How healthy is the economy and the financial system?

January 17, 2021 | 6:06 pm

Filipinos are worried about the future of the economy — and for good reason. The heavy handed lockdown pushed many businesses to bankruptcy, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). While there is no exact data as to how many businesses have closed, a United Nations survey published last October gives us a good idea. According to the survey, 81% of Filipino MSMEs experienced income drops and customer loss. Sixty percent of businesses said they did not receive any support from the government.

As much as 25% reported severe working capital shortages. It is believed that the majority of them ended up closed. This is a cause for worry considering that MSMEs comprise 99.5% of business establishments in the country and are the source of 63% of all jobs. They account for 40% of gross domestic product (GDP).

Meanwhile, medium to large scale businesses involved in travel, hotels and restaurants, live entertainment, sports, transportation, MICE, and retail continue to bleed. Those with limited cash runways have fallen on the wayside. Others must diversify into more lucrative fields.

Joblessness has increased to 8.7% while the poverty rate is still at an uncomfortable 26%. Not helping is the decision of the Department of Finance to appropriate one of the smallest stimulus packages in the region at only 5.88% of GDP. It will hardly help in priming the economy.

Last week, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno addressed the public to allay our fears. In a one on one discourse with this paper’s editor-in-chief, Wilfredo Reyes, Mr. Diokno assured the public that the worst is over and that our financial system is healthy.

In the past, the Philippines would always run out of foreign exchange whenever it faced an economic crisis. This would compel the central bank to increase interest rates and devalue the peso, both of which choked private enterprises. Hence, the boom-bust cycle. The situation is different now, said the governor. With more than a hundred billion dollars in reserves, the BSP is able to provide the system with adequate liquidity to keep businesses afloat. Our reserves are equivalent to 12 months of imports, nine months more than the minimum requirement.

Early on in the crisis, the BSP cut reserve requirements by 200 basis points which effectively unleashed P200 billion into the system. In parallel, interest rates were reduced by 2%. The two-pronged strategy allowed Filipino companies to avail of cheap loans whilst giving the banks the bandwidth to provide them. The BSP strategy, in effect, made up for the lack of government subsidies and direct cash infusions to MSMEs in distress.

In fact, loans granted to MSMEs are counted by the BSP as part of its reserve requirement. This is a BSP innovation that allowed more cash to be pumped into the system. The governor disclosed that he has standing authority from the Monetary Board to slash reserve requirement rates by a further 200 basis points (2%). This option will be tapped when the need arises. Suffice it to say that by the end of the governor’s term in 2023, he plans to reduce the reserve requirement rate from 18% (pre-COVID) to a single digit.

The reduction of reserve requirements will not weaken the financial system, Mr. Diokno assures. Our banks are generally healthy since their non-performing loans (NPLs) stand at only 3-4%. It will be recalled that during Asian Financial Crisis, NPL’s soared to 18%, which explained the spate of bank closures. This is not the case now. NPLs are manageable and banks are adequately capitalized. Nonetheless, the BSP continues to monitor the financial health of our banks.

As for the macro economy, the governor expects a 9% contraction for the year 2020. This will be followed by an expansion of 6.5% to 7.5% in 2021, despite the lingering effects of the pandemic. The low base effect helps. For 2022, authorities expect the economy to expand by 8% to 10% on the assumption that we achieve herd immunity or widespread vaccination. The national elections will contribute .5 to 1% to growth. The economy will only approximate 2019 levels in the second half of 2022.

Should there be a surge in infections between now and 2022, government agencies agree that the lockdowns will be localized to LGUs or barangays so as not to cause sweeping economic damage. This should have been done in the first place — the IATF only realized it now.

Driving growth this year is the pump-priming effect of Build, Build, Build (BBB), the front-loading of government spending (which is doable since the national budget has already been signed), the recovery of the global economy and the uptick on trade. OFW remittances are also seen to post a 4% growth following a slight contraction of .9% in 2020.

Credit watcher, Fitch, affirmed the country’s debt rating of BBB which is still within the realm of investment grade. Although our foreign debt to GDP ratio increased from 39% (pre-COVID) to around 50%, we are still in a good position to borrow at prime rates.

The governor assured us all that we should not be worried about the economy since ours is one fueled by a young population. While more developed countries grapple with an ageing workforce, the median age of ours is just 24 years old. The challenge we face is to educate and equip our youth so that they may be productive contributors to the economy.

With the advent of artificial intelligence and chatbots, we can no longer rely on our proficiency in English, neutral accent, and ability to understand American idioms as a competitive advantage. Our youth must become competent in technical fields such as engineering, accounting, analytics, cloud technology, artificial intelligence, and the like. In the next decade, Philippine competitiveness will largely depend on the technical skills of the workforce. Is the government doing enough to upskill youth? That is a subject of another piece. Our consolation is that the government is aware of the need to upskill.

So is the economy and the financial system healthy? Yes it is. However, we have a lot of catching up to do given the deep economic contraction of 2020. Sadly, we were overtaken by Vietnam in the region’s development race because of it. The only way to make up for the disastrous 2020 is to install more economic reforms to accelerate growth.

Andrew J. Masigan is an economist

andrew_rs6@yahoo.com

Twitter @aj_masigan

Food: Waste not, want not

January 17, 2021 | 6:05 pm

WHEN I was a very young child, my parents would constantly remind me during meal time of the importance of finishing all the food on my plate.

“Hutda na imong pagkaon, Karlo,” they would say. (Finish your food already, Karlo.) “Swerte ka; daghan kaayong bata nga gigutom diha.” (You are lucky; a lot of children elsewhere are hungry.)

I am certain that I am not the only person to experience this guilt-trip tactic to ensure that food in our household did not go to waste. I have to admit that where food waste in our home is concerned, sometimes I sound like my parents when I chide my children for not cleaning their plates when they eat.

My folks were not wrong; food waste is a problem that plagues not just our country, but the whole world. Globally, about 1.3 billion tons — or roughly one-third of the food produced for human consumption — gets wasted, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. That is an enormously criminal amount of food waste given that the United Nations says that the global hunger figure is 690 million people — almost six times the population of the Philippines.

Here at home, we are guilty of contributing to unconscionable food waste. The latest reports from the Philippine Statistics Authority and Philippine Rice Research Institute highlight our own local food waste problem, as exemplified by the fact that we waste more than 900,000 metric tons of rice per year.

Think about it; in 2020, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reports that we produced a record 19.44 metric tons of palay (unhusked rice); the quantity of the rice we waste is 4.6% of the palay we produced last year. When you factor in the fact that in 2020, 21.1% of families in the country experienced involuntary hunger, it becomes clear that food waste is a problem that we can no longer set aside; it is one that we have to address — soon.

INSTITUTIONALIZING ACCOUNTABILITY
Acknowledging this issue is only the first step; addressing it will mean the consolidated effort of both the public and private sectors to ensure that we produce and consume food productively and efficiently.

A major initiative aimed at alleviating food waste has already been introduced in Congress. House Bill No. 3370 or the Food Waste Reduction Act was recently filed by AAMBIS-OWA Party-list representative and House Committee on Economic Affairs Chair Rep. Sharon Garin, and it aims to reduce our country’s food waste via donations and waste recycling. If passed, this will make the donation of edible food surplus for charitable purposes mandatory and will also facilitate the creation of food banks.

Under this proposed law, owners of restaurants, cafes, fast food chains, hotels, and supermarkets with at least 500 square meters of selling space, together with culinary schools, will be required to segregate their edible and inedible food surplus. The local government units will then inspect the food surplus based on standards set by the National Nutrition Council and the Food and Drug Administration, and food surplus that is certified safe and edible will be sent to food banks and distributed among food-insecure Filipinos.

A similar bill was proposed by Senator Lito Lapid through Senate Bill No. 1242 or the Zero Food Waste Act. It expands on Rep. Garin’s bill by mandating different executive departments to work on addressing the issue. For example, the Department of Education will be required to add materials on the global and local food waste situation in the education curriculum, while the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is tasked to encourage the food industry to purchase lower-priced produce that pass food and health standards.

These proposals are crucial steps in addressing our national food waste problem while institutionalizing accountability for our food surplus through multi-sectoral collective action. Both bills are yet to be passed, but I am optimistic that my former colleagues in the Legislature will recognize the merits of the bill and work to pass it before the end of the 18^th Congress.

GETTING OTHER SECTORS INVOLVED
Food waste, however, is a concern that not only the government alone should be tasked to tackle. All those who have a stake in reducing food waste should step up and do what is needed to address this problem. In this regard, a multi-sectoral approach is not only ideal — it is necessary.

Last year, photos of surplus vegetables being thrown away circulated online, shocking many of us. But it could not be helped, as farmers had produced harvests that no one wanted to buy; neither could they transport these vegetables to areas where they were in demand.

A potential solution can be found in an example of a strong multi-sectoral approach between the DA and DTI, in partnership with private sector partners and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Called Deliver-E, the program was developed by Insight Supply Chain Solutions (InsightSCS). This is a modern marketing process that connects food producers and consumers directly through a digital platform powered by blockchain technology, and brings together all stakeholders in the agricultural supply chain via the integration of e-commerce and logistics capabilities. In short, it reduces middlemen. By reducing the middlemen, efficiencies are achieved on both cost and quality for farmers and consumers.

While it was launched only in December, Deliver-E has already shown massive improvements in the overall delivery process. Transit time has been reduced to two days from five to seven days, and touch points are now down to four from the previous eight. Both refinements resulted in fresher, quality produce that arrived directly at consumers’ doorsteps.

The operational implications show a lot of promise, but the impact on our farmers and, potentially, our food waste problem, is striking: the pilot run alone recorded over 250 tons of produce moved, which means a 100% increase in farmer revenue and 45% reduction in post-harvest losses. The program was even utilized to donate 2,000 kilos of vegetables to frontliners and poor communities amid the pandemic.

Note that this is only the pilot run; with the many potentials of blockchain technology and the continued cooperation between our government, the private sector, and international aid agencies, Deliver-E is poised to become a long-term sustainable solution to benefit our national agriculture value chain while keeping our people fed and our farmers properly compensated.

BUILDING ON CURRENT MOMENTUM
Food waste is only one of the many complex themes surrounding our problem on hunger. We launched Pilipinas Kontra Gutom (Philippines Against Hunger) last year, understanding that food waste, along with other hunger-related problems, is something that must be tackled from a multi-sectoral perspective. Therefore, we made the movement a collective drive of ideas and action from the government, members of the academe, non-profit organizations, and private corporations to inspire a whole-of-nation approach towards resolving hunger.

Earlier this month, we hosted the private sector kick-off of Pilipinas Kontra Gutom in a bid to educate current and potential partners on our campaign’s aims. The reception and participation are encouraging, with organizations such as Philippine Business for Social Progress and Gawad Kalinga sharing their ongoing projects that are aligned with our own objectives. Seeing their work showed us the many possibilities for integration, and we look forward to forging partnerships that will help us realize our dream of a hunger-free, healthier Philippines.

Efforts from the private sector exemplify the richness of the knowledge and the momentum that is in place. Pilipinas Kontra Gutom will certainly rely on the input of our multi-sectoral partners as we approach our aims with strategic vision, heart, and vigor.

The fact is our country produces enough food to provide for its over 100 million people; it is up to us to ensure that efforts are made to maximize the food resources that we have, so that every kilo of food produced is utilized so that no Filipino suffers from hunger.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles is the Chairperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger. Prior to his appointment to the cabinet in November 2018, the former House Appropriations Chair served three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives representing the first district of Davao City.

Shifts among tourists, travel spots expected to stick

January 17, 2021 | 6:00 pm

A glimpse of Philippine tourism as it reopens in the new normal

Zoe Ticzon, an associate account manager based in the United States, was one of those tourists who got to experience Philippine tourism in the new normal. She spent a portion of her holidays in Boracay, which reopened last October, and she found it worthwhile in spite of the tedious process.

Before going to the island, she had to get an RT-PCR test strictly 72 hours before her flight, then send its results, together with booking and flight details, to the Boracay local government unit to avail of the QR code that she would use during her stay.

“Although it was a hassle, getting to Boracay was one of the best vacations I had in a while. It felt like you have the whole island to yourself,” Ms. Ticzon told BusinessWorld via online correspondence, adding that she saw how hard it was seeing locals struggle to earn money.

She also saw how travelling in the new normal takes more money, time, and effort. “Before, all we are waiting for was a flight sale announcement, then we’re set to venture. But now, we have to take all of these steps in order to actually board a plane and leave. Also take into consideration the expensive testing with a possibility of efforts going to waste if you’re tested positive.”

This is just a glimpse of how tourism has transformed after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic took a hard hit on the sector.

Latest figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) show that globally, the pandemic caused an estimated 142 million loss in travel and tourism jobs as well as $3.8 trillion lost in the sector’s gross domestic product.

In addition, as Oxford Business Group noted in its Philippines 2021 report, visitor numbers decreased by 62.2% in the first five months of the year compared to the same period in 2019.

Yet, as the tourism industry sees bright spots, with destinations such as Boracay, El Nido, Siargao, and Baguio reopening, it expects the way people travel to be reshaped, along with shifts among tourism businesses.

Prioritizing health and safety

As experts in the industry see it, the new normal in tourism largely concerns keeping guests safe.

During last November’s BusinessWorld Virtual Economic Forum, Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Secretary of the Department of Tourism (DoT), noted a survey it conducted with Asian Institute of Management which revealed that 77% of respondents expressed willingness to travel even in the absence of a vaccine, yet 96% said they would like to see the stringent application of health standards and disinfecting protocols in tourist destinations.

“Tourists now have their health and safety as their priority in their travel. In the new normal, the strict implementation of the minimum health and safety guidelines will boost the confidence of tourists. Likewise, it impacts the willingness of destinations to accept guests,” Ms. Puyat said.

Likwise, Tiffany Misrahi, vice-president for policy at the WTTC sees safety and security remaining a high priority among travellers as they look for more flexibility in booking.

“Travellers will want to know that health and hygiene measures are in place and are being followed, and this is particularly important for baby boomers who are keen to see more stringent travel safety protocols,” Ms. Misrahi said in the same forum, adding that cost will be a big factor as well even for those who have been less cost-conscious.

Given this prime on safety, which eventually leads to looking for low-contact experiences, a shift to using more automated processes and biometrics is much expected within the industry and among tourists.

Ensuring safety, however, might be a difficulty, especially if the cost of testing is considered. “Testing is still expensive especially for majority of Filipinos. Most Pinoys would rather spend money on groceries than testing. As long as the options for testing are still expensive, it will be harder for tourism to bounce back,” Ms. Ticzon opined.

Shifts among tourists, businesses

Ms. Misrahi also observed that travellers will be looking for “longer and more meaningful journeys”, citing the organization’s finding that average lengths of stay for short-term accommodation has increased from 3.5-5 days to 8.5-9 days.

Moreover, she stressed that there will be an increased focus on sustainability in the industry, as exemplified by the six-month rehabilitation of Boracay back in 2018.

The WTTC official also expects a higher demand for “off-the-beaten-path, nature, and outdoor destinations, as well as more remote and lesser known destinations”. “That’s a great opportunity for a lot of countries and governments to spread the benefits of travel and tourism beyond traditional hotspots,” Ms. Misrahi added.

Other potential features of new normal tourism were noted by Alexander B. Cabrera, chairman and senior partner of PriceWaterhouseCoopers Philippines.

For him, encouraging travellers to come back through promotions, preferably tourist vouchers, is much better in revitalizing the industry than giving businesses more loans to keep their businesses afloat.

“[I]f you fund tourism establishments and they have no customers, the money will be a sum cost, but if you fund tourists, that will not be their last purchase in that establishment,” Mr. Cabrera said.

He also suggests a transformation taking place in hotel rooms, which can be converted into function rooms where professionals can “break the monotony of working from home”; as well as in kitchens of hotels and resorts becoming what is called ‘cloud kitchens’.

“It’s like an Airbnb where kitchens of hotels can service restaurant chains who have closed down their other locations,” Mr. Cabrera explained. “So, they don’t need to have capital expenditures for these kitchens; and the hotels — with [their] excess capacity, can provide that service.”

Moreover, given the 7,100 islands in the country, he sees an opportunity in maximizing the use of seaplanes.

“You can travel from Boracay to… the bay of Romblon, or from Tagbilaran Bay in Bohol to [the] port [in] Siquijor,” Mr. Cabrera said. “Seaplanes provide tourists the ability to go around quickly and even cheaply because you can do all these things.”

PSC prepared for all scenarios as training ‘bubble’ gets under way

January 17, 2021 | 5:57 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) said it is ready to take on the challenge presented by the training “bubble” of national athletes vying for a spot in the rescheduled Olympic Games, which began at the weekend at the INSPIRE Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

Speaking on The Chasedown on One PH last Saturday, PSC national training director Marc Velasco shared that everything was a go as national team members for boxing, karate, and taekwondo entered the bubble to resume their face-to-face training in preparation for the qualifiers in the coming months for the Tokyo Olympics.

The PSC official, tasked to oversee the conduct of the training bubble, said the agency is fully supportive of the athletes’ push and is hoping for the success of the undertaking.

“In the bubble, we have at least 60 participants composed of athletes, coaches and staff, made up of the secretariat and medical team. All hands are on deck for this because this is the first bubble of the PSC. We’re prepared for all scenarios,” said Mr. Velasco.

How long the athletes will stay at the INSPIRE bubble depends on the preparation schedule of the different national sports associations (NSAs). but Mr. Velasco said the PSC can accommodate them for three months.

In the bubble, safety of the athletes is paramount, which is why the PSC came up with a very strict set of protocols to follow to preserve the integrity of the training facility and guard against the spread of the coronavirus.

The agency’s Medical Scientific Athletes Services (MSAS) Unit led in crafting the protocols, which took into consideration already-established measures by the World Health Organization, Department of Health, and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), and done in consultation as well with the local government of Calamba.

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, upon entry to the bubble and during the training, has been put in place as part of health and safety measures.

An expert group among stakeholders was also formed to aid in the interpretation and give advice on any unusual and expected results of coronavirus tests.

Mr. Velasco said the PSC recognizes that the situation with the health pandemic is fluid and that anything can happen inside the bubble, including the possibility of infection among the participants. But the sports body is committed to be on top of things.

“Of course, there is the possibility of infection. But if there would be none, the better. We have talked to the NSAs, the local government and people of INSPIRE about it,” Mr. Velasco said.

“We have a threshold discussed with them [as far infection is concerned]. If there really is an outbreak, there might be a chance to shut down the training. But if there is a positive case we have protocols in place — transporting them and placing them in an isolation center. And it’s not only the positive cases but also in cases of injuries,” he added.

Among the athletes training in the bubble are boxers Irish Magno, who already qualified for the Tokyo Games; Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Ian Clark Bautista, Riza Pasuit, Charly Suarez, James Palicte, and Rogen Ladon.

The taekwondo team, meanwhile, has 2016 Rio Olympian Elaine Alora, Kurt Barbosa, Arven Alcantara and Butch Morrison. Southeast Asian Games gold medallist Pauline Lopez is also set to train there.

Karate, for its part, has Jamie Lim, Sharief Afif, Alwyn Batican, and Ivan Agustin, to be joined later by Junna Tsukii and Joan Orbon, who are both coming from abroad.

The athletes view the training bubble as a welcome development after months of settling for virtual and individual workouts because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Aspirants continue to submit names for PBA rookie draft

January 17, 2021 | 5:56 pm

THE available talents for this year’s Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) rookie draft continue to grow in number with more players adding their names among the hopefuls.

One of those who recently applied for the draft is the country’s top 3×3 player and strong contender for top selection Joshua Munzon, who is viewed as further shoring up what many deem to be an already-deep draft class.

Mr. Munzon last saw action in the FIBA 3×3 World Tour last year after leading his team to the title in the Chooks-to-Go 3×3 Pilipinas in October.

Apart from making a name for himself in 3×3, the 6’4” Munzon made waves in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) while playing for the Saigon Heat and Westports Malaysia Dragons.

He also saw action in the PBA D-League, where he was selected number one overall by AMA Online Education.

The Fil-Am Munzon, 25, showed what a top-class talent he is in the league after averaging 35 points, 10 rebounds and 4.2 assists in the Aspirants’ Cup in 2019. Along the way, he also put up multiple 40-point games.

Also joining the draft is former De La Salle University captain Andrei Caracut, who was part of the 2016 University Athletic Association of the Philippines champion Green Archers team.

After college, Mr. Caracut became part of the Alab Pilipinas squad in the ABL.

Another player from the collegiate ranks who recently threw his name in the draft is big man Ben Adamos of Perpetual Help.

A two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association champion with San Beda University, Mr. Adamos transferred to the Altas and made a solid impact.

In NCAA Season 95, he averaged 11.6 points, on 45.1% shooting, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. He later played for the Bacolod Master Sardines in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

“I know what I’m capable of and hopefully, the teams would take notice,” said Mr. Adamos in Filipino.

Messrs. Munzon, Caracut and Adamos joined the draft roster which already included Alvin Pasaol, Troy Rike, Santi Santillan, RK Ilagan, Tyrus Hill, and Franky Johnson.

The status of keenly eyed Fil-foreign applicants Jason Brickman, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Jeremiah Gray, meanwhile, is still to be determined as reports have it that documents needed for them to join the draft will not come in time for the application deadline set for Jan. 27.

The PBA rookie draft is slated for March 14, with the Terrafirma Dyip selecting first for the third straight season.

As of this writing, there were already 42 PBA draft applicants. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

GB Packers carve up LA Rams to reach NFC title game

January 17, 2021 | 5:56 pm

IN a matchup of the National Football League’s (NFL) top-ranked offense and defense, it was Green Bay’s (GB) offense that carried the day.

Rolling up 484 total yards and scoring on their first five possessions Saturday, the top-seeded Packers advanced to the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship Game with a 32-18 victory over the visiting Los Angeles (LA) Rams.

Green Bay will host either Tampa Bay or New Orleans, who plays Sunday in New Orleans, on Jan. 24 with a spot in the Super Bowl at stake.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 36 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns, finding Allen Lazard for the game-sealing 58-yard score off play-action with 6:52 left in the game. Rodgers earlier scored on a 1-yard run as Green Bay controlled the ball for 36:12.

“It’s all about the offensive line,” he said. “I was barely touched all night. (The Rams) have some really good players on that side of the ball and they were non-factors. Guys made plays and we had some off-schedule stuff that worked, but the run game was key.”

The Packers collected 188 yards on the ground, getting 99 on 14 carries from Aaron Jones. It was Jones’ 60-yard gallop on the first play of the second half that set up his one-yard plunge to make it a 25-10 game less than three minutes into the third quarter.

The sixth-seeded Rams drew within 25-18 at 1:41 of the third on Cam Akers’ powerful 7-yard run and a two-point conversion but couldn’t produce the equalizer. They gained just 244 total yards.

Jared Goff hit 21 of 27 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown for Los Angeles. Goff, playing with a thumb injury that kept him out of the starting lineup for last week’s wild card win in Seattle, absorbed four sacks.

“You could see why they’re the one seed,” said Rams coach Sean McVay. “When you reflect on the game, there was a lot of back and forth, great plays on both sides. We had opportunities to sustain drives and get momentum going and couldn’t do it. That stings.”

Mason Crosby’s 24-yard field goal with 8:39 left in the first quarter initiated scoring. After Matt Gay drilled a 37-yarder just over four minutes later for the Rams, the Packers chewed up nearly eight minutes on a drive that ended with Rodgers’ one-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams.

Rodgers capped the next march with a 1-yard run, using a pump fake to get Leonard Floyd out of position for the tackle to make it 16-3 with 3:29 remaining in the half. Los Angeles pulled within 16-10 on Goff’s 4-yard scoring strike to Van Jefferson 29 seconds before halftime.

But Green Bay came up with the half’s last word, driving 54 yards to set up Crosby for a 39-yard field goal as time expired to give it a 19-10 advantage at intermission. — Reuters

Bills ride defense past Ravens, advance to AFC championship

January 17, 2021 | 5:55 pm

TARON Johnson matched the NFL postseason record with a 101-yard interception return for a touchdown as the host Buffalo Bills delivered a 17-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in an American Football Conference (AFC) divisional playoff game on a windy Saturday night.

Josh Allen passed for 206 yards and one score. Stefon Diggs caught a touchdown pass, Jerry Hughes recorded two sacks and the Bills’ defense held the Baltimore offense out of the end zone as the franchise qualified for the AFC championship game for the first time since the 1993 season. — Reuters

New-look Brooklyn Nets beat undermanned Orlando Magic

January 17, 2021 | 5:55 pm

James Harden gets triple-double, Kevin Durant net season-high 42

KEVIN Durant scored a season-high 42 points and James Harden added a 32-point triple-double in his debut for the Brooklyn Nets, who recorded a 122-115 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night in New York.

Durant shot 16-of-26 and set a franchise record by scoring at least 25 points for the ninth straight game. He surpassed 30 points for the fifth time this season as the Nets won their third straight.

Harden shot eight of 18 from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds. He added four steals and made 13 of 15 free throws in 40 minutes. His 14 assists broke the franchise record set by Kevin Porter in 1977 for assists in his debut with the team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Harden also became the seventh player in National Basketball Association (NBA) history to record a triple-double in his debut with a new team.

Joe Harris added 17 points for the Nets, who shot 53.8% and hit 16 3-pointers in their sixth straight game without Kyrie Irving (personal reasons, health and safety protocols).

Nikola Vučević scored a season-high 34 points for Orlando, which dropped its fifth straight but played its most competitive game of the skid.

Terrence Ross added 23 and rookie Cole Anthony contributed 16 as Orlando shot 46.3% while playing without Evan Fournier (back spasms) for the eighth straight game.

Harden hit five free throws, assisted on a layup by Landry Shamet for his 10^th assist, and hit a 3-pointer in the final 1:52 as the Nets held an 84-83 lead into the fourth quarter. The Nets took a 96-88 lead early in the fourth on a 3-pointer by Harden, but Orlando was within 100-98 on a jumper by Ross with 6:57 left.

Durant surpassed 40 points by hitting a 3-pointer with 4:35 remaining to give Brooklyn a 110-104 lead. Harden picked up his triple-double when he got the rebound of a missed jumper by Anthony with 3:10 remaining, and the Nets secured the win when Durant drove the lane and passed to Bruce Brown for a corner 3-pointer with 1:37 remaining that pushed the lead to 117-107.

Harden scored his first points as a Net by hitting two free throws with 6.8 seconds left as the Nets held a 29-26 through 12 minutes. Harden added six more points as the Nets held a 52-50 lead by halftime after Orlando ended the quarter on a 7-2 spurt.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant described new team mate James Harden as “incredible” after the guard recorded a triple-double on his debut for the team in their 122-115 NBA victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

Harden joined the Nets from the Houston Rockets on Thursday to reunite with Durant — his former team mate at Oklahoma City Thunder — and the duo looked dominant in their first game together with the Brooklyn team.

Durant scored a season-high 42 points while Harden, the NBA’s MVP in 2018, became the seventh player in NBA history to register a triple-double in his debut with a new team and finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists.

“It was incredible. You could see him trying to figure out the best way to play early on. I felt we all were over-passing, trying to make everybody comfortable,” Durant told reporters.

“Then he got into his mode, being aggressive to score. That opened up the whole game for all of us. Glad he got his feet up under him, he’s got to keep plugging away, keep getting better each day.”

Durant said he was impressed with Harden in the point guard role, with Kyrie Irving missing his sixth straight game due to personal reasons and health and safety protocols.

“James played the same way he always plays… the same way he was playing in Houston. Handling the ball, being a past-first guard, trying to get his guys good looks,” Durant said. — Reuters

Local volleyball stakeholders gather ahead of elections

January 17, 2021 | 5:52 pm

LOOKING to unify the affairs of the sport locally, volleyball stakeholders gathered at the weekend ahead of elections set for later this month.

Organized by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), the meeting gathered representatives from the Alliances of Philippine Volleyball, Inc. (APVI), Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. (LVPI) and Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel on Saturday to discuss, among others, details of the elections set for Jan. 25.

The POC was sent a letter by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) asking it to supervise an election among volleyball stakeholders here at the soonest possible time to settle once and for all the issue on who gets to officially represent the Philippines in the federation.

LVPI has been recognized by the POC since 2015 as the national federation for the sport, but is being contested by the PVF.

But neither of the groups is recognized by the FIVB.

The FIVB in its letter to the POC reiterated the need to elect a “legitimate NSA” lest the country risk not being able to send national teams to FIVB-sanctioned tournaments.

POC President Abraham Tolentino said they would heed the request of the FIVB and hold elections just as he welcomed the stakeholders coming together for the undertaking.

“Volleyball is already unified at last and the true winner here is Philippine volleyball,” said Mr. Tolentino in a release.

Mr. Tolentino said the new national sports federation — which has yet to assume an official name — will be composed of 13 positions from the chairman, president and down to the members of the board.

Those who attended the meeting were AVPI’s Ramon “Tats” Suzara, LVPI secretary-general Ariel Paredes and PVF secretary-general Rustico “Otie” Camangian.

Also present were Ricky Palou and Tony Boy Liao of Sports Vision, organizer of the Premier Volleyball League.

Mr. Tolentino, meanwhile, was joined by POC secretary-general Atty. Ed Gastanes, membership and accreditation committee head Atty. Billy Sumagui, and legal officer Atty. Wharton Chan.

Validation and submission of voting members is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 18, while the nomination of candidates will be on Wednesday. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Reputation on the line

January 17, 2021 | 5:51 pm

As expected, James Harden waxed ecstatic in the aftermath of his first match with the Nets. He would have been happy in any case; he moved to strut his stuff in a uniform other than that of the Rockets since the offseason, so seeing his machinations pay off was in and of itself cause for joy. That he wound up rewriting National Basketball Association history in posting a 30-point triple-double gave him even more reason to celebrate. “Unbelievable,” he said of his experience in helping craft the seven-point victory. And he couldn’t have been more right, because “unbelievable” was exactly how he played.

Indeed, Harden’s performance throughout the Nets’ victory over the Magic yesterday contrasted with his listless showing in his last two weeks with the Rockets. He displayed a high level of engagement even when he was understandably deferential early on. And once he became more comfortable with his situation, he channeled his energy towards proving why he’s worth acquiring in exchange for two rotation regulars, four draft picks, and four asset swaps. He filled the stat sheet with significant two-way work, and proved especially effective in keeping the competition at bay in the last three minutes of the set-to.

Clearly, Harden was motivated to do his best from opening top to final buzzer. He also made sure to underscore it in his post-game presser. “I hope that you can tell by my smile and my play,” he told the assembled media. “Just excited, excited for the opportunity.” And just so everybody was clear on what he meant, he added: “This is an unbelievable organization from top to bottom. For me, all I have to do is go out there and be the best James Harden I can be and good things will happen.” No doubt, the Rockets can’t help but wonder why he couldn’t have been at least as professional in his last days with them.

The good news is that the Nets figure to get even better as Harden settles in and fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving returns from quarantine. They certainly need to do so if they truly want to contend. Yesterday, the undermanned and talent-challenged Magic gave them all they could handle, never mind his exertions and all-world Kevin Durant’s ultra-efficient 42 markers. The bad news is that nothing less than a championship makes his arrival a success. As good as he feels, he knows his reputation is on the line unless and until he helps bridge the gap, and fast.

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.

Self-care, a blooming industry amid COVID-19

January 17, 2021 | 5:47 pm

Since Faith Marie Rodriguez had been an undergraduate student, long before she had the idea to start her own business, she had been making handcrafted soaps as a hobby. It all started as a chemistry lesson, a demonstration of the saponification process, during her studies.

“During my undergraduate years, there was a time when we created a few soaps as one of our laboratory activities. That one moment led to me discovering lots of different ways of concocting and designing handcrafted soaps; learning resources were mostly found online,” she said in an interview.

When the pandemic came, Ms. Rodriguez had found herself without a stable source of income. Like many other Filipinos amid the pandemic, she naturally found the idea to start her own business quickly becoming an attractive one.

Now, Ms. Rodriguez is hard at work establishing Serah Naturelle, taken from a name of Hebrew origin which means “star” and also alternatively means “lady of scent”. As a business that provides products with aromatic and gentle scents, it was fitting.

Serah Naturelle, she envisions, will be a brand that offers Filipinos different variations of organic and locally-made handcrafted soaps, made from all-natural ingredients and locally-sourced to boot.

“We are really pushing for sustainability in terms of our production and distribution,” Ms. Rodriguez said.

“I wanted to do it as making soaps is a fun and relaxing activity for me, and at the same time, I love the fact that I could provide people with soaps that do not have the harmful ingredients often found in commercially-made soaps.”

For the present, Ms. Rodriguez said that she will be starting slow, with the main focus on establishing her brand in Metro Manila and in her hometown of General Santos City. However, she does eventually plan to create Facebook and Instagram pages for the brand, moving on to sell on platforms like FB Marketplace, Shopee, and Lazada.

The business of self-care

Ms. Rodriguez is far from alone in her venture, of course. In the first eight months of 2020, the total number of businesses registered with the Department of Trade and Industry went up by 12%. Data from its Business Name Registration Division showed the total number of business names registered with the agency reached 712,657, compared to the 637,690 recorded for full-year 2019.

Online business registrations skyrocketed to 75,876 as of September, from a meager 1,753 for the January to March 15 period.

But Serah Naturelle has an edge that her peers might not realize. Ms. Rodriguez has found herself in a unique position to seize a growing opportunity.

Almost 500,000 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the country this January, with nearly 10,000 dead. At the height of the pandemic, as many as 7.3 million Filipinos have lost their jobs.

With many Filipinos feeling the impact of the pandemic this keenly, there has undoubtedly been a change in the public’s mindset and behavior. Priorities are shifting, rapidly, and so long as the virus has not been completely eradicated, the air of uncertainty and unease may persist for some time to come.

Indeed, concern about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic runs deeper in the Philippines than in most of Asia, prompting many Filipinos to adopt new habits around a healthier lifestyle and greater use of digital technology, according to a survey by insurance firm Manulife.

The Manulife Asia Care Survey, conducted in late May, targeted 2,400 insurance owners in eight Asian markets, including China, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Most respondents in the Philippines expressed concern about the pandemic’s long-term impact on the local economy and their day-to-day living, with many being pessimistic about the next six months’ prospects. More than half (58%) of the Filipino respondents said they thought COVID-19 would get more serious during the second half of 2020, above the regional average of 41%.

According to the survey, nearly all of the Philippines-based respondents have adopted new lifestyle habits under the COVID-19 pandemic (98%), with the majority of these new habits geared towards healthier living and increased reliance on e-commerce, and online and digital services.

Nearly two-thirds or 64% of the Filipino respondents found ways to be more physically healthy than before COVID-19, the highest percentage than all of the other markets surveyed. In terms of tracking their mental health status, 27% had adopted this new habit.

The survey results show that health consciousness is on the rise and lifestyle habits are undoubtedly becoming healthier in both body and mind. Of the respondents, 33% said they have already started to monitor their health KPIs closely. During the next 18 months, this is expected to further grow, with 52% looking to find ways to be more physically healthy, 20% tracking their mental health, and 25% watching their health indicators, such as blood pressure and blood sugar level, more closely.

Given the rising cost of healthcare and the uncertainty brought about by COVID-19, this newfound appetite for a healthier and more active lifestyle is unsurprising. Both in the Philippines and across Asia, healthcare costs have increased significantly over the past 20 years, rising nearly 500% during that period, according to the World Bank. In 2017, the annual healthcare cost per capita in the Philippines was USD133, or 4.45% of GDP.

It is only natural, then, that Filipinos are more concerned about taking care of themselves. Yet the topic of self-care has been a rising trend in recent years. Self-care, or what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, is a broad concept encompassing areas such as hygiene, nutrition, and lifestyle.

Global market research firm Mintel found that younger consumers are spending more time on self-care routines such as long baths and skincare routines, including more than one-third of Gen Z, according to Mintel research on personal care.

“In the ongoing pandemic, consumers seek out rewarding bodycare events in home confinement to refresh, revive and renew. Brands should rev up the self-care ritual with bodycare products that amplify physical and emotive stimulation to improve mood and relieve anxiety,” David Tyrrell, analyst at Mintel, wrote on the firm’s website.

“People look for personal moments to distance themselves from the daily hyper-stressful situations of the pandemic. They want to feel good, but they also want sensory pleasantries,” he continued.

Carol-Ann Stewart, head of consumer healthcare for Latin America at pharmaceutical firm Sanofi, wrote on the company website that there has been a global trend towards wellness for some time now, only to be accelerated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Defensive wellness is growing exponentially with people trying to protect their own health and that of their families, so there has been a shift in attitudes in how people are practicing self-care, especially as face-to-face consultations with doctors are now more difficult,” she said, adding that with the pandemic, new habits have been adopted worldwide in an effort to combat the virus — such as wearing a mask, washing your hands, social distancing, and quarantining.

“I hope that this could be a positive outcome from the coronavirus crisis, that self-care is seen as part of an integrated end-to-end healthcare approach for societies worldwide, a goal that the World Health Organization is already advocating,” she said.

As for Ms. Rodriguez, she said that Serah Naturelle will definitely be looking into expanding its product line to include more self-care products like shampoos, conditioners, and even bath bombs.

“Health and hygiene have and will always be of value to people. Honestly right now it’s even given more emphasis due to the pandemic. There’s really no so-called ‘peak season’ for such products,” she said.

US state capitals on alert for pro-Trump armed protests

January 17, 2021 | 5:19 pm

TEN DAYS after rioters breached the US Capitol in a deadly attack that stunned the world, cities nationwide were girding for a potential new wave of violent protests over the weekend, erecting barriers and deploying thousands of National Guard troops.

The FBI warned police agencies of possible armed demonstrations outside all 50 state capitol buildings starting Saturday through President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, fueled by supporters of President Donald Trump who believe his false claims of electoral fraud.

Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Washington were among more than a dozen states that activated their National Guards to strengthen security. Meanwhile, downtown Washington, D.C., was virtually empty, with streets near the Capitol closed and battalions of camouflaged National Guard soldiers taking up positions across the city center.

The nationwide security scramble followed the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol by a mix of extremists and Trump supporters, some of whom called for the death of Vice President Mike Pence as he presided over the certification of Mr. Biden’s election victory.

The Democratic leaders of four US congressional committees said on Saturday they had opened a review of the events and had written to the FBI and other intelligence and security agencies asking what was known about threats, whether the information was shared and whether foreign influence played any role.

“This still-emerging story is one of astounding bravery by some US Capitol Police and other officers; of staggering treachery by violent criminals; and of apparent and high-level failures — in particular, with respect to intelligence and security preparedness,” said the letter.

It was signed by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler.

There were scattered demonstrations on Saturday, but statehouses remained mostly quiet. Law enforcement officials have trained much of their focus on Sunday, when the anti-government “boogaloo” movement made plans weeks ago to hold rallies in all 50 states.

Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in a statement late Friday that intelligence indicated “violent extremists” may seek to exploit planned armed protests in Austin to “conduct criminal acts.” Texas closed its Capitol through Inauguration Day.

In Michigan, a fence was erected around the Capitol in Lansing, and troopers were mobilized from across the state to bolster security. The legislature canceled meetings next week, citing concern over credible threats.

In a nod to both the coronavirus pandemic as well as security concerns, festivities around Mr. Biden’s inauguration will largely be held online, though the president-elect still plans to be sworn in and deliver his inaugural address at the Capitol.

The inaugural committee’s virtual “welcome event” took place on Saturday evening, featuring appearances from union leaders, activists and celebrities such as actress Whoopi Goldberg.

“Make no mistake, the road ahead – it won’t be easy,” Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who closed out the event, told viewers. “But America is ready, and so are Joe and I.”

DOMESTIC EXTREMISTS
The perception that the Jan. 6 insurrection was a success could embolden domestic extremists motivated by anti-government, racial and partisan grievances, spurring them to further violence, according to a government intelligence bulletin dated Wednesday first reported by Yahoo News.

The Joint Intelligence Bulletin, produced by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center, further warned that “false narratives” about electoral fraud would serve as an ongoing catalyst for extremist groups.

Thousands of armed National Guard troops were on the streets of Washington in an unprecedented show of force after the assault on the US Capitol. Bridges into the city were to be closed, and the National Mall and other iconic US landmarks were blocked off into next week.

Authorities were on high alert. A Virginia man, Wesley Allen Beeler, was arrested on Friday evening at a security checkpoint after police said he presented an “unauthorized inauguration credential,” according to a Capitol Police spokeswoman. Mr. Beeler had a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, according to court papers.

A tearful Mr. Beeler later told the Washington Post he had been working security in Washington all week and pulled up to the checkpoint after getting lost. He told the paper he forgot the gun was in his truck and denied having so much ammunition.

Mr. Beeler was released after an initial court appearance on Saturday and is due back in court in June, records show.

Responding to news of the arrest, Democratic US Representative Don Beyer of Virginia said the danger was real and the city was on edge.

“Anyone who can avoid the area around the Capitol and Mall this week should do so,” Mr. Beyer wrote on Twitter.

The alarm extended beyond legislatures. The United Church of Christ, a Protestant denomination of more than 4,900 churches, warned its 800,000 members there were reports “liberal” churches could be attacked in the coming week.

Following the Jan. 6 violence in Washington, some militia members said they would not attend a long-planned pro-gun demonstration in Virginia, where authorities were worried about the risk of violence as multiple groups converged on the state capital, Richmond.

Some militias across the country have told followers to stay home this weekend, citing the increased security or the risk that the planned events were law enforcement traps. — Reuters

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