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Nationwide round-up

School opening likely to be moved to August

PHILSTAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE NEW school year will likely open in August instead of the usual June start, Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones said on Tuesday. In a briefing, Ms. Briones said consultations with teachers and other stakeholders indicate that it will be hard to push for the normal academic calendar for school year 2020-2021 given the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation. “Right now, ang lumabas sa ating mga consultations, karamihan nagsasabi, para may panahon tayo na maghanda sa pagbabago ng edukasyon, pagbabago ng pamamaraan ng pagtuturo at saka kailangang masigurado natin na malinis at safe iyong ating kabataan, karamihan sa nag-re-respond ay para sa August (what came from these consultations, many say that we need time to prepare, revise the way we teach, and ensure that our children are secure and safe, many are for an August opening),” Ms. Briones said. On the other hand, experts from the University of the Philippines recommend that classes be kept suspended until the end of the year to curb the transmission of COVID-19. Alfredo Mahar A. Lagmay, an academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology, said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday that based on their study, extending the suspension of classes in all levels until December will help prevent a massive spread of the virus. He cited that students interact with vulnerable age groups such as the elderly. The government is currently assessing the policies that will be implemented after the enhanced community quarantine expires on April 30. — Gillian M. Cortez

Duterte administration vows ‘substantial grant’ for COVID-19 vaccine research

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte will be providing a “substantial grant” to researchers at the University of the Philippines (UP) to help develop a vaccine for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque said Mr. Duterte will give a “substantial grant sa UP at sa (and to) UP-PGH (UP-Philippine General Hospital) para po maka-develop nga ng bakuna laban dito sa (to develop a vaccine to fight) COVID-19.” UP scientists have developed a COVID-19 test kit, which was approved by the Food and Drug administration earlier this month. Researchers from UP have also created a COVID-19 dashboard tracker, which monitors the spread of the virus by classifying data of cases. Mr. Roque also said that the President has offered a P10 million reward to anyone who will develop a vaccine for the virus.

‘LAB CZAR’
Meanwhile, Iloilo Representative Janette L. Garin, a former Health secretary, has urged the Department of Health (DoH) to assign a “COVID lab czar” who will oversee and coordinate all laboratory testing centers in the country. “The laboratory testing centers, they are all acting individually… If we had a COVID lab czar who directly coordinates with each laboratories, ‘yung mga maliliit na kailangan…lahat po kaya (all the small details required… everything can be addressed),” Ms. Garin told DzBB radio on Tuesday. She also stressed that quarantine facilities should be established to house suspected COVID-19 cases and do away with the home quarantine practice. “Matagal ko na itong pinaglalaban na talagang meron dapat tayong quarantine centers hindi lang po sa Metro Manila (I have been pushing for this for a long while, that we should have quarantine centers)… because I don’t personally believe that home quarantine will work,” she said. — Gillian M. Cortez and Genshen L. Espedido

MAP calls for ‘demand-driven’ transport system during post-lockdown transition; lawmaker bats for construction resumption

THE Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has proposed to the Department of Transportation (DoTr) the implementation of a “demand-driven” transport system in Metro Manila so that employees can “gradually” return to work, and avoid business closures and layoffs as the country battles the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. MAP said it submitted its proposal entitled “Transition Towards the Normalization of the Public Transport System in NCR (National Capital Region) with Initial Focus on Buses, LRT/MRT/PNR” to DoTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade on Monday. Under the proposed system, “the number of transport vehicles, to be authorized, will be determined by the size of the requirements for transport service.” MAP noted that the country had a total workforce of 42.925 million as of July 2019, of which 5.4 million were employees in the NCR. The group said the government could allow public transport in the NCR “on a graduated and phase-by-phase basis for more or less 245,000 people (estimate for a skeletal force), with the number increasing gradually as the COVID-19 curve flattens.” MAP said the goal is to allow more businesses, workers and daily-wage earners to work while following and enforcing the COVID-19 protection protocols. Also, as part of the proposal, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will identify the buses and rail systems — including the Manila Metro Rail Transit System, the Manila Light Rail Transit System and the Philippine National Railways — that will be authorized to ply specific routes based on a set of criteria that it will develop jointly with bus operators, LRT/MRT/PNR management, and Philippine National Police. Travels will also be limited to “absolutely necessary” trips, such as going to and from work, buying medicines and food, and other emergencies. MAP said that if DoTr and LTFRB find its proposal feasible, “they can begin by experimenting it on a limited basis (such as starting with EDSA) and expand it gradually to other routes.”

CONSTRUCTION
At the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte is proposing the inclusion of construction activities as an essential service exempted from containment measures that will remain in place beyond April 30, the supposed end of the enhanced community quarantine measures. “Rebooting ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects even during the lockdown will spearhead the recovery of our economy and thus mitigate the adverse effects of what the International Monetary Fund expects to be the worst global recession in almost a century since the Great Depression of the 1930s,” said the Camarines Sur representative in a statement on Tuesday. Mr. Villafuerte said that the administration’s Build, Build, Build program must be put back on track “as infrastructure investments offer the highest multiplier effects, including job generation, on the economy” and could stimulate high growth despite the COVID-19 crisis. He said regular construction work can resume on major infrastructure projects “for so long as social distancing measures and other health protocols are strictly imposed in job sites.” The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases earlier approved the request of the Department of Transportation to allow the resumption of utility relocation and other works on 13 rail projects. — Arjay L. Balinbin and Genshen L. Espedido

Over P240B pooled so far from gov’t sources for COVID-19 response

OVER P200 billion has been pooled so far by the Duterte administration from internal sources for response measures relating to the coronavirus disease 2019, based on the President’s 4th weekly report to Congress submitted Monday. A total of P246.28 billion worth of savings has been gathered from various sources as of April 16, according to the report. A majority of these savings have already been distributed by the Department of Budget and Management to other government agencies. “P148.933 billion has already been downloaded by the DBM to relevant national government agencies (NGAs) in connection with the government’s COVID-19 responses.” Additional allotments worth P5.690 billion and P7.789 cash allocations that were released are from programs under the 2020 budgets of the NGAs. Unlike the third report which detailed how the funds released for that week worth P132 billion were allocated, the fourth report did not indicate the specific government agencies that received what amount from the pooled savings. Under the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, President Rodrigo R. Duterte has the power to realign the 2019 and 2020 national budgets towards COVID-19 measures.

CONTRACTUALS
Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez urged Mr. Duterte to extend the service of contractual government workers to the end of the year. “With the current COVID-19 situation, the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon and lockdowns happening all over the country, it is becoming clear that there is a very strong possibility that the contracts of these employees might not be renewed or extended,” Mr. Rodriguez said in a letter to the President obtained by BusinessWorld. He cited that there are about 700,000 government personnel on job-order or contract-of-service arrangements. He also pointed out that government agencies have funds in their budgets for contractual personnel. He informed the President that the Workers of Government Movement in Cagayan de Oro City sought his help in having their services retained. “As such, may I endorse their request for the contracts of these workers to be securely extended until Dec. 31, 2020. This will provide security to them in these uncertain times,” Mr. Rodriguez said. — Gillian M. Cortez and Genshen L. Espedido

More Filipinos return from NZ, Singapore, Malawi; LANDBANK to offer ‘study now, pay later’ program for OFWs

ALMOST 100 more Filipinos from New Zealand, Singapore and Malawi have been repatriated amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has sickened 2.4 million and killed over 170,000 people worldwide, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported on Tuesday. Sixty overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) arrived on Monday evening from Auckland, New Zealand, 14 from Singapore, and 19 from Malawi. This brings the total number of repatriates to nearly 18,000 out of the DFA’s 20,000 target beneficiaries.

The most recent repatriations were facilitated by the Philippine Embassies in New Zealand, Nigeria and South Africa. “The OFWs from Malawi transited through Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Germany, and Qatar, before finally returning to the Philippines,” the DFA said in a statement. All the repatriates will undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine after being subjected to the Bureau of Quarantine’s medical checkup upon arrival. The DFA, as of April 20, is monitoring 584 patients abroad undergoing treatment. Another 263 have recovered, while 143 have died.

LOAN
In another development, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) will offer a “study now, pay later” loan program for displaced OFWs. “If private schools provide a study now, pay later program, and get a promissory note from the student… LANDBANK can lend the private school against that promissory note, probably up to 70% to 75% of the value of the promissory note,” he said during the House Defeat COVID-19 committee virtual hearing on Tuesday. Mr. Dominguez also said the state-owned bank will launch a digital bank by the “middle of this year,” which will mainly serve OFWs. Meanwhile, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said in the same hearing that they plan to make borrowing for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) “as user-friendly” as possible. “We try to be creative, gusto namin mapupunta ‘yun sa (we want loans to go to) small and medium scale industries,” Mr. Diokno said. LANDBANK President and Chief Executive Officer Cecilia C. Borromeo recommended to the House panel that the bank, along with fellow state-run Development Bank of the Philippines, be the implementing agencies for the government’s lending programs. — Charmaine A. Tadalan and Genshen L. Espedido

Trump offers more assistance to PHL’s COVID-19 response

UNITED States President Donald J. Trump has offered additional assistance to the Philippines in its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response, the US Embassy in the Philippines said on Tuesday. The embassy confirmed that Mr. Trump had spoken to President Rodrigo R. Duterte last Sunday. “President Trump expressed his solidarity and offered additional assistance to the Philippines as it continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Embassy said in a statement. The Philippines has so far received $4 million or over P203 million worth of assistance from the US government. The financial aid is intended to support the Philippine government in expanding its testing capacity, among other response measures. “The two leaders also discussed how the United States and the Philippines can continue building upon the strong and enduring economic, cultural, and security ties binding the two nations,” the embassy said. Mr. Trump also expressed his condolences over the death of 11 Philippine soldiers in an encounter with Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Sulu last Friday. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

ESPN docu The Last Dance draws in large viewer numbers

THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED premiere of the 10-part ESPN documentary The Last Dance drew in the numbers, averaging 6.1 million viewers for its first two episodes to become the most-viewed documentary content ever of the network.

The series, which debuted on Monday (Manila time), spotlights National Basketball Association legend Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls in the 1990s as they went for their sixth title in eight years in 1998, and a repeat three-peat.

It touches on the many issues that hounded the team as it went for one last run at the NBA title.

Episode 1 of The Last Dance averaged 6.3 million viewers and Episode 2 averaged 5.8 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, according to numbers shared by the network.

On ESPN alone, the two hours averaged 5.3 million viewers, with Episode 1 delivering 5.6 million viewers and Episode 2 delivering five million.

The premiere episodes rank as the two most-viewed original content broadcasts on ESPN Networks since 2004, surpassing You Don’t Know Bo (3.6 million).

It is also the most-viewed telecast on ESPN since the CFP National Championship Game.

Additionally, ranks as the most-watched telecast among adults 18–34 and 18–49 since sports halted across broadcast and cable networks.

On social media, the documentary also dominated, with The Last Dance the #1 trending topic on the premiere date on Twitter and at one point, 25 of the 30 trending topics were all related to the show.

On Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, Last Dance posts from ESPN accounted for a combined nine million engagements.

The documentary was originally set to be released in June but ESPN moved up the release date as a form of temporary relief from the many concerns surrounding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“As society navigates this time without live sports, viewers are still looking to the sports world to escape and enjoy a collective experience. We’ve heard the calls from fans asking us to move up the release date for this series, and we’re happy to announce that we’ve been able to accelerate the production schedule to do just that,” said ESPN in a statement as it announced the early release of The Last Dance.

“This project celebrates one of the greatest players and dynasties ever, and we hope it can serve as a unifying entertainment experience to fill the role that sports often play in our lives, telling a story that will captivate everyone, not just sports fans,” it added.

To reach more people, the documentary series has been made available outside of the United States as well by way of Netflix. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Brady told to leave park closed due to COVID-19

SIX-TIME Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady was told to leave a Tampa park that had been closed as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019, the city’s mayor said on Monday.

Brady was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month after 20 years of unparalleled success with the New England Patriots.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told her St. Petersburg counterpart Rick Kriseman during a video briefing: “I always tell people, ‘Now I’m not one to gossip so you didn’t hear this from me.’

“But you know our parks are closed down and so a lot of our parks staff, they patrol around just to make sure people aren’t doing contact sports and things and saw an individual working out in one of our downtown parks.

“And she went over to tell him that it was closed and it was Tom Brady.”

The Buccaneers have not yet responded to a request for comment.

NFL offseason programs have been altered significantly this year as all team facilities, where players would normally gather to prepare for the upcoming season, have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brady, who is staying at a Tampa Bay mansion he is renting from Baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, said last month he could not prepare for the 2020 campaign as he would like since offseason programs have been delayed indefinitely.

The NFL’s 2020 season is scheduled to kick off in September. — Reuters

Work continues for para swimmer Gawilan amid ECQ

THE SPORTING WORLD may be at a standstill right now as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic takes hold but work continues for para swimmer Ernie Gawilan, determined to make good use of the lull people are forced to have under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Mr. Gawilan, a bemedalled paralympic swimmer and who is also an ambassador of Toyota Motor Philippines, said the current setup under ECQ is tough for athletes like him.

He, however, is not allowing it to weigh on him by staying active and maintaining his focus so that when the time comes that they will be allowed to return to normal training and compete he would not lose much step.

“Despite the situation, I’m not losing hope and the training continues for me so I will be ready for future competitions. We just have to continue fighting. Fight COVID-19!” said Mr. Gawilan.

One of the competitions the swimmer is preparing for is the Paralympic Games in Tokyo where he already secured a spot after an impressive showing in the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia.

Winning gold medals in the men’s 400-meter freestyle (S7 class), men’s 100m backstroke (S7) and 200m individual medley events (SM7) in the ASEAN meet for the differently abled, Mr. Gawilan earned valuable points for qualification for the Paralympics.

He also won silver medals in the men’s 50m freestyle (S7) and men’s 100m backstroke freestyle (S7).

Unfortunately the Tokyo Games has been pushed for next year because of the COVID-19 but he remains committed to doing well as he makes his second straight Paralympics appearance.

“Since right now I cannot for the pool, I’m doing land training. I just do what is possible to do,” said Davao native Gawilan, who was born with no legs and an underdeveloped left limb, as he talked about the kind of training he is having at the moment.

As he deals with the ECQ, Toyota is relying behind Mr. Gawilan, fully supporting his quest to excel in his craft and continue to inspire, something the group said they are relating to.

“Through our local Toyota Ambassador Mr. Ernie Gawilan, we hope to inspire everyone even though we are facing challenging times,” said Cristina Arevalo, TMP’s First Vice President for Brand & Product Planning. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Third strike?

In baseball, when one incurs three strikes at bat it means you are out.

The same could well be said for the 10th ASEAN Para Games which the country is hosting and is in danger of being stricken off for a third time this year.

Originally set to take place in January, supposedly off the heels of the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games in December, the sporting event for the differently abled was pushed back to March after the Philippine Sports Commission, the agency tasked to fund the Para Games, acknowledged that it did not have enough funding to bankroll its successful staging.

It was hoped that by moving the competition to March, enough funding would be raised to get the Games going as seamlessly as possible.

Then came the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic which practically threw a monkey wrench into all sporting events not only here but globally.

With the highly contagious respiratory disease still a growing concern in the country, organizers deemed it fit to postpone the Games for a second time to October, hoping that by that time some normalcy has already been established and the effects of COVID-19 mitigated.

This week, however, reports (not in this paper) have it that the ASEAN Para Games could be scrapped altogether as the PSC is set for possible budget reduction as the government readjusts its finances in light of the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the General Appropriations Act this year, the PSC stands to get P900 million to cover the agency’s affairs, including salaries of its employees and payment for utilities.

However, realignment of the government budget is said to be made as money is to be poured into the COVID-19 battle, with that allocated for the PSC set to be slashed considerably by as much as P700 million, leaving the agency with just P200 million to work with.

PSC officials said in such a setup the sporting body will be really hard-pressed, leaving them with no choice but to move to cancel some of their scheduled events like the Philippine National Games and Batang Pinoy, and possibly the ASEAN Para Games, which the Philippine Paralympic Committee said would need at least P450 million to be staged.

As I have said in the past, for the Para Games to be dealt such blows is really unfortunate.

Nothing is official yet as to its postponement, worse cancellation, but with the tone of the words of our sports officials such is highly likely to happen.

I am not completely privy to what is happening in the country’s preparation of the Para Games but having talked to officials of the PPC and other local sports executives as well as some para athletes much effort has been put into its successful staging.

Officials are really trying to cover all the bases despite the many challenges while the athletes are training hard to give three stars and a sun a good showing and something to be proud of.

One could just imagine the frustration and disappointment they are experiencing with all these setbacks.

But some things in life are just really beyond one’s control like the COVID-19 episode that everybody is made to experience right now.

We just have to roll with the punches no matter how stinging they are until such time we get our swing back and gain better footing.

At this point the fate of the 10th ASEAN Para Games is anybody’s guess but I encourage the paralympic community to just continue fighting and moving forward.

The current fight may be tough and seemingly insurmountable but there are still other battles to take on and mountains to conquer. Stay strong and driven.

 

Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld Senior reporter covering the Sports beat.

msmurillo@bworldonline.com

Not all bliss

Most everyone who loves basketball — and a fair share who have, at best, a casual interest in the sport — will have already watched the first two episodes of The Last Dance. Compelled to stay home because of quarantine measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019, they will have been intrigued by the prospect of seeing living legend Michael Jordan behind the curtains as he led the Bulls through the 1997–98 season and to its sixth and final National Basketball Association championship. And they will have come away equally impressed and perturbed at the unabashedly candid look the documentary series afforded them.

Indeed, the Bulls’ march to success was marred by shocking instances of disconnect. As The Last Dance showed time and again, their status as two-time reigning titleholders spearheaded by the otherworldly Jordan did not translate to a blissful pursuit of a collective objective. Far from it, in fact; they were slated for destruction, with general manager Jerry Krause determined to break them apart at the end of their campaign, hence the title of ESPN’s 10-part opus. And, in between, they had to deal with a disillusioned All-Star in Scottie Pippen, a distracted vital cog in Dennis Rodman, and a lame-duck head coach in Phil Jackson.

Needless to say, Jordan’s utter refusal to accept losing kept the Bulls focused on their ultimate goal. He was relentless and determined; if this was their final run, he argued, they would go out in a blaze of glory. And they did, but not before leaving a trail of bitterness and recrimination on which The Last Dance shines an illuminating light. Responsible for building the team following Jordan’s arrival, Krause delivered the goods. Unfortunately, the latter was likewise too prideful to bask in the returns sans the clearly desired public acknowledgement. No one front-office type in the proper frame of mind would have wished to rebuild while at the top.

Certainly, the Bulls were at the pinnacle when they let Jackson and Jordan (fresh off a fifth Most Valuable Player and sixth Finals MVP award) walk away, and then traded Pippen prior to the start of the lockout-truncated 1999 campaign. Krause made a mistake, and it would cement his role as the villain of the Dynasty. That said, he also deserved due recognition as its principal architect. He wanted it, only to get it too late; his inclusion in the 2017 class of the Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Fame came 10 days after his death.

Life is never just black or white. People are complicated. And if there’s anything The Last Dance has shown so far, it’s that even seemingly inevitable achievements cannot but be frayed at the edges; lost in the enveloping facade of good vibes are deep-seated emotions that tend to carry well past the celebrations and through new challenges. Little wonder, then, that it took so long for Jordan to green light, and, once out, that it took so little for the world to embrace.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

alcuaycong@bworldonline.com

How to support the mental health of frontliners

By Michaela Tangan
Features Writer, The Philippine STAR

STAR’s CG Live presents ‘Mental Health Check During Lockdown’

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been taking a toll on everybody — from innocent children, adults trying to make ends meet, to frontliners working round the clock to serve and save lives. While the end of the pandemic is not yet in sight, we hope for the best but continue to ask questions and feel scared and anxious.

In CareerGuide’s online forum titled “Mental Health Check During the Lockdown,” psychiatrist Dr. Rene Samaniego and Jean Goulbourn of IASP Philippines noted: “It is okay not to be okay.”

The Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC) said that frontline workers might feel stressed and overwhelmed, and this feeling may keep them from going to their jobs and provide a sense of purpose. Some might also experience ostracization or exclusion from the community due to stigma.

Moreover, chronic stress might also affect their well-being and work, even after the COVID-19 situation begins to improve.

If you are or have a loved one who’s a frontliner, Ms. Goulbourn said that utilizing warm water, practicing deep breathing, and making a game plan may help ease feelings of anxiousness. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) and IASC shared the following tips:

– Show different form of support and acknowledge the role they play to save lives and keep our loved ones alive.

– Take care of your physical health and practice a healthy lifestyle by eating sufficient healthy food and engaging in physical activity.

– Use wireless forms of communication to stay connected with friends, family and other loved ones.

– Talk and open up about how you feel with your colleagues, managers and other trusted persons in your workplace — they might be feeling the same.

– Try and use helpful coping strategies such as ensuring sufficient rest and respite during work or between shifts.

– Avoid vices such as tobacco, alcohol or other drugs to cope with the stress.

Measuring COVID-19’s impact on local hospitality and tourism sectors

Data around the economic effects of COVID-19 shift every day. But current projections are painting a bleak picture of the hospitality and tourism industries.

Worldwide, these industries are expecting a loss of $2.1 trillion in revenue. The World Travel and Tourism Council, the trade group representing major global travel companies, estimates around 75 million jobs lost to the pandemic.

Regionally, Southeast Asia’s tourism-dependent economies are particularly vulnerable—not least because of its growing dependence on Chinese tourism. China’s rapidly swelling middle class sparked a boom in tourist visits abroad, which soared from 20 million in 2003 to 150 million in 2018. With much of the country still reeling from the pandemic, that swell has dipped considerably.

In the Philippines, hoteliers started feeling the crunch even before the Luzon-wide lockdown. Waterfront Philippines Inc. (WPI), which operates two Waterfront hotels in Cebu, said last month that room occupancy went down 55 percent on average. 

“This pandemic is causing a harsh economic downturn and is continuously taking a toll on the tourism industry and its allied services especially with the imposition of travel bans and community quarantines,” WPI reported, noting the booking cancellations and sales slowdown are causing “revenue strain.”

The operations of the Donatela Hotel in Bohol is likewise significantly affected by the community quarantine: “The management is keeping the expenses at minimum and is executing general cleaning and small in-house renovations while occupants are expected to be low at this time.”

Industry-wide, Arthur Lopez, president of Philippine Hotel Owners Association, told Philstar.com the group’s members are “feeling a downslide in their occupancies ranging from 30-50%, depending on source markets.”

Banking on local tourism

The current reality is that barely any tourists are taking holidays, many accommodations are running empty, and hotel personnel are being asked to cut work hours. Because this is an especially challenging year for tourism, the Philippines is banking on domestic travel to at least partly offset the expected dive in international visitors. “Domestic tourism cannot completely offset our losses from our foreign markets,” said Robert Zozobrado, president of Pacific Asia Travel Association, a group of airlines, hotels and restaurants, in a phone interview with PhilStar.

Tim Hentschel, CEO of HotelPlanner, a booking service which specializes in negotiated group deals and corporate events, shares this view. After having watched Singapore’s hotel occupancy rates from February until this month, he says that, “consumer demand for travel is now on life support and close to being dead. It will take at least two years before international travel comes back to 2019 levels worldwide. The new normal will be to travel locally and book staycations. This is extremely hard on Singapore and Southeast Asia that depends mainly on international travellers.”

To ensure that hotels win travellers back, Hentschel suggests two key strategies: First, let guests feel safe. Hotels can combat the fear of getting COVID-19 by conducting temperature screening for all guests, staff, suppliers, etc.; getting guests to complete a travel and health declaration and giving them a set of surgical masks and sanitizers upon check-in; and sanitizing public areas and guest room door handles regularly.

Second, provide customers with the flexibility to change their plans. “Not allowing discounted bookings, as well as the flexibility for date changes and cancellations, are no longer practical in today’s world where travel plans can be disrupted by government restrictions and other external factors. Trying to go after customers for extra cash to bolster your revenue will hurt your brand’s reputation and turn repeat customers away,” Hentschel said. Properties must also consider consulting their business insurance brokers, which should cover them for business interruptions like this outbreak.

A pledge of support

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has meanwhile pledged support for the travel and hospitality sector, saying it has lined up a host of incentives and will extend financial assistance to cushion the impact of the crisis. 

Among the immediate response actions are a moratorium on the collection of accreditation fees from new and renewing applicants from tourism—and tourism-related enterprises for 2020; the waiving of participation fees in international fairs and exhibitions between now and the end of 2021; and financial support like low interest loans from the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Land Bank of the Philippines through the Rehabilitation Support Program on Severe Events (RESPONSE) and the Rehabilitation Support to Cushion Unfavorably Affected Enterprises by Covid-19 (I-RESCUE) Lending Program.

The DOT has furthermore made representation with the Social Security System, Pag-IBIG Fund, and PhilHealth for the deferment of tourism workers’ contributions.

“To cushion the impact, the DOT and its attached agencies, even before the lockdown, laid out the response and recovery plan during the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country with the tourism sector taking a direct hit early on,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said. The department pledges to help not only tour operators, but the entire travel and hospitality sector.

Five short courses to take for practical upskilling during quarantine

The enhanced community quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic quickly changed workplaces around the country. Workforces today are split, with many forced to adapt to remote work arrangements they may not be accustomed to.

For those finding themselves stuck at home, with more idle time and less to do with it, the internet is full of short courses one can take to ensure they stay productive through the quarantine.

For Dr. Amable C. Aguiluz IX, Vice Chairman and CEO of AMA Education System, this is exactly what their platform was built for.

“Using this time to continue studying through online short courses not only adds to your skillset, it also helps you emerge more equipped to take on the challenges the workplace will bring post COVID-19,” Aguiliz said.

AMA Education System is the school network behind the country’s first full online educational platform, AMA Online Education (AMA OEd).

AMA OEd recommends these five online short courses providing skill training that is immediately applicable today and can lead to opportunities to earn extra income later on.

Course: Working Remotely
Total time needed: 5 Hours

While working from home became an instant solution during this period, it will likely become part of the norm well beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The Working Remotely course will teach students how to create a productive work environment at home and how to avoid distractions.

The content of this training serves as a practical guide to dealing with common challenges encountered by those who work remotely like feeling isolated, navigating office politics from afar, and mastering how to communicate virtually.

Course: Troubleshooting Common PC Issues for Users
Total time needed: 2 Hours and 12 Minutes

Working from home means needing to be your own IT specialist. This course, currently offered by AMA OEd, is designed to help diagnose common Windows computer issues. Students are systematically taught how to determine if an issue is hardware- or software-related, deal with common IT errors, run recovery processes, leverage the Task Manager, and restore Internet connectivity.

Course: Knowledge Work Presentation and Software Skills
Total time needed: 60 hours

Most jobs today require a mastery of a variety of software. This short course offered by AMA OEd gives refreshers for common applications like Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, as well as other open-source software that can help with presentations, email clients, and graphics.

Those who take this course will also be taught the fundamentals of effective presentations, which is especially useful now when presentations are ordinarily made through online platforms.

Course: Network Security
Total time needed: 70 Hours

According to a recent study by software company Trend Micro, cybercriminals are increasingly using popular online tools, sharing software, and file attachments in their scams to steal your data. With the increased number of people taking the daily aspects of work online, susceptibility to cyberthreats is even higher. AMA OEd’s Network Security course is highly helpful especially for small to medium business owners who have taken their business transactions online.

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Philippines ranks among top countries innovating around COVID-19—StartupBlink report

StartupBlink has released their COVID-19 Innovation Ranking, “an algorithm ranking the top 20 innovating cities and countries in relation to the COVID-19 crisis”. The ranking is based on their Coronavirus Innovation Map, launched last March, as well as data gathered by their partners, the Health Innovation Exchange by UNAIDS, Moscow Agency of Innovations, Crunchbase, Meetup, and SEMrush.

The algorithm is split into two categories, each with 20 spots. For rankings by city, San Francisco, USA takes the top spot, a feat that it also accomplished in StartupBlink’s 2019 startup ecosystem rankings report. It is followed by two other US cities, Boston and New York, with Toronto, Canada and Milan, Italy rounding out the top five.

While it may seem counterintuitive for cities badly hit by the crisis to rank high, some of them are actually overperforming in developing innovative solutions. These include London and Paris, which are sixth and tenth on the list respectively.

As for rankings by country, the top five spots are occupied by the United States, Canada, Estonia, Switzerland, and Israel. The Philippines places 20th on the list, a notable feat considering that the country rarely ranks this highly in any of StartupBlink’s reports. Other notable overperformers are Ireland, sixth on the list, and Italy following at seventh.

Currently, StartupBlink is working on their next global ecosystem ranking report. This will be published in May.

Congress cool to possible tax hike

By Charmaine A. Tadalan, Genshen L. Epedido and Beatrice M. Laforga
Reporters

LEADERS of Congress are lukewarm to suggestions by the Finance department that a tax hike is needed in “a year or two” in order to cover the economic costs of the coronavirus crisis.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III first floated the idea on April 8, saying that the government may raise taxes in one to two years as it needs to pay off the debts incurred in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“Certainly down the road. I think maybe in a year or two, that might be required, you know. All this money is really, has to be paid somehow. But we’re not going to do that immediately,” Mr. Dominguez told CNBC when asked if raising taxes is possible.

To fund its COVID-19 response, the government is negotiating $5.7 billion worth of loans from multilateral lenders including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

However, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III is reluctant to consider additional tax measures amid the coronavirus pandemic, but noted it is “possible” that it may be taken up by the next administration.

“In one or two years, then let’s talk about it then. Hard to predict at this point,” he said in a phone message on Monday.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto in a text message said it is “crazy to talk about increasing taxes,” adding the government should focus on an economic recovery plan instead.

For House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Albay Rep. Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda, any new tax measures would be taken up by the next administration.

“We will do it for the next administration, even if deferred or gradual implementation. It’s all there, waiting in the Senate anyway,” he told BusinessWorld via Viber message.

Asked whether new taxes are needed, Mr. Salceda said there are pending measures that would not impact low-income households, such as taxes on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators and an increase on the motor vehicles users charge.

Despite the government’s plans to incur more debt, Mr. Salceda said that the Philippines’ fiscal position or long-term growth outlook will not be compromised.

“We can negotiate very favorable terms, too, because of our attractive credit ratings,” Mr. Salceda said. “The interest rates are usually concessional. If we can get them at 2% interest, that would almost already be free money.”

“How quickly we were able to access credit from multilaterals, and how easy the terms are (just pay it, no other strings attached), shows us the fundamental strengths of the Philippine economy and fiscal position,” Mr. Salceda added.

ARE NEW TAXES NEEDED?
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said fiscal reform measures would have to be rolled out to pay for the debts and offset the higher state spending this year.

“Once the COVID-19 is better controlled/contained and economies locally and overseas gradually recover and normalize, fiscal reform measures such as increasing structural tax revenue collections could be resumed to sustain the country’s fiscal gains over the long run,” Mr. Ricafort said in an e-mail.

While raising taxes is an option, Finance Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa S. Habitan said there are no concrete plans for another tax hike yet.

In the near term, Mr. Ricafort said “higher taxes may not be appropriate especially if more financial aid/relief measures from the government are still needed by the most vulnerable sectors.”

For Ateneo School of Government Dean Ronald U. Mendoza, policy makers should focus on recovery programs for sectors hardest hit by the pandemic such as health care, tourism, construction and retail, as well as displaced overseas Filipino workers.

“Introducing new taxes during a fragile recovery period is probably counter-productive. The next 1-2 years will be critical in terms of ensuring recovery-for-all vis-à-vis the COVID-19 health and economic shocks… What is more critical is to continue to provide support, rather than to implement a heavier tax burden on top of the burden of recovery itself,” Mr. Mendoza said in an e-mail on Sunday.

UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said raising taxes in one to two years will have to depend on the performance of the economy after all the fiscal and monetary policies were rolled out.

“Expanding government in a recovery state would not be ideal. Government would have to come up with more creative fiscal policies. If and when economic recovery comes quickly, I do not think that derailing the current tax reform would be needed,” Mr. Asuncion said via Viber.

Mr. Mendoza said the government could also consider dropping its plan to lower the corporate income tax if it wants to stabilize its revenues and instead, pursue governance reforms for the country’s two largest tax-collecting bodies — Bureaus of Internal Revenue and Customs — to plug revenue leakages.

However, DoF’s Ms. Habitan said they will still prioritize passing the remaining packages of the tax reform program, especially the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA) bill.

“We’ll see how things develop, baka naman ’di (maybe not) actually raising taxes but continuing the tax reform. I think it’s even needed urgently especially ’yung CITIRA because it can focus on more COVID-related incentives and the way that it should be targeted, it should be really targeted,” Ms. Habitan said in a telephone interview on Friday.

While the CITIRA bill is revenue neutral or not expected to generate more revenues for the government, Ms. Habitan argued that a more targeted incentive system will attract investments for strategic sectors.

Congress has not yet approved the CITIRA bill, which aims to gradually lower corporate income tax to 20% and streamline the tax incentive system. Congress is expected to resume on May 4.

The Duterte administration has so far passed three measures that raised taxes, such as the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.

2019 growth expansion scaled up using 2018 prices

THE ECONOMY grew faster than previously estimated last year using 2018 as the base year in measuring the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Monday.

Using 2018 as the base, Philippine GDP growth averaged six percent in 2019, a tad faster than the 5.9% previously reported in January that used 2000 prices.

Growth in the fourth quarter was revised upwards as well to 6.7% from 6.4% previously.

On the expenditure side, household consumption growth last year was scaled up to 5.9% from 5.8% using 2000 as the base year. Likewise, gross capital formation growth in 2019 was revised to 2.5% from a 0.6% decline.

On the other hand, government spending growth was revised to 9.6% last year, down from the previously reported 10.5%.

The growth in the exports and imports of goods and services were also downscaled to 2.4% (from 3.2%) and 1.8% (from 2.1%), respectively.

On the production side, the new base year led to upward growth revisions in the services sector in 2019 at 7.5% from 7.1% using 2000 prices.

On the other hand, industry and agriculture, forestry and fishing grew by 4.7% (from 4.9%) and 1.2% (from 1.5%), respectively.

According to a note provided by the PSA titled “Primer on the overall revision and reading to 2018 of the Philippine System of National Accounts,” rebasing is a process of replacing an old base year with a more recent one.

“The base year provides the reference to which future values of GDP are compared,” the PSA primer read.

Using an outdated base could mean the growth of an economy may be underestimated as new industries may not be captured by the old method.

The overall revision and rebasing to the 2018 base year include new industries such as information and communication; accommodation and food services; education; and human health and social work activities.

It also added expenditure components such as “valuables” under gross capital formation and “newly highlighted export and import commodities.”

Prior to the 2018 base year, the country’s national accounts have undergone four overall revisions — 1968 (from base year 1955 to 1967), 1973 (from base year 1967 to 1972), 1995 (from base year 1972 to 1985), 2011 (from base year 1985 to 2000).

The preliminary results of the first-quarter 2020 economic performance, which will henceforth be using the 2018 base year, is scheduled to be released on May 7. — LOP

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