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[B-SIDE Podcast] Sanity through a screen

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Mental health is this generation’s battle—even more so now, while the country is on lockdown, and people are either self-isolating or self-quarantining as the world tries to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Awareness of mental health issues has reduced the stigma of seeking help and treatment. However, it is still an issue that a hundred-odd million Filipinos have only 600 psychiatrists in the country to meet their needs.

The good news is that technology is making mental health treatment more accessible and acceptable.

In this episode, BusinessWorld’s Joseph L. Garcia talks to Mindcare Club’s Brian Tenorio and Dr. Jeremie de Guzman, about telemental health, a service that aims to bring mental healthcare to you through a screen in the security of your own home. Recorded on February 24 at the BusinessWorld Studio in Quezon City. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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COVID-19 deaths in PHL now at 136

THE Department of Health (DoH) reported that an additional 385 persons tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive cases on Friday, bringing the total to 3,018. Twenty-nine patients died, raising the total number of deaths due to the disease to 136.

One patient recovered, bringing the total of those who have gotten well to 52, it added.

The sudden spike in the number of deaths is attributed to the late reporting of previous deaths, special assistant of the Health Secretary Beverly Lorraine C. Ho said.

In the Laging Handa briefing on Friday, DoH Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said that symptomatic persons will still be prioritized in the COVID-19 mass testing later this month.

“Ang mass testing po ay hindi lahat ng tao sa ating bansa. Ito po ay magkakaroon din ng protocol kung saan, kung sakali po ay itutuloy nga ito, yung may mga simtomas ang uunahin natin at sila po yung i-te-test at kung sakaling mag-positibo, ilalagay natin sa community quarantine facilities,” she said. (The mass testing will not cover all the people in the country. It will follow a protocol which, if it does push through, those with symptoms will be prioritized for testing, and if they are positive, they will be placed in community quarantine facilities.)

Ms. Ho said during the virtual press conference on Friday that mild cases of COVID-19 do not need to be admitted to hospitals but they will be put in quarantine centers.

“Mild cases which are not eligible for admission into hospitals — yung mga (the) non-elderly, mga no comorbidities, mga non-pregnant cases, di po sila maadmit (will not be admitted). The quarantine centers are in place because we understand that it is not easy for many households to isolate themselves from one family member due to space limitations,” she said.

COVID-19 referral hospitals are expected to receive the severe cases which will require critical care, while non COVID-19 referral hospitals are expected to receive patients with mild cases and patients with non COVID-19-related illnesses.

The DoH is confident that testing can reach 3,000 people per day by April 14 and 8,000 tests by the end of the month due to the increase in testing capacity, Ms. Ho said.

“Currently we have the RITM as our national reference laboratory and we have seven-sub national laboratories at full-scale implementation. With 40 other laboratories in the pipeline, we can expect our daily testing capacity to increase significantly within the next couple of weeks as more laboratories will be certified,” she said.

Ms. Ho added that the test kits developed by the University of the Philippines — National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) are also expected to get marketing authorization as soon as they submit their results to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Meanwhile, Ms. Ho said that there are no limits on the number of volunteers for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Solidarity Trial, a global effort which seeks to research possible treatments against COVID-19.

“So nag-submit na po ang ating mga eksperto ng kanilang (so out experts have submitted their) proposal. Initially we have 20 hospitals who are participating. Ang ibig sabihin po nito, kung may COVID-19 patients sila, ang kanilang doktor ay maari silang i-enroll sa trial na ito (What this means is if the hospitals have COVID-19 patients, their doctors can enrol them in the trial),” she said adding that patients need to be fully briefed before joining the test. — Genshen L. Espedido

COVID-19 hospital to rise in Clark, treatment centers to open in Metro Manila

THE government on Friday said it will set up a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospital in New Clark City (NCC) and will continue to convert more facilities in Metro Manila to accommodate COVID-19 patients in partnership with the private sector.

In a briefing on Friday, Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) President and CEO Vivencio “Vince” B. Dizon said, “Magatatayo po tayo ng COVID hospital, gagamitin natin ang iba’t ibang buildings sa New Clark City. Di kumulang ng isang libo na pasyente na pwede ilagay dun (We will set up a COVID hospital and we will use the different buildings in New Clark City).”

The BCDA official also said that other large areas will be turned into quarantine and health facilities for persons under investigation (PUIs) and persons under monitoring (PUMs), and for patients who have mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19.

Earlier this week it was announced that, with the help of the private sector, the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) and the World Trade Center (WTC) in Pasay City, and the Ninoy Aquino Stadium (NAS) at the Rizal Memorial Complex in Manila are currently being made ready for use for quarantine purposes. Target completion of these venues are within the next 10 days, with the Rizal Memorial Complex ready by this Sunday.

Also planned to be turned into quarantine and treatment centers are the Amoranto Sports Complex, Quezon Institute, Veterans Memorial Center, and Quezon City Circle, all in Quezon City; the Philippine Sports Complex (formerly Ultra) in Pasig City; the Filinvest Tent in Muntinlupa; and the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) in Taguig.

Other large scale venues to be converted as quarantine facilities are the ASEAN convention center and Athletes Village in NCC. The latter is currently being disinfected after it was used to house repatriated OFWs from the COVID-19 plagued cruise ship MV Diamond Princess last month so it can be used to quarantine PUIs and PUMs in the region.

Mr. Dizon also said that officials from Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) have also allowed them to convert the gigantic Philippine Area in Bulacan — said to be the largest indoor arena in the world — for quarantine purposes. According to Mr. Dizon, “(The) Philippine Arena, ito po ay magiging mega-quarantine facility diyan sa Central Luzon (this will be a mega-quarantine facility there in Central Luzon).”

Over 100 evacuation centers in the rest of the country are being turned into quarantine and health facilities, with 29 already in operation.

Meralco powers temporary COVID-19 treatment centers in Metro Manila

Meanwhile, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has announced that it will be providing power to the government’s temporary COVID-19 treatment centers in Metro Manila.

In a press statement released on Friday, the private distribution utility said it has worked with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to install an enhanced electrical system at the COVID-19 treatment centers at the PICC, the WTC, and the NAS at the Rizal Memorial Complex.

“The immediate conversion of the three facilities into health centers is crucial, and we will do our part by ensuring fast, adequate and safe energization. Reliable power is critical too, and Meralco commits uninterrupted flow of electricity to the temporary structures,” Meralco President and Chief Executive Officer Ray C. Espinosa said in a statement.

Besides working round the clock to ensure that the three sites have steady power, Meralco also vowed to relieve “these establishments of any additional costs resulting from the government’s mission of accommodating the growing number of COVID-19 patients.”

Meralco partnered with three of the biggest business groups in the country to subsidize the electricity consumption expenses incurred by the three converted facilities.

The Ayala Group will help cover the electricity cost for the WTC health facility, the Razon Group will chip in to shoulder the cost of NAS, while San Miguel Corp. will pay the power bill of the PICC health site.

Earlier, Meralco assured its customers of an uninterrupted supply of electricity while Luzon is under enhanced community quarantine.

“We will continue working hard to give medical workers and frontliners the reliable service they need now more than ever. All hands are on deck to ensure these new health facilities are constructed according to the planned timelines, and run like clockwork once they begin operations,” Mr. Espinosa said.

On Friday, shares in Meralco rose by 3.45% to close at P240 each.

TESDA to manufacture face masks, PPEs

Meanwhile, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has been manufacturing face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) needed for healthcare workers and others on the frontline of the pandemic.

In a briefing on Friday, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Spokesperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said “TESDA regional and provincial training centers and other training institutions around the country are continuously producing washable face masks. As of March 28, 57,000 face masks have been produced and donated to front liners such as health workers in the hospitals, barangay health centers, PNP/AFP checkpoints, LGUs, employees of government, members of the media and barangay tanods.” — Gillian M. Cortez and Adam J. Ang

Lawmakers looks into extending lockdown; Nomura warns of unrest without more aid

THE possible extension of the Luzon lockdown looms with lawmakers looking into recommending it as the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Philippines continue to rise, and the pandemic seems to not have reached its peak yet.

This as Nomura Global Research warns that incidents of unrest may increase unless there is a supplementary budget for aid allocation and to support the economy.

“Because of still-rising confirmed cases in the Philippines, the key risk, in our view, is an extension of the lockdown, as we have seen in Malaysia, and incidents of social unrest may increase,” Nomura said in a note sent to reporters on Friday.

“We therefore continue to believe that, similar to what other countries have already done in the region, a sizeable supplementary budget (apart from reallocations of the existing budget) will have to be passed that is designed to provide more aid to the poor as well as measures to support the broader economy,” it said.

It pointed out that as of April 1, the death toll in the Philippines is one of the highest in the region

The enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon is set to end on April 12, if it is not extended.

Senate President Vicente T. Sotto III told reporters in a Viber message that they would “Have to study it well. Balance safety and economy. I agree with the thinking, ‘Life first Economy later’.” Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, in the meanwhile, said that there is not enough evidence that the pandemic’s spread is over in the Philippines.

“The increasing incidence of COViD positive individuals tells us that the pandemic is not yet over. I am in favor of extending the quarantine. At the same time, we have to consult our supply chain experts as we need to probably exempt some sectors in this lockdown, especially the food, manufacturing and delivery sector. This is to ensure that we have sufficient supplies of food and basic necessities while we continue our quarantine. Tapping the experts for me is very important,{ he said in a Viber message.

In the lower house, Albay Representative Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda is already calling for the extension of the quarantine in Luzon by another two weeks.

He said in a statement that “the most reputable sources in the medical community have never suggested ‘to shorten the lockdown,’ but have done quite the opposite, proposing at least six-week lockdowns to avoid prematurely lifting restrictions and triggering a massive wave of new infections.”

He cited several critical factors that should be monitored to tell whether the lockdown has been effective: “mobility, isolation and tendency.”

“The ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) has significantly reduced mobility. So, people are no longer moving around carrying the virus as much as they would have,” Mr. Salceda said in a statement. “The second critical factor is what we call isolation tendency. It’s how much you isolate confirmed and suspected cases from the rest of the population.”

Mr. Salceda said that an assessment on whether the outbreak was controlled will be dependent on the mass testing of at least 200,000 people. But, “based on our capacity and possible increments, we cannot do that before April 14, thus we cannot lift the ECQ and we will need the next 14 days to have a better grasp of the situation,” Mr. Salceda said.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has said that the government will allot P200 billion for low income households hit by the crisis.

The Department of Social Welfare and the Department of Finance are in charge of putting together a database of low-income households that will receive aid from the Emergency Subsidy Program as part of the government’s response measures.

Under the scheme, low-income households are expected to receive between P5,000 to P8,000 in cash assistance, per month, for two months.

Health officials reported that there are 2,633 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, with the number of deaths rising to 107.

Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. of the National Task Force on COVID-19 has said that the government is looking to kickstart the mass testing of patients under investigation and persons under monitoring by April 14. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

House may hold virtual sessions when it resumes

THE House of Representatives may hold virtual sessions once Congress resumes on May 4 if the risk of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) still persists, House Speaker Alan Peter S. Cayetano said.

“So as far as the pragmatic side (is concerned), eh kung may danger pa rin sa virus then pwedeng virtual pa rin yung session. But actually, Senate Majority Leader (Juan Miguel F.) Zubiri, nag-usap kami once at sabi nga niya na we might have to look at the calendar depende nga dito sa nangyayari sa COVID. So habang papalapit tayo sa May 4, saka tayo mag brief about that,” he said in a virtual press conference on Friday. (So as far as the pragmatic side (is concerned), if there is still a danger from the virus then we can have a virtual session. But actually, we — Senate Majority Leader (Juan Miguel F.) Zubiri and I — talked once and he said that we might have to look at the calendar, it will depend on what happens with COVID. So, we will brief you as we get closer to May 4.)

The House Speaker added that they are still coordinating with the Senate about covening the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

Mr. Cayetano also said that there is a need to have a “new mindset” as the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Because whether we like it or not we have to have a new mindset. Hindi pwede yung (we can’t have the) old mindset natin sa (in the) new normal. So lahat ng pinag uusapan (everything we are talking) about the environment, protecting the forest, about mass transportation, prioritizing health facilities, it was an awakening among all of us. We can’t really go back. I still expect a rat race na bumalik pa rin once na mag (will return one we arrive at the) new normal but I think we will all never forget what happened now,” he said. — Genshen L. Espedido

Build, Build, Build to hit targets despite COVID-19

THE government’s aggressive infrastructure program will still meet its target completions for the year despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic temporarily stopping the projects.

Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar said in a Friday briefing that while work on the building projects under the administration’s flagship program “Build, Build, Build” might have stopped at the moment, he still sees that they will be able to meet their 2020 target of completion.

“Sa tingin ko naman kaya namin habulin ang target implementation namin (I think we can catch up with our target implementations),” he said.

“Ngayon siguro magkakaroon ng konting delays pero pipilitin natin yung mga targetted disbursements at accomplishment ng department (Right now maybe there will be slight delays but we will force the department’s target disbursements and accomplishmentst).”

Last December, the DPWH Secretary said 2020 would be the “banner year” of the government’s massive infrastructure program.

Mr. Villar said that they were able to begin new projects and continue ongoing ones under the program for this year. He added that the situation last year was much worse yet they were able to reach their goal in terms of completion of stages in many of their projects.

“Last year, nagsimula kami ng second half of the year dahil sa mga delays sa late release ng budget at dahil sa eleksyon, late kami nakipagsimula. At least this year nakapagsimula na kami (Last year we started in the second half of the year because of delays caused by the late release of the budget and because of the elections, we started late. At least this year we were able to start (our projects),” he said.

The “Build, Build, Build” program is worth over P2 trillion and is composed of thousands of infrastructure development projects scheduled throughout the term of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who made it his goal to make his administration the “golden age for infrastructure.”

The 2020 budget for the program is under the appropriations of the DPWH and the Department of Transportation (DoTr), worth P581.7 billion and P100.6 billion respectively. This year”s national spending plan is at a record P4.1 trillion.

Some major flagship projects seen to finish this year are some road projects under its EDSA decongestion program which is aimed at decreasing traffic along the road by 20% to 30% this year. Other flagship programs expected to start this year are the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the construction of the Bulacan Airport project. — Gillian M. Cortez

DoE tells LGUs to stop delaying oil deliveries

THE Department of Energy (DoE) has appealed to local government chiefs to refrain from blocking the movement of petroleum products at their checkpoints, which were mounted to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

“We have been receiving reports that petroleum products are being held and delayed at LGU (local government unit) checkpoints,” DoE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said in a video message on Friday.

One of the guidelines of the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, which outlines the protocols to be observed in areas under enhanced community quarantine from March 15 to April 14, allows the transportation of energy and power products.

This includes fuels such as liquified petroleum gas (LPG), diesel and kerosene, crude oil, natural gas from Malampaya, biofuels, biomass, and coal.

Mr. Cusi told LGU officials to avoid delaying the delivery of petroleum products to ensure that communities have a sufficient supply.

Earlier, the DoE tasked all power stakeholders to continue their operations to ensure a steady supply of energy and continuous service. — Adam J. Ang

DICT offers DoJ use of its PNPKI digital certificates

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) offered its Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI) digital certificates to the prosecutors and officers of the Department of Justice — National Prosecution Service (DoJ-NPS).

This was in response to the DoJ’s issuance of general rules and procedures for the conduct of electronic and online inquest proceedings (e-inquest) in the National Capital Region (NCR) during the duration of the Luzon enhanced community quarantine.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año earlier said that cases against those who violate the enhanced community quarantine provisions in Luzon will be filed through the online e-inquest platform.

He added they have made arrangements with the DoJ on the use of the e-inquest. Hearings on the cases will be held after the lockdown is lifted.

The DICT also encouraged the public to avail of digital certificates to expedite and secure online work transactions.

“With the increasing adoption of work-from-home arrangements in both the public and private sector, there is a pressing need to secure the integrity of documents and information over digital networks. This is where the digital certificates come in. Digital certificates act as proof of an individual or a machine’s electronic identity. It allows people to digitally sign and encrypt pending work documents,” the DICT said in a press release Friday.

Pursuant to Executive Order (EO) No. 810 series of 2009, the DICT operates the Root Certification Authority (RootCA) and Government Certification Authority (GovCA) “for the processing and issuance of digital signature certificates for e-government services to ensure confidentiality, authenticity, integrity and non-repudiation of electronic transactions in the government.”

The Department also released Department Circular 06, which provides the guidelines for alternative means of applying and issuing of digital certificates for external clients from various government agencies, private entities and the general public during the declared state of public health emergency. — Genshen L. Espedido

How the Catholic Church will mark Holy Week during quarantine

HOLY WEEK celebrations will commence on April 5 with the Catholic faithful expected to participate in their homes rather than in churches.

Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday on April 5, through Easter Sunday on April 12.

Following the directives of the enhanced community quarantine, mass gatherings such as congregational religious worship have been prohibited since March 15. In response to the directives, the Catholic Church has been celebrating Holy Masses via online streaming over the last several weeks.

For this year’s Holy Week celebration, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) notedl recommendations relative to the decree (dated March 25) from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS), the congregation of the Roma Curia designated to affairs in the liturgical practices of the Roman Catholic Church.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS
In a circular from Archbishop of Davao and CBCP President Romulo G. Valles dated March 31, he wrote that the following instructions in this difficult time “should help us find the balance between the worthy celebration of the liturgy of the Rites of Holy Week.”

The recommendations stated that Holy Week and Paschal Triduum celebrations are to be made available to the faithful through radio, television, and social media.

On Palm Sunday (April 5), there is no need for sprinkling of holy water for the blessing of palms or any leaf branches.

The Chrism Mass may be rescheduled upon considerations of the civil and health authorities.

During the evening mass of the Lord’s Supper (April 9), each priest may celebrate the Mass alone as the washing of the feet and procession after the mass are to be omitted.

On Good Friday (April 10), the celebrant will offer a special intention for the sick, the dead, and dismayed during the Universal Prayers.

“This special intention would include those who are presently sick of COVID-19, those who have died because of this disease, as well as our doctors, nurses and other medical staff, health care workers, the frontliners in the food services and relief operations, those keeping peace and order, civil servants, and the poorest among our families who are greatly affected by this crisis,” the circular noted.

Meanwhile, the Easter Vigil will be celebrated only in cathedrals and parish churches. During the Baptismal Liturgy, only the blessing of water and renewal of baptismal promises is maintained. (For schedules of online masses visit https://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/list-of-online-masses/).

Confessions may be expressed through prayer in the absence of a priest.

Pope Francis, during his homily in the Vatican’s Santa Marta Chapel on March 20, said, “If you don’t find a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He’s your Father. Tell Him the truth: ‘Lord. I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your heart with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘afterward I will go to confession.’ You will return to God’s grace immediately.”

Pope Francis’ will also be conducting ceremonies during Holy Week from the Vatican which will be livestreamed at The Vatican News official YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7E-LYc1wivk33iyt5bR5zQ). The Pope will conclude Easter Sunday Mass with the Urbi et Orbi message and blessing. (For more information, visit https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html). — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Rapid Pass for checkpoints for front liners developed

THE government and the private sector have developed a way to make the checkpoint process of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) easier for front liners. The government teamed up with the non-profit organization Developers Connect Inc. (DevCon) to help create the Rapid Pass system which was launched on Friday afternoon.

Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Spokesperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said earlier that day, “Ito pong rapid pass system ay kinonceptualize po namin sa IATF para mapabilis ang sistema ng pag-check ng ating mga sasakyan at mabawasan ang person-to-person contact sa mga frontliners na gumagawa ng kritikal na serbisyo sa ating mga checkpoint officers (This rapid pass system was conceptualized by the IATF so we can speed up the process of checking vehicles and to decrease person-to-person contact of our frontliners — who do a critical service — with our checkpoint officers).”

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) commissioned the creation of this program with private sector volunteers. DevCon also worked with the Department of Information Communications and Telecommunications (DICT) to ensure the application’s data privacy.

With this system, a unique QR code will be given to authorized people which they can show through their smartphones at checkpoints. They can also print it out and post it on their vehicles. Frontliners will still have to show a valid ID when using this system.

DevCon Founding President Winston Damarillo explained that the system has three components.

“The first component is the ability to apply for a Rapid Pass. It’s an application that can run on any phone and by any web page and this allows the frontliners to be able to get a Rapid Pass. The second component is an approver system to accelerate and simplify the approver process, and then the third component is the actual device that the checkpoint will be using,” he said at the virtual launch on Friday.

“There will be a special meeting between DevCon and his group for the deployment planning because the people at the checkpoint would want very specific orders from them and there is a need to introduce a Rapid Pass lane,” said DoST Secretary Fortunato Dela Pena during the launch.

Mr. Nograles said PLDT Inc. has donated 200 cell phones for the use of checkpoint officers in relation to the Rapid Pass. — Gillian M. Cortez

DSWD urged to partner with e-wallet, e-banking for aid to families under quarantine

THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is urging the social welfare department to help increase the percentage of Filipinos who have bank accounts through the use of e-wallets and e-banking as it delivers aid to families affected by the Luzon-wide lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando D. Bautista on Thursday, ARTA encouraged the department to partner with e-wallet and e-banking institutions. “The SAP (Social Amelioration Program) is an opportunity to bring 18 million households to have at least one bank account,” ARTA Director General Jeremiah B. Belgica said in the letter.

The authority noted that only 15.8 million adult Filipinos, or 22.6% of the population, have bank accounts while 52.8 million are unbanked.

Under the law that gave President Rodrigo R. Duterte special powers to deal with the outbreak, affected Metro Manila households will get P8,000 in subsidies for two months, while those in other regions will get P5,000 to P6,000.

ARTA also recommended online registration for the social amelioration program, with validation done by local government offline.

“By taking the registration online, it removes many of the opportunities of abuse, fraud, and politicizing,” Mr. Belgica said, adding that local officials would only validate the identities of beneficiaries and will not be in charge of distributing the subsidies.

Mr. Belgica said that while ARTA recognizes that electronic payment systems are in their infancy in the Philippines, the payment method would minimize risks of beneficiaries being infected by the virus.

The authority recommends the use of cashless e-banking in urban areas where most groceries and stores accept PayMaya, GCash, and debit cards at the Point-of-Sale (POS). Cashless e-banking facilities may also be used in rural areas, where there are fewer ATMs and banking facilities.

“Encashment may be conducted through the established conduits of these facilities, such as Smart Padala, remittance centers, and cooperatives which may be enabled to act as payment conduits by the financial institutions.”

ARTA said the social welfare department can partner with e-wallet and e-banking institutions such as PayMaya, UnionBank’s EON, and GCash.

“What separates these e-banking facilities from other smaller financial systems is the use and reliance of technology that renders streamlined both information and financial dissemination.” — Jenina P. Ibañez

Bureau of Immigration allows foreigners to leave without visa stamps

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it is now allowing foreigners with approved visa applications to leave the country even if those visas have not been implemented and stamped in their passports.

“I have instructed our Port Operations Division (POD) to allow the departure of foreigners with approved but unimplemented visas, provided they meet certain conditions during this critical period,” the BI chief Jaime H. Morente said in a statement released on Friday. “Their visas can be revalidated and implemented when they return.”

Mr. Morente said the move was to solve the predicament of foreigners who wish to immediately return to their home countries during the quarantine period, despite not fully completing the needed procedures for visa application.

In regular BI procedures, aliens whose visa applications have been approved are required to submit their passports to allow the BI to affix the visa.

BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton SP. Medina disclosed that in compliance with the BI chief’s directive, departing foreigners with approved visas will no longer be required to have their visas affixed on their passports.

Mr. Medina added that in lieu of the visa implementation stamp, the foreigner shall present to the immigration officer their valid passport; printout of their name in the agenda when said visa was approved, a Department of Justice Indorsement, or Certification from the approving office whichever is applicable; and official receipts as evidence of payment of reentry and exit permit fees.

“Before clearing the passenger for departure the immigration officer shall instruct the alien to immediately proceed to the BI main office upon return to apply for revalidation of his visa and its implementation on his passport,” he added.

BI lawyer Jing Oliver A.Balina, however, stressed that affected foreigners should only go to the main office after the quarantine is lifted to complete the procedure of visa issuance. — Genshen L. Espedido

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