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UFC Brasilia pushes through; Oliveira tops Lee

UFC Fight Night logo

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

DESPITE global concerns on the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night 170 pushed through in Brasilia, Brazil, on Sunday (Manila time) with Brazilian Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira topping American Kevin “The Motown Phenom” Lee in their lightweight battle.

Held behind closed doors at the Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, UFC Fight Night 170 forged ahead notwithstanding the suspension of large gatherings in Brazil because of the outbreak of COVID-19.

Mr. Oliveira (29-8) ruled the main event by defeating Mr. Lee (18-6) by submission (guillotine choke) in the third round.

The two fighters battled it out in the first two rounds, looking to get the traction they needed to swing the fight in their favor.

In the third round, Do Bronx held sway early, managing to catch his opponent in a guillotine choke and forcing Mr. Lee to tap 28 seconds onto the frame.

The win was the seventh straight for Mr. Oliveira while Mr. Lee fell to his third defeat in his last four matches.

“Tony Ferguson and Khabib (Nurmagomedov), I’ll be seating in front. I’m one of the best in the world and the belt is going to be mine,” said Mr. Oliveria, ranked number 13 in the division entering the contest, referring to the world lightweight championship fight between reigning champ Khabib and former interim champion Ferguson on April 18.

Also winning yesterday were welterweight Gilbert Burns over Demian Maia (TKO/punches); lightweight Renato Moicano over Damir Hadzovic (submission/rear-naked choke); light heavyweight Nikita Krylov over Johnny Walker (unanimous decision); and Francisco Trinaldo over John Makdessi (UD).

In the lead-up to UFC Fight Night 170, the UFC said it will be pushing through despite the COVID-19, with some of its events relocated to its facilities in Las Vegas and played behind closed doors.

Next for the UFC is UFC Fight Night 171 on March 21, headlined by former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley against Leon Edwards.

PBA Press Corps Awards Night deferred to a later date

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Annual PBA Press Corps Awards Night which was set to take place today has been moved to a later date in accordance with the guidelines set by the government as the National Capital Region went under “community quarantine” on Sunday to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Was set to take place at the Novotel Manila in Araneta City, the awards night, held annually by the media covering the league, was forced to reschedule the event as under community quarantine guidelines mass gatherings are strictly prohibited.

Eleven awards were set to be handed out, including the Order of Merit to be given to San Miguel Beermen big man June Mar Fajardo.

Mr. Fajardo recently claimed his sixth straight PBA most valuable player award at the league’s annual awards.

The San Miguel player, who unfortunately is expected to miss a significant time this season after injuring his leg and undergoing surgery in the offseason, is given the award after garnering the most number of Player of the Week honors last season, that saw his team win two of three titles – Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup.

Also set to be feted is Columbian Dyip star CJ Perez, who is the Scoring Champion after leading the PBA with a 20.8 point per contest average in his rookie year.

To be awarded as well is the All-Interview Team, which is given to personalities who produce quotable quotes and at the same time always make themselves available for interviews.

Making up the team are Kiefer Ravena (NLEX), Beau Belga (Rain or Shine), Vic Manuel (Alaska), Arwind Santos (San Miguel), Christian Standhardinger (Northport) and coach Yeng Guiao (NLEX).

The Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan Coach of the Year award, meanwhile, is a toss-up between San Miguel Beer’s Leo Austria and Tim Cone of Barangay Ginebra.

Other awards to be given are the Game of the Season, All-Rookie Team, Mr. Quality Minutes, Defensive Player of the Year, President’s award, and the Danny Floro Executive of the Year.

To be honored as well are the D-League Finals MVPs, namely, Cignal-Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena (Aspirant’s Cup) and Hessed Gabo of BRT-Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare (Foundation Cup).

The PBA press corps said the awards night will still be held at Novotel when situation settles even as it extended its gratitude to the venue’s management for the flexibility given to the group.

The PBA Press Corps Awards Night is to be presented by Cignal TV.

NBA in good hands

A lot has happened since Rudy Gobert playfully mocked in a presser last week safety precautions against the transmission of the novel coronavirus. Prior to leaving the premises, he went to the trouble of touching every microphone and voice recorder laid out in front of the table — effectively belittling its capacity to spread. Never mind that the National Basketball Association had just instituted measures distancing players from members of the media in an effort to minimize, if not altogether eradicate, infection. And never mind that France, from which he hails, was then already hard-hit and fighting to contain it.

Within two days of Gobert’s media conference, he wound up being affected by the virus first hand. His test came back positive, prompting a wave of actions and reactions that ultimately led to the NBA’s decision to suspend the remainder of the 2019–20 campaign. His fellow Jazz and the Thunder, whom they were supposed to face at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, had to be checked and quarantined until cleared. And, as things turned out, teammate Donovan Mitchell carried it as well. The development further cast a pall on his cavalier attitude during the presser, caught on camera, and, evidently, in the locker room, where he also touched the belongings of others.

Needless to say, Gobert was contrite in the aftermath, apologizing for his “careless” consideration of public welfare. His mea culpa was as remarkable as his decision to donate half a million dollars to a handful of causes working to alleviate and combat the virus’ short- and long-term effects. Unfortunately, there was already damage, not least to relationships within the Jazz. At stake is the very spirit of camaraderie that had him making light of the situation. Mitchell appeared especially affected, and it’s fair to speculate how and when the two most vital cogs will move past the discord.

The good news is that both Gobert and Mitchell look to be on the road to recovery. And, considering how well the two hitherto got along, and how tight officials run the Jazz, there is every reason to think all will be fine. Meanwhile, fans are wondering when the NBA will resume play, if at all. To argue that it has been a tumultuous season would be to vastly understate the obvious. It has gone through one deep dive after another — from Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s tweet to China’s pullout of support for the league to Kobe Bryant’s shocking death to the effects of the global pandemic.

All things considered, the NBA can thank its stars it has Adam Silver at the helm. He has blazed trails other sports organizations have seen fit to follow, and, under his watch, the league figures to recover. It’s why stakeholders’ worries are on everything but the sport. It’s in good hands. It will survive, and then it will thrive.

 

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

[B-SIDE Podcast] Surprise! The importance of unannounced visits in investigating price-fixing cartels

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The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) is ready to investigate price-fixing cartels and anti-competitive behavior by inspecting company premises uninvited. Now, they want to take on these surprise visits without the required court order. PCC’s Orlando P. Polinar tells BusinessWorld reporter Jenina Ibañez about the importance of surprising companies, and defends the commission’s access to private documents. Recorded on February 21 at the PCC office in Quezon City. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

Follow us on Spotify BusinessWorld B-Side

Metro placed under curfew; malls to close

By Norman P. Aquino and Gillian M. Cortez

A nine-hour curfew starting at 8 p.m. on March 15 will be enforced in Manila, the capital and nearby cities as part of government efforts to contain a novel coronavirus that has killed at least eight people and sickened 90 more in the Philippines.

Seventeen Metro Manila mayors had approved a resolution imposing the curfew during the one-month lockdown that also banned land, domestic air and sea travels to and from the region, San Juan City Mayor Francisco Javier M. Zamora said at a briefing on Saturday.

Mr. Zamora, who read a copy of the resolution issued by the Metro Manila Council, also said mayors had passed a separate order urging mall operators to shut down for a month to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“Strict measures of social distancing and community quarantine must be adopted,” he said. These measures would “preserve and protect the lives of their constituents,” Mr. Zamora said.

Supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants with home deliveries, banks and outlets that offer health services will be allowed to operate.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said malls would have to close for a month in keeping with the ban on mass gatherings.

“We will include it in the order,” he told reporters in a Viber message when asked if the closure was just a suggestion.

The Department of Health (DoH) reported 34 more infections on Saturday, bringing the total to 98.

“The details of these new cases are currently being validated by our teams and will be provided to the public as soon as the information is available and verified by the department,” it said in a statement.

The agency was verifying reports of more infections, it said.

DoH also said 13 people from the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City, including 12 health workers, were being monitored after they were exposed to a COVID-19 patient who has since died.

The hospital was limiting its operations to in-patient and emergency cases after the incident.

Rizal Medical Center in Pasig City had also reported several health workers being exposed to the COVID-19 virus, DOH said, adding that it was still verifying data.

Meanwhile, the presidential palace released a memo extending class suspensions until April 15 and detailing quarantine and social distancing measures for the metro.

Under the rules, mass gatherings including movie screenings, concerts, sporting events and other entertainment activities, community assemblies and nonessential company gatherings will be banned.

Religious gatherings and essential company meetings are allowed as long as people maintain a one-meter distance from each other, according to a copy of the memo signed by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea.

A community quarantine will be imposed on the entire Metro Manila. Local governments must follow either general and enhanced community quarantines imposed by the Department of Health and Interior and Local Government department.

Under a general quarantine, the movement of people will be limited to accessing basic goods and work, while police and quarantine officers will be present at border points.

Police will restrict the nonessential entry and exit of people to and from Metro Manila, especially people who are at high risk of being infected such as senior citizens and pregnant women.

Health workers, authorized government officials, those traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons and people on their way to the airport for travel overseas will be exempted from the restrictions. People providing basic services and public utilities and essential skeletal workforce also won’t be covered.

‘ENHANCED’ QUARANTINE

Under an enhanced quarantine, home quarantine will be enforced in all households, transportation will be suspended and provision of food and health services will be regulated.

The memo does not say what could bring about an enhanced quarantine.

People leaving Metro Manila must be checked for signs of infection such as fever and other respiratory symptoms at exit checkpoints. A certification will then be issued by health authorities to the traveler, who must undergo a 14-day home-based quarantine.

“Don’t think about coming here,” Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año told Metro Manila outsiders at the same briefing that was streamed live on YouTube.

He added that people who leave the metro won’t be able to return until the end of the month-long lockdown period. “It’s that simple.”

Mr. Año said people who don’t cooperate would be told to go home. “If they resist, they will be arrested.”

President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Thursday ordered the lockdown and suspended work in the Executive branch for a month.

Companies should allow work-from-home and other flexible arrangements to prevent the spread of the virus, he said. Government agencies can form “skeletal workforces” to ensure unimpeded delivery of services, Mr. Duterte said.

The President made the announcement in a televised speech after meeting with an inter-agency task force against the contagion that has killed more than 5,000 people and sickened about 140,000 more worldwide, mostly in China.

Mr. Duterte said the highest alert level — code red sublevel 2 — was up, which means there have been community transmissions and increased infection cases beyond the government’s responding capacity. — with Jenina P. Ibañez

Economy at risk from metro lockdown — analysts

By Luz Wendy T. Noble

A MONTH-LONG lockdown ordered by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in Manila, the capital and surrounding cities could slow overall growth as a region-wide quarantine affects logistics and supply chains, according to analysts.

“This could lead to some slowdown in economic activities and economic growth in the country, especially in Metro Manila,” Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. said in an e-mailed reply to questions.

Mr. Duterte on Thursday night ordered a one-month halt to land, domestic air and sea travels to and from Metro Manila as part of government efforts to contain a novel coronavirus outbreak that has infected at least 52 people in the Philippines.

Mr. Duterte also suspended work in the Executive branch for a month from March 15, and extended class suspensions at all levels until April 12. Companies should allow work-from-home and other flexible arrangements to prevent the spread of the virus, he said.

Manufacturing, retail and service establishments should continue operating, he said.

The President made the announcement in a televised speech after meeting with an inter-agency task force against the contagion that has killed more than 4,600 people and sickened about 126,000 more worldwide, mostly in China.

Metro Manila contributed about 38% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017, UnionBank of the Philippines Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said, citing Philippine Statistics Authority data.

“This will definitely slow down businesses and the impact on the economy may be significant,” he said in an e-mail.

Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said this week they were looking at a 5.5-6.5% GDP growth this year because of the outbreak.The government had targeted growth of 6.5-7.5%.

Gareth Leather, an economist at Capital Economics said that the quarantine details look “less draconian” compared with what had been enforced in China’s Wuhan City — where the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first detected — and the rest of China.

“Manufacturing and retail establishments will remain open, public transport will be operational, and people will still be allowed to enter the city for work,” he pointed out.

“As such, many industries, including the important business process outsourcing (BPO) sector should be able to function broadly as normal,” he added.

Mr. Leather said the restrictions could slow consumption, which fuels about 70% of the country’s economy.

“The move is likely to further dent economic sentiment,” he said. “Consumption, which accounts for around 70% of the economy, will take a hit as people avoid public places,” he said in a note late Thursday.

As people avoid public places, consumers might turn online for their needs, according to De La Salle University economist Mitzie Irene P. Conchada.

“Most people would likely resort to online shopping or purchase food there,” she said in an e-mail. “Third-party providers such as Grab Food will be widely availed of.”

Robert Dan J. Roces, chief economist at Security Bank Corp. said consumers need to be assured to stop them from panic buying and keep prices stable.

“Once consumers are assured that regular supply of goods are still there and that prices are stable, then we expect a smaller negative net effect,” he said in an e-mail.

The lockdown could also affect investor sentiment and foreign direct investments (FDI), Mr. Ricafort said.

“FDIs could also be reduced due to a more uncertain global economic environment largely brought about by the coronavirus concerns,” he said.

Mr. Duterte earlier said the alert level had been raised to code red sublevel 2, which means there have been community transmissions and increased infection cases beyond the government’s responding capacity.

Mass gatherings are prohibited, while the entire Metro Manila must undergo community quarantines.

Mr. Duterte said local governments outside the metro must undergo village, city and provincial quarantines when there are at least two novel coronavirus cases from two different households, villages and cities, respectively.

Mass public transport including the Light Rail Transit, Metro Rail Transit and Philippine National Railways would continue, the president said. The Transportation department will issue guidelines on social distancing, he added.

January fiscal balance swings to surplus

By Beatrice M. Laforga

THE government’s fiscal balance swung to a budget surplus in January after eight months of deficits, though lower than a year earlier as state spending overtook revenue collection, according to the Treasury bureau.

The government posted aP23-billion budget surplus, 48.3% lower than a year earlier, as spending rose 28%, faster than the 15% growth in revenue, the bureau said in a statement on Friday.

The government had consistently posted budget surpluses every January since 2017, but a narrower surplus this year showed “sustained growth” in state spending, Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. said in an e-mail.

Revenue rose 14.76% to P294.6 billion, with tax collections rising by 7.93% to P253.9 billion or 86% of the total. Nontax revenue nearly doubled to to P40.8 billion from a year earlier.

Taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) rose 5.3% year on year to P194.9 billion in January, while Customs collections jumped 15.5% to P55.9 billion, data showed.

Income generated by other state offices that month also jumped 89.5% to P40.8 billion from a year earlier. Treasury bureau revenue nearly tripled to P28.4 billion.

Meanwhile, state spending also jumped 28% to P271.6 billion in January from a year earlier.

The National Treasury traced faster January spending to the timely release of internal revenue allotments, funds for the newly created Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and payments for negotiated checks issued in late 2019.

Primary expenditures or spending net of interest payments rose 26.4% to P210.2 billion from a year earlier.

Interest payments also increased by a third to P61.4 billion because of coupon payments for Treasury bonds, discount on Treasury bills and the timing of payments for global bonds, the bureau said.

“The budget balance remained in surplus given the continued improvement in revenue collection while expenditures posted a sterling growth print but more likely due to base effects after the slowdown noted in early 2019 due to the budget delay,” said Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa, senior economist at ING Bank NV- Manila.

Mr. Ricafort expects the government to post wider budget deficits in the coming months as the government boosts spending to contain a novel coronavirus outbreak.

Government spending, which accounts for as much as 12% of the gross domestic product, would remain a key driver for growth this year, he said. He noted that “exceptionally strong” state spending in December last year had driven the budget deficit to a monthly record of P251 billion.

Mr. Mapa said slowing economic activity could be a challenge to revenue collection, with economic managers already expecting the deficit to expand by as much as 3.6% of GDP and breach the 3.2% cap.

“Nonetheless, the government continues to have fiscal space and at this juncture, a breach in deficit target will be the least of our concerns as the need to care for our sick and limit the spread of the virus takes top priority,” he said.

BSP policy meeting to proceed this month

THE Philippine central bank will proceed with its policy meeting on March 19 even after some key members of the Monetary Board were either tested or had to go on self-quarantine for the novel coronavirus, its chief said on Friday.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said is attendance at the meeting would depend on the results of his test.

“I got tested today and I expect to get the result on Sunday or Monday,” he said in a mobile-phone message. “If negative, I can report for work on Wednesday.”

The March 19 policy meeting is the second for the year. At their first meeting on Feb. 6, the Monetary Board cut policy rates by 25 basis points to shield the economy from the effects of an outbreak.

Mr. Diokno earlier said the central bank would look at the emergency 50 bps rate cut by the US Federal Reserve, 2.6% Philippine inflation in February and developments in the coronavirus outbreak at the policy meeting. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Police vow ‘absolute blockage,’ to arrest lockdown violators

POLICE on Friday threatened to arrest people who ignore a month-long metro-wide lockdown that President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered on Thursday amid a new coronavirus outbreak, saying an “absolute blockage” would be enforced.

“Violators will be arrested and charged,” National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Debold M. Sinas told a news briefing streamed on Facebook. Violators may be charged with violating the quarantine law and Revised Penal Code, he added.

Policemen will be deployed starting midnight of March 15, he said.

Mr. Sinas said entrance and exit points within Metro Manila would be designated starting March 15. People who wish to leave the region had been given enough time, he added.

“Our plan is absolute blockage,” he said, adding that police would defer to any new guidelines issued by an inter-agency task force composed of Cabinet officials.

Mr. Sinas said police would recommend that people exempted from the ban pass through designated checkpoints. “That’s the purpose of quarantine,” he added.

Mr. Sinas declined to say how many policemen will be deployed per station but said the number would be “substantial.” Metro Manila has about 26,000 policemen, he said.

He said they expect traffic to worsen because of the checkpoints. “So you stay home while we are containing the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

Policemen must wear protective equipment while on duty, he said.

Meanwhile, people from nearby cities and provinces employed in Metro Manila would be allowed entry amid a lockdown restricting land, domestic air and sea travels to and from the capital, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said on Friday.

Companies should issue IDs to their employees who must present these at certain checkpoints to be allowed entry, he told a news briefing at the presidential palace.

Employers may also opt to adopt alternative work arrangements such as telecommuting, or encourage their workers to rent a place within the National Capital Region, Mr. Lopez said.

Mr. Lopez also said the movement of goods would continue, while the manufacturing, retail and service sectors would continue to operate.

“Cargoes can move in and out of Metro Manila,” he said. “What’s important is there will be no business disruption and the supply of goods will be assured.”

He said restaurants and malls would remain open although operators should limit their customers to prevent the spread of the virus.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in an advisory said it had lifted the number coding for both private and public vehicles starting Friday.

Mr. Duterte ordered a one-month halt to land, domestic air and sea travels to and from Metro Manila as part of government efforts to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has infected at least 52 people in the Philippines.

Mr. Duterte also suspended work in the Executive branch for a month from March 15, and extended class suspensions at all levels until April 12.

Companies should allow work-from-home and other flexible arrangements to prevent the spread of the virus, he said.Government agencies can form “skeletal workforces” to ensure unimpeded delivery of services, Mr. Duterte said.

Manufacturing, retail and service establishments should continue operating, he said.

The President made the announcement in a televised speech after meeting with an inter-agency task force against the contagion that has killed more than 4,600 people and sickened about 126,000 more worldwide, mostly in China.

Mr. Duterte said the alert level had been raised to code red sublevel 2, which means there have been community transmissions and increased infection cases beyond the government’s responding capacity.

Mass gatherings are prohibited, while the entire Metro Manila must undergo community quarantines.

Mr. Duterte said local governments outside the metro must undergo village, city and provincial quarantines when there are at least two coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases from two different households, villages and cities, respectively.

Mass public transport including the Light Rail Transit, Metro Rail Transit and Philippine National Railways would continue, the president said. The Transportation department will issue guidelines on social distancing, he said. — Genshen L. Espedido, Charmaine A. Tadalan and Arjay L. Balinbin

DoH confirms 12 more coronavirus cases; 3 more die

By Vann Marlo M. Villegas

HEALTH AUTHORITIES reported 12 more novel coronavirus infections on Friday, bringing the Philippine total to 64.

The patients, aged 27 to 70, had been confined at the Medical City, Ortigas Hospital and Healthcare Center, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Makati Medical Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center inTaguig, University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Marikina Valley Medical Center and Bataan St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center, the Health department said in a statement.

Three of the patients had no travel or exposure history, while the rest were being validated, it said.

The agency urged the public to participate in the contact tracing activities conducted by surveillance teams and local government units.

“We continually ask the public to cooperate and help us in the investigation and contact-tracing activities,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said in the statement.

“For those who are confirmed cases, please let our hospitals take care of you,” he said. “Studies show that chances of recovery are high. Let us take it upon ourselves to protect our family and our community’s health and well-being.”

Meanwhile, three more coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have died, bringing the total deaths to five, DoH said.

In a statement, the agency said the three patients had pre existing medical conditions and had no travel history.

DoH said patient No. 6, a 59-year-old woman confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, had died from acute respiratory distress syndrome on March 11 after experiencing difficulty breathing. She was diabetic and her X-ray result showed “progressive pneumonia.”

Her 62-year-old husband, patient No. 5, died of severe pneumonia on March 12, DoH said. He was also diabetic and hypertensive.

Quezon City declared a state of calamity to allow it to access quick-response funds against the outbreak, Mayor Joy Belmonte said. Metro Manila’s largest city has six confirmed corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives will require staff from its Printing Service to undergo self-quarantine after a worker there tested positive for the novel coronavirus, House Secretary General Jose Luis G. Montales said on Friday.

The Department of Health (DOH) will try to contact people who may have had contact with the patient, he said. It was not clear whether the staff was part of the 52 positive cases reported by DoH.

Mr. Montales said the staff had no travel and exposure history.

Also on Friday, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said work at the Senate would continue, but recommended that hearings be suspended until the one-month lockdown in Metro Manila is lifted.

“The Senate will continue to function and there will be no disruption in our mandate as public officials,” he said in a statement.

Mr. Sotto required department heads to complete pending work, even as the chamber relies on a skeletal workforce. — Charmaine A. Tadalan and Genshen L. Espedido

Duterte negative for COVID-19

President Rodrigo R. Duterte had tested negative for the novel coronavirus, his former aide Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go said on Friday evening.

“The results of the tests for COVID-19 conducted on President Duterte and I turned out negative,” he said in a mobile-phone message. “We are fit and healthy to perform our duties.”

They were advised to undergo the test after having contact with Cabinet members who had been exposed to people who later tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). — Charmain A. Tadalan

DoH gets $3M grant from ADB against coronavirus

THE government has obtained $3 million in additional funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to contain a novel coronavirus outbreak that has infected at least 52 people in the Philippines, the Finance department said on Friday.

The agency had negotiated the $3-million grant for the Department of Health (DoH) from the multilateral bank, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III told reporters in a Viber message.

Mr. Dominguez said his department had also helped obtain P3 billion in additional budget — P2.5 billion from Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) and P450 million from Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office — for DoH.

“This will fund the program of DoH to combat the COVID-19 contagion, which includes the acquisition of test kits,” he said, referring to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has killed more than 4,700 people and sickened 128,000 more worldwide, mostly in China.

Budget Secretary Wendel E. Avisado said funds from the Department of Budget and Management for infrastructure and other government projects and purchases needed by DoH were available and would remain “unhampered by the current situation.”

Earlier, ADB announced a total of $4 million worth of financing support to help several countries in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, and another $18.6 million in private sector loans given to Wuhan, China-based pharmaceutical distributor Jointown Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. “to support the continued supply of essential medicines and personal protective equipment.” — Beatrice M. Laforga

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