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SMIC faces pandemic with ‘hybrid’ approach

By Denise A. Valdez, Reporter

SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) is relying on a “hybrid way” of shaping its businesses to adjust to changing lifestyles as a response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting held virtually on Wednesday, SMIC Vice-Chairperson Teresita T. Sy-Coson said the group was working to transform its operations to cater to emerging needs.

“The pandemic has made us even more aware of two important things: for our customers, it’s convenience and safety, and for ourselves, it’s adaptability and transformation,” she said.

“We have been improving our online and physical experience and operations across the group. From the banking to the retail to the mall to the property. And coming from this lockdown, we were able to operate a hybrid way of reaching our customers,” she added.

“We are excited to strengthen this new offering, and going forward, we will transform into a stronger and more adapted SM after this crisis.”

The 60-year-old company derives its income from its primary units of banking, property and retail. During the first quarter, SMIC’s earnings dropped 16% to P9 billion because of profit declines across these business segments.

Earnings from BDO Unibank, Inc. fell to P8.8 billion from P9.8 billion last year, which offset the 19% increase in earnings of China Banking Corp. to P2.2 billion. Property arm SM Prime Holdings, Inc. recorded a 5% income decline to P8.3 billion, while SM Retail, Inc. saw a 56% earnings drop to P1.2 billion.

To recover, SMIC President and CEO Frederic C. DyBuncio said the group was bolstering its e-commerce presence both as a direct participant and as a service provider.

SM Prime previously said it was allocating P100 million to improve its e-commerce platforms by bridging mall tenants to at-home shoppers.

Part of the company’s plans is improving its own online shopping sites and working with partners to develop its grocery delivery service, Mr. DyBuncio said.

As a service provider, SMIC aims to use its malls and stores as pick-up locations and to provide logistics support such as warehousing and last-mile delivery through logistics companies under the group.

“This pandemic has revealed that digital technology offers fundamental opportunities to connect and serve communities. We will continue to combine our online and offline capabilities to meet our customers’ evolving needs,” Mr. DyBuncio said.

SMIC shares at the stock exchange picked up P2 or 0.21% to close at P937 each on Wednesday.

Pandemic spurs new directory services for small restaurants

WHEN the pandemic hit and lockdown restrictions stopped people from going out to dine, restaurants had no choice but to offer delivery and takeout services to survive and that was the kind of ecosystem where services like GrabFood, Food Panda, and Lala Food thrived.

The same ecosystem allowed new players like Beep Delivery to find their niche in serving smaller restaurants while Dine to Unite saw the need for a free restaurant directory to “connect customers directly to restaurants,” according to a representative.

“With more people staying at home and working from home over the next six to 18 months, the only way for retail shops and restaurants to reach their customers is via social media. If businesses weren’t actively engaging and reaching their customers digitally before, now is the time to do so,” Xin-Ci Chin, head of marketing of StoreHub, which operates Beep Delivery, told BusinessWorld in an e-mail interview on June 11.

StoreHub is a Kuala Lumpur-based technology company providing point-of-sale and e-commerce solutions for food and retail businesses with clients across Southeast Asia. Ms. Chin said Beep Delivery was their response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic after they noticed that their clients saw an “80% drop in revenue” once the lockdown started in the Philippines in March.

Beep Delivery is also available in Malaysia among other Southeast Asian countries.

StoreHub launched the service in May and it is said to currently serve “more than 900 F&B (food and beverage) businesses in the Philippines,” a majority of which were “locally founded and have less than two branches.”

Beep Delivery allows restaurants to create their own websites where customers can order or pre-order items and it has partnered with logistics companies such as Mr. Speedy and Lalamove to handle delivery. They also have a consolidated directory (beepit.com) where customers can view which restaurants can deliver to their location.

The delivery platform, Ms. Chin said, was meant to give stores “more responsibility to engage with their customers directly.”

This hands-off approach also allows Beep Delivery to charge a 2% commission fee on all orders made on the service in addition to “whatever credit card/bank transfer fees that the payment gateway charges us,” Ms. Chin explained, before adding that this was much lower than fees charged by other services.

(Food Panda on its Singapore website said it charges a 35% commission on orders made through the platform plus bank charges, while Grab noted on its website that it charges 30% on all orders made through the app for GrabFood and GrabMart.)

“For the F&B industry, 30% is a massive margin cut that is simply not sustainable for the restaurant, and so Beep Delivery is enabling restaurants to scale up delivery while maintaining a sustainable business model,” Ms. Chin said.

Among the restaurants using Beep Delivery are Chinatown’s Best Food, Yum Yum Chicken, Leann’s Tea House, and Gringo.

Meanwhile, Dine to Unite (www.dinetounite.com) provides a simpler approach to giving customers access to restaurants within their area that offer delivery or take-out services via a free online directory where any restaurant can list their branches and contact numbers.

“We are hoping to connect the customers directly to the restaurants. When a restaurant is able to sell directly to a customer, it doesn’t lose any of its profit to a third-party delivery or ordering service,” Jessica Doyle, director of marketing of Mosaic Solutions (which operates Dine to Unite), told BusinessWorld in an e-mail interview on June 17.

Mosaic Solutions is a Metro Manila-based software development company providing solutions including point-of-sale and inventory management for F&B businesses across Asia.

Ms. Doyle also noted, much like Ms. Chin of StoreHub, that restaurants in Metro Manila saw “an 80% drop in weekly sales” in the first week of the lockdown in March and that “this number has not rebounded since.”

“Compared to last year, 2020 shows a 80-90% loss in sales for April and May. We knew that our clients were scrambling to figure out how to keep their businesses open while everything was in lockdown. Having to shift the majority of their business to takeaway, figuring out how to get supplies and changing the way they prep and serve their food, there was just so much for the restaurant owners and operators to solve,” Ms. Doyle said of the rationale behind Dine to Unite.

She explained that they saw they could help support restaurants by “quickly developing a simple site that could be used to find out who is open and how to order,” and was inspired by efforts like the US’ Rally for Restaurants, a restaurant directory created to support restaurants during the pandemic.

“This community support inspired us, and we wanted to bring it here to the Philippines,” Ms. Doyle said.

The directory allows customers to search for restaurants and see their contact numbers, location, whether they offer take-out and deliveries, and their operating hours.

But Dine to Unite is not a permanent thing as Ms. Doyle stressed that they are “not trying to replace the go to restaurant directories like Zomato,” and that “at the point when Dine to Unite is no longer useful to the restaurant community, we will take it offline,” although there is no set timeline for this.

Currently, Dine to Unite has nearly 500 restaurants and is adding about 50 more restaurants weekly.

“We have received very positive feedback from our partners in the restaurant community regarding Dine to Unite, and our ability to help drive customers to their sites,” Ms. Doyle said.

Some of the restaurants that are on Dine to Unite are the Coffee Project, Mendokoro Ramenba, and Din Tai Fung. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Luzon lockdown pulls down Vista Land earnings

EARNINGS of Vista Land & Landscapes, Inc. (VLL) dropped 8% in the first quarter due to a decline in project completions when the government imposed lockdown measures in Luzon starting in March.

The Villar-led property developer said in a regulatory filing Wednesday its attributable net income for the three-month period fell to P2.34 billion from P2.54 billion in the same period last year.

Its total revenues slid 3% to P9.93 billion as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the suspension of construction activities, reducing its completion rate of sold inventories during the period.

The disruption led to an 11% drop in revenues from real estate sales, which stood at P7.2 billion for the three months. Rental income improved 34% to P2.2 billion, which VLL attributed to the increase in gross floor area leased out and the implementation of higher rental rates.

But the company warned rental revenues may begin declining in the coming quarters as tenants may start to cancel contracts due to mall closures as a result of the lockdown.

VLL’s costs and expenses for the three months were 4% lower at P6.44 billion. Cost of real estate sales fell 3% to P3.74 billion because of the overall decline in sales across business units.

Operating expenses slipped 6% to P2.69 billion because of a drop in occupancy cost to P118 million from P246 million, a decrease in advertising expenses to P288 million from P378 million, and a drop in commission to P357 million from P409 million.

“For the three-months of 2020, except for the COVID-19 impact…, there were no other seasonal aspects that had a material effect on the financial condition or results of operations of the company,” VLL said.

Shares in VLL at the stock exchange dipped two centavos or 0.51% to P3.90 each on Wednesday. — Denise A. Valdez

#LetsTalkOnBluedPH about fighting social injustice, prioritizing mental health, and improving home cooking

BLUED, a gay social app, is launching a series of talks covering topics of interest for the LGBTQ+ community. It is, as one of the speakers, Vince Uy said, “creating a space where people can freely converse. And not just converse, but learn from each other.”

Usually used for dating, the app has a unique livestream feature will be utilized for talks called #LetsTalkOnBluedPH. The conversations run the gamut from Fighting Social Injustice, Working Efficiently From Home, and Prioritizing Mental Health, to Keeping Physically Fit, Improving Home Cooking, and Elevating Style and Grooming. These topics are slated to run twice each month from this June (celebrated as Pride Month), all the way to November. The series kicked off with photographer BJ Pascual’s talk last week on Fighting Social Injustice, while creative director Vince Uy will hold his today, June 25. “They had to be credible speakers in their particular field,” said Evan Tan, Blued Philippines’ Country Marketing Manager, during a launch earlier this month. The other speakers for the following months are yet to be announced.

“#Let’sTalkOnBluedPH is a continuation of our mission to inspire, educate, and empower Filipino gay men to live their best lives, not just for themselves, but for society at large,” continued Mr. Tan. For his part, Mr. Pascual said, “It’s also important to hear what other people think. Mahirap ma-stuck sa echo chamber ng sarili nating mga groups. (It’s hard to be stuck in the echo chamber of our own groups).”

Mr. Uy meanwhile said, “What the community needs is also a support system. And I think Blued is also championing that — creating a space where people can freely converse. And not just converse, but learn from each other.”

Speaking about the importance of holding these talks, despite a pandemic, Mr. Tan said, “LGBT+ people are being forgotten during this pandemic. Our needs, our concerns, our lives — I guess mas hindi nagiging visible (we’re becoming less visible) because there’s a problem at bay. But the thing is — we still exist. Our problems still exist. Discrimination all the more exists because of the current situation.”

Blued Philippines partnered with three organizations: Home for the Golden Gays (HGG), the AIDS Society of the Philippines (ASP), and the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines (STRAP). “We believe they’re the ones who have been greatly affected by this pandemic. Via a video call to HGG, Mon Busa, HGG’s current President, told viewers that due to restrictions placed on senior citizens during the quarantine, they haven’t been able to go out and work, or even get their essentials. To help, Blued has pledged a starting donation of P50,000 each to HGG, and ASP, and STRAP, during the launch of #LetsTalkOnBluedPH.

“Aside from [this starting donation], during the course of the campaign, we’ll be asking all our opinion leaders to encourage those who view [the live sessions] to donate directly to these organizations,” said Mr. Tan. — Joseph L. Garcia

Malagos diversifies, innovates in the time of coronavirus

By Maya M. Padillo, Correspondent

DAVAO CITY — The Malagos Garden Resort here, like other tourism sites, has been forced to close since mid-March. But operations have not completely stopped as the Puentespina family that owns the Malagos group of companies has been going into and planning new ventures to keep up with the times altered by the coronavirus disease 2019.

Rex Victor P. Puentespina, farmer and chocolate maker of Malagos Agri-Ventures Corp., said with food security and livelihood at risk, “diversify” is the name of the game.

He said they are already looking at growing new crops while the company has started an online shop that delivers most of their products — bread and other baked goods, processed and frozen food, fresh produce, soil, and their signature chocolates and cheeses.

But in spite of these innovations, Mr. Puentespina said they are still facing financial struggles like most everyone else.

“I guess a break-even target at the end of the year is realistic. However, I am worried about how to service bank obligations and being forced to reduce the labor force. One way we plan to address the decrease in global demand is to develop new products for the mass market,” he said in an email interview.

“But even with mass-market products, people can still expect Malagos Chocolate to produce high-quality chocolates that remain faithful to our standards,” he added.

The bigger challenge nowadays, he said, is moving products to the domestic and international markets given limited air and sea transport.

He cited as an example their inability to send an order to Spain because the air freight rates “from Davao to Manila have doubled,” plus the onward cost to deliver abroad.

“I don’t think it will go back to the old rates. On domestic sea freight, I have yet to get more info on the new rates,” he said.

Nonetheless, he said he is not “so worried about the farming side of the business; the world still needs to eat chocolates.”

Mr. Puentespina also said Malagos Farms will continue with its cacao farm training school.

“Even with the new normal, we are committed to continue our programs of teaching more farmers,” he said.

“I believe that the goodwill and reputation that we have built all these years — among our markets overseas and with the farmers in our locale — will see us through in these difficult times,” he said.

Lenovo extends premium warranty service

By Zsarlene B. Chua, Senior Reporter

LENOVO has extended its premium warranty service from two years to three years on select devices from its IdeaCentre, Yoga, ThinkPad and Legion lines “to better support their customers during the COVID-19 pandemic” bought from July 1 onwards, according to a company release.

“The pandemic has disrupted day-to-day operations and pushed everyone to set up mobile working arrangements which leads to additional wear and tear to devices. Hopefully, with the added year of maintenance in our Premium Care service, our customers can spend their money on more essential goods in these trying times,” Michael Ngan, Lenovo Philippines President and general manager, said in the release.

The premium warranty extension will allow its customers to access the services of Lenovo technicians 24/7 via phone, chat, e-mail or WhatsApp and allows “comprehensive support for hardware, peripherals, and software,” on-site repair on the next business day, and annual PC health check.

The devices covered by the free premium care warranty are: IdeaPad Slim 5, IdeaPad Gaming 3i, IdeaPad Slim 5i, IdeaPad Flex 5, IdeaPad Flex 5i, IdeaPad Gaming 3, Legion 5, Legion 5i, Legion 5pi, Legion 7i, Legion Tower 5i, Yoga Slim 7, Yoga Slim 7i, Yoga C940, IdeaCentre 3, IdeaCentre Gaming 5i, and IdeaCentre AiO 3. Note that the extension only covers purchases from July 1 onwards.

Those who want to extend their warranties but do not fall within the criteria mentioned above may still do so for a price: the extension from two-year premium care to three-year premium care is at P5,300, while Lenovo devices currently under the two-year carry-in warranty can upgrade to the three year premium care warranty for P9,100. Users are allowed to extend their warranties up until six months before the expiration of their outstanding device warranty.

For more information on Lenovo’s premium warranty, visit Lenovo on Facebook facebook.com/lenovophilippines/ or via WhatsApp at +63 23953354. You can also visit https://www.lenovo.com/ph/en/premium-care.

NEW ENDORSER
Aside from the announcement of their premium care warranty extension, Lenovo also announced last week the newest endorser for their ThinkBook line, actress and beauty queen Aya Fernandez.

The ThinkBook is Lenovo’s business laptop line and Ms. Fernandez was chosen as the face of the said line because “[the line in]many ways it reflects her work life and pursuit of personal advocacies,” according to a separate release.

“Our devices are designed to redefine productivity with instantaneous response, making the line well suited to the young generation — tech-savvy, driven, and diverse. Aya not only embodies this spirit with fierce passion but goes beyond expectations by balancing all her roles and responsibilities at the same time. She inspires people to work hard and work smart in achieving success, which is one of the main goals of Lenovo’s smarter technology,” said Mr. Ngan in the release.

In line with Ms. Fernandez’s launch as the new ThinkBook ambassador is the launch of the ThinkBook 15, a lightweight device that “doesn’t compromise style for function.”

The device is said to “integrate the convenience of a consumer laptop with professional grade features and performance,” as it comes pre-installed with Skype for Business with designated Hot Key for easier video conferencing. It also has a privacy shutter for its webcam and an integrated fingerprint reader on the power button.

Battery life is said to last for up to 12 hours and comes with 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor and houses up to 24 GB memory and up to 2 TB storage. It also come with either Intel UHD graphics or AMD Radeon 620 discrete graphics with 2GB GDDR5 VRAm “for an immersive visual experience,” said the release.

The ThinkBook 15 also includes Intel Optane Memory Module said to allow faster access to frequently used business applications, and the Trusted Platform Module which enables Windows 10 security features and encrypts user data.

The ThinkBook 15 is priced at P53,329 according to priceprice.com.

Other ThinkBook variants are ThinkBook 14s, ThinkBook 14, and ThinkBook 13s. All ThinkBooks come with full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), anti-glare display, narrow bezel, and up to 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor.

Cocktails to go

Don Papa and Run Rabbit Run hold an online cocktail tasting session

A MYSTERIOUS package arrived earlier this month, along with an invitation to attend a Zoom session. The package, sent by Don Papa Rum, was filled with bottles of booze — part of their partnership with boho-chic watering hole Run Rabbit Run in Makati’s Poblacion.

Due to the community quarantines imposed around the metro (the longest in the world), Run Rabbit Run opened a Cocktail to Go service (available through https://www.runrabbit.run/cocktails-to-go). Highlighted in the Zoom session were three of their cocktails made in partnership with Don Papa: a Banana Rum Daiquiri, a Masskara Old Fashioned, and a Don Papa Chocoroni. The package from Don Papa contained three bottles sealed in wax filled with those cocktails, along with three amber bottles of vermouth, Campari, and cacao-infused Don Papa.

Run Rabbit Run head bartender Enzo Luna, and bartender Christina Soudji headed the Zoom press conference cum tasting session, along with Bleeding Heart Rum Co.’s (Don Papa’s parent) Program Development Manager Aaron Goodall.

Luckily, Mr. Luna said during the session, they had already been looking into cocktail delivery prior to the lockdown so they were able to transition relatively smoothly.

Customers are instructed to place their order between Sunday to Thursday, for orders to be delivered once a week, on its best day: Friday (some will argue it’s Saturday).

“This ECQ has also been an opportunity for us to hone our craft and share our knowledge with fellow bartenders,” said Ms. Soudji added.

The Banana Rum Daiquiri was made with rum, sugar, and lime with a touch of banana liqueur. It had a scent of tutti frutti bubblegum, a cheery citrusy note and an aftertaste of the aforementioned gum flavor. It’s a great opener for a conversation, and the bananas are only hinted at in the sweet soft buttery endnote, with a certain tropicality to it. I could almost hear the birds cawing.

Next came the Masskara Old Fashioned, made with the spicy Don Papa Masskara variety with a touch of aromatic bitters. It smells like an old gentleman’s club with smoky wood and leather, an effect probably lent by the bitters. The bitters also give it a strong medicinal opening note that lingers on the tongue, while the body provides subtle citrus notes, hints of honey, and siling labuyo (bird’s eye chili). It had a strangely refreshing tonic note at the end.

Mr. Luna and Ms. Soudji instructed the Zoom guests how to mix the Chocoroni. The Don Papa cacao infusion was achieved through the use of cacao husk. In a glass with ice cubes, we poured the Don Papa rum in, then the Campari, then the vermouth (one has to forgive this reporter if he made a mistake in the order — the two previous cocktails were quite strong). It was like drinking the scent and taste of an indulgent dark chocolate praline. A strong scent of chocolate highlighted those notes already present in Don Papa.

As mentioned above, you can order these cocktails and more through Run Rabbit Run’s website https://www.runrabbit.run/cocktails-to-go (there are about 16 cocktails in the menu). We must warn you though: they’re quite strong. A 500 ml bottle serves about three people, but a single serving of the Don Papa Chocoroni got me my required eight hours of sleep — beginning a mere hour after the afternoon tasting session ended. — Joseph L. Garcia

Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific finalizes new batch of layoffs

BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific on Wednesday said it was finalizing the number of employees that will be affected in its next wave of job cuts.

“No final figure yet,” Cebu Pacific Director for Corporate Communications Charo L. Lagamon told BusinessWorld in a phone message on Wednesday.

In a statement, Cebu Pacific, operated by Cebu Air, Inc., said: “The details are still being finalized and Cebu Pacific commits that any decisions and actions that will be taken will be done with utmost transparency, sensitivity and responsibility to our employees, partners and other stakeholders.”

The low-cost airline noted the right-sizing is part of the “transformation process” that it undergoes to “ensure the long-term sustainability of the business, given the expected changes in travel demand and consumer behavior.”

It added that the measure will also be necessary to fulfill its “commitment to provide affordable and accessible air transport services to everyJuan in the years to come.”

Cebu Pacific expects travel recovery to happen over a longer period, with the pandemic “negatively impacting” the entire aviation sector.

In March, the company decided to let go of its 150 newly hired flight attendants as reduced flights entail “less opportunity for them to gain in-flight experience.”

The company assured them that they would be prioritized in the hiring once the business picks up.

It said it had initially implemented austerity measures, which include delaying non-critical projects and programs, a hiring freeze, deferment of some training programs, cancellation of non-essential activities, restricting overtime, and pay cuts by its executives.

The government has allowed the resumption of local flights in areas under general community quarantine with the approval of local government units.

Lance Y. Gokongwei, president and chief executive officer of JG Summit Holdings, Inc., parent of the airline company, had said he expected to fulfill at least 10% of flight schedules, traveling to and from 20 domestic destinations, by the end of June.

The carrier has introduced contactless booking and installed HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters in all its passenger aircraft as part of the safety measures it implements. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Term deposit yields dip ahead of BSP’s policy-setting meeting

YIELDS on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) term deposit facility (TDF) dipped as the market awaits the decision of the Monetary Board’s policy-setting meeting this Thursday.

Tenders for the term deposits offered by the BSP on Wednesday hit P418.775 billion, surpassing the P170 billion auctioned off and also higher than the P360.02 billion in bids logged for the P150 billion offered last week.

The seven-day deposits recorded bids amounting to P278.475 billion, more than double the P120 billion on offer and surpassing the P268.44 billion in tenders seen on June 17 for the P120 billion on the auction block.

Banks sought yields ranging from 2.25% to 2.2505% for the one-week papers, marginally narrower than the 2.25% to 2.2508% range logged the previous week. With this, the average rate for the seven-day papers stood at 2.2504%, down by 0.01 basis point (bp) from the 2.2505% recorded last week.

For the 14-day papers, tenders totaled P140.3 billion, almost thrice as much as the P50 billion up for grabs as well as the P91.58 billion in bids seen last week.

Lenders asked for rates between 2.25% and 2.251% for the two-week term deposits, barely changed from the 2.25% to 2.252% range logged last week. This caused the average rate for the 14-day papers to settle at 2.2508%, slipping by 0.04 bp from the 2.2512% logged on June 17.

“The results of [the] auction continue to indicate very strong market interest for safe assets amid ample financial liquidity,” BSP Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila, Jr. said in a statement.

The TDF is the central bank’s primary tool to gather excess liquidity in the financial system and to better guide market interest rates.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the market seemed to be on the lookout for another easing move despite previous signals from the BSP that it is likely to pause this week.

“Markets have already priced in possible rate cut by the BSP for quite some time already, with TDF yields usually below the key BSP overnight [reverse repurchase] rate of 2.75%,” Mr. Ricafort said in a text message.

Ten out of 13 analysts polled by BusinessWorld expect the BSP to keep policy rates steady at its meeting today, with some of them saying the next rate cut may happen later this year, when the pandemic’s economic impact can be gauged better.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said earlier this month they are “happy” with “where the current policy rate is” and assured the central bank still has enough ammunition when things get worse.

“Will there be a rate cut in the June to August meeting? We’re looking at it and we’re looking at information,” Mr. Diokno said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel on Monday.

The Monetary Board’s next scheduled meeting after June 25’s review is on Aug. 20.

The BSP has slashed rates by a total of 125 bps so far this year. This brought the overnight reverse repurchase, lending and deposit rates to record lows of 2.75%, 3.25% and 2.25%, respectively. — L.W.T. Noble

Samsung Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition now up for pre-order on online store

SAMSUNG Philippines is now offering the BTS Edition of its S20+ phone for pre-order.

The pre-order period started at 10 a.m. on June 24 and will run until July 5. The limited edition of the Galaxy S20+, which will be made available exclusively through Samsung’s official online store, features BTS-themed content.

All pre-ordered units through the Samsung Online Store come with Samsung’s official warranty.

The Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition has a purple exterior, with the South Korean group’s logo and purple heart iconography on the backside of the device.

The phone also has a pre-installed BTS-inspired theme and icons, among others.

Samsung said the special BTS Edition package will include stickers and seven collectible photo cards featuring the BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook.

The limited edition device is priced at P57,990. As a pre-order offer, every purchase of the phone will come with a 50% discount on the BTS Edition Samsung Galaxy Buds+ which will retail at P8,990. Pre-orders will also be entitled to a P4,000 eStore voucher which can be used upon checkout.

“With this one-of-a-kind collaboration with the global pop music and cultural sensation, BTS, we hope to give an exclusive opportunity for the fans to connect more with their favorite phenomenal group,” Jerry Mañus, Samsung Philippines Business Unit Head of IT and Mobile, was quoted as saying.

To pre-order, visit https://www.samsung.com/ph/offer/online/galaxy-s20/bts-edition-pre-order/.

A brave experiment

By Michelle Anne P. Soliman, Reporter

THEATER REVIEW
Virgin Labfest 2020: KAPIT

WHEN most theater producers postponed or canceled their shows because of the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, the Virgin Labfest (VLF) went in a different direction — it migrated online. With the help of the online technical team of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the festival of untried, untested, and unstaged one-act plays went on as originally scheduled with livestreams on Facebook and Vimeo.

The festival’s free live-streamed performances are ongoing until June 28, and the performances are also available for a minimal amount on Vimeo until July 1. The theater festival features nine new works, three revisited plays, and six staged readings.

This writer caught the livestreams of three feature plays, one revisited play, and one staged reading during the festival’s first two weeks.

Featured plays

Doggy
THE opening play for this year’s festival was performed by a real-life couple in one bedroom. A few days before their wedding, Jane (Che Ramos Cosio) confronts her fiancée Mark’s (Chrome Cosio) anger over her sexually adventurous attitude in past relationships. Playwright Dustin Celestino challenges the function of a marriage for sexual exclusivity, tackling the ideas of consent and the value of intimacy. With the camera set up at a corner with a full view of the room, it acts as a surveillance camera capturing the tension of a couple’s arguments. By the end of the play, viewers are left to decide for themselves whether the wedding pushes through or not.

Boy-boy and Friends Channel
WHEN four friends lose their jobs when a TV network shuts down, they begin a new career as YouTubers. For one episode on their channel, they take on a challenge with each of them choosing a tattoo for a friend. Written by Anthony Kim Vergara and directed by Joshua Tayco, the play is reminiscent of a fun evening comedy sitcom with laugh tracks and other sound effects. It is impressive to see how the tattoo parlor backdrop gives the illusion of the four actors — all of whom were shooting in their different quarantine locations — being in one place. Despite the lag towards the end of the show’s first livestream, this writer laughed out loud to a witty title card transition that said “Tumatae lang po si Boyboy… at tsaka technical difficulties.” (Boyboy had to take a dump…. plus technical difficulties.) The show resumed smoothly where it left off.

Mayang Bubot sa Tag-araw
A YOUNG Aeta woman, Bubot, reunites with her childhood friend Maya in their community. Bubot talks to Maya about her experience chasing a dream for a better life. Despite the community’s struggle and fight for ancestral land ownership, Maya updates her childhood friend about fulfilling her role for them. Amidst the skillful shadow puppetry, undivided attention is required to understand the plot of the dialogue-driven story.

Revisited Plays

Wanted Male Borders
WRITTEN by Rick Patriarca and directed by George de Jesus III, the play follows three male friends who welcome an energetic new roommate. Beyond the new guy’s flirtatious attitude towards his fellow boarders is a story that explores toxic masculinity. Among this year’s revisited plays, Wanted Male Borders is the only one this writer saw both onstage and online. Onscreen it remains as hilarious and enjoyable as it was onstage. The animation of four separate smartphones where the characters interact onscreen and use of chat filters added to the fun while watching.

Staged reading

Bagahe
WRITTEN by Nicko de Guzman, the story is set in 2016 and follows a migrant couple Che (Lui Manansala) and Kaloy (Ward Luarca) as they prepare for their flight back to the Philippines in anticipation of the birth of their first grandchild, and to reside there for good after 30 years in the United States. The tension during the couple’s conversation while preparing their luggage slowly builds as they shift topic from found objects, the KonMari Method, the results of 2016 elections, and reminiscing on the days of their youth. Mr. De Guzman’s script presents the conflict of choosing between one’s obligation to the self and to the country.

This year’s festival gave audiences a variety of story themes, from childhood friendships to recurring social issues such as injustice and discrimination against minority groups.

VLF 2020: KAPIT, as this year’s festival is called, pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved in theater. By watching the shows online, the audience members engaged in conversation in the comments section and the talkbacks after the show. The inclusion of visual effects, graphics, and animation gave the illusion that the actors were together in a room despite streaming from separate locations. The introductory messages of the playwrights, directors, and production designers may tend to spoon feed the viewers about what they are about to watch, however, they also give first-time VLF audiences and non-regular theatergoers an opportunity to learn more about the kind of stories the festival presents and the pre-production process of mounting an entire show online.

As a first-time venture into the digital platform, technical difficulties are inevitable. However, these did not detract from the quality of the story. Mistakes are part of the process of experimentation. The lessons from this year’s first attempt at online migration proved how the show can go on, and can open doors for stories to reach a wider audience, and, hopefully, spark greater curiosity about the live theatrical experience where appreciation is received not through “clapping” emoticons but through real applause.

The livestreams of VLF 2020: KAPIT run until June 28. For more details and show schedules, visit https://www.facebook.com/culturalcenterofthephilippines/ and https://www.facebook.com/thevirginlabfest/, or join https://www.facebook.com/groups/VLFTambayan/ VLF 2020: KAPIT is also available on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/vlf2020kapit) until July 1 with regular (P100) and premium (P200) packages. Limited performances come with English subtitles.

One of the main components of VLF, the Playwright’s Fair keeps up with conversations with playwrights and authors on June 25 to 27, at 8 p.m. Meanwhile, the VLF Fellowship Program concludes with an online staged reading of the fellows’ works, directed by Dennis Marasigan, on June 28 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Airbus seeks to restore Filipinos’ confidence in flying

AIRLINES and airports continue to experience an unprecedented decline in passenger traffic due to the pandemic. — JESHOOTS.COM/UNSPLASH

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter

EUROPEAN aircraft manufacturer Airbus on Wednesday urged the Philippine government and the country’s aviation sector to continue communicating the safety measures being carried out in order to rebuild the confidence of the public to fly again.

“I applaud them for their efforts, but I also urge them to continue to communicate the safety standards and safety initiatives being carried out,” Anand Stanley, the company’s newly appointed president for the Asia-Pacific region, said in a virtual conference on Wednesday.

He said safety measures should be communicated well to the public, as airlines and airports continue to experience an unprecedented decline in passenger traffic due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Philippines is a vibrant market. It has a very strong population. It has a very strong domestic and international reach,” he noted.

Mr. Stanley added that the Philippine government should also communicate how it is supporting airlines in ensuring the execution of safety measures.

Airbus has always been big on safety measures, he said, adding that all its commercial passenger aircraft are equipped with “advanced air ventilation and filtration systems.”

“Clean air has always been a priority in our cabin design, with air flow, pressure, temperature and quality continuously monitored,” Mr. Stanley said.

“The air in the cabin is completely renewed every two to three minutes. The quality of the air in the cabin is in fact similar to an operating theater in a hospital,” he added.

Mr. Stanley said further that “air enters the cabin through vents near the overhead bins and travels in a downward direction at a rate of one meter per second,” reducing risk of cross-contamination.

The cabin’s high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters remove 99.95% of particles from the air, including bacteria and viruses such as the relatively large coronavirus, he noted.

In April, Airbus announced that it would revise downwards its production rates “to adapt to the new coronavirus market environment.”

“The impact of this pandemic is unprecedented. At Airbus, protecting our people and supporting the fight against the virus are our chief priorities at this time. We are in constant dialogue with our customers and supply chain partners as we are all going through these difficult times together,” Airbus Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury was quoted as saying in a news release.

“Our airline customers are heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. We are actively adapting our production to their new situation and working on operational and financial mitigation measures to face reality,” he added.

Mr. Stanley said the recovery of aircraft demand depends on the public’s confidence to fly again.

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