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Dining In/Out (10/08/20)

The Pen extends anniversary promo throughout October

Due to popular demand, The Peninsula Manila is extending its 44th anniversary celebration until the end of October. This includes the “Our Birthday – Your Birthday” offers at The Peninsula Boutique. There’s the cuisine of The Lobby, Spices, Old Manila — and now those of Escolta and the Pool Snack Bar; cocktails from Salon de Ning and The Bar; and the cakes, breads, cookies, and French pastries from the bakery that are synonymous with The Peninsula name. They will be available for takeout and delivery at The Peninsula Boutique until Nov. 1. Prices of the items reflect either the hotel’s 44th anniversary (e.g. The Peninsula Boutique will offer its Ensaymada and Double-Chocolate Brownie — a new item on the menu — for P44; The Lobby menu favorites like Caesar Salad, Peninsula US Beef Burger, Pan-roasted Norwegian Salmon, and Kare Kare, all for P444) or the year it opened, 1976 (Old Manila’s Angus Beef Ribeye Steak  at P1,976, Salon de Ning and The Bar’s bottled batched Aperol Spritz, Margarita, and Negroni for P1,976).

Complimentary delivery within Makati City will be extended to guests making a minimum single-receipt purchase of P2,000. For inquiries and orders, call 8887-5747, 8887-2888, e-mail penboutiquepmn@peninsula.com or through PenChat (https://bit.ly/PenChatFacebook).

Pre-buy drinks to keep favorite bars and restaurants alive

IT’S no secret that the F&B industry has been badly hit by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with even iconic bars closing down one by one. The good news is that favorites such as Rambla, The Brewery, and After Hours can be kept alive simply by purchasing favorite drinks ahead. And to top it all off, they’re at P100 off, and may be enjoyed as soon as the bars open. Zomato Philippines and Diageo (the maker of liquor brands such as Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, and The Singleton) have teamed up to help partner outlets bounce back and normalize their operations as the regulations ease. The process is simple: purchase an e-voucher for a chosen drink at a participating bar, and it will be redeemable after the community quarantines and liquor ban regulations are lifted and the outlet is open again. View the complete list of participating bars and drink e-vouchers available at https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/Zomato. Browse through the offerings, add to cart as one would normally do on Lazada, and check out. Note that the drinks cost P100 less than their regular selling price. The voucher will only be valid in the outlet indicated in the e-voucher, so take note of this detail when you purchase. Stand by for announcements from Zomato with regard to opening dates and redemption for availability of the purchased drink e-voucher. As of now, all e-vouchers are valid until December 2020. Should there be extensions or announcements of community quarantines or liquor bans, Diageo and Zomato Philippines will release new guidelines and advisories. One may also get in touch with Zomato to arrange for refunds for any circumstances. And if the bar you supported with your purchase closes down, you may coordinate with Zomato to arrange for your refund as well.

Greenhills malls launch My Home Dasher

A NEW addition to Ortigas Malls’ delivery services is Greenhills’ My Home Dasher through which one may shop at any Greenhills store. From food to gadget needs, jewelry to balikbayan goodies, My Home Dasher can deliver to one’s doorstep with just one call. Greenhills has made this possible with MyKuya, Marshall Express, and Padyak because they know that shopping doesn’t stop during quarantine. Shop in three easy steps by first calling 0917-815-6640, sending your shopping list, and then settling the bill while waiting for your delivery. This is available from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m every day.

Popeyes opens new branch at Eton Centris

Popeyes has opened its newest branch in Eton Centris, its first store opening since the country implemented strict lockdown, making it one of the few restaurants in the Philippines to do so. Available at the branch are such Popeyes dishes as Honey Biscuits, Popeyes  Spaghetti, crispy Cajun fries, Chicken French Quarter Burger, and Fried Chicken. To ensure the well-being of the customers, health measures and safety protocols are strictly implemented in the store. The new Popeyes branch is located at C2-16 and C2-17, Cluster 2, Centris Walk, EDSA Corner Quezon Ave. Pinyahan, Quezon City. Popeyes also has branches in ArcoVia City, Alabang Town Center, SM San Lazaro, NU Mall of Asia, Eastwood, SM Southmall, Ali Mall, Kroma Tower, Robinsons Place Manila, and Robinsons Galleria Ortigas.

Yellow Cab’s newest pizza flavor

YELLOW Cab has launched its newest flavor — the Patty Melt Pizza. The newest Edge-to-Edge Pizza is topped with bits of burger patties with a bit of heat, smothered with gooey melted cheese on its signature crust, and topped with tomatoes and sweetened onions. This variant is available for a limited time only, starting at P399. The new Patty Melt Pizza is now available in all Yellow Cab stores nationwide for dine-in, Curbside® pick-up, take-out, and delivery. This is also available via GrabFood, FoodPanda, and LalaFood. All Yellow Cab stores comply with proper operating guidelines to ensure safety. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/YellowCabPizzaOfficial.

The Grand Hyatt’s The Peak is reopening

STARTING Oct. 8, The Grand Hyatt’s The Peak restaurant will be open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, from 5-10 p.m. Dine on the classics from its a la carte menu such as Australian Wagyu Beef, Maryland Crab Cakes, and La Royal Oysters. Dine al fresco with the unobstructed view of the Metro Manila skyline from the Philippine’s tallest man-made structure. Those who come to the re-opening this weekend from Oct. 8-10 will enjoy a complimentary welcome drink when they dine at the Grill. Place a reservation online at bit.ly/ThePeakBGC or call 8838-1234 for further inquiries. For intimate affairs, book a private dining room and The Peak staff will craft a bespoke menu to suit your event. Call 8838-1234 or e-mail thepeak.manila.grand@hyatt.com for reservations and inquiries. To deal with the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the restaurant follows the health and physical distancing guidelines set by the local government and the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, favorite dishes from The Grand Hyatt’s restaurants The Grand Kitchen, No. 8 China House, and The Cellar are now available as all-you-can eat small plates in one dining destination at an a la minute buffet. Enjoy traditional Chinese cuisine from No. 8 China House such as Wok-fried King prawn, Char Siu barbecued pork, Braised crab meat soup, Sweet and sour pork, Mapo tofu and Yang Chow fried rice. Dim sum such as shrimp dumplings, steamed spare ribs and steamed chicken feet are also available. Dine on local and international cuisines such as Paneer makhani, Chicken inasal and Norwegian salmon from The Grand Kitchen. Vegan and vegetarian dishes are also available. Have a plate of The Cellar’s Seafood or Vegetable paella and accompany it with your choice of wine. For P2,200 per adult, enjoy the a la minute buffet which includes free-flowing local beers, select wines, iced tea, coffee, tea and chilled juices. Available for lunch (11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) and dinner (6-10:30 p.m.) daily. Each dish is made fresh and meets the strict food safety management standards of the hotel’s ISO 22000:2018 certification. Book a table online at bit.ly/TheGrandKitchen. For group reservations and inquiries, call 8838-1234 or e-mail manila.grand@hyatt.com. Grand Hyatt Manila is at 8th Avenue corner 35th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

New anti-money-laundering tool could overcome privacy concerns

LENDERS in a country at the center of one of Europe’s largest dirty-cash scandals are testing a new anti-money-laundering system that doesn’t interfere with banking privacy.

Local units of Swedbank AB and SEB AB, as well as their smaller rivals Luminor Bank AS and LHV Pank AS, will join a six-month pilot project by technology startup Salv to create a secure data-exchange tool with financial watchdogs in Estonia.

The Baltic nation, a digital trailblazer that’s a member of the European Union and the euro area, has been clamping down on financial crime to repair its reputation after allegations that billions of dollars of illicit cash from the former Soviet Union flowed through the subsidiary of Denmark’s Danske Bank A/S in Tallinn. Like Danske, Swedbank is being investigated in Europe and the US for transactions conducted at its Estonian unit. SEB has also been embroiled in the scandal.

While criminals network to legalize laundered money, banks “work in silos without an ability to exchange information as fast due to regulatory challenges,” according to Salv’s founder and chief executive, Taavi Tamkivi, who’s previously led units fighting money laundering at Transferwise Ltd. and Skype. Financial institutions have lacked the technology to make sense of the data without violating clients’ right to privacy, he said.

The new system would solve that issue. On identifying suspicious transactions, participants in the pilot can use the tool to match similar activities at other banks. It uses encrypted data that blocks access to specific client or transactional information, including which other lender the match comes from, Tamkivi said.

He plans to expand the project to other Baltic countries and the UK. — Bloomberg

Aboitiz unit keen on deploying small cell network nationwide

ABOITIZ INFRACAPITAL, Inc., the infrastructure arm of Aboitiz Group, is keen on deploying its small cell network nationwide to support telecommunications companies and internet service providers with their network capacity and coverage.

“Heeding the government’s call to help improve the Philippine’s Information and Communications Technology infrastructure amid the coronavirus pandemic, the company is offering its small cell network nationwide,” Aboitiz InfraCapital said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday.

The small cell network is a “series of small low-powered, short-ranged antennas” that support regular cell towers, the company said.

Small cell networks can also support the deployment of fifth-generation (5G) network technology, Aboitiz InfraCapital said.

Aboitiz InfraCapital General Manager for Small Cell Business Rafael Aboitiz said, “Consistent with our commitment to help meet the demand for better telecommunication services, we are happy to partner with telcos and other internet service providers in accelerating the expansion of their network capacity and coverage throughout the country.”

He noted the company’s small cell network is readily available in high-density urban cities like Subic, Cebu, and Davao.

“We are optimistic about our prospects in digital infrastructure and are keen to pursue more opportunities in the industry with the government and our partners,” Mr. Aboitiz added. — Arjay L. Balinbin

How PSEi member stocks performed — October 7, 2020

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.

How much did each commodity group contribute to September inflation?

How much did each commodity group contribute to September inflation?

Local shares post losses on negative sentiment

By Denise A. Valdez, Senior Reporter

THE PHILIPPINE Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell for the third consecutive day on Wednesday as activity was focused on non-PSEi members and investor sentiment was pulled down by global events.

The main index dropped 42.76 points or 0.72% to close at 5,867.88, while the broader all shares index lost 15.83 points or 0.44% to 3,527.90.

“Investors continue to focus on second-liners, while those holding PSEi issues continue to close positions, anticipating a further sell-off once third quarter GDP (gross domestic product) numbers are reported,” AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun said in an email.

Dito CME Holdings Corp. was among the most actively traded stocks on Wednesday, dropping 15.27% to P5.77 apiece. The stock has moved within a high of P8.05 and a low of P3.21 in the past 30 days.

ABS-CBN Corp. also ended Wednesday’s session as the biggest gainer, hitting its 50% growth ceiling after news it would start airing on public TV through Channel 11.

Among the 30 PSEi members, only seven stocks closed with gains, while four ended flat and the rest posted losses.

“We may see the PSEi recover once it tests support at 5,800,” Mr. Mangun said.

The drag on the main index was also driven by net foreign selling, which shot up to P1.29 billion from P863.7 million in the last session. Foreign investors have been posting net outflows for 19 straight days.

“The PSEi continued to fall after President Donald Trump said he would end negotiations on a new fiscal stimulus package, sending jitters into investors who hoped Washington lawmakers would strike a deal soon,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a mobile message.

Wall Street ended lower on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices dropped 1.34%, 1.40% and 1.57%, respectively.

“Also on the local front, worries on supply chain bottlenecks, continued presence of African Swine fever, imposition of localized lockdowns and onset of La Niña weather pattern, (which) may pose upside risks to prices due to supply constraints,” Diversified Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Aniceto K. Pangan said in a text message.

Sectoral indices closed mixed on Wednesday. Mining and oil rose 225.92 points or 3.86% to 6,065.19 and financials climbed 4.23 points or 0.36% to 1,157.76.

On the other hand, services declined 29.09 points or 1.98% to 1,433.92; property shed 20.52 points or 0.74% to 2,731.62; holding firms slid 32.80 points or 0.53% to 6,100.24; and industrials trimmed 19.35 points or 0.24% to 7,818.39 at the close of session.

Some 1.81 billion issues valued at P7.11 billion switched hands on Wednesday, down from 2.09 billion issues valued at P8.08 billion the previous day.

Advancers outnumbered decliners, 101 against 92. Some 48 names ended unchanged.

Peso slips as House suspends session amid row

THE PESO inched down on Wednesday after lawmakers suspended their session earlier than planned amid a speakership row and as the planned US stimulus fund faces another delay.

The local unit closed at P48.39 versus the dollar, losing a centavo from its P48.38 finish on Tuesday.

The peso opened Wednesday’s session sharply weaker at P48.48 per dollar. It sank to as low as P48.50 during the session while its intraday high was logged at P48.38 versus the greenback.

Some $584.4 million changed hands on Wednesday, lower than the $658.2 million  seen on Tuesday.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a text message that the peso inched lower after the House of Representatives suspended its session on Tuesday, earlier than the scheduled Oct. 16 suspension, amid a speakership row. Session will resume on Nov. 16.

Ahead of the suspension, the House approved on second reading the national budget for 2021. The early break came ahead of the expected turnover of the House’s speakership on Oct. 14 under a term-sharing agreement.

Mr. Ricafort said the market is worried the early session suspension could delay the approval of priority economic bills.

Meanwhile, a trader said the peso weakened slightly after US President Donald Trump abruptly ended talks with Democrats on an economic aid package on Tuesday.

In his first major policy pronouncement since leaving the hospital, Mr. Trump called off talks with Democratic lawmakers on coronavirus relief legislation until after the election, even as cases are on the rise across much of the country.

Mr. Trump’s tweet breaking off talks for a new round of stimulus spooked Wall Street, sending stocks down as much as 2% from their session highs and tarnishing one of the metrics that the Republican president has touted as a sign of his success, Reuters reported.

Late Tuesday, Mr. Trump in a series of tweets urged Congress to quickly pass $25 billion in funding for passenger airlines, $135 billion for small businesses and provide $1,200 stimulus checks for Americans.

For today, Mr. Ricafort sees the peso moving from P48.35 to P48.45 versus the dollar, while the trader expects it to range from P48.30 to 48.50. — with Reuters

Old budget bill good as re-enacted — senators

By Charmaine A. Tadalan and Gillian M. Cortez, Reporters
and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

THE PHILIPPINE government will probably operate under a re-enacted budget again next year amid a leadership squabble at the House of Representatives, which will delay the expansion of some key services including the battle against a coronavirus pandemic, senators said.

“There’s no way for the Senate to finish the budget and for Malacañang to enact it before the year ends,” Senator Panfilo M. Lacson told an online news briefing in mixed English and Filipino on Wednesday.

Failure to pass the budget bill on time means the government must use the same amount of funds provided under the P4.1-trillion appropriations for this year during the first quarter of next year.

It also means new government projects will be delayed and some key services will be affected until the new budget measure is signed.

But an analyst warned the ongoing tensions in the House “will surely have an impact” on the private sector, saying “any uncertainty in leadership creates  a certain degree of uncomfort on the business sector.”

“While determination and stability of leadership in any branch of the government is important, priority should be the work and service to the Filipino people,” Antonio A. Ligon, a law and business professor at the De La Salle University, said in a Viber message.

“The budget relates to the allocation of the taxes we are paying and entrusting to the government. It should be given higher importance than a squabble for leadership,” he added.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved next year’s P4.5-trillion national budget on second reading after Speaker Alan Peter S. Cayetano, who has rejected a term-sharing deal he agreed to last year, moved to terminate debates and sessions until Nov. 16.

This prevents his rival — Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Q. Velasco — from trying to take over the post under a gentleman’s agreement brokered by President Rodrigo R. Duterte between the lawmakers. Mr. Velasco was supposed to take control of the speakership on Oct. 14.

Under the pact, Mr. Cayetano would be Speaker in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress, and Mr. Velasco would serve for the remaining 21 months.

Congressmen voted through loud ayes and nays on Zoom Cloud Meetings, but other lawmakers including Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, who supports Mr. Velasco, claimed their microphones had been muted during the session.

Some party-list congressmen earlier said legislative proceedings had been hijacked, noting that few lawmakers were allowed to go to the House plenary hall in Quezon City. Majority of House members attend sessions via Zoom amid a coronavirus pandemic.

‘GOOD AS RE-ENACTED’
Instead of continuing plenary debates on the budget,  Mr. Cayetano created a small committee that will consolidate proposed amendments during the break. Congress was supposed to suspend sessions on Oct. 17 and resume on Nov. 16 under its legislative calendar.

Mr. Lacson said congressmen had been given until Nov. 5 to propose changes to the budget bill. “If they have until Nov. 5 to submit amendments, our budget is good as re-enacted,” said Mr. Lacson, who is vice chairman of the finance committee.

Based on the original timeline, the House was expected to pass the budget before the scheduled Oct. 16 session suspension and transmit it to the Senate during the break. This will allow the Senate to start plenary debates when sessions resume on Nov. 16.

“How will that happen if it was approved on second reading, and then they form small group committees? Of course there will be proposed amendments,” Mr. Lacson said. Printing the budget bill takes as long as a week, he added.

The budget would most likely be re-enacted unless the House adopts the version of the bill approved by the Senate, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III told a separate news briefing.

Senator Juan Edgardo M. Angara, who heads the finance committee, said he was considering cutting down processes such as shortening bicameral conference committee meetings to work around the month-long delay that the speakership row had caused.

“We’ll try our best, but again there are some concerns because we might be losing some time going forward,” he said at a separate news briefing.

Meanwhile, the palace said President Rodrigo R. Duterte won’t intervene in the leadership wrangling at the House of Representatives, which it said was unlikely to delay the passage of next year’s national budget.

“In an issue such as this, there is no judge,” presidential spokesman Harry L. Roque told CNN Philippines on Wednesday. “Even the courts can’t intervene because the organization and leadership of the House is a purely internal matter. And the Executive cannot really intervene in the choice of who the next Speaker will be.”

“What is important is that the House has already commenced its deliberation on the budget,” Mr. Roque said. That means the Senate can start acting on the budget bill, he added.

He said the House was expected to approve the budget on third and final reading once sessions resume next month.

Mr. Roque called the House approval of the budget bill an “astute” move that was legal. “It is not illegal, but I would think it’s a very astute political move.”

Mr. Atienza on Wednesday said some lawmakers could re-convene and elect Mr. Velasco as Speaker because the suspension called by Mr. Cayetano was illegal.

“The move to suspend the session has no validity,” he said in a Viber call, adding that Mr. Velasco’s allies had been muted on Zoom to silence objections.

“The vote should be clear, fair and transparent,” Mr. Atienza said. “It’s a clear violation of the House rule.” He said he would attend sessions if one is called during the one-month break.

COVID-19 infections nearing 330,000, with almost 6,000 deaths

THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) reported 2,825 coronavirus infections on Wednesday, bringing the total to 329,637.

The death toll rose by 60 to 5,925, while recoveries increased by 437 to 273,723, it said in a bulletin.

There were 49,989 active cases, 85.9% of which were mild, 9.4% did not show symptoms, 1.5% were severe and 3.3% were critical.

Metro Manila reported the highest number of new cases with 1,031, followed by Cavite with 243, Batangas with 238, Bulacan with 173 and Rizal with 159.

Of the new deaths, 23 came from Metro Manila, 12 from the Calabarzon region, 8 from Western Visayas, six from Central Luzon and three from Davao.

Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao and the Caraga region each reported two new deaths, while the Bicol region had one. The new cases also included one returning migrant Filipino. More than 3.7 million people have been tested for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), DoH said.

In a separate statement, the agency said 21 duplicates had been removed from the case tally, while 14 cases tagged as recovered were reclassified as deaths.

It said 12 laboratories had failed to submit their data to the COVID-19 Repository System on Oct. 6.

The coronavirus has sickened 36.1 million and killed 1.1 million people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

More than 27 million people have recovered from the virus, it said.

It added that active cases stood at 7.9 million, 1% of which or 67,829 were either serious or critical, according to the website.

The United States had the most infections at 7.7 million, followed by India with 6.8 million and Brazil with 5 million. The US also had the most deaths at 215,836, Brazil had 147,571 and India had 104,591. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Vaccination drive vs German measles and polio starts this month

THE GOVERNMENT will start a vaccination drive for German measles on Oct. 26 to avert a potential outbreak next year, according to the Department of Health (DoH).

Children will also get vaccine shots for polio, which Health authorities have failed to tame this year amid a coronavirus outbreak, Maria Wilda T. Silva, an immunization program manager at the agency, told an online news briefing on Wednesday.

The first phase of the program will end on Nov. 25 and will cover Mindanao, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley Region, Mimaropa and Bicol Region.

The second phase, which will start in February next year, will cover the Visayas region, National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon.

DoH said Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Central Luzon and Western Visayas are hotspots for measles and the coronavirus, which will be challenging for the immunization program.

Health authorities will try to reach 4.3 million children aged nine to 59 months for the German measles vaccine, and 2.1 million children aged zero to 59 months for the polio vaccine under the first phase.

DoH said 2.4 million children under five are at risk of getting measles. Symptoms include high fever, rashes, cough and eye infection.

Polio, causes neck and muscle weakness that can lead to paralysis. The disease has affected 27 children since an outbreak was declared in September last year. — CAT

Nationwide round-up

About 10K healthcare workers left monthly for overseas jobs before ban — POEA

AROUND 30,000 healthcare workers have gone abroad this year despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis and a ban imposed by government in April, according to the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). In a virtual briefing on Wednesday, POEA Administrator Bernard P. Olalia said most of those who left were nurses with existing contracts and returning to their jobs. “Ang pinapaalis natin noong simula ng taon na ito, every month nagpapaalis tayo ng 10,000 (We were deploying at the start of the year 10,000 every month), particularly nurses,” he said. The ban imposed starting April does not cover returning overseas workers and new hires whose contracts were signed on or before March 8. The government in September extended the exemption to those with contracts and documentary requirements that were finalized before August 30. Mr. Olalia said with the expanded exemption, up to 1,500 applications have been processed and about 400 have left. — Gillian M. Cortez 

Duque appointed chair of WHO Western Pacific committee

HEALTH SECRETARY Francisco T. Duque III has been appointed to lead the Western Pacific Region committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) for a year. The appointment was made during the WHO regional committee’s 71st session held Tuesday, according to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire. In an online briefing, Ms. Vergeire said Mr. Duque, as chairperson, will lead discussions on the coronavirus pandemic, and vaccine preventable diseases and immunization. Discussions will also tackle aging and health, safe and affordable surgical intervention and program budget for 2022 and 2023. The appointment comes as Mr. Duque faces corruption allegations amid investigations on anomalies within the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. Members of the health sector as well as lawmakers have also called for the health chief’s resignation over his alleged mishandling of the country’s coronavirus response. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Online platform eyed for civil service exams

THE CIVIL Service Commission (CSC) is eyeing to hold its career service exams online as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a threat. In a briefing on Wednesday, CSC Commissioner Aileen A. Lizada said they are currently assessing the shift. “To the new normal, we need to restructure our pen and paper test so that’s why we gave a directive to the examination recruitment and placement office of CSC that we want to go online. And in transition, we will find a way on how to bridge the gap going to online,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino. The CSC postponed the exams scheduled in March, then announced in June the suspension of all exams for the rest of the year. Prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, the CSC was already offering the computer career service examinations (COMEX), a computerized version of their pen and paper exams, usually held at the agency’s headquarters in Quezon City and in selected regional offices. — Gillian M. Cortez

Regional Updates (10/07/20)


LTFRB orders: Give transport fare cards for free

THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has ordered operators of public utility vehicles and providers of automatic fare collection systems to stop collecting the card cost from commuters. The transport regulator issued a memorandum circular on Oct. 6 that states: “This Board deems it necessary to order public utility vehicle operators and/or automatic fare collection system providers to remove the cost of their cards.” The order has taken effect immediately. The memo cited fees imposed by AF Payments, Inc. on its Beep cards, which have become “an additional burden to ordinary commuters.” It noted that President Rodrigo R. Duterte had also directed to give out the cards to commuters for free. “Failure of the concerned operator and/or service provider to comply with the issuance shall cause for the immediate suspension of the automatic fare collection system, aside from the penalties to be imposed pursuant to existing issuances of this Board against operators concerned,” the LTFRB said. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Bohol governor asks airlines to offer cheap fares as Panglao airport reopens to commercial flights

DOTR

BOHOL GOVERNOR Arthur C. Yap appealed to airlines to start offering cheap fares as the province’s international airport in Panglao has reopened for commercial flights starting Oct. 6. “The transporting public has been clamoring for the reopening of regular domestic flights at the BPIA (Bohol Panglao International Airport),” Mr. Yap said in a statement. The airport in previous months had been open only for sweeper and chartered flights, which Mr. Yap acknowledged are more expensive and insufficient for the demand from returning residents. The resumption of domestic flights follows the recent hosting of Bohol of the first hybrid Philippine Travel Exchange PhiTEX (2020). The event generated future bookings for domestic travel, including for the province that is ready for a “gradual” reopening of its tourism industry. “This is in furtherance of our earnest desire to slowly reinstate and bring forward the economy of Bohol,” Mr. Yap said. Documentary requirements as outlined under national guidelines as well as health protocols will be in effect.

Masbate, 2 Samar bays among latest red tide areas

THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has warned consumers from eating shellfish harvested in the coastal waters of Milagros in Masbate and the coastal waters of Zumarraga and Irong-Irong Bay in Samar after testing positive for red contamination. In its 20th shellfish bulletin, the BFAR said these areas are the latest additions to the growing list of red tide positive zones such as Puerto Princesa Bay in Palawan; coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; Tambobo and Siit Bays in Siaton and Bais Bay in Negros Oriental. Other areas that are red-tide positive include the coastal waters of Daram Island and San Pedro Bay in Western Samar; Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar; Balite Bay in Davao Oriental; and Lianga Bay and the coastal waters of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur. All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang harvested from these areas are not safe for human consumption, but all other marine species can be eaten with proper handling. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

BoC-Cagayan de Oro crushes P50-M worth of smuggled cigarettes from China

BOC

THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC)-Cagayan de Oro office destroyed P50 million worth of cigarettes from China that were “misdeclared” as furnitures or other items. In a statement released on Wednesday, BoC said the 79,800 reams of smuggled cigarettes were crushed on Oct. 2. The illegal goods arrived through various shipments consigned to Fern Freight Enterprises and Dong Yin Industrial Supplies. The accreditation of both companies have been revoked, according to BoC. The Cagayan de Oro BoC office destroyed another 18,000 reams of smuggled cigarettes on Sept. 9.

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