Manila Standard - 2020 August 5 - Wednesday

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PhilHealth collapse feared Agency exec warns shutter by 2022, but Palace assures funding for it

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo

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N OFFICIAL of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) warned Tuesday that the state-run medical insurer could reach the end of its actuarial life next year and colllapse in 2022 because member contributions have dropped as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, while benefit payouts are increasing for the same reason.

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 157• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Testifying before the Senate, which is investigating alleged anomalies at the agency, PhilHealth Senior Vice President Nerissa Santiago said the agency would incur P90 billion and P147 billion in operating losses in 2020 and 2021, respectively due to the “double impact” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, however, disputed this claim, citing reserve funds at PhilHealth’s disposal.

Santiago’s testimony about the agency’s financial woes came after resigned anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith said the government was losing about P15 billion d u e to corruption a t PhilHealth, which he described as “the crime of the year.”

’DEFEATIST ATTITUDE.’ Philippine Health Insurance Corp. president and CEO Ricardo Morales (left) testifies at the start of the Senate Committee of the Whole inquiry into the alleged failure of PhilHealth to release insurance claims to its accredited hospitals as well as alleged widespread corruption in the agency on Tuesday. Sen. Joel Villanueva (above, right), seated beside Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, expressed sadness over Morales' apparent 'defeatist attitude' in stamping out corruption within the government firm. Senate PRIB

Roque says local economy cannot withstand longer lockdown in MM

PH cases soar to single-day high of 6,352 as gov't eyes to test 3m

By Vito Barcelo

THE Philippines once again broke its own record for the highest number of COVID-19 cases reported in a single day after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 6,352 new infections on Tuesday, bringing the total to 112,593 confirmed cases.

THE Philippine economy will not be able to withstand the impact of a longer modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ in Mega Manila, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Mega Manila, which comprises Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan, was again placed under MECQ until Aug. 18 to prevent the collapse of the health care system as the COVID-19 cases exceeded 100,000.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque dismissed the suggestions to extend the MECQ until the end of the month, saying the decision for a two-week MECQ was reached to reflect the “delicate balance” between health and economy.

Next page

By Willie Casas and Vito Barcelo

This is the first time that a single day’s new infections tally breached 6,000.

The DOH said 2,560 of those were fresh cases and 3,792 were reported late.

The Philippines still has the secondhighest number of COVID-19 cases across Southeast Asia after Indonesia with 113,134 infections as of Monday.

Meanwhile, the country aims to immunize at least 3 percent of its 100-million Next page

UN sets largest int’l aid plan here THE United Nations and its humanitarian partners in the Philippines on Tuesday launched the largest international humanitarian response plan in the country since Typhoon Yolanda n 2013.

With financial requirements of about P6 billion, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) COVID-19 Response Plan is focused on providing critical health interventions and

multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance to the 5.4 million poorest and most marginalized Filipinos living in poor, densely populated urban areas.

It also prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of women and girls.

“The pandemic is challenging the capacity of response of any single Next page

LSIs may be exempt from travel ban

By Willie Casas, Rey E. Requejo and Vito Barcelo LOCALLY stranded individuals (LSIs) may be exempted from travel restrictions owing to the stricter coronavirus lockdown in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Hatid Tulong Program lead convenor and Presidential Management Staff Assistant Secretary Joseph Encabo had requested this to speed up the processing of LSIs

’Shoot to kill’ order gets ire of QC mayor

who have been waiting for trips that will take them to their home provinces.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will tackle Encabo's request in its next meeting.

"If we do not process this in the next two weeks, our LSIs will have to wait even longer, making them more vulnerable and even psychologically disturbed,” the PMS official said during Tuesday’s Next page

CHECKPOINTS RETURN. Police main a checkpoint on the southbound lane of the North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City, leading to heavy traffic during the first day of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine on Tuesday. The scene was the same along Roxas Boulevard as members of the Manila Police District check the identification and proof of residence of motorists (above). Andrew Rabulan and Norman Cruz

Military told no sea drills out of EEZ

DEDICATION. Medical frontliners walk, bike and scoot to and from their work in Manila's hospitals amid the coronavirus pandemic. Norman Cruz

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered that the Philippines will not participate in maritime drills with any country in the South China Sea (SCS) unless it is done within the country's 12-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday.

Lorenzana said Duterte gave the order to prevent an escalation of tensions in the disputed waters.

Aside from Philippines and China, other countries that claim parts of the waterway are Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Brunei.

“The President has a standing order to us, to me that we should not involve ourselves in the naval exercises in the South China Sea except in our national waters,” he said in a virtual briefing.

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QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Tuesday condemned the shoot-tokill threat made by the city's Task Force Disiplina head Rannie Ludovica against quarantine violators.

"We condemn the statement of the head of the Task Force Disiplina. It is wrong. It is inappropriate. It is irresponsible, and I would like to stress that he posted it in his Facebook account and it’s personal,” Belmonte told reporters.

However, Belmonte said she understood Ludovica's sentiments. She had spoken with the official and she learned that Ludovica was frustrated with Quezon City residents who continued to violate quarantine protocols despite the continuing reminders from law enforcers.

"Mr. Ludovica told me that his statement came as a result of his frustration. He was frustrated because we have been reminding our people for five months to wear a mask, not to leave their homes and not to play basketball, not to

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

Frontliners in ’silent protest’ There were 50 infected health workers in the hospital as of Aug. 3.

“We are bothered by the recent condition in our hospital, especially by the mothers, babies and our fellow health workers,” said Margarita Esquivel, president of the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial

Hospital Employees Union-Alliance of Health Workers.

“Newborn babies are prone to any infection. The hospital management and the [Health department] must take concrete plans on how to make a proper protocol to contain the virus.”

The Philippine National Police, meanwhile, said Tuesday it will reassess the conditions of its medical front-liners in the wake of the rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

PNP chief Archie Gamboa, said this was in response to the concerns of the police doctors and nurses who were now experiencing exhaustion.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines on Tuesday urged the faithful to offer prayers for all the priests around the world, especially the Filipino priests who continue to serve and spread the word of God amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

PhilHealth...

SVP for management services sector.

Lacson said Del Rosario had been the signatory on a lease contract for a building indirectly owned by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who is also chairman of PhilHealth.

Fargas stirred allegations of a grave abuse of discretion by reversing the Court of Appeals’ final and executory judgment of Perpetual Succour Hospital’s threemonth suspension and P10,000 fine.

Lacson also accused Fargas of turning a blind eye to the notorious and untenable policy called All Case Rate or ACR Payment Scheme of PhilHealth which cost PhilHealth massive losses to overpayment and fraud.

On the otherhand, Mas was SVP charged by the Ombudsman for his involvement in the POEA fake receipt scam.

Mas also deliberately failed to disclose the undesirable record of the five recently promoted PhilHealth personnel despite their involvement in big-time scams.

Lacson also revealed the following Commission on Audit disallowances for Philhealth: • As of Dec. 31, 2018 – P6.64 billion • As of Dec. 31, 2017 – P6.12 billion • As of Dec. 31, 2016 – P5.08 billion • As of Dec. 31, 2015 – P5.02 billion • As of Dec. 31, 2014 - P3.98 billion He pointed out PhilHealth’s recurring pattern of violations of auditing rules in terms of suspensions, disallowances and charges.

“Today, even in the middle of a global pandemic, PhilHealth continues to face a train of anomalies, this time involving three major issues we are tackling today: overpriced ICT equipment, manipulation of PhilHealth’s financial statements and the highly irregular implementation of advanced payments to health care institutions through the interim reimbursement mechanism policy, among other corrupt practices.

"We dare ask: Why would maternity care package providers and freestanding dialysis centers which do not even cater to COVID-19 patients receive COVID-19 advance payments from PhilHealth? You can see P226 million released to freestanding dialysis centers and P4.7 million released package providers,” Lacson said.

To cite an example, five branches of a private freestanding dialysis center, Braun Avitum Dialysis Center Manila, recently received a total of P45.18 million in only a few days, while the Ospital ng Maynila, a public hospital, has yet to receive its PhilHealth fund reimbursement of P19 million despite multiple appeals.

Recto, on the other hand, contradicted Santiago’s warning that PhilHealth had only a one-year actuarial life because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On grilling by Drilon, Santiago said

Philhelath will have no more reserve funds by 2021.

Before the pandemic, Santiago said the actuarial life of PhilHealth was more than 10 years. However, she said the pandemic had a “double impact” on the agency’s program because of the decreased collections and expected increase in benefit payouts.

But Recto said PhilHealth has reserved funds or equity of P110 billion, of which P77 billion came from premium paid by direct contributors. He said the remaining balance came from sin taxes, PAGCOR and other government sources.

With the current health crisis, Recto said it’s the contributions coming from members that will be affected due to job losses. But he said the funds from sin taxes would be go on for two years. He estimated that Philhealth will still have P60 billion in reserved funds.

The Senate leader also raised the possibility that the hospital expenses of Philhealth might be reduced as many people do not go to hospitals for fear of getting infected by COVID-19.

Malacañang on Tuesday said the government will provide funding to PhilHealth if its dire warnings prove true.

“The government may provide funds to PhilHealth once its reserve funds are depleted,” Roque said in a televised public press briefing.

Roque said the survival of PhilHealth does not depend solely on its collections.

"As author of the Universal Health Care [law], we never, even for one minute, considered that the survival of PhilHealth will solely be by reason of premiums," Roque said.

“We know that we could not provide free medicine and treatment if PhilHealth will only depend on premiums,” he added.

“By and large, the government is aware of its responsibilities to support PhilHealth financially for the implementation of the Universal Health Care Law. If PhilHealth runs out of money, the government will provide funds because it's called Universal Health Care, not medical insurance,” he added.

Morales on Tuesday said the agency’s alleged “overpriced” information and communications technology system is aimed at a solution in dealing with the systemic fraud that is causing the agency to lose billions of pesos a year.

“The problem of fraud and inefficiencies in PhilHealth are here before, long before I got here and will continue to be here long after I am gone if the right things are not done… And right now, at this moment, the right thing to do for PhilHealth is to get the integrated and harmonized information system, and to clean up its membership database,” Morales said.

Morales said a study conducted last

year estimated that PhilHealth’s fraud index was 7.5 percent, as compared with the global average for health care fraud of 10 to 20 percent.

Nevertheless, at that rate, he said that of the P136 billion it spent last year on benefit payments, P10.2 billion was potentially lost to fraud.

He maintained that the solution to the systematic fraud problem “lies in the robust, integrated and harmonized information management system running a clean, complete and updated membership database.”

“Only such a system can keep track of the 109 million members, the 40,000 accredited health care professionals, the 8,500 health care facilities filing 35,000 claims a day and paying P2 billion a week,” he added.

Currently, he said what PhilHealth has is a “fragmented, aging and over-extended” information system running a hundred applications, a database that handles 370 transactions per second, catering to 4,000 internal and 20,000 external users distributed among its 130 offices and branches nationwide.

“If a corporation stands to lose tens of billions a year through fraud which can be avoided by information technology, then the alleged overpriced P2.1 billion IT program over three years appears paltry indeed,” Morales said.

Morales also said he and the management team he created are not yet ready to “throw in the towel.”

“Reform does not happen overnight and some stability is required for it to take root,” he said.

At the same hearing, Senator Francis Tolentino asked Morales why he defied President Duterte’s order to call for the resignation of the corporation’s vice presidents and board members to pave the way for its cleansing.

“There was a directive coming from President Duterte for all PhilHealth vice presidents to tender their courtesy resignation. Was there a consequential action from the PhilHealth board requiring the VPs to quit?” Tolentino asked Morales.

Admitting there was a Board resolution on the resignation of key officials, Morales howeversaid it only reached the board members and not the vice presidents.

The Philhealth CEO added he exercised discretion because the agency couldn't function if all vice presidents will resign. He added no cases have been filed against them.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, meanwhile, said there is a “special place in hell” for people who take advantage of the misery of others, apparently referring to the “mafia members” involved in the corruption at PhilHealth. With PNA

said the government estimates the vaccine to cost at $10 each or around P500.

Outside of COVAX, the Philippines can procure vaccines from other sources should these be developed first, he said.

The five areas with the highest number of new cases were Metro Manila with 3,139; Laguna with 592; Cavite with 550; Rizal with 277; and Cebu with 261.

The total number of recoveries also rose to 66,049 after 240 more patients recovered from the respiratory disease.

The death toll climbed to 2,115 since the pandemic started, with 11 newly reported deaths Tuesday.

Some 44,429 are active cases that are being treated or quarantined. Of these cases, 91.2 percent have mild symptoms, 7.5 percent are asymptomatic, 0.8 percent are severe, and 0.6 percent are in critical conditon.

The DOH said figures reported on Tuesday were based on data submitted by 80 out of the 94 operational laboratories. With PNA

UN...

About a quarter of the response plan has been mobilized so far, the UN official said.

The HCT response plan to COVID-19 covers the end of the year, but will be updated as needs resulting from the pandemic change, he added.

“As we work together to support government efforts to contain the virus against the demand to restore the economy, the UN and humanitarian partners will continue to seize opportunities to build greater resiliency, equity and inclusivity, in short, to build back forward better,” Gonzalez said.

The Philippines has also been included in the Global Humanitarian Response Plan, with a total of $10.3 billion, the largest in history,bringing together the response plans of 63 of the hardest hit and most vulnerable countries.

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EALTH workers from the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital staged a lunch=break “Silent Protest” on Tuesday to express their concern over the safety of their fellow health workers, mothers and infants in the hospital who are non-covid-19 patients.

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He pointed to the “syndicate-like” implementation of the interim reimbursement mechanism and the procurement of overpriced information and communication technology equipment as avenues for corruption.

Keith had resigned and raised the alarm over corruption at the state-run agency.

"I believe that the reason why corruption doesn’t end in PhilHealth, which has become a culture already, is due to the appointment, or the syndicate or mafia that has been put in place, of their peers, cohorts or fellow syndicate members in the executive department, which helps them in their illegal operations," he told the Senate Committee Of The Whole.

He also said he believes the syndicate in PhilHealth planned to take money from overseas Filipino workers to replace the money they have already spent or stolen.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said controversies continue to haunt PhilHealth because it does not follow simple auditing rules.

“We are in this mess because of Philhealht’s non-compliance with rules, including a simple COA rule.

That is why we have all these problems because you disregard all the rules designed to protect public funds,” Drilon told PhilHealth president and chief operating officer Ricardo Morales.

Drilon was referring to the Commission on Audit rule that no additional cash advances shall be allowed to any official or employee unless the previous cash advances given to him are first settled or a proper accounting has been made.

At the start of the hearing, Drilon lamented how nothing has changed in PhilHealth since the Senate conducted a thorough investigation on the allegations of fraudulent claims, overpayments, and ghost dialysis payments last year.

In May this year the minority leader bared the overpricing of PhilHealth COVID-19 testing kits, which forced the health insurance agency to bring down the cost from P8,150 to P3,409. This saved the government over P9 billion, on the basis of a projected 2 million tests.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said the story of corruption at Philhealth only revolves around the same cast of characters – a circle of high-ranking officials who manage to hog their seats despite the change of leadershi--and detailed anomalies that were already unearthed in the past.

He identified them as Rodolfo del Rosario, now senior vice president of legal sector, Israel Fargas, the SVP for health finance policy sector; corporate secretary Jonathan Mangaoang; and Dennis Mas,

PH..

From A1

population from COVID-19 through a global vaccination facility, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña said Tuesday.

At least 3 percent of the population should be immunized for COVID-19 under the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, Dela Pena said.

"We have already reserved 3 percent of vaccines that will become available, corresponding to 3 percent of our population or 3 million vaccines to ensure we have supplies once it becomes available," Dela Peña said during a Palace press briefing.

The Philippines last month joined the facility, which the World Health Organization described as a "mechanism designed to guarantee rapid, fair, and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide."

As for the cost of the country's participation in the WHO program, Dela Peña

Military...

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“I hope all parties in this exercise will work on their actions there or exercise prudence and carefulness so there will be no miscalculations that could further increase the tension,” he added.

His remarks came after the United States deployed nuclear-powered warships in the waterway in recent weeks to counter China’s moves in the area.

Last month, China conducted "highintensity" naval exercises with a focus on enhancing its amphibious assault capabilities.

Lorenzana believes that teaming

up with the US, its long-time ally, will “definitely” increase the tension between Manila and Beijing, adding it is the "last thing" the country wants to do right now.

“We cannot do that, we cannot exercise in the South China Sea,” he stated. “If one country’s action is considered belligerent by another, tension will rise.”

Lt. Gen Gilbert Gapay, the new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), agreed with Lorenzana, saying the country’s dispute with China should be resolved “peacefully.”

“We have reiterated our position favoring and supporting the diplomatic and peaceful resolution of conflicting interest in the West Philippine Sea,” Gapay said.

Francisco Tuyay with AFP

From A1

country in the world. Our role is to make best use of our global knowledge and resources,” said Gustavo Gonzalez, UN resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines.

The HCT response plan focuses on supporting the government in addressing the most immediate challenges relating to health, food security, water and sanitation, protection as well as risk communication.

Some 50 country-based UN and nongovernmental partners are contributing to the response, bringing together national and international NGOs and their networks, faith-based organizations as well as the private sector.

LSIs...

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Network Briefing News hosted by Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.

Assuming the IATF grants his request, Encabo said they expect to send home 500 LSIs immediately.

If not, the stranded ones will have to wait out at the government's staging areas or temporary shelters, he said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered all police commanders and units to immediately put up checkpoints in barangays and main thoroughfares of the National Capital Region (NCR) and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal which were reverted to a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) beginning Tuesday.

PNP Chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said

"Let’s pray for our priests to continue their mission, the celebration of Masses and the spread of the Good News,” said San Pablo Bishop Buenaventura Famadico, chairman of the CBCP's Episcopal Commission on Clergy in an interview over churchrun Radio Veritas.

Esquivel’s group says the number of infected health workers is rapidly increasing. There is no proper quarantine facility for health workers who test positive for COVID-19, and they are only placed in tents near the pedia ward. The others are in a dilapidated accounting room and School of midwifery room.

during the 15-day MECQ, police frontliners will have stricter checkpoints to effectively contain the spread of COVID-19.

Under the MECQ guidelines, only one person will be authorized to go out to buy the basic needs of a household to avoid non-essential travel.

Quarantine passes will be mandatory for authorized persons outside residence (APOR) and must be presented at the checkpoints.

Gamboa urged the public to fully cooperate with the authorities for the sake of public health.

“We are asking for your full cooperation, to help save lives and to ease the burden of your health and police front-liners,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) main office in the Palacio del Gobernador and other offices in Intramuros, Manila will be closed for two weeks for extensive disinfection and decontamination. With PNA

Lawyers warn of 'iron mask' in 'terror' law A LAWYERS’ organization on Tuesday opposed the proposal made by new Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 should govern regulation of netizen’s social media posts.

National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) president Edre Olalia objected to Gapay's recommendation , saying it is like an “iron mask” that would "suffocate" the people because it would curtail their fundamental rights.

Gapay had recommended to use the anti-terrorism law and its IRR to monitor posts on social media, which he said are being used by terrorists to radicalize the youth and to recruit and plan terrorist acts.

“It is against basic constitutional and international law principles, let alone common sense… It is an open assault on free expression that is key to democracy, good governance and public participation.

In short, it is an iron mask that covers all our senses to suffocation including our basic common sense,” Olalia said in a statement.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon also branded Gapay's proposal as illegal and unconstitutional.

“That will go beyond the real intent of the law and, therefore, it is illegal and unconstitutional. Freedom of speech is a sacred and inviolable right of every human being. The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech,” Drilon stressed.

Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon frowned on the AFP chief's proposal, and said the desire to regulate social media goes against the legislative intent of the Anti-Terrorism Law. "There is no provision in the law which provides for the authority to regulate social media, precisely because it is not the intention of the legislators to cross the line of protecting freedom of expression and right to privacy," said Biazon.

Rey E. Requejo, Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Roque...

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“I will be blunt. the economy cannot withstand a longer lockdown,” Roque said in a virtual Palace briefing.

He also said there would be no cash aid or Social Amelioration Program distribution for the families affected by the re-imposition of the MECQ because the government had no budget.

He says the government cannot provide financial aid to the millions of families since Congress did not approve the Bayanihan 2 bill.

The Bayanihan 2 bill was supposed to extend the validity of the coronavirus programs and interventions laid out under Republic Act 11469, or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. The Labor department, meanwhile, said Close to 141,000 workers were displaced due to the COVID-19 shutdown and retrenchment by companies in the first eight months of the year.

The department said 140,958 employees were affected nationwide from 6,843 establishments from Jan. 1 to Aug. 2.

The department also reported it had almost exhausted the P2.5-billion fund for its Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong or AKAP assistance program for the Filipino workers abroad who were affected

by COVID-19.

Roque said the decision to place Mega Manila under MECQ instead of the medical frontliners’ request for enhanced community quarantine or ECQ, the most stringent type of quarantine, was also because of the impact an ECQ would have on the economy.

The MECQ was imposed as a “compromise” to the demand of health care workers for a timeout to beef up the country’s healthcare system, he said.

’Shoot..

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drink alcohol and not to sing in a karaoke, but we are still seeing those things,” Belmonte said.

She made her statement even as Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya slammed Ludovica’s shoot-to-kill threat as “improper and illegal."

"We advise him to desist from issuing similar statements in the future,” Malaya said.

“While we strongly believe that discipline is one of the preventive measures to stop the transmission of the coronavirus disease, this must be enforced within the bounds of the law and the DILG will not tolerate any possible abuse of authority on the part of law enforcement agencies or enforcement units of local government units.”

Deputy Speaker and Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, meanwhile, urged the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and the National Task Force on COVID-19 to consider launching a “shame and fame campaign” to fight the coronavirus.

News

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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Yedda endorses kids’ welfare act

China not occupying Fuga—CEZA

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Othel V. Campos

THE chairperson of the House of Representatives’ Committee on the Welfare of Children on Tuesday said she is committed to work for the immediate passage of the proposed “Foundling Welfare Act” aimed at promoting the rights of abandoned children with unknown parents and declaring them as natural-born Filipino citizens.

As panel head, Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez made the assurance after her committee during a virtual hearing via Zoom late Monday approved the proposal, subject to amendments, House Bill (HB) 3472 or the proposed Foundling Welfare Act that is principally authored by Ang Probinsyano party-list Rep. Ronnie Ong. “We will do our best to approve this bill immediately in the House of Representatives. We are committed to promote and protect the rights of the abandoned children,” Romualdez said on the measure that was approved upon the motion of Rep. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Women’s Group.

Romualdez said the filing of the bill was an offshoot of the absence of a legal framework that fully recognizes the foundlings as bonafide Filipino citizens.

As a foundling, Romualdez said the abandoned child has to cope with the harsh reality of being abandoned by his/ her family.

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HE Cagayan Economic Zone Authority on Tuesday denied reports it is allowing China’s rumored occupation of Fuga Island in the guise of creating a smart city in the Island.

CEZA Deputy Administrator Agrimero Cruz said the island is known as an area with potential for investments and as a strategic site for disaster response.

He explained that the smart city project,

a collaboration with Fujian-based Fong Zhi Enterprise, might have been misconstrued as a cover for China’s exercise of military expansion in the Babuyan Channel.

“We would like to correct the mis-

conception attributed to CEZA’s memorandum of understanding with Fong Zhi Enterprises of China. CEZA’s MOUs with foreign investors are mere marketing tools, with short-lived effectivity of six months and are purely non-binding instruments as specifically provided in its terms,” he said.

The MOU with Fong Zhi was more of an expression of the parties’ intent to explore investment opportunities in Fuga Island.

Like any project, it will be subjected to more tedious processes of project fea-

sibility studies, environmental impact assessment and master planning and will also undergo judicious vetting prior to the approval of the CEZA Board of Directors, Cruz said.

“That MOU with Fong Zhi has already effectively lapsed and to date, CEZA has not received any other proposal for investment in Fuga island,” he said.

He added that Fuga and its adjacent islands of Mabbag and Barit are owned by private entities who offer these properties to foreign investors for investment opportunities.

P15m smuggled luxury items held

By Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo

CUSTOMS agents assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport seized P15 million worth of expensive shoes, bags and wallet brands smuggled from Milano, Italy.

Customs-NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan said the owners of the balikbayan boxes, whom she refused to identify, will be held liable for technical smuggling after misdeclaring the shipment to avoid paying the right duties and taxes.

She said among the seized items were Chanel, Hermes, Christian Louboutin, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Balenciaga brands of bags, shoes, wallets and earrings packed in 17 cartons from Milano through RRG Freight Service Forwarder in Paircargo Warehouse.

The shipments were misdeclared as canned goods, chocolates, and personal effects such as shampoo, soap, towels, and toiletries.

FIRST MEETING. House Majority Leader and Committee on Rules Chairman Martin Romualdez presides over the first meeting of the Committee on Rules in Virtual via Zoom after the opening of the Second Regular Session of the 18th Congress. Romualdez discussed pending bills that need to be prioritized, including those vital in the fight against COVID-19. Ver Noveno

Roque: PH will not ban China’s TikTok despite security issues

By Vito Barcelo MALACANANG has said that the government will not ban the popular Chinese video-sharing app TikTok in the Philippines due to alleged security issues.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque assured filipinos that they can continue to enjoy playing “Tik tok,” a short video application in the country be-

cause there is no reason to ban the said mobile application.

“President Duterte respects free speech and has not banned any website in the country,” Roque said following some countries move to ban the use of the popular app.

The popular app is under scrutiny after United States President Donald Trump threatened to put it “out of the

business” in the US on grounds that TikTok collects users’ personal data that the Chinese government can supposedly access and use for intelligence collection and other purposes.

In a televised press breifing, Roque, who also uses Tik tok, said that there is no such thing or idea from the Palace to ban the popular app.

“To those alleging the President

‘Gov’t takeover of telcos ‘baseless’

OSTRICH SPOTTED. An ostrich was spotted running inside Mapayapa Village 3 in Quezon City on Monday morning. Resident and video uploader Dino Rivera saID the flightless bird has already been captured by village guards. CNN Philippines photo

Maynilad upgrades La Mesa facility

By Maricel V. Cruz MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. recently started operations at its upgraded facilities at La Mesa Treatment Plant in Quezon City.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Maynilad President Ramoncito S. Fernandez led the ceremonial opening of the sluice gate to let water flow into the newly-upgraded treatment basins.

Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Administrator Emmanuel Salamat, National Water Resources Board Director Sevillo D. David Jr., and Maynilad Board Director Jose Ma. K. Lim were on hand to witness the event.

The facility enhancements are part of Maynilad’s P7.9-billion project to upgrade the LMTP 1 and 2 that together produce around 2,400 million liters of water per day, serving around 90 percent of the company’s 9.7 million customers.

In his speech during the commissioning ceremony, Cimatu thanked Maynilad for its continued investments toward en-

suring water security, saying that clean water in this time of pandemic is important.

Completed at LMTP 1 as of July this year is the rehabilitation of eight sedimentation basins and 16 filters, as well as the construction of a new sludge treatment facility. Once all upgrades are completed, LMTP 1 and 2 will have enhanced treatment capacity, automated processes, and earthquake-resilient structures.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base.

It is the agent and contractor of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite.

LAWYER advocacy group warned that President Duterte’s threat to “expropriate” the country’s two established telecommunications companies as baseless and would violate the constitution.

In a released public statement, Tagapagtanggol ng Watatawat (Defenders of the Flag), a group of lawyers advocating to uphold the constitution and the rule of law said that they do not find any compelling reason for government to resort to the drastic measure of taking over Smart and Globe.

The group’s spokesperson and convenor, Atty. Arnel Victor C. Valeña, said that according to Article XII, Section 17 of the Constitution, the State is authorized to “temporarily take over or direct the operation of any privately owned public utility or business affected with public interest.” This may be done only “in times of national emergency, when the public interest so requires.”

Valeña points out that the President’ mere dissatisfaction with the “less-thanideal service that the public is getting” from Smart and Globe, including aborted calls is

not cause for government to take over.

“We are not aware of any emergency and do not find any compelling reason for the government to resort to the drastic measure of taking over Smart and Globe,” Valeña said.

“Even in the middle of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, we do not think it is in the interest of the public to jeopardize telecommunications services and cause unnecessary uncertainty to the people who are now forced to rely on online commerce, work-from-home set-ups and distance learning,” he added.

The lawyer group noted that bureaucratic and regulatory issues have consistently hampered the construction of new cell sites that could have improved reception.

“The State ought to flex its regulatory muscle and exercise all reasonable means first to enable, as well as compel, the telecommunications companies to improve their services. It should not expect recurring issues to be resolved in a snap without proper intervention and regulation. We have not seen any sufficient efforts by the government in that regard,” The group said.

suppresses free speech, the President has not banned any website,” he said.

“We see no reason to ban TikTok here in the Philippines. Just enjoy the application,” he said.

TikTok app allows users to share creative content, such as videos where they can lip-synch and dance.

The app has over 200 million users worldwide.

IN BRIEF SSS urged to release funds for pandemic loans A HOUSE leader on Tuesday urged the Social Security System to release funds to their branches for pandemic loans, members’ benefits and other operational requirements.

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, in House Resolution 1093, cited the long lines in SSS branches of members and retirees applying for loans, and retirement, death, maternity, and other benefits, or remitting their premium contributions.

“People need additional funds to tide them over the raging health crisis,” he said.

Rodriguez said many SSS offices are unable to accommodate the long lines of loan applicants and other members transacting business with them due to lack of personnel and equipment.

This results in delays in the processing and release of loans and other benefits, he added. Maricel V. Cruz

MPC elects new set of officers for 2020-21

SILENT PROTEST. Health workers from Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila

stage a lunchbreak ‘Silent Protest’ to express their deep concern over the safety of their fellow health workers, mothers and infants in the hospital who are non-Covid patients and prone to be infected by the infectious and deadly virus. Norman Cruz

MEMBERS of the Malacañang Press Corps on Monday elected Evelyn Quiroz of Pilipino Mirror as its president for the year 2020-2021.

Others who were elected to their respective positions are Alexis Romero of Philippine Star as Vice President for Print; Mqaricel Halili of TV5 as VP for Television; Chona Yu of Radyo Inquirer as VP for Radio; Celerina Monte of Manila Shimbum as VP for Online; Julie Aurelio of Philippine Daily Inquirer as Secretary; Kris Jose Remate/ Remate Online as Treasurer; Pia Ranada of Rappler as Auditor; and Francis Wakefield of Daily Tribune and Catherine Valente of Manila Times as Sgt. At Arms.

The MPC is composed of journalists covering the presidential bea

ECO-GARDEN.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources CALABARZON Regional Office through its Manila Bay Site Coordinating/ Management Office (MBSCMO) has established an ecogarden in Barangay Mayapa, Calamba, Laguna. The garden has repurposed old tires, barrels, and other materials painted with bright colors. Old plastic bottles were used as plant containers for the vertical garden, which was established to promote waste segregation and reduction by diverting biodegradable waste as compost and identifying partner recyclers who can repurpose materials that would otherwise go to the sanitary landfill.

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

A4

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

QC reimposes liquor ban until Aug 18

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Quezon City government has reimposed a liquor ban during the duration of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) which began Tuesday up until August 18 in its effort prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Mayor Joy Belmonte issued the memorandum upon the recommendation of the City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (CESU) to stop the selling of liquor to arrest the rise of virus cases in the communities.

“Reimposing liquor ban will help contain the spread of the virus in out community where social gatherings are held,” said Belmonte.

The city imposed a liquor ban during the ECQ, but partially lifted it when Metro Manila was placed under MECQ last May 16, allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

According to CESU head Dr. Rolly Cruz, there were cases that drinking sessions in public places caused the spread of the virus in some communities including those placed under Special Concern Lockdown.

“There were various instances where those who contracted the virus claimed they simply went out for a drink with neighbors,” said Cruz.

Pasay wants recoveries identified THE Pasay City government has instructed bagangay officials and health center personnel to tag or identify COVID-19 recovered patients based on criteria set by the Department of Health to avoid public confusion.

The local government also wants to ensure all recovered patient have actually completed the required 14-day isolation and have not experienced symptoms of the disease in the last three days prior to their discharge from isolation or quarantine.

DOH Memorandum 2020—0258 (Updated Interim Guidelines on Expanded Testing for COVID-19) states the following in its Paragraph No. 9: “Discharge and recovery criteria for suspect, probable, and confirmed COVID-19 cases shall no longer entail repeat testing.

Symptomatic patients who have clinically recovered and are no longer symptomatic for at least 3 days and have completed at least 14 days of isolation either at home, temporary treatment and monitoring facility, or hospital, can be tagged as a recovered confirmed case and reintegrated to the community without the need for further testing, provided that a licensed medical doctor clears the patient. Patients who test RT-PCR positive and remain asymptomatic for at least 14 days can discontinue quarantine and tagged as a recovered confirmed case without need for further testing, provided a licensed medical doctor clears the patient.”

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in its Resolution 60 issued on July 30, 2020 approved the DOH Guidelines and endorsed the same to all local government units. Joel E. Zurbano

Manila allocates P200m for COVID-19 vaccines

By Willie Casas

M

ANILA City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso has announced he has asked the City Council to set aside P200 million in the 2021 budget for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines once they are available and approved for use.

In his weekly Facebook Live program ‘The Capital Report,’ Domagoso said the Manila City government was now preparing for the “end game” of the COVID-19 crisis as pharmaceutical firms across the world were racing to create a vaccine.

While there is no vaccine that has been approved yet, the Mayor stressed it was crucial the local government is prepared to purchase them once a vaccine is approved months from now.

“While we are trying to thrive, to suvive despite the COVID, we are looking at the immediate future,” he said.

Domagoso said that he had contacted with different pharmaceutical companies involved in the research to create a vaccine against the deadly virus.

While no vaccine has been approved yet, the Manila City government’s COVID-19 mass testing operations will remain aggressive, with the deployment of walkin testing centers and drive thru testing

sites across the nation’s capital, he said.

So far, three walk-in testing centers have been created–one each at Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center, Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital and Ospital ng Sampaloc.

He also gave assurances the members of the Manila City Council, led by Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, were ready to immediately pass an ordinance appropriating the budget needed to purchase COVID-19 vaccines in the future.

Meanwhile, Domagoso ordered all departments, offices and bureaus under the local government to adopt an alternative work arrangement during the implementation of a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), which began Tuesday and would last until August 18.

DIGITAL KIOSKS. Manila

Mayor Isko Moreno and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna lead the opening of 34 “MNL Konek" digital kiosks along España Boulevard in Manila on Monday. The digital kiosks, donated by Eastern Telecommunication, will provide the public with free internet connection, charging stations and access to local phone calls.

Norman Cruz

Tricycles, trikes, pedicabs roll under MECQ MANILA City Mayor Francisco Domagoso on Tuesday announced that the local government would allow tricycles, e-trikes and pedicabs to operate during the implementation of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) until August 18.

The Mayor made the announcement during his speech before members of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau who have been designated as COVID-19 safety marshals under MECQ. He stressed that only one passenger was allowed in a tricycle and that both the driver and the passsenger must wear face masks, in compliance with City Ordinance 8627.

Domagoso said the decision was made to help tricycle, pedicab and e-trike drivers as the COVID-19 pandemic severly affects the livelihood of thousands.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases had said that tricycles might operate under MECQ, subject to the guidelines set by the local government and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

At the same time, Manila will employ the "blended distance learning" mode prescribed by the Department of Education for public schools in the nation's capital. Under this mode, modular and online learning will be combined.

Domagoso, believing that learning must continue despite the pandemic, expressed hope teachers would continue to hope that products of the public education system will be able to thrive. Willie Casas

Taguig reports 46 new cases of coronavirus

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Taguig City government on Tuesday reported 46 new cases of coronavirus disease, bringing to 2,239, the total number of confirmed cases in the city.

The cases came from Barangays Bagumbayan (6 cases), Lower Bicutan (13), Napindan (1), Ususan (5), Wawa (4), Central Bicutan (2), Central Signal (1), Maharlika (1), South Daang Hari (5), South Signal (7), and Upper Bicutan (1).

Of the 2,239 total positive cases, 1,886 already recovered while 37 died of COVID-19.

Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano said the localized quarantine would still be in effect in Lower Bicutan and at a construction site in Bonifacio Global City until CEDSU officials declare these areas as cleared.

The city government is conducting an approach dubbed as the Systematic, Mass Approach Responsible Testing (SMART) program which features hospital testing, house-tohouse testing, community-based testing through health centers, and drivethru testing.

It deployed 128 swabbers and its testing capacity increased from 1,000 to 2,000 a day.

Pasig closes some stalls in Mega Market, e-bingo outlet THE Pasig City government closed some stalls in Pasig Mega Market for violating the minimum health and safety standards to contain the coronavirus disease COVID-19.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Mayor Vico Sotto reminded anew business owners and residents to continue observing health measures and quarantine protocols amid the reimposition of the

modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

Sotto said it was painful for him to order closure of these market stalls especially that market vendors were providing essential commodities for the residents amid the health crisis.

"I hate to do this but we can't just let go of those violating the minimum health and safety standards, particularly

wearing of mask," he said.

Stall owners and vendors were caught improperly wearing face masks and not observing physical distancing, which violates the directive of the local government on its pandemic response.

The local government earlier announced the imposition of stringent health measures and guidelines in the Pasig mega market to further contain

the local transmission of COVID-19, which includes strict observance of physical distancing and proper wearing of face masks among vendors and market-goers.

"Our Market Admin was not remiss in reminding you. Hopefully every vendor would follow, this is not for my own sake, it's for everyone's safety,” Sotto said. PNA

Mariveles SB greets Muslims MARIVELES, Bataan—The Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Mariveles headed

by Vice Mayor Angelito Rubia greeted Muslims in this town for their celebration or Eid al-Adha.

Other member of Mariveles SB are SB members Frein Jarane Castaneda, Harry Golocan, Susan Murillo, Ronald Arcenal, Angelito Sunga, Jose Carandang, Tito Pancho Catipon, Victoriano Isip, ABC President Venancio Villapando Jr., and SK Municipal Federated President Vincent Charles Banzon.

In its official FB page, Mariveles SB said in Filipino "Pagdiriwang ng Sakripisyo" kung ating tawagin ang kapistahang ito, bilang paggunita sa natatanging sakripisyong ipinakita ni

Ibrahim sa Panginoon.

It was not known how many Muslims live in Mariveles, a costal community in this peninsula.

“Para sa milyun-milyon nating kapatid na Muslim, ito rin ang pagtatapos ng kanilang taunang paglalakbay sa Hajj.

"Nawa'y ang pagdiriwang na ito ay mas mag-udyok sa atin upang mamuhay nang higit sa ating mga sarili, at buksan ang ating palad, puso, at isipan para sa mga pinaka nangangailangan.

Isa rin itong pambihirang pagkakataon upang mas pagtibayin ang ating nagkakaisang lahi: isang bayang walang iniiwan at tinatalikuran, anuman ang relihiyon, kulay ng balat, o lugar na pinagmulan. Butch Gunio

QUARANTINE FACILITY. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna inspect the city's 13th quarantine facility at the Manuel L. Quezon University in Quiapo, Manila on Monday. The new quarantine facility is set to open next week. Norman Cruz

Opinion EDITORIAL

W

Such anomaly, hardly anticipated of presumably men of honor, beneficence and compassion, was never expected. But the Senate hearing, following a resolution co-sponsored by Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson put all the jacks, queens and kings as well as aces on the table, exacting disquietude and distress among those who looked forward to the public hearing.

The probe had been initiated following allegations of widespread corruption in PhilHealth which gained adhesion following a controversial meeting of PhilHealth officials and members of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet.

What makes the scenario even more horrendous is that this is happening while the claws of the coronavirus pandemic are pecking at listlessly the population, thousands of whom—and may we add posthaste have been diligent in paying or have paid their PhilHealth fees—while these alleged anomalies were shamelessly happening.

It is good that both incumbent and resigned officials of PhilHealth have sought the Senate

intervention to help them “drain the swamp” and rub off the corruption in the agency.

Lacson was on track when he said that the probe must be done now: “And for good reason. PhilHealth is a murky, stinking swamp that many of its good and well-meaning people from the officials to their rank-and-file employees (are) drained, not just of some corrupt but well-entrenched officials who do not seem to run out of malevolent schemes to enrich themselves.”

We have to get to the bottom of the mess at PhilHealth.

Lacson, at the start of the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing, referred to “a deeply rooted, mafia-like syndicate that controls the resources of the corporation, and habitually manipulate its financial records, that even the Commission on Audit seems helpless in the conduct of their regular audit.”

The issues included PhilHealth’s alleged overpriced ICT equipment; the manipulation of PhilHealth’s financial statements; and the highly irregular implementation of advanced payments to health care institutions through the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism policy.

Lacson also claimed that some high-level officials in PhilHealth had been involved in

previous anomalies but managed to keep their posts, a scenario that is most disgusting at the very minimum.

We heard PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales as saying the agency could have lost P10.2 billion due to fraud in 2019, and this could double by next year if the issue on alleged irregularities in the agency were not addressed before much longer.

Among witnesses supporting the existence of irregularities in PhilHealth are former anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith, former head executive assistant Estrobal Laborte, and incumbent board member Alejandro Cabading.

We note that Morales cited a study conducted last year which found that fraudulent cases comprised 7.5 percent of the total, which compared, in his view, with the global average of 10 to 20 percent—as if the Philippine figures were taking the edge off.

"I have maintained from day one of my tenure that the main solution to this systematic fraud problem lies in our robust, integrated, and harmonized information management system running a clean, complete, and updated membership database," he said, adding PhilHealth should be helped instead of mocked.

Fighting words. We hope the Senate hearing would be able to go to the bottom of all this, sanction those who deserve retribution who knew all along that the corruption, whatever its vest was, then and now, at the expense of innocent people.

CROSSROADS

J.A. DELA CRUZ LAST April, immediately after the ECQ was imposed we reminded the Department of Health and the IATF not to forget the long established WHO protocol in the handling of pandemics: Test, Trace, Isolate and Protect or in that agency’s code—TTIP.

We still have so many questions.

The reimposition of MECQ in Metro Manila and adjoining provinces 138 days after ECQ with its various easing arrangements brings us back to that standing protocol. Now there is even greater thoroughness, not merely toughness in its implementation, given our experience with battling this invisible enemy thus far.

In that regard it may do well for our implementers and the public at large to check out and learn from the experience of persons of interest in two of the most infected First World countries, Britain and Australia. The narratives of Professor Carl Henegan, Director of Oxford University’s Center for Evidence Based Medicine (CEBM) and Cristian Benetto, a Melbourne based writer, are so appropriate to our situation it could very well describe what we are now into—laboring under the weight of a flurry of guidelines and restrictions in response to the outbreak.

Professor Henegan posits that the United Kingdom’s situation which ranked it among the top five countries in the number of infections may not be as bad as the data suggested. Studying the record as of July, he noted that it was very possible that there may have been inaccuracies in the data being churned out by the country’s National Health Service (NHS). Worse, there may have been poor interpretation of the said data leading to errors in the policies imposed on movements of people and goods.

He noted that the data for tests and results of those done in healthcare (hospital) settings and those done in the community (outside laboratories and community tests), showed there were no sudden jumps or exponential increases as the daily average stood at 250 cases per day. The question is: was the increase real or was just due to an increase in testing—the same question which the public has been asking our own officials specially after they reported that we now have increased testing capacity and are now testing more people. Henegan took note of the data inaccuracy attributable to false positives (people without the disease but test positive) which can drive numbers substantially. Thus he advised the need to standardize cases per test done and align the counts in different databases (hospitals vs community or outside hospitals) to provide the same numbers to better understand whether these are going down or not.

This, in our case, leads us to ask: Did more people really avail themselves of the testing? If so, how many and what kind of tests were conducted, where and when

Excessive allowances SANTA Banana, the number of COVID-19 cases has breached the 100,000 mark, and President Duterte had no choice but to grant the request of exhausted medical frontliners for a “timeout”—a Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) for Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal from August 4 to 18.

Some sectors, especially health experts, had proposed to the President a much stricter Enhanced Community Quarantine to stop the surge. The problem there would be the hunger of millions who have lost, and who stand to lose, their jobs.

My gulay, it’s actually a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea—a choice that affects not only national interest, but even national security!

So now that we are on MECQ for two weeks, will we be able to stem the surge of the virus until we have a vaccine? Santa Banana, the country is already in recession! It looks as if our chastisement by God is getting to be much more than we can bear.

My wife and I would not mind a return to ECQ so much. We have not been going out at all anyway, owing to our age. Then again, a return to ECQ could also mean hunger for millions of Filipinos. *** The Senate should look into the issue of excessive allowances that government lawyers are getting.

Santa Banana, would you believe that in the past years since President Duterte came to power, Solicitor General Jose Calida has already received P27.9 million in allowance despite the fact that the Commission on Audit has been flagging him for excessive allowances?

Calida’s office, however, has been steadfast that a COA administrative circular cannot prevail over Republic Act No. 9417,

TO THE POINT

EMIL JURADO which specifically says that legal staff of the Office of the Solicitor General are allowed “to receive honoraria and allowances from client departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the government.”

Do government lawyers want to serve the people or get rich?

In other words, while COA as an agency of government is mandated to avoid excessive allowances to stem graft and corruption, there is conflict of laws: the COA circular on the one hand, and the Republic Act on the other. This is where the Senate should come in.

Similarly, an investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee should also look into illegal allowances that lawyers of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel are getting from their clientele: Government- Owned and -Controlled Corporations.

In the case of the lawyers of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, per a COA circular, they cannot have allowances also in excess of the annual basic salary.

I distinctly recall when my nephew, Rudolf Philip Jurado was Government Corporate Counsel. He told me that the lawyers under him were getting excessive allowances from the GOCCs. And when Philip told

his staff of the COA circular, he caused a “stir” among his lawyers that led to his ouster by the President. And then, Santa Banana, happy days returned to that office!

My gulay, the worst thing that can happen is that at times, they are given directly to government lawyers with the intention to be exempt from taxes. Santa Banana, this is corruption in any language!

If a government lawyer like SolGen or anyone from the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel makes contract review of their projects handled by them, do you really believe they would compromise themselves and be impartial? Of course not. For instance, if a lawyer of the OGCC were to be given P50,000 directly by a GOCC as allowance, and that GOCC has a lawsuit with a company, where do you think his loyalty would lie?

My gulay, this is a surefire formula for graft and corruption. Calida and his lawyers may not now be at the top of the list of highest paid government officials, but the worst thing that can happen is that they compromise themselves to the detriment of the whole government and the country.

This issue of excessive allowances has been a long-standing issue. In 2012, for instance, then Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, who became an associate justice of the Supreme Court, according to records had P247,000 allowances with a basic salary of P924,000. In 2014, Florin Hilbay got P935,000 in honoraria with a basic salary of P948,000. In 2015 allowance an honoraria amounted to P4.9 million; and in 2016, he got P4.5 million honorarium with a basic salary of P702,000 in six months.

But in the case of Calida, he got P27.9 million in allowances in the last three years.

My gulay, do lawyers become public officials to get rich or render public service?

Getting worse and worse VIRTUAL REALITY

TONY LOPEZ THE following is a compilation of my Viber texts to colleagues in the past two days: It's cruel for the so-called health care workers (HCWs) to demand an ECQ (total lockdown) as a timeout or ceasefire just because they are tired or afraid to die.

Imagine us journalists there is an ongoing coup attempt or a battle between the army and the communist New People’s Army. Can we say stop, rest muna, we have run out of memory cards for video or that some of us have been hit by friendly fire. We cannot, di ba?

Imagine the job losses (three million jobs per estimate of the Employers Confederation), losses to economic production (at least P5 trillion by this time), income losses (70 percent of businesses cannot operate normally), hunger (half

of the population) and misery of ordinary Filipinos just because napagod na si Dr Kuya or Ate Nurse and they want to rest.

Bwsit di ba?

Yung namang incompetent na Duque sumawsaw sa eksena. Yesterday, a group of health care workers from Fabella, one of the world’s biggest maternity wards, demanded the Health secretary’s ouster.

President Duterte does not want to let him go for two reasons: one, it will be seen as a sign of weakness; and two, there are very few, if any replacements.

Also there is no guarantee if you restore ECQ, matters will improve. At the frontlines, there are many imponderables.

George Patton after winning the Battle of the Bulge nagpahinga, sumakay sa kotse, he met with an accident. Patay. Si Gen. Greogorio del Pilar, defending Tirad Pass so President Aguinaldo could escape from the Americans, nagpahinga, wrote a letter to his gf, sumakay sa kabayo, na-sniper.

Patay.

In 1815, Napoleon delayed his attack on Wellington’s troops and had breakfast. This allowed the British general to

consolidate his troops and occupy a more vantage position. Besides, Napoleon was waiting for reinforcements from his top general. Napoleon, of course, lost his final battle. Dahil nagpahinga.

It is very clear the President was against any more lockdowns.

Meanwhile, President Duterte doesn’t need to intervene in scheduling the work of HCWs. These are highly educated pros, and competent people.

Did you realize that by speaking as one in airing their grievances and making demands, the HCWs in effect preempted anyone naughty from blaming them for the deteriorating situation?

The crisis is not getting any better, it will only get very much, much worse for two reasons: 1) the problem is beyond the ken of government; 2) the Philippines

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

B1

It’s still test, trace, isolate, protect

Let’s work through it E ARE rather disturbed, if appalled, as any of those who have nimbly paid their PhilHealth dues for years, given the discovery during the Senate hearing earlier this week that billions of pesos have been misused in the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

is very third world in health science and health care.

Why? Most of our top and most experienced people in health care are abroad.

That is why the biggest single supplier of OFW dollars to Manila are our health care professionals, from the US. Among my high school classmates, half of the girls took up nursing, medtech and PT. Abroad, nurses and PTs make more money than doctors. My classmates after 7 to 10 years in the US, they were driving MBs and living in mansions. One or two put up a chain of nursing homes with the govt as the biggest client.

The new MECQ for Metro Manila and nearby provinces is supposed to reduce COVID infections by 20,000—130,000 instead of 150,000 by August. This is per Dr. Tony Leachon whom Duterte removed as an IATF adviser after speaking out too frankly in June against Duque.

Such forecasts nobody can really validate. Sonny Dominguez used to claim he saved 100,000 lives with early lockdown.

Duterte in his SONA claimed said he prevented 1.3 million to 1.5 million infections.

Tell that to a jeepney driver who has had no income for six mos or to the family of that woman who died on a bridge in Pasay waiting for a ride home that never was com-

were these conducted? How many tested positive but did not actually have the virus?

These questions have to be truthfully answered so we could track the reported cases and the possible transmission given the time lag in the actual determination of infected, not just tested, persons. We have yet to come out with such answers as the DoH and the IATF have not been issuing standardized data but a variation of sorts with all kinds of interpretations every so often.

Given the mangling which the COVID-19 case data has gone through in the last four months, is it any wonder the public has been increasingly dismissive of all the assertions and assurances which the DoH and even the IATF have been issuing all along? As Henegan noted: “Inaccuracies in the data and poor interpretation will often lead to errors in decisions about imposing restrictions, particularly if these decisions are done in haste and the interpretation does not account for fluctuations in the rates of testing.”

The Melbourne experience is equally educational. As Cristian Bonetto reported, Australia’s toughest restrictions were meant to be “knocks on the heads of those defying the rules” and, equally important, a nudge on the implementers of the response plans to be as thorough as thorough can be in doing their rounds. Noting that the biggest driver of new infections were “asymptomatic locals heading out instead of staying at home,” she recounted the utter dismay of teams of implementers from the Australian Defense Force (yes, Sir, from the armed services) and the Department of Health and Human Services who knocked on doors found that a full quarter of those who tested positive for COVID-19 weren’t home. They were either at work or visiting friends and relatives and became super spreaders.

Then there was this man who in Bonetto’s view may have been “simply too bored or defiant to follow the rules, among them a ban on non-essential trips outside the metropolitan area” In this case, the guy drove out of the Melbourne area for 199 miles all the way up to the New South Wales border just to buy a Big Mac. Daily appeals from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to “stay home” recall a patient parent tested by misguided teens.

So, as we now go back to MECQ with this 15-day timeout, it is hoped that this problem of data gathering, recording and interpretation, along with the basic concerns raised by our health workers, will finally be resolved in time. Otherwise, we will never see our way out of this pandemic and suffer immeasurably for our follies.

Thoroughness in all aspects of our COVID-19 response plan, not just toughness should be our abiding guide.

For the purpose, our COVID-19 response teams, national and local, may well appreciate a number of the best practices condensed out of the experience of Italy, the original epicenter of COVID cases in Europe, which is now slowly but surely getting back on its feet to face up to the challenges of a new normal. The Italian advisory borne out of their implementation of the established TTIP pandemic response protocol emphasized the need for a humane, integrated and collaborative approach: to prioritize people’s needs and invoke self discipline in combating this pandemic and future disease outbreaks.

ing. Or General Sinas who thinks he is exempted from the rigidities of COVID protocol. These are instances of real harm. If i remember right, the Hippocratic oath says do no harm, to patients and other people If you watched the video on Sunday, Duque put Duterte in a tight corner. While Duterte was ranting, the unpopular Health chief cut in to say he recommended MECQ. Apparently taken aback, Duterte had no choice but agree to MECQ. It is very clear the President was against any more lockdowns, saying he has no more money to give to the dislocated.

In effect, Duque pandered to the HCWs. Duterte was trying to play it tough saying it was the choice of doctors and nurses to take up the courses knowing the risks, just like people who want to be soldiers knowing they could die in battle.

DU30 was also saying he will harness the reserve health personnel in the armed services to replace those threatening to walk out.

My take: Government will implement MECQ but in milder form. Just like a boxer pummeled to exhaustion or near death, one more blow won’t make much of a difference. biznewsasia@gmail.com

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

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World

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Isaias lashes US east coast with big winds, heavy rain MYRTLE BEACH — Hurricane Isaias slammed into North Carolina bringing life-threatening storm surges, as the entire US eastern seaboard battened down, fearing tornadoes, flash floods and destructive winds.

Packing sustained winds of 85 miles per hour (around 140 kilometers per hour), the Category 1 hurricane made landfall in the southern part of the state on Monday just before midnight (0400 GMT), the National Hurricane Center said.

Seawater flowed into streets on the border between the Carolinas, leaving locals to wade through the flooded areas as rain and strong winds whipped the palm trees.

Three hours after reaching the coast, Isaias was downgraded to a Tropical Storm, the National, Hurricane Center (NHC) said Tuesday.

It is forecast to track up the east coast, with heavy rainfall expected to cause flash flooding through the mid-Atlantic states.

Storm-force winds are expected in

Washington, Philadelphia and New York on Tuesday.

A tornado watch was in effect for 30 counties in North Carolina, where state governor Roy Cooper said National Guard soldiers and the Coast Guard were standing by.

Utility companies said Monday about 200,000 outages have occurred across the state.

Local authorities reported a number of fires in structures on the south coast and warned people whose houses are flooded to turn off the mains electricity —while not standing in the water.

Santee Cooper, South Carolina’s state-owned utilities company, said more than 6,000 customers had been without power at one point.

Residents in flood-prone areas “should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions,” the National Hur- INUNDATED. People walk through floodwaters on Ocean Blvd. in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina ON Monday as Hurricane Isaias continued to move north along the US eastern seaboard. AFP ricane Center said. AFP

‘No silver bullet for coronavirus’

P

ARIS—The World Health Organization on Monday warned there might never be a “silver bullet” for the coronavirus, as Australia’s second-largest city went under curfew and the number of global infections passed 18 million.

The world’s hope of ending the current cycle of outbreaks and lockdowns rests on a vaccine, but the UN health agency said governments and citizens should focus on what is known to work: testing, contact tracing, maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask.

“We all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.

“However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment -- and there might never be,” he said.

“For now, stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control. Do it all.”

Despite months of economically crippling restrictions, the pandemic is gathering pace with the worldwide death toll nearing 700,000 and a White House adviser warning the virus is “extraordinarily widespread” in the United States.

There has been a resurgence in countries that had previously brought their outbreaks under control, including Australia, where sweeping new restrictions kicked in for the hard-hit state of Victoria on Monday.

They include a nighttime curfew in state capital Melbourne for the next six weeks, with the city ordering nonessential businesses to close, and a ban on weddings.

‘Pretty demoralised’ Melbourne book store manager Bill Morton said his normally “vibrant, lovely” patch of the city had transformed into a “ghost town”.

“People are pretty demoralised,” he told AFP. “Pretty well everything is closed around here. So it’s a very strange, quite eerie atmosphere.”

Authorities in the Philippines have also had to reimpose curbs after infections surged past 100,000, forcing more than 27 million people -- including in the capital Manila -- back into lockdown for two weeks from Tuesday.

The Middle East’s hardest-hit nation Iran meanwhile reported its highest single-day infection count in nearly a month, warning that most of its provinces are facing a resurgence.

But the US remains by far the most affected country, with 4.6 million reported cases and nearly 155,000 deaths.

Deborah Birx, head of the White House coronavirus task force, warned the country has entered a “new phase”.

German children start school under masks, virus cloud

Infected people face big fines in Australia MELBOURNE—Hundreds of coronavirus-infected people in Australia’s worst-hit state have been caught flouting stay-at-home orders, authorities said Tuesday, prompting tougher fines.

The southern state of Victoria has endured a second wave of infections over recent weeks that the government has partly blamed on people breaking rules that restrict travel.

Residents of Melbourne, Australia’s second biggest city and the capital of Victoria, are now enduring an overnight curfew, closure of non-essential businesses and mandatory mask-wearing as hundreds of new cases are recorded daily.

But 800 infected people—or more than 25 percent of those doorknocked aross Victoria—were not at home when authorities condcted recent checks, which state Premier Daniel Andrews called “completely unacceptable”.

Andrews said people infected people in Victoria can now be slapped with on-the-spot fines of almost Aus$5,000 ($3,558)—up from Aus$1,652—if they are caught leaving home a second time.

The only exception will be to seek emergency medical care. Previously, outdoor exercise was allowed.

Police can also take serious rulebreakers to court, where fines of up to Aus$20,000 ($14,233) can be applied.

An additional 500 troops will also be deployed in Melbourne to help health officials go door-to-door checking on people who should be staying at home, Andrews said.

Victoria police commissioner Shane Patton said hundreds of officers were also on the streets to enforce the curfew, mask-wearing and stay-at-home orders.

Patton said police had observed a small but emerging trend of so-called “sovereign citizens”, who believe the laws do not apply to them and were consistently flouting the rules.

“We’ve seen them at checkpoints baiting police, not providing a name and address,” Patton said.

“On at least four occasions in the last week, we’ve had to smash the windows of cars and pull people out to provide details.” AFP

“What we are seeing today is different from March and April,” she told CNN, adding that the virus “is extraordinarily widespread”.

The pandemic has spurred a rush for a vaccine that some have compared to the space race, and Russia said Monday it is aiming to launch mass production in September and turn out “several million” doses per month by next year.

But Vitaly Zverev, laboratory chief at the Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera, told AFP that it was “impossible to ensure a vaccine’s safety in the time that has passed since the beginning of this pandemic”.

“You can make anything, but who is going to buy it?”

The impositions the pandemic has put on daily life has sparked protests on nearly every continent.

Berlin saw thousands of people rally over the weekend against virus restrictions, with far-left and far-right demonstrators joined by those supporting widely debunked conspiracy theories. AFP

FOOT PATROL. Police officers and soldiers patrol a popular running track in

Melbourne on August 4, 2020 after the state announced new restrictions as the city battles fresh outbreaks of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Australia’s Victoria state imposed fresh, sweeping restrictions on August 2, including a curfew in Melbourne for the next six weeks, a ban on weddings, and schools and universities going back online in the coming days. AFP

Recalling Hiroshima, Nagasaki attacks TOKYO—Japan this week marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed over 200,000 people and left many more deeply traumatised and even stigmatised.

Here are some facts about the devastating attacks: The bombs The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in western Japan on August 6, 1945 by the US bomber Enola Gay. The bomb, weighing 13-16 kilotons, was nicknamed “Little Boy” but its impact was anything but small.

It detonated about 600 metres from the ground, with a force equivalent to 15,000 tonnes of TNT, and killed 140,000 people.

Tens of thousands died instantly, while others succumbed to injuries or illness in the weeks, months and years that followed.

Three days later, the US dropped a second bomb dubbed “Fat Man” on the city of Nagasaki, killing another 74,000 people.

The attacks remain the only time atomic bombs have been used in wartime.

The attacks When the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the first thing people noticed was an “intense ball of fire” according

to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Temperatures at the epicentre of the blast reached an estimated 7,000 degrees Celsius (12,600 Fahrenheit), which caused fatal burns within a radius of about three kilometres (five miles).

ICRC experts say there were cases of temporary or permanent blindness due to the intense flash of light, and subsequent related damage such as cataracts.

A whirlwind of heat generated by the explosion also ignited thousands of fires that burned several square kilometres (miles) of the largely wooden city. A firestorm that consumed all available oxygen caused more deaths by suffocation.

It has been estimated that burn- and fire-related casualties accounted for more than half of the immediate deaths in Hiroshima.

The explosion generated an enormous shock wave that in some cases literally carried people away. Others were crushed to death inside collapsed buildings or injured or killed by flying debris.

“I remember the charred bodies of little children lying around the hypocentre area like black rocks,” Koichi Wada, who was 18 at the time of the Nagasaki attack, has said of the bombing. AFP

ROSTOCK, Germany—Lunchbox, books, pencil case—masks? Thousands of children in northern Germany became the first in Europe to begin a new school year on Monday after months of curtailed hours over the coronavirus pandemic.

The rest of the country was watching anxiously as 150,000 children returned to school in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany’s first state to restart full-time classes after the summer holidays, with infection numbers on the rise again.

Education ministers of Germany’s 16 states had agreed for schools to reopen full-time after the summer break, after offering only partial hours in the weeks when the lockdown was eased.

With children in Hamburg to also return to school later this week and Berlin to follow next week, a debate is now growing over whether full-time school is realistic as infection numbers rise above 500 per day again.

But officials warn that children cannot afford to miss more school.

“The children need to be present in school because we have to prevent more lost time,” Steffen Kaestner, headteacher of the CJD JugenddorfChristophorus school in Rostock, told AFP. At the CJD school, different age groups are being taught separately, so that if a pupil tests positive, only one class will have to go into quarantine and the rest of the school can remain open.

Masks in corridors Masks must be worn in the corridors, classrooms regularly ventilated and pupils are urged to wash their hands regularly and respect social distancing.

Not all went entirely to plan on Monday morning, however, as students excited to see their friends again after so long couldn’t resist a few hugs in the playground.

“We hope everything will go well.

We just don’t know where they’ve been on holiday,” Kaestner confessed.

CJD has 1,350 students aged 9-18.

Only two are missing, a decision by their parents, “who belong to a risk group,” said the headteacher, but all the teachers are present. AFP

IN BRIEF

‘No reason to fear Benedict’s health’

VATICAN CITY—The Vatican on Monday said former Pope Benedict XVI was not in especially bad health after his biographer told a German newspaper he was “extremely frail”.

Pope Emeritus Benedict’s health “is no cause for particular concern, especially regarding a 93-year-old person getting over the most acute phase of a painful illness,” the Vatican press office said citing his personal secretary Georg Gaensewein.

Citing the former Pope’s biographer Peter Seewald, Bavarian newspaper the Passauer Neue Presse reported that Benedict is suffering from erysipelas of the face, a virus that causes a facial rash and episodes of severe pain.

“According to Seewald, the Pope Emeritus is now extremely frail,” the report read. “His thinking and his memory are quick, but his voice is hardly audible at the moment.”

Seewald reportedly visited Benedict in Rome on Saturday to present him with his biography.

“At the meeting, the Emeritus Pope, despite his illness, was optimistic and declared that if his strength increased again he would possibly take up his pen again,” the paper said. AFP

Antitrust lawsuit for Globes voters

LOS ANGELES—The exclusive group of film journalists that awards the Golden Globes was accused Monday of sabotaging non-members while gorging on lavish perks and unparalleled access to Hollywood stars.

An antitrust lawsuit filed against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association said the organization illegally monopolized entertainment reporting in Los Angeles while creating near-impossible barriers to entry for new members.

“All year long, HFPA members enjoy all-expenses-paid trips to film festivals around the world where the studios treat them lavishly and accommodate their every desire,” said the suit brought by Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa.

“Qualified applicants for admission to the HFPA are virtually always rejected because the majority of its 87 members are unwilling to share or dilute the enormous economic benefits they receive as members,” it adds.

The HFPA wields considerable power due to its annual Golden Globes -- one of Tinseltown’s biggest and glitziest award shows, which is seen as a key step to success at the all-important Oscars.

Yet its membership—which exclusively decides who walks away with the coveted Globes each year—is shrouded in mystery. AFP

Glaciers could have sculpted Mars: study PARIS—The question of whether ancient life could have existed on Mars centres on the water that once flowed there, but new research published Monday suggests that many of the Red Planet’s valleys were gouged by icy glaciers not rivers.

The study in Nature Geoscience, which comes amid a flurry of new Mars missions trying to discover if the now-barren planet ever hosted life, casts doubt on a dominant theory that the planet once had a warm, wet climate with abundant liquid water that sculpted the landscape.

Researchers from Canada and the United States examined more than 10,000 Martian valleys and compared them to channels on Earth that were carved under glaciers.

“For the last 40 years, since Mars’s valleys were first discovered, the assumption was that rivers once flowed on Mars, eroding and originating all of these valleys,” said lead author Anna Grau Galofre in a statement released by the University of British Columbia.

But these formations come in a huge variety “suggesting that many processes were at play to carve them,” she added. AFP

Business

B3

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Oil giant BP booked huge $16.6-b loss in 2nd quarter LONDON, United Kingdom―BP plunged into a net loss of almost $16.85 billion in the second quarter, the British oil giant announced Tuesday, as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged demand for oil, sending prices tumbling.

“The ongoing severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to create a volatile and challenging trading environment,” BP said in its earnings statement.

“Looking ahead, the outlook for commodity prices and product demand remains challenging and uncertain,” it added.

The quarterly loss after tax of almost $16.85 billion (14.10 billion euros) compared with net profit of $1.82 billion in the second quarter of 2019, BP said.

“In particular, our reset of long-term price assumptions and the related impairment and exploration write-off charges had a major impact,” said chief executive Bernard Looney.

Alongside its results, BP set out details on how it expects to achieve “net zero” carbon emissions for the company by 2050.

Switching from an international oil company to an “integrated energy company,” BP said that over the next decade its oil and gas production is expected to reduce by at least one million barrels of oil equivalent a day, or 40 percent when compared with 2019 levels.

“This coming decade is critical for the world in the fight against climate change, and to drive the necessary change in global energy systems will require action from everyone,” Looney said.

The Irish national, who became CEO of BP in February, had previously said he wanted “net zero” carbon emissions for the company by the middle of the century.

In the immediate future, BP must rebuild its finances and Looney has already decided to ax around 10,000 jobs, or 15 percent of its global workforce owing to the coronavirus fallout on energy demand and prices. AFP

PSEi August 4, 2020 TOP GAINERS

‘EAT OUT TO HELP OUT.’

Diners sit at tables in a closed-off road, allowing restaurants to increase their outdoor seating to enable social distancing, in Manchester, northwest England on August 3, 2020, as as the government’s ‘Eat out to Help out’ coronavirus COVID-19 scheme to get consumers spending again gets underway. Britain’s ‘Eat out to Help out’ scheme began Monday, introduced last month by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to help boost the economy claw its way from a historic decline sparked by the coronavirus crisis. AFP

Stock market rises; URC, Megaworld lead advance S TOCKS rose Tuesday on profit taking after plunging Monday, boosted by a record close on Wall Street overnight.

The Philippines Stock Exchange Index climbed 59.58 points, or 1 percent, to 5,775.50 on a value turnover of P5.7 billion. Gainers overwhelmed losers, 136 to 52, with 46 issues unchanged.

Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker and owned by the Gokongwei Group, rallied 4.4 percent to P130.50, while AC Energy Philippines Inc., a renewable energy company owned by the Ayala Group, advanced 4.2 percent to P2.71.

Megaworld Corp., the largest lessor of office spaces in the Philippines, increased 3.1 percent to P2.99, while Globe Telecom Inc., the second-biggest telecommunications firm, rose 2.8 percent P2,070.

The rest of Asian stocks rallied Tuesday, with investors cheered by forecastbeating US data and hopes for fresh stimulus for the world’s top economy.

Tokyo finished 1.7 percent higher after rallying more than two percent on

Monday, helped by a drop in the yen that supported exporters, and Sydney piled on almost two percent.

Hong Kong jumped two percent and Sydney piled on 1.9 percent, while Mumbai was up 1.7 percent.

Seoul, Taipei, Singapore and Jakarta were all more than one percent up. Wellington and Bangkok were up almost one percent, and Shanghai edged slightly higher.

But while there are small signs of a slowdown in infections in key US states, the spread of the virus across the planet and the re-introduction of strict containment measures continue to be overwhelming factors keeping equities from extending gains.

Tech fueled a surge in New York, sending the Nasdaq to a new all-time high, as traders looked for firms likely to benefit from people being forced to stay or work from home.

There was also a cheer for figures showing the US manufacturing sector

This combination of pictures created on August 01, 2020 shows the logo of the social media video sharing app Tiktok displayed on a tablet screen in Paris, and US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2020. ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of wildly popular TikTok, has offered to sell the app’s US operations as a way to avert a ban by the government of President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported August 1, 2020. AFP

Google bares cheaper Pixel smartphone, eyes 5G next

SAN FRANCISCO―Google on Monday unveiled a new, more affordable Pixel smartphone and said it would launch models tailored for super-fast 5G networks later this year.

The Pixel 4a boasts core features popular that made its top-of-the-line predecessor popular, like a sophisticated camera system.

But its starting price of $349 is about half that of the flagship Pixel 4 model.

The new phone will be available in the United States starting August 20.

While still a bit player in the smartphone hardware market, Alphabet-owned Google found success with the release last year of the Pixel 3a, which bucked the trend of sky-high prices for top-tier handsets.

“Last year, Pixel 3a gave people a chance to get the helpful features of Pixel at a more affordable price,” said Google product management vice president Brian Rakowski.

“This year, Pixel 4a and the first 5G-enabled Pixels, Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 coming this fall, will continue to bring the features people love packaged in sleek new hardware at more affordable prices.”

The coming Pixel 4a synched to 5G networks still being built will start at $499, and be available in Australia, Britain Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Taiwan, and the US, according to Rakowski.

The global smartphone market “plummeted” in the second quarter of this year, with Apple the only top vendor to grow, according to market tracker Canalys.

Apple shipped 45.1 million iPhones globally, a growth of 25 percent compared to the same period a year earlier, Canalys reported. AFP

expanded last month at its fastest pace since March last year, which followed strong factory readings from China and Europe.

Still, AxiCorp’s Stephen Innes said: “The composition of China’s economic recovery offers a roadmap to the rest of the world that is not especially bullish for a consumer-driven rebound.

“It’s easier to normalize the supplyside of the economy than the demand side in a post-pandemic-shock environment.”

Attention is now on Washington, where Democrats and Republicans are battling to hammer out a new package to save the US economy from the ravages of the pandemic.

With extra unemployment benefits and a moratorium on evictions now dried up, there are worries millions of Americans will suffer if nothing is passed soon, which would batter the already stuttering economy.

Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a meeting with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of Staff Mark Manila Meadows had Standard TODAY been “productive.” AFP

Trump gives TikTok 6 weeks to sell to US firm

By Paul Handley WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump gave popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok six weeks to sell its US operations to an American company, saying Monday it would be “out of business” otherwise, and that the government wanted a financial benefit from the deal.

“It’s got to be an American company... it’s got to be owned here,” Trump said. “We don’t want to have any problem with security.”

Trump said that Microsoft was in talks to buy TikTok, which has as many as one billion worldwide users who make quirky 60-second videos with its smartphone app.

But US officials say the app constitutes a national security risk because it could share millions of Americans’ personal data with Chinese intelligence.

Trump gave the company’s Chinese parent ByteDance until mid-September to strike a deal.

“I set a date of around September 15, at which point it’s going to be out of business in the United States,” he said.

Whatever the price is, he said, “the United States should get a very large percentage of that price because we’re making it possible.”

Trump compared the demand for a piece of the pie to a landlord demanding under-the-table “key money” from a new tenant, a practice widely illegal including in New York, where the billionaire president built his real estate empire.

“TikTok is a big success, but a big portion of it is in the country,” he said. “I think it’s very fair.”

But Trump also threw a surprise new condition in any deal, saying the sale of TikTok’s US

business would have to result in a significant payout to the US Treasury for initiating it.

“A very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States, because we’re making it possible for this deal to happen,” Trump told reporters.

“They don’t have any rights unless we give it to them,” he said.

Sell or shut down The pressure for a sale of TikTok’s US and international business, based in Los Angeles, left the company and ByteDance facing tough decisions.

Trump has made TikTok the latest front in the ongoing political and trade battles between Washington and Beijing.

The app has been under formal investigation on US national security grounds because it collects large amounts of personal data on all its users and is legally bound to share that with authorities in Beijing if they demand it.

Both its huge user base and its algorithm for collecting data make it hugely valuable.

But being forced by the US government to sell at least its US business or be shut down― and to then split the sale price with the US Treasury as Trump is demanding―was an almost unheard-of tactic.

Shutting down could force users to switch to competitors, and many content creators are already encouraging followers to follow them on other social media platforms.

“The most obvious beneficiaries are Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter, with Snapchat likely being the biggest beneficiary,” said investment analysts at Lightshed Partners. AFP

TOP LOSERS

MOST ACTIVE

MEDCO HOLDINGS, INC. Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders Dear Stockholder: You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of Medco Holdings, Inc. (the “Corporation”) which will be held on August 27, 2020, Thursday, at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held and conducted virtually online at www.medco.com.ph/asm by remote communication and voting will be in absentia.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows: I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII.

Call to Order; Certification of Notices and Quorum; Approval of the minutes of the annual meeting of stockholders held on December 13, 2019; Approval of the Annual Report and the Audited Financial Statements as of December 31, 2019; Approval and Ratification of the acts, contracts, investments and resolutions of the Board and management of the Corporation since the last annual meeting on December 13, 2019; Election of the members of the Board of Directors for the year 2020. The procedure for the nomination and election of directors is set forth in Item 5 of the Information Statement; Re-appointment of Punongbayan and Araullo, the Philippine representative of Grant Thornton International, as external auditors of the Corporation for the year 2020; and Other matters.

For the purpose of the meeting, only stockholders of record as of August 5, 2020 are entitled to attend and vote in the said meeting. To ensure the safety and welfare of our stockholders and other stakeholders and as a precaution against the COVID-19 risk, the Corporation’s Board of Directors has approved on July 21, 2020 in accordance with SEC rules a virtual stockholders’ meeting for 2020. The meeting will be held online by remote communication and voting will be in absentia. The specific procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and voting in absentia are set forth below.

Stockholders who intend to attend and participate in the virtual meeting in person or through proxy shall first submit on or before August 17, 2020 via email to MED2020SHMeeting@medco.com.ph the scanned copy of their Letter of Intent to attend and participate via proxy or by remote communication and a copy of the stockholder’s valid government-issued ID showing photo and personal details.

Once validated, a registered stockholder will receive via email the proxy form and voting ballot. Stockholders must submit on or before August 20, 2020 via email to MED2020SHMeeting@medco.com.ph their duly accomplished proxy form and/or voting ballot. Validation of proxies shall be on August 20, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. at the office of the Corporation. Only stockholders who have notified the Corporation of their intention to participate in the virtual meeting and have registered themselves or their proxies, will be included in the determination of a quorum. We are not soliciting your proxy. All agenda items indicated in the Notice of the Meeting will be set out in the voting ballot and the stockholder may vote as follows: a. For all items, except for Election of Directors, the stockholder has the option to vote: For, Against, or Abstain. The vote is considered cast for all the stockholder’s shares. b. For the Election of Directors, a stockholder entitled to vote: (i) may vote such number of shares owned by it for as many persons as there are Directors to be elected; or (ii) may cumulate said shares and give one candidate as many votes as the number of Directors to be elected multiplied by the number of their shares; or (iii) may distribute them on the same principle among as many candidates as may be seen fit. c. The Corporation’s stock transfer agent and Office of the Corporate Secretary will tabulate all votes received and will validate the results. d. Except for the Election of Directors, all the items in the Agenda for the approval by the stockholders will need the affirmative vote of stockholders representing at least a majority of the issued and outstanding voting stock present at the meeting. For the Election of Directors, the top seven (7) nominees with the most number of votes are elected.

Registered stockholders will receive the meeting link and password to log on to the meeting two (2) days before the stockholders’ meeting. We encourage all registered stockholders to log onto the meeting link 45 minutes before the meeting starts, to avoid any technical difficulty. The meeting will start promptly at 10:00 a.m. on August 27, 2020. The meeting shall be recorded in audio and video format and copies shall be posted by the Company in its website. The procedures for voting and participation in the meeting through remote communication are also discussed further in the Information Statement which shall be made available to the public not later than August 5, 2020 through PSE Edge and the Corporation’s website at www.medco. com.ph/asm. For any questions or inquiries, including request for assistance in the registration process, please contact our Office of the Corporate Secretary through MED2020SHMeeting@medco.com.ph.

Medco Holdings, Inc. By: (Signed) PAULINE C. TAN Assistant Corporate Secretary Makati City, Philippines, July 21, 2020 (MS-AUGUST 5 & 6, 2020)

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

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

IN BRIEF DTI eyes extending income tax holiday

THE Department of Trade and Industry plans to sweeten the incentives given to foreign investors by adding another year of income tax holiday.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a webinar Tuesday the government was willing to extend the ITH by a year in response to calls for support from the export industries.

“I said we do incentivize them not to remove workers,” he said during the webinar “Rebuild PH: Revitalizing Business, Investments, Livelihoods and Domestic Demand” organized by the Norsic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

Under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises bill, the DTI proposed to grant investors 2 to 4 years of ITH on category-specific activities.

The additional one-year extension, if approved, will give investors a maximum of five years of ITH. Othel V. Campos

Globe allocating P50b for 2020 capex

GLOBE Telecom Inc. reduced its 2020 capital spending by a fifth as net income dropped 5 percent in the first half.

Globe revised its 2020 capital expenditure guidance to P50.3 billion from the original P63 billion given the delays in the rollout during the community quarantine period. The company invested P20.9 billion in its network in the first half, or 10 percent higher than last year and representing 29 percent of gross service revenues.

Bulk of the capex spending went to data-related requirements, comprising 76 percent of the total capex spending for the period.

Globe pushed for the expansion of its 5G coverage in key areas specifically in the Makati and Bonifacio Global City central business districts to enable the 5G experience and make it available to mobile customers by the third quarter.

“Globe’s network has withstood and continues to prove its resilience during this COVID-19 pandemic. Our priority to keep our network up to speed has allowed us to continuously serve our customers and ensure that communities stay connected during these tough times,” said Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

SEC okays new minimum public float for IPO firms T

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HE Securities and Exchange Commission approved new rules requiring companies that plan to conduct an initial public offering to have a minimum public float of 20 percent to 33 percent, depending on market capitalization.

The approved guidelines said a company with market capitalization of P500 million should offer at least 33 percent of the outstanding capital stock to the public, while a firm with over P500 million up to P1 billion market capitalization should sell at least 25 percent of the outstanding capital stock.

It said a company with market capitalization of more than P1 billion

should offer a minimum public float of 20 percent.

A company listing through an IPO must also maintain a public ownership of at least 20 percent at all times.

It said a company that plans to list with the Philippine Stock Exchange by way of introduction or with no public offering is also required to have at least a 20-percent public float

upon and after listing.

A company that is doing a backdoor listing is required to have at least a 20-percent public float upon and after listing.

The new guidelines will take effect immediately.

Prior to approval of the new guidelines, a company that would conduct an IPO should have a public float of at least 20 percent regardless of market capitalization.

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has a pending IPO application with the corporate regulators.

Aside from increasing the public float requirement for newly-listed firms, the SEC is also studying plans to increase the minimum public ownership on existing listed firms.

RCBC prepares for investments

RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp., the ninth-largest lender in terms of assets and a member of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, eyes investment opportunities in the second half following the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first six months.

RCBC senior executive vice president and treasurer Horacio Cebrero III said these opportunities could present themselves towards the fourth quarter both on the domestic and international markets.

Cebrero said the universal bank expects to see opportunities specifically in the fixed-income space. He said the expected inflation trajectory influencing the movement of domestic rates in the long-end of the interest rate yield curve, coupled with supply driven issues, were being monitored.

“There may be an increase in appetite for fixedincome securities in the domestic markets as there will be opportunities opening up this second half of the year,” Cebrero said. Julito G. Rada

Nominations sought for InLife Shero 2020 INSULAR Life calls for nominations to this year’s Asia CEO-InLife Shero of the Year Award to highlight successful Filipino women leaders and achievers who contribute to nation-building and empower others.

“Our InLife Shero of the Year award recognizes strong and empowered women who are helping to build a strong and modern Filipino nation. This award also highlights Filipino women leaders in the midst of the global pandemic,” InLife executive chairman Nina Aguas said.

The InLife Shero of the Year is a category in the annual Asia CEO Awards and is given to a Filipino woman leader who has achieved recognizable success in overseeing organizations that have advanced the nation’s economic and or social standing in the world.

The InLife Shero of the Year will be selected based on the following criteria: leadership commitment that demonstrates inspiring and empowering values; pioneering achievements to help the country’s economy and health situation; sustainability and scalability of initiatives and solutions; and social commitment.

TOYOTA DONATION. Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. donates three Vios units to the city government of Santa Rosa, Laguna.

The donation is part of the 30 units TMP committed to various hospitals and local government units. The three vehicles, which are assembled in TMP’s Santa Rosa manufacturing plant, will serve as service shuttles for Santa Rosa Community Hospital and two health offices of the city government. Signing the deed of donation of the Vios units are Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas (left) and TMP president Atsuhiro Okamoto.

Petron booked P14.2-b loss in first half as sales fell 40%

By Alena Mae S. Flores OIL refiner Petron Corp. said Tuesday it incurred a consolidated net loss of P14.2 billion in the first six months, a reversal of the P2.6-billion net income in the same period last year, as the company reeled from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Petron said inventory losses reached nearly P15 billion in the first half because of the combined slump in demand, poor refining margins and collapse in prices.

“We continue to improve our productivity and reduce our expenses to help the company cope with COVID-19’s impact. At the same time, we have ini-

tiated cash preservation initiatives and prudently manage our capex [capital expenditures],” Petron president and chief executive Ramon Ang said in a statement.

Consolidated revenues also fell 40 percent to P152.4 billion in the first half from P254.8 billion in the same period last year. Sales volume from Philippine and Malaysian operations went down 19 percent to 41.9 million barrels from 51.9 million barrels a year ago amid a sharp decline in fuel demand because of COVID-19’s impact.

Domestic sales volume fell 28 percent on reduced consumption, particularly in aviation and retail, with the implemen-

tation of stricter quarantine protocols in the country.

Petron has a combined refining capacity of 268,000 barrels per day and produces a full range of world-class fuels and petrochemicals.

It said the worldwide lockdowns resulted in an unprecedented demand destruction which led to a sustained drop in oil prices, reaching record low levels in 26 years.

Petron said Dubai crude collapsed by almost 70 percent or $44 per barrel from January to April where oil price fell to as low as $13 per barrel in the daily trading. With the decline in oil consumption, refining margins also remained weak in the region.

Cavitex to stop cash transactions on all toll booths starting Aug. 15

By Darwin G. Amojelar CAVITEX Infrastructure Corp. said all modular extension booths along the Manila-Cavite Expressway will stop serving cash transactions starting Aug. 15 this year.

The closure of the 10 extension lanes—five on the northbound lane and another other five at the southbound lane of Parañaque Toll Plaza—is part of a roadmap of CIC to convert all cash tollbooths into fully electronic lanes by the end of the year.

“We are determined to implement 100-percent electronic toll collection to help our government lessen the spread of COVID-19 by means of contactless transactions,” said CIC president and general manager Roberto Bontia.

“Going fully electronic would ensure physical distancing at our toll lanes, as there would no longer be interactions between motorists and tollbooth cashiers,” he said.

Bontia said that aside from contributing to nationwide efforts against COVID-19, the fully electronic toll roads would improve the economy through fast, safe and seamless movement of people and goods.

“Once our toll roads are fully electronic, motorists would no longer have to queue at tollbooths to pay. This will result to fast passage through toll lanes,” Bontia said.

Cavitex is set to complete its transition into full electronic by November, and motorists are reminded to avail of the Easytrip RFID (radio frequency identification) to avoid any inconvenience.

The Easytrip RFID sticker is free, and motorists would pay just the initial load of P500, which is consumable and non-expiring.

There is also the Easytrip StickIt-Yourself RFID, an innovation from CIC’s partner, Easytrip Services Corp.

These products can be purchased 24/7 at customer service centers located before the northbound and southbond direction of Cavitex before the Paranaque toll plaza. These centers also offer RFID reloading services.

Purchases may also be made online via Shopee Mall.

Cavitex is a 14-kilometer expressway along Bacoor Bay from Roxas Boulevard in Parañaque City to Bacoor City and Kawit City in Cavite province.

LSI SHELTERS. Manila Electric Co. technical crew members conduct energization works at the CCP Complex in Pasay City, as the power firm continues to provide reliable electricity to container vans serving as temporary shelters for locally stranded individuals. The operations include the installation of six concrete poles and 350-meters of bundled wires. The LSI facility at CCP Complex is one of the many vital establishments in the Meralco franchise area given high priority when it comes to providing safe, adequate and reliable supply of electricity, especially during the pandemic.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, August 4, 2020

59.58 points

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

1,591,896,797 76,158

TOTAL VALUE 5,739,246,003.63 ADVANCES 136

5,775.50

DECLINES 52 UNCHANGED 46

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.1040

Japan

Yen

0.009437

0.4634

UK

Pound

1.307900

64.2231

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129029

6.3358

Switzerland

Franc

1.090156

53.5310

Canada

Dollar

0.746714

36.6666

Singapore

Dollar

0.726427

35.6705

Australia

Dollar

0.712000

34.9620

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652590

130.252

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266695

13.0958

Brunei

Dollar

0.723798

35.5414

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.032020

1.5723

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.3696

Euro

Euro

1.176300

57.7610

Korea

Won

0.000839

0.0412

China

Yuan

0.143227

7.0330

India

Rupee

0.013301

0.6531

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.236855

11.6305

New Zealand

Dollar

0.661200

32.4676

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034068

1.6729 Source: BSP

Gardenia says bread sales in Q2 up by 35%

By Othel V. Campos BREAD maker Gardenia Bakeries Philippines Inc. reported a 35-percent sales increase in the second quarter despite harsh lockdown measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Gardenia president Simplicio Umali said sales had been robust since March because of abnormally high demand as consumers tended to stock-up on essentials including bread.

“In the first quarter, sales were up by 5 percent only. The surge in sales in the second quarter was likely because we have been the leading brand and consumer confidence is high on our products,” he said.

The company has a combined production output of 1.8 million loaves and buns a day as the expansion in Pampanga and Mindanao added to previous capacity of the company’s principal plant in Laguna.

Umali said the expansion would be useful in case of unforeseen events, natural disasters as the plant in Pampanga could supply the requirements of Metro Manila and Southern Luzon.

He said the bread factories in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro could also serve the Visayas market, providing backup for each plant.

He said Gardenia would hold off any price increase on its products until the end of 2020 to make life easier for most Filipinos. The company also donated bread to poor communities before and during the pandemic.

Umali said the company was willing to continue to absorb the price spikes in raw materials, given the stable foreign exchange rate.

The company has been operating 24-hours a day since the start of quarantine period in March and has been maintaining 90-percent to 95-percent operability.

The factories are prepared to utilize the spare capacity to launch a full-capacity operation to meet an upsurge in demand, according to Umali.

He said that as bread production in its plants is fully-automated, breads produced are untouched by human hands. The company also imposed additional sanitary measures such as the wearing of masks and physical distancing to add to the hazard analysis and critical control points protocol.

The high demand for bread prompted the company to shift and focus production to loaves at the height of the enhanced community quarantine, when it only two-thirds of its manpower were able to go to work because of the lockdown.

Umali said the brisk demand for bread was expected to continue until year-end, although it could soften a bit in November, in anticipation of slower demand during the All Souls’ Day.

Solons seek contract extension of Malampaya natural gas project SEVERAL lawmakers called for the contract extension of the Malampaya gas-to-power project in northwest Palawan to address an anticipated increase in future power demand.

The legislators filed House Resolution No. 1063 which calls for the implementation of national defense and security policies to attain independent and sustainable energy supply while focusing on extending the life of the Malampaya gas field.

“Malampaya plays a vital role in energy security. Is it enough? That’s the question. Natural gas is very affordable and dependable. Energy independence would help us sustain our rapid devel-

opment,” said PHILRECA party-list Rep. Presley De Jesus during the virtual Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel with the theme “Energy Independence Crucial to National Security.”

Gas production from the Malamapaya project under Service Contract 38 is expected to start to be depleted in the next few years. The Malampaya consortium led by Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. is asking the Department of Energy for an extension of the contract beyond 2024 to allow it to look for more gas prospects.

APEC party-list Rep. Sergio C. Dagooc said there was a need to secure the country’s energy needs as the COVID pandemic exposed the country’s vulner-

abilities to the global oil supply “Energy security is a crucial factor in protecting and upholding our national sovereignty, so we can keep domestic economies running at full power,” said Dagooc, adding that COVID-19 showed that it would not be sustainable to keep relying on foreign fuel sources.

Dagooc said they filed the resolution “to review our energy policies, so we can transition to energy independence.”

Ako Padayon party-list Rep. Adriano Ebcas warned that unless the government quickly addressed all the energy issues and rising power demand, “the Philippines may face an acute power shortage.” Alena Mae S. Flores

Sports

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

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

Davis stars as Lakers sink Jazz to nail top spot

Royce O’Neale (left) and Jordan Clarkson (right) of the Utah Jazz flank Anthony Davis (center) of the Los Angeles Laker fight for better rebounding position at The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida. AFP

PSL hopes to resume training after MECQ THE Philippine Superliga is set to return to training as soon as the government lifts the modified enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and nearby cities.

PSL chairman Philip Ella Juico yesterday said they have formally received the green light to return to training through a memorandum from the Department of Health dated 23 July.

In the letter, DoH Assistant Secretary Nestor Santiago approved and made some recommendations on the health and safety guidelines submitted by the PSL regarding the conduct of physical activities and sports during the coronavirus pandemic.

The DoH stated that practices of PSL teams would start under the general community quarantine, where only five players would be allowed with skeletal workforce of up to 10 persons and non-contact sports limited only to strength training.

Juico said the news was such a major development since they officially became the first women’s volleyball league to be given the go-signal to resume their training and conditioning sessions.

“I am pleased to inform you that the health and safety protocols that we submitted to the Department of Health had been approved with some recommendations,” Juico said in a statement.

“This is really a big development as we are the first volleyball league to be allowed to return to training. We assured the government that we will do everything to follow the protocols and make sure that training and conditioning sessions would be safe and healthy for everyone.”

A former chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission and currently the president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, Juico said mandatory swab testing is no longer needed since women’s volleyball is not as physical as professional basketball, football and boxing, which were all given the approval to return to training through a Joint Administrative Order from the DoH, Games and Amusement Board and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Instead, swab testing would in accordance to the discretion of all member teams.

They, however, were required to coordinate with the various local government units, where teams would conduct their trainings, to ensure proper monitoring and compliance.

Teams were also instructed to appoint a medical liaison that would monitor the movements of players and coaches and report it to Dr. Raul Alcantara—the league’s head of the medical oversight committee—to make sure that all DoH-approved guidelines would be followed.

“Each team will have a medical representative or a liaison,” Juico said.

“These liaisons would be the one who will monitor the movement of the players and log their observations in a time sheet that would be submitted to the league’s medical oversight committee. We will assure that everything will be kept in private in accordance to the confidentiality clause between doctor and patients.”

Community quarantine boosts rise of esports

By Peter Atencio

A

S METRO Manila goes into Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine for the next two weeks, esports organizers are getting ready to launch a series of online tournaments offering prizes totalling P255,000.

The first competitions organized by Meta.us Philippines Dota 2 Leagues will start on Aug. 6, according to Meta. us founder Allan Chou.

Chou, who has been in the gaming industry for 12 years, said the staging of the e-tournaments is timely for the Filipino e-gamer, now that Metro Manila is going back to MECQ in the government’s effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

“So, we feel that online gaming will keep people socially distant, and keep people from gathering in large numbers,” said Chou in an online Zoom press conference.

Held in partnership with JBL, the series of tournaments will be a tiered set of online DOTA 2 competitions, divided into Opens, Juniors, and Seniors divisions.

Registration for the Open that will be

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held on Aug. 6, began last July 27, while the second leg for the senior division is set for Sept. 12.

Signup for the first junior event is on Oct. 8, with the games happening on Oct. 24.

The winners will also have a once-ina-lifetime chance to receive coaching sessions from the professional players of TNC Predator.

“It’s a difficult time (for the Philippines). And I think we have gone into the discovery of talents, and we want be people to be safe,” added Chou.

Online matches are set to go on for the next six months and until January next year.

Chou hopes that they will able to have 4m000 gamers joining, and with their platform having reached 13,000 registered players throughout the country.

ORLANDO—Anthony Davis scored 42 points as the Los Angeles Lakers clinched top seeding in the Western Conference on Monday with a 116108 defeat of the Utah Jazz.

Stung by defeat to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, the Lakers roared back in impressive fashion to overpower a talented Utah line-up.

The win sealed top spot in the West for the Lakers for the first time since 2010, when the late Kobe Bryant would go on to lead the team to the NBA Finals crown.

On Monday, Davis stamped his class on the contest with a hefty points tally as well as coming up with 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

LeBron James finished with 22 points and nine assists as the Lakers finally pulled away from a stubborn Utah side.

“All the stuff we’ve been through this season, to clinch No.1 in the West means a lot but we’re not finished,” Davis said.

“It’s just one of the milestones of many to get to where we want to be.”

Davis’s points haul included 23 in the first half alone.

It was the 20th time Davis has scored 20 points or more in the first half as a Laker, the first player from the franchise to achieve that feat since Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January.

“To be in a category with him means a lot,” Davis said. “I know he’s looking down on us, cheering us on.”

Elsewhere on Monday, Fred VanVleet scored a career-high 36 points as the Toronto Raptors dug deep to defeat the Miami Heat 107-103 in their Eastern Conference clash.

VanVleet led the scoring for the Raptors with a haul that included seven three-pointers from 12 attempts as Toronto improved to 48-18 to remain in second place in the East.

‘Unique defense’ VanVleet also made a big contribution defensively for the Raptors, forcing a deflection of a Jimmy Butler pass later on that denied Miami an opportunity for a game-tying score. VanVleet finished with four turnovers. AFP

Karateka improves Olympic qualifying rank

By Peter Atencio FORMER Southeast Asian Games medalist James Delos Santos bagged his third gold medal in the online Balkan Open karatedo etournament.

The 30-year-old De los Santos outpointed Silvio Cerrone-Biagioni, 25.3-24.5, in the finals of the individual kata men’s division -- the second time that he has managed to outscore Cerrone-Biagioni.

This allowed De los Santos to earn more points in his bid to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

De los Santos is now at no. 135 in the world and is the highest-ranked Filipino in the men’s kata under the World Karatedo Federation’s listing.

Last month, De los Santos redeemed himself with podium finishes in two online karatedo tournaments.

Unable to compete last December in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, De los Santos still found a way to stay fit and healthy while in home quarantine.

He has been doing so in the last five months months of the lockdowns that were imposed throughout the country to

contain the spread of the coronavirus.

After claiming a silver finish last May, De los Santos took home the gold medal last June in the Korokotta Cup 2020 ETournament.

De los Santos showed his best foot forward in virtual kata when he outpointed 18 others from 11 nations.

His efforts allowed him to snare the top honors in the men’s senior individual kata category.

In the finals, De los Santos swept past South Africa’s Silvio Cerone-Biagionil, 5-0.

James De los Santos

GAB to go after health protocols violators in pro sports

GAB chairman Baham Mitra

THE presence of an official Joint Administrative Order gave the Games and Amusements Board more teeth in going after violators of strict health protocols among pro sports.

GAB chairman Abraham ‘Baham’ Mitra reminded that a provision in the directive signed by his office together with the Department of Health and Philippine Sports Commission clearly stated that the agency has the right to sanction any teams or players found guilty of breaching safe protocols in their respective leagues.

The sanctions of course, will always be done in coordination with top officials of the pro leagues that were already given the green light to resume workouts as in the case of basketball, football, and boxing under a General Community Quarantine status.

The National Capital Region and other nearby provinces reverted back to a Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine on August 4, owing to the major surge of COVID-19 cases, prompting a delay in the resumption of team workouts among professional players.

“Since meron nang JAO and sa amin na ibinigay ‘yung load, kami na ang mag-i-impose ng sanctions,” said the 50-year-old Mitra in an engaging webcast edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday. “In case something happens and there may be violations, we will be there.”

The GAB chairman also didn’t mince words against repeated violators, adding it has the right to cancel licenses of erring players or ballclubs.

“Kung talagang paulit-ulit ay puwede sigurong suspendihin at eventually, kung talagang matigas ang ulo, tanggalan ng professional license. We can do that dahil meron na ring JAO,” Mitra said in the weekly forum

presented by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and powered by Smart, with Upstream Media as the official webcast partner.

Mitra commended both the PBA and PFL for policing their ranks and doing their job of having everybody on board in terms of understanding and abiding by the strict health guidelines as provided under JAO. He added the cooperation of every players and teams are needed for the plan to work out especially once teams begin their respective trainings.

“So far ‘yung mga leagues naman sila na mismo (ang kumikilos). Nau-unahan parati ang GAB, kasi kami we want to hear both sides, we want due process.

And we’re doing several things. Unlike ang PBA, nakatutok lang sa PBA, ang PFLnakatutok lang sa PFL,” said the son of the late House Speaker Ramon Mitra Jr. In the case of the Blackwater franchise, the GAB chairman said the team was only given stern warning by his office since the violations committed were done when JAO was yet in effect.

Besides, the PBA already penalized the ballclub for P100,000.

“The PBA already sanctioned them and GAB doesn’t want to really step on institutions. We always believe in self-regulation. Nandiyan lang kami kung kailangan ninyo kami,” said Mitra, a former member of the House of Representatives and Palawan governor.

At the same time, he clarified that guidelines under JAO can be amended and revised from time to time, to adapt to the current situation of the country under the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Sports

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Cardinals’ series axed as 13 test positive for coronavirus

Donovan, Budenholzer share Coach of Year title LOS ANGELES—Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer and Oklahoma City Thunder counterpart Billy Donovan were named as joint winners of the National Basketball Coaches Association coach of the year award on Monday.

Budenholzer and Donovan shared the award after voting which saw Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse just miss out on a share of the honour.

Nurse polled just one vote fewer than Budenholzer and Donovan.

The award is decided each year based on votes by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, with each coach voting for a single individual.

Voting this year is based on games played up to March 11, when the season went into shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dallas Mavericks head coach and NBCA President Rick Carlisle said Budenholzer had earned the award for a second straight season after helping Milwaukee compile the best record in the NBA this season.

Donovan was honoured after leading his team to the playoffs in each of his first five seasons.

“Congratulations to Mike Budenholzer and Billy Donovan on this prestigious recognition,” Carlisle said in a statement.

“Mike led the Bucks to the best record in the league for a second straight season and Billy became just the fourth active head coach to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first five seasons.”

Donovan joins NBA coaching giants Don Nelson, Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich as the only three-time winners of the honour.

As well as Budenholzer, Donovan and Nurse, several other coaches received votes including Taylor Jenkins, Nate McMillan, Erik Spoelstra, Brad Stevens and Frank Vogel.

Elsewhere on Monday, Nikola Jokic had a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets overpowered the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 121-113 overtime victory.

Jokic finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a stellar performance for Denver, who improved to 44-23 with the win.

The Nuggets remain third in the Western Conference standings behind the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. AFP

OS ANGELES—Thirteen members of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise have tested positive for COVID-19, Major League Baseball said Monday, forcing postponement of the team’s four-game series with the Detroit Tigers.

L

A statement from MLB said seven players and six staff members from the Cardinals had contracted coronavirus in the past week.

The league said the Cardinals, who have been in quarantine since Thursday, will remain in Milwaukee and be tested daily.

The team is tentatively scheduled to return to play against the Chicago Cubs in St. Louis, the league said.

The wave of positive cases come

after one player and three staff members tested positive for the virus on Saturday, forcing postponement of the weekend series with the Brewers.

The wave of Cardinals cases is the second major outbreak to rock a MLB franchise since the league resumed last month.

The Miami Marlins have so far confirmed around 20 positive tests while several employees of the Philadelphia Phillies also tested positive.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani faces a six-week pitching layoff after suffering an elbow strain, the team said Monday.

The Japanese ace only recently returned to pitching duties after nearly two years off the mound following Tommy John surgery in September 2018.

However, during another torrid outing on Sunday against the Houston Astros, the 26-year-old two-way threat was sent for an MRI scan after complaining of soreness in his right arm.

The Angels on Monday said Ohtani had been diagnosed with a strain of the flexor pronator mass, which helps stabilise the elbow.

“A general timetable for beginning a throwing progression following this

PH volleyball community mourns death of coach Dulay

By Peter Atencio

Luis Robert (88) of the Chicago White Sox steals second base past Keston Hiura (18) of the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AFP

NBA League Pass available for PLDT Home subscribers PLDT Home partners with the National Basketball Association to offer NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service.

PLDT Home subscribers can now conveniently access NBA games and exclusive programs live and on-demand for as low as Php 485 per month by charging their NBA League Pass subscription to their existing PLDT Home account.

Beginning the 2019-20 season restart, NBA League Pass’s coverage of the seeding games will include enhanced statistical overlays, alternative audio and multiple viewing options. Subscribers will have access to League Pass’ Next-Generation game viewing enhancements, includ-

THE LINK REY JOBLE

injury is 4-6 weeks,” the Angels said.

Ohtani will remain with the squad for its upcoming trip to Seattle and could yet feature as a hitter, however.

“He is traveling with the team to Seattle and his status as a designated hitter is day to day,” the Angels added.

Ohtani has suffered a series of maulings during his pitching stints so far this season.

He gave up three singles and walked three batters in a 6-4 defeat to the Oakland Athletics last month, in his first appearance on the mound since his elbow surgery.

Against the Astros on Sunday, he was yanked after giving up five walks in the second inning, meaning he was walked eight of the 16 batters he has faced this season. AFP

THE LINK

Chot, the star point guard

THERE was a time when Chot Reyes used to play the role as the star point guard.

With five guards in the family, the Reyes Brothers were a formidable unit once put together in one team.

“Sa mga liga-liga, lalo na sa mga intervillage, it’s very hard to beat the Reyes Brothers. Limang guwardiya kami, para kaming security agency,” Reyes told The Link during a podcast interview. “Limang guwardiya kami, pero hindi mo matatawid ‘yung bola sa half court. Kasi full court press kami all the way.”

There, in the Inter-Village Tournaments, Reyes would meet a familiar face who would become his future coach and nemesis -- Tim Cone. Reyes would beat Cone’s squad in the “ligang labas”and a

REY JOBLE

few years after, the American mentor would ask the former to become one of his assistant coaches at Alaska in the PBA. Chot was definitely the finest player in the family until his younger brother, Jun, became the hero in Ateneo when the latter led the squad to back-to-back championships in 1987 and 1988.

Hardly known to many, Chot was a crack point guard for the Ateneo Blue Eagles. He would make it to the Mythical Team of the UAAP in 1984 joining future PBA stars like Allan Caidic and Jerry Codiñera of University of the East, Pido Jarencio of University of Santo Tomas, and Glenn Capacio of Far Eastern University, but an MCL injury (knee injury) would practically end Reyes’

playing career and soon after, he would embark in a coaching career.

He coached the Ateneo high school squad, led by the great Danny Francisco to a perfect season all the way to winning a championship during the mid-80s and soon after, Reyes would work in the corporate world.

When he became an executive of Purefoods, part of his task was convincing then president, Rene Buhain to put up a team in the PABL and eventually, the PBA. Then owned by Don Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Purefoods acquired the old Tanduay franchise of the Elizaldes and included in the deal was to bring along the veterans of the squad led by Ramon Fernandez, Freddie Hubalde, JB Yango, Padim Israel, Willie Generelao and Onchie Dela Cruz.

To sweeten the deal, the Hotdogs were also allowed to elevate four players directly from the PABL, plus the top overall pick in the Rookie Draft. Purefoods named Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codiñera,

ing new camera angles, multiple inlanguage streams, celebrity influencer commentary, in-depth analytics and statistical graphics, fantasy and gaming options, trivia and social media integration. Viewers will also have the ability to impact visual effects and sounds in the venue through a “tap-tocheer” function.

NBA League Pass will continue to provide the most comprehensive live and on-demand access to the remainder of the 2019-20 season in high-definition, while the 3-Game Choice enables users to watch up to three games of their choice per month.

Rediscover a whole new game with NBA League Pass with your PLDT Home Fibr. To subscribe, visit pldthome.com/nbaleaguepass.

Jojo Lastimosa and Glenn Capacio as its direct hire. Patrimonio had to finish his contractual obligations with Swift, before joining Purefoods in the All-Filipino.

The Hotdogs used the top overall pick in choosing Jack Tanuan.

It was the best deal received by any other expansion clubs to enter the PBA, making Purefoods one of the most storied franchises in league history.

Chot didn’t become a head coach of Purefoods until 1993, when he quickly led the team, then carrying the name Coney Island, to a championship in the AllFilipino and a finals’ stint in the Commissioner’s Cup in just his rookie season. He would lead the squad to yet another title ruin in the 1994 Commissioner’s Cup before moving to coach Sta. Lucia in 1997.

One of the successful coaches in PBA history, Reyes would also win championships with Coca-Cola (2002 All-Filipino and 2003 Reinforced Conference), and TNT (2009 Philippine Cup, 2011 Phlippine Cup, 2011 Commissioner’s Cup,

MEMBERS of the volleyball community are mourning the death of coach Ronald Dulay.

Dulay passed away on Monday night due to bone marrow disease.

He was 48.

Dulay’s former players at University of the Philippines, led by Jed Montero confirmed in a Facebook message that the Marinera Pilipina assistant coach has died.

Players, who used be under his wings, have express their grief on Facebook and Twitter.

Dulay was part of three volleyball champion teams with Far Eastern University in the 1990s before becoming a coach.

He later called the shots for the De La Salle University men’s volleyball squad and won two titles in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines in 2001 and 2003.

Dulay also handled the women’s squads of University of the Philippines and Letran. He returned to the Green Spikers in 2014, but his stint lasted until 2016 after finishing with 4-8 winloss record in Season 78.

Dulay served as assistant coach for the Philippine women’s volleyball team under Ramil De Jesus in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.

That was the team that won a bronze medal.

He was assistant to Francis Vicente in the 2017 edition of the biennial meet.

and 2012 Philippine Cup).

But he would be remembered by Filipino basketball fans with his “Puso” mantra, which is still important at this time of pandemic. Puso was the main reason why Gilas Pilipinas ended the Korean curse, when the Filipinos defeated South Korea in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, which served as the Philippines’ ticket meal back to the world stage for the first time in 40 years.

Perhaps, it was also “puso” that enabled Reyes, a pint-sized guard, to hold his own against the finest players in the UAAP at that time. If Caidic and Codiñera would become two of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players and Jarencio and Capacio would turn out to be star players for their respective squads, it won’t be possible for Reyes to crack PBA stardom had he been spared of a knee injury, which was at that time considered as a career-ending one.

At least, once in his career, Reyes became one of the elites considered as the star point guard.

Entertainment Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

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nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020 ||

A Smarter Choice

HE secret is finally out.

Smart has confirmed that South Korean actress and Crash Landing On You lead star Son Ye-jin is now part of its growing list of big celebrity endorsers.

Leading telco ropes in Korean star Son Ye-jin to join Hyun Bin as international celebrity ambassador

T

CRASH LANDING, TOO. South Korean superstar Son Ye-jin is the latest addition to Smart’s growing list of big celebrity endorsers.

In a virtual event on Monday, Smart introduced the 38-year-old screen star as its latest endorser two months after the telco unveiled her CLOY costar Hyun Bin as its first international ambassador.

A few days before the official launch, Smart took to social media to reveal a six-second teaser, which features a female riding a motorcycle

According to a Smart executive, Son Ye-jin is accomplished and sophisticated yet she’s very simple making her the perfect choice to represent the brand.

through the city and arriving in front of a modern infrastructure. Fans were quick to assume that the mystery bike rider is none other than the popular Korean star.

In a virtual presser in June, a Smart executive said that they would be getting more Korean endorsers after signing Hyun Bin. Smart president and CEO Al Panlilio said, “Captain Ri is lonely if he’s alone, right?”

This left many CLOY fans reeling on hopes that the person Panlilio was referring to was Yoon Se-ri, the love interest of Captain Ri and played by the popular actress.

“Son Ye Jin’s appeal is undeniable among Filipinos who have been swept by the Korean wave, and we are thrilled to fulfill their wish. This is one way of supporting the Hallyu passion of our customers, who put their trust in our network so they can binge-watch the latest K-dramas, stream K-Pop hits, and stay updated on their K-idols online,” said Jane J. Basas, Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer

Wireless Business at Smart.

“More than this, we know Son Ye Jin embodies the Smart Signature brand as it simplifies the postpaid experience so customers can make their mark in their career or passion,” she added.

Son Ye-jin made her debut on television in the series Delicious Proposal in 2001 and went on to star in veteran filmmaker Im Kwon-taek’s film Painted Fire (2002).

She rose to fame in romance-themed films and television series such as The Classic, Summer Scent, A Moment to Remember, and April Snow.

She has won acting recognition for her versatility in diverse genres, notably in Alone in Love, My Wife Got Married, The Pirates, Something in the Rain, and the 2016 films The Truth Beneath and The Last Princess.

In Smart’s latest TV ad, Son Ye-jin confidently rides a motorcycle and navigates the city through the fast lane, alluding to the prioritized, worry-free, and elevated lifestyle that Smart Signature provides its customers, powered by the country’s fastest mobile data network. The ad also powerfully ends with Son Ye Jin affirming, “Simple. Smart Ako.”

“’Simple, Smart Ako’ gave us a clear guiding principle when it comes to serving our customers – that is, to make amazing experiences and cutting-edge technology simple and accessible to

every Filipino. We are embracing this same approach as we commit to simplifying the postpaid experience so our postpaid customers can enjoy a Signature lifestyle,” Panlilio stated.

DDIGITAL I G I T A L MEDIA MEDIA

Korina Sanchez’s

All-in-one delivery app for premium brands

fountain of youth

Korean Sanchez, 55, looking youthful and radiant.

BEAUTÉDERM Corporation celebrates its 11th anniversary with an exciting collaboration. The beauty and wellness superbrand partners with veteran broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez-Roxas in launching a sensational new product.

Called Slender Sips K-llagen Collagen Drink, the product is the result of almost two years of research and actual testing on Korina herself. Thus, it can be revealed that it’s one of her best-kept secrets to what she believes to be the nearest thing to the “fountain of youth.”

“People ask me how I look younger than my age.

Well, K-llagen is a healthy and delicious collagen drink that I take every day,” says Korina.

Collagen is an essential supplement to keep the body internally and externally rejuvenated. Collagen preserves and promotes youth of the organs including skin and hair.

Slender Sips K-llagen Collagen Drink is distributed by Beautéderm’s sister company RD Healthy Living Corporation. This FDA-Notified product contains all-natural ingredients such as sodium hyaluronate, chamomile, and pomegranate and Sakura flower extracts added to collagen – all meticulously formulated to provide the body a daily boost of energy, vitality, and youth.

“I am extremely proud to be part of this collaboration between Beautéderm and myself,” says Korina.

“To the entire staff of Beautéderm, to all the amazing resellers and distributors, to our loyal users, and to my dear friend Rei Tan – congratulations! I am honored to be a part of the Beautéderm family.”

Beautéderm president and CEO Rhea AnicocheTan, on the other hand, is thrilled to have Korina on board the Beautéderm family.

“I welcome Ms. K with open arms and a happy heart,” says Anicoche-Tan. “She is my idol. I love her very much and I am grateful for her friendship and for her trust. This is so ex-

Just like Hyun Bin, Son Ye Jin signed a one-year contract with Smart to represent its Signature campaign.

citing. The drink currently has a strawberry milkshake flavor and we will launch other flavors in the months to come. It’s really is an honor for Ma’am Korina to represent this awesome new product of ours,” the Beautéderm top gun adds.

“Handa na ba kayong sumigla, bumata, at gumanda?

K-llagen is here and it really, really works. Cheers,” says Korina.

For more information and exciting updates on Kllagen and Korina Sanchez-Roxas, follow @beautédermcorporation on Instagram, like Beautéderm on Facebook, and subscribe to Beautéderm TV on YouTube.

Beautéderm president and CEO Rhea Anicoche-Tan

A NEW on-demand delivery app is arriving in town. ant, Megaworld.

PICK.A.ROO was thoughtfully created with Called PICK.A.ROO, it aims to help urban consumers transition to the new normal, stress-free, and con- the local community’s needs at its core. This is something we stand by, not only where our usveniently.

The closed beta version of the app will be ers are concerned, but to our entire team as well. available on Aug. 8, Saturday, for the first 188 Given the current conditions of the world, where invite-only users exclusively. This safe, hygien- safety and hygiene are of utmost importance now more than ever, FWD Life ic, and contact-free delivery Philippines will provide life service brings only the best insurance to all our riders and brands and products they personal shoppers. On top of love straight from the store to providing protection, a finantheir doors. cial literacy program will be “We are the country’s rolled out too. first homegrown premium Included in the growdelivery app, created and ing list of PICK.A.ROOmanaged fully by experiapproved establishments enced executives from top and brands are Central by local and global brands and Landers Supermarket, S&R, a proudly all-Filipino team.

Manila Marriott Hotel, That sets us apart. We know Sheraton Manila, Shangrithat we already have numerLa at the Fort, Tim Ho Wan, ous on-demand delivery Kam’s Roast, Hawker Chan apps in the market, but what and Tsuta, The Grid, Wolfmakes us different is that we gang’s Steakhouse, Paradise put premium brands availDynasty, Las Flores, The able on the app, we give utTest Kitchen by Chef Josh most attention to all parties Boutwood, The Parenting involved -- customers, the Get peace of mind with Emporium, Mothercare, Bostores, and our crew -- and PICK.A.ROO’s strict hygiene and dum, Gourdo’s, Joseph Jomost of all, we are providing safety protocols which include rapid seph, MedExpress, Beyond a different kind of customer testing of its over 1500 shoppers the Box, and a Farm-to-Table experience,” Crystal Gonand riders, thermal scanner checks, initiative through Pickaroo’s zalez, PICK.A.ROO CEO and constant disinfecting of Fresh Buys, among others. and co-founder told Manila delivery bags.

After downloading the Standard Entertainment in a PICK.A.ROO app on iOS virtual interview.

“With the app, people residing in key cities or Android, users can quickly sign up by using will be able to access over 300 PICK.A.ROO - their mobile numbers. The app’s easy-to-use inapproved brands and shop all their must-haves terface is designed to suit all customers in need in one seamless app; from Apple products, gour- of the service, whatever age they may be. Usmet hotel food, local IG-trends, and Michelin- ers can also select their preferred mode of comstar restaurants, to daily essentials like grocer- munication: Viber, WhatsApp, SMS. Voice call ies, medicine, home and kitchen, and all your from our PICK.A.ROO shoppers or riders are stay-at-home needs. We want to differentiate also available, as well as access to the live chat and empower high-quality local brands and concierge in-app.

Users will be able to order from establishpremium retailers by creating a curated online ments with up to 10-kilometer radius from their space for them,” adds Gonzalez.

The company had spent an entire year re- location. This will give customers more options searching and planning a fresh concept that and also give retailers wider reach and sales bridges the gap between premium offline brands growth. Introductory service fee starts at a very and the growing online segment. With this vi- reasonable rate of P168 per delivery (P80 delivsion in mind, they decided that to be able to cre- ery fee and shopper fees at P88).

Starting Aug.18, PICK.A.ROO will be openate a unique all-in-one and on-demand premium ing up the app to more users in key cities in delivery experience.

“We had to build our own homegrown Metro Manila. The community can be part of start-up and redefine the Filipino’s shopping PICK.A.ROO’s journey and vote for their favorite experience,” shares Kevin Tan, founder of brands at www.pickaroo.com and the cities they PICK.A.ROO, the first start-up investment of want the app to launch next by voting through AGILE Digital Ventures, which is the technol- a live online poll on www.facebook.com/pickaogy and digital investment arm of property gi- rooph or www.instagram.com/pickarooapp.

Life

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

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FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

Finding beauty and power in the midst of a pandemic

CARRY YOUR STRUGGLES.

Jessan Macatangay’s five-piece graduation collection features sculptural pieces attached to the clothes to symbolize the weight of personal struggles each person carries as they go through life.

E

VERY person has their share of struggles since the pandemic begun. For rising Filipino designer Jessan Macatangay, it was finishing his final collection with lockdown restrictions in place and graduating from a fouryear course alone in a foreign country without his friends and family.

Jessan’s workstation.

‘‘

A piece from Jessan Macatangay’s graduation collection.

“I’m not someone who is unfamiliar with struggles,” shared Macatangay. “We all go through different forms and levels of challenges.

Some may be more significant than others but each one is very much valid.”

Originally from

Elevated style

Batangas, Macatangay went to London to pursue a career in fashion by earning a coveted degree from Central Saint Martins, the prestigious art and design school that churned out some of the world’s most iconic designers such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, and Stella McCartney.

Prior to moving to London, he worked as a registered nurse, fulfilling his mother’s wish, and transferred to Manila to study at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines.

The pandemic, he said, awakened the Batangueño fighter in him. Stuck in a foreign country alone at the height of a global crisis, he had to accomplish his graduation collection with limited resources as Filipino his suppliers had designer to abruptly stop Jessan their operation.

Macatangay “The first few demonstrates weeks after the how to find lockdown was anbeauty and strength nounced was the in every hardest for me,” rechallenge. called Macatangay.

“We needed to move our work from the university to our homes. I considered flying back to Manila to be with my family but thought it was wiser to stay in London since my sewing machine and basic tools are all here.”

He took this chance to show everyone that with hard work, resourcefulness, and determination, anything is possi-

ble, pandemic notwithstanding.

Since he had limited access to the people he works with—seamstresses, wood and metal workers, and fabric suppliers—Macatangay had to change his mindset to fit the situation and make do with what he had.

“My final collection is quite different from how I envisioned it before the pandemic. I needed to change a lot of things from design to materials and the process by which I was going to make them,” he shared.

“I had to buy fabrics online, which meant that I had very limited choices. I only used two fabrics for the entire collection, lycra and cotton. I also had a bit of silk satin, which I was able to use. I dyed and digitally printed my fabrics to achieve the looks I wanted. For the pieces that required metal and wood working, I worked with scraps and whatever I could get my hands on.”

He also had to do everything manually using the most basic tools at his disposal, a process, he said, he “actually enjoyed.”

“It made me realize that what I was going through completely reflected the concept of my graduation collection, which is finding beauty and power in the midst of struggle,” he shared.

Macatangay continued, “As I faced the disappointment and frustration of the whole situation, I rediscovered my inspiration for doing what I do. I felt strong and empowered seeing my final garments come together under these circumstances.”

Thankful for the lessons he learned in school and guidance from his mentors, Macatangay finished his five-piece

What I want people to see with this collection is how challenges can eventually become part of your beauty and strength if you stay resilient.” collection featuring 3D concepts that caught the eyes of Vogue, The New York Times, Grazia, and Net-A-Porter.

According to Macatangay, his designs symbolize how people carry the weight of personal struggles. The challenges are represented by the sculptural pieces attached to the clothes. As a person goes through each look, the sculptures become smaller, signifying how struggles become a part of one’s journey as they go through life.

“What I want people to see with this collection is how challenges can eventually become part of your beauty and strength if you stay resilient,” said the designer.

“I understand that this may sound too cliché but it’s a narrative that is very much based on truth,” he said.

“I’ve been working on this idea for two years now and when the COVID-19 pandemic happened, it made me realize how important it is to get this message across. Little as it may seem to others, I want to inspire people to keep pushing forward and to never give up hope.”

Macatangay plans to stay in London to further hone his knowledge and skills in designing.

ADD TO CART

Japan’s leading facial lotion now available online Ecco Shape spring/summer 2020 collection consists of heels made using the brand’s Fluidform Direct Comfort Technology.

joining the ECCO Shoes Philippines Viber community group, or call Ecco SM Megamall branch at 0917-8118096 or 8248-0811, or purchase online through Facebook at facebook.com/ EccoPH. The heels elegantly shape ankles, elongate legs, and give additional height.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Hydrating Lotion (top left) and the rest of the Hydrating range.

VANITY CORNER

DANISH footwear brand Ecco, known for its comfortable shoes, launches a collection featuring heels of all kinds for different elevated styles.

The new Ecco Shape spring/summer 2020 collection consists of heels for dressing up and heels for casual wear, made with premium leather or textile with leather inlay sole.

In keeping with its commitment to combining innovative technology and exceptional comfort, the new collection harnesses the brand’s Fluidform Direct Comfort Technology that mirrors the natural contours of the foot and forms a perfectly solid yet lightweight sole while delivering a finely tuned balance of cushioning and rebound.

The Ecco Shape heels elegantly shape ankles, elongate legs, and give additional height without compromising a comfortable wearing experience.

The brand has branches at SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia, as well as shop-in-shop concepts at SM Store Mall of Asia, SM Store Makati, SM Store North Edsa, SM Store Aura, SM Store Megamall, SM Store Southmall, and SM Store Estancia.

Shoppers can also call to deliver by

PRODUCTS of Japanese brand Hada Labo, known for its bestselling facial lotion that promises soft and supple skin like a mochi, can now be purchased online.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Hydrating Lotion, the no. 1 facial lotion in Japan for 13 consecutive years, is now available online at watsons. com.ph, Watsons channel in Lazada, and The SM Store’s channels in Lazada and Shopee.

Hada Labo was launched in the Philippines last year and since then has become one of the cult-favorite skin care brands in the country. It’s known for its four types of hyaluronic acid, which attract and hold moisture to keep skin looking soft and hydrated as well as help strengthen skin’s barrier.

The Gokujyun Hydrating Lotion as well as other products from Hada Labo (Hydrating Lotion, Hydrating Face Wash, Hydrating Light Cream, Hydrating Water Gel, Hydra and Whitening Face Wash, and Deep Clean and Pore Refining Face Wash) are free from fragrances, alcohol, colorants, and mineral oils.

Acne cleansing stick

DERMO-GRADE skin care brand Céleteque introduces a new facial cleanser suitable for oily and acne-prone skin.

The new Acne Exfoliating Cleansing Stick claims to give “triple acne care” by gently cleansing oily skin, reducing pimples, and lightening pimple marks in a convenient stick format suitable for on-the-go use.

Hypoallergenic and safe for everyday use, the new facial cleanser is made with tea tree leaf oil that has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to fight pimples and soothe skin, turmeric root extract to help control skin’s oil production and lighten dark spots and pimple marks, and mangosteen peel extract to help prevent the formation of new pimples.

Céleteque Acne Exfoliating Cleansing Stick is available in leading drugstores, department stores, supermarkets, and beauty stores nationwide, as well as online on the Céleteque website, Lazada, BeautyMNL, and Shopee for P295 each.

Céleteque Acne Solutions Exfoliating Cleansing Stick