BusinessMirror August 16, 2021 by BusinessMirror

NG DEBT PAYMENTS UP 41.4% TO P773.8B IN H1

Monday, August 16, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 306

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 18 pages |

PCC EYES PRICE-FIXING IN SHIPPING SECTOR By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @Tyronepiad

Relatives of Covid-19 and non-Covid-related patients shelter in tents pitched outside the Pasig City General Hospital Emergency Department on Saturday night. The number of people seeking medical treatment is on the rise, as Covid’s more transmissible Delta variant continues to spread while authorities scramble to outpace it with more vaccinations. Earlier, the similarly swamped Philippine General Hospital (PGH) also served notice it would have to stop accepting even non-Covid patients for the meantime, as people in need of confinement keep rising. BERNARD TESTA

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

OR the first half of the year, the national government’s debt payments hit P773.79 billion, up by 41.4 percent in the same period last year.

As amortization continues to outpace interest payments, the government’s debt service bill from January to June this year spiked from last year’s P547.35 billion. The bulk of the debt payments

went to amortization and the rest, to interest. Amortization payments jumped by 57.16 percent to P565.26 billion from P359.67 billion in the same period a year ago. See “NG debt,” A2

PESO exchange rates n US 50.3930

RELIMINARY investigation by the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) showed that some shipping lines appear to be engaged in price fixing amid surging freight costs, but it has yet to obtain “definitive evidence” of the anti-competitive practice. P CC C om m i s s ione r Jo hannes Benjamin R. Bernabe, in an interview with the BusinessMirror, said that certain shipping lines plying the Asia-Manila route are suspected of implementing same price metrics based on initial data. “This kind of practice might be indicative of possible anticompetitive agreement or collusion,” he explained. But the PCC is having a hard time securing “definitive evidence” of price fixing in the logistics industry amid the pandemic, Bernabe said, noting that

conducting on-site fact-finding has been challenging. Price collusion, or pricefixing, is an anti-competitive practice wherein competing businesses agree to control the prices, which usually result in higher rates for the consumers. It is punishable by administrative fine and imprisonment according to the Philippine Competition Act. The PCC official explained that the simplest form of an absolute proof is a document, usually an exchange of mobile message or e-mails, showing communication among industry players about their agreement on the price offering. “In more sophisticated business practices, particularly in international jurisdiction, [there will be no proof of such communication],” Bernabe said. In this situation, a whistleblower via PCC’s leniency program can make a case, Bernabe said. Continued on A2

DOLE: Issues with COA have been cleared By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has been cleared by the Commission on Audit (COA) of possible mishandling of its funds for assistance to workers affected by Covid-19 last year, an official said on Sunday. DOLE Financial and Management Ser v ice (FMS) Director Warren M. Miclat told BusinessMirror they already submitted a clarification on the issues raised by COA in its 2022

Director Warren Miclat, in file photo while helping in presentation of the DOLE's 2020 budget. FROM DOLE FACEBOOK PAGE

audit report. “In fact, the DOLE got an Unqualified Audit Opinion (UAO), the highest audit rating by the Commission on Aud it in the 2020 COA A nnu a l Aud it Report,” Miclat said in an SMS on Sunday. “The print copy of the 2020 COA Audit Report was handed to DOLE FMS on August 4, 2021,” he added. Prior to the release of the UAO, labor officials attended an exit conference with COA to explain how they utilized their P7.3billion budget for their Covid-

related programs under Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. These programs include the Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (C A MP), a one-time P5,000 cash aid distributed by DOLE to displaced formal sector worker; Abot-Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP), a P10,000 financial assistance extended to displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFW); and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers #Barangay ko, Bahay ko (Tupad #BKBK). Continued on A2

n japan 0.4564 n UK 69.6129 n HK 6.4762 n CHINA 7.7778 n singapore 37.1110 n australia 36.9683 n EU 59.1261 n SAUDI arabia 13.4374

Source: BSP (August 13, 2021)

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A2 Monday, August 16, 2021

Novel voters list-up scheme for PWDs, youth launched

By Roderick L. Abad | Contributor

NONPARTISAN campaign will officially kick off on Monday to provide free transportation for around 1,000 to 2,000 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) and the underprivileged until the end of voter registration period next month. During their webinar last Friday, Institute for Policy, Strategy, & Developmental Studies, Inc. (IPSDI) President Elmer Cruz told reporters that the nationwide initiative called #STRONGERtogether will just initially roll out to General Santos City and northern parts of Cebu. He said that they cannot mobilize it yet to Metro Manila until they “come up with a team who can do it” in areas where Covid-19 cases are not that high and the registrants can move smoothly.

The campaign’s offline component will provide free rides to the beneficiaries from their homes to their respective voter registration sites and, then, bring them back to their houses until the voter registration deadline on September 30. Because of their limited resources, Cruz said they are reaching out to potential partners from the private sector who can donate to this project or are willing to work with them to help the PWDs and the needy to claim their rights to vote.

According to him, they can actually conduct it on their own, especially if they have also collaborators within their localities. “They can do it independently. We encourage it...even without having to ask permission or coordinate with us,” he explained. Meanwhile, the online aspect of #STRONGERtogether appeals to young voters to register in exchange for access to the organization’s Facebook group that offers job, scholarship, mentorship, games and prizes, and training opportunities. Cruz revealed that they were surprised that many have volunteered themselves to become mentors within the group since they opened this online platform more than two weeks ago. Given such positive response to their campaign, he assured prospective partners that their assistance “can go a long way” because all the programs of IPSDI are “very sustainable.” #STRONGERtogether is made

DOLE: Issues with COA have been cleared… State auditors initially flagged DOLE for allegedly committing excessive payments of cash aid due to “insufficient internal control measures,” non-remittance of unclaimed financial aid; as

well as incomplete documents for disbursement vouchers, liquidation reports and fund transfers. Miclat said they were able to address the issues raised by COA. Last week, a labor group also

possible with Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, Inc. (TWHI). “As we get closer to the end of voter registration and move, transition to preparing for the elections themselves in May 9, 2022, we further see that the successful conduct of the elections and all pre-election activities will rely extensively on everyone pulling their efforts,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in mixed Filipino and English. “The Comelec is happy that we have this kind of initiative that will help the PWDs, specifically the convenience this campaign can bring them.” “We hope, especially here in Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, that through this partnership with IPSDI there will be a good way for differently-abled persons to vote,” TWHI Administrative Manager Ramon Apilado added. As of August 13—45 days left before the end of voters’s registration—Comelec has already registered 5,727,223 new voters.

Continued from A1

accused DOLE of withholding its P12-billion fund for its TUPAD so it could benefit certain local officials. This after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) claimed

the amount is still “unobligated.” DOLE, however, clarified to DBM that the budget was already downloaded to its concerned regional offices to implement TUPAD in their jurisdiction.

NG debt… Continued from A1

On the other hand, interest payments from January to June this year also climbed to P208.53 billion, up by 11.1 percent from last year’s P187.68 billion. Amortization refers to the repayment of loan principal over time, while interest payment refers to a payment determined by the interest rate of an account. Under domestic amortization, redemptions accounted for P405.23 billion, mainly comprising payments made to the government’s Bond Sinking Fund at P352.12 billion, and domestic bond exchange at P51.54 billion. Amortization payments for assumed liabilities stood at P793 million while P780 million went to agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Foreign amortization

Meanwhile, foreign amortization reached P160.02 billion. Under domestic interest payments, most of the amount was spent for fixed-rate Treasury Bonds at P93.93 billion. The interest paid for Retail Treasury Bonds amounted to P51.17 billion. Foreign entities were also paid P49.2 billion in interest during the period. For June alone, the government’s debt service bill reached P150.2 billion, more than four times the total in the same month last year at P34.39 billion. Amortization payments in June this year a lso sk y rocketed to P120.27 billion, nearly an 18-fold rise from last year’s P6.83 billion. Likewise, interest payments in the same month soared to P29.93 billion, inching up by 8.58 percent from P27.56 billion. This year, the government has programmed P1.79 trillion for its debt service, with P1.26 trillion allotted for principal amortization and P531.55 billion in interest payments. In 2020, the government spent P962.47 billion to service its debts as it needed to keep up with more financial obligations to fund its war chest against the Covid-19 pandemic. The outstanding debt of the national government has already piled up to P11.166 trillion as of end-June this year, swelling by 23.3 percent from P9.054 trillion a year ago.

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Aid to MSMEs vital enroute to recovery –Sen. Gatchalian

ENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is upbeat on prospects of early recovery of the economy once the Covid virus-triggered strict lockdown— the fourth for the National Capital Region— is lifted in Metro Manila and the Calabarzon. This, as the Duterte government envisions quick recovery that will enable affected businesses, especially the badlyhit tourism sector, to bounce back. Meantime, the Department of Tourism has worked closely with the national and local governments to use the two-week enhanced community quarantine to ramp up vaccination of tourism sector workers, who are tagged economic frontliners. The Gatchalian family’s businesses are wide-ranging, but a considerable chunk is in hotels. “But our business was hit, since we’re in tourism. We all know no tourists are coming into our country. Many businesses in tourism are barely surviving, they’re really down. The pandemic didn’t choose between small or big businesses, all were hit,” Gatchalian said in an interview with DWIZ at the weekend. The vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs reminded that “our economy and commerce are linked,”

noting that “both are heavily affected” by Covid-triggered quarantine restrictions. Citing firsthand experience, he added: “The tighter the quarantine, the harder for business. The more relaxed the quarantine, the better for business.” The senator stressed this was why the policy makers should “restore the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ),” the more relaxed lockdown protocol, as soon as possible, if only to help the thousands of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) impacted by the pandemic. “That’s why, are turn to MECQ is being closely assessed because that affects business. We should also eventually learn, as they say, ‘to live with the virus.’ We should face the reality that the virus may always be here and we should always be careful. That’s the only way we can avoid returning to ECQ.” The senator projects the country would “bounce back,” but before then, “we should be ready” for when the lockdowns ease. Substantial assistance to MSMEs to recover is a first priority, Gatchalian told DWIZ. “In time, our country will recover. It’s important for us to have all support necessary for businesses at the ready,” Gatchalian said. Butch Fernandez

PCC EYES PRICE-FIXING IN SHIPPING SECTOR Continued from A1

The said program allows a cartel member to come forward and detail the price-fixing behavior among competitors in exchange of immunity from any legal suit by the PCC in response. “[For example, you are part of] cartel or collusive agreement, you feel that you are being shortchanged by the agreement and you are better off reporting on that kind of practice by your competitors, you can come forward and apply for leniency,” he explained. Bernabe said that PCC may also file a case if industry players seem to be engaged in a price agreement. The factors to be considered include the amount of surcharges enforced, the implementation period of the price increase and the origin of the shipping lines, among others, he added. For now, Bernabe said that PCC’s enforcement office is still investigating the matter. “We have requested information from the shipping lines. They [PCC enforcement office] are going through all of those documents provided by the shipping lines that have cooperated,” Bernabe said. The shipping lines that provided documents are mostly plying the Asia-Manila route, others are registered outside the country and some are part of a liner conference system, which is an agreement among shipping companies, Bernabe noted. In April, the BusinessMirror reported that the PCC launched its probe on potential price-fixing in the logistics and shipping sector amid surging freight charges. In conducting the investigation, the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Philexport) previously said the PCC should go over each of the freight costs and see if they are “valid.” “We suggest for the PCC to unbundle the freight cost and check

each item if valid. I know there are fees such as cleaning fee, congestion fee, container deposit fee, imbalance fee, etc.,” Philexport Assistant Vice President Flordeliza C. Leong told the BusinessMirror earlier.

Standardized fees

Industry players have pushed for the use of International Commercial Terminology (Incoterms) for the shipping sector and while Bernabe said this might be a good idea, he noted this means turning a private agreement into public law. Incoterms is a globally accepted standard for international trade. “If the Philippines legislates[that] the Incoterms now have to be observed fully as a matter of law, then from a legal theory perspective, you are elevating essentially what is a private contract into public law, into state legislations,” he explained. Last month, Philexport, Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines, Export Development Council-Networking Committee on Transport and Logistics and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry said in a position paper that using Incoterms will allow businesses to have better cost management. As such, shipping lines can also be more competitive as it levels the playing field in terms of pricing, they added. The industry groups blamed the high logistics fee on lack of regulatory oversight, given that no agency is tasked with monitoring local charges imposed by international shipping lines. With this, the export industry stakeholders also backed the proposed Philippine Shippers Act of 2021 by the Department of Trade and Industry as this will boost transparency in the logistics sector. The proposed measure aims to grant Maritime Industry Authority power to oversee the freight charges being imposed by the logistics service providers.

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Can’t blame health-care workers on mass-resignation vow–nurses

HE Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) on Sunday said that they could not blame healthcare workers (HCWs) threatening the government they would resign en masse for the Duterte administration’s failure to give the benefits due them. In a television interview, PNA National President Melbert B. Reyes said that as much as they discourage the option of mass resignation, they can’t stop health-care workers from doing so. “Di natin sila masisisi kung gagawin nila ‘yan [We can’t blame them if they will really do that],” Reyes said stressing that they don’t feel the appreciation and concern from government. Citing data from the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Reyes said that around 40 percent of private hospital nurses have quit their jobs. Earlier, the Filipino Nurses United (FNU) also warned of a possible mass resignation if they still can’t receive the “special risk allowance” (SRA) from the Department of Health (DOH). FNU President Maristela P. Abenojar, said that the monthly P5,000 SRA was stipulated under Bayanihan Law for health-care workers.

COA report

THE DOH, on the other hand, clarified that the alleged ‘deficiencies’ in the management of P275.9 million in cash allowances, gift certificates and grocery items, cited in the Com-

mission on Audit (COA) 2020 Consolidated Annual Audit Report, have already been settled with the issuance of Presidential Memorandum dated June 1, 2021. Under Republic Act 11494 or Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, health-care workers are entitled to meals, accommodation and transportation benefits. To provide these benefits to health-care workers, the DOH downloaded P2.4 billion to centers for health development, DOH hospitals, and specialty hospitals. “To immediately distribute these benefits, given the challenges of providing actual meals to health-care workers who do not follow regular break schedules, some hospitals and facilities opted to provide the benefits through cash, grocery vouchers, grocery items, and the like,” the DOH said. However, the DOH stressed that state auditors disagreed and recommended the return of the allowances already paid. “The DOH took up the cause of our health-care workers and requested the Office of the President for presidential imprimatur to allow the provision of these benefits in cash equivalents.” The Office of the President, the DOH said, responded to the request of the health-care workers and recognized the need to provide meal, transportation, and accommodation benefits for public and private health workers in cash equivalents like gift cheques, grocery vouchers, grocery items, and the like in its June 1, 2021, Memorandum. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Monday, August 16, 2021 A3

Lambda variant detected in PHL; 182 new Delta cases reported By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

HE Lambda, a Covid-19 variant that medical experts abroad said may be able to evade vaccine antibodies and is likely more infectious, has been detected in the country in the latest sequencing run by the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), health officials reported last Sunday. There were also additional 182 Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases, 41 Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant cases, 66 Beta (B.1.351) variant cases, and 40 of the P.3 variant cases detected. The latest sequencing run also included repeat samples that were sequenced last July 28, 2021 and were initially determined to have no lineage, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

Lambda variant case

THE DOH is now validating whether the 35-year-old female who turned positive for Lambda variant is a local case or a returning overseas Filipino worker (ROF). The case was asymptomatic and tagged as recovered after undergoing the 10-day isolation period. The DOH said it is currently conducting back-tracing and case investigation. The Lambda variant, first iden-

tified in Peru in August 2020, was classified last June 14 as a Variant of Interest (VOI) by the World Health Organization. This VOI has the potential to affect the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 and is currently being monitored for its possible clinical significance.

Delta variant

OF the additional 182 Delta variant cases, 112 are local cases, 36 are ROFs and 34 cases are currently being verified as to their origins—whether local or ROF cases. Of the 112 local cases, 42 cases had indicated addresses in the National Capital Region (NCR), while 36 cases had indicated addresses in Central Luzon, eight cases in Calabarzon, six cases in Mimaropa, six cases in Northern Mindanao, four cases in Central Visayas, three cases in Davao Region, three cases in Caraga, two cases in Western Visayas, and one case each in the Cordillera Administrative Region and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Based on the case line list, one is still active, 176 cases have been tagged as recovered, four cases have died, and one case has an outcome that is being verified. All other details are being validated by the regional and local health offices. Upon verification, it was de-

termined that two cases initially tagged as Delta cases from NCR last August 4 are Beta variant cases. This update brings the total Delta variant cases to 807.

Alpha variant cases

OF the additional 41 Alpha variant cases detected, 38 were local cases, one is an ROF case and two are currently being verified if this is a local or ROF case. Based on the case line list, two cases have died, 36 cases have been tagged as recovered, and three cases have outcomes that are being verified. Upon verification, two Alpha variant cases initially tagged in NCR last August 4 were verified to be Beta variant cases. Additionally, one Alpha variant case tested by one Covid-19 laboratory had two samples that were both sequenced. Lastly, a sample of another Alpha variant case was sequenced twice and yielded the same result. Correcting for all these resulted in a reduction of four cases from the total case counts for the Alpha variant. With these, the total Alpha variant cases is now 2,232.

Beta variant cases

OF the additional 66 Beta variant cases, 56 were local cases and 10 cases are currently being verified as to origin. Based on the case line list,

two cases have died, 63 cases have been tagged as recovered, and one case with outcome being verified. Among the 127 total Beta variant cases reported last July 29, the DOH verified two cases initially tagged in NCR that were reported as duplicates. It was also verified that two Beta variant cases tested from a single laboratory each had two samples that were both sequenced. This results in four cases deducted from the total Beta variant case counts. After verification, the total Beta variant cases are now at 2,483.

P.3 variant cases

OF the 40 additional P.3 variant cases, 37 were local cases and three cases are currently being verified as to origin. All cases have been tagged as recovered. The UP-PGC also reclassified six cases previously detected to have non-VOC lineages as “P.3.” The DOH reminded the public that regardless of the presence of any variant of concern, the strict adherence to minimum public health standards, strengthened “Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat, Reintegrate” and vaccination strategies remain effective. “Active case finding, aggressive contact tracing, and immediate isolation/quarantine can also lower the transmission of the Covid-19 and its variants,” the DOH assured.

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A4 Monday, August 16, 2021

DHSUD review of price ceilings for housing projects out soon By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

HE review of the price ceilings for various housing projects in the country may be completed in the last quarter of the year, according to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD). DHSUD Secretary Eduardo D. Del Rosario told the BusinessMirror the review is being undertaken to respond to the clamor from developers and the need to ensure homebuyers can afford these units. Del Rosario said the review will take into consideration the cost of materials index and the current income of homebuyers to ensure the viability of housing developers and affordability of the units for homebuyers. “This will impact on the affordability of socialized housing units vis-à-vis the viability of housing developers to continue production, optimizing financial benefits in terms of tax exemption and homebuyers equity for economic housing, etc.,” Del Rosario told the

BusinessMirror last Sunday.

Price ceilings

BASED on a public social media post on Sunday, DHSUD said the price ceiling set for economic housing projects is P1.7 million. This covers a minimum floor area of 22 square meters. The types of housing such as row houses have a minimum lot area of 28 square meters (sqm) with duplex or single attached at 48 sqm and single-detached homes at 72 sqm. For socialized condominium projects in Metro Manila and other predominantly urban areas, a 22-sqm unit has a ceiling price of P700,000 while a 24-sqm unit will fetch for P750,000. In other areas, these socialized condominium projects have a price ceiling of P600,000 for 22-sqm units and P650,000 for 24-sqm units. For socialized subdivision projects, the price ceiling are: P480,000 for a 24-sqm unit or 22-sqm with loft; P530,000 for a 24-sqm with loft or 28 sqm; and, P580,000 for a 28-sqm with loft or 32 sqm or a 2-storey, 16 sqm/floor unit. “These are the current prices since

2018 for socialized housing; horizontal and vertical. For economic [housing projects], it has been the ceiling I think since 2014,” del Rosario said. “All these are under review in view of the clamor of housing developers. So to determine the most appropriate ceiling, we have to consider the current cost of production and income capacity of homebuyers,” he emphasized.

Construction materials

BASED on the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported construction materials averaged 2.2 percent in June 2021, higher than the 1.2 percent recorded in June 2020. This brought the year to date wholesale price increase of these materials to average 2 percent this year. The highest rate this year was recorded in April at 2.4 percent. The PSA data showed the CMPWI was at or even below 1 percent between August and December 2020. The lowest rate recorded during that period was in September at only 0.5 percent.

Lawmakers ask COA for briefing on DOH handling of Covid fund By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

HE House of Representatives has asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to brief lawmakers on the “deficiencies” it discovered in the management of some P67.32 billion in Covid-19 funds entrusted to the Department of Health (DOH) in 2020. Speaker Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco said he requested the COA briefing for House members to be hosted by the Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Probinsyano Ako Rep. Jose C. Singson Jr. this week. Velasco said they would ask DOH officials to sit at the congressional briefing. “The briefing would also serve as a venue for the DOH to explain and account for the pandemic funds mentioned in the COA report,” he said. “We want to get the facts straight

from COA and we are particularly concerned because the funds involved were among those allocated under the Bayanihan laws that Congress passed last year.” Velasco further said the briefing would allow House members to monitor the use of pandemic funds and develop corresponding legislation. “The overall objective is to ensure that the billions of pesos Congress had dedicated to Covid-19 response—and any additional funds it provides in future legislation—are spent wisely and effectively,” the lawmaker said.

Audit observations

THE speaker said the House leadership would like to hear first the explanation of the DOH on the audit observations made by COA before making any conclusion. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte

himself has ordered the DOH to explain the deficiencies enumerated in the COA report, Velasco noted. In its report, the COA flagged various deficiencies in the DOH’s management of pandemic funds worth P67.32 billion, of which around P66.28 billion was attributed to non-compliance with pertinent laws and regulations. However, the audit body later clarified that the report itself did not mention any findings of funds lost to corruption and that the DOH still has time to comply and rectify any shortcoming. For its part, the DOH said the P67.32 billion flagged by COA is accounted for. The agency also acknowledged the findings concerning the funds and that it is already addressing the compliance issues and deficiencies the COA pointed out in its report.

Rising death toll in Cebu prompts Gordon call for urgency vs Covid By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

HILIPPINE Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Sen. Richard J. Gordon reiterated on Sunday the need for a sense of urgency as the death toll from Covid-19 infection rises in Cebu City. “I call for a sense of urgency. There is a need to adopt an aggressive approach in the timely extraction, isolation and treatment of Covid-positive individuals,” Gordon said citing there are already 398 Covid-related deaths in just a dozen days. This week, the PRC deployed

six medical tents and 300 cadaver bags to its Cebu City Chapter as the city is experiencing a spike in cases. At the same time, in line with the program to support the National Covid-19 Vaccination Deployment, targeting the population below the poverty line, Gordon said the PRC has also deployed two “Bakuna” (vaccine) buses: one in Lapu-Lapu City and one in Mandaue City in Metro Cebu. As of August 13, the PRC “Bakuna” buses in Cebu have vaccinated a total of 1,096 individuals against Covid-19 ever since the PRC deployed these buses

two months ago. With the Covid-19 pandemic as a major threat, the adversities have amplified, but despite all these, the Red Cross has been, and will always be at the frontline to serve, especially the most vulnerable, the Senator said. “Apart from our aggressive vaccination and testing programs, I’ve also instructed the Red Cross to send two food trucks to Cebu,” Gordon said emphasizing that as Cebu was placed under enhanced community quarantine, there are people who are hungry and “the PRC will always be there to help them.”

In terms of Construction Materials Retail Price Index (CMRPI) in NCR, the PSA reported that prices of these commodities increased 1.2 percent in June and in the first semester of the year. This is the same rate recorded in June 2020.

2021 CPI

ME A N W HILE, based on the 2012-based Consumer Price Index (CPI), the PSA said rental for housing accounts for 12.88 percent of inflation. This is lower at 4.15 percent in NCR while the percentage is higher at 8.73 percent in Areas Outside NCR. For the CPI of the bottom 30 percent of the population, actual rentals for housing has a weight of 7.9 percent in the index. Based on the PSA’s 2020 Census of Population Housing, house rent/ rental value is considered the secondlargest family expenditure with a share of 12.2 percent. For the poorest Filipinos, this is the third-largest expenditure at 8.1 percent of their budget while families in the upper 70 percent income group spend more on house rent/rental at 12.9 percent.

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DOE seeks more equitable lifeline-subsidy distribution By Lenie Lectura @llectura

HE Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) are soliciting comments from industry stakeholders on a draft circular that seeks to extend and enhance the implementation of the lifeline rate in order to achieve a more equitable distribution of the lifeline subsidy. A lifeline rate is a subsidized rate for marginalized or low-income endusers who consume power below a threshold level as determined by the ERC. The cost is being passed on to non-lifeline consumers. Under the proposed requirements, the distribution utility (DU) shall file a petition for their proposed new lifeline rate, to be guided by the consumption level that will be imposed by the ERC. For initial implementation of the proposed rules, DUs shall continue to implement the existing approved lifeline rate and level of consumption until a new set is approved by the ERC. “The rate, as well as the consumption level, will be per DU. They need to file an application,” ERC Commissioner Floresinda G. Baldo-Digal said when sought for comment.

For the DU’s part, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said the industry will await and be guided by the implementing rules of the law. “DUs will have to wait the final rules, in case they provide parameters that will guide any proposal to be submitted,” said Meralco Utility Economics Head Lawrence S. Fernandez. The lifeline rate subsidy being paid by non-lifeline consumers in the Meralco franchise is P0.0478 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The DUs should submit an annual report on the implementation of the lifeline subsidy that will include the number of marginalized end-users, among others. To be considered for the grant of the lifeline discount, the applicant must be any qualified householdbeneficiary under Republic Act 11310 otherwise known as the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino” program or 4Ps. The applicant must also be living below the poverty threshold established by the Philippine Statistics Authority. Apart from these, the applicant’s average monthly registered kilowatt hour consumption for the past 12 months is equivalent to or lower than the lifeline consumption level approved by the ERC.

Covid claims lives of 2 cops; total now at 91

PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar, Southern Police District Dir. BGen, Jimili Lopez Macaraeg and Maj. Gen Titoy Cuden of the PNP Administrative Support for Covid-19 Task Force are shown here personally visiting one of the distribution sites in Pamplona Dos, Las Piñas City, to see that proper protocol is being observed. The city will distribute cash aid amounting to P1,000 per individual to P4,000 per family to 500 beneficiaries. NONIE REYES By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

WO more policemen died from Covid-19, raising the death among police personnel to 91 as of Sunday due to the virus, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said. The PNP Health Service reported that that the two were a 49-yearold captain assigned in Northern Mindanao and a 51-year-old executive master sergeant assigned in Calabarzon. Based on medical records, the police captain experienced cough and fever from July 26 to July 28. He was advised to isolate and undergo an RT-PCR test that yielded positive results. On July 30, he was admitted to a nearby hospital and underwent a

chest tube thoracostomy, but expired on August 6 as his oxygen level continued to decrease. On the other hand, the executive master sergeant exhibited Covid-19 symptoms and was admitted on August 9 to a hospital where he died two days later. Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said the policeman from Calabarzon received his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on July 19. As of Sunday, the PNP Health Service has tallied 131 new cases in the police force, bringing the total cases to 32,364 with 1,959 active cases while 85 new recoveries were logged raising the total number of recovered personnel to 30,314. The PNP said 77,735 of its personnel or 35.05 percent have been fully vaccinated while 90,230 or 40.68 percent have already received their

first dose of vaccine. With the figure, only 53,817 or 24.27 percent of the PNP manpower has not been vaccinated. Meanwhile, the PNP reported that at least 19,465 curfew violators have been apprehended in Metro Manila as of Saturday since the enhanced community quarantine was imposed on August 6. In the NCR Plus or including the adjoining provinces, at least 35,546 violators were apprehended during the same period. The PNP said that its personnel has also apprehended 4,098 non-authorized person outside of residence (Apor) violators in Metro Manila and another 10,281 in the NCR Plus. The curfew and non-APOR violators have either been warned, fined or filed with charges.

Govt distributes 677 certificates of land ownership award in Davao del Norte By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

TOTAL of 677 certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) were distributed to agrarian reform beneficiaries during a simple ceremony last August 13 in Panabo City, Davao del Norte. The CLOAs cover a total of 741 hectares of agricultural lands. Despite the pandemic, the

DAR is continuing with its mandate and even visits various sites in the countryside to see that the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) is on the right track. “In the time of the pandemic, the real heroes are our farmers,” DAR Secretary John R. Castriciones was quoted in a statement as saying. “The effect of the pandemic is real.”

DAR Davao Region Regional Director Joseph H. Orilla said the awarding of titles to the farmerbeneficiaries in Davao Region is the ultimate step towards the completion of the implementation of the CARP. “This will secure the ownership of the ARBs to the lands awarded to them, and begin the next phase of the CARP, which is to render support service to these ARBs

through the provision of capability development training and common service facilities, with a vision to optimize the potential to market their produce to the public,” Orilla said. He added that the ARBs themselves will become optimistic on the possibility that greater economic opportunities will be opened to them after they receive these CLOAs.

“Notwithstanding the continuous threat of the pandemic, DAR Davao Region remained resilient and was able to distribute 677 Certificates of Land Ownership Award already registered with the Register of Deeds,” Orilla said. According to Orilla, the distribution in the region include the following: Davao City with 10 CLOAs for nine ARBs comprising of 8.269

hectares (has); Davao del Sur with 272 CLOAs for 265 ARBs comprising of 285.8478 has.; Davao del Norte with 174 CLOAs for 120 ARBs comprising of 194.8351 has.; Davao Oriental with 17 CLOAs for 16 ARBs comprising of 21 has.; Davao Occidental with 11 CLOAs for 11 ARBs comprising of 16.2498 has.; and, Davao del Oro with 193 CLOAs for 259 ARBs comprising 214.7548 has.

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Editor: Angel R. Calso

Monday, August 16, 2021 A5

Powerful quake in Haiti kills 304, hundreds wounded and missing H

Report: Hong Kong police investigating protest group

7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off Haiti’s coast Saturday, toppling homes, causing hundreds of deaths and triggering a series of aftershocks in the crisis-prone Caribbean nation. Haiti’s civil protection agency late Saturday reported at least 304 dead and said “hundreds were wounded and missing.” The quake hit 7.5 miles northeast of the town of Saint-Luis du Sud on the country’s southwestern Tiburon Peninsula. Prime Minister Ariel Henry traveled to the region and declared a state of emergency, as social media filled with images of crumbled homes, crushed cars and overflowing hospitals in the city of Les Cayes. In a series of tweets, Henry called for solidarity and promised to “mobilize all the resources of my administration to help victims.” Among the deceased was Gabriel Fortune, a former senator and mayor, whose body was found in the rubble of his hotel in Les Cayes, Election Minister Matthias Pierre wrote on Twitter. US President Joe Biden authorized an immediate US response, saying “we will be there in the aftermath of this tragedy.” The US Agency for International Development will support efforts to assess the damage and help with re-

People gather outside the Petit Pas Hotel, destroyed by the earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, with the epicenter about 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the US Geological Survey said. AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn

covering injured victims “and those who must now rebuild,” Biden said in a statement. O n Tw it ter, Ha it i For eign Minister Claude Joseph thanked the inter nationa l community for its support and said the scope of the damage still needs to be determined to guarantee “a rational distribution of aid offered by partners and friends of Haiti.” Saturday’s tremor took place on the same fault line that caused the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in Haiti, according to the US Geological Survey.

“High casualties are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” the US Geological Survey said in a statement early Saturday. “Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response.” The quake and a series of aftershocks damaged churches, hotels, hospitals and homes. It also caused a large landslide that blocked the main road from Les Cayes to Jeremie on the southwestern tip of the island. The earthquake comes as Haiti—the poorest nation in the Americas—braces for Tropical Storm Grace, which is

Turkish flood deaths hit 57; dozens still missing

STANBUL—The death toll from severe floods and mudslides along Turkey’s Black Sea coast has climbed to at least 57, the country’s emergency and disaster agency said Saturday, as authorities disputed reports that dozens more people were missing. Tor rentia l rains that pounded the Black Sea provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu and Sinop on Wednesday caused flooding that demolished homes, severed at least five bridges, swept away cars and rendered numerous roads unpassable. Turkish disaster agency AFAD said 48 people were killed in Kastamonu, eight in Sinop and one in Bartin. Eight people remained hospitalized, according to the agency. Spea k ing late Saturday in Kastamonu, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said 15 of the dead had not been identified yet. He slammed opposition parties, social media users and media for claims that hundreds could be missing. He said a total of 77 cases of missing persons remained in Kastamonu and Sinop but emphasized that doesn’t necessarily mean they were dead. He added the previous number of missing persons was 143, including duplicate names and some reached alive. The Kastamonu provincial governor’s office also said reports that there were 250 to 300 unidentified bodies were untrue. It did not specifically address how many people could be missing in the flooding. Some residents in K astamonu shared names and photos of missing people on social media since the floods began. The deputy chairman of Turkey’s main opposition party, Engin Altay, said he was informed there were more than 300 people reported missing, adding the official numbers appeared to be lower. “The state needs to be transparent,” he said from Kastamonu hours before the interior minister spoke. In Sinop, floodwaters almost completely wiped out the village of Babacay, leaving toppled homes, damaged bridges and rubble in their wake. A fivestory apartment building constructed on a riverbed was destroyed, along with numerous homes.

A man looks at destroyed building, in Bozkurt town of Kastamonu province, Turkey on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. The death toll from severe floods and mudslides in coastal Turkey has climbed to at least 57, the country’s emergency and disaster agency said Saturday. Torrential rains that pounded the Black Sea provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu and Sinop on Wednesday caused flooding that demolished homes, severed at least five bridges, swept away cars and rendered numerous roads unpassable. AP Photo

Rescue teams and sniffer dogs kept up their painstaking task of trying to locate the missing. AFAD said 5,820 personnel, 20 rescue dogs, 20 helicopters and two search planes were at the disaster spots. About 2,250 people were evacuated across the region amid the f loods, scores of them lifted from rooftops by helicopters. Many are being temporarily housed in student dormitories. Climate scientists unequivocally say that climate change is leading to more extreme weather events as the world warms because of the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Experts in Turkey, however, said human interference with rivers and improper construction also contributed to the massive flood damage. Geologists say construction narrowed the riverbed and the surrounding alluvial flood

plain of the Ezine stream in Kastamonu’s Bozkurt district, where the damage was most severe, from 400 meters (1,312 feet) wide to 15 meters (49 feet). Residential buildings were also built along the waterfront. During severe rains, the constricted stream can only overflow. Videos posted by residents showed water rushing downstream in Bozkurt as buildings and roads flooded. One geologist, Ramazan Demirtas, explained the riverbed narrowing on Twitter and said humans were to blame for this week’s disaster. Across the Black Sea, days of heavy rain also produced flooding in broad areas of southern Russia. Authorities in the Krasnodar region said Saturday that more than 1,400 houses flooded following storms that swept the area this week. About 108,000 residents of 11 settlements were left without power. AP

expected to sweep over Hispaniola on Monday. The nation is also still recovering from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. “Today’s earthquake is yet another setback for Haiti on top of political instability and worsening violence, Covid-19 and rising food insecurity,” Cara Buck, the acting Haiti director of the aid agency Mercy Corps, said in a statement from Port-au-Prince. “We’re also expecting Tropical Storm Grace next week, which could make any earthquake response even more difficult.” Bloomberg News

ONG KONG—Hong Kong police are reportedly investigating the group that organizes an annual protest march marking the semiautonomous territory’s handover to China for possible violation of the national security law. Police are gathering evidence and could take action against the Civil Human Rights Front, which holds the July 1 march each year and also organized some of the bigger political protests that roiled the city in 2019, Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee told Ta Kung Pao newspaper in an interview published on Friday. Siu told the newspaper that the group never formally registered with the government nor the police since it was established in 2002. “Anyone who violates the law, they better not think they can escape,” Siu was quoted as saying. A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The group would be the latest target of a sweeping crackdown on dissent that has followed Beijing’s imposition of the national security law on the territory last year. The legislation outlaws secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign collusion and has been used to arrest more than 100 pro-democracy figures since it was first implemented a year ago as well as the closure of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. The crackdown has virtually silenced opposition voices in the city — and drawn sanctions from the US against Hong Kong and Chinese government officials. The South China Morning Post newspaper reported Friday that the Civil Human Rights Front had decided to disband, but did not publicly announce the decision. The group did not respond to requests for comment through their social media sites, while a public e-mail for the group

returned an error message. The group organized massive protests in June 2019 against a proposed extradition law that would have allowed suspects in Hong Kong to stand trial in mainland China, where the judicial system is opaque and often criticized as abusive. The proposed law was seen as further infringement from Beijing on the freedoms the former British colony was promised it could maintain following the 1997 handover. Although the proposed bill was eventually withdrawn, the massive protests later burgeoned into broader calls for greater democratic freedoms, leading to months of demonstrations that at times turned violent between police and protesters. Since the national security law was enacted, many unions, associations and political organizations have disbanded amid concerns that the law could be used to target them. The city’s largest teachers’ union— widely seen as pro-democracy—disbanded earlier this week, citing drastic changes in the political landscape. Siu said in the interview that the Civil Human Rights Front had held multiple rallies in the past year that possibly violated the security law, even as authorities previously said that the national security law was not retroactive. The organization was previously part of a police probe in April over the legality of their operations. Some of the most prominent members of the Civil Human Rights Front, including former leaders Figo Chan and Jimmy Sham, are currently in jail on charges related to their activism. Chan was convicted of organizing an unauthorized assembly, while Sham has been remanded in custody since March over his involvement in an unofficial primary election last year that the authorities say was part of a plot to paralyze the government. AP

Monday, August 16, 2021

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Taliban enters Kabul, awaits ‘peaceful transfer’ of power K

ABUL, Afghani s t a n —Ta l i b a n fighters entered the outskirts of the Afghan capital on Sunday and said they were awaiting a “peaceful transfer” of the city after promising not to take it by force, but panicked residents raced to the leave, with workers fleeing government offices and helicopters landing at the US Embassy. In a nationwide offensive that has taken just over a week, the Taliban has defeated, co-opted or sent Afghan security forces fleeing from wide swaths of the country, even though they had some air support from the US military. On Sunday, they reached Kabul. Three Afghan officials told The Associated Press that the Taliban were in the districts of Kalakan, Qarabagh and Paghman in the capital. Later, Afghan forces at Bagram air base, home to a prison housing 5,000 inmates, surrendered to the Taliban, according to Bagram district chief Darwaish Raufi. The prison housed both Taliban and Islamic State group fighters. The lightning speed of the push has shocked many and raised questions about why Afghan forces crumbled despite years of US training and billions of dollars spent. Just days ago, an American military assessment estimated it would be a month before the capital would come

under insurgent pressure. Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Qatar's Al-Jazeera English satellite news channel that the insurgents are "awaiting a peaceful transfer of Kabul city." He declined to offer specifics on any possible negotiations between his forces and the government. But when pressed on what kind of agreement the Taliban wanted, Shaheen acknowledged that they were seeking an unconditional surrender by the central government. Taliban negotiators headed to the presidential palace Sunday to discuss the transfer, said an Afghan official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. It remained unclear when that transfer would take place. The negotiators on the government side included former President Hamid K arzai and Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, an official said. Abdullah long has been a vocal critic of President Ashraf Ghani, who long refused giving up power to get a deal with the Taliban. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the closed-doors negotiations, described them as "tense." Acting Defense Minister Bismillah Khan sought to reassure the public in a video message. "I assure you about the security of Kabul," he said.

Earlier, the insurgents also tried to calm residents of the capital. "No one's life, property and dignity will be harmed and the lives of the citizens of Kabul will not be at risk," the insurgents said in a statement. However, a voice message circulating social media purportedly from a Taliban commander also warned "no one is allowed to enter into Kabul province." Despite the pledges, panic set in as many rushed to leave the country through the Kabul airport, the last route out of the country as the Taliban now hold every border crossing. Rapid shuttle flights of Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters near the embassy began a few hours later after the militants seized the nearby city of Jalalabad. Diplomatic armored SUVs could be seen leaving the area around the post. The US State Department did not immediately respond to questions about the movements. However, wisps of smoke could be seen near the embassy's roof as diplomats urgently destroyed sensitive documents, according to two American military officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation. The smoke grew heavier over time in the area, home to other nation's embassies as well. Si korsk y UH- 60 Bl ac k Hawk helicopters, which typically carry armed troops, later landed near the embassy as well. At least one attack helicopter could be seen overhead as helicopters launched f lares to distract possible missile fire. The US decided a few days ago to send in thousands of troops to help evacuate some personnel from its embassy. Thousands of civilians now live in parks and open spaces in Kabul itself, fearing a Taliban government that could reimpose a brutal rule that all but eliminated women's rights.

Some ATMs stopped distributing cash as hundreds gathered in front of private banks, trying to withdraw their life savings. At Kabul International Airport, Afghan forces abandoned the field to Western militaries, said a pilot who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters. An Afghan flight earlier landed at the airport from Kandahar loaded with troops who surrendered to the Taliban, even after taking shrapnel damage from a mortar attack, the pilot said. Ghani, who spoke to the nation Saturday for the first time since the offensive began, appears increasingly isolated as well. Warlords he negotiated with just days earlier have surrendered to the Taliban or fled, leaving Ghani without a military option. Ongoing negotiations in Qatar, the site of a Taliban office, also have failed to stop the insurgents' advance. Jalalabad, Afghanistan's last major city besides the capital not held by the militants, fell to the Taliban earlier Sunday. Militants posted photos online showing them in the governor's office in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. Abrarullah Murad, a lawmaker from the province told The Associated Press that the insurgents seized Jalalabad after elders negotiated the fall of the government there. Murad said there was no fighting as the city surrendered. The militants took also Maidan Shar, the capital of Maidan Wardak, on Sunday, only some 90 kilometers (55 miles) from Kabul, Afghan lawmaker Hamida Akbari and the Taliban said. Another provincial capital in Khost also fell to the Taliban, said a provincial council member who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. The fall Saturday of Mazar-eSharif, the country's fourth largest city, which Afghan forces and

two powerful former warlords had pledged to defend, handed the insurgents control over all of northern Afghanistan. Atta Mohammad Noor and Abdul Rashid Dostum, two of the warlords Ghani tried to rally to his side days earlier, fled over the border into Uzbekistan on Saturday, said officials close to Dostum. They spoke on condition of anonymity, as they weren't authorized to publicly speak about his movements. Writing on Twitter, Noor alleged a "conspiracy" aided the fall of the north to the Taliban, without elaborating. "Despite our firm resistance, sadly, all the government and the Afghan security forces equipment were handed over to the Taliban as a result of a big organized and cowardly plot," Noor wrote. "They had orchestrated the plot to trap Marshal Dostum and myself too, but they didn't succeed." The Taliban also insisted their fighters wouldn't enter people's homes or interfere with businesses. They also said they'd offer an "amnesty" to those who worked with the Afghan government or foreign forces. "The Islamic Emirate once again assures all its citizens that it will, as always, protect their life, property and honor and create a peaceful and secure environment for its beloved nation," the militants said. "In this regard, no one should worry about their life." Despite the pledge, those who can afford a ticket have been flocking to Kabul International Airport, the only way out of the country after the Taliban took the last border crossing still held by the government Sunday at Torkham. Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told local broadcaster Geo TV that Pakistan halted cross-border traffic there after the militants seized it. AP

Russia’s Putin urges stronger response to Siberian wildfires

OSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday urged authorities to strengthen their efforts to fight wildfires across northeastern Siberia, calling the situation “unprecedented” as fires threatened people’s homes. Speaking in a video call with top officials, Putin noted that 13 forest fires in the Sakha-Yakutia region are raging within five kilometers (3 miles) of populated areas and emphasized the need to closely monitor the situation to protect residents. Yakutia is the largest of Russia’s 85 regions, a vast territory bigger than Argentina. It has faced a spell of particularly devastating wildfires this year following months of hot, dry weather and record-breaking temperatures. Flames previously threatened

a dozen of villages, and several were evacuated. The provincial capital of Yakutsk, several other cities and hundreds of villages have been blanketed in choking smoke from the blazes. Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev reported to Putin on Saturday that his ministry has deployd 5,000 personnel, 765 vehicles and 19 aircraft to combat the wildfires in Yakutia. He said the thick smoke from wildfires has grounded firefighting planes, adding that efforts were being taken to relocate them to another base where they could operate again starting Monday. For now, firefighters have to rely exclusively on helicopters to fight the flames, Zinichev said. On Saturday, officials reported 108 active forest fires burning across

nearly 1.3 million hectares (3.2 million acres) in Yakutia. Authorities have expanded a state of emergency in Yakutia to help transfer in firefighting resources from other regions. In recent years, Russia has recorded h igh temperat u res t h at many scientists regard as a result of climate change. The hot weather coupled with the neglect of fire safety rules has caused a growing number of wildfires that authorities say have consumed 15 million acres this year in Russia. Experts in Russia decry a 2007 decision to disband a federal aviation network tasked to spot and combat fires and turn over its assets to regional authorities. The muchcriticized transfer led to the force’s rapid decline. AP

Fuel tanker explodes in Lebanon, killing 20 and wounding dozens

EIRUT—A fuel tanker truck exploded early Sunday in northern Lebanon, killing 20 people and wounding dozens more, the Lebanese Red Cross said. It was not immediately clear what caused the blast. The Lebanese Red Cross said its teams recovered 20 bodies from the site of the explosion in the village of Tleil and evacuated 79 people who were injured or suffered burns in the blast. Hours after the blast, Lebanese Red Cross members were still searching the area in cease there were more victims as Lebanese soldiers cordoned the area. Lebanon’s Health Minister Hamad Hassan called on all hospitals in northern Lebanon and the capital, Beirut, to receive those injured by the explosion, adding that the government will pay for their treatment. Hospitals in northern Lebanon were calling on people to donate blood of all types and local TV stations

showed a telephone number for those interested in donating blood to call. The explosion comes as Lebanon faces a severe fuel shortage that has been blamed on smuggling, hoarding and the cash-strapped government’s inability to secure deliveries of imported fuel. Tleil is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Syrian border, but it was not immediately clear if the fuel in the tanker was being prepared to be smuggled to Syria where prices are much higher compared to those in Lebanon. The fuel crisis deteriorated dramatically this week after the central bank decided to end subsidies for fuel products — a decision that will likely lead to price hikes of almost all commodities in Lebanon, already in the throes of soaring poverty and hyperinflation. On Saturday, Lebanese troops deployed to petrol stations, forcing owners to sell fuel to customers.

Some gas station owners have been refusing to sell, waiting to make gains when prices increase with the end of subsidies. The Lebanese army also has been cracking down on smugglers active along the Syrian border, confiscating thousands of liters of gasoline over the past days. Lebanon’s consumption of diesel increased shar ply over the past few months amid severe power cuts for much of the day that increased people’s reliance on private generators. Lebanon has for decades suffered electricity cuts, partly because of widespread corruption and mismanagement in the small Mediterranean nation of 6 million, including 1 million Syrian refugees. Sunday’s explosion was the deadliest in the country since an Aug. 4, 2020 blast at Beirut’s port killed at least 214, wounded thousands and destroyed parts of the capital. AP

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Japan, South Korea tensions flare on war-end anniversary

outh Korean President Moon Jae-in left the door open for talks with Japan in a speech marking his neighbor’s World War II surrender as several Japanese cabinet members visited a war-linked shrine seen by many in Asia as a symbol of its past militarism. In his last Liberation Day speech as president to mark the end of Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule over the peninsula, Moon said his government was ready to work with Japan on threats to the world such as the coronavirus pandemic and climate change. “We always keep the door open for conversation,” he said in a nationally televised address Sunday. In Tokyo on the Sunday anniversar y of Japan’s Aug. 15, 1945 surrender, at least three members of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s cabinet—Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda and Shinji Inoue, the world ex po minister—v isited Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 wartime leaders convicted as Class A war criminals alongside other war dead. Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi went Friday, for what the ministers said were personal visits to honor the war-dead. The visits by sitting members of Japan’s cabinet are typically seen as crossing a diplomatic red line among victims of Japan’s wartime ag gression in South Korea and China. Moon’s single, five-year term that ends in May has coincided with a plunge in relations between Tokyo and Seoul. “The government expresses its deep disappointment and regret that the leaders of the Japanese government once again made offerings to Yasukuni Shrine, where war criminals were enshrined and Japan’s past wars of aggression are glorified,” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The rift between the countries that host the bulk of US troops in Asia shows the difficulties President Joe Biden faces in mending frayed ties between the neighbors, who are key to ensuring supply chains and providing security against the strategic threats posed by China and North Korea. Moon’s government has accused Japan of failing to show proper contrition over historical issues. It has also supported decisions by South Korean courts in recent years that ordered compensation for Korean workers conscripted to work in Japan’s wartime factories and mines. But Japan has said all claims were “settled completely and finally,” as a part of a 1965 treaty that established diplomatic ties between the two countries and has called some of the legal proceedings a violation of international law. While Moon has repeatedly left the door open for talks, Tokyo has shown no signs of wanting a meeting. There hasn’t been a formal summit between the leaders of the neighbors since December 2019 and Suga has said there can’t be progress while South Korean courts pursue Japan over wartime labor issues. Suga has shown no intention of visiting Yasukuni on the anniversary of Japan’s surrender, but Kyodo News said he did send an offering to the shrine. Suga’s predecessor as premier, Shinzo Abe, visited Yasukuni on Sunday, the Nikkei newspaper reported. Abe in 2013 was the last sitting prime minister to visit the shrine. Bloomberg News

Agriculture/Commodities BusinessMirror

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O increase agricultural production and attain food security, a lawmaker on Sunday urged the Duterte administration to invest heavily in “mega farms” across the country by increasing the 2022 budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte asked Malacañang and Congress to raise the outlay of the DAR in the proposed P5.024-trillion national budget for 2022. This, he said, will allow the agency to carry out its plan to develop or consolidate farms into 50-hectare plantations devoted to the specialized commercial production of specific crops. “Consolidating small farm lots into mega farms for commercial farming is the only way to dramatically boost agricultural output and farmers’ incomes, even at this time of the pandemic, as such consolidation will lead to economies of scale,” Villafuerte said in a statement. “The development of ‘mega farms’ for either priority or highvalue crops will help the country attain food security, if not sufficiency, and turn the often anemic agricultural production into a growth driver that will let us achieve soon enough a strong and sustainable recovery from the pandemic-induced global recession.” The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has committed to submit to Congress on August 23 the government’s 2022 National Expenditure Program (NEP), which will be the last spending program of the Duterte administration. Villafuerte said agriculture’s negative growth of minus 2.5 percent in the January-to-June period should serve as “a wake-up call” for legislators to help the Duterte administration reverse the farm sector’s anemic growth by allocating a bigger budget for the DAR in the NEP for 2022. Citing Philippine Statistics Au-

thority (PSA) data, Villafuerte said the value of agricultural output in January to June suffered its biggest drop in five years, or since this sector contracted 3.6 percent in the first half of 2016. Before the PSA’s announcement of negative growth for the year’s first semester, he said the Department of Agriculture had already lowered its full-year growth target from the previous 2.5 percent to just 2 percent, in apparent anticipation of a weaker performance resulting from the impact of the Covid-19 and African swine fever outbreaks, among others. Last year, Villafuerte said he pushed a higher allocation for the DAR during the House committee deliberations on the then-DAR budget for 2021. In particular, the lawmaker said he sought for an increase of P3 billion to P5 billion in the DAR’s 2021 outlay so it could finally carry out its Mega Farms and Food Security Program. “The DAR submitted the mega farms proposal to the House. I have expressed support for this concept as it involves consolidating farms now owned by beneficiaries into 50-hectare plantations in order to develop these for commercial farming. This presents us with the only way to liberate the farmer-beneficiaries of CARP [Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program] from subsistence farming,” Villafuerte said. He had suggested a higher 2021 budget for DAR upon learning during a committee hearing that the DBM approved an allocation of only P8.8 billion for DAR last year, which was 7 percent lower than the department’s budget of P9.5 billion for 2020. The lawmaker said DAR Undersecretary Bernie Cruz also told Congress that the department will not have enough funds to implement its Mega Farms and Food Security Program. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

NSA Esperon: Gabriela must be delisted for foreign fund continued from a10

Esperon disclosed that Gabriela is receiving Belgian financial support, through Belgian-accredited NGOs that were subjected to external financial audit by the international accounting firm MAZARS. The latter was contracted by the Belgian government to audit or to review the Programs 2014-2016 and 2017-2021. Citing report of the MAZARS, Esperon said Gabriela, together with the IBON Foundation and Karapatan, are the local partners of Viva Salud VZW, a Belgian accredited NGO. He added that based on the AMLC report, Viva Salud sent remittance to Gabriela amounting to P1.811

million on March 28, 2019 and six remittances from Intl. FCSTONE Ltd. Of London, United Kingdom, amounting to P1.058 million to P2.19 million from September 2015 to March 2019. In a separate statement, GWP Deputy Secretar y General K J Catequista said “the NTF-ELCAC vice chair’s unsubstantiated allegation that GWP and GABRIELA, Inc. are one and the same is not proof that foreign funds were transferred to GWP.” Catequista pointed out that NTFELCAC’s attempt to disqualify GWP is a bid to stifle criticism of Duterte administration. Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

Senate sets Aug. 18 probe of DOH use of ₧67-B Covid fund continued from a10

She maintained that, “If it is not sheer inefficiency repeated year on year, it means something else, right?” Marcos added, partly in Filipino: “I mean, if we’re always faced with problems of expired drugs, that means, they over-ordered even for what was not needed? From the download [of supplies] to the hospitals, LGUs, does that mean they’re in cahoots with suppliers who deliver items that are near expiry, so someone earns more—and not necessarily what people really need? One can’t help but suspect something here, because it keeps happening.” Marcos also took issue with the delay in action of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in rolling out a uniform vaccination card that can

be accepted globally, recalling that DICT had promised this for August 2021. “That is now, right? They made a promise and we believed them.” She said she will ask Gordon, as Blue Ribbon chairman, to also summon DICT to the hearing “because I have questions about this data base; they must be asked about this. That is a big matter, especially for OFWs who badly need to return to their host countries, but need a vaccine passport.” Meanwhile, she said, the ayuda or financial subsidy is “not sustainable, and we should provide jobs.” Marcos pitched a “cash for work” setup where government pays people to do certain tasks, like cleaning streets or canals. “The ayuda is just one time, you never know when you’ll have one again.”

‘House aims to hasten economic recovery by raising agri budget’ By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

HE chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means said the lower chamber will push for a higher agriculture budget in the proposed 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA) to fight inflation and hasten the country’s economic recovery. Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, the panel chairman, said lawmakers are eyeing to raise the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) allocation by at least 10 percent. “The economic fleet only goes as fast as the slowest ship. If we move agriculture, we move everything,” he said. “I think we can go [for] at least 10 percent additional funding although we probably need more and I’ll try to deliver more. We have competing budget priorities, but food is the most essential priority.” Earlier, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said he is optimistic that his agency would receive a substantial increase in its budget for 2022, which will allow the DA to hit its production targets. Based on the National Expenditure Program, Dar said the DA’s budget for 2022—excluding the allocation for government-owned and -controlled corporations under the agency—is estimated at P72 billion, or just P1 billion higher than its 2021 budget. Moreover, Salceda said “the agriculture budget is still much smaller than it should be. It’s a sector with [an] 8 percent output and 22 percent of the employed force, but just less than 2 percent of direct public expenditures.” According to Salceda, he had discussions with Dar on the potential of the agriculture sector to resolve price worries and drive economic recovery as well as their local initiatives. “We had a discussion [last Friday]

on the prospects of the agriculture sector. I explained to Secretary Dar three observations. First, prices will go up as the lag-effects of low interest begin to show. The only way to mitigate that is an increase in the stability and volume of food supply,” he said. “Second, as I explained in a long lecture as laureate of The Outstanding Filipino or TOFIL award, I am seeing signs of a financial bubble in Southeast Asia. You need something of a ‘sponge’ that will suck up excess financial capital. The most undercapitalized industrial sector in the Philippines is the agriculture sector.” Third, he said, agriculture in the Philippines still has so many “selfimposed restrictions” on land size, efficiency, use, and ownership. “If we can ease some of those restrictions while investing in its development, we can really boost output, far beyond the 2 percent per year sector growth targeted by the Department of Agriculture,” Salceda said. “We already secured an 18 percent increase in the research and development budget of the national government. I am confident that the House leadership is convinced of the importance of the agriculture sector.”

Urgent

FOLLOWING the recent resignation of Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, lawmakers want the Palace to declare the P5.024-trillion 2022 National Expenditure Program (NEP) as urgent for its fast and smooth passage in Congress. Salceda, House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Eric Yap and Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, said they are now awaiting the submission of the NEP for 2022. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it is planning to submit the proposed national budget on August 23, days ahead of their August 25 deadline.

Under the Constitution, the Executive branch has 30 days from the opening of the regular session of Congress to make the submission to lawmakers. Yap said his committee will start its hearings on the national budget three days after its submission to Congress. According to Yap, they are targeting to pass the national budget on third and final reading by September 29 or 30. Among the Covid-19 response efforts that will be sustained through the 2022 budget are the procurement of Covid-19 testing kits, continuous hiring of human resources for health, the establishment of the Virology Institute of the Philippines, and the continuous implementation of health programs in accordance with the Universal Health Care Act. In addition, funds for the procurement of the Covid-19 booster shots will also be allocated under the unprogrammed appropriations. “We do not have any ounce of worry as we believe that there are many capable public servants who shall perfectly fill the shoes of a DBM Secretary and take up on the task of fulfilling the agency’s mission to lead public expenditure management,” Yap said. “But regardless of who will be appointed to lead the DBM, I am very confident that the 2022 budget deliberations will be smooth as far as coordinating with the DBM is concerned and it will be passed on time with the able support of our colleagues in Congress.” Velasco assured the public that the resignation of Avisado will not affect the upcoming budget deliberations in Congress. “The House of Representatives eagerly awaits the submission of the NEP so we can start the deliberations on the 2022 national budget and pass it on time, much like we did last year,”

he said. Also, Salceda said the resignation of Avisado will “pose no risk to the early passage of the 2022 national budget, as Congress continues to work well with the budget department and its Officer in Charge.” “To address the most important issue with this resignation, we assure you that this will not hamper the early passage of the 2022 budget. The Speaker and the entire House leadership is committed to fast-tracking the General Appropriations Act in view of the pressing economic circumstances,” Salceda said in a statement.

Bayanihan 3

MEANWHILE, Salceda said that discussions on the national budget and a possible Bayanihan 3 are “going strong and well as if no leadership change has taken place.” “From our perspective, the Budget Department is functioning with very little if any disruption. The DBM bureaucracy is very strong. Just this week, we have had talks with the economic managers, including DBM Officer-inCharge Tina Rose Canda, to discuss what we could do to fund a possible Bayanihan 3. We discussed this in view of the need for possible ‘ayuda,’ other health interventions such as genome sequencing and additional testing, and more recently, the need to augment healthcare personnel.” He said the lower chamber and the DBM will meet again this week to further study funding provisions of the Bayanihan bill. “The first meeting was open and very productive. Offhand, it seems that we will need to realign from the 2021 budget. That’s fine; it appears that we still need the power to realign anyway, with all the ECQs being declared and requiring ‘ayuda.’ The government can’t just keep on declaring savings, and the dividends will also run out at some point,” Salceda said.

PHL wants to start shipping chicken to South Korea

BUSINESSMIRROR FILE PHOTO

‘Mega farms’ will hike agricultural output, income of planters–solon

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng • Monday, August 16, 2021 A7

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

HE Philippines may soon resume chicken ex ports to South Korea after Seoul lifted the temporary import ban on local poultry products due to the avian influenza outbreaks last year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said. In a memorandum, Maria Alilia

G. Maghirang, agriculture attaché in South Korea, has informed Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar that the South Korean government has given its final approval to lift the temporary import ban on chicken meat and pet birds from the Philippines. “We are pleased to inform the good Secretary that the Philippines can already export live birds (other than poultry) to South Korea. Post

expects Philippine chicken meat export may commence upon approval of the poultry establishments,” Maghirang said in her memorandum, a copy of which was released to the media. South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) issued in mid-July an administrative notice authorizing the removal of the temporary import ban on Philippine poultry and pet birds, which took effect last August 6. To facilitate the resumption of exports of poultry products, the Philippine Agriculture Office (PAO) in Seoul coordinated with the Bureau of Animal Industry and National Meat Inspection Service to comply with the requirements of South Korea’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA). The requirements include the revision of the Philippine veterinary health certificates (VHC) for chicken meat and pet birds as well as the submission of application for the renewal of accreditation of poultry export facilities in the country.

For the VHC revision, Maghirang said APQA and South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved the changes made by the Philippines last August 11. She added that the NMIS is now in the process of renewing the accreditation of Philippine poultry facilities to export to South Korea. The government is targeting to complete the renewal process within the month. Ana’s Breeders Farms Inc., Carino and Sons Agri-Dev. Inc, LDP Farms Food Corp., Johanna’s Chicken Processing Center Inc., Bounty Fresh Food Inc., and Integrated Meat and Poultry Processing Inc. are seeking renewal of their export accreditation to South Korea. Once these poultry facilities secure the approval of Seoul, they may resume chicken exports to South Korea, Maghirang said. In March 2020, South Korea imposed a temporary import ban on Philippine chicken meat and pet birds following the confirmation of bird f lu outbreaks in the country.

Lockdown not remedy for Covid surge, say employers; mayors deny ‘extension’ OK. . . continued from a10 “Any recommendation that will be made by the MMC shall be based on data, local government units capabilities, and experts’ [health and economic] studies,” Abalos stressed in a statement on Saturday. For his part, ECOP’s Ortiz-Luis said in mixed English and Filipino, “Let’s compromise, we have to think that the economy is more important and we have to live with Covid-19.” Ortiz-Luisexpressedthisviewamid a possibility of extending the two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila after August

20 depending on Covid-19 statistics Citing estimates, Ortiz-Luis said lockdowns cost the economy P150 billion a week, or P300 billion for the two-week ECQ. The estimated lockdown losses are on top of business closures that lead to unemployment, he added. “It would have been much productive and useful to channel even a fifth of these losses to strengthening our healthcare system to address the cases and for prevention measures,” he said. Ortiz-Luis likewise noted that

the number of deaths related to the coronavirus is small compared to those who die due to other diseases, and even suicide and hunger. He said there is thus a need to intensify monitoring of severe cases as a large majority of Covid-19 infections are asymptomatic. “Let us not be fixated on the numbers. Instead, let us intensify and fasttrack our vaccination. Let us not forget practicing health protocols and comply with quarantine classifications,” he added. “Continue adding hospital rooms, facilities, Covid-19 centers…”

He also reiterated the urgent need and importance of waiving the Data Privacy Act to facilitate contact tracing. “Government has already suspended many of our civil rights in the interest of safety and health, the latest of which is the prohibition for those in the ECQ areas from going out of their homes for physical exercises,” he explained. “Many known personalities have already made voluntary disclosures on their Covid-19 cases. After all, this is not an embarrassing illness.” Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Monday, August 16, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Final score: China-1, USA-0?

he term “The Great Game” dates back to the mid-19th century to describe diplomatic confrontations between the British and Russian Empires over Afghanistan and the neighboring areas and territories of Central Asia. London was afraid that the Russians would invade India from the north to fulfill the dream of every leader since Ivan the Terrible: a warm water port. Napoleon suggested the invasion idea to Russia even before Britain started using the word “colony” to describe India. Further, Russia had already taken over “Central Asia,” which they held on to later form the Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. China was also closely interested in the region formally known as the Chagatai Khanate, ruled initially by the second son of Genghis Khan and the backbone of the Silk Road trading route between Europe and China. The Russians feared that the British would establish a friendly—to England—Muslim government that would encourage the rest of Central Asia to resist Russian influence. Moscow was not happy with the continuing problem of the Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tatars, Turkmen, Kyrgyz and Uyghurs raiding Russian trading caravans and taking Russians as slaves. Russian influence in the independent Afghanistan began in 1919 with Vladimir Lenin. In December 1979, Soviet ground forces entered Afghanistan. The USSR started withdrawing in 1988 after fighting a loose and relentlessly divided resistance, the Islamic mujahideen. In the ensuing Afghan civil war, the Taliban, heavily supported by Pakistan, emerged victorious in 1996. The US and UK funneled money and arms to the mujahideen through the Pakistan government. Little discussed is the fact that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army provided training, arms, and financial support. Antiaircraft missiles, rocket launchers and machine guns, valued at hundreds of millions, were given to the mujahideen by the Chinese. Thousands of mujahideen were trained inside the “Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.” The Taliban is about to take complete control of Afghanistan once again, as the US and its allies give up on “nation-building.” China is believed to have had direct but unofficial relations with the Taliban for some time. The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence has since 1994 heavily supported the Taliban and currently has representatives on the Quetta Shura, the Taliban’s leadership council. The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor collection of infrastructure projects throughout Pakistan since 2013 is valued at $62 billion as of 2020. In 2015, China released its first overseas investment project under the Belt and Road Initiative for a hydropower station in Punjab province, Pakistan. “If the Taliban claim to want international legitimacy, these actions are not going to get them the legitimacy they seek,” the White House said Friday. Also on Friday, “China is prepared to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan if it succeeds in toppling the Westernbacked government in Kabul.” “The Taliban’s Afghan Advance Spells Trouble for Pakistan and China: Instability threatens the government in Islamabad and Beijing’s economic program in Central Asia.” But China has a way of making “stability” attractive for nations in which it has substantial investments, Taliban or not. China needs a cooperative Afghanistan for its Belt and Road Initiative. But there are other reasons. Afghanistan has huge untapped mineral resources. For example, the lithium deposits are so large that an internal Pentagon memo suggests that Afghanistan could become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” used to build all those Tesla “Made in China” batteries. China was burned once when depending on the US to protect its Afghanistan mineral extraction investments. They won’t make that mistake again.

The value of intellectual property Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

RISING SUN

he Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is the government agency that is in charge of securing the intellectual property rights of Filipino creators. This includes our trademarks, service marks, design, patent, or copyright. Part of IPOPHL’s work is to improve our awareness about the importance of intellectual property (IP), something that many Filipinos are not aware of despite the fact that it is a huge part of our everyday lives. As part of IPOPHL’s effort to drum up awareness and to unify its stakeholders, the agency is holding the 1st Philippine International Copyright Summit from November 22 to 26, 2021. This event will be a “unifying platform to gather all authors, artists, and various copyright-based industries as well as representatives from the government, private sector, non-profit organizations, and other stakeholders who share the same passion for literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works.” According to Atty. Emerson G.

Cuyo, the Director of the Bureau of Copyright and other Related Rights of the IPOPHL, they work with other agencies and the creative sector to support the programs that promote the development of copyright-based industries and the creative sector itself. It is important for the Bureau to ensure that copyright services and assistance are available to all stakeholders. Artists, musicians, inventors, content creators, as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises, together with the whole creative industries

Townships and transport

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recent trend in the global real estate industry is the building of so-called townships, where mixed-use development becomes the focus as well as its attraction to potential investors and occupants. In such a concept, public or private developers offer a self-sustained community or a “15-minute city” where one can live, work and shop for their needs and wants. In some cases, such mixed-use projects incorporate schools, hospitals and even churches. In these pandemic times, where isolations and lockdowns force us to be reliant on our immediate environment, such a concept makes perfect sense. In our country, townships are more of the purview of private land developers, which is good, otherwise such reliable community build up will be caught up in the usual government bureaucracy. Still the government can participate crucially in this private initiative in many ways. Aside from coming out with policies encouraging such townships or amending ones that curb them on the other hand, one glaring gap that needs to be filled in would be to provide the transport catch-basin that would make these mixed-use communities more sustainable. Transport, no doubt, plays an important part in the success of these townships. You may have the best facilities available in your land

development, but if transport, especially public transport that will bring you to and fro to the main corridors that connects to the rest of the bigger city proper is inadequate or at worse non-existent, then such facilities will not be sustainable in the long run. The problem, however, is that fixing such transport regulatory ecosystem is outside the purview of these developers, even if they want to, as public transport franchises are regulated by the government, in this case the LTFRB. Even a mere shuttle service of a subdivision has to be covered under rules that govern public transport. Understandably so as this can definitely be abused to hide commercial operations that do not have franchises.

As part of IPOPHL’s effort to drum up awareness and to unify its stakeholders, the agency is holding the 1st Philippine International Copyright Summit from November 22 to 26, 2021. This event will be a “unifying platform to gather all authors, artists, and various copyrightbased industries as well as representatives from the government, private sector, non-profit organizations, and other stakeholders who share the same passion for literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works.” sector must indeed begin to appreciate the relevance of securing their IP rights. More Filipino creators must realize the importance of copyright registration because protecting IP rights does not just benefit the rights holder; it is also good for the economy. Protecting one’s works is also tantamount to securing one’s livelihood and creating a legacy for the creator’s family and descendants. During the pandemic, BCRR man-

Developers aiming to provide legitimate transport needed to support such townships must be given more latitude by the government, especially if such a transport investment will be shouldered by the private sector. Faster route rationalization studies, active recruitment of public transport operators, and speedier granting of the necessary franchises would be a big help to these developers. But developers aiming to provide legitimate transport needed to support such townships must be given more latitude by the government, especially if such a transport investment will be shouldered by the private sector. Faster route rationalization studies, active recruitment of public transport operators, and speedier granting of the necessary franchises would be a big help to these developers. We may even have the government require private land developers to manage and/or operate their own public transport facilities and connections to their prospective residents and other occupants, which I am sure they will embrace willingly. Even the current townships and existing private business districts can be the venues for such initiatives. How about feeder routes to private communities such as Nuvali or bus routes connecting the vari-

aged to make copyright registration more convenient by implementing an electronic copyright registration system via their web site www.ipophl.gov.ph. One can also pay the fees online. Their social media presence has been enhanced to invite the artistic community to reach out to them. Updates and announcements related to the Copyright Summit can be found via their social-media page: IPOPHL-Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights. The event in November is certainly something to look forward to. Aside from it being the first of its kind, IPOPHL is making sure that it will be a grand showcase of the “breakthrough projects, activities, and partnerships that benefit the copyright-based industries.” There will be presentations, plenary sessions, professional talks, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, seminars/training, and entertainment. A definite highlight would be the PHL-Korea Copyright Forum, a showcase of Korean culture and art, and an opportunity for participants to appreciate the Korean Copyright system. We are surely marking our calendars for this event.

ous malls of, let’s say, the SM Group, Megaworld, Robinsons Land or Ayala Land that are all located in central districts that then connect to their townships. And if they have transport initiatives or solutions to make the lives of their residents and occupants more convenient, let’s hear them out and give them a chance, especially if it makes perfect sense and with government still not moving in that direction. The government can even go one step further. Call on these big developers and reveal to them the planned expansion of public road infrastructure. Then let them be the ones, or at least take the first crack, to develop the surrounding community development but under a program that would make sense and be beneficial to the future community and its future residents. This concept of private land developers working hand in hand with the government, by the way, is nothing new. This is how it is done in other countries. We do, too, here but efforts stop short as far as the needed transport support is concerned. It is apparent that townships are now the growing trend in real estate. Let the private sector have wider latitude in the transport concerns in their projects. The government doesn’t even have to spend on this, but the benefits will be greatly felt, resulting in a better quality of life for its constituents.

The author maybe reached thru: thomas_orbos@sloan.mit.edu

Opinion BusinessMirror

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Musings on the amendments of the Accountancy Law Joel L. Tan-Torres

DEBIT CREDIT Eleventh of a series

Y thinking and advocacies for the reform of the accountancy education and the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) professional licensure examination framework have been instilled over several years of relevant experience and engagements with key stakeholders of the profession.

My previous experience includes that of an accountancy teacher and CPA exam reviewer, employer of accounting professionals ranging from fresh CPA exam passers and experienced hires, Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy (BOA) chairman who leads the regulation of the accountancy profession and the Board of Examiners administering the CPA licensure examination, and user of the services of accountants in my various business and professional engagements. I also have been engaging with the ordinary man on the street, and the thought leaders of the Philippines and other countries on how the accountancy education and qualification system have evolved and what competencies must be imbued in accountants in the world of technological advancements and the needs of Industry 4.0. I have developed and shared a lot of insights with my international colleagues in such renowned institutions such as the International Federation of Accountants, the International Accounting Education Standards Board, International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA), World Bank, London School of Business and Economics, National Association of State Board of Accountancy of the USA, American Institute of CPAs, and many others. I am also fascinated and keenly following the global developments in these areas of interest, including the CPA Evolution initiative that is directed toward transforming the CPA licensure examination model in the USA, the revision of the framework for international education standards for professional accountants of the IESBA, and the 2021 World Bank Philippines on Education Report. I have accumulated enough learnings and perspectives that compel me to advance the needed reform in our accounting education and licensure exam models, which address the needs of the times. My initial efforts in pursuing these reform measures started in 2016, two years after my assumption of the Chairmanship of the BOA. These initiatives had successes and challenges. Notable among the successes were the promulgation of BOA Resolution 214-2016, 2622015, 274-2015 and 275-2015 that prescribed the new Table of Specifications, syllabi and subjects for the CPA Licensure examinations

Equally important was the issuance of CHED Memorandum Orders 27 to 30 Series of 2017, which defined the new accountancy education course programs. These were game changing measures that brought about innovative and far-reaching improvements in the accounting education and professional qualification systems. However, six years have already lapsed since these changes took place. Major developments have arisen in the accountancy ecosystem since the aforementioned changes. It is high time that there be another set of reviews for the necessary interventions to keep pace with the emerging trends. I also initiated amendments to the Accountancy Law (Republic Act 9298 dated 2004) in 2016. The proposed amendments sought to include much needed measures, including the overhaul of the framework of CPA licensure examinations as discussed in my previous article. Unfortunately, these proposed changes got derailed in the legislative mill and were not enacted into law. I hope that some, if not all, of the measures then proposed will find their inclusion in the ongoing initiative of the BoA seeking amendments to the Accountancy Law. I fondly recall the effort and success I had in pushing forward the Philippine Tax Academy Law (RA 10143) in 2010. I was then the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, when the proponents of the bill that I led were able to move forward with this very important piece of legislation, which created an institution to provide learning and training for the frontliners of the government’s tax collecting office. The lessons and experiences of this exercise may be appropriate to emulate in line with the BOA’s current initiative to push for legislative amendments.

To be continued.

Joel L. Tan-Torres is the Dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. Previously, he was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy, and partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co. and the SyCip Gorres and Velayo & Co. He is a Certified Public Accountant who garnered No. 1 in the CPA Board Examination of May 1979. This column accepts articles for publication from the business and academic community. Articles not exceeding 600 words can be e-mailed to jltantorres@up.edu.ph.

Monday, August 16, 2021

Olympic lessons: More than gold Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.

THE PATRIOT

Part Two

ost Filipinos remain intoxicated with jubilation owing to the record-breaking performance of our athletes in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. The names Diaz, Petecio, Paalam and Marcial have so carved a mark in Philippine sports history that they will be associated with victory, pride, and glory. Patently clear in these winners, before and immediately after their achievements, was how they alluded to a “supreme being” in gratitude. With arms raised and hands held up high, Hidilyn Diaz exclaimed: “Kakaiba si God!” Some of us may not have seen, or heard, how the rest of the Filipino contingent demonstrated their gratitude to the Almighty God. Still, we declare, on their behalf, our thankfulness to our Almighty God for their success—even for just having qualified for the Olympics! We say this as a testament to the Filipinos’ religious fervor since time immemorial. In athletic events as grand as the Olympics, we ruminate on how any athlete, in success and in failure, can bring glory to God and country. Hidilyn Diaz worshipped God with a resounding verbal utterance of appreciation, especially during media interviews. Similarly, American athlete Sydney McLaughlin, who set a world record and won Olympic gold in the 400-meter hurdles, never fails to share her faith in all of her interviews. Vocal about her faith, she said, “records come and go, the glory of God is eternal.” One other American sprinter, Athing Mu, a 19-year-old native of Sudan, easily won the gold in the 800-meter race. She said that running is an expression of her faith. In one of her interviews, she boldly said, “Our main goal is to live in the image of Jesus in order to connect to God and get to God.” Some might say that it is always easy to praise God with our successes. However, in failure, there are athletes who can still bring glory to God and country. For instance, Margielyn Didal exhibited joy, fun and conviviality all throughout the games as circulated in her socialmedia account. Having garnered 7th place in the women’s street

skateboarding competition, she may not have won a medal, but she won many hearts and smiles for her novel posts of candid photos reflective of contentment, more than her achievement. American sprinter Trayvon Brommel, touted to be the fastest American in the 100 meters, failed to even qualify for the finals in the event. Despite this and on top of the many injuries he sustained in earlier competitions, he confessed that there are more important things than winning gold, such as his faith. Another story worth sharing is about Olympian Simone Biles, considered as the most decorated gymnast of all time. She displayed misgivings in reclaiming her title when she took to the vault. Way up in mid-air, she held back, and fared less than her usual excellent self. She eventually withdrew from the competition where she was favored to repeat as individual all-around champion. Simone walked to the benches, allowed her teammates to continue the performance and win for them a medal. This bemedaled 24-year-old gymnast declared: “I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem

As athletes in our race called life, we run towards God, “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” and not after the gold. Together, we can show acts weightier than gold by attributing everything, in victory and defeat, to the One who makes all things possible.

like pressure doesn’t affect me, but sometimes it’s hard.” Instead of punishing herself, Biles cheered her colleagues on, rested her fate on them and her faith in God. What we can readily learn from Simone Biles is to place our career, our future, and our lives for that matter, in the hands of our Heavenly Father. In victory and defeat, these athletes displayed how to worship. They knew that far bigger than them, and way more important, is a Creator from whom all their strengths and blessings come. Recognition was not so much about them, but more about their Heavenly Father. And they echoed their reverence through words and actions. These Olympians demonstrated how to put something first above everything else. They knew how to give reverence not to any gold medal, not even to their own talent and skill, but to a Creator who makes things possible for them. In praises, in testimony, and in service, these athletes worshipped God. Their behavior was clearly more than their weight in gold. I realized not too long ago that the act of worship can be in the form of singing and praising, as is called upon us to do in Psalms 96 of the Holy Bible. But it can likewise be done through God-centered acts of service and testimonials, not through idols, physical or otherwise, as John 4:24 tells us that “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Probably a misconstrued spiritual value yet so engraved in our daily existence, worship allows and summons us to give glory to our Creator, in words or in deeds. Gifted with superior strength, these athletes owe their capabilities to God. In the same manner, we owe our competence, talent, and resources to God, in all areas, for it is written, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming

The difference between a surety bond and an insurance policy

By Reynaldo A. de Dios

surety bond is not an insurance policy although there is a basic similarity in the sense that there is a promise of indemnification for one of the parties concerned. An insurance policy is a two-party agreement where the insured pays a premium to the insurance company and receives the benefits of the policy in the event of loss. On the other hand, there are three parties involved in a surety bond – the Principal (the party bonded), the bonding company, and the Obligee (the party in whose favor the bond is issued). With regard to the premium, it is usually the Principal who shoulders it although there are occasions when the Obligee pays for it. Under the laws of suretyship, the Principal is required to repay the bonding company for any loss the bonding company might incur by reason of having executed the bond. Thus, the Principal is required to sign an Indemnity Agreement or a counterbond in favor of the bonding

company before the bond is released to the Obligee. In underwriting a bond, the surety considers the character, personal circumstances and resources of the Principal, and depending on the nature of the bonding obligation, it would also require adequate security in the

The primary purpose of the bonding company, at least theoretically, is not to pay losses but to perform a service to worthy individuals or corporations whose affairs require the guarantee of a bonding or surety company. This is the great difference between a surety bond and an insurance policy. form of collaterals such as real estate, stocks, and other acceptable securities or the signature of solvent guarantors. The primary purpose of the bonding company, at least theoretically, is not to pay losses but to perform a service to worthy individuals or corporations whose affairs require the guarantee of a bonding or surety company. This is the great difference between a surety

Hong Kong protest group disbands under government pressure By Kari Lindberg & Denise Wee Bloomberg Opinion

ong Kong’s largest protest group has disbanded, saying on Sunday that it is unable operate in the face of government pressure. The Civil Human Rights Front, organizer of many of the largest rallies during the city’s 2019 pro-democracy protest, said on its Facebook page on Sunday that it had to disband after its convenor, Figo Chan, was imprisoned. The CHRF will donate its HK$1.6

million ($205,579) of assets to “appropriate organizations,” it said. Hong Kong authorities have ramped up pressure on people they accuse of anti-government actions following the enactment of the national security law last year. Some 76 pro-democracy activists, former politicians and journalists are awaiting trial after being charged under the legislation, according to the security bureau. The CHRF, organizer of many of the largest rallies during the city’s 2019 pro-democracy protest, and other groups have come under increased pressure as au-

thorities widen the scope of their crackdown following the enactment of the national security law last year. T he C HR F a n nou ncement comes days after Hong Kong’s police chief warned that the group may have broken the city’s national security laws, and violated others by not properly registering with the government’s Companies Registry, Hong Kong Police Force Commissioner Raymond Siu said in an interview with Beijingbacked newspaper Ta Kung Pao. Police on Sunday said in a statement that they had “noticed” the

CHRF announcement and that officers were also following up on the group’s violation of the Societies Ordinance, after it failed to produce information requested. Hong Kong Liaison Office, Beijing’s main body overseeing the city, supported the authorities in a statement on its web site Sunday. “We strongly support the SAR Government and the police in prosecuting the alleged violations of the law by CHRF and severely punishing the culprits,” it said. On Tuesday, the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union, the city’s largest teacher’s as-

sociation announced their decision to disband days after Siu said the police would “definitely investigate” any allegations of a national security offense involving the union. The Education Bureau formally severed ties with the group days after the Chinese state media called the union a “malignant tumor that must be eradicated” and accused it of fomenting unrest on July 31. Hong Kong Democracy Council, a non-profit organization, said both the teachers’ union and the Civil Human Rights Front have been forced to “voluntarily” dis-

down from the Father of the heavenly lights,” (James 1:17). Applying this lesson of worship as depicted by these athletes in the 2020 Olympics, we have to go for God and not for gold. We can accomplish this by putting God first. We need to dismiss and relegate all our idols (money, ambition, career, family) to the background and prioritize God in our lives. When we fail to get that “gold” in our work, in a competition, in our domestic environs, we should never lose faith or sulk in depression. Part of our worship activities should include the attitude of “it’s ok, after all God’s got me.” By acknowledging His presence and identity in all that we do, we are able to truly find ourselves and have the right perspective in life. Life’s achievements are never about us; they are about Him. Olympians may be men and women of great skill and aptitude, whereas ordinary citizens may be gifted with a talent or two. Yet, regardless of number, all of our gifts come from God’s grace alone. To us, we do not claim any credit, for our own strength comes from Him. In the words of 21-yearold Sydney McLaughlin, “I no longer run for self-recognition but to reflect His perfect will that is already set in stone. I don’t deserve anything. But by grace, through faith, Jesus has given me everything.” All athletes in the Olympics, here and abroad, aim for the gold, in keeping with the “new” Olympic motto of “Faster, Higher, Stronger—Together.” As athletes in our race called life, we run towards God, “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” and not after the gold. Together, we can show acts weightier than gold by attributing everything, in victory and defeat, to the One who makes all things possible. A former infantry and intelligence officer in the

Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission. For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.

bond and an insurance policy. Furthermore, in insurance, the insurer can cancel the policy upon proper notice to the insured plus a refund premium for the unexpired period of the policy while in suretyship, many bonds cannot be cancelled at all unless there is concrete evidence the obligation under the bond has been fulfilled. The term of a bond is therefore dependent upon fulfillment of its obligation or on its expiration date if there is any. Contractors who bid and win large construction projects usually post performance bonds to guarantee their satisfactory completion. This is only one example of the important role of suretyship in business. The author is a risk management consultant and Editor of Insurance Philippines magazine.

band to avoid police raids, freezing of assets and arrests. Hong Kong’s national security law has triggered an “accelerating disappearance” of independent civil society groups in the city, Amnesty International said Sunday. “The Hong Kong authorities’ assault on human rights has ramped up,” Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty’s China team, said in a statement. “Along with political parties, media outlets and unions, we sadly now must add NGOs to the list of those targeted simply for doing their legitimate work.”

A10 Monday, August 16, 2021

Rice shipment delays noted, but local supply seen stable

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas & Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) is growing wary of shipment delays affecting the country’s rice imports, but industry players and experts dismissed its possible adverse impact on the country’s supply of the staple. Neda Undersecretary Mercedita A. Sombilla said they are monitoring the stretching delays in the country’s rice imports, a result of the global shipping problem arising from lack of vessels and containers and Covid19-related mobility restrictions. “[Reasons for the delay is] more on the pandemic— loading of commodities in exporting countries are affected. What I gathered is that from three days loading it has become 10 days,” Sombilla told the BusinessMirror. Shipping industry players confirmed to the BusinessMirror that they are observing delays in the arrival of imports from Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, the country’s top rice supplier. “That is correct. Vietnam is

showing delays too now,” Reefer Express Line Filipinas Inc. president and CEO Felix Ishizuka told the BusinessMirror. International reports are also noting a mounting pressure on Vietnam’s logistics system with port operations, such as loading and unloading of goods, being affected by the rising Covid-19 outbreaks in Ho Chi Minh City that has spread to southern provinces as well. A Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report has projected that the strain on Vietnam’s logistics system coupled by rising record-high sea freight and shortages of containers would lead to a plunge in exports this year from the world’s third biggest rice supplier.

Record local harvest

However, industry watchers and experts pointed out that the Philippines’s rice supply would not suffer any serious damage— or even the slightest impact— from Vietnam’s logistical problems as the country is on-track to hit record palay harvest this year. “Even if the country’s imports dipped year-on-year and continue to slow down, it will not have a significant effect on the country’s overall rice supply since we have higher domestic harvest,” an industry source that regularly monitors the country’s grain situation told the BusinessMirror. The country’s rice imports from January to July declined by 5 percent year-on-year to 1.43 million metric tons with 90 percent of the volume coming from Vietnam, latest Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) data showed. Monetary Board member V. Bruce J. Tolentino explained that higher domestic palay harvest experienced by the country in the past two semesters led to the reduction of rice imports this year. “Cer tainly the record harvests of [second half of ] 2020 and [first of half ] 2021 explain lower imports by the Philippines

in [first half of ] 2021,” he told the BusinessMirror. “Shipping bottlenecks are primarily affecting trade between China and the West. Much less impact in [Southeast Asia]. [Shipping problems] may be constraining supplies from India. But the overwhelming factor [to the decline in imports] is recent record harvests,” he added. An industry source added that Covid-19-related problems in exporting countries have slowed down rice exports to the Philippines, worsened by lower domestic staple demand as a result of unemployment and depletion of savings. The Philippines saw a record palay harvest in the first half at 8.8 million metric tons, boosting confidence from government officials that the historic 20.4-million metric ton production target would be achieved this year. “And barring bad weather, it looks like [second half of] 2021 will again be a new [harvest] record. This shows the impact of [Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund], particularly the productivity-enhancing aspects like seeds, mechanization, and extension,” Tolentino said.

LOCKDOWN NOT REMEDY FOR COVID SURGE, SAY EMPLOYERS; MAYORS DENY ‘EXTENSION’ OK

EOPENING the economy is necessary to prevent further economic damage and job losses, along with continued rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and adherence to health protocols, the head of the employers’ group said on Saturday, as Metro Manila mayors denied reports that they had already agreed to extending till August 30 the two-week strictest lockdowns in the National Capital Region. “ It ’s t i me we le a r n t h at lockdown is not the remedy,” Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said in a number of television-radio interviews, as talk of a possible extension—beyond August 20—of the two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ ) in Metro Manila and several key regions continued to swirl. On Saturday, NCR mayors refuted reports that they had already agreed to an extension until August 30. Metropolitan Mani la Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said that there was no truth to the news report

Senate sets Aug. 18 probe of DOH use of ₧67-B Covid fund

ENATE probers are on track to mount an inquiry next week into key issues raised by state auditors on the Department of Health’s (DOH) handling of P67 billion in Covid-19 response funds. Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the investigating Blue Ribbon Committee, said Wednesday’s probe will focus first on hazard pay and special risk allowance of health care workers deployed in the fight against Covid, as other aspects of the Commission on Audit report are still awaiting a formal explanation from the Department of Health (DOH). Gordon noted the DOH still has 60 days to answer issues raised by the COA report, so the Senate investigating panel would not touch this right away. The prolonged delays in payment of the hazard pay and SRA are of urgency, however, since the overworked healthcare staff are now very restive, especially as the current surge in cases, fueled by the Delta variant, is posing undue burdens and risks to them, Gordon said. Sen. Imee Marcos, who chairs the Economic Affairs committee, meanwhile, said she will focus her questions on the billions in expired medicines in DOH’s inventory, expressing suspicion that some parties may be reaping huge profits from over-ordering drugs close to expiration dates. She also assailed the DOH’s failure in using well P24 billion in unobligated funds flagged by the COA. Over the weekend, Senate Minority Leader Frank Drilon pressed for the Senate investigation into DOH “mismanagement” of P67.32billion Covid-19 funds, which Health Secretary Francisco Duque III insisted was not stolen. Drilon sought the Senate inquiry in aid of crafting remedial legislation to address “deficiencies and poor handling” by the DOH of the funds intended to boost DOH

“It’s time we learn that lockdown is not the remedy,” Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr.

quoting Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez saying that a l l the Metro mayors have agreed to the extension of the ECQ. Abalos said he talked with Olivarez to confirm the news and that Olivarez refuted the report, adding that no meeting among Metro mayors occurred. The mayors, Abalos stressed, are now focused on monitoring the number of Covid-19 cases in their respective jurisdictions, vaccination rollout, and distribution of “ayuda” or financial aid to low-income families affected by the ECQ which ends August 20. Continued on A7

NSA Esperon: Gabriela must be delisted for foreign fund

For her part, Senator Marcos said she wants to focus on at least two main issues in the audit report: the P24 billion in unobligated funds; and the chronic failure of DOH to manage its medicine inventory, resulting in billions of drugs expiring each year.

HE National Security Adviser has accused Gabriela Women’s Party-list group of violating the 1987 Constitution “for receiving financial assistance from foreign governments and nongovernment organizations.” This was disclosed by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., as he testified before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in a recent virtual hearing on the petition to cancel the registration of the group. But Gabriela Women’s Party immediately disputed Esperon’s allegation that it violated the country’s election laws for supposed foreign funding, saying the general produced nothing in the recent hearing to support his claim. The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has filed a petition to cancel the registration of Gabriel Women’s Party (GWP), Gabriela Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership and Action (Gabriela), Inc. and the Gabriela Assembly of Women and Reforms (GAWR) in the Comelec’s party-list system. In a statement following his petition, Esperon said the action of these groups to receive money from any foreign government and agencies is a violation of the Section 2 paragraph 5, Article 9 of the Philippine Constitution—that “political parties which receive financial assistance from any foreign government and their agencies, can have their registration with the Comelec cancelled.” Even Rule 2, Section 8 (D) of the Comelec Rules of Procedures lists “receiving support from any foreign government” among the grounds for the cancellation of the registration of any political party, Esperon cited. “With the continued legal action against GWP, the NSA is exposing the party-list’s willful and deliberate circumvention of the provisions of the Constitution and Comelec rules,” Esperon said.

Continued on A7

response to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. The Minority Leader affirmed “the Senate should investigate the Department of Health’s handling of Covid-19 funds,” after noting that “the deluge of deficiencies that the Commission of Audit findings uncovered are alarming and disturbing.” Drilon recalled that “we heard of corruption allegations involving the purchase of PPEs and test kits and these cor r uption a l legations have remained unanswered and unsolved.” Citing the COA report, the Minority Leader prodded Senate probers to “particularly look into the P3.97 billion worth of contracts and projects with procedural deficiencies in the procurement process and lacking documentation.” Among others, Drilon wants to know “who was involved in these purchases? Which agency made the procurement? Where are these people now? Are they still in the government?” he asked. He lamented that “while we see a shortage of beds, PPEs, ventilators, oxygen tanks, the DOH incurred P24.64 billion in unobligated funds that could have augmented our medical resources and paid on time the risk allowance of our medical frontliners.” Moreover, Drilon criticized the DOH for “around P2.83-billion idle, unfinished and delayed health facilities and P1.23 billion worth of equipment that were undelivered, unutilized and/or without calibration and preventive maintenance.”

Chronic expiry

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Companies BusinessMirror

Monday, August 16, 2021

AllHome H1 income surges to ₧641M on higher sales

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

llHome Corp., the listed retail arm of the Villar Group, said its income in the first semester more than doubled to P641 million, from the previous year’s P275.65 million on higher sales and margins.

to the improvement in our margins as we recalibrate our merchandise mix and implement strategic pricing to enhance returns,” AllHome Chairman Manuel B. Villar Jr. said. “In addition to our intensive digital expansion program, we are adjusting to optimize our stores in view of changes in the shopping behavior of our customers during this pandemic. We will be introducing the new generation of AllHome Stores soon.” As more Filipinos get vaccinated, the company is more becoming more optimistic about its growth prospects, according to AllHome President Benjamarie Therese Serrano. The company has so far opened five stores in the first half, bringing AllHome’s total store network to 55, some 39 of which are large format stores. “These large stores generate the lion’s share of our sales, contributing

as much as 97 percent of total retail sales for the first half. As the situation improves, our store network expansion strategy will remain focused on free-standing large format stores,” Serrano said. The company said its omni-channel presence and partnership with logistics and on-demand delivery providers have made it a go-to-shopping place during this pandemic. In May, the company reported that its income in the first quarter grew 27 percent to P344.2 million from last year’s P270.21 million. Revenues in the January-toMarch period rose 6 percent to P3.6 billion from last year’s P3.36 billion, the company said. Its gross profit, earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization, and net income margins were at 31.9 percent, 22.1 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively, which were all higher by over 125 basis points from a year ago.

For the first half, AllHome said its sales grew 39 percent to P6.72 billion from P4.854 billion last year. For the second quarter alone, its sales doubled to P3.13 billion from last year’s P1.48 billion. The resumption of economic activities in the second quarter has allowed AllHome stores to operate under reduced hours. The company said this was a big improvement from

last year, when it was forced to close its branches in Luzon. Gross profit margin improved to 34.6 percent from 31.7 percent through strategic pricing and by improving the sales contribution of in-house brands. “This pandemic gave us the opportunity to look at our strategies and implement innovations and initiatives to increase operational efficiency. Those innovations led

Phinma H1 profit jumps to ₧783.5M

First Gen energizes WHI plant

hinma Corp. said its income in the first semester grew 13fold to P783.56 million from last year’s P58.01 million as most of its businesses recovered. “By providing a reliable supply of high quality construction materials as well as continuing to deliver our brand of accessible, value for money education to more than 72,000 students nationwide despite the on-going Covid-19 pandemic, we have supported the country’s economic recovery and reaped improved financial performance at the same time,” Phinma President and CEO Ramon R. del Rosario Jr. said, Consolidated revenues for the period grew more than half to P7.83 billion from P5.11 billion last year. During the period, the company booked net foreign exchange gains of P47.90 million on dollar-denominated assets. To further support its businesses, the company is issuing P3 billion in bonds. The funds are earmarked for investments in its strategic business units, to refinance short-term corporate debt and for general corporate purposes. The investments will prioritize construction materials and education projects that increase capacity and enhance efficiency. The company ended the period with cash and cash equivalents of P2.26 billion. As of end-June, consolidated total assets and total stockholders’ equity amounted to P26.21 billion and P9.09 billion, respectively. VG Cabuag

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

IRST GEN Corp. is supplying Philippine Bio-Industries Inc. (PBI)—one of the country’s biggest exporters of refined carrageenan blends—650 kilowatts of electricity to energize its production facilities in Calamba, Laguna. PBI, through parent firm W Hydrocolloids Inc. (WHI), has sealed a one-year contract with First Gen’s licensed retail electricity supplier Bac-Man Geothermal Inc. (BGI). BGI will source power from its 150-megawatt Bacon-Manito geothermal power facilities in the Bicol Region. WHI President John Wee said the company ventured into a partnership with First Gen to lower its carbon footprint and minimize carbon pollution’s impact on environment. “With this partnership, we are now using 100 percent renewable energy in our PBI facility in Laguna and are also in the process of executing it for our Carmona plant facility in Cavite. This partnership aims to achieve our commitment to a sustainable future, from supporting ecological seaweed communities for our raw materials to using 100 percent eco-clean energy on our plant facilities,” said Wee. First Gen Vice President Carlo Vega expressed gratitude towards the WHI Group for accepting First Gen’s offer to shift to renewable energy (RE).

“This partnership validates our optimism that there are thousands of other companies out there that, like WHI, share with us a common desire to pursue a decarbonized and regenerative future,” Vega said. “Individually, our shift to RE might not make a dent in the fight against climate change; but together, the amount of carbon dioxide we displace with the use of clean energy can make a big difference in stopping climate change. We will redouble our mission to forge collaborative pathways with these groups,” Vega added. First Gen and parent firm First Philippine Holdings Corp. (FPH) recognize the risks from climate change due to the continued buildup in the atmosphere of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, including those from power plants using carbon-intensive fossil fuel. This awareness explains the focus of Lopez-led FPH and First Gen on developing and operating power plants that run on renewable energy sources and emit minimal if not zero carbon dioxide, such as hydro, wind, solar and geothermal.

Aside from the RE projects, power plants of First Gen run on natural gas, considered the cleanest form of fossil fuel. In total, First Gen’s portfolio of power plants has a combined capacity of 3,492 MW as of 2020. At end-June this year, First Gen reported P7.1 billion in recurring net income attributable to equity holders. The numbers are 11 percent higher than last year’s figures due to higher electricity sales and prices. Also, the company benefited from lower interest expenses and taxes due to the recently enacted Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act Law. “Power demand bounced back to pre-pandemic levels despite the limitations brought about by the persistently slow recovery of the economy. We are steadily progressing with constructing the country’s first LNG [liquefied natural gas] terminal for delivery in the fourth quarter 2022. We are also working to deliver more power projects across our portfolio despite uncertainty surrounding the market and its accompanying business risks,” said First Gen President Francis Giles Puno. The company’s natural gas platform brought in P5.2 billion in attributable net income for the first half, up from last year’s P4.5billion net income. First Gen’s hydro platform posted an increase in attributable earnings to P300 million in the first half from P200 million a year ago.

STOCK-MARKET OUTLOOK Last week

Share prices fell last week, with the main index returning to the 6,300-point level, as investors took a cautious stance following the reimposition of the most restrictive quarantine measures in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell 219.72 points to close at 6,320.19 points. The listing of Filinvest Reit Corp. and the double-digit GDP growth posted by the Philippines in the second quarter failed to lift market sentiment as the main index was down for most of the week. The steepest drop was seen on Friday, when the main index lost 3.6 percent or 236.38 points. “Note though that part of this week’s downturn can be attributed to funds being compelled to follow PSEi’s rebalancing. This explains the deep sell off, which may naturally correct itself early in the upcoming sessions,” broker 2Tradeasia said. Volume of trade was higher than the previous week at an average of P7.36 billion, with Friday having the biggest value at P14.14 billion. The PSEi’s rebalancing will take effect on Monday. Foreign investors, which made up only 27 percent of all trades, were net buyers at P627.73 million. All other subindices closed in the red, led by the broader All Shares index that lost 78.48 points to close at 3,976.94 points, the Financials index was down 12.13 to 1,419.65, the Industrial index shed 72.32 to 9,223.62, the Holding Firms index plunged 348.78 to 6,188.59, the Property index declined 41.32 to 2,936.50, the Services index retreated 66.76 to 1,573.22 and the Mining and Oil index fell 119.26 to 9,599.99. For the week, losers edged gainers 137 to 29 and 81 shares were unchanged. Top gainers for the week were Metro Alliance Holdings and Equities Corp. B shares, Jackstones Inc., Atok-Big Wedge Co. Inc., United Paragon Mining Corp., Manila Mining Corp. A, Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corp. A and Philodrill Corp. Top losers were Macay Holdings Inc., Prime Media Holdings Inc., Bloomberry Resorts Corp., Pacifica Holdings Inc., Kepwealth Property Phils. Inc., Emperador Inc. and Alliance Global Group, Inc.

This week

Share prices may continue to fall this week and trading is expected to be volatile due to expectations that restrictive quarantine measures in Metro Manila and nearby provinces will be extended. “While we may see some bargain hunting in the early part of next week following Friday this week’s steep drop, investors are still expected to take a cautious stance in light of our Covid-19 situation,” Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco, senior research analyst at Philstocks Financials Inc., said. “If the daily new case counts remain elevated, it will raise expectations of the extension of the strict quarantine measures implemented in the country, primarily in the National Capital Region. With this, the market may still close next week in the negative territory. Extension of the strict social restrictions are expected to lead to more economic losses for the present period, and more scarring for our economic prospects.” 2Tradeasia, meanwhile, said the likelihood of the main index retesting the 6,200 support level remains high, especially with the extension of quarantine restrictions. The market’s support is now seen at the 6,100 to 6,160 range and resistance is seen at 6,400. The market’s 50-day exponential moving average has already crossed below its 200day counterpart, which is a bearish signal, implying a possible downtrend moving forward, Tantiangco said.

Stock picks

Broker Regina Capital Development Corp. retained its buy recommendation on the stock of lender Metropolitan Bank and Trust Corp. (MBT), placing a target price of P60 per share. “MBT’s flow business also tapered because of the dip in trading gains. However, the easing of quarantine restrictions allowed the fee business and transaction volumes to recover,” it said. Despite this, it said, the bank’s asset quality appears to be holding itself well. While it is still above pre-pandemic levels, the bank’s non-performing loan ratios settled at the 3 percent region since last year. “The return of life to pre-pandemic levels likely hit a snag with the two-week reimplementation of ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] in NCR, but several economic data suggest that the country remains on track for recovery. It could lead to the improvement of business and consumer sentiment in the future,” it said. Metrobank shares closed at P45 apiece. Meanwhile, the broker maintained its hold recommendation on Wilcon Depot Inc. but it upgraded the fair value price of P23 per share. “In the second quarter, Wilcon’s earnings report surprised on the upside and beat our bullish estimates. The downside risks to our estimates include protracted lockdowns that could have a supply-side impact and cause dwindling merchandise inventories— but, this is an admittedly small issue,” it said. Wilcon’s shares were last traded at P22.10 apiece. VG Cabuag

Companies BusinessMirror

Monday, August 16, 2021

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PT&T net loss widens in January-June

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

he net loss of listed telco PT&T Corp. widened in the first half due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the implementation of lockdowns to stop the spread of the disease. According to a stock exchange filing, PT&T registered a net loss

of P26.57 million in the first semester, larger than the P19.50-

million net loss it registered a year ago. PT&T President James Velasquez blamed the higher net loss to “slower growth” during the period, as the pandemic “took a toll” on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which comprise the majority of its clients. During the period, revenues grew by 7 percent to P221.11 million from last year’s P206.99 million thanks to the “modest increase in its subscriber base by 15 percent and an 8-percent revenue

contribution from its IT services portfolio.” Total costs and expenses, however, also increased by 5 percent to P247.99 million from P234.78 million, as the group spent mostly on new technologies to enable it to “adapt to the new normal brought about by the pandemic while investing in operations to support its growing business.” Velasquez said he hopes that “the impact of this month’s reimposition of the lockdown measure against the Delta variant would be

minimal,” noting that the group “will be ready with measures if the threat of the Delta variant or more lockdowns persists.” The enhanced community quarantine, the strictest quarantine classification in the Philippines, was imposed again in the National Capital Region until August 20. “We’re confident that in this time of pandemic, telco and IT Services sector will thrive, as demand remains strong and steadily growing. This sector will also be essential to our country’s eco-

nomic recovery as it provides invaluable help to SMEs and MSMEs that need to restart their businesses.” Velasquez said. He noted that the company is a bit bullish for the rest of 2021, given the vaccination program, the expected surge in electionrelated spending, and the start of the holiday season. As of end-June, PT&T has a network reach of 22,800 fiber kilometers in high-growth areas and covering almost 40 percent of the total Philippine population.

based quarantine upon arrival in the Philippines. The cost of the quarantine hotel stay of OFWs and the RT-PCR tests on the 7th day will be shouldered

by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration or the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), while returning overseas Filipinos will cover their own hotel and RT-PCR test costs.

PAL mounts special flights for OFWs By Recto L. Mercene @rectomercene

lag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) continues to provide stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) the opportunity to return to the Philippines on its Bayanihan flights. The flag carrier will mount Bayanihan flights from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the next two weeks The airline has completed six flights since July 29 under special

arrangements with the Philippine government. PAL SVP and Chief Strategy and Planning Officer Dexter C. Lee said, “We thank the Philippine government for giving the national carrier another avenue to assist our stranded countrymen. We will be mounting several more special commercial flights or ‘Bayanihan flights’ in the coming days.” The airline will mount the following Bayanihan flights: Kuala Lumpur to Davao (August 16); Bangkok to Manila (August 17); Dubai to Manila (August 18); Kuala Lumpur to Ma-

nila (August 21); Jakarta to Manila (August 22); and Dubai to Manila (August 22). In addition to the Bayanihan flights, PAL also operates repatriation flights from various countries in the Middle East and Asia, special flights from London, Australia and New Zealand, and regular scheduled services from Japan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taipei, Indonesia, Guam, the United States and Canada. PAL said only Philippine passport holders will be allowed to board the Bayanihan flights. Passengers must

present a valid negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure from the concerned foreign city, and must undergo a second RT-PCR test after the first 7 days of quarantine in the Philippines. Passengers must present the One Health Pass QR code prior to aircraft boarding. All travelers should register with the Bureau of Quarantine e-Health Declaration Card including children. In line with the government’s current health protocols for Bayanihan flights, all passengers will be subjected to a 14-day stringent facility-

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Monday, August 16, 2021

SSS to sue employers neglecting obligations

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

TATE-run Social Security System (SSS) warned employers they face criminal prosecution if they fail to comply with their legal obligations to their employees. SSS President and Chief Executive Aurora C. Ignacio said registered and unregistered business owners must still fulfill their obligations to their employees, regardless of employment status, and even with lockdown measures in place. As of June, about 11,243 cases were filed against delinquent employers nationwide and 988,324 active employers composed of household employers and registered establishments that are operational. “Although, we are still coping with the financial crisis brought about by

the Covid-19 pandemic, business owners are still expected to fulfill their statutory obligations to secure the welfare and interests of their workers,” Ignacio said in a statement issued last Sunday. Under Republic Act 11199 (the Social Security Act of 2018), employers are mandated to register their business with the SSS. They must accomplish the Employer Registration Form (SS Form R-1) and report all their employees for SSS coverage using the Employment Report Form (SS Form R-1A) within 30 days from

Perspectives Be aware of threats lurking in the shadows

E have seen an increase in “shadow cloud” solutions, and their defining characteristics are often ill-configured security controls and a lack of integration with the security and monitoring processes that the legitimate IT function would employ. These solutions will usually result in an increased risk of exposure for data, personally identifiable information and intellectual property. Shadow cloud solutions raised security concerns before the pandemic, but the forced and disruptive shift in working patterns, and rapid infrastructure changes during the pandemic, have accelerated their presence. In organizations whose security and technology teams were slow to adopt collaboration tooling to support remote working, teams and individual employees have turned to cloud-based solutions for collaboration, storage and continued productivity. These applications may not be protected by multi-factor authentication or strict password policies and may not meet data localization and retention requirements. These can present both security and regulatory risks. For example, employees based in Europe may be unaware that the application they are using is transferring un-encrypted personally identifiable information (PII) to non-European data centers, which can result in non-compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Moreover, many government organizations have strict internal policies to ensure their data remains in-country. We believe now is the time to ensure these services are governed and monitored by IT and risk professionals who can understand the threats they pose and the regulatory requirements they must meet. When organizations enact efficient oversight and governance of cloud technology, staff and stakeholders will likely be discouraged from deploying shadow cloud solutions. Eliminating the mindset that propagates shadow cloud usage can be an effective security control. Four tips to help keep shadow clouds at bay: 1. Address shadow cloud is-

sues in policies and employee standards. It’s likely not enough to simply ban the use of cloud solutions lacking the permission of the security team. We recommend making leaders accountable for the control of shadow cloud solutions and implement clear protocols and disciplinary measures as needed. 2. Consider blocking access to unauthorized cloud-based applications If cloud-based file sharing is authorized, we recommend settling on one platform and governing its use. We also recommend implementing permission lists, including sites or platforms that are approved for access, and blocking all others lacking approval. 3. Offer stakeholders a path for approval. It’s important to understand why users may want to “go rogue.” If employees have difficulty managing their work, collaborating or providing services via old architecture, a rapid cloud deployment can be a smart solution. However, to handle these requests quickly and effectively can potentially lure users into the shadows. 4. Some cloud services are free or carry minimal costs to employees. But some projects can cost thousands per year. We recommend discouraging the use of shadow cloud services by carefully managing expense reports and invoices payable to such services. While this may not limit the use of free cloud applications, shadow cloud deployments that house large or enterprise-wide projects will likely need to seek legitimacy and funding. Keep a close eye on whether licenses purchased are personal. Monitoring the purchase of licenses can help organizations avoid any fines or compliance issues associated with using the wrong type of license. The excerpt was taken from the KPMG Thought Leadership publication entitled “Securing the cloud—The next chapter in public services.” © 2021 R.G. Manabat & Co., a Philippine partnership and a member-firm of the KPMG global organization of independent memberfirms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved. For more information on KPMG in the Philippines, you may visit www.kpmg. com.ph.

actual employment date. Apart from this, employers should also deduct from the employee’s salaries/wages the employee share in the monthly SSS contribution and pay together with the employer share of the contribution including the Employees’ Compensation (EC) contribution, and remit these to the SSS through the branch offices with tellering facilities or through SSS accredited banks and collection partners within the prescribed schedule of payments.

Unposted payments

IN addition, employers are also tasked to deduct and/or withhold from employees’ salaries and/or wages their monthly loan amortizations based on the scheduled payment deadlines and remit the same to the nearest SSS branch office with teller services or SSS accredited collecting partners. They must also submit the Loan Collection list online through their My.SSS account at the SSS web site.

Ignacio said the SSS has also been receiving reports of unposted loan payments from the pension fund manager’s employed members. “However, employers have failed to submit the loan collection lists to SSS, which is very important since it is the basis for the crediting of loan payments to the member’s account,” she further said. The SSS chief also reiterated that employers should pay in advance their employees’ SS and EC sickness benefits, and maternity benefits due to qualified female employees. Registered employers may now submit online their sickness benefit reimbursement applications and maternity benefit reimbursement applications through their My.SSS account. Employer’s failure or refusal to comply with the provisions of the Social Security Act of 2018 is punishable by a fine of not less than P5,000.00 nor more than P20,000.00, or imprisonment for not less than six years and one day nor more than 12 years

or both, at the discretion of the court. But, if the violation consists in failure or refusal to register employees or himself, in case of the covered self-employed, or to deduct contributions from the employee’s compensation and remit the same to the SSS, the penalty shall be a fine of not less than P5,000.00 nor more than P20,000.00 and imprisonment for not less than six years and one day nor more than 12 years.

Other sanctions

IN case the employer deducted the SS contribution or loan amortization from employee’s salary/wages but failed to remit to the SSS, the imposable penalty shall be that provided under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code on Estafa which provides an imprisonment not exceeding 20 years. Other sanctions which may be imposed against delinquent employers include the issuance of Warrant of Distraint, Levy and/or Garnishment and non-issuance of SSS Certificate

of Compliance/Clearance. Delinquent employers who could not immediately pay their liabilities but wish to settle may avail of the Installment Payment Scheme Program by securing an updated and consolidated Statement of Account of its due but unpaid/unremitted contributions and penalty delinquencies and submitting an accomplished Application for Installment Payment Scheme to the concerned Branch Office/Large Account Department. After submission of the application for Installment together with the supporting documents such as but not limited to Contributions Collection List (R3) and duly notarized Promissory Note, the employers shall be required to pay at least five percent of the total delinquency as downpayment, and issue post-dated checks corresponding to the months covered by the installment. This payment scheme is available for both the contributions and loan payment delinquencies of employers.

Security Bank’s H1 net income drop by 46% to ₧3.1B By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

ECURITY Bank Corp. reported its net income fell in the first six months of the year in the absence of “extraordinary” trading gains in 2021, the bank reported. Security Bank’s net income hit P3.1 billion in the first half of the year, falling by 46 percent from the P5.7 billion net income in the same period in 2020 as gains from both interest and non-interest channels declined during the period.

In particular, net interest income hit P13.6 billion in the first half, down 14 percent from year-ago level. Non-interest income, meanwhile, hit P 4.8 billion, down 52 percent from the same period last year. The bank blamed the lack of “extraordinary securities trading gains” during the period, as this buoyed their income in 2020. The bank’s service charges, fees and commissions increased 28 percent to P 2.1 billion, with fee income sources increasing from their year-ago levels. Aside from lower income, the bank’s

Govt workers to Palace: Carry out pay hike plan

ORKERS of state revenuegenerating agencies—the government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government financial institutions (GFIs)—lament that they are not getting a fair share of the fruit of their labor. In an open letter, they ask President Duterte to implement a 5-year old program giving them salary increases, allowances and other benefits for providing substantial amount of revenues to the national government from GOCC and GFI operations. In an interview with broadcaster Lolly Rivera Acosta on “Sulong na Bayan,” a public service program of radio station DWIZ AM 882, officers of the Kamaggfi (Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa GOCCs at GFIs) said they had submitted their open letter to Malacañang late last week. Kamaggfi is an umbrella organization grouping the employees’ associations of the country’s some 200 GOCCs and GFIs. These public corporations are involved in financing public utilities and other commercial activities for profit, enabling government to deliver basic services. Baldwin L. Sykimte, Kammagfi chairman and president of the employees’ association of Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC), said the “Compensation Position Classification System” (CPCS) was drawn up by the previous administration to streamline the compensation scale of GOCC and GFI officers and employees. Since 2017, implementation of the program was suspended “for further review and reevaluation of GOCC employees’ salaries, allowances and other benefits.” Sykimte said adding that since then the program has not been implemented. On the other hand, officers and employees of other departments and agencies of the national government and even local government units have been receiving periodic

salary increases under the salary standardization program, Sykimte pointed out. “We are not a burden to the national government. We generate revenues from our operations that support the development projects of the government,” Virginia P. Cabonce, vice chair and president of the employees association of the National Electrification Administration (NEA), said. Cabonce said the CPCS that applies to GOCC officers and employees was approved by an executive order (203) in 2016 “to support and encourage performance driven, productive and efficient organizations.” She expressed frustration that while GOCC employees have lived up to this goal, the rewards that are meant for them by the law have not been granted to them. Nanette Jariño Lati, Kammagfi secretary general and president of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) employees’ association, said there is now a big discrepancy between the salaries of GOCC employees and the salaries of civil service employees in other government departments and agencies. The salary standardization law for civil service, Lati said, has given salary increases several times to workers in national government agencies and even in local government units. Because of the non-implementation of the CPCS for GOCC and GFI officers and employees since 1971, “you’d think that GOCC rank and file employees are different creatures from elsewhere.” The Kammagfi leaders said they will raise their complaint to the Senate and House of Representatives in order to seek support for their appeal for action from Malacañang. DWIZ, owned and operated by Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, is the broadcasting arm of the ALC Group of Companies founded by the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua.

operating expense was also up 0.9 percent from the same period last year. According to the Security Bank, this was driven by investments in technology and manpower. The bank also reported that it set aside P 2.4 billion as provisions for credit losses during the period, a significant decrease versus the P11 billion in the first half of 2020. Security Bank’s gross non-performing loan (NPL) ratio was 3.93 percent while its NPL reserve cover was 103 percent. Just last month, the bank was

named the Philippines’ Best Bank by London-based financial magazine Euromoney for the way it handled its operations at the onset of the global health crisis. “In the competitive field of Philippine banking, the best response to Covid-19 came not from the biggest banks but a rising star, Security Bank,” Euromoney said. “From the outset Security Bank took a stance of protection: of itself, its people, its customers and its community. It is testament to the bank’s policies that it not only stayed strong but grew.”

‘Significant’ improvements by DepEd cited by auditors By Claudeth S. Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

NLIKE other government agencies flagged by the state auditors for their alleged “deficiencies” or “lapses,” the Department of Education (DepEd) was noted to have “significant” improvements in its Calendar Year (CY) 2020 Consolidated Annual Audit Report (CAAR). The DepEd expressed gratitude to the Commission on Audit (COA) team in charge of the review of financial and operational accounts of nearly 45,000 public schools, 214 Schools Division Offices, 16 Reginal Offices (excluding the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) and the Central Office. Compared to the previous year, the DepEd “performed significantly better and was able to satisfactorily comply with the accounting standards set by the Commission,” which is the basis of the CAAR. This despite the challenges posed by the pandemic starting CY 2020. Based on this year’s audit report, the Department has delivered an increase in the implementation of the compliance report through the substantial decrease in the misstatements noted by the COA.

The DepEd stressed that the “misstatements” cited in the CAAR pertain to the “difference between the actual financial statement items by the Management and those required by the accounting standards” of the Commission. “Those noted by the Commission were mainly identified as recording errors [that] are now being rectified by [the] DepEd following the instructions/recommendations of the auditing agency.” “DepEd wishes to emphasize that none of the initial findings pertained to corruption, malversation of public funds, negligence or the betrayal of public trust,” the DepEd said. It added that the nature of the observation issued by the COA is a way for the audited agency to rectify deficiencies and improve the management of its budget through the former’s recommendation. Education Secretary Leonor MagtolisBriones issued OO-OSEC-2019-063 last July 3, 2019, which created an Audit Observation Memorandum Task Force in the DepEd. The task force was mandated to recommend actions in possible areas of improvement, promote a proactive and immediate response to audit concerns and institutionalize regular coordination between the two government agencies.

EastWest vaccination tack continues in Central Luzon

ASTWEST Banking Corp. announced that after the successful opening of the initial leg of its nationwide vaccination program in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, it continues its drive to get all of its employees and third-party hires protected from Covid-19 with the Central Luzon leg of the program in Clark, Pampanga. The second leg will be on August 13 and 14 at the CRK Vaccination Center in Clark International Airport, and was done in partnership with the Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp., the lender said. EastWest said employees from Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Zambales as well as thirdparty hires like janitorial services, drivers, messengers, security guards and other partners are all set to receive the

AstraZeneca vaccine. This is part of the 100,000 doses purchased by Filinvest Development Corp. for the whole conglomerate, the bank’s statement read. “We remain committed to our goal of getting the entire EastWest workforce vaccinated against COVID-19, which means taking FilVax outside of Metro Manila to other areas of the country. Both our employees and customers alike can rest assured that we will thoroughly do our civic duty across the nation in the fight against the pandemic,” EastWest Executive Director Isabelle Gotianun Yap was quoted in the statement as saying. The Central Luzon leg will run alongside the ongoing NCR leg of the FilVax vaccination program. EastWest is set to roll out more legs of the program across the Philippines, according to the bank.

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The Delta variant: How companies should respond

By Jeff Levin-Scherz & Patricia Toro

important in the coming months. Rates of depression and anxiety have surged during the pandemic, and last year saw the largest number of drug overdose deaths ever in the US. Many are mourning the deaths of friends and loved ones. Employers can continue offering access to virtual and digital mental health care, although they should take into account the fact that scientific evidence of the effectiveness of many digital mental health apps is still limited.

he spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19 is causing infections and hospitalizations to rise again in the United States, even in communities with high vaccination rates.

n Consider local transmission rates: The risk of workplace

Covid-19 transmission is highly correlated with the community infection rate. Businesses can feel comfortable about having their remote workers return to their facilities in many communities where the current weekly infection rate is low (less than 10 per 100,000). However, in communities with weekly infection rates that exceed 50 per 100,000 the likelihood that an employee will bring Covid-19 into the workplace is very high.

n Encourage vaccination: Vaccination remains the best way to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death from Covid-19, and many employers have been encouraging their workers to get vaccinated. Communication is most effective when it draws attention to short-term benefits and incorporates stories; statistics on their own are much less compelling. Communication should be culturally appropriate: Diverse influencers can help spread the word on the importance of vaccination throughout the workforce.

n Reduce exposure through social distancing: Flexible sched-

n Weigh whether to mandate vaccination: The Delta variant

n Improve ventilation: Ventilation in a building affects transmission, and increasing the amount of air that’s exchanged indoors decreases the likelihood of infection in the workplace. Improving ventilation doesn’t always

has increased employer interest in mandates that require workers be vaccinated to perform their jobs on site. About 6% of Americans say they will only get vac-

n Stay current on the effectiveness of interventions: Last, we

cinated if it is required. Houston Methodist, an academic medical center comprising eight hospitals in Houston, offers guidelines that could prove helpful to employers currently considering vaccination mandates.

ules and remote work have helped create adequate social distancing. Moreover, employers are transitioning remote employees back to the workplace gradually or on a staggered basis to increase safety as they adopt new ways of working. Employers can use behavioral economics techniques to “nudge” employees to maintain social distancing in the workplace. If the capacity of a conference room is two people, be sure there are only two chairs in it!

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Hopes that the pandemic would soon fade away have been dimmed by the spread of the variant, which appears to evade at least some of the immunity conferred by a past infection or vaccination. And with low global vaccination rates, there are likely to be new variants that could be even more threatening. Consequently, we can expect sporadic cases and periodic outbreaks of Covid-19 in the months and years ahead. Given this prospect, how can employers fulfill their difficult obligation to protect their workers, customers and communities while continuing to grow and prosper? By being creative, flexible and adaptive in their approaches, leaders can contain the threat now and handle other outbreaks as they arise. Here are some broad measures they can apply:

require expensive renovations; employers could choose to open windows in the office, add more air exchanges and improve the filtration systems on existing airhandling systems. n Decide when to recommend or require masks: Masks provide

protection against both being infected with Covid-19 and infecting others. More and more localities are reinstituting universal indoor masking. We expect mask mandates to expand with increased infection rates. Employers can avoid complaints under the Americans with Disabilities Act about masking requirements by abiding by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s guidelines.

n Encourage testing: While few employers were performing Covid-19 screenings last spring, many will take another look at this tool as the Delta variant continues to spread. Antigen tests are now readily available, and the cost is modest. Employers can instruct employees to test themselves at home and can arrange follow-up confirmatory tests for those who have no symptoms but are positive. And the golden rule about sickness in the workplace still holds true: All employees should be instructed not to come to work if they feel ill.

Be cautious about reinstituting travel: Most companies n

eliminated international business travel earlier in the pandemic, and many curtailed domestic trips as

well. The more contagious variants mean that leaders should err on the side of caution in allowing employees to travel to places where risks of Covid-19 infection are fairly high. In those instances, business meetings should be conducted by videoconference. n Communicate exposures: Many workplaces will experience Covid-19 cases over the coming months. Employers should honestly communicate about exposures in given facilities, while respecting the medical privacy of employees who have reported that they have caught the virus. n Support mental health care: Attending to your employees' mental health needs will be even more

recommend that businesses keep up to date on which interventions are effective in limiting the spread of Covid-19 and which ones have limited value. For example, 60% of businesses we surveyed in May reported that they were conducting temperature screenings when employees entered the workplace, and only a third of these intended to remove the practice in the coming months—even though temperature screening has been proved to be ineffective in decreasing workplace transmission. We also now know that normal cleaning is adequate to protect against Covid-19 infections in most instances, and disinfection can be reserved for high-touch, high-traffic surfaces and workplaces with a known Covid-19 case. Employers can create more bandwidth for effective pandemic or business initiatives by eliminating those which minimally increase safety. Covid-19 has been a humanitarian tragedy and has upended business plans across the globe. Unfortunately, the pandemic is not going to end soon. Employers and their workers must continue to remain nimble in how they cope with it. As the local situation dictates, employers must remain vigilant and implement existing and new processes that are proven to keep employees, customers and communities safe while meeting organizational needs. Jeff Levin-Scherz is an assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Patricia Toro is a senior director in the Health Management Practice of Willis Towers Watson.

Don’t lose the democratizing effect of remote work By Joan C. Williams, Rachel M. Korn and Mikayla Boginsky

eople are calling it “the Big Quit.” As more and more organizations return to the office after more than a year of working from home, employees are leaving workplaces that don’t suit their needs anymore. Half of workers now report that they will not return to jobs that do not offer remote work. The good news for employees is that 90% of large companies are embracing the hybrid model, which combines on-site and remote work, according to a recent McKinsey survey of 100 executives at large organizations. The not-so-good news is that mishandling the transition to hybrid work threatens to reinforce social inequalities and jeopardize companies’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. A silver lining of the pandemic was the democratization of access to remote work. Before the pandemic, the remote model was typically limited to highly paid professionals. But over the past year and a half, we learned that working from home is possible in many lower-ranked jobs, from administrative roles to govern-

ment jobs. Unfortunately, we hear persistent reports that many employers are rescinding the right to remote work for lower-paid employees even as they create work-from-anywhere jobs for more highly paid positions. What is more, white employees are seven times more likely than Black employees to report being interested in returning to on-site work. A big reason is that Black workers face a more negative inperson workplace environment: When working from home, 64% reported being better able to manage stress, and 50% reported an increase in feelings of belonging at their organization. Importantly, Black and Latino women have dropped out of the workforce at alarming rates due to the pandemic, many due to a lack of access to affordable child care. And among those who are still employed, we’re hearing persistent reports of people being called back into work with only a few days’ notice, which leaves no time to arrange for child care. In setting up hybrid workplaces in ways that account for the disparities highlighted above, we recommend that employers follow five simple steps:

1. Set your target return date and give employees plenty of notice: Make sure to give employees

at least 45 days’ notice to prepare for their return. Employees may need to make or revise child or elder care arrangements, or to request and set up accommodations. Plenty of advance warning also gives employers a chance to make sure they are complying with all safety laws and recommendations, and it gives human resources time to review accommodation requests.

2. Recognize that some workers have a legal right to remote work: The shift to remote work

has been great for many employees with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act entitles disabled employees to reasonable accommodations that do not impose undue hardship on their employers. This means that employers that abruptly order everyone back to work could get sued. Even if you were not accommodating an employee with a disability before the pandemic, the fact that such a person has been working remotely for over a year can serve as evidence that a permanent accommodation does not present undue hardship to

the employer. Similarly, employees who are pregnant or breastfeeding may be legally entitled to workplace accommodations under federal or state laws.

3. Create a hybrid model policy that works for your organization:

Start by asking employees what they want. You may be surprised to learn how many employees are unwilling or unable to return to the office full time. Exploring what your workers want—and the barriers they are facing— may lead to a discovery that you can actually deliver many of the things they are looking for and keep you from losing top performers. Also keep in mind that with hybrid work there are many different formats to consider. In some cases each employee works some days in the office. In others, some employees are always remote, while some are always in person. Or employees may change work schedules depending on seasonal or external demands. Think about what the hybrid format you are choosing means for your company and whether you want to have the same format across the organization or leave it up to departments or teams.

4. Take action to avoid on-site favoritism: On-site favoritism oc-

curs when employees who work on site get more advancement opportunities than employees who don’t. If more women and people of color choose hybrid schedules, and more men and white people choose to be fully on site, the results are predictable. Research shows that on-site favoritism will predictably happen unless organizations take steps to ensure it doesn’t. To avoid that outcome, have managers keep track of who is getting career-enhancing assignments and who is stuck with the office housework. Look for patterns to see whether those who work on site are being favored over those who aren’t. While you’re at it, look for demographic patterns, too—alas, you’ll probably find them. If you do, you need to either train your managers to avoid bias, change the system, or both. If you don’t, becoming a hybrid workplace will just reinforce existing racial and gender hierarchies.

5: Rethink meetings: Meetings with a hybrid team can be tricky. Instead of trying to hold gatherings with some employees around a

table and others calling in, consider holding exclusively all-remote or all in-person meetings. That way, you won’t miss out on hearing insights from your remote workers. While you’re at it, pay attention to your schedule. If meetings are taking place in the evenings or at the school drop-off time, that can make it difficult or impossible for parents and caregivers to attend. Consider setting up “core hours” where all team members are expected to be available, and make an effort to schedule meetings during those times. Switching to hybrid work is going to require thoughtful and careful planning, but it’s an opportunity to shape the future. If employers do things right, they will democratize access to remote work and equalize access to careerenhancing opportunities at their organizations—and they can expect to see better retention of top talent as a result. Joan C. Williams is a distinguished professor of law, Hastings foundation chair and founding director of the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, Hastings Law, where Rachel M. Korn is the research director and Mikayla Boginsky is the policy and research fellow.

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❶ Armani sees return to prepandemic level sales next year Giorgio Armani SpA sees pre-pandemic level sales returning next year after the Italian fashion group lost about a quarter of its net revenue in 2020. “The goal is to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2022, with over €4 billion in indirect revenues, including licenses, and over €2 billion in direct consolidated revenues,” Giorgio Armani, chairman and chief executive officer of the Armani Group, said in a statement Sunday. Armani, 87, remains the sole shareholder of the company he cofounded in 1975. He provided jackets for the Italian national soccer team that won the European Championship earlier this month, and is building a suite of luxury apartments above his New York City flagship store. The Milan-based company reported total revenues last year from Armani-branded products worldwide, including licensing revenues, of €3.3 billion ($3.9 billion), down 21 percent from 2019, it said in a statement. The group’s consolidated net revenue fell 25 percent to 1.6 billion euros, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were €263 million. Still, the Italian fashion house started recovering in the first half of this year. Its consolidated revenue as of June rose 34 percent compared with the same period last year. The growth was driven by “the sharp recovery in sales volumes in China and the United States since the beginning of the year, and more recently also in Europe.” That will likely point “to a much better profitability scenario for 2021.” BLOOMBERG NEWS

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Monday, August 16, 2021

❷

Models 1991/2021 T

HIRTY years ago, Gianni Versace unleashed his Fall 1991 Ready-to-Wear collection with Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington closing the show. With Tatjana Patitz, the four graced the cover of British Vogue’s January 1990 issue, which led to them appearing in the David Fincher-directed George Michael music video “Freedom ’90.” But it was only the four who sashayed down the runway, arm in arm and wearing cocktail dresses, for the climactic finale as they lip-synched to the George Michael song. “If there was a collection that crystallized the supermodel moment, this was it,” US Vogue decreed. Fashion journalist Tim Blanks canonized it as “a fashion moment of biblical proportions.” Stephanie Seymour, Helena Christensen, Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni, Karen Mulder, Yasmeen Ghauri and even our very own Anna Bayle were part of this seminal show. But it was the four Supers, who were speculated to be paid $25,000 to $50,000, who raised the fees for models to the stratosphere. Over the years, the original supermodels became humanitarians, parlaying their global fame into advancing causes dear to them. Cindy focuses on childhood leukemia because her three-year-old brother Jeff died from it when she was 10. She supports the pediatric oncology program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is an honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Christy had difficulty giving birth to her son with actor Edward Burns. In 2010, she founded Every Mother Counts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother. She is also an antismoking activist, her father having died of lung cancer. Linda advocates for HIV/

AIDS research and awareness, breast cancer research and awareness, as well as being a staunch supporter of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and LGBT causes. Naomi is the most vocal and active. As early as 1991, she has decried racial bias to The Independent, “I may be considered one of the top models in the world, but in no way do I make the same money as any of them.” In 2013, with Iman and Bethann Hardison, they formed an advocacy group, called Diversity Coalition, which called out the governing bodies of global fashion weeks and big designers who hardly hired models of color. She is also the founder of Fashion for Relief, which raises funds to benefit survivors of hurricanes, earthquakes and terrorism. The cover girls of the 2021 September issue of US Vogue proves that vigorous activism is alive and well, especially in an insidious and problematic industry like fashion. They are raising their voices for representation, a safer working environment, body positivity, or using social media for social justice. While the OG supermodels were as diverse as they come—Cindy is All-American with European

ancestry, Linda is Italian-Canadian, Christy’s mom is El Salvadoran while Naomi is Afro-Jamaican/ British—the current crop is inclusive. Kaia Gerber is Cindy’s kid. South Sudanese Anok Yai was born in Egypt. Precious Lee is one of the few plus-size Black women to be on the cover of Vogue while Yumi Nu is the first plus-size Asian-American. Bella Hadid is Dutch-Palestinian. Sherry Shi was born to Chinese immigrants. Ariel Nicholson is proudly trans. Lola Leon is Madonna’s equally nonconformist daughter. The cover feature is a good read. For a better understanding of what the younger models are fighting for, there’s an accompanying video on Vogue’s YouTube channel. “I feel like in this industry, [it] is very competitive and very ambitious. So if you show the slightest bit of being weak, you can get taken down very easily,” Anok says. “It gets irritating when people have this one idea of what one Asian woman should be like when really there’s so much more. There’s so many types of Asian beauties in general,” Sherry asserts. “Representation I feel like it’s the bare minimum. And I feel like a lot of people act like representation is like the ultimate goal, right? Like everyone wants to be seen and heard and represented. But I feel like representation is a bit more complicated than that, there’s room for potential tokenization, because I was always openly trans and I made gender always a huge part of the conversation. And I still do. It’s something that I very much care about. But I don’t want it to be the only thing to define me,” Ariel affirms. “The work that I’m doing now is going to, in the future, provide more space for people after me. I take so much pride in showing up, anywhere I am, to represent [plus-size women of color] to the best of my abilities,” Precious emphasizes. n

Is cica the new niacinamide? New skin-care line launched

TOUTED as the go-to makeup line of every young Filipina, Careline Cosmetics is expanding its product portfolio as it launches a new line of skin-care products specially developed to care for young skin and complement your beauty routine. For an easy, four-step skin-care solution, Careline offers the new Skin Hero Set. Enriched with active ingredients, such as AHA, BHA, PHA, and Niacinamide, the set helps improve skin tone and texture, as well as hydrate, smoothen, brighten, and treat the skin. Its four key products include the Captain Cleanser, perfect for sensitive skin. Gentle and hydrating, the cleanser deeply cleans and refines pores, leaving skin soft and smooth. The Fighting Toner unclogs the pores and reduces excess oil to prevent whiteheads, blackheads, and acne. Meanwhile, its non-comedogenic Wonder Moisturizer calms troubled skin while the Super Serum treats hyperpigmentation and acne, and improves skin tone and texture. For total facial skin cleansing, the Gentle Jelly Cleanser is your go-to product. It is formulated with aloe vera extract and centella asiatica to calm and soothe skin, reduce dryness and irritation, so your skin feels fresh and hydrated. To remove makeup without residue and other dirt on the face, you can rely on Careline’s Micellar Tonic. This product is alcohol-free and made of glycerin, salicylic acid, centella asiatica, niacanamide and licorice root extract to reduce irritation and increase hydration, as well as achieve smooth, soft and supple skin. This is also ideal for sensitive and acneprone skin. On your me-time or before applying your makeup, treat or prep your skin with Careline’s new nourishing sheet masks which come in two variants: the Lemon Brightening Sheet Mask, which is your quick fix for dull and tired-looking skin; and the Watermelon Moisturizing Sheet Mask for dry and rough skin. Careline is available on popular e-commerce platforms (bit.ly/CarelineSkinLazada, bit.ly/CarelineSkinShopee), and in leading supermarkets, groceries, and department stores nationwide.

After niacinamide became mainstream, so many products in the skin-care market now contain this skin brightening and anti-inflammatory ingredient. Cetaphil’s Bright Healthy Radiance line, COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence, Celeteque Brightening Facial Wash, and Olay are only some of the selected brands and products that use niacinamide. As for cica, perhaps the brand that’s best known for using this ingredient is the Estee Lauder-owned Korean skin-care label Dr. Jart. Dr. Jart’s Cicapair line is very popular and the Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30 is viral on TikTok. So what does cica do? Cica or centella asiatica comes from the plant tiger grass (also known as gotu kola and Indian pennywort) and tigers are said to rub their wounds on it to help their skin regenerate. A 2012 study (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22817824/) found that centella asiatica hastened the wound healing process in both incision and burn wounds. In skin care, cica is believed to soothe and repair sensitive skin. If your skin is sensitive because of acid overuse or chemical peels, products with cica could help. But the amino acids, beta-carotene, fatty acids and phytochemicals, including vitamins C, A, B1 and B2, in cica also give it anti-microbial and anti-

Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream

inflammatory properties (this makes cica ideal for treating eczema and psoriasis). These ingredients are also believed to boost collagen production. Many Korean beauty products contain cica. There are many balms and creams in the market that have this ingredient. Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream moisturizes skin and also addresses irritations and sensitivity. This rich cream is best for use at night as a moisturizer or spot treatment for affected areas. COSRX Hydrium Centella Aqua Soothing Ampoule has 42 percent centella asiatica and its derivative madecassoside, plus vitamin B5 (panthenol), both with hydrating and antiinflammatory properties. Kiehl’s Centella Sensitive Cica-Cream, which promises 48-hour hydration, has D-panthenol and sustainably-sourced madecassoside. It protects the skin barrier of compromised skin.

The skin barrier is the outermost layer of skin cells and the lipid matrix that holds the cells together. The skin barrier is responsible for maintaining skin hydration, softness and firmness, and keeps potentially damaging chemicals and irritants out. Harsh ingredients in skin care and extreme weather conditions are two factors that can damage the skin carrier. Peeling, inflammation and dryness are some signs that your skin is damaged. We mentioned the skin barrier because cica is a good skin-care ingredient for repairing damaged skin. Dermatologists even recommend washing face with products that contain cica if patients have damaged and sensitive skin. Also, if your skin barrier is damaged, make sure to wear a sunscreen daily. Sunscreens don’t just protect the skin from the sun’s damaging rays but also against environmental stressors, such as air quality and light exposure.

❶ FROM left:

Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington at Gianni Versace Fall RTW 1991 show. PAUL MASSEY/ SHUTTERSTOCK

❷ US Vogue,

September 2021: (from left) Kaia Gerber in Tom Ford, Anok Yai in Ralph Lauren Collection, Precious Lee in Carolina Herrera, Bella Hadid in Christopher John Rogers, Sherry Shi in Proenza Schouler, Ariel Nicholson in Christopher John Rogers, Yumi Nu in Mara Hoffman and Lola Leon in Michael Kors Collection.

ETHAN JAMES GREEN

B6 Monday, Augut 16, 2021

Toyota PH introduces the Fleet Management Service

Go Negosyo, SM and Robinson’s Malls join forces for shared vaccination sites

the private sector’s inoculation rollouts. “With this, I recognize the efforts of our partners, SM and Robinsons, for facilitating a speedy private sector’s vaccination rollout, and making it more accessible to our kababayans,” he added. “We will continue providing the necessary support to the country’s vaccination drive to help reduce hesitancy and to strengthen willingness amongst Filipinos to get vaccinated against COVID-19. With our collaborative effort, we will be able to realize our goal of achieving herd immunity by year-end and bouncing back stronger and better in this pandemic,” SM Supermalls President Steven Tan said. Meanwhile, RLC President and CEO Frederick Go stressed his company’s commitment to help the country’s vaccination rollout in partnership with the private sector. “We, at Robinsons Land, are committed to doing our part in helping the country and our fellow Filipinos overcome this crisis. We will continue to support efforts to vaccinate the population at the soonest possible time,” Go shared.

Under “A Dose of Hope” program, led by Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo Founder Joey Concepcion, the private sector, national government, and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca have forged their lasting commitment in helping the country’s vaccine procurement process by signing a tripartite agreement. This effort is targeted to benefit the employees and economic frontliners in the country through the initiative of the private sector. With this partnership among Go Negosyo, Robinsons, and SM Supermalls, vaccination efforts through shared vaccination sites as such, gearing to vaccinate workers and economic frontliners under the category of micro, small, and medium enterprises’ (MSMEs) bracket, will eventually help us achieve our ultimate goal: to protect the most crucial 4th quarter of the year in order to achieve a Merrier Christmas and more prosperous new year. For interested MSMEs, please contact Go Negosyo Programs Development Officer Samantha Sadorra at 0917-550-2670.

Real Estate Asia Awards cites Pueblo de Oro for innovative development

HE Familia Apartments at Bamboo Lane, developed by Pueblo de Oro Development Corporation, has won the SpecialPurpose Development of the YearPhilippines in the Development Awards category of the recently concluded Real Estate Asia (REA) Awards 2021. Strategically located at the Pueblo de Oro township in Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro, Familia Apartments at Bamboo Lane is an apartment-style condominium complex comprised of four mid-rise buildings. A take-off from the best selling Familia Apartment

brand line, it is a vertical socialized housing development in Mindanao conceptualized to embody achievement, inclusivity, and modernization. Being a first of its kind, the project makes a valuable contribution by addressing the housing backlog for the common Filipino. The housing development has attained commercial success while addressing the needs of young families and professionals for quality development that is expediently located near public transportation and modern conveniences. “At Pueblo de Oro, we aim to achieve

you when the vehicles are already up for preventive maintenance, and schedules it for you. This service also covers driver training arrangement, insurance claiming and renewal processes, emergency roadside assistance, and disposal arrangement through our Toyota Certified Used Vehicle channels. With Fleet Management Service, you are not only ensured of Toyota Sure Advantage of quality, durability, and reliability, but also of cost savings through optimized fleet assets and maximized operational efficiency. At present, Toyota serves the fleet management needs of Toyota Financial Services Philippines. With their extensive and all-inclusive packages, the expansion to include more satisfied clients is a sure feat in their plans. Enhance the way you manage your fleet! Send us an email at fleetsolutions@ toyota.com.ph and start your journey towards the future of fleet mobility with us.

Fitness challenge donates US $15,000 to a global organization focused on making high-quality STEM education programs

VACCINATION rollout in Go Negosyo’s shared vaccination sites with SM and Robinsons Malls MIDST the current circuitbreaker lockdown in the National Capital Region, Go Negosyo, in partnership with SM Supermalls and Robinsons Land Corporation, launched close to 50 shared vaccination sites to assist and provide efficient access to vaccines to more than 300 MSMEs and their close to 170,000 employees nationwide. Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo Founder Joey Concepcion said that there is an urgency to halt the recently detected transmission of the Delta variant through an accelerated vaccination rollout. Concepcion stressed the necessity to make use of this ongoing lockdown to vaccinate a considerable number of people in the country’s pandemic epicenter. “We need to do this as fast as we can, as we are aggressively rolling out vaccination efforts to prevent the transmission of the Delta variant across Metro Manila,” he said. Concepcion also acknowledged the support of the country's major mall chains, SM and Robinsons, to facilitate

ARLIER this year, Toyota Motor Philippines introduced the Fleet Connected Service – a GPS-based system designed specifically for Toyota vehicles to assist business owners and operators in managing vehicle assets and optimizing productivity. Committed to provide only the best products and services, Toyota took another step forward and launched the Fleet Management Service last July 16, 2021. Understanding the challenges in work efficiency when it comes to managing your fleet, Toyota takes care of your fleet operations through this new product. The FMS (Fleet Management Service) can manage the complete lifecycle of your fleet, from vehicle purchase to disposal. This, in turn, allows you to efficiently manage your company’s resources and improve productivity in your day to day fleet operations. Included in the service package are the LTO-related processes, such as registration renewal and transfer of ownership. With Toyota’s connected device, it will notify

inclusivity in the developments that we undertake. It is in this spirit that we wish to enhance the well-being of individuals from all walks of life through the housing projects that we do,” said Pueblo de Oro president Prim Nolido. Presented by Real Estate Asia magazine, the award recognizes the most innovative real estate developments in Asia Pacific that stand out in the market regardless of a challenging environment. Other winners from the Philippines included Bria Homes, Grand Land, and New San Jose Builders.

RINGING back the highly successful Step Forward, Give Back Challenge, Sitel Group presented employees with a united global fitness challenge for the chance to donate US $15,000 to World Learning, a global organization focused on making high-quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education programs available worldwide. First launched in 2020, the program invited associates all over the world to engage in friendly competition and participate in a variety of physical activities while challenging them to accumulate 1,000,000 points to unlock a donation to a global NonGovernment Organization (NGO). “For 2021, we wanted to make it even bigger and better. We experienced such a

THE “Be Your Best Yoga Pose Challenge” was one of the contests for Sitel Philippines associates that encouraged them to participate and gave them a chance to win fun prizes.

positive response in 2020 and now we’ve challenged our global teams to take it even further. This year, we're supporting the STEM education program of the World Learning organization which is aligned with our global CSR strategy of education and wellbeing,” shared Dimitar Pigev, global program manager, SitelFit. For the 2021 edition, associates are challenged to reach 3,000,000 points globally and activate 3,000 new SitelFit users across the company’s 29 countries around the world. The NGO operates in over 60 locations worldwide with participants from over 162 countries. “Our associates rose to the challenge admirably. They completed it in just 19 days. Through this initiative, we emphasize our company values and culture, make stronger connections, focus on our people’s wellbeing, create opportunities for growth in our communities and have fun together,” Pigev said. In the Philippines, associates hosted local inter-site challenges. Sites in the country were encouraged to sign-up new members and contribute to the global step challenge. Weekly challenges with different activities and fitness pose goals were launched, and the site with the highest points and sign-ups won a monetary donation for their chosen local charity.

ASEANTA, Fusionex partner to amplify global tourism business opportunities

SEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) signed an agreement with AI and Big Data technology market leader Fusionex to introduce ASEANTA Travel Exchange (ATEX), a comprehensive virtual exhibition and engagement platform, to help facilitate an inclusive business environment and provide greater access to new markets. The Covid-19 pandemic has wrought unprecedented disruption upon the travel and tourism sector as borders have been closed and large gatherings discouraged. By leveraging ATEX to pivot from physical to virtual, ASEANTA is able to seamlessly improve accessibility, connection and engagement while removing the restrictions of time and space through virtual exhibitions, webinars, digital marketing campaigns and more. “This collaboration between ASEANTA and Fusionex is an historical event – a true ASEAN partnership bringing together the combined resources of ASEAN member states, in both the public and private sector, to take tourism in the region to new levels and to firmly establish ASEAN as one of the most viable and attractive tourism destinations in the world,” said Mr Eddy Krismeidi Soemawilaga, President of ASEANTA. Powered by Fusionex technologies, ATEX offers a suite of innovative solutions to empower ASEANTA in organizing virtual events while driving meaningful and measurable online interactions. The platform offers an intelligent B2B matchmaking feature that connects local enterprises with global businesses, thereby expanding market reach. Travel and tourism players can also leverage the platform’s global distribution system to conduct secure and uninterrupted business transactions. The robust platform enables businesses

to showcase their offerings via virtual booths, facilitate pitching sessions through livestreaming, provide real-time reporting capabilities as well as performance monitoring and measurement features. It also allows enterprises to capitalize on powerful AI-powered digital marketing tools to tailor personalized campaigns. ATEX enables ASEANTA to not only create engaging online events but generate vital business prospects and develop networking opportunities as well in a data-driven way. “As Covid-19 has brought the travel and tourism sector to a halt, ASEANTA has demonstrated its dedication to the industry by embracing digitalization to bring new avenues of progress to pave the way for the future of travel, hospitality and tourism. We are proud to be joining forces with ASEANTA to introduce ATEX to the region as it will play a crucial role in empowering all industry players to innovate, share, collaborate and do business — helping enterprises to cope with the pandemic and new norm for continued sustainability,” said Fusionex Group CEO Dato' Seri Ivan Teh. ASEANTA was formed on 27th March 1971 as a non-profit tourism association comprising 35 members from both public and private tourism sector organizations, such as national travel associations, national hotel associations, airlines and National Tourism Organizations from ASEAN Countries. Visit www.aseanta.org. Fusionex is an established multi-awardwinning data technology leader specializing in Analytics, Big Data Management, IR 4.0, Internet of Things, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Its state-of-theart offerings are focused on helping clients unlock value and derive insights from data. To learn more, visit www.fusionexinternational.com.

Marketing BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Monday, August 16, 2021 B7

On newsjacking, the Olympics, and insensitivity

PR Matters

By Abigail Ho-Torres

S social media became more pervasive, marketing and public relations professionals became even more creative. The past several years have given rise to new techniques to rack up views and engagements. Creatives went on a rampage to capitalize on the latest news and trends. As early as 2011, marketer David Meerman Scott coined the term newsjacking, which he defined as “the art and science of injecting your ideas into a breaking news story so you and your ideas get noticed.” In 2017, Oxford Dictionaries shortlisted the term as one of their “Words of the Year.” A very enthusiastic pitch on his web site regarding newsjacking states: “When there is news in your marketplace, reporters and analysts are looking for experts to comment on the story. Newsjacking gets you media attention. With little effort! As the story develops in real-time, buyers become interested in products and services based on what’s happening now. Newsjacking generates sales leads and adds new customers. For free! Newsjacking is a great way to grow your business. Faster than ever!” Newsjacking has become a movement of sorts, even giving rise to a mutated version called trendjacking, which means hijacking a trend to go viral and gain widespread media coverage and public attention. Scott, after writing the book Newsjacking: How to Inject Your Ideas into a Break-

Campaign Spotlight: Holcim new campaign highlights confidence in Philippine recovery

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Leading building solutions provider Holcim Philippines Inc. will launch a campaign encouraging people to stand together and build again to help the country

ing News Story and Generate Tons of Media Coverage, continues to preach the gospel of newsjacking to organizations big and small all over the world. Many local marketers and PR practitioners use this technique, too.

Jumping on the Olympic bandwagon

AMID news of the surge in the number of Covid-19 Delta variant cases globally, the world also kept close tabs on what was happening in Tokyo for the one-yeardelayed staging of the Olympics. For two weeks, both social media and mainstream media were abuzz with news of triumphs and defeats and everything else in between in 33 sports spanning 339 medal events. The biggest news for the Philippines came on July 26, when weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz won the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal. As expected, marketers from brands big and small were quick to capitalize on this huge piece of news. Literally within minutes of Diaz’s feat, congratulatory art cards started sprouting on social media. Even some government agencies joined in the fun. Most brands expressed their congratulations through simple copy accompanied by strong visuals. Some did not even include their logos, but instead used brand elements like color, font, and icons to make them identifiable. Some were more brazen, with a call to action included in the copy: provid-

get back on its feet. Called “ Tayo na Tayo, Pilipinas (Let us stand and build, Philippines), the new campaign highlights Holcim Philippines’ hope for the country’s future and its promise to support reconstruction. The centerpiece of the campaign is a video spot expressing the company’s optimism to be played on social and broadcast media this August. The company also plans a series of initiatives to encourage its employees, customers and other stakeholders to maintain their optimism and support efforts to build a better Philippines.

ing discounts or flat rates related to Diaz’s winning moment, e.g. the weight that won her the gold or the total weight that she lifted throughout the competition. In the sea of all the brilliant and not-so-brilliant congratulatory cards, the one from local plastic product manufacturer Orocan went against the current and managed to rise above the noise. In its signature witty and humorous tone, the brand called out all of the other well-wishers in four lines of copy: “’Wag na tayong magplastikan. Last year, na-seen zone si Hidilyn sa ‘ting mga brands. Ngayon, cheer zone tayo sa kanya. Orocan yarrrn?” Roughly translated, with some tweaks to provide context to the statement: “Let’s be real. Last year, we were oblivious to Hidilyn’s calls for support for her Olympic training. Now we’re cheering for her.” The reference to the brand at the end of the statement is a play on Filipino slang Orocan (yes, the brand has made it into the Filipino slang universe), which is a synonym for another slang term “plastic”—all pertaining to a person, or in this case a brand, that is essentially a fake, a poser, a pretender. This witty—and brave—take came from homegrown independent ad agency Gigil, which describes itself as “Asia’s most effective independent agency.”

Hit and miss

ACCORDING to Gigil’s web site:

The video opens on a sombre note empathizing with people affected by the health crisis while showing construction projects on pause. It then switches to a positive and determined tone encouraging people to resume building, while Holcim products are prominently displayed in several construction projects and with a soaring orchestral music playing in the background. William Sumalinog, senior vice president and head of Sales of Holcim Philippines: “The campaign reminds our fellow Filipinos that we can recover from our challenges and rebuild to

“Gigil is a word that curiously can’t be translated into any other language. Some say it means ‘the overwhelming feeling of wanting to squeeze something.’ And that’s the sort of thing we want to create. Work that delights, angers, activates. Work that’s equal to the best of the world’s, because it’s Filipino.” And the agency is spot-on in its description of itself and the work that it does. Many of its campaigns have elicited a full spectrum of reactions, emotions, and actions—delight, anger, incredulity being some of them— from the positive to the negative to the in-between. After getting laughs, shares, and tons of positive media coverage for its Orocan Hidilyn card, the agency is now under fire for an ad it created for Belo Medical Group titled “Pandemic Effect.” The video, which has since been taken down, shows the transformation of a woman while watching a news program on TV: eyebags growing bigger and darker, eyebrows meeting in the middle to become a unibrow, facial hair turning into a moustache, hair in different parts of the body growing wildly, acne sprouting all over the face, and weight just piling on and on and on. The ad ended with this statement: “Tough times call for beautiful measures.” The ad did get a lot of reactions, but mostly—overwhelmingly—of the negative kind. Many described the ad as tone-deaf and insensitive.

become more resilient. ‘Tayo na Tayo’ also emphasizes that our stakeholders can count on Holcim Philippines to continue being a trusted partner in building progress in the Philippines.” Holcim Philippines’ campaign fits well with the importance of the construction industry in returning the country to its development path. The government has promised to build back a stronger and more resilient economy this year, with increased investments in new infrastructures among the key initiatives. The private sector is similarly optimistic that the construction industry will contribute to lifting the

Others felt that it belittled the toll that this pandemic has taken on a lot of people, particularly those who have lost loved ones and friends to the virus. Some said the ad reeked of body-shaming, preying on women’s insecurities to sell products and services. Both Gigil and Belo Medical Group have issued statements of apology. What lessons can we learn from this? While it’s true that we need to be extra creative and to think outside the box if we want to rise above all of the clutter and the noise, we should never sacrifice empathy for shock value and virality. Read the room. Get to know your target audience well so you can communicate to them in their language. Think long term while leveraging on the news or trends of the moment. PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier organization for PR professionals around the world. Abigail L. Ho-Torres is AVP and Head of Advocacy and Marketing of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. She spent more than a decade as a business journalist before making the leap to the corporate world. We are devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@gmail.com.

economy. Others are taking the opportunity to bring sustainability principles to the recovery by redesigning infrastructures and cities so they can be built with fewer resources, while ensuring they engage people and protect the environment. To support partners in building better, Holcim Philippines has driven the introduction of new construction solutions with lower environmental footprint and better performance than conventional alternatives, such as the Holcim Solido and Holcim AquaX infrastructure and waterproofing solutions.

By Josef Ramos

ARSON CITY, California—Johnriel Casimero retained his World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title on Sunday, beating a veteran Guillermo Rigondeaux who did nothing but run around the ring all night long. Surprisingly, the pride of Ormoc City, Casimero, earned a split decision victory in the 12-round boring of a duel that was nowhere the electrifying confrontation promised by the Cuban during the prefight press conference where both protagonists had a hay day trash talking each other. Daniel Sandoval and Robert Hoyle gave the 32-year-old Casimero the fight, 116-112 and 117-111, respectively, but not Tim Cheatham, who saw it 115-113 for the 40-yearold two-time Olympic champion. All three judges are Americans. “I was a little surprised. All I can say is I don’t know what Tim Cheatham was looking at, but he needs to go back to figure out how to score a fight because he is horrible tonight,” MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons said at ringside of the Dignity Health Sports Park. “You don’t win fights on your back foot running for your life… I think he’s [Rigondeaux] running to the hotel now.” Casimero relentlessly stalked Rigondeaux but couldn’t create any heated exchange as the Cuban preferred to stay beyond striking distance of the champion’s fists after getting hurt in the opening round. “My expectations were for a knockout. Me and all my fans wanted that,” said Casimero, who won his eighth straight fight. “I did my best to knock him out, but he was just running and running and not fighting.” “I know Rigondeaux is an intelligent fighter, but I never expected that,” added Casimero, who improved to 31-4 won-lost (21 knockouts). “He was running all the time.” Rigondeaux appeared hurt after getting hit on the head in the first round. Casimero did all the chasing eager to unleash killer blows after that. “He told me during the press conference that he’s going to fight toe-to-toe, but it didn’t happen,” the Filipino said. “I asked him ‘why are you running all night?’ He really wanted to discourage me, but it didn’t happen.”

BORING NIGHT

IN CARSON CITY

Sports BusinessMirror

ALL him a “punch drunk” or a mere “boksingero lang ‘yan” or any other ugly names. But Senator Manny Pacquiao’s name will forever be etched in the hearts and minds of his millions of fans here and abroad. Like many other boxers who fought their way out of poverty, Pacquiao’s life story will always serve as an inspiration for anyone among the poorest of the poor in our society that there is always a reason to dream and go all out to make it a reality. For sure, everybody knows that the Pacquiao family belonged to the indigent sector of our society during his younger days. But with sheer guts and determination, he started fighting at a very young age to survive and prove that he was not merely daydreaming in pursuit of that much needed success in his life. And he was right. From being one of the poorest among the

Rigondeaux (20-2 win-loss record with 13 knockouts) didn’t unleash even a single solid punch and engaged three-division world champion Casimero to a hugging and running match especially in the latter rounds. Casimero even showed how bored he was of the fight in the seven round when he stood in the middle of the ring, kept his guard

poor, he became one of the richest among the rich in our country. He became one of the most sought after personalities in the world invited by world leaders in the likes of US President Barack Obama to the White House in February 2011 wherein, while crossing the street to the White House, “a cluster of cars stopped to watch and snap photos of him causing a four-car accident with nobody getting hurt;” Prince Harry at the Buckingham Palace in January 2015; US President Bill Clinton who visited Pacquiao in Las Vegas and wished him good luck in his scheduled fight against Ricky Hatton in May 2009; and the University of Oxford of England, one of the top-ten universities of the world where he spoke before some of its students about his “university of life” referring to his rags-to-riches life story. Some students were reported to be teary-eyed when Pacquiao recalled that “We were dirt poor. I had to work since the age of five, to help my mother feed my three siblings and me. Many days, I was lucky to have one full meal. On days

Inequitable decision WATCHING Untold: Malice at the Palace on Netflix, it brought me back to one of the most infamous melees in sports history. While I knew much of what happened as someone who keenly followed the events, what was interesting was to see the various people involved in the now infamous brawl speak out.

| Monday, August 16, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao MANNY PACQUIAO’S about to wrap up his Wild Card Gym training camp. COURTESY OF WENDELL ALINEA

PACQUIAO GETS ‘A’ IN SPARRING

JOHNRIEL CASIMERO connects against Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux who did nothing but run around the ring all night long. COURTESY OF JHAY OH OTAMIAS

Why Manny inspires many By Atty. Romulo B. Macalintal

I was a bit surprised that the documentary people left out also the ill-fated US men’s olympic team which finished with a bronze medal just two months prior to the Malice at the Palace. As I recall, people were tiring of a National Basketball Association (NBA) landscape that had changed from the glorious 1980s of Larry

down without throwing while his opponent kept dancing around. The Filipino champion landed 47 punches to Rigondeaux’s 44, numbers so low they’re not typical of a world title fight. Jonas Sultan, meanwhile, impressed in the undercard with a seventh-round technical knockout triumph over American Sharone

Carter in their non-title eightround bantamweight clash. Sultan (17-5 record with 11 knockouts) finished off Carter with a straight right to finally get a victory after a two-year layoff. He knocked down fellow Filipino, Salatiel Amit, in Ormoc City also in the seventh round in his last outing two years ago.

when we had no food, I would drink lots of water just to fill my stomach. But my mind and spirit were never hungry. And he inspired them with his message that “I am a fighter and I will always be a fighter not just because this is my profession. All my life I have fought to live…I have fought for survival,” But this man remains humble all throughout his incomparable great achievements. He could claim all these as his own personal glory and triumphs. But no, he humbly shared them with his country and his fellow men, a perfect example of his known humility

and spirituality. This is why Manny really inspires many of our people especially the poor who look up to him as an idol, a hero who could motivate them to dream of bigger dreams and believe that poverty is not a hindrance

OLLYWOOD, California— Manny Pacquiao sparred the last of his fourrounders on Saturday, a week before the senator goes after Yordenis Ugas’s World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight belt. And impressed Abraham Lopez was. “It’s going to be a stoppage in the later rounds for Manny [Pacquiao],” the 25-year-old Lopez told BusinessMirror after their sparring session, adding that Pacquiao packs his trademark persistency, timing and “everything else” at 42. “You cannot be slow with Manny, and Ugas is too open,” said Lopez, who’s three inches taller than the 5-foot-6 Pacquiao. “Ugas throws jabs and brings you down too slowly.” Ugas replaced International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. who underwent surgery to repair a torn retina in his right eye on Wednesday. Team Pacquiao immediately switched strategy and called out right-handed sparring partners who mimic Ugas’s orthodox style. Besides Lopez, also called in were Wild Card regulars Arnold

to achieve one’s feat. True to what he told the Oxford students that “being poor does not mean dying poor. I believe I was destined to serve as an inspiration for the average Filipino to fight, to rise above adversity, and to embrace life and all its difficulties.” Thus, whatever happens to his upcoming fight against Yordenis Ugas, Pacquiao will always be a legend in the eyes of the masses and to all his adoring fans. To them, what is more compelling is his most fascinating life story of having been poor and yet was able to withstand all odds and adversities in order to achieve enormous success in life with a clean slate and an unblemished reputation. Indeed, long after his retirement, the legacy of Manny Pacquiao will not just be about his superb boxing skills and “once-in-ageneration” talent. More than this,

Gonzalez, Ivan Redkach and Giovanni Cabrera. Renowned trainer Freddie Roach instructed Lopez to box the way Ugas does, much in the same manner as they prepared for Keith Thurman, who Pacquiao beat via split decision in July 2019 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Pacquiao sewed together eight rounds of sparring last week before shifting to a light conditioning routine. His team leaves for Las Vegas on Monday (Tuesday in Manila), a good five days before fight night on Sunday at the T-Mobile Arena. Pacquiao, who drove to the Wild Card Gym after lunch on his black two-door Mercedes SL 550, immediately plunged into his usual body warmup before hitting the mitts with chief trainer Buboy Fernandez while Roach gave instructions. After the sparring session, Pacquiao pummeled the punching bag, double end bag and speed ball. “I feel real good,” Pacquiao said. “The coaching staff, especially coach Freddie [Roach], says the timing is there.” Around 50 fans, including Filipina actor KC Concepcion, went to see Pacquiao train at the Wild Card Gym on Saturday. Everyone had to undergo antigen tests and were barred from taking photos or videos, including media, while Pacquiao trained. Josef Ramos people will remember his story—of how one man who was born very poor, literally fought his way from survival to global dominance; and that despite all his success and influence, how he remained grounded through it all. Once again, come August 22, chants of “Manny! Manny! Manny!” will surely echo and reecho in our streets as our entire nation watches and prays for his victory in his fight against Ugas, while we also implore the God Almighty for the safety of both boxers. n Atty. Romulo B. Macalintal served as election lawyer of Manny Pacquiao in various elections and a boxing enthusiast. In his younger days, he collected newspaper clippings of known boxers. He has a scrap book of news clips of Muhammad Ali in the 60s which was autographed by Ali in September 1975 when Ali came to Manila for the Thrilla in Manila fight with Joe Frazier. Macalintal, of Las Piñas City, has also a wide collection of newspapers front-page photos of Manny Pacquiao’s various fights with the latter’s autograph.

ATTY. ROMULO MACALINTAL poses with people’s champ Manny Pacquiao in one of his earlier fights and framed copies of BusinessMirror’s sports section featuring the senator’s ring conquests.

Bird and Magic Johnson to the Chicago Bulls’ dominance of the 1990s. The face of the NBA was the swag and petulance of Allen Iverson and of the crotch grabbing Larry Johnson and Shawn Kemp, Kobe Bryant was embroiled in a rape case and had just come off a feud with Shaquille O’Neal and Phil Jackson. And then the US team to the 2004 Athens Olympics was a miscast one of young stars who didn’t have a clue. As a result, you had Iverson and Stephon Marbury in charge. So NBA basketball wasn’t in a good place at that time. Which is why in the aftermath of the Malice at the Palace, many sports analysts threw the word “thug” into the discussion. I believe that people weren’t enamored of this street, hip-hop and thug culture that had crept into the NBA. And in my opinion, the withering criticism mollified then NBA Commissioner David Stern who laid all the blame on the players—namely the Indiana Pacers’ Ron Artest, Stephen

Jackson, Jermaine O’Neal, Anthony Johnson and David Harrison, and the Detroit Piston’s Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Derrick Coleman and Elden Campbell. For some reason, the fans who started the melee and who clearly exacerbated the situation, and the Palace of Auburn Hills organization, and the NBA were not held accountable. I thought that the documentary did not mention how many sports journalists called out the fans for starting the brawl. As I recall, Stephen A. Smith, the late John Peterson Saunders and former player turned analyst Tim Legler pointed to the fans. A poll taken by ESPN at that time (I voted in that poll) saw 46 percent of fans blame the Detroit fans. Some say that Artest’s lying down on the table made him a target. That is an easy thing to say except Artest previously did that when trying to cool down. Nevertheless, I can understand how Stern arrived at that decision because he was consistent in

making the NBA palatable to families and away from a mostly male demographic. He had clearly looked at Major League Baseball’s success in bringing families to America’s National pastime. And yet, I thought then as in today, had that cup of water not been thrown by John Green, there would have been no fight. Had there been more security instead of the measly three assigned to game, it would have not happened. Had fans not gone on to the court, there would have been no further fighting. Watching the NBA closely that year, I honestly believed that year was for the Indiana Pacers to lose. Following the lengthy suspensions of Artest, Jackson and O’Neal, the Pacers finished third in the Central Division with a 4438 record and lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals, 4-2… to Detroit of all teams. Incredibly, Indiana had one last gasp as they led the series, 2-1, before losing their next three games. The unavailability of Artest was clearly felt.

Reggie Miller retired after that season and the next year’s Artest was gone. Two years’ time, Jackson left for the Golden State Warriors. Only O’Neal, Jeff Foster and Jamaal Tinsley were left. They slid into mediocrity and only picked themselves up during the 2011-12 season under coach Frank Vogel (Foster was the only one left from the team that played during the Malice at the Palace). In my opinion, the harsh penalties levied on the Indiana Pacers hurt them as a team (and their chances of vying for the championship) and Jermaine O’Neal’s career. The latter was made clear in the Netflix documentary. I thought that Stern’s decision was inequitable. He clearly overlooked other aspects. Whether on purpose or not, we will not know as he has shifted this mortal coil. While clearly, a brawl of this proportion must not happen again, so must these decisions of one also be avoided. We must think there isn’t any malice involved, right?