Manila Standard - 2021 February 24 - Wednesday

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Rody clears men for vax delay Palace says PH at receiving end, points to drug firms for supply sked

By Willie Casas

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is not holding any of his Cabinet members accountable for the delay in the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, an official said on Tuesday.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the President "understands" that the Philippines “is at the receiving end of these vaccines."

"As much as we want to and as practicable as possible, we are doing everything we need to do, based on the requirements being asked of us," he told reporters in a televised briefing a day after the Cabinet meeting.

"At the end of the day, it's really the vaccine manufacturers' obligation, responsibility to ship it to us at a time that was promised... We are at the receiving end," Nograles said.

The World Health Organization also on Tuesday noted the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, which an official said was evidence that “we still need to improve our response to COVID-19.”

Despite earlier estimates that the Philippines could start vaccinating against COVID-19 by this month, the country has yet to receive any vaccine shipments.

With more than 563,000 cases and 12,107 deaths, the Philippines has the second highest COVID-19 infections and casualties in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia.

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SEEING FOR HIMSELF.

President Rodrigo Duterte chats with Senator Christopher Go as they conduct an aerial inspection of areas hit by storm ‘Auring’ in Tandag, Surigao del Sur on Tuesday.

The President then sat down with Cabinet and local disaster officials (inset) to make sure that delivery of public services in the province remains unhampered. (See story below). Presidential Photos

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM FEB. 23)

564,865 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,414 29,817 NEW

16

522,941

72

RECOVERIES

By Maricel V. Cruz, Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

ACTIVE

12,107 DEATHS

FIL-AM DIES WHO won’t comment on Sinovac efficacy yet AT HANDS OF POLICE VOL. XXXV • NO. 14 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NEW

NEW

THE World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said it was still evaluating the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac and could not comment on its efficacy.

“We are not privy to all the information being shared by the manufacturers with our

regulations team for the evaluation of the vaccine, and so we cannot comment at this point of time on reported efficacies which have been basically taken out of media articles,” said Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe during an online briefing.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday approved the Sinovac vaccine for emergency use but said it is not recommended for health workers due to its lower efficacy rate of 50.4 percent in that group.

Duterte cautious on shift to MGCQ, won’t rush steps PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is taking a “step-by-step” approach to the planned nationwide shift to the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Tuesday.

This, after Duterte rejected the proposal to place the entire country under MGCQ until the government starts the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

“For him (Duterte), it’s a step-by-step approach. We have to take this step first before we go to the next step,” Nograles said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Nograles said it was difficult for Duterte to turn down the proposed shift to MGCQ. However, Duterte wants to make sure

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has to be done to respond to the needs of residents there.

“Weather permitting, the President intends to visit and bring with him some Cabinet members so that action will be fast if he sees gaps or what needs to be done over and above what is already Next page

Risk subsidy for hog raisers eyed THE government is considering granting a 50 percent insurance subsidy for commercial hog raisers to further boost the pork supply in the country, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Tuesday.

The proposal was pitched during a Cabinet meeting led by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Nograles said in a

Senate clears bill on indemnity fund, faster vaccine buy VOTING 22-0, the Senate approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to expedite the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and to establish a national indemnity fund.

At the same time, the House of Representatives approved its own procurement act with similar objectives.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, who sponsored the bill as chairman of the Senate finance committee, said the approval of the measure will remove the obstacles to the delivery of some of the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the country and hasten the inoculation of Filipinos across the country.

The lack of an indemnification clause in the government’s deals with vaccine makers was cited as one of the reasons for the delay in delivering the lifesaving jabs.

“The entire nation is eagerly awaiting the start of the vaccination program that carries with it the promise of

WADING IN. Police help evacuate residents trapped in their flooded houses due to Tropical Storm Auring in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur on Sunday morning. Two days later, Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade (inset, right) arrives at Tandag Airport to confer with security forces and visit victims. Surigao del Sur Provincial Mobile Force via Hernel Tocmo

Du30 visits storm-hit Caraga areas

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

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NEWS / A2

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte visited areas hit by tropical storm “Auring” in Caraga Region on Tuesday to see for himself the damage caused by the tropical storm, a Palace official said.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Duterte was accompanied by some Cabinet members to issue directives on what

Clinical trials show the vaccine’s efficacy rate among healthy individuals aged 18 to 59 ranges from 65.3 percent to 91 percent%.

“Our understanding is that there may have been some information that was shared with the FDA in the Philippines that made it necessary for the Philippines’ FDA to decide on this limited use of vaccines in the 18 to 59 year age group,” Abeyasinghe said.

virtual press conference.

Nograles said the subsidy would be sourced from the Department of Agriculture’s Quick Response Fund.

“One proposal being studied is an insurance subsidy of 50 percent for commercial hog raisers that utilize the quick response fund under the QRF of the Department of Agriculture. This is just one Next page

Police ready security plan for EDSA rites

By Joel Zurbano SECURITY preparations are set for the upcoming 35th anniversary of the Edsa People Power revolt on Feb. 25, a ranking police official said Tuesday.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. has reminded police officers to maximize their presence and strictly implement minimum health standards and protocols during the event.

"Security preparations, coordinations and necessary deployments were set in place as the nation commemorates the Next page

BANNERS UP. Workers of

the Department of Public Works and Highways install banners as they prepare the People Power Monument in Quezon City on Tuesday for the 35th anniversary celebration of the EDSA People Power Revolution on February 25.

Manny Palmero

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

DILG to nix virus test for travel T Among these are the removal of coronavirus testing, the issuance of travel authority, and a city health certificate, DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing said Tuesday.

Travelers will instead be required to undergo clinical testing at the terminal of origin and terminal of destination, he said.

The DILG and the Department of Tourism earlier said they were working to

streamline travel rules in tourist destinations to boost tourism.

But waiving a negative COVID-19 test requirement for tourists seeking entry to a province or city is problematic, Dr. Butch Ong of the OCTA Research Group said Tuesday.

Ong was responding to a query on OCTA’s take on Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia not requiring tourists to present

a negative COVID-19 test result, saying that a medical certificate will do.

Given the situation, Ong said the country should continue to improve its COVID-19 testing efforts and health system capacity.

“We still advocate testing, improvement of health care capacity including more COVID-19 beds, hiring more nurses and doctors,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Senate agreed to replace the controversial terminology “vaccine passport” with “COVID-19 vaccine card” during the period of amendments on Monday on the proposed measure expediting the procurement and

Rody...

ized in order for the country to receive its much-needed jabs.

Pfizer’s vaccines through the COVAX Facility, of which WHO is a member, were supposed to be the first to arrive in the Philippines this month, but the shipment was delayed due to the required indemnification agreement.

The delay pushed back the scheduled immunization for health workers, who are being prioritized by the government.

Besides the need for an indemnification law or deal, “there are some several minor clauses” mentioned in a side letter sent by Pfizer to the Philippine government on Tuesday morning, according to WHO Country Representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe.

The Philippines has also completed all requirements for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines being supplied by the COVAX Facility, Abeyasinghe added.

“I also want to update you that the Philippines has met all the requirements necessary for accessing the AstraZeneca vaccines,” he said during a briefing with the Department of Health.

Abeyasinghe confirmed around 5.5

million to 9.2 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine, which the FDA already approved for emergency use, have been earmarked for the country.

Only Pfizer and AstraZeneca have been included in the WHO’s emergency use listing, making it easier for member countries to approve the said companies’ COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use.

“What we are now looking at is accelerating delivery of those AstraZeneca vaccines, at least a part of that shipment to the Philippines,” Abeyasinghe said.

Meanwhile, the Philippines logged on Tuesday 1,414 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country's total to 564,865, the Department of Health reported.

Eight laboratories were not able to submit their data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System on February 22.

The DOH also reported 16 additional COVID-related deaths, raising the death toll to 12,107.

There are 72 additional patients who recovered from the infectious disease, according to the DOH. Total recoveries climbed to 522,941.

Of the 29,817 active cases, 88.4 per-

cent have mild symptoms, 5.7 percent are asymptomatic, 2.6 percent are in critical condition, 2.5 percent have severe symptoms, and 0.84 percent have moderate symptoms.

There are 62 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines with the more transmissible variant from the United Kingdom. However, the DOH said there was still not enough evidence to show community transmission of the said variant.

Five cases, two tagged as recovered, were removed from the official tally for being duplicate entries, the DOH said.

Moreover, three cases previously tagged as deaths were reclassified as recoveries while three cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

The Philippines has not yet received any shipment of legal vaccines which it aims to give to 70 million people or about two-thirds of the population this year.

Further delays could derail economic recovery after the country's worst contraction on record last year, when it slumped 9.5 percent, the worst in Southeast Asia.

WHO...

mingo, the vaccine is 91 percent effective in Turkey, 65.3 percent in Indonesia but it registered only 50.4 percent efficacy among medical front liners in Brazil," Paduano said.

Paduano said the FDA "has further eroded public trust and confidence" in vaccination. He added that the FDA' contradicting statements on the vaccine is not helping the government’s inoculation program.

In approving the emergency use of the Chinese vaccine, Domingo said it was better to have some protection than none.

A pro-vaccination group, the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, urged the public to trust the FDA and the experts.

“We have to trust the experts [because] they're the ones looking at the data presented. It’s easy to make a judgment but it is not easy to look and pore over scientific data," Bravo told ANC's Headstart.

"Only the vaccine experts, the FDA have all the paperwork,” she said.

Government needs to speed up the approval of other vaccines as the country's initial supply from Pfizer has yet to arrive, said Dr. Tony Leachon, a former adviser of the National Task Force against COVID-19.

"We need to look at these other brands, because the longer we wait and are unable to reopen the economy, the more likely it is that we will have an economic depression,” he said.

Essential workers are urged to get the Chinese vaccine to jumpstart immunization, Leachon added.

"I would encourage essential workers to go on Sinovac because 50 percent is the threshold given by the WHO. We don’t have any choice considering we need to move to perk up the economy," he said.

The best vaccine is the "one that will be available to you that is approved by the experts," Bravo said.

"You can wait for a year, two years but you cannot predict what would happen," she said.

President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to reject the proposal to place the country under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) and wait for the arrival of vaccine was "rational and logical," said Leachon.

"If we’re going to look at the health metrics I don’t think we’re ready for a modified GCQ," he said.

The country's COVID-19 cases and fatality rate are "increasing day to day," and the reproduction number is "quite high" at 1.22, he added.

HE Department of the Interior and Local Government is considering a proposal to remove COVID-19 testing as a requirement for travel.

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Asked if this meant that Duterte was blaming vaccine makers instead of Cabinet members for the vaccination delay, Nograles said: "We are doing everything that we must and need to do.”

The lack of an indemnification deal that would protect vaccine makers from lawsuit in case of adverse effects has delayed the arrival of 117,000 COVID-19 shots from Pfizer through the COVAX Facility, initially expected in mid-February.

Issues with the emergency use authorization, which China required for its donation of 600,000 COVID-19 shots to the Philippines, also pushed back their supposed arrival this Tuesday. The Philippine Food and Drug Administration eventually granted the EUA on Monday.

WHO also said the Philippines already received a side letter from COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Pfizer, and that minor details are just being final-

Lawyer: Fil-Am dies after police kneel on his neck A FILIPINO-AMERICAN living in California died three days after he was allegedly physically restrained and choked by police authorities during a mental health emergency, a lawyer for the victim’s family said Monday.

In a Facebook post, lawyer John Burris said Angelo Quinto pleaded with officers not to kill him before they pinned him to the floor with a knee to the back of his neck.

The incident happened when the family of Quinto, 30, a US Navy veteran from Antioch, California, called the police to respond to their emergency last December 23, 2020.

“Angelo Quinto's plea ‘please don't kill me’ made before the police snatched him from his mother's arm and put on [the] floor where a knee was put on the back of his neck… rendering him comatose before he passed away 3 days later,” Burris said.

According to Burris’ associate Ben Nisenbaum, authorities were called to attend to Quinto, who was then suffering from a mental health condition.

Risk..

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initiative being considered to help our hog farmers increase supply,” he said.

Following the adverse impact of African swine fever on the swine industry, Senator Francis Pangilinan on Feb. 19 called on the government to provide insurance to hog raisers.

In January, Agriculture Secretary William Dar urged backyard and commercial hog raisers to avail of insurance packages to help them recover from the effects of ASF. The DA’s Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, the sole government agricultural insurance firm in the country, included ASF among the risks covered by its livestock insurance as early as 2019.

It grants insurance amounting to P10,000 per head of swine, on a premium payment of only 2.25 percent or P225, ac-

Du30...

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being done by government,” he said in a virtual presser.

At the same time, the Department of Agriculture on Tuesday said agricultural damage and losses incurred due to “Auring” was now at P21.56 million affecting 240 farmers and 1,756 hectares of farmlands nationwide.

“The affected commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock and fisheries in Caraga Region. The increase in values is attributed to the additional reports from Caraga. These values are still subject to validation.” DA said in its report.

The DA reported that around 12,538 hectares of rice have been harvested from Regions 3, 4-A, 4-B, 8 and 10 with an equivalent production of 71,840 metric

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The Palace said health workers and the elderly will not be the first to get inoculated against COVID-19, even though they are on top of the list of priorities for vaccination, because of the Chinese vaccine’s lower efficacy rates for both groups.

The WHO statement seemed at odds with the Palace spokesman’s assertion that Sinovac had been approved by the UN health agency.

Abeyasinghe said the WHO is also still evaluating China’s Sinopharm vaccine .

The leader of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives on Tuesday called the FDA approval of the Chinese vaccine for emergency use “half-baked.”

House Minority Leader and Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano said he was puzzled why the FDA granted the emergency use authorization for the vaccine despite being unable to recommend it for use on health workers.

"This a case of self-contradiction," Paduano said, and urged the FDA to issue a clarification.

"It's very complicated because according to FDA director general Eric Docording to the statement posted by DA on its official website.

On the other hand, small backyard hog raisers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture are given free insurance.

The insurance coverage is on top of the P5,000 worth of ASF indemnification claim for eligible beneficiaries.

The government continues to undertake measures to address the low supply and rising prices of pork products in the country, especially in Metro Manila.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Jan. 28 approved the designation of special hog lanes to ensure the unhampered shipment of pork products from Luzon.

Duterte on Feb. 1 also inked Executive Order 124, imposing a price ceiling of P270 per kilo for pork kasim and pigue, P300 per kilo for pork liempo, and P160 per kilo for dressed chicken.

Duterte..

tons amounting to P1.31 billion due to the early advisories.

For corn, a total of 3,201 hectares have been harvested from Regions 4-A, 4-B, 5, 6 and 11 with an equivalent production of 6,296 MT amounting to P94.42 million.

Nograles said a situation briefing might also take place after the President had made his visual assessment of the damage there.

“We already got a briefing last night but the briefing will continue (later when) Duterte (is) on the ground. Based on the briefing and the reports and his visual observation on the ground, he will give his directives,” he said.

Meanwhile, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council deputy spokesperson Mark Cashean Timbal, in an update Tuesday, said the number of families affected by “Auring” had climbed to 31,884\ residing in Regions 5 (Bicol Region), 10 (Northern Mindanao, 11 (Davao Region), and 13 (Caraga Region).

Police...

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that people’s health and safety are not be compromised, Nograles said.

The initial plan of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), was to recommend the most relaxed MGCQ for the entire country, including regions such as Metro Manila where the number of COVID-19 cases remains high.

Nograles said he and his fellow Cabinet officials “100 percent” support Duterte’s latest decision.

Nograles said the IATF would also assess what areas in the country should be placed under the stricter general community quarantine (GCQ) or MGCQ for the month of March.

He added that the task force would continue to have “more active” partnership with local officials, especially those

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unity of Filipino people who have shown the world of the true spirit of a 'nonviolent demonstration'," Danao said.

Police are also instructed to activate security control points for the occasion.

He reminded police to carry "yantok" while patrolling to remind the public about physical distancing in places of convergence such as terminals, churches, malls, and markets. (with Lloyd Caliwan Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police - Highway Patrol Group has agreed to continue its partnership and cooperation with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in managing traffic in the metropolis.

On Monday, HPG director Brig. Gen.

administration of coronavirus vaccines.

This was after some senators, led by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, opposed the use of the term “passport” as it “connotes or affects mobility” and may be construed as discriminatory.

Three of the bill’s seven authors -Senators Pia Cayetano, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Grace Poe -- have proposed the creation of the Vaccination Passport Program with inoculated individuals issued a vaccine passport as proof of COVID-19 vaccinations they have received.

Densing told Teleradyo: “We're also eyeing the possibility of not including testing.”

who are in areas that will be put under GCQ next month.

The government was supposed to start its free vaccination program this month.

However, there was a delay in the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines due to indemnification requirements.

Nograles said the IATF-EID would stick to the “month-to-month” assessment even if the government starts its mass immunization drive.

Metro Manila, Cordillera Administrative Region, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao del Norte, Davao City, and Lanao del Sur were placed under GCQ in February.

The rest of the country has stayed under an MGCQ this month.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), which proposed the nationwide application of the MGCQ, now said it supports the President’s decision to reject its recommendation.

Alexander Tagum met with MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. to discuss additional measure to further reduce traffic, not only along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, but also in other critical roads in Metro Manila.

Abalos thanked the HPG for its continuing support to the MMDA by providing additional 40 personnel to augment the lack of traffic enforcers on EDSA. At present, 120 HPG personnel are assigned to man traffic along the major thoroughfare.

During the discussion, Abalos also approved the request of HPG to put up an office in front of Camp Crame for their operations.

The office will serve as a command center for MMDA traffic enforcers that need assistance when dealing with irate motorists flagged down for traffic violations.

ASF-affected villages in CdO now at 7—DA

By Rio N. Araja THE Department of Agriculture has identified seven barangays in Cagayan de Oro affected by the African swine fever (ASF).

DA Assistant Regional Director Carlota Madriag of Region 10 Field Operations Division said five more villages have been ASF-affected on Tuesday, bringing the total to seven barangays.

“As of today, there has been an increase in Cagayan de Oro in terms of infection. The adjacent barangays have been affected, so we now have seven,” he said.

Apart from Cagayan de Oro, the agriculture department is also closely monitoring Misamis Oriental with two ASFaffected villages.

Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Emano issued an executive order temporarily banning the shipment of hogs and other pork products from the affected areas, as well as the entry of pork products from backyard hog raisers.

“Shipment from commercial farms (is allowed) as long as it has the complete requirements, such as the veterinary health certificate, licenses and permits. But (hogs from) backyard farms are temporarily banned,” he said.

Over 500 hogs were culled in Misamis Oriental due to the ASF.

DOJ says lawyers for De Lima fail to break witness

By Rey E. Requejo THE camp of detained Senator Leila De Lima failed to destroy the probative value of the testimony of prosecution witness Joel Capones, government prosecutors said Tuesday.

This was after Capones told the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court that he saw jailed drug lord Jaybee Sebastian hand over P1.4 million in drug money to then-Justice Secretary at the latter's "Bahay na Bato" inside New Bilibid Prison sometime in March 2014.

This was despite De Lima’s lawyers subjecting Capones to a grueling twohour cross-examination during Tuesday’s hearing presided over by Judge Romeo S. Buenaventura of RTC, Branch 256, said the Department of Justice prosecution panel led by Provincial Prosecution Ramoncito Bienvenido Ocampo Jr. De Lima’s lawyers sought to destroy Capones’ testimony and credibility as a state witness against the lady senator, who has been accused of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading inside the NBP when she was still secretary of the Department of Justice.

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immunization from the COVID-19 virus that has caused so much hardship and pain to all Filipinos over the past year," Angara said.

With the proposed COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, Angara hopes to see the start of the mass inoculation of the population, starting with the priority sectors, at the shortest possible time.

“We as a people have lost so much because of the pandemic—in terms of jobs, opportunities and human life. However, we believe that with this measure, we have not lost out on the belief that there will in fact be an end to this ordeal,” Angara added.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto said the bill, which he described as “a cocktail of cures for the national vaccine lack caused by executive lethargy,” will boost procurement.

He noted the bill expands the roster of vaccine procurers to include local government units (LGUs), humanitarian organizations, and private and civic groups.

He said the bill also removes taxes and fees on vaccines, because “there is no moral justification to tax a cure” that would spare the country from “an existential threat.”

The bill sets the stage for the establishment of a National Vaccine Indemnity Fund to compensate any person inoculated through the COVID-19 vaccination program, in case of death or for the treatment of possible severe adverse effects.

A total of P500 million from the Contingent Fund of the 2021 General Appropriations Act is authorized to augment the existing funds of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) as the administrator of the indemnity fund.

A special task group composed of medical and vaccine experts with proven track record will be established to monitor the probable adverse effects that may arise after the administration of the vaccines.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

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Drop charges New group urges gov’t to implement Health Care Act vs. De Lima— Rights Watch

By Willie Casas GOVERNMENT authorities should drop all charges and release Senator Leila de Lima who has been in police detention since February 24, 2017, Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Tuesday.

A Muntinlupa City court acquitted her of one of three charges on February 17, 2021.

Before her arrest, de Lima, as head of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, had begun a public inquiry into the “drug war” killings that started after President Rodrigo Duterte took office in June 2016.

The authorities detained her at the headquarters of the Philippine National Police in Quezon City and eventually brought three drug charges against her.

In detention, she has been held incommunicado for long periods, not allowed to use electronic devices, faced severe restrictions on visits, and has often been prevented by police escorts from talking to reporters on her way to court hearings, Human Rights Watch said.

“The fabricated charges against Senator Leila de Lima are not only an outrageous abuse of her basic rights, but also emblematic of the Duterte administration’s oppressive rule,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

“The Philippines authorities should drop the remaining charges against Senator de Lima, free her immediately and fully restore her rights and privileges as a senator.”

The charges against de Lima, most of which are based on dubious testimony from convicted felons, appear intended by the Duterte administration to silence the President’s most outspoken critic, Human Rights Watch said.

Early in his term, Duterte vowed to destroy De Lima who, in her previous role as chair of the national Commission on Human Rights, had investigated summary executions by “death squads” in Davao City, where Duterte was mayor for more than two decades.

In 2016 Duterte and his allies stripped De Lima of the leadership of the Justice and Human Rights committee, effectively shutting down the investigation in which former Davao death squad members had testified that Duterte ordered the killings.

At the same time, the Department of Justice, which De Lima headed before running for the Senate, and leaders of the Duterte-controlled House of Representatives opened a withering and misogynistic vilification campaign against De Lima, fueled by social media.

HEALTH advocates urged the government last week to give priority to the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act to improve the country’s health care system amid the raging pandemic.

In an online forum hosted by the Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute on Feb. 19, a new coalition of health advocacy groups called “UHC Watch” presented their mani-

festo before the Department of Health and health stakeholders asserting the rights of Filipinos to quality health services.

UHC Watch is a coalition of civil society groups: CitizenWatch Philippines, Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations, Health Justice and Bantay Konsyumer, Kalsada, Kuryente.

In his message during the event, the Un-

dersecretary for Health Policy and Systems Development Team, Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde said “The Universal Health Care Act addresses fragmentation issues in service delivery through the integration of local health systems. To this end the DOH issued the policy on integration of local health systems into province- wide and citywide health systems.”

Former Secretary of Health and Health Justice Philippines Board Member Jaime Galvez-Tan said “Although the Philippines have shown significant improvements, our health care system is still dealing with inequities and new challenges that threaten the health of its population while Filipinos continue to suffer a heavy financial burden from health spending.

Task force for rebel returnees OKd P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the creation of an interagency task force to resettle rebel returnees, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Tuesday.

IN SYMPATHY. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (2nd from right) offers prayers and respects to the remains of Fe Aguillon-Cimatu, wife of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu (right) during a wake service Monday at Heritage Park in Taguig City. Mrs. Cimatu passed away on Monday. Ver Noveno

Lapid rides to Grab, food delivery riders’ rescue SENATOR Lito Lapid is seeking protection for the food delivery riders of Grab, Food Panda and other delivery services, saying it is “not just and proper” to financially burden them due to fake bookings and unjustified cancellations of delivery orders.

In Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Lapid cited the need to protect food delivery drivers who fell prey to unconscionable customers who cancel confirmed orders or even fail to show up at the

delivery address, despite the fact that the rider had already paid the ordered items.

Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon has suggested amendments to Senate Bill 2057, or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021 to allow the procurement by international humanitarian organizations of vaccines to ensure that the most vulnerable could be inoculated.

Gordon wants the bill to include a provision that would state that international organizations such as the Red Cross

Movement, particularly the Philippine Red Cross, may procure vaccines for the use of individuals consistent with the priority list set.

Lapid’s Senate Bill 1677, or the Food and Grocery Delivery Services Protection Act, describes the delivery riders of food and grocery delivery service applications as “frontliners who take the risk and continue working and providing for our needs during the community quarantine and lockdown. Macon Ramos-Araneta

During a meeting with his Cabinet on Monday, Duterte approved the Department of Agrarian Reform’s proposal to create a task force to relocate rebel returnees to places with idle government land, Nograles said.

“We want to speed up the distribution of land because we know its big role in our peace efforts,” Nograles said in a virtual presser.

The government, he said, had so far distributed 6,406.6 hectares of land in Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Davao.

He said the distributed pieces of land were “larger than the City of Manila,” which has an area of 4,288 hectares.

Apart from the creation of the task force, Duterte also approved the DAR’s proposal to direct the military and the police to provide security measures in the government-owned land in the areas found to be “critical in nature.

Nograles says Duterte also approved the recommendation to instruct government agencies to identify idle government land that are ideal for distribution to rebel returnees.

The implementation of the “whole-ofnation approach” for the enhancement of livelihood support projects to rebel returnees had also been approved, Nograles said.

On Feb. 5, Duterte signed four proclamations granting amnesty to members of the communist movement, the Moro National Liberation Front, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade.

Hasten aid to teachers, DOLE told

SMASHED. NCRPO Major General Vicente Danao (pictured) and Southern Police District Director Eleseo Cruz destroy some of the 126 ‘fruit’ games and video races used in electronic gambling, which were rounded up by police after raids in various parts of the metropolis during the pandemic.

SENATOR Win Gatchalian is calling on the Department of Labor and Employment to accelerate the distribution of financial aid to teachers and non-teaching personnel under the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2.

He says displaced teachers and nonteaching staff have waited long enough to receive their aid.

“What’s the reason for the delay of assistance to our teachers?” asked the chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture who said the education sector should have been prioritized because it was one of the most battered by the COVID-19.

Bayanihan 2, which was signed in September 2020, allotted P300 million to provide a one-time cash assistance to displaced teaching and non-teaching personnel in private and public elementary, secondary and tertiary education institutions.

Part-time faculty in State Universities and Colleges who have lost their jobs or

who have not received their wages are also entitled to receive these subsidies.

In the basic sector education alone, some 4,488 teachers are affected by the suspension of operations in 865 private schools, the Department of Education reported last September.

The Commission on Higher Education also reported last May that some 50,000 part-time lecturers of private colleges and universities working on a “no work, no pay basis” need financial aid.

While Gatchalian admits that the funds are not enough to ease the burden of displaced teachers and non-teaching staff, he urged DOLE to iron out the final guidelines with CHED and DepEd to avoid the same woes as the distribution of aid under the Social Amelioration Program.

Last December, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11519, which extends the validity of funds under Bayanihan 2. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Fishers’ settlement Solon: Release cancer assistance funds areas bill approved

THE House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill mandating the establishment of settlement areas for fishermen throughout the country.

The bill’s author, Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, welcomed the passage of House Bill 6876, which provides permanent housing sites for people engaged in fishing in the provinces.

“Most of them are in coastal areas. They get dislocated whenever typhoons or other calamities devastate their communities.

The government should provide housing for them,” Rodriquez said.

He said many fishermen and their families who had been displaced by previous typhoons were still housed in temporary shelter facilities.

Under the bill, the Department of Agriculture, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and local government units with jurisdiction over coastal and municipal waters would be required to establish settlement areas for fishermen with adequate access to fishing grounds as may be determined by the DA. Maricel V. Cruz

THE principal author of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act in the House of Representatives has asked the Department of Health to immediately release the guidelines on how Filipinos can avail themselves of the P620-million Cancer Assistance Fund.

In a letter to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Assistant Majority Leader and Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas says such guidelines will benefit “ordinary Filipino cancer patients and their families nationwide.”

“The pandemic added to the suffering of cancer patients and their families.

Times are hard and prices tripled. To make matters worse, cancer patients are more vulnerable to covid. What hit them is a double, even triple whammy,” Vargas, chair of the House social services committee, said.

He says the best way to help them is to give them access to the Cancer Assist-

ance Fund.

“Your favorable support for the proper implementation of NICCA, particularly the Cancer Assistance Fund, will institutionalize the government’s support and protection for families who are heavily affected by this public health emergency,” he said.

In their reply dated Ferbruary 18, the DOH, through Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergerie, said the department was “currently developing the administrative order” for the fund’s use.

The letter also said the procurement of “cancer, supportive care and palliative care medicines using the said fund has already started in January 2021.”

“The portfolio of medicines will cater to various types of cancer such as breast, colorectal, digestive tract, gynecologic, blood, lung, head, neck, thyroid and childhood cancers,” the letter said.

Maricel V. Cruz

AGAINST DENGUE. A member of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office conducts anti-dengue fogging and disinfection operations inside the Manila Police District headquarters on Tuesday. Norman Cruz

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News

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Governors OK with face-to-face college classes GOVERNORS across the country are pushing for the resumption of face-to-face classes but only for colleges and universities amid COVID-19 pandemic.

League of Provinces of the Philippines president Marinduque Gov. Presbitero Velasco Jr. said limiting face-to-face classes to college and university students will ensure that social distancing and other necessary health protocols are observed.

“It becomes dangerous if we include kids because they are difficult to control. But students enrolled in higher education institutions, they know better, so face-to-face classes can be allowed,” Velasco said.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier thumbed down proposals to resume face-to-face classes, saying this can be done by August.

“The President said he doesn’t want to put the lives of students and teachers in peril while we still don’t have the vaccines,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

The National Economic Development Authority earlier proposed the pilot-testing of face-to-face classes, which was earlier approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

The Commission on Higher Education allows face-to-face classes only for students of medicine and allied health sciences in areas under General Community Quarantine, as well as in universities in areas under Modified GCQ.

SMC to spend P1b to inoculate all employees

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. said it will spend nearly P1 billion to inoculate all its 70,000 employees and extended workforce for free.

San Miguel in a statement said it has secured COVID-19 vaccine doses from various sources and is currently laying the groundwork for its vaccination strategy in coordination with relevant government agencies.

This move, San Miguel said, will help the country in its effort to build a collective defense against the virus, which has claimed millions of lives worldwide.

“Our program is in line with our core value of malasakit and aims to create a safe and healthy workplace so that we can further contribute to our country’s economic recovery,” SMC president Ramon Ang said.

While the vaccines will be administered to employees on a voluntary basis, Ang expressed hope that all eligible workers will sign up to be inoculated when the doses become available.

“It is our civic duty and our best chance at protecting ourselves and those we love. It is the best thing we can do today to help contain this pandemic, protect the vulnerable, and help speed up economic recovery,” he said.

Ang said San Miguel will use vaccines that have complied with rigorous safety protocols and are authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration.

E-WASTE RECYCLING.

A shopper drops off an old electronic mobile device at SM City Marilao’s e-waste collection drop box located at the entrance of IT Zone. The designated e-waste collection drop boxes at SM Malls in Marilao, Baliwag, Pulilan, and San Jose Del Monte aim to raise public awareness on the need to practice and responsibly manage e-waste.

Jun David

League of Cities of the Philippines president and Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia will be joined by fellow local leaders Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, and Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay in presenting their respective city government’s vaccination plan during today’s webinar entitled ‘Getting Cities Ready for the Vaccines.’

Inclusive vaccine plan for Bacolod

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ACOLOD City Mayor Bing Leonardia said the local government’s COVID-19 vaccination plan will be as comprehensive as possible to ensure that everyone gets inoculated.

“I’m excited to share the progress we’ve made in Bacolod ever since I approved the creation of a CoVac Council and signed a deal with AstraZeneca for 650,000 doses of their vaccines,” Leonardia said.

The mayor was one of the first local government executives to set up a local COVID-19 Vaccination (CoVac) Council as early as December last year.

“We are comprehensive in our approach such that we’ve considered every step in the process of getting all Ba-

colodnons vaccinated against COVID, from the logistics and storage down to awareness campaigns and simulation exercises,” Leonardia added.

The mayor will present Bacolod City’s vaccine plan during a webinar entitled “Getting Cities Ready for the Vaccines” today (Wednesday).

Leonardia, who is also president of the League of Cities of the Philippines, has been at the forefront of advocating the local procurement of vaccines to en-

sure timely delivery.

He underscored the need for “teamwork” between the national and local governments in implementing the massive vaccination drive.

LCP Vice-President and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, LCP PRO and Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, and Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay will be joining the Bacolod mayor at the webinar.

The event is part of a series of online sessions organized by the Liveable Cities Challenge together with the LCP and Globe Telecom.

The series aims to gear up cities with insights to design better solutions for their communities under the new normal.

EXPANSION PLANS.

Laguna Lake Development Authority general manager Joey Medina and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos conduct an inspection of the Pasig River Ferry Service on Monday. The two officials discussed plans to further improve the ferry service and expand its route to serve as a viable alternative means of transportation.

Binay: Keeping GCQ a correct balancing act

By Joel E. Zurbano FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Tuesday lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for making the right decision not to relax the community quarantine restriction level in Metro Manila.

“The national leadership deserves to be recognized for making the right decision,” Binay said in a statement.

The National Economic and Development Authority earlier recommended to place the entire country under Modified General Community Quarantine status to reopen the economy, saying it would mitigate hunger, poverty, and unemployment.

Duterte, however, on Monday said the shift to MGCQ will have to wait until the vaccine rollout starts.

Binay said the public’s health and welfare should always be the priority of the government.

“If only the administration acted with the same focus, efficiency and resolve early last year, we would not be in the sordid situation we are in now,” he said.

Binay said the record-high hunger, poverty and unemployment rate can be attributed to the administration’s failure to immediately contain the virus early last year.

“The ideal scenario is for government to relax quarantine restrictions alongside an infusion of economic relief and the mass vaccination of citizens,” he said.

The former vice president said Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Cambodia have already started vaccinating their citizens.

QC councilor seeks P10m Data of 3.3m Cashalo app users sold online indemnity fund

THE National Privacy Commission on Tuesday warned of a possible data breach concerning cash-loaning application “Cashalo,” with the private information of its 3.3 million users allegedly put up for sale online.

In a statement, Roren Marie Chin, chief of Public Information and Assistance Division of the NPC, said the

agency did a preliminary probe on the data breach and found that a datadump of Cashalo, operated by Oriente Express Techsystem Corporation, has been posted on different cyber forums since Feb. 14.

“A certain user under ‘creepxploit’ is selling the data of 3.3 million users of Cashalo containing their usernames, pass-

words, e-mail addresses, phone numbers and device identifications on the dark web as shared in a post on cybleinc.com and RaidForums – even provided sample data for potential buyers,” Chin said.

The seller, she said, may have successfully downloaded files from the Cashalo database, noting that the datadump was still up for sale as of Monday.

Villar expands agri-crop training

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Cynthia Villar has expanded the coverage of the agri-crop production training conducted by the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (SIPAG) to empower more farmers amid the pandemic.

The senator, who is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, has been continuing her projects and programs that benefit farmers who belong to the “poorest of the poor.”

Last week, a three-day course was conducted at the Villar SIPAG Farm School in San

Jose del Monte, Bulacan. The 25 participants came from the provinces of Pangasinan, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.

The training of trainers program was conducted in coordination with the East West Seeds Foundation.

The participants, in turn, are expected to train farmers in their respective towns after graduating from the Villar Farm School.

“Our farm schools have a special role in our objective to make our farmers and fisherfolk competitive and profitable through training programs that will help them produce more and earn more with the help of modern technology,” Villar said.

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Councilor Winston Castelo is pushing for a P10-million fund to indemnify residents who would have adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine.

He filed a resolution in preparation for the mass inoculation once the city government receives its order of COVID-19 vaccines as well as doses coming from the national government.

The proposed fund is similar to the indemnification appropriation of the national government pending before Congress to meet the precondition set by vaccine manufacturers.

Under the resolution, the District 2 councilor said the proposed P10 million fund “shall cover compensation and indemnification of vaccine recipients in Quezon City who pursue claims for vaccine-related injuries or any adverse effects resulting from vaccination.”

He cited the experience of many countries already inoculating their citizens where rare adverse effects are recorded.

The fund should encourage city residents to have themselves vaccinated when the shots become available, he said.

Opinion Highway robbery

Why insist on still implementing the inspection system by hook or by crook?

If the vehicle fails the inspection for one reason or another, the hapless owner would have had to cough up another P900 for reinspection.

So, vehicle owners would have been slapped with an additional P2,700 aside from the regular registration fee of more than P2,000 if the scheme had been allowed to continue.

That the prescribed rates for vehicle inspections were unreasonably high and obviously intended to empty the pockets of vehicle owners became very clear when the head of the consortium of inspection centers said, the day after Malacañang announced its stand on the issue, that they were willing to bring the rate down to P600 for light vehicles, or a little more than that charged at present by emission testing centers.

That’s a hefty two-thirds cut in the rate they intended to charge vehicle owners, and shows that what they originally prescribed was really exorbitant.

For motorcycles and jeepneys, PMVICs would charge P500 and P300, respectively.

The group also decided to suspend the collection of reinspection fees.

But would the PMVICs in fact be operating at a loss as they claim?

We don’t think so, as they would have a captive market year after year after year.

The rationale behind the creation of privately owned vehicle inspection centers is flawed from the start, as it puts the blame for road accidents and fatalities on the

ernhil@yahoo.com

Rethinking

THERE is no question that the pandemic has engendered a lot of changes in our way of life globally and across the board – from relations among nations and peoples to those between sectors and communities and, of course, among friends and within families. Necessarily, these changes have likewise brought about loads of rethinking in the manner by which we face challenges and resolve issues and problems. In this regard, the matter of the much anticipated vaccine roll out and the controversial “pork emergency” orders are instructive.

For some time now, the fast and reliable roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine across sectors and communities was considered key to the lowering of quarantine restrictions. Somewhere along the way, as the vaccination plan got snagged for reasons which have yet to be fully clarified, the move to downgrade restrictions gained currency as (big) business groups and their friends in government made noises about the dangers of continuing economic sluggishness. Lives matter but livelihood matters too – so was the principal cry by a growing number of sectors and influencers including a majority of the local chief executives in Metro

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

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EDITORIAL

failure of owners to maintain their vehicles and keep them roadworthy.

We know, however, that road accidents and deaths are caused by a variety of factors, among them improper road maintenance, insufficient road signs, faulty traffic management, inadequate driver education, and not just dodgy brake systems, dim headlights or worn-out shock absorbers.

Last week, after the Senate committee on public services held a hearing on the operations of PMVICs, it recommended the temporary suspension of the scheme due to questions about the legal basis of allowing the operations of privately owned inspection centers without any public bidding.

But even with Malacañang slamming the brakes on the suspicious scheme, it appears that the DOTr and the LTO would still insist on implementing it by hook or by crook, perhaps for millions of reasons.

Deadly roads While we’re at this, we also find it really disturbing that over half of all motorcyclerelated crimes totaling nearly 20,000 since 2016 have remained unsolved, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) itself.

In a hearing held recently by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee led by Sen. Richard Gordon, PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas revealed that more than half of the 19,086 crimes involving motorcycle-riding suspects recorded since 2016 are still unsolved.

“Out of these we have solved a total of 9,040 or only 48.87 percent” while the rest are “still under investigation,” Sinas said.

Ah, but we’ve heard that line before.

The PNP has undergone several leadership changes since 2016 and each one of our top cops has been saying the same thing: these are “deaths under investigation.”

The hearing was called by Gordon precisely to investigate the failure of authorities to implement the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, which was enacted into law in 2019.

The motorcycle law seeks to secure the citizenry from crimes committed using motorcycles by imposing bigger, readable, and color-coded number plates to make it easier for eyewitnesses to identify the number plates of motorcycles used in crimes.

Gordon has deplored the “very slow” implementation of the law, which aims to curb crimes by riding-in-tandem criminals, such as murder, robbery and snatching.

From Jan. 1 to Feb. 13 of this year alone, a total of 50 individuals have been killed by riding-in-tandem assailants.

According to Sinas, the PNP has already activated tactical motorcycle-riding units (TMRUs) consisting of 2,000 personnel that “can immediately respond to any incident particularly those perpetrated by motorcycle-riding suspects.”

Are we therefore likely to see a marked decrease in riding-in-tandem killings with the deployment of Highway Patrol Group quick-reaction teams?

Perhaps, but not quite. The other half of the equation, of course, should be to implement the law mandating larger and easy-to-read license plates for motorcycles.

What’s keeping the LTO and the PNP from doing this? That we’d really like to find out, sooner than later, before the body count rises further in the months ahead.

WE’RE glad that Malacañang acted swiftly and directed the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to make the motor vehicle inspection system (MVIS) no longer mandatory after public uproar greeted its stealthy introduction.

We raised our concern recently over the move of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agency, the LTO, to allow Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (PMVICs) to operate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

We pointed out that the MVIS appeared to be a money-making scheme apparently hatched on the sly by a public-private partnership with less than noble intentions despite their strenuous defense of it as motivated solely by nothing more than saving human lives on the road.

In fact, we think it’s a form of highway robbery where vehicle owners would have been made to pay at least P1,800 for what the PMVICs claim would be a thorough inspection inside out of all vehicles, private and public.

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Manila. Such push was on the verge of realization when President Duterte advised that downgrading can wait until the vaccine rollout gets going.

In a late-night announcement, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in no uncertain terms that the President valued lives more than livelihoods. At least at this point, perhaps recognizing the dangers of rushing into a less restrictive regime in the face of concerns over virus mutations and the seriousness of the after effects of vaccination.

Said Roque: “The Chief Executive recognizes the importance of reopening the economy and its impact on people’s livelihoods.

However, the President gives a higher to public health and safety.”

Th Palace’s announcement was not surprising. From Day One of the pandemic hitting our shores, the Chief Executive has always maintained that people’s lives mattered more to him than slowing of the economy and even the loss of jobs. After all, as the truism goes, health is wealth. Economic reopening in the manner earlier contemplated by the business groups may amount to nothing if the infection rate spikes given our spotty health systems’ preparedness and, now, the non-resolution of the issues hampering the vaccine roll out. Given these seemingly intractable issues, we need to do lots of rethinking. Rushing things may bring more problems than we can handle at this point.

Which is precisely the situation as far as the “pork emergency” conundrum

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The waiting game

ILIPINOS are a patient lot. Generally, we are tolerant of erring or incompetent leaders and elect them – and their kin -- again and again to public office. Specifically, we have extended our patience no end to officials tasked with managing this health crisis and the consequent economic fallout.

Early last year, for instance, while other countries were quick to shut down their borders and implement swift testing and contact tracing measures, we took our sweet time before banning visitors from China, where the first patients were from. We were wary of offending our giant neighbor, and our health officials spoke like diplomats, forgetting their primary duty.

We were also patient with the many violations committed by VIPs who should have been the first to enforce health protocol and set a good example. Some of them, like the now-chief of the Philippine National Police, were even defended by the Palace and rewarded with cushier jobs.

We waited a long time for news of the development of vaccines against the coronavirus. When the breakthroughs came, however, many of our leaders dropped the ball by failing to act with urgency to secure the precious doses.

We were so forgiving upon hearing that some Cabinet officials and military personnel were already inoculated even as

The usually tough President Duterte is showing great understanding of and softness to his handpicked officials. no clearances had yet been issued.

There are still no vaccines, despite the fact that many local government units have come up with their vaccination programs and conducted dry-runs for their implementation. We were told that the jabs for medical frontliners would begin on Feb. 15 – more than a week later, the vaccines are still on the way.

We know that rich countries have procured more than enough doses for

their citizens, and have begun their rollout. There were some ways to correct this inequity, for example through the COVAX Facility, and we should have moved toward that sooner, too. But the 117,000 Pfizer vaccines from the facility did not come, and issues on emergency use authorization delayed the arrival of 600,000 more doses.

Perhaps those in charge of obtaining the vaccines do not realize how crucial their jobs are, not only for the protection of Filipinos, but for the recovery of the economy.

The usually tough President Duterte is showing great understanding of and softness to his handpicked officials. He is not holding anybody accountable for the delay, because he supposedly knows we are on the receiving end of these vaccines.

How lucky for these officials. How unlucky for the rest of us. More than 12,000 Filipinos have died and more than 560,000 infections have been recorded.

We will continue to wait for the arrival of the vaccines, and for their eventual administration among the people. We will also wait for the time when government officials become more mindful of their responsibilities, and when their bosses act on behalf of the people and call them out for their incompetence.

Forget your college diploma IN THE 2018 tests conducted by the Program for International Student Assessment or PISA for 15-year-old students from 77 countries, Filipinos scored last in reading, and second to the last in both math and science.

PISA was intended to test the teeners’ ability in reading, math and science to meet real life challenges.

Among Asians, the Filipinos were of course last in all three—reading, math and science. At 15, everyone is supposed to be part of the labor force.

The PISA results indicate Philippine schools are producing stupid students, after six years of elementary and three years of high school.

If you produce stupid high school students naturally you also produce stupid college graduates. The fruit cannot fall far from the tree.

Our youngsters do not have adequate skills in reading, math and science to solve dayto-day problems and indeed live like decent and educated human beings, like the rest of humanity. Our colleges and universities produce people with diplomas which have no value in real life.

If you produce stupid college graduates then you have stupid citizens. Naturally, stupid citizens elect the wrong-quality leaders— incompetent, corrupt, tyrants, no matter how populist they are. The consequence is stunted economic growth and among the most corrupt government regimes in the world.

The Philippines does not produce the right workers to fill the job needs of the 21st century Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda sums up the problem succinctly: “No jobs for the unskilled.

No workers for skilled work.”

The Fourth IR builds on the digital revolution which is transforming entire systems of production, management, and governance. It builds on the Third IR, the digital revolution, and fuses technologies in nearly every field—the Internet of Things (IOT), artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage and quantum computing.

To acquire skills for these technologies one does not need a college diploma.

The Fourth IR has disrupted labor markets as robots, AI, and machines take over the jobs used to be held by humans. This could mean massive unemployment and its dire consequences.

The off-and-on government action on this front has now brought us the sorry mess we are in. we are presently experiencing. For more than a year now, the increasingly challenged situation of our hog raisers brought about in the main by our inability to stop the spread of the ASF remained fully addressed. The off-and-on government action on this front has now brought us the sorry mess we are in. Not only has the ASF problem remained; it has spread across the islands bringing more havoc to an already bloodied industry. Instead of addressing the original problem of ASF and related produc-

Salceda’s solution is a reboot of the TESDA, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority which trains a million technical and vocational workers. TESDA was established under Republic Act No. 7796, the “Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994,” signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on Aug. 25, 1994.

RA 7796 aimed to encourage the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labor, local government units and technicalvocational institutions in the skills development of the country’s human resources.

Filipinos are illprepared to capture those jobs, thanks to our diploma mills.

Salceda’s proposal seeks to elevate TESDA into a cabinet department, enlarge its impact, give it more funds, plus police powers to impose sanctions and penalties on erring firms.

At present, the TESDA chief already has a cabinet rank. TESDA gets only 2.3 percent of the education budget.

A Department of Technical Education and Skills Development (DTESD) could potentially benefit up to 50.54 million Filipino workers, 34 million of whom are currently jobless. The 50 million could be trained in vocational and technical skills. Under the Fourth IR, skill or talent is more important than money or capital.

The 50.45 million jobless Filipinos include the more than 3.8 million jobless as of October 2020, most of them because of COVID-19; the 31 million who are under-employed or those who are overqualified for their present job; and more than 15 million jobless but yet are not reckoned to be part of the labor force (defined as anyone above 15) simply because they are not looking for a job.

Some 74.3 million Filipinos are 15 years or older. Yet, only 58.7 percent of them or 43.62 million are considered part of the labor force, leaving out 30.68 million potential workers but who are jobless.

The 30 million are not counted as part of the labor force because they are not looking for a job. They include housewives and the uneducated or half-educated young who have stopped looking for a job out of frustration.

Of the 43.62 million labor force, 8.7 percent

tion woes, the agriculture department contrived a “pork emergency” with all the problems the same has engendered.

Not only has the local industry been left to its own devices to combat ASF and related problems of higher priced import, spotty processing facilities and logistical support, this dire situation has now been turned upside down to incentivize and bring in more imports. Instead of enhancing our local production efforts the agriculture department has imposed deadlier combinations bringing our hog raisers to the brink: Price controls, increased importation, lower tariffs and, yes, possibly better financing terms from the government banks.

Probably realizing the slippery slope the latest initiatives has brought us into, the agriculture department is now thinking of lifting price controls (after vendors declared pork holidays two weeks in a row) and is reportedly rethinking its so-called “ hog repopulation program” to promote local industry not importa-

or 3.8 million are considered unemployed.

If you add 30.68 million not counted as part of the labor force and the 3.8 million officially declared unemployed, the total realistic unemployment could be 34.48 million or 46.4 percent of the 74.3 million population who are 15 and above and should be employable.

Conversion of TESDA into a cabinet department is part of what the Albay congressman calls his Comprehensive Education Reform Agenda (CERA). CERA seeks to open educational opportunities to the uneducated and the unskilled as well as to the miseducated so that they can have the mind, mindset, and skills needed by 21st Century industries brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (the Fourth IR).

Among vocational and technical skills in demand, the top ten are: 1) robotics engineer; 2) cybersecurity specialist; 3) customer success specialist; 4) data scientist; 5) sales development representative; 6) full stack engineer; 7) development operations engineer; 8) data engineer; 9) java script developer; and 10) cloud engineer.

Filipinos are ill-prepared to capture those jobs, thanks to our diploma mills.

In the 10-member ASEAN, the Philippines has the highest unemployment rate—8.7 percent—or nearly five million workers out of work.

Gradual reopening of the economy has reduced joblessness somehow.

But four million workers denied work through no fault of their own is unmanageable and unimaginable.

Salceda’s answer to the crisis: CERA. He calls it quality education for all.

“COVID-19 and the emergence of the new economy have brought to the fore the weaknesses of a labor force not built to be competitive in a skills-based, digitally-based economy,” Salceda observes wryly. The high unemployment, he points out, “demonstrates how fragile the country’s job gains were – primarily in low-skill service sector jobs driven by our consumption-based economy.”

There are few jobs left for the unskilled, while there are few workers eligible for available skilled work,” winces Salceda. “We are ill-prepared for value-adding work in a globalizing and digitalizing economy.” He is sad that “little of our labor force is employed in “21st century jobs” that require hard and soft skills.”

“We have more managers,” says Salceda, “than skilled workers.” biznewsasia@gmail.com

MORE OPINION ONLINE

(www.manilastandard.net)

Early-day surveys tion and thereby the growth of producers abroad. It is hoped that this rethinking will come to fruition soon before our local hog industry goes bust. The sooner, the better.

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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World Court halts deportation of 1.2k Burmese

END OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR.

This photo taken on Feb. 22, 2021 shows people taking selfies next to a display of umbrellas decorated with lights on a commercial street in Hangzhou, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province for the upcoming Lantern Festival on Feb. 26. AFP

Junta faces UK, Belgium sanctions YANGON—Myanmar’s military leaders came under renewed pressure at home and abroad Tuesday, with tightened sanctions from Washington and Brussels, and some of the biggest demonstrations against their rule since they seized power three weeks ago.

Authorities have gradually ratcheted up their use of force against a massive and largely peaceful civil disobedience campaign demanding the return of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Three anti-coup protesters have been killed in demonstrations so far, while a man patrolling his Yangon neighborhood against night arrests was also shot dead on the weekend.

Overnight the US blacklisted another two members of the regime -air force chief Maung Maung Kyaw and fellow junta member Moe Myint Tun -- after announcing targeted sanctions against other top generals earlier this month.

“We will not hesitate to take further action against those who perpetrate violence and suppress the will of the people,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

He called on the regime to end attacks on peaceful protesters, journalists and activists, release prisoners detained since the coup, and “restore the democratically elected government.”

Washington’s announcement came hours after the European Union approved sanctions targeting Myanmar’s military and their economic interests.

“All direct financial support from our development system to the government reform programs is withheld,” said Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief.

But he said the bloc would not curb trade ties for fear it could hurt the wider population.

The Myanmar military has deployed tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets against protesters, with isolated incidents of use of live rounds. AFP

LUMUT—A Malaysian court ordered a temporary halt to a controversial plan to deport 1,200 Myanmar detainees to their homeland Tuesday weeks after a coup, following a last-ditch legal challenge.

The migrants, including members of vulnerable minorities, had already been taken in buses and trucks to a military base on Malaysia’s west coast to be loaded onto waiting Myanmar navy ships.

The United States and the United Nations had criticized the plan, while rights groups said there were asylum seekers among those due to be repatriated.

Rights groups Amnesty International and Asylum Access had lodged a court challenge, arguing Malaysia would be in breach of its international duties by sending vulnerable people back to a country where they could be in danger.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered a halt to the repatriation to allow a hearing to take place on Wednesday into the groups’ bid to stop the deportations, their lawyer New Sin Yew told AFP. Amnesty International Malaysia’s executive director, Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, said that “the government must respect the court order and ensure that not one of the 1,200 individuals is deported today.”

She called on authorities to grant the UN refugee agency access to the migrants set to be deported, so they can assess whether any should be granted refugee status.

“It’s important to note that the stay of execution granted by the court does not mean the 1,200 are safe from being deported. They are facing lifethreatening risks,” she added. AFP

Friends again: FB lifts news blackout S

YDNEY—Facebook said Tuesday it will lift a contentious ban on Australian news pages, after the government agreed to amend a world-first law requiring tech giants to pay media companies.

SWAB TEST. A medic wearing personal protective equipment gestures to

a woman waiting to take a COVID-19 test at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh on Feb. 23, 2021. AFP

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Facebook said a compromise had been reached on key aspects of the law, which was fiercely opposed by the tech companies.

“As a result of these changes, we can now work to further our investment in public interest journalism, and restore news on Facebook for Australians in the coming days,” said Will Easton, managing director of Facebook Australia.

The social media firm sparked global outrage last week by blacking out news for its Australian users and inadvertently blocking a series of nonnews Facebook pages linked to everything from cancer charities to emergency response services.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison had angrily accused Facebook of making a decision to “unfriend” Australia.

But the last minute compromise -- as parliament looks set to pass the law this week -- means that Facebook and Google, which was also targeted, will not be penalized so long as they reach some deals with local media firms to pay for news.

They will also get an additional two months to broker those agreements.

“We’re pleased that we’ve been able to reach an agreement with the Australian government and appreciate the constructive discussions we’ve had” said Easton.

The tech firms had fiercely opposed the legislation from the get-go, fearing it would create international precedent that would threaten their business models.

“There is no doubt that Australia has been a proxy battle for the world,” said Frydenberg.

In particular, the companies objected to rules that made negotiations with media companies mandatory and gave an independent Australian arbiter the right to impose a settlement. AFP

Boeing 777s grounded worldwide NEW YORK—Dozens of Boeing 777 planes were grounded worldwide Monday following a weekend scare on a United Airlines’ plane that suffered engine failure and scattered airplane debris over suburban Denver.

The incident on the flight out of Denver -- which quickly returned to the airport after part of the engine caught fire and broke off -- prompted United and other airlines to ground planes with the same Pratt & Whitney engine.

While no one was injured in the Denver incident, the episode is the latest setback for Boeing, which only recently resumed deliveries of the longgrounded 737 MAX following two fatal crashes of that plane.

Aviation experts said the incident especially raised questions about Pratt & Whitney and United over engine maintenance.

“It’s nothing like the MAX,” said Teal Group aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia. “After all these years of service it is unlikely to be a design issue with the engine, certainly it is something to do with maintenance.”

The Denver incident followed a Japan Airlines 777 incident in December involving the same type of engine, as well as an engine problem in February 2018 on a United flight. AFP

Georgian cops nab top opposition Prince Philip TBILISI—Georgian police on Tuesday arrested a top opposition leader and used tear gas in a violent raid on his party headquarters, further deepening a political crisis sparked by last year’s disputed parliamentary elections.

Live television footage showed Nika Melia, the leader of the United National Movement, the country’s main opposition party, being dragged from his party headquarters to be placed in pre-trial detention.

Meanwhile hundreds of riot police Manila EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTELEMENT

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(MS-FEB. 24 MAR. 3 & 10, 2021

used tear gas against his supporters and the leaders of all of the country’s opposition parties, who have been camped out in the building since Wednesday, the Mtavari TV live pictures showed.

Scores of opposition supporters were detained.

“Shocked by the scenes at UNM headquarters this morning,” British ambassador Mark Clayton wrote on Twitter.

“Violence and chaos in Tbilisi are the last thing Georgia needs right now. I urge all sides to act with restraint, now and in the coming days.”

Georgia has been in the grip NOTICE of a political crisis since last OcNOTICE is hereby given tober’s parliamentary elections, that a Supplement which opposition parties have deto the Extrajudicial Settlement of the Estate nounced as rigged. of Rosa Go Jua Ngu, On Thursday, Prime Minister consisting of shares of stocks was executed by Giorgi Gakharia resigned over her heirs and notarized ruling party Georgian Dream’s on 8 February 2021 per Doc. No. 263; Page No plans to arrest Melia.

54; Book No. IV; Series News of the plan sparked outof 2021 of Notary Public rage among the opposition and Tomas B. Baga, Jr. of Quezon City, Metro warnings from the ex-Soviet Manila country’s Western allies. AFP (MS-FEB. 17,24 & MAR. 3, 2021

doing ‘OK,’ says Prince William

LONDON—Prince William said Monday that his 99-year-old grandfather Prince Philip is doing “OK” after spending nearly a week in hospital.

Questioned by journalists while visiting a vaccination center in eastern England, secondin-line to the throne William, 38, said: “Yes, he’s OK, they’re keeping an eye on him.”

He then gave a wink.

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband for 73 years, was admitted to the private King Edward VII Hospital in London on Tuesday evening as a “precautionary measure” after he felt unwell, Buckingham Palace said.

Palace sources said that his admission was not coronavirus-related and that he was in good spirits.

William’s father, Prince Charles, visited his father in hospital on Saturday but did not comment on his state of health. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business HSBC boosts Asia pivot as pandemic cuts profits by 30% HONG KONG—HSBC on Tuesday vowed to accelerate its Asia pivot despite spiraling tensions between China and the West after it reported a 30-percent plunge in profits for 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Reported profit after tax came in at $6.1 billion, which the bank blamed primarily on higher-than-expected credit losses and other bad debts.

The results came as HSBC published a new strategy laying out plans to redouble its attempt to seize more of the Asian market—the region of the world where Europe’s largest lender makes the vast majority of its profits.

The strategy will see the Londonheadquartered bank plough some $6 billion into shoring up operations across Asia, with a particular focus on targeting wealth management in the increasingly affluent region.

The bank made specific mention of markets in Southeast Asia such as Singapore, as well as China and Hong Kong, and also the Middle East.

“We plan to focus on and invest in the areas in which we are strongest,” CEO Noel Quinn said in a statement.

The global economic slowdown caused by the virus has hit financial giants hard but HSBC has a further headache—its politically precarious position as a major business conduit between China and the West.

HSBC makes 90 percent of its profit in Asia, with China and Hong Kong the major drivers of growth.

As a result, it has found itself more vulnerable than most to the increasingly frayed relationship between China and western powers—especially after Beijing imposed a draconian security law on Hong Kong last year and cracked down on democracy supporters.

HSBC vocally endorsed the security law, a move that led to criticism from lawmakers in Britain and the United States.

It has frozen the bank accounts of some Hong Kong democracy activists with Quinn summoned to testify before British lawmakers earlier this month.AFP

Market ends nearly flat; SM Investments climbs T HE stock market gained slightly Tuesday on bargain hunting after a steep decline Monday following the decision of President Duterte to tie looser quarantine rules to the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added just 4.33 points, or 0.06 percent, to 6,814.67 on a value turnover of P10.7 billion. Losers, however, overwhelmed gainers 171 to 64, with 37 issues unchanged.

SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group rose 2.5 percent to P1,060, while MerryMart Consumer Corp., the supermarket chain owned by

businessman Edgar Sia II climbed 1.4 percent to P7.03.

But AC Energy Corp., a unit of conglomerate Ayala Corp., fell 2.1 percent to P7.45, while Basic Energy Corp. sank 5 percent to P1.15.

Meanwhile, Asian markets mostly rose Tuesday, fueled by growing hope that vaccine rollouts will allow the global economy to get back on track, but the optimism was tempered by niggling worries that the recovery will fan inflation and interest rate hikes.

With governments picking up the pace in their coronavirus inoculation drives, and infection and death rates slowing in most parts of the world, observers are predicting a surge in economic activity from the middle of the year as lockdowns are eased.

Added to that is Joe US President Biden’s huge growth-boosting spending program, which is likely to be passed

by Congress next month, on top of the Federal Reserve’s pledge to keep monetary policy ultra-loose for as long as needed.

The play-off between recovery and inflation worries has brought a rally in world markets to a halt in recent weeks, after some had hit record or multi-year highs.

The tech-rich Nasdaq tumbled more than two percent Monday, while the S&P 500 was also in the red, though the Dow eked out gains.

And Asian investors trod warily.

Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore, Taipei, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta were all up but Shanghai, Seoul and Wellington fell. Tokyo was closed for a holiday.

Monumental government and central bank support worth trillions of dollars has been a key driver of the surge in world equities from their nadir almost a year ago when the coronavirus was rampaging across the planet. With AFP

PSEi February 23, 2021

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

BHI CHI TCB2A PRIM BKR LRW NRCP MFC OPM TFC

LAST PRICE 0.044 6.53 0.79 2.42 1.47 0.96 0.83 896 0.013 40.1

CHANGE 0.01 1.01 0.11 0.3 0.16 0.1 0.08 86 0.001 2.85

% CHANGE 29.41% 18.30% 16.18% 14.15% 12.21% 11.63% 10.67% 10.62% 8.33% 7.65%

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

SFIP SPM OM MA REG PHA MRC VUL DFNN TBGI

LAST PRICE 1.57 2.36 0.48 0.01 3.45 2.91 0.52 2.98 4.66 0.48

CHANGE -0.24 -0.29 -0.05 -0.001 -0.32 -0.25 -0.04 -0.22 -0.34 -0.03

% CHANGE -13.26% -10.94% -9.43% -9.09% -8.49% -7.91% -7.14% -6.88% -6.80% -5.88%

MOST ACTIVE

SELECTIVE LOCKDOWN. Restaurant owners, entrepreneurs and tourist guides take part in a demonstration against the closure of their activities, on February 22, 2021 outside the lower parliament building Palazzo Montecitorio in Rome, organized at a national level by the Tutela Nazionale Imprese (TNI), which represents 40,000 Italian companies in the bars, restaurants and hotels sector. Italy’s health ministry on February 19 announced tighter anti-coronavirus measures for three regions, but spared its biggest cities, Rome and Milan, from the crackdown. AFP

Top EU executive supports Australia in Facebook row BRUSEELS, Belgium—The European Commissioner for digital services—who is helping draw up new EU rules for online business— backed Australia in its dispute with web giant Facebook on Monday.

Thierry Breton, Brussels’ top official for the EU internal market, told MEPs that Facebook had been wrong to kick Australian media off its service in a row about paying for news.

Separately, US tech titan Microsoft joined European media in calling for EU members states to follow Australia in setting up a mechanism to ensure that news publishers are paid.

Last week Facebook blanked out the pages of media outlets for Australian users and blocked them from sharing any news content, rather than submit to the proposed legislation.

The European Union has also passed a rule requiring Internet “gatekeepers” like Google or Facebook to negotiate fees for including news stories and links.

But the news industry wants the upcoming Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act to include tougher regulations to strengthen its position against the dominant platforms.

Breton is involved in the drafting of this legislation, and on Monday he told MEPs that Australia had taken the right course.

“I really find it very damaging when a platform takes such steps to protest against the law of a country.

This has to be said publicly. Australia must be supported in this fight,” Breton said.

“It is up to the platforms to adapt to the regulators and not the other way round. There are laws, and the platforms must adapt.”

In a statement from a coalition of news media trade associations, Fernando de Yarza, president of News Media Europe, said Australia’s experience with Facebook should serve as a warning. AFP

B3

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

DITO PHA APL SMPH BDO ACEN MBT SM AC MM

VOLUME 106441900 366719000 1633480000 10150700 3372420 46833700 5972690 286215 394420 38362100

VALUE (PHP) 1970167966 1140176550 430255150 360310640 353133147 350208805 301184421 297897620 296174500 263981993

Tunnel AS FEBRUARY ends, Metro Manila reaches midway into its 12th month of lockdown.

With the announcement Monday this week that President Duterte had disapproved the recommendation from the IATF that the country shift to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the most lenient of the quarantine modes by the beginning of March, Metro Manila, CAR, three cities and four provinces can expect to be in GCQ at least through the first half of March.

In other news, the Philippine Stock Exchange is now requiring an independent valuation as part of delisting requirements and the Dito Community, the telco startup looking to challenge Globe and Smart, is set for commercial launch in March after successfully passing its first network audit.

In the world of business, companies are busy with kickoff activities for the year, activities which, for the first time, must now be done under quarantine conditions.

For business leaders around the country, two questions are paramount: What cam we expect for this year and what should we do now?

Quarantine The entire island of Luzon was placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest of the country’s four quarantine modes, beginning 16 March 2020.

Since then, different parts of the country have been put under different forms of quarantine as the pandemic evolved and the country learned with the presence of the virus.

The following areas are currently still under GCQ: Metro Manila, Batangas, the Cordillera

Administrative Region, Davao City, Iligan City, Tacloban City, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Lanao del Sur. At the end of last week, the IATF had agreed to recommend a shift to GCQ for the entire country. The shift from GCQ to MGCQ would have meant the following changes: a) full staffing allowed for most offices and enterprises with movement not being restricted to essential travel only; b) face-to-face classes allowed for tertiary education; and c) public gatherings allowed up to 50 percent of capacity.

Only 9 of 17 Metro Manila mayors had voted in favor of shifting Metro Manila to MGCQ and many media accounts on the proposed shift to MGCQ tempered their stories with warnings of potential spikes in COVID-19 infections resulting from loosened controls.

It is unsurprising that so many Metro Manila mayors voted against loosening controls. Weekly new cases in Metro Manila have been relatively unchanged since about the third week of October 2020.

While the fact that the pressures of typhoon Ulysses and increased activity over the Christmas season did not create a wave of new cases, there has also not been a marked decrease in transmission since October. In fact, on the Department of Health site, daily new cases, which have been below 500 since the middle of October last year began to breach the 500 mark on 15 February.

The economic imperative The push for increased movement in the capital region comes from the economic leadership, likely spurred by the fact that the national economy contracted 9.5 percent in 2020, the worst performance in Southeast Asia.

It is unclear at this point how effective a shift to MGCQ would

be in fully restarting the economic engine. Simply allowing stores to open does not mean that customers will come. And this is a key plot hole in the recovery storyline. The reality is that one of the weaknesses of the Philippine economy is that it is primarily a service economy with heavy reliance on face-toface service delivery. Tourism, a significant sector, has been hard hit by the pandemic and indiscriminate acceptance of international tourists come with many problems, including risking another wave of

In its 12th month of lockdown, Metro Manila continues in GCQ.

many economists have argued that the harm created by losing just months of education is worth the health risk, I have yet to speak to a parent who would knowingly allow their children to walk into a face-toface classroom if there is still a risk of infection.

And that is the heart of the economic restart conundrum.

Large policy decisions are often stymied by individual decisions.

Government and capitalists can opt to ask workers to go to work. But those who can afford not to will simply walk away from jobs. Stores can open but customers won’t necessarily come back to shop.

The Monday message from the President quite clearly stated how important a vaccine rollout is to emergence from the pandemic.

That clearly needs to be a priority the national agenda.

For business leaders, what is clear is that vaccine rollout will begin by about the middle of this year and that, realistically, herd immunity will not be reached until the middle of next year. As for a critical part of the economy, tourism can not be expected to be fully back until the epidemic is largely controlled in most countries. Again, that will likely not be until next year. However, as it has, we can expect the economy to continue to open up slowly.

Companies that are able to provide vaccines to their employees and their families should be in a better position to benefit from loosening of measures.

The god news is that the vaccine will be rolled out and we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

What is important now is to hold on and ensure that the journey through the tunnel is put to good use.

COVID-19 infections.

The reality is that much of the industrial sector is now open and the larger policy focus needs to be how to create economic activity without risking another outbreak.

The sticking point for many businesses is transportation and this is potentially something that can be addressed directly.

It is also important to note that Metro Manila has been slowly easing controls since about the third quarter of 2020 and, at this point, most businesses can legally operate, albeit with certain safeguards for safety. The travel ban ended on 31 January and many Filipino Americans applied for a Filipino passport last year so that they could travel to the Philippines as soon as the travel ban ended.

What now The critical question at this point is how much additional risk loosened controls create versus how Readers can email Maya at much loss is created by these same integrations_manila@yahoo. controls. The question of education com. Or visit her site at http:// is particularly poignant. While integrations.tumblr.com.

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Business

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Wednesday, February 23, 2020 4.33 PTS. 6,814.67

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

25,507,173,732 211,307 10,667,156,955.68 64 171 37

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.5620

Japan

Yen

0.009518

0.4622

UK

Pound

1.406700

68.3122

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128977

6.2634

Switzerland

Franc

1.116071

54.1986

Canada

Dollar

0.793021

38.5107

Singapore

Dollar

0.756830

36.7532

Australia

Dollar

0.791500

38.4368

Bahrain

Dinar

2.657666

129.0616

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

12.9492

Brunei

Dollar

0.753977

36.6146

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.033300

1.6171

UAE

Dirham

0.272264

13.2217

Euro

Euro

1.215800

59.0417

Korea

Won

0.000900

0.0437

China

Yuan

0.154689

7.5120

India

Rupee

0.013805

0.6704

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.247525

12.0203

New Zealand

Dollar

0.732800

35.5862

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035858

1.7413 Source: BSP

Yamaha opens bigger Batangas motorcycle plant YAMAHA Motor Philippines Inc. opened a bigger motorcycle assembly facility at the Lima Technology Center in Malvar, Batangas, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority said Tuesday.

PEZA Director-General Charito Plaza, who attended the inauguration of P2.69-bilion facility on Feb. 22, would open 1,300 new jobs in Batangas and nearby provinces, on top of the existing 1,500 positions.

Yamaha president Hiroshi Koike said the factory was the first it set up in the Philippines in more than 34 years.

Koike said as transportation shifted from public commuting to personal use of mobility, there was an increase in the demand for automatic motorcycle models.

“Generating a huge number of products will result in creation of more jobs roughly, about 1,500 employees for old factory and additional recruitment of 1,300 workforce for this newly-built factory. This is in line with our corporate social responsibility in contributing to the enhancement of the Philippine economy,” he said.

The inauguration on Monday marked the start of operation of the new line. The expansion was also Yamaha’s commitment to expand business operations in the Philippines.

Yamaha worked with Philippine Economic Zone Authority since its registration in 2007.

Koike said the company aimed to cooperate with PEZA in expanding their business to fulfill the company’s goal of posting the highest growth in the motorcycle industry among Southeast Asian countries and to “impress to the Filipino people the creation of products that are beyond expectations”.

“PEZA welcomes Yamaha’s expansion project especially during this time that we are reeling from the uncertainties at hand,” said Plaza.

She said PEZA had been supportive of these projects to encourage locators not to leave nor transfer but to expand and continue operations in economic zones amid the pandemic.

Plaza cited PEZA’s deep appreciation and gratitude to locator companies’ continued operations and for helping the Philippine economy recover and thus “preserving the welfare of our countrymen, our country’s economy, and the jobs of Filipinos.”

Othel V. Campos

RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp. said Tuesday net income declined 7.4 percent in 2020 to P5 billion from P5.4 billion in 2019 as it boosted impairment losses to P9.3 billion amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

RCBC said in a statement impairment losses increased 2.5 times than in 2019, normalized for extra-ordinary items, to manage the higher risks due to the pandemic and economic slowdown.

RCBC said core business remained strong with gross income reaching P37.9 billion, up 6 percent from 2019. Net interest income rose 18 percent year-on-year to P26.3 billion, given the lower funding

Coca-Cola investing $63m in PH this year COCA-COLA Philippines on Tuesday announced another $63-million (roughly P3.06 billion) worth of local investments this year.

Coca-Cola Philippines president and vice president of franchise operations for CocaCola Far East Region (Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia) Antonio Del Rosario said Coca-Cola would continue to invest in double-digit numbers in the Philippines as it navigates its way out of the pandemic.

“Despite all the challenges that we have, we remain cautiously optimistic about 2021.

And we believe that we know with our strategies and plans, we will continue to be able to grow our share and consumer preference.

We are obviously committed to helping the Philippines recover from this crisis,” he said in a briefing Monday.

The company plans to invest around P21 million in the first quarter to help around 5,000 additional entrepreneurs restart their business.

Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. president and chief executive officer Gareth McGeown said the company was further buttressing its production capacity to serve consumers nationwide. Othel V. Campos

JG Summit buys stake in South Africa’s Tyme

FINTECH OVERSIGHT. Financial sector regulators sign a memorandum of agreement under the auspices of the Financial Sector Forum on the establishment of a Cooperative Oversight Framework on financial technology innovation. Joining the virtual signing ceremony are (clockwise, from top left) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno, Insurance Commissioner Dennis Funa, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. president and chief executive Roberto Tan and Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Emilio Aquino. The framework aims to facilitate seamless regulation and supervision of fintech companies across the financial sector leveraging on the consultative and collaborative platform under the MOA.

BCDA, SM ready to develop Army lot in Taguig next year

By Othel V. Campos

S

TATE-RUN Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the Department of National Defense plan to transfer the Army Support Command facilities in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig to a new P1.5-billion site in Camp Servillano Aquino in Tarlac province next year.

BCDA said in line with its mandate under Republic Act No. 7227 to generate funds for the DND-Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program, it was working with joint venture partner SM Prime Holdings Inc. for the development of the 33.13-hectare Bonifacio South Pointe Property.

The agency said about 11.5 hectares

of the prime lot were being occupied by ASCOM , the Service Support Unit and the Division Administrative Command Center of the Philippine Army.

Under the BCDA-DND/AFP memorandum of agreement signed in February 2017, the parties agreed to clear the property and existing facilities.

The DND and the AFP identified the relocation site in Camp Aquino, while the BCDA is responsible for the construction of structures and facilities, the engagement of consulting services for engineering design and construction management.

Under the four-phase development plan, 44 structures will be built in Camp Aquino, including multiple headquarters facilities, officers’ quarters, barracks, a warehouse, student classrooms and transportation and maintenance battalion areas.

“BCDA has been working closely with DND and the Armed Forces over the years to make the vision of modern ASCOM logistical facilities a reality.

We feel that this is a sound investment which not only puts ASCOM in a better

position to serve the military, but opens up new opportunities for the national government to generate much-needed revenues by developing the soon-to-bevacated Army areas in Fort Bonifacio,” said BCDA president and chief executive Vince Dizon.

AFP Northern Luzon Command Chief Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said the AFP recognized the role of BCDA as a prime mover of national development by transforming former military bases into premier centers of economic growth.

“The transfer of ASCOM here at Camp Aquino is very timely as it will not only boost the unit’s capabilities to carry out its mission and functions but it also reinforces its thrust to sustain personal readiness and enhancement of its operations and even gain momentum towards modernization,” Burgos said.

He said ASCOM has a very significant role in the Armed Forces and the PA because of its logistical support to all the Army units not only in Luzon but also in the Visayas and Mindanao.

JG SUMMIT Holdings Inc. has secured a stake in Tyme, one of the world’s fastestgrowing digital banks based in South Africa that is seeking to explore emerging markets in developing economies, especially in Southeast Asia.

JG Summit has taken part in an estimated P5.3-billion ($110 million) investment in Tyme, along with Apis Growth Fund II, a private equity fund managed by Apis Partners LLP, and South African investment holdings company African Rainbow Capital.

Tyme, whose international management arm TymeGlobal is headquartered in Singapore, is considered as one of the world’s leading digital banking network for emerging markets. It is majority owned by ARC. The capital raise will be primarily deployed to expand TymeBank in South Africa, which has attracted 2.8 million customers to its digital banking platform since its launch in February 2019. It is one of the largest foreign investments any fintech company has secured in South Africa, affirming the dynamic growth of the local banking sector.

Security Bank, Thai bank get clearance SECURITY Bank Corp. and Thailand’s Bank of Ayudhya– he two major shareholders of SB Finance–have obtained respective internal approvals to infuse additional capital to SB Finance amounting to P3 billion. Security Bank and Krungsri both have MUFG Bank, Ltd. as a common shareholder.

SB Finance will issue 25,850,000 common shares that will be subscribed to on a 50:50 basis by Security Bank and Krungsri upon receipt of requisite regulatory approvals.

“The capital infusion of both Security Bank and Krungsri into SB Finance is an expression of support in the recovery of the Philippine economy. This move shows that SB Finance is ready to help foster economic growth as businesses begin to recover from the effects of the pandemic. This additional capital infusion further cements Security Bank’s strategic partnership with Krungsri to help rebuild consumer confidence and foster financial inclusion,” said Security Bank president and chief executive officer Sanjiv Vohra.

Ayala Land absorbs Cebu Holdings and 3 subsidiaries in merger option

By Jenniffer B. Austria

ABOITIZ DONATION. The Aboitiz Group, through the Aboitiz Foundation, continues to contribute to the country’s COVID-19 response efforts by turning over a brand new RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) Extraction machine to the Davao City local government unit, boosting the city’s overall testing efforts. Witnessed by Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat (left), Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio (center) receives the RNA Extraction Machine from the Aboitiz Group represented by chief commercial and stakeholder engagement officer Danel Aboitiz.

RCBC’s income dropped 7% to P5b in 2020 on higher impairment losses amid pandemic

By Julito G. Rada

IN BRIEF

costs and higher margins.

The bank’s diversified loan portfolio rose 5 percent to P456.6 billion, led by the small and medium enterprises and consumer loan segments which registered year-on-year growth of 8 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

RCBC president and chief executive Eugene Acevedo said the pandemic drastically changed customer behavior.

“But we are thrilled with how we can continuously provide the best banking experience to our customers and fellow Filipinos through innovative digital solutions. We are also happy that our efforts toward digital acceleration and financial inclusion have been recognized by the industry,” he said.

CEBU-BASED property developer Cebu Holdings Inc. said Tuesday it is merging with parent company Ayala Land Inc. CHI said in disclosure to the stock exchange the company and its subsidiaries and affiliates Asian I-Office Properties Inc., Arca South Commercial Ventures Corp. and Central Block Developers Inc. would merge with Ayala Land. The latter would be the surviving entity.

“The merger is an internal restructuring as well as a consolidation of Ayala Land’s Cebu portfolio under one listed entity. The merger is expected to result in operational synergies, efficient funds management and simplified reporting to government agencies,” CHI said.

Under the plan, Ayala Land will issue 0.19 Ayala Land common share for every one share of CHI common share.

Ayala Land will issue 409.78 million ALI common shares, including 291.46

million which the property firm will issue to itself in exchange of its shares held in CHI. All the assets and liabilities of CHI will be absorbed by Ayala Land.

The plan of merger will be submitted for the approval of the company’s stockholders during the annual meeting on April 14, 2021. CHI is a 71.1-percent subsidiary of Ayala Land.

AiO, which is engaged in development and operations of office towers within the Cebu IT Park Estate, is a wholly-owned subsidiary by CHI, while ASCVC, which is developing a mixed-use block within Arca South Estate, is wholly-owned by Ayala Land.

Meanwhile, CBDI is 55-percent owned by the company and 45-percent owned by Ayala Land. CBDI owns and operates the mixed-use block which consists of a 5-story mall, two office towers and a hotel tower stacked on top of the mall and located in Cebu IT Park Estate.

Vivant Energy buys into Mindanao power plants of Zubiri

By Alena Mae S. Flores VIVANT Energy Corp., the energy arm of Vivant Corp., said Tuesday it is expanding in Mindanao by acquiring equity interests in Bukidnon Power Corp. and North Bukidnon Power Corp. of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri for P434 million.

Vivant said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it signed the share sale and purchase agreements with Amberdust Holding Corp. to acquire majority stakes in in BPC and NBPC. “The acquisition will contribute to the continued expansion of the business activities of Vivant Corp. in the Mindanao region,” Vivant said.

Vivant Energy and AHC will purchase 90 percent of the outstanding shares of BPC and NBPC from its current shareholders through SSPAs signed on Feb. 19, 2021.

The transaction will be consummated through deeds of assignment of shares, subject to the fulfillment of the agreed closing conditions.

The purchase price for 90 percent of the shares in BPC is P205.539 million while the purchase price for 90 percent of the shares in NBPC is P228.282 million. Vivant said of the shares to be acquired, it would hold 90 percent while the remaining 10 percent would be held by wholly-owned subsidiary AHC.

BPC and NBPC were developed by the Zubiri family to address the intermittent power shortages that plagued the region a few years ago.

Vivant Energy said the investment would further ensure the stability and reliability of the power supply in Bukidnon province particularly during peak hours.

“We are confident in the recovery and growth of the Philippine economy, and we believe that Mindanao will play a more significant role in it. That growth will require a stable and reliable power supply, which we are committed to provide,” said Vivant Energy executive vice president and chief executive Emil Andre Garcia.

Sports

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

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Osaka climbs to 2nd after Aussie Open triumph

Japan’s Naomi Osaka celebrates beating Jennifer Brady of the US in their women’s singles final match of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

House panel OKs resolution prioritizing PH athletes in vax program

By Maricel V. Cruz LAWMAKERS­ on­ Tuesday­ expressed­hope­that­the­national­government­will­prioritize­Filipino­athletes,­ who­ will­ participate­ in­ the­ Tokyo­ Olympics­ and­ the­ 2021­ Southeast­ Asian­ Games­ in­ Hanoi,­ Vietnam,­ in­ the­COVID-19­vaccination­program.

This­came­after­the­House­of­Representatives­Committee­on­Youth­and­ Sports­ Development­ adopted­ House­ Resolution­ 1507­ urging­ the­ InterAgency­ Task­ Force­ for­ the­ Management­of­Emerging­Infectious­Diseases­ and­other­concerned­agencies­to­classify­ athletes­ as­ “frontliners”­ to­ have­ them­ prioritized­ in­ the­ vaccination­ process.

At­ a­ congressional­ hearing,­ Re.­ Faustino­Dy­III,­chairman­of­the­committee,­backed­the­resolution­filed­by­ Rep.­Michael­Romero­of­1-Pacman.­ Dy­said­athletes,­who­will­join­other­ international­ sports­ competitions­ must­also­be­in­the­list­of­those­to­be­ prioritized­in­the­inoculation­program.

Romero­ said­ in­ his­ resolution­ that­ national­athletes­would­undergo­qualifying­stages­for­the­Tokyo­Olympics­ and­South­East­Asian­Games­in­April­ and­May­of­this­year.

“It­ is­ imperative­ that­ our­ national­ athletes­should­be­classified­as­frontliners,­in­order­to­prioritize­their­vaccination­ against­ COVID-19­ in­ the­ soonest­ possible­ time,­ to­ ensure­ that­ they­will­be­allowed­to­participate­in­ the­ qualifying­ stages,”­ the­ resolution­ read.

“The­ State­ recognizes­ the­ importance­of­sports­development­to­foster­ social­ progress­ and­ promote­ total­ human­ development.­ The­ State­ also­ recognizes­ the­ tireless­ and­ selfless­ sacrifice­of­our­national­athletes,”­it­ added.

The­COVID-19­pandemic­prompted­ the­ cancellation­ of­ the­ Tokyo­ Olympics­ that­ was­ originally­ set­ for­ July­24­to­August­9,­2020.­ The­Games­are­currently­scheduled­ to­ open­ in­ just­ over­ six­ months,­ on­ July­23.

Meanwhile,­ Romero­ thanked­ the­ committee­for­adopting­his­resolution.

Navy cyclists good for SEA Games gold

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HE­riders­from­the­Philippine­Navy-Standard­ Insurance­team­are­good­enough­to­deliver­the­ gold­medal­in­the­31st­Southeast­Asian­Games­in­ Vietnam­in­November.

“They’ve­been­training­for­two­months.­ They­will­be­very­competitive,”­Standard­ Insurance­ chairman­ Ernesto­ “Judes”­ Echauz­ told­ Tuesday’s­ online­ Philippine­ Sportswriters­Association­Forum.

In­ the­ 2019­ SEA­ Games,­ the­ Philippines­ as­ host­ won­ three­ gold­ medals­ on­ top­of­four­silver­and­four­bronzes­in­cycling,­including­BMX­and­mountain­bike.

“We­should­be­at­par­if­not­better­than­ Thailand­and­Indonesia.­We­have­a­very­ big­chance­in­the­women’s­because­we’ve­ seen­the­caliber­of­our­rivals.­In­the­men’s,­ we­ will­ improve­ in­ the­ ITT­ and­ TTT,”­ said­Echauz.

“And­ our­ riders­ are­ familiar­ with­ the­ terrain­in­Vietnam­because­they’ve­competed­there,”­he­said.

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Echauz­has­supported­cycling­and­duathlon­through­the­years,­forming­a­starstudded­team­made­up­of­enlisted­men­in­ the­Navy­and­employees­of­his­giant­insurance­company.

For­this­year’s­SEA­Games­from­Nov.­ 21­to­Dec.­2,­he­expects­at­least­10­of­his­ riders­to­be­part­of­the­national­team­that­ will­compete­in­eight­events­in­road­race­ and­two­events­in­duathlon.

The­top­riders­under­Echauz’s­stable­include­Ronald­Oranza,­Jan­Paul­Morales,­ Emmanuel­Comendador,­George­Oconer­ and­Junrey­Navarra­(men’s),­and­Jermyn­ Prado,­Kate­Velasco,­Mathilda­Krogg­and­ Marriane­Grace­Dacumos­(women).

Echauz­ told­ the­ forum­ presented­ by­ San­Miguel­Corp.,­Go­For­Gold,­MILO,­

Amelie­ Hotel­ Manila,­ Braska­ Restaurant,­and­the­Philippine­Amusement­and­ Gaming­Corporation­(PAGCOR)­that­his­ riders­are­“fully-equipped.”

The­ president­ of­ the­ Philippine­ Sailing­Association­said­the­male­riders­have­ been­ training­ in­ Naic,­ Cavite­ for­ two­ months,­ while­ the­ female­ athletes­ are­ based­in­Subic.

“In­Naic,­we­have­a­building­with­14­ rooms,­with­a­swimming­pool­and­a­gym­ that­is­comparable­to­the­top­gyms­here­ in­Manila.­The­place­is­very­conducive­to­ training,”­he­said­in­the­forum­powered­ by­ Smart­ and­ with­ Upstream­ Media­ as­ official­webcast­partner.

Because­there­is­no­sailing­in­this­year’s­ SEA­ Games,­ Echauz­ is­ pouring­ all­ his­ support­to­the­cycling­and­duathlon­teams.

There­will­be­eight­gold­medals­at­stake­ in­cycling­–­two­each­in­the­team­time­trial­ (TTT),­individual­time­trial­(ITT),­criterium­and­massed­start,­where­Echauz­said­ his­ riders­ are­ expected­ to­ give­ Thailand­ and­Indonesia­a­bid­run­for­their­money.

PARIS­—Naomi­ Osaka­ moved­ up­ one­spot­to­second­in­the­WTA­rankings­released­Monday­following­her­ success­ at­ the­ Australian­ Open,­ as­ she­won­her­fourth­Grand­Slam­title.

The­ Japanese­ star­ beat­ Jennifer­ Brady­ of­ the­ US­ in­ straight­ sets­ in­ the­ final­ to­ lift­ the­ trophy­ in­ Melbourne­for­the­second­time­in­three­ years.

Osaka,­ 23,­ trades­ places­ with­ Simona­Halep,­the­Romanian­dropping­ down­to­third­after­losing­to­Serena­ Williams­in­the­quarter-finals.

Williams­jumps­up­four­places­to­ seventh­ despite­ again­ falling­ short­ of­ a­ record-tying­ 24th­ major.­ The­ American­ was­ beaten­ by­ Osaka­ in­ the­semi-finals.

The­25-year-old­Brady,­a­semi-finalist­at­last­year’s­US­Open,­reached­ a­career­high­of­13th­on­the­back­of­ her­best­Grand­Slam­performance­to­ date.

Ashleigh­Barty­remains­the­world­ number­one­in­spite­of­losing­in­the­ last­eight­to­Karolina­Muchova,­who­ gained­five­spots­in­rising­to­22nd.

WTA­rankings­as­of­February­22: 1.­Ashleigh­Barty­(AUS)­9186­pts;­ 2.­Naomi­Osaka­(JPN)­7835­(+1);­3.­ Simona­Halep­(ROM)­7255­(-1);­ 4.­Sofia­Kenin­(USA)­5760;­5.­Elina­ Svitolina­ (UKR)­ 5370;­ 6.­ Karolina­Pliskova­(CZE)­5205;­7.­Serena­ Williams­(USA)­4915­(+4);­8.­Aryna­ Sabalenka­(BLR)­4810­(-1);­9.­Bianca­Andreescu­(CAN)­4735;­10.­Petra­ Kvitova­(CZE)­4571­(-2);­ 11.­Kiki­Bertens­(NED)­4505­(-1);­ 12.­ Belinda­ Bencic­ (SUI)­ 4010;­ 13.­ Jennifer­Brady­(USA)­3765­(+11);­14.­ Victoria­ Azarenka­ (BLR)­ 3535­ (-1);­ 15.­ Garbine­ Muguruza­ (ESP)­ 3320­ (-1);­16.­Johanna­Konta­(GBR)­3206­ (-1);­ 17.­ Elise­ Mertens­ (BEL)­ 3060­ (-1);­18.­Iga­Swiatek­(POL)­3014­(-1);­ 19.­ Madison­ Keys­ (USA)­ 2962­ (-1);­ 20.­ Marketa­ Vondrousova­ (CZE)­ 2952

Manuel completes Phoenix LPG’s loaded starting unit

By Rey Joble PHOENIX­Super­LPG­was­one­win­away­ from­making­the­championship­round­of­ the­ recent­ PBA­ Bubble­ tournament­ and­ the­team­didn’t­lose­its­promise­even­after­ losing­Calvin­Abueva.­ In­fact,­the­Fuelmasters­got­even­better­by­securing­the­services­of­crack­point­ guard­Chris­Banchero­in­the­Abueva­trade­ and­their­latest­acquisition­--­Vic­Manuel.

The­ Fuelmasters­ engaged­ in­ a­ multipick­ transaction­ on­ Tuesday­ with­ the­ Alaska­Aces­that­will­allow­the­33-yearold­veteran­power­forward­to­join­forces­ with­center­Justin­Chua­and­versatile­forward­Jason­Perkins.

This­ means­ Phoenix­ Super­ LPG­ will­ have­ a­ loaded­ starting­ unit­ featuring­ the­ three­front­men­with­Banchero­and­top­gun­ Matthew­Wright­playing­in­the­backcourt.

“We’re­ very­ excited.­ Our­ goal­ lang­ naman­ talaga­ is­ to­ make­ our­ team­ better.­We­were­able­to­fill­up­the­spots­that­ we’re­lacking­previously­and­with­Vic­in­ the­ line­ up,­ that­ will­ open­ up­ space­ for­ our­shooters­like­Wright,­Banchero,­Per-

kins­and­Chua,”­said­Phoenix­Super­LPG­ team­ manager­ Paolo­ Bugia,­ who­ was­ elated­that­the­team­was­still­able­to­keep­ its­first-round­pick,­although­their­selections­in­the­first­and­second­rounds­will­ be­adjusted­following­the­Manuel­trade.

In­ getting­ Manuel,­ Phoenix­ Super­ LPG­had­to­switch­first­round­and­second­ round­ picks­ with­ Alaska,­ which­ means­ the­Fuelmasters,­who­previously­acquired­ the­No.­6­overall­pick­from­Magnolia­in­ a­ previous­ trade­ with­Abueva,­ will­ now­ select­ at­ No.­ 7.­ The­Aces,­ who­ also­ got­ the­services­of­veteran­guard­Brian­Heruela­in­the­deal­as­a­kicker,­will­now­pick­ at­No.­6.

Both­the­Aces­and­the­Fuelmasters­also­ traded­places­in­the­second­round,­which­ means­Alaska­ will­ now­ select­ at­ No.­ 16­ and­Phoenix­will­make­its­choice­at­No.­ 19.­The­Aces­have­an­extra­second-round­ pick,­which­they­can­also­use­in­loading­ up­their­roster­this­coming­season.

But­while­Phoenix­Super­LPG­got­better­this­season,­it­paid­the­team­a­stiff­price­ as­it­was­forced­to­give­up­its­first-round­ pick­next­year­in­the­Manuel­trade.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial and Board Chairman Ricky Vargas Sen. Bong Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea a courtesy visit on Monday in Malacañang.

For­Manuel,­it’s­like­having­his­wish­ granted.­ The­ hardworking­ forward­ had­ been­ vocal­ about­ leaving­ the­Aces­ and­ wanting­to­play­for­another­team­and­in­ joining­ the­ Fuelmasters,­ he­ will­ be­ reunited­with­Topex­Robinson,­his­former­ coach­at­Alaska,­who­now­serves­as­the­ head­mentor­of­Phoenix­Super­LPG.­­ Alaska­ coach­ Jeff­ Cariaso­ said­ the­

Eala jumps to 763rd in WTA world rankings FILIPINO­ tennis­ prodigy­ and­ Globe­ Ambassador­Alex­Eala’s­remarkable­run­ so­ far­ this­ year­ has­ resulted­ in­ another­ career­milestone­for­her.

The­ 15-year-old­ is­ now­ ranked­ 763rd­ in­ the­ latest­ world­ rankings­ released­ by­ the­Women’s­Tennis­Association­WTA.­ Eala’s­ last­ 8­ performances­ in­ her­ last­ three­ tournaments­ enabled­ her­ to­ jump­ 179­places­from­her­previous­ranking­of­ 942nd.

Eala­ won­ her­ initial­ professional­ women’s­singles­title­when­she­defeated­ Spanish­netter­Yvonne­Cavalle-Reimers­ in­the­finals­of­the­first­leg­of­the­Rafael­ Nadal­Academy­ITF­World­Tennis­Tour­

in­Mallorca,­Spain­last­month. ­ She­ followed­ her­ historic­ with­ last­ eight­ finishes­ in­ the­ second­ and­ third­ legs­ of­ the­ Manacor­ W15­ tournaments­ before­flying­to­Grenoble,­France. ­Eala,­a­Globe­Ambassador­since­2013,­ stood­toe­to­toe­against­older­and­higher­ ranked­ opponents­ in­ Mallorca­ posting­ several­ upset­ wins­ against­ highly-favored­opponents­such­as­number­2­seed­ Mirjam­ Bjorlund­ of­ Sweden,­ Alba­ Carrillo­Marin­of­Spain,­Ana­Antigua­De­La­ Nunez­and­Silvia­Ambrosio­to­reach­the­ quarterfinals­in­last­two­legs­of­the­Manacor­tour. ­ In­ Grenoble,­ France­ Eala­ went­ deep­

in­ the­ W25­ tournament­ scoring­ wins­ against­ Laura­ Iona-Paar­ and­ 7th­ seed­ Cristina­ Bucsa­ before­ bowing­ to­ Maja­ Chwalinska­of­Poland­in­the­battle­for­a­ spot­in­the­semifinals. ­ Eala’s­ elite­ standing­ in­ the­ junior’s­ ITF,­ where­ she­ is­ currently­ ranked­ as­ the­ world’s­ number­ 3,­ allows­ her­ entry­ to­ several­ women’s­ singles­ professional­ tournaments.­ These­ tournaments­ give­ her­chances­to­gain­points­that­will­help­ improve­ further­ her­ ranking.­ More­ importantly,­ her­ entry­ to­ top­ ranked­ tournaments­gives­her­much­needed­experience­and­exposure­against­the­best­in­the­ Alex Eala makes leap of 179 places.

WTA.

team­didn’t­plan­on­getting­Heruela,­the­ stocky­but­dependable­guard,­but­he­was­ included­ in­ the­ mix­ by­ the­ PBA­ trade­ committee.­­ “Brian­ Heruela­ was­ an­ add­ on­ requested­by­the­PBA.­So­we’re­moving­up­ on­both­rounds­of­the­draft­to­get­the­guys­ we­really­want­--­and­an­extra­first­round­ draft­next­year,”­said­Cariaso.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

All systems go for PH Superliga beach tilt THERE is no stopping the Philippine Superliga from launching the 2021 Gatorade-Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup from pushing through over the weekend at the san courts of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

PSL Chairman Philip Ella Juico told the Philippine Sportswriters Association online Forum that everything is set for the first volleyball event to restart during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding advance parties had already arrived in Subic, including two of the eight teams seeing action in the bubble competition that begins this Friday.

“Everything is in order. There are certain kinks to be ironed out, but the event is pushing through and the teams are ready,” said Juico in the weekly session on Tuesday.

Ginio Panganiban, PSL director for beach volleyball, is now in Subic to oversee the preparations and welcome the arrival of all participating teams.

The two teams representing Abanse Negrense had arrived in Subic, while the rest of the field that include guest team Kennedy Solar Energy-PetroGazz, Sta. Lucia (two teams), F2 Logistics, United Auctioneers Inc., and Toby Sports are coming on board by Wednesday.

Strict health protocols will be administered on all players and personnel involved in the tournament which is around 60 to 70. Saliva test will be done by the Red Cross Olongapo chapter.

“After the test, diretso na sila sa hotel where we will be quarantined for 24 hours. Once negative result comes out, then that’s the time they will be transferred to their designated twin sharing room,” said Panganiban, who also serves as competition director, in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

Sports

Jazz bury Hornets with barrage of treys

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OS ANGELES—Donovan Mitchell had 23 points and eight assists as the NBA-leading Utah Jazz rained a franchise-record 28 three-pointers in a 132-110 rout of the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.

Joe Ingles and Georges Niang scored 21 points apiece as the Jazz got a superb offensive performance from their bench to win for the 21st time in their last 23 games and improve to 25-6 overall.

Jordan Clarkson (five threes), Mike Conley (four threes), Mitchell (three threes) and Royce O’Neale (two threes) contributed to the Jazz’s domination from beyond the arc. Conley also had 15 points.

Gordon Hayward scored 21 points but had to leave the game in the fourth

quarter with a hand injury as the Hornets’ six-game road trip got off to a rocky start.

Rookie LaMelo Ball also scored 21 points as the Hornets kept it close until the fourth quarter when the Jazz seized command.

In Texas, Tim Hardaway scored a team-high 29 points as the Dallas Mavericks delivered one of their best defensive games of the season, by limiting the Memphis Grizzlies to just 39 percent shooting on Monday.

Luka Doncic scored 21 points and

Jalen Brunson chipped in 19 as the Mavericks returned from an unexpected eightday break to post a 103-92 victory at the American Airlines Center.

The Mavericks had not played since February 14 after a devastating winter storm wreaked havoc on the Dallas area and forced two postponements.

Brunson scored 17 points as Dallas won its fifth game in the last six.

The Mavs came out quickly, compiling a double-digit lead in the first half of the opening quarter, and cruised from there.

Ja Morant had 22 points and a gamehigh nine assists for the Grizzlies, who suffered their second straight loss and were held to their second-lowest season point total. The Grizzlies scored just two more points than they scored in a loss to

FlexBox breaks mold of conventional boxing training

TRIBUTE RIDE. Past LBC Ronda Pilipinas champions George Oconer (right), Ronald Oranza (middle) and Jan Paul Morales lead

the Ronda MeMOErial ride in San Jose, Tarlac Sunday. The Ronda Pilipinas held the tribute ride that started and ended at the Tarlac Recreational Park in San Jos e, Tarlac for its late chairman Moe Chulani. It was a solemn event, dubbed “A MeMOErial Ride, A Ride for Moe,” that was attended by Chulani’s brother Ravinder, close friend and Ronda co-founder Dino Araneta and past champions Morales, Oranza and Oconer. AFP

ONE: FISTS OF FURY a must-watch, says Adiwang ONE Championship returns to the Singapore Indoor Stadium with ONE: FISTS OF FURY, live this Friday night, 26 February. It’s an action-packed card featuring some of the best strikers in the world, and the professional debut of a teenage martial arts prodigy ready to partake in the family trade.

One man who will be watching the event closely is Team Lakay phenom Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang. Having started his martial arts journey with boxing and wushu, Adiwang is an avid fan of the striking martial arts and has extensive knowledge on ONE Super Series fighters.

As a spectator, Adiwang can’t wait to witness what the evening holds.

“I am very excited to watch this card and witness the biggest names in kickboxing show their skills and talents. I mean, we have Rodtang, Giorgio Petrosyan, and Superlek all in one card. It’s definitely a must-watch event for me,” said Adiwang.

“I’m particularly excited for the main event, because the champion Ilias Ennahachi and Thai superstar Superlek are surely going to give fans a good show. It will be a high level display of striking.

I will have to go with Ennahachi in this one, because I can see him controlling the fight and not letting Superlek dictate the pace. I think he can finish Superlek as well with his punches.”

The main event of ONE: FISTS OF

Tough love AT ONE point, JR Quinahan would receive a mouthful from his head coach Yeng Guiao, when the veteran center commits a silly foul.

“Hindi ka talaga nag-iisip,” the fiery mentor shouts at Quinahan when he picks up his sixth and last foul, putting the Road Warriors at a disadvantage in their frontline.

You would see Kenneth Ighalo getting scolded in one play when the tentative guard couldn’t make up his mind whether to shoot or pass the moment he gets the basketball.

“Huy, mukha kang tanga doon.

Cleveland last month.

Desmond Bane finished with 12 points, Brandon Clarke and Jonas Valanciunas 11 apiece and Tyus Jones 10 for Memphis.

Valanciunas also grabbed 15 rebounds to complete a double-double.

Elsewhere, Devin Booker scored 34 points as the Phoenix Suns posted their 12th win in the last 14 games by rolling to a 132-100 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers.

Deandre Ayton added 19 points as the Suns dominated to open the second half by outscoring the Trail Blazers 37-17 in the third quarter.

Damian Lillard delivered 24 points and seven assists for Portland, who dropped their second straight contest following a season-long six-game winning streak. AFP

FURY features reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Ilias Ennahachi who defends his World Title against #2-ranked Superlek “The Kicking Machine” Kiatmoo9.

In the co-main event, the legendary Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan returns to action in a rematch against Kickboxing World Champion Davit Kiria. Also seeing action is reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon, who steps into a new arena when he faces “Samingpri” Tagir Khalilov in his ONE kickboxing debut.

Adiwang is excited to witness two legends of the ring showcase their skills.

“As for Giorgio Petrosyan, well, he’s a living legend in the kickboxing world.

He’s earned the people’s respect by proving himself, fighting and beating the best of the best. For me, what’s so good about him is his composure, because no matter what style or game plan you prepare for him, you can’t take his composure away.

He’s just out there imposing his will, and that for me is just special. It’s hard to beat a well-focused and composed fighter. I see him applying this in his upcoming fight again and getting the win,” said Adiwang.

“Rodtang jumping to kickboxing is no surprise to me, because we all saw how he absolutely decimated his oppo-

nents in Muay Thai until there was no one left. Knowing his fighter mentality, he wants to further cement his legacy in the striking world. He doesn’t just want to be the Muay Thai champion, he wants that kickboxing belt as well. I believe he will succeed, but he will definitely go through some tough challenges in ONE Super Series. It all depends on how he can quickly adapt to and adjust to the rules of kickboxing. Perhaps we can also see a rematch between Rodtang and Tenshin Nasukawa in the future too.”

Elsewhere on ONE: FISTS OF FURY, is the highly anticipated ONE debut of Victoria “The Prodigy” Lee, who takes on Sunisa “Thunderstorm” Srisen in an atomweight mixed martial arts contest.

Victoria is the younger sister of reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee, and ONE Lightweight World Champion Christian Lee. “The Prodigy” raised headlines when she announced she was joining ONE Championship in late 2020, at the tender young age of 16.

“For me, Victoria Lee is a next generation superstar. She has some incredible people behind her, with her parents supporting her, and her older siblings already proven world champions. I have no doubt that she will also become a world champion one day, and maybe even surpass Christian and Angela,” said Adiwang.

Kung takot ka, ipasa mo,” said Guiao while giving Ighalo a piece of his mind.

And who would forget Poy Erram, when he was still playing for the Road Warriors? In one of the huddles, the 6’8” former Ateneo center, then a developing big man, didn’t escape Guiao’s tongue lashing.

“Magpalakas ka ng katawan. Ang dali-dali mong itulak,” shouts Guiao.

None of the players would take these things personally on Guiao, who calls this approach as tough love.

“I don’t want to coach somebody who is not happy, although marami akong players na pinagagalitan, but you can ask them if they want to stay with me or not and I would say probably they would stay with me. ‘Yun ‘yung tough love na sinasabi namin. Mahal namin ang isa’t-isa, but we’re tough on each other,” said Guiao during the second session of the Arangkada! Breakfast With The NLEX Road Warriors.

True enough, players really want to give it all, playing and wanting to win for Guiao and the entire squad. Outside

of the marquee players who are in the roster, the unheralded players often get the share of the spotlight.

A classic case are Raul Soyud and Ighalo, players relegated at the reserve list the past few years, but worked their way to earn roster spots. In fact, Soyud became a vastly-improved big man as he was among the candidates for the Most Improved Player award in last year’s Bubble tournament and his performance was enough for him to be included in the Gilas Pilipinas pool.

Miranda, on the other hand, was a forgotten forward and Guiao was the one who took a chance on the bruising player, who had a breakout performance in last year’s Bubble tournament, sinking all of his eight shots from the field and playing a perfect game in NLEX’s 12490 rout of powerhouse San Miguel Beer.

“Kapag ginamit mo ‘yung player, bigyan mo ng mga seven to eight minutes and then give him a chance in that seven to eight minutes to get another chance of going back to the court. When a player knows that, sa practice pa lang,

Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang

magpupursige yan,” said Guiao.

That’s why from the players of the Road Warriors, hearing a swearing from Guiao is like music to their ears. It was like receiving a term of endearment from the seven-time PBA champion coach, who just wants to make everybody on the team better.

In Guiao’s team, every player or member of the staff is treated equally.

No star attitude. Only star effort.

“Kapag mayroon kang isang player na tini-treat mo in a different way, that’s also going to slowly erode ‘yung concept niyo of a team. Puwede kong pagalitan si Kiefer just as much as puwede kong pagalitan si Raul Soyud. If they make the same mistakes, ganu’n rin dapat ‘yung treatment. Kiefer Ravena understands that. Kevin (Alas) understands that. JR (Quiñahan) understands that. Mas pinagagalitan ko pa nga sila eh. Alam din ‘yun ng mga players down the line, 15th player, 14th player,” said Guiao.

Guiao makes sure everybody gets the message -- and it’s called tough love.

IT ALL started with the idea of combining fitness and technology. While most in the spectrum offered workout guides through an app, boxing enthusiast JM Siasat wanted to take a deep dive into a more service-oriented approach to fitness that has been hounded by challenges in recent times.

Inspired by the likes of Uber and Grab that took the world by storm, the concept of FlexBox was born—an ondemand personal training service that allows you to book a workout session anytime, anywhere.

“FlexBox is really a culmination of my years of experience as a boxing coach abroad and gym owner,” Siasat said.

“Personal training with FlexBox allows you to train anywhere at any time at a less expensive price tag. All you have to do is book a session with us and then a trainer will come to your location of choice, bringing with him all the equipment needed for a full-body workout.”

Siasat cited his time as a boxing trainer in Singapore wherein his clients would gather every weekend to take their act to East Coast Park and train on the beachside. He particularly noticed the high number of participants and excitement that surrounded them during those occasions.

“I’ve noticed how excited my clients get whenever we hold our training by the beach. I mean, why not? It was fun!

I did not even realize how fun and productive it could be until I have experienced it for myself,” he stated.

“So we bring our equipment, utilize the beach, and park in the area to give our clients the best outdoor training ever,” Siasat continued. “We try to do even better with the FlexBox training program. You can book us at the nearest park or even at home and we guarantee to get you sweating in an hour.”

After months of business planning and preparation, the startup finally launched on March 14, 2020. A day after, Metro Manila went on a strict lockdown that forced businesses, including gyms, to close their doors to fitness aficionados.

The pandemic was nothing to celebrate, but FlexBox stood out among the rest during the time as a safe alternative.

“We offer a safe yet fun approach to fitness this new normal. The idea of FlexBox was already that even before the pandemic, we offered convenience so you don’t have to suffer from traffic or maybe you’re feeling lazy to drive yourself to the gym,” Siasat explained.

“Then the pandemic came which only highlighted my belief from the very beginning that this is the future of the fitness industry,” he added. “We are very careful too as our coaches are regularly tested for COVID-19 and our equipment is sanitized after every use.”

Since its launch, FlexBox has been endorsed by several world champion athletes such as reigning IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas and current ONE strawweight champion Joshua Pacio.

“I have seen JM in the gym as a practitioner and a trainer. He used to train with my coach Joven Jimenez before, so he was able to pick up important lessons as a boxer and coach.

When it comes to boxing, I can say that he really has a deep knowledge of the sport,” Ancajas shared.

Entertainment Hyun Bin, Son Ye Jin I

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

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Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin revealed that they did the TVC for Smart in January, in the middle of a snowstorm.

express desire to meet Filipino fans in person N A virtual media conference held Monday, Korean superstars and Smart Communications ambassadors Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin revealed that they wanted to meet their Filipino fans who have been showing their unparalleled support for their projects.

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

VERY WANG NICKIE WANG

The reel and real-life couple in a scene from the latest Smart TVC released on Valentine's Day.

But due to the pandemic, their fans would have to settle with the warmth of virtual love that they can share with them online since physical fan meet is still will not be possible.

Addressing their supporters during the virtual event, Hyun Bin said, “Hello. This is Hyun Bin. I have been given another chance to meet you all through Smart’s new campaign video. I hope that you’ll continue to support Smart and me. I wish you a Happy New Year. Please keep yourselves healthy and warm this year.”

Son Ye Jin echoed her partner’s message by saying, “I may not be able to meet you all in person but I’m very happy that I can greet you through this video. Last year was a difficult year for everyone. I sincerely hope you become happier this year. I hope to see you soon.

Stay healthy until then.”

Meanwhile, another television commercial starring the Korean superstars is in the pipeline. This was confirmed Jane Basas, SVP and head of Consumer Wireless

Business at Smart, during a virtual media conference held Monday.

The telco executive shared that the second campaign will be for Smart’s postpaid plan.

While this development excites BinJin’s legion of fans, they still couldn’t get over with the couple’s Valentine’s Day surprise.

On Feb. 14, Smart delivered a video surprise that sent fans of the power couple into total frenzy. The TVC, which also featured the music of Ben&Ben. But how was the telco able to pull off this TVC, which sees the couple together in one project after they made their relationship public?

In a Smart-exclusive video, the two shared their experience working on the project. Hyun Bin revealed that they had to shoot in the middle of a snowstorm in

Murphy returns in

‘Coming 2 America’

The sequel ‘Coming 2 America’ comes more than three decades after Eddie Murphy's pampered African prince Akeem first traveled to New York's Queens in search of true love.

THIRTY years before Black Panther, Eddie Murphy's 1980s comedy classic Coming to America disproved the stubborn Hollywood myth that films with Black casts flop overseas; it earned nearly $300 million worldwide.

Now that Marvel's African superhero blockbuster has smashed that misbelief for good with its billion-dollar box office haul, Murphy has decided it's time for a sequel: Coming 2 America is out on March 5.

But according to Murphy, the global success of the two predominantly Black franchises has nothing to do with any growing interest in racial politics and history, or in movements like today's Black Lives Matter -- but instead in oldfashioned, universal storytelling.

"Most of our movies, they shine a light on some social injustice or some civil unrest... (but) around the world they don't give a shit about that," said Murphy.

"Coming 2 America is not about any of those things. It's just about family and love and doing the right thing and tradition,” he added.

Murphy's comments come as Hollywood has been launching a flood of prestigious Black cast-led movies about the civil rights movement which are hotly tipped for Oscars glory, including Judas and the Black Messiah and One Night in Miami.

Whether modern global audiences will respond to those films will be hard to gauge, with movie theaters still closed due to COVID-19. Indeed, Coming 2

America was made by Paramount but sold to Amazon's streaming service during the pandemic.

Speaking at a recent press day, Murphy expressed pride that the original Coming to America was "the first movie in the history of movies that had an all-Black cast that was successful all around the world."

But since then you can count "on one hand" the Hollywood films that have repeated that international success -- "and you'll have fingers left over," said the 59-year-old star.

"The legacy of this movie is that it's accessible to all audiences," Murphy added. "The reason why our movies don't go around the world is because our story is provocative (only) to us. Around the world they don't give a shit about our stuff."

Set decades after Murphy's pampered prince hit New York in search of true love, Coming 2 America sees the veteran comic play an elder monarch seeking a longlost male heir to save his fictional African kingdom.

Murphy said his new film shares royal DNA with 2018 smash hit Black Panther, which starred the late Chadwick Boseman and was praised for its message of pan-African unity.

"These amazing images of Black kings and queens and princesses... Black Panther did it," said Murphy.

"The very first one was 'Coming to America,'" he added.

The sequel is packed with real-life Black showbiz royalty, from actors Wesley Snipes, Tracy Morgan, and James Earl Jones to a number of extremely highprofile, surprise musical guests.

The movie was shot at Tyler Perry Studios, the self-contained 330-acre (130-hectare) production "campus" at a Civil War-era Confederate military base in Atlanta, Georgia owned by Black entertainment mogul Perry. AFP

January. “I remember it snowed a lot on the day of the shoot. Thanks to that, the shooting was fun despite the cold weather.”

Son Ye Jin recalled how unique the experience was working with the Smart team anew. “I am so happy to be with Smart for the second time. It’s a lot easier because we worked with the same team.”

Having said that, she disclosed that she’s looking forward to more campaigns from Smart. “And I am so excited to see more wonderful advertisements.”

Ben&Ben joins the ‘inevitable’ While it was important for Smart to grant wishes of its subscribers when it comes to bringing consumers closer to their foreign idols, the TVC also presented an opportunity to put a local band behind the video’s soundtrack and musical scoring.

Here’s where Ben&Ben comes in, providing “Inevitable,” the song that is heard in the background while Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin pursue each other in this romantic-sci-fi TVC. With lyrics inspired by real-life events, Ben&Ben members simply happen to be CLOY fans as well. In a collaboration set to motion by the band, Smart, and Sony Music Phils, things started falling into place when it came to lending soundtrack and musical score for the TVC. In an official statement released by Sony Music Phils, lead singer Paolo Benjamin said, “Inevitable is a song that tries to describe the nature of fate, and how all our actions somehow lead us to some better place that is destined for us. It’s also a song about being real with someone, and

that no matter how scary that may seem at times, there is freedom in baring your truest nature with someone dear to you, even if that someone is yourself.”

Miguel Benjamin added, “The songwriting in itself presents a concept of the state that is both a surreal mystery and a peaceful certainty, so we wanted to create an aural representation of what these lyrics felt like. Our process started with a mix of acoustic guitars, which I tweaked with sitar effects as the main intro riff; kind of like a representation of the two contrasting feelings working together.”

To know more about Smart 5G, visit 5g.smart and follow Smart’s official accounts on Facebook at facebook.com/ SmartCommunications, and Twitter and Instagram at @LiveSmart.

'Inevitable’ by Ben&Ben is the music featured in the latest TVC bannered by the 'CLOY' stars.

Fil-Am hip-hop artist Guapdad 4000 announces new album under local label AS THE first-ever artist signed by Paradise Rising, celebrated Filipino-American hip-hop sensation Guapdad 4000 has announced the upcoming launch of his new album, 1176 for the emerging new label.

The follow up to his 2019 debut full-length Dior Deposits which no less than the New York Times hailed as one of the best albums of the year, 1176 chronicles the life and career to date of the Oakland-based rapper, from his Filipino upbringing, humble beginnings, and eventual stardom. Executive produced by fellow Fil-Am !LLMIND, the album hones in on Guap telling his own story, with the help of some of his close friends Buddy, P-Lo, and Tish Hyman.

1176 features the recently released carrier single and music video, “How Many,” which samples the legendary Alice DJ track "Better off Alone."

Directed by Chris Simmons, the video is the perfect introduction to this new era of Guap's artistry, exploring pieces of his mind as he finds himself trapped inside a liquor bottle, trying his luck with falconry, and bringing his tattoos to life.!LLMIND who has worked with A-list artists like Kanye West, Ariana Grande, Drake, and Ludacris, among many others consider Guapdad as “literally one of the most talented artists” he has ever come across.

“I know that sounds generic but there really is no better way to describe [Guapdad].

I also wish I was as good-looking as him but at least I'm taller than him. Seriously though, I had such a blast working with him on this project and even though we're from opposite coasts, we are similar in so many ways. He brought the best out of me on this project and made my job easy. The music is crazy!" the acclaimed record producer further enthused.

Named "the secret weapon of the [Revenge of the Dreamers III] sessions" by Complex, Guapdad 4000 has been one

to watch since the start. With a Grammy nomination, a slew of viral singles, and tours with P Lo, Earthgang (Dreamville), and Denzel Curry already under his belt, the Oakland rapper's talent, creativity, and versatility are set to take him straight to becoming one of this year's brightest stars.

The album comes out March 19 via 88rising's sister label Paradise Rising, making Guap and !LLMIND the first artists to release a full-length project through the young label which is dedicated to uplifting artists of Filipino descent.

In a statement, Paradise Rising says the release "marks the first full-length artist project released under PARADISE RISING, 88rising's sister label that's focused on highlighting Filipino talent globally."

“Guapdad 4000's upcoming album provides another bridge in commonalities between Asian & American culture, diving even deeper into those stories through his music," the record label’s statement concluded.

Paradise Rising is the result of a joint collaboration between the Philippines' telecommunications leader Globe, and 88rising, a pioneering music and media collective synonymous with elevating Asian talent from East to West.

The label will serve as a platform to establish a presence for Philippine artists in the West and globally through music distribution, music rights management, and artists development.

"We're thrilled to have Guapdad 4000 as the first signee of Paradise Rising, and what makes this even more exciting is how he takes pride in his Filipino roots as told through his music. He is a testament of the promising Filipino talent that we're always on the lookout for and we can’t wait to highlight more of these artists through our platform," says Denise Seva, Head of Globe Live of Globe Telecom.

Listen to “How Many” at http:// bit.ly/streamhowmany, and watch the music video here http:// bit.ly/howmanymv. For more updates on Guapdad 4000 and 1176, stay tuned to Paradise Rising on Facebook at bit. ly/paradiserisingfacebook, Instagram at bit.ly/ paradiserisinginstagram, and Twitter at bit.ly/ paradiserisingtwitter.

Fil-Am hip-hop and Grammynominated artist Guapdad 4000

Life

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

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FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

SUSTAINABLE STAPLE. Recognizing denim’s manufacturing impacts to the environment, several brands now offer denim made using less water and made from recycled plastic bottles, recycled scrap fabrics, and sustainably grown cotton. In photos are denim pieces from Tommy Jeans and Marks and Spencer.

Good for environment denim

By Monica Sanchez

T

HE denim jeans that you wear are bad for the environment.

Versatile and classic as they are, producing this staple piece poses a number of harmful effects to the world we live in, from the massive amount of pesticides used to grow cotton to the thousands of liters of water used to produce a single pair.

Jeans, according to eco warriors, are one of the most environment damaging pieces of clothing.

According to British retailer Marks and Spencer, about 2,000 liters of water is used to produce one cotton shirt, the same amount an average person drinks in three years. Then there are chemicals used to protect the crop.

To enable customers to purchase denim that won’t hurt the environment, the company releases its range of jeans made using materials sourced from the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI).

BCI, the largest cotton sustainability program in the world, has so far helped train two million cotton farmers to reduce their use of fertilizer, pesticide, and water. Marks and Spencer has also partnered with Jeanologia to cut 86 per-

cent water (versus industry average) used in garment finishing process on its denim production.

Through its partnerships, the British brand was able to create “super soft” denim made with less water and made of 100 percent polyester from recycled plastic bottles.

“With the environmental impact of denim production, it’s safe to say that it’s best to invest in more sustainable fabrics that last. It may only seem pricier at first, but the value is much worth it in the long run and cheaper too, as a pair of premium quality jeans can outlast several lower quality throwaway clothing,” the brand said in a statement.

Tommy Jeans has likewise shifted into producing environment friendly denim as part of Tommy Hilfiger’s “ambitious” sustainability mission to reduce its negative impacts to zero.

The spring 2021 collection of Tommy Jeans includes a 100-percent recycled denim range made using an innovative technique that blends bedsheets with other recycled cotton scraps, surpassing the industry average of 30 percent recycled cotton.

In addition to recycled materials, the water used in production was also reduced, “enabling us to save up to 50 liters of water per garment compared to likefor-like denim washes,” the brand said.

Marks and Spencer denim jeans made with 100 percent polyester from recycled plastic bottles.

The collection includes jeans, skirts, dungaree shorts, over-shirts, and shorts. All products are available on tommy.com.

Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo for

Uniqlo’s BlueCycle process reduces by 99 percent the amount of water used in finishing its jeans.

its part employs its BlueCycle process to reduce the amount of water used in its jean production. The process, the company said, significantly reduces the amount of water by 99 percent, with the

jeans finished to the same standard with “just a teacup’s worth of water.”

The process likewise reduces manual labor required in distressing the jeans by using lasers.

Local label launches face masks inspired by empowered women A LOCAL brand is unveiling its latest collection of couture face masks via a virtual fashion show featuring inspiring and empowered women as 3D finger puppets.

In celebration of Women’s Month, ÀMEN on March 5 is taking the runway to its social media pages with its show featuring the finger puppets of Frida Kahlo, former US First Lady Michelle Obama, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller, Corrie Ten Boom, Bethany Hamilton, Malala Yousafzai, Selena Gomez, Blackpink’s Jennie, Vice President Leni Robredo, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, and Heart Evangelista as models of its beaded face masks.

According to Kyna Sy, the woman behind ÀMEN, the fashion show aims to inspire and empower women by conveying the message that, despite the unusual situation, anything is possible so long as they work hard for it.

“We want the show to be powerful in a way that leaves people feeling exhilarated and inspired, very much ready to make a difference,” shared Sy. She added, “As a casual couture clothing brand, it is important that we adapt

Couture face masks by ÀMEN modeled by the finger puppets of (from left) Heart Evangelista, Blackpink’s Jennie, and Michelle Obama.

to the changing needs of our customers during the pandemic and still commit to ÀMEN’s mission that is to inspire and help women to fill themselves so they can overflow out into the world by seeing themselves as God sees them.”

Each mask has nose contours and curvestructured silhouette for breathability; contains a silk pocket for filters; has adjustable

ear straps; is uniquely and intricately designed (no two masks are the same); and each purchase comes with 10 sheets of PureMASQ filters and a silk dust bag.

According to ÀMEN, 10 percent of the sales of its latest collection will be donated to chosen women in need. Go to www.amen.com.ph or @amen_ ph on Instagram for more information.

Catriona Gray, Selena Gomez, and Vice President Leni Robredo finger puppets with the brand’s latest face mask designs.

Direct selling company Avon Philippines is certified Top Employer on account of its employee work policies. (Photos from avon.com)

Beauty company named top employer in PH

DIRECT selling company Avon Philip- sion, among others. pines, known for its cosmetics, apparel, “Avon was founded as a company for and household products, has been named its people, and we are dedicated to this a Top Employer in the country by the Top commitment by continuously improvEmployer Institute on account of its em- ing our people practices, thus furtherployee work policies. ing our associates’ ability to serve our The company representatives,” says was recognized Razvan Diratian, for its dedicaAvon Philippines tion to cultigeneral manager. vating a better “We take care of our world of work own so that we may through exceltake care of our partlent HR (human ners, and in effect, do resources) poligood for our customcies and people Avon offers a wide range of cosmetics and ers and the communipractices. ties we serve.” other products.

Only a select Avon Philippines group of organjoins Avon Czech Reizations are certified based on the par- public and Avon UK as the company’s ticipation and results of their HR Best Top Employer-certified markets.

Practices Survey. The survey covers The latest certification follows the six HR domains consisting of 20 topics direct seller’s win at HRD Awards such as People Strategy, Work Envi- Asia, where it received regional recogronment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, nition for its Best Workplace FlexibilWell-being, and Diversity and Inclu- ity programs.