiking in March and April while areas such as Florida, Texas and California have become hotspots. It was not unexpected, with the 24-year-old last month expressing concerns about the US Open going ahead, and she won plenty of support Thursday on social media for her “sensible” decision to give it a miss. Barty, who surged to the top of the rankings last year and has stayed there since, said she would continue to monitor the situation before deciding whether to travel to Europe to prepare for a defense of her French Open crown. AFP

Lockdown will not stop Lopez from training PAULINE Lopez looked forward to joining a competition while in lockdown. And the recent Smart/MVP Sports Online National Taekwondo Speed Kicking Championships gave her a chance to do so. “It was fun for me and we stepped up,” said Lopez in a recent online interview. Lopez and members Team Philippines joined the unique competition, which was created by the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) officials and coaches while many of their players were undergoing home quarantine. The tournament served as test for many national jins who will join the World Championships this October. “It has been months since we joined tournaments. And we looked forward to this,” added the 23-year-old Lopez. Joining Lopez were fellow SEA Games standouts Alora, Samuel Morrison, Arven Alcantara, Kurt Bryan Barbosa and Veronica Garces. The national jins are seeking Tokyo Olympics berth through a still unscheduled Asian qualifier in Amman, Jordan. Lopez recently took the women’s featherweight class gold during the 30th Southeast Asian Games. She will be up against rivals from Korea and China who have already booking Olympic tickets via world rankings. And she is getting some help from her coach Rani Ortega in her bid to stay in shape. Peter Atencio

Teng says Alaska Aces in shape, ready to compete DESPITE the months-long quarantine which has stopped all activities of the Philippine Basketball Association and limited the movement of the entire countr y the Alaska Aces have managed to stay in shape through their regular group home workouts. The intensive training sessions have left the Aces in good shape and ready to compete should the PBA resume activities according to forward Jeron Teng. “Kami sa Alaska, grabe kami magworkout. Sana makabalik na (ang PBA) kasi naka-kapagod yung workout namin. Halos araw-araw na rin. Mas nakakapagod pa kaysa sa training namin. Sana makabalik na,” said Teng. The league is scheduled to start ac-

tivities during the second week of August after the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) and the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) gave their formal approval to begin training among players and teams. The final requirement is for all of the players to be swab tested for Covid-19. The physical conditioning should come in handy for Teng and the rest of the Aces when the league and its players start practices. The workouts mean the first step towards resuming the season that has been shut down for more than five months. “If we resume with those small workouts, it’s another step closer to playing. At para rin may maipakita tayo sa mga PBA fans na entertain-

ment and something to look forward to,” said Teng. He added that he expects the players of the other teams to be as eager to start playing considering the long break following the outbreak of the health pandemic in early March. Teng said the Aces have only one goal and that is to go all the way. The players are focused and they’ve worked hard to achieve this objective. “Our goal is the same which is to win a championship. We are all expected to be leaders of the team. All our actions should be towards winning a championship. To be good role models to each other. And to support and guide your Alaska Aces forward Jeron Teng (with ball) drives strong to the hoop against two teammates when they need them. Just TNT KaTropa defenders Kelly Williams (21) and RR Pogoy during a practice game between the two teams. PBA Media be there for them,” said Teng.

Sports

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020

NBA confident of safe season restart W ASHINGTON, United States – NBA officials are confident their safety protocols and players’ desire to stay healthy will make the 2019-20 season’s bubble restart a success, league deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said Wednesday (Thursday Philippine time). On the eve of the coronavirus-halted campaign resuming, Tatum said there have been no positive Covid-19 tests inside the bubble among about 350 players conducting pre-season scrimmages. “Based on the results, our protocols are working,” Tatum said on a conference call. “We’re pleased we’ve had zero cases of Covid-19 positives during that time. “We understand we have a long way to go. The people on campus are cognizant of adhering to the rules to keeping everybody safe and healthy.” The season was halted March 11 after Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for Covid-19. More than four months

of planning and consultation with safety experts followed. “We’ve developed an extensive list of protocols to keep everyone on our campus healthy and safe, which is our first priority,” Tatum said. “So far they seem to be working.” In all, 22 NBA teams – including 89 international players from 34 nations – will resume games in a bubble quarantine setting without spectators at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, starting with 88 “seeding” games to complete the regular season. That will determine brackets for next month’s start of the NBA playoffs with a champion scheduled to be crowned

in October, about a year after the season tipped off. “Whoever wins the championship this year will be very deserving,” Tatum said. “They will have to overcome so much adversity to get to that finish line, it will be satisfying for whoever gets that championship.” There has been growing concern about US sports restarting given the rise in Covid-19 cases in hotspot Florida and Major League Baseball having to cancel games less than a week into its return with a travel-based system. It didn’t help that Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers left on an excused absence for the death of a family friend and was photographed in a strip club, for which he was given a maximum 10-day in-room quarantine upon his return to the bubble. “We’re hopeful and optimistic that if everyone complies with the protocols that we’ll be able to crown a champion at the end of the season,” Tatum said.

Tatum says the NBA has plans depending on multiple outbreak situations. “If something were to happen, we would have to dive into the specifics of that case or cases to see what our actions would be,” Tatum said. “We have an extensive group of protocols.” Creating medical protocols was the toughest part of forming the bubble, Tatum said. “We were not going to go forward if we didn’t come up with a plan we felt very comfortable in that would keep everybody safe,” Tatum said. “We’re doing something here we’ve never done before and that few people have ever attempted.”AFP Caption 1PhotoGobert: Rudy Gobert (27) of the Utah Jazz attacks the hoop during a scrimmage against the Miami Heat on July 25, 2020 at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida. The NBA season was halted March 11 after Gobert tested positive for Covid-19. AFP

No spectators for US Open golf because of Covid-19 NEW YORK, United States – The 120th US Open will be staged without spectators at Winged Foot on September 17-20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Golf Association (USGA) announced Wednesday (Thursday Philippine time). The USGA consulted state officials before ruling out fans over health and safety issues. The major showdown in suburban New York would have been the first to allow fans since the US PGA Tour resumed play in June after a three-month shutdown due to the deadly virus outbreak. “Following months of consultation and scenario planning with local and state health officials, we have jointly decided that hosting the US Open without spectators will provide the best opportunity to conduct the championship safely for all involved,” USGA chief executive officer Mike Davis said. “We will miss the excitement of the fans and what their presence brings to the championship. We look forward to welcoming them again to future US Opens.” The PGA Tour had planned to have fans at the Memorial tournament two weeks ago but rising numbers of cases in Ohio prompted state officials to scratch that idea. Spectators will also be absent from next week’s PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, the first major championship of a year where the regular schedule was thrown into chaos by the virus. The US Open was postponed from June to September and staged without the usual trademark qualifying rounds, the field selected by rankings and other methods. The PGA was moved from May to August while the Masters was shifted from April to November and the British Open was called off altogether. Organizers had pushed to try and have spectators at the US Open. “While we are disappointed, we know it was the right decision to make for the community and for the players,” Davis said. AFP

Rudy Gobert (27) of the Utah Jazz attacks the hoop during a scrimmage against the Miami Heat on July 25, 2020 at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida. The NBA season was halted March 11 after Gobert tested positive for Covid-19. AFP

GM Antonio rules AGM Camer online chess tourney GRANDMASTER Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. pocketed the top honors in the Arena Grandmaster Angelito Camer online chess tournament at the lichess.org on. The 58-year-old Antonio, a 13-time national champion, finished undefeated in 13 games with twelve wins and one draw to Arena Grandmaster (AGM) and National Master (NM) Marlon Bernardino in the sixth round. He garnered 42 points for a win rate of 92 percent and performance rating of 2632 to top the one-day event that drew a total of 54 participants. “Thank God for another chess title.” said Antonio, who also won the dry run tournament of Philippine E-9 chess club on Monday, July 27, 2020. National Master (NM) Gerardo “Gerry” Cabellon settled for runnerup honor with 9.5 points in 12 games on account of nine wins, two draws and one loss to Lexie Hernandez in the fifth round equivalent to 31 points for a win rate of 75 percent and performance rating of 2495. National Master (NM) Julius Sinangote wound up third with 10 points in 15 games on nine wins, two draws and four loses equivalent to 30 points for a win rate of 60 percent and performance rating of 2302. National Master (NM) Homer Cunanan came in fourth overall with 10.5 points in 13 games on 10 wins, one draw and two loses equivalent to 28 points for a win rate of 77 percent performance rating of 2500. Meanwhile, GM Darwin Laylo expressed his gratitude for winning the Baby Uno Chess Challenge dubbed as Police Col. Jaime Osit Santos chess championship (Individual Open To All Title Master) held at the lichess. org over the weekend. “Masaya ako sa pagkapanalo kong ito,” said Laylo, playing under the banner of multi-titled Philippine Army chess team. National Master (NM) Leon Marohom edged International Master (IM) Petronio Roca and Woman Fide Master (WFM) Allaney Jia Doroy in the last two round to score 11 points on account of 11 wins and four loses and take home the runner-up prize. AFP

NHL bans headdresses worn by Chicago Blackhawks fans CHICAGO, United States – The Chicago Blackhawks have refused to change their name but on Wednesday (Thursday Philippine time) the National Hockey League club banned supporters from wearing Native American headdresses at games. The Blackhawks were Stanley Cup champions in 2010, 2013 and 2015 and have used the nickname and profile logo of a Native American warrior since the team was founded in 1926. “We have always maintained an expectation that our fans uphold an atmosphere of respect, and after extensive and meaningful conversations with our Native American partners, we have decided to formalize those expectations,” the team said in a statement. “Moving forward, headdresses will be prohibited for fans entering Blackhawkssanctioned events or the United Center when Blackhawks home games resume. “These symbols are sacred, traditionally reserved for leaders who have earned a place of great respect in their

Tribe, and should not be generalized or used as a costume or for everyday wear.” The move follows the NFL’s Washington Redskins dropping the nickname and logo, calling themselves Washington Football Team temporarily until a new name is selected, and Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians conducting a revue on the future of the nickname. The Blackhawks said earlier this month they do not plan a name change because the name and logo pay tribute to a specific person, Black Hawk, and his legacy as a Native American leader in the region. The team also said Wednesday it plans to build a Native American culture and storytelling platform, enhance community engagement and game presentation recognition of Native American contributions to society. The team also plans to establish a “state-of-the-art new wing at Trickster Cultural Center, the only Native American owned and operated arts institution in the state of Illinois.” AFP

Child abuse reported at NBA’s China academies LOS ANGELES, United States—Young players have been physically abused and left without schooling at NBA basketball academies in China, which were described as “sweat camp(s) for athletes”, an ESPN report said. Multiple coaches have complained about physical punishment at the academies including a facility in Xinjiang, the region where China is accused of holding more than a million members of ethnic minorities in internment camps. The NBA says it cut ties last year with Xinjiang, but the world’s most popular basketball league continues to operate academies in Shandong and Zhejiang provinces, in sports facilities run by the Chinese government. One former coach said he saw a Chinese counterpart hurl a ball into a young player’s face and “kick him in the gut” according to the ESPN investigation. “Imagine you have a kid who’s 13, 14 years old, and you’ve got a grown coach who is 40 years old hitting your kid,” the coach was quoted as saying. “We’re part of that. The NBA is part of that.” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum told ESPN that only a “handful” of complaints about abuse had been received – but added that the league is “re-evaluating” the academy program. “One of the lessons that we’ve learned here is that we do

need to have more direct oversight and the ability to make staffing changes when appropriate,” Tatum said. “We don’t have oversight of the local coaches, of the academic programs or the living conditions,” he added. “It’s fair to say we were less involved than we wanted to be.” The report, by Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Steve Fainaru and his brother Mark Fainaru-Wada, who covered the BALCO steroid scandal, comes at a time of fraught relations between the NBA and China. State broadcaster CCTV stopped screening NBA games last year after a Houston Rockets executive tweeted in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The NBA, which will restart its coronavirus-halted season later Thursday, says the row has cost it hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues. - ‘Find another Yao Ming’ The NBA began launching international academies in 2016, placing three in China. The aim was to “find another Yao”, former employees told ESPN, referring to China’s towering former Rockets center Yao Ming. But the Chinese project was “fundamentally flawed” according to Bruce Palmer, a former technical director at a private basketball school in China who was hired by the NBA to evaluate the academies. AFP

A woman wearing a feather headdress is among tens of thousands of fans who filled the streets of Chicago to cheer on the Blackhawks for winning the Stanley Cup in this file photo taken June 28, 2013. The Chicago Blackhawks have refused to change their name but on July 29 the National Hockey League club banned supporters from wearing Native American headdresses at games. AFP

Tokyo 2020 chief says Olympics could have ‘limited spectators’ TOKYO, Japan—Next year’s coronavirus-postponed Olympics could be held in front of a “limited number of spectators” to prevent the spread of infection, Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto has said. The Tokyo 2020 games are now scheduled to open on July 23, 2021, after a historic postponement forced by the global march of the pandemic. Muto told BBC Sports that organizers were committed to holding the event in 2021, with no discussion of cancelling or postponing it further. “Everyone should focus on holding the event next year – we’re on the same page.” He said International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach was “not looking for” a Games held without any fans, but acknowledged smaller audiences might be possible. “He may be thinking about a limited number of spectators with full consider-

ation of social distancing,” Muto said. “We must build an environment where people feel safe. Athletes and the IOC family may require testing before/after entering Japan and (we need) strong medical systems around accommodation and transportation plans,” he added. Japan currently bans visitors from more than 100 countries in a bid to limit the spread of the virus and Muto said it was “too optimistic to assume all restrictions will be gone, so we must think of other ways.” With just under a year to go until the postponed Games, Japanese citizens have expressed skepticism about whether the Olympics can or should be held. Two polls in July found the majority of Japanese think the Games should be postponed again or cancelled altogether. And several medical experts have suggested the Games will not be viable without a proven treatment or vaccine for the virus. AFP

Life

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

TRAVEL & LEISURE

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020

FLY SAFE, SOON.

Cebu Pacific launches more flexible options for passengers such as unlimited rebooking and extension of Travel Fund validity as it reassures guests to keep its fares. CEB announces the resumption of its ManilaIncheon flights beginning August 6.

By Bernadette Lunas

ESPITE the blows the aviation industry has been taking since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, budget airline Cebu Pacific vows to keep its fares low, maintaining its corporate DNA of democratizing flying.

“We will guarantee to do everything possible [so] that fares remain low. We just have to find ways to make everything more efficient,” CEB vice president of marketing and customer experience Candice Iyog said during a virtual press conference. In addition, the airline now allows customers to rebook their flights unlimited times without fees or minimal fare difference—depending on the travel date selected. Passengers with travel dates until November 30, 2020 may avail of this option. Cebu Pacific has extended its Travel Fund (CEB’s virtual wallet equivalent to the full cost of the ticket) validity to two years. This can be used to book flights up to 12 months ahead, or July 2022 and use it to book for flights 12 months ahead, which means the Travel Fund can be used for 2023 flights. For customers with existing Travel Funds, the two-year validity will be applied retroactively, or from the date the fund was created. Adapting to the ‘new normal’ The ongoing pandemic has grounded many flights around the world, including Cebu Pacific’s. The Gokongwei-led airline’s current flights since it restarted operations on June 2 account for only 10 percent of its pre-COVID network. “Today we fly to 23 domestic and one (Dubai) international destination (Manila-Incheon flights will resume on August 6). Pre-COVID, we fly to 36 domestic and 26 international, a total of 62 destinations,” said Iyog. She continued, “We’re just operating at 10 percent of our original network, because while there are 24 destinations, the frequencies are limited. We used to fly an average of 450 flights a day, now we’re 40 to 50 flights daily.” The airline, Iyog said, is currently reviewing its

Bye-bye seat sale?

Cebu Pacific to keep fares low, offers unlimited rebooking

Each aircraft now undergoes deep interior cleaning and disinfection daily, from every seven days pre-COVID, while crew members are required to wear personal protective equipment in-flight.

operation processes, using “this opportunity to drive digital adoption and accelerate digitalization.” In streamlining operational procedures, CEB is currently resizing and reshaping the company. Earlier in July, the airline reportedly will lay off 800 more employees by August, the second wave of job cuts following the 4,000 workers laid off in June. “We have had to make the difficult decision to let go of about 25 percent of our workforce,” Iyog told Manila Standard. “We are trying to keep manpower intact, but the situation remains fluid. But rest assured that whatever actions are taken, we will be as transparent, respectful, and fair.” Iyog pointed out that the additional cost to the operating expenses from the improved safety protocols enforced to ensure passengers and crew members’ safety has not been factored in yet.

“In the larger and greater scheme of things, it is not the biggest cost we need to manage. The biggest cost is still fuel and other operating cost,” she clarified. What to expect when you fly In a bid to regain passengers’ trust, CEB has implemented new disinfection protocols on top of the mandatory wearing of face masks, contactless processes of checking in and boarding, and requiring its employees to undergo a rapid test using FDA-approved test kits. “We changed our safety and sanitation process for passengers and employees and for our equipment because we know that coming out of this pandemic, the biggest concern of our passengers would be health and safety, along with economic concerns,” said Iyog. Each aircraft now undergoes deep interior cleaning and disinfection daily, from every seven days pre-pandemic. The lavatory will be cleaned every 30 minutes

or after every passenger uses the facility. To keep a safe distance among guests, Iyog said the airline uses a “seating algorithm” that puts spaces between passengers in-flight. “If you’re traveling together, you can be seated together. If you’re traveling separately, we will put one seat between each group of passengers.” Cabin air is filtered and recirculated, bringing fresh air that’s 99.97 percent virus-free every three minutes. “The only surface the refreshed air touches before your nose and mouth is the top of your head. It comes from top to bottom then goes to the floor and gets recirculated again,” explained Iyog. Passengers will also be required to dispose their garbage at the end of the flight, as well as stow and retrieve their hand-carry luggage from the overhead bins. In-flight meals are temporarily suspended to further limit interactions between crew and passenger.

Sports tourism (Part 1)

SPORTS tourism, in every country, struggles for recognition and prominence when the industry that it belongs to is assessed on its contribution to the country’s coffers. This pandemic has made such struggle even more challenging for sports events organizers. Leading the global catastrophe on sports tourism is the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics to summer of next year. This difficult decision was unavoidable, but rightfully made by the Japanese government and the International Olympic Committee, for obvious reasons. In every corner of the globe, basketball, football, volleyball, baseball, rugby, formula racing, triathlons, marathons,

major tennis and golf tournaments were called off since mid-March. The Bundesliga, La Liga, and the English Premiere League, among others, resumed to finish their fixtures, many weeks delayed, and with astronomical losses, minus the much-anticipated hoopla for the winners. They were all played to empty stadiums meant to hold as much as a hundred thousand fans. Other sports leagues will soon start, but sadly, some events such as Wimbledon, Formula One, Boston Marathon, and the Southeast Asian Paralympic Games here in the country are already declared postponed. Bannering the fighting spirit of sports, the industry continues to prepare for when it will finally stage these annual events. Preparations are underway around the world, including here in the Philippines. This is based on a report filed by Philippine Sports Tourism Awards president Charles Lim. Clark and Subic have been urged to jumpstart the recovery of the country’s sports tourism. These two venues re-

ceived podium rewards after successfully hosting dozens of events during the 30th Southeast Asian Games last year, which was participated in by athletes from 11 countries. These sportsmen enjoyed not just the games they played, but also the hospitality of the host communities and the captivating beauty of their suburbs. Once quarantine is lifted, and the InterAgency Task Force (IATF) will give local organizers the go-signal for various sports events. Both host cities are expected to prioritize health safety for athletes, organizers, spectators, and the host communities in general. They will definitely follow the guidelines set by the IATF, the Philippine Sports Commission, Department of Tourism, and the international sports associations. “The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) believes that as resilient as the Filipinos are, Subic tourism will spring back to the heights it has reached pre-COVID as one of the most popular destinations in the country,” assured SBMA chairman Wilma Eismer. Calendared for when the quarantine is lifted are several top-notch, high pro-

Clark and Subic have been urged to jumpstart the recovery of the country’s sports tourism. (Photo from Century Tuna Ironman / Facebook)

file events in Subic such as the Ironman (Full Distance), International Triathlon, Le Garde’s Triathlon, My Daily Collagen Triathlon, Black Arrow 5150, and Century Tuna 70.3. Sports tourism in the country is expected to bounce back into its pre-COVID figures with the continued support of the fans and the excitement of athletes

from all over the country to join the various events. A lot of these local and international competitors are practically the same ones who join the events every year, a testimony to how much they enjoy our country and our people. Details of other sports events scheduled for post-quarantine will be highlighted in next week’s column. YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE DOCTOR: How old are your kids? PATIENT: 44, from my wife who passed away, and 13, from my second wife. DOCTOR: That’s quite a big age difference! PATIENT: Well, the older daughter didn’t give me any grandchildren, so I made my own.

The Subic Bay is set to host several high-profile sports events, including the Ironman, International Triathlon, Le Garde’s Triathlon, and Century Tuna 70.3, once quarantine is lifted. (Left photo from SBMA/Facebook)

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020

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Online Shopping Convenience

Expanding business through online shopping By Peter Paul Duran

VER the past few years, online shopping has become a preferred way to shop for consumers around the globe. Rather than spend time going to malls to look for the materials they need, people now turn to their phones to check new products, save time, compare brands and get discounts right in the comfort of their homes.

As the consumer's buying behavior continues to change, especially now that we are experiencing a pandemic, how do businesses like malls, retailers and entrepreneurs can manage to adapt to these changes? Embrace new sales channels Now that people do not prefer

so it’s something that you should offer from time to time depending on the opportunities you may have. You may also start strategizing how to use your social media to promote your products through gimmicks and giveaways as a way of drawing attention for wider reach.

Use your credit card safely, securely in your next online purchase By Angelica Villanueva

going out, it’s time for you to boost your online-marketing efforts and e-commerce sales. You should start developing your online presence especially where more consumers may be able to view your product. Update product pages Consumers always want to know the latest trends and upgrades of a product, that’s why it’s important to always provide as much information as you can. With this, they’ll be able to know what to expect and view you as trustworthy when you meet their expectations. Give special offers Everyone likes special discounts,

Create loyalty program Through a loyalty program, your consumers will be encouraged to continuously shop from your store and be active in your social media pages. You should remember that a happy and a satisfied customer is a very useful way of creating a positive image of your business. There will always be a challenge and crisis that may happen to every business. That’s why making adjustments to adapt in any situation is an important key to keep your sales going. Continuing to plan, strategize and use creativity will keep your business on track towards success.

WE'VE been stuck in our homes for almost five months already and let's admit that during this time, many Filipinos have been doing their shopping online. With a lot of things going on due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), there's a fear that once we go outside, we might be exposed to the virus. This has forced us to make our purchases online with several cashless payments at our disposal, including the use of our credit cards. The question that immediately pops out is—how do we safely use our credit card? Below are some extra precautions you need to consider before pushing through with your purchase. 1. Incognito mode. If you're going to do your online purchase, make sure you are using your own trusted device—whether it's a phone, a desktop, or a tablet. If you cannot, which is really not preferable, but you don't

have another choice, use the incognito mode. We don't mean a secret transaction, but we need to secure your personal information and credit card details. 2. Make sure that the online shop's website is secured and credible. Ask yourself these questions: Is this a trusted shop? Are there any past online-payment-related issues with this shop? It's okay to do some research, considering it is your hard-earned money we are talking about. 3. Check the product reviews and such. We want to ensure that your money will be put in a worthy purchase. Take a look at the product reviews and see if there's an issue. Do they allow refunds?Ask this because we all know that refunding your money will be quite a hassle. 4. Look if it asks for OTP. Once you decided to do the online purchase, and as you proceed with the transaction, the site will ask you for an OTP or one-time password, which will be sent

through your email or phone number. OTPs are one of the measures to see keep your online purchases safe and secure. 5. Always keep a copy of your online purchase confirmation and receipt. When you try to purchase anything, always ask for confirmation and receipts. It will serve as your proof of purchase. This is very important. So, when something comes up or an issue props up, you have the proof. 6. Don't share your personal details. Never ever give your personal, credit card, and purchase information. Scammers nowadays pretend to be someone from the bank, or from an online shop. And that's another story. However, always check if they are legit by analyzing their questions and the phone number they use. End the call immediately if someone asks your personal details. Call your bank and ask if they are the ones calling you.

Legit online stores to buy from By Charles Dantes AS WE slowly adjust to the changes in these trying times, the power of the internet and technology has been our biggest lifesavers in the COVID-19 pandemic. With just a single tap on our mobile devices, we can access different platforms to buy our needs, from food delivery to groceries. Almost every necessity is at the mercy of our fingertips and all of those things are available, while we're staying in the comfort of our homes. Aside from giving in to their cravings, people are also drawn to online shopping to prevent going outside as a safety measure and a means to fight off the stress from the outside world. For a much better experience in online shopping, Manila Standard listed below some of the "legit" online stores that you can trust for your online shopping craze. Shopee A fast-growing e-commerce company that started in Singapore, Shopee went head-to-head with other online stores with its consumer-to-consumer (C2C) approach, enabling online users to sell items on the go. To avoid fraud and scams, Shopee offers online shopping security with "Shopee Guarantee", where it withholds payments to sellers until buyers have received their orders. Zalora One of the first fashion-centric e-com-

merce platforms in Southeast Asia, Zalora is the leading name in online shopping for fashion. Zalora provides consumers with a wide variety of local and international brands fit for Filipino buyers, ranging from sneakers, denim jeans and t-shirts to high heels, head-turning gown, and formal attire, Zalora got its shoppers covered. Lazada One of the biggest e-commerce company here in Southeast Asia, Lazada has been founded in Singapore back in 2012. Lazada took the country by storm through its eye-popping sales that lured people into checking things online. Lazada also has its LazMall where everything sold under LazMall is 100% authentic. G2A.com G2A.com is an online marketplace for gaming services. With the gaming industry experiencing a boom since the start of lockdown, gamers in the Philippines started buying digital games to avoid contact with other people in the outside and to prevent the hassle of getting a physical copy of the games. G2A.com has lured its shoppers through its money-back guarantee. These four online stores are just examples of "legit" online shops that you can trust in this "new normal" setting. But just remember to always verify and examine the websites to avoid fraud and scam.