A digital dance-off spreads from Argentina to the world

September 2, 2020 | 12:02 am

BUENOS AIRES — With theaters closed around the world, three South American dancers have created a digital dance-off for aspiring twirlers, with Instagram the new stage where competitors from Argentina and Brazil to Israel and Italy post clips of their moves.

The competition, open to all, has attracted hundreds of applicants — some professionals, others youngsters dancing from lockdown in their homes. A panel of renowned expert judges assess each dance, and viewers can also vote with “likes.”

“We were struck by the desire of participants to be seen, to express themselves and their dance, what is happening to them at the moment,” said Argentine Facundo Luqui, who organized the @stayhomedancecompetition event with two other dancers.

“What we thought when we started this project was that anyone can participate,” added Mr. Luqui, 23, who is a member of the ballet company at Buenos Aires’ iconic Teatro Colón.

The competition, which wrapped up on Sunday, challenged dancers to raise awareness about the pandemic, reference the coronavirus and honor an artist. In one video, a mother wearing a doctor’s coat and a mask guards her daughter while she dances.

Giovana Soria, 18, a Paraguayan who has studied Latin rhythms for two years, said her dance was to encourage people to take steps to prevent infections spreading.

“I started to watch the news and saw that many people respected the quarantine, but when going out they did not take measures like putting on a mask, they touched everything and didn’t wash their hands,” said Ms. Soria.

Paz Schattenhofer, an 11-year-old who studies classical dance and who took part from Buenos Aires, said her performance was a homage to Russian photographer Yulia Artemyeva, who made a series of works comparing ballerinas to flowers.

“I would love to win it but in reality it’s to have fun. It is great when people ‘like’ you and that people see me, it is like a stage,” she said.

Performance art globally has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, closing theaters and leaving dance troupes unable to perform or rehearse at close quarters.

“I think dance at the moment is undergoing a great crisis,” said Manuela Lavalle, 24, another of the organizers, who dances in a company in the United States but is passing the quarantine in her native Buenos Aires.

“It’s complicated because many companies do not have the money they need to get by. I believe the world of dance is going to change a lot and we still do not know how, but it is a matter of waiting and continuing to create in the meantime.” — Reuters

Gov’t makes full T-bill award despite higher rates

September 2, 2020 | 12:02 am

THE GOVERNMENT made a full award of the Treasury bills (T-bills) it offered on Tuesday even as yields rose across-the-board following the local central bank’s decision to keep rates unchanged and the US Federal Reserve’s announcement of a new policy framework.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) borrowed P20 billion as planned from the T-bills on Monday with the offer more than twice oversubscribed, with tenders reaching P55.736 billion.

The Treasury awarded P5 billion in 91-day securities as programmed out of bids worth P15.213 billion at an average yield of 1.18%. This was up 4.9 basis points (bps) from the 1.131% seen the previous auction.

The government also borrowed P5 billion as planned via the 182-day T-bills as total tenders reached P15.263 billion. The papers were quoted at 1.421%, up by 1.4 bps from the 1.407% quoted during the previous offering.

The Treasury likewise made a full P10-billion award of the 364-day papers it offered yesterday out of P25.260 billion in bids. The one-year T-bills fetched an average rate of 1.788%, higher by 3.7 bps from 1.751% previously.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said T-bill yields increased as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) paused its easing cycle.

“Rates moved slightly following the Monetary Board’s decision [for a] temporary pause in [policy rate easing], as well as the Federal Reserve’s new framework on inflation target, allowing the yield curve to steepen,” Ms. De Leon told reporters via Viber after the auction.

The BSP’s policy-setting Monetary Board held benchmark rates steady at its review last month on benign inflation and signs of economic recovery following the easing of restriction measures meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Rates on the BSP’s overnight reverse repurchase, lending and deposit facilities are at record lows of 2.25%, 2.75% and 1.75%, respectively.

Meanwhile, the US central bank last week rolled out a sweeping rewrite of its approach to its dual role of achieving maximum employment and stable prices, putting new weight on bolstering the US labor market and less on worries about too-high inflation, Reuters reported.

The Fed’s new monetary policy strategy, unveiled at the start of an annual central banking conference, pledges to address “shortfalls” from the “broad-based and inclusive goal” of full employment, a nod to research showing racial income disparities hold back economic growth.

It also promises to aim for 2% inflation on average, so that periods of too-low inflation would likely be followed by an effort to lift inflation “moderately above 2% for some time.” The change suggests the US central bank’s key overnight interest rate, already near zero, will stay there for potentially years to come as policy makers woo higher inflation.

On the other hand, a trader said T-bill yields rose on Tuesday as investors expect inflation to have quickened in August.

Inflation likely edged higher in August as food prices and transportation costs rose when lockdown restrictions were brought back for two weeks earlier in the month, analysts said.

A BusinessWorld poll of 16 economists last week yielded a median estimate of 2.8%, settling within the middle of the 2.5% to 3.3% estimate of the BSP for the month.

If realized, the median estimate will be slightly faster than the 2.7% seen in July as well as the 1.7% logged in August 2019. However, it will still be within the 2-4% target by the central bank for this year.

Headline inflation averaged 2.5% in the first seven months of 2020. The BSP expects inflation to average 2.6% this year.

The Philippine Statistics Authority will report August inflation data on Friday, Sept. 4.

The Treasury is looking to raise P160 billion from the domestic market in September: P100 billion via weekly auctions of T-bills and P60 billion via Treasury bonds to be offered fortnightly.

The government is looking to borrow around P3 trillion this year from local and foreign lenders to plug a budget deficit expected to hit 9.6% of the country’s gross domestic product. — K.K.T. Jose

Rockwell Land eyes more projects in countryside

September 2, 2020 | 12:01 am

PROPERTY DEVELOPER Rockwell Land Corp. will start a 30-hectare mixed-use development in Bacolod in central Philippines next year as it eyes more projects in the countryside due to changing consumer demand amid a coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement to the stock exchange on Tuesday, the company said more consumers prefer horizontal living spaces with wide open areas. Health experts say physical distancing is key to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

“The shift in market behavior because of the crisis has led to changes in our plans to deliver more exciting developments,” Rockwell Land Chief Revenue Officer Valerie Jane Lopez- Soliven said in the statement.

“This includes a new 30-hectare self-contained inner city mixed-use development in Bacolod set to launch in 2021,” she added.

Rockwell Land is developing a 10.9-hectare property in Bacolod, which will have vertical residential condominiums and retail spaces. The first residential project in the property started in December.

The company is also studying plans to develop projects in Cebu and Iloilo, and a joint-venture opportunity for expansion in Pampanga.

“We will continue to make chances as necessary during these uncertain times,” Rockwell Land President and CEO Nestor J. Padilla said in the same statement. “For now, the rest of our efforts will focus on the project completion.”

Earnings at Rockwell Land plunged 53% to P606.95 million in the first half from a year earlier after Luzon was locked down to contain a coronavirus pandemic starting in mid-March. Revenue fell by 40% to P4.14 billion.

Rockwell Land shares gained 1.97% or three centavos to P1.55 at the close of trading on Tuesday. — Denise A. Valdez

Arts & Culture (09/02/20)

September 2, 2020 | 12:01 am

Art and antiques at the León’s Magnificent September Auction

LEON Gallery’s upcoming Magnificent September Auction 2020 will be held on Sept. 19, 2 p.m., at the Eurovilla I ground-floor salesrooms in Makati. Top-billing the lots are two works by Manila-based Jigger Cruz, the 2015 mixed media works Abstract I and Abstract II. Also up for bid are Ronald Ventura’s 2013 oil painting Cage; Yasmin Sison’s 2013 oil painting Sophie and the Goldfish; Bernardo Pacquing’s 2007 oil Pinched; and Mark Justiniani 2007 oil painting Tila. The local masters are also well represented in the auction, with National Artist for Painting Arturo Luz’s 1991 Celebration: Variation on the Juggler Theme and the late Romulo Olazo’s 1980 oil painting Diaphanous B-XXXVII. Aside from the artworks, antiques are also up for bid in the auction. There are rare pre-colonial archeological gold pieces from the 10^th to 13^th century: a three-coil gear beaded gold neckpiece from Surigao del Sur and a slit hoop with mammary ornament from Agusan; a set of 19^th-century Calvario En Urna or Calvary scene encased in a Neo-Classical kamagong urn with ivory figurines, a wooden crucifix with silver-gilt rays, cantoneras, ynarre, paena, and tapis with pina cloth; and, a 19^th-century kamagong Sillon Fraile or friar’s lounging chair previously owned by Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo. These and many more pieces can be viewed by appointment from Sept. 12 to 18, at Leon Gallery, Eurovilla I, Legazpi corner Rufino Sts., Legazpi Village, Makati. Visit www.leon-gallery.com for more information.

Local artists make murals honoring Kobe Bryant

NIKE Philippines honored the legacy of Kobe Bryant (1978-2020) with Mamba Week from Aug. 23-29. As part of the tribute, Nike teamed up with ARAL Cru, a local graffiti trio, to dedicate two murals around Metro Manila celebrating Kobe Bryant, his legacy and Mamba Mentality. The first mural that ARAL Cru created directly faces the historic Araneta Coliseum, the venue where Kobe Bryant made his last appearance in Manila. The portrait of Kobe on the right side of the artwork is derived from a photo of him smiling during his last visit to the coliseum. ARAL Cru relocated to Makai City to paint the second mural a few hours later. Called A New Day Dawning, the mural at EDSA-Kalayaan depicts Kobe wearing his two iconic jersey numbers, 8 and 24, shooting crumpled pieces of paper into a trash bin. ARAL Cru consists of Bvdot, Cinos, and Frank, a three-man graffiti crew from the Greater Manila Area. Through street painting and gallery work across the Philippines, they are today among the most respected young talents in the street art movement in the country.

Webinars, masses mark 2020 ‘Season of Creation’ celebration

OVER 70 church and civil organizations on Tuesday kicked off the Philippine celebration of the Season of Creation (SOC), an annual period of prayer and action observed by 2.2 billion Christians globally, and urged people of all faiths to respond to the call to care for Earth. From Sept. 1 to Oct. 11, Global Catholic Climate Movement Pilipinas (GCCM) and its partners will be providing liturgical resources and platforms to highlight ecological struggles in different communities around the country and the initiatives being made to address them. These resources are made available to the general public through the groups’ social media platforms. The online activities lined up include the launching of the Season of Creation, a Virtual Walk for Creation which features communities and sites battling ecological issues, daily reflections, and webinars and press conferences on issues such as Kaliwa Dam, mining, reclamation, financing of coal, promotion and defense of indigenous peoples and environmental defenders’ rights, the advancement of renewable energy, and the Rights of Nature campaign. Among the many webinars are: “A Jubilee for the Earth, a Just Transition for our Planet: Asia and Oceania,” “The Universe Story,” “Ecumenism in the Grassroot Level and Safeguard to Our Common Home,” “Waste-to-Energy Incineration and its Threat to Ecological Integrity,” and “Spirituality of Creation.” There will also be the online screening of the Our Power Documentary on Sept. 14, 3-5 p.m. For more details visit the Season of Creation events page at https://web.facebook.com/events/577831182888521/

ABS-CBN Corporation to hold its virtual stockholders’ meeting on September 24

September 2, 2020 | 12:01 am

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

To: All Stockholders of
ABS-CBN Corporation

Please take notice that the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of ABS-CBN Corporation will be held virtually or conducted through remote communication via https://agm.conveneagm.com/abscbn_asm2020 on September 24, 2020 at 8:00 a.m., to discuss the following:

A G E N D A

Call to Order
2. Proof of Service of Notice
3. Certification of Presence of Quorum
4. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held on April 25, 2019
5. Report of Management
6. Ratification of the Audited Financial Statements and Approval of Report of Management
7. Election of Directors for the Ensuing Year
8. Ratification of all acts of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Management
for the period covering January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 adopted in the
ordinary course of business
9. Appointment of External Auditors
10. Amendment of the Executive Stock Purchase Plan
11. Other Business
12. Adjournment

For purposes of the meeting, only stockholders of record as of August 14, 2020 are entitled to attend and vote in the said meeting.

Given the current circumstances, stockholders may only attend the meeting by remote communication, by voting in absentia, or by appointing the Chairman of the meeting as proxy.

Online participation and voting by remote communication will be available for all stockholders. Stockholders who wish to participate and vote online by remote communication will be required to register starting September 3, 2020 and until September 14, 2020. Stockholders who are not able to register as of September 14, 2020 can no longer avail of online voting but may still participate by remote communication, provided such stockholders shall register not later than September 14, 2020. The Registration and Validation Procedures for the 2020 Annual Stockholders Meeting (Virtual) are set out as Annex “A” to this Notice and Agenda.

Stockholders intending to participate by remote communication should register at https://agm.conveneagm.com/abscbn_asm2020 .

All stockholders who will not, are unable, or do not expect to attend the virtual meeting in person may choose to execute and send a valid proxy in writing to the Office of the Corporate Secretary, at 11F Investor Relations Office, ELJ Bldg. Mother Ignacia St. Quezon City or by email at corporate secretary@abs-cbn.com or in digital/electronic form at https://agm.conveneagm.com/abscbn_asm2020 on or before September 14, 2020. Proxies shall be validated beginning on September 15, 2020.

Pursuant to SEC Notice dated April 20, 2020, copies of this Notice, Information Statement, and Other Documents related to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting, shall be published through The Philippine Star and BusinessWorld.

Electronic copies of the Corporation’s Information Statement, Management Report, SEC 17-A and other pertinent documents are available at its website at https://www.abs-cbn.com/investors/asm2020 and have likewise been uploaded at the PSE’s EDGE disclosure system.

September 2, 2020 By order of the Board of Directors:

BSP uses sandbox approach to boost electronic payments

September 2, 2020 | 12:01 am

THE CENTRAL BANK is using a sandbox approach to support the growth of digital financial players in the “new normal” amid the coronavirus pandemic, said Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Assistant Governor Iluminada T. Sicat.

“The BSP is approaching the digital transformation initiative through a sandbox approach or the test and run approach where we adopt a flexible, open and enabling regulatory stance rather than stifling potential, supporting our advocacies for a secure, robust, resilient and more inclusive financial system,” Ms. Sicat said in an online forum hosted by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies.

Ms. Sicat said the BSP’s digital drive is focusing on infrastructure, digital ID, open banking as well as digital skills as they believe consumers will lean more towards online transactions amid the pandemic.

She cited data from the BSP Center for Learning and Inclusion Advocacy which showed ATM or automated teller machine transactions posted a 24% decline in volume and a 13% drop in value during the 76 days of lockdown from March to May. Likewise, she said check transactions slumped 67% by volume and by 62% by value.

Another area set to gain traction in terms of digitization is QR Ph, as Ms. Sicat said 12 more BSP-supervised financial institutions will launch the payment facility this year, aside from the 16 already using it.

The official noted there has been a surge in transactions made through the E-Gov Pay Facility, as these increased 618% and 799% in June 2020 compared to when it launched in November 2019.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue saw the most transactions made through the facility, followed by the Philippine National Police, the Environment Management Bureau and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Ms. Sicat said.

“The surge in E-Gov Pay transactions reflect deepening public awareness of this digital facility as a safe and efficient means of payment for taxes, licenses, permits, and other obligations to the government,” she said.

“Without the vaccine, we expect the increasing trend in digital transfer transactions to continue even as lockdown measures ease,” she said.

The volume of e-payments increased to comprise 10% of total transactions in 2018 from just 1% in 2013, according to a United Nations-based Better than Cash Alliance report. By value, digital transactions also rose to make up 20% of the total from the 8% in 2013.

The central bank targets to have 50% of transactions done digitally by 2023. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Metro Retail Stores Group, Inc. announces schedule of annual stockholders’ meeting via remote communication

September 2, 2020 | 12:01 am

How PSEi member stocks performed — September 1, 2020

September 2, 2020 | 12:00 am

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

PSEi drops on manufacturing data, China issues

September 1, 2020 | 9:00 pm

By Denise A. Valdez, Senior Reporter

THE MAIN INDEX continued to drop on Tuesday, marking its fourth straight day of decline, on lower local manufacturing data and geopolitical tensions involving China.

The 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) lost 84.94 points or 1.44% to close at 5,799.24, while the broader all shares index shaved off 33.32 points or 0.94% to end at 3,501.26.

The market was closed on Monday in observance of National Heroes’ Day.

“Last-minute profit taking extended the local bourse’s decline…. The pessimism in (Tuesday’s) trading can still be attributed to the worries over the local economy,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a text message.

He said investors took cues from the release of August manufacturing data, which showed that factory activity in the country continued to fall for a sixth consecutive month.

“Our manufacturing figure somehow shows that our economy remains challenged due to our quarantine measures in place which were even tightened in some areas in Luzon last August,” Mr. Tantiangco said.

“Anti-China tensions” also influenced the downward pull of the PSEi, Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a mobile message. The Asian economic giant is currently in conflict with Australia, the United States and India, each for different reasons.

Tensions with Australia were caused by the detention of an Australian journalist who works as a television anchor in China, news wires reported Monday.

Meanwhile, friction with the United States was fanned by the announced crackdown on Chinese apps by Washington as told by Peter Navarro, US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser, to Fox Business.

Beijing’s dispute with India likewise continued after China called on the country to withdraw its troops that were allegedly crossing their shared border in the Himalayas illegally.

Back home, half of the sectoral indices ended the session with losses: holding firms fell 130.73 points or 2.14% to 5,969.17; services dropped 29.38 points or 1.98% to 1,453.55; and property slid 47.71 points or 1.76% to 2,662.89.

The three indices that gained were mining and oil, which rose 214.59 points or 3.57% to 6,219.66; industrials, which improved 57.43 points or 0.73% to 7,848.69; and financials, which picked up 7.43 points or 0.65% to 1,137.13.

Value turnover on Tuesday stood at P6.86 billion, down from P8.26 billion in the last session. Some 1.87 billion issues switched hands.

Decliners outpaced advancers, 99 against 85, while 57 names ended unchanged.

Foreign investors remained sellers, but net outflows were reduced to P261.55 million from P1.63 billion in the last session.

Peso inches up on Fed framework

September 1, 2020 | 9:00 pm

THE PESO inched higher on Tuesday on the US central bank’s new policy framework and despite data showing the local manufacturing sector slowed in August.

The local unit closed at P48.48 versus the greenback on Tuesday, inching up from the P48.485-a-dollar finish last Friday, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed.

Markets were closed on Monday for National Heroes’ Day.

The peso opened Tuesday’s session at P48.48 against the greenback. It hit a low of P48.545 while its intraday best was at P48.44 per dollar.

Dollars traded sank to $819.1 million on Tuesday from Friday’s $1.191 billion.

A trader said demand for dollars dropped following the US Federal Reserve’s announcement of a new policy framework last week.

“The local currency might gain more strength as statements from various US Federal Reserve officials are likely to provide more cues to the Fed’s new inflation strategy,” the trader said.

Meanwhile, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the peso strengthened as the outlook for the local manufacturing industry indicates little need for imports.

“Weaker Philippine manufacturers’ data would eventually slow down imports and the demand for dollars to pay for the imports,” Mr. Ricafort said.

Manufacturing activity worsened in August for the sixth month in a row, as the government placed Metro Manila and nearby provinces under a stricter lockdown, pulling down production and new orders, IHS Markit said in its latest survey.

The IHS Markit Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slid to 47.3 last month from 48.4 in July to “signal a stronger deterioration in operating conditions,” it said in a statement. This was higher than the record low of 31.6 in April but still below the 50-neutral mark.

A PMI reading below 50 signals deterioration in operating conditions compared to the preceding month, while a reading above 50 denotes improvement.

For today, Mr. Ricafort said he expects the peso to trade within P48.40 to P48.55 versus the dollar, while the trader sees it moving at the P48.40 to P48.60 levels.

PESO AMONG STRONGEST IN ASIA
The Philippine peso maintained its position among the strongest currencies in Asia amid the coronavirus pandemic, buoyed by benign inflation and a surfeit in its balance of payments (BoP), the Department of Finance (DoF) said on Tuesday.

The DoF said the peso’s Tuesday close is up by 4.5% from the P50.80-per dollar finish on Jan. 2.

It said the Philippine peso, the Japanese yen, the Taiwanese dollar and the Chinese yuan are the only currencies that “remained firmed against the American greenback while most other Asian currencies have weakened” year to date.

In a forum last month, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III attributed the strength to mild inflation rate and the favorable BoP position.

But while a strong peso means cheaper imports and lower borrowing costs, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President Benedicto V. Yujuico said it is not “the greatest thing in the world” and urged the government to “strike a balance” to consider its impact on some sectors, including the exporters.

“I want to ask the question, what is a strong peso good for?… There are no easy answers particularly during this time of crisis. We have to examine it very carefully, we have to strike a balance here,” Mr. Yujuico said during the 29^th Visayas Area Business Conference forum last week.

“I just want to ventilate that a strong peso is probably something that we have to think about very carefully and reconsider at this time,” he added.

Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis, Jr., president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Philexport) said the strong peso is “really harmful” for exporters and overseas Filipino workers and he would not “encourage strong peso unless it is extremely necessary.”

“It (policy decision) is the call of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. There’s a lot of things that can be done but it is the policy that we will not encourage (to favor) strong peso,” he said by telephone on Tuesday. — K.K.T. Jose and B.M. Laforga

Senate committee recommends charges vs top PhilHealth execs

September 1, 2020 | 8:10 pm

THE SENATE committee that investigated the alleged widespread corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against those involved in irregularities, including top ranking officials.

The Senate committee of the whole is also expected to propose legislation that will amend current laws to strengthen and improve the PhilHealth system.

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, in his sponsorship speech, said Health Secretary and PhilHealth Board Chairman Francisco T. Duque III, and recently resigned PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Ricardo C. Morales are among those liable for malversation and illegal use of public funds and violation of the anti-graft law.

Their liability involves the “improper and illegal” implementation of the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism(IRM), a cash advance system that is intended to help medical institutions maintain operations, especially during emergency situations such as the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

“PhilHealth estimated P3.3 billion for the cost of COVID-19 for the entire 2020. Pero, ang budget na nilagay nila ay (But the budget they allocated was) P26.8 billion (and) as of June 9, 2020, P14 billion na ang na- (has been) released,” Mr. Sotto said.

Mr. Sotto said there are irregularities in the P14 billion released so far.

Other PhilHealth officials who will be facing the same charges include Senior Vice Presidents Renato Limsiaco and Israel Francis Pargas, and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Arnel de Jesus

Senior Vice President Jovita Aragona and Acting Senior Manager Calixto Gabuya are also found liable for corrupt practices, concealment of documents, and violation of procurement law, in relation to the overpricing of information technology supplies.

The committee report further recommends that the health care institutions that received the questionable cash advances should immediately liquidate the used amounts.

The Senate panel also recommended that top officials of the agency, including regional vice presidents, resign from their posts.

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered the reshuffling of PhilHealth officials, particularly the regional heads, as he announced the appointment of former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Dante A. Gierran as the state insurer’s new top executive.

“You know, if they are there for so long a time, the element of familiarity always enters the picture. Iyan ang mahirap diyan (That is where the problem comes in),” Mr. Duterte said in a televised talk and meeting with some of his top officials late Monday.

Mr. Gierran, who was present during the meeting, said, “Restoring the trust and confidence of our people to PhilHealth is equivalent to restoring the trust and confidence to our government,”— Charmaine A. Tadalan and Gillian M. Cortez

Over 3,000 daily COVID-19 case trend continues

September 1, 2020 | 8:09 pm

THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) logged another 3,483 new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections on September 1, bringing the total cases to 224,264.

The death toll rose by 39 to 3,597 while recoveries increased by 464 to 158,012, according to Tuesday’s bulletin.

There were 62,655 active cases, 91.3% of which were mild, 6.3% did not show symptoms, 1% were severe, and 1.4% were critical. Of the new cases, 1,824 were from Metro Manila, 223 from Laguna, 184 from Cavite, 161 from Rizal, and 126 from Batangas.

Metro Manila also had the highest number for newly reported deaths with 18, followed by Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) region with nine, five from Western Visayas, and one each from Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and a repatriate.

More than 2.4 million individuals have been tested for the disease, according to the Health department.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday announced that Metro Manila will remain under the general community quarantine (GCQ) category until the end of September, along with the provinces of Bulacan and Batangas, and the cities of Tacloban and Bacolod.

Iligan City is under stricter lockdown or modified enhanced community quarantine while the rest of the country is under the more relaxed modified GCQ. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas