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Access gives back in time of the pandemic, making its courses accessible to legal practitioners

Making quality education for lawyers more accessible in this pandemic, ACCESS MCLE– the pioneering and premier online MCLE provider – rolls out its new packages, offering its Full Compliance Bundle (36 credit units) for just P16,000 (from the original P24,300 package) and the 24-unit bundle for 2020 oath takers at P11,000.

“The pandemic has been hard on everybody; businesses and schools have badly suffered. We, at ACCESS MCLE, believe that we have the duty to provide quality MCLE courses and make them accessible for all, especially to those who want to complete the 7th compliance during the prolonged lockdowns. We understand that times are not ideal and every centavo counts, so we are gifting our enrollees with more affordable, accessible, world-class MCLE online and on-demand,” says Atty. Peaches Martinez-Aranas, the founder of ACCESS and the person behind the groundbreaking MCLE online program.

Regarded as the new “Netflix for lawyers,” ACCESS MCLE is the FIRST online MCLE provider in the country, accredited by the Supreme Court of the Philippines through the MCLE Office. Since 2017, ACCESS MCLE has been elevating mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) through innovation such as the country’s first-ever digital learning platform for lawyers.

ACCESS MCLE online courses – 24 of which are already available on site – are groundbreaking as they cover diverse topics, from the “Corporations Vested with Public Interest under the Revised Corporation Code” to “The Fundamentals of the Data Privacy Act,” the “Defending Philippine Sovereign Rights in the West Philippine Sea,” and more! In February and March 2021, 14 new courses will be rolled out, including Justice Magdangal De Leon’s “Dynamic Oral Advocacy,” Atty. Leah Jose-Sebastian’s “The Legal Ethics of Legal Risk Management for the New Normal,” and Justice Catherine T. Manahan’s “Tax Mediation at the Court of Tax Appeals.”

The result of meticulous production, each course was designed to educate with exciting, fully-interactive features such as follow-along transcribed lecture guides, interactive games and quizzes, and virtual proctor.

Moreover, each course is headlined by some of the country’s most prominent legal luminaries, including Retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Associate Justice Catherine Manahan of the Court of Tax Appeals, retired Associate Justice Magdangal De Leon of the Court of Appeals, Deputy Commissioner for National Privacy Commission Atty. Leandro Angelo Aguirre, Chief of the Legal Division of the Bureau of Immigration Atty. Arvin Cesar Santos, and former SEC Chairwoman Atty. Teresita Herbosa, among others.

“What we offer is premium MCLE that is online and on-demand,” says Atty. Martinez-Aranas. “Through this e-learning platform, we have made it easier for lawyers to comply with their MCLE requirements– allowing them to learn anytime, anywhere. Even lawyers from outside Metro Manila or abroad can learn from the country’s best without needing to get on a plane. They can simply watch on their laptops, tablets or mobile phones, in the comfort of their own homes and offices.”

Beyond compliance, ACCESS MCLE believes in real and engaged learning. “We believe that Philippine lawyers deserve online education that is global in content, design, and delivery. We develop courses that are not only relevant and current but are designed for easy retention. What we offer is true value,” Atty. Martinez-Aranas ends.

Want to know what sets ACCESS MCLE courses apart? Watch one of its courses for FREE and get your FREE credit now! Register at www.accessonline.ph #ACCESSMCLE #MCLEOnline #netflixforlawyers #designedtoeducate

 

 

SM Foundation, Alagang Kapatid Foundation partner in spreading social good

Through its sustained collaboration with Uniqlo Philippines, SM Foundation (SMFI) recently turned over 2,000 Uniqlo AIRISM masks to Alagang Kapatid Foundation. The said masks will be distributed to families in grassroots communities and to COVID-19 frontliners.

Hong Kong’s tough COVID-19 rules see babies isolated, families cramped in tiny spaces

HONG KONG – Families in Asia’s financial hub of Hong Kong are suffering isolation and trauma after strict coronavirus rules have led to babies being separated from parents and those with newborns herded into tiny quarantine quarters for up to 14 days.

Hong Kong authorities have ordered that anyone testing positive for the virus must go to hospital, including babies, while all their close contacts, even those who test negative, are sent to makeshift quarantine camps.

“It’s crazy,” said one mother, who said she had to abruptly stop breastfeeding following separation from her seven-month-old son last week after she was diagnosed with COVID-19.

“I got fever last night because I have gone from breastfeeding to 100% pumping,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified.

“So instead of dealing with COVID, I’m dealing with blocked sore breasts.”

The separation of families over the virus is not common in other developed cities, say legal experts.

Hong Kong’s government told Reuters late on Monday that for COVID-19 cases involving children, the public hospital will, “under special circumstances, decide whether or not their parents can stay with the children in hospital”.

Family members living with the case will be treated as close contacts and admitted to a quarantine centre. Subject to case-by-case asssesment, caretakers might be arranged by the family to accompany those with special needs, such as infants, it said.

Shahana Hoque-Ali, a scientist who moderates the Hong Kong Quarantine support group on Facebook, said it had assisted in more than 100 cases of children who had faced separation from their parents over the past year, with dozens in the past week.

A separate city-wide petition circulating online on Monday asked the government to allow young children the option of home quarantine. Around 4,700 of a targeted 5,000 residents signed up in a few hours according to the website.

Many expatriate families with young children were among the hundreds of residents sent to quarantine last week after an outbreak at a popular upmarket gym in Hong Kong’s Sai Ying Pun district.

That case has ensnared bankers, lawyers and the city’s international school network, with some teachers and students infected.

Separately, a group of eight babies and parents who attended a playgroup last week were sent to quarantine after one parent was confirmed positive because of the gym outbreak.

The rest of the group tested negative but they were still required to quarantine.

“I am really worried, it’s such a small space. Three of us in this room for 10 days won’t work,” said Nicholas Worley, whose wife Kylie and 15-month-old son, Hunter, attended the playgroup.

The quarantine rooms in Penny’s Bay that accommodate Worley and many others are 18 sq. m. (194 sq. ft) in size and lack refrigerators, cooking facilities or baby amenities.

While staff there did their best to assist, the facility is not designed for families, the residents said.

Worley, who heads consultancy Bain’s public relations in Asia, said hazards in the room, such as sharp nails and edges, fuelled additional concern over his son’s safety.

The trauma and psychological impact on families is intense, said a 40-year-old man in quarantine with his two young children.

“It’s an absolute nightmare, it is just such a mess,” said the man, who sought anonymity.

On Sunday a class of 35 nine-year-olds from the city’s Harbour School were told they needed to enter quarantine, its managing director, Dan Blurton, told Reuters.

“Parents and the school have strongly requested for alternative arrangements that are more humane, with regards to the treatment of young children,” he added.

Legal experts said there were no set guidelines regarding family separations, with each case being handled individually.

Hong Kong barrister Kirsteen Lau said that legally health officers had wide discretion to grant or deny permission for a child or parent to enter a place of isolation.

However, this meant that regulations “give very little guidance as to what circumstances would allow a parent and child to stay together,” she added. – Reuters

Japan calls for caution as daytime karaoke sessions spread coronavirus

TOKYO – A rash of Japanese coronavirus clusters linked to daytime karaoke sessions by the elderly, including several linked to 93 cases in one prefecture, prompted a stern warning on Tuesday and calls for caution from authorities.

The recent clusters, which are spread across the country, come as the Tokyo metropolitan area is nearing the planned end of a state of emergency aimed at curbing the latest wave of coronavirus cases. The Olympics are set to begin in Tokyo in just over four months.

At least 215 people have recently tested positive in cases linked to daytime karaoke sessions, a pursuit especially popular with the retired and elderly, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Tuesday.

Ninety-three were in Saga prefecture in southwestern Japan, with ages ranging from the 50s to the 80s, but clusters were also found in Saitama and Chiba prefectures, still under a state of emergency set to end on March 21.

Many of Japan’s karaoke establishments feature small rooms lined with sofas in which groups can sing, eat and talk in privacy for hours.

“We realize that under normal circumstances, karaoke is almost a salon for older people to talk and enjoy themselves, but in the current situation of absolutely trying to prevent infection, these (venues) are rather confined,” Nishimura said.

“In my election district there are many places like this – narrow rooms where people are packed in and singing. They have to take thorough steps including putting up acrylic panels, good ventilation and disinfecting the microphones.”

He also called on those in areas still under the state of emergency to refrain from unnecessary trips out of their homes.

Roughly 448,400 people have tested positive in Japan and about 9,000 have died since the pandemic began. – Reuters

Fast food giant Jollibee targets foreign expansion after COVID

Jollibee Foods Corp., the largest Philippine restaurant operator, is looking toward foreign expansion and “opportunities” created by COVID-19 as it rebounds after historic losses induced by the pandemic.

After a restructure amid last year’s setback, Jollibee CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong plans to open 450 restaurants around the world this year while looking for acquisitions that could be funded with the company’s 57.5 billion pesos ($1.2 billion) in cash and short-term investments.

Tanmantiong still hopes to achieve a long-term goal of turning the Manila-based company into one of the world’s top five restaurant operators. Jollibee posted a P11.5 billion net loss last year — its first annual loss in at least three decades — as dining out was hammered by the virus.

“There are opportunities coming out of the pandemic,” Tanmantiong said in a Bloomberg interview. “We are constantly assessing these opportunities.”

Jollibee, like restaurant chains around the world, faces a landscape altered by COVID-19. The Philippines sank into recession in 2020, and the strength of its expected recovery may be weaker than initially thought amid an escalation in cases and delayed national vaccination campaign. It has the second-highest number of infections in Southeast Asia, and mobility curbs imposed over the last year have hurt businesses — with restaurants and tourism-related ventures among the hardest hit.

In a bid to counter the impact of the virus, Jollibee — known for dishes like crispy fried chicken and sweet spaghetti — has spent P7 billion on what it calls a business transformation, including upgrades to its delivery and online sales platform.

Now that it’s on stable financial footing, Tanmantiong said the company can make acquisitions as big as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, its largest purchase ever at $350 million in 2019. There are brands it is interested in, “except that at this time we cannot reveal them yet because we’re doing proper due diligence and assessment,” he said.

Jollibee is pushing for more expansion abroad than at home for a second year.

Some 80% of 2021’s new stores will be overseas and this will be “equally split” among China, North America and Southeast Asia, Tanmantiong said. By 2025, half of its sales will come from abroad — a goal the pandemic pushed back by a year or two, he said. At the end of 2020, 58% of sales came from the Philippines.

“We are now in expansion mode in preparation for the full recovery from the pandemic and this will continue in the next few years,” Tanmantiong said. “We are investing more in foreign markets especially in markets where they have recovered fast from the pandemic.”

While Jollibee closed 486 stores in 2020, it also opened some new ones, and overall had 147 fewer open at the end of last year compared to the end of 2019. Jollibee had more than 5,800 outlets in 33 markets worldwide at the end of last year.

The company’s stock is down 7.8% this year, extending a 9.6% loss in 2020.

CLIMBING BACK

Tanmantiong said he plans to bring back Jollibee’s earnings and growth to pre-pandemic levels by 2022, and double its organic business in four to five years.

The restructuring and authorities’ easing of virus measures put Jollibee in the black in the fourth quarter last year, ending three straight quarters of losses and helping lift its cash balance by 2.3% to P23.4 billion by the end of 2020.

Since releasing 2020 earnings in February, Jollibee had six stock rating upgrades with Morgan Stanley lifting it to overweight. Jollibee is seen to post a P4.12 billion net income this year — jumping to P6.16 billion in 2022 — according to averages of analyst estimates by Bloomberg.

The estimates are “attainable,” Tanmantiong said. “The challenge is really the availability of the vaccine and how soon we can achieve herd immunity.” — Bloomberg

Remittances slip as pandemic drags on

REUTERS

By Luz Wendy T. Noble, Reporter

MONEY SENT HOME by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) fell for a second straight month in January, as many returned home after losing their jobs amid a coronavirus pandemic.

Cash remittances in January slipped by 1.7% to $2.603 billion from $2.648 billion a year ago, data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday showed.

Remittances also declined by a tenth (9.93%) from $2.89 billion in December, when OFWs typically send more money.

The United States remained the biggest source of remittances during the month (40.9%), BSP data showed.

Inflows from the US, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, and Taiwan accounted for 78.2% of the total.

January cash remittances sent by land-based workers dropped by 2.4% to $2.044 billion. On the other hand, remittances from Filipino seafarers went up by 1% to $558 million.

Personal remittances, which include inflows in kind also slid by 1.7% to $2.895 billion in January.

In 2020, cash remittances dipped by 0.8% to $29.903 billion from a record $30.133 billion in 2019. This was the first annual contraction since the -0.3% in 2001 and the worst since the -18.3% registered in 1999.

The central bank expects remittance inflows to grow by 4% this year, on hopes of economic recovery.

The lower remittance inflows in January was due to base effects as well as the continued repatriation of OFWs, UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said in an e-mail.

The Department of Foreign Affairs told a congressional hearing last week that more than 383,000 OFWs have been repatriated since the pandemic began last year.

The recent spike in COVID-19 infections and the emergence of new variants led to renewed restrictions in some host economies, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a text message.

However, the peso’s recent depreciation trend would benefit OFWs, Mr. Asuncion said. The peso depreciated by 8.5 centavos to close at P48.54 against the dollar on Monday.

“They would want to send more money and ‘get more’ for their remittances. Hopefully, this can contribute to further recovery of remittance inflow growth,” Mr. Asuncion said.

A new COVID-19 variant first detected in the country could also affect the prospects of Filipinos who are planning to work abroad, said John Paolo R. Rivera, an economist from the Asian Institute of Management.

“The new virus strain from the Philippines might be disadvantageous on our part because this might prompt receiving economies to be much stricter in allowing the entry of OFWs in their territories. This will affect deployment, which will affect remittances negatively,” he said in an e-mail.

Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases on Friday said it had detected a new coronavirus variant from a traveler who came from the Philippines.

Health officials said the mutation is distinct from the British, South African and Brazilian variants, but may potentially be as contagious.

COVID-19 infections have surged in recent days. The Health department reported 5,404 new cases on Monday, bringing the total to 626,893. This was the highest single-day tally since August.

Overseas Filipinos’ cash remittances (Jan. 2021)

NEDA backs curfew, localized lockdowns

Several barangays in Metro Manila have been placed under localized lockdowns due to the high number of infections. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

By Beatrice M. Laforga and
Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporters

THE NATIONAL Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) backed the imposition of localized lockdowns and curfews by local government units to curb a fresh surge in coronavirus cases, but economists warned this could dampen recovery prospects this year.

This as the Health department on Monday reported 5,404 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, the largest single-day increase since August 2020 (Read related story: “Daily COVID-19 infections highest since August”).

“We have to balance and use the localized lockdown and curfew to reduce cases while allowing the majority who are not affected to work,” NEDA Acting Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said in a Viber message.

Several villages in Metro Manila have been placed under localized lockdowns due to rising infections. Uniform curfew hours were also implemented in Metro Manila.

Mr. Chua did not comment on the impact of the renewed surge on the economy, saying only that the government is “working urgently together to prevent this.”

Economic managers target 6.5-7.5% growth this year and expect the economy to expand by 8-10% in 2022.

Renewed lockdowns and curfews will likely keep consumer confidence muted and weigh on an already sluggish economic recovery, ING Bank N.V. Manila Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa said in a note on Monday.

“Currently, we now know that we can no longer simply blame the lockdowns or the virus for the ongoing economic slump as we see our neighbors and developed nations well on their way to recovery, aided in large part by effective vaccination efforts and fiscal stimulus efforts,” Mr. Mapa said.

Malacañang on Monday said President Rodrigo R. Duterte would not place Metro Manila under the strictest level of lockdown this month.

“Sa buwan ng Marso, hindi pa po,” Presidential Spokesperson Herminio “Harry” L. Roque, Jr. told a televised press briefing.

The Palace official said the decision to put the National Capital Region (NCR) back under an enhanced community quarantine status would be based on the health sector’s capacity to treat coronavirus patients.

“Mayroon pa tayong 55% available ICU (intensive care unit) beds, around 60% available COVID ward beds, 60% pa rin ang ating isolation facilities,” said Mr. Roque, who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

The spike in COVID-19 cases should not be blamed on the government’s decision to gradually reopen the economy, he said. Mr. Roque said this could be due to the presence of more contagious variants of the virus.

The OCTA Research Group from the University of the Philippines on Sunday said coronavirus infections in the Philippines could reach 8,000 by end-March and 20,000 by mid-April if the government fails to contain the pandemic.

HERD IMMUNITY UNLIKELY IN 2021
A successful vaccine rollout and herd immunity is critical to economic recovery in the Philippines, which has struggled to curb the rise in COVID-19 infections.

In a March 13 note, Romeo L. Bernardo, country analyst for the Philippines at GlobalSource Partners, said the government’s projection that herd immunity would be reached by yearend is unlikely to be achieved.

“Based on current reported vaccine arrival schedules and assuming that government, typically strong in planning but weaker in implementation, is able to reach the upper end of the range of 300,000 daily vaccination target, our back of the envelope estimate suggests that herd immunity by yearend is unreachable,” he said, adding that the government also has to address the public distrust of vaccines. 

Vaccine czar Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. earlier expressed optimism that the government would achieve its target of inoculating about 70% of the population within the year.

“The pessimists are worrying that herd immunity by end-2021 is purely aspirational, and even end-2022 is a hard stretch. The optimists, meanwhile, are hoping that even if the share of immunized population fall short of target, there will be a period when inoculations in the major urban areas will be done quickly, especially with the private sector paying its own way, enough to boost confidence and allow resumption of a more normal level of economic activity,” Mr. Bernardo said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine government is “grossly misrepresenting the post-enhanced lockdown rebound as a recovery,” IBON Foundation Executive Director Sonny A. Africa told BusinessWorld in a Facebook messenger chat.

“There’s even less employment today than in July 2020 after the strict lockdown was lifted. Despite easing months of restrictions, there’s still only 41.2 million employed in January 2021 compared with 41.3 million in July 2020,” he said.

“The over-reliance on crude lockdowns and population control to contain COVID and the unconscionable refusal to spend to stimulate the economy is the cause of the year-long economic hardship of tens of millions of Filipinos,” he said. “To this day, we’re still being given the false choice between health and the economy.”

Mr. Africa also cited the government’s poor spending of funds under the two major stimulus laws enacted last year.

“It only spent P340 billion of the P386-billion Bayanihan I budget. Even more poorly, despite such huge economic needs it has only used up P43.4 billion of P175.9 billion in Bayanihan II funds,” he said.

Mr. Africa urged the government to improve its health-based coronavirus prevention measures, distribute another round of emergency cash aid and increase support to micro, small and medium enterprises “to alleviate the economic distress the government caused and to spur more rapid recovery.”

Gov’t finalizing details of new deal with Manila Water

THE GOVERNMENT’S new water concession contract with Ayala-led Manila Water Co., Inc. will be finalized this week, according to the Justice department.

“We already ironed out major issues in our previous meeting. We will have a meeting this coming Wednesday. And I suppose, kung ano man ’yung natirang minor points ay mapa-plantsa na ’yun during the meeting,” Justice Secretary Menardo I. Gueverra told a televised press briefing on Monday.

The talks with Maynilad Water Services, Inc., which holds the concession for the west zone of Metro Manila, will start after the deal with Manila Water is finalized, Mr. Guevarra said.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered the Justice department to review the government’s concession agreements with the two water companies after discovering “onerous” provisions in the existing contracts. He also threatened to file a case of economic sabotage against them.

The President’s directive came after an international arbitration court ruled that the Philippine government must pay Manila Water P7.4 billion and Maynilad P3.4 billion for losses incurred from unenforced water rate increases. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Philippines eyes grants from United Kingdom’s prosperity fund

REUTERS

THE PHILIPPINES is looking to secure grants from the United Kingdom’s £34-million (P2.3-billion) cross-government prosperity fund for capital market development programs and green energy initiatives. 

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez, III and UK Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding for the Philippines’ participation in the UK Cross-Government Prosperity Fund for the ASEAN Economic Reform Program and the ASEAN Low Carbon Energy Program.

The fund will also benefit other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The UK government allocated £19-million for the six ASEAN countries to “develop their respective capital markets, encourage improvement in their accounting standards, and expand the use of financial technology.”

Another £15-million is set aside for the ASEAN members’ green finance and energy efficiency projects.

Mr. Dominguez said the prosperity fund is valid until March 31, 2022.

Mr. Dominguez said the government would use the funds to strengthen Philippine capital markets and implement reforms to reduce the cost of doing business.

“This will provide us a solid foundation for international companies to invest and operate in the Philippines. Increased investments would mean more funds to support higher levels of long-term investments and sustainable quality job creation,” he said.

“The fund will help countries adapt quickly to the boom in digital technology through the establishment of an industry fintech sandbox. Filipino startups will be encouraged to come up with innovative financial products and co-create solutions to society’s most pressing issues.”

During the same event, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said technical support from the two programs would help the central bank in developing a green finance and open banking framework.

“The continuous capacity building of our staff and the enhancement of our policies and methodologies in these areas, including capital market and fintech, will support our primary objective of maintaining stable monetary and financial systems,” Mr. Diokno said. — B.M. Laforga

Beyoncé, Taylor Swift make Grammys history

LOS ANGELES  —  Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish won the top prizes at the Grammy Awards on Sunday in a ceremony that also saw Beyonce become the most awarded female artist in Grammy history.

Ms. Swift’s surprise lockdown record Folklore was named album of the year and Ms. Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted” won record of the year. Sunday’s win made Ms. Swift, 31, the first woman to take home album of the year three times.

Ms. Beyonce’s four Grammys on Sunday took her total career wins to 28, surpassing the previous record for a woman set by bluegrass singer Alison Krauss.

British singer Dua Lipa won best pop vocal album for her dance-y Future Nostalgia.

The writers of “I Can’t Breathe” by R&B artist H.E.R won song of the year. It was written in response to the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States last summer.

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion was named best new artist and the 26-year-old known for promoting women’s empowerment won two more Grammys for her rap performance of single “Savage,” featuring Beyonce.

Hosted by Trevor Noah, the hybrid ceremony was packed with pre-recorded and live performances by the likes of Lipa, Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Cardi B, DaBaby, Black Pumas and Mickey Guyton.

It took place both indoors and outdoors in Downtown Los Angeles but mostly without the elaborate sets and special effects that traditionally mark the highest honors in the music business.

K-Pop band BTS lost in the best pop duo or group performance against Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande for their single “Rain on Me” but performed their hit English-language single “Dynamite” from South Korea at the close of the show. — Reuters

Key winners at the 2021 Grammy Awards

THE GRAMMY Awards, the highest honors in the music industry, were handed out at a ceremony on Sunday, broadcast on CBS television and hosted by Trevor Noah.

Following is a list of winners in key categories.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR — Folklore, Taylor Swift

RECORD OF THE YEAR —  “Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish

SONG OF THE YEAR — “I Can’t Breathe,” Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)

BEST NEW ARTIST — Megan Thee Stallion

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE — “Rain On Me,” Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM — Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE — “Shameika,” Fiona Apple

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE — “Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé

BEST ROCK ALBUM — The New Abnormal, The Strokes

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM — Wildcard, Miranda Lambert

BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM — Jesus is King, Kanye West

BEST MUSIC VIDEO — “Brown Skin Girl,” Beyonce, Blue Ivy, WizKid

BEST MUSIC FILM — Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice, Linda Ronstadt

BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM — Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette and original Broadway cast — Reuters

Re-enacting the circumnavigation 500 years later

THE TRAINING ship
Juan Sebastián Elcano — ARMADA.DEFENSA.GOB.ES

IN SERVICE to the King of Spain, five ships were sent on an expedition in 1519 in search of the Spice Island. Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan commanded the Trinidad, the lead ship, and four other vessels: the San Antonio, Conception, Santiago, and Victoria.

In 1521, the expedition was completed with only the Victoria returning to Spain carrying 18 surviving sailors out of the original 270. It was the Castilian navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano who took command and completed the expedition after Mr. Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan. Mr. Elcano completed the first recorded circumnavigation of the globe, covering a distance of 14,000 leagues.

During an on-ground and Zoom press conference on Mar. 9 at his residence, Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Moragas said that the circumnavigation “was a leap forward” in areas of communication and geography such as the discovery of the Pacific Ocean.

“The objective of the expedition was commercial — to search an alternative route to Moluccas through the west route. Through that they reached the Philippines,” Mr. Moragas said.

“It was not about conquering a mission but to trade with a nation,” Mr. Moragas said. It was about finding and trading for spices such as cinnamon, nuts, and white pepper which, the ambassador said, were “very valuable in Europe at that time.”

On Mar. 16, the Spanish training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano, carrying navy trainees and students, will arrive in the Philippines — one stop in its reenactment celebrating the 500th anniversary of the circumnavigation of the globe.

The third tallest ship in the world, the Elcano is a 113-meters long four-mast brig-schooner. Since it was built in 1928, the training ship has completed 77 training voyages, and has covered more than 3.7 million kilometers. This trip marks the 10th time the ship has circumnavigated the world.

The visit of the Spanish vessel was organized by the National Defense and Foreign Affairs departments, the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the Guiuan Municipal Local Government, and the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

The Elcano will arrive in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, on Mar. 16 and will be anchored in Suluan and Homonhon islands until Mar. 18. Then, it will dock in Cebu from Mar. 20 to 22 in the exact spots where the expedition made the first visual contact.

“The vessel is doing the tour with strict COVID-19 (health and safety) regulations,” Mr. Moragas said, noting that staff from the ship are prohibited from leaving the ship or no guests are allowed to enter it.

Aside from the ship’s visit, historical markers will be unveiled in the specific areas where Mr. Magellan’s expedition made first visual contact with the islands. Between Mar. 16 and Oct. 28, 34 historical markers will be unveiled in the Visayas, Palawan, and Mindanao, marking the 34 sites of the Philippine route of the Magellan-Elcano expedition.

In line with the commemorative event, the Embassy of Spain has programmed a full series of activities from April to June, organized by the Instituto Cervantes in Manila and Casa Asia in Spain.

On Apr. 8 and 13, Casa Asia will hold a webinar called “From the second half of XIX century to the Independence of the Philippines.” A streaming concert on  “guitarras del mundo” will be held on Apr. 30.

Casa Asia will hold a webinar on May 12 and 13 called “Current bilateral relations and future perspectives.” Meanwhile, the National Museum of the Philippines will open the exhibit The Longest Journey on May 24. And on May 26, 6 p.m., Instituto Cervantes will hold a webinar called “The Origins of the Santo Niño image.”

Instituto Cervantes will hold a webinar, “A long standing friendship. The first blood pledges,” on Jun. 23.

For more information on the quincentennial commemorative activities, visit https://nqc.gov.ph/en/events/. — MAPS

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