Manila Standard - 2020 August 19 - Wednesday

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Checkpoints remain in GCQ Police to enforce health rules, restrict movements only to essential travel

By Jimbo Gulle, Joel Zurbano, Darwin G. Amojelar and Rey E. Requejo

Q

UARANTINE control points will remain to ensure that only authorized individuals on essential travel are going out of their homes despite the shift of some areas to less stringent quarantine restrictions against COVID-19, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said they will continue to be vigilant in implementing public health protocols and assist local government units in enforcing local health ordinances in certain jurisdictions that are under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified

general community quarantine (MGCQ).

In May, when the country first shifted to GCQ from an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), checkpoints were not removed but installed randomly.

Now, they will not be removed despite the relaxed lockdown, Next page the PNP said.

• The Philippines’ COVID-19 task force once again barred gyms and internet cafes from operating in areas under GCQ, the Palace said Tuesday.

• The Supreme Court has ordered the physical opening of all courts in Metro Manila and other areas under the GCQ starting Aug. 19.

(See full stories on A2 -- Editors)

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 167• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

6.6 quake rocks Masbate: 1 killed, 43 injured CATAINGAN, Masbate—At least one person was killed and 43 others were injured when a 6.6-magnitude earthquake shook the central Philippines on Tuesday, sending residents fleeing their homes and damaging buildings and roads.

The shallow quake struck southeast of Masbate Island

in the Bicol region at 8:03 a.m., the US Geological Survey said.

"There are a lot of damaged houses," said Staff Sergeant Antonio Clemente in Cataingan, a town of about 50,000 people on the impoverished island several kilometers west of the epicenter in the Samar Sea. Next page

TEMBLOR'S TOLL. This handout photo from the Facebook page of Javee Vallecer shows rescuers looking for survivors at the site of a damaged house after the 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit the town of Cataingan in Masbate.

The destruction was apparent elsewhere on the island as building foundations gave way, roads cracked, merchandise was damaged, and Philippine Red Cross volunteers scrambled to treat the wounded. AFP and PRC photos

Gov’t confirms local presence of more infectious virus strain

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM AUG. 18)

By Willie Casas, Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

small sample of positive cases in Quezon City.

The G614 variant has been reported in many other countries and it may have MEDICAL experts confirmed Tuesday completely replaced the original D614 the presence of an even more infectious virus in most of Europe and the Amerivariant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that cas. The mutation makes it easier for Next page causes COVID-19, after it was seen in a

169,213 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

Rights “on the altar of convenience” in acquitting a drug suspect, in a decision it released recently and in a stern rebuke of the government's war against drugs.

THE Supreme Court reminded law This developed as President Rodrigo enforcers to never sacrifice the Bill of Next page

Volcanology and Seismology, weak steam emissions rise at least 20 meters high from Taal Volcano on Tuesday, with Alert Level 1 raised over the volcano. This means steamdriven explosions, volcanic earthquakes, and minor ashfall can occur, Phivolcs said in a bulletin.

4,836 NEW

7

DEATHS

NEW

112,861

182

RECOVERIES

NEW

PH records new cases of 4,836, Duque: No P154-b fraud in PhilHealth total nears 170k ANIMATED. President Rodrigo Duterte addresses the country via television on staterun PTV-4 on Monday night. The Chief Executive seems to be “animated” and remains to be in very good condition, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque assured the public on Tuesday, saying Duterte having a “lively” public address on late Monday night proves that the 75-yearold President is not sick. Presidential Photo

FACING the Senate Committee of the Whole for the first time over the Philippine Health Corporation (PhilHealth) controversy, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Tuesday claimed there had been no P154-billion loss over the years due to various forms of fraud within the state-

TALL TAAL STEAM. In this handout photo from the Philippine Institute of

ACTIVE

2,687

SC backs human rights in drug rap

By Rey E. Requejo and Jimbo Gulle

53,665

run health insurance firm.

However, in the same hearing, former PhilHealth anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith tagged Duque as the "godfather" of the agency's "mafia."

Keith said the Health secretary served Next page

THE number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines increased to 169,213 on Tuesday after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 4,836 new infections.

This marks the seventh straight day in which more than 3,000 new cases Next page were reported.

Senator Revilla hospitalized for pneumonia

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

days ago, was rushed to a hospital on Mayor Lanie Mercado-Revilla said that Tuesday due to pneumonia, his wife based on the senator’s latest X-ray, he has developed pneumonia and that SENATOR Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., said.

In a Facebook post, Bacoor City Next page who tested positive for COVID-19 10

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News

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‘Gyms, net cafes can’t reopen yet’

G

YMS and internet cafes cannot resume operating in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ), Malacañang said Tuesday on the advice of the country's COVID-19 task force.

“On gyms, it was deferred in the Cabinet meeting called by the Executive Secretary preparatory to our meeting with President Duterte where it was decided to give in to the demand of frontliners. Included too were internet cafes,” Roque said “This meeting superseded the IATF resolution approving [the reopening of] gyms and internet cafes.”

The IATF earlier allowed the partial reopening of gyms and internet cafes in GCQ areas beginning August 1.

Earlier in the day, Trade Secretary

Ramon Lopez said business establishments such as gyms, which were previously closed when Metro Manila and its nearby provinces reverted to MECQ, will be allowed to resume operations.

Other areas placed under GCQ were Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Quezon, Iloilo City, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, and the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu province.

The rest of the Philippines will be under modified GCQ until the end of the month. Vito Barcelo

The decision was made even before Metro Manila and nearby provinces shifted to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) on August 4, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in his role as spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Man-

agement of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, and Rizal will be under the less stringent GCQ from August 19 to 31, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday night.

Checkpoints...

In a public address Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal will revert to the less stringent GCQ starting Wednesday, Aug. 19, until Aug. 31.

Also under GCQ starting today are the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Batangas, and Quezon along with cities of Iloilo, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, and Talisay and the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu province.

The rest of the country is under the less stringent MGCQ. Banac said PNP operations will remain guided by the fundamental guidelines of the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

"We appeal to residents in affected communities to cooperate with local government and law enforcement authorities in enforcing quarantine rules and health protocols to further minimize transmission of the infection," he added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation said the railways and operators of various public utility vehicles such as UV Express units, taxis, buses and modern as well as traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) are ready to serve commuters of Metro Manila under the GCQ. With Metro Manila shifting to a GCQ status, the MRT-3 line is ready to 18 trains a day, while the LRT-1 will dispatch 24 trains for morning and afternoon peak hours and 18 for off-peak hours.

The LRT Line 2 will deploy five trains daily.

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) is ready to deploy 10 trains on a daily basis.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has au-

thorized the operation of additional traditional PUJs and UV Express units.

The LTFRB allowed the operation of 4,498 more PUJs on 60 routes, on top of the 7,945 units and 66 routes that were approved as of July 29.

Four more routes with 641 units have also been authorized for UV Express vehicles.

Some 3,662 public utility buseswill help ferry commuters in 31 routes across Metro Manila.

The department reminded passengers that strict health and safety protocols will be enforced.

Major local airlines will resume domestic flight operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after President Rodrigo Duterte approved putting Metro Manila back under a GCQ from Aug. 19 to 31.

"Cebu Pacific (CEB) and Cebgo will resume a number of domestic flights to and from Manila on Aug. 19, 2020,” the airline said in a statement.

More than 20 CEB domestic flights were scheduled Wednesday (Aug. 19).

These include flights to and from Cauayan, Masbate, Legazpi, San Jose, Virac, Cebu, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Boracay, Iloilo, Tacloban, Kalibo, Butuan Cagayan de Oro and Davao.

CEB officials also announced they will also continue operating flights from Cebu to Clark and to Davao, and limited international flights in Manila to and from Dubai, Seoul (Incheon), Tokyo (Narita), Singapore, and Taipei.

"CEB will also continue to mount all-cargo flights to ensure transport of essential goods across the country. To assist stranded guests, we will also continue working with national and local governments," the airline said.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines also has 18 domestic flights scheduled for Wednesday in Manila to and from Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Cebu, Iloilo, Tacloban, Butuan, Dipolog and Ozamiz.

On Thursday (Aug. 20), eight domestic flights are scheduled to and from Laoag,

Cotabato, Davao, General Santos, Pagadian and Zamboanga.

PAL reminded air travelers that it is strictly implementing Fly Safe “new normal” practices in compliance with international health and safety protocols.

"Please bring your own face masks or facial coverings and wear them at all times – at the airport and throughout your flight," it said.

PAL also encouraged its clients to check in online and arrive early at the airport to allocate extra time for new safety procedures—at least three hours prior to departure for domestic flights; and four hours prior to departure for international flights.

The chief implementer of the National Task Force for COVID-19, Carlito Galvez Jr., said the government is ready for the transition to GCQ. Galvez reminded people to wear face masks, wash their hands and avoid public places.

He encouraged people who have flu like symptoms to communicate with their barangay officials or city health centers.

He added that the government now has 14,348 contact tracing teams with a total of 145,733 workers, and that care facilities for COVID-19 patients are increasing.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque also said people should not be afraid of the cost of COVID-19 testing because people who have the symptoms of the disease are tested free.

At the same time, Roque disputed Senator Risa Hontiveros' statement that the IATF was micro-managing local government units (LGUs) in the fight against COVID-19.

Roque said the IATF role is limited to monitoring LGU efforts to contain COVID-19.

“It is not our intention to intervene with the work of local government units,” he said. “We are only giving support.”

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The number of new infections was based on the reports filed by 84 out of 105 operational testing labs.

The DOH reported seven new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 2,687.

The department also announced 182 recoveries, bringing to 112,861 the number of patients who have recovered from the disease.

Metro Manila still logged the highest number of new cases at 2,959, followed

by Laguna with 321, Cavite with 220, Rizal with 185, and Bulacan with 145.

MECQ helped, UP researcher says The Philippines is now close to flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases when Metro Manila and four provinces were under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), a researcher from the University of the Philippines said Tuesday.

Prof. Guido David of UP-OCTA Research Team, in an interview on Unang Hirit, said that the 15-day MECQ, which would end on Aug. 18, caused a decline in COVID-19 cases.

David noted that the R-naught (R0), which describes the reproduction of COVID-19 cases, dropped from 1.5 in end of July to 1.1 now in August. An R0 below 1 means a flattened curve, he said.

Ex-health adviser sees 250,000 cases soon The country’s COVID-19 tally could reach 250,000 cases by the end of August as Metro Manila and other urban centers ease the pandemic lockdown, a former government adviser said on Tuesday.

The tally increased by an average of 4,000 cases a day even during stricter quarantine measures, said Dr. Tony Leachon, in an interview on ANC. Leachon is a former adviser of the National Task Force on COVID-19 response.

The reproductive number—the number of people an infected person can pass the virus to—is at 1.12. The Philippines’ positivity rate, or the share of tests that come back positive is 12 percent, higher than the ideal 5 percent set by the World Health Organization, Leachon said. Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

"It was really strong."

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said President Duterte wanted to visit Masbate, but that would happen only if the Presidential Security Group would allow him to travel amid the pandemic.

“Surely, the President wants to visit the affected areas,” Roque told reporters, but the PSG would have to be consulted.

He said medical and financial assistance would be provided the victims.

Local radio station reporter Christopher Decamon said he saw emergency workers pull the body of a man from the rubble of a three-story house on the outskirts of Cataingan. The man's wife escaped unharmed.

The earthquake "was really strong.

Our people were broadcasting at the time but they just ran out of the building," Decamon told AFP by telephone.

Police confirmed the death of the man, identified as Retired Police Col. Gilbert Sauro, who was buried beneath the rubble

after his 3-story house collapsed, according to Masbate Police director Col. Joriz Cantoria. Sixteen people were also injured in the town.

In nearby Palanas, at least 27 people were injured after being hit by falling objects or when their motorbikes crashed as the ground moved in the town, Chris Adique, a municipal disaster officer, told DZBB radio.

None were in a critical condition, he added.

Search and rescue efforts were still under way in the region.

The quake struck as the archipelago battles surging numbers of coronavirus infections, with more than 164,000 cases and restrictions on movement that vary across the country.

A lockdown affecting a quarter of the population, including the capital Manila, will be eased today, Wednesday.

"These natural disasters are a part of our lives and we always recover," said Harry Roque, spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte.

"People should not worry about getting relief assistance. They will be provided."

Palanas police chief Captain Alvin

Guerina told AFP that several patients, including a pregnant woman about to go into labor, were evacuated from a hospital as a precaution in case of aftershocks.

So far, at least 24 aftershocks have been recorded by the Philippine seismology office, with the strongest registering at 3.8 magnitude.

A video posted on Facebook and verified by AFP showed light damage to a food market in Cataingan.

Overturned buckets and small fish were scattered on the ground and chunks of cement had fallen from a pillar. People stood outside on the street.

Philippine Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon tweeted photos taken by his colleagues showing buildings in Cataingan with corrugated iron roofs fallen in.

Other photos taken in nearby Uson town show a sealed road with a large crack across it.

The quake was felt hundreds of kilometers away.

In the city of Iloilo about 400 kilometers southwest of Masbate in the neighboring Visayas, residents ran out onto the streets. AFP with Vito Barcelo and PNA

decision dated June 16 but only made public recently.

"The Court will not sit idly by and allow the Constitution to be added to the mounting body count in the State’s war on illegal drugs," it added. “[W]hen the Constitution is disregarded, the battle waged against illegal drugs becomes a self-defeating and selfdestructive enterprise. A battle waged against illegal drugs that tramples on the rights of the people is not a war on drugs; it is a war against the people,” the high court added Ten other magistrates joined Caguioa

in the majority, with only Associate Justices Rosmari Carandang, Amy LazaroJavier and Mario Lopez dissenting.

The case was decided before President Duterte appointed the 15th justice, Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla, to the Supreme Court in July.

In his televised address to the nation from Davao City on Monday, Duterte again warned drug peddlers that he would personally kill them if they did not stop their illegal trade, which he said left Filipinos “gunggong na” (dumb in English) and of no use to society anymore.

shared with the committee a June 10, 2020 letter from Commission on Audit Chairman Michael G. Aguinaldo allegedly showing there was no finding in the published COA Annual Audit Reports corroborating the alleged loss.

But Duque admitted that PhilHealth was wrong when it allowed dialysis centers and maternity clinics to use the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism or IRM intended only for COVID-19 patients.

He said the budget allocation under IRM for the COVID-19 pandemic should be used only for the coronavirus pandemic.Willie Casas, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo

Senator...

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SC...

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Duterte said Monday night he would do what he wanted for the country despite what critics said of his war against drugs, warning that illegal drugs “destroy the spirit of the nation.”

"The State's steadfastness in eliminating the drug menace must be equally matched by its determination to uphold and defend the Constitution,” the Court said through Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, in a

Duque:...

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for at least 11 years either as president or chairman of the state-run firm, giving him "institutional knowledge" of the workings within the agency.

The secretary replied: "I deny this.

Absolutely malicious and without basis.

I do not wish to dignify that allegation."

“I have clarified this before the Blue Ribbon Committee last year, but I will repeat it to set the record straight. There is no such thing as a 154-billion-peso loss,” Duque added.

He made the statement and then

mendation to put the following areas— apart from Mega Manila—under GCQ starting Wednesday: Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Quezon, Iloilo City, Cebu City, LapuLapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, and the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu.

The rest of the country will be under modified GCQ, the President said in a televised briefing from Davao City, as it continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

The National Capital Region and its four neighboring provinces were placed under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from Aug. 4 to 18 as Duterte heeded the call of medical frontliners for a respite from the escalating number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

“Just be careful. Follow the safeguards,” Duterte told the country on TV. The President also emphasized that employees did not need RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests for COVID-19 to return to work if they were asymptomatic or did not have symptoms of COVID-19.

Roque said the government’s response to the pandemic, including testing, tracing, and isolation, will be "refreshed."

Metro Manila continues to account for the bulk of the new cases reported in the country over the past two weeks.

In the last fortnight, about 16,000 more Metro Manila residents have caught the viral disease, topping the list of regions nationwide by a wide margin, based on data Monday from the Department of Health (DOH).

In other developments: • Two archdioceses in Metro Manila are leaving the decision to their clergy and the faithful on whether they would celebrate Mass or be physically present to attend it as the region is again placed under GCQ. In a Facebook post, the Diocese of Cubao said parish priests are free to decide Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque if they want to open churches. With John said Duterte approved the IATF recom- Mark Pineda, PNA

All courts to physically reopen—SC

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court ordered the physical opening of all courts in Metro Manila and other areas under the general community quarantine (GCQ) beginning today, August 19.

In an Administrative Circular No. 452020, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta also said the Court En Banc and its three divisions will start holding sessions in-court starting Wednesday.

That is, except under exceptional circumstances where sessions may be conducted through videoconferencing with prior approval from the chief magistrate, after consultations with the respective division chairpersons and first division working chairperson.

“The Offices of the Chief Justice and Associate Justices shall operate in accordance with the respective discretions of the Chief Justice and Associate Justices,” the circular stated.

"All other offices and services of the Court shall be physically opened and may operate with a skeleton staff of not less than fifty percent (50%)," it added.

"The Chiefs of the different Offices and Services, who shall be in-court, shall ensure that every court personnel is assigned certain tasks to effectively and efficiently implement their respective offices’ mandates even if they are working from home,” the order said.

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the virus to enter its target cell, and may be associated with higher viral loads in infected persons. This likely translates to a higher level of infectivity.

The Philippine Genome Center (PGC) and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) both confirmed the presence of G614 on Tuesday, but said all the samples were taken from Quezon City and may not reflect what is going on in the rest of the country.

Dr. Rontgene Solante, head of adult infectious diseases at San Lazaro Hospital, said while the G614 variant is easier to transmit, it was unknown if it will cause more severe infection or more deaths.

Monitoring the virus' mutations is important as these can "change up the targets" of vaccines being developed, he said.

"For now since the mutation is occurring in the area of virus where it attaches itself, I don’t think it will cause significant alteration in terms of this virus escaping the production of antibodies produced by vaccine because that’s only a minor mutation," he told the ANC news channel.

Solante also said the Russian COVID-19 vaccine would have to undergo a phase 3 clinical trial in the Philippines to evaluate its efficacy and safety.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health said it is studying the case of Interior Secretary Eduardo Año who tested positive again for COVID-19, after he had recovered from an infection in March.

Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told ABS-CBN Teleradyo that antibodies developed in persons who had recovered from COVID-19 do not last, making them still susceptible again to the disease.

On Monday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Año has a mild case of COVID-19 and remained under isolation.

Año, co-chairperson of the National Task Force against COVID-19, was the first member of President Rodrigo Duterte's Cabinet to be infected with the virus after contracting it in late March.

Año recovered from the disease, based on two negative test results, on April 8 and 13.

Vergeire said DOH experts are studying the case and have given several possibilities on why the official contracted the virus again.

“It's possible that his first diagnosis was a false positive. Second, there could have been contamination in the laboratory that's why the false positive happened, and third, this may just be remnants of the virus,” she said in Filipino.

Vergeire said the RT-PCR machine isso sensitive that it can detect even fragments of the virus.

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isolation in a regular facility was no longer ideal.

Revilla is the fourth senator to be infected with the coronavirus. The others who have fully recovered from the respiratory disease are Senate President Pro Tempore Juan Miguel Zubiri, Juan Edgardo Angara and Aquilino Pimentel III. He tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 last August 9, and was subsequently placed under isolation and observation.

The senator later shared his experience in his fight against COVID-19, where he said how he felt waking up alone and weak.

“Father God please help my husband… Hospital care [is] badly needed. Father we lift him up to you,” Mercado-Revilla also said in her post.

In an interview over radio DWIZ last August 15, Revilla said he was at his “worst” as he experienced chills, sore throat, fluctuating fever and persistent loss of taste and smell, but remained hopeful he would turn out all right.

News ‘Puyat abandoning displaced workers’

By Maricel V. Cruz A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Tuesday accused Tourism Secretary Berna RomuloPuyat of ‘unduly lobbying’ in favor of the interests of tourism industry’s big players in her alleged move to arm-twist the bicameral conference committee on the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 into allotting a P10-billion bailout fund for private firms in the tourism sector.

At the same time, Rep. Sabiniano Canama of COOP-NATCCO partylist group dared the Tourism chief “to identify these big industry players that she is protecting and wants to bail out.”

“The millions of displaced workers in the tourism industry deserve to know why they are being deprived of immediate relief with her insistence in transferring the P10billion fund for tourism infrastructure to a financing program that will hand out socalled ‘working capital’ loans to a favored few,” Canama said.

Romulo-Puyat has been criticized for allegedly pushing to provide “bailouts” or “doleouts” directly to private firms in the tourism sector that is currently one of the hardest hit by COVID-19 outbreak.

She supports the proposal of Tourism Congress of the Philippines President Jose Clemente III that the P10 billion allocation for Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority be diverted to provide working capital and direct funding support to the tourism sector.

Canama, chair of the House Committee on Cooperative Development, said that “if Puyat succeeds in getting a substantial portion of the P162-billion stimulus fund under the wouldbe Bayanihan 2 law for her favored clique in the tourism industry, who are the only ones who can afford to obtain loans at this time, then they too will also demand their specific share of the economic rescue package.”

The House of Representatives has allocated P10 billion for the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority for its infrastructure projects and another P51 billion in additional capital to government financial institutions to lend out to the tourism and transportation sectors, micro, small and medium enterprises and other industries hit hard by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is puzzling why Puyat has been adamant in securing this P10 billion fund for the exclusive benefit of her clique in the tourism industry, when there is already a larger amount of P51 billion allocated by the House for loans to pandemic-hit private businesses,” Canama said.

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Spare returning OFWs from more virus tests, Locsin urges LGUs

By Rey E. Requejo FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. appealed to the local government units to spare returning overseas Filipino workers from undergoing a series of coronavirus swab tests and prolonged

quarantine procedures.

“I ask the local government units to please not repeat the ordeal they are going through, have a little pity for our people,” Locsin said in a short message to welcome the arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport of 386 distressed Fili-

pino workers from Lebanon on Monday.

“I said you cannot blame the LGUs, but I think the LGUs have to rethink... they are being swabbed, they’re going to be quarantined, they’re going to be released when it’s negative, and when they go back, the LGU will demand they be

swabbed again and they’d be quarantined in the LGU hotel. Does that make sense?

Maawa naman sila,” he added.

COVID-19 testing involves three swabs in one procedure, which include one on each on side of the nose and on the throat.

DOJ orders probe of activist’s slay

By Rey E. Requejo and Jimbo Gulle

J

USTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tuesday he will order the Administrative Order 35 Task Force to probe the killing of activist Zara Alvarez to see if she was a victim of extrajudicial killing.

READY FOR GCQ. Personnel of the Philippine National Railway wear protective suits as they disinfect a passenger coach at their station in

Tutuban, Manila on Tuesday. President Rodrigo Duterte reverted Metro Manila and neighboring provinces Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan back to general community quarantine from August 19 to 31, allowing more public transport like PNR trains to resume operations. Norman Cruz

Provide SMEs with easy loans, gov’t urged

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

loans for struggling micro and small enterprises to be included in the Bayanihan to SAYING that micro and small businesses Recover as One Act or the Bayanihan 2.

“Some have closed shop already. Their that provide livelihood are losing money, Senator Risa Hontiveros asked the govern- workers and employees are being laid off.

They no longer have the confidence to borrow ment that they be provided with loans.

“Let’s keep the lights on for micro, small since they have no assurance of their capability and medium enterprises by providing ‘pay- to pay. They need help and support,” she said.

The Senate and House of Representawhen-able’ loans to help tide themselves tives are convening the bicameral conferover this unprecedented crisis,” she said.

Hontiveros also pushed for ‘lifesaver’ ence committee to deliberate on conflicting

provisions of their respective versions of Bayanihan 2 bills. Bayanihan 2 focuses on providing a more extensive economic relief and rehabilitation measures.

To aid financial rehabilitation and recovery of micro and small businesses, Hontiveros said that pay-when-able’ loans or or loans junior to commercial loans must be provided by government-owned banks such as Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines.

But he said before he would consider ordering the task force Task to probe her death, they would first have to find out if the circumstances surrounding her death fell within their mandate.

“We may consider her case for special investigation under AO 35 after some factchecking,” Guevarra said.

The 39-year-old Alvarez was said to be the 13th human rights worker of the group Karapatan to be killed during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

She was killed around 8 p.m. on Aug. 17 in a private village in Bacolod City, police said.

Her death came a week after Anakpawis chairman and National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randall Echanis died on Aug. 10 in Quezon City.

Karapatan said human rights activist Alvarez was shot dead on Monday night in Bacolod City.

Group Secretary-General Cristina Palabay said she was a former political prisoner who continued to work as a paralegal for Karapatan after her release. She was also a research and advocacy officer of the Negros Island Health Integrated Program.

During hard times, SMFI works even harder

By Peter Paul Duran

M

ANILA, Philippines— The world may be experiencing a pandemic, but the importance of education is still the top priority.

SM Foundation, Inc. (SMFI), the corporate responsibility arm of the SM Group, welcomed 200 new SM Scholars for the upcoming school year, even as the company, the country, and the education sector come to grips with the effects of COVID-19.

The virtual gathering held via Zoom last August 15, 2020 aimed to officially welcome and orient the new scholars and their parents of the benefits of the program, share tips on how to maintain their scholarship grants and inspire them to finish their studies in order to uplift the economic status of their families.

Some officials of the SM Foundation, an SM scholar alumnus, and new SM scholars delivered inspiring messages during the virtual event.

In his speech during the virtual event, SMFI Board of Trustee Ramon Gil Macapagal conveyed a reminder for the scholars, “Education is a key to improving not only your life, but also your family and even that of your community. While it is important to exert effort in your school work it is also important to develop as a human being. Remember the quest for higher education is not merely to get a degree. Your good grades need to be paired with a solid work ethic, social skills, gratitude, and a neverending willingness to learn and adapt. It is these skills that will help you navigate life after graduation.”

“Sobrang overwhelming po ng feeling,” said Aira Shaynne M. Clamor, an incoming BS Accountancy

‘Education is a key to improving not only your life, but also your family and even that of your community.‘

SMFI member of the Board of Trustees Engr. Ramon Gil Macapagal delivered a message during the Awarding of SM Scholarship virtual event.

major at National University. “Hindi po kasi lahat pinapalad maging SM scholar.”

Meanwhile, Mary Jane Baldesco, set to take up Education at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, seconds, saying that this is a big help in her leap forward towards her dream of becoming a teacher.

Aira and MJ are part of the 200 new additions to SMFI’s renowned scholarship program, who are being ushered into better futures by the program.

“Hindi ko po ito ite-take for granted.

Ibibigay ko po ang best ko,” said Mary Jane, even as Airah vowed: “Since

nabigyan po kami ng opportunity ng SM, hindi ko popalalagpasin ito.”

SM Foundation’s Scholarship Program, which currently supports 1,300 scholars, aims to help eradicate the inter-generational cycle of poverty in the country by giving scholarship grants to poor but deserving students.

Established in 1993, the SM Foundation Scholarship Program has already produced almost 5,500 college and tech-voc scholar-graduates— enabling them to uplift the lives of their families out of poverty.

The program is anchored on the belief

New SM scholars montage

SMFI Executive Director for Education Programs Carmen Linda Atayde delivered the welcome remarks for the SM scholarship virtual event.

of SM Group late founder, Henry Sy Sr., that education is the greatest equalizer in that if he could help send one child to school, that child can then help his or her siblings finish schooling and together, they can help uplift their family out of poverty.

Of course, the pandemic has pushed the foundation to find ways to continue serving deserving scholars.

“It was two years ago when we tried online applications and the system was put to a test during the onset of COVID 19.” said Carmen Linda Atayde, Executive Director for Education

Aira Shaynne M. Clamor

Mary Jane Baldesco

programs of SMFI in a Zoom meeting with this writer.

Atayde explained that when the pandemic struck, they still had home visits scheduled. “Facebook Messenger and Zoom saved the day for our team,” she says.

SMFI also noted that among the 9,139 scholarship applications they received for SY 2020-2021, a total of 1,044 applicants passed the exam and were interviewed.

“We were really impressed sa kagustuhan talaga nilamakapagaral. Naghahanap pa sila ng mataas na lugar para lang makasagap ng signal para makapag-communicate sa amin,” added Atayde.

It is clear that even at this early stage the SM scholars share the mindset of the late “Tatang” Henry, who would always remind his SM family that “In good times you work hard, in bad times you work harder.”

LGUs

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

A4

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Manila gov’t to distribute tablets, laptops

By Willie Casas THE Manila city government will start next week distributing tablets and laptops to public school teachers and students to be used for blended distance learning.

In a Facebook post, the Manila Public Information Office (PIO) said pocket wifi devices would also be given to teachers while SIM cards with 10GB data allocation would be handed to students.

The announcement was made after Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso and Cherry chief executive officer Maynard Ngu signed a memorandum of agreement on Monday, August 17.

In June, the city government earmarked P994 million for the purchase of tablets, laptops, and internet connection for students and teachers.

Domagoso said then that each of the 10,000 teachers in Manila would receive a laptop and a pocket wifi unit also good for 10 GB a month.

He said there were safeguards to ensure that the tablet, laptop, and internet connection would be strictly used for schooling.

“Particular websites will be blocked, (the) connection (is) dedicated (to) Google, classroom requirements (and) curriculum (of the) Department of Education. Reason the parents should not be apprehensive," Domagoso said.

Remulla: We will roll out free wifi CAVITE Governor Jonvic Remulla announced Tuesday his province would soon roll out a free wifi system, which would cover 90 percent of its residential areas.

Remulla, in a statement, said "the path forward should be led by a government that shall invest in the capabilities of the people to be part of a very dynamic and progressive Knowledge Revolution."

For this reason, he said the government should also invest in speeding up the infrastructure for Broadband as well as changing the "Internet of Things."

To underline this, Remulla said Cavite would soon start a massive rollout of the free wifi system, to cover 90 percent of the residential areas of the province.

"During the ongoing quarantine period, the #CaviteFreeWiFi system shall be purely utilized for the educational requirements of public school or DepEd students which they can access using their ID number," he said.

"Once the economy overcome(s) its present challenges, the internet infrastructure can then be used as a tool for research, connectivity, online retail, and knowledge generation," he added.

Remulla also hoped "the internet should be a right and not a privilege."

As much as the country has invested in infrastructure through the build bulid build Program, Remulla said the government should also accelerate the infrastructure for Broadband as well as the transformative “internet of things.” Benjamin Chavez

CALL CENTER.

The new Valenzuela City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) call center started being fully operational Monday in the staff's new home at the social hall of city hall. Mayor Rex Gatchalian Twitter

QUAKE DAMAGE. These pictures from the Philippine Red Cross show the extent of

the damage from the magnitude 6.6 earthquake that hit Masbate on Monday morning.

Latest figures show one person dead and 49 injured, with more expected in the coming days (story on A1).

Iloilo power consumers to SC: Look at our plight

By Alena Mae S. Flores

C

ONSUMERS and residents of Iloilo City asked the Supreme Court to consider their plight in deciding the issue involving the two distribution utilities in Iloilo City.

“We know that in terms of legal issues, the magistrates look to uphold the rule of law but we hope they can also consider the appeal of the consumers and prioritize it and really look at the situation in Iloilo City and the huge difference in power supply in Iloilo.

We were relieved when our electricity problems were resolved and hopefully this is what the SC will really look into,” Halley Alcarde, General Manager of Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC) said.

Some 65,000 power consumers in the city will be directly impacted by the decision of the court on the legal issue between franchise holder More Electric and Power Corp. (More Power) and former distributor Panay Electric Co. (PECO).

More Power holds the franchise to operate the electricity distribution system of Iloilo City after this was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte in February 2019.

More Power currently also holds a business permit from the Iloilo City

government and a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

However, PECO continues to question the takeover of its business operations, saying it was unconstitutional.

PECO's franchise was not renewed by Congress and lapsed last January 2019.

Alcarde said MORE Power, while in operation for only six months, had proven itself capable to manage the distribution system of Iloilo City.

He said consumers experienced better, more reliable and efficient services from More Power in the past six months compared to PECO’s operations which had lasted for several decades.

BAD MEAT.

Members of the Manila Veterinary Inspection Board confiscate meat products from market stalls that failed to show permits during an inspection in Arranque Market, Binondo and Don Bosco Market, Tondo on Tuesday.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said the surprise inspection is to ensure the freshness and cleanliness of the meat products in the public markets.

Norman Cruz

Don’t bypass EMB findings, LGU is told

By Butch Gunio HERMOSA, Bataan—“The issue is already at the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) Central Office, we don’t want to bypass their findings.

But it looks like that is exactly what Hermosa LGU wants,” said Beulah Coeli Fiel, CEO of Econest Waste Management Corporation.

She issued the statement following new Hermosa Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer Jake De Luna disclosed to some local media the alleged discovery of hospital wastes in the Hermosa Sanitary Landfill Facility in Brgy. Mambog, which was used to be managed by Econest.

“There is no truth to what the new Menro said that there was a surprise inspection by the EMB Cantral Office to (sic) the Hermosa sanitary landfill, because it was an scheduled inspection,” Fiel said.

“We cannot accept what he is saying as gospel truth because he is not the spokesperson of DENR Central Office,” she said.

“We were closed by Hermosa LGU last Feb 20, 2020, it means since March and the day of the inspection, we are no more managing the sanitary landfill,” she explained.

“What is puzzling is that the alleged biomedical wastes purportedly discovered contained fresh blood,” Fiel said. EO asked.

“Udenna [Company] disposed treated biomedical wastes to the sanitary landfill last October to December 2019 and why we said these wastes were treated, it was because they submitted to us certificates of treatment,” she added.

“We cannot accept infectious wastes unless treated since our ECC is for solid wastes only,” she added.

Tugade to donate 1 ambulance to Muntinlupa for COVID response TRANSPORTATION Secretary Arthur Tugade is set to donate an ambulance to Muntinlupa to be used for COVID-19 response efforts after being assigned in the city as an overseer by the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Tugade said he would personally do-

nate one ambulance to the City Health Office, in addition to five ambulances to be turned over by the Department of Health, during an online meeting with Mayor Jaime Fresnedi and other Muntinlupa executives last August 18.

Fresnedi thanked Tugade and said the ambulance would be used for the trans-

portation of COVID-19 patients and other emergency response activities.

Muntinlupa LGU officials have updated Tugade on local initiatives for testing, tracing, and treatment such as the construction of the city’s molecular laboratory, testing efforts, construction of additional isolation facilities, and

contact tracing.

As of August 18, Muntinlupa City has conducted 11,770 PCR COVID-19 tests and 8,600 rapid tests.

Ospital ng Muntinlupa director Dr. Edwin Dimatatac reported that as of August 5, OsMun had 171 admitted patients for its 203 bed-capacity.

P&G PH to produce face masks to help DOH PROCTER & Gamble (P&G) Philippines has repurposed its manufacturing operations to produce medical grade face masks. The country’s leading producer of consumer goods said it had pledged one million medical-grade face masks to thAe Department of Health (DOH) and health authorities to help in the nation’s battle against COVID-19.

It recently launched its support for the DOH’s BIDA Solusyon sa COVID-19 and, prior to this, hosted the DOH and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at its Cabuyao plant to turn over the locally produced face masks and show the production line operations.

P&G Philippines General Manager Raffy Fajardo told national government officials: "We are using our brands and manufacturing expertise to be a Force for Good and to protect our countrymen and frontliners.

"Our mission is to ensure Filipinos have a consistent supply of trusted health and hygiene products which are critical in keeping homes and families safe.

"We also transformed a part of our manufacturing operations to produce much needed face masks. With the help of the DTI and Board of Investments, we were able to quickly set up our mask production line.”

He added “These masks are not for sale. We are donating these to the DOH and local health authorities to protect our frontliners. They will also be used to protect our workforce who are producing and distributing essential goods for the country.”

P&G first announced the repurposing in April, shortly after the government imposed the enhanced community quarantine over the main island of Luzon.

The timely announcement came as the IATF mandated Filipinos to use face masks in public to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

Opinion EDITORIAL

T

to fret about the health of its leader, and engage in speculation that he is succumbing to the disease. And we are happy that the man supposed to be leading us in these difficult times is, at the very least, not fighting for his life.

But proof of life is vastly different This was a photo released by long- from mere evidence of existence. time presidential companion Bong Go to give lie to rumors that President Rodrigo Duterte had been airlifted to Singapore It’s different from to seek medical treatment over the weekmere evidence of end. existence.

Go, who is also a senator, twitted those spreading the supposed fake news: “Makonsyensya naman kayo. Ang Pangulo Metro Manila and neighboring provay nasa Pilipinas lamang at handang mag serbisyo sa kapwa Pilipino, (Grow inces go back to general community a conscience. The President is just in the quarantine today, after a two-week Philippines and is ready to serve his fel- return to stricter protocol occasioned by the plea of the medical community. low Filipinos).”

In fact, Mr. Duterte addressed the There will again be greater mobility nation late Monday night, and in char- and increased economic activity, as acteristic form assured Filipinos that he Filipinos balance the need to protect is not afraid of anything in battling the themselves against the coronavirus with the need to eke out a living. pandemic.

A handful of Filipinos are blessed The proof-of-life photo is much appreciated. This is hardly a time for a nation enough to be able to hold on to jobs

CROSSROADS

J.A. DELA CRUZ

they can do online, and to stay safe, comfortable, and secure indoors. But many more are suffering outside, and it is for their sake that shops and offices must open. Meanwhile, the number of new cases continues to surge, hospitals and medical frontliners continue to be at risk and are overwhelmed—and we need a sound road map other than detaining quarantine violators and waiting for a vaccine.

In treading this tricky road, we would be fortunate to have a leader who is not only not sick. We need someone who has a plan, who knows how to muster and coordinate resources to get to an ideal destination. Certainly, we need a leader who is coherent and composed, and who is surrounded by people feeding him reliable information on which to make decisions affecting life and death.

The ultimate proof of life is a people who do not feel as though they are left to fend for themselves, and an economy where businesses big and small do not only survive, but eventually thrive.

HAS the pandemic accelerated the fraying of Philippine society as we know it, where the rich get richer and the poor poorer?

No wonder we have such a shaky economic foundation and a Jurassic agricultural system.

This question is being asked by a number of people who were shocked to learn that almost half of the country's adult labor force are jobless—a record-high in eight years.

The special July 3-6 Social Weather Stations found adult joblessness at 45.5 percent of the 60 million-plus adult labor force. This was a 28-point increase from the 17.5 percent recorded in December 2019.

The survey noted that half of the respondents lost their jobs or livelihood during the COVID-19 crisis with the estimated numbers of jobless adults hitting 27.3 million in July 2020, compared to 7.9 million in December 2019. These are defined as adults, 18 years old and over, who are jobless consisted of those who (a) voluntarily left their old jobs, (b) are seeking jobs for the first time, or (c) lost their jobs due to economic circumstances beyond their control.

I am not sure whether the survey included the thousands of OFWs who have come back home due to the pandemic, the majority of whom will probably remain jobless for some time. If not, that will make the scenario even grimmer for most Filipino families who depend on employed members for upkeep and sustenance. It can signal the demise of the kind of social contract upon which modern Philippine society has been founded after the long period of Spanish colonization.

That contract has since metamorphosed into what many have come to describe as benign capitalism under the American regime, set back for a while during the Japanese occupation but but which came back with a bang right after the declaration of independence from American rule in 1946.

For decades since the end of the Second World War, generations of Filipinos have come to live, albeit grudgingly, with the notion that the national class divide remains the norm. Somehow, the notion was the rich will always be with us and that kind of situation will probably be tolerated for as long as the national wealth—the aggregate fruits of our common labor—will in time, by active and judicious government action, be more equitably distributed through greater people participation in governance, an emancipatory judicial and labor system and enhanced

Communist propaganda SANTA Banana, there is a disturbing development in connection with Congress’ denial of the franchise of Lopez-owned ABS-CBN network. The Duterte administration should look into this because this could affect national security.

The leftist party-list lawmakers have thrown their support to push for a People’s initiative by getting the signatures of at least 10 percent of all registered voters and at least 3 percent in each legislative district. This is provided for in Section 32 of Article VI of the 1987 Constitution. This could overturn the House’s denial of the franchise.

I say it’s disturbing because this could be propaganda by the communists. We all know that the leftist party-list legislators are identified with the communist movement.

The lawmakers are banking on a Social Weather Stations survey that says three out of four Filipinos are in favor of granting the network another 25 years to operate.

Having failed to generate some kind of a “people power” to denounce the alleged assault of press freedom, this is the last ace of the Lopezes—to push for a People’s Initiative.

The problem with this campaign is that whoever is pushing it needs massive funding—billions of pesos, in fact, as the efforts are nationwide.

Another problem is that the Comelec does not have the funds to conduct it.

Where will the Comelec get the money to count and verify all those signatures? Santa Banana, there is no way the President will allow this! *** As of this writing, the President has not

TO THE POINT

EMIL JURADO yet announced what it will be for us in Metro Manila whether it will be a return to the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) or a continuation of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).

Left-leaning lawmakers now want a People’s Initiative in favor of ABS-CBN. The health adviser for the Inter-Agency Task Force, said that he had recommended a return to the GCQ, which means the easing of restrictions. This could again lead to greater mobility of people, but and the return of public transport. Won’t this mean the loss of whatever gains we have had? I don’t know anymore.

My wife and I have been quarantined for almost six months because of our age.

Actually, we could live with stricter lockdowns.

What I’m really concerned about is that SWS finding that says half of the entire labor force of the country (meaning: adult of 18 years and over) are now jobless. Santa Banana, this could only mean that the poverty index has multiplied!

Tragedies VIRTUAL REALITY

TONY LOPEZ IF INDEED our President Duterte did not go to Singapore over the weekend for a health emergency and yet there is widespread cynicism, that could mean he has a growing credibility problem.

The anecdotal evidence was there—that someone very important was being attended to in hush-hush fashion. Viber posts showed a Lear Jet plane ambulance landing in Davao, is surrounded by hordes of men looking like security people, and then takes off and lands at Singapore’s small Seletar Airport, less than four hours later, by 8 p.m.

In Manila, on Monday, Aug. 17, meanwhile, Foreign Secretary TeddyBoy Locsin turned emotional at his mention of Duterte, while welcoming some 410 returning overseas workers. He cried.

“We do it because we love you. And we do it because we respect our President, the first and only President who has dared for the least of the Filipino people,” the former journalist and presidential speechwriter said, his voice choking.

On the other hand, if indeed the Presi-

dent flew to Singapore and yet tried to conceal it, the more he will have a credibility problem. In the age of the internet and vibrant social media, very few secrets can be kept from this world.

Either way, Duterte could be likened later to the boy who cried wolf. This is not the first time rumors swirled around the whereabouts of the President whenever he disappeared from the scene, mysteriously.

There would be talks of his having made quick trips to China, his favorite country.

If talks of the President’s unexplained disappearances surface again in the future, then he risks undermining the fourth major pillar of pandemic management: TRUST. There are four Ts to coping with a deadly and unpredictable pandemic—testing, tracing of contacts, treatment, and trust.

The first three pillars—testing, tracing and treatment—all are suffering from major inadequacies, principally the thin thread of science and credibility stitching government maneuvers. Now, you have trust, or lack of it.

The Philippines is on the way to beating Germany in number of COVID-19 cases.

As of yesterday, Germany had 226,700 cases, No. 20 worldwide, and ahead of the Philippines by 62,226. The Philippines had 164,474 cases, No. 22 among 220 countries. With Manila piling up 3,000 new cases per day, in three weeks or less, the

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020

B1

The fraying

Proof of life

HE President is in his kitchen, sharing a meal with his family in his Davao home, his partner holding up that day’s newspaper.

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The SWS found that as of July, there are 27.3 million jobless Filipinos compared to 7.9 million in December 2019. Millions of families are now going hungry. A recession is upon us. I cannot imagine what will become of us!

The Department of Labor and Employment may not believe the survey. But the fact is that many Filipinos are now living on government subsidy, and some of them are even begging on the streets.

This is a huge problem for President Duterte. *** Last year there were calls for the revamp of two government agencies—the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC).

It has been found out that the PCGG has lost its usefulness, considering the fact that it has lost almost all its cases against the Marcoses. The plan was to abolish the PCGG and refer all its cases on alleged ill-gotten wealth either to the Department of Justice or the Solicitor General’s Office.

In the case of the OGCC, which is the corporate counsel of all Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations, the plan was to also abolish it and have the Solicitor General handle all its functions. The plan, however, did not materialize under Duterte.

Perhaps, the economic and fiscal advisers of the President should rethink those plans now. We need all the funds in the administration can get its hands on.

There are reportedly numerous instances of graft and corruption involving these two agencies. The longer the plan is delayed, the more money is lost.

Time is critical, Mister President.

Philippines will overtake Germany.

That is said and tragic. We will have more cases than Germany, but without Europe’s economic power’s technocratic and focused leadership (Chancellor Angela Merkel is a scientist, being a physicist and a chemist), ample health care resources, and disciplined testing, tracing and treatment. We are thus perpetually in God’s mercy that nothing much worse befall us as people become isolated and distant from a more competent, caring and clean government. No wonder, Presidental Spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte is in “perpetual isolation.”

Over the past half century, the Philippines has been bedeviled by among the worst possible disasters.

I think what my friend Harry Roque meant but did not want to explain plainly is that Duterte might be afraid to get sick and die from COVID. At 75, the President has many underlying conditions, making him highly susceptible to a vicious virus like the corona and its disease, SARS-Cov-2.

So “isolation” could mean the President cannot meet people, including perhaps even members of his cabinet. “Perpetually”

social services.

That kind of social contract persisted for some time until the sixties, when a growing and more educated populace hungered for more and better participation in national life. That clamor for a better life was fueled in part by agrarian and labor unrest, as the old hacienda and share-cropping system was no longer tenable at almost the same time that industrial peace was unravelling as capitalists increasingly denied labor its due while using union busting tactics to get workers on their knees. Those internal contradictions enhanced no end by external influences during the Cold War era which swept newly independent nations like the Philippines served to deepen the cracks in that social contract culminating in the declaration of martial law.

Somehow, martial law held the fraying in check for sometime as the old hacendero capitalist class was sidelined by a combined newly minted class dedicated to bringing about the best of the social order: A disciplined citizenry given more opportunities for growth and advancement under an agrarian reform and agricultural productivity program, an industrialization plan combined with export development, a more accessible banking system and a promise of participatory democratic governance. Well, that effort at revitalizing a more equitable and doable social contract run through the shoals of failed programs and the emergence of a new kind of capitalists, banking heavily on government-influenced wealth creation through access to the government banks, regulators and the global market with quotas for various good not just the regular sugar and coconut quotas of the old order.

Although that arrangement somehow lifted a lot of sectors out of poverty, it was a patchwork under continuous bombardment as the old order clashed with the new one – a battle which ended with the return of most of the old order in 1986.

People had once again pinned their hopes for a more stable and sustainable social contract with the re-assumption of the old order capitalists with their adopted kins from the martial law years. That is now proving to be illusory as the bad practices of the old order got even more pernicious as it combined with the lingering notions of political connections and, get this, the corporate capitalist culture of the global capitalist class. It is now turning out to be a “suicide pact” as the laboring class was walloped into near-slavery status forcing millions into overseas jobs not as a matter of choice but survival while the capitalists took over the delivery of most basic services leaving government into a complicit, passive interlocutor instead of an active agent of an equity driven development program for growth.

For the period 2010-2016, for example, the country was touted as one of the Asian “rising tigers” with an impressive annual GDP rate of a little over six percent on the average. The problem is, as one study noted, most of that growth was captured at the top.

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Bridge nevermore

means that is now the standard operating procedure while the COVID devastation is in full swing.

Another explanation, not forwarded, is that the public should now get used to unexplained, frequent, prolonged or extended absences or silence by Duterte for two reasons: To enable him to hide from COVID, ala Kim Jong-Un, or recuperate or have treatment from whatever ails and pains him.

Over the past half century, the Philippines has been bedeviled by among the worst possible disasters and tragedies, natural and man-made, the world has ever seen.

The COVID pandemic is the worst of them all, in the last 100 years. It has brought the Philippines down to its knees, with 70 percent of businesses closed, 50 percent of the work force jobless, and 30 percent of the population certifiably poor.

In the second quarter of 2020, the economy shrank by 16.5 percent, the greatest economic contraction in the country’s history.

In the second quarter alone, more than five million were rendered jobless. A third of them will never get their jobs back.

As if the pandemic was not bad enough, nature, again, struck the Philippines with a 6.5-magnitude earthquake at 8:03 a.m. yesterday, 5 kilometers southwest of Cataingan, Masbate. At the same time, Taal Volcano, which erupted on Jan. 12, this year and displaced 380,000, is acting up again.

So we will have the unusual phenomenon of an earthquake and a volcano eruption along a 571-km stretch of Southern Luzon

from Manila to Masbate island. Viber pictures of the Masbate earthquake indicate the damage is extensive, with several otherwise solid buildings, collapsing or teetering dangerously.

After a magical presidency in his first three years that saw him riding on the crest of an unprecedented 80-percent popularity/ approval rating, the populist Duterte is engulfed by a maelstrom of disasters and tragedies of unprecedented proportion and timing.

I remember President Cory Aquino’s reign. She was hugely popular, the savior of the nation. Then tragedies and disasters struck one after another. On top of eight coup attempts, there was the pre-Christmas 1987 MV Dona Paz sinking where more than 4,300, died, the worst maritime disaster in world history; the 1990 Luzon earthquake; the 1991 Mount Pinatubo volcano eruption, the second-largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century; the 1991 Typhoon Thelma that killed 5,000, the deadliest typhoon in Philippine history, plus the worst power blackouts in history, 12 to 18 hours of no electricity daily.

Duterte, of course, is made of a different mettle. He has fought many battles, including diseases, and won them all—so far. The only problem: The man is less religious and prayerful than Cory was. God, however, attends to men of lesser faith, in equal measure, as those with fulsome faith. Let’s pray for our President, our leader. 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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TODAY

Michelle Obama in rousing Dems call to ‘dump Trump’ MILWAUKEE—US Democrats opened their nominating convention Monday with a show of unity behind Joe Biden and former first lady Michelle Obama delivering a scathing rebuke of Donald Trump as she urged voters to reject his politics of ‘division.’

“Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country,” Barack Obama’s wife said in a keynote speech on the first night of a convention that has shifted entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Whenever we look to this White House for some leadership, or consolation, or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division and a total and utter lack of empathy.”

The pre-taped remarks came as unprecedented criticism by a former first lady of a sitting US president, painting him as a man who lacks the competence, character or decency for the job.

It was a potent message for voters who tuned in unsure of what to expect from a virtual convention that lacked the showstopping pizzazz and stagecraft of a live event.

With the Democratic Party poised to officially anoint the 77-year-old Biden as its nominee, Trump defied coronavirus concerns and staged a competing event in Wisconsin, the state where Democrats were supposed to hold their in-person convention.

The carefully choreographed opening for the four-day unifying gathering featured actress Eva Longoria as convention moderator.

“Every four years we come together to reaffirm our democracy,” she said. “This year we’ve come to save it.”

Dozens of speakers, including a host of Republicans opposed to Trump, offered a similar message. AFP

Greenland ice melting past ‘tipping point’—researchers COPENHAGEN—The melting of Greenland’s ice cap has gone so far that it is now irreversible, with snowfall no longer able to compensate for the loss of ice even if global warming were to end today, according to researchers.

“Greenland’s glaciers have passed a tipping point of sorts, where the snowfall that replenishes the ice sheet each year cannot keep up with the ice that is flowing into the ocean from glaciers,” said a statement from Ohio State University, where several authors of a study published August 13 in Communications Earth and Environment are based.

Climate change is having a devastating effect on the world’s glaciers, with the ice melt posing a threat to millions of people around the world.

Alarming reports about the ice melt on the vast Arctic island -- which is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet -- have multiplied in recent years.

Eighty-five percent of the surface of Greenland, an island of two million square kilometres or four times the size of France, is covered in ice.

“The study confirms results from a lot of other studies ... that the combination of melt and calving of icebergs explains the large amount of ice lost from Greenland over the last couple of decades,” Ruth Mottram, a climatologist at Denmark’s Meteorological Institute told AFP. AFP Manila

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Department Administrative Order No. 20-04 Series of 2020 IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR GENERAL SAFEGUARD MEASURES ON THE IMPORTATION OF REFLECTIVE, TINTED AND CLEAR FLOAT GLASS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES (AHTN 2017 Subheading 7005.21.90 and 7005.29.90)

Nos.

7005.10.90,

x-------------------------------------------------------x

ORDER

On 02 July 2020, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) received the Tariff Commission’s (Commission) Formal Investigation Report on the general safeguard measure on the importation of reflective, tinted and clear float glass from various countries classified under AHTN 2017 Subheading Nos. 7005.10.90, 7005.21.90, and 7005.29.90. The period covered by the investigation (POI) is the years 2013 to June 2019.

The Commission, in accordance with the Safeguard Measures Act (RA 8800), concluded that: “1. There is a sole float glass manufacturer in the Philippines and the domestic industry requirement under Section 4(f) of R.A. No. 8800 is satisfied.

2.

Locally produced clear float glass is a “like” product to imported clear (including ultra-clear) float glass.

3.

Locally produced tinted (bronze) float glass is a “like” product to imported tinted float glass.

4.

Locally produced tinted (bronze) float glass is a “directly competitive” product to imported reflective (including low-emissivity) float glass.

5.

During the POI, clear, tinted and reflective float glass have been imported into the Philippines in increased quantities, both in absolute terms and relative to domestic production. The increases in the volumes of imports starting in 2018 are considered recent, sudden, sharp, and of such magnitude that can be deemed significant.

6.

Despite the deterioration in several factors (i.e., market shares, profitability of clear float glass operations, inventory levels of tinted (bronze) float glass), there was no significant overall impairment in the position of the domestic industry during the POI that constitutes serious injury in accordance with R.A. No. 8800.

7.

There is a low likelihood of continued increase of imports in the near future that would lead to imminent serious injury and significant overall impairment to the position of the domestic float glass industry.

8.

Causation has become moot and academic in view of the negative determination of the elements of serious injury and threat thereof to the domestic float glass industry.

Considering the negative determination of the elements of serious injury and threat thereof, the Commission terminated its formal investigation and recommended that no definitive general safeguard measure be imposed on importations of reflective, tinted and clear float glass falling under AHTN 2017 Subheading Nos. 7005.10.90, 7005.21.90, and 7005.29.90.”

IN VIEW THEREOF, the application for general safeguard measures on the importation of reflective, tinted and clear float glass from various countries falling under AHTN 2017 Subheading Nos. 7005.10.90, 7005.21.90, and 7005.29.90 are hereby dismissed.

Section 13 of RA 8800 provides, “xxx In the event of a negative final determination, xxx, the Sectary shall immediately issue, through the Secretary of Finance, written instruction to the Commissioner of Customs, authorizing the return of the cash bond or the remainder thereof, as the case may be, previously collected as provisional general safeguard measure within ten (10) days from the date a final decision has been made: Provided, That the government shall not be liable for any interest on the amount to be returned. x x x.”

All cash bonds that may have been imposed on shipments of reflective, tinted and clear float glass which entered or are withdrawn from warehouses in the Philippines for consumption starting 22 October 2019, the date of the effectivity of CMO No. 2442019, shall be immediately returned to the concerned importer/s The notification requirements under Article 12 of the WTO Safeguards Agreement and Section 17 of RA 8800 and its IRR shall be complied with. Imports originating from ASEAN Member states shall be governed by the provision of Article 11 of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA).

Let this Order be published in two (2) newspapers of general circulation and let individual notices be sent to all interested parties including the country members concerned.

This Order shall take effect upon the issuance of the relevant Customs Memorandum Order.

The DTI Order can be accessed at the DTI website: https://bit.ly/sgm_floatglass SO ORDERED. 17 July 2020

RAMON M. LOPEZ Secretary MS (AUG. 19, 2020)

World

Under-50 with no symptoms driving virus spread—WHO C

ORONAVIRUS cases in Asia-Pacific countries are now being driven by people under the age of 50 who may not know they are infected, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, warning of a “new phase” in the pandemic.

Many have mild or no COVID-19 symptoms and risk infecting the elderly and other vulnerable populations, the WHO’s Western Pacific regional director Takeshi Kasai told a virtual briefing from Manila.

“The epidemic is changing. People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are increasingly driving the threat,” Kasai said.

“Many are unaware they’re infected with very mild symptoms or none at all.

“What we are observing is not simply PARTY TIME. This photo taken on August 15 shows people watching a performance as they cool off in a resurgence. I believe it’s a signal that a swimming pool in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province. AFP we’ve entered a new phase of the pandemic in the Asia-Pacific (region).”

WHO data on the current phase of the contagion showed around two-thirds of Japan’s infections were among those aged under 40.

More than half of the caseloads in the BEIJING—Thousands of par- perched on rubber dinghies or counts for female visitors.

Philippines and Australia were also in tygoers packed out a water park wading up to their chest in waA performer in a stage show that age group. over the weekend in the central ter. at the front of the water waved “We must redouble efforts to stop the Chinese city of Wuhan, where The water park reopened in at the crowd, packed close and virus from moving into vulnerable comthe coronavirus first emerged June after Wuhan gradually waving their arms back, some munities,” Kasai said. late last year, keen to party as opened up after a 76-day lock- snapping photos on phones proSome countries that had brought their the city edges back to normal down and strict restrictions to tected in plastic pouches round outbreaks under control—such as New life. try and control the spread of the their necks.

Zealand, Vietnam and South Korea— The popular Wuhan Maya virus.

Another performer on a wahave detected new clusters, forcing govBeach Water Park was filled The park—which local me- ter jet board entertained his auernments to reimpose painful lockdowns with people frolicking in swim- dia says has capped attendance dience by hovering above them on cities and tighten social distancing suits and goggles for an elec- at 50 percent of normal capac- with sparks shooting from his rules. tronic music festival, many ity—is offering half price dis- back. AFP But Kasai said the use of targeted inManila terventions in the region was encouragStandard TODAY ing because YELLOW it reduced the economic and CYAN MAGENTA BLACK social impact of containment measures STATEMENT OF CONDITION and was more sustainable.

As of JUNE 30, 2020 He warned, however, that the chalBOARD OF DIRECTORS ASSETS AMOUNT CURRENT QUARTER PREVIOUS QUARTER lenge will remain Cash and Cash Items 12,089,041.36 1,529,716.29 FR. ANTONIO CECILIO T. PASCUAL “as long as the virus Due from Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas 65,099,076.08 65,099,076.08 Chairman Due from Other Banks 608,362,617.57 721,101,278.30 is circulating and we Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit of Loss 0.00 0.00 Available-for-Sale Financial Assets-Net 0.00 0.00 ATTY. MICKEL M. BORIGAS don’t have immunity Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets-Net 15,000,000.00 15,000,000.00 Vice-Chairman Unquoted Debt Securities Classified as Loans-Net 0.00 0.00 to it”.

Investments in Non-Marketable Equity Security-Net 0.00 0.00 Loans and Receivable - Net 2,531,829,830.64 2,675,866,485.33 Meanwhile, Prime Loans to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas DIRECTORS Interbank Loans Receivable Minister Jacinda Loans and Receivables- Others 2,563,608,072.17 2,715,326,006.43 PATRIA T. CHIONG ROMEO A. DE JESUS Ardern on Tuesday Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB General Loan Loss Provision 31,778,241.53 39,459,521.10 NORMA G. GUHITING slapped down DonOther Financial Assets 137,424,084.79 113,440,446.96 SEGUNDO R. LANUZA, JR. Equity Investment in Subsidiaries,Associates and Joint Ventures-Net 0.00 0.00 EDITA S. LAURON ald Trump’s talk of an Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment-Net 24,266,115.58 24,535,258.09 GARIBALDI O. LEONARDO Real and Other Properties Acquired-Net 3,119,724.74 126,456,125.03 out-of-control coroROBERTO C. MASCARINA Non-Current Assets Held for Sale 214,528,606.25 84,054,559.87 Other Assets-Net 13,643,695.70 6,277,356.62 FR. SERAFIN F. PERALTA navirus “surge” in DIVINA C. QUEMI Net Due from Head Office/Branches/Agencies, if any (Philippine branch of a foreign bank) 0.00 0.00 PEDRO E. RIEZA, JR. New Zealand as “paTOTAL ASSETS 3,625,362,792.71 3,833,360,302.57 JUANITO P. ROSINI tently wrong”. AFP NICOLAS H. VERONILLA

Thousands party, fill Wuhan water park

LIABILITIES Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Due to Other Banks Bills Payable a) BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) b) Interbank Loans Payable c) Other Deposit Substitutes d) Others Bonds Payable-Net Unsecured Soubordinated Debt-Net Redeemable Preferred Share s Special Time Deposit Due to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities Net Due to Head Office/Branches/Agencies/(Philippine branch of a foreign bank) TOTAL LIABILITIES

(MS-JUL. 31, AUG. 7 & 19, 2020)

0.00 1,713,885,101.23 0.00 1,008,000,000.00

0.00 EXECUTIVE OFFICER 1,810,555,276.18 Ignacio A. Manipula 0.00 1,139,000,000.00 President & Chief Executive Officer

1,008,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 20,473,878.64 47,054,298.16

1,139,000,000.00 ATTY. Simeon T. Asia 0.00 Board Secretary

2,789,413,278.03

3,002,128,839.76

Capital Stock 683,837,898.06 Other Capital Accounts 8,116,816.78 Retained Earnings 143,994,799.84 Assigned Capital 0.00 TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 835,949,514.68 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 3,625,362,792.71 CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS Guarantees Issued 0.00 Financial Standby Letters of Credit 0.00 Performance Standby Letters of Credit 0.00 Commercial Letters of Credit 0.00 Trade Related Guarantees 0.00 Commitments 0.00 Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts 0.00 Securiites Held Under Custodianship by Bank Proper 0.00 Trust Department Accounts 0.00 a) Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts 0.00 b) Agency Accounts 0.00 c) Advisory/Consultancy 0.00 Derivatives 0.00 Others 12,900,217.56 TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS 12,900,217.56 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Gross Total Loan Portfolio (TLP) 2,747,452,659.63 Specific allowance for credit losses on the TLP 183,844,587.46 Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs 397,472,250.10 b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) 14.47% c. Net NPLs 213,627,662.64 d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) 7.78% e. Ratio of total allowance for credit losses to gross NPLs (%) 54.25% f. Ratio of specific allowance for credit losseson the gross TLP to gross NPLs (%) 46.25% Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross allowance for credit losses 45.00 DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross allowance for credit losses 448,255,839.66 Ratio of DOSRI loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to gross TLP (%) 16.32% Gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables 0.00 Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables TLP (%) 0.00% Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Small Enterprises 8.99% b. 2% for Medium Enterprises 42.75% Return on Equity (ROE) (%) 3.00% Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations a. Total CAR 20.67 b. Tier I CAR 19.73 c. Common Tier 1 Ratio (%) 0.00 Deferred Charges not yet Written Down 0.00 Unbooked Allowance for Credit Losses on Financial Instrument Received 0.00

683,837,898.06 6,010,025.13 141,383,539.62 0.00 831,231,462.81 3,833,360,302.57 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 12,900,217.56 12,900,217.56

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 14,551,596.75 38,021,966.83

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

2,879,147,423.89 163,821,417.46 395,845,677.86 13.75% 232,024,260.40 8.06% 51.35% 41.39% 45.00 482,706,804.30 16.77% 0.00 0.00%

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION

A majority of the Directors and Shareholders representing at least 2/3 of the outstanding stock of PEDIATRIC ASSOCIATES, INC., in meetings held on 20 May 2020 and 15 July 2020, respectively, at Bloomingdale Plaza, Shaw Blvd., Pasig City, had approved the Corporation’s dissolution by amending its Articles of Incorporation to shorten the corporate term effective upon the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval.

(MS-AUG. 19/26 & SEPT. 2, 2020)

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that ROBINSONS LAND CORPORATION, with office address at 43rd Floor Robinsons-Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue corner Poveda Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Operator of Tourist Accommodation Facility under the Special Laws - Tourism-Hotel (Go Hotel Naga) with a capacity of 68 rooms on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Naga Diversion Road corner Almeida Highway, Roxas Ave., Brgy.

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

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-AUG. 19, 2019)

8.94% 42.58% 2.00% 18.51 17.56 0.00 0.00 0.00

Republic of the Philippines ) Makati City ) s.s.

I/We, RODA L. CRUZ and IGNACIO A. MANIPULA of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of my/our knowledge and belief.

RODA L. CRUZ IGNACIO A. MANIPULA Finance Head President & CEO SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 23rd day of July 2020 at Makati City, affiant affiant exhibiting his/her/their Passport No. P1057056A , issued at DFA NCR EAST on December 01, 2016 and Passport No. P6986875A, issued at DFA NCR South on April 30, 2018.

NOTARY PUBLIC Doc. No. 325 Page No. 66 Book No. 63 Series of 2020

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that ROBINSONS LAND CORPORATION with office address at 43rd Floor Robinsons–Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue corner Poveda Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Operator of Tourist Accommodation Facility under the Special Laws - Tourism–Hotel (Summit Hotel Naga) with a capacity of 60 rooms on a NonPioneer status, with project site located at Naga Diversion Road corner Almeida Highway, Roxas Ave., Brgy. Triangulo, Naga City, Camarines Sur. Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-AUG. 19, 2019)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business

Manila

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market rises; SM Investments, AGI climb S the previous day’s broad advance and a record lead from Wall Street, with confidence kept in check by ongoing ChinaUS tensions and lack of movement on a new US stimulus.

Technology firms continued to lead a rally in New York, sending the Nasdaq to yet another all-time high, while the S&P 500 closed just short of a record finish as frustrated investors wait for Democrats and Republicans to hammer out a much-needed financial support package.

Asian markets swung in and out of positive territory through the day.

Hong Kong eased 0.3 percent and Tokyo dropped 0.2 percent, while Singapore retreated 0.4 percent and Taipei gave up 0.7 percent.

Seoul tumbled more than two percent

HARE prices climbed Tuesday after President Rodrigo Duterte placed Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal back under more relaxed quarantine rules from August 19 to 31.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose 87.67 points, or 1.4 percent, to 6,156.45 on a value turnover of nearly P6 billion. Gainers beat losers, 117 to 71, withy 43 issues unchanged.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte also approved looser restrictions in Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Quezon, Iloilo City, Cebu City, LapuLapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City and the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu. The rest of the country will be under more relaxed

restrictions than Metro Manila.

Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group advanced 4.4 percent to P64.70, while Semirara Mining and Power Corp., the biggest coal producer, increased 3.9 percent to P9.58.

SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group climbed 3.4 percent to P910, while Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan rose 3.2 percent to P6.45.

The rest of Asian stocks drifted Tuesday with traders struggling to build on

as South Korea saw a surge in new virus infections, having managed to control it for months.

But Shanghai and Mumbai rose, while Wellington jumped more than one percent again after the government delayed New Zealand’s general election by four weeks owing to a new virus flare-up.

There were also gains in Bangkok and Jakarta.

With lawmakers now in recess and both parties’ conventions over the next two weeks, observers warn the chances of anything being agreed any time soon are slim.

The two are also at loggerheads over funding for the US Postal Service, which is expected to see an exceptional number of mail-in ballots in November’s election, with Donald Trump looking to

ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC.

ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC.

Unit 10A, 5th Ave. cor. 26th Street, E-Square, Crescent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City Tel. No. 8814-7800; Fax No. 8814-7820

Unit 10A, 5th Ave. cor. 26th Street, E-Square, Crescent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City Tel. No. 8814-7800; Fax No. 8814-7820

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows:

Call to Order Certification of Notice and Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on June 27, 2019 4. Management Report 5. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements as of December 31, 2019 6. Ratification of all acts and resolutions of the Board of Directors and Management from the date of the last annual stockholders’ meeting until the date of this meeting 7. Approval of use of remote communication during meetings 8. Amendment of the By-laws and Registration Statement to allow the use of remote communication during meetings 9. Election of Directors for the year 2020 10. Appointment of External Auditor for the year 2020 11. Other Matters 12. Adjournment

British retailer M&S trims 7,000 jobs on virus fallout

LONDON, United Kingdom—Marks and Spencer, the British retail chain selling clothes and food, is to cut around 7,000 jobs as the coronavirus pandemic increasingly pushes customers to shop online, it said Tuesday.

The job cuts, to be carried out over the next three months, include losses from its central support center, in regional management and in its UK stores, M&S said in a statement.

Marks employs more than 80,000 staff, of whom the vast majority work in the UK. Chief executive Steve Rowe said the company would become a “leaner, faster business set up to serve changing customer needs.”

Alongside the job cuts, M&S “expects to create a number” of positions to help the group meet a surge in online demand for its products.

While total group sales slumped by around one fifth in the 19 weeks to August 8—which included most of the period Britain was in lockdown—online revenue surged nearly 40 percent, Marks said Tuesday.

“It is clear that there has been a material shift in trade and while it is too early to predict with precision where a new post-COVID sales mix will settle, we must act now to reflect this change,” Marks said.

The company joins the likes of UK department store chains Debenhams and John Lewis, as well as pharmacy group Boots, in cutting thousands of jobs owing to fallout from COVID-19.

Official data last week showed that Britain’s economy shrank by one fifth in the second quarter, more than any European neighbor, as the lockdown plunged the country into its deepest recession on record. Even though the UK economy is beginning to rebound as the government eases strict confinement measures—gross domestic product grew by 8.7 percent in June—analysts expect a surge in unemployment by the end of the year.

Finance minister Rishi Sunak plans to end in October the government’s furlough scheme that is paying up to 80 percent of wages for around 10 million workers during the pandemic. AFP

(MS-AUG. 19 & 20, 2020)

The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting their votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement.

Makati City, Philippines, August 11, 2020.

(Sgd.) ATTY. MA. ALICIA G. PICAZO-SAN JUAN Corporate Secretary

ATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. 8th Floor, 8 Rockwell Building, Hidalgo Drive Rockwell Center, Makati City, Metro Manila Tel. No. 8814-7800; Fax No. 8814-7820

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of the stockholders of ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC. (the “Company”) will be held online on September 29, 2020, Tuesday, at 2:00 p.m. with the proceedings livestreamed via Zoom.

The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows:

Makati City, Philippines, August 11, 2020.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of the stockholders of ATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. (the “Company”) will be held online on September 29, 2020, Tuesday, at 3:00 p.m. with the proceedings livestreamed via Zoom.

The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows:

Call to Order Certification of Notice and Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on June 27, 2019 4. Management Report 5. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements as of December 31, 2019 6. Ratification of all acts and resolutions of the Board of Directors and Management from the date of the last annual stockholders’ meeting until the date of this meeting 7. Approval of use of remote communication during meetings 8. Amendment of the By-laws and Registration Statement to allow the use of remote communication during meetings 9. Election of Directors for the year 2020 10. Appointment of External Auditor for the year 2020 11. Other Matters 12. Adjournment

Call to Order Certification of Notice and Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on June 27, 2019 4. Management Report 5. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements as of December 31, 2019 6. Ratification of all acts and resolutions of the Board of Directors and Management from the date of the last annual stockholders’ meeting until the date of this meeting 7. Approval of use of remote communication during meetings 8. Amendment of the By-laws and Registration Statement to allow the use of remote communication during meetings 9. Election of Directors for the year 2020 10. Appointment of External Auditor for the year 2020 11. Other Matters 12. Adjournment

Only holders of issued stocks of record as at the close of business hours on August 4, 2020 and whose status as stockholders on that date has been satisfactorily established in accordance with the corporate records of the Stock and Transfer Agent and the Corporate Secretary of the Company, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the scheduled stockholders’ meeting.

Only holders of issued stocks of record as at the close of business hours on August 4, 2020 and whose status as stockholders on that date has been satisfactorily established in accordance with the corporate records of the Stock and Transfer Agent and the Corporate Secretary of the Company, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the scheduled stockholders’ meeting.

1.

2.

3.

(MS-AUG. 19 & 20, 2020)

Stockholders who intend to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to exercise their vote in absentia must notify the Corporate Secretary by registering through the Company’s website for the 2020 annual meeting of the stockholders on or before September 18, 2020 via https://bit.ly/30IKjEd. All information submitted will be subject to verification and validation by the Corporate Secretary. Successful registrants will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access an online web address which will allow them to join the meeting and cast votes in absentia or by proxy in favor of the Chairman of the meeting.

(MS-AUG. 19 & 20, 2020)

1.

2.

3.

The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting their votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement.

(Sgd.) ATTY. MA. ALICIA G. PICAZO-SAN JUAN Corporate Secretary

In order to safeguard the health and safety of the Company’s stockholders due to the COVID 19 disease and in compliance with the quarantine measures imposed by the National Government in the National Capital Region, the Company will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication, and voting only in absentia or by appointing the Chairman of the meeting as their proxy.

Only holders of issued stocks of record as at the close of business hours on August 4, 2020 and whose status as stockholders on that date has been satisfactorily established in accordance with the corporate records of the Stock and Transfer Agent and the Corporate Secretary of the Company, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the scheduled stockholders’ meeting.

Only holders of issued stocks of record as at the close of business hours on August 4, 2020 and whose status as stockholders on that date has been satisfactorily established in accordance with the corporate records of the Stock and Transfer Agent and the Corporate Secretary of the Company, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the scheduled stockholders’ meeting.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

Stockholders who intend to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to exercise their vote in absentia must notify the Corporate Secretary by registering through the Company’s website for the 2020 annual meeting of the stockholders on or before September 18, 2020 via https://bit.ly/2EYSkw1. All information submitted will be subject to verification and validation by the Corporate Secretary. Successful registrants will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access an online web address which will allow them to join the meeting and cast votes in absentia or by proxy in favor of the Chairman of the meeting.

(Sgd.) ATTY. MA. ALICIA G. PICAZO-SAN JUAN Corporate Secretary

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

In order to safeguard the health and safety of the Company’s stockholders due to the COVID 19 disease and in compliance with the quarantine measures imposed by the National Government in the National Capital Region, the Company will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication, and voting only in absentia or by appointing the Chairman of the meeting as their proxy.

Makati City, Philippines, August 11, 2020.

8th Floor, 8 Rockwell Building, Hidalgo Drive Rockwell Center, Makati City, Metro Manila Tel. No. 8814-7800; Fax No. 8814-7820

Call to Order Certification of Notice and Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on June 27, 2019 4. Management Report 5. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements as of December 31, 2019 6. Ratification of all acts and resolutions of the Board of Directors and Management from the date of the last annual stockholders’ meeting until the date of this meeting 7. Approval of use of remote communication during meetings 8. Amendment of the By-laws and Registration Statement to allow the use of remote communication during meetings 9. Election of Directors for the year 2020 10. Appointment of External Auditor for the year 2020 11. Other Matters 12. Adjournment

The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting their votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement.

ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC.

1.

2.

3.

Stockholders who intend to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to exercise their vote in absentia must notify the Corporate Secretary by registering through the Company’s website for the 2020 annual meeting of the stockholders on or before September 18, 2020 via https://bit.ly/31rQfjU. All information submitted will be subject to verification and validation by the Corporate Secretary. Successful registrants will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access an online web address which will allow them to join the meeting and cast votes in absentia or by proxy in favor of the Chairman of the meeting.

Unit 10A, 5th Ave. cor. 26th Street, E-Square, Crescent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City Tel. No. 8814-7800; Fax No. 8814-7820

The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows:

In order to safeguard the health and safety of the Company’s stockholders due to the COVID 19 disease and in compliance with the quarantine measures imposed by the National Government in the National Capital Region, the Company will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication, and voting only in absentia or by appointing the Chairman of the meeting as their proxy.

ATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of the stockholders of ATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. (the “Company”) will be held online on September 28, 2020, Monday, at 3:00 p.m. with the proceedings livestreamed via Zoom.

The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows: Call to Order Certification of Notice and Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on June 27, 2019 4. Management Report 5. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements as of December 31, 2019 6. Ratification of all acts and resolutions of the Board of Directors and Management from the date of the last annual stockholders’ meeting until the date of this meeting 7. Approval of use of remote communication during meetings 8. Amendment of the By-laws and Registration Statement to allow the use of remote communication during meetings 9. Election of Directors for the year 2020 10. Appointment of External Auditor for the year 2020 11. Other Matters 12. Adjournment

Only holders of issued stocks of record as at the close of business hours on August 4, 2020 and whose status as stockholders on that date has been satisfactorily established in accordance with the corporate records of the Stock and Transfer Agent and the Corporate Secretary of the Company, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the scheduled stockholders’ meeting.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of the stockholders of ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. (the “Company”) will be held online on September 28, 2020, Monday, at 2:00 p.m. with the proceedings livestreamed via Zoom.

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of the stockholders of ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC. (the “Company”) will be held online on September 28, 2020, Monday, at 4:00 p.m. with the proceedings livestreamed via Zoom.

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This file photo taken on July 20, 2020 shows a logo pictured above the entrance to a M&S (Marks and Spencer) store in central London. Marks and Spencer, the British retail chain selling clothing and food, is to cut around 7,000 jobs as the coronavirus pandemic keeps shoppers away from its stores. AFP

limit them over claims of possible fraud.

“A lot of investment professionals as well as retail investors are on the sidelines partially because they are waiting for this second stimulus package,” Erin Gibbs, president and chief investment officer at Gibbs Wealth Management, said on Bloomberg TV. “It’s not a full-on risk-on environment just yet.”

But the stand-off is just one of a number of issues nagging markets, with China-US tensions continuing to sour.

In the latest salvo, the US expanded sanctions on telecoms giant Huawei to further limit its access to computer chips and other products, with officials saying the firm was using subsidiaries to circumvent measures in place to prevent exports of American technology. With AFP

In light of the current circumstances, and to ensure the safety and welfare of the Company’s stockholders, the Company will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication, and voting only in absentia or by appointing the Chairman of the meeting as their proxy.

Stockholders who intend to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to exercise their vote in absentia must notify the Corporate Secretary by registering through the Company’s website for the 2020 annual meeting of the stockholders on or before September 21, 2020 via https://bit.ly/3koXFgy. All information submitted will be subject to verification and validation by the Corporate Secretary. Successful registrants will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access an online web address which will allow them to join the meeting and cast votes in absentia or by proxy in favor of the Chairman of the meeting.

The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting their votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement.

In light of the current circumstances, and to ensure the safety and welfare of the Company’s stockholders, the Company will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication, and voting only in absentia or by appointing the Chairman of the meeting as their proxy.

Stockholders who intend to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to exercise their vote in absentia must notify the Corporate Secretary by registering through the Company’s website for the 2020 annual meeting of the stockholders on or before September 21, 2020 via https://bit.ly/3gI4M1h. All information submitted will be subject to verification and validation by the Corporate Secretary. Successful registrants will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access an online web address which will allow them to join the meeting and cast votes in absentia or by proxy in favor of the Chairman of the meeting.

The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting their votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement.

Makati City, Philippines, August 11, 2020.

Makati City, Philippines, August 11, 2020.

(Sgd.) ATTY. MA. ALICIA G. PICAZO-SAN JUAN Corporate Secretary (MS-AUG. 19 & 20, 2020)

(Sgd.) ATTY. MA. ALICIA G. PICAZO-SAN JUAN Corporate Secretary (MS-AUG. 19 & 20, 2020)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020

IN BRIEF Peso climbs further to 48.625 vs. dollar THE peso posted a new 45-month high against the US dollar on Tuesday and solidified its position as the most appreciated currency in Asia.

The peso ended the day’s trading at 48.625, stronger than 48.71 per dollar on Monday. It was its strongest level since the 48.59 on Nov. 9, 2016. Total volume traded reached $875.4 million, more than double the $423.3 million previously.

The peso opened Tuesday’s trading at 48.66 and touched 48.61 at one point before settling at 48.625.

Astro del Castillo, managing director of First Grade Finance Inc., a finance and investment company, told Manila Standard earlier the strength of the peso was driven by the lack of demand for the greenback.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno attributed the peso’s strength to the significant inflows of dollars in the country and the high gross international reserves that hit an all-time high of $98 billion at the end of July.

Julito G. Rada

PAFMI worried over vet medicine impasse THE Philippine Association of Feed Millers expressed concern over the control of veterinary medicine and related products in the Philippines.

PAFMI said in a statement Tuesday the impasse between the Departments of Agriculture and the Department of of Health may hamper the response of the government and private sector to the Asian Swine Flu and Avian Influenza virus that continue to infect the country’s hog and poultry population.

It said keeping the status quo by extending the validity of an earlier order allowing the Bureau of Animal Industry to “register veterinary drugs and products.. and license the establishments manufacturing, distributing, exporting and selling the same” was the most expeditious way of resolving the deadlock.

The order expired in 2018, prompting DA Secretary William Dar to stop the BAI from performing the job.

PAFMI is the biggest association of feed millers in country with 33 member companies, including San Miguel Corp., Universal Robina Corp., Pilmico Foods, La Filipina Uygongco Corp. and General Milling Corp. PAFMI members produce 70 percent of the country’s total animal feeds production.

Cebu Pacific, Cebgo resume limited flights CEBU Pacific and Cebgo will resume limited domestic and international flights to and from Manila today following looser restrictions under the general community quarantine environment imposed over Metro Manila and adjacent provinces.

The Gokongwei-led airline said it would mount flights from Manila to Cauayan, Legazpi, Masbate, SanJose, Virac , Bacolod, Cebu, Boracay, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Roxas, Tacloban, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotobato, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, Pagadian and Zamboanga.

The airline will also continue to operate between Cebu and Clark and Cebu to Davao.

Cebu Pacific also intends to operate the international flights from Manila to Dubai, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore and Taipei.

All other Cebu Pacific and Cebog flights will remain suspended during the period.

The airline said passengers on cancelled flights havdoptions to unlimited rebooking, two-year travel fund and full refund.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

CLARK FREEPORT—Emirates is deploying Airbus A380 aircraft for flights between Dubai and Clark International Airport today.

The Clark-Dubai route will help meet the demand for flights to and from the Philippines, especially serving passengers from Luzon.

The Emirates A380 flight will depart Dubai at 2:40 a.m. and arrive at Clark at 3:30 p.m.. The flight will depart Clark at 6:20 p.m., arriving in Dubai at 10:45 p.m. on the same day.

“We are proud to fly our first scheduled A380 service to Clark, in the year we are celebrating our 30th anniversary of serving the Philippines. Emirates has shared a long-standing relationship with the country and our commitment to it and our customers remains stronger than ever,” said Satish Sethi, country manager of Emirates-Philippines.

She thanked authorities in the Philippines for supporting the airline. “We resumed scheduled passenger services to Clark on Aug. 10 with six weekly flights and have since been witnessing tremendous demand from customers in the UAE

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

87.67 points

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

9,761,194,906 97,281

TOTAL VALUE 5,957,009,485.91 ADVANCES 117

6,156.45

DECLINES 71 UNCHANGED 43

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.6870

Japan

Yen

0.009432

0.4592

Garments exporters forced to furlough 30% of workers

UK

Pound

1.311300

63.8433

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129031

6.2821

Switzerland

Franc

1.104240

53.7621

Canada

Dollar

0.756716

36.8422

Singapore

Dollar

0.731101

35.5951

Australia

Dollar

0.721200

35.1131

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652801

129.156

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

12.9825

Brunei

Dollar

0.728438

35.4655

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000068

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.032062

1.5610

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.2561

Euro

Euro

1.187700

57.8255

By Othel V. Campos

Korea

Won

0.000845

0.0411

China

Yuan

0.144263

7.0237

India

Rupee

0.013379

0.6514

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238692

11.6212

New Zealand

Dollar

0.655400

31.9095

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034056

1.6581

A

BOUT 30 percent of garments workers are forced to go on a furlough until the end of the year on weak demand because of the pandemic, an industry group said Tuesday.

Maritess Agoncillo, executive-director of the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines, said garments factories were operating at marked downtime to comply with the safety protocols against COVID-19.

“We are trying our best to maintain status quo within the work force. Since capacity for third quarter is projected to be down at 40 percent, we expect around 20 percent to 30 percent of regular workers may be on furlough until end-year,” she said.

Agoncillo said to cope with sluggish demand, several factories repurposed their operations to produce medicalgrade personal protective equipment in response to the government’s request to locally produce the PPEs and save jobs.

She said other factories adopted rotational work basis, allowing workers to report to work for at least two weeks.

“It may not be enough, but at least a worker earns half of the base salary within a month,” Agoncillo said.

She said of the factories still operating, most were at 40 percent to 50 percent of their capacity.

Agoncillo said the group was finalizing its report on the costs of operating in the “new normal” and its impact on operations and profitability.

She said factories that agreed to repurpose their operations had to compete with imports. “We need to level the playing field to support the growth of the PPE sub sector,” she said.

The repurposing program attracted $35 million in investments and saved 7,450 jobs amid the weakening of the global economy, she said.

Meanwhile, a study commissioned by the International Labor Organization showed that more than 18 million workers were exposed to digitalization and COVID-19 job disruption.

ISO CERTIFICATIONS. Holcim Philippines’ waste management unit Geocycle is recertified after following high standards for environment, safety and quality in its operations. The unit is expanding its operations in support of the company’s efforts to improve Holcim’s environmental and business performance. Geocycle team members receive the certificates for ISO 9001 (Quality Management System), ISO 14001 (Environment Management System) and OHSAS 18001 (Safety) from third-party certification body Certification International Philippines.

JICA disburses 50-b yen loan for COVID-19 response in PH

By Julito G. Rada THE Philippines became the first recipient of Japan’s emergency support loan for COVID-19 affected economies, with the early disbursement on Aug. 14, 2020 of its 50-billion-yen financing package to the Duterte administration, according to the Department of Finance.

It said the loan aimed to assist the government’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and provide economic relief to Filipinos affected by the global health crisis.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III thanked the Japanese government for disbursing the financing package in a re-

cord period of 44 days after the signing of the agreement on July 1.

The financing package carries concessional lending terms of 0.01 percent (one hundredth of a percent) fixed interest rate per annum with a maturity period of 15 years inclusive of a 4-year grace period.

“We thank Tokyo and JICA for the release in record time of this emergency support loan for the Duterte administration’s COVID response that has made the Philippines the first recipient of Japan’s assistance program for economies battered by the coronavirus-induced global health and economic crisis,” Dominguez said in a statement.

“This underscores the strong partner-

ship between Japan and the Philippines under the Duterte presidency and the top priority that the Japanese government has given to our country as its development partner, especially at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

The package became effective Aug. 11 and was quickly disbursed by the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency after three days.

Dominguez said that despite the restrictions resulting from the quarantines imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19, officials of both countries were able to speed up the process of making the loan effective and ready for disbursement.

Emirates moving in Airbus A380 aircraft on Clark-Dubai flights today

By Jess Malabanan

PSE INDEX CLOSING

and other cities within our network.

Emirates A380 aircraft can accommodate more travelers on its flights, while allowing them to experience its unique features and safety protocols we have put in place to protect our customers and crew.

The airline said that since the resumption of flights to Clark earlier this month, it saw a huge demand on its six weekly fights and daily flights between Dubai and Manila.

Emirates will resume its operations to Cebu on Aug. 20.

Emirates is gradually expanding its passenger services to 74 cities in August, allowing travelers to connect safely and conveniently to the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific via Dubai.

Customers from Emirates’ network can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors.

COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving in Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.

MSME SUPPORT. Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau Director Senen Perlada (right) teams up with eCFulfill CEO Neptune Factor to get more MSMEs onboard the global e-commerce platform. A Philippine tech startup, eCFulfill provides access to global marketspaces like Amazon, eBay and Etsy.

Source: BSP

SSG Group, Metro Retail incur losses

By Jenniffer B. Austria RETAILERS SSI Group Inc. and Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. booked steep losses in the first half as the lockdown implemented by the government to curb the spread of the new coronavirus disrupted store operations.

SSI of the Tantoco Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it ended the first half with a net loss of P476 million, a reversal of the P346-million profit it booked in the same period last year.

SSI said sales in the first six months declined by 50 percent to P5 billion, as most its stores were closed from March 17 to May 15, in line with government directives designed to control the spread of COVID 19.

The group reopened most of its stores on June 1 and implemented strict safety measures in shops and restaurants to ensure the health and safety of customers and employees. It said that since the reopening, the group saw steady weekly sales growth.

The group also posted significant growth in its e-commerce business, with sales rising by 375 percent in the first half of 2020.

“The group has reduced capex for 2020 as we focus on managing our business prudently during these unprecedented times. I am optimistic with respect to the steady increases we have seen in brick and mortar sales and that we are ready to compete and operate under the “new normal,” SSI president Anthony Huang said.

SSI will launch in September an online marketplace to carry a range of brands from the group’s portfolio and other brands and products to complement the marketplace’s online offerings.

Meanwhile, Cebu-based retailer Metro Retail of the Gaisano Group registered a net loss of P84.7 million in the first semester, a turnaround from the P376-million profit in the same period last year.

The reversal in bottom line was driven by an 8.4-percent decrease in revenue because of the disruption in operations caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and the changes in new accounting standards on leases.

Metro retail president and chief operating officer Manuel Alberto said that while general merchandise sales declined by 46.5 percent following the closure of department stores, the food retail business jumped by 11.3 percent on increased demand and sustained supermarket operations.

Switch to heated tobacco seen to translate into public health gains THE introduction of heat-not-burn tobacco products as better alternatives to combustible tobacco will translate into public health gains, according to a public health expert.

Helen Redmond, adjunct professor at New York University-Silver School of Social Work, was referring to HNB or heated tobacco products which are smoke-free devices that heat, instead of burn specially-designed tobacco units to release flavorful nicotine-containing tobacco vapor.

As the tobacco is not burned, the levels of harmful chemicals produced by HNB products are significantly lower compared to combustible cigarette smoke.

She made the statement before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized

the marketing of IQOS, the tobacco heating system of Philip Morris International, as a modified risk tobacco product on July 7, 2020.

The FDA’s action authorizes the marketing of IQOS in the US with the following information: the IQOS system heats tobacco but does not burn it; and scientific studies have shown that switching completely from conventional cigarettes to the IQOS system significantly reduces the body’s exposure to harmful or potentially harmful chemicals.

It has been known for decades that tar, and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke, causes the death and disease associated with smoking, and not nicotine.

“The use of nicotine is no threat, because

nicotine is not the problem. Combustible tobacco is,” Redmond said. “There is a widespread, mistaken notion that nicotine causes cancer and other health problems.

That is false. What causes health problems is lighting tobacco on fire. The combustion releases thousands of toxic chemicals.”

The most popular HNB brand today is IQOS—an electronic device that heats tobacco-filled sticks wrapped in paper to generate a nicotine-containing aerosol.

Other popular smoke-free nicotine products are electronic cigarettes or vapes and Swedish snus. Public Health England’s annual reviews of all available evidence have consistently concluded that e-cigarettes are around 95-percent less harmful than smoking.

Sports

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

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020

Marcial: PBA can resume training as early as Aug. 25

Paul George of the LA Clippers shoots against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half in Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. AFP

Obiena bags silver, refines pole technique AFTER settling for the bronze in Monaco last Friday, Ernest John Obiena bagged the silver medal this time in the virtual pole vault meet of the FineGuard last Sunday with a leap of 5.6 meters in Formia, Italy.

His training partner and defending Olympic champion Thiago Braz da Silva claimed the gold medal with a 5.7-meter performance, also in Formia.

Their rivals, Matt Ludwig and Pawel Wojciechowski had clearances of 5.35 meters and 5.20 meters for the bronze and fourth place, respectively, while in Poland.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Associat ion Ernest John Obiena Philip Ella Juico, who was in communication with Obiena, said the conditions were challenging because of strong winds.

But Obiena’s enthusiasm to compete helped him refine his technique.

“EJ is really intent on participating in as many competitions as he can, to further refine his technique. He had just arrived from the Diamond League in Monaco on Saturday afternoon. And in less than 48 hours, he jumped right back into another star-studded tournament. EJ continues to make us and the country proud!,” said Juico.

The 24-year-old Obiena said it has been a fruitful two weeks with 3 medals.

“But the gold remains elusive, I hope to get them in the coming competitions. Thank you to all 100 countries who tuned in. Philippines, I hope I made you proud,” said Obiena in an online message.

Last Friday, a well-rested Obiena cleared 5.70 meters and claimed the bronze against the world’s best in the 2020 Monaco Diamond League.

Obiena was 11 centimeters short of his 5.81 personal best during the afternoon finals at the Stade Louis II in the Fontvieille district of Monaco.

But the 6’2” Obiena was still thankful of the result after he and Ben Broeders of Belgium both had clearances of 5.70 m.

It was considered as Obiena’s best effort for the season after he claimed the silver medal last week in the 13th Triveneto International Meeting with a 5.45-meter showing in Trieste, Italy.

C1

By Jessica Luna

Clippers rally to clobber Mavericks; Nuggets win L

OS ANGELES—Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points and had 12 rebounds and Paul George tallied 27 points as the Los Angeles Clippers held on to beat the Dallas Mavericks 118-110 in the opening game of their playoff series.

“This is my tenth year in the league and I still get butterflies,” said George. “It took the second half for me to get going but I understood just to let the game flow.

Dallas’s 21-year-old star Luka Doncic scored a game high 40 points to become the first player in NBA history to record a 40-point performance in his playoff debut.

“He is the future,” George of Doncic, who also had nine assists and seven rebounds. “We didn’t expect to stop him but we wanted to wear him down as much as possible.”

Marcus Morris had 19 points for the Clippers, who will try to go up 2-0 in game two of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday.

Dallas had to play much of the second half without star player Kristaps Porzingis after he was ejected while trying to intervene in a skirmish between his teammate Doncic and Clippers Morris. Porzingis, who argued the ejection, appeared to give Morris a light push in the chest. It was his

second technical of the contest.

The Mavericks were leading the series opener 71-66 at the time of the ejection.

Porzingis had 14 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes.

Also, Jamal Murray scored 36 points, including 10 in overtime, as the Denver Nuggets overcame a 57-point performance from Donovan Mitchell to defeat the Utah Jazz 135-125 in their first round playoff series.

Nikola Jokic finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds for Denver, who were taken to overtime by the Jazz for the second-straight contest.

“I’m smiling because those are the games you want to be in,” Murray said.

“Those are the games that are the most fun and most competitive.”

Jokic had a chance to ice the victory in regulation, but his hook shot at the buzzer over Utah’s Rudy Gobert failed to drop.

Murray seized command in overtime, clinching the outcome with a three-point dagger with 46 seconds on the clock to give

the Nuggets a 1-0 lead in their series.

Mitchell has a habit of saving his best for the Nuggets, but it wasn’t enough as he was 13-of-13 from the free throw line in scoring a franchise playoff record 57 points.

The previous franchise record for most points in a playoff game was 50

by Karl Malone in 2000. Mitchell’s total was also the third-highest scoring game in NBA playoff history.

The teams met four times in the regular season. The last time was August 8, when Mitchell had another huge game, but the Jazz lost that one as well in double overtime. The Nuggets have now won all five games against the Jazz this season.

This is the fifth time the teams have met in the playoffs, and the Jazz have won three of those previous playoff series, most recently a 4-2 win in the first round of the 2010 playoffs.

The Jazz were eliminated in the first round by Houston in 2019, but reached the Western Conference semi-finals the previous two playoffs.

Also, Fred VanVleet scored 30 points as the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 134-110 in the opening game of their first-round series. AFP

PHILIPPINE Basketball Association commissioner Willie Marcial said all 12 teams can resume active training sessions as early as Aug. 25 after President Rodrigo Duterte declared that Metro Manila and nearby provinces will be reverted to a general community quarantine (GCQ) starting Wednesday.

After a delay of more than a week since the President brought Metro Manila back to a modified enhance community quarantine last August 4, Marcial said all teams must first undergo swab testing on Thursday and Friday at the Makati Medical Center before they can start practicing.

The training or practice sessions are limited only to conditioning without the actual 5-on-5 plays and scrimmages.

“Baka by August 25 puwede na mag-ensayo pero mag-swab testing muna on August 20 and 21. Then, mga two to three days puwede na [magpractice],” explained Marcial, who reminded all teams to follow the strict health protocols under the joint administrative order created by the Department of Health, Philippine Sports Commission and Games and Amusement Board.

The three government bodies made the necessary guidelines for professional and non-professional sports to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Based on the JAO agreement, only professional leagues are allowed to hold workouts under a GCQ. The PBA, said Marcial, will send another separate letter of request to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases by September for scrimmages and play five-on-five practices.

Marcial will make a request to the IATF to allow them to hold scrimmages by September, but admitted that there’s a good chance that this will be allowed if the current Metro Manila status will go down to a modified general community quarantine.

With this positive development, Marcial is optimistic that Season 45 can resume by October.

Philippine Cup games were suspended last March 11 because of the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.

PSC vows to make training centers safe for athletes

By Peter Atencio

PSC chairman William Ramirez

NOW that two employees of the Philippine Sports Commission have tested positive for the coronavirus, the agency is doubling its efforts to make sure there will be safer and more secure training facilities for national athletes to train in.

This is one of the reasons why the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and the Philsports Complex in Pasig have stayed in lockdown for the second straight week, compelling the agency to discourage locally stranded individuals from hanging out at the complexes to seek assistance and transportation to their respective provinces.

PSC chairman William Ramirez said during yesterday’s weekly and online session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Zoom that in order to prevent more infections, assistant secretary Joseph Encabo has already been advised to redirect LSIs to the ports and airports.

“The infections are coming naturally. So we advised Asec. Encabo to send the LSIs to the ports and airports,” said Ramirez.

The shutdown started the other week after one of two staff members of the PSC tested positive of the coronavirus disease.

The employee, who is the head nurse of the PSC, has been in the hospital for the last three weeks and is undergoing treatment.

“I’m praying that she is safe and that she will come out of the hospital soon,” added Ramirez.

The second employee is doing fine and is now undergoing home quarantine.

More employees are now being tested as medical personnel are conducting contact-tracing activities before they and members of the national team and the coaches are allowed step into the premises again.

The facilities were supposed to be made available for those who have qualified for the Olympics and are going to qualifiers.

Executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy and national training director Marc Velasco are looking into the situation and the facilities of the RMSC, which has been turned into quarantine centers for COVID-19 patients, alongside the Philsports area.

Ramirez said the PSC is determined to let the athletes go back to these venues to train again once they have been disinfected and declared safe.

The PSC chief added that they will prioritize the Olympic qualifiers, those seeking qualification and preparing for the Southeast Asian Games next year.

Red Bull DIY aims to give back to PH skateboarding CALLING all skaters and skate crews, Red Bull DIY comes to the Philippines to empower Filipino skateboarders and the community with an opportunity to help them construct their dream skate spots.

What is Red Bull DIY? Red Bull DIY is a community program that gives back to the local skate community by helping develop and promote DIY skate spots around the countr y. Supporting both beginner and experienced Filipino skateboarders, Red Bull DIY sponsors their skatepark projects, enabling them to pursue their talents

and showcase their skills in a Team Competition and Solo Competition.

Red Bull DIY Team Competition From August 17 to 23, participating skate crews and skate shops must submit their skatepark designs for a DIY setup. Fifteen team proposals will be selected and given a budget that must be used to begin construction of their setup. Participating teams are given 13 days to build their setups and upload a 60-second video entry online showcasing their skateboard tricks executed on their finished DIY skate spots. The top 5 teams, to be selected by Asia

and 2x SEA Games Gold Medalist, Margielyn Didal, will receive additional funding to help realize their DIY skate spot’s potential. The final placements will be determined and announced by Thrasher Magazine’s 2017 Skater of the Year, Jamie Foy. The Solo Competition will be announced shortly after the final placements of the Team Competition are announced.

Registrations officially opened on Monday.

Register now with your team at win.gs/redbulldiyph. Use and follow the hashtag #RedBullDIY for more updates.

Margielyn Didal

Sports Singaporean investors in talks to buy Newcastle club SINGAPORE—Three Singaporean entrepreneurs behind a Paris-based congolomerate are in “advanced” talks to buy English Premier League football club Newcastle United, the company said Monday, just weeks after a Saudi-backed bid was withdrawn.

Bellagraph Nova Group, which operates across 100 countries in f ields ranging from finance to sport, healthcare and luxury goods, said it has given Newcastle a letter of intent and proof it has funds for the purchase.

The company also said it had “enlisted the help” of former England captain and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, along with fellow former player Michael Chopra.

The bid was announced after a Saudi-backed consortium withdrew its offer to buy Newcastle in late July, after months of waiting for Premier League approval.

“We are already negotiating the term of our acquisition of Newcastle Football Club. We are at the advanced stage of the purchasing,” a Bellagraph Nova Group spokesman told AFP. Bellagraph Nova Group was cofounded by Singaporean cousins Nelson and Terence Loh and their business partner Evangeline Shen in 2008.

The Lohs are former investment bankers at JP Morgan, and are known to be keen sports fans who sponsored Singaporean racing driver Yuey Tan as well as the national muay thai team, the Straits Times newspaper said.

Singaporean businessman Peter Lim already owns Spain’s six-time La Liga champions Valencia.

Bellagraph Nova said it sent a letter of intent and “proof of funds” to Newcastle on August 10.

The company’s founders “have declared their willingness to massively contribute to the development of the club through their solid and international structure and a combined business/sport devoting mindset”, it added.

Bellagraph Nova Group said it oversees 31 business “entities” worldwide, with a group revenue of $12 billion in 2019 and 23,000 employees.

In its proposal, the company said it has “the necessary experience and resources to accelerate Newcastle United’s growth and realise its full potential.” AFP

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Woods hopes his body holds up H

ONG KONG—Tiger Woods has been seen at just four US PGA Tour events in 2020 but could double that over the next five weeks, providing the 44-year-old’s creaking body can hold up during three consecutive FedEx Cup playoff events.

The 15-time major winner has been protecting his fused back and dodgy knees—appearing only twice since June’s restart—in anticipation of a busy run starting with Thursday’s Northern Trust in Boston, which will reduce the top 125 in the standings to a field of 70 for the BMW Championship in Chicago next week.

Woods is 49th on the FedEx points list and needs to break into the top 30 to qualify for the Tour Championship in Atlanta, the scene of an emotional and career-reviving triumph in 2018.

That victory, his first since 2013, was the launch-pad for a fifth Masters triumph and record-equalling 82nd PGA Tour win at the Zozo Championship in Japan 10 months ago.

Should history repeat at East Lake in 2020, it will set Woods up for an as-

sault on a 16th major at the US Open at Winged Foot beginning September 17—a fourth tournament in a little over a month.

Woods and his aching bones will at least have plenty of time to recover before the defence of his coveted green jacket.

The Masters, without spectators, does not begin at Augusta until November 12.

Don’t write off Rory Before coronavirus, Rory McIlroy was flying. Six top-five finishes in a row, including a WGC win in Shanghai, had propelled him back to world number one. Then the US PGA Tour shut down for three months.

Since the resumption? Six starts and one top-30 finish—tied 11th at the Travelers Championship at the end of June—are all McIlroy has

been able to muster.

But anyone seeking to write off the Northern Irishman as yesterday’s man should beware: McIlroy has an unmatched record at this time of year.

In 2019 he became only the second player after Tiger Woods to win the FedEx Cup twice.

His five victories in FedEx Cup playoff events are more than anyone— Dustin Johnson and Woods come next at four apiece.

With a tidy $40,551,452 in prize money and cup bonuses in the bank, McIlroy is out on his own as number one in FedEx Cup earnings, surpassing Woods with his win in the Tour Championship courtesy of a $15 million payday in August last year.

He might just add a few cents to that over the next three weeks.

Koreans stay away The field for the first women’s major of the year this week has lost a little lustre with many leading South Korean players, including the world number one, opting to stay at home because of fears about the coronavirus.

The British Women’s Open starting in Scotland on Thursday will be without the five top-ranked Koreans—number one Ko Jin-young, third-ranked Park Sung-hyun, Kim Sei-young (6), Kim Hyu-joo (9) and Lee6 Jeong-eun (11).

The best-rated South Korean making the trip is 12th-ranked Park In-bee.

But other leading Asians have flown into the bio-secure Troon bubble including Japan’s fifth-ranked Nasa Hatoaka, her countrywoman and defending champion Hinako Shibuno and Thailand’s former world number one Ariya Jutanagarn.

“Obviously it’s a shame they are not coming over, but it’s a strange year and I completely understand if some of the Asian players don’t feel comfortable,” England’s Georgia Hall, 2018 British Open champion at Royal Lytham, told reporters on Monday.

“I don’t think it dents the tournament at all. We’ve got some amazing players still coming, loads of amazing players from America and other parts of the world.” AFP

Tiger Woods of the United States plays his shot from the 10th tee during the first round of the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California. Woods has been seen at just four US PGA Tour events in 2020 but could double that over the next five weeks, providing the 44-year-old’s creaking body can hold up during three consecutive FedEx Cup playoff events. AFP

World No. 2 Halep latest to skip US Open

Filipinos want McGregor for Pacquiao FILIPINO fans want fighting senator Manny Pacquiao to face Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Conor McGregor before retiring from his checkered professional boxing career.

Pacquiao’s Special Assistant Jayke Joson said that in an informal survey, nine out of 10 Filipinos want the 41-year-old future Boxing Hall of Famer to close out his illustrious 25-year pro boxing career on a high note by fighting McGregor, most likely next year or after the pandemic.

“I have talked to nine out of 10 Filipinos and they really like UFC star Conor McGregor as the senator’s last opponent before he leaves professional boxing for good,” said Joson, adding that Pacquiao’s friends and family also want him to have only one fight, probably by next year.

But Joson said the decision will solely depend on the senator when he will hang up his gloves for good.

“I think we will know about Sen. Pacquiao’s plans in boxing as soon as the COVID-19 virus crisis is over. For the senator, this is not the time for a boxing fight. But now is the time for

all Fililipinos to unite in fighting and knocking out the coronavirus crisis in the Philippines,” said Joson.

“It’s really up to the senator when he will retire from boxing. But many Filipinos want our senator to take on McGregor because that will be a great fight,” added Joson.

Pacquiao (62-7-2 win-loss-draw record with 39 knockouts) has captured eight weight world division titles in his career that started in 1995.

Joson added that the General Santos City native has not talked to them about running for the Philippine presidency, since he is busy helping the Filipinos in their fight against COVID-19.

“Senator MP often tells us that becoming a president is no joke. It (Presidency) is a God given position whether you like it or not. If God makes you a president, there’s nothing you can do but do your job properly for the nation. If you are not the chosen one, it will not happen,” he said.

“He (Pacquiao) is leaving everything to God,” Joson ended.

A dynasty that never was

THE LINK REY JOBLE PUREFOODS Hotdogs. They could have established a dynasty from the late 1980s all the way to mid-1990s.

Try to imagine the squad built around Mon Fernandez, who ended up winning his fourth Most Valuable Player award, and Alvin Patrimonio, a future four-time MVP winner.

Having these two players alone would certainly give your squad proven winners and vital cogs for potential title runs.

The team also had Jojo Lastimosa

Manny Pacquiao

PARIS—World number two Simona Halep joined a growing list of tennis stars when she said on Monday that she would skip the US Open over coronavirus fears.

“After weighing up all the factors involved and with the exceptional circumstances in which we are living, I have decided that I will not travel to New York to play the @usopen,” tweeted Halep, the current Wimbledon champion.

“I always said I would put my health at the heart of my decision and I therefore prefer to stay and train in Europe.”

The Romanian added: “I know the @usta and @WTA have worked tirelessly to put on a safe event and I wish everyone there a successful tournament.”

Halep joins a host of top players who are passing on playing at Flushing Meadows when the next Grand Slam tournament begins on August 31.

Reigning US Open champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada will not play, joining men’s 2019 winner Rafael Nadal in skipping the tournament.

Also absent from this year’s US Open will be Australia’s top-ranked Ashleigh Barty, Ukraine’s fifth-ranked Elina Svitolina, number seven Kiki Bertens, eighth-ranked Swiss Belinda Bencic— whom Andreescu beat in the semi-finals last year—and past winner Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, currenty ranked 32nd in the world.

Serena Williams, seeking a 24th career Grand Slam title to match Margaret Court’s all-time record, will compete, as will men’s world number one Novak Djokovic.

The only other players from the WTA top 10 remaining in the tournament are world number three Karolina Pliskova, reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who is ranked fourth in the world, and Naomi Osaka, who sits in 10th place.

That leaves 38-year-old Williams with a golden opportunity to equal Court’s Slam record, which has been in her sights since she won her last major tournament—the 2017 Australian Open.

Williams, who suffered a shock quarter-final defeat by Shelby Rogers at the recent WTA tournament in Lexington, Kentucky, has lost four Grand Slam finals since then, including last year’s US Open final to Andreescu. AFP

and Jerry Codiñera, who wound up in the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players list, and Glenn Capacio, a would-be eight-time PBA All-Defensive Team Member, and a steady point guard in sophomore Al Solis.

From the veterans’ side, they still have Freddie Hubalde, a former league MVP, who became a league Hall of Famer, plus tried and tested experienced players like JB Yango, Willie Generelao and Onchie dela Cruz. All of them were members of three-time champion team Tanduay that was acquired by the Purefoods’ franchise by the end of the 1987 season.

“It would have been a dynasty,” Fernandez told The Link. “That’s why I

moved heaven and earth to acquire Alvin.”

That promising dynasty was not to be, as by the third conference, the Hotdogs traded Fernandez for Abet Guidaben and by the season ended, shipped the two-time MVP along with the other veterans.

They did land some talented rookies in Nelson Asaytono and Dindo Pumaren, yet the Hotdogs always fell short in the early stages of their campaign as the absence of a veteran presence was sorely lacking.

Even their first championship had to be guided by luck when Bong Alvarez got injured in Game 3 of the title series between Alaska and Purefoods

as the Hotdogs were able to seize the opportunity to rally from 0-2 down in the best-of-five series before winning a cliffhanger against the Milkmen.

There were so many what ifs that happened. Had there been no controversy surrounding Fernandez, had management let the running of basketball affairs to the team’s brain thrust, and had the team kept the core intact, the Hotdogs would have been winners right from the get-go.

Of course, it took so long before Purefoods, led by Patrimonio, the team’s captain, took its course to greatness.

Patrimonio and Codiñera won five championships playing together before parting ways in 1999 and by that time,

both were on the twilight of their careers.

Fernandez and Lastimosa each became part of a grand slam team.

Known as El Presidente, Fernandez won seven championships for the San Miguel Beermen, including four straight from 1988 to 1989. He retired from the PBA as its all-time leading scorer, rebounder and most number of championships with 19.

Lastimosa, on the other hand, won a triple crown for Alaska in 1996. He had a string of four championships from 1995 to 1996 and would win three straight titles from the 1997 Third Conference to the 1998 Commissioner’s Cup. He went on to become a member of the PBA’s 25 Greatest list.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESdAY,AUGUST19,2020

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

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FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020

BLOOMING BEA ALONZO:

From ‘extra’ to superstar with a purpose

By Bernadette Lunas

B

ONCE AN EXTRA, NOW A STAR. Bea Alonzo—actor, entrepreneur, philanthropist—

EA ALONZO once waited 26 hours for her turn to be shot as a background actor, only for her scene to be deleted.

“Before I was casted for a role, extra lang ako (I was only an extra). One time, I showed up on the set at 7 in the morning and then waited until 9:00 a.m. the next day before they shot my part,” she recalled.

“I waited for the episode (where I was supposed to appear) to come out that week, and when I saw the scene, I realized I was edited out.”

Alonzo, now a full-fledged star on both the small and the big screens, looks back at the beginning of her career with pride, appreciating the journey she took to get to where she is today.

Bea’s beginnings “I used to audition a thousand times and get rejected a thousand times,” she shared during a virtual “swatch party” for Avon True Color’s new collection, Floral Wonderland.

“But if you are able to rise above all those things, I feel the victory is much sweeter.”

The 32-year-old actor and entrepreneur reminisced about her youth while check-

ing out Floral Fuchsia, a vivid mid-tone pink lipstick with blue undertones.

She said the pink shade reminded her of “my younger days when I used to go to auditions and wear a lot of pink lipsticks.”

When Alonzo was finally starting to make a name for herself, she recalled something “clicked” in her. “I wanted to be taken more seriously; I wanted to have fun but I wanted to have a direction, a purpose.”

This change in mindset, as she put it, suited the regal rose-burgundy Ruby Rose Red lipstick, a red shade with blue undertones, which Alonzo said she would wear if she wanted to feel empowered as she handles her responsibilities as a café owner of a Dean and DeLuca franchise here in the country.

And as she treads her path, Alonzo believes a little confidence boost goes a long way. If others use “liquid courage,” she has something she calls “lipstick courage.”

“I’ll use this shade (Midnight Orchid) if I want to kick my courage up a notch, to

Bea Alonzo turns over donations to Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto. (@beaalonzo/Instagram)

owes her confidence and success to her humble beginnings. She’s recently launched as the brand ambassador of Avon True Color Floral Wonderland Perfectly Matte Lipstick.

Young Bea auditioning for a role in a show on ABS-CBN. (Photo from @beaalonzo/Instagram)

feel more confident,” she said while trying on the deep bruised plum lipstick, the darkest shade in the collection.

Bea today Nearly two decades in the entertainment industry, Bea Alonzo today focuses on maintaining grace, exploring new ventures—both in and out of the circle she’s in, and using her platform to help others.

In times when she considered to fight de-

I am HOPE team at SOS Lipa. (@beaalonzo/Instagram)

SALE ALERT

tractors back, Alonzo said, “time taught me Besides nurturing herself, Alonzo is that it’s not always the best solution.” also using her platform to help those in “Strength comes in different forms, need. Although, admittedly, her liveliinstead of explaining myself, I’d rath- hood has also been affected by the paner let my lipstick do the talking,” she demic, during the enhanced communisaid, describing Dainty Coral, a burnt ty quarantine in Luzon, she co-founded apricot red lipstick, which Alonzo said the nonprofit organization I am HOPE reminded her of a “quiet fire,” slow and to provide frontline workers with persteady and lasts a long time. sonal protective equipment and other Experience, she said, taught her to medical supplies. assert herself while gracefully dealing “Now we transitioned into helpwith roadblocks. ing women with their livelihood,” Aware of her strengths and she said, “And we aim to help unweaknesses, and armed with derprivileged kids with valuable experience and contheir education.” fidence in herself, she now I am HOPE recently tends to “choose quality raised P9 milover quantity” when it lion in cash and comes to projects. kind donations She alluded this for various self-assurance to the COVID-19 reneutral brown Nude lief efforts. In Petals shade, saying July, Alonzo, that the more confitogether with dent a person is, the her team, less they try so hard to handed over stand out. donations “You know to the SOS yourself well C h i l d r e n ’s enough that even Village in if the public Mu nt i n lupa doesn’t see you, City and you’re fine; you Lipa, BatanThe Floral Wonderland Collection consists of six can live with it.” gas. She also matte shades: Floral Fuchsia, Midnight Orchid, From an “ex- Dainty Coral, Red Poppy, Nude Petals, and Ruby turned over tra,” Alonzo has relief goods to Rose Red. grown into a star, Pasig City. and continues to “I try to look grow as a person. She’s an entrepre- at things from a different perspective. neur, a pastry chef, and an aspiring The quarantine allowed me to realize that screenwriter.

I have a bigger purpose.”

Her growth and her journey, she said, Alonzo, the multi-hyphenate, joins helped her earn the confidence she has Avon’s roster of brand ambassadors as now. The confidence that allows her to the new face of Avon True Color Floral pull off, for instance, a bright red lip- Wonderland Collection. The new colstick shade like Red Poppy. lection consists of six matte lipsticks.

“I have come to love myself for who I It’s now available online at avonshop. am, flaws and all,” she enthused. ph or through an Avon Representative.

Confidently beautiful while working from home WORKING from home can blur the lines between personal and professional lives. Some say dressing up and putting on makeup helps provide structure, while others believe spending some time to “get ready for work” gives them a sense of normalcy.

Local beauty brand Bobbie Cosmetics shares tips to help brighten work-from-home routines.

The simple act of putting on some lipstick can sometimes make one feel more put together and productive. Bobbie Cosmetics Matte About Hue lipstick (P165) has a wide array of choices, available in 24 matte shades.

Those looking for a thinner, lighter consistency can opt for Bobbie Cosmetics Pretty in Tint (P145), a highly-pigmented lip stain infused with hydrating shea butter that leaves lips feeling plump and nourished.

Makeup might not be the most important thing today, but experts say keeping up one’s beauty routine can be a form

Some of the pieces from SM Men, SM Woman, and SM Youth on sale (clockwise): blue shirt (buy 2 take 1), knot top (buy 1 take 1), Disney Mickey tee (buy 2 take 1), strappy dress (buy 1 take 1), casual denim (buy 2 take 1), printed top (buy 1 take 1)

Deals and discounts on WFH outfits, loungewear

LOOKING to update those “pambahay” and work-from-home outfits that have gone through constant wear the past few months?

This August, The SM Store slashes prices and offers special deals on pieces from SM Men, SM Woman, and SM Youth.

Further, shoppers get an additional P300 off with minimum of P3,000 single-receipt purchase when they use their SMAC. On sale items are also available via The SM Store’s Call to Deliver service, dial #14376 or check the SM Fashion Viber group.

Putting on makeup, even when only working from home, helps provide a structure and gives a sense of normalcy.

Bobbie Cosmetics’ concealers and contour palette.

of self-care. Spending more time at home is also a great opportunity to experiment with new looks and fun colors.

Even if it’s just a day of working in front of the computer or a day of back-to-back Zoom meetings, take the time to do your makeup, beginning with Bobbie Cosmetics Poof!

Concealer (P115) that helps brighten the skin while covering dark spots and discoloration, or Bobbie Cosmetics Don’t Go With The Flaw Corrector + Concealer (P299), which is available in six shades.

Look good in video calls with Bobbie Cosmetics Squad Contour and Strobe Palette (P399) and get glowing with the Bobbie Cosmetics Glow Obsession Liquid Illuminator (P299).