[B-SIDE Podcast] Creating despite COVID: The entertainment industry and the pandemic

July 27, 2020 | 10:35 am

We’ve been consuming a lot more content since the pandemic left us housebound. Filmmakers are streaming their films on YouTube and similar platforms, giving us hours of entertainment.

But how is the entertainment industry itself doing?

Adolfo Alix Jr., the award-winning film director behind films like Mater Dolorosa and Circa, says that the virus has left entertainment workers vulnerable. Many of them work on a per-project basis, with none of the usual benefits regular employees have.

In this episode, the director tells reporter Zsarlene B. Chua how COVID-19 is changing the way films and shows are shot. He also pays tribute to actor Anita Linda, who passed away this June at the age of 95.

TAKEAWAYS

Films and shows will look different.

Mr. Alix said that the filming guidelines announced by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in June will cut the number of production people by half. This isn’t entirely a bad thing, he said, since it forces film crews to think outside the box.

“I want to see how this would work,” he said, citing that the number of people on set will be limited to 50 to 70 from the usual hundred. “The idea is to be able to maximize your potential as a part of the group and that’s where you will realize—not only for creative but also technical people—the value of each role, each person’s role in the production is.”

People are generous.

The Extend the Love project started in April initially as a way for the director to help the people within his immediate network. The project included a film series that featured several of his films and shorts including 4 Days and a talk show called Actors’ Cue where he discussed the craft with prominent actors including Gina Alajar, Nonie Buencamino, and newer actors like Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. The last episode of Actors’ Cue was released and was a tribute to the recently departed Anita Linda.

Extend the Love, at the time of the interview, raised more than P200,000 to help more out-of-work film and TV crew members beyond Mr. Alix’s circle.

Actors and entertainment workers are also essential workers

During one of his Actor’s Cue sessions, a question came up about why actors and entertainment workers are essential. A guest replied their work inspires people.

“You get people to smile, to empathize with the characters,” said Mr. Alix. “I think [the actor] was right in saying that people in the entertainment industry are also essential because we give inspiration and hope to people in these very difficult times.”

A note on the timing of this interview: It was recorded remotely on June 20, weeks before the Film Development Council of the Philippines released guidelines requiring the submission of additional production documents—an unnecessary level of bureaucracy that earned the ire of entertainment guilds. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

Reforms urged to ensure recovery

July 27, 2020 | 12:33 am

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte is expected to unveil a “roadmap for recovery” in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, as the economy faces its deepest annual contraction in three decades amid the pandemic.

Mr. Duterte will address the country at a time when the number of coronavirus infections has breached the 80,000 mark, the unemployment rate hit an all-time high of 17.7% in April, and gross domestic product is expected to shrink by 2-3.4% this year.

Business leaders are hoping the President will give top priority to economic stimulus measures and legislation that will encourage the entry of more foreign direct investments to help the economy weather the crisis.

“The economy will need as much investment as possible for jobs going forward,” American Chamber of Commerce Senior Advisor John Forbes said in mobile messages last week.

“The country is facing one of the most serious crises in its history. We expect (President Rodrigo R. Duterte) will explain policies to balance the health of citizens and the health of the economy and even new reforms to achieve rapid economic recovery,” he added.

Business groups had earlier released wish lists, with fourteen groups asking for a reform package of 27 measures topped by amendments to the Public Service Act, Foreign Investment Act, and Retail Trade Act along with the CREATE bill. These measures could reduce entry barriers for foreign entrants into the retail sector and allow more foreign investment into telecoms.

European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines President Nabil Francis in a mobile message on Friday said an attractive tax reform environment would “make the Philippines a globally competitive trade and investment destination.”

Separately, the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (BCCP) is also pushing for tax reform, retail trade liberalization and changes to the public service act.

BCCP’s top priority is the P1.3-trillion economic stimulus or the Accelerated Recovery and Investments Stimulus for the Economy (ARISE) bill, for businesses to recover from losses caused by the strict lockdowns.

The chamber’s members, around half of which are small- and medium-sized enterprises, are concerned about addressing unemployment through government stimulus measures, BCCP Executive Director Chris Nelson said in a phone interview on Friday.

“The number one priority is the stimulus bill because the need to do things now, particularly our concern is unemployment and the fact that we need to give companies that — there will be an economic push,” he said.

TAX REFORM
The Finance department is renewing its push for the passage of the remaining packages of the comprehensive tax reform program (CTRP) before yearend, saying these are part of the economic recovery plan.

Finance Assistant Secretary Antonio Joselito G. Lambino II told BusinessWorld it is “crucial” for Congress to pass the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE) bill as soon as possible. The measure, pending at the Senate, seeks to immediately lower the corporate income tax to 25% from the current 30%, and overhaul tax incentives.

The bill, which will undergo Senate plenary debates, is among the priority measures for the upcoming session, Senator Vicente C. Sotto III said on July 16. Other priority measures at the Senate include the proposed Bayanihan 2 and the ARISE bill.

House Ways and Means Committee and Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda told BusinessWorld that he is now amenable to the CREATE version proposed by the Finance department, but will introduce changes if the Senate passes a “fiscally unsustainable” version.

“If there are no material changes, the House will concur with the Senate. We have already lost $12 billion in investments over the past two years because of the delay in passing this reform,” Mr. Salceda said in a phone message on Saturday.

Aside from CREATE, the Finance department is also hoping the CTRP Package 3 and 4, which involve real property valuation reform and proposed simplification of the tax structure for financial instruments, will be enacted by the end of the year

“Package 3 will improve our land valuation system to reduce problems, such as right-of-way issues. Package 4 will make our financial tax system fairer, especially for small savers, and reduce the cost of insurance products so that Filipino families can invest more in their future,” Mr. Lambino said in a Viber message on Friday.

There is an urgency to pass tax reforms during the second regular session of the 18th Congress, which opens on Monday. Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III had once said in a forum in August 2018 that “it is always difficult to reform tax policies on the eve of an election year.”

NEW REVENUE SOURCES
Meanwhile, the House Ways and Means Committee will focus on finding new sources of funds for the government’s COVID-19 measures, such as taxes on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations and digital platforms.

“My committee has a set of tax proposals that could yield as much as P519 billion in 5 years… These are proposals that will primarily affect upper-income individuals, and will not erode economic growth,” Mr. Salceda told BusinessWorld in a phone message, Saturday.

Mr. Salceda, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, said they are working on improving tax administration and enforcement, as well as possible rewards for informants of illicit tobacco trade.

RUNNING OUT OF TIME?
With two years left in his term, Mr. Duterte’s reform agenda may be derailed by the pandemic as he focuses on economic recovery.

“He has less than two years to push for legislation he promised. By his sixth and final SONA in 2021, legislators have only a few months to focus on legislative work and instead will likely start posturing and preparing for the 2022 elections,” University of the Philippines political science professor Maria Ela L. Atienza told BusinessWorld via e-mail on Sunday.

In a phone interview with BusinessWorld, University of Santo Tomas political science professor Marlon M. Villarin said the COVID-19 pandemic has forced Mr. Duterte to shift his priorities, making it unlikely the proposed Charter change will push through.

“When it comes to Charter change, it won’t happen in the next two years,” he said, adding the period for constitutional amendments won’t be feasible in the timeline between now and in 2022 since it would require public information drives and a plebiscite. — Beatrice M. Laforga, Jenina P. Ibañez, Charmaine A. Tadalan and Gillian M. Cortez

Scorecard: Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022

July 27, 2020 | 12:33 am

Coronavirus pandemic pushes businesses to rethink long-term strategies

July 27, 2020 | 12:32 am

By Jenina P. Ibañez, Reporter

BUSINESS LEADERS are looking at long-term strategies, such as public-private collaborations and new product development, to ensure recovery and build resilience amid the pandemic.

Five top executives spoke to BusinessWorld in an online series of one-on-one interviews about leadership and resilience.

Addressing the coronavirus crisis requires a multi-sectoral and whole-of-government strategy breaking away from industry-based strategies of the past, said Joo-Ok Lee, head of Asia-Pacific regional agenda at the World Economic Forum.

“Increasingly, challenges that we will see are going to be more interconnected. They will be more complicated, and unless there is a holistic approach, unless there is a systematic and systems-driven approach, these issues will be very, very difficult to resolve,” he said.

Mr. Lee anticipates stronger public-private collaboration in responding to the pandemic.

“This crisis has also made this almost a necessity. From the business perspective, you cannot survive without also incorporating sort of the strong leadership and response from the public sector. But at the same time, when recognizing the scale of issues that governments also need to address, governments cannot work alone and they should really try and sort of mobilize an all-of-society effort,” Mr. Lee said.

Even government-led initiatives, he said, could welcome a strong role played by the private sector.

Beyond survival, some companies can also go on the “offensive” during a crisis.

Emmanuel P. Maceda, worldwide managing partner of Bain & Company, said in the past, actions taken by companies during periods of crises sets up their performance trajectory in the years after.

“If you look at the companies that invested and won during this period of uncertainty, they were the ones that on average grew share and had high growth in the decade that followed,” he said.

Mr. Maceda said typically, companies dealing with the pandemic try to secure their businesses for survival and then move to recovery plans for the rest of the year.

“The harder question is, what investments should I be making so that I’ll actually be strong after this?”

Mr. Maceda said the crisis will not be over until vaccines have been deployed in a few years, and so companies can consider how they will balance their investment strategies in “micro-battles” or smaller rounds over the long term.

“The idea of a micro-battle concept is to define units of strategic choice in smaller terms, in micro-terms so that you can see the results faster, then you can build the second micro-battle and the second micro-battle after that,” he said.

Noting that big businesses are slower and risk-averse, Mr. Maceda said the companies can maintain the “cultural style and norms” they had during their growth stage. This means being quick to make decisions and adjust to changes during the crisis.

NEXT BIG IDEA
As many businesses struggle for survival, the pandemic could be an impetus for the “next big idea.”

Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and PLDT, Inc., said the health and basic utilities sectors will likely survive for a long time.

“What is the next big idea that will emerge from the crisis? Is it food? Is it logistics? I think the guy with the next big idea will probably win,” he said during BusinessWorld’s online series of one-on-one interviews about leadership and resilience on “The Road to Recovery” last week.

Mr. Panglinan noted the telecommunications sector will lead the charge in digitalization and connectivity.

“We have to scale it up. The government is right. I mean, is there sufficient connectivity capacity to accommodate the internet requirements of everybody,” he said.

Globe Telecom, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Ernest L. Cu said the company has been adapting to how consumer habits have been changing throughout the crisis, with more people using e-money but some possibly using entertainment platforms less.

Mr. Cu said business is operating under the notion that recovery will take time.

“From an operating point of view, I think we’ve conditioned ourselves to believe that this will go on for a while. Absent a vaccine that is widely distributed, the dangers and the risks remain,” he said.

“We have to make this a working condition and the given that we have to get around with, just like any other business constraint that we are used to.”

While Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd. sees some growth potential in healthcare coverage demand even as the lockdown limited its agents’ movements, the company is now focusing on looking after employees.

“Really look out for the people within your organization because they will carry it through the very difficult times,” Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd. Executive Chairman Nina D. Aguas said.

She said the company is revisiting its business model to digitize its processes, which includes training employees with digital skills for work-from-home measures.

“You must look after your business and your balance sheet, your net worth — it has to be resilient, it has to be strong,” Ms. Aguas said.

MPIC is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp. Hastings Holdings, Inc. — a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc. — maintains interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

DBM to submit 2021 national budget to Congress in Aug.

July 27, 2020 | 12:31 am

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is expected to submit the proposed national budget for 2021 to Congress in August.

Budget Undersecretary Laura B. Pascua on Sunday said the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) has already approved the P4.506-trillion budget ceiling for 2021. Next year’s proposed budget is higher than the P4.1 trillion allocated for this year.

“The P4.506-trillion (budget) was approved by the DBCC for recommendation to PRRD (President Rodrigo R. Duterte). We have to meet the constitutional deadline by Aug. 26,” Ms. Pascua said via Viber on Sunday.

The figure is higher than the previous proposal of P4.335 trillion, after taking into account the impact of the coronavirus crisis.

The DBM is given 30 days from the date of the SONA to transmit the proposed national budget to Congress.

House of Representatives Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said the timely enactment of a “stimulus” national budget for 2021 as well as measures meant to address the crisis will be the 18th Congress’ priorities for its second session, which opens on Monday.

“We are going to hit the ground running. Time to roll up our sleeves once again and work double time to immediately pass the national budget and the COVID-19 roadmap for recovery,” Mr. Romualdez said in a statement on Sunday. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Online concert to protest SONA

July 27, 2020 | 12:08 am

AN ONLINE protest concert featuring the likes of Martin Nievera, Ebe Dancel, and Noel Cabangon is to stream on July 27, 3 p.m., at the Radyo Katipunan Facebook page, in response and in protest of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Dubbed Tinig ng Bayan, the online concert was mounted by several artists after Filipino playwright Jerry B. Gracio posted on Twitter that “instead of listening to the SONA, can all of the artists who are fed up with what’s happening to the country hold an online concert instead?”

“Let’s have the Congress be the ones to listen to his lies (boladas),” Mr. Gracio said in the vernacular in a tweet on July 15.

The tweet was then reposted by talent manager and producer Noel Ferrer who responded with “Game?” on his Facebook page.

A few days later, Mr. Ferrer, again on his Facebook page said that they have “heeded the call.”

“We are mounting an alternative SONA concert on July 27 (Monday), 3 to 6 p.m. at @radyokatipunan,” he said before adding that interested artists should send him a direct message.

Radyo Katipunan is the FM radio station of Ateneo de Manila University.

The current lineup of the concert includes Martin Nievera, Frankie Pangilinan, Jim Paredes and Boboy Garovillo, Noel Cabangon, Kean Cipriano, Johnoy Danao, Agot Isidro, Iza Calzado , Mylene Dizon, Enchong Dee, Ria Atayde and the League of AKTOR, Odette Quesada, Celeste Legaspi, Mitch Valdes, Bituin Escalante, Bayang Barrios, The Company, Bullet Dumas, Moonstar 88, True Faith, Baihana, Toma Cayabyab, Arman Ferrer, the Jesuit Music Ministry, and PETA, among others.

“With a virtual gathering of some of the greatest talents the country has ever produced performing in one unparalleled online concert event that will likely never happen again whether live or online, Tinig ng Bayan promises to be not just an epic music event, but a historical one, and this bit of history will never repeat itself,” a press release promoting the concert said.

The concert is for the benefit of De La Salle Philippines’ Project Paghilom. For donations visit https://www.jescom.ph/product/tinig-ng-bayan-donation/. — Zsarlene B. Chua

An introvert’s guide to Zoom: Four tips for remote meetings

July 27, 2020 | 12:07 am

NEW YORK — Jia Wertz may be a documentary filmmaker in New York City, but these days she feels like a full-time resident of Zoom world.

The director of the new documentary short Conviction finds herself on a video chat every single day, often multiple times, since the pandemic has upended all our lives. As a self-described introvert, she is having a hard time getting a handle on the new medium.

“With Zoom calls, you’re ‘on’ 100% of the time, which is so mentally draining,” says Wertz, who juggles a scampering two-year-old at the same time.

In this era of nonstop video-conferencing, you are not alone in feeling like you have just run a marathon or been hit by a truck. Many employees and managers are reporting that online video-conferences seem particularly taxing — often more so than in-person meetings.

“I’m an introvert, and they totally drain me,” says Hannah Morgan, a job search strategist in Rochester, New York, and founder of Career Sherpa.

Why do Zoom meetings seem so fatiguing? Just think about all the information being processed: There might be five or 10 or 20 participants online at the same time, like a Brady Bunch title sequence from hell. Since much of communication is nonverbal — like facial expressions and body language — you are interpreting such signals from multiple colleagues simultaneously.

Meanwhile there are other issues to unravel, like tone, pitch, as well as silences and their meaning. Plus, people often talk over one another.

For extroverts who thrive in that kind of buzzy cocktail party-like format, that communication style might not seem so foreign. But for introverts who are at their best one-on-one, in a quieter environment, Zoom can feel like an overload.

We are not just talking about one or two isolated employees: From one-third to one-half of the US population can be considered introverts, according to Susan Cain, author of the bestselling book Quiet.

That being said, this New Normal is something we will all have to get used to. According to a survey by Wainhouse Research, 57% of companies are now using Zoom, compared to 30% before the pandemic — a growth spurt almost overnight.

And working from home doesn’t look like it will be going away anytime soon. The Society for Human Resource Management and Oxford Economics found that a whopping 64% of salaried and 49% of hourly employees now working from home most of the time, compared to only 3% and 2% back in January.

So how can introverts adapt to a Zoomified world, without harming their career prospects or having to morph into a completely different personality? Here are four ideas for employees and managers:

• Make video optional. Video chats can make you feel like you are constantly onstage. Hold occasional meetings that are audio-only, or where the camera can be directed away so you are not always onscreen.

• Develop the skill sets of chat leaders. In any in-person meeting, there is a natural mix of quieter people and louder people. Now managers need to become adept at eliciting the participation of introverts without putting them on the spot. Use the chatbox feature, where you can enter thoughts by text that can then be taken up by the group.

• Limit the number of meetings. Near the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns, staffers may have felt obligated to participate in every single staff meeting in order to feel connected and relevant. Being more selective now can preserve your energy, and improve your contributions for the ones you remain in.

For managers, consider: “Could this meeting have been an e-mail?” asks Brea Giffin, marketing director for Toronto-based corporate wellness platform Sprout, who also suggests scheduling buffer times between Zoom meetings. “Be conscious of how often you’re using the tool.”

• Think like a broadcaster. The reality of the current situation is that elements of presentation like good lighting, a professional background, a decent microphone, camera angles, posture, voice projection — “all that stuff matters,” Morgan says. “With a few minor adjustments, you will come across much better on camera — and reduce your own anxiety about how you look.” — Reuters

Most small businesses optimistic about growth — Facebook survey

July 27, 2020 | 12:06 am

MAJORITY or 64% of small businesses currently operating on the social media platform Facebook said they were optimistic they would grow despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

“True to character, of those Philippine micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) operational on Facebook, 64% are saying that they are optimistic about the future of their business and are stepping up to take their business forward despite the setbacks of the pandemic,” Facebook Philippines said in statement e-mailed to reporters on July 23, citing its latest study on the state of small businesses.

Facebook’s “State of Small Business Report” covers 30,000 small entrepreneurs and employees in over 50 countries, including over 100 respondents in the Philippines. The survey was conducted from May 28 to May 31 in partnership with the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

“The survey captures the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on MSMEs business operations, their financial performance, and the actions that they have taken to mitigate the impact of the pandemic throughout the world,” Facebook Philippines said.

The survey showed 35% of Philippine MSMEs had reduced their workforce due to the pandemic crisis.

Facebook Philippines added 46% of MSMEs that remain operational on the social media platform reported a decline in sales, with some “by 50% or more compared to last year.”

“The respondents also noted that they are expecting cash flow to continue being a challenge over the next few months,” it added.

The Finance department has said about 436,000 of the country’s 1.6 million small businesses were forced to halt operations amid the government-imposed strict lockdown from mid-March to May. One million of them operated with a skeletal workforce.

More than 99% of the roughly one million business establishments in the country in 2018 were MSMEs, according to the Trade department. The smallest of them accounted for 88% of the total, or a little more than 887,000 establishments.

MSMEs had created 5.7 million jobs or 63.19% of the country’s new jobs in 2018. A fifth of the country’s MSMEs are in Metro Manila, which generated more than a quarter of the total jobs.

Facebook Philippines said the pandemic has forced many small business owners to shift their operations to the platform, noting that “52% or more” of MSMEs on Facebook reported “25% or more” of their sales in April were made digitally.

“Last year, we launched Facebook Community Boost events across different cities in the Philippines to support MSMEs and communities in their digital journey. This year we’re back with a completely online webinar series, Boost with Facebook. The objective of this series is to help MSMEs quickly recover and help businesses build resilience — so they can be well-equipped to get started in their online transformation journey and navigate challenges in the new normal,” Facebook Philippines Country Director John Rubio was quoted as saying in the statement. — Arjay L. Balinbin

The new essentials in the new normal

July 27, 2020 | 12:06 am

WITH THE ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, everyone has had to evaluate what are or what aren’t essentials as far as they are concerned. Multi-brand store Urbanize has put together a collection of items of what it considers new essentials. BusinessWorld had a chance to give these items — which include a handy little door gadget, a reusable face mask, rolls of copper film, and an air purifying necklace — a spin.

PACSAFE SILVER ION FACE MASK
Pacsafe is best known for its anti-theft travel bags, but the brand’s technology is being used for another kind of safety for this season of the virus. The brand uses the antimicrobial properties of silver for its face mask. It has five different layers which promise “99% filtration efficiency against microbials and airborne particles.”

The mask fitted loosely at first but the loops that go around the ear are adjustable, giving a customizable fit. For something five layers thick, it’s quite easy to breathe in, and even has an adjustable nose clip. Other features it boasts of include the advanced silver ion layer (we’re guessing it’s the one outside, with silver thread), a high fluid resistance barrier, and an antimicrobial lining made with ultra-soft Modal fabric and Graphene that disinfects and reduces microbials. It also claims to reduce odor-causing bacteria.

Finally, it’s reusable and washable, and retails for P590 at Urbanize and Pacsafe stores.

PACSAFE VIRALOFF FACE MASK
Another new item from Pacsafe is the ViralOff Face Mask which uses a technology that can reduce 99% of viruses that could be building up in your mask because of constant use.

Treated with Polygiene, the Pacsafe ViralOff promises to hold 99% fewer viruses in just two hours. Its water-repellent fabric also ensures that you or the people around you are protected against droplets from coughs and sneezes. Additionally, because it uses Polygiene fabric material, the mask can easily break down unpleasant odors without the need for constant washing — saving you time and money.

The mask has a suggested retail price of P790, and is available in all Urbanize and Pacsafe stores.

MOBEWORK AIR PURIFIER
The package makes no claims to being able to protect against the COVID-19 virus, but it does claim to reduce one’s risk by reducing exposure to smoke, odors, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, and allergens.

The gadget, a tiny little lozenge on a string, uses electrostatic purification to do its job. It emits “26 million negative ions into the air that push harmful pollutants away from your breathing zone, creating a sphere of protection around you,” according to a release.

It emitted a blue light when we tested it with cigarette smoke, but it otherwise did not beep in a panic.

A full charge can last up to 20 hours, and the air purifier sells for P3,490 at Urbanize stores and at urbanizeexclusives.com.

DR. CU ANTIMICROBIAL COPPER FILM
Coming inside a cardboard tube, the adhesive film is wrapped around another sheet of cardboard, which you unstick and peel depending on how much you need. You can wrap these bits of film around elevator handles, doorknobs, and door handles, staircase handrail, and even mobile phone screens, to control bacteria and viruses on surfaces.

Copper has been used since ancient times for its antimicrobial properties, and recent studies have shown its efficacy in defeating germs such as e. coli, and, surprise, even some strains of the flu (this according to a study from the American Society for Microbiology). “Influenza A virus particles… were inoculated onto copper or stainless steel and incubated at 22°C at 50 to 60% relative humidity. Infectivity of survivors was determined by utilizing a defined monolayer with fluorescent microscopy analysis. After incubation for 24 hours on stainless steel, 500,000 virus particles were still infectious. After incubation for 6 h[ours] on copper, only 500 particles were active,” said the study’s abstract.

A one-meter roll retails for P1,000, and a five-meter roll sells for P4,490 in all Urbanize stores and online at urbanizeexclusives.com.

TRUE NO CONTACT GADGET
Finally, we have something that allows us not to touch anything.

It has a sponge at the tip and a little foam strip at the back with disinfectant (you may be able to refill it when it dries up). The back opens for you to grab some door handles (it was difficult to jimmy a rounded doorknob open). Meanwhile, the tip has a little pointer that allows you to press touchscreens — no more touching grubby ATM screens or phone screens.

This sells for P390 at Urbanize stores and online at urbanizeexclusives.com. — Joseph L. Garcia

SEC flags unauthorized investment groups, lending firm

July 27, 2020 | 12:05 am

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued new warnings against groups taking investments from the public without authorization from the government.

In separate advisories on its website, the regulator told the public to be cautious of Lucky Likers Digital Marketing Services and Maxi Trendy Sales Corp./Trendy Unlimited Trading Corp. (Trendy).

It said these groups do not have secondary licenses from the government to solicit investments or sell investment contracts, and are therefore punishable by the Securities Regulation Code.

In the case of Lucky Likers, the SEC said the group operates through social media under the name Lucky Likers Club (LLC). It invites members into the group by paying investment packages priced P500-P1,000.

Once a member, an investor is allowed to participate in clicking jobs where they may earn up to 200% of their investment in a month. Other earnings may be collected through referral bonuses.

Trendy operates similarly, offering investment packages priced P750-P1,500 to earn P100-P1,500 a day. Through the SEC’s investigation, it found that the group provides earnings in the form of watching videos, global profit sharing and referral bonuses.

In both schemes, the SEC said LLC and Trendy are essentially selling securities to the public, which requires that a company doing so is registered with the commission and has obtained a secondary license for the specific activity.

However, both LLC and Trendy are neither registered nor have obtained secondary licenses from the SEC. They may be punished with a P5-million fine, up to 21 years of imprisonment, or both.

In another advisory, the SEC warned the public of a certain Ceazar Pacific Money Lending Co. Ltd., which it said provides lending services without obtaining a secondary license from the commission.

The Lending Company Regulation Act of 2007 and the Financing Company Act of 1998 require that lending and financing companies secure an authority from the SEC to operate.

However, Ceazar Pacific does not have the necessary certification based on SEC records. The SEC said it registered as a partnership in 2017, but its Certificate of Registration was revoked due to its failure to obtain authority to operate as a lending company.

“The public is… advised to avoid or stop participating in any kind of credit activities conducted by (Ceazar Pacific) and dealing with any individual representing it,” it said. — Denise A. Valdez

Keeping safe fashionably

July 27, 2020 | 12:05 am

CLOTHING BRAND Verve presents an exclusive PPE Collection at pop-up stores in Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La, and Alabang.

As the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic shows no signs of abating, people are looking for protective gear beyond face masks, and some people are looking for items which provide both style and protection for everyday wear. To fulfill this perceived need, Verve owner and designer Bebet Sto. Tomas partnered with Rustan’s to launch the Verve 2020 PPE Collection.

The line features color blocking in bright hues: orange and pink; blue, black and white; as well as pops of red. Made with water resistant microfiber cloth, Verve’s PPEs — tunics, pants, dresses and jumpsuits — are versatile and make a statement whether one is going to work or a grocery run, or any other daily errand in this new normal.

To stay even safer, one can shop-from-home with Rustan’s Personal Shopper On-Call program. One can contact a Rustan’s store to request for the personal shopper service and a Sales Associate will be assigned to assist with inquiries, order confirmation and payment transactions. Fulfilled orders can be collected via curbside pick-up or items can be delivered to for free, for a minimum purchase requirement of P2,000.

For more information, visit www.rustans.com.

Alsons considers sale of property business

July 27, 2020 | 12:04 am

ALSONS Consolidated Resources, Inc. (ACR) is considering the sale of its property business as part of its transition into a pure energy company.

The listed firm of the Alcantaras said it was examining its options, whether to sell Alsons Land Corp. (ALC) immediately or develop the land unit first before disposing its shares to buyers.

“We are moving to make ACR a pure power company. This will mean the divesting of our property business,” ACR Executive Vice-President Tirso G. Santillan, Jr. said during the company’s recent annual stockholders’ meeting.

“We are still looking for a more effective way of accomplishing this: is it to dispose [of] ALC now or have ALC develop and dispose of its properties later?” he added.

Alsons will do the business sale in a manner that maximizes its stockholders’ value, Mr. Santillan said.

Its property unit runs the 700-hectare Eagle Ridge Golf & Residential Estate in Cavite, its joint venture project with Sta. Lucia Realty Development, Inc. It also manages the 11-hectare Campo Verde with Sunfields Realty Development, Inc.

In the first quarter, the listed firm saw its earnings rose by nearly three times to P310 million over the same period a year ago.

Its “income-driver” 210-megawatt (MW) Sarangani Energy Corp. coal-fired baseload plant mainly contributed to its profit growth. The plant’s 105-MW second unit, which came online in October last year, helped lift the company’s revenues to P2.21 billion in the quarter, compared with P1.22 billion previously.

ACR owns four power generating companies with a combined capacity of 468 MW. Currently, it is building two projects: the 14.5-MW hydropower plant in Maasim, Sarangani province and the 105-MW San Ramon Power, Inc. coal-fired power plant in Zamboanga City, which are expected to commercially run by 2022 and 2023, respectively. — Adam J. Ang

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