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Social media giants warn of AI moderation errors

SAN FRANCISCO — Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube, Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. warned on Monday that more videos and other content could be erroneously removed for policy violations, as the companies empty offices and rely on automated takedown software during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a blog post, Google said that to reduce the need for people to come into offices, YouTube and other business divisions are temporarily relying more on artificial intelligence and automated tools to find problematic content.

Such software is not always as accurate as humans, which leads to errors, it added, however. And “turnaround times for appeals against these decisions may be slower,” it said.

Facebook followed suit, saying it would work with contract vendors this week to send home all content reviewers home indefinitely, with pay.

The social media company drew public criticism last week for asking policy enforcers to continue coming to work, as it lacks secure technology to conduct moderation remotely.

Facebook also said the decision to rely more on automated tools, which learn to identify offensive material by analyzing digital clues for aspects common to previous takedowns, has limitations.

“We may see some longer response times and make more mistakes as a result,” it said.

Twitter said it too would step up use of similar automation, but would not ban users based solely on automated enforcement, because of accuracy concerns.

The three Silicon Valley internet services giants, like many companies worldwide, have asked employees and contractors to work from home if possible, to slow the fast-spreading respiratory disease. Mass gatherings for sports, cultural and religious events have been canceled globally.

Google said human review of automated policy decisions also would be slower for other products and phone support would be limited.

Its content rules cover submissions such as campaigns on its ad network, apps uploaded to the Google Play store and business reviews posted to Google Maps.

“Some users, advertisers, developers and publishers may experience delays in some support response times for non-critical services, which will now be supported primarily through our chat, email, and self-service channels,” Google said.

The content review operations of Google and Facebook span several countries, such as India, Ireland, Singapore and the United States. — Reuters

Grocery delivery in the time of COVID-19

WHILE we’ve been ordered to stay home, going to the supermarket can feel risky, what with the long lines of panic buyers and checkout stands touched by every Tom, Dick, and Juana who may be harboring the virus that causes COVID-19. But there now are grocery delivery services available where one can order one’s necessities without having to interact with anyone in real life,except maybe the wary delivery person. Here is a list of where to get your groceries and other essentials in this time of need. Most websites, however, have posted warnings that there will be delays in delivery, due to the obvious logistical issues.

Metromart (https://www.metromart.com/) — You’ll have to sign up, or log-in via your Facebook account. After that, you’re asked to set up a delivery address. Metromart can get your essentials through Robinsons Supermarket, S&R, The Marketplace, and Shopwise. Some pharmacies like Watsons and South Star Drug are also options. One can pay using Cash on Delivery (COD), credit card, or debit card.

Lazmart (Lazada) — One follows the same procedure as a Lazada online shopping purchase, except this one does not allow the purchase of frozen and fresh food. One can pay using COD, credit card, or debit card.

Les Aunor’s (https://web.facebook.com/LesAunors/) — This butcher in Farmer’s Market still delivers meat. A list of available items can be found on their Facebook page, and deliveries are made through Grab, and payment options include cash on delivery.

Mr. Delicious (https://mrdelicious.ph/collections) — If you can hardly cook, Mr. Delicious might be your answer. The shop offers cooked premium meals (we’ve heard good things about the chili). At present, a lot of the items are out-of-stock, for obvious reasons, but some items are still available (like the chili). Payment options are through PayPal.

The Green Grocer (https://thegreengrocermanila.com/) — A cut fancier than the options above, but this one’s for organic and preservative-free food. Payments are made through COD, bank transfer, and Paypal.

Pacific Bay (www.pacificbay.com.ph) — Check out the website for frozen seafood and poultry products. Payment is accepted through cash on delivery, major credit cards, G-Cash, and Paypal. In an e-mail, they told us: “We have changed our same-day delivery cut off from 8 p.m. to 4 p.m. to ensure our staff get home safely and within the curfew period.”

Rare Food Shop (https://rarefoodshop.com/) — This little haven for prime steaks and seafood is still accepting deliveries. There are shipping fees, and, due to the community quarantine, it is limiting its deliveries within Metro Manila.

Limon Farms (https://web.facebook.com/LimonFarms/) — An eco-farm enterprise, Limon Farms offers organic meats, eggs, and vegetables. At present, it only accepts advanced orders.

Coca-Cola (cokebeverages.ph) — You can order from the trusted name via their website. These include their line of sodas, juices, and bottled water. One has to log-in first, provide delivery details. Payments are accepted via Cash on Delivery and Bank Transfer.

Old Swiss Inn in Makati has its special frozen meals, hot meals, frozen deli items, and Pinkies Farm dairy products available for pick-up or delivery (through Lalamove) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Payment for delivery is through online banking through BDO or BPI, while pick-up orders are paid through the cashier. To order call 8818-8251.

Boozy.ph (www.boozy.ph) — Well, it’s got to be 5 p.m. somewhere, and you might need spirits to lift your spirits. They will ask for your contact information and shipping address, of course. In a statement, they said: “Due to the community quarantine implementation, our new operation hours will be from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Cut-off for on-demand orders will be at 11 p.m. In addition, we are anticipating possible delays and will be lifting our 60-90 minute delivery guarantee for the meantime. Due to local ordinance, we are also temporarily disabling deliveries to Muntinlupa.” — JLG

We’ve also included a list of phone numbers for restaurants for deliveries:

Jollibee: #8-7000 (Jollibee has announced that certain stores in Luzon have closed, so please refer to its Facebook page for more information.)
McDonald’s: 8-6236
Burger King: #2-22-22
KFC: 8-887-8888
Chowking: #9-8888
Army Navy: 8-333-3131
Wendy’s: 8-533-3333
Pizza Hut: 8-911-1111
Shakey’s: 7777-7777
Yellow Cab: 8-789-9999
Greenwich: #5-55-55
Angel’s Pizza: 8-922-2222
Motorino’s Pizza: 8-810-1000
Papa John’s Pizza: 8-887-7272
Domino’s Pizza: 8-997-3030
Kenny Rogers Roasters:
8-555-9000
Max’s: 888-7-9000
Mang Inasal: #7-3333
Bon Chon: 8-633-1818
Chooks-to-Go: 8-687-1010
Tapa King: 8888-8272
Amber: 8-884-8888
North Park: 8-737-3737
Aristocrat: 8-894-0000
Kitaro Sushi: 8-911-1115
Yoshinoya: 8-288-2888
Juju Eats: 8-820-4663
Dunkin’: 8-988-7288
Goldilocks: 8888-1999
Red Ribbon: #8-7777
Conti’s: 8-580-8888
Cara Mia: 7-745-5593

Zara owner Inditex writes down inventory and postpones dividend

INDITEX SA said the coronavirus outbreak has forced the owner of the Zara and Massimo Dutti chains to shutter half its stores as the epicenter of the disease shifts from China to other key markets such as Spain and Italy.

Sales fell 24% so far this month in local currencies, the Spanish retailer said Wednesday. The company took a 287 million-euro ($316 million) provision for the as Covid-19 reduces the value of spring-summer inventory, and the retailer postponed the decision on a dividend until sometime before the annual shareholder meeting in July. The stock fell as much as 5%.

“Thanks to the company’s strong financial position and principles, we stand ready to respond in any way necessary,” Chairman Pablo Isla said in a statement.

The coronavirus outbreak has ravaged three of Inditex’s largest markets: China, Italy and Spain, all of which have imposed stringent lock-downs. Inditex said 3,785 stores are temporarily closed in 39 markets. After widespread shutdowns, all but 11 of its Chinese stores have resumed operations.

Inditex also has an unusual exposure to the outbreak given its sourcing countries. While the company is far less dependent than rivals on Chinese production, its main manufacturing market is Spain, where the government declared a state of emergency March 14. The company said its supply chain is still operating normally, helped by Inditex’s focus on flexible purchasing.

Inditex said it’s too early to quantify the impact of the pandemic on its full-year results, though said its underlying like-for-like sales growth rate remains 4% to 6%.

The stock lost a third of its value in the past month and is trading near a seven-year low. — Bloomberg

Pandemic hands Big Tech a chance to burnish its image amid scrutiny

WASHINGTON — Google, Facebook and Amazon are using their size, reach and technological prowess to help Americans cope with the coronavirus crisis, an opportunity for Big Tech to counter a drumbeat of criticism in Washington.

The three companies have a chance to burnish their images amid intense US regulatory scrutiny by the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general and the House Judiciary Committee, who accuse the companies of engaging in anti-competitive behavior by using their clout to defend market share or expand into adjacent markets.

Washington lawmakers from both parties regularly attack the companies with a broad range of accusations, from doing too little to protect children to aiding hucksters who use the coronavirus outbreak to rip people off.

But the coronavirus pandemic has offered the companies, all of whom hold sizable cash reserves and have an outsized capacity to influence American lives, a chance to play the role of savior while casting aside the image of profiteering data usurpers.

“I’m glad that they’re willing to help,” Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican, said of Google’s efforts to develop screening mechanisms for the virus. “I hope that they’re actually helping and not using this as an opportunity to drum up business.”

Facebook Inc. was the latest company to announce it wanted to help limit the economic damage from the coronavirus on Tuesday when it said it would give $100 million in cash grants and ad credits to up to 30,000 small businesses in over 30 countries.

Alphabet Inc.’s Google was first out of the gate late last week, receiving high praise from President Donald Trump for developing a website to help speed up the process of finding who needs a coronavirus test.

Then Amazon.com Inc., whose founder Jeff Bezos has been in regular contact with White House staff in recent days, said on Monday it would hire 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers in the United States to deal with a surge in online orders. Amazon also said it would add $2 to its minimum $15 per hour to US workers’ wages through April.

Scott Wallsten, president of the Technology Policy Institute, which counts all three companies among its members, said the current environment offers an opportunity to reset how people think about technology companies and will “add a new dimension” to the debate on how big tech hurts competition.

Bhaskar Chakravorti, Dean of Global Business at The Fletcher School, Tufts University, who has been tracking the effects of digital technology on issues such as global health and economic development, said the focus has shifted to how big technology companies are stepping up to fight misinformation and facilitating a “socially distant economy.”

“We’re not just getting information about the public health situation but we are trying to replicate some semblance of business online with their help,” he said. — Reuters

Banks waive fees, give grace periods for loans

AMID THE enhanced community quarantine that has caused business disruption and some job losses, more banks are giving their customers leeway, with some extending payment deadlines to up to two months.

“To further alleviate the plight of our businesses and their workers, banks are also extending flexible arrangements to borrowers who need critical support during these extraordinary times,” Bankers Association of the Philippines Managing Director Benjamin P. Castillo said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The banks are committed to provide availability of cash through ATMs and digital platforms to facilitate the payments of goods and services,” Mr. Del Castillo said.

In an advisory, the country’s largest bank, BDO Unibank Inc., said they will give a 60-day payment extension to “qualified credit card, auto, home, SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) and personal loan customers” with loans that have due dates of up to April 15.

BDO said they will send an e-mail and text message to qualified clients.

Other lenders will also implement a 30-day grace period without penalties imposed for borrowers, including Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. and Bank of the Philippine Islands.

Also giving out extended payment periods to qualified borrowers are Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc., EastWest Banking Corp., China Banking Corp., CIMB Bank Philippines, and Philippine Savings Bank.

Likewise, some lenders have also waived fees for bank transfers done through electronic fund transfer schemes InstaPay and PESONet.

“Given the limited mobility due to the enhanced community quarantine, we encourage our fellow Filipinos to optimize the use of digital channels for secure, fast, and convenient financial transactions,” RCBC said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Yuchengco-led lender is waiving transaction fees for both InstaPay and PesoNET.

Meanwhile, UnionBank will do away with charges for InstaPay transactions.

PESONet is a service under the central bank’s National Retail Payment System that allows a batch of fund transfers to be credited to the receiver by the end of the banking day, suited for business to business transactions. Meanwhile, InstaPay is its retail counterpart that allows real-time fund transfers of transactions less than P50,000.

Earlier, some banks said they are expecting lower loan bookings and a rise in bad loans as an impact of the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVD-19) on their operations and business.

BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier has said banks are aware that their basic banking services should push through, including automated teller machine services, withdrawals, and deposits. — LWTN

Ortigas malls restaurants open for delivery

WITH the entire Luzon island under lockdown and local governments having ordered malls and other non-essential businesses to close, there is a need to know if basic necessities like food and medicine are still available. Ortigas malls — Greenhills Shopping Center, Estancia, Tiendesitas, and Industria — have announced that while the main malls are closed, many of their food establishments are still open for deliveries and take-out.

Below is the list of restaurants open for deliveries in each location and their contact details.

Estancia
Artisan Emporium: 0917-527-5555 (also available for delivery with Lala Food and GrabFood)

Bistro Mardrid: 0915-932-5303

Black Olive: 0917-507-3512 (also available in Lala Food)

Cara Mia: 0905-922-1504 (also available in Lala Food, Grab Food, and Food Panda)

Coco Ichibanya: 8696-1649

Florabel: 02-667-3220; 0917-857-7622; 0917-568-1046

Happy Lemon: available in GrabFood

One Zo Tapioca: 0921-870-4723 (also available in Lala Food, Grab Food, and Food Panda)

Pancake House: 0998-997-3209

UCC Clockwork: 8942-2142

Santis Delicatessen: 8631-2068

Starbucks: 8631-4144

Starbucks Reserve: 8373-5009

Tim Hortons: available in GrabFood and Food Panda

XO46 Bistro Filipino: 8532-1652 (also available in GrabFood and Food Panda)

Greenhills
Bacolod Chicken Inasal: 8721-0737

Bangus: 8725-33038

Kenny Rogers Roasters: 8555-9000

Shakey’s: 7777-7777

Army Navy: 0905-892-8091

Bacolod Chicken Inasal: 8721-0737

Bulacan Lugaw Kitchen: 0917-523-2017

Jollibee: 8-7000

Krispy Kreme: 789-000

Lugang Cafe: 7753-6516

Racks: 8584-2173; 8583-2174

Serenitea: 0933-824-7930

Starbucks: 7906-8840

Subway: 8470-6985

Wildflour: 7946-2005

Tiendesitas
Barrio Fiesta: 8241-5807; 0906-753-7102; 0917-865-8840

Dr. Tams Vegan Haus: 0917-808-7979

Infinitea: 0955-482-4418

Jay J’s Inasal: 650-6015

Max’s Restaurant: 631-7241; 0998-960-3778; 637-7193

Oppa Chicken: 0917-866-8354

Racks: 0917-830-4844

Rico’s Lechon: 0917-895-000; 0977-163-5011

Shakey’s: 8354-6910

Tenya: 234-1604; 0915-849-6291;0936-755-2084

Tom Sawyer: 650-5866; 966-2291

Zullu Coffee: 8961-7279

SEC temporarily changes filing rules amid lockdown

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is temporarily changing the rules for the filing of structured and current reports for corporations during the government’s lockdown period.

In notices on its website late Tuesday, the corporate regulator said it is implementing new procedures for submission of reports for publicly listed companies and other issuers of registered securities.

In the case of listed firms, the SEC requires the submission of structured and current reports through the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE)’s Electronic Disclosure Generation Technology (EDGE) platform.

“All reports filed with the PSE EDGE during the effective period shall be considered as having been filed with the Commission,” it said. “The Commission shall also make the proper arrangement with PSE for the latter to furnish the Commission with the reports filed in the PSE EDGE.”

But once the quarantine is lifted, the SEC said it may still require listed companies to submit to it a copy of the reports at a later time.

The PSE posted a memorandum Tuesday night to echo the SEC notice, noting the filings must follow the relevant PSE rules and procedures on submissions.

For all other issuers of registered securities that are not publicly listed, the SEC said the submission of reports must be made with the Markets and Securities Regulation Department (MSRD).

Structured and current reports may be filed via e-mail to msrd_covid19@sec.gov.ph, either as direct e-mail messages or attachments. The same e-mail address may also be used for other communications.

The notices are in effect starting Tuesday until further notice.

The whole island of Luzon has been placed under enhanced community quarantine until the midnight of Apr. 13, in an effort by the government to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

As of Wednesday morning, the Philippines had 193 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with total deaths reaching 14 and recoveries tallying seven. —Denise A. Valdez

BPI sees delay in bond issue, BDO postpones planned offer

SOME BANKS are deferring or expecting delays in their bond issuances after business operations were affected by the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

In a disclosure to the local bourse on Wednesday, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) said the issuance and listing of the P42 billion it raised early this month could be delayed due to restrictions on business operations amid home quarantine protocols.

“BPI anticipates that the actual issuance and/or listing of the Bonds may be delayed until the restrictions on business operations are lifted,” the disclosure read.

It said further announcements will be made regarding the final dates.

However, the bank assured its investors that it “remains committed to proceed to settlement, issuance and listing of the peso fixed-rate bonds as scheduled.”

The lender said it is coordinating with regulators, government authorities and transacting parties including the Trustee, PDTC and Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx) to proceed with the issuance and listing “as soon as possible.”

“There can be no assurance that any delay caused by the Government Quarantine guidelines will not affect the final volume of the Bonds. BPI continues to monitor the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) situation and government directives as circumstances develop. The current business and operational restrictions may be increased or lifted (in whole or in part) but the timing of any changes cannot be predicted,” it added.

Separately, BDO Unibank, Inc. said in its own stock filing that it will also postpone its offer of P5-billion two-and-a-half year bonds to give investors a chance to reassess their investments and liquidity amid disruptions caused by the 30-day lockdown.

BDO did not respond as of press time when asked for more details.

Meanwhile, the bank assured that its branches and offices will remain open and operations will continue amid the one-month quarantine. — B.M. Laforga

Zalora halts warehouse operations but still accepts orders for later delivery

ONLINE shopping site Zalora has paused its warehouse operations starting today until the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine is lifted.

“Following the latest press conference and the announcement of enhanced community quarantine measures across the island of Luzon, it has become apparent that we will need to pause our warehouse operations starting today,” Zalora Philippines co-founder and CEO Paulo Campos III, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr. Campos said the situation will be assessed on a day-to-day basis and that they will be keeping everyone updated “once the situation changes.”

While the Zalora website will remain active, customer orders “may only be fulfilled after the enhanced community quarantine is lifted.”

Similarly, stationery store Scribe announced that while its branches are closed, it will be continuing to take orders from its online store but deliveries are “suspended until such time that the quarantine is lifted or restrictions to movement/transport are eased,” said a statement posted on its Instagram account on Tuesday.

Skincare brand Kiehl’s Philippines also stopped its shipping and closed its online stores on Tuesday until further notice.

“In light of recent events, we cannot guarantee fulfillment of orders within our service commitment… rest assured your orders will be shipped out as soon as our logistics partners resume operations,” the company said in an Instagram statement. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Toyota partners with Momenta on high definition maps for autonomous cars

BEIJING/SHANGHAI — Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. has partnered with Chinese autonomous driving start-up Momenta to develop a high definition (HD) mapping platform in China for autonomous driving vehicles, Momenta said in a statement.

Maps are key to allowing autonomous vehicles to locate themselves. Toyota’s research arm is developing its so-called Automated Mapping Platform (AMP) to generate data for accurate and updated maps, which it said will also be accessible to industry developers.

Momenta was established three years ago and is backed by German’s Daimler. It is testing autonomous cars in Beijing and Suzhou and will provide its camera-based HD mapping technologies to help commercialize Toyota’s AMP in China, according to the statement.

Toyota autonomous vehicle partnerships also include a venture with SoftBank Corp. and an investment in robotaxi developer Uber ATG.

It has invested $400 million in Pony.ai, another autonomous company with a Chinese background, and $600 million in Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing and a new joint venture to develop mobility services. — Reuters

Philippines slips in freedom scorecard

Philippines slips in freedom scorecard

Release rate from 2020 budget 76.9% at end-February — DBM

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it released P3.153 trillion or 76.9% of this year’s P4.1-trillion budget as of the end of February.

The DBM said it released allotments worth P1.828 trillion to government departments, including agencies in the executive, legislative and judicial branches, for a release rate of 76.7% of their budgeted P2.382 trillion.

Of the P467.898 billion worth of special purpose funds (SPF) in the budget, the release rate was 19%, equivalent to P88.7 billion.

These funds include allocations for specific socio-economic purposes, such as budgetary assistance to state firms and allocations for local governments, the contingent fund, the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management fund, as well as the pension and gratuity fund.

Releases for automatic appropriations totaled P1.235 trillion, equivalent to 98.9% of the P1.249 trillion budgeted.

These include Internal Revenue Allotments of local governments, block grants for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, pensions of former presidents, net lending, interest payments, and tax expenditures or customs duties.

The DBM has P946.672 billion left to release over the last 10 months of the year.

Allotment releases from continuing appropriations out of the 2019 budget amounted to P8.467 billion. — Beatrice M. Laforga

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