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Women, peace and security in the Philippines: A decade later

United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 launched the global agenda on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) 20 years ago. After two decades, several resolutions came out to reiterate the commitment to WPS: 1820 (2013), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2010), 1960 (2011), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013), 2242 (2015), 2467 (2019), and 2493 (2019). These resolutions provide the policy frame and guidance for the promotion and protection of women’s rights in conflict and post-conflict situations.

In our country, the Philippine National Action Plan (NAP) was launched in March 2010. It was the first ever NAP adopted in Asia. A decade later, what do we have to show for it aside from the bragging rights of being the first?

FIRST GENERATION: BUILDING THE AGENDA AND INSTITUTIONS
The first generation NAP WPS was largely a civil society-led endeavor. Back then, women and peace groups came together and organized dialogues to craft the document. It was a nationwide campaign that yielded commitments contained in 2010-2016 NAP WPS. It had three main pillars: protection of women and the preservation of their rights in armed conflict situations; women empowerment and participation in various aspects of peace and security work; and mainstreaming of gender perspective in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and peace building.

Along the way, partnerships with government agencies were forged and commitments to advance WPS in the country was secured. From there came Executive Order 865 that mandated the creation of the National Steering Committee on Women, Peace and Security (NSC WPS) as the inter-agency body to strategize the implementation of the NAP WPS.

SECOND GENERATION: OF PROCESSES AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION
The second generation NAP WPS was adopted in 2014 after the first NAP was reviewed. Apart from streamlining and focusing on priority areas, the amended 2014-2016 NAP WPS introduced indicators side by side with action points. This essentially intended to measure the implementation of the NAP based on how near (or far) they are in light of identified targets.

Operationally, the implementation infrastructure was enhanced with the expansion of the NSC WPS to include implementing agencies of the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program of the Philippine government. In a sense, such a move paved the way for the convergence of WPS with development. Accordingly, the NAP WPS implementation was anchored on Gender and Development (GAD) in terms of planning, budgeting, and implementation. This meant that NAP WPS was essentially GAD in conflict-affected/vulnerable communities, in services that cater to women’s issues and concerns as they relate to conflict and peace, and in policies that seek to further advance women’s participation in conflict transformation. Thus, although it was from a distinct discourse and agenda, the NAP WPS in the Philippines was strategically and practically harmonized with GAD.

Substantively, it was during the second generation NAP WPS that key milestones were achieved: the inclusion of gender provisions in Philippine Government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace agreement, the first woman chief negotiator to sign the peace agreement with a rebel group, and the adoption of the first Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (RAP WPS) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

THIRD GENERATION: STRUGGLE FOR RELEVANCE
The third generation of the NAP WPS in the country was adopted in March 2017. It started on a high note as it touted to articulate broader framing of addressing the situation of women in armed conflict and recognizing their contributions to conflict transformation. As such, the 2017-2022 NAP WPS “incorporates some key recommendations made in the 2015 Global Study on the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 such as the prioritization of conflict prevention, framing women peace and security from a human rights perspective, participation and leadership of women in all levels of the peace project, transitional justice, inclusive and participatory localization efforts, combating extremism by supporting women peacebuilders, multi-level and multi-stakeholder approach to implementation, and financing initiatives aimed at materializing women, peace and security” (NAP WPS 2017-2022).

The new NAP WPS also privileges women’s agency as leaders and participants in the peace process in the country as it continues to support empowerment and participation of civil society and grassroots women in the process. Methodologically, the Agency Strategic Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (ASAP WPS) was adopted and it entailed implementing agencies to formulate their own plans and implement them.

Then the Marawi Siege happened. In theory, this particular humanitarian crisis should have mobilized clearly and concretely the implementation of the NAP WPS. It did not primarily because WPS was only known to those who had made it part of their job. There has been no escalation nor cascade within implementing agencies; no internalization within relief and recovery institutions in terms of gender-sensitive responses during emergencies; and WPS was seemingly seen as a non-essential activity at the height of the conflict.

Ironically, the only clearly WPS response then was not even because of WPS. This was the deployment of the so-called hijab troopers (or the all-female contingent of soldiers and policewomen) which was because of an identified need to assist the internally displaced and not explicitly because of the NAP WPS.

And then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. National level implementing agencies refocused all their attention to responding to the pandemic. Somehow, the discourse and practice of WPS seemed to have been lost. WPS was a conversation in retrospect — as what has been but not as what should be. Is WPS even still relevant?

Of course, it is.

There are still things that need to be done now more than ever. Now that masculinist policies have hegemonic command, now that both vertical and horizontal conflict situations continue in different parts of the country, now that internal displacement is rendered more difficult in a pandemic situation. WPS should not be a casualty of this time. In fact, it should remain at the center where peace and security are still problematic.

But right now, who is even talking about it? Certainly, not the National Government — not the NSC WPS, not the PAMANA-implementing agencies, not the implementing panels of peace and/or closure agreements, not any institutional body formerly active in the implementation of the NAP WPS.

Has the implementation been in a pandemic lockdown as well?

TOWARDS A MEANINGFUL WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY
On Oct. 30, the Bangsamoro Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security was launched. According Minority Leader, Bangsamoro Transition Authority, Member of the Parliament Laisa Masuhud Alamia, “the region’s approach to Women, Peace and Security has since encouraged more community-led and driven initiatives, guided by the Bangsamoro Women’s Commission and in coordination with civil society and grassroots organizations.”

From civil society-led to government partnership then state-driven initiatives and back to collaborative politics — after a decade, I think this is where the relevance of the Philippine NAP WPS can be unraveled. It is alive where meaningful politics thrive.

At the end of the day, WPS must have a multi-level application: national, regional and local; within and outside government agencies and parallel to civil society. And all must work for WPS as a matter of imperative and not mere as compliance. Pandemic or not, WPS is beyond policy… it is a commitment to sustainable peace and accountable society.

 

Ma. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza is an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science, Ateneo de Manila University. She currently serves as Director of the Gender Program of the Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, University of Queensland.

mrallonza@ateneo.edu

COVID-19: A Swan or an Elephant?

THE LESSONS that people draw from the COVID-19 pandemic will depend on how they answer this question: Is this health emergency a black swan, or, is it the elephant in the room?

“A black swan” is defined as an unpredictable or unforeseen event, typically one with extreme consequences. “The elephant in the room” refers to an obvious problem or difficult situation that people do not want to talk about.

At first glance, COVID-19 certainly does look like a black swan.

GLOBAL PANDEMIC
What started out as an obscure outbreak in the wholesale food market in Wuhan, China in late 2019 escalated into a full-blown pandemic that quickly circumnavigated the globe. As of early November 2020, the number of COVID-19 infections reached nearly 50 million with over 1.2 million deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

This novel coronavirus is well designed to do this. The contagion is airborne and people who get it are infectious even though they are asymptomatic, or, pre-symptomatic. So, they spread the virus without knowing it. In a world where the global airline industry carried over 4.5 billion people in 2019, the virus scattered at jet speed.

So, in the first half of 2020, country after country imposed strict quarantines, kept people at home and brought large parts of their economies to a grinding halt.

According to the World Bank, the pandemic will plunge most countries into recession in 2020, with per capita income shrinking in more countries since 1870. Advanced economies will decline 7% while developing economies will contract by 2.5% — the weakest showing by this group of economies in at least 60 years.

In the Philippines, the government imposed in mid-March one of the longest-running lockdowns in the world. As a result, the economy is expected to contract by 7.3% in 2020, according to the September 2020 report of the Asian Development Bank — a steeper fall than the ADB’s June forecast of a 3.8% decline.

The world has seen epidemics come and go before — but not at this speed and on this scale in its impact on public health and the global economy. So, COVID-19 must be a black swan.

Or, is it? Was this really an unpredictable event?

HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
Some experts and public health advocates say the handwriting has been on the wall for some time. After all, the 21st century started with a taste of what was to come.

In November 2002, SARS — the precursor of COVID-19 — appeared in Guangdong, China and over the next nine months spread to 26 countries, including the Philippines. The SARS virus, which is said to have come from bats, was not as infectious as COVID-19 — but it was more lethal. Health authorities tallied only 8,000 cases worldwide, but the mortality rate was about 10%. The Philippines had 14 cases with two deaths.

SARS gave health authorities a scare. That’s because flu-like diseases have been spreading for decades — often as a result of viruses from wild animals like bats and monkeys infecting humans who keep invading their habitats and taking them for food.

BIRD FLU
A case in point is Avian influenza or bird flu which had 11 outbreaks in 50 countries between 1996 and 2008, according to one estimate. The 1996 outbreak started (again) in Guangdong, China where geese were found to be infected with a highly pathogenic virus tagged as H5N1.

In 1997, the virus was detected in people in Hong Kong. Fortunately, the bird flu virus does not easily infect people. Since 2003, the WHO has tallied only about 700 cases of human infection in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. Most human infections occurred after prolonged, close contact with infected birds. And there was no community spread.

SWINE FLU PANDEMIC
That was not the case for the swine flu which emerged in April 2009, not in China, but in California. Tagged (H1N1)pdm09, this was dubbed the swine flu because its genes were a mix that came from H1N1 flu viruses of swine origin. But unlike the African swine flu now infecting pigs in the Philippines, this swine flu infected people. In June 2009, the WHO declared the swine flu outbreak a global pandemic.

A year after the pandemic started, there were about 60.8 million cases and 12,469 deaths in the US due to the swine flu, according to the US Center for Disease Control. Moreover, around 150,000 to 575,000 people worldwide were estimated to have died in the same period.

The Philippines was lucky. From May to September 2009, there were only 28 swine flu deaths in the country, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

To put these numbers into perspective, the swine flu death rate was similar to the seasonal flu. What mattered, however, was how far the disease spread. Some studies said that the number of infections — including asymptomatic and mild cases — was anywhere from 700 million to 1.4 billion — or from 11 to 21% of the global population of 6.8 billion at the time.

In short, the swine flu demonstrated that a 21st century pandemic — like the Spanish flu of 1918 — could be genuinely global.

‘WE’RE NOT READY FOR THE NEXT EPIDEMIC’
So, could the COVID-19 pandemic have been predicted? Well, it actually was. Health experts have been saying for years that a global pandemic was waiting to happen. One of those who went on the record was billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates.

In a Ted Talk in March 2015, Gates warned that the greatest risk of a global catastrophe was “not missiles but microbes.” He stressed that “we’re not ready for the next epidemic.”

Gates gave his talk at the tail-end of the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa where over 10,000 people died. He explained that the disease was contained by the heroic efforts of health workers and by a bit of good luck: Ebola was not airborne. Also, by the time those infected became contagious, they were bed-ridden and could not readily spread the disease.

Gates warned that the world may not be so lucky next time.

“You can have a virus where people feel well enough while they’re infectious that they may get on a plane or they go to a market… So, there are things that would literally make things a thousand times worse,” he said.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Gates urged the global community to get together and prepare for the next pandemic. This can be done by strengthening the healthcare systems in poor countries, by building up a medical reserve corps supported by the military, conducting simulations — germ games instead of war games — and stepping up R&D for vaccines and diagnostics.

Gates said he didn’t have a budget for these measures, but added prophetically that it would be “quite modest compared to the potential harm.”

So, in hindsight, COVID-19 wasn’t a black swan. It was the elephant in the room.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE ELEPHANT?
What could the Philippines have been done to better deal with the big fellow? In line with Gate’s recommendations, one part of the solution is “Get Organized.” Set up the right organization to constantly monitor and prepare for pandemics. A good example is Taiwan.

So close to mainland China, the Taiwanese were traumatized by the SARS outbreak in 2003. In response, the Taiwan government established in 2004 the National Health Command Center (NHCC). This is not a task force, but a permanent office manned by trained professionals. The NHCC is part of a disaster management center that focuses on large disease outbreak response and acts as the operational command point for central, regional, and local authorities.

So, on Dec. 31, 2019, when the WHO was notified that there was an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan, the Taiwanese authorities responded immediately. Officials began to board planes and assess passengers on direct flights from Wuhan for fever and pneumonia symptoms before passengers could disembark. That started a series of measures orchestrated by the NHCC that have since enabled Taiwan to keep COVID-19 largely at bay — without imposing prolonged lockdowns.

ANOTHER ELEPHANT
The Philippines should consider setting up a similar full-time professional pandemic preparedness organization. Because the elephant is still around. Health experts warn that there will be more pandemics to come. Particularly because people continue to invade the habitats of wildlife for food. And also because powerful forces like climate change are destroying the natural habitats of wildlife and pushing them closer to people.

Speaking of climate change, the warning signs of that threat have been mounting: the massive forest fires in Australia and the United States, the melting ice in the North and South Poles, the rising sea levels, the disappearing coral reefs in Australia, the droughts and the floods, and, the more powerful typhoons and hurricanes in various parts of the world. Like the Philippines, which was just ravaged by Typhoon Rolly, the world’s most powerful storm thus far this year.

For a disaster-prone country like the Philippines, that looks like another elephant in the room.

 

Mon Isberto was till last week the public affairs head of PLDT and Smart.  Prior to that, he was a reporter for Business Day and The Financial Post. Mr. Isberto also served as the Manila correspondent of InterPress Service and was a talk show host of GMA Network.

Fuel Masters fan top-four push

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE TOP-FOUR push in the PBA Philippine Cup of the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters got a boost on Monday after they dug deep and defeated the upset-minded Blackwater Elite, 100-95, at the Angeles University Foundation Arena in Pampanga.

Led by the double-double efforts of Jason Perkins and Calvin Abueva, Phoenix bucked a slow start to surge past Blackwater to improve to 7-3 in the ongoing Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) tournament, in prime position for one of the top four spots that carry a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

The victory thrusts the Fuel Masters to joint first place, as of this writing, with the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings and TNT Tropang Giga.

The Elite got early traction in the game, led by veteran Nino Canaleta.

They would claim the opening quarter, 21-15, before creating further distance by the halftime break, 45-34.

In the third quarter, Phoenix came out with more bounce in its fight.

Mr. Perkins unleashed 10 points in the opening minutes of the frame to tow his team to a 21-9 run that had them seizing the lead, 55-54, at the 5:27 mark.

The two teams slugged it out thereafter before a late spurt gave the Elite a three-point cushion, 70-67, heading into the payoff quarter.

But the Fuel Masters took cue from their spirited run in the third to begin the fourth canto.

The count stood at 81-all with 7:34 left in the contest and thereafter Phoenix sped to an 8-1 run in the next four minutes to go up, 89-82.

Blackwater made a last-ditch effort to come back, inching to within three, 96-93, with 17 seconds remaining.

It would not come any closer than that though as the Fuel Masters moved to shut the door on their opponents from there.

Mr. Perkins finished with 18 points, 3-of-5 from three-point country, and 12 rebounds for Phoenix, with Mr. Abueva tallying all-around numbers of 17 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Matthew Wright also had 17 points while Brian Heruela had 15 for the Fuel Masters, who won their third straight game with the victory.

For Blackwater (2-8), it was Mr. Canaleta who top-scored with 21, followed by Mac Belo with 17.

Phoenix and Blackwater finish their elimination round assignments on Nov. 11 with the Fuel Masters taking on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and the Elite battling the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok.

Meanwhile, games on Tuesday will see TNT against Rain or Shine at 4 p.m., followed by the San Miguel Beermen versus the Northport Batang Pier.

FIBA Esports Open set for bigger field in second edition

THE second edition of the FIBA Esports Open unfurls later this week with a bigger field than its first staging earlier this year.

FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, announced that an expanded roster of 38 national teams is taking part this time around in the Open, from 17 previously, in tournaments taking place over three weekends with seven regional conferences.

Action kicks off from Nov. 14-15 in the Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia conferences, to be followed by that in Europe (Dec, 12-13), the North, Central, and South America conferences (Dec. 19-20).

Finals will take place in all conferences, with a best-of-three format.

For the tournament, each team will consist of seven players, five on the court and two reserves. Games will be played remotely on NBA 2K using the Pro-AM mode and allowing full customization of player avatars, uniforms and arena designs.

Team Philippines, or “E-Gilas,” was among the winners in the first edition of the FIBA Esports Open held in June, ruling the Southeast Asian conference by sweeping Indonesia in their five-game series.

E-Gilas, composed of Aljon “Shintarou” Gruzin (point guard), Rial “Rial” Polog Jr. (shooting guard), Custer “Aguila” Galas (small forward), Rocky “Rak” Brana (center/power forward), Philippe “Izzo” Alcaraz Herrero IV (center), Clark “Clark” Banzon (power forward), and Al “Alt” Timajo (center/power forward), capped its dominant performance in the tournament by beating its Indonesian counterpart, 71-35, in the fifth game of their joust.

The 36-point win took the Philippines’ average margin of victory to 32.8 points for the series.

Following its impressive showing, E-Gilas said “preparation and teamwork” played a key role in it.

In the second edition of the Esports Open, Australia is joining the Philippines and Indonesia in the combined Southeast Asia/Oceania group.

Other winners in the inaugural edition of the FIBA Esports Open were Italy (Europe Conference), Argentina (South America Conference), Saudi Arabia (Middle East Conference), and Australia (Oceania Conference).

As was the case in the first edition, the series will be produced from the FIBA Esports Studio in Riga, Latvia, with 54 hours of live content to be streamed on FIBA’s Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube channels. Each game will be available online with live commentary in English, as well as a daily show featuring up to 12 games.

The FIBA Esports Open 2020 is angled by the world basketbal governing body to add further dimension to it as an organization while also affording the basketball community some action after activities were halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

For more information on the tournament, check out http://www.fiba.basketball/esports/open2/2020. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Azkals Development Team ends 2020 PFL bid strong with third win in a row

THE Azkals Development Team (ADT) capped its 2020 Philippines Football League (PFL) campaign on a high note, running to its third straight win with a 2-0 victory over Stallion-Laguna FC on Monday morning at the Philippine Football Federation National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.

The squad of national team coach Scott Cooper used a strong effort in the second half, punctuated by goals from Carlo Dorin (52’) and Jarvey Gayoso (62’), to soar past Stallion to finish its PFL bid with nine points built on a record of three wins and two losses.

It also put itself in good position to wind up at second place, behind league champion United City Football Club (FC).

The opening half was tight for ADT and Stallion, with both teams having early chances at goals which unfortunately they could not complete.

In the second half, ADT picked it up, taking it to its opponents and capitalizing on opportunities it could get.

It did not take long before the team broke through with the first goal of the match, care of substitute Dorin, who found himself in the right spot for a rebound off a miss by teammate Yrik Gallantes and give his team a 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes later, ADT added another goal to make it 2-0 after Mr. Gayoso converted a spot kick awarded to them off a foul on Mr. Gallantes.

Stallion made desperate attempts to claw its way back to the match, but ADT proved to be up to the challenge as it went on to park the win.

Mr. Cooper said they were happy with the performance of their team, which competed in the PFL for the first time this year as a regular member of the field.

“There were inconsistencies along the way, but I think with the results, the players did well,” said Mr. Cooper, who made it known that primary for them in joining the tournament, presented by Qatar Airways, was to help develop their players in preparation for the next level. For Stallion (0-1-3), it was its second straight defeat heading into its final game of the season on Thursday.

Meanwhile, later on Monday, Maharlika Manila FC was to take on Mendiola FC 1991 at 4:30 p.m. while United City was to battle Kaya FC-Iloilo at 8 p.m. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Three Team Lakay fighters return to ONE action

BAGUIO-based Team Lakay will be prominently featured at ONE Championship’s “Inside The Matrix III” event on Nov. 13.

Former champions Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon and Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio and fast-rising Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang will take the ONE stage in the scheduled five-fight offering at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Mr. Belingon (20-7) will be part of the headlining fight against Brazilian John “Hands of Stone” Lineker in a clash of bantamweight contenders.

Thirty-three-year-old Belingon, the number one contender in the rankings, is out to arrest a two-fight losing streak, both coming at the hands of reigning ONE world bantamweight champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil last year.

Apart from getting back on the winning track and getting another shot at the title, Mr. Belingon is also using as added motivation the birth of his daughter, Kelsey, in August.

“Family has always been my first priority. Having a child in that picture makes me level up my game as the head of the family. I feel more motivated in everything in life right now, especially in providing a good future for our child,” Mr. Belingon said.

Waiting for Mr. Belingon in the third iteration of the Inside The Matrix event is Mr. Lineker (32-9), a former Ultimate Fighting Championship campaigner.

He made his ONE debut in October and was a unanimous decision winner over Muin Gafurov of Tajikistan.

Mr. Eustaquio (13-8), meanwhile, battles South Korean Song Min Jong (11-7) in a 64kg catchweight joust.

The former flyweight champion Eustaquio, 31, last fought in November 2019, beating Toni Tauru of Finland by knockout (spinning back kick) in the third round.

He is looking at using the win as a springboard to string back-to-back wins, something he has not done since 2018.

Mr. Song, 28, for his part, seeks to remain unbeaten in ONE Championship in his third outing in the promotion.

Completing the night for Team Lakay is Mr. Adiwang (11-2), who is to take on Hiroba Minowa (10-2) of Japan.

The Filipino strawweight, the number five-ranked fighter in the division, has been unbeaten in two fights to date in the main draw of ONE Championship.

In his last fight in January here in Manila, Mr. Adiwang impressed anew with a first-round submission win (kimura) over Thai Ponsiri Mitsatit.

He looks to extend his winning ways against ONE-debuting Minowa.

Messrs. Belingon, Eustaquio, and Adiwang are the latest Team Lakay stalwarts to make a return to ONE after months of waiting because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Eduard Folayang was the first to return for the team in October. He lost to Australian Antonio Caruso by unanimous decision. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Ayo named as new coach of Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas team

Former University of Santo Tomas men’s basketball team coach Aldin Ayo will now handle the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 team seeing action in FIBA tournaments.

Mr. Ayo was unveiled Monday afternoon as the new head coach of the renamed squad, which will now be known as Manila Chooks TM.

The 43-year-old champion coach took the place of Eric Altamirano, who resigned from his post effective Nov. 1 following a two-year run that saw the Philippines rise to contention in 3×3.

“I’m very grateful because, for me, this will bring another dimension to my coaching career,” Mr. Ayo said as he was introduced to the players as well as Manila Mayor Isko Moreno inside City Hall.

“Throughout my coaching career, it was the full-length of the court, but this time will be different. I can’t wait to try out new schemes for half-court,” he added.

Despite the new name, Manila Chooks TM will still be bannered top 3×3 player in the country Joshua Munzon, no. 2 Alvin Pasaol, no. 5 Troy Rike, and no. 6 Santi Santillan.

“Coach Ayo is my personal choice,” said Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. president and 3×3 patron Ronald Mascariñas, underscoring the proven track record of Mr. Ayo, a champion coach in both the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and National Collegiate Athletic Association.

“He is the most decorated coach in college right now and we are excited that he is now here with us,” Mr. Mascariñas further said.

Mr. Ayo admitted that he is still in the process of learning his way in coaching 3×3 basketball but is looking forward to the challenge.

Unfortunately, the team said Mr. Aup would not be able to join it as the squad sees action in the Doha Masters of the 2020 FIBA 3×3 World Tour later in the month but would start formal training with him before the year ends. — MASM

Biden’s economic challenge rests on sustaining pace of recovery

US PRESIDENT-ELECT Joe Biden inherits one of the most fraught economies in generations, requiring his administration to sustain its fragile momentum and help millions of Americans get back to work.

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases begin to spike again, stricter health policies to contain the virus’s spread would risk stifling the recovery and make it even more difficult for companies to boost hiring. At the same time, the pandemic has introduced its own economic hurdles that could become systemic if left unaddressed.

Things are gradually improving: 638,000 jobs were added in October, sending the unemployment rate down to 6.9%. Record household spending propelled a huge rebound in third-quarter growth and manufacturing is gaining pace. A higher-than-normal saving rate also provides firepower for the consumer in coming months — and for the president-elect’s economy.

But the labor market still has a long way to go. There are 10 million fewer employed people than in February, prior to the virus-related lockdowns.

Building on these nascent gains is dependent on vaccine development and deployment in scale, especially as COVID-19 cases reach records and risk another wave of business shutdowns. Maintaining the recent economic momentum also depends in part on another round of fiscal stimulus from Congress, which lawmakers failed to agree on in the months before the election.

Absent additional government aid for unemployed Americans and small businesses, the pace of consumer spending will probably slow. A weekly $600 extra jobless benefit ended months ago and many more consumer protections are expiring at the end of the year, threatening the household finances of millions of unemployed.

“It’s going to take a long time to get back to where we were, but we’re moving in the right direction,” said Joshua Shapiro, the chief US economist at Maria Fiorini Ramirez, Inc. “The path of the virus is going to be extremely important, in terms of what that means for people’s behavior and economic activity. So there’s still a lot of question marks.”

The most recent data on the number of people filing for jobless claims bears testament to this; more Americans than expected filed for state unemployment benefits in the week ended Oct. 31, underscoring churn in a labor market that continues to recover only gradually.

The October jobs report also highlights the tailwinds for Biden.

More people are back to work now than analysts expected just six months ago. Gains were broad-based — with increases in retail, food services, and transportation and warehousing as businesses continued to reopen their doors.

There were also encouraging signs for women, whose unemployment rate fell below men’s, and drops in joblessness for Black Americans and Latinos.

“The pace of the recovery seems to be holding up,” said Nick Bunker, an economist at Indeed, Inc. At the same time, “we’re still in a significant hole” and “the pace of this recovery really is constrained by the virus,” he said.

The employment data also highlighted the importance of additional benefits. One-third of unemployed Americans have been out of work since at least April, during the initial round of layoffs tied to COVID-19-related business closures.

Research has shown that this category of long-term unemployed, those without a job for at least 27 weeks, have a harder time re-entering the labor market in the future.

The jobs they once had in travel and hospitality may not be there any longer even when the economy recovers, requiring retraining and government help.

“The longer you’re out of work the more difficult it is to get back in,” said Jennifer Lee, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. “During the Great Recession people started to feel their skills were getting outdated. That’s where the government spending has to come in.” — Bloomberg

US crosses 10 million COVID-19 cases as third wave of infections surges

THE UNITED States became the first nation worldwide since the pandemic began to surpass 10 million coronavirus infections, according to a Reuters tally on Sunday, as the third wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus surges across the nation.

The grim milestone came on the same day as global coronavirus cases exceeded 50 million.

The United states has reported about a million cases in the past 10 days, the highest rate of infections since the nation reported its first novel coronavirus case in Washington state 293 days ago.

The country reported a record 131,420 COVID-19 cases on Saturday and has reported over 100,000 infections five times in the past seven days, according to a Reuters tally. The US latest reported seven-day average of 105,600 daily cases, ramped up by at least 29%, is more than the combined average for India and France, two of the worst affected countries in Asia and Europe.

More than 237,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 since the illness caused by the coronavirus first emerged in China late last year.

The daily average of reported new deaths in the United States account for one in every 11 deaths reported worldwide each day, according to a Reuters analysis.

The number of reported deaths nationwide climbed by more than 1,000 for a fifth consecutive day on Saturday, a trend last seen in mid-August, according to a Reuters tally.

Health experts say deaths tend to increase four to six weeks after a surge in infections.

US President-elect Joe Biden, who spent much of his election campaign criticizing President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic, pledged on Saturday to make tackling the pandemic a top priority.

Biden will announce a 12-member task force on Monday to deal with the pandemic that will be led by former surgeon general Vivek Murthy and former Food and Drug Administration commissioner David Kessler. The coronavirus task force will be charged with developing a blueprint for containing the disease once Biden takes office in January.

The Midwest remains the hardest-hit region based on the most cases per capita with North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska the top five worst-affected US states.

Illinois emerged as the new epicenter in the Midwest, with the state reporting over 60,000 COVID-19 infections in the last seven days, the highest in the country, according to Reuters data. The state reported more than 12,454 new cases on Saturday, the highest single-day number so far.

Texas, which accounts for 10% of total US cases, is the hardest-hit state and became the first to surpass a million coronavirus cases in the United States on Saturday.

According to a Reuters analysis, the South region comprises nearly 43% of all the cases in the United States since the pandemic began, with nearly 4.3 million cases in the region alone, followed by the Midwest, West and Northeast.

New York, with over 33,000 fatalities, remains the state with highest number of deaths and accounts for about 14% of total US deaths.

The United States performed about 10.5 million coronavirus tests in the first seven days of November, of which 6.22% came back positive, compared with 6.17% the prior seven-days, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer-run effort to track the outbreak. — Reuters

Sydney restricts New Year’s Eve fireworks to limit coronavirus spread

SYDNEY — New Year’s Eve fireworks over Sydney Harbour will go ahead this year but will be shortened to just a few minutes and the city precinct will be restricted to those with restaurant, cafe and hotel bookings in order to limit the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Prime harborside spots, normally coveted by thousands of revellers to watch the traditional 12-minute pyrotechnic display, will be set aside for health workers who have been treating COVID-19 patients and firefighters.

Although Australia has for weeks recorded just daily single digit new cases of COVID-19, New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said crowd numbers will be limited for the event in areas that typically draw thousands of viewers.

“New Year’s Eve celebrations will be a symbol of hope and optimism for next year,” Ms. Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. “But unless you have a booking in a restaurant or cafe, please do not expect to go.” Those without a booking will be unable to gain access into the city, Ms. Berejiklian said.

Australia has recorded just over 27,600 novel coronavirus infections and 907 deaths, far fewer than many other developed countries.

Victoria state — the epicenter of Australia’s COVID-19 outbreak — said it has now gone 10 days with detecting any infections. — Reuters

Medvedev wears down Zverev in Paris to claim third Masters title

PARIS — Russian Daniil Medvedev outclassed German Alexander Zverev (5-7 6-4 6-1) in the Paris final on Sunday to claim his third Masters title.

The third seed, who also defeated Zverev in the Shanghai final last year, returned strongly throughout the match to take his first title of the year.

Medvedev, 24, had more energy in the deciding set and made the most of his opportunities against an inconsistent Zverev, who had won five of their six previous meetings.

A double fault earned the Russian his eighth ATP title after two hours and seven minutes.

Medvedev said he pulled off the win by making his “opponent crazy”.

Both players had a high first serve percentage early on, holding comfortably. Zverev went 40-0 up on the Russian’s serve at 6-5 to earn the first break points of the match.

Medvedev saved the first two by dictating the rallies, but he whacked a forehand long on the third and conceded his second set of the tournament.

Zverev faced his first break points in a fiercely contested third game in the second set, which he won, but he dropped serve in the ninth game when he sent a crosscourt backhand long.

Medvedev won his service game to love to level the match and send it into a decider. He broke to love, held serve after saving four break points and broke again thanks to a booming service return as he moved 4-0 up.

With his confidence shattered, Zverev never looked capable of mounting a comeback as Medvedev added to his 2019 Shanghai and Cincinnati Masters titles.

Both players will take part in the season-ending ATP Tour Finals at the O2 in London from Nov. 15-22.

Medvedev, the fourth Russian player to win at Bercy after three-time champion Marat Safin, Nikolay Davydenko, and Karen Khachanov, said he would go into the tournament full of confidence. — Reuters

Woods bids to repeat Augusta glory after disappointing run

TIGER Woods will hope familiarity helps him recapture his form at Augusta National this week as the 15-time major winner aims to repeat the magic of his stunning Masters win last year.

Overcoming personal and physical obstacles that at times in his career appeared insurmountable, Woods ended an 11-year major drought to claim his fifth Masters in 2019, capping one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of professional sport.

But a recent string of lacklustre performances have rendered that success a distant memory.

Woods has failed to crack the top 30 at any event since the PGA Tour returned from its COVID-19 hiatus in June, missing the cut at the US Open in September and finishing tied 72nd in the Zozo Championship last month—a tournament he won a year ago.

“Last year, he came into the Masters doing a lot of things well. His iron play was really, really good a year ago. We haven’t seen that this year,” said compatriot Andy North, a retired twice major winner and now golf analyst for ESPN.

Woods, who won his first major at Augusta 23 years ago, knows the course’s unique tests, giving him a possible advantage over youngsters such as PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa, 23, and 21-year-old Matthew Wolff, the US Open runner-up.

But changes to the tournament this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic — including the move from April to November and the absence of fans — could limit Wood’s expertise.

“There are a lot of guys that haven’t played there very much,” said North. “You know, I kind of thought, is this going to negate some of the history that our veteran players have and some of the course knowledge that they have versus some of the younger guys that we have seen play so well this fall?”

For Woods, the quieting of the crowd’s roar may be the hardest part to reconcile.

“The one component that is going to be just, I think, so odd for all of us who have played there and who have been there is to have no spectators,” Woods told reporters after the final round at the Zozo Championship.

“Sometimes, we’ve been on the putting green there before we tee off and you hear roars down there, 12 and 13, they reverberate all the way up to the clubhouse, and there’s going to be nothing.”

The Masters starts on Thursday. — Reuters

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