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Dual transformation: Now is the right time

The coronavirus pandemic has forced companies to adopt digital transformation and change how they create, deliver, and capture value to their customers.

Take, for example, Philippine fastfood giant Jollibee Foods Corp. The Nikkei Asian Review reported that the company recently announced “it will spend P7 billion ($138 million) to build discreet ‘cloud kitchens’ and a stronger delivery service as part of a global restructuring plan” to offset the impact of the pandemic. These kitchens would be in discreet, low-rent sites and not include dine-in facilities.

Global experts believe that companies and organizations will accelerate their migration to digital applications and platforms. “What organizations resisted for a decade is now core to survival and innovation,” Michael Hendrix, partner at Ideo, told Fast Company.

But the economic crunch businesses are facing today is driving CEOs and the board to transform their organization for the long haul while reaping the benefits of digital transformation today.

This is where dual transformation, a concept propounded by Clark Gilbert, Mark W. Johnson, and Scott D. Anthony in their book Dual Transformation: How to Reposition Today’s Business While Creating the Future.

Dual transformation is a strategic approach to reposition today’s business to maximize its resilience, especially during this time of pandemic, while at the same time creating tomorrow’s new growth engine when economies bounce back.

From the term itself, dual transformation has two streams — Transformation A, which is finding new possibilities for addressing existing markets, and Transformation B, which is about creating a powerful new growth engine for the future.

Many successful businesses face a growth challenge during this pandemic in the core markets they currently dominate. Consumers and business buyers have quickly shifted to digital platforms. Hence, many companies have adopted Transformation A, by identifying the shift in behaviors of your current customers, innovating your business model against this shift, determining and monitoring new metrics, and aggressively implementing the transformation. This is exactly what Jollibee did and other organizations by quickly pivoting their business models to serve current customers that shifted to digital.

But this is not enough. When the global economy bounces back, organizations need to expand their businesses to other untapped and constrained markets to create the growth engine of the future. For successful companies, future growth often has to be found outside their core markets. But looking to new markets, new customers, and new business models is a big strategy. Hence, pursuing Transformation B is a sound strategic approach.

It involves identify constrained markets, a new problem that a significant group of customers wants to solve but can’t, because of a lack of specialized skills, iteratively developing the new business models to serve the new market and power the future, and using partnerships, acquisitions, and new hires to succeed against a new competitive set.

But the most challenging part of dual transformation is what resources and assets will an organization use to make the two-transformation seamless and efficient. This is where the “capabilities link” serve as a bridge from the organization of today to the growth leader of tomorrow. it involves identifying and using unique capabilities of the organization and developing systems and creating formal exchange teams to manage dual transformation. The company’s top leadership needs to actively arbitrate the interface between A and B, with a bias to protecting transformation B.

One successful execution of dual transformation cited by the authors is Adobe. Transformation A for Adobe involved introducing Creative Cloud, a new subscription-based business model that offered greater revenue predictability, with lower production cost. The company stopped shipping physical media in 2013; cloud-based products comprised roughly one-third of revenue by 2014.

Transformation B for Adobe involved launching a targeted suite of digital marketing solutions — breaking an under-served market wide open. The company acquired several leading web analytics businesses — e.g., Omniture, Day Software and Efficient Frontier to build new business in markets it was not serving.

Adobe leveraged on its brand strength, talent pool, and established distribution network as its capabilities link.

Dual transformation is a journey that CEOs and the board need to understand and prepare for. It also entails transformation the organization’s mindset and culture. Adobe and other companies too it. It took seven year for digital marketing at Adobe to become one-third as big as its traditional business.

 

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

Exit interviews for workers retrenched during the pandemic

Our top management has decided to retrench 30% of our workforce due to the adverse effects of COVID-19 on our business. Our plan is almost complete, except for a question from one department vice-president asking our human resource department about the propriety of conducting exit interviews. What do you think? Is it appropriate for us to conduct exit interviews or not? — Blue Mango.

At a summer religious camp for grade school children, one of the counsellors was leading a discussion on the purpose God has set for all of His creation. They began to find good reason for clouds, trees, rocks, rivers and animals and just about everything in nature. Finally, one of the children said: “If everything has a purpose, then why did God create poison ivy?”

One of the children came to the discussion leader’s rescue by saying: “The reason God made poison ivy is that He wanted us to keep our hands off certain things.”

True enough. There are things we should not touch depending on the circumstances. In your case, you are dismissing a lot of people from the workforce. That means you’re doing something against the employees’ interests, which is contrary to the rationale behind exit interviews — to determine the gaps between what the employer can provide as compared to the workers’ expectations.

Of course, you are allowed to retrench people as long as you comply with certain legal requirements which I’d like to believe have been complied with. And that’s not easy for people who have worked with you for a long time. But these are difficult times. You need to bite the bullet if only to ensure survival and save the jobs of other people.

Therefore, I would recommend that you not proceed with exit interviews if only to avoid emotionally-fraught face-to-face encounters with the retrenched staff. Instead, the HR department should make them fill out a one-page questionnaire which will be a requirement for receiving terminal pay and signing the quit claim.

You will notice that some of the following important questions may resemble those questions you find in a typical exit interview, except with a different slant:

One, are you be willing to be rehired under a different employment contract? This is a modified close-ended question answerable by “yes” or “no.” Whatever the answer, require the retrenched worker to justify it. If the answer is “yes,” somehow, that suggests the employee is happy with your organization. Whatever the answer, try not to raise anyone’s expectations about a return to work.

Two, will you allow us to release your personal information to your new employer? If your answer is “yes,” make them sign an updated, formal waiver in favor of a prospective employee or business partner when the time comes. This question is in anticipation of a background check by the employee’s prospective employer or partner, and is a requirement of the Data Privacy Law.

Even if an employee was undesirable while in your employ, never make any damaging statements that could trigger a lawsuit. Instead, focus on giving only the hiring date and last day of employment as required by law.

Three, would you be willing to be contacted for certain unfinished projects and freelance consulting work? If the answer is “yes,” require the former employee to indicate a contact number, e-mail address, and residence. Note also that you’re lumping “unfinished projects” with “freelance consulting work.” This means you’re willing to pay the person for unfinished projects.

If the answer is “no,” you should take that to mean that the former employee has some issues against the company or its management team. If that happens, don’t force the matter. Remember, you’re not doing an exit interview.

Last, would you recommend anyone from the company as your possible replacement? If the answer is “yes,” the follow-up question should be to ask for the names of the top two choices and the reason for the endorsement. Once again, do not give the retrenched employee any indication that his recommendation will be followed. On the other hand, if the answer is “no,” that might mean the employee was not happy with your company.

ROLE OF HR
Retrenchment is a difficult and painful process, not only for management but for all non-management employees, including the survivors. It’s not the time to blame the workers and open old wounds. However, ignoring the possibility of an unpleasant confrontation does not solve the fact that you are losing talented employees who may be the key to the company’s profitability and survival.

Therefore, do whatever it takes to soften the impact on the line managers who may have to deal with workers face-to-face. Instead, let the matter be handled by the HR department so the policy is consistently applied to all concerned.

 

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

Century Properties adds more to housing portfolio

CENTURY Properties Group, Inc. (CPG) continues to expand its affordable housing portfolio as it completed 1,140 new projects in the first half of the year.

PHirst Park Homes, Inc., the affordable housing subsidiary of CPG, said in a statement on Thursday it is trying to catch up on suspended projects since construction work was allowed to resume.

A total of 1,140 house and lot units have been completed by PHirst Park with Mitsubishi Corp. located in Tanza, Cavite and Lipa, Batangas.

“The company is ramping up construction works to catch up on three months of coronavirus-triggered lockdowns. A total of 2,279 units are under construction across all projects,” PHirst Park President Ricky M. Celis said in the statement.

CPG has a P13.2-billion development footprint comprising 97 hectares and a total of 9,188 units. It booked P3.12 billion in reservation sales during the first half from selling 1,548 units.

The company’s strategy is to expand revenue contributions from its affordable housing and commercial leasing segments, with a goal of balancing its asset portfolio with in-city vertical developments.

In the first semester, the affordable housing and commercial leasing segments generated a combined income contribution of P225 million, accounting for 42% of CPG’s P541.21 million net income.

Its attributable net income fell 36% to P458.13 million, as consolidated revenues dropped 25% to P4.52 billion.

Shares in CPG at the stock exchange shed 0.5 centavo or 1.35% to 36.5 centavos on Thursday. — Denise A. Valdez

Stuff to Do Online (09/11/20)

FDCP Film Industry Conference

THE FILM Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) will be holding its annual Film Industry Conference online, with eight public sessions and six masterclasses to be held from Sept. 11 to 15. On Sept. 12, the conference will be having two free sessions: “Getting into Online Film Labs” featuring Aleksandra Swierk, a writer and script consultant, at 4 p.m.; and “ASEAN Talents on Spotlight” featuring a panel including director and producer Sheron Dayoc, producer Si En Tan, producer and programmer Weijie Lai, and director Nicole Woodfor, at 6 p.m. Two masterclasses will also be held on Sept. 12: “Writing During Quarantine” at 2 p.m. by  Ayman El Amir, a script consultant and producer; and “Filmmakers’ Guide to Film Distribution” at 8 p.m. by Isabelle Glachant, a producer. The public sessions are free while the masterclasses have fees ranging from P800 to P1,000. Everything will be held over Zoom and require pre-registration. To register and for more information, visit http://fdcp.ph/fic

Korean Film Festival Online

THIS YEAR’S Korean Film Festival will be held online over the course of 21 days from Sept. 12 to Oct. 2 and will feature three celebrity spotlights where popular actors Hyun Bin, Son Ye Jin, and Park Seo Jun, will have two films each screened for a week. Hyun Bin’s The Swindlers (2017) and Confidential Assignment (2017) will be streaming from Sept. 12 to 18 to be followed by Son Ye Jin’s Be With You (2018) and Last Princess (2016) from Sept. 19 to 25. The film festival will end with Park Seo Jun’s Midnight Runners (2017) and The Beauty Inside (2015) which will screen from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2. The screenings will be exclusively available on the Korean Cultural Center’s official website at http://phil.korean-culture.org/.

Ballet Philippines Centrestage

BALLET Philippines’ series Centrestage, which focuses on telling the stories of their “dancers who live and breathe the art of dance and spend all their waking hours striving to perfect it,” will be featuring Ian Ocampo, core dancer of the troupe, and will be all about transcending adversity. The full video will be available starting Sept. 12 on https://ballet.ph/centrestage/.

Tyang Karyel benefit exhibit

GALLERY Vinyl on Vinyl is holding a benefit exhibit for artist Tyang Karyel, whose father was confined after testing positive for COVID-19 and needs help paying her father’s hospital bills. The exhibit will run for the month of September and 100% of the proceeds will be given to Tyang Karyel and her family. Some of the artists who are taking part in the exhibit are Reen Barrera, Mio Aceremo, Rai Cruz, and Anton Belardo. The exhibit can be viewed digitally via https://www.vinylonvinylgallery.com/.

Grab Sale

GRAB Philippines will be holding a sale from Sept. 11 and into October featuring deals from brands such as P&G and Unilever via GrabMart, GrabFood, and GrabPay. From Sept. 11-25, get big discounts on pantry and food supplies, toiletries, medicine, specialty goods, and other items when using GrabMart. From Sept. 11 to 29, foodies around Metro Manila will be able to enjoy up to P159 off when they order from participating merchants through GrabFood’s Long Distance Feature. For the whole month of September – and for some promos until the end of October – get rewards and discounts when using GrabPay, including earning 1,000 GrabReward points when you complete a total cumulative spend of P2,500; getting up to P150 cashback when shopping online with GrabPay, getting P50 cashback when spending at least P300 on GrabPay’s online partners; getting a chance to win vouchers, 100,000 GrabRewards points, a Samsung S10, or a brand new iPad Pro by linking your BPI account to GrabPay and cash in at least P500; From Sept. 18 to Oct. 2, support the Philippine tourism industry and get ready for the time when it’s safe to travel again through Grab’s NAKAKALOKAL Deals. These are just some of the deals on offer. Visit https://grb.to/grabsale for more details.

PPO’s Orchestra Petting Zoo

THE Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s Instrument Petting Zoo continues with its live online program as it features PPO associate conductor Herminigildo G. Ranera on Sept. 13, 4 p.m., via the PPO Facebook page. Ranera will talk about Basic Conducting in the instrument petting zoo session. A project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the PPO, the instrument petting zoo aims to promote appreciation for musical instruments of the orchestra and its music among children and families. It is held every Sunday at 4 p.m., and runs for several months.

How PSEi member stocks performed — September 10, 2020

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Thursday, September 10, 2020.

Peso climbs as oil prices decline

THE PESO strengthened on Thursday as oil prices declined further and as the Philippine government allowed more public transportation modes to operate

The peso closed at P48.57 versus the dollar on Thursday, higher by nine centavos from P48.66-per-dollar finish on Wednesday.

The local unit opened Thursday’s session at P48.60 per dollar and reached a peak of P48.55. Its weakest showing was at P48.61 versus the greenback.

Dollars traded slipped to $548.96 million on Thursday from Wednesday’s $584.9 million.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the dollar weakened as oil prices continued to decline.

“The lower global oil prices recorded over two months could have reduced the demand for US dollars to pay for imports,” Mr. Ricafort said in a text message.

Brent crude futures fell a fraction to $40.77 a barrel after bouncing back from a three-month low overnight, Reuters reported. US crude futures slipped 0.2% to $37.99 a barrel.

Meanwhile, a trader said the peso climbed after the government allowed more public transportation modes to ply the roads.

The government has allowed at least 63,075 public utility vehicles, including jeepneys, buses and ride-hailing network services such as Grab, to operate, following the extension of relaxed quarantine measures for this month.

For today, Mr. Ricafort expects the peso to move from P48.50 to P48.65 versus the dollar while the trader sees the local currency to range from P48.50 to P48.70. — K.K.T. Jose with Reuters

Lack of catalysts keeps main index below 6,000

By Denise A. Valdez, Senior Reporter

THE MAIN INDEX stayed below the 6,000 level on Thursday as the lack of a strong catalyst pulled it lower at the close of trading.

The 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) shed 30.45 points or 0.51% to close at 5,902.39, while the broader all shares index dipped 9.00 points or 0.25% to end at 3,553.56.

“The PSEi ended lower despite opening higher as selling pressure outweighed the buying. Investors continued to take cash off the table as the sentiment remains cautious,” AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun said in an email.

The main index opened at 5,955.55 and hit a high of 5,973.59 intraday before settling at its low for the day at the close of the session.

Doubts on the coronavirus situation in the country, fueled by the Health Department’s non-confirmation of whether the coronavirus curve has flattened, was the primary drag on sentiment, Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Associate Claire T. Alviar said.

“(The Health Department) advised the public that there could be a surge in COVID-19 cases as some units failed to report complete information. This may imply that the Philippines has really not yet flattened the curve,” she said in a text message.

If that is the case, lockdowns will continue to be on the table, which would mean a continued dampened demand for goods and services, Ms. Alviar noted.

Local coronavirus cases stood at 245,143 as of Wednesday, after 3,176 new cases were reported. Metro Manila and nearby areas remain under a relaxed lockdown.

Half of the PSE’s sectoral indices ended Thursday’s trading session higher: property by 7.50 points or 0.27% to 2,716.99; financials by 4.81 points or 0.41% to 1,153.81; and mining and oil by 9.93 points or 0.16% to 6,009.73.

On the other hand, holding firms lost 76.74 points or 1.24% to 6,095.86; services dropped 7.71 points or 0.52% to 1,471.01; and industrials trimmed 0.35 point or less than one percent to 8,030.41 at the close of trading.

Value turnover on Thursday stood at P5.96 billion with 770.87 million issues switching hands, higher than the previous day’s P5.1 billion with 838.18 million issues.

“Trading volumes picked up, which tells us that more investors are interested to come in at current levels. It may continue higher on the last trading day of the week as bargain hunters pick up battered shares,” AAA Southeast Equities’ Mr. Mangun said.

More advancers were tallied at 101 against decliners which stood at 85. A total of 53 names ended unchanged.

Foreign investors snapped a 16-day net selling run as they posted net purchases of P420.91 million on Thursday versus Wednesday’s P543-million net outflow.

Virus infections near 250,000

THE Department of Health (DoH) reported 3,821 coronavirus infections on Thursday, bringing the total to 248,947.

The death toll rose to 4,066 after 80 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 563 to 186,058, it said in a bulletin.

There were 58,823 active cases, 88.3% of which were mild, 8.8% did not show symptoms, 1.2% were severe and 1.7% were critical, DoH said.

Metro Manila had the highest number of cases with 2,079, followed by Rizal with 286, Cavite with 174, Laguna with 168 and Bulacan with 142.

Of the new deaths, 35 came from Metro Manila, 16 from Central Visayas, 13 from the Calabarzon region and six from Western Visayas.

Three deaths were reported from Eastern Visayas, two each from Central Luzon, Northern Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and one from the Bicol region.

More than 2.7 million people have been tested for the disease, the agency said.

Meanwhile, eight zones have been identified for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials under the World Health Organization, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña told an online news briefing.

The areas were picked based on their transmission rate, he said, adding that there would be six zones in Metro Manila, one in the Calabarzon region and one in Cebu.

“Clinical trials in one zone can’t be doubled,” he said in Filipino. “Zones with high virus incidence have been picked.”

Mr. de la Peña said seven foreign companies had signed confidentiality agreements with the Philippine government on COVID-19 vaccine trials.

One of the companies came from Russia, which will soon test the Sputnik 5 vaccine in the Philippines next month. Other companies mentioned were from the United States, China and Australia, he said.

The Science and Technology department was reviewing these deals, Mr. de la Peña said.

DoH on Wednesday said coronavirus infections could surge in the coming days as laboratories play catch-up after it issued stricter rules on test result submissions, according to the agency.

The agency starting on Sept. 1 stopped accepting results without the complete address and phone number of the patient.

Because of this, there were confirmed cases that had not been reported and will come out once the information is complete.

The government earlier said it was looking at enforcing aggressive isolation measures and prohibiting home quarantine for coronavirus patients to bring down the infection rate further.

The government has been setting up more isolation centers for patients that don’t show symptoms and those with mild cases of the virus to contain the virus.

The government on Monday said local coronavirus infections have slowed, while the country’s healthcare system has improved.

The virus reproductive rate stood at 0.94 from four in March, meaning an infected patient can infect one more person, he said.

New cases peaked on Aug. 10 at 6,958 and gradually decreased to 2,592 on Sept. 5. There was also a downtrend in Metro Manila, the Calabarzon region and Central Visayas

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the head of the national task force, on Saturday said the Philippines was seeking to flatten the curve by the end of September.

In epidemiology, the idea of slowing a virus spread so that fewer people need to seek treatment at a time is known as flattening the curve.

The curve researchers are talking about refers to the projected number of people who will get infected over time. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Gillian M. Cortez

Piracy, other crimes rise in Asian waters

PIRACY and other crimes have surged in Asian waters in the first seven months of the year despite a coronavirus pandemic, many committed by a Philippine-based group linked to Islamic State, according to a report released on Wednesday.

Especially hard hit have been the Sulu Sea and coastal areas of the southern Philippines, according to the report by Babel Street, an open source data analysis company based in Virginia.

The author, McDaniel Wicker, a former US Air Force intelligence officer and a company vice president, said rising crime in that area carried significant security implications.

The Sulu Sea, he said, is a key shipping route and controlling crime there would require shifting regional security forces from other areas where they are also needed.

“There’s also a very serious global Islamic terror threat tied up in this,” Mr. Wicker said, referring to the Abu Sayyaf Group, which is based in southern Philippines and has links to Islamic State.

There have been at least 50 incidents of piracy, armed robbery and kidnapping for profit in Asian waters during the first seven months of 2020, the vast majority of them in the Sulu Sea and the Strait of Malacca, the world’s busiest shipping lane, Mr. Wicker said.

Those were double the numbers of such incidents recorded for the same period last year and represent the highest level since 2016, according to the report, citing data from a regional anti-piracy coalition.

The Abu Sayyaf Group was responsible for many attacks this year, it said. The rise in the group’s maritime activities has paralleled stepped up attacks in the nation’s south. An Aug. 24 suicide bombing killed 14 people, including security force personnel, it said. — Reuters

Justice department to reopen Pimentel probe for violation of lockdown rules

THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) will reopen its investigation of an administration senator for violating quarantine rules at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, it said on Thursday.

The agency received a copy of a memo from the National Bureau of Investigation (BI) dated Aug. 24 regarding the case of Senator Aquilino L. Pimentel III, including an incident report submitted by the director of Makati Medical Center, Assistant State Prosecutor Wendell P. Bendoval said in an order.

“In view of the foregoing and in line with the policy of admitting all evidence that could assist in the judicious resolution of complaints, the preliminary investigation of this case is hereby reopened,” according to a copy of the order.

Government prosecutors ordered the parties including Mr. Pimentel to  comment on the memo by Sept. 21. The Justice department had submitted the case for resolution in July.

Mr. Pimentel tested positive for the coronavirus in March while he was at the hospital with his wife, who was then due to give birth.

The senator was accused of violating a law that required him to disclose his illness when he accompanied his pregnant wife to the Makati Medical Center. Violators of the law may be fined as much as P50,000 or jailed for six months.

The hospital earlier rebuked Mr. Pimentel for being reckless and irresponsible. He has apologized, saying he did not mean to harm anyone. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Gov’t may ease ban on health workers’ deployment — Roque

THE GOVERNMENT is studying a proposal to relax its deployment ban for health workers by allowing those whose contracts were signed as of August to leave the country.

Presidential spokesman Harry L. Roque told an online news briefing on Thursday he would bring this up to an inter-agency task force on the coronavirus and President Rodrigo R. Duterte himself.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III this week said he wanted to ease the ban.

In an order dated April 2, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) suspended the deployment of doctors and nurses while the country was in a state of national emergency.

Also covered by the ban were microbiologists, molecular biologists, medical technologists, clinical analysts, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, laboratory and X-ray technicians, nursing aids, medical equipment operators, health supervisors and hospital equipment repair men.

POEA also suspended negotiations for government-to-government deployment of health workers.

It said the country’s health facilities, personnel and other resources were under severe strain due to the rising number of persons affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), according to the order signed by Mr. Bello, who heads the POEA board.

Only medical professionals whose contracts were signed on or before March 8 were allowed to work overseas.

The Philippines was 290,000 short of health workers last year, which was aggravated by the migration of 13,000 health professionals, POEA said earlier, citing a Human Resources for Health Network report.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. had said the deployment ban violates citizens’ right to travel. — Gillian M. Cortez

Regional Updates (09/10/20)

Quarantine facility

THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways turned over on Sept. 10 these 40-footer container vans that have been converted into a quarantine facility to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Located inside  Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City, the facilty can accommodate 56 coronavirus patients. The P19.6 million cost was sourced from the  DPWH National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.

Trade, Labor, Transportation departments to draft guidelines on expanded mass transport

DETAILED GUIDELINES on increasing mass transportation, particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR), will be jointly drafted by three departments — trade, labor, and transportation, according to the Palace. Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque confirmed on Thursday that the task force handling the coronavirus response approved the economic development cluster’s recommendation to expand mass transport through Resolution No. 69 dated September 7. The specifics, however, are still being finalized to ensure the observance of health standards as the economy reopens. Based on the resolution, more lanes and stops for buses and jeepneys will be set up in major routes. The resolution also approved service contracting of public utility vehicles to serve as partial subsidy to operators. — Gillian M. Cortez

Cebu province penalizes improper disposal of face masks

A FINE of as much as P5,000 or six months in prison, or both, will be imposed on those caught violating rules on the proper disposal of face masks as well as those not wearing one outside of residence in Cebu province. The provincial board approved on September 7 the ordinance defining the penalties as well as guidelines such as the mandatory provision of a separate garbage bin for disposable face masks in all public offices and business establishments. Households are also required to have a separate waste container for used masks. The ordinance applies to the six component cities of Cebu (Danao, Talisay, Toledo, Bogo, Carcar, and Naga) and 44 municipalities.

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