Manila Standard - 2020 August 1 - Saturday

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P20b alloted to vaccine buy Finance chief says first batch of 40m doses for 20m recipients

By Joyce Pañares, Julito B. Rada and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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HE Philippines will spend P20 billion to procure an initial batch of 40 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for the first 20 million beneficiaries that will include the poorest of the poor, the military and the police.

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 158 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Retagging hikes new cases to record high at 4,063

By Willie Casas, Rio N. Araja, Macon Ramos-Araneta THE total number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 93,354 on Friday after a record-high 4,063 new infections were recorded by the Depart-

ment of Health (DOH).

The department said 1,705 of these are considered “fresh” or newly validated, while 2,358 were reported late.

The data came from the records of 74 out of 91 operation test laboratories.

The number of COVID-19 survivors

increased to 65,178 after 165 more were tagged as recovered from the virus.

The death toll, on the other hand, grew to 2,023 after the DOH announced 40 new deaths.

Of the 4,063 additional cases reported,

President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to distribute the vaccine for free once available, except to enemies of the state such as drug l o r d s and drug pushers, and those belonging to the upper economic strata.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the Philippine International Trading Corp. will be in charge of the procurement, while the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines will bankroll the purchase.

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FEAST DAY. Muslims celebrate the Eid’l Adha or Feast of the Holy Sacrifice on Friday, July 31, 2020 at the Golden Mosque in Globo de Oro, Quiapo and at a mosque in Dasmariñas, Cavite. The nation marks the feast day as a regular holiday. Norman Cruz and JR Josue

Rody prolongs GCQ in Metro, five provinces

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has extended the general community quarantine or GCQ in Metro Manila until Aug. 15, and despite the continuing increase in the number of people being infected with the coronavirus disease nationwide.

In his public address on Friday, Duterte also downgraded Cebu City’s lockdown status to GCQ from Aug. 1 to 15.

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LOCAL ROUNDUP

‘Filipinos feel comfortable with lifting of curbs’

Telecom firms point to LGUs for cell site delays

By Darwin G Amojelar and Macon Ramos-Araneta

TELECOM companies say local government units (LGUs) are holding them back from improving their services because it can take eight months

to obtain the 25 to 28 permits needed to build a single cell site.

In a meeting Thursday night at the Palace, Ernest Cu, Globe Telecom president and chief executive, told

MORE than half of the Filipinos surveyed in a recent poll “feel comfortable” if they will physically leave their homes to go to work once community quarantine measure are lifted.

The non-commissioned poll by Social Weather Stations, released on Friday, showed that around five in 10 or 55 percent of the Filipinos polled “feel comfortable” about leaving their homes for Next page

President Rodrigo Duterte that service providers have been “suffering from many, many years of this” even before the current administration.

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US, Western economies hit historic slumps Story on B3

NOT KIDDING.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte insists he isn’t joking when he advised people to disinfect their face masks with petroleum or kerosene during a televised address aired on July 31, 2020 after holding a meeting with core members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang.

Presidential photo

Rody: Gas as sanitizer no joke PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Friday he was not joking when he told people to disinfect their face masks with gasoline, after the Chief Executive was criticized for advising the public last week to do so to kill the coronavirus.

Duterte had suggested disinfecting masks, and even hands, with gasoline

or diesel, in case disinfectants or alcohol is not available amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and the Department of Health earlier dismissed Duterte’s suggestion as a joke.

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Senator: Mafia in Philhealth mess

By Macon Ramos-Araneta ECO-FRIENDLY ADVICE. The EcoWaste Coalition urges the public to go for reusable cloth face masks to control the unbridled use and disposal of single-use masks made of non-biodegradable and non-recyclable plastic. The group’s latest plea for sustainable resource use followed its discovery of soiled medical or surgical face masks on the so-called Baseco Beach in Port Area, Manila and along the coast of Barangay Muzon in Rosario, Cavite.

ON the eve of a Senate investigation into allegations of corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., Senator Panfilo Lacson said it is revolting to see the PhilHealth mafia still ac-

tive and in control of the agency’s already depleted resources.

“At the outset, I can say that this new Senate investigation will reveal the same cast of characters, or at least a number of them, that we Next page

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News

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020

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Solon: SONA bills to beat virus under CARES, which will be managed

by Small Bank Corporation.

The program has provided assistance to some 9,000 enterprises, and it aims to cater to 5,000 more.

Velasco identified five areas that he said could help the Philippines get back on its feet, as well as the people who had lost their jobs or livelihood.

“The most important of these measures is the Chief Executive’s call for better internet service in view of the work-from-home arrangement of many companies, the new normal in doing business and the online learning of most students—all of which demand a wider and reliable internet connectivity,” Velasco said.

“Everything we do has been dramatically altered because of the health crisis. The situation has underscored the importance of having a stable internet

connection so we can continue with our daily routine and have a semblance of normalcy in our lives.

“But more importantly, we should look at the bigger picture. A better internet connection provides every Filipino a fighting chance or an edge to compete in the global economy. With or without COVID-19, that should be the game plan of our telecommunications companies.”

Since the pandemic broke out in March, there has been a dramatic increase in online transactions—whether it’s about doing business with government or private companies or purchases.

“The use of digital platforms has surged to a point we have never seen before, and this will remain in the coming days, so it’s important that the telecommunications companies shape up,” Velasco said.

canang briefing Thursday night and aired Friday morning, Dominguez said three pharmaceutical firms in China, one each from Great Britain and the US were already in the advanced stages of testing the vaccine.

He expressed confidence that by October, the trials for the vaccines would be finished and likely be approved by the Food and Drug Administration by December.

Duterte expressed confidence that the first vaccines would come from China.

“That’s why I salute the Chinese,” he said in Filipino. “The first vaccines will probably be from China.”

Duterte said in a taped public address aired on state-run PTV-4 on Friday morning, that the vaccines produced by Chinese drugmakers Sinovac, Biotech and Sinopharm are showing promising results.

“I promise you, by the grace of God, I hope by December we will be back to normal,” Duterte said in his speech.

The government’s plan is to conduct the vaccination of 20 million people— or 18.5 percent of the country’s 108 million population.

Senator Joel Villanueva, however, said the President should not be overly optimistic about vaccines being developed due to the risks attached to speed-

ing up their development.

“We know the urgency to have a vaccine as soon as possible but there are risks,” he said.

“We wish that there will be transparency in the experimental results of these vaccines,” he also said.

When it comes to vaccines, Senator Nancy Binay said the government must take the right approach to public health safety, and provide the highest degree of prudence.

Although it is very encouraging to know that there are vaccines being developed, she said the public needs more information as to how these work and respond, and the potential risks they may have.

She said the DOH should learn from the Dengvaxia experience--otherwise, the consequences can be more dangerous than the virus.

Senator Francis Pangilian, meanwhile, said that before senators take the President’s plan seriously, he should fire Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. Pangilinan said the President’s proposals to address COVID ring hollow and empty when he condones incompetence and corruption and when his team continues to miss their targets for mass testing, contact tracing, and treatment, and in doing so has miserably failed to stop the spread of the disease—now surpassing China’s official numbers.

3,813 (94 percent) occurred in July.

The top regions with cases in July were: The National Capital Region, 2,153 cases (56 percent); Region 7, 558 cases (15 percent); and Region 4A, 492 cases (13 percent).

The new numbers were announced several hours after the government extended the general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila despite the continued rise in cases.

It was also a day after the DOH announced more than 38,000 additional recovered patients due to “data reconciliation,” which brought down the number of active cases drastically.

University of the Philippines (UP) researchers on Friday said the number of COVID-19 cases in the country may reach 150,000 by the end of August.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Prof. Ranjit Rye of the UP OCTA research team said almost double the current national case total, the projection reflects exponential growth.

Also on Friday, Health Undersecre-

tary Rosario Vergeire said the retagging of 37,000 asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 cases as “recovered” was based on scientific evidence.

Vergeire said asymptomatic patients can already be tagged as recovered if the patient did not show symptoms for 14 days since the day of RT-PCR test.

Those with mild symptoms, on the other hand, will be deemed recovered once they are deemed clinically recovered by their doctor and finish the required 14 -day isolation period, she said.

“Clinically recovered means there are no symptoms such as fever,” Vergeire said.

“If you reach clinical recovery on the 10th day, you have to be in isolation for another four days to be tagged as recovered.”

“This is not an assumption. This is based on scientific evidence. Experts across the globe are backing this up, and this is being implemented in other countries also,” Vergeire added.

Vergeire said that such a huge number of recoveries is expected to happen, considering that over 90 percent of COVID-19 cases in the country are mild or asymptomatic cases.

She said conducting an RT-PCR test is not an effective way to determine if the

patient has recovered from COVID-19, considering that a patient can repeatedly test positive for COVID-19 even if the patient is already not infectious.

Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said the situation has improved despite critics’ questions about the data. He pointed to the high recovery rate of 73 percent, and the death rate at 2.2 percent.

On Thursday, Senator Joel Villanueva and Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero on Thursday said Filipinos deserve better than being fooled by the DOH. The statements were issued after the country logged a record-high of 3,954 new COVID cases and 38,075 new recoveries.

Vega stood by the data, saying it has gone through validation and reconciliation in the DOH. But Senator Francis Pangilinan admonished the DOH to be transparent in reporting COVID-19 cases and to refrain from “massaging” the data to make it appear that the government is making headway in battling the pandemic.

“Was there a miracle? Was there magic? Doctors should be treating patients to become well and not “doctoring” numbers and information,” Pangilinan said.

28 or 30 permits, how many thousands of permits do we have to get before we can start,” he said.

After hearing Cu’s concerns, Duterte encouraged telcos to issue a formal complaint against local officials who stall the processing of requirements for additional telecommunication towers.

He told telcos not to hesitate to inform the proper authorities.

“Just make a direct complaint,” Duterte said.

The Philippine needs at least 50,000 cellular towers to be able to have the prop-

er coverage and provide adequate service.

There are only around 16,000 towers at present, covering 8,000 locations.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology earlier issued a joint memorandum circular to cut red tape by streamlining the procedures and requirements for permits, licenses, clearances, certificates and other requirements in the construction of shared passive or common towers, reducing processing time from 200 days to just 16 days.

In a speech aired Friday on state-run PTV-4, Duterte said it was corruption that

held back the telecommunication companies and that he had told his Cabinet to take “drastic” steps against government offices, especiall LGUs, that slow down the construction of more towers.

On July 23, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology signed a joint memorandum circular that aims to cut down the processing time of requirements for the construction of telco towers from an average of eight months to about 16 days across the different national government agencies and LGUs.

the public can wash their cloth masks for disinfection and use them again.

An association of chemists in the country also warned the public on Friday against using gasoline as a disinfectant.

“We remind everyone that gasoline is not used as a cleanser or disinfectant for anything. It is harmful to humans, especially if its fumes are inhaled,” the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines said in a Facebook post.

Meanwhile, the government is encouraging the public to wear face shields in public spaces with low ventilation to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

In a press statement, Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for

the Management of Emerging Diseases (IATF-EID) is considering directing the public to use face shields to complement the wearing of face masks in low ventilation settings, including public transportation.

Roque clarified there is no order yet compelling the public to wear face shields.

“Studies have shown that wearing of face shields, in addition to wearing of masks and physical distancing, would further reduce virus transmission in low ventilation settings,” said Roque, who also serves as IATF-EID spokesperson.

He said wearing face shields is also part of the minimum public health standards that need to be observed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Vito Barcelo with PNA

By Maricel V. Cruz and Othel V. Campos

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HE next leader of the House of Representatives, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, said Friday the priority bills of President Rodrigo Duterte that he enumerated in his fifth State-of-the-Nation Address were the Philippines’ best chance to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

“President Duterte made it very clear: his policies and what his administration intends to do in the coming months as we battle the virus,” said Velasco, head of the House committee on energy.

“We in the House of Representatives are ready to support his priority legislation so the country can move forward.”

Velasco made his statement even as Trade secretary Ramon Lopez announced the government’s plan to expand the COVID-19 Assistance to Re-

start Enterprises or CARES program by using P5 billion from the stimulus package and from the proposed budget for 2021.

“As of late, the total disbursement was P650 million, and we are finalizing the release of another P1 billion to further spread this program so that more micro SMEs will be covered,” Lopez said.

The Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines will finance the second tranche

Rody...

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P20b...

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The other areas under GCQ are Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal in Luzon, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, Minglanilla and Consolacion in the Visayas, and Zamboanga City in Mindanao.

The rest of the country are under modified general community quarantine, and also until Aug. 15.

Senator Win Gatchalian said the enhanced community quarantine or ECQ was the best way to stop COVID-19, but he cited the need to balance the economy.

He said going back to ECQ from GCQ now would be detrimental to the economy.

“So it’s really a very difficult balancing act, and what’s important right now is [making sure] our hospitals will not get overwhelmed,” Gatchalian said.

“That’s why I’ve been lobbying and pushing to create more field hospitals so that our patients will have space and get medical care.”

The Joint Task Force Covid Shield, meanwhile, said Friday there will be no more extension for the installation of protective barriers on motorcycles and ordered the police to arrest and fine violators beginning Aug. 1.

“As the grace period ends today, we expect that all motorcycle riders have already complied to avoid inconvenience as they go to work and ride back home,” task force commander Guillermo Eleazar said in a statement on Friday.

Violators of the barrier regulation face a fine of P1,000 to P10,000.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government had set “conditions” in the areas under GCQ, such as a continuing strict localized lockdown in hot-spot areas which could be placed under ECQ. He said wearing a face shield over a face mask was now also part of the minimum health standard.

“We will have stringent enforcement of minimum health standards, including the washing of hands, the wearing of face masks in public places, social distancing and the wearing of face shields,” Roque said.

Also part of the measures is stringent enforcement of minimum health standards, massive targeted testing, intensified tracing and quarantine of close contacts, isolation of confirmed cases and strict adherence to the Oplan Kalinga implementation.

Duterte said the first three firms who are scheduled to complete clinical tests the earliest are all from China, which has since assured the Philippines of priority access to the vaccine.

“By December, we will be back to normal,” the President said.

“This will be for free. The first beneficiaries will be the poorest of the poor.

Second will be my military and my police - the backbone of my administration,” Duterte said.

The President said the military will be in charge of the distribution to ensure that the process is not politicized.

“For my enemies, don’t use needles.

Just use the bayonet on drug pushers and drug lords. I will not release vaccines to them,” he said.

Dominguez said there would be enough funds for the purchase of the vaccines.

“PITC will sell the vaccines to the DoH. The DoH will pay PITC over time from their future allocations from the national budget,” Dominguez told reporters Friday.

Dominguez said at least 20 million Filipinos will be provided with COVID-19 vaccine for free. In a Mala-

Telcos...

From A1 In his fifth State-of-the-Nation Address, the President complained about poor service and warned Globe Telecom and PLDT he would shut them down if this did not improve by December.

“There are so many miscellaneous fees, and different kinds of tower fees and a special use permit,” Cu said in Filipino.

“We can’t get that standardized.”

“If we apply for 5,000 towers times

Rody:...

From A1 But in a televised briefing on Friday, the President insisted he is serious, saying: “That’s true. If you don’t have alcohol, go to the nearest gasoline station and have them drip it (with gasoline).

That’s disinfectant.”

“They say Dutere is crazy, stupid. If I’m crazy, then you can be President, not me. You think I’m kidding, but truly, I am not kidding. You try to go inside my brain,” he said.

Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said last week that surgical and N95 masks are for single use only, but

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From A1 already exposed in a Senate inquiry in August last year,” Lacson said.

“I would say, the syndicate is back with a vengeance—or at least its core group has never left… They must have mastered the art of influence peddling as they seem to continue to gain access to the corridors of power,” Lacson added.

The Senate is set to start its investigation on Tuesday, Aug. 4, into the alleged anomalies at the state health insurer.

Lacson said his resolutjon calling

Cayetano goes for economic federalism

By Maricel V. Cruz HOUSE Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday hinted at supporting “economic federalism” should proposed Charter change moves not prosper as the country continues to fight the COVID-19 crisis.

“If the COVID-19 pandemic completely derails efforts to amend the Constitution, Congress can still take the country closer to a federal system through changes in the Local Government Code to give local government units a bigger share in the national budget,” Cayetano said in a statement.

“The problem with Cha-cha (Charter change) is really the timing. I cannot see us calling for a plebiscite. We’re telling the people to stay home, don’t congregate, so how do we make them go to the polling precincts when we know that people naturally form crowds during elections in our country?” he said.

Cayetano said federalism, one of the proposed Charter changes, could still become “as close to reality as possible” with some amendments to the Local Government Code of 1991 or Republic Act 7160.

“We can actually revise the Internal Revenue Allotment Code and many other portions of the Local Government Code to bring us closer to economic federalism,” he said.

“So what we will do is we will multi-task. We will continue discussing Cha-cha in the committee level, not in plenary, and then we will push for the approval of these pieces of legislation,” the Speaker added.

Cayetano said the enactment of these legislative proposals would answer the clamor of local government units (LGUs) for changes in the Constitution.

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From A1 work in case the lockdowns end in August, while 40 percent said otherwise.

Conducted from July 3 to 6, the survey used mobile phone and computerassisted telephone interviews of 1,555 adult Filipinos nationwide.

At the time of the interview, SWS said, 47 percent of the respondents said they had a job while 53 percent either did not have a job or never had a job.

‘Big hope’

The Department of Health says it is seeing “big hope” in the increasing recoveries from the COVID-19 cases of the Philippines that exceeded that of China, where the virus was first detected.

The department on Thursday reported 3,954 additional cases of COVID-19 and 38,075 new recoveries.

That brought the total number of cases to 89,374, and of which 22,327 were active cases, 65,064 were patients who recovered and 1,983 were fatalities.

Hospital closed

Manila City Mayor Francisco Domagoso on Thursday ordered the temporary closure of Ospital ng Maynila after reports that more health care workers had been infected with COVID-19.

Domagoso says the hospital will be closed until Aug. 9 to give way to sanitation activities and the identification of health care workers who might have been exposed to the virus.

He says it is important for the city government to keep its health care workers physically, emotionally and psychologically healthy.

Another testing facility

The Manila City government has launched another walk-in COVID-19 testing facility to intensify testing efforts amid the threat of the pandemic.

Manila Mayor Francisco Domogoso says the facility is located at the Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital The city government earlier said people without vehicles may instead go to the walk-in COVID-19 testing facility near the city’s hospitals. for an inquiry will focus on three major issues: the anomalous implementation of the interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM), the questionable insertions for the purchase of an ICT equipment worth P734 million, and the supposed manipulation of the agency’s financial statements.

Based on documents they obtained, Lacson said PhilHealth had anomalously released a total of P247 million to three hospitals in the Bicol Region and another P196 million to two hospitals in Eastern Visayas, all tertiary level institutions, only weeks after they applied through IRM, and even though they had only one COVID-19 patient.

News IN BRIEF Villar: Training a must for gov’t planting tack

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SC to purge judiciary of graft

By Rey E. Requejo

SEN. Cynthia Villar on Friday cited the need to include a “training component” to the “Plant, Plant, Plant” program of the government, which will be funded by a P66-billion stimulus package as mentioned by President Rodrigo Duterte in his State of the Nation Address last Monday.

Duterte also stressed this project is in line with the objective to provide adequate, accessible, and affordable food for every Filipino.

Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, asked the Department of Agriculture to make sure that the “Plant, Plant, Plant” program includes a training component for it to be effective.

“We cannot just distribute seeds and let the people plant on their own. We should also have a program that will teach them the know-how of planting. The strategy is to let people see that growing food is a joyful undertaking by helping them make their planting projects thrive,” Villar said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

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HE Supreme Court has revitalized the Judicial Integrity Board and the Corruption Prevention and Investigation Office, two offices tasked to further strengthen integrity and prevent corruption in the judiciary.

2 AFP officials promoted to next higher rank TWO ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines were promoted to the next higher rank during short ceremonies presided by outgoing AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Filemon Santos Jr., on Thursday.

Receiving his second star after his promotion to major general was AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, Brig. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, while AFP Provost Marshal General, Col. Gerry Pulohanan, donned his first star as newly promoted brigadier general.

Santos administered the donning of ranks ceremony held at Silid Lapu-Lapu at the general headquarters building in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

He congratulated the newly promoted generals for leading their respective offices, which are equally important in the overall accomplishment of the AFP’s mission.

Personal, work issues eyed in PCSO exec slay WORK-RELATED and personal matters are among the possible angles eyed by the police as the motive in the killing of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary Wesley Barayuga.

“The victim is a board secretary of the PCSO. It could be personal or work-related. It is likely that there are contracts or gambling operations that were not given permits, thus the incident,” Mandaluyong police chief, Col. Hector Grijaldo, said in Filipino in a radio interview.

Grijaldo added that they are now reviewing the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage in the area as part of their investigation.

“Meron na tayong mga nagawang pagkilala doon sa mga suspects base doon sa nakuha nating CCTV (footage). ‘Yung mga ginamit po na mga sasakyan at chine-check po natin kung kanino nakapangalan and ‘yung identities po nung mga suspects na involved doon sa pananambang doon sa biktima (We are now identifying of the suspects based on the CCTV footage that we got.

The vehicles that were used and to whom they are registered and also the identities of the suspects involved in the ambush),” he said. PNA

BUSTED. A busted pipe resulted in flooding at Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard cor. Pureza Street in Sta. Mesa, Manila on Friday morning.

The incident caused heavy traffic in the area. Norman Cruz

Imee seeks probe on ‘padded’ tuition fees

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Imee Marcos on Friday called for a Senate investigation to look into reports of “padded tuition fees” in Metro Manila’s top universities due to the inclusion of no longer applicable educational expenses.

“A Senate investigation is in order, if the Commission on Higher Education cannot settle this controversy before classes resume in late August,” said Marcos in filing Senate Resolution 480 to conduct the inquiry.

Marcos noted that there has been a growing number of complaints from

IATF, NTF urged to allow resumption of motor taxis THE transportation committee of the House of Representatives, led by Congressman Edgar Mary Sarmiento on Friday urged the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and the National Task Force on COVID-19 to allow the resumption of the operations of motorcycle ridehailing service Angkas and other similar transport network vehicle service to provide safe public transportation to commuters especially those who still need to go to work amid the pandemic.

Quezon City Congresswoman Precious Hipolito-Castelo filed the motion asking the IATF and NTF to allow resumption of MC taxi operations but also separately asked the bodies to look into allowing tricycles to ferry one additional passenger to help double capacity and cut costs.

“As long as we can implement the relevant public health measures as advised by our partner

experts, the motorcycle taxis and more passengers on tricycles will go a long way towards augmenting our current transport capacity, which has become the key bottleneck to reviving our economy.”

The pilot was supposed to end last March and reviewed by legislators, but was overtaken by COVID-19.

At the same time, the House transportation committee also passed the motion of Manila Rep. Cristal Bagatsing for Congress to spearhead the evaluation of the pilot study of motorcycle taxis in conjunction with the existing TWG to augment their review of other aspects important for legislation such as economics and competition.

“The TWG has done good work so far in reviewing MC taxi safety during the pilot. Our added involvement will ensure we round out the study before we draft the final bill by examining issues of pricing, supply pools, and taxation.”

Informant on Ecleo arrest to receive P2-m reward

THE lone tipster who provided information that led to the arrest of former Dinagat Islands congressman and cult leader Ruben Ecleo Jr., will get a P2-million reward, National Capital Region Police Office chief, Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas said on Thursday.

“The said informant came from the Dinagat Islands and proceeded to Manila and coordinated to our operatives and gave us an idea where Ecleo is residing,” Sinas said in a press briefing.

He, however, refused to disclose the identity of the informant, particularly whether he or she is a member of the Philippine Benevolent Missionary Association headed by Ecleo as its supreme master, for security reasons.

Ecleo, who tops the Most Wanted Persons list of the Department of the Interior and Lo-

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cal Government (DILG), carries a P2-million bounty.

Sinas said their six-month surveillance on Ecleo, who has been a fugitive from justice for 14 years, paid off as past operations to capture him resulted in bloody encounters between the police and some of his loyal followers.

The former lawmaker was sentenced to 31 years in prison by the Sandiganbayan for three counts of graft in 2006. He was also convicted by the Cebu City Regional Trial Court in 2012 for parricide over the killing of his wife, Alona Bacolod-Ecleo, in 2002.

Sinas said that after his conviction, Ecleo stayed in Davao for two years before he went to Luzon. He said Ecleo has been staying with his wife and daughter in Balibago in Angeles City for the past four years.

concerned parents and students enrolling about this tuition-padding.

“The inclusion of many miscellaneous fees for school facilities and services that would no longer be used is unnecessary and unconscionable,” Marcos said.

Complaints reaching Senator Marcos’s office said that schools in the University Belt were still charging various miscellaneous fees for the use of classroom-based internet, electricity, laboratories, libraries, and medical and dental clinics.

Marcos said it was unlikely that most students who are below 21 years old

would avail of school facilities, since guidelines set in early June by the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases have directed them to remain indoors during all community quarantine levels.

“Schools should not be playing blind and profiting on what they would no longer provide. Parents and students should definitely be paying less,” Marcos said.

She said that learning from home through online classes and modular lessons should be less costly than the faceto-face education before the Covid-19 pandemic.

This came after the Supreme Court has approved the amendments to carry out the implementation of JIB, which will act on complaints against erring justices, judges, officers and employees of the Judiciary, while the CPIO will conduct investigation on erring justices of the tertiary courts; and judges and personnel of the lower courts, including the Shari’a Courts; and the officials and employees of the Office of the Jurisconsult, Court Administrator, Deputy Court Administrator, Assistant Court Administrators and their personnel.

The resolution approving the amendments will be published today, August 1, 2020, in a newspaper of general circulation.

The reinvigoration of JIB and CPIO was part of Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta’s Ten Point Program, which include among others the implementation of the JIB and strengthen the Office of the Court Administrator. The Ten Point Program can be narrowed down to four core areas ― efficiency, integrity, security, and service.

Shortly after his appointment as the 26th Chief Justice in 2019, Peralta renewed his commitment to continue purging the judiciary of misfits and erring individuals. He also reassured that he would strengthen OCA and implement JIB and forge a synergy between the functions of these offices through judicial audits, information gathering and sharing.

The JIB and CPIO were created in 2018, but these two separate units were put by the SC on the backburner as the Committee on the Implementation of the Judicial Integrity Board called for a review of JIB’s functions in order to harmonize and prevent duplicity with those of the OCA and other offices.

This paved the way for the approval by the high court of the proposed amendments to Resolution in A.M. No. 18-0105-SC dated October 2, 2018 and to Rule 140 of the Rules of Court, as amended.

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020 lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

SNAP, Banaue LGU restore rice terraces BARANGAY Poitan in Banaue, Ifugao looks forward to the annual harvest festival this August, as it celebrates its first harvest after the successful productivity restoration of abandoned rice terraces in their area.

This was possible through PUNLA, an environment initiative of renewable energy solutions provider SN Aboitiz Power-Magat (SNAP-Magat) in partnership with four Ifugao municipalities: Hingyon, Mayoyao, Lagawe, and Banaue.

PUNLA (Partnership in Uplifting upland Natural resources, Livelihood, and Assets) began in 2018 aimed at protecting and restoring the Upper Magat Watershed and bolstering its surrounding communities.

The Banaue leg is a three-year project covering the rehabilitation of 6.41 hectares of rice terraces in Brgy. Poitan and reforestation of 48.44 has. also in Brgy.

Poitan as well as in Brgys. Amganad and Balawis.

Around 4.4 has. of the rice terraces, which have been unproductive for about five years now, have been restored while restoration activities continue for the remaining area.

The project in Banaue broke ground on February 6, 2020. Since its launch, land preparation including clearing and weeding, tilling, planting, and other maintenance activities have been done.

On top of the local government unit’s earmarked funds, SNAP has set aside P4.3 million of which P1.3 million was already released.

For 2020, SNAP-Magat and Banaue targeted the rehabilitation of the abandoned rice terraces and reforestation of 2.41 has. in Brgy Poitan; while a reforestation project for 20.73 has. is targeted in Brgy. Balawis, Banaue in 2021.

‘Immunization in the time of pandemia’ A SORORITY in the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, to emphasize the critical role of immunization in preventing vaccine-preventable diseases, has organized a webinar series titled “Immunization in the Time of Pandemia.”

The webinar, organized by the UPCM Mu Sigma Phi Medical Society, aims to give importance to immunization from vaccine-preventable diseases as the UPCM - Mu Sigma Phi Medical Sorority continues to crusade for its advocacy of promoting individual and community health.

In a statement, the sorority said the immunization discussions were part of the COVIDgilance Webinar Series and in partnership with the sorority’s “Dr. Salvacion R. Gatchalian Memorial Webinar Lecture Series.”

The COVIDgilance lectures hope to inform the whole community regarding coronavirus and ways on how to prevent its spread most especially among the immunocompromised population (i.e. infants, pregnant women, elderly, people with chronic illnesses, etc.).

COVIDgilance also aims to address the rampant spread of fake news and misinformation by promoting to the Filipino community an educational campaign to help end this war on COVID-19, the sorority said.

In “Balik Tiwala, Balik Bakuna” – Debunking Vaccination Myths Around the COVID-19 Pandemic, the first webinar of this series, infectious disease specialist and head of the PGH – Hospital Infection Control Unit Dr. Regina Berba discussed how vaccines kick start the production of antibodies to fight off infection and the significance of the childhood immunization series and flu and pneumonia shots in our adult lives.

Berba expounded on the complications of each vaccine-preventable disease, including infections associated with high morbidity/mortality (pneumococcal pneumonia) and potential cancer-associated viral infections (Hepatitis B and HPV).

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

TERRACES RESTORED. Partnership between SNAP and Banaue LGU successfully restores abandoned rice terraces in Brgy. Poitan through PUNLA, with first harvest expected this August.

Farmers file complaint vs prov’l board member A

By Brenda Jocson

MBAGUIO, Nueva Vizcaya—A group of women vegetable farmers here has filed a complaint for estafa with the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) against a provincial board member and staff of a cooperative that the farmers said was being used as a front to secure loans from government agencies that never developed despite months of waiting.

Sixteen members of the TIBIK (Timpuyog Ti Babbalasang Idi Kalman) Ambaguio Chapter filed their sworn affidavits of complaints last July 20 at the PPO against North District Board Member Roland Carub.

Also included in the complaint are Nora Reyes, manager of the Cebu Multipurpose Cooperative (Cebu Coop) in Nueva Vizcaya and a resident of Solano town; Cebu Coop Loan Officer Rosalia Taculao Galising Aleste; a certain James, who the farmers said posed as a cashier for the cooperative; and a certain Amy, a staffer of Cebu Coop.

In a radio interview, Carub defended himself, saying the applications for the loans from the Department of Agriculture were processed by the Cebu cooperative, “but the government procedures are very slow, that’s why until now the loans are not yet granted.”

Reyes, Aleste and the two coop workers have yet to react to the filing as of press-

time.

According to Lea Buhangik, Ambaguio TIBIK Chapter President, Carub, Reyes and Aleste went to Ambaguio to personally convince them to create a workers/ gardeners’ association to be registered at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Vizcaya Field Office.

This, Buhangik said, would enable the farmers to secure a loan from the Production Easy Access Loan (PLEA) from the Department of Agriculture worth P50,000 to P100,00, from P3 or Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for P20,000, and other funds from the national government.

Carub did the DOLE orientation himself without any personnel from the department in February 2019, Buhangik said, which the farmers were made to believe is credible since the board member is a person of authority.

The complainants, in their sworn statements, unanimously pointed out that they

were enticed and convince to form TIBIK because Carub is the group’s founder. Also, the Cebu Coop office is listed at Carub Building on 29 Yogad Street, Barangay Quirino in Solano, which is owned by the board member.

But to avail of the government aid, Reyes of Cebu Coop told the farmers to register with their cooperative with a P5,930 membership fee each, which would also entitle them to up to P40,000 in loans with the cooperative, Buhangik said.

Shirley Anne Dingcoy, Vice President of Ambaguio TIBIK, also said they each paid Cebu Coop an additional P200 for notarial fees to process their PLEA application forms with the DOLE. The farmers paid these fees in September 2019, they said in their affidavit.

But months passed without development, as the complainants said from October 2019 to February 2020, the members were continually promised by the different staff of Cebu Coop to wait because their loan package would soon be granted.

In March this year, tired of waiting for their promised loans to augment their farming financial necessities, the members again went to Cebu Coop to inquire and tried withdraw their capital shares for lack of return of investment, but the cooperative refused to return the monies.

Coop manager Reyes told the complainants she was not able to personally bring the P3 applications to the DTI Regional Office in Baguio City because of the prevailing enhanced community quarantine.

Globe extends aid to Cebu City’s hospitals, brgys.

WITH Cebu City still battling against a high number of COVID-19 cases and several barangays facing lockdown, Globe Telecom continues to extend its assistance to select hospitals and barangays in the area to help ease the impact of the pandemic on medical and auxiliary staff.

There are currently over 8,000 COVID-19 cases in Cebu City alone, leaving hospitals which are overburdened with patients, in need of additional personal protective equipment.

In response to this, Globe said it distributed 40,000 face masks and 500 face shields to the following: Chong Hua Hospital- Fuente and Mandaue, Perpetual Succour Hospital, Cebu Doctors University Hospital, SWU (Southwestern University) Medical Center, Cebu City Medical Center, Visayas Community Medical Center, Talisay District Hospital, Miller Hospital and some barangay isolation and quarantine centers .

This was done through efforts with 1CebuVolunteerDoctorsforCOVID, a group of volunteer doctors in Cebu. “Our fight still continues as the number of cases increases and Cebu’s manpower and infrastructure are at risk of buckling anytime.

“It is with this necessity that our group directs its efforts to find protective equipment and gear to respond directly to those most in need. We hope to protect Cebu with your kindness and support,” said Dr. Ellie May Villegas who leads 1CebuVolunteerDoctorsforCOVID. “We know that the threat remains far from over. This is why we are steadfast in our commitment to continuously help our frontliners in whatever way we can to keep them safe and healthy,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications.

Earlier, Globe sent 4,500 pcs of facemasks, 100 pcs of PPEs and 100 pcs of face shields to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center which serves as a COVID-19 testing center.

SUCCESSFUL FARMER. KSK farmer Les Buena Lee takes pride in his Chinese cabbage crops at his rooftop based urban garden (inset) to adapt during the ECQ in Tacloban.

PPE BENEFICIARIES. Cebu City hospitals and

chosen barangays are recipients of Private Personal Equipment from Globe Telecom as the area stands up to rising COVID-19 caseload to help ease the impact of the coronavirus disease.

Solar-powered STP in Baywalk now operational

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Friday announced that the newly-installed solar-powered Sewerage Treatment Plant in Manila Baywalk area was now operational.

The STP, according to MMDA chairman Danilo Lim, is intended to treat waste water from three drainages directly discharging to Manila Bay. Lim said the construction works of the STP and a connecting drainage/ sewerage interceptor began in 2019.

Waste water from three drainage outfalls in Malate – Padre Faura Drainage Main, Remedios Drainage, and Estero de San Antonio de Abad -- will undergo a treatment process through the STP before being discharged to Manila Bay. Operating through an off-grid solar system, the STP is connected to a power supply for 12 hours during daytime, and operates on its generated solar energy for 12 hours during nighttime. It holds a 500,000 liter per day capacity.

“Now that the first STP of the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program is finally operational, we are confident that this will help improve the quality of water being discharged to the Manila Bay,” said Lim. He added “we will continuously work together to ensure we will achieve our goals in this mission.”

The MMDA chief said the agency would continue its desilting operations in Padre Faura and Remedios Main Outfall covering a catchment area of approximately 310 hectares.

He said both the STP and desilting operations would contribute to reducing coliform levels in Manila Bay. The STP is part of the government’s continuous efforts to rehabilitate Manila Bay upon the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Underground quarantine facility found, is closed

By Jess Malabanan ANGELES CITY -- The local government here padlocked over the weekend a private-owned quarantine facility at Barangay Sto. Cristo for alleged violation of the health protocol set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Jr. said he ordered the immediate closure of the facility following reports that a person infected with coronavirus from Laguna was placed under quarantine from July 25 - 29 without proper coordination with the local government unit and the City Health Office.

Lazatin said legal actions against the owner of the building were being readied.

The facility, Lazatin said, is an abandoned building being maintained by the Atriaprime Development Corporation.

The company facilitated the transport of coronavirus carrier from Laguna.

The safety officer of ATRIA PRIME Development Corporation whose name was not mentioned in the press statement, confirmed that the company planned to convert the Old OB Montessori Building into a quarantine facility.

The patient, according to Lazatin’s Chief Adviser and Tactician Director IC Calaguas, was already transffered at Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center for further treatment.

Meanwhile, the safety officer is now quarantined at the City College of Angeles while waiting for the result of his rapid test, Lazatin added.

Lazatin instructed Angeles City Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office O fficer-in-Charge Rudy Simeon, Business Permit and Licensing Division Chief Evangeline Malonzo, and City Engineer Donato Dizon to close the building.

KSK farmer exhibits resilience LES Buena Lee is a farmer-graduate of SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) program Batch 147 in Tacloban.

Not only has he used his knowledge to improve his life, he is also a great example of resilience.

Through the knowledge he acquired from the program, Les was able to expand his agri-production, enabling him to supply fresh produce, high value crops such as Chinese cabbage, kangkong, bell pepper, and sweet pepper, to a number of restaurants and big grocery stores in Samar.

“After my KSK training, my harvest became bountiful, reason I had more customer at the west market, restaurants and supermarkets,” Les said.

Misfortune struck when typhoon Ursula hit the country in December 2019.

Les’ standing crop and all his farm inputs

(seedlings, his formulation of organic pesticides and fertilizers and farm materials) were wiped out.

With his savings from previous harvests, Les traveled all the way to Manila to buy seedlings and other farm inputs to start anew.

However, upon his return home to Tacloban, the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was imposed throughout the country.

Knowing that this will affect his agrienterprise, he thought of ways to make the lockdown less stressful and potentially profitable for him and his parents.

The entrepreneurial spirit in Les prodded him to convert the rooftop of his parent’s four-story lodging house in Tacloban into a container-urban garden.

Through this, he was able to supply food for his family, friends, and other relatives during the ECQ.

Opinion Anti-COVID-19 vaccine

by December?

POWER POINT

ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO A VISIBLY excited President Rodrigo Duterte addressed the Filipino people before noon of July 31. He announced that a vaccine against COVID-19 will be made available to the people in December and the country will be back to normal. He emphasized that this is not the so-called “new normal” as usually mentioned by other government officials but our pre-pandemic lives.

Let us be conservative.

Duterte again repeatedly praised China as he read part of a letter saying that the Philippines, because it maintains a friendly relation with China, is a priority to receive the anti-COVID-19 vaccine once it is ready.

Secretary Sonny Dominguez echoed what Duterte said although with more care.

He said that while some vaccines are in the final stages of development, these will first have to be approved by their countries’ health authorities. Here, the Department of Health (DOH) will decide on which vaccine the country will use. Our own Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will first have to examine the efficacy of vaccines that will be available in the market.

Still, Dominguez said that the vaccine will likely be available to the Filipino people late December of this year.

Duterte, hitting his critics for saying that he has no plan to fight COVID-19 said that he had no plan because he has not yet received the good news on the vaccine. He said that he has always emphasized the need for this. He then rolled out his scheme on how the vaccine will be administered.

The priorities are the poor, or those receiving assistance from government, as well as the police and the military. Next are those belonging to the middle class. Except for the rich who will need to pay for the vaccine, he said the vaccine will be free of charge.

Duterte also said that members of the New People’s Army (NPA) may be given the vaccine on condition that they will not harm the military as they lead in administering the medicine. Drug lords and drug pushers will not be vaccinated. Duterte said he does not consider them as people, but dogs.

It is very noticeable that Duterte has excluded in his priorities the health care workers (HCWs) who are at the forefront of the war against COVID-19 despite the fact that many doctors, nurses and HCWs have contracted, and are contracting the deadly disease. We have lost numerous doctors and nurses in the line of duty, yet, they are not top of mind of the president in terms of protection.

Duterte also put the Armed Forces of the

Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on top of the program to administer the vaccine to be assisted by volunteer HCWs, allegedly, to prevent corruption. One would think that since the problem is medical, it is but logical to put our medical experts in charge of the program. But again, the president has shown that he trusts the uniformed forces most.

In terms of financing, Dominguez said that the government has the needed money.

For 20 million Filipinos to be vaccinated, we need around 40 million vaccine doses which will cost around P20 billion. He said that the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Land Bank can finance this.

It would appear then that everything is good and that there is good reason to hope that Filipinos may have a merry Christmas.

Let us look at what is happening in terms of vaccine development. Worldwide, there are about 200 groups of medical researchers working on vaccine/s against COVID-19.

Experts say that it usually takes years, even decades, for a vaccine to be perfected. The world is in a rush and is trying to develop the cure in a matter of months.

Presently, about 42 vaccines are being developed by several countries including China, the United States, and United Kingdom.

Of the 42, only three (3) are in the advanced developmental stage that is phase three.

Another three are between phases two and three; two are in phase two; six are between phases one and two; and the rest are in phase one or pre-clinical stage.

Those in phase three are the world’s best bet. This phase entails trials involving thousands of individuals to better measure how effective the vaccine is in protecting people.

In phase three, it is also typical to compare the protection conferred to those who undergo immunization against those who receive placebo, or a substance that has no therapeutic effect.

For sure, there is hope. But even the experts are saying that a vaccine will likely be available middle of next year and they emphasize that there are no guarantees that it will work. People also need to know that not all vaccines are the same. Some are more effective than others. Thus, it will do well for our medical experts to take extreme care before recommending the vaccine/s of their choice.

We must also remember that because of the unfounded scandal against Dengvaxia, a good number of our people may still harbor distrust on vaccines in general. This must be considered in any plan on mass-administration of a vaccine against COVID-19. It may be harder than we think.

Thus, while I hope that Duterte is correct that a vaccine will be available by December, this is unlikely to happen. Also, because of the rush I developing this, the efficacy may not be the maximum. For now and until a vaccine that can be really trusted is developed, let us be conservative and not contract COVID-19. Keeping safe is still the best. @bethangsioco on Twitter Angsioco on Facebook

Elizabeth

Far from over NAKED THOUGHT CHARLIE V. MANALO IT SEEMS Panay Electric Company’s woes are far from over.

A couple of weeks ago, Peco lost its appeal to regain distribution assets now controlled by rival firm More Electric Power Corp. or More Power after an Iloilo City court junked their motion for reconsideration.

Still reeling from its debacle, Peco is now facing investigation after a lawyer from Iloilo City bared yesterday he will pursue a case against the old utility company and its owners—the Cacho family, led by its patriarch Luis Miguel Cacho— over the opening of three offshore companies in the Bahamas. This was discovered in an international investigation of leaked papers of a Singapore-based company specializing in putting up paper companies in a Caribbean tax haven.

Lawyer Zafiro Lauron said he would file a case to convince the Anti-Money Laundering Council to open an investigation into the offshore bank accounts of the

Cacho family and Peco. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists listed the utility company as one of the beneficial owners of two companies while Luis Miguel Cacho was said to own an investment company, all registered in the British Virgin Islands, a tax haven favored by the world’s rich families to avoid payment of taxes in their home countries, in its web portal in its web portal.

The offshore bank accounts of the Cacho family and Peco are among those listed in

Three companies listed in the British Virgin Islands? the findings of the ICIJ, a global network of more than 190 investigative journalists in more than 65 countries who collaborate on in-depth investigative stories.

The Offshore Leaks Papers comprised the first batch of secret papers in a computer drive that arrived in the group’s headquarters in London in 2013. The drive contained four large databases plus half a million text, PDF, spreadsheet, image and web files. Analysis by ICIJ’s data experts showed that the data originated

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020

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EDITORIAL

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Mission to Mars

S OF 5:30 pm Friday, some 1.48 million Filipinos have reserved slots for their names to be on board future missions to the planet Mars, according to the Send Your Name to Mars site of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

But the surge in names could be interpreted as a gesture of desperation and exasperation over the government handling of COVID-19.

On Thursday, the Department of Health recorded 3,954 new cases but re-classified mild and asymptomatic patients among “recovered” cases—38,075 miraculous recoveries in a single day.

The number represents three fifths of total reservations of 2.54 million. Reservations from the United States came a poor second at 150,643, and India placed third at 134,369.

The send-your-name program serves no grand purpose than to allow individuals to let NASA fly their names to Mars in future flights. One gets a neat, downloadable boarding pass to mark the slot.

In a span of over 24 hours, however, the number of Filipinos who had signed up for future trips grew fivefold. This may of course merely indicate an adventurous spirit—and we know how we can get caught up in online trends.

One even gets a neat, downloadable boarding pass to mark the slot.

On Friday, the new cases record was breached anew with 4,063 additional individuals testing positive for the virus. One hundred sixty-five people recovered.

In his recorded address to the nation Friday morning, the President said a vaccine from

China would soon be available and that his military and his police would administer these first to the poorest Filipinos.

Metro Manila continues to be under General Community Quarantine, which means economic activity continues even in the face of greater risk of community contagion.

The President’s faith in uniformed personnel is no secret—many wonder why in the midst of a public health emergency, it is soldiers and cops who are in charge. Unfortunately recent acts of the police and pronouncements by their leaders do little to assure us that they will wield their authority to protect the people, not punish those who are critical of them.

There is something to be said for those desperate enough to contemplate life on another planet—or at least send their names to it. It's hyperbole, of course, but the way this pandemic has beaten all of us into submission, some more brutally than others, makes us desperate in our plea that our leaders demonstrate both excellence and compassion as we battle this virus which is still so alien to us all.

Duterte clarifies his foreign policy PRESIDENT Duterte’s foreign policy in his State of the Nation last July 7 was brief.

It was also concise because he admitted that while we have contentious claims in the South China Sea, the truth is, China is in possession of many of the islands. As a lawyer, he knows that possession is an important consideration of ownership. Taking that into account, he admitted he cannot do anything unless we take the risk of sacrificing the life of our people.

Going to war with the Chinese just to drive them out is a risky proposition. He knows that the great majority of our people prefer a reasonable understanding of the conundrum by seeking a better option than going to war even if the US swears to high heavens it would come to our side in the event of conflict.

The President also put to rest the speculation he was wavering on his decision to remove the US bases. Supposedly, the stay of the US bases ended in 1991 but somehow managed to return under the guise of visiting forces signed in 2001 and allowing them to establish permanent bases in 2015 under the EDCA with almost all facing towards SCS. The return of the US bases carries serious implication to the hooted cry of the US for freedom of navigation. This now reinforces Mike Pompeo’s call to revive the Cold War using the Philippines as the anchorage port for its fleet in the SCS. The freedom of navigation has now become a tour de force led by the US navy and a flotilla of hodgepodge allies pressured to show support to the revived Cold War with China.

President Duterte’s thought is clear - that the presence in the Philippines of the US bases has given it the right to regularly pass the SCS under the pretext of right of way and freedom of navigation.

Without EDCA, the claim of the US to freedom of navigation would have no legs to stand on but can only be considered routine naval patrol in an area far from its territory under its arbitrary and misplaced exercise of the Monroe Doctrine.

in 10 offshore jurisdictions, including the British Virgin Islands, the Cook Islands and Singapore. It included details of more than 122,000 offshore companies or trusts, nearly 12,000 intermediaries (agents or “introducers”), and about 130,000 records on the people and agents who run, own, benefit from or hide behind offshore companies.

According to the ICIJ, among the documents found in the data leaked to the group called the Offshore Leaks Papers (https:// offshoreleaks.icij.org/) were thousands of documents listing the paper companies that were registered in the British Virgin Islands in Bahamas by the Portcullis TrustNet Fund Services Ltd., a company owned by Singapore-based Portcullis Services Pte. Limited.

Based on its findings, the ICIJ unearthed papers showing that the utility firm Peco and members of the Cacho family were able to register at least three companies in the British Virgin Islands. The listing at a period when Iloilo City’s officials and City Council, pushed by thousands of complaints from Ilonggos on the company’s poor quality of service and monthly electricity bills that were among the highest in the country at that time, demanded that PECO account for the high levels of profits that it had declared for its shareholders.

The ICIJ web page https://offshoreleaks. icij.org/nodes/293428 showed that the late Luis Miguel Cacho, the patriarch of the clan, registered a company called the Costa Group Investments Ltd., an entity regis-

BACKBENCHER

ROD P. KAPUNAN Besides, the danger in having them here is the possibility that the US will store nuclear weapons inside those bases. Duterte said that once we allow the US to store those weapons, which they would neither confirm nor deny, the Philippine would be the prime target for retaliation with the archipelago first to be incinerated and its people put to extinction.

Going to war with the Chinese just to drive them out is a risky proposition.

The idea of using the bases to pre-empt nuclear attack is devoid of wisdom and logic. Why allow our country to be sacrificed in an unimaginable nuclear exchange when both sides have the capability to reach and inflict massive destruction to each other’s territory? Besides, having the US bases here does not provide the logical purpose of using the Philippines as a defensive shield.

If the objective is to win a war, he said, many are inclined to believe that such is an unwinnable proposition. China can easily hit the US heartland in the event of nuclear war? The accuracy of anti-ballistic missile to intercept incoming missile tipped with the doomsday Cassandra is more of a wish to survive than of a desire to come out from it alive.

Duterte has foresight; he knows that reasonable minds will prevail upon our people in redefining our relations with China. Al-

tered with the British Virgin Islands in the Bahamas on April 11, 2000, with an address listed as Portcullis Trustnet Chambers, PO Box 3444 Road Town Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Costa Group’s papers listed as members of its Board of Directors Luis Miguel Ayesa Cacho, who is also corporate secretary, Jose Maria E. Cacho and a certain William Michael Valtos Jr. Portcullis Trustnet (BVI or British Virgin Islands) Ltd. acted as keeper of records and register.

Luis Miguel is also President and Chief Operating Officer of Panay Electric Co. or PECO and his son Marcelo Cacho is PECO’s head of Public Engagement and Government Affairs Marcelo Cacho. Jose Maria is the brother of Luis Miguel and has been declared legally blind.

The companies that Peco reportedly set up with the help of Portcullis Trustnet and Valtos were the Prime Rose Technology Ltd. and the Mega International Services Ltd. Prime Rose Technology was registered in the British Virgin Islands on October 11, 2000, with Jose Maria Cacho, Peco and Valtos listed as shareholders and Cacho and Valtos as Directors.

Mega International Services, on the other hand, was set up a month earlier on Sept. 12, 2000, with Jose Maria E. Cacho, JMEC Development Corp. and Valtos as Shareholders, with Jose Maria Cacho and Valtos as Directors. PortCullis Trustnet also served

though the President left hanging our claim in the SCS, he knows his solution will never satisfy the like mind of former foreign affairs secretary Albert Del Rosario, former Supreme Court associate justices Antonio Carpio and Conchita Carpio-Morales. In fact, his formula is already being implemented but his detractors do not wish for a just settlement on the contentious issue with China to maintain the mistrust and sustain the validity of our alliance with the US. President may be fond of castigating his detractors often saying “putang *na” to his political enemies but he has shown to have more wisdom to know the problem. He knows how to apply the win-win formula to resolve the contentious issues in the SCS. He has the innate capacity to reach out that earned his government the most favorable concession compared to any of his predecessors. Most importantly, he knows that our overlapping claims with China are not of our making but a boundary made by the US and Spain in the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898. This the Americans had kept silent from our people.

The Philippines was occupied by the US as a conquered colony for 50 years. While holding on to the archipelago, the US never manifested any of the maritime powers that the tiny group of islands known as Spratlys is not part of the treaty when it purchased the archipelago from Spain. After the grant of independence in 1946, the US remained silent until after it refused to ratify the UNCLOS and started ratcheting our claim in the SCS. The US and Spain in the Treaty of Paris demarcated the latitude and longitude of the territory sold by Spain. Those areas outside the boundary do not belong to the US and to the Philippines as successor-in-interest.

Most important, when the two governments demarcated our boundary, particularly that area facing the SCS, the People’s Republic of China has yet to be founded.

Full version at www.manilastandard.net

as keeper of records and registry.

JMEC Development Corp. is a company registered in the Philippines that handles business management consultancy and real estate sale and development in Iloilo City, with address as 168 General Luna St, Iloilo City Proper, Iloilo City, 5000 Iloilo.

Whereas it has lost in the “power struggle” in Iloilo before, now Peco is bound to lose more, if not everything.

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Aussie law forces tech titans to pay for news S YDNEY—Australia unveiled a draft law Friday to force Google and Facebook to pay news media for their content in a “worldleading” initiative sure to prompt a confrontation with the US digital giants.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced the “mandatory code of conduct” to govern relations between the struggling news industry and the tech firms after 18 months of negotiations failed to bring the two sides together.

In addition to payment for content, the code covers issues like access to user data, transparency of algorithms and ranking of content in the platforms’ news feeds and search results.

“Nothing less than the future of the Australian media landscape is at stake with these changes,” Frydenberg said at a news conference.

He said legislation implementing the code would be introduced into parliament in the coming weeks and include “substantial penalties” that could cost the tech companies hundreds of millions of dollars.

While the code could eventually apply to any digital platform, Frydenberg said it would initially focus on Facebook and Google, two of the world’s richest and most powerful companies.

Google responded quickly, saying it was “deeply disappointed” with the proposal.

“The government’s heavy-handed intervention Manila

SCN FORM NO. 1 Standard (R.A. NO. 9139)

nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. I have not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude. I am not suffering from mental alienation or from any incurable contagious disease. The country of which I am a citizen or subject is not at war with the Philippines and grants to Filipinos the right to be naturalized citizens or subjects thereof.

TODAY

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF BRIAN CHRISTIAN CHIN CHEN to be naturalized as Filipino citizen pursuant to Republic Act No. 9139.

SCN CASE NO. x------------------ ------- x

PETITION Pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9139, petitioner hereby submits a petition for naturalization to become a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines and respectfully declares: 1. My full name is BRIAN CHRISTIAN CHIN CHEN , but I have also been known since childhood as N/A or I have been N/A . judicially authorized to use the alias name(s) 2. My present place of residence is Unit 18A, Lee Tower, 921 S. Padilla St., Binondo, City/Municipality of Manila Province of N/A , and all my former places of residence are (please indicate periods of residence) 2006-2015 Room 409, NCC Building, 1185 G. Masangkay St., Sta. Cruz, Manila 1997-2006 Unit 8, 62 Don Vicente, Don Antonio Heights, Diliman, Quezon City 3. I was born on October 27, 1997 in Manila, Philippines. I have been a resident of the Philippines since birth. At present, I am a citizen or subject of China.

4. My father's name is WeiPing Chen aka Danny Tan and he was born on July 19, 1965, in Jiangsu, China. He is a citizen or subject of China. My mother's name is Fely Chin Chen and she was born on January 9, 1964 in Manila, Philippines. She is a citizen or subject of Taiwan.

5. My trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is Finance and Accounting Associate Manager and from which I derive an average annual income of P930,000.00, inclusive of bonuses, commissions and allowances. My wife's/husband's trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is N/A and from which she derives an average annual income of N/A (Where the above does not apply): I am exempt from the requirement of lucrative trade or occupation and from submitting income tax returns for the past three (3) years because I am a college degree holder [please state (1) degree obtained: N/A, (2) name of school: N/A and (3) years graduated: N/A who cannot practice my profession (the practice of which requires a government licensure examination) by reason of my citizenship.

6. My civil status is Single, I was married on N/A My wife's/ husband's name is N/A and she/he was born on N/A. She/ he is a citizen or subject of N/A and presently resides N/A 7. I am legally separated from my spouse; my marriage was annulled, per decree of legal separation/annulment dated N/A granted by N/A. (please indicate the particular court which granted the same). I am a widower/widow and my spouse died on N/A in N/A. 8. I have 0 child/children, whose names, dates and places of birth and residences are as follows:

Name N/A

Date of Birth N/A

Place of Birth N/A

Residence

Name of School

Place of School

St. Stephen’s High School

Manila, Philippines Manila, Philippines N/A

N/A

2004-2010 Grade 6 Elementary School N/A N/A

11. I have enrolled my minor children of school age in the following public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), where Philipine History, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality:

N/A

14. My character witnesses are Francis Shernyn, Jan Koengchiat Lao and Royce Cavin Chan Chang both Filipino citizens, of legal age, and residing at 712 Madrid St., San Nicolas, Binondo, Manila and 48 A Apo St., Quezon City respectively, who have executed sworn statements attached hereto in support of my instant petition, together with: (a) brief biographical data about themselves; (b) detailed statements on the dates they first came to know me, the circumstances of our initial acquaintance and the reasons and extent of our continuing familiarity; and (c) the number of times they have acted as character witnesses in other petitions for naturalization.

15. Attached hereto as annexes and made part of this petition are the duplicate originals or certified photocopies of the following documents (please check the appropriate box): [ /] a. Petitioner's birth certificate [ ] b. Petitioner's alien certificate of registration (ACR) [ ] c. Petitioner's native-born certificate of residence (NBCR) [ ] d. Petitioner's marriage certificate, if married [ ] e. Death certificate of his/her spouse, if widowed [ ] f. Court decree annulling his/her marriage or granting legal separation, if such was the fact [ ] g. Birth certificates of petitioner's minor children [ ] h. ACRs of petitioner's minor children [ ] i. NBCRs of petitioner's minor children [ /] j. Affidavits of financial capacity by the petitioner, duly supported by bank certifications, passbooks, stock certificates, or proof of ownership of other properties [/ ] k. Affidavits of at least two (2) credible witnesses who must be Filipino citizens of good reputation in petitioner's place of residence [/ ] l. Medical certificate from a government hospital stating that petitioner is not suffering from mental alienation or a user of prohibited drugs or otherwise a drug dependent and that he/she is not afflicted with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), or any incurable contagious disease. [/ ] m. School diploma and transcript of records of the petitioner from the school/s he or she attended in the Philippines [ ] n. Certifications stating that petitioner's minor children are enrolled in public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the DECS, where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality [/ ] o. Petitioner's income tax returns for the past three years [ ] p. Petitioner's receipts of payment of income tax for the past three years 16. Other documents submitted by the petitioner in support of his/her petition: I-Card Certificate, Spiral Group, Inc. Certificate of Employment, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA (ROHQ) Certificate of Employment PRAYER WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that petitioner be conferred Philippine citizenship pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No, 9139.

Dated at Makati City, Metro Manila, this 12 day of January, 2020.

BRIAN CHRISTIAN CHIN CHEN Name and Signature of Petitioner Address: Unit 18A, Lee Tower, 921 S. Padilla St., Binondo, Manila Telephone Number: (02) 85180168 / (0917) 8503452

Dates Highest Grade of Completed Study 2010-2014 4th Year High School

10. I am able to read, write and speak Filipino and/or any of the following dialects of the Philippines:N/A

Name of Child

13. It is my true and honest intention to become a citizen of the Philippines and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and, particularly, to China of which at this time I am a citizen or subject. I will reside continuously in the Philippines from the date of the filing of this petition up to the time of my admission to Philippine citizenship.

N/A

9. I received my primary and secondary education from the following public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality:

St. Stephen’s High School

threatens to impede Australia’s digital economy and impacts the services we can deliver to Australians,” said Mel Silva, Google’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand.

Australia’s initiative has been closely watched around the globe as news media worldwide have suffered in an increasingly digital economy where advertising revenue is overwhelmingly captured by Facebook, Google and other big tech firms.

The news industry crisis has been exacerbated by the economic collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with dozens of Australian newspapers closed and hundreds of journalists sacked in recent months.

Unlike other countries’ so-far unsuccessful efforts to force the platforms to pay for news, the Australian initiative uses competition law and not copyright regulations to challenge what Australia calls an “acute bargaining power imbalance” between media and the US giants.

The move has been strongly pushed by Australia’s two biggest media companies, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and Nine Entertainment, who stand to gain the most from the crackdown.

News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller called Friday’s announcement a “watershed moment” and declared the “platforms’ days of free-riding are ending”.

Facebook and Google have hinted they could simply boycott Australian media if mandatory payments are imposed, but Frydenberg warned that the code would prohibit any “discrimination” by the tech companies.

“Today’s draft legislation will draw the attention of many regulatory agencies and many governments around the world,” Frydenberg said, calling the initiative a “world-leading regulatory framework”. AFP

Name and Place of School N/A

Date of Enrollment N/A

12. I shall never be a public charge. I am of good moral character. I believe in the principles underlying the Philippine Constitution. I have conducted myself in a proper and irreproachable manner during the entire period of my residence in the Philippines in my relations with the constituted government as well as with the community in which I am living. I mingled socially with Filipinos and have evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipino people. I have all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications under Republic Act No. 9139.

I am not opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association or group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing all organized governments. I am not defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of violence, personal assault or assassination for the success and predominance of one's ideas. I am not a polygamist

Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) CITY/MUNICIPALITY OF______) S.S. of legal age and a I, BRIAN CHRISTIAN CHIN CHEN resident of Unit 18A, Lee Tower, 921 S. Padilla St., Binondo, Manila after being duly sworn, depose and say that I am the petitioner herein, that I have read the foregoing petition and know the foregoing petition and known the contents thereof, and that the same is true of my own knowledge.

BRIAN CHRISTIAN CHIN CHEN Name and Signature of Petitioner SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me at CITY OF MANILA, this 23 JAN 2020.

(MS-JULY 18, 25 & AUG. 1, 2020)

POOR BABY. A 16-day-old baby sleeps by her family as refugee families camp at Victoria square in central Athens, Greece on July 29. Around 100 mostly Afghan refugees have been camping in a square in recent days under temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius after arriving from island’s camps. Refugees who were awarded asylum over a month ago, are allowed to leave Moria and other camps and sail to Athens, but without further assistance. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Wong: Hong Kong ‘resistance’ will continue HONG KONG—Hong Kong’s democracy camp will continue to fight Beijing’s crackdown on political freedoms, prominent dissident Joshua Wong said Friday after he and other activists were barred from standing for election.

“Our resistance will continue on and we hope the world can stand with us in the upcoming uphill battle,” he told reporters.

Dressed in a black T-shirt emblazoned with the words “They can’t kill us all”, 23-year-old Wong slammed authorities for disqualifying some of the city’s best-known democracy activists from standing in September’s legislative elections.

“Beyond any doubt (this) is the most scandalous election fraud era in

Hong Kong history,” he said.

The disqualifications were the latest blow against the semi-autonomous city’s democracy movement, which has been under sustained attack from China’s Communist Party rulers.

China imposed a national security law last month on Hong Kong outlawing subversion, which it warned was a “sword” hanging over the head of democracy protesters.

On Thursday, 12 democracy activists were told they would not be allowed to stand for the partially elected legislature because of their previously stated political views.

The democracy campaigners had been hoping to win a first-ever majority in the 70-seat legislature, which is

WTO in turmoil over ‘politicized’ chief pick by US GENEVA — The WTO’s bid to pick an acting chief before September has been complicated by US “politicization” of what should have been be a straightforward process, a diplomatic source lamented Thursday.

The World Trade Organization, already engulfed in multiple crises, could be left with no one at the helm if it fails to find a replacement before Director-General Roberto Azevedo steps down at the end of August.

In May, the Brazilian diplomat made the surprise announcement that he would end his second term 12 months early, and while there are now eight people vying to replace him, the process is expected to last until mid-November.

According to WTO guidelines, if such a situation arises, one of the organisation’s four deputy chiefs should be chosen to hold the reins until the next director-general can take over.

The position of acting DG is considered a purely administrative position, aimed basically at “making the trains run on time”, WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell told reporters last week.

The WTO’s General Council began discussing the issue last week, and most people expected a quick decision, but were caught by surprise when the US turned it into a “political issue”, a Geneva-based trade diplomat told AFP. The current deputy director-generals come from the United States, China, Germany and Nigeria, and most members had anticipated that the German, Karl Brauner, who is in charge of WTO secretariate administration, was the best placed for the job.

“But not the Americans,” said the trade diplomat, who asked not to be named, adding that Washington is stubbornly insisting that the US envoy Alan Wolff get the job.

“Most people thought that this was an apolitical affair,” the diplomat said, stressing that “we only need someone to act as a caretaker for a limited period, to keep the ship on course.”

But once the US “politicized” the issue, “it became a political issue for others as well,” the diplomat said, adding that while no members opposed Wolff personally, China and a number of others were not prepared to give Washington its way.

The US meanwhile insists on its right to make its preferences known and rejects that Brauner’s selection was a foregone conclusion. AFP

deliberately weighted to return a proBeijing chamber.

In a statement announcing its decision, Hong Kong’s government listed political views that required disqualification.

They included criticising Beijing’s new security law, campaigning to win a legislation-blocking majority and refusing to recognise China’s sovereignty.

But there are doubts over whether the election will even go ahead.

Multiple local media outlets have reported this week that Hong Kong’s government will postpone the vote because of a recent surge in coronavirus cases. But there has been no confirmation yet from authorities. AFP

IN BRIEF Taiwan’s ‘Mr Democracy’ dies at 97 TAIPEI—Taiwan’s former president Lee Teng-hui, who defied China and earned the nickname “Mr Democracy” for the part he played in the island’s transition away from authoritarian rule, has died.

He was credited with paving the way for Taiwan to become a modern, free society after decades of one-party dictatorship and became a champion of the island’s bid to be treated as a sovereign state internationally.

Lee had been in hospital since February after choking on some food and had a history in recent years of chronic illnesses.

He died on Thursday aged 97, of septic shock and multiple organ failure, Taipei Veterans General Hospital vice president Hwang Shinn-jang told reporters.

Lee’s 1988-2000 term in office was marked by growing cross-strait tensions as he pitched himself against Beijing, infuriating Chinese authorities for daring to carve out a separate identity for Taiwan.

Despite being self-ruled since 1949, Taiwan has never formally declared independence from the mainland and Beijing has vowed to react with force if it ever does.

China still regards Taiwan as part of its territory. AFP

Hajj goes virtual for lucky pilgrims KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia—Faridah Bakti Yahra travelled alone to Mecca when she won the lottery of a lifetime to join this year’s hajj, the smallest in living memory, but her family is relishing the experience virtually.

Thanks to her smartphone, and the 5G towers that loom over the holy city, the Indonesian housewife is sharing every step of the pilgrimage with her husband and three daughters back home in the Saudi coastal city of Khobar.

“I am so happy he joined me virtually, spiritually, with my daughters also. May my dear husband come here together with me again for hajj— inshallah (God willing),” the 39-year-old told AFP. In the first days of the pilgrimage, many of the faithful were seen holding their phones aloft to snap selfies and livestream their progress to friends and family back home.

Super high-speed 5G technology was rolled out in Mecca last year, allowing pilgrims to transfer data at breakneck speeds, and the network is now prevalent across much of Saudi Arabia.

But this year the shared religious experience has even greater resonance, with the gathering scaled down from more than two million people to just a few thousand, and at a time when many prayers are being offered for a world gripped by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Yahra opened a video call on the first day of the hajj at Mecca’s Grand Mosque when she approached the Kaaba, a large cubic structure draped in gold-embroidered black cloth, towards which Muslims around the world pray.

“When my wife entered the Kaaba area and she showed me the Kaaba, I felt very, very cheerful, joyful, with tears,” her husband Hendra Samosir said. AFP

Brazil first lady tests positive for virus BRASÍLIA — Brazil’s first lady Michelle Bolsonaro tested positive for the new coronavirus Thursday, the government said, after her husband spent two weeks in quarantine with it.

The announcement came five days after President Jair Bolsonaro said he was over his illness and had resumed his normal work routine.

Michelle Bolsonaro, 38, “is in good health and will follow all established protocols,” the president’s office said.

Bolsonaro, 65, has faced criticism for his handling of the pandemic as Brazil has surged to become the country with the second-highest number of infections and deaths in the world, after the United States: more than 2.5 million and 91,000, respectively.

The far-right president, who has compared the virus to a “little flu,” has fought to end state and local stay-at-home measures to contain it, arguing the economic fallout could be worse than the disease itself.

He is instead pushing the drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment, and took it himself when he was infected, despite numerous studies finding it has no benefit against COVID-19.

He again touted the medication Thursday, but did not say whether his wife was taking it.AFP

Business PSEi July 30, 2020 TOP GAINERS

US and Western economies posted historic slumps in Q2

By Heather Scott withAFP Bureaus

T

HE scale of economic devastation from the pandemic was laid bare on Thursday as Western economies recorded historic slumps, just as resurgent caseloads forced many countries into agonizing new trade-offs between health and financial stability.

TOP LOSERS

B3

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

COVID-19 has killed more than 668,000 people and is forcing governments into a persistent balancing act between saving lives and preventing economic devastation.

Nowhere is that challenge more evident than the world’s hardest-hit nation--also the world’s biggest economy--with the United States posting a second-quarter loss of 9.5 percent compared with the same period a year ago, the worst figure on record.

If that trajectory carried through the entire year, its economy would collapse by nearly a third (32.9 percent), the data showed.

The 32.9-percent GDP contraction,

though slightly better than expected, was the worst experienced by the world’s largest economy since at least 1947 and underscored the severity of the rapidly unfolding crisis, which has already destroyed tens of millions of jobs.

Historic contractions were additionally recorded in Germany (10.1 percent), Belgium (12.2 percent), Austria (10.7 percent) and Mexico (17 percent).

France’s economy contracted by a record 13.8 percent in the second quarter under the impact of coronavirus lockdowns, the national statistics institute INSEE said Friday.

The seasonally-adjusted quarter-on-quar-

ter drop in gross domestic product (GDP) was better than forecast but worse than the performance of most of its eurozone peers.

“GDP’s negative developments in first half of 2020 is linked to the shut-down of ‘non-essential’ activities in the context of the implementation of the lockdown between mid-March and the beginning of May,” INSEE said in a statement.

Spain plunged into recession in the second quarter after its gross domestic product tumbled by 18.5 percent due to the coronavirus pandemic, official figures showed on Friday.

In the first quarter, growth had fallen by 5.2 percent, the Institute of National Statistics said (INE).

A recession is commonly defined as two consecutive quarters of a contraction in GDP. The first of estimate by INE is broadly in line with the forecast by the Bank of Spain which had seen a contraction in the economy of between 16 and 22 percent for the period between April to June at the height of the lockdown when all non-essential activities were halted. AFP

MOST ACTIVE

Dutch airline KLM to trim up to 5,000 jobs THE HAGUE―Dutch airline KLM said Friday it would shed up to 5,000 jobs due to a “crisis of unprecedented magnitude” caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The carrier, part of the Air France KLM group, said the cuts through the end of 2021 were necessary as it had made huge losses despite a 3.4-billioneuro ($4.0-billion) Dutch government bailout.

The cuts would involve around 1,500 compulsory layoffs from KLM’s current workforce of 33,000, the airline said.

There would also be 2,000 voluntary redundancies announced earlier this year, while further cuts would be made through non-renewal of 1,500 temporary contracts.

“KLM is in the throes of a crisis of unprecedented magnitude... Expectations are that the road to recovery will be long and fraught with uncertainty,” KLM said in a statement.

“This means that KLM’s structure and size must be rigorously adjusted even further in the years ahead. Consequently, a total of 4,500 to 5,000 positions in the entire KLM Group will cease to exist.”

The jobs lost would involve up to 300 flight crew, 300 cabin crew, 500 ground staff and around 400 jobs at KLM subsidiaries and in the Air France-KLM group positions.

KLM said it would “keep open the possibility of further reductions” due to the “high level of uncertainty” in the airline business due to the pandemic, with demand not expected to recover until 2023 or 2024.

“It is incredibly difficult and sad for KLM to now have to bid farewell to valuable, committed colleagues,” KLM chief executive officer Pieter Elbers said in the statement.

KLM on Thursday reported an unprecedented 768-million euro loss for the first half of 2020, with passenger numbers falling 95 percent in the second quarter from nine million to less than half a million.

Air France-KLM on Thursday announced a total second-quarter loss of 2.6 billion euros, adding that the twin airlines must “significantly reduce” the workforce. AFP

SOCIAL DISTANCING. A ‘City Train,’ with measures in place to attempt to shield patrons from the coronavirus, carries passengers on a tour through the city center of Leeuwarden in The Netherlands on July 30, 2020, with tourism one of the industries most affected by the spread of the COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus.” AFP

Asian markets sink as grim US data reinforces virus problems HONG KONG, China—Asian markets struggled and the dollar extended losses Friday as data showing the US suffered its worst quarter on record highlighted the impact of the virus on the global economy.

A tweet from Donald Trump suggesting delaying November’s elections also jolted investors.

The figures from Washington added to fears about the long-running economic impact of COVID-19 and overshadowed a better-than-forecast read on Chinese factory activity that suggested the country is slowly emerging from the crisis.

The Commerce Department said the US economy contracted 32.9 percent between April and June as businesses were shut down to prevent the spread of the killer disease—the worst quarter since records began in the aftermath of World War II. While the GDP figures were expected to be bad, a more immediate report showed a second consecutive weekly increase in initial claims for unemployment benefits, with another 1.43 million filed last week.

Continuing claims, which is the number of people receiving benefits for more than a week, jumped above 17 million, pointing to ongoing weakness in the economy with several states reimposing containment measures as new infections spike across the country.

“What is probably more worrying for investors appears to be the realization that the negative headlines with respect to a possible second wave will only make it that much more difficult to achieve any sort of prospect of a V-shaped recovery, particularly since the US labor market rebound appears to have come to a halt,” said Michael Hewson at CMC Markets.

Wall Street’s S&P 500 and Dow dropped following the dour US readings. Frankfurt led steep losses in Europe on Thursday after Germany announced the region’s biggest economy suffered a historic 10 percent contraction. AFP

Manila

Small Spanish companies struggling amid COVID

By Emmanuelle Michel MADRID, Spain―Isabel has closed her Madrid bar and sent two workers home; Miguel’s shoe shop has lost older customers: In Spain, the coronavirus has pushed small businesses to the brink of collapse.

Nearly 80 percent of Spanish companies have fewer than five employees―higher than the 70-percent average in other eurozone countries―leaving the country particularly exposed to the looming crisis, the Bank of Spain has warned.

So far, 40,000 bars, restaurants and hotels have permanently closed, with the figure seen rising to 65,000 by the end of the year―or 20 percent of the total, the country’s hostelry federation says.

Six years ago, Isabel―who is 56 and does not want to give her surname for fear of compromising her future job prospects―invested 120,000 euros ($140,000) in a stylish little bar in a trendy area of central Madrid.

But it went out of business even before the state of emergency was over, with the government imposing limits on customer numbers as a condition for reopening.

“It’s a small place, and there’s no outdoors space. I saw that the numbers just wouldn’t work. With two staff and in these conditions, I wouldn’t make enough to even pay the electricity bill,” she told AFP. She had very little cashflow and banks refused to give her a loan, despite lines of credit backed by the government to support struggling businesses.

A widow with two teenagers to support, she

is now living off her savings and the monthly 600 euro allowance that the government approved to help 1.7 million self-employed workers who have no income.

“I can’t sleep,” she admits, bracing for the struggle she now faces to find a work in a year when unemployment levels are expected to reach 20 percent.

The bar and restaurant sector is expected to lose around a million jobs, both direct and indirect, as a result of the crisis, with turnover likely to be halved this year, industry figures say.

Customers are few and far between, in both the most popular tourist areas and business districts in major Spanish cities, which have remained largely deserted because of people working from home.

‘Customers are afraid’ And many others are suffering the same fate, from small clothing boutiques to furniture shops, perfumeries and bookshops.

Between 15 and 20 percent will not be able to reopen, says Pedro Campo, president of the Spanish Business Confederation (CEC).

“There has been a brutal collapse in sales, which are down 50 percent compared with last year. This year is a complete write-off,” sighs Miguel Angel Fernandez, who works in a shoe shop in western Madrid but has been furloughed with two other staff members.

“These are shoes for older people: our clients are afraid to go out and haven’t come back,” he says.

And in a country with many close-knit families, those over 50 “know they will have to help their family so they have less money to spend,” he explains. AFP

Standard

TODAY 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.

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

In this file photo taken on July 9, 2020 a man walks past a closed bar in Madrid. In Spain, the coronavirus has pushed small businesses to the brink of collapse. So far, 40,000 bars, restaurants and hotels have permanently closed, with the figure seen rising to 65,000 by the end of the year–or 20 percent of the total, Spain’s hostelry federation says. AFP

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

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020

Business

ABS-CBN switches to digital space IN BRIEF Power plants asked to declare force majeure

CONSUMER group Laban Konsyumer Inc. asked the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association and the Energy Regulatory Commission to invoke force majeure claim to reduce the generation charge on consumers, especially during the ongoing pandemic and quarantine period.

LKI president Vic Dimagiba said other power distributors and power producers should follow the example of Manila Electric Co. which enforced the force majeure in some supply contracts.

Around 7 million customers of Meralco saved P1.8 billion from lower generation charges through the force majeure claim.

“Right now, the force majeure claim of Meralco in their franchise area is very effective and can act as a jump-off point or peg for other parties wiling to join the mission to better serve customers, particularly those other distribution utilities,” Dimagiba said.

Alena Mae S. Flores

By Darwin G. Amojelar

A

BS-CBN Corp. is pivoting from television broadcast toward digital streaming of programs to meet the growing demand for content with the launch of “Kapamilya Online Live.”

Three months after going off the air and a month after being denied a new franchise to broadcast, ABS-CBN is bringing more content to the digital space by streaming new and wellloved programs on its Facebook and YouTube accounts, which have over 50 million followers and subscribers combined.

It marks another milestone in ABSCBN’s digital transformation that began in recent years as audiences continued to consume more and more content online.

The company also operates the

streaming service iWant, which boasts of the largest library of Filipino content and with over 11 million subscribers.

ABS-CBN chief operating officer for broadcast Cory Vidanes said the launch of Kapamilya Online Live demonstrates the company’s commitment to remain in the service of the Filipino regardless of the situation.

“By livestreaming our shows on our Facebook and YouTube accounts for free without any subscription fees, we hope to be able to reach more Filipinos and stay true to our promise to continue to serve Filipinos in whatever way we

PAL sets up COVID-19 testing site at NAIA 2

NEW MB MEMBER.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor and Monetary Board Chairman Benjamin Diokno (left) administers the oath of office to Anita Linda Aquino as a new MB member.

Aquino assumes the post vacated by former MB member Juan De Zuñiga Jr. She joins BSP’s policy-making body after serving as a director of Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. In a separate ceremony, MB member V. Bruce Tolentino is reappointed to the board after serving the unexpired balance of the term of the late Valentin Araneta.

PHILIPPINE Airlines rolled out a onestop-shop center at Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to perform the mandatory RT PCR swab testing for returning overseas Filipinos and authorized foreign nationals.

Starting Aug. 1, the PAL OSS will augment the Manila airport’s capacity to screen travelers and process quarantine requirements for passengers who fly into the Philippines’ biggest gateway on PAL flights from North America, the Middle East, Europe, Oceania and all over Asia.

Accredited by the NTF, IATF and the Department of Health, PAL’s one-stop-shop is capable of testing 1,200 passengers in a day and producing test results within 48 hours.

The new PAL facility will operate in tandem with the existing government-run IATF onestop-shop facility that will now exclusively serve arriving overseas Filipino workers.

“The flag carrier set up this new onestop-shop, dedicated to non-OFW travelers, to complement the government’s current one-stop-shop for OFWs. This is industry and government working in unison with a common goal: to ensure ease and convenience of passengers as they go through testing protocols on arrival,” PAL said.

PHirst Park acquires 10 has. in Pampanga

PHIRST Park Homes Inc., the first home buyer brand of Century Properties Group and Mitsubishi Corp., announced the acquisition of a 10-hectare property in Magalang, Pampanga for its seventh horizontal housing development this year on the back of strong sales in the first half.

The Pampanga project will be PPHI’s second community in the north after Pandi, Bulacan. The first phase will offer more than 500 house-and-lot units.

“PHirst Park Homes has maintained its sales momentum and is quite pleased by the market’s demand for house-and-lot units.

Our positive sales for the first half of 2020 sets us on track with our next development launch, which will be our second project in the north and seventh in total,” PPHI president Ricky Celis said.

The company said it posted reservation sales of 1,548 units in the first six months worth P3.120 billion. The sales came from the company’s six projects with 97 hectares and 9,188 units: the 26-hectare PHirst Park Homes Tanza (Cavite), the 20-hectare PHirst Park Homes Lipa (Batangas), the 18-hectare PHirst Park Homes San Pablo (Laguna); 11-hectare PHirst Park Homes Pandi (Bulacan); 9-hectare PHirst Park Homes Calamba (Laguna); and the 13-hectare initial phase of PHirst Park Homes Batulao (Nasugbu).

can,” Vidanes said.

Viewers in the Philippines now have an option to view the programs of ABSCBN, which launched the Kapamilya Channel on cable and satellite TV nationwide in June.

ABS-CBN News will continue to house news programs “TV Patrol” and “The World Tonight” on its Facebook page with 20 million followers, and YouTube channel with 9.83 million subscribers.

Available in the Philippines via ABSCBN Entertainment’s Facebook and YouTube accounts, Kapamilya Online Live will livestream new episodes of “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” “It’s Showtime,” “ASAP Natin ‘To,” “”Love Thy Woman,” “A Soldier’s Heart,” “Magandang Buhay,” “Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan,” and “Iba Yan.” ABS-CBN expects to make an impact on the media landscape again, similar to what it did in broadcasting.

AirAsia resumes flights to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok AIRASIA Philippines said it is resuming commercial flights to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok this month, but only Filipinos on essential travel will be allowed to board the flights based on the government’s policy.

The budget airline said international flights, including to/from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok-Don Mueang, are now open for booking on the AirAsia mobile app and website.

It asked guests to check the latest travel restrictions and advice of respective governments before travelling, as policies may change frequently.

“While foreign nationals are allowed to exit the Philippines, only Filipinos on essential travel will be authorized to travel internationally based on the national government’s July 21 resolution, which states that guests must provide a declaration acknowledging the potential risks involved in travelling such as

flight delays,” AirAsia said.

It said foreign nationals with longterm visas would be allowed entry into the Philippines starting Aug. 1. Returning overseas Filipinos will be given priority on flights back to the Philippines.

Guests travelling to the Philippines were advised to take note of some mandatory conditions required by the government, including the pre-booking of testing providers and quarantine facilities.

“All arriving international guests will undergo health tests at the airport or designated facility. They will then be required to be quarantined at approved facilities while waiting for their test results. Guests who obtain a negative test result will be required to undergo 14 days of home quarantine,” AirAsia said.

“Guests are encouraged to pre-register and complete the Electronic-Case Investigation Form to expedite airport

procedures upon arrival,” it said.

Cebu Pacific said it would also gradually rebuild its international flight network with the restart of flights between Manila and key Asian destinations in August. This is on top of the once-aweek flights between Manila and Dubai which re-started in mid-July.

It said that beginning Aug. 1, Cebu Pacific will fly twice weekly from Tokyo (Narita) to Manila (Wednesday and Saturday). On Aug. 6, the airline will fly 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 Aug. 7.

Darwin G. Amojelar

INTEGRATED Micro-Electronics Inc. on Friday reported a net loss of $17 million in the second quarter, a turnaround from a $5.45-million profit it posted in the same period last year, as plant shutdowns in domestic and foreign operations affected earnings during the period.

IMI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday revenues tumbled 53.7 percent in the second quarter to $220.4 million from $476.2 million a year ago. Its manufacturing facilities in the Philippines, China and Mexico were closed down to adhere to government-mandated lockdowns to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The addition of one-time inventory provisions totaling $3 million increased the company’s net loss to $21.5 million in the first half.

“IMI has endured through several major crises in our 40-year history.

Our battle-hardened organization has built IMI for long-term success.

Challenging market environments bring opportunity to those who come

prepared. IMI’s flexibility and expertise in providing the best quality technology solutions will allow us to emerge stronger than we were before,” IMI president and chief executive Arthur Tan said.

“IMI expects a steady improvement in the second half of the year as revised customer forecasts indicate a better recovery than initially expected. The project pipeline continues to be active with $175 million of new business wins despite the business constraints brought about by the pandemic,” Tan said.

IMI’s wholly-owned businesses declined 28 percent to $367 million in revenues.

It said that while some operating regions faced mandatory lockdowns, production plants in Bulgaria and Czech Republic exercised voluntary reduced work schedules aligned with the slowdown in demand for customers.

It said the automotive market outlook remained weak in the short term, but it captured the increased demand from the consumer, industrial, medical and telecom sectors.

37.82 PTS.

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

5,928.45

1,336,157,530 68,967

TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES

5,085,086,126.70 114

DECLINES UNCHANGED

78 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

UK

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

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

DOE endorses $50- m oil, gas exploration deals

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy endorsed two oil and gas exploration applications with total investments of $50 million for the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The applications are part of the agency’s Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program, which aims to boost investment opportunities in oil and gas exploration activities and develop indigenous petroleum resources within undisputed Philippine sovereign territory.

“A total of two applications—one from an area nomination located in Northwest Palawan and one from a pre-determined area in Eastern Palawan, with total investments of about $50 million, were recommended for approval/awarding by President Duterte,” according to the latest report of the DOE. The DOE did not disclose the names of the PCECP applicants. Under the PCECP, the awarding of service contracts are conducted through a competitive selection process or nomination.

In the nomination process, interested companies may submit their letter of intent on the proposed area for nomination. The agency will then notify the proponents to publish their nomination, which will be subject to challenge within 60 days from publication.

The department sought bids to explore oil and gas in the Sulu Sea Energy for Area 1, northwest Palawan for Area 2, Southeast Luzon for Area 3 , Northeast Palawan for Area 4 and Mindoro-Cuyo basin for Area 5 under the competitive selection process.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi seeks to reinvigorate the petroleum exploration and development activities in the country to serve as a cushioning measure against the volatility of oil prices, which have a direct impact on the costs of transport and power.

“We cannot be at the mercy of global energy market volatilities and other geopolitical movements. In this light, we launched the Philippine Energy Contracting Program... to facilitate the exploration and development of our indigenous energy resources, and revitalize our upstream oil and gas sector,” Cusi said earlier.

2 1600

MOLECULAR LABORATORY.

IMI incurred net loss of $17m in Q2 on factory shutdowns in PH, overseas

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PSE INDEX

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Security Bank Foundation Inc., in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, inaugurates the largest molecular laboratory on coronavirus disease 2019 testing in the Visayas region.

The 207-square meter laboratory is equipped with four reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction machines that have the capacity to run up to 4,000 COVID-19 tests.

PH received $8.2-billion worth of foreign loans in first six months

By Julito G. Rada THE government received $8.203 billion worth of foreign loans in the first half mostly to fund COVID-19 response initiatives and development programs.

Data from the Bangko Sentra ng Pilipinas showed the government incurred net foreign exchange receipts of $1.928 billion in the six-month period. Total inflows reached $8.203 billion, higher than disbursements of $6.275 billion.

“We are providing this update in the spirit of transparency,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Friday.

The inflows were broken down as commercial borrowings, amounting to $3.672 billion; program loans, $4.277 billion; and project loans, $254 million.

Commercial borrowings are composed of the Republic of the Philippines global bonds worth $2.348 billion, and 2020 Euro global bonds worth $1.324 billion.

The program loans of $4.277 billion

covered COVID-19 response, $1.514 billion; emergency COVID response and development policy, $498.8 million; social protection, $100 million; local governance reform, $300 million; promoting competitiveness, $399 million; facilitating youth-to-school transition, $400 million; social welfare development, $299.3 million; emergency assistance for Marawi reconstruction, $206.8 million; disaster risk management, $498.8 million; and social protection support II, $60 million.

Sports

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

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020

Kim, Osaka, Venus among wildcards in US tuneup

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers plays defense against Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. AFP

James: No let-up in fight against racism, brutality Vince Hizon

PBA star reveals financial game plan ASK retired professional basketball player Vince Hizon what important lessons he learned from basketball and he will tell you that, apart from the obvious, the sport has also taught him essential principles for making important financial decisions.

Hizon shared his insights at the webinar of one of the country’s leading insurance providers, AXA Philippines, titled “What’s Your Winning Game Plan for the New Normal?” which tackled ways on how to prepare and cope financially in current times. The virtual event was part of the series of financial literacy webinars mounted by AXA under the “What’s Your Game Plan?” theme that seek to help people prepare for life’s uncertainties by managing their finances and protecting their assets even during these uncertain times.

He shared that basketball has taught him that athletes may not be able to achieve anything all alone.

They need a coach, a partner, or a team that can help them go further.

Hizon also said that throughout the course of his stellar career, he had always been aware of the importance of saving and investing money for the future. In fact, he shared that when he received his first paycheck as a professional athlete, he did not blow his money but put it in the bank instead.

Hizon also added that financial planning means you must choose your battles. Lay down your options and choose whether you want shortterm or long-term investments.

Hizon, who is known for his clutch three-point shooting and his slashing drives to the basket during his playing days, said that dealing with money is like taking your shot – there’s a great chance that you would miss it if you don’t have you eyes locked on the goal. He said that when you are about to shoot the ball, you must ensure your timing, just like in making decisions with your money.

The webinar also featured as resource speaker Aya Laraya, founder of Ronin Group of companies and host of GMA News TV’s Pesos and Sense.

To know more about AXA’s insurance products, visit www.axa.com. ph. For more updates and future webinars, follow AXA Philippines on Facebook.

O

RLANDO—LeBron James vowed no let up in the fight for social justice as the NBA’s virus-hit season made an emotional return in Orlando on Thursday.

Los Angeles Lakers star James and players from the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans all kneeled in unison during the US national anthem before their respective games in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

James, who scored the winning points for the Lakers in a 103-101 defeat of the Clippers, said players were determined to use their NBA platform to fight racism and police brutality.

“This is an opportunity to use this platform to spread a lot of positives, a lot of love throughout the course of the whole world,” James said.

“We understand what’s going on in society right now and we’re using this NBA platform as players as coaches and as an organization to stand strong

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on that. This is a good start.

“There’s been progress. But in the past when there’s been progress, we’ve let our foot off the gas a little bit. We can’t do that. We want to continue to put our foot on the gas, push forward and spread love throughout America.”

The United States saw nationwide protests in June following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd during his arrest by police in Minneapolis on May 25. Four police officers were later charged over his death.

“We’re dealing with a lot of racism, a lot of social injustice and police brutality,” James said. “It’s something that we want to have people’s ears open to. We have ears open now, but we cannot stop.

“We’ll keep our foot on the gas as we’ve been doing over the past two

months.”

New Orleans guard Jrue Holiday meanwhile said the anthem demonstration had been a unifying moment.

“It felt like we were able to bring people together,” Holiday said. “Two teams, who were about to go out there to battle, we can also come together to fight for something, and I feel like that was huge.

“That’s one of the reasons why I feel like [the players] came back and the league wanted us to come back.”

Pelicans team-mate Zion Williamson agreed. “It was emotional because all of us (were) there together as one, doing something we believe in,” Williamson said.

Meanwhile, James then led the Los Angeles Lakers to a pulsating 103-101 defeat of the Los Angeles Clippers in the day’s second game, following the 106-104 win by the Utah Jazz over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Both games started with players—wearing t-shirts emblazoned with “Black Lives Matter”—kneeling in unison as the “StarSpangled Banner” played. AFP

NEW YORK—Four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters was among four major title winners given wildcards Thursday into the WTA field for a US Open tuneup event next month in New York.

The 37-year-old Belgian was joined in the wildcard field for the Western and Southern Open by Japan’s Naomi Osaka and Americans Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and Caty McNally.

The event, typically staged in Cincinnati two weeks before the US Open, was moved to Flushing Meadows and will be played August 2028 inside the National Tennis Center bubble without spectators as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

US Open play will begin there on August 31.

Clijsters, a mother of three, returned to the WTA Tour this year after retiring in 2012. She was ousted in her first match at Dubai in February and in Monterrey in March.

She had first retired in 2007 before making a comeback in 2009, when she won the first of back-to-back US Open titles to go with her first in 2005.

Former world number one Clijsters also captured the 2011 Australian Open and in 2017 was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame with 41 singles titles.

Osaka, 22, won the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open. The 10thranked star was listed as the highestpaid female athlete in the world by Forbes magazine in May. Stephens, 27, was a shock winner of the 2017 US Open after an 11-month absence due to a right foot injury that saw her ranking plunge to 957th in the world.

Venus Williams, 40, has won seven Grand Slam titles and 49 career events overall. The former world number one became only the sixth woman to reach 800 all-time match wins.

McNally, 18, was a Washington semi-finalist last year and took 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams to three sets at last year’s US Open.

In Milan, Italy, the Italian Open WTA and ATP clay-court tournament in Rome this September is set to be played without spectators because of coronavirus fears, according to reports in Italy on Thursday. AFP

Hot-putting Koepka grabs early WGC lead LOS ANGELES—Defending champion Brooks Koepka returned to form with a career-tying eightunder-par 62 to grab the lead in the opening round of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational on Thursday.

American Koepka is back on track after a knee injury caused him to miss two of the last three cuts in his most recent tournaments.

He had a hot putter Thursday at the TPC Southwind course, rolling in nine birdies for a two-shot lead over Rickie Fowler and Brendon Todd.

“The confidence has been there. It is a matter of going out and doing it. It is going to come around,” Koepka said. “It feels like I am back to normal, so it is good to see a good result.”

Fowler and Todd both shot a six-under 64 while South Korea’s Kang Sung-hoon is third after a 65.

FedEx Cup point leader Justin Thomas and Matt Kuchar highlight a group of four players who shot 66, four strokes back of Koepka.

The 78-player field in Memphis, Tennessee features the top eight players in the world golf rankings and 45 of the top 50.

Koepka will also be defending his title and aiming for a three-peat at next week’s PGA Championship, the first major of 2020.

Koepka missed the cut at last week’s 3M Open which was won by Michael Thompson. It was his

third poor performance in a row. He barely made the cut at the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, then shot 73-80 on the weekend to tie for 62nd place at 12over 300.

He missed the cut the previous week in the Workday Charity Open, played on the same Muirfield Village course as the Memorial.

The four time major champion has been struggling with a right knee injury since suffering a torn patella tendon last year. He has been using stem cell treatments and has put off having surgery to see if it gets better on its own.

- Practice pays off He said he has been tinkering in practice with the mechanics of his swing and his leg positioning and it seems to have paid off.

“We put in a lot of work and found something by making a little adjustment in my setup -- where my weight distribution was going,” Koepka said.

“It is clicking and it feels good. It feels back to normal. I feel way more in control.”

Koepka got off to a quick start by making birdie on his first four holes, capping that run with a 23foot bomb on the par-three fourth.

After his only bogey of the round on No. 7, Koepka birdied three of the next four holes, including two from 18 feet on the par-four ninth and the parthree 11th. AFP

Brooks Koepka of the United States looks over a putt on the ninth green during the first round of the World Golf ChampionshipFedEx St Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. AFP

COVID-19 threat forces postponement of Suzuki Cup

By Peter Atencio THE ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup is not pushing through this year.

Organizers said in their official website the tournament will not be held until 2021.

The AFF explained that this is “in view of the rapidly deteriorating coronavirus situation, regionally and globally.”

Officials stated that this is for the health and safety of the players, coaches, partners, fans and the public are of the highest priority.

They added that the decision to postpone the tournament to 2021 will

safeguard the well-being of everyone involved in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020.

AFF President, Major General Khiev Sameth explained that the Suzuki Cup Task Force Committee held extensive discussions before reaching this decision.

“Since the onset of COVID-19, the AFF has been closely monitoring guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), Health Ministries, government agencies, FIFA and AFC,” said Sameth.

Sameth added that with the risk of the spread of COVID-19 remaining high, the AFF finds itself in a situation where “we cannot proceed safely with the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020.”

The AFF Suzuki Cup is considered the largest and most prestigious football tournament in South East Asia and was set to see the national ‘A’ teams of the region competing for the Championship title, played on a home and away format.

Drawing a fan attendance of more than 750,000 for the 2018 edition, the risks and challenges in organizing a mass event of this scale would be considerable in the current climate.

The AFF will continue to work closely with the various member associations and partners to monitor the situation and will provide further updates on the 2021 tournament dates and other details as soon as available.

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2020

rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Tech & Gadgets

Technology enables disaster resilience of communities

T

HE new normal posed

by COVID-19 has fasttracked the adoption by local government units and organizations of technologybased programs to keep people informed and help students resume their studies despite the pandemic.

Guo Ping talks about 5G commercial success at the Better World Summit 2020.

Nagiel Banacia, Officer-in-Charge of the Lapu-Lapu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, has been at the front and center of the ongoing health crisis. He says that while traditional forms of communication like tarpaulins, leaflets and recorridas still work, tech-powered communications channels are more effective in reaching quickly and safely communities under lockdown.

“We address the 'info-demic' of misinformation about the virus by educating the people with legitimate information—the nature of COVID-19, its mode of transmission, and how to avoid infection,” he explains.

This is why Lapu-Lapu City tapped Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) for its Infocast service, a web-based text Smart WiFi in Davao del Norte 1 broadcast solution that sends out SMS alerts to community members. It has been used by inter-agency task force groups and LGUs to broadcast text updates to officials and employees, health Smart Infocast is also available in Alworkers, and barangay and police au- dridejos in Cebu and Ubay in Bohol have likewise been encouraging resi- bay, Batangas, Catanduanes, Laguna, thorities. dents to register their numbers to In- Sorsogon in Luzon; in Batuan, Pitogo focast in order to regularly receive and Carlos P. Garcia in Bohol; Danao, Ramping up information pandemic-related text alerts. Officials Bantayan, Sta Fe, Lapu-Lapu and Brgy. dissemination Aside from Lapu-Lapu City, the In- of Mati City in Davao Oriental have Tisa in Cebu, as well as in Basilan, focast service of PLDT’s wireless sub- also been using Infocast to encourage Cagayan De Oro, Digos, and Surigao del Norte and Zamboanga in Mindanao, sidiary has helped Dumanjug, also in responsible use of social media.

Baguio’s Public Information Office among others.

Cebu Province. The third-class municipality uses the same platform to collect has also been using Smart Infocast to Disaster-resilient education COVID-19-related feedback through the broadcast programs, health advisories Smart has also been working closely Infocast registration feature that allows and efforts of the city against COVresidents to directly communicate with ID-19, particularly to barangay captains with schools and educators to roll out who help disseminate information to the CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program the LGU. or DLP, a disaster-resilient, innovative, The local government units of Ma- the community.

Unlock full 5G potential, drive commercial success

and low-budget teaching strategy designed to train students to learn independently, effectively, and responsibly, even with minimal supervision from both teachers and parents.

The brainchild of Filipino theoretical physicists and Ramon Magsaysay awardees Dr. Christopher Bernido and Dr. Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido, the teaching method focuses on student activity and aims to produce students whose competence in the Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) disciplines are comparable to global standards.

Improving students' critical thinking skills

By Jack Brazel LITERACY is not limited to simply being able to read and write. For students to show academic progress, they also need to display a solid comprehension of information, proficiency in the subject, and critical thinking skills. Studies show that students in the Philippines have struggled with reading comprehension, and do not process written information adequately.

The effects of this are evident in society through the many young people who share information on social media without processing or verifying it - a practice that leads to the spread of misinformation.

There is a critical need to deepen students' literacy and enable them to analyze and scrutinize information objectively. Educational institutions need to build students' ability to determine the reliability of sources to ensure the integrity of academic research, and review their writing before submission. Leveraging technology solutions can aid in honing and improving Filipino students' collective critical thinking skills.

Although 97.95 percent of the Philippines is literate, this statistic masks serious deficiencies in reading

Jack Brazel

comprehension skills as the country has not evolved over the last few decades to meet the information processing requirements of the modern world. This gap in critical literacy contributes to troubling sociopolitical trends today, including the rapid spread of misinformation via social media platforms.

To reverse this trend, education institutions must shift towards instruction that empowers students to analyze, read between the lines, and identify credible sources for their own work. A recent International Literacy Association survey of educators from 65 countries including the Philippines found teachers believe that, "determining effective instructional strategies for struggling readers" and "teaching critical literacy skills and how to analyze source material and authorial intent" are the top ways to improve literacy outcomes. Students who build their reading comprehension and critical literacy skills in the classroom have a stronger foundation for upholding academic integrity in their work - and becoming citizens with the ability to evaluate the reliability of news sources. Achieving this academic integrity requires a mutual commitment to honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage between educators and students.

Educators also need to reinforce the importance of conducting checks of their own work to build a culture of academic integrity in their classrooms. The first is fact-checking the sources cited in research papers by finding a reliable source that disagrees with the opin-

SHENZHEN—On the opening day of the online Better World Summit, Huawei's Rotating Chairman Guo Ping elaborated on how synergy across five major tech domains will help unlock the full potential of 5G to drive commercial success. Guest speakers from China Telecom, Etisalat, MTN, GSMA, and 3GPP/ETSI were also joined by several thousand online attendees from more than 80 countries to explore how information and communications technology can power new economic growth both now and in a post-pandemic world.

Working together to fight the pandemic with technology The pandemic has reshaped how we live and work, and has dealt a heavy blow to the world economy.

Fortunately, ICT offers a concrete set of tools to aid in the fight against COVID-19 on multiple fronts.

"As an ICT company, it's our responsibility to use the technology we have to help contain and defeat this pandemic," said Guo. "Together with our partners and customers, including carriers and enterprises of all types, we can use technological solutions to effect a positive impact on our communities."

"By drawing on our experience in early hotspots, we have developed nine scenario-based solutions that use ICT technology to help combat the pandemic. Whether it's hospital network deployment, remote consultation, online education, or restarting governments and businesses, we've been sharing our experience and capabilities to help control the spread of the virus and reopen economies."

Unlocking the full potential of 5G: Synergy across five major tech domains There are already more than 90 million 5G users worldwide. "As global 5G deployment begins to wrap up, we need to strengthen our focus on industry applications," Guo said. "This will help us unleash the full potential of 5G." The business case for 5G is not just better connectivity. When technologies like 5G, computing, cloud, and AI come together, they reinforce each other and create numerous opportunities across five major tech domains: connectivity, AI, cloud, computing, and industry applications.

Samsung to unveil Free AI virtual screening service launched next-generation ecosystem thru Galaxy Unpacked IN THESE uncertain times, Samsung aims to continue bringing devices that could help people stay in touch with what matters most and give them the power to thrive in any situation.

axy Unpacked.

The soon-to-be-launched devices are designed for individuals who strive to optimize their time and live their lives to the fullest whether it be for productivity, gaming, and wellness.

“At [the] Galaxy Unpacked, we’ll be introducing five new power devices. These devices deliver our vision to be the innovator of new mobile experiences that flow seamlessly and continuously wherever we go,” says TM Roh, Samsung Electronics President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, in a press statement.

Witness the newest innovation by On August 5, the tech company Samsung. Visit samsung.com/ph to is set to unveil its next-generation stream the Global Unpacked on AuGalaxy ecosystem through the Gal- gust 5, 2020, 10 p.m.

POWERED by Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI) launched a Free AI Virtual Screening Service for COVID-19 in order to facilitate COVID-19 drug discovery effort globally. The free and web-based research engine provides researchers with an AI-powered tool for virtual screening computation, that is powerful enough to support the prediction of SARS-CoV2 relevant target binding and phenotypic properties of any queried compound with just one click.

Alibaba Cloud’s high-performance computing (HPC) resources and GHDDI’s artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities accelerate the computation process exponentially.

GHDDI's drug repurposing research has put the Institute at the forefront in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the launch of the GHDDI COVID-19 information sharing portal hosted on Alibaba Cloud in January 2020, GHDDI has received 130 research applications worldwide, and partnered with 10 research institutions to investigate 9255 antiviral substances, 256 anti-coronavirus active small molecules and biological agents, and 18 high potential drug candidates recommended by AI through data mining from historical records.Wet lab experiments were soon followed using AI shortlisted high potential compounds, and compounds with significant inhibitory effects on SARS-CoV2 in vitro were constantly being discovered by researchers. The portal also provides real-

time statistical analysis of COVID-19 global research progress, with daily automatic updates, powered by a natural language processing AI engine. This AI engine can generate a report that covers over 1000 current worldwide clinical trials of 840 small molecule drugs, 306 biologics and 84 vaccines (as of 7/25/2020) against COVID-19 and hundreds of anti-SARS-CoV2 active compounds from in vitro experiments by research groups from all over the world. “The high-performance

computing power provided by Alibaba Cloud has significantly enhanced our drug discovery process by speeding up molecular docking and deep leaning computations, which may shorten the time needed to find a cure,” said Dr. Lurong Pan, Senior Investigator, AI platform lead of GHDDI. “As we are racing against time to tackle one of the worst public health crises in human history, leveraging AI and cloud computing in the research process gives us a better chance to save more lives."

Supercomputing significantly shortens drug repurposing process and facilitates global information sharing.

Tech & Gadgets

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2020

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ikotMNL app now with contact tracing feature LRT-1 private operator and maintenance provider, Light Rail Manila Corporation, continues to pioneer digitalization for rail transport and find ways to enhance the commuting experience in Metro Manila.

Over 100 Movies & Specials now on YouTube Kids

Over 100 movies, specials arrive for ‘After School’ with YouTube Kids

Using the ikotMNL mobile app, LRT1 passengers on trains and at the stations may activate the contact tracing feature via Bluetooth LE technology that allows detection of other passengers nearby.

The contact tracing feature is automated, anonymous, and privacy-first by design.

With the integration of this feature, LRT1 passengers who may have come into close proximity with a fellow passenger who reports or tags himself later on as diagnosed positive with COVID-19 will be notified by government authorities when the respective contact tracing procedure begins. This is part of LRMC'S initiatives to keep reassuring the public of a safe railway, as well as help government authorities in fighting further spread of COVID-19 by addressing the challenges of manual contact tracing and providing safe and anonymous log interactions.

W

ITH the extended time being spent at home, parents may be more open to allowing their children some extra screen-time. With this, it is even more important for parents to choose the right content for their kids and ensure a wholesome watching experience.To help parents keep their kids engaged, enriched and entertained, YouTube Kids is expanding its library of kid-friendly content with over 100 high-quality full-length movies and specials.

Starting July 27 until August 31, families can give their kids a memorable ‘After School’ experience with YouTube kids through a wide variety of new movies and specials. This includes Tayo the Little Bus, Baby Shark and Pinkfong, Oggy & the Cockroaches and Paddington; a collection of the best animated short films including Oscar-winning short film Hair Love; and educational specials including Sesame Street’s Elmo’s World News, produced in collaboration with the Lego Foundation, and selections from BBC Studios’ hit series, Hey Duggee.

YouTube Kids will also be exclusively premiering Spookiz, a new movie produced by South Korean studio Keyring Studios and launched by WildBrain.

Moreover, special YouTube Originals content including Disney's complete series Shook and two Simon's Cat specials courtesy of Endemol Shine will be available for kids ages six and up.

Also among the new videos that will arrive on YouTube Originals for Kids & Family Channel and YouTube Kids are Sherwood for kids age eight and older, as well as Kings of Atlantis, Fruit Ninja Frenzy Force, and Lockdown for ages

917Ventures, AC Health join forces for new app WITH the current pandemic, it’s not easy for Filipinos to take care of their health. There have been delays in seeking medical help due to fear of contracting the virus when they go out to visit a doctor’s clinic or a pharmacy.

Healthcare providers, on the other hand, are also facing a challenge, as they have to handle a tremendous volume of patients while making sure that everyone receives the appropriate help at the right time.

917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines whollyowned by Globe, is collaborating with ACHealth to provide solutions to these problems. The collaboration resulted in HealthNow, an all-in-one health app that will help Filipinos get the healthcare they need anytime, anywhere.

With HealthNow, users will be able to consult a doctor through video, buy medicine for delivery, and book clinic and lab appointments. The mobile app will be powered by the assets of 917Ventures and ACHealth, which include KonsultaMD, FamilyDOC, Healthway, and Generika. The mobile app will be available for download in Google Play and App Store in August.

“When COVID-19 struck the country, there has been a massive shift

in consumer behavior from passive to active participation in health, creating more demand for convenience and transparency,” said Issa Cabreira, 917Ventures Managing Partner. “Since it is our mission to solve the most prevalent problems plaguing the Philippines, we found it necessary to prioritize the delivery of healthcare to our fellow Filipinos who are in need of medical

attention especially in this trying time.”

HealthNow was initially offered as a website that provided free video teleconsultation from volunteer doctors. Over 11,000 patient requests were received and more than 100 volunteer doctors were pooled from April to June this year. The pilot has since proved the need for patients and doctors to be digitally connected for better healthcare.

five and up.

In addition, YouTube Kids will be featuring evergreen monthly themes including a new Month of Reading, with focus on diversity and inclusion, and read-alongs with Oprah Winfrey, Oscar Award-winning actor Rami Malek, and James Bond actress Michelle Yeoh from StorylineOnline.

Parents can also relive the fun of summer experiences at home and take kids on a virtual journey of learning with Camp YouTube, which spotlights content on the Learn@Home site and YouTube Kids across beloved summer camp themes, such as arts, adventure, sports, STEM, and more. Families can discover how to make a tide pool aquarium in their backyard with Brave Wilderness, make art with household items while learning art history with the ArtistYear, or learn coding with Goldieblox.

All the new movies and specials will be uploaded every Monday in the app’s “Shows” category as individual videos and can also be found on the playlists.

Parents can also keep their home entertainment experience with kids exciting by getting ready with movie night kits, making their own popcorn, setting ambient lighting, and preparing their sound settings. After watching, they can encourage the children to write their own movie reviews or create their own story by watching this tutorial video on YouTube Kids.

The YouTube Kids app is a safe online space where kids between the age of 13 years old can explore their imagination and feed on their curiosity. The app also empowers parents to control what YouTube content their child can see, including the option to only allow content from trusted partners like Sesame Street, ChuChu TV, Bounce Patrol and PBS Kids, or hand pick other videos and channels to create a curated playlist for their kids.

Download the YouTube Kids app on the Google Play store or App store, or enjoy content via the web by visiting www.youtubekids.com.

AMA Education System ready for online classes DESPITE the setbacks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Education strongly advocates for educational continuity.

In a recent ministerial e-Forum of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones expressed that “Our battle cry is learning must continue” but this is always with the health and safety of students as top priority during this time.

AMA Education System the country’s pioneer in IT education is one with the government’s call to ensure both learning continuity and the safety of students during the pandemic. To address this, schools under its network have temporarily shifted from the physical classroom to a 100% online set-up¬–allowing students to study from home.

“The shift for schools in our network is not drastic as our systems have long incorporated e-learning and online tools,” said Dr. Amable R. Aguiluz V, Founder and Chairman of AMAES and considered as the Father of IT Education in the Philippines.

To learn more about AMAES’ 100%

online set-up, visit www.amaes.edu. ph.

Dr. Aguiluz reiterates the readiness of AMAES for educational continuity, highlighting the expertise and experience of its faculty with digital learning systems. Aside from pioneering IT education in the country, AMAES started using e-learning tools in its campuses as early as the mid-1990s. In 2004, it introduced Blended Learning, where along with physical classes, students were able to learn from lectures conducted from a central location in Metro Manila beamed via satellite to over 200 campuses worldwide.

With the improvement of digital technology in recent years, AMAES’ Blended Learning has since evolved to where students spend three days attending classes in its schools and the other days studying through onlinebased lectures and modules¬–helping students have more control of their time.

As the unfolding health crisis requires a safety-first approach for schools, AMAES shifted its current school year to be 100% online, ensuring learning continuity for its students.

Mars-bound Perseverance to seeks ancient life

A close-up view of a full size model of the Perseverance rover is on display at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

CABO CANAVERAL—NASA's latest Mars rover Perseverance launched Thursday on an astrobiology mission to look for signs of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet—and to fly a helicopter-drone on another world for the first time.

Previous trips to Mars have discovered it was far warmer and wetter three billion years ago than it is today, creating the conditions necessary for carbonbased life.

Perseverance's goal is to go a step further, and discover whether "habitable" translated to "habited."

"There would be no bigger discovery in the history of humanity than finding life that is not on our own world," NASA

administrator Jim Bridenstine said.

"If we were to make a discovery that it in fact was, everything from that point forward is going to be 'Okay, what other life is out there? How do we get to it?

How do we study it?'"

An Atlas V rocket carrying Perseverance's spaceship took off on schedule at 7:50 am (1150 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and its stages separated according to plan.

But as the spacecraft passed through the Earth's shadow, the temperature of a heating system dropped, triggering a "safe mode" that switched off all but essential systems.

NASA said it hadn't encountered this problem before because previous space-

ships followed a different flight path, but added the issue was not serious and the vessel would soon be back in normal mode.

"The philosophy is that it is far better to trigger a safe mode event when not required, than miss one that is," the agency said.

If all goes to plan, Perseverance will reach Mars on February 18, 2021, becoming the fifth rover to complete the voyage since 1997.

So far, all have been American. China launched its first Mars rover last week, which should arrive by May 2021.

By next year, the planet could have three active rovers, including NASA's Curiosity, which landed in 2012.

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020

Motoring BEHIND THE WHEEL: LEXUS NX CROSSOVER

THE Lexus NX crossover was engineered and designed to please not only the most discerning driving enthusiasts but also those who are looking for a comfortable and practical vehicle that can do it all. It seems like a tall order,

but Lexus has the know-how and experience when it comes to building capable crossovers that deliver an engaging on-road driving experience, and still have the capability to tackle more challenging terrain.

Knowing that you have a competent vehicle for when the need arises is an empowering feeling. This sense of security builds driver confidence. If the weather turns for the worse without any warning, or if road conditions degrade to less than ideal, then having a vehicle that is more than up to the task of getting you to your destination without any drama is indeed an asset. Enter the Lexus NX. The Lexus NX is available in three variants: The NX 300h hybrid (Php 3,678,000); NX 300 F Sport (Php 3,708,000); and NX 300 (Php 3,208,000). Each puts the pilot in full control thanks to its advanced driver technologies, all while offering fantastic styling and the remarkable build quality that Lexus is famous for. The NX has been crafted to an extremely high level

Formula One: Hamilton eyes rd 3 straight win

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RESH from two dominant triumphs, Lewis Hamilton will seek to complete an early-season hat-trick and extend his home wins record to seven without his usual impassioned supporters in “super weird” circumstances at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

The six-time world champion and current standings leader has always drawn energy from the big crowds that support him at Silverstone, but this year’s event will be run behind closed doors in front of empty grandstands. “The British Grand Prix is the best and that’s particularly because of the fans –- thousands and thousands always turn up to create a great spectacle,” said the Briton. “So, it is going to be super weird to be there without them.” For Hamilton, that means no crowd-surfing celebrations and keeping his feet on the ground as he bids to add to his wins at the Styrian and Hungarian Grands Prix as the coronavirus-delayed 2020 season returns. This Sunday’s race will be the 71st British Grand Prix and 54th at Silverstone and is followed one week later by a race at the same venue to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the inaugural world championship event in 1950.

After his recent victories, and given his great record at Silverstone, Hamilton will start as favourite, but can expect a strong challenge from his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who won the seasonopener in Austria.

Already the two ‘black Arrows’ drivers have demonstrated the clear supremacy of their unbeaten W11 cars, dubbed “the fastest F1 cars ever” by team chief Toto Wolff this week.

He said: “We will miss our fans at Silverstone –- but we know that they will be

rooting for us from home so we are determined to show our gratitude by putting on a great show. “These are the fastest F1 cars ever built. They have broken the track records at both Spielberg and Budapest and it will be thrilling to see them on the iconic Silverstone circuit.”

Reliability ‘crucial’ The high-speed track’s demanding and fast corners are expected to suit the Mercedes cars, but Wolff said he is taking nothing for granted. “We’ve had a good start to the season,” he said. “We resolved the issues that troubled us on the first weekend, won three out of three races and scored a good amount of points, but they highlighted a crucial factor -- the importance of reliability in this shortened season. “We’re one of only two teams that have finished all the races with both cars this year and we know how quickly a DNF (did not finish) can make a points lead disappear.” Arriving at Silverstone, Hamilton leads Bottas by five points with Max Verstappen of Red Bull third, 30 points adrift, but hoping to close the gap.

The Racing Point team’s base is only a few hundred metres from the circuit entrance and, after demonstrating their speed and potential in Austria and Hungary, they hope to be in a scrap with Red Bull to secure a podium finish before Renault lodge another expected protest at the integrity of their ‘pink Mercedes’ car.

Ferrari, the only team to have inter-

rupted Mercedes’ supremacy at Silverstone in recent years, when Sebastian Vettel triumphed in 2018, are likely to continue their struggle for competitive form after a lacklustre start to 2020.

Vettel, in his final season at Ferrari, has this year emerged as a close supporter of Hamilton in backing the sport’s antiracism stance and the wider Black Lives Matter movement, which has not seen clear and unambiguous backing from the drivers. Hamilton called for more unity and leadership on the issue following a confused and muddled pre-race ‘taking the knee’ ceremony in Hungary.

McLaren’s Lando Norris, 20, said this week that the drivers would react and he expected to see “a better structure and a better plan in place” than at previous weekends. The Briton suggested that Formula One management would be allocating proper time for a ceremony prior to the national anthem.

Toyota reinvents the Vios LEADING car manufacturer Toyota Motor Philippine as officially unveiled the 2020 update of its best-selling, locally made passenger car—the Toyota Vios.

The New Vios—with its improved modern design debuted by the global mobility company in the Philippines – comes at the forefront of TMP’s drive to lead the resurgence of the local auto industry.

Introduced in an online launch program witnessed by thousands of viewers nationwide, the newly reinvented Vios is expected to continue its streak as the Philippines top-selling car – a record it has been holding for more than a decade now.

“You can count on TMP to stay true to our promise of making the world’s best Vios, and in the process, helping the economy, and providing livelihood to thousands of Filipino families” said TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto during his

remarks, pertaining to the local production of the Vios in TMP’s Santa Rosa, Laguna manufacturing plant.

“With the New Vios, we have once again reinvented the Filipino’s most preferred car. With its upgraded design and new features, we can truly expect the New Vios to LEVEL UP YOUR DRIVE!” he added.

The Vios has been the quintessen-

tial road companion of Filipinos, moving families and enabling businesses for 17 years now. Now made even better to adapt to the new mobility landscape, the New Vios moves forward, providing reliability, durability, and affordability it is known for since its debut in the Philippine market in 2003.

The New Vios lineup boasts improvements on its looks and features across 9 available variants – G CVT and M/T, E CVT and M/T, XLE CVT and M/T, XE CVT, and J and J Base in M/T. Levelled-Up Look and Features The New Vios gets an eye-catching upgrade on its exterior with the glossy black front grille, further accentuated by the 3-tier LED headlights and daytime running lights for G variants. G, E and XLE variants also get LED foglamps. G variants have 16” alloy wheels and LED rear combination lamps with line guide for a sleek and sporty look from the front, to the side, and the back.

by its Takumi masters. One only has to look at the finer details to notice that the NX is constructed in a way that sets the benchmark in the luxury crossover segment.

Under the hood of the NX 300 and NX 300 F Sport is a powerful and fuel-efficient turbocharged direct-injection 2.0liter inline-4. Power is rated at 235hp, with an impressive 350Nm of torque. Its twin-scroll turbocharger is a single turbo with two separate exhaust paths, ensuring air travels in a more direct feed to the turbo. Also fitted to this athletic motor is an air-to-liquid intercooler which maintains a low intake temperature and helps combat power-robbing heat.

On the NX 300h hybrid is a 2.5-liter inline-4 combined with a pair of electric motors. The NX 300h offers 194 bhp supplemented by electric motors

that result in instant torque and acceleration.

Power delivery is one thing, but where the NX shines is in its exceptional roadholding manners. The suspension has been tuned to enhance ride and handling.

The springs, stabilizer bars and bushings have been tweaked for improved turn-in response and steady-state cornering. New shock absorbers also improve the quality of the NX’s already butterysmooth ride.

But the biggest change is that Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) is now available on the NX F Sport variant.

AVS--based on the advanced system found in the LC 500--offers enhanced control and overall handling stability.

This is perfect for driving enthusiasts who enjoy hitting the open road and enjoying their vehicle’s capabilities.

Kona the conqueror GOOD looks can only get you so far in life, even in cars. It’s so easy to be enamored with a vehicle’s aesthetics to the point that it has also become easy to look the other way if the performance isn’t up to par.

Hyundai’s subcompact SUV, the Kona, begs to differ because it has something more to offer beyond its globallyacclaimed style: The Kona may be the Tucson’s funkier and more adventurous younger brother, but it’s not a rookie when it comes to performance. It’s well-endowed, thanks to its 2.0-liter Atkinson gasoline engine with 6-speed AT transmission, Euro 4 emission rating, and can give you a maximum power of 149ps/6,200rpm and a maximum torque of 18.3kg-m/4,500rpm.

From long rides to uphill climbs, driving the Kona feels like a breeze. The fact that its Drive Mode Technology allows you to command how and when to exert power that will efficiently satisfy your driving style is just a bonus.

Apart from its modern interiors complete with cushioned fabric for its 5-seating capacity, the Kona has ample headroom (front & back) and leg room, thanks to a wide exterior dimension of 1,800mm that contribute to better on-road stability, and a long wheelbase of 2,600mm that affords greater passenger leg room.

City dwellers and outdoor adventurers alike can feel secure on the road with the Kona’s standard six-airbag system, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Tire Pressure Monitoring System, ISOFIX child

seat anchors, and a convenient Smart Key + Push Button Start system.

The Kona has made its mark as a member of the Hyundai SUV family due to a characteristic that they all share: distinct durability, thanks to Hyundai’s Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) which is known to be 10% lighter but twice as rigid as conventional steel. Reports of its older brother, the Tucson, have gone viral for remaining in relatively one piece after a four-ton boulder crashed into it. That’s because the Tucson is made with 51% AHSS. Still, the Kona is unfazed. Its proudly 51.8% AHSS body boosted its safety ratings in various crash tests performed in Europe and North America.

Much has been said about the Kona’s head-turning style and performance which has captivated international award giving bodies in the past few years. But with its wing-like fenders, sporty exoskeleton design, cascading grille complete with a brilliant separated headlight design composed of projector halogen headlights and LED Daytime Running Lights, can you really blame them?

Modern dashboard layout gives the driver a commanding view of what lies ahead of the road.

Geely opens Q Ave dealership OJITZ G Auto Philippines has opened its second Geely outlet in the country managed by its dealer partner, the Autohub Group. The launch of the Geely Quezon Avenue comes 9 months after the Geely brand was launched in the Philippines.

The Quezon Avenue showroom was originally slated to open last March, but was delayed due to the community quarantine brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

SGAP President & CEO Mikihisa Takayama has warmly welcomed the Autohub Group to the Geely family.

“This partnership is a huge step forward in SGAP and Geely’s goal to be a major player in the Philippine automotive industry. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the Autohub Group for trusting and choosing Geely to be part of their growing automotive brand portfolio.”, Takayama said.

Autohub group has been in the Philippine automotive business for about 21 years, having at least 19 vehicle brands under the group’s distributorship and dealership business. Through the years, it has also established its name and credibility through the luxury European brands it handled, to include, Mini, Lotus, Pagani and Rolls Royce.

Autohub Group President & CEO Willy Tee Ten said, “we are looking forward to being part of this emerging brand in the country. We believe in Geely’s potential in the Philippine auto industry under the good hands of SGAP as its local distributor.

Thank you for trusting the Autohub Group.”

Geely Quezon Avenue will open its doors to its customers starting July 31, 2020, Mondays through Fridays from 8:00AM to 6:00PM.