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#COVID-19 Regional Updates (05/19/20)

Cebu province transitions to GCQ on May 20: No aircon in restos, beaches open in the morning

CEBU province is transitioning to the general community quarantine (GCQ) policy on Wednesday, with public transport expected to be back on the roads while restaurants and beaches will reopen with limitations. Cebu, the most populous province in the country with over 4.6 million including those in three independent cities, is composed of 44 towns and six component cities. Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia, in a meeting Friday with all the mayors, rallied her fellow local officials to shift towards a mindset of “fortitude from fear” as they work towards reviving the economy. “Fear was caused mainly by the fact that it is a new strain,” she said during last Monday’s afternoon briefing as she cited the relatively low number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and related deaths in the province. Ms. Garcia was among the first local government officials to impose tight restrictions, including border closures, when the COVID-19 outbreak started in March. Department of Health data as of May 18 show Cebu province has 56 confirmed COVID-19 patients, including 37 within the provincial jail. The entire Central Visayas Region has recorded 2,019, with about 88% located in Cebu City.

NEW WORLD
“I would want to look at the COVID-19 pandemic the other way… It’s about time that we resuscitate our struggling economy and take steps to improve the lives of people that are now suffering,” she said during the streamed meeting. Under the GCQ, public transport vehicles — including inter-town buses, tricycles as well as boats to and from the island towns of Bantayan and Camotes — can resume operations; dining places can reopen at 50% capacity and no use of air conditioning; shopping centers are allowed subject to national rules; hotels, resorts and other hospitality service establishments may also reopen subject to restrictions such as no group gatherings “of any form”; and people may go to beaches, rivers, and other open bodies of waters from 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Health safety standards set by the national government such as physical distancing and wearing of face masks also apply. “We have to accept that the old normal is gone so we can adjust and adapt to a whole new world,” Ms. Garcia said. — MSJ

95% of COVID-19 patients in Cebu City asymptomatic, situation being managed says mayor

CEBU City Mayor Edgardo C. Labella on Tuesday said at least 95% of the 1,749 confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the city are asymptomatic. He attributed the identification of asymptomatic cases to the extensive contact tracing being conducted by the city government and assured that the situation is being managed. “We have to underscore the fact that contact tracing is a very important component in this fight against coronavirus,” he said in a virtual briefing. He detailed that more than 10,000 were tested using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction technique (RT-PCR) recommended by the World Health Organization, while at least 8,000 were tested using rapid kits. The city purchased 35,000 RT-PCR test kits. The asymptomatic patients are housed in barangay isolation centers, he said. He added that they also have eight teams conducting the contact tracing. About 19% of the cases are at the city jail. Cebu City and neighboring Mandaue City are still under the strict enhanced community quarantine policy until May 31. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Nationwide round-up

Palace explains: No mass testing but ‘expanded targeted testing’

Herminio L. Roque, Jr.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. — PHILSTAR

PALACE Spokesperson Harry L. Roque on Tuesday explained that an “expanded targeted testing” is a priority measure to curb coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmissions after receiving public backlash on his Monday statement that the government will not be conducting mass testing. Mr. Roque said this strategy is in line with international guidelines on testing. “We test those who need to be tested, dahil hindi lang iyong mga gustong magpa-test (not just those who want to be tested).” The expanded targeted testing covers critical or severe cases, mild cases but vulnerable, mild cases not vulnerable, and those who are asymptomatic, with close contact or with a history of travel. The government has a testing capacity of more than 11,000 per day as of May 15 and is aiming for 30,000 by the end of the month. On Monday, Mr. Roque was quoted as saying that the government “does not have a mass testing program” and that it will “leave it up to the private sector.” — Gillian M. Cortez

DoH guidelines reiterate testing of returning workers to be covered by employer

THE Department of Health (DoH) on Tuesday released guidelines for companies that will resume operations, which include a provision that testing of returning workers should be covered by employers. The same rule is indicated in guidelines issued by the Labor and Trade departments on Monday. Palace Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, who announced the DoH Interim Guidelines on Return to Work in a briefing, said among the required health and cleanliness protocols are regular disinfection and proper ventilation at the workplace. “Yung engineering and administrative control measures, dapat lahat po ay siguraduhin ng employer na ang workplace ay maayos na na-disinfect, ventilated at na-maintain (The engineering and administrative control measures, the employer should ensure that everything in the workplace is orderly, disinfected, ventilated, and maintained),” he said. Employers are also required to keep a record of employees who reported to the workplace and a referral network should be established if they show symptoms of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Symptomatic workers are not allowed to return to work while those without symptoms but have travel history within the last 14 days of work resumption will have to show a certificate of quarantine completion. Employers, at their cost, can test their employees for COVID-19, especially those whose nature of work puts them at risk of contracting the virus. — Gillian M. Cortez

Typhoon Vongfong damage to crops hits P1.14 billion

CROP damage caused by typhoon Vongfong has reached P1.14 billion with 37,714 farmers and fisherfolk affected, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported Tuesday. In a bulletin, DA said the most affected areas were the regions of CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon Province), Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Central Luzon, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan). Production losses from the typhoon, locally named Ambo, has reached 65,824 metric tons (MT), with 25,404 hectares of agricultural areas affected across six regions. Among agricultural commodities, high-value crops such as bananas, assorted vegetables, and papayas were the hardest hit, amounting to 69% of total damage and losses at P793.15 million. Other damaged crops include rice, which accounted for 16% at 184.58 million, followed by corn at 10%, equivalent to P117.11 million. Losses from the fisheries sector amounted to P25.47 million while livestock damage is at P23.39 million. The DA said it is preparing its P700-million Quick Response Fund for interventions in the affected areas. The DA, through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), will provide an initial P90.5-million fund for the indemnification of about 11,500 farmers and fishermen who availed of insurance coverage. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Lessons toward a health-anchored recovery

The Stratbase ADR Institute, in cooperation with consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines, held last Friday a virtual roundtable discussion (vRTD) entitled, “The Philippine Health Care Systems: Emergent and Pressing Issues, Approaches and Perspectives amid the COVID-19 Crisis,” a new series of online forums that will tackle strategic issues and solutions as the country now ventures into a gradual reopening of economic activities.

Invited speakers from the academe, government, and the private sector shared their analyses and recommendations to more than 150 attendees on the issues surrounding the global pandemic contextualized in local scenarios.

Dr. Ronald Mendoza, Dean of the Ateneo School of Government, posited that, “promoting a health anchored recovery” is an effective way to regain a stable, inclusive, and robust economy. He cited the importance of: 1.) “technology” (e.g. rapid testing, mobile tracking apps, real-time information sharing, and telemedicine; 2.) “trust” of constituents to comply with directives and willingness to share vital information; and, 3.) “transform” the conventional health system’s structure into a more agile, cost-effective, and inclusive one in a crisis situation.

He is correct to emphasize that the economic recovery of the country should be underpinned by extensive test, trace, and treat capabilities to prevent the occurrence of a more catastrophic relapse.

I support his position that there must be strong trust in the government for effective crisis response. Fear and hesitancy will reduce the effectiveness of necessary safety restrictions and will hold back consumers and investors from re-engaging our economy.

Sherwin Ona, Chairperson of the Department of Political Science, De La Salle University and a Senior Researcher of the Jesse Robredo Institute of Governance, commented that the government should shift to a more “desecuritized approach” to the pandemic.

Among his proposals are: 1.) the reexamination of the national security policies, which consist of classifying pandemics as a non-traditional threat, making the manufacturing of medical supplies and equipment a strategic industry, and reviewing the modernization programs of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Coast Guard; 2.) building stronger communities and developing agile institutions by reviewing possible amendments to the Disaster Risk Reduction Management and Disease Surveillance laws, expanding the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and establishing the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, pursuing digital transformation through Ease of Doing Business and National ID laws, and promoting research and development; and, 3.) forging greater international cooperation particularly with the ASEAN for humanitarian assistance and participation in World Health Organization initiatives related to COVID-19.

Dr. Eduardo Banzon, Principal Health Specialist of the Asian Development Bank, further stressed the importance of testing, tracing, and isolation in controlling the spread of the virus. He is active in Task Force T3 (Test, Trace, Treat), a government and private sector project to expand the testing capacity to more than 75,000 per day. He said that, “the moment we get to that level, we will be able to prevent infections and control the spread of the virus into a slow burn.” Looking at it from an investment perspective, this aggressive testing and isolation is still the most advantageous in terms of benefit-cost ratio.

He further explained that sustainable social distancing will be part of the new normal in the health sector. While for telemedicine, though it had been introduced in the country quite some time ago, might have an opportunity to take off and be part of regular medical practice.

Frontliners and stakeholders also shared their reactions and perspectives on how the country can evolve and recover towards the so-called “new normal.”

Dr. Beverly Ho, the Department of Health’s Special Assistant to the Secretary of Health for Universal Health Care (UHC), mentioned that the “COVID-19 response was able to fast track the UHC reforms.” She said that “the sudden thrust to the pandemic type of response can even catalyze things that many people thought that would be impossible to happen for UHC.” She acknowledged that the government is very appreciative of the increased cooperation of the private sector in this crisis response, with high regard for the formation of the Task Force T3 and that on the health department’s end, they would ensure that the opportunities will not be squandered and will get the initiatives launched so that the public may freely adapt the new normal of the healthcare system.

It is not yet too late to control the contagion and at least start a positive momentum of the economy so our people can re-engage in livelihood activities. To achieve this, we must persist with heroic efforts, discipline, and cooperation of each inhabitant in the country.

We are now suffering from decades of neglect in contrast to the advanced universal healthcare systems of neighboring countries. Let us use this crisis as an opportunity to learn the hard lessons, address our weaknesses, and re-engineer our systems and policies towards recovery.

 

Victor Andres “Dindo” ManhiT is the President of Stratbase ADR Institute.

For whom is the press?

For the third time, I watched, intensely engrossed, the Steven Spielberg movie The Post. Aside from the truly award-winning performances by the cast led by Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson and others, what struck the deepest chord in me was a quotation cited towards the end of the film. US Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black was quoted as saying in his majority opinion allowing the Washington Post and the New York Times to publish their Pentagon Papers stories that “the press is to serve the governed, not the governors.”

The two papers had exposed the confidential Pentagon Papers which cited a Rand study report indicating that the US government had deceived the American people about the conduct of the Vietnam War. The report had indicated that for many years, starting with the Kennedy administration, to those of Lyndon Johnson and Nixon, the US Defense Department had known that they could not win the war in Vietnam. And yet, the government continued to send young Americans to fight the war, in which so many of them died or ended up maimed for life. Exposing the Pentagon papers was not easy for Post publisher Katherine Graham and editor Benjamin Bradlee. Graham and her late husband Phillip were very friendly with Defense Secretary Robert McNamara; and Bradlee was a long time buddy of President John F. Kennedy. But the pair stuck to their journalism guns.

Researcher/analyst Daniel Ellsberg disclosed that the US government did not want to look like a loser in the war and thus continued to fight it. The expose heightened public opposition to the Vietnam War which, as we now know, led to the abandonment of the war by the United States. Today, the United States and Vietnam constructively do business together.

The Washington Post’s victory in the Supreme Court emboldened two of its reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, to subsequently expose the election-related break-in to the Democratic Party headquarters that became known as Watergate, which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Thus was born the journalistic specialty now known as investigative reporting.

The Philippines has produced several outstanding investigative journalists, including Sheila Coronel, now Director of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism, and Dean of Academic Affairs of the Columbia University graduate school of journalism. As a Columbia University professor, Coronel has also received the Presidential Teaching Award. Her colleagues, Marites Vitug, Marilou Mangahas, and Lorna K. Tirol are among the founders of the renowned Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).

Other notable Filipino journalists include the distinguished Eggie Apostol Duran, the dauntless Leticia Jimenez Magsanoc, and highly skilled writing and editing professionals Vergel Santos and Melinda Quintos de Jesus of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. The courageous Joe Burgos of Malaya was known as the leader of the original “mosquito press” of the Marcos era. Many Filipino heroes, including Marcelo H. del Pilar, Jose Rizal, and Ninoy Aquino started out as journalists.

In a gridiron dinner speech to the US press toward the end of his presidency, Barack Obama described the relationship of the press with the government as necessarily “adversarial.” He cited the need for the press to search for and reveal the truth, counter distortions and untruths, expose abuses, and fight corruption. I guess, as Justice Hugo Black cited, to do these on behalf of the citizenry, or “the governed.”

We can drool over the independence and power that an advanced democracy such the United States allows its media. The adversarial CNN (pro-Democrat, anti-Republican?) and Fox News (anti-Democrat, pro-Republican?) certainly pull no punches.

Here in our country, the journalists’ attitudes range from those who would adhere to the “adversarial” posture and those who believe the Press should be neutral and just stick to reporting what it sees as the “Truth.” There are also jokes about what have come to be referred to as “praise releases.”

Living in an emerging but now threatened constitutional democracy, the Filipino citizenry and the Press must come to terms with what the role of the Press should be. There should be room enough for both “adversarial” and “neutral” policies. At the very minimum, it seems to me, we should follow Justice Black’s thinking that the Press is “to serve the governed, not the governors.” Article II of our Constitution, Declaration of Principles and State Policies states under Section 1: “The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.”

Today, we have social media bloggers being arrested for mere hyperbolic threats to pay millions of pesos which a schoolteacher can certainly not afford nor even raise. This, despite a Constitutional provision that no person is to be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process.

Our tax-funded government-run TV station is airing propaganda for the Chinese government (the show Wow, China) which technically should be our enemy, since China has been forcibly taking possession of and destroying marine resources over which the UN Arbitral Court has confirmed our sovereignty. The islets in our seas have also been converted into military bases with nary a peep from us. Whatever happened to Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign promise to ride a jetski to Scarborough Shoal and plant the Philippine flag thereon?

We also seem to be ignoring Section 3 in our Declaration of Principles and State Policies: “The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory.”

Rappler’s outstanding journalists are constantly under threat of its closure; and its founding editor, Maria Ressa, has been facing charges in several courts.

Congress has been sitting on the application for franchise renewal of the largest radio and television broadcast network but is finally to hold hearings on the issue. Let us hope that the hearings reveal truths and their decisions are based on the national or the people’s interest, not politics.

Our duly elected Senator Leila de Lima is still detained and barred from even participating in online deliberations of the Senate. She has been in jail for three years. What are the charges, and are hearings being conducted? This is the kind of issue that the Press needs to cover for the people of the Philippines who voted her into the Senate.

Metro Manila Police Chief Debold Sinas has clearly violated his duty to enforce discipline in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. His brazen and irresponsible carelessness has been reported in the Press and must not be allowed to be swept under the rug.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque and Justice Secretary Jose Calida have been shown as having conflicts of interest by benefiting from government-paid business contracts which are against the law. They are still in office. We should find out if they are still enjoying their alleged privileged sweetheart deals.

When is the Presidential Electoral Tribunal going to disclose the findings on the protest filed by losing candidate Bongbong Marcos for the Vice-Presidency of the Philippines? There are barely two years left in the vice-president’s term. The media has to follow this story and keep the Filipino people informed.

These are just a few examples of government neglect and malfeasance that the citizenry are entitled to know about. Government, after all, is accountable to the voters and taxpayers.

Leaders of the business community need to have their voices heard on what should be the role of the Press. There is enough pandemic obsequiousness plaguing various branches of government from Executive, to Legislature, to the Judiciary, and even the police and, alas, it seems sometimes, the military.

How are we going to learn the Truth to which we are entitled? Without an independent Press, we cannot claim to be a functioning democracy. We should have learned our lessons from the failed authoritarianism and controlled media of the Marcos era. When will we ever learn?

 

Teresa S. Abesamis is a former professor at the Asian Institute of Management and Fellow of the Development Academy of the Philippines.

tsabesamis0114@yahoo.com

Shareholders’ approval on sale of corporate assets

Under Section 39 of the Revised Corporation Code (RCC), a corporation may, by a majority vote of its board of directors or trustees, sell or otherwise dispose of its property and assets, upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration as its board of directors or trustees may deem expedient. However, if the sale involves a sale of all or substantially all of the corporation’s properties and assets, including its goodwill, the vote of the stockholders representing at least two-thirds of the outstanding capital stock, or at least two-thirds of the members shall also be required.

The RCC considers a sale to cover substantially all the corporate property and assets if thereby the corporation would be rendered incapable of continuing the business or accomplishing the purpose for which it was incorporated. In practice, this is computed based on the corporation’s net asset value, as shown in its latest financial statements.

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of the General Counsel (SEC-OGC) explained in several opinions that in interpreting Section 39, it has been guided not by the number or volume of the assets transferred but by the effect of such a transfer on the corporation’s business. As such, in case of any disposition of assets which does not render the corporation incapable of continuing its business or which is necessary in the ordinary course of business, the sale may not require stockholders’ approval. To determine if the sale consists of all or substantially all of the corporation’s assets, or whether it is made in the ordinary course of business, the test is not the amount involved but rather, the nature of the transaction. This view was recently reiterated in SEC-OGC opinion dated Jan. 31, 2019, stating that “the litmus test to determine the applicability of (Section 39) would be the capacity of the corporation to continue its business after the sale of substantially all its assets.”

However, on April 15, 2020, the SEC issued Memorandum Circular No. 12, Series of 2020 (SEC MC 12-2020) and adopted the following rules for publicly listed companies:

1. The sale or disposal of at least 51% of the corporation’s total assets shall be considered as sale of all or substantially all of corporate property and assets, whether such sale accrued in a single transaction or in several transactions taking place within one year from the date of the first transaction (aggregate sale transactions).

2. In sale of corporate assets falling under the preceding paragraph, the vote of the stockholders representing at least two-thirds of the outstanding capital stock shall be required prior to the execution of the sale transaction.

3. In aggregate sale transactions, shareholder approval shall be required for the sale transaction that breaches the 51% corporate asset threshold.

4. Whether the sale amounts to at least 51% of the corporation’s assets is determined based on its total assets as shown in its latest audited financial statements; the computation may also be based on the latest quarterly financial statement or a special purpose financial statement prepared in connection with the transaction.

Unlike the previous SEC-OGC opinions, SEC MC 12-2020 considers a sale to involve all or substantially all of the corporate assets, based on the amount of assets to be disposed, rather than the nature or effect of such disposition. Under this view, stockholder approval is required for as long as the sale involves at least 51% of the corporate assets, even if such disposition will not render the corporation unable to continue its business. Thus, a quantitative test is now used to determine whether a sale of corporate assets requires stockholder approval, as opposed to the qualitative test supported by previous opinions.

Note that the 51% threshold is imposed by SEC MC 12-2020 only to define a sale of “substantially all the corporate assets” for which stockholder approval is required. This does not seem to restrict the exercise of the right given by the RCC under Section 39 to the directors to nevertheless dispense with stockholder approval if the subject disposition is reasonably necessary in the usual and regular course of business of the corporation or if the proceeds of the disposition of the assets shall be appropriated for the conduct of its remaining business.

As such, it appears that even if a sale of corporate assets exceeds the 51% threshold, the directors may nevertheless exercise discretion, justified by sound business judgment and the consideration of the purposes for which the corporation was established as well as its express and implied powers, in determining whether a disposition is necessary in the ordinary course of business and consequently dispensing with the need for stockholder approval.

Only time and practice will tell if the newly imposed quantitative test on the sale of corporate assets will indeed improve corporate governance and protect minority investors.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. This article is for general informational and educational purposes, and not offered as, and does not constitute, legal advice or legal opinion.

 

Nestor Fernando T. Siazon is an Associate of the Corporate and Special Projects Department of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW).

ntsiazon@accralaw.com

(632) 8830-8000

Choosing to be someone in life is key, says Schrock

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

PHILIPPINES Football League (PFL) star and national team player Stephan Schrock did not have it easy in his younger years but his desire to make something out of his life led him to where he is now.

Born in Germany to a German father and a Filipino mother, who traces her roots to Mindanao, Mr. Schrock, 33, saw his parents separate when he was six years old, leaving him and his sister to the care of their mother.

The football star said it was a difficult part of his life, especially seeing his mother juggle numerous jobs and make a lot of sacrifices just for them to survive and have better lives.

But that particular episode also developed in Mr. Schrock a goal not to be swept by the circumstances he was in and make something out of his life, aided by playing football.

“Boxing was first for me as my father was a boxer. But I found my calling in football,” said Mr. Schrock on the podcast Heroes of Halftime with Audris Romualdez last week.

“Football was there for me. It kept me away from bad things. Football gave me everything, what I eat and what I wear… the life I have right now,” he added.

The football journey for him started in Germany through various leagues, including in Bundesliga, before he made his way to the country in 2011 as part of the national team when the opportunity opened up for him.

Mr. Schrock said his football path was anything but paved but what kept him going and surviving throughout were discipline, patience and hard work.

“I’m not the most skillful of players but I put in the work. And if you put in the work, one thing you will get is a result. If you choose to be something special, you’ll become something special,” he said.

Mr. Schrock, who currently plays for three-time PFL champion Ceres-Negros FC, said surrounding one’s self with the right people would also go a long way.

He said his career and life are lined up with people who believe in him and what he is capable of doing, which he is very appreciative of.

Right now, like every athlete in the country, Mr. Schrock is made to bear with the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has put all physical sporting activities to a halt.

It is a situation that Mr. Schrock said has been rough but he is coping with the best way he can and knows how to.

“Right now it seems hard and there is a tendency to blow up things. But I always believe that there’s always something good that comes out of everything. I’d rather focus on that than the things that I cannot control,” he said.

Adding, “The circumstances are not ideal but we can get by. We just have to follow the guidelines. The more we follow, the sooner we can get back to playing football and having it normal. Stay put, stay ready and never lose hope.”

Apart from helping Ceres to the PFL and Copa Paulino Alcantara titles last year, Mr. Schrock was part of the Philippine Azkals that competed in the AFC Asian Cup as well as the U22 team (as one of the team’s overage players) that saw action in the 30th Southeast Asian Games here.

Early this year Mr. Schrock was bestowed the “Mr. Football” award by the Philippine Sportswriters Association.

F1 champion Alonso said to be ready to return in 2021

LONDON — Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso is ready for a Formula One (F1) comeback, his longtime adviser and former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore said amid increasing speculation about a return to Renault.

The 38-year-old Spaniard left Formula One at the end of 2018 but is seen as a possible replacement for Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who is moving to McLaren in 2021.

“Fernando is motivated. A year away from Formula One has done him good. He has detoxed himself and I see him calmer and ready to return,” Briatore, who left Renault in 2009 after a race-fixing scandal, told Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport.

Renault is expected to take its time before making any driver announcement, with the 2020 season yet to start due to COVID-19.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is also available after Ferrari announced the German would be leaving at the end of the year.

Alonso won his titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 to end seven-time champion Michael Schumacher’s long reign.

He moved to McLaren for a tumultuous 2007 season alongside a rookie Lewis Hamilton but returned to Renault for 2008 and 2009 before moving to Ferrari and then back to McLaren in 2015.

The two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner has made the Indianapolis 500 his main target this year in a bid to become only the second man after the late Graham Hill to complete the “Triple Crown of Motorsport.”

The Spaniard turns 40 next year but former Ferrari teammate and 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen is that age already and still racing with Alfa Romeo.

Renault finished fifth overall last year but represents Alonso’s best, and possibly only, chance of a comeback.

Ferrari and Red Bull have put an emphasis on youth while Mercedes looks sure to reach a new deal with six-time world champion Hamilton.

Mercedes is the only F1 team with both drivers over 30 and the champion is more likely to go for a youngster like George Russell, now at Williams, should it replaces Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton looks sure to stay.

McLaren boss Zak Brown told Sky Sports television that he saw Alonso to Renault as a “bit of a no-brainer.”

“I think he’s undecided, and if I was running Renault, that’s who I’d put in the car: big name, fast as anyone, won two championships with them, so he’s got history,” said the American, who spoke to Alonso recently.

Brown said Alonso would jump at the chance to win again but might be less interested in a team still some way off. — Reuters

MMA and pro wrestling had strong online audience last year — data

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (MMA) and professional wrestling had a solid showing in online viewership in 2019, this, according to statistics released by independent global data and online video analytics provider Tubular Labs.

Using certified matrix in online video analytics under the official YouTube Measurement Program, Tubular Labs data show that last year end users and consumers leaned more towards combat sports and martial arts content, compared to other sports.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) topped the charts in 2019 with 14.6 billion video views, followed by perennial industry leaders National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) with 10.3 billion and 6 billion views, respectively.

Singapore-based martial arts organization ONE Championship was fourth with 5.6 billion views, ahead of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in fifth with 3.8 billion.

For stakeholders of martial arts and combat sports, to see their segments occupy three of the top five spots in the Tubular Labs list is quite impressive considering how popular sports like basketball and football are.

This was apart from the fact that competition for viewership is fierce, and target audiences are fragmented and crowded.

“I am excited to announce that ONE Championship ranked #4 in the world out of 5,000+ sports media properties in 2019 in terms of online viewership!” ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong wrote on his Facebook page when the Tubular Labs data were released.

“When I started ONE Championship 8.5 years ago, I could never have imagined this extraordinary adventure in a million years. In the early days, all of the haters, doubters, and naysayers told me that I was crazy, stupid, or foolish… No one would give us a break. Today, ONE Championship is Asia’s largest global sports media…” he added.

Organizations like ONE Championship, the WWE and the UFC boast a strong social media influence and have consistently delivered a stream of online video for mass media consumption.

Online viewership is expected to be further enhanced this year with demand growing as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to be a concern and fans are forced to enjoy their sporting fix at home.

Tubular Labs is an authority in online video analytics, providing comprehensive and actionable video intelligence by gathering data and information from online video platforms including YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

UP opens CHK annex as COVID-19 isolation facility

EFFORTS to deal with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the country got further legs with the University of the Philippines (UP) opening its College of Human Kinetics Gym (CHK)as a step-down isolation facility for cases of the highly contagious respiratory disease.

With COVID-19 still a going concern, with confirmed cases, as of this writing, numbering 12,718, the UP CHK, in partnership with Maynilad and UP ACTasONE, saw it fit to offer its facility in the fight to mitigate the spread of the pandemic.

UP CHK officials said the idea was not hard to buy into, knowing it was for a worthy cause and university conditions permitting to do so.

“We saw the value in it and the significance of serving the UP community. For as long as remote learning is up in UP, we will support this,” said UP CHK dean and UAAP Board of Managing Directors member Francis Diaz.

“There are still no face-to-face classes in the university so we saw it fit that one of the facilities be transformed to an isolation facility,” he added.

The newly repurposed facility, which is the training venue for the Lady Maroons Women’s Basketball Team and UP Pep, is equipped with tents, mattresses, and beddings that will be used by recovering COVID-19 patients and patients awaiting the result of their retest.

It also has shower and toilet amenities, water dispensers, and washing machines, along with hygiene kits.

The step-down isolation facility is the latest initiative by the university, which has seen various stakeholders do their share in various capacities in the COVID-19 fight. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Jordan’s vision

Even without the foreknowledge that the ninth and 10th episodes of The Last Dance were completed extremely close to their airing date, the countless viewers who have tuned in to see them since they became available over the weekend would have noticed the documentary series’ weary legs. In stark contrast to the back-and-forth narrative style that permeated previous episodes, they mostly stuck to one that focused on the Bulls’ last two seasons, and particularly in the playoffs. Which, interestingly enough, made for compelling drama despite the obvious denouement. If nothing else, the focus served to overcome the unavoidable handicaps of the story being told in snippets and ultimately enhance the vicarious experience.

In part, The Last Dance eschews the time jumps as a matter of necessity; the rush to production borne of advancing the release of the series by two months tied the hands of director Jason Hehir. In larger measure, however, the move comes off as deliberate and aimed at precisely shining the spotlight on the Bulls’ titular run. Their final march to success — the very one all the other segments before it set up — was at hand, and veering from it would have been seen as an unnecessary, and most certainly unwanted, digression.

The result is nothing short of genius. The Last Dance fancies itself as the last word on its subject as well, and its cause is helped by the active participation of the principal protagonist of the Bulls’ dominance in the nineties. Indeed, Michael Jordan’s enthusiastic involvement in front of the camera was made possible by his final-say role behind the scenes as its executive producer. Is it then biased? Of course; all agendas are his by default. For instance, it pushes forth the contention that he had nothing to do with fellow Hall-of-Famer Isiah Thomas being left off the Dream Team, significant evidence to the contrary.

Another example of Jordan’s selective memory: his recollection of the so-called flu game, in which he insinuated that he was the victim of targeted food poisoning. Lost in trainer Tim Grover, best friend George Koehler, and his own musings was the fact that he wouldn’t have ordered pizza by telling the only joint open in hostile Salt Lake City at 10:30 in the evening his real name. In any case, “I ate the pizza,” he declared. “All by myself. Nobody else eats the pizza. I wake up about 2:30 throwing up left and right.” What he didn’t point out: He spit on the pizza that was allegedly brought to his hotel room by five delivery men so that no one else would deign touch it.

That said, there can be no discounting Jordan’s force of will. For whatever reason, he was sick when he trekked to the court in Game Five of the 1997 National Basketball Association Finals. The misnomer notwithstanding, he then proceeded to upend the Jazz with one of his best performances ever, finishing with 38 of the Bulls’ 90 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block through 44 minutes of play in a two-point victory. But, hey, the “flu game” sounds better than the “pizza game” or even, as more than a few quarters have speculated, the “hangover game.”

Throughout The Last Dance are other similar illustrations of Jordan’s predisposition to bend the truth to his advantage. He makes up slights, arranges matters to better his vantage point — does anything, really, to fuel his competitive juices. And, from a Machiavellian standpoint, the results are clear. He’s the best of the best of all time. He deserves the lingering shot at the end of the last episode, and as he walks away from the frame, a lighted cigar in hand, victory is his, and, most importantly, in just the way he envisioned.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, oprerations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Four highlights from the 2020 Philippine Startup Survey: COVID Edition

Last May 12, PwC Philippines, together with the Department of Trade and Industry, QBO Innovation Hub, and IdeaSpace, shared the 2020 Philippine Startup Survey: COVID Edition, which aims “to understand the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the tech startups in the Philippines.” The effort follows a previous report released in February that mapped out the same landscape pre-pandemic.

“This crisis is really forcing us to make decisions quickly and to act with urgency,” said Jade Roxas-Divinagracia, deals and corporate finance managing partner at PwC Philippines. “And while it brings with it numerous challenges, admittedly, we sense a lot of opportunities especially for startups.”

“Given the right support, founders and startups with the ability to seize these opportunities and to make the necessary adjustments or pivot will survive this crisis and will be well-positioned to thrive thereafter.”

Here are four important highlights from the report.

1. Majority of startups are worried about the long-term effects of the pandemic.

Out of the 90 founders interviewed for the survey, 48% felt threatened by the pandemic’s impact on their startup, while only 23% consider it as an isolated concern. Their top concerns include the financial impact and effects on operations, a potential global recession, and difficulties in funding.

Of the respondents surveyed, 36% also expressed concern about reduced workforce productivity, which may be partially attributed to the country’s slow internet connection.

But according to Atty. Alexander Cabrera, chairman and senior partner at PwC Philippines, this may be a case-to-case basis. “For instance, in our business, I think the productivity level is up… for the primary reason that people don’t have to travel. So the travel time going to the office and to clients are no longer needed.”

He also believes that productivity spans a wide array of activities that don’t only achieve revenue generation. “It’s also upskilling people and activities… R&D, thought leadership, [and] even developing critical relationships.”

2. Startups are implementing countermeasures to compensate for loss.

The crisis has challenged many founders’ creativity, employing various ways to keep their startup afloat. 51% reduced their level of operations, while 36% implemented cost reductions (aside from employee costs) and prepared a business continuity program. Almost half of the surveyed startups even started offering a new product or service.

On top of these internal measures, startups are also looking to acquire funding from other sources. These include government grants and subsidies, equity financing, and bank loans and financing.

3. Some startups have uncovered opportunities amidst the crisis.

However, the situation isn’t completely bleak for several startups, with 21% saying that they even experienced an increase in demand for their products and services.

It may be assumed that these are startups from the logistics, education technology, enterprise services, financial technology, and healthcare sectors, since they have been critical to making life convenient for consumers under quarantine.

The pandemic also saw new players such as food market startups and on-demand delivery service platforms. For Ellard Capiral, CEO of sniper advertising firm AdMov, it will inspire further innovation among budding entrepreneurs.

“This situation will create a new breed of startups, and will probably change how we do business in the long run,” he said. “Startups need to adapt to the new needs and behaviors of people. They should not expect that things will go back to as they were before COVID-19.”

4. Startups need additional funding and other forms of support to normalize their post-quarantine operations.

A harrowing 20% of the surveyed startups found that they only have enough cash and capacity to sustain their business for more than a year. Given this, they’re calling to the government to implement helpful measures that will help boost and bolster their operations.

Their top suggestions include loans with a longer grace period and relaxed credit requirements, tax incentives, and incentives for startup investors, such as tax holidays, that will encourage them to accelerate fundraising activities. “I hope the government will provide strong and deliberate financial assistance to all startups in the same way it has implemented its strong enforcement of the ECQ,” one founder said.

Founders are also carrying other kinds of considerations on top of funding. 76% need a wider customer base to secure more possible revenue sources, while 61% that are experiencing growth in their startup require additional talent to support it.

“The negative effects of the pandemic may persist up to a year after the lifting of the ECQ,” said a founder. “It is therefore important to develop support systems as well as funding options and collaborations with big firms to support the SMEs, since SMEs account for more than 66% of employment in the Philippines.”

Healthtech startup JoJoCare offers new telemedicine platform for Filipinos

First Shoshin recently announced its healthtech venture JoJoCare as a response to the general public’s limited mobility brought about by the enhanced community quarantine. JoJoCare, a holistic healthcare app that helps people connect with qualified practitioners and get expert advice fast, is now in its soft launch.

The founders shared that they named the platform after their go-to friend for sourcing goods from the United States. Like their ever-reliable pal, JoJoCare bridges barriers, connecting users with licensed doctors and lawyers, yoga teachers, fitness trainers, and tutors ready to accept virtual bookings.

Sally Ponce-Enrile, JoJoCare Chairperson, sees the app as an opportunity to make these essential needs accessible to all. “We want to help more people by offering holistic health and wellness-related services at competitive prices under one platform. At the same time, we want to help professionals to continue earning and providing their services even when in-person visits aren’t possible,” explained Ponce-Enrile. The company says it does not get a cut from professional fees; practitioners get the complete amount of whatever they charge for their virtual consultations.

Healthcare in the digital era

JoJoCare is set to onboard more vetted professionals to make the platform comprehensive and all-embracing. “We’re excited to bring something that’s never been done before and that’s making JoJoCare as the all-in-one platform for accessing and offering a variety of virtual care services that will ultimately allow everyone to experience what better, faster, and holistic care means on the verge of a new era,” added Ponce-Enrile.

Telehealth services is about providing service when people need it most, as well as protecting life in new ways. JoJoCare is among a growing number of providers that seeks to ease the healthcare strain brought about by the pandemic.

You can now sign up for JoJoCare and book a virtual visit with its professionals. Membership fees start at Php 250. per month. Those interested to join and become a JoJoCare professional can visit my.jojocare.io.

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