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Kaspersky says unwanted ads in apps may lead to data leakage

INTERNET security firm Kaspersky has warned app users that unwanted advertisements could result in data leakages.

In a statement emailed to reporters on Monday, Kaspersky said its researchers have found that “the number of applications capable of bombarding users with unwanted advertising is increasing on official marketplaces.”

It said Kaspersky researchers have discovered three new applications with “adware” modules on Google Play store “in a span of just three months, potentially affecting millions of users.”

Kaspersky defined adware as an “unwanted software that displays ads to users.”

It said adware has been one of the most popular non-virus threats for years.

“The monetization methods used in such software can pose a threat to users, and yet bring in more revenue for developers due to greater viewership, with the latter adopting new techniques in order to make such ad modules harder to detect by both users and cybersecurity technologies,” Kaspersky explained.

One of the adware-carrying applications discovered by Kaspersky researchers is an interactive questionnaire “with millions of downloads.” The company said the app used a post-installation delay before showing ads its researchers have also seen in other adware apps.

“This long delay from installation of the application to the first advertisement appearing made it much harder for the user to find the culprit for all the ads that suddenly appeared on the screen. This technique is frequently used to trick automatic protection mechanisms, such as sandboxes in app stores. The developer of the interactive questionnaire application promptly removed the adware module once informed,” it said.

Kaspersky also noted that adware-spreading is not done purposely, and even legitimate applications can end up distributing undesirable ads unintentionally.

“Most often this is due to the use of advertising software development kits (SDKs) and lack of testing an integrated advertising library. As a result, adware modules sneak into the final code of applications,” it explained.

Kaspersky Security Expert Igor Golovin was quoted as saying: “Nowadays, we heavily rely on our phones.”

“We work, share personal information and watch entertainment — all on our mobile devices. Obviously, this attracts adware creators’ attention. The problem here is that adware does not create usability inconveniences that frustrate users; it also — with improperly developed SDKs — could result in data leakages.”

He advised app users to use a reliable mobile security solution capable of preventing adware-carrying applications from invading their digital privacy. — Arjay L. Balinbin

BSP to extend alternate reserve compliance until 2022

THE CENTRAL BANK will extend banks’ alternative reserve compliance until 2022 in a bid to support the financial system and struggling sectors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The period was extended to give more banks to consider the nuances in extending credit to this sector,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier said in a text message.

The BSP last week released new guidelines to include loans extended to large enterprises not part of conglomerates as reserve compliance in addition to credit to micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which was already announced earlier.

“The circular will be issued maybe next week,” she said, adding that they are awaiting confirmation from the Monetary Board on the decision. — LWTN

Dining In At Home (06/04/20)

WHILE the general community quarantine has opened up several establishments, restrictions on dining in at restaurants are still present. So we’ve come up with a list of meals and treats you can have delivered to enjoy at home.

Pilsner Urquell

Have you ever tasted the world’s first pale lager? Well, now you can — four liters of it. Pilsner Urquell, first served in 1842, serves as the template for most pale lagers today. Pilsner Urquell draft beer will be poured inside a four-liter glass jug upon ordering. It’s poured, sealed, and delivered chilled and packed with ice upon ordering. All four liters must be consumed within 24 hours and kept chilled (otherwise it goes flat). This is available only until June 15 or while supplies last. To order, call the Community Dealer at 0917-639-8089.

Peninsula Manila

Want to enjoy a Peninsula cocktail without the prep work? The Bar at The Peninsula Manila now has bottled cocktails in one-liter containers for P2,490. Available are its Negroni (London Dry Gin, Cinzano 1757, and Campari), Beast of Burden (Laphroaig 10 years old, Lustau Pedro Ximenez sherry, and Campari), Aperol Spritz (Aperol, lemon juice, and lemon bitters), and Espresso Martini (vanilla-infused vodka, coffee liqueur, and espresso). Available for delivery or takeout at The Peninsula Boutique. For details call 8887-5747, 8887-2888, or e-mail penboutiquepmn@peninsula.com. The Peninsula Boutique is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Shake Shack

Beloved Shake Shack burgers are now available for delivery, with the added fun of you making them by yourself with the DIY ShackBurger Kit. Priced at P1,600, the DIY ShackBurger Kit includes eight patties made with a custom blend of 100% Angus beef with no added hormones or antibiotics, Martin’s Potato Rolls, American cheese, secret Shack Sauce, and, of course, cooking instructions. The kits can be directly ordered and picked up from Shacks in Central Square in BGC and SM Megamall. To purchase, go to bit.ly/ShackBurgerDIYKitsAdvanceOrderForm and fill out the DIY Kit order form as they are currently only accepting advance orders. By ordering DIY ShackBurger Kits, you will also help feed frontliners. Check out @shakeshackph on Instagram and Facebook for updates.

Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons launched the new Chocoberry Donut, a soft, yeast-filled donut dipped in chocolate fondant with fruity strawberry filling. It’s regularly priced at P60 when bought in Tim Hortons branches and P70 when ordered via GrabFood. The donuts are offered at a 4+2 promo where you can get two pieces for free when you buy four Chocoberry Donuts. The promo is priced at P240 in stores and P280 when ordered via GrabFood. The promo is available for takeout and delivery via GrabFood, Foodpanda, and LalaFood. Promo is valid from June 2 to 30, all day in open Tim Hortons Philippines restaurants.

Cardinal Cakes

Cardinal Cuisine, a catering and events company, turned to cakes when the ban on mass gatherings saw the cancellation of weddings and other parties. Currently, Cardinal Cakes has four regular offerings: a moist Dark Chocolate Cake, a Naked Red Velvet Cake, a Walnut Carrot Cake, and a Caramel Cake — with prices ranging from P450 to P1,000. It’s best to order at least 12 hours in advance to give them enough lead time. For more information, visit facebook.com/CardinalCuisine. To order, contact 0905-420-4030 or call 8821-0057.

Sheraton Manila Bay

Gourmet takeaways from the hotel are available for pick-up daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature “home-cooked goodness” which are dishes good for sharing, rice specialties, salads, pastas, sandwiches, breads, pastries, and cakes. The “home-cooked goodness” selection includes pot roast beef, lengua estofado, pepper roasted pork loin, whole Spanish roasted chicken, and “Buchon” pork belly roulade. There is also their beef shawarma, chicken shawarma, and their bestseller, pulled pork ala Cubano. For healthy options, there are four — Mango Kani Salad, Vegan Aubergine Salad, Caesar Salad, and Caesar By The Bay. Also on offer are Sheraton Gourmet Rice Box or Seafood Paella. There are pasta specialties — spaghetti shrimp scampi, fettuccine carbonara, and penne puttanesca with blackened chicken — and baked treats including dark chocolate brownies, homemade banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, and their new ube cheese pandesal. Finally, there are cakes like the hotel’s Signature Mango Tart, Dalgona Tiramisu, Dark Chocolate Supreme, and Mango Cheesecake. Advance orders are required, and allow a one-day lead time for breads, pastries, cakes, and meat dishes. Diners must arrange pick-up with their courier of choice. Cash and credit card payments are accepted. The hotel will strictly implement a No Mask, No Pick-up Policy and has designated a pick-up point at the hotel main entrance canopy area to ensure social distancing measures are followed and health and safety precautions are met. For the full gourmet takeaways menu, visit http://bit.ly/theculinarycouriermenu. For orders, call 5318-0788 or e-mail sh.mnlsb.fnb@sheraton.com.

Richmonde Hotels

As an initial offering for the Richmonde Hotels’ comfort food takeaway options, Executive Chef Vic Barangan curated the best-selling comfort food of the hotels’ all-day dining restaurants and paired them up to make sets that are good for sharing. Richmonde offers four Black Box combos that can serve up to two to three persons. Black Box 1 is a choice of two Breakfast Favorites (garlic longganisa, pork tocino, beef tapa, or bangus a la pobre), served with fried egg and garlic rice, and priced at P650. Black Box 2 is focuses on Filipino Flavors: kare-kare (beef and tripe in a peanut sauce), and lechon liempo (deep-fried pork belly, grilled eggplant, tomato salsa) for P900. Black Box 3 is a Taste of Asia offering with Nasi Goreng (Indonesian-style mixed satay of beef and chicken, with scented rice and kropek) and Pad Thai (rice noodles, shrimps, egg) for P750. And Black Box 4, is a Sandwich Bundle of Richmonde’s signature 100% Angus beef burger on a pretzel bun, and Gruyere cheese, and a Club Sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomato, chicken, egg salad, ham and cheese, for P750. All prices are inclusive of VAT and other applicable taxes. Deliveries to Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, and Quezon City will have a flat rate of P150. Delivery is free for orders within Eastwood City. One day lead time is required and payments may be settled via online bank transfers, cash, or credit card (for curbside pickups only). To preorder, call, text or Viber 0917-821-0333 (Eastwood Richmonde Hotel) or 0917-859-7954 (Richmonde Hotel Ortigas) with your name, address, Black Box choices, and preferred time and date of delivery or pickup.

Lung Hin

Missing fine Chinese cuisine at this time is understandable. Marco Polo’s Lung Hin has a range of takeout options that include baked barbeque pork buns, crispy roasted suckling pig, and signature salt baked chicken. Premium specialities such as the roasted Hong Kong Peking Duck, deep-fried pigeon, and the sautéed sliced abalone with fresh scallops and broccoli are also available for advanced orders. To maintain the quality of the dishes, the Lung Hin team prepares them on the day when the order is scheduled for pick up. The hotel follows an online, contactless payment policy, accepting credit and debit cards. Order through 7720-7777 or by sending an order request via Facebook on the official Marco Polo Ortigas Manila page (@marcopoloortigasmanila). For more information, visit marcopolohotels.com or e-mail manila@marcopolohotels.com.

Century Park Hotel

The hotel is reopening its kitchens for takeout and delivery. On offer are grilled lamb chops, sirloin steak Café de Paris, and country crispy chicken, among others. Pasta, salads, and burgers are also available. For baked goods, there are baguettes, raisin bread, cinnamon rolls, Danish pastries, empanadas, cookies, and brownies. To order, call 8528-5855 or send a message to 0917-633-2497, either via SMS or Viber. Leave your full name, contact number, complete address, order description and quantity. One can pay either with cash or credit card through PayPal at payments@centurypark.com.ph, and then send a proof of payment to their Viber number. Orders will be accepted daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To claim, either opt for delivery or personal pickup through any shipping service provider such as Grab Express, Lalamove, or Happy Move. For information and menus, visit www.centurypark.com, contact information@centurypark.com.ph or call 8528-8888.

Marriott Manila

Craving a CRU Steakhouse’s Prime Ribeye Steak for lunch or Marriott Café’s Roasted Duck for dinner? Manila Marriott has just added their best-sellers to a wide-ranging pick-up and take-away menu. Customers now have the option to order their favorite dishes from the hotel’s restaurants namely, Marriott Cafe, Marriott Cafe Bakery, CRU Steakhouse, and Gourmet Express — their chicken and pizza hotel-exclusive delivery. CRU Steakhouse’s ready-to-eat 900g US Certified Angus Prime Rib Steak comes with four sides and sauces (choose from black truffle risotto, whipped potatoes, twiced baked cheddar cheese potatoes, five cheese baked macaroni, grilled corn and carrots with cilantro chili butter, cream of spinach, maple syrup carrots, and steamed broccoli for sides, and black pepper sauce, forest mushroom sauce, and red wine sauce). Those who prefer to cook their own can order CRU’s Cape Grim Tasmania Grass Fed steak, US Certified Angus Beef Prime, and Australian Rib Eye Wagyu MBS+9 along with two ready-to-eat sides and a sauce of their choice starting at P2,500. From Arroz Caldo Overload from Marriott Cafe’s All-Day Breakfast to Marriott Café Bakery’s sandwiches like the Asian Spiced Vegan Pork Wrap or the Chicken Caesar Wrap, the menu is long and varied. Manila Marriott is now open for pick-up and take-away daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Manila Marriott is now open for pick-up and take-away daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. To place an order, call 0917-859-9521 and pay through Paymaya or BDO, wait for the SMS confirmation, and pick-up your order at the hotel. Aside from pick-up and take-away, Marriott favorites are also available on Foodpanda. For inquiries, orders, and more information on the latest offers of Manila Marriott, call (02) 8988-9999, or visit www.manilamarriott.com.

How PSEi member stocks performed — June 3, 2020

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

Filipinos less willing to return to shops, visit indoor and outdoor venues once they reopen

Filipinos less willing to return to shops, visit indoor and outdoor venues once they reopen

Peso climbs to two-year high as economies reopen

THE PESO rallied against the greenback on Wednesday to close at its strongest in more than two years following gains in the stock market as well as market optimism on the gradual reopening of economies across the world.

The local unit finished trading at P50.10 per dollar on Wednesday, rising by 24 centavos from its P50.34 close on Tuesday, according to data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines.

The peso opened the session stronger at P50.18 per dollar. Its weakest was at P50.23 while its intraday best was at its close of P50.10 against the greenback.

Dollars traded however dropped to $855.72 million from the $877.10 million seen on Tuesday.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the peso’s appreciation came amid gains in the local stock market. He noted that the local unit’s close on Wednesday was its strongest since the P49.82 finish recorded last Jan. 4, 2018.

“Continued gains in the local stock market today, highest in nearly three months, supported the appreciating trend of the peso,” Mr. Ricafort said in a text message.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index closed at 6,245.65 on Wednesday, gaining 220.48 points or 3.65% from the previous close. All indices also saw gains during the day.

Meanwhile, a trader attributed the peso’s strength to better risk appetite as more economies reopened.

“The peso appreciated anew from appetite for riskier currencies improved amid optimism from various economic reopening efforts locally and abroad,” he said in an e-mail.

More countries are lifting restrictions meant to curb the virus spread, according to Reuters. In Dubai, malls and private businesses fully started operations on Wednesday, a glimmer of hope for an economy that relies heavily on retail, tourism, and hospitality.

In Europe, France has started to allow restaurants, bars and cafes to reopen starting June 2, though tighter restrictions are in place in Paris.

For today, Mr. Ricafort gave a forecast range of P50 to P50.25 versus the dollar, while the trader sees the peso moving between the P50.10 to P50.30 levels. — L.W.T. Noble with Reuters

Stocks rise further on hopes of economic rebound

By Denise A. Valdez, Reporter

THE benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) maintained its surge on Wednesday as bullish investors pulled the market up on confidence over the country’s economic rebound.

The main index picked up 220.48 points or 3.65% to close at 6,245.65, while the broader all shares index gained 106.59 points or 3% to end at 3,658.31.

“The market continued its ascent on the back of optimistic sentiment on the country’s economic prospects,” PNB Securities, Inc. President Manuel Antonio G. Lisbona said in a text message.

The Philippines is currently on its first week of a relaxed lockdown in its capital, letting various sectors of the economy to go back to regular operations.

While a few quarantine restrictions remain in place, investors are hopeful that the lockdown will continue easing, and eventually, the economy may return to its growth path.

Claire T. Alviar, research associate at Philstocks Financial, Inc., said the relaxing of lockdown measures abroad also helped improve investor sentiment.

“The local market extended its rally, surging 3.66% as hopes for economic recovery increased amid easing of lockdown measures in the Philippines, as well as in other countries,” she said in a text message.

She noted this optimism is evident in the higher value turnover on Wednesday at P8.25 billion from P7.29 billion on Tuesday. Some 1.31 billion issues switched hands.

“Investors’ participation…is higher than the year-to-date average of P6.32 billion. Some investors were starting to accumulate bargain stocks as hopes for reopening of economies have increased,” Ms. Alviar said.

All sectoral indices ended in green territory on Wednesday. Property rose 174.58 points or 5.77% to 3,197.31; financials gained 60.62 points or 5.02% to 1,266.10; holding firms added 181.10 points or 2.93% to 6,342.25; mining and oil climbed 97.13 points or 2.17% to 4,563.84; services increased 26.85 points or 1.97% to 1,386.49; and industrials picked up 125.44 points or 1.65% to 7,715.78.

The session ended with more advancers than decliners, 143 against 59, while 44 names ended unchanged.

Foreign investors went back to being sellers after a three-day streak of net buying. Net outflows stood at P329.35 million on Wednesday.

“Should the market continue to climb, the first resistance we see is 6,340 then 6,500. Given the speed of the run-up, we can expect some profit taking to take place at these levels,” PNB Securities’ Mr. Lisbona said.

Ms. Alviar of Philstocks concurred: “(Yesterday’s) net foreign selling ends the three straight days of net foreign buying, which (makes us) think that the rally may not be sustained and profit taking may trigger (today).”

Duterte backed off threat to end US pact due to virus, tensions

By Charmaine A. Tadalan, Reporter

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte backed off his threat to end a 21-year-old military pact with the US on the deployment of troops for war games due to “heightened super power tensions” and as the world grappled with a coronavirus pandemic, his chief diplomat said on Wednesday.

“A man who does not change his mind cannot change anything,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. said at a news briefing, noting that Mr. Duterte had run on the slogan ‘change is coming.’

“But in the vast and swiftly changing circumstances of the world, the time of pandemic and heightened superpower tensions, a world leader must be quick in mind and fast on his feet for the safety of our nation and the peace of the world,” he said.

Mr. Duterte suspended the termination of the visiting forces agreement with the United States “in light of political and other developments in the region,” Mr. Locsin said in a diplomatic note to the US Embassy in Manila dated June 1.

The suspension of the military pact is effective for half a year and may be extended by six more months, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

“We look forward to continuing our strong military partnership with the United States even as we continue to reach out to our regional allies in building a common defense towards enduring stability and peace and continuing economic progress and prosperity in our part of the world,” Mr. Locsin yesterday.

US President Donald J. Trump has blamed China, where the novel coronavirus was first detected late last year, for the contagion, further heightening tensions between the two countries.

The US Embassy has welcomed the Philippine decision, noting that the long-standing alliance between the Philippines and US has benefited both countries.

The country’s diplomats earlier advised Mr. Duterte about the risks of ending the military pact. The tough-talking Philippine leader on Feb. 11 announced his decision to end the deal after the US visa of Senator Ronald M. de la Rosa, his former police chief, was canceled.

Lawmakers earlier asked the Supreme Court to issue jurisprudence on whether the President can end a treaty without Senate concurrence.

Mr. Duterte’s decision, sparked by the revocation of a US visa held by a former police chief who led his bloody war on drugs, was supposed to take effect in August.

His decision could have complicated US military interests in the broader Asia-Pacific region as China’s ambitions rise.

‘TWO STEPS BACK’
Some Filipino senators have sought to block the move, arguing Mr. Duterte had no right to unilaterally scrap international pacts the country’s Senate had ratified.

“With every nation in the region still struggling with this unprecedented health crisis, maintaining strong and tested alliances makes a lot of sense,” Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a lawyer and research fellow at the Ateneo de Manila University Policy Center, said in a e-mailed response to queries.

“This is true for both the Philippines and the US, especially for the US if the tension between them and China escalates further,” he added.

Mr. Duterte’s reversal could be a sign that he’s worried about China’s growing military assertiveness, including an incident where a Chinese vessel allegedly pointed a weapon at a Philippine ship and China’s creation of research facilities at two reefs, Renato C. de Castro, an international studies professor at De La Salle University said by telephone.

“President Duterte decided to make a one step forward, two steps backward move,” he said.

Senator Franklin M. Drilon yesterday said the lawsuit filed at the Supreme Court by some senators including himself would continue.

“The petition we filed is for declaratory relief and mandamus where we asked the Supreme Court to uphold the power of the Senate over treaty termination,” he said in a statement.

“The fact that the VFA is reinstated will not render our case moot and academic. The case stands,” he added.

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

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

Ending the VFA complicates Washington’s efforts to maintain an Asia-Pacific troop presence amid friction over the presence of US personnel in Japan and South Korea and security concerns about China and North Korea.

Some lawmakers in the Philippines are concerned that without the VFA, two other pacts that make up the long-standing US alliance with Manila would be irrelevant, namely the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement made under the Obama administration, and a 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty.

Salvador S. Panelo, Mr. Duterte’s former spokesman, had called the VFA a one-sided deal that only benefits the US.

The Philippine move toward its long-standing treaty ally “alarms no countries in Asia and the rest of the world,” Mr. Locsin said.

Coronavirus cases near 20,000 as late results get validated

THE Department of Health (DoH) reported 751 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, but said 71% of these cases were from old samples whose test results came out late.

This brought the total cases to 19,748, the agency said in a health bulletin. The death toll rose to 974 after eight more patients died, while 90 more patients have gotten well, bringing the total recoveries to 4,153, it added.

Of the new cases, 221 were fresh or test results validated in the past 3 days, DoH said. It added that 71% or 530 were cases that were validated late.

The agency started classifying new infections after a spike as local laboratories boosted their testing capacities.

The spike also coincided with a relaxed lockdown in many parts of the country including Manila, the capital and nearby cities.

The coronavirus disease 2019 has sickened 6.5 million and killed about 383,000 people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization.

About 3.1 million people have recovered from the virus, it said. — NPA

Drivers wanted as coronavirus contact tracers, says palace

THE government may hire jobless jeepney drivers as coronavirus contact tracers, the presidential palace said on Wednesday.

“There’s a suggestion that they be employed as contact tracers because we do need about 120,000 of them and there’s only about 30,000 employed so far,” presidential spokesman Harry L. Roque told the ABS-CBN News Channel.

Jeepneys and buses remain banned even if much of the country has shifted to a relaxed lockdown.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte locked down the entire Luzon island in mid-March, suspending work, classes and public transportation to contain the pandemic. People should stay home except to buy food and other basic goods, he said.

He extended the lockdown for the island twice and thrice for Manila, the capital and nearby cities.

The government has been seeking out people who can work as contact tracers. The Health department earlier said it was 94,000 short of contact tracers.

Meanwhile, the payment of residential rent will be deferred for all, regardless of one’s work status, according to the Trade department.

The agency’s guidelines on rent payment issued on June 2 will be changed to reflect this policy, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said in a mobile phone message on Wednesday.

The rules initially limited the grace period for people who did not have work during the lockdown.

The new guidelines would also clarify that the grace period continues to apply to all micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises that ceased operations or were not allowed to operate during the lockdown, he said.

Commercial lessees will start their 30-day grace period from the date their business was allowed to operate, whether or not the business has resumed operations.

Rent owed by businesses that are not yet allowed to operate is deferred by 30 days after the lockdown is lifted or after the date they are allowed to resume operations, whichever comes first. — Gillian M. Cortez and Jenina P. Ibañez

House approves changes to anti-terror law

THE House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to expand the coverage of terror acts and allow the military to intercept private communications of suspects under surveillance.

There were 173 congressmen who voted yes, 31 who voted no and 29 who abstained.

The measure allows the Anti-Terror Council (ATC) made up of Cabinet officials to do functions otherwise reserved for courts, such as ordering the arrest of suspected terrorists. It also allows the state to keep a suspect in jail without an arrest warrant for 14 days from three days now.

Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo in a statement questioned the timing of the bill.

“Apart from the timing, I want to clarify if the proposed law is really the answer to terrorism,” she said, adding that there is a need to clarify each provision of the bill.

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader and Manila Rep. Bienvenido M. Abante, Jr. said he was disappointed that the House had failed to come up with its own version of the bill.

“The House of Representatives simply adopted the Senate version of the Anti-Terror bill and did not even see it fit to deliberate and formulate its own version,” he told the plenary.

The Senate passed the bill as early as February. President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who certified the bill as urgent this week, only has to enact the measure for it to become a law. — Genshen L. Espedido

#COVID-19 Regional Updates (06/03/20)

Negros Occidental opens COVID-19 test lab

NEGROS Occidental province has formally opened its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing laboratory, located at the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City. The facility received its accreditation from the Department of Health on June 1. Governor Eugenio Jose V. Lacson, in a statement, said the laboratory is crucial as it “will be able to test more Negrenses in a timely manner,” especially the returning overseas workers and residents stranded in other parts of the country. The province eased lockdown rules starting June 1, but its border with Negros Oriental remains closed. Last May 12, Mr. Lacson said the provincial government intends to establish a protocol “that all persons entering Negros Occidental should be placed in a holding facility for 1 to 2 days while test are conducted, and until the test results are released from our own bio-lab.” The province, excluding the independently-governed Bacolod City, has recorded just three COVID-19 cases, with two recoveries and one still under treatment. Over 1,100 persons are under monitoring, including 19 suspect cases and seven probable. — MSJ

10-year old bicycle law in Davao City brought to life by coronavirus crisis

DAVAO City’s 10-year old law promoting the use of bicycles and developing corresponding bike-friendly roads may finally see implementation soon as the coronavirus crisis highlighted this mode of transport. “We have already identified roads. The next thing that we will do is inspect the roads if there are any that are problematic or if we can place bicycle lanes there,” Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office chief Dionisio C. Abude said in a statement. The city government acknowledged that “more and more Dabawenyos go to work on a bicycle” following public transport restrictions imposed to help mitigate the spread of the virus. Mr. Abude, however, said they could not give a definite schedule yet on when they will start setting up the bike lanes with corresponding markings and signages. The bike lanes are targeted to span 72.2 kilometers. At the start of the lockdown, groups of cycling enthusiasts organized the provision of bicycles for health workers, and even training those who have never ridden one. The Bicycle Ordinance of Davao City, approved in 2010, was authored by the late Councilor Leonardo Placido R. Avila III, who was known as an advocate of the environment.

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