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Poverty: North-South Divide

Several observations can be gleaned from the recent poverty survey (2018), especially about two clusters of regions: “North” for Northern Luzon and “South” for Mindanao.

On average, in 2015, the North had half the poverty of the South, and lower than the national incidence. By 2018, the North had even lower poverty incidence than the South (12.7% vs. 32.4%).

The gap deteriorated due to the limited progress in ARMM (the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, now the Bangsamoro ARMM). With a new governance structure and development framework, the 2021 survey is hoped to turn out better for the region.

Past articles showed the gaps in farm productivity between the North and the South, foremost in rice and corn. In addition to the said crops, the North cultivates high-value crops like highland vegetables. It also has more developed irrigation systems, such as Magat River in Isabela and San Roque Irrigation in Pangasinan. Magat is a multi-purpose dam which is used primarily for irrigating about 85,000 hectares (ha) of agricultural lands, flood control, and power generation. San Roque, another multi-purpose project, can irrigate 70,000 ha during the dry season. The North also has a more developed road network than the South.

The South, however, is more diversified in crops as well as fisheries. It hosts export products, such as banana, pineapple, and rubber. It also has more agro-industrial plants, such as fruit canning, fish canning, and diversified coconut products.

There are noteworthy developments in the South. The widening of roads to four-lane highways is a game changer for entrepreneurs. Trade has been facilitated across regions due to lower logistics costs. The cold storage business has expanded according to the Cold Chain Association of the Philippines. There is also improved access to inputs and markets.

Better infrastructure has improved connectivity. For instance, a national fast food chain can deliver supplies to Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte from its Zamboanga City commissary in less than five hours compared to a longer stretch previously. Highland vegetables from Bukidnon move faster although quality needs further improvement.

Further, the “rest and recreation” hub in Davao City has increasingly become popular among residents of the Davao region, South Caraga, and Soccsksargen. Property development is on a positive trajectory.

A key intervention is infrastructure development to help the lagging South. The local government units must strengthen project selection and project execution.

In BARMM, the challenge is even greater. Investment in tree crops is seen to have a positive outcome considering the suitability of the region to growing them. It has similar agro-climatic patterns as Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Thailand. The ASEAN experience showed that tree crops can significantly contribute to poverty reduction. But scale is critical to yield, quality, and processing.

Lastly, Mindanao must attract investors given its idle and unproductive lands.

A quarter of the Philippine market (some 25 million) will be primed further with development initiatives. Mindanao is also the strategic link to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area, the home of 70 million people.

This article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines or the MAP.

 

Rolando T. Dy is the Co-Vice Chair of the MAP AgriBusiness Committee, and the Executive Director of the Center for Food and AgriBusiness of the University of Asia & the Pacific.

map@map.org.ph

rdyster@gmail.com

http://map.org.ph

To lift or not to lift?

Aye, that is the question. The extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for Luzon will end in 10 days, by the end of April. The President and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases are between a rock and a hard place; between saving lives at the expense of saving the economy and between saving the economy at the expense of saving lives.

Which comes first? That’s really a tough question as lives and the economy are intertwined. They matter dearly to all of us. Will the ECQ be lifted even on a selective or partial basis after April 30, or will the ECQ be extended again under more stringent conditions? We’ve seen how the national government has been struggling to provide timely information and guidance, and push down funding and resources on time. But they’re encountering inefficiencies; there’s a lack of synchronicity at the local level; and a disturbing state of non-compliance of quarantine guidelines in various communities.

We’re fighting an unseen biological enemy that we don’t know much of. What we know about it today is much different from what we knew in March. We continually discover new things about it but doubt if the scientific community has reached that point where there’s enough data to peer into the very essence of COVID-19 in order to devise a strategy to kill the virus that causes the disease. COVID-19’s defeat must be total, delivered by scientific means, not through political interventions. The virus is still very much in control of the situation and the timeline.

We’re running blind. We don’t have the antibodies nor the vaccine. We can’t fight a war that way. The commonsensical thing to do is to hunker down and wait until we find our bearings. Since the virus is still very much in control it would be foolish and fatal to underestimate it while overestimating our capacity and ability to fight it. How much do we really know about this virus? I’ve come across reports that it has mutated and keeps mutating; that patients who’ve recovered contracted it again — the same virus or a mutated version?

Early on we were told that the virus had a preferential option for the senior sector of the population. But now we know that anyone with preconditions and a low immune system, young and old, are vulnerable. We keep getting conflicting reports whether the virus is airborne or not; whether social distancing should be three feet or 13 feet away; whether to use face masks or not; what kind of masks to use; when to be intubated or use ventilators or respirators; when and where to get tested. Situation’s fluid.

It has brought the entire world to a standstill. Every nation around the globe has been afflicted by the virus. Planet Earth’s on lockdown, affecting the global economy, straining financial systems. It has shut down commercial and industrial activity. Only essential services are allowed to sustain life. Schools, factories, malls, churches, travel, tourism, transportation are now silent.

People are locked in their dwellings, like caged animals in a zoo. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Frontliners – doctors, nurses, hospital staff, policemen – are falling fast to the virus.

I have no doubt that our government is deeply concerned about the effects of a prolonged lockdown that’s already wreaking havoc on our economy, financial system, and wellbeing. I long to reunite with my children, grandchildren, friends and colleagues. But lifting restrictions too early could lead to a second wave that would surely overwhelm the health system; infect and kill more of us; and further batter other systems, governance structures and social services that sustain us to the point of collapse.

How will the government know when it’s safe to lift restrictions? As they say, the devil’s in the details. Last week I came across a news report that the World Health Organization had issued the following guidelines for when countries can consider it safe to end their lockdown.

TRANSMISSION IS CONTROLLED.
Health system capacities are in place to detect, isolate, and treat every COVID-19 case and trace every contact.

Outbreak risks are minimized in special settings like health facilities and nursing homes.

Preventive measures are in place in workplaces, schools and other places where it’s essential for people to go.

Importation risks can be managed.

Communities are fully educated, engaged, and empowered to adjust to the new norm.

Those guidelines are duly noted but they may not encompass everything that a particular state must take into account given its unique circumstances. I’m confident however in saying that we don’t meet any of those criteria at this stage. I believe the most important point to consider is this: If we don’t have enough test kits to check the symptomatic and asymptomatic, we won’t have the empirical data needed to make an informed decision to lift or not to lift whenever and wherever. At this stage, the top priority is human life. Once gone, it can’t be recovered. If we’re in doubt, we better not. Err on the side of health.

In any crisis management situation, the goal is to bring the crisis under control. Bringing it under control requires focus, discipline, synergy, hands-on management, strict supervision, quick reaction, skillful execution, and determination to succeed. Once controlled, the final and most crucial phase of crisis management is recovery. To many, recovery means restoring what we knew in the past to be normal. To others, recovery means bringing the state of the nation forward to a transformed state, to a new normal.

This crisis provides us the opportunity to reflect on whether we want to return to what we were before or dedicate ourselves to work for a better Philippines for all Filipinos. Do we want to return to the past that was responsible for our state of unpreparedness, our state of weakness, our state of division? Or do we seek a rebirth from this unprecedented global crisis as a united nation, conscious of our obligations to country and each other to build a better world for generations to come? That’s the real question. The choice is ours to make.

 

Rafael M. Alunan III chairs the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations and the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Association of the Philippines, Inc. He served as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos.

rmalunan@gmail.com

Electricity, water freebies are socialistic and anti-consumer

The virus scare has become an opportunity for some people to advance their populist and socialist agenda like calling for free electricity and free water for poor households that already receive 4Ps cash transfer plus additional cash under the social amelioration program (SAP). Some also receive cash and goods from private individuals, companies and charities.

This month, I read six stories in BusinessWorld related to electricity pricing alone:

• ERC orders lower revenue for NGCP, effectively cutting transmission charges (April 7),

• NEA backs appeal to “indefinitely” extend power coops’ payments (April 8),

• Rural power consumers’ bills waived for March, April (April 16),

• Households to pay deferred power bills in installments starting mid-May (April 17),

• Relaxed power supply contracts “disastrous” to plant operations (April 17),

• DoE asks LGUs to provide grace period on energy firms’ tax payments (April 21).

From the perspective of consumers, report numbers 1, 4, and 6 are good news. Any government mandatory price reduction should come from the government itself, like taxes and fees. Deferred payment means payment should still be made at a later specified date, no freebies.

Report numbers 2, 3, and 5 are bad and anti-consumer. Indefinite deferred payment by electric coops (ECs) means indefinite non-revenue by power generation companies (gencos) and NGCP (National Grid Corporation of the Philippines). Free electricity even for one month is wrong. Energy inputs like oil, gas, and coal are not free. There are even big excise taxes and government royalties on them.

I checked the various charges that lifeline consumers (those consuming 50 kwh a month or lower) pay. Current rates are actually lower than in the past three years and these are nominal prices. If deflated to real prices, the April 2020 billing costs would become even lower (see Table 1).

So the calls by populist and even socialist individuals to have “free electricity, free water” for poor households are misplaced.

See these pronouncements, taken from different news sources:

Vic Dimagina and Laban Konsyumer Inc. (LKI) proposed that bills in electricity, water and telephone be waived for beneficiaries of government SAP (April 13).

House Deputy Minority leader Bayan Muna (BM) Partylist Carlos Isagani Zarate: “Meralco is crucifying the consumers with another power rate hike during this time of crisis caused by COVID-19” (April 15)

BM Chairman Colmenares: “Meralco… the least it can do together with other gencos is to waive at least the electricity bills also of their lifeline consumers and defer the payment of electric bills for at least two months for the others. Another option is to deduct at least P500 from the electricity bills of all customers for two months.” (April 15)

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles: lifeline consumers of ECs nationwide, aside from one month grace period, electricity consumption is free for March to April billing period. (April 15).

The “freebies populism” of government leaders like Nograles, BM, and LKI is misguided. Energy inputs like oil, gas, and coal are not free. Personnel at those power plants, transmission and distribution entities are not working for free. Besides, poor households consuming below 50 kwh a month are already given money by the government.

The real “expensive electricity” is no electricity — blackouts, with people having to use candles or gensets. Not P7.83/kwh which even includes various government taxes (corporate income, personal income, excise, royalties, LGUs, etc.).

While BM is a nationalist-socialist organization, LKI is a confused or inconsistent consumer organization.

Laban Konsyumer Inc. going against businesses is wrong as these businesses also depend on other businesses, entrepreneurs, and workers. A real consumer advocacy is against heavy government regulations and taxation which distort business rewards and punishment.

The extended community quarantine in Luzon has drastically reduced electricity demand, which helped pull down electricity prices for March 2020 vs March 2019 — consumers already benefit from this (see Table 2).

Consumers have specific “vested interests” — more choices, more options in various products and services at competing prices and qualities, design, and brand. Consumers also have a choice whether to consume 50 or 100 or 300 kwh of electricity in a month. Mandatory freebies or price control remove the incentive to produce more and consumers are left with no or little choices.

 

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers.

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

Duterte unlikely to impose total lockdown, his spokesman says

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte was unlikely to impose a total lockdown to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, his spokesman said on Monday.

The government was considering a modified enhanced community quarantine given that not all parts of the country are COVID-19 hotspots, presidential spokesman Harry L. Roque said at a news briefing.

The state would have to balance a potential spike in infections once the lockdown is relaxed after April 30 and business and workers’ interests, he said.

Mr. Duterte would probably decide this week after he meets with health experts and an inter-agency task force made up of Cabinet officials, Mr. Roque said.

The President locked down the entire island of Luzon on March 17, suspending work, classes and public transportation to contain the outbreak that has sickened 6,459 people in the Philippines.

Mr. Duterte later extended the quarantine by two more weeks until April 30. People should stay at home except to buy food and other basic items, he said.

The Department of Health (DoH) yesterday reported 200 new infections and 19 more deaths, raising the death toll to 428. Forty-one more patients have gotten well, bringing the total recoveries to 613, it said in a bulletin.

Worldwide, 2.4 million have been infected with the virus, with more than 165,000 deaths, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization.

Mr. Roque said another option is extending the lockdown again but the government can’t support jobless workers longer given limited funds.

“His decision will be based on finding a balance between the state’s obligation to protect the health of the public and people’s right to work,” he said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said 55,465 people have been tested for COVID-19.

The distribution of test kits developed by the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health was being processed, she added.

The Philippine General Hospital, Baguio General Hospital, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Southern Philippines Medical Center, Medical City and Medical Center will receive 1,300 test kits for 26,000 COVID-19 samples.

Ms. Vergeire also said eight quarantine facilities in the National Capital Region and Region 3 have started accepting patients who tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal at Manila’s Pier 15, which was turned into a COVID-19 treatment facility, will open on Tuesday, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a separate statement.

It has 211 cubicles that can accommodate patients with mild, advanced, and severe infections, it said. – Gillian M. Cortez and Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Duterte, Trump talk on phone about novel coronavirus strategy

131117_TRUMP_DUTERTE_kjrosales
PHILSTAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte engaged in a “cordial” phone conversation with US President Donald J. Trump on Sunday night to discuss cooperation against the coronavirus pandemic, his spokesman said on Monday.

The White House initiated the call that lasted 18 minutes, presidential spokesman Harry L. Roque told a news briefing.

Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go, Mr. Duterte’s close friend and former aide, shared photos of the President on the phone with Mr. Trump on Sunday evening.

Mr. Trump in January invited Mr. Duterte to the US for a special Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting, which he rejected.

The coronavirus disease 2019 has sickened abou 765,000 people in the US, killing more than 40,000.

Mr. Duterte on February 11 officially notified the US of his decision to end the visiting forces agreement (VFA) after the US visa of a political ally was canceled.

Washington has called the relationship “ironclad,” despite Duterte’s complaints that include allegations of US hypocrisy and ill treatment.

Mr. Duterte’s decision could complicate US military interests in the broader Asia-Pacific region as China’s ambitions rise.

The VFA is important to the overall US-Philippine alliance and sets out rules for US soldiers operating in the Philippines, a former US colony. – Gillian M. Cortez

1,100 Filipinos come home from Indonesia, Singapore, Kenya, US

THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said 1,100 Filipino workers from the US, Indonesia, Singapore and Kenya have returned amid the coronavirus disease pandemic that has sickened 2.4 million and killed 165,000 people worldwide.

In a statement, the agency said 867 Filipino sailors arrived on Monday from Florida, in separate batches.

“This is the third straight week since the DFA facilitated the series of repatriations that followed the catastrophic economic impact wrought by the COVID-19 global pandemic,” it said.

The Filipinos worked as crewmen of the Norwegian Pearl, Sky, Star, Sun and Escape.

The Norwegian Cruise Lines covered the airfare, while local manning agency CF Sharp shouldered other transportation costs and the quarantine facility.

This followed the arrival of 233 Filipino workers from Indonesia, Kenya and Singapore on Sunday evening, bringing the total number of repatriates to almost 18,000 out of DFA’s 20,000 target beneficiary.

The repatriation was facilitated by the Philippine Embassies in Jakarta, Singapore, and Nairobi and the Philippine Consulate General in Manado, Indonesia.

All the repatriates were advised to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine at facilities named by the Bureau of Quarantine.

The DFA earlier said 984 Filipinos overseas have been infected with the coronavirus disease 2019. It said 585 were still being treated, 259 have recovered and 140 patients have died.

Among those who died was Erik Belfrage, Philippine Honorary Consul General in Stockholm on April 18 due to complications related to COVID-19. He is survived by wife Anna, brother Frank and his children, DFA said. – Charmaine A. Tadalan

Ex-Senator Alvarez dies from COVID-19

FORMER Senator Heherson “Sonny” Alvarez died on Monday after getting sick with the COVID-19 virus. He was 80.

Mr. Alvarez served as a senator for two terms and was later elected congressman. He is survived by his wife Cecille and two children. He was a delegate of the 1971 Constitutional Convention and was among those who opposed the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III and Senator Ralph G. Recto mourned the passing of Mr. Alvarez, whom they both worked with in past Congresses.

“I had the great opportunity to learn from this reasonable and hard-working lawmaker as a neophyte senator in 1992 when I first joined the Senate,” Mr. Sotto said in a statement.

Mr. Recto said he worked with Mr. Alvarez at the House of Representatives in the 11th Congress. “He crafted policies, defended these on the floor and interpellated in plenary with the skill of a seasoned parliamentarian and the undiminished passion of a patriot,” he said in a separate statement.

Mr. Recto also praised Mr. Alvarez for his advocacies as an environmentalist. “He was no longer a politician with the next election in mind, but a statesman concerned about the next generation.” — Charmaine A. Tadalan

#COVID-19 Regional Updates (04/20/20)

Transportation, construction among priority sectors in Baguio’s post-quarantine plan

BAGUIO City officials met on Monday to discuss the transition plan towards a partial lifting of restrictions imposed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said the program towards economic recovery will be taken like “baby steps” to ensure that the health situation also remains under control. “We cannot engage into business as usual come May… We ease up per sector, not all and not right away,” he said in a statement from the city information office. Transportation and construction are among the priority sectors eyed for resumption. Meanwhile, the Baguio city council has passed a resolution asking the Department of Health (DoH) and COVID-19 national task force to provide an additional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine, re-agents and other related supplies and equipment to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) to increase its current testing capacity. The BGHMC, one of the DoH-accredited COVID-19 test facilities outside Metro Manila, has only one PCR machine with a capacity of up to 300 test per day. The laboratory handles samples from Baguio City, other parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and serves as a confirmatory test center for the initial screening tests undertaken in northern Luzon. As of the weekend, CAR recorded 24 confirmed COVID-19 patients, of whom 18 are from Baguio City and three each in the provinces of Abra and Benguet. Of the positive patients, six are admitted in hospital, 17 have recovered while one died. There were 521 suspect cases, including 88 admitted in hospitals and the rest under quarantine at home or a designated facility. – Marifi S. Jara

Protecting Ormoc’s garbage frontliners

ENRO

Ormoc City’s garbage collectors under the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) receive protective gear donated by the Rotary Club of Ormoc. The city still has no confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 case as of April 19.

Davao Doctors Hospital provides surgery service back-up to SPMC

DAVAO Doctors Hospital (DDH) has responded to the call of state-run Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) for private health facilities to help with patients who need care not related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SPMC chief of hospital Leopoldo J. Vega, in a text message last week, said they have already signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with DDH for the referral scheme. “Davao Doctors has responded and we already have a MOA. We will start with the Department of Surgery,” Mr. Vega said. Under the agreement, DDH will apply the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy to surgery patients referred by SPMC. The NBB policy of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), in line with the Universal Health Care law, “enables the vulnerable sectors of the program such as the poor and the elderly to pay no more in excess of their PhilHealth coverage when confined in government facilities.” “Patients will not be charged extra and all services will be covered by PhilHealth,” Mr. Vega explained in a text message. The agreement will be in effect until SPMC can again start accepting non-COVID-19 patients. SPMC, the biggest government-owned hospital in Mindanao, has been designated as a COVID-19 treatment facility. It is also currently the only accredited COVID-19 testing laboratory in the southern island. Mr. Vega said he is reaching out to other private hospitals for a similar arrangement catering to indigent patients, especially those in need of urgent and critical care. “It is the only way that we can help out these indigent patients who can no longer be admitted at SPMC because of the many positive and probable cases that we have right now,” he said. Davao Region has the highest number of COVID-19 patients in Mindanao with 105 as of April 19, of whom 58 have recovered while 16 died. “We want to concentrate now on COVID patients and so that we can allocate our human resources and PPEs (personal protective equipment),” he said. DDH is 34% owned by Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings, Inc. of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC). MPIC is one of three Philippine subsidiaries of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., maintains an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group. – Maya M. Padillo

Nationwide round-up

Party-list rep calls for resumption of POGO operations to boost tax collection

A LAWMAKER called for the resumption of operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) to boost government funds as it addresses the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. “In view of exhausting government coffers, the suspension of POGO operations should be lifted immediately to give our tax collection a much-needed boost. We need all the help that we can get right now… Lives are at stake and we need to act fast,” said ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric G. Yap, vice chair of the House games and amusement committee. “Kung nandito lang naman din sila (If they are here anyway), why not allow them to operate? Work from home arrangements should be explored or… stay-in. If you can’t do either, you will not be allowed to operate,” added Mr. Yap, who is also chairman of the House appropriations committee. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) earlier said the suspension of POGO operations is intended to ensure the safety of all employees and prevent the potential spread of the virus. “PAGCOR should come up with guidelines stipulating do’s and don’ts,” Mr. Yap said. PAGCOR Chair and Chief Executive Officer Andrea D. Domingo, in a Viber message to BusinessWorld, said she “fully supports” Mr. Yap’s petition. Finance Secretary Carlos G. Domiguez III, meanwhile, told reporters Monday that they are still evaluating if the suspension of POGO should be lifted – Genshen L. Espedido

NPC pushes for mass testing, but gov’t says available kits must be rationalized

THE National People’s Coalition (NPC) party on Monday appealed to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the Department of Health (DoH) to speed up the implementation of mass testing for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). IATF Spokesperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles, however, said the conduct of “expanded” testing will have to be rationalized given the limited number of available test kits not just in the country but globally. Under the guidelines released by the IATF on Monday, health care workers, especially those showing symptoms of COVID-19, will be prioritized. “All sub-national laboratories are directed to allocate between 20% to 30% of their daily testing capacity for health workers, and the remaining 70% to 80% for patients,” Mr. Nograles said in a briefing Monday. The NPC, in a resolution dated April 17, particularly asked the IATF and DoH to assist local government units (LGUs) in establishing testing laboratories “sufficient to meet the demands of mass testing.” The DoH has so far accredited 16 testing centers, majority of which are in Metro Manila, with a capacity of at least 3,000 samples per day.

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
Meanwhile, Mr. Nograles reported that all LGUs in Metro Manila have already issued an ordinance to prevent discrimination against health workers. He also called on victims and witnesses of discriminatory acts to report to the National Bureau of Investigation. — Charmaine A. Tadalan and Gillian M. Cortez

64% of Metro Manila households have 1 member who lost job

ABOUT 64% of Metro Manila residents reported that at least one member of their family lost employment under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), with low-income households having a higher incidence of job loss, according to the second run survey by political consultancy firm Publicus Asia, Inc (PAI). “The data suggest a strong negative correlation between income and the likelihood or incidence of job loss. 78.12% of respondents from poor households reported that at least one member of their households had lost their job due to the ECQ. The proportion of respondents who reported job loss in their household decreases as household income increases,” Executive Director Aureli C. Sinsuat said in a virtual presser on Monday. PAI conducted its second run Online Panel Survey from April 13 to 18, with a weighted sample of 1,000 respondents aged 18 to 70 years old. Meanwhile, 39.5% of respondents said they are doing “good” or “very good” under the ECQ, 18.7% said they are doing “bad” or “very bad,” while 41.8% said neither. Good or very good family condition went down by 8% compared to the April 2 to 6 run of the survey, while bad or very bad condition increased by 3.7%. “Respondents from the three lowest income groups recorded higher incidences of bad or very bad family conditions than the 18.7% average across all income groups,” Mr. Sinsuat said. — Genshen L. Espedido

Sugar to be included in relief packs

THE INTER-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved the inclusion of refined sugar in relief packs distributed by local government units (LGUs) to help boost demand for local produce. Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar welcomed the approval and said LGUs can now include at least two kilograms (kg) of sugar in the relief packs. “Through this, we can ease pressure brought about by the high supply of the sweetener,” Mr. Dar said in a statement on Monday. According to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), sugar traders have experienced a 30-40% decline in orders from food manufacturers and other buyers due to the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon. “With the IATF approval, we are hopeful to offset the slowdown in demand for sugar during the quarantine period,” Mr. Dar said. SRA assured that there is enough sugar supply in traders’ warehouses in Luzon. Total raw sugar stock is at 1.793 million bags while refined sugar stock is at 2.2 million bags. Each bag is equivalent to 50 kilograms. Total nationwide sugar output is 12.3 million bags while withdrawals is at 8.8 million bags. The DA recently implemented a revised suggested retail price (SRP) list for basic food commodities, which included sugar. Refined sugar is priced at P50/kg while brown sugar is at P45/kg.

DSWD
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has released 90% of the P81 billion emergency cash subsidies to LGUs for distribution to identified beneficiaries. “Naibigay na rin natin ang (We have released) P74.5 billion (to) 1,359 na lokal na pamahalaan sa buong bansa (to LGus nationwide),” DSWD Undersecretary Camilo G. Gudmalin said in a press briefing on Monday. Mr. Gudmalin said more than one million low-income families not covered by the government’s conditional cash grants have received P6 million in cash aid as of April 19. The poorest of the poor families under the state’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) have received P16.3 billion in financial assistance, he added. Meanwhile, about 40,000 public utility drivers in the National Capital Region received P323 million. Aside from emergency cash subsidies, Mr. Gudmalin said more than 445,580 food packs worth P173 million have been distributed to LGUs. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave and Genshen L. Espedido

Korean wanted for cybercrime nabbed at Manila airport

Bureau of Immigration (BI) logo
A SOUTH KOREAN wanted for cybercrime and operating an illegal online gaming business was nabbed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last April 16, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Monday. In a statement, BI said Ju Minhyeok, 23, was identified before boarding his flight to Incheon as his name appeared in the Interpol watchlist. He was allowed to board his flight and South Korean authorities were informed of his arrival. “He was arrested upon his arrival at the Incheon airport where operatives from the cybercrime investigation squad of the Busan police were waiting for him,” Grifton SP. Medina, port operations division chief, said. Mr. Ju has a standing arrest warrant issued by the Busan district court last April 11 for violating the national sports promotion act for allegedly engaging in illegal gambling activities, BI said, adding that he could be sentenced for up to seven years. “Korean authorities charged that the suspects ran the sites called ‘Deadpool’ through which bettors could win or lose money by predicting the results of various sports competitions,” BI Interpol chief Rommel S. Tacorda said. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Ensuring a safer online environment for children during quarantine

Not everyone is safe at home.

With millions of children stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, many have turned to the Internet as both a resource for communication, education, and entertainment. Yet, even as online platforms become increasingly important spaces for learning and socializing, they can also expose children to the unsavory elements of human nature.

Children face a higher risk of being exposed to online predators in the wake of the enhanced community quarantine. More disturbingly, most cases of online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines involve parents or family members as facilitators. As the country bunkers down to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, more children could be vulnerable to exploitation in their own homes.

Around seven million children are sexually abused in the country every year, with more than 70% of the children between 10 and 18 years old. Among those victims, 20% are under six years of age. Cases of child sexual abuse are one of the most common issues that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has to handle after abandonment and neglect. Despite the Anti-Rape Law of 1997, rape remains the most frequent type of sexual abuse, while a third or 33% is due to incest.

The 2015 Child Protection Network Annual Report stated that 87% of all cases of sexual violence are girls, 11.7% of which occurred in the family home. While victims of sexual exploitation for commercial purposes are predominantly 13 to 18 year-old girls, some of them were forced into prostitution from age 10 for the youngest ones.

SaferKidsPH, a consortium of Save the Children Philippines, The Asia Foundation and UNICEF, and funded by the Australian Government, is expanding its efforts to protect children against online sexual abuse and exploitation during the COVID-19 enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

The initiative aims to address cyberbullying, online sexual abuse and exploitation, and other forms of harm that may have increased risks during the quarantine period, as children spend more time online, with or without the guidance of a parent or carer.

Starting April 15, SaferKidsPH, in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the National Telecommunications Commission, Smart Communications, and Globe Telecom, launches an SMS campaign focusing on practical child online safety measures that can be used during the COVID-19 ECQ. Mobile subscribers are invited to visit the platforms of SaferKidsPH and UNICEF for more information.

Brigadier General Alessandro C. Abella, Chief of the Philippine National Police-Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC), said that during the lockdown, his staff will continue to receive, monitor, and respond to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children-related reports.

“Even in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the PNP-WCPC continues to be aggressive in its fight against online sexual exploitation of children,” he said.

For more information on how to stay safe online and how you can help stop online sexual exploitation of children, please visit www.saferkidsph.org. You may also follow SaferKidsPH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

SaferKidsPH, a six-year Australian Government initiative (2019-2025), aims to keep children safe online through awareness raising; supporting the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of online sexual exploitation of children cases; and improving child protection services in the communities. SaferKidsPH is implemented through the Australian Federal Police and the consortium of Save the Children Philippines, The Asia Foundation, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippines. -– Bjorn Biel M. Beltran

Ateneo, La Salle band together against COVID-19

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THEY may be archrivals in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines but in the country’s fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic Ateneo and La Salle are on the same team.

Working for months now as the country tries to cope up with the effects of the highly contagious respiratory disease, the two learning institutions are partners under the campaign “Let’s Work Together To Fight, COVID-19!”

The Jesuits (Society of Jesus) and the De La Salle Brothers, founders of Ateneo and La Salle in the country, respectively, have seen it fit to join hands to help in efforts against the pandemic, which, as of this writing, has tallied 6,259 confirmed cases here, with 572 recoveries and 409 deaths.

While on their own they were already doing share in the battle against COVID-19, with De La Salle University, together with Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center, opening the doors of the Razon Sports Complex and College of Saint Benilde’s covered courts to the homeless of Manila City, providing them shelter and food, and Ateneo de Manila University also opening its dormitories to the medical frontliners, they still saw the need to do more — together.

“I appreciated the shelters, so the first thing that crossed my mind was to help. The Ateneo alumni, those in business, said they’d like to help. I told them, ‘Let’s raise money together with our friends — which means also La Salle friends,’” said Philippine Jesuit Provincial Fr. Jun Viray, SJ.

Thinking along the same lines, DLSU President Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC, said talks to collaborate were fluid, allowing for the partnership to become a reality.

“A little conversation between myself and Father Jun created a spark that is more explosive than UAAP that allowed us to say, maybe this is the time to work together rather than compete,” said the La Salle official.

“And that’s the story of our love life with the Jesuits in the time of COVID-19,” he added.

And to date the joining of forces has bore good results with the Let’s Work Together campaign raising P10 million that will feed almost 500 homeless individuals and 6,000 urban poor families.

Season 82 of the UAAP was officially cancelled by the league early this month as COVID-19 continued to be a growing concern and the signs it was looking for with regards to the resumption of activities were deemed no longer possible.

For those who want to donate to the Let’s Work Together To Fight, COVID-19! campaign may do so through Metrobank (Account name: Tanging Yaman Foundation, Inc./Metrobank Peso Checking Account Number: 448-7-44800988-9) and BPI (Account name: Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan/BPI Peso Checking Account Number: 3081-1111-61) for Ateneo. For proper acknowledgment, kindly send photo of the deposit slip to slb@affiliate.ateneo.edu.

For De La Salle donors you can course your help through RCBC (Account name: De La Salle Brothers, Inc./Account number: 7590-569081), Security Bank (Account name: De La Salle Brothers, Inc./Account number: 0000014366500) and BPI (Account name: De La Salle Brothers, Inc./Account number: 3103-3749-86). GCash and PayMaya donations may also be transferred online to any of the above bank accounts.

Djokovic opposes compulsory COVID-19 vaccination

BELGRADE — Novak Djokovic faces a dilemma if it becomes compulsory for players to get vaccinated before they can begin competing once the tennis season resumes following the hiatus created by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the world number one said on Sunday.

“Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a live Facebook chat with several fellow Serbian athletes.

“But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don’t know.

“Hypothetically, if the season was to resume in July, August or September, though unlikely, I understand that a vaccine will become a requirement straight after we are out of strict quarantine and there is no vaccine yet.”

Last month, former world number one Amelie Mauresmo said the rest of the 2020 tennis season might be wiped out, saying that action should not resume before players can get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019.

“International circuit = players of all nationalities plus management, spectators and people from the 4 corners of the world who bring these events to life. No vaccine = no tennis,” the two-time grand slam winner said in a widely shared tweet.

Medical experts have said that vaccines against the respiratory virus would not be ready until next year, raising doubts whether any further tennis tournaments can be contested this year.

This year’s Wimbledon championships have been cancelled for the first time since World War II while the French Open, originally due to be held from May 24–June 7, was rescheduled for Sept. 20–Oct. 4, shortly after the end of the US Open.

Djokovic made a flying start to the 2020 season, winning the Australian Open in January for his 17th grand slam title and stretched his winning run to 18 matches before the pandemic brought sports events across the world to a halt.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the Euro 2020 soccer championship were among the events postponed until next year as the pandemic has caused 165,000 deaths worldwide.

So far the governing bodies of tennis have suspended all tournaments until July 13. In addition, the women’s Rogers Cup in Montreal, which had been due to be held in August, will also not take place this year. — Reuters

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