THE Ayala group recently scored two “firsts” in the history of the Philippine capital market with the listing of AREIT Inc. in the Philippine Stock Exchange on August 13 and the BPI CARE Bonds on August 7 at the Philippine Dealing Exchange (PDEX).

FOOD security has long been a concern of Filipinos and much more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. The quarantine restrictions have made access to food and the market more difficult. The small farmers’ produce rot because there is no one to deliver them to the market. Oftentimes, farmers have to sell them very cheaply just so their harvest won’t totally go to waste. For the consumers, the shortage of farm produce in some areas has led to higher prices.

DO you know that for as low as the price of a second-hand cellphone you can now own a piece of three “Class A” buildings in Makati’s business district? I am not kidding. And these buildings are Ayala North Exchange, where Bank of the Philippine Islands is temporarily headquartered, the McKinley Exchange and Solaris One Building.

ASIDE from physical measures to help contain the spread of COVID 19, Muntinlupa City has stepped up its fight in another front – in the minds and hearts of Muntinlupeños. Stressing the importance of continuously reminding his constituents, Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi, through the Public Information Office, has ramped up the city’s WOW Campaign.

THE COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis that has challenged all sectors of our society, especially the poor, the marginalized and, more so, the handicapped. But today’s extraordinary circumstances have not prevented Jay Argana Espeleta, from rising to the occasion. Espeleta, a PWD who had suffered from polio, is a front-liner in Muntinlupa City’s fight against COVID-19.

AMIDST COVID-19, BPI Asset Management and Trust Corporation (BPI AMTC) continues to engage its investors by keeping them well-informed of the market situation and possible opportunities in this crucial time.

CREDIT it to intensified targeted mass testing, including contract tracing, isolation strategies, as well as treatment of confirmed and suspect individuals. That’s how Muntinlupa City Health Officer, Dr. Ma. Teresa “Tet” Tuliao explained it.

FR. ROCKY Evangelista, the Champion of Street Children, just completed his 50th anniversary as a priest. But at 77, he has no intention of retiring from his mission anytime soon. His mission: to continue to get children off the streets and back alleys, off the most unholy places, and bring them to a safe place they can call “home”.

SURELY, there are many, many losers in this unforgettable experience of our generation - families who lost loved ones, friends who lost associates, huge segments of our population who suddenly found themselves out of job, businesses which suddenly lost their markets, the national economy which has gone into recession. But there are also some gainers – front-liners who have become overnight heroes, devotees who have become more prayerful, families which have become closer, we who can breathe air that is cleaner (that is if we can step out of our homes for a while), we who can witness the skies turning bluer, workers who have found new and more efficient ways of doing their work, families feeling safer because the crime rate has gone down.

REGARDLESS of when ECQ is lifted, we can not become BAU (business as usual) immediately. BAU will be possible only when a vaccine against COVID-19 is discovered, tested and approved. Guesstimates of when that will happen range anywhere from 12 to 18 months.

AYALA Corporation operates a number of businesses that are vital to keep our society and our economy functioning – banking, water, health care, telecommunications, power and manufacturing. All need to continue operating to ensure the delivery of essential services, more so under ECQ circumstances.

FOR  the first time in its history, Bank of the Philippines Islands  (BPI) met its shareholders for the annual stockholders meeting in virtual format. Current lockdown protocols have prevented an in-person meeting so last Thursday,  the bank’s directors, officers, employees, business partners and thousands of stockholders listened to the reports of Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala  (JAZA) and President/CEO Cezar P. Consing from the comfort of their homes. Corporate Secretary Angela P. Maramag just had to make sure that prior clearance for the virtual ASM was made with the SEC and that all reportorial requirements were uploaded to the company website prior to the meeting.

IMMEDIATELY following the announcement of a Luzon-wide lockdown, the banking sector saw a flurry of cash withdrawals.

It is heartwarming to read about the response of the private sector in helping alleviate the impact of widespread disruption caused by COVID 19.

IN the scheme of things, local government units are the first responders in case of any crisis or emergency. Any LGU’s response will depend on its state of readiness, its resources and its leadership. Using the following timeline, let me describe how Muntinlupa City has responded to the invisible enemy that is COVID-19.