Standout hitter Kalei Mau to miss national volleyball team tryouts

April 27, 2021 | 6:06 pm

STANDOUT outside hitter Kalei Mau, currently in Hawaii, announced on Twitter on Tuesday that she will not be in the national volleyball team tryouts in Subic this week, citing travel restrictions and safety risks as reasons. But she made it known that she is still committed to playing for the Philippines when conditions permit to do so. — KALEI MAU-PRO VOLLEY FB PAGE

HAWAII-BASED Kalei Mau will not be in the national volleyball team tryouts in Subic this week.

The standout outside hitter made the announcement on social media on Tuesday, citing travel restrictions and safety risks as reasons, but made it known that she is still committed to playing for the Philippines when conditions permit to do so.

Ms. Mau, who is part of the F2 Logistics team set to see action in the now-pro Premier Volleyball League (PVL), was one of the 40 women players invited by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) for the national tryouts happening on Wednesday until Friday in a bubble in Subic.

Through the tryouts, the PNVF hopes to assemble formidable squads for the 31^st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam later this year.

Ms. Mau was seen as a strong candidate for one of the spots in the national team with her combination of power and height.

She last saw action for the Cargo Movers last year in the Philippine Superliga until the pandemic abruptly cut its season. Ms. Mau then went back to Hawaii.

For the time being, she said she will first play elsewhere overseas before flying to the Philippines to see action in the PVL for F2 Logistics.

“I want you to hear it from me first that I will be playing abroad for a 2.5 month season. I plan to return to PH after this quick stint to compete in the PVL with my team @F2CargoMovers,” Ms. Mau wrote on her Twitter post.

The PVL was originally planned to start in May in a tournament bubble, but had to push it back to the middle of the year because of the spike in coronavirus cases in the country of late. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

ONE: Folayang seeks to turn speed bump to success

April 27, 2021 | 6:06 pm

FILIPINO MMA fighter and former world lightweight champion Eduard Folayang will face Japanese legend Shinya Aoki for the third time in ONE Championship at “ONE on TNT IV” on Thursday in Singapore. — ONE CHAMPIONSHIP

FILIPINO mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Eduard “Landslide” Folayang had to make a quick pivot in his training when his original opponent for this week’s “ONE on TNT IV” event had to pull out because of injury.

But the Team Lakay stalwart is staying the course, seeking to turn the speed bump to success.

The former ONE Championship world lightweight champion Folayang will face familiar foe Shinya Aoki of Japan for the third time as part of the last installment of the “ONE on TNT” series on Thursday in Singapore.

Mr. Aoki is taking the place of compatriot Yoshihiro Akiyama, who was to battle Mr. Folayang in a three-round contest in the upcoming ONE Championship event which will be broadcast in the United States on prime time.

Incidentally, Mr. Aoki also saw his original opponent in the same event, American Sage Northcutt, pull out after contracting the coronavirus.

The unexpected turn of events led ONE to pit Messrs. Folayang and Aoki against one another anew in an instant trilogy.

Mr. Folayang (22-10) took the first fight back in 2016, knocking out then ONE lightweight champ Aoki in the third round to become the new champion.

The Japanese then exacted payback in 2019 when he submitted the Filipino by way of arm triangle choke in the opening round to reclaim the lightweight belt.

While he is facing Mr. Aoki (46-9) for the third time, Mr. Folayang admitted that the pivot they had to make in training was not easy and that they had to work doubly hard to make all the necessary adjustments.

“It was not easy because we were expecting to fight Akiyama, then he had to pull out just weeks away from the event. There were a lot of adjustments that had to be made,” said Mr. Folayang during the online media day for “ONE on TNT IV” on Tuesday.

“While I am facing Shinya for the third time, there was a lot of studying to be made because every fight is different and you have to be really prepared for everything,” he added.

Despite the short turnaround, Baguio-based Folayang is confident that they are coming in with a solid game plan and determined to come out the victor in what he considers as one of the most important fights in his illustrious MMA career.

“This is a very important battle for me. If I can beat him here, it will catapult me up the rankings. He’s number four in the top five, and I’m looking to take his spot. This is not an easy fight, but a victory will bring me a step closer to the belt,” he said.

Headlining “ONE on TNT IV” is the ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship clash between reigning champion “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang and replacement opponent and middleweight champ Reinier De Ridder of the Netherlands.

The event will be broadcast live here over One Sports on April 29 at 8:30 a.m. with an encore telecast on the same channel on April 30 at 8:30 p.m., and on May 2 at 12 a.m. on TV5. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Roger Federer said to join French Open with eye on Wimbledon

April 27, 2021 | 6:02 pm

ROGER Federer will kickstart his claycourt campaign at the Geneva Open in three weeks before going onto the French Open for his first Grand Slam event since the 2020 Australian Open. — ROGER FEDERER FB PAGE

TORONTO — Roger Federer’s decision to make his long-awaited Grand Slam return on his least favorite surface at next month’s French Open is part of a grand plan to peak in time for his beloved Wimbledon, according to ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe.

Federer, who’s due to injury or schedule preference has not competed on the claycourts at Roland Garros in four of the last five years, returned to competition last month after sitting out more than a year following two knee operations.

“He wouldn’t be showing up to play if he didn’t think he could play well,” former player McEnroe told Reuters in a telephone interview. “But I don’t think he is realistically going there thinking he could win the tournament.”

According to McEnroe, Federer just wants to get more matches under his belt and is more focused on both the grass court and hardcourt events ahead, particularly Wimbledon, where he has won a record eight times, and the US Open.

McEnroe, whose Holding Court podcast will begin a second season on Tuesday, said Federer, 39, may make a run in Paris but a potential clash with reigning champion Rafa Nadal or world number one Novak Djokovic could prove too much to handle.

“Even when Roger was at his highest level, he was the second best claycourt player in the world, which is saying something. I don’t think we can say that right now, especially coming off such a long layoff,” said McEnroe.

“But his expectations are certainly to go there and play well and make a little bit of a run.”

Federer, whose first event back ended in a quarterfinal loss at the Qatar Open, will kickstart his claycourt campaign at the Geneva Open in three weeks before going onto the French Open for his first Grand Slam event since the 2020 Australian Open.

McEnroe conceded he was among those who did not expect Federer to pull off a late-career revival during which he added three Grand Slam crowns over a 12-month span that started at the 2017 Australian Open and has learned to never count him out.

“He’s still a threat to win a big tournament,” said McEnroe, the younger brother of seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe.

“I never underestimate greatness and he’s great, one of the greatest if not the greatest of all time.

“He just loves the game. He loves to play. I don’t think he plays with the sole intention of ‘I’m going to play to try and win every tournament,’ and I think that’s part of his popularity and part of his sustainability.” — Reuters

Context matters

April 27, 2021 | 6:01 pm

When it comes to naming the best players of all time, National Basketball Association fans won’t come close to arriving at a consensus. In fact, it’s fair to expect the opposite: given the depth of talent in the league since its inception in 1946, quite a number of factors can be used to justify personal choices. In this regard, context is crucial, even necessary. And the same holds true for the lists of those closest to the ground.

Take, for example, Jeanie Buss’ choice of the five “most important” Lakers in franchise annals. In the latest episode of the All The Smoke podcast, the controlling owner noted that “You have to start with Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], Kobe [Bryant], and LeBron [James].” Following some prompting, she said, “Magic. Yes, of course. Magic might be Number One.” She then closed out her tally with Phil Jackson, her former partner and head coach responsible for five titles. Controversial? Certainly. And she actually went to the trouble of having podcast hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson explain what “important” meant.

Needless to say, Buss’ candor drew sharp criticism from longtime habitués of the pro scene. To argue that she walked into a no-win situation would be an understatement. There are just too many opinions from too many quarters to consider that unanimity cannot but be a pipe dream. And so the barrage of queries came, and fast. Where are Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, Elgin Baylor, and even James Worthy? Why is James — whom she described as “the closest thing to a superhero I’ve ever met” — on the list?

In another podcast, Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes got living legend Julius Erving to expound on his own choices of all-time greats. His first team: Oscar Robertson, West, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Baylor. And his second team: Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He, too, got flak, of course — this time for omitting James. If nothing else, the contrast underscored the damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don’t nature of such rolls.

Again, context matters, and for as long as the owners give their own preferences some thought, there should be no second-guessing at all. Not even with bias a given, and not when assessments can be made from countless perspectives.

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.

Australia suspends flights from COVID-19 hotspot India

April 27, 2021 | 4:22 pm

SYDNEY – Australia on Tuesday suspended direct flights from India to prevent more virulent coronavirus variants entering the country following a surge in positive COVID-19 cases in the world’s second-most populous nation.

India’s coronavirus death toll neared the bleak milestone of 200,000 with another 2,771 fatalities reported on Tuesday, while its armed forces pledged urgent medical aid to help battle the staggering spike in infections.

The suspension of direct passenger flights between the two countries will remain until May 15, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a televised news conference.

“It is a humanitarian crisis and one gripping the world,” Morrison said.

“We don’t think the answer is to forsake those Australians in India and just shut them off,” he added, reiterating the suspension was temporary to ensure Australia could manage arrivals from virus hotspots.

Australia’s move impacts two passenger services from India into Sydney and two repatriating flights from India to Darwin, totalling around 500 arrivals.

Morrison said the suspension would provide a “breather” to quarantine facilities in New South Wales state and the Northern Territory, given the majority of positive cases there came from India.

Australia, which has all but stamped out the coronavirus from its shores, closed its borders to non-citizens and permanent residents in March 2020 to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

Returning residents and citizens have to undergo a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine at their own expense, a system that has largely helped Australia to keep its COVID-19 numbers relatively low, with just under 29,700 cases and 910 deaths.

The country reported zero new cases of community transmission on Tuesday.

Some state premiers had earlier voiced concerns about rising coronavirus cases in quarantine hotels, calling for a suspension on flights from India.

Western Australia, which on Monday emerged from a 3-day snap lockdown after reporting one local case last week, had been among the most vocal.

“India, there needs to be a suspension,” Premier Mark McGowan told reporters in Perth, ahead of the federal government’s decision.

“There is huge pressure now on all our quarantine facilities as a result of people coming from India.” – Reuters

Australia to consider proposal to suspend flights from India

April 27, 2021 | 3:43 pm

SYDNEY – Australia is set to consider a proposal on Tuesday to suspend flights from India to prevent more virulent coronavirus variants entering the country following a surge in positive COVID-19 cases in the world’s second-most populous country.

Queensland state has urged the federal government to halt all flights from India due to the high risk of potential COVID-19 outbreaks from highly contagious virus variants in the country’s hotel quarantine system.

“I sent a letter to the Prime Minister at the end of last week asking for the suspension of flights coming in from India … and I know that the federal government is considering it today,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Tuesday.

Australia’s national security committee will meet later on Tuesday to consider halting flights from India and will also unveil measures including sending medical supplies to help India, Australian media reported.

The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to requests seeking comments on the reports.

Last week, Australia announced it would cut the number of its citizens able to return from India and other red-zone countries to contain the risk of more virulent strains of COVID-19 spreading.

India has ordered its armed forces to help tackle the COVID-19 crisis, as nations including Britain, Germany and the United States pledged urgent medical aid to try to contain an emergency overwhelming the country’s hospitals.

On Monday, India reported more than 352,000 new COVID-19 cases, a global record for the rise in daily cases for the fifth straight day, eclipsing even the United States at the height of its pandemic last year. More than 2,800 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours, an all-time high.

Australia closed its borders to non-citizens and permanent residents last March to prevent the new coronavirus reaching the country. All returning travellers have to undergo a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine at their own expense.

The quarantine system has largely helped Australia to keep its COVID-19 numbers relatively low, with just under 29,700 cases and 910 deaths. – Reuters

Hong Kong leader says govt could intervene in Bar Association if necessary

April 27, 2021 | 3:24 pm

HONG KONG – Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday the government could intervene if necessary in the Bar Association, whose chief has been labelled an “anti-China politician” by Beijing’s top representative office in the city.

Paul Harris, chairman of the Bar Association, has been repeatedly targeted by pro-Beijing forces, with the latest remarks coming from the Liaison Office on Sunday criticising him for speaking out against jail terms handed down to several democracy activists this month.

Speaking at her weekly press briefing, Lam said that while Hong Kong respects freedom of expression, there are limits.

“For the time being I do not see the case for any government intervention into the affairs of the Hong Kong Bar Association,” Lam said. “But, of course, if there are instances or complaints about the bar not acting in accordance with the Hong Kong law, then of course the government would be called into action.”

Harris had challenged the prison terms given to media tycoon Jimmy Lai and others for taking part in an unauthorised assembly during anti-government demonstrations in 2019, and also defended the right to peaceful protests.

The Liaison Office accused him of being “an anti-Chinese politician with intimate foreign connections,” and questioned how he could safeguard the rule of law in the former British colony as well as if he should remain on as chairman.

Asked if an annual vigil to mark the June 4 anniversary of a crackdown on democracy protesters in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989 would violate a contentious national security law imposed on the city in June last year, Lam said only that respecting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was important.

“This year is the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the CCP. Everybody sees under the leadership of CCP, the taking-off of our country’s economy and the happy lives led by the people in these decades,” Lam said. “So, respecting our country’s governing party is our stance.”

On Monday, Civil Human Rights Front, organiser of an annual rally in Hong Kong on July 1, the date at which the city returned to Chinese rule in 1997, said police had asked it to provide details of its finances and explain other activities, sparking concern the protest might not go ahead this year. – Reuters

U.S. legislation on China to be delayed, lawmakers say

April 27, 2021 | 3:20 pm

WASHINGTON – A U.S. legislative proposal to allocate $112 billion for basic and advanced technology research and science in the face of rising competitive pressure from China will be delayed by at least two weeks, U.S. Senate Republicans and staffers said Monday.

The bipartisan “Endless Frontier” measure was scheduled to be debated by the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday, having been formally introduced on April 21. But with more than 230 amendments filed for consideration, Senate Republicans said the markup would not go forward until after a one-week Senate recess than ends May 10.

Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, told reporters that lawmakers needed more time “for some consensus to develop.”

A spokesman for Senator Todd Young, the primary Republican sponsor told Reuters the bill will not be heard in committee “this week but we expect it to happen after the recess.”

The measure, sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Young and others, would also authorize another $10 billion to designate at least 10 regional technology hubs and create a supply chain crisis response program to address issues like the shortfall in semiconductor chips harming auto production.

A spokesman for Senator Maria Cantwell, who chairs the Commerce Committee, did not immediately comment Monday night.

Many lawmakers want to use the legislation to advance other priorities and attach additional proposals. Senators Gary Peters and John Thune want to use the bill to speed the deployment of thousands of self-driving cars.

Republican Representative Mike Gallagher, another sponsor, said U.S. superiority in science and technology “is at risk. The Chinese Communist Party has used decades of intellectual property theft and industrial espionage to close this technological gap in a way that threatens not only our economic security, but also our way of life.”

Schumer said separately last week he will push for “emergency spending” to implement semiconductor manufacturing provisions in last year’s defense bill. – Reuters

Fighting erupts in Myanmar; junta to ‘consider’ ASEAN plan

April 27, 2021 | 2:53 pm

Fighting erupted in eastern Myanmar near the Thai border early on Tuesday as ethnic minority Karen insurgents attacked an army outpost in some of the most intense clashes since a Feb. 1 coup plunged Myanmar into crisis.

The clash came as the junta, in an apparent set-back for an attempt by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to end Myanmar’s turmoil, said it would “positively” consider the bloc’s suggestions made at a weekend meeting in Indonesia.

Southeast Asian leaders said on the weekend they had reached a consensus with the junta on steps to end violence and promote dialogue between the rival Myanmar sides.

The Karen National Union (KNU), Myanmar’s oldest rebel force, said it had captured the army camp on the west bank of the Salween river, which forms the border with Thailand in the area.

Villagers on the Thai side of the river said heavy gunfire started before sunrise. Video posted on social media showed flames and smoke on the forested hillside.

KNU forces had taken the outpost at around 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. (2230 to 2330 GMT), the group’s head of foreign affairs, Saw Taw Nee, told Reuters.

He said the camp had been occupied and burned down and that the group was still checking on deaths and casualties. The spokesman said there had been fighting in other locations too, but did not give details.

The Karen Information Center media group said the army base had been overrun. It said villagers had seen seven soldiers running away.

Myanmar’s army made no immediate comment. It historically proclaimed itself the one institution that can keep the ethnically diverse country of more than 53 million people together, though much of Myanmar has rallied in opposition to its coup.

The army base at the Thai border had been largely surrounded by KNU forces and food had run short there in recent weeks, according to Thai villagers who had contact with the soldiers.

A Thai official in Mae Hong Son province said one person had been lightly wounded in Thailand during the fighting.

The KNU agreed to a ceasefire in 2012, ending their insurgency for autonomy that began shortly after Myanmar’s independence from Britain in 1948.

But their forces have clashed with the army since it seized power and cut short a decade of democratic reforms that had also brought relative peace to Myanmar’s volatile borderlands.

‘CAREFUL CONSIDERATION’

About 24,000 people displaced in recent weeks by violence including military air strikes are sheltering in the jungle, Karen goups say.

Myanmar’s main ethnic minority forces based in frontier regions have supported the largely urban-based pro-democracy opponents of the junta, whose security forces have killed more than 750 civilians protesting against the coup, according to an activist group.

Elsewhere in Myanmar, there have been relatively few reports of bloodshed since the weekend meeting between junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and Southeast Asian leaders to try to find a way out of the crisis.

The junta, in its first official comment on the meeting, said it would give “careful consideration to constructive suggestions … when the situation returns to stability”.

The suggestions would be “positively considered” if they facilitated the junta’s own “roadmap”, and “serves the interests of the country and was based on purposes and principles enshrined in” ASEAN, it said in a statement.

The junta did not refer to one of ASEAN’s long-cherished principles of non-interference in each other’s affairs.

After the weekend meeting, ASEAN issued a so-called five-point consensus on steps to end the violence and initiate talks between the Myanmar rivals.

Activists have criticised the plan saying it helped to legitimise the junta and fell far short of their demands.

In particular, it did not specifically call for the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 75, and other political prisoners. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group says more than 3,400 people have been detained for opposing the coup.

Suu Kyi’s party won a second term in November. The election commission said the vote was fair but the military said fraud at the polls had forced it to seize power.

Myanmar media reported at least one man was shot dead in the city of Mandalay on Monday. The circumstances were unclear.

Protesters have vowed to step up action against the junta and have called on people to stop paying electricity bills and agricultural loans and to keep their children away from school.

“Education staff and students are strongly encouraged to join the boycott and stand together by not attending school,” protest leader Ei Thinzar Maung posted on social media.

Coca-Cola: partnerships enabling lasting change for women entrepreneurs

April 27, 2021 | 10:51 am

Breaking glass ceilings is the goal of many women, especially those who wish to become financially self-reliant in order to support their families, particularly those from the lower-income segments of society. But the reality is that life for them is hardly easy. With myriad challenges and hindrances that stand as stumbling blocks to their growth and success such as unconscious gender biases, lack of access to needed seed capital, or even basic entrepreneurial skills and the necessary know-how to properly start and run a thriving business, concrete measures that address these need to be done.

Women taking the Lead

In full recognition of the critical role that women play in society—in economic, social, and community development—Coca-Cola set over a decade ago a global commitment to economically empower five million women entrepreneurs by 2020, called the 5by20 initiative.

Here in the Philippines, Coca-Cola originally pledged to empower 100,000 women nationwide. To achieve this, Coca-Cola, together with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), created the Sari-sari Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) Program. Through this initiative, the partnership provides business skills and gender sensitivity training, as well as access to key resources and mentoring from peers.

A strong public-private partnership

Coca-Cola believes that real change cannot happen alone. Thus, the STAR program is anchored in a multi-sectoral approach amongst the government, private sector and civil society. This is crucial to make real, impactful, and lasting solutions.

Coca-Cola has forged partnerships with key government entities. Coca-Cola and TESDA together created the 12 training modules of the STAR Program. TESDA also trained and hired the trainers who teach the course to sari-sari store and carinderia owners.

Through community-based organization partners like the Tagum City Council of Women Foundation and the Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, they helped scale the reach of the 5by20 STAR program to the Davao and Negros regions, spreading the program nationwide.

A partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment, through the Overseas Workers Welfare Authority (OWWA) and the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), took this a step further by merging the 5by20 STAR program modules and the Balik Pinay, Balik Hanapbuhay program to help repatriated women overseas Filipino workers. The program called the Women Entrepreneurs Reintegrated and Economically Active at Home (WOMEN REACH) program, has already trained 277 women OFWS with micro-enterprises.

In addition, Coca-Cola, through OWWA and Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) and TESDA, recently partnered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to empower 10,000 displaced OFWs through the OFW RISE or Re-Integration through Skills and Entrepreneurship Program. This timely partnership program provided OFWs with access to web-based training on basic entrepreneurship and business idea development, supported by practical business coaching as well as establishing linkages to livelihood assistance and other microfinancing programs.

In tandem with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Coca-Cola launched the ReSTART or Rebuilding Sari-Sari Stores Through Access to Resources and Trade, which is designed to stimulate the recovery of the micro-retail sector by helping 20,000 sari-sari stores through such responsive programs like the safe stores movement, safe stores education, and a Php 184M bridge loan fund that extends a Php 10,000 soft loan to each sari-sari store owner.

Through micro-finance institutions like the First Community Cooperative (FICCO), the ASA Philippines Foundation, and Alay sa Kaunlaran (ASKI), women now have access to legitimate sources of capital and do not have to resort to loan sharks to replenish their stocks, especially while recovering from the pandemic.

Reaching out across the country

The partnership between Coca-Cola and local government units all over the country also helped spread the implementation of the 5by20 STAR program in their municipalities. These include the local government units of Negros Occidental, Cebu, Iloilo, Quezon City, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Bulacan, Palawan, Lanao del Norte, Muntinlupa, Tacloban, Marawi, Taguig, and Koronadal.

Since the initial commitment locally made in 2010 to empower 100,000 women retailers, Coca-Cola Philippines, through the support of its partners, has more than doubled its positive impact in the communities. By end of 2020, Coca-Cola Philippines has empowered 250,000 women entrepreneurs in all 81 provinces in the Philippines—which represents 21% of the total universe of small sari–sari store owners in the country.

“Coca-Cola Philippines is proud to be working with these organizations in helping make real and lasting change to the lives of Filipino women. Our ability to make dreams happen, to economically empower over 250,000 women has been made possible with the help of our government and non-government partners,” said Jonah De Lumen-Pernia, Coca-Cola Philippines Public Affairs and Sustainability Director.

“We celebrate the partnerships that helped us accelerate women’s economic empowerment the past decade,” said Tony Del Rosario, Coca-Cola Philippines President.

Coca-Cola is determined to extend the impact of this work. Last March, Coca-Cola kicked off a campaign re-telling and re-casting the “Kababae Mong Tao” narratives. The company continues to empower women entrepreneurs — extending capital and inventory support, providing guidance and mentorship, and being by their side on the road to steady and full recovery.

To learn more about the women’s economic empowerment vision of Coca-Cola, visit https://www.coca-colacompany.com/shared-future/women-empowerment.

Serving meals and spreading hope

April 27, 2021 | 10:07 am

McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen continues to serve Filipinos in need

McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen continues to serve meals to frontliners. Staff nurses from Unihealth Parañaque quickly pose for a photo with the donated meals through the McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen.

Popular American television host Fred Rogers once cited a lesson his mother taught him during times of crisis. To remain hopeful, he said to look for the helpers because you will always find people who are helping others in their time of need.

There has never been as big of a crisis in modern history as the COVID-19 crisis, affecting the health of millions and leaving millions more without jobs or income and exhausting the medical health care system. It is during this critical period that helpers are needed most, and many public and private institutions are taking up the cause to give aid to those who are most vulnerable.

Staff from Ace Medical Center receives McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen donated meals.

This is why international fast food chain McDonald’s launched its Kindness Kitchen in March 2020 in response to the country’s enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that aimed to prevent the virus’ spread.

Frontliners from Pasig City General Hospital send their thanks to McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen and donors.

With an initial goal of serving 50,000 meals to support frontliners and marginalized communities amid the pandemic, McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen had since grown a year after lockdown, continuing to scale its program amid the new strict guidelines imposed by the IATF and serving more than 460,000 meals to date.

Angkas riders before distributing the meals to different areas

McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen aims to stay true to the organization’s commitment to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos by providing assistance during this challenging time. The initiative was led by Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines (RMHC), McDonald’s charity of choice.

The kitchens are actual physical McDonald’s stores manned by restaurant crew and managers and other employee volunteers.

“Guided by our core value of malasakit, we have always been committed to serve our communities. Through our Kindness Kitchens, we are pleased to serve meals and bring simple happiness to many of our fellow Filipinos. We are very grateful to our partners who’ve entrusted us with their generosity. To date, we continue to serve meals especially to health care workers who have been in the front line of battle against the pandemic,” said McDonald’s Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth S. Yang.

Medical workers from Caloocan Medical Center pose for a photo with the McDonald’s hand gesture.

McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen continues to serve Filipino communities today. As of the end of March 2021, more than 500 communities have been served, including over 400 hospitals and quarantine centers. It has since collaborated with a total number of 300 government offices and non-government organizations.

This was made possible with the generosity of individual donors as well as over 70 partners such as Coca-Cola, Metrobank Foundation, Angkas, HAVI Logistics, Chevrolet to name a few.

As the pandemic continues to ravage vulnerable communities around the country, every little bit of support helps. If you want to support McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen and know more about Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines, please visit www.rmhc.org.ph.

GMA Network , Inc. announces schedule of annual stockholders’ meeting

April 27, 2021 | 9:00 am

The annual meeting of stockholders of GMA Network, Inc. will be conducted virtually
via Zoom application on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 10:00 A.M.