Independent commission sought to evaluate quality of education

January 14, 2021 | 7:52 pm

AN INDEPENDENT commission with the power to review the deterioration of education standards during the pandemic has been proposed by Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), a private-sector organization advocating for workforce development.

PBEd said in a virtual briefing Thursday that the commission was among its recommendations, citing concerns about the uneven implementation of the education agenda during the public health crisis.

PBEd said the Education Commission (EdCom) should convene this year as “a multisectoral body with representation from the legislature, private sector, civil society, parents’ association, the youth, school teachers and school leaders, and it should be supported by a competent and objective secretariat.”

The EdCom will target long-term education issues such as “governance, teacher quality, technology, and competitiveness,” problems on which fronts have been exposed during the pandemic.

“With a learning crisis on our hands and the future of millions of Filipinos at stake, what we need now is a strong, multi-sectoral coalition that will push for education reforms and ensure that quality education becomes a top priority in the national development agenda,” PBEd Chairman Ramon R. del Rosario, Jr. said.

An “autonomous” agency that will keep track of educational progress needs to be separate from the education bureaucracy, PBEd said.

“It is important for us to establish an Autonomous Assessment Agency… in order to move forward, we need to know where we are,” PBEd President Meliton B. Salazar, Jr. said in a virtual briefing.

“We have discussed this with lawmakers… this is something we will be working on in the next few months and hopefully we can find someone who will sponsor this,” he added.

The government was asked to allot at least 20% of the national budget to education to improve connectivity and access to learning especially in public schools and those in remote areas. — Gillian M. Cortez

CAAP says Camiguin, Tuguegarao last 2 airports closed to commercial flights

January 14, 2021 | 7:50 pm

THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said Camiguin and Tuguegarao airports are the last two facilities still closed to commercial flights in the absence of permission from the local governments.

It said consent has been obtained for commercial operations from local governments overseeing 47 other airports, subject to safety rules.

“As of (Jan. 13) there are 47 airports in the country whose local government units (LGUs) have issued orders categorically supporting the resumption of commercial airport operations in their areas of jurisdiction,” CAAP said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

CAAP added: “Some airports, while allowing the resumption of commercial flights, are subject to different documentary and passenger LGU restrictions.”

The agency said all flights under the “allowed” category would still need “prior coordination or approval from the LGUs.”

It said LGUs will be accepting flights subject to restrictions.

“Roxas, Bacolod, and Iloilo flights require prior coordination with both the city and provincial LGU,” it added.

As of Dec. 22, only 43 airports were cleared by their local governments to resume commercial flights. By Jan. 6, this had risen to 44.

CAAP said it recorded 319 commercial flights as of Jan. 7, “as it maintains operability under the provisions of the modified general community quarantine and general community quarantine.”

“Sixty-three sweeper flights or special flights, which catered to a total of 2,384 passengers, were mounted to transport stranded passengers,” it added.

“Meanwhile, cargo service has continued, with 94 cargo flights being completed, in order to ensure that transport of goods is sustained.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

USAID awards grants to five groups working on ocean plastics

January 14, 2021 | 7:46 pm

THE US Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded $890,000 worth of grants to five groups in the Philippines trying to find solutions to ocean plastics pollution, the US Embassy said in a statement Thursday.

USAID tapped its Clean Cities, Blue Ocean (CCBO) program for the funds, CCBO was launched in the Philippines in August 2019.

“The program targets plastics directly at their source, in cities and towns in rapidly urbanizing areas around the globe,” according to the CCBO web page. The program had called for proposals for local initiatives focused on reducing, reusing and recycling, and enhancing solid waste management efforts.

The five awardees are the Communities Organized for Resource Allocation for a project in Parañaque; Catholic Relief Services for a project in Manila; Green Antz Builders, Inc. for a project in Pasig, The Plastics Credit Exchange for a project in Manila, and Project Zacchaeus, operating out of Puerto Princesa.

CCBO is currently supporting live projects in three sites, mainly on solid waste management.

“The United States is a committed ally and partner of the Filipino people in protecting the country’s rich marine ecosystems and resources for the benefit of present and future generations,” US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires John C. Law was quoted as saying in the statement.

According to a 2015 study by nonprofit Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey and Co., the Philippines has generated some 2.7 million tons of plastic waste, with 20% ending up in the ocean. — Angelica Y. Yang

Consumer Act, CREATE named DTI priorities

January 14, 2021 | 7:46 pm

THE Trade department has asked the new chairman of the House committee on trade and industry to prioritize the passage of consumer protections and pricing laws.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez and Navotas Representative John Reynald M. Tiangco held their first virtual meeting Tuesday.

In a statement Thursday, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Mr. Lopez sought priority treatment for the passage of a revised Consumer Act of the Philippines, as well as an expanded Price Act.

The House committee on trade and industry last year approved an amendment to the Price Act to classify personal protective equipment as a prime commodity subject to price regulation.

Mr. Lopez also asked that priority be given to small-business funding and the “One Town, One Product” encouraging various parts of the country to specialize in certain classes of goods. Mr. Lopez also expressed support for the revised Warehouse Receipts Law that would allow farmers to use their crops as collateral for bank loans, which is currently pending with the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. Lopez also backed the passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, which cuts corporate income tax rates while streamlining fiscal incentives. Legislators are harmonizing both chambers’ versions of the measure and hope to wrap up bicameral conference committee sessions within the month.

“This is a very important piece of legislation that will help the economy recover much faster and stronger, with the reduction in income tax rates and better set of time-bound, performance-based and focused incentives,” he said.

“The CREATE bill is a game-changer in attracting more investments to the country.” — Jenina P. Ibañez

Household electrification rate hits 92.96% in Oct. — DoE

January 14, 2021 | 7:46 pm

THE household electrification rate was 92.96% as of October, equivalent to 23.23 million households with access to power, the Department of Energy (DoE) said, citing data from electric cooperatives and utilities.

The October total exceeds the 22.98 million with access to power identified in the 2015 census, the DoE said in its 37th Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) Implementation Status Report.

Households within distribution utility territories that do not have access to power as of October totaled 1.61 million.

The electrification levels of electric cooperatives (ECs); private investor-owned utilities or local government owned utilities; and Manila Electric Co. were at 89.19%, 97.08% and 100%, respectively.

The report, posted on the DoE’s website Thursday, highlighted action taken by the DoE and its agencies, the Energy Regulatory Commission, and private sector industries to comply with the EPIRA law between May and October.

In its previous EPIRA status report, the DoE estimated the household electrification rate at 91.25%.

Between May and October, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) disbursed P60.82 million worth of loans to ECs in Misamis Oriental, Masbate, Davao Del Norte and Surigao del Sur.

Last month, the NEA reported that more than 12,000 rural sitios still did not have access to power and that the agency would require more funding to meet the government’s 100% electrification target.

The NEA has said in a statement that the P1.6-billion allocation for sitio electrification — as provided for in the 2021 National Expenditures Program — will only cover 1,085 sitios.

In September, the NEA said that it needed P9 billion to achieve full electrification by next year. — Angelica Y. Yang

First Metro sees 2021 GDP growth at 5.5%-6.5%

January 14, 2021 | 7:43 pm

THE ECONOMY is likely to grow between 5.5% and 6.5% this year, with recovery prospects mainly supported by infrastructure spending and various tax reform initiatives, according to First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC).

The main risks to growth are uneven application of quarantine rules and a strong peso, according to economist Victor A. Abola of the University of Asia and the Pacific, FMIC’s partner in issuing regular economic outlooks.

“We will be coming from a low base. We expect a negative print in the fourth quarter and possibly in the first quarter of this year,” Mr. Abola said at a virtual briefing Thursday.

FMIC’s growth estimate is weaker than the government’s 6.5% to 7.5% forecast for the year.

In 2020, FMIC estimates a contraction of between 9% and 10%, against the 8.5% to 9.5% contraction projected by economic managers.

Gross domestic product (GDP) fell 10% in the first nine months of 2020, following a GDP contraction of 11.5% in the three months to September.

This year, growth prospects will be supported by benign inflation, key infrastructure projects, the vaccine rollout, and more localized quarantines rather than blanket restrictions applied to large areas, FMIC said.

Mr. Abola said that sectors that are faring relatively well despite the pandemic are trucking, delivery, death care, animal slaughter and processing, food and beverage, construction, medical services and hospitals, residential care facilities, and training services.

On the monetary policy side, Mr. Abola said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has room to conduct further easing withs inflation likely to subside.

He said another 25 basis points (bps) reduction is possible “after inflation rate goes down below 2.5%… in the month of February or March.”

FMIC expects inflation to rise to 2.7% this year from 2.6% in 2020. This is below the 3.2% projected by the central bank.

The key policy rate or the overnight reverse repurchase is currently at 2% after the BSP slashed rates by 200 bps last year. This has affectively led to negative real interest rates as headline inflation in December was 3.5%.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno has said that monetary authorities will maintain an accommodative policy stance until a growth trajectory of 6.5% to 7.5% is regained. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Second year of pandemic ‘could be tougher’ — WHO

January 14, 2021 | 6:39 pm

GENEVA — The second year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may be tougher than the first given how the new coronavirus is spreading, especially in the northern hemisphere as more infectious variants circulate, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

“We are going into a second year of this, it could even be tougher given the transmission dynamics and some of the issues that we are seeing,” Mike Ryan, the WHO’s top emergencies official, said during an event on social media.

The worldwide death toll is approaching 2 million people since the pandemic began, with 91.5 million people infected.

The WHO, in its latest epidemiological update issued overnight, said after two weeks of fewer cases being reported, some five million new cases were reported last week, the likely result of a letdown of defences during the holiday season in which people — and the virus — came together.

“Certainly in the northern hemisphere, particularly in Europe and North America we have seen that sort of perfect storm of the season — coldness, people going inside, increased social mixing and a combination of factors that have driven increased transmission in many, many countries,” Mr. Ryan said.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead for COVID-19, warned: “After the holidays, in some countries the situation will get a lot worse before it gets better.”

Amid growing fears of the more contagious coronavirus variant first detected in Britain but now entrenched worldwide, governments across Europe on Wednesday announced tighter, longer coronavirus restrictions.

That includes home-office requirements and store closures in Switzerland, an extended Italian COVID-19 state of emergency, and German efforts to further reduce contacts between people blamed for failed efforts, so far, to get the coronavirus under control.

“I worry that we will remain in this pattern of peak and trough and peak and trough, and we can do better,” Ms. Van Kerkhove said.

She called for maintaining physical distancing, adding: “The further, the better…but make sure that you keep that distance from people outside your immediate household.” — Reuters

Yellow grub becomes EU’s first insect food

January 14, 2021 | 6:38 pm

LONDON — Mealworms may soon find their way into Europe’s pasta bowls and dinner dishes, after becoming the first insect approved in the region as a human food.

Wednesday’s decision by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) paves the way for the yellow grubs to be used whole and dried in curries and other recipes and as a flour to make biscuits, pasta and bread. Despite their name, mealworms are beetle larvae rather than worms and are already used in Europe as a pet food ingredient.

Rich in protein, fat and fibre, they are likely to be the first of many insects to feature on European’s plates in the coming years, EFSA chemist and food scientist Ermolaos Ververis told Reuters.

Under his supervision, mealworms were the first insect that the EU (European Union) agency assessed under a “novel food” regulation that came into effect in 2018, triggering a flood of similar applications.

“There is great interest of the scientific community and also the food industry in the edible insect sector,” he said.

People across much of the world — including parts of Africa, Australia and New Zealand — already enjoy tucking into insect bars, cricket burgers and other grub-based foods,

Once the European Commission ratifies ESFA’s endorsement, Europe will join them.

Some sociologists, however, believe psychological barriers particularly strong in Europe mean it will be some time before the yellow worms start flying off supermarket shelves there.

“There are cognitive reasons derived from our social and cultural experiences — the so-called ‘yuck factor’ — that make the thought of eating insects repellent to many Europeans,” said Giovanni Sogari, a social and consumer researcher at the University of Parma in Italy.

“With time and exposure, such attitudes can change.”

EFSA said it had received 156 applications for “novel food” safety assessments since 2018, covering everything from algae-derived foods to an array of insect species. — Reuters

Gut bacteria tied to COVID-19 severity, immune response

January 14, 2021 | 6:38 pm

THE MICROSCOPIC organisms living in our intestines may influence the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the body’s immune response to it, and could account for lingering symptoms, researchers reported on Monday in the journal Gut.

They found that the gut microorganisms in COVID-19 patients were very different from those in uninfected individuals.

“COVID patients lack certain good bacteria known to regulate our immune system,” said Dr. Siew Ng of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The presence of an abnormal assortment of gut bacteria, or “dysbiosis,” persists after the virus is gone and could play a role in the long-lasting symptoms that plague some patients, she said.

Her team has developed an oral formula of live bacteria known as probiotics and a special capsule to protect the organisms until they reach the gut.

“Compared with patients on standard care, our pilot clinical study showed that more COVID patients who received our microbiome immunity formula achieved complete symptom resolution,” Ms. Ng said, adding that those who got it had significantly reduced markers for inflammation in their blood, increased favorable bacteria in their stool and they developed neutralizing antibodies to the virus. — Reuters

It’s a six-way battle for PBA best player of the conference award

January 14, 2021 | 6:33 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) honors standout performers in its tournament “bubble” last year this weekend, including the best player of the conference (BPC) which has six players vying for the award.

To be held virtually on Jan. 17 and broadcast over TV5 and One Sports, the awards proceedings temporarily take the place of the annual Leo Awards of the PBA, with tweaks made on the honors to be given out since only one tournament was played in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In lieu of the most valuable player award traditionally given in a three-conference season, the best player of the conference will be up for grabs, with Stanley Pringle of champion Barangay Ginebra, Ray Parks Jr. and Roger Pogoy of TNT, Matthew Wright and Calvin Abueva of Phoenix Super LPG, and CJ Perez of Terrafirma in contention.

“It’s not a full season, so it will be the BPC award,” said PBA commissioner Willie Marcial of the decision to make a change in the league’s top individual award.

While he was outside of the top five in statistical points (34.8 SPs), Mr. Pringle made a strong case for himself for the top award by being a steady force for the Kings throughout the bubble at Clark City in Angeles, Pampanga, held from October till December.

In the eliminations, “Stan The Man” averaged 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Kings and was one of the catalysts for his team in the playoffs en route to winning the Philippine Cup.

Mr. Pringle, 33, said what they accomplished in the bubble was already special in itself, but to top it all off with a first-ever BPC award for him will be an added blessing.

TNT’s Parks led in the statistical points with 38.2 SPs on the strength of solid averages of 22.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game throughout the tournament, helping in the process the Tropang Giga to reach the finals.

Unfortunately, he got injured (calf) in Game One that kept him sidelined for the rest of the championship series with TNT bowing to Barangay Ginebra, 4-1.

Teammate Pogoy further raised his stock as a PBA star and gunner in the bubble, going great guns with norms of 18.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in the eliminations.

In the playoffs, particularly in the finals, he took the cudgels for the Tropang Giga when Mr. Parks went down with injury, and later on Jayson Castro (knee), to make it a series against the Kings.

Mr. Wright, for his part, was Phoenix’s top scorer with 21.1 points per contest to go along with 5.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

Through his leadership, the Fuel Masters made significant strides in the league, coming to within a win away from barging into their first finals appearance.

“To be considered for the award is already special, but to win it would be a huge deal,” said Mr. Wright.

His teammate, Mr. Abueva, did not get to play from the start of the tournament bubble as his league suspension was still in effect, but once he got the nod to return, he more than made up for lost time.

He only played six games in the eliminations, but produced solid numbers of 13.7 points and team-best 10.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists.

In the playoffs, Mr. Abueva was his usual go-getting and do-it-all self, which made TNT sweat in the semifinals before it got to book a stop in the finals.

Terrafirma struggled anew in the Philippine Cup, managing to notch only one victory, but a constant bright spot was Mr. Perez.

The Lyceum standout was the scoring champion in the PBA for the second straight year with an average of 24.4 points.

He also posted 6.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and two steals for the Dyip, enough to keep hopes of better days ahead for the team alive.

For the BPC award, SPs make up 40% of the total tally. The rest is composed of votes from the media (30%), players (25%), and Commissioner’s Office (5%).

Other awards to be given are outstanding rookie, most improved players, sportsmanship and outstanding/elite five.

Houston Rockets trade star guard James Harden to Brooklyn Nets in four-team deal

January 14, 2021 | 6:32 pm

THE James Harden saga ended on Wednesday when the Houston Rockets traded the star guard to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a four-team trade, according to multiple reports.

The trade comes one day after a disgruntled Harden went on a postgame rant following Tuesday’s 117-100 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets told Harden not to attend Wednesday’s practice.

Houston reportedly received guard Victor Oladipo from the Indiana Pacers, guard Dante Exum from the Cleveland Cavaliers, forward Rodions Kurucs of the Nets, three first-round draft picks from the Nets, one unprotected 2022 first-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers (via the Milwaukee Bucks) and the right to swap four first-round picks with the Nets.

Guard Caris LeVert and a second-round pick will go from the Nets to the Pacers, and center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince go from Brooklyn to the Cavaliers with Cleveland sending a 2024 second-round pick to the Nets.

The first-round picks Houston received from the Nets are in 2022, 2024 and 2026. The swaps are in 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027.

The trade reunites Harden with former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kevin Durant. They played together for three seasons before Harden was dealt to the Rockets just before the start of the 2012-13 season.

Harden, 31, has been upset with the Rockets since the departures of coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey after last season.

Harden, an eight-time All-Star, has three years, $133 million with a player option for the final season remaining on his current deal.

Harden is averaging 24.8 points per game — down from his career average of 25.2 — after reporting late to training camp. However, his assists are up to 10.4 per game from a career average of 6.3.

Harden has led the National Basketball Association (NBA) in scoring in each of the past three seasons with averages of 30.4, 36.1 and 34.3.

The Rockets traded Russell Westbrook to Washington for John Wall in a swap of point guards just before the start of camp. Westbrook’s one-year teaming with Harden didn’t pay off, as the Rockets lost in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs in five games to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Nets have experienced their own recent drama with Kyrie Irving away from the team for personal reasons.

Oladipo, 28, is a two-time All-Star who is in the final season of a four-year, $84 million deal. The Pacers weren’t expected to sign him to another deal and were looking to send him packing prior to the trade deadline.

Oladipo is averaging 20.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals in nine games this season. He has career averages of 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals in 430 games (370 starts) in eight seasons with the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Indiana Pacers.

Exum, 25, is averaging 3.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals in six contests (three starts) this season. He is currently sidelined with a calf injury.

Exum has career averages of 5.7 points, 2.1 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 245 games (72 starts) in six seasons with the Utah Jazz and Cavaliers.

The 22-year-old Kurucs is averaging 0.6 point and 0.6 rebound in five games this season. The 22-year-old Latvian has played 115 games (55 starts) in three seasons with the Nets with averages of 6.5 points and 3.4 rebounds.

The Pacers landed the potent LeVert, who is averaging 18.5 points, 6.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 12 games (four starts).

Overall, the 26-year-old LeVert has career averages of 13.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 225 games (96 starts) in four-plus campaigns with the Nets.

Cleveland landed a promising big man in the 22-year-old Allen, who is averaging 11.2 points and 10.4 rebounds in 12 games (five starts this season). He also has 19 blocked shots.

The former first-round selection has career averages of 10.1 points and 7.9 rebounds in 234 games (180 starts). The fourth-year pro has 319 career blocked shots.

Prince, 26, was in his second season with the Nets and he was averaging 8.1 points and 2.8 rebounds. He spent his first three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks and has career averages of 11.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 272 games (204 starts) in five seasons.

The shakeup in Houston gives the franchise a fresh start. Less than an hour before reports of the trade erupted, Rockets big man DeMarcus Cousins blasted Harden and said he had been “disrespectful” to the franchise and causing unnecessary drama.

“Just the approach to training camp, showing up the way he did, the antics off the court, the disrespect started way before (Tuesday night),” Cousins said of Harden. “This isn’t something that all of the sudden happened last night, but with that being said, like I said, this is the nasty part of the business. So, it is what it is.” — Reuters

Adiwang featured at ONE Championship’s first offering this year

January 14, 2021 | 6:32 pm

ONE Championship opens its 2021 season on Jan. 22 with “ONE: Unbreakable” which has Filipino mixed martial artist Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang among the featured fighters.

Happening as the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Unbreakable is a six-fight offering from ONE, which the promotion hopes will set the pace for it as it tries to rebound from a coronavirus pandemic-disrupted 2020.

The Philippines will be represented in the event, with Team Lakay’s Adiwang (11-3) going up against Hexigetu of China in a three-round strawweight joust.

Mr. Adiwang is looking to bounce back from a narrow split decision loss to Japan’s Koha “Hiroba” Minowa last November.

The loss stopped for the Filipino strawweight a seven-fight winning streak in MMA — two in the main roster of ONE — and something Mr. Adiwang wants to stop in his upcoming fight.

“Nothing has changed in my mindset. The goal remains the same for me. I’m climbing to the top. If anything, I just got more motivated and driven. I want to prove myself in this next fight, and to do that, I have to be at my best,” said Mr. Adiwang, a product of the ONE Warrior Series, in a release.

“Expect a better, stronger, and wiser Thunder Kid next time. Definitely, surviving and learning from all the challenges and setbacks that came my way has made me a better person, a better fighter.”

Added motivation for Mr. Adiwang to do well in his Circle return is to honor the memory of his late mother, who he lost last month.

“There is nothing a mother wants more than to see her child happy and successful. I know my mother loved me so much, and she just really didn’t want me to get hurt, which is why she didn’t fully accept me being a fighter with her whole heart,” he said.

“But I chose this career, and I believe she was happy to see me succeed in what I love to do. I know in my heart she is proud of me, and I will continue to live my life in her honor.”

Mr. Adiwang’s opponent, Hexigetu (7-3), meanwhile, is on a roll, winning his last three fights, the most recent of which a split decision conquest of Thailand’s Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke last October.

ONE: Unbreakable is headlined by the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship clash between reigning champion Alaverdi Ramazanov of Russia and challenger Capitan Petchyindee Academy of Thailand.

Co-headliner is the lightweight battle between former champion Shinya Aoki of Japan and American James Nakashima.

Also on tap is Serbian heavyweight kickboxer Rade Opacic against Swiss Patrick Schmid; welterweight Zebaztian Kadestam of Sweden versus Gadzhimurad Abdulaev of Russia; and atomweights Meng Bo of China and Samara Santos of Brazil.

In the Philippines, Cignal TV and TV5 are the broadcast homes of ONE Championship. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo