THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021
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Reopening expected to lift economy from deep slump T
HE Philippine economy is expected to rebound from the 9.5-percent contraction in 2020, the deepest slump on record, as it resumes reopening of businesses on expectations that the arrival of vaccines would stop the spread of the coronavirus. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the gross domestic product sank 9.5 percent in 2020, despite the shallower contraction of 8.3 percent in the fourth quarter on the prolonged impact of the health crisis. Meanwhile, the gross national income, which was formerly known as GNP, decreased by 12 percent in the fourth quarter and 11.1 percent in the whole of 2020, after the net primary income from the rest of the world went down by 53.2 percent in the fourth quarter and by 27.3 percent in 2020. Following the release of latest economic data, the National Economic and Development Authority updated the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan, the country’s economic blueprint. Under the updated PDP presented by NEDA Undersecretary for policy and planning Rose Edillon, economic managers retained the 2021 GDP growth target at 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent. The government slightly adjusted the 2022 GDP growth target to a range of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent from 8 percent to 10 percent announced last year by the Development Budget Coordination Committee. “It is important to keep in mind that the emergence of new threats has only reinforced our commitment to our collective vision. Our long-term vision remains the same and has even become more pronounced now. We will manage this crisis and recover as quickly as possible,” said Edillon. The gross national income is expected to expand by 5 percent to 6 percent for both 2021 and 2022, after contracting 12.3 percent in 2020. NEDA also revised the poverty incidence target to a range of 15.5 percent to 17.5 percent from the previous goal of 13 percent to 15 percent. Unemployment rate is expected at 7 percent to 9 percent for both 2021 and 2022, lower than the
average of 10.2 percent in 2020, but higher than the pre-pandemic level of 5.1 percent in 2019. Meanwhile, the inflation rate target was maintained at 2 percent to 4 percent in 2021. “We realize that many obstacles may come at any time between now and 2040. COVID-19 may just be one of these. It is important to quickly reclaim lost ground, ensure sustainability of the gains to prevent a reversal, and get back on track towards achieving AmBisyon Natin 2040,” Edillon said. “The reality today is that the virus is not going to go away soon, and we will have to learn to live with it. We need to safely open our economy and address both COVID and non-COVID challenges—such as hunger, poverty,
unemployment, and non-COVID-19 diseases,” said acting Economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua. “Our focus for the next two years is to build a healthy and more resilient Philippines as the foundation for the future. Our goal remains the same: to bring Filipinos closer to a strongly rooted, comfortable, and secure life. To achieve this, the Updated PDP’s strategies have been adapted to respond to the needs of today while preparing for the requirements of tomorrow,” said Chua. Chua said the pandemic last year disrupted the country’s growth momentum. “We started 2020 with a strong foundation and the country was likely to become an upper-middle income country in 2020 if not for COVID-19. Between 2015 and 2018,
poverty fell from 23.5 percent to 16.7 percent of the population, lifting six million Filipinos from poverty, or four years ahead of our 2022 target,” he said. He said key reforms, such as the Rice Tariffication Law, helped stabilize inflation within the government’s target of 2 percent to 4 percent, while the comprehensive tax reform program expanded the fiscal resources, pushing the revenue-to-GDP ratio to 16.1 percent in 2019 and reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio to 39.6 percent. “Then came COVID-19. This disrupted our growth momentum and development trajectory. To address this unprecedented crisis, the government made the difficult decision of imposing community quarantines last year up to this year as it put a premium on saving
lives and protecting communities from the virus, while beefing up our healthcare capacity. This is, of course, not without any consequence,” he said. Chua said that with border restrictions in the second quarter of 2020, the GDP fell by 16.9 percent and the unemployment rate climbed to 17.7 percent. Improvements followed the gradual easing of restrictions in the succeeding quarters. “By the fourth quarter of 2020, our economy performed better with a smaller GDP contraction of 8.3 percent while unemployment rate dropped to 8.7 percent. This performance brings our full-year GDP contraction to 9.5 percent, which is at the low end of the DBCC estimate of -8.5 to -9.5 percent for 2020,” Chua said.
Speedy vaccine rollout will win the war against COVID-19 THE vaccine rollout is a critical element in the full opening the Philippine economy. It is the starting point or ground zero that will culminate in achieving herd immunity and the return to normalcy. Inoculating the entire Filipino population is not by any means an easy task. One has to plan and organize people to do the job. Identifying the logistics requirements to carry out the vaccination task is another thing. The most crucial factor in the vaccine rollout, of course, is the speed by which we want to accomplish the objective. How soon can we establish a herd immunity to finally and effectively contain the virus infection should be guiding factor of the vaccine program. Building herd immunity quickly by region should be the main task of vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez
Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. The herd immunity will reduce the COVID-19 spread as the non-immune people will have lesser chances of getting infected by those who have already received the jabs. From the looks of it, local government units and the private sector on its own will spearhead the vaccine drive. The two sectors have the resources, or money, to implement the vaccine rollout. LGUs in the early stages of the pandemic were relatively successful in distributing food packs or relief goods to the needy and to those who were displaced by COVID-19. The private sector, meanwhile, has the wherewithal to fund the inoculation starting with their workers. It will be in the interest of big private companies to initiate the vaccine drive. Inoculation holds the key to fully reopening the
A health worker is vaccinated with the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine on February 7, 2021 at the Mignot Hospital in Le Chesnay near Paris. The top French medical authority Haute Autorite de Sante has approved the vaccine for use in France, but only for people under 65, echoing decisions made in Sweden, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland over concerns about a lack of data on the effectiveness of the vaccine for over 65s. AFP
economy. As to the choice of vaccines, LGUs and the private sector have the freedom to select which dose is apt for their respective constituents and employees. The vaccines of USbased Pfizer and Moderna require expensive cold storage, which urban centers like Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao can afford. On the other hand, China’s Sinovac, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Novavax do not require ultra-cold storage. Distributing the vaccine to the majority of the population as soon as possible is, indeed, a big challenge to the government of President Rodrigo Duterte. He must mobilize the entire government machinery, including the military, in the campaign to ensure the success of the program. It is time to win the war against COVID-19.
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PH on the verge of coinless society T
HE Philippines is on the verge of becoming a coinless society, according to an information technology executive.
Digital payments are becoming the preferred mode of settlement of Filipinos, as the government promoted cashless transactions as part of the health protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. Paymaya Philippines Inc. founder and chief executive Orlando Vea said cashless modes of payment―which include e-Wallets such as PayMaya, cards and bank transfers―most likely reached a tipping point in 2020 when more than 50 percent of online shopping transaction value were paid through cashless means, based on data from Google, Temasek, Bain & Company, Euromonitor and PayMaya. “From cash-on-delivery, today COD now means cashless orders and delivery. In 2020 alone, we processed over P95 billion worth of online shopping transactions across all of our platforms, which only shows that consumer preference for cashless payments and online REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES shopping is overwhelmingly present,” Vea said. He said because of this HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES development, the Philippines QUEZON CITY was on the cusp of an online shopping explosion as financial technology providers, digital players, businesses and the ESSAGE ROM ROM HE FROM THE PEAKER A M ESSAGE ESSAGE HE government accelerated the pivot to digital, bolstered by the launch of the update REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Our warmest congratulations to tothethe Manila e-CommerceStandard Philippines Our warmest congratulations as it HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Manila Standard as it celebrates its Roadmap 2022 by the QUEZON CITY celebrates its 34th anniversary of reliable Departmentservice of Trade to and the 34th anniversary of reliable service to the Industry on Friday. Filipino nation. Filipino nation. With the updated A MESSAGE FROM THE SPEAKER e-Commerce roadmap for 2022, the DTI is targeting Since 1987, 1987, the Manila Standard Since the Manila Standard has been aincrease responsible Our warmest congratulations to the Manila Standard as it has to e-commerceand a responsible and institution. dependable merchants to onecontributed million from celebrates its 34thbeen anniversary of media reliable service to themedia dependable It has immensely a base of 500,000 and hike institution. It has immensely contributed Filipino nation. towards strengthening the pillars ofe-commerce democracy in toour contribution towards strengthening the pillars of Philippine economy to 5.5 society byin delivering timely information, fairfromreporting, Since 1987, the Manila Standard has beensociety a responsible and percent 3.4 percent lastand democracy our by delivering dependable media timely institution. It has immensely contributed sharp information, commentary. theand years, year. the paper has shown fairThrough reporting, “As we recharge our economy and build back better in the post-pandemic era, let us create towards strengthening the pillars of democracy in our that the news of the day need be staid, overly verbose, or of the benefits of e-commerce. And as we aim for fast, a ‘better normal’ by taking advantage sharp commentary. Through the not years, society by delivering timely information, fair reporting, and convenient and easy commerce in a digital world, let us remember that more e-commerce the paper hassharp shown that the news of the day need not be overly dry. commentary. Through the years, the paper hasstaid, shown means more jobs and employment generated for our countrymen,” Trade Secretary Ramon verbose, or dry. Lopez said during the launch of the updated e-commerce roadmap. that the news of the day need not be staid, overly verbose, or Vea said the conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the push for ry. We commend the staff, journalists, and media persons who havee-commerce, contributed towards but the support of players in the entire ecosystem would turbo-charge its growth We commend the staff, journalists, and media persons who have contributed all the way to 2022. thethesuccess of this paper. May your responsible voice continue to be We commend staff, persons who independent have contributed towards “With the guidance of DTI and the push to make e-commerce easy for all players involved, towards thejournalists, success ofand thismedia paper. May your independent andand responsible we are seeing online shopping and cashless payments boom in the country like never before,” he successvoice of thiscontinue paper. May your independent and responsible heard for many years tomany come. to be heard for years to come. voice continue to be Vea said. eard for many years to come. “Consumers are now used to ordering online or via their phones and paying via cashless, and many businesses have accelerated their migration to digital, so there’s no turning back now when it comes to digital payments and e-Commerce in the Philippines,” he said. PayMaya is an end-to-end digital payment ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, communities and government. PayMaya saw marked increase in the number of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises utilizing its cashless payments solutions as many of them migrated or began their operations online―with DTI recording as many as 900,000 newly registered business for the entire 2020. Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides over 28 million Filipinos with access to financial services. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 200,000 digital touch points nationwide, the widest network in the country. Meanwhile, GCash, the mobile wallet of Globe Telecom Inc., said it recorded over P1 trillion in transactions in 2020, a 254-percent growth from 2019. The service peaked to P7.5 billion in daily gross transaction value, and more than 6 million transactions a day. Customer base ballooned to more than 33 million―a third of the Philippines population―from 20 million in 2019. “The remarkable growth GCash experienced this year shows that Filipinos have embraced financial technology. People have realized that fintech isn’t just an option but a necessity, allowing them to fulfill their financial lifestyle conveniently,” GCash president and chief executive Martha Sazon said. Sazon attributed the exponential growth of the mobile wallet firm to people’s readiness to shift to cashless payments. Consumers found fintech a necessity during the pandemic, she said. The growth is driven by an unprecedented surge in usage in GCash to GCash money transfers, bank transfers, online and offline cash-in services, and bills payments, all of which have become necessities during the pandemic. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the country is on track to achieving its goal of having a coinless society by 2025, especially with the increase in digital transactions that are evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Diokno said in an online briefing the BSP pursues a phased digital transformation wherein the country would transition from a cash-heavy, to cash-lite and eventually a coinless and ESSAGE ROM HE cashless society.
REPUBLIC OF OF THE THE PHILIPPINES PHILIPPINES REPUBLIC HOUSE OF OF REPRESENTATIVES REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES QUEZON CITY QUEZON CITY
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celebrates its 34th anniversary of reliable service to the Since 1987, 1987, the the Manila Manila Standard Standard has has been been aa responsible responsibleand and Since Filipino nation. dependable media institution. It has immensely contributed
dependable media institution. It has immensely contributed towards strengthening strengthening the the pillars pillars of of democracy democracy in in our our towards Since 1987, the Manila Standard has been a responsible society by delivering delivering timely information, fairreporting, reporting, and and society by timely information, fair and sharp commentary. commentary. Through the years, years, the paperhas hasshown shown dependable mediaThrough institution. It hasthe immensely contributed sharp the paper that the the news news of the the day day need need notpillars bestaid, staid,of overly verbose,or or that of not be overly verbose, towards strengthening the democracy in our
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES HOUSE OFOF REPRESENTATIVES REPUBLIC THE PHILIPPINES QUEZON CITY
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MSMEs gradually cope 34th anniversary of reliable service to the with new business environment Filipino nation.congratulations to the Manila Standard as it Our warmest
My heartfelt congratulations ESSAGE to The Manila Standard Our warmest for your 34th Founding celebrates its Anniversary!
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Your legacy in news reporting SMALL businesses, many of which were forced to shut down in the first three months has definitely resonated in of pandemic, are beginning to show recovery. everyone’s lives and has touched A survey commissioned Since 1987, and by the Philippine many people throughout the the Manila Standard has been a responsible Exporters Confederation Inc. shows that micro, years. You have come a long media institution. It has immensely contributed small and medium enterprises are gradually dependable coping with the new business trend despite the way, and it has not been the halts and in shutdowns in 2020. towards strengthening the pillars of democracy our easiest journey, but your The survey, conducted in January 2021, commitmentsociety to abide in truthful found out thatand businesses were keen on by delivering timely information, fair reporting, observing government-mandated public and sincere news writing has which not only helped in the become thesharp foundation that commentary. Through the years, the paperhealth hasprotocols, shown continuity of operations but also in ensuring allowed you to remain as one health and thatprint the media news of the day need not be staid, overly industrial verbose, orsafety in the workplace. of the leading From a small survey base of 33 companies that are mostly MSMEs, Philexport found corporations throughout those that half of the businesses that responded to 34 years, and we are so proud the survey were able to implement business to have been able to be a part of continuity plans. Yet, some of them are coping by utilizing technologies to benefit your journey. the staff, journalists, and media persons who have contributed towards
celebrates its 34th anniversary of reliable service to the Filipino nation.
Since 1987, the Manila Standard has been a responsible and dependable media institution. It has immensely contributed towards strengthening the pillars of democracy in our society by delivering timely information, fair reporting, and sharp commentary. Through the years, the paper has shown from the trends brought by theor upcoming that the news of the day need not be staid, overly verbose, Fourth Industrial Revolution.
end I wish youMay more power s of this paper. yourandindependent and responsible voice continue to be are from different The respondents bravery in continuing to report sectors such as chemicals, electronics, HON. YEDDA MARIE many years food, furniture, garments, holiday decors, the truth.to come. K. ROMUALDEZ
Representative, Tingog Partylist
housewares, metals, textiles and tourism. According to the survey, 90.9 percent of the firms were operating at a certain capacity while 9.1 percent were temporarily closed. Majority or 87.9 percent of the respondents
d the staff, journalists, and media persons who have contributed towards this paper. May your independent and responsible voice continue to be ny years to come.
reported that the situation of their respective firms was similar to last year while 12.1 percent answered that their situation was better than last year. About 69.7 percent of respondents said difficulties in coordinating with supply/ value chains was the topmost reason why firms experienced operational slowdown/ shutdown last year. This was followed by difficulty in transportation with 48.5 percent; insufficient manpower, 30.3 percent; lack of access to financing 27.3 percent; not allowed to operate, 21.2 percent; and absence of business continuity plans, 9.1 percent. It was also revealed that the higher cost or insufficiency of raw materials was a major reason some firms were not yet fully operational as of this time. On the issue of employment, majority or 57.6 percent of the respondents reported no lay-offs while 42.4 percent confirmed having laid off employees either temporarily or permanently. Some 244 employees who were laid off permanently, while 228 were laid off temporarily among the survey participants. The survey also found that access to financial resources/funding from the government, which may also come in the form of grants, is the primary assistance most of the respondents need from the government.
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Gov’t moves to enhance logistics and connectivity
HE government unveiled its plan to improve logistics and connectivity to steer the Philippine economy towards recovery.
Logistics—or the flow of commodities from production sites to households—nearly collapsed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic after the government closed its borders to contain the spread of the disease, resulting in the shortage of products in the market. This was remedied by the easing of the quarantine restrictions in the following weeks that allowed cargo ships and trucks to resume operations. However, partial restrictions continued, keeping the flow of goods below the pre-pandemic level. The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that merchandise exports contracted by 10.1 percent in 2020 to $63.77 billion from $70.926 billion in 2019, while imports posted a deeper decline of 23.28 percent to $85.606 billion from $111.593 billion. The National Economic and Development Authority said the government will prioritize the safe opening of the economy, connectivity and logistics reforms to bring down cost and improve competitiveness of the trade sector amid the pandemic. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Philippine Competition Commission recently launched two reports under the OECD’s Fostering Competition in ASEAN Project–the OECD Competition Assessment Review of the Logistics Sector in the Philippines and the OECD Competitive Neutrality Reviews: Small-package delivery services in the Philippines. “This study on the logistics sector is very timely as the pandemic restricted the flow of goods in the domestic and global supply chains and exacerbated the issues in the Philippine logistics industry, which was already lagging behind its ASEAN neighbors even before COVID-19,” said acting Economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua.
The virtual launch was attended by British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce, Deputy Director of the Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs of the OECD Antonio Gomes, acting head of the OECD Competition Division Antonio Capobianco, ASEAN Secretariat Deputy Secretary General Aladdin Rillo and PCC Chairman Arsenio Balisacan. The event disseminated the key results and recommendations of the two reports to raise awareness about the importance of having a level playing field for all firms, regardless of ownership. “Despite the country’s improved ranking in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index from 71st place in 2016 to 60th place in 2018, more work is needed to upgrade our logistics system to approach that of our neighbors—for instance, Hong Kong and Singapore,” the NEDA chief said. According to the latest available data from the Department of Trade and Industry and the World Bank, logistics costs in the Philippines accounted for 27.2 percent of sales of manufacturing firms in 2017. Meanwhile, foreign direct investment data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that the share of FDI in transport and storage averaged only 0.6 percent of total FDI recorded in the period 2014-2019. To address the issues in the logistics sector, the government enacted significant landmark measures, including the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 and the National Competition Policy through a joint memorandum circular issued by NEDA and PCC. The administration is also investing in more infrastructure projects by continuing the “Build, Build, Build” program. The 2021 budget of P4.5 trillion includes P1.1 trillion allocated for infrastructure spending. Chua said the National Logistics Master Plan 2017-2022 would be updated to further improve efficiency of the national logistics system. The Master Plan highlights the regulations needed to boost the performance of logistics
components such as customs procedures, port operations and transportation connectivity. The NEDA chief also highlighted the pending measures that are immediately doable to attract more investments in the logistics sector. “We urge our legislators to swiftly pass the amendments to the Public Service Act, the Retail Trade Liberalization Act and the Foreign Investment Act. All these are crucial in enhancing competition and creating more and better jobs in the country, especially the logistics sector, and crucial for the economic recovery
from COVID-19,” he said.
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PH far from a financial crisis despite last year’s recession
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HE Philippines is far from a financial crisis that bedeviled it in the mid-80s and the late 90s despite last year’s deep economic recession.
There is no such debt moratorium that emerged from the years leading to the People Power revolution in 1986 and the Philippines has enough dollar reserves to stem a foreign exchange crisis that engulfed Southeast Asia in 1997. There is no loss of business confidence, either. Investor sentiment remains positive, with many businessmen merely postponing their expansion plans and treating the pandemic a temporary aberration. Even the negative factors in the economy are a blessing in disguise. A sharp decline in the country’s trade deficit has enabled the country’s balance of payments to post a huge surplus and the gross international reserves to hit a new record level in 2020. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that the merchandise trade deficit shrank by nearly $19 billion, or 46 percent, in 2020 to $21.839 billion from $40.666 billion in 2019, as the drop in imports was faster than the decline in exports last year amid the pandemic. The narrower deficit allowed the economy to post a BOP surplus of $16 billion and a gross international reserves of $110.12 billion in 2020, amid the challenging global environment
highlighted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed the BOP posted a surplus of $4.24 billion in December 2020, up from the $1.57-billion surplus recorded in December 2019. “The BOP surplus in December 2020 reflected inflows mainly from the BSP’s foreign exchange operations and income from its investments abroad, and national government’s foreign currency deposits with the BSP of proceeds from its issuance of ROP Global Bonds,” the BSP said in a statement. These inflows were partly offset by the national government’s
payments of foreign currency debt obligations, the BSP said. “With the December outturn, the full-year 2020 BOP surplus reached an alltime high of $16.02 billion. This level is more than two times higher compared with the $7.84 billion BOP surplus recorded in 2019,” it said. The central bank said the higher net foreign borrowings by the government and lower merchandise trade deficit, along with sustained net inflows from personal remittances, foreign direct investments and trade in services, accounted for the favorable performance in 2020. The BOP position reflects
an increase in the final gross international reserves level of $110.12 billion as of end-December, compared with $104.82 billion as of end-November 2020. “The latest GIR level represents an adequate external liquidity buffer, which can help cushion the domestic economy against external shocks. This is equivalent to 11.8 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income,” the BSP said. The reserves are about 9.5 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 5.4 times based on residual maturity. The BSP expects the balance of
payments to post a surplus of $3.4 billion this year. The strong BOP surplus, supported by narrowing trade deficit, allowed the peso to gain more than 5 percent against the US dollar last year. The local currency was stable at 48 against the greenback in January 2021. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed the merchandise trade deficit declined by 46 percent in 2020. Exports contracted 10.1 percent in 2020 to $63.77 billion from $70.926 billion in 2019, while imports posted a deeper decline of 23.3 percent to $85.606 billion from $111.593 billion.
Southeast Asia’s dynamic economies reel from COVID SOUTHEAST Asia, the world’s most vibrant economic region until COVID-19 struck, has completely reversed its growth pattern. After years of spectacular growth rates, the individual economies of Southeast Asian nations are contracting―with tourism and trade slumping due to restricted global travel and reduced consumption. The Asian Development Bank last year saw the Philippine economy shrinking 8.5 percent last year (it actually contracted 95 percent) on the prolonged impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the deepest contraction among Southeast Asian economies this year. The rest of the region are also not doing well. Thailand’s economy was poised to contract 7.8 percent, while Singapore would shrink 6.2 percent. Malaysia and Indonesia were projected to slump 6 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively. The ADB had expected Vietnam as the only country escaping the region’s recession with a growth of 2.3 percent. ADB had predicted Southeast Asia’s economies to decline 4.4 percent overall in 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak and the ensuing containment measures have taken their toll on the economies of Southeast Asia. Even the anticipated rebound in 2021 is less rosy as predicted by the ADB. Southeast Asia is now expected to expand 5.2 percent next year compared to the 5.5-percent growth the bank forecast in September. Southeast Asia’s economic recovery in 2021 will hinge on how fast the region can gain access to effective vaccines that are now being distributed in Europe and the US. The developed nations are getting the first shot at the vaccines, along with Russia and China. The population of most of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, will likely receive inoculation sometime in the first quarter of 2021. This region, in the meantime, will have to continue enforcing restrictions on travel and the economy as a whole while waiting for the widespread immunization. The same quarantine restrictions will surely be eased over the near-term period as the vaccination program progresses in Southeast Asia. The economies in the region will reopen further and only then can we expect the anticipated rebound in Southeast Asia.
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Strong peso helps steady inflation
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HE economic recession in 2020 would have translated into a weak currency—the usual barometer of a nation in crisis. But far from it, the Philippine peso has strengthened and weathered the pandemic storm.
The peso advanced more than 5 percent against the US dollar in 2020, helping tame inflation rate, especially the prices of sensitive imported products such as food and petroleum. It was one of the most stable Asian currencies last year despite the headwinds from the domestic and global fronts, especially the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Finance. “The Philippine peso remained firm, appreciating from year-end 2019 level. In 2020, the Philippine peso was in the middle of the pack among the nine currencies in Asia that maintained their value against the US dollar,” the DOF said. The peso appreciated 5.18 percent against the US dollar last year, or in the middle of the pack of nine Asian currencies, including the Taiwan dollar, Chinese yuan, Taiwan dollar, Korean won and Japanese yen, which rose 6.33 percent, 6.26 percent, 6.07 percent, and 4.94 percent, respectively. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the peso remained resilient and stable amid the pandemic. “The local currency has also performed better compared to other Southeast Asian currencies and appreciated vis-à-vis the US dollar along with the Chinese yuan, Taiwanese dollar, South Korean won, and the Japanese yen, year-to-date,” Diokno said. He cited analysts’ expectation that the peso would remain strong in the near term and maintain its resilience as one of Asia’s topperforming currencies. “The peso’s strength can be attributed to sound macroeconomic fundamentals characterized by a benign inflation environment, a strong and resilient banking system, prudent fiscal position and a sufficient level of international reserve buffer,” said Diokno. The peso was stable at 48 against the dollar in January 2021. ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi-
BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno
nas would likely allow the peso to sustain its appreciation against the greenback in 2021 to offset the expected uptick in inflation rate. “In 2021, the peso is on an appreciation path, helped by the current Fed stance and also as import demand fades sharply due to the pandemic, in stark contrast to 2018 wherein imports ballooned to historical highs,” Mapa said. He said as the BSP would likely continue to keep its eye fixed on the growth objective given the dire needs of the economy and ruling out early rate hikes in 2021, the only card it could play to combat inflation in 2021 would be to let the currency appreciate. “With BSP not likely open to hiking rates this time around as it would derail what little growth momentum left in the economy, perhaps if ever BSP would be forced into action, allowing the currency to appreciate would be their only play available,” he said. Inflation picked up to a two-year high of 4.2 percent in January from 3.5 percent in December 2020 because of the uptick in food prices and transport costs, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed. The January print breached the inflation target band of 2 percent to 4 percent set by the BSP for 2021 and was the fastest price increase in two years since it hit 4.4 percent in January 2019. The faster inflation in January 2021 was driven by the increase in the price indices for food items, particularly meat and vegetables. Food inflation accelerated to 6.6 percent, while non-food inflation was unchanged from the previous month at 2.3 percent. Meanwhile, faster price adjustments were also recorded in restaurants, miscellaneous goods and services, and transport.
NEDA: Economy must reopen further to create jobs for millions of Filipinos THERE is no doubt COVID-19 and the government-imposed lockdowns took their toll on the labor sector. Millions of Filipinos have lost their jobs since the lockdowns took effect in mid-March last year. The latest unemployment report issued by the government is a mix of bad and good news. Joblessness in the country as of October 2020 is not as bad as it was in July―it has gone down―but the number of unemployed is higher by 2 million compared with the figure in the same period a year ago. The pandemic obviously contributed a lot to the rising unemployment in the Philippines. Economic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority Director-General Karl Kendrick Chua remains upbeat, though. He sees the latest results of the quarterly Labor Force Survey as further signs of economic recovery. The reopening of the economy led to an improvement in the unemployment rate but Mr. Chua noted that the number could have been lower if the economy were opened further “coupled with the provision of safe and sufficient public transport.” The unemployment rate in the country improved to 8.7 percent in October from 10 percent in July and 17.6 percent in April. The Philippine
Statistics Authority reported that about 3.8 million Filipinos were unemployed as of October, down from 4.57 million in July and 7.23 million in April. However, it was higher than the 2 million jobless individuals in October 2019 when the unemployment rate settled at 4.6 percent. The statistical agency reported that there were 800,000 million less unemployed workers in October compared with the July survey, but the labor force participation rate fell to 58.7 percent in October from 61.9 percent in July. The four successive typhoons that battered the country in October and heavy flooding caused a significant employment loss in the agriculture sector. About 1.1 million lost jobs in the agriculture sector in the latter half of October, or about 70 percent of the 1.5 million total recorded between July and October this year. Quarantine restrictions, meanwhile, are still contributing significantly to the high number of jobless persons. Workers in the provinces, for one, face difficulty in returning to their jobs given the current inter-province transport restrictions. These mobility constraints contributed to 500,000 jobs lost in the industry sector. Reopening the economy further in the face of declining COVID-19 cases is the only solution to the high unemployment rate. Transport restrictions can be eased as long as strict enforcement of the health protocols are observed.
National Economic and Development Authority Director-General Karl Kendrick Chua
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Rating agencies remain upbeat on PH
HE raging pandemic and the economic contraction have not made a dent in the Philippines’ credit worthiness. Foreign credit rating institutions have kept their confidence on the ability of the country to repay its debt.
Fitch Ratings affirmed in January 2021 the Philippines’ investment grade score of “BBB” with a stable outlook, citing the country’s resilience amid the global pandemic and strong growth outlook that may hit around 6.9 percent in 2021 and 8 percent in 2022. “The affirmation of the Philippines’ ‘BBB’ rating and ‘stable’ outlook balances modest government debt levels relative to peers, robust external buffers and still-strong medium-term growth prospects, notwithstanding the deep pandemic-induced economic contraction, against relatively low per capita income levels and indicators of governance and human development compared to peers,” Fitch said. It said the economic impact of the pandemic for the Philippines in 2020 was more significant than it had previously expected because of the local infection rate and government policy measures to curb the spread of the virus. Fitch said efforts to contain the virus severely affected private consumption and investment, resulting in real gross domestic contracting by 10 percent
Department of Finance Secretary Carlos ‘Sonny’ Dominguez
year-on-year in the first nine months of 2020. It said full-year GDP likely contracted by 8.5 percent in 2020 (the economy shrank 9.5 percent last year), after accounting for an improvement in activity indicators in the fourth quarter. Fitch said economic activity might continue to recover in the coming quarters. It projected GDP to expand by 6.9 percent and 8.0 percent in 2021 and 2022, respectively. “We estimate the general government deficit to
have widened to 6.9 percent of GDP in 2020 from 1.2 percent of GDP in 2019. We project the deficit to widen further to 7.7 percent in 2021, before narrowing to 6.6 percent in 2022. Underlying the projections for 2021 are a central government deficit of 8.7 percent of GDP, up from an estimated 7.5 percent of GDP in 2020, as government expenditure aimed at supporting economic recovery is likely to remain high,” it said. The wider deficits, it said, reflected the authorities’ policy response to COVID-19 under their four-pillar socio-economic strategy. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said he appreciated Fitch’s understanding of the Philippines’ credit and macroeconomic direction amid the global pandemic. “For our part, the BSP was among the first central banks in the world to respond to the crisis with a policy rate cut as early as February last year. We deemed it important to signal to the market that we were ready to act swiftly and decisively to buoy market confidence, as well as to ensure sufficient liquidity and efficient functioning of the financial system,” Diokno said. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the affirmation of the Philippines’ “BBB” rating with a stable outlook showed that the country remained credit and investment-worthy throughout the global COVID-19 crisis. “This is because, first, our strong economy on the Duterte watch gave us enough fiscal space to deal with the unprecedented health and economic crises. Second, there is a whole-of-government approach
in saving lives, protecting communities and livelihoods, and providing relief to the hardest hit families, workers, and businesses,” Dominguez said. Japan Credit Rating Agency in June even upgraded the Philippines’ credit rating by a notch from BBB+ to A-, citing the country’s resilience amid a pandemic that has slowed down growth, impaired fiscal positions and hurt credit ratings of economies across the globe. JCR assigned a “stable” outlook on the new rating, which indicates that the “A-” would be maintained over the near term. JCR said the decision came on the back of its assessment that the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the domestic economy and the government’s fiscal standing would be temporary, given the country’s strong fundamentals going into the crisis, the massive relief measures and the pursuit of important legislation such as the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program. Diokno said JCR’s assignment of an A- rating to the Philippines reflected the agency’s confidence that the Philippines was pursuing appropriate policies to help Filipino individuals, businesses and the economy at large to recover from the unprecedented crisis. While we have temporarily veered our attention away from the Road to A agenda because our focus at the moment is on saving lives, jobs, and livelihoods, we welcome positive assessments from international observers like JCR. We hope this helps to uplift the Filipino spirit at this trying time and to inspire us to work harder together to emerge stronger after the pandemic, Diokno said.
Consumer spending is the economy’s weakest link THE economy’s slump in 2020 is not unexpected. With COVID-19 restricting travel and the movement of people, and forcing the closure of many business establishments, the economy contracted by 9.5 percent for the full of 2020. The partial reopening of the economy obviously is not enough to reverse the tide. Fourth-quarter figures show the story of the economy. Construction sank 25.3 percent, other services tumbled 45.2 percent and accommodation and food service activities slumped 42.7 percent. Philippines exports declined 10.5 percent, while imports plunged 18.8 percent―the telltale signs of reduced economic activities. The retail and tourism sectors, along with construction, suffered the brunt of the pandemic. With air travel and local border restrictions, hotels and resort facilities cannot operate viably. Many of them are forced to cease operations. The same is true with thousands of retail and fast-food outlets. Office workers that frequent these establishments are nowhere to be found. There is no consumer spending that can fuel the economy. Acting Economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua noted that the prevailing stay-at-home orders on children were also stalling the economic recovery. Parents and their children often visit shopping malls and dine in fast-food restaurants. The absence of this routine has curtailed spending in the economy and is directly contributing to unemployment in the services sector. A contraction in the economy simply means more jobs are being lost in the pandemic. The United Nations took note of the situation. The UN’s International Labor Organization found that 8.8 percent of global working hours were lost in 2020 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. The rate is equivalent to 255 million full-time jobs, or “approximately four times greater than the number lost during the 2009 global financial crisis,” according to the ILO. The key to economic recovery, thus, is the lifting or easing of the virus restrictions that have shuttered many retail outlets, closed down tourism establishments and impaired the mobility of people. Consumer spending should return to open a bottled-up economy.
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Tourism rebound plan: International travel bubbles, domestic ‘revenge’ travels T By Joyce Pangco Pañares
HE Philippines is eyeing a two-pronged approach to revive the tourism industry after it was brought to a standstill by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures that were implemented to arrest the spread of the mutating coronavirus.
The government is looking to establish partnerships to create “international travel bubbles” or “travel corridors” with neighboring countries while on the domestic front, it has rolled out a recalibrated portfolio of products such as nature-based tourism, dive tourism, farm tourism, and health and wellness tourism, among others. “We are turning this setback caused by the pandemic as an opportunity to bounce back better as a stronger, more resilient, and more sustainable industry,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told Manila Standard in an interview. Asean: Single tourism destination As air travel remains highly restricted and with COVID-19 vaccines rolling out at an uneven pace, Puyat said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forged a
Travel Corridor Arrangement Framework in November that would allow reciprocal travel with testing but without quarantine for select groups from areas with controlled community transmission. During last week’s recently-concluded Asean Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, the bloc likewise affirmed measures to promote the region as a single tourism destination to bolster recovery. Asean member-states suffered a decrease of approximately 75.8 percent in tourism receipts, while international arrivals went down by approximately 80.5 percent. “We can only successfully recover from the pandemic if we do so in unity, guided by data and information that lead to effective planning,” Puyat told her counterparts in Asean during the meeting. Among the new Asean priority programs are the digitization of the tourism industry, the strengthening of data and information networks, and the conduct of activities to promote connectivity and facilitate travel to and within the region. Pivot toward domestic travel “The travel bubble or travel corridor approach is the initial strategy in reopening destinations and borders both domestically and internationally. We are starting tourism bubbles domestically. The Department
of Tourism is working closely with various line agencies responsible for making this arrangement possible,” Puyat said. “Our goal remains the same – to pivot towards domestic tourism which has always been the backbone of the tourism industry. With the country’s 7,641 islands and a resilient tourism industry, the country is well-poised to pivot and conform to these new market preferences,” she added. The DOT has created a number of tourism corridors in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Region 1, Region 4A, and Region 4B for domestic tourists in the Philippines. Baguio, for example, is open to domestic tourists provided they undergo the usual entry protocols, online registration and triage evaluation upon arrival. The Ridge & Reef Travel Corridor was established in September as an effort to slowly, surely, and responsibly restart the tourism economy. The corridor initially consists of travel between the Ilocos Region and Baguio City, with entry limited to its residents. For the initiative’s second phase, which is to open Region 1 provinces to residents of neighboring regions, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte have widened their market to allow Luzon residents entry in November following strict border entry requirements and proper health
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Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat
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Tourism of tomorrow: Green, sustainable and digital
File photo shows people safely celebrating the arrival of spring at Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi inside transparent, igloo-shaped domes surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms. Tokyo Midtown
S COUNTRIES scramble to bring about a return to relative normalcy with mass COVID-19 vaccination, the outlook for the tourism sector remains uncertain.
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According to the Madrid-based World Tourism Organization, most experts do not see a return to pre-pandemic levels of tourism activity before 2023. Open-air and nature-based tourism will see growing demand when tourism restarts, the United Nations body said, adding that domestic tourism is also expected to be more popular. Already, domestic tourism is helping to soften the blow as governments – some more successful than others -- have taken immediate action to restore and re-activate the sector while protecting jobs and businesses. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a more resilient tourism economy post-COVID must include preparing plans for a sustainable recovery, promoting a digital transition and moving to a greener tourism system. “Encouraging news on vaccines has boosted hopes for recovery but challenges remain, with the sector expected to remain in survival mode until well into 2021,” OECD said. “The crisis is an opportunity to rethink tourism for the future. Tourism is at a crossroads and the measures put in place today will shape the tourism of tomorrow. Governments need to consider the longerterm implications of the crisis, while capitalizing on digitalization, supporting the low carbon transition, and promoting
the structural transformation needed to build a stronger, more sustainable and resilient tourism economy.” The coronavirus crisis cost the global tourism sector $1.3 trillion in lost revenue in 2020 as the number of people travelling plunged, with the UN calling it “the worst year in tourism history.” Revenue lost last year amounted to “more than 11 times the loss recorded during the 2009 global economic crisis,” the World Tourism Organization said, warning that between 100 million and 120 million direct tourism jobs were at risk. International tourist arrivals fell by one billion, or 74 percent, in 2020 with Asia, the first region to feel the impact of COVID-19, seeing the steepest decline, it added. “While much has been made in making safe international travel a possibility, we are aware that the crisis is far from over,” WTO head Zurab Pololikashvili said. The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is expected to “slowly normalize travel” this year but many countries are reintroducing travel restrictions such as quarantines, mandatory testing and border closures “due to the evolving nature of the pandemic,” the UN body said. While international tourism has taken a hit from the outbreak of diseases in the past, the coronavirus is unprecedented in its geographical spread. By comparison, international tourism arrivals fell by just 0.4 percent in 2003 after the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which killed 774 people worldwide. The coronavirus has killed over 2 million people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019. The tourism industry accounts for about 10 percent of the world’s gross domestic product and jobs. With AFP
The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, the crown jewel of Peru’s tourist sites, has reopened in November after a nearly eight-month lockdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. For safety reasons, however, only 675 tourists will be able to access the site per day, just 30 percent of the number of visitors pre-pandemic. AFP
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and safety protocols. “The DOT Regional office is currently working alongside the local government units of La Union and Pangasinan to validate their readiness for tourism as they prepare to open their borders to Luzon residents within the 1st quarter of 2021,” Puyat said. Calabarzon, on the other hand, is currently developing its flagship domestic tourism program called the G.R.E.E.N. Corridor Initiative. Soul of the industry Puyat also underscored the importance of helping stakeholders in their effort to bounce back from the travel slump, including affording them access to working capital. Under the Bayahinan to Recover as One Act, DOT was given P10.1 billion to help the tourism industry in its recovery.
Of the total amount, P6 billion was for working capital loans while P3 billion was allocated to help displaced tourism workers under a financial assistance program of the DOT and the Department of Labor and Employment. Puyat said P1 billion will be spent for tourism road infrastructure while the remaining P100 million will be used to help community and regional tour guides. “We also remain committed to our goal of keeping our stakeholders safe as they rediscover the fun in traveling in our own country. As such, we continue to make innovations that are targeted towards maintaining market presence, COVID-proofing the industry, and creating a brand new consciousness/awareness among stakeholders. We are hoping all these efforts will slowly uplift consumer confidence in the market in the coming months,” Puyat said.
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Cope and adapt: How PH hospitals deal with COVID-19 pandemic By Bernadette Lunas
W
E ARE currently at war. In this war, the men and women leading the charge are wearing white coats and scrubs. Their armors are face masks, face shields, single-use coveralls, and strong immune system. The fight against the invisible enemy is happening everywhere— on the streets, in malls and supermarkets, in cars and on buses and trains, at home—but the main battle, where every victory and defeat are added to the tally and reported on TV, takes place inside the white-painted walls and tiled floors of hospitals. While we were scrambling and Googling about which side of the surgical mask should be on our face, our healthcare institutions had to quickly implement changes to their day-to-day operations, focusing on triage, designating hot zones, and obtaining test kits and personal protective equipment (PPEs). Protocols were immediately and strictly enforced to protect patients, healthcare workers, and the general public from the virus that has so far attacked over 500,000 here in the Philippines and taken the lives of more than 10,000. Protocols in place Immediate action was necessary when Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) received the country’s first local COVID-19 case—a Filipino man who frequented a prayer hall in San Juan—before he was transferred to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. “Upon confirmation of the case, the hospital management immediately took precautionary measures and made sure that all those who had contact with the patient have been processed following the Department of Health’s guidelines on quarantine, monitoring, and observation,” Dr. Rosemarie V. Serrano, senior assistant medical officer
Makati Medical Center
and head of CSMC’s COVID-19 Task Force, told Manila Standard. The hospital then allocated 90 beds or 36 percent of total bed capacity for COVID-19 patients. It has also installed two emergency
quarantine facilities. PPEs were provided to healthcare staff, while testing for all frontline workers started as early as April. To ensure the safety of its frontliners, quarantine areas, staff quarters, and shuttle
services were provided. On top of the aforementioned, Dr. Serrano said the employees were reassured of coverage of COVID-related medical expenses and given free online
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counseling services. In another hospital in Metro Manila admitting COVID-19 patients, governmentmandated health and safety protocols are enforced with a few additions: wearing of right
face masks (excluding those with valves) and face shield, hand washing, physical distancing, contactless interaction, limiting guests and companions, and installing of HEPA filter and acrylic shields.
UP-PGH conducts testing of its healthcare staff
The Medical City’s Rehab on Wheels brings rehabilitation services to the patient’s home.
Makati Medical Center offers drive-thru services
Cardinal Santos Medical Center’s Molecular Laboratory
“These protocols do not exist in malls and other public places, but are maintained in hospitals,” said Dr. Saturnino Javier, medical director of Makati Medical Center. “With protocols in place, we can diminish the pervasive fear among healthcare professionals and patients.” Months after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was recorded in the Philippines, MakatiMed on May 18 cautiously and gradually resumed its clinic operations to ensure patients who require constant and immediate care can once again access the services in the hospital. To further ease patients’ hesitation to come to its premises, MakatiMed designated COVID-19 wing zones “If you’re identified as COVID suspect, you will be designated to hot zones,” explained Dr. Javier. The Makati hospital revised and adjusted its infrastructures, expanded bed facilities, and ramped up testing which includes a drive-thru option. Since last year, the healthcare institution, which maintains a low COVID-19 mortality rate, has already deployed home care services. “We understand there are many who are afraid to go to hospitals. For those who are still afraid we will bring the service of MakatiMed, whether corporate or home setting,” said the medical director. CSMC, on the other hand, partnered with Discovery Hospitality for the Safe Care program. “The concept is simple,” said Dr. Serrano. “DHC will provide a venue where patients and doctors can conduct face-to-face consultations. This service allows clients to book one- to two-hour meetings with their doctors within the safe spaces of Discovery Suites Ortigas, the project’s pilot hotel.” The San Juan hospital has also intensified its Cardinal on Wheels that allowed patients needing services to avail of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in the comforts of their home. Teleconsultations, offered by hospitals and independently by physicians, have likewise enabled access to valuable diagnostic and therapeutic advice, especially during the months of stricter implementation of the stay-at-home order. For instance, CSMC launched its E-Consult in March, as well established drive-thru testing booths and molecular laboratory. The Medical City likewise offers easier access to testing with its drive-thru RT-PCR testing site. Meanwhile, on Jan. 25 the Philippine Red Cross has begun offering coronavirus saliva testing, which is P1,800 cheaper than the swab test. Lessons learned Standing on the front lines of the battle, our healthcare providers have quickly updated their knowledge—staying on their toes to better help curb the spread of the infectious disease. The Philippine General Hospital empha-
sizes the implementation of science-backed COVID-19 operations, highlighting that “nothing can be left to chance.” In the published account of Dr. Regina Verba, et.al, they admitted the PGH had struggled during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “But with a UP-PGH Crisis Command Center orchestrating the movement of manpower, equipment, and process to mobilize what needed to be done, we were able to create, innovate, and implement systems based on what was known (science), what we think we know (expertise), and what we felt was needed by our stakeholders: our patients and our staff.” The result of PGH’s community-wide surveillance test, with only 2 percent positive rate among the 4,871 RT-PCR tested personnel, was attributed to its COVID-19 best practices that include the crisis command center and unified call center for patient queries and donations; zoning of hospital; installation of controlled ventilation system, air purifiers, UV light, and automatic hand hygiene dispensers; the creation of the five risk-based levels of PPE; and onsite access to RT-PCR testing with 24-hour turnaround time. The PGH also enforces a timely dissemination of information, education, and communication (IEC) materials. The state-owned healthcare institution also clarifies to the public that PCR tests “are only a point-in-time test,” and not an assurance or a ticket to be reckless. “A negative test result means that you are negative at the time you were tested. It does not guarantee you will be negative the next day, and the week after.” Dr. Serrano, meanwhile, highlights the importance of contact tracing in this ongoing pandemic. “For patients coming to the hospital, a QR code tracking system continues to be in place. For employees, we centralize entry points and have implemented the Daily Health tracker so we can continue to monitor their health and prevent unknown transmissions.” Our army of medical experts continuously calls for cooperation among all citizens as the war rages on. “We are one with the WHO (World Health Organization) when it states what we need to get through this pandemic are: science, solutions, and solidarity,” said the UP-PGH. In his statement about “health adaptation under COVID and restarting the economy,” The Medical City chairman Eckie Gonzales in April emphasized the need for everyone to work together. “[The] citizenry needs to cooperate—as individuals with good hygiene practices, and in cohorts where behavior is managed as a pool of social norms. We did not need formal government to fight in World War 2. We only need ourselves, acting in an empowered way as one nation, to beat COVID.”
The Medical City
Makati Medical Center ensures frequent sanitation and disinfection of surfaces.
University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital
Cardinal Santos Medical Center
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Hospitality 2.0: Hotel Sogo’s innovation in post-COVID-19
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HE world is facing an economic, health, and social crisis due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), which is identified as an illness caused by a virus that can spread from person to person. Truly, this COVID-19 pandemic shook the hotel industry really hard, and turned many hotel businesses upside down, especially here in the Philippines.
As we all know the hotel industry is designed to operate and accept guests 24/7. But because of this pandemic, travel restrictions were put in place to control the further spread of the virus. In line with that, Hotel Sogo, the largest hotel chain in the Philippines, utilized this pandemic as an opportunity for innovation. Hotel Sogo unveiled new measures to re-establish confidence in the hotel industry as they adapt to the “new normal” state. Innovation at its finest As part of their “So Clean, So Good, So Safe” campaign under its Sogo So Safe Program, concrete ways were made to increase its cleanliness standards to meet the new health and safety challenges brought on by this pandemic. Take a look on their innovation during this post COVID-19 giving their patrons a So Clean, So Good, So Safe stay. Anti-Microbial Copper Films To increase everyone’s safety, Hotel Sogo installed Microbial Copper in frequently touched surfaces of the hotel. 3M Filtrete Electrostatic Air Filters in All Rooms Sogo started installing 3M Filtrete™ 3-in-1 Technology Aircon Filters in all rooms to augment its regular aircon filters. These are made with permanently-charged electrostatic fibers
that remove Microparticle pollutants that include fine dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke, bacteria and viruses, resulting in cleaner air. UVC Disinfection Hotel Sogo is also implementing ultraviolet light technology for sanitizing cash registers, keycard cases, elevator buttons, and its ceiling, room door handles, as well as in food preparation for an enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes. With the use of UVC-light for dis-
infection, you are safe to stay at any Hotel Sogo branches as UVC cleans 99.99% of harmful pathogens, bacteria and viruses in seconds. No-Contact Hotel Features As we develop more changes this new normal, Hotel Sogo has innovated all its branches in having no-contact facilities like contactless thermal detector, automatic doors, and developed the use of SaniKey for door handles, elevators buttons, and ATMs to lessen contact points and reduce the risk of virus transmission.
Microbial testing Hotel Sogo makes sure that cleaning is accurate and effectively sanitized which gives proven results in just minutes. So Clean…So Good…So Safe! Hotel Sogo continuously vows to protect and provide excellent accommodation despite of CoVid-19 danger. “We promise to protect our staff and our guests who will visit our hotels, we are ready for new normal and this is a long-term commit-
ment. This virus won’t stop each of us to create wonderful memories with our love ones. Together, let us enjoy our stay in Hotel Sogo,” Mr. Reynaldo Malaca, Hotel Sogo CEO stated. To find out more about Hotel Sogo, visit its website at www.hotelsogo.com or like and follow us on Facebook page @HotelSogoOfficialPage, Twitter, and Instagram @hotelsogo, and Youtube account @OfficialHotelSogo.
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Malls at our fingertips: The future of retail TeaM Energy’s CSR programs continue to touch lives in Quezon Province THE ongoing COVID crisis has placed many Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs to the test last year. Corporate foundations had to respond to the crisis in ways that are beneficial to their stakeholders given the current situation, with some programs taking a backseat during the pandemic. In Quezon Province, TeaM Energy Foundation, Inc. (TEFI) continues to implement programs on health, education, and livelihood in order to address specific needs of the community during this time, and other forward looking programs anticipating a return to normalcy . Just last December 2020, TEFI, through its Project SIKAP, turned over a brand new multi-purpose building to Padre Burgos Central Elementary School in Padre Burgos, Quezon. While a one-classroom, one-storey school building was constructed in Cabuyao Elementary School in the same town. This brand new classroom is fully furnished with desks, chairs, ceiling fans, lighting fixtures, and a comfort room for the convenience of students and teachers. As students and teachers eased into distance learning last school year, TEFI donated 650 reams of bond paper and more than 200 ink cartridges to DepEd Quezon Division. These were used to print learning modules for the teachers and students in the province. Additionally, TEFI also partnered with DepEd Quezon to facilitate the airing of learning programs over Quezon radio. As part of Brigada Eskwela, TEFI donated over half a million pesos worth
By Bernadette Lunas
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llison*, 27, has a folder on her phone which she opens whenever she needs some retail therapy or when she’s bored. She calls it her “sin folder.”
It’s complete with all the e-commerce platforms present in the Philippines as well as the mobile applications of several retailers and brands. And since more businesses are strengthening their online presence while the country’s in quarantine, her “sin folder” keeps getting bigger.
Representatives of TeaM Energy turn over medical supplies to the Provincial Government of Quezon through Quezon Medical Center led by QMC Hospital Chief Dr. Rolando Padre (second from right). Also in the photo are L-R: Rizaldo Ricafort, OIC Supplies Officer, QMC; Juliet Velasco, External Affairs Supervisor, TeaM Energy; and Carlo Calvario, External Affairs Associate, TeaM Energy.
of learning tools and equipment to select public schools in Quezon. Hygiene and disinfection packages like alcohol, bleaching solutions, and surgical masks were also donated through the program. Late last year, over Php 1.35 million worth of medical supplies were donated by TEFI to the Provincial Government of Quezon through the Quezon Medical Center (QMC) for the on-going fight against COVID-19. Among the items donated were sets of Personal Protective Equipment, scrub suits, hospital shoes, disposable flat bed sheets, face shields, boxes of disposable masks, disposable gloves, gallons of alcohol, 15 units of electric fans and multi-vitamins for the use of medical front-liners. Four hundred (400) sacks of rice were also
The brand new one-storey, one-classroom building donated by TEFI to Cabuyao Elementary School in Padre Burgos, Quezon is fully furnished with desks, chairs, ceiling fans, lighting fixtures, and a comfort room for the convenience of students and teachers.
contributed by TEFI to the relief efforts of the Provincial Government. In Pagbilao, Quezon, TEFI donated one fully-equipped rescue vehicle and two motorcycles to the municipality. The rescue vehicle can be used as an ambulance, and for various rescue operations. While the two motorcycles will be used by the local police to patrol the municipality in maintaining peace and order, and for anti-crime operations. Further to enhancing peace and order in Pagbilao, last October 2020, TeaM Energy turned over heavy duty Closed Circuit Camera Monitoring Systems to two barangays in Pagbilao (Parang and Ikirin). Fishing nets and other fishing equipment were also donated by TEFI to a community of fisher folk in Barangay Bantigue, Pagbilao, Quezon. A program to provide fish cages for aqua-culture for fisher folk of Barangay Tulay Buhangin in Padre Burgos, Quezon is also on-going as part of TEFI’s program to empower local fisher folk and ensure their continued livelihood. TEFI is the social development arm of TeaM Energy, which operates two coal-fired power plants: the 735 MW Pagbilao Power Station in Quezon Province and the 1,200 MW Sual Power Station in Pangasinan. It also has a 50% stake in the 420 MW Pagbilao Unit 3 Power Project in Quezon, and a 20% stake in the Ilijan natural gas project in Batangas.
“I know having the option to easily buy anything you want can hurt you financially if you’re not mindful about your purchases,” of which Allison admits to be guilty “sometimes.” “But I think,” she continues, “it’s a really great thing that shopping for clothes, accessories, food, groceries, and even furniture can be conveniently done online, especially when many establishments were closed to customers.” The evolution of online shopping Online shopping is not the child of the ongoing pandemic. It has been around for decades. Several accounts say it was an invention of English innovator and entrepreneur Michael Aldrich in 1979, when he connected a modified television to a realtime transaction processing computer via a domestic phone line. But it was not until the growth and development of the Internet as a secure shopping channel in the early ‘90s that online shopping was developed to what we know today (Amazon launched its online shopping site, Amazon.com in 1995, while eBay was introduced in the same year). The evolution has been continuous since—from Michael’s modified TV to Allison’s mobile phone. Big chains and small brands were quick to take advantage of the Internet as a wide-reaching retail channel. Interactive web pages that offer a seamless e-commerce experience, from browsing to checkout, allow customers to shop anytime, anywhere. Retail apps then entered the field, driving mobile sales and offering an interactive way to bring the physical shopping experience to the digital sphere. E-commerce platforms such as Galleon.ph, Carousell, Zalora, Shopee, and Lazada, meanwhile, serve as an online department store or mall, either specialized (e.g. fashion) or diversified. They enable big brands and small retailers to sell their products to the site’s visitors—much like how businesses rent a space in malls. Social media services such as Facebook and Instagram—initially used as a marketing tools by businesses to build and promote their brands and interact with customers—have also become a marketplace, where the sale of products and services happens on the sites. The item is posted and promoted on Facebook or Instagram, and the buyer can directly send the seller a message, place an order, and pay for the item depending on which mode is available. The emergence of sellers on both sites has led to the creation of Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Shops, and Instagram Shop. Inclusive retail spaces Business-to-consumer e-commerce platforms and social media have both made it easier for mom-and-pops with little to no budget for marketing to sell goods online. All aspiring online sellers need is a camera, phone or computer, an account, and Internet connection to sell their products and connect with customers. Seeing an opportunity in the huge demand for vitamins and supplements last year, Elijah Lazaro decided to buy five boxes of multivitamins from a local distributor and signed up on Shopee and Lazada. “I had time to focus on it because my small business, considered nonessential, was ordered to close,” he relates. Although he started a bit late, making his first sale on Shopee in July and on Lazada in August, his target customers found him on both platforms. From then, he increased his sales by offering good quality and authentic products that are packed safely, providing good customer service (responding to every query), and shipping early. “I had no budget to offer promos or discounts to attract customers, so I had to build a good reputation, making sure that they get the product they paid for and that it arrives to their doorsteps in good condition,” shares Lazaro. Although a percentage of his revenue goes to the platforms’ transaction fees, he says the shipping convenience and the protection for both sellers and buyers they provide “let me conduct my business easily especially when I had no other source of income.”
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The pandemic has indeed contributed to the growth of e-commerce platforms. In his yearend report, Lazada Philippines chief executive officer Ray Alimurung said more sellers and brands joined in 2020 compared to the previous year. “Lazada saw a 2x growth of sellers on-boarded year-on-year on the platform. The platform now has 4,000 local and international brands available on LazMall and 100,000 active sellers monthly,” he said in a virtual press conference in December. Social media giants Facebook and Instagram likewise enable independent sellers to sell products or offer services. During the early days of the pandemic, when many establishments were closed, home bakers,
food sellers, and those looking to sell a few items to earn extra income took advantage of social media. Cami* launched her online thrift shop Muli on Instagram in July 2019, but it was during the first few months of the quarantine that she hit record sales, “mainly because,” she believes, “everyone was stuck at home and was immersed in social media.” “The pandemic favored online businesses and all businesses that are anchored on social media,” opines Cami. “The lockdown favored Muli in terms of exposure but sourcing products has become a challenge because of the closing of some establishments.” However, exposure, which social media affords its users, Cami says “does not always equate to sales.” She adds, “The pieces still have to be of quality.” Users of the photo and video sharing social networking service have innovated ways using the features already available on the site to increase exposure and grow their following. “When I entered business on Instagram, I was actually amazed how the community has created very efficient techniques to grow following and, eventually, sales. Some examples are Story for Story (SFS) and grow-together groups which host giveaways. Others do Instagram promotion or advertisement, influencer marketing, TikTok, etc.,” shares Cami. Seeing the growth of online shopping on their platforms, Mark Zuckerberg in May 2020 introduced Facebook Shops to “make it easy for businesses to set up a single store for customers to access on both Facebook and Instagram.” The feature was first launched in the US. Facebook automatically sets up the shop
once the seller has already set up their product catalog. Instagram Shopping maximizes the “70 percent of shopping enthusiasts [who] turn to Instagram for products discovery.” It lets customers shop the photos or videos “no matter where they are in the app.” In addition to in-app shopping feature, it also allows businesses to highlight the products from their catalog in their Stories or feed. Live selling on Facebook and Instagram is another way sellers make a sale online. From the mall to your home According to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) secretary general Mukhisa Kituyi, “the pandemic has accelerated the shift towards a more digital world,” triggering changes in the online shopping behaviors of consumers. UNCTAD and NetComm Suisse eCommerce Association’s survey revealed a 6- to 10-percent increase in online purchases across most product categories, albeit spending declined due to the pandemic, with travel and tourism taking the brunt at 75 percent. In the Philippines, tourism spending plummeted 72 percent in the first seven months of 2020. The global health crisis has not only accelerated the shift to digital,
but has also changed the retail landscape. The latest data from McKinsey and Company show that consumer behaviors adopted during the pandemic are seen to persist postCOVID, with 40 percent of those surveyed planning to spend online and 64 percent not planning to resume “normal” outof-home activities. Brickand-mortars, especially huge chains, are keeping up with the needs and wants of consumers in this digitally driven
time. Department store giant The SM Store, for instance, has strengthened its online presence and introduced its Call to Deliver service that lets customers get in touch with a personal shopper who will look for the product/s they’re looking for in the store they’ve chosen, and arrange payment and delivery for them. The personal shopper service, which spawned other variations, is also available in other SM-operated specialty stores. Rustan’s likewise offers a personal shopper service through which orders can be delivered or picked up at designated locations. Ayala Malls, meanwhile, launched “a digital and mall companion” app called Zing whose features cover both online and offline shopping. *Names have been changed.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021
E1
SPORTS DURING THE PANDEMIC
The stains of affliction
By Nathaniel T. Dela Cruz
T
HE 65-inch LED television mounted on the wall came to life with a push of a button from a remote control I found on the sofa. I eased slowly towards the cushioned seat like an old man bothered by arthritis and back pain; not that it is untrue, but today I am painfree, and I wish there are more days like this. The coffee mug I hold with my left hand is full to the brim, and all I can think of as I slowly sat down is the good fortune of keeping my legs and the floor free of spilled coffee, for it is too early in the day to be mopping the mess of my clumsiness and insouciance. But I risk it all the time anyway because this is the perfect amount of coffee I want to have in the morning and life is not worth living without the thrill of harmless risks. And if I make a mess, then it is not a great start to a day, but that is ok, I’ll settle for good, or even typical: hot coffee, soft sofa, and an NBA game. But it was 2020. Life has been upended by a pandemic. In the Year of the New Normal, nothing is typical. It took a few minutes for coffee to reach the brain, and even then, the haze of somnolence hasn’t been fully lifted yet, so it took me a few moments to sort things out and make sense of things. Yesterday, the OKC-Utah match was canceled. Players warming up before tip-off were asked to return to their respective locker rooms, and fans were asked to exit the stadium and go home. I thought there was a bomb scare, but it turns out, it was because
of some virus with flu-like symptoms, and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has it. The Coronavirus disease – we used to call it NCOV in the early days, but now it is more popularly known as COVID-19 - has introduced itself to the world early in the year, and because of the conceit in our hearts, or the ignorance in our minds, or the arrogance from our severely misguided sense of being impervious and unsusceptible to the troubles of the rest of the world, we ignored it and dismissed it as another inconvenience that would soon
Utah’s Rudy Gobert: First COVID-19 case in the NBA
disappear. I personally didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. Now, the NBA has suspended one game, and the following day fans were informed that the season is on hold. The PBA, just three days after the opening of the 2020 Philippine Cup, also announced that games were in-
definitely suspended. Basketball is a religion in the Philippines, and as a true-blooded Filipino, my immediate lament was obvious (and, in retrospect, petty): what am I going to watch now? As COVID-19 grew to become a global menace, it shut down life as we know it – no commute, no mass
gatherings, and no physical interactions. It meant no travel, no work, no recreation, and no sports. No one was prepared for what happened next, and this is why it was unforgettable. It was like watching domino pieces fall one by one, watching this collective collapse accelerate faster Next page
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Globe feted at recent ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard TODAY
Globe dominated the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS) in a virtual awarding ceremony held on January 29. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) recognized Globe and other Philippine companies which excelled in the 2019 ACGS assessment. Globe won in all prestigious award categories, being the lone telco to do so, among publicly listed firms in six of the participating ASEAN member countries - namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. “Corporate Governance plays a significant role in the Globe Purpose. Our vision mission and core values are manifestations of how engrained corporate governance is in the business,” said Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu. Globe was given the following recognition: Top 20 ASEAN Publicly Listed Companies, Top 3 Publicly Listed Companies per Country (Philippines), and ASEAN Asset Class Publicly Listed Companies. “The Circle of Happiness ensures that accountability, transparency and integrity are applied when we engage with our customers and stakeholders to address their needs and assist their lifestyles. The Globe mission statement caters to the business’ accountability and sustainability even amid challenging times. At Globe, corporate governance is not simply about adhering to rules and regulations.
Corporate governance is part of Globe culture and the business’ journey,” added Cu. Globe is accompanied by Ayala Land, Inc. in all three categories, with Ayala Corporation and Bank of the Philippine Islands joining in the roster for the ASEAN Asset Class category. Introduced in 2011, the ACGS recognizes corporate governance achievements of publicly listed companies in the region, with the first inaugural awarding ceremony held in 2015. Globe has been consistently in the list since then. “Corporate Governance is about achieving equilibrium between business and compliance in an organization. While not always easy, we work together to achieve and preserve this to keep Globe truly sustainable,” said SVP - Law and Compliance, Chief Compliance Officer and Asst. Corporate Secretary Marisalve Ciocson-Co. The ACGS is a joint effort of the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum (ACMF) in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) aimed at promoting integration within the region and the ASEAN as an investment asset class. The ACGS is composed of two levels that focus on key corporate governance principles including rights and equitable treatment of shareholders, role of stakeholders, disclosure and transparency, and responsibilities of the Board, with bonus and penalty items. Assessment of the top ASEAN publicly listed
companies based on market capitalization were conducted using a Scorecard supported by rigorous methodology and benchmarked against international principles and best practices. Globe’s dedication to corporate governance was also repeatedly acknowledged by domestic and international award giving bodies, which include recognition from Alpha Southeast Asia Magazine’s 10th Annual Poll for Institutional Investor Corporate Awards, and London’s Ethical Boardroom where it received the “Best Corporate Governance - Telecoms - Asia 2019” award. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 UNGC principles and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). The company has also made it to the FTSE4Good Index Series for the fifth consecutive year, as well as received an “A” rating from MSCI ESG, proving its dedication to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices that help shape society’s sustainable future. Globe further strengthened its commitment to environmental transparency by disclosing its environmental impact through the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a global non-profit that runs the world’s leading environmental disclosure platform. The company received a B- rating from CDP in 2020, for its commitment to continuously manage and fight climate change. For more information, visit www.globe.com.ph.
E2 || THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021 advertise@manilastandard.net
The stains...
from E1
and faster and faster. Tethered boats in the eve of a storm The NBA and the NBA G League suspended the season. FIBA competitions were suspended, as well as American collegiate basketball. No games in The Big Ten, The Big East, The Big 12, The Pac-12, AAC, ACC, and SEC. In the Philippines, all basketball tournaments have been suspended, too - the PBA, the National Basketball League, and the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. Basketball wasn’t the only one running towards the bomb shelter. Football matches were canceled (La Liga, Major League Soccer). The ATP and ITF suspended all tennis tournaments until April 20. NHL suspended professional ice hockey matches. The NCAA canceled all remaining winter and spring championships. Formula 1 canceled the Australian Grand Prix. In golf, the remainder of The Players Championship and all tournaments through the Valero Texas Open were all canceled. UFC Brasilia was not canceled, but the fight will take place without fans. Other leagues not yet playing have re-arranged their calendars. NFL canceled the scheduled league meeting. MLB canceled spring training. Minor League Baseball announced there would be a delay to the start of the season. The bad news didn’t end with the announcement of the cancelation of games and suspension of the playing season; what followed was a roll call of athletes and sports personalities infected with COVID-19, from stars like the NBA’s Donovan Mitchell to English Premier League’s Mikel Arteta and Callum Hudson-Odoi. All of these in just 24 hours. And the days that followed carried the same news of grim. Every sport in the world took a hit. This was the first time I saw something that is so powerful that
it caused such a degree of devastation to sports, an institution that has proven itself sturdy, resilient, and constant through the years. And before things got better, first, it got worst. Sports stands at the edge of a cliff Manila was supposed to host the Badminton Asia Championships and the AFF Women’s Championship, but now these have to wait, as do footballers who found themselves with no match to play; the 2020 season of the Philippines Football League suspended along with the start of PFF Women’s League and youth tournaments, while the Copa Paulino Alcantara was canceled for 2020. The Philippine national team’s three remaining matches in the second round of qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup was suspended by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation. The CeresNegros versus Bali United match was played without spectators. It was the last football match in the country before the long, agonizing pause that also affected swimmers, volleyball players, national team members, and collegiate athletes. The 11th Asian Swimming Championships was postponed, while the Philippine Superliga’s PSL Grand Prix Conference was suspended. The ASEAN Para Games was canceled, just like UAAP Season 82 and Season 83. NCAA Season 95 ended prematurely with no overall champion. The Philippine Sports Commission canceled all of its sporting events until December 2020 -- the Palarong Pambansa, the Philippine National Games, and the ASEAN Para Games. The shutdown sports was experiencing is worldwide. And even that one major sports spectacle that happens once every four years – the Olympics – was not spared. Sports events were canceled. Tournaments were being suspended. Sports personalities got sick. Stadiums, which served as halls of
Cardboard cutouts at the stands
athletic competition, have become a refuge for the sick. The iconic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, the newly-built New Clark City Sports Complex, the Philippine Arena complex, and the Philippine Sports Center were all refurbished as temporary quarantine facilities for COVID-19 patients. When you see stadiums, you think of strong athletes in the peak of health, fine specimen of a human being. Now it is haunted by men and women in PPE gowns and face masks, and sick people in bed isolated from kin and community. As a place where games are fought, stadiums have provided a setting for the display of tenacity and resilience of human beings built and designed to be a fighter. Those who were quarantined here were in the fight of their lives, and it is clear who the fans outside are rooting for. I find solace thinking this buoyed their fighting spirit and gave the sick and the quarantined hope, for the outside world has its own sense of bleakness. The government prohibited the
people from playing basketball, not long after the NBA and the PBA were suspended. This was part of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon. The lockdown was meant to stop people from spreading the virus. Locking the gates of the basketball courts was not enough to keep obstinate ballers out. Barangay officials knew why this is happening. The ring is a beacon, a homing device that calls basketball players to come and play. If they can use the hoop, they will find a way to sneak in to come and play, something that local officials directly addressed. They padlocked the net and placed a slab of wood or a piece of cardboard to cover the ring. When it became apparent this lot were ready to become vandals and law-breakers for the sake of a half-court shoot-around or a quick dose-bente singko pick-up game, barangay officials reminded everyone of the stiff penalties for violators. Ladders came next, brought by men who removed the hoop from the backboard. It felt like a behead-
ing, and now the basketball court lay there dead. Soon, dust filled the basketball courts that sang the sound of eerie silence, watching night and day come and go, nary a footstep cushioned by rubber slippers, or a basketball bouncing on concrete. At home, I relied on mundane tasks for my basketball fix. The trash can is the classic go-to for shooters practicing their form, but there are other opportunities, too. I roll my dirty laundry in a ball and toss it in the washing machine 3-4 feet away. Splash! Literally. I give my imaginary defender my best version of a staredown after a made basket, all the while making a mental note to clean the soap suds and soapy water on the floor around the washing machine. Without basketball for months, many developed a tick. You’ll see pedestrians walking on the sidewalk suddenly doing a crossover dribble with his imaginary basketball, or Turn to E3
3 ISO certifications for MMDC
Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation employees at the mine site in Surigao del Sur
THE International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has recertified Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation (MMDC) for its Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2015), Environmental Management System (ISO 14001:2015) and the migration from OHSAS 18001:2007 into ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health & Safety Management System). All three certifications are a testament of the unified, streamlined, and high efficiency level of the business processes across MMDC’s management spectrum. “At MMDC we are constantly challenged to come up with efficient measures to constantly improve our
business processes to ensure occupational safety and environmental sustainability. We achieve this by working closely with the communities within the areas we operate,” MMDC Vice President for Compliance and Tenement Management Engr. Ramesh G. Paliza explained. The ISO is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. The organization promotes worldwide propriety, industrial and commercial standards. The Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2015) is the standard as an integral part of an organization’s efforts towards sustainable development and promotes it as a tool
MMDC Head office Compliance Team (from left) Pedro Armando V. Valencia, Bernard P. Baluda, Abigael A. Masangkay, Joyce Ann F. Flaviano, Hermino A. Aquino II and Engr. Ramesh G. Paliza, Vice President for Compliance, Acquisition and Tenements Management.
for improving overall performance. The Environmental Management System (ISO 14001:2015) is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system. It helps organizations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders. It also calls for the management of environmental aspects and ensures their conformity to compliance obligations while addressing risks associated with threats and opportunities. The Occupational Health & Safety Management System (ISO 14001:2015) Certification is mandated to all mining contractors as per Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 201507 otherwise known as Mandating Mining Contractors to Secure ISO 14001 Certification. The NQA Philippines Inc. has also recommended MMDC to migrate from OHSAS 18001:2007 into ISO 45001:2018. This certification enables MMDC to provide safe and healthy workplaces by preventing work-related injury and ill health, as well as by proactively improving its occupational health and safety performance.
E3
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someone waiting in line hoisting a shot and holding a perfect follow through. It is embarrassing to watch but they - we didn’t care. It was one of the few things keeping us sane, as we watch sports and normalcy disappear as the COVID-19 menace raged on. Casualties of the crisis It didn’t end with the suspension of tournaments and cancelation of games and the infection of athletes. At the coattails of the raging pandemic is death that sees no exception. Many people died worldwide, including athletes and sports personalities. Doctors warned that older adults face the highest risk of severe illness if infected by the virus. The list of sports personalities who died because of COVID-19 is proof of that. But some died at a young age. Atletico Portada Alta coach Francisco Garcia was 21 years old. Japanese sumo wrestler Shobushi was 28. NBA reporter Sekou Smith was 48. Those who survived have a different battle to fight. With the cancelation of games and suspension of tournaments, many people became jobless. Financial insecurity became a major problem for people who relied on sports for wages that sustain them and their families. A question of what we will become The parade has begun since Day One of this crisis, and the march of those moving on proceeds unimpeded. Our collective refusal to not allow our institutions like sports to shrink and cower is the rock upon which this new normal is built upon. In sports, it meant stadiums without live fans, athletes and personnel in masks, tournaments played inside the bubble which the NBA has successfully done, and the strict and rigorous observance of protocols to minimize the risk of potential outbreaks. Sports in the age of COVID-19 is taking shape. Now, it has been a year since the COVID-19 menace began - a perfect time, if any, to pause and see how much the pandemic has changed sports. I sat down on the sofa like I always do, with a mug of coffee in one hand full to the brim. NBA games have resumed and yet I chose to keep the TV in front of me a blank screen, but in my mind, everything I’ve seen, I’ve read, I’ve heard, are on display, simultaneously playing, an exhibit of the proofs of chaos. What can we find if all of these are distilled? For me, I see questions. Underneath the layer of optimism painstakingly nurtured by stakeholders who refused to let sports go quietly into the night, I see anxieties that we should address and not simply sweep under the rug. For sports fans, there are persisting uncertainties we enjoy entertaining because it gives color and excitement to the very little part and participation we have in this exciting world of athletic prowess and showmanship, as observers who offer what we hope are intelligent opinions to questions cleverly dangled by those who know we are too hungry and too vain to refuse the bait. We allow ourselves to worry about what could happen in the trade deadline, or who would be the first-round pick this year, or which team emerges from the bracket to win it all. Now, we have something bigger to worry about, and something that, without question, directly and genuinely affects us as fans. Can we return to the stadiums again? And will it feel the same way as before? Will I spend most of the time wondering if the people around me inside this contained space are vaccinated? Will I be distracted by someone from the crowd not wearing a mask, or someone near me coughing? Have we become more tolerant, more compassionate, or more feeling more entitled and privileged? Policymakers have decisions to make. Shall we return to stadiums now that we know how vulnerable we are to a biological threat or attack? Are we willing to risk it, knowing that something more potent than COVID-19, something that could spread and infect faster, could trigger the next epidemic with a more catastrophic result? How do we rationalize the validity of defiance, of not giving in to fear? How much weight do we give this conviction? I think about COVID-19 and I think about the future. What kind of impression will this experience of the pandemic create in the minds of children? How will these ideas inform and influence their choices on what kind of sports to pursue and be involved in? More importantly, we should start asking if there is the possibility of stigma for COVID-19 survivors seeking to be athletes and be part of a team sport because this is our moral obligation. How will a child’s CO-
Tokyo Olympics 2020 reset to 2021
VID-19 medical history factor when it comes to being accepted in a basketball team or a football team, and most importantly for them, when it comes to being accepted as part of a group? I think about this because of our long and documented history of willful ignorance, bias, and bigotry. Look at how far science has come in studying and understanding HIV-AIDS. Look at the amount of knowledge we have about this health crisis. Look at the effort of organizations and institutions geared at educating everyone with correct information. And look at how people continue to choose to live as misinformed, unevolved creatures that still recoil at the presence of someone who is HIV-positive, thinking one will get infected with HIV with a handshake or a pat on the back or by just being in the same room. Will COVID-19 survivors face the same stigma brought about by ignorance? I see people today, in the age of the internet, social media, online trolls, and fake news, face COVID-19 without a face mask and with ignorance flaunted with God-like abandon, deaf and blind to the methods, reason, and logic of medicine and science and the evidence they’ve gathered. This is far from the promising start I can hope for. Sports is meant to bring people together. It is sad if some people don’t want others to come. There is a question Turn to E5
E4
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Sports training and tournaments in the time of COVID-19 By Peter Atencio
S
INCE the lockdowns began last March 2020 to help control the spread of the global coronavirus pandemic, only a few athletes and teams have undergone physical training and played in face-to-face competitions.
Many athletes and sports organizations have done their activities online, in line with the physical and social distancing protocols mostly set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. This has led to what is now commonly known as a sports “bubble”, wherein competing sports teams stay isolated from the general public during a series of games, and which includes accommodations, amenities and the playing venue, where games are held without spectators in attendance. Following the success of the “NBA bubble” inside Disney World in Orlando, Florida, many sports organizations in the country were encouraged to follow the example set by the said league. And with officials of the NBA willing to share their knowledge, the Philippine Basketball Association started to set up one inside Clark Development Corporation in Clark, Pampanga. “We are very much aware and well connected to the PBA. We have shared our profiles with them already, and we are disseminating this widely to many leagues and the world,” said Scott Levy, the executive vice president and managing director of NBA Asia. Levy’s inputs and discussions with PBA officials led to the holding of the PBA Philippine Cup at the Angeles University Foundation in Angeles City, Pampanga starting on October 11, 2020. Upon entrance to the PBA bubble, players, officials and other team personnel had to go through COVID-19 swab tests, with results released a day or two after. As they waited for the swab results to come back, players spent their downtime inside their hotel rooms. When the results finally came out, no
For amateur sports For the last nine months, the physical training of national and student athletes alike still has to begin, even though they have already been conditionally allowed to resume their activities. To make this happen, the Philippine Sports Commission issued a strict 10-point guideline on the safety and health protocols that must be followed to the letter, aimed at preventing the transmission of the coronavirus infection to concerned athletes and coaches. Chairman William Ramirez said if these instructions laid down by the PSC are not complied with, sporting activities will not be allowed to take place. “Sa pananaw ng PSC, kapag isa lang ang na-infect, isasara namin sila,” said Ramirez. “If they are not able to observe (the guidelines), they will not be allowed,” added Ramirez. The PSC, in coordination with the Department of Health and the Commission on Higher Education, has consulted the national sports associations and schools regarding the resumption of training in amateur sports since October. But for now, many national athletes have stuck to virtual training, while others have gone to the provinces or other countries to do their own set of workouts to prepare for national and international meets. Last October, the guidelines paving the way for student-athletes to train physically at the collegiate level were revealed. Olympic training In the early days of January, members of the national boxing team have started entering the Olympic training bubble at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna. Women’s boxer Nesthy Petecio, who is seeking to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in the featherweight devision, led the early
James de los Santos: eKata king
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TODAY
Online is the New Normal for the Property Industry As a company geared towards digitizing the property sector, Lamudi’s biggest priority amid the pandemic was to help partners adapt to restrictions on mobility that halted transactions dependent on traditional real estate marketing. Lamudi’s roadmap for pandemic success included easing the transition for those who were new to selling property online, and helping real estate professionals reach their sales goals through virtual tours, online events, and training and coaching sessions from the Lamudi Academy. Pandemic Impact on Property Search Following the strictest community quarantine guidelines imposed from March to May 2020, the idea of homeownership increased in priority. In the second half of 2020, pageviews for homes grew by 33%, land 30%, and foreclosures 16.86%. Condominiums and apartments also earned 9.43% and 11.33% more leads, respectively. Taking all of its events online, Lamudi highlighted the importance of resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity. With events such as The Outlook Roundtable Series, Virtual Broker Awards, and a new series featuring the WebiLaunch of the latest projects in the country, Lamudi showed its stakeholders that despite physical distancing, the industry can survive online. Lamudi also made online payment for its partner brokers easier, and provided support for property sellers to post virtual tours. The platform also added landmark information and neighborhood rating to give property seekers a better location insight without physically visiting the area. Taking things one step further, in April, Lamudi will host the first and biggest Online Housing Fair in the Philippines.
player tested positive for the deadly disease, paving for the pro league to go on with its All-Filipino conference. The league concluded in December with Barangay Ginebra being crowned as champion, and no one testing positive of the virus, which was an achievement in itself.
birds, which also included men’s team members Marjon Pianar and Junmilardo Ogayre. They were joined Carlo Paalam, Marvin Tabamo, John Paul Panuayan, Mario Fernandez, Aira Villegas, Analyn Cellon and Josie Gabuco.
Growing the Team to Address Greater Demand As the leading real estate partner and trusted source of industry information, Lamudi reports the latest trends in the industry to aid stakeholders in course-correcting their strategies to reflect new normal demands from property seekers. With the support of its parent company, EMPG, one of the leading digital classifieds groups in the MENA, South Asia and Southeast Asia regions, Lamudi aims to double its Philippine team in 2021 in response to the growing needs of the property sector, with its new CEO, Kenneth Stern, leading the company into its hypergrowth phase. Since Lamudi’s inception in 2014, the future of real estate has always been geared towards digitizing the industry. In 2021, Lamudi is taking big strides with a bigger team to lead the industry’s survival in the new normal. Visit lamudi.com.ph to know more. The Ninoy Aquino Stadium transformed into a COVID-19 facility
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E5
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PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial
Sports...
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Irish Magno, who had already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, followed with other national squad members Ian Clark Bautista, James Palicte, Jere Dela Cruz, and Riza Pasuit. Members of the national karate and taekwondo teams also joined the Calamba bubble, where they will be doing their physical workouts in isolation for the next 90 days to get ready for their respective Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. The Gilas Pilipinas men’s basketball squad has also been training in Calamba. Training abroad and online tournament There are many Filipino athletes who are currently training and competing while based abroad. There’s pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, who has been in Formia, Italy for more than a year. Obiena has been training for the Tokyo Olympics, preparing with his coach Vitaly Petrov and training partner Thiago Braz da Silva. Meanwhile, 15-year-old tennis phenom Alex Eala is under development by the Rafa Nadal Academy, in Mallorca, Spain, joining professional tennis competitions in Europe. Seven-foot-three Kai Sotto was in the United States for years, training with the NBA G-League through coach Brian Shaw. He went home recently to join the Gilas Pilipinas practice sessions in Calamba in preparation for the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers. Boxer Eumir Marcial is preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, training at the Wild Card gym of Freddie Roach. He recently won his first fight as a pro. Gymnast Carlos Yulo is in Tokyo to also prepare for the coming Olympics, while weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz is in Malaysia, getting ready to join her last qualifying competition for the Tokyo games. James de los Santos, on the other hand, took advantage of the various online tournaments and forged an amazing winning streak that had him being crowned as the world’s no. 1 e-kata karateka. SEA Games athletes The Philippine Olympic Committee appointed Philippine Sports Commission commissioner Ramon Fernandez as chef de mission of the national delegation for the coming 31st Southeast Asian Games. “We are meeting with the POC leadership. And we are pencil-pushing and reviewing what sports will be played,” said Fernandez.
Philippine Sports Commission National Training Director Marc Velasco is also closely coordinating with the IATF in a bid to get more athletes back into physical training. “The training must be in a bubble set-up, especially for contact sports,” said Velasco. “We want to field a competitive team for all scheduled games. We know how important it is to resume formal training. However, we also find ourselves in unique times at the moment and we work on what we can and are allowed to do.” There was an effort for NSAs to have their athletes go into physical training independently. But the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus has pushed back plans to have members of the national athletics team go into physical training. They were supposed to go into a training camp bubble at the New Clark City Athletics stadium for two months. Instead, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, led by its president Philip Ella Juico, will go on with the workouts in February. “Because of the documentary requirements that emerged due to the COVID-19 variant, our athletes will have to undergo swabbing seven times,” said Juico. Aside from athletics, the sports of baseball, fencing and gymnastics which are set to get their athletes ready for the 2021 Vietnam SEA Games, are looking for other places as training venues as the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, the Teacher’s Camp in Baguio and the Inspire ports Academy in Calamba, Laguna are not available. Two gymnasiums inside the RMSC facilities are being used to quarantine coronavirus patients. The multipurpose arena in Philsports is also reserved for such a purpose, while the three NSAs of karatedo, taekwondo and boxing, and the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team are already busy with their workouts in Calamba. On the other hand, the Teacher’s Camp in Baguio is undergoing renovation. Waiting for these venues to become ready will take time, prompting NSAs to look for alternative venues. Velasco noted that the national fencing team will do their preparations in Ormoc City, with POC second vice president and Mayor Richard Gomez taking care of their needs. On the other hand, the national gymnastics squad has gone ahead by doing their activities at a hotel in Makati City. Collegiate bubble training Guidelines have been crafted at the collegiate level following an incident last August involving the alleged training done by University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers men’s basketball team in Sorsogon at a time when face to face training wasn’t still allowed. It was found out later that the UST Tigers were just involved in farming and piggery. As a result of the brouhaha, guidelines were written last October, paving the way for student-athletes to train physically at the collegiate level. Under the proposal submitted by the Technical Working Group formed by the Com-
mission on Higher Education, these activities should take place under a bubble, and limited to just 14 days. An age restriction of 15 years old and above has been set for the bubble training to be organized by each member school. Training must be done in isolated facilities inside their respective campuses, and if their location is under General Community Quarantine or Modified General Community Quarantine. For a bubble to be put up, each varsity team, not just the school, is required to first submit a Collegiate Training Activities’ Certificate of Compliance. And it has to have the recommendations of both the school’s athletic director and school president. CHED chairman Prospero de Vera said that with the
guidelines out, competitive activities from among the many leagues will soon be possible. “Now, if we do a good job in implementing this with the protocols, the next logical step would be to think of the opening of sports competitions,” said de Vera. But league officials in the NCAA said competitions for them will only happen some three or four months after a “new normal” situation is established, and a coronavirus vaccine is already available and distributed. UAAP officials said their schedule of opening for competitions are still up in their air, given the present situation.
From hassle-free transaction to half a million pesos!
Aklanon wins big at PayMaya and Smart Padala’s Add Money to Get Lucky Promo
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of what we, as citizens, will become as survivors of this pandemic, we who will move sports forward regardless of whether COVID-19 stays or leaves. For the Japanese, what they want to become is the perfect mix of cautious and courageous. Japan is determined: Tokyo Olympics will have spectators. This means that the Tokyo Olympics will serve as a litmus test. If there is one to make a calculated and dangerous gamble with high risks and high rewards, why not the very conscientious, methodical, and disciplined Japanese? If there is no major crisis from opening day to closing ceremonies, it brings hope to the future of sports, that there in the horizon clear as day is the possibility that
we can inch closer and closer to a semblance of normal that we used to know and enjoy before the pandemic demanded we change our ways. But if it starts a localized outbreak infecting athletes, officials, spectators, and logistic personnel, it will serve as a cautionary tale, and a warning many will take to heart if they are thinking of organizing another mass gathering event, or if they plan to attend one. I, on the other hand, will take my spot on the sofa, and from my 65-inch LED television I will watch sports very slowly, very cautiously, reclaim lost grounds, one year after the war began, as I sip hot coffee from my mug full to the brim, looking for any sign that will tell me the tides of fortune has finally turned.
FOR Johndel F. Olid, a 24-year old employee from Kalibo City, Aklan, going cashless paid off big time when he won the P500,000 grand prize from PayMaya and Smart Padala’s Add Money to Get Lucky Promo. Launched in October 2020, the Add Money to Get Lucky promo gave PayMaya users a chance to win half a million pesos by simply adding money to their accounts via Smart Padala. Johndel usually visits the trusted Smart Padala agent in his neighborhood to add money to his account. His Add Money transaction is quick—all he has to do is tap “Add Money” on his PayMaya app and click Smart Padala via code. Once this is done, he just has to give the Add Money code to the Smart Padala agent, and hand in the payment along with his valid ID. “Having a PayMaya account makes completing my daily transactions hassle-free, especially since sari-sari stores are quite far from our home. Since it’s a mobile app, I can quickly buy load, do bank transfers, or even shop online, wherever I am, and whenever I or my family need it,” said Johndel F. Olid, winner of Smart Padala by PayMaya’s Add Money to Get Lucky Promo. “We launched this promo as a way to make our users’ cashless experience even more convenient and rewarding. With Smart Padala as the preferred Add Money option for many account holders like Johndel, adding money to their account is just as easy as doing a quick visit to their kapitbahay,” said Mark Dee, Head of Growth Marketing and Partnerships for PayMaya Philippines. For Johndel and for many Filipinos across the country, Smart Padala’s network of 37,000 agents nationwide serve as the most accessible Add Money touchpoints for their PayMaya accounts - allowing them to continue enjoying safe and convenient contactless transactions for their daily essentials amid the current public health situation. SAFE AND CONVENIENT REMITTANCES VIA SMART PADALA Every Smart Padala transaction also helps the local community as neighborhood branch agents are micro entrepreneurs. Fees are also competitive. For example, every Add Money transaction worth P1,000 and below are charged with a P15 service fee, while an added P7.50 is charged for every additional P500. Compared to taking time to travel and pay for transportation, transacting via the neighborhood Smart Padala agent is more convenient. Once the funds are received in his PayMaya account, Johndel is able to instantly unlock safe, convenient, and rewarding contactless transactions for his everyday needs. On top of Johndel’s frequent transactions like buying load, doing bank transfers, and shopping online, PayMaya users can also use their account to settle their
government and utility bills, pay contactless at physical stores, buy treats and gaming pins at the in-app shop, and so much more. Utilizing PayMaya for everyday transactions is not just convenient, it’s also safer as paying contactless, whether online or via QR lessens the risk of virus transmission often associated with cash handling. On top of this, PayMaya users also enjoy exclusive rewards for paying with PayMaya ensuring that they get the best value for their money. Getting PayMaya and paying contactless for your purchases is very easy. Just download the PayMaya app at https://official.paymaya.com/CAK1/425eb133 and register an account, to find out what it’s like to go cashless with the fastest, safest, and most rewarding way to pay for anything online and in stores! Remember, for your everyday needs, don’t pay cash. PayMaya! PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, communities, and government. Through its enterprise business, it is the largest digital payments processor for key industries in the country including “everyday” merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants as well as government agencies and units. Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides over 28 million Filipinos with access to financial services. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 200,000 digital touchpoints nationwide. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 37,000 partner agent touchpoints nationwide serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved with access to digital services. To know more about PayMaya’s products and services, visit www.PayMaya.com or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Technology as a great enabler By Peter Paul Duran
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F ALL of this is just a dream, then many of us would want for this nightmare of COVID-19 to end.
A year into the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus of 2019 in the Philippines, the pandemic has definitely modified almost every facet of our waking life. In the business sector, for example, companies were forced to shutter indefinitely, while some permanently, as effects of strict lockdowns resulting in diminished foot traffic for brick and mortar stores, financial fragility and the inevitable cost of reopening in the new normal. However, as the age-old adage would say, there is a rainbow after every storm, and in a world halted by an unprecedented global health crisis, there is always a silver lining. Zoom meetings in boxer shorts, safe food deliveries to satisfy midnight cravings and Netflix while chilling all day long, were just some of the ways people stayed in the safety of their homes for weeks and months on end.
Indeed, technology came as a necessity and a necessary medium for us to continue on with our altered lives amid the pandemic. Banking on the power of technology, companies that have strived during the bleak first few months of the health crisis, stood out among the crowd as they leveraged the power of the internet and the availability of digital assets to row against the current. These businesses played their cards right and showed all of us just how to do the right kind of commerce in a pandemic— technology as the great enabler. This comes at no surprise. In the confines of our homes, we find comfort in the rectangular spaces of the digital realm. We fidget with our phones, and for those more privileged, with tablets, laptops, smart speakers and TVs— all at the same time, even. Through these gadgets and the connectivity given by social media, people have run to tech for entertainment, food, supplies, and many more. As the demand and customers moved online, businesses that have been onboard digitally even before the pandemic hit, reaped the benefits of the sudden exodus to tap and click purchasing. Not only that, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have suddenly popped up and setup shop through
Traditional businesses that once had physical stores, migrated to the online sphere to adapt with the changes brought about by COVID-19
their respective Facebook pages, posting in online groups to bank on free digital channels to sell their products and services. Meanwhile, traditional businesses that once had physical stores, migrated to the online sphere to adapt with the changes brought about by COVID-19. These establishments were forced to shut their doors down, but technology opened a big window of opportunity. It comes Gadgets and connectivity as no surprise that technology has become indispensable in helping us buy, finance or otherwise acquire all the delicious food, irresistible shopping deals, and other wonderful things and everyday necessities that have kept us alive and well in the past year of the pandemic. Technology really is the great enabler in these physically-distant times.
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advantages of technology in today’s world. Yet despite the many advantages that followed the rise of technology, several others have also noticed some negative impacts that come with having gadgets around. They argue that technology can distract people from their goals and disconnect them from reality. This comment is usually reserved for those who spend too much time on their phones or laptops. Another negative view of technology is how it affects a person’s health especially during prolonged periods of use. Staring at computer screens or phones can cause eye strain, stress, and even fatigue. Fortunately, thanks to technology, improvements have been made to help users stay in optimum shape despite long periods of use. Phones now give off notifications that remind people to take a rest after a certain amount of time, and anti-radiation glasses were likewise created so that the bright light from screens hardly affect one’s eyesight. Moreover, modern scientists and inventors also took the state of the world into account. With many years of being exposed to carbon emissions from factories and cars, more appliances, gadgets, and other items have been created with an environment-friendly feature. In conclusion, technology has evolved over the years to fulfil the different needs of the progressing world. And like all things, it has pros and cons when used to a certain extent. But having gadgets around and hearing new ideas on how we can advance as a civilization leave room for much excitement as we continue to watch how we grow alongside technology. In conclusion, technology has evolved over the years to fulfill the different needs of the progressing world. And like all things, it has pros and cons when used to a certain extent. But having gadgets around and hearing new ideas on how we can advance as a civilization leave room for much excitement as we continue to watch how we grow alongside technology.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021 || advertise@manilastandard.net
By P.Y. Deligero
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IVING in the 21st century has many advantages. We get to live in a society that’s forward-thinking and looking to solve issues that have been rampant in the past to create a more inclusive and safe environment for all. Aside from that, we also get to enjoy comforts that the early generations didn’t experience. These comforts come in the form of technology which ultimately makes life easier, faster and entertaining. Examples of these include vehicles, appliances, and gadgets. Vaccines and modern medicine are also a result of modern technology, which continues to evolve to keep up with the everchanging demands of society. It has also helped maintain civilizations, especially when it comes to their health and wellbeing. Technology in the time of a pandemic The early years in our history bore some of the most gruesome records of illnesses that took millions of lives. But with technology, vaccines, as well as countless medicinal solutions, were produced to help secure the health and safety of people. This gave the public access to antibiotics, pain relievers and countless pharmaceuticals that we now enjoy today. And just last year when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, sending the world into chaos, technology allowed medicine and research to expedite the process of creating a vaccine to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. Using advanced technology, scientists were able to isolate a gene of the virus and work around it to create the vaccine that is now available today. But this wasn’t the only crucial role that technology played during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through new apps and gadgets, technology has also found an opportunity to keep the world sane and functional. Those at home had the chance to learn and work safely because they had the means to communicate and carry out their responsibilities using the technology they have with the use of laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
Accelerating rise of tech technology. Households all across the globe need not worry about the temperature since they have access to air conditioners, electric fans, space heaters and more. Entertainment has also become available in homes because of television sets and personal computers. But aside from all these, portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, and the like have also become available to make life easier for its users. These gadgets allow people to communicate, play, work, and engage in their hobbies. The internet has also become a commodity needed by people to be able to connect with others and stay updated on events from all around the world. It has been an accessible source of information especially if you know where to search. Looking at the pros and cons of technology Nowadays, people tend to rely greatly on technology to get through their day to day routines because it allows them to get to where they want to go, communicate with others, and carry out their tasks faster and more efficiently. It has also allowed various companies involved in research and development to create innovations to allow humankind to progress even further into the future. These are only some of the many
Unlocking the power of technology
Employees who were given work from home conditions resorted to using online apps such as Zoom, Google Meet, Viber and many others. These were extensively used since they allowed members of a company to be able to communicate effectively with each other, even when physically far away from each other. As for the students, they engaged in a new form of schooling that allowed them to learn more while staying safe: online classes. The Department of Education and schools in the Philippines spruced up their online websites and e-classrooms so that teachers will have a platform to teach. On the other hand, students did their part by accessing and submitting their schoolwork through their school’s provided websites or Google Classroom. Apps and gadgets have also kept people entertained and informed about what happened in their surroundings,
while adhering to the months-long community quarantine aimed to slow the spread of the virus. Online streaming services such as iFlix, Netflix, and YouTube have seen a rise in the numbers of their viewers who want to “kill” time. The gaming community has also spent hours connecting and working towards finishing games to make the most of their time indoors. But during the pandemic, a social media app called TikTok has become popular as it gave its users creative ideas for making videos while in isolation. Modern times require modern technology In the 21st century, one of the prevalent technologies includes appliances and electronics. Since science has then been developed by great minds, who used their curiosity and creativity to get to the bottom of things, people now know that anything is possible with the right
Turn to E6 Scientists are able to isolate a gene of the virus and work around it to create the vaccine that is now available today.
BPI: Helping MSMEs navigate the challenging road to recovery
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HILE the world prepares for widespread vaccination programs to fast-track the return to normalcy, the MSME sector (micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises) continues to struggle with sharp drops in demand and revenue.
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), MSMEs, which play a vital role in creating jobs for Filipinos, have experienced an unprecedented decline in their businesses over the past couple of months because of the continuous implementation of varying community quarantine measures. With this, according to ADB, a prolonged pandemic requires governments to consider an optimal approach that neither impedes national revenues nor increases the budgetary burden in the fight against COVID-19. For MSMEs, this prolonged agony makes them worry about loan repayments and tax payments. For its part, the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)—the country’s pioneering bank which has survived economic upheavals, natural disasters, and even a pandemic in its 169-year history—has taken the necessary steps to support hard-hit firms to help them bounce back. BPI, through its Business Banking unit, is among the first banks to respond to the needs of small and medium businesses and help them pivot towards resilience and growth. The Bank offered flexible business loan solutions designed to help owners sustain their businesses during these challenging times. While many are probably hesitant to avail of loans given the uncertain economic environment, some have considered this as part of resiliency planning, one that helps organizations adjust and cope with the needs of the market.
In this respect, BPI Business Banking has also rolled out the Price Break program to extend support to qualified SME clients by offering discounted interest rates for their loans. SMEs with small business credit and have SBC loans with rates above 8.0 percent per annum took advantage of the exclusive offer which lasted until December 2020. For its reprieve program, BPI extended a loan payment deferral for qualified clients for 90 days. BPI’s Business Banking has also partnered with bancassurance firm BPI-Philam to provide free COVID-19 life insurance coverage worth P200, 000 for its clients and their employees for 90 days. Digital banking BPI’s Business Banking also helped businesses innovate and cope with the changes in consumer behavior brought about by COVID-19, enhancing its cash management platform and other customercentric functionalities, and loading in-app e-wallets and website-integrated payment systems. The bank has been giving many business clients a secure integrated payment system for their apps and websites to boost their branding and customer experience. This is in addition to BizLink, BPI’s online corporate platform, which provides companies with a one-stop shop for digital collections, account management, and disbursements. BPI has also ensured that withdrawing and depositing are convenient at this time through its 3,000 ATMs and CAMs available in major locations nationwide.
Through BanKo Mobile, NegosyoKo borrowers may easily view the schedule of their repayments, check their balance and payment history, and even pay their loans without having to leave their home or store, which is very convenient given the current restrictions and difficulty in transportation. Even in these trying times, BanKo loans associates called BanKoPares and BanKoMares continue to check their clients’ situation and advise them on ways to sustain their businesses. Since introducing NegosyoKo Loan to the market in 2016, BanKo has already served over 120,000 clients nationwide and released over PHP 12 billion in loans. Innovative webinars BPI also launched a series of free innovative webinars to help SMEs adjust to the new normal. Its webinar series highlights economic and industry analysis from its inhouse economists and analysts; the benefits of technology in boosting organizational efficiency; and new normal practices that SMEs can integrate with their business model. BPI also provides ideas and tips for improving business operations and tapping opportunities—collating articles, research reports, and other troves of useful knowledge from credible publicly available information and proprietary sources.
BPI cares Sustaining its position as a pioneer, BPI also launched the country’s first pesodenominated bonds to be issued as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were called BPI CARE Bonds (COVID Action Response Bonds). Microfinance clients BPI issued the CARE Bonds to address BPI Direct BanKo, the microfinance arm of the financing needs of MSMEs as they work BPI, also offered its mobile banking app for to overcome the challenges brought about by its microfinance clients to urge its customers COVID-19. BPI has exceeded initial target and to go digital in this time of COVID-19. raised ₱21.5 billion, more than seven (7) times
the initial planned issue size of ₱3 billion. The amount raised added to BPI’s capability to provide financing to this very important segment of the economy. The proceeds of the CARE Bonds have been allocated for the purpose of financing and refinancing eligible MSMEs under BPI’s Sustainable Funding Framework. Sustained risk management Consistent with the Philippine central bank’s sustainable finance framework, BPI has also elevated its sustainability agenda by extending its project evaluation criteria surrounding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) to MSMEs. The Bank will bolster loan offering programs for MSMEs to facilitate greater productivity, higher employment, and reduced poverty for the sustainable growth of the sector. This focus on sustainability has come into focus with the recent issuance of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Circular 1085. Under the central bank’s guidelines, all banks are required to integrate sustainability principles, including those covering environmental and social risk areas in their corporate governance framework, risk management systems, and strategic objectives suitable for their size, risk profile, and consistency of operation. BPI hopes that, with this, the sector will see the urgent need to improve sustainability risk consciousness to come up with better business continuity plans, in light of the new risks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, that have become more likely in the future. These are all part of the Bank’s commitment to the MSME sector. BPI is ready to provide sustainable solutions and innovations that empower MSMEs to rise up and recover from this difficult period. As their partner, BPI hopes to continue being a lifeline for its customers, a bank that responds to their needs, whatever the situation may be.
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Pamper your loved ones with affordable gifts from Shopee’s Valentine’s Day Sale
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OMPARED to 2020, this year’s Valentine’s Day festivities might be a little different. With community quarantine still in place, we’ll surely miss romantic dinner dates in restaurants, crazy nights out with friends, and homey family get-togethers. While we can’t be together physically, we can find other ways to celebrate and make the day special. Sending gifts is one way to make this unusual Valentine’s Day still worth remembering for people who mean the world to you—be it your partner, friends, family, or even yourself. Choose from a wide selection of gifts up to 90% off at Shopee’s Valentine’s Day Sale. Check them out below! 1. For your significant other T600 Smart Watch P498 Make sure your partner finds time for wellness with the T600 Smart Watch. This looks good whether you’re on or off the treadmill. It also monitors calorie intake, heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen, and sleeping habits. 2. For your best friend Heart Chain Necklace P15 Getting matching necklaces is a sweet, subtle way to show off your friendship. This minimalist Heart Chain Necklace is made of alloy and comes with a dainty heart pendant. 3. For your dad Sweet Night SuperMan Perfume P51 Your real-life superhero may not don a cape, but he can smell like one with this Sweet Night SuperMan Perfume. Each spritz contains notes of red currant, pear, orange blossom, and patchouli. 4. For your mom Fitflop Sandals P2,800 If your mom hasn’t bought anything for herself in a while, treat her to a new pair of sandals. These Fitflop Sandals are biomechanically engineered with seamless built-in arch contour, slip-resistant rubber outsole, and Microbubbleboard midsole technology for a comfy fit. 5. For ate CosRx Pimple Master Patch P125 Add this important item to your sister’s skin-
care routine. The CosRx Pimple Master Patch may be small, but it’s a skin savior! Each hydrocolloid sticker draws out sebum buildup, encourages cystic acne to come to a head, and calms down redness. 6. For kuya Mini Bluetooth Speaker P159 For your bro who’s into all things music, get a Mini Bluetooth Speaker. This portable option is perfect for both indoor and outdoor sound trips. It works up to a distance of 10 meters, operates at a capacity of 1200mah, and can play tunes for up to 10 hours. 7. For bunso Crab Shower Toy P399 Make bath time fun for your family’s little troublemaker! This cute crab-shaped toy is a two-in-one bubble maker and music machine. It plays nursery songs and comes with three suction cups for attaching to the bathtub or bathroom wall. 8. For your boss Toblerone Chocolate P90 Bosses are notoriously hard to shop for, but who can say no to chocolate? Toblerone is a classic, fool-proof choice. This creamy Swiss chocolate comes in five variants: milk, white, dark, fruit & nut, and crunchy almond. 9. For your co-worker Hokka Notebook P90 Help your work BFF get organized with a Hokka Notebook. With its vibrant, eye-catching design, she’ll be sure to check off her to-do list every day! 10. For yourself Wolf Blass Yellow Label Moscato P674 Spending the day alone? Toast to self-love instead. Wind down with a chilled, refreshing glass of Wolf Blass Yellow Moscato, which has notes of citrus, florals, and musk. Don’t miss out on the chance to score big discounts on these gifts and more at the Shopee Valentine’s Day Sale. Enjoy up to 90% off until February 14. For more deals, don’t forget to top up your ShopeePay! Until February 28, enjoy 10% cashback on all cashback shops when you use ShopeePay. Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021
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LGUs urged to step up COVID-19 vaccine info campaign
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OCAL government units (LGUs) must exert all efforts in educating their constituents on the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said. Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said this is to combat misinformation about the program. “Right now, marami hong fake news na lumalabas at pag di natin ‘to na-verify at na-explain sa ating kababayan, maaaring mawalan ng kumpiyansa ang ating mga kababayan (there are lot of fake news appearing and if we do not verify and explain these to the people, they will have apprehensions about it),” Densing said during the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) Team visit to Pasig City. Densing, however, clarified that those who do not want to be inoculated with
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will not be forced to get the vaccine. “Based on DOH guidelines, those who don’t want to be vaccinated will not be forced. What is important is we are able to explain this and encourage people to get vaccinated. But we assume once the vaccine arrives and we hear that they don’t like the brand given to the local government, they will be at the end of the line again,” he added. Earlier, the DILG urged all local government units (LGUs) to prepare a local vaccination plan as provided in the DOH guidelines on the National Vaccination Program and coordinate closely with their respective DOH-Centers for Health Development in preparing this plan. DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said that agency has issued Memorandum No. 2021-007 where LGUs are directed to come up with a vaccination plan that contains the preparation of risk communication plans and conduct of early vaccine communication campaign to disseminate critical information on COVID-19 vaccination. Next page
Assistance Program which guides clients on the requirements needed when applying for a home loan in any of its accredited banks. It also developed CORA, the Customer Online Records Assistant, where homeowners can receive updates about their Century home, track receipts and documents, and pay for monthly amortizations via credit card.
Business as usual
In the face of change, Century Properties pushes forward with innovation and adaptability 2020, though a year of challenges, proved to be a lesson in perseverance, resilience, and adapting to changes. It’s no secret that businesses took a hit this year and the real estate industry was not spared from the effects of the pandemic. Construction was put on hold, operations had to be adjusted, and the customer’s journey of buying a home had to be revisited, too. True to its values of working with purpose a n d s t r i v i n g fo r i n n ova t i o n , C e n t u r y Properties rose above the hurdles by quickly addressing the roadblocks set by the times. From ensuring the safety of its employees and workers, to further boosting its digital effor ts to keep homeowners informed, the company continued to be of service – delivering on its commitment of building life - enhancing proper ties and helping clients own a home.
Aside from having safety protocols in place, the frontliners were also housed nearby so they can go to work without worrying about transportation.
A convenient digital homebuying experience Recognizing the need to meet clients on another platform, the company amped up its digital efforts, letting clients know they can still find the home of their dreams in these times. Taking safety into consideration, CPG
enhanced its websites to include virtual tours – allowing potential homeowners to view the properties without having to go to the location. Not only can they see the amenities, they can also look around the neighborhood and tour the available units, dressed or bare. What’s better is they can chat with a property specialist to discuss payment terms – bring contactless selling to a whole new level.
Going above and beyond these services, the company also introduced the Client Credit
CP-AD-2021-0053-(Manila Standard ad)-01.indd 1
In addition to these accomplishments, CPG also completed projects, turning over 1,200 units this year. Another 1,600 units will be turned over from February to April in 2021 as well. Construction is currently on-going at Commonwealth by Century in Quezon Cit y, Batulao Ar tscapes in Nasugbu, Batangas, and Azure North in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Health and safety first With the health of its employees, on-site personnel and construction workers as one of its priorities, the company extended assistance by providing additional r e s o u r c e s , s e t t i n g u p f l ex i b l e w o r k arrangements, and conducting regular testing. Before resuming construction in its project sites, workers and employees underwent testing and protocols were put in place to avoid the spread of the virus.
One with the nation The company practiced good corporate ci tize nshi p by ex te n di n g h e lp wh e re needed. CPG contributed to convert the Philippine Spor ts S tadium in Bulacan into a COVID -19 mega testing facility that has a minimum testing capacity of 1, 500 per day. Just recently, it also helped expedite the purchase of up to 3 million vaccines together with more than 30 other companies through a tripartite agreement with the government and AstraZeneca.
#CenturyAtYourService When the country was put under strict quarantine measures, the company made sure that its frontliners are ready to serve while also keeping them safe. CPG’s service champions in all its residential communities and establishments at Century City Mall and Centuria Medical Makati – from the concierge and security staff, to the engineering, proper ty management officers, and housekeeping teams – continued to report to duty despite the trying times, making certain that each property is running smoothly.
Despite the challenges, Century Properties soldiered on and pushed through with its business expansion plans. Aside from growing its commercial leasing business and affordable housing portfolio, it also maintained the healthy sales of its in-city vertical developments.
A better year ahead
Century Properties’ service champions continue to report to duty despite the trying times, making sure customers are taken care of.
As we prepare for 2021, Century Properties is ready to take on the year with optimism, guided by the three core principles of Innovation, Resilience and Growth, and Sustainability. The company will continue to re-align its strategies to meet the changing consumer needs and be of better service to its customers.
2/4/2021 12:33:35 PM
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LGUs urged...
LGUs have enough personnel for COVID-19 vaccine deployment: ULAP
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OCAL government units (LGU) have enough personnel for the Covid-19 vaccine deployment as the first wave of vaccine supplies is expected to arrive in the country within the month, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) national president and Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo Cua said. “In the instance that the LGU doesn’t have enough personnel, the DOH [Department of Health] and the NTF [National Task Force] advised us na pwede po makipag-partner (that we can partner) with private hospitals, private practitioners to enlarge the manpower behind the vaccination rollout,” Cua said in an online media forum. Cua said ULAP have conducted several activities to capacitate LGUs in the planning and implementation of processes related to the vaccine rollout such as masterlisting, microplanning, mapping of vaccination sites and teams, and human resource and management training. “Masterlisting is an LGU led process and to consolidate the data LGUs were advised to use certain options such as COVID-19 electronic immunization registry,” he said. The group also invited resource speakers from the national government to explain the vaccine procurement process and some pharmaceutical companies to present their products. “In order to secure vaccines, LGUs
Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) national president and Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo Cua
enter into multilateral or tripartite agreement with the DOH, the NTF and the pharmaceutical company. In particular, the League of the Provinces of the Philippines will gather and collate the orders from the provinces and the League of Cities will gather the orders from independent and highly urbanized cities,” Cua said. The DOH earlier said the LGUs cannot procure and roll out Covid-19 vaccines without coordination with the national government as it adheres to the principle of equity where delivery of services is biased towards the vulnerable and the disadvantaged. In preparation for the delivery and distribution of the vaccines in their respective areas, Cua said LGUs are advised to establish local COVID-19 vaccination operation centers with needed supplies and equipment, syringes and other consumables, and stable electricity and freezers which are critical in the implementation phase. “LGUs are also given guidance in the identification of vaccination
centers, the estimation of vaccine requirements, the preparation of a list of health personnel needed for the roll out, training of health personnel, preparation of cold chain storages and other logistical requirements, cascading information to the target groups, and spear-heading community engagements, activities and social preparations such as crafting of risk communications plans, vaccine communication campaign, mobilization of barangay personnel and other volunteers to assist in the actual vaccination,” he added. As for the contact tracing regarding the United Kingdom variant of SARSCoV-2, Cua assured the public that LGUs observe the guidelines set by the DOH and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. “As always reminded by the NTF and the DOH, the preparation for the vaccine rollout must not diminish the manpower behind the contact tracing in COVID-19 management, so dapat hindi dapat maapektuhan nung management ng Covid ‘yung (so the Covid management should not affect the) vaccination rollout, so we really need to expand and get as many people as we can involve,” he said. COVAX Facility Managing Director Aurélia Nguyen said their office will distribute 117,000 doses of Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine and 5.5 to 9.2 million indicative doses of AstraZeneca AZD1222 vaccine to the country starting the third week of this month. COVAX is a global initiative that ensures rapid and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines for all countries regardless of their income level.
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The plan must also include a master list of priority eligible vaccinee population; identification of possible vaccine centers, available cold chain storages, and other logistical requirements; and a master list of existing human resources and personnel needed in the vaccination program. Malaya said that the reorganization of existing Emergency Operation Centers in LGUs to include a dedicated arm for vaccine concerns; mobilization of barangay personnel and other volunteers to assist in the preparation and actual vaccination; and, the participation of concerned offices and personnel such as LGU health offices, Public Information Offices and Sanitation Offices, among others, must also be part of the said plan. “This COVID-19 vaccination will be the biggest of such program in our history so we encourage the LGUs to prepare their vaccination plan for we need this to be as smooth as possible since the lives of the people are at stake here,” he said. Malaya also said LGUs must comply with the guidelines issued by the DOH and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 on matters regarding the vaccination and that they must be in close coordination with the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection for assistance for any assistance required. Following the tripartite approach in LGU procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, the DILG also urged close coordination among local government units (LGUs) and between the LGUs and the National Task Force COVID-19 Vaccine Cluster led by Sec. Carlito Galvez. Malaya said that in the recent meeting between Galvez, the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), DILG, and DOH, all component cities and municipalities with available funds for vaccine procurement are encouraged to coordinate with their provincial governments. LGUs seeking authorization for emergency use for the purchase of the COVID-19 vaccine must also coordinate with their provincial governments to ensure that there is enough vaccine supply for everyone, he said. In a recent advisory released by the DILG, the provincial governments are directed to consolidate all purchase requests of their component LGUs and submit these to their respective Regional Task Forces for submission to DOH and the NTF Vaccine Cluster. Meanwhile, highly-urbanized cities (HUCs) and independent component cities (ICCs) intending to procure COVID-19 vaccines are encouraged to coordinate directly with the DOH and NTF Vaccine Cluster. LGUs are also advised to procure not more than 50 percent of their vaccine requirement due to the current limited supply of vaccines worldwide.
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Angara files bill seeking to assist LGUs in shifting to digital
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O BOLSTER the country’s efforts in developing and implementing e-government services, Senator Sonny Angara said local government units (LGUs) should take the lead in digital transformation for the public sector. Angara noted how the shift to digital or online services has accelerated because of the COVID-19 pandemic and “government cannot afford to be left behind.” “One need only to look into how more Filipinos now use their mobile phones and computers to shop, do their groceries, and even transact with their banks. Our government processes and services should follow suit,” Angara said in a news release. According to the Department of the Interior and Local Government, only 30 percent of LGUs have taken steps to digitize their processes. In a September 2020 study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, researchers pointed out that limited access to computers, lack of standardization, poor infrastructure, and other related issues are hindering the development and implementation of e-government services throughout the country. While many LGUs have opted to maintain the status quo and continue with face-to-face transactions with their constituents, Angara said the absence of digital services poses some real problems such as what was experienced in the distribution of cash aid during the enhanced community quarantine period. “We witnessed how thousands of people had to go out of their homes and line up at designated areas in their respective LGUs to apply and receive their cash assistance. This was not only a labor-intensive and tedious process, but also created significant health risks on both the recipients and the government workers,” Angara said. To facilitate the transition of LGUs to
‘Tangerine: A Taste of Hope and Happiness’ “Tangerine: A Taste of Hope and Happiness” is borne out of a dream to give marginalized farmers of Quezon Province a sustainable source of livelihood. The brand is a product of love for quality and delectable chocolates. Our mission is to empower every poor farmer, one fruit, one harvest at a time, to rise out of poverty through cacaococonut intercropping, relevant training, and provision of appropriate social amelioration services. We are united by the balikatan spirit of community building and rebuilding lives. Every Tangerine product that is sold to the market goes to a cause of supporting our farmers and their families as well as their communities. For orders and inquiries, you may reach us at 0919-095-5935 or e-mail us at ilovetangerinechocolates@ gmail.com you can also follow us on facebook: Tangerine.ph and instagram: tangerinechocolates.ph
Transport...
Senator Sonny Angara
digital services, Angara has filed Senate Bill 1943 or the Local Information and Communications Technology Officer (ICTO) Act, which seeks to create a new position of ICTO in all provinces, cities, and municipalities across the country. This will entail an amendment to Sections 443 (a), 454 (a), and 463 (a) of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, which deal with the officials of the municipal, city and provincial governments. ICTOs will manage the following: formulating and executing digitization plans for processes and public documents in their respective LGUs; develop, maintain, and supervise all other information and communications technology programs and services of the LGU (including partnerships with the private sector); and collate and disseminate information regarding ICT and the services of the local government to the public. Aside from being Filipino citizens of good moral character, ICTOs will be required to have degrees from recognized colleges and universities, in information and communications technology, computer science, computer engineering, data science, electronics and communication engineering, or any other course that will be directly relevant to the job.
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The transport department is also pushing for the acquisition of new train sets for the MRT-3, LRT-1, and Philippine National Railways (PNR) lines to increase their respective capacities, among others. At least four (4) 4th Generation LRVs out of 120 for LRT-1 and its Cavite Extension; three (3) new Diesel Hydraulic Locomotives (DHL) and fifteen (15) passenger coaches are now being utilized. Apart from these endeavours, the DOTr said it was putting in place mass public transportation as the principal means of mobility to reduce dependence on private vehicles, with the objective of reducing exhaust emissions, given that 70% of air pollution comes from vehicle emissions. That has prompted the shift to clean energy of public buses and other public utility vehicles, which has become more relevant and timely with the pandemic. The LTFRB has rationalized routes and has undertaken the Public Utility Modernization Program (PUVMP) to ensure order, efficiency, safety and protection of the environment through clean fuel use in public land transport. At the same time, PUV drivers through the Service Contracting program have been able to make up for loss income during the restrictions. At present, the DOTr is expanding bicycle lanes in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao under the Bayanihan 2 Bike Lane Networks project. Around 29 kilometers of bike lanes were
already established to date. Before the year ends,and 140 kilometers of bike lanes are expected to expand the bike lane network, apart from the 31 bike sharing participants. The concept of a “walkable community” is also on top of the transport list, with the EDSA Greenways Project Phase 1. The project aims to establish “greenways” or walkable nodes at different railway stations. It aims to serve 1.1 million pedestrians daily in 2023 and 1.2 million/day in 2051. Target partial operations of the project is by December 2021, and full operations by February 2023. Outside Metro Manila, the concept of public and active transport on roads goes hand in hand with the establishment of bus systems. In Cebu, the DOTr is pushing for the partial operability of one of the crucial segments (Package 1) of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (Cebu BRT) within 2021. DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade ordered a 24/7 construction work schedule for the project. The Cebu BRT’s Package 1, which covers the 2.6-kilometer busway, with four (4) stations, urban realm enhancement, and vital intersection improvements, is already at the procurement stage. In Davao, a modern high priority bus system is mandated to provide an efficient, world-class, and affordable mode of transportation through the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP). Partial operations will commence this year as the parcellary works are currently ongoing following the awarding of its contract.
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GETTING BACK ON TRACK
Auto industry seeks rebound as ‘frontliners’ adjust tacks By Randy Caluag
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HEN the chips are down, expect wily Filipino business owners to innovate and succeed at any circumstances.
The local car industry was one of the hardest hit sectors by the raging blows of the COVD-19, but thanks to the industry “frontliners”, it remained resilient, steady on the way to slow recovery. While principal brand makers develop and re-route their strategies to stem the adverse effects of the pandemic, it was almost like the fate of survival was left to the hands of the local car dealers—considered as the car industry’s frontliners. Karlo Domingo, who manages one of the family-owned Isuzu dealerships in North and Central Luzon, achieved a perfect sales target through digital innovation and re-focusing of energy. “Car dealers, including us, took a bad hit in terms of service operations. Areas
were quarantined and have different protocols on allowing vehicles to come in and out for several months,” admitted Domingo. With limitations in the movement of people due to government-imposed quarantine that may last longer, Domingo and his management team developed a business strategy—the digital way. And it proved to be an excellent formula for success. “The number of walk-in customers might not be the same as before but there are ways of reaching them safely online. The digital platform for marketing is a great tool we have yet to maximize.” Testament to Domingo’s Isuzu Bulacan branch was its being awarded the top Izusu Branch of the Year from
GAC Motors and Isuzu are set to introduce new models amid the pandemic era
Commercial vehicles like the Isuzu Travis are expected to dominate the market this year
Izusu Philipppines for achieveing 100 percent sales target in 2020. The BM Domingo Motor Sales Inc.’s branches in Cabanatuan and Isabela also achieved the same feat in terms of units and parts sales. Of course, it also helped that Isuzu has a more diverse models – from passenger to commercial vehicles--- that proved more useful at a time when people want mobility for business purposes rather than leisure or casual transport. “I think that our products are in a segment that was needed in situations like these,” Domingo added. “Our truck lineup covers a wide range of businesses. From utility vehicle to tractor heads. The Isuzu Traviz, for example, is a light duty truck, perfect for
SMEs that can be be paires with a variety of truck body application.” For this year, Domingo said the company is also banking on the government’s full support of the Jeepney Modernization Program of which Isuzu is actively participating. “I believe that the four-wheeler trucks will have the biggest demand in the truck category for booming industries such as courier services, food deliveries, and medical needs. Isuzu can provide such vehicles with the prefered truck body suited for every clients needs.” “For now, our business strategy is to continuously explore the potential of digital marketing.” INDUSTRY SETBACK The pandemic claimed two of the
biggest Japanese automakers which recently closed their manufacturing facilities in the country. First was Honda Cars Philippines which stopped production operations for its compact SUV BR-V and small sedan City in its plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna in March last year at the onset of strict quarantine protocols imposed by the government aimed at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, Honda said its action was part of the optimization of its production operations in Asia and Ocenia. Honda Cars Philipines though will continue its automobile sales and aftersales service operation in the Philippines, Next page
Color Your World: MPIC Calendar brings life to 2021 By Magic Bautista
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HALLENGING, eventful, relentless, uncertain – all words that can define the year that was 2020. The obstacles of a global pandemic, incessant natural disasters, and the resulting aftermath served as a powerful eye-opener to the Philippines and the world.
2020 became the year of strife and struggle, of surviving situations that nobody was truly prepared for, and of changes that affected millions, if not billions of lives. It became the year of missing: missing life events and loved ones, missing freedom and the luxury of moving without restrictions, and missing the small things that make our lives bright and colorful. With all the challenges the country and the world has faced, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) is determined to make 2021 all about bringing color back to the lives that were dulled and darkened by the year that passed. Even throughout the imposed quarantines, MPIC has made it a goal to continuously shine as a beacon of light amid the darkness by keeping the lights on, the clean water running, the roads open, and the hospitals world-class. Bringing Color Back to 2021 As a sentiment to the prospect of a better, brighter future ahead, MPIC recently released its Color Your World 2021 Calendar, the first coloringbook-style corporate calendar depicting its core businessesin black-and-white images coupled with inspiring quotations. “The MPIC calendar which comes with a set of Colleen colored pencils, was conceptualized to help us reflect and meditate on how the past year has affected the world and how we can bring color back to 2021,” said Melody del Rosario, Vice-President for Public Relations and Corporate Communications. “The graphics illustrate how ourcore businesses are intertwined with our daily cycle of life. It likewise depicts motivational quotes from successful businessmen, philosophers, artist and novelist in order to let you see life from another, wider perspective,” added Del Rosario. For the Planet and the People The calendar is MPIC’s immediate follow-up to its commitment to two sustainability alliances: the United Nations Global Compacwt (UNGC) and the Sustainable Accounting Board Alliance (SASB), geared towards perpetuating the global standards of monitoring the sustainability initiatives of corporations. Through Color Your World, MPIC addresses two pillars of sustainability: environmental and social, informally referred to as planet and people. It is intended to be an interactive past time that not only yields a useful and beautiful product, but also creates benefits for the individuals’ who participate in the coloring experience. It puts value to their
January Winner Althea Faith Abao’s colorful rendition won her a special prize and a feature on MPIC’s social media platforms.
time, their creative vision, and their intention for the year 2021. Each month features an image dedicated to a core business and a corresponding sentiment that becomes the inspirational boost needed to make each day count. Both internally with its employees in the mother company and subsidiaries, and externally with its stakeholders, MPIC invites all to color in each page and share their colorful months with the company. It becomes an homage to the Filipino spirit of bayanihan – of bringing back color to the lives of Filipinos most affected by 2020. Color Your World enjoins all to move forward with gratitude and give 2021 a fresh coat of life.All that’s left is to color in the rest of the year.
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Getting...
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through the utilization of Honda’s Asia and Oceania regional network. Another Japan-based carmaker Nissan Motor Philippines has also informed the Department of Trade and Industry that it was ending its assembly deal with Univation Motors, which assembled Almera units in its manufacturing operations in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. As a result of the assembly plant shutdown, some 133 workers faced displacement althought Nissan assured that they would be compensated well. The first to close down their production facilities in recent years were Ford Motor Co. in June 2012 and Isuzu’s pickup truck assembly plant in 2019. DTI secretary Ramon Lopez acknowledged the critical situation the local auto industry is in right now and attibuted this largely on surge in imports with the country being one of the most open markets among Southeast Asian nations in terms of automotive vehicle imports. In an an effort to stop the bleeding, at least temporarily, the DTI has imposed a provisional increase in tarrif on imported passenger cars and imported light commercial vehicles that
will be in effect within 200 days. “The provisional safeguard measures need to be immediately put in place to protect the domestic industry from further serious injury,” Lopez said. POSITIVE PROSPECT Isuzu Bulacan’s Karlo Domingo, just like other industry expert, expects the car industry to bounce back this year. “I personally think that the automotive industry will recover from last years decline. The industry is starting to pickup, new vehicle models are coming in, and the market is starting to adjust to the new normal. All these factors will contribute to regain numbers. There are booming businesses that have great potential which will be needing vehicles for operation.” While growth is expected to be impeded by the government’s import safeguard measure, car industry players remain optimistic and will not hold back in their expansion and introduction of new models for the Filipino car buyers. KIA Philippines president Manny Alegado said it projects to double their market share as it banks on two new models that it plans to bring in within the second half of 2021 and possible two more if the acceptance is good. KIA will also introduce new products as part
of its after-market services, beginning with a new mineral oil which is 40 percent more affordable than synthetic oil. It also intends to spread its wings with the planned addition of eight more dealers and two sales outlets to add to its exisiting 30 dealers nationwide. Isuzu, for its part, is also expanding this year with new branches, most recent was the Bacoor sales office. It is also is introducing in March the latest version of its Isuzu pick-up truck. CHAVIT’S BET Undettered by the pandemic that still persists, GAC Motor (Guangzhou Automotive Group Co. Ltd.), one of China’s top-ranked auto brands is making a strong bid this year to be spearheaded by the group of former Ilocos Sur Governor and now Narvacan Ilocos Sur Mayor Luis “Chavit” Singson With 66 years of manufacturing, GAC Motor has become one of the most trusted Chinese car brands in terms of quality and reliability. Through the years, it has invested heavily in a first-class Research and Development (R&D) and recently in a world-class supply chain suystem that earned for it top Chinese brand honors by J.D. Power Asia Pacific for
BM Domingo’s Isuzu Bulacan turns over several trucks to clients
eight consecutive years. If a GAC car were a robot, its citizenship would be multination. GAC Motor is being supplied by the leading auto part brands in the world such as Bosch, Denso, Continental, Aisin, Siemens, and Magna. It has also partnered with Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, N.V. for local production of foreign brands in China. In recent years, the brand has witnessed steady development by strengthening its global brand presence in 25 countries in the Middle East, South Africa, and the Southeast Asia. Singson was so impressed that
he vowed and envisioned bringing this automotive brand to the Philippines. In October 2018, the GAC Motor brand was officially launched in the country under the exclusive distributorship of Legado Motors, Inc. With the on-going demand for passenger vehicles and positive market feedback, GAC Motor is set to introduce its 7-seater MPV to the Philippine market: the 2021 GAC GN6. So far, the local GAC Motor vehicle line-up consists of five models namely: the GA4 sedan, GA8 executive sedan, GS3 subcompact SUV, GS4 compact SUV, GS8 mid-sized SUV, and the GN8 minivan.
Been driving around more often? Here are some road safety tips to remember EVER since quarantine restrictions were eased mid-last year, more and more Filipinos have been starting to head out and hit the road. And with the expected arrival of COVID-19 vaccines soon, these numbers will definitely increase. Despite this rise in mobility however, there are still plenty of risks when driving around at this time. These include the more aggressive COVID-19 strain, the hassle that comes with not having RFID stickers installed yet, and being disoriented by new lane assignments along major highways like EDSA. So how can you ensure yours and everyone else’s safety on the road? Here are five tips to keep in mind: Try not to head out unless it’s absolutely necessary If you have no business heading out, just stay at home. Doing so will significantly reduce the likelihood of contracting and spreading the virus and the probability of getting into an accident on the road—these odds exist by the way. Sure, you’ve probably seen many of your friends driving around frequently, but it doesn’t mean you should, too. Brush up on road rules and regulations Being stuck at home for an extended period of time last year may have prompted us to feel a bit disconnected from the outside world and have led most to forget the usual sights and road signs that we see. Add that to the fact that there are newly implemented and revised road laws that we may not be as well acquainted with, as we once were. To refresh and sharpen your road knowledge, try browsing through the reviewers provided by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on their website. It’s the perfect refresher course for all road rules, signs, and regulations relevant today. Ensure that your vehicle is in the right condition Do you remember the last time you brought your vehicle in for maintenance? If the answer is a “no” or “yes, but it was before the pandemic hit”, it would probably be best to have your vehicle checked before driving it around to prevent any mechanical problems on the road. One way to ensure that your vehicle is in the right condition is to check out which warning lights on your dashboard are on. Be as defensive as ever before While most drivers agree that driving is a skill that one never forgets, no one said anything about how driving skills can diminish after going months without using them. Many drivers have been feeling a bit rusty and careless especially during their first drive after quarantine. With that, be as defensive as you can when you drive this year. Be conscious of your surroundings and try to eradicate any distractions especially since majority of road accidents last year involved distracted drivers. Watch out for Road safety tips from Honda’s official Facebook page A good tip would also be to constantly seek out advice for road safety. Like and follow pages like Honda Cars Philippines to get regular doses of tips that will definitely come in handy as you go along Philippine roads. These tips are part of the car company’s commitment to reduce road accidents through road safety education and collaboration with different sectors of society so you can rest assured that these are well thought of. Honda has been releasing tips like these for quite some time now as it has been prioritizing road safety not just through the technological advancements installed in their vehicles, but through their “One Honda Road Safety” program. The program, launched in 2017, aims to educate current and future Filipino drivers on road safety through activities like the “TeenSmart Road Safety seminar” for senior high school students, the “Road Safety for our family program” for Honda employees, Barangay safety riding clinics, and engaging road safety promotion posts on social media. To learn more about road safety tips and One Honda Road Safety, visit HCPI’s official Facebook page or head to www. hondaphil.com
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Kaagapay sa Pagtugon sa Hamon ng Bagong Panahon
MILLIONS of workers affected or displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic receive cash assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment. The aid is part of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) to accelerate the recovery and bolster the resiliency of the Philippine economy.
One-time P5,000 financial assistance to affected workers in private establishments
Assisted 1,025,547 workers from the formal sector amounting to over P5.2 billion *as of January 31, 2021
TUPAD
Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced Workers
Emergency employment for workers in the informal sector
Disbursed over P5.2 billion covering 934,900 informal sector workers *as of January 31, 2021
DOLE-AKAP FOR OFWs Abot-Kamay Ang Pagtulong
One-time USD 200.00 or P10,000 cash aid to displaced sea-based and land-based OFWs
Benefitted 118,416 displaced OFWs amounting to over P1.191 billion *as of January 31, 2021
HOTLINE 1349
(02) 8527-3000
dole.gov.ph
@laborandemployment
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TRANSPORT INDUSTRY DEFIES THE PANDEMIC, ROLLS ON By R. L. Tomeldan
HINGS are looking up in the transport industry, one of the engines of growth which the government is banking on to drive the economy through the virus pandemic.
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The private automotive sector is also starting to regain its footing, fired up by the growing need for enhanced mobility other than commuting on public transport. The Edsa Carousel and PITX bus exchange and related systems have been installed and are working like clockwork despite some minor kinks. State-supervised railways have also been chugging along, ferrying front line workers and commuters whose number has to be limited given the lingering threat of COVID-19 infection. Drawing inspiration from the mantra that is “build back better”, the private sector did its bit, although not to be sneezed at, and created road infrastructure one after the other flag shipped by the Skyway Project 3 of San Miguel Corporation’s Ramon S. Ang, President and chief executive officer. While still at it, the visionary Ang doubles down on his advocacies for enhanced mobility by initiating the AeroCity in Bulacan, which has just received formal approval from government and is now preparing for the takeoffs. At the same time, Ang has drawn up the Pasig River Expressway, that is touted to
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connect East and West sections of Metro Manila, thus speeding up the transport of people and cargo in the next few years. Another visionary, Manny V. Pangilinan of the MVP Group of companies has begun the spadework for the mega-buck project, Urban Ring Road that is envisioned to link north and south for seamless travel. MVP’s Metro
Data Science, AI to accelerate Aboitiz businesses’ growth THE Aboitiz Group is fully embracing the use of digital technology, pushing for further innovation, a change in the way that it operates its various businesses through the use of data-driven solutions and Artificial Intelligence. “Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) are transformative capabilities that will accelerate the Aboitiz Group’s productivity, drive business value, and open up new revenue streams,” Aboitiz Group president and CEO Sabin M. Aboitiz said. The company formed working groups on Data Governance, Data Science, and Innovation, which will serve as avenues for alignment, consultation, and discussions to maximize and optimize the reuse of DSAI solutions, knowledge, and source sharing among SBUs. At its helm is global data science expert Dr. David R. Hardoon, UnionBank Senior Advisor for Data and AI and Aboitiz Group Data Committee Chairman. “DSAI is a core differentiator enabling organisations to flourish digitally. Our focus within the Group is to innovate and systematically operationalise DSAI benefits for all BUs in areas such as customer engagement, operations and in materialising ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) goals, ” Dr. Hardoon said. Banking and Financial Services. Aboitiz banking subsidiary Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) pioneered in leveraging DSAI in banking solutions as part of its digital transformation. The bank saw a surge in digital banking transactions over the years due to evolving consumer behavior. And with the lockdowns brought about by the pandemic, consumers were forced to embrace digital banking. In 2019, UnionBank encouraged aspiring data scientists to elevate the profession with the launch of its own Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Institute, which is aimed at producing and nurturing big data professionals to help usher innovations at the bank. To date, more than 65 future data scientists are part of a learning program that covers data processing, programming visualization, analysis and mining, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. PETNET, a financial services unit under UnionBank, has one goal in mind: ensure that team members are data-driven and analytically capable in running the business. Hence, the company formed a Data Analytics team which will help in reading trends and drawing insights to make data-driven and informed decisions to provide better customer service. Power. For the Aboitiz Group’s energy arm, Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower), DSAI will play an inte-
Pioneer in Digital Banking. UnionBank is at the forefront of leveraging DSAI in banking solutions (file photo)
gral role in driving the company’s 10-year growth strategy. This is to address the energy trilemma of the availability, cost-efficiency, and sustainability of the country’s energy supply. DSAI will be a key component of AboitizPower’s 1AP Digital Strategy, called DigitaLeap, which aims to implement several initiatives as part of its digital transformation. These include remote plant operations, convergence of information and operational technologies, next-generation energy trading capabilities, and advanced metering infrastructure, among others. Food. For its DSAI implementation, the Food Group built a tool called Analytics Central—a one-stop portal that not only addresses ease of access to data-driven solutions, but also data security by using a double-layer solution. Current applications available in the tool are Pilmico’s retail meat shop “The Good Meat,” the Food Group Covid-19 Health Pass, Feeds and Farm Division’s operational dashboards, and budget presentation for management meetings. Infrastructure. Meantime, Aboitiz cement manufacturing unit Republic Cement & Building Materials, Inc. (Republic Cement), sees the value of DSAI in operations planning and optimization of production costs. The precision that data science offers will not only provide Republic Cement with data-driven insights but also allows it to remain steadfast in delivering consistent and high-quality products for the Philippine market. Republic Cement teamed up with UnionBank’s Data Solutions Team to create a tool that predicts cement quality based on historical chemical concentration combinations. It helps operators and quality managers optimize concentrations of raw materials and efficiently save time, resulting in better resource management and increased operational efficiency. Land. Real estate unit AboitizLand is jumpstarting its journey into DSAI as it prioritizes providing better services to its customers. The launch of its contactless homebuying campaign at the onset of the pandemic marked its successful pivot into the digital sphere. The company recently teamed up with UnionBank for an improved customer profiling system and a predictive model that will detect construction delays. Also in the pipeline is the update of its Sales and Vecino Portal for a smoother end-to-end home-buying process making it easier for buyers to reserve units, track payments made, monitor construction milestones and easily apply for a housing loan.
Distribution unit Davao Light manages its first digital substation.
Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) is tasked with building a network of urban expressways to link up the west, east, north, and south sides of the entire Metro Manila area through interconnected tollways which will comprise a “ring around the metropolis “That’s why we call it the‘MPTC Urban Ring Road,’ which is designed to improve circulation and assure unimpeded traffic flow,” said Rodrigo E. Franco, MPTC President and CEO. The MPTC Urban Ring Road solves city traffic by providing high-speed, highstandard seamless network of expressways within and around Metro Manila, Franco says. It will decongest local roads and strengthen the road network configuration by separating local in-city trips from inter-city to inter-regional travel. For its part, the Transportation department as regulator is seeing to it that all land-seaair travel projects dovetail with government rules and regulations. Its latest project the Metro Manila Subway has taken delivery of a major equipment, In the works are several key mass transport systems and highcapacity public transport vehicles, to move more people while using less vehicles and occupying less road space, Secretary Arthur Tugade said. Most notable of these projects is the country’s first ever subway system. Last Friday, the 74-ton cutterhead of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) “Kaunlaran” recently arrived in the country. Which signals that all systems are “go” for the Metro Manila Subway. Nearing completion, Tugade said, are the extension works on the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 Extension from Metro Manila to Cavite― stalled for almost two (2) decades, but is now targetted for partial operations by the 4th quarter of 2021; the LRT-2 East Extension from Santolan to Masinag, which will be completed in April; the PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban to Malolos), that is targeted for partial operations by 4th quarter of 2021; the Common Station, which is expected to be completed by the 4th quarter of 2021; the Manila MRT-7 from North Avenue, Quezon City Standard TODAY to San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, shall be ready for partial operations by 4th quarter of this year and for full completion by 2022; and the MRT-3 rehabilitation, which is slated for completion in July 2021. Turn to F4
ECONOMIC REOPENING BOUNCE BACK BETTER ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher ANITA F. GREFAL Operations Head RAMON L. TOMELDAN Managing Editor JOYCE PANGCO PAÑARES News Editor JIMBO OWEN GULLE City Editor RAY S. EÑANO Business Editor RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ Assistant Business Editor RIERA MALLARI Sports and Tech Editor BERNADETTE LUNAS Life Editor NICKIE WANG Entertainment Editor BALDWIN FELIPE Advertising Sales Head PAULA REYNOSO Supplements Head MERCE PASCUAL SHIRLEY UMALI JANNA MATEO BESSIE GOOD Sales Team MARICEL V. CRUZ RANDY CALUAG PETER PAUL DURAN NATHANIEL DELA CRUZ PETER ATENCIO P.Y DILIGERO Writers MARIA VICTORIA R. AYENG Layout Artist SHIELA SUAREZ ERIC JUTIC JOAN VELASCO EDELYN ELAMPARO Advertising Desk
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