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Govt claims initial victory with P1.7B spent out of P47B 7-year outlay to win ‘Battle for Manila Bay’

TRUMP wears a face mask as he participates in a tour of Bioprocess Innovation Center at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, July 27, 2020, in Morrisville, North Carolina. AP/EVAN VUCCI

Trump tests positive for Covid-19 after close aide becomes ill

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By Jordan Fabian | Bloomberg News

RESIDENT Donald Trump announced early Friday that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for Covid-19, shortly after one of his closest aides, Hope Hicks, had fallen ill with the coronavirus.

EXCAVATORS fill the 500-meter stretch of the famed baywalk on Manila Bay with white sand as part of the bay’s rehabilitation efforts. NONIE REYES

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By Jonathan L. Mayuga

HE Duterte administration has allotted a whopping P47-billion budget for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay that may include as well the desilting of clogged esteros and cleanup of heavily polluted river tributaries and creeks connected to the historic bay once known for its pristine waters and spectacular sunsets.

The ambitious seven-year project, dubbed the “Battle for Manila Bay,” was launched on January 27, 2019, and has so far spent an initial P1.7 billion to bankroll the initial clean-up activities since it was unveiled in an event participated by more than 5,000 project supporters.

Several host projects were implemented since then by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), lead agency of the Manila Bay Task Force, documents obtained by the BusinessMirror showed.

For the implementation of the P1.7 billion worth of projects by the DENR-DPWH Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program, a memorandum of agreement was signed between DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu and DPWH Secretary Mark Villar last year. The projects include various clean-up activities and engineering interventions in Manila Bay and priority esteros in Metro Manila.

Budget and funding source

MEANWHILE, the current P47billion seven-year rehabilitation program at the behest of the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program is firmly anchored on the 2008 Supreme Court continuing mandamus ordering 13 government agencies to rehabilitate Manila Bay. In September last year, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced the release of P2.1 billion, sourced from the P13-billion contingency fund of the national government last year. The release of the fund was approved by President Duterte on September 13, 2019, through the issuance of seven Special Allotment Release Orders.

The P2.1-billion budget is on top of the P80-million budget allocation for the operational plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Management Strategy also last year.

The funding for the projects, such as the controversial P389-million beach “nourishment” project,

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which has an original project cost of P400 million, was downloaded to the DENR which, in turn, transferred most of the funds to the DPWH, the project’s implementer.

MAC Builders, one of DPWH’s biggest contractors, and its joint venture partners got the lion’s share in the DENR-DPWH undertaking, documents accessible from the DPWH’s official website revealed.

Focus: Manila Baywalk

MOST of the DPWH-DENR joint undertakings are so far concentrated in the National Capital Region, where water is found to be most polluted and the garbage problem at its worst.

There are two major components of the project. The first component is the Manila Bay clean-up, while the second component is the so-called application of technologies.

The beach nourishment project is listed under the Manila Bay Clean-up Activity. It was awarded to MAC Builders and DragonHart Construction Enterprise Inc. joint venture undertaking after having been declared as “bidder with the single calculated and responsive bid” last December 27, 2019.

Another component under the activity is the purchase and installation of containment devices and silt curtains with a budget allocation of P50 million, practically to address turbidity problems. For this, a contract worth P47,543,853.48 was awarded on January 2 this year to MAC Builders/DragonHart Construction Enterprises Inc. tandem, the same joint venture that won the beach nourishment project.

In the Manila Baywalk alone, another project component involves the dredging and disposal of solid waste, or sludge, using oceanbased methodologies, including the construction and extension of three drainage outfalls. It has an original project cost allocation of P510 million.

The project was included in the DPWH’s updated annual procurement plan for 2020 but with a procurement cost of P491,872,711.55.

The contract was secured by MAC Builders and MSB Vitug Construction joint venture. It was awarded by the DPWH on December 27, 2019.

Under the second component described as application of technologies is the purchase and installation of a 2,500-meter trash boom which has a P100-million allocation. This was included in President Duterte’s 2020 midyear report as having been completed, or accomplished.

The project was awarded to Agafer Construction and Trading and J.D. Panlaqui Construction and Trading joint venture at a contract cost of P96,505,714.

Priority estero projects

COMPLETING the list of projects for application of technologies is the clearing, grubbing, desilting, removal and hauling of submerged garbage from priority esteros. It has an allocation of P640 million.

The clearing of priority esteros of illegal structures and removing of garbage and other debris on the river beds aims to ensure the smooth flow of water and prevent flooding in low-lying areas in Metro Manila during heavy downpours.

COUNSELOR to the President Hope Hicks (left) and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner walk from Marine One to accompany President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One as he departs Wednesday, September 30, 2020, at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. AP/ALEX BRANDON

“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for Covid-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” Trump said on Twitter.

In a memo released early Friday morning, Trump’s physician said that the President and First Lady plan to remain at the White House “during their convalescence” and that the medical unit would “maintain a vigilant watch.”

“Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments,” White House physician Scott Conley said.

US stock futures fell more than 1 percent early Friday after Trump said he tested positive.

Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said contact tracing for Trump and Melania Trump was being carried out and “the appropriate notifications and recommendations will be made.” Contact tracing for Hicks, he added, was already complete.

The 74-year-old President’s positive result will likely sharpen already intense public attention on his ineffectual handling of the pandemic as he campaigns for re-election against Democrat Joe Biden, who leads in national polls.

It wasn’t immediately clear how Trump contracted the virus, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans. But Hicks tested positive after flying with aboard Air Force One to the presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday and to a campaign rally in Minnesota on Wednesday.

“We spent a lot of time with Hope and others. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump said during the Fox interview with Sean Hannity.

Several other members of Trump’s circle tested positive for the virus earlier this year—including National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien.

His aides have worried that Trump’s lack of sleep during the final stretch of the presidential campaign could leave him especially vulnerable to infection. The President did not return to the Continued on A2

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n JAPAN 0.4592 n UK 62.4624 n HK 6.2529 n CHINA 7.1106 n SINGAPORE 35.5551 n AUSTRALIA 34.8122 n EU 56.9236 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.9197

Source: BSP (October 2, 2020)

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A2 Saturday, October 3, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

WHATEVER IT TAKES Continued from A1

The project is subdivided into several small projects. Some companies have already been issued notices of award and to proceed for small segments in priority esteros at project costs ranging between P4 million and P46 million.

As of September 2020, a total of 20 priority estero projects were completed while 19 are still ongoing.

Among those completed is a 900-meter section of the Estero de Tripa de Galina, a water body leading out to Manila Bay, with a contract cost of P46.5 million.

Parallel activities

THE initiative for priority esteros by the DENR-DPWH duplicates publicprivate partnership initiatives of the DENR and various stakeholders under the ongoing Adopt-an-Estero/ Water Body Program.

With the launching of the Battle for Manila Bay, the Adopt-an-Estero/ Water Body Program is described as “a direct response to the continuing mandamus by the Supreme Court for agencies led by the DENR to clean up Manila Bay, particularly through esteros and waterways that empty into it,” the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) official website stated.

Since the Adopt-an-Estero/Water Body Program was launched in 2010, a total of 569 companies and groups have become DENR partners and 346 water bodies have been adopted and cleared of solid waste nationwide, the DENR-EMB reported.

Speaking during a webinar and online forum dubbed “People’s Environmental Impact Assessment: Dolomite Dumping in Manila Bay” on September 16, DENREMB Director William Cunado said the DENR-DPWH priority estero project is on top of the “Adopt-anEstero/Water Body” program activities, which were implemented at no cost to the government as expenses are all shouldered by the DENR’s project partners.

“That [Adopt-an-Estero/Water Body] is a joint effort of the DENR with some companies who are volunteering their resources for some esteros to be adopted. We encourage our partners to adopt an estero to improve certain portions of the river. That is not only in Manila but throughout the country, especially in highly urbanized areas,” he explained.

To further boost ongoing river and estero cleanups, in November last year, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has announced the hiring of 2,000 estero rangers to help local government units maintain the water bodies free of garbage.

At least 203 creeks and waterways traversing the 711 barangays will be serviced by the estero rangers, according to the DENR chief.

Of the P389 million, only P28 million was actually spent for crushed dolomite. The rest was used for engineering interventions to keep the sand intact.

Critics said the dumping of crushed dolomite, implemented in the middle of a global pandemic, is a waste of money. They said such a huge amount could have been spent on other more meaningful projects, like mangrove reforestation, to boost the natural protection of communities along Manila Bay. They said the artificial white sand may soon be swept away by the strong current and waves in the event of a strong typhoon that triggers storm surges.

Various quarters also raised the wisdom of the project, notwithstanding its “good intentions” as they put forward environmental and health concerns. They also lamented the fact that no environmental impact study, or scientific research, was conducted before implementing the project.

Lastly, the fact that the project was implemented without the conduct of public consultations was criticized, considering that it is an environmentally critical project and done in an environmentally critical area.

Good intention, bad timing

‘Above board’

THE controversial P389-million beach nourishment project awarded to MAC Builders and DragonHart Construction Enterprises Inc. in December 2019 drew both admiration and flak from various quarters.

THE DENR, which was at the receiving end of the criticisms for pushing the beach nourishment project’s implementation, defended it as safe to human health and the environment and above board.

“We encourage our partners to adopt an estero to improve certain portions of the river. That is not only in Manila but throughout the country especially in highly urbanized areas.”—DENR-EMB DIRECTOR WILLIAM CUNADO

GARBAGE litter Manila Bay near the Manila Yacht Club, even as rehabilitation continues on a part of the coast to give the area a “white-sand” beach look. The project has drawn criticism, with concerns over possible health hazards that the crushed dolomite might cause, and the use of millions in public funds on a beautification project as the country faces a pandemic. NONIE REYES

DENR Undersecretary for Local Government Units and Solid Waste Management Concerns Benny Antiporda also rejected insinuations of corruption in the Manila Bay cleanup efforts and laughed off alleged overpricing in the purchase of the crushed dolomite from Alcoy, Cebu, which was used to create the Boracay-like beach portion in Manila Baywalk area.

“The project is above board and there’s no corruption here. Since 2008, it is only under the Duterte administration that positive results came out of government efforts in Manila Bay,” Antiporda told the BusinessMirror in a telephone interview.

Accomplishments of past administrations, he said, pale in comparison to what the Duterte administration had accomplished in such a short period, not to mention the onand-off community quarantines put in place since March.

Before the DENR started carrying out the P1.7-billion portion of the Duterte administration’s ambitious “Battle for Manila Bay” the past year, other agencies covered by the SC’s 2008 mandamus

had also spent billions for projects related to the High Court’s orders to keep the bay clean.

The DPWH spent a whopping total of P5.6 billion from 2009 to 2016 for numerous dredging/ desilting projects for creeks and esteros; work on the Manila Bay seawall; riprapping and the retaining wall; and slope protection of esteros and creeks.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) spent roughly P170 million from 2008 to 2015 as its support for LGUs that ring the bay and were made liable by the mandamus for the cleanup.

The DENR itself, in the years between the issuance of the mandamus and the Duterte presidency, also spent P1.384 billion, with the largest disbursement in 2014 at P160 million.

Destabilization issue?

ANTIPORDA said criticisms against the project, particularly the dumping of crushed dolomite, were done in “bad faith” and in various fora by groups critical of the Duterte administration.

This, he said, apparently aims to undermine the government’s accomplishments in rehabilitating Manila Bay. “These NGOs behind the attacks should be investigated because we suspect that it is part of a destabilization effort against the current administration,” he said in an earlier interview.

On September 21, President Duterte lauded Cimatu for the accomplishment done so far in the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, which includes converting a portion of the Manila Baywalk into a Boracay-like beach. The rehabilitation effort also saw then infamous Baseco Beach being freed from filthy garbage. It is now frequented by residents who want to commune with nature and now has an ecological path walk made of bamboo at a mangrove reforestation project in the area.

To be sure, pursuing the SC’s mandate to clean up the bay will take years and billions in resources. The “white sand” brouhaha aside, it’s the ultimate restoration of the bay that will dictate whether this war will be won or not.

Trump tests positive for Covid-19 after close aide becomes ill Continued from A1

White House until after midnight following his Tuesday and Wednesday trips. His age also puts him at greater risk for serious illness from the virus.

The development, while a source of concern for Americans, will make it harder for the President to continue trying to shift attention away from the virus and focus on his prized campaign issues, like accusing Democrats of promoting a ruinous socialist agenda and allowing US cities to be overrun by violent protesters.

Trump has sought to diminish the significance of the virus amid surveys showing a majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of the pandemic, which he has said would simply “disappear.” Trump has pushed for states to reopen their economies even as caseloads have surged.

The President, who initially downplayed the importance of wearing masks and later endorsed their use, has seldom worn a face covering in public and also hasn’t followed recommendations about staying six feet away from others.

The White House has said those precautions aren’t needed for Trump because people allowed in close proximity are tested for the virus.

Trump has said he had no regrets about his response to the

pandemic, and argued that he “up-played it in terms of action” even though he told journalist Bob Woodward in a taped conversation that he downplayed the threat it posed in order to avoid scaring Americans. He again cast doubt on whether masks effectively prevent transmission of the virus.

“A lot of people don’t want to wear masks. There are a lot of people think that masks are not good,” Trump said in a Sept. 15 town hall event with ABC News.

The president also has repeatedly hosted events where audience members didn’t wear masks or maintain distance from one another.

He held his first indoor campaign rally in months on September 13 at a manufacturing plant in Las Vegas, flouting a Nevada order banning indoor gatherings of 50 or more people or more.

“I’m on stage, and it’s very far away,” Trump said in an interview with the Las Vegas ReviewJournal, defending his decision to speak to thousands of supporters, few of whom wore masks or practiced social distancing. He spoke at a similar indoor gathering in Arizona the next day.

Days later, Trump spoke in front of hundreds of people on the South Lawn of the White House at a signing ceremony for diplomatic accords between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel. Few of the attendees were tested for Covid-19.

Trump on August 27 appeared before a crowd of roughly 1,500 people on the South Lawn to accept the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. Though the Trump campaign said it followed “strict” safety protocols, the District of Columbia bans gatherings larger than 50 people.

Few people in the crowd wore masks and White House officials said some, but not all, attendees were tested for Covid-19.

The President in late July began to publicly encourage Americans to wear masks if they cannot maintain social distance and avoid risky behavior, after months of casting doubt on public-health recommendations and promoting unproven treatments.

In May, for instance, he said he took the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure, days after Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary tested positive for the virus. The Food and Drug Administration revoked emergency approval for the drug as a Covid-19 treatment a month later, citing a lack of effectiveness and harmful potential side effects.

Trump also joins other world leaders who tested positive for the virus, including Brazilian President air Bolsonaro, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. All of them survived, though Johnson became seriously ill.

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Dela Rosa seeks Senate probe DOT-accredited tourism enterprises surge by 32% into ‘censorship action’ by FB

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

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By Butch Fernandez

dministration Sen. Ronald dela Rosa paved the way Wednesday for a Senate inquiry in aid of crafting remedial legislation ensuing, he said, from the recent “censorship action” of Facebook when it took down profiles and advocacy pages supporting the Philippine government and its efforts against terrorism.

Dela Rosa filed on Friday Senate Resolution 531 directing the appropriate Senate committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, “on the censorship action taken by Facebook with the end in view of ensuring the protection and noncurtailment of the constitutional right of freedom of speech and of expression in the country.”

Resolution 531 was referred to the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, chaired

by Sen. Richard Gordon, which is expected to set the initial hearing next week.

The resolution cited “57 accounts, 31 pages and 20 Instagram profiles that were taken down, which included content supportive of President Duterte; criticism of Rappler online news web site; issues relevant to overseas Filipino workers; military activities against terrorism; anti-terrorism law; criticism of communism, youth activist and opposition; posts against the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.”

Dela Rosa’s resolution specified the removal of “Hands Off Our Children,” an advocacy page being run by a group of parents who claims to be fighting to protect their children against violent extremism.

The senator also noted that according to the

Armed Forces of the Philippines, the advocacy page “provides awareness on the vulnerability of children in the hands of communist terrorist organizations such as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army [CPP-NPA],” that dela Rosa described as “a listed terrorist organization not only in the Philippines but also in the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

“The censorship campaign against child recruitment of the communist terrorist group could hamper the efforts to prevent the spread of violent extremism in the country,” dela Rosa added.

He recalled that President Duterte, during a televised speech last Monday, September 28, cautioned Facebook on the said censorship move, stating that the social-media giant is being allowed by the government to operate in the country “with the hope that it will help push for the government’s advocacies.”

Instead, the lawmaker lamented that progovernment group’s pages have been taken down, while pages which criticize the administration are allowed to stay on the social-media platform.

Dela Rosa acknowledged that the Philippines is Facebook’s second-largest market in Asia, with 76 million users as of July 2020, and projected to reach 88 million by 2025.

He asserted this was why “there is an urgent need for the Senate to investigate the censorship done by Facebook considering that it affects not only the peace and order and security of our country but likewise greatly affects every Filipino’s freedom of expression as guaranteed by no less than the Philippine Constitution.”

It’s all systems go for school opening on Oct. 5 but much still has to be done

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here are still over 600,000 household members nationwide bereft of the capacity to provide instructional suppor t to the Department of Education’s distance learning program, DepEd data showed.

Data provided to the B usiness M irror showed there were 629,943 parents or guardians who can give instructional support to the schoolchildren based on a survey conducted by DepEd. In the same survey, results showed that 11,131,180 parents/guardians have the capacity to assist their children in the house; 2,388,552, elder siblings; 955,153, grandparents; 891,278, ex tended members of the family; 366,533, others (tutor, house helper); and 940, 633 can do independent learning.

Undersecretary for Planning and Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development Jesus Mateo told the B usiness M irror that this is where the Learning Support Aides (LSAs) that they are targeting to hire for this school year will focus on.

Although Mateo did not give the exact numbers of LSAs that will be hired by DepEd, he said that these LSAs will help augment ongoing learning continuity efforts of the department.

The DepEd is eyeing to hire LSAs to assist teachers and parents in the delivery of basic education services in the distance learning setup.

LSAs refer to individuals who qualify in assisting teachers to provide learning opportunities using various learning delivery modalities in promoting achievement and progression of learners.

Problematic Internet access

I n a re l ate d d e ve l o p m e nt, S e n . S h e r w i n Gatchalian bared that online learning mode for public schools remain remote with barely four days from opening of classes due to problematic access to Internet.

The senator issued the disclosure after consulting concerned public school officials who aired doubts over the feasibility of fully implementing online education when classes resume on October 5.

Based on information he gathered after “directly consulting principals, division schools, our superintendent and aside from the DepEd, other private school organizations,” he gathered that the learning modules have been distributed close to around 80 to 85 percent.

“The school divisions are still distributing their modules, majority of students are learning from modules,” Gatchalian reported. “Unfortunately, less than 40 percent of our families in our public school system have access to the Internet or some sort of gadget so the vision of using online learning for public school system seems remote and not completely feasible.”

The senator explained that the alternative mode is the modules, noting: “These are the modules our students will receive for the kindergarten all the way to Grade 3, parental guidance and parental support is very important because these are young kids, they need a lot of guidance and direction so the parents will play an active role in their learning.”

“Those who are in Grade 4 and above, they’re considered intermediate and independent learners so they can learn just by following the modules which are designed for students to learn by

themselves and then the teachers will monitor and assess if indeed they are learning or not,” he noted.

At the same time, Gatchalian confirmed that “digitalization” is a major component of alternative mode of education. “In the long run, we really need to practice what we call blended learning, we need to make blended learning as the better normal of our education system, meaning all children will have to learn via face-to-face and via online, that should be the norm already.”

Gatchalian recalled that when the Covid pandemic struck, “it took us a long time to figure out what to do to continue our classes. If we had online learning built-in and if we are practicing blended learning then transitioning will be easier and faster in the long run.”

“We admit that it will cost the families to buy the gadgets and government needs to put the necessary infrastructure because even though you have gadgets, if you don’t have connectivity it is impossible to pursue that and at the same time we have to tweak our curriculum in order to implement that,” he said, adding: “Our curriculum is based on face-to-face but we need to fine tune and tweak our curriculum in order to implement blended learning.”

Learning should reach the most vulnerable–Unicef

The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef ), meanwhile, lauded the Philippine government’s decision to start classes with blended approaches to suit the specific needs of Filipino schoolchildren.

In a news statement, Unicef also reiterated that Covid-19 “is not just a health crisis but also a learning crisis.”

“The sheer scale at which schoolchildren have gone unreached constitutes an education emergency on a global scale. The repercussions could be felt in economies and societies for decades to come. During times of crises and emergencies such as Covid-19, children experience stress, fear, and anxiety. Schools do much more than teach children how to read, write and count. Schools help bring a sense of normalcy to children’s lives,” the same statement read.

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed high risks for disadvantaged children already lagging behind on learning, Unicef said.

Equity should be placed at the core of education inter ventions to provide the same learning opportunity to children who are most vulnerable and are from the most marginalized communities.

Inability to address these fuels inequality and reverses progress made in recent decades, the UN agency added.

“Evidence shows that for the most marginalized and vulnerable, missing out on school may lead to child labor, teenage pregnancy, and other situations that can keep them trapped in the cycle of poverty,” Unicef said.

“Children with disabilities and children from indigenous groups, whose risk to be left behind has been magnified in this context, should also be prioritized to prevent negative outcomes that can last a lifetime. Postponing learning, despite the availability of alternative means, makes it less likely that they will ever return to school,” it added. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco and Butch

Fernandez

Special to the BusinessMirror

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ORE primary tourism enterprises are expected to sign up for accreditation with the Department of Tourism (DOT) with the agency’s digitization program.

The DOT’s online accreditation system, launched on Tuesday, was meant to speed up the accreditation of tourism enterprises and minimize the documents they need to submit.

As of September 15, a total of 10,042 tourism enterprises were accredited nationwide, up 32.36 percent from the same period in 2019. Of total were 8,896 primary tourism enterprises, including 1,532 tourism frontliners, and 1,146 secondary tourism enterprises.

“This system fulfills President Duterte’s call for the streamlining and automation of services in the Ease of Doing Business Act signed in 2018 and the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, which directs government offices to expedite delivery of services in view of Covid-19,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat in her opening remarks.

In a Viber message to the B usiness M irror,

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The National Committee on Art Galleries of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts sits in the technical working group of the competition, together with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Twelve artworks shall be determined from four themes: Sovereignt y to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan; Magnanimity to commemorate the compassion of our ancestors to the first circumnavigators of the world (i.e., Magellan-Elcano expedition) who came to Homonhon, Guiuan, Eastern Samar after traversing the deadly Pacific for almost three months starving, undernourished and sick; Unity to underscore the contributions of various

Those that should seek DOT accreditation are accommodation establishments, travel and tour agencies, tourist transport operators, tourism frontliners such as tour guides, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) facilities and organizers, health and wellness services, and other tourism-related enterprises like restaurants.

The accreditation of tourism enterprises is mandated under Republic Act 9593 (Tourism Act of 2009), with the DOT supposed to ensure the harmonious implementation of the standards and procedures for the accreditation of tourism enterprises nationwide.

The accreditation por tal is an upgraded ve r s i o n t h at p rov i d e s f o r t h e c re at i o n o f business accounts, e -mail verification, realtime application status notification and an upcoming online payment system.

“This is a strong reflection of the DOT’s own advocacy towards e-commerce and contactless transactions as recommended protocols in the new normal. Now more than ever, the digitalization of our accreditation system proves timely as we roll out new health and safety guidelines for the new normal for primary and secondary tourism

enterprises,“ underscored Romulo Puyat.

While a user is online, DOT officials said, he can already be informed of the status of his accreditation, and what documents he still needs to submit if any.

“Through the new system, we hope to ease the burden of local businesses, including the MSMEs [micro, small and medium enterprises] that collectively form the backbone of the tourism industry,” the DOT chief asserted.

To u r i s m s t a ke h o l d e r s w e l c o m e d t h e digitization of the accreditation system.

At the launch, Tourism Congress of the Philippines President Jose C. Clemente III said, “This is a big help to the people under the current circumstances where mobility is a problem. It will encourage establishments to accredit as legislation now requires [financial] assistance to go to accredited establishments.”

Meanwhile, as per the DOT, 6,045 hotels, resorts and other accommodation establishments were issued Provisional/Certificates of Authority to Operate during the community quarantine, in compliance with agency guidelines, in preparation for the resumption of tourism activities.

Producers seek govt-industry synergy to ensure food security amid Covid

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nsuring food security, especially during this time of pandemic, requires a strong synergy between government and the food industry, both agriculture and manufacturing, stakeholders stressed at a recent virtual town hall meeting to assess the country’s food-supply chain.

Speakers and par ticipants in the forum organized by polic y think tank , Stratbase ADR Institute, were one in saying that “in this time of pandemic and on to the new normal, managing the country’s food supply chain entails collaboration among stakeholders in entire agricultural ecosystem and its affiliate industries and sub-industries, including millions of farmers, fisherfolks, and workers and micro-scale businesses that are at the bottom of the ecosystem.”

With constrained mobility due to transport restrictions and limited people’s movement due to lockdown measures and fear of getting infected, the producer-market-consumer and production-consumption systems have been derailed significantly, it was noted in the forum.

While noting that it was only the agricultural sec tor that exhibited growth in this time of pandemic, Dindo Manhit, Stratbase ADRi president, aired the need to promote local agricultural cycle as he underscored that the flow of food and affiliate products must be ensured to increasingly provide food availability and access to the population.

Saying the government should continue to boost its current support in the local agricultural cycle, Manhit stressed that “importation of goods should be balanced and let the local supply sustain the local demand.”

Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan assured that the agriculture department will strongly partner with the private sector and organized fisher groups in diversifying and expanding value chains from farms and fish farms to processing as he urged the private sector to invest and set up more agricultural industries in the countryside and develop markets for agrifishery products.

“Agriculture must be treated as an industry, with the objective of increasing the value chain of agricultural commodities,” he said.

Nikki Sarmiento-Garcia, president of the Philippine Association of Feed Millers, stressed the need for government policies on agriculture to be data-driven and their implementation calibrated to ensure a balance between exportation and importation.

Government policies and actions, however, “do not neatly coincide, and government and stakeholders are put, wittingly or unwittingly, at loggerheads with one another.”

There’s a “divergence between policy and implementation,” Roehlano Briones of the Philippine Institute of Development Studies pointed out.

But Cayanan stressed that the agriculture department’s policy is “import should always be the last resort, meaning we have to, and we should be, actually, providing it [from] here.”

500 years art competition extended to Oct. 30–NQC he National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) has announced that the new deadline for the Quincentennial Art Competition has been extended to October 30 at 12 noon.

To ease the burden of the artists in shipping their entries, the NQC opened 23 new drop-off points across the country. Contact details, as well as guidelines and forms, can be accessed through https://nqc.gov.ph/en/ quincentennial-art-competition/.

The competition is among the remaining activities of the NQC that will push through amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Over 50 projects in time for the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines (2021 QCP) were canceled, or indefinitely postponed.

Assistant Secretar y for Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Revenue Generation Ma. Rica C. Bueno, said the new online system, accessible through https://accreditation.tourism.gov. ph , will cut paper work and documents for submission by “at least 50 percent.” For instance, the accommodation sector’s paperwork is down to three from five, travel and tour agencies are also down to three from six, while tourist transport companies, need only to submit five documents from the previous seven.

“We no longer require a fire and safety certificate,” she added. “The major documentary requirements right now are the mayor’s permit, business permit, the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] permit or the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] registration permit, and for some enterprises we require the comprehensive liability insurance. Before, these documents were all submitted manually, now it’s all online.”

Romulo Puyat said the new system also include contactless transactions, especially under the new normal. For now, she said, due to the pandemic, accreditation with the DOT is free, to encourage more firms to sign up.

nationalities in circumnavigating the world for the first time; and Legacy to embody the legacy of the first circumnavigation of the world to our country: the introduction of Christianity. An artist may submit an entry per theme.

The grand prize per theme is of P500,000. The rest of the eight entries shall receive the special prize of P50,000 each.

In 2021, the country will commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan, the Philippine part in the first circumnavigation of the world, and other related events, collectively known as the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines. Executive Order 55, Series of 2018 created the NQC for this purpose.

“While we promote export, we also take a look at the balance between buying local and importation,” he added.

G a rc i a a l s o e m p h a s i ze d t h e n e e d f o r policies and ac tions that “don’t steal the livelihood from the local industr y,” referring to a food c ycle that will not take out livelihoods from the agricultural sec tor.

Rex Agarrado of the Philippine Association of Meat Processors asked the government to institutionalize the accreditations of foreign meat establishments, even as he shared the openness of the meat processing industry to be taxed more, as the mechanically deboned meats are sourced

externally while other parts are bought locally.

The government and food industry stakeholders was urged to focus their collaboration on striking the balance between the national food chain and local agricultural industry vis-à-vis international market.

Such partnership could start by crafting a road map for agriculture, specifically livestock and poultry sector, with the end goal of making the industry more competitive and a player in the global food supply chain.

Magsasaka Party-list Rep. Argel Cabatbat raised the issue of decentralization and food security, arguing that it would benefit “to decongest cities, and enable us to have cleaner air and less pollution, generate more employment, and most

importantly, safer food for all, and higher profit for the farmers.”

Cabatbat also stressed the need “to bridge the gap between producers and end-consumers,” which Elias Jose Inciong of the United Broiler Raisers Association illustrated by pointing out that “consumers are complaining about affordability, and the producers are also complaining about the low farm-gate prices.”

Bottom line: Food industry stakeholders agree that agricultural importation does not promote food security, and the DA should suppor t the local sector and its connected industries and workers.

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News BusinessMirror

Saturday, October 3, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Unemployment marches higher in Europe as pandemic grinds on

F

RANKFURT, Germany— Unemployment rose for a fifth straight month in Europe in August and is expected to grow further amid concern that extensive government support programs won’t be able to keep many businesses hit by coronavirus restrictions afloat forever.

The jobless rate increased to 8.1 percent in the 19 countries that use the euro currency, from 8.0 percent in July, official statistics showed Thursday. The number of people out of work rose by 251,000 during the month to 13.2 million.

While Europe’s unemployment rate is still modest compared with the spike seen in many other countries, economists predict it could hit double digits in coming months as wage support programs expire. A resurgence in infections in many countries has, meanwhile, led to new restrictions on businesses and public life that may have to be broadened and could lead to more layoffs.

European governments have approved trillions of euros, or dollars, to help businesses, setting up or bolstering programs to keep workers on payrolls. In the region’s largest economy, Germany, some 3.7 million people are still on furlough support programs.

With no clear end to the pandemic in sight, the government has extended that through the end of 2021. The program pays over 70 percent of the salaries for workers put on short hours or no hours. The European Central Bank is injecting 1.35 trillion euro, $1.57 trillion, into the economy.

But while such help has slowed the wave of unemployment, jobs continue to vanish. Companies in the hardest hit industries such as tourism, travel and restaurants expect a long period of weak business and are laying off workers.

In the center of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, laid off restaurant worker Mary Lopes, 21, was not put on a furlough scheme by her employer and is still waiting for unemployment papers.

The restaurant she worked in closed

down completely in March. When it reopened, only a few of the staff were kept on, under tougher conditions, and the others were left out of work.

“I’ve been working since I was 16,” said Lopes. “I was a good waitress—I know I was a very good waitress. So I don’t understand this situation we are going through.”

Her older colleagues Anabela Santos, 48, and Carlos Silva, 69, say unemployment benefits barely cover expenses. Santos paid five months of overdue bills when she got her unemployment benefit, and sent resumes everywhere. “I haven’t managed to find another job,” she said.

“It’s an overdose of stress because we haven’t a penny in our pockets,” says Silva. “We are left without any money after paying rent, water, energy and then we are suffering for those thirty days until the next 28th of the month or so.”

The pandemic is sending unemployment higher around the globe.

Outside the 27-country European Union and its 19 members that use the euro, Britain faces a sharp increase in unemployment as the government plans to replace a broad furlough support program at the end of October with a more limited version. Some economists expect the unemployment rate to double to 8 percent by year end. A lack of progress on reaching a new trade deal with the EU is only likely to worsen things.

In the US, the jobless rate fell sharply in August by 1.8 percent to 8.4 percent, after a sharper increase during the spring. The US, which has less in the way of labor market support programs, saw unemployment

spike as high as 14.7 percent in May, followed by a steep fall as businesses and states reopened. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits declined last week to a stillhigh 837,000, indicating companies are still cutting jobs despite the tentative recovery that began after states started reopening.

US airlines began furloughing more than 32,000 employees on Thursday after a federal prohibition on job cuts expired.

The recession has in some cases accelerated painful change that existed before the pandemic, such as technological shifts in the auto industry. Automakers Daimler and Renault, airline Lufthansa, oil company Royal Dutch Shell and travel concern TUI have announced sweeping costcutting and job reductions.

Among the hardest hit are workers and small business owners in the services industries, many of whom are struggling for survival, and independent contractors and temporary workers.

Greek actor and theater director Aris Laskos hasn’t worked since early February. He received a one-off support check for 800 euros, or $940, shortly after the country’s economy was placed in lockdown in the spring.

Greece recently emerged from a crippling financial crisis after spending most of the past decade in recession. Unemployment numbers are again rising fast, reaching 16.7 percent in the second quarter, with the numbers expected to worsen after government funding for furlough schemes runs out.

“Probably 90 percent of employees in the arts sector are unemployed,” said Laskos, who heads an actors’ guild representing more than 2,500 professionals. Most members do not qualify for benefits due to the freelance nature of acting work. “ T he ar ts sector was the f irst to be locked dow n and is the last one sti l l not opened yet,” L askos said. “ We are str ug gling , tr y ing to cope w ith our lives. We have no insurance, and we cannot enter the unemploy ment system.... Ever y thing else is r unning: planes, fer r ies, restaurants, but not us.”

Coronavirus has Chinese tourists heading for domestic destinations

H

ONG KONG—Millions of Chinese tourists usually spend their weeklong National Day holidays traveling abroad.

This year, travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic mean that some 600 million tourists— about 40 percent of the population—will travel within China during the holiday that began Thursday, according to Ctrip, China’s largest online travel agency.

That’s still down 25 percent from last year, when tourists took 782 million domestic trips and generated tourism revenue of 650 billion yuan, or $95.4 billion, according to government data. The dip comes as some in China remain wary of the coronavirus and opt not to join the holiday rush. The country’s borders remain closed to international visitors.

The eight-day holiday this year, which coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival, will be a litmus test of whether China’s tourism industry can bounce back following the battering it took earlier in the year. Travel within the country, and sometimes even within cities, was restricted beginning with the Lunar New Year as China fought the spread of the coronavirus that emerged in the central city of Wuhan and has sickened more than 34 million people, killing over a million.

The weeklong holiday in October is typically the busiest time for domestic travel. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism said that tourism revenue totaled 76.7 billion yuan, or $11.3 billion, on Thursday, close to 70 percent of last year’s. In Beijing, 223 major tourist attractions registered close to 1.1 million visits, the city’s Bureau of Culture and Tourism said.

With the world’s biggest-spending tourists spending their money traveling domestically, local governments are offering discounts and subsidies to tourists, including free, or heavily discounted tickets to attractions.

Zhao Kerui, a designer with a flexible working schedule, often takes several trips abroad each year.

Last year, he visited Malaysia and Japan. He had planned to visit Istanbul in Turkey or to Jeju island in South Korea this year, but eventually decided to instead visit cities like Chengdu, known for being the home of pandas, as well as scenic Guilin, famed for its karst limestone hills.

“To take a trip abroad, you will be quarantined for half a month when you arrive, and when you return, it’s another half a month of quarantine,” Zhao said.

“One month is gone with you doing nothing at all. “

Cao Ke, a science researcher based in Shanghai, usually would spend his National Day holiday relaxing at the beaches in Thailand’s Phuket island. This year he’s heading to the southern coastal province of Fujian in China, hoping to take some nice photos.

“I usually prefer traveling abroad, because there are too many people traveling domestically, and accommodation and meals become very expensive,” said Cao. That’s a sentiment shared by many Chinese who can afford to fly overseas for holidays but now are barred by flight cancellations and quarantine restrictions. Thailand, one of the most popular destinations among Chinese travelers, closed its airports to international commercial flights in April and has yet to fully reopen to tourism.

So instead, Chinese visitors will be crowding into popular attractions, such as the Disneyland resort in Shanghai and the research base for panda breeding in the southwestern city of Chengdu, Ctrip’s report said.

China is one of the few countries in the world where millions are freely touring around the country, while most countries are discouraging unnecessary travel as they battle coronavirus outbreaks. AP

Power struggle among House leaders claims initial ‘casualty’

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

A

mid a raging power struggle for the top post in the House of Representatives, an ally of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday asked supporters of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to resign from their positions under the current leadership.

Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, in a privilege speech, said Velasco’s supporters should quit their positions to let those who are willing to help the leadership to take over.

“For those who cannot, or will not join us in this task—I have one simple request— at dahil mahilig din naman kayo mag -invoke ng palabra de honor, panindigan na ninyo . Resign your leadership positions and let those who are willing to help take over. There is no shame in admitting defeat at the hands of a better foe but it is not fitting to pretend to be part of the team, while betraying your colleagues and undermining the efforts of Congress,” he said.

Velasco’s known supporters include House Committee on Economic Affairs Chairman and AAMBISOWA Party-list Rep. Sharon Garin, House Committee on Energy Vice Chairman and PBA Party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles, Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero, Deputy Speaker Johnny Pimentel and House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman Mark Enverga.

“Who is more honorable—the man who stood with us and led us during one of the most troubled and difficult times in our nation’s history, or someone who was nowhere to be seen when we were all working to help the country recover? Where is the honor in that?”Castro asked.

“Who is more honorable—the man who gave true value and meaning to the opportunity that the President and the members of this chamber gave him, or someone who simply wants to get the position without earning the right to it?” he added.

Cayetano, for his part, expressed his gratitude to President Duterte for respecting the overwhelming support of the House for his leadership.

“And just as he has put his faith in the leadership of the House to do the right thing, we also reaffirm our support for the President and his vision for a free, strong, and prosperous Philippines,” he added.

Cayetano issued the statement after Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President had said he will stay out of the leadership row in Congress after 184 House members voted to reject Cayetano’s resignation.

Meanwhile, Cayetano reiterated his commitment to push for the passage of the P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021 on time.

“We have made a vow to the President and the country that we will craft a budget that Congress can be proud of—one that will put us on solid footing to full recovery. A budget that will be pork-free, without parked funds, and with no corruption. And we will not let them down. We cannot let them down,” he said.

Cayetano, who had earlier committed to have the budget bill on Duterte’s desk in early December so the Chief Executive could sign it before yearend, thanked his colleagues for supporting his continued stewardship of the House.

Other side of the coin

After his speech calling for the resignation of supporters of Velasco, Castro has been elected as deputy speaker replacing 1-Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero.

Deputy Majority Leader Xavier Jesus Romualdo moved for the revamp in the House leadership amid the plenary deliberations on the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021.

“Mr. Speaker, I move that we elect Rep. Fredenil H. Castro, vice Rep. Michael L. Romero,” Romualdo said.

No lawmaker objected, and the motion was approved. “Rep. Fred Castro is hereby designated as one of the deputy speaker[s],” Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu said.

Castro is an ally of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano while Romero is a supporter of Velasco.

Affront

PBA Rep. Koko Nograles said the removal of Romero, the president of the party-list coalition, is an affront to their bloc, which is one of the biggest bloc in Congress.

Also, AAMBIS-OWA Party-list Sharon Garin said removing Romero as deputy speaker, “who is our president, no less, is an affront to our coalition and an insult to everything we have worked for as a bloc.”

In a separate TV interview, Garin said the camp of Velasco will declare the Speaker post vacant if Cayetano will not resign on October 14.

“They will pursue the 15-21 agreement and then declare the position vacant and then we will see how each and every congressman will decide,” she said.

“Will they follow what the President suggested, or not? And that will determine the fate of Congress in the next few years,” Garin added in the interview.

Earlier, Velasco said Cayetano promised the President to honor the term-sharing agreement and resign on October 14.

Under the term-sharing agreement for the speakership, Cayetano leads the Lower House for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress, while Velasco will assume leadership for the last 21 months.

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Angel R. Calso

The World BusinessMirror

Saturday, October 3, 2020

A5

Push to bring Covid vaccine to poor nations faces obstacles L

ONDON—An ambitious humanitarian project to deliver coronavirus vaccines to the world’s poorest people is facing potential shortages of money, cargo planes, refrigeration and vaccines themselves—and is running into skepticism even from some of those it’s intended to help most.

In one of the biggest obstacles, rich countries have locked up most of the world’s potential vaccine supply through 2021, and the US and others have refused to join the project, called Covax.

“The supply of vaccines is not going to be there in the near term, and the money also isn’t there,” warned Rohit Malpani, a public health

consultant who previously worked for Doctors Without Borders.

Covax was conceived as a way of giving c o u n t r i e s a c c e s s to co ro n a v i r u s v a cc i n e s regardless of their wealth.

I t i s b e i n g l e d b y t h e Wo r l d H e a l t h Organization (WHO), a UN agency; Gavi, a public-private alliance, funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, that buys immunizations for 60 percent of the world’s c h i l d re n ; a n d t h e Co a l i t i o n f o r Ep i d e m i c Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI, another Gates-supported public-private collaboration.

Covax ’s aim is to buy 2 billion doses by the end of 2021, though it isn’t yet clear whether the successful vaccine will require one dose or two for the world’s 7.8 billion people. Countries taking part in the project can either buy vaccines from Covax, or get them for free, if needed.

One early problem that has emerged: Some of the world’s wealthiest nations have negotiated their own deals directly with drug companies, meaning they don’t need to participate in the endeavor at all. China, France, Germany, Russia and the US don’t intend to join.

And so many rich countries bought vaccines

from manufacturers—before the shots have even been approved—that they have already snapped up the majority of the vaccine supply for 2021.

“As a continent of 1.2 billion people, we still have concerns,” Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director John Nkengasong said Thursday.

He praised Covax for the solidarit y it represents but said there are serious questions about allocation, saying African nations’ envoys are meeting directly with vaccine manufacturers to ask “if we came to the table with money, how would we get enough vaccines to cover the gap?”

The European Union has contributed 400 million euros ($469 million) to support Covax, but the 27-country bloc won’t use Covax to buy vaccines, in what some see as a vote of no-confidence in the project’s ability to deliver. Instead, the EU has signed its own deals to buy more than 1 billion doses, depriving Covax of the bulk negotiating power of buying shots for the continent.

Gavi, WHO and CEPI announced in September that countries representing two-thirds of the world’s population had joined Covax, but they acknowledged they still need about $400 million more from governments or other sources.

Without it, according to internal documents seen

by The Associated Press before the organization’s board meeting this week , Gavi can’t sign agreements to buy vaccines.

Covax did reach a major agreement this week for 200 million doses from the Indian vaccine maker Serum Institute, though the company made clear that a large portion of those will go to people in India.

By the end of next year, Gavi estimates the project will need $5 billion more.

Covax said negotiations to secure vaccines are moving forward despite the lack of funds. AP

A6 Saturday, October 3, 2020

ExportUnlimited BusinessMirror

Philippines eyeing Scandinavia as potential coffee export market

By Kalene Ann M. Ebora | DTI-EMB Food and Agri-Marine Division

S

CANDINAVIAN countries are the highest per-capita consumers of coffee in the world. According to the CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there is an opportunity for coffee origins and suppliers as evidenced by the emergence of small specialty coffee roasters in the region.

On August 27, 2020, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) and the Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC), in collaboration with the Philippine Embassies in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden and the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. conducted a webinar, entitled “Opportunities for Philippine Coffee in Scandinavia” which was attended by representatives from the government, private sector and academe.

The webinar served as a venue to present the Philippine coffee industry and spread awareness on the coffee cultures of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, respectively.

DTI-EMB Assistant Director Agnes Per petua Legaspi welcomed the participants from t he p r i v at e s e c t o r a nd e x pressed hope that the webinar would serve as a starting point for the Philippines and Scandinavia’s partnership on coffee.

The president and co-chairman of the Philippine Coffee Board Inc., Ms. Pacita Juan, highlighted the opportunities in promoting Philippine coffee in Scandinavia, leveraging on the growing demand for single-origin green coffee beans in the region. Juan mentioned that

Philippine coffee producers could target small niche markets through nano or micro-lot shipments. She also emphasized the importance of educating farmers to produce highquality coffee and to tell the story behind every coffee in introducing Philippine coffee.

Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Stockholm Commercial Attaché Clariza Columna presented the characteristics of the Scandinavian market, trends, and requirements. Columna mentioned that Scandinavia has the highest per-capita consumption of coffee in the world with Norway ranking 2nd, Denmark ranking 4th, and Sweden ranking 6th. The region imported a total of 161,000 tons of coffee from Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, respectively in 2019.

On market trends, Columna mentioned that there is an increasing number of coffee chains and micro-roasteries and a growing demand for single-origin coffee.

Certifications on traceability and sustainability such as Organic, Fairtrade, Ekologisk, and Rainforest Alliance are presumed to be significant.

She also encouraged interested exporters to take advantage of the Philippines’s existing free-trade

agreements (FTAs) with the regions such as European Union (EU) for Sweden and Denmark and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) for Norway and to take into consideration the packaging, labeling, and food safety requirements in exporting to Scandinavia. Last, she emphasized that stories from the origin are highly regarded in the region.

The Third Secretary and Vice Consul of the Philippine Embassy in Denmark, Al-bari Macalawan presented an overview of the Danish market and culture, as well as the Philippines and Denmark’s relations. He mentioned that the total trade is valued at around $200 million per year and amid Covid-19, market opportunities in Denmark did not stagnate and are even expected to grow in the next quarter.

Macalawan also mentioned the importance of coffee in the Danish culture of practicing “hygge,” or the concept of spending quality time with family and friends.

Specialty Coffee Association Denmark Educational Coordinator Mr. Morten Lydal, presented the Danish Coffee Market. He mentioned that there are around 15 to 17 coffee roasters in Copenhagen and agreed with Macalawan that coffee and hygge come together. He mentioned that Denmark imports around coffee equivalent to 20 million cups per year, with each person consuming 4 to 5 cups per day.

Danish people drink coffee in different ways such as using espresso machines, capsules, and filters, which are the most consumed type of coffee in Denmark. Homebrewing also became a trend because of the pandemic as evidenced by the increased demand for home coffee equipment and specialty coffee bean.

Karlbergs Kafferosteri CEO Mr. Roland Ström and Sales Manager

Mr. Douglas Bernefjell presented Sweden’s coffee market. They mentioned that there are four major roasteries and a lot of small roasteries in Sweden that roast quality coffee in smaller batches. Sustainability and certifications such as Organic, Fairtrade, and Rainforest Alliance, and telling the story of the coffee beans were deemed important. They also mentioned that Sweden mostly imports 100 percent Arabica blends and singleorigin coffee. People also learned to make their coffee at home because of the pandemic.

For Norway, Norwegian Coffee Association General Manager Marit Lynes noted that 80 percent of the 5.4 million Norwegian population drinks coffee. There are about 80 roasters in Norway, most of which are small roasters that offer light roast high-quality coffee. She also emphasized that Norwegians give much attention to grinding and brewing to maintain quality. Most of Norway’s coffee imports come from Brazil and Colombia and 80 percent are green coffee beans.

Last, she mentioned that the origins and histor y of coffee beans are important in the Norwegian market. She also emphasized the importance of coffee cupping when introducing coffee to new markets.

According to Philippine Statistics Authority data, Philippine exports of coffee in 2019 was valued at $2.5 million to various markets, such as Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and the United States, among others.

Scandinavia is being explored as a possible market for Philippine coffee, targeting the niche market for single-origin coffee.

The webinar served as a prelude to the activities being lined up by the DTI-EMB and the FTSC for the coffee industry.

Mintel report bares ways to win SEA beauty market

By Kristina Noelle S. Andaya DTI-EMB Knowledge Processing Division

I

N the Mintel Report by Southeast Asia (SEA) Beauty & Personal Care Associate Director Sharon Kwek Si Ling, facial skin care and color cosmetics will lead the driving categories in the projected 5-percent growth of the Southeast Asian beauty market in 2020 and 2021.

According to the market intelligence report, both big companies and local brands are now aware of the needs of the Asian consumers.

Beauty product experiences are being redefined and getting more attention from the world through ingredients, marketing and brand concepts.

Influences, local brand launches, and retail expansion from Japan and Korea, along with fastest-growing markets, namely, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, have been penetrating a wider spectrum of exports.

Brands should strengthen their e-commerce strategies

EXPOSURE in the digital world is a significant driver of various influences in the multidimensional SEA societies. Brands need to beef up their strategies online establishing supply chains and logistical capacity to facilitate operations during normal days and unforeseen circumstances, along with establishing connections with influencers and maximizing the use of social-media strategies.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, live stream shopping gained more attention in the SEA market.

With this, small business owners have seized opportunities using this platform for their business expansion. Online shopping is continuously growing and competition on contents in various online channels are boosted.

In Mintel’s report, “this sales model originated from fashion goods and expanded across categories, including beauty. Beauty brands partner with vloggers to promote their products on live streams.”

Once the pandemic is under control, consumers will look for new experiences from physical stores but will also still retain their online shopping habits, or whichever offers a better value.

Taking advantage of emerging SEA markets

THAI beauty brands are rising and the Indonesian market has a strong potential on its halal beauty positioning. The Vietnamese market is also not to be underestimated because it is projected to have high annual growth rates across most beauty categories, especially on their color cosmetics and fragrances.

According to Mintel, brands should understand the cultures and the influence of other cultures within these markets to gain more attention in their prospective markets.

“Culture is a form of identity and community in SEA. Consumers value it and demand that brands reflect it. Consumers want to feel part of a community; this is even more important in developing SEA markets such as Indonesia [87 percent], Vietnam [80 percent], and the Philippines [81 percent], compared to developed markets like Singapore [63 percent],” the report stated.

Hitch on the disruptions of the niche

THE social e-commerce can help micro entrepreneurs to look for their specific targets and find out their needs so they could design their products that would meet demands. The recognized winning brands are the ones who represent and differ strategies from how they brand or position themselves in other parts of the world.

“The possibilities are endless with the rise of new ingredients, applications, and technologies in product launches and services. While the world tries to advocate homogeneity of beauty, Southeast Asia has its respective roots embedded in its markets and continues to bring its voice through products and beauty backgrounds that will hopefully one day be a key source of inspiration to the rest of the world,” Mintel noted.

DTI revitalizes mechanism in mediating conflicts in the export business

By Franclem A. Peña

DTI-EMB Export Assistance and Business Matching Division

T

HE Department of Trade and Industry is an active advocate of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in resolving conflicts in trade and business transactions. The Filipino public may be well oriented with DTI’s mediation and arbitration services for the resolution of consumer complaints.

For decades now, DTI, through its Export Trade Complaints Committee (ETCC), has been offering free mediation service in resolving export-related complaints, or trade disputes.

The ETCC is headed and presided by the DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) director as chairman while its members include the DTI-Legal Service (LS) Director and a representative from the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport), the

accredited exporter organization under Republic Act 7844, or the Export Development Act. On February 22, 2019, DTI issued Department Administrative Order 19-04, Series of 2019 “Guidelines in Resolving Export Trade Complaints Formally Lodged at the Department of Trade and Industry Revising DAO 14-1, Series of 2014.”

The new DAO is directed to address the changing nature of export trade complaints relating to exported

Philippine goods and services, which, if remain unresolved will seriously affect the image of the Philippines as a reliable source of goods and services.

Its scope includes but is not limited to (1) non-payment of delivery; (2) non-delivery of paid order; (3) canceled letter of credit order; (4) short shipment; (5) noncompliance with quality specification; (6) unjustified nonperformance of contractual obligations.

Both complainants and respondents are given due process. They are

encouraged to resolve their issues amicably by coming up with settlement agreements acceptable to all parties.

ETCC findings are classified into: (1) Dismissed—if there is a failure to substantiate the allegations of the complaint or lack of basis to hold respondent liable for the complaint; (2) Settled—if an amicable settlement between the parties was reached through the intervention of the ETCC; (3) Watchlisting—notwithstanding the outcome of the mediation pro-

ceeding, watchlisting may be effected based on the following grounds: (a) The respondent used a fictitious name or address; (b) The respondent is involved in two (2) or more export trade complaints; or (c) There is a substantial finding, based on past and present complaints, that the acts complained of would seriously affect the image of the Philippines as a reliable supplier of goods or services. Any party included in the watchlist cannot avail of the assistance or services from DTI.

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Ramon Castillo: ‘Entrepreneurs play big roles in nation-building’

U

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

NIVERSITY of the Philippines alumnus Ramon Castillo has always believed that entrepreneurs play big roles in nationbuilding. Entrepreneurs, he said, are the driving force of every nation’s economy by creating jobs for the people, which is the linchpin of economic growth.

Castillo, who recently turned 60, told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview that he used to work as a senior automation engineer at Intel Philippines. However, the electrical engineering graduate decided to give up a stable job in one of the world’s biggest semiconductor companies to realize his dream of establishing his own company.

In 1987, Innovatronix Inc. was born. “I realized that as an employee I could never help the country as much as I can as an entrepreneur. I want to create jobs, so I decided to quit a good job and put up Innovatronix,” Castillo said.

Castillo said the original business plan for Innovatronix was to be a contractor and designer of specialized electronic gadgets. “I have no idea of where the company will be going,” he recalled. The company’s name was not even his own. “Innovatronix” or Innovative Electronics was actually an idea of his brother-in-law.

The early years of Innovatronix were full of challenges and struggles, he said. But the company was able to survive with the help of his former employer, Intel Philippines, which agreed to make Innovatronix as one of its contractors. That gave the company a big break, which enabled it to expand its clientele.

Like other technology companies, Innovatronix started small.

The company started operations with Castillo as the engineer, and

CASTILLO

one hired technician. For the first two years of operations, Innovatronix worked as a contractor of Intel, Motorola and Telefunken. It made a good name as a contractor, and then it started attracting other companies in diverse industries like manufacturing and packaging. Currently, the company has more than 700 personnel.

To raise the bar in product design, Castillo decided it was time for Innovatronix to push the envelope by developing niche products.

This decision helped jump-start the growth of Innovatronix.

Surprisingly, Castillo did not conduct specialized studies and research when he decided to develop niche products. He said the idea came from the inquiries they

got from customers, which pushed them to develop market-niche products.

Milestones

CASTILLO is proud of Innovatronix’s milestones, such as the launching of its first consumer product in 1989—the flasher for parols.

Innovatronix played a prominent role in the 1992 Southeast Asian Games held in Manila when it was tapped as the exclusive maker of the scoreboards for the biennial games. The company got the nod from the organizers because it was the only Filipino firm at that time that has the experience in making electronic displays.

From scoreboards, Innovatronix also launched its Tronix brand of consumer electronic products. These include the Power-on-Delay (POD10), electronic ballasts, AVRs and ACT20 for window-type air-conditioners.

Despite the slowdown caused by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Innovatronix remained stable by diversifying into a new business. Castillo, a photography hobbyist, established the Tronix Imaging Centers in 1998.

He opened outlets in Farmers Plaza, Ever Ortigas and Pavilion Mall in Biñan, Laguna that offered digital imaging services plus retail of Tronix brand of consumer electronics.

In a couple of years, Innovatronix’s network of outlets rapidly grew, covering the entire Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

By 2006, Tronix Imaging Centers have been established all over the country. The company earned a reputation as one of the pioneers in the digital photo studio industry. Tronix Imaging Centers offer a wide range of digital imaging services.

Innovatronix Inc. introduced in 1998 its own brand of photo equipment products, which are now exported to over 80 countries. This proves that a small Filipino startup can become a producer of worldclass products.

In 2010, after years of continuous growth, Innovatronix Inc. moved to its

new office and manufacturing facility along Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City. The three-story building now houses its retail and export business units, product research and engineering, and administrative offices.

“We will be building a bigger facility most probably in 2023,” Castillo said, citing his employees’ creativity and their ability to produce unique products as reasons behind the company’s rapid growth.

Promoting entrepreneurship

POSSESSING a creative mind, Castillo is a holder of nine patents in the areas of renewable energy, digital printing technology, power electronics and energy savings. These inventions have been commercialized and include the electronic bicycle, digital photo-printing machine, power supplies for photography applications, and household energy savers.

His peers recognized his achievement when he was named the 2003 Most Outstanding Entrepreneur, an award given by the Electronic Industries Association of the Philippines.

As part of its corporate social responsibility agenda, Innovatronix has also produced aerosol boxes and donated them to different hospitals all over the country for free as its humble contribution in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Castillo is also sharing his entrepreneurial expertise by helping his friends put up a business in agriculture breeding, hatching and selling heritage chickens.

Castillo is also active in several outreach programs. He is a prime mover of the Jones and Agnes Castillo Memorial Mission Inc. in his hometown Kalibo, Aklan.

“In 2011, the Mission put up a building and opened an Internet Library in Kalibo, which provides free Internet to all high school and college students and teachers in the municipality. So far, more than 10,000 students are regularly using the Internet library. The mission also donated a Science Laboratory to Kalibo Pilot Elementary School in 2016,” he said.

Butuan seniors get vegetable farming starter kits from OSCA

By Alexander Lopez Philippine News Agency

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UTUAN CITY—The Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) here has distributed vegetable gardening starter kits among senior citizens to enable them to cope with the movement restrictions related to the pandemic.

“Backyard vegetable gardening is

among the practical programs that the city government can offer to our senior citizens,” city information officer Michiko M. de Jesus told the Philippine News Agency.

Because senior citizens have been prohibited from going out in public places, the local government and OSCA designed a program that would enable the beneficiaries to become productive while under home quarantine.

De Jesus noted that backyard vegetable gardening has therapeutic effects among senior citizens who need regular exercise, fresh air, and a little exposure to sunlight.

An initial 30 senior citizens received their starter kits during Monday’s distribution that was led by OSCA and supported by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) 13 (Caraga).

De Jesus said most of those who received their starter kits were members who have already gone through the “Containerized Organic Vegetable Gardening” training conducted by the ATI-DA in the city.

Each of the 30 recipients received assorted vegetable seeds, pots, seedling trays, working gloves, gardening sprinklers, and vermicompost materials for fertilizer.

Should we have Covid-19 lockdowns just for the old?

By Andreas Kluth Bloomberg Opinion

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HE mayor of Moscow just ordered all Muscovites older than 65 to stay at home. This idea of restrictions imposed on just one category of citizens—those most at risk of dying from Covid-19, which mainly means the elderly—will come up a lot more now that the second wave is here. To put it bluntly: Should we lock down the old, or is that like locking them up, and thus unethical?

This isn’t meant to be a “modest proposal” in the tradition of Swiftian satire. We need to discuss our options, because going back into general lockdowns isn’t one. Renewed shutdowns wouldn’t be accepted by the population. They’d crush our traumatized economies and cause so much second-order suffering that an honest accounting against the relative harm from Covid-19 would become elusive.

It makes epidemiological sense, moreover, to distinguish between the young and well and the old and vulnerable. We now know that children and young to middle-aged adults rarely have really bad cases of Covid-19 if they’re otherwise healthy. Hypothetically, if the world’s population were entirely under the age of 60, hospitals in Bergamo, Madrid and New York would never have been overwhelmed this spring. Most countries might never have imposed lockdowns at all.

Instead, they would have followed the controversial and still ambiguous “Swedish model.” Sweden never closed schools, restaurants or factories, and didn’t even tell people to stay home.

It posited instead that in time enough people would get asymptomatic or mild cases and recover with active antibodies to gradually give the whole population “herd immunity.” This is how most coronaviruses peter out.

The catch is we don’t live in a

young-only scenario. In the real world, asymptomatic spreaders also give the virus to the vulnerable and the old. That’s what happened in Sweden, where Covid-19 took a heavy toll on the elderly population. Something similar is now happening elsewhere.

In the US, the virus is spreading fastest among young adults, but those outbreaks eventually reach the old.

So it might make sense to put the elderly population behind the epidemiological equivalent of a firewall.

The young outside the wall “live with” the virus and gradually achieve herd immunity. The old inside the wall are kept relatively safe for the duration of the pandemic, until vaccines are available.

Unfortunately, good epidemiology isn’t always good politics, ethics or sociology. A selective lockdown would probably be unconstitutional in many liberal democracies, and for good reason. Even if well intentioned,

it would set a precedent that’s unacceptably dangerous.

A fundamental tenet of classical liberalism, on which most Western democracies are based, is that individuals have priority over groups. You can sanction behaviors—such as boozy parties or mask-less public transit. But once you target groups, you’re one step toward potential tyranny.

It doesn’t take much imagination to picture such a precedent leading to dystopian scenarios. Another statistical risk group of Covid-19, for example, is Black people. Would anybody seriously propose a lockdown for this group?

And what would autocrats do with the precedent? An outbreak at a refugee camp, for example, might give the likes of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban an excuse to lock down all migrants. Or ask yourself—sorry to corroborate Godwin’s law—which groups Germany in the 1930s would have put into lockdown.

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, October 3, 2020 A7

The Maskerade

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

‘T

HANKS to face masks, I see less ugly people,” I quipped to my wife recently. She just scoffed at my facetiousness. Seriously though, as the country fumbles its way towards full reopening, it looks like the face mask will now be part of our future.

Before the pandemic, persons wearing masks in public were a curiosity. Only a criminal would be caught wearing one in broad daylight. Now face masks are everywhere, a must attire for everyone. Masked doctors and dentists treat masked patients and clients. In restaurants, waiters take your orders behind masks. Barbers and hairstylists in masks serve masked clients.

Customers browsing a clothing store or bookshop wear masks.

Legislators are seen wearing masks during sessions.

Face masks have a vital function: to protect others from our germs, and to protect ourselves from the germs of other people.

Self-preservation, coupled with respect and consideration for others.

On the lighter side, I can see other uses. A mask can hide our faces from people we are avoiding or hiding from. The larger the mask, the more facial surface it covers. Donning dark glasses plus a face shield on top of the face mask makes the “camouflage” even better. One can even blithely pass by and pretend not to recognize a creditor if you happen to meet him on the street, hoping he won’t spot you too. People who are shy and introverted can now go out without being pressured to socialize. Face-to-face conversations tend to be short because one can’t talk well wearing a mask.

A face mask gives women some sort of a break because they don’t have to put on makeup or lipstick before going out. They can be useful in warding off unwanted advances, too. A woman can always pointedly put on her mask to douse cold water on a male admirer’s rush of amorous feelings.

Frankly, don’t you think many people look better with face masks? For one, it hides the blotches and blemishes on our faces. It also masks the terrible state of one’s dentures. Not to mention horrible bad breath.

The basic face mask is utilitarian, plain and generic. Wearing them is considered the “great equalizer.” People, however, are by nature restlessly creative. This is why more and more Pinoys are wearing masks with ingenious designs, thanks to the resourceful local producers who have hijacked them from the social media.

There are goth masks mimicking skeletal jaws or Hannibal Lecter mouths, Edvard Munchlike open-mouthed screams, image of an oversized mouth and animal faces. I saw one face mask with a see-through lower part so one can still see the mouth of the wearer.

Mostly, they’re a reflection of the Pinoy’s fun-loving, childish nature. In Japan, I read about masks with chains hanging from them, masks that glow in the dark, and silly masks that leave a hole for the mouth.

But a mask can be used to convey a statement too. On social media, I saw a mask with a hand covering the mouth, as a statement against repression. You ng demon st rators in Thailand and students in

Hong Kong wear yellow colored masks as a symbol of their protest. In America, I’ve watched news reports show ing anticapitalist protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks and antifa activ ists hid ing behind gas masks and bandannas. More recently, face masks have symbolized the dangers of climate change.

If only our government communicators were more creative, they could have used the mask to flash witty messages about social distancing and health protocols, such as “Distancia pa more, amigo,” “Legal ang separation sa amin, ” or “Galit-galit muna.” “Uso ang hiwalayan”; “Huwag mag-impok para di matepok” or similar catchy lines.

However, for non-political individuals who can’t stand the bland and the generic, a mask can be another form of personal expression: a statement of style. They want masks that are more pleasing to the eye.

The fashion industry in Europe has seen this burgeoning demand for face masks that are not only effective but also fashionable. As a fashion designer explains: “Why don’t we bring a little bit of normalcy to our lives and express ourselves.

Why not treat this like a highend garment.”

The message is: while we stand in solidarity with the community against the virus, we don’t like to look like everybody else. We want to remain individuals, too.

There may be something good in it, too, because the more stylish, and the more artfully designed the masks become, the more willing people will be to put them on, especially in countries where wearing face masks is seen as an infringement of their rights.

Now the face mask is becoming the new promotional t-shirt, a walking miniature billboard for brand logos and slogans. Disney is now offering masks featuring its signature characters. Just a month ago, authorities raided a retail shop in Divisoria peddling masks with fake logos of signature brands like LV. Even the newly imposed face shield is getting a “face-lift” so to speak. My attention got caught by a photo of a sleek-looking face shield inspired probably by an astronomer’s space age helmet.

What’s next in the art of maskerade? Why not masks in various mild scents for people who can’t stand smelling their foul breath behind the mask?

Maybe it’s our human way of keeping fear and anxiety away or coming to terms with the epidemic. But in the blink of an eye, people are happy to be “lost in this maskerade,” a new game to play, transforming what began as a life-saving covering into a commercialized medium or a form of stylish expression.

As someone puts it: “They’re obviously functional, but I think they can be uplifting.”

Somewhere a painter must be looking at the mask as a tempting canvas for creating an artistic piece.

Education BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, October 3, 2020

DOUBLE TIME Village staff members sort out learning modules for distribution to parents and guardians at Barangay Salitran 3, Dasmariñas City, Cavite on October 1. Students in public schools who have no access to the Internet will be receiving printed modules for the opening of classes on October 5. PNA/GIL CALINGA

LEARNING IN A ‘FLASH’ Mayor Abigail S. Binay of Makati City demonstrates the use of an onthe-go, or OTG, flash drive which contains digitized self-directed modules and video-broadcast editions for the offline classes of students. The device is part of the learner’s package recently given for free by the city to its public elementary and high-school students. PNA/AVITO C. DALAN

DepEd: All systems go for Oct.5 school opening

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HE Department of Education (DepEd) is all set to welcome School Year 2020-2021 through its National School Opening Day program on October 5.

Starting with a nationwide simultaneous flag-raising ceremony at 7:30 a.m., the program will be led by Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, who will give an inspirational message and formally declare the opening of the new school year amid the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). “[This is a] celebration...a declaration of victory: A declaration of continuity of education [despite the] challenges we are facing,” Briones said in a press briefing last week. “Education will continue, [our] children will continue learning, and [our] parents will continue supporting us. Our government, our teachers—all of us are involved in this effort…This will be the biggest victory of all at this time of the pandemic.”

DepEd’s executive committee members, as well as service and bureau directors, will be in full force

on the ground and are scheduled to give live updates on distance learning during the first day of classes in different field offices and schools they will visit.

Panels related to the opening of classes and the Basic EducationLearning Continuity Plan, or BELCP, will also be featured—including “Oplan Balik Eskwela” (OBE), health and safety protocols, as well as education continuity.

Undersecretaries Jesus Lorenzo Mateo and Revsee Escobedo, with Regional Directors Wilfredo Cabral (Calabarzon), Ramir Uytico (Region 8) and Arturo Bayocot (Region 10) will lead the OBE panel and provide field updates.

For the second panel, Undersecretary for Administration and DepEd Task Force Covid-19 Chairman Alain del Pascua, alongside Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service Director Ronilda Co, with field officials, will discuss

EDUCATION Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones

health and safety protocols that are in place for the school year.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio will send updates and clarify confusions on the distance learning; while a teacher, a parent, and a learner will participate by sharing their hopes and experiences on the new normal of learning for the education continuity panel.

For the final panel, DepEd Undersecretaries and Spokespersons Nepomuceno Malaluan and Annalyn Sevilla will join Briones for the Secretary’s Forum, which will tackle pressing matters of the department for the school year. A representative from World Vision and

the Central Visayan Institute Foundation-Dynamic Learning Program will also join the panel to discuss their respective initiatives in partnership with DepEd. Filipino teachers will also be honored during the program as part of the celebration of World Teachers’ Day and National Teachers’ Month.

DepEd TV teacher-broadcasters Pamela Amor Villanueva of Bagong Silang High School and Jamil Carvajal of T. Paez Integrated School will host the event. The program will be live-streamed via the DepEd Philippines Facebook page, as well as through various partner government institutions and media organizations in social media.

EHEF 2020 heralds higher learning in EU

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HE Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines, together with member-states, embassies and cultural offices, inaugurated this year’s European Higher Education Fair (EHEF 2020) on October 2.

Officials from the Commission on Higher Education, as well as ambassadors and counsellors from the EU member-states’ embassies and cultural institutes joined EU Delegation to the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Thomas Wiersing in the opening event which was streamed live via www.ehefphilippines.com and the EU Delegation’s Facebook page.

Wiersing considers EHEF 2020 a “milestone event,” being the firstever virtual staging of the muchawaited showcase for Filipino students who dream of pursuing higher education in the EU. “As the world goes through unforeseen and unprecedented changes this year, the need to make lives future-proof is now all the more evident,” the EU Delegation official said. “A guaranteed way of ensuring this is through higher education, by way of EHEF.” The two-day affair will see the participation of “EHEF goodwill am-

A LECTURE proper at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague EMBASSY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC bassadors”—youth achievers who graduated from European universities, including alumni of the EU’s Erasmus+ and Marie Curie programs who shared their experience with students and academicians.

This year’s theme, “Study in Europe: The Future is EUrs,” further reinforced the EU’s distinction as a center of excellence in higher education as it highlighted its successful efforts in being an early adopter of digital innovations in education through online and blended learning.

This year’s edition, which can

be followed online via hashtag #VirtualEHEF2020PH, was also the biggest thus far, with 93 participating European higher education institutions (HEIs) from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Austria, Slovak Republic, Finland and Sweden.

With EHEF 2020 going digital, Filipino students and educators outside Metro Manila can still register and participate in various programs of the fair until today, October 3, starting at 2 p.m. There will be webinars on research, scholarship and mobili-

ty opportunities for students, as well as country presentations and live chats with representatives, alumni and scholars of HEIs. Another added feature this year is the virtual meeting rooms for Philippine HEIs and their EU counterparts for linkages and collaboration opportunities.

Going virtual has also enabled EHEF 2020 to go regional for the first time, and in real-time. Regional partner institutions Ateneo de Manila University for Manila, Wesleyan University for Luzon, Silliman University for the Visayas, and Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan for Mindanao will be co-hosting clustered presentations for interested students and educators alike.

The EU Delegation has also collaborated with Mabalacat City College, De La Salle University, Mindanao State University, Tarlac Agricultural University, Saint Louis University, Notre Dame College of Tacurong, Ateneo de Davao University, Rizal Technological University, University of the Cordilleras and Cebu Technological University.

EHEF 2020 was organized in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education and supported

by B usiness M irror –Envoys&Expats, as well as other media partners.

Editor: Mike Policarpio

NEW NORMAL KNOWLEDGE Amber (from left) Ashley and Audrey Borja—students of Saviour School in Cogeo, Antipolo City, Rizal—listen attentively to their lessons using a mobile phone. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, online classes are considered the new normal in the local education system. PNA/RICO H. BORJA

Time to reform the legal education system Third of a series

By Justin D.J. Sucgang

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N the first part of this series, I explained how the fixation with the Bar exam resulted in the many problems besetting the Philippine legal education system. After assessing whether the blame hurled at various components of legal education were proper, I posited in the second part that this unhealthy compulsion be treated as the proximate cause, and not the only one.

In this third and final part, I put forward policy recommendations that will genuinely reform the system. In keeping with the statutory objectives of Philippine legal education under Republic Act No. 7662, these institutional solutions will address the previously identified structural problems. n There should be a paradigm shift in the educational philosophy—one that will consider law not as an end-all-be-all discipline, but rather a tool: a powerful one that effects social change.

Thus, a multidisciplinary approach to law is necessary. Practice-oriented courses, culled from various disciplines, are integrated and not marginalized, just because they are excluded from the Bar exam. n Law schools should be allowed to draw their own set of curricula, since the existing model is unresponsive to modern practice—especially when we consider its expanded definition. These should be subject to some mandatory core subjects as in most foreign jurisdictions, with effective regulation to prohibit enforcing electives which are Bar exam subjects.

Such will effectively free up the law curriculum and allow law schools to chart their own courses, determine what their specializations and advocacies are, and integrate these in their respective curricula. Thus, instead of fighting for a share in the big, yet sole, “pie,” there will be several unique “pies.”

This will also enable law schools to be relevant to their community. By including community-specific courses, this community-based approach to legal education will benefit the traditionally disadvantaged law schools, especially those outside Manila. n Law professors should be allowed to choose their own teaching methods, including completely scrapping the traditional SocraticLangdellian method—an 1870s strategy prevalent because of its significant correlation to Bar exam success. n The Magna Carta for Law Students must be promulgated. A hallmark of an educational system, it respects not only the dignity of students as human beings, but also their unique learning strategies, which is just but an offshoot of the respect accorded to their dignity. With this, law students will strive harder not because they need to pass, but because they want to learn. This will maintain their motivation and keep their idealism unimpaired, because the atmosphere of competition will be replaced by collaboration. n There should be a broader screening process to weed out the “unprepared.” (Note: not undeserving or incompetent, because an ideal legal education system presupposes that everyone admitted in law school has the aptitude to become lawyers.) Thus, it will not be Bar exam-centric, but also employ other means of screening such as a Mandatory National Internship Program culminating to a Law Performance Test. Better guiding future employers, the screening process will not only be an achievement, but a real aptitude test, where the potential proficiency of the examinees may be determined.

Furthermore, since the underlying pedagogical philosophies of the controversial Philippine Law School Admissions Test remain unchallenged despite Pimentel v. Legal Education Board, a Mandatory National Law Aptitude Test must push through in keeping with the pronouncements therein. Unlike the time it pushed for PhiLSAT, the Legal Education Board, this time, must act based on consensus and inclusion.

Note that all these solutions are intimately

SUCGANG

connected with and may be feasible only when we change our assumptions toward the Bar exam.

Had it been valid and its results reliable, reforming the system would have been an easier task. Unfortunately, the Bar exam is not. This is precisely because the philosophy behind its structure and the dynamics of its administration have never been.

Thus, in order for us to reach the ideal state of legal education, the Bar exam must be reformed, and not dismantled as some previously called for. It still is an essential component for professionalization. The following are my proposals: 1. Settle on a sole objective with regard to its validity; that is, to measure the legal knowledge and written communication skill of the taker.

Nothing more, nothing less. We should do away with pretending that it tests per se the minimum skills required of a new lawyer. It does not.

Other skills needed for legal practice must be tested in another forum. As such, it must be composed of a combination of multiple-choice and essay questions that target higher-order thinking skills.

As it is impossible to test knowledge of all the laws there are, the Bar exam should test only the fundamental and core subjects of the law.

2. With respect to its reliability, we should now explore the viability of appointing a tenured Board of Bar Examiners. Aside from its relative advantage of continuity and stability, there will be sufficient time to equip members with psychometric principles. In the end, the Bar exam will be more reliable, since the checkers remain consistent. Furthermore, fears on test item leaks may be lessened, since the identity of examiners are made public, following the Social Facilitation Theory. Compare this to the current system where everything is hidden under a veil of secrecy.

3. Last, the topnotcher system should be abolished. In its stead, the Supreme Court may just use a four-tier system (“High Pass,” “Pass,” “Low Pass” and “Fail”). Any honest educator cannot actually distinguish the difference between a “95 percent” and a “93 percent” student, but it is easy to spot the qualitative difference between a high passer and low passer.

Aside from giving us time to pause, the pandemic has forced us to think of new ways to improve our affairs. Since the Supreme Court already postponed the Bar exam for more than a year, perhaps it is the best time to finally start having the hard conversations on reforming our legal education system.

(A Fulbright Awardee and a DeWitt Fellow, Sucgang is the director and chief innovator of the Center for Legal Education Advancement and Reform: a research and advocacy center that aims to improve the conduct of legal education and the profession in the country. He obtained his Master of Laws degree from the University of Michigan Law School.

Also a former commissioner representing the law student’s sector in the Legal Education Board, Sucgang is an assistant professor and director of Academic Support in De La Salle University’s College of Law. Even prior to law school, the lawyer had been passionate about reforming the country’s legal education system. He ended his stint at the said college with a Juris Doctor thesis: “A Problem Bigger than Law Schools: Reforming Philippine Legal Education System through an Institutional Approach.”)

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Saturday, October 3, 2020 A9

Israel: In between the old and the new

The Dome of the Rock

Part One

I

center. Aside from soaking under the Mediterranean sun on the beaches of Tel Aviv, there are two other exciting things to do: give the segway tour along the Hayarkon river and port area a try, and hop among the numerous bars with club master Eviatar Gover to sample the city’s notorious nightlife.

Story & photos By Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero

t is hard to imagine any Filipino who does not wish to visit Israel at least once in his or her lifetime. Although the shared Christian heritage might be the most obvious connection shared between these two countries, the movie Quezon’s Game reminds us of the deeper tie that the Philippines has had forged with the Jewish people since 1938 when the Filipinos embraced fleeing Jew refugees from war-torn Europe.

That meaningful relationship lasts to this day.

Our five-day trip last year, which was sponsored by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, revealed and taught us so much about Israel’s culture, history and complex identity. However, it also did not take us too long to realize that there are still so much more to see, experience, and discover in the Holy Land—these are, perhaps, reasons to return there one day. This first article installment recounts the highlights of our stays in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, both amazing cities in their own ways.

Lively Tel Aviv and its neighborhoods

Tel Aviv was literally carved out from the desert. Established beside the quaint old port of Jaffa, whose many Ottoman period edifices have now been turned into boutique shops and art galleries, such as the Ilana Goor Museum, Tel Aviv is con-

A scene from a bar in Tel Aviv

sidered as an impressive feat in large-scale innovative city planning and landscaping.

The city’s nickname “White City” is derived from its more than 4,000 white-colored Bauhaus buildings, of which some of the most beautiful are those along Rothschild Avenue and around Dizengoff Square. The city houses the highest concentration of Bauhaus buildings in the world, a major milestone in the modern movement. Tel Aviv, is in fact, the youngest Unesco World Heritage Site in the Middle East having been only built in the 1930s.

Around the White City are historic quarters, such as the German Colony and Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv’s oldest neighborhood. The German Colony, like the one in Haifa, has been redesigned into a shopping and dining complex with the Sarona Market serving as a 21st century gastronomy

Axis Mundi: The Walled City of Jerusalem

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre— the stone bed of the dead Christ.

Bauhaus buildings in the White City of Tel Aviv

THE Western Wall

Tel Aviv nightlife

Of all my travels, there are probably only a few cities that I have been to that can truly equal Jerusalem’s charm, reputation and importance. Far from being an openair museum, the city and its three identities are very much alive. The Dome of the Rock is highly revered among the followers of Islam, while the adjacent Western Wall stands as the most sacred site to Judaism.

The one that probably means the most to Filipinos, however, is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the holiest place in the Christian faith. The best way to reach the church is by retracing the Via Dolorosa, which is a very spiritual undertaking especially when you grew up in a town where the Stations of the Cross is religiously observed every Holy Week. Different pilgrims from all walks of life, from various corners of the Christian world, all converge in the church bringing with them their own petitions and that of others. Every evening at the Tower of David, a light and sound show takes visitors on a tour throughout history, allowing easier understanding and appreciation of the complex historic city.

Jerusalem is filled with so much energy and substance that it is impossible not to be moved at all by the scenes happening inside no matter what one’s religion may be. While Jerusalem is indeed a city of contrasts, it could easily be a city of unity, too.

Its potential toward that direction is neither difficult to grasp nor imagine.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, October 3, 2020 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Watching zombie movies at home while the world is up and about FROM left: Dato’ Seri Ivan Teh, founder and group CEO of Fusionex International; Tan Sri Dr. Halim Mohammad, chairman of MATRADE; Hon. Datuk Lim Ban Hong, deputy minister of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI); Hairil Yahyi Yaacob, deputy secretary-general (Trade) of MITI; and Dato Wan Latiff Wan Musa, CEO of MATRADE

MALAYSIA HOSTS #MYAPEC2020 VIRTUALLY IN NEW NORMAL

TAKING the leap toward conducting business in the new normal, Malaysia’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) through its trade agency, Malaysia External Trade Development Corp. (MATRADE), is currently hosting the #MyAPEC2020 Exhibition virtually until December 31. #MyAPEC2020 is being held in conjunction with Malaysia’s hosting of the APEC 2020. This initiative aims to provide a conducive online platform, with state-of-the-art technology for companies from Malaysia and other APEC economies to meet “digitally” with potential business partners from all over the world.

The event’s official technology partner is Fusionex, Malaysia’s multiaward-winning data technology provider specialising in analytics, big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

According to Siti Azlina, the Malaysian Trade Commissioner based in Manila, “This inaugural initiative

by MATRADE is an important catalyst to keep the business momentum going despite the pandemic. We see the urgent need for the business community to take digitalization seriously and there is no better time to adopt digitalization as the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the way people do business, and led to more e-commerce transactions among buyers, too.” She added that #MyAPEC2020 not only provides business opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), but also offers a great learning experience for these companies in terms of adopting and adapting to virtual engagements. #MyAPEC2020 showcases products and services by over 300 exhibitors from Malaysia and the 21 APEC Member Economies. In line with the APEC 2020 theme, “Optimizing Human Potential Toward a Resilient Future of Shared Prosperity,” the exhibition showcases 8 target sectors, namely: Technology, Innovative F&B and Agrofood, Green Tech and Energy, Healthcare, Professional and Business Services, Transport and Logistics, Lifestyle, and Building Materials. Other features that make the exhibition an immersive business platform include Business Pitching— conducting live pitching sessions by selected companies alongside real-time interactive communications; Virtual B2B Meetings; and Webinars—broadcasting of live presentations covering various topics that provide insights and current information of business opportunities.

The virtual exhibition platform can be visited at bit. ly/361wDac.

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XCEPT for less than 10 trips to the drugstore and supermarket and one visit to a crematorium after my best friend died, I have not been out of the house since March 12. I would love to eat at Din Tai Fung but I’m too scared. I am amazed that people are having brunch with friends, at the beach, visiting family, doing sleepovers, shopping, having their hair done at salons and getting facials and face treatments. I’m not judging anyone. I’m glad they’re not wracked by fear like I am. I’m glad that at least the economy is moving slowly but surely. I can help the economy by buying stuff online.

I am still afraid because one of my colleagues tested positive and she only went out of her house once. That time, she was even wearing a PPE. Many people I know have contracted Covid-19. One is a friend who probably got it from her boyfriend who died. Another colleague doesn’t know where she got it but she is better now.

A person I follow on Instagram got Covid-19 from a family member. From this person, I realized that the virus is indeed airborne. She and the family member didn’t even hug. They just sat across a table from each other for around 30 minutes.

So while I’m not judging anyone for going out for work and/or pleasure, I’m still afraid. I live with my mom who is 81 years old and I don’t want to put her life at risk. Unlike most people, I have no problem with staying home. I love being home with my family. But like most people, I am anxious about many things like money, bills, job security, health concerns, among others.

In the beginning of quarantine, my sleep patterns got whacked. I would fall asleep at around 6 pm and wake up at 10 pm. I’d stay awake until 3 am and fall asleep only when I was exhausted mentally.

Unlike other people, I didn’t pick up a new hobby or interest in quarantine. I just worked and still enjoyed K-pop. I didn’t even binge-watch Korean dramas. I was too anxious for that.

Anyway, as time went on I became less anxious. I

THE School Nurse Files is the story of a woman who has the power to see what others can’t.

have learned to take things day by day and not stress over things I cannot change. Don’t get me wrong. I am still worried about so many things. That’s just the way I am. In the last two weeks, I’ve been watching some Korean dramas, one of which is Hospital Playlist. If you’re into Korean dramas, you need to watch this show which is centered around five doctors who have been friends since medical school. I’m not really into love stories. I enjoy medical, police and family dramas more and I love those that are unfolding.

Another one that I’m watching for pure escapism is The School Nurse Files on Netflix. It stars Jung Yu-mi as a school nurse with powers to see what the average human can’t. The series opens a month after she starts in a school where mysterious things happen. She tries to solve these cases with the help of a teacher (Nam Joo-hyuk), who is the grandson of the school’s founder.

I like it because it’s very different.

I also watched the Korean movie Alive starring Park Shin-hye and Yoo Ah-in. This being a zombie movie, comparisons to Train to Busan are inevitable.

I only watched TTB’s first movie, not the second, so I could only compare Alive to the Gong Yoo-starrer.

Alive and Train to Busan are very different from each other. The former is, to me, more oriented toward millennials and Gen Z while the latter is more of an action-packed movie with some drama. If you want to be entertained, watch Train to Busan. I liked Alive but I was seriously quite depressed after watching it. Disclaimer: I’m not much of a movie reviewer. I’m more of an average person who likes watching movies.

Now for some good news: Booksale, the secondhand bookstore loved by many Filipinos, is now on Shopee (www.shopee.ph/booksale.ph). Booksale was where I got so many of my books when my daughter was still in school and I couldn’t afford brand-new ones. Many of the books on Shopee are now out of stock, so I guess that is good news for them.

Anyway, I hope everyone is taking care of themselves by wearing masks and face shields when they’re outdoors and washing and/or disinfecting their hands. ■

Amazon sees broad audience for its palm recognition tech SEATTLE—Amazon has introduced new palm recognition technology in a pair of Seattle stores and sees a broader potential audience in stadiums, offices and other gated or secured locations.

Customers at the stores near Amazon’s campus in Washington can flash a palm for entry into secured areas and buy goods.

The company chose palm recognition, according to Dilip Kumar, vice president of Physical Retail & Technology, because it’s more private than other biometric technology, and a person would be required to purposefully flash a palm

at the Amazon One device to engage.

“And it’s contactless, which we think customers will appreciate, especially in current times,” Kumar wrote in a blog post Tuesday.

Like the human fingerprint, every palm is unique. Unlike fingerprints, the palm is not used for broader identification purposes because more body specific information is needed. Any palm image proffered for use is never stored on the Amazon One device, the company said, for security reasons. The data is encrypted in a secured sector of the cloud that was custom built by Amazon, and customers can

also delete their Amazon One-related data permanently at any time.

The company expects to roll out Amazon One as an option in other Amazon stores in the coming months, which could mean Whole Foods Market grocery stores. But Amazon believes the technology is applicable in a myriad of secured locations.

“We believe Amazon One has broad applicability beyond our retail stores, so we also plan to offer the service to third parties like retailers, stadiums, and office buildings so that more people can benefit from this ease and convenience

in more places,” Kumar wrote. “Interested third parties can reach out through the email address provided on our Amazon One web site.”

For now, the technology is being used only at two Amazon Go stores. Amazon Go is the company’s first cashier-less supermarket, introduced earlier this year, where shoppers can grab milk or eggs and walk out without waiting in line or ever opening their wallets.

People can sign up for an Amazon One account with a mobile phone number and credit card. An Amazon account isn’t necessary. AP

Digital marketplace to help entrepreneurs recover

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES MYKUYA, a digital marketplace for hiring services in real time, continues to operate for both its driver community and consumers. Recently, it also announced that it is ready to help entrepreneurs thrive and survive in these challenging times.

In a recent webinar, Dennis Bunye, country head of MyKuya, told reporters that they plan to empower entrepreneurs severely hit by Covid-19. Moreover, Bunye said MyKuya is calling upon entrepreneurs THOUGH its kuyas and ates, digital marketplace MyKuya provides a valuable service to consumers by doing errands buying items in supermarkets and other establishments.

engaged in manpower recruitment plus traditional service providers to onboard with MyKuya and take advantage of technology to reach more consumers.

“Through these initiatives, MyKuya is living up to its brand of giving a helping hand, not just to consumers but to employers as well,” Bunye said. “My Kuya is responding to the pain points that has dealt a severe blow to businesses, particularly those belonging to micro, small, medium enterprises.” Bunye said the business climate has become unpredictable resulting in companies implementing major adjustments to their long-term plans. As a result, Bunye said entrepreneurs have found it difficult to adjust in a timely fashion to the shifting economic environment affecting

business strategies.

“Loss of revenue, budget cuts and retrenchments are the biggest obstacles these days,” he said.

In response, Bunye said MyKuya will implement the following measures to help entrepreneurs bounce back.

These are: providing flexible staffing solutions; manpower support for any related task booked by the hour; trained partners providing consistent performance; concierge support that offers convenience; guaranteed service level agreements; best technology available using the platform; scalability to support growing demand; and affordable rates. Bunye underscored that it is a tremendous challenge for SMEs with limited capacity to shift their

business model to adapt to the new business conditions, traditional to digital. “By going digital, MyKuya is developing a future-ready business model. We supercharge traditional businesses to go on-demand in as fast as 24 hours,” Bunye said.

“We empower our franchisees to create more jobs while they grow their business,” he said. MyKuya’s main mission since it launched is to create 1 million job opportunities in the Philippines. The company didn’t postpone its pursuit even when the lockdown in Luzon was imposed by the government. When the company launched an online job fair in March, it saw 1,000 applicants in just 45 minutes, a fraction of the 10,000 applications the company has received so far.

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Saturday, October 3, 2020 A11

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TECH behemoth Google unveiled recently its latest hardware offerings, including the Pixel 5 smartphones, the latest Chromecast, and a speaker with better acoustics for playing music.

Digital learning platform brings global education network to PHL

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor SINGAPORE-based digital learning platform, mysavvytutor (MST) has just officially launched in the Philippines to enable Filipino users to connect and share knowledge amid physical distancing protocols in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic.

MST seeks to increase the accessibility of quality education by bridging the gap between instructors and learners here and abroad. Through this endto-end platform, educators worldwide have the chance to list, advertise and conduct their classes for its international network of learners and collect payments securely.

“Due to a lack of flexible and transparent options, most people are skeptical about online education.

They need an instant service that is easy, transparent, and personal. Therefore, to ensure peace of mind for learners and quality during these times and beyond, we have launched our on-demand web-based app,” said Kelly Te, founder of MST. Using the online platform, students and their parents can quickly connect to local and foreign teachers for instruction. The app, likewise, provides instructors with quality resources and functions, allowing them to bring education business online and conveniently on one channel.

Students have an option for their learning formats.

For instance, they can choose one-on-one or group classes. What’s more, they can screen the educator’s profiles (e.g. experience, ratings, reviews, and prices) across multiple topics to accurately fit their needs. For example, they can browse the categories of educators and the courses that meet their unique educational needs, schedule classes, and meet with instructors in a virtual classroom in real-time.

“It has always been my dream to create a technology solution related to education and a product that can shape the lives of our younger generation. MST was created to enable everyone to have access to learning opportunities, regardless of their background, age and where they come from.

Everyone can enjoy learning and make friends at the same time!” she noted.

Another feature of the app is that it enables educators to use the platform to elevate their teaching abilities, making use of virtual classrooms and performance analytics tools, such as the online whiteboard, to complement and improve their online programs.

“We want to introduce a one-stop, collaborative, sustainable and vibrant learning experience to users of all ages that combines e-learning and top collaborations with leading educators in a flexible, transparent and interactive way in real time. With the on-demand virtual learning app, we provide educators with the opportunity to run classes online for their existing students independently and to grow internationally,” Te said.

Since its launch in January of this year, MST has tied up with more than 20 institutions and partners. It still looks to bring more educational partners online.

“We continue to welcome more partners, develop our suite of intuitive tools and games, and expand our social, virtual learning and teaching environment to create a peer-shared colearning space where learners and educators can connect with friends as they interact, play and celebrate achievements together,” Te stressed.

Google unveils latest Pixel phone, rolls out new TV service

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BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE The Associated Press

AN RAMON, California—Google will try to make a bigger splash in the smartphone market with a cheaper high-end model while it also aims to expand its presence on bigger screens with a new TV service.

The products unveiled Wednesday focus on two areas where Google has struggled to make significant inroads. Google also used a half-hour showcase streamed online to introduce a $99 speaker that it says has better acoustics for playing music than the cheaper ones it has been selling primarily as a command center for its voice-activated assistant.

Google’s latest smartphone represents the fifth generation of a device that was supposed to prove the Mountain View, California, company can make hardware as well as it does software after the brand made its 2016 debut.

Although Google’s software is used by billions of people on their smartphones, its Pixel phones have barely made dent in the market. Sales have been disappointing despite mostly positive reviews, especially for camera technology that has prompted Apple to introduce similar features in iPhones.

Google has sold a total of 19 million Pixel phones so far, including just 3 million of the last model released a year ago, based on estimates from the research firm International Data Corp.

By comparison, Apple sold twice as many iPhones in just three months—April to June—during the middle of a pandemic when millions of people were stuck at home, based on IDC’s estimates.

The company is trying to turn the tide with the Pixel 5, which offers a few new twists, including the ability to work with the new ultra-fast wireless networks called 5G that are still being built. The new phone also will boast several new camera features, including a tool for taking portraits in low lighting and a wide-angle lens.

But perhaps the Pixel 5’s biggest selling point will be its $700 price, a markdown of $100 from last year’s model. The phone, available October 15, is coming out two months after Google introduced a budget version, the Pixel 4a, that sells for $350.

Google also revealed on Wednesday that it will make a 5G version of the Pixel 4a that will sell for $500 aimed at consumers who want faster connections while they also watch their budgets during a recession brought on by the pandemic.

Apple also is selling a cheaper version of the

iPhone for $400.

Google has had more success with a hardware lineup called Chromecast that streams online video on TVs. But Chromecast also faces a wide array of competition from similar streaming devices made by Roku, Amazon and Apple.

In an attempt to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack, Google’s next Chromecast includes a new service tying together some of its own services with a wide variety of apps made by other companies.

It’s all supposed to make it easier for viewers to sift through TV channels and streaming services to find something they want to watch.

The service, called “Google TV,” melds the company’s other big-screen software, Android TV, and works more seamlessly with the company’s industry-leading search engine. The new Chromecast, which will cost $50, also will come with a small remote control for the first time.

Google has been trying to make its services more accessible and appealing on TVs for more than a decade, but so far hasn’t enjoyed the same success on the biggest screens in households as it has on the personal computers and phones that have become the main vehicles for showing the digital ads that brought in $135 billion in revenue last year. ■

Chooks-to-Go goes full-on digital with Globe Business BOUNTY Agro Ventures Inc. (BAVI)—home of the famous brand Chooks-to-Go—tapped Globe Business to optimize its digital operations and provide customers with contactless access to food products.

The leading chicken rotisserie company and one of the largest poultry integrators in the Philippines teamed up with Globe and its digital marketing subsidiary, AdSpark, to build a chatbot ordering platform hosted on Facebook Messenger.

Ronald Mascariñas, president of BAVI, shared what pushed the company to strengthen and streamline its efforts online: “When the lockdown took place, we were faced with stumbling blocks in our supply chain, distribution and on-ground operations. BAVI had to temporarily close down about 40 percent of its business’ primary channel our stores. To give our customers convenient access to their favorite roasted chicken products, we explored several mediums of communication for our rolling stores and amped up our social-media pages with brand updates. With the help of Globe and AdSpark, we were able to add a fast and easy ordering system through chatbot messaging. This intuitive way of engaging with our customers complements their substantial shift to online.”

The new chatbot-enabled platform, which was built from the ground up, makes it possible for fans of Chooks-to-Go to view the list of products available in their locations, input their order quantity, and submit

orders for processing and delivery. Once products are delivered, customers can make payments via cash or the GCash QR codes provided by delivery riders.

“The majority of Internet users in the Philippines are spending more time on messaging apps. In fact, usage of Facebook Messenger calls and chats went through the roof at the onset of the outbreak,” mentioned Peter Maquera, senior vice president for Globe Business. “We’re glad to support businesses and help them find solutions, especially during this time when technology is needed the most. We look forward to seeing BAVI innovate the way they reach

customers, maximize online channels, and transform their operations.”

Globe Business and AdSpark continue to aid BAVI in their journey toward digital transformation, providing customers with a quick and seamless ordering process that doesn’t require physical store visits. Aside from promoting product accessibility and safety for both customers and employees, the collaboration with Globe and AdSpark opens opportunities for BAVI to boost sales, increase online engagements, and expand its reach so that more Filipinos can enjoy goods from Chooks-to-Go.

Sports BusinessMirror

A12 Saturday, October 3, 2020

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AKE BUENA VISTA, Florida—Jimmy Butler had a bandage on his right knee and a wrap on his left ankle. His team’s starting point guard and center are both doubtful to play in Game Two of the NBA Finals. And his Miami Heat are coming off a one-sided loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Given all that, Butler believes a perception exists that this series is already over.

“I beg to differ,” Butler said Thursday.

Say this for the Heat: They’re down but refuse to believe they’re anywhere near out. Game Two of the finals is Friday night, with Miami bracing to be without point guard Goran Dragic because of a torn left plantar fascia and All-Star Bam Adebayo due to a newly diagnosed neck injury on top of his ongoing shoulder issues.

“When it rains, it pours,” said Butler, who’ll play through a sore ankle in Game Two. “All in all, though, we’re still expected to win. We got here for a reason. We realize we belong....

Obviously, we definitely need those two guys, don’t get me wrong. But I’ve always said, next man up when a man goes down.”

The Lakers won Game One, 116-98, a score that didn’t exactly show how lopsided things were for much of the game. Miami started on a 25-12 run; the Lakers scored 75 of the game’s next 105 points—a staggering burst. A 13-point deficit midway through the first quarter became a 32-point lead midway through the third for the Lakers.

That, combined with Miami’s injury problems, sure seems to indicate that the Lakers have full control of this matchup. Dragic had been Miami’s leading scorer in the first three playoff rounds. Adebayo is the team’s best rebounder and blossoming into a superstar.

Lakers Coach Frank Vogel said he’ll plan for Dragic and Adebayo to play. But even if they can’t go, Vogel said Miami’s fourth-quarter lineup from Game One—a group that included Kendrick Nunn and Kelly Olynyk, both of whom would see much bigger roles if Dragic and Adebayo are out—presented some challenges.

“They have an army of guys that play a great style of play, that’s very, very difficult to guard,” Vogel said. “They work extremely hard on the defensive end and we’ve got to prepare for whoever’s in uniform.”

The Lakers have a locked-in LeBron James—who was one assist shy of extending his record for finals triple-doubles—and Anthony Davis made his finals debut look easy with 34 points. But James is taking nothing for granted, revealing that he was up until 4:30 a.m. Thursday watching film from Game One. James said he saw plenty of ways the Lakers can be better.

“We are playing against an exceptional basketball team,” James said. “Obviously, greatcoached. We’ve have to continue to understand that coming into Game Two...they’re going to make adjustments in Game Two and we need to be ready for that.”

Nunn had 18 points in Game One. He was Miami’s starter the entire regular season, finished second in the rookie of the year voting, but has been used sparingly in the playoffs—in part because Dragic has been so good, in part because Nunn missed Miami’s first 25 days in the bubble because of his recovery from the coronavirus.

“I’m ready to play,” Nunn said. “I’ve been ready, been all season. I had to step up, and simple as that. I’ll be ready to play and compete and go out there and try to get a win.” AP

Ancajas hones up in US camp

AILING HEAT EYES FIGHTBACK

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THE Lakers’ LeBron James passes the ball while under pressure from the Heat’s Bam Adebayo during the second half of Game One on Wednesday. AP

ABUEVA BABY-STEPS TOWARD COMEBACK E

VERYTING now lies on Calvin Abueva’s hands if he wants to return to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) on Friday announced it would reinstate Abueva’s professional basketball license, paving the way for a possible return of the colorful and volatile player called “The Beast” for his

Eala all geared up on Paris clay

CHAIRMAN Abraham Kahlil “Baham” Mitra and the Games and Amusements Board offers the key to Calvin Abueva’s reinstatement in the Philippine Basketball Association.

devil-may-care plays.

“After due deliberation by the [GAB] Board, we have decided to reinstate the professional basketball license of Mr. Calvin Abueva, subject to several conditions,” GAB Chairman Abraham Kahlil “Baham” Mitra told BusinessMirror in a texted message.

Mitra said Abueva must undergo a seminar on the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of a Professional Athlete and that he signs a document stating he will abide by the rule.

Abueva, Mitra added, must undergo the mandatory drug test as part of the medical requirements of the GAB. The GAB license is the first step for the former San Sebastian College star to return to the PBA, which suspended him indefinitely for clotheslining TNT Katropa’s import and engaging Ray Parks Jr.’s wife in a spat in May last year. He was fined a total of P70,000.

His suspension was two days short of 17 months on Friday.

The PBA earlier agreed to join Phoenix in the Clark bubble, but is still barred from even watching his team play at the Philippine Cup restart at the Angeles University Foundation Gym starting on October 11.

For Abueva’s coach at Phoenix Super LPG, Topex Robinson, it’s only a matter of time before he hits the court again.

“Right now, he has a control of his fate.

If you are going to look at what’s happening now, everything is favoring him,” Robinson said. “Those things that he has no control of before are now favoring him, and those lost opportunities are now coming back.”

Robinson advised his beleaguered forward from Angeles City to value all the opportunities.

“It’s up to Calvin now to take advantage of those opportunities. He has to value those. He only needs to take care of himself,” added Robinson, noting Abueva’s priority now is to get back in shape because the signs for his PBA comeback are getting clearer each day.

Robinson said GAB’s requirements for Abueva should be easy for the 6-foot-4 2013 Rookie of the Year.

“We are thankful to GAB. It lessens the complications because he is no longer needed to go out from the bubble,” Robinson said.

The GAB said Abueva could complete the seminars online.

Saso bounces back with 70, but still 8 shots behind pace

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LEX EALA will be waving the Philippine colors when she aims for her second Grand Slam juniors title at the French Open in Paris.

And who couldn’t be happier than her dad, Mike, who will be cheering his 15-year-old unica hija right from the stands at Roland Garros.

“Alex is happy to be participating in this year’s tournament. With many tournaments canceled due to the pandemic, it is great that Roland Garros was able to set up safeguards to ensure our safety and keep the games going,” the elder Eala told the BusinessMirror via texted message.

Eala is ranked No. 4 in the International Tennis Federation Juniors World Rankings and No. 2 in the French Open, where she will be competing in singles and doubles with 17-yearold American Elvina Kalieva.

The juniors draw will be announced on Saturday, while matches start Sunday.

“Or course every parent gets nervous when their child competes. In terms of effort, I am confident that she is going to give her 100 percent,” Mike Eala said.

“But in really big tournaments, it is difficult to predict the results. So we sit back, enjoy the match and take comfort that our daughter is playing among the world’s best,” he added.

Eala, with Indonesian partner Priska Madelyn Nugroho, won the Australian Open girls’ doubles title in February, just in the nick of time before the Covid-19 pandemic escalated worldwide.

She teamed up with Kalieva in the 2019 US Open but they got the door in the second round.

She made the girls’ main draw of the 2018 French Open as a qualifier.

Eala is a scholar at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain. Annie Abad

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph / Editor: Jun Lomibao

SASO

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N danger of missing the weekend play of the Japan Women’s Open, Yuka Saso did what she does best—coming through with an explosive windup to shoot a 70 and safely advance to the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) of Japan Tour’s second major championship in Miyakawa City in Fukuoka Prefecture on Friday.

Although she remained too far behind—

eight strokes—new leader and arch rival Sakura Koiwai, her late birdie-eagle burst at the frontside of The Classic Golf Club spiked a 33-37 card that lifted her from a previous running spot at tied 47th to a share of 18th with the top 60-plus ties moving to the last 36 holes of the Y112.5-million championship.

Koiwai, however, upstaged the Fil-Japanese Player of the Year frontrunner for the second straight day as the Golf5 Ladies champion sustained a brilliant opening 66 with a threeunder 69 to wrest a three-stroke lead over Erika Hara at nine-under 135.

The 22-year-old Koiwai could’ve gone 5-up but a double bogey on the par-3, 195-yard No. 7 on a rare four-putt miscue enabled a slew of bidders to stay within striking distance. Hara birdied the last two holes for a 70 and a 139 while erstwhile leader Na-Ri Lee limped with a 74 after a 64 to tumble to joint third at 140 with Miki Sakai, who fired a 69.

After a backside 35, Koiwai birdied four of the first six holes to pull away from Saso then hacked

an 8-iron to 8 meters to the upper right side of the pin on No. 7. But wary of putting past the cup, she came too short of her first downhill stroke. The next went past the cup and she needed two more putts to hole out with a 5.

After a so-so two-birdie, three-bogey 73 in a late first round stint, Saso had hoped for a big bounce-back with a switch in tee-time. But the NEC Karuizawa and Nitori Ladies titlist kept grappling with her balky putter, even dropping a stroke on the par-five 15th for a birdie-less backside 37.

But after a run of six pars at the front, Saso birdied the par-3 No. 7 to stave off elimination then eagled the par-5 next before holing out with a par for that 33.

“It’s a major tournament so I don’t think it’s easy to get a score,” said Saso, who assembled 143, the same output put in by Ayaka Furue (70), Chie Arimura (72) and Ayaka Watanabe (69), among others.

In Florida, Dottie Ardina carded a three-under 69 to trail Aussie Robyn Choi by six at the start of the Symetra Classic at the LPGA International Jones

course in Daytona Beach Friday.

The Canlubang pro checked a streak of shaky starts in both the LPGA and Symetra Tours with three birdies in the first 12 holes then regained a lost stroke on No. 16 with another birdie on the 18th to complete a 35-34 round for a share of 19th with seven others in the 72-hole tournament serving as tune-up for next week’s LPGA third major, the Women’s PGA Championship in Pennsylvania.

US-based Clariss Guce likewise rode on a big start of three birdies in the first seven holes to shoot a 70 for joint 27th.

Choi tamed the par-72 layout with a stirring nine-birdie feat, highlighted by three straight from No. 12 as she wrested a one-shot lead over Taiwanese Peiyun Chien and three strokes ahead of American August Kim, Ana Belac of Slovenia and Italian Roberta Liti.

Ardina missed just one fairway and failed to reach regulation four times but finished with 29 putts and preserved her 69 with a par rescued from the bunker.

NTERNATIONAL Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas is ready to fight either Jonathan Javier Rodriguez of Mexico or World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight titleholder Joshua Franco of the US in a unification fight.

“Anyone,” Ancajas, 28, told BusinessMirror during a recent online news conference, referring to both Rodriguez (21-1 win-loss record with 15 knockouts) and the 24-year-old Franco (17-1-2 win-loss-draw record with eight knockouts).

The boxer from Panabo City said he will prepare seriously against anyone now that he is already in the US, close to the Los Angeles Lakers home court of Staples Center in California.

“For me, I am very willing to face anybody. All fights have their own preparations and there’s a way to win,” said Ancajas, who just left the country on Wednesday morning for Los Angeles with trainer and manager Joven Jimenez and his assistant, Fernando Parcon.

“It’s going to be supreme sacrifice to stay in the US for too long and that’s okay with us with coach because boxing is our job,” added Ancajas, who last fought substitute fighter, erstwhile unbeaten Miguel Gonzalez, beating the Chilean via a sixth round technical knockout last December 7 in Puebla, Mexico.

Ancajas starts to hit the road and mitts with Jimenez on Saturday.

Jimenez said international matchmaker Sean Gibbons is negotiating Ancajas’s opponent with Top Rank head Bob Arum. Ancajas could be fighting in November or December.

Rodriguez’s fight with Ancajas was twice postponed because of issues with the Mexican’s US visa application.

Franco, on the other hand, became one of Ancajas’s possible foes after he dethroned erstwhile world champion Andrew Moloney of Australia last June 23 inside the Top Rank’s bubble at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Magsayo fights US pug in LA

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NDEFEATED Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo battles substitute opponent Rigoberto Hermosillo of the US on Sunday in a non-title featherweight main event bout organized by the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) at the Microsoft Theather in Los Angeles, California.

International matchmaker and Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons expects nothing less than a sweet knockout victory for the Tagbilaran City native in the fight.

“Mark Magsayo had an amazing training camp here in the US together with Freddie Roach and Marvin Somodio and Justin Fortune.

He will knock out Rigoberto Hermosillo out Saturday night [Sunday morning in Manila],” Gibbons told BusinessMirror.

Magsayo, 25, was supposed to fight Jose Haro last September 23 in Los Angeles, but was canceled after Haro withdrew due to personal reason.

Magsayo is sporting a 20-0 win-loss record with 14 knockouts. He hasn’t fought for 14 months but remains in top shape since he started training with Roach last July 2.

His last fight was a unanimous decision victory over Thailand’s Panya Uthok on August 31, 2019.

Hermosillo owns an 11-2–1 win-loss-draw record with eight knockouts.

David vs Goliath as Djokovic faces world No. 153 in French Open

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ARIS—At the mere mention of Novak Djokovic’s name, at the mere thought of sharing a court with a 17-time Grand Slam champion and the French Open’s No. 1-seeded man, Daniel Elahi Galan broke into a wide smile Thursday.

He used these phrases: “really, really excited” and “really, really happy” and “really, really special.”

Galan is, after all, ranked 153rd and never had won so much as one main-draw match at any

major tournament until this week. Making this run to the third round even more improbable: The 24-year-old from Colombia lost in qualifying at Roland Garros and only got into the bracket when other men withdrew from the field.

So, sure, it was a big deal for Galan to beat Tennys Sandgren, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3, on Thursday. And, to be sure, a bigger deal to contemplate Saturday, when he will face Djokovic, who has dropped a total of 10 games through two matches so far after

overwhelming Ricardas Berankis, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2—and is someone Galan has spotted in the locker room but never spoken to.

It’s the sort of David vs. Goliath matchup that happens often in tennis but is in particular abundance this year in Paris.

Galan is one of nine men ranked outside the top 100 into the third round, equaling the most at any Grand Slam tournament in more than a quarter-century (Wimbledon in 1994); the last time there were as many as nine at

Roland Garros was 1985.

There were some unfair-on-paper matchups established Thursday by the women, too.

Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who is seeded fourth, will face 105th-ranked qualifier Irina Bara. Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova next meets 100th-ranked Canadian teen Leylah Fernandez. Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champ, plays 87th-ranked Paula Badosa, who arrived in Paris with a 1-5 Grand Slam record. AP

NOVAK DJOKOVIC is a cut above the rest in Paris. AP