Manila Standard - 2021 April 12 - Monday

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on A4) PH-US DEFENSE PACT : LOCSIN (Story WANTS 'TRIP OVER THE WIRE' TRIGGER PROVISO

By Joyce Pangco Pañares and Rey E. Requejo

Locsin Jr. is pushing for an amendment to the country's Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States to include attacks against civilian passenger vessels as a FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro “trigger” for military assistance as the

two countries are scheduled to begin their joint military exercises today (Monday).

“This will be different from previous Balikatan exercises because of the pandemic. Some portions of the exer-

cises will be virtual but we also have minimal physical contact. There will also be actual field training exercises but not as big as those done in the previous years,” said Armed Forces chief

of staff Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana.

Sobejana said the joint military drills will last for two weeks and will 700 American and 1,100 Filipino Next page soldiers.

Duterte loosens lockdown

Back to MECQ for NCR Plus from Apr. 12 to 30; 8 p.m. - 5 a.m. curfew OKd

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THIRSTY PINOY. A man fills empty containers with water along Mel Lopez Avenue in a residential area of Manila on April 11, 2021. About 8.4 million Filipinos still have no access to clean drinking water, according to a report by the World Health Organization. Norman Cruz

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has placed NCR Plus (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal) under the less restrictive modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from April 12 to April 30, Malacañang said on Sunday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte made this decision after more public and private hospitals committed to provide rooms and beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients.

Duterte last week urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to expedite the payment of claims of hospitals.

“Because of the President’s directive to PhilHealth to pay unpaid COVID-19 claims, more private, national government and local government unit hospitals have committed to provide additional COVID-19 beds, especially ICU beds in NCR Plus,” Roque said in Filipino.

PhilHealth earlier approved the application of a debit-credit payment method Next page

864,868

500,000 more Sinovac doses arrive via PAL

11,681 146,519

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM APRIL 11)

VOL. XXXV • NO. 56 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

NEW

ACTIVE

14,945

204

DEATHS

NEW

703,404 55,204 NEW

MORE DOSES.

Two health workers disinfect a package of vaccines. At last 500,000 doses of CoronVac vaccine arrive in the country April 11, 2021 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport via a PAL flight from Biejing. These vaccines are part of 25 million doses purchased by our government from China-based manufacturer Sinovac Biotech Ltd. Last month, one million CoronaVac doses came in, also from Beijing.

Norman Cruz

RECOVERIES

PNP vows tough action on traders of ivermectin

By Willie Casas THE Philippine National Police will help the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) go after unregistered sellers of the anti-parasite drug known as ivermectin.

Maj. Gen. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, made this remark following reports that the drug, which is approved for use in animals only, was being sold as a cure for COVID-19.

Next page

AN ADDITIONAL 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by Sinovac arrived in the Philippines on Sunday afternoon.

According to flag carrier Philippine Airlines, the vaccines were on board flight PR359 from Beijing using the A330 aircraft.

The Philippines procured some 25 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine of which 1 million were received in March.

Senator Christopher Go said more vaccines, particularly from China and Russia, were expected to arrive here soon as the government’s national vaccination program continued to move forward.

He said an initial 20,000 doses out of Next page

Senate insists on ’state of calamity’ over pork crisis

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

discuss possible corruption in pork im- African swine fever outbreak. portation, Senator Francis Pangilinan on “For the sake of consumers, for the WITH the Senate convening as a Com- Sunday again appealed to Malacañang sake of local farmers, for the sake of Next page mittee of the Whole today (Monday) to to declare a state of calamity due to the

Rare Sunday outing for the Pope

HARD-HEADED. A barangay officer lists down the names of pasaway (hardheaded) or those caught violating the curfew and health protocol in Dasmarinas, Cavite, which is part of the NCR Plus bubble. Effective today, Metro Manila mayors have agreed to shorten the curfew hours to 8 p.m. - 5 a.m. under the modified ECQ which also takes effect today. JR Josue

POPE Francis made a rare Sunday outing from Vatican grounds to celebrate a mass on "divine mercy" with prisoners, refugees and health workers.

The service was held in a church just off St Peter's Square, in front of a reduced congregation of about 80 people, due to coronavirus restrictions.

Among them, there were inmates of two Roman prisons and one youth detention centre; refugees from Syria, Nigeria and Egypt; and nursing staff from a nearby hospital.

In his homily, the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics stressed the importance for Christians of serving others.

"Sister, brother, do you want proof that God has touched your life? See if you can stoop to bind the wounds of others," he said.

"Let us not remain indifferent.

Let us not live a one-way faith, a faith that receives but does not give...

Having received mercy, let us now become merciful," Francis added.

The pope, who is 84 and was vaccinated for the coronavirus ahead of his trip to Iraq in early March, did not wear a face mask during the service.

Those who did readings from the bible were also unmasked, while everybody else in the church, including altar boys and other priests, had their masks on. AFP

RABIYA'S GOAL: BRING HOME MISS U CROWN ENTERTAINMENT / B3

A2

News

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Duterte...

From A1

(DCPM) to facilitate the settlement of accounts payable to health care facilities during the state of public health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is one of the critical bases of the IATF to recommend to the President to ease the quarantine classification in NCR Plus to MECQ,” he added, referring to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Also under MECQ are the City of Santiago in Isabela, Quirino province in Region 2, and Abra in the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya (Region 2), Batangas (Region 4-A), Tacloban City (Region 8), Iligan City (Region 10), Davao City (Region 11), and Lanao del Sur (BARMM), and Quezon will be under general community quarantine (GCQ).

The rest of the Philippines will be under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

The Metro Manila Council, meanwhile, has agreed to impose new curfew as the MECQ starts.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos said Metro Manila mayors have agreed to implement unified curfew hours from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting April 12 until the end of MECQ on April 30.

Abalos also noted that the local chief executives, under the new rules approved by the IATF, have powers in adjusting curfew hours in the National Capital Region.

The Metro Manila Council, composed of the 17 LGUs of Metro Manila, is the policy- making body of the MMDA. Authorized persons outside residence (APOR) are still exempted from the curfew provided they show proof of identi-

PH-US...

From A1

On Sunday, US Defense chief Lloyd Austin III spoke over the phone with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and reaffirmed their "shared commitment to the US-Philippines alliance.”

"I had a productive call with SND (Secretary of National Defense) Lorenzana to discuss challenges in the South China Sea and the need for unity in ensuring security and stability in the region," Austin said in a tweet.

"The two leaders also affirmed the value of the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement. They pledged to stay in close contact," read a separate statement from Austin's office.

Under the MDT signed by Manila and Washington in 1951, the two countries will come to each other's defense in case of “an armed attack on the metropolitan territory of either of the parties, or on the island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean, its armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific.”

"Will work to expand the definition of trigger to include civilian passenger craft which is logical," Locsin said in a post on Twitter after two Chinese Navy attack crafts chased a Filipino civilian vessel with a news team on board in the West

Senate...

From A1

the local hog industry, please declare a state of calamity and provide the necessary funding to address the calamity," he said.

Pangilinan made his statement even as Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon called for full transparency in the pork importation scheme and urged the Department of Agriculture to disclose the list of meat importers under the minimum access volume or MAV scheme.

“I call for complete transparency. If we are transparent, we can avoid people’s perception that there is corruption in pork importation,” said Drilon, citing various allegations of “tongpats” or kickbacks in the pork importation.

“Sino ang makikinabang? Saan manggagaling ang imported pork?

Sino ang importer?” Drilon added in an interview with radio station dzBB. Pangilinan said the ASF caused the culling of millions of pigs and the near-collapse of the hog industry, 70 percent of which consist of backyard hog-raisers.

“We did this in 1995 during the foot-and-mouth disease, and I was food security secretary in 2014 during the cocolisap infestation.

After six months the 57 hotspots was lowered to 1 hotspot after a state of calamity declaration,” he said.

A declaration of a state of calamity will unlock billions of pesos in calamity funds that can be used to indemnify hog rais-

fication or certificate of employment to authorities.

The Philippines logged 11,681 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 864,868, as six laboratories failed to submit their data on time, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

The department reported 201 new fatalities, bringing the death toll due to COVID-19 to 14,945, which is 1.73 percent of total cases.

The DOH also reported that 55,204 recently recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 703,404, which is 81.3 percent of the total.

This left 146,519 active cases, which is 16.9 percent of the total cases. Of the active cases, 96.8 percent were mild; 1.7 percent were asymptomatic; 0.5 percent were critical; 0.6 percent were severe; and 0.34 percent were moderate.

The DOH also reported that , nationwide, 65 percent of the ICU beds are in use; 50 percent of the isolation beds are in use; 52 percent of the ward beds are in use; and 44 percent of the ventilators are being used.

In Metro Manila, 86 percent of the ICU beds are in use; 69 percent of the isolation beds are in use; 57 percent of the ward beds are in use; and 60 percent of the ventilators are being used.

Roque said private and public hospitals in NCR Plus have committed to provide 164 ICU beds for critical COVID-19 patients and 1,157 COVID-19 regular beds for moderate and severe patients.

In a statement, Roque urged LGUs in the NCR Plus to set up their respective local telehealth triaging systems equipped with sufficient medical personnel to provide immediate medical and patient referral advice.

Roque said there must be an adequate number of COVID-19 dedicated beds, complementary health human resources, and well-coordinated triage and referral systems in place at the LGUs, isolation and quarantine facilities, and health fa-

cilities.

He reminded LGUs in NCR Plus to prioritize the generation of demand for vaccination to those with highest risk for severe disease and death, particularly priority groups A2 and A3 (senior citizens and those with co-morbidities) of the national deployment and vaccination plan for COVID-19.

The Palace did not release any new guidelines on the MECQ, but existing rules say strict home quarantine must be observed in all households under MECQ. Movement of persons will be limited to accessing essential goods and services, and for work in permitted offices or establishments or such activities allowed.

Persons below 18 years old, those who are over 65 years old, those with immunodeficiency, comorbidity, or other health risks, and pregnant women are required to remain at home at all times except for obtaining essential goods and services or for work.

Under the IATF-EID guidelines, the following establishments, persons, or activities shall not be permitted to operate, work, or be undertaken during MECQ: • Entertainment venues with live performers such as karaoke bars, bars, clubs, concert halls, theaters, and cinemas; • Recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and similar venues; • Amusement parks or theme parks, fairs/peryas, kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom and kiddie rides; • Outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports, scrimmages, games, or activities; • Indoor sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms, spas or other indoor leisure centers or facilities, and swimming pools; • Casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery

and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except for the draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office; • Indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits; • Outdoor tourist attractions; • Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions; • Personal care services which include beauty salons, beauty parlors, medical esthetic clinics, cosmetic or derma clinics, make-up salons, nail spas, reflexology, aesthetics, wellness and holistic centers, and other similar establishments; acupuncture and electrocautery establishments, and massage therapy including sports therapy establishments. It also includes establishments providing tanning services, body piercings, tattooing and similar services.

Home service for these activities is likewise not permitted; and • Indoor dine-in services of food preparation establishments such as commissaries, restaurants, and eateries.

The Department of Health (DOH), the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), and the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) on Saturday night detected one P.1 variant case, 170 B.1.1.7 variant cases, 192 B.1.351 variant cases, and 19 P.3 variant cases in the latest COVID-19 sample sequencing.

These were among two batches of 25 samples sequenced on March 28, and 1,336 samples sequenced between March 28 to April 8.

Of the additional 170 B.1.1.7 variant cases, eight cases are returning overseas Filipinos, 119 are local cases, and 43 cases are currently being verified. Based on the case line list, two cases have died and 168 cases have recovered.

Of the additional 192 B.1.351 variant cases, one case is a returning overseas Filipino, 143 are local cases, and 48 cases are currently being verified. Based

on the case line list, two cases are still active, three cases have died, and 187 cases have recovered.

The one active P.1 variant case is a returning overseas Filipino from Brazil with current address in SOCCSKSARGEN. Of the 19 additional P.3 variant cases, two are returning overseas Filipinos, 10 are local cases, and seven cases being verified. All cases have recovered.

“With the increasing number of variant cases being detected, the DOH reiterates that alongside the prevent, detect, isolate, treat, and recover (PDITR) strategies being implemented by the government and the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine to reduce contact rate and limit the spread of variants, strict and consistent adherence to the minimum public health standards and increased support for the National Vaccination Program will significantly mitigate transmission of COVID-19,” the statement read.

In other developments: • The Palace said the country's COVID-19 response managers have approved the use of automatic contact tracing through the Smart Messaging System, to improve the use of its StaySafe.PH System, the government's official social distancing, COVID-19 health condition reporting and contact tracing system.

• Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon sees mass testing and not lockdowns and quarantines as the solution to the increase in COVID-19 cases. "Our active cases are 190,000 plus, the highest in ASEAN. The DOH and the IATF always see ECQ as the solution," Drilon said.

• Health reform advocate Dr. Anthony Leachon said the ECQ the last two weeks has failed to bring down the surge in cases and the increase in the number of COVID-19-related deaths. He noted that the Philippines' new cases even under ECQ the past weeks were breaking records in Southeast Asia.

Philippine Sea. "I’m not being sarcastic. Seriously, what if Filipinos on a pleasure craft, one of many yachts out there, crosses an invisible line drawn by China IN Philippine waters? What if they are fired upon or heaven forbid rammed—no, not that; those yachts cost millions of dollars," Locsin said in another Twitter post.

University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea director Jay Batongbacal responded to Locsin's tweet: "PH civilian ships in PH waters should not have to worry about unknowingly tripping some invisible wire that makes them targets of China's cannons and missiles.”

The DFA chief, however, said it is Beijing that "should worry more."

"Trip over the wire it's WW3," Locsin said.

In a statement, Lorenzana's office said both US and the Philippines "are looking forward to the conduct of Exercise Balikatan, which was canceled last year."

Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said more US vessels are expected to arrive in the South China Sea following the entry of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group in the area on April 4 to conduct routine operations.

"US' freedom of navigation operations will continue. They've been increasing it

in the past several months...precisely to protect the seaway there," he said in a television interview.

The US vessel arrived at the South China Sea days after the Philippines reported that over 200 Chinese fishing vessels, believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel, were moored in line formation near the Julian Felipe Reef.

For his part, retired Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio said the Philippines must join freedom of navigation patrols to assert its rights in the West Philippine Sea and bring China again to an arbitral court over its recent aggressions.

“It's still a violation because that's our EEZ (exclusive economic zone).

There’s freedom of navigation. Anyone can sail, they should not be stopped or harassed in our EEZ,” he said in a radio interview.

“Freedom of navigation operations are the strongest enforcement of [the 2016] arbitral ruling,” he added, referring to the decision by a UN tribunal that ruled in favor of the Philippines and dismissed China's claims over most of the South China Sea as “excessive.”

Also on Sunday, former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert Del Rosario denounced China for chasing away a Philippine civilian boat in the West Philippine Sea and later into Palawan, saying it is

tantamount to a territorial incursion.

Rosario urged the Department of Foreign Affairs to pursue the issuance of a demarche or a petition or protest presented through diplomatic channel against China’s incursions of the country’s maritime territories in the West Philippine Sea. The former DFA chief said the “demarche” against China should also be directed to the United Nations through the office of the UN secretary-general.

“Such UN notification will form part of official Ph communications, including those required under Article 51 of the UN Charter relating to individual and collective self-defense,” said Del Rosario, who was one of those who initiated the complaint of the Philippines against China’s massive nine-dash-line claims over the disputed South China Sea. The former DFA secretary also prodded the government to revisit the joint patrol agreement of the West Philippine Sea with the United States and the Philippines, which had been approved by then-Deputy Secretary Anthony Blinken sometime in early 2016. Blinken is now the US State Secretary under the administration of US President Joe Biden.

“The agreement was not pursued by President Duterte as he was concerned that it would displease Beijing,” Del Rosario said.

Meanwhile, the DFA through act-

ing Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Elizabeth Buensuceso said the Philippines brought out the issue of the presence of Chinese militia vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef before the virtual ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) on April 7.

“The continued deployment and lingering presence of a large swarm of maritime militia vessels within the Philippines’ maritime zones remains a serious concern and we reiterate that a conducive environment is crucial for the COC negotiations,” Buensuceso said.

The Philippines is currently the country coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations.

Buensuceso said actions that intimidate, escalate tensions, and undermine mutual trust and confidence, violate sovereignty and sovereign rights, especially those that run counter to international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) impede the progress and momentum of the Code of Conduct negotiations and threaten their success.

The Philippines recently filed a series of diplomatic protests against Beijing for the continued incursion of a huge number of Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef, an area located 175 nautical miles from Bataraza town in Palawan and way within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

500,000...

million doses of Sinovac vaccines donated by the Chinese government and 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca from the global aid initiative COVAX Facility.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the inoculation of senior citizens with the Sinovac vaccine amid a shortage of vaccine supply.

Last week, Moody’s Analytics said the Philippines and other countries depending on the COVAX facility for their COVID-19 jabs will need to find alternative sources as India has imposed a temporary ban on the export of AstraZeneca vaccines to meet local demand.

"South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam are among countries to be hit by shipment delays to vaccines they have been promised un-

der the COVAX program. The shortage could leave these countries further behind in inoculations, increasing the vaccine inequity, and undermine international efforts to counter the pandemic," Moody's Associate Economist Eric Chiang said.

The country has administered out 854,063 doses as of April 5, the 50th highest among 155 countries, according to vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines has the fourth highest vaccination figures, next to Indonesia, Singapore, and Myanmar, he added.

Those vaccinated in the Philippines include 789,415 health workers, about 11,000 elderly, and some 7,100 people with comorbidities, said Galvez, who is also chief implementer of the National Task Force against COVID-19.

said ivermectin is an “investigational product” and clinical trials on its use to treat or prevent COVID-19 are ongoing.

He said the FDA has received an application for a certificate for product registration of the drug, which has been promoted by some lawmakers as a COVID-19 treatment.

The Department of Health earlier warned that the distribution and promotion of ivermectin as a treatment for coronavirus in humans is a violation of the law.

On Sunday, the FDA warned that a doctor providing anti-parasitic drug ivermectin, who has an approved permit for compassionate use, will be liable for side effects or issues after using the drug for human treatment.

In an interview on radio dzBB, Domingo said one of the requirements in applying for a compassionate use permit is the doctor's assurance that he will take responsibility for the use of ivermectin.

Medical experts warned of damage to

the brain, liver, and kidneys as possible negative effects of ivermectin.

The Department of Health, FDA and the World Health Organization have also discouraged the use of the veterinary drug for treatment against COVID-19, saying there was no evidence that the drug could reduce the risk of mortality for COVID-19 patients.

The FDA approved a hospital's application last week for compassionate use on humans of the veterinary drug ivermectin.

Domingo said only hospitals having compassionate use permits for humans will be allowed to import the drug through a licensed importer.

This means, without the permit, distribution of ivermectin is still prohibited.

Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor, a vocal proponent for the use of ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment, said the person who will be given the drug must sign a consent form.

Defensor has said he was given ivermectin while he was infected with COVID-19.

ers who had to cull their pigs to pay for temporarily under-worked hog raisers for work as biosafety officers and other similar efforts to help revive the industry, Pangilinan said.

This is additional revenue while the industry is recovering, he added.

The former food security secretary said while importation is a stop-gap measure for the insufficient pork supply due to the ASF, massive pork importation is not the solution to the disease.

"We are not against importation because there is a shortage in pork. But not massive importation that will kill our local hog industry, which is also struggling to survive,” he said.

At the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on the possible ‘tong-pats’ in pork importation, Pangilinan said the following questions need to be answered: “Who applied for permits to import? What is their track record?

Are they bogus or dummy? Are they part of a cartel or a syndicate?”

He said billions of pesos were at stake and it was not hard to imagine that some would be tempted to profit off the local hog industry’s woes.

Since the Department of Agriculture confirmed the first ASF outbreak started in July 2019, ASF outbreaks have been reported throughout the country. On March 17, the DA reported that the ASF had spread to 12 regions, 40 provinces, 466 cities and municipalities and 2,425 communities in the Philippines, causing a loss of over 3 million pigs.

From A1

a total of 500,000 Sputnik vaccines from Russia is expected to arrive this month, too.

Vice President Leni Robredo urged the government to include people with comorbidities working outside their homes in the priority list of the COVID-19 vaccination program.

“I just hope that those less than 60 [years old] who have comorbidity and those who do not have the capacity to work from home must be first. Those who work from home, those just at home would want to get ahead of others,” she said.

Prior to the first batch of vaccines procured, the Philippines received 1

PNP...

From A1

All current Ivermectin products registered in the country are for veterinary use and are only allowed for the treatment of internal and external parasites as well as prevention of heartworm disease in animals, the FDA said.

Ferro said the FDA has asked local government units (LGUs) and law enforcement agencies to ensure that ivermectin will not be sold or used in their respective areas of responsibility.

“We strongly advise the public to seek professional help and opinion before using the said drug and buy only from authorized sources,” Ferro said in a statement on Saturday.

On Thursday, FDA Director General Eric Domingo said the distribution of ivermectin remains illegal even though a hospital has been granted a compassionate use permit for the drug.

At an online briefing, Domingo

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MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021

A3

‘Include power linemen in vax priority’ SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has recommended to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases the inclusion of electrical linemen and meter readers in the priority list of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program, stressing their importance in the energy security and continuous supply of power.

“Just like the other non-medical frontliners, linemen and meter readers who do house-to-house work also put their lives on the line by getting themselves exposed to those who could be possibly infected by the coronavirus,” he said.

“We appeal to the government to consider their prioritization ahead of the mass vaccination.”

According to Gatchalian, their inclusion in the priority list is essential as they attend to the concerns of every household.

He says linemen install lines and do maintenance, repair work and other technical problems even under circumstances where strict health protocols are being enforced.

The senator also says meter readers will ensure the proper reading of meters for billing statements. Meralco has 756 meter readers and 7,306 line personnel. Meanwhile, there are an estimated 9,680 linemen and 2,420 meter readers from electric cooperatives nationwide.

The Energy Regulatory Commission, following the re-imposition of the enhanced community quarantine in the areas declared under the NCR plus bubble, recently appealed to the local government units to allow the conduct of onsite electric meter reading activities while ensuring compliance to the prescribed health protocols.

Solon: Distance learning may extend to 2022

By Rio N. Araja

THE Department of Education must brace for a prolonged distance learning in 2022 since the vaccines for COVID-19 for children below 16 may not be available until the summer of 2022, according to Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor.“There is a high probability that we won’t have extensive face-to-face classes in the school year 2021-2022 considering that the vaccine clinical trials abroad on younger children are just getting started,” he said.

Defensor is the vice chairperson of the House committee on welfare of children.

“Vaccine developers overseas are still trying to assess the safety of their shots on three age groups of children. They are also trying to ascertain the appropriate dosage for each age group,” he said.

“While some clinical trials on children aged 12 to 15 years old are underway, the trials on those aged 5 to 11 years old are just kicking off. Trials on children under 5 years old will be the last to be carried out.”

World Health Organization experts have maintained that while children and adolescents tend to be less susceptible to severe COVID-19, they may spread the highly contagious respiratory disease to older and more vulnerable people including teachers, parents and grandparents.

“We would urge schools to improve and expand their delivery of online learning as well as modular and TV/ radio-based instruction, with a view to preventing more dropouts and enrolling more students in the transition to the next school year,” Defensor said.

ECQ TO MECQ.

Members of the Manila Police and the Philippine Coast Guard inspect travel documents and identification cards of passengers inside a vehicle before they are allowed to enter Manila at a checkpoint in the boundary of Manila and Navotas while the Enhanced Community Quarantine remains in effect in the National Capital RegionPus which includes Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna. The shift back to MECQ takes effect Monday, April 12.

Norman Cruz.

PROTOCOL FAILURE. Policemen disperse the residents of Barangay 105 in Tondo Manila who trooped to a covered basketball court and failed to practice social distancing while seeking emergency cash assistance from the government yesterday. Norman Cruz

Marcos rips into DOH for delaying vax supply

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATOR Imee Marcos sought anew to stop the Department of Health from carrying out a new requirement that discourages private companies from procuring Covid-19 vaccines to augment the government’s limited supply of vaccines and speed up mass inoculation.

“Companies will now be required to issue a so-called Certificate of A4 Eligibility under recent guidelines in the National Vaccine Deployment Plan (NVDP), which will exclude certain employees from priority vaccination even if their company’s products or services are considered essential, as food, pharmaceuticals, and transport,” Marcos said.

The term A4 refers to the group of vaccine recipients prioritized after

healthcare workers, senior citizens, and people with co-morbidities.

The updated NVDP will have 13 sub-classes for A4 comprising frontline workers in the private sector and the government, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in similar jobs, and the new addition of religious leaders.

Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, said that the Certificate of A4 Eligibility will force the

private sector to discriminate against its own workers and will likely cause confusion, resentment and disorder not only within companies but also in local government units (LGUs) tasked to administer vaccines nationwide.

“We cannot look forward to reopening the economy if the DOH keeps shutting the door,” she said.

“With so many new sub-classes in A4, the DOH should instead be giving incentives to private companies to vaccinate their rank and file, so that businesses can again run smoothly and recover swiftly,” Marcos added.

“Nor should OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) be turned away by LGUs if they cannot present the same certificate before taking the jab. The DOH does not even identify who will issue the certificates to them,” Marcos also said.

PAYOUT IN PASAY. Ayuda beneficiaries of Brgy 201 in Pasay City gather

at the Barangay Hall and the adjacent covered court on April 11, 2021 to secure village certificates as a requirement for their scheduled payout. Pond News Asia

Pateros lauded for pioneering aid release via electronic way

THE town of Pateros on the eastern side of Metro Manila has been lauded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government for tapping the services of a financial company to deliver ayuda (assistance) via electronic means to its residents.

DILG said this form of distribution systems prevents crowding and ensures that physical distancing is observed..

DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya commended Pateros for contracting a financial services company to deliver the “ayuda” (assistance) electronically.

Pasig City will also use digital cash transfer for a select batch of recipients.

The national government directed the National Capital Region Plus, which has been under enhanced community quarantine since March 29, to distribute P1,000 per individual or a maximum of P4,000 per family to tide them over.

LGUs are also required to make public the list of beneficiaries.

Malaya, however, advised LGUs to shoulder the service fees charged by digital service providers.

“I was told this morning that Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III is reconsidering his decision upon the advice of the DILG. We asked him to charge the service fee to local funds similar to what other LGUs are doing,” Malaya said in a text message.

Ponce, in a radio interview, said they use the cash transfer system because they lack personnel to do personal distribution.

“We decided to partner with a payment outfit for faster transaction.

Besides, some of our staff are down with Covid-19. We also want to avoid crowding,” he said

Two anti-narcotics operation nets more than P81-m shabu TWO separate anti-drug operations in Parañaque and Pasay resulted in the death of three drug suspects and the confiscation of more than P81 million worth of shabu, Philippine National Police Chief Debold Sinas said Sunday.

Sinas said one of the slain drug suspects, identified as Richard Gumande Abusama, engaged law enforcers in a

gunfight when he sensed that he was dealing with an undercover police officer along West Service Road in Barangay Sun Valley, Parañaque, around 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, resulting in his death.

Seized from Abusama were five kilos of shabu worth PHP34 million concealed in tea bags, marked money, a short firearm of unknown caliber with a

magazine, and a gray Mitsubishi hatchback with the number AAO 2256.

In Pasay, Sinas said law enforcers killed two suspected drug pushers in another buy-bust operation in coordination with agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency along Merville and C5 Extension in Barangay 201 around 3:10 a.m. Sunday.

The fatalities were identified as Sekan Lataban Unotan alias Rey and Zuharto Lataban Sanday alias Domeng.

The police recovered from the crime scene seven kilos of shabu worth PHP47.6 million concealed in tea bags, two short firearms of unknown caliber with magazines and a brown Mitsubishi AUV with plate number NCV 3593.

Taal emits ‘very weak’ plumes TAAL Volcano’s main crater had a “very weak emission” of steam-laden plumes that rose five meters in the past 24 hours, Phivolcs said Sunday.

It also recorded 216 volcanic earthquakes with 177 volcanic tremors lasting up to 32 minutes, state seismologists said in their 8 a.m.

Taal Volcano bulletin.

The volcano remains under alert level 2, the second-lowest in a 5-step system that warns of probable magmatic activity that may or may not lead to an eruption.

Phivolcs said the entry into the Taal Volcano Island, Taal’s permanent danger zone, especially the vicinity of the main crater and the Daang Kastila fis-

sure, and occupancy and boating on Taal Lake remained strictly prohibited.

The people in the towns surrounding the lake have been advised to continuously assess and strengthen their preparedness in case of renewed unrest.

The volcano, which sits on an island surrounded by a lake in Batangas province, had a steam-driven eruption on Jan. 12, 2020, triggering an ash fall that reached parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

The eruption displaced more than 700,000 people in Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Metro Manila.

The damage to infrastructure and agriculture in Batangas, Cavite and Laguna was pegged at P3.4 billion.

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Standard Manila

L.

Guests must be provided with appropriate information on the prevailing disease, as well as the policies enforced by the establishment to reduce the risk and spread of the disease. Information materialsTODAY on hand washing and respiratory etiquette, proper use of face mask, emergency contact numbers, among others, must be provided to guests.

M.

Guests must be informed of the management policies on room occupancy, dining, and use of public areas imposed to ensure safety and reduce risk of infection. Physical distancing, wearing of face mask, proper handwashing / hand sanitizing practice must be emphasized.

N.

No showing of guests around the room after check in. Guest escorting to the room may be allowed following strict observance of physical distancing and in compliance with the health and safety protocols set by the DOH.

O.

Guests must be provided with reminder cards, which may include the following: 1. No sharing of food or any personal or non-personal belongings; 2. Proper disposal of used PPE; 3. Mingling with occupants of other rooms other than own family or group is prohibited; 4. Practice of proper handwashing etiquette/hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, andproper use of face mask; and 5. Strict observance of Physical Distancing.

P.

The practice of self-parking among guests to minimize valet services shall be encouraged.

Q.

Accommodation Establishments should be clear on their cancellation, refund and rebooking policies and shall ensure that in every transaction, the guests have understood and have accepted the same. For online transactions, the Accommodation Establishment shall providea clear and full copy of the terms and conditions of booking.

R.

To minimize close contact, promotional flyers or items shall not be handed to customers inperson. These items may be collected from tables or other designated areas.

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 2020-002-B AMENDING FURTHER THE HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES GOVERNING THE OPERATIONS OF ACCOMMODATION ESTABLISHMENTS UNDER THE NEW NORMAL WHEREAS, on 22 May 2020, the Department of Tourism (DOT) issued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2020-002 entitled Health and Safety Guidelines Governing the Operations of Accommodation Establishments Under the New Normal; WHEREAS, on 06 June 2020, the DOT issued MC No. 2020-004 or the Guidelines Governing the Operations of DOTAccredited Restaurants Under the New Normal which apply to standalone restaurants;

Section 6. Reception and Concierge A.

Reception Counter and Concierge

WHEREAS, on 06 June 2020, the DOT issued MC No. 2020-002-A or the Amended Health And Safety Guidelines Governing The Operations of Accommodation Establishments Under The New Normal to integrate guidelines governing standalone DOT-Accredited restaurants for restaurants andother food and beverage service establishments ancillary to hotels and other Accommodation Establishments;

1.

Official up-to-date information must be available at the reception desk about travel to and from countries and/or other areas, including local destinations, that are identified by the Department of Health (DOH) as high-risk in spreading the virus or disease.

WHEREAS, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Department of Health (DOH) subsequently issued various guidelines on workplace health and safety measures, employee testing, and other protocols applicable to Accommodation Establishments;

2.

Emergency contact numbers of public health authorities, nearest hospital or medical center, and the DOH Assistance Center must be readily available in the reception desk.

3.

The following medical kit and PPE shall be readily available at the reception counter or desk: a. Germicidal disinfectant or wipes for surface cleaning; b. Face mask or face shield; c.

Biohazard disposable waste bag; d. 70% solution alcohol or alcohol-based hand sanitizer; e. Tissue paper, napkin, or paper towel; and f.

Disposable gloves

4.

Other PPE that may be considered in the reception counter for emergency purposes are asfollows:

WHEREAS, on 10 September 2020, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of EmergingInfectious Diseases (IATF-EID) issued Resolution 70 wherein Accommodation Establishments are allowed to accommodate guests that fall under “markets of specialized programs of the DOT.” WHEREAS, there is a need to amend DOT MC No. 2020-002-A to clarify certain provisions therein, harmonize its provisions with the existing policies set by sector-relevant agencies, and ensure more adequate health and safety guidelines, especially for the operation of ancillary establishments within the Accommodation Establishments, such as restaurants, cafes, bars, gyms, spas, and the like;

a. b. c.

NOW, THEREFORE, based on the foregoing, these further amended Health and Safety Guidelinesfor Accommodation Establishments Under the New Normal are hereby issued: I.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. Short Title. – This Circular shall be known as the “The Further Amended New Normal Health and Safety Guidelines for Accommodation Establishments.”

Section 2.

Disposable protective apron Disposable protective shoe covers Full-length long-sleeved gown / protective clothing / coveralls

5.

70% solution alcohol, alcohol-based hand sanitizers and tissue paper / paper towel must alsobe available at the concierge.

6.

Floor markers that allow one (1) meter distance between guests on queuing must be in place to ensure physical distancing. Express lanes for PWDs, senior citizens, pregnant women, and parents with small children shall be provided.

7.

Acrylic glass barrier or transparent dividers may be set up at the front desk for additional protection.

Definition of Terms. – For purposes of these Guidelines, the term:

(a)

“Accommodation Establishments” refer to establishments operating primarily for accommodation purposes including, but not limited to, hotels, resorts, apartment hotels, mabuhay accommodation establishments (e.g. tourist inns, motels, pension houses, bed andbreakfast, and vacation homes) and homestays.

(b)

“Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT)” refers to a team established by DILG MC No. 2020 - 023 to help implement local prevention and mitigation, preparedness, and response measures for COVID-19 (DOH MC No. 2020-0020)

1.

Regular briefing and information on current and updated health crisis and simulation of pertinent security and safety measures for reception desk staff or front desk officers must beconducted.

(c)

“Community Quarantine” refers to the restriction of movement within, into, or out of the area of quarantine of individuals, large groups of people, or communities designed to reduce the likelihood of transmission of COVID-19 among persons in and to persons outside the affectedarea (IATF Omnibus Guidelines).

2.

Precautionary measures, including physical distancing, hand cleaning, and respiratory etiquette must be strictly observed.

3.

(d)

“Confirmed COVID-19 case” refers to any individual who tested positive for COVID-19 through laboratory confirmation at the national reference laboratory, subnational reference laboratory, or a DOH-certified laboratory testing facility (DOH DM No. 2020-0189).

Front desk personnel must be familiar with room occupancy policy for accompanying personsin the event of a suspected case.

4.

(e)

“Contact Tracing” refers to the identification, listing, and follow-up of persons who may havecome into close contact with a Confirmed COVID-19 case (DOH DM No. 2020-0189).

Front desk personnel attending to guests must wear face masks. Disposable gloves must be used when handling cash or documents, and/or materials that are passed from person to person. Contactless process at the front desk is mandatory.

5.

(f)

“Contact Tracing Form” refers to the form a person must fill out to provide contact information whether through physical means or a mobile application, substantially following the template in Annex A-2 of the DTI-DOLE Joint Memorandum Circular No. 20-04-A.

All staff extending guest assistance that requires physical contact (e.g. wheelchair, bellservice) must wear proper PPE, such as face mask and gloves, whenever necessary.

6.

Hand-shaking is not advised, the practice of Filipino Brand of Service (FBS) or the “Mabuhay Gesture” in greeting and receiving guests, as well as other forms of contactless greeting, is highly encouraged.

(g)

“Front Office” refers to the department in an Accommodation Establishment that guests relyon throughout their stay for information and service,

(h)

“Health Declaration Form” refers to a form that a person must fill-out to declare his or her current health condition and travel history for the past fourteen (14) days substantially following the template in Annex A-1 of DTI-DOLE Joint Memorandum Circular No. 20-04-A.

(i)

“Housekeeping “ refers to the department in an Accommodation Establishment responsible for the preparation and maintenance of cleanliness and orderliness in the guestrooms and common areas.

(j)

“Minimum Public Health Standards” refers to guidelines set by the Department of Health (DOH), as well as sector-relevant guidelines to aid all sectors in all settings to implement non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI), which refer to public health measures that do not involve vaccines, medications, or other pharmaceutical interventions, which individuals and communities can carry out in order to reduce transmission rates, contact rates, and the duration of infectiousness of individuals in the population to mitigate COVID-19 (IATF Omnibus Guidelines)

(k)

“New Normal” refers to the emerging behaviors, situations, and minimum public health standards that will be institutionalized in common or routine practices and remain even afterthe pandemic while the disease is not totally eradicated through means such as widespreadimmunization (IATF Omnibus Guidelines).

(l)

“Personal Protective Equipment” or PPE refers to clothing and accessories worn to minimize exposure to health and safety risks, such as protective clothing, masks, goggles.

B.

Section 7. Rooms and Housekeeping A.

Room Occupancy Policy 1.

1

c.

Suspect case whose testing for COVID-19 is inconclusive; or Suspect who tested positive for COVID-19 but whose test was not conducted in a national or subnational reference laboratory, or a DOH-certified laboratory testingfacility; case who died without undergoing confirmatory testing (DOH DM No.20200189).

Maximum Number of Guests

Up to 20 sqm

1 person or 2 persons from the same household1

21 to 29 sqm

2 persons

30 to 39 sqm

3 persons

40 to 49 sqm

4 persons

50 sqm and above

5 persons

Guests shall be required to present proof of residency such as a government or company ID with a residential address.

2.

Only couples or family members who share the same household may be allowed to share rooms. A distance of 1 to 2 meters between the beds is highly encouraged.

3.

Co-mingling with other groups other than one’s own family or group shall be strictly prohibited. The Rooms Division Department shall employ control measures to prohibit guestsfrom mingling with other guests and / or from loitering to other rooms.

4.

Room transfers may be allowed when necessary.

5.

Sanitation kit shall be provided for each guest which may include 70% solution alcohol or alcohol-based hand sanitizers, disinfectant sprays, face masks, disposable gloves, and rags.

“Probable COVID-19 case” refers to a suspect case who fulfills anyone of the following: a. b.

The maximum allowable guests staying in the guestroom at a given time shall be determined by the floor area of the guestroom, as follows: Room Floor Area (sqm)

(m) “Physical Distancing” or “Social Distancing” refers to the strict maintenance of a distance of at least one (1) meter radius between persons (Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 13 March 2020). (n)

Reception or Front Desk Officer

6.

Bathroom amenities must be regularly provided for each guest.

(o)

“Rooms Division Department” refers to a division in an Accommodation Establishment responsible for overseeing both the Front Office and Housekeeping operations.

7.

Trash bins must be provided inside the guest room. A separate trash bag or bin intended forused PPE such as face mask, gloves and other sanitation waste materials must be provided.

(p)

“Suppliers” refer to persons or businesses that supply goods for the Accommodation Establishment, such as cleaning equipment and supplies, food and beverage items, and other hotel essentials.

8.

Rooms must be set up to allow convenient in-room dining for guests.

9.

Guests shall be allowed to avail of room service provided that the food and beverage be delivered by the doorstep of the guestroom. Guests shall leave used dining crockery, utensils, and wastes outside their room for retrieval of housekeeping staff.

Section 3. Scope and Application. – This Order shall apply to all Accommodation Establishments in the Philippines in areas where a Community Quarantine is no longer in place.

II.

OPERATIONS UNDER A COMMUNITY QUARANTINE

10. Reusable napkins and placemats shall be prohibited. Cutleries and tableware shall be available upon request and shall be dispensed with directly to guests when dining inside theroom.

Section 4. Suppletory Application to Administrative Order No. 2020-002-B. – For Accommodation Establishments in areas declared to be under a Community Quarantine, Administrative Order No. 2020-002-B entitled Amending Further the Guidelines on the Operations of Hotels and Other Accommodation Establishments Under a Community Quarantine, or Administrative Order No. 2020-_0_0_6_ or the Guidelines On the Operations of Accommodation Establishments for Staycation Purposes Under a General Community Quarantine, whichever is applicable, shall primarily govern, and these Guidelines shall apply in a suppletory character.

III.

11. Laundry bags shall be given to guests should they want to avail of laundry services. Guestsshall leave their bagged dirty clothes at the doorstep for housekeeping staff collection. Towel and linen replacements shall also be left at the doorsteps should the guests wish to change their linens.

12. 70% solution alcohol or alcohol-based hand sanitizer/ disinfectant sprays, paper towels and / or wipes shall be available inside the guest rooms and shall be replenished as necessary.

OPERATIONS UNDER THE NEW NORMAL

13. A safety tag / label / signage indicating that the room has been thoroughly cleaned andsanitized prior to guest occupancy shall be affixed in the guestroom door.

Section 5. Guest Handling Policy A.

B.

“No facemask and no face shield, no entry policy” shall be strictly implemented, except for those below two (2) years old. Children with ages between two (2) to eight (8) years old mustuse facemasks under adult supervision to ensure that they can breathe safely and avoid suffocation. Facemasks and face shields shall be worn properly at all times inside the premises, except when guests are eating or drinking, within their room, or engaging in strenuous physical activities that induce labored breathing.

14. Room turndown service is highly discouraged. Cleaning and sanitation of rooms shall beconducted only as may be necessary B.

Guests must be screened prior to entry in the Accommodation Establishment through: a. b.

Body temperature check using a Thermal Scanner or Thermometer Gun; Completion of Health Declaration and Contact Tracing Form using a mobileapplication or other contactless means.

Only those who are cleared during screening shall be allowed to enter. Those with body temperature exceeding 37.5 degrees Celsius or those exhibiting flu-like symptoms shall be refused entry and will be referred to the doctor on duty, to the nearest hospital, or to the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) in accordance with the DOH prescribed protocol. Accomplished Health Declaration and Contact Tracing Forms shall be handled and processed with confidentiality and in accordance with the Data Privacy Act, andshall be disposed of after thirty (30) days from the date of accomplishment.

C.

Cashless/online modes of payment using payment applications or online transactions shall be utilized by the Accommodation Establishment for reservations or bookings. If online or mobile payment is not possible, Accommodation Establishments shall create a method for no-contact payment schemes, such as receiving cash on a small tray or leather bill folder toavoid mutual hand contact with customers.

D.

Guests shall be advised to disinfect their shoes using sanitizing mats and drying padsprovided at the entrances.

E.

Physical Distancing measures, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and contactless greetingmust be observed when handling guests at the check-in counter.

Staggered check-in and check-out times for billeted guests shall be scheduled to avoidcrowding in front desks.

F. G.

Online check-in / check-out system or other similar technologies are encouraged to beutilized to minimize waiting time at front desks.

H.

Where practical, use separate doors for entry and exit, separate check-in, order and baggagestoring points.

I.

Keys or key cards shall be thoroughly sanitized before giving to guests.

J.

A box or container intended for putting used key cards upon guest check-out shall be provided at the front desk. Express check-out systems shall also be implemented, where possible.

K.

Guest services technologies are highly encouraged to minimize guests going to the frontdesk or concierge to request assistance.

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C.

Housekeeping Procedures 1.

Room service equipment shall be sanitized before and after each use.

2.

Housekeeping staff should be trained in the proper use of disinfectants or sanitizing solutions and provided with appropriate PPE such as face masks, gloves, disposable gown/ coverall and closed shoes.

3.

Housekeeping staff must use PPE such as disposable gloves, eye protection gear (goggles)and face masks, when cleaning guest rooms and other common areas.

4.

When cleaning rooms used by a suspected infected person, housekeeping staff must use additional protective equipment, such as disposable or washable coverall and protective shoecovers in accordance with DOH guidelines for disinfection processes.

5.

Used PPE must be removed and disposed or washed using standard disinfection control measures in accordance with the guidelines issued by DOH.

6.

After routine disinfection and decontamination of a guestroom, housekeeping staff must washhands thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers as recommended byDOH.

7.

If doing cleaning that generates splashes while washing surfaces, cleaning staff must use facial protection or face shield and waterproof aprons.

8.

Frequent sanitation of high touched surfaces in guestrooms and public areas using the prescribed sanitizing solutions by the DOH or WHO must be conducted.

Room Decontamination 1.

The Accommodation Establishment must ensure prompt action to clean rooms after each use of guest/s. It must be a standard procedure to sanitize rooms right after check-out.

2.

Before accepting a new guest or occupant, rooms must remain empty for a certain period, depending on the disinfecting technology or materials being used.

3.

Disinfection of rooms and surfaces must be conducted every after guests check out. This includes disinfection of furniture, appliances, flooring, and panes using bleach solution or any approved disinfecting agent. Cleaning disinfectants shall be stored in a concealed place awayfrom employees and guests to avoid food contamination.

4.

Thorough disinfection of rooms and common areas using enhanced technologies, such as electrostatic sprayers with hospital-grade disinfectants, high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, or germicidal ultraviolet (UV) lighting system, at least once every two (2) weeks is highly encouraged. Increased cleaning shall

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Standard be implemented in public facilities such as pools,saunas, fitness centers.

recommendations of local and national public health authorities with the aim to prevent, effectively manage cases, and mitigate impact among clients and staff. IEPAP shallinclude the following:

5.TODAY Minibars and other complimentary in-room food and beverage, except bottled water, areprohibited.

7.

If one Confirmed COVID-19 case is detected in the establishment, the building shall be disinfected with an appropriate disinfectant solution (0.5% bleach solution) The conduct of a comprehensive disinfection by trained personnel is recommended ((DTI-DOLE JMC No. 20-04-A).

8.

In the event of a confirmed COVID-19 case, the building must be locked down for twenty- four (24) hours prior to disinfection to lessen transmission to sanitation personnel. During thedisinfection process, all doors and windows should be opened to maximize ventilation. The building may only be opened twenty-four (24) hours after the disinfection process (DTI-DOLEJMC No. 20-04-A).

(a) (b) (c) (d) 2.

3.

Linen Decontamination Procedure in accordance with DOH Guidelines

Conduct of regular updates and meetings to discuss the progress of IEPAP.

5.

Ensure that all relevant policies are properly cascaded across all concerned managers, employees and staff, as well as guests and clients for consistency of communication. Further,up-to-date information on safety protocols must be properly disseminated to avoid the spreadof the virus or disease.

All washable items such as bedsheets, blankets, pillowcases, and towels must be placed ina separate disposal bag and washed separately using hot water (70-80ºC).

6.

Designation of a Hygiene and Safety Manager to take charge of the sanitation and hygiene maintenance in the establishment may be considered.

4.

Non-washable items including mattresses and pillows must be wiped with diluted bleachsolution or any approved disinfecting agent.

7.

Employment of trained health or medical staff, complete with emergency kit and equipment, to provide immediate assistance whenever necessary.

5.

Disposable gloves and mask must be used when handling and segregating soiled linen toappropriately designed bins. Used bins must be sanitized after every use.

8.

Investment in health plans for all managers, employees and staff. Health plans can be in the form of any of the following:

6.

All items for disposal must be disposed in sealed bags immediately.

Used linen and other washable items must be handled as little as possible with minimalagitation to prevent possible contamination of the handler or the environment.

2.

For in-house laundry, linen and other washable items must be soaked using appropriatedisinfecting solution for at least fifteen (15) minutes.

3.

Section 9. Public Areas General Common Areas 1.

2.

Sanitizing mats and drying pads must be available at all entry points.

Cleaning and disinfection measures in common areas (e.g. lobby, restrooms, halls, corridors, elevators, etc.) must be applied as a general preventive measure. Special attention must be given to objects that are frequently touched such as elevator button, handles, handrails, switches, doorknobs, kitchen surfaces, etc.

3.

Lobby doors, if manually operated, shall be opened and closed by doormen to minimize shared hand contact on door handles.

Physical Distancing must be strictly observed when using elevators. Only 50% of the maximum capacity is recommended to avoid physical contact. Placing of floor markers to delineate physical distancing is likewise encouraged.

Seating arrangements and seat rows in lobbies and all other common areas shall be configured in a way that allows one (1) meter distancing. If seats are fixed, alternate seats shall be marked out.

4.

5.

C.

(a) (b) (c) (d) B.

Health Insurance Policy; Health Card Subscription; Trust Fund or Emergency Fund; or Health and Wellness Programs.

Human Resource Management. To prepare and support staff during the New Normal,management must: 1.

Ensure the monitoring of body temperature of all employees every time they report to work. Those with body temperature exceeding 37.5 degrees Celsius or those exhibiting flu-like symptoms shall be directed to see a doctor and to stay at home.

2.

Require its employees to fill out a Health Declaration Form (HDF) upon entering the premises. If based on the HDF, the employee meets any of the following conditions, he/sheshall be denied entry and shall be directed to consult a doctor or stay at home: a. b. c. d.

3.

Employee is experiencing fever, cough and/or colds, body pains, or sore throat; Employee had a face-to-face contact with a Probable or Confirmed COVID-19 casewithin 1 meter and for more than 15 minutes for the past 14 days; Employee provided direct care for a patient with Probable or Confirmed COVID-19case without using PPE for the past 14 days; or Employee travelled outside the Philippines in the last 14 days (DTI- DOLE JMC 20-04-A).

Review Accommodation Establishment’s policies on:

6.

All general facilities and all furnishings must be cleaned, disinfected, and wiped at least oncedaily.

7.

Sanitation stations must be set up within the workplace and areas frequented by customersand guests.

8.

There shall be a designated isolation room or area where persons who feel unwell may be brought to before referral to the doctor on duty, to the nearest hospital, or to the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT), in accordance with the DOH prescribed protocol.

4.

Offer appropriate work arrangements (e.g. teleworking, shifting from frontlines to the back ofthe house, etc.) for high-risk employees (e.g. older adults, pregnant women, and people of all ages with certain comorbidity).

Trash bins must be available and accessible in all areas of the establishment. These must be sanitized every after disposal or trash collection. Used facemasks, gloves, and other disposables shall be disposed immediately in a trash bin with cover or in tightly sealed bags.

5.

6.

Maintain an updated list of contact details of each member of the hotel crew or staff.

Discourage employees from using other workers’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment.

10. Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials on proper handwashing, respiratory etiquette, and proper use of facemask and other safety and health-related information must be posted in conspicuous areas, particularly at the restrooms and other wash areas.

7.

Review attendance records and reports of staff’s illness/es at the start of each day, and determine if there is a pattern of absences.

11. Health and Safety Protocol officer(s) shall be deployed in convergence areas to ensure the enforcement of Minimum Public Health Standards.

8.

Encourage staff and personnel to stay home when he or she is sick.

9.

Provide medical consultation benefits, mental and psychological support such as but not limited to in-house or online counselling session, and support group to its employees.

9.

B.

Ensure that there is sufficient human and economic capital to implement the action plan. Provision of equipment and procedures, developed in collaboration with local authorities for the management of suspected cases and their possible contacts must also be included.

Supervision and monitoring of the progress of the implementation of the action plan in order to assess its impact, verify compliance, identify potential gaps and apply corrective measuresto ensure its effectiveness.

4.

1.

Section 8. Food and Beverage (F&B) Service. The Accommodation Establishment shall comply with the relevant provisions of DOT-MC No. 2020-004-A or the Amended Health and SafetyGuidelines Governing the Operations of DOTAccredited Restaurants Under the New Normal.

A.

Occupational Safety and Health Program; Disaster Risk and Management Plan; Food Safety Program; and Business Continuity Plan

Toilets and Restrooms 1.

Adequate supply of soaps, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, toilet paper and paper towels in therestrooms must be ensured.

2.

Hand-washing and toilet flushing facilities must be functional at all times, including adequatesupply of clean water.

3.

Public toilets and restrooms must be cleaned and sanitized regularly every two (2) hours oras may be necessary.

Recreational Areas 1.

Recreational areas or facilities such as gym and wellness centers, children’s areas, sports facilities, swimming pool, etc. may be allowed to operate but with strict observance of DOH prescribed Minimum Public Health Standards and DTI Memorandum Circular 2020-44. In any case, special cleaning and disinfection protocols should be applied to these facilities.

2.

A booking or reservations system shall be institutionalized in recreational facilities to facilitate the staggered admission of guests to be able to prevent overcrowding.

3.

A distance of two (2) meters between guests shall be maintained while exercising or playingsport. Physical distancing of at least three (3) meters between guests shall be observed for indoor high intensity or high movement exercise classes.

4.

Group activities shall be limited to no more than five (5) participants. For more than one groupsharing a space, the groups shall not interact and shall maintain a distance of three (3) meters apart. For organized programs and classes, an additional service provider (such as an instructor or a coach) permitted/recognized by the establishment may guide the group.

5.

Shared locker room space, shower rooms, and changing areas shall be prohibited. Gym users shall be advised to use guestroom facilities.

6.

The use of facilities with outdoor spaces or options for virtual classes and training sessions shall be encouraged. For indoor sessions, windows shall be opened to increase airflow throughout the space, if possible. Attendance to indoor group training sessions shall be limited to maintain physical distancing.

(a)

Flexible sick leave policies (e.g. sick leave filed due to imposed quarantine measuresshall not be deducted to allotted number of sick leaves annually);

(b)

Continuing training and orientation of staff (cross-training of staff and personnel).

10. Promote work-life balance through proper scheduling of activities and rotation of workforce.

11. Provide temporary accommodations and shuttle service for employees and staff, if necessary.

12. Provide designated changing rooms for employees and staff.

13. Train staff on personal hygiene, infection control and surface disinfection.

14. Consider redesigning of uniforms of hotel staff, especially those attending to guests to ensurefull protection.

15. Comply with COVID-19 testing protocols for employees, as may be required or recommended under applicable issuances of the DOH, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), or the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

16. Conduct periodic meetings on health, safety, and protection protocols.

Section 13. Suppliers of Goods and Services 1.

2.

Contractors and suppliers of goods and services must follow safe systems of work and alsohave systems in place for the prevention of the spread of any virus and diseases such as wearing of gloves and fa All items coming in the establishment must be sanitized.

3.

New and enhanced procedure on cleaning and sanitizing grocery items including perishable produce such as fruits and vegetables must be applied.

4.

All delivery vehicles, including those used by event suppliers, must undergo thorough disinfection procedure.

5.

All deliveries must be checked before entering the establishment. Items that show signs of pest infestation or contamination must not be accepted.

6.

Drivers or delivery personnel must adhere to proper sanitation procedure.

7.

Contactless delivery is encouraged as a preventive measure to contain the spread of diseaseor virus.

Section 14. Management of Symptomatic Guests. Following DOH guidelines, the followingmeasures must be complied with in the management of symptomatic guests:

7.

Guests shall be encouraged to bring their own resistance bands and weightlifting belts andother gym items that cannot be cleaned and sanitized between uses.

1.

Referral of symptomatic individuals shall be coordinated to the nearest health care facility as provided under the latest DOH interim guidelines (e.g. DOH Department Memorandum 2020-0334).

8.

Guests who wish to do high-intensity exercises shall be encouraged to conduct the activity outdoors. Lowintensity exercises (e.g., stretching, yoga, etc.) shall be conducted indoors and guests shall wear facemasks.

2.

Create a holding area for symptomatic guests with travel history from identified countries withhigh cases prior to transport to hospital. Holding area must conform to DOH standards.

9.

Gym equipment, such as weights and sport equipment, shall be wiped down and sanitizedas frequent as possible.

3.

Immediately refer guests with fever (> 37.5 C) and/or cough, and have a history of travel to identified high risk countries or localities within the Philippines, to the nearest hospital. [

4.

Assure guests of assistance in case they begin to manifest symptoms such as fever and/or cough.

5.

Keep the symptomatic guest confined in the room originally used until trained transport providers are available to transport him or her to designated referral hospital.

12. The establishment shall ensure the availability of adequate equipment (e.g. kick boards and pool noodles) to minimize sharing among guests. Items that are difficult to clean, sanitize, ordisinfect or that are meant to come in contact with the face (e.g., swim wears, floaters, goggles, nose clips, snorkels, etc.) shall not be shared among guests.

6.

Coordinate with the referral hospital for necessary transportation of symptomatic guest/s.

7.

Screen existing guests, well or sick, for fever and/or cough, and travel history using the health checklist provided by DOH.

13. Guests shall be discouraged from sharing items such as food, equipment, toys, and supplies with people whom they don’t live with.

8.

Immediately inform the doctor on duty or the emergency response team for assistance for coordination to the referral hospital or the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) for assessment if any staff is concerned about the condition of a guest, or if a guestrequest access to medical services.

9.

Staff and personnel shall avoid employing any discriminatory action against any sick personwith high fever and cough for fear of contracting or spreading the disease.

10. Common spaces and interactive components shall be disinfected (e.g. smart kiosks,turnstiles, etc.).

11. Guests who intend to go swimming shall be advised not to wear facemasks when swimming.Allowed number of guests in a given time must be indicated to avoid crowding. Since face masks are not allowed in the swimming pool, physical distancing is a must.

Section 10. Hotel Transport Service A.

Standard passenger capacity of each type of vehicle will be decreased or reduced by 50% or one (1) seat apart.

B.

Hotel transport vehicles must comply with the Physical Distancing and passenger limit guidelines set by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to avoid possible contact:

C. D.

1.

Car / Sedan – No passenger seated beside the driver. Two passengers at the back row with one seat apart. No more than three (3) passengers, including the driver.

2.

Vans – Only two (2) passengers per row are allowed. A waterproof transparent barrier between the driver and the passengers must be installed.

3.

Buses and coasters – A waterproof transparent barrier between the driver and the passengers must be installed. Passengers are not allowed to stand while vehicle is moving. The driver are required to use proper PPE for protection

Hotel service vehicle amenities must include basic first-aid and sanitation kits, which includes face mask, gloves, 70% solution alcohol or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, tissue paper, and disposable wet wipes instead of wet and warm towels.

Hotel transport vehicles must be sanitized and disinfected after every use.

E.

The service vehicle must have a separate trash bag for all used gloves, face masks, PPE, wet wipes and other sanitation items for disposal used by the passengers.

F.

The driver of the service vehicle must practice proper handwashing and wearing of face mask, and other applicable protective equipment to prevent contamination.

G.

The trash bag should be disposed immediately upon arrival at the destination until return to point of origin.

Proper disposal procedures of the trash bag should be strictly implemented.

Section 11. Engineering and Maintenance Services A.

The concentration of disinfectant in water for consumption, swimming pools, and spas, recommended based on international standards, must be regularly maintained.

B.

All dishwashing and laundry equipment must be maintained in good working condition at alltimes.

C.

The condition of the filters must be regularly monitored and the proper replacement rate of indoor air must be maintained. If possible, external windows are kept open to allow natural ventilation, or the Mechanical Ventilation and Air Conditioning System (MVAC) be adjusted to improve indoor ventilation.

D.

The proper functioning of ventilation, air exchange, and dehumidification equipment of covered pools must be checked at least three (3) times a week.

E.

Liquid soap and disinfectant solution dispensers, hand dryers, disposable tissue dispensers, and other similar devices must be properly maintained.

F.

Engineering and Maintenance Department must ensure that all kitchen equipment (freezers, chillers, dishwashing machines, etc.), and air-conditioning units are in good working condition.

Section 15. Notification and Referral. Following DOH Guidelines, Accommodation Establishments must: A.

Record and analyze guest lists for persons coming from countries that have reported confirmed cases of the current disease.

B.

Ensure confidentiality in reporting of individuals both hotel staff and guests within the hotel or lodging establishment with flu-like symptoms and/or fever and travel history to affected areas.

All staff and guests who show symptoms consistent with the disease and had travel history to high-risk areas or had close contact with a caregiver of suspected or with a confirmed case, must immediately notify their respective BHERT.

Section 16. Reportorial Requirements. Accommodation Establishments shall report to the DOT Regional Office with jurisdiction over their area the following information every two weeks: A.

Number of guests who have developed the symptoms of the illness, if any; and

B.

Number of guests who were transferred to the appropriate facility, if any.

IV.

OTHER PROVISIONS

Section 17. Compliance with Other Relevant Issuances. Accommodation Establishments shall comply with other relevant IATF-EID, DOT, DTI , DOLE, or DOH issuances on health and safety standards, as well as rules and regulations imposed by the local government unit (LGU) having jurisdiction over the Accommodation Establishments, which are deemed to apply to these Guidelinessuppletorily or by analogy.

Section 18. Penalties. Any violation of these Guidelines may subject the Accommodation Establishment to the appropriate fines and penalties, including revocation of its DOT Accreditation, in accordance with relevant laws, rules, and regulations.

Section 19. Separability Clause. If any portion or provision of this Circular is declared null and void or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in force and effect.

Section 20. Repealing Clause. This Order repeals or modifies Memorandum Circular No. 2020- 002-A and all other DOT issuances inconsistent herewith.

Section 21. Effectivity. This Circular shall take effect immediately and shall remain effective untilotherwise superseded, amended, or repealed accordingly.

For guidance and strict compliance.

24 _ _ September 2020.

BERNADETTE ROMULO-PUYAT Secretary

Section 12. Business Practices and Management A.

Management Team. The management team shall adopt the following protective measures in response to the threat of any infectious diseases that can cause negative impact to the tourism industry: 1.

Development of an Integrated Emergency Preparedness Action Plan (IEPAP) in accordance with the (MS-APRIL 12, 2021)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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Opinion

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Manila

A USUAL problem of people who write newspaper columns is coming up with something different to write about. Since Saturday past, I had been wondering what topic to write about for Monday, tired of bad news which prevails over our country these days.

But after more than a week of depressing record numbers in the seemingly unending COVID infection story, I woke up yesterday morning pleasantly surprised by a Facebook post about the “dragon lighting” of Chinatown. The Facebook item showed Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, wearing his by-now standard white T-shirt with the slogan “Vaccine Nation is the Solution” silkscreened upon it, walking through the Dasmarinas-Quintin Paredes streets, where new, bright-red lampposts adorned with a golden “dragon” lamp festooned the heart of Chinatown. Also, parking spaces were clearly defined in the oft-crowded commercial district once called the Parian where peninsular Spanish colonials once ghettoed the thriving Chinese merchants of the capital city, while most of the insulares and later the mestizoisie built their residences in toney Ermita and Malate.

Maybe Fate has other designs for the young Isko Moreno Domagoso.

Due to the parlous health situation in the country, particularly in NCR, I restricted my movements when I was last there from the holiday season until mid-February, especially after nightfall. I dared not attend a single Simbang Gabi whether in Malate Church or San Isidro on Taft Avenue, just after the boundary of Manila and Pasay.

On one occasion, I visited Arranque Market one early morning to buy vegetables and tofu, among other condiments (there are two types of freshly-made tofu available here; the square firm tokwa and the softer tawhu. Through the years, my mom and I always bought tofu in Arranque. You can never go wrong with Arranque, where you can buy freshly delivered highland vegetables, and of late, even Taiwan-sourced imports, but the prices are a bit higher in this privately-owned market.

But a week after my visit, Arranque was closed down for disinfection due to discovered COVID incidence among some sellers. I immediately had an RTPCR test, worried about that short visit to my favorite wet market.

When President Erap became mayor of Manila in 2013 (good to learn that he is in stable condition and is recovering from

EDITORIAL

a bout with the coronavirus), I visited him in his Greenhills manse and over a sumptuous lunch, I discussed some ideas I always had in mind about the city where I grew up. I asked him, among others, to revive downtown Manila, especially the Avenida to Divisoria area, encompassing most of Chinatown and Manila’s shopping areas, to include the Escolta-Dasmarinas-Ongpin enclaves which was once both the financial and commercial center of Luzon, gone to seed due to neglect and the rise of Makati and Greenhills as alternatives. Together with Intramuros and the Ermita district bounded on the west

by Manila’s world-famous sunsets, these are Manila’s touristic gems.

Fast forward to 2019, when young Isko Moreno, formerly vice-mayor to both Fred Lim and Erap, was elected overwhelmingly by Manileños along with his running-mate, Dr. Honey Lacuna Pangan, daughter of long-time Manila Vice Mayor Danny Lacuna, a dear friend of mine as well. Isko’s victory came as no surprise, and I wrote in this space about his imminent mayoralty. It was like a David fighting two political Goliaths, although Moreno had enough experience, having been councilor for nine years and vice mayor for another nine. Moreno was just 44 years old then, fighting two super seniors who had a half century of public service tucked under their belt. But aside from youth and the energy that goes with it, the personal narrative of Isko, rising from abject poverty in Manila’s fetid slums, as the son of migrants from Northern Samar and Antique, was quite compelling.

I grew up in Manila from the time I was five years old, having moved to the nation’s capital from our native San Pablo in Laguna. When my folks moved to Butuan City in the late 50s, I was yet an elementary school student in Letran College, and my mom decided to allow me to continue my studies in Manila rather than move to Butuan in the then undivided Agusan province in Northern Mindanao, which at the time timber capital with few amenities.

When we moved from San Pablo to the big city, we first stayed in the corner of what was then Azcarraga (now Claro M. Recto) and Magdalena (now Masangkay) streets, where St. Luke’s Hospital and St. Stephen’s College were located. My mom was a resident doctor at the time.

Through many years, we lived in Sampaloc, Sta. Cruz, Sta. Ana, until we finally bought a property in Malate, which has been home for more than 50 years of my life.

Seeing the transformation of Manila, from the once genteel environment of my youth to the decrepit state it has become, abandoned by many for Makati, Alabang, Greenhills and now BGC, has been quite sad.

Seeing its old glory revived under a young mayor who grew up in its squatter colonies and who has tasted abject poverty yet triumphed through it all by sheer guts and persistent self-improvement, is not only edifying, but inspiring.

Full version on www.manilastandard. net

‘Rising Up by Lifting Up Others’

EVERY second week of April, the Junior Chamber International Philippines celebrates JCI Week to affirm the JCI Values that bind and to celebrate the friendship that brings together more than two hundred local affiliates all over the country. A weeklong program of projects, trainings and meetings are conducted by JCI local organizations geared to showcase the work that JCI does, including its priority national programs. This year, JCI Week begins April 11, and is scheduled to end April 17, 2021.

It was in 1978 when President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Proclamation No. 1787 declaring the second week of November every year thereafter as “JCI International Week” in honor of the international movement. This yearly celebration was eventually transferred to the month of April by President Joseph Estrada through Presidential Proclamation No. 97, series of 97, which also affirmed the government’s commitment and support to JCI Philippines as a national government partner.

Out of the ruin and debris left by the Second World War, the founder of JCI Philippines, Artemio Vergel “Temiong” de Dios, saw an opportunity to build an organization committed to the vision of active citizenship. But he saw what would escape the eyes of many – the mission to create opportunities that will empower young leaders like him to create positive change.

Knowing the opportunity that comes

Adelle Chua, Editor

with a challenge, Temiong did not let a good crisis go to waste – and for the next seventy-three years, his visionary work has inspired generations of young leaders, many of whom have made significant impact in our nation and in their communities.

Thanks to Temiong’s audacious tenacity, pioneering spirit and determined resolve of Temiong and the first members at a very challenging time, JCI Philippines is a grateful heir to their hard work in making their vision a reality for our times.

This is the theme of this year’s Junior Chamber International Week.

This coronavirus pandemic has been for many a very trying time. Even our own organization has faced unique challenges this year. The quarantine restrictions have limited the ability of our organizations to meet for meetings and trainings. We had our own share of decline in membership and revenues. Even implementing our usual programs and projects have not been that easy. But seeing all these challenges provide JCI Philippines the opportune moment to reinforce its commitment to our shared values, believing that there is no better time for us to be part of JCI. Indeed, it is the worst of times that shape the best of leaders – and the more seemingly daunting the prospect, the more daring should be our resolve.

With this in mind, JCI Philippines has chosen as our call to action this

I

The bare minimum

N THE past few days, we were regaled with photos of the President jogging, swinging a golf club, and mounting a motorcycle in the cover of dark, supposedly on the grounds of Malacañang.

Perhaps Senator Bong Go felt he needed to do better than that photo of himself working in an office with President Rodrigo Duterte across from him, which he had also circulated a few days before. As proof of life, a newspaper was conveniently placed on the table between them.

Unfortunately, social media users have played with these images, photoshopping this or that personality or even characters in a movie, showing how easy it was to insert people in a scenario with the help of technology.

Mr. Duterte has been conspicuously absent from the public view in the past two weeks. Thus, if the intention of the Mr. Go is to assure Filipinos that the President is, contrary to nasty rumors, alive, then he has likely succeeded.

Then again, it’s reprehensible for anybody to wish illness or death on others.

It is a good thing that the man elected into office by 16 million voters in 2016 is around. Managing an emergency political transition at this time would only compound our woes.

Filipinos, however, need their leaders to be more than just alive.

We need our leaders to be more than just alive.

More than one year into the COVID-19 crisis, we are seeing record highs in the number of new cases. Hospitals are overwhelmed and patients are dying waiting for their turn to be accommodated in emergency rooms. Testing and contact tracing have been limited all this time. The resurgence has also caused new restrictions on business and mobility, and the effects are much too palpable, even when NCR Plus returns to modified enhanced community quarantine today after two weeks of strict lockdown. People are losing jobs and are desperate for ‘ayuda.’ And then we are told the funds are running dry.

Even the ongoing administration of vaccines to priority groups has been slow.

The sight of Mr. Duterte up and about is a small consolation given all that we are facing right now. The disease is hitting closer to home, entire families instead of just individuals are getting infected, and there are no clear prospects for economic recovery. Millions do not know where their next meal would come from.

What we need are not photos or proofs of life. Instead, Filipinos need some assurance that their national government, acting through their local government and elected representatives, are working in unison toward specific objectives, measurable targets and coordinated action.

More than images of midnight jogs, we need notifications on how we can get vaccinated, where to get help if somebody in the family, especially the breadwinner, falls ill, or what steps to take and which facilities to go to in the event we feel symptoms of the disease.

These would be more than enough proof that the people we voted to lead us are doing their jobs. We don’t really care if they walk or jog, or mount a horse or a motorbike—or even a jet ski, as long as they do the work.

Time to stop the bully of the region THE bully of Southeast Asia is on the offensive again. As our people struggle with the new virulence of this virus that came from Wuhan, China, our national security and sovereignty is being violated by a masqueraded flotilla of purportedly militia laden Chinese vessels in yet another blatant swarming incursion into our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The latest incident is the chasing down of one of our civilian vessels carrying a Filipino television news broadcaster.

The news reported two People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels pursuing the retreating civilian vessel deep into Philippine territorial waters off the coast of Palawan. Video footage showed the harassment became dangerously close.

Two Houbei-class missile boats was said to have speeded into the scene after the coast guard vessel turned away. The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defense has ordered an investigation for appropriate action.

The strong statements of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana calling the incursion of over 200 Chinese vessels “a clear provocative action of militarizing the area” and reiterating demands for the Chinese to immediately withdraw this swarm of suspected militia boats is a welcome pivot in the treatment of these recurring incursions in the WPS. The Philippine Navy has deployed sovereignty patrols to increase presence in our territorial waters.

“We call on the Chinese to stop this incursion and immediately recall these boats violating our maritime rights and encroaching into our sovereign territory.

We are committed to uphold our sovereign rights over the WPS,” Secretary Lorenzana said.

Lorenzana hit the nail on the head when he stated that the presence of China’s vessels shows Beijing’s intent to occupy more areas and that China has “done this before” like in Scarborough Shoal.

DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin then followed Secretary Lorenzana’s verbal salvos with diplomatic protests and his year the theme, “More for Others”. This is because while this crisis may bring with it a seemingly insurmountable challenge, it also comes, as they say of every crisis, a timely opportunity to find greater meaning in service, to care with greater empathy and to lead by inspiring others to action.

This year’s JCI Week, with its theme, “Rising Up by Lifting Up Others” – is a celebration of the collective good that is the Junior Chamber International – by celebrating who were and taking to heart the mission that we do.

Our special congratulations to my colleagues in the 2021 JCI Philippines National Board, especially our Immediate Past National President Mark Joseph David of JCI Parañaque Pambato, National Executive Vice President John Glenn Lee of JCI Legazpi, National Treasurer Yvette Christine Herrera of JCI San Fernando Cabalen, National Secretary-General Liezl Alfonso of JCI Naga Cariñosa, National General Legal Counsel Maria Ronette Salve Barreda from my home chapter JCI Candahug Liberation and National Executive Director Constantine Ignacio of JCI Marikina Sapatos. Credit is also due to this year’s JCI Week National Chairper-

own style of colored repartee with Chinese counterparts. A raging verbal shootout between the Philippines and China is now creating international alarm that now has our military ally the United States and Japan voicing out warnings to China to back off and stop the encroachment maneuvers, now threatening the peace and stability in one of the most important sea lanes of global maritime trade.

The clamor is growing for our government to reverse its appeasement posture.

Earlier in February, the US reaffirmed its commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement when the Philippines expressed serious concern on the new Chinese law which authorizes its Coast Guard to fire on vessels in maritime waters in their baseless and imaginary claim to almost the whole of the South China Sea (SCS).

This claim has been declared without basis by the arbitral ruling legally establishing our sovereign rights in the EEZ and WPS under international law. The US has beefed up its military presence in the SCS in response to what geopolitical experts call as a new wave of “Gray Zone Operations”, a strategy that the Chinese have successfully deployed by swarming a targeted area with a large fleet of optically civilian-looking vessels to box out other countries and thwart the enforcement of diplomatic or legal channels to stop their island-grabbing operations.

Former DFA Secretary Ambassador Albert del Rosario is now being proven right on his repeated calls to the leadership of this administration to assert our country’s victory on the Hague arbitral ruling which son, Joven Bernados of JCI Cainta and his team for a successful JCI Week celebration.

As this year’s National President, whenever I am asked, “Is being a JCI member still relevant today?”, I always confidently reply, “Yes, because service never goes out of style.” Celebrating JCI Week is an affirmation of the quintessential value of service. But for JCI, there is a higher measure for service. For JCI, our brand of service of leadership. For us in the JCI movement, to serve means to bring out the best in us so that we can give the best of ourselves to others. To serve the JCI way means to share the best of what we can do to create an even greater good.

That gives an even stronger meaning to the statement, “Service to humanity is the best work of life.”

Throughout the years, JCI Philippines has thrived in training future leaders to be even better leaders. We have accomplished so much for our communities, to our country and to our fellow Filipinos. But we cannot rest on our laurels. We must always strive to be more and do better.

Full version on www.manilastandard. net

nullifies China’s bogus dash line annexation of the South China Sea. His sage advice was to forge alliances with many like-minded countries to uphold the rule of law and stand against Beijing, instead of kowtowing to Chinese bully tactics.

This would have been a powerful and yet peaceful deterrent to the creeping invasion which has militarized so many islands within our own territories.

The latest geospatial images provided

by Simularity Inc. clearly exposed the dubious excuse of the Chinese that the more than 200 strong fleet spotted in Julian Reef since December were just moored together to seek refuge because of rough weather. The images clearly show their suspicious, non-fishing formation. More alarming images revealed the extent of well-developed facilities in militarized islands inside our EEZ. The clamor is growing for our government to reverse its appeasement posture and to stand up to China’s expansionist ambitions which has resulted in the wanton destructive exploitation of our exclusive maritime resources. This has also violated our sovereignty. We must engage our strong allies against this threat to our national security. As citizens, it is our right to demand decisive action from the leadership of this administration.

To hear more insights from top geopolitical experts, do join the virtual round table discussions of the Stratbase ADR Institute on “Maintaining a Rules-Based Maritime Order” this Thursday, 14 April 2021, 9am to 11am. Register at: https://zoom. us/webinar/register/WN_KcfUIEZkRoW2sP5_7WYHCg?fbclid=IwAR071kz4d10nCLB_bTCZXr3tm8_85wsfq5pPang9K8t1dJET5eZ-FQMckoI

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How Duque is making a fool out of us

Justice Thomas on Big Tech

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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

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can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

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MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A7

Justice chief sets gab with activists’ families Online child sexual abuse J

By Rey E. Requejo

USTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Sunday said he will talk with the families of two of the nine slain activists in separate police raids in the Calabarzon region last March 7.

convictions up

CONVICTIONS for offenses involving online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) went up in 2020, underscoring the gains made by the government, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Sunday.

Undersecretary Emmeline AglipayVillar, also the DOJ spokesperson, said sustained efforts to crack down on the offenses, including those covered by Republic Act 7610 (Child Abuse), RA 9775 (Child Pornography), RA 9995 (Photo and Video Voyeurism), RA 10175 (Cybercrime), Rape, Acts of Lasciviousness, and Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code (indecent shows/publications), resulted in the more than twofold increase in the number of convictions.

Most of the 100 convictions last year, according to Villar, were obtained through plea bargaining, which allowed for a speedy termination of cases without going through the rigors of trial.

“We increased our convictions by 117 percent in 2020. We really intensified operations,” Villar said of the operations last year even as the country was under community quarantine.

Villar, however, said the Covid-19 outbreak has since impacted field operations this year. “(N)ow we have so many intelligence agents who have Covid,” she said.

Despite the community quarantine, the courts continued to operate not only through face-to-face hearings, but also through videoconferencing.

“In fact, some guilty verdicts were handed down by the courts through video-conferencing hearings. Although the courts were physically closed during the early part of the community quarantine last year, the courts later opened its offices in the first-level, second-level and appellate courts nationwide, subject to the strict observance and compliance with the health protocols, measures, and guidelines,” she said.

Law enforcement authorities, National Prosecution Service and Public Attorney’s Office also remained functional despite the pandemic while online preliminary investigation and court hearings and online submission of affidavits, pleadings and documents made the convictions possible, Villar added.

About 63 percent of the 100 convictions last year ended in plea bargaining agreements.

The DOJ also conducted specialized OSEC training conducted for law enforcers, prosecutors, and judges.

“They were taught how to collect evidence, bearing in mind that the victims might opt not to testify, and we actually make it a goal to collect evidence that would make the testimony of the witness unnecessary. A victimless prosecution of cases would mean that there would be less trauma for the victim as he or she would not need to testify before a court,” she said.

Guevarra made the statement after his office received a letter from the families of activists Chai Lemita Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista, requesting a dialogue in connection with the Department of Justice’s investigation of their killings.

“Yes, we got it [letter] last week.

We’re happy that the families of the victims have expressed trust in the AO 35 committee, Guevarra said in a text mes-

sage to reporters.

“We’ll surely coordinate with them during the investigation,” he added.

In a letter dated April 7, Rosenda Lemita, the mother of Chai, and Imelda Evangelista, the mother of Ariel, said they believe the killings and arrests of the two activists “constituted grave violation to the law and the right to life.”

They expressed apprehension for

their lives and sought an independent and truthful investigation into the incident to seek justice for their children.

The mothers believed in three reasons as to why the killings should be given due attention and thorough investigation: • The mass approval of search warrants that were served during the raids; • The police’s explanation that the victims fought back against authorities or “nanlaban,” which the families denied, saying the activists does not have the capacity to own firearms and explosives; and • The previous harassments on the activists for being members of progres-

sive groups.

“From these reasons, we are ready to do anything to find justice for their killings,” they said.

“This is not only because of our undying love for them but also because of their beliefs they held on to that caused their deaths: decent and dignified life for all. We are hoping to have a dialogue with you with our lawyers,” the mothers added.

The AO 35 committee is the interagency committee created by Administrative Order No. 35 in 2012 to investigate extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and other grave violations of the right of life, liberty, and security of persons.

IN BRIEF Panelo to senators: Add to P1k ‘ayuda’

BIKERS BANNED. Tagaytay City Police personnel prevent a biker from entering the city at the checkpoint along the Amadeo Tagaytay Road on Sunday following an ordinance issued by the city government to restrict bikers and riders from strolling into the city to prevent the spread of COVID-19 there. JR Josue

Expect P0.30 rollback in gas prices this week

By Alena Mae S. Flores CONSUMERS can expect a rollback in gasoline prices by P0.30 per liter this week to reflect the movement of prices in the world market.

“Expect fuel prices to have a mixed movement next week (April 13 to 19, 2021). Diesel will have no price change. Gasoline will go down by P0.30 per liter,” Unioil Philippines said in its weekly price advisory.

World oil prices dipped last week due

to low demand.

Last April 6, local oil companies raised prices of domestic oil products.

Gasoline increased by P0.65 per liter while diesel and kerosene also increased

by P0.05 per liter.

These resulted in the year-to-date adjustments to stand at a total net increase of P6.80 per liter for gasoline, P4.65 per liter for diesel, and P3.55 per liter for kerosene.

Meanwhile, the US Energy Information Administration reported on Friday under

its April Short-Term Energy Outlook that it expects vaccinations and fiscal stimulus to support continuing economic recovery and drive demand growth for petroleum products in the United States.

EIA said gasoline consumption in 2021 will peak in August at 9.1 million barrels per day (b/d), higher than the 8.5 million b/d from August 2020 but less than the 9.8 million b/d in August 2019.

The United States is one of the biggest consumers of oil products in the world.

HAGGLING.

A buyer negotiates with a dealer of singkamas (Mexican turnip) in Divisoria, Manila on Sunday. The root crop is a thirst-quencher, especially in the summer months.

CHIEF Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Sunday dared senators to donate their one-month salaries to supplement the P1,000 “ayuda” (assistance) for poor Filipinos in areas under the most stringent community quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In his online commentary show “Counterpoint”, Panelo slammed Senators Nancy Binay, Risa Hontiveros, Imee Marcos, Joel Villanueva, and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson for criticizing the government’s cash aid program, saying they should donate their salaries instead of complaining that it is not enough.

“You say it’s not enough? Okay. I will pose a challenge to you and those who are complaining. If you are complaining, you add to the assistance from your own wealth?

Provide additional assistance,” he said.

Panelo said he was willing to donate his one-month’s salary to supplement the government’s cash aid program.

“Let’s have this dare. Let’s add your one-month salaries to the assistance. Me, I’m willing to do it. You keep looking for more. If you think it’s not enough, why don’t you give assistance on your own?” he added.

He urged them to refrain from trying to bring the government down and instead focus on efforts to provide additional help.

“Stop criticizing the government,” he said.

Meanwhile, Panelo also assured the public that the government is doing its best to address the prevailing health crisis.

“The government is doing everything it can to address the problems of the nation.

Let’s help the government,” he said.

Several senators earlier said the P1,000 per person or P4,000 per family cash aid is “inadequate” to cover the costs of struggling families and called for the downgrade of quarantine status to allow more Filipinos to earn a living.

QC taps PRC, clinic for swab testing QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has tapped the Philippine Red Cross and a private diagnostic clinic to expand swab and X-ray testing amid a spike in the cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The city government is working with the Philippine Red Cross and Hi-Precision to further increase the city’s capacity to test its residents and fast track the diagnosis of COVID-19.

“Our partnerships will allow us to pool all available resources, weave our efforts, and immediately address the needs of our most affected communities,” Belmonte said.

Under a memorandum of agreement, the PRC would allocate 8,000 RT-PCR test kits to the city worth P3,400 each.

Belmonte said the partnership would allow the city government “to test more residents and subsequently reinforce its contact tracing efforts.”

With the current direct partnership, she added, results are expected to be released at a faster turnaround time.

The city also plans to open three additional testing centers to cater to individuals who are manifesting flu-like symptoms and those who have exposure to COVIDpositive patients in the communities.

The existing community-based testing centers are in Toro Hill basketball court (District 1), Payatas super health center (District 2), Old Balara covered court (District 3), Amoranto Stadium (District 4), SB Park Novaliches (District 5) and Talipapa Senior High School (District 6) that operate Mondays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rio N. Araja

Zarate to gov’t: Probe rising crematorium fees amid COVID deaths

By Rio N. Araja AMID the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Sunday called on the Duterte administration to look into rising crematorium fees.

As the number of COVID-19 related deaths continue to rise with the upsurge of infected cases, Zarate urged President Rodrigo Duterte “to strictly monitor and regulate the crematorium operations so as to prevent and stop unscrupulous op-

erators from exploiting the current COVID-19 pandemic and cash in on the tragedy of others.”

“We have received reports about the exorbitant fees of private crematoriums if the cause of death of a person is COVID-19. Then, there is a long queue for cremation. The kin of the deceased are being asked to pay the storage fee while waiting for a schedule,” the House deputy minority leader said.

“We should stop this practice. Do not take advantage of the tragedy that has been

affecting our countrymen who are suffering too from hospital expenses.

He urged owners of crematories not to impose charges on storage fees and not to ask for higher fees of cremation.

“Our concerned officials should look into this immediately and hear our sentiments,” he said.

Earlier, the environment watchdog Ecowaste Coalition urged the government on Saturday to check the safety of what it described as overworked cremators amid the piling of bodies for cremation as a re-

sult of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Our society also has to look after the health and safety of our overburdened funeral service and crematorium workers, who are COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) frontliners themselves,” said Thony Dizon, a chemical safety campaigner from the EcoWaste Coalition.

“We hope they are provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, are able to adequately rest, and are justly compensated,” he added.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

A8

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021

Djokovic, Nadal begin road to Roland Garros in Monte Carlo

IBF champion Jerwin Ancajas (right) connects with a right to the body of his Mexican challenger Jonathan Rodriguez.

(Photo from Showtime)

Ancajas makes 9 IBF title defense look easy th

By Peter Atencio MONACO—Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal begin their clay court seasons in Monte Carlo this week, seeded to meet in the final which would likely be a dress rehearsal for another title showdown at Roland Garros in June.

Djokovic and Nadal haven’t played since the delayed Australian Open in February where the world number one Serb claimed his ninth Melbourne title and 18th career major.

He has also since surpassed Roger Federer’s record for weeks at number one and will start a 316th week on top of the world from Monday.

Djokovic is a two-time champion in Monte Carlo but has not got beyond the quarter-finals since his most recent title in 2015.

Nadal, who won a 13th Roland Garros title and record-equalling 20th Grand Slam by beating Djokovic in the Paris final in October, is chasing a 12th triumph in Monte Carlo.

There are concerns over the lingering back problem Nadal is carrying ahead of a gruelling clay court season which peaks at the French Open from May 30.

Nadal has 71-5 record in Monte Carlo where he has fallen short of the quarter-finals just once -- on his debut in 2003 as a 16-year-old.

Since the Australian Open, Nadal has been replaced as world number two by Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.

The Australian Open runner-up was the first player outside the ‘Big Four’ of Djokovic, Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to reach number two in the world since Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt in July 2005.

However, he is wary of his chances on clay.

His 10 career titles have all come on hard courts while he has never won a match at Roland Garros in four visits.

“Maybe in 2050 I’ll manage to get past the first round at Roland Garros,” the mercurial Russian joked.

Missing from the Monte Carlo lineup is Roger Federer who last played in the Principality in 2016 and has never won the tournament. AFP

J

ERWIN Ancajas said he had a hard time, but observers felt that the 29-year-old Filipino champion made it all look easy during the ninth defense of his International Boxing Federation junior bantamweight crown on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Ancajas prevailed by unanimous decision over Mexican Jonathan Rodriguez during the first bout of a tripleheader at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

“Hats off to Rodriguez because he showed his heart. This ninth title defense was the hardest,” Ancajas admit-

ted after the match.

Don’t tell that, however, to all the three judges, who scored the match in favor of Ancajas, 115-112, 116-111, 117-110, as he improved his fight record to 32 wins, one loss and two draws, with 22 KOs. On the other hand, Rodriguez now has a 22-2 record with 16 KOs, with Ancajas snapping his six-fight win streak.

Coming off a 16-month layoff, Ancajas showed enthusiasm and energy in facing Rodriguez, who has been waiting for a mandatory challenge since November 2019, as the Mexican made it close twice in the early rounds.

He started attacking first, but Ancajas managed to counter and utilized his lefts to attack the body.

Ancajas was able to get the better hits in the sixth round, landing hard shots to the body, but Rodriguez made

Matsuyama on brink of historic win AUGUSTA—With a new coach solving swing issues and reduced celebrity media stress this week, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama finds himself on the verge of a historic victory at the Masters.

Matsuyama fired a seven-under par 65 Saturday, his low score in 37 career rounds at Augusta National and the week’s first bogey-free round, to grab a four-stroke lead after 54 holes on 11-under 205.

About the only thing that’s a mystery to him so far at Augusta National is what it would mean to his golf-loving homeland if he becomes the first Japanese man to win a major title.

“I’m not sure how to answer the question,” Matsuyama said through a translator. “All I can do is prepare well, try my best, and do the best that I can tomorrow.”

Two Japanese women have won major titles, Hinako Shibuno at the 2019 Women’s British Open and Chako Higuchi at the 1977 LPGA Championship.

Two Japanese men have managed major runner-up finishes, Isao Aoki at the 1980 US Open and Matsuyama when he shared second at the 2017 US Open.

The only Asian man to win a major golf title was South Korea’s Yang Yong-eun at the 2009 PGA Championship.

Often feeling pressure from Japanese media, Matsuyama says a limited media contingent at the Masters due to COVID-19 concerns has helped ease his stress load.

“Being in front of the media is still difficult,” Matsuyama

Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays his shot from the 14th tee during the third round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. AFP

Ancajas and Magsayo: A tale of 2 boxers THE COACH MIKE OCHOSA OVER the weekend, Jerwin Ancajas defended his crown against a very aggressive Jonathan Javier Rodriguez. Ancajas won via a unanimous decision. Digging deep down, Ancajas proved he has what it takes to mix it up with the best fighters in his weight division.

On the same night and atop the same ring, Mark Magsayo, another Filipino is on his way to bigger fights after a sensational fourthround knockout win against Pablo Cruz.

In the said event promoted by Premier Boxing Championships (PBC), Jerwin Ancajas and Mark Magsayo represented flag and country.

Having not just one but two Filipino boxers in an event this huge is a testament to the quality of the boxers and the tenacious work done by MP Promotions to get them on the card.

JERWIN “PRETTY BOY” ANCAJAS —SYSTEMATIC RISE Jerwin Ancajas (33-1-2), who has defended his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight crown eight times prior to

it even by doing the same.

Ancajas knocked down Rodriguez with a right to the body in the eighth round to gain a headway on points.

In the ninth, Rodriguez carried on and came out swinging, but the relentless attack to the body from Ancajas started taking its toll on the challenger.

With the win, Ancajas will hopefully have a unification bout with Kazuto Ioka, a junior bantamweight.

Other possible matches could take place against Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.

Ancajas last defended his title on December 2019, when he stopped Miguel Gonzalez in six rounds in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Mark Magsayo (22-0, 15 KOs) remained spotless after putting Pablo Cruz (21-4, 6 KOs) to sleep in the fourth round in an earlier fight.

this fight, has been touted to be the next big boxing name from the Philippines. His rise, although relatively silent, has been constant.

After winning over McJoe Arroyo back in 2016 to take the crown, Ancajas has methodically beaten all challengers in spectacular fashion. I first saw Ancajas live from ringside in Brisbane in July of 2017 as part of the undercard of the Pacquiao-Horn encounter. On that big stage, he showed everyone both his boxing prowess and punching power as he breezed through a technical knockout win over Teiru Kinoshita.

Although not as explosive as other fighters, Ancajas boasts of a 63% knockout to win ratio. Behind that silent power is outstanding counter-punching ability.

Ancajas was originally set to face mandatory challenger Jonathan Javier Rodriguez (22-2-0) late in 2019. Unfortunately, the fight was cancelled due to his foe’s visa problems.

COVID-19 then hit and just like all the other boxers, Ancajas had to wait it out.

Together with his longtime coach Joven Jimenez, Ancajas travelled to the United States in the middle of 2020 and since then has been waiting for the opportunity to get back up the ring.

MARK “MAGNIFICO” MAGSAYO — ROCKY ROAD TO NOW Mark Magsayo (22-0), with an above average 66% knockout to win ratio, has always

been a fighter considered as having a lot of potential. As he was an outstanding amateur and being one of the more prominent wards coming out of the famed Cebu-based ALA Boxing Stable, all eyes were on him. In 2017, his star started to shine as he won convincingly over Issa Nampepeche, Daniel Diaz and Shota Hayashi.

Unfortunately due to contract disputes and the eventual closing down of ALA boxing caused by the pandemic, Magsayo found himself sidelined. The year 2018 was sort or a new beginning for him, but because of COVID-19, just like Ancajas, he was prevented from campaigning aggressively.

After months of uncertainty, Magsayo travelled to the United States and eventually signed up with MP Promotions. He picked up where he left off when he finally fought again in October of 2020. He scored a controversial split decision against the very game Rigoberto Hermosillo. Although visibly burdened by ring rust, contrary to the scoring, experts saw a rejuvenated Magsayo, who in fact dominated the fight.

TWO PATHS, SAME DESTINATION Last March 22, during a press conference sponsored by Boss Cement, both Ancajas and Magsayo shared their plans.

Ancajas and his team were singing to an

Knott still adjusting techniques SOUTHEAST Asian Games doublegold medallist Kristina Knott continued to show a consistent time in the 11.3-second range while competing against a young group of elite sprinters.

This time, the 25-year-old Knott clocked 11.35 seconds in the women’s 100-meter dash during another starstudded race last Knott’s coach Rohsaan Griffin said the Fil-Am is currently adjusting her techniques, considering that she is facing sprinters who are considered as the top of their class.

“Our issues are all technical and need immediate attention if we are going to continue to progress. No doubt it’s there, but we have to go back to the drawing board from the technical and queuing side and rewire some things so we can get over this hump,” said Griffin.

Knott, who placed fourth in heat and seventh in the finals, ran against an elite field, which included Sha’Carri Richardson, a 21-year-old track star from the Louisiana State University.

After the race, Richardson distinguished herself with her gold-winning feat of 10.72 seconds, which went past the Olympic qualification standard of 11.15 seconds.

Richardson, the 2019 US NCAA Division 1 champion, is now considered as among the top 10 sprinters in the world after she came up with her personal best.

“Went same as the prelim, still her second fastest time ever, twice in one day, 3 times in two weeks,” said Griffin.

Javianne Oliver, who is from the University of Kentucky, also achieved personal bests in the heat at 11.05 second and 11.07 seconds to bag the silver and also breach the Olympic qualifying mark.

Jamaican sprinter Natalla Whyte, settled for the bronze, also with her season’s best 11.6 seconds.

Because of the level of competition that Knott faced, she was not able to join the 200-meter sprints.

Griffin added that they are working Knott’s positioning, so that she will be able to improve on her speed.

Two-time US national champion Jenna Prandini made competition look tight in the women’s 200-meters after she finished in 22.29 seconds for the gold as her effort surpassed the Olympic standard of 22.8 seconds.

Brittany Brown, the 2019 World Championships silver medallist, took the silver in 22.39 seconds, and also eclipsed the OQS. Candice Hill, the reigning World Under-20 Champion, took the bronze in 22.43 seconds, for another OQSsmashing effort. Peter Atencio

said. “I’m glad the media are here covering it, but it’s not my favorite thing to do, to stand and answer questions.

“And so with fewer media, it has been a lot less stressful for me, and I’ve enjoyed this week.”

Matsuyama, who hasn’t won since the 2017 Akron WGC event, has seven top-10 finishes in majors, including his 2017 US Open effort that boosted him to a career-best second in the world rankings.

But he hasn’t found success lately until now, a change he partly credits to new coach Hidenori Mezawa.

“This year has been a struggle. Haven’t really played my best,” Matsuyama said. “The last three years there have been different reasons why I haven’t been able to win.”

Matsuyama, 29, says he has recaptured the magic of his finest shotmaking.

“This year, starting early in the year, I have a coach with me now from Japan. It has been a great help,” he said.

“Things that I was feeling in my swing, I could talk to him about that, and he always gives me good feedback.

He has a good eye.

“It’s like having a mirror for my swing and it has been a great help for me. We worked hard, and hopefully now it’s all starting to come together.”

Memories of Tiger Matsuyama is on the brink of taking a dream green jacket after watching 15-time major champion Tiger Woods deliver glorious Masters victories.

“I have a lot of great memories watching the Masters as a young boy. First time I watched, Tiger Woods was the winner,” he said. “I was always dreaming some day I could play here.” AFP

all too familiar tune. They want the top three guys of the super flyweight division namely, Juan Estrada, Srisakit Sor Rungvisai and Roman Chocolatito Gonzales.

It is a wonder, though, that despite the IBF belt held firmly by Ancajas, a fight with any of the three has not materialized. Some say it is because a fight with Ancajas does not represent huge financial returns. Experts share that this is brought about by the Filipino being too much of a defensive fighter, making his fights less appealing.

Another point of view says that Ancajas does not have any coherent marketing push, which nowadays seems to be an integral component in the boxing business. There was a time in the Philippines when Jerwin, together with his coach and team, retreated to the mountains south of Manila to focus on his training and development. They aptly called it “survival camp” because of its Spartan set up. The objective was to keep him focused and hungry. The media was therefore hard-pressed to reach the Ancajas team for interviews and features.

But that is all water under the bridge now. They are hoping that his performance against Rodriguez will make him an interesting opponent for any of the three super fly stalwarts. Team Ancajas feels that a win against any of them will get them the respect Jerwin seeks.

Magsayo, on the other hand, was more relaxed, stating that he will take it one fight at a time and allow his promoter and manager

to guide his career. However, he reiterated his dream to be a world champion and underscored his commitment of flying to the US during the pandemic. Teaming up with the legendary Freddie Roach is another sign of how dedicated he is to his goal.

At 25 years old, Magsayo is ripe for a crack at a belt.

THE NEXT PACQUIAO Many have asked who would be the next Pacquiao. The correct response to that question is to not ask that question. Pacquiao has already opened the door wide open for Filipino boxers to enter. What the next generation of boxers will do once they are in is really up to them.

With how the two Filipino pugilists performed, it is now time for Ancajas and Magsayo to complete their own stories. *** Mike Ochosa is an avid sportsman. He has written for various broadsheets and on line publication providing his thoughts and insights on various sports. He is a freelance TV boxing analyst having sat ringside in 14 of Pacquiao’s fights and for various international sports networks as well. He was President of Punchout Boxing Club and is currently President and Program Director of Philippine Habagat Baseball.

Follow him on social media: Website: mikeochosa.com; FB: https://www.facebook.com/coachmikeochosa/; IG :@ coachmike.O; Twitter account, https:// twitter.com/mikeochosa

Business

IN BRIEF Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021

B1

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, April 8, 2021

-106.54 PTS. 6,545.17

Total Volume Total Trades Total Value

3,522,363,149 102,921 5,015,647,627.22

Advances Declines

89 110

Unchanged

54

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.5760

Japan

Yen

0.009106

0.4423

UK

Pound

1.374300

66.7580

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128451

6.2396

Switzerland

Franc

1.075963

52.2660

Canada

Dollar

0.792959

38.5188

Singapore

Dollar

0.745823

36.2291

Australia

Dollar

0.760900

36.9615

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655408

128.9891

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

12.9533

Brunei

Dollar

0.743052

36.0945

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.031918

1.5504

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.2259

Euro

Euro

1.187100

57.6646

Korea

Won

0.000894

0.0434

China

Yuan

0.152823

7.4235

India

Rupee

0.013450

0.6533

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.242131

11.7618

New Zealand

Dollar

0.700900

34.0469

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035190

1.7094 Source: BSP

Pilipinas Shell plans to remain in PSE despite closing refinery

By Alena Mae S. Flores PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. will not delist from the Philippine Stock Exchange after shutting down its 110,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Tabangao, Batangas last year, a top executive said over the weekend.

“We intend to continue being listed. Our intention when we transformed our refinery is to improve our financial performance. No thoughts on delisting. We will maintain status quo,” Pilipinas Shell president and chief executive officer Cesar Romero said.

Under the Oil Industry Deregulation Law of 1998, oil refiners such as Pilipinas Shell were required to list at least 10 percent of their shares in the local bourse.

Pilipinas Shell listed its shares at the Philippine Stock Exchange in November 2016 to comply with the law.

The company decided to shut down its refinery in August 2020 amid the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on international demand, which led to unprecedented decline of oil prices.

Pilipinas Shell said it would focus on transforming the Tabangao refinery into a world-class oil import terminal, with plans to invest P1 billion to P2 billion in the next three years.

Romero said the refinery’s conversion reduced capital and operational expense exposure, lessened vulnerabilities to variability and product pricing and brought about growth.

“So before when we had the refinery, we were spending as much as P1 billion per year just on asset integrity and basic maintenance, whereas now we will be spared of that value and we could redeploy the capex to really value adding investments either in terms of revenue generation or cost reduction,” he said.

Meanwhile, Romero said the company was ready to launch the infrastructure for electric vehicles if needed.

Pilipinas Shell signed a memorandum of agreement in 2017 with QEV Philippines, a joint venture of Filipino and Spanish businessmen Endika Aboitiz and Enrique Banuelos to put up the first electric vehicle fast charging infrastructure in the country.

“The challenge is if there is demand and regulatory framework. Electricity is a different regulatory body from oil. Who is allowed to retail electricity?” Romero said.

MAX’S Group Inc. registered a net loss of P1.68 billion in 2020, a reversal from a year ago as the pandemic severely affected the group’s restaurant business.

Max’s Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the full-year net loss included a one-off cost after tax of P727 million related to business reorganization.

Consolidated revenues dropped 50 percent to P7.14 billion in 2020 from P14.4 billion in 2019, while systemwide sales, which comprised of sales generated by both company-owned and franchised stores, fell 46 percent to P10.85 billion from P20.11 billion in the previous year.

The fourth quarter saw the company posting a loss of P700 million. Systemwide sales and revenues totaled P3 billion and P1.94 billion, up 34 percent and 40 percent from the previous quarter, respectively.

“This extraordinary year was a reflection of the global restaurant industry performance amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Max’s Group president and chief executive Robert Ramon Trota. Jenniffer B. Austria

DTI’s Lopez cites importance of IPP

LANDBANK’S SUPPORT. State-run Land Bank of the Philippines joins hands with the provincial government of Cebu in opening doors for livelihood opportunities and business expansion to farmers and fishers in underdeveloped areas in the province with the launch of the Enhanced Countryside Development program. Signing the memorandum of agreement are (from left) LandBank Visayas lending group head and senior vice president Elsie Tagupa, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Deputy Speaker and Cebu 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia and Cebu 2nd District Rep. Wilfredo Camenero.

PH banks facing solvency distress as COVID lingers T

By Julito G. Rada

HE International Monetary Fund warned over the weekend that Philippines banks could face solvency distress if the economy declined further amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Stress tests show that while banks can withstand the already severe baseline scenario, they could experience systemic solvency distress if the economic impact of COVID-19 turns out to be severer,” the IMF said in a report following its executive board’s conclusion of the Financial System Stability Assessment with the Philippines on March 5, 2021.

The work of the Financial Sector Assessment Program was conducted dur-

ing the COVID-19 outbreak, with the virtual missions concluding on Oct. 20, 2020 and incorporating the immediate risks and vulnerabilities brought up by the pandemic.

It said the economic shock “would weigh on corporate earnings and then spill over to banks. Bank stress could limit credit supply, reducing economic growth noticeably even more.”

The IMF said the economy faced both COVID-related and structural

Task Force may put the country on the so-called grey list in 2021 without significant reforms on the effectiveness of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism regime.

It noted, however, the significant legislative measures enacted in early 2021 to address some of the FSAP recommendations.

The Financial Sector Assessment Program, established in 1999, is a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of a country’s financial sector. FSAPs provide input for Article IV consultations and thus enhance Fund surveillance.

FSAPs are mandatory for the 29 jurisdictions with systemically important financial sectors and otherwise conducted upon request from member countries. The key findings of an FSAP are summarized in a Financial System Stability Assessment.

SM RIDERS. Clinching an award of excellence in the 18th Philippine Quill Awards, the Riders Program remains one of SM Supermalls’ many ways to provide customers with a safe and convenient mode of shopping, while providing livelihood for out-ofwork individuals during these uncertain times. Over a thousand displaced workers have become partner riders in Bulacan, Southern Metro Manila, Southern Luzon and Davao. Shown are SM riders of SM City Dasmarinas.

DICT backs DPWH move to share right of way to telecom firms

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is supporting the initiative of the Department of Public Works and Highways to allow telecommunications companies occupy a portion of the government’s right of way assets to facilitate infrastructure buildup and speed up improvements to connectivity services in the country.

“To address the increased need for internet connectivity services during the state of public health emergency, we must prioritize the faster rollout of ICT infrastructures like cellular towers,” DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said.

“We fully support the DPWH’s initiative and we hope that this will help address the issues of congestion, connection reliability and coverage in the near

future,” he added.

The department issued DPWH Department Order No. 29 (DO 29), or the “DPWH Policy on Telecommunications and Internet Infrastructure Pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 11494,” on March 23, 2021 that eases restrictions on telecommunications companies planning to construct ICT infrastructure projects along national roads.

The DPWH said the DICT, along with the Anti-Red Tape Authority and the National Telecommunications Commission, were instrumental in paving the way for the issuance of DO 29. Since last year, these agencies had urged the DPWH to revisit and establish more “conducive” ROW regulations to help improve internet connectivity in the country.

DO 29 allows telcos and ICT service providers to “construct and undertake

excavations and/or restoration work for ICT Infrastructure Projects within the allowable ROW limits of the national roads.”

DO 29 will automatically expire application in 2024 after the lapse of three years from its signing and approval.

“PLDT and Smart are committed to working with the government in ensuring continuous service and a great experience for our customers as we keep them safe and connected amid the pandemic,” Alfredo Panlilio, Smart Communications president and chief executive and PLDT Inc. chief revenue officer said.

Froilan Castelo, general counsel of Globe Telecom Inc. thanked the DPWH for its proactive action “as this department order will help accelerate the deployment of ICT infrastructure as the country continues to battle the effects of the pandemic.”

Converge ICT on track to launch commercial services in Visayas, Mindanao in second half CONVERGE ICT Solutions, the largest high-speed fixed broadband operator in Luzon, is on track to complete its national fiber backbone in the first half and launch services in the south in the second half, a top executive said over the weekend.

“We hope to commercially launch our services in the Visayas and Mindanao regions by the second half of the year so that we can reach more provinces in need of world-class fixed broadband services,”

Max’s Group posted P1.68b-loss in 2020

Converge ICT Solutions founder and chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy said in an email interview.

Uy, an immigrant from Fujian province, China who grew up in Angeles City, said Converge ICT which had more than 2,000 employees, doubled its subscriber base in 2020 to 1.04 million as of end2020, as demand for connectivity grew amid the pandemic which forced many Filipinos to work from home.

“We are currently adding 70,000 sub-

scribers per month, and this continues to accelerate allowing us, to achieve record additions every month,” Uy said.

“During the pandemic, we saw the surge in demand. This pushed us to scale up really fast. With the proper fundamentals in place, we were able to keep up with the need. We continue to strengthen our network and our customer experience capabilities. The next step for us is to push ahead with our Go National strategy, which is well on the

way with our subsea fiber optic cables now being laid to reach the Visayas and Mindanao,” he said.

Uy said the company planned to spend the P7.8 billion in net proceeds from the initial public offering last year to build its proprietary end-to-end fiber network between 2021 and 2022.

He said being a public company now means a greater need to transform the organization to be world-class.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

TRADE Secretary Ramon Lopez stressed the significance of enforcing to the letter the 2020 Investments Priorities Plan to help companies and businesses recover from the crisis.

The IPP 2020, signed by the President in December 2020, has been consulted with stakeholders—both private and public, including the National Economic Development Authority and Department of Finance.

“It was crafted as a tool to hasten the V-Shaped recovery anchored on the REBUILD Strategy and provides teeth to the Balik Probinsya Program,” Lopez said.

With the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Law becoming effective April 11, the 2020 IPP plans to provide at least the most basic incentive (TIER 1) to sectors, with the 2020 IPP serving as the Transition Strategic IPP until the end of December 2021.

The Fiscal Incentive Review Board is set to call for a meeting to discuss incentives for the reopening sectors together with the implementing rules and regulations of the CREATE Law, Lopez said.

Othel V. Campos

Kwik.insure unveils online insurance mart

HOMEGROWN insurance technology startup Kwik.insure unveiled the country’s largest online insurance marketplace with over 100 life and non-life insurance products from 15 of the Philippines’ top insurance and healthcare providers.

Through the digital platform, Filipinos gain democratized access to insurance products that are tailored for their needs. Similar to popular e-commerce platforms, consumers are able to select, search and compare different insurance offerings.

Kwik.insure teamed up with 15 insurance providers to offer a wide range of products to Filipinos. Its partners include Sun Life and Malayan, the largest life and non-life insurers in the country respectively.

All transactions are done online and users will receive their e-policies directly from the insurance companies, cutting down processing time from days to just five minutes.

“Filipinos are now used to shopping online so we patterned our platform after what they are already accustomed to. Through Kwik.insure, Filipinos can easily compare, choose, and buy insurance products that fit their needs. They can be covered in as fast as five minutes,” said Hamilton Angluben, Kwik.insure founder and chief executive.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Stock market set to trade sideways; lockdown weighs

By Jenniffer B. Austria SHARE prices are expected to move sideways this week due to the uncertainty created by rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

Analysts said the recent move of the government to place Metro Manila and nearby provinces under stricter quarantine rules could have a significant impact on the already weak economy.

“Our revised model contemplates 30 days of stricter quarantine policy in the greater Metro Manila area beginning April, which is equivalent to 1/3 of the second quarter. This revision cuts GDP (gross domestic product) expansion to 5.1 percent for 2021 from an initial 7 percent... ,” online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said.

It said the added strain in 2021 restrictions could also impact on 2022 GDP numbers.

“There is a lot of moving parts in trying to read the tea leaves for 2022, but optimism will ultimately stem from suppressing rising COVID cases,” 2TradeAsia. added.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week rose 1.6 percent weekon-week to 6,545.17 on bargain hunting by investors following a sharp decline in the previous week.

The lower than expected March inflation print of 4.50 percent helped boost sentiment, pushing the index to as high as 6,651.71, short of the 6,700 resistance level.

BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said the low value turnover of the market reflected investors’ lack of conviction as the recent COVID-19 situation remains uncertain.

“The week’s close at 6,545.17 signals the market could still test the 6,300 levels in the near-term. Any rally could just be limited towards the 6,700 levels,” Ravelas said.

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World

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Myanmar’s post-coup civilian death toll climbs past 700 A SECURITY guard was wounded in a bomb blast outside a military-owned bank in Myanmar’s second-biggest city Sunday morning, as the civilian death toll from the junta’s brutal crackdown on dissent topped more than 700 at the weekend.

The country has been in turmoil since the military removed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1.

Myawaddy Bank’s biggest branch in Mandalay was targeted on Sunday morning and a security guard was injured in the explosion, according to local media.

There was a heavy security presence in the area following the blast.

The bank is one of scores of militarycontrolled businesses that have faced boycott pressure since the coup, with many customers demanding to withdraw their savings.

There has been heavy bloodletting in recent days.

On Saturday a local monitoring group said security forces gunned down and

killed 82 anti-coup protesters the previous day in the city of Bago, 65 kilometers northeast of Yangon.

AFP-verified footage shot early Friday showed protesters hiding behind sandbag barricades wielding homemade rifles, as explosions were heard in the background.

The United Nations office in Myanmar tweeted late Saturday that it was following the bloodshed in Bago, where it said medical treatment had been denied to the injured.

Overall the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has verified 701 civilian deaths since the putsch.

The junta has a far lower number: 248, according to a spokesman Friday.

Despite the bloodshed, protesters continued to rally in parts of the country.

University students and their professors marched through the streets of Mandalay and the city of Meiktila on This screengrab provided via AFPTV video footage shows Lynn Thant (an alias) wearing a mask next to a laptop where they are working Sunday morning, according to local on an underground newsletter to spread information in Yangon, amid internet outages as demonstrations continue against the military media. AFP coup. AFP

China mulls over mixing vaccine doses

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HINA is considering the mixing of different COVID-19 vaccines to improve the relatively low efficacy of its existing options, a top health expert has told a conference.

Authorities have to “consider ways to solve the issue that efficacy rates of existing vaccines are not high,” Chinese media outlet The Paper reported, citing Gao Fu, the head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

His comments mark the first time a top Chinese expert has publicly al-

luded to the relatively low efficacy of the country’s vaccines, as China forges ahead in its mass vaccination campaign and exports its jabs around the world.

China has administered around 161 million doses since vaccinations began last year – most people will require two shots – and aims to fully inoculate 40 per-

cent of its 1.4 billion population by June.

But many have been slow to sign up for jabs, with life largely back to normal within China’s borders and domestic outbreaks under control.

Gao has previously stressed the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is vaccination, and said in a recent state media interview that China aims to vaccinate 70 percent to 80 percent of its population between the end of this year and mid-2022.

At the conference in Chengdu on Saturday, Gao added that an option to overcome the efficacy problem is to alternate

the use of vaccine doses that tap different technologies.

This is an option that health experts outside China are studying as well.

Gao said experts should not ignore mRNA vaccines just because there are already several coronavirus jabs in the country, urging for further development, The Paper reported.

Currently, none of China’s jabs conditionally approved for the market are mRNA vaccines, but products that use the technology include those by US pharma giant Pfizer and German start-up BioNTech, as well as by Moderna.AFP

Pared-down funeral for Prince Philip THE funeral of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip, will take place next week, Buckingham Palace said on Saturday, announcing a stripped-back ceremony due to coronavirus restrictions, and a return for exiled royal Prince Harry but not his wife, Meghan.

The announcement came as the couple’s eldest son, heir to the throne Prince Charles, 72, paid a heartfelt tribute to his “dear Papa” and said he and the royal family missed him “enormously.”

“My dear Papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him, and from that point of view we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that,” he added.

“It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time.”

The Duke of Edinburgh – the 94-year-old queen’s husband of 73 years – died peacefully on Friday just two months short of his 100th birthday, triggering eight days of national mourning.

Royal officials said his funeral, which will be televised, will take place at 1400 GMT on Saturday, April 17 in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, west of London.

It will be preceded by a national minute’s silence.

Government guidelines restrict mourners to just 30 people and close attention has been paid to the pareddown guest list for the funeral, particularly whether the duke’s grandson Harry would attend. AFP

IN BRIEF Accident at Iran nuclear facility

AN “ACCIDENT” took place at an Iranian nuclear facility on Sunday but caused no casualties or damage, the Fars news agency reported, citing the spokesman of Iran’s nuclear agency.

Behrouz Kamalvandi said there had been “an accident in part of the electrical circuit of the (uranium) enrichment facility” at the Natanz complex, a day after Iran announced it had started up advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges at the site in a breach of its undertakings under a troubled 2015 nuclear deal.

There were “no casualties nor pollution,” he said, adding that “the causes of the accident are under investigation and more details will be released later.”

The accident follows an explosion at a factory for advanced centrifuges at Natanz last July.

The authorities blamed that incident on “sabotage” by “terrorists,” but have not released the results of their investigation into it.

President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday inaugurated a replacement factory at Natanz as well as a cascade of centrifuges for enriching uranium and two test cascades, in a ceremony broadcast by state television. AFP

Rescuers work to free 21 trapped in flooded mine

REPURPOSED. Members of the Cambodian military prepare beds for COVID-19 patients at a wedding party hall that was turned into a field hospital in Phnom Penh on April 11, 2021. AFP

Notre-Dame awaits long path to pre-fire flory ON THE evening of April 15, 2019, France and the world watched transfixed in horror as flames ravaged NotreDame cathedral in Paris, fearful that the heritage landmark could be lost to humanity forever.

While the spire collapsed and much of the roof was destroyed, the efforts of firefighters ensured the great mediaeval edifice survived the night. Yet the road to restoration has been long and arduous and it is only expected to return to its former glory in April 2024, five years after the fire.

The cause of the blaze remains a subject of uncertainty, although investigators are so far rejecting any idea of foul play and focusing on a short-circuit or even a dropped cigarette as possible explanations.

With at least two TV dramas and one feature film in the pipeline about April

15, the drama of that night and the race to save the 850-year-old building looks set to be further graven in the public memory.

It was President Emmanuel Macron who set the five-year restoration target in the immediate aftermath of the fire, which would mean the cathedral could be visited again when Paris hosts the 2024 summer Olympics.

“We are on course to return the cathedral for worship in 2024. But there is still a lot of work,” Jean-Louis Georgelin, the straight-talking former general handpicked by Macron to lead the restoration efforts, said last month.

The actual restoration work has yet to begin. Time up until now has been spent on securing the building, including the painstaking task of removing 40,000 pieces of scaffolding calcified in the fire.

This should be finished in the summer, allowing the full restoration works

to begin early next year.

The aim is to celebrate the first full service in the restored cathedral on April 15, 2024, despite delays caused by the pandemic and the lead that filtered out during the blaze.

The drive is helped by some 833 million euros ($991 million) collected in a national and international donation campaign launched immediately after the fire, although this alone may not be enough to push the restoration over the finishing line.

Of that 70 million euros ($83 million) came from abroad, half of that sum from the United States.

Already, some 1,000 specially-selected oak trees are drying out to reconstruct the spire – which Macron had been tempted to replace with a modern touch but will now be rebuilt as it was – and the crossing of the transept. AFP

RESCUERS were working Sunday to reach 21 workers trapped in a coal mine in northwest China’s Xinjiang region after flooding cut power underground and disrupted communications, state media reported.

The accident happened in Fengyuan coal mine in Hutubi County on Saturday evening, when staff were carrying out upgrading works at the site, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Eight of the 29 workers who were at the scene have been rescued from the mine, according to preliminary reports.

Rescuers have located the miners, with 12 on one platform, eight on a second platform, and the last worker in an escape route where water had entered, broadcaster CCTV reported.

“The working platform with 12 people is 1,200 meters from ground level and the underground terrain is complex, making rescue difficult,” CCTV said.

Rescuers were also trying to pump water from the flooded shaft and have been piping air into the mine. Pumping equipment was being installed.

Mining accidents are common in China, where the industry has a poor safety record and regulations are often weakly enforced.

In January, 22 workers were trapped in a mine in east China’s Shandong province after an explosion damaged the entrance, leaving workers stuck underground for about two weeks. AFP

NASA delays Mars helicopter flight for tech check

QUARANTINE MOVES. Dancers perform ‘Mozart a 2 et Sinfonia’ (Mozart

at 2 and Sinfonia) by French choreographer Thierry Malandain and inspired by the lockdown at the Victoria Eugenia Antzokia theater in the Spanish Basque city of San Sebastian on April 10, 2021. AFP

NASA has delayed by at least several days the first flight of its mini-helicopter on Mars after a possible tech issue emerged while testing its rotors, the US space agency said.

Ingenuity’s trip, which is to be the first-ever powered, controlled flight on another planet, was set for Sunday but is now on hold until at least April 14.

A high-speed test of the 1.8 kilogram helicopter’s rotors on Friday ended earlier than expected due to an alert of a potential issue.

“The helicopter team is reviewing telemetry to diagnose and understand the issue,” NASA said in a statement. “Following that, they will reschedule the full-speed test.”

NASA noted the copter is “safe and healthy” and had sent information back to Earth.

Initially the plan for Sunday was to

have Ingenuity fly for 30 seconds to take a picture of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars on February 18 with the helicopter attached to its underside.

NASA calls the unprecedented helicopter operation highly risky, but says it could reap invaluable data about the conditions on Mars.

The flight is a true challenge because the air on Mars is so thin – less than one percent of the pressure of Earth’s atmosphere.

This means Ingenuity must spin its rotor blades much faster than a helicopter needs to do on Earth in order to fly.

After the flight, Ingenuity will send Perseverance technical data on what it has done, and that information will be transmitted back to Earth.

This will include a black and white photo of the Martian surface that Inge-

nuity is programmed to snap while flying.

A day later, once its batteries have charged up again, Ingenuity is to transmit another photo -- in color, of the Martian horizon, taken with a different camera.

If the flight is a success, NASA plans another no more than four days later. It plans as many as five altogether, each successively more difficult, over the course of a month.

NASA hopes to make the helicopter rise five meters (16 feet) and then move laterally.

The mission is be the equivalent on Mars of the first powered flight on Earth – by the Wright brothers in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honor of that feat. AFP

Entertainment

By Nickie Wang

‘80s OPM exponent, back with new track Singer and songwriter JoAnn Lorenzana pens a new ballad inspired by her own love story.

“MY EVERYDAY Valentine” is the latest digital single released by one of Original Pinoy Music’s (OPM) exponents in the ‘80s and ‘90s, JoAnne Lorenzana. The singer and songwriter penned the lyric while the melody was created by brilliant, prolific songwriter Jimmy Borja, with arrangement by Jimmy Antiporda.

The ballad singer, who has been in hiatus since 2005 and “living a beautiful life” in the US, recently spoke to some members of local entertainment press to talk about her new track.

“The song is a sweet, easy-listening, pop ballad that reminds those who cherish the love that the emotions and memories it evokes not only begins at the onset of one’s love story but also transcends the

season of hearts,” she shared.

Though officially released on Valentine’s Day, the composition is meant to be an everyday love song. It says that while expressing our love feels good on Valentine’s or any other season, it is even better to express it every single day.

The happily married singer penned the song inspired by her own love story.

Between Seasons, the last album JoAnne released was back in 2010. Since then, she has only released another single, ‘‘New Year’s Day’’, about five years ago.

The singer-songwriter revealed she has vowed to release new songs every year, if possible.

“Of course I miss the local music scene.

And I want to work with young singers and musicians if possible,” JoAnne said adding that she loves listening to Moira

Award-dominating 'Nomadland' wins top Hollywood director prize CHLOE Zhao's Nomadland won this year's top Hollywood directing award Saturday -- the final major guild ceremony before the Oscars, and an important late bellwether in Tinseltown's pandemicdelayed and mainly virtual award season.

Zhao spent her entire victory speech praising her fellow nominees, who must now be wondering what they can do to catch up with her critically adored and awards-dominating US road movie before the Academy Awards on April 25.

"I want to thank you guys for teaching me so much, and for showing your support—you have made this journey so much more special," the 39-year-old

director, previously best known for indie movie The Rider, told rival directors via video call.

Those filmmakers included David Fincher (Mank), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) and Lee Isaac Chung (Minari)—who will also vie for the best director Oscar.

But Zhao—who becomes only the second woman to ever win the top Directors Guild of America prize, after Kathryn Bigelow for 2008's The Hurt Locker—is entrenched as the strong favorite.

While the DGA last year plumped for Sam Mendes (1917) over Oscar winner Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), they have correctly predicted the victor the previous six years running.

Nomadland, a semi-fictional drama, follows a community of older vandwelling Americans left behind by the Great Recession, who forge a new, transient life off the grid in the American West.

Beijing-born Zhao said she hopes audiences can "experience the lives of people that they may consider 'the other'" and so "walk away feeling a little bit less alone."

She described directing as an outlet and a remedy for her own experience of "very intense loneliness in my life." AFP

The national balladeer BEING proclaimed as the Aliw Awards Entertainer of the Year and voted as Broadway.com Philippines Performer of the Decade is not a smallscale feat. Undoubtedly, these achievements gave more premium and stellar to the career of romantic crooner and world-class musical theater artist Gerald Santos.

With these accolades, is Santos ready to be dubbed as the Philippine National Balladeer?

“I think that is a bit too much,” answers the singer with a shy smile with his face turning red. “I am just overwhelmed and thankful. I could not believe how lucky I am, and maybe even blessed that despite the present situation we are all in, these recognitions come my way.”

“Hard work and prayers do pay off. The things that are happening in my career right now are a product of dedication, sacrifices, commitment, luck, perfect timing, and God’s grace,” he goes on.

Santos has just joined the ranks of the late great Rico Puno, Martin Nievera, Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez, and Lea Salonga, who all previously got the distinction of being Aliw’s Entertainer of the Year.

“I still cannot believe it. It’s still surreal for me. It is ab honor to be in the company of the Philippines’ best entertainers.

I am tickled by it. It is a surprise and shock at the same time. It motivates me to give more, to do my best, especially when I perform on the concert stage or in a musical theater production,” he says.

Santos believes that his arsenal to success is his attitude towards work, which means doing it because of love, professionalism, coming to set and rehearsals on time, knowing your lines and lyrics, treating everyone well, and keeping your feet on the ground.

“Aside from believing that you are only as good as your last performance, your dealings with other people, how you show them your respect, your professional attitude is also

an important factor,” Santos continues.

Currently, Santos is in rehearsals of I Will the Musical where he plays ALWIN the lead. It is based on IGNACIO the life of Dr. Willie Ong, with lyrics, music, and libretto written by Antonino Rommel Ramilo.

The cast of this new musical includes Paulina Yeung as Dra. Liza Ong, Jett Pangan as the father of Dr. Willie Ong, Ima Castro as the mother of Dr. Willie Ong, and Robert Seña as Colonel Ouano, to mention a few.

He is also part of the star-studded Borracho Films Mamasapano where he portrays the role of PO3 Christopher Lalan, the lone survivor of this contemporary and controversial police tragedy.

With the great success that Santos enjoys, part and parcel of it are bashers, haters, and detractors.

“To be honest, I am thankful that they are around. Para silang taga check and balance. In a way, especially the criticisms that focus on your artistry, I read it kasi nga, hindi naman ako perfect and these are reminders to help me improve. Pero kung personal na ang attack, I am just amused with the level of hatred and attention they throw at me. I am aware that I cannot please everybody and there will always detractors. I just let them with their opinions of me. I am proof that dreams do come true, especially when you put your heart to it and you add pa your optimism and professionalism.”

His biggest dream as of the moment is to get the chance to play and become Marius in Les Miserables. Meanwhile, he is set to record a Broadway album that will highlight duets from iconic international and local musicales with some of the country’s leading singing legends and musical theater greats.

ARIAS

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021

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dela Torre and December Avenue.

JoAnne, who is best known for the classic ballads “I’ll Never Let You Go,” “Kung Alam Mo Lang,” “Back In Your Arms” and “Goodtimes, Badtimes,” was discovered in 1984. She front-acted for international acts held locally, such as Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, Menudo (the former group of Ricky Martin), and the British jazz ensemble Shakatak.

In 1985, she was launched in a show billed as JoAnne: Her First Time to announce the entry of the pop artist into the music industry.

“My Everyday Valentine” is in keeping with her vow to her music audience, especially avid OPM listeners.

“My Everyday Valentine” is available on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

Rabiya’s goal: Bring home the Miss Universe crown Rabiya channels a Miss Universe aura with her ‘Filipina’ crown.

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ISS PAGEANT UniCONCEPT verse ETON CONCEPCION Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo flew to the United States to compete at the pandemic-postponed 69th Miss Universe pageant, exuding confidence wearing a pearl-barong outfit made by designer Chino Christopherson, on Friday morning.

As soon as she arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport, the eloquent Ilongga model and physical therapist updated her fans waiting for her arrival in the host country.

“I’m here now in USA. Please pray and support me and I will do my best to bring the crown back to the Philippines,” Rabiya, who was wearing a black suit upon her arrival at the airport, said.

The 24-year-old beauty queen is of Filipino-Indian descent. She is from Balasan, Iloilo, and won the inaugural Miss Universe Philippines pageant under a new franchise headed by National Director Shamcey Supsup and Creative Director Jonas Gaffud.

Rabiya began working as a physical therapy lecturer after she graduated cum laude in physical therapy at Iloilo Doctor’s College in 2018. She was appointed ambassador of education of the Philippines and helps in projects conducted by the Department of Education She started her charity project, a feeding program and reading session, for the poor children residing near a dumpsite in Iloilo City. She helped the BULIG of the Jazmin Foundation to raise fund to buy personal protective equipment (PPEs) for frontliners and provide support for pedicab drivers who lost their jobs during the onset

of COVID-19 pandemic. She also used her own money to prepare meals for the frontliners at the Iloilo Doctors Hospital.

Rabiya grew up poor with her brother, raised by a single mother, after they were abandoned by her Indian-American father when she was five years old. Her name means princess or queen in Muslim.

Rabiya, the second Fil-Indian beauty to represent the country in Miss Universe pageant after Venus Raj in 2010, has undergone training skills in runway, interview, makeup, fitness and mental health to prepare her for the tough Miss Universe competition. Her Philippine-support team, led by Gaffud, arrived early in Florida to meet the health restrictions and protocols by the MUO. More than 80 candidates are vying for the Miss Universe 2020 title currently held by Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa. The pageant night will be held at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on May 16 (May 17 in Manila).

Fans can help Rabiya secure a spot in the Top 21 by voting via the Lazada exclusive e-commerce platform. The candidate who garnered the highest number of votes will automatically be included in the semifinals.

MODERN FILIPINIANA. Rabiya Mateo marks her second day in Hollywood, Florida wearing a green ensemble embellished with pearls and seashells.

Nikki Gil gives fans a glimpse of her life at home CELEBRITY mom and singer Nikki Gil opens up her home for online classes, web-based meetings, or even preparing meals and the first time as she talks about how their life has changed during deliveries through the internet. the pandemic. Not being able to go out to work and socialize, the Secure parental controls celebrity-mom shares how she rediscovered her home by turning Another aspect of the PLDT Home Wifi Mesh system that quarantine time into quality time for her family. is important for Nikki is the Parental Controls. “One of my A shared social space for home entertainment most favorite features is the Parental Controls. I can block any Making the most of every opportunity to bond and connect, Nikki inappropriate content or website that I don’t want my son to have shows her favorite spot for the family to hang out - the living room access to. And, I can limit how long my son can use the device.” couch. Doing different things and being entertained while still being Whole home coverage together has become very special for her. “Someone would be bingeNikki and her family now enjoy seamless connection anywhere watching Netflix, I would be browsing Instagram, and my son would in the house without dead spot issues. The PLDT Home Wifi be on Youtube Kids. I like that while we are all doing our own thing, Mesh system supports 2.4 and 5 GHz capable of providing up to we are still together, we are still spending time together.”

800 Mbps in a seamless and wide-covering network. This means Working and learning anytime, anywhere having a connection all around the home without any delays or Showing her own corner of the house, Nikki shares that she dead spots. “You know how you’re walking around the house has even enrolled in online art classes to rekindle her love for art. and you’re streaming something or talking to someone and it just Along with hosting online events, checking important emails, and disappears. This solves just that. Wherever you are at home you attending virtual social gatherings, she has really put her home will have the same WiFi signal,” Nikki shares. office to good use with the Catch the full video on internet playing a vital role Instagram (https://www. in her daily activities. “I’ve instagram.com/tv/CMbNxh realized that strong, stable SH9jX/?igshid=ua5ksm8x internet connection has proven ldns) and discover how the to be so important to me the new PLDT Home WiFi Mesh past year. And I’m so grateful System can boost connections that PLDT Home has been so the way it has helped Nikki reliable and has been a partner enjoy better productivity at in being productive and staying home. in touch.”

You can get your own PLDT Equipped with the new PLDT Home Wifi Mesh system for Home WiFi Mesh System, the as low as P298 per month for entire household benefits from a starter kit that comes with Celebrity mom and singer Nikki Gil opens up her home for the strong connections anywhere two mesh units. Visit www. first time as she talks about how their life has changed during the in the home whether they are pldthome.com/wifimesh to pandemic. using it for entertainment, know more.

Life

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

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FOOD

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021

LUGAW:

Always essential, sometimes ‘sosyal’

Xiao Loo Gaw, a lugaw dumpling version by Chef Joel Esparto Erfe.

Chefs create laksa, dumpling, prawn bisque versions of the Pinoy porridge

By Monica Sanchez

W

HO would have thought there would come a time when we would have to debate whether something as basic and as commonly eaten as lugaw (porridge) was essential or not.

But this is not “normal time,” so maybe that was only fitting; not right, but fitting.

Lugaw comes in many forms—it can be savory or sweet, simple and sparsely spiced (just salt, garlic, ginger) or heavy and hearty (with eggs and meats or fish or what have you)—but however you want your porridge, it will always be a quintessential Filipino comfort food, and a cultural symbol, according to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

“Lugaw is one of the earliest documented food of our ancestors,” the NCCA said in a Facebook post on March 31. “The 1613 Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Fr. Pedro de San Buenaventura, OFM defines it as rice mixed with milk or water or of both (porridge).”

Its versatility has long been estabChefs’‘sosyal’ lugaw lished, that in fact, 10 chefs showcase how the classic Filipino food can be recreations (clockwise from top left): Indian-style Lugaw transformed into international fare.

The Lugaw Challenge by De La with Monggo and Coconut, Salle-College of Saint Benilde Culi- Laksa Lugaw, Oatmeal Curry Lugaw, Lugaw tayo kainary Cluster started when program Vegan, Miso Shiitake Lugaw, chairperson Chef Margarita Marty Prawn Bisque Lugaw, Warm posted on social media a photo of Vanilla Cinnamon Spiced her enjoying lugaw. “Several faculty Tres Leches Lugaw, and members commented that I only eat Lugaw Señora. sosyal na lugaw but this is not true. I often have it for meals,” she recalled.

“This continued on until we decided to In two days, the friendly banter endhave a challenge.” ed with an array of mouthwatering reci-

BITES

pes seamlessly blended with a variety of rich international flavors.

Chef Erica Aquino’s Miso Shiitake Lugaw is a nod to Japanese cuisine with its miso glazed chicken, spicy pickled wood ear mushrooms, nori flakes, ramen egg, and sesame chili oil.

Chef Veronica Reyes transforms the often lightly seasoned dish into a bold fare with her Laksa Lugaw made with creamy and fragrant seafood broth topped with poached prawns, fried tofu, and soft-boiled egg. India comes closer to home with Chef Kannan Jayaprakash Sreedevi’s Indian-style Lugaw with Monggo and Coconut.

Chef Joel Espiritu Erfe’s dumpling version Xiao Loo Gaw is made with saffron mushroom congee in a pouch,

and comes with a side of bean sprout salad, crispy pork ears, tofu, poached egg, and a mildly spicy calamansi soy dressing.

Meanwhile, Chef Jade Christopher Marquez Lee merges sous vide egg, crispy pancetta, toasted walnuts, and rosemary oil in his Adlai and Wild Mushroom Lugaw. Chef Mike Silbor brings a dash of France in his Prawn Bisque Lugaw made with prawn reduction, pan-seared river prawns, beurre noisette, and crispy fried leeks.

Lugaw but make it vegan, with Chef Jester Arellano’s Lugaw tayo kai-Vegan made using brown rice, vegetable broth, saffron, and calamansi vinaigrette topped off with shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, kangkong, malung-

gay, and chia seeds.

Coming in sweet is Chef Roselle Sison-Pangalilingan’s delectable Warm Vanilla Cinnamon Spiced Tres Leches Lugaw with raspberry and goji berry compote. A non-rice alternative, Chef Zemir Herrera-Rollan’s Oatmeal Curry Lugaw is made with hard-boiled egg, fried tofu, shredded chicken, toasted garlic, and leeks.

Completing the set is Chef Marty’s Lugaw ni Señora, headlined by chorizos and crispy jamones served with quail eggs, leeks and crunchy garlic.

More than showcasing the porridge’s prowess, Chef Marty said, “This is our own little way of supporting the struggling restaurant industry and the riders.”

foodpanda sports fun, new look

Korean-inspired burgers, fries, and sundae available for a limited time only at McDonald’s.

Korean-inspired burgers

A TASTE of Korea has landed at McDonald’s as it launches two Kburgers, honey butter fries, and strawberry banana sundae.

The K-Beef Burger is made with 100 percent beef patty dipped in gochujang sauce, sandwiched in black sesame seed buns with crisp lettuce, slivers of onion, and round egg, and drizzled with tangy kimchi dressing.

The K-Chicken Burger, on the other hand, is made with a crispy chicken fillet topped with flavor-

ful toppings and creamy cheddar cheese, all sandwiched between soft black sesame seed buns.

Both K-burgers are best enjoyed with the Honey Butter Fries (McDonald’s World Famous Fries with a sweet honey creamy butter twist) and Strawberry Banana Sundae (the classic vanilla sundae drizzled with sweet strawberry banana syrup).

The limited edition lineup is available via McDelivery, drive-thru, or takeout, as well as via GrabFood or foodpanda.

ON-DEMAND food delivery foodpanda unveils its brand new look as it expands its business verticals beyond food delivery.

The iconic pink panda will still be highly visible, but it gets a fun new treatment that will soon be seen on foodpanda customer’s everyday touchpoints, including the app, website, rider bags and jackets, packaging, and the brand’s marketing campaigns and social media pages.

The refreshed home screen on the foodpanda app, dubbed the “bento,” The on-demand delivery service’s iconic pink look is complemented by new patterns and colors.

The new ‘bento’ home screen allows users to easily choose the foodpanda service they need.

now allows users to seamlessly choose the foodpanda service they need – food delivery, self-pickup, shops, or pandamart – while making it easier to explore top restaurants and promotions available in their location.

“The design direction is meant to bridge the gap between our tech and the real-life experience of millions of customers by offering a more userfriendly look that encourages them to better explore what foodpanda can offer,” said Daniel Marogy, foodpanda managing director.