DENR questions study saying Pasig River is top plastic polluter

June 28, 2021 | 7:35 pm

pasig-river-philstar — Pasig river — PHILSTAR

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) questioned the results of a global study that claimed that 28% of rivers responsible for global plastic pollution are in the Philippines, with the Pasig River being the top contributor of ocean plastic waste.

The DENR was referring to an April study published by the peer-reviewed Science Advances journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Citing the study, the Philippine Climate Change Commission previously said the “world’s most polluting river when it comes to plastic is the 27-kilometer Pasig River which run through Metro Manila, making up 63,000 tons of plastic entering oceans from rivers per year.”

Speaking to reporters in a virtual briefing on Monday, DENR Undersecretary Benny D. Antiporda refuted the research’s conclusion.

“There are some aspects (in the study) which are correct, but when it comes to the conclusion, I can categorically say that it’s wrong… It’s very clear that the major action of the government in coming up with mitigation (efforts) on the plastic (problem) was not considered in the research,” he said.

Mr. Antiporda said that an in-depth review, assessment of data based on government efforts and subsequent consultations with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies and UN Habitat showed a different conclusion.

“The method used did not reflect the actual condition on the site. Plastic wastes which came from lands going to these rivers may have huge variations during the summer (bringing in) a low discharge rate and rainy (drawing in a) high discharge rate,” he explained.

The study pointed out the Philippines had 466 out of 1,656 rivers across the globe, dumping over 356,371 metric tons of plastic waste per year or around 9% of the total generated mismanaged plastic waste (MPW) in the country.

Mr. Antiporda said the parameters used in getting the MPW were based on “secondary studies,” adding that data reflecting this should ideally come from a national government report. He added that the study used a probabilistic approach, referring to models and calculations instead of data.

The DENR official noted that some of the sources used in the research were from 2016, which he said are not up-to-date.

There are various efforts to rehabilitate Pasig River involving both government and the private sector.

Among these are San Miguel Corp., which earlier said it is allotting P2 billion for its five-year plan to extract 50,000 metric tons of silt and solid waste monthly from the river. International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Group (ICTSI) Foundation also said it has allocated $1 million to build a sustainable river waste collection system along the river, in partnership with Finnish company Riverrecycle Oy. — Angelica Y. Yang

Maynilad partners with MetraWeather for data analysis

June 28, 2021 | 7:34 pm

MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. has tapped international weather intelligence provider MetraWeather to improve its climate data analysis and forecasting, which will allow quicker interventions on weather disturbances that affect the delivery of water service.

The west zone water concessionaire said Metraweather has mounted automated weather stations in several locations at the Angat, Ipo, La Mesa, and Laguna Lake watersheds for constant calibration and validation of weather models to improve accuracy of weather forecasts.

“The site-specific forecasts of Metraweather on rainfall patterns, wind direction, and temperature in vital watersheds will yield valuable advance information on weather trends that could impact Maynilad operations, such as sudden increases in the turbidity level of raw water at Ipo Dam,” the water provider said in a statement.

Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph T. Estrellado said the partnership with MetraWeather is part of the company’s response to the impact of climate change.

“Given this, we have to keep stepping up our interventions so that water service can be sustained despite inclement weather. It all starts with getting more in-depth data on the status of our watersheds,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maynilad also commissioned MetraWeather to re-examine weather data since 2010 and provide a climate outlook that will help the water provider to craft immediate, short-term, and long-term initiatives to address changing water demands.

Maynilad provides water to customers in Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, Malabon, Manila, Makati, and Quezon City, as well as parts of Cavite province including Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has a majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

The future in the present tense

June 28, 2021 | 7:11 pm

police-personel-lockdown — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

The past 15 months have brought unprecedented chaos and life changes for the generations alive today. We battled and continue the big fight with a corona of thorns that already bled us with grim stories of lives disrupted, jobs lost, businesses closing, and loved ones forever gone without a chance for their families to say goodbye.

The pandemic exposed the weaknesses, not just of physical bodies, but of the structures we all thought wore cloaks of invincibility — in institutions, in governance, in societal norms. It brought to the forefront issues that had been simmering all the time under a veneer of democratic and progressive society — racial discrimination, gender inequality, domestic violence, human rights violations.

It magnified what was glossed over and brushed aside because they would impact the bottom lines — climate change, the protection of the environment, a planet decayed by misuse. It shone the spotlight on inequity and inequality, the widening wealth gap, the exclusive benefits and growth that only a few can enjoy. Finally, it exposed to global derision and applause those that abuse power and those that rise to the call for accountable leadership.

Battling with the biggest challenge in our lifetime took a toll — and the biggest casualty is the economy. It is imperative to train our sights on what lies ahead, to forge a shared future, albeit in the present tense. The domain expertise of management is planning and execution; and while the end is not yet in sight, it is too costly to keep leaving everything to chance.

To paraphrase what a contestant from 2021’s edition of America’s Got Talent, Jane “Nightbird,” said during her audition, “We cannot wait until life becomes less difficult to start planning.” The future stretches ahead and the longer we keep ourselves imprisoned in the moment, we end up sacrificing the ones that are yet to come.

Planning for the future in these present times will require reflection from three perspectives:

HINDSIGHT. What could have been done differently? The pandemic placed everyone in a reactive, even panic mode that elicited knee-jerk responses. When facing a common enemy, most countries looked inwards and adopted a national instead of global response to a global threat. It was a singular moment that needed unity and cooperation, when strengths should have been capitalized, and weaknesses minimized by extending helping hands so that those who have more can help lift those with resource constraints. This generation is writing its history on how this pandemic war is fought. Maybe the call was to restore humanity in a world that has lost it. The future will judge if we “seized the day,” or if we squandered that moment.

INSIGHTS. What have we learned from these pandemic challenges? The global crisis showed that people can rise to the challenge to fight for survival, proving conclusively that what we do individually, how we respond, how we act, can make the difference to the collective whole. Organizations became followers rather than leaders — and that triggered introspection about purpose, accountability, and the responsibility for inclusive development. Trust became the driver for consumer patronage and where actions are deemed wanting in terms of social responsibility, business is taken away.

As we start to pick up the threads of recovery, we can build on these new perspectives and take advantage of the chance to right the balance. We need to reflect on the lessons that we hopefully learned from our months of enforced hibernation. There is no going back to what was, but there is also a huge opportunity to change what will be.

FORESIGHT. What should we change? What stopped the world can change the world. Building on the hindsight and insights, the future will be an opportunity to do better. It is accepting that we all must adapt to a different world and our past experiences may just be reference footnotes in a new chapter of our life book. We can choose what to do with this experience — expand our ingenuity and creativity, and help find solutions to the past and present problems in our spaces, and thus change the narrative of our future. If we keep chipping, the rock will eventually be shaped into a beautiful sculpture.

It is difficult to plan when the time horizon appears to be nailed to the here and now, but it is possible because the alternative is to live in a vacuum. What will we do with the gift of second chance?

CIRCUMSTANCES, CHANCES AND CHOICES. These are three words that come to mind. We go through life’s circumstances — many times unexpected, quite a number we bring about deliberately, others caused by our actions, inactions, and conscious decisions. Always, they will be accompanied by chances, by opportunities to do what we must to make life a little better — not just for ourselves but for others, especially those that need them the most.

We do have to make those choices though — to seize these chances and rise to the call, or to let these chances slip by because we prioritize power, position, prestige, popularity, and profit. It is the eternal clash between self-love and greater good. In the end, those choices will always be on us. Even if it comes down to the devil or the deep blue sea, we always will have to make that choice.

The 2021 International CEO Conference of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) is taking place on Sept. 14 this year. Its goal is to be the springboard for taking the present pandemic discussion to the next level — The Future. It is about saying enough of “what is” and “what ifs”; it is way past time for “what will be.”

The theme chosen for this year is timely: Hindsights, Insights, Foresights: The Future In The Present Tense. It is time to move forward and get out of this pandemic vacuum that COVID-19 has “imprisoned” us in. It will say let us accept that COVID-19 will need to be factored into our reality, and configure our steps in managing its risks, its after-effects, and how to live in a future where this will be part of it. The MAP CEO Conference aims to be a call to action, with the participants invited to:

• Be part of a community that will plan for and transition to a new future;

• Look beyond information, and identify directions, beyond ideas to thought leadership; and,

• Be one of those who will help shape the changing world order.

Join the MAP CEO Conference 2021. Hear it first-hand.

Alma Rita R. Jimenez is Chair of the MAP CEO Conference Committee, Vice-Chair of the MAP Health Committee, President and CEO of Health Solutions Corp. and former Undersecretary of the Department of Tourism.

map@map.org.ph

alma.almadrj@gmail.com.map.org.ph

President Aquino called the people his Boss; these laws show he meant it

June 28, 2021 | 7:10 pm

AS A BUSINESS REPORTER during President Noynoy Aquino’s term, my colleagues and I talked a lot about rising revenue, narrowing deficits, and debt rating upgrades. Infrastructure too. But in government — as in life and in the Parable of the Talents — the goal is not to hoard cash but to use it for good. I believe history will judge President Aquino well not because he fixed our finances but because he supported three costly social programs: Pantawid Pamilya, K-12, and the Reproductive Health Law. And in a challenging time, they remind us to have faith in democracy and the Filipino people.

I did not vote for President Aquino. I didn’t think he had the management or leadership experience for the biggest job in the country. Even people who joined his administration and loved him told stories that suggested as much.

If he didn’t have the experience needed for the job, that was probably largely because he never wanted the job. Other pols mouth the cliché, “the presidency is destiny” while moving heaven and earth to bend it. But in his case it was true. He did not wish President Cory would pass away so there would be a groundswell for him, if anyone could even foresee that. If there is destiny, this is it. The fact that it happened twice for this family will forever be a powerful part of our democratic narrative.

Now, I don’t believe the other cliché: that the best man or woman for the job is he who does not want it. When you really want something, you will work hard at it for years, gaining experience, ability, credibility, and loyal and able connections, all of which serve you and your stakeholders well in your next job.

But the good side of not wanting something is you probably don’t think you need it. Uniquely, President Aquino didn’t need the power, the attention, or the opportunities for corruption that come with being president or even ex-president. He didn’t need epal or wangwang and, when his term was up, he returned to Times Street and his pre-presidential, even pre-Congress life. And to think he was just 56 when he stepped down, our youngest ex-president except for Diosdado Macapagal and Emilio Aguinaldo. (Of course, we didn’t know he had serious health issues by 2019.) To the frustration of some, he didn’t even feel the need to be heard much, at least publicly, on Leila de Lima, EJKs, and the administration’s China policy.

This indifference — to adapt a Jesuit term — to having and accumulating more worldly things is of course rare among politicians, even those who were born with it or have managed to acquire it. We all know businessmen and politicians for whom nothing is ever enough.

But it is not needing the power, attention, and opportunities for corruption that is ironically more empowering because it gives one the power to say “no.” No, I won’t break the law to get or keep power. No, I won’t lie. No, I won’t steal. No, I won’t cheat. No, I won’t put politics above the people. And the ability to say “no” ironically allows one to do great things.

Great things like vastly expanding Pantawid Pamilya, the conditional cash transfer program, even if it was started by a predecessor with whom there was no love lost. He even kept the name. Great things like pushing for the biggest education reform in generations despite opposition from teachers and school owners. Like supporting the Reproductive Health Bill despite opposition from the Catholic Church and influential conservatives.

We are lucky that the current and recent administrations have been fixing our finances. But the purpose of this has to be to spend on public works and services that allow more people to live decent lives, and, after that and as importantly, ensure their human and democratic right to try to get ahead.

These three programs do that. Pantawid Pamilya by giving millions of people money and trusting they will use it wisely, rather than goods and services decided by bureaucrats and technocrats. K-12 by getting them closer to all the knowledge and skills they need to get ahead here and, if they choose, abroad. The RH law by giving women and couples, especially those from the lower-income sectors, the power to determine if, when, and how many children to have so that they and their children can have the best possible opportunities.

All three embody what government is supposed to do — ensure decent lives and equal opportunities. But they also embody what government is supposed to believe — that, given the right information and opportunities, the people can be, as President Aquino said, the Boss. Not just of the government, but of their own lives. It’s an inspiring reminder for democrats around the world at a time when our cause is facing its toughest challenge in generations.

Coco Alcuaz is executive director of Makati Business Club.

The economic and energy legacy of PNoy Aquino

June 28, 2021 | 7:10 pm

A beautiful piece here in BusinessWorld about former President Benigno “Noynoy” C. Aquino III (commonly known as PNoy) was written yesterday by my former teacher at UP School of Economics, Dr. Raul Fabella, “PNoy and inclusion.” Sir Raul observed that from 2010 to 2016, “poverty incidence had declined from 26.3% to 21.6%, an almost 5% difference in six years, a remarkable achievement in our neck of the woods and even elsewhere.”

I follow this up with additional data. In the table accompanying this piece, my sources are the following:

1. GDP growth, inflation rate, general government gross debt (GGGD) as percentage of GDP — IMF, World Economic Outlook database April 2021.

2. Installed capacity 2.5 to three years gap (IC3YG) in gigawatts (GW), and electricity generation 2.5 to three years gap (EG3YG) in terawatt-hours (TWH) — BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2020.

3. Installed capacity in GW of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand — CIA, World FactBook.

I got the annual data from 1980 to 2020 and computed the averages by using these two assumptions:

For No. 1 above, GDP performance, inflation, and gross debt of the last year of a departing administration are credited to it, even if the new administration is inaugurated June 30, because the budget, taxes, deficit, borrowings for the full year were made by the departing administration.

For No. 2, it takes three to five years for big power plants to be constructed. So, a coal or gas plant commissioned and began operation, say, in 2012 (PNoy) was actually approved around 2009 or earlier by the previous Arroyo administration. Some small plants like solar or biomass take only about two years construction. So, a lag of 2.5 to three years is assumed as credit to the previous administration.

For comparison and additional context, I added the Philippines’ three neighbors with big populations — Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

The numbers in Table 1 show the following:

1. GDP change. The PNoy administration with 6.2% GDP growth was the best performer of the seven administrations. Another remarkable fact is that while Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand showed a decline in average growth in the period 2011-2016 vs. 2005-2010, the Philippines under PNoy showed increase in growth over the same period. Fantastic performance.

2. Inflation rate. The PNoy administration with 2.7% again was the best performer in price stability among the seven administrations. Almost half compared with the previous period, 2005-2010, and similar to the performance of Thailand.

3. Government gross debt as percent of GDP. PNoy’s was the second-best performer among the five administrations, next to Duterte’s. But here is the catch: it was 47.6% in 2010 and significantly reduced to only 37.3% in 2016, a 10.3 percentage points reduction in just six years. When the Duterte government came in, it stopped the decline and went on high borrowings, the ratio was flat at 37% from 2017-2019, and back to 47% in 2020.

4. Power installed capacity. PNoy expanded it by 8.2 GW in just six years, the biggest rise compared with five previous administrations. In a sense, PNoy corrected the mistake of his mother, President Cory, who killed the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (620 MW) with no alternative, resulting in large-scale blackouts nationwide in 1991-92.

5. Actual power generation. PNoy expanded power generation by 30 TWH in just six years, the biggest increase compared with the previous five administrations. This further proves that energy is development, more electricity is more growth, more poverty reduction.

Notice though that while the Philippines expanded electricity generation by 30 TWH from 2013 to 2019, Vietnam expanded theirs by 103 TWH, and Indonesia expanded by 63 TWH.

Last week, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) held a media briefing. Among the important data presented was that from May 30 to June 5 (including the blackouts of June 1, and yellow-red alerts days before and after that), the secondary price cap or ERC-imposed price control of P6.24/kwh was imposed 60 times.

Again, the main problem was lack of power supply — many old and ageing power plants, not enough new big reliable plants — the supply margin was only 1,658 MW vs. 3,114 MW from June 6-14. The usual government/ERC solution is price control, which actually discourages and kills investments in peaking plants.

The power generation mix from March to May 2021 was also discussed by IEMOP. I expand Table 2 by going way back to 2019 and it shows that the main workhorse, the backbone of Philippines power generation, is coal, the same power source that is heavily politicized and demonized by many political actors and activists. These groups’ beloved source, wind-solar, contribute an insignificant share of only 2.6% of total generation in 2019 and 2.8% in April-May 2021 (see Table 2).

The best recent energy policies were made by PNoy. They were technology-neutral and power-agnostic policies. Just approve and commission more power plants, have more electricity generation.

The worst recent energy policies were made by the Arroyo and Duterte administrations: Arroyo with the Renewable Energy (RE) Act of 2008 (RA 9513) that institutionalized all types of RE favoritism and cronyism (especially wind-solar) and contributed to expensive electricity; and Duterte’s higher energy taxes under the TRAIN law of 2017 (RA 10863), with an excise tax of an additional P6/liter in diesel and gasoline, a coal tax increase from P10/ton to P150/ton. Then there was the Energy Department’s no more greenfield, new coal plants order issued in October 2020 as the RE lobby, especially wind-solar, continue its blackout-friendly path.

Thank you, PNoy, for your great economic and energy legacy. You clearly showed that less interventionist, less prohibitionist policies are pro-growth, pro-poor. Safe journey.

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

US airstrikes on Iran-backed militias test Raisi

June 28, 2021 | 6:54 pm

kevin-lanceplaine-WHtCDy2CGYU-unsplash — UNSPLASH

THE LATEST US airstrikes on Iranian-backed militia groups come at a delicate time for Washington and Tehran, with a conservative president-elect in Iran and talks expected to restart shortly on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

President Joseph R. Biden ordered strikes on “operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq” on Sunday evening Washington time to deter future attacks on US interests in Iraq, where the US is aiding government forces in efforts to defeat Islamic State, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

Mr.Kirby’s statement made clear that Iran was the common denominator in the targets but also that the US move was meant to be defensive in nature.

“Given the ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting US interests in Iraq, the president directed further military action to disrupt and deter such attacks,” Mr. Kirby said. “The United States took necessary, appropriate and deliberate action designed to limit the risk of escalation — but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message.”

The strikes could mark an early test for Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi, who takes office in August and has been seen as a harder-line leader than departing President Hassan Rouhani. Yet the fact that the US hit Iranian proxies outside the country could give both sides plausible deniability to avoid escalating tensions.

Markets appeared to shrug off the latest military moves, with oil steady near a two-year high and traders more focused on a Thursday meeting of the OPEC+ bloc. Futures in New York traded near $74 a barrel after closing up 1% Friday.

Even before the military strikes, indirect talks in Vienna aimed at getting the US and Iran back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — were already dragging past initial timetables. The negotiations took a pause for Iran’s elections earlier this month and weren’t expected to re-start until early July.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the airstrikes would force a postponement in those meetings, but it’s not the first time the Biden administration has carried out such a move. His first military action as president in February involved airstrikes in eastern Syria on sites connected to Iranian-backed groups after a series of rocket attacks on facilities in Iraq used by the US, including one that killed a contractor working with the US-led coalition in the country.

Whatever Mr. Raisi’s calculus as president-elect, the latest US strikes and the ones in February are likely to be far less provocative than then-President Donald Trump’s move to kill a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, outside Baghdad’s airport in early 2020. That move sparked fears of a resurgence of Iranian-sponsored terrorist activities or even a broader war between Iran and the US.

Now the bigger risk may be to the timetable for the nuclear talks. Even before the latest military tensions, Iran had missed a deadline to renew its temporary atomic-monitoring pact with international inspectors, raising the prospect that it could delete sensitive enrichment information and complicating the broader negotiations in Vienna.

INSPECTIONS
The government in Tehran has yet to inform monitors whether it will renew the agreement after earlier saying it would make a decision following the pact’s expiration at midnight on Thursday. Iran let a previous deadline lapse by 24 hours last month before agreeing to extend the pact, which preserves video and enrichment data captured at Iranian nuclear installations.

Intrusive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency were originally seen as the centerpiece of Iran’s landmark 2015 agreement with world powers, which verifiably rolled back its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Though he is weeks from officially taking power, Mr. Raisi last week demanded an end to US sanctions on his country and Washington’s fully compliant return to the 2015 nuclear accord.

US officials say Iran, which has been enriching uranium beyond levels agreed to in the nuclear deal, should take the first step to return to compliance.

The US strikes could temporarily stifle criticism — mostly among Republicans — that the Biden administration’s efforts to reach a new agreement with Iran represent a capitulation to the Islamic Republic after years in which Mr. Trump ramped up pressure on Tehran.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Italy and will likely face questions about the US actions and potential repercussions following meetings with officials there. Over the weekend, Mr. Blinken met with Israel’s foreign minister, Yair Lapid, who said his country has “serious reservations” about the talks in Vienna. — Bloomberg

Health minister leads push for stricter curbs in COVID-ravaged Indonesia

June 28, 2021 | 6:54 pm

2020-04-27_Indonesia_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-INDONESIA-CASUALTIES — Municipality workers carry a coffin at a cemetery in Jakarta, Indonesia April, 22, 2020. — REUTERS/WILLY KURNIAWAN/FILE PHOTO

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s health minister is leading a push for stricter controls as coronavirus cases surge to unprecedented levels, according to sources familiar with government discussions.

Coronavirus infections in Indonesia have tripled in the past month, overwhelming hospitals in the capital Jakarta and other centers on the heavily populated island of Java.

On Sunday, the country posted its fifth record daily high for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the past week, with 21,342 people confirmed as positive, equivalent to over a quarter of those tested.

Three sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had urged tougher social restriction measures but was overruled. He is continuing to push his case, they said. One of the sources said government meetings on the issue would take place this week.

Citing the need to safeguard Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, Indonesia has rejected the lockdowns imposed by its neighbors and similar large developing countries like India. Instead, Jakarta has opted for social restrictions targeting villages and neighborhoods deemed “red zones” due to high infections, a policy known as PPKM Mikro.

President Joko Widodo on Friday said the current strategy was working but needed better enforcement.

Last week, the head of the country’s COVID-19 taskforce, coordinating economy minister Airlangga Hartarto, banned religious activities at houses of worship, closed schools and bars and required offices, restaurants, cafes and malls to operate at 25% capacity in red zones for two weeks.

When Reuters enquired if the health minister wanted greater curbs on social mobility, a ministry spokesperson replied “in accordance with the current policy”.

A spokesman for the president said: “Until now, we still have PPKM Mikro, empirically it is still very effective to control small areas.”

INEFFECTIVE
The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) on Sunday called on the government to implement large-scale restrictions, especially across the island of Java, home to more than half the country’s population of 270 million people.

The IDI said that 24 regencies and cities had reported isolation bed capacity at 90% full, while intensive care units in several areas were nearing 100% capacity and 30 doctors had died in June from COVID-19.

“If there is no firm intervention we will be like India,” said Dr. Adib Khumaidi, head of the IDI’s mitigation team, noting the surge in cases in the South Asian nation in April and May and the “collapse” of its health care system.

Earlier last week, the World Health Organization and the Indonesian Hospital Association also called for tighter controls.

Public health experts have warned the government’s current policy for social restrictions can’t be fully implemented by poorly resourced local officials and don’t account for people moving between red zones and other areas.

How villages and neighborhoods are designated red zones is opaque and undermined by low rates of testing and contact tracing that masks the true extent of Indonesia’s overall infection rate, they said.

Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist at Griffith University in Australia, estimated half of people in red zones didn’t follow instructions to work from home.

“My analysis from the last five months of the PPKM program is that it hasn’t been effective in the field,” he told Reuters.

One source said that, among several options, presidential advisers were examining the lockdowns in India, where a fivefold increase in infections in little over a month was fully reversed in a similar time frame.

If guidelines followed by Indian states were adopted in Indonesia, lockdowns would be introduced in 31 of its 34 provinces where positivity rates are at 10 per cent or higher.

Adjusting for population size, Indonesia has about 40% of the intensive care beds in India, according to a study last year by Princeton University.

On Friday, the health minister announced plans for 7,000 more hospital beds in Jakarta dedicated to COVID-19 patients. — Reuters

Oh deer! Nude sunbathers who fled animal fined for lockdown breach

June 28, 2021 | 6:53 pm

scott-carroll-favQn8WgRyk-unsplash — UNSPLASH

SYDNEY — Australian authorities have fined two nude beach sunbathers for breaching a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown after they ran into a forest on being surprised by a wild deer and got lost, an incident that went viral on social media.

The men were among 44 people fined at the weekend for infringing curbs in Sydney and surrounding areas meant to rein in an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant that has spread to both coasts.

“They were startled by a deer, ran into the national park, and got lost,” Mick Fuller, police commissioner of the most populous state of New South Wales, told a daily briefing, describing Sunday’s incident.

“Not only did they require assistance from (emergency services) and police to rescue them, they also both received a ticket.”

In a statement, police said the men had called for help after getting lost in bushland near a remote beach in Royal National Park, a 15,000-hectare (37,000-acre) coastal stretch just south of Sydney that is home to at least one nudist beach.

Emergency crews supported by a police rescue helicopter found a naked 30-year-old man carrying a backpack on a walking track and a 49-year-old who was partially clothed, police added.

The government did not comment on Mr. Fuller’s Monday disclosure, but some lawmakers joined in a Twitter frenzy that sent the word “deer” trending.

“A good reminder. A COVID health breach results in very deer fines,” New South Wales opposition leader Chris Minns said in a post.

Deer are not native to Australia but about 2,000 of the southeast Asian Rusa breed live in the park since the animals were introduced a century ago, said volunteer group Friends of the Royal National Park. — Reuters

Kaya FC seeks bounce-back win at AFC Champions League

June 28, 2021 | 6:49 pm

KAYA FC-Iloilo returns to 2021 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (CL) action on Tuesday, looking to bounce back from a rough welcome it had in its debut match previously.

The Philippine club will take on Viettel FC of Vietnam in its second game in Group F of the tournament at the Pathum Thani Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

It will be a battle between two teams which dropped their opening group matches in the 2021 edition of the prestigious continental competition.

Kaya found the going tough in its ACL group stage debut last Saturday, dominated by the hometown champion BG Pathum United, 4-1.

Despite competing hard, the team just could not get the break it needed to keep in step with its opponent.

It, however, got a breakthrough goal late in the match from Marwin Angeles (81’) to have something to build on heading into its next match.

“I’m very proud of our side, our boys gave 100%. They worked very hard… They did everything we asked of them before the game. I think for us now, we need to make sure we get up, stand up, and go again,” said Kaya coach Graham Harvey after the game.

Adding, “Obviously, it’s not nice to lose and we’d rather not experience that for the next five games, but we’re also very glad to be here and learn from those experiences and make sure that we come back stronger.”

Kaya’s opponent Viettel, for its part, was dealt a 0-1 defeat by reigning ACL champion Ulsan Hyundai FC of Korea in its opener also on June 26.

Viettel was seemingly on its way to holding Ulsan Hyundai to a nil-nil draw until the latter scored in the 91^st minute from substitute Lukas Hinterseer to score the victory.

Despite the loss, Viettel remains upbeat and is looking to do better in its remaining assignments.

“I want to say it was a good game for us. We had good fighting spirit,” said head coach Heinz-Jürgen Gede post-match.

Group I play

Meanwhile, reigning Philippines Football League champion United City Football Club, who plays in Group I at the ACL, also returns to the pitch on Tuesday against Korea’s Daegu FC at the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

United City was held to a 1-1 draw by Beijing FC of China in its opening match.

Stephan Schröck scored first for United City in the 28^th minute of the contest but was answered by Beijing FC captain Liang Showen in the 73^rd minute with a free kick.

United City tried to regroup and create chances for the go-ahead goal, but Beijing FC’s defense held steady en route to the match ending in a stalemate and the teams getting a point each.

Coach Jason Withe of United City admitted his disappointment after the game, feeling they allowed a good opportunity to get a full three points to slip away.

“I’m very disappointed. I think we dominated for large periods of the game. You look at possession, it’s probably 70 percent possession for us, one shot on goal [for Beijing], which was obviously a great free kick,” he said.

In the AFC Champions League, the top teams in each of the groupings advance to the Round of 16 with the second-place clubs qualifying if they end up as among the best runner-up teams. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Khris Middleton, Bucks stop Hawks with big 4^th quarter

June 28, 2021 | 6:49 pm

KHRIS Middleton scored a game-high 38 points, including 20 during the fourth quarter, to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 113-102 win over the host Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday night.

Middleton added 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Bucks seized a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds and four assists for Milwaukee; Bobby Portis contributed 15 points off the bench; Jrue Holiday shot two of 11 but had a team-high 12 assists.

Trae Young led the Hawks with 35 points on 12-for-23 shooting, including six of 14 from beyond the arc. Danilo Gallinari (18 points), John Collins (13) and Kevin Huerter (11) also scored in double digits.

The Bucks outscored the Hawks (30-17) in the fourth quarter to win their second straight game.

Young sprained his right ankle in the last minute of the third quarter when he inadvertently stepped on an official’s foot. He limped to the locker room but returned to the game with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks sharpshooter struggled to find his rhythm after returning, and the Bucks took advantage.

The Bucks had a 7-0 run to go up 82-80 with 1:47 left in the third, but the Hawks answered with two free throws from Young and a 3-pointer from Bogdan Bogdanović. Atlanta entered the fourth quarter with an 85-83 lead.

The score was tied at 56 at half time. Young led all scorers with 17 points at the break.

Atlanta opened the game on a 15-2 run that included a pair of dunks in transition by Clint Capela. Young added a 3-pointer from 36 feet and a floating jump shot during the early outburst.

Milwaukee pulled within 32-27 at the end of the first quarter as Middleton hit a pull-up jumper with 2.1 seconds remaining.

The Hawks led 56-46 with 2:39 left before intermission when Huerter drilled a 3-pointer off an assist from Young. But Milwaukee closed the half on a 10-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Pat Connaughton with 12.7 seconds to go, to erase the double-digit deficit.

The teams will remain in Atlanta, where Game 4 is set for Tuesday night. — Reuters

Premier Volleyball League ready to serve first pro season in July

June 28, 2021 | 6:48 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is ready to kick off its first professional season beginning next month.

In an announcement made at the weekend, PVL president Ricky Palou said they will kick off their first season as a professional league, with the Open Conference, on July 17 in a “bubble” setting at the Centennial Arena in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

It will end the long wait for the return of the popular volleyball league which turned professional late in 2020 after years of being a semi-pro league.

“We’re ready. The people who are supposed to help us are ready to get the games going; for us to enter the bubble. Television, too, is ready and just waiting for our word,” said Mr. Palou in an interview with BusinessWorld.

The PVL official went on to say that they chose to play outside of the National Capital Region (NCR) so as to avoid “possible disruption” considering how fluid the situation is with the pandemic.

Mr. Palou said they also considered Subic, Zambales, and Clark, Pampanga, as tournament venues.

“The NCR is always there but most of the venues here are being used for the pandemic like as vaccine centers. We play our matches at Filoil in San Juan but it is a vaccination area right now. And we don’t know, if we play here in Metro Manila and there is another spike in cases, we may be asked to stop the games. So to have less disruption, we chose to look outside,” he said.

“The safety of the players, organizers and all the people involved is very important for us. We want the place to be safe from this pandemic.”

For the inaugural pro season of the PVL, 11 teams are set to compete, led by powerhouse teams Creamline Cool Masters and F2 Logistics Cargo Movers.

The other competing teams in the PVL Open Conference are BaliPure Purest Water Defenders, Banko Perlas Spikers, Chery Tiggo Crossover, Choco Mucho Flying Titans, Cignal HD Spikers, Petro Gazz Angels, Philippine Army Lady Troopers, PLDT Home Fibr Hitters, and Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors.

Mr. Palou said the teams have already begun their respective bubble training sessions in different areas.

The league is currently in the process of finalizing the details, including the schedule of matches.

The PVL bubble Open Conference will run for two months, with matches to be broadcast over its new TV home Cignal TV.

The league, which was forced to cancel its season last year because of the pandemic, said despite its pro status now, its mission is still the same — develop the skills of the players further and provide opportunities for them as well as promote the sport of volleyball.

Key US training for Didal before Tokyo Olympics

June 28, 2021 | 6:48 pm

TOKYO Olympics-bound Filipino skateboarder Margielyn Didal — ALVIN S. GO

FILIPINO Tokyo Olympics-bound skateboarder Margielyn Didal is set for a key stretch of training in the United States as part of her final preparations for the rescheduled Games.

Ms. Didal, 21, recently booked her spot in the Olympics, where skateboarding will make its debut, on the strength of her world rankings. She is currently number 13 in her division.

The 2018 Asian and 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist came back to her hometown of Cebu after competing at the Street World Championships in Rome, Italy, earlier this month, to rest and spend time with her family.

She was set to fly to Los Angeles after along with her coach, Dani Bautista, for the final stretch of her training before heading to Tokyo.

In LA, Ms. Didal said they will try to find a skate park similar to that which will be used in the Olympics to try out the stuff she will showcase in her event.

“Margie has a bag of tricks, and it’s just finding the right obstacle to do it in, for the course in the Olympics,” said Mr. Bautista, who joined Ms. Didal, in a recent media conference organized by Red Bull Philippines.

The women’s street event in the Tokyo Olympics will be held on July 26 at the Ariake Urban Sports Park.

After their training in the US, Ms. Didal and her team will fly to Tokyo on July 18 where they hope to put in further training time before plunging into action.

“I think the three weeks of training time before the Olympics is just about right. You don’t want to overtrain yourself. You have to give your body enough time to recover,” Ms. Didal said.

She went on to say that she expects tough competition in the Olympics but she is staying positive and consistent in training.

Apart from Ms. Didal, other Filipino athletes who have booked a spot in this year’s Olympic Games are pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Caloy Yulo, boxers Eumir Felix Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Erleen Ann Ando, rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, shooter Jayson Valdez, golfer Juvic Pagunsan, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe and trackster Kristina Knott.

The Tokyo Olympics is scheduled from July 23 to Aug. 8. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

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