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Stuff to do (10/16/20)

Animation Film Festival online

FOR the 10th year in a row, the Institut Français, in partnership with the AFCA (Association Française du Cinéma d’Animation), is bringing the Fête du cinéma de l’animation (Animation Film Festival) to an international audience. From Oct. 14 to 31, two animated feature films and 11 French and African animated short films will be available online and for free. The films can be seen here; https://ifcinema.institutfrancais.com/fr/streaming/animation . The films are Adama, by Simon Rouby (2015), about a boy who searches for his brother from his village in Africa to the front lines of the First World War in Verdun, France; Gus petit oiseau, grand voyage, by Christian de Vita (2014), about a tiny orphaned bird who finds himself leading a flock on their migration to Africa; Tales of Africa by Djilali Beskri, a collection of six animated shorts which showcase traditional stories from six African countries through the travels of protagonist Papa Nzenu; and, Games and little nonsense, a selection of seven silent short films for three- to six-year-olds. All the films are in French with English subtitles.

Daang Dokyu Taboo category

THIS week, the documentary film festival Daang Dokyu will hold screenings on films about the immersion in the lives of people, the intrusion in the lives of those who would otherwise remain unknown and unseen. The films, showing from Oct. 16 to 22, are All Grown Up (2018) by Wena Sanchez, Dreaming in the Red Light (2019) by Pabelle Manikan, Dory (2017) by Beverly Ramos, Oliver (1983) by Nick de Ocampo, Invisible (2019) by ABS-CBN News, Mga Batang Mandirigma (2004) by Probe Team directed by Cheche Lazaro, and Documented (2013) by Jose Antonio Vargas. While all the films will be free to screen from Oct. 16 to 22, Documented will only be available until Oct. 19. The films can be accessed via www.daangdokyu.ph/watchnow.

Araneta City’s #PopUpNight Dine Out Weekend

ARANETA City brings #PopUpNight Dine Out Weekend, a street dining experience in a “new normal” environment on Oct. 16 and 17, 5-8 p.m., at the Manhattan Row (along Malvar Street). Diners will enjoy an open-air food adventure through the al fresco offerings of Ally’s All Day Breakfast, Giovanni’s, Marina Grill, Mang Inasal, Gilligan’s, The Eatery, Mister Kabab, Bonchon, and Moonleaf Milk Tea. Sidestreet booths of Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen, and Taco Bell will also be available. Diners will just have to order at the booth, and wait for their food to be delivered to their seats. Other food stores will also have stalls along the road to offer more choices to the dining patrons. To ensure public health and dining satisfaction, physical distancing and other safety measures will be strictly implemented.

First person interpretation of Aguinaldo’s heroism lecture

THE MUSEUM Foundation will be holding a lecture/webinar, “Forgotten Voices in Public Heritage Spaces: First Person Interpretation at the Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo,” on Oct. 17, 2 p.m. It will be led by Kara Garilao, historian and program director of Fundacion Santiago. The webinar is free and will be held via Zoom and streamed live on the Museum Foundation Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MuseumFoundationPH. Those who want to participate in the webinar via Zoom will have to register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iQ9Y_nwERJatii460IrQvw as slots are limited.

Glass Art Workshop

The BGC (Bonifacio Global City) Arts Center will be holding two glass art workshops with artist Fchel Estanislao of Glassicology on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to noon. The first session will be about transforming everyday glassware into works of art while the second will be about turning glass into wood art. The sessions are recommended for children aged 7 and up. Donations are needed to access the workshops which will be conducted via Zoom. The center requests a minimum donation of P500. For more information and how to register to the workshops, visit https://www.bgcartscenter.org/whats-on/219/online-yana-workshops.

Film screening on mental health

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the Quisumbing-Escandor Film Festival for Health partner to bring awareness to mental health and health-related issues in the country through Balik Tanaw, a free film online screening. From Oct. 23 to 30, films on autism spectrum disorder, depression, and dementia will be screened on the CCP Vimeo channel for free. The featured films — Oh, Aking Katoto by Kelvin Aguilar, Rekuwerdo by Kristoffer Brugada, and Wish by Sheen Irerick Seekts — were part of the 3rd Quisumbing-Escandor Film Festival. There will also be a live talkback and Q&A with the film directors, to be moderated by Meryll Soriano, on Oct. 30. Catch it on the CCP Media Arts and CCP Facebook pages.

Jung, Frankenstein, and Hope in the Home Office webinar

THE CARL Jung Circle Center will be holding a webinar led by the center’s president Ruby Villavicencio-Paurom which will talk about how working from home in the last 30 years helped her, a mother of seven boys, former journalist, and PR consultant, in her journey to tap into her true self to meet life head-on, and come out beaming. Ms. Villavicencio-Paurom will be using the work of Carl Jung on dreams, archetypes, and shadow alongside psychological insights gleaned from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and The Last Man. The webinar will be hosted on Zoom on Oct. 24, 10 a.m. Access to the webinar costs P1,500. Those interested in joining the webinar can register via https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5SQfhh1DRfGTNjSm3kG_aw, and pay the webinar fee via UCPB account number 20181 000070 1 under the name Carl Jung Circle Center. Send the deposit slip to jungphilippines@yahoo.com.

Tiendesitas Mall as a pet hub

AS PART of the initiative to make Tiendesitas’ Pet Village section a go-to pet hub — it already offers everything from pet supplies to grooming services — Ortigas Malls has launched its Elite Pet Society membership service. The Pet Club is a membership service that provides discounts and freebies exclusively available in Greenhills, Tiendesitas, and Estancia. Those who want their shopping delivered can use Ortigas Malls’ click and collect service where customers can pick their shopping via designated pick-up points from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Those who want to avail of their click and collect service can call 8-633-1580 or use the MyKuya app.

Robinsons Malls’ Christmas decorations

THE HOLIDAY season is officially on at Robinsons Magnolia where one can take a selfie at the atrium which has been transformed into a Winter Wonderland with a giant 40-foot snow-capped Christmas Tree adorned with thousands of intricate ornaments. Life-sized snowmen serenade visitors with classic Christmas songs. Robinsons Magnolia’s garden was also transformed into a colorful Christmas Village. Pose for that perfect holiday photo while shopping for Christmas gifts and dining at the mall restaurants.

Active listening in virtual conversations

As we move towards the eighth month of the pandemic and quarantines in many parts of the world, we would think that by now people have gotten used to virtual meetings; apparently far from it. Still, many people that I meet virtually keep their cameras off during the entire duration of the meeting. While many people have a valid reason for not having a high-speed internet provider in their residences, some are just procrastinating to upgrade their internet connection to enable videoconferencing.

Seeing the other parties in a virtual meeting is of utmost importance during these times, when individuals and businesses are experiencing economic, mental, and psychological hardships. That’s why I argued in my other writings that “empathy, the capability to understand and feel what others are experiencing, should be at the core of all human interactions, especially during these times.” Moreover, “businesses, being the major driver of economic activity, should be at the forefront of practicing and exhibiting empathy toward their employees, customers and other stakeholders.”

Empathy has three levels — listening, trusting, and understanding. Listening is the most important part because through it, trust is developed, and understanding is reached. But listening here is not like listening to a lecture or a concert. What truly will lead to trusting and understanding is active listening.

Just like in face-to-face communication, virtual communication is a two-way process. There is the audience or the other party, and there is a speaker. In virtual conversations or meetings, two or multiple parties play the role of both speaker and listener, vacillating from one role to another.

When you are in the listening role, you give your precious resources to the one speaking to show respect — your time. Active listening requires that the listener fully concentrate, understand, respond, and then remember what is being said. Unlike in face-to-face meetings, there is the facility to observe body languages and respond to the speaker accordingly.

In virtual conversations, what separates you and the other parties is a two-dimensional screen. Therefore, active listening in virtual conversations is something that everyone should strive to learn and practice.

But first things first is to fix the virtual conversation setup. This involves having the right bandwidth and checking your video, audio, webcam, office scene, and lighting. These are baseline requirements to sustain a meaningful virtual meeting.

The principles of active listening in face-to-face setting is the same as that in virtual, excepts for the nuances of the limited screen interface.

The first principle is pay attention. Give the speaker your undivided attention and acknowledge the message. Don’t look away from the screen frequently to look at your mobile phone. If you have a separate webcam, place it right on top of your screen to approximate the eye contact in the virtual setting. Minimize the distractions if you’re working from home by setting up in a quiet place.

The second principle is to show that you’re listening. Nodding occasionally is one approach, but in the virtual setting, you have to nod in a more conspicuous way so that the speaker can see. You can mirror the body language of the speaker to show interest, like leaning forward if the speaker leans forward. You can also encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and “uh huh.”

The third principle is to provide feedback. Reflect on what has been said by paraphrasing. “What I’m hearing is… ,” and “Sounds like you are saying… ,” are great ways to reflect back. You can also ask questions to clarify certain points. “What do you mean when you say… .” “Is this what you mean?” Summarizing the speaker’s comments periodically is another way. Providing feedback aids in your understanding, which leads to building trust and rapport.

Fourth principle is deferring judgement. Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. This entails keenly observing the speaker if he or she is done talking. Untimely interrupting is a waste of time and frustrates the speaker, which limits full understanding of the message.

Lastly is to respond appropriately. Active listening’s goal is to encourage respect and understanding. Be candid, open and honest in your response, without attacking the speaker or otherwise putting her down. Assert your opinions respectfully.

By becoming a better active listener in virtual conversations, you can improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate, not to mention avoiding conflict and misunderstandings. All of these are requisites for workplace success.

 

Reynaldo C. Lugtu, Jr. is CEO of Hungry Workhorse Consulting, a digital and culture transformation consulting firm. He is the Chairman of the Information and Communications Technology Committee of the Financial executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX). He is Fellow at the US-based Institute for Digital Transformation and the Country Representative of the Institute of Change and Transformation Professionals Asia (ICTPA). He teaches strategic management in the MBA Program of De La Salle University.

rey.lugtu@hungryworkhorse.com

Irrelevant job interview questions

We are experiencing high turnover among employees who have been with us between three and 12 months. We have no recourse but to advertise, hire, and train their replacements. Such hiring is not only costly, but time-consuming, and seems counter-productive. What’s wrong with our hiring process and system? — Mountain View.

Three condominium officials were screening a couple interested in renting a unit. “What kind of work do you do?” they asked. “My husband is an engineer and I’m a school teacher,” the woman replied. “Any children?” The husband replied: “Two, the eldest is eight years old, while the other one is seven years old.”

“Animals?” queried one building official. “Oh no!” the couple chorused. “They’re very well behaved.”

At times, we can be in a situation where miscommunication is possible due to lack of complete information. This happens a lot in the workplace when job applicants and their prospective employers failed to have a meeting of minds prior to the signing of an employment contract. But that’s not all. There are many reasons why newly-hired employees resign within one year of onboarding.

Why is this happening? You’ll have to allow me to conduct an audit of your hiring process and other pertinent systems for us to determine what is (or are) causing the high turnover rate among the new workers.

An exit interview might help, except that some resigning employees would not antagonize management in the hope of maintaining the goodwill necessary to fast-track the release of their terminal pay, clearance, employment certificate, and also to ensure the company provides positive feedback to their new employers doing background checks.

Assuming that you can’t get important leads from your resigned workers, we can only hazard some guesses on the cause or causes of these early resignations. Here are two off the top of my head:

IRRELEVANT QUESTIONS
You may be spending a lot of time asking questions that are already indicated in the applicant’s curriculum vitae. Unless there are discrepancies that would raise possible questions about the person’s integrity, there’s no point clarifying issues that are already in the past. Rather, it’s best to examine what the applicants can do in actual, real work life. So, what are these irrelevant and unnecessary interview questions?

One, tell me something about yourself. This is a time-waster, if not a manifestation that the interviewer is not prepared to conduct an intelligent discussion. Besides, any Tom, Dick, and Harry can give you his best, rehearsed answer without blinking an eye.

Two, what are your weaknesses, if any? In recent decades, this question has triggered anxiety if not outright panic among job applicants. But not anymore. Answers to this question can always be faked by applicants who have seriously done their homework.

Three, what do you most value about your education? What’s the point of listening to old stories on how an applicant has enjoyed his college days? This question has become irrelevant as employers develop an appreciation for dropouts, who might just be the next Steve Jobs.

Four, what have your last three performance ratings been? Come on. Are you ready to hear some white lies? Instead, paraphrase your question to this: “If I asked your old boss about your performance, what would be his answer?”

Five, how much are you receiving for your current job? Are you negotiating or screening candidates? Better to follow the company’s salary scheme so that you don’t upset internal equity. If not, advertise the salary range of the job to eliminate those on the high side.

Six, why are you planning to leave your current employer? Most applicants would tell you — “it’s for greener pastures.” The truth is — they hate their toxic boss but won’t want to admit it. So, why bother asking?

Last, what were your significant work accomplishments? This question is unnecessary as most CVs contain the applicants’ milestones. And many extraordinary accomplishments may have been achieved with the help of other people.

These irrelevant interview questions are incomplete. The message is clear. You can’t gauge the capacity of an applicant based on his past success or failure. John F. Kennedy was right: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

ACTUAL JOB ISSUES
Conducting job interviews is imperative but time-consuming. That’s why, instead of focusing on the past tense, you should ask questions that would examine the applicant’s capacity to handle actual job situations. This includes how applicants can manage an irate customer, even under stressful conditions caused by a bad system or bad manager.

The objective is to test the applicants’ ability to handle a recurring work issue.

It should be easy if you delve on your company’s common work issues like: What are the top three things you will do during your first week on the job? What would you do to reduce the high operational cost in this department? In what ways will you seek support from your boss and colleagues? What would you do to create immediate resolutions to certain problems?

How would you attempt to improve the work process in our department? The list goes on and on. Even if the applicants are not hired, you will gain valuable perspective in managing the company’s problems.

All of these can be done prior to the onboarding process or signing of an employment contract. Much better if you do the orientation for new employees as a major part of the hiring process, and not after.

 

Send anonymous questions to elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.consulting

How PSEi member stocks performed — October 15, 2020

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Thursday, October 15, 2020.

Peso drops further vs dollar on delayed passage of US stimulus

THE PESO extended its decline versus the dollar on Thursday after the US Treasury said the passage of a stimulus may be delayed further.

The local unit closed at P48.68 versus the dollar on Thursday, declining by three centavos from its P48.65 finish on Wednesday, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines’ website showed.

The peso opened at P48.58 against the greenback on Thursday. It climbed to an intraday high of P48.56 during the session and hit a low of P48.69 versus the dollar.

The volume of dollars traded rose to $829.01 million on Thursday from $715.61 million on Wednesday.

A trader said the peso sank after the chief of the US Treasury Department doubted the passage of a fresh economic stimulus meant to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The local currency weakened after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stated that any coronavirus stimulus package is unlikely to pass before the November presidential elections,” the trader said in an e-mail.

Mr. Mnuchin said he and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi were “far apart” on another coronavirus economic relief package, and that a deal would be hard to reach before the Nov. 3 elections, but he would keep trying, Reuters reported.

The White House and Democrats and Republicans in Congress are under mounting pressure to hammer out a fiscal stimulus deal to help Americans weather a pandemic that has killed nearly 216,000 people and damaged the economy.

But the two sides are divided over several priorities. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are resisting as too expensive a $1.8- trillion offer that Mr. Mnuchin proposed last week. Ms. Pelosi says it’s insufficient and is calling for a $2.2-trillion package.

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the US Congress, announced that the Senate would vote next week on a slimmed down $500-billion COVID-19 bill. Democrats blocked a similar proposal last month.

The US Congress passed about $3 trillion in coronavirus aid, including help for the unemployed, in March.

For today, the trader sees the peso moving from P48.60 to P48.80 per dollar, while Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort sees it ranging from P48.60 to P48.75. — KKTJ with Reuters

Stocks inch sideways on lack of fresh catalysts

By Denise A. Valdez, Senior Reporter

THE MAIN INDEX ended mostly flat on Thursday but still closed in green territory, showing investors continue to tread cautiously while waiting for a strong market driver.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) increased 13.03 points or 0.22% to close at 5,938.33 on Thursday, while the broader all shares index climbed 5.53 points or 0.15% to end at 3,585.62.

“The local bourse was able to make gains in the session, but trading remained in sideways movement as investors are watching the developments over the 2021 national budget,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Associate Claire T. Alviar said in a text message.

The PSEi moved within a high of 5,950.50 and a low of 5,919.55 on Thursday, and has been closing with less than 1% movement since last Friday.

“This has been the trend for the last five trading days as it has seemed to have found an equilibrium between buying and selling,” AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun said in an email.

“There’s still positive sentiment given the ongoing session for the budget, and investors are hopeful that it will be passed on time… But of course, we can’t avoid uncertainties, particularly after the tensions in the House of Representatives…,” Ms. Alviar said.

While waiting, investors have remained cautious and “can’t decide whether to go higher or lower,” Mr. Mangun said. “The minuscule gains was the result of advances in large-cap blue chips offsetting substantial losses in small to mid-cap issues.”

The market is also monitoring the daily coronavirus case count in the country, which has been slowing down in the past days, Ms. Alviar said. The Health department reported 1,910 new cases on Wednesday, the lowest daily increase in three weeks.

Most sectoral indices ended Thursday’s trading with gains. Mining and oil rose 106.86 points or 1.62% to 6,677.64; financials grew 6.90 points or 0.58% to 1,182.12; holding firms added 32.69 points or 0.53% to 6,126.36; and property climbed 2.49 points or 0.09% to 2,768.70.

On the other hand, services fell 3.10 points or 0.21% to 1,453.38, while industrials shed 11.26 points or 0.14% to 7,968.32 at the end of session.

Some 1.52 billion issues valued at P5.67 billion switched hands on Thursday, down from the previous day’s 2.8 billion issues worth P5.97 billion.

Advancers bested decliners, 104 against 80. Some 62 names ended unchanged.

Net foreign selling climbed to P902.75 million on Thursday from P619.22 million on Wednesday.

“Investors are looking to the economy’s recovery for a boost of confidence and if we do not see that soon, the market may go significantly lower,” Mr. Mangun said.

Duterte wants all Filipinos vaccinated vs virus

By Vann Marlo M. Villegas, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES has funds to buy coronavirus vaccines but it needs more so the entire population of more than 100 million could be inoculated, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said on Wednesday night.

“I have the money already for the vaccine,” he told an online news briefing after meeting with some Cabinet members. He did not elaborate.

He said he would look for more funds so all Filipinos could be vaccinated. The President said he was okay with vaccines developed either by Russia or China.

Mr. Duterte said he had spoken with outgoing Russian Ambassador Igor A. Khovaev and was told that Russia intends to set up a pharmaceutical company in the Philippines that will make the vaccines available here.

He said soldiers and the police will be among the first ones to be vaccinated, along with poor Filipinos.

The Department of Health (DoH) last week said an inter-agency task force led by the Department of Science and Technology was preparing for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine phase clinical trials in November.

Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and Sinovac Biotech Ltd. have applied for phase 3 clinical trials in the country.

Meanwhile, a panel of vaccine experts has approved the application for clinical trials of China’s Sinovac vaccine against the coronavirus, according to the local Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Sinovac must also pass the ethics board before it can proceed with the trials, FDA Director General Rolando Enrique D. Domingo told an online news briefing on Thursday.

The panel endorsed the Sinovac vaccine on Monday, while the ethics board will meet this week to discuss the application, he said. Sinovac might start its trial in November, depending on how soon it can submit its application to the regulatory body, he added.

The FDA will have 14 days for technical evaluation and it will take another week for it to assess and decide on the matter, Mr. Domingo said.

The expert panel reviews phases 1 and 2 of the clinical trials, while the ethics board looks at the “human ethics” of the trials, he added. The FDA handles the regulatory part and reviews the trial protocols, he said.

RISING TALLY
The Department of Health (DoH) reported 2,261 coronavirus infections on Thursday, bringing the total to 348,698.

The death toll climbed by 50 to 6,497, while recoveries increased by 385 to 294,161, it said in a bulletin.

Metro Manila reported the highest number of new cases at 566, followed by Cavite with 174, Pangasinan with 145, Northern Samar with 104 and Quezon with 98.

There were 48,040 active cases, 84.6% of which were mild, 10.7% did not show symptoms, 1.6% were severe and 3.2% were critical.

Of the new reported deaths, 14 came from Metro Manila, 12 were from Western Visayas, four each from Central Luzon and Central Visayas, and three each from Northern Mindanao and the Davao region.

Ilocos, Bicol, the Calabarzon Caraga regions reported two deaths each, while Zamboanga Peninsula and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) reported one death each, the agency said. More than four million people have been tested for coronavirus, it said.

Also on Thursday, presidential spokesman Harry L. Roque told an onlines news briefing the budget for the vaccines would come from loans and the 2021 budget. “We have long fixed our funding scheme,” he told an online news briefing in Filipino.

Russia’s plan to set up a local manufacturing plan for the vaccine would ensure adequate supply, he said, noting that rich countries have invested in vaccine manufacturers to get supplies first.

Russia and China do not accept such arrangements, he pointed out. “So we expect that if they make the vaccines here, we won’t run out of supply,” Mr. Roque said in Filipino.

Pending enactment of next year’s P4.5-trillion national budget, the budget for the vaccines would be loaned from the Landbank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines through the Philippine International Trading Corp., Mr. Roque said.

He said a person needs two doses of the vaccine and each dose costs $10, adding that 40 million doses are needed for 20 million people. About P2.5 billion had been allocated for vaccine procurement in the 2021 budget.

The coronavirus has sickened 38.8 million and killed 1.1 million people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

More than 29 million people have recovered from the virus, it said.

It added that active cases stood at 8.5 million, 1% of which or 70,477 were either serious or critical.

The United States had the most infections at 8.2 million, followed by India with 7.3 million and Brazil with 5.1 million. The US also had the most deaths at 221,850, Brazil had 151,779 and India had 111,311.

Senate to continue sessions earlier than scheduled on Nov. 9

THE SENATE will resume sessions on Nov. 9, a week earlier than scheduled to tackle the 2021 national budget and a tax reform bill that will cut corporate income tax and streamline fiscal incentives.

“We want to start early so we don’t have a hard time in the budget deliberations,” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said at an online news briefing on Thursday.

The Senate is holding committee hearings on agencies’ budgets while it awaits the passage of the P4.5-trillion national budget by the House of Representatives.

Speaker Lord Allan Q. Velasco seeks to get the appropriations bill approved by Friday. Budget deliberations in the chamber had been suspended due to the speakership row between him and his predecessor, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter S. Cayetano.

“I was told that they promised the President that they will try to pass it on third reading by tomorrow,” Mr. Zubiri said.

He added that the Senate could approve the budget by the first week of December if the House can pass it by Friday.

“We will inform the House of Representatives that we will start our sessions early,” the senator said. “If they accept that and they don’t have any complaints, today we will suspend sessions until Nov. 9.”

Congress was supposed to go on a break from Oct. 17 to Nov. 15 under its original legislative calendar.

Meanwhile, the chamber was also seeking to pass a proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act, which seeks to cut company taxes to 25% from 30% to attract foreign investors leaving China.

On Wednesday evening, senators spent five hours amending just five out of 57 pages of the bill. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Ousted Speaker not likely to join minority

TAGUIG Rep. Alan Peter S. Cayetano was unlikely to join the minority bloc after he was ousted as speaker, according to a partymate.

Mr. Cayetano and his wife Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano had both signed the Nacionalista Party’s manifesto of support for Speaker Lord Allan Q. Velasco, Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers said on Thursday.

Mr. Cayetano and Mr. Barbers are both members of the party.

“The manifesto is a show of the party’s support for Speaker Velasco,” Mr. Barbers said in a mobile-phone message. “We, including Congressman Cayetano, honor that.”

House Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante, Jr. earlier said he was willing to yield his post to Mr. Cayetano if he decides to leave the House supermajority.

“I would be very glad to give that to him,” Mr. Abante told reporters. “If they didn’t vote for the Speaker, then they will have the right to be in the minority.”

Valenzuela City Rep. Eric Martinez, an ally of Mr. Velasco, told BusinessWorld it would be “healthy” for Mr. Cayetano to join the minority.

Some lawmakers have urged Mr. Cayetano to leave the House majority bloc after he rejected the gentlemen’s agreement with Mr. Velasco brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte last year.

Under the pact, Mr. Cayetano would be Speaker in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress, and Mr. Velasco would serve for the remaining 21 months.

During the plenary session on Wednesday, lawmakers reelected Party-list Rep. Michael T. Romero as deputy speaker, replacing Camariñes Sur Rep. Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte.

Mr. Romero, a known Velasco ally, lost his deputy speakership post at the height of the leadership squabble.

The House also elected Oriental Mindoro Rep. Salvador Leachon as senior deputy speaker. Presidential son and Davao City Rep. Paolo S. Duterte was elected chairman of the committee on accounts.

Meanwhile, Baguio City Rep. Mark Go urged his colleagues to increase the budget of the Department of Tourism’s P3.84-billion budget for next year by P90 million.

He said the budget was not enough to continue programs seeking to help tourism businesses affected by a coronavirus pandemic. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Nationwide round-up (10/15/20)

Group asks Supreme Court to be ‘active, humane’ amid health crisis

A SUPPORT group of family members of political prisoners asked the Supreme Court to approve a legal remedy for release to “save lives of prisoners.” Fides Lim, spokesperson of support group Kapatid, asked the court to approve the remedy known as Writ of Kalayaan that was provided when it deliberated on the petition of 22 political prisoners asking to be released on humanitarian grounds due to the ongoing health crisis. “The Peralta Court provided a remedy with the Writ of Kalayaan to save lives of prisoners. Approve it,” she said in a statement on Thursday. “Don’t be a passive court, be an active, humane court. This is an issue not only about political prisoners but all prisoners who are elderly, very sick, pregnant, nursing mothers. We ask you to release more prisoners,” she added. Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, in his opinion on the case, suggested the measure of Writ of Kalayaan, which will serve as a continuing mandamus to address jail congestion. She said they will pursue the remedy. The political prisoners filed  in April the petition seeking for their release. However, the high court in July referred the case to the respective trial courts where their cases are pending as they treated the lawsuit as an application for bail or recognizance. “That judicial intervention we hoped for never happened,” Ms. Lim said. Despite this, she said that they are glad that through the petition, they were “able to put the subhuman condition of Filipino prisoners on the front burner,” noting that the government was pressed to take urgent healthcare measures in detention facilities. “We are glad to have compelled judicial and executive agencies to open the prison doors for a claimed number of 33,000 PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) although there is not a shadow of a political prisoner in these releases,” she said. She also asked the court to “grant relief” to detained activist Reina Mae Nasino “to correct the injustice done to her from the time she was falsely arrested with planted firearms to the time she was separated from her baby and her baby died.” Ms. Nasino was among the 22 political prisoners who filed the petition in April. She was initially allowed by a Manila trial court to attend her daughter’s wake and funeral from Oct. 14-16, but it was reduced to just six hours divided in two days after the jail warden opposed the three-day furlough, citing lack of personnel to accompany her. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Villar has President’s trust despite continued corruption in DPWH

DPWH logo
PUBLIC WORKS and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar continues to have the trust of President Rodrigo R. Duterte despite the corruption allegations in the agency he heads, the presidential spokesman said on Thursday. “Full trust and confidence po in Secretary Villar because despite the corruption in DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), he was able to deliver,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, speaking in mixed Filipino and English, said in an online briefing. “It helps,” he added, that the Villar family “has more money than DPWH.” Mr. Villar’s father is businessman and former senator Manuel B. Villar, Jr., the richest Filipino with a net worth of $5.6 billion (about P283.11 billion) based on Forbes Magazine’s 2020 list of world billionaires. Mr. Duterte himself, in a televised briefing late Wednesday, alleged that there is corruption in DPWH. The department has been ranked as the one of the most corrupt in the country by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission. Mr. Duterte cited contractors and project engineers as among those involved in corruption. Mr. Roque said the President made the statement to highlight the challenges in his remaining term to stop corruption in government, particularly in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and DPWH. He added that it is possible that the President will call for an investigation of DPWH, but focus for now is on cleaning up PhilHealth. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Regional Updates (10/15/20)

2 areas in Negros Oriental now free from red tide

THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has declared the areas of Siit Bay and Bais Bay in Negros Oriental as officially free from red tide contamination. Other areas, however, remain positive, based on BFAR’s 21st shellfish bulletin for the year. These are: Puerto Princesa Bay in Palawan; coastal waters of Milagros in Masbate; coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; Tambobo Bay in Negros Oriental; coastal waters of Daram Island and Zumarraga, and Irong Irong and San Pedro bays in Western Samar; Cancabato Bay in Leyte; Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar; Balite Bay in Davao Oriental; and Lianga Bay and the coastal waters of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur. All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang harvested from these areas are not safe for human consumption, but all other marine species can be eaten with proper handling. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Road to new Borac port in Coron ready soon

ACCESS TO the newly-built Port of Borac in Coron, Palawan is almost complete, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The almost 10-kilometer (km) paved road leading to the port is “on track for completion within the year,” DPWH said in a statement on Thursday. The project is divided into three contracts: 3.25 km covering Barangays Decabobo, Buenavista and Turda; 4.45 km in Barangays Guadalupe, San Nicolas and Decabobo; and 2.22 km in Barangays Guadalupe and San Nicolas. “Concreted roads leading to ports are vital in tourism areas like the islands of Coron which are reachable only either by planes or ferries,” said DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar. The Port of Borac, managed by the Philippine Ports Authority, was officially launched in July.

P54.5M released to farmers, fisherfolk affected by Taal eruption

AGRICULTURAL interventions worth P54.4 million have been distributed to farmers and fisherfolk in various Batangas towns that were affected by the Taal Volcano eruption in January this year. The Department of Agriculture (DA)-Calabarzon regional office, together with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), distributed farm inputs and other assistance to farmers in the towns of San Nicolas, Laurel, Mataas na Kahoy, and Agoncillo. The aid package includes carabaos, cattle feeds, vitamins and antibiotics, certified seeds, complete fertilizers, urea fertilizers, muriate of potash, agricultural lime, and power sprayers, among others. Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar rallied the beneficiaries, citing agriculture was the only sector to post growth in the second quarter as the economy was dragged down by the coronavirus pandemic. “Farmers and fishers are our frontliners. You are heroes in your own areas. May you continue to farm and fish because together, we will increase our food sufficiency level and soon we may no longer have to rely on importation,” Mr. Dar said. Batangas 3rd District Rep. Maria Theresa V. Collantes, in a message, said the interventions help Batangas farmers to fully recover from the damage caused by the Taal Volcano eruption. DA Regional Director Arnel V. de Mesa assured that the agency will continue to support farmers and fisherfolk affected by calamities. “We will never grow tired of helping farmers because they never grow tired of providing us with top-quality produce. Together, we will achieve food resiliency, with substantial increase in production and income for our farmers and fishers,” Mr. de Mesa said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Typhoon Ofel seen to weaken as it exits Philippines

TROPICAL DEPRESSION Ofel is likely to weaken as it moves out of the Philippines, according to weather bureau PAGASA. As of Oct. 15 morning, Ofel was already over the West Philippine Sea and PAGASA said there was “an increasing likelihood that this tropical depression will weaken into a Low Pressure Area within the next 12 to 24 hours.” All typhoon warning signals have been lifted, but rains brought by Ofel and the southwest monsoon were still expected over Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, and the northern parts of Luzon. As of 10:00 a.m. Thursday, the typhoon was located 275 kilometers west of Tanauan City, Batangas and expected to be out of the Philippine area by Friday.

Zamboanga City collects 79% of tax collection target as of end-Sept. with amnesty program


ZAMBOANGA CITY collected almost P3.3 billion in taxes as of end-September, representing 78.7% of this year’s P4.2 billion target, despite a drop in income from private businesses and local government economic enterprises. City Treasurer Romelita F. Candido, in an online briefing, said while the collection so far is not as “favorable” as in past years, they are counting on the city’s three amnesty programs to help bring in payments. These amnesty programs cover the following: penalties, surcharges and interest on unpaid realty taxes accumulated from past years to May 31, 2020; unpaid transfer tax up to this year; and penalties, surcharges and interests on unpaid business taxes up to 2019. Meanwhile, Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar presented on Thursday the city’s proposed 2021 budget of P4.38 billion. Ms. Salazar said next year’s spending plan combines the implementation of existing programs and response measures for handling the continued coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat. “As we struggle to embark on the COVID-19 new normal, we acknowledge that government services and the overall welfare of the people should be our primary concern, hence the social services sector comprises a majority of our fiscal plan at P2.4 billion or 56% of the entire budget,” the mayor said. The budget is up for the city council’s evaluation and approval.

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