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When 15-year veteran Jared Dudley announced his transfer to the Mavericks as assistant coach, not a free quarters were caught by surprise. He had made no secret of his desire to latch on to the Lakers for yet one go-round; his diminished on-court role notwithstanding, he sincerely believed he played a crucial role to their success. Unfortunately, the front office appeared to have other plans for each of the three remaining roster spots, none involving his return. And so he got the next best thing: a gig in the sidelines alongside former purple and gold deputy Jason Kidd even if it meant effectively hanging up his laces.

Significantly, top dog LeBron James was among those who expressed disappointment at the turn of events. The four-time Most Valuable Player awardee let loose a four-letter word in his tweet, adding, “Excuse my language, but this one hurt!! For many reasons that you wouldn’t understand.” Evidently, even fellow All-Star Anthony Davis lobbied for him, to no avail. “Obviously, LeBron and A.D. wanted me back, but we just couldn’t convince them” — them being, based on news, Vice-President for Operations Rob Pelinka and Senior Adviser Kurt Rambis.

At first glance, logic seemed to be behind the decision. Nine players on the Lakers’ roster are in their thirties, and front office honchos have every reason to complete it with players younger than Dudley, who just turned 36. So guess what they now plan to do? If reports are true, they’ll be spreading the welcome mat for — drumroll — Rajon Rondo, who’s younger than the departed glue guy James and Davis wanted back by all of seven months. Forget that their Russell Westbrook, their biggest off-season acquisition, figures to hog minutes at the point.

What, then, will Rondo’s primary purpose be for the Lakers? Remember, he just finished a campaign with the Clippers that saw him riding pine. Heck, so unwanted was he that he got dumped at the first opportunity. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies saw him as mere trade filler; they couldn’t even be bothered to subject him to a physical examination. Which is why buyout negotiations are under way, and why Pelinka’s angling to sign him. What the difference will be between Dudley and him insofar as the locker room is concerned, only time will tell.

That said, this much is clear: There’s a lot to cut through for the Lakers even before they get to start. Dudley’s efforts behind the scenes proved invaluable in the two years he counted the Staples Center as his home; just ask former teammates, newly minted Wizard Kyle Kuzma included. Instead of a proper sendoff, however, he got the cold shoulder. So much for the realities of business in the National Basketball Association.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Globe, DepEd, Sen. Villanueva make digital learning more accessible with GoLearn

Globe, Sen. Villanueva make digital learning more accessible with GoLearn

A gap in access is a gap in learning. With this in mind, Globe joined hands to give educators, parents, and students access to highly engaging programs and affordable digital solutions so there will be no reason for learning to stop.

To make the education stakeholders feel more optimistic for this school year, Globe has launched GoLearn, the unified, company-wide platform aimed at helping the country achieve 21st Century Learning. Through the initiative, Globe is looking forward to creating a better tomorrow for the sector.

GoLearn is a valuable platform for everyone who aspires to further enrich their education as it opens up doors for a brighter future.  It promotes continuous learning and further bridges the digital gaps in the education landscape in the country via access to connectivity solutions, learning platforms, and solutions.

“It is our commitment in Globe to work with the whole education sector to bring forth everyone’s aspiration for better education, ensuring that learning never stops for all, wherever they are, regardless of their status. This is the heart of GoLearn – Globe’s unified initiative to bring together products, programs, services, and solutions that will empower the whole learning ecosystem,” said KD Dizon, Globe Head of Small, Medium Business Group.

Supporting Globe in this undertaking is Sen. Joel “Tesdaman” Villanueva, Chairman of the Philippine Senate Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development; and the Higher and Technical and Vocational Education Committees, and Digital Learning Advocate. A son of two former public school teachers, he is also a staunch advocate of continuous learning and has paved the way for accessible education for all.

Sen. Joel “Tesdaman” Villanueva, Chairman of the Philippine Senate Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development; and the Higher and Technical and Vocational Education Committees, and Digital Learning Advocate; Tonisito C. Umali, Undersecretary of Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and School Sports of the Department of Education; and Ai de la Cruz, host (Bottom L-R) – KD Dizon, Globe Head of Small, Medium Business Group; and Segment Head for One Globe Education, Mark Abalos

Villanueva mentioned a study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on possible learning loss due to school closure and remote learning.  The impact on the kids may be long term which can affect their competitiveness and work performance in the near future.

“We advocate digital learning and we partner with Globe for the fulfillment of this advocacy,” Villanueva said. “That’s why importante ang mga ginagawa o gagawin pa nating mga interventions para hindi tuluyang bumaba ang kaalaman ng mga kabataan.  Makakatulong dito ng malaki ang initiative ng Globe to ensure na tuloy-tuloy ang learning ng mga bata.  GoLearn is a digital solution to widen the access to training.  With GoLearn, learning is at your fingertips kaya very convenient.”

“Napakahirap po ng ating kinakaharap ngayon ngunit ito po ay magiging  hindi gaano kahirap dahil po sa ating partner.  Napakalaki po ng tulong ng Globe sa pagbibigay ng connectivity, mga learning platforms, at mga learning management systems na pwede po nating gamitin to supplement what we are already doing. Kaya atin pong pinapasalamatan ang Globe,” said Undersecretary of Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and School Sports of the Department of Education, Tonisito C. Umali.

GoLearn is supported by the different groups inside Globe:

  • Globe Enterprise provides students from low-income households with access to new normal education through the enhanced Phinma Education data plan.
  • Globe Small and Medium Enterprise assist institutions with digital transformation to enhance teachers’ teaching abilities and support the learning competencies of students. This is done through its E-Skwela Webinars and Online Training Program which are meant to enlighten the education sector on the vast benefits that digitalization brings towards continuous growth of quality education.
  • Globe At Home gives its subscribers learning vouchers through the Globe At Home app.
  • Globe Prepaid, through Virtual Hangouts, has scheduled a series of activities or interactive experiences for students to enable meaningful connections and renew school friendships.
  • TM has a FunAral E-Campus to be rolled out in different TM Campus Connect partners and national school organizations intended to immerse the students in a fun and engaging virtual learning experience.
  • Educational apps and learning activities and resources are also made available for Globe customers
  • Globe also leads the way in creating a safer online environment with programs that promote cybersecurity and safety, responsible digital citizenship, and mental wellness.

“We hope you’re as excited as us to really raise the quality of education in the country together,” said Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO on how the company places priority on the enablement of online learning. “With the launch of GoLearn, know that the entire One Globe group is with you to continue to provide affordable connectivity, accessible platforms, and safer learning environment for all.”

“The Ayala Group gives its full support to Globe’s GoLearn program as it provides enabling solutions that propel the education sector to progressive digital learning,” said Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of Ayala Corporation.

Globe is a strong advocate of quality education which is one of the 10 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that the company has committed to support. In line with the new normal, Globe is pushing for digital learning by providing connectivity to learners and teachers.

To know more about GoLearn, visit www.globe.com.ph/education.

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Philippines says 17,000 more people infected

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

The Philippines reported 17,447 coronavirus infections on Friday — the second-highest daily tally since the pandemic started last year — amid a fresh surge spurred by a more contagious Delta variant, according to the Department of Health (DoH). 

This brought the total to 1.91 million, while deaths rose to 32,841 after 113 more patients died, it said in a bulletin. Recoveries increased by 6,771 to 1.74 million, it added. 

The percentage of people who tested positive for the virus had also risen to a record 26.1%. 

There were 142,531 active cases, 96.2% of which were mild, 1.1% did not show symptoms, 1.1% were severe, 0.96% were moderate and 0.6% were critical. 

DoH said 186 duplicates had been removed from the tally, 186 of which were tagged as recoveries, while 47 recoveries were reclassified as deaths. One laboratory failed to submit data on Aug. 25. 

The agency on Thursday said infections were likely to rise in the coming weeks despite a two-week strict lockdown imposed in the capital region that ended on Aug. 20. 

Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center will expand operations in the Visayas and Mindanao after it was given P295.7 million this year to strengthen the country’s monitoring of infectious diseases. 

“Our regional offices are having a hard time sending samples here in Manila due to challenges in logistics,” Health spokesperson Maria Rosario C. Singh-Vergeire told an online news briefing. 

“By strengthening the country’s biosurveillance capacity, we hope to prevent future outbreaks of diseases in the Philippines,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said in a separate statement. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago 

‘Anomaly’ flagged in supply deals

FREEPIK

Senator Franklin M. Drilon cited several warning signs of potential anomaly, corruption or fraud in the procurement of several medical supplies by the Budget department. 

“I am worried there are so many red flags in the procurement of several medical items,” the senator said in a statement on Friday. “These warning signs indicate possible anomaly, corruption or fraud.” 

“Red flags are all over. We should not ignore these red flags,” he added. 

Mr. Drilon cited as anomalous the choice of contractors of questionable qualifications with one contractor earning P284.9 million in 2020, from zero income in 2019, supposedly after bagging P8.68 billion worth of government contracts. 

“Indeed, business is booming for these contractors,” he said. He added that the Budget department appears to have given them “the sure ticket to wealth.” 

The opposition senator questioned why Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. bagged P8.68 billion worth of contracts. Incorporated only in September 2019, the company has paid-up capital of only P625,000, “obviously insufficient to assume huge risk for the delivery of P8.68 billion worth of procurement.” 

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson during Friday’s hearing asked former Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao what type of due diligence was done before the agency awarded billions of funds to Pharmally. 

Mr. Lao said they did not have a copy of Pharmally’s general information sheet so they did not have an idea about bogus addresses that the company allegedly used in its registration documents. 

Drilon said that contrary to the law’s clear requirement that negotiated procurement can only be entered into with people who have the technical, legal and financial capabilities, the government entered into contracts with companies of questionable qualifications. — A.N.O. Tan 

Duterte criticized for rants vs Senate

BW FILE PHOTO

Senators on Friday criticized President Rodrigo R. Duterte for his lack of respect for a co-equal government branch. 

The President earlier said people should not believe congressional investigations, days after the Senate grilled Health officials at a hearing for alleged misuse of pandemic funds. 

Mr. Duterte said these inquiries lead to nowhere. 

“A little respect, Mr. President,” Senator Richard, who heads the blue ribbon committee, said at the opening of the body’s third hearing on the Health department’s expenses. 

“Maybe he forgot, or he’s misinformed,” Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said in a Viber group message. “I will send him the Senate report on the committee of the whole investigation on PhilHealth,” he added. 

Mr. Sotto said most of Mr. Duterte’s appointed officers have pending cases and had been removed because of the Senate investigation. 

“There are many laws, lucrative to the people, that we have passed because of the inquiries and investigations we performed,” Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said in a separate statement in Filipino. 

Under the law, Congress holds investigations in aid of legislation. It can recommend the prosecution of officials and measures to prevent corruption. 

Mr. Duterte’s rants against the Senate is the latest of his attempts to defend Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III from corruption allegations. The President has said he would not fire his Health chief. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Duque said P311 million had been allotted for 5% of about 488,000 health workers for their special risk allowance. The rest would likely be given their allowance within the next two months. 

During a Senate hearing on Friday, Senator Francis Pancratius N. Pangilinan said 95% of the workers had served without receiving their allowance, but Mr. Duque said they could not release the funds without first validating the list. 

He said he had sent the second list of 17,000 beneficiaries to the Budget department, while a third batch of 80,000 workers would get their allowance once validated by the agency. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

Congress urged to cut 20% stamp tax

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has urged Congress to pass a measure that will cut the 20% documentary stamp tax to 10% to ensure efficient use of charity funds. 

About 62% of its charity fund this year has so far been used to pay for documentary stamp taxes, PCSO Legislative Liaison Officer Gay Nadine P. Alvor told lawmakers at a House of Representatives hearing on Friday.  

The House ways and means committee said it would endorse a tax cut on lotto tickets in a bicameral committee once the Senate approves the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act. 

The bill, which the House approved on third and final reading on Sept. 9, 2019 is still pending at a Senate committee. 

The bill only recommends the removal of documentary stamp tax imposed on nonmonetary transactions. — Russell Louis C. Ku 

GrabFood rider seek reinstatement

One hundred food delivery riders in Cebu dismissed by Grab Philippines on June 28 for alleged fraud have sought their reinstatement by the Labor department. 

In a statement, the riders, led by labor group Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong, urged the agency to start the research and investigation to create policy standards to protect the gig workers. 

The Labor department earlier said it would create a technical working group that will look at the plight of food riders after Foodpanda Philippines suspended 100 delivery riders in Davao City for 10 years allegedly for planning a protest against the company’s wage policy in July. 

Grab Philippines said it would look at the matter. The company said the workers were fired for availing themselves of a promotion, which is a “serious violation of Grab’s code of conduct.” 

The riders received incentives in the form of points by using the promotion, it said. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago 

Veteran journalist dies at 64

Veteran journalist Carmelo M. Acuña passed away on Friday after a severe bout of the coronavirus. He was 64.

Ma. Jhona B. Acuña confirmed the death of her husband in a Facebook post. Mr. Acuña on Tuesday said he and his wife had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Mr. Acuña, a member of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, was known for hosting media fora, including on the sea dispute between the Philippines and China.

“I will remember you for asking insightful questions, framed in context and always delivered with respect and sensitivity, not just for the institution but for the people who watch the briefing,” presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said in a Facebook post.

Mr. Acuña is survived by his wife and son. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza 

Killing of Cebu lawyer condemned

Some lawmakers on Friday condemned the killing of a Cebu-based human rights lawyer, saying it was an assault on legal independence.

Before Rex Jesus M. Fernandez was assassinated on Thursday, he had expressed dissatisfaction and frustration with the Duterte government, Party-list Rep. Eufemia C. Cullamat said told an online news briefing.

Mr. Fernandez was a human rights lawyer and one of the founding members of the National Union of People’s Lawyers in Cebu.

He represented eight people who were arrested for alleged violations of the community quarantine. The clients had also protested against the country’s Anti-Terrorism Law. — Russell Louis C. Ku 

Wheelchair racer Mangliwan falls short in 400m finals

Filipino wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan fell short in the finals of the T52 men’s 400-meter race at the Tokyo Paralympic Games on Friday night, disqualified for lane infringement.

Mr. Magliwan, 41, clocked at 1:00.80 in the finals held at the Japan National Stadium but was later ruled disqualified for the infraction.

Hometown bet Tomoki Sato finished first with a time of 55.39 seconds, followed by Raymond Martin of the United States (55:59) and Hirokazu Ueyonabaru (59.95) of Japan.

Mr. Mangliwan, who has paraplegia which he acquired from polio, booked a spot in the finals by placing seventh in the heats earlier in the day.

He wound up in fourth place in the first heat, clocking one minute and 3.41 seconds. The time was enough for the Kalinga native to earn a spot in the medal race, where only the eight racers in the heats advanced.

Despite falling short, Mr. Mangliwan’s Paralympics campaign continues as he is set to see action in the men’s 1500m T52 event on Saturday. He will race in Heat 1. – Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Filipino-developed delivery app toktok reaches more than 1M downloads in 8 months

Three months since its launch, toktok, the fastest rising homegrown and affordable delivery service app has reached a new milestone with more than 1 Million app downloads on Google Play Store and App Store.

toktok has been servicing many Filipinos nationwide providing them safe delivery with affordable rates.

It was due to the high demand of delivery service that founders, young and innovative business magnates Mr. Jonathan So and Mr. Carlito Macadadang created and developed toktok, a service made by Filipinos for Filipinos. Toktok also has provided opportunities to many Filipinos with its online franchise offer for those who would like to start their own business in the comforts of their own home.

toktok’s services have helped small and medium entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and reach more customers and have also helped modern heroes, poging toktok riders to make ends meet during pandemic.

With services offered nationwide, toktok is proven to have affordable delivery rates with base rate offer of P 60 for the first kilometer and additional P 5 for succeeding kilometer.

For more information about toktok, visit its official website www.toktok.ph and follow them on their official social media accounts

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Philippine credit downgrade imminent — ING

The Philippines should brace for a credit rating downgrade next year after Fitch Ratings adjusted its outlook to negative from stable on dimming growth prospects, an economist from ING Bank N.V. Manila said. 

“Should growth momentum stall and fiscal and external metrics deteriorate further over the coming months, the Philippines may be in line for a foreign currency credit rating downgrade by July 2022,” ING Bank Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa said in a note on Friday. 

“An outright sovereign credit downgrade for either the Philippines or Indonesia would in some cases bring them to the edge of the investment grade universe (BBB-), one misstep away from a likely heavy sell-off should either of them lose their investment grade status,” he added. 

The Philippines would likely fare worse than Indonesia, which expects its deficit to ease to 5.7% of economic output this year. On the other hand, the Philippines continues to struggle to contain its budget ceiling of 9.3%. 

Mr. Mapa said the coronavirus upheaval threatens the government’s goal to keep its deficit cap and fiscal consolidation, with a debt stock at 60.4% of economic output of June. 

A prolonged recession could result in long-term scarring effects that may prompt the government to further increase its spending, he said. 

“We can expect rating agencies to monitor nations with slowing growth as this translates to soft revenues, wider fiscal deficits and ultimately higher debt levels,” he added. 

After the economic grew by 3.7% in the first half, Philippine economic managers slashed their growth target for the year to 4-5% from 6-7% as the outlook dimmed. 

Mr. Mapa expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to extend its debt financing scheme until next year due to the government’s widening deficit and to support economic rebound. 

“This could complicate the central bank’s exit strategy as fiscal authorities become increasingly dependent on central bank financing,” he said. 

In a separate note on Friday, Capital Economics Asia Economist Alex Holmes said the Philippines is headed for the opposite direction compared with its peers, as the country continues to suffer from a worsening COVID-19 outbreak. The threat of the Delta variant in other Southeast Asian economies appeared to have reached its peak. 

He said this could push the BSP to bring down its key policy rates further next month. 

Offshore, Mr. Mapa said the country is also bracing for a possible worsening of its current account, especially with the peso depreciating against the dollar as the US central bank taper its bond purchases and raise interest rates. 

J.P. Morgan said in a research note on Friday that country’s current account balance could post a $2.7-billion deficit this year and widen further to $5.9 billion next year. 

The widening current account deficit is driven by the failure of imports to return to pre-crisis levels and a stalled rebound in exports. 

Fitch Ratings revised its outlook for the Philippines to negative from stable in July, but kept its BBB credit rating, as the prolonged pandemic threatens the economy. 

S&P Global Ratings in May kept its BBB+ investment grade rating for the country with a stable outlook. Moody’s Investors Service affirmed its rating of Baa2 with a stable outlook in July last year. 

Meanwhile, the Philippines was included in Nomura’s “troubled 10” list of emerging markets that are vulnerable to changes in monetary policy in the United States and slowing growth in China. 

Nomura economists Rob Subbaraman and Rebecca Wang said in a research note the country joins Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, South Africa and Indonesia on the list. 

They said emerging markets were still highly vulnerable when loose monetary policies begin to tighten due to their weak economic growth, high inflation and worsening fiscal balance, even as real policy rates remained negative. 

The slowdown in China’s economy is also a risk for emerging markets, coupled with a “growing emerging market bank-sovereign debt nexus that raises the risk of a so-called bank-sovereign doom feedback loop that was at the heart of the 2009-2010 European debt crisis. 

“We believe the economic fundamentals in many emerging market countries have deteriorated over the past year and are likely to worsen further in the year ahead, heightening the risk of financial crises as global rates rise,” the analysts said. 

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