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Dining In/Out (08/27/20)

Pancake House favorites available for delivery

PANCAKE House’s timeless classics, signature promotions, and new offerings are now all available for delivery to one’s doorstep. For those who like doing a bit of DIY, the restaurant chain is offering Make Your Own Sets of various dishes. The Make Your Own Taco Set (P459) contains five taco shells with ingredients like taco meat, grated cheddar cheese, fresh romaine lettuce strips, and signature salsa placed in separate containers. Signature classics are available through the Make Your Own House Specials Set with taco, spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread, Classic Pan Chicken, and juice. The House Special Sets are available in bundles good for three and five people, starting at P939. the Make Your Own Jumbo House Burger Set features a 1/3 lb beef patty with bacon, cheese, lettuce, pickles, cucumbers, tomato, Thousand Island dressing, and a toasted bun, and is available in bundles good for three and four people, starting at P799. Meanwhile, the restaurant’s popular Choose Any 2 value for money offering is also now available for delivery. The promo also comes in choices of three and four dishes. Starting at P459, choose among six different dishes: chicken tocino, one classic pan chicken and spaghetti with garlic bread, classic baked mac, mushroom omelet, pork tocino, and crispy chicken fillet – and top it off with a serving of juice depending on the total number of dishes ordered. Order by calling 888-7900 through the website https://delivery.pancakehouse.com.ph, or via GrabFood, FoodPanda, or LalaMove. For a list of open stores, visit https://bit.ly/PancakeHouseSchedule.  For more information, visit facebook.com/PancakeHousePhilippines. 

Shake Shack launches the first Great Philippine Shake Sale

SHAKE SHACK is kicking off its first Great Philippine Shake Sale in the Central Square and SM Megamall Shacks from Aug. 24 through Sept. 6 with two limited-time flavors, Vanilla Cookies & Cream and Chocolate Cookies & Cream. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Art Relief Mobile Kitchen (ARMK) to support feeding the hungry through community kitchens. Inspired by the American tradition of fundraising bake sales, the Great Shake Sale began in 2012 as Shake Shack’s initiative to raise awareness and funds to end childhood hunger in America. Since 2014 it has gone global, raising over $2.6 million for the campaign. This year, the Philippines Shake Sale will donate P50 from every shake sold to ARMK. For just P50, Shake Shack can provide a freshly cooked nutritious meal to an individual in need through ARMK’s kitchen. ARMK, founded by photojournalist Alex Baluyut together with Precious Leano, started out as a volunteer response team made up of photographers and artists to help feed families devastated by Supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan). For the past seven years, they have set up mobile kitchens across the country, serving thousands of meals on over 50 missions.

Lung Hin has mooncakes for Mid-Autumn fest

In celebration of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s award-winning authentic Cantonese restaurant Lung Hin presents traditional premium mooncakes that may be shared with loved ones and colleagues. It is believed that harmony and prosperity arise during this Mid-Autumn Festival, thus the tradition of giving gratitude takes place. Lung Hin’s mooncakes are available individually at P798, in boxes of four pieces at P2,888, and boxes of six pieces at P3,888. A special Limited Edition Treasure Chest of four pieces is also available for P2,888. Featured flavors for the year are red bean with double egg yolks, red lotus with double egg yolks, white lotus with double egg yolks, and mixed nuts. Marco Polo Ortigas Manila also offers guests an option to place their orders ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival in October. Until Sept. 4, guests may enjoy 15% savings on orders of at least 20 boxes of four or boxes of six.  For more information contact 7720-7777 or e-mail lunghin.mnl@marcopolohotels.com.

Popeyes now available on GrabFood

You can finally enjoy Popeyes’ America’s Famous Fried Chicken as it partners with GrabFood to give you another convenient and accessible option for delivery. Now, foodies from different parts of Metro Manila and nearby municipalities can use GrabFood to order Popeyes favorites everyone is going crazy about. You are only a few taps away from getting a taste of Popeyes’ signature fried chicken that is packed

with irresistible Cajun-inspired flavors, buttery and flaky honey biscuits, crispy and delightful Cajun fries, and flavorful Popeyes spaghetti. The best part is you can use the code GRABPOPEYES to get FREE DELIVERY of your Popeyes cravings as many times as you want if you spend at least Php 550 from August 20 to September 19. All food items are safely prepared before they are delivered right to your doorstep, so grab Popeyes now and enjoy a hearty meal by yourself or with your friends and family. GrabFood is available through the Grab app, which you can download on the App Store for iOS and Google Play Store for Android. Aside from GrabFood, Popeyes delivery is also available via www.centraldelivery.ph. For the latest deals and promos, make sure to follow @popeyesph on Facebook and Instagram.

The new Jollibee App makes ordering your favorites faster and more convenient!

Jollibee takes its delivery service another step further as it introduces the all-new Jollibee App. Giving Filipinos more convenient and faster ways to order, the country’s number one fast-food chain scales up its services across digital platforms, catering to more customers as they bring them their Jollibee favorites in the safety of their homes.

Featuring a user-friendly design and interface, the Jollibee App allows users to experience the joy and comfort of easily ordering their Jollibee favorites with just a few swipes from their mobile phones. Customers can download the app then create an account. They can save their addresses to make future deliveries faster and more convenient, and get notified of the exciting new offers from Jollibee. Heightening the experience, the Jollibee App also features a store locator so users can conveniently find the Jollibee outlet nearest them. On top of this, customers can also schedule their deliveries and enjoy exclusive deals with the promo coupons available in the app. It also features the restaurant’s full menu, so everyone can order all their favorites in one convenient mobile app! They can enjoy the classic Jollibee Chickenjoy, Jolly Spaghetti, and Yumburger. If they’re in the mood for more, they can also opt for the Super Meals and get a taste of everything they love at Jollibee. Users can as well choose from multiple payment options. They can pay in cash upon delivery or do online payments via PesoPay portal. Senior Citizens and PWDs can also avail their regular discounts when they order online through the Jollibee App.“With Jollibee as a market leader in the QSR (quick service restaurant) industry, we are always exploring different solutions to suit the demands of an ever-evolving market. Now that technology plays a huge part in our lives, we’re making our services available across online channels to create a more joyful and convenient customer experience for Filipinos,” said Francis E. Flores, Jollibee Global Brand CMO and JFC Philippines Country Business Group and concurrent PH Marketing Head.

Aside from the mobile app, people can also take joy in this online experience as they order their favorites from Jollibee’s new and enhanced delivery website, www.JollibeeDelivery.com. Download the new Jollibee App on Android and iOS.

Hanabishi’s new 2-in-1 Grinder and Coffeemaker

As the pandemic rages and people stay at home, good coffee can still be within reach. Hanabishi, known for its affordable and quality appliances, has introduced the Hanabishi 2-in-1 Grinder and Coffeemaker. Available for P3,750, it can make four cups of coffee in one brew using either coffee beans or ground coffee. Just add coffee beans or ground coffee to the machine, pour in some water, select the setting, and the coffee will be ready in minutes. Cleaning it is just as fuss-free. For more information about Hanabishi’s 2-in-1 Grinder and Coffeemaker, visit myhanabishi.com.

Chef Laudico brings his kitchen online

La Germania, the household brand known for its premium and high-quality kitchen appliances, is bringing top chef Rolando Laudico’s kitchen online in its #CookingTogetherWithLaGermania series. Mr. Laudico, who owns several restaurants, bistros and cafes around Metro Manila, will share his knowledge of the kitchen with both aspiring restaurateurs and stay-at-home chefs through the online series, including some secrets and cooking hacks while preparing unique recipes that anyone can do at home. Mr. Laudico will be the main host of the #CookingTogetherWithLaGermania series, which will feature recipes by the chef and his guests. He will be joined in the 15-minute cooking episodes by food journalist Stephanie Zubiri, culinary entrepreneur Karel Marquez, and the entire Laudico family. The series will run for five months with a total of five episodes, which will be livestreamed on La Germania’s official Facebook page. Kicking off the series is Mr. Laudico and Ms. Zubiri’s special take on the Filipino dish, Bicol Express. The first episode was livestreamed on Aug. 21 on La Germania’s official Facebook page. Succeeding episodes will be livestreamed on Sept. 11, Oct. 23, Nov. 27, and Dec. 18, all at 2 p.m. Previous episodes can be accessed after the livestream on the same page. To stay updated on the #CookingTogetherwithLaGermania, follow the official Facebook and Instagram accounts of the kitchen brand.

Nintendo plans upgraded Switch console and major games for 2021

NINTENDO CO. plans to debut an upgraded model of its Switch console next year along with a lineup of new games, people familiar with the matter said, ceding 2020’s holiday spotlight to rival devices from Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp.

The specifications of the new machine have yet to be finalized, though the Kyoto-based company has looked into including more computing power and 4K high-definition graphics, people briefed on the strategy told Bloomberg News, asking not to be identified because it’s private. Nintendo faces stiff competition for gamers’ attention this fall as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are set to arrive in time for the shopping season.

The release of the upgraded Switch would be coupled with, or followed by, a slew of games from Nintendo itself and related outside studios, the people said. Those games would address a wide range of players, from casual gamers seeking small doses of escapism to more devoted fans putting in marathon gaming sessions. The focus on next year’s pipeline explains Nintendo’s relatively quiet software release schedule so far this year, the people said.

The gaming giant has seen record-breaking hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the protracted COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic spark a rally of more than 70% in its share price since the game’s release in March.

The company has struggled to keep up with demand for its existing Switch and Switch Lite, though it said earlier this month that its production bottleneck has largely been resolved. This has been helped by plunging smartphone demand releasing some of the pressure on suppliers. Assembly of Nintendo’s next console isn’t expected to begin until next year because production partners are busy with making the current models, according to the people informed.

Taiwan’s Economic Daily News first reported the new console plans on Monday. A Nintendo spokesman declined to comment.

The video game industry saw an unprecedented surge over the quarter ended June, with big names like Sony, Square Enix Holdings Co., Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Nintendo itself far outperforming analyst expectations as the pandemic kept millions of people homebound for extended periods of time. Those companies have sounded a note of caution about the momentum continuing, though data from Japan-based research firm Famitsu suggests demand for the Switch and Animal Crossing remained strong in August.

A BOOSTER NEEDED?
Nintendo has sold 61 million Switch consoles in the period between its March 2017 launch and the end of June this year. Extending the console’s lifespan with a specced-up version is likely to make it the company’s longest-lived console generation.

“With Nintendo Switch about to begin its fourth year, the situation does feel a little different from the home consoles we’ve offered in the past,” Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said in January, when he added a note not to expect new hardware in 2020. “In terms of hardware, I think we will be able to consider a variety of ways to expand in the future.”

The Wii is Nintendo’s biggest home console hit to date with lifetime sales of 102 million units, while the portable Nintendo DS has reached 154 million units — and at least one analyst expects a refreshed Switch model can boost sales enough to make it the company’s most successful hardware generation.

“The Switch will surpass the Wii’s sales even without an upgrade,” said Ace Research Institute analyst Hideki Yasuda. “And a sound hardware update plan would even allow the Switch to surpass the Nintendo DS handheld.” — Bloomberg

How PSEi member stocks performed — August 26, 2020

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Wednesday, August 26, 2020.

PHL stocks extend decline on virus uncertainties

PHILIPPINE SHARES went down on Wednesday, along with several Asian stocks at the time of the market’s closing, as investors continued to yield to uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) shed 22.11 points or 0.37% to close at 5,931.33, while the broader all shares index dipped 4.36 points or 0.12% to end at 3,544.24.

“Generally, we still have a downwardly biased market given the uncertainties stemming from our pandemic situation coupled with our weakened economy and its dim outlook,” said Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco, a senior research analyst at Philstocks Financial, Inc.

“We don’t have any compelling factors so far that could stimulate confidence in the market which explains our lackluster net value turnover,” he added.

The market recorded a value turnover of P4.91 billion on Wednesday, slightly higher than the previous day’s P4.56 billion. Some 1.22 billion issues switched hands, slightly lower than Tuesday’s 1.25 billion issues.

Net value turnover stood at P4.83 billion, which Mr. Tantiango said is lower than the year-to-date average of P5.87 billion.

“Our net foreign outflows are also building up again. We’re already on a 7-day net foreign selling streak averaging P577.69 million per day,” he added.

Net foreign selling grew to P614.1 million on Wednesday from P463.07 million on Tuesday.

“There is a general lack of confidence from investors. The PSEi is in a clear downtrend in the short term,” AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun said in an e-mail. “It may continue lower to test support at 5,690 before recovering.”

Most sectoral indices ended Wednesday’s session in red territory. Property gave up 37.34 points or 1.33% to 2,768; industrials lost 38 points or 0.48% to 7,852.84; financials fell 2.66 points or 0.23% to 1,113.53; and services slid 2.52 points or 0.17% to 1,470.77.

Two sectoral indices managed to close with gains: mining and oil went up 26.38 points or 0.45% to 5,818.21 and holding firms climbed 17.04 points or 0.27% to 6,186.11.

Advancers outpaced decliners, 101 against 89, while 51 names ended unchanged.

Asian stocks eased from a two-year high on Wednesday, as a mixed bag of economic data had investors a touch more circumspect about the global recovery, while oil jumped to a five-month peak owing to a hurricane disrupting output in the Gulf of Mexico, Reuters reported.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged down 0.1% after hitting its highest since mid-2018 on Tuesday. Japan’s Nikkei was off 0.1%.

The US dollar nursed small losses in currency trading, though moves were muted ahead of a key Thursday speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in which he is expected to outline the central bank’s next steps. — Denise A. Valdez with Reuters

Peso weakens as budget deficit widens in July

THE PESO weakened slightly on Wednesday on data showing that the country’s budget deficit widened in July.

The local unit closed at P48.52 versus the dollar on Wednesday, depreciating by two centavos from its P48.50-per-dollar finish on Tuesday, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed.

The peso opened Wednesday’s session at P48.52 against the greenback. It climbed to as high as P48.515 during the session while its intraday low was at P48.55 versus the dollar.

Dollars traded sank to $481.5 million on Wednesday from Tuesday’s $674.6 million.

“The latest budget deficit was nearly twice the year-ago level at P75.3 billion,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a text message.

“Government revenues declined by 11.2% as tax slowed amid the COVID-19 lockdown, while it posted 10.4% increase in government expenditures,” Mr. Ricafort said.

The country’s fiscal position swung to a P140.2-billion deficit in July from a P1.8-billion surplus in June, the Bureau of the Treasury reported on Wednesday. This was higher by 86.2% than the P75.3-billion deficit seen in July 2019.

This brought the budget deficit for the first seven months of the year to a record P700.6 billion as pandemic expenses continued to rise while revenues dropped as economic activity remained slow.

For today, Mr. Ricafort expects the peso to move within the P48.45 to P48.60 levels versus the dollar. — KKTJ

Duterte healthy despite cancer threat, says palace spokesman

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte remains fit despite an earlier disclosure that he was at risk of getting cancer, his spokesman said on Wednesday.

“I don’t think the people should worry about a lack of transparency because the President himself will say what his condition is but as of now, there’s really no serious condition,” presidential spokesman told CNN Philippines.

Mr. Duterte, 75, on Tuesday said he was told by his doctor that he was at risk of getting cancer from Barrett’s esophagus, an inflammation of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.

“So far, he is okay,” Mr. Roque said. “As far as I know, there is no cancer and as I said, if there is cancer and if it is a serious illness, he will be reporting it to the people.”

Barett’s esophagus is an illness where cells in the esophagus start to look like the tissue of the intestines. It is a complication caused by serious acid reflux and heartburn.

Risk of esophageal cancer is low but is possible depending on the severity.

Mr. Roque said the diagnosis had been given a long time ago and Mr. Duterte had followed his doctor’s advice to remain in good condition.

The President’s health has long been a topic of speculation for many, with critics urging him to update the public about his medical condition as required by the Constitution.

Mr. Roque noted that Mr. Duterte had stopped drinking since he became President in 2016 to prevent his Barrett’s esophagus from worsening.

The President earlier claimed he drinks at night despite being told to quit the habit.

Mr. Roque brushed off claims linking Mr. Duterte’s stay in his hometown of Davao City to his health status.

He said the President remained healthy, which allows him to regularly give televised addresses weekly. “The President continues to do his job where he is.”

Mr. Duterte was safe and remained healthy, Presidential Security Group commander Col. Jesus Durante said separately.

Duterte has said he struggles with back pains, migraines and Buerger’s disease, which is linked to blockages in the blood vessels associated with smoking when he was younger.

A lawyer this week asked the Supreme Court to compel the government to disclose the health condition of Mr. Duterte.

In a manifestation, lawyer Dino S. de Leon asked the court to act on his appeal after it rejected his petition to disclose Mr. Duterte’s health status.

He also asked the court to hold oral arguments on his plea. Mr. De Leon said rumors about Mr. Duterte’s health could have been avoided if the government had divulged his health condition.

The matter could be put to rest if the tribunal orders the Office of the President to disclose the state of Mr. Duterte’s physical and mental health to the public.

Mr. De Leon said the health of the President must be disclosed as the country deals with a coronavirus pandemic.

He cited rumors about a medical jet landing in Davao City and a return flight to Singapore that allegedly carried a “high-profile person,” whom the presidential palace denied to be Mr. Duterte.

He also cited Mr. Duterte’s exposure to Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año, who had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Senator Bong Go, Mr. Duterte’s former aide, earlier released a photo of the President in his home in Davao and a video showing that Mr. Duterte was going to a meeting with an inter-agency task force.

Mr. De Leon said Mr. Duterte appeared “lethargic and edematous” in the photo, “with his right eyelid visibly drooping,” contrary to presidential spokesman Harry L. Roque’s claim that he was fine. — Gillian M. Cortez

Coronavirus cases breach 200,000 as deaths reach 3,137

THE Department of Health (DoH) reported 5,277 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, bringing the total to 202,361.

The death toll rose by 99 to 3,137, while recoveries increased by 1,131 to 133,460, it said in a bulletin.

There were 65,764 active cases, 91.6% of which were mild, 6.3% did not show symptoms, 0.9% were severe, and 1.3% were critical.

Metro Manila posted the highest number of new cases with 3,157, followed by Laguna with 403, Negros Occidental with 304, Rizal with 237 and Cavite with 228.

The new cases came from tests done by 95 out of 109 licensed laboratories.

Of the new reported deaths, 61 came from Metro Manila, 14 from the Calabarzon region, 12 from Central Luzon, six from Central Visayas, two from Western Visayas, and one each from Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

More than 2.2 million people have been tested for the virus, the agency said.

Meanwhile, DoH said in a separate advisory it was monitoring studies on reinfection and post-infection immunity from coronavirus and urged the public to follow minimum health standards.

This followed a statement from the University of Hong Kong, which documented a patient who was infected with the novel coronavirus “one after the other.”

The Health department said no evidence-based evaluation could be done until the details of the study are released in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Data on post-infection immunity are lacking, it said, citing the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Rest assured that the DoH is closely monitoring this issue and we are ready to evaluate and act on it once reliable scientific information is available,” it said.

DoH reminded the public to remain cautious.

“What we do not want to happen is for people who have been infected with COVID-19 in the past to assume they are already immune to the disease,” it added.

Also on Wednesday, researchers from the University of the Philippines (UP) noted that even if it had predicted a flattening of the COVID-19 curve by next month, people should stay cautious.

The downward trend could get reversed, UP OCTA researcher Guido David told an online news briefing.

“We do not necessarily recommend fully opening the economy because this is just the start of the recovery process,” he said. “Flattening the curve doesn’t mean that the pandemic is over. The virus is still alive and spreading,” he said in Filipino.

The UP OCTA fellow said the Philippines was “close to flattening the curve’ but this needs to be sustained. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Gillian M. Cortez

Gov’t to lose P13.2B from measure on bad loans and assets

THE government stands to lose as much as P13.2 billion in revenue once a measure that seeks to help banks get rid of their bad assets amid a coronavirus pandemic is passed, the Treasury bureau said on Wednesday.

The estimate was based on the country’s experience during the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s, National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon told a Senate committee hearing on the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer bill.

“We would highly appreciate it if the bill can be passed this September together with the Bayanihan 2 to be able to really maximize the benefits of all the emergency measures that the government is taking to be able to fight the pandemic,” she said.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue is opposing the tax exemptions under the bill.

The measure urges financial institutions to transfer bad loans to asset management companies, allowing them to focus more on lending activities amid the pandemic.

The transfer of the bad assets to management companies and from management companies to a third party will be exempted from taxes and reduced fees on registration and transfer. 

The House of Representatives has passed a counterpart measure.

The measure is among the priority measures that President Rodrigo R. Duterte mentioned in his fifth State of the Nation Address in July.

Banks’ bad loan ratio as of June stood at 2.5%, and the banking industry  has adequate buffers, Lyn I. Javier, the central bank’s managing director for Policy and Specialized Supervision, told senators.

Bad loans and assets can build up over time, and the central bank wants Congress to pass the bill so banks can offload these bad assets, she said. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Nationwide round-up

2 top PhilHealth execs resign

TWO TOP officials of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) have resigned amid investigations of irregularities marring the state insurer.

On Wednesday, PhilHealth President Ricardo C. Morales and Senior Vice President for legal sector Rodolfo B. del Rosario Jr announced separately their resignation from their respective posts.

Mr. Morales, in a radio interview with DZMM on Wednesday, said he will submit  his resignation letter to Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea following a recommendation from President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who appointed him, that it would be best to step down because of his ongoing battle with cancer.

“Ngayong umaga (This morning) I have to file it,” he said.

Mr. Del Rosario, in a social media post, said he already filed his irrevocable resignation.

Mr. Del Rosario, also an appointee, is already under a six-month suspension imposed by the Ombudsman against him and several other PhilHealth officials for alleged links to cases of anomaly prior to the recent separate probes by Congress and a special task force formed by the President.

Mr. Duterte, in a speech earlier this week, said he will dedicate his remaining term in office prosecuting those involved in corrupt activities within PhilHealth. — Gillian M. Cortez 

Religious leaders latest to file petition vs anti-terrorism law

A GROUP of religious leaders filed the 28th petition before the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

In a 36-page petition, the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines under the Roman Catholic Church said the Anti-Terrorism Act is unconstitutional because the broad law impedes and negatively affects the mission of the church.

Petitioners claimed that it is their duty to have “preferential option for the poor” and reaching-out to them as members of the church can make them suspected “terrorists” under the law which took effect July 18.

“As the Christian faithful aids those perceived to be ‘terrorists,’ the Christian faithful may themselves also be branded as ‘terrorists’ even if clearly they are not,” the lawsuit read.

The religious leaders also raised concern on the provisions authorizing warrantless arrests and detention of suspected terrorists.

The Anti-Terrorism Act considers attacks that cause death or serious injury, extensive damage to property and manufacture, possession, acquisition, transport and supply of weapons or explosives as terrorist acts.

It also allows the government to detain a suspect without warrant of arrest for 14 days from three days under a previous law.

The Anti-Terrorism Council formed under the law is made up of Cabinet officials, which can perform acts reserved for courts, such as ordering the arrest of suspected terrorists.

The court will hold oral arguments over the petitions filed against the law “on the 3rd week of September, at the earliest,” according to the court’s Public Information Chief Brian Keith F. Hosaka.

The Office of the Solicitor General asked the court to cancel holding the oral arguments claiming it is not mandatory and suggested alternative modes due to the coronavirus pandemic. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

DoLE launches mental support app for overseas workers in Macau

THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has launched a mental healthcare mobile app to assist overseas workers in Macau who have been affected by the coronavirus global pandemic.

“The app, dubbed ‘Kumusta, Kabayan,’ is an electronic health monitoring system designed to improve the well-being of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers), especially during the current coronavirus pandemic,” DoLE said in a statement on Wednesday.

The app is part of the Health Connection Project for overseas workers in the region.

The project, which will be implemented until December, aims to improve the well being of Filipino workers in Macau, especially those who are experiencing physical and mental health challenges because of the coronavirus crisis. — Gillian M. Cortez 

ARTA to streamline paperwork for OFWs, recruiting agencies

THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said it is preparing to streamline the process for deploying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), after consulting with the agencies overseeing the current process.

ARTA met online last week with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, and the International Labor Affairs Bureau.

POEA had presented its processes for licensing employment agencies that deploy land-based workers and seamen.

ARTA Director-General Jeremiah B. Belgica said that the accreditation of manpower agencies and the rest of the OFW deployment process will be streamlined without compromising safety.

“Streamlining neither mean(s) removing all safety measures nor completely deregulating a system. It simply means that we need to restructure the process to retain the requirements and steps truly necessary and eliminate those which are redundant and simply baseless in law or in practice,” he said.

OFWs are losing their jobs during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with 135,000 repatriated as of Aug. 15. Among these, 52,600 are seafarers and 82,651 are land-based workers.

The Labor department in June said that it expects around 400,000 OFWs to be displaced by the pandemic.

The Asian Development Bank said that it estimates a worst-case scenario of a 20.2% decline in remittances, or $5.789 billion in lost remittances, assuming global economies normalize after a year of pandemic containment efforts. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Government urged to release Murang Kuryente subsidies

A CONSUMER group is seeking the immediate grant of subsidies on some universal charges in electricity bills, a year after a law granting such relief was passed.

Republic Act No. 11371 or the Murang Kuryente Act provides a P208-billion subsidy to cover the universal charges for stranded contract costs and stranded debts paid for by consumers. The funds come from the net proceeds of the government’s share from the Malampaya Natural Gas Project. It will also pay for the anticipated shortfalls or deficits incurred from settling such obligations.

The subsidy allocation was not included in the 2020 national budget, as the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the law were only passed in April. As a result, the subsidies will be released next year, according to Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp.

But Laban Konsyumer said the IRR “should not be a condition precedent to the entitlement of all end-users to an immediate reprieve” granted by the law.

“The consumers have nothing to do with the proper disposition of the Malampaya funds, which are essentially, the responsibility of the implementing agencies,” it said.

Victorio A. Dimagiba, the group’s president, told BusinessWorld that the government must refund those charges that were collected from consumers since the effectivity of the law. The Murang Kuryente Act was signed on Aug. 8, 2019.

In a petition filed with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), the group asked the government to stop collecting the two universal charges, which the law also orders.

At present, PSALM is not recovering stranded contract costs but is still collecting the P0.0428 per kilowatt-hour stranded debts. The application to collect the latter was approved before the Murang Kuryente law was passed, and it will still be collected until the end of its corporate life, according to the ERC.

In the Department of Budget and Management’s proposed National Expenditure Plan for next year, it was planned that PSALM, which assumed stranded contract costs and stranded debts from the National Power Corp. (Napocor), will receive P8 billion as payment for the said bill components.

Stranded contract costs are “the excess of the contracted cost of electricity under eligible IPP (independent power producer) contracts over the actual selling price of the contracted energy output of such contracts,” the IRR defined.

Meanwhile, the stranded debts are those unpaid financial obligations of the Napocor which have not been liquidated by the proceeds from the sales and privatization of its assets.

PSALM cannot file for new applications to collect these charges from consumers until the government subsidy is exhausted. — Adam J. Ang

Rice tariffication alleged to have cost farmers P40 billion in lost income

RICE FARMERS lost P40 billion worth of income due to rice tariffication, to the benefit of importers and traders, who realized a P57.5 billion windfall during the first year of Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, according to the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF).

According to a study conducted by the FFF and allied groups, farmer mainly absorbed the impact of low palay prices, whereas traders could shift their sourcing to imports.

The FFF said that two million tons of imported rice arrived during the first seven months of the law’s effectivity.

“Palay prices nosedived from an average of P22.04 per kilogram in September 2018 to P14.40 in October 2019,” the FFF said. Palay, or unmilled rice, is the form in which rice farmers sell their harvest, while imported rice is typically milled into various varieties.

Proponents of the law touted it as a means of bringing down prices, slowing inflation, and allowing poor consumers to buy the staple for less.

The FFF claimed that the promised drop in prices to benefit the poor was not realized.

“Importers brought in mostly higher quality rice that sold at a higher price and gave better profit margins. Up to 85% of total rice imports were of the 5% brokens grade instead of the cheaper 25% brokens that the National Food Authority (NFA) previously imported,” the FFF said.

The FFF also alleged that rice importers saved P2.5 billion in tariffs after not declaring the true value of their imports to the Bureau of Customs.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) had yet to comment on he study at deadline time.

Taking effect in March 2019, the law permitted unrestricted imports of rice, with Southeast Asian grain paying a tariff of 35%. The tariffs fund the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which helps farmers access seed, farm machinery, credit, and farm know-how. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

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