Manila Standard - 2020 September 6 - Sunday

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 177 • 2 SECTIONS 8 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.

BY A MIRACLE. This image grab made from a handout video shot and released on September 4, 2020 by the Japan Coast Guard shows Jay-Nel Rosales, a crew of an ill-fated cattle ship being rescued from a life raft about 2 kilometers north-northwest of Kodakarajima island of Kagoshima prefecture. Japanese authorities are racing to find dozens of missing sailors, including 37 other Filipinos, from the Gulf Livestock 1, which logged its last distress call Wednesday. The ship’s Filipino chief officer Eduardo Sareno, was the first to be rescued late Wednesday. (Story on page 2) AFP

PNP to monitor social media

• Online hunt for lockdown violators • Flattened curve for NCR by end-Sept.

By Willie Casas

T

HE Philippine National Police will now “regularly monitor” social media platforms to hunt down violators of community quarantine protocols as the country logged 2,529 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the total to 234,570, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Saturday.

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM SEPT. 5)

234,570 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

2,529 69,112 NEW

ACTIVE

3,790

53

DEATHS

NEW

161,668 1,136 RECOVERIES

NEW

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, for his part, expressed hope the government will be able to flatten the curve in Metro Manila before the end of the month so a more related Modified General Community Quarantine can take effect as Health Undersecretary and COVID-19 treatment czar Leopoldo Vega noted that the case mortality rate has gone down from 5 to 1.6 percent lately.

“The social media are full of photos and evidence of hardheaded people deliberately violating the quarantine protocols. These can be used as pieces of evidence to warn, to fine and to summon the people concerned in coordina-

WHO DOUSES QUICK VACCINE HOPES The World Health Organization said it did not expect widespread immunization against the novel coronavirus until mid-2021, tempering hopes just as research revealed encouraging early results from a Russian vaccine.

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tion with the barangay officials concerned,” said Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar in a statement.

Eleazar said the directive, issued

by PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan, covers violations of minimum health safety standard protocols such as mass gathering for drinking sessions and other forms of celebrations.

Among the photos that went viral for possible community quarantine violation was the birthday mañanita of National Capital Region Police Office chief Major Gen. Debold Sinas in May. Sinas and 18 other police officers

RESTAURATEUR BETS ON DRIVE-THRU A young entrepreneur who employs more than a hundred people needed to tap her creative side to keep her dine-in restaurant at a busy nook of Quezon City afloat amid the pandemic.

CENTURY GROUP EYE EXPANSION Real estate firm Century Properties Group (CPG) said it will continue its expansion with leasing and affordable housing as it faces the new normal guided by the principles of innovation, resilience, growth and sustainability.

Masterpieces by revered Filipino artists will go under the hammer at Casa de Memoria’s third major auction this year on September 26.

LIFE / B1

HOME/DESIGN / B2 twitter.com/ MlaStandard

HEALTHY DOGGOS AND WET NOSES Have you ever wondered why a dog’s nose is always wet?

The details may be a little icky, but having a wet nose serves a few vital functions for your fur baby.

BUSINESS / A4

AUCTION FEATURES TAMPINCO, ZOBEL

were slapped with criminal charges before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office for violating quarantine protocols such as wearing face masks and observing physical distancing but then PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said the mañanit was already a “closed issue.”

For Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes, the order to monitor social media posts furthers the government’s militarized response to the pandemic.

“The PNP wants to use the pandemic to turn the Philippines into a police state, where every action is monitored by the authorities,” Reyes told Manila Standard.

“There are no clear guidelines for this. Quarantine violations are also not punishable by imprisonment. This proposal can be abused in so many ways as has been the case with quarantine guidelines since the Enhanced Community Quarantine started,” he added.

Eleazar also appealed to netizens to assist the PNP in running after violators of quarantine protocols, even if those involved are policemen.

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

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“I will see to it that everybody who imposes or implements the law shall be disciplined and should also follow the law they are implementing,” Cascolan earlier said.

Data from the JTF COVID Shield showed more than 365,000 were warned, fined or charged for violations of quarantine rules since March 17.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health announced 1,136 recoveries on Saturday, bringing the total number of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to 161,668. Active cases stood at 69,112.

The DOH also reported 53 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 3,790.

Vega, for his part, said the country’s clinical practice and management have improved a lot in the battle against the pandemic.

“For moderate to severe cases, we are giving Remdesivir. It has been shown to help patients in Intensive Care Units recover more quickly,” he said.

Remdesivir costs P6,000 to P8,000 per vial and moderate to severe cases need at least 11 vials, he said.

STORIES ON PAGE 2

37 PH CREW REMAIN MISSING ‘IMBECILIC’ PLAN OF MTRCB HIT

PETS / B4

FIL-BRIT STUDENT FUTURE SWIM STAR He may have good looks that make people turn their heads whenever he passes by, but Dyrham “Ham” Raga Palfrey, a Filipino-British student-athlete from the northern part of the country, has more to offer than his boy-next-door image.

HEART ATTACK KILLED ‘ARDOT’ PHILHEALTH PURGE NEEDS SPECIAL POWERS P66M FOR VIRUS VACCINE TRIALS

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Lawmakers hits ‘imbecilic’ MTRCB plan

By Maricel V. Cruz A NATIONAL legislator has berated the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) for tinkering with “regulatory overstretch” with its desire to regulate streaming sites like Netflix and iFlix, among others, to ensure that movies and other contents they carry are compliant with the MTRCB law.

Deputy Speaker for Finance and Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said Saturday such an “imbecilic” mindset among regulators only gave legislators reason to propose a huge budget cut for the agency under the 2021 national budget, if not a total zero budget for its operations.

“MTRCB’s plan to regulate online video streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, iflix, HOOQ and Apple TV is a farcical take on censorship that is incongruous with the new world order,” Villafuerte said.

“These regulators should stop wasting taxpayers’ money tinkering with this imbecilic idea, lest they give us legislators enough reason to drastically slash their agency’s allocation, if not give it a zero budget, in 2021 and realign the would-be savings to the government’s Covid-19 response.”

Villafuerte said the idea for the MTRCB to censor online video content was a futile and preposterous exercise— if not waste of government resources— considering that there were more offensive, prurient or obscene materials that anybody with a wifi connection could get hold of on other social media platforms like Facebook, You Tube , or on porn sites free from official regulation.

Villafuerte noted one legal opinion held that the MTRCB, given its mandate under Presidential Decree 1986 issued in 1985, had no jurisdiction over digital video content being offered to online consumers.

‘WHITEWASHING.’ A kid enjoys playing in the mountain of crushed dolomite that will be poured on a 500-meter stretch of Manila Bay’s naturally gray shoreline to make it look like white sand. Activists and environmentalists have criticized the P349 million “beach nourishment” project, saying it does not solve the environmental problems of the bay and that the artificial sand could easily be washed away by rising tides.

Japan stops rescue amid ‘violent’ storm J

APANESE authorities on Saturday temporarily suspended their search for dozens of missing sailors from a cargo ship that sank in a typhoon, as waves and strong wind caused by an approaching storm hampered the operation.

The Japan coast guard found a second survivor on Friday after the Gulf Livestock 1, which was carrying 6,000 cows and had 43 crew on board, issued a distress call Wednesday near Amami Oshima island as Typhoon Maysak passed through the area.

Typhoon Haishen, a much stronger storm, is expected to affect Japan from late Saturday, with winds of up to 290 kilometers per hour, making it a “violent” storm – the top level on the country’s classification scale.

“We resumed our search operation this morning by dispatching an airplane, but it returned without any clues,” a local coast-

‘Special powers needed to fix PhilHealth mess’ PH allocates P66m for virus vaccine trials

A LEADER of the House of Representatives on Saturday denounced senators’ rejection of the proposed emergency powers for President Rodrigo Duterte to fix the corruption-laden Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

“Some members of the Senate are a bit confused as to where they stand as regards PhilHealth,” House Public Accounts Committee chair and Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor said.

He noted that senators, in a recent committee report, had spoken about the violations in PhilHealth’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM), and IT bidding process, as well as the irregularities in its legal sector, and its financial statements based on Commission on Audit observations.

“We are here to provide a healthcare system that our people deserve. The work we are doing is not only for us but for the future of our children,” he said.

The congressman said the Senate “has vigorously investigated PhilHealth on several occasions and is aware of the deep-seated problems that need to be addressed.”

Defensor cited a portion of the actuarial life of the Senate’s committee report which states that: “Therefore, there is an extremely urgent need for an intensive and extensive review and inspection of the corporation’s financial life before it is, as we all will be, gone to the dogs.”

“They say it’s extremely urgent and yet they deny the need for emergency powers for this to be accomplished,” Defensor lamented. Maricel V. Cruz

THE government allocates at least P66 million for the country’s participation in the solidarity trials intended to find a vaccine against COVID-19, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said Saturday. “...For solidarity trials, the amount is only 66 million,” Avisado told members of the House of Representatives deliberating the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget in 2021.

Avisado said the amount “is part of the commitment to the global move to discover or test possible vaccines.”

One hospital The National Task Force Against COVID-19 is eyeing the establishment of a One Hospital Command for Northern Mindanao due to the rising number of COVID-19 patients in the region.

The establishment of a One Hospital Command will ensure effective and efficient health facility referral for patients, according to NTF COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. Iligan City was placed under modified enhanced community quarantine until September 30 because of its increasing cases of infection.

Isolation centers The Quezon City government has put up an additional 860 beds in isolation centers established by various barangays for suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients. Maricel V. Cruz

guard official said.

“Now we plan to suspend our entire operation” until Haishen passes over the country, the official told AFP. The storm is scheduled to pass the country on Monday.

A first survivor was found on Wednesday evening, with the body of a second crew member recovered at sea Friday.

The Philippine foreign ministry said the two survivors—both Filipino—had been in contact with their respective families.

The crew was made up of 39 Filipinos, two New Zealanders and two Australians.

The Department of Labor and Employment on Saturday has identified the sec-

ond rescued Filipino crew member as JayNel Rosales, 30, from Cebu.

Labor chief Silvestre Bello III said Rosales, who was taken to the Kagoshimaken Kenritsu Ooshima Hospital for a complete medical check-up, is stable and able to walk on his own.

The first to be rescued was the ship’s chief officer Eduardo Sareno, from Oslob, Cebu.

Bello said Sareno is still at the hospital and will be brought to a hotel for his quarantine later this week.

The cattle boat, which had experienced engine problems before, had been travelling from Napier in New Zealand to the Chinese port of Tangshan.

Meanwhile, tugboats battled into the night Friday to stop a blazing oil tanker carrying 270,000 tons of crude from drifting towards the Sri Lankan coast.

With one Filipino crew member killed in the explosion and the 22 others taken off, the tanker drifted 25 kilometers closer to the coast on Friday.

LIQUID. SOLID. WEED. The Bureau of Customs-NAIA has scored two major marijuana hauls with the seizure of 500 grams of high-grade dried marijuana worth P808,000 in a warehouse in Pasay City and 62 pieces of vape juice cartridges containing liquid marijuana from unclaimed parcels in the Central Mail Exchange Center.

against hope that many will still buy Christmas decors despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jr. Josue

POLICE ruled out foul play behind the death in detention Friday of high profile illegal drug suspect former Ozamiz City Councilor Ricardo “Ardot” Parojinog, reported to have died because of cardiac arrest.

Philippine National Police spokesperson Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac told ANC in an interview that police found no sign of violence inside the cell where Parojinog was found dead early Friday morning.

“As of this time we are ruling it out because there was no indication of violence that transpired during the night and upon examination of his body, there were no physical injuries or violence on his body,” Banac said.

“Upon the determination of the city health official, it was determined that the cause of death is cardiopulmonary arrest,” he said.

Parojinog, facing multiple charges including murder, was brought to Ozamiz City on Thursday from the PNP Custodial Center in Quezon City for a court hearing. He had been held at PNP headquarters facility since his arrest in 2018.

Banac said a COVID-19 swab test was administered on Parojinog’s body and that police were awaiting results, adding the investigation report might be released “by early next week.”

“Initially, the statements of all police officers involved in the security (of Parojinog) have been taken,” he said.

Parojinog was the younger brother of the late Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo “Aldong” Parojinog, who President Rodrigo Duterte linked to the illegal drug trade. The mayor, along with over a dozen others, was killed in a July 2017 drug raid.

Parojinog, who was linked to the Kuratong Baleleng crime syndicate, hid for 10 months before he was nabbed in Taiwan in 2018 for entering the country using illegal documents. He was sentenced to 3 months in prison.

Gov’t sanctions bus driver in Makati mishap

By Joel E. Zurbano

Nationwide earthquake drill goes online

BRINGING BACK THE MERRY. A man prepares lanterns in Las Piñas, hoping

No foul play: Heart attack killed Ardot Parojinog

AN ONLINE nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill will be held for the third quarter on September 10, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has said.

The drill, which will be conducted by the NDRRMC through the Office of Civil Defense, is aimed at instilling preparedness among the public amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The drill will be held on Facebook via live stream at 2 p.m.

The OCD will start the NSED with the pressing of a button “to signal the duck, cover, and hold procedure,” the NDRMMC said in a press release.

The drill, led by the Office of Civil Defense in partnership with various national and local agencies, seeks to strengthen the mechanism for national and regional coordination, as well as the interoperability of key players.

It also aims to intensify local communities’ earthquake preparedness and increase the commitment of local government units in building safe communities, according to OCD officials.

The scenario is derived from the results of the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS 2004) and the GMMA – READY Project in 2014.

THE government has imposed sanctions against the driver and the operator of an Ayala-bound passenger bus which featured in a Friday morning road accident in Makati City where at least 10 people were seriously hurt.

Authorities discovered that Marlon Nacaytona, 29, the driver of Pitbull Bus with registration plate TYF 328, was tested positive for drug use. He was arrested and now detained at the Makati City Police Traffic Division.

The Land Transportation Office, through its Law Enforcement Service, already issued a show cause order to Nacaytona and the unnamed manager of PBT Pitbull Bus Transport Corp. A preventive suspension order was also issued against the bus driver.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board also imposed sanctions against the owner and operator of the bus company.

Investigation showed that the bus was on its way to Ayala from Manila when it rammed 11 motorcycles, a car and another along the northbound lane of Osmena Highway near Arnaiz Avenue in Barangay Pio del Pilar around 9 a.m.

The collision resulted in the injury of at least 10 people, one of them a Philippine Coast Guard officer, and damaging the motorcycles and vehicles involved.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

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India becomes third country to pass 4M COVID-19 cases INDIA has become the world’s third country to pass four million coronavirus infections, setting a new record daily surge in cases on Saturday as the crisis shows no sign of peaking.

The 86,432 new cases took India to 4,023,179 infections, third behind the United States which has more than 6.3 million and just trailing Brazil on 4.1 million.

While the government has eased restrictions in a bid to revive the economy, India now has the world’s fastest growing number of cases at more than 80,000 a day and the highest daily death toll at more than 1,000.

The country’s caseload has gone from three to four million in just 13 days, faster than the United States and Brazil.

The pandemic is now spreading through rural areas which have poor health facilities but is also resurging in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

Maharashtra state, which includes Mumbai, has been at the centre of the crisis in India since a nationwide lockdown was imposed in March. It still accounts for nearly a quarter of the new daily cases across the country of 1.3 billion.

Shamika Ravi, an economics professor and former government advisor who has closely followed pandemic trends in India, said that India is “nowhere close” to a peak and Maharashtra must become the “focus” of the campaign against the coronavirus.

“There is no controlling COVID-19 in India without controlling the outbreak in Maharashtra,” she said on Twitter.

“Given its economic significance, Maharashtra will continue to influence the spread of infection elsewhere in the country.” AFP

’El Chapo’ appeals life sentence CONVICTED Mexican drug lord Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman has appealed against his life sentence handed down a year ago by a US court for trafficking hundreds of tons of narcotics into the country.

“El Chapo,” as he is commonly known, is kept in isolation, incarcerated in one of the United States’ highest security prisons, located in Colorado’s mountainous desert.

“Chapo Guzman’s prosecution was marred by rampant excess and overreach, both governmental and judicial,” his lawyer Marc Fernich wrote in the appeal, presented late Friday to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.

The 62-year-old former leader of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, was convicted last year of crimes spanning a quarter of a century, including trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and marijuana.

A lawyer for Guzman, Mariel Colon Miro, told AFP the initial ruling should be annulled because one of the jurors told Vice News he and others found information about the case via the media and social networks during the trial, which is prohibited.

She added that the complete isolation imposed on Guzman since his extradition to the US in January 2017 prevented him from collaborating on his defense both before and after the trial.

“We are very optimistic that something positive will come of this,” Miro said, adding she hoped a new trial would be held. AFP

PACKED. Members of the MS-13 and 18 gangs remain under custody as they sit on the floor during a search operation at the maximum security prison in Izalco, Sonsonate, El Salvador. Authorities from the General Directorate of Penal Centres (DGCP) visited three Salvadoran prisons, some of maximum security, to check the situation of inmates and carry out searches amid the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic on September 4. AFP

WHO tempers quick vaccine hopes: Not until mid-2021 T

he World Health Organization said Friday it did not expect widespread immunization against the novel coronavirus until mid-2021, tempering hopes just as research revealed encouraging early results from a Russian vaccine.

The virus which has killed nearly 870,000 people worldwide continues to spread, with Italy’s flamboyant former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi now in hospital after becoming the latest highprofile figure to test positive for COVID-19.

Across the world, governments are hoping to announce a vaccine as soon

as possible against the virus, which has infected well over 26 million people, upended millions of lives and wreaked havoc on the global economy.

The UN health agency welcomed the fact that a “considerable number” of vaccine candidates had entered final stage trials, which typically involve tens of thousands of people.

But “in terms of realistic timelines, we are really not expecting to see widespread vaccination until the middle of next year,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said.

And WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency would not endorse a vaccine if it is not effective and safe.

Russia has already approved a vaccine, and research published in The Lancet medical journal on Friday said patients involved in early tests developed antibodies with “no serious adverse events.”

But scientists cautioned the trials were too small – just 76 participants – to prove safety and effectiveness. AFP

STRONGARM.

Police tackle protesters in Melbourne on September 5, 2020 during a rally protesting the state’s strict lockdown laws as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus. AFP

US first lady defends Trump over alleged ‘losers’ MELANIA Trump on Friday defended her husband against allegations that he referred to US Marines buried in a WWI cemetery in France as “losers” and “suckers.”

In a rare public statement, the US first lady rejected as “not true” the accusations made in an article published in The Atlantic magazine.

“It has become a very dangerous time when anonymous sources are believed above all else, & no one knows their motivation. This is not journalism – It

MANHATTAN SKYLINE.

A visitor watches a video presentation in an elevator at Edge at Hudson Yards as the city continues Phase 4 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on September 4, 2020 in New York City. The fourth phase allows outdoor arts and entertainment, sporting events without fans and media production.

AFP

is activism. And it is a disservice to the people of our great nation,” she tweeted.

On Thursday The Atlantic reported – citing four anonymous sources who said they had firsthand knowledge of the discussions – that President Donald Trump had referred to US Marines buried in a World War I cemetery in France as “losers” and “suckers” for getting killed in action.

When visiting France in November 2018 for the centenary of the end of the Great War, Trump did not visit the Aisne-

Marne American Cemetery near Paris as originally planned – officially because bad weather grounded his helicopter.

But the magazine disputed that version of events.

The backlash was swift, and Trump sent a barrage of tweets to defend himself.

“The Atlantic magazine is dying, like most magazines, so they make up a fake story in order to gain some relevance,” wrote the president, who went on to assail the report as “a disgrace” in a briefing to White House reporters. AFP

Russia defies sanctions threat over Navalny poisoning RUSSIA defied threats of new sanctions over the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, as US President Donald Trump said on Friday he had not yet seen proof that the Kremlin critic was a victim of Moscow’s Novichok programme.

A new crisis in ties between Russia and the West broke out after Germany said this week there was “unequivocal evidence” that President Vladimir Putin’s top foe had been poisoned using the Soviet-era nerve agent.

Western leaders and many Russians have expressed horror at what Navalny’s allies say is the first known use of chemical weapons against a high-profile opposition leader on Russian soil.

The 44-year-old lawyer fell ill on a Siberian flight last month and was evacuated to Germany for treatment. He has been in an artificially induced coma for the past two weeks.

The Kremlin again denied responsibility for the attack on Friday.

“A whole number of theories including poisoning were considered from the very first days,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “According to our doctors, this theory has not been proved.”

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Germany’s justice ministry had so far failed to share any findings with Moscow’s prosecutors, adding that Russian authorities had “nothing to hide.”

Trump said Friday he had yet to see proof from Berlin that Navalny had been poisoned.

“I don’t know exactly what happened. I think it’s tragic, it’s terrible, it shouldn’t happen,” the president told a press conference.

AFP

12 killed in Bangladesh mosque gas explosion A SUSPECTED gas explosion tore through a Bangladesh mosque killing at least 12 people while dozens suffered life-threatening burns, police said Saturday.

Worshippers were at Friday evening prayers when the blast sent a ball of flames through the mosque in the central district of Narayanganj, emergency services said.

Investigators suspected a spark from an air conditioner – which came on after a power cut – set off the gas.

“Leaked gas entered the mosque,” Narayanganj fire chief Abdullah Al Arefin told AFP. “When they shut the windows and doors and switched on the air conditioners there was an electricity spark that led to the explosion inside the mosque.”

The 12 who died were among 37 taken to a specialist burns hospital in Dhaka in critical condition, said hospital spokesman Samanta Lal Sen. He added that all had suffered 70 to

80 percent burns.

Police said at least 45 people were injured by the blast and that people had spoken of smelling a gas leak.

In Bangladesh, safety regulations are often flouted in construction. Hundreds are killed each year in fires in the nation of 168 million people.

In February last year, an inferno in Dhaka’s old quarter killed 78 people.

One month later, 25 people were killed when a blaze engulfed a Dhaka office block. AFP

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@manilastandard.net

7-Eleven adapts to pandemic protocols

Young restaurateur drives through the crisis A YOUNG entrepreneur who employs more than a hundred people needed to tap her creative side to keep her dine-in restaurant at a busy nook of Quezon City afloat amid the pandemic.

“Our sales have gone down 80 percent because of the pandemic. That is a huge blow to our company because our rent is still running. We tried to do online orders, we tried to do dine-in, so we accumulated Meralco and other utility bills,” says Alexangela ‘Gila’ Salvador, the 25-year-old founder of MadCafe, a popular restaurant along Congressional Ave. Salvador says amid the serious financial and health challenges, she chose to keep the restaurant open and her staff on the payroll.

“Even if no customer comes, we still have to pay the salaries of our staff. It was really tough on us and has depleted some of my savings, but overall we are still in a good position as a company. It is a good thing we prepared and saved before the pandemic. If not, we would have been among the companies that closed down their doors,” says Salvador, who recently joined the 2020 Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant.

Salvador runs an interior design and construction company, a chain of restaurants and a realty development company that is building her own hotel in Siargao Island.

Her companies include Madhouse Design Studio, Mad Cafe Inc. and Maddev Realty Development Corp. that develops lots into commercial spaces and residences.

Salvador says MadCafe was doing well before the pandemic, attracting families, office workers and students. “Before Covid, there were lots of people in the restaurant from all walks of life. We have play area, dining area, study area. It is a combination of different things to do because we want to attract families and coffee goers,” she says.

“When Covid hit, it hit our business really bad that the main business model was replaced. No one wanted to dine in. As an entrepreneur, I wanted to figure out the way to survive this pandemic and keep my restaurant and to give jobs continuously to the workers,” she says.

Salvador says many restaurants had to close shop when the government imposed the enhanced community quaratine, with only delivery and drive-thru services allowed to operate.

Inventive and resourceful, she used her resources and manpower as a contractor to transform the parking lot of Mad Cafe into a pop-up drive-thru space, with a kiosk in the middle.

“I have noticed that under quarantine, the restaurant model with drive-thru were the ones that were able to do well. Even throughout the ECQ, they were able to offer their drive-thru services. We wanted to try out this model, so it would be more convenient for our clients to get drinks and food from us,” she says.

Mad Cafe began its drive-thru services in June, offering drinks such as coffee fix, milk tea and fruit tea as well as frozen food.

“I thought about the drive-thru in June when the dining option was open at limited capacity. We were able to open only at 30-percent capacity and I noticed that even in the entire day, only one or two tables would be occupied. People were still afraid and I was like how could I get these drinks and food to the people rather than just bring them to their houses by online order or ask them to come here,” she says.

Salvador says it took them only three days to build the entire pop-up store and drive-thru because of her engagement in construction.

“I realized that online orders would not be enought to sustain the business and banking on dine-in with bigger staffing and electricity consumption would also be inneffrctive.

I took a leap of faith and put up a drive thru in my own parking lot where people can just drive by to get either their coffee fix or milktea cravings,” she says.

“So right now, at Congressional Ave., we have 5,000 car traffic, and we have a 1-percent market capture per day. That is much more than what we can get with the dine-in under quarantine,” she says.

“The maximum capacity of the drive-thru is 100 drinks a day. Before with dine-in, we were just able to sell 20 drinks. Right now, we are able to sell more than 70 drinks a day,” she says. “Residents here are happy

that they can just drop by and get their coffee, milk tea or even frozen food like kare kare.”

Salvador plans to keep the drive-thru services until December and replicate this in other locations through franchising.

“We want to create a new franchise model which is a drive-thru cafe where we will be planting all around Metro Manila the convenience of getting coffee or milk tea,” she says.

“Drive-thru has helped our business a lot, but I am not saying it has helped us not to have layoffs. We haven’t laid off anyone in the company, but our work force which was 30 per shift is now only seven. We are just fortunate that we have other branches opening soon, so that our staff will be spread across those branches.

The drive-thru has helped us a lot in terms of salary, our rentals, our electricity bills.

It helped us survive until the end of the year,” says Salvador.

Salvador targets to have five MadCafe branches with drive-through services this year. “It is sad to say that a lot of businesses have closed down on good locations.

We want to try to get those locations. For franchising, we build it, we construct and design, provide the equipment, provide the trained staff, provide the initial stocks and the management of the kiosks. MadCafe will manage everything for them,” she says.

Salvador encourages other restaurateurs not to lose hope. “For those who had to close down their shops, it is not over. It is just a setback for you. You can change the plan. I always say, write your plans in pencil, but your goals in pen. Because you have to prepare for changes. You might close your doors today, but that doesn’t mean it will be closed forever. You strategize, take a step back and be creative. Think about how you can back on your feet and become much stronger than before,” she says.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

Grant Thornton releases business guide to navigating the impact of pandemic THE retail industry was severely impacted by the global outbreak of COVID-19 and currently faces significant market, financial, people and operational challenges.

The pandemic has affected parts of the industry in different ways. For instance, the grocery sector struggled with supply chain issues, while consumer goods and apparel businesses have been challenged by store closures and rapid growth of online sales.

In light of helping companies in the retail industry, Grant Thornton International Ltd. produced a publication titled ‘Retail: Navigating the Impact of COVID-19’ for retail businesses’.

“As non-essential trading was halted in many parts of the world, many businesses have experienced a significant drop in revenue with store closures. As a result of this,

many retail staff were made redundant or worked reduced hours during the pandemic,” said P&A Grant Thornton chairperson and CEO Marivic Espano.

She underscored the importance of the retail businesses to focus on liquidity, cost management, debt and restructuring to assess, protect and restore value for their business.

“This publication will provide some guidance on the steps required to position themselves for the ‘new normal’ that is emerging after the lockdown restrictions are eased,” she said.

Retailers need to ensure their businesses are resilient going forward, she said. Lenders and stakeholders need to know there is a working strategy for transitioning from the present disruption to operating in the new normal. Othel V. Campos

Marivic Españo

THE COVID-19 pandemic, without a doubt, is an unforeseen event that affected almost every business sector all over the world. In the Philippines, the government had to take measures similar to what other countries have done—impose a halt among many businesses which led many people to either work from their respective homes, if applicable, or become temporarily unemployed.

According to Philippine Seven Corp., the exclusive local licensor of 7-Eleven convenience store chain, it is also affected by the enhanced community quarantine implemented by the government in mid-March/ However, it tried to continue serving the public by having more than 50 percent of its stores nationwide in operation because it can still sell food and cleaning items which were identified as essentials under guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Some 7-Eleven stores are allowed to open only at daytime or maintain its usual 24/7 operation depending on the store’s location.

In general, 7-Eleven stores made it a point to take part in the government’s protocol to surpass the pandemic and contribute to the safety of customers while serving their needs. To ensure the safety of customers, 7-Eleven put up signs reminding their customers to wear face masks before entering the store and sanitize their hands, provided with alcohol on the entrance.

7-Eleven stores also ensure that handrails and most frequently touched areas are being sanitized for added safety. Stores are also putting up floor stickers to ensure social distancing between customers.

PSC identified which stores will and shall be opened based on its location and other qualifications it has set. The company also helped its franchisees perform the necessary precautions by supplying the latter with safety-need items and constantly communicating with them and reminding them to follow local government protocols.

PSC took advantage of the government mandated rules on hazard pay and kept its store employees, who are also considered as frontliners by the community, updated with the benefits they can get.

As for its franchisees, some of them took initiatives such as renting places for their staff to stay that are near assigned stores since mass transportation was suspended.

Franchisee Richard Murillo saw that many of his staff will have a hard time travelling to work. To solve this, he rented an apartment for his staff which is near the store.

Others gave allowances and relief. This is what Mariano Magbanua Jr., a franchisee of several 7-Eleven stores did. He gave his employees a P500 allowance and those working at stores that had to be closed due to the prevailing community quarantine were transferred to other stores that were allowed to open.

Similarly, franchisee Wenchelle Gamolo in Mindanao wanted her staff to stay employed for the duration of the ECQ. To do this, some of those working at the store that had to be closed under the ECQ were transferred to her store located in Kauswagan Bonbon.

These franchise-initiated activities aim to ease the burden their staff encounter every day during the pandemic.

Coca-Cola PH digitalizes operations Coca-Cola Philippines president Gareth McGeown

By Othel V. Campos BEVERAGE producer Coca-Cola Philippines has made its initial move to digitalize operations in making operations seamless and more efficient, powered by the latest technology to empower company associates to adapt to the changing business landscape during and post-COVID-19.

The company has been anticipating this development even before the pandemic turned everybody’s life upside-down, noting that the pandemic has not spared even the most adaptable and resilient businesses in the world.

“Internally, probably the big challenge for us was we were not so digitally enabled, I would say, but in the last two months, and over the next two months, all our sales representatives will be rolled out with tablets. They’ll have access to Microsoft Teams. They’ll have access to emails.

We’ll be able to connect much more than we did,” said Coca-Cola Philippines president Gareth McGeown.

Growing the e-commerce space of the company, specifically CokeBeverages.ph and Happiness on Demand, is a path that the company pursues right now.

McGeown said the pandemic has accelerated company’s plans to innovate to cover advancements in dealing both with customers and aggregators.

“I think we’re making progress. We’re getting our people to have access on tools, and we’re learning how to do it moving forward. That’s the biggest learning of this crisis, to be able to operate a business our size remotely, virtually. People are working from home, working in the field.

I think we still have a long way to go, but we’ve made a lot of progress in a short space of time,” McGeown said.

While productivity on WFH set-up has been a major challenge for a manufacturer of basic commodity, another daunting conundrum is the work-life-balance of employees.

Coca-Cola has spent billions and will continue to invest the same magnitude to

cover all the expenses required to protect employees and their families at the height of quarantine restrictions and thereafter.

These learnings pointed to delivering and getting the job done. While innovating via digitalization, Coca-Cola advanced its expansion program in creating additional production capacities armed with the conviction that the crisis, too, shall pass, sooner if not later.

While the government is optimistic on making a rebound before 2020 is over, so has Coca-Cola concretized plans to expanding to the regions.

Davao, Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga have been identified as the new manufacturing sites in Mindanao.

Coca-Cola is expecting to gain traction on its expansion plans as work and travel restrictions were partly lifted under the general community quarantine status.

The company is excited to deliver the investment opportunities in Mindanao.

“We’re really excited to be investing again in a massive facility down in Misamis Oriental and the for Santa Cruz plant,” McGeown said.

The projects in Mindanao are part of the $95-million investment package CocaCola announced in 2019. About $22 million or P1.1 billion was allocated for new production lines throughout the country and another P1 billion for a PET bottle recycling facility in General Trias, Cavite.

The facility will deploy cutting-edge technology and the best practices in the industry to establish the safest and most advances recycling process for plastic bottles.

Coca-Cola has devised special credit policies and incentives for partners particularly its more than 5,000 delivery partners and distributors across the Philippines.

These partners are integral to the company’s continuing operations. They help the company ensure that essential hydration needs are available in local communities, especially during quarantine when mobility is limited.

Youth & Culture B1

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

Bernadet­te Lunas, Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

@MStandardLIFE

Filipino teachers on adjusting to distance learning T

HE sudden shift to distance learning has had teachers scrambling for urgent solutions to efficiently and effectively teach their students, who are also grappling with the changes.

Filipino educators work double time to upskill and equip themselves with the digital tools and alternatives (e.g. using DIY mirrors to show their notes to their class).

“Being equipped with the right tools to teach 21st century learners is the responsibility of every teacher across the country, as this is our sworn obligation to uphold our nation’s goals and create a better future for our next generations,” said Sarah Mae Columnas, a teacher from Mansasa National High School in Bohol.

Columnas takes advantage of free platforms available such as Canva for Education, a product designed for educational institutions catering to K-12.

It offers thousands of templates and a library of premium royalty-free images, as well as features intended to facilitate simultaneous collaboration between students and teachers in the classroom or remotely.

“I encouraged one of my colleagues to use Canva for Education as well and walked her through the process. We have come to realize that it is truly a gift to Filipino teachers,” shared Columnas.

Another huge challenge educators face today is migrating everything they use in their classroom to a digital setting. There’s also the task of adding variety to their teaching repertoire and curriculum, to ensure lessons remain just as engaging as in a physical setting.

Michelle Brabante, school director of Minido Preschool in Marinduque, said she uses Canva for Education to create video lessons for her students using the

platform’s talking presentations feature.

“The students really respond well to our talking presentations; it makes them happy, they feel more connected to us educators, and they’re certainly more engaged with the content we go through,” she shared.

The platform also features a range of Classroom Kits, inspired by real-life physical classroom set-ups, which come with templates, illustrations, and photos.

To enable collaboration among the whole class, Canva for Education also includes a collaboration space, a review workflow, access to content from Google Drive, Dropbox, Folders, version history, and SSO with Clever and Google.

“We like working together, and we love that Canva for Education allows us to do our tasks as a team,” added Brabante.

It also includes add-ons such as education-specific content, enables the creation of captivating videos, and allows access to Giphys, over 2 million images, 800,000 icons and illustrations, over 700 fonts, YouTube integrations, and QR codes.

Ryan Alvin Torrejos, teacher from German European School Manila, shared, “I know I will still be using Canva for Education for many years to come, even when students are allowed back into their physical classrooms. I am always recommending it to all my co-teachers, and all the other teachers I know.”

K-12 teachers in the Philippines may visit www. canva.com/education to sign-up for free Canva for Education account.

Several FIlipino teachers take advantage of free platforms available to help them efficiently and effectively teach their students.

VIRTUAL VISUALS. A product designed for K-12 teachers, Canva for Education offers thousands of templates, access to images and illustrations, themed classroom set-ups, and a collaboration space that allow educators to make distance learning as engaging as in a physical setting.

Auction to feature works by Tampinco, Zobel MASTERPIECES by revered Filipino artists will go under the hammer at Casa de Memoria’s third major auction this year on September 26.

Dubbed Tercero, the sale, happening online at 2:00 p.m. will feature over 200 European and Filipino pieces including a pair of 20th century fine prints by Spanish-Filipino artist and philanthropist Fernando Zobel de Ayala y Montojo.

Titled “La Piedra del Caballo” and “Fragmento del Altar Mayor de la Catedral de Santiago,” the pair of numbered facsimiles traces its provenance back to the sold souvenirs from the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español in Cuenca, Spain.

“La Piedra del Caballo” is a fine print based on the 1975 original watercolor and ink on paper work in Zóbel’s sketchbook, while “Fragmento del Altar Mayor de la Catedral de Santiago” is his abstract rendition of a section of the Altar Mayor with the pulpit of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.

Starting bid for the Zobel prints (lot 194) is P30,000.

A sculpture by the Father of Philippine Art Nouveau, Isabelo Tampinco is also a much-awaited piece to be auctioned off. A gladiator soldier in plaster cast, the sculpture bears a comparable likeness to his work at the National Museum of the Philippines, especially in terms of size and subject.

'La Piedra del Caballo' and 'Fragmento del Altar Mayor de la Catedral de Santiago'

by Fernando Zobel de Ayala y Montojo.

HEY, YOUTH! SHARE your unpublished essays with the readers of Manila Standard. Chosen essays will be published in the Young Life corner that comes out every Sunday.

This space is open for young writers, aged 13-29 years old.

Send your essay (maximum of 800 words) with photo/s, if available, to manilastandardlife@gmail.com with the subject: “Young Life - (title of your essay)” along with a brief description of yourself.

It is up for sale with a starting bid of P90,000.

Other specially curated lots to be sold at Tercero include the 20th century Spanish lithograph titled “The Creation of Eve” by renowned surrealist artist Salvador Dali whose price starts at P60,000.

Part of the auction proceeds will be donated to the Santa Ana Hospital in Manila for the construction and maintenance of an enhanced quarantine facility for medical frontliners and COVID-19 patients.

Explore the Tercero auction pieces at bit.ly/ CasaDeMemoriaOnline.

Call (02) 8253-3994 or email hello@casadememoria.com for more details.

A gladiator soldier in plaster cast

by Isabelo Tampinco.

CHECK THIS OUT

American illusionist David Blaine flies over the Arizona desert strapped and holding on to giant helium balloons.

(Screenshots from David Blaine / YouTube)

David Blaine goes ‘Up’ AMERICAN illusionist David Blaine once again did what he does best: pushing the boundaries and doing things that seem unlikely.

He went up in the air using a bunch of giant helium balloons.

Yes, like the 2009 Pixar film Up. But according to Blaine, his latest stunt dubbed “Ascension,” was inspired by the 1956 French short film The Red Balloon, a story about a young boy who befriends a red balloon with a mind of its own.

“Every single stunt that I’ve ever done is about endurance and pushing past what I thought would be possible,” Blaine said in a video before his performance.

His previous stunts—mostly death-defying—included being buried alive for seven days, standing in a block of ice for 72 hours, and being electrified.

For “Ascension,” livestreamed on YouTube, he floated 24,900 feet over the Arizona dessert, strapped and holding on to a cluster of 50 balloons (just like the kid in the movie) while he was talking to his daughter mid-flight. He then jumped and parachuted back to the ground with no reported injury.

David Blaine said he did the stunt for his daughter.

B2

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor E-mail: jdlacsamana@gmail.com

Home/Design

EXPANSION IN THE WORKS. Completed housing units in PHirst Park Homes Tanza .

Century Properties eyes leasing, affordable housing in new normal

EAL estate firm Century Properties Group (CPG) recently announced that it will continue its expansion to leasing and affordable housing, and face the new normal guided by the principles of innovation, resilience, growth and sustainability.

R

Addressing stockholders in an online meeting last week, president and chief executive officer Marco R. Antonio (shown in photo), cited the company’s strong balance sheet and increased liquidity, which he said is fueling CPG’s positive outlook for these two high-growth business segments.

He revealed that CPG will continue to “diversify our portfolio towards the original goal of balanced contributions from affordable housing, commercial leasing, and in-city vertical developments businesses.”

Softening market not a threat In the first half of 2020, CPG saw the combined net income contributions from the two business segments jump to Php225 million or 42% of the total net income of P546 million, compared with the 29% contribution level of the same period last year.

CPG executive chairman Jose E.B. Antonio said while there might be some perceived softening in the market due to prevailing economic sentiments, the company sees affordable housing demand to continue “as it serves the need of a real market,

DRAWING A BEAD ON THE LEASING BUSINESS. Century Diamond Tower in Century

City, Makati

that is, first home buyers, especially for quality and strategically located projects.”

He noted the same is true for office leasing, especially for projects located within developments that are ecosystems in themselves, such as CPG’s project in Century City, Makati.

The company’s affordable housing brand, PHirst Park Homes, announced in July that it is launching its 7th community in Magalang, Pampanga later this year.

PHirst has maintained its sales momentum and posted reservation sales of 1,548 units for the first six months of 2020 worth Php3.120 billion from six projects in Tanza, Cavite; San Pablo and Calamba, Laguna; Pandi, Bulacan; and Lipa and Nasugbu, Batangas totaling 97 hectares.

For commercial leasing, CPG announced on August 25 that it added 25,000 square meters of floor area to its commercial leasing portfolio, growing it to 137,000 square meters of gross floor area this year after it acquired the 40% stake of joint venture partner Mitsubishi Corporation’s subsidiary in the newly-completed, PEZAaccredited Century Diamond Tower in Makati.

Taking on new market opportunities For its core guiding principles moving forward, the company promised to take on new market opportunities with a focus on innovation, resilience and growth, and sustainability.

Under innovation, CPG president Antonio said the company will utilize the exponential capabilities of technology to serve altered customer preferences, address pain points, and deliver more efficient services.

A1E, partners distribute insulin plant to seniors, diabetics

BOOMING AGRO-INDUSTRIAL HUB. As businesses across the Philippines reel from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Damosa Land Inc.’s Anflo Industrial Estate Corporation (AIEC) in Davao del Norte is firing up economic activity, opening an estimated 500 new jobs after four more locators launched their operations last month. Local companies Southern Harvest, Inc., a banana-chips processing and packaging company, Foam Pack, a foam manufacturing company that produces foam products used in the agricultural industry, PMR Pallet Ltd. Co., a pallet manufacturing company, and Connovate Philippines, a corporation that uses high-performance concrete building technology for construction, are the newest addition to the agro-industrial hub. “Even amidst the pandemic our nation faces, AIEC continues to see a boom in construction, with most new locators on track to open their facilities by the end of the year,” said Damosa Land Inc. (DLI) head Ricardo “Cary” Floirendo Lagdameo. Meanwhile, the nearby Davao International Container Terminal (DICT), which is a sister company of AIEC, is operating at full capacity. The 15-hectare seaport has an annual capacity of 800,000 twenty-foot container units. DICT is a joint venture between Anflo Management and Investment Corp.(AMIC) and DoleStanfilco, the leading producers and exporters of fresh Cavendish bananas in the Philippines.

MODERN LIVING IN CEBU. City di Mare is an all-in-one master-planned township set to reinvent modern living at the heart of Cebu City. One of Filinvest’s flagship projects, City di Mare continues to make progress, recently acquiring an additional 9.6 hectares of land to be developed into a mixed-use project featuring residential, office, commercial, and retail components in South Road Properties (SRP), Cebu. City di Mare has already begun revamping modernday living for Cebuanos with residential buildings that are ready for occupancies, such as Sanremo Oasis and Amalfi. To offer its residents a venue to unwind and enjoy, it is near IL Corso by Filinvest Lifemalls. For more updates on upcoming developments, visit www.citydimare.com.

STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE. Since the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) started in Metro Manila, different infrastructure projects were resumed after months of delay. But the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic are far from gone. With projects continuing and infection rates increasing each day, blue-collar workers are most at risk particularly those who work in the construction sector. The Philippines Domestic Construction Board (PDCP) recently organized a technical working group to draft the “construction guidelines for project implementation during the period of public health emergency.” The guidelines emphasize the importance of project planning—from supply logistics to equipping the labor force. Logistics provider JP Marzan Project Ventures Inc. believes that companies need to change their approach when it comes to planning. “Due to sudden changes, what was then the “norm” can no longer be the option if they want to ensure the safety of their workforce,” stressed Jay Marzan, chairman of JP Marzan Project Ventures Inc. He vowed that his company meet the challenges of the globalized market and serves as a reliable partner for the country’s economic growth. “With our services to plan projects and provide logistics, our company is prepared with the best equipment to help the country,” Marzan said.

WONDER PLANTS. Officers of Atimonan Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) Office receive some 400 insulin plants from the Atimonan One Energy (A1E).

ATIMONAN, QUEZON—With no choice but to stay indoors, many have turned to “plantitos” and “plantitas”- a new term for those now into the gardening craze.

What if more people start growing herbs with natural health benefits? The insulin plant (Costus Igneus), an herb originating from India is used to lower sugar-levels of people with diabetes. The fresh leaves are boiled to create herbal tea, or can be chewed directly by diabetics.

Healthier lifestyle “The pandemic emphasized the need for a healthier lifestyle,” explained Litz Santana, VP and head for external affairs of Meralco PowerGen. “As a way of empowering the community, we partnered with the Atimonan LGU, the Barangay Health Workers Association and the Senior Citizens Affairs Office to distribute insulin seedlings to senior citizens and households with diabetics.”

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of heart attacks, blindness, kidney failure, lower limb amputation and stroke. Its prevalence is widespread especially in low to middle-income countries like the Philippines. The Rural Health Unit of Atimonan estimates that there is around 2,500 diabetics in Atimonan.

OSCA’s president Mr. Pedrito Reynoso said he will encourage the members of his organization to grow the insulin plants, and other medicinal herbs.

Big win for community The Atimonan local government, meanwhile, helped in the delivery of the plants to nine health stations in Barangays Balubad, Caridad Ibaba, San Isidro, Malinao Ilaya, Malusak, San Rafael, Lubi, San Andres Labak and Poblacion The project was also a win for the New Carinay Homeowners Association (NCHAI) farmers group who propagated and delivered the plants. A1E bought the seedlings as a form of livelihood support to the group.

A1E is the developer of the proposed 1,200-megawatt high efficiency, low emissions (HELE) coal-fired power plant in Barangay Villa Ibaba, Atimonan, Quezon. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGen), the power generation arm of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

Entertainment

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

B3

Nickie Wang, Editor; E-mail: nickie.standard@ gmail.com

Boy next door

By Paul Manuel Fule HE MAY have good looks that make people turn their heads whenever he passes by, but this Filipino-British student-athlete from the northern part of the country has more to offer than his boy-next-door image.

Dyrham “Ham” Raga Palfrey is a future swimming superstar.

He repre-

“Pambansang Cutie,” he finished with a silver medal in the annual national sports event.

“I want to thank whoever posted my photos online, because of that I was recognized in public news. I feel great being one of the Palarong Pambansa cuties,” he shares.

“Swimming helps me maintain a healthy body,” says Ham who started swimming a t the age of six. He also

Swimming heartthrob Dyrham Palfrey, 20, dreams of representing the country in SEA Games and the Olympics.

sented the National University in the UAAP seasons 79 and 80 and won two bronze medals. He won in the Preliminaries Boys 13-17 200-Meter Individual Medley clocking his best 2:26:91, and in the 200-Meter Medley Relay with teammates Jay Cabulit, Dan Leyba, and Jericho Salas.

Ham, who is now part of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) swimming team, was born on Jan. 21, 2000 to David Andrew Palfrey and Aurora Bautista Raga in San Carlos, Pangasinan. He has two younger twin siblings named Anthony and Angela.

The 5-foot-10 head-turner just finished grade 10 at Saint C o l u m b a n’s College.

He broke the internet when his photo got featured in GMA news during the Palarong Pambansa 2016 held in Albay. Tagged as

plays basketball, chess, and badminton.

His competition in 2012 held in Dagupan Pangasinan was his most unforgettable game. He and his team won gold medals in their relay. He was barely 12 years old during that time.

Ham lists American Olympian Michael Phelps as his idol and his main goal as an athlete is to join international swimming competitions like SEA Games and the Olympic.

On the side, Ham does product endorsements.

He’s one of the brand ambassadors of Blackwater fragrance, Turbo swimwear, and David’s Salon.

He also modeled for Elite Avenue Magazine.

Apart from being an athlete, the Fil-Brit swimming champion is also a brand ambassador.

Garrett Bolden, Kyryll receive top recognitions at 33rd Awit Awards THE Clash season 1 alumni Garrett Bolden and Kyryll are more inspired and ready to conquer greater heights on the music scene following their wins at the 33rd Awit Awards held via livestream on Aug. 29.

After being named as New Male Recording Artist of the Year at the 11th PMPC Star Awards for Music last January, the soul balladeer is humbled to receive the People's Choice Awards for Favorite New Male Artist at this year’s Awit Awards.

“I’m really thankful because I didn’t expect to receive any award, especially during this time. I owe it to my ever-supportive fans. I always give my best in all my performances for them because that's one way of reciprocating their love and support for me,” related Garrett.

Meanwhile, Kyryll bagged the Best Performance By A New Female Recording Artist for her performance of “Silent Rumblings,” under GMA Music.

She expressed her sincerest gratitude to the people behind this significant milestone.

“I was really surprised.

It feels overwhelming to be recognized by PARI for my very first single.

I don’t know how to put into words how grateful I am to GMA and my fans who have been there for me since The Clash,” she said.

The Awit Awards is given by the Philippine Association of the Recording Industry (PARI) to recognize the best in the Philippine music industry.

FILIPINO PRIDE. Local songbirds (clockwise) Jayda, KZ Tandingan, Moira Dela Torre, Jona, Xela, and Lesha.

Region’s top female music artists unite for ‘Heal’ project R

ECORDING stars Jayda, Jona, Kyla, KZ Tandingan, Lesha, Moira Dela Torre, and Xela are collaborating with some of the most popular talents and emerging artists in Southeast Asia’s music scene.

Indonesian singers Rinni Wulandari and Yura Yunita, Malaysian artists DOLLA and Shalma Eliana, Singaporean talents Haneri and Haven, and Thai artist Valentina Ploy join local singers to deliver a message of hope in their upcoming single “Heal.”

These Southeast Asian artists lend their therapeutic voices for the inspirational song produced by ABS-CBN Music International which will drop on digital streaming platforms on Friday, Sept. 11.

The “Heal” project, a first in the region, seeks to convey love and spur unity for everyone’s healing during these trying times. It was composed by ABSCBN Music creative director Jonathan Manalo, Moophs, and Alex Godinez aka Xela. Jonathan also served as its over-all producer.

The collaboration is also a #StreamToDonate project, with all of the participating artists donating their share of fees and royalties to ABS-CBN’s “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig,” a fund-raising campaign

Single cover for 'Heal,' a music collaboration among top female music artists in the region.

which aims to provide relief to Filipinos who have lost their sources of livelihood due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The single is just one of ABS-CBN Music International’s endeavors, which seeks to introduce the unique artistry of

Filipinos to global audiences and more recently, bring in international talents and music to the Philippines.

Pre-save the song at backl. ink/142760252 before it drops on various digital streaming platforms.

Doja Cat releases full version of ‘Freak’

GMA Music artists Garett Bolden and Kyryll (top)

MULTI-PLATINUM rapper and record producer Doja Cat has officially released “Freak” at all digital service providers via Kemosabe/RCA Records.

The track, which Doja initially uploaded to her SoundCloud last year quickly became a viral sensation on TikTok with over 1.2 million original creations. With over five million streams on SoundCloud, she treats fans by releasing the full track across all platforms while she works on new music.

Doja was one of the performers at the VMAs—which aired live on MTV on Aug. 30—where she was nominated for three awards.

Born and raised in L.A., Doja Cat made her first upload to Soundcloud in 2013 at just 16 years old. She develMultiplatinum artist Doja Cat has made her oped a knack for music by studying 2018 track ‘Freak’ available to stream across all piano and dance as a kid and listening platforms.

to the likes of Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, Nicki Minaj, and Drake. Soon, she went from obsessing over Catwoman (the Halle Berry version) to “crate digging” on YouTube. The budding talent taught herself Logic and how to compose on a midi controller.

Signed to RCA during 2014, she has released her Purrr! EP and followed with her debut album Amala in spring 2018, but it was her August 2018 release of “Mooo!” which catapulted her into the mainstream and was met with critical acclaim.

In 2019, she was named the iHeart Radio “On The Verge” artist, with “Juicy” reaching #1 on the Rhythm radio chart and top 10 at Urban. Hot Pink has received rave reviews in the press and continues to be recognized as her strongest work to date with nearly 2 billion streams and video views combined.

B4

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

Desiree Carlos, Editor

Pets

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

Wet noses and healthy dogs T

The dry nose

HAT cold, wet nose against your skin can still surprise you, right?

Some people may tell you a dry nose means the dog is sick.

This is not true, said Sullivan.

It is just an “old wives’ tale” that a dry nose is not normal, she said.

There are many reasons a dog’s nose is dry, said Guo: 1. The dog had a long sleep and was thus not able to lick his nose.

2. The dog slept in a warm room with low humidity levels which made the nose dry.

“Before you run to the vet, Guo recommends waiting to see if the dog’s nose becomes moist again as the day goes on,” Sullivan said.

3. Certain breeds of dogs have drier noses.

“In my experience, most brachycephalics [dogs with short snouts like Bulldogs and Pugs] have slightly drier noses. I think that’s just because they’re less able to lick their noses,” Guo said.

4. Older dogs lose nose moisture as they age because they produce less mucus.

You may also find yourself cleaning glass surfaces of “nose prints” a lot of times.

But have you ever wondered why a dog’s nose is always wet?

The liquid on your dog’s nose is a mixture of saliva and mucus, said Megan Sullivan in “Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?” in petmd.com.

Sullivan, citing Dr. Anita Guo, a veterinarian at the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital in London, explained that “A dog’s nose secretes its own, thin layer of mucus, and dogs add even more mucus and saliva by licking their noses frequently.”

“The details may be a little icky, but having a wet nose serves a few vital functions for dogs,” Sullivan said.

Functions of a wet nose 1. A nose that is moist helps a dog regulate his body temperature, says Guo. “ Dogs don’t have sweat glands all over their bodies like we do, so they rely on sweat glands in their noses and the pads of their feet to help maintain a safe internal temperature,” Sullivan said.

2. Dogs cool down their body using the moisture of the nose. The same also helps them evaporate heat.

3. A dog’s wet nose contributes to a dog’s incredible sense of smell. “When dogs inhale, tiny scent particles floating in the air get trapped in their nose mucus. This helps them to break down and interpret odors,” Guo explained.

4. Dogs lick their noses to help themselves “smell” more deeply. “When a dog licks his nose, his tongue picks up some of the scent particles trapped in his nose’s mucus. He then touches his tongue to an olfactory gland called the Jacobson’s organ on the roof of his mouth....which gives him an even more nuanced reading of the chemical compounds that make up odors,” Sullivan stressed.

“Their sense of smell is obviously much, much better than humans’ and we think this is the reason why,” Guo said.

When to bring your dog to a vet A dry nose alone is not cause for worry.

But there are certain nose conditions that should prompt an owner to bring the dog to the vet immediately.

1. Any change in the color of the nose.

2. If there is any bleeding, cracking, scaling.

3. If there are lumps and bumps around the muzzle or face or nose.

4. If the dog has a dry nose, AND is acting sick or behaving in a different or unusual manner.

“If the dog’s having a nosebleed, we definitely want to see the dog, especially if it happens quite often,” Guo said.

“Bottom line, if you notice any changes in the nose’s appearance, or changes in your dog’s behavior accompanied by a dry nose, you should always err on the side of caution and get your dog checked out,” Sullivan said.

If the dog has a dry nose but looks normal and healthy, there is no need to go to the vet. Observe your dog first.

“Obviously, the usual, wet-nosed dog is good, but if they do have a dry nose, it’s not the end of the world. I don’t want owners to worry if the nose is dry, unless there are other signs,” Guo said. DC

Noses of younger dogs are more moist. Senior dogs produce less mucus, thus their noses are not as wet as that of a young dog.

Oatmeal: a healthy snack for your doggo THIS breakfast food is easy to prepare and is good for humans and dogs.

Oatmeal is packed with protein, dietary fiber, vitamin A, iron, calcium, vitamin B-6, and magnesium.

Laura Mueller, in “Can Dogs Eat Oatmeal?” (The Spruce Pets) , said “All of the things that make oatmeal good for humans also makes it good for dogs—with a few caveats.”

“A reason why oatmeal is a healthy option for dogs is that it’s relatively bland on its own. Oats cooked just with water—and with no added milk, sugar, or other rich oatmeal toppings—offer your pup a wholesome snack or meal topper that provides all of the vitamins and nutrients mentioned above without any additives that you have to worry about,” Mueller added.

It is also god for the dog if you put extra warm (not hot) water to the oatmeal after it has cooked.

PET TALES

BY DESIREE CARLOS

Warning Because of oatmeal’s high fiber content, it is good for dogs who have gastrointestinal or bowel issues. But if the dog has a sensitive stomach, please ask your vet before adding any human food in the dog’s diet.

Choosing the right oatmeal Oatmeal is a healthy snack for your dog if you choose the right variety and you cook it correctly.

Here are guidelines you must follow to avoid any issues: • Cook the oatmeal before giving it to your dog. Never feed the dog raw oats.

• Give only whole grains to dogs or oatmeal made from whole grain oats. Processed grains have less health benefits, and can upset your dog’s stomach.

• Stick to the basics. Check the list of ingredients first if you have chosen prepackaged oatmeal. Some varieties contain added sugar or other flavorings. These are not good for dogs.

• Give only a small amount as plain, cooked oatmeal contains about 150 calories per cup. Dogs do not need a lot of calories. A 25-pound dog, for example, should eat only about 550 calories a day to maintain their weight. A spoonful (or two) of oatmeal is more than enough.

• Oatmeal is not a meal replacement.

Oatmeal does not contain many of the nutrients necessary for a well-rounded canine diet. Use it only as a snack or a meal topper so that your dog will still get what he or she needs.

These are fruits you can give to your dog.

(Credit to the owner /creator of the poster that was shared in Facebook)

Safe food to add to oatmeal Never put brown sugar and maple syrup.

But here are some extras you can add to your dog’s oatmeal: 1. Peanut Butter: Please make sure you give only a teaspoon of an all-natural, nosugar-added variety.

2. Fruit: Look for a dog-friendly fruit and cut into bite-sized pieces and stir it in.

Some of the good fruits for dogs are bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and apples with no skin, seeds and core. Never give avocado and grapes.

3. Pureed Pumpkin: Pumpkin is also rich in fiber. It should be pure pumpkin, or boiled pumpkin, and not pump-

kin pie filling.

4. Cinnamon: Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory and brings added flavor to the food without adding calories. Dogs love cinnamon, Mueller said.

5. Plain Yogurt: Plain Greek or standard yogurt will make the oatmeal more delicious. It will bring in a further boost of calcium and vitamins. Please avoid flavored yogurts as they often have a very high sugar content.

6. Sunflower Seeds: Unsalted sunflower seeds are a powerful antioxidant.

They are great for dogs. REMOVE THE SHELL, then sprinkle a few kernels on top of your dog’s oatmeal.