Manila Standard - 2020 November 21 - Saturday by Manila Standard

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DSWD called out for P83-b unused funds By Maricel V. Cruz and Rey E. Requejo THE vice chairman of the House committee on appropriations on Friday appealed to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to spend over P83 billion in unused funds for typhoon victims before their validity expires at the start of 2021. Assistant Majority Leader and Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas said the DSWD should work overtime to help Filipinos affected by the succession of typhoons which hit the country in recent weeks.

GOODIES FOR CAGAYAN. Boxes of

assorted relief goods with DSWD markings are airlifted by the Philippine Air Force’s 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing for the benefit of typhoon victims in four towns of Cagayan as part of the government’s disaster relief operations. PAF

5 vaccines up for PH tests DOH: Any anti-COVID drug has to be cleared first by experts’ panel, FDA

By Willie Casas, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo

IVE potential vaccines against COVID-19 have already been submitted for possible clinical trials in the Philippines.

Science and Technology Secretary Jaime Montoya on Friday said these vaccines are Sinovac from China; Sputnik V from Russia; and vaccines from Janssen, Clover Biopharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca. Before clinical trials can be run, a

drug must get clearance from a panel of vaccine experts under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Once it is cleared by the DOST panel, it would also need approval from the Ethics Board and the Food Next page

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 260 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

COVID-19 PH

LOCAL ROUNDUP

AT A GLANCE

Davao City back to GCQ as cases spike

(AS OF 4 PM NOVEMBER 21)

415,067 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,639 31,805 NEW

ACTIVE

8,025

375,237

305

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

rants against Robredo had basis, and that the Palace saw no reason for the President to apologize to her. Roque mentioned the Vice President’s tweets and those of her daughters, even if

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte placed his hometown Davao City back under a general community quarantine (GCQ) until Nov. 30 due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, Malacanang announced Friday. In a statement, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Melquiades Feliciano, deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 for the cities of Bacolod and Cebu, has been assigned to head the Coordinated Operations to Defeat the Epidemic (CODE) teams that will be deployed in Davao City to assist in the response activities. GCQ is the third strictest in a 4-level lockdown scheme, Roque said. Only select businesses are allowed to

NEW

FRONTLINE PICKET. Health workers and members of the All UP Workers Union-Manila led by its newly-elected president Karen Mae S. Faurillo initiated a picket-rally at the atrium of the Philippine General Hospital to denounce the failure of the PGH management to provide them with their long-overdue benefits.

Robredo deplores ‘bullying’ of daughters; No apologies, Palace says By Rio N. Araja

“Now they are bullying my children,” she said in Tagalog on her Facebook post. “I have always been proud of the perVICE President Leni Robredo on Friday took a dig at the Palace for drag- sons my daughters have become. They ging her daughters into the issue of are their own persons. What they have accomplished, so far, are all borne out #NasaanAngPangulo.

WORLD ROUNDUP

• Experiment on 1m Sinos • 9m India cases NEARLY a million people have taken an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Chinese company Sinopharm, the firm said, although it has not yet provided any clear clinical evidence of efficacy. China has been giving experimental COIVD-19 vaccines to people including state employees, international students and essential workers heading abroad since July. Sinopharm’s chairman told the media this week that nearly a million people have now received their vaccine for emergency use, though he did not provide a specific figure. “We have not received a single report of severe adverse reaction, and only a few had some mild Next page

of their hard work. They never used our name or whatever little influence we have to get what they want,” she said. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, during Thursday’s media briefing, said President Rodrigo Duterte’s

House supermajority renews support for Speaker, agenda By Maricel V. Cruz LAWMAKERS from the so-called “supermajority” have renewed their commitment to support the leadership of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco as well as work for the speedy passage of priority legislations. This emerged as Velasco gathered leaders of political parties and coalitions

in a caucus Friday to forge unity in the chamber and set aside politics which had caused divisiveness especially during the speakership row last month. Deputy Speaker and 1-Pacman Rep. Michael Romero said “the objective of the Speaker is to unite the House and move forward. We agreed to prioritize Next page

Garin faces arrest over Dengvaxia By Rio N. Araja and Willie Casas THE Quezon City Regional Trial Court has ordered the arrest of ex-Health Secretary Janette Garin, now Iloilo representative, setting her arraignment on Nov. 27 for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide in connection with the Dengvaxia-related deaths of two school children. In two separate Nov. 18 omnibus orders, Branch 107 Judge Jose Bautista Janette Garin

BROADBAND BUDGET. Senator Panfilo Lacson (right) confers with former senator and now Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan during the deliberation on the budget of Honasan’s department on Friday, November 20, 2020. Lacson and Honasan belonged to the Philippine Military Academy’s Class of 1971. The Senate eventually added P6 billion to the DICT’s broadband project which was meant to boost the country’s internet services. (Story on A2) Albert Calvelo

News

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Broadband plan gets extra P6b

High court sets Jan. 19 hearing on terror law

Lacson issued the call to complete the funds for the national broadband program as P34 billion would be saved by the entire government from internet subscription within 5 years. He said the Senate would also incur savings . At present a Senator’s office is paying P2 million each year for internet services. He also said the government could also earn from the broadband services because they could exact payment from private telecommunication companies. Sen. Grace Poe also vouched to give DICT additional budget . She said that the students and employees who were working from home needed faster internet services now with the pandemic. She also recommended to the DICT to prioritize areas with no signal of the internet or those being refused by the

telecommunications companies. The government, she said, could build towers there so they could have cellular and internet signal. According to Poe. laying down crucial infrastructure for connectivity should not suffer budget cutbacks given its immense benefits to the people. “Making internet readily accessible and affordable to all Filipinos means wider opening for information, service and opportunity that the internet holds,” Poe said The DICT said that due to BAYANIHAN-2, the construction of cell towers were expedited. Earlier, more than 30 permits for the building of cell towers were ordered suspended. In just almost four months, the DICT had built 1,200 towers which can help improve internet services.

to give priority to certain sectors before reaching the whole expanded coverage. “We are still working on that. The President has given the priorities as discussed with the Secretary of Health and our vaccine czar. We are going to finalize our prioritization over the weekend,” Vergeire said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart. She said the government hopes to give the vaccine to 50 percent to 60 percent of the population. Initially, the department aimed to get 20 percent of the population vaccinated, but after discussions with the country’s vaccine czar, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., expanded the target coverage to 50 percent to 60 percent. Until this target is achieved, the public should continue observing minimum health standards—wear masks and maintain social distancing—to stem the spread of the virus, Vergeire said. The DOH, she added, would ensure transparency in its COVID-19 vaccination program. The Philippines, plans to purchase an initial 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Priority will be given to the poor, security forces, government front line workers and health care workers. Vergeire acknowledged that the logistical cost of delivering the vaccine across the country could be more expensive than the vaccine itself, especially if the vaccine requires ultra-low freezer storage. “We need to be able to cost the endto-end process before we eventually expand the coverage to include at least 50 percent of the population for this vaccine,” Vergeire said. “We are looking for many vaccines,

but for those which require ultra low freezer storage, that will require a lot of money because the cost will also include distributing these vaccines to different localities,” Vergeire said. Only COVID-19 vaccines developed by American firms Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been proven to be 95 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 infection so far. But the vaccine developed by Pfizer will require ultra-low freezer storage of -70 to -80 degrees Celsius, which poses great challenge for countries with a tropical climate and limited resources such as the Philippines. Galvez earlier said that the Philippines is finalizing COVID-19 vaccine supply deals from at least three manufacturers from US, UK and China, and such agreements should be sealed by the end of the month. The FDA said on Friday that the country’s vaccine expert panel recently received and is now studying the application of United Kingdom-based drug maker AstraZeneca to hold COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials in the Philippines. FDA Director General Eric Domingo said they recently accepted an application from the British pharmaceutical company that has partnered with Oxford University to develop and COVID-19 vaccine. Domingo said of all the applicants so far, only the Chinese company Sinovac has finished the pre-evaluation process of the vaccine expert panel. He said there were only a few more requirements left before Sinovac becomes the first company to hold clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines.

“The DSWD should go all out and spend up to the very last cent of its funds to ease the poor’s suffering, especially as this challenging year draws to a close,” Vargas, the panel’s vice chairman, said. Vargas said DSWD’s assistance will go a long way to help Filipinos who lost their homes and livelihood due to Typhoons Quinta, Rolly and Ulysses in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. “DSWD cannot let its unused funds simply expire at a time when many Filipinos need help. It should work double time to extend assistance to typhoon victims so they can start anew,” he said. It was revealed during the Senate’s plenary debates on the proposed 2021 national budget this week that DSWD has P75 billion of unused funds from its 2020 appropriation. Also, P1.5 billion of the agency’s 2019 budget remains unused, apart from the P6.7 billion in unobligated funds from the two “Bay-

anihan” laws passed by Congress to address the COVID-19 crisis. Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed around 835,399 families or over 3.5 million people in Luzon were affected by Typhoon Ulysses alone. The Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, said the three typhoons which hit the country between October and early November caused P10 billion worth of damage to agriculture. Meanwhile, the European Union and the governments of Sweden, Australia, United States, Germany, and New Zealand mobilized P182 million ($3.8 million) to aid about 260,000 Filipinos that have been severely affected by recent typhoons . The Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission (ECHO) has announced P74.5 million (US$1.54 million) aid. The Australian government has provided P33 million (US$0.7 million) through the World Food Program (WFP), UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Family Planning Organization

of the Philippines (FPOP). Sweden is providing P67.6 million ($1.4 million) through Save the Children, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and Plan International. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Germany have coursed their assistance totaling P7.2 million ($150,000) through existing projects with the UN Agency on Migration (IOM). Many governments are donating to the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, including the government of New Zealand that is providing a contribution of P7.2 million (US$150,000) through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. “With support from resource partners, the UN and humanitarian community translate international solidarity into concrete actions that combine emergency relief assistance and early recovery efforts to help people get back on their feet,” said UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez.

and expedite the legislative agenda of the President.” Romero, head of the 54-member Party-List Coalition, Inc., cited proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives

for Enterprises or CREATE Act, Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer or FIST Act, Rural Agricultural and Fisheries Development Financing System Act, and the bill creating the Department of Overseas Filipinos as among the Palace-backed measures. “We also agreed to legislate more COVID-19 measures to help our Fili-

pino citizenry survive and recover from the pandemic,” Romero added. Stalwarts of the ruling PDP-Laban, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party, Liberal Party, National Unity Party and the Party-List Coalition were among those who attended the meeting. Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers, member of Nacionalista Party who also

attended the meeting, said the lawmakers also vowed to enact the 2021 national government budget soonest so to have it readied for the President’s signing before yearend. Barbers also said the meeting “was also an opportunity for leaders and representatives of political parties and blocs to bond under the new leadership.”

Americans were on Friday facing a growing raft of coronavirus restrictions, even as pharma giant Pfizer and partner BioNTech prepared to file an emergency request to roll out their vaccine. California announced a night-time curfew and authorities urged people everywhere not to travel for Thanksgiving as the country was hit by a spike of more than 2,200 deaths – the worst daily toll since May. An emergency use authorization request for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was expected to be filed with the US Food and Drug Administration on Friday, the government and BioNTech’s co-founder said. The two candidates have taken the lead in the global chase for a solution, after large-scale trial data this month showed their jabs were around 95 percent effective. AFP

Robredo... From A1

Garin... From A1

those posts never mentioned Duterte. “Totoo (It’s true), they’re outspoken and rightfully so. We have trained them to stand up for themselves and what they believe in,” Robredo said. “They’re all adults now. They’re not in government. They are not politicians and they don’t plan to be,” she added. The Vice President’s spokesperson, Barry Gutierrez, also said in a Twitter post: “Good Lord, 69 Filipinos killed, 325,000 displaced, over P1.5B in damages,(sic) and this administration is now spending it’s (sic) time analyzing TWEETS by VP Leni’s daughters.“.

Jr. ruled “the court went over the record of the case and finds that probable cause exists to issue warrant of arrest against all accused.” While many of Garin’s co-accused were able to post bail before the Muntinlupa City Metropolitan Trial Court and other courts, Garin herself, and Stanislas Camart, Jean Louis Grunwald and Jean Francois Vacherand from Sanofi Pasteur Inc., the manufacturer of Dengvaxia vaccine, “have not yet filed their bail bonds,” the court said. Bautista, however, gave the four accused a chance to post bail within three

days from receipt of the order. “Jurisdiction having acquired over the persons of these accused, this case is set for arraignment, pre-trial conference and preliminary conference on Nov. 27, 2020 at 2 p.m.,” he directed all respondents. The bail bonds of the other respondents posted before the courts in Muntinlupa City; Imus, Cavite and other courts are already considered filed before Quezon City’s Branch 107, he said. “The Court is reminding the parties and their counsels the protocol in attending in-court hearings in the Quezon City Hall of Justice. They should wear face mask, face shield, and observe proper physical distancing at all times,” the judge stressed.

The kin of the late Marc-Axl Eboña sued Garin, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Philippine Children’s Medical Center executive director Julius Lecciones, and former and active officials of the Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine as well as the Sanofi executives before the Muntinlupa City MeTC, while security guard Ian Colite filed the case against the respondents in Imus, Cavite for the death of his son Zandro. State prosecutors absolved Duque of any liability over the deaths of children who received the Dengvaxia vaccine. Last Oct. 15, the Public Attorney’s Office received a notice of an Aug. 26 resolution signed by clerk of court Li-

brada Buena of the Supreme Court’s First Division directing the executive judge of the QCRTC to cause the raffle of all Dengvaxia cases to a single branch of the family court. The Department of Health through the PCMC spent P3 billion of P3.5 billion for a mass vaccination of schoolchildren in 2016 against dengue. In November 2017, Sanofi, in an official statement posted on its website, said “the analysis confirmed that Dengvaxia provides persistent protective benefit against dengue fever in those who had prior infection. For those not previously infected by dengue virus, however, the analysis found that in the longer term, more cases of severe disease could occur following vaccination upon a subse-

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

TOTAL P5.9 billion was added to the budget of the National Broadband Program of the Deparment of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) which intends to widen the coverage and boost the country’s internet services.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who defended the DICT’s budget for 2021, said the Department of Budget and Management had allocated only P902 million budget to the government agency. Senate Finance committee chairperson Sen. Juan Angara pushed for an additional P3 billion budget while the House of Representatives insisted on 2 billion added allocation. With the augmentation of the budget, Angara said the DICt could continue Phase 1 of the National Broadband Pro-

gram that would redound to the benefits of people in the National Capital Region up to Davao. This program would not include Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley and some island provinces like Palawan. But even with the budget augmentation, Lacson noted this was not enough because P18 billion was still needed for the broadband program to be operational within one year. To be fully operational, he said it would need P46 billion..

Local... From A1

5Fromvaccines... A1

operate at full capacity in GCQ areas. “A One Hospital Command Center will likewise be established in the city to ensure an efficient referral system as private hospitals are mandated to increase their ward bed occupancy by at least 20 percent to 30 percent,” Roque said. The Palace official said shortages of nurses medical equipment and drugs will also be addressed. Accommodation establishments in the city will be tapped to serve as quarantine facilities for health workers as well as the isolation of positive COVID-19 cases. Local officials will enforce granular lockdowns on affected communities in the city. The Department of Health said there are 5,541 total COVID-19 cases in Davao City or nearly 70 percent of the total coronavirus infections in the entire Davao Region. Meanwhile, researchers from the University of the Philippines who have been tracking the pandemic noted a decline in infections in Baguio City, which was recently tagged as a coronavirus hotspot. The OCTA group -- composed of professors from the University of the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas, and Providence College in the United States -- reached its findings with data from two to three weeks ago, said Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong. The city in October saw two major outbreaks that caused about 57 coronavirus cases a day, he said. But after tightening its border control, new cases have gone down to about 29 a day in the last two weeks. On Thursday, the city recorded only 14 new infections, Magalong said. “It appeared that the city was highrisk, which is true. Our cases really spiked. But for the past two weeks, we had a downtrend and we showed it to the Department of Health,” Magalong said in a government briefing. The OCTA group also tagged Davao City as a hotspot, leading to its GCQ restrictions. The Philippines logged 1,639 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the total to 415,067, after eight laboratories failed to submit reports, the Department of Health (DOH) said. The DOH also reported that 305 persons have recovered, bringing to 375,237 the number of patients who have survived the disease. The DOH also reported 27 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 8,025.

and Drug Administration. The government has earmarked P2.5 billion for COVID-19 vaccine procurement under the proposed 2021 national budget. Meanwhile, the Department of Health said COVID-19 vaccines that have been given emergency use authorization (EUA) in other countries would still need to secure approval from Philippine regulatory agencies before the government can buy them. Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said this a day after presidential spokesman Harry Roque, Jr. said President Rodrigo Duterte will issue an executive order authorizing Food and Drug Administration to grant EUA to COVID-19 vaccines. “If a vaccine has been given an EUA in another country, it will still have to go through our process. There’s the vaccine experts panel, the ethics board, the FDA and the health technology assessment team,” Vergeire said in Filipino. “Once it is approved, then that is the time we can proceed with procurement.” Other countries with mechanisms for an EUA include the United States, China, the 27-member European Union, Australia, and Japan. The goernment will decide this weekend which sectors will be given priority in receiving the free COVID-19 vaccine, the DOH said. The DOH is hoping to vaccinate some 50 percent to 60 percent of the population from the original plan of 20 percent. Vergeire said the government plans

House... From A1

DSWD... From A1

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court will hold on January 19, 2021 oral arguments on the 37 petitions challenging the constitutionality of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020. In an advisory, the SC also summoned lawyers of the 37 groups of petitioners to a preliminary conference on November 26 to tackle the coverage of the oral arguments. The hearing will be held at the SC’s En Banc session hall. The high court also enumerated the issues for discussion in the oral arguments. The petitioners and the government, represented by the Office of the Solicitor General, will have to argue their position on issues ranging from legal standing to questions on the law’s language and provisions on surveillance, terrorist designation, and warrantless arrests. The parties would also have to argue whether or not the court should issue a temporary restraining order or a status quo ante order. Each side has 30 minutes to present their arguments. Solicitor General Jose Calida may bring up to three lawyers with him, the SC said. There are 37 petitions questioning the constitutionality of the anti-terrorism law, which was enacted despite concerns that it could legitimize alleged state attacks against government critics and activists under the guise of an anti-terrorism campaign. Petitioners belonging to the militant groups argued that the government’s “red-tagging” or “terrorist-tagging” of people and groups it perceives to be communist rebels or fronts puts their lives in danger.

World... From A1 symptoms,” Liu Jingzhen said in an interview re-published by the stateowned firm on Wednesday. Sinopharm is testing two vaccines in late-stage trials in countries including the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Peru and Argentina

9m infections in India

India’s coronavirus caseload passed nine million on Friday, as hospitals in the capital New Delhi came under increasing pressure and graveyards began to fill up. The world’s second-worst-hit country has now also registered more than 132,000 deaths from the disease, according to the latest official figures, which are widely seen as understating the true scale of infection. India has seen a drop in daily cases over the past month but it is still registering about 45,000 new infections on average every day. New Delhi, facing the dual scourge of winter pollution and coronavirus, has seen infections soar past half a million with a record rise in daily cases.

US ramps up curbs

News

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Activist wants judge dismissed By Rey E. Requejo

ETAINED activist Reina Mae Nasino on Friday filed a complaint before the Supreme Court seeking the dismissal of a Manila City regional trial court judge who had ordered her “premature separation” from her dead child.

FOR THE FISHERMEN. Coast Guard personnel load into 50 fiberglass boats 50 units of stainless shafting and 42units diesel engines into the BRP Lapu-Lapu in Tacloban City for distribution to fishermen who lost their fishing resources following the onslaught of Typhoon ‘Rolly.’

OFWs’ hospital Complaint about ‘unpaid’ nurses investigated to be completed By Willie Casas By Vito Barcelo THE Labor department said Friday the construction of the hospital for migrant Filipino workers in Pampanga remained on track for completion next year despite being interrupted by the COVID 19 pandemic. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the quarantine measures imposed to control the outbreak had caused delays in the project but construction stayed on schedule. “There were stoppages in construction work but the hospital for our migrant workers will still be finished next year,” Bello said. He said President Rodrigo Duterte was also hoping the hospital would become operational by 2021. Originally set for completion in April next year, the hospital could still be finished by December 2021, the builders of the project said. Bello led the signing of the agreement between the Provincial Government of Pampanga and the Department of Labor and Employment for the construction of the first-ever hospital for migrant workers in the country in Baranggay Sindalan in San Fernando, Pampanga. “I hope we can do our best to complete this wonderful project earlier. The sooner it is finished, the sooner we can help our OFWs,” Bello said. Once completed, the hospital would provide free medical services to the country’s modern-day heroes, Bello said.

THE Department of Health said Friday it is investigating the nurses’ situation in Sorsogon after Governor Francis Escudero complained they had not received their salaries. “We are trying to investigate,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual briefing. She said that they “do not take these things lightly.” Vergeire said they had already called the regional health director and finance officers of the province to know more about

the issue and to “address it immediately.” In a tweet on Thursday night, Escudero, a former senator, said of the 11 nurses sent by the department to augment their hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, two “only got a salary for two months” when they worked for a total of five months. The remaining nine “didn’t get any salary after working for over a month.” Escudero said only one nurse was left working in their province. “No one got any benefits in violation of their contract,” he said, ending the tweet with the hashtag #SalamatDOH.

In response, Vergeire said her department does not want anyone to be unfairly treated especially during the pandemic. “We want everyone to be compensated appropriately and with benefits because we know that they are working and caring for our citizens,” she said. This is not the first time that the department received flak for delayed salaries. Besides the problems faced by government health workers, contractual employees hired for the agency’s surveillance unit also failed to receive their salaries for up to four months.

Review of BARMM transition sought By Maricel V. Cruz

BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT. A worker puts the finishing touches on the Lagusnilad wall in Manila as part of the beautification project of the city.

Wanted Korean Agriculture has P25 billion for rice programs By Macon ramos-Araneta fugitive held By Vito Barcelo IMMIGRATION officials have arrested a Korean fugitive wanted by the authorities in his country for involvement in a million-dollar investment scam. Soung Young Ho was cornered in a joint operation by members of Immigration’s Fugitive Search Unit and Korean authorities in Anunas village in Angeles City. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said Soung will be deported for being an undesirable alien. He said Soung was the subject of an Interpol red notice and his passport was already undergoing cancellation by the Korean government, making him an undocumented alien as well. “We were also informed that a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Central District Court in Seoul where he was charged with large-scale fraud,” Morente said, adding the Korean will be placed in the bureau’s blacklist after he is deported. Immigration said sometime in June 2015, Soung allegedly defrauded a compatriot of more than $1.1 million after inducing the victim to invest in a casino business that purportedly was going to start operation in Clark Field, Pampanga. He reportedly enticed the victim to give him 1.3- billion won as his supposed share in the business after being promised he would receive half of the profits or revenues that would be earned from the casino operations.

In a complaint filed with the high court’s Judicial Integrity Board, Nasino, through the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, accused Judge Marivic BalisiUmali of gross ignorance of the law, gross misconduct and bias against her when the judge refused to allow her to breastfeed her baby, River. River died of pneumonia last October at three months old, less than two months after being separated from her mother. The complainant also asked the high court to forfeit the judge’s retirement benefits for her alleged administrative offense. Umali handled the illegal possession of firearms and explosives case against Nasino and two other activists before she inhibited in August. The case had been raffled off to another judge in Manila. Nasino said Umali disregarded breastfeeding laws and international standards on the treatment of female prisoners when she “chose to accept [the] excuses” of the Manila City Jail Female Dormitory warden that the jail had no facility for newborn babies. Nasino had insisted on her right to breastfeed River and stay with her until the baby turned a year old, considering she was born jaundiced and of low weight. However, the judge rejected her motion and on Aug. 13 Nasino turned over her firstborn to her family. The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s policy is to allow female detainees to stay with their newborn child for up to one month unless a qualified medicalpersonnel recommends they stay together longer.

SENATOR Cynthia Villar said Friday the Department of Agriculture had P25 billion for its two rice programs to boost rice sufficiency and augment the income of farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector. Villar, head of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said these programs were the National Rice Program and the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. She said Congress had appropriated

P15.5 billion for the National Rice Program and P10 billion for the Rice Enhancement Fund. “The National Rice Program is one of the banner programs of the DA, which focused on rice farming under the Office of the Secretary. It has been there since 1986 under six Presidents,” Villar said. She says the department classifies it as subsidy to accelerate the adoption of modern rice technology toward increased yield, increased income and disaster risk reduction. For 2021, Villar said, the P15.5- billion

National Rice Program had to be spent as follows: Hybrid Seeds P6.2 billion; Inbred Seeds P375 million; Fertilizer P4.4 billion; Others P858.7 million; Training P998.2 million; R&D P658.7 million; Equipment P1 billion; Irrigation P745.9 million “However, this computation of allocation for rice through the years should have included the budgets for the irrigation through the NIA averaging P31 B a year and that of NFA, which is subsidized yearly by P7B for the Buffer Stocking Program in times of calamities, fortuitous events or shortfall in production,” Villar said.

A LEGISLATOR from Mindanao on Friday sought a “quick but comprehensive” midterm review of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s milestones and achievements first before tackling a move to extend its transition period up to 2025. Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman urged President Rodrigo Duterte to create a joint committee representing all sectors and stakeholders in the BARMM to carry out the review. “A midterm review would give everyone, including those in Congress who would eventually discuss the extension, a view of the successes and triumphs of the interim government during the transition period, as well as the obstacles they need to hurdle and how the national government can help,” Hataman, a former governor of the now-defunct ARMM, said. “We are for peace, and we are supportive of any mechanism or recommendation from an objective panel, be it an extension or not. And to convince the people and LGUs of BARMM, especially those who are opposed to the proposed extension, it would be better to conduct a midterm review by all stakeholders and, from there, make recommendations.” Hataman made the statement following the filing of a resolution in the Bangsamoro parliament asking Congress for an extension of the transition period of the expanded autonomous government up to 2025, or for another three years. This as the transition window is set to lapse in 2022 as stated under the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

Online portal helps passengers By Joel E. Zurbano UPDATING passenger personal information can easily be made via the Cebu Pacific Air online booking portal, now with enhanced features to make it more convenient for air travelers. “We have been enhancing our contactless experience and accelerating our digital initiatives because these provide quicker and safer options for our passengers. Our customers remain at the heart of our business, so you can expect more enhancements from us that further support and enable a self-service journey for everyone,” said Candice Iyog, CEB Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience. CEB passengers will be able to make

corrections to their first or last name within 24 hours from the time the flight booking is made, as long as they have not yet checked in for the flight. This does not make bookings transferrable. But having this feature enables clients to easily correct details on their own, making the whole experience hassle-free. Other personal information such as birthdate, nationality and salutations may also be corrected one time, and at no cost. These may be updated until two hours before the scheduled time of departure before checking in for the flight. In cases of change of birth year resulting in an upgrade in passenger classification, such as infant to child or child to adult, corresponding fees may be paid online as well.

CONDEMNATION. Members of the League of Parents of the Philippines, Liga Independencia Pilipinas, NGOs from Kabalikat ID and various sectors burn tarpaulins during a mass action and indignation rally at the Commission on Human Rights compound in Quezon City on Thursday. The burning of the tarpaulins symbolized their condemnation of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ recruitment and exploitation of young people.

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

BLOODLETTING DRIVE. While the COVID-19 pandemic put on hold some scheduled blood-letting activities of SM Foundation, the social responsibility arm of the SM Group still managed to collect 1,115 bags of blood as of October 12, which will benefit 3,345 patients - one bag benefitting three patients when processed. Usually executed in SMDC Residences and in SM Mall branches (inset), the program is executed in close collaboration with the Department of Health-Philippine Blood Center (DOHPBC) and the Philippine Red Cross.

Makati makes RT-PCR tests more affordable By Joel E. Zurbano THE Makati City government has made COVID-19 RT-PCR tests more affordable and accessible to private citizens as well as businesses and establishments operating in the city. Mayor Abigail Binay announced this on Friday, saying the individual PCR Tests are priced at an affordable P2,950 in the city. This swab test is priced between P4,500 and P8,500 in private clinics and hospitals in Metro Manila. Binay explained the local government has partnered with public hospitals and private testing labs so that more residents can get tested for COVID-19 quickly. She said the results are also released faster so individuals who test positive can receive immediate medical treatment. “I have always believed in mass testing as a way to prevent further transmission of the coronavirus. From the very start, Makati has looked for ways to bring COVID-19 tests to our employees and residents, especially the most vulnerable sectors of society,” she said. Makati City is one of the first LGUs in Metro Manila to implement mass testing for the coronavirus. The city began testing front liners, employees, and members of the police force for coronavirus as early as April. Swab samples were also collected and collated from some 6,000 public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and market vendors between September 2 and 8 as part of the pooled “mass testing” program under Project Ark. Makati was chosen as the pilot site for this scientific testing method. “Now that we have more experience in mass testing, I am encouraging companies, businesses, establishments, and private individuals to take advantage of our offer. Just go online and book for a test, even if you don’t feel any symptoms or have not come in contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19,” Binay said.

U. of Caloocan gains COPC for course offerings

QC passes P28.7-b budget for 2021

By Jun David

HE Quezon City council has approved on third and final reading the city’s P28.7-billion budget for 2021, keeping social welfare and services the topmost priority.

A CERTIFICATE of Program Compliance (COPC) has been awarded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for the four courses of Computer Studies Department of the University of Caloocan City (UCC) - South. The programs awarded with COPC by CHED include BS Computer Science, BS Information Technology, BS Information Systems, and BS Entertainment and Multimedia Computing. Based on CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 14, the COPC is awarded to universities that comply with departmental policies, standards, and rules to ensure the quality education it provide to students. UCC Officer-in-Charge Administrator lawyer Rene Salazar give thanks for the invaluable support of Caloocan Mayor Oscar “Oca” Malapitan to the university and its students. “Even amidst a pandemic, Mayor Oca showed his unrelenting support to the students and faculties,” Salazar said. Among the benefits available to students under COPC-awarded programs is the qualification to apply to the Student Financial Assistance Program.

By Rio N. Araja

Mayor Joy Belmonte said the allocation for next year is rooted in the city’s objective to provide responsive and efficient social services for all residents, especially as the whole country continues to tackle the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Social services got almost half or 49 percent of the total budget at P13.9 billion. “The need for social services support during these times is expected to remain high, as many of our citizens struggle against the pandemic and un-

der the new normal,” she added. The city has also earmarked P10.2 billion for general public services, P3.4 billion for economic services, and P1.2 billion for the legislative branch. According to Belmonte, the city government had hoped for a small budget next year as the city may be hardpressed to meet its revenue targets due to the pandemic hindering economic growth. However, she said this will not be possible for two more reasons. “Salaries and wages across the board have risen significantly, driven by the Salary Standardization Law and our

Cardinal Santos, PNP sign hospital care pact

IN BRIEF ‘Gawang Angelenos’ product kiosks set up ANGELES CITY—Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. aims to reinforce the “Gawang Angeleno” campaign by putting up kiosks that will promote products from One Town, One Product (OTOP) store. Lazatin wants to make the OTOP store more accessible, bringing it closer to the people. “Gusto natin mas lalong ma-showcase yung mga local products na binebenta sa OTOP, para mas maraming tao ang maka-alam at bumili ng mga ito. At the same time, matutulungan din natin yung mga local merchants natin na mas dumami pa yung benta nila, lalo na ngayong papalapit na ang Pasko,” Lazatin said. Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel said the city government will start putting up kiosks at the newly constructed waiting shed of the city hall. Butch Gunio

New Bataan top cop serves home province CAMP TOLENTINO, Bataan—Bataan police director Police Col. Joel K. Tampis vowed to maintain integrity as he serves as the highest police official in his home province. “Some personalities that maybe involved in crime are known to me, or close acquaintances, or even friends. But this is my job, my profession and I have to maintain my integrity,” he vowed in his recent first press briefing with local newsmen since occupying the post. “Trabaho lang tayo dito,” the police official said who is a native of Mariveles town. Tampis said there are also advantages being a native of Bataan. “I am familiar with the terrain the people to talk to regarding certain police issues in the locality are known to me; and I have ideas of drugs personalities in the area”. Butch Gunio

need to provide competitive salaries for our healthcare workers. And lastly, we have to provide adequate and improved healthcare for all,” Belmonte noted. Assistant City Administrator for Finance Don Javillona said these raises were reflected in the augmented budget of the City Health Department. “We increased our CHD’s budget by 95 percent, taking into consideration new programs, such as the health emergency response to outbreaks or pandemics, the QC Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, and the increased fund for the procurement of drugs and medicines,” he cited.

HEALTH PARTNERS. Officials of Cardinal Santos Medical Center and the Philippine National Police sign a Memorandum of Agreement to provide access to world-class medical services to police personnel. In photo are (from left) Dr. Alfred Allen Buenafe, Executive Director of CSMC’s Philippine Center for Advanced Surgery; Raul Pagdanganan, President and CEO of CSMC; Police General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, PNP Chief; and, Police B/Gen. Ronaldo Olay, Director of the Health Service.

CARDINAL Santos Medical Center (CSMC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement that will allow members of the PNP to have access to CSMC for their hospitalization and other diagnostic and therapeutic medical needs. The agreement was signed on Nov. 9 by outgoing PNP Chief Police General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan and the President and CEO of Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Raul Pagdanganan, at Camp Crame in Quezon City. Also present during the ceremony were the Executive Director of CSMC’s Philippine Center for Advanced Surgery, Dr. Alfred Allen Buenafe, and the Director of the PNP Health Service, Police Brigadier General Ronaldo Olay. The agreement also builds a deeper relationship between CSMC and the PNP, as the hospital will endeavor to help PNP medical professional personnel maximize their capabilities through training and skills development.

Farmers in Bataan park face eviction By Jess Malabanan MORONG, Bataan—More farmers cultivating idle lots within the Bataan National Park will be evicted and subject to arrest by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Biodiversity Management Bureau and the National Bureau of Investigation for alleged violation of environmental laws. Dr. Rogelio Demelletes of the DENRBMB said his office have been receiving reports on the presence of illegal occupants, mostly farmers, within the protected areas of the Bataan National Park. Demelletes mentioned the arrest of five farmers who he said were caught in the act of constructing houses during a

recent raid at a residential compound in Barangay Mabayo. He said the areas being cultivated by the farmers are within the protected areas. “We have been telling these illegal occupants to leave the place as they encroached in a protected area,” said Demelletes over the phone, adding that it was the regional DENR office in Central Luzon that initiated the coordination with BMB office. DENR-BMB is the agency that formulates policies, guidelines, rules and regulations for the establishment and management of an Integrated Protected Areas System such as the national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and refuge marine parks and biospheric reserves of the country.

CIAC extends rent for locators CLARK FREEPORT—Payment for lease rental of locators within the aviation complex have been extended on a case-to-case basis, Clark International Airport Corporation president Aaron Aquino said. “We’re going to extend lease agreements (of locators) on a case-to-case basis so hopefully this move will serve as springboards for them to recover from the sudden business disruption and income loss,” Aquino said. In July, CIAC imposed a deferred collection of lease rentals and granted loca-

tors a 30-day grace period from the last due date of their rental payments. Aquino noted that some locators of CIAC wish to extend lease agreements or are looking for a middle ground on rental issues or extension in the period of payments. Aquino informed Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade of CIAC locators’ plight as he recommended to the agency to craft a policy that will assist certain investors whose business were among hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Jess Malabanan

TYPHOON AND FIRE VICTIMS. Sta Maria, Laguna Mayor Cindy Carolino (2nd from right) give assistance to families who suffered from typhoon Ulysses and fire in Brgy. Cambuja (inset) on Thursday. Carolino said they also gave the families additional supplies to rebuild their houses with. Roy Tomandao

Opinion Self-care THINGS are bad for millions of Filipinos. The COVID-19 pandemic and the very long period of quarantine have resulted in a lot of businesses closing down and people losing jobs. Overseas Filipino workers have not been spared and hundreds of thousands have come back home, jobless. The very long period of isolation due to restrictions in mobility, as well as the dangers of COVID-19 still hovering over our heads, are taking their toll on people’s mental health. I know people who were disoriented when they went out for the first time after eight or so months of staying indoors. I know some who are experiencing panic attacks at night. Many are having difficulties sleeping. A few friends are noticing changes in their behavior and in their temperament.

We should remain whole. Connecting with the outside world and people we care about is now mostly done online. I can only imagine how those who live alone are managing this kind of life. While I am grateful that technology can at least help us cope and stay connected, it cannot be a permanent substitute for actual physical presence, handshakes, hugs, and laughter. Online socializing cannot replace being in the presence of people we care about. I am no expert in mental health, in fact, I know very little. However, it does not need an expert to know that our present living situation is unhealthy. The recent devastation brought about by super typhoons Rolly and Ulysses has made things worse. The homes and livelihoods of tens of thousands of families have been destroyed partially or completely. It is a very difficult time made even more difficult by these calamities. It does not help that many perceive the present administration to be incompetent in addressing people’s welfare. Not a few feel that if they will get out of this situation whole, they should work it out all by themselves because they cannot depend on any support from the government. However, feeling helpless and hopeless is not an option. We need to take care of ourselves, and for those who can, of others needing help. Feeling guilty for doing things for ourselves is also not an option. There was a time when indulging in things I like and enjoy

CHARLIE V. MANALO EARLIER this week, the Supreme Court ordered Manila Times reporter Jomar Canlas to explain why he should not be cited in contempt for writing an article regarding a leaked document emanating from Associate Justice Marvic Leonen TOwhich THEsupposedly tackled his position on the Ferdinand POINT “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. protest against Ma. Leonora “Leni” Robredo. EMIL P. Solicitor General Jose Calida was likeJURADO wise asked to explain by the High Court as he used Canlas’ article. In the same en banc session where the order was said to have been issued, Leonen allegedly threatened his colleagues against leaking documents to media practitioners saying they could be punished because it violates the confidentiality rule of the tribunal. He cited the case of former associate justice Ruben Reyes who was sanctioned for leaking draft decisions in the case of Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong. The SC order on Canlas for him to explain why he shouldn’t be cited for contempt for writing something based on a “leaked” document, supposedly coming from a member of the High Court, has a great bearing on media practitioners including me. If the SC rules on this matter, it could effectively define the parameters on when we do or do not write articles based on documents provided to us by our sources. As we are not experts on legal matters, we consulted our friend, lawyer Larry Gadon for some reactions on the issue.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020

EDITORIAL

at times when things are generally worse for other people made me feel guilty. So I would restrain myself from going out, eating out in pricey restaurants, traveling for leisure, and buying stuff. I considered these as inappropriate. To begin with, I do not like going out often even in normal times. I am also not very sociable as I only keep a small circle of friends. I only go to events when I need to or have something to accomplish. I only attend parties of close friends. I very rarely travel for leisure and mostly, only with my family. However, because of the very long quarantine period (that I willingly and strictly followed), I reached a point when I felt the need to go out. My first trip out was to an important meeting because we needed to go through several documents and this would be hard to do online. It was a small meeting of five people and we took all precautions against COVID-19. My second trip was to an optical shop because I needed another pair of eyeglasses. After another month, I went to a bookstore to get office supplies that I needed. This was followed a few later after to another office supplies shop to get what I was not able to buy from the bookstore. Needless to say, I followed all prescribed protocols and more. All these were simple errands but they did me good. Perhaps it is more psychological than anything. Being in the outside world during those times felt good. While physical socializing remains restricted, outside of working from home that I find quite productive and all the online meetings and webinars, I now try to do as many things that I enjoy doing. Sometimes, I consciously get out of social media to maintain my balance. I no longer feel guilty. Instead, I see doing these things as my ways of coping, of self-care. I rarely see two of my three kids because they are exposed to COVID-19. So when they wanted for the family to get out of Manila and take a road trip to a nearby province, I said yes. Because of work, my children’s lives are quite toxic. Going out as a family for a few days to a safe place (while taking precautions against COVID-19) was good for all of us. It was a time for bonding, something that we missed doing. After a long while, we again had meals together, played board games, did a bonfire, and just laughed and had fun together. There is no guilt because we understand the need to take care of ourselves and each other. It was time to recharge so we can go back to the life of restrictions we now live and continue to work for others as well. Self-care is key to survive our situation. We should remain whole. We should do what we need to do for ourselves so we may be able to also to do things for others. @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

Have they gone overboard? NAKED THOUGHT

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

According to Gadon, Canlas and Calida could not have violated any legal ethic as “Ref lection,” the supposed leaked document which was the basis for the news article Jomar wrote, was not an official court document. Gadon notes that the said document, which Leonen reportedly distributed to other members of the High Court to allegedly to influence them to dismiss Marcos’ protest, was written by Leonen in July 2017, at a time when he still was not appointed as ponente of the case.

A better question might be, who’s gone overboard? “Ang ‘Reflections’ ay hindi official na record ng petition, so walang nilabag na leakage (The ‘Reflections’ is not in the official record of the petition, thus no leakage was committed),” Gadon stressed. Further, Gadon said Calida could not be accused of being biased in favor of Marcos when he filed his own petition seeking to inhibit Leonen. His only purpose there is to ensure that the case moves. It is the right of the people to know the truth behind the alleged cheating in the vice presidential election count as Marcos claims, hence the need to fast-track the case proceedings but without bias and pre-judgement. On the part of Canlas, Gadon said what the Manila Times reporter did was in mere furtherance of press freedom—that is to report on the development of the Marcos protest case. “He did not incite people to revolt against the government, to commit crimes

The promise of a vaccine

the vaccines will be physically available E ARE upbeat over reports the Philippines, and accessible to the population, even in face of this cheerful bit of news. whacked by the coronavirus 2019 pandemic— We are hopeful but with at least 413,000 infections and 8,000 deaths—may have should be as careful as access to the COVID vaccine ever. before long. A biotech firm there—Moderna—has announced its drug against the COVID-19 disease is almost 95 percent effective, following a clinical trial of more than 30,000 participants. Only last week, American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech also said their vaccine was 90 percent effective. No less than Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that the Philippines, struggling under the infections and the anxiety of hundreds of thousands in urban and rural areas, that the Philippines had “firm commitments from the United States... that we will have access to COVID vaccines that may be developed in the United States.” We are not predicting any timeline when

It may take some time yet before the vaccines may be available to the general public, without suggesting any rungs on the economic strata, even as Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto has said up to P150 billion should be earmarked for COVID-19 vaccines in the unprogrammed funds under the P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021. Experts have said 60 percent of the 110 million population should be vaccinated to generate “herd immunity.” In the meantime, we should continue to observe the health protocols authorities have imposed to check the spread of COVID-19, particularly now that the Yuletide is just three weeks away, with nearly unchecked celebra-

tions left and right. For all workers, regardless of specific exposure risks, reminders below remain timely and an excellent practice to: • Frequently wash one’s hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When soap and running water are unavailable, one should use an alcohol-based hand rub Alwa wash with at least 60 percent alcohol. Always hands that are visibly soiled. • Avoid touching one’s eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. • Practice good respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes. • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. • Stay home if sick. • Recognize personal risk factors. Authorities say certain people, including older adults and those with underlying conditions such as heart or lung disease or diabetes, are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19. It has been a long and difficult struggle. Recent developments have given us hope that the end in sight may be near, but we must be prepared to tough it out against this dreaded virus for however long it takes.

Overvaluing the US currency THE US wanted to cheat the world by amending the basic law on economics, particularly on the exchange value of commodities. That desire was not only intended to dominate other countries but to control them through currency dominance. Unlike the previous empires where states physically subjugate others in a system called colonialism and later evolving into imperialism, the US has devised a way to exploit countries without them thinking they have been entrapped into a new phase of exploitation. The practice is done by overvaluing the currency called “revaluation” or undervaluing it, called “devaluation”; by pegging its value to precious metals or by printing money beyond the need of the market called “quantitative easing” to make available credit and lower interest rate. The US took the position to overvalue the dollar, it being untouched by the ravages of World War II. The US emerged as the leading manufacturer, and has a tremendous capital and trade surplus while the rest seek credit to buoy their economy. To maintain the value of the dollar, the US urged other countries to participate and sign the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1946 where it fixed the value of the dollar at $32 per ounce of gold. That allowed the US to carry out its war efforts during the Cold War. It fought in the Korean War in the 1950s and again in Vietnam only to end up in humiliating defeat in 1973. The US was incurring a huge budget deficit that it has to find a way to relieve itself of the festering problem. To overcome this looming economic catastrophe that could reduce the status of the US as an economic superpower, President Nixon announced in 1973 to decouple the US dollar from the gold standard. This means the US would no longer bind itself to the Bretton Woods Agreement. The decoupling measured the value of the US dollar to its GDP which countries grudgingly accepted. This resulted in the spike of its value. Nixon’s economic theory assumes that by allowing the US dollar to float and dominate, the US would be able to regain its status as an economic powerhouse. The theory is based on the belief that one can buy more beyond the real value of his money while the seller earns less than the cost for his labor/capital. It was a genie, for aside from raking in low wages, the seller could earn more by cheating the buyer of the real value of the commodity. Unknown to many, an overvalued dollar is to literally cheat countries of their exports and capital investments. The world’s currencies plummeted with valuation of the dollar

or to disrespect the Supreme Court. What he did was in accordance with press freedom,” said Gadon. According to the lawyer, if there is someone who should be made to answer on the issue of “Reflections,” it should be Leonen himself as it was him who supposedly exhibited extreme

to GDP. Underdeveloped countries suffered an unprecedented trade deficit. Many were forced to abrogate their anti-usury law because international creditors, principally the World Bank and the IMF, insist that they be paid based on the current value of the dollar which was higher than the fixed interest rate imposed by their anti-usury law. Even government loans for public service have to pay the current value of the dollar known as the currency exchange rate adjustment system (CERA). Countries sought moratorium and had to restructure their debt.

It’s a new form of exploitation. Countries paying an overvalued currency increased the volume of their exports but actually at a lesser price. The same can be said of their imports, which mean they pay more which is usually higher than the international market price. Often, the valuation of their currency is automatic as it is carried out by the World Bank. The problem with an overvalued currency is it only presents one side of the coin. The US failed to anticipate that the high value of the dollar would equally affect them in terms of high wages and services. People tend to buy more if it will cost them less, and that could lead to deficit spending. The US had to adjust to the current cost of living which has nothing to do with production or wealth creation. Slowly, manufacturing declined for being uncompetitive in the world market. Their being dependent on imports resulted in a huge trade deficit because it became easy for US consumers to import. Even the production of peanut butter was consigned to China. If history serves them right, it was the US that forced Japan to revalue the yen to make US products competitive but resulting in an economic doldrums in that country for more than 10 years. Another, an overvalued dollar tends to diminish employment because of higher production costs. The practice boomeranged to affect the cost of domestic wage and services. This explains why American workers have been complaining of no real wage increase since 1973. Whatever wage increase was given was brought about by the statutory minimum wage law triggered by inflation. Economists refer to this as “stagflation”. To be precise, stagflation is the beginning of de-industrialization because industries are being dismantled and established where the value of the currency is cheaper. To counter this, employers have to resort to outsourcing of work to countries where labour is cheap or by the practice of contractualization to cut short the workers’ security

biases against Marcos, his family, his associates and friends in the said document. So there. After talking to Atty. Larry, I think I should change the title of this article from “Have they gone overboard?” (Referring to Canlas and Calida), to “Who’s gone overboard?” (Referring to you-know-who).

of tenure to deny them the benefits of regular employees. Most serious is the untimely withering of trade unionism in the US. The US outsourcing of production coincided with China’s economic opening in 1978. It was a step-by-step process that China did to industrialize. In less than 30 years, China today stands as the biggest economy in the world. In the UN data for 2018, China accounts for 13.45 percent of the world’s exports while 11.37 percent of its imports making it the top trader of the world, and holds the biggest capital reserve, which today is the envy of many nations. Trump violated the sacred principle of free trade by imposing unreasonable tariffs. The US trade deficit is not only with China. The US also suffer similar deficit with Mexico, Canada, Japan, Korea, Germany, and with many counties indicating that it is not the system of trading that is at fault but the overvalued dollar. The uncanny thing is, while President Trump talks much of trade deficit with China and Japan, but remains silent on the huge debt of the US with each reaching to trillions of US dollars in treasury bonds. When President Trump imposed his prohibitive tariff, he did not make the US great again. He did not explain that tariff is an imposition on American importers. What the US did is to simply add the collected tariff to the deficit but hiding the truth that it costs more to US importers and increased prices to the consumers. It is funny, for there are more Americans going to Mexico and Asia to buy more for their money. Billions of dollars slip out daily through its border, all eager to buy more US goods produced abroad. Accidentally, an overvalued dollar caused the abnormal movement in the economy like dollar salting and dollar smuggling. People tend to export their savings and capital to countries where it could generate more money, and usually it is the US dollar that is involved. As one would day, the Anti-Money Laundering Law is a law specially made for the Americans to earn additional revenue out of the confiscated savings of people wanting to bring out their dollars outside of the banking system. The fines, penalties and even confiscated currencies partake of windfall revenue to US banks. rpkapunan@gmail.com

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Duterte rants against Robredo

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Ethiopian conflict leaves 2.3m kids in urgent need of assistance THE outbreak of conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has left some 2.3 million children in urgent need of assistance and thousands more at risk in refugee camps, the UN children’s agency said Friday. Tigray has been rocked by bloody fighting since November 4, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the launch of military operations against the regional government. The move was a dramatic escalation of a long-running feud between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the region’s ruling party,which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before Abiy took office in 2018 Hundreds of people have been killed in the fighting, and thousands have fled across Ethiopia’s northern border into neighboring Sudan. “Inside the Tigray region, restricted access and the ongoing communication blackout have left an estimated 2.3 million children

in need of humanitarian assistance and out of reach,” UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said. The agency estimates that “some 12,000 children – some of them without parents or relatives – are among those sheltering in camps and registration centres and are at risk.” Many of the makeshift camps set up in Sudan are overcrowded and refugees have been struggling with unsanitary conditions, limited access to water, and food. The UN agency said it has sought to provide urgent assistance and life-saving support for children living in “extremely harsh” conditions in the camps. Fore urged all parties to the conflict to allow humanitarian access, and refrain from using explosives in densely populated areas. “Every effort should be made to keep children out of harm’s way, and to ensure that they are protected from recruitment and use in the conflict,” she said. AFP

INTERASIA OUTSOURCE, INC., a company engaged in the business of overseas recruitment with business address at 5f, Don Chua Lamko Bldg., 100 Leviste St., Salcedo Village, Makati City is giving notice to the public that the Directors and Officers of InterAsia Outsource Inc. for year 2019 to 2020, are the following: 1. RAMON R. ATAYDE - Chairman of the Board 2. LOURDES LUDIVINA Y. QUERUBIN - President 3. JEANETTE H. PERCY –Treasurer& Chief Operating Officer 4. DEOGRACIAS RAMON R. OLVINA JR. -Director 5. LESLIE JOHN MAY - Director In accordance with law, the board of directors shall hold office for one (1) year until their successors are elected and qualified. Deogracias Ramon R. Olvina Jr. had been chosen as the 5th director of the Company, a position previously held by Rafael J. Cosme This notice is issued in compliance with the POEA rules and whatever legal purpose it may serve them. (MS-NOV. 21, 2020)

ORIENTAL MINDORO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC (ORMECO, Inc.) INVITATION TO BID 1.

ORIENTAL MINDORO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (ORMECO, INC.), through its BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC), hereby intends to apply the sum of Thirty-Six Million Three Hundred Ninety Thousand Two Hundred Twenty-Seven Pesos and 54/100 (₱ 36,390,227.54), inclusive of all applicable taxes and fees, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), for the procurement, supply, labor and delivery of materials/supplies/ equipment for the Technical Services Department;

ORMECO, INC. now calls for the submission of Letter of Intent by interested bidders thru email at ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com. The list of the ORMECO, INC. Eligibility Requirements may be viewed at www. ormeco-inc.com, https://web.facebook.com/OrmecoOGMOfficial, and may be requested through email ormeco_coop@yahoo.com, including the numbers listed above. An amount of two hundred fifty pesos (₱ 250.00) is required as Accreditation Fee;

ORMECO, INC. now invites suppliers for the following: LOT

ITEM DESCRIPTION

ABC (INCLUSIVE OF VAT)

COST OF BID DOCUMENTS (NONREFUNDABLE)

Supply of Materials & Labor for Distribution Line Extension (36 Sitios of Congressional District 1 & 2)

₱ 32,585,507.54

₱ 25,000.00

Supply of Materials for House Wiring (36 Sitios of Congressional District 1 & 2)

₱ 3,804,720.00

FUNDING SOURCE

2020 SEP GAA Subsidy ₱ 5,000.00

Due to COVID-19, in compliance with the Community Quarantine (CQ), Online/Virtual Bidding Conferences will be conducted. Stable internet connection is required to all prospective bidders during the conferences. BAC shall not be liable in any unexpected disruption due to poor/unstable signal which may cause loss of connection and inability of Bidders to engross with the conferences. For Additional info please be guided in the following: (please refer to Online Bidding procedures) a. Payment of bidding documents shall be deposited to BAC bank account (to be email by BAC secretariat). b. Prospective bidders must submit to the BAC via email the scanned copy of validated bank deposit slip / screenshot of successful electronic fund transfer as proof of payment. c. Scanned copy of Bidding Documents will be sent by the BAC secretariat upon validation that the payments are credited to the coop’s bank account. d. ID number or link of the Online/Virtual conference will be provided by BAC secretariat

Online Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the NEA Memorandum NO. 2017-019: Revised Procurement Guidelines and Simplified Bidding Procedures for Electric Cooperatives, IRR-RA 10531 (2017); All video conferences shall be recorded in CD/DVD for reference and other purposes.

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows:

ACTIVITIES

SCHEDULE

Release of Invitation to Bid

21 November 2020 (Saturday) Available for viewing

Submission of Letter of Intent thru email / Availability of Bidding Documents

23 November to 01 December 2020 Office Hours, at ORMECO, INC. Office (ormeco.bac.official@gmail. com)

Online/Virtual Pre-Bid Conference

02 December 2020 (Wednesday) at ORMECO, INC. Board Room

9:00 am for Lot I & II

Deadline of Bid Submission (ormeco. bac.official@gmail.com), Opening and Evaluation of Bids (Online/Virtual)

15 December 2020 (Tuesday) at ORMECO, INC. Board Room

9:00 am for Lot I 2:00 pm for Lot II

Post-Qualification

16 -17 December 2020 (Wednesday and Thursday)

Approval through Board Resolution and Issuance of Notice of Award

Board Meeting for the Month of December 2020

Delivery Schedule

To be announced during the Pre-Bid Conference

4. 5.

Only those who have bought the Bidding Documents shall be allowed to attend or participate during the Online/Virtual Pre-Bidding Conference, where their presence is MANDATORY; All bids shall be opened and read in the presence of Bidders or their duly authorized representatives. All bids shall be accompanied by a scanned copy of validated bank deposit slip or screenshot of successful electronic fund transfer representing payment of bid bond equivalent to 2% of ABC.

The winning bidder shall issue Performance Security in the form of Cash, Cashier’s Check, Manager’s Check, issued by a Universal or Commercial Bank, equivalent to five percent (5%) of the ABC; and

ORMECO, INC. reserves the right to accept or reject any bids, declare failure of bidding and not to award the contract without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. ORMECO, INC. also has no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids. Certified by:

Noted by:

VICENTE V. FERRERA Chairperson Bids and Awards Committee (BAC)

ATTY. NORBERTO M. MENDOZA Head Of Procuring Entity (HOPE)

(MS-NOV. 21, 2020)

EU TACKLES PANDEMIC. European Council President Charles Michel (on the screen) speaks during a press conference following a video conference meeting with members of the European Council on the EU response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brussels on November 19, 2020. AFP

EU calls on Poland, Hungary to support economic recovery

U leaders said Thursday they would intensify efforts to convince Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Poland’s Mateusz Morawiecki to drop their veto of the EU coronavirus economic recovery plan, which has plunged the bloc into a new crisis threatening joint efforts to fight the epidemic. The bloc’s 27 heads of state and government spent fewer than 15 minutes on the issue at the start of a video summit, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who holds the EU’s rotating presidency, responding to the rebels on their behalf. “This is of course a very serious problem, which we have to solve,” Merkel told reporters after the meeting. “We want to work, we want to sound out all options that would be possible and we are still at the very beginning.” Warsaw and Budapest, with the support of Slovenia, threw the EU into turmoil this week by using their veto to block the EU’s combined 1.8-trillion-euro ($2.1 trillion) post-virus recovery plan and long-term budget. While not a complete surprise, the stand-off angered EU partners, with many keenly awaiting payouts from the stimulus to help fix economies shattered by the pandemic and worse feared to come. But an EU official said EU Council President Charles Michel, who hosts European summits, made sure ahead of time that the conversation

would remain short and “under control” to allow for later mediation. “The three naysayers reiterated their reasons for their opposition, without any fresh or new nuance,” another senior EU source told reporters. The nationalist governments are furious at their EU partners for backing a decision that ties the disbursement of bloc funds to respect for the rule of law and European values. - ‘Men of trouble’ Morawiecki and Orban are frequent scourges of Brussels, with anti-EU rhetoric rife in both their governments despite Hungary and Poland being the biggest receivers of bloc spending. “Hungary and Poland stated what they didn’t want, not what they did -- true to their form as men of trouble, not of solutions,” said an irritated European diplomat. The plan to tie EU funds to the rule of law, strongly defended by the European Parliament and most member states, has the votes to be approved by a qualified majority of members. But Hungary and Poland are fighting back by using their veto against allowing the EU to raise funds to finance its 750-billion-euro recovery plan and against the trillion-euro 20212027 budget, which require unanimity. “Where does it stop?” Poland’s Morawiecki demanded of his EU counterparts, according to a source with knowledge of the proceedings. “You are using this only against us and circumventing the treaty,” Morawiecki reportedly said. Before the summit he had slammed an alleged “European oligarchy” that was trying to bully weaker EU members. AFP

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

BE IT KNOWN THAT LOURBEL CONSTRUCTION AND SUPPLY a sole proprietorship with office address at PAG-ASA RAWIS, LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY has changed its status TO LOURBEL CONSTRUCTION AND SUPPLY, INC., now a corporation (MS-NOV. 21, 2020) LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given to the public that a Deed of Extra-Judicial Settlement has been executed by the heirs of the late Nimfa U. Sabacan, namely: Lea Mae S. Roa-Nacino and Edgar Allan S. Parungao, all of legal age, over personal and real properties, per deed executed on 13 October 2020 before Notary Public, ATTY. HENSON M. MONTALVO, per Doc. No. 504; Page No. 102; Book No. II; Series of 2020. (MS-NOV. 7/14 & 21, 2020)

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given to the public that a Deed of ExtraJudicial Settlement has been executed by the heirs of the late Spouses Custodio L. Baldonado and Luzviminda B. Baldonado, namely: Wilfredo B. Baldonado, Felino B. Baldonado, Custodio B. Baldonado, Jr., Israel B. Baldonado and Priscila B. Baldonado, all of legal age, over real properties, per deed executed on 03 August 2020 before Notary Public, ATTY. HENSON M. MONTALVO, per Doc. No. 260; Page No. 53; Book No. II; Series of 2020. (MS-NOV. 7/14 & 21, 2020)

FLOODED. Aerial view an area around San Pedro Sula, 240 km north of Tegucigalpa, flooded by the overflowing of the Chamelecon river after the passage of Hurricane Iota, taken on November 18, 2020. Storm Iota, which made landfall in Nicaragua as a “catastrophic” Category 5 hurricane Monday, killed at least ten people as it smashed homes, uprooted trees and swamped roads during its destructive advance across Central America. AFP

IN BRIEF Russian naval ship worker found guilty of treason A RUSSIAN citizen who worked on naval ships was found guilty of high treason for passing on military secrets to the CIA, Russia’s security services said Friday. Yury Yeshchenko was sentenced earlier this week to 13 years in a penal colony for attempting to supply the United States with information about Russian weapons systems, the Federal Security Service said in a statement on its website. He “decided for self-serving purposes to transfer information to the United States about the promising developments of the Russian military-industrial complex,” the statement said. According to the FSB, Yeshchenko worked for an organization in the closed Arctic town of Severomosk that supplied radio-electronic systems for ships in Russia’s Northern Fleet. The FSB said that between 2015 and 2017 Yeshchenko made copies of classified information of the fleet’s weapons systems, before making contact with the CIA in early 2019. AFP

Germany marks 75th year of Nuremberg trials GERMANY marks on Friday the 75th anniversary of the start of the Nuremberg trials, the watershed series of military tribunals intended to bring senior Nazi officials to justice. A small commemorative event, scaled down because of coronavirus restrictions, will be held in courtroom 600 at the city’s Palace of Justice, where the infamous trials opened on November 20, 1945. Witnesses, politicians and experts will speak in video messages at the event, which kicks off a series of commemorations including a poetry competition, art exhibition and readings later in the year. There will also be a speech from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, coming as Germany faces a rise in both far-right extremism and anti-Semitism. The Nuremberg trials marked the first time in history that leading representatives of a state were made to answer for their crimes before an international court. In the first trial, 21 high-ranking representatives of the Nazi party appeared in the dock to face questions from the four Allied powers—the US, Soviet Union, Britain and France. AFP

Trump to send official to visit Taiwan N OTICE Notice is hereby given that JOHNDORF VENTURES CORPORATION with office address at 4th Floor Ayala Life-FGU Center, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project under the Preferred List-Mass Housing (Navona Davao) with a capacity of 461 house and lot units on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Purok 48, Km. 7.5, Diversion Road, Brgy. Matina Pangi, Talomo Dist., Davao City. 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-NOV. 21, 2020)

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump plans to send another cabinet-level official to visit Taiwan before his administration ends, the island’s premier said Friday. Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler will visit to discuss international cooperation on environmental issues, said premier Su Tseng-chang. “Taiwan-US exchanges keep warming up... we are glad to see it and we believe it will make bilateral relations better,” he told reporters. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said the details and timing of Wheeler’s trip were still being finalized. If Wheeler visits, he will be the third senior Trump official to go to Taiwan this year. Those trips have infuriated China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its territory and routinely threatens to annex the self-ruled island. Washington diplomatically recognizes Beijing over Taipei, but remains a staunch ally of the latter and is bound by Congress to sell weapons to Taiwan to defend itself. During his tenure Trump has ramped up diplomatic contacts and arms sales to Taiwan, while feuding with China on a host of issues. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market rallies; BDO climbs T TOP GAINERS PSEi November 20, 2020

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

BCOR PCOR ACEN MWIDE HI DAVIN FAF SMC FRUIT FEU

LAST PRICE 4.65 3.78 5.8 10.6 3.72 5.73 0.72 126 1.52 640

CHANGE 0.65 0.42 0.62 1.05 0.34 0.52 0.06 10 0.12 50

% CHANGE 16.25% 12.50% 11.97% 10.99% 10.06% 9.98% 9.09% 8.62% 8.57% 8.47%

TOP LOSERS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

AR MJC LFM SSI ALHI MG LSC GPH CDC ACE

LAST PRICE 0.0009 2.25 55.45 1.56 7.8 0.17 1 10.72 0.79 1.5

CHANGE -0.0001 -0.22 -4.05 -0.1 -0.4 -0.007 -0.04 -0.42 -0.03 -0.05

% CHANGE -10.00% -8.91% -6.81% -6.02% -4.88% -3.95% -3.85% -3.77% -3.66% -3.23%

HE stock market jumped Friday after the surprise cut in interest rates announced by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and over a virus vaccine that could spur global economic recovery and bring back a semblance of normality in the new year.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index soared 172.17 points, or 2.5 percent, to a near nine-month high of 7,169.79 points on a value turnover of P10.9 billion. Thursday’s close was near the 7,187.44 points that the benchmark index reached on Feb. 24 this year. Gainers overwhelmed losers, 159 to 66, with 45 issues unchanged. The Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, on Thursday reduced the overnight borrowing rate by 25 basis points to a record-low 2 percent as support measure to boost the economy amid the lingering global health crisis. GT Capital Holdings Inc. of the Ty

Group advanced 7.7 percent to P603, while AC Energy Philippines Inc. of the Ayala Group surged 12 percent to P5.80. BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, advanced 5.8 percent to P104.70, while parent SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group rose 4.5 percent to P1,050. The rest of Asian markets mostly climbed Friday but traders trod uneasily as they were caught between long-term optimism over a virus vaccine and the immediate horror of surging virus infections and deaths across the world. Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Mumbai and Bangkok were all up. But Tokyo, Sydney, Wellington, Jakarta and Taipei slipped. Trading floors were also battling a similar problem with Washington as the Treasury and Federal Reserve knocked heads over extending lending measures, just as lawmakers prepared to restart stimulus talks. Breakthroughs on a drug to fight coronavirus, along with Joe Biden’s election win, have fired a rally in global equities this month as investors bet that life can begin to get back to a semblance of normality in the new year. But the wind has been taken out of their sails by a stream of desperate fig-

ures showing the disease running wild, setting new records in the United States and Europe while spiking in several other countries. And as the northern hemisphere heads into winter, there are fears things will only get worse, with governments including in France and England already forced to impose fresh lockdowns. Major US cities such as New York have put strict containment measures in place and on Thursday California announced a curfew across the vast majority of the state. Meanwhile, Tokyo has raised its virus alert to the highest level. “There’s the push-pull of short-term versus long-term and that’s what investors are looking at right now,” Chris Gaffney, at TIAA Bank, said. “There are some very serious risks in the short term, especially with the lockdowns.” Investors are also keeping an eye on Washington, where talks are due to resume on a new, desperately needed rescue package for the world’s top economy. While Republicans do not look likely to back down on their demands for a small stimulus and Democrats are calling for a multi-trillion-dollar deal, observers say news that they are back at the table is positive. With AFP

MOST ACTIVE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

BDO BPI AC MBT CNVRG PHA URC SCC ALI MPI

VOLUME 10,135,730 6,314,520 544,690 7,784,800 20,955,300 382,220,000 2,045,300 26,202,400 7,562,200 71,962,000

VALUE (PHP) 1,040,939,277.00 551,514,217.00 467,095,595.00 365,803,955.00 344,528,256.00 313,403,360.00 311,001,205.00 310,518,952.00 301,091,785.00 298,690,560.00

WIRECARD FRAUD. Markus Braun, the former chief executive of disgraced payments giant Wirecard, waits to face a public grilling by German lawmakers over the massive accounting fraud that brought down his firm, on November 19, 2020 in Berlin. Wirecard collapsed in June 2020 after it was forced to admit 1.9 billion euros ($2.2 billion) missing from its accounts did not exist, and MPs have opened a full parliamentary inquiry into possible regulatory failings that allowed the cheating to go unnoticed for years. AFP

Jobless claims in US increase sharply amid escalating coronavirus infections WASHINGTON—The United States saw a sharp increase in new filings for jobless benefits last week, a sign that the unemployment crisis could be intensifying again as the world’s largest economy endures a surge in Covid-19 infections. The worrying increase comes as lawmakers in Washington made a tentative restart to talks on enacting another stimulus spending measure, after extra payments to the unemployed and loans and grants to small businesses that helped the economy through the early months of the pandemic expired earlier this year. The Labor Department on Thursday reported a seasonally adjusted 742,000 new claims for unemployment benefits filed in the week ended November 14, and 320,237 claims, not seasonally adjusted, made separately under a program for workers not normally eligible for jobless aid. The worse-than-expected data marked the 35th straight week that

new jobless claim applications have remained above the worst single week of the 2008-2010 global financial crisis, and analysts fear the latest increase is just the beginning. “Given the trajectory of the pandemic, we may be stuck in the one million a week range of Americans claiming benefits (both state and federal) for some time, and we’ll be lucky if that level doesn’t rise by 100,000 to 200,000 additional claims per week,” Robert Frick of Navy Federal Credit Union said in a note. The US is home to the world’s largest outbreak of Covid-19, which has accelerated in recent weeks. The country saw 157,950 new infections over the 24 hours prior to Wednesday, the same day total deaths from the disease climbed above 250,000. A senior Democratic aide confirmed to AFP that the staff to top congressional leaders was meeting to see if there was a way forward on passing a successor to the massive $2.2-trillion CARES Act passed in March. AFP

Switch to electric vehicles could ‘end oil era’ PARIS, France—Emerging markets switching from petrol and diesel engines to electric vehicles (EVs) could save $250 billion annually and slash expected growth in global oil demand by as much as 70 percent, an industry analysis showed Friday. As more and more nations such as China and India look to grow their electric fleet, they are in turn reducing reliance on imported oil, with EVs forecasted to soon be cheaper to make and run than their fossil-fuel-fired cousins. An analysis of EV cost trends by industry watchdog Carbon Tracker found that a switch to EVs could save China— a world leader in the technology—$80 billion each year by 2030. Increased EV production would drastically reduce the cost of oil imports, which account for 1.5 percent of Chi-

na’s GDP and 2.6 percent of India’s. The analysis found that the EV revolution could essentially fund itself as component costs fall over time and governments turn away from fossil fuel infrastructure such as pipelines and refineries which risk becoming stranded assets as transportation gets greener. “This is a simple choice between growing dependency on what has been expensive oil produced by a foreign cartel, or domestic electricity produced by renewable sources whose prices fall over time,” said Kingsmill Bond, Carbon Tracker energy strategy and lead report author. “Emerging market importers will bring the oil era to an end.” Transport in emerging markets accounts for more than 80 percent of all expected growth in oil demand by 2003. AFP

IMF: Global recovery from virus plunge still difficult WASHINGTON—The global economy faces a hard road back from the Covid-19 downturn, and nations should remove trade barriers on medical technologies to aid the recovery, the IMF chief said on Thursday. The call from Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva ahead of this week’s G20 leaders summit comes as countries grapple with the fallout from a pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands and caused a sharp contraction in growth. “While a medical solution to the crisis is now in sight, the economic path ahead remains difficult and prone to setbacks,” Georgieva said in a blog post. Major pharmaceutical companies are now closing in on vaccines against the virus, amid a global spike in cases that has caused some countries to reimpose restrictions to curb transmission. “The resurgence in infections is a powerful reminder that a sustainable economic recovery cannot be achieved anywhere unless we defeat the pandemic everywhere,” Georgieva said. She called for countries to cooperate to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines, tests and medicines, as well as “multilateral efforts on the manufacturing, purchase and distribution of these health solutions—especially in poorer nations. It also means removing recent trade restrictions on all medical goods and services, including those related to vaccines,” Georgieva said. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused more than 1.3 million deaths worldwide, according to an AFP tally, and wreaked a grievous toll on the global economy. The IMF expects global growth to contract by 4.4 percent this year before rebounding 5.2 percent in 2021. However, Georgieva noted third-quarter growth was better than expected in the United States, Japan and European countries. The virtual summit hosted by Saudi Arabia is set to be the last during the term of US President Donald Trump, who lost his bid for another four years in office earlier this month, though he has rejected the results. Under his leadership, Washington has engaged in trade conflicts with strategic rival China as well as its European allies, which slowed down global growth even before the virus’s arrival. AFP

Pandemic measures hit London’s black cab business By Anna Malpas and William Edwards EPPING, United Kingdom—Tony Georgiou sighed as he stood in front of a field full of parked taxi cabs, admitting he has lost count of how many are there. Many London taxi drivers rent their instantly-recognizable black cabs from fleet companies such as GB Taxi Services, where Georgiou is one of the owners. But with London’s streets emptied by the coronavirus lockdown, many drivers are unable to keep paying for their vehicles and are handing them back in droves. “There’s probably around 150 to 200 vehicles that are here, which we’ve had to take off the road,” said Georgiou, whose company has parked its vehicles in Epping northeast of the capital. “I’ve lost count.” Famed worldwide, the British capital’s bulbous black cabs were originally designed to accommodate a passenger in a top hat. To earn a license, drivers have to pass a fiendishly difficult exam called “The Knowledge,” which tests their recall of streets, routes and landmarks purely from memory. But fields full of taxis are now a mass phenomenon, said Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA). “It’s happening all over, all round the M25 there are fields with cabs like that,” said McNamara, referring to the main orbital motorway around London. He called the situation “totally and utterly unprecedented” and “already not survivable for some.” British symbol Georgiou said that around 50 of the parked vehicles have already been targeted by thieves who removed catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters that will cost some 120,000 pounds ($160,000, 134,000 euros) to replace.

An aerial view shows black London taxi cabs parked up in a field in Epping, north-east of London on November 19, 2020. Picking up a fare has become so hard for London’s legendary black cabs that many taxis are being mothballed. Some taxi drivers who hire their cabs have returned them to fleet companies, which are then forced to store the vehicles in fields around the city. AFP

“I couldn’t tell you if we are confident to get through this at the moment. It is a struggle,” he said of his company, which has been operating for over 16 years. Currently, only some 20 percent of cabs are operating, McNamara said, basing the assessment on the association’s own vehicle counts and official figures from Heathrow Airport. The LTDA has around 11,000 members out of a total number of about 20,000 black cab drivers in the city. McNamara now wants taxi drivers to get more financial support from the government, arguing that they recently invested in costly electric cabs and electronic payment machines. London’s first horse-drawn cabs appeared in the 17th century. The black cabs were once in a list of British symbols recognizable around the world, including red telephone boxes and police in conical helmets. But McNamara said: “The only one that’s left is black cabs.” Covid is “without doubt the prime fac-

tor” for falling numbers of taxis, he said. Uber and other ride-hailing apps are “absolutely not” a factor, he added, arguing that their prices have crept up and drivers are unpredictable. Those cabbies still on the road may be earning 20 percent of their usual income, which can range from £15,000 to £80,000 per year. “We’ve lost 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles since June,” he said. Some drivers have switched to making deliveries for supermarkets but the “vast majority” are not working, he added. ‘Incredibly frightening’ According to official figures from Transport for London (TfL) sent to AFP, the number of licensed black cabs has gone down from more than 19,000 on March 1 this year to just under 15,000 on November 8. A TfL spokesman said it had advised drivers on how to stay safe and mentally healthy during the pandemic and they have had grants to help them buy low-emission vehicles. AFP

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

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020

Business

PSE INDEX

Friday, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

172.17 PTS. 7,169.79

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

32,035,789,244 180,053 10,939,469,011.75 159 66 45

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.2790

Japan

Yen

0.009641

0.4655

Pound

1.326400

64.0373

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128981

6.2271

Switzerland

Franc

1.097815

53.0014

Canada

Dollar

0.765052

36.9359

Singapore

Dollar

0.743771

35.9085

Australia

Dollar

0.728700

35.1809

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655055

128.1834

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.8744

Brunei

Dollar

0.741015

35.7755

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.032895

1.5881

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.1450

Euro

1.187700

57.3410

Korea

Won

0.000898

0.0434

China

Yuan

0.151900

7.3336

India

Rupee

0.013495

0.6515

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.244021

11.7811

New Zealand

Dollar

0.691300

33.3753

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035074

1.6933 Source: BSP

Cebu Pacific raising $250m to fund airline’s transformation By Darwin G. Amojelar CEBU Air Inc. said Friday it is raising $250 million from the sale of preferred shares through a stock rights offering to fund business transformation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “As part of the business transformation exercise, the corporation intends to undergo a fundraising plan, which will include, among others, a convertible preferred shares stock rights offering for an aggregate proceeds of about $250 million,” the airline unit of the Gokongwei Group said. The airline said the proposed convertible preferred shares stock rights offering would be fair, transparent and equitable to all shareholders. It said the airline industry faces significant challenges as a result of unprecedented events outside the control of the corporation brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Travel restrictions imposed by various governments, both local and abroad, have led to abrupt reduction in passenger traffic for the Corporation and casts uncertainty over the near term prospects of the corporation despite its market leadership,” it said. The company said that because of the exceptional change in market conditions and industry dynamics, it saw the urgent need to fast track its transformation. Cebu Air said it was implementing a business transformation exercise that involves right-sizing of network and fleet to meet new demand and improvement of operations efficiency through process and policy enhancements and digitalization. “This places the corporation in a better position to respond to this harsh reality,” the airline said. CEB earlier reported a net loss of P14.68 billion from January to September, compared to the P6.76 billion net income it earned in the same period last year. Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific said it added self-service features to its online ‘Manage Booking’ portal to make it more convenient for travelers. Passengers can now easily update information, including name, birthday, nationality and salutations through cebupacificair.com. “We have been enhancing our contactless experience and accelerating our digital initiatives because these provide quicker and safer options for our passengers. Our customers remain at the heart of our business, so you can expect more enhancements from us that further support and enable a self-service journey for everyone,” said Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and customer experience Candice Iyog.

Holcim PH merges with 3 subsidiaries HOLCIM Philippines Inc. said Friday it is merging with three majority-owned subsidiaries to streamline corporate structure. HPI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors approved the merger of Mabini Grinding Mill Corp., Bulkcem Philippines Inc. and Holcim Philippines Manufacturing Corp. with the company. HPI said the proposed merger would make the company’s operations more efficient. “Further, streamlining the corporate structure will result in cost savings for the company,” HPI said. MGMC was incorporated and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Sept. 29, 1999. Today, MGMC’s main business is leasing its grinding station in Mabini, Batangas to HPI. BPI is a wholly owned subsidiary of HPMC which is into the leasing of bulk terminal in Iloilo while HPMC is 99.61-percent owned by HPI. It owns a cement plant it leases to HPI. Jenniffer B. Austria

BSP bares new logo with gold eagle design

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez stresses the importance of micro, small and medium enterprises in revitalizing the economy amid the pandemic during the launch of the SM Christmas Market at SM Megamall. With Lopez (center) during the launch are (from left) SM Supermalls president Steven Tan and SM Retail Inc. president Chito Manalo Jr.

BPO sector expects recovery with revenue of $29b by 2022 By Othel V. Campos

HE Philippine information technology-business process management industry expects to recover from a flat growth this year, with both employment and revenues likely to achieve moderate expansion over the next couple of years. The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines set revised targets for 2022, projecting the headcount growth at 2.7 percent to 5 percent, or around 1.37 million to 1.43 million fulltime employees, and industry revenues amounting of $29.09 billion with a compound annual growth rate of 3.2 percent

to 5.5 percent in the next two years. IBPAP president and CEO Rey Untal said Friday while the Philippines was expecting flat growth in 2020, “the industry is still in a better position than other industries considering the detrimental impact of the pandemic to almost all sectors and industries.” “While these new figures stand as the Philippine IT-BPM industry’s goal for 2022, it is equally important to know how we will be achieving them. The recalibration study also provided us with imperatives we and our stakeholders must undertake, not only to fulfill these targets, but to strengthen our sector locally and globally,” he said in a virtual briefing. The briefing and announcement of revised growth guidance was the culmination of the 12th International Innovation Summit—a five-day global IT-BPM conference that incorporated the revision of the industry Roadmap 2020. International consulting firm Everest

came up with six imperatives that the industry should be able to satisfy to enable growth. These include the strengthening of telecom infrastructure to better support long-term remote work; acceleration of investment in talent development programs, especially for nextgeneration skills; and stronger pivot to digitally supplemented services by rapidly accelerating investments in digital and cybersecurity initiatives. These also include consistent tapping of countryside potential by accelerating talent and infrastructure development outside Metro Manila; improvement of local industry’s position in the global market by enhancing focus on resilience, increased commitment from players and government, and ability to deliver complex services; and improvement in ease of doing business by enhancing and strengthening government support to offer a business-friendly environment.

ABOITIZ ASSISTANCE. The

Aboitiz Group mobilizes relief operations in areas heavily hit by back-to-back typhoons Ulysses (Vamco) and Rolly (Goni) that triggered massive flooding in several areas, especially in Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley and the Bicol region. In Marikina City and Rodriguez, Rizal, the Aboitiz Foundation, along with the League of Corporate Foundations, turns over drinking water, relief packs and 1,000 sleeping kits to affected families.

DOE pushes joint oil, gas exploration among ASEAN countries By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy is pushing for joint oil and gas exploration with Southeast Asian nations to promote energy security in the region. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi in a statement Friday reiterated his call for joint exploration activities and raised the importance of integrating resilience in future power work plans, as he joined fellow energy ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the virtual 38th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting. Cusi urged ASEAN national oil companies to explore joint oil and gas exploration and development.

“With all of us sharing the common aspiration of attaining energy security for our respective countries, we must maximize the advantages of belonging to this multilateral Association in order to fast track its realization,” he said. Cusi asked the ASEAN Council on Petroleum to revisit the existing sharing agreements on oil and gas exploration and production and to recommend similar or modified agreements for possible adoption. This ASCOPE action will fast track the attainment of energy security in ASEAN, he said. Cusi made the proposal in support of his statement in last year’s 37th AMEM

when he urged the ASEAN to rethink and jointly act on strategies that would enable the member states to forge stronger regional collaboration and cooperation on energy resource exploration, development and production within ASEAN’s shared and common borders. Cusi also noted the lifting of the suspension of petroleum activities and resumption of exploration in the West Philippine Sea. “This development would augur well for our economic recovery in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, given that the resumption of work would infuse our economy with fresh investments and help generate high-skill employment opportunities,” Cusi said.

BOI approves registration of SureStay Plus Hotel’s P45-m virus-resistant investment THE Board of Investments said Friday it approved the registration of SureStay Plus Hotel’s P45-million COVID-19-resistant project. It said the project was the second premium economy hotel of Cebu Quad Management Corp. in partnership with SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western. The first hotel was in Angeles City, Pampanga. SureStay Plus Hotel said it would adopt information technology systems for contact tracing, online booking and contact-

IN BRIEF

less payment. The hotel will also install cameras equipped with thermal sensors or no-contact thermal scanner, and disinfect kiosks with sensors as part of measures to reduce COVID-19 infections. SureStay Plus is expected to generate 32 direct and indirect jobs in its first five years of operation. The project will help address the occupancy gap by contributing 63 new rooms, and is expected to provide additional income to food and beverage suppliers and furniture designers and makers of high-quality handicraft

in Cebu. The project also supports the government’s “Buy Local” campaign which aims to promote patronage of products and services of domestic enterprises to help them recover from losses during the lockdown. Tourism has been among the hardesthit sectors amid the global pandemic. As part of government’s efforts to help the sector, the BOI launched a campaign to support businesses during the pandemic. The campaign aims to provide Phil-

ippine businesses with the information and the help they need in view of the health crisis. The campaign promotes government help in a range of areas, from movement of goods to schemes for manufacturers. The BOI collaborated closely with the Department of Tourism to introduce a policy providing investment incentives for tourism and tourism-related industries that are upgrading and modernizing their facilities in order to operate under the new normal.

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is introducing a new logo in keeping with the changing times, Governor Benjamin Diokno said in an online briefing Friday. Diokno said from an eagle profile design of the current logo, the new logo features a full-bodied Philippine eagle rendered in gold, taking inspiration from several wildlife photographs of actual Philippine eagles. He said the use of the Philippine eagle in the new logo aimed to represent the BSP and the Filipino people which it serves. “While the strong foundation of the BSP brand remains the same, its visual representation in the form of the logo requires an update to infuse the institution with renewed vitality, underscore its integrity and competence, and further promote the understanding of its mandates,” Diokno said. He said these are consistent with the 2020-2023 BSP Strategy, which focuses on making the BSP more relevant to the Filipino people, as it pursues its mandates in support of a sustainable and inclusive growth of the economy. Julito G. Rada

SMC deploying 100 RFID installation sites SAN Miguel Corp. said Friday it is putting up 100 additional RFID installation sites to serve motorists from both southern and northern parts of Metro Manila and the provinces. SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said the company noted a larger-than-expected spike in applications, especially from non-regular users hoping to beat the deadline. Ang said that while motorists would still be able to get RFID stickers even after the implementation of the government mandate for cashless transactions, SMC was introducing measures to accommodate the large volume of applications. These include further increasing manpower and equipment to fast-track the preenrollment and pre-activation of new Autosweep kits; extending installation hours within the carriageway to 24 hours, seven days a week at Skyway Runway Plaza, Old NAIAX toll plaza, C5 toll plaza and Nichols and Calamba toll plazas; and activation of 100 new installation sites as soon as the expected bulk delivery of RFID stickers are received. Darwin G. Amojelar

STI Holdings sees needs of students under ‘new normal’ STI Education Systems Holdings Inc., owner of one of the country’s largest network of schools, quickly responded to the needs of its students under the new normal of education through its robust learning management systems. The group said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange the LMS are being used by 70,223 students across its network for school year 2020-21. Aside from the students, 1,885 teachers use the platforms to access 18,794 courses or uploads of subjects, modules and orientation materials across the network. STI Education Services Group, the largest of the group’s subsidiaries and STI WNU were swift to strengthen their existing blended learning methods and introduce the Online and Onsite Education at STI Learning Model for this school year. STI launched its blended learning model which uses its eLearning Management System in 2014. Under this system, students are able to continue with their studies at home uninterrupted despite any physical classroom disruptions. The eLMS is a software application that runs on Amazon cloud to better manage the delivery of STI ESG and STI WNU’s educational courses and training programs to its students. The curricular course materials aim to augment classroom learning, while the extra-curricular course materials are prepared to further nurture student development. STI ESG and STU WNU started implementing the Parent Partnership Education Program to help parents and guardians support their children in their education amid the new normal. They are also given their own eLMS accounts to monitor their children’s progress.

Sports

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

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020

NCAA partners with GMA via landmark deal By Peter Atencio

Meralco Bolts guard Chris Newsome (11) tries to dribble past Barangay Ginebra defender Scottie Thompson. Newsome powered Meralco to a 95-77 victory over Ginebra. PBA

Newsome’s hot shooting carries Bolts past Kings By Reuel Vidal

Eala bows out of Spain tournament FILIPINA tennis prodigy and Globe Ambassador Alex Eala failed to advance in the quarterfinals of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria tournament in Spain after yielding to Lara Salden of Belgium in three sets. Eala lost in the second round of the tournament, 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 after booting out number 8 seed Francesca Jones of Great Britain in the opening round. The 15-year-old Filipina, however, couldn’t sustain the momentum against the Belgian who is 246th in the Women’s Tennis Association world rankings and coming off from a win in the Lousada Indoor Open in Portugal two weeks ago. Salden broke Eala thrice in the opening set to take the lead but Eala came back roaring in the second set to take the match into a decider. Salden, who is six years older than Eala and a regular campaigner in the women’s tour, leaned on her experience to seize a 3-0 lead in the final set. Eala was able to hold serve in the fourth frame to cut Salden’s lead to 3-1. Salden eventually held on to eliminate Eala out of the tournament with a 6-2 score in the decider. Eala is a scholar at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain. She is the second ranked player in the Juniors ITF world rankings and just played only in her third professional tournament. She reached the semifinals of the girls’ tournament of the 2020 French Open in Roland Garros last month. Early this year, she won the girl’s double title of the 2020 Australian Open. Eala has been a Globe Ambassador since 2016.

LL tied. The Meralco Bolts trailed early, but relied on the hot shooting of Chris Newsome to beat Barangay Ginebra and tie their best-of-five 2020 PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series at one-all. Newsome—who scored just 2 points in the first half—exploded 14 in the second to lead Meralco past Ginebra, 95-77, yesterday, Wednesday, November 20 at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena & Cultural Center Powered by Smart 5G. Ginebra relied on a zone and paid dearly as Newsome, Allein Maliksi and Baser Amer waxed out from the outside. Meralco outscored Ginebra 20-6 early in the fourth to jump ahead by 18 points, 8567, virtually settling the outcome of the match with still 5 minutes left to play. Arvin Tolentino drained his third threepointer as the Gin Kings extended their lead to 13 points, 55-42, early in the third

period. Then the roof caved in for the Gin Kings. Newsome started to hit his stride late in the third. He received a kick out pass from Reynel Hugnatan then drilled the threepointer to cap a 9-2 Meralco run which cut the Ginebra advantage to just 6 points, 57-51, with 6:15 to go in the third. Newsome unloaded 9 points in the period to tow Meralco to a 4-point, 65-61, lead after three quarters. The Bolts then went on to shred the Ginebra zone in the fourth to win pulling away. LA Tenorio drilled a pair of threepointers to go with another triple by Tolentino to push Ginebra to an early 9-point, 21-12 advantage with five

minutes to play in the first quarter. The Bolts came storming back late in the period. Reynel Hugnatan pivoted into the paint to convert the field goal and the bonus free throw to cut the lead to 2 points, 25-23, for Ginebra. Tenorio closed the period with an outside shot as Ginebra led by 4, 27-23, after the first quarter. Tenorio ended up with 3 triples in the first quarter alone while Tolentino had 2 for the Gin Kings. Bong Quinto glided into the paint to convert a layup and then the bonus free throw as Meralco grabbed the lead, 3534, with 8:02 to go in the second. Stanley Pringle kissed the ball off the glass on his layup attempt. The shot looked well off and the ball was not heading into the hoop but was blocked by Chris Newsome just the same awarding the two points to Ginebra on a goal-tending call. Ginebra held a 50-42 advantage at halftime. Outside shooting was key to the Ginebra advantage with the Gin Kings converting 7 triples compared to just 2 by Meralco at halftime.

THE 96th season of the Nationl Collegiate Athletic Association is expected to start in the second quarter of 2021 with a new broadcast partner in Philippine media giant GMA Network. After winning the bid for the broadcast right, network officials signed a deal which will have GMA Network televising the league’s numerous events for the next five and a half years. The decision to accept the bid of GMA Network was reached Thursday night during a virtual meeting with network officials, and members of the NCAA policy board, headed by Colegio de San Juan de Letran rector, Fr. Clarence Marquez, O.P. Management Committee chairman Fr. Vic Calvo was also around to discuss the details with GMA Network Chairman Felipe Gozon, who led the presentation committee. “This new partnership commits to ensure that the NCAA becomes the country’s premier interscholastic sports league with the promise of national, local and world audiences through GMA’s formidable multimedia platform,” said the league in a statement. League officials expect the partnership to provide the NCAA “with unmatched reach and scale.” “Yes, GMA 7 will air other event outside of basketball,” said Fr. Calvo in a message to the Manila Standard. The partnership will also include the NCAA’s centennial year, which is season 100 in the year 2024. “As it approaches its centennial anniversary, and being the country’s longest league, the NCAA deserves nothing less than to be seen on the leading and dominant network with proven impact and reach,” added league officials. “We are excited that GMA Network is the new home of the NCAA. At the same time, we are grateful to the NCAA board for putting their trust in GMA to serve as a platform in showcasing the talented Filipino student athletes,” said Gozon in a separate statement. GMA 7 was chosen over TV5, which already won the bid of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ broadcast rights.

Lascuña rules PH Golf Tour restart at Riviera

Tony Lascuña hoists his trophy after another title romp in the iCTSI Riviera Invitational Championship marking the return of the Philippine Golf Tour after an eight-month hiatus due to pandemic.

TONY Lascuña kept the momentum of his third round assault and made it a virtual routine in Philippine Golf Tour’s return in new normal, ending up on top again after beating Ira Alido and Rupert Zaragosa by four on a 68 in the ICTSI Riviera Invitational Challenge at the Couples course in Silang, Cavite yesterday. The multi-titled Lascuña broke away from a tied duel with Zaragosa with birdies on Nos. 3 and 6 then pulled away with three more birdies in the first four holes at the back to claim another championship after closing out PGT’s milestone 10th season last year with back-to-back three-stroke title romps at Apo and South Pacific in his hometown Davao. “It’s so nice to win again but nicer for us to finally have a tournament to play in,” said Lascuña, the most dominant player in the circuit with four Order of Merit titles. He pooled an 8-under 280 and pocketed the top P350,000 purse. “It’s been a long time since we last competed and we could only thank ICTSI and the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. for giving us the opportunity to play competitively again,” he added. After a pair of mediocre rounds (71-72) coming off a long layoff, Lascuña found his bearing and rhythm and shot a bogey-free 69 Thursday to tie Zaragosa on top then sustained his charge with those closing five birdies and a couple of scrambling pars. A bogey on the 18th, however, ruined what could’ve been a remarkable un-

blemished run in the last 36 holes. But the last-hole mishap hardly mattered for the veteran campaigner, who stayed physically active during the lockdown and spent the long break teaching and training at the Manila Southwoods when quarantine restrictions eased up in May. His imposing victory should likewise make him the marked man when the second and last PGT tournament in the pandemic-hit season is held Dec. 8-11 at the adjacent Langer layout along with the 54-hole Ladies PGT championship, headed by Thursday’s winner Princess Superal. Alido rallied with a three-birdie binge from No. 11 and shot a 69 and earned a share of second at 284 as Zaragosa, who surged ahead in the second round of the P2.5 million event put up by ICTSI, bogeyed the last two for a 72. Each received P187,500. Former Philippine Open champion and many-time PGT and PGT Asia titlist Angelo Que snatched fourth place at 285 worth P110,000 after a 67 in a surge that came a bit late for one of the fancied players in the fold while Justin Quiban also sizzled late, producing the tournament-best bogey-less seven-under 65 to tie first round leader Joenard Rates, who faded with three backside bogeys for a 74, at fifth at 287. Each received P103,105. Fidel Concepcion shot a 71 and shared seventh place at 288 with Miguel Tabuena, the two-time Phl Open champion who had failed to really get going after an opening 71, finishing with a second 72.

FIGHTING PRIDE: The Manny Pacquiao Saga arrives next year BOXING fans are in for a knock-out with the upcoming release of FIGHTING PRIDE: The Manny Pacquiao Saga! This 2.5-D beat-‘em-up sports-adventure game features a thrilling, action-packed and addictive adaptation of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s life story, and will be free to download on mobile platforms in early 2021. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao is the only boxer in history to win eight different weight divisions, with 12 major titles. His life is a phenomenal and inspiring story. Pacquiao has been invited on numerous occasions by prestigious institutions like Oxford University and Cambridge University to discuss his life’s challenges and how he has triumphed over adversity. Sharing with the world the legend of Pacquiao’s rise from poverty to prominence has been the main motivation for Fighting Pride from the start. OMG Inc. creates the opportunity, develops the plan and prepares the story “From nothing to greatness, from the im-

possible to endless possibilities, Pacquiao’s life must be shared with all of us,” said OMG President Mike Ochosa. “His story is compelling as well as inspiring. What better way to impart that sentiment to the world than through a mobile game app?” OMG Inc. owns exclusive worldwide rights to develop a mobile game featuring Manny Pacquiao’s life story and the use of his name, image and likeness. Ochosa first broached the idea in 2018. Instead of writing a book or making a movie, the mobile gaming platform was shaping up to be the most relevant, effective and user friendly way to tell the story of the Fighting Pride of the Philippines. Together with personal insights and inputs from Pacquiao himself, the game story was created. Integral to the story development was the introduction of characters that embody Pacquiao’s challenges from his personal trials to

the social ills he encountered. OMG Inc reached out to Ranida Games, the Philippines premier game developer to co-build the game platform. FIGHTING PRIDE: The Manny Pacquiao Saga was born. RANIDA GAMES builds the game play and brings the story to life Ranida Games is the Philippine-based independent game development studio behind hit games like PBA Basketball Slam and BAYANI Fighting Game. “I’ve been watching Manny Pacquiao’s boxing fights since I was young, and it’s been one of my dreams to create a Pacquiao game since I started making games.,” said Ben Banta, CEO of Ranida Games. “He’s not only served as an inspiration, but also brought happiness and pride to a lot of people. And as a huge fan of beat ‘em ups, the continuous wave of action it offers while telling a story makes this a perfect genre through which to share his life story.”

Fighting Pride is the official, authorized and exclusive mobile game depicting the life story of Manny Pacquiao, an internationally recognized boxing icon.

Tech & Gadgets

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020

rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

MediaTek’s new chipsets to power Chromebooks MEDIATEK unveiled its MT8192 and MT8195 chipsets for the next generation of Chromebooks. With the 7nm MT8192 for mainstream devices and the 6nm MT8195 for premium devices, brands can design powerful, sleek and lightweight Chromebooks that deliver longer battery life and incredible computing experiences from video conferencing and streaming video to cloud gaming and AI-powered applications. “Chromebooks are seeing an unprecedented surge in popularity as more people work remotely and take online classes. MediaTek already powers some of the most popular Chromebooks on the market, and will continue to improve and drive user experiences forward with our new chipsets,” said Jerry Yu, Corporate Senior Vice President at MediaTek. “The MT8192 and MT8195 give brands more features to design powerful Chromebooks with innovative form factors that can flip, fold or detach, are slim and lightweight, and have great battery life.” The MT8192 and MT8195 chipsets each integrate a high-performance AI processing unit (APU) to power a wide range of voice and vision-based applications. MediaTek’s powerful APU technology is designed to seamlessly process voice ID recognition and voice control, speech and image recognition, speech to text, live translation, object recognition, background removal, noise reduction, image and video segmentation and gesture control, all in real-time. Both chipsets also have a dedicated audio digital signal processor (DSP) to enable ultra-low power voice wakeup (VoW) for voice assistants. Brands can design Chromebooks with a variety of camera configurations thanks to a high dynamic range (HDR) image signal processor and hardware depth engine built into the chipsets. This gives device makers the option to integrate super-large 80MP 4-cell cameras, single 32MP cameras or dual camera setups up to 16 MP + 16 MP to bring Chromebooks sharp and crisp HDR for video conferencing. MediaTek’s MT8195, built on the 6nm TSMC process, integrates an octa-core CPU with four Arm CortexA78 cores for compute intensive applications and four power-efficient Arm Cortex-A55 cores to simultaneously handle background tasks and maximize battery life. The MT8195 also integrates MediaTek’s APU 3.0, providing up to 4 TOPS performance. The powerful five-core Arm-Mali G57 GPU delivers great visuals, while quad-channel 2133MHz LPDDR4X ensures there is plenty of memory bandwidth for the powerful cores. The MT8195 also supports up to three simultaneous displays so users can enjoy more screen real estate whether they’re working, gaming or just browsing the internet. With support for Dolby Vision, 7.1 surround sound audio and a Codec AV1 hardware video accelerator, users can enjoy cinema-quality experiences for streaming movies and TV shows from the most popular online services. Additionally, AV1 hardware decoding uses less data while still offering stunning graphics and smooth video experiences.

Nokia 2.4: Good battery life, great night photos By Jessica Luna

ONNECTING people around the globe since its introduction in 2000, Nokia is the embodiment of reliability and durability—the same commitment exemplified by the new generation of Nokia phones today, which includes one of the brand's latest offering—the Nokia 2.4. Boasting of a nicely designed unibody just like its predecessor (2.3), the Nokia 2.4 brings some hardware upgrades and a slight change in the design. The result is a solid budget phone that is capable of producing decent photos, satisfactory performance and great battery life that will bring smiles to the faces of its fans, who abhor bringing along their bulky powerbanks. THE BATTERY The Nokia 2.4's biggest draw is its huge battery. In terms of juice, its 4500mAh battery will last two days of usage, although it takes around three-and-a-half-hours to charge the device from 0 to 100% and a microUSB port that supports slow 5W charging, but we don't mind, really. THE CAMERA At its price range, the Nokia 2.4's camera doesn't disappoint, producing photos with sharp, dynamic colors especially when taken with natural light. There isn't a pro mode available, but its night mode impresses, pulling off enough light to create decent pictures. Even the selfies from the front 5MP camera churn out nice selfies in good lighting conditions. Just don't compare them with those produced from high-end smartphones. The Nokia 2.4 can also record videos of up to FullHD (1080p), with both the front and rear camera, plus an option for extra video stabilization in settings. THE BODY, SCREEN, DESIGN The Nokia 2.4 also stands out with its design, featuring a textured plastic back and frame around the device, a unibody approach that looks better from its predecessor. It also feels better. The nanotexture makes the phone less slippery and nice to hold. At the back is the dualcamera with LED flash, a fingerprint sensor (first for the 2 series) and Nokia logo. The matte color, texture, frame and solid weight make it a comfortable device to hold and use. The dimensions of the device are 165.85 x 76.30 x 8.69 mm, with a weight of 195g. The 6.5-inch display—LCD panel with a resolution is HD+ (720 x 1600 pixels) —has a teardrop notch where the 5MP selfie camera is placed. It comes in 3 attractive colors— Charcoal Grey (our review unit), Dusk and Fjord. HARDWARE AND CONNECTIVITY Because the Nokia 2.4 is a budget device, don't expect it to blow your mind like the high-end smartphones on

The Nokia 2.4 is solid budget phone that is capable of producing decent photos, satisfactory performance and great battery life.

future and security updates. But most of all, what you'd be getting from a Nokia is its reliability and durability – elements that cannot be quantiﬁed by any Android update, any MP in a camera or any mAh in a battery. SPECS Name: Nokia 2.4 (#Nokia2dot4) Dimensions: 165.85 x 76.30 x 8.69 mm Mass: 189 g Display: 6.5 inches, HD+ 720×1600 (270 ppi), Teardrop notch Processor: MediaTek Helio P22 (12 nm), Octa-core (8× up to 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A53), GPU: PowerVR GE8320 Memory: 2/32GB, 3/64 GB, MicroSD Connectivity: BT 5.0, WiFi b/g/n, USB-OTG, GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS) Sensors: Fingerprint, accelerometer, proximity Extras: FM Radio, 5W charger, Face Unlock, nano SIM, MicroUSB port Color: Charcoal, Fjord, Dusk Price: approx. €119 PLUS design and build quality great battery life good night mode camera Timely updates and support to Android 12 MINUS limited performance no USB Type C screen not bright enough for easy outdoor use

the market. But its SoC of choice -- the MediaTek’s Helio P22 —will suffice for casual usage of net surfing, messaging, video playback, etc. PERFORMANCE The device can handle performance-intensive apps and games, but there is a noticeable slowdown and occasional lag – not surprising for the hardware. Apps are stable, but a bit sluggish at rare times. Gamers, however won't be disappointed as the phone delivers with flying colors, maybe due to the low graphics and medium framerate. The Nokia 2.4 excels with its hardware and connectivity as there were no signal drops in network and calls on WiFi or LTE. SOFTWARE The Nokia 2.4 runs on Android 10, but is capable of an Android 11 upgrade. Nokia also promises two years of software updates and a third of security patches. And because the Nokia 2.4 is a member of the Android One family, you'll get a clean, streamlined, Google-approved stock experience that is lightweight, and user-friendly – which are a key edge for Nokia in the budget phone market because it has less clutter. THE CONCLUSION The Nokia 2.4 boasts of an excellent design, build quality, battery life and decent photos for social media use, plus the promise of Android 11 and Android 12 in the

The Nokia 2.4's night mode impresses, pulling off enough light to create decent pictures.

Alibaba Cloud unveils ‘magic’ behind world’s largest online shopping festival ALIBABA Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, today revealed the cuttingedge technologies rolled out in support of the 2020 11.11 Global Shopping Festival. This year’s 11.11, which generated RMB498.2 billion (US$74.1 billion) in GMV over an 11-day period, was made possible by Alibaba Cloud infrastructure upgrades. Right after midnight on November 11, for example, just 26 seconds after shopping began, peak orders hit 583,000 per second—1,400 times peak volume at the festival’s debut 12 years ago on November 11 2009. “We were very proud to support 800 million consumers and 250,000 brands during the world’s largest shopping festival,” said Li CHENG, Chief Technology Officer of Alibaba Group. “From the robust digital infrastructure supporting zero downtime operation, to cloud-native offerings for developers’ efficiencies and consumer-facing applications for creating some of smoothest engagement experiences, Alibaba’s technologies have once again passed the toughest tests with flying colors.” “Alibaba Cloud has been at the forefront of cloud database product offerings for many years,” said Dr Li Feifei, President of Database Business, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. “In the cloud-native era, it is even more pivotal for businesses to be able to take advantage of innovative Database as a Service (DBaaS) offerings to enhance and support high-concurrency and high-volume web applications

such as e-commerce, online gaming and ﬁnancial technology. Many Fortune 500 ﬁrms are already using our Cloud DBaaS for mobile apps, backups and tests, and the most recent impressive performance of our proprietary solutions during the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival is yet another strong endorsement on our capability.”

Alibaba’s real-time computing platform, powered by Apache Flink, processed data streams totaling 4 billion items per second during peak time, a considerable surge from 2.5 billion last year. MaxCompute, Alibaba’s proprietary data warehousing platform, handled 1.7 exabytes (an exabyte is equal to 1 billion gigabytes) of data on average per day during the 11-day festival from November 1 to 11, equivalent to processing 230 high-res photos of each of the 7 billion people in the world. Despite the extreme scalability and high performance required, no downtime was reported throughout this year’s extended festival period. Leveraging cloud-native databases, including PolarDB, AnalyticDB and Lindorm, Alibaba Cloud enabled 11.11 to run smoothly even during peak periods. PolarDB set a new record with 140 million queries per second during peak time at 11.11, a 60% increase from last year. AnalyticDB, Alibaba

Jabra launches new Elite 85t earbuds JABRA'S latest addition to its award-winning compact true wireless earbuds portfolio hits the Philippine market this 2020 holiday season with the Jabra Elite 85t. One of the smallest earbuds that offers Advanced Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)TM, the Elite 85t is built on Jabra’s innovative track record and does not compromise on discreet design, the user’s comfort, the overall quality of calls or music experience. “At Jabra we engineer products for purpose and today we are proud to show that our commitment to ANC is no exception. Our users today are looking for great things in small packages, so we are thrilled to offer the Jabra Elite 85t which sports our best-in-class ANC in a very compact and sleek design,” states René SvendsenTune, CEO at Jabra. “We are also excited to take our current Jabra users on the ANC journey with us with a free upgrade from their existing Elite 75t products—leading the charge as the ﬁrst global brand to execute this over-the-air update. For us, ANC now means ‘Accept No Compromise’!” he proudly announced. Elite 85t with Jabra Advanced ANCTM The Jabra Elite 85t is engineered to defy the boundaries of how much noise can be removed in a set of true wireless earbuds. Featuring Jabra’s most advanced and powerful ANC technology, its dual chipset delivers strong ANC capability as well as optimal sound processing. Users can create their own private, quiet space and

fully control what they hear in their surroundings through HearThrough (Jabra’s transparency mode). The ﬂexibility of the Jabra Advanced ANC goes beyond an on/off solution as it is adjustable with a dual slider from full ANC to full HearThrough, and anywhere in between—enabling Jabra Elite 85t to offer a more personalized experience that puts the user in control of their surroundings. Optimal call quality The new Jabra Elite 85t earbuds bring outstanding call quality for both the user and the person on the other end, with the 6-mic technology (three on each ear, two on the outside, one on the inside). Improved wind noise protection enables great calls anywhere. Microphones inside and outside the earbuds deliver improved noise cancellation, ﬁltering out more noise across all frequencies.

Cloud’s self-developed cloud native data warehouse, processed up to 7.7 trillion lines of real-time data, equaling 15 times the data contained in the UK Web Archive at the British Library. In addition, PolarDB-X and AnalyticDB helped China Post to deal with more than 100 million orders during 11.11, with about 100,000 China Post users checking their parcels’ real-time status online. Below are more highlights from this year’s technologies and innovations: More engaging experience for consumers ● Livestreaming took center stage at this year’s 11.11, which saw tens of thousands of livestreams broadcast on Taobao Live. Leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s narrow-bandwidth and high-deﬁnition video solutions, such as its Real-time Streaming (RTS) technology to reduce latency to less than one second (approximately 75% lower than the industry average), the smooth livestreaming experience with dynamic interactions is also proven to be effective in boosting sales. ● By leveraging Alibaba DAMO Academy’s (DAMO) latest multi-module technology—including Natural Language Processing (NLP), image recognition, Text-toSpeech (TTS) and cloud rendering - Taobao Live launched its virtual anchor service for merchants. Virtual anchors can explain product details, respond to some inquiries and even play games with the audience during livestreaming sessions, while the human anchors are on break resting (usually from midnight to early morning).

Allianz banking on young, digital-savvy, finance protégés ALLIANZ PNB Life is offering young, dynamic, talented, and digital-savvy Filipinos the opportunity to make a profitable income and be in control of their careers, while helping others secure their health and financial future without sacrificing the time to pursue their own passions. The Digital Natives of Allianz, or DNAs, are the products of the company’s newest agency program. The program attracts, trains, and develops self-starting young Filipinos who want to take charge of their lives. DNAs from diverse backgrounds are welcome as long as they have an entrepreneurial mindset, want to be in control of their careers, and are disciplined in following the program. Young, curious, digitally-skilled, and proficient at multi-tasking, they are the new lifeblood of Allianz PNB Life and the future of the insurance industry. According to Allianz PNB Life Distribution Training Supervisor Candice Elaine Veloso, the DNA program aims to reward committed, and tech-savvy individuals

who want to establish a lifelong career in the insurance industry. “The DNAs undergo a bespoke four-week training program designed to prepare them to become knowledgeable, experienced, and valuable assets to the business,” Veloso said. To be a DNA, means having to undergo a rigorous selection process, as Allianz PNB Life handpicks only the best. Close to 200 applicants from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao tried out during the first recruitment process held earlier this year. Thirty-five applicants were admitted to the training program and 31 successfully completed it. True to the name – “Digital Natives” – the training program was conducted via digital tools meant to meet the demands of modern times. Each applicant went through a variety of learning interventions such as role-playing, case studies, and other assessments that are meant to enhance their skills and knowledge as well as raise their confidence and insight on how to best serve the needs of their life insurance clients.

Tech & Gadgets

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020

Digital Pilipinas movement launched D

Light Rail to launch Bayad Center sa LRT-1 IN ITS thrust to provide a convenient and reliable service to passengers traveling through the LRT-1 network, the Light Rail Manila Corporation has announced a new partnership with outsourced payment collection pioneer, Bayad Center. Under this partnership, bills payment is made easier and more accessible for LRT-1 commuters with over 300 types of bills accepted from utilities, telecommunications and cable, government contributions and loan payments, travel, and airline ticketing companies. LRT1 Balintawak station is the pilot site for the Bayad Center sa LRT-1. A ticket booth will be transformed into a Bayad Center lane where commuters can pay their bills. The Bayad Center sa LRT-1 at Balintawak Station will be open to the public by December 2020. Bill payments can be made daily from 6AM to 7PM, and only cash payments will be accepted for the meantime. LRMC and Bayad Center made their partnership official in a virtual signing ceremony of its Memorandum of Agreement on 18 November 2020. “We, at LRMC, are in the business of not only bringing people to their destinations, but also fulfilling our service promise of knowing what people need and connecting them to their needs through reliable, comfortable, and convenient transport system. We are glad to finally launch this initiative as it is in line with our goal is to make the LRT1 network a one-stop shop for our commuters’ needs— not just their need to travel through Metro Manila,” said LRMC President and CEO Juan F. Alfonso. “We are very pleased to be partnering with LRMC in providing a more convenient payment option to our Filipino commuters. As we add more and more payment touchpoints for the public, this ultimately helps by lessening one’s visit to several establishments for errands, minimizing the risk of virus contact. At this point, health is of utmost importance. We are glad that LRMC is one with us in this initiative of providing convenience and protection, especially in these trying times. We look forward to scaling this up in all our train stations soon, as Bayad Center remains committed to making payments easier and safe for our hardworking Filipinos,” said Lawrence Y. Ferrer, CEO and President of Bayad Center.

IGITAL transformation is the road that will restore our country speedily and make our economy more robust, from the citywide level to the national. To discuss this nationwide campaign, the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines and the Department of Information and Communications Technology, with the support of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and GeiserMaclang Communications Inc., will be launching the “Digital Filipino, Digital Cities, Digital Philippines” campaign, starting with a forum on December 10 at 9 a.m.

It will be the single, largest, most important virtual conference that will tackle head-on the issues of business, technology, and countryside development. National and local government leaders, captains of industry, industrialists from foreign chambers of commerce, and media professionals will address the joint issues that influence the outcome in business and technological progress. In the event’s November 19 press conference, different government representatives discussed the current state of digitization in the country and how it can be improved to scale. Speaking in a panel discussion were NICP President Michael Tiu Lim; DICT Director for ICT Industry Development Bureau Emmy Delfin; and DILG Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco V. Densing. Moderating it was Amor Maclang, “Digital Pilipinas” Convenor and co-founder of GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications Inc.. NICP President Michael Tiu Lim explained that the vision behind the “Digital Pilipinas” campaign is to “bring improvement and economy to the countryside. We cannot live off cities like Cebu and Manila, but we need more cities like Davao.” One way to do it is to “upskill the current workforce so that we would have the necessary talents for them to hire.” Investment in the upskilling of the individual Filipino can spiral into regional growth and then build into a massive nationwide effort. As Ms. Maclang explained, “What we want to communicate is that there is now a national movement to make tech. What better way to start ‘tech-ing’ up the country than by tech-ing up the communities and our cities. We envision that there will no longer be a digital divide, regardless of where you are: no municipality is ever too far because of technology.” Over the years, the Philippines has made significant progress in improving internet connectivity, boosting digital security and regulation, and supporting tech

Shown here are (top line, from left) NICP President Michael Tiu Lim; DICT Director for ICT Industry Development Bureau Emmy Delfin; (bottom line, from left) DILG Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco V. Densing; Amor Maclang, “Digital Pilipinas” Convenor and co-founder of GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications Inc.

education. In 2018, the Ease of Doing Business Act was signed and made effective to empower entrepreneurs and SMEs to move forward in the digital age. DILG Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco V. Densing emphasized, “Tech has always been the focus of this government, and we need to instill its importance on a national and local level. Before digitization, we have been losing at least $B2-3 billion because many foreign investors were frustrated with our systems. That could have been equivalent to 100,000 to 200,000 jobs.” He also revealed one radical but long-needed reform that digitization and its transparency of data can bring: “If we minimize contact between officials and the transacting public, corruption on the LGUlevel will be minimized.” DICT Director for ICT Industry Development Bureau Emmy Delfin underlined the massive employment generation that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) development has brought about. She said, “The BPO industry is one of the biggest examples. Tech has turned it into one of our most resilient industries. We have a recalibrated road map that forecasts 1.6 million jobs by 2020.” The DICT, together with the BPO industry association the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and real estate brokerage services company Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC), have identified 25 cities across the country that are poised to join the digital revolution. These include the likes of Balanga, Puerto Princesa, Cabanatuan,

Coca-Cola delivery just a click away COCA-COLA Philippines has extensively scaled up its e-commerce presence to better respond to consumers whose needs and shopping behavior have altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With transportation and mobility affected, the Company has ensured that it can continue to serve people with its portfolio of beverages just a few clicks away. Coca-Cola’s e-commerce website—www. CokeBeverages.ph—was ﬁrst launched in 2015. To meet the constraints of the pandemic and to adapt to homebound Filipinos’ needs, the Company accelerated its digital and e-commerce roadmap—strengthening existing infrastructure and opening new channels to connect with the market. Thus, demonstrating agility as a total beverage company, with consumers always top of mind. “Shoppers of all ages are ordering via their phones and computers, out of necessity. They are now purchasing differently, given the increased need in convenience,” said Kichi Roxas-Chua, Digital Shopping Marketing Manager of Coca-Cola Philippines. The Company observed that lockdowns in many areas in the country have triggered a digital buying wave, with the emergence of contactless shopping options including “click-and-collect” or curbside pickup, takeout and delivery for restaurants,

e-grocery shipments, and more. Along with strengthening the capabilities of www.CokeBeverages.ph, the Company has also ramped up collaborations with food aggregators and other e-commerce partners such as Grab, Lazada, Great Deals, Metromart, and Lalamart—maximizing ways to offer products while offering better deals to consumers, as with new packaging options like convenient multipacks and combos. “Digital commerce is a fast-evolving space, and as a Company we have to be agile and quick to adapt and evolve—to meet new variables affecting the market, and most importantly to cater to our customers,” said Katie Li, Commercial Digital Marketing Manager of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in the country. She added that Coca-Cola is exploring various business models to further push e-commerce in the business-to-business (B2B) space. Happiness on Demand Coca-Cola’s strengthened digitalization includes its expanded home delivery service called Happiness on Demand (HOD), which allows consumers spanning Nueva Ecija to Metro Manila to Batangas to order Coca-Cola products via call or SMS and have it delivered straight to their doorstep. Happiness on Demand had catered to a

Legazpi, Tarlac, Urdaneta, among others. By 2025, the goal of the Digital Cities program is to cultivate countryside development and empower rural areas to become thriving business districts and viable investment hubs for IT-BPM services. To date, only 30% of cities and municipalities have started on the digital transformation journey, but 75% of talents in the urban areas already come from the countryside—a testament to the immense potential. Dir. Delﬁn enumerated the necessary parameters that can help them succeed: availability of talent; infrastructure; the cost of doing business; and the ability to handle enterprise risk management. Cultivating innovation, a tech-forward business environment, and collaboration across all sectors in a whole-of-government, whole-of-nation approach are vital to the formation of a digital Philippines. “We at NICP have been investing in the workforce of tomorrow. In fact, we even have talent upskilling initiatives to help people that fall below the requirements still be able to get jobs. But we cannot do it alone,” said NICP President Lim. “We need the people and other stakeholders to join. The LGUs have been stepping up. There are different programs within a city that can make it smart. We hope to make the Philippines proud. We look forward to seeing you all again on December 10 for the “Digital Filipino, Digital Cities, Digital Philippines” Summit.” Sign up for “Digital Filipino, Digital Cities, Digital Philippines” through the link https:// tinyurl.com/DigitalPilipinas2020 and join the tech revolution today.

TikTok enhances privacy with new pairing options

good mix of households and ofﬁce spaces— but, from the initial impositions of community quarantine, the Company saw a massive shift of HOD’s primary market to households. Distribution channels, which had primarily catered to water deliveries, also needed to widen their scope, as more products from the portfolio saw more signiﬁcant demand in online platforms. Joseph Crisol, Senior Manager of Emerging Channels at CCBPI shares “This market shift necessitated a quick recalibration of our Happiness on Demand business model to service multiple drop-off points, as well as the improvement of the logistics capacity of delivery partners. We had to ensure that we adapted quickly so we could provide a better service model for our partners and customers.”

TIKTOK, the leading destination for short-form mobile videos, is enhancing privacy and browsing options for families on the app by building on its existing Family Pairing features. As more families continue to turn to internet platforms like TikTok to stay entertained, informed, and connected, parents now have the option to manage their teen's online experience by linking their TikTok account to their teen's, and setting discoverability and safety controls. Developed for parents, this suite of new features is intended to jumpstart digital wellbeing and online safety education for families. The new features include: Search: This allows parents to directly control whether a teen can search for content, users, hashtags, or sounds on the app. Comments: Parents may decide who can leave comments on a teen's videos— Either all users, friends only, or no one. Discoverability: This lets you regulate whether your teen's account is private or public. With a private account, your teen can choose who can see their content. When the account is set to public, anyone can search for your teen’s profile, and view their content. Liked videos: Here, you decide who can view the videos your teen liked. "Parenting a teen's digital life can be daunting and many parents feel as though

they're playing catch-up when it comes to the latest technology and apps their teens use. Working with our community and industry partners, we are committed to helping facilitate important conversations within families about internet safety," said Arjun Narayan, Director Trust & Safety, TikTok, Asia Pacific. "Family Pairing was developed to help parents build upon their online safety education and define the experience that is best for their families." Family Pairing, which allows a parent to link their TikTok account to their teen's, already offers features such as Screen Time Management, Restricted Mode, and Direct Message regulation to provide parents with insight and control over how their teens use TikTok. Over the past year, TikTok has taken steps to improve and enhance its teams, policies, controls and educational resources. Along with its tools for families, the platform continues to strengthen its youth safety and well-being policies. Just recently, TikTok added more guidelines and resources to support body positivity within the community, and remove harmful content such as hateful ideologies. Sending of images or videos in comments or messages is also not allowed on TikTok, because studies have linked the spread of child sexual abuse material to messaging on apps, especially those with encryption.

Taiwan’s medical power helps PH patients regain new lives

Shown here during the "Bone Marrow and Artiﬁcial Reproduction Webinar" are (from left) Mr. Onag, a patient from the Philippines; Dr. Chi-Cheng Li, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital; Dr. Pin-Yao Lin, Lee Women’s Hospital; Elina H.L. Lee, Executive Vice President, TAITRA; Chin-Tang Wang, President, Medicrowd Smarthealth Co., Ltd.; and Dr. Ping-Sheng Lu, Landseed International Hospital/

THE Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council organized recently the “Join hands with Taiwan to create a healthy and happy life” webinar, which was held at the Taipei International Convention Center. During the meeting, ﬁve physicians and experts shared the latest medical technology, treatment methods, and services with regard to bone marrow transplantation, reproductive medicine, depression, cerebrovascular disease, and telemedicine consultation with friends in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries to offer more treatment options for patients in need. The event attracted around 900 viewers who participated online and were able to see the live broadcast in real-time. In her speech, Executive Vice President Elina Lee of TAITRA stated that various countries had recognized Taiwan’s epidemic prevention achievements. To share epidemic prevention information with the international community, TAITRA launched the “Taiwan Global AntiCOVID-19 Pavilion” in June this year. For decades now, Taiwan has already established

a sound medical system as it recruited the best medical talents and adapted the best technologies to provide high-quality medical services. Dr. Chi-Cheng Li, Director of the Center of Stem Cell and Precision Medicine of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, said that allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is often the ultimate cure for blood cancer or major blood diseases. Before, two unrelated people have only one in ten thousand chances of matching the bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells. But now, through the “halfmatched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation technique,” the possibility of successful matching is as high as 90% in relatives, which signiﬁcantly improves patients’ survival rate. For 51-year-old Filipino patient Ronel Onag, who recently returned to the Philippines, he graced the event to share his journey and experience recovering from the “half-matched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation” and shed tears of joy. “I am very grateful to Director Chi-Cheng Li and the medical team at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital for their care and the factory owner and friends for the initial connection. In September of last year, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid

leukemia. It was tough to accept my illness. My wife and I felt very sad and helpless. Fortunately, I have now regained my health with everyone’s help.” He also encouraged other patients not to lose hope and stay positive. Dr. Pin-Yao Lin, Director of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Lee Women’s Hospital, shared also a case from the Philippines, Mrs. Li (39 years old). Women who are over 35 and have recurrent miscarriages can improve their embryo implantation rate and pregnancy rate through preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS). Mrs. Li also shared her experience of seeking a child through a pre-recorded video. She already experienced two miscarriages before the age of 37 so she decided to undergo PGS for the remaining frozen embryos at the hospital that Dr. Lin recommended. They quickly learned that one of the embryos carry abnormal chromosomes and chose to implant the other two with normal chromosomes to avoid the risk of another miscarriage. She eventually gave birth to twins in 2019 and became a happy mother.

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020

Motoring Nissan enlists singer-actor as brand ambassador

Matteo Guidicelli poses beside the long-awaited Nissan LEAF full battery electric vehicle. The automotive brand welcomed Guidicelli as its newest ambassador, sharing Nissan’s challenger attitude with the singer-actor’s spirit of defying conventions and challenging boundaries.

AS PART of its ongoing Dare the Impossible brand campaign, Nissan in the Philippines welcomes actor-singer-multisport athlete Matteo Guidicelli as the new face of the Japanese automaker in the country,

underlining the brand’s bold and daring attitude. Nissan introduced Guidicelli as brand ambassador at its annual Dealer of the Year Awards on November 6, an annual

event recognizing individual and dealership achievements that contributed to Nissan’s growth in the previous year. Guidicelli gave a special performance during the awards show, which was held on virtual platforms for the first time in the event’s history. Guidicelli’s spirit of defying conventions and challenging boundaries bind him and the Nissan brand together. Like Nissan’s proven heritage of game-changing innovations and pioneering technology such as Nissan Intelligent Mobility, Guidicelli lives with passion and excitement in every phase of his life. Guidicelli is now part of the company’s move to propel the brand to greater heights as its storyteller and embodiment of Nissan’s daring spirt. Through the years, Guidicelli has shown

his talents in various fields, as a racer, actor, singer, host, and restaurateur. His fastpaced lifestyle began when he started kart racing at just 11 years old. He went on to join local and international races, winning Karter of the Year three times. When he moved on from racing, he became a triathlete and joined the Ironman triathlon events several times. In 2019, he took his daring and adventurous personality to the next level when he joined the Philippine Army and earned the rank of second lieutenant. He completed the 30-day Scout Ranger training, described as one of the most difficult in the Armed Forces. Guidicelli’s multifaceted talents also led him the entertainment world, where he became an award-winning leading man in

‘Urban Ring Road’ in the works MPTC building north-south tollways link for seamless city travel

NETWORK of urban expressways to link up the west, east, north, and south sides of the entire Metro Manila area through interconnected tollways which will comprise a “ring around the metropolis” for seamless urban travel. That’s the brainchild of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation which has started suiting action to what it calls a powerful idea whose time has come. “That’s why we call it the ‘MPTC Urban Ring Road,’ which is designed to improve circulation and assure unimpeded traffic flow,” said Rodrigo E. Franco, MPTC President and CEO. The MPTC Urban Ring Road solves city traffic by providing high-speed, highstandard seamless network of expressways within and around Metro Manila. It will decongest local roads and strengthen the road network configuration by separating local in-city trips from inter-city to inter-regional travel. The key strategy is to “by-pass the heart of every city,” Franco explained, citing the interesting analogy of the “circulatory system” -- composed of the heart, arterial roads that by-pass the heart, the seamless flow that brings vitality to city life – and the overall improvement of circulation around the metropolis. Composed of MPTC’s C-5 Expressway, C-5 South Link, and the NLEX – CAVITEX Port Link Expressway, the Ring Road toll roads lead motorists to avoid the congested traffic of CP Garcia Avenue/Katipunan Avenue to South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) via existing C-5 Road, EDSA North and Quezon Avenue.

These traverse Manila and Quezon City, and by-pass heavy traffic on EDSA South, Baclaran and Taft Avenue that cover the cities of Makati, Paranaque, Pasay, and the southside of Manila. After the NLEX extensions Segment 8.1 and 8.2 past Mindanao Avenue, the motoring public will soon be able to use the C-5 Expressway, a 19.4km 62.7-billion project that will connect Quezon City to Taguig. The usual two-hour travel time from NLEX to SLEX via the existing C-5 Road will be reduced to only 15 minutes. Linking up with the C-5 Expressway is the CAVITEX C-5 South Link, a sevenkilometer tollway. It will serve as an alternative route from C-5 Road going to Roxas Boulevard and the CAVITEX Zapote Interchange, other than the NAIA Expressway, East and West Service Roads, and Sucat Road. Travel time from C-5 Road near Libingan ng mga Bayani to CAVITEX Zapote Interchange will be reduced from an average of one hour to only 10 minutes. As C-5 South Link connects to CAVITEX, the NLEX–CAVITEX Port Link Expressway Segment 1 will continue the loop and provide relief to motorists without negotiating such congested national and local roads as Roxas Boulevard and Macapagal Boulevard. The NLEX–CAVITEX Port Link Ex-

pressway Segment 1 will start at Pacific Avenue in Paranaque and will end up at Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City. It will traverse Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard and will also connect seamlessly to other existing high speed expressways like Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), NAIA Expressway (NAIAX) and SLEX. Overall, Franco said, the MPTC Urban Ring Road is “designed to put order in urban transport.” “It’s really a case of good traffic management not matching the rapid growth of urbanization,” he said. “The economic losses of city traffic are enormous. We’d

like to help manage it, and the MPTC Urban Ring Road is our contribution,” he added. “I’d like to say it is a powerful idea whose time has come in the Philippines,” Franco said. Completing the MPTC Urban Ring Road is Segment 1 of the NLEX–CAVITEX Port Link Expressway, which will be called NLEX Harbor Link–Port Area Section. More than five kilometers long, the elevated NLEX Harbor Link–Port Area Section will run alongside the Manila Bay, to Anda Circle in the Port Area, then to R-10 Road and all the way up to NLEX via the NLEX Harbor Link.

numerous films and TV shows, as well as a pop-rock recording artist with a gold album. Alongside the global reveal of the new brand logo, Nissan recently launched the disruptive Dare the Impossible brand campaign in the Philippines and other markets across the region. This includes a new brand positioning and a bold new digital-first direction under a multi-platform strategy. “The Dare the Impossible campaign is a brilliant way to further ignite the passion and innovation behind Nissan. In combination with the brand’s new look, this attitude is something I can totally relate and live by. I am looking forward to the full experience from the vehicle line-up, including the Nissan Terra, Navarra, Patrol, the 370Z, the fully electric Nissan LEAF, and beyond,” says Matteo Guidicelli.

Pinoy students crowned Asia’s champ in global innovation tilt TACKLING carbon dioxide emissions in a way that helps users save on fuel costs through a mobile application, Team Alamat UP from the University of the Philippines-Diliman was crowned Asia’s Champions, and have advanced to the final stage of Shell’s Pitch The Future competition. A series of competitions that bring together student teams from all over the world to solve real-world energy challenges, Pitch the Future is part of a new Virtual League that Shell has integrated into its Shell Eco-marathon (SEM) program, one of the world’s leading student engineering competitions that has developed youth STEM skills. Annually, SEM invites students from across the world to design, build, and operate some of the world’s most energy-efficient vehicles, and brings to life Shell’s mission of powering progress together by providing more and cleaner energy solutions. Done in a spirit of collaboration and innovation, the competition is designed to harness and realize students’ bright ideas to shape a lower carbon future for all. Norman Koch, Global General Manager, Shell Eco-marathon, said: “We congratulate Alamat UP from the University of the Philippines-Diliman for making the finals of our inaugural Pitch the Future competition. Our judges were hugely impressed by the great energy, innovative thinking, and creativity that the team brought to the competition. We are looking forward to their final presentation. Pitch the Future is an incredible opportunity for students to apply their STEM skills and passion for developing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing energy challenges, and it is a welcome addition to the Shell Eco-marathon program.”

Auto importers aim at strong finish VEHICLE importers took off to a good start in the fourth quarter of the year, with October sales showing modest recovery. Combined sales of the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors, Inc. inched up 9% for October or a total of 6,120 units sold as against the 5,594 units sold the previous month. Pick-up and light trucks were the main growth drivers, the group said. AVID attributed the growth to restored consumer confidence that has come about with the gradual reopening of the economy, the easing of travel restrictions, and value-added promotions and services. “We are off to a good start in the last quarter of the year and we aim to continue this revival. Businesses are reopening and travel and tourism are resuming. These activities require mobility and a strong and healthy auto industry will set the course for economic recovery,” AVID President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said. In the Light Commercial Vehicles segment, AVID recorded a 20% growth in October sales with 4,291 units sold versus the 3,574 units sold the previous month. Pick-up and light trucks are among the key drivers as consumers shift to vehicles that can double up for personal and commercial use. Ford leads this segment with Suzuki at second place followed closely by Hyundai. Passenger Cars sales dipped by 10% in October with 1,791 units sold compared to 1,990 in September. The segment is an-

ticipated to increase as consumers look for affordable mobility options. Hyundai sold more than half of the passenger cars for the month, followed by Suzuki and Ford. The Commercial Vehicles segment increased by 27% in October alone as the manufacturing and agricultural sectors are beginning to return to normalcy. Government initiatives, like the BAYANIHAN Law, the continuation of BUILD BUILD BUILD, and the Public Vehicle Modernization Program are expected to spur CV sales in the coming months. Overall, year-to-date October 2020 sales have fallen by nearly 43% to 40,993 vehi-

cles compared to the same period last year. “When this pandemic started, we all asked ‘How long?’ And as the situation developed, we began asking ourselves, ‘What next?’ Which led us to do a strategic overhaul of our respective businesses. I believe the auto industry was quick to adapt to this New Normal. So now you can buy a car online, have it delivered to you without face-to-face contact, and do contactless pickups and drop-offs at service locations for your After Sales needs. The industry has come a long way in such a short time and this has been a boon to consumers,” Agudo said.

Ford offers special rates on parts, labor for Ulysses-hit customers CAR OWNERS who will bring their affected Ford vehicles to a Ford dealership until December 10, 2020 can avail of a special discount of 20 percent on selected parts and up to 20 percent discount on labor. “We recognize that the recent typhoon has caused damage to vehicles especially in areas affected by heavy rains and flooding. At Ford, we want to extend assistance to our customers with special discounts on parts and labor to make the repair more convenient for them,” shares PK Umashankar, president and managing director, Ford Philippines. Participating Ford dealerships include Alabang, Balintawak, Commonwealth, Global City, Libis, Manila, Manila Bay, Marikina, and Quezon Avenue in Metro Manila and Baliuag, Batangas, Cabanatuan, Calamba, Cavite, Clark, Dagupan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Laguna, Malolos, Marilao, Metro Ba-

guio, Naga, Pampanga, Sta. Rosa, Subic, and Tarlac in Luzon. Customers can contact their Ford dealer for more information. Vehicle maintenance tips • Do not attempt to start a flooded vehicle until thorough inspection and cleaning have been conducted. Try to disconnect battery terminals starting with the negative terminal. • Take immediate steps to dry the vehicle as much as possible to reduce the time its components are exposed to water. • Record the highest level of water exposure on the flooded vehicle. This will aid a qualified technician in the evaluation process as well as taking the necessary steps to correct any damage. • Contact your Ford dealer to arrange for an inspection and evaluation of the flooded vehicle. • After thorough inspection, detail the interior and exterior compartment of the vehicle.