BusinessMirror October 29, 2020.pdf

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Thursday, October 29, 2020 Vol. 16 No. 21

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P25.00 nationwide | 10 sections 52 pages |

PHL BANKS AT RISK FROM LOW ECONOMIC BOUNCE

NG to borrow ₧140B from local market in November

By Bianca Cuaresma

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@BcuaresmaBM

HE Philippine banking sector could potentially see a significant erosion of asset quality post-pandemic, as the country’s economic resilience to Covid-19-related shocks is now classified as a “very high risk” to the lending industry.

In S&P Global’s recent Asia-Pacific Financial Institutions Monitor for the fourth quarter, the international credit watcher said the economic risk trend of banks in the Philippines has turned negative. In its key banking sector risk assessment, the Philippines’s economic resilience is the biggest risk for banks in the coming years. The Philippines shares the same assessment with Asian countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, whose economic resilience was also rated as a “very high risk” for their banking system.

Also deemed “high-risk” threats to Philippine banks were credit risk in the economy and institutional framework. Competitive dynamics and system-wide funding carry intermediate risks while economic imbalances carry a low risk.

S&P earlier said it expects the Philippines to post a 9.5-percent contraction this year. This is the biggest forecasted contraction in the Asia-Pacific region.

As such, S&P said their overall assessment pointed to higher-thanexpected risk of credit losses for local banks, given their expectation of a poor economic performance.

“In our opinion, weak economic activity and tough employment conditions will dilute the Philippine banking sector’s asset quality, earnings, and capitalization over the next two years,” S&P said.

The S&P model shows credit cost—or the ratio of provisions for bad loans—will stay elevated at 1.5 to 2 percent for this year up until 2021.

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

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Police officers patrol the Himlayang Palanyag, a public cemetery in Parañaque City, where informal settlers share residence with the dead in “apartment-type” tombs. The government has ordered the closure of public and private cemeteries nationwide from October 29 to November 4, 2020, to prevent the spread of Covid-19. ROY DOMINGO

ONLY A THIRD OF OFWS HAD SAVINGS FROM REMITTANCES–PSA

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

O

NLY a third of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) last year set aside savings from their remittances, according to the latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The 2019 Survey on Overseas Filipinos (SOF) showed that 32.8 percent of the 1.934 million OFWs had savings from the remittances they sent. This meant 67.2 percent did not have any savings.

This was lower than the 44.8 percent of the 2.039 million posted in the 2018 SOF data. In that year, some 55.2 percent were unable to set aside savings from cash remittances sent.

“The SOF aims to provide data on overseas Filipinos particularly the overseas contract workers and their contribution to the economy,” PSA said. “Specifically, the survey has the following objectives: to obtain national estimates on the number of overseas Filipinos including overseas workers and their so-

cioeconomic characteristics and to provide estimates on the amount of cash and in-kind transfers received by the families and the modes of remittances.”

PSA said regardless of the amount of the cash remittances sent, for every 10 OFWs whose families reported savings from cash remittances received, about seven or 55.3 percent were able to save less than 25 percent of the total amount received.

Only two of 10 or 28.3 percent were able to save from 25 to 49 percent of it, and one in 10 or 16.4 per-

cent saved 50 percent or more.

Data also showed that among those who set aside savings from remittances were 3.4 percent of the OFWs who were able to save less than P20,000; and 12.3 percent among those who sent anywhere between P20,000 to P39,999.

PSA said the OFWs who were able to set aside savings were those who sent more. Around 39.8 percent who set aside savings sent P40,000 to P99,999; and 44.6 percent of these OFWs sent P100,000 and over.

See “OFWs,” A2

HE Philippine government is set to borrow a total of P140 billion from the local debt market in November, the same amount that it programmed to borrow this month.

Broken down, the Bureau of the Treasury will be auctioning off a total of P80 billion in Treasury bills (T-bills) and another P60 billion in Treasury bonds (T-bonds) next month.

Based on the memorandum released by the Bureau of the Treasury on Wednesday, a total of P20 billion in T-bills consisting of 91day, 182-day and 364-day tenors is slated to be offered on November 3, November 9, November 16, and November 23.

Meanwhile, P30 billion in 3-year T-bonds will also be offered on November 3; while another P30 billion in 5-year T-bonds will be up for sale on November 17.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon told reporters the borrowing program was set “based on auction results with intermediate part of curve as sweet spot.”

To recall, the Bureau of the Treasury no longer offered 10-year Tbonds this month as investors are now keener on shorter tenors.

On top of T-bills and T-bonds, the Treasury earlier said it was targeting to raise P3 billion from oneyear Premyo bonds next month.

According to de Leon, they are set to launch their second offering for Premyo bonds on November 11.

Last year, the government generated P4.961 billion from the maiden sale of Premyo bonds.

See “PHL banks,” A2

PESO exchange rates n US 48.4360

@BNicolasBM

Continued on A2

n japan 0.4636 n UK 63.1799 n HK 6.2498 n CHINA 7.2244 n singapore 35.6042 n australia 34.5010 n EU 57.0964 n SAUDI arabia 12.9156

Source: BSP (October 28, 2020)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Thursday, October 29, 2020

NG to borrow ₧140B from local market in November Continued from A1

T he gover nment has more than doubled its borrowing program this year to an all-time high nominal P3 trillion from P1.4 trillion originally, to cover the expected doubling of the budget deficit as well as to fund its spending requirements for Covid-19 response.

As of end-September, gross borrowings of the national government have already reached P2.56 trillion, equivalent to more than 85 percent of the all-time-high nominal P3-trillion borrowing program set by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) for this year.

For next year, the government is also set to borrow another P3 trillion.

As tax collections are down amid the pandemic, the DBCC projects the budget deficit to more than double to 9.6 percent of GDP or P1.815 trillion this year from only 3.4 percent of GDP or P660.2 billion last year.

T he l atest d at a f rom t he Bure au of t he Tre a s u r y s ho we d t he budget gap of t he n at ion a l go ve r n me nt f rom Ja nu a r y to Se ptember s we l l i ng to P879. 2 b i l l io n , a l mo s t t h re e t i me s the P299 -billion shortfa ll a y e a r a go. Ho we ve r, it a l s o s a id t he Ja nu a r y to S e pt e m ber bud get def ic it i s st i l l 32. 3 percent below t he rev ised prog ram of P1.298 tr i l lion for t he p e r io d .

Meanwhile, the DBCC also expects the country’s debt-toGDP ratio this year to increase to 53.91 percent of GDP—a level that it has not seen in over a decade—from a record-low of 39.6 percent of GDP last year. By the end of this year, the national government expects its outstanding debt to reach P10.16 trillion, up by 31.42 percent from last year’s amount.

As of end-August, the count r y ’s debt stoc k h a s a l ready swelled to P9.6 trillion as it secures more borrowings to finance its spending needs amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Disasters’ 10-yr toll in PHL: ₧463-B damage, 12K lives

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By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

ATURAL extreme events and disasters cost the Philippine economy nearly half a trillion pesos between 2010 and 2019, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday.

PSA data showed that these extreme events and disasters cost the economy P463 billion and caused as much as 12,097 deaths in 10 years.

The agriculture sector was the worst hit, accounting for 62.7 percent or P290 billion of the damage; the highest number of Filipinos

(7,056) perished because of Supertyphoon Yolanda and the Bohol earthquake in 2013.

“An extreme event is one that is rare within its statistical reference distribution at a particular location while a disaster is often described as a result of exposure to an extreme

event,” PSA explained.

In terms of the economy, apart from agriculture, the sectors worst hit were infrastructure and private/communications, accounting for 23 percent or P106 billion and 14.3 percent or P66 billion, respectively.

The year that Supertyphoon Yolanda and Bohol earthquake hit recorded the highest costs to the economy between 2010 and 2019.

That year, extreme natural events and disasters cost the economy P106.667 billion.

This was followed by 2018 when disasters such as the eruption of the Mayon Volcano and several strong typhoons such as Tropical Cyclone Ompong cost the economy P67.622 billion.

In terms of casualties, apart from 2013, the year when many Filipinos died of natural calamities

The DOE, based on its latest review, declared a moratorium on endorsements for new coal power plants, citing a need to shift to a “more flexible power supply mix” that would help build a more sustainable power system in the country.

“Our periodic assessment of our country’s energy requirements is paving the way for innovative adaptations in our policy direction,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi isaid.

When sought for comment, Ac Energy Inc., Aboitiz Power Corp., Semirara Mining and Power Corp.

(SMPC), San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) said they will abide by the DOE’s decision.

“It’s a bold and progressive policy. It’s quite commendable as it demonstrates our government’s commitment to energy security and sustainability. AC Energy is fully supportive of Sec. Cusi’s direction and we will continue to scale up our renewable energy investments in the country,” said AC President Eric Francia in a text message.

was in 2011 when there was a total 1,557 deaths. This was largely due to Typhoon Sendong in December which alone killed 1,268 Filipinos.

This was followed by 2012 when the country suffered major typhoons such as Typhoon Pablo which killed 1,248 Filipinos. In that year, there were a total of 1,386 Filipinos who died from these extreme events.

“Among the major disasters from 2010 to 2019, meteorological disasters posted the highest number at 120 incidents followed by geophysical disaster and climatological disaster at 16, and 2 incidents respectively,” PSA noted.

The data was collected from the Compendium of Philippine Environment Statistics (CPES) data on extreme events and disasters which comes from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reports.

VELASCO TO ENSURE FUNDING FOR CANCER PATIENTS’ AID LAW

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HE leadership of the House of Representatives on Wednesday vowed to ensure funding for the implementation of Republic Act 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control (NICC) Act of 2019 in the 2021 national budget.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, in a statement, said the House will push for adequate funding for the NICC law during the bicameral conference on the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021.

“The importance of this law and its full implementation cannot be overstated. We have to make sure that it is sufficiently funded so it could effectively serve its purpose of strengthening government efforts to combat cancer and increasing the fighting chance of patients to overcome the disease,” Velasco said.

The Department of Health is proposing to the Department of Budget and Management P535 million for the Cancer Assistance Fund.

Velasco shared the sentiments of Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo

Duterte, who earlier underscored the need for Congress to ensure that the NICC law is adequately funded. “[We] want to make sure that cancer treatment and care will be more equitable and affordable for all, especially for the underprivileged, poor and marginalized Filipinos as envisioned in the NICC law,” Velasco said, noting that cancer care and treatment could be costly.

Velasco said cancer is one of the leading causes of death and disease in the Philippines, and it could “take a toll on people’s health and finances.”

Citing a study conducted by the University of the Philippines Institute of Human Genetics, Velasco said that 189 of every 100,000 Filipinos are afflicted with cancer while 96 cancer patients die every day.

Velasco said the high cost of cancer diagnosis and treatment could push even high-income families to sudden financial struggle.

According to the Cancer Coalition Philippines, a breast ultrasound—

which is but one of many tests for breast cancer—could range from P600 to as high as P3,000 depending on the hospital. A colonoscopy could cost from P1,500 to around P14,000 exclusive of professional fees.

Depending on the type of cancer, chemotherapy cost per session can range from P20,000 to P120,000 or more.

“Certainly, the economic burden of cancer care and treatment is overwhelming and it has the potential to drive Filipino families deeper into poverty,” Velasco said.

The NICC Act, signed into law by President Duterte in February 2019, establishes a National Integrated Cancer Control Program to serve as the framework for all cancer-related activities of the government.

The program aims to decrease the overall mortality and impact of all adult and childhood cancer; lessen the incidence of preventable cancer in adults and children; and prevent cancer recurrence, metastasis and secondary cancer

MAJOR COAL PLAYERS TO ABIDE BY D.O.E. BAN ON ‘NEW’ PROJECTS Continued from A16

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Aboitiz Power Corp. also supports making the Philippine energy system more flexible, resilient and sustainable.

“AboitizPower’s growth strategy for the next 10 years remains the same, which is to significantly grow our renewables portfolio, Cleanergy.

We have been a pioneer of renewable energy in the country. Our diversification into thermal technologies was primarily driven by the country’s need for a reliable, accessible, and affordable power supply,” said company President Emmanuel Rubio via e-mail.

Aboitiz Power, he added, is committed to meet its goal of a more balanced energy mix or an almost 50:50 Cleanergy and thermal capacities by 2030.

SMC President Ramon Ang replied in the affirmative when asked if the company will comply with the DOE pronouncement.

MGen, the power-generating arm of Meralco, said the moratorium would not affect its existing coal power projects, since these were endorsed by DOE prior to Cusi’s announcement on Tuesday.

“If you are referring to Atimonan, it already has DOE approval as a

Committed coal project & also a Certified Energy Project of National Significance from DOE. In addition, it already has DENR ECC approval & NGCP connection agreement. So, the moratorium will not affect our Atimonan project,” said MGen President Rogelio Singson in a text message.

But if given a choice, Singson said the company would utilize supercritical HELE (High Efficiency Low Emission) technology in its power projects.

SMPC Chairman Isidro Consunji also said the company’s coal plants were given the green light by the DOE. “This applies to new plants, not to the ones with permits. We are putting one in Palawan and may bid for new plants for Meralco but [these were] permitted a long-time ago,”he said via text message.

While consumer groups lauded the DOE’s decision, they worry over how the moratorium could affect power rates.

“P4P welcomes the moratorium on DOE endorsements for greenfield coal power plants, but we have reservations on how it would affect power rates as the country seeks to recover from the coal pandemic,” said Power for People (P4P) Coalition in a statement.

“The long-term benefits of coal would be complemented by decisive action on the part of the government to also address the short-term effects of the bill shock which happened during the enhanced community quarantine period. Only with concrete action on both the short-term and long-term can the DOE begin to truly say it is prosumer.”

The Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) commented that this move would block off at least 10.7 gigawatts (GW) of coal in the pipeline.

“We are thrilled by the DOE’s declaration of a moratorium on endorsing new coal plant applications.

However, the DOE cannot stop here. If it has to make up for the years it stood by its so-called technology-neutral policy, it has to follow up with the phaseout for the currently installed 9.8 GW of coal in the country.

Without this, the suffering of coalaffected communities, soaring electricity prices, and fossil fuel pollution would continue to proliferate,” said CEED. For its part, Laban Konsyumer Inc. said coal power plants dominate the country because renewable energy (RE) technology is more expensive.

“We have a competitive selection process approved by the Supreme Court.

Let that policy mature and to enable power plants and distribution utilities to provide least cost to consumers.

Renewable energy was made too expensive by no less than ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission],” said LKI President Victor Dimagiba.

DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the moratorium would not cover those in the agency’s indicative list of coal power projects. “We are referring to new ones,” he said.

DOE data show seven indicative coal power plant projects in Luzon. These, if approved by the DOE, will add 8,275MW of additional capacity. There are four indicative coal power plant projects in Visayas and Mindanao, with a total additional capacity of 763MW.

among survivors and people living with cancer.

It also seeks to provide timely access to optimal cancer treatment and care for all cancer patients; make cancer treatment and care more affordable and accessible; improve the experience of cancer treatment and care of patients and families; support the recovery and reintegration to society of the cancer survivors; and eliminate various forms of burden on patients, people living with cancer, survivors and their families.

Earlier, Duterte asked Velasco and House Committee on Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Eric Yap to ensure that there are enough funds to assist cancer patients.

Duterte, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor and now a breast cancer advocate, cited the need to “prioritize the needs of our fellow country men specially those who don’t have enough income or capabilities to survive their illnesses.”

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

OFWs. . .

Continued from A1

Cash remittance

Meanwhile, OFWs sent a total of P211.9 billion between April and September 2019. Majority or P157.9 billion were sent home as cash remittances; P46.7 billion accounted for cash brought home; and P7.3 billion were sent in-kind.

The majority of OFWs or 58 percent sent their cash remittances through banks while the rest at 40.7 percent used money transfers and 0.6 percent sent cash remittances through agencies or local offices.

For those who sent cash and in-kind remittances, some 0.4 percent of OFWs used door-to-door delivery to send their remittances to their families; friends or coworkers, 0.2 percent; and other means, 0.1 percent.

PSA noted that the remittances sent by OFWs to their respective families may just be a part of the total salary received by the OFWs. It added that if the family received during the reference period goods and products sent by this OFW, the imputed value of such goods was included in his/her total remittance.

“Data on remittances in this report are based on the answers given by the survey respondents to the questions on how much cash remittance was received by the family during the period April to September 2019 from a family member who is an OFW and how much cash did this member bring home during the reference period, if any,” PSA said.

Between April and September 2019, there were 2.2 million OFWs. Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs) or those with existing work contracts comprised 96.8 percent of the total OFWs during the said period while 3.2 percent worked overseas without a contract.

At the regional level, Calabarzon had the largest share in the total OFWs at 20.7 percent, followed by Central Luzon and the National Capital Region at 13.3 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively.

PSA said the smallest share in the total OFWs came from Mimaropa at 1.5 percent and the Zamboanga Peninsula at 1.6 percent.

DOJ. . .

Continued from A16

Also tackled at the meeting were methods to be used in securing information on incidences of corruption in government, and possible approaches for investigating allegations of corruption—taking into consideration the gravity of the allegations and its impact on the delivery of government services.

The creation of the task force was in line with Duterte’s memorandum giving the DOJ the authority to decide which allegations of corruption to investigate, taking into consideration the gravity thereof and the impact on the delivery of government services.

The President also gave DOJ the discretion to create as many panels as it deems necessary, and invite or direct government agencies to assist or be part of the panel.

“The President has given the DOJ a free hand in filing cases, but if presidential appointees are to be charged, official courtesy demands that the appointing authority be informed in advance,” Guevarra said.

The task force has also formed a secretariat to accept and evaluate complaints about corruption, and recommend to the task force the complaints to be prioritized.

Among the agencies to be prioritized in task force investigations are the Department of Public Works and Highways, Bureau of Customs (BoC), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Land Registration Authority, which is under the DOJ.

Senate reminder

Senate leaders on Wednesday backed Duterte’s initiative in ordering DOJ to dig deeper into alleged anomalies.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III confirmed the emerging consensus among senators to give full support to the Palace directive.

Sotto noted the Palace order will be a “big help” to the Office of the Ombudsman, adding that “the more investigators looking into anomalies, the better.”

Sotto sees no need for Congress to provide DOJ an additional budget to carry out the new task to back up the Ombudsman in going after grafters.

For his part, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, a former Secretary of Justice, reminded that “no one is above the law,” adding this should be taken to mean the task force can investigate all those in government, including lawmakers.

Drilon pointed out, however, that the DOJ cannot directly file graft cases before the Sandiganbayan, citing the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act which provides that these need to be approved by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Joel R. San Juan, Butch Fernandez

PHL banks. . .

Continued from A1

Also, the credit watcher warned that banks’ nonperforming assets including restructured loans could rise to 5.5 percent up to 7.5 percent of the banks’ total portfolio.

S&P’s forecast is significantly higher than the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s (BSP) assessment that nonperforming loans will only reach about 4.6 percent of the banks’ total portfolio by the end of the year.

For the rest of the region, S&P said downside risks will continue to dominate this year, and bank recoveries to pre-Covid-19 levels will likely be slow and uncertain.

“A banking sector revival will not just depend on the economic recovery occurring broadly in accordance with our base case. Also key is the nature and extent of the economic damage affecting firms and households prior to the onset of the economic recovery, and the extent to which this will hit banks,” S&P said.

The credit watcher said that in the region, China, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong may be among the first in Asia-Pacific to recover to 2019 financial strength, potentially by the end of 2022. Australia, Japan, and Indonesia may be among those to recover next; by yearend 2023.

S&P did not give a forecast on when Philippine banks are expected to regain their pre-Covid performance.

BusinessMirror

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Thursday, October 29, 2020 A3

A FULL POWERHOUSE SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

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HILE common considerations are faculty credentials and university reputation, graduate alumni emphasize the importance of having a proper support system as a key to finishing a degree.

There are several factors in choosing a graduate school.

Prospective students usually look at university rankings, field expertise, the quality of instruction, access to research and support facilities, such as laboratories and libraries, and a strong alumni network.

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that the potential rewards to one’s career are worth the significant effort and resources required to embark in advanced studies.

Graduate students later find that the support system provided by professors, mentors, and schoolmates, although usually not a primary consideration, play a crucial role in accomplishing a graduate degree.

Princeton Business Review advises, “if you want a master’s degree to give you that professional edge, then the overall quality of the faculty may be more important than finding the ideal mentor. If you are aiming for a PhD, however, finding a specific professor to serve as your thesis advisor trumps the talents of the faculty at large.”

In a premier research institution like De La Salle University, it is imperative that a high caliber faculty profile is maintained and competent thesis advisers in the widest areas of

study possible are available to graduate researchers.

Some of the most qualified and productive professors in the ASEAN region comprise the DLSU graduate studies faculty. As a result, the University consistently outperforms other private higher education institutions (HEIs) in the country in terms of Scopusindexed research produced. This has contributed to the University’s regular inclusion in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings’ selection of the top 1,500 institutions out of an estimated 26,000 HEIs around the world.

As the only private university in the Philippines included in the 2021 THE WUR, it works hard to maintain or improve its position. THE WUR requires a threshold number of Scopus publications, combined with data on teaching, research, innovation, international outlook, and reputation.

Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Dr. Raymond Girard Tan says that DLSU’s inclusion in the rankings underscores the University’s commitment to contribute to the country’s development through research, especially in this time of pandemic.

“We actively engage in research in order to contribute

to social transformation and sustainable development.

Particularly this year, we initiated a number of studies that we hope can contribute to mitigating the impact of COVID-19,” he said.

DLSU’S thrust as a research university means that the demands of grad school, while fair, can be exacting. With the educational environment existing in DLSU, led by a highly focused mentorship program, the rigors and challenges posed by graduate studies can easily be overcome.

DLSU’s faculty strictly adheres to an established system of guidance and support for grad students, characterized by a oneon-one mentorship program with the University’s top researchers, a low teacher-to-student ratio, and a learner-centered approach.

Its professors generally have a strong sense of responsibility

toward helping students not only accomplish their degrees, but also publish, gain international exposure, or connect with the right professional networks.

The system is also holistic and evolves with the times.

Vice Chancellor for Academics Dr. Robert Roleda shares: “Recently, online counseling and telepsychology support were provided to all University students and faculty to help them cope with the changes brought about by the pandemic and extended quarantine measures.”

Dorothy Joann Lei Labrador-Rabajante, or Lei, (PhD Educational Psychology, 2017) credits the support she

received beyond the classroom for bolstering her skills as an academic.

“All the professors are experienced researchers and expert professionals in the field.

Their mentorship goes beyond helping you graduate. With the well-planned curriculum and skillful guidance of my professors, I gradually gained confidence to conduct my research interests toward publication,” she says.

The support system in DLSU involves not only teachers, but co-students and alumni as well.

For Lei, who had the added challenge of being away from her home in Zamboanga City:

“My professors had been instrumental in my adjustment to the program, providing me with professional opportunities to collaborate in research as well as teach in the graduate school.

My friends in the program were not just classmates, but also my family away from home.”

Charlotte Mei Lacap, (MS Accountancy, 2017) also found needed support from her DLSU graduate school community, while balancing her studies, professional career as a Certified Public Accountant, and duties as a mother.

“I think it’s true when people say that you take on a master’s degree program for the people that you meet. My classmates were an important part of my support system in grad school.

The DLSU culture encouraged learning from each other as much as from professors, and this helped me cross the finish line. “

Like Charlotte, most graduate students in DLSU maintain full-time jobs. Many are breadwinners or heads of their respective families. DLSU recognizes this and provides added assistance by ensuring the availability of courses and flexibility in class schedules. In some graduate programs, options for online or modular learning were already available even before the pandemic struck.

Charlotte, who wanted to earn her graduate degree before she was 30, achieved her target due in part to how her “program was designed for working individuals, with professors who are sincere in helping you grow your career and who go the extra mile to make the classes interesting to busy working moms such as myself.”

As shown by Charlotte and Lei, the challenges to achieving one’s dream graduate degree abound. To overcome these, one needs to choose the right institution, which provides not only excellent and established academic programs, but also a steady and effective support system from the academic community. DLSU, being a premier learner-centered research institution, ensures a conducive environment for graduate students to keep learning and realize their goals.

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A4 Thursday, October 29, 2020 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Dolomite ‘intact’ despite typhoon, heavy rains, DENR official says

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

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N official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Wednesday said the crushed dolomite used in the controversial P389-million beach nourishment project at the Baywalk area along Roxas Boulevard, Manila remains intact despite heavy rains the past several days.

“There is no truth to the news reports that the dolomite sand

has already been washed out to the sea,” DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Jonas R. Leones said in a news statement.

Leones said that even after the heavy rains spawned by the weather disturbance, the crushed dolomite remains intact. Typhoon Quinta also brought rains in some parts of Metro Manila early this week.

News reports earlier quoted the official as saying that “about 10 percent of the dolomite sand in Manila Bay has been swept to sea

by the heavy rains.”

He explained that two layers underneath the crushed dolomite are regular black sand. Whenever a strong wave comes in, the black sand is washed in atop the crushed dolomite, Leones said.

He clarified that the washed dolomite “will not be washed out to the sea because of the geoengineering intervention we put on the project.”

“Besides, the project is still with the contractor. They are still liable in conducting measures for the project,” Leones explained. The project

was implemented by MAC Builders and Dragonhart Construction joint venture early this year.

The contract for the Manila Bay Beach Nourishment Project is part of the P1.7-billion joint project of the DENR and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) dubbed Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program.

“We stand by our statement that the dolomite sand is not being washed out, rather it is just being washed in.

We assure the public that we will protect the people’s money,” he said.

DFA awaits OP signal to proceed on housemaid’s maltreatment case

By Recto Mercene @rectomercene

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N the wake of an embarrassing episode seen by millions of television viewers and in social media where a Filipino ambassador is shown maltreating her household helper, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday said he is reviewing the policy of allowing Filipino diplomats to take Filipino do-

mestic helpers from the Philippines rather than hiring them locally in their foreign posts.

“Let me reiterate the Department of Foreign Affairs is giving this matter its utmost attention, true to its core mission of protecting the rights and promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers.”

And even as the DFA is preparing to investigate allegations of maltreatment and cruelty against the

country’s envoy to Brazil, Marichu Mauro, Locsin assured that the first order of business is to get President Duterte’s approval.

“But first the DFA will get authority from the Office of the President [OP] to proceed, as a young lawyer reminded us all or it will be an exercise in futility.” The directive to first consult the OP is contained in Section 51 of the Foreign Service Act. Mauro’s alleged maltreatment of a 51-year-old Filipina household helper was exposed on a Brazilian television station, showing her twisting the ear of the helper on several occasions in what appears to be a uniquely Filipino form of corporal punishment.

But according to Locsin, all Filipino diplomats are held to an even higher standard by virtue of their profession’s mandate, “not least to be the face of our compassionate country, and sworn commitment to public service.”

He said President Duterte has been clear from the beginning of his term that his administration will do everything to protect the rights of every single Filipino worker abroad.

“Rest assured, the DFA’s response on this matter will be severe to the fullest extent of the law especially when it involves a high ranking DFA official setting an example to ensure that matters like these will never be tolerated.”

Locsin said Mauro’s recall “will

enable the DFA to conduct an expedient and thorough investigation into the incidents of physical abuse perpetrated by her against her household staff.”

“Under my leadership, the DFA will not tolerate in any way whatsoever actions by any of its ranking officers or staff that go against our primary mandate, which is the promotion and protection of the welfare of all overseas Filipinos.”

He added the DFA will be firm in meting out the appropriate sanctions and administrative or criminal charges against Ambassador Mauro “if the results of the DFA’s investigation will demand as such.”

The household staff left Brasilia on October 21 and is back in the Philippines. The DFA said in a statement that it wants to ensure her well-being and cooperation in the investigation.

Dates on the CCTV footage listed the incident took place in March, August and twice in October this year.

It could not be determined who brought the CCTV footage of the incident to the TV station, which was taken from the official residence of Mauro.

When asked whether another disgruntled household worker was complicit in the expose, or whether such action of revealing the CCTV content of Mauro’s official residence constitute a security breach, the DFA said it would be part of the investigation.

₧10-B Skyway extension project from Susana to Sucat done by Dec

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FTER announcing the soft opening of its much-awaited Skyway 3 project in December, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang said the structure of the northbound section of its Skyway Extension project is now 70 percent done and on-schedule for completion by the end of the year.

The P10-billion project, which was fully funded by SMC, will extend the Skyway from Susana Heights on the South Luzon Expressway (Slex) to Sucat and back and provide direct access to the elevated section of the Skyway.

It will connect the Slex and the Muntinlupa- Cav ite Ex pressway (MCX) to the Skyway at Susana Heights, by passing A labang to make travel from south to north via the Skyway System seamless and much shorter.

“We are on track to deliver the northbound section of the Skyway Extension project by December, and with this, motorists from the south can easily access Makati, Manila, San Juan, Quezon City, and the North Luzon Expressway,” Ang said.

“Under normal Metro Manila conditions, you will be lucky if you can get from Slex to the North Luzon Expressway in under three hours. You would have to pass through traffic gridlocks in Alabang, Magallanes, practically the whole of Edsa, or various areas through Manila. With the Skyway Extension and the completed Skyway 3, you can get there in 30 minutes without stopping,” he added.

The project, which was started in late 2019, is also aimed at eliminating traffic buildup along Slex heading to Alabang and the Alabang viaduct.

Previously, from five lanes on the Slex, the expressway would narrow to just three lanes at the Alabang viaduct, causing huge traffic jams not just on the expressway, but also on public roads feeding into it in Muntinlupa and Las Piñas.

The Skyway Extension will expand capacity by adding three lanes northbound and two lanes southbound. With motorists coming from Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas able to bypass Alabang, the easing of traffic in Muntinlupa and along the AlabangZapote Road, is also seen.

Originally set for full completion by end of this year, the project, like all other major infrastructure projects, has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Work had to stop when the lockdown was implemented. We resumed work in mid-June and because of health protocols, we had to limit the number of workers at the site. Apart from limitations on the work force, we have also had to contend with delays in the shipment of materials, due to restrictions and limitations brought on by the pandemic,” said Ang. “But despite these challenges, our engineers and our contractors have come through. They work double-time, so we can deliver the northbound section as scheduled, by December. The southbound section will follow July next year,” he added.

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UN mobilizes ₧1.4-B fund for Philippines’s Covid rapid response

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HE United Nations (UN) in the Philippines has mobilized some P1.4 billion through 150 Covid-19 rapid-response activities being implemented by 20 UN agencies throughout the country.

“In the Philippines, the UN has moved swiftly to support the government-led effort to contain Covid-19 and limit its socioeconomic impact,” said Gustavo Gonzalez, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines. “Our support combines the reorientation of existing interventions to cope with the crisis, the implementation of timely impact assessments as well as technical assistance and in-kind support to national, regional and community partners.”

“The Philippines acknowledges the UN’s immediate support to the Covid-19 response in the Philippines. We recognize the contributions in the health sector through humanitarian initiatives that target the most vulnerable, on top of multi-sector al programs and activities that aim to assist the Philippines recovery from the pandemic. With the help of organizations like the UN, we are hopeful that the country can be more

resilient in facing future crises,” said Karl Kendrick Chua, Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

The UN’s P1.4-billion rapid Covid-19 investment consists of in-kind support, as well as technical assistance. Sixty percent of the activities are being implemented nationwide, while 20 percent are focused on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), followed by the National Capital Region (NCR) and other regions.

The report reflects on a wide range of UN interventions in the field of health, education, social protection, sustainable livelihoods and employment generation in urban and rural areas, as well as food security, habitat and environment.

The UN in the Philippines is presently revising its program of cooperation aiming at the adoption of a “ UN Socioeconomic and Peacebuilding Framework for Covid-19 recovery in the Philippines ” to support and reinforce efforts in the Philippines to recover and stay firmly on the path toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Go renews push for DDR creation

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

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DMINIST R AT ION Sen. C h r i s to phe r L aw re nce “Bong” Go, citing widespread damage inflicted by strong Typhoon Quinta, pressed Congress on Monday to front-load passage of a bill he filed last year creating the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR).

“W hen I was elected senator in 2019, I immediately filed Senate Bill 205 that aims to establish t he Depar tment of Disaster Resilience,” Go said after Typhoon Quinta unleashed strong winds and heavy rains making five landfalls before exiting.

In a news statement, the senator renewed his call for the urgent passage of DDR bill. “Matagal ko nang sinabi ito. Paulit ulit na ako na huwag na nating hintayin magka sakuna na naman bago ipasa ang panukalang magtatatag ng Department of Disaster Resilience,” Go said.

Citing the country’s vulnerability to typhoons and other natural disasters, Go stressed the need for a more proactive approach when dealing with these phenomena, lamenting that the need for DDR is always discussed when there is a calamity but Congress has yet to pass the bill so it could be submitted to Malacañang for signing into law.

“Palagi na lang kung merong kalamidad sa bansa ay kaya napagu u s a p a n a ng p a gk a k a ro on ng DDR. Dapat maging mas proactive tayo at ipasa na ito sa lalong madaling panahon,” G o s a id , adding, “Madalas pong tamaan ng bag yo, lindol at iba pang kalamidad ang ating bansa. Kailangan na talaga nating i-scale up ang preparedness to resiliency against disasters.”

The senator stressed that a new department with a secretary in charge will ensure more focused government efforts during calamities. “Napapanahon na din na talagang magkaroon ng sariling departamento na nakatutok talaga at may Secretary-level na timon o overall in-charge tuwing may krisis o sakuna.”

Go asserted that hav ing a DDR will ensure government’s readiness to respond to crisis situation. “Kung maitatag ang Department of Disaster Resilience, tunay na magiging laging

handa tayo sa anumang krisis o sakuna—mas mag ig ing mabilis ang pagtugon ng pamahalaan, mas maiibsan ang masamang epekto ng kalamidad at mas mabilis makakabangon ang ating mga kababayan,” he added.

He clarified that Senate Bill 205 filed in July last year provides for the proposed Department of Disaster Resilience Act, which is envisioned to “create an empowered, highly specialized and responsive DDR with clear unity of command and primarily responsible in ensuring safe, adaptive and disaster-resilient communities.”

Go’s bill also specified that the department shall concentrate on three key result areas, namely: disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness and response, and recovery and building forward better.

The senator noted that “presently, various government agencies dealing with disaster risk reduction and management are sc at tered i n se vera l de pa r t ments and offices and the current lead National Disaster Risk R e duc t ion a nd M a n a ge me nt Council is merely a coordinating body.”

He stressed that the advantages of enacting the DDR bill is that it focuses not just on what the countr y should do after the disaster, but also before the disaster even strikes. “ The focus is on preparation and resilience,” says Go, adding: “We shou ld sh if t ou r foc us f rom ‘ d amage control ’ to ‘ d amage mitigation and control.’”

Go also filed a companion legislation, embodied in SB 1228, to be known as the Mandatory Evacuation Center Act, which will “require every province, city and municipality to construct such centers that will be equipped with emergency packs, medicines and other basic necessities.”

At the same time, the adm i n ist rat ion l aw m a ker l i ke wise urged Filipinos to learn from past experiences and lessons from the current Covid-19 pandemic, stressing it is “ high time that the nation scales up its preparedness and resilience against pandemics and natural disasters.... It is time to scale up our preparedness and resiliency against natural disasters and pandemics,” Go said.

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Thursday, October 29, 2020 A5

NSC chief nixes zero budget move for NTF-ELCAC, hits leftist groups

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

@joveemarie

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HE National Security Council (NSC) on Wednesday renewed its vow dismantle underground organizations and develop areas formerly held by these groups amid Makabayan bloc’s proposal defunding the Barangay Development Program (BDP), which seeks to help areas adversely affected by armed conflicts.

National Security Adviser and Director General Hermogenes Esperon issued the statement as the Makabayan bloc in the lower chamber proposed “zero budget” allocation for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) claiming the funds are “generals pork.”

The P16.44-billion budget for BDP is being requested by the NTF-ELCAC. The P16.44 billion will be given to 822 cleared barangays, which will be provided P20 million worth of barangay development package per barangay. The package include farm-to-market roads, school buildings, water and sanitation system, national greening program, health stations, electrifications, crops, livestock and fisheries, interconnectivity and livelihood.

He said the BDP allows the government to address the root cause of insurgency not just through a physical security issue but also the underlying social economic and political factors that are existing for more than 50 years now.

Esperon said the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic magnifies the urgency of delivering these initiatives to the communities.

“The BDP espouses development at the grassroots level, particularly in conflict-affected and conflict-prone areas. From 2016 to 2019, there have been 822 barangays cleared of NPA influence. These communities are ripe for development, and have been identified as barangay recipients of the package of programs under the BDP. We intend to bring government services to areas whose development have been stunted due to the influence and threat of the NPA,” he said.

“In the strongest of terms, I denounce the personalities that claim to be progressive and are calling for the dismantling of the NTF-ELCAC and the defunding of the Barangay Development Program. The Task Force and the Program do not infringe upon the liberties and freedoms that our people possess constitutionally,” Esperon said.

“In fact, with the President himself as the chairman of the Task Force, the NTF-ELCAC has become the embodiment of the government’s peace and development agenda, through the BDP as its flagship program,” he added.

He said while the NTF-ELCAC is aimed at dismantling the NPA and underground organizations, there is a parallel effort to develop areas formerly held by the said armed group.

Red-tagging

MEANWHILE, Esperon said NTF-ELCAC has evidence that will expose the true nature of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) and its various front organizations, primarily among them the Makabayan bloc.

In a strongly worded statement, Esperon said he is ready to show evidence that will prove the intentions of the CPP-NPA and the various front organizations supporting it.

Esperon, the vice chairman of NTF-ELCAC, is defending the group’s spokesman Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy and Lt. General Antonio

Lawmaker pushes advance voting for elderly, PWDs amid Covid-19

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O assure the Constitutional right of suffrage of senior citizens and persons with disability (PWD) amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a lawmaker is pushing for the passage of a bill allowing them to cast their votes within a month ahead of election day.

Rep. Ronnie Ong of the Ang Probinsyano party-list said the Covid-19 pandemic is looming large to disenfranchise 10 million senior citizens and PWDs because of potential health risks.

Anticipating that the pandemic would continue to pose health hazards to senior citizens and PWD until the 2022 elections, Ong said he filed House Bill 7868, or the New Normal of Voting for Senior Citizens and PWDs Act of 2020.

According to Ong, while the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has allowed local and overseas absentee voters to cast their votes about two to eight weeks before election day, early voting is still not allowed for senior citizens and PWDs. Sen. Edgardo Angara is also proposing the conduct of early voting for senior citizens and PWDs seven days before the poll date.

“Hence, there is now a very compelling reason to develop a new normal of voting for our senior citizens and PWDs, and protect their right to vote while promoting their health and safety. This is the objective of the bill,” Ong said.

Ong said that the enactment of the New Normal of Voting Law is a necessary step to ensure that the right of suffrage for senior citizens and PWDs is protected while “promoting their health and safety especially during the occurrence of calamities and health pandemics.” He believes that the 2022 elections must still push through and this bill can help allay the public fear.

“A new normal of voting, or an early voting system, shall be developed where the effective and full participation of these vulnerable sectors are encouraged, the secrecy and sanctity of their ballots upheld and their health and safety are ensured while exercising their right of suffrage,” the lawmaker said.

Under his proposed law, the following will be implemented, among others:

Casting of vote shall be done within 30 days immediately preceding the day of election, the exact period or duration of which shall be determined and published by the Comelec, taking into consideration the number of voters, who are senior sitizens and PWDs, and other logistical requirements;

Health and safety protocol shall be put in place in designated polling stations and other establishments like waiting areas in accordance with national and international guidelines and best practices to address any existing or imminent calamity or health and safety risk. Measures may include the mandatory use of mask, face shield, and gloves; checking of temperature; safe and regular disinfection or sanitization of hands, items, or place; social distancing; proper ventilation; and adequate training and equipping of the Electoral Board and other authorized officers and representatives of the Comelec; To ensure effective and full participation, the Comelec shall keep and update the record of senior citizens and PWDs who are qualified to vote, and conduct an intensive public information campaign; Aside from actual voting in polling stations, the Comelec is also given the authority to explore and develop an early voting system utilizing postal or mail-in voting; Polling stations and other establishments like waiting areas shall fully comply with Republic Act 10366 such that the requirements for accessibility, assistive services and devices, ballot design, among others, are observed;

In addition to guaranteeing an accessible public transportation, the Comelec, with the help of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the local government units concerned and other stakeholders, shall endeavor to provide free transportation service for Senior Citizens and PWDs to and from polling stations, especially for those who have impaired physical mobility; Provided, that nonpartisanship and healthy and safety protocol are observed. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Parlade Jr. against those accusing them of resorting to red tagging.

“I wish to make it clear that I am providing numerous pieces of evidence and information that will expose the true nature of the CPP-NPA, and its various front organizations, primarily among them the Makabayab bloc. We are taking this opportunity to inform the public of the deceit and treachery that they have continuously employed in order to gain sympathy for their cause,” Esperon said.

According to Esperon, the administration is not

red-tagging front organizations because the term itself came from the communist organization.

“We are accused of red-tagging front organizations by their very own mouthpieces. To them I pose these questions: Why have they not questioned Jose Maria Sison when he himself identified these organizations as part of the bigger organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines? Sison was specific when he named Bayan, Gabriela, Alliance of Concerned Teachers , League of Filipino Students, and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, as well as the Kilusang Mayo

Uno as part of his national democratic revolution,” Esperon further said.

The official also pointed out that even the United Nations Security Council, under Resolution 1373 of 2001, specifies that the CPP-NPA is a terrorist organization. Further, the governments of the European Union, United States, and New Zealand have identified the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization.

In addition to the classification, Esperon cited that “the governments of Canada and Australia have also categorized Jose Maria Sison as a terrorist individual.”

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Thursday, October 29, 2020

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Slow arrivals in Boracay recorded for ‘Undas’ weekend

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM

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Special to the BusinessMirror

RRIVALS in Boracay Island are gradually picking up in the weeks leading up to the annual All Saints’ Day/All Souls’ Day holiday.

A report from the Department of Tourism (DOT)-Region 6 (Western Visayas), indicated that total arrivals in Boracay reached 1,944 from October 1 to 25. Of the arrivals, 1,113 or 57 percent came from the National Capital Region (NCR).

The rest are mostly from Aklan and Iloilo City.

Citing the report, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo

Puyat told the BusinessMirror, “The highest number of tourists entering Boracay in a day was 208 last October 25 [Sunday], while the highest number of NCR tourists entering Boracay in a day was 194, also on Sunday. This may signal the start of the Undas holiday tourists.”

She added, the weekends have usually lured the tourists

to Boracay, even those coming from NCR, since October 1, when the island started accepting visitors even from general community quarantine areas. This month’s arrivals are a far cry, however, from the 67,493 domestic tourists recorded in October 2019.

Interviews with a few resorts on the island show varying degrees of bookings. At Discovery Shores Boracay along Station 1, “It’s really picking up,” said Cathy Hidalgo-Nepomuceno, senior vice president, head of sales and operations, Discovery Hospitality. “Of course, [it’s] still not at the usual pace, which usually by this time, should be already full,” she added.

At Coast Boracay along Station 2, General Manager Randy Salvador said bookings have been slow. “Not much—just three rooms,” he added.

But he expressed optimism that arrivals would eventually pick up, “It’s good that airlines are now open to land in Caticlan…slowly, but surely [more guests will come].”

Part of Coast’s new promo is to arrange for discounted RT-PCR tests

of its guests with the Philippine National Red Cross, at P4,000 per person. Under the guidelines of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, visitors to the island are supposed to take an RT-PCR test at least 72 hours before departure.

Price cap on Covid-19 tests urged

The Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI) has been batting for the use of the cheaper and faster antigen test to attract more tourists. In his letter to Romulo Puyat dated October 16, BFI President Edwin M. Raymundo noted the “prohibitive cost of the RT-PCR” test as among the hindrances in the arrival of guests to the island. “This is evidenced by the number of cancellations, a concern that was raised by our stakeholders,” he added.

RT-PCR tests cost anywhere from P4,000 to P6,500, with a turnaround time for results between 5-8 hours to as long as five days, depending on the medical center which processes the tests. The antigen test is cheaper at P1,500 to P2,500, with results as fast at 15 minutes to two days, again depending on the medical center or

establishment where the test is taken. The World Health Organization, however, has said the antigen test is not as accurate as the RT-PCR test, considered the “gold standard” in Covid-19 testing.

Romulo Puyat has appealed for price cap on RT-PCR and antigen tests to help revive the domestic tourism business. “While the DOT acknowledges and puts paramount importance on the safety of visitors, locals, and the tourism work force, we likewise find it imperative to address the urgent need to impose a price cap on these accepted Covid-19 testing methods to promote domestic tourism, which in turn can generate employment and stimulate economic recovery,” she stressed.

Government recently eased interzonal and intrazonal travel restrictions, and prescribed minimum health standards amid Covid-19.

Seamless arrival noted

For his part, Edd Fuentes, owner of Sun Villa Resorts in Station 2,

said while they have been receiving some booking inquiries for the Undas weekend, “they are not enough to justify [reopening my resorts]. It will just be too costly to operate the resorts with a few guests. The bulk of our bookings are for next year.”

Yet Discovery’s Nepomuceno, underscored the ease by which guests can book their visits to the island. The process of signing up with the local government’s web site for guests to get their QR code “is very good. It’s seamless from the moment you step foot on the plane all the way to the resort, because it’s pre-approved even before you leave [your city].”

But she added, the acceptability of antigen tests will definitely go a long way in boosting visitors to the island. Aklan Gov. Florencio Miraflores has said resorts have already cut their room rates by as much as 75 percent, which “offsets the expense paid for the RT-PCR test.” (See, “Boracay resorts seek antigen pilot-testing to lure tourists,” in the Business Mirror , Oct. 6, 2020.)

Pangilinan: Probe China’s ‘soft invasion’ of Philippines

House vows swift passage of anti-corruption measures

SIDE from the unresolved P40-billion “pastillas” corruption issue at the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is urging the Senate to also investigate, in aid of legislation, the national security implications of the entry of around 4 million Chinese into the country since 2017.

Pangilinan’s proposed Senate Resolution 558 is a follow-up to the findings of the October 20, 2020 hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality.

“Given the lenient requirements for foreign national retirees and the seemingly unchecked entry of some 4 million Chinese nationals into the country, there is a need to look into whether this is an orchestrated ‘soft invasion’ of our country,” Pangilinan said in the proposed resolution.

“Nakakabahala ito, lalo na’t meron tayong isyu sa kanila sa West Philippine Sea,” the senator said.

That hearing revealed that then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre issued in 2017 Department of Justice Order 41 allowing Chinese nationals to enter the country not via visas issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), but by BI-issued visasupon-arrival (VUA). Of the 4 million Chinese who have entered the country, 150,000 did so by VUA. At the same hearing, the Philippine Retirement Authority disclosed that Chinese nationals comprise the biggest population of foreign retirees at nearly 40 percent, or about 28,000, with retirees defined as young as 35 years old. In his proposed Senate resolution, Pangilinan said China’s increased presence in the country has not only been limited to the millions of its nationals who have entered the country since 2017.

“In July 2020, the Philippine government protested the presence of more than a hundred Chinese vessels, which are believed to be part of China’s fishing militia, in Pag-asa Island and the West Philippine Sea,” Pangilinan said.

“Filipino fishermen in the area who are civilians and have no military training, unlike their Chinese counterparts, are subjected to threats and harassment. Moreover, the country’s natural resources are exploited,” he added.

Pangilinan said “soft invasion” concerns, which are rooted in investment and infrastructure projects funded by China, include debt exposure, geopolitical risks, and sovereignty issues.

“Soft invasion” is the term used by former intelligence chief of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet Captain Jim Fanell to describe China’s strategy of “invading” cash-strapped neighbors.

In an interview with the American television news program 60 Minutes aired November 2019, Fanell described China’s strategy in the South Pacific as a “soft invasion” and “expansionist.”

“The Chinese are coming in with soft power and lots of cash to buy out local officials, to gain access to ports and airfields and resources that give them a controlling monopoly in the islands,” the former US intelligence officer said.

“Ang Pilipinas ay para sa Pilipino. Huwag naman pasilaw sa pera ang iba sa ating mga opisyal at ipagpalit ang Pilipinas sa ilang pirasong pilak [The Philippines is for Filipinos. Some of our officials should not be blinded by money and exchange the Philippines for a few pieces of silver],” Pangilinan said.

ouse leaders on Wednesday vowed to expedite the passage of all anti-corruption measures in the lower chamber to boost the government’s fight against corruption.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Majority Leader Martin Romualdez jointly issued statement following President Duterte’s directive for the conduct of a largescale investigation into allegations of corruption in the entire government.

Also, Velasco said the lower chamber is always open for any investigation.

“It is also important to note that the President issued the directive following incessant attacks against the House due to alleged involvement of some of its members in corruption activities in the Department of Public Works and Highways,” he said.

“While we are saddened that some congressmen and the institution have been dragged into this controversy, we welcome such probe by any government agency,

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By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

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@joveemarie

as an investigation by the House would be self-serving and would only create a cloud of doubt,” Velasco added.

For his part, Romualdez, chairman of the powerful House committee on rules, said on top of their priority is the passage of the bill granting anti-red tape powers to the Chief Executive during national emergencies.

“In an effort to further the President's advocacy against corruption, the House of Representatives would work harder to fast-track the approval of all pending measures related to anti-red tape and anti-corruption campaign of the Duterte administration,” he said.

Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera, meanwhile, called for the immediate transmittal to Malacañang of the bill granting the President an anti-red tape powers during national emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic.

She said the bill will no longer have to go through a bicameral conference committee because the versions passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives are the same.

“Since the Senate and House versions are identical, the bill may be sent directly to Malacañang for President Duterte’s signature,” she said.

Just like the Senate version, the lower house version—House Bill 7884—empowers the President to expedite the processing and issuance of national and local permits, licenses, and certifications when a national emergency is declared in the country.

The bill covers all agencies of the Executive branch, including departments, bureaus, offices, commissions, boards, councils; government instrumentalities, government-owned and -controlled corporations.

The House approved HB 7884 on third and final reading last October 16 while the Senate approved the bill last October 14.

It was the first legislative measure passed by the lower chamber under the leadership of Speaker Velasco, who also happened to be among the bill’s authors in the House.

Herrera expressed hope the President will sign the bill into law before Christmas.

Suspected kidnapper of Fil-Am Quinta damage elderly man arrested in Zambo placed at P500M and climbing

By Rene Acosta

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@reneacostaBM

suspect in the kidnapping of a Filipino-American man in Zamboanga del Norte more than a month ago was captured by police antikidnapping operatives in Zamboanga City.

Anerson Tungayao, a resident of Barangay Tapanayan, Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte, was bagged by a composite team of policemen and soldiers led by the Philippine National Police-AntiKidnapping Group (AKG) along the shoreline of Barangay Arena Blanco in Zamboanga City.

Tungayao is one of the suspects in the kidnapping of Rex Triplitt, 64, in Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte on September 16. He was rescued by security forces 15 days later.

In his report to PNP chief Genera l Cami lo Pancrat ius Cascolan, AKG Director Brig.

Gen. Jonel Estomo was carr y-

ing an M-16 assault rif le when accosted by operating troops who i m med i at ly pl aced h i m under arrest.

Another target of the operation, Injam Yadah, a subleader of the Abu Sayyaf Group, eluded arrest.

Estomo sa id t he g roup of Yadah and Tungayao is responsible in Triplitt’s kidnapping, who was snatched by ar med men while he was riding a motorcycle.

Triplitt’s Filipino wife was with him during the kidnapping, but the woman escaped.

Estomo said the group was set to ju mp - of f for a not her kidnapping when Tungayao was captured, and as such, foiled his group’s plan.

T he A KG c hief sa id t he group disguise themselves as c o n s t r u c t io n w o r k e r s w he n conduc t i ng , k id n appi ng , e xtortion and other criminal activity, victimizing mostly local businessmen in the Zamboanga peninsula area.

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yphoon Quinta has damaged close to half a billion pesos worth of infrastructure and agriculture products, but the amount could still climb amid the ongoing assessment by officials in all of the affected areas.

At the same time, the death toll had also risen to 14 although five of the reported deaths in the Bicol region are still being validated, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The NDRRMC said that Quinta, which pummeled a wide area of Luzon and the Visayas over the weekend, damaged an initial P401,726,344 in agriculture and another P28 million in infrastructure, both in Regions 1, 3, 5 and 6 and in Calabarzon.

Of the 14 deaths, seven were reported in Mimaropa and two in Region 7.

The NDRRMC maintained that its report, although official, is still preliminary, saying that in Bicol region alone, more than P600 million worth of damage has been recorded by the Office of Civil Defense 5.

The region also reported that more than 10,000 houses were either damaged or destroyed. Rene Acosta

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DAR gives veggie packs to 1,585 poor families courtesy of generous farmers

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

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@jonlmayuga

o help poor families cope with economic difficulties, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently distributed vegetable packs from various agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) in Nueva Ecija and Benguet.

In a news statement, DAR Support Services Office Undersecretary Emily Padilla said a total of 1,585 families received the vegetable packs from DAR. “We are distributing this food relief in different areas in Metro Manila to help indigent families cope in this time of the pandemic,” Padilla said.

She said the vegetable distribution was made possible through the generous contribution of ARBOs who continue to share their harvests to poor families in Metro Manila.

DA R Undersecretar y for Polic y,

Planning and Research Office Virginia Orogo, who assisted in the distribution, said that the activity was undertaken in coordination with Caritas Manila.

The vegetables were distributed to indigent families living in Barangays Zapiro in Sta. Cruz; Rasac in Sta. Ana and Magsaysay in Tondo, the same areas where Jollibee Food Corp. (JFC) had earlier distributed chicken guisado food packs.

The food relief drive of the DAR, Caritas Manila and JFC will run from October until December this year.

Aeta families benefit from CDC and Clark Marriott’s ‘Adopt-a-Community’ project 2

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LARK FREEPORT—Twenty families belonging to the Indigenous Peoples (IP) community in this free port recently benefited from the second installment of Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and Clark Marriott Hotel’s “Adopt-a-Community” project.

During the activity, beneficiaries from Sitio Gayaman in Barangay Anupul in Bamban, Tarlac received hygiene kits, sacks of rice and pre-loved clothes from Clark Marriott Hotel.

Aside from this, they were also taught proper handwashing technique for the prevention and control of Covid-19 and other common illnesses.

For its part, CDC through its External Affairs Division (EAD)-Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm, coordinated with tribal communitiesbeneficiaries, handled logistics to pick up the Aetas from uplands in Bamban and personally handed over the donations during the said activity.

The project, which gives priority to vulnerable groups in the society, also aims to give

back to the community and help Aeta families cope during this Covid-19 pandemic.

The event was attended by Clark Marriott General Manager Goeran Soelter, Food and Beverage Director Lyle Kelvin Cajayon, Director of Human Resource Carmen Siongco, Chief Engineer John Rainer Cresino, Loss Prevention Manager Ronnie Manalastas and Col. Joselito T. Lopena, Assistant Chief of United Command Staff for Plans, U5 Northern Luzon Command.

Also present were Ronald T. Antonio, Community Affairs Officer IV and Astrud Aguinaldo, Community Relations and Social Services Officer III, both from CDC, who also arranged all the preparations and coordinated the project with other government agencies.

Clark Marriott Hotel is a locator of CDC that actively participates in CSR projects. Some of their past CSR projects include “A Night of Gratitude,” which they hosted to help victims of the Taal Volcano eruption and the “Serve360” event which benefited Aeta kids from Mabalacat City.

With their mission to help Aeta families to cope amid the pandemic, Clark Marriott Hotel in partnership with Clark Development Corp. (CDC)-External Affairs Division (EAD) distributed hygiene kits and other essential materials to Aeta families. Officials who led the activity are (from left) Assistant Chief of United Command Staff for Plans, U5 Northern Luzon Command Col. Joselito T. Lopena, Sitio Gayaman, Bamban, Tarlac, tribal chieftain Joel Cosme, Marriott Hotel General Manager Goeran Soelter, Director of Human Resource Carmen Siongco, and CDC Community Relations and Social Services Officer III Astrud Aguinaldo.

Thursday, October 29, 2020

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Council reso lauds former CDP top exec Manankil

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NGELES CITY—A resolution recognizing the efforts of outgoing Clark Development Corp. President and CEO Noel F. Manankil in his 25 years of service has been unanimously approved by both the majority and minority bloc of the Angeles City Council.

In its regular session held Tuesday, October 27, the City Council approved Resolution 821-10-20, Series, of 2020, which highlights the various accomplishments of Manankil as president and CEO of CDC from December 2016 to October 2020.

Approving and signing the resolution were Presiding Officer Vicky Vega-Cabigting, Councilors Jesus “Jay” Sangil, Alfie Bonifacio, Arvin Suller, Raco del Rosario, Marino Bañola, Jaycee Parker, Joseph Ponce, Liga Pres Jeremias Alejandrino, SK Pres Arnoah Mandani, Danilo Lacson, Amos Rivera and Thelma Indiongco.

In the resolution, the City Council commend Manankil “for his time-honored legacy of dedication, enthusiasm and outstanding public service given to the CDC for the past 25 years.”

The council also cited the initiatives started by Manankil to help sustain the financial stance of the free port and assist its locators to recuperate from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Mr. Manankil has brought respect, honor, and integrity to the CDC by leading example, exhibiting the highest level of ethics and maintaining a superior moral character,” the council stated in the resolution.

The council also mentioned that Manankil has been cited by the CDC Board of Directors for “his unquestionable competence, outstanding achievements, devotion to duty, professional excellence and leadership in his field.”

During Manankil’s term as CDC president, financial targets have been achieved, remittances to national treasury were made, infrastructure improved, locators satisfied, employees delighted, local leaders bridged, and communities assisted, according to the CDC Board.

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PRIDE OF THE TRIBE

DLSMHSI’S FIRST-EVER TIGWAHANON DOCTOR W

The big decision

By Trisha Jean V. De Leon

AT first, Mambucod had no serious intention to enter medical school.

However, an incident that happened in his tribe pushed him to finally become a doctor.

He looked back on a six-yearold girl that was hacked by her own father due to his wife’s pregnancyrelated death. At that time, there was no doctor available. Mambucon then stepped up and called the assigned doctor to give him instructions to help save the poor child’s life.

When the doctor arrived, Mambucon has almost finished all the work. The doctor then told him that he should pursue medicine since he understands his tribe’s sentiments and culture, which would help them trust the health care system even more.

Initially, Mambucon’s National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) results did not suffice the necessary requirement to get a scholarship.

However, through the help of his pastors, he was able to connect with the De La Salle Brothers and get the financial aid he needs.

“Two years akong naghanap ng medical school na magbibigay sa akin ng full scholarship. (It took me two years to find a medical school that would give me a full scholarship). I am very thankful to De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute (DLSMHSI) for giving me a chance. Sila lang ang nag-interview sa akin (they were the only ones who interviewed me). Forever animo La Salle!”

“They said, ‘Welcome to De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute!’ and gave me 100 percent support from my school expenses to my food, shelter. I’m forever grateful to be given that opportunity.”

Mambucon admitted to struggling to adjust to the competitive environment and to pass all the subjects. Nonetheless, he praised DLSMHSI’s support system, which helped him cope easily.

HILE many have aspired to become a doctor, only a few have been able to achieve such a feat—considering all the hurdles one has to overcome through his/her medical school journey.

So when Jeoffrey Mambucon, a member of an indigenous tribe from San Fernando, Bukidnon earned his Doctor of Medicine degree at De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute (DLSMHSI) last June 30, people can’t help but pay attention to his unique yet inspiring story.

Early childhood

BORN on the 16th day of September 1988, Mambucon, also known as Otit, was the third child (out of the six children) of Datu Edgardo Mambucon, a former tribal chieftain who was killed in 2011, and Julieta “Yuan” Solin-ay Mambucon.

Due to his humble upbringing, Mambucon never imagined of becoming a doctor.

“Mahirap para sa isang [miyembro ng] tribo dahil ‘yung Mama ko, di naman talaga nakapag-aral.

Si Papa naman hanggang Grade 1 lang dahil wala ring parent support. (It’s tough for a tribe member since my mother was unable to study. My father, on the other hand, only finished Grade 1 due to lack of parent support.)”

He recalled how difficult it is for him to go to school since he would need to cross three rivers to attend his classes.

“Mahirap pa kapag bumaha kasi kailangan mo languyin or either makitulog ka sa mga Cebuano or Bisaya na nasa baba. The next day na naman, uwi ka ng mabilis para magbihis tapos takbo ka na naman papuntang school—mga one to two hours ‘yun. (It’s more difficult when there’s a flood because I may need to swim or ask the Cebuano or Visayan down the mountain to allow me to spend the night there.

The next day, I will go home to change my clothes and then run back to school, which would take about one to two hours.)”

Mambucon also remembered

always being absent in class and transferring to five different schools during his elementary days.

“Doon na lang ako sa bahay.

Tutulong na lang ako sa sakahan.

Makakakain pa kami. (I stayed at home most of the time. I chose to help in our farm, too, so that we could eat.)”

The driving force which encouraged Mambucon to continue his studies was his teachers. He remembered how they would visit his tribe to ensure that he will continue his education. “‘Yung encouragement nila na pwede kayong maging guro, mayroon kayong sahod, at mapapakain niyo ang pamilya niyo. Pinakatumatak talaga sa akin ‘yung sinabi nila na ‘Ayaw mo ba pumunta sa ibang lugar o makakain ka sa Jollibee?’ Pinakita nila sakin ‘yung mga pictures ng Jollibee, which is di ko pa nakikita. Iyon ‘yung nakapagpa-realize sa akin na mayroon pa palang ibang mundo. (They encouraged us to maybe become a teacher someday and earn a stable income to feed our family. One of the most notable things they told me was when they asked me whether I want to go to other places or even eat at Jollibee. They showed me pictures of Jollibee, which I have not seen yet before. That was when I realized there is another world out there.)”

The turning point

WHEN Mambucon started realizing his potentials, he started focusing on his studies.

“From nothing, noong Grade 5 and 6 na ako, nakakasali na ako sa Top 10 or Top 5. Parang masaya na ako kasi nakasali na ako sa honor roll. (From nothing, when I reached the 5th and 6th level in grade school, I was able to join the Top 10 or Top 5 of the class. I was happy because I was already included in the honor roll.)”

With flying colors

During high school, he received a scholarship from Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF), which provided all the necessary

things he needed at that time.

“The Overseas Missionary Stewardship have an educational program. Pinag-aral ako nung high

school then dinala ako sa Davao kasi nga nakita nila na mataas ang grades ako (They sent me to high school then took me to Davao after noticing that I’ve got really good grades).”

Although Mambucon felt like his only choice was to become a teacher after finishing high school due to financial constraints, the missionaries had other plans. As fate would have it, they needed a nurse for their medical ministry. So he ended up pursuing the profession at the University of Mindanao in Davao City.

After passing the nursing board exam on his first take, he worked at the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital in San Fernando, which encouraged many of his co-tribe members to further pursue their education and seek support from professional health workers like himself.

“Nakikita ko na marami na akong katribo na nakakatapos ng college na kumukuha ng iba’t ibang kurso. Iba talaga ‘yung impact na nagawa ko sa kanila kaya napakahalaga sa akin na bumalik sa tribo.

(I saw that many of co-tribe members were able to finish different courses in college. I realized how much impact I had to them so I really need to go back to my tribe.)”

AFTER years of studying, Mambucon was able to finish his post-graduate studies. He even received two special awards during his graduation rites—Dean’s Special Award for Research and Dean’s Special Award for Advocacy, Inclusiveness, and Equity as First Tigwahanon Manobo Doctor of Medicine Degree Holder.

When asked what would be his advice to those who want to pursue the medical field as well, Mambucon said, “Always reminisce the time when you were only thinking about entering medical school. And always remember the first question: why do you want to become a doctor?”

He added, “Kapag di ko ito tinapos, ano na lang sasabihin ng mga bata? Si Kuya Otit nga nurse at sumubok maging doktor pero bumalik din dito sa atin. ‘Yun talaga hugot ko. Five years akong nag-prepare. Two years akong nagapply for med school kaya di ko ito sasayangin. (If I did not finished it [medical school], what would the children say? Kuya Otit is a nurse and tried to be a doctor but he went back here and quit. That was what I was worried about. I prepared to be a doctor for five years. I applied to med school for two years so I did not waste my opportunity.)”

After finishing his internship at the DLSU-Medical Center, Mambucon hopes to join the Doctors to the Barrios program and get his training as an Emergency Medicine Physician after three years.

TheBroaderLook BusinessMirror

A12 Thursday, October 29, 2020

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Energy efficiency, conservation T

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

HE Department of Energy (DOE) has repeatedly spread the gospel that full compliance with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C) Act would result in profits, savings and sustainable economic development. The challenge, however, is how to compel government agencies and private entities to reduce their electricity and fuel consumption.

The good thing is, government has Republic Act (RA) 11285. The law seeks to institutionalize energy efficiency and conservation, enhancing the efficient use of energy; and granting incentives to energy efficiency and conservation projects. It took effect 18 months ago.

“It is hereby declared the policy of the State to institutionalize energy efficiency and conservation as a national way of life geared towards the efficient and judicious utilization of energy by formulating, developing and implementing energy and conservation plans and programs,” the law read.

The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) was approved in just six months after the EE&C law was signed on May 24, 2019 and compliance is mandatory.

For now, implementation is done in stages.

“We are in a very good position at this point in time that we are not yet strictly enforcing. We are still in transition in terms of getting people understanding energy efficiency and conservation,” Patrick T. Aquino, director of the DOE’s Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB), said.

strives for compliance rather than its imposition, the law has administrative fines and penalties. “ There are responsibilities.

There are actually obligations here that will be backed up by penalties and fines,” Aquino said.

“What we would like to do really is not to focus on the carrotand-stick approach but for businesses to really take a look at investments and opportunities in shifting to energy efficiency and conservation.”

The stick here means fines, which range from a minimum of P10,000 to a ma ximum of P1 million.

Violators could also be jailed to discourage them from just absorbing the cost of penalties instead of complying.

Section 33 of the law states that responsible officers and

Consultations

TO keep everyone informed on how to make energy efficiency and conservation as a national way of life, the energy department has been in consultation with concerned government agencies, local government units, commercial, industrial, transport sectors and other relevant stakeholders since last year up to now.

“There [are] ongoing implementation policies but the focus now is on awareness and educating stakeholders on compliance mechanism,” Aquino emphasized.

The Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2), nonetheless, said it is pleased that the DOE, through its EUMB, reached out to other government entities, civil society and the private sector, and that DOE found useful most of the group’s inputs through the consultations for the IRR. The DOE initially conducted interagency consultations. It then expanded the consultations to include key stakeholders to gather public inputs from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

PE2 President Alexander Ablaza said his group participated actively in all the stakeholder and public consultations.

He added that the approval of the IRR ensures that the EE&C Act, after 29 years of a voluntary energy efficiency market, is implemented responsively and without delay.

“PE2 stands ready to assist DOE enable subsequent policy actions to make the EE&C law responsive to the needs of the country,” Ablaza said.

Penalties

W HILE the agenc y cur rent ly

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employees of any establishment or organization who willfully commits any prohibited acts would be criminally liable. Violators could be imprisoned for a year up to five years, or be meted out with a hefty fine ranging from a minimum of P100,000 to P100 million, or twice the amount of costs avoided for noncompliance, whichever is higher, or both, upon the discretion of the court.

“Make no mistake, there are fines and penalties under noncompliance,” Aquino warned.

Key points

ONE of the salient points of the law is the Minimum Energy Performance (MEP) standard for the commercial, industrial and transport sectors, and energy-consuming products including appliances, lighting, electrical equipment, machinery and transport vehicles.

A label on energy requirement and consumption efficiency must be displayed on the packaging and on the products.

“No manufacturer, importer, distributor, and retailer shall sell, lease, or import any energy-consuming product, unless the product complies with the MEP and the product or its package is labeled in accordance with this Act,” the law stated.

The DOE and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are working closely on this.

The same labeling requirements also apply to vehicle manufacturers, importers and dealers to determine the vehicle’s fuel economy performance. This allows consumers to make an informed decision in choosing their preferred vehicles.

Transportation, buildings

THE DOE is being assisted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of Transportation (DOTr) to ensure fuel efficiency for transport.

“With the timelines on energy labels being agreed with the industry, consumers will see the new energy labels starting 2021,” Aquino assured.

Also, new buildings and those that will undergo renovations must comply with energy-conserving design. This includes sourcing at least one percent of the total power demand from renewable sources. A popular choice is the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.

Aquino said the DOE is coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to have the Philippine Green Building Code updated.

“Work is being undertaken and is now required under this law that new and existing buildings used for commercial and industrial use as well as the retrofit of the existing buildings would have to meet the energy conserving design for buildings,” Aquino said.

Deadline extended

ESTABLISHMENTS with an annual energy consumption of 500,000 to 4,000,000 kilowatt hours are mandated to employ a Certified Conservation Officer (Ceco).

Those with an annual energy consumption of more than 4 million kilowatt hours, meanwhile, would need to employ a Certified Energy Manager (CEM).

The Ceco and the CEM are responsible for submitting the Energy Consumption and Conservation reports (ECCR) to the DOE. The DOE has rescheduled the deadline of ECCR submissions from the original June 30, 2020, to the new timeline of April 15, 2021.

The extra time provided by the DOE would hopefully allow the small companies and medium-sized establishments to understand and prepare for their reportorial obligations under the EE&C Act. Reportorial obligations include documenting and submitting their annual energy consumption data.

“We are starting to see the larger energy end-users in the private sector preparing for their first obligation under the EE&C Act the submission of their annual energy consumption reports,” said Ablaza.

Once designated establishments comply with this, Ablaza said the awareness of their energy consumption baseline would now provide the quantifiable basis for them to fulfill their other obligations, such as the design of their energ y management systems, EE&C programs and targeted efficiency improvements, as well as the hiring of a CEM or Ceco.

Incentives, assistance

ONE way to assure compliance is by providing incentives.

On fiscal incentives, energy efficiency projects will be included in the annual investment priorities plan of the Board of Investments (BOI) for at least 10 years.

“There are fiscal incentives

provided under the Omnibus Investment Code of the Philippines.

These would include income tax holiday, duty free importations, among others,” Aquino said.

Non-fiscal incentives, meanwhile, include awards and recognition for innovations in energy efficiency. There will also be technical assistance from government agencies in the development and promotion of energy-efficient technologies.

Government financial institutions may also provide concessional financial packages for the development and use of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) President and CEO Emmanuel G. Herbosa said concessional financing is available to support EE&C projects.

“We’re really looking at project merits. Collaterals would not weigh as much. We’d want to see the certainty on revenues.

“The advantage of DBP is that we can extend tenor. We’d probably have that flexibility to respond better,” Herbosa said during a recent forum. “Concession could also mean longer-term loans or even grace period so we can stretch your requirements to meet your cash flow and also enable you to meet up usual term loan provisions.”

Mobilizing investments

THE DBP’s total energy portfolio loan is at least P16 billion. Herbosa said the state-owned bank is well positioned to support small-scale and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace

TheBroaderLook BusinessMirror

Thursday, October 29, 2020 A13

remains a challenge for everyone PE2 member-companies also shared during the forum that their respective expertise aimed at assisting establishments and organizations on accessing financing and technologies to help them comply with their obligations under the EE&C Act. One of these is Delta Dore Inc., which provides solutions to control energy consumption. The company presented innovations that could help establishments and organizations comply with the EE&C law. These include the internet-ofthings platform solutions, building management system solutions, multi-site platform and continuous optimization support.

Engie Ser vices Philippines, meanwhile, said energy efficiency solutions could help address concerns in the sector including high electricity costs as well as low carbon energy supply. The company showcased its district cooling system and other energy efficiency projects that can help clients transition to a more sustainable use of energy.

Delta Dore and Engie Services are energy service companies, or entities that offer multi-technology products and services that guarantee energy savings.

Recently, the DOE passed its guidelines for the certification of energy service companies.

“With the recent issuance of the guidelines [for energy service companies], we are mobilizing private sector in investments for EEC projects,” Aquino said.

Audit

THE DOE is hoping that a combination of incentives, assistance and

audit might soon pave the way for full compliance of the law.

“Expect us to do regular audit by next year. An audit is forthcoming whether physical or virtual,” Aquino said.

There are already ongoing audits for government under the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP). Regular audit, which involves physical site inspections, are scheduled to start next year.

“As of the moment, our energy audits are conducted virtually,” Aquino said. “The regular audit will take place if quarantine restrictions are lifted.”

The GEMP is intended to reduce the government’s monthly consumption of electricity and petroleum products by at least 10 percent. It shall cover all government agencies, including all departments, bureaus, offices, agencies, branches and instrumentalities or political subdivisions, GOCCs including its subsidiaries or other self-governing board or commission of the government local government units, state universities and colleges.

Prior to RA 11285, GEMP only covered national government agencies. Aquino said last year’s savings from 19 agencies stood at P54 million.

“With RA 11285 in full effect this year, we are expecting higher compliance and reported savings,” he said.

Assist DOE

THERE are at least 23 government agencies and state-owned schools that have voluntarily complied with the law, latest data from the DOE showed.

These entities include the following: the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Regional Office (RO) XIII; DBM RO V; DBM RO IV-A; Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Davao City II; DPWH Davao del Su r; DPW H Davao Or ient a l; TESDA-Carmelo De los Cientos Sr.; Wangan National Agriculture School; Southern Philippines Medical Center; Compostela Valley State College; Davao Oriental State College of Science; University of Southeastern Philippines; DOLE XII-North Cotabato Field Office; Davao del Norte State College; Davao Oriental Polytechnic Institute; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda)-Davao RO; the Department of Labor and Employment-Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan); Department of EducationRegion VII; Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Region XII; DBM-Mimaropa; National Wages and Productivity Commission; Quirino State University; and, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)-Manila.

PRC-Manila’s electricity savings stood the highest at P3,650,237.06, representing 374,761.96 kilowatt hours (kWh).

The compliance rate of these firms reached 12 percent, Aquino said.

“Twenty-three firms out of the 192 is equivalent to 11.9 percent compliance rate. That is up to May 30, 2020,” Aquino said, adding that the figures would be updated soon.

Aquino appealed to other industr y stakeholders, academe

and nongovernment organizations to assist the DOE. “We can’t do the audit alone. The goal here is to bring in all partners to pursue this.”

Pandemic effect

THE Covid-19 pandemic has made it more difficult to implement energy efficiency programs. Most private entities spend their money in keeping their businesses afloat rather than utilize this to comply with the law.

“Given this time of pandemic, most would rather hold on to their cash and use it on their core business,” observed Paulo Palencia, Engie Services head of energy efficiency and district cooling system.

But there are other financing options—those that will not negatively impact their cash flow—to explore.

“There are financing institutions and potential partners, like Engie, which can help finance the projects on behalf of the clients. So, if more businesses will be aware of several options on the table, then I guess we would see more and more energy efficiency projects coming in later on,” added Palencia.

Ablaza agrees.

‘It’s the plumbing’

ACCORDING to Ablaza, if businesses lack in-house capital resources to implement energy efficiency projects brought about by the pandemic then this only strengthens the case for off-balance sheet financing, an accounting practice whereby a company does not include a liability on its balance sheet.

“The pandemic is a crisis. There’s a saying that in every crisis there is silver lining,” he said. “Cash is not the problem. It’s the plumbing.”

Ablaza said they can engage an escrow to put up energy financing projects, scout for a public-private partnership proponent to bundle street lightings in public building retrofits, explore district-cooling systems and long-term energy source solutions providers to provide service outside the balance sheet of end user.

“As long as we are able to mobilize debt finance from financial institutions in a more responsive way, as long as we’re able to flow equity and capital through corporate shareholders in new equity structures, as long as we allow government to procure Esco performance contracts then own capital financial constraints should not be a problem,” Ablaza said.

‘Embrace paradigm shift’

WITH only a few months left before the law is fully implemented, PE2 observed the need to raise awareness of energy end-users

on their obligations, especially for the SMEs and middle market companies.

Ablaza said civil society and business groups should step up their partnerships with DOE to raise the awareness among the smaller energy consumers.

Equally important is for government to recognize energ y efficiency as a first fuel of the economy a primary resource in the energy mix for which up to P 12 trillion in project capital will need to be mobilized by 2040, either by accelerating public spending or incentivizing private sector investments through innovative financing modalities.

“We are pleased that the DOE shares this thinking, but we would need other agencies, especially in the economic cluster and investment promotion agencies, to embrace this paradigm shift. Without the de-risking response from government, private capital mobilization will not reach the scale needed for the country to meet the 2040 EE&C roadmap targets set by the DOE,” Ablaza said.

The National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program

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HE Department of Energy (DOE) is mandated to provide adequate, reliable and affordable energy to industries to enable them to provide continuous employment and low cost of goods and services, and to the ordinary citizento enable them to achieve a decent lifestyle. Energy should not only be produced and used in a manner that will promote sustainable development and utilization of the country’s natural resources but at the same time contribute to the country’s overall economic competitiveness and minimize negative environmental impacts.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo unveiled her energy independence and savings reform package that aims to achieve a 60-percent self-sufficiency level by 2010 and thus shield the country from the adverse effects of imported energy.

The energy independence and savings program includes increasing indigenous oil and gas reserves, developing renewable energy, increasing the use of alternative fuels, forging strategic alliances with other countries and implementing strong efficiency and conservation program.

Our Objective:

To make energy efficiency and conservation a way of life

Our Goals:

n To improve utilization of all users through energy efficiency and conservation programs. n To achieve an average annual energy savings of 23 million barrels of fuel oil equivalent (MMBFOE) and 5.086 gigagram carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions avoidance.

Policy, goal and strategy

IT is declared policy of the government to promote the judicious conservation and efficient utilization of energy resources through adoption of the cost-effective options toward the efficient use of energy to minimize environmental impact.

The primary goal of the government towards energy efficiency and conservation is to make it a way of life, increase awareness and the attainment of 229 MMBFOE total energy savings from the implementation of energy efficiency and alternative fuels programs for the period 2005-2014. It is projected that about 50.9-million tons C02 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions will be avoided for the same period.

The strategies to achieve these goals include: the aggressive promotion of energy conservation and energy efficient technology to effect higher energy savings both for the consumer and producer through information, education and communication campaigns; intensify collaboration effort with the private sector in implementing energy efficiency programs through voluntary agreements; continuous implementation and expansion of the appliance and equipment energy standards and labeling implementation of building energy usage standards; integration of energy efficiency concepts in the procurement practices of the government; the provision of technical assistance in identifying, implementing and evaluating effective measures to improve energy use efficiency; the use of alternative fuel to reduce dependence on imported oil; and periodic program monitoring and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the energy efficiency and conservation plan.

Source: Department of Energy (https://www.doe.gov.ph/nationalenergy-efficiency-and-conservation-program?ckattempt=2) Valigursky | Dreamstime.com

A14 Thursday, October 29, 2020 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

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editorial

‘Every nation gets the govt it deserves’

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White House statement issued on October 27 said: “President Trump’s coronavirus response has saved over 2 million lives and outperformed other nations.”

The White House added: “President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed is a once-in-a-generation effort to ensure access to a vaccine and life-saving therapies. More than 140 clinical trials for therapeutics are underway and effective therapies have already been developed and deployed, helping lower the fatality rate by over 85 percent since April. The Administration is working to make these therapies and vaccines widely available in record time and as affordable as possible. The Administration is working to develop, authorize, and deploy potentially life-saving antibody treatments while a vaccine is developed. There are 4 vaccines already in the final stage of trials thanks to President Trump’s historic efforts. Once a vaccine candidate is authorized, we are in a position to quickly deliver 100 million doses, with hundreds of millions of doses following shortly thereafter.”

Like the Trump administration, governments around the world are banking on the development of a vaccine that will eventually provide widespread protection against Covid-19 and enable citizens to return to their normal lives.

Unfortunately, such strategy for dealing with the coronavirus is like gambling with people’s lives. So far, there’s no guarantee that a vaccine will permanently prevent people from catching Covid-19.

From Bloomberg: President Donald Trump’s chief of staff said the US is “not going to control” the pandemic even as he defended the White House response to the coronavirus after infections of close aides to Vice President Mike Pence. Mark Meadows’ comment, that the US response will be focused on vaccines and treatments, not containment, became a flashpoint for critics.”

From the Associated Press: “Deaths per day from the coronavirus in the US are on the rise again, just as health experts had feared, and cases are climbing in practically every state, despite assurances from President Donald Trump over the weekend that “we’re rounding the turn, we’re doing great.” With Election Day just over a week away, average deaths per day across the country are up 10% over the past two weeks, from 721 to nearly 794 as of Sunday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Newly confirmed infections per day are rising in 47 states, and deaths are up in 34.”

Excerpts from the speech of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. at the Virtual Conference of the Asia Society: “In his address before the UN General Assembly, President Duterte made it clear: how we address Covid-19 will define our future. For the Philippines, he said, that means putting people at the core of our global response. Hence his priorities: save lives, halt the contagion, keep the economy afloat; let it sink a bit to spare more lives.

And reach out to countries developing vaccines. From the outset President Duterte took decisive action, imposing the longest strictest lockdown anywhere, with interventions defined by responsiveness and quick adaptability to a varying new normal.

“He set up an Inter-Agency Task Force. And it got the usual complaints: “The rules keep changing, no consistency; call that a plan?” They sounded like New Yorkers. But that is because the Task Force meets daily and reacts promptly to new data. It’s been with us like everywhere else except South Korea—boy, those people are really smart: we’re making things up as we go along, and when something works long enough, we call it a work in progress.

By and large the public cooperated; the fear factor kicked in and increasingly entrenched itself. The economy took a beating so we relaxed a bit; but people still stayed home. At best they brave exposure to earn a living.”

It would normally take years, if not decades, to develop a vaccine. Scientists, however, are racing to produce a safe and effective Covid vaccine by next year. How governments respond to the Covid crisis will ultimately impact their citizens. To borrow a wise man’s words, “every nation gets the government it deserves.”

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An open letter to the Filipino youth James Jimenez

spox

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n 2019, with more than 62 million people voting or a voter turnout of better than 75 percent, the elections achieved a credibility rating in the 80s, one of the highest on record. The Filipino nation—by and large—accepted the outcome of the elections as the true will of the people. In no small measure was that triumph due to the determination of millions of people who trooped to the polling places, stood shoulder to shoulder even in inclement weather, and cast their ballots. And of those millions, 22,083,529 came from among your ranks.

In 2019, the Filipino youth came out in record numbers and shook the political world awake. Now look around you. From the hallowed halls of the Senate, to the equally sacred municipal halls all over the country, our elected officials are younger than they have ever been. That is no accident; that is, in large part, due to the power of young people voting.

But voting is only one thing you can do—you can do so much more.

If your vote is this powerful, just imagine the kind of impact you could have if you put your mind to it. There

China: A nearly flat tire?

✝ Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua

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is no shortage of things that need to be done.

Unfortunately, our elections are under siege on multiple fronts.

There are, for example, the perennial threats of vote buying, voter suppression, and misinformation.

These are the congenital ills of the electoral system—the inborn problems of democracy that can never be entirely solved but can only be contained, one election at a time.

And then, there is a growing cynicism among the youth—a nagging voice that whispers to them “none of

A

country’s national anthem is part of its national statement. However, one of the oldest national anthems, which is Spain’s Marcha Real—dated 1761—does not have any lyrics to the music.

America’s “Star Spangled Banner” was written after the author witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships during the War of 1812. “La Marseillaise,” the national anthem of France, was written after the declaration of war

by France against Austria in 1792.

The Song of the Germans, the national anthem since 1922, makes clear its theme in the first stanza: “Germany, Germany above all, Above all in the world.” That was removed from the official version in 1991.

Also deleted was stanza two: “German women, German loyalty, German wine and German song, Shall inspire us to noble deeds.” Now it reads: “Unity and justice and freedom are the safeguards of fortune.”

On the Credit Suisse “Military Strength Indicator,” Germany ranks behind Thailand. The Thai national

anthem lyrics include, “We will sacrifice every drop of our blood for our nation.”

The People’s Republic of China national anthem—“March of the Volunteers”—was composed to remember the Japanese occupation of Manchuria. “Let us build our new Great Wall!” Unfortunately, the Great Wall looked good on paper but was “an imperfect defense.” In 1533, Chinese soldiers on observation towers served as guides for Mongol war parties into Chinese territory.

China’s economic policies also look good on paper.

The global economy is like a shiny new SUV. But the engine of technology, innovation, human capital, resources, and accumulated knowledge needs four tires to move forward.

These four tires are the domestic economies of North America, China,

But voting is only one thing you can do—you can do so much more. If your vote is this powerful, just imagine the kind of impact you could have if you put your mind to it.

There is no shortage of things that need to be done.

this matters, so why bother?” This belief that elections are unimportant, for whatever reason, is like a virus that spreads from person to person.

This virus, however, isn’t airborne— it is social media-borne, for that is where it spreads most virulently.

And finally, speaking of viruses, elections are also under attack from the literal virus, corona. This is, far and away, the most dangerous attack on the elections.

Because of the coronavirus, we can’t reasonably expect elections to look as they did before. Campaigns to be used as opportunities to reach out and touch the lives and hearts of people have suddenly become potentially fatal. And people who used to look forward to election day are now thinking twice about going to the polling places.

Even the registration process— where traditionally people turn

The global economy is like a shiny new SUV. But the engine of technology, innovation, human capital, resources, and accumulated knowledge needs four tires to move forward. These four tires are the domestic economies of North America, China, Europe/ Middle East, and the rest of Asia.

The remainder of the world— South America, Russia, South Asia, and Africa—is the spare tire bolted to the back door, which is only good for emergencies.

Europe/Middle East, and the rest of Asia. The remainder of the world— South America, Russia, South Asia, and Africa—is the spare tire bolted to the back door, which is only good for emergencies.

No matter how bad you think the rest of the world’s domestic economies are, nothing beats China. One observer said: “China has always been a serial bubble inflator courtesy of a closed [capital account] economy and nearly $40 trillion in bank deposits which slosh from one asset class to another, be it the stock market, BitCoin, commodities, farm animals, or housing.”

Unlike the self-correcting markets—stock, housing, etc.—in the West, the Chinese government has

out in such large numbers—is being adversely affected. Where they used to line up to register, people are staying home. In the last eight weeks of voter registration, less than 500,000 have registered or updated their registration records. With less than a year left in this registration period, we still have more than 3 million left who can register, and roughly a million who need to reactivate their dormant voter registrations. If things don’t pick up soon, we are looking at the possibility of having fewer voters in 2022 than we did in 2019.

If all of that sounds bleak, well, I suppose it is. But as daunting as these challenges are, none of them are insurmountable—most especially not for you. And so, I throw the gauntlet down before you—instead of merely whining about the imperfections you see, I challenge you to use your vision, your inner fire, your skills and knowledge to bear down on these many problems besetting the first elections of the pandemic era that we find ourselves in. I challenge you and your generation to lead the way forward so that the rest of us may follow. I have no doubt that you are up to the task.

You have to be. An entire nation is depending on you.

total control. Housing bubble collapse? Beijing will not let that happen.

In the US 28 percent of household wealth is in real estate. In China, it is 75 percent. The total value of Chinese homes is over $50 trillion, twice the size of the US market and will beat the total value of all global stocks—$85 trillion—in just a few years.

About 96 percent of China’s urban households own at least one home, greater than the 65 percent US homeownership rate. In March, 288 apartments in a new Shenzhen property development sold out online in less than eight minutes.

“But China is the largest economy on Earth.” Maybe someday. In fact, the US economy in nominal terms is 50 percent larger. What is larger is China’s home vacancy rate—22 percent—while the US figure is 12 percent.

But like the SUV that needs all four tires, so too the global economy depends on China and its housing bubble. Will that bubble continue?

Of course. It is no different than the “money-printing” and “Fear-OfMissing-Out” that keeps inflating the US stock market bubble. The global economy needs that bubble too.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Visit my web site at www.mangunonmarkets.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stockmarket information and technical analysis tools provided by the COL Financial Group Inc.

Opinion BusinessMirror

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Surveys and their subliminal bias Val A. Villanueva

Businesswise

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O you believe in surveys? Can surveys be trusted?

For the longest time, I couldn’t make heads or tails of the conflicting preference surveys being done by Kantar Media Philippines and the Nielsen Company (Philippines) for broadcast companies ABS-CBN and GMA Network—which, before the cancellation of the former’s franchise—fought tooth and nail for viewers’ ratings or preference. Nielsen often placed GMA on top of its nationwide ratings, while Kantar favored ABS-CBN.

Why the two ratings’ firm couldn’t reconcile their respective surveys is beyond me, considering that both were presumably using the same polling science in their field of work. Naughty minds couldn’t help but cast aspersions on the reliability of their findings.

Were these ratings firms conducting objective or non-partisan surveys, or were they in the employ of the network that their survey favored? In either case, the results of their respective surveys do not serve the viewers that these two networks are seeking loyal patronage from.

I raise this point in connection with what other people think was an improbable 91 percent approval rating of President Duterte in the September 14-20, 2020 survey conducted by Pulse Asia, reportedly among 1,200 adults and with a margin of error of only 2.8 percent. Many people found the Pulse Asia survey hard to believe because the survey was conducted amid a growing perception that the government has dropped the ball on handling Southeast Asia’s worst coronavirus outbreak and in the thick of the months-long community lockdown—the longest in the world. The Philippines, which to date has recorded the most Covid-19 infection cases in the region, plunged into recession in the second quarter of the year and now faces its deepest economic contraction in decades.

Did Pulse Asia err? What was the methodology used in coming up with such a conclusion? Unfortunately, pollsters keep their methods close to their chest, and we can only speculate.

Statistics is valid math. It is how manufacturers make sure that their products are safe for the public without testing every single one. For instance, Mars Inc. can’t check every M&M chocolate candy that leaves their machines, so they use statistics to make sure that they know that each chocolate piece they produce meets their standards and is safe to eat. To do this, they test samples from a manufactured batch. As a science, statistics has been around for thousands of years, but it took a great leap forward starting in the 18th century, and had many of its principles well-established by the 1930s. By taking around 2,000 samples, a manufacturer can be relatively comfortable whether a million or even 10 million products that it is putting out on supermarket shelves are safe to eat.

The principles of statistics were eventually applied to opinion surveys to create a snapshot of people’s views, opinions or preferences. At the heart of any valid opinion survey is the same math that works in a manufacturing plant: random sampling. The challenge is that people aren’t M&Ms. While a manufacturer has control over where to get the test samples, an opinion pollster can’t line up people on a conveyor belt and randomly choose survey participants. They have to find a way to get their samples, which is not an easy task.

Lists of people (such as a voters’ list) can be incomplete, unreliable and outof-date. Finding people and securing their permission is not that easy either, especially during a pandemic. So pollsters really have to go out of their way to find a set of people to survey who will represent 110 million Filipinos.

Slovin’s formula wasn’t even used here to calculate an appropriate sample size.

The fact that Pulse Asia used a mere 0.0011 percent of the entire population is already a huge red flag. You’ll often see online surveys using people who just signed up to participate. Now,

that too is questionable, given how one person can create multiple accounts.

The second challenge is asking the right question to elicit an answer.

There is no way to chemically test and determine if a person is a Trump supporter or a Biden supporter, or approves of President Rodrigo Duterte.

People’s answers can be shaped by the environment, whether it be fear or the presence of government representatives during the survey, or if their responses are in exchange for any compensation in cash or kind.

Surveys can fail on both fronts, no matter how well-intentioned or meticulously designed they are, as we saw with Brexit and the 2016 US presidential elections.

In their most recent survey, Pulse Asia has not divulged the number of people that were randomly selected, but refused to participate, or which survey questions were left unanswered. This would have given the general public an idea about how their sampling technique and results were affected by fear of the President or being on the wrong side of the administration, especially if the people who served as respondents were dependent on food or cash aid.

The bigger challenge may be the questionnaire items. How reliable and valid were the questions asked? Pulse Asia asked people whether they approved of the President’s performance from June to August. This is a very narrow timeframe. People were very scared of the virus and, for them, being alive was probably a bigger relief than any concern about the President’s performance. Thus, they may have been only too willing to say that they were fine with the administration’s performance.

Would this crisis have been the reason for Duterte’s over-the-top trust rating? Answering a survey would certainly not be on top of anyone’s priority list. Putting food on the table is what drives people to scrounge for whatever sustenance they can get, and with the government providing them with relief good, would they bite the hand that feeds them?

However you look at it, talk is cheap.

Misrepresenting yourself as a survey respondent has no immediate or dire consequence. Worse, there is such a thing as the Hawthorne effect. Because you cannot force people to be honest, it becomes suspect if surveys can really reflect an accurate view about what people truly believe and value. Sadly, there’s solid evidence that surveys are often unreliable, and give a slanted picture of the real situation (Kantar and Nielsen come to mind).

Beliefs and partialities are hidden by default. It’s even more telling that we haven’t really even come close to creating a gadget or an app, if you will, that can peek into anyone’s mind. So instead we resort to what seems to be the next best thing: simply ask people about what they believe and value. Pollsters call this survey research. But such only makes sense if people would be honest. It’s given that we are capable of faking what we feel and sometimes for valid reasons. Because of this, it raises the question of whether surveys can provide an accurate view about what people truly believe and value. What is worse is that surveys during election period becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It rightly or wrongly spawns subliminal bias.

For comments and suggestions, e-mail me at mvala.v@gmail.com

Thursday, October 29, 2020 A15

‘Our independent foreign policy applies to all’ Keynote address of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. at the Virtual Conference of the Asia Society on October 27, 2020.

Part 1 of 2

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mbassador Josette M. Sheeran, President and CEO of the Asia Society; the Honorable Kevin Rudd, President of the Asia Society Policy Institute; Mr. Tom Nagorski, Executive Vice President of the Society; esteemed guests. Good morning from Manila.

The annual talk at the Asia Society is a cherished hope and tradition during the UN General Assembly High Level Week. Last year I enjoyed that privilege; and had lots of fun. I was looking forward to the same this year. Instead you invited my president. He must have seen my pleading look because he passed it on to me.

Thanks. But it won’t be the same.

I miss New York and I can’t depend on media telling how things are really going in my city. The dry humor is still there; Andrew Cuomo asking, “What’s this with the mask pulled down? A chin guard?”

Let me inflict a little Camus on you: “How could I…we…have “given a thought to anything like plague, which rules out any future, cancels journeys, silences the exchange of views?” But then there’s Zoom. It works. You can pretend to listen while multitasking. It works so well I announced I’d cut the budget for travel. The groans in the Department came as though from the First Circle of Hell. I used to be the Secretary of Foreign Affairs but since Covid I’ve become the Secretary of Repatriations of jobless overseas Filipinos. As well as of Expatria-

Wanted: Servant leaders Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

Alálaong Bagá

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S our religion vain ostentation or sincere practice? The tirade against the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:112) is not only relevant during the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees, or as a challenge to the early Christian community, but also for us today. Are we in fact today “the Pharisees”?

Teachers needed

Jesus accepts the right of the scribes and Pharisees to teach. The laws must be taught and interpreted to the people.

Authorities and experts are needed who can take their seat “on the chair of Moses.” Jesus underscores this, saying, “Every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old” (Matthew 13:52). We need the wisdom and the guidance of teachers who pass on to us the law and the tradition of our community. A teacher is a leader of others, and every leader must be a teacher.

What Jesus is presented as objecting against is the hypocrisy of teachers who do not practice what they teach, or who teach what they themselves do not practice. Such a life of contradiction starts with being at home in a dichotomy between thoughts and deeds. Otiose fascination with lofty ideas and stirring declarations without incarnation and validation in actual life. We hear this disjunction from teachers/leaders who claim, “Just do what I tell you, and it is not your concern what I do!” Jesus notes this insensitivity of teachers/leaders who can conjure up onerous legal and moral burdens for the people, but themselves “will not lift a finger to move them.” Not exemplary

tions. We took it on ourselves to sweep up stranded foreigners. The Secretary of Tourism rolled up her sleeves; game to help the tourists get out even if it shrunk her jurisdiction. I was told this was crazy.

Until foreign governments started heaping praises.

The pandemic is said to have caused the retreat of states into themselves. In the race for a vaccine it has been a game of to each his own, and of money trumps solidarity. Well, that’s not how I’ve seen it. Here in Asean the first reaction was, “Whatever it is, it’s all over the place; we gotta help each other lick this thing wherever we find it. If we focus each on ourselves the virus will be back with us.

Leave no one behind or he’ll turn up among us infected. Everyone safe or no one.” Other countries and powers followed. One advanced country after another announced progress in finding the vaccine and at the same time committing to make it a public good. Did you notice that? It’s a good

world after all.

I warned that the vaccine is a reverse weapon of mass destruction.

If delivered but withheld people will die in droves. If denied or delayed to any country, the UN and multilateralism are finished. The virus can strike a country, debilitate its population, devastate its economy but it cannot finish it off. It will survive to give vent to its fully justified hate in ways worse than we have seen. This time it will be personal and not just ideological.

Eight months into this crisis the world is nowhere near a solution. Rather the world has entered a second wave. Yet it is not for want of trying. Sure, in the West, many won’t submit to restrictions; gotta admire the spirit of freedom at great personal risk; and when they sicken they don’t blame anyone except maybe China; but the reckless disregard of others’ safety…I don’t know what to make of it.

teachers but unyielding taskmasters of others, whose personal deeds should not be followed, even if we still must listen to what they say.

and he challenges his followers to such possible and needed greatness. Among true Christians, the greatest is the one who is really a servant, someone who is there for others and not just for oneself, carrying out the will of God and obedient to His word. Vainglory and pride are serious shortcomings, for then one no longer listens to God’s commandments.

Coupled with hypocrisy, such self-centeredness and self-deception can only result in self-destruction and, alas, in the sufferings of others.

Servant leaders needed

The illusion of truth without the involving and engaging translation into action leads to a pursuit of grandeur and adulation. Avid is the desire for recognition and deep the hunger for the submission of others. One becomes preoccupied with being perceived as powerful and indestructible, therefore with the paraphernalia of irresistible force. In a divorce between ideals and right conduct, we have not only dead ideas but shameless acts of brutishness as well. Lack of integrity dooms not only the teacher/leader, but also the people who are misled and confused, subjugated and bullied. Because the teacher/leader is also blinded and confused enough to behave without compliance with moral principles, such a person can only precipitate the collapse of the community he/she is supposed to lead. There would likewise be the fatal hubris to insist on being the master of one’s own destiny and exempt from any scrutiny and criticism.

Jesus cannot leave the matter of teachers/leaders on the down-note of our human inadequacies and weaknesses. He spells out unmistakably what constitutes greatness among leaders,

UN Secretary-General calling for social contract for new world governance Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

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N his Nelson Mandela lecture last July in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a very important call: the world needs a new social contract for a new system of global governance.

He said: “People want social and economic systems that work for everyone. They want their human rights and human freedoms to be respected.

They want a say in decisions that affect their lives.

“The New Social Contract, between governments, people, civil society, business and more, must integrate employment, sustainable development and social protection, based on equal rights and opportunities for all.”

Further, he intoned: “Let’s face the facts.

“The global political and economic system is not delivering on critical public goods: public health, climate action, sustainable development, peace. “ The Covid-19 pandemic has brought home the tragic disconnect between self-interest and the common interest: and the huge gaps in governance structures and ethical frameworks.

“To close those gaps, and to make the New Social Contract possible, we need a New Global Deal to ensure that

power, wealth and opportunities are shared more broadly and fairly at the international level.

“A new model for global governance must be based on full, inclusive and equal participation in global institutions.” This new governance should be based on “a fair globalization, on the rights and dignity of every human being, on living in balance with nature, on taking account of the rights of future generations, and on success measured in human rather than economic terms, is the best way to change this.”

Sadly, the above historic call of the good Secretary-General failed to generate the mileage from the world media establishments and enlightened response from the big developed countries of the world. The latter have been dictating the rules of global economic and political order since the establishment of the UN system 75 years ago.

In his Nelson Mandela speech, Guterres cited the various problems ailing humanity that necessitates an overhaul of the existing global

economic and political governance system. Four of the major problems deserve to be emphasized: n The Covid-19 pandemic and how it has bared the “fragility of the our world.” n The climate crisis that is pushing the world to the brink of extinction. n The one-sided trade and financial system that locks the poor countries into perpetual state of underdevelopment. n The vast and widespread socialeconomic inequality that “defines our time.”

We fully agree with the SecretaryGeneral that the above are the leading problems of the world. They are the four horsemen of the Apocalypse that are now galloping around the world. Unchecked, they are bringing humanity and Mother Earth to an apocalyptic edge.

Guterres focused half of his lecture on inequality. Some of the alarming facts he cited are worth repeating: n The world’s richest 1 percent captured 27 percent of total cumulative income growth between 1980 and 2016. n Only 3 percent of the 20-yearold population in poor countries manage to reach higher education compared to 50 percent plus for those in developed countries. n About 17 percent of the children born 20 years ago in countries with low human development “have already died.”

On the climate crisis, he reiterated the usual warnings issued by the UN Environmental Programme or UNEP: millions of people to suffer

To be continued tomorrow

Alálaong bagá, in the Christian community, leadership is not a question of destiny or mere intellectual competence but of moral ascendancy. The leader is a servant who exhorts and inspires others by words and deeds to a life according to the Gospel and therefore to integral wellbeing. The people will be adrift and without anchor on what is right and good for everyone, if their teachers/leaders act in contradiction to the commandments of God and walk not in the path of truth and justice. And we must examine ourselves that we do not also become accomplices of any leadership that is delusional and without moral foundation.

Join me in meditating on the Word of God

every Sunday, from 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www.dwiz882.com.

from extreme weather events each year. He added: climate crisis “creates serious threats to inter-generational equality and justice.” This means the next generation will inherit a terrible climate future because of the failure of the present generation to implement measures to slow down, stop and even reverse the deadly process of global warming.

From the foregoing outline of the Guterres lecture, it is abundantly clear that the UN system indeed needs an overhaul. But the forces of conservatism and neo-liberalism in the developed world are resisting such call.

A few weeks ago, similar calls for the overhaul of the global economic order were issued during the annual conference of the IMF and World Bank, the twin sisters created at the end of World War II to accompany the establishment of the UN system and to put order in the global economic system. The leaders of the twins went through the motion of acknowledging the huge global imbalances and the development deficits in the poor and underdeveloped countries. And yet, at the end of the Conference, they failed to act on the most urgent demands of peoples in the developing world: reduction of their collective debt, freeing of resources to fuel real growth to avoid the cataclysmic economic depression, and space to pursue development programs based on their respective levels of development and national priorities.

So who will heed the call of the UN Secretary-General for a new social contract? Who will stop the four horsemen of the 21st century?

A16 Thursday, October 29, 2020

VisMin-to-Luzon hog shipments ramped up

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

H

@jearcalas

OG industry players have committed to increase their shipments of hogs and “porkin-a-box” from Visayas and

Mindanao to Luzon to boost supply and arrest spiking retail prices, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday.

The DA said the Visayas and Mindanao (VisMin) hog industry play-

ers have committed to ship about 27,000 to 30,000 live hogs from the main ports of Davao, General Santos and Cagayan de Oro until the end of the year.

This was the agreement forged between the DA and the VisMin hog raisers during a virtual meeting led by Agriculture Secretary

William D. Dar and attended by agriculture undersecretaries, major hog producers and DA regional directors.

“We will elevate our partnerships with hog producers and traders, ship owners and operators, and local government officials in Visayas and Mindanao to supply

Metro Manila and Luzon with hogs and frozen pork, and eventually bring down prices for the benefit of consumers,” Dar said in a statement on Wednesday.

Furthermore, San Miguel Corp.

(SMC) has vowed to hike its shipments of pork-in-a-box to four container vans or about 48 metric tons (MT) per week from Mindanao, the DA said.

Each van contains 12 MT of frozen hog carcass, according to DA. Dar said the “concerted effort will greatly boost the dwindling supply of pork in Luzon due to the depopulation of hog farms infected with African swine fever [ASF].”

“This is a problem of logistics—including sourcing, distribution, and marketing—which we can address without difficulty. All we ask is the full cooperation of key players in the entire hog industry value chain,” he said.

Dar sa id he has sought the assistance of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade who vowed to work with shipping companies to increase the number and frequency of vessels plying the routes from CDO, GenSan, Davao and other major VisMin ports to Manila and other Luzon ports.

Last Friday, the DA declared that it will investigate the high prices of pork in the market amid high levels of frozen pork inventory.

The DA said it is possible that there is a deliberate effort by traders to withhold the release of pork products in the market.

The DA added that as of October 21, prices of pork kasim (ham)

have reached P320 per kilogram while pork belly (liempo) climbed to P360 per kilogram in most Metro Manila markets. The prices were P20 to P40 higher than their quotations two weeks ago, according to the DA. Local hog raisers said pork prices climbed beyond P300 per kilogram in Metro Manila due to lack of supply in Luzon, as 40 percent of the sow population nationwide is gone due to ASF-related actions.

Sinag: no shortage

In the view of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag), there is no pork shortage in the country but only a distribution problem that has not been resolved as early as January.

“We have been urging the DA to bring 30 percent of live hogs from VisMin to Luzon but they did not do it,” the group had said in a statement.

Meanwhile, meat importers are now proposing that the government reduce pork tariffs to be able to bring in cheaper supply and prevent skyrocketing of prices.

Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc. (ProPork) President Edwin G. Chen said the Philippines is experiencing what China and Vietnam suffered a year after ASF outbreaks: loss of sow population leading to lack of pig supplies.

Chen explained that the government’s data of over 350,000 pigs culled by the government only captures the figure of officially reported cases but not the herd that was early harvested by raisers to avert further losses caused by ASF. “Seeing that there are a lot of ASF outbreaks in their area, some raisers harvested their pigs early and sold them in bulk at lower prices.

Once you unload all your stocks, there will not be another cycle [due to threat of ASF],” he said.

“Based on the industry’s estimates, reckoning last July, about 40 percent of the total sow population in the country is gone.

If we lose that volume of sow, then the natural consequence is that we will have a shortage,” he added.

MAJOR COAL PLAYERS TO ABIDE

BY D.O.E. BAN ON ‘NEW’ PROJECTS

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

M

AJOR coal power plant producers are supporting the Department of Energy ‘s (DOE) pronouncement to stop endorsing new coal power plant projects.

The country’s power mix is dominated by coal, being the cheapest among the technologies available. Based on DOE figures, coal’s share in the capacity mix stood at 40.5 percent, followed by oil at 16.8 percent, natural gas at 13.4 percent and renewable energy at 29.3 percent. The share of coal-fired power could increase to 60.2 percent by 2029 from last year’s 54.6 percent, according to a Fitch Solutions report last September.

Continued on A2

DOJ creates core group to go after corrupt execs

J

USTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra has created a “core group” that will go after corrupt government officials during the last two years of President Duterte in Malacañang.

The core group was formed following Guevarra’s meeting with senior officials of the Department of Justice, including Prosecutor-General Benedicto Malcontento and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Officer-in-Charge Eric Distor to discuss the organization of the task force to investigate allegations of corruption in the entire government.

The DOJ-led task force is composed of the NBI, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP), National Prosecution Service (NPS), and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

The task force will invite the Commission on Audit (COA), the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Office of the Ombudsman to assist in the investigation “with due consideration for their independence as constitutional bodies.”

See “DOJ,” A2

Companies BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

SMC sets sights on hydropower

C

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

onglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) unveiled plans to develop some 5,000 megawatts (MW) of hydropower projects to support its clean energy portfolio.

SMC President Ramon Ang said the company’s power unit, SMC Global Power Holdings Inc., is determined to pursue various renewable energy (RE) projects to help ramp up the country’s RE capacity as its share in the country’s generation mix fell at 20 percent last year from 23.38 percent in 2018.

“For hydro, we are ready to put up about 5,000 megawatts, but these are on various stages. I can’t say

exactly where because many might copy our plans. Tinitignan muna natin saan may demand then doon tayo ready magtatayo. Power business is always based on demand,” said Ang. In 2018, Ang announced that the company was targeting up to 10,000 MW of new RE capacity in the next 10 years.

Aside from hydro, the company is also interested in pursuing solar and wind power projects across the

country. The wind projects are being eyed in Bataan and Ilocos Norte.

SMC, he said then, has formed a team that conducted research on where best to put up the company’s planned RE projects.

“We are challenging ourselves to be able to operate in the most environmentally responsible manner, while taking into consideration energy security and affordability to the consumers. Initiatives to achieve this objective are under way and I’m proud to say, we are making good headway,” Ang had said.

Ang also gave an update of the company’s planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which would be built in phases.

“Yung power generation ng SMC, we are now switching to LNG. We intend to put up 2,250MW in the first stage and another 2,550MW later on,” he said.

For the first stage of its LNG project, Ang said three 850MW units would be built. “It will be 850MW for the first line. There will be 3 lines of 850MW. But if there will be no demand, it will be one 850MW for the meantime.”

SMC plans to sell the gas output to the Manila Electric Co. should it win the upcoming competitive selection process.

“The LNG plant can be done in 24 months, whether we win or not in the CSP. If we don’t we can supply the ECs [electric cooperatives] or replace aging power plants,” he added.

The company’s planned Ilijan LNG Terminal will be developed

by AG&P LNG Terminals and Logistics, with the engineering, procurement and construction work to be handled by AG&P Construction Solutions.

Puregold income rises in January-September

P

uregold Price Club Inc., the grocery chain operator led by businessman Lucio Co, said its income in January to September grew 4 percent to P5.05 billion, from last year’s P4.55 billion.

The company said growth was driven by the continuous organic expansion of the group’s grocery retail outlets on the back of a sustained strong consumer demand.

“This has been augmented by combined management strategies and programs to boost revenue contributions from both the base stores as well as new stores,” it said.

Sales for the period rose 10 percent to P121.13 billion from last year’s P109.98 billion.

“The full operation of new organic stores put up in 2019 boost the increase in consolidated net sales in addition to robust like

for like stores sales growth and revenue contributions from new organic stores established during the nine months of 2020,” the company said in its report.

For the July to September quarter alone, its income was down 4 percent to P1.65 billion from last year’s P1.72 billion. Sales, meanwhile, was flat at P39.17 billion from last year’s P38.74 billion Operating expenses rose 4 per-

cent to P13.64 billion from P13.09 billion last year, which the company said was due to depreciation expense, taxes and licenses and utilities principally related to the establishment and operation of new organic stores.

“Utilities and manpower expenses are declining due to the lockdown period enforced by the government and the skeletal work force being implemented by the company,” it said. VG Cabuag

Thursday, October 29, 2020

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Del Monte PHL raises ₧6.47B from bond offer

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ampos-led fruit canner Del Monte Philippines Inc. on Wednesday said it raised some P6.47 billion from its maiden offering of fixed-rate bonds.

The company said it will list the bonds at the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. on October 30.

“The success of the bond offering reflects the investing public’s confidence and optimism in DMPI’s strong fundamentals and long-term prospects as well as the company’s financial strength and capability to meet our financial obligations,” Joselito Campos Jr., the company’s president and CEO, said.

The issuance consists of threeyear bonds with an interest rate of 3.484 percent and five-year bonds with an interest rate of 3.7563 percent. It was slightly oversubscribed at 1.29 times.

With local benchmark interest rates approaching historic lows and the current system liquidity nearly reaching twice the level last year, the company said it saw an opportunity to lower borrowing costs while lengthening debt maturity profile.

The company said the offer was well-received by a good mix of retail and institutional investors that include insurance companies, retirement funds and asset management groups, among others.

While various businesses have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak and the prevailing community quarantine, Filipino families continue to spend a significant

amount of their income on food.

A local ratings firm said that opportunities remain for food and beverage companies like Del Monte as their product offerings are classified as basic and essential goods.

Proceeds from this issuance will be used to refinance and term out existing short-term loans and convert them into long-term liabilities.

BDO Capital and Investment Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., First Metro Investment Corp. and RCBC Capital Corp. were picked as joint issue managers, joint lead underwriters and joint bookrunners for the maiden bond issuance.

Exchange Equity Partners acted as financial advisor to Del Monte.

The local unit of Del Monte Pacific Ltd., which owns the brand in the country, the United States and several parts of the Asia Pacific, has been operational in the Philippines for 94 years. It is the market leader in canned pineapple and mixed fruit, canned and tetra ready-to-drink juices, tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce categories, under its iconic Del Monte brand.

It operates a n i nteg rated 26,000-hectare pineapple plantation in Bukidnon, one of the largest in the world.

The company generated sales of P7.4 billion in its fiscal first quarter ending July with domestic sales comprising about two-thirds and the balance from the international market. VG Cabuag

B2

A BusinessMirr

Thursday, October 29, 2020 | www.businessmirror.com.ph

EDSA DECONGESTION PROGRAM: MAK W

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

HAT used to be over an hour or two travel time, commuters will soon feel the ease of traversing the iconic Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) in merely about 30 minutes as some portions of the government’s decongestion initiative have already been completed while construction of others continues.

Thanks largely to President Rodrigo Duterte’s political will, who has endeavored to reduce the perrenial monstrous traffic problem in this 90-year-old 23.8-kilometer (km) circumferential highway as part of his massive “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure project.

Since time immemorial, the traveling public has been braving Edsa’s daily bottlenecks that eat almost half of their work schedule, especially during rush hour and even heavy downpours. This could be mainly attributed to its over capacity as more and more vehicles ply here, according to Build, Build, Build (BBB) Committee Chairman Anna Mae Y. Lamentillo.

In a previous BusinessMirror report, she revealed that more than 402,000 vehicles now travel along Edsa everyday, 114,000 vehicles more or 39 percent higher than its original maximum capacity of 288,000 vehicles per day when it was built and extended in the 1930s and 1960s.

Lamentillio also bared that Edsa’s congestion has also created an impact on the country’s economy. In fact, she cited a study conducted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) that showed the Philippines had lost P2.4 billion a day in 2012 because of traffic woes in Metro Manila. Six years later, Jica reported that this figure had grown to P3.5 billion.

The masterplan

LED by Secretary Mark Villar, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has been working closely with the national government on a plan to finally free Edsa from a long-standing gridlock by the time the President exits Malacañang at the end of his term in 2022.

The Edsa Decongestion Program is comprised of 23 projects with the end goal of linking the northern and southern part of the metropolis in just a span of 30 minutes. This initiative worth over P383 billion will be finaced by a mix of private funds, general appropriations, and foreign aid. Set for completion by the end of Duterte’s term in 2022, it seeks to divert around 200,000 vehicles away from Edsa and other key routes in the National Capital Region (NCR).

With the masterplan, however, the government does not intend to expand such main thoroughfare, Lamentillo pointed out. But rather, it involves alternatives to this major highway such as building and developing secondary highways and bridges, she noted.

The absence of these infrastructures over the years unfortunately has resulted in a congestion level of about 71 percent in Edsa, thus earning it a reputation of having the second worst traffic jam the world over. This means that drivers in Metro Manila would have to spend an average of 71 percent extra travel time in traffic.

Broadening road networks

ONE of the developments included in this grand initiative of the government is the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project, which has just been recently finished prior to its deadline by end of this month.

During its ceremonial opening, Villar told reporters that this 18.30-km elevated expressway from Buendia in Makati City to the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) in Balintawak, Quezon City will boost the Edsa Decongestion Program and lessen travel time within end points of the highly populated

metropolis. The DPWH chief added that the completion of the Skyway Stage 3 is indicative of Duterte’s political will to link each city in Metro Manila within a time frame of 30 minutes.

This project has five sections— Buendia–Quirino Avenue-Nagtahan, Nagtahan–Aurora Blvd/ Ramon Magsaysay Avenue, Ramon Magsaysay Avenue-Quezon Avenue, Quezon Avenue-Balintawak, and Balintawak Quezon City-Nlex Footbridge—that are expected to ease the flow of traffic along Edsa, C5 and other major thoroughfares by at least 55,000 vehicles daily.

Once the Skyway Stage 3 officially opens before yearend, traveling from Makati to Quezon City will be reduced from two hours to only 15 to 20 minutes, while going to South Luzon Expressway (Slex) from Nlex will be shortened from 2.5 hours to only 30 minutes.

Earlier this year, two big-ticket projects under the EDSA Decongestion Masterplan were also completed: The Nlex Harbor Link Segment 10 and the Nlex Harbor Link R-10 Exit Ramp. The former is a six-lane divided elevated expressway stretching at 5.58 kilometers and linking MacArthur Highway and C-3. It uses the existing Philippine National Railway (PNR) railroad tracks that cut across Valenzuela and Malabon. Travel time from Valenzuela to C3 road in Caloocan was mitigated from over an hour to five minutes. The latter, on the other hand, is a 2.6-km, fourlane elevated ramp that connects Caloocan, Malabon and Valenzuela to Manila. Going to Nlex from Port Area was cut from one-and-a-half hour to 10 minutes.

Other finished projects were the widening of 4.75-km section of Radial Road 10 (R-10), including drainage system, lessening travel time between Manila and Navotas from an hour to 30 minutes; the development of Samar Street with the expansion of 1.086-km road linking Mother Ignacia Street and Timog Avenue in Quezon City; the broadening of 6.94-km Laguna Lake Highway, reducing driving time from Taytay to Bicutan from one hour to 30 minutes; and the NAIAX Phase II, a 14.85-km, fourlane elevated expressway from the endpoint of NAIA Expressway Phase 1 to Pagcor Entertainment City, easing travel time from 24 minutes to eight minutes.

Ongoing expressway projects

THE above-cited accomplished road initiatives are only a precursor to the completion of other bigticket projects in the pipeline—all targeted to be done by 2022.

Expected to be finished before the year 2020 ends is the Fort Bonifacio-Nichols Field Road (Lawton Avenue), or widening of the 3.3-km Nichols Field Road from four- to six-lane. Adjacent thoroughfares like Edsa, South Superhighway and C5 will be decongested and the time going in and out of Bonifacio Global City (BGC) will be diminished.

The Mindanao Avenue Extension (Segment 2C) project is a 3.2-km, four-lane divided highway from intersection of Nlex to Gen. Luis Avenue that will connect the areas of Valenzuela, North Caloocan, Quezon City (Novaliches) and Nlex once finished this year. Travel time between Quirino Highway and General Luis Road will be mitigated from 1.5 hours to 20 minutes.

For next year, the Southeast Metro Manila Expressway, C-6 (Phase I) development is a 32.66km (elevated and at-grade) ex-

President Rodrigo Duterte listens to the briefing on the Davao City Coastal Road project of DPWH Secretary Mark Villar on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Davao River Bridge widening project at Carlos P. Garcia Highway in Davao City. JOEY DALUMPINES/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

pressway from Skyway/FTI, Taguig City to Batasan Complex, Quezon City that will cut driving hours between Bicutan and Batasan from 1.5 hours to 26 minutes. On the other hand, the Nlex-Slex Connector Road is an eight-km, four-lane elevated expressway extending the Nlex southward from the end of Segment 10 in C3 Road, Caloocan City to Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila and connecting to the Skyway Stage 3, and mostly traversing along the PNR rail track. Travel time from Slex to Nlex will be cut from two hours to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, slated to be finished by 2022 are the Manila Cavite Toll Expressway Project, C-5 South Link Expressway divided by six lanes spanning at 7.70-km from R-1 Expressway to Slex, with reduced travel time from 40 minutes to 10 minutes; and the Nlex Harbor Link Segment 8.2, an 8.35-km, four-lane divided expressway from Segment 8.1 at Mindanao Avenue to Republic Avenue turning right to Luzon Avenue up to Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, with eased driving time between the two end-points from 45 minutes to 10 minutes.

Connecting cities

SERVING as alternatives to Edsa, the bridge components of the decongestion masterplan connects the surrounding cities to the main thoroughfare of Metro Manila.

For this year, the BGCOrtigas Center Link Road Project will bridge the two central business districts in just about 12 minutes.

This project is comprised of the Sta. Monica-Lawton Bridge, a 440-meter (m), four-lane bridge across Pasig River connecting Lawton Avenue in Makati and Santa Monica St. in Pasig, and the Lawton Avenue-Global City Viaduct, a 565-m four lane viaduct structure traversing Lawton Avenue onwards to the entrance of BGC. The China grant-financed Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, whose civil works are ongoing and targeted to be done by 2021, is a 680.00-lineal meter Basket-

Handle Tied Steel Arch Bridge connecting Intramuros (at Solana Street and Riverside Drive) and Binondo (at San Fernando bridge) with a viaduct structure over Estero de Binondo.

Also scheduled to be finished by next year, the existing Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge will be replaced by prestressed concrete rigid frame bridge (V-shape piers) with corrugated steel webs with four-lane concrete deck slab of around 506.46 lineal meters to link Estrella Street at Makati side to Barangka Drive at Mandaluyong side.

Just starting out this year, the Pasig River & Manggahan Floodway Bridges Construction Project will have three bridges in the next three years built on a “Design and Build Scheme” with a total length of 3,393.9 l.m. (including approaches) crossing Pasig River and Manggahan Floodway.

On the other hand, the three connecting structures under the Marikina River Bridges Construction, which shall commence building next year until 2023, will have a total length of 3,187.3 l.m. (including approaches) crossing Marikina River.

Meanwhile, the BataanCavite Interlink Bridge, which will be built also next year up to 2026, is a 32.15-km, four-lane bridge starting from Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan, crossing Manila Bay and terminating in Barangay Timalan, Naic, Cavite.

Amid uncertainties that the country has been confronted with—the Taal Volcano explosion early this year and the ensuing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic that have caused delays in public works—the Duterte government, DPWH and stakeholders are working double time to make sure that the Edsa Decongestion Project is on track to meet its completion target within the term of the President, who pledged during his candidacy to address the worsening traffic situation in this busiest major thoroughfares not only in Metro Manila, but in the entire country as well.

14 ROADS / EXPRE

(121,850 meters) | P180

7

1 NLEX Harbor Link C3-R10 Section

NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10

2 3

Radial Road 10 (R-10)

Mindanao Avenue (Segment 2C)

9

NLEX-SLEX Connector Road

10

4

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C-5 South Link Expressway

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Samar S

Metro Manila Skyway Stage

NAIAX Phase II

ror Special Feature

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, October 29, 2020

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KING TRAVEL A BREEZE FOR FILIPINOS 1

2

NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10

3

NLEX Harbor Link C3-R10 Section

4

NLEX-SLEX Connector Road

5

6

NAIAX Phase II

Radial Road 10 (R-10)

C-5 South Link Expressway

RESSWAYS

0.6 BILLION Extension

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8

9

Mindanao Avenue Extension (Segment 2C)

Samar Street

NLEX Harbor Link, Segment 8.2

Street

10

Southeast Metro Manila Expressway, C-6 (Phase I)

e3

Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3

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Southeast Metro Manila Expressway, C-6 (Phase I)

11

12

12

Fort Bonifacio-Nichols Field Road

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Laguna Lake Highway

Fort Bonifacio-Nichols Field Road

13

Laguna Lake Highway

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Alabang-Sucat Skyway Connection and Ramp Extension

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Alabang-Sucat Skyway Connection and Ramp Extension

North & South Harbor Bridge

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Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, October 29, 2020

SEC greenlights bond offer of Filinvest Land, Megawide

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By VG Cabuag

@villygc

he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved public bond and preferred share offerings of Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI), Megawide Construction Corp. and Cityland Development Corp., with a combined amount of P36.4 billion.

In its en banc meeting on October 27, the agency approved the registration statements of FLI covering up to P30 billion of fixed-rate bonds under a shelf registration, Megawide for up to P5 billion of perpetual preferred shares and Cityland for up to P1.4 billion of commercial papers.

FLI will offer P6.75 billion of

bonds for the first tranche of the offering, with an oversubscription option of up to P2.25 billion. The offer will consist of 3-year bonds due 2023 and 5.5-year bonds due 2026.

The company expects to net P8.88 billion from the offer, should the oversubscription option be fully exercised. The proceeds will be used

to refinance Filinvest’s maturing debt and to fund its capital expenditures and general corporate requirements.

The bonds, which will be offered at face value, will be listed and traded on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp.

BDO Capital and Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., East West Banking Corp. and SB Capital Investment Corp. were picked as joint lead underwriters and bookrunners for the offer, while First Metro Investment Corp. is the co-lead underwriter.

Megawide, meanwhile, will offer 30 million non-voting perpetual series 2 preferred shares, with an oversubscription option of up to 20 million non-voting perpetual series 2 preferred shares, priced at P100 apiece.

The preferred shares will be listed

mutual funds

and traded on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Assuming the oversubscription option is fully exercised, Megawide expects to net around P4.96 billion for the offer. Proceeds will be used to partially finance the company’s existing projects, including the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, as well as the expansion of its pre-cast plant capacity, among others.

Meanwhile, Cityland’s offer consists of commercial papers, in which the company expects to net around P1.39 billion.

Proceeds from the offer will be used to partially finance the construction of the company’s projects and to pay its maturing notes.

The SEC also approved Cityland’s request for exemption from the submission of an underwriting agreement for the offer.

October 28, 2020

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D

per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 208.56 -18.08% -9.87% -4.36% -17.19% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.1069 -25.92% -11.17% -3.21% -19.91% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.8358 -26.83% -13.85% -6.3% -22.9% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7197 -23.95% -10.56% n.a. -19.86% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.6968 -19.2% n.a. n.a. -17.96% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.4667 -17.36% -8.29% -4.52% -16.17% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.7026 -19.12% -10.16% n.a.

-17.69% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 86.9 -23.75% n.a. n.a. -15.81% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 42.1966 -18.95% -8.19% -3.05% -17.72% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 448.46 -17.09% -7.83% -3.38% -15.83% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 0.9638 n.a. n.a. n.a. -6.44% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.0623 -18.83% -8.02% -2.98% -17.45% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 31.2666 -18.85% -7.66% -2.6% -17.5% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8292 -19.67% n.a. n.a. -18.55% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.3108 -18.57% -7.73% -2.35% -17.47% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 720.99 -18.42% -7.64% -2.49% -17.31% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6518 -27.03% -11.56% -6.38% -23.44% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.2861 -23.29% -9.52% -4.08% -21.93% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.826 -18.64% -7.93% -2.54% -17.47% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.0017 -19.17% -7.09% -2.21% -17.83% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 96.8219 -18.28% -7.35% -1.72% -17.21% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.081 11.27% 0.16% 3.19% 5.11% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.5297 17.82% 7.9% n.a. 10.95% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.5652 -1.9% -5% -2.89% 0.15% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.1094 -6.74% -4.36% -1.21% -3.29% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.4681 -6.86% -3.13% -2.57% -6.21% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1871 -20.52% n.a. n.a.

-18.12% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a -4.25% -1.18% 0.45% -4.06% 1.8819 PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.5839 -5.8% -2.44% -0.68% -5.42% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 16.0348 -5.86% -2.57% -0.73% -5.46% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 1.9828 -7.67% -3.63% -0.86% -6.56% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.3606 -13.71% -4.93% -2.05% -13.02% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9654 -5.55% n.a. n.a.

-4.95% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.8737 -13.45% n.a. n.a. -12.31% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.8535 -15.19% n.a. n.a. -14.07% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8253 -16.33% -5.96% -2.94% -15.34% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03899 1.91% 2.61% 1.97% 2.07% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.0685 7.37% 1.21% 2.94% 5.58% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.1884 11.15% 5.7% 5.79% 7.1% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.169 5.53% 3.04% n.a.

3.57% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 368.83 3.77% 3.08% 2.63% 3.04% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9535 1.65% 0.9% 0.3% 2.71% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.2055 3.64% 4.69% 4.91% 2.81% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2891 3.37% 2.57% 2.14% 2.95% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4437 4.31% 3.28% 1.96% 3.59% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.6246 6.87% 4.17% 2.66% 5.76% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3125 5.41% 4.37% 2.47% 4.44% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.9538 5.53% 4.16% 2.32% 4.37% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0364 8.61% 3.64% 2.05% 7.48% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1728 4.21% 4.54% 2.83% 3.16% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a

1.7413 3.39% 3.94% 2.24% 2.36% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $480.34 3.07% 2.62% 2.77% 2.56% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є217.78 -1% 0.81% 1.17% -0.91% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2486 3.83% 3.27% 2.61% 3.43% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0264 2.33% 1.83% 1.59% 2.33% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0874 -0.8% 0.26% 0.31% -0.57% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.5073 4.5% 3.89% 3.21% 4.32% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.061833 2.6% 2.46% 2.17% 2.54% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1887 0.62% 2% 2.26% 0.43% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 129.35 3.43% 3.32% 2.54% 2.8% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0461 1.99% n.a. n.a.

1.93% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2925 2.75% 3.02% 2.61% 2.17% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0507 1.6% n.a. n.a.

1.19% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.0146 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.94 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-5.05%

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

1 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 2 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 3 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019.

4 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 5 - Launch date is December 09, 2019.

6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund). 7 - Launch date is July 6, 2020.

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

October 28, 2020

Net Foreign Stocks Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Buy (Sell) FINANCIALs

BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK PHILTRUST RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG FILIPINO FUND IREMIT MEDCO HLDG MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE

93.3 74.1 21.6 9.58 42 9.51 16.72 27.05 52.9 96 17.14 99.25 54.55 0.74 27 3.48 6.97 1.13 0.305 749 0.58 159.4 1888

93.4 74.2 21.65 9.59 42.05 9.79 17.2 27.1 53 101.3 17.3 99.3 55 0.81 27.95 3.75 7.3 1.16 0.31 765 0.59 160 1940

92 74.8 21.7 9.64 42 9.51 16.82 27.1 52.85 101.3 17.32 98.3 55 0.81 27 3.55 7.3 1.17 0.305 755 0.59 159 1900

93.7 74.8 21.7 9.65 43 9.52 16.82 27.5 53 101.3 17.5 99.75 55 0.81 27.95 3.74 7.3 1.17 0.305 755 0.59 177 1940

91.6 73.4 21.6 9.55 41.55 9.51 16.74 27 52.85 101.3 17.1 98.2 54.5 0.81 27 3.48 7.3 1.11 0.3 755 0.56 159 1875

92 73.5 21.65 9.65 43 9.51 16.74 27.5 53 101.3 17.5 98.9 55 0.81 27.95 3.67 7.3 1.17 0.305 755 0.58 173 1940

2842360 1133880 125500 319800 2801900 2700 10700 407500 3270 10 12700 551790 26320 15000 900 82000 1000 401000 390000 40 96000 11680 60

262700430.5 83742598.5 2715925 3072458 118835260 25692 179758 11111220 172972 1013 219102 54623280.5 1443178.5 12150 25060 294200 7300 461900 118650 30200 54090 1920187 115335

5765137 -14370069.5 -1057235 -138527 2302495 168000 -341100 12130 -11035243.5 -469701 -590 9375

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 3.86 3.87 3.88 3.93 3.82 3.88 28182000 109247970 ALSONS CONS 1.31 1.32 1.32 1.39 1.31 1.39 55941000 77560010 27.65 27.85 28.35 28.35 27.45 27.5 2266600 62603445 ABOITIZ POWER BASIC ENERGY 0.23 0.234 0.232 0.248 0.223 0.239 17600000 4133260 29.1 29.2 26.5 29.5 26.45 29.3 7389400 213127225 FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG 62.6 62.7 60.55 63 60.45 63 632980 39593034.5 293.4 293.6 290 295 290 291 166990 48663358 MERALCO MANILA WATER 14.4 14.42 14.48 14.58 14.3 14.38 552400 7990192 PETRON 3.12 3.13 3.15 3.18 3.11 3.17 5685000 17881820 3.29 3.41 3.41 3.41 3.27 3.4 55000 182830 PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM 12.8 12.9 13 13.2 12.72 13 215300 2791654 16.74 16.76 16.64 16.96 16.64 16.92 568800 9557332 PILIPINAS SHELL SPC POWER 10.86 10.9 10.8 10.96 10.8 10.94 147700 1609260 13.5 14.18 14.2 14.2 14.18 14.18 4100 58200 VIVANT AGRINURTURE 7.81 7.85 7.95 7.95 7.79 7.88 211900 1673308 AXELUM 2.8 2.81 2.76 2.83 2.76 2.8 1464000 4112010 70.55 79.85 70.55 70.55 70.55 70.55 240 16932 BOGO MEDELLIN CNTRL AZUCARERA 11.2 11.4 11.2 11.4 11.2 11.2 1400 15740 17.08 17.1 17.2 17.2 16.76 16.78 2018700 34112070 CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE 4.93 4.99 4.93 4.99 4.91 4.99 35000 172690 6.26 6.28 6.25 6.45 6.23 6.31 4750600 30016752 DNL INDUS EMPERADOR 10 10.02 10.04 10.04 9.98 10 2772300 27726791 65.15 65.3 66 66 65 65.1 79320 5163539.5 SMC FOODANDBEV 0.62 0.64 0.63 0.64 0.62 0.64 289000 182330 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.25 1.26 1.24 1.29 1.2 1.24 18491000 23057290 46.5 47 48 48 46.2 47 35400 1646445 GINEBRA JOLLIBEE 174.6 174.7 173.2 176.4 171.6 174.5 690540 120338689 7.59 7.97 7.58 7.97 7.58 7.97 1200 9475 MACAY HLDG MAXS GROUP 6.02 6.03 5.76 6.06 5.7 6 2690100 16055707 0.14 0.145 0.145 0.145 0.14 0.14 90000 12700 MG HLDG SHAKEYS PIZZA 6.71 6.8 6.34 6.85 6.3 6.8 12526400 79372663 ROXAS AND CO 1.27 1.28 1.26 1.34 1.24 1.24 37394000 47533760 4.81 4.95 4.81 4.81 4.81 4.81 1000 4810 RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG 1.88 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.83 1.83 17000 31490 0.105 0.11 0.105 0.105 0.104 0.104 630000 65540 SWIFT FOODS UNIV ROBINA 139.3 139.4 139 141 137.4 140 641950 89761520 0.8 0.81 0.8 0.81 0.79 0.81 3692000 2949820 VITARICH 50.7 54.35 54.85 54.85 50.1 50.5 850 44692.5 CONCRETE A CONCRETE B 51.3 56 51.4 56 51.4 56 40 2102 1.58 1.59 1.58 1.61 1.56 1.59 9312000 14754120 CEMEX HLDG DAVINCI CAPITAL 4.37 4.5 4.36 4.52 4.36 4.52 20000 89570 14.74 14.8 14.8 15 14.4 15 540800 7947326 EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP 7.47 7.48 7.47 7.48 7.4 7.4 191100 1422554 5.72 5.74 5.57 5.8 5.57 5.79 1703900 9728388 HOLCIM MEGAWIDE 7.45 7.48 7.6 7.6 7.38 7.43 2249500 16773740 PHINMA 8.14 8.34 8.2 8.2 8.15 8.16 25100 204755 0.72 0.73 0.73 0.82 0.73 0.81 2321000 1813730 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 0.77 0.78 0.78 0.79 0.77 0.78 454000 353060 120.8 159.7 120.8 120.8 120.8 120.8 10 1208 CHEMPHIL EUROMED 1.88 1.89 1.95 1.95 1.88 1.92 416000 791720 4.2 4.37 4.3 4.37 4.3 4.37 2000 8670 MABUHAY VINYL PRYCE CORP 4.08 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.09 4.1 251000 1029090 CONCEPCION 20.45 21 21 21 20.7 21 2138500 44320880 2.35 2.36 2.39 2.43 2.32 2.36 8013000 18958640 GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR 6.22 6.24 5.93 6.5 5.93 6.4 3604900 22931852 0.97 0.98 0.96 1 0.96 0.98 333000 326400 IONICS PANASONIC 5 5.19 5.23 5.23 5.22 5.22 200 1045 1.41 1.42 1.43 1.45 1.41 1.45 785000 1123200 SFA SEMICON CIRTEK HLDG 5.42 5.44 5.5 5.5 5.39 5.44 3548000 19265182

-13827830 -16703075 98400 120294545 -25411848.5 -26717596 -1893026 -4330740 3337298 10900 -215134 2365639.9997 -10767196 -78780 -1645861 85006 -3126727 -57600 -463420 -1262105 29444400 -735378.0001 -998016 17761330 2080 5949183 -150100 -2081300 -2925160 -192897 -1016491 -2305430 24200 76000 -1025000 -33600 222160 -51380 -43880 152890 513268

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 0.485 0.49 0.49 0.49 0.48 0.48 4610000 2233450 -694950 ASIABEST GROUP 8.31 8.9 8.12 9.4 8.12 8.38 108900 912453 129274 764 764.5 759.5 769 752 760 334450 255109030 -63057685 AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY 45.7 45.75 45.8 45.9 44.5 44.5 2229000 101286430 8823130 8.15 8.18 8.12 8.3 8.01 8.14 6105100 49,673,966( 13,794,424.9999) ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG 2.77 2.78 2.77 2.83 2.73 2.83 2098000 5867150 1357250 6.28 6.56 6.3 6.56 6.26 6.56 2300 14582 ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.61 0.63 0.61 0.63 0.61 0.63 605000 369640 ATN HLDG A 0.9 0.91 0.88 0.92 0.87 0.92 12438000 11189330 0.9 0.92 0.81 0.92 0.81 0.92 1357000 1224660 -866740 ATN HLDG B COSCO CAPITAL 5.14 5.15 5.2 5.2 5.13 5.15 2053600 10575694 644484 4.36 4.37 4.5 4.5 4.33 4.47 20740000 91444370 -7909500 DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV 9.2 9.4 9.4 9.4 9.2 9.2 14600 134656 -44320 433.4 433.6 434 437 426.2 432 180480 78235788 -7471836 GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV 3.34 3.4 3.33 3.45 3.33 3.33 97000 328210 -197600 JG SUMMIT 62.95 63 63 63.35 62.05 62.75 1759780 110435244 67394834 4.03 4.81 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 19000 81700 JOLLIVILLE HLDG KEPPEL HLDG A 4.82 5.2 4.81 4.82 4.81 4.82 15000 72280 0.71 0.73 0.73 0.77 0.71 0.73 3212000 2334800 -73000 LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG 2.57 2.59 2.54 2.6 2.53 2.58 2396000 6178680 -5441980 12.14 12.16 12.02 12.3 11.6 12.08 6423400 77443204 -62824106 LT GROUP METRO PAC INV 4.02 4.03 4.01 4.06 4.01 4.01 27390000 110058140 -45391290 3.21 3.49 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 39000 136500 PACIFICA HLDG SOLID GROUP 0.99 1 1 1 1 1 49000 49000 SYNERGY GRID 162 171 170.5 170.5 170 170 690 117360 969.5 972 970.5 979.5 963.5 965 201600 194934435 7340120 SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP 103.3 103.5 102 104 102 102 388460 39965847 13557789 0.64 0.66 0.65 0.66 0.65 0.66 152000 99300 SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER 125 126.3 124 126.3 124 125.8 419820 52478519 -338134 0.139 0.143 0.14 0.14 0.139 0.139 200000 27960 ZEUS HLDG

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.58 0.59 0.58 0.6 0.58 0.6 431000 253990 ANCHOR LAND 7.85 8 8 8.14 8 8.14 26000 208129 33.85 33.9 34.2 34.2 33.55 33.85 6890700 232794835 AYALA LAND ARANETA PROP 1.08 1.11 1.1 1.13 1.08 1.1 289000 319180 25.7 25.75 25.7 25.75 25.65 25.75 387200 9953995 AREIT RT BELLE CORP 1.44 1.45 1.49 1.49 1.43 1.43 432000 625640 0.79 0.8 0.79 0.8 0.79 0.8 2309000 1839050 A BROWN CITYLAND DEVT 0.78 0.8 0.78 0.8 0.77 0.79 204000 157400 CROWN EQUITIES 0.136 0.137 0.137 0.139 0.133 0.136 3320000 447060 4.59 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.55 4.6 412000 1885870 CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP 0.365 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.365 0.365 6730000 2465450 0.37 0.38 0.37 0.385 0.37 0.385 350000 131700 CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON 14.2 14.22 14.5 14.5 14.1 14.4 373300 5324114 5.48 5.5 5.5 5.52 5.25 5.25 214200 1147976 DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST 0.28 0.285 0.285 0.29 0.275 0.28 500000 139850 EVER GOTESCO 0.087 0.091 0.091 0.092 0.087 0.087 1080000 95650 0.97 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.97 0.97 11501000 11169260 FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE 0.74 0.76 0.76 0.76 0.74 0.75 356000 266540 7.29 7.45 7.3 7.45 7.22 7.25 45900 334287 8990 HLDG PHIL INFRADEV 1.47 1.48 1.49 1.53 1.47 1.53 3730000 5603920 0.67 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 7000 4900 CITY AND LAND MEGAWORLD 3.08 3.09 3.1 3.12 3.07 3.07 15251000 47018180 0.42 0.425 0.415 0.43 0.405 0.42 148340000 61998400 MRC ALLIED 0.31 0.335 0.335 0.335 0.335 0.335 20000 6700 PHIL ESTATES PRIMEX CORP 1.2 1.22 1.15 1.23 1.15 1.22 789000 947600 15.8 15.82 15.96 16.02 15.62 16 2207600 35258716 ROBINSONS LAND PHIL REALTY 0.229 0.234 0.234 0.234 0.229 0.23 930000 213970 1.53 1.54 1.53 1.55 1.53 1.53 103000 158330 ROCKWELL SHANG PROP 2.67 2.7 2.67 2.69 2.66 2.69 58000 154720 1.85 1.9 1.85 1.9 1.85 1.9 32000 59800 STA LUCIA LAND SM PRIME HLDG 32.9 32.95 33.4 33.4 32.15 32.5 8083800 263023685 VISTAMALLS 4.11 4.14 4.1 4.14 4 4.05 137000 556940 1.25 1.27 1.25 1.27 1.21 1.23 1542000 1912970 SUNTRUST HOME PTFC REDEV CORP 40.05 50.45 40.1 40.1 40.1 40.1 700 28070 3.41 3.42 3.45 3.47 3.38 3.45 1438000 4927040 VISTA LAND

-36200030 -11100 -342080 -191140 136290 1370 -874250 10950 -2733104 10700 630230 -15668620 49750 -1930 8832302 -74480 -147280140 -1307350

SERVICES ABS CBN 11.3 11.34 11.42 11.42 11.26 11.4 529200 6009434 GMA NETWORK 5.1 5.11 5.14 5.14 5.05 5.1 201600 1027273 0.405 0.415 0.405 0.405 0.405 0.405 20000 8100 MANILA BULLETIN MLA BRDCASTING 10.54 11.28 11.3 11.3 11.26 11.26 1000 11268 2086 2092 2080 2100 2052 2100 99525 207918390 GLOBE TELECOM PLDT 1353 1354 1360 1363 1342 1361 93540 127018990 0.053 0.054 0.054 0.055 0.053 0.054 6350000 339400 APOLLO GLOBAL CONVERGE 14.56 14.58 14.04 15.02 13.94 14.5 79790500 1156789220 DFNN INC 3.08 3.09 3.08 3.09 3.08 3.09 11000 33890 6.57 6.58 6.65 6.69 6.5 6.62 24072600 158656181 DITO CME HLDG ISLAND INFO 0.085 0.088 0.088 0.088 0.086 0.086 570000 49160 1.56 1.6 1.61 1.61 1.56 1.6 15000 23640 JACKSTONES NOW CORP 4.84 4.85 4.79 4.95 4.79 4.84 4304000 20857180 0.245 0.246 0.238 0.255 0.235 0.246 22060000 5412310 TRANSPACIFIC BR PHILWEB 2.85 2.88 2.99 3.09 2.77 2.85 7063000 20584610 2GO GROUP 8.91 8.99 8.8 8.99 8.8 8.91 19800 176463 15.32 15.68 15.68 15.68 15.68 15.68 4000 62720 ASIAN TERMINALS CHELSEA 5.78 5.79 5.76 5.88 5.72 5.73 2789300 16065304 39.75 39.85 39 39.9 39 39.6 301600 11,903,820( CEBU AIR INTL CONTAINER 117.5 117.6 116.5 118.8 116.5 116.9 1533060 179947265 15 15.6 15.6 15.6 14.14 14.14 2300 35418 LBC EXPRESS LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.97 1 1 1 1 1 5000 5000 5.27 5.28 5.28 5.29 5.17 5.21 2873700 15,028,219( MACROASIA 1.97 1.99 2.06 2.06 1.96 1.98 1395000 2782290 METROALLIANCE A PAL HLDG 7 7.05 6.94 7.21 6.94 7 105700 743897 1.33 1.34 1.36 1.36 1.31 1.33 2885000 3831260 HARBOR STAR ACESITE HOTEL 1.35 1.42 1.2 1.42 1.18 1.21 436000 546020 0.027 0.028 0.028 0.028 0.026 0.027 50300000 1351700 BOULEVARD HLDG DISCOVERY WORLD 1.7 1.83 1.63 1.7 1.63 1.7 36000 61130 10.6 11.58 11.44 11.44 11.44 11.44 200 2288 GRAND PLAZA 0.43 0.435 0.425 0.455 0.415 0.435 17180000 7560350 WATERFRONT FAR EASTERN U 508 550 564 564 550 550 60 33280 7.48 7.6 7.48 7.67 7.48 7.67 25100 187786 IPEOPLE STI HLDG 0.34 0.345 0.34 0.355 0.33 0.35 14300000 4950000 3.9 3.93 3.74 4.09 3.63 4 2050000 7964390 BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY 7.45 7.48 7.55 7.55 7.38 7.38 2705300 20065408 1.8 1.88 1.8 1.87 1.76 1.8 84000 150190 PACIFIC ONLINE 1.51 1.53 1.53 1.53 1.51 1.53 248000 376260 LEISURE AND RES PREMIUM LEISURE 0.33 0.335 0.335 0.335 0.325 0.335 16970000 5608050 6.75 6.78 6.8 6.8 6.7 6.75 1276300 8613350 ALLHOME METRO RETAIL 1.47 1.5 1.52 1.53 1.46 1.5 1468000 2192300 42.4 42.45 43 43 42 42.2 4310300 182725130 PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL 65.2 65.4 65 66.15 64.85 65 801630 52124438 113 114 114 114 113 114 134770 15361691 PHIL SEVEN CORP SSI GROUP 1.27 1.28 1.32 1.34 1.27 1.33 18030000 23508820 WILCON DEPOT 14.88 14.92 14.84 14.96 14.8 14.8 2491400 36998696 0.32 0.325 0.335 0.335 0.32 0.325 8800000 2906900 APC GROUP EASYCALL 6.9 7.05 6.89 7.05 6.88 6.91 22700 156606 342.2 370 350 370 350 370 110 39700 GOLDEN BRIA PRMIERE HORIZON 0.345 0.35 0.35 0.37 0.335 0.365 40540000 14467350 4.18 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.19 4.19 17000 71380 SBS PHIL CORP

125878460 -17108555 -1080 -91872992 -3784430 9420 -101950 32680 44650 923179 3,330,135.0004) -62558158 2,811,733.0003) 112000 1200 2288 -199550 -35000 -3740 -12752788 7170 -921100 5549693 -182610 -22344255 -20003859 -7263381 422890 -20996670 -6700 -447500 -63000

MINING & OIL

ATOK 9.37 9.59 9.31 10 9.1 9.74 81000 769134 1.89 1.9 1.89 1.93 1.86 1.88 6570000 12476690 -348900 APEX MINING ABRA MINING 0.0009 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.0009 0.001 641000000 638700 26000 4.04 4.05 4.05 4.1 4.03 4.05 606000 2452410 ATLAS MINING BENGUET A 2.77 2.85 2.88 2.88 2.77 2.85 24000 67930 2.7 2.78 2.79 2.79 2.79 2.79 2000 5580 BENGUET B COAL ASIA HLDG 0.26 0.265 0.265 0.265 0.25 0.25 590000 151750 CENTURY PEAK 2.5 2.55 2.55 2.55 2.55 2.55 1000 2550 7.7 7.8 7.65 7.83 7.55 7.81 43500 334536 DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL 1.33 1.34 1.33 1.37 1.32 1.36 4501000 6050180 426340 0.24 0.245 0.245 0.246 0.24 0.24 160000 38770 GEOGRACE LEPANTO A 0.15 0.152 0.151 0.152 0.148 0.152 21600000 3235700 0.15 0.152 0.152 0.152 0.15 0.151 560000 84600 25670 LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A 0.0097 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 6000000 60000 MARCVENTURES 0.95 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.95 0.96 3942000 3755760 3840 2.56 2.58 2.59 2.62 2.54 2.6 359000 930060 NIHAO NICKEL ASIA 3.81 3.82 3.78 3.87 3.78 3.81 9038000 34543590 4278440 0.33 0.34 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.33 30000 9900 OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA 0.65 0.68 0.67 0.69 0.66 0.68 274000 183650 5.46 5.47 5.51 5.51 5.41 5.5 1033300 5654022 -108878 PX MINING SEMIRARA MINING 10.88 10.9 11.4 11.4 10.54 10.74 12582300 136705364 -5494870 0.0051 0.0054 0.0052 0.0052 0.0052 0.0052 2000000 10400 UNITED PARAGON ACE ENEXOR 6.38 6.4 6.39 6.45 6.36 6.43 169000 1080426 32235 ORNTL PETROL A 0.0097 0.0099 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 23000000 223100 0.0098 0.0099 0.0098 0.0099 0.0098 0.0099 24000000 237300 ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL 0.0085 0.0086 0.0086 0.0086 0.0085 0.0085 13000000 110800 11.38 11.4 11.26 11.76 11.12 11.4 4096800 46,813,680( 1,629,433.9997) PXP ENERGY

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A 100 102 100 102 100 102 200070 20007140 AC PREF B2R 514 518 522 522 517 517 390 202200 100.6 101.9 100.5 102 100.5 102 474730 47810250 DD PREF MWIDE PREF 101.2 101.6 101.1 101.1 101.1 101.1 200 20220 100.8 101 101 101 101 101 8780 886780 PNX PREF 3B PNX PREF 4 987.5 995 987.5 987.5 987 987 110 108575 1062 1065 1065 1065 1062 1062 2200 2342700 PCOR PREF 3A SMC PREF 2C 78.1 78.2 78.2 78.2 78.2 78.2 10760 841432 SMC PREF 2E 76.7 76.75 76.7 76.7 76.7 76.7 14210 1089907 78 78.5 78.5 78.5 78.5 78.5 1252040 98285140 SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G 76 76.2 76 76.5 75.9 76.5 33410 2537676 78.6 78.95 78.95 78.95 78.6 78.6 9080 715816 SMC PREF 2I

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 10.82 11.28 11 11 10.82 10.82 8700 94314 GMA HLDG PDR 4.9 5 4.9 4.95 4.9 4.9 45000 220650

WARRANTS LR WARRANT 0.85 0.86 0.85 0.86 0.8 0.8 146000 120140

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 12.72 12.78 12.64 13.08 12.54 13.04 1277600 16488488 5828 ITALPINAS 2.81 2.82 2.82 2.87 2.77 2.82 3365000 9467300 -419370 5.26 5.27 5.35 5.55 5.26 5.55 76700 414160 6668 KEPWEALTH MAKATI FINANCE 2.17 2.66 2.17 2.17 2.17 2.17 1000 2170 3.51 3.52 3.46 3.55 3.46 3.51 34302000 120507700 866230 MERRYMART

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF 96.4 96.9 96.9 97 95.7 96.4 7930 763720 29657

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Tax perks for e-vehicle parts-makers reviewed

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales @alyasjah

L

ocal manufacturers of parts for electric vehicles will soon be eligible to avail of tax breaks, as they are listed as a priority beneficiary of fiscal incentives under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (Create) bill.

Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba on Wednesday disclosed government policies and programs on the automotive industry are under review. This is to introduce changes that need to be incorporated considering the challenges posed by lockdown measures against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Further, Aldaba said the government has included numerous parts making activities in the Strategic Investment Priorities Plan (Sipp) under the Create bill.

The Sipp is a list of investment sectors that can avail of fiscal incentives to be granted under the measure once it is passed in Congress. Among others, it provides investors with income tax holiday, exemption from payment of import duties and fees, deduction in net operating losses, among others.

According to Aldaba, the list of parts making activities included in the SIPP are: auto electronics, advanced driver assistance systems, engineering services outsourcing, sensors, motors automatic transmission, metal casting, forging products, machining products, electric motor

powertrains like battery, charging facilities and xEv. Aldaba explained allowing parts makers to receive incentives will increase their productivity to the benefit of the local e-vehicle market.

After all, government projections indicate there will be 6.6 million units of e-vehicles in the country by 2030.

Further, the government is reviewing the Motor Vehicle Development Program (MVDP) to include completed and intermediate vehicle products and part as among those that can be applied for incentives.

Aldaba said the amendment to MVDP will also remove barriers in investments, such as the nationality bias and minimum capital requirement. It will also shift the principles in the grant of incentives to the tune of the CREATE bill’s core: performance-based, time bound, fiscal capped and targeted.

“We have to realign our policies to help the automotive industry recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the trade official said in a webinar with European investors.

Based on records from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Automotive Federation, the Philippines recorded the second largest decline in car sales in the Southeast Asia. From January to August, car sales in the country dropped 47.6 percent to 123,489 units, from 235,544 units during the same period last year.

Moreover, production of motor vehicles also slipped by nearly a third to 39,171 units, from 58,386 units.

Thursday, October 29, 2020 B2-1

PHL’s ₧4.27-B loan request for BOC gets WB approval

T

By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

he World Bank has approved a new loan to help the Philippines modernize the operations of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

In a statement, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved an $88.28-million (about P4.27 billion) loan to improve the country’s customs administration and reduce transaction costs.

The project called “Philippines Customs Modernization Project” also aims “to enhance predictability and transparency of the clearance process at the country’s borders by financing the development of a world-class customs processing system [CPS].”

“Improved efficiency at the BoC will reduce trade costs and support Philippines’ competitiveness,” Ndiamé Diop, World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, was quoted in the statement as saying. “Automation will reduce face-to-face interactions and delays, and increase accountability, all of which strengthens efficiency and improves the business environment.”

The new CPS, the World Bank said, important processes like trade management and registration, cargo inspection, duty payment and clearance and release, among others, will be integrated in a “seamless” online system.

It is also expected to improve the BOC’s adherence to international standards and conventions for customs processing, including an audit trail for transactions, allowing for greater transparency and less opportunity for corruption.

The World Bank said the Philippines’s growth potential was constrained by inefficiencies in trade facilitation and customs administration.

For example, a container in the Philippines takes 120 hours to clear customs and associated inspection procedures, much higher than in neighboring Vietnam (56 hours), Thailand (50 hours) or Malaysia (36 hours).

Photo shows one of the country’s ports where goods are processed by the Bureau of Customs. The BOC modernization project is expected to push through after its funding via a loan was approved by the World Bank.

“The unfavorable business environment for firms in the Philippines reduces the incentive to engage in export, thereby foregoing the opportunity to expand markets and create more jobs in the Philippines,” the World Bank said.

Based on enterprise survey data, the World Bank said domestic firms in the Philippines export only 3.5 percent of their output, compared to 26 percent in Malaysia and Thailand.

Among foreign firms, the World Bank said only 25.5 percent of these firms in the Philippines directly or indirectly export. This is also significantly lower than the 78.7 percent in Vietnam; 84 percent in Malaysia; and

93 percent in Thailand.

The World Bank said this was largely due to poor trade facilitation that can be traced to outdated infrastructure and business practices.

This has prompted the BOC to embark on a reform process to improve its trade procedures including the digitalization of its paperbased systems that are not in line with regional and international standards.

The World Bank also said the BOC is also improving its critical capabilities such as risk management, intelligence and post clearance audit, and other transaction processes that were vulnerable to corruption.

B2-2 Thursday, October 29, 2020

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

PHL’s PPP projects secured bulk of ADB funds–report

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By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

he Philippines received the largest funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects, according to its Independent Evaluation Department (IED).

In the report titled ADB’s Support to Public–Private Partnerships 2009 to 2018, the IED said the ADB approved $22.1 billion of PPP interventions during the review period.

These interventions were composed of the following: $10.8 billion public loans; $11.1 billion in private sector facilities; and, $223 million in 126 technical assistance with significant PPP elements.

Five countries accounted for 65 percent of total PPP-related project approvals during 2009 to 2018.

These countries are: India, which accounted for 21.4 percent; Indonesia, 14.3 percent; China, 13.8; Bangladesh, 7.9 percent; and, the Philippines, 7.8 percent.

“The overall investment climate appears to have improved in Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, and the Philippines since 2010 although the PPP environment has probably only

improved in Indonesia and Malaysia according to the trends in index rankings,” the report stated.

“By contrast, the investment climate appears to have become less attractive in Thailand and Viet Nam. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand have investment-grade ratings,” it added.

The report also stated that by region, two regions accounted for the bulk of the Manila-based multilateral development bank’s financing. These are Southeast Asia with 33.6 percent and South Asia with 31.1 percent.

The shares by sector were: energy, which accounted for 41 percent followed by finance at 14 percent; water and other urban infrastructure and services, 14 percent; public sector management, nine percent; and, transport, eight percent.

The IED said that while it finds

ADB’s PPP financing in the Philippines as “satisfactory,” the data showed that private sector investment in infrastructure could decline.

The report noted that current private and future private investment is estimated to be $12 billion in 2015 prices. The annual average private sector participation in infrastructure is only $2.6 billion in current prices between 2016 and 2018.

“Even allowing for pricing discrepancies, there is evidence of potential for a substantial shortfall in the expected private sector investment,” the report stated.

The IED said that while ADB’s support for PPPs has delivered positive developmental outcomes, the support for the long-term enabling environment for PPPs was not able to achieve the much-needed change to the crowd in the private sector and was not well coordinated with downstream project development and financing activities.

In a statement, the IED said the lack of value-for-money analysis, high costs compared to benefits, high associated risk of projects, and minimal advocacy for linked sectoral and state-owned enterprise reform have undermined ADB’s contributions.

“To be fully responsive to the needs of governments or private sector, ADB needs to proactively engage with governments at an early stage of

infrastructure planning for the development of local capacity to screen and select projects using cost-benefit and value-for-money analyses,” IED Director General Marvin Taylor-Dormond was quoted in a statement as saying. “It needs to provide a strong and concerted institutional response to address the scale and urgency of the infrastructure and social services provision gaps in Asia and the Pacific.”

The report also recommended ADB to prepare a PPP directional guidance paper, strategically engage with governments at an early stage of project development, and seek to expand the use and scale of available risk mitigation products.

The IED also said ADB needs to provide political risk and partial credit guarantees to facilitate private sector investment in PPP infrastructure projects, and improve its monitoring and evaluation systems for PPP transactions.

The report also recommends ADB to separate its PPP Thematic Group Secretariat from the Office of PPP and assign the management of the Asia Pacific project preparation facility and other key donor and institutional relationships in support of PPPs to the newly created PPP thematic group secretariat to improve the coordination of ADB’s engagement with PPPs for delivering quality infrastructure outcomes.

Cockfights, local betting eyed to be subjected to tax

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

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o raise more revenues for the government’s Covid-19 response, the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means is proposing a fiscal regime for online betting on sabong (cockfight) and other local betting activities.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said on Wednesday his House Bill 7919 is expected to provide the government an intial P1 billion in revenues. HB 7919 proposes to impose a tax regime on “Offsite Betting Activities on Locally Licensed Games.”

Salceda said the proposal provides more oversight, transparency and regulation for electronic sabong and other legally-operated electronic betting activities while clarifying the national government’s share of their revenues.

“The operations are already legal, by virtue of local ordinances, but the electronic aspect of it is a legal gray area. Because of the ambiguity, we are unable to levy national taxes on these activities, or look into their operations,” Salceda said. “My bill addresses that concern.”

The bill excludes “games and activities specifically authorized by law to be performed by the government gaming authorities, such as the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) and the Philippine Charity and Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).”

“This regime will ensure that the government will still be able to collect taxes on activities where there is ambiguity as to regulatory purview,” Salceda said.

Under the bill, the tax shall be 5 percent of gross revenues derived from offsite betting activities on locally-licensed games and shall not be in lieu of taxes required by local government units (LGUs) and regulatory fees and charges imposed by state agencies.

This is consistent with the bill’s intention not to overstep the au-

thority of LGUs. To establish transparency and accountability in these activities, the bill also seeks to empower the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to “to accredit and inspect ‘totalizators’ and other gambling devices used in the collection, consolidation and recording of wagers made in offsite betting activities on locally licensed games.” This will allow the BIR to verify tax assessments.

Once enacted, the bill will also require gaming operators of the regulated activities under the bill to specify “offsite betting activities on locally-licensed games” in disclosures and documentations required by the BIR and other regulatory government agencies and instrumentalities. This requirement will help ensure that the government can monitor the activities of such operators.

“This measure is consistent with my view that all gambling activities that the law allows should be highly beneficial to the government’s fiscal position,” Salceda said. “Otherwise, what is the point of allowing them?”

“The local government will have full authority to license the games under their jurisdiction, and they will be able to impose whatever taxes they want to. But the national government will also be imposing these taxes, for the use of the airwaves which is national property,” he added.

The lawmaker said the added regulatory oversight requirements will help the government rein in these activities whenever necessary.

“Without a national government share and without national government regulations, it’s a free-for-all at the local level.

That’s never good when you’re talking about gaming, an activity with valid public concerns.” Salceda said.

The regulations will also help the government identify which firms to regulate better, he added.

Landbank links island

Photo shows the land craft transport sea vessel Isla de Pitogo, which was acquired by the Municipality of President Carlos P. Garcia through a term loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines, now connects the island-municipality to mainland Bohol, improving mobility and movement of commodities to and from the locality. Photo courtesy Landbank

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Food delivery firm puts $3M in fintech venture

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @Tyronepiad

A

mid the digital shift, music subscription provider AudioWav Media Inc. is now venturing in financial technology (fintech), through a self-developed mobile application, with an initial investment of $3 million.

AudioWav President and Chief Executive Officer Carlos G. Hinolan told the BusinessMirror that fintech is a major component of its food delivery service application (app) called Poodtrip.com.

“The fintech part is very important for us to be able to put it (app) together,” Hinolan said. “It (fintech) allows the economy to open up again because everything is going digital and online.”

The payment solution is “seamlessly” integrated in the mobile app, he said, noting that among its partners are Visa, GXchange Inc. (GCash), WeChat and Alipay.

“Moving forward, it is still going to improve further because it needs to be digital all the way,” Hinolan added.

Currently, Hinolan said AudioWav is also working with Union Bank of the Philippines and GCash to disburse the funds to Poodtrip. com’s partner merchants and drivers, respectively.

Hinolan said that the firm is keen on onboarding additional payment gateways—via partnerships with more financial institutions—to the app to provide more options for the customers.

Asked about the investment, the AudioWav chief said that the investment covers the initial development of both the app and the integrated payment solution.

“You need $3 million to mount a set up like this and have it decently running,” Hinolan said.

Additional funding is needed for spending in acquisition, marketing and content, among others, he added.

Still, Hinolan said that the company is expecting a return on investment by next year because it is using a sustainable business model.

He explained that the app can

be scaled up easily after it has been established fully already.

“It is easy to actually open it to other countries and scale. It now becomes a copy-paste system.”

With this, AudioWav is expecting to branch out to Indonesia by next year as well.

The technology firm has already penetrated the Indonesian market after inking a partnership with train operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia and transportation media network Via Eight in 2018. AudioWav is set to install a proprietary audio system in all 80 trains operated by PT Kereta in five years.

Hinolan is eyeing to utilize the same system to advertise the food delivery service app.

Poodtrip.com is set to be officially launched next week. The app, however, is already available for download.

The app has registered 2,000 downloads so far, but AudioWav is optimistic that this figure could reach 1 million by first quarter of 2021 given the demand in food delivery, especially in Metro Manila.

So far, AudioWav has 5,000 employed drivers for the delivery and they are expected to grow to as much as 50,000 by the second quarter of next year. There are 180 merchant partners—comprising established restaurants and homecooked food sellers—onboarded in the app for now.

The firm is eyeing to have 8,000 by mid-2021. With this, Hinolan said that the app is also addressing the surge in unemployment in the Philippines given the generated job opportunities.

Poodtrip.com is currently available in the capital region. Hinolan said that the app is in the process of activation in Cebu and Bacolod.

By mid-2021, the food delivery service app is expected to be available nationwide.

“There is still a gap that needs to be filled in terms of food delivery. Most of the major players in the food delivery platform are all foreign capital,” Hinolan said.

The AudioWav official said that it took a year in preparation before the app was released.

Financial interventions eyed to boost housing

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he national government aims to introduce several financial interventions to help more Filipinos achieve their dreams of owning a house by 2040, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

In Bahaynihan, an online forum organized by Habitat for Humanity Philippines on Wednesday, Neda Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said these interventions have already been included in the updated Philippine Development Plan (PDP).

Edillon said these interventions include the provision of direct subsidies through housing vouchers, public housing rental modes, housing microfinance models and even the use of Islamic finance schemes. “(There are) no details yet on these strategies. We’re waiting on DHSUD [Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development] to convene the National Human Settlements Board so we can have a venue to discuss all these in detail,” Edillon told BusinessMirror after the forum.

Edillon said housing vouchers will be provided for those in the “unserved” market, particularly the owner-driven construction (ODC) segment in the country. She added that public rental modes will be specific for cities where there is a lot of demand for these types of housing. Islamic finance will be target for use by the country’s Muslim population.

Create, Train

THE private sector representatives, particularly Subdivision and Housing Developers Association Inc. National President Rosie S. Tsai said the government should also provide tax

incentives and value-added tax exemptions to developers to encourage more private sector players.

By increasing the number of developers, the country would be able to provide more and better housing units for Filipinos, whatever their income bracket can be.

“Tax incentives will have to be governed by the proposed Create [Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises bill]. Of course, we have always supported the provision of housing vouchers as indicated in Train [Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act]. Needless to say, we hope that a National Land Use policy be enacted first in order to provide policy stability to the sector,” Edillon said.

A ballooning need

Based on a study conducted by the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) Center for Research and Communication-Habitat’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, the country’s housing needs could balloon to 15.076 million by 2022.

In a presentation, UA&P President Dr. Winston Conrad B. Padojinog said this is composed of housing needs for socialized, economic, and low-cost types of housing at 5.118 million, 2.11 million, and 1.915 million, respectively.

But the largest share of these housing needs housing needs for the unserved market, which is expected to reach 5.933 million by 2022. This is composed mainly of the ODC segment.

The ODC segment, Padojinog said, account for 55 percent or around 3.1 million households of the un-served segment based on 2018 data. Their number could increase to as much as

3.3 million by 2022.

Padojinog said most of the country’s housing backlogs can be found in the un-served as well as socialized and economic segments. The backlog for the un-served segment has reached P5.623 million between 2001 and 2018.

Increasing by 2022

The socialized segment has a price range of around P480,000 per unit while the economic segment is between P480,000 to P1.7 million. The backlog between 2001 and 2018 for these two segments reached 4.808 million for socialized housing and 303,934 for economic housing.

“The ODC segment conforms to and overlaps with [the] ‘those-whocannot-afford’ segment. [They] lack the purchasing power to qualify for and access available financing options,” Padojinog said.

“If unaddressed, this will continue to increase by 2022, that’s the end of the present administration, (to) 3.3 million households. And they are concentrated in many areas where affordability is a major issue,” he also said.

There are several factors that affect the housing gap, particularly for the ODC segment. These include the low annual incomes of households that prevent them from accessing formal financing through banks and other institutions.

They also do not qualify for community mortgage programs or as balanced housing beneficiaries because they have incomes.

Those in the ODC segment are not covered by priority government housing programs as they already have property rights and legitimate dwelling units.

ODC segment

Padojinog said addressing the needs of the ODC segment can be very rewarding not only for the households but for developers and the economy as well.

He said that with the average cost of renovation or construction pegged at P8,280 per square meter, the ODC segment has a potential construction market value of P641.7 billion or $12.8 billion. To help the segment, the report recommended that the national government through the DHSUD, local government unis, and private sector developers together with nongovernment organizations like Habitat for Humanity can partner and explore requirements under the balanced housing in Republic Act 10884 or under the government’s “Building adequate, livable, affordable and inclusive Filipino communities” program.

“This project can unlock opportunities for ODCs beyond what their private properties and limited household income can offer to significantly improve their lot and living conditions in a much shorter period of time,” the report stated.

Further, providing affordable financing assistance and schemes and indirect government subsidy can help those in the ODC segment to have the means to have their own homes.

With this assistance, private developer compliances on balanced housing requirements can also re-channel their effort toward this sector.

The report also stated that a number of microfinance finance institutions are already aware of the financing needs of the ODCs and are exploring ways to break into this segment.

Cai U. Ordinario

World Banking BusinessMirror

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

How India’s biggest bank deal would stack up in numbers

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otak Ma h i nd ra Ba n k Ltd.’s potential takeover of IndusInd Bank Ltd. would create India’s eighth-largest lender by assets at a time when the nation is battling one of the world’s worst bad debt problems.

In what could be the country’s biggest-ever banking deal, Kotak Mahindra—backed by Asia’s richest banker Uday Kotak—is exploring a takeover of its smaller rival, people with knowledge of the matter said this week. A combination would boost its assets to 7 trillion rupees ($950 billion) and cement Kotak’s position as India’s fourth-largest private bank, closing the gap with Axis Bank Ltd. “Kotak has always found it difficult to build scale organically,” according to a report by Macquarie Capital Securities analysts, led by Suresh Ganapathy.

“Acquiring IndusInd Bank would result in Kotak ’s asset book, loan book and branch network increasing by 85 percent, 94 percent and more than 100 percent, thereby giving it tremendous scale/size benefits.”

Talk of the merger and Kotak’s unexpected profit growth has already pushed the lender ahead of rival ICICI Bank Ltd. to become India’s second largest by market value. Shares have surged 15 percent this week, taking the bank’s market capitalization to about 3.1 trillion rupees. If the deal goes ahead through a share swap at IndusInd’s current price, Kotak’s market value will soar by about 464.5 billion rupees, placing it well ahead of rival ICICI.

A spokesman for Kotak declined to comment on the takeover plans, while a representative for IndusInd denied the report.

India’s almost $2 trillion financial sector—home to more than 20 private sector banks and over 10 state-run lenders—is struggling to contain the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic that’s expected to shrink the economy by the most in four decades. Banks came into the year already weakened by a two-yearold shadow lending crisis that had eroded capital.

The South-Asian nation’s bad loan ratio—already the worst among major countries—is set to worsen further and may soar to 12.5 percent by March, hampering any hopes for an early recovery. With Kotak and IndusInd facing similar soured debt ratios on their loan books, a deal is unlikely to impact the lenders’ bad debt too much.

Kotak ’s “excess capital, its healthy balance sheet and its conservative management could allow it to benefit from IndusInd’s well-diversified loan book and low valuation of 1.1x forward price to book, if a potential takeover of IndusInd goes ahead,” said Bloomberg Intelligence banking analyst Diksha Gera.

Banks face stiff competition for customer deposits, with more than 30 lenders serving about 574 million Indians who have access to basic savings accounts. The potential merger would boost Kotak’s deposits by 81 percent to 4.7 trillion rupees, still way behind the likes of HDFC Bank Ltd. Bloomberg News

Yuan’s rally faces hurdle after Chinese lenders tweak daily reference rate

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he recent strength in China’s currency faces a new hurdle after the nation’s banks abandoned inclusion of a key factor used to calculate the yuan’s daily reference rate.

The lenders stopped using the counter-cyclical factor recently, according to a statement on the website of China Foreign Exchange Trade System. The factor is part of how the banks calculate a quote for the reference rate, known as the fixing, which they submit to the People’s Bank of China for a final rate every morning. The fixing restricts the onshore yuan’s moves by 2 percent on either side.

On Wednesday, the daily reference rate was set at 6.7195 per dollar, in line with the average of 18 estimates compiled by Bloomberg. All estimates had accounted for the new calculations.

The offshore yuan was little changed after Wednesday’s fix.

The change effectively allows Beijing to give up some influence over the exchange rate. Under the tweak, lenders would have more room to submit quotes for a weaker fixing and guide the currency lower in the spot market. The shift toward greater flexibility comes after the central bank this month made it cheaper to short the currency with forwards as the yuan’s gains accelerated.

Dropping the counter-cyclical factor “is the strongest tool other than direct intervention in the market that the PBOC has to change the value of the currency,” said Dariusz Kowalczyk, senior emerging-markets strategist at Credit Agricole CIB. “The counter-cyclical factor is the most intuitive and the most direct one because it directly impacts the level at which the fixing is set.”

Reuters had reported earlier Tuesday that the PBOC had asked some of the 14 banks that help set the fixing to adjust their models, citing people familiar with the matter.

The yuan has rallied more than 6 percent from a low in May to near its strongest in more than two years. Investor sentiment has gotten a boost from China’s economic rebound from the damage the virus did earlier in the year and the greenback’s weakness.

The surge is also being propelled by a wide interest-rate premium over the rest of the world, and by polls that indicate Joe Biden leads incumbent Donald Trump in the US presidential contest on Nov. 3.

The counter-cyclical factor was introduced in May 2017 to rein in depreciation and capital outflows before a leadership reshuffle of the ruling Communist Party. It was suspended in January 2018 as the yuan rebounded, and reinstalled seven months later amid souring China-US relations.

The PBOC sets the fixing, which limits the onshore yuan’s moves to 2 percent in either direction, at 9:15 a.m. every trading session based on submissions from the 14 banks. Apart from the counter-cyclical factor, their formulas for the rate typically take into account the currency’s official closing price the day before and moves in other major exchange rates.

The fixing is an important tool Beijing uses to guide market expectations for the yuan. Officials can also exert influence over the exchange rate by issuing verbal warnings to traders and adjusting the supply of liquidity—measures they haven’t resorted to during this period of yuan appreciation.

Bloomberg News

Thursday, October 29, 2020 B2-3

50 big banks directed $2.6 trillion to sectors behind biodiversity loss

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he world’s 50 biggest banks are providing loans and underwriting services to industries that are contributing the most to biodiversity loss.

In 2019, the total was $2.6 trillion, or an average of $52 billion per bank, according to Portfolio.

Earth, a collaboration of groups including non-profit Amazon Watch and Carbon Tracker that focuses on the financial world’s effect on biodiversity. The leading financiers were the three biggest US banks, Bank of America Corp., Citigroup

Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., the report says. “ None of t he b a n k s h ave chosen to put comprehensive policies or sufficient systems in place to monitor or measure the impact of their loans on biod iversit y,” Por tfolio.Ear th said on Wednesday.

T h e e a r t h ’s b i o d i v e r s it y,

which encompasses everything from microbes to endangered species, is declining faster than it has at any other time in human history, according to the I nt e r go v e r n me nt a l S c ie nc e Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which is working with Portfolio.Earth.

Biodiversity loss, which is a result of human activity from pollution to extractive mining, is fast-becoming an economic issue: It ranks as one of the top five threats facing humanity in the next decade, according to the World Economic Forum.

Portfolio. Earth said banks have largely avoided scrutiny related to biodiversity and regulation has protected them from

the consequences. T he group c a l led for ba n k s to d isc lose a nd “rad ic a l ly reduce” t hei r impact on nature and end their financing of fossil fuels, deforestation and overfishing. They also said policymakers need to rewrite the rules of finance to hold banks liable for the damage caused by their lending.

Portfolio.Earth worked with Profundo, a Dutch non-profit that analyzes business and financial impacts on sustainability, and UK consulting company Vivid Economics for help on calculating the totals for bank financing.

Profundo used data from Refinitiv, while Vivid Economics worked on methodology and auditing.

Bloomberg News

World Bank talks with South Africa stall over state company bailouts

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orld Bank officials have told Sout h A f rica’s government it w il l need to reduce its wage bill to secure a loan and that it doesn’t want the money to be used to bail out insolvent state companies, a person familiar with the situation said.

Those demands have stalled negotiations on the loan that began in April, the person said, asking not to be identified because the content of the discussions have not been made public. Earlier this year, the South African government said it was seeking $2 billion from the bank, but later said the World Bank had $900 million available.

A World Bank spokesperson said the bank was not seeking to impose conditions around aid to state companies or trimming the wage bill, and that the $2 billion figure was incorrect. The spokesperson also said the bank hasn’t lent any other money to South Africa this year. Earlier this year, the government said it expected $50 million in virus-related funding from the lender.

In an earlier response, the World Bank said it could not comment aside from confirming that talks are ongoing. South Africa’s National Treasury didn’t respond to requests for comment.

South Africa this year has turned to multilateral lenders for the first time since the end of apartheid, overcoming political opposition from within the ruling party, as it tries to kick-start an economy forecast to contract the most in nine decades. Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is expected to outline plans to fund a revival in output when he presents the medium-term budget on Wednesday and is under pressure to earmark more money to bail out state companies.

So far the country has borrowed $1 billion from the New Development Bank, the lending arm of the BRICS group of nations, $4.3 billion from the International Monetary Fund and 5 billion rand ($310 million) from the African Development Bank.

All of those were deemed as emergency loans to combat the immediate impact of the coronavirus outbreak. An additional World Bank loan would be a standard borrowing facility and therefore could carry more conditions.

South Africa’s state-owned companies, ranging from the national power utility to the state arms firm, are surviving on government bailouts and straining national finances. A recent pledge by the South African cabinet to support the insolvent national airline has attracted criticism from opposition parties who say it is unviable.

South Africa is making an attempt to cut its wage bill. In April it reneged on an agreement to raise pay for the more than

1.2 million workers, saying it couldn’t afford it. That decision has been challenged legally by labor unions.

In August South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country had rejected the initial conditions it would have need to have accepted to access the funds, without giving more detail.

Any conditions could be difficult to enforce because loans and the proceeds of bond sales are not ring-fenced and are pooled in South Africa’s National Revenue Fund.

The only major loan by the World Bank to a South African st ate ent it y, a $3.75 bi l l ion loan extended to Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd to help it build its

Medupi coal-fired power plant, has run into complications, with the utility wanting the World Bank to waive a condition that stipulates that it must install equipment to reduce sulfur dioxide pollution. The f lue-gas desulfurization equipment would cost 42 billion rand, Eskom has said. Bloomberg News

B2-4

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Baguio City to fulfill Smart City vision via Cisco

BAGUIO City Mayor Benjamin Magalong pens partnership with Cisco Philippines’ Managing Director, Karrie Ilagan

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S the ongoing pandemic accelerates innovation, Baguio City pushes forward with its goal of building the first Smart City in the country. After several investments in technology for digital governance, crowd density monitoring, and real-time weather prediction, City Mayor Benjamin Magalong enlisted the expertise of Cisco in creating the Integrated Command and Control Center.

“I envision Baguio as a Smart City where various types of electronic methods are used to manage the Summer Capital's assets, resources and to provide even more efficient and effective services to the public,” said Mayor Magalong. “I am confident that Cisco's participation will help the city realize

its goal of digital governance where residents can engage in "contact-less" transactions with the government and much more. Less "contacts" will also help to decrease the spread of the COVID-19 infection.”

While investments in technology can enhance public services and governance, a true Smart City has the capability to gather data and use insights to manage assets, resources and services efficiently. Cisco’s Integrated Command and Control Center serves as Baguio City’s monitoring center and coordination office all-in-one. It will be operated by a combined force from the CDRRMO, Police, Fire Services, Health and EMS Departments.

“Smart Cities are not a vision of the

future – they are here and now, and Baguio City is leading this initiative in the Philippines,” said Karrie Ilagan, Managing Director, Cisco Philippines.

“Cisco is proud to help Mayor Magalong and his team realize this vision for not just a smart but a safe and thriving city.”

Specifically, Cisco will be installing a holistic and integrated Smart City platform which includes the Command and Control Center, an Integrated Communication Platform (ICP), a Video Management System (VMS) with Video Analytics, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), and Geographical Information System (GIS) and big data analytics for the city of Baguio. Ultimately, Baguio City will be able to closely monitor and respond to incidents in the community, improving peace, order and safety for its citizens. Baguio City will also be able to better manage and respond to citizen complaints and feedback with the integration of its Smart City app launched earlier this year.

“The shift to be a Smart City is not easy and there are many challenges that we need to overcome, but for country leaders who are determined to enact a vision, this innovation is well within reach,” said Ilagan. “We are excited about the work we are doing with Baguio City and we hope that more cities will take that bold step towards building an inclusive future for the Filipino.”

Clients, partners participate in Security Bank’s #GetBetter campaign in response to COVID-19

Philippine Red Cross Frontliners bit.ly/GetBetterRedCross

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ECURITY Bank’s commitment to service is embodied by the work it has done beyond banking to enrich lives and build communities. In response to the pandemic, Security Bank dedicated its 69th year to partnerships and initiatives that help fight COVID-19. It launched its #GetBetter Corporate Social Responsibility campaign to support medical institutions, local businesses, students, and families.

For this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, the Bank chose to set aside its annual celebration to focus on giving back and helping the community. Clients and business partners were invited to take part in a much more meaningful project, a donation drive where they were able to choose the organization that they want to help.

At the core of this initiative is the Bank's BetterBanking promise, which meant taking steps to ensure the well-being of employees, customers, and communities especially during a global crisis.

“Putting people at the heart of the business is not only important for us – it’s also necessary. We are always proactively looking for opportunities that enrich and save lives. It was a unanimous decision to reallocate our mooncake and gift funds to COVID-19 relief efforts. We

are grateful for the continued support of our clients and partners. This goes to show that we are one in overcoming this crisis,” said Security Bank President & CEO Sanjiv Vohra.

The donation drive will fund 1,300 reusable isolation gowns and 2,263 N95 masks for the frontliners and healthcare workers assigned to the different molecular laboratories of the Philippine Red Cross. The project will also provide additional funding for Manila HealthTek, pioneer of the locally made test kits, enabling them to purchase an RNA extraction machine for the DLSU Medical Center (DLSUMC), which will increase the testing capacity of DLSUMC from 400-500 tests a day to 1,000 tests per day.

Aside from DLSUMC, public hospital beneficiaries will also receive PHP 400,000 worth of COVID-19 detection RT-PCR kits and RNA extraction kits.

In keeping with the Bank’s education advocacy, 120 children of Security Bank’s frontline service providers such as messengers, security staff, and maintenance & agency personnel also received support as the project also funded the Bank’s Regalo Mo, Kinabukasan Ko scholarship program.

Security Bank is one with the nation in striving to overcome this pandemic. For more ways to donate, visit https://www.securitybank.com/get-better-donate/

Taiwan Excellence 2020 presents new “PLASibilities” Get high returns on your smart investment

in a Golden Haven memorial lot today

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NDER normal circumstances, investing in a memorial lot might be the last thing on many people’s minds. After all, the pursuit of leisure and other mundane affairs often take precedence over matters like a final resting place—for themselves or for those they love.

However, realizing how fragile and unpredictable life is may motivate them into making smart decisions now such as investing in a memorial lot at any of Golden Haven’s premier locations.

Because there is no telling what lies ahead for all of us, now is actually the best time to invest in a beautiful final resting place that befits the wonderful memories we shall leave behind. In this regard, there is no better choice than a prime lot at any of Golden Haven Memorial Park’s many locations across the country.

Families go to Golden Haven Memorial Parks not just to visit those long gone but also to forge new happy memories together.

Golden Haven inspires this through its elegant architecture that complement the park’s picturesque naturescapes.

However, Golden Haven has more going for it than its beautiful parks and tranquil settings that honor the dearly departed. As with any piece of real

estate, memorial lots at Golden Haven increase in value over time. With an annual appreciation of 20 percent, investing in Golden Haven lots now will grant you high returns in the immediate future.

Take for instance the Golden Haven Memorial Park in Las Piñas, a 15-hectare property that features elements of Spanish architecture and a beautiful Butterfly Garden for people of all ages to enjoy. When the park first opened in 1984, memorial lots at this location cost P5,000. Today that value has gone up to P378,000, showing an impressive 2,240 percent increase or 67 percent increase per annum.

Then there’s Golden Haven Cebu, the most beautiful memorial park in the country. Inspired

by Italian design, this mountaintop sanctuary maximizes the enchanting surroundings with its various amenities such as the Pope John Paull II Memorial Hill, the Garden Plaze, the Imperial Gardens, among others. In 2005, a memorial lot at this location cost P25,000. Today, a lot at Golden Haven Cebu costs P232,000, an increase of over 828 percent in value or a 46 percent increase per annum.

Still another choice place is the Golden Haven Memorial Park in Cagayan de Oro which is

known for its majestic replica of the famed Christ the Redeemer statue at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2007, memorial plots at this beautiful location cost P33,000. Today, those plots now cost P89,000, boasting a 170 percent increase in value.

Now here comes an adversity such as the pandemic presenting opportunities for clever investors—both seasoned and beginners—to purchase properties while price increases have been temporarily halted. Many developers are now offering incredibly flexible terms and even substantial discounts to prospective property seekers. They can come in at a low cost—with no risks involved—but with a proven high return on their investments.

Nowhere is this more evident than at Golden Haven, one of the most trusted names in the deathcare industry.

As it works towards having a memorial park in every Filipino’s hometown, Golden Haven now boasts of thirty beautiful and enticing sites across the country, offering memorial lots that make perfect low-risk and safe investments. For the numbers do not lie when it comes to Golden Haven. Rather, they tell a story of continuous growth.

Davao’s Malagos Chocolate wins four golds and a bronze at the World Drinking Chocolate Competition in Germany

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ALAGOS Chocolate claimed four Gold awards at the World Drinking Chocolate Competition 2020 in Hannover, Germany.

The Davao-based chocolate manufacturer was given the top prize, receiving the Gold award in the Plain/Origin Drinking Chocolate Dark (made with water) category, besting entries from all over the world.

It was also given three Golds in Special Awards categories: Growing Country, Chocolate Maker and Direct Traded. In addition, Malagos Chocolate also won a Bronze in the made-with-milk category of the Plain/Origin Drinking Chocolate Dark category.

The results were announced last October 25 during the virtual Schokoladen Gourmet Festival.

The award-winning entry was Malagos Chocolate’s 100% Premium Unsweetened Chocolate. It is the purest of all of the Davaobased company’s products and contains only one ingredient, the fermented dried cacao bean.

Rex Puentespina, managing director of Malagos Chocolate, was overwhelmed with the unprecedented sweep by a Filipino-made chocolate product. “It goes to show that our chocolate is world-class. Makes you proud to be a cacao grower,” he said.

On top of the recognition for the quality of its drinking chocolate, Malagos Chocolate’s victory in the Special Awards Category also reaffirmed the

Filipino company’s commitment to championing Philippine cacao.

It was awarded Gold in categories that emphasize the integrity of its products. The Gold Growing Country award is given to chocolate completely produced and packaged in a recognized cacao-growing country, has qualified in the Grand Jury round, and has at least 10 products from the country entered into the category.

The Gold Chocolate Maker award is given to a product fully made from cacao beans into finished chocolate in the entering company’s own factory.

The Gold Directly Traded is given to chocolate made from cacao with no middlemen involved, with as few steps as possible in chain, and where the chocolate maker has direct contact with the grower.

Malagos Chocolate sources its beans from its own farm, the Puentespina Farm and several small farmers surrounding its facilities in Davao.

Its operations started only in 2012, but thanks to investments in training and world-class drying and fermentation technologies, it went on to become the most-awarded Filipino chocolate brand to date.

Its farm has been designated a producer of heirloom cacao - one of only 16 in the world - and its beans have been named one of the top 50 in the world.

Puentespina shared that the company continuously tries to find ways to improve on their chocolate. “Our hard work paid off. Last year, we

revisited and made some improvements on our original fermentation protocols, and that made a lot of difference. It brought out the excellent qualities that are inherent in our beans,” he said.

“This is a validation of our never-ending quest for excellence in the field of cacao farming and chocolate-making,”he said.“I thank the whole team — Puentespina Farm, Malagos Cacao Development Center, Malagos Garden Resort, Malagos Chocolate, and the whole Puentespina family for their support.

“We share and dedicate this award to the hardworking Filipino farmer. May this award uplift our spirits in these very difficult times. Mabuhay ang produktong Pilipino!”

From left: Michael Lee, Manager, ChumPower Machinery Corp.; Tony Wu, Sales Support Engineer, ChumPower Machinery Corp.; Eric Wei, Vice Chairman, DiingKuen Plastic Machinery, Co., Ltd.;Guann-Jyh Lee, Deputy Director General, BOFT; Walter Yeh, President & CEO of TAITRA; Charles Wei, Fong Kee International Machinery Co., Ltd.; Neilson Su, Sales Manager, Fu Chun Shin Machinery Manufacture Co., Ltd. (FCS); Benjamin Lee,Vice General Manager, Fu Chun Shin Machinery Manufacture Co., Ltd. (FCS)

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HE unprecedented rise in the global production of plastic products because of increased demand for automobiles and consumer electronics, medical treatment, packaging, and construction drives the demand for plastic and rubber machinery.

This is where Taiwan's plastics and rubber machinery come in.

Developing for more than five decades already with a complete industrial cluster, it is renowned for adopting high-level and superior technology, coupled with unmatched after-sales service. The Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI) reported that its exports rank sixth in the world making it an acknowledged powerhouse in related industries.

More than 400 plastic and rubber machinery manufacturers in Taiwan combines Taiwan's strong ICT strength, the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), intelligent automation, intelligent sensors, and advanced manufacturing technologies to build "smart, high-end, custommade" production solutions.

To help international plastic and rubber manufacturers face the future, post-pandemic, growth in plastic production demand, the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) Taiwan, R.O.C, and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) held the “Taiwan Excellence Plastic & Rubber

Machinery Online Press Conference 2020” Featured were four of Taiwan’s leading plasticand rubber machinery companies: Fu Chun Shin Machinery Manufacture Co., Ltd. (FCS), ChumPower Machinery Corp., Fong Kee International Machinery Co., Ltd.,and Diing Kuen Plastic Machinery, Co., Ltd..

FCS, the leading Taiwanese manufacturer of plastic injection molding machines, showcased the“Rotary Table Two-Component Injection Molding Machine (FB230R)” and “Large Horizontal Rotary Table Two-Component Injection Molding Machine (HB1400R).“FB-230R” is a precise and safe rotary table that has two sets of core equipment on the rotary table and a cooling system in the mold. This is the best option in the industry nowadays as therotary table won't touch the platen and thus the potential for damage is reduced. Meanwhile the“HB1400R” has a rotary table that spins 180° along the horizontal line so the mold is placed mold evenly on the rotary table’s two sides.

ChumPower is the largest PET blow molding machine maker in Taiwan. Its “High speed stretch blow molding machine” can be linked with filling machines to help create a blowing-filling-capping production line, which makes it ideal for production lines with medium-tohigh capacity and is proven to be highly cost-effective. The machine

can be used to produce different bottles for mineral water, tea, juice, edible oil, medicine bottles, seasoning, CSD, cosmetics and more.

Charles Wei, Fong Kee International Machinery Co., Ltd.introduced their "Intelligent All-Electric Three Layer Blow Molding Machine-Industry 4.0."

He emphasized that the model is environmentally friendly.

Specifically, it decreases average power consumption by 18%, Specific Energy Index by 22%, Noise Levels by20db and CO2 emissions by 42.4% while increasing the production rate by 13.3%.

Eric Wei, Vice Chairman, Diing Kuen Plastic Machinery, Co., Ltd. showed off "Driving you to smart manufacturing: Five layers coextrusion for industrial stretchhood". He noted that with the application of IIoT, the product can provide remote service, detection, and automated online operation.

Furthermore, clients can use the augmented reality instruction manual to eliminate the operating difficulties, which is very important during the COVID-19 pandemic, because of the need to avoid face-toface interaction.

Taiwan Excellence will continue to showcase world-class products from Taiwan via its upcoming webinars as a testament to its commitment of pursuing excellence in every step of the way.

The World BusinessMirror

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Thai student-protesters aim for ambitious political change

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ANGKOK—He was only 7 when he saw his first military coup. He was 15 during the second. Now 21, he is among those at the front of Thailand's growing prodemocracy movement pushing for sweeping political reforms.

And because of his activities, Bunkueanun Paothong has been charged with crimes that could see him jailed for the rest of his life.

"I took a stand I know that would be risky," Bunkueanun said. "I stand firm in my principles and beliefs. Because it's the right thing for me to do."

Fed up with an archaic educational system and enraged by the military's efforts to keep control over their nation, the studentled campaign that began earlier this year has shaken Thailand's ruling establishment with the most significant campaign for political change in years.

The protesters have three main demands: They want Prime Minister Prayuth Chanocha's resignation; changes to a constitution that was drafted under military rule; and, most controversially, reforms to the constitutional monarchy.

Political protest is nothing new in Thailand, and its past 15 years have been defined by it. Whether it was the red-shirted supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra or his yellow-shirted conservative opponents, some group could be counted on every few years to seize an airport, occupy a government building or blockade a key road in a bid to topple the government.

And like clockwork, the courts or the military could be counted on to intervene.

Prayuth, a former general, first came to power in a 2014 coup.

But never before have protesters made such open calls for the reform of the monarchy in a country where reverence for the royal institution is inculcated from birth and protected by a law that makes defaming senior royals punishable by prison. The calls have infuriated some, resonated with others and most certainly complicated any solution to the latest crisis.

"We won't back down, we won't retreat and we won't be open for talks until the government agrees on the three demands," said Chonticha Changrew, who at 27 is one of the more senior protest organizers.

Many of those on the streets spent much of their lives living under military rule, and those old enough to vote got their first real chance last year. They flocked to a new party — Future Forward — whose smart and charismatic young leaders espoused a strong anti-military viewpoint.

The party shocked the establishment by winning the third-most seats. The military's proxy party was able to cobble together a ruling coalition that put Prayuth back in the prime minister's post. But Future Forward looked like it had room to grow.

Then in February, the Constitutional Court ruled Future Forward had violated campaign finance laws, dissolved the party and banned its leaders from politics for 10 years.

The students, already upset at what they saw as an undemocratic constitution that shifted power away from elected politicians to appointed bodies aligned with the military, took to the streets.

"What motivates the student protesters is that they see the 'game' of politics as being fixed," said Chris Ankersen, an associate professor at New York University's School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs, who previously worked with the U.N. in Bangkok.

The initial protests barely had time to spread before the coronavirus pandemic hit, and the students retreated. They returned in July, when the virus threat eased, and pushed their core demands of new elections, consti-

tutional changes and an end to intimidation of activists.

The protests gathered steam and took a stunning turn in August, when a few students at a rally aired unprecedented criticism of the monarchy. Using direct language normally expressed in whispers if at all, the speakers criticized King Maha Vajiralongkorn's wealth, his influence and that he spends much of his time in Germany. Among their calls were for greater oversight of royal budgets and an end to the practice of Thai monarchs endorsing military coups.

While shocking to many, it emboldened others.

Events escalated on Oct. 14 when protesters heckled a royal motorcade that unexpectedly passed nearby. Security personnel stood between the vehicles and the crowd, and there was no visible violence.

Nevertheless, Bunkueanun and two others were charged under an obscure criminal statute on committing violence against the queen, who was in one of the vehicles.

"I was numbed, dumbstruck, and feared for my life," Bunkueanun recalled. He turned himself in to police the next day and spent a day in jail before his release on bail.

Prayuth and his government responded to the incident and the protests with their tested playbook, declaring a state of emergency for Bangkok that banned gatherings of more than four people and gave authorities other broad powers. That only led to even bigger protests and the government eventually removed the emergency decree to try to ease tensions.

Prayuth has said he is open to some changes but has maintained that the monarchy should remain off-limits.

"While I can listen to and acknowledge the demands of protesters, I cannot run the country based on protester or mob demands," he said on Monday, opening a special session of Parliament his government called to ease tensions.

The students' questioning of Thailand's social structure is rooted in their experiences at school, said Thak Chaloemtiarana, a historian who has also been an administrator at Bangkok's Thammasat University and Cornell University in the US. "The current movement, while led by a handful of university students, has attracted younger students who have become politicized through more news and information from the Internet and social media, and spurred by how their teachers and school administrators suppress individualism and exercise authoritarian policies that control dress code, haircuts, gender choice, and ceremonies that are seen as originating from feudal times," he said.

In addition to political injustices, Thak said, young people were spurred to action by what they saw as the king's accumulation of power and wealth with the acquiescence of the military, as well as the military's needless expenditures during a pandemic-weakened economy.

The protesters' aim at the monarchy has led to counterprotests by royalists who allege the students are being used as pawns by unidentified powers behind the scenes.

Unlike previous protests, today's demonstrators are far younger and have no clear links to any group or party, making them appear untainted by past quarrels, said Allen Hicken, political science professor at the University of Michigan.

The government has so far seemed indecisive about how to deal with the protests, torn between trying to placate or punish those involved. Neither approach has lessened the ardor or number of protesters, who adroitly use social media to organize short, quickly announced events that don't require the infrastructure of past demonstrations.AP

Thursday, October 29, 2020 B3-1

India infections near 8 million as France fatalities top 35,000

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ndia’s total confirmed virus cases reached 7.99 million on Wednesday, according to government data. The nation added 43,893 cases in a day. Coronavirusrelated deaths rose to 120,010.

India trails only the US as the nation with the most number of cases.

The US has 8.77 million cases, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

France reported the most Covid-19 deaths since April as President Emmanuel Macron readies new measures to control the coronavirus.

Fatalities linked to the virus jumped by 523 to 35,541, health authorities reported. That’s the biggest increase since April 22, before the end of France’s lockdown in May, with the data including several days of deaths from nursing homes.

Macron will hold a televised address on Wednesday evening to announce new initiatives to tackle the second wave of the virus, his office said. Prime Minister Jean Castex plans to present “vital” new measures to both houses of parliament on Thursday.

Japan passes bill to offer free vaccine

The Japanese government approved a bill on Tuesday that would make any potential coronavirus vaccine free for residents and compensate for the cost of any serious side effect, according to Kyodo.

A budget of 671.4 billion yen ($6.4 billion) has been earmarked for the effort. The island nation has agreements with companies like AstraZeneca Plc, Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. for doses of their vaccines pending safety and efficacy results from clinical trials.

Mexico cases rise, 643 more deaths

Key developments:

Mexico reported 5,942 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 901,268, according to data released by the Health Ministry Tuesday night. Deaths rose 643 to 89,814. The ministry said 33% of general hospital beds were occupied and 26% of beds with ventilators were occupied.

Trump says Midwest ‘heated up’ with cases

China’s Xinjiang reports 22 local virus cases

President Donald Trump on Tuesday night acknowledged that coronavirus cases are rising in “certain areas” of the Midwest, a rare admission during the final week of the presidential campaign.

“Certain areas that are heated up right now,” Trump said at a rally in Omaha, Nebraska. “They’ll go down. They’ll go down very quickly.

They’ll be down within two weeks, they’re figuring.”

Trump has routinely downplayed the virus while making his closing argument to voters, who have rated his pandemic response poorly, according to opinion polls. The president said again on Tuesday that the country is “turning that corner.”

The Chinese province had 22 confirmed coronavirus cases on Tuesday, according to statement from the National Health Commission.

China has tested nearly three million people in Xinjiang to tackle a small cluster of coronavirus cases, in the latest example of the country’s aggressive approach to bringing new outbreaks under control.

While new infections in China have mostly remained below 100 a day since mid-August, with most of them imported from overseas, the nation continues to see small flareups. There were 42 confirmed cases in China on Tuesday.

South Korea’s Moon says virus contained

Singapore will allow travelers from more countries to spend their mandatory 14-day isolation period upon arrival in the city at their place of residence from November, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

Travelers from Estonia, Fiji, Finland, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey who arrive in the city-state from November 4 will be able to isolate at their place of residence.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said his country has contained the coronavirus as he sought a budget increase in order help the pandemic-hit economy recover.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Moon called for strengthening the government’s fiscal role next year by increasing the budget by 8.5 percent.

South Korea has seen some of the lowest death figures from Covid-19 of any advanced economy, with 461 as of Wednesday. There were 103 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours versus 88 a day earlier, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Singapore expands isolate-athome list

UN cancels in-person meetings

The United Nations has canceled all in-person meetings for this week after a member nation reported five cases among its staff, the AP reported.

Civil Protection (FNPC) crews prepare to move a patient from their ambulance in Paris on Oct. 24. Bloomberg photo

General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir did not identify the country, according to the report.

Diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because there had not been a public announcement, said it was the African nation of Niger, which is a member of the General Assembly and serving a two-year term on the 15-member Security Council, the report said.

El Paso hospitals fill with virus patients

More than 40 percent of the hospital beds in El Paso, Texas are occupied by virus patients as the worsening outbreak in the state’s biggest hot spot tested the region’s health-care infrastructure.

Just a week ago, the Covid-19 census in El Paso-area facilities was under 25 percent, state health department figures showed. Federal and state agencies have opened field hospitals and deployed 1,000 nurses and other personnel to aid locals.

Outbreaks are also accelerating in Lubbock and Amarillo, where virus victims take more than 20 percent of hospital beds.

Statewide, hospitalizations have risen in seven of the past eight days and are now at levels not seen since late August. Texas hospitals housed 5,512 virus patients as of Tuesday, a 65 percent increase since the start of the month.

California’s theme parks staying closed

C alifor nia Governor Gav in Newsom said he is hesitant to allow theme parks, including Disneyland, to reopen as coronavirus cases surge again across the world.

Walt Disney Co. and other theme park operators have been pushing the state for permission to resume operations, particularly after Florida parks started operating again in June. But Newsom said Tuesday that other states and countries that have been more permissive about letting businesses reopen are now enduring another wave of infections.

Italy’s cases hit record

Italy’s coronavirus cases reached a new daily record on Tuesday, rising to 21,994, compared with 17,012 the previous day. About 174,000 tests

were carried out, and 221 deaths related to Covid-19 were reported.

Patients in intensive-care units rose by 127, to 1,411. Hospitalizations reached 15,366, compared with April peak of 29,000.

UK new deaths highest since May

The UK reported the most new deaths from coronavirus since the end of May, as public health officials warned the number of deaths will continue to rise.

Some 367 new deaths were reported within 28 days of a positive test, compared with 102 on the day before. The number of deaths is often higher in the two days following a weekend, but Tuesday’s figure is the highest since the country experienced a second rise in the number of cases.

Pfizer trial hasn’t reached key milestone

Pfizer Inc. indicated that a large, late-stage trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine hadn’t yet reached a key milestone that will help researchers determine how well it protects people from Covid-19.

In a presentation included with its third-quarter earnings results on Tuesday, the drugmaker said the data-monitoring board of scientists overseeing the trial hadn’t yet conducted an interim efficacy analysis.

That means fewer than 32 cases of Covid-19 have occurred among the trial’s participants. The first of four efficacy analyses is scheduled to be conducted when the trial achieves that threshold.

Merkel to push for tougher curbs

Germany is heading for harsher restrictions on movement and contact. Chancellor Angela Merkel will propose measures such as closing restaurants and banning major events to the country’s 16 state premiers on Wednesday.

Unlike the previous lockdown in the spring, every effort will be made to keep Europe’s biggest economy running and schools and daycare centers will stay open unless they are in regions with exceptionally high infection rates. German media reported the plans earlier on Tuesday. Bloomberg News

US arms sales to Taiwan boost anti-China ‘hedgehog’ strategy W hile China has long opposed US arms exports to Taiwan, the Trump administration’s latest sales are worrying to Beijing for another reason: They show a greater alignment among the two democracies on the so-called “hedgehog” strategy to resist an invasion.

The US weapons approved this month mark a notable shift in approach from the flashier warplanes and tanks traditionally favored in Taipei that were more vulnerable to an attack from Beijing. In the last two weeks, the State Department signed off on the $2.4 billion sale of 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems anti-ship missiles and $1.8 billion worth of extended-range land attack mobile missiles, as well as surveillance and reconnaissance sensors.

The move cements a transition toward greater asymmetric warfare capabilities long recommended by US defense analysts and included in Taiwan’s own defense strategy since 2017. That plan seeks to inflict more damage on Chinese forces crossing the Taiwan Strait in an invasion, while limiting Beijing’s ability to wipe out Taiwan’s defenses and air force with a barrage of targeted missiles.

Taiwan views the weapons as purely defensive, part of a gradual shift to a “hedgehog” or “porcupine” strategy that would see the island strengthen its defenses while deterring a People’s Liberation Army attack that might lead to a wider nuclear conflict with the US and devastate the region. President Donald Trump has increased ties with Taiwan, including signing a law in 2018 that

called on the US to make annual assessments of Taiwan’s defense needs.

“This arms sale is quite important and crucial to Taiwan,” Wang Ting-Yu, a Taiwanese lawmaker in the ruling party who co-chairs the island’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, told Bloomberg Television on Tuesday. “We need to defend ourselves, so when we develop our capability we try to be hedgehog-like. When a lion tries to swallow a hedgehog, it will hurt -so no lion will try to swallow a hedgehog.”

‘Offensive weapon’

Yet the sale of more effective weapons—including missile systems capable of reaching Chinese soil and viewed by China as offensive rather than defensive—risks igniting more

fury in Beijing, which is engaged in a broader strategic battle with the US. “No matter how you look at it, it is not a defensive weapon—it’s an offensive weapon,” said Zhu Jiangming, a Beijingbased senior researcher at Renmin University’s Overseas Security Research Institute.

Referring to Taiwan’s “porcupine” strategy, he added: “The US is continuing to pass poisonous quills to Taiwan.”

China earlier this week announced unspecified sanctions on the defense unit of Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp., and Raytheon Technologies Corp. over the weapons sales. On Tuesday, China Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Beijing warned the US to stop arms sales to Taiwan. “China will take necessary mea-

sures to uphold our sovereignty and security interests,” he said.

For leaders in Taipei anxious about Chinese threats, the Trump administration’s willingness to needle Beijing on everything from trade and the coronavirus to arms exports has been a boon. Under Trump, the US has pledged to sell nearly as many arms to Taiwan in US dollar terms as the Obama administration did in eight years, according to calculations from Su Tzu-yun, associate research fellow at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research.

Still, land-based missile systems like the Harpoon “will have only marginal deterrence value unless thousands are deployed, which currently seems unlikely,” said Ian Easton, a senior director at the Project 2049 Insti-

tute, a research organization focused on US security interests in the Indo-Pacific. “The sheer number of PLA targets is remarkable and many will be decoys.”

Heightened pressure

Beijing has kept up pressure on Taiwan throughout the pandemic with fly-bys into the island’s air defense identification zone —including two military aircraft on Monday that caused Taiwan to scramble its fighters.

To counter the latest US weapons sale, China could do more military exercises, livefire incidents or make moves to threaten outlying Taiwanese islands, according to Wu Shang-Su, a research fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Bloomberg News

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Thursday, October 29, 2020

The World BusinessMirror

Pompeo brings Trump’s anti-China campaign to Indian Ocean islands

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OLOMBO, Sri Lanka— US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday brought the Trump administration's anti-China campaign to Indian Ocean islands considered particularly at risk for what American officials allege is Chinese exploitation.

Pompeo is visiting Sri Lanka and the Maldives to press the two countries to be on guard against potential predatory lending and investment by China. He was making the case less than a week before the American election in which President Donald Trump is seeking to paint his rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, as weak on China.

Even before Pompeo arrived in Sri Lanka, China had fired back at the US message, accusing Washington of bullying smaller nations.

In Sri Lanka, the Maldives and then in Indonesia on Thursday, Pompeo plans to press each nation to push back against increasing Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, which US officials complain is highlighted by development and infrastructure projects that benefit China more than the presumed recipients.

Ahead of Pompeo's arrival in Colombo, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka denounced his visit, accusing one of his top aides of making unacceptable threats against the country. In those comments, the top US diplomat for South Asia, Dean Thompson, warned Sri Lanka of the dangers of allowing China to get a foothold on the island.

"We encourage Sri Lanka to review the options we offer for transparent and sustainable economic development in contrast to discriminatory and opaque practices," he said. "We urge Sri Lanka to make difficult but necessary

decisions to secure its economic independence for long-term prosperity, and we stand ready to partner with Sri Lanka for its economic development and growth."

The Chinese Embassy said the comments were a blatant violation of diplomatic protocols and also chided the US for organizing Pompeo's 24-hour visit and imposing a major logistical burden on the country, which, like much of the rest of the world, is in the midst of a spiraling surge in coronavirus cases.

"Does this approach truly prove your respect to the host country?

Is it helpful to local epidemic prevention and control? Is it in the interests of the Sri Lankan people?" the embassy said in a statement.

The US-China tug-of-war plays out against concerns that the Sri Lankan government is backsliding on democratic reforms. Last week, Parliament by a large majority approved a constitutional amendment concentrating powers under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and reversing efforts a previous government had made to curb authoritarianism.

With the change, Rajapaksa will be able to hold ministries, as well as appoint and sack ministers. He will also be the appointing authority of the elections, public service, police, human rights, bribery or corruption investigation commissions.

Those commissions were per-

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan disembark from an aircraft upon their arrival at the airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Tuesday, October 27, 2020. AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena

ceived as independent with a constitutional council comprising of lawmakers from different political parties and civil personalities making the appointments. With the amendment, the constitutional council was abolished for a parliamentary council whose observations the president is not bound to implement.

Rajapaksa will also be able to dissolve Parliament after two years and six months, instead of six months before its five-year term ends. And, he was able to push through a clause that lifted a ban on dual citizens holding political office, a move that will pave the way for a sibling who is a US citizen to enter Parliament, further strengthening his family's hold on political power.

Currently, Rajapaksa's older brother, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is prime minister.

Another older brother and three nephews are also lawmakers— three of them ministers.

Sri Lanka has been ruled under a powerful executive presidential system since 1978, but a reformist government in 2015 clipped much of the president's powers and gave them over to Parliament and independent commissions, saying suc-

cessive presidents had been more authoritarian.

Pompeo arrived in Sri Lanka late Tuesday from India, where he and Defense Secretary Mark Esper had stepped up the Trump administration's anti-China message by playing on Indian suspicions about the Chinese to shore up a regional front against Beijing.

"The United States will stand with the people of India as they confront threats to their freedom and sovereignty." Pompeo said, referring pointedly to ones posed by the Chinese Communist Party, "Our leaders and our citizens see with increasing clarity that the CCP is no friend to democracy, the rule of law, transparency, nor to freedom of navigation—the foundation of a free and open and prosperous Indo-Pacific," he said.

Just hours before the meetings in New Delhi began, the Trump administration notified Congress of plans for a $2.37 billion sale of Harpoon missile systems to Taiwan—the second major arms sale in two weeks to the democratic island that Beijing regards as a renegade province. China angrily reacted to the first sale by announcing sanctions on US defense contractors. AP

Fast-moving California fires threaten million-dollar homes

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wo Southern California wildfires that have forced nearly 100,000 people to evacuate are threatening to rip through nearby upscale neighborhoods as hurricane-force winds drive the flames over hillsides.

The blazes, in Orange County, are much smaller than some of the sprawling conflagrations that blackened huge swaths of Northern California over the past few months. But instead of burning remote forests, they’re raging beside densely populated subdivisions, threatening tens of the thousands of people and million-dollar homes.

Wind gusts and bone-dry conditions have made for some of the most threatening weather California has seen since the Camp Fire erupted in 2018, killing 85 people.

They’re also the latest blow for a state that’s been battered by a succession of heat waves, power outages and wildfires that have burned a record 4.1 million acres this year.

“We have seen some really extraordinary wind events in the last 48 hours,” Governor Gavin Newsom said, noting that gusts have reached 88 miles per hour in Orange County.

The Silverado Fire, burning on the hills above Irvine, grew to more than 12,000 acres and is just 5 percent contained. Edison International’s Southern California Edison may have played a role in starting the blaze, said Pedro Pizarro, Edison’s Chief Executive Officer, in an earnings call on Tuesday.

The nearby Blue Ridge Fire is now 15,000 acres and burning uncontrolled, according to fire officials.

A helicopter flies away after dropping water over the Blue Ridge Fire burning along the 71 state highway on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Chino Hills, California. Crews tried to beat back two out-ofcontrol wildfires in Southern California on Tuesday that have kept tens of thousands of people out of their homes even as another round of dangerous fire weather raises the risk for flames erupting across the state. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

“We’re dealing with extreme wind and erratic fire behavior,” Orange County Fire Authority Captain Greg Barta said during a media briefing Monday night.

The winds will ebb Wednesday, with the highest risk across parts of Southern California in the mountains north and east of Los Angeles, where conditions will remain elevated. Earlier forecasts had called for a much wider area to face more dangerous critical conditions, but the US Storm Prediction Center has revised its outlook because the pressure gradient between the Great Basin area and California has decreased.

The Silverado Fire has prompted more than 90,000 people to

flee. More than 750 firefighters are battling the blaze. More than 1,000 fire fighters are battling the Blue Ridge Fire near Yorba Linda, which has spurred more than 8,500 evacuations.

Mandatory evacuation areas in the Silverado Fire include new subdivisions such as Reserve at Orchard Hills and Portola Springs Village, where model homes developed for the Irvine Co. start at $1 million. The average list price of existing homes in Yorba Linda, near the Blue Ridge Fire, is $1.4 million, according Steven Thomas, a local housing economist.

Edison International, which owns the electric utility that serves Irvine, filed a report Monday with

state regulators saying it appeared a wire attached to a telecommunications line may have come in contact with one of its power lines, possibly starting the Silverado Fire. The cause remains under investigation, and the company said it is cooperating with authorities.

“It is early to draw any definitive conclusions,” Edison’s Pizarro said.

The blazes came even after Edison, PG&E Corp. and other utilities cut power in some areas to prevent live wires from falling into dry brush during the wind storms.

PG&E, the state’s largest utility, imposed the most widespread outages, cutting power to about 355,000 homes and businesses.

PG&E said late Tuesday that the danger of high winds had passed and it was working to restore service to all customers by Wednesday morning. About 45,000 customers remained without power, PG&E said.

Edison had turned off electricity to about 10,000 homes and businesses in Southern California.

High wind warnings are in effect for Southern California through Tuesday night.

Climate change—especially the impact on California—has become one of the focal points of the upcoming election. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump granted the state’s request to declare a major disaster in seven counties hit by this year’s historic fire season, shortly after rejecting it. He has repeatedly blamed poor forest management for the fires.

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UN watchdog says Iran building at underground nuclear facility

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ERLIN—Inspectors from the UN's atomic watchdog have confirmed Iran has started building an underground centrifuge assembly plant after its previous one exploded in what Tehran called a sabotage attack over the summer, the agency's head told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Iran also continues to stockpile greater amounts of low-enriched uranium, but does not appear to possess enough to produce a weapon, Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the AP in an interview in Berlin.

Following the July explosion at the Natanz nuclear site, Tehran said it would build a new, more secure, structure in the mountains around the area. Satellite pictures of Natanz analyzed by experts have yet to show any obvious signs of excavation at the site in Iran's central Isfahan province.

"They have started, but it's not completed," Grossi said. "It's a long process."

He would not give further details, saying it's "confidential information." Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's nuclear department, last month told state television the destroyed above-ground facility was being replaced with one "in the heart of the mountains around Natanz."

Natanz hosts the country's main uranium enrichment facility. In its long underground halls, centrifuges rapidly spin uranium hexafluoride gas to enrich uranium.

Natanz became a flashpoint for Western fears about Iran's nuclear program in 2002, when satellite photos showed Iran building an underground facility at the site, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the capital, Tehran. In 2003, the IAEA visited Natanz, which Iran said would house centrifuges for its nuclear program, buried under some 7.6 meters (25 feet) of concrete. That offers protection from potential airstrikes on the site, which also is guarded by anti-aircraft positions.

Natanz had been targeted by the Stuxnet computer virus previously, which was believed to be a creation of the US and Israel. Iran has yet to say who it suspects of carrying out the sabotage in the July incident. Suspicion has fallen on Israel as well, despite a claim of responsibility by a previously unheard-of group at the time.

Under the provisions of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran is allowed to produce a certain amount of enriched uranium for non-military purposes.

In return, Iran was offered economic incentives by the countries involved.

Since President Donald Trump pulled the US unilaterally out of the deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions, however, the other signatories—Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China—have been struggling to keep the deal alive.

Meanwhile, Iran has been steadily exceeding the deal's limits on how much uranium it can stockpile, the purity to which it can enrich uranium and other restrictions to

pressure those countries to come up with a plan to offset US sanctions.

Still though, Iran has continued to allow IAEA inspectors full access to its nuclear facilities, including Natanz, Grossi said.

In the latest IAEA quarterly report, the agency reported Iran as of Aug. 25 had stockpiled 2,105.4 kilograms (4,641.6 pounds) of low-enriched uranium, well above the 202.8 kilograms (447.1 pounds) allowed under the JCPOA. It was also enriching uranium to a purity of 4.5 percent, higher than the 3.67 percent allowed under the deal.

In the next report, due in coming weeks, Grossi said: "We continue to see the same trend that we have seen so far."

According to a widely cited analysis by the Washington-based Arms Control Association, Iran would need roughly 1,050 kilograms (1.16 tons) of low-enriched uranium—under 5 percent purity—in gas form and would then need to enrich it further to weapons-grade, or more than 90 percent purity, to make a nuclear weapon.

The IAEA's current assessment is, however, that Iran does not at the moment possess a "significant quantity" of uranium— defined by the agency as enough to produce a bomb—according to Grossi.

"At the moment, I'm not in contact with my inspectors, but by memory, I wouldn't say so," he said.

"All of these are projections and the IAEA is not into speculation" he added. "What may happen? What could happen? We are inspectors, we say the amounts that we see."

Iran insists it has no interest in producing a bomb, and Grossi noted that before the JCPOA, Iran had enriched its uranium up to 20% purity, which is just a short technical step away from the weapons-grade level of 90%. And in 2013, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was already more than 7,000 kilograms (7.72 tons) with higher enrichment, but it didn't pursue a bomb.

"The idea of a 'significant quantity' is a technical parameter...that applies in the context of the safeguards agreement to indicate amounts which could be theoretically used for the development of a nuclear weapon," he said.

"The fact that there could be such an amount would not indicate automatically that a nuclear weapon is being fabricated, so I think we have to be very careful when we use these terms."

Grossi personally visited Tehran in late August for meetings with top officials, and managed to break a months-long impasse over two locations thought to be from the early 2000s where Iran was suspected of having stored or used undeclared nuclear material and possibly conducted nuclearrelated activities.

Inspectors have now taken samples from both of those sites, and Grossi said they are still undergoing lab analysis.

"It was a constructive solution to a problem what we were having," he said. "And I would say since then we have kept the good level of cooperation in the sense that our inspectors are regularly present and visiting the sites." AP

Mexican president pledges to ban outsourcing of jobs

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EXICO CITY—Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador proposed on Tuesday a blanket ban on sub-contracting or outsourcing of jobs by private companies, saying the practice has been abused to avoid paying employees' the benefits they are due by law.

The president said he would send the proposal to congress at a later date, but the plan already drew criticism from business groups that claim the change would further harm Mexico's economy precisely when it is still reeling from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Companies in Mexico often contract out jobs like maintenance, cleaning and warehouse duties to temporary agencies or outside firms, to avoid the expense of having to advertise for and hire employees, or to increase their workforce for short periods of time.

Such employees frequently work at a company's facilities, but are paid by another firm.

López Obrador cited abuses Tuesday in calling for the ban, including the case of one outsourcing firm accused of fraud.

The firm "had listed 200,000 employees, to release companies from the responsibility for paying them properly, to avoid paying

them their benefits, to fire them in November or December to avoid paying them annual bonuses and then to rehire them in January or February," López Obrador said.

"I am going to write a bill to do away with this mechanism," he continued. "We have to clean things up, we cannot be accomplices to corruption or coverups."

Mexico's Employers' Federation, a business group, said in a statement that it opposed fraudulent uses of outsourcing like the one cited by the president, but said a total ban "would have a grave impact on the already seriously deteriorated (economic) situation, and would mean the loss of a considerable number of legitimate and properly paid jobs."

"We oppose any legal reform that prohibits labor subcontracting that complies with all legal standards," the group said.

While Mexico's minimum wage is a woefully low $5.50 per day—well under $1 per hour—benefits are proportionally slightly more generous, leaving some companies a financial incentive to avoid them. Mexico legally requires companies to pay contributions to health and retirement plans and annual year-end bonuses and profit-sharing, where applicable. AP

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

Health&Fitness BusinessMirror

Thursday, October 29, 2020 B3-3

New teleconsult app now available for use

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By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

ven if people have a lingering illness or do not feel well, they will think twice about visiting the hospital because of the fear of contracting Covid-19. One way of getting that much-needed medical attention is through telemedicine.

Dr. Mike Muin, CEO and Founder of MedProjects Inc., a health-care IT consulting company, explains that telemedicine is the remote diagnosis, treatment and management of patients using information and communication (ICT) technologies.

“The operative word is remote,” Dr. Muin explained. “Telemedicine encompasses any kind of patient care process or clinical workflow, enabled

by ICT, where the patient and the clinician are not in the same location.”

He added that the concept of telemedicine has been around since the introduction of telephony and computers. Many doctors, clinics and hospitals have tried and experimented with various technologies to deliver care to “out of reach” areas.

According to Dr. Muin, in the mid1990s, the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) started looking at telemedicine to improve the delivery of care not only for hospital patients but also for patients in underserved areas of the country. The doctors there worked with the Department of Health and the UP College of Medicine and used research grants to explore the potential benefits and value of this field.

Formal research In 1998, the National Telehealth Center was started under UP to become the formal research and implementation group in the country to address and solve medical problems in

the country using ICT as a potential solution.

He added that many institutions have worked with telemedicine for years and there “are solid implementations in the areas of teleradiology, teledermatology and teleconsults in the world.” However, the Covid-19 has highlighted the benefits of telemedicine, thus, there has been an increase in the use and adoption of these technologies in healthcare.”

“This pandemic has definitely shown the value of telemedicine in the delivery of healthcare. The identified benefits will be pushing the healthcare IT industry to innovate in this area and solve the various challenges and limitations,” Dr. Muin said. “Telemedicine will definitely be an integral part of the future of medicine.”

New App In the midst of the pandemic, a company has been able to introduce a telemedicine app that is now available for public use and that is the PPD for Patients app which was developed by Medicomm Pacific Inc. Medicomm Pacific is a publisher of credible, innovative, functionally-designed, information packed reference systems that are dedicated to the healthcare industry.

One of its publications is PPD or the Philippine Pharmaceutical Directory.

Medicomm Pacific is also the company behind TheFilipinoDoctor.com, an online directory that offers a wide selection of doctors based in the Philippines. The site provides visitors with information on relevant information on the doctors’ qualifications, medical practice, specialty, subspecialty, fields of expertise, training, educational background and clinic schedules.

The PPD for Patients app was introduced by Dr. Marthony Basco, Medicomm Pacific’s Medical Director, through his guesting on Johnson and Johnson’s School of Gentle which was hosted by Bianca Gonzalez and aired on Facebook Live.

Consult opportunity Dr. Basco explained during his guesting that the PPD for Patients app gives Filipinos the opportunity to consult with a doctor of their choice. Additionally, details about your consult and other relevant medical information will be stored in the Cloud to ensure data security and privacy.

“One of the problems that patients encounter is that they have difficulty deciphering their doctor’s handwriting when it comes to prescribing their medicines,” Dr. Basco related.

“Through the app, the patient will receive an e-prescription which he can use to purchase medicines either on-

line or at any drugstore.”

If any diagnostic or blood exams need to be done, the doctor’s orders can also be made available through the app. The doctors’ fees can be paid online thorough bank transfer, credit card or through virtual wallets like GCash.

There are already a number of HMOs or health maintenance organizations that cover teleconsults. Patients only need to check with their HMOs and seek their approval prior to the consult.

“With the PPD for Patient app, we assure you that all our doctors are credentialed and licensed to practice in the Philippines,” he said. “All you have to do is download the PPD for Patient app through Google Play Store and Apple store.”

Reliability When Gonzalez asked about the reliability of telemedicine since the patient is not personally seen by the doctor, Dr. Basco said telemedicine will work more for patients who need outpatient services. This would mean a doctor’s consult for fever, cough and colds and any skin problems.

Telemedicine, however, will definitely not work with emergency or urgent cases like strokes, heart attack and trauma, among others. These cases will need immediate attention at the hospital’s emergency room.

Since Dr. Basco is a pediatrician, he advised parents that children will need to go to the hospital if parents notice that their child is still feverish after two days, if the child coughs persistently and has affected his appetite, if the child is not his usual self and if the child experiences abdominal pain.

“If you notice these conditions in your child, it is best to be on the safe side and bring him to the hospital so that the doctor can attend to them immediately,” he said.

Engagement For his part, Dr. Muin expects “more doctors, clinics and hospitals engaging with their patients via telemedicine platforms.”

“As the adoption in the healthcare sector grows, we will see more IT companies developing and introducing new and more sustainable innovations in telemedicine, including bandwidth requirements, device capabilities and integrated healthcare applications,” he said.

He is also confident that the telemedicine platforms will find ways to incorporate different payment methods into their systems.

“HMOs and health insurance companies will also start to get on bard with the use of telemedicine in their plans and packages for patients,” he added.

Diabetes leads to heart Philippine FDA approves new indication for diabetes drug disease, experts warn T

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

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ata from the International Diabetes Federation indicated that in 2020, nearly 4 million Filipinos are afflicted with diabetes.

Eventually, these patients with diabetes will develop cardiovascular disease, which accounts for 52 percent of deaths among people with Type 2 diabetes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Multinational Study of Vascular Disease in Diabetes.

What is even more alarming is that many of those living with diabetes do not know about this critical link between diabetes and heart disease.

Likewise, the “stay at home” order may be helpful in preventing the spread of the Covid-19 virus, but it also leaves Filipinos susceptible to a sedentary lifestyle that could pose a danger to one’s overall health, including an increased risk of diabetes.

SweetHeart campaign To address this knowledge gap, the “For Your SweetHeart” campaign spearheaded by Boehringer Ingelheim (Philippines) Inc., in partnership with medical societies and patient groups, was recently launched to increase awareness among Filipinos about the deadly connection between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

As part of the “For Your SweetHeart” campaign an online fitness class was conducted by top fitness coaches Jim and Toni Saret last October 24 to urge Filipinos to get moving and exercise amid home quarantine with an activity dubbed “Healthy Heart At Home.”

The heart-pumping, low-impact cardio online class, is designed to share key information to the general public about the connection between Type 2 diabetes and heart disease using a more fun, interactive, and engaging approach.

Cardio exercise Both coaches then led the fitness class with low-impact cardio exercise routines that can be easily done at home with loved ones.

“The most important thing is to keep your body moving to keep el-

evated blood sugar and its complications at bay,” Coach Jim said.

“And to have fun while at it!” Coach Toni added.

Prior to the fitness class, TV personality and “For Your SweetHeart” campaign ambassador Kim “Kuya Kim” Atienza, together with Dr. Ayi Faller, President of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists—Philippine Chapter, shared more details about the campaign.

“It’s a cause close to my heart because my mom is living with Type 2 diabetes. There is a need for extra care and caution when it comes to her diet and lifestyle. As her son, I always remind her to take care of her health as well as the need for regular visits to the doctor,” Kuya Kim disclosed in a special video message.

Critical link For her part, Dr. Faller briefly shared facts about the critical link between Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

“Patients with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease. Over time, uncontrolled high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to the heart and ultimately raising blood pressure levels. Diabetes also increases the level of bad cholesterol.

All of these factors increase the risk of heart disease in patients with diabetes,” Dr. Faller explained.

The event also introduced www. foryoursweetheart.ph, a web site where patients can learn more about the campaign. The web site includes helpful articles on diabetes and heart disease management and an assessment tool based on the Framingham 10-year Heart Disease Risk Test, which requires details of the patient’s total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure.

The “For Your SweetHeart” campaign is supported by the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation Inc. (ISDFI), American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), Philippine Society of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism (PSEDM), Diabetes Philippines (DP), Philippine Association of Diabetes Educators (PADE), Association of Diabetes Nurse Educators of the Philippines, Inc. (ADNEP), and Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO).

he AstraZeneca diabetes drug Dapaglif lozin has been ap proved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of new or worsening heart failure or cardiovascular death in adult patients with type 2 diabetes.

Dapagliflozin is a first-in-class, oral medication that belongs to a class of drugs called SGLT2 inhibitors. Aside from its new indication, it is indicated as both monotherapy and as part of combination therapy to improve blood glucose control, with the additional benefits of weight loss and blood pressure reduction, as an adjunct to diet and exercise.

The FDA approval is based on the results of DECLARE-TIMI 58, the largest, broadest and longest SGLT2 inhibitor cardiovascular outcomes trial to date. The trial involved 17,160 type 2 diabetes patients, 60 percent of who have cardiovascular risk factors and 40 percent have established cardiovascular disease.

“The newly approved indication is a

welcome development for local type 2 diabetes patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors or established cardiovascular disease. By following the science to understand more clearly the underlying links between the heart, kidneys and pancreas, AstraZeneca is investing in a portfolio of medicines to protect organs and improve outcomes by slowing disease progression, reducing risks and tackling co-morbidities,” said Lotis Ramin, President, AstraZeneca Philippines.

“Dapagliflozin is the only type 2 diabetes treatment shown to reduce the risk of composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure in type 2 diabetes patients with multiple cardiovascular risks or established cardiovascular disease.

Additionally, it has also been shown to reduce the risk of kidney events in these patient groups,” said Dr. Cyril Tolosa, Medical Affairs Director, AstraZeneca Philippines.

“There are over 3.7 million Filipinos with type 2 diabetes. Up to 50 percent

of type 2 diabetes patients will develop heart failure and up to 40 percent will develop chronic kidney disease. Half of patients with heart failure will die in five years. With its new indication, Dapagliflozin will help protect these patients by helping them achieve optimal blood sugar control,” said Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus, Endocrinologist, Philippine General Hospital.

“Heart failure is an often forgotten first manifestation of type 2 diabetesrelated complications and is more frequent than heart attack or stroke.

Dapagliflozin can be an important part of the armamentarium in preventing or managing heart failure in our type 2 diabetes patients,” said Dr. Erlyn Demerre, Cardiologist, St. Luke’s Medical Center.

“Using Dapagliflozin early in type 2 diabetes to assist with HbA1c control may also help to prevent progression of renal disease in patients with and without established cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Elizabeth Roasa, Nephrologist, University of Santo Tomas Hospital.

“The DECLARE–TIMI 58 trial showed

that in a broad population of patients with type 2 diabetes, the use of Dapagliflozin resulted in a significantly lower rate of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure compared to placebo, with additional findings supporting a possible lower rate of adverse renal outcomes,” said Professor Subodh Verma, Cardiac Surgeon-Scientist, St. Michael’s Hospital Toronto Canada.

Optimal diabetes management is crucial during this time of pandemic.

People with diabetes have a higher risk of experiencing serious complications from Covid-19. Patients with wellmanaged diabetes have lower risk of developing serious Covid-19 disease.

The safety and tolerability profile of Dapagliflozin is well-established and backed by a wealth of clinical experience, with over 2.5 million patients treated across more than 90 countries. Dapagliflozin is a prescription medicine. Patients should consult their physicians regarding their diabetes condition and their treatment.

D.I.L.G. hires more contract tracers European appliance brand for Valenzuela’s Covid-19 response introduces Hygiene Shield line

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

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HE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has recruited 226 more contact tracers for Valenzuela this month to help further capacitate the city in tracking potential Covid-19 carriers.

Complementing the existing 140-strong contact tracing team of the city, they are expected to double the locality’s current operations for its response to the unprecedented health crisis.

The local government unit (LGU) welcomed the 173 of them who were present during the special orientation and training held at the Valenzuela City People’s Park Amphitheater last week.

In the seminar conducted by the City Health Office (CHO), the first batch of DILG contact tracers were trained in proper disease surveillance and contact tracing, handling data privacy and the use of the ValTrace application—the latest addition to its contact tracing platform that uses QR codes and location history.

The CHO has already held three batches of contact tracing and sur-

veillance training seminars for the city-hired contact tracers, data encoders, and City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit staff since the latter part of August.

Of the newly DILG-recruited contact tracers in attendance during the orientation, majority came from Valenzuela while some hailed from Manila, Navotas and Bulacan.

Contrary to the city-employed contact tracers manning the Valenzuela City Mega Contact Tracing Center, they were deployed to different barangays to do field work.

They now provide assistance to the local Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams in their contact tracing efforts on the community level.

While the DILG serves as their employer, the LGU is responsible for assigning the job responsibilities, deployment areas and schedule of the new contact tracers.

Per their contract, the service that they render will last until December 31.

The DILG targets to hire a total of 400 contact tracers for Valenzuela.

Application is still ongoing. Interested individuals may check out the DILG Contract Tracing Portal at https:// ct-ncr.com/.

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

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ajor European home appliance brand Beko recently introduced Hygiene Shield, a portfolio of household products, which the company created in response to emerging consumer needs in the post-lockdown era.

The new portfolio includes seven appliances with in-built disinfection programs and functions to disinfect packaged food and belongings to help consumers adjust to the “new normal” at home.

Beko said the products were developed as a result of in-depth consumer research conducted across the globe.

The company said the Hygiene Shield product line has the power to kill more than 99% of bacteria and viruses (including coronavirus), providing a level of reassurance to the users.

In a research conducted across 31 countries, Beko found that one of the primary concerns is hygiene. “Many of us are disinfecting supermarket purchases when we get home, worrying about handling mobile phones and keys, or not bringing coats into the house,” the company said it a press statement.

“People have increased the amount of cleaning and laundry in their homes, with some people disinfecting bedding for the first time. Some 75 percent of people are cleaning the house more often, 64 percent are doing more laundry and 68 percent are paying more attention to the cleanliness of the packaging on purchased products,” the company added.

The technology uses methods such as steam and heat to enable consumers to achieve excellent hygiene results at home.

Moreover, the technologies of Beko are independently tested by Airmid Health Group, a respected biomedical research organization.

As of today, Beko said Hygiene Shield washing machines and refrigerators have been shown to provide more than 99% bacteria and virus reduction.

The tests for the other categories are in progress and are expected to pass the testing and certification processes

by November.

“We hope that our products will give consumers peace of mind that their homes are safe and clean, as we all continue to adjust to the ‘new normal’,” said the company.

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

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Thursday, October 29, 2020

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Envoy at UN assembly: End weaponization, politically motivated use of human rights

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EW YORK—Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo, the Philippines’s permanent representative to the United Nations, recently addressed the Third Committee of the General Assembly in its opening session, as he highlighted the country’s commitment to promote, protect and fulfill the human rights of all persons.

THE Philippines’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Enrique A. Manalo at the United Nations’ Third Committee of the General Assembly NEW YORK PM/DFA

“We seek to ensure a safe and secure environment where human rights and fundamental freedoms

he called for an end to the weaponization and politically motivated use of human rights, while underscor ing the importance

are enjoyed by every Filipino, free from crime and the evil of illegal drugs,” Manalo pointed out, as

of constructive multilateral cooperation and genuine dialogue toward effective promotion and protection of human rights for all.

John Paul II: Ahead of his time Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz

Archbishop Emeritus–Archdiocese of Krakow and the former pontiff’s secretary

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N his lifetime, John Paul II was often reproached for having his eyes fixed on the past, for not understanding the present and for not keeping up with the world. Admittedly, his role in overthrowing Communism was widely recognized, but it was also believed that he was unable to find his place in the world of democracy and pluralism, in the global market of ideas where the Catholic Church must seek the attention of people on an equal footing with others.

Today, however, 15 years after he left for the House of the Father, we can see the perspicacity which he used to analyze reality, and the accuracy of his predictions of the problems we are facing today. When the Communist system in Europe was collapsing, most intellectuals expressed universal optimism, in the conviction that the era of political and ideological confrontations was ending for good, and that from then on, a golden age of liberal democracy would continue without any more disturbances. It was then fashionable to talk about “the end of history.”

Nevertheless, the Holy Father did not give in to such euphoria, calling the Marxist collectivism (for example, in Crossing the Threshold of Hope) a “worse edition” of a broader program that had dominated the public life in the West for three centuries, aimed in essence at erasing God and religion from the public space. The history of the 20th Century shows that such a struggle did not end well for humanity; on the contrary, it brought many tragedies.

CARDINAL Dziwisz

Atomization, anomie

THE events that followed have proved John Paul II right: Not only had he accurately diagnosed the illnesses afflicting the Western world, but he was also able to point out remedies. In his opinion, the world’s future will not be decided on battlefields but, above all, in the bosom of families, and it will depend on the quality of relations with our loved ones. For this reason, he elevated studies on the phenomenon of the family to the rank of an academic science. The theology of the body he developed became an in-depth, comprehensive and tested response to the identity crisis we are currently witnessing in the sphere of human sexuality.

The problem can be seen especially among young people who have difficulties in entering adulthood, since contemporary Western culture has lost its traditional models of initiation, i.e., reaching maturity. John Paul II was the first world leader to identify young people as a separate social group, and addressed his mes-

sage to them on the occasion of cyclical World Youth Days and numerous meetings with young people held during his pilgrimages around the world. In this way, he helped to raise an entire generation of young people with no fathers and no masters in life; he taught them what maturation essentially is: discovering one’s own identity, vocation, meaning and purpose in life.

In times of progressive atomization and anomie of social life, he was focusing on solidarity as a fundamental rule of collective life. For him, it was a social translation of love, inspired by the words of Saint Paul: “Carry one another’s burdens.”

He helped us discover the many social virtues rooted in the Gospel.

Therefore, to renew them today, it is necessary to return to the source.

Personalism

IT seems that the philosophical principle that has governed the order of his attitude to the world was personalism, building one’s life primarily on personal relation-

ships, first of all with the person of God Himself, and then with other people. Such approach excludes any instrumentalization of the person used for mercantilist or political ends. It was from this point of view that John Paul II judged various sociological and economic systems, analyzing whether they did degrade a human being into a mere role of producer or consumer.

This personalism of the Pope refers us to the “First Person:” the person of God Himself, whose primary quality in relation to all creatures is Mercy. It is not by chance that it became one of the main theological and pastoral motives of his pontificate. This was pointed out by Benedict XVI in his special letter on the centenary of the birth of John Paul II in which he called mercy “the true center, from the perspective of which we can read the message contained in the various texts.“ It can be also read in the words spoken by the Pope in 2002 in the sanctuary of Łagiewniki, which still resounds today: “In every continent, from the depth of human suffering, a cry for mercy seems to rise up. Where hatred and the thirst for revenge dominate, where war brings suffering and death to the innocent, there the grace of Mercy is needed in order to settle human minds and hearts and to bring about peace. Wherever respect for life and human dignity are lacking, there is need of God’s merciful love, in whose light we see the inexpressible value of every human being. Mercy is needed in order to ensure that every injustice in the world will come to an end in the splendor of truth.” (Courtesy of the

Embassy of Poland in the Philippines.)

United Kingdom grant to benefit 3M Bangsamoros through Unicef

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OTABATO CITY—In a simple yet significant ceremony, the governments of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the United Kingdom (UK), as well as Unicef Philippines, recently launched a tripartite partnership in response to the immediate needs of the pandemic and curb its secondary impacts for around 3 million people in the said locale.

Unicef Philippines will implement the grant from the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office with its BARMM counterpart to strengthen the capacity in the aforementioned region and respond to the pandemic, particularly in: (1) risk communication and community engagement to reach vulnerable people through important life-saving messages on the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in their own languages; (2) ensuring the continuity of essential nutrition and vaccination for around 130,000 vulnerable children and 25,000 infants in 20 municipalities; and (3) emergency relief support to Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan provinces for

5,000 returnees from Sabah, Malaysia.

“Covid-19 is, perhaps, the biggest crisis humanity is facing during this century. With the ever-changing realities now, I remain optimistic that not only can we stand again from the public health crisis, but ultimately, as the redefined Bangsamoro harnessed through the challenges of its decades-long struggle and the birth pains of its bureaucratic transition,” BARMM’s Chief Minister Ahod Murad B. Ebrahim said. “We thank our dear partners from the British government and Unicef for your incredible support for the Bangsamoro, especially during these trying times. We are truly grateful.”

Covid-19 has brought new challenges to children and their families in BARMM. Even before the pandemic, the region carries one of the highest poverty rates in the country, as well as one of the lowest outcomes in terms of child health, nutrition and education. The health crisis has driven many families deeper into poverty, and has overwhelmed an already weak health system.

“We are delighted to partner with the BARMM government and Unicef to help strengthen capacity to deal with the challenges posed by Covid-19. Children are the future of the [region], and they deserve to be given every chance to help shape its destiny,” UK’s Embassy in the Philippines Deputy Head of Mission Alastair Totty commented. “[Our] government will continue to be a committed partner in achieving lasting peace and prosperity in Mindanao for the benefit of all its citizens, especially the most vulnerable children and families.”

ThesupportbolstersUnicef’sresponsethroughits Mindanao Field Office by providing supplies, training and technical support to BARMM. Supplies procured by the agency include tents for hospitals, personal protective equipment for health and cleaning staff, as well as handwashing stations.

THE United Nations’ humanitarian and developmental aid agency has also trained health workers in infection and prevention control, translated and disseminated health messages to various dialects,

as well as engaged children and youth to share their experiences of the pandemic as a way to inform future action. Working with religious leaders, it has helped incorporate Covid-19 messages in their sermons.

The event also revealed that the said region had acquired some 1,300 cases of infections. It has also hampered the enrollment of students for this school year.

“We are grateful for the contribution of the UK government, joining Chief Minister [Ebrahim] and the BARMM, to prevent the spread and impact of Covid-19,” Unicef Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov affirmed. “[BARMM’s] children are some of the most vulnerable...in the Philippines.

We must not allow them to be left behind in this time of great need.”

She added: “’Covid’ is the biggest crisis of the century. None can compare to the uncertainty [of its nature, and how it will end.] It has caused pain and anguish, as well as exposed vulnerability of humans.

Wewillworktogethertowardresiliencyandrecovery.”

Emphasizing the impacts of the pandemic on vulnerable persons, the ambassador said “[the pandemic] presents us with a human crisis of unprecedented scale. It has disproportionately impacted women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, migrants, refugees, indigenous peoples and other vulnerable populations.”

He then proceeded to outline the laws and policies as well as initiatives and activities undertaken by the Philippines to protect the most v ulnerable populations, including the First 1,000 Days Law, the Children in Situation of Armed Conflict Law, the Migrant Repatriation Program for overseas Filipinos, and the conditional cash transfer program,

otherwise known as 4Ps. Manalo also spoke about the leadership role of the Philippines at the UN on the issues of gender equality and the promotion and mainstreaming of the rights, needs and well-being of older persons and those with disabilities.

He sought the support of delegations to the Philippine-led resolutions on violence against women migrant workers, trafficking of women and girls, and the inclusive development for and with persons with disabilities, which have consistently been adopted without a vote at the Third Committee.

Said committee, which began its work on October 5, is mandated to discuss social, humanitarian and human-rights issues. DFA

Intellectual property rights enforcement: Key to robust PHL-EU bilateral trading

By Recto L. Mercene @rectomercene

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HE Delegation of the European Union (EU) in the Philippines has called on intellectual property (IP) offices in Southeast Asia to reassess their role in helping economies and businesses survive while remaining resilient by continuing to be innovative and competitive during this pandemic.

Trade Counsellor Maurizio Cellini of the EU Delegation said that the European bloc remains committed in supporting its trading partners such as the Philippines in continuing to secure and protect intellectual property rights (IPR) of innovators, creatives and investors, particularly during these challenging times.

“We are happy that IP Key South-East Asia supports IP rights protection and enforcement in the region, and helps facilitate market access to international trading partners,” Cellini said, who was a speaker at the recently concluded IP forum for practitioners from Southeast Asia.

IP Key South-East Asia contributes its technical expertise and helps mount awareness-raising campaigns on IPR protection. It is funded by the EU and is implemented by the EU Intellectual Property Office. It aims to support the interests of the said region by helping countries address specific emerging challenges in IP. IPRs, such as patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights or geographical indications, enable inventors, creators and businesses to prevent unauthorized exploitation of their creations, and to receive compensation for their investment. These also offer guarantees to users or consumers in identifying the origin of the goods concerned.

The Philippines, in particular, is an important and valued trading partner of the EU. Bilateral trade in goods was valued at €14.9 billion in 2019, while two-way services were at €3.7 billion in 2018. The bloc’s foreign direct investment stock in the country reached €13.8 billion in the same

CELLINI

year, making the EU the largest foreign investor in the Philippines.

“With very strong trade relations between our markets, it is therefore in our mutual interest to continue to clear market-access barriers, owing to inadequate protection and enforcement mechanisms...needed to sufficiently protect IPRs,” the trade counsellor said, and added: “Through the years, we have seen some improvements in the [local] IP regime through the efforts of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.”

Geographical indication

CELLINI explained the EU is a strong supporter of geographical indications, and that the region is ready to provide technical expertise and guidance on ways to best help set up a system of protection in the Philippines.

A geographical indication is a distinctive sign used to identify a product whose quality, reputation or other such characteristics relate to its geographical origin. Examples would be Guimaras mango, Batangas barako coffee, Ilocos bagnet, or Sarangani Bay bangus (milkfish).

The EU supports better protection of geographical indications internationally due to increasing number of violations throughout the world. It is active in multilateral and bilateral negotiations protecting geographical indications within its territory.

New US funding to shield local areas from calamities

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HE United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided an additional P170 million (about $3.5 million) to bolster the Philippine government’s capacity in helping protect high-risk communities against the impacts of natural disasters.

USAID will assist communities in Metro Manila as well as the provinces of Northern Samar and Maguindanao that are highly prone to frequent earthquakes, typhoons and floods.

The agency will boost the capacity of community leaders and local governments to mitigate disaster risks, improve early-warning systems, and develop better protocols for more rapid disaster responses.

The assistance will also help train evacuation center managers in organizing safe evacuations that include safeguards and social distancing vis-a-vis the pandemic. USAID partners will also be ready to augment the Philippines’s disaster response and logistics

capabilities to deliver relief assistance when disasters strike.

“Through this assistance, we hope that Filipino communities are able to prepare, mitigate, and recover quickly from the negative impacts of natural disasters,” US Embassy Chargé d ’Affaires John Law stated.

As a friend, partner and ally of the Filipino people, we are proud of our partnership with the Philippine government and the great strides we have made to boost the country’s resilience against natural calamities.”

The announcement coincided with the October 13 commemoration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction, which encourages citizens and governments to take part in building more disaster-resilient communities and nations. The 2019 Asia Pacific Disaster Report revealed that the Philippines’s multihazard average annual loss was estimated at $20 billion, with 75.8 percent of the total population living in high-risk areas.

Sports BusinessMirror

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| Thursday, October 29, 2020 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

THE Los Angeles Dodgers, who came up short in the World Series twice in the previous three years, make sure the title is theirs this time. AP

WAY TO GO, DODGERS! A

RLINGTON, Texas—No dogpile, no champagne and a mask on nearly every face—the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their first World Series title since 1988 in a manner no one could have imagined prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

They started the party without Justin Turner, too, after their red-headed star received a positive Covid-19 test in the middle of their clinching victory.

Turner was removed from Los Angeles’ 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game Six on Tuesday night after registering Major League Baseball’s (MLB) first positive test in 59 days and wasn’t on the field as the Dodgers enjoyed the spoils of a title earned during a most unusual season.

The 35-year-old Turner, a staple in the Dodgers’ lineup for seven of their eight consecutive National League (NL) West titles, returned to the field with his wife about an hour after the game and took photos with the World Series trophy. He got a hug from longtime teammate Clayton Kershaw and sat front-and-center for a team photo.

“Thanks to everyone reaching out!,” Turner said on Twitter moments earlier. “I feel great, no symptoms at all. Just experienced every emotion you can possibly imagine.

Can’t believe I couldn’t be out there to celebrate with my guys! So proud of this team & unbelievably happy for the City of LA.” A late-blooming slugger who helped reshape the game by succeeding with an upper-cut swing, Turner is LA’s career leader with 12 postseason home runs, including a pair in this Series, in which he hit .364 and also played stellar defense.

MLB insulated postseason teams in neutral-site bubbles after traveling them across the country during a shortened 60game season. Turner was the first player since the playoffs began to be flagged.

Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed Turner’s positive test moments after

presenting the World Series trophy to Los Angeles—a jarring reminder of all that’s been different in this season where the perennially favored Dodgers finally broke through.

Mookie Betts, who came to the Dodgers to make a World Series difference, had a mad dash to home plate in the sixth inning to put Los Angeles over the top.

The end of a frustrating championship drought for LA—and perhaps just the start for Betts and the Dodgers, whose seventh World Series title was their sixth since leaving Brooklyn to the West Coast in 1958.

Betts bolted from third for the go-ahead run on World Series Most Valuable Player Corey Seager’s infield grounder, then led off the eighth with a punctuating homer.

“I just came to be a part of it. I’m just happy I could contribute,” Betts said Kershaw was warming in the bullpen when Julio Urías struck out Willy Adames to end it and ran alongside teammates to celebrate in the infield, later joined by family who had been in the bubble with them in North Texas.

Players were handed face masks as they gathered, although many of their embraces came mask-free even after Turner’s positive test.

The Dodgers had played 5,014 regular season games and were in their 114th postseason game since Orel Hershiser struck out Oakland’s Tony Phillips for the final out of the World Series in 1988, the same year Kershaw—the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner who won Games One and Five of this Series—was born in nearby Dallas.

Los Angeles had come up short in the World Series twice in the previous three years. Betts was on the other side two years ago and homered in the clinching Game Five for the Boston Red Sox, who before this season traded the 2018 AL MVP to the Dodgers. They later gave him a $365

million, 12-year extension that goes until he turns 40 in 2032.

Betts’ 3.2-second sprint was just enough to beat the throw by first baseman Ji-Man Choi, pushing Los Angeles ahead 2-1 moments after Rays Manager Kevin Cash pulled ace left-hander Blake Snell despite a dominant performance over 5 1/3 innings.

“I’m not exactly sure why,” Betts said when asked about the move. “I’m not going to ask any questions. He was pitching a great game.”

Randy Arozarena, the powerful Tampa Bay rookie, extended his postseason record with his 10th homer in the first off rookie right-hander Tony Gonsolin, the first of seven Dodgers pitchers. The Rays never got another runner past second base as LA’s bullpen gave reliever-reliant Tampa Bay a taste of its own medicine.

About two-and-a-half weeks after the Lakers won the National Basketball Association (NBA) title while finishing their season in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida, the Dodgers gave Los Angeles another championship in this year when the novel coronavirus pandemic has delayed, shortened and moved around sports seasons.

Seager, also the NLCS MVP, set Dodgers records with eight homers and 20 RBIs this postseason.

The MLB season didn’t start until late July and was abbreviated to 60 games for the shortest regular season since 1878. And the expanded postseason, with 16 teams making it instead of 10, almost went the full distance.

It ended when Urías got the last two out Tampa Bay batters on called third strikes— the 15th and 16 Ks by the Rays, with catcher Austin Barnes stuffing the last pitch in his back pocket. Along with the 11 strikeouts by the Dodgers, it was the most combined strikeouts in a nine-inning World Series game. AP

First-timers at Masters won’t get real Masters

By Doug Ferguson

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HOUSAND OAKS, California—Nick Taylor has never been to the Masters. He already is motivated to get back.

Taylor is excited to be playing Augusta National in two weeks, make no mistake about that. The 32-year-old Canadian has only watched on television, often enough to have a good idea what to expect. And that’s what tempers some of the anticipation about his Masters debut.

He has seen it enough to know what he’ll be missing.

“When I won, you think of the Masters and what it’s going to be,” Taylor said. “And it’s not going to be that.”

No spring colors from the dogwoods and azaleas. The Par 3 Contest has been canceled. The patrons will be at home, the same place Taylor has been all these years. That means no roars that echo through Georgia pines, as much a part of Masters lore as the green jacket.

For those who think Augusta National is the cathedral of golf, it probably will sound like one.

The Masters without roars? That’s like having the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade without balloons.

Taylor is among 26 newcomers to the Masters, postponed from the first full week of April to November 12 to 15 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nine of those players, such as Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) champion Collin Morikawa, already have secured spots for the next Masters, presumably in April.

There is no guarantee when the others will return, if they ever do.

Taylor won as

Female football star sues schools to offer girls’ program

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ALT LAKE CITY—Sam Gordon’s staggering football skills made her famous at age nine. But they didn’t make her fully welcome on the field.

As the only girl in a tackle football league in Utah, she heard parents from opposing teams urge their kids to “beat the girl.”

“I had a target on my back, and it was in the shape of a ponytail,” said Gordon, now 17. “It was awesome to prove to them that I’m more than just a girl in pads. I’m actually a football player.”

Viral videos viewed by millions of her playing catapulted Gordon to a place in the country’s most popular sport, including the ESPN awards and Super Bowl commercials. But very few other women have gotten a toehold in football.

To help change that, Gordon went to court.

She sued her school district and two others for refusing to create a girls’ football program under Title IX, saying many girls like her don’t feel comfortable playing with boys and some are even harassed. One player who testified said she was forced to change in the boys’ locker room at away games and often faced discriminatory treatment by

her male coach and teammates.

But plenty of girls want to play, Gordon said, pointing to an all-female league she started with her father six years ago that’s drawn hundreds of girls from the Salt Lake City area.

The districts and state athletic officials are pushing back in court, though. They argue a girls football program would be unsustainable and require new infrastructure they shouldn’t be responsible for.

Closing arguments are set for this week. The school districts and state athletics association either declined or didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Gordon’s push to expand access to the sport to more women comes as concerns about youth and professional football players getting injured has reached a fever pitch. She said the league has made minor adjustments to prioritize safety such as removing punt returns, kickoffs and kick returns from the game to limit plays that can often result in injuries.

Jen Welter became the first woman in an NFL mentoring program for coaches when she joined

the Arizona Cardinals’ training camp coaching staff in 2015. This year, there are eight female assistant coaches in the league, including the San Francisco 49ers’ Katie Sowers who became the first woman to coach in a Super Bowl last year.

Football is considered “America’s game,” but it is one of few sports that doesn’t have gender parity at any level, from the peewees to the pros, in terms of opportunity or compensation, Welter said.

The Associated Press

a rookie in 2014 at the Sanderson Farms Championship when it was held the same week as the World Golf Championship in Shanghai and did not come with a Masters invitation.

He finally earned his invitation in February, playing with five-time champion Phil Mickelson at Pebble Beach and posting a 70 in blustery conditions to win by four.

“To get that invite for the Masters, that’s a tournament I’ve dreamt about playing my entire life,” Taylor said that day.

Just over a month later, the pandemic shut down golf. The Masters was postponed until November. Then came the announcement in August that it would be held without fans.

The anticipation is different now from what it was in February.

“I was two months away from all the perks, maybe going before [the Masters] to see it,” Taylor said. “Now all the news we’ve heard about it is a downer. No fans. No Par 3. It’s hard to compare. It’s not that I’m not excited, but certain aspects make it a special week, especially having never been there before. To not have those only makes me want to go back.”

Taylor is thankful to be playing again, like so many others. This is the 21st consecutive week of PGA Tour golf, with no shutdown, no slashing of prize money and no fans, no energy. For a sport that sees something new every week—Winged Foot, Shadow Creek, Port Royal this week in Bermuda—there is a sameness to each week without anyone watching.

And now the Masters.

“It’s easy to get negative about what’s going on the world,” he said. “But we’re playing golf. The reality check when we’re out there is how fortunate we are. We have our jobs.

Everyone in my bubble is healthy.

But when you think about what could have been at the “For a girl to play on a boys team, she is the exception,” Welter said. “Yet when you see a women’s tackle team or a girls’ tackle team they’re all in it together. We encourage that in all sports so why would football be so different?”

Some other opportunities for girls who want to play football are starting to open up. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Football League

Masters, it can get disappointing.”

Tyler Duncan knows the feeling.

He won the RSM Classic at Sea Island last November, beating Webb Simpson in a playoff, and he received his formal Masters invitation in the mail soon after.

When the Florida swing arrived, Duncan called the club and arranged for a practice round at Augusta National. His plan was to go there on the Monday after The Players Championship.

Golf shut down on Friday of The Players.

“That didn’t work out,” Duncan said with a wry smile. “And then the course is shut down all summer. Now they’re trying to limit play, and you have to play with a member. I’ve been trying to do that but haven’t had a whole lot of success. We’ll show up and figure it out from there.”

Asked what he think he would miss the most, the azaleas or the noise, Duncan didn’t hesitate.

“The noise, for sure,” he said. “I’ve watched it so many times. A lot of shots come to mind, and you think of that. But you hear all the roars on the back nine where the tournament is won.”

He doesn’t know anything about Washington Road. He didn’t even know John Daly sold merchandise from an RV parked outside Hooters.

Duncan won’t know all he’s missing.

“It’s still the Masters,” he said. “It’s a tournament everyone dreams of playing.”

Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player will be hitting the ceremonial tee shot without people standing a dozen deep around the tee trying to hear what they say. The starter will announce each player with that familiar, “Fore, please.” There’s still a green jacket everyone covets.

But it won’t be the same. It won’t sound the same.

They’re still going to the Masters. And then the goal is to come back to experience the real Masters. announced in May that women’s flag football will become a nationally recognized college varsity sport by 2021. That opportunity could be life changing for young girls and their path toward receiving a college education, Welter said.

“That changes everything,” she said.

“Because now that we’ve seen life trajectory changing opportunities in football, that means it’s a viable dream and goal.”

Even if Gordon wins her lawsuit, she may not get a chance to play for her school under the Friday night lights. She’s a high school senior now, so she’d get one spring season at best.

But even if she doesn’t get to play with her school’s jersey, she said, the lawsuit would still be worth it for the girls who come after her.

“For them to get the opportunity to go and play and to...destigmatize girls playing contact sports and being tough and rowdy,” she said.

“It’s more than just football, and I would be proud to be a part of that.” AP SAM GORDON hopes she can give girls a chance to play on female-only high-school teams through a lawsuit. AP

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Thursday, October 29, 2020 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

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BROWNIES Unlimited Rainbow Cupcakes MY artworks about death and “colored lenses”

Death in colored lenses And breaking down each block I was indignant Few months...they said.

Why?...I replied.

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The sweet life UBE party cakes, rolls and macaroons from Tours le Jours... soft and fluffy soufflé pancakes from Puffy...awesome candy donuts and OG Towers from Krispy Kreme...glutenfree donuts and flourless cake cakes from FRNK...creamy Cheesecake Factory goodness from Tim Hortons...spooktacular Halloween treats like Zombie Cakes and Spidey and Mummy Cupcakes from Nord’s.

Kids and kids-at-heart will be delighted to discover the creative new desserts at SM City North Edsa’s pastry and bakery café shops. They’re not only sinfully delicious but also literally eye candy with their bright and colorful designs.

And with Halloween coming up, it’s no trick but all treats at SM City North Edsa, which is offering Halloween celebration at home with treats for pick-up or delivery (bit. ly/SMTakeOutAndDelivery). Better still, take a bite of favorite treats at the Fang-tastic Hub at the Block Atrium until November 2. Families can join in the virtual fun at Spooky Science, where kids can learn and enjoy the spookiest tricks with the Nutty Scientist on October 31 at 11 am at SM City North Edsa’s official Facebook page.

You can also show your creative Halloween Themed Transformations via the TikTok Mask Challenge on October 31 by simply posting your DIY Halloween face mask transformation for a chance to win a prize.

TASTY TREAT AMID NEW NORMAL

TIMES may have changed, especially now that we’re in the new normal, but the joys of family gatherings remain the same—and are bound to get tastier, especially with Kuya J’s new Salo-Salo offering which now comes with a free dish, a treat available for dine-in and takeout until October 31.

Perfect for birthdays, special occasions, or just a simple lunch, Kuya J’s Salo-Salo options include the Crispy Pata Salo, Pochero Bulalo Salo, or the Kare-Kare Salo. Each Salo-Salo bundle comes with its main dish, sides and rice for one satisfying meal.

Every order of any Salo-Salo bundle entitles the consumer to one extra free dish: Sizzling Tofu with the Crispy Pata Salo, Grilled Scallops with the Pochero Bulalo Salo, or the crispy Lumpia Prito with the Kare-Kare Salo.

More information is available at www.centraldelivery.ph, or via the Central Delivery app.

N

OEVEMBER 1 always brings me poignant thoughts. Maybe because death has been a recurring theme in my life. Allow me to delve into this feeling for this entry of Diary of a Mom With No Limits.

In 1993, I was a sophomore in Clarkstown North, New York. We were asked to do a literary review on works revolving a chosen theme. I chose the theme of “Death.” It was close to the time my Grand Aunt, who was like a mother to me, passed away. As I studied and interpreted compositions, like The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake, The Stone by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, and Eulogy for a Man from Jalostitlan by Rita GutierrezChristensen, it dawned on me how different deaths impacted me in different ways. I could not help but put the deepest pains in my life into writing....

When Lives Are Taken A time elapsed of life and knowledge For me, that is, for she has left Towards an unknown place, but a peaceful one, I hope.

So long for the restless nights Where whom her stories were told Dozing me to sleep with thoughts of pasts to ponder And with a sweet kiss she’d leave, a star for me to keep.

Every night was a road for us to travel and go by Books were our guiding light exploring the roots of our land Then we’d go through culture to preserve what she called ours.

Golds, silvers and bronzes... fruits of our labor The hard work in between... foundations of our tower And the dreams of the peak... was the essence of our friendship.

But then a chaos had come to plague ruining each cell of life

She was fragile and alone once tricked by love And never again pursued I was weak and so flustered Yet the wheel turned slowly and the pain shrieked even more We were both helpless.

I saw her sleep in a night never ending I wept...I was selfish For yes! The tears are for her slumber But more For my questioned future.

Now the room is lit But why do I stand alone Sako (Chinese term for Aunt) Why have you gone?

Was there too much in life?

How I wish you’d come again, just to hear what I have to say.

People die... memories still linger...

Time will pass... pain would stay bonded.

And though you have left...

I will be waiting.

After a few years, my grandfather also passed away. Two of the 3 pillars of my childhood had gone much sooner than I expected. I missed them so much.

At different points in my young life, I would stay up till 3 am daily because I felt life would be short for me.

I reflected: “Maybe sometimes when you lose a person you love, it seems the reason for living is lost and the only way to find peace is to die and maybe find them in the next life.”

Death is not just physical death. It has also been for me the exceptionally painful end of something.

It can be the end of a relationship, familial relations, even the end of a dream.

I have had my share of heartaches. In all these sorrows, art was my balm and writing was my refuge. This was when I donned my “colored lenses” and rummaged to find a hue in darkness. Below is a poem I wrote amid the uncertainty of a long-distance relationship with my first love at that time.

When, Where and How Carry my burden Carry my soul To which direction do we go?

Hiding to keep Hiding of fear How long must we live to appease?

If I were to stay And you were to leave Would not tomorrow be too vague to see?

I have been loved And you have, too So why must we spend Our days so apart?

Fast forward to the past decade, I faced the end of our immediate family. I remember telling myself every day, and praying hard that experiencing such deep deceit must not change my view, that “life is and will always be good.”

It dawned on me why I always loved the moon more than the sun. Like the painting I did above in my 20s, the moon shines brightly and is at peace.

As much as the moon marks the end of a day, it also allows me to appreciate new beginnings better.

Letting Go Wandring amidst the field of dreams The piercing hurts I went forth Looking back I had wept T’was a shadow I saw I wished If I were to soar, what was the price?

My sweet, my smiles, my soul?

It is futile.

Yearning rambles my psyche... screens of the past Fail to set free...

I must let go Amid all the “deaths,” I appreciate more now how I allowed the pain, the memories, the hopes and the regrets to seep through. I thank God for His providential hand and His loving grace that pushed me to find my colored lenses. For in facing the death of my loved ones, I discovered my quest for “worthy transcendence.” In facing loving goodbyes, I found the gift of the pen. And in facing painful ends, I landed on my meaningful purpose.

Death comes to us more often than we see. As hard as it is to break through the pain, if we are willing to use our colored lenses, we will come out appreciating an even “deepened” color of our lives.

Like my clay-and-wax artwork above, the black darkness and the yellow light are parts of a cycle of life. It is a convergence of providence and choice. Even if we cannot control the “deaths,” it is still our choice when to flip the circle. ■

Show BusinessMirror

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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Thursday, October 29, 2020

A look at artists who’ve objected to Trump using their songs F

ROM classic American rockers to British artists to the estates of late legends, here’s a look at some of the musicians who have objected to Donald Trump using their songs at campaign events. n JOHN FOGERTY, PHIL COLLINS, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. Some classic rockers say not only do they oppose Trump using their music, the choice of songs is ironic or downright wrong. John Fogerty, who last week sent the campaign a cease-and-desist letter over the use of “Fortunate Son” by his band Creedence Clearwater Revival, said he was baffled by the use of a song that could have been written to slam Trump. Phil Collins sent the campaign a demand to stop using “In the Air Tonight” after it was played at an Iowa rally this month. Many observers say it was an odd song to choose given that the air among the mostly maskless people at the rally could have been spreading the coronavirus. And just as he had with Ronald Reagan in 1984, Bruce Springsteen objected in 2016 to Trump blasting “Born In The U.S.A.” as a patriotic anthem, when it’s actually a scathing indictment of the treatment of Vietnam vets. n NEIL YOUNG, EDDY GRANT. Most musicians have stopped at legal threats, but a few have actually sued over the use of their songs. Neil Young filed a lawsuit in August over the Trump campaign’s use of his music including “Rockin’ in the Free World,” which he said he couldn’t bear to hear as a theme song for Trump.

Eddy Grant sued Trump in September over the use of his 1980s hit “Electric Avenue” in a Trump campaign animated video that mocked his opponent Joe Biden. n LEONARD COHEN, TOM PETTY, PRINCE. The heirs of dead artists have been as quick as living musicians in objecting to Trump’s use of songs. Tom Petty’s wife and daughters, who had been in legal squabbles over the management of his estate, came together to issue a statement in June denouncing Trump’s use of the rocker’s “I Won’t Back Down” at rallies. After

ADELE

“Purple Rain” was played at a Trump rally in Prince’s hometown of Minneapolis in 2019, the late singer’s estate publicly condemned the use of the song and said the campaign had previously agreed not to play it. The lawyers for the Leonard Cohen estate condemned the use of “Hallelujah” at the finale of the Republican National Convention, saying they had denied organizers’ permission. n THE ROLLING STONES, THE BEATLES, ADELE. Artists from the UK have been as vocal about their songs as their American counterparts. The Rolling Stones objected to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” getting regular rotation at Trump rallies, threatening to sue in August and saying they had opted out of music licensing that allows campaigns to legally play songs. When the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” was

Pharrell Williams

played at the 2016 RNC, the heirs of George Harrison, who wrote the song, called it “offensive and against the wishes of the George Harrison estate.” Adele made her objections clear when she learned her songs, “Rolling in the Deep” and “Skyfall,” were playing at Trump rallies. n PANIC! AT THE DISCO, PHARELL, RIHANNA. It’s mostly Baby Boomer favorites who have objected to Trump’s use of their music, but younger artists have cried foul too, sometimes with foul language. Panic! At The Disco singer and songwriter Brendon Urie sent a profane tweet that ended with “you’re not invited, stop playing my song” in June after the Trump campaign played the hit “High Hopes” at a rally in Phoenix. Pharrell Williams sent a cease-and-desist letter after his song “Happy” was played at a Trump

rally in 2018. He was especially angered that the event was hours after a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. And Rihanna demanded that Trump stop playing “Don’t Stop the Music” after the song played at a 2018 rally. n R.E.M., GUNS AND ROSES. Generation X bands have been as angry as anyone about the use of their tunes. The Trump campaign has played “Losing My Religion,” “Everybody Hurts” and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It [And I Feel Fine]” at rallies, to the outrage of the left-leaning members of R.E.M. “Please know that we do not condone the use of our music by this fraud and con man,” bassist Mike Mills tweeted in January. And Axl Rose has tweeted his annoyance at the songs of Guns N’ Roses, including “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” being used to entertain Trump rally-goers. AP

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Sports

Don’t count Zamboanga Valientes out

BusinessMirror

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| Thursday, October 29, 2020

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

THE Valientes—(from left) Arar de Leon, Jonjon Rebollos, Rudy Lingganay, Gino Jumaoas and Med Salim—are proud to wear their uniforms.

NO RUSH FOR ‘THE BEAST’

By Josef Ramos

A

NIGHT after leading Phoenix Super LPG to a rousing victory in his comeback, Calvin “The Beast” Abueva isn’t looking far ahead inside the Clark bubble.

A run for the title, he said, is not for the picking just yet.

“We’ll take it step by step. We can’t just go and look straight up because we are all competitive here,” The 6-foot-3 Abueva was in his usual beast mode, but not of the temperamental king, when he played his first game after serving an indefinite suspension that lasted close to 17 months.

He erupted for 21 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and was three assists short of a triple-double in Phoenix’s 114-110 win over a struggling NLEX last Monday in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup. “Anything can still happen at any given time, so our approach and plan will be per game,” he said. “We’re not yet in the finals.”

The Angeles City pride said he is hoping to sustain his energy and performance for the next five games of the eliminations.

“All the teams are playing seriously inside the bubble so we just can’t relax,” added Abueva, whose team won four games and lost two so far in the conference.

But the 2013 Rookie of the Year said he and the rest of the Fuel Masters need to play their roles.

“Each of us has a role to do. It doesn’t mean I can do that all the time, but I will just sustain what I’m doing,” Abueva said.

Abueva didn’t start against NLEX but when Coach Topex Robinson tapped him in the 7:32 mark of the first quarter, he felt the floor of the Angeles University Foundation gym and told himself silently “welcome back.”

Like in the past, he played physical and got some extras from fouls from their opponents, but he kept his cool.

Abueva said he is looking forward to meet his former team, Alaska, at in the 6:45 p.m. match on Thursday.

“It’s going to be a tough and competitive game but a happy game for me. We know Alaska won’t be a pushover team,” said Abueva, who was drafted second overall by Alaska in the 2012. “Our confidence heading into the game is high and I know we’ll cooperate with each other.

Alaska is presently holding a 4-3 win-loss record.

Abueva dedicated his comeback to his grandmother “Lola Siony,” who is recovering from a heart attack.

“I dedicated the game to my grandmother.

She’s okay now and she’ll be out of the hospital soon,” he said.

Abueva was indefinitely suspended for clotheslining TNT import Terence Jones in June 4, 2019, and was involved in a verbal spat with Bobby Ray Parks Jr. girlfriend during Blackwater’s match before that TNT game. On top of the suspension, he was also slapped with P70,000 fine.

During his suspension, he attended community service, psychological evaluation seminars, conducted basketball clinics and lately finished an online Games and Amusements Board seminar on professional players’ conduct.

PHOENIX’S Calvin Abueva says there’s a long way to go in the all-Filipino conference and they’ll take it one game at a time.

AMBOANGA Valientes MLV will carry the dark horse tag as the Chooks-to-Go 3x3 Pilipinas holds its Leg 5 and Finals starting on Friday at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

After making the semifinals in the first leg and advancing to the playoffs of the following legs, the Valientes are aiming high: bringing home the grand title to Zamboanga City.

Junnie Navarro—son of philanthropist and businesswoman Cory Navarro who co-owns the team with Mike Venezuela—said Valientes Rudy Lingganay, Gino Juamaoas, Med Salim, Arar de Leon and Jonjon Rebollos are on a mission under Coach Joseph Romarate.

“Zamboangueños are excited to watch the future of 3x3 and we are hoping to take home the title,” said the young Navarro, a former member of the national youth team. “They are the dark horse of this tournament, and I believe, just like the rest of the Zamboangueños, they will do whatever it takes to win.”

“We are so thankful that Zamboanga Valientes have the most number of fans online,” he added.

Lingganay, a former Philippine Basketball Association player, was impressive in Valientes’ 21-11 victory over Petra Cement Rockies-Roxas ZN last Tuesday in Leg 4’s group stage.

Navarro also praised de Leon for showing the bravery and the heart of a full-blooded Zamboangueño despite playing with an injured shoulder in the fourth leg.

The Zamboanga Valientes MLV was establiched 14 years ago to give homegrown players of the Zamboanga Peninsula the opportunity to show their talents. The Valientes played in various commercial leagues in 2006.

Family Brand Sardines- Zamboanga City Chooks captured Leg 4 on Tuesday night after beating Butuan City, 21-20 (7:27) at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

Santi Santillan keyed Zamboanga City’s win following an offensive rebound and an ensuing free throw ar crunch time. Joshua Munzon caught fire early and his longball sent his side ahead, 20-16, inside the last three and a half minutes to help pave the way for the team’s third championship in four legs.

DIZON: HEALTH, SAFETY PRIORITY IN CLARK B

ASES Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President Vince Dizon sought the understanding of players, coaches and officials on the third cancellation of games in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup inside the Clark bubble.

Dizon, also the deputy chief implementer of the government’s response against Covid-19—told the BusinessMirror on Wednesday that the postponement of the Magnolia-Blackwater match on Wednesday at the Angeles University Foundation gym in Pampanga involves the “safety and well-being of all the individuals there.”

“This is for the protection of everyone in the bubble,” said Dizon, adding they are still awaiting the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases based on an advice from the Department of Health (DOH) for the resumption of Blackwater’s games.

Also postponed were the Rain or ShineBlackwater game last Sunday and the TNT Tropang Giga-Northport match last Monday.

These were prompted by a referee and a

BASES Conversion and Development Authority President Vince Dizon seeks understanding on the postponed games while Elite Coach Raoul Cesar “Nash” Racela says life goes on for the team.

Blackwater player initially testing positive of contracting the virus last week, only to turn in negative results after further tests.

“We’re just awaiting for the approval of the IATF for the resumption of the Blackwater games. We are expecting the decision from IATF tomorrow,” Dizon said as he reiterated that the bubble remains intact because the referee and player eventually tested negative.

The player and referee, Dizon said, are undergoing 10 days of quarantine at the Athletes’ Village of the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque Jr., meanwhile, said Malacañang is all out in supporting the PBA bubble.

“We supported them all the way. That’s just only a minor setback. They were all negative,” Roque said. “After all, they were just isolated because of a close contact.”

Blackwater Team Manager Jacob Muñez said in separate interview they were “a little bit confused” on what’s going on and for Elite Coach Raoul Cesar “Nash” Racela, life goes on for the team despite of the situation that disrupted their training and focus on their games.

“To be honest, it’s not an easy week for us. Aside from the game preparations, we’re now concerned with health issues,” Racela told BusinessMirror.

The Elite, who are sporting a 2-3 win-loss record, needed to be isolated together with the TNT Tropang Giga, whom they played last Thursday. The Tropang Giga were already tested negative last week.

Calvin Abueva and Phoenix Super LPG (4-2), meanwhile, meet Alaska (4-3) at 4 p.m. followed by the TNT Tropang Giga (5-0)-Northern Luzon Expressway (1-5) game at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday. Josef Ramos

Fighting Maroons get additional boost

T

HE University of the Philippines Men’s Basketball Team (UPMBT) got another shot in the arm after renewing its partnership with staunch backer Januarius Holdings Inc. (JHI) and its subsidiary STATS Performance Apparel for the next two University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) seasons.

The company’s support was instrumental in the Fighting Maroons’ rise over the last few seasons with JHI Chairman and CEO JJ Atencio bankrolling the team’s overseas training in Serbia, Japan and the United States with STATS serving as official outfitter.

Atencio announced that JHI will also provide the Maroons with data analytics

technology, which is being used by elite teams in different leagues overseas.

“What’s exciting for us starting this year is analytics,” said Atencio, whose company was among the first to help the Maroons in 2017 when the program began its turnaround.

“That’s one of the things we are working on with the team and that’s what we’re looking forward to—how it would help them.”

Atencio said the results the past few years fueled his drive to further support the team, which reached the finals in 2018 and registered another Final Four appearance last season.

“Our journey with the UPMBT started three years ago, when, acting on a strong gut feeling, we decided to be major

sponsors, despite the team just coming out of a lackluster season, the absence of significant community support, and my not even being a UP alumnus,” Atencio said. “ UP Head Coach Bo Perasol, Team Manager Atty. Agaton Uvero, nowheretogobutUP Foundation Founder Renan Dalisay, JHI Chief Operating Officer Marcy Venezuela and STATS Chief Executive Officer Edrin Panganiban were present in the recent MOA signing ceremony.

“We are beyond grateful for having JJ [Atencio] and JHI in the team for the past three years and a couple more,” Perasol said. “Despite the Covid-19 situation, he still chose to stay on. He is as determined as we are to see everything through.”

PetroGazz, Motolite join PSL beach volleyball tilt

P

ETROGAZZ and Motolite signed up with the Philippine Superliga (PSL) which returns to action with the Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup on November 26 in Subic.

PSL Chairman Philip Ella Juico welcomed the teams from the Premier Volleyball League, saying their entry will add excitement to the field already composed of United Auctioneers, Cignal, Sta. Lucia and F2 Logistics.

Juico said he expects more teams to

join as the Covid-19 pandemic appears to be waning a month before the tournament.

The HD Spikers will field two teams while the Lady Realtors will send three squads. United Auctioneers will tap players from National Collegiate Athletic Association powerhouse Arellano University.

The Cargo Movers, on the other hand, are still finalizing their rosters.

“We are really opening our doors to other clubs who are not part of the PSL to make the league bigger and better in the

next few years,” said Juico as he thanked the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority for hosting their PSL bubble.

PSL teams PLDT and Marinerang Pilipina, meanwhile, begged off from the tournament, although they vowed to sponsor the event.

“We understand their decision not to join because of our situation right now,” Juico said. “The teams are very willing to join, but the players are doubtful because vaccines have yet to be made available.”

15inQuarantine BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, October 29, 2020 D1

GROUNDED BY LOCKDOWNS, PLANES ARE SLOWLY BUT SURELY

SOARING AGAIN A

By Recto L. Mercene

N optimistic mindset, a positive outlook, a never-say-die attitude and perseverance will take us through this crisis: that’s the bold prediction of Inderjit Singh, International Civil Aviation Organization (Icao) airport consultant and former CEO of Indira Gandhi International Airport.

That rousing announcement was a breath of fresh air to all the gloom and doom coming out of the aviation sector in the wake of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

Singh said the aviation industry has recovered from the shock of 9/11, when air travel stood still following the terrorist attacks on New York’s Twin Towers. There were other trials hurdled after that, like the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus in 2003, the H5N1 “bird flu” in 1997 and the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009.

“Aviation is the business of freedom. We are resilient. And this gathering will help us to build an even stronger future,” Icao director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said, as he announced the November gathering of the world’s airlines to peek into the immediate future of the industry and address the challenges it is facing.

“The fight against Covid-19 is the world’s top priority. In the post-pandemic world, a viable air transport industry will be critical. It will be a leader in the economic recovery by performing its traditional role of linking people, goods and businesses globally,” de Juniac added, typifying the fighting spirit of the industry.

Airlines have turned to increasingly inventive ways of keeping cash flowing into the business. For some, a rapid pivot to cargo has helped sustain the bank balance, while others have focused on repatriation flights and other passenger services.

Foremost practitioners of this never-say-die attitude is Air Asia Group CEO Tony Fernandes, who said, “We’re not standing still, we’re not putting our heads in the sand and crying; it’s a new world, and we’re very, very excited by this new world, we have to take a risk sometime in our lives.”

The airline maverick has turned to online selling—of practically everything from avocado to zucchini. Fernandes noted that Jeff Bezos’s Amazon started selling books online and has since expanded to a wide variety of other e-commerce products and services, including video and audio streaming, cloud computing, and AI. The BusinessMirror, during a webinar, asked Fernandes whether there’s light at the end of the tunnel, to which he replied a resounding, “Yes.” He added, “Air Asia would be a challenger, we will make ourselves relevant for all customers. The airline business is a challenge but we’ll bounce back, we’ll keep pushing.

“It’s an exciting journey and I look forward to this, in the digital period, our business will grow faster.”

Initially stranded passengers were repatriated, based on urgency and an emergency basis, followed by normal air travel under strict guidelines. ICAO’s strategy is three-pronged: To instill confidence among traveling people; initiate action to revive the economy; and, more important, to gear up and upgrade airports with appropriate technology. “The show must go on!” crows Singh.

Months after assessing the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) initiated efforts to end the embargo on air travel to kick-

INDERJIT SINGH: “An optimistic mindset, a positive outlook, a never-say-die attitude and perseverance will take us through this crisis.”

ALEXANDRE DE JUNIAC: “In the post-pandemic world, a viable air transport industry will be critical.” WWW.

port services for Everyjuan,” said Lance Gokongwei, President and CEO of Cebu Pacific and JG Summit Holdings Inc. “CEB is an important part of the conglomerate’s investment portfolio,” he emphasized, believing that the airline’s vital mission is “providing fundamental and value-for-money air travel in and out of our country, and its crucial role as a driver for economic growth.”

which PAL is experimenting on. Air Canada found another way to attract passengers, by allowing them business class experience, “the way top-level athletes, musicians and the 1 percent do, if they’re flying to the sun.”

From December 12 to January 6, the airline will operate its Jetz aircraft—configured for a business-class-only experience— on routes between Canada and popular winter sun destinations, from Palm Springs and Florida to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Ticket prices start from the same as regular business-class fares.

The four Airbus A319 aircraft— usually chartered by sports teams, bands and corpo-

Innovations

MEANWHILE, passengers are being lured with innovations, such as the “fly to nowhere” began by some foreign airlines and

start air traffic activities on a countrywide and case-to-case basis, “in a judicious, cautious, calibrated and strategic manner.”

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) responded and allowed the repatriation of stranded overseas Filipinos and migrant workers, and the outbound flow of stranded foreigners back to their homeland.

Lifeline

MEANWHILE, the aviation sector appealed for a lifeline from governments. Earlier in October, the Malaysian government was reported willing to guarantee 80 percent of a 1-billion Malaysian ringgit ($240 million) loan to AirAsia Group from a consortium of banks under the country’s Covid-19 relief fund. AirAsia Berhad, too, has agreed fresh funding for an undisclosed amount.

Tycoon Lucio Tan poured in at least P15.2 billion into flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL). From June up to October, PAL has gradually increased its commercial flights. It also mounts allcargo flights to transport vital medical supplies from Manila to various provinces, as well as airlift cargo from across the world to Manila.

Since mid-March, PAL flew close to a thousand local and international cargo flights and over 300 domestic sweepers and repatriation flights.

PAL is working to secure government support to help weather the tremendous impact of the ongoing pandemic. Since March 2020, PAL has suspended capital expenditures, adopted a skeleton work force, reduced management salaries and slashed non-essential expenses to control costs. Shareholders have infused capital and provided funding to sustain the airline’s liquidity.

Cebu Pacific rose to the challenges of Covid-19 and raised $500 million in fresh capital, “to strengthen its balance sheet and ensure that it is well-positioned to recover from the impact” of Covid-19.

“We need to create a longer runway for CEB so that we can continue providing affordable and accessible air trans-

IATA.ORG

TONY FERNANDES: “It’s a new world, and we’re very, very excited by this new world, we have to take a risk sometime in our lives.”

IR.AIRASIA.COM

rate clients—were configured with just 58 seats, fewer than half the seats on a regular Air Canada configuration.

The seat pitch is between 42 and 49 inches, compared to 31 inches in a regular economy configuration, and 37 for a standard business-class seat.

Customers who book a Jetz flight also receive an upgraded meal, and get iPads preloaded with inflight entertainment, and with fewer passengers, boarding and disembarkation times are shorter, too.

And for those traveling in a group, there’s a meeting-style arrangement with four seats facing each other around a table.

15inQuarantine BusinessMirror

D2 Thursday, October 29, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

When lockdown means freedom W

By Joel R. San Juan

HEN the Covid-19 pandemic reached the country in March, the government placed almost the entire country either on a total lockdown or under varying levels of quarantine to prevent more infections and deaths due to the virus.

The irony is inescapable. A pandemic that has imprisoned billions of people in lockdowns to protect them from a deadly virus also became the key to freedom of many prisoners, including Filipinos in the country’s shamefully substandard jails.

The large number of PDLs being released from jails can be attributed to the various measures the Supreme Court adopted immediately after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the Covid-19 outbreak is already a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and the Department of Health’s confirmation of a Covid-19 case early this year.

A total of 52 circulars from January to October of this year were issued by the SC in a bid to keep the wheels of justice rolling even during the pandemic.

Community service, bail reduction, videoconferencing

The judiciary was not spared, as Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta was forced to suspend all court operations nationwide for several weeks and subsequently, albeit gradually, resumed court operations through the adoption of videoconferencing in May, as part of the measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

However, for the more than 80,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who were abruptly released from jails to prevent an outbreak of Covid-19 in congested prison and detention facilities, the pandemic had given the word lockdown a new meaning—freedom.

Records show that the number of prisoners released under the “new normal” from March to October 2020 is much higher than the same period last year, when all courts were operating under normal circumstances and usual legal proceedings.

THESE circulars gave way to the electronic filing of criminal complaints and posting of bail, as well as the electronic approval of bail and release order; pilot testing of hearings of criminal cases through videoconferencing; and reduction of bail and recognizance for indigent PDLs, among others.

In its most recent circular, the SC-Office of the Court Administrator approved the guidelines to implement Republic Act 11362 or the Community Service Act signed into law by President Duterte on August 8, 2019.

The law aims to promote restorative justice and jail decongestion by allowing the court, at its discretion, to require community service in jail for offenses punishable by arresto menor and arresto mayor.

The duration of the penalty of arresto mayor is from one month and one day to six months.

FIRST videoconferenced hearing of RTC Branch 94, Mariveles, Bataan

10,000 PDLS freed each month

THE measures adopted by the Peraltaled Court to hasten court proceedings under the current health crisis have led to the release of more than 10,000 PDLs every month since March.

Data from the SC and the Public Attorney's Office (PAO), which renders legal assistance and counseling to indigent litigants and defendants in criminal and civil cases, showed that most of those who benefitted from these measures are considered indigent PDLs. Two months after the government declared a state of public health emergency in March, the SC reported that a total of 18, 355 PDLs were released from detention through videoconferencing.

The figure jumped to 43,171 PDLs released for the month of March up to July 3, including children in conflict with the law (CICL).

By August 14, a total of 58,625 PDLs had already been released by trial courts in various parts of the country.

Speaking before the first-ever online Annual Convention of the Philippine Trial Judges League Inc. (PTJLI), Peralta acknowledged that there is a need to simplify the flow of cases in courts in this time of pandemic.

“While the number of these procedural reforms may seem overwhelming, keep in mind that these amendments are all geared towards a more efficient delivery of justice through faster resolution of cases,” Peralta said.

As of October 16, Peralta reported that a total of 81,888 PDLs have been released, 46,032 of them through videoconferencing, including 880 CICL. Out of 81,888 released PDLs, a total of 19,173 benefitted from the reduced bail and recognizance.

On the other hand, 2,980 were released after serving their minimum imposable penalty recognizance and 8,669 through probation or fine.

Meanwhile, 4,575 PDLs were released following the dismissal of their cases; 1,556 through acquittal; 3,904 after serving their minimum penalty, and 5,175 through served maximum penalty.

For CICL, 211 were released due to suspended sentence; 319 either due to dismissal of their cases, acquittal or through bail; 212 through termination and closure of diversion; and 138 through probation, payment of fines or through the grant of habeas corpus.

Indigents

PERALTA: “While the number of these procedural reforms may seem overwhelming, keep in mind that these amendments are all geared towards a more efficient delivery of justice through faster resolution of cases.” BERNARD TESTA

On the other hand, the duration of the penalty of arresto menor is from one day to 30 days.

Likewise, to fast-track court proceedings and slow down transmission of Covid-19, Peralta has given lower court judges the go-ahead to allow the parties in a case to appear remotely.

Just last month, the SC-OCA issued Circular 161-2020 allowing all trial courts nationwide to hold their hearings via videoconferencing for both criminal and civil cases.

In April, the SC saw the urgent need to further decongest the country’s detention facilities during the state of public health emergency; thus, it issued a circular ordering the reduction of bail and recognizing as modes for releasing indigent PDLs during the period of public health emergency, pending resolution of their cases.

As part of measures to decongest detention facilities, the Court issued a circular reminding all judges to adhere to the guidelines for decongesting holding jails by enforcing rights of the accused to post bail and to speedy trial.

All judges were also directed to immediately act on cases of PDLs who have been detained for a period at least equal to the minimum of the penalty of the offense charged, and if warranted, they may release such detainees on their own recognizance.

MEANWHILE, PAO records showed a total of 31,055 indigent PDLs have been released since the start of the pandemic in March up to August for various reasons.

Out of 31,055 indigent PDLs, 4,348 were released between March 16 and April 30; 6,381 were released in May; 7,119 in June; 6, 974 in July and 6, 233 in August.

The figure is higher compared to the same period of last year which showed 6,661 PDLs were released in March 2019; 5,878 in April; 5,070 in May; 5,545 in June; 5,156 in July and 5, 816 in August.

PAO Chief Persida Acosta said the usual criminal cases of detainees who benefitted from SC’s measures to decongest jails are violation of health and quarantine protocol, violation of curfew hours and liquor ban, common crimes such as unjust vexation, theft, resistance and simple disobedience, direct assault, attempted homicide, illegal gambling, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and drug-related cases.

“The common account from our district offices points to the lowering of bail, relaxation of rules on requirements, and active monitoring of cases as the main factors for the releases during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Acosta said.

However, there were PDLs who were not lucky despite going directly to the SC to secure their release on humanitarian grounds.

Exceptions

IN one case, 22 detainees petitioned the Court to allow their release as they are at risk of getting the virus due to their health conditions and old age.

Instead of acting on their petition, the SC decided to pass to the trial courts the burden of deciding whether they are qualified to be released through bail or recognizance.

The SC explained the decision was reached after exhaustive deliberations by the magistrates, considering that the petition presented several complex issues with far-reaching implications.

A BusinessMirror Special Feature

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, October 29, 2020

D3

SHOPEE CREATES NEW DIGITAL SHOPPING EXPERIENCE FOR CONSUMERS, ENTREPRENEURS

MARTIN Yu, Shopee Philippines Associate Director

N

By Jonathan Enriquez

OT surprisingly, e-commerce in the Philippines has grown exponentially since Covid-19 drastically changed everyone’s lives. Because of limited mobility that resulted from the necessary lockdowns, Filipinos are now heavily relying on online shopping for their needs through their smartphones and have their purchased items delivered in front of their doorsteps.

It's a far cry from the usual mall-hopping that people are used to before the pandemic. Still, as more people turn to online shopping, it’s also no surprise that, according to Google and Temasek report, the country’s e-commerce economy is currently valued at a whopping US$7 billion and is expected to grow to

US$25 billion in 2025.

At the forefront of e-commerce activity in the Philippines is industry leader Shopee. It continues to evolve and stay ahead of the e-commerce competition through innovative offers on products. Shopee connects with consumers, understands their specific needs, and creates

well-executed localized strategies to serve shoppers, brands, and sellers, especially during this period.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, we saw a surge in demand for daily essentials; that’s why we introduced the 5.5 Shopee Mart Sale to provide our shoppers with convenient access to personal and household items as well as great cost savings. And as the holiday season approaches in the Philippines, we’ve also launched campaigns like 9.9 Super Shopping Day and 10.10 Brands Festival to provide our shoppers easy access to an extensive collection of products as well as greater cost savings,” according to Martin Yu, Shopee Philippines Associate Director.

Creating a digital experience for consumers

DURING the Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day’s record-breaking performance, there were 12 million items sold in the first hour alone. At its peak, 700,000 items were sold in a single minute across all categories.

This impressive performance demonstrates an increasing reliance on e-commerce, which provides Filipinos with one-stop access to essentials, health products, and more.

According to Yu, Shopee also saw greater demand for engagement and entertainment while Filipinos shop online. The company has seen opportunities in its in-app engagement features such as Shopee Live in the past months as Filipinos stay connected online.

Shopee Live is also becoming popular among Filipinos of all ages tune in regularly to watch a wide variety of live streams in April, making it their preferred entertainment source, recording 30 million views in a single month.

Aside from best online deals, the e-commerce giant also takes on a highly localized approach for entertainment in each target market, especially in the Philippines, to tailor campaigns and content based on local consumption preferences. Shopee has continued to partner with GMA, GMA News TV, and Wowowin Primetime to offer shoppers greater fun and entertainment while they shop online. To this end, Shopee has also tapped brand ambassador Jose Mari Chan and celebrities like Catriona Gray, Rhian Ramos, Willie Revillame, and Gabbi Garcia, to name a few.

Furthermore, as Filipinos embrace e-commerce for greater convenience, Shopee sees greater adoption of digital payments across the country with enhanced security.

“We are committed to offering a wide range of digital payment options to our users, including services such as ShopeePay. Users between the ages of 18 to 34 are the primary users of digital payment as 70 percent of the total number of purchases but we observed 100 percent increase in the number of ShopeePay transactions among users over the age of 50,” Yu reported.

“We foresee this shopping trend to continue as Filipinos go online to buy their gifts for their loved ones as they celebrate the festive season,” said Yu. To continue the momentum of previous campaigns’ success, Shopee is looking to kickstart the Christmas celebration with the launch of Shopee 11.11 to 12.12 Big Christmas Sale.

Building connections, empowering Filipino entrepreneurs

“AS the market leader, Shopee is in a strong position to connect people

and businesses, promote digital inclusion, and power the next wave of growth. We empower our online sellers and entrepreneurs by catering to the rich and diverse pool of businesses, setting up both new and experienced sellers for long-term success,” Yu further explained.

This year, Shopee plans to create their 11.11 shopping event to significantly impact the Philippines as part of our broader vision to make e-commerce for everyone.

“More than just a shopping festival, we aim to share the benefits and opportunities of online shopping with every person and business by creating a positive impact for communities in need by fostering the Bayanihan spirit, creating new opportunities for growth for brands and MSMEs, and creating stronger shared experiences for shoppers,” Yu mentioned.

Also, Shopee accelerated seller empowerment efforts and rolled out a wide range of measures to smoothly transition online sellers.

The company introduced the Seller Support Package, which comprises a series of initiatives to ease operational costs and boost sales, including subsidized shipping and administration fees, vouchers, and free advertising credits.

“We also enhanced our Seller Center, a one-stop platform for sellers to manage their online stores on Shopee. With this, sellers can easily keep track of orders, monitor payments, track deliveries, and handle in-app marketing campaigns all in one place. We also conducted various courses through our Seller University, where sellers can learn and level up different essential skills, ranging from digital marketing to logistics,” Yu added.

In partnership with local gov-

ernment units, the Shopee University program conducted a seller masterclass for over 100 participants in Cavite. During the masterclass, sellers were empowered on how to tap on marketing tools on Shopee and use effective advertising tactics to amplify their online presence and boost online sales.

Shopee is also partnering with the regional offices of DTI to conduct the same educational support to help sellers expand their marketplace and become equipped with in-depth e-commerce knowledge and skills. Shopee joined the first ASEAN Online Sale Day to celebrate the ASEAN’s 53rd founding anniversary on August 8, aiming to boost regional digital trade and offer sellers greater product exposure and broader audience reach on Shopee.

According to Yu, to further elevate their online presence and scale their seller’s e-commerce business, Shopee offers a strong ecosystem of solutions to help brands by using easy-to-use brand marketing tools such as the store decoration tool in building authentic connections with their customers through enhanced brand storytelling.

Shopee also recently teamed up with Google to launch Google Ads with Shopee, a first-of-itskind marketing solution for brands to drive sales online. The company enhanced its support for brands with the Shopee Media Agencies Partner Program (SMAP) launch to equip media agencies with in-depth knowledge and skills on using Shopee’s suite of brand marketing tools.

As brands invest more in growing their online presence, SMAP will enable media agencies to leverage a broader range of e-commerce tools to maximize the return on investment of their clients’ media spend.

“We are not only committed to helping out our brands and sellers to achieve long-term sustainability, but we have rolled out extensive programs to help them digitalize, recover, and succeed in the long term with e-commerce.”

Giving back to the community, partners

SHOPEE is committed of making a difference and uplifting the lives of local industries and communities through its several programs.

First, Shopee launched the Shopee Bayanihan to uplift different sectors in need of help. The company partnered with 39 organizations including PGH Medical Foundation, Kaya Natin, and World Vision to help raise funds to help Filipinos in need during the Enhanced Community Quarantine. There were some 2,800 respiratory masks donated to help medical frontliners on their fight against COVID-19.

Then Shopee launched Shopee Bayanihan: Frontliner Package to support frontliners in the Philippines by providing them with Shopee vouchers, Unilever vouchers, and mobile load from Smart that they can use for their personal needs.

The company recently announced the Shopee Bayanihan: Pamaskong Pambata, together with its newest brand ambassador Kris Aquino. It is a campaign to spread awareness for youths in the Philippines and encourage Filipinos to create a big impact.

Shopee will be supporting the 11 foundations through a digital charity sale, co-branded live streams with brand donations, and in-app donations.

“Initially, the initiative will run from October 26 to December 12, wherein each will have a virtual goods shop wherein users can choose from 4 voucher denominations to purchase and donate directly to their chosen beneficiary.

Not only will you be able to shop to your heart’s delight this 11.1112.12, but also make the Christmas of underprivileged Filipino youth much more special,” Yu concluded.

D4

Thusday, Thursday,October October29, 29,2020 2020

BusinessMirror

NEW CISCO WEBEX INNOVATIONS HELP EMPLOYEES BE MORE PRODUCTIVE FROM ANYWHERE AND HELP COMPANIES PLAN FOR A SAFE RETURN TO THE OFFICE Global survey shows workers fear returning to the office and want better video meetings

T

By Karrie Ilagan Managing Director, Cisco Philippines

HE pandemic has dramatically changed how we work—and how we feel about going back to our offices.

According to a new global survey, 95% of workers are uncomfortable about returning to the office given the current health crisis, 98% expect future meetings will have participants joining from home, 53% of companies are planning to optimize their office footprint, and 96% want intelligent technology to improve work environments.

With that as the backdrop, Cisco’s collaboration group today announced innovations for both the remote and the in-office experience—to help teams stay safe and get great work done as companies navigate 2020 and beyond. With the goal of creating a 10x better meeting experience, innovations announced today are as follows: Making remote work 10x better than in person experiences: Webex meetings According to the survey, 58% say they will continue to work remotely eight or more days per month even after the pandemic is over—so it’s critical that companies nail the video meeting experience. Webex is full of features to help users before, during and after meetings. Today we add even more: - Show up the way you want.

Waiting in the lobby before you’re let into the meeting? Use that time to personalize how you’ll appear in the meeting. We’ve enlarged the view so you can clearly see how your background will appear—or select a virtual background. We’ve added more of those, too.

- Stop searching for how to ____ (fill in the blank). Our new, elegant design puts controls in the most logical place without covering shared content or your video —and even adapts to your screen size.

Want to chat with someone? Hover over them. Need to change your audio? Hover over yourself. Simple.

- Make it yours. Hate it when your screen fills with a big gray box because the person who is talking isn’t sharing video? Now you can tell Webex to hide nonvideo participants. This is just one of many new customizable options. Customize once, enjoy every meeting.

- End the background noise.

Distracting noise on Webex meetings is a thing of the past. By the end of this month, technology from our BabbleLabs acquisition will both quash the whirr of the vacuum and enhance the speaker’s voice so you can hear clearly. (Read related press release here.)

Technology to help workers safely return to the office— when it’s time Whether you think a return to the office is three, six or even 12 months away, companies know they must prepare now since far-reaching changes are needed. Companies need to optimize their space, address worker concerns about sanitation and social distancing and plan how to communicate policies and information clearly. Cisco is giving customers the data and tools to

make this journey back to the office. Specifically, we are adding: - Even more environmental sensors in Webex devices.

Cisco has pioneered the use of sensors in collaboration gear provide important environmental datapoints to users, IT and employee experience experts to ensure and safe and comfortable workplace. Previously we announced sensors that detect ambient noise levels and count the number of people in a space. These existing sensors—and the data they collect—become even more important now as they can identify underutilized or overcrowded spaces. Additional sensors will now also collect data on room temperature, humidity, air quality and light. Plus, we've made our people counting capabilities smarter. Thanks to machine learning, Webex will help ensure compliance with room capacity limits, counting people whether they are wearing face masks or not —no matter where they are in the room. Quickly identifying workspaces with environmental roadblocks lets companies take action to improve productivity and the quality of the meeting experience, for both in-office and remote participants.

- Webex Room Navigator: New devices for inside and outside meeting rooms.

Companies need a new approach to the meeting space to ensure safety and optimize use. We’re announcing today two versions of the new Webex Room Navigator.

These are purpose-built devices that contain all the sensors mentioned above. They sit either inside or outside the meeting room to provide intelligent, safe room booking for users and deep data for IT and facilities managers. The out-of-room model makes it simple to find and book a space to meet; it clearly shows when the room is free and changes the status to booked when you enter. Activate it with touch or—to avoid touching a possibly contaminated surface— just use your voice. The in-room model provides alerts for social distancing, cleaning schedules, and more and allows you to book from inside the space, too. Both versions have a digital signage mode—so companies can use the screens to convey important information. Even better: built-in “no-show” technology automatically senses if no one shows up for a scheduled meeting and frees up the room for another team’s use.

- Webex Control Hub: Deep, actionable workplace analytics.

Our survey highlighted that fewer than half of all companies can measure room

utilization, which means they lack the visibility needed to set proper cleaning schedules—a top concern of employees as they contemplate returning to the office. Webex Control Hub provides this much-needed visibility. Now it will provide historical insights into both room utilization and room environment metrics such as rooms booked but not used, median occupancy across all spaces, and ambient noise levels.

These insights provide actionable information for workplace decision makers to optimize real estate utilization.

Partner Integrations: Targeted value to protect employees even further.

We are announcing three integrations: - Digital signage and team communications with Appspace.

Integrated within Control Hub so it is super-simple to set up, Appspace gives companies dynamic and modern digital signage and team communications options both in the office and at home for workers with Webex Desk Pros.

- Collaboration insights with Vypota. Gain deeper, actionable insights across people, space, and technology for both in-office and remote collaboration. With Vyopta’s support of Cisco and third-party UC technologies, intelligently plan safe office returns and optimize collaboration experiences.

Wayfinding with MazeMap. If your meeting room hits its capacity for safe social distancing, our integration with MazeMap can help identify an additional nearby room that’s available and guide users to it, so your meeting can continue efficiently.

The Cisco Experience

Jeetu Patel, SVP and GM, Security & Applications Group, Cisco “The future of work will be hybrid: people will work in the home and corporate office to varying degrees depending on the nature of their jobs. Our mission is to make the Webex experience 10x better than in-person interactions.

And when people do have inperson interactions, we want Webex to make those experiences 10x better than before, with our deeply integrated collaboration devices and software stack.

The innovations we announced today are a great step forward in providing seamless collaboration to empower remote work in a secure way while also enabling a smart hybrid work experiences to enable safe returns to work.”

Ben Watt, Information Technology Services, The James Hutton Institute “Webex Room Navigator has a neat modern profile, which our colleagues will find intuitive and enjoy using - and can resist usage day in and day out. I can really see the value in the environmental metrics the Navigator provides, giving us new insights from its sensors that we didn't previously have.”

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15inQuarantine BusinessMirror

A SILVER LINING AMID PROBLEMS BESETTING DISTANCE LEARNING

Thursday, October 29, 2020 E1

Burnout for parents coping with work from home and being proxy teachers to children; stress for children dealing with Internet problems and many assignments; and too-rapid adjustments for teachers—despite these problems, online learning is helping shape character, strengthening relationships.

Continued on E4

E2

Thursday, October 29, 2020

15inQuarantine: Locked

Business

FROM GALLERY WALLS TO WEB PAGES: Art exhibits find new ways to present visual escapes

I

By Jt Nisay

T was an event that appeared “normal” enough, so to speak. Playing on loop in the backdrop was jazz instrumentals, while a set of speakers were tasked to deliver welcome remarks. There was even a fashionable delay.

Most, if not all, dealings in the arts require close, physical interaction between the artist and the audience. In the visual arts, given how prices of the pieces oftentimes cost a pretty penny, it’s understandable why patrons prefer to see their investments in the flesh— to critique each stroke, to feel every accompanying emotion—before shelling out the big bucks.

When the first lockdown orders were imposed in March, however, museums and art galleries were among the establishments banned to operate, based on Memorandum Circular 20-22 by the Department of Trade and Industry. The order dragged on for several months, forcing gallerists to find new ways of showcasing artworks. As with most industries, they flocked to the online space.

Virtual art appreciation

LUPANG Hinirang by Juanito Torres

Openings of art exhibitions typically comprise of such components, except that this one—the artist reception of painter Juanito Torres for his current show at Galerie Joaquin—was held recently under an ongoing global health crisis that continues to disrupt the way people live. Thus, other than the order of events and choice of playlist, there was hardly anything usual with the otherwise lively social gathering.

Guests were not even inside the gallery, where they have for so many times shared their love for the arts over alcohol, chatting about muses and trends. Rather, they were at home, watching the opening via conference call with their cameras off, leaving their screens blank.

All indications suggest that the art industry has been hard hit by the pandemic. Despite its ability to create realities, the arts and its stakeholders are not able to escape the crisis that afflicts this one.

ACCORDING to Elle Lucena, Kaida Contemporary gallery assistant, their calendar is often booked for at least a year in advance, leaving no room for delays or postponements. When the enhanced community quarantine orders were laid down on March 16, they decided to push through with their twin exhibits, titled Entomophily and Wombvox, by carrying them out online. They managed to meet the March 22 opening as scheduled.

“Considering the breadth of reach that technology and the Internet have on the world, we think that hosting online exhibitions would further our connection to artists, art collectors, institutions and art enthusiasts all over the country and the world,” she said.

More galleries followed suit. Ysobel Art Gallery also staged in May the debut solo show online of painter Nick Navarro, titled Tahan. According to Patrice Tiongco, who cofounded the art space in 2011 with his husband Mark, the digital format was well received by their audience.

“We appreciate how positive the people reacted to our online shows,” she said.

“They are very welcoming with the new idea and has been supportive from the start.”

Staging online art exhibitions usually involves photos of the artworks being uploaded on the galleries’ websites and social-media accounts. Over the summer, Art Cube Gallery took digital showcases to the next level, mounting their lineup of four one-man shows on artsteps, an online platform where organizations can create virtual art galleries in lifelike 3D spaces.

Viewers were taken to the virtual exhibition space designed in great detail

EXCESS Admiration by Mark Arcamo

that replicated an in-person art-viewing experience, replete with wall-hung artworks, as well as programmed trash bins and benches.

Even painted figures wear masks

THE pandemic changed not only the way how art shows are presented. It also influenced what’s being expressed on the canvas.

A great number of exhibitions staged in recent months dealt with artists’ introspection on the pandemic, tackling the pressures in the grim present and the uncertainties of the murky future.

“The series of lockdowns really affected my thoughts and behavior in ways I’ve never experienced before,” said painter Mark Arcamo. “There was even a time when I deactivated my social-media accounts just to prevent myself from overthinking. It was also hard to become conscious in my artistic process.”

Arcamo’s musings took form in his latest solo exhibition Gaining Ground. Beneath the artist’s signature visuals that involve the use of saccharine colors, geometric figures and montages that evoke compiled magazine cutouts, is a palpable sense of vulnerability, perhaps an attempt to draw in and connect with the viewer, to ultimately impart a message of hope.

“We have to manage our internal and external pressures in order to keep up,” he said. “And as we all take time to reflect on our personal role, on how to see the positive things even in the toughest times, I know that things will get better.”

Acts of kindness and images of optimism

THE Scream, Past and Present Tense by Juanito Torres

IN their own simple ways, artist groups and galleries have initiated efforts to indeed make things better. There have been countless art projects over the past seven months designed to assist struggling artists and support frontliners.

One was a fund drive in Baguio by the Good ACTS (Artists and Craftspeople Trust Support) that provided artists with basic relief and emergency packages. Overseas, proceeds of the virtual exhibit organized by the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt were handed to Filipino artists affected by the pandemic.

Frontliners are also often honored in artworks. Kim Magbanua, a 27-year-old nurse and artist from Negros Occidental, broke through Internet fame in April with her patriotic depiction of doctors and nurses. She painted the modern heroes using not a paintbrush, but a syringe. Meanwhile, in the aforementioned Juanito Torres exhibition, the artist chose to portray his usual subjects of Filipino heroes from Jose Rizal to Juan Luna as modern-day medical professionals in dramatic surrealism.

“Hopefully ang show na ito, ang paintings ko, ay magsilbing inspirasyon despite sa crisis na pinagdadaanan natin,” he said. “Ang mahalaga sa trabaho ng artist ay ’yung meron kang mai-share sa audience mo, na maaari mong maapektuhan ’yung buhay nila for the better.”

d Down But Looking Up

sMirror

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Combating illegal wildlife trade amid the pandemic

O

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

N October 11 the Bureau of Customs intercepted a live reticulated python from an outbound parcel in the warehouse of DHL, a German courier, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

The New York-bound parcel was declared as “wood curtains,” “lanterns” and “rattan basket”, except that the “rattan basket” contained the python, commonly known as sawa in the Philippines.

Wildlife law enforcers believe the smuggling attempt will happen again and again, especially now that the government has decided to soon ease the restriction on non-essential travels to open up the economy, and hopefully boost tourism and kickstart the economy after the long economic slump during the pandemic-forced lockdowns.

Community quarantine impacts

DESPITE the community quarantines that resulted in travel restrictions across the globe, the challenge posed by the illegal wildlife trade, a P50-billion-a-year industry in the Philippines, became even more alarming amid the public health emergency.

The environmental pressure is aggravated by the economic impact of the community quarantines that compelled tens of thousands of businesses to close shop, in the process rendering millions of Filipinos jobless, Nilo Tamoria, the chief of the DENR’s Environmental Protection and Enforcement Task Force (EPETF), said.

Tamoria said such economic situation gave rise to so-called “plantitos” and “plantitas” whose “hobby” and desire to cash in from “plant parenting” turned them into instant customers of enterprising Filipinos who have been gathering wild plants in the forests for easy cash.

“Before, we only go after traders of wild animals. Now, we are also busy going after plant poachers,” Tamoria said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Collection guidelines, special permits

UNDER the Wildlife Act, collecting plants in the forest, especially in Protected Areas, requires a special permit coming from the DENR, Assistant Secretary Ricardo Calderon, concurrent director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), said.

Otherwise, Calderon said those collecting plants, like those illegally catching wild animals, risk being slapped with penalties and fines under the law upon apprehension.

According to Calderon, collection permits are issued on condition that the collectors will not sell the plants they gathered, but may propagate and sell the progeny.

This, however, will require strict monitoring by the DENR. As such, the DENR official said the issuance of collector’s permits comes after due diligence.

Tamoria added that there’s a proposal to register wild plants by those who engage in propagation and trading. “Like animals, these plants should be registered so that we will know if they are progenies or legally acquired,” says Tamoria.

Beside, he said, not all plants —or even animals—can survive outside their natural habitats, a reason for DENR’s strict enforcement of the law.

IWT trends

EMERSON Y. SY, a researcher at the anti-wildlife trafficking nongovernment organization TRAFFIC, said that aside from the fact that the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) has worsened, the Covid-19

confiscated in Tondo, Manila, six Diamondback Terrapins, three African spurred Tortoises, 11 Black Pond Turtles, and 22 Redfooted Tortoises.

Four other operations in various parts of Metro Manila and Cainta, Rizal, between June 8 and August 25 resulted in the confiscation of agarwood derivatives weighing a total of 27.36 kilos. Agarwood is critically endangered and its derivatives are highly in demand. Because of its rare fragrance, it sells for as much as $30,000 per kilogram.

Despite the lockdowns forced by the pandemic, the illegal wildlife trade—a P50-billion-a-year criminal enterprise in the Philippines— has flourished even while migrating many operations online. But the good ones are staying a step ahead of them.

Online selling

pandemic and the community lockdowns in the Philippines saw the illegal wildlife trade shifting from Palawan species to Luzon species. Sy was referring to targeted bird species by traders catering to the illicit pet trade. As for reptiles, he said there was not much of a change or shift.

“Palawan wildlife is very dissimilar to the rest of the country. Palawan’s wildlife is more similar to that of Borneo,” he said.

To demonstrate, he said that in 2018, the top 5 illegally traded native birds were the Palawan Hill Myna, Blue-naped Parrot, Lowland White-eye, Philippine Hanging Parrot and Brahminy Kite. In 2019 it’s the Palawan Hill Myna, Black-naped Oriole, Blue-naped Parrot, Bluecrowned Racquet-tail and Largebilled Crow.

In 2020, from January to August, the top 5 illegally traded species are the Black-naped Oriole, White-eared Brown Dove, Philippine Hanging Parrot, Large-billed Crow and Pinknecked Green Pigeon.

Reduced mobility, checkpoints

THE new trend or shift from Palawan to Luzon birds as the target may be explained by the strict enforcement of the community quarantine rules where travel is greatly reduced. “Illegal wildlife traders have trouble smuggling species out of Palawan to mainland Luzon because there are too many checkpoints,” he said.

“Before, apprehensions involved Mynah and Blue-naped Parrots, but since the lockdown, more birds can be found in mainland Luzon.” This, he said, may be because of the fact that most traders are from mainland Luzon.

Although Palawan is politically part of Luzon, biogeographically Palawan does not belong to Luzon, that is why the wildlife on the island paradise can be considered rare or exotic, compared to that in mainland Luzon.

Another factor that can be considered as the reason for the shift of IWT from Palawan to mainland Luzon is the fact that law-enforcement activities have intensified more in Palawan specifically targeting those engaging in IWT.

Pandemic accomplishments

DESPITE the pandemic, the BMB’s Wildlife Confiscation Record reveals substantial accomplishments. Apprehensions include exotic animals such as the seizure of two Serval Cats, Ducorp Cockatoo, Blue and Gold Macaw on May 5 in Antipolo, Rizal; A White-breasted Sea Eagle, 2 Brahminy Kites, a Changeable Hawk-Eagle seized on June 6, in Santa Mesa, Manila.

On July 9, authorities also

MEANWHILE, noticeable is the fact that many people are now into online selling, including bird traps.

According to Sy, the strict enforcement of community quarantines had somehow benefited the fight against illegal wildlife trade.

Because of this, he said there was a shift of the market from physical to online.

“This should be a cue for law enforcers to also shift monitoring and enforcement online.” In particular, he said law enforcers should be monitoring Facebook, jabbing at the social-media platform’s failure to curb illegal selling of wild-caught animals and even equipment that can be used to catch them in the wild.

“The biggest challenge now is [that] Facebook is not doing enough to shut down groups and accounts engaged in illegal trade on its platform,” he said.

According to Sy, the DENR through the BMB is monitoring social media actively. However, he said “they need more staff since there are hundreds of wildlife trade groups on Facebook.”

According to Sy, IWT is a demand-driven market. “Buyers dictate what wild species are desirable [endangered, perceived to be rare] and the price,” he said.

The fight continues

EVEN though it is the agency mandated to enforce various environmental laws, DENR is compelled to operate under strict quarantine rules set by the InterAgency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

The DENR has been operating with a skeletal workforce until now, while the rest are on a work-from-home scheme. But that has not stopped the illicit activities of unscrupulous people at the expense of the country’s threatened wildlife—both plants and animals.

The implementation and enforcement of environmental laws saw no hindrance and obstacles even with the Covid-19 pandemic, Tamoria said.

“We have established a network of assets for information and intelligence gathering, be it from reports directly addressed to the office, anonymous tips and posts from social-media platforms,” he said.

In coordination with other law-enforcement agencies, the EPETF has significantly apprehended environmental offenders and confiscated illegally traded wildlife and agarwood, notwithstanding threats from armed and dangerous criminals.

According to Tamoria, the only way to effectively fight illegal wildlife trade—the fourth largest transnational crime next to drugs, arms and human trafficking—is by establishing a law-enforcement unit dedicated to fighting environmental crimes. He is referring to the proposed bill creating the Environmental Protection and Enforcement Bureau which is gaining traction in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

He said the only way to fight environmental crimes is by creating an enforcement bureau specializing in the enforcement of various environmental laws.

“That is why we are pushing for the enactment of a law that will create a separate enforcement bureau within the DENR to fight environmental crimes, particularly the illegal wildlife trade,” he said.

E3

BLACK-NAPED Oriole ZEYTUN IMAGES | DREAMSTIME.COM

LARGE-BILLED Crow DAVID HAVEL | DREAMSTIME.COM

PINK-NECKED Green Pigeon KAJORNYOT | DREAMSTIME.COM

15inQuarantine BusinessMirror

E4 Thursday, October 29, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

A silver lining amid problems besetting distance learning

T

By Anne Ruth P. Dela Cruz*

HE decision of Waynesville Learning Center, a private school in Bacoor, Cavite, that caters to elementary and high-school students, to adopt online distance learning was not made overnight.

According to Sherill P. De Jesus, the school’s Assistant Directress, a series of consultations with the school’s stakeholders was initiated as early as May. Online surveys were conducted among the members of the school community “to ascertain their perspective of distance learning.” Additionally, the school came up with its Learning Continuity Plan, which was the result of a lot of study and research on online distance learning.

“Despite the challenges that we faced, the school decided to offer online distance learning for school year 20202021 because we were certain that we were capable of delivering effective and engaging online training experiences to our students,” De Jesus said.

The decision was met with resistance, especially from parents who seriously considered not enrolling their children for the school year. The teachers were also wary about this new mode of teaching because they feared that they might not be able to cope with the changes in the educational system.

“Initially, the learners and their parents felt distressed and disoriented about the idea of online distance learning,” De Jesus related. “Since it involved technology, most parents

ly “restricted inside the four walls of their homes.

“They cannot go out and do the usual things like they were doing in school before,” she said. “They became more attached to the Internet because that was the only way for them to socialize and meet their friends.”

While children were still trying to get used to the idea of learning from home, psychologist Camille C. Garcia noted that most children can easily absorb videos and audio visual learning, which makes them feel comfortable having classes over a short period of time.

She added that children were gaining knowledge without much difficulty because they were doing so with the use of gadgets, something that the children are used to. However, Garcia pointed out that what caused much stress was “exacerbation of the disparity between the children who have and those who have not.”

“Due to the pandemic, a lot of families cannot afford to buy the needed educational and technological tools to study,” she said. “This dilemma, which was absorbed by the children, caused a negative effect on online learning. Tantrums can also be noted when poor WiFi services occur.”

More active role

thought they would not be able to keep up with online learning and at the same time it would be burdensome on their part to teach and assist their children at home.

Life changing

DE JESUS described online distance learning as “life changing” for the children because “they were sudden-

FOR parents, online distance learning meant that they would be playing a more active role in educating their children. Garcia noted that because of this, parents would be more prone to burnout. “Since children have been confined in their homes for almost eight months now, parents begin to emotionally distance themselves from their children even though it’s the start of the school year.”

Garcia said, “More time is needed to help children understand their lessons and it is quite difficult for parents who cannot also comprehend the lesson, as well as the difficulty of being a techie parent.”

to-face teaching but for the meantime, they will deliver their online lessons to the best of their abilities.”

Adaptable, receptive

MAXXYUSTAS | DREAMSTIME.COM

Continued from E1

Parents, she added, “tend to become impatient and they feel they are losing a sense of accomplishment if children cannot get the lesson right.”

However, Garcia added that one good thing about parents taking part in their children’s online learning activities is that they can help lessen the problem of bullying and cyberbullying.

“Parents should assist and guide them with their lessons and not answer the assignments to get good grades,” she said. “At this point, parents getting involved in children’s learning should be a model of honesty and diligence.”

Teachers’ apprehension

IF there is one group that has been affected by online distance learning, it is the teachers. According to De Jesus, the teachers at Waynesville were initially apprehensive about this new mode of teaching.

“However, with the right mindset coupled with the proper emotional and professional support, the teachers were able to overcome this feeling and stayed focused on their goal of ensuring that education will continue despite the pandemic.”

According to Garcia, teachers should see online distance learning

as a learning experience since this will make them more creative and resourceful when they try to impart the lessons to the students with enthusiasm. They will also motivate their students to see that learning is fun under any situation.

“Despite the difficulty in seeing

the physical behavior of children, teachers can be more observant and less judgmental of their students’ conduct,” Garcia said. “They can modify the activities or modify the way modules are presented if they observe that their students are experiencing difficulties.”

When the Department of Education announced on August 14, 2020, that the opening of the new school year would be moved to October 5, 2020, De Jesus said the school management decided to stick to the original school year opening of August 24, 2020. This came after De Jesus clarified with DepEd that private schools would be allowed to push through with the August 24 opening.

“We were all surprised because we only experienced minor problems.

Although the teachers are still adjusting with this new modality, they are now more confident conducting online classes,” she said. “They still prefer face-

WITH two months of online classes, De Jesus would like to see their students becoming more adaptable and receptive to change “because change is the only constant in this world.”

“They have to be tough, creative and dynamic and should never lose their integrity and sense of empathy for others,” she said.

For her part, Garcia believes that the children’s listening skills will be enhanced through online distance learning “since this is badly needed when you really want to learn.” She added that the child’s attention and concentration span can also be developed as this will help him be more focused on his studies.

She cautioned, though, that some children might develop the burnout syndrome due to assignment overload and activities that need to be submitted with a deadline.

“Adjustment can be slow and indecipherable at this time, but children are more resilient in being able to cope with the change in learning,” she said. “A possible increase in stress and anxiety levels can occur, but knowing the negative effects and modification in online learning can be done in due time which children can adapt.”

As for the teachers, De Jesus strongly believes that “teachers are the most resilient people in society today.” No matter the obstacle that they face, De Jesus says teachers will definitely find ways to overcome it.

“With or without Covid-19, teachers will always be inspired to teach because they put their hearts into it,” she said. “They will always serve as God’s instrument for children to have meaningful and purposeful lives.”

*Anne Ruth P. Dela Cruz is editor of BusinessMirror’s Health & Fitness Section.

15inQuarantine BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, October 29, 2020 F1

IN this May 22, 2018, file photo Philippine Navy SEALS make their final assault as they simulate a rescue operation during the 120th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Navy in Pasay City. AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ

AFP ‘RELENTLESS’ IN FACE OF

COVID SECURITY THREATS A good chunk of its budget for vital hardware upgrade given up for more funds for Covid response, the Armed Forces of the Philippines remains upbeat in its task, even as it copes with having its own frontliners infected by the virus.

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By Rene Acosta

HE Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore what is shaping up to be a bigger challenge for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), even as the 150,000-strong organization has to contend with internal and external security threats.

At the frontlines, a good number of soldiers were infected by the virus, consequently affecting the operational efficiency of the military. Even the funding of the AFP’s modernization program was not spared since certain funds allotted previously to acquire military hardware had to be realigned to respond to the Covid-19 public health crisis

According to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, about P19.3 billion in unobligated modernization funds for this year were realigned to help finance the government’s efforts to contain the spread of the virus, thus putting on hold at least 15 military procurements.

Among the acquisitions that were deferred for next year, or even in the next succeeding years, are five big-ticket items that included landing dock vessels for the Navy, with an allocation of P800 million, and medium-lift aircraft for the Air Force with a P264-million allotment.

It also included the P3.5-billion C4ISTAR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) vehicle acquisition worth P2.2 billion and the procurement of light tanks worth P1.4 billion, all for the Army.

Officials said other equally important procurements have been sidelined as the military directed its focus, both in terms of personnel and resources, to battling the pandemic, and this included the planned purchase of the supersonic Brahmos missile.

Taking the brunt

AS the disease bugged the military and its acquisition, concerns were raised that it could make the heaviest impact on the

Navy, the unit in charge of securing the country’s maritime waters, including the West Philippine Sea, and the principal beneficiary of the modernization.

Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo has admitted that Covid-19 has affected the Navy and the impact may very well include its capability upgrade program.

“The second frigate, BRP Antonio Luna (FF151), was supposed to be delivered last September, but is now expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2021,” he said, referring to the other South Korean-built warship for the Navy.

The delivery of the first missile-capable Fast Attack Interdiction Craft (FAIC) ordered from Israel has also been moved due to the pandemic.

“The delivery of the first of eight Fast Attack Interdiction Craft-Missile (Shaldag), which should have been December this year, has been delayed mainly due to the stoppage of work in shipyards worldwide and the restrictions on travel in view of the pandemic,” Bacordo said.

The FAICs, four of which will be built in the country and the other four in Israel, are projected to replace the ageing gunboats of the Navy.

“The virus has indeed affected the operations of the Navy but we are learning to adapt as we go along,” Bacordo said.

“We are still able to achieve our operational targets, albeit in a modified manner, considering that we still need to adhere to Covid protocols even while performing our duties aboard ship, on aircraft or in offices in our naval bases,” he added.

The Navy chief said that among other precautions, they have been taking steps

to prevent the spread of the virus, such as the conduct of regular health checkups and tests of personnel and disinfecting of their offices, ships, aircraft, cargo and deliveries.

Bacordo said they have also been requiring passengers of their various platforms and even visitors to their offices to show medical proof that they are not infected with the virus.

He said the Navy is also “limiting the time of stay of Navy ships in various ports of call outside naval bases and restricting the travel of crew ashore.” For Navy ships transporting civilian passengers, the ship’s crew are segregated from passengers until the point of “debarkation.”

In pursuit of mandate

WITH the military performing frontline roles for the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) against the Covid, the Navy has already transported more than 870 tons of personal protective equipment, medical supplies and food packs from sources, both local and abroad, and had helped to distribute them around the country using Navy vessels, aircraft and land vehicles.

Likewise, it has transported more than 800 locally stranded individuals from Manila to different major ports in the country, “and from regional ports to other regional ports.”

“The Philippine Navy is relentless in its efforts to support the government [effort to] contain the Covid-19 virus. Contingency plans were crafted in order to address the requirements of the IATF since the Covid-19 pandemic was announced in March 2020 and all throughout the various stages of community quarantine in the country,” Bacordo said.

Like any personnel at the forefront of the battle against the spread of the virus, at least 1,079 Navy personnel have contracted the disease. But of the number, 979 have already recovered while 98 are considered as active cases. Two personnel have also died.

“Our citizens can rest assured that their Navy is up to the challenge of confronting this pandemic head-on and that the Philippine Navy will continue to perform its mandate of securing our maritime borders in order to uphold the sovereignty of our nation,” Bacordo said.

15inQuarantine BusinessMirror

F2 Thursday, October 29, 2020

Uganda’s ‘taxi divas’ rise from Covid-19’s economic gloom

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Japan youngster starts volunteer online message counseling

KOKI OZORA, a college student who started a nonprofit called “Anata no Ibasho,” or “A Place for You,” poses for a photo in his office in Tokyo, October 2, 2020. AP/HIRO KOMAE

By Yuri Kageyama The Associated Press

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NANAH SHEENAZ, a driver with Uganda’s new all-female ride-hailing service Diva Taxi, drives clients from their work to their home in Kampala, Uganda, September 30, 2020. AP/RONALD KABUUBI

By Rodney Muhumuza

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The Associated Press

AMPALA, Uganda—The women grappled with each other inside the vehicle. The driver jerked to ease the grip around her neck, then turned to elbow her attacker in the back seat. She flung the door open to make her escape, ending the simulated attack.

“This one is too strong for me,” the attacker said, smiling and shaking her head. Then it was another woman’s turn in the exercise to prepare drivers for Uganda’s new all-female ride-hailing service, Diva Taxi.

The taxi service, dreamed up by a local woman who lost her logistics job at the start of the coronavirus outbreak, was launched in June and has recruited over 70 drivers. They range from college students to mothers hoping to make good use of their secondhand Toyotas.

“It started off as a joke, supported by close friends and family, but eventually the idea picked up,” said company spokeswoman Rebecca Makyeli. “They said, ‘Why not? As ladies, you know we can no longer slay on Instagram on the outside, so why don’t we slay as divas with a cause.’ So we called it Diva Taxi.”

It’s uncommon to find women taxi drivers in Uganda, a socially conservative East African country where most women labor on farms or pursue work in the informal sector.

Diva Taxi believes countless women are looking for job opportunities at a time of severe economic distress. The International Labor Organization has said women’s employment in developing countries is likely to be hit harder than men’s in the pandemic.

“I should say I was personally affected by Covid,” Diva Taxi founder Gillian Kobusingye said.

A regular traveler, she found herself grounded indefinitely as authorities imposed restrictions on movement to slow the spread of the virus.

For several weeks, even taxis were not authorized to operate in Uganda.

REBECCA MAKYELI (right), spokeswoman for Diva Taxi, trains new drivers in self-defense skills in Kampala, Uganda, September 28, 2020. AP/RONALD KABUUBI

Still, Kobusingye felt optimistic.

“Despite whatever circumstance in the world, there will be need of something to reach somebody.... And how does that happen? Through transport,” she said.

She believed that a woman seeking to become a driver was likely to want the opportunity more than any man. And she backed women to be more reliable.

“Our ladies are extremely hardworking, very motivated, and I like their sense of pride when they do this work,” she said. “They do it with one heart compared to other people, and that’s the difference we have with our competitors.”

Some clients, who include men, agree.

“The divas are always on time,”

said Kampala-based auditor Jemimah Bamwebaze, a regular user. She also feels safer “being driven by a fellow woman.”

A prospective driver must have a car in good condition and a smartphone equipped with the mobile app that clients use, along with a valid driver’s license and a certificate of good conduct issued by Interpol.

With Diva Taxi, 85 percent of proceeds from a trip go to the driver, strikingly low in Uganda but part of a plan to size up the market, Makyeli said.

Driver Donna Ochen, a FedEx accountant furloughed in March who looks after three children, said she had been “doing nothing” at home when she saw a Diva Taxi employee on television discussing opportunities for women. With the consent of her skeptical husband, she contacted the company and was recruited.

“I decided to take it up because it would be an opportunity for me to serve and earn and support my family,” Ochen said. And “it would empower me to do something for myself rather than sitting.”

Another driver, college student Tracy Abola, said her mother, a teacher, had been out of work since schools were shut down in March. Abola had been driving a 1998 Toyota “to keep

up appearances with friends” until she learned she could make money with Diva Taxi.

“So I decided to do something so that I can also help a bit at home,” she said.

The Diva Taxi app has been downloaded at least 500 times, and each of the company’s 72 drivers makes an average of 30 rides each week, Makyeli said. The company expects to have 2,000 active users by the end of this year, a modest target in a city of over 3 million people where taxis and passenger motorcycles are the main means of transport for the working class.

Despite the security training— each driver also receives a canister of pepper spray—safety remains a concern.

Ochen said she drives only during the day “to avoid being caught up in any tricky situations,” including with drunken groups.

Even as she hopes to return to her job as an accountant, she plans to remain a Diva Taxi driver for as long as possible.

“We love what we are doing and it’s really fun,” said founder Kobusingye, an occasional driver herself. “I can’t wait to partner with every woman out there that’s willing to be part of Diva Taxi.”

OKYO—Suicides are on the rise among Japanese teens and that worries 21-yearold Koki Ozora, who grew up depressed and lonely.

His nonprofit “Anata no Ibasho,” or “A Place for You,” is run entirely by volunteers. It offers a 24-hour text-messaging service for those seeking a sympathetic ear, promising to answer every request—within five seconds for urgent ones.

The online Japanese-language chat service has grown since March to 500 volunteers, many living abroad in different time zones to provide counseling during those hours when the need for suicide prevention runs highest, between 10 p.m. and the break of dawn.

What makes Ozora’s idea work during the pandemic is that it’s all virtual, including training for volunteers. Online volunteer services are rare in Japan.

“This really gives me hope,” Ozora said of the flood of volunteers. “They tell me they just had to do something.”

A Keio University student, Ozora designed the site setup, which allows more experienced staff to supervise the counseling.

Anonymity is protected.

Anata no Ibasho has received more than 15,000 online messages asking for help, or about 130 a day.

The most common ones are about suicide, at about 32 percent, while 12 percent deal with stress over raising children. The goal is to offer a solution within 40 minutes, including referrals to shelters and police.

The messages speak of deep pain. They confess to fears about killing own children. Another talks about self-hate after being sexually abused by a parent.

Contrary to the stereotype of Japan as harmonious, families are increasingly splintered. A recent OECD study found Japan ranks among the highest in the world in suffering isolation, when measuring the contact individuals have with other people.

Japan has about 50 suicides a day, a woman is killed once every three days by her partner or for-

Japan has about 50 suicides a day, a woman is killed once every three days by her partner or former partner, and 160,000 cases of child abuse get reported a year, according to government and UN data. mer partner, and 160,000 cases of child abuse get reported a year, according to government and UN data. Several celebrities’ deaths by suicide this year have raised alarm.

Counseling through online chats can be a challenge, because all you have are words, said Sumie Uehara, a counselor who volunteers at Anata no Ibasho.

People tend to blame themselves, stuck in a negative spiral, unable to sort out their emotions, said Uehara.

“You don’t ever negate their feelings or try to solve everything in a hurry. You’re just there to listen, and understand,” she said.

Ozora feels Japan still hasn’t fully grasped the difference between a healthy sense of solitude and loneliness, which can get desperate.

His high-school teacher was the first adult he could trust.

“Without him, I wouldn’t even be around today. It was a miracle I came across him,” said Ozora, adding he wants to offer that miracle to others.

Takashi Fujii, the teacher, noticed Ozora never laughed. He tried to tell him he cared and get him excited about things in life, anything, Fujii recalled.

Ozora has begun compiling data from Anata no Ibasho for a research project. He hopes to pursue graduate studies in the UK, a world leader in tackling the public health issue, with a minister for loneliness since 2018.

But his biggest dream is to have a happy family.

“I never had that,” he said.

“There is a father, and there is a mother. The children are happy and can do whatever they want. It’s an everyday family. But, if anything, that is what I want the most.”

Thursday, October 29, 2020 F 3

NOT only can residents take a stroll within the Commonwealth property at the expansive Great Lawn. They can have their own outdoor space they can enhance and relish, too.

Get Two Living Areas at Commonwealth by Century

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ITH trips outside limited to running errands, we’re all yearning to step outside even for just a few minutes to soak up some sun and welcome a new day.

At Commonwealth by Century in Quezon City, this is possible while still prioritizing one’s health and safety. Not only can residents take a stroll within the property at the expansive Great Lawn, they can have their own outdoor space they can enhance and relish, too.

Units at Commonwealth by Century come with spacious balconies that can easily be styled and furnished according to your needs. Here, the balcony isn’t just an afterthought! It is roomy enough to let you create a work-from-home nook, an exercise area, and even a kiddie corner for the little ones. Simply put, it’s like getting a second living area for the price of one. The possibilities are endless – all you have to do is take advantage of the space and make it your own.

How else can you maximize a usable balcony? Let us count the ways: EVEN without leaving the comforts of your couch, you can still secure your Commonwealth by Century unit! Using your computer or mobile phone, visit www.commonwealthbycentury.com to learn more about the property, take a virtual tour of the units, and have a real-time chat with an agent. With easy

SIP your coffee while taking in the view.

UNPLUG and read a book or two.

payment terms you can avail, owning your Century home in the city can be a reality. The bonus? All transactions can be done online.

Located in Don Antonio Drive, Brgy.

Batasan Hills in Commonwealth, Quezon City, The Residences at Commonwealth

by Century brings you closer to malls, schools, hospitals, and other commercial establishments. With the nearest mall only a few minutes away, you can run errands efficiently and be home in an instant. The Don Antonio station of the upcoming MRT Line 7 is also a 5-minute walk away – making it easier for residents to reach other business hubs and cities in the Metro.

To learn more about Commonwealth

by Century and see the virtual tours, log on to www.commonwealthbycentury.com.

For questions and inquiries, email ask@ century-properties.com or call (63) 9175555-274.

START your own business from home.

BRING out your inner plantita

DINE al fresco and indulge in your favorite food.

LET the kids play outside by carving out a play/study nook.

CLOCK in and breeze through your to-do list for the day.

CATCH up with friends and schedule a Zoom party.

WORK on finding your inner balance

15inQuarantine BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, October 29, 2020 G1

‘OLD-SCHOOL’ WAYS THING OF THE PAST, AS…

Pandemic paves new learning landscapes Interviews by Rizal Raoul S. Reyes, Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco & Mike Policarpio

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UIET rooms, empty halls, serene school grounds…

For Kindergarten Head Lanie Bautista of Fortress College in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, that meant no more playful and happy pupils running around to hug and kiss her a good morning every day.

discounts. Miscellaneous fees, meanwhile, were adjusted for the period when no in-person classes are held.

DLSU took advantage of the sixweek delay in the opening of the next trimester by providing further honing of its faculty members on online pedagogy, and for them to develop online course materials. Some of them were trained and recruited to beef up the support personnel for online courses. Moreover, they were given more time to develop online courses under a de-loading scheme.

As the opening of Academic Year (AY) 2020-2021 was moved to October, incoming freshmen who wanted to get a head start were invited to enroll for Term 3 of AY 2019-2020. It effectively offset the 10-percent drop in current students’ enrollment.

In terms of the school’s operations, ban on in-person classes limited the offering of certain types of courses. But some laboratory sessions were eventually offered on a remote-learning mode. Students’ theses, especially where laboratories are needed, were hampered because students could not go to campus.

Beyond the pandemic

FORTRESS College’s Kindergarten Head Lanie Bautista

“I miss the children more and more each day,” admitted “Madame Lanie”, as she said she is still adjusting to the new normal.

Bautista and many other educators may have to kiss those days goodbye—in the meantime, that is—and for multitudes of students under their wing, as they have to meet with them face to face, albeit through pixels and streaming data. From here on, instructional learning will have to be done outside the four walls of classrooms and within the confines of LCD screens.

This scenario will turn school campuses into no-man’s land—no thanks to a malevolent virus that has not only infected many and the whole of mankind, but also the realm of mainstream learning as we know it. Beyond the delivery of lessons, learning institutions will have to cope with drastic changes: from teaching methodologies, to “right-sizing” manpower—or even the possibility of a closure.

In September the Department of Education (DepEd) conducted a survey on private schools that were forced to shut down due to low number of enrollees.

Results revealed there were 865 private schools who had to suspend operations for this school year, from about an original number of 14,000.

“We are validating the results, [as there were duplicate responses from schools.

There are respondents which] are not in the Basic Education Information System,” Education Undersecretary for Planning, Human Resource and Organizational DevelopmentField Operations Jesus Mateo told the BusinessMirror. “But we are using the initial figures to make projections [for] Bayanihan 2 beneficiaries.”

To prevent primary schools from suffering the worst, Mateo confirmed that the government, with a pledge from DepEd, will be providing financial assistance to private elementary and high schools nationwide.

Just like any sector in our society, education is also experiencing a situation described as having volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, or what is modernly termed as “VUCA”—no thanks to the pandemic, and perhaps because of the failure of some institutions to respond immediately and adequately to the crisis.

Like it or not, our private education institutions will be forced to embrace transitions, innovate through technology and revolutionize its operations. But for Madame Lanie and her fellow educators, students, parents and relevant stakeholders, it would be perhaps easier said than done, as various efforts will have to be set in place to effect efficiency and ensure successful shifts from the “old school” way of doing things.

The following is a set of narratives from officials of eight private schools who have generously shared their blueprints while currently blazing trails in treading this new landscape for local learning.

De La Salle University: Future-proofed

WITH the pandemic expected to persist for a long time, DLSU is now gearing up on improving its systems, including those online, to further enable community building even on remote learning mode.

We also continue to focus on further improvement of the remote learning experience.

Revenues declined due to the reduction in miscellaneous fees and tuition discounts. Nevertheless, DLSU remains in a good financial condition. We are now preparing for a phased return to campus.

Feedback from students and faculty on the initial response was critical in the development of the engaged remotelearning plan which we implemented the following trimester. DLSU introduced changes along the way to address the gaps. But overall, things are much better now, faculty are keen on making remote learning work better, and students are adapting to the new mode of teaching.

Vast improvements underway

Dr. Robert Roleda, Vice Chancellor for Academics

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WO years prior to the pandemic, we have already adopted Canvas as our learning management system (LMS). It proved advantageous during the trimester, when pandemic struck, that 30 percent of our faculty members were already engaged in blended learning.

About a year ago, DLSU had already implemented online learning when physical classes got suspended. We went online during Taal Volcano became active. We were preparing for its re-eruption, but the pandemic struck instead.

It was the same situation when Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso suspended classes. When the lockdown was imposed by the national government, it became clear that we were likely to end the trimester on online mode.

Addressing challenges

TO address the connectivity issue, DLSU encouraged asynchronous webbased education, where students can study at their own pace. However, the university realized a one-size-fits-all concept will not be applicable in the long run, and that not all students are ready for self-directed learning traditionally associated with online learning.

For the next trimester, we shifted to an engaged online-learning mode, emphasizing the engagement of students with the teacher, with their classmates, and with the content. Likewise, the university also provided connectivity support to students and faculty, including provision or loan of computers, and support for Internet connection.

To help deal with the rigors and stresses of online learning, students and faculty received virtual counseling and telepsychology services to help them face health-related mental challenges to the pandemic.

To ease the financial burden of students and parents, the university decided to provide financial help through tuition

REMOTE learning this trimester has improved a lot, compared to the previous trimester, and we expect to polish things off with the third run. Being a new method, remote learning still has a lot of room for improvement.

Aside from the LMS, DLSU is setting its sights on improving systems on the business side. We are expecting additional platforms to enhance the learning experience, and university life as a whole, in a remote-learning environment. These include cloud-based apps for laboratories and social networking for the academic community.

Positively, the pandemic has hastened DLSU’s plans on online learning.

The post-pandemic ecosystem will be quite different. That is what we are also preparing for. We hope the government will view things from this perspective as well, and not impose pre-pandemic rules when we emerge from this crisis.

De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute: Defying odds

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S announced in August, our institution thankfully hit its target number of enrollees, which is the biggest in its history. In fact, we exceeded that mark with 400 excess students, to be exact, notwithstanding the Covid-19 scare.

Per approved budget, the school’s operations have positive cashflow, all capital expenditures and operational

expenses have been considered. Most important, the number of employees remains the same, with no cases of retrenchment and redundancy. With the new number of learners, we actually had to hire more faculty members. As such, we were able to produce jobs, which we consider a positive impact amid the otherwise challenging scenario.

Tech teaching

IN the conduct of the Home-Based Alternative Learning Modalities (HBALMs), we have anticipated that Internet connectivity and availability of gadgets will be an issue. We conducted a survey among our students on who would really be needing help acquiring these educational devices. After careful screening, colleges and departments submitted their respective lists. Subsequently, the institute had provided iPads and pocket WiFi units to identified students.

With regard to HBALMs, part of the measures established in academics is the submission of monthly feedback both from faculty and students which, to date, they have already embraced. They are now regularly attending classes.

Conduct of classes was also done both synchronously and asynchronously.

This is also a challenge, especially with appropriate teaching strategies and learning platforms in place. We have conducted a series of training and webinars for all faculty members, such as the optimal utilization of the Blackboard OpenLMS for undergraduate colleges, Canvas for senior high school, and Moodle for the College of Medicine.

We also subscribed to Collaborate and WebEx for synchronous sessions, Praxilabs for the biochemistry students’ laboratory sessions, PhysioEx9 and DxR Clinician for the simulation classes in medicine, virtual community engagements for community medicine, virtual demonstrations and online internship, ZOOM subscriptions for all colleges, and a lot more.

Investments were also made in online subscriptions for our library, such as the Open Athens, Complete Anatomy, Access Medicine, Access Pharmacy, Access PhysioTherapy, Clinical Key, Clinical Key for Nursing, Ebscohost, NetAnatomy, Ovid Clinical Edge, Proquest, Science Direct, Thieme Med One, UptoDate, Wiley, and a lot more.

There had been no hard decisions made because we have hit our targets.

We just have to introduce some creative measures to address the demands of the new normal.

Tech fatigue?

SOME observations we have noted so far: (1) Students prefer to have more synchronous engagements, though they warrant breaks for sessions; (2) They ask for more time in answering and completing their assessments; (3) They prefer more live discussions and consultations; (4) Requests are made for the number of assessments and requirements to be lessened; (5) Also, for class schedules to be improved, especially those slated very early and very late; (6) Students made mention of “technology fatigue.”

To address these issues, we have decided to improve class scheduling this coming semester, specific time allotment for every synchronous session versus an asynchronous one, study the quality and quantity of the assessments and requirements given, and if possible, set a collaboration where some courses will just come up with one requirement.

Effective first semester of School Year (SY) 2020-2021, we will have what we call “wellness breaks.” To be scheduled by our respective colleges and departments, they will be implemented with strict considerations: (1) No synchronous and asynchronous sessions the whole day; (2) No learning assessments to be required of the students; (3) No scheduled learning outputs; and (4) Faculty members have the opportunity to fully detach from any school-related functions and activities—including meetings and student consultations.

Juanito O. Cabanias, LPT, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Academics

Recommendations

CLASSES should continue, and hopefully the government will be able to coordinate well with Commission on Higher Education and with the teaching hospitals, especially now that hospital internship has been suspended.

As a medical school, we would also like to know the safety measures established by the different hospitals, so we can study them and discuss with parents and students, in case we will allow the conduct of an internship this coming second semester.

We likewise need to inform the Professional Regulations Commission, or the PRC, that they should already release the schedules of the licensure examinations across disciplines. It should also study the possibility of conducting an online board examination.

University of Santo Tomas: Harnessing the power of communication

Year (AY) 2020-2021 be delivered through an Enriched Virtual mode, wherein classes are delivered remotely utilizing online (synchronous and asynchronous) and offline strategies (for students with no capacity or Internet connectivity).

Enrichment is done through one or a combination of several means, such as, but not limited to: (1) Learning from more than one instructor of the course through team-teaching approaches; (2) Online interaction with industry partners and alumni for the development of professional competencies in the new normal; (3) Online learning with foreign partner-institutions through collaborative work with faculty and students; and (4) Online encounters with community partners in the absence of actual fieldwork opportunities.

Classes that are residential, or face to face, are likewise planned to be utilized to enrich remote instruction once government regulations allow such, subject to strict implementation of public health standards, to ensure safety of all stakeholders.

Real challenges

IT was a real tug-of-war on who would triumph between UST finding a way for Thomasian students to continue classes despite the pandemic, and the students’ clamor to end the second term and refund the unused fees. Almost all local universities felt such a scenario.

Forms of encouragement to continue the remaining class days by online classes were to no avail in convincing them to accept the university’s plan wholeheartedly. Reasons such as poor Internet connectivity, emotional and psychological stress because of the pandemic that makes one unfit to study seriously, the physical make-up of homes that do not create a place conducive to learning, were just a few on the long list of reasons for justifications to discontinue classes.

Fr. Jesus Jay Miranda, OP, Secretary-General

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EING a comprehensive university, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) is home to about 40,000 students each year. When the pandemic caught everyone by surprise, alarm and panic ensued. For some unprepared academics, they resorted to what is called “panicgogy” (panicking + pedagogy), a term coined by Morris and associates from the University of Colorado.

To address the many concerns in its operations and services at the onset of the health crisis, the university has capitalized on its human resources and immediately adopted a Planning-Working Group model. The planning group, comprised of Task Force VERITAS, or Viable Emergency Response Initiatives for Thomasian Academics and Stakeholders, was primed to respond to the queries of stakeholders—especially academic concerns of students, and propose plans for the upcoming academic year in the delivery of educational services and in the context of a new normal.

The task force identified issues and concerns pertinent to the university’s directional areas, and recommendations for implementation by the concerned administrative and academic units proactively kept the gradual shift in operations and services going, from the usual faceto-face, interim and fully online services.

Enriched virtual mode

THE university’s online classes are anchored with an existing LMS called Blackboard, an educational strategy tested for more than a decade. For the past three years, the assistance of the Educational Technology Center and the Office of the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs to majority of faculty members in fully delivering their courses online via the UST Cloud Campus has proven successful.

In an online learning environment, the students are not directly monitored by teachers; hence, learning has changed.

This setup is considered alarming by educators who have not taken advantage of technology as a complementary tool in the standard classroom-based instructional delivery. However, for many of the faculty members who earlier integrated technology in their instructional praxis, the shift to online teaching became an opportunity for “mentoring the mentors.” This gradual transition to online classes was facilitated by e-learning specialists per faculty and college.

The university’s Academic Senate has been instrumental in defining a principle that determines the mode of instructional delivery, in the context of a new normal: “a mode of instruction rooted in the principles of communion and encounter that promotes dialogue, and ensures accessibility and flexibility in learning.” Further, the body approved that instruction for the first term of Academic

Communications plan as key

UST’S communications plan played a significant role in overcoming challenges.

Internal stakeholders were informed through e-mail blasts about plans and upcoming activities. We issued a guiding principle for instructional delivery mode discussed among faculty members as a basis for decisions and actions for teaching and learning. External stakeholders were provided with clear infographics, FAQs, process-flow algorithms, and advisories.

The constant communication between the Central Student Council with the vice-rector for academic affairs, as well as between the local student councils and the deans of the various faculties and colleges, paved the way in addressing specific concerns.

In the end, UST succeeded in finishing the second term of the AY 2019-2020 and Special Term 2020 through online classes amid pleas, petitions and dialogue with student leaders. For the current AY, the university has smoothly transitioned to synchronous and asynchronous remote teaching and learning.

Miriam College and the ‘Knoller’

Jasmin Nario-Galace, PhD, VP for Academic Affairs

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NCE the state of public health emergency was declared in the National Capital Region on March 9 with the consequent suspension of classes, Miriam College (MC) acted swiftly.

We declared that classes would continue virtually first for a month, and later on, for the rest of the semester.

After a week or so of online classes, the college deemed it necessary to ask our students how they were doing in an online environment. They shared with us concerns that came with the shift to online learning, such as other responsibilities they had to fulfill at home, that they found it harder to understand online instructions, that they were given too Continued on G4

INVESTING IN THE NEW NO

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A BusinessMirr

Thursday, October 29, 2020 | www.businessmirror.com.ph

THE LEARNING NEVER STOPS INVESTING IN THE NEW NORMAL: DEPED’S INITIATIVES

BY EDWIN P. SALLAN

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HEN the initial lockdown dubbed as Enhanced Community Quarantine was first declared in the National Capital Region and other parts of the country as a result of COVID-19, classes in all levels were suspended indefinitely as everyone was asked to simply stay home.

Even though it was already March and there were only a few weeks of classes remaining for many students, the pandemic still had a devastating impact especially to them and their parents who were not able to experience the traditional graduation ceremonies. There are also those who intended but did not get to take summer classes as well as those who are enrolled in schools with trimester systems and those who are advancing to the next school level are wondering when they will ever see the inside of a classroom again.

And then there are the teachers who are equally anxious to return to the noble profession that allows them to shape young minds and hopefully mold them into model members of society.

Thankfully, Department of Education officials had the presence of mind to remain proactive as they sought to find ways how education will not be disrupted under conditions now generally referred to as “the new normal.”

“To properly address how education will continue amidst the pandemic we are facing now, DepEd created the Basic EducationLearning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP). As we identified that face-to-face classes will not be safe for everyone, schools must find ways for learning to continue amidst the threat and uncertainties brought about

by COVID-19, while ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all learners, teachers, and personnel of the Department,” DepEd pointed out.

During the development of the BE-LCP, inputs from different units and field offices of the Department, from the Philippine Forum for Inclusive Quality Basic Education or Educ Forum, and from the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Basic Education respectively, were gathered. All these contributions were integrated and harmonized by the Executive Committee and Management Committee under the direction of Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones. It also looked into the results of an online survey of more than 700,000

respondents; and a survey of teachers’ readiness for distance learning delivery.

Like the country’s health officials, it is also the job of DepEd officials to assuage the public’s fears and assure everyone concerned that classes will re-open at some point. Planning, crafting and ultimately implementing the BE-LCP was certainly not without its share of challenges.

Understandably, the department admitted that there was distrust and doubt from the affected stakeholders.

“People cannot be blamed as they feared that their family, especially their children, would be infected with the virus once classes started. Aside from that, we also face numerous setbacks such as the realignment of the budget for this year. The budget was originally designed for face-to-face learning but the Department has to adjust its budget mid-year to address the needs of the new normal in education.”

And then, DepEd also faced the dilemma of having to decide to continue education or postpone it further, given the circumstances.

“We did think that education should not be hindered even if there is a pandemic but this would be successful if everyone would follow the required health standards set by the government.”

With this in mind, the department instituted measures designed to ensure the safety of teachers, parents, students and other school personnel.

To also make sure that worries and fears that the learners, parents, and teachers will be eased, DepEd also held “numerous distance learning simulations to the different schools to showcase that BE-LCP implementation would be successful and possible as this time.”

DepEd said “[the department] also utilized the recalibrated and prolonged joint Brigada Eskwela - Oplan Balik Eskwela to strengthen partnerships and receive assistance from different non-government organizations for the printing of selflearning modules, disinfectants for the

DepEd establishments, and others.”

In crafting its BE-LCP with the help of international and local partners, the department also developed DepEd Commons and DepEd TV to give learners, teachers, and parents alternative educational platforms amidst the quarantine status of several areas.

It’s also worth noting that the Department also made several interventions to assist hundreds of private schools who are nearing closure because their respective school relies upon the tuition fee they are receiving from their students but due to this pandemic, thousands of students opted to go to public schools as it is more convenient.

“DepEd has also placed Mabisang Aksyon to every issue that we encounter.

We assisted the students as they continue to cater to students through their Senior High School Voucher Program and they are doubling their efforts to assist the displaced private school teachers.”

Health and Safety Protocols, and Alternative Work Arrangements were also established in offices and schools as part of the Angkop na Proteksyon program that allows for the realignment and augmentation of available funds in the BE-

LCP to ensure continuous provision for the work and safety needs of teachers and personnel such as provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and other sanitation supplies which can lessen and prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

DepEd also conducted several Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) to learners, teachers, parents and personnel to strengthen their mental resilience under this stressful situation.

“DepEd also recognizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to a person’s mental health. Through its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) in coordination with various Central Office units and partners, DepEd launched a series of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) provisions for learners, parents, and its personnel.”

As the mandatory implementation of online classes is unprecedented, DepEd is also aware that not everyone will get it right in the initial stages. This is also why the department launched #DepEdErrorWatch to properly address all the errors on the self-learning modules produced on the respective localities. This is also to correct and make sure that the following learning materials would be quality assured to

be released to the students. They’ve also identified areas of concerns at this point.

“The House of Representatives also approved the proposed budget by the Department of Education. However, we would welcome more funding to further respond to the needs of distance learning.

In terms of capacity building, we also need to train more parents and teachers to continuously guide them in this transition. Our connectivity issues must also be addressed and we are working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and other private partners to provide better internet service in schools.”

Despite the expected birth pains, initial feedback from parents, teachers and students on DepEd’s BE-LCP have so far been encouraging. While not a few are still hoping to go back to the old normal, adjusting to the new normal is not as difficult as many imagined before classes resumed. Still, DepEd is very clear on what is foremost on their minds.

“As of now, we are still addressing all the concerns and issues sent to us by our stakeholders because their health, safety, and learning are on top of our priorities,” DepEd concluded.

MANILA MARRIOTT, SHERATON MANILA, AND COURTYARD ILOILO CURATES A CHARITY HAMPER FOR SAVE THE CHILDREN N

O child should be left out this Christmas. Though the festive season may be different this year, the spirit of Christmas remains the same. Make the season bright for the children and their families in need. Gift a Noche Buena dinner for one child from Save the Children Philippines with a Charity Hamper exclusively curated with all the best selections from Manila Marriott Hotel, Sheraton Manila Hotel, and Courtyard

by Marriott Iloilo.

For P1,500 nett you can provide a special dinner for one child and his or her family as they celebrate Christmas at their homes. The Charity Hamper includes one pack of Biscocho dipped in Iloilo’s Tablea Tsokolate from Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo, one piece Hablon Face Mask crafted by Ilonggo Fashion Designer Jeff Ticao, one jar of Pickled Onion (250g) and Cabbage Kimchi (250g) from Sheraton Manila’s

Korean restaurant Oori, and one pack of Candied Walnuts (100g) from Manila Marriott’s Chinese Restaurant Man Ho. While you enjoy your treats, one family enjoy the Christmas season with a bountiful feast.

Apart from the Charity Hamper, all Marriott hotels in the Philippines invites everyone to their virtual Christmas Tree Lighting on November 5, 6pm that will take place live on Facebook.

No donation is too small. If you’d like to put a smile on a child’s face by gifting him or her a Noche Buena spread this Christmas, contact 0917 85 9521 or 0917 624 5980 to order a Charity Hamper. For more information visit the hotel’s official website or follow their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram page at Manila Marriott and @manilamarriott, for Sheraton Manila Hotel and @sheratonmanila, Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo and @ courtyardbymarriottiloilo.

WITH every purchase of a Charity Hamper with all the best selections from Manila Marriott, Sheraton Manila, and Courtyard Iloilo for P1,500 nett, you’ll be able to gift a Noche Buena dinner for one child from Save the Children.

MARRIOTT gives back as they welcome the festive season by supporting Save the Children Philippines.

MANILA MARRIOTT

SHERATON Hotel Manila

ORMAL

THE LEARNING NEVER STOPS

ror Special Feature

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, October 29, 2020

G3

Private sector steps up Education a top priority in the New Normal

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By Stephanie Joy Ching

S part of their COVID-19 initiatives under the new normal, Republic Cement, Globe and various other companies stepped up and helped the country through their donations and many CSR initiated projects.

In addition to providing relief aid such as rice and food pack donations, Republic Cement CEO Nabil Francis shared that they have also donated various medical equipment, PPEs, and supported many schools in the community who have a hard time adjusting to distance learning.

For Republic Cement, the local cement manufacturing industry can play a key role in the nation's economic recovery through partnership and camaraderie between sectors.

“Through true partnership between the public and private sectors, we will emerge from this crisis stronger together and ultimately build a safer and stronger Republic,” said Francis.

Meanwhile, telecom giant Globe has partnered with the Department of Education to create the Wifi2Teach Program. Under this program, Globe has donated 1,000 Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi modems to selected public school teachers with connectivity, ensuring that

education remains unhampered in the country despite the current global health crisis. In this way, educators across the country have access to fast and reliable internet to help them reach students from a distance. The program is also part of Globe's contribution to Brigada ng Ayala – Ayala Group of Companies’ group wide participation in the DepEd’s Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE) and Brigada Eskwela (BE) programs.

“The migration to digital learning poses a lot of challenges for us at DepEd and most especially to public schools and teachers who commonly have limited access to the Internet and online learning tools. With Globe’s WiFi2Teach program, we can gradually address these challenges and help more public educational institutions and teachers to become more adapted to the new normal of remote, online learning for the upcoming academic year,” said DepEd Director Abraham Abanil.

In addition, Globe also empowered its consumers by donating P100 of every purchase of a Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi modem from Globe’s official store on Lazada LazMall to public school teachers.

“WiFi2Teach is designed to assist public school teachers in carrying out their work and duty of teaching students

remotely. Like our partners from DepED, we advocate for quality, accessible, and relevant education to help uplift the lives of more Filipinos as we continue accelerating the country’s digital transformation.” said Vice President and Head of Marketing for Globe At Home, Barbie Dapul.

Similarly, Globe had also recently donated homeschool kits to children living in the Baseco Compound. Through hosting a variety of workout classes last September, each Globe Platinum customer was able to provide a backpack full of school supplies and materials to a vulnerable child while at the same time getting a good workout.

They also help hone teachers’ skills through Global Filipino Teachers, which is a series of training sessions that focuses on 21st Century skills needed by teachers most especially in the new normal, including digital literacy and overall capacity-building to maximize the digital tools available to them. By developing educators’ digital literacy, it ensures that the next generation will also be equipped with these skills that will be very useful in the corporate field.

The program involves conducting training of teachers for Psychological First Aid as well as How to be Responsible

Online Citizens under the Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP). DTP is an award-winning series of workshops designed to educate learners, parents and educators alike on digital citizenship, online safety, and the responsible use of the internet. Although the internet is a vast web of information, children and even adults can easily fall victim to some online scams and hackers, which only highlights the importance of the program to ensure the safety of students, parents, educators and the community itself from harm.

However, it is not just secondary education students who will be receiving help. The UNIFAST (Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act) board members, led by J. Prospero De Vera III, are also doing their part in helping students get through the new normal.

Through a Tertiary education subsidy, or TES, currently enrolled undergraduate students can finish their program within a span of 4 to 5 years with a one year grace period, as long as they are enrolled in colleges and programs recognized by CHED. The program also covers students who are also PWDs, empowering them and showing them that disabilities are no hindrance in achieving a higher education.

G4 Thursday, October 29, 2020

15inQuarantine BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

‘OLD-SCHOOL’ WAYS THING OF THE PAST, AS…

Pandemic paves new learning landscapes Continued from G1

many requirements in addition to not having reliable Internet connection, and not having a good space at home to study.

About 7 percent of our students said that they had no device for personal use.

In April MC President Laura del Rosario created working groups to attend to important facets of school operations in the time of the pandemic. One of those created was the Working Group on Learning Continuity which was tasked to draw up institutional directions and policies for continuous learning and work on the information technology infrastructure of the online campus.

In all, we conducted about 20 surveys among teachers, students and parents aimed to assess readiness for a full transition to online learning. We used these survey results to create policies and guidelines, make decisions, and design programs for our online campus called the KNOLLER: KNoller and OnLine LEarning Resource.

Hard decisions

DECIDING on our LMS, we had to listen to many presentations and consider numerous factors: features, familiarity of users, and cost, among others. Many faculty members are also newbies to the systems, and online teaching in general.

Another challenge was the lack of appropriate devices for some of our students. Our alumni came to the rescue. Different classes and batches gave donations that allowed us to purchase laptops and provide Internet allowance to those in need.

Challenges overcome

TO prepare our faculty, training sessions on the use of the LMS were conducted across units. Several webinars were also held to train faculty on the use of apps and tools for teaching and designing interactive online courses. We continue to train our faculty on the use of the LMS and its features.

We just conducted a survey among our faculty and students on their experience of online learning for the first cycle.

It showed that MC has successfully transitioned into online teaching and learning. This is evident from the ratings given by faculty and students: from the effectiveness of Knoller as LMS, to the level of faculty satisfaction with the services and provisions related to online teaching and learning, as well as the helpfulness and assistance provided by the school in support of these services and provisions.

We asked what students and faculty liked most about Cycle 1. Students cited the faculty’s flexible, understanding and considerate ways to make online distance learning work for them. Faculty members liked the training sessions, tech support, and LMS provided by the school. They also gave a thumbs up to independent learning that allows students to develop creativity and discipline.

Both expressed dislike for the amount of work that must be done in so little time, both complaining that the pace was physically, emotionally and mentally draining. They also pointed to Internet connectivity problems. Students did not like the lack of human interaction.

Moving forward and further, there is a need to define home-school boundaries and strengthen our mental health-care program. We want to ease student load by prioritizing learning outcomes and assigning only essential tasks. We will also focus on the use of Knoller for other aspects of student development in the areas of spiritual, mental and sociocultural growth.

Ateneo de Manila University: ‘Blue cloud’ rising

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HE university has prepared for the worst-case scenario, based on assessments by our leadership team and the university physician as they continuously monitor the situation.

In fact, days before the governmentannounced lockdown, Ateneo was already putting into place a contingency plan for remote classes and off-site operations, in anticipation of a possible lockdown. We were planning to have a weeklong trial run around the week of March 12, but the announcement of the enhanced community quarantine four days after prompted us to forego the test and implement the contingency plan instead. The rest of the school year was then done via remote/online learning. Offices moved to work-fromhome arrangements.

Dr. Maria Luz Vilches, VP, Loyola Schools

Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, President

Meanwhile, we were finalizing the academic year, the school administration across key units—Basic Education, Loyola Schools and Professional Schools—placed emphasis on the pandemic in their planning for the next school year.

The university’s Online Learning Task Force was assigned to expand and strengthen support for online learning.

The committee came up with short-, medium- and long-term strategic directions regarding such—including the identification of appropriate structures and resources.

As the cornerstone of the school’s online education, the AteneoBlueCloud encompasses Ateneo’s distinct approach to online education, our virtual campus, and our vibrant community of learners, educators and formators. Under this concept, our online educational experiences have been designed to be as effective as traditional face-to-face programs, partnered with the same rigor, relevance and personal care for every learner. It is also unique because of its rootedness in Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy, as well as dedication to excellence and empathy.

Ateneo’s online teaching, formation and learning uses the Adaptive Design for Learning (ADL) framework, developed to respond to the students’ needs and contexts both in terms of the way the university designs its courses, and of delivering them. Moreover, the courses are designed to be flexible enough that it can be delivered online, face to face, or both.

It also adapts to the specific needs of each individual student. Ateneo also conducted rigorous training and preparation related to ADL, accompanied by investments in improving LMSs and processes.

AteneoBlueCloud makes it unapologetically clear to us that this shift isn’t about technology, but about learning.

More, it isn’t just about learning, but also about the faith and values formation of our students.

For us, the current environment goes beyond academics. We believe in the holistic care and formation of our community members. It was a decision to forego any increase in tuition or fees, and implement easier payment terms to ease the financial burden of the students’ families.

Ateneo’s student services are now delivered via online platforms—from health and guidance counseling, to library services. Furthermore, we have been providing assistance to students who are experiencing poor Internet connectivity by lending laptops or desktop computers, or providing printed or digital copies of learning materials.

a framework that captured the vision of Ateneo Jesuit Education, now articulated in the AteneoBlueCloud. Through their initiative, we now have the aforementioned ADL program.

The university also offered the program for free to all who participated in it. We also provided assistance to some who were not yet employed, but who participated in ADL in anticipation of employment this first semester. The ADL trains our teachers to change their syllabi, originally designed for face-to-face classroom sessions, into modules for easier online implementation.

ADL project coordinators per school continue to give support to faculty through fora organized by the schools that help faculty present their lessons and for others to comment and learn from each other. We also have coaches for teachers who need more help in designing lessons, or implementing ADL principles. The SALT Institute has webinars with guest speakers from different parts of the world who are experts in topics that are related to online-learning processes.

The Loyola Schools Quality Assurance Office has conducted surveys with students and faculty and parents to give us an idea of experience on the ground.

The associate dean for Student Formation also has a feedback mechanism online via Facebook.

The Sanggunian has its own feedback-generating mode. The results of these types of feedback allowed us to attend to emergent needs immediately, such as students not coping well with loads of requirements, the challenge of faculty members to finish the subject matter while attending to the pace of students. The deans and department heads settled these matters at their levels.

Again “reasonable and compassionate responses” is our dictum.

Recommendations to government

GOVERNMENT services should give attention to a good provision of power supply and Internet connectivity. These two are extremely important for the technology of online learning to work.

Other than those, online learning with teachers should be given support.

A lot about our education in this country is privatized. The private sector is being challenged by the economic downturn during this pandemic, but it is serving society in the education of a sizable population of the youth and needs government subsidy.

Mapúa University: ‘Digital Days’ ahead

Greater understanding

FOR Ateneo, greater understanding leads to better ways of crafting a suitable program for our purposes which will address challenges. Tough decisions involved resetting parameters and responding creatively, reasonably, compassionately to the emergent needs. We had to provide faculty and students with a main learning management platform, Canvas, while allowing others to continue using Moodle.

We likewise gave faculty members with licensed Zoom accounts for easy videoconferencing.

The school also decided on dividing the semester into two to allow students and teachers to attend to only a few courses, or about two or three per 17 weeks at a time. Also, we changed the concept of classroom hours to learning hours to be able to provide time for class sessions (synchronously), but also to provide space for independent student learning (asynchronously), with guidance from teachers through specific assignments and individual student-teacher consultations.

Surpassing challenges

ATENEO’s SALT Institute and Fr. Johnny Go, SJ, took the lead in constructing such

Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea, President and CEO

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UST like all other schools, the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown caught us by surprise, but Mapúa University was not caught flatfooted.

We were able to continue academic and administrative operations remotely.

I would say that our university was a little bit better prepared to transition, because we have been doing digital

education since 2012, with most of our administrative operations having been in place since even earlier than that.

We started with open LMSs which our faculty members explored and experimented with.

In 2017 Mapúa subscribed to an industrial-strength management system, and we trained all of our faculty members.

When the pandemic struck, we were almost at 100 percent on blended learning.

By that, we had combined elements of online education with those of face-to-face education in our courses. In each course, we employ both.

This has enabled us to “flip the classroom”, where the students would be studying materials in electronic form before they come to class. When in class, in face-to-face sessions, we mostly deal with the clarification and discussion of academic content, which the students would have already studied beforehand.

When the health crisis happened, the university had to shift rather quickly from blended to fully online mode. We had to ramp up the production of electronic materials to accommodate the fully online mode of delivery. The transition of academics and administrative processes to fully online had been accelerated.

Even before the pandemic struck, we have employed our online capability to deal with class-suspending days such as typhoon, flooding, international summits, and grand religious processions. During these events, we go on what we call “Digital Day,” where we hold our classes online in the same timetable. During primetime, we are able to operate synchronously, simultaneously, massively with 75 classes going on at the same time involving some 4,000 students.

That’s the capability of our LMS and of our faculty members. We also have a version called the Digital Rush, where during the rush-hour sessions of 7:30 until 9 a.m. and from 4:30 to 6 p.m., we offer students the option of choosing a section of a particular course that is fully online, so they don’t have to battle it out in traffic.

That’s the problem we have to solve. We have a lot of graduates, but we have to raise the level of quality of our education system. We have to deploy better strategies to be able to raise the necessary resources. I know education gets a lion share of the national budget, but I guess the economy will have to grow some more. If we want to transition into an innovation-driven economy, we have to pass through the investment-led economy, and under that stage, we have to have a lot of highly trained scientists and engineers.

As of now, we do not have the critical mass of research scientists and engineers.

It is not just an education problem, but it’s a matter of the entire framework of socioeconomic development of our country.

We cannot just ask for resources, and not show what you want to do with it. In the case of Mapúa, I have been very lucky because the philosophy of the owners is also about quality and the social return on investments, so we’ve been able to do a lot in improving the quality of education, and at the same time be able to give something back to society in terms of our contributions to manpower development and giving quality professionals to industries.

iACADEMY: Shifting paradigms

from earning something extra. The school plans to further expand its list of partner companies that can offer home-based job openings.

Medical, guidance counseling

IN addition, iACADEMY has launched its free online medical and guidance counseling.

By visiting www.iacademy.edu.ph, students can directly chat via Tawk.to with the school’s clinic representatives and guidance counselors to ask for medical advice and counseling.

Also, throughout the year, we have initiated online activities that provide mental health support to our students who might be having some difficulties and concerns during online classes.

To also give consideration to students who will not be able to attend virtual classes, iACADEMY allowed its students to file a “pandemic break” if they decide to discontinue to take the classes they enrolled during the term.

Our school, on its updated guidelines issued via social-media channels, reiterated that it will not give a failing grade to students who are unable to fulfill the course requirements based on set deadlines. Instead, they will be given a deferred grade and one-year grace period to fulfill the course requirements.

In implementing and embracing any new process or system, the initial stage is always the most difficult as it requires shifting paradigms, creating new habits, and learning new tools and methods of doing things. The school remains committed to providing quality learning experiences.

Fortress College: Faith, courage matter

Planning, reengineering

I THINK the most important thing would be the shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered outcomes-based education. Under the online system of education, the teacher will have to adjust in terms of giving more responsibilities to the learner in the learning process.

But he also has to be a good facilitator of learning. In other words, the student will always depend on him for his superior wisdom and knowledge, but he has to be able to transmit that in quite a different way. He will facilitate the learning of the student by active learning, revising teaching and learning activities, where the teacher allows the student to experience a certain activity so the lesson gets etched in his mind a little bit better than just a lecture.

A teacher has to learn the various best practices of blended learning. For this purpose, we have sent 35 of our officers and faculty members to get a “micro-Master’s degree” in instructional design for online courses.

That is part of the responsibility of the professors nowadays. The syllabi are a bit different from what they used to be.

There are more elements: the outcome, type of teaching or learning activity, data requirements, and so on. But we have to learn, adjust, and adapt.

Early challenges, hard decisions

MAPÚA had to find a perfect blend and balance of the synchronous and asynchronous teaching as well as delivery of learning activities. The students also needed some adjustments, and we gave them some time, because we realized that their difficulties, as well as those of our faculty and officers, were not only those we need to move quickly into online mode in academics. We also had personal and family issues to consider. Everybody had to make adjustments, so we allowed a bit of time for that before we went to implement our fully online system.

We had encountered problems mostly on connectivity, but we’ve been able to institute academic policies that have been able to address such issues by allowing our students more time to complete the requirements even beyond the term, so they can get the full grade for the course.

Education’s ‘Holy Grail’

FOR Philippine education in general, we suffer basically from a paucity of resources. We have to realize that such is the main stumbling block—that is, if we are going after the Holy Grail of quality in Philippine education. There is only so much that the government can afford to support its colleges and universities. There are only so many families that can send their kids to private universities.

Vanessa Tanco, President and CEO

W

HILE we recognize challenges this pandemic has brought not only to us but also to other schools and universities, we see this as an opportunity to step up our game.

In preparation for the opening of classes in August, we implemented an online distance learning program called Guided Online Autonomous Learning (GOAL), designed to provide flexible, relevant, balanced and collaborative learning experiences to our students.

We made sure that GOAL is responsive to current challenges and needs of our stakeholders. It is learner-centered, because it affords flexibility to the learning capacity of our students. Aside from having synchronous and asynchronous classes, we also provide them engaging, relevant, and outcome-based learning activities.

It is also faculty-directed, because students are still guided, monitored and mentored despite the absence of faceto-face interaction. Through our online learning platforms, professors can do regular checks on students, and be able to communicate as well with their parents.

But even before the pandemic, we have already been implementing technology-enabled learning, utilizing various online platforms and tools like NEO and Google Classroom to deliver our lessons.

Part-time gigs

iACADEMY has also offered its students home-based, part-time jobs to help them earn extra during the enhanced community quarantine. By reaching out to industry partners, the school’s Office of Student Experience and Advancement (OSEA) has successfully secured a deal with 11 partner companies to offer temporary employment for the students.

So far, they have produced budding graphic design interns, video curators, multimedia artists, app developers and coders, pattern designers, animators, storyboard artists and concept artists from iACADEMY pupils. For our students, this is also an opportunity for them to apply the skills they have learned, and obtain first-hand experience working for some up-and-coming local companies—apart

Raquel Y. Dizon, Director Grace Hughes, President

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S the pandemic forced remote learning in the educational system in the country, Fortress College holds on to what Dr. Greg Tingson, who founded the school in June 1981, always said: “God is bigger than your problem.”

As a Christ-centered school, FC was able to muster the courage and faith that it can survive. Thus, we have to adapt to the new normal, as prescribed and required by the times.

Since our school opening on August 24, our teaching methodology was changed to a dynamic learning program, where students learn by doing and working independently. One of the challenges the faculty faced is in creating and developing effective video presentations for our students.

Another was to find ways on efficiently communicating with the students from preschool, elementary, junior high school, senior high school, and those taking up technical-vocational courses.

The hardest part was not only adjusting into the new system, but the part where we had to tell some of the teachers that they will be retrenched. Our school president Grace Hughes was very transparent. The situation was explained to them, and was understood and accepted wholeheartedly.

Our suggestion to the government as the new learning landscape emerges: There should be a true and genuine complementarity between private schools and the DepEd.

Likewise, we are eagerly looking forward to the day when Teacher Lanie and all of us will welcome back our dear students in the campus. Until that time, we will be content on giving virtual hugs to them.

e s o o Ch A BusinessMirror Special Feature

Project Manager: Karinna “Bim” Mauricio

Thursday, October 29, 2020

H1

CHOOSE PINAS, BUY LOCAL

LOCAL BUSINESSES, CONSUMERS EMBRACE E-COMMERCE FOLLOWING PANDEMIC

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By Leony Garcia

HE 2020 contagion resulting from the novel coronavirus 2019 is real taking significant toll on economies and people of all nations across the globe. entrepreneurs from January to March 15 reached 1,753 only.

In July, DTI reported that total online business registration in the first seven months of the year reached 37,000. This means registration of online businesses quickly doubled in one month and hit the 75,000-mark.

This goes to show that many Filipinos have resorted to gaining business opportunites by selling online—mostly for essentials such as food items and groceries.

The rise in online selling amid restricted movement also see the rise of domestic consumption by putting local brands, products, and even destinations into the spotlight.

Various facebook communities for sellers, hobbyists and even barterers have also sprouted keeping local communities alive.

GOLOKAL.DTI.GOV.PH

And as people strive to keep normalcy in their lives, social media and virtual meetings have become part of the new normal. The Digital 2020 April Statshot report by Hootsuite and We Are Social showed that 64 percent of Filipino internet users are spending more time on social media, with 23 percent indicating an increased activity in their online shopping.

With consumers resorting more to online shopping amid pandemic restrictions, entrepreneurs have embraced the digital phenomenon for online shopping even more. More than ever, online business transactions this year has become an infinite marketplace where conducting business has become more convenient and efficient for both vendors and vendees.

In September 2020, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has reported to have registered a total of 75,029 online businesses from January to August this year.

In an interview, DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said the bulk of internet-based businesses was registered during the start of community quarantine.

He said 73,276 online businesses registered between March 16 and August 31 while registration of online

Support and buy local

IN lean times, such as the pandemic, consumers pinch every peso and eliminate most luxuries. From cutting back on extras to more prudent spending and budgeting, people inject a degree of caution into their financial habits. So when deciding where to spend your hard-earned money for dinner or a gift for a friend, consider the benefits of

turning to local, independently owned businesses within your community.

By supporting local businesses, you are supporting

local economy with significantly more money staying in the community.

Local businesses are owned and operated by your

neighbors who care about and who invested in the well-being of your community and its future.

These businesses are more likely to utilize other local businesses such as banks, service providers, and farms. They are more accountable to their local communities and donate more money to non-profits.

Supporting local businesses is also good for the environment because they often have a smaller carbon footprint than larger companies.

Now, more than ever, many Buy Local groups advocate patronage of locally grown food products and other great products and services while helping to build a strong and successful community around you.

‘Tis the season to #ShoPinas: Christmas shopping in the new normal H

ERE in the Philippines, the start of the socalled Ber-months marks the official countdown to Christmas. This year’s season of giving is also a good opportunity for a Filipino Bayanihan by supporting the #PinasMunaTayo campaign to help our economy get back on its feet.

The pandemic may have disrupted our daily lives, but many Filipinos are still looking forward to celebrating Christmas, and Noche Buena and holiday shopping are an essential part of every Filipino’s traditions. The proponents of the #PinasMunaTayo campaign appeal to the consumers to use their money wisely and support the campaign and local businesses by spending their holiday celebrations domestically.

Various sectors such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Retailers Association, and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) remain optimistic that the country will be able to celebrate a joyful Christmas despite

having the need to be more creative in consumer spending.

In June, private sector groups PCCI, Alliance Global Group, Inc., and Resorts World Manila, along with several government agencies including the DTI, Department of Tourism, and Department of Science and Technology, launched the online movement.

Three campaign components include, TriPinas to revive the tourism sector by promoting domestic tourism and destinations, ShoPinas to push for buying locally in support to the retail sector, and LasaPinas to reinforce the love for country by experiencing local food and hospitality.

The official social media accounts of #PinasMunaTayo have amassed more than 7M reach and engagement since launch. Netizens are encouraged to show support by posting and tagging @PinasMunaTayo and use the #PinasMunaTayo on their social media as part of the awareness campaign.

To know more about the movement, visit @ PinasMunaTayo on Facebook and Instagram.

#ShoPinas: Christmas shopping in the new normal. (L-R) First Row: Philippine Retailers Association President Rosemarie Ong, Pinas Muna Tayo Director for Communications Joee Guilas, and Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group Atty. Ruth Castelo. Second Row: Philippine Exporters Confederation President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. and Journalist-TV Anchor and Pinas Muna Tayo Advocate Korina Sanchez-Roxas.

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A BusinessMirror Special Feature

Thursday, October 29, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO INVEST IN PROPERTY

By Carla Mortel Baricaua

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T the start of the community quarantine, the real estate and property market has slowed down, but now it’s picking up with renewed interest from buyers. Industry experts also cite indications that the sector will definitely bounce back and that makes investing in real estate in perfect timing.

Buyers are more interested to buy a home or property.

The health crisis had highlighted the need for safe and comfortable homes where residents can ride out the tough times. Today, buyers tend to be more careful in selecting locations, preferring those with added security and easy access to utilities and health facilities, and those with available space for leisure activities.

When there’s a crisis, recognize the opportunities.

Under the general community quarantine, the market is making its way for a rebound as buyers’ interest remains high since investing in real estate and properties is still lucrative with the ready supply available on hand.

PIXABAY

In turn, the developers responded by giving out price discounts, low reservation fees, extended down payment terms, and attractive promos. Industry players predict that property prices will increase by next year and payments terms will not to be as

favorable, so the opportunity to invest now is advantageous.

With disposable income, now is the time to invest.

Smart buyers know when conditions are right and do make a purchase accordingly. If you belong to an industry not heavily

impacted by the pandemic, have enough savings, or financially able to make a loan, go ahead, browse and search for your dream house or property. The developers are very responsive to inquiries, even on social media, and welcomes requests for

virtual tours. So, make a smart decision and make most of opportunities to invest now.

It pays to know where to invest your money.

Industry players know that real estate values will continue to increase in the long run. The reality of the country’s demographics will demand it as the economy is headed for recovery.

The capital city of Manila remains one of the largest cities with over 18 million residents. As a top investment area, it hosts many real estate properties with different price range, vibes, pros, and cons. Second tier cities like Cebu and Davao are also good areas for investments.

In Metro Manila, you can find expats, upper class locals, and multinational companies in the areas of Quezon City, Makati, and Taguig. And with the recent developments, these cities are considered as prime spots for real estate properties, especially condominium buildings.

Aside from the aforementioned, Baguio City and General Santos cities are considered growing markets for real estate.

e s o o Ch H4

A BusinessMirror Special Feature

Thursday, October 29, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PINAS MUNA TAYO I

By Stephanie Joy Ching

N an effort to jump start the economy from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, various members of both the public and private sectors have joined hands to form #PinasMunaTayo. Described as both “a campaign and a movement”, #PinasMunaTayo is spearheaded by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Alliance Global Group Inc., and Resorts World Manila. It aims to advocate Bayanihan through the patronization of local products and destinations in order to stimulate the growth of domestic consumption. The campaign has three main objectives, namely, TriPinas, to revive local tourism, ShoPinas, to encourage the patronization of local retail brands and LasaPinas,which stirs local interest in different local delicacies. #PinasMunaTayo was launched online via a youtube livestream held last June 12 on Resorts World Manila’s youtube channel. Having the launch be on the same day as Independence day was no mere coincidence. Department of Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, who served as one of the panelists during the launch, noted that holding the launch of this project during Independence day shows that “Filipinos are a tough breed” who are all more than ready to face the challenges that come with rebuilding the economy.

“Time and time again we have overcome the toughest of odds, the most difficult of situations.” said Ms. Romulo-Puyat, “I’m certain we will bounce back from this and the PinaMunaTayo campaign is a step in the right direction.”

During this time of quarantine, when some businesses were forced to shut down completely, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President Benedicto Yujuico likened the Philippine economy to an emergency room patient “intubated but breathing and still fighting for life.” However, both he and the other panelists expressed hope that the economy could recover much faster if more local goods are circulated in the market. During the launch, they reasoned that since the economy is largely driven by consumption, the best course of action for now is to simply display the beauty and quality of Filipino goods.

“By reviving the economy, our goal is to move our patient from the emergency room to a regular room. That is what we are trying to do in restarting the economy. If we can do that, people will have the confidence again, whether they are consumers or business owners, and then we [can] start the ball rolling towards reopening the economy,” said Mr. Yuijuico.

“Lahat tayo gustong makatulong. And so, together wjth our partners in government and the private sector, we thought of a campaign to make people aware that yes, we all can

help. At simple lang ang kailangan nating gawin; spend your money here in the Philippines,” emphasized by Kingson Sian, President and CEO of Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc.

Utilizing the power of social media, the #PinasMunaTayo campaign’s first step was to encourage people on their official facebook page to share their pre-quarantine travel or food photos and bring to light lesser known destinations and delicacies. People were encouraged to use the hashtag #PinasMunaTayo and to share their thoughts on what makes the Philippines so special. By putting these photos and statements up, AGI CEO Kevin Tan noted that the campaign served as an “informal market place and gather Filipino products from all over the country into certain destinations so that they can be readily available to the public.” He also revealed that they were working closely with some of these businesses to open delivery services for people who are still afraid to go out. In addition to that,bringing these lesser known vacation spots into the limelight will encourage domestic tourism in these areas as travel restrictions slowly ease.

“I think this is a good opportunity to forge a partnership with some of the various airlines to really promote local travel when the restrictions ease. I really think it’s a great opportunity to be able to see the true beauty of the Philippines,” he added.

Through the advocacy of #PinasMunaTayo, everyone is able to contribute to helping the economy recover its rapid but steady growth prior to the pandemic. Although the Philippines is the second fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia, the pandemic has greatly disrupted the growth as millions of Filipinos were left unemployed due to some no work no pay policies.

Despite the great fall the economy has suffered for this year, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez is confident that through the movement, the economy could still be able to catch up to its targeted growth rate.

“We believe we can rise and get back on the fast growth rate, We can still achieve a nine-percent growth rate especially in 2021 if we rise above this pandemic,” he stated.

“Through this advocacy, I am certain our economy will bounce back.”

Globe promotes love for local films, calls stop to digital piracy

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LOBE continues to promote love for homegrown treasures such as locallyproduced movies, by being the exclusive presenter of the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival and by pushing for the protection of the Philippine film industry through its antipiracy advocacy #PlayItRight.

Being a content creator and leader in digital lifestyle, Globe wants everyone to experience a genuine love for the country and its rich local talents, thus, it underscored the importance of keeping the local film industry alive.

The pandemic strongly impacted the arts sector early this year as film production stopped and cinemas closed down. The easing of government restrictions is slowly reviving the industry and producers are now looking at digital platforms to bring streaming content to the people and showcase Filipino talent abroad.

“For years, Globe has committed itself to highlighting local creative contents such as films, music, and shows so we understand and appreciate the passion and hard work that comes with putting together a movie. This is why we are glad to be a partner of the Metro Manila Development Authority in bringing MMFF to the Filipino homes. As part of our #PlayItRight advocacy and our desire to make Filipinos love their own, we are here to support

our filmmakers, actors, and crew. We enjoin everyone to do the same by watching the MMFF movies legally from their device whenever or wherever they want to,” said Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO.

For the first time, the MMFF entries can be viewed through Upstream, the newest transactional video-on-demand (VOD) platform. Upstream is poised to deliver a better viewing experience for customers while protecting the content creators’ digital rights.

Tickets for the MMFF entries may be purchased on Upstream's partner GMovies, the country’s largest aggregator for online cinema ticketing platform.

The availability of MMFF movies in digital platforms make them an easy target for piracy. In view of this, Globe appeals to everyone to watch only from legal sources since piracy undervalues and takes away the creative efforts that each member of a production team puts into making a movie or staging a show. MMFF and Globe have been working together since 2017 to stop the illegal down-

loads and streaming of local movies.

Globe also produces and brings original content to Filipinos through local and international streaming sites. The company has, likewise, held its own independent film festival for local filmmakers who wanted to hone their craft.

The need to curb piracy is crucial as the Philippines has one of the highest levels of online piracy with 49% of Filipinos admitting to accessing streaming piracy websites or torrent sites, and 10% using illicit streaming devices (ISDs) to access pirated content, according to a September 2020 YouGov consumer survey, commissioned by the Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy (AVIA-CAP).

Globe’s #PlayItRight campaign is aligned with the company’s commitment to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 8 which promotes decent work and economic growth by requiring societies to create conditions that allow people to have quality jobs.

For more information about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph