THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) plans to require public transport operators, especially buses, to have a record of their passengers for contact tracing purposes amid the continued coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread. LTFRB Chairman Martin B. Delgra III, in a briefing on Monday, said the passenger manifesto should contain names and contact details. “Yan ang dapat gagawin ng driver at konduktor sa loob ng pampublikong sasakyan (That should be done by the driver and conductor inside the public vehicle),” he said. Mr. Delgra also said commuters should keep a log of their public transportation history. — Gillian M. Cortez
QC Hall of Justice placed under lockdown
THE executive judge of Quezon City has placed the Hall of Justice under lockdown starting May 18 “until further notice.” Executive Judge Cecilyn E. Burgos-Villavert ordered the temporary closure following “circulating and unconfirmed” news that an employee of another agency holding office in the building died of severe pneumonia and is a suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient. The employee went to the Hall of Justice a few days before dying, she said in a statement on Monday. “Considering that the instant matter still needs to be verified and, if true, contact tracing and building disinfection must be first undertaken,” Ms. Villavert said. She also denied that an employee of a Quezon City court died of suspected COVID-19. The Supreme Court issued a circular, maintaining the closure of courts in areas under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). Filing of pleadings in both civil and criminal cases will be done online. The areas under MECQ are Metro Manila, provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, Laguna, and the cities of Cebu and Mandaue. All courts in areas under general community quarantine reopened May 18 with a skeleton workforce. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
Cavite malls ordered closed after 1st weekend of relaxed rules
SHOPPING malls in Cavite, including in-house supermarkets and drugstores, have been ordered by the governor to temporarily close starting Monday after the first weekend of reopening due to failure to implement physical distancing measures. Gov. Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla, Jr., in a post on his Facebook page Monday, said all mayors in the province agreed to the directive he signed Sunday evening. “Outside the mall before opening; inside the mall during operations; there was no implementation of measures on social distancing,” he wrote in Filipino. The closure will be in effect until establishment owners present a plan on how health safety standards will be strictly observed. Mr. Remulla said “everyone” is mistaken if they think the police is supposed to implement distancing measures inside malls. He also reprimanded the public for trying to “outsmart” the restrictions by using such tactics as presenting an employee identification card even when not on duty, and buying take-out food and eating it just outside the restaurant or the shopping mall instead of going home. “Don’t abuse the system… the catastrophe is not over yet,” he said. Cavite, a province immediately south of Metro Manila with a population of over 3.7 million as of 2015, has recorded 275 coronavirus disease 2019 cases of May 17. — MSJ
Chinese Davao consulate to organize business match-making
THE Chinese Consulate General in Davao City is organizing a match-making activity between local businesses and buyers in China to help spur the economy badly-hit by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. Consul General Li Lin, in an online interview, said apart from the virtual business-to-business meetings, they are also encouraging Davao entrepreneurs to participate in online trade fairs such as the 127th Canton Fair on November 5 to 10. He added that the Chinese Consulate will be facilitating a policy-tuning discussion to ease trade between China and Davao. Among those who will be invited to participate are port authorities. Mr. Lin, in an interview last February, said durian, avocado and other fruits are potential export commodities to China, which is already a top market for the Philippine’s banana industry. Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry President John Carlo B. Tria, sought for comment, said “all trade possibilities are welcome” as new norms under a continued COVID-19 threat will require the business sector in Davao City and the rest of Mindanao to establish more direct trade links. “All industries can benefit starting with agribusiness but moving forward, we’ll see others following,” Mr. Tria said. — Maya M. Padillo
DTI, DoLE clarify guidelines on testing returning workers
PHILSTAR/MICHAEL VARCAS
TRADE and Labor officials on Monday clarified the rules for employers on testing workers as more industries are allowed to resume operations following a two-month lockdown due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread.
Senators and other sectors on Monday raised concern over the lack of required testing under the guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force. “We need to test workers returning to work.
This needs to be arranged by employers and DoH (Department of Health),” Senator Risa N. Hontiveros-Baraquel said in a statement.
“We cant ease quarantine if we’re not doing mass testing.”
Department of Trade and Industry Secretary (DTI) Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, in a statement, explained that companies will be required to screen all employees and test symptomatic or suspected COVID-19 patients, while those without symptoms will be allowed to return to work.
“Companies also have the option to conduct testing for all their employees,” Mr. Lopez said, reiterating that the cost of testing will be shouldered by the company.
“But this also means the employer can reimburse the cost from PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corp.) up to the amount allowed and under such conditions sanctioned by PhilHealth.”
The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) also issued an advisory indicating that employers should pay for testing-related fees, along with other health and safety protection measures.
“The employer shall shoulder the cost of COVID-19 prevention and control measures such as but not limited to the following: testing, disinfection facilities, hand sanitizers, personal protective equipment (PPEs i.e. face mask), signages, proper orientation, and training of workers including IEC materials on COVID-19 prevention and control,” DoLE said in Advisory No. 18 released on Monday.
The Palace, meanwhile, said the government does not have a mass testing program that is as expansive as in other countries and it is counting on the private sector to help in this aspect of containing COVID-19 transmissions.
“Wala pa pong ganiyang programa at iniiwan natin sa pribadong sektor (We don’t have that kind of program and we will leave it to the private sector),” Palace Spokesperson Harry L. Roque said in a briefing.
The government aims to have a testing capacity of 30,000 per day by the end of the month.
DoH data show that as of last week, only about 200,000 people have been tested out of the country’s population of over 100 million.
WORK SCHEMES
DoLE also issued guidelines on job arrangements that employers should implement to keep their business running while observing employee safety.
In Labor Advisory No. 17, the department listed alternative schemes that could be adopted to avoid terminations and closures.
These are: 1) Transfer of employee to another branch; 2) Assignment of employee to another function or position, in the same or another branch or outlet; 3) Reduction of normal workdays or work hours; 4) Job rotations; 5) Partial closure of an establishment while some department or unit is continued; and 6) Other schemes that is necessary or peculiar for the survival of a specific business or establishment.” — Charmaine A. TadalanandGillian M. Cortez
ABS-CBN asks high court to hasten TRO request
ABS-CBN Corp. asked the Supreme Court to immediately issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the cease-and-desist order of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), which forced the network to go off air on May 5 after its franchise expired.
In a nine-page urgent reiterative motion, the broadcasting network said that it will take some time before it gets a new congressional permit even if members of the Senate have expressed willingness to act immediately on the measure of the House of Representatives to grant it provisional authority to operate until October 2020.
The measure has been passed at the committee level. “This may take some weeks if not months,” it said.
“In the meantime, ABS-CBN, its employees, various stakeholders, and the general public will continue to suffer grave and irreparable injury as a result of the cease and desist order issued by the NTC,” it added.
ABS-CBN reiterated that the order endangers the livelihood of its 11,000 employees.
The shutdown, it said, “means a significant reduction of income” for the company and its affiliates, which results in reduced tax revenues for the government.
It said it paid up to P70.5 billion between 2003 and 2020.
The company said in its May 7 petition that it would lose up to P35 million per day it is off air.
ABS-CBN also said the order deprives the public of a leading source of news and entertainment, impairing their right to information.
The NTC issued the order on May 5 after the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN expired on May 4.
Meanwhile, lawyer Lorenzo G. Gadon asked the court to deny the petition of ABS-CBN, saying the network failed to exhaust available administrative remedies before going to the high court, violated the hierarchy of courts, and did not comply with the basic requirements under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
ECOP pushes for benefits for freelancers
THE Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) urged lawmakers to include freelancers in the informal sector to allow them to avail of government assistance.
“I’m quite surprised that freelancers, like writers, painters, artists and sculptors as well as the gig economy, the singers and dancers… in bars and restaurants have not been included as members of the informal sector. They should be in the informal sector, they are not registered with the government. They are not in any way taken care of by the government at all,” ECOP Governor Antonio H. Abad said during the virtual hearing of the House of Representatives committee on employment on Monday.
Mr. Abad added that the government should also provide informal workers with a venue that will serve as their workplace.
“Private property should not be subjected to the use of informal workers under the coercion of the local government unit,” he said.
Defend Jobs Philippines (DJP) Spokesman Thadeus Ifurung, for his part, said the informal sector helps address poverty and unemployment. Mr. Ifurung, speaking in Filipino, said informal workers are an “essential and important sector” that should be recognized and given protection under the law.
The panel was discussing House bills seeking to provide a Magna Carta of workers in the informal economy. A subcommittee has been formed to consolidate all related measures. — Genshen L. Espedido
DoJ orders prosecutors to prioritize complaints over cash aid anomalies
JUSTICE Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said he will direct prosecutors to prioritize complaints against local officials charged over anomalies in the distribution of cash aid for low-income families affected by the lockdown due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
“I will direct our prosecutors to give priority attention to the preliminary investigation of these criminal complaints,” he told reporters in a Viber message.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government said the police already filed 12 criminal complaints for graft and corruption against 23 barangay officials relating to the social amelioration program.
“Puspusan na rin ang imbestigasyon at case build-up para masigurong makakalaboso ang mga walang-hiyang tao na ito na nakuha pang manggantso sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan (We are thoroughly investigating and conducting case build-up to ensure the imprisonment of these shameless people who had the nerve to defraud our poor countrymen),” Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año said in a statement.
He said four more cases will be filed in the next few days and case build-up is ongoing for 110 more officials.
The National Bureau of Investigation on May 11 also charged three barangay officials in Hagonoy, Bulacan.
Interior Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan E. Malaya said the anomalies are usually splitting the amount intended for one household, falsification of the master list of beneficiaries, and getting a “cut” from the beneficiaries. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
Bill imposing higher penalty for perjury OK’d in Senate
THE bill imposing stiffer penalties for committing perjury has been approved on third and final reading in the Senate.
With 20 affirmative votes and no negative, the chamber passed on Monday Senate Bill No. 1354, amending the Revised Penal Code by subjecting offenders to penalties of six- to 10-year imprisonment and up to P1 million in fine.
At present, offenders are only sentenced to four months to two years and four months in prison.
The bill is intended to ensure that testimonies made under oath in proceedings, such as legislative hearings, remain truthful.
“The current penalty for perjury is subject to probation and the bail imposed is also low, roughly P6,000 only,” Senator Richard J. Gordon, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement.
“Given the high costs involved in prosecuting a crime, there is no motivation to prosecute the crime of perjury,” he said. Two counterpart measures at the House of Representatives are pending at the committee level. — Charmaine A. Tadalan
Malacañang says federalism shift not a priority
MALACAÑANG on Monday said shifting to federalism is not in the government’s priority now as it battles the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is pursuing the information campaign and signature drive for constitutional reform.
“It is not really a priority. They (DILG) are continuing because the mechanism is there. Pero nakatutok po talaga tayo ngayon sa COVID-19 (But the focus now is on COVID-19),” Palace Spokesperson Harry L. Roque said in a briefing.
Mr. Roque added that it is part of DILG’s mandate to conduct the charter change campaign, noting that officials could be charged with dereliction if they fail to do so.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte created in 2017 the Consultative Committee to review the 1987 Constitution and prepare recommendations for a new one. A draft was completed by 2018, but constitutional reform has failed to gain traction in the Senate. — Gillian M. Cortez
Since the start of the community quarantine, many have referred to the health workers helping treat COVID-19 patients as “frontliners.” The term tugs at the emotions and signals an appreciation for the difficult work they do in helping fight the deadly virus. After all, we are at “war” with the virus, and the health workers are firing away with every weapon in their professional arsenals to keep as many infected patients alive as they can.
After a month and a half of quarantine, the Department of Health (DoH) reported that 33 health workers had died from COVID-19. Those are deaths among the very people whom we need to help us fight the disease for the long term. Based on overall DoH statistics and the number of health workers in the country as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018 of about 187,000, the proportion of health workers who have died from COVID-19 is more than 30 times higher than the proportion for the general population!
When we neglect quarantine rules, we run the risk of exposure to the virus from people with different amounts of the virus in their bodies. Unfortunately, health workers tend to be around a higher number of infected people who are very sick, therefore, have much higher amounts of the virus. They also tend to face this risk over a prolonged period of time. Therefore, the higher proportion of COVID-19 deaths among health workers is a sad but not surprising result.
We have to set aside the idea that health workers are the frontliners against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
We ourselves are the frontliners in this war. The virus attacks our bodies directly, and we have the primary role of defending against it. If we do not properly defend ourselves, say, by recklessly ignoring public health safety rules or generally not keeping informed of how to avoid infection, then we risk not only killing ourselves but also exposing stressed and overworked health workers to concentrated amounts of the virus. Putting health workers at risk because of our own recklessness is almost like pointing a loaded gun at them. We are causing unconscionable harm to the other people who badly need their services.
If we accept that we are the frontliners in this war, we have the duty to know the enemy. We have the responsibility, with the help of the government, to arm ourselves with scientific knowledge about how the virus attacks us and how we can defend ourselves. I welcome the fact that more people are interested in the basics of hygiene today, whether it involves coughing, sneezing, or proper hand-washing. The DoH video on how to fight COVID-19 found in this link — https://youtu.be/LrxTuj1SsEw — is excellent.
We also need to know how the virus works inside the body as it attacks our lung cells and uses these cells to reproduce and spread itself. We need to understand how this can eventually lead to pneumonia and eventual death as our virus-damaged lungs completely fail to provide oxygen to our bodies. As a layman, I find the explanation of how the SARS-Cov 2 virus spreads and works as explained by the physician assistant Zachary Murphy in this link — https://youtu.be/YRfwZcLeOm4 — to be very helpful.
Some countries have already started lifting their quarantines and have opened business and social establishments. Many Filipinos were hoping that our own lockdown would really be lifted by May 15. (Since this column was written, many parts of the country were placed under a less stringent general community quarantine, while Metro Manila, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, Angeles City, and Laguna were placed under modified community quarantine as of Saturday. Cebu City and Mandaue City are under the stringent enhanced community quarantine. — Ed.). Such a move by the government must be based on very good scientific data on the prevalence of COVID-19. I worry that our testing program remains very limited.
But my biggest worry is that the average Filipino does not have a scientific grasp of how the virus spreads and damages the body. I hope that the government intensifies its public education program on this. Vietnam’s hand-washing pop songs and aggressive testing have helped it achieve zero deaths and one of the lowest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The coronavirus is damaging not just human bodies, but also people’s mental health, livelihoods, communities, governance systems, economies, and even international relations. So we also need to learn from social science experts on psychology, sociology, economics, political science, and international relations. The problem is that experts in these fields do not integrate their work in ways that give a holistic picture to citizens.
In the United States, for example, competing experts have framed the question of lifting lockdowns in terms of health vs. the economy when clearly, an approach that enhances both in a dynamic and mutually supporting way is required. This polarization has led to a confusing patchwork approach across the different states and, in some cases, disruptive protests.
The Philippine government and the private sector need a plan that integrates the health and social protection of the vulnerable as we all begin to engage the economy after the lockdown. Based on the best scientific knowledge available, we will have to do our part in vigorously defending our bodies from this invisible threat as we rebuild our lives and the economy together.
Dr. Benito L. Teehankee is the Jose E. Cuisia Professor of Business Ethics at De La Salle University.
Fighting COVID-19 is no different from fighting a war.
Perhaps this is why President Rodrigo Duterte has tapped seasoned current and ex-generals to fight this virus: National Task Force Head Carlito Galvez, Jr., Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, Philippine National Police Chief Archie Gamboa and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Felimon Santos.
GERM WARFARE
COVID-19 is in the realm of germ warfare which uses infectious diseases, such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi, to disable or kill humans, animals, or plants.
It all started in Wuhan, China. Nobody really knows how it was unleashed; only history will tell.
THE ENEMY
Experts call the enemy SARS-Cov-2, i.e., Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2, a strain of the earlier and deadlier SARS COV. It is invisible, insidious and deadly, highly transmissible, knows no borders and targets the vulnerable.
It seems to give mankind some lessons:
First, germ warfare, if unchecked, could be deadlier than wars among nations.
Second, nations must work as one if the disease is to be vanquished.
Third, it has exposed social injustice everywhere — most victims are the poor, colored, ethnic minorities, and the elderly who live in appalling conditions, without access to healthcare.
Fourth, it generally spares children and women (So homo sapiens can survive?).
Fifth, it prefers to strike men. Are men more obsessed with power, fame, and fortune than with humanity — helping others, forgetting self-interest, and giving love?
Finally, it has cleared the skies. Is it time to stop using fossil fuel for cars, factories, and power plants to save the planet?
FOUR FS OF FIGHTING A WAR
The military refers to four Fs which are: “Find ‘em (the enemy), Fix ‘em, Fight ‘em, and Finish ‘em.”
Find ‘em (test, contact trace) — COVID-19, although invisible to the naked eye, is a parasite so it can be detected in the hosts or the infected through testing.
There are two types of hosts: the symptomatic or the asymptomatic. Finding the symptomatic is easy — they generally seek medical help. Looking for the asymptomatic is more difficult — they look healthy; some with mild symptoms like a cough or a cold; and move around freely, shedding the virus. They are like guerillas or terrorists staying in communities while spreading the disease. They can only be found through contact tracing.
There are two types of tests: the first, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) which detects the presence or absence of COVID-19, is the gold standard. The second, an antibody test, looks for antibodies which indicate that someone has been infected in the past.
My layman’s opinion of these two tests:
The PCR test, although the gold standard, is hazardous (possibly infected mucous swabs as samples); expensive (P8,000.00 or more per test); done off site and slow (distant laboratories; hours to produce the result; thousands of samples on queue) and probably with lower sensitivity due to improper sampling. It is, however, a must for diagnostics.
The antibody test, albeit new, is safer (finger prick blood as sample); cheap (P250 to P500 per test); done onsite and fast (15 minutes for result); probably with lower sensitivity as it needs more clinical trials; and not for diagnostics. It can, however, identify those that had been infected for health profiling which could indicate whether it is relatively safe for a business or community to return to normal.
When the existence of COVID-19 was announced in December 2019, the health department could have tested and contact traced incoming travelers, especially those from Wuhan. They did it later, and not much has happened since then. Now, we are like New York State, scrambling for resources, trying to contact trace the infected to isolate them.
Early on, the health department insisted on centralized, slow, and expensive PCR tests done in government laboratories only. After much pressure for mass testing, the Department of Health finally agreed to decentralized, public and private testing, aiming for 8,000 to 10,000 tests per day. They, however, stopped publishing daily test results for no apparent reason. Our tests per million is a pathetic 660; South Korea’s is 11,390; the USA, 13,071; and Germany, 24,738.
Fix ‘em (Isolate, flatten the curve) — The Wuhan experience shows that home quarantine does not work. Ordinary people are not trained well enough to follow safety protocols (the infections in Chris Cuomo’s family while in self-quarantine is an example).
The infected must stay and be regularly tested in authorized, well-secured, and well-managed quarantine centers which must be located away from communities, preferably in economic zones (e.g. the sports facilities in Clark) and military camps (e.g. the drug rehabilitation center in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija).
Those released from hospitals should also be monitored and tested regularly until proven immune. Some who were released from hospitals subsequently tested positive, possibly due to false negatives — who knows (read Joy Virata’s story)?
Supplementary monitoring and assistance can be done through mobile apps for the infected person’s mobile phone, possibly with Google or Apple applications which, with Bluetooth, can trace other mobile phones that may have been near the infected person’s cell phone.
Nursing homes for the elderly should be protected well; most deaths come from them.
The object of isolation is to slow down the infection, or what they call, flattening the virus growth curve.
Fight ‘em — This calls for mitigation, which ranges from treatment to quarantine to social distancing.
Preventing infecting others is just as important as preventing infection from others.
Finish ‘em — This could be achieved in two ways: first, through vaccines or therapeutics — hundreds are racing to find a safe and effective one, hopefully, within the year — and second, when herd immunity is achieved, with the infection rate down to a safer level.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In any war, command and control is vital. The President, or his designee, with the nation’s trust, should lead our people to defeat the enemy.
So is communications. There can only be one voice.
Science, not politics, should drive the campaign.
We should prepare just as hard for the downstream impact — hunger, economic recession and a gradual return to a new normal.
We should not only prepare for the virus surge which could overwhelm our healthcare capability by reviewing our 5 Ms — Men, Materials, Machine, Methods, and Money. We should also establish the infrastructure for future pandemics.
COVID-19 is the enemy, not our people whose lives and rights the AFP has sworn to protect under our Constitution. We are all in this together. No doubt, we can win this war, as one nation and one community of nations.
This article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines or the MAP.
Renato C. Valencia is the Chair of the OMNIPAY, INC. a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy and formerly the President and CEO of the Social Security System
NEW YORK — United States President Donald J. Trump praised the return of live golf on Sunday, dialing into a televised broadcast of a two-on-two charity skins match between top players on the PGA Tour, the first event of its kind since the coronavirus lockdown.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, who is from Northern Ireland, teamed up with Dustin Johnson of the United States to take on American duo Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff for the highly anticipated event, one of the few live pro sports competitions on a calendar otherwise upended by the deadly COVID-19 outbreak.
“It’s a wonderful thing to see,” Trump said on the NBC Sports broadcast. “I’m getting a little tired of watching 10-year-old golf tournaments where you know who won.”
Players at the Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida, adhered to social-distancing guidelines aimed at limiting the coronavirus spread, standing 6 feet (1.8 m) apart and carrying their own clubs, with no caddies allowed, on an empty course without the usual masses of eager fans.
An avid golfer, Trump has played rounds with current and former players including Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and four-time major winner McIlroy, who last week criticized the president’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. “We want to get sports back, we miss sports, we need sports in terms of the psyche, the psyche of our country and that’s what we’re going.”
PARK WINS
Meanwhile in Seoul, Park Hyun-kyung won the KLPGA Championship title at the weekend as women’s golf in South Korea joined the country’s professional baseball and soccer leagues to restart amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Park signed off with a second successive round of 67 to erase a three-shot deficit and triumph by one stroke in the tour’s first event since December.
Overnight leader Lim Hee-jeong (71) and Bae Seon-woo (68) shared second place at 16-under 272 in the event played without spectators at the Lakewood Country Club in Yangju.
An emotional Park hugged her father, who was caddying for her, after the winning putt and was showered with petals from her peers who also did elbow bumps in what is likely to be a new normal in sports.
“I was so disappointed not to have been part of that winner’s group last year,” Park was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency.
“I am so happy that I got the first win out of the way in the first tournament of the year.”
“I don’t think the next win will come easily for me. I have to keep trying.”
Park pocketed $178,400 for her maiden KLPGA victory in her second year on the tour.
It was an unusual experience for those at the Lakewood Country Club, which was open only to players, caddies, officials and media.
Caddies wore masks, players dined separately and fist and elbow bumps replaced post-round hugs and handshakes over the last four days.
Next month’s men’s Korea Open, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, was cancelled on Friday owing to the pandemic.
South Korea last Sunday reported five new domestic cases of coronavirus, raising fears of a fresh wave of contagion after weeks of nearly no new domestic cases. — Reuters
OUT FOR THE SEASON because of a leg injury he suffered early this year, six-time Philippine Basketball Association most valuable player June Mar Fajardo said that he is making steady progress in his recovery albeit admitted to adjusting his rehabilitation routine because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Went under the knife in February after suffering a fracture on his right tibia during team practice, Mr. Fajardo, 30, is not expected to play until next season.
But his San Miguel Beermen squad is not feeling the pinch of his absence much as the league moved to suspend its current season in March with COVID-19 taking its root in the country, with a possible resumption not known until at least August.
Mr. Fajardo said just as the season is suspended he continues with his rehabilitation, reporting that as of now he can walk on his own.
Back in March at the opening of Season 45 of the PBA, Mr. Fajardo could hardly stand, needing to ride a scooter as he went on and got his sixth MVP plum at center court of the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I’m doing okay. My injury is healing well. I can walk on my own and hopefully the good progress continues,” Mr. Fajardo said in Filipino as quoted by the official PBA Website.
The San Miguel big man, however, noted that rehab has been made challenging by COVID-19, with rehab and medical facilities remaining shot as community quarantine protocols to mitigate the spread of the respiratory disease still up in the National Capital Region.
And with that, Cebu native Fajardo is doing gym work at home for now.
“I still cannot work out on my lower body but on my upper body I can. I have some equipment at my house like dumbbells that I can work with,” he said.
With their key cog still in injury-ville, the San Miguel team said it is not going to rush Mr. Fajardo to come back and just allow him to rehabilitate fully.
The PBA decided to suspend the season on March 11 as COVID-19 started to take further toll in the country.
At the time of the suspension, only one game had been played in the season-opening Philippine Cup, that between defending champion San Miguel and the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok, which the former won, 94-78.
It was hoping to resume action last month but found the conditions not yet suitable, including the government still maintaining strict protocols on mass gatherings like sporting events.
The league then decided to move making a final decision on the fate of the season in August, believing that by that time there will be a clearer picture on the COVID-19 situation. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
TORONTO — Kevin Harvick and NASCAR both celebrated victories on Sunday as the stock car series returned to live racing from a two-month coronavirus disease 2019 forced hiatus at an empty Darlington Raceway.
While the day unfolded with none of the bells and whistles that have made NASCAR North America’s most popular motor sport, on the track the race delivered as promised with plenty of bumper-to-bumper action.
Harvick, winner of the 2007 Daytona 500, produced a masterful drive to pull away after a late restart to cross 2.15 seconds clear of Alex Bowman and Kurt Busch to collect his 50th career Cup win.
The 44-year-old driver celebrated his victory in what has become typical NASCAR fashion with some tire burning donuts that would normally spark a massive roar of approval from the stands but in this race there was no one to witness the show.
Not even the growl from 40 V8 stock car engines could make up for the silence as drivers exited the track to muffled applause from pit crews and officials.
“I didn’t think it was going to be that much different and then we won the race and it is dead silent out here, so we miss the fans,” said a bewildered Harvick, standing alone on the track. “It is weird just because there is nobody up there.
“Usually you get out of the car and the crowd is screaming and yelling … today it was like, well, I don’t know really what to do here.
“We got done, everybody left.”
UNCHARTED TERRITORY
For United States sports fans the Real Heroes 400 was the highlight of a weekend that saw sport slowly come back to life after most events were shuttered mid-March by the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed over 88,000 American lives.
Following an Ultimate Fighting Championship card aired live from an empty arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, sport-starved fans had their choice on Sunday of a charity skins game featuring golf greats Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson, Professional Bull Riding and NASCAR.
US President Donald J. Trump said in an interview with NBC Sports during the skins broadcast that sport was a part of “the psyche of our country.”
As the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball work through scenarios that could get them playing again, NASCAR is ready to go — Sunday’s race the first of 20 taking place across seven Southern states over 36 days.
NASCAR will be back at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday for the second Cup race in four days.
While the action on the track was familiar, everything else was uncharted.
Teams, each allowed 16 members, arrived in the morning at designated times and temperatures were screened before entering the infield. Only 900 essential personnel were approved to be inside the gates. — Reuters
FOUND ITSELF having to adjust in how it does its affairs amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the people behind Makati FC said they do not mind such, knowing that doing so would allow them to continue their mission and vision as an organization.
Among the changes they have made is taking their football academy online, conducting training digitally for young players which they describe as the new norm for now as the country deals with the highly contagious respiratory disease.
“As we wait and hope for things to get back to normal, Makati FC, together with our top coaches who have been dedicating their time, energy and knowledge, have carefully designed an online training course for our athletes,” said SeLu Lozano, Makati FC CEO, of their decision to tap the online platform.
Under the program, Makati FC still aims to deliver on its promise of a holistic approach in teaching that optimizes the overall growth and development of its youth athletes and boosts overall confidence.
It covers the teaching of football skills through target-based, specific online drills and puts emphasis on body strength and conditioning as well as lectures and open discussions with players and coaches.
And Makati FC’s efforts are getting positive response as those who are taking part in the online program are very appreciative of the lessons they are being shared with.
“The MFC (Makati FC) training is awesome and the coaches are super cool,” shared Duke Punzalan, one of the participants in the online training.
“Thank you MFC for making this happen and for giving our boys the opportunity to continuously do what they love,” Duke’s father, Denmark, for his part, said.
Makati FC is drawing from its four decades of experience as a group in furthering the growth of the sport in the country.
Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, it had to cancel its usual training setup since March 13 to ensure the safety of the athletes, coaches, parents and its staff.
For more details, visit Makati FC’s Facebook page and Instagram account @MakatiFC. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
NATIONAL BASKETBALL Association great Michael Jordan’s autographed game-worn sneakers from his rookie season fetched a record $560,000 (463,380 pounds) in an online auction, Sotheby’s said on Sunday.
The Air Jordan 1s, designed for Jordan in 1985 and the first-ever signature sneakers, were expected to sell for between $100,000 and $150,000 in the auction.
Known for selling multimillion-dollar art, Sotheby’s held its first auction dedicated entirely to sneakers last year and had then set a world record of $437,500 for a pair of 1972 Nike running shoes known as the “Moon Shoe.”
“We saw tremendous bidding up until the moment the sale closed, with the value more than doubling in the final hour alone,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s director of eCommerce development.
“That coupled with strong international bidding from six countries on four continents shows not only the incredible appeal of Michael Jordan… but also that sneaker collecting is truly a global and growing market.”
Like most of Jordan’s basketball shoes, they are a mismatched pair in a size 13 (left) and size 13.5 (right).
The auction coincided with the 35th anniversary of the Air Jordan brand and the screening of the 10-part ESPN documentary The Last Dance about the Chicago Bulls and Jordan. The final two episodes of the show are set to air later on Sunday.
The shoes were sold by collector Jordan Geller, the founder of the sneaker museum Shoezeum in Las Vegas. — Reuters
By Hannah Mallorca Features Writer, The Philippine STAR
Since the first reported case on January 30, the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines has reached 11,876 as of May 14, 2020 — with 2,337 recoveries and 790 deaths, according to a news bulletin from the Department of Health (DoH).
To curb the spread of the pandemic, President Rodrigo R.Duterte has placed the country under lockdown, implementing various health protocols and quarantine policies per area, depending on the number of cases and available medical facilities.
As we conclude our second month in quarantine, here’s a rundown of important moments, from the first case in the country leading to current events.
JANUARY 30
The DoH reported the first COVID-19 case in the Philippines, a 38-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan. She arrived in Manila from Hong Kong.
The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) set up confirmatory test laboratories, the first medical facility to conduct COVID-19 tests in the Philippines.
FEBRUARY 2
The DoH confirmed the second case: a 44-year-old Chinese man who accompanied the first case. He passed away on Feb. 1— the first COVID-19 death outside mainland China.
FEBRUARY 5
The DoH confirmed the third COVID-19 case in the Philippines, a 60-year-old Chinese woman who arrived in Cebu from Wuhan via Hong Kong last January 20.
MARCH 6
The fourth and fifth cases confirmed by the DoH were the first Filipino cases in the country.
MARCH 7
The DoH raised the alert level to Code Red Sublevel 1 after the first case of local transmission was confirmed, which involved the wife of the fifth case.
MARCH 12
President Duterte announced a “community quarantine” or partial lockdown in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Cainta, Rizal from March 15 until April 14. The alert level was raised to Code Red Sublevel 2.
MARCH 15
Metro Manila and Cainta, Rizal were placed under partial lockdown. Land, domestic sea and air travel coming to and from these areas were suspended.
MARCH 16
The President placed Luzon under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until April 12. Then Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo relayed instructions that local government units are required to implement specific health measures.
MARCH 17
Mr. Duterte signed Proclamation No. 929, which placed the Philippines under state of calamity. With 187 confirmed COVID-19 cases, DoH confirmed that community-based transmission has already occurred.
MARCH 19
Foreign Affairs Secretary TeodoroLocsin announced the temporary suspension of visa issuance and visa-free entry privileges of foreigners.
MARCH 24
The Senate approved the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act” (Senate Bill 1481) after a 13-hour plenary session.
MARCH 25
Mr. Duterte signed the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act of 2020” granting himself special powers to address the pandemic.
MARCH 28
The DoH announced that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country exceeded 1,000.
APRIL 12
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) spokesperson and cabinet secretary KarloNograles announced the mandatory public disclosure of personal information relating to COVID-19 patients to enhance contact tracing.
APRIL 24
The President announced the extension of the ECQ in selected areas until May 15. Other areas will be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) on May 1.
APRIL 30
Mr. Duterte approved the recommendations of the COVID-19 task force on the areas to be placed under ECQ and GCQ. Areas that remained under ECQ include NCR, Pangasinan, Benguet (with Baguio City), Region 3 (except Aurora), Region 4A, Iloilo (with Iloilo City), Cebu (with Cebu City), Bacolod City and Davao City. Areas under GCQ will observe more relaxed quarantine rules and health protocols under the ‘new normal’ will be put in place.
MAY 1
The government eased restrictions as GCQ in selected areas started. Areas remaining under ECQ are required to observe proper quarantine protocols.
MAY 6
The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines breached the 10,000-mark.
MAY 12
Malacañang confirmed that NCR, Laguna and Cebu City will be placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until May 31.
Areas under GCQ include Cordillera Administrative Region, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4A (except Laguna), Region 7, Region 9, Region 11 and Region 13.
Areas under modified GCQ include Region 1, Region 4B, Region 5, Region 6, Region 8, Region 10, Region 12 and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
MAY 14
The Regional Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 (RIATF) postponed the shift to GCQ in selected areas in Region 3: Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Nueva Ecija and Zambales will instead be placed under MECQ until May 31. Only Tarlac and Olongapo City will shift to GCQ.
As the Philippines grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, various sectors are working to bring the country back to normal. The future remains uncertain but the world hopes to eventually declare victory in the war against the coronavirus.
By Argie C. Aguja Senior Features Writer, The Philippine STAR
As most parts of the Philippines emerge from harsh lockdowns, other Asian neighbors are feeling the pinch of resurging COVID-19 cases after easing up on restrictions
When Malacañang announced the enforcement of a “modified” enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) over the entire National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna and Cebu City on May 12, the lockdown status in these high-risk areas remained firmly in place. Eight regions identified as moderate-risk areas are in a more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ), while low-risk regions are under “modified” GCQ, where jobs and businesses return, provided that minimum public health standards are observed.
These quarantine levels will be enforced from May 16 to 31, and are subject to change as the government carefully plots and monitors the trends in coronavirus cases.
As of May 14, the Department of Health (DoH) records a total of 11,876 COVID-19 cases, with 2,337 recoveries and 790 deaths. There could have been more. While the DoH ramps up the number of tests by the day, the country is gradually getting an overall picture of the scope and reach of the coronavirus pandemic locally.
But lockdowns can’t last forever. In Asia, several countries first hit by the coronavirus were also the first ones to take steps to bring their respective societies back to life. But before long, there was an increase in cases as soon as lockdowns were lifted.
In some cases, governments have had to revert to restrictions and containment measures to engage a resurging coronavirus.
Lessons from other countries
The city state of Singapore was once a model for coronavirus response. From end of January to late March, Singapore registered 509 cases and two deaths. It had done so without the need for a lockdown — just a combination of targeted isolation, rigorous information campaigns and moderate social distancing.
Yet, an outbreak among low-paid migrant workers living in dormitories caused the number of cases to reach 26,098, as of May 14.
Authorities converted more than two dozen dormitories into mandatory isolation areas, ramped up testing and migrant support efforts, and provided free health care for infected individuals. The city state’s small size, assertive government response and strong health-care system are its best weapons in fighting the contagion.
South Korea was among the first countries outside China to report coronavirus cases. It managed to keep numbers low without a lockdown, thanks to rapid uptick of testing capacity, aggressive contact tracing and isolation of positive cases and closure of schools and workplaces.
Days passed without a single new case and most businesses reopened but after a six-day national holiday by the end of April, a new cluster of more than 100 infections were reported, tracing back to the entertainment district of Itaewon.
Businesses were ordered to close again while 8,000 policemen were deployed to aid contact tracing teams in locating people who were in the area. As of May 14, there are 10,991 COVID-19 cases in South Korea.
In Japan, the bulk of coronavirus cases was recorded in the island of Hokkaido back in February, prompting authorities to issue a state of emergency.
Schools and businesses were immediately closed, large gatherings were banned and people were advised to stay indoors. After new cases significantly went down, Hokkaido lifted the state of emergency.
Three weeks after the first lockdown was lifted, a second wave of infections pushed a record number of new cases. A second state of emergency was announced and Hokkaido was forced back into lockdown on April 14.
By May, new cases dropped sharply and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the lifting of a state of emergency in 39 out of 47 prefectures before it was due to expire. Japan has 16,103 confirmed coronavirus cases as of May 14.
WHO recommendations
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that any country seeking to lift restraints must first meet the following conditions: COVID-19 transmissions must be kept under control; healthcare systems must have the capacity to detect, test, trace and isolate cases; outbreak risks in high-vulnerable contexts must be minimized; schools and workplaces must have preventive measures in place; communities must be willing to make major changes; and must comply with the new rules while actively enforcing measures such as contact tracing and social distancing.
Until there is a proven vaccine or medicine, governments and societies are called on to continue vigilance in instituting various measures to protect public health and the economy from the devastating effects of a new wave of infections.
According to 2017 data from the World Bank, only 34% of Filipinos have bank accounts. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas wants to bring this figure up to 70% by 2023. Because of the pandemic and the resulting lockdown, the need for financial inclusion and access to banking services has become more urgent. BusinessWorld reporter Luz Wendy Noble speaks with Pia Roman Tayag, managing director of the Center for Learning and Inclusion Advocacy of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. They talk about initiatives to bring more Filipinos into the formal financial system, how the enhanced community quarantine has driven consumer behavior—causing a shift to e-money and online banking, and how financial inclusion plays out in the distribution of the social amelioration program.
Recorded remotely on April 27. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.
