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Davao City looking for more projects under World Bank’s PRDP fund

THE DAVAO City government is planning to propose new ventures for funding under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) as it recently re-established the special unit tasked to manage the agriculture-focused program at the local level.

An additional $280-million allocation was approved last year for the PRDP, a World Bank-funded program with the Department of Agriculture as lead implementing agency.

Launched in 2014 as a nationwide assistance program following the Mindanao Rural Development Program, PRDP had an initial P27 billion worth of funding with an additional infusion of $450 million approved in 2018.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio issued an executive order dated Jan. 31 renewing the City Project Management and Implementing Unit (CPMIU) for PRDP, which was first created in 2014.

Led by the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), the CPMIU is tasked to identify and endorse sub-projects to the PRDP Regional Project Coordination Office as well as supervise the implementation of the approved proposals.

The mayor’s order also specifies that the CPDO will take part in updating the city’s agricultural value chain analysis and the City Commodity Investment Plan, the two major PRDP requirements.

Other key members of the CPMIU are representatives from the City Agriculture’s Office, the City Veterinarian’s Office, and the City Cooperative Development Office.

This cluster is responsible for the Investments for Rural Enterprises, and Agricultural and Fisheries and Productivity (I-REAP) component, which focuses on developing micro, small and medium enterprises.

The City Engineer’s Office, meanwhile, is assigned to supervise the Intensified Building Up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development (I-BUILD) component.

Of the four PRDP projects previously awarded to Davao City, one has been completed, involving cacao production and dry-fermented beans marketing with a P26-million fund for the 371-member Subasta Integrated Farmers’ Multipurpose Cooperative (SIFMPC).

Two ongoing projects also involve cacao: P7.7 million for the Tawan-Tawan Multi-Purpose Cooperative’s tablea processing and marketing enterprise; and P13.6 million for the Biao Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative’s chocolate processing.

The fourth project involves abaca processing and marketing, with P13.5 million worth of funding for the Tapak Farmers Marketing Cooperative.

The CPDO has yet to determine whether the new proposals will involve the same priority commodities.

Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry President John Carlo B. Tria said aside from cacao, the city government can also look into boosting other high-value crops.

“For the city, we should continue to develop agricultural products like cacao, coffee and durian,” he said. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Re-export of South Korean waste shipments completed this month

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) committed to finish this month shipping out all 201 containers of waste products imported illegally in 2018 to the country of origin, South Korea.

In a statement Sunday, Port of Cagayan de Oro District Collector Jon Simon said the last batches of waste were scheduled for re-export yesterday, Feb. 16 and on Sunday, Feb. 23, to “finally rid the country of the illegally imported waste.”

The first re-export took place on Jan. 13 through the Port of Cagayan, involving 51 containers, followed by another 50 containers shipped back on Jan. 19.

In 2018, a shipment declared as plastic waste was found to contain mixed non-biodegradable waste. A warrant of seizure and detention was issued then and appropriate cases were filed for violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and R.A. 6969, BoC said.

Last year, the South Korean government committed to help ship back some 5,177 metric tons (MT) of plastic garbage that was exported illegally to the Philippines in 2018. — Beatrice M. Laforga

House panel approves Iloilo ecozone and free port bill

ILOILO CITY — A bill creating the Metro Iloilo Special Economic Zone and Freeport Authority has been approved at committee level in the House of Representatives.

Iloilo City Rep. Julienne L. Baronda said House Bill 5794 or the proposed Act Creating the Metro Iloilo Special Economic Zone (MILOECOZONE) and Freeport Authority, was passed on Feb. 11 by both the House committee on economic affairs and the committee on trade and industry.

“By giving the Ilonggos your respective seals of approval, you are letting us get closer to our dream of bringing the economy of Western Visayas to greater heights that will result in more job opportunities for the people of Iloilo City and the entire Western Visayas,” Ms. Baronda said.

The MILOECOZONE, the first such complex in the Western Visayas Region, is intended to attract more investors to Iloilo and boost international trade.

The proposed 50-hectare zone will be located in La Paz, Iloilo City, where the Iloilo International Port is located.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Ro-ann A. Bacal said the region is ready for such a facility.

“The region is now in the best position to attract investors since the supply of power is now stable, and soon, water will not be a problem with the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project, Phase II,” Ms. Bacal said in a statement.

“An ecozone is very much welcome in Western Visayas. We are hoping that the private sector will come in and invest.” — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Philippines urged to view free trade as opportunity to increase FDI

UPCOMING free trade agreements (FTA) are viewed mainly as opportunities to expand foreign direct investment (FDI), economists said.

Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes, an economist at Ateneo de Manila University, said in an interview that an FTA with South Korea will help strengthen the government’s infrastructure program.

“I think (an FTA) would benefit us in tourism, in investments especially in infrastructure. We’re undergoing “Build, Build, Build” — and who has a lot of resources to spend? (South Korea) has a lot of know-how on infrastructure.”

South Korea last year pledged $355 million to support green infrastructure in Southeast Asia. The country also committed $1 billion in 2018 to help fund Philippine infrastructure projects.

He said South Korea tends to favor investing in Singapore and Malaysia.

“If they really want a new industrial policy, they should invest in all (of Southeast Asia),” he said.

University of Asia and the Pacific economist and former tariff commissioner George N. Manzano said securing export access requires investment.

“The primary motive would be to secure (export) access to markets, particularly large markets,” he said, but added that the agreements increase the comfort level of partner countries and make the Philippines more attractive to FDI.

The Philippines this year is taking on new free trade agreements (FTAs), including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) among Southeast Asian countries and their major trade partners, amid continued negotiations with South Korea. Trade talks with the United States may be delayed following the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement.

The conclusion of RCEP talks, which was expected at the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok last year, was delayed to 2020 after resistance from India. The Thai government said in November that the signing is expected to take place this month.

The economists said FTAs improve resilience in the face of geopolitical shifts, with Mr. Manzano saying that the agreements increase certainty.

“In light of changes in the world economy, an FTA assures you of continued access to a partner’s economy,” Mr. Manzano said, describing the agreements as insurance policies.

“FTA insulates a partner country in the sense that the tariff concessions negotiated before would have to be respected regardless of economic conditions.”

Mr. Peña-Reyes said global trade tensions and the introduction of artificial intelligence threatens the country’s main revenue sources — remittances and outsourcing.

“We cannot just be relying on these sources for consumption,” he said. “We need to find a way to attract more FDI — the long-term stake used to build capital goods.”

Mr. Manzano said that agreements like the RCEP may have an incremental effect on exports as the country already enjoys market access to many of the countries in the partnership.

Industries also face risks as the Philippines allows more imports.

Mr. Manzano said it is possible some part of the agriculture sector may be subject to more competition from the US, challenging the government to improve competitiveness.

Both economists said that opportunities and risks are in the details — industries will discover how they will fare only after the details of the agreements are released.

But they are concerned about whether the Philippines makes full use of the concessions and opportunities made available in the agreements.

“It’s not automatic that just because you joined it, you’ll benefit,” Mr. Peña-Reyes said. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Mindanao businesses need united position to bring shipping cost down — ECCP

DAVAO CITY — The Mindanao business community needs to take a more united stand in pushing for lower shipping rates and more direct cargo services to boost international trade in the southern islands, an official of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) said.

ECCP-Southern Mindanao Chairperson Antonio S. Peralta said the amendment of the Cabotage Law in 2015, which eased restrictions on the entry of foreign ships to any port in the country, has not translated to lower logistics costs for Mindanao’s producers and traders.

“There has got to be greater consensus of the Mindanao business community to really push for the lowering of shipping costs,” he said during last week’s Habi at Kape forum.

“Why, after all these years, there was no decline on our shipping cost… It’s very hard for us to accept na mataas ’yung shipping cost natin, biruin mo (that our shipping cost is higher, imagine) it’s like almost over 31% of your product cost, (while in) Luzon it’s 17%,” he added.

According to the Mindanao Development Authority, freight rates from Manila to Kaohsiung are $300 or $0.55 per nautical mile (nm) and $250 to Hong Kong or $0.39/nm, both lower compared with $1,047 or $0.97/nm from Manila to Davao.

In a separate interview with BusinessWorld, Mr. Peralta said that the situation is “really a combination of factors,” which involves not just limited foreign ships serving Mindanao and high rates, but also constraints among domestic shipping firms in terms of capital and port infrastructure in Mindanao.

“The shipping business is capital-intensive given the larger costs associated with acquiring vessels. One of the alternatives of raising capital would be to consider joint ventures with foreign shipping lines. This would mean an infusion of fresh capital for local shipping companies to acquire modern vessels,” he said.

Government must also look into new areas for port development, citing as an example Malalag in Davao Occidental or Panabo in Davao del Norte given the limited berthing space at Sasa Port in Davao City.

“Davao City has hardly any room for expansion,” he said.

Mr. Peralta said the chamber hopes to have a consolidated position paper and plan of action that can be presented to the government later this year after the staging of the ECCP’s Business Conference on Logistics in the Visayas and Mindanao.

A half-day conference was held on Jan. 31 in Davao City for the initial discussions.

Other points that were raised include maritime accidents, ageing vessels, low incentives given to shipping companies, and lack of coordination between producers and shipping companies.

“That was only a half-day conference and normally it was meant to just open up the issue to lay the basis for a larger conference,” Mr. Peralta said.

The next gathering, originally scheduled for March, has been postponed to June or July due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

“This cannot just be done overnight… I think there should be changes that are forthcoming for the improvement of the shipping rates as well as the condition of vessels,” he said. — Maya M. Padillo

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

Just over the course of one month into 2020 and the world has been bombarded with a flurry of disasters and unforeseen events. Headlines have been filled with alarming and heartbreaking news — from the wildfires in Australia, to the eruption of the Taal Volcano, and just recently, the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) affecting numerous countries around the world.

With these events happening all over the globe, we come face-to-face with the glaring fact that disasters are not a matter of “if,” but “when.”

Given the increasingly frequent occurrence of unfortunate events, whether natural or man-made, are organizations prepared to face such ever-evolving and emerging threats? Taking a proactive stance seems to no longer be an option, but a necessity. It is more crucial than ever for companies to ensure that they have an established plan in place to guide the organization on how best to respond and safely maintain operations in the face of unprecedented situations. Recent events should serve as a wake-up call to revisit and ensure that business continuity plans (BCP) are robust enough to cater to all sorts of disasters.

DEVELOP AN ORGANIC, EVOLVING BCP
First, companies should review their existing BCP and check that all potential threats, whether natural or man-made, are considered in the plan. This would entail the broadening of their perspective to anticipate the current and future risks that the organization may face. The next step would be to update these plans periodically in order to tackle new and continually emerging threats in the industry. This likewise involves checking if the roles and responsibilities are still correct and sufficient, if advances in technology solutions and infrastructure are accounted for, and if procedures to recover critical services are still applicable. The organization should consider specific plans catering to different threats, such as Pandemic Plans and IT disaster recovery (IT DR) plans. These plans should also cover high-risk, low probability events.

Having well-documented plans are only the starting point of a well-developed Business Continuity Management (BCM) program. The plans and strategies must also be exercised to test the effectiveness of the strategies. When planning for exercising activities, the organization must consider the current BCM maturity to ensure effectiveness of the testing activities. For example, the organization must start off with tabletop exercises and then transition into simulated exercises as the program progresses.

In light of reviewing the BCM, organizations should consider the following points.

AWARENESS AND COMMUNICATION
The safety of employees should be a top priority, making awareness and communication initiatives especially critical. Organizations should establish proper communication channels and procedures and deploy an emergency broadcast process that will allow the company to reach employees quickly and measurably. Employers must also account for their employees in times of a disaster and be able to escalate emergencies to the proper authorities as necessary.

Employers must ensure that their people are regularly updated with reliable information regarding the situation, both to manage the spread of correct, verified information from authorized sources as well as to control the spread of harmful and panic-inducing disinformation.

The company’s leaders should maintain communications through easily accessible media, such as printed posters, e-mails, weekly updates, programs and activities. As an example, to increase awareness on the organization’s pandemic plan, the business should send out awareness e-mails regarding the extent of the virus as well as countermeasures and preventive actions. The organization must also consider the company culture in crafting an effective BCM Awareness program.

BUSINESS IMPACT AND SUPPLY CHAIN CONCERNS
Given the unexpectedly broad impact of the COVID-19 virus outbreak, businesses should revisit their 2020 and Q1 budgets. Determine areas where operations will be impacted, including key suppliers, vendors, and third parties. Consider the impact of the disaster on key suppliers and vendors, as this will also impact the delivery of services if disruptions occur, especially for suppliers that provide manpower services. If necessary, identify back-up suppliers and vendors as a pre-disaster activity. This will ensure that critical services and products provided by affected suppliers will continue in the event of a disaster. Organizations should also determine key dependencies, assess potential impacts on these services and align with key clients on adjustments to any affected expectations and deliverables.

Additionally, businesses should consider revisiting their contracts with clients or third parties, especially long-term or high value contracts. Client initiatives for their own business continuity should also be taken into consideration, since this can possibly cause delays in the completion of the project/engagement. As an example, the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 restricts work obligations which require teams to work on-site with clients, since quarantine and lockdown measures are in effect in infected countries like China. It is also important to thoroughly go through contracts with strict timelines, stipulations of damages in case milestones are not met, or those with a termination clause in cases of unforeseen events. In reviewing these, organizations should always put into perspective their capabilities to deliver their products and/or services even under extremely difficult circumstances.

Business must also look into the impact of disasters on the organization’s assets and workforce. Different disasters call for different responses and organizations must be able to adapt to each one. For example, disasters such as fires, earthquakes, typhoons and floods would affect the organization’s facilities and equipment. Situations such as cyber or hacking attacks would necessitate a different set of responses and resources from digital security teams.

Similarly, disasters such as pandemics will directly impact the workforce in terms of physical health and contagion control protocols. In such an eventuality, leave policies must be updated and clearly communicated to the workforce, and health insurance policies for employees must be revisited. Employees that have symptoms or illness should be allowed to remain at home or work from home and seek medical care as soon as possible.

BUSINESS SUCCESSION AND BACKUPS
In times of disaster, leadership may not be available to address urgent and critical concerns; thus it is essential to develop a plan for leadership continuity in the event that key decision makers are affected. Organizations should also consider setting up physically separate back-up teams that can be deployed in times of disaster. These identified back-up and alternate personnel must also know their roles and responsibilities in times of crisis. For companies with multiple office locations, this may mean designating one office as a support team for another location. Additionally, the company should also include data back-up processes as part of their regular safety protocols.

As new threats emerge in the ever-evolving world, people and organizations must stay vigilant not just about COVID-19, but other possible issues that may arise. Practice additional caution by staying updated on current events, carefully examining the organization’s level of readiness and adapting.

Consider that just weeks prior to the virus outbreak, parts of the country were affected by storms and earthquakes while Metro Manila was severely affected by the Taal volcano eruption, which led to the closure and suspension of work and classes in several locations. An emergency can occur at any time, so being prepared with a strategic and tested business continuity plan is essential to ensure the safety of a company’s people and the continuity of business-critical services in times of disaster.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinion expressed above are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.

 

Senior Manager Alvin Manuel, Manager Shaun Cusi, and Associate Dawn Casocot are from the Advisory Service Line of SGV & Co.

Sangley international airport to break ground in Q2

By Arjay L. Balinbin
Reporter

THE province of Cavite is targeting to break ground with its joint venture partner for the first phase of the $10-billion Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA) project in the second quarter.

“It’s going to happen in the second quarter,” Cavite Governor Juanito Victor C. Remulla told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of the P486-million Sangley Airport development project of the Transportation department at the weekend. “Hopefully the consortium signs everything by this month.”

The Cavite province has awarded the four-runway airport project to businessman Lucio C. Tan’s MacroAsia Corp. and its Chinese partner China Communications Construction Co. Ltd.

The first phase of the project, which costs $4 billion, includes the construction of the Sangley connector road and bridge to connect the Kawit segment of the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx) to the international airport.

Phase 1 will involve the construction of the airport’s first runway, which can accommodate 25 million passengers yearly, helping to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

Mr. Remulla said the groundbreaking will happen right after the consortium signs the contract documents.

Mr. Tan’s MacroAsia said it received the notice of selection and award for the airport project on Feb. 14.

The Cavite provincial government targets the airport to start fully operating by 2023, with partial operations to start a year earlier. The fourth runway will be opened after six years.

The same consortium will work on the other two phases of the project, but there may be contract renegotiations, Mr. Remulla said.

The second phase, which will cost about $6 billion, involves the construction of two more runways with an annual capacity of 75 million passengers.

The last phase is the expansion to four runways to accommodate 130 million passengers yearly.

The Cavite government said the completion of the Sangley Point International Airport would pave the way for the phasing out of NAIA operations, whose area could then be redeveloped into a new city center district.

“That is a suggestion. That is a plan,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said when asked to comment.

The consortium will have to buy from the Transportation department the existing Sangley Airport before it could start construction works for the first phase of the project.

The government should then stop operations at the existing Sangley Airport.

“The runway is sea-level; it has to be elevated by three meters. So once the consortium starts, they have to stop,” Mr. Remulla said.

Mr. Tugade said the government had spent P486 million to develop the airport, which now caters to turboprop planes for their initial cargo operations and to airline companies with flights to island destinations.

The agency said the Ongpin-led Alphaland Aviation, Inc., which flies the Balesin Island route, launched on Feb. 14 its first flight at the Sangley Airport.

It said Alphaland would also move its Manila and Clark operations to the Sangley Airport.

The department added that Cebu Pacific’s unit Cebgo will be using the airport’s hangars for its cargo operations.

Before it was repurposed for general aviation, Sangley was formerly known as Danilo Atienza Air Base. Its location on Sangley Point, a narrow peninsula that served as a naval facility during the Spanish occupation, is surrounded by navigable waters that require extensive reclamation.

Gov’t scored for lifting Kuwait deployment ban

A LABOR group criticized the government at the weekend for lifting the deployment ban for Kuwait, saying justice had yet to be served for a Filipino housemaid who died in the hands of her Kuwaiti employers last year.

In a statement, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) accused Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III of breaking his promise.

“Bello announced the lifting of the ban in his meeting with local recruitment agencies, which leaves a bad taste in our mouths,” TUCP President and Party list Rep. Raymond C. Mendoza said. “This is a disservice to our President’s advocacy for overseas Filipino workers’ rights and welfare.”

Mr. Bello on Thursday lifted the deployment ban on Kuwait after the two governments reached an agreement for better working conditions of OFWs.

Mr. Mendoza said the Labor department had placed the business interest of recruiters first, making the welfare of Filipino workers abroad an “afterthought.”

Mr. Bello earlier said the ban would only be lifted once Filipino housemaid Jeanelyn Villavande gets justice.

Among the conditions met by the Kuwaiti government was the filing of charges against Jeanelyn Villavende’s employers.

Mr. Bello first imposed a total deployment ban after the Philippine government received a “dishonest” postmortem report of Ms. Villavende’s autopsy from Kuwait authorities.

The National Bureau of Investigation earlier said an autopsy showed the Filipina had been battered and sexually abused, something that was left out in Kuwait’s initial report.

Mr. Bello later lifted the deployment ban partially, only prohibiting housemaids from working in Kuwait.

Mr. Mendoza said Labor officials would be summoned to the House of Representatives this week to explain the lifting of the ban.

In 2018, the government barred Filipinos from working in Kuwait after news of the murder of domestic helper Joanna Demafelis broke. The ban lasted four months. — Gillian M. Cortez

29 patients under COVID-19 monitoring in Western Visayas discharged after negative results

TWENTY-NINE persons under investigation (PUI) in Western Visayas tested negative for the COVID-19 and have been discharged from hospital, the Department of Health-Center for Health Development in Western Visayas (DoH-CHD 6) reported on Friday. “We will continue to monitor them in their homes, especially if they are still within the 14-day incubation period,” DoH-CHD 6 Regional Director Dr. Marlyn W. Convocar said. There are currently three PUIs in the region, all in Capiz, who were admitted last Thursday at a hospital in Roxas City. The three include a female overseas Filipino worker from Hong Kong and two Filipino-American citizens who stopped over in Taiwan, according to Regional Epidemiologist Jessie Glenn Alonsabe. Ms. Convocar said they continue to be on high alert for the coronavirus disease and called on the public to maintain health safety measures. “We should not be complacent,” she said, adding that “those who had travel history from countries with confirmed cases of COVID-2019 should voluntarily surrender themselves to their respective health centers for check-up.” Among the most popular tourist destinations in the region are Iloilo City and Boracay Island. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Jolo named MinDA priority development area

THE MINDANAO Development Authority (MinDA) has identified Jolo, the capital of Sulu province, as a priority development area after Taraka town in Lanao del Sur. “We will come up with a comprehensive proposal and present it to the President,” MinDA Chairperson Emmanuel F. Piñol said in a statement Friday. The development program will be similar to the one recently launched in Taraka, which involves the establishment of model learning centers mainly for agricultural livelihood activities. Among the key sectors eyed for Jolo are chicken and cattle farming, and solar-power energy for both electricity supply and water desalination. Sulu, a part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), is composed of composed of several islands and has been known as the stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, a kidnap-for-ranson group that has in recent years allied with the extremist Islamic State.

REHABILITATION
Meanwhile, Mr. Piñol said they have also formed the Infrastructure Management Advisory Group (IMAG) that will assist in the rehabilitation plan for three villages in Jolo that were hit by a fire early this month. “I would like to emphasize that right now we are looking at this undertaking as a joint effort of the local government, military, national government, and the private sector,” he said. IMAG will be tasked to oversee the rebuilding of partially damaged houses for 2,379 affected families and determine interventions for 1,377 households that lost their properties. “This is the initial phase of consultative process prior to delivering interventions,” said Mr. Piñol following a visit to the town and a meeting with Mayor Kerkhar S. Tan last week. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Nationwide round-up

Bill on foreign participation in public utilities hurdles House 1st reading

THE HOUSE of Representatives has moved one step closer to amending Commonwealth Act No. 146 or the Public Service Act by completing plenary debates on the measure last February 12 after six months of discussions. “Competition and foreign investment are inhibited because limitations that should only apply to the operation of a public utility are applied to all public services,” Albay 2nd District Rep. Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda, author of House Bill 78, said in his explanatory note on the measure that seeks to limit the definition of what is a public utility. “This situation is caused by the ambiguity in the definition of public utility that is often used interchangeably with public service under Commonwealth Act No. 146. The key to fixing this problem is to develop a clear statutory definition of public utility,” he said. Under HB 78, the definition of a public utility is limited to electricity distribution, electricity transmission, and water pipeline distribution or sewerage pipeline system.

COMPETITION
The congressman said the enactment of the proposed law would eventually benefit consumers. “This legislative reform will significantly contribute to increasing competition, as well as protecting the public interest. More competition among providers would result in lower prices and improved quality of basic services, creating a more competitive economy towards a better quality of life for all,” Mr. Salceda said. Meanwhile, Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, also from Albay representing the 1st District, said he would further explain his opposition to the bill when it is up for final reading. Committee and individual amendments to the measure are due for presentation next, after which the bill will be put to a second-reading vote. Final and third-reading vote takes place after three days. The House version of the proposed New Public Service Law of the Philippines was approved in September 2017 under the 17th Congress, but the Senate counterpart failed to get approval on third reading. Under the current 18th Congress, several related bills have already been filed before the Senate. — Genshen L. Espedido

PHILSTAR

Salceda to file bill institutionalizing school feeding program

A LEGISLATOR is preparing to file a bill guaranteeing access to nutritious school meals for all kindergarten and grade school students. Under the proposed Universal Free School Meals for Children Act, the Department of Education (DepEd) will implement a school-based feeding program for a minimum of 120 days per school year, to be done five days a week with one feeding activity per school day, Albay Rep. Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda said in a statement on Friday. “The most critical part of cognitive development is childhood, and when children are hungry, we cannot expect them to develop their full intellectual potential,” he said. “That’s why we must consider child nutrition as part of our investment in education. Pointless kasing papasukin sa eskwela, damihan ang subject, tapos ‘yung bata, gutom pala (It’s pointless to send a child to school, increase the academic subjects, and it turns out the child is hungry).”

LOCALLY-SOURCED FOOD
The bill will also encourage food production in schools, and the ingredients sourced from local farmers. “In a sense, my bill also ensures a sure market for farmer produce,” Mr. Salceda said. The congressman’s proposal will also call on DepEd to tap persons trained by the Technical Education and Skills Development Academy (TESDA) on food preparation, handling, and storage. “In that way, one of its positive consequences is job creation and training on child nutrition.” The 2018 Expanded National Nutrition Survey of the United Nations Children’s Fund shows high undernutrition rates among Filipino children despite a decline in the rate of stunting to 30% in 2018 from 34% in 2003. “The numerical equivalent of this rate is around 650,000 children. Among them, some 300,000 are with the severest form of malnutrition and require treatment,” the bill’s explanatory note said. “These results correlate with the country’s performance in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which covered 79 countries, where Filipino students fared worst in reading comprehension and second lowest in both mathematical and scientific literacy. Underdevelopment of the brain and the body tend to result in poor performance in reading, math, science and all other education metrics,” it added. The feeding program measure will be the fourth bill in Mr. Salceda’s Comprehensive Education Reform Agenda. He has previously filed the Teacher Empowerment Act to lighten teachers’ administrative load and improve the quality of teaching, the K to 12 Reform Act to make students more job-ready, and the Meister Schools Act to close the country’s highly-technical skills gap. — Genshen L. Espedido

COVID-19 forces more sporting events to be postponed

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

CONCERNS over the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak have taken their toll on the local sporting scene with a number of scheduled events being postponed.

Citing the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19, which has already affected many countries, including the Philippines, sports stakeholders have deemed it fit to heed advisories of local health officials to defer staging events that would gather large crowds to prevent the further spread of the disease.

The Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee are one in highlighting safety and precaution amid COVID-19 and are fully supportive of the move to cancel or suspend sport activities.

“We must always put the safety of athletes, coaches, officials and spectators at the very top of our priorities.We therefore urge all National Sports Associations and other groups associated with the POC, to heed the call for prudence and await official announcements from appropriate agencies with regards this issue,” said POC president Abraham Tolentino in an official statement on the issue shared to members of media on Feb. 14.

Adding, “We also enjoin everyone to take the necessary precautions amidst this growing health concern.”

The POC statement came on the heels of the PSC’s move to postpone events it manages.

“We are taking this very seriously. We have been listening to what the World Health Organization is saying about the virus and we took that into consideration,” said PSC chairman William Ramirez.

Among PSC-managed events postponed were the National Sports Summit scheduled for later this month, the Philippine National Games in May and big seminars that would involve 40 or more participants.

It also moved to postpone the ASEAN Para Games, which was officially deferred last week after consultations between the Philippine Paralympic Committee and the ASEAN Federation.

It marked the second time that the event for differently abled athletes had been postponed.

The ASEAN Para Games, which usually happens immediately after the Southeast Asian Games, was scheduled to take place from Jan. 18 to 25 this year but was deferred to March 20 to 28 because of lack of funds on the part of the PSC, which was tasked to fund the event.

The event is being targeted to be held in May.

The Palarong Pambansa which is to be hosted by Marikina City in May, however, is still a go for now.

COLLEGIATE SPORTS
The COVID-19 has also made collegiate leagues to make changes to its calendars of events.

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) moved the opening of its marquee volleyball tournament to a still-to-be-determined date in accordance with the advice of health officials.

“The University Athletic Association of the Philippines upholds, in the highest regard, the well-being, health and safety of the League’s community — players, coaches, students, their families and fans in general,” said the league’s statement on the postponement, which was co-signed by UAAP President Emmanuel Fernandez and Executive Director Rene Saguisag, Jr.

It added, “In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the UAAP, after thorough deliberation by the Board of Trustees and the Board of Managing Directors, have come to a decision to postpone all sporting events starting Saturday, 15 February.”

The UAAP Season 82 volleyball tournament was supposed to fire off last Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Also postponed were the men’s football tournament which was set to begin on Feb. 16, softball tournament (Feb. 17), seniors baseball tournament (Feb. 19), athletics (Feb. 19–23), and judo (last week of February).

Following suit was the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which suspended indefinitely all seniors division games beginning Feb. 14, including the ongoing volleyball tournament.

HOOPS, TOO
Basketball matches scheduled for the next two weeks were also moved.

The Philippine Basketball Association is now set to open Season 45 on March 8, a week later than originally scheduled.

It also moved the opening of the PBA D-League to March 2 from Feb. 13.

The first home game of Gilas Pilipinas in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup was postponed as well.

Gilas was to meet Thailand in a Group A match on Feb. 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

World-governing body FIBA made the announcement on Friday.

The Philippines’s next game, which is an away assignment against Indonesia on Feb. 23, is being assessed by the latter as of this writing in light of the ongoing health concern.

Shelved as of the moment is the cycling event PRURide PH 2020, which was scheduled to take place from March 11–15 at Mimosa Drive, Clark, Pampanga.

Ronda Pilipinas, meanwhile, is still a go to date. The 10-stage cycling event is set to roll out on Feb. 23 in Sorsogon.

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