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PEZA backs relocating POGOs outside Metro Manila, leisure ‘islands’

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said the government should focus on locating Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) outside Metro Manila and in selected areas designated as games and recreational islands.

The government allowed POGOs to operate with up to 30% of their workforce in areas under quarantine, after classifying them as business process outsourcing (BPO) companies.

PEZA in a statement on Sunday said that it supports the reclassification but added does not register POGOs.

The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) on Saturday outlined the differences between POGOs and outsourcing companies, noting that the latter are registered with PEZA and the Board of Investments. POGOs register with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR).

“(PEZA) does not register IT/BPOs engaged in online gambling, but supports the government efforts to raise income by POGO and online gambling,” PEZA Director-General Charito B. Plaza said.

PEZA said the government can locate online gambling in the Cagayan Valley Ecozone and the Aurora Economic Zone, which have the authority to register them.

“The government can focus the location of online gambling in these two areas or put these operators in selected islands for security and safety purposes but, not in the existing business districts and urban centers of Metro Manila and other cities,” Ms. Plaza said.

“PAGCOR is very capable of putting up and managing these selected islands, designing these as Games and Recreation Tourism destinations similar to Macau and Las Vegas,” she added.

IBPAP Chief Executive Officer and President Rey C. Untal said BPOs come to the Philippines for the domestic human capital, against POGOs which hire foreign labor.

“It is also worth noting that the IT-enabled jobs BPO companies create are of much higher value, requiring a range of technical, domain, and soft skills. This is also very different from the work done by the game development sector which is sometimes mistaken as having similarities due to the gaming notion,” he said.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said in a mobile message to reporters on Saturday: “There are similarities with BPOs in terms of the use of IT and online platforms in their business models, not bricks and mortar, no physical interaction with clients and customers. (POGOs) could impose the required minimum health protocol standards” required of BPOs in order to operate. — Jenina P. Ibañez

GNI for 2019 revised downwards after adoption of new base year

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) logo

GROSS national income (GNI) was revised downward to 5.2% from 5.5% in 2019 after the adoption of the new 2018 base year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Friday.

The 5.5% reported in January had used 2000 prices.

GNI in the fourth quarter of 2019 was revised downwards to 5.8% from 6.2% previously.

GNI is the sum of the gross domestic product (GDP) — or the final goods and services the economy produced in a particular period — and the net income the country received from overseas.

The latest 2019 GNI growth estimate was the lowest since 2011’s 3.3%. Between 2001 and 2019, GNI growth averaged 5.5%.

Meanwhile, net primary income from other countries declined 2.2% last year — its first contraction since coming in at minus 1.1% in 2011.

It averaged 5.7% over the past 19 years, peaking at 26.7% in 2009.

CONTRIBUTION TO GDP
In the same report, the PSA noted that wholesale and retail trade and the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles were the top contributors to GDP growth, averaging one percentage point (ppt) annually from 2001 to 2019.

Manufacturing and financial and insurance activities followed with an average of 0.9 ppt and 0.6 ppt, respectively.

On the expenditure side, household consumption was the biggest component, averaging 3.9 ppts.

The PSA updated its national accounts earlier this year by moving the base year from 2000 to 2018 to better reflect current economic activity.

The adoption of the 2018 base year takes in the expansion of industries such as information and communication; accommodation and food services; education; and human health and social work activities.

Previous base year changes involved the shift from 1955 to 1967, from 1967 to 1972, from 1972 to 1985, and from 1985 to 2000.

The PSA will release first-quarter GDP data Thursday using the 2018 base year.

A BusinessWorld poll of 11 economists yielded a median estimate of 2.9%, well below the 6.7% recorded in the fourth quarter and the year earlier 5.7%. — Marissa Mae M. Ramos

General government debt share of GDP rises in 3 months to Sept.

GENERAL government (GG) debt as a share of the economy increased in the third quarter of 2019 to 10.4%, the Department of Finance (DoF) said.

The DoF reported over the weekend that consolidated GG debt rose 10.4% year on year to P6.79 trillion in the three months to September. The total was also higher than the P6.77 trillion recorded in the preceding quarter.

The debt is equivalent to 37.2% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the corresponding quarter, against the year earlier share of 36.3% and the 37.6% share a quarter earlier.

Of the P6.79 trillion total, 62% or P4.21 trillion represented domestic debt while the remaining 38% or P2.58 trillion was sourced overseas.

The DoF said GG debt is composed of outstanding national government debt, social security institutions (SSIs) and local government units, less items known as “intra-sector debt holding of government securities, including those held by the Bond Sinking Fund (BSF).”

The national government debt, net of the BSF, was P7.32 trillion in the third quarter 2019, up 9.9% from a year earlier and higher than the P7.31 trillion recorded in the second quarter.

The DoF said the breakdown was 65% or P4.73 trillion in domestic debt and 35% or around P2.58 trillion foreign.

Local government debt rose 17.3% year on year to P105.2 billion. The preceding quarter’s debt level was P102.8 billion.

“SSIs such as the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) did not contribute to the debt stock, but simultaneously decreased their intra-sector holdings of government securities by 0.3% compared with the second quarter of 2019,” the DoF said. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Annual reporting despite business interruptions

“Gradually and then suddenly” was how Ernest Hemingway described going bankrupt in The Sun Also Rises and the description seems to apply to the global response to COVID-19. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) response also follows this pattern, making adjustments over a short period to address the effects of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) on annual reporting.

The SEC originally issued SEC Memorandum Circular No. 2 on Jan. 21, setting the period between April 20 and May 22 as the deadline for companies whose fiscal year ended on Dec. 31 to file their Annual Financial Statements (AFS). Companies whose fiscal year ends on a date other than Dec. 31 have a filing date of 120 calendar days from the end of their fiscal year.

General Information Sheets (GISs), on the other hand, should be filed within 30 calendar days from the following dates based on the type of the corporation:

a) Stock Corporations: date of actual annual stockholders’ meeting

b) Non-Stock Corporations: date of actual annual members’ meeting

c) Foreign Corporations: anniversary date of the issuance of the SEC License

However, after the President declared a state of public health emergency, the SEC issued on March 12 SEC Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 5, Series of 2020 extending the filing of 2019 Annual Reports (ARs) as well as the applicable Quarterly Reports for 2020 and 2019 AFS.

AR AND AFS DEADLINE EXTENSION
Invoking its regulatory power under Sec. 5.1(g) of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC) and Sec. 179 (o) of the Revised Corporation Code (RCC), the SEC granted affected companies an extension, without penalty, to submit their ARs and/or AFS for the period ended Dec. 31.

a) Companies with domestic operations only: until June 30

b) Companies with domestic and foreign operations: until June 30 or 60 days from the date of lifting of travel restrictions/ban by the authorities (whichever comes later).

The extension is subject to the submission of a written request, confirmation and continuous observance of disclosure obligations for affected publicly-listed and non-publicly listed corporations.

On March 18, two days following President Duterte’s ECQ declaration, the SEC issued a notice further relaxing the requirements for extension requests by dispensing with documents such as the sworn certification by the company’s President and Treasurer confirming that (1) its financial year-end is Dec. 31; (2) it has significant business operations or significant subsidiaries in areas/countries/territories affected by COVID-19, and (3) the preparation of AFS and timely completion of statutory audit of the company’s FS has been affected by travel restrictions, temporary suspension of business operations and/or measures imposed by the authorities or companies in response to COVID-19. The sworn certification by the company’s external auditor confirming 2 and 3 was also dispensed with.

Instead, affected publicly listed corporations now need to submit the following requirements to avail of the extension:

a) Upload SEC Form 17-LC (announced on April 8) via PSE Edge not later than five days before the regular filing deadline;

b) Continuous observance of disclosure obligations under Republic Act No. 8799 or the Securities Regulation Code, and Philippine Stock Exchange’s Consolidated Listing and Disclosure Rules; and

c) Indicative date to convene the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting.

AR, AFS AND GIS FILING GUIDELINES
Corporations whose preparation of financial statements or completion of statutory audits are not affected by the COVID-19 outbreak must file their ARs and/or AFS for the year ended 31 December 2019 within the periods prescribed under existing rules and regulations. Companies with fiscal years ending Nov. 30 also receive a similar extension.

On March 18, the SEC issued SEC MC No. 09-2020, which provided the guidelines for the filing of the GIS during the COVID-19 outbreak and ECQ.

a) If a company holds its Election of Directors, Trustees and Officers, the company must submit its GIS within 30 days from the actual meeting to designated channels. Companies are also required to submit printed copies within 30 calendar days from lifting of the ECQ.

b) If the Annual Meeting and Election of Directors or Officers is not held due to COVID-19 health and safety reasons and the corporation has no remote communication facilities, the company reports the same to the SEC through a notice within 30 days from the original meeting date. The report should include a new date for election that is 60 days from the originally scheduled date.

c) If the Annual Meeting of Election of Directors, Trustees or Officers is not held due to other causes, the company reports the same to the SEC within 30 days from the original meeting date, including a new date for election no later than 60 days from the originally scheduled date.

d) If an election initially reported as not held due to COVID-19 precautionary reasons is verified as unrelated to COVID-19 upon application of a stockholder, member, director, or trustee, the same may nevertheless be considered as a non-holding of election due to other causes.

e) If a company does not justify the non-holding of an election under the current circumstances, the SEC issues an order directing a notice stating the time and place of the election in accordance with Section 25 of the RCC.

f) Companies will submit reports relating to the non-holding of annual meetings due to COVID-19 precautionary reasons and due to other causes to the SEC.

g) Companies will report results of the election of directors, trustees, or officers subsequent to the report of non-holding of an election meeting for COVID-19 reasons and other causes, and which is held outside the covered period, to the SEC through a GIS submission within 30 days from the date of the actual election meeting. The GIS submitted pursuant to this paragraph is subject to penalty.

In addition, in MC No. 10-2020 issued March 20, the SEC allowed the filing of the AFS, GIS and other general and special forms and letters through e-mail as long as the documents are in PDF format with electronic signatures. These e-mails must be sent as MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) from a valid company e-mail account or address of an authorized representative and include a declaration of authenticity, a commitment to submit physical copies after the ECQ is lifted, and a request for Return Receipt and Delivery Status Notification. The AFS and GIS may not be notarized. E-mails sent between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on a regular workday shall be considered filed within the day they were sent.

ADAPTING TO UNCERTAIN TIMES
After SEC MC No. 09-2020 comes into force, and upon evaluation of ongoing developments relative to COVID-19 and the ECQ, the SEC may further extend the covered period provided as deemed necessary.

Given the current challenging business conditions, the SEC has proven its ability to take timely and decisive action to help businesses cope with their reportorial obligations. Companies, organizations and other regulatory groups that wish to survive and quickly recover after the pandemic would do well to also take purposeful steps of their own, not gradually and suddenly but with a sense of urgency and resoluteness.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.

 

Rosalie T. Lapuz is a Senior Director from the Business Tax Services Service Line of SGV & Co.

Gov’t stops inbound international flights for a week

THE Philippine government on Sunday said it had suspended inbound international flights for a week starting May 3 to decongest local quarantine facilities for the coronavirus.

“The move is deemed necessary in order to ensure that our country will not experience a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the increasing number of international passenger arrivals,” the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said in a Viber group message.

The agency noted that most Filipino workers who have returned came from countries with serious outbreaks of the coronavirus disease 2019.

The flight restriction would also allow the government’s frontline agencies against COVID-19 to upgrade their testing and screening protocols and expand existing quarantine and treatment facilities, DoTr said.

The agency said the National Task Force against COVID-19 had asked it to enforce the temporary measure.

About 20,000 Filipino workers from overseas were undergoing mandatory quarantine in Metro Manila.

The coronavirus disease 2019 has sickened 3.5 million and killed more than 244,000 people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization.

About 1.1 million people have recovered from the virus, it said.

Almost two-thirds of the world’s 26,000 passenger aircraft have been grounded, and about 25 million jobs were at risk, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Carriers face a $314-billion shortfall in ticket sales this year, and half of them face bankruptcy in two to three months without government help, it said.

The Manila International Airport Authority, which is under DoTR, on Saturday night said the restriction applied to both inbound and outbound passenger flights, but DoTr issued a correction yesterday afternoon that it only covered inbound international passenger flights.

The restriction exempts emergencies while en route, cargo flights, those involving air ambulance and medical supplies, weather mitigation and maintenance flights, DoTr said in the first advisory, citing Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., chief enforcer of the government’s anti-COVID-19 efforts.

“Also allowed to continue are sweeper flights for foreign nationals repatriating back to their respective countries,” according to a copy of the original statement.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte locked down the entire Luzon island on March 17, suspending work, classes and public transportation to contain the outbreak.

The government had allowed since March 17 the entry and exit of Filipino workers, their foreign spouses and children; accredited foreign government and international organization officials; and foreign airline crew members.

There were 24 international arrivals and departures at the NAIA Terminal 1 on May 1 by Etihad Airways, Hong Kong Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Eva Air, Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Saudia Airlines, China Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Korean Airlines and Asiana Airlines. These went down to 12 a day later.

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) seeking to avail themselves of the government’s repatriation program should stay put while the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) adjusts its procedures according to the latest rules.

“Repatriation efforts are being adjusted to comply with the directives of the National Task Force on COVID-19,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Martin R. Meñez said in a group message yesterday. “OFWs will remain where they are in the meantime.”

“For those who may already be at airports, they will be assisted as best possible under the circumstances,” Mr. Meñez said.

The new rules won’t affect flights that were already bound for the Philippines, he added.

DFA has been facilitating the return of migrant workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Meñez said 24,422 Filipino workers who are mostly sailors have come home.

The agency said 1,741 Filipino workers abroad have been infected — 1,069 were being treated, 465 have recovered and 207 have died.

Also yesterday, flag carrier Philippine Airlines said it had canceled its special passenger flights from the US to Manila, departing on May 4 to May 8.

“If you are previously booked on any of the canceled flights, we will endeavor to rebook you to another special flight operating after the airport closure period,” it said in a statement. “All such flights are subject to government approvals.” — Arjay L. Balinbin and Charmaine A. Tadalan

COVID-19 cases top 9,000; death toll hits over 600

THE Department of Health (DoH) reported 295 new infections on Sunday, bringing the total to 9,223.

Four more patients died, raising the death toll to 607, it said in a bulletin. Ninety more patients have gotten well, bringing the total recoveries to 1,214.

Based on the agency’s COVID-19 tracker, 103,692 people have been tested as of May 1, 11,097 of whom tested positive while 92,375 were negative.

The positive tests may be higher than the total confirmed cases because these need to be validated and processed, the agency said.

Undersecretary Maria Rosario on Friday said that the Philippine Red Cross had started the full-scale operation of its testing laboratory.

The department is also awaiting the delivery of testing equipment for the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga province by May 10, which will increase the daily testing capacity by 3,000.

The Marikina Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory had been certified to test samples.

Ms. Vergeire said they were coordinating with laboratories undergoing certification and the private sector to meet the daily testing capacity of 30,000 by end-May. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Gov’t told to cut red tape at checkpoints

THE government should cut red tape and facilitate the movement of people and goods at checkpoints as companies reopen under relaxed lockdown rules, an employer’s group said on Sunday.

“When they come out with rules, they should consider the limitations of companies and employees,” Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis, Jr., president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, said by telephone.

He said many companies are unlikely to resume full operations while red tape remains problematic.

The Trade and Labor departments on Friday released guidelines for workplace safety and health for businesses that are allowed to operate under the lockdown.

Health measures include requiring the use of face masks, temperature checks, proper sanitation and discouraging eating at communal areas.

Companies should also enforce alternative work arrangements such as work hour shifts and create workstation layouts that help maintain physical distancing.

Mr. Ortiz-Luis said implementing safety controls would mean a “calibrated” opening of business operations.

“With safety distancing observed, we don’t expect full-blast operations, but calibrated depending on the capacity of the company,” he said, adding that the government should continue to consult with the business sector.

The so-called enhanced community quarantine was extended in areas including Metro Manila up to May 15, while areas with lower risk for coronavirus disease 2019 infections were placed under a general community quarantine.

Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar on Saturday said more mobile checkpoints would be set up in areas under the general community quarantine. — Jenina P. Ibañez

#COVID-19 Regional Updates

LUZON

SLMC starts convalescent plasma program for COVID-19 patients

ST. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) has started transfusion therapy for convalescent plasma to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients suffering from severe symptoms. In a statement, the private hospital said convalescent plasma infusion is used to reduce the viral load of severe COVID-19 patients by giving them antibodies that developed in the blood plasma of a survivor. SLMC said the convalescent plasma “has shown enough promise against COVID-19 that many hospitals have adapted it as a possible treatment for the disease.” Jennifer Rodrigues, a cardiology fellow from SMLC, is among those who donated their plasma. She agreed to give her plasma when she was asked by her department head if she is willing to participate in the program after recovering from COVID-19 and tested negative for the disease twice. “Donating plasma isn’t a bad experience, after all. It would take only an hour for the machine to extract the plasma. It’s not painful either. During the procedure I did not feel anything uncomfortable,” Ms. Rodriguez said. “If it could possibly help those who need, I’m very willing to donate,” she said. Ms. Rodriguez was infected after being exposed to a colleague who tested positive for COVID-19 after doing rounds. She was confined for 10 days. The hospital has partnered with Security Bank Corp. for the convalescent program, with the financial institution covering the treatment of patients who could not afford it. SLMC encourages COVID-19 survivors to donate their plasma to help those in severe conditions and increase the recovery rate. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

VISAYAS

In COVID-free Tacloban, mayor encourages businesses to open

MAYOR Alfred S. Romualdez of Tacloban City, among the areas that eased quarantine restrictions starting May 1, said he wants as many businesses as possible to reopen to jumpstart the local economy, but asked proprietors to set up health safety systems as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a serious threat. “Let’s be smart about this… I am encouraging businesses that as much as possible, to open. If it were up to me, I want all (businesses) to open… as long as we have an understanding on what you will do about social distancing,” he said, speaking in mixed English and Filipino, in a streamed interview. “Come up with your systems in your businesses and present it to us… It is very hard if we keep waiting for government to keep issuing policies. So let’s use common sense… We don’t want the virus to spread because if that happens, then we’ll have to close your businesses,” he said. Mr. Romualdez issued new general guidelines on April 28 after the national government announced that the city will not be part of the localities where lockdown measures will continue until May 15. Tacloban City, the center of Eastern Visayas Region, had remained free from COVID-19 as of May 2. It has seven suspected cases, six of whom are in hospital while one is under home quarantine. The mayor also said he is counting on other local government leaders in the region to strictly implement their monitoring and quarantine systems to protect Tacloban. “It’s pointless, when you have positive in other towns locking down and Tacloban is also locking down because of that, I can’t do that,” he said, stressing the need to get economic activities going. The entire region had 13 confirmed cases as of May 1 afternoon, four of whom have recovered while the rest are in different medical facilities. There were 233 suspected cases, with 61 in hospital and 172 under home isolation. — MSJ

MINDANAO

Zamboanga City COVID-19 cases jump to 59 with 48 in city jail

CORONAVIRUS disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Zamboanga City jumped to 59 over the weekend after three personnel of the City Reformatory Center and 45 inmates tested positive. The spike was recorded after the release of test results from samples sent April 27 and 30 to the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Metro Manila through Brent Hospital. The city government entered into an agreement with SLMC to speed up the turnaround of COVID-19 results. The city government, in a statement, said it is closely working with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology “to include providing resources and logistics to address the outbreak inside the city jail.” It added, “Actions have also been taken to facilitate the transfer of the women dormitory to avoid contamination of older PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) and those with underlying medical conditions.” Zamboanga City’s request to the national task force to extend its strict quarantine measures to May 15 was granted. Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr., Task Force-COVID-19 chief implementer, led a multi-agency government team that visited the city over the weekend to check on the situation, including a site inspection of three laboratories that will be operated as COVID-19 testing centers. These are the Zamboanga City Medical Center, Red Cross Center, and the Department of Agriculture’s regional diagnostic laboratory. — MSJ

Nationwide round-up

Labor groups say gov’t guidelines on business reopening not enough

LABOR groups slammed the guidelines released by government for the reopening of businesses, saying it does not fully protect workers, especially when they contract the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued the Interim Guidelines on Workplace Prevention and Control of COVID-19 last Friday, which outline health safety requirements such as wearing of masks, physical distancing, and testing of employees at the company’s expense. Labor leaders interviewed Sunday by BusinessWorld all said the rules fail to cover other factors such as employees’ health coverage and the nature of certain industries. Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines Spokesperson Alan A. Tanjusay said the guidelines “will help prevent workers from exposure to COVID-19 but it does not totally protect workers from the consequences of exposure to COVID-19.” Mr. Tanjusay said they earlier proposed that employers should compensate the employees’ mandatory 14-day isolation or quarantine period.

TESTING
Federation of Free Workers (FFW) Vice President Julius H. Cainglet said while bigger companies can pay for the COVID-19 testing, 99.5% of establishments in the country are micro, small, and medium enterprises. “Large enterprises may shoulder the expenses for this. But micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) should be subsidized by government as allocating resources for mass testing might dry up their capital,” he said. Partido Manggagawa Chairperson Renato B. Magtubo, meanwhile, said DoLE and DTI should step up monitoring on how businesses are complying with the rules. “Given that more than 90% of the country’s establishments are categorized as MSMEs, and many of them before the COVID-19 pandemic cannot even comply with labor standards, the DOLE-DTI guidelines for workplace control and prevention of COVID-19 needs constant monitoring and more forceful ways in enforcing compliance so that the same will be faithfully comply with by employers.” Mr. Magtubo added that penalties should also be included in the joint guidelines, with a tripartite mechanism for the enforcement. — Gillian M. Cortez

Locsin opposes higher PhilHealth premium payment for OFWs

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin on Sunday opposed the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s (PhilHealth) directive increasing the premium payment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to 3% of their monthly salary in 2020 from 2.75%. “Why don’t we just leave OFWs alone, except to help them when they are in trouble,” Mr. Locsin said in a social media post Sunday. “Their blood but better wages abroad account for 10% of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product).” The scheduled increase was provided under PhilHealth Circular No. 2019-0009, which imposes a 3% rate on all direct contributors, including OFWs, earning P10,000-60,000 monthly. In a separate circular, dated April 2020, PhilHealth issued the guidelines for its implementation, particularly covering migrant workers and other overseas Filipinos, whether registered in the National Health Insurance Program or not. “It is like an income tax which was abolished for OFWs and even their tax-free income filings were destroyed,” Mr. Locsin said. “They are just totally out of the purview of government exactions for which they will not benefit at all.”

CONSULAR OFFICES
In a separate development, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will resume operations of some of its Consular Offices, with strict enforcement of social distancing measures, starting May 4. In a May 2 advisory, the DFA said scheduling of appointment will be coursed through email. Applicants are also encouraged to avail online payments and courier delivery for the collection of documents to minimize physical interaction. Among the Consular Offices that will open are those in La Union, Puerto Princesa, Santiago City, and Tuguegarao City. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Lawmaker pushes for extended relief on commercial space rent payment

A lawmaker is calling on shopping center owners to extend the relief on rental payments for micro and small businesses as many parts of the country begin to slowly ease restrictions on commercial activities. “Although some malls have waived the rents during the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine), many businesses are still obligated to pay rent despite the temporary closure of malls. That is why mall owners or the lessors should only charge rent in proportion to the limited operations of the malls or shopping centers,” Manila Teachers Party-List Rep. Virgilio S. Lacson, chair of the and House committee on micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) development, said in a statement on Sunday. He said although the government has provided a 30-day grace period for payment of commercial rents by MSMEs falling due within the duration of the more relaxed general community quarantine, this does not provide relief to micro and small enterprises but only gives them an extended period for payment. “During these extraordinary times, the big businesses and establishments should help our micro and small enterprises. This could be in the form of providing rental relief,” he said. — Genshen L. Espedido

More detained foreign nationals to be deported

MORE foreign nationals currently detained are expected to be deported in the next few days as the Bureau of Immigration (BI) speeds up proceedings to decongest its holding facility. BI Spokesperson Dana Krizia M. Sandoval on Sunday said four have so far been either deported or released on bail, with three of them pregnant women. “We’re expecting more in the next few days, the Legal Division has been ordered by Commissioner to prepare a list of cases of at-risk wards, as well as those with cases that can be expedited already to decongest the warden facility,” she said in a mobile-phone message. She said the list will contain cases that are eligible for release. Ms. Sandoval previously said 418 are detained at the facility built for a 150-capacity. She added, however, that there are sufficient open and common areas within the compound where detainees can move around. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

PBA holding out hope that season can resume

THE Philippine Basketball Association remains hopeful that its currently suspended Season 45 would be able resume amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Meeting via teleconference on Saturday night, the league board of governors came to an agreement to defer any definite decision on the fate of the ongoing season to August, believing that by that time there would be more clarity on the status of COVID-19 and its impact.

“We will wait until August to decide whether it’s still a go or a season cancellation,” said PBA commissioner Willie Marcial after the teleconference that reportedly lasted for two hours.

The news was shared as other sporting organizations came out with their decisions last week as to their calendar for the rest of the year.

The Philippine Sports Commission, for one, deemed it fit to cancel all activities and events under its watch till December to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all athletes while focusing its efforts, including budget, on how to fight and survive the current crisis.

Collegiate leagues are also bracing for an altered staging for its next season, with the University Athletic Association of the Philippines not discounting even the possibility of scrapping the entire Season 83 as it remains to be seen how COVID-19 would affect the holding of the school year from which the UAAP takes its cue from.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is also in the process of carefully evaluating its options as to the holding of Season 96, including delaying its start to later this year.

Incidentally both the UAAP and NCAA abruptly ended their preceding seasons as it became evident that continuing with them would be an impossibility with COVID-19 still a growing concern.

The PBA in March decided to suspend its ongoing season after the government declared a state of public health emergency and put the entire Luzon on enhanced community quarantine as a means to mitigate the spread of the highly contagious respiratory disease.

Under such a setup, among those strictly prohibited are mass gatherings of any type, including the holding of sporting events.

At the time of the tournament suspension, only one game had been played in the season-opening PBA All-Filipino Cup, that between defending champions San Miguel Beermen and Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok, with the former winning, 94-78.

The league was hoping to resume playing in April, then this month, but with the ECQ still in effect in the National Capital Region, action remains shut.

PBA officials said it is highly likely the league would not be able to complete its three-conference format for this season and may have to settle for two conferences, or even one.

Meanwhile, the board unanimously passed a proposal to suspend any player trade and transactions to sign up free-agent players while the league is on hiatus.

It, however, will be allowing teams to re-sign players whose contracts have lapsed.

Teams may opt not to sign the players right away while the league is in a temporary halt. However, they have to sign the players within five days as soon as practices resume or the players become unrestricted free agents. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

MPBL player Bustos parading wares on a different field

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE to do his thing as a player in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as action is suspended with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Jesse Bustos is flexing his other skill while basketball is in hiatus — as a photojournalist.

Employed by broadsheet Philippine Star, Mr. Bustos, 33, who plays for the Pasay Voyagers in the MPBL, has seen himself parlaying his wares on a different field amid COVID-19, covering events in Pasay, Taguig, and his hometown of Parañaque while the National Capital Region continues to be under enhanced community quarantine.

It is a challenge that Mr. Bustos is taking on with much drive, seeing it as a career fallback when his playing days are over.

“Basketball is not forever and I’m not getting any younger. I asked veteran photographers in Star to teach me added skills to what I already knew and I started from there,” said Mr. Bustos, who has been part of Philippine Star since 2016.

The 6’3” player said being in the frontline in the time of COVID-19 entails a lot of hard work and caution, but is also fulfilling.

“When you are in the media you have to be at the frontline and report what is happening. You have to be careful though since COVID-19 is highly contagious,” shared Mr. Bustos.

Adding, “But it is fulfilling because we get to help other people by showing to them what is happening out there as the country deals with this disease.”

And the precaution does not stop on the field, Mr. Bustos further noted, as he also makes sure that he is free from the disease when he returns to his home.

“In the car I already change my clothing because I’m thinking of my loved ones. I also immediately take a bath,” he said.

Mr. Bustos played 18 games for Pasay in the Lakan season of the MPBL. The Voyagers finished eighth in the North Division with a 17-13 record and booked a spot in the playoffs. It was, however, swept by San Juan in their best-of-three quarterfinal series.

FIFA vice-president ponders calendar year season in Europe

ROME — FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani has said that moving the European soccer season to the calendar year is a “possibility to be discussed” in the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic which has brought football to a standstill around the world.

In an interview with Italy’s Radio Sportiva, Montagliani, who is seen as a close ally of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, said the move would fit in with the 2022 World Cup being played in Qatar in November and December.

The head of world soccer’s governing body himself has said that football will be totally different when it restarts and that the current stoppage could be a good chance to overhaul the overloaded calendar which is due to run until 2024.

“We have the opportunity because the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 will be played in November/December and that could be the idea,” said Montagliani, who is president of the CONCACAF confederation.

“Here in the Americas, the season is already played according to the calendar year, perhaps it is a solution that could also be used in Europe and Africa, it is a possibility to be discussed at national and continental level,” he said.

“It is not an idea to be discarded, it can be a solution in view of the next two years and this winter World Cup.”

A number of European leagues, including Italy, Germany and England, still hope to finish their seasons but doing so could force the start of the 2020–21 campaign to be pushed back. UEFA also wants to finish the Champions League and Europa League.

“We had already started thinking about how to set a new calendar from 2024, now with this crisis we need immediate answers,” added Montagliani.

The idea of a calendar-year season has been put forward before including by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge when he was chairman of the European Club Association.

“Everywhere, be it Germany, France or England, summer is the best period of the year. And that is the season we don’t play,” he told France Football magazine in a 2013 interview.

“In deepest winter, when it is very cold and snowing, we play nearly all the time in conditions that are disagreeable for both players and spectators. It is not logical.” — Reuters

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