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Power co-ops beat 2020 new connections target

ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES (ECs) connected 522,905 new power consumers last year, beating the target set for them by 14%, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said.

“This achievement reflects the hard work and commitment of the NEA and the 121 ECs to provide and extend electricity services to Filipinos living in rural areas even though faced with challenges posed by the pandemic,” NEA Administrator Edgardo R. Masongsong was quoted as saying in a statement Tuesday.

The NEA said the updated total of consumer connections within EC franchise areas at the end of 2020 was nearly 14.25 million.

Some 47% or 6.68 million of the consumer connections were in Luzon, 27% or 3.78 million in the Visayas and 26% or 3.78 million in Mindanao.

“Batangas II Electric Cooperative, Inc. contributed most to the overall accomplishment with 341,252 connections, followed by South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative, Inc. with 274,239,” the NEA said.

Other ECs in the top five were Albay Electric Cooperative, Inc., Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative, Inc., and Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Negros Occidental was the province with the largest base of EC connections at 634,092.

“The number of unserved consumers in the rural areas is now down to 1,550,510,” the NEA’s Information Technology and Communication Services department said. — Angelica Y. Yang

Customs audit generates revenue of P247 million

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) said it collected P247.369 million in additional revenue after conducting post-clearance audits in January and February.

In a statement Tuesday, the BoC said the additional revenue was collected by its Post Clearance Audit Group (PCAG), which is expected to collect about P6.9 billion this year. It has issued 11 final demand letters resulting from the audits that remain unpaid.

The BoC said the fresh revenue was collected following investigations of importers suspected of committing violations when they brought in their goods.

In January and February, the BoC issued six outstanding final demand letters. It also received 48 applications for its Prior Disclosure Program (PDP), which allows importers to voluntarily report minor errors in the declaration and payment of duties and taxes for correction.

Applications for the program included 31 from mechanically deboned meat importers involving shipments worth P67.597 million, and 13 from rice importers involving goods worth P6.741 million.

The BoC issued 28 audit notification letters in January and February, including 17 coffee importers and 10 in the oil and petroleum sector.

The BoC launched post-audit clearance operations in February 2019, along with the PDP, as authorized by the issue of Customs Administrative Order No. 01-2019.

The PCAG has 60 days to conduct an audit — the actual examination, verification and investigation of financial records and declarations. A final audit report is due within 120 days, along with a demand letter or clean report, as warranted.

The BoC is the second-largest source of government revenue. It generated P46.145 billion in duties and taxes in February, exceeding the target by 9.5% and the year-earlier total by 3%, according to Treasury estimates. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Philippines temporarily bans poultry imports from UK

POULTRY IMPORTS from the UK have been banned after that country reported outbreaks of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu).

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar signed a memorandum order on March 5 that banned the entry of UK domestic and wild birds and their products including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen.

The order also includes the suspension of the processing, evaluation, and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for such commodities.

The Department of Agriculture issued a similar order on Dec. 14 that banned poultry imports from England, one of the component countries of the UK.

Mr. Dar said the ban has been expanded to the UK after outbreaks were reported in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

“Given that the highly pathogenic avian influenza has already spread in all the four countries of the United Kingdom in a span of three months, it is recommended that a countrywide ban be imposed,” Mr. Dar said.

“[The] highly pathogenic avian influenza in the UK has killed 203,128 birds,” he added.

Mr. Dar confirmed that all poultry shipments in transit, loaded, or accepted at ports before the official communication of the memorandum order to British officials will still be allowed as long as they were not sourced from England; the Orkney Islands in Scotland; Lisburn and Clough in Northern Ireland; and Anglesey in Wales.  

“All other shipments accepted at the port of origin the day after the date of official communication to the British authorities are therefore advised not to sail,” Mr. Dar said.

Jesus C. Cham, president of the Meat Importers and Traders Association, said the ban on UK poultry imports will affect the domestic meat processing industry as well as consumers.

“It is unfortunate that the supply situation is getting tighter. This will translate into higher raw material costs for processors and subsequently for consumers. We need to find a solution quickly,” Mr. Cham said.

Processors “cannot raise their prices so they have to absorb (the impact) as best they can,” he added.

According to the Bureau of Animal Industry, chicken imports from the UK as of Jan. 31 amounted to 1.66 million kilograms, or 9.8% of the total. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

A hack like this could start the next world war

IT MAY BE years before we get the Franz Ferdinand hack, but one cyberattack has the potential to set off a global war the likes of which we’ve never seen. Think beyond power and internet outages to banking failures, food shortages, and poisoned water.

In the latest offensive, Chinese-backed operatives exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Corp.’s Exchange Server with vibrations felt around the world, mostly among small- and medium-sized enterprises. Two months ago, the US administration pointed the finger at Russia for a major attack on software provider SolarWinds, Inc. which appeared to target government customers.

There’s no end in sight.

So far, despite dozens of cyberattacks among superpowers over the past two decades, the world has kept spinning on its axis and life for most people has continued on largely unhindered. That could change at any moment.

Trouble was already brewing in early 20th century Europe as various nations jostled for supremacy and started arming themselves accordingly. So the June 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir presumptive to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian empire, was the match that lit the dry tinder of regional tensions, resulting in a war of attrition that left 20 million dead.

The global war against terror too was catalyzed with a single event. By the time al-Qaeda launched its attacks on the US mainland on Sept. 11, 2001, the confrontation between extremist terrorist groups and the West was already fierce — the USS Cole was bombed in October 2000. The American response would expand from Afghanistan to Iraq, with territory less of an objective than control over populations, ideology, and resources.

Now we are experiencing a new type of combat. Where state and semi-state actors wage war against victims both targeted and broad, where the specific goals are unclear — perhaps disruption, possibly theft of technology and information, or even general fear, uncertainty and doubt — and the primary weapons are lines of software code. This style of battle has victims whose identities are not always known and perpetrators who hide their work.

Witness China: The speed at which Beijing denies an attack is often inverse to its likely culpability. Or the US, for that matter. As far back as 2005, it collaborated with Israel to unleash the Stuxnet worm which hobbled Iran’s uranium enrichment program. While neither has formally admitted to their role, they also haven’t been particularly vociferous in rebutting the charge.

There’s a perverse parallel to be drawn between cyber weaponry and nuclear armaments. After the US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 and brought the war in the Pacific to a close, fears rose that more horrifically destructive attacks might follow as nations including the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, and China developed their own capabilities. Yet the reverse was true, giving rise to the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction as a reason why restraint was observed.

In the case of cyber warfare, though, nations appear unwilling to admit to their ability or deployment of such weaponry. As the New York Times wrote in 2012, then-President Barack Obama was reticent to publicize the US role in the Iran attacks for fear that doing so would allow other nations, terrorists, or even hackers to justify similar action. It’s likely Beijing takes the same view by swiftly and repeatedly denying such offensives even when its fingerprints appear to be all over the attacks.

Indeed, Obama and Chinese leader Xi Jinping stood on the White House steps in 2015 to announce a truce on economic cyber espionage — a detente of seemingly limited scope. Yet that cessation lasted less than four years amid allegations that China renewed its attacks. The US and its allies are unlikely to have refrained from hacking, either.

And so the cyber capabilities will grow and incursions continue, tit-for-tat. All you need is one such hack to have gone too far and to trigger an outsize response, one that results in a set of chain reactions with multiple and continuous cyber retaliations paralyzing power grids, data transmission, agriculture, information flow, transportation systems, and food supply chains. While it may lack the mushroom cloud of an atom bomb or explosive force of missile strikes, the devastation could be as widespread and even lead to military confrontation.

That’s why the best hope may be that the cyber equivalent of nukes are developed and obtained — and publicly acknowledged — by all major powers. These would be perceived to have the potential to overwhelm and cause so much upheaval and destruction that using them would be impossible. Yet their mere existence may once again give rise to the notion — and fear — of mutually assured destruction, and its paradoxical benefit: peace.

BLOOMBERG OPINION

Building digital infrastructure for a digital Philippines

It is undeniable that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is inextricably linked to the global acceleration and re-prioritization of digital transformation in all sectors of society. Over the last year, we have seen all forms of businesses, from commerce to financial services, healthcare and education, digitize their operations to adapt to the changing landscape and ensure continuity.

The increasingly important role technology plays in our lives is illustrated by a recently released report from WeAreSocial that shows social media usage, ecommerce, streaming content, and video games all seeing significant growth over the past year.

For the Philippines, WeAreSocial found that the country is again at the top of the list in terms of time spent on social media. According to the report, in 2020, Filipinos spent an average of four hours and 15 minutes each day on social media. This figure is 22 minutes higher than the country’s average in 2019 of three hours and 53 minutes and is also almost two hours higher than the global average of two hours and 25 minutes.

Perhaps an even better gauge of this increased usage is the statistics from local providers on data consumption. According to Globe telecom, for the first nine months of 2020, mobile data traffic jumped from 1,200 petabytes in the first nine months of 2019 to 1,762 petabytes this period. That’s a 47% growth in mobile data usage year on year. There was also a 226% jump in the number of users in terms of home broadband, and data traffic soared to 352 petabytes from just 77 petabytes in the same period of 2019.

To keep up with the growing demand for connectivity, internet services must continue to improve. According to a recent report by Ookla, the Philippines’ average download speed for fixed broadband and mobile data has improved by 262.71% and 148.52% from 2016 to 2020. In its January 2021 report, Ookla also found that in terms of mobile internet data speeds, that the Philippines has improved its ranking globally to 86th from its 111th rank in the same month last year. Furthermore, in a report from Open Signal, as of February 2021, the Philippines ranked second globally in terms of 5G versus 4G download speed ratio.

This progressive improvement of internet speeds in the country must be sustained.

However, for this to happen, the country’s local internet service providers (ISPs) need to continue developing their digital infrastructure. According to the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Rankings 2020, the Philippines ranked top 10 globally in terms of highest investments in telecommunications. They must keep this up.

In addition to the telecommunications sector continuing its vital role in our country’s digital infrastructure development, we must also recognize that the government plays a crucial part.

In other countries, the government itself invests in digital infrastructure development. According to the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2020, ASEAN governments are upgrading their telecommunications infrastructure. This includes neighbors such as Malaysia ($233 million), Thailand ($343 million), and Vietnam ($820 million).

This is not the case, however, here in the Philippines.

Indeed, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has its National Broadband Plan, which, if implemented, would target deploying fiber optic cables and wireless technologies, particularly in remote areas. However, it’s difficult to imagine how this plan will be implemented this year when the DICT’s proposed P18-billion budget to implement the plan was allocated only P1.85 billion in the 2021 national budget.

While there is no doubt that the DICT will push for more digital infrastructure investment in the 2022 budget, in the meantime, it must continue to support the private sector’s development efforts. One initiative that the government should continue is its effort to streamline the permitting process to construct much-needed cell towers. Last year, the DICT and eight other agencies agreed to simplify the permit processes, targeting a reduction in the timeline for building a single site from more than 200 days to 16 days.

One thing that this pandemic has taught is the importance of the whole-of-society approach to addressing our most pressing challenges. Given the increased importance of connective technology during this pandemic, the continued development of our country’s digital infrastructure is one of the key challenges that requires the combined efforts of multiple sectors of society.

For this reason, we welcome the DICT’s soon to be launched Telecom Tower Watch, a multi-sectoral initiative that will promote the transparency and accountability of all relevant parties in accelerating the building pace of telecommunications towers nationwide. To be launched in partnership with consumer group Citizen Watch Philippines, this will be a series of consultative sessions where the public sector, telecommunications industry, and civil society will be working together to address delays in the expansion of the country’s digital infrastructure.

Telecom Tower Watch will be launched on Thursday (March 11) during a virtual town hall discussion on Building Digital Infrastructure for a Digital Philippines hosted by the Stratbase ADR Institute.

 

Victor Andres “Dindo” C. Manhit is the President of the Stratbase ADR Institute.

Ventilation and COVID-19 in the workplace

On March 3, the secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Silvestre H. Bello III issued Department Order (DO) 224-21 Series of 2021 entitled “Guidelines on Ventilation for Workplaces and Public Transport to Prevent and Control the Spread of COVID-19.”

DO 224-21 was issued in accordance with the power of the secretary of Labor and Employment to promulgate standards to ensure the safety and health of all employees and to set and enforce mandatory occupational safety and health standards in all places of work so that health risks may be eliminated, and safe and healthful working conditions in all workplaces will be ensured.

As the title suggests, DO 224-21 aims to lower the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission in workplaces. This is appropriate considering that more businesses and economic activities are now allowed to operate. With this, DO 224-21 is a timely issuance to guide employers to help keep everyone safe.

COVID-19 transmission regularly happens when an infected individual is in close proximity or direct contact with someone else. The danger of the spread of the infection increases in crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where people tend to stay together for long periods of time. Improving ventilation can decrease the danger of COVID-19 transmission.

Ventilation involves bringing clean air into an area while removing stale air, so as to keep up or improve air quality. Ventilation may be accomplished naturally or by introducing an automated system. In this regard, Section 6 of DO 224-21 behooves the employer to maintain an acceptable and safe indoor air quality. While DO 224-21 provides for various ventilation strategies for both air-conditioned and non air-conditioned spaces, the rule of thumb is that “adequate ventilation should be strictly enforced inside the workplace.”

For non-air-conditioned spaces, DO 224-21 prescribes the maximization of natural ventilation through the use of doors, windows, and other openings. If natural ventilation is not feasible or inadequate, mechanical ventilation shall be provided by the employer. DO 224-21 also requires the weekly cleaning of windows, other openings, and ventilating fans, or as necessary.

For air-conditioned spaces and Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems, the outdoor air supply should conform to the recommended breathing zone ventilation rates for air dilution and comfort control. The DO recommends that the ventilation system be utilized for at least 30 minutes before and after spaces are occupied. A cleaning and maintenance program for HVAC systems is required to ensure that no mold and stagnant water will be circulated in the atmosphere. All personnel involved in the cleaning and maintenance of the HVAC must wear the appropriate personal protective equipment.

In both cases, when mechanical ventilation is utilized, the airflow direction or movement should be considered in the layout of work stations to avoid person-to-person viral spread through airborne respiratory droplets.

Additionally, DO 224-21 also outlined recommended strategies for restrooms and water closets such as: a.) making sure that exhaust fans in restroom facilities are functional and operating at full capacity when the building is occupied; and, b.) closing the toilet bowl seat lid before flushing, if available, to minimize the release of droplets into the air due to flushing.

The employer, through its Occupational Safety and Health Committee and/or its safety officer, is required to conduct Qualitative and Quantitative Assessments to ensure that acceptable and safe indoor air quality is maintained.

To ensure its observance, the Regional Office of the DoLE, along with other government agencies, will monitor compliance with DO 224-21.

Considering that the new issuance involves technical requirements to be complied with by the employers, both the employers and workers may seek technical assistance from the DoLE, Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry, other government agencies, and private sector partners.

Ventilation is not a standalone measure and it should be implemented as part of a comprehensive bundle of measures, such as physical distancing, wearing masks and face shields, frequent hand washing, and overall proper hygiene. All these are crucial in curbing the spread of COVID-19 while allowing society to provide more jobs and sources of income for our countrymen.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. This article is for general informational and educational purposes only and not offered as and does not constitute legal advice or legal opinion.

 

Martin Luigi Samson is a Senior Associate of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW), Davao Branch.

(6382) 224-0996

mgsamson@accralaw.com

The WESM 2020 Summary Report

PRICES in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) decreased by 54.8% in 2020 compared with 2019. This is primarily due to the significant reduction of electricity consumption in Luzon and Visayas as a result of the restrictions imposed by the government to minimize the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The average Effective Spot Settlement Price (ESSP) for 2020 was recorded at P2.450 per kWh which was a significant decrease from P5.425 per kWh last 2019. Meanwhile, the lowest ESSP for 2020 was recorded at P1.502 per kWh during April, while the ESSP peaked at P3.526 per kWh during September.

The decrease in WESM prices was largely attributed to adequate supply coupled with a substantial decrease in demand. Average hourly supply level for 2020 registered 13,609 MW. Meanwhile, the average hourly system demand for 2020 was 9,546MW, which is a 5.4% decline from the previous year. For the first time in 15 years of WESM operations, the market recorded a decrease in the average yearly system demand.

Moreover, unlike the previous years in which the system peak demand occurred during summer months, the system peak demand for 2020 occurred in early March at 13,181 MW. This was lower than 2019’s peak demand of 13,450 MW, which was recorded in June.

The average hourly system demand for the first three months of 2020 increased by 4.5%. However, the imposition of community quarantine and other restrictions by the government resulted in a significant reduction in demand as most industrial and commercial establishments either closed or operated at limited capacity. This translated to an 8.2% decrease in average demand for the rest of the year, offsetting the demand growth recorded during the first quarter of 2020. Natural calamities such as the Taal Volcano explosion and several typhoons also contributed to the reduction of the system demand as some parts of the grid were forced to temporarily shut down.

The reduced demand translated to lower generation production, as actual energy produced decreased by 5.5%, from 83,982 GWh in 2019 to only 79,354 GWh in 2020.

Energy output from coal and natural gas plants accounted for three-fourths of the energy mix for the year. The rest were sourced from renewable energy resources (i.e., geothermal, hydro, solar, wind, and biomass*) and oil-based plants. Energy purchased from the WESM accounted for 10,560 GWh which is equivalent to 16.2% of the customers’ total consumption for 2020. The remaining energy requirements were sourced from bilateral contracts with generators.

The WESM operates 24/7 in Luzon and Visayas Grids. At present, prices and generator dispatch schedules in the WESM are determined on an hourly basis. Implementation of several market developments is being anticipated for 2021. To further improve overall market efficiency, enhancements are currently being deployed in the WESM to transition market trading from an hourly interval to a five-minute interval. The said transition is targeted for commercial implementation this June 2021, together with the commercial operations of WESM in the Mindanao Grid. Threshold for Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) was also lowered from 750kW minimum average peak demand to 500kW on Feb. 26, 2021.

The operation of the Renewable Energy Market is also targeted to go live in June 2021. Other incentive mechanisms for Renewable Energy, such as Green Energy Option Program (GEOP) and Green Energy Auction (GEA) policy are also expected to be implemented within the year.

* Based on the categories prescribed in the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513)

 

Richard J. Nethercott is the president of the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines, Inc. (IEMOP), a non-stock, non-profit private corporation governed by a professional board of directors composed of individuals not affiliated with any of the electric companies that trade in the WESM. The IEMOP carries out the mandate to pursue the WESM objective to have a transparent, fair, competitive, and reliable market for the trading of electricity throughout the Philippines. As market operator, IEMOP is bound to strictly comply with the EPIRA, its Implementing Rules and Regulations, the WESM Rules and other related issuances of the Department of Energy.

Fully vaccinated people urged to still avoid travel

WASHINGTON -— People who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can meet without masks indoors in small groups with others who have been inoculated but should avoid non-essential travel and continue to wear face-coverings in public, the Biden administration said on Monday.

In a long-awaited update of its guidance for behaviors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said fully vaccinated people could also meet in small groups with unvaccinated individuals deemed at low-risk for severe COVID-19 from one other household without masks.

The slight lifting of restrictions represented a still cautious approach to public health guidance despite the quickly growing number of vaccinated people. President Joseph R. Biden has urged Americans to remain vigilant and continue to follow CDC guidelines to prevent another surge of cases.

The CDC said fully vaccinated people should continue to follow many precautions such as avoiding big in-person gatherings, wearing masks when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households or wearing masks when with people at risk for severe COVID-19.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters it was important to protect those who have not been vaccinated and remain vulnerable while some 60,000 new coronavirus cases occur every day.

“We remain in the midst of a serious pandemic, and still over 90 percent of our population is not fully vaccinated,” she said. “Therefore, everyone whether vaccinated or not, should continue to avoid medium- and large-sized gatherings as well as non-essential travel.”

More than 525,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the United States. Mr. Biden, who took office on Jan. 20, has encouraged Americans to wear masks for his first 100 days as president, a contrast from the approach by former President Donald Trump, who downplayed the pandemic and eschewed masks. Some states have begun to lift restrictions on a large scale.

Many Americans eager to get back to their pre-pandemic way of life see vaccinations as a way to do that. Businesses, particularly in the travel and hospitality industry, are hopeful that a growing number of vaccinated people will feel comfortable flying and dining out again.

‘AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP’
The new guidelines address how vaccinated people can safely resume some more normal activities and contacts with those outside their households while the coronavirus is still widely circulating, but they did not represent a large shift.

“Today’s action represents an important first step. It is not our final destination,” Ms. Walensky said. “As more people get vaccinated, levels of COVID-19 infection decline in communities, and as our understanding of COVID immunity accrues, we look forward to updating these recommendations to the public.”

The recommendations come as about 30 million people, or 9.2% of the US population, have been fully inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer, Inc./BioNTech SE, Moderna, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, according to CDC data.

Nearly 18% of the US population, or 58.9 million adults had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The new guidelines were “reasonable and quite appropriate,” said Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean at the Emory School of Medicine. “We need to start telling people what to do, and in that, the guidelines are pretty clear.”

Currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines prevent people from becoming ill but not necessarily from being infected. Data on whether vaccinated people can still spread the virus to unprotected people is sparse, and Ms. Walensky warned that the risk vaccinated people could spread the disease remained.

The CDC last month said vaccinated individuals could skip the standard 14-day quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19, as long as they remain asymptomatic. — Reuters

Thailand in a green rush as government pushes cannabis as cash crop

BURIRAM, Thailand — Thais flocked to a cannabis exhibition as interest and demand in the plant surges after the government unlocked hemp use in food and cosmetics in the latest move to promote a new cash crop.

The government held a convention in Buriram province in northeastern Thailand over the weekend to educate the public on cannabis use and promote businesses. People were able to taste hemp-based noodles, ice-cream and drinks.

Hemp plants are a variety of cannabis that have higher concentrations of CBD, the non-psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and lower levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

“Ganja (marijuana) is the rising star to bring our good quality of lives and money back in our purses as good (economy) as before and even better,” said Withid Sarideechaikoo, director of Buriram public health and organizer of the Cannabis 360∞ event, referring to the plant’s local name.

“It will bring good quality of lives to us and to the country.”

Thailand has been pushing cannabis as a cash crop and state drug maker the Government Pharmaceutical Organization has said it would buy a kilogram of cannabis with 12% CBD, the non-psychoactive ingredient, for 45,000 baht ($1,500).

A group of seven individuals could form a village enterprise and seek government permission to grow hemp.

Thailand, which has a tradition of using cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue, legalized marijuana for medical use and research in 2017 to boost agricultural income.

“It is in Thaisí mindset that delicious noodle soup with beef should be added with ganja,” said noodle shop owner Sitthichan Wutthiphonkun.

“This thing (cannabis) will not only boost our restaurant business, but it will drive the whole economy. People will want to try it from food to cosmetics.” — Reuters

Fifth of men think media reports about gender pay gap are just ‘fake news’

LONDON — Efforts to close the gender pay gap risk stalling as countries recover from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), researchers said on Monday as a global poll showed almost a quarter of men thought the issue was “political correctness gone too far.”

Although the survey spanning 28 countries revealed nearly eight in 10 people considered it important to tackle wage differences between men and women, almost half of them did not think it should be a top priority during the health crisis.

More than one in 10 men said tackling the pay gap was not important, according to the poll published on International Women’s Day by Ipsos MORI and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL) at King’s College London.

One in five men believed media reports about the issue were “fake news.”

The findings come amid growing evidence that women have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

“If we’re to have any chance of ensuring women don’t lose out further because of the crisis, we need to keep this (pay gap) issue high on the agenda,” said Julia Gillard, former Australian prime minister and GIWL chairwoman.

Women are more likely than men to work in health and care jobs on the frontlines of the pandemic, as well as in badly hit sectors such as hospitality and retail, and have shouldered the burden of childcare during school closures.

Lockdowns have also brought a rise in domestic violence.

Poll respondents said more flexible working practices and greater support for domestic abuse victims should be top priorities for ensuring that COVID-19 recovery efforts address issues facing women.

Globally, women are paid about 16% less than men, according to UN Women.

The poll of 20,520 people across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East showed 42% thought closing the gap was important, but should not be prioritized right now, compared with 36% who thought it should be.

Support was highest in Chile, South Africa and France, and lowest in Russia, the Netherlands and the United States.

On pay transparency, more than half of respondents thought workers had the right to know what colleagues doing similar jobs were paid, with support slightly higher among women than men.

The European Union said on Friday there was “ample evidence” that hard-won gender equality gains had been rolled back.

Half of people polled in the GIWL survey thought things would return to how they were pre-pandemic as countries recover.

But 19% in Germany, Spain and Turkey thought the crisis would set things back for women, while 38% in Saudi Arabia thought women’s position would improve. — Thomson Reuters Foundation

PBA Season 46 Rookie Draft loses potential first-round picks

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE number of hopefuls in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 46 rookie draft narrowed after a number of Filipino-foreign applicants failed to complete their requirements, including potential first-round picks.

Following the lapse of the deadline set by the PBA for Fil-foreigners to submit all pertinent documents to make them eligible last Friday, the league moved to finalize the list for the March 14 draft proceedings.

From a record 97 applicants, the number of those cleared to be picked slid to 86.

Seven Filipino-foreigners were declared ineligible after failing to submit their Department of Justice Recognition and Bureau of Immigration Affirmation papers on the final day of submission on March 5.

These were Jason Brickman, Taylor Statham, Jeremiah Gray, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Tyrus Hill, John Paul Gulfo, and Christopher Cancio, most of whom were projected to be first-round picks in this year’s draft.

JJ Espanola, John Paul Zarco, Ezra Ocampo, and Neiloween De Jesus withdrew from the draft as well.

Mr. Brickman, 29, who played for the Alab Pilipinas squad in the ASEAN Basketball League, was projected to be a top-five pick for his steady floor leadership and high basketball IQ.

Many pundits and observers considered him as a possible “game changer” so much so teams were keenly eyeing him.

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, for one, did not hide its intention to pick the 5-foot-10 point guard at number five if he was still available.

Team officials are now forced to study their other options with Mr. Brickman no longer part of the list.

Mr. Statham, meanwhile, is an all-around player who made a name for himself in the 3×3 scene both here and abroad. He, too, played in various 5-on-5 leagues.

At 6’6” and playing the guard position, he was expected to give any team that drafts him a boost.

He traces his roots to a Filipino grandmother from Iloilo.

Mr. Gray, for his part, also played for Alab in the ABL and at 6’6” also has the height and athleticism to be a handful at the backcourt.

He suited up as well for the Mighty Sports team that won the 2020 Dubai International Basketball Tournament.

Mr. Ganuelas-Rosser, 26, brother of Terrafirma player Matt, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-7 banger who last played for Alab.

Brother Matt lamented Brandon not being able to join this year’s draft and suggested that maybe the league should revisit its policy on Fil-foreigners to make it “relevant” with the times.

Others who at the last minute completed their documents were Andre Paras, son of PBA legend Benjie and who is also an actor; Alec Stockton and Jerrick Ahanmisi, who both played in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Among those who made the final list of draft hopefuls are Joshua Munzon, Jamie Malonzo, Alvin Pasaol, Santi Santillan, Calvin Oftana, Ben Adamos, Anton Asistio, James Laput, Larry Muyang, Brian Enriquez, Andrei Caracut, Troy Rike, and Joshua Torralba.

Picking first in the draft is Terrafirma followed by Northport. NLEX picks at three and four while Rain or Shine and Alaska go fifth and sixth, respectively. Phoenix, Terrafirma, Meralco, Magnolia, NorthPort, and Ginebra close out the first round in that order.

Just like in 2019, a special draft round for Gilas Pilipinas will be in effect.

Gilas cadets Will Navarro and Jaydee Tungcab, and Jordan Heading and Tzaldy Rangel are the players to be selected by Terrafirma, NorthPort, and NLEX, which will have the last two picks of the round.

PVL adds Chery Tiggo to list of competing teams

NEWLY turned professional association Premier Volleyball League (PVL) saw its roster of competing teams expand further with Chery Tiggo 7 Pro reportedly crossing over to join the league.

PVL President Ricky Palou confirmed that the Chery Tiggo team has reached out and signified its intention to compete in the newly recognized pro league.

The PVL official said the Crossovers are welcome to play in their fold and that they are looking forward to working with the team.

With the entry of Chery Tiggo, there are now 11 teams to date for the upcoming season of the PVL, tentatively targeted to start in May.

It joins Creamline, BanKo Perlas, Petro Gazz, Choco Mucho, Bali Pure, PLDT Fibr, Cignal, Unlimited Athletics Club, and guest squads Army and Air Force.

The Crossovers are bannered by towering siblings Jaja and Dindin Santiago as well as sisters EJ and Eya Laure. Also part of the team are Jasmine Nabor and Aya Adorador.

Prior to transferring to the PVL, Chery Tiggo (which also competed under the Foton name) played at the Philippine Superliga where it won two championships.

The PVL decided to transition to a professional league last year as part of its vision to grow the sport of volleyball in the country.

The Games and Amusements Board has granted it a license to operate as a professional organization and is looking to start its first season as a pro on May 8.

“This is a milestone for the league. We had this discussion since 2016, but we felt at the time we were not yet ready as most of our players were students. But right now, we think we have enough players to turn professional. We are ready and looking forward to it,” said Mr. Palou of their decision to turn professional.

The PVL traces its roots to the Shakey’s V-League in the 2000s, which featured collegiate teams from University Athletic Association of the Philippines, National Collegiate Athletic Association and Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation and other associations.

In 2011, it turned semi-pro by welcoming corporate and non-school-based teams.

Last year turned out to be a lost year for the PVL because of the coronavirus pandemic. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

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