Nationwide round-up

May 6, 2020 | 7:20 pm

COVID-19 mass testing key to easing of restrictions

LOCKDOWN rules will only be eased after May 15 if the national government, along with local governments, will be able to expand testing capacity for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Secretray Carlito G. Galvez Jr, National Task Force COVID-19 chief implementer, said mass testing will be particularly crucial for high-risk areas such as the National Capital Region (NCR). In a briefing Tuesday, he said they are monitoring if the suspected cases in Metro Manila can all be tested before May 15, then “most expectedly have a modified” quarantine measures after that. The NCR has 6,420 out of the 9,684 COVID-19 cases in the country as of May 5. The Department of Health (DoH) earlier said it is targeting 30,000 daily tests by end-May with 78 laboratories operational nationwide. Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo Founder Joey A. Concepcion, meanwhile, said the government should aim for up to 50,000 daily PCR tests. “Ideally we should be at 30,000, 40,000, 50,000 — the more PCR testing we can do the better,” he said in a television interview on Wednesday. “GCQ has to happen for us to be able to feel and see how entrepreneurs will react,” he said. The private sector has launched Project ARK (Antibody Rapid test Kits) to help increase testing. As of Wednesday, 168 companies have signed up with more than a million test kits set to arrive in the country by mid-May. He said he expects the number of participating companies to increase to 500. — Gillian M. Cortez and Jenina P. Ibañez

Cops, non-uniformed employees donate P228M from salaries for COVID-19 response

MEMBERS of the Philippine National Police (PNP), both officers and non-uniformed personnel, have pooled together P228 million mainly from their salaries, and donated this to the national government for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response. PNP Chief Archie Francisco F. Gamboa said other organizations such as the PNP Academy Alumni Association and the Police Cavaliers Association Inc. also contributed to the fund-raising activity. “Beyond the call of duty, our police officers and our non-uniformed PNP personnel volunteered to donate a portion of their pay to help fund the government’s efforts against the contagion. This is more than commendable. It is actually heroic,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said during the turnover ceremony on Wednesday. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Agrarian reform legal proceedings still suspended in ECQ areas

LEGAL proceedings and processes relating to the agrarian law implementation (ALI) remain suspended in areas where strict lockdown rules are in effect until May, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said on Wednesday. “All scheduled hearings, on-site inspection and investigations, meetings, dialogues, mediation conferences and other proceedings in the said areas pursuant to the regular or special ALI rules are suspended until May 15, 2020,” Agrarian Reform Secretary John R. Castriciones said. The filing of petitions, appeals, motions, pleadings, and other submissions involving all regular and special ALI cases that fall during the enhanced community quarantine or up to May 15 has been extended for 30 calendar days, counted from May 18, unless the quarantine period is extended again. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Private and working life blurring into one due to COVID-19 – study

May 6, 2020 | 7:12 pm

As social distancing measures become common and workers adjust to their new professional environments, even from their own living rooms, there is potential for private and working life to blur into one. In fact, half (51%) of those working from home who started to watch more adult content admit they did so on the same devices they use for work-related purposes. This is just one of the key findings from Kaspersky’s newHow COVID-19 changed the way people work report.

The “new normal” that workers are now facing is starting to have an impact on their work-life balance. Nearly a third (31%) of workers said they are spending more of their time working than they did before. However, 46% said they have increased the amount of time they spend on personal activity. This particular change may have come about because workers are now not having to commute or travel as much than they were before.

The report also revealed that it has become harder for workers to separate working and personal activity, especially when it comes to IT. Worryingly for businesses, 51% of workers who admit they have started watching more adult content since working from home, say they have done so on devices they use for work-related purposes. Nearly a fifth (18%) of workers even do this on devices provided to them by their employers, with 33% admitting to watching adult content on their personal devices that they also use to do their work.

Additionally, 55% of workers say they are reading more news now than they were before they started working from home. While this is understandable because people will want to stay updated with the latest coronavirus developments, 60% of this activity is done on devices that are used for work. This can though potentially lead to malware infections if employees do not pay attention to the resources and websites they visit.

Workers are also developing a habit of using their personal services for working purposes – increasing the potential risks from shadow IT, including the disclosure of sensitive information. For instance, 42% of employees use personal email accounts for work-related matters, and 49% admit their usage has increased when working from home. 38% use personal messengers that have not been approved by their IT departments, with 60% of them doing it more often in their new circumstances.

“Organizations cannot just fulfill all user requests, such as allowing staff to use any services as they want to. It is necessary to find a balance between user convenience, business necessity and security. To achieve this, a company should provide access to services based on the principle of only supplying minimal, necessary privileges, implement a VPN and use secure and approved corporate systems. These types of software may have certain restrictions that slightly reduce usability, but offer greater assurances in providing security measures,” comments Andrey Evdokimov, chief information security officer at Kaspersky.

To ensure businesses do all they can to keep their employees and corporate data safe, Kaspersky recommends employers follow these measures:

• Schedule basic security awareness training for your employees. This can be done online and cover essential practices, such as account and password management, email security, endpoint security. Kaspersky and Area9 Lyceum have prepareda free module to help staff work safely from home

• Ensure devices, software, applications and services are kept updated with the latest patches

• Install proven protection software, such asKaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud, on all endpoints, including mobile devices, and switch on firewalls. Any solution used should include protection from web threats and email phishing

For workers and users at home who have to work from their personal devices, Kaspersky advises:

• Using a reliable security solution, such asKaspersky Security Cloud, for comprehensive protection from a wide range of threats.

• Only downloading educational and entertaining content strictly from trusted sources

For more information about the impact working from home has had on workers and to read the report in full, visit https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/report-covid-wfh/35244/.

Sports must brace for altered ways moving forward

May 6, 2020 | 5:31 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE CORONAVIRUS disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected how Philippine sports affairs are to be conducted, not only for now, but also moving forward.

Speaking in an interview with PTV Sports on Monday, Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez said the COVID-19 episode has considerably impacted the local sporting scene and community and that an appropriate response in tune with the conditions of the time is needed.

“The whole sporting world, national sports has to change. It has to shape its direction moving forward,” said Mr. Ramirez, whose agency in the past two months have made some tough decisions, including cancelling all events under its watch for the remainder of the year because of the threat of the highly contagious respiratory disease.

“We have to be very, very careful [transitioning] from ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) come May 16 to GCQ (General Community Quarantine). There has to be adjustments. We cannot be complacent and just return to what we were doing before because one person or athlete contracting the disease can affect a lot of things,” he added.

Mr. Ramirez said with such a situation facing local sports, leaders have to take cue from the situation at hand and find ways to come up with the right environment for sports here to continue to function.

He went on to say that the PSC is in the process of recommending to the government, through the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), a set of protocols to guide stakeholders on how to go about their affairs during and after COVID-19.

“So we will be recommending to the IATF some protocols. We have to adhere to these,” Mr. Ramirez said.

Among the things they are looking at is setting up regional sport centers where coaches can go there and conduct training so that athletes do not need to go to the PSC facilities in Metro Manila right away.

This is apart from setting up a program where coaches can dispense their duties online by way of teleconference and other platforms. Mr. Ramirez said this is being done in collaboration with the different national sports associations and the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Testing for COVID-19 is also a must for athletes before they start practicing, as well as for other personnel, he said.

Still another concerns equipment, which the PSC chairman said have to be taken care of very carefully — disinfected regularly because of the very contagious nature of COVID-19.

“The sports world and industry will really change and sports leaders really have to look into that,” Mr. Ramirez said.

As to the return of sport activities, Mr. Ramirez said it is still wait-and-see but their return will be gradual, beginning with individual sports and outdoor activities.

“Under the GCQ, team sports are still not allowed to take place so we are recommending individual sports first like athletics, lawn tennis singles, table tennis singles, hiking and others which require a distance five to six feet,” he said.

Mr. Ramirez, however, said their decision on the resumption of sports activities depends on the recommendation of the IATF. If the latter orders a no-go even for individual sports, the PSC would follow.

Mike Tyson back in shape as he considers charity exhibitions

May 6, 2020 | 5:31 pm

BENGALURU — Mike Tyson’s decision to return to training has been met with enthusiasm from fans and some fellow fighters after the release of a short video that shows the 53-year-old still has plenty of speed and power as he ponders boxing in exhibition bouts.

The former world heavyweight champion, who said he could return to the ring in exhibitions to raise money for charity, posted a training video on social media that has been viewed more than nine million times.

The video shows American Tyson, the first heavyweight to hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles, working the pads with trainer Rafael Cordeiro.

“I’ve been working out, I’ve been trying to get in the ring, I think I’m going to box some exhibitions and get in shape,” Mr. Tyson said in an Instagram Live session with rapper T.I.

“I want to go to the gym and get in shape to be able to box three or four-round exhibitions for some charities and stuff.

“I do two hours on cardio, I do the bike and the treadmill for an hour, then I do some light weights, 300, 250 reps.”

“Then I start my day with the boxing thing, I go in there and hit the mitts, 30 minutes, 25 minutes, start getting in better condition.”

Cordeiro told ESPN: “He hasn’t hit mitts for almost 10 years. So I didn’t expect to see what I saw. I saw a guy with the same speed, same power as guys 21, 22 years old.”

Tyson retired after a loss to Kevin McBride in 2005, but more than a decade on, there is already a buzz about his potential return to the ring.

“Can’t believe, this is another level.” UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said on social media after seeing the video.

If Tyson does return to the ring, he will be following in the footsteps of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in coming out of retirement for an exhibition fight.

Former heavyweight champion George Foreman, however, said “Iron Mike” had given enough to the sport.

“Tyson has done enough great things for boxing. No more is needed. He is in the Hall of Fame and was a mighty puncher,” Foreman told World Boxing News.

Tyson, who became the youngest heavyweight champion of all time when he defeated Trevor Berbick in 1986 aged 20, won 50 of his 58 professional fights before retiring. — Reuters

Tennis world commits over $6 million for COVID-19 player relief program

May 6, 2020 | 5:30 pm

TORONTO — Tennis’s governing bodies and the organizers of the four Grand Slams said on Tuesday they will raise over $6 million to help players affected by the sport’s current shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The player relief program will target about 800 singles and doubles players collectively on the men’s and women’s tours, who are in need of financial support.

“The creation of the player relief program is a positive demonstration of the sport’s ability to come together during this time of crisis,” the governing bodies of world tennis, including the ATP and WTA, along with the International Tennis Federation, said in a joint statement.

“We will continue to collaborate and monitor the support required across tennis with the aim of ensuring the long-term health of the sport in the midst of this unprecedented challenge to our way of life, and our thoughts remain with all those affected at this time.”

The men’s ATP Tour and the WTA, which runs the women’s circuit, will administer the financial distributions of the program and all contributions will be split equally between men and women.

Eligibility for the program will take into account a player’s ranking as well as previous prize money earnings according to criteria agreed by all stakeholders.

While the fund from the seven stakeholders makes up the backbone of the program, funds raised through initiatives such as auctions and player donations are welcomed.

The professional tennis season was halted in early March due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic until at least July 13, which makes it difficult for those in the lower echelons of the sport, who depend solely on tournament winnings, to earn a living. — Reuters

Santé Barley triathlon team looking forward to IRONMAN event in Hawaii

May 6, 2020 | 5:30 pm

SUCCESSFULLY topped triathlon events in the country this year, Santé Barley TriTeam, the official triathlon team of Santé, is now looking forward to doing well in the Vega IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, later this year.

The Santé Barley TriTeam will be fielding four athletes who have qualified for the event, set for Oct. 10, and are raring to represent the country.

The team is composed of Robert Jonah Rivera (team captain), David Richmond, Jethro Karl Ramos, and Retzel Orquiza.

“Races like the IRONMAN World Championships are the reason why we train hard. We are proud to represent Santé Barley TriTeam in such a prestigious race. We will give our all to bring honor not just for the team but also for our country,” said Mr. Rivera as they prepare for the event.

The team is coming off successful outings in local triathlon events, winning top awards at the National Age Group Triathlon Race 2020 last January and the Apollo Petroleum Jelly TRI 2020 last February, both held at Subic Bay, Olongapo.

At the Vega IRONMAN World Championship, the team is expecting its skills to be greatly tested as it is considered as one of the most challenging triathlons across the globe.

The IRONMAN World Championship was originally held in Waikiki before moving to Kona on the island of Hawaii.

In it, some 2,000 athletes will embark on a 140.6-mile journey that would test their body, mind, and spirit that the IRONMAN is known for. Triathletes will race through a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, then a 26.2-mile marathon, while on the black lava rocks dominating the panorama, battling the 45mph, 95-degree “ho’omumuku” crosswinds, and the scorching sun.

Seeing how the team is doing well in competitions it is joining in, Santé said it is very proud of the squad and is throwing its full support behind it, especially for the levelled-up challenge that it would now take on.

“Santé Barley TriTeam is given another opportunity to showcase its members’ abilities in an international race. We are proud of this another achievement. The whole Santé family is ready to show our support to the qualifiers as they take on this challenge,” Joey Marcelo, chief executive officer of Santé, and Santé Barley team owner, said.

The Santé Barley TriTeam was established in 2012 in line with the company’s mission to help people lead healthier lives so they can live more and do more. To date, the team is comprised of over 30 competitive triathletes. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

2nd BUSINESSWORLD INSIGHTS: Understanding the new normal for businesses after the COVID crisis

May 6, 2020 | 1:24 pm

Once the enhanced community quarantine is lifted, a “new normal” in the way people live and do business is expected to unfold. What exactly is the picture of a “new normal”, considering the social, health, and economic effects of the disease?

Watch the discussion with Anthony Oundjian, Boston Consulting Group managing director and senior partner, Dr. Raul Destura, Philippine Genome Center deputy executive director, Dr. Nicole Curato, University of Canberra – Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance associate professor and Shailesh Baidwan Voyager Innovations and PayMaya Philippines president moderated by Tiago Arnaiz, BusinessWorld digital platform editor on “Understanding the ‘New Normal’ for Businesses after the COVID Crisis” held on May 6 at www.facebook.com/BusinessWorldOnline.

#BUSINESSWORLDINSIGHTS is made possible by SM, Megaworld, Globe, PayMaya, www.olern.com and The Philippine STAR with the support of Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Association of National Advertisers and Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines.

SM scholar alumna contributes in fight against COVID-19

May 6, 2020 | 1:12 pm

Through the years, scholar-graduates of SM Foundation (SMFI) succeed in the fields and paths that they chose to take. And during these trying times, part of SM’s pride are its scholars who give back to the community to spread social good – sharing their passion, service, and dedication for the country.

Amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and since the start of the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), SMFI scholar alumna and Quezon City resident Abigail Malabag shared how lucky she is to finish her college degree through the help of SM Foundation. Now, she serves as one of the frontliners in our fight against COVID-19.

Abigail is a Biomedical Engineer at The Medical City and part of her job is to ensure that all medical equipment, especially those being used in treating COVID-19 patients, are in good condition.

“Everyone’s safety is our top priority. I am happy and thankful that despite this pandemic we are facing today, I am able to support our frontliners by ensuring that all our medical equipment are in good condition,” Abigail said.

According to Abigail, her greatest takeaway as an SM Foundation scholar was to give back to the society and to serve her fellow Filipinos, whenever she has an opportunity to do so.

“Pay it forward – this is the lesson you taught to us, Tatang,” referring to the late SM patriarch Henry Sy Sr.

“I will always show how grateful I am as one of your scholars by sharing what I can do and what I have to others. Showing kindness, respect, and love goes a long way in curbing the spread of this disease,” she ended.

Abigail graduated in 2013 with a course of BS Electronic and Communications Engineer.

SMFI, through its Scholarship program, provides deserving and qualified students with access to college education and technical-vocational studies since 1993. To date, SMFI has produced almost 5,500 scholars all over the country.

External trade plummets in March

May 6, 2020 | 11:31 am

PHILIPPINE international trade performance fell significantly in March as exports and imports of goods shrank to multi-year levels, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported this morning.

Preliminary trade data from the PSA showed merchandise exports in March contracting by 24.9% to $4.53 billion compared to a 2.8% growth in February and a 0.1% uptick recorded in March 2019.

Likewise, merchandise imports fell 26.2% to $6.91 billion in March, deteriorating from an 11.6% decline observed in the same month last year.

The export figure marked the biggest decline in nearly a decade, or since the 27% contraction logged in September 2011. For imports, it was the biggest plunge since negative 28.3% recorded in August 2009.

Trade deficit in March was recorded at $2.38 billion, lower than the $3.33-billion gap in the same month last year.

The country’s total external trade in goods – the sum of export and import goods – was $11.4 billion in March, 25.7% less than the $15.4-billion total in the same month last year.

So far, total trade reached $39.0 billion, 10.4% less than $43.5 billion in January-March 2019.

From January to March, exports were down 5.2% to $15.72 billion to date, well below the 4% growth target for 2020 by the Development Budget Coordination Committee.

Meanwhile, the merchandise import bill declined by 13.6% to $23.26 billion on a cumulative basis against the DBCC’s eight-percent growth target for the year.

That brought the year-to-date trade balance to a $7.54-billion deficit, smaller than the $10.34-billion shortfall in 2019’s comparable three months. — Mark T. Amoguis

Dell EMC VxRail: Integrating the Future of Work Today

May 6, 2020 | 9:33 am

Dell EMC VxRail aims to become the standard in hyper-converged infrastructure

The coronavirus pandemic has stunned the business community across the globe, forcing organizations to reevaluate and reconsider the established conventions of work. As the world grows ever more reliant on technology, putting immense costs on businesses that demand service and availability. A robust IT infrastructure is not cheap, and creating a business model that can support the complexities of implementing Virtual Desktop Infrastructures (VDI) at scale is often a cost-prohibitive task. To gain a competitive advantage, organizations need a simpler, more streamlined VDI infrastructure that can deliver performance for small and large desktop deployments alike, while keeping it highly available and secure to make VDI deployments viable.

Jointly developed by Dell EMC and VMware, Dell EMC VxRail Appliances aim to become the standard in hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI), ideal for a range of VDI environments, including those that start small and grow or require GPU acceleration. VxRail removes the complexities of having to stand up a new, traditional yet siloed, infrastructure to run VDI, dramatically speeding time to deployment and reducing costs.

High performance at a lower cost

VxRail Appliances seek to become the solution for organizations looking for the easiest and fastest way to implement a high performance VDI infrastructure.

VxRail integrates market-leading compute, including Dell EMC PowerEdge servers, VMware vSAN software-defined storage, vSphere virtualization, and management software from Dell EMC and VMware to provide a solid foundation for a VDI infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the flexible configuration options include all-flash nodes that feature enterprise data efficiency services and nodes that deliver purpose-built GPU hardware for graphics intensive virtual desktops. Built-in quality of service, as well as the ability to scale on a single node basis or expand storage capacity as needed, ensure optimum performance and capacity are virtually guaranteed whether deploying 100 or 1000 desktops.

VxRail’s highly redundant architecture, integrated Dell EMC data protection software and non-disruptive upgrades create certainty that your virtual desktops will always be available to end-users, even during boot storms or Microsoft Tuesday patch updates.

VxRail Appliances are available in a range of node options from 1U/1-node that are ideal for ROBO, through 2U, 4-node hybrid or all-flash building blocks. Built on the foundation of VMware vSAN and managed through the familiar VMware vCenter interface, VxRail Appliances provide customers the VMware experience they are familiar with while allowing them to take advantage of the hallmark benefits of Dell EMC, namely increased agility, simplified operations, and lower risk.

Future-proofing your organization

There is no going back to a time without technology. The way forward only signals a world that seamlessly blends the virtual world and the physical one. VxRail is a step towards that future.

Enabling you to reduce your VDI footprint and associated capital outlay, VxRail Appliances can help you make savings on power and infrastructure requirements while minimizing administrative burdens lowers operational costs. The modular, just-in-time purchase approach, including single-node scaling and storage capacity expansion empowers you to predictably evolve with a repeatable, simple and agile means to scale on demand as the number of users grow and requirements evolve. VxRail can host virtual desktops from VMware, Citrix and other VDI vendors.

Such capabilities all but ensure that VxRail can meet any performance and capacity demand associated with desktop growth and those that demand continuous hardware and software evolution. VxRail seamlessly integrates new enterprise class x86 and storage technologies, new flash storage technologies and nondisruptively updates to the latest VMware software available to ensure your VDI deployment can continuously modernize according to your needs.

In the Philippines, Integrated Computer Systems (ICS) is a certified partner for VxRail deployments, offering free VxRail on-site and online demos, as well as Proof of Concept for interested parties.

Learn more about Dell EMC VxRail VDI Solutions by talking to your contact person at Integrated Computer Systems, Inc., a Dell Technologies Titanium partner in the Philippines. You may also e-mail at info@ics.com.ph, or visit the ICS website, www.ics.com.ph.

Nationwide round-up

May 6, 2020 | 1:00 am

Seafarers face job uncertainty due to PHL travel restrictions

UP TO 40,000 Filipino seafarers, including those who work on cruise ships, may not get rehired by their companies due to travel restrictions being imposed by the Philippine government in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“Many of them have no assurance of getting hired back. And… we make the lives of our seafarers more miserable with a lot of other restrictions, which we understand also for us to be able to contain the spread of the virus, but we should consider that we need to protect even our own jobs,” Eduardo Ma. R. Santos, executive vice-president of the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), said in a phone interview.

Mr. Santos, also president of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific, said about 20,000 seafarers, mostly from cruise lines, have already returned to the country.

A batch of 4,559 workers in cruise ships from Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan are expected to disembark at the country’s ports on May 17, after completing their 14-day quarantine at anchorage, the Bureau of Immigration reported on Tuesday.

Eight other cruise ships and three maritime vessels are expected to arrive next week, the bureau said.

Seafarers from all types of vessels, like all other returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), are quarantined for 14 days before being allowed on shore.

Mr. Santos said the Philippines has more than 300,000 seafarers, and he expects the number “to be deeply reduced if they don’t get any renewal of contracts and replacements.”

Others still on board have been forced to extend their contracts, which Mr. Santos said could be a drawback in terms of efficiency.

“If you let them stay longer on board, that will affect their efficiency kasi nga banas na banas na sila, nasa barko na isang taon eh (because they will become irritated, being in a ship for a year),” he said.

Industry groups have been lobbying to ease travel restrictions on seafarers, who sent $6.5 billion in remittances last year, accounting for 22% of the total $30.1 billion sent home by Filipino workers overseas, according to data from the central bank.

Mr. Santos noted that other labor supply countries such as India and those in Eastern Europe give their seafarers considerable leeway to move in and out of their respective countries although they have more COVID-19 infections than the Philippines.

Further, he said, seafarers struggle to get employment contracts which are processed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration that currently operates under a skeleton workforce because of the quarantine rules.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have said the government should identify airports that international transport personnel, who have been affected by travel restrictions, can use for crew changes and make appropriate adjustments to the current health and immigration protocols.

IATA and ICS said that regulations intended for passengers and non-essential personnel unnecessarily jeopardize the ability of airlines and shipping companies to keep global supply chains operating when such restrictions are applied to transport personnel who do not engage with local communities.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte, meanwhile, warned local government units of sanctions if they refuse to allow repatriated OFWs to return to their hometowns over health safety fears.

In an evening briefing on Monday, Mr. Duterte said, “Magkakaroon tayo ng problema (There will be a problem) if you resist because then as a worker of government, it falls upon my shoulders to see to it that everything is done fair.” — Arjay L. Balinbin with Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Gillian M. Cortez

Gov’t targets 78 COVID-19 test centers by end-May

THE government is aiming to have 78 testing centers for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) operational by end-May, with a combined 30,000 daily testing capacity.

Vivencio “Vince” B. Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the national policy against COVID-19, said during a Monday evening briefing that the goal is to “ramp up testing,” especially while there is no approved vaccine yet to defeat the virus.

In a separate briefing on Tuesday, the government launched its T3 or the Test, Trace, and Treat Program.

“Kapag tayo po ay umabot ng 30,000 per day, nandoon na po tayo sa level ng testing katulad ng mga bansang talagang nag-invest sa testing tulad ng South Korea at ng mga iba pang bansa; at mas mataas pa tayo sa level ng Singapore at ng Israel (If we reach up to 30,000 per day, we are at the level of countries that really invested such as South Korea and other countries, and we will be at a higher level than Singapore and Israel),” he said.

The government will also open four “mega” swabbing centers in Metro Manila this week, which can cover 5,000 samples a day.

Meanwhile, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) will form a committee that will focus on screening areas that will undergo an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), wherein stringent rules are implemented.

On Tuesday, Palace Spokesperson Harry L. Roque said the IATF-EID has approved the document containing guidelines for imposing ECQ at different local government levels.

The new parameters will be used to determine areas that will need to continue or can forego restrictions in the face of the COVID-19 threat.

Mr. Roque also said the task force has also formed the IATF Screening and Validation Committee, which is composed of different government agencies.

Starting May 1, areas considered as under low to moderate risk of the COVID-19 spread have been directed to ease restrictions, including resumption of public transport and reopening of more businesses.

A number of local governments, however, appealed to maintain the ECQ policy.

Mr. Roque said there are currently seven areas that have a pending appeal. — Gillian M. Cortez

Agri dep’t resumes full operations in all offices

THE Department of Agriculture (DA), including its attached bureaus and agencies, has resumed full operations in its offices nationwide following Secretary William D. Dar’s order on Monday to deliver services to the sector.

Mr. Dar said among the crucial services needed relate to production, marketing, and financial assistance.

The directive is in compliance with the “Omnibus guidelines on the implementation of community quarantine in the Philippines,” a part of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Executive Order No. 112.

Mr. Dar also instructed all DA offices to ensure the unhampered movement of agricultural frontliners such as farmers, fisherfolk, agri-fishery processing and manufacturing personnel, and employees at central and regional field offices.

He added that all farm and fishery workers and employees must follow health and safety measures set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

“Those with health issues, regardless of age, will not be allowed to go back to work. We need to minimize the risk among farmers and fisherfolk, as well as our employees, and avoid becoming part of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) statistics,” Mr. Dar said.

Under the revised guidelines of Executive Order 112, several areas have been classified as high-risk areas and still placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 15.

These areas include the National Capital Region, Central Luzon except Aurora, CALABARZON Region, Pangasinan, Benguet including Baguio City, Iloilo, Iloilo City, Cebu, Cebu City, Bacolod City, and Davao City.

All other localities areas must transition to the less stringent general community quarantine rules starting May 1, although some local government units (LGUs) continue to implement tight restrictions.

“We have no problem with LGUs that wish to pursue ECQ, as long as all activities related to agriculture and food production remain unimpeded,” Mr. Dar said.

The DA recently called for the establishment of “mobility corridors” for food supply chain players to have uninterrupted movement and delivery of commodities.

“As we have stated time and again, the threat of hunger is as real as the threat of COVID-19. We must look beyond the crisis and prepare for the aftermath, and more importantly how to adequately feed 110 million Filipinos,” Mr. Dar said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

DoTr to help stranded students; PayMaya distributes gov’t financial aid

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) is planning to propose a program that would help stranded students go back to their hometowns.

DoTr, in a statement, said it has started gathering data for the feasibility of its program, which will be called “Hatid-Estudyante Program.” The plan will be presented for approval by the national task force handling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response.

The department noted that there are students in Metro Manila who have been stranded in their dormitories, apartment, and even campuses due to the government-imposed lockdown.

“To initiate the process, the Department of Transportation has set up an online enrollment platform where the stranded students may send the needed information (to include their personal details, current location, destination, health declaration), school ID (or proof of enrollment) and parental consent [if minor] to be tested for COVID-19,” DoTr said.

Meanwhile, Digital Payments firm PayMaya Philippines, Inc. and its remittance brand Smart Padala said they have been tapped by the Caloocan City government to distribute its financial aid to about 13,000 students of the University of Caloocan.

“Once received, the funds can be encashed through more than 800 Smart Padala centers in Caloocan alone and several hundreds more in adjacent cities, many of which are available even in small neighborhoods. Students may also choose to use the cash aid to pay their bills, buy airtime load, send money to family, or do online groceries using the PayMaya app,” it said.

PayMaya said the amount being disbursed is more than P14 million. — Arjay L. Balinbin

P30K reward awaits informants on cash aid corruption

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has promised a P30,000 bounty each for informants whose reports are proven true on anomalous activities by local officials relating to the distribution of the coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) cash aid program.

Palace Spokesperson Harry L. Roque said in a briefing Monday evening, “Kapag napatunayan yung inyong reklamo sa korapsyon laban sa mga lokal na opisyales na kinukurakot iyong mga ayuda na ipinamimigay ng gobyerno, P30,000 na pabuya na ibibigay ng ating Presidente sa inyo (If the corruption complaint is confirmed, the President will give you a P30,000 reward).”

Mr. Duterte, in his Monday address, cited the case of Bulacan Councilor Danilo Flores who was charged with graft after he was found collecting cash intended as subsidies to beneficiaries.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año has also issued a memorandum directing the police to investigate and arrest erring local officials.

“Kung may basehan (If there is basis), they can investigate and make arrest,” Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya, the department spokesperson, said in an interview over dzMM on Tuesday. — Gillian M. Cortez and Emmanuel Tupas, PHILSTAR

Rules eased to boost MSME lending

May 6, 2020 | 12:33 am

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is implementing measures that will allow banks to continue providing credit for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that are struggling amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a statement on Tuesday, the BSP said the Monetary Board gave the go signal for “prudential measures to assist the (MSME) sector carry on with its business during the (COVID-19) crisis, as well as hasten recovery and sustainability of MSME operations in the post-crisis period.”

“To enable stand-alone thrift banks, rural banks and cooperative banks to continue to support their MSME- and rural community-based clients, the BSP deferred the implementation of the revised risk-based capital framework applicable to these banks under Circular No. 1079 dated Mar. 9, 2020,” the BSP said.

The effectivity of the revised capital adequacy framework has been moved to January 2023, instead of January 2022. The observation period for this framework was pushed back to Dec. 31, 2022 from the initial date of Dec. 31, 2021.

“The observation period provides these banks with enough time to meet the new minimum capital ratios through reasonable measures without disrupting their banking activities,” the BSP said.

The framework, which was based on Basel III standards, mandates smaller lenders to have a common equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of at least six percent of its risk weighted assets. It also requires these lenders to have Tier 1 ratio and capital adequacy ratio of at least 7.5% and 10%, respectively.

Moreover, the circular requires smaller lenders to have a capital conservation buffer of 2.5%, which will comprise CET1 capital.

The BSP also approved the assignment of a zero risk weight for MSME loans guaranteed by the Philippine Guarantee Corp., Agricultural Guarantee Fund Pool and the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

“The revision in the credit risk weight complements programs of the National Government that support financing to MSMEs as well as small farmers and fisherfolk,” the central bank said.

Earlier, the BSP approved the temporary reduction in the credit risk weights of loans granted to MSMEs that are current in status. This will be reviewed again by the BSP by end-2021.

The central bank described the MSME sector as a “vital component of the Philippine economy.”

Based on government data, MSMEs make up 99.5% of business establishments in the country and have created 5.7 million jobs equivalent to about 63.2% of total employment.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the new measures rolled out by the central bank would “incentivize banks to increase lending and to cater more to MSMEs in the rural areas,” such as farmers and fisherfolk.

The new set of relief measures was announced on Tuesday, following a memorandum on Monday which allowed financial firms to utilize their Basel III-mandated capital and liquidity buffers to cushion the impact of the pandemic. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

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