Manila Standard - 2021 April 19 - Monday

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‘3 virus variants spreading’ DOH detects 642 more cases, logs total infections at 936,133

By Willie Casas

T

HE Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday said experts have detected 266 more cases of the UK, 351 of the South African, and 25 Philippine COVID-19 variants.

The University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) detected the latest cases from 752 samples sequenced nationwide.

Of the 266 UK (B.1.1.7) variant infections, 11 are returning Filipinos who were living abroad, 188 are local cases, and 67

are still for verification.

The DOH said the new cases brought the total number of B.1.1.7 variant infections to 658. Of the total, eight have already died, 204 have recovered and 54 are still active.

Studies show that this variant has a higher reproduction rate than other variants.

Of the new South African (B.1.351) variant cases, 15 are returning overseas Filipinos, 263 are local cases, and 73 are under further validation. This raised the total cases of the South African variant to 695, which includes 293 recoveries and four deaths.

A previous study found that this South Next page

• COVID death toll exceeds 3m • 2nd blood clot case in Canada THE global COspiraling infection VID-19 death toll numbers. passed 3 million An average of over the weekend more than 12,000 as the pandemic sped up despite vaccina- deaths were recorded globally every day tion campaigns, leading countries such as in the past week, shooting the overall toll India to impose new lockdowns to fight Next page

WORLD ROUNDUP

VOL. XXXV • NO. 63 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TS ‘Bising’ hard to track —PAGASA; red alert up

By Rio N. Araja DISASTER officials went on red alert over the potential impact of Typhoon “Bising,” as the storm moved closer to the Bicol region.

The weather bureau said “Bising” will move northwestward over the Philippine Sea east of Bicol on Monday, then move north until Tuesday afternoon before turning northwestward again east of Cagayan Valley.

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Travelers bound for the south find themselves high and dry at the Northport Terminal, Pier 13 in Manila as super typhoon 'Bising' brings moderate to heavy rains, causing the suspension of land-air-sea travel to and from Eastern Visayas , Bicol and nearby regions. In Virac, Catanduanes (left panel), mandatory evacuation of residents has been ordered while Coastguards come to the rescue of five people in Mati City, Davao whose boat capsized, battered by typhoon-induced waves; resort in Borongan, Samar also gets flooded. NDRRMC/AFP

AFP chief crushes ‘war’ rumor ARMED Forces chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana on Sunday dismissed as false social media reports that war was about to break out between the Philippines and China over the presence of Chinese vessels in the West

AT A GLANCE

Philippine Sea. He also said there was no truth to social media reports about military equipment that the Philippines received from the US, Japan, and Australia.

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Erap at 84: no frills, virtual bash FORMER President Joseph Estrada will have a virtual celebration of his 84th birthday today at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, where he was confined after he tested positive for COVID-19.

"My other siblings have comorbidi-

COVID-19 PH

ties. I was designated to lead a video call, and we will bring a cake and blow the candles... it's just simple," said former senator Jinggoy Estrada.

He told dwIZ radio he would give the cake to the nurse taking care of his father.

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(AS OF 4 PM APRIL 18)

936,133 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

13 dead in Tabuk car mishap

THIRTEEN people – all relatives and officer fell into an irrigation canal in including five minors – died after a Tabuk City in Kalinga late Sunday afNext page sports utility vehicle driven by a jail ternoon.

The half-submerged vehicle (Ford Everest) driven by Soy Lope Agtulao, a jail officer, fell into an irrigation canal, killing himself and 12 passengers around 6:15 p.m. Sunday (April 18, 2021) near Bulo Lake, Tabuk City in Kalinga. Tabuk PDRRMO

ALL BY HER LONESOME.

Queen Elizabeth II (upper left) watches as pallbearers carry the coffin of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh during his funeral inside St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London, on April 17, 2021. Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years, died on April 9 aged 99 just weeks after a month-long stay in hospital for treatment to a heart condition and an infection. AFP

10,098 141,089 NEW

ACTIVE

15,960

150

DEATHS

NEW

779,084 72,607 NEW RECOVERIES

Oil price hike seen at P0.70/liter

By Alena Mae S. Flores CONSUMERS can expect higher pump prices this week of as much as P0.70 per liter to reflect the movement of prices in the world market.

“Expect fuel prices to go up next week (April 20-26, 2021). Diesel will increase

by P0.60 to P0.70 per liter. Gasoline will increase by P0.40 to P0.50 per liter. Load up accordingly,” Unioil Philippines said in its weekly price forecast.

On April 13, the oil companies implemented a price cut in domestic oil products.

The oil firms cut the price of gasoline by P0.25 per liter along with the rollback in kerosene by P0.10 per liter, but there was no movement on the price of diesel.

These resulted in the year-to-date adjustments to stand at a total net increase of P6.55 per liter of gasoline and P3.45 per liter of kerosene.

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News

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘3 virus...

From A1

African variant reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine created by AstraZeneca drug maker, which is now called Vaxzevria.

Of the additional 25 Philippine (P.3) variant infections, which is not a "variant of concern," two are returning overseas Filipinos, 21 are local cases while two are still unclassified.

This increased the total tally of P.3 variant cases in the country to 148, with one active case and 24 recoveries.

The DOH said they are still determining whether the P.3 variant has "significant implications on public health."

Meanwhile, the P.1 variant cases, which was first detected in Brazil, remained at two.

The Philippines logged 10,098 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, bringing the total to 936,133 infections, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

The DOH reported 150 new fatalities, bringing the death toll from COVID-19 to 15,960, which is 1.7 percent of the total.

The DOH also reported that 72,607 persons recently recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 779,084, which is 83.2 percent of the total.

Active cases remained at 141,089, which is 15.1 percent of the total. Of the active cases, 96.7 percent were mild; 1.7 percent were asymptomatic; 0.5 percent were critical; 0.7 percent were severe; and

0.43 percent were moderate.

The DOH also reported, nationwide, 68 percent of the ICU beds were in use; 49 percent of the isolation beds were in use; 56 percent of the ward beds were in use; 47 percent of the ventilators were in use.

In Metro Manila, 84 percent of the ICU beds were in use; 63 percent of the isolation beds were in use; 72 percent of the ward beds were in use; and 63 percent of the ventilators were in use.

As of April 13, the Philippines administered only over 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses after more than a month.

The country targets 70 million by the end of the year, which the Health department said is needed to reach herd immunity against the coronavirus.

The Philippines College of Physicians (PCP) on Sunday said most emergency rooms in pandemic-hit areas are still full as the number of new COVID-19 cases remains high in Metro Manila.

Dr. Maricar Limpin, PCP vice president, said the government must enforce long-term programs such as digitalizing its contact-tracing, testing all people exposed to virus patients, and improving its referral of COVID-19 cases.

“We see a lot of patients become severe or critical. It's frustrating for us because by the time we see them, they're in the worst condition already," Limpin said in Filipino on ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

Limpin said health workers may only feel the impact of the stricter community quarantines in two to three weeks.

“We just push through it. Our emergency department is really full. Not just full, it's at about 200-percent capacity,”she said.

Limpin advised local governments to centralize their data as contact-tracing using filled-up forms has been ineffective.

“Let's improve our contact-tracing, and they should agree on one thing, for example, if it's QR code. Let's not do manual contact tracing because nothing happens. Let's throw it away because we know it's not effective,” Limpin said.

She urged local government officials to bring COVID-19 assistance to residents instead of the other way around.

“I think there should be a better way of distributing this aid. I think government employees can go to the people instead of residents going to them,” Limpin said.

AFP...

The fishermen said they usually earn as much as P4,000 per fishing trip but they are now coming back almost empty-handed due to the scarcity of their catch.

Pangilinan, one of the proponents for the creation of a Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources that aims to better manage the Philippines’ vast marine territory, urged the government to take immediate action against the twin threats of territorial encroachment and fish shortage.

“As early as now, we should heed the warning of our fishermen on the issue of their dwindling catch. We are glad that the DFA takes this into account in their diplomatic protests,” he said, referring to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Pangilinan said the Bureau of Fisher-

ies and Aquatic Resources should also step up and provide necessary support to Filipino fishermen.

“The Department of Agriculture as a whole must prepare for contingency to avoid a fish shortage,” he said.

“In this situation, China is not only violating our sovereignty, it is also robbing us of income and food. Small-scale farmers and fishermen are always on the losing end. They are the poorest and almost always taken advantage of,” Pangilinan added.

Economist Solita “Winnie” Monsod estimated that China is earning $6 billion a year from fishing in Philippine territorial waters.

Monsod said the presence of some 270 Chinese fishing boats in Subi and

Mischief Reefs, as well as in the Scarborough Shoal and Spratlys, could have potentially netted 3 million metric tons of cumulative catch for China.

Environmental groups warn of a potential fish shortage if Chinese presence in WPS continues, calling the situation “worse than invasion.”

While the Philippine Coast Guard said that the area is an international nautical highway where foreign vessels frequently pass, Zambales fishermen reported that the Chinese vessels remain stationary and have been there for four months now Pangilinan said the government must learn from the African swine fever (ASF) debacle and go to the root cause of the problem—poor border controls.

Canada reports 2nd blot clot case Canadian health authorities said Saturday the country has recorded a second case of rare but serious blood clotting linked to AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, but still recommend the shot for use.

The patient, who lives in the western province of Alberta and received a version of the AstraZeneca vaccine supplied by the Serum Institute of India, "has received treatment and is recovering," Canadian health authorities wrote on Twitter.

Canada reported its first case of blood clotting associated with low platelets on Tuesday in a Quebec woman who received the same shot.

Blood clot formations linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine "remain very rare" and

Canada still believes that the vaccine's benefits "outweigh the potential risks," Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada said.

Germany honors 80,000 dead Germany held a national memorial service on Sunday for its nearly 80,000 victims of the coronavirus pandemic, putting aside deep divisions over COVID restrictions to share the pain of grieving families.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier joined an ecumenical service in the morning at Berlin's Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a memorial against war and destruction.

They will later attend a ceremony at the capital's Konzerthaus concert hall,

where the president will make a speech.

"Sickness, dying and death cannot be just pushed away in this long year, they have cut deeply into the lives of many people," said Georg Baetzing, the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, at the morning service.

With pandemic curbs still in force restricting the number of people who can attend, the ceremonies were being broadcast live on public television.

"As president I believe it is very important for us to stop to say goodbye in dignity to those who died during the pandemic – including those who did not fall victim to the virus but who also died in loneliness," said Steinmeier as he announced the national service. AFP

Erap...

"There was a time he told the nurse if he could go home because he wanted to go home," said the former senator.

"But he will have to spend his birthday in the hospital.”

Jinggoy said the former president had a secondary lung infection due to pneumonia, which was likely hospital-acquired.

"I had to rush to the hospital and I was allowed to enter his room. I visited him once, and I will return,” he added.

TS...

From A1

Given the uncertainty of the typhoon's path, a westward shift in the current forecast could result in “significant impact” over the easter portions of Southern Luzon and the Visayas, the weather bureau added.

In the 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Typhoon Bising maintained its maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 265 kph.

Bising could bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Bicol and Eastern Visayas Sunday, PAGASA said.

The typhoon may continue to bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Bicol and Northern Samar by Monday.

Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 2 was hoisted over Catanduanes, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Samar.

Signal no. 1 remained over the eastern portion of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, including Burias and Ticao Islands, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, the northern portion of Cebu, Dinagat Islands, Siargao Islands and Bucas Grande Islands.

In an interview on radio dzBB, the executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad said the agency and the regional disaster councils, especially those in Eastern Visayas, the Bicol region and Northern Luzon were on red alert.

The NDRRMC said a total of P1.6 billion worth of stockpiles of food and standby funds have been prepared for those living in areas expected to be affected by Typhoon Bising.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) readied P556 million in standby funds in its central office and field offices. Of this amount, P518 million is the available Quick Response Fund in the DSWD main office.

DSWD also readied 370,058 family food packs worth P188 million and other food items worth P336 million1 and nonfood supplies valued at P521 million.

The Department of Health (DOH) also prepared P9.4 million worth of drugs, medicines, medical supplies, health kits as well as COVID-19 supplies and personal protective equipment.

Malacañang on Sunday urged the public to remain vigilant and follow quarantine protocols as Bising maintained strength while passing close to Bicol Region.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the national government continues to monitor Typhoon Bising 24/7.

“Our concern is the safety of everyone. We therefore ask our people to remain alert and vigilant, cooperate with authorities and continue to observe minimum public health standards for protection against COVID-19,” he said in a press statement.

To date, Roque said the Office of Civil Defense has conducted pre-disaster risk assessments at the national level and issued guidance and advisories for the early preparation of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (RDRRMCs) and the local government units (LGUs) since April 14.

From A1

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Pangilinan said the Philippines cannot afford a fish shortage that might result from the continued presence of Chinese boats in traditional Filipino fishing grounds in the West Philippine Sea. “We already have a pork shortage problem. Let’s not allow a fish shortage because for sure it will raise fish prices,” Pangilinan said.

Zambales fishermen on Saturday blamed their dwindling catch on the presence of at least 20 Chinese vessels anchored around 111 kilometers from San Antonio, Zambales.

World...

From A1

past three million on Saturday, according to an AFP tally.

The United States is the worst-affected country with 566,904 deaths, followed

by Brazil with 371,678 deaths, Mexico with 212,228 deaths, India with 177,150 deaths and Britain with 127,260.

And the pandemic is showing no sign of slowing down: the 829,596 new infections reported worldwide on Friday is the highest number yet, according to AFP's tally. The daily average of 731,000 cases registered over the last week is also close to being a record.

13...

From A1

From A1

Asked if they were prepared to have the birthday celebration in the hospital, the former senator said he was told by the doctors they could transfer the former President to a regular room, but he would not be going home on his birthday.

He said his father, who had already been treated for the new coronavirus, felt agitated.

According to Police Staff Sgt. Zaldy Chumacog, the driver, Soy Lope Agtulao, 36, lost control of his Ford Everest, causing it to be submerged under water.

“There was a curved area along the irrigation canal. He was perhaps not familiar with the road,” Chumacog told Manila Standard in an interview.

“The vehicle was submerged in deep waters. Malalim yung irrigation,” he added.

Agtulao's two children as well as his father and sister were among those who perished in the accident.

Of the 15 passengers, only two survived – Agtulao's 10-year-old son and a female relative identified as Edith Perez.

Eleven of the victims were brought to the Mejia Kim Medical Center where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

Two of the fatalities, including the driver, were declared DOA at the Kalinga Provincial Hospital. Dave Leprozo

Oil...

From A1

PANTRY SCENE. As more Filipinos go jobless and hungry amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a Manila resident sets up a table along Intramuros in front of the Manila Cathedral where those in need can get grocery items for free, apparently inspired by the “Maginhawa” and “P. Noval” community pantries. Norman Cruz

Diesel remains at a net increase of P4.65 per liter, according to the Department of Energy.

Meanwhile, CNBC reported last week that oil demand was on the upswing.

It said both the US International Energy Agency and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries forecast demand would go up this year as vaccinations continued to move forward.

CNBC cited the report of IEA that oil producers may have to increase supply by two million barrels per day while OPEC also forecast higher demand of up to 5.95 million barrels per day.

News

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

137k ‘jailbirds’ released after virtual hearings

FLY, PARROT, FLY.

Members of the Manila All-Star Free Flight, a group of avian enthusiasts, train their pet parrots to fly during an activity at Diokno Boulevard in Pasay City, aiming to teach their feathered pets the freedom of flight for the pets’ mental and physical well-being.

By Rey Requejo AT LEAST 137,000 persons deprived of liberty, including children in conflict with the law, has been freed as of last April 9 through video conferencing hearings that was implemented in May 2020 amid the coronavirus disease pandemic, according to the Supreme Court.

In a report to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said that from May 5, 2020 until April 9, 2021, courts in the country have released 137, 645 PDLs after conducting 234,540 video conferencing hearings on civil and criminal cases.

Marquez, whose has administrative supervision over all lower courts in the country, stressed that video conferencing posted 87.75 per cent success rate in court hearings.

The Court Administrator noted that those released were either through the posting of bail or freed through recognizance, had served the minimum period of their penalty, or granted probation The Supreme Court adopted the video conferencing as a means to expedite resolution of cases and decongest jails to prevent the spread of the disease.

Earlier, the SC directed Marquez to monitor all trial courts in the conduct of video conferencing that was pilot tested in Davao City in late 2019.

The SC has also allowed the online filing of petitions and other court pleadings to control the spread of COVID-19.

All courts in areas under localized enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and those under the modified ECQ (MECQ) ordered by the national government are physically closed until April 30.

Pantries catch fire; 2 senators lock horns

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Sonny Angara on Sunday urged the government and private entities to replicate the community pantries that have been sprouting in various areas across the country amid the pandemic, but Senator Panfilo Lacson described this trend as a sign of desperation.

“We encourage our local government units, the national government, and even private businesses who can afford to replicate and even scale up these community pantries to cater to even more people,” Angara said.

One small gesture when duplicated by a large number of people, Angara said, will amount to something very meaningful.

But Lacson emphasized that these makeshift community pantries only show that the people can no longer rely on the government to help them.

“It is good that through the community pantries, we see mutual aid by neighbors and barangay residents. But this is also a sign of desperation, that people can no longer rely on government to help them,” he said in an interview on DZBB radio.

Angara related that what was apparently started in Maginhawa in Quezon City has now been replicated in several other areas within and outside of Metro Manila.

“It is encouraging to see more Filipinos demonstrating the bayanihan spirit by putting up community pantries for the benefit of people who are struggling during these very challenging times,” Angara said.

SHIELDS DOWN.

Police confront market goers and vendors who don’t wear face shields and defy health protocols like observing social distancing despite the lingering threat of COVID-19. Cops are barred from arresting protocol violators but are there to see to it that the protocols are heeded.

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INC sets P10-m Lingap Relief campaign in NCR, 4 provinces T

HE Iglesia Ni Cristo is stepping up its Covid-19 pandemic assistance by allocating close to P10 million worth of relief goods to cities and provinces in the NCR Plus bubble, a Church official said on April 18, 2021.

INC’s humanitarian drive, under its Lingap sa Mamamayan program, will distribute “goody bags” to densely populated areas most affected by the corona virus starting April 18, 2021 until April 30, 2021.

“Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo and the entire INC continue to act on the spirit of Bayanihan that our government is spearheading. We as a Church will do our share in providing assistance to our countrymen in need -- those who have lost jobs, those who need food and basic supplies, those who need upliftment during this ongoing health emergency,”

said Bro. Glicerio P. Santos IV of the INC’s Finance Department.

Santos IV explained that they are partnering and closely coordinating with the respective local government units of the beneficiary areas for an organized and targeted distribution of goods.

The initial phase of the Lingap initiative, with an allocated budget of Php 9.8M, will involve the following LGUs and provinces in the NCR Plus bubble: Quezon City (Php 1.6M worth of goody bags), Manila (Php 500T), Caloocan (Php 500T), Las Piñas (Php

300T), Makati (Php 300T), Malabon (Php 300T), Mandaluyong (Php 300T), Marikina (Php 300T), Muntinlupa (Php 300T), Navotas (Php 300T), Parañaque (Php 300T), Pasay (Php 300T), Pasig (Php 300T), Pateros (Php 300T), San Juan (Php 300T), Taguig (Php 300T), Valenzuela (Php 300T), Rizal (Php 1M), Laguna (Php 500T), Cavite (Php 500T) and Bulacan (Php 1M).

“We’re driven by our Executive Minister Manalo’s malasakit sa kapwa.

He is our guide and inspiration in the entire assistance effort. This is only the first phase of our Covid Lingap. More are planned immediately after this one.

We are finalizing the contents of the goody bags but they will definitely include food and hygiene items and possibly basic medical supplies,” Santos IV stressed.

IN BRIEF ‘Legalize Marijuana’ bill doomed – Atienza

By Rio N. Araja THE Medical marijuana bill is dead, according to Buhay party-list Rep. Joselito Atienza.

“We won’t allow a pandemic of psychotic disorders to grip the country,” he said.

He says he sees no future for the bill seeking to legalize medical marijuana in the Philippines.

“As far as we’re concerned, the bill proposing to grant Filipinos the right of access to medical marijuana is dead,” he said, dismissing it as “a smokescreen” for the drug’s eventual legalization for recreational use.

“We will not allow a pandemic of psychotic disorders to grip our country— not during our watch in Congress.

“We don’t want to create another problem. We are already being overwhelmed by a shabu epidemic that is destroying the lives of many Filipino families and fostering corruption everywhere.”

Bank account for each Pinoy a must – senator

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

NAVIGATOR. Perched atop a massive

container van, a worker barks out the direction for the driver to be able to maneuver the heavy-duty loader.

TO ENSURE the prompt delivery of future government financial assistance programs, Senator Win Gatchalian has broached the idea of having each Filipino owning one bank account.

“Now we already have the national ID. I want to file a bill related to the national ID, which I will call “One Filipino, One Bank Account,” Gatchalian said.

He said it should be mandatory for the government to give everybody in the country a bank account. It is important we use technology.

During this pandemic, he said, the government should just remit the financial help to the bank account.

“Even the people dispensing the cash might get infected with COVID-19. Who will then dispense the money?” Gatchalian said.

PCSO urged to deploy new ambulances in remote urban areas NEW ambulances of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office must serve the people in home quarantine and remote urban areas, Senior Citizen party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes said on Sunday.

“I ask the PCSO to streamline its medicine donation program and medical transport vehicle donation program and pro-actively deliver COVID medi-

cines and ambulances, instead of PCSO waiting for donation requests,” he said.

Since the local government units are too busy grappling with COVID in their communities, PCSO should unload its stockpile of medicines and new ambulances swiftly, he said.

“The PCSO ambulances, for example, can be used to transport the medicines

and supplies. The ambulances can be staffed with personnel to administer the COVID tests during scheduled visits to barangays and sitios,” Ordanes said.

“The new PCSO ambulances are necessary, especially for remote barangays far from the center of their towns or cities. This is another reason new ambulances are needed. Older ambulances

now with the LGUs are busy transporting patients to hospitals,” he said.

“I also ask the Department of Health, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the PCSO to boost LGU supplies of COVID testing kits, medicines, and supplies,” he added. Rio Araja

Korean found dead in Capones

By Jess Malabanan

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga—A Korean businessman was found dead along the shoreline of Capones Island while his female companion went missing and was now the subject of search and rescue operations launched by authorities here since Saturday.

Changman Lee, 53, of Seoul, was found lying on his belly apparently a result of drowning when search and rescue personnel combed the entire Capones Island. His wife Hyung Jung Lee, 52. remained missing as of press time.

Capones Island is one of the favorite destinations of tourists visiting Subic Freeport.

The Korean couple, owner of Korean Mart at Subic Bay Freeport and temporarily staying at Benictican Housing, reportedly parked their vehicle at Barangay San Miguel and rented a motorboat to Capones Island.

Police said the Korean couple met a certain Wilson Monteza, 61, owner of the motorboat Friday past 3 p.m on Friday (April 16). They asked the boatman to take them to Capones Island.

Monteza told police investigators they reached Capones Island past 5 p.m. He was told by the Koreans to take them back at 8 a.m. the following day but the Koreans failed to show up at the meeting place.

The Korean couple, police said, stayed overnight in the island.

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News

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

IN BRIEF Lacson hits corrupt Agriculture officials

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Panfilo Lacson on Sunday slammed those behind the corruption at the Department of Agriculture, who, he said, threatened not just the Philippines’ food security but also its national security.

“There is nothing more basic than food, especially in a pandemic. If corruption infects the Department of Agriculture that should be at the forefront of food security efforts.

Wala na. Saan pa tayo pupulutin kung ang mga walang kaluluwa, walang konsensya pati pagkain ng ordinaryong Pilipino di papatawarin?” Lacson told DZBB radio.

He said those people also made money from food that should be on Filipino tables.

He reiterated his warning that such corrupt practices, compounded

by Executive Order 128 that brings down tariff rates for imported pork products, might make local hog raisers and those depending on them vulnerable to recruitment by the New People’s Army.

PRIORITY. Bacolod City Mayor Evelio ‘Bing’ Leonardia gets his first dose of AstraZeneca at the Bacolod City Government Center. The government earlier allowed local chief executives in critical and high risk provinces, cities, and municipalities. Bacolod City is one of the highly urbanized cities considered as critical and high risk areas.

Sotto: I take ivermectin as prevention

By Macon Ramos-Araneta JUST like former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate President Tito Sotto III disclosed he is also taking the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin once every two weeks to protect him from COVID-19.

“I take it as prevention, once every two weeks,” admitted Sotto in an interview over dwIZ. He said he believes the humangrade ivermectin prophylaxis can help fight the novel coronavirus despite warnings from health experts that it can damage the brain, lungs and liver and can be fatal.

The World Health Organization and the US- FDA have yet to approve the use of ivermectin, which was originally developed to treat worms and other parasites in animals.

It is currently on its third clinical trials in 73 countries for human use.

“I know somebody who was hit by COVID, took ivermectin for three days. On the 4th day, 5th day, all the symptoms were gone. Waited for just14 days before the patient was checked again, and was already negative,” Sotto said.

Last week, the Food and Drugs Administration gave one more private hospital compassionate special permit (CSP) to use ivermectin as treatment for COVID-19, as the country grapples with a shortage of supplies of medicines and vaccines.

“Two hospitals have actually applied and granted CSP already,” FDA director-general Eric Domingo said.

A compassionate use permit only allows legal administration of the drug in the country but is not an endorsement of its safety and efficacy from the FDA.

Lorenzana denies withdrawal of support

LGUs told: Submit A4 vax master list

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

L

OCAL government units must submit their master list of frontline workers or those belonging to the Priority Group A4 in preparation for a “midyear surge” of vaccine doses arriving in the country, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Sunday.

“We are expecting more and more doses to come in this May, with more doses compared to the volume we expect for April, and then by June it will be even higher than what we will get in May. The expected July volume is higher than June’s,” Nograles said in an interview with dzBB. “So in preparation for the midyear surge of vaccine supply, at the very least we must have a master list so that we in the national government, at the Depart-

ment of Health, will be able to program the allocation per LGU. We do not want surprises,” he added.

The A4 category covers frontline workers in the transportation sector, manufacturing, government services, hotels, education, and media, among others.

So far, only frontline medical workers, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities have been inoculated.

Meanwhile, senators welcomed the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force

for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to include frontline media workers in the updated list of sectors under Priority Group A4.

Senator Joel Villanueva said those who keep the people informed are as essential as those who teach, transport, feed, and protect the public.

“By vaccinating them, we end up being protected as well. But in the case of our essential workers, there is double protection: aside from lives, livelihoods are likewise made safe,” he added.

Senator Christopher Go, for his part, urged the Department of Health to spread out vaccination centers in barangays and even consider administering vaccines in villages or smaller residential clusters.

QUARANTINE TOYS.

An action figure that resembles the novel coronavirus is among the toys sold by 42-yearold Christopher Arias, a resident of Las Piñas City.

Arias has since made 180 action figures during the lockdown and has been selling them online for P1,000-P1,500 per piece.

Norman Cruz

BARMM new vehicles to boost security, disaster response

By Nash B. Maulana

COTABATO CITY—The Bangsamoro government has boosted its security preparedness and disaster response capability with new service and emergency vehicles.

Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, together with BARMM Interior Minister

Naguib Sinarimbo inspected five fire trucks, five police cars, and four units of ambulance vehicles.

Some of these vehicles will also be given to local government units in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Sinarimbo said ambulances will be given to Bangsamoro Rapid Emergency

Korea extends stay of OFWs THE period of stay and employment of overseas Filipino workers in Korea who are under the Employment Permit System (EPS) and whose contract term expires within the period April 13 to December 31, 2021 will be extended for one year.

In a report to Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Philippine labor attaché to Korea Maya Valderrama cited the recent issuance from Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor and Ministry of Justice which extends the stay of foreign workers given the prevailing condition brought about by the pandemic.

According to Valderrama, the MOEL expects that this measure will resolve

the difficulties of workers entering and leaving the country during the pandemic and the manpower shortage of small and medium-sized companies.

Bello thanked the South Korean government for the move that will benefit hundreds of workers.

“We welcome this unprecedented employment measure extended by the Republic of Korea to our EPS workers especially during this time of the pandemic. The preservation of jobs of our OFWs everywhere in the world is our primordial concern, and this development highlights the value of our 15 years of continuing bilateral cooperation on labor with the ROK,” Bello said.

Action on Disaster Incidents (READi) and to the Tawi-Tawi provincial LGU. Police cars will back up municipal police stations or provincial police offices on recommendation of the BARMM Regional Police Office.

Emergency vehicles, Sinarimbo said, will strengthen the ministry’s preparedness and response program under the

internal security services.

He said BARMM will implement more projects like municipal government centers and health facilities in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu.

“The MILG has a deployment agreement with the Bureau of Fire Protection on which priority LGUs will receive fire trucks,” he said.

DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Sunday denounced an alleged Viber group of retired and active military officers who allegedly withdrew their support for President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We denounce the irresponsible propaganda being propagated in online posts alleging that a group of retired and active military officers are withdrawing their support for the President,” Lorenzana said in a statement.

“This is fake news! I am not, and will never be, a part of any such group. Neither are the officials at the Department of National Defense, many of whom are also retired military officers.”

Lorenzana said “such disinformation is an act of reckless agitation emanating from detractors who have a limited and myopic appreciation of issues.”

Solon seeks tax perks for vax donors

By Rio N. Araja

ANAKALUSUGAN party-list Rep. Mike Defensor is pushing for the grant of tax perks to donors of COVID-19 vaccine shots for teachers and children under the adopt-a-school program.

He filed a bill seeking to grant lucrative tax benefits to private corporations and wealthy individuals that shall sponsor the inoculation of some 933,000 teachers and 23 million children in the public school system, once vaccination for minors is allowed.

Under House Bill 9200, private entities paying for the COVID-19 jabs of teachers and children would be entitled to claim 150 percent of what they have spent for the shots as “additional deduction” from gross income subject to tax.

The measure seeks to expressly include COVID-19 vaccines as qualified donations under the 23-year-old Adopt-a-School Program.

“We want to ramp up the immunization of our teachers, and later, our children, by encouraging the private sector to come in and help,” said Defensor, the vice chairperson of the House committee on welfare of children.

“We recognize that many businesses and affluent families are already helping to suppress the pandemic in so many ways, such as by spending for the inoculation of their employees and their dependents. Our bill will help prevent ‘donor fatigue’ and encourage more private entities to help some more by contributing to the vaccination of our teachers and children,” he added.

SUSTAINABLE GARBAGE MANAGEMENT. Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation’s engineered sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac – the only one of its kind in Central Luzon – offers its services in neighboring provinces in Region 3 and in other parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila.

Jess Malabanan

Opinion Accountability

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

EDITORIAL

Sustaining a good initiative

continuing investigations are being made to de-NAKED termine others who could be culpable, includTHOUGHT ing management of the construction company. *** CHARLIE V. Meanwhile, the families of the 49 people who died in the Hualien train accident could MANALO each receive NT$ 15 million or more than half T IS not difficult to imagine the motivations of a a million US dollars (more than 25 million pesos)from a total of NT$ 1.05 billion collect26-year-old woman who started a community pantry ON THE morning of Friday, April 2, the ed from donations within the same two-week on her Quezon City street.

Taroko Express train was about to enter period. This was announced by Health and the Qingshui Tunnel in Hualien, the pic- Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung. turesque seaside county on the eastern seaAside from the apportioned THEdonations, FIFTH The idea was for anybody to donate lost their jobs—if they had any to board of Taiwan. roughly NT$ 120 million will go to a trust anything according to one’s capacity begin with.

GOSPEL Suddenly, it was CROSSROADS confronted by a crane fund to cover the education costs of injured to give, and to take from the makeshift The spirit of the community pantry truck that had slipped down from a roadside students as well as the young children of the JUDE construction area above the tracks, just about parents who died in the accident, shelf just the amount of goods one’s reflects the Filipino tradition of bayaniuntil the a minute before. It was tooJ.A. late for the train kids finish a college degree. ACIDRE family would need. han, but also the simple yet universal driver to step on the brakes, expecting an DELAnotCRUZ Each injured passenger will receive an In the past few days, donations from trait of helping anybody in need. The obstruction blocking the normally unimped- amount ranging from NT$ 100,000 to $7 milall over, in small bags or in bulk, have donors may feel they have been blessed ed path. As a result, 49 people died and more lion depending on the extent of injuries, while been pouring into the pantry. Volunteers to still be earning a living. Or, even if than 200 others were injured, some quite se- all other passengers were given NT S 10,000 riously and are still recuperating, as we write, each to account for their psychological trauma. have been helping repack them. they themselves are in need, they acin hospitals. *** The lines have been long, as well, knowledge that others are in greater Days after the accident, Transportation Minhighlighting many people’s need for need than they are. ister Lin tendered his resignation, but was asked tangible help at this precarious time.

by Premier Su Tseng-chang (head of cabinet The tragedy in OPEN The COVID-19 pandemic has similar to our Executive Secretary) to finish the rescue job and present a train safety reform plan Taiwan has brought indeed taken a vicious toll on our THOUGHTS Let us avoid these to stave off future such incidents, while praising individual and collective lives. We NAKED some observations eerily his sense of accountability. pitfalls ORLANDO SOwith the know all too well the tragedy that THOUGHT so these ideas On Tuesday, April 13, Su and Lin met, unfamiliar to Filipinos. befalls a family when a member— achieve the goals tracks having been OXALES cleared of the ill-fated I SEEtrain, deaths and injuries all accounted for, and a reform or several—gets infected with the CHARLIE V. designed to they were plan for the Taiwan Railways Administration LITO virus. The effect on the body and MANALO The train driver and his assistant, as well as drafted. Minister Lin pressed his resignation to reach. the mind has been immobilizing. a young train conductor, were among the in- take political responsibility, andBANAYO the following Aside from the health issues, restant fatalities. All of Taiwan were shocked, day, Premier Su briefed President Tsai Ing-wen dampening the mood over family reunions that about Lin’s resignation. On Friday, April 16, stricted mobility has been dealing a normally transpire during the annual Tomb the resignation was accepted, and the governsizable blow on people’s livelihood.

Today, the idea is gaining traction Sweeping Day on April 5. It was a long week- ment is looking for a worthy successor to Lin. Working from home is a privilege and many other communities are putend, and like Filipinos for their Undas, families *** available only to a fortunate few. ting up their own pantries. The thought THE FIFTH go to their hometowns to unite with kin.

The two-week episode, as tragic as it was, Whoever is able to keep a job strugis heartening—but we cannot help wonThe Minister of Transportation, Lin Chia- has brought some observations eerily unfaGOSPEL CROSSROADS lung, until 2018 the mayor of prosperous Taic- miliar to Filipinos. gles to keep it despite difficulties dering if there is a way to shield a noble hung in central Taiwan, immediately mobilized The quick investigation and prosecution is and risks attendant to showing up idea from the pitfalls and potentials for JUDE ministry staff and other government agencies admirable. The outpouring of donations from J.A. for work.

ACIDRE abuse that may soon hound it. to try to save as many lives as possible, while high and low citizens was overwhelming.

DELAfunds CRUZ In the meantime, millions have First, may the pantries resist the inextricating the dead and wounded inside coach- The quick roll-out of the donated was es where no heavy equipment could enter the efficient and done in utmost transparency. narrow tunnel. It was a difficult operation, Above all, the sense of accountability, of which saw the entire island in anguish. taking political responsibility for a misforMassive donations from ordinary folk tune not of one’s own direct culpability, is poured in through convenience stores, to assist something to be emulated. the victims and their grief-stricken families.

What a difference the waters of the BalinThe President of Taiwan, along with her cabinet tang Channel could make between our two base ADR Institute. It thoroughly exposed and other officials, donated a month’s salary, countries in terms of the effectiveness of goverthe layered geopolitical issues and preOPEN while she herself consoled the injured in hospi- nance and the moral ascendancy of officialdom. sented well-studied and feasible approachtals and ordered flags flown half-mast.

As of Sunday, there have been 1,057 conTHOUGHTS es to address the Chinese aggression now Last Friday, two weeks after the worst firmed cases of COVID-19 in Taiwan, including threatening the peace and stability of the train disaster to hit Taiwan in some 70 years, 11 deaths while 24 people are currently receiving ORLANDO Indo-Pacific region. the driver of the crane truck, Lee Yi-hsiang, treatment in hospitals. Taiwan has 23.5 million OXALES In the forum, former Supreme Court of the was charged by the district prosecutor with people, with an expatriate population of some Philippines Senior Associate Justice Antonio negligence causing deaths. Also indicted 700,000 more, 157,000 of whom are Filipinos. with Lee was a 26 year-old Vietnamese mi- There has been virtually no community transCHINA’S renewed swarming maneuvers in Carpio emphatically said that the nations of grant worker, Hoa Van Hao. mission of the coronavirus infection, and almost our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) have the world must unite to strongly push back The two were working on a slope stabili- all the reported cases are imported, more than a sparked international outrage raising tensions China. Otherwise, the rule of law established zation project next to the train track when the hundred of these from our kababayans. in the Indo-Pacific Region. The crescendo under the United Nations Convention of the truck accidentally slid down a slope and got Back home, the latest official DOH report of public condemnation against China’s new Seas (UNCLOS) will collapse and “that will stuck among the bushes. Lee used a strap to came up with 926,052 total cases, of which wave of expansionist aggression, and even mean the beginning of a maritime order cretie the truck to an excavator, then tried to use 15,810 have died (72 of these last Saturday) and across the political spectrum, is most inspir- ated and enforced by naval guns and the enthe excavator to pull the truck up, but the strap there are 203,710 active cases of which 11,101 ing. Still, it is in stark contrast to the muted trenchment of the ‘might is right’ concept.” broke and the truck came rolling down just were confirmed added on the same day. response from the President; the spokesman about a minute before the Taroko Express came Of course we have 107 million Filipinos, a said it was the President’s prerogative to “prirushing towards the Qingshui Tunnel. (I have bit more than four times what Taiwan, whose vately” deal with the situation as the chief arChina’s aggression taken this train twice before, once to visit the land area is just one-ninth of our collective chitect of Philippine foreign policy.

Taroko Gorge to do some hiking, and another to territory, not to include the Spratlys and the must be stopped and Strong demands thrown by Defense Secvisit, along with other diplomats here, the many Julian Felipe Reef. retary Delfin Lorenzana and daily diplomatic indigenous tribes whose language, customs and But 926,052 versus 1,057 is a yawning the rule of law must protests and sharp words from Foreign Afeven native clothing are similar to those of the gap. And so are 11 deaths versus 15,810, and fairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. was disprevail.

Ivatans and Ifugaos in Northern Luzon). counting faster by the day.

What made it worse for Lee was that afrespected by lame excuses and undiplomatic No Philippine official has resigned, beter the accident, he was even seen atNAKED the site cause after all, the virus did not originate in behavior from the Chinese embassy in Manila looking down with no intention of helping in our country, but from our “friendly” neighwhich persisted until, the United States, in the He denounced China’s imposition of the rescue efforts. He was also indicted for bor, China.

THOUGHT strongest demonstration of its commitment escaping from the accident scene.

Accountability and delicadeza, versus the to honor the Mutual Defense Treaty with the “claims outside the compulsory dispute Two weeks after, the case has been filed, and lack Philippines, responded by deploying a power- settlement mechanism of UNCLOS by auCHARLIE V. of it. A tale of two countries. ful naval force with the aircraft carrier USS thorizing its Coast Guard to fire on foreign MANALO Theodore Roosevelt, assault ship USS Makin vessels fishing in the high seas or in their Island and its escort of cruisers, destroyers, own Exclusive Economic Zones, hundreds of nautical miles from China’s own Excluand submarines.

The Philippines has mobilized four war- sive Economic Zone.”

Quite interesting was the presentation of ships—two are brand-new missile-guided currently operating at a total capacity of more frigates and supported by monitoring sorties Ms. Liz Derr, the founder and CEO of US than 1,500 tests daily, having conducted more THE FIFTH of the Philippine Air Force. These closely co- based geospatial technology company Simthan three hundred RT-PCR tests for free since ordinated maneuvers by the U.S. and the Phil- ularity, where latest satellite images revealed GOSPEL the start of its operations. Two other testing labippines is by far the strongest response to Chi- China’s illegal construction activities and the oratories in the region were later established, need for the government to strategically occunese incursions in the West Philippine Sea. JUDE significantly beefing up the region’s testing This allied challenge has driven the over-200 py key features in the WPS to prevent foreign capability.

ACIDRE strong fleet of Chinese vessels that were suspi- occupation and illegal exploitation of many ciously moored in phalanx formation in Julian unprotected areas in the Philippine’s EEZ. Dr. Chester Cabalza, President and FoundIT HAS been more than a year since the first Felipe (Whitsun) Reef since December, to withThe COVID-19 situation er of the International Development and SeCOVID-19 cases were reported in the coundraw to positions in the WPS, for now. try. At that time, little was known about the in the Philippines may be Timely was the recent launching of the curity Cooperation, explained that China’s virus, and many in our healthcare system Foreign Policy Forum series of the Strat- maritime power equates to having a top navy, were in a quandary on how to deal with the grim and far from ideal, emerging pandemic. but there are bright spots Particularly worrisome was the situation in effort was taken to make these facilities com- City has once again required individuals travthe regional countryside.

In Eastern Visayas, fortable, which was not easy for many LGUs eling from the NCR+ areas to submit a negathat assure us that we are OPEN for example, there is only one government that lacked the needed funds to make permanent tive RT-PCR result.

THOUGHTS tertiary hospital, and the number of ICU beds on the right track structures. The regional hospital was immediWith its stronger test-trace-treat capabilavailable was far from ideal for its four milately designated as the main referral facility for ity, LGUs have now become more lenient ORLANDO lion population.

The real crux of the matter severe COVID-19 cases, with several private on travel protocols, and border controls have Several local governments units in Eastern was the capacity of the healthcare system hospitals as complement. Under the leadership been relaxed. This has allowed the economy OXALES to attend to the severe COVID-19 cases, Visayas, particularly the cities of Tacloban and of the Department of Health, all government and to gradually reopen and made it easier for the Ormoc, were among the early adopters of a especially at the beginning of the pandemic private hospitals worked toward establishing a people to adapt to the new normal. digital contact tracing system.

By issuing QRwhen clinical management of the disease was COVID-19 referral protocol, in an effort to preStatistics show that at the beginning of this codes to residents, the contact tracing capability largely uncertain, and a positive test result vent a possible breakdown in the already-limit- month, the total number of COVID-19 cases of these LGUs were significantly improved. was akin to a death sentence. ed hospital system. In fact, when at one point, in Eastern Visayas is at 16,906, with a total When the national government imposed A QR-code reader required of every business cases of in-hospital transmission happened, recovery rate of 96.18 percent and about one establishment hoping to resume operations.

All a nationwide quarantine, the regions readily Tingog Party-List quickly responded by estab- percent fatality rate resulting in 254 deaths. were required to present their individual QRcomplied, hoping that it would in a way deter its lishing several isolation facilities for healthcare There are only around 392 active cases left, surge in the provinces. Even in regions where code before entering any business establishprofessionals with a total capacity of 800 beds. or a total of two percent of the total number of ment.

This helped contract tracers determine the there were zero COVID-19 cases, the lockDespite its limited resources, local govern- COVID-19 cases. movement of people, and quickly identify and down was observed as a preventive measure. ment units in Eastern Visayas worked on keepThe COVID-19 response made by LGUs In the meanwhile, local governments isolate all close contacts. As a result, wholesing a surge of COVID-19 cases at bay, and as in the regional countryside tells us that much worked hard on building their capability in cale lockdowns were avoided, and instead, only a result COVID-19 cases are now on a steadily can be done to keep the pandemic well unresponse to the pandemic. In Eastern Visayas, localized restrictions were imposed whenevdownward trend. In fact from March to April der control. In fact, these LGUs have shown er necessary.

This was particularly helpful in local governments took to heart the test-trace2021, only around 700 cases were reported, with that more can be done with less, given the tracking locally stranded individuals as well as treat approach and where needed, improvised the number of new cases steadily maintained at dearth of resources and the limited capacion whatever limitations they had. As the lock- authorized persons outside of residence from two-digit figures in almost all provinces. ty of its hospital system. It also proves that Manila traveling into the region. down progressed, a consortium of government However, the fluctuating trend does not COVID-19 is not as invincible as it seems, With the limited hospital bed capacity availand private stakeholders partnered on estabmean the pandemic is over, and a surge in and that a solution, though not perfect and lishing the region’s own molecular testing lab- able for severe COVID-19 cases, almost all infections in the coming months may still be foolproof, is possible and workable, if the oratory. Thanks to the strong support of Leyte local government units in Eastern Visayas espossible. Thus, the public must not be com- government and the people are willing to do tablished their own community quarantine faRep. Martin Romualdez and Tingog Party-List placent, nor the government afford to let its their part and work together. cilities where individuals with asymptomatic Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, the Eastern guard down in enforcing minimum health and mild cases were placed in isolation.

Every Visayas Regional COVID-19 Testing Center is standards. In fact, just weeks ago, Tacloban Full version on www.manilastandard.net

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO

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trusion of politicians and all others with vested interests. The idea is to anonymize donors and recipients, eschew personalities and become one with the community. May this initiative be safe from those who want to ride on a good idea for personal gain, especially since elections are around the corner.

Second, this is evidence that given a lack of support from the government, citizens will take matters into their own hands. We know that our leaders themselves are grappling with the crisis, and we can no longer bear waiting for them to get their act together. May the pantries shatter the smugness of the powers-that-be that they are doing an “excellent” job of handling the pandemic.

Finally, there is the specter of fatigue. We have seen this many times in the past—an outpouring of help at the height of a crisis, but a gradual waning with the passage of time even as the difficulties persist. May we be consistent with our help and mindful of logistics, so the initiative benefits only those it is intended to help.

This pandemic and its attendant hardships will not be over soon. As we laud good ideas that genuinely make a difference, let us also imagine ways to sustain them so that they can achieve the goals they were designed to reach.

We have friends ready to help us

Light and shadows

the largest coast guard, a world-class merchant marine and fishing fleet, a globally recognized shipbuilding capacity, and the ability to extract important maritime resources. Hence, the rationale to control the SCS and the new coast Guard Law that authorizes the use of fire power.

For his part, Dr. Jay Batongbacal, Director of the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, gave an analysis of China Coast Guard (CCG) operations which effectively substantiates their attempt to effectively occupy or de facto administer control over the South China Sea. Thus, enabling them coverage of the entire South China Sea to demonstrate the extent of their jurisdiction/sovereignty over the area.

Dr. Renato de Castro, Trustee and Program Convenor, Stratbase ADR Institute, urged the Philippine government to strengthen its strategic alliance with the U.S. and enhance its security partnership with Japan, Australia, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, the QUAD, and even Taiwan. He raised the urgency to develop a credible defense capability by focusing its limited resources on building the navy and the air force.

Stratbase ADRi president Professor Dindo Manhit’s statement fittingly underlined the collective sentiment of the forum condemning China’s expansionist ambitions, deceptive rhetoric, and acts that undermine the precepts of peaceful resolution and stability in the region.

Prof. Manhit called on the Duterte administration to re-pivot its foreign policy stance where “paramount consideration shall be national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest”, and where its “prime duty is to serve and protect the people” as stated by the 1987 Constitution.

The President’s policy of “appeasement” has allowed China’s reckless disregard of our sovereign rights, and immeasurably drained and damaged our exclusive maritime resources. China’s aggression must be stopped, the rule of law must prevail, and we have friendly nations ready to help us.

MORE OPINION ONLINE

(www.manilastandard.net) SO NAKED I SEE THOUGHT LITO V. CHARLIE BANAYO MANALO

Corruption in ‘ayuda’ CROSSROADS

TO THE POINT J.A. DELA CRUZ EMIL P. JURADO

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US, China vow to cooperate on climate gab

IN BRIEF Bush, in op-ed and book, steps into migration talk

WASHINGTON—Former president George W. Bush has stepped into the US debate on immigration, saying migrants are “a force for good” and arguing for a gradual process to allow undocumented immigrants to earn legal status.

Bush, a past governor of Texas—a border state heavily impacted by migration—made his points in an op-ed article in the Washington Post previewing his new book “Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants.”

The book, whose name comes from the nation’s Latin motto “E Pluribus unum,” features portraits of immigrants done by Bush himself, who self-deprecatingly says he knows his paintings “may not set the art world stirring.”

But he says that by sharing the portraits of immigrants, each with “a remarkable story,” he hoped “to humanize the debate on immigration and reform.”

His pro-immigrant message comes as President Joe Biden, who had promised to ease Donald Trump’s severe immigration crackdown, has struggled with an uncontrolled surge of migrants coming through Mexico.

The immigrant portraits drawn by Bush range from those of the unknown—like a young French man who became an American soldier and won the country’s Medal of Honor—to the much better-known stories of two migrants, Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger, who fled prewar Europe and rose to become US secretaries of state. AFP

W

ASHINGTON -- The United States and China are “committed to cooperating” on the pressing issue of climate change, the two sides said Saturday, issuing the pledge days ahead of a key summit hosted by President Joe Biden.

The joint statement came after a trip to Shanghai by US climate envoy John Kerry, the first official from Biden’s administration to visit China, signaling hopes the two sides could work together on the global challenge despite skyhigh tensions on multiple other fronts.

But to achieve the global climate goal, Kerry said words must be put into action and urged China to reduce its use of coal.

“The United States and China are committed to cooperating with each other and with other countries to tackle the climate crisis, which must be addressed with the seriousness and urgency that it demands,” said the statement from Kerry and China’s special envoy for climate change Xie Zhenhua.

It listed multiple avenues of climate cooperation between the world’s top two economies which together account for nearly half of the greenhouse

gas emissions responsible for climate change.

It stressed “enhancing their respective actions and cooperating in multilateral processes, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.”

Both countries also “look forward” to a virtual climate summit of world leaders that Biden will host next week, though the statement did not say if Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend.

“We very much hope he will take part,” Kerry, who is now in South Korea, told reporters on Sunday.

“Of course, every country will make its own decisions,” he said, adding: “We’re not seeking to force anybody.

We’re seeking cooperation.”

- ‘Biggest coal user’ China currently has about half of the world’s coal power, Kerry said, adding that he “talked a lot” about it with officials in Shanghai. AFP

Madrid enters poll campaigning period VIGIL CANDLES. Jeanelle Austin, one of the caretakers of George Floyd’s

memorial, lights candles at a vigil for Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on April 17. Kim Potter, a 26-year police veteran, was arrested April 14 on manslaughter charges in the shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright. She said she mistakenly fired her Glock 9mm handgun, thinking it was a Taser. AFP

Russia, Ukraine Myanmar junta boss set to join ASEAN summit expel diplomats as tensions soar SAINT PETERSBURG -- Russia on Saturday said it would expel a Ukrainian diplomat, prompting an immediate pledge of retaliation from Kiev, further escalating tensions over Moscow’s troop build-up on Ukraine’s eastern flank.

The detention of a Ukrainian consul in the second city Saint Petersburg comes at a time of global concern of a repeat of Moscow’s 2014 aggression, when Russia annexed the peninsula of Crimea and backed separatists in Ukraine’s east.

Moscow claimed the Ukrainian diplomat had been caught “red-handed” trying to obtain sensitive information.

In response, the Ukrainian foreign ministry protested “the illegal” detention of its diplomat and said Kiev would expel a senior Russian diplomat.

Kiev has been battling Russianbacked separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014 and clashes intensified early this year, effectively shredding a ceasefire agreed last July.

Around 30 Ukrainian troops have been killed since the start of the year, compared to 50 last year. Most of them were victims of sniper fire.

Russia has detained a number of Ukrainian nationals on suspicion of spying in recent years but the arrest of a diplomat is rare.

“A Ukrainian diplomat, a consul of Ukraine’s Consulate General in Saint Petersburg, Alexander Sosonyuk, has been detained by Russia’s FSB,” the security service said in a statement, using the Russian language spelling of his name. AFP

YANGON—Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing will join a special ASEAN summit next week, the Thai foreign ministry said Saturday, his first official trip since masterminding a coup which deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The February 1 putsch triggered a massive uprising, bringing hundreds of thousands of protesters to the streets to demand a return to democracy, while civil servants have boycotted work in a bid to shutter the junta’s administration.

The military has deployed lethal force

to quell the anti-coup movement, killing more than 720 people and detaining some 3,100 activists, journalists, and dissidents, according to a local monitoring group.

The international community has largely condemned the generals for use of force against unarmed civilians -- imposing targeted sanctions against top military brass, their families, and armylinked businesses.

But regional leaders have sought to open communications with the regime, and on Saturday Thailand’s Ministry of

Foreign Affairs confirmed that a summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Jakarta on Myanmar’s situation will include the senior general.

“Several leaders have confirmed their attendance including Myanmar’s MAH (Min Aung Hlaing),” said spokesman Tanee Sangrat in a message to reporters.

The April 24 meeting of the 10-country bloc of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expected to address the ongoing crisis in post-coup Myanmar. AFP

Kremlin critic Navalny could ‘die any minute’

LAVA GLOW. This photo taken early on April 18 shows lava flowing down from the top of Mount Merapi, Indonesia’s most active volcano, pictured from Kaliurang near the city of Yogyakarta. AFP

Cuban economy, internet on party agenda ahead of Raul Castro exit HAVANA—A dire economic crisis and the “subversive” nature of the internet were on the agenda Saturday and Sunday as a historic congress of the Communist Party of Cuba meets ahead of longtime leader Raul Castro’s departure from power.

Some 300 delegates from across the country are gathered in Havana for the congress, which began Friday and is being held behind closed doors.

MADRID—With virus cases rising and its vaccination drive delayed, Madrid heads into an election campaign Sunday ahead of a vote likely to cement the right-wing’s hold on Spain’s wealthiest region.

If the latest polls are correct, the May 4 vote looks set to hand victory to the region’s right-wing leader Isabel Diaz Ayuso, whose Popular Party (PP) could end up governing with the support of the far-right Vox. The vote could have important ramifications for Spain’s broader political scene, and particularly for the political future of some of the leaders involved, although analysts say it’s unlikely to have an immediate impact on the left-wing coalition of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Sunday marks the start of a two-week election campaign which ends on May 2, two days before the snap election which was called on March 10 by Ayuso after she abruptly broke off her coalition agreement with the centre-right Ciudadanos party.

At stake is the “jewel in the crown”— leadership of Spain’s richest region, with a population of 6.6 million, but which has suffered the most deaths and infections since the coronavirus epidemic began in March 2020. AFP

Castro, 89, will step down as the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) first secretary—the most powerful position in Cuba—ending a near six-decade family hold on power that started in 1959 under his revolutionary brother, Fidel, who died in 2016.

The official handover of power to the first non-Castro is expected on the fourth and final day of the congress on Monday.

In the meantime, the delegates have been divided into three working committees to focus on the economy, “ideological activity,” plus the party and leadership promotion.

Most urgent on the agenda is the economy, which plummeted by 11 percent in 2020—the worst decline since 1993—thanks in no small part to recent strengthening of the US embargo and the coronavirus pandemic.

SERIOUS TRUDEAU.

In this file photo taken on April 16, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to a reporter’s question during a news conference in Ottawa. Trudeau said US President Joe Biden must show he is serious and committed about US re-engagement on climate change ahead of a virtual climate summit opening April 22. AFP

On Friday, in his last major speech as party head, Castro called for “revitalizing the process of updating the economic and social model,” an initiative he began in 2008 with the cautious opening of the private sector and foreign investment.

Cuba, with a population of approximately 11.2 million, faces recurrent shortages and must import 80 percent of what it consumes for lack of sufficient local production. AFP

MOSCOW -- Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny risks cardiac arrest at “any minute” as his health has rapidly deteriorated, doctors warned Saturday, urging immediate access to Russia’s most famous prisoner.

On March 31, President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent opponent went on hunger strike to demand proper medical treatment for back pain and numbness in his legs and hands.

On Saturday, US President Joe Biden added his voice to a growing international chorus of protest at the treatment of the activist, describing his situation as “totally unfair”.

Navalny, 44, was imprisoned in February and is serving two-and-a-half years on old embezzlement charges in a penal colony in the town of Pokrov around 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Moscow.

Navalny’s personal doctor Anastasia Vasilyeva and three more doctors including cardiologist Yaroslav Ashikhmin have asked prison officials to grant them immediate access.

“Our patient can die any minute,” Ashikhmin said on Facebook on Saturday, pointing to the opposition politician’s high potassium levels and saying Navalny should be moved to intensive care.

“Fatal arrhythmia can develop any minute.” AFP

Iran nuclear talks envoys hail Vienna ‘progress’ VIENNA—The EU, Russia and Iran hailed progress at nuclear talks Saturday as discussions resumed in Vienna following an attack on one of Tehran’s nuclear sites.

The talks also took place just a day after Iran said it had started producing uranium at 60-percent purity following an explosion at its Natanz nuclear facility that it blamed on arch-foe Israel.

The Islamic republic had warned it would sharply ramp up its enrichment of uranium earlier this week.

A spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told AFP Saturday the agency had “verified” that Iran had begun this process and that according to Tehran the enrichment level was 55.3 percent.

IAEA inspectors have taken a sample to check and

will report back to member states in due course, the agency added.

News of Tehran’s latest actions cast a shadow over the talks in Vienna aimed at rescuing a nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers that the United States ditched almost three years ago.

European Union envoy Enrique Mora said Saturday that “progress has been made in a far from easy task. We need now more detailed work”.

Russian ambassador to Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov added that “participants took note with satisfaction of the progress made so far and expressed determination to continue negotiations with a view to complete the process successfully as soon as possible”.

The discussions involved EU officials and representatives from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran. AFP

Business EU to preview green-friendly investment list BRUSSELS, Belgium—The European Commission will next week present the first part of a “green taxonomy” list of energy sources and technology to be labelled as sustainable investments, but a question mark hangs over the inclusion of natural gas.

The classification system, to be published on Wednesday, is mandated under a 2019 agreement between member states and the European Parliament meant to define durable economic activities and green finance.

It seeks to define what the EU would deem as sustainable as it moves towards a goal of Europe becoming carbon-neutral by 2050, with criteria focusing on mitigating climate change or preparing for it.

A second commission proposal is to follow later this year covering four other subjects—protection of water and marine resources, the circular economy, preventing pollution and biodiversity—all part of the EU’s “Green Deal” to reach that ambition.

For an investment to be considered “green” it has to meet one of these objectives without hurting any of the others.

The proposal is to become a “delegated act,” meaning it becomes law unless member states or the European Parliament reject it.

But a leak of the commission’s taxonomy list last month raised an outcry from NGOs, experts and MEPs, in particular over the inclusion of gas as a partially sustainable energy source.

Nine experts the commission consulted threatened to break off cooperation over the perceived “greenwashing,” according to a letter sent to the commission and seen by AFP. The commission plan, according to the leak, is to have gas-fueled power stations labelled as “green” as transitional facilities up to 2025 where they replace ones using coal.

One of the experts signing the letter, Sebastien Godinot, economist at the environmental protection NGO WWF, said that would give a “blank cheque” to gas operators and risk a long-term dependence on fossil fuels.

“This proposal could potentially create a direct incentive to build even more gas co-generation plants than already planned,” Godinot warned.

A Green MEP from the Netherlands, Bas Eickhout said: “A gas-fired power plant built now is there to stay for 40 years. So brings you way over the 2050 deadline.”

As a result, “we are going to object” to the commission proposal, based on the version leaked in March, Eickhout said. AFP

Market to trade in narrow range S TOP GAINERS

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HARE prices will likely trade on narrow range this week as investors remain cautious given the current COVID-19 situation in the country.

Analysts said the geopolitical tensions between Philippines and China was also adding to the worries of investors.

“Threat of the ECQ-inducing COVID spikes and the escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea rain clouds over the horizon, with might pull the lower index from its current base-building phase,” online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said.

“Stay selective on trades. Immedi-

age daily value traded was flat at P5.5 billion.

Weekly to price gainers were Philex Mining Corp., which advanced 9.2 percent to P5.10; Cebu Air Inc., which surged 6.6 percent to P50.10; and Eagle Cement Corp., which rose 5.6 percent to P11.62.

Weekly top price losers were Universal Robina Corp., which dropped 9.5 percent to P128.50; DMCI Holdings Inc., which declined 8.3 percent to P5.27; and Megaworld Corp., which was down 7.4 percent.

Meanwhile, global stocks rallied Friday, with major indices hitting new all-time highs, following data showing record economic growth in China and additional acceleration in the United States.

China saw expansion of 18.3 percent in the first quarter, boosted by a sharperthan-expected increase in retail sales. AFP

PINT BREAK. People drink in the street in the Soho area of London, on April 16, 2021 following step two of the government’s

roadmap out of England’s third national lockdown. Britons on Apri 12 toasted a significant easing of coronavirus restrictions, with early morning pints—and much-needed haircuts—as the country took a tentative step towards the resumption of normal life.

Businesses including non-essential retail, gyms, salons and outdoor hospitality were all able to open for the first time in months in the second step of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. AFP

PSEi April 16, 2021

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

FPI SPM

0.29 2.46

0.04 0.3

16.00% 13.89%

3

MA

0.011

0.001

10.00%

4 5

LC MAB

0.16 0.012

0.014 0.001

9.59% 9.09%

6

MM

5.58

0.42

8.14%

7

NRCP

0.77

0.05

6.94%

8

LCB

0.157

0.01

6.80%

9 10

COAL SUN

0.315 1.58

0.02 0.08

6.78% 5.33%

GENEVA, Switzerland―The tiny Swiss village of Champagne has lost another fight to get its name on the wine it produces, according to a report on Saturday, the latest blow in a longrunning legal battle with France over the name.

The dispute has pitted the western village in the Swiss canton of Vaud, with its 28 hectares of vineyards and around 750 people, against the might of France’s vigorously protective Champagne region, which produces much of the world’s most sought-after sparkling wine.

The village has fought for years for the right to put its name on its wine and other products, with little success.

During Russia’s strict coronavirus quarantine demand for grocery deliveries spiked, overwhelming some retailers.

Overloaded platforms were unable to service customers and some chains experienced delivery delays of up to several days.

As established market players buckled under the pressure, rapid delivery services boomed, said Maxim Avtukhov, chief financial officer and chief commercial officer at Yandex.Lavka, which was founded in 2019.

“It was a game changer,” Avtukhov told AFP. “Before the pandemic we were an amusing toy. The pandemic changed everything, especially in the beginning when people were gripped by panic.”

The company, which also offers a restaurant food delivery service, relies on an army of bicycle couriers and multiple warehouses known as “dark stores.”

On average it takes two minutes to put together an order, Avtukhov said.

The service, which has a limited assortment of goods and prices generally higher compared to supermarkets, has targeted young, middle-class professionals.

Mary Levocz, a 34-year-old English teacher in Moscow, said she started using Yandex’s 15-minute delivery service in early winter to avoid going out in the cold and lugging around heavy items such as bottled water.

“I use it because it’s the most convenient option for ordering very random or small items,” Levocz told AFP. AFP

However, it had a win in January when the Vaud government created a new certification―AOC or Controlled Designation of Origin―for its white wine called “Commune de Champagne,” or Champagne municipality.

The Vaud government said it felt there was “no risk that the public would believe that still white wine, sold in a Vaudois bottle labelled ‘Commune de Champagne’ and ‘Swiss wine’, could be a sparkling wine from the Champagne region” in France.

But France’s powerful Interprofessional Champagne Wines Committee, which zealously protects the interest of the region’s 34,000 hectares of vineyards, quickly filed an appeal asking for

the new appellation to be cancelled.

Vaud’s constitutional court ruled in favor of the French region according to a judgement on April 1, which was made public and reported by the ATS news agency on Saturday.

The court ruled that the local government’s creation of the appellation was contrary to a trade agreement between Switzerland and the European Union which grants “exclusive protection to the French name ‘champagne’,” it was quoted as saying.

“The exclusive protection deploys its effects against any use of the protected denomination for wines that do not come from France’s Champagne,” it said. AFP

The Art of Retaining Talent ALL businesses, big or small, need good employees since they make a business successful. The human resource or human capital is unique, cannot be copied, and can create a competitive advantage when appropriately managed. And when employers find suitable, skilled, efficient and effective employees, they must do everything in their power to retain them. The costs of losing a good employee, including the direct costs, work disruptions and seasoned mentors’ losses, are depressing; thus, employee retention should be a critical concern for organizations and managers.

I have had five employers in 15 years: all local banks. The longest tenure I had was five years, and the shortest one was with my latest employer: one year and four months. My reasons for leaving these jobs were varied, including career change, higher salary, change in management, career growth and family reasons. Like me, some employees switch jobs, and their reasons for doing so vary. Based on my experience and learning from the article of Allen, Bryant, & Vardaman (2017) on retaining talent, the following are the most significant turnover characteristics and retention management strategies: 1. Not all turnovers are bad Retention management typically focuses on voluntary turnover (initiated by the employee) because these employees are often individuals the organization would prefer to retain. Within voluntary turnover, functional turnover, as in the exit of easy to replace employees, may not be harmful, and poor performers’ resignation may even be beneficial. Retention management strategies should focus more on dysfunctional turnover, as in the exit of high performers or employees with difficult-to-replace skill sets. Also, while some turnover will always be unavoidable, such as health or dual career issues, some turnover are avoidable, such as low job satisfaction, poor supervision or higher pay elsewhere. Organizations need to invest a great deal in reducing turnover that is a function of largely avoidable reasons.

2. Pay is not the only reason why employees quit While it is true that compensation matters for retention and employees often leave organizations to take higher-paying jobs elsewhere, organizations need to monitor and manage organizational commitment and job satisfaction since they are two of the most critical turnover drivers. Specifically, organizations should prepare supervisors and managers for their working relationships with staff members may improve retention. Managers need to ensure that roles and expectations are clearly defined, communicated and supported. They should also give importance to work satisfaction, job scope, promotion opportunities, communication and decision-making participation. Lastly, organizations should foster a supportive and cohesive culture.

3. Even if people are satisfied with their job, they still quit Some employees leave an unsatisfying job, while others leave jobs that are quite satisfied for a more attractive alternative. Organizations should ensure that they are externally competitive in terms of rewards, opportunities and the work environment. Also, some employees consider quitting in response to specific events, such as family-related plans, completing a marketable training program or after receiving a retention bonus. Employees may be influenced by linking rewards to tenure and providing tailored responses such as revised maternity and family-supportive policies. Lastly, employees quit despite being relatively satisfied, without having a plan in place, and perhaps even without searching for an alternative, maybe because s/he was passed up for promotion. Organizations should investigate the types and frequencies of shocks that drive employees to leave and provide support mechanisms to help employees deal with shocks (e.g., grievance procedures, flexible work

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

JOH CA

4.99 56.3

-0.73 -6.15

-12.76% -9.85%

3

WIN

0.255

-0.025

-8.93%

4 5 6

OM PRMX ACE

0.41 3.11 1.72

-0.035 -0.26 -0.1

-7.87% -7.72% -5.49%

7

LAND

2.03

-0.11

-5.14%

8 9 10

APL ECP PLC

0.224 6.39 0.45

-0.011 -0.29 -0.02

-4.68% -4.34% -4.26%

MOST ACTIVE

Swiss village Champagne loses another wine battle

Pavel Danilov, 38 years old, CEO and co-founder, with Anton Gladkoborodov, 40 years old, COO and co-founder of ‘Fridge No More’, pose for a portrait at the ‘Fridge No More’ warehouse on March 31, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. AFP

MOSCOW, Russia—Like millions of people around the world, Yuri Nekrasov stopped going to the grocery store every day last year when authorities in Moscow enforced a coronavirus lockdown.

But even after restrictions were lifted, Nekrasov has stuck to his new routine, ordering groceries online from rapid delivery companies that promise everything from milk and eggs to toilet paper in as little as 15 minutes.

“We now only go to a real supermarket once a week or once every two weeks,” the 32-year-old finance lawyer told AFP. Rapid grocery delivery services have recently boomed in Russia, reflecting a global trend that has seen similar businesses winning customers in Europe and the United States.

More than $14 billion has been invested in grocery delivery services worldwide since early 2020—most of it this year—according to PitchBook, a financial data provider.

Russians have embraced e-commerce later than other countries, but the world of online shopping has recently seen explosive growth.

While many retailers offer online delivery services, companies like Lavka (small shop) run by tech giant Yandex—which Nekrasov’s family uses—and Samokat (Scooter) seek to carve out a niche as ultra-fast online convenience stores.

ate support is 6,400 and resistance is at 6,600 to 6,650,” it added.

Investors will also monitor the release of first-quarter earnings of listed companies to get indications and outlook for the rest of the year.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 0.8 percent to 6,494.81 as Metro Manila and nearby provinces were placed under modified enhanced community quarantine until the end of April.

Three of the six sectoral indices posted week-on-week declines, led by industrial which fell 3.2 percent, property which dropped 1.7 percent ,and holding firms, which lost 0.2 percent. The mining and oil index jumped by 5.6 percent after President Rodrigo Duterte lifted the moratorium on new mining agreements.

Foreign investors were net sellers for the week by P4.1 billion while the aver-

TOP LOSERS

From Moscow to New York, fast delivery takes off amid pandemic

By Andrea Palasciano with Juliette Michel

B3

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

1

APL

VOLUME 2863830000

VALUE (PHP) 671094640

2 3

ALI ICT

17399000 2187980

578902730 279190576

4 5

BSC DITO

136814000 13158700

143804280 139871296

6 7

MBT SMPH

3124900 3839700

139466345 137989035

8 9

JGS TEL

2292160 106930

134750672.5 133388290

10

NIKL

22112300

121520977

MAYLENE SONGCUAN

Green LiGht

arrangements and employee assistance programs).

4. Managers can affect individual turnover decisions Some instances of turnover are indeed unavoidable; however, managers can employ HR management strategies to reduce turnover. In terms of recruitment, organizations should provide realistic job previews and consider referrals by current employees. For the selection process, organizations should ensure that applicants fit with the job and organization. Organizations need to provide new hires with positive feedback as they adapt, provide connections to others, and provide clear information about the socialization process stages. Organizations also need to provide training and development opportunities and link these opportunities to tenure.

Besides making rewards market-competitive, organizations should ensure those reward decisions are fair, rewards are tailored to individual preferences, and rewards are linked to tenure. Since supervisors have essential roles in many turnover decisions, organizations need to provide practical leadership training, incorporating retention metrics into manager evaluations, and effectively managing toxic or abusive supervisors. Finally, managers should engage employees by providing them autonomy and task variety, creating a team environment, providing and supporting specific challenging goals, and recognizing employee contributions.

5. There are no generic best practices in managing retention General retention best practices can help retain specific employees and determine which organization-specific turnover drivers to measure. Strategically, though, it is advantageous to focus on the types of data collection and retention efforts that are most closely tied to an organization’s competitive strategy and the nature of its particular turnover problem. Organizations should conduct a thorough turnover analysis to diagnose the extent to which turnover is a problem to encourage more careful consideration of turnover costs, rates and functionality. Next, organizations should interpret this analysis through the lens of a particular organizational context considering past, present and future trends. Then organizations should collect data to diagnose and adapt cause-effect relationships in a specific organizational context.

Overall, employers and managers need to understand why employees leave to enact effective retention strategies to reduce turnover, cost-effective and retain the essential employees. Some employers wait until exit interviews to determine why a valuable employee has decided to move. However, doing this means that employers miss a golden opportunity to keep a productive team member and identify and fix the organization’s issues. On the contrary, knowing what motivates employees while they’re still part of the organization is part of a critical strategy in gaining an edge in today’s tight talent market: employee retention.

Maylene P. Songcuan is a Doctor of Business Administration student of the Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. She has 15 years of working experience gained from five local banks. She will be joining a global bank, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, on April 19, 2021as VP Retail Loans and Mortgage Acquisition Policy. She can be reached at maylene_songcuan@dlsu.edu.ph.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty and its administrators.

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

B4

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

Business

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, April 16, 2021

-45.15 PTS. 6,494.81

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

6,768,818,490 94,849 5,666,925,438.84 104 108 44

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.4790

Japan

Yen

0.009196

0.4458

UK

Pound

1.378900

66.8477

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128751

6.2417

Switzerland

Franc

1.084952

52.5974

Canada

Dollar

0.797448

38.6595

Singapore

Dollar

0.749400

36.3302

Australia

Dollar

0.774800

37.5615

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655549

128.7384

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

12.9274

Brunei

Dollar

0.746603

36.1946

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000068

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.031756

1.5395

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.1995

Euro

Euro

1.196900

58.0245

Korea

Won

0.000895

0.0434

China

Yuan

0.153337

7.4336

India

Rupee

0.013383

0.6488

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.242542

11.7582

New Zealand

Dollar

0.717000

34.7594

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035314

1.7120 Source: BSP

Robinsons Land increasing 2021 capital spending by 17% to P26b

By Jenniffer B. Austria ROBINSONS Land Corp., the property arm of the Gokongwei group, allocated P26 billion in capital expenditures for 2021, up 17.4 percent from P22.15 billion it spent last year.

RLC said in a recent filing the programmed domestic capital expenditures this year would fund core businesses.

It said it would continue earmarking capital expenditures “for subdivision land, condominium, residential units and other real estate properties for sale, development and expansion of investment properties and property and equipment.”

The company said it would use internally-generated cash from operations and some borrowings to fund the amount.

RLC saw its net income drop 40 percent in 2020 to P5.26 billion from P8.69 billion in 2019 as consolidated revenues weakened by 17 percent to P25.40 billion from P30.5 billion.

It said development portfolio, accounting for 49 percent of consolidated revenues, increased by 30 percent to P12.26 billion. This partially offset the decline from the investment portfolio which ended at P13.15 billion, or 38 percent down from the same period last year.

“Heading into 2021, we expect to sustain the gradual recovery of our businesses as quarantine restrictions ease and consumer confidence starts to bounce back,” RLC president Frederick Go earlier said.

RLC earlier announced plans to inject its mature office assets into a real estate investment trust that will be listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange this year.

The company has 25 office buildings with total net leasable area of over 600,000 square meters.

RLC successfully sold out all the residential condominium units and townhouse components of its Chengdu Ban Bian Jie project in China.

The company expects to recognize revenues from phase 1 of the project upon completion of handover activities in 2021. Construction activities for phase 2 are on track.

PHILIPPINE Telegraph and Telephone Corp. expects a steady growth towards the end of the year as the country rolls out its vaccination program, a top executive said over the weekend.

“Our company’s 2020 performance was encouraging and provides a baseline for our plans moving forward with consumer activity bouncing back as the country rolls out the vaccination pro-

Lucio Tan in stable condition at hospital

BEER and tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan is in stable condition at a hospital after being infected by COVID-19, according to his daughter.

“He is in stable condition, responding well and recovering. We would like to request from some privacy at this time. Please continue to pray for his speedy recovery,” Vivienne Tan said in an Instagram post Saturday night.

The 86-year old tycoon is one of the country’s top billionaires with estimated wealth of $3.2 billion, according to the latest report of Forbes Asia magazine.

Tan is the founder and chairman of listed conglomerate LT Group Inc. which has interests in tobacco, spirits, banking and property development. He also owns flag carrier Philippine Airlines and MacroAsia. Corp.

Tan studied chemical engineering at Far Eastern University. Jenniffer B. Austria

Rules of CREATE law expected in May

BAYER’S VEGETABLE FARM. Bayer Philippines managing director Vinit Jinday (center) leads in harvesting squash at Bayer’s community vegetable farm in Calauan, Laguna. Bayer launched the vegetable farm to benefit relocated communities in Calauan, Laguna. Situated beside Southville 7 in Barangay Dayap, the 2,200-square meter farm is intended to support the regular feeding program in the community and contribute to providing an income source for community residents turned farmers.

PLDT Group may invest in Glovax’s vaccine hub T

By Othel V. Campos

HE group of businessman Manuel Pangilinan plans to invest in vaccine supplier Glovax Biotech Inc., which is building a P7.2-billion manufacturing facility to produce vaccines against COVID-19.

Globax president and chief executive Giovanni Alingog said his company held a virtual meeting with Pangilinan’s group on April 14, 2021.

“We need to further coordinate with them as to how far they are willing to fund our project. They said they are willing to the support Glovax vaccine plant as a lasting support to the Filipinos and in support to President Duterte

in his fight against COVID,” Alingog said over the weekend.

He said state-owned National Development Corp. also agreed to invest P500 million in the project.

Alingog said with NDC providing at least P500 million, the company needed to raise P7 billion to put up the modern facility.

He said Glovax and technology part-

It said the same technology will be used to locally produce COVID-19 vaccines. Clinical trials will also be done locally.

The company said it was also in talks with the Department of Trade and Industry for possible collaboration in offering the vaccine to private companies.

Other companies that expressed interest to locally produce vaccines are IG Biotech Inc., IP Biotech and Dr. Zen Biotech Inc. President Rodrigo Duterte asked government agencies and regulators, including the DTI, Department of Health and the FDA, to expedite the processing of government permits of local vaccine production.

BATANGAS FACILITY. The

Department of Public Works and Highways completes additional COVID-19 treatment facilities at the Batangas Medical Center in Batangas City. In preparation for hospital operation, DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain (center) leads the final inspection of the completed temporary treatment facilities on a 3,678-square-meter rotonda lot fronting BatMC.

AG&P taps McDermott to deliver giant tanks for LNG terminal

By Alena Mae S. Flores ATLANTIC Gulf and Pacific Company of Manila Inc. awarded to McDermott International Ltd.’s CB&I Storage Solutions a contract for the engineering, procurement and construction of a liquefied natural gas storage tank on its LNG import and re-gasification terminal in Batangas province.

“We are proud to support AG&P in the delivery of the Philippines’ first LNG import terminal. The design of this firstof-a-kind full containment steel LNG tank highlights our innovation and technology leadership in the LNG storage industry and positions CB&I Storage Solutions to serve the growing smallscale LNG market in Asia and other regions with similar demands,” CB&I Storage Solutions senior vice president Cesar Canals said in a statement.

CB&I Storage Solutions will provide

the first of two 60,000-cubic-meter full containment steel LNG tanks along with geotechnical investigation, soil improvement, foundation and topside platform structure, pre-commissioning, purging and commissioning activities.

“We have an extensive history of executing world-class projects in the Philippines and are confident in our ability to deliver this tank safely, on time and within budget,” Canals said.

“We are confident we made the right choice to work in close cooperation with CB&I Storage Solutions on this technically advanced and challenging project,” said AG&P project director Roeland Uytdewilligen.

CB&I Storage Solutions is the world’s leading designer and builder of storage facilities, tanks and terminals while McDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry.

The Department of Energy recently issued the notice to proceed to AG&P for the development of the LNG import and regasification terminal in Batangas called the Philippines LNG. PLNG will store and dispatch LNG to power plant, industrial and commercial customers and other consumers, opening up for the country a new era of clean and efficient fuel.

PLNG will have an initial capacity to deliver up to 3 metric tons per annum of regasified LNG, with additional capacity for liquid distribution.

PLNG will also have scalable onshore regasification capacity of 420 million cubic feet per day and almost 200,000 cubic meter of storage that will ensure high availability and reliability of natural gas for customers.

AG&P said it completed pre-development work for PLNG and expects to commission the project by next year.

PT&T executive expects steady growth in second half as gov’t rolls out vaccination program

By Darwin G. Amojelar

IN BRIEF

gram,” PT&T president and chief executive James Velasquez said in a statement.

Revenues reached P438.62 million last year, up 8.3 percent from P404.68 million in 2019.

PT&T’s net loss dropped to P31.32 million last year from P52.40 million in 2019.

“We emerged from 2020 having undergone the rigorous demands of responding to the pandemic, and we enter 2021 with a golden opportunity to be better equipped as a digital services

provider while building a roadmap for recovery and resilience around the pillars of nation-building and customercentricity,” Velasquez said.

PT&T recorded 2,106 data services circuits last year, higher compared to 1,760 and 1,277 in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Velasquez said PT&T earmarked large capital expenditures this year to provide customers with an improved network and quality of service.

PT&T asked the Securities and Ex-

change Commission to reverse the previously approved increase of its authorized capital to give the company sufficient time to first complete the documentary requirements.

“Simultaneous with the process of reversal of the increase in our authorized capital, PT&T will continue with its expansion and operational plans while working on securing the SEC requirements that will allow us to resume our active trading of shares with the PSE,” Velasquez said.

THE newly-reconstituted Fiscal Incentives Review Board expects to complete the implementing rules and regulations of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act by the third week of May, or around two months ahead of the 90-day deadline set under the law, the Department of Finance said over the weekend.

Chaired by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the board of FIRB had its first meeting on April 14, or three days after the effectivity of the CREATE law on April 11, to discuss broader functions and the proposed set of industries that are qualified to get generous tax breaks in the upcoming Strategic Investment Priority Plan.

The FIRB, which is co-chaired by Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, agreed to set May 17 as the target date for signing of the IRR, which covers the expanded functions of the board and the fresh menu of tax incentives available to investors and enterprises under this law.

“If you can finish it in less than 30 days, the better. Let everybody focus on this date (May 17),” Dominguez told members of the FIRB present during the meeting.

Julito G. Rada

Pampanga traders back NLEX projects

THE Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. expressed support to NLEX Corp. for various projects in Pampanga and nearby areas.

PamCham commended the collaboration between the Department of Public Works and Highways and NLEX in implementing the road network expansion plans in the province and the recent roadway lighting upgrade from Balagtas, Bulacan to San Fernando City, Pampanga.

“We highly encourage more infrastructure development projects in Pampanga to keep up with the growth of our communities. The projects such as the Sto. Tomas Interchange, the Aquino Byway Extension connecting San Fernando and Mexico and the Atlu Bola Bypass Road in Mabalacat City are seen to further stimulate investments in the province,” said Architect Nestor Mangio, president of PamCham.

The tollway company said last month it was working closely with DPWH on how to incorporate the projects in Sto. Tomas, Mexico, and Sta. Ines, Pampanga safely and efficiently in the existing expressway system. These projects are part of the multibillion Pampanga Circumferential Road master plan. Darwin G. Amojelar

Petron earmarks P11b to finance ongoing projects PETRON Corp., the country’s largest oil company, is looking at capital expenditures of P11.048 billion this year to fund ongoing projects.

“These capital expenditures are expected to be funded by a combination of internal cash generation and external financing sources,” Petron said in its final offering circular submitted to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Petron will issue $550 million senior perpetual capital securities as part of its capital raising program.

Petron said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it planned to issue the securities on April 19 with net proceeds estimated at $547.8 million.

The company plans to use the proceeds “for the repayment of indebtedness and for general corporate purposes.”

Petron’s capex this year is slightly higher than its 2020 capex of P8.480 billion, which were mainly expenditures for refinery, depot and service stations Petron made significant capital expenditures over the past year to maintain and upgrade its 180,000-barrelper-day Bataan refinery, expand its retail service station network in the Philippines and upgrade its service stations in Malaysia.

The company is also constructing a new power plant to replace its old generators at the refinery and generate incremental power as refinery fuel will be converted into high-value products.

Construction is expected to be completed by the second half next year.

Petron said the anticipated capital expenditures were based on management’s estimates and might change as projects would be reviewed.

Petron had a network of about 2,435 retail service stations in the Philippines as of end-December.

About 34 percent of the Petron’s service stations are company-owneddealer-operated, while 66 percent are dealer-owned-dealer-operated.

Alena Mae S. Flores

LOS ANGELES—Yuka Saso of the Philippines fired a two-under 70 to finish in a tie for sixth with South Korean Jenny Shin (63), Taiwan’s Hsu Wei-Ling (66) and American Sarah Schmelzel (66) in the Lotte Championship at the Kapolei Golf Club in Oahu, Hawaii.

Saso, who led after the first two rounds, finished with a total of 269, nine strokes behind champion Lydia Ko, whose 28-under par total of 260 at Kapolei Golf Club in Oahu, Hawaii, put her seven in front of second-placers South Korean’s Park In-bee and Kim Sei-young, Ireland’s Leona Maguire and American Nelly Korda.

Ko ended her three-year LPGA title drought in impressive style Saturday, firing a final-round 65 to win the Lotte Championship by seven strokes.

Former world number one Ko, a two-time major champion, didn’t put a foot wrong as she notched her 16th LPGA title but her first since the 2018 Mediheal Championship.

Ko took a one-shot lead over Korda into the final round, but as the American struggled on the greens Ko marched relentlessly to victory.

She pushed her lead to two with a four-foot birdie at the third hole, then saved par from the front fringe at the fourth before taking firm control with four birdies in a row at the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th.

She added birdies at 14 and 17 for good measure, admitting that there had been times during her long, highly scrutinized dry spell that she wondered if the victories would come again.

“There were times that I would think ‘Hey, I don’t know if I’ll ever be back in the winner’s circle,” said Ko, the former teen phenomenon who is still a week shy of her 24th birthday.

Near misses at the Gainbridge LPGA and the ANA Inspiration didn’t necessarily ease her concerns, Ko said, noting that “when you’re in that position and it doesn’t happen, you do doubt.”

Relaxed and smiling throughout much of the round, Ko was clearly emotional after her final putt dropped on 18.

“I just continued to stick to my game plan, and I think this kind of proves it to myself and that’s the biggest thing,” she said.

Korda, seeking a second victory of the season after beating Ko by three strokes at the Gainbridge LPGA, couldn’t apply the same pressure on Ko that she did on Friday.

With the putts not falling, she was one-over on the front nine after a bogey at the eighth and trailing by four at the turn.

She followed a birdie at the 11th with back-to-back bogeys at 12 and 13, birdies at 14, 15 and 17 pushing her back into a share of second.

Park had roared to 21-under with a nine-under 63 that featured an eagle and seven birdies—including three to cap her round.

Kim joined the group at 21-under with a bogey-free seven-under 65 that included an eagle and five birdies. AFP

Sports

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

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

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Saso shares th 6 spot with 3 others in Hawaii golf Yuka Saso of the Philippines chips from the bunker onto the 15th green during the final round of the LPGA LOTTE Championship at Kapolei Golf Club. AFP

PH athletes to get 1,200 vaccine doses in May, June

By Peter Atencio

Al Panlilio

N

ATIONAL athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympics and the Southeast Asian Games will be vaccinated in May and June.

Philippine Olympic Committee first vice president Al Panlilio, who was appointed as chairman of the task force on COVID-19 vaccine procurement for the SEA Games, said this following a meeting early this week.

“We can prioritize the athletes, especially the Olympians. Kasi sila ang mauuna. But we have a bit of time for our Southeast Asian Games athletes.

We’re seeing, hopefully after a first major challenge, sometime in June,” said Panlilio.

The POC is purchasing the vaccine through a $40,000 subsidy from the Olympic Council of Asia.

Panlilio said PLDT will make its procurement through ports tycoon Enrique Razon, who is taking responsibility for Olympic athletes and plans to have them vaccinated by May.

ICTSI and PLDT have made commitments to use Moderna for both Olympic and SEA Games athletes.

“I have already reserved 1,200 doses for the athletes and the delegation that’s getting ready for the SEA Games. ‘Yun ang aming unang gagawin,” added Panlilio.

The Chief Revenue Officer of PLDT said his company has already ordered a total of 1.2 million doses and is coordinating with ICTSI and the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases over this.

The number of jabs that will be needed has been determined through his talks with task force members composed of Dr. Raul Canlas (medical adviser), Bones Floro, lawyer Billy Sumagui and PLDT Chief Procurement

Hontiveros to players: Don’t waste opportunity

Fencers may return to Ormoc for training ONCE they return from the Uzbekistan, the national men’s and women’s fencing teams may spend more time to train in Ormoc City for the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

Philippine Fencing Association president Richard Gomez said this as a five-member national team, led

by SEA Games women’s sabre gold medallist Jylyn Nicanor, leaves this week for Tashkent to seek berths to the Tokyo Olympics in the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament from April 25 to 26.

Gomez, who is also the second vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee and the mayor of Ormoc City, said that it’s best to have more fencers coming over, so they can maximize their preparations for the 31st Southeast Games in Vietnam.

The PFA chief said with cases of COVID-19 on the rise in the National Capital Region, it is better for the national team to just keep doing their preparations in Ormoc City.

“I want them to return to Ormoc City for the SEA Games. They have been here for more than two months of training. And I’m happy to learn that none of them got infected (by COVID-19),” said Gomez.

“I’m really hoping that we can surpass our achievements in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. And I hope

that the Philippine Sports Commission can help us again here,” said Gomez.

The national squad and members of the national pool, which is coached by Amatov Canlas, spent more than two months preparing for the Tashkent meet and the SEAG. They were given an additional 10 days to remain in the city to train after Metro Manila was placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine status early this month.

The 28-year-old Nicanor will be among SEA Games medallists going to Uzbekistan.

Nicanor, a University of the East student, has been working out with her teammates at the facilities of the Ormoc City Central School.

Also with the team are CJ Concepcion, an individual men’s saber silver medal winner and Hanna Abella, who won a gold in the women’s epee.

US NCAA standout Samantha Catantan will join the team in Uzbekistan following her memorable stint with Penn State University, which took runner-up honors in Division 1 of the US NCAA competitions.

Catantan, who also joined the world junior and cadet championships and placed 20th in Egypt last week, will meet up with the Philippine contingent during their stopover in Turkey. Peter Atencio

Samantha Catantan (from Penn State Fencing FB)

Olympic champ Kipchoge shows he’s ready for Tokyo ENSCHEDE, Netherlands— Eliud Kipchoge, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder, won the Enschede marathon on Sunday in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics.

The 36-year-old Kenyan completed the course, over eight laps at Enschede airport, in 2 hours 4 minutes and 30 seconds. He was well outside his official world record of 2:01.39 set in Berlin in Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge poses on the podium after winning the 2018 but comfortably outpaced “Hamburg Marathon” at the Twente airport in Enschede, the his competition.

Netherlands as part of the qualification for the rescheduled Jonathan Korir, another KeOlympic Games in Tokyo. AFP

Officer Os de la Paz. The POC formed its task group last Wednesday, just days after Malacanang allowed private companies to secure vaccines for their workforce.

The POC is planning to send a 626-strong Team Philippines that will compete in 39 of the 40 sports in the Hanoi SEA Games program.

This number has been sent to SEA Games organizers.

The national delegation, with Philippine Sports Commissioner Ramon Fernandez as chef de mission, is expected to be trimmed down further as the biennial meet comes closer to its opening date.

Organizers in both the Olympics and SEA Games are not obligating member countries to immunize athletes who are joining their meets.

But Panlilio said it is better to be safe than sorry.

“Even in the Olympics, it’s not a requirement. But its our responsibility to make sure that our athletes are safe,” added Panlilio.

nyan, stayed with Kipchoge until the 30 km mark before dropping away to finish more than two minutes back in 2:06.40.

The invitation-only event, which served as a Tokyo Games qualifier, was originally scheduled for Hamburg but was moved to a closed circuit in the Netherlands and put back a week because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kipchoge had won 11 straight marathons before a disastrous eighth place in the

London marathon last October won by Ethiopian Shura Kitata. He blamed cramp and “problems with my hip”.

Kipchoge rebounded in eight laps on the Enschede runways.

He ran his ninth fastest marathon and set a world best for the year as he showed strong form three months before the Olympic marathon which will take place in Sapporo, in northern Japan.

As defending Olympic champion he had already qualified for the Games. AFP

CHOOKS-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup ambassador Dondon Hontiveros is hoping that the players realize the opportunity before them and take full advantage of it rather than waste it.

Hontiveros, who is known as the ‘Cebuano Hotshot’, shared his thoughts on the controversy that rocked the upstart professional league -- the game involving the Siquijor Mystics and the ARQ Builders Lapu-Lapu City Heroes.

The two teams engaged in a farcical game last Wednesday that saw players from both teams blow wideopen layups and miss free-throws in comical fashion.

The game was stopped after the second period and the next day, league organizers announced the permanent ban of the Mystics. Players and coaches from Lapu-Lapu were also slapped with suspensions and fines.

“I’m with you guys sa nainis sa situation,” said Hontiveros, who is in his first term as a councilor of Cebu City.

“This is not what we envisioned in helping the people sa VisMin Cup.” Hontiveros was initially asked to become commissioner of the south’s very first professional basketball league but he begged off, owing to his responsibilities to Cebu City as councilor and Phoenix Super LPG as a consultant.

He said the league was made to provide jobs to anyone involved in basketball—from players, coaches, ballboys, referees—as well as give the spotlight to promising players who aren’t known yet to the rest of the country.

“The main purpose of this event is to give players jobs and give unknown players a break,” shared Hontiveros.

“I hope this would serve as a lesson and a warning that they won’t waste this opportunity that was given to them.

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Sports

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

Messi stars as Barca rips Athletic to win Copa del Rey

PSC’s aid for Olympic hopefuls continues

MADRID—Lionel Messi scored twice, including a stunning solo goal, as Barcelona blew away Athletic Bilbao to win the Copa del Rey on Saturday, consigning their opponents to a second final defeat in two weeks.

The cup was won and lost in a whirlwind 12 minutes in Seville, which saw Barca score four times to clinch an emphatic 4-0 victory, with Messi at his devastating best.

It remains to be seen if his seventh Copa del Rey triumph is the last trophy Messi lifts in Barcelona colours but if this was to be a final flourish, the 33-year-old crafted a fitting farewell.

“It’s very special to be captain of this team where I have spent my whole life and very special to be able to lift this cup,” Messi said.

His first goal, and Barca’s third, started with the Argentinian in his own half before a charging run down the right and a surge forward into the penalty area gave him the chance for a simple finish.

With the club’s new president Joan Laporta in the crowd, Ronald Koeman’s first title as Barcelona coach should also significantly boost his chances of remaining in charge beyond the summer.

“To win a title is important for me,” Koeman admitted afterwards.

Yet Laporta was noticeably evasive when asked about Koeman’s future.

“He is doing well,” he said.

Koeman took over a team at rock bottom, humiliated by an historic loss to Bayern Munich and wounded by the attempts of Messi to leave the club for free.

But this 31st Copa del Rey success for the club is a testament to progress made and Koeman will hope it not only helps convince Messi to stay but gives Barca momentum now in a neck-and-neck title race in La Liga.

“Despite the changes at the club and the young players, at Barca you have to always fight for trophies,” Koeman said.

“We have the first one and now we are going to fight to the last game in La Liga.”

Gerard Pique said it felt like the club had been “reset”.

‘Turned it around’ “Sometimes you fall down and you have to get up,” Pique said. “It has been a difficult year but the team has turned it around.”

Messi was sent off when Athletic Bilbao beat Barcelona, also at the La Cartuja, in January to win the Spanish Super Cup but they never looked like pulling off a repeat. AFP

APRIL will see at least two national teams in different international meets in their pursuit for a shot at an Olympic slot and a gold.

The weightlifting team, led by 2016 Summer Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, left for Tashkent, Uzbekistan to participate in the Asian Weightlifting Championships, an Olympic qualifying event.

The PSC backed the national weightlifters with over P4.9 million pesos, covering airfare, hotel accommodation, allowances, and other travel expenses from April 11 to 25. This includes support of almost P1 million for Diaz and her personal team composed of Chinese weightlifting coach Kaiwen Gao and strength and conditioning coach Julius Irvin Naranjo for this qualifying competition alone.

PSC chairman William Ramirez said the agency may be going through some difficulties in resources given the crisis, but its priorities are clear adding that “it was never a question of supporting them or not because we will, as much as we can.”

Diaz is joined by eight Filipino weightlifting hopefuls in the Asian tilt. They are 2020 IWF Online Youth World Cup gold medalist Vanessa Sarno, Roma World Cup podium finisher John Fabuar Ceniza, 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Kristel Macrohon, Elreen Ann Ando, Mary Flor Diaz, Margaret Colonia, John Dexter Tabique, and Elien Rose Perez.

The said tournament will complete the six Olympics qualifying events required for Diaz to formally seal her Tokyo Olympics berth and become the seventh Philippine qualifier to the games.

The triathlon team will also get nearly a million in financial assistance for their participation to the 2021 Asia Triathlon Championships in Hatsukaichi, Japan from April 23-25.

BACK TO NORMAL. Chinese runners take part in the Qingdao West Coast Half Marathon in Qingdao, in China’s eastern

Shandong province. AFP

Mitchell-less Jazz fall to Lakers in overtime

L

OS ANGELES—An MRI on Donovan Mitchell’s injured ankle showed no structural damage, giving the Utah Jazz some hope that their leading scorer would not be out for long, US media reported on Saturday.

Mitchell suffered the right ankle injury in the third quarter of Friday’s 119-111 NBA victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Mitchell jumped to thwart a Pacers pass and twisted his ankle as he tried to dodge the leg of Indiana guard Edmond Sumner.

He grabbed his ankle, grimaced in pain and raised his hand for the trainer.

“We hope there’s nothing serious, but they’re in the process of doing everything they can to assess that,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said in his Friday post-game comments.

Mitchell scored 22 points in 21 minutes of playing time before heading to the trainer room. He has been the Jazz’s leading scorer this season, averaging a careerbest 26.5 points per game.

The Jazz, who have the league’s best re-

cord at 42-15, were without Mitchell and several of their other starters when they dropped a 127-115 overtime decision to the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Saturday.

Starters Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley Jr and Derrick Favors sat out to get some added rest after the short turnaround from Friday’s contest.

“We’re missing four pretty important guys,” Jazz guard Joe Ingles said. “For most of the game, we did a pretty good job. We were one stop away from winning the game.”

Andre Drummond scored a team-high 27 points as the Lakers got back into the win column with the victory over the Jazz in front of a crowd of 1,700.

It was just the second game the Lak-

ers have played at Staples Center since California relaxed its rules on spectators attending sporting events.

Dennis Schroder tallied 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 25 points, draining five threes.

“We clicked on all cylinders and we didn’t allow adversity to get us out of our game,” Drummond said. “The chemistry is getting there.”

Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 27 points. Ersan Ilyasova finished with 20 points, shooting six of eight from the three-point line.

The Lakers, who improved to 4-1 in overtime games this season, were missing their two biggest stars in Anthony Davis and LeBron James Davis was sidelined in February with a calf injury and a right Achilles tendon problem. He has been cleared for “full on-court activity” and is expected to return soon. James is recovering from a high ankle sprain. AFP

Romero wants ‘game-fixers’ punished to full extent of law FORMER amateur basketball ‘godfather’ and Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero said the players, coaches and officials involved in the controversial VisMin Super Cup match between the LapuLapu City and Siquijor should suffer the severest possible penalty under the law once proven guilty of game-fixing.

Romero, who represents 1Pacman Partylist in the House of Representatives, said these players showed utter disrespect to the sport closest to the heart of Filipinos so they deserve to be fined and banned from competing in any league.

“For showing disgraceful acts the players, staff, officials and the persons behind these shenanigans must be severely punished,” Romero who is vigor-

ously batting for the passage of a measure imposing penalties on game-fixing.

“They have no place in Philippine sports, basketball in particular,” said Romero who was also aghast with what he saw in the game where both teams, especially the Siquijor Mystics, committed dubious missed free throws.

In video clips that circulated in social media after that horrific game last Wednesday in Alcantara, Cebu, one player even failed to convert an open layup.

Romero is also calling on all law enforcement agencies to step up their investigation on the matter since what transpired in the VisMin Cup is “tarnishing the image of Philippine sports.”

While Romero admits that it will take time before one could be proven guilty of

Reviving sports business THE COACH MIKE OCHOSA MAKE no mistake… there is business in sports. Unfortunately, sports in all its forms is locked down for over a year now.

The gains of the past are slowly eroding away and there is no clarity about the future. Discussions with various sports stakeholders revolve on the challenge of how to get back on track.

An integral contributor to revenues is sponsorship. Businesses see the value in attaching their brands to people, places or events that provide a platform to build their brand’s story. Sports presents such opportunities.

SPORTS IS DOWN BUT NOT OUT The uncertainty of the times caused by the pandemic creates an alien situation to many. But, a step back to assess the situation will reveal that returning to basics is almost always the best direction to take.

For all intents and purposes, it is a restart for everybody.

To be able to run a successful sport

event, it must be well managed, utilizing fundamental business principles. The goal is to identify the correct key performance variables and implement strategies well to build a sustainable sports property.

GETTING BACK UP FIGHTING For any sport activity to be able to come back strong, they need to attract brand sponsors. Brands normally look for three major components of a sporting activity before they decide to spend on it. These are: Mass participation If there is a groundswell of participation from the general public, a sport becomes interesting to sponsors.

Basketball became a household word early in the 1970s as it began taking root at every street corner in the city and in every clearing with a lone tree fitted with a makeshift ring in the rural areas. Of course, the introduction of the Philippine Basketball Association caused the tipping point.

Once a sport is readily embraced by a substantial mass of followers, it becomes a ready recipient of brand messages utilizing the virtues the sport has to offer.

In the recent past, Manny Pacquiao’s rise to stardom paved the way for the opening of boxing gyms which allowed previously uninterested participants to boxing learn the sport. Prior to that time,

such a horrible act, the House members, he said, had already approved on third and final reading the measure on game-fixing with a vote of 211-0.

House Bill 8870, which Romero authored, seeks to protect the integrity of any sports because of the proliferation of enterprising individuals who want to make money through manipulation of results of matches. The bill, according to Romero, covers pro and amateur sports.

Convicted game-fixers, according to Romero, will suffer three to six years of imprisonment and be fined from P1million to P5 million.

The league had already expelled the Siquijor Mystics while several players and officials of the Lapu-Lapu Heroes were fined and suspended. boxing was followed only by a small group basically made up of men described to be overly masculine. But as it became more accessible to the public, even women became interested in the sport allowing new brands to leverage on the new market.

We see the same phenomena when there was a sudden preference for badminton.

Suddenly, in early 2000, badminton courts sprouted across the metropolis, some of them even operating for 24 hours. It immediately provided brands with badminton centric marketing offerings plus it allowed new distribution outlets and sampling locations.

A good sized group of participants almost always attract brand’s attention.

Fan Foundation A strong and stable fan following ensures sustainability.

Fans are those that watch, follow, engage and support the sport of their choice. More often than not this translates into strong relationships with teams and athletes. Fans consume hours of media time by viewing the event on various platforms which in turn give brands reason to spend advertising monies.

Fan foundation is mutually exclusive from Mass Participation. One does not have to be “playing” the sport to be a fan and vice versa.

But, being both is a big plus.

Products that are essential to the sport they cater to benefit largely from a fan who is also a participant. Sports apparel and gear, equipment and training tools, focus

Rep. Mikee Romero

their efforts on this demographic. Brands look at sports with huge fan foundation as a springboard to increase awareness for their products and services.

Brand Affiliation This factor is more introspective.

Some brands identify first what they stand for, then choose the sport to tie-up with regardless of the size of fan foundation or mass participation. We see some brands that have attached themselves with extreme sports allow a more niched approach, casting a smaller net, but succeeding in developing fiercely loyal customers.

There are products that are naturally consumed as a sport is experienced. Food and beverage are innately gobbled up by fans in baseball, basketball and football games. Alcoholic beverages are consumed by the athletes themselves in sports like billiards and darts. So as products are inherently present in certain sports events, brands are compelled to make their presence felt in these activities.

GETTING BACK ON TRACK These three factors need not be present at the same time all the time. A combination of 2 or a dominant presence of 1 is enough for brands.

Although tough, starting with a clean slate maybe the best way to go. People’s habits have changed and as the pandemic continues to persist, preferences may alter also.

It already has been reported that egames is aggressively growing in popu-

larity. There are also reports that TV viewership has gone down and has shifted to more digital-based platforms.

This, many say introduce people to more sports programming particularly emanating from other parts of the world.

Other researches also reveal that a huge percent of the young market cannot wait to restart their lives when everything goes back to normal. Their openness to try something new, learn something different or enjoy something diverse sends the signal that a novel sporting world is unraveling.

There is no clarity of how sports will come out of this pandemic but one thing is for sure, those that are strategizing to get people interested in their sport as participants or as fans are those that will be ready or the future, when everyone gets back on track. *** 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

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

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BTS breaks internet with ‘Bang Bang Con’ digital event

BTS’ online concert “Bang Bang Con 2021” surpassed a whopping 2.7 million concurrent viewers on Saturday.

K-POP superstars Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook of the supergroup BTS delighted millions of fans from around the world with the staging of “Bang Bang Con 21,” which streamed on the group’s official YouTube channel, BANGTANTV. The online event, which held Saturday, drew a whopping 2.7 million concurrent viewers, or the total number of people who watched it simultaneously at its peak.

The South Korean act even topped its record of 2.24 million concurrent viewers

22,248,241 views from ARMYs who tuned in to watch their favorite boys’ performances as well as more than 3 million tweets, according to World Music Awards.

The online concert was staged just a day after Guinness World Records confirmed that the group’s smash hit “Dynamite” broke multiple world records including the most-viewed YouTube video in 24 hours as well as the most-viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours and the most-viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a K-pop group.

BARBIE FORTEZA

CLOE BARRETO

tackles grey character in primetime anthology

is a lady on fire

ARIAS ALWIN IGNACIO

during its first Bang Bang Con held in April last year.

“Bang Bang Con 21” is a special gift by BTS to fans amid the “untact” (non faceto-face) era due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic under which social distancing is being implemented.

“As BTS faced the ‘untact (non-face-toface) era’ due to the Corona 19 pandemic, they led a new performance culture with an online streaming festival,” the group’s management said in a statement.

“Bang Bang Con 2021” also ended with

VERY WANG

Cloe Barreto considers her being cast in the movie ‘Silab’ as the biggest break in her showbiz career.

DON’T let the last name dissuade you into not giving Cloe Barreto her rightful chance to make a mark in Philippine Tinseltown.

She has no blood relations with the women that carry the last name infamous for having no regrets for the things they did and continue to do for love.

Barreto is part of an all-female sing and dance power-pop group Belladonas. She considers portraying the character of Anna in Joel Lamangan’s Silab as her biggest career break.

Written by Raquel Villavicencio, her co-stars are award-winning actor Jason Abalos and new leading man in the showbiz block Marco Gomez.

“I cried with so much joy, I cannot believe that I will star in a launching movie with the great Joel Lamangan as my director,” begins Barreto.

She admits to having butterflies in her stomach on the first day of the shoot. Add the fact that Ana, the woman she gives life to, is veiled with mystery and succumbs to the call of her carnal desires.

Did she have any apprehensions in doing her role’s sexy requirements? Cloe immediate rejoinder: “I did not have any

because I trust the artistic vision of direk Joel. I know that scenes will be done well.

And every time I hear the word action, in my heart and my soul, I have become Ana. So I give my all as my character so that I will not get reprimanded. I make it a point that in the particular scene being shot, I give my best para take one lang. And with direk Joel’s guidance, thank God, I was able to deliver what he expected.”

She has the sweetest for film master Lamangan: “Direk Joel is meticulous. He gives instructions clearly. And that he trusts his actors to do their parts as well. If you observe and listen to him intently, you will learn so much about acting, life, how you deal and work with people. Sobrang bait niya. I hope I will be given the chance to work with him. I don't being called a direk Joel Lamangan baby.”

For her leading man Marco Gomez, whom she shared a lot sexy screentime, Cloe says: “Marco is so gentlemanly and protective of me as his leading lady.

Personally, I treat him like an elder brother.

He is also part of Clique 5 and kasabay naming sila naming Belladonnas.” Full story on manilastandard.net

Heartwarming mom-daughter film wins in viral video tourney A BEAUTIFUL story of the enduring love shared between a mother and her daughter has claimed the top prize in the Natucair #DealWithTheSmell Viral Video Competition, an event focused on highlighting the creativity and vision of Filipino filmmakers.

Directed by Rodel Mercado, Wedding Day is a touching story of a daughter professing her gratitude and love for her mother on a very special wedding day. The film’s themes of the power of family and finding the courage to choose love again allowed it to take home the grand prize of P100,000.

In second place was Michael Ian Medico’s The Smell That Cares, a heist thriller with a comedic twist, an entry from Cagayan de Oro, bagged a cash prize of P50,000. Meanwhile in third place was Rico Roman Kamatoy’s Sangsang, a funny ghost story about a group of friends on a road trip to the province, which won P25,000.

Such was the level of talent on display during the competition that event organizers gave out a special citation to Glenn Doroja’s Evocation. Doroja’s film tells a somber story of fatherhood, loss, and the power of memory. For his efforts, Doroja bags a P5,000 prize with this special citation.

Meanwhile, the People’s Choice award goes to MKSA by Al-jhun Virgo, which

took home P5,000. The People’s Choice award is given to the video that garnered the most views on the official Insight 360 Consultancy Services YouTube channel during the judging period.

These videos were selected from a pool of twenty-three finalists and all videos shortlisted as finalists can now be viewed on YouTube.

Shintaro Noda, Regional Marketing Head of Earth Corporation, expressed great excitement over the results of the competition.

“All these films show the immense talent that Filipino filmmakers have. Natucair Linen and Fabric Spray is proud to shine a spotlight on these incredible talents and the high quality work that they were able to produce,” says Shintaro. “Congratulations goes out to all the winners as well as all participants who took this opportunity to showcase their creativity through this contest.”

Natucair Linen and Fabric Spray is a premium spray that uses Japanese technology to remove odor-causing bacteria and viruses from fabrics. It kills >99.9 percent of odor-causing bacteria, germs, and viruses including SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. It comes in three distinct variants—Sparkling Yellow, Pink Blossom, and Relaxing Purple.

Natucair is available in select supermarkets nationwide, Lazada and Shopee.

Grand prize winner Rodel Mercado’s ‘Wedding Day’ is a touching story of a daughter professing her gratitude and love for her mother on a very special wedding day.

T

NICKIE WANG

ELEVISION star Barbie Forteza believes that it’s every actor’s job to go beyond his or her craft playing characters that challenge one’s abilities.

She underscores the importance of not sticking to playing the same type of character over and over again.

“Even in real life, we have different responses to the things that confront us. We can’t just stay good or bad all the time.

You’re being tested by many situations,” the 23-year-old actress said in a virtual press conference.

“I’d like to think that in all the characters I play, there’s no black and white, rather, I play real characters.

Totoong tao na may kasamaan at kabutihan din,” she carried on alluding to the character she is tackling in the third installment of I Can See You season 2 entitled “The Lookout.”

The mini-series airs tonight right after First Yaya on GMA-7. It will run until April 23 on the station’s primetime block.

In “The Lookout,” Barbie plays Emma Castro, an all-around helper and a street smart who gets entangled in a mess out of

desperation to provide for her unwell sister.

Barbie is joined in the mini-series by actor Paul Salas as Marius Penuliar, a mysterious man in crutches who crosses paths with Emma, and the versatile actor Christopher de Leon playing an equally vital role as Dr. Robert Penuliar, a prominent doctor and the patriarch of the Penuliar family who is a stickler for security.

"I always start with logic. I don't question the character. I agree with whatever she does, but I put my personality to it as to how I would react to certain situations. Basically, in all the characters I portray, it's a combination of the character and my truth. I also got a different feel of the character once I got all made up. The red highlights, red lipstick, and the outfits. These factors made me feel bolder and tougher and so that's what I've come up with as Emma,” Barbie said of her character.

“The Lookout’’ also highlights the outstanding portrayal of dramatic actor Adrian Alandy with Benjie Paras, Arthur Solinap, Marina Benipayo, Elijah Alejo, Luis Hontiveros, Ella Cristofani, and Jana Trias. Jules Katanyag is at the helm with associate director LA Madridejos.

“I’m glad that GMA is really brave in terms of producing shows such as this.

This is a genre piece, at masasabi kong napakatapang,” the director told Manila Standard Entertainment.

“It’s a home invasion piece. The rich and poor theme is still there, it deals with family situations as well. I Can See You is all about how gadgets become intruders in our lives and this is how ‘The Lookout’ complements the drama anthology that has a different theme each week. In other words, gadgets as a millennial thing and drama are merged to come up with a groundbreaking story featured in I Can See You,” the director ended.

From left: Paul Salas, Christopher de Leon, Adrian Alandy, Elija Alejo, and Luis Honteveros play pivotal roles in ‘I Can See You: The Lookout.’

Atasha Muhlach debuts on Metro.Style AGA Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez’s unica hija comes of age on her very first fashion cover. As Metro.Style’s newest cover girl, she shared her thoughts on the future, her family, and growing up.

"The overall process of learning new things is not just from Point A to Point B to your destination. It's a matter of how you can get there and how far you can get," Atasha Muhlach said with a smile, showing the confidence she needs to live life the way it was meant to be lived whether she realizes it or not.

The 19-year-old also shared her thoughts about entering showbiz.

Despite her affinity for the stage (she was in a production of The Sound of Music), Atasha hasn’t seriously considered a career in showbiz. She’s not opposed to the idea, but it's not something she wishes to actively pursue at the moment. If a door opens, she’ll keep a “why not?” attitude.

But Atasha talked about other things, too, from her hobbies— like painting—to her thoughts on social media.

In response, her father, Aga Muhlach, posted a heartfelt message on his Instagram account. He said, “Let me first just say how proud I am of you… my dearest @atashamuhlach… from the day you were born til present I would question myself countless times if I did the right thing raising you as a father. Seeing you on the cover of Metro… just made my heart so tender.

Atasha you did this on your own and you know in your heart that I would always (well I’d like to believe that) make you decide on your own. My happiness is whatever and anything that’ll make you happy and you know that...”

Atasha was photographed on location at Okada Manila by Charisma Lico, with creative direction and production design by Chookie Cruz, sittings by Kat Cruz-Villanueva, makeup by Robbie Piñera, hairstyling by Antonio Papa, styling by Pam Quiñones, Shark Tanael, and Claire Fernando of Qurator Studio, videography by Bria Cardenas, and cover story by Sara delos Reyes.

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

C4

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

Life FOOD

Community pantries

THE OG COMMUNITY PANTRY. The first community pantry installed

by Ana Patricia Non at Maginhawa Street, Quezon City. (Photo by Ana Patricia Non/ Facebook)

across the country

By Steph Llarena

W

HEN Maginhawa Community Pantry initiator Ana Patricia Non installed the modest bamboo cart along the popular dining strip, she made it clear that it was not meant to solve the country’s hunger problem. “‘Di nito masasagot ang root cause ng kagutuman, pero okay na din na pantawid gutom sa mga nangangailangan,” she said in her Facebook post on April 14, which has since been shared over 14,000 times as of this writing.

The rule is simple: “Magbigay ayon sa kakayahan. Kumuha batay sa pangangailangan” (Give whatever you can. Take only what you need). A set-up such as this relies on two things: honesty and sustainability.

A few days since the “pan-tree” opened,

two things became clear to Non: first, people only take what they need, even those who need it the most. A homeless man only took two pieces of orange despite others encouraging him to take more, saying “ito lang naman ang kakainin ko.”

And if others took more than what they seem they actually need, Non appeals to people to keep an open mind.

“Para sa akin bago tayo mainis ay suriin din muna natin ang kalagayan kung bakit ganon yung actions nung

mga tao. Wala din siguro tayo sa tamang posisyon na i-judge ang mga tao kung nakakain tayo tatlong beses sa isang araw. Iba iba din naman ang struggle at privileges natin,” she said in one of her Facebook updates.

And the second thing, people – when they can, even in their own little ways – will give to others. The farmers from Tarlac donated sweet potatoes, tricycle drivers helped in repacking rice, fishermen from Binangonan donated their surplus catch, and other groups and individuals started their own community pantries, extending the reach to more people in need.

Using their own tables, shelves, carts, and even cartons, these community pantries are open for those in need and those who can give: - Community Pantry at P. Noval in

Sampaloc, Manila (beside Mang Tootz Food House) - Intramuros Community Pantry at Plaza Roma in Intramuros, Manila - San Roque Community Pantry at San Roque Cathedral in Caloocan - Community Pantry at Narra St. Project 3, Quezon City - Community Pantry at 34 Matiyaga Street, Quezon City - Feed it Forward PH Community Pantry in Barangay Tunasan, Muntinlupa City (in front of St. Peregrine Laziosi Parish and Diocesan Shrine) - IAM Pasig Food Tour Group Community Pantry at Dr. Sixto Antonio Avenue cor. Liwayway Street (in front of Buffalo Swing)

- Community Pantry at 106 Lilac Street, SSS Village, Concepcion Dos, Marikina - Community Pantry in Batangas City - Community Pantry in Bulabog, Boracay - Iligan Community Pantry at Purok 5, Canayaw in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte - Community Pantry in Angeles, Pampanga More community pantries are sprouting across the country, with many expressing desire to launch their own in their communities. Those who want to help sustain the Maginhawa Community Pantry, Non encourages in kind donations (drop off to 96 Maginhawa Street, Diliman, Quezon City) or cash donations sent to GCash (0945145-4390) or BDO (001430247639).

Clockwise from top left: Matiyaga Community Pantry in Quezon City. (Photo by Elijah San Fernando/Facebook) | Community pantry at Narra Street, Quezon City organized by labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno. (Photo from KMU/Facebook) | Community pantry installed by Feed It Forward PH in Barangay Tunasan, Muntinlupa City. (Photo by Mark Daniel Tarre/Facebook) | IAM Pasig Food Tour Group Community Pantry in Barangay Caniogan, Pasig City. (Photo by Ingrid Mediarito/Facebook) | P. Noval Community Pantry in Sampaloc Manila in front of Mang Tootz Food House. (Photo by Toots Vergara/Facebook) | Balibago Community Pantry in Pampanga. (Photo by Lu Lagazo Labung/Facebook) | Community Pantry Boracay in Bulabog, Balabag, Boracay. (Photo by Roxy Yuri Maggie/Facebook) | Community pantry located at San Roque Cathedral, 10th Avenue, Caloocan City. (Photo by Ron Fortaliza/Facebook) | Community pantry inside Manila’s walled city. (Photo from Intramuros Administration/Facebook)

CRAVINGS DELIVERED

RECIPE FILES

Cru’s ribeye steak and more now on GrabFood, foodpanda

Back to cheesy basics

DELECTABLE dishes served at Marriott Manila’s in-house restaurants can now be ordered via on-demand delivery platforms.

Craving Cru Steakhouse’s US Certified Angus Prime Rib Steak, Marriott Café’s home-cooked meals, and Marriott Café Bakery’s breads and pastries?

Have them and more delivered via Resorts World Manila’s signature food delivery service, Delishvery, or via GrabFood, foodpanda, or Pickaroo.

Other prime steak cuts from Cru available for delivery include Cape Grim Tenderloin Center Cut and Midwest Ribeye Steak. Its Ready to Eat Cru Grill Steak, meanwhile, starts at P1,430.

Marriott Café’s Mama’s Cooking offers Filipino comfort food made more special, such as the Beef Kaldereta with braised Australian beef rump, spiced tomatoes, and organic local vegetables, served with white rice. Seafood selections include Line Caught Salmon Fillet, while soup choices come in the form of Mushroom Soup and Chicken Gumbo Soup. Healthconscious diners can order a bowl Greek or Chef’s Salad.

One whole Chocolate Moist Cake or a slice of Mango Cheesecake, as well as crafted frappes and milk teas are available.

Local breads like Ube Pan De Coco Crust, Cheese Bread, and Kababayan; loaf breads such as German Whole Wheat

8 slices 8 slices 1 ¼ cup 2 pcs.

2 cups 4 tbsp.

1 tsp.

4 tbsp.

2 cups 2 tbsp.

1/4 cup

CHEESE has been added to almost all kinds of food, even to those you wouldn’t expect it to be part of or paired with—peanut butter and jelly?

More like peanut butter and cheese.

Yes? No? Ok. Bizarre cheese pairings and dishes with cheese aside, you can never go wrong with the classics, the food which cheese helps make better. Here are refresher recipes of some of them, courtesy of Eden cheese.

2 pcs.

Marriott Manila restaurants’ (clockwise) US Angus Prime Steak, Beef Kaldereta, Mushroom Soup, and Choco Moist Cake available for delivery.

and Australian Multigrain; the newly added Empanada; and the signature Marriott Burger with homemade 200g beef patty from Marriott Café Bakery, among others are available for takeaway.

Delishvery caters to areas within Metro Manila; to order, call (02) 7908-8885 or text 0917-878-8856. Payment may be settled via debit cards, major credit cards, PayMaya, GCash, or cash on delivery. To order via GrabFood, Pickaroo, or foodpanda, simply launch any of the apps and search for the restaurants.

Korean-style fried chicken in a box SHERATON Manila Hotel’s Korean restaurant Oori is offering its crispy K-style fried chicken for pick-up and delivery at a special rate this month.

Today until April 30, a box of 10 is priced at P600 nett. It also comes with yangnyeum sauce and pickled radish, perfect with maekju for those chicken and beer nights. Pick a box or two at Oori in Pasay City (contact Sheraton at 0917-8823213 or 7902-1808) or have it delivered via Oori’s Korean-style Fried Chicken GrabFood, foodpanda, or Pickaroo.

Grilled Cheese

Ingredients: 2 slices 2 slices 3 pieces 1 tbsp.

bread Eden Melt Sarap cheese bacon butter

Procedure: 1. Cook the bacon, then make the sandwich with Eden Melt Sarap and fried bacon.

2. In a pan, heat butter until melted.

Grill the sandwich in the pan until golden brown. Serve.

beef bouillon cubes, dissolved in water Procedure: 1 pc. medium onion, For the chicken: chopped 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large 1 cup Eden Melt Sarap baking sheet with parchment paper.

7 tbsp. butter 2. Place chicken breast between 2 tbsp. salt 2 pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting 4 tbsp. cooking oil board and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten until ¼-inch thick.

Procedure: 3. Top chicken with 2 slices of Eden 1. Cook pasta according to instructions MeltSarap and 2 slices of ham. Roll on the packaging. Drain and set aside.

2. In a saucepan, sauté garlic and on- up the breast tightly and secure with ion in butter until onions turn translucent. toothpicks. Repeat with remaining Add ground beef and cook for 5 minutes. chicken breasts.

4. Place flour, eggs, and bread Add hotdog and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add spaghetti sauce, bouillon cubes, crumbs in three bowls. Season flour banana ketchup, and water. Simmer for with salt and pepper. Add melted butter and oregano to panko and mix un20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Pour spaghetti sauce over pasta. til incorporated.

5. Dip the chicken in flour first, Top with grated cheese and serve. then eggs, then the crumb mixture.

Press to coat well.

6. Place dipped chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and cooked through (around 30 mins).

7. Remove toothpicks from chicken and serve with sauce.

Spaghetti

Ingredients: 1 kg.

1 bottle 560g 1 tsp.

3/4 kg.

5 pieces

spaghetti noodles banana ketchup Pinoy-style Spaghetti Sauce minced garlic ground beef hotdogs, sliced

Eden Melt Sarap ham all-purpose flour large eggs, beaten bread crumbs melted butter dried oregano butter fresh milk dijon mustard freshly grated Eden Original salt and ground pepper

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients: 4 pcs.

chicken breasts

For the sauce: 1. In a medium heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large pan.

2. Add flour and stir until golden (around 2 mins). Slowly whisk in milk, then add mustard. Let simmer until thickened (about 5 mins).

3. Add grated Eden Original and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.