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DPWH Sec. Mark Villar on Build, Build, Build during pandemic: We need the economic stimulus. The government has been working diligently to complete our projects.

DPWH Sec. Villar: A lot of the flagship projects will be going online in the next 2 quarters. We'll be expecting significant improvements in infrastructure very soon. bit.ly/2RXRZwX

Should health trump infrastructure?

DPWH Sec. Villar: I agree health is wealth, but people have to make a living, eat, work. People need jobs. Gov't has also spent a lot of its budget on social amelioration, quarantine facilities.

DPWH Sec. Villar: At some point, we have to look at people's livelihoods. We can't support everyone for an extended period of time. Build, Build, Build is a way to reinvigorate the economy. Kawawa naman sila kung walang trabaho ang ating mga kababayan. bit.ly/3cxcvOE

DPWH Sec. Villar on House infighting due to DPWH allocations for 2021: I don't think there's a lack of transparency, we're very open about budgeting. They are welcome to comment.

DPWH Sec. Villar: We include the administration's priorities in the budget, it's up to Congress to vet. There is no lack of transparency, we've been conscious about that.

DPWH Sec. Villar on lump-sum funds in DPWH budget: If you look at the budgeting, it's line-item and identified all the way to the barangay. These are not lump sums. bit.ly/3j3KOiM

DPWH Sec. Villar: If there are cases, we welcome any findings. Ipakita niyo po sa akin if there are these cases of anomalies, we'll act on them very swiftly.

DPWH Sec. Villar on Build, Build, Build: When you talk about infrastructure, about 15-20% of project costs goes into labor. If you compute, that translates to millions of jobs. That's just direct hiring, there are multiplier effects too in suppliers, transport.

DPWH Sec. Villar: In terms of investment, there are big returns in infrastructure. For big-ticket projects, there's usually a 10% rate of return, it's the way to go.

DPWH Sec. Villar: These are long-term investments that will fuel growth.

Can we reallocate infra budget for COVID-19 response, vaccines?

DPWH Sec. Villar: This government has shown that it's willing to do whatever it takes to save lives. On our part, we've been putting up COVID-19 facilities.

DPWH Sec. Villar: We have to acknowledge that people also need to pursue their livelihood, people need money to live. It's a balance, we're doing our best to maintain that.

BPI BanKo Head of Financial Inclusion & Microfinance Loans Rodolfo Mabiasen, Jr.: We've been continuously issuing micro entrepreneurs to restart their businesses in the past months, knowing that 62% of our clientele closed their businesses during the quarantine.

BanKo: If your loan amount is less than ₱150,000, we don't require collateral. You can borrow for your business expansion, inventory, or investments for as low as ₱25,000.

BanKo: If you need more than ₱150,000, we ask the client to list down assets which we can sell in case of default. It's a security for us to see the commitment of the borrower in repaying.

BanKo: The simplest document we ask for is a barangay or mayor's permit.

BanKo on micro loans: It's very critical for businessmen to manage finances during these times. There's also a second grace period for clients, we also offer term extensions for loans. bit.ly/3j2FHzb

BanKo: To borrowers, talk to your lenders and strike a compromise on how to repay existing debts. bit.ly/309RUL5

Wilcon Depot founder & chairman emeritus William Belo: The COVID-19 crisis is the worst among several crises we've encountered in the last 43 years. We had to close for 2 months, it never happened before.

Wilcon Depot: Everything was affected, people are very afraid of getting sick. Even if we are now open, our employees have a hard time getting to work because of limited public transport

Wilcon Depot: We are continuing operations and opening new stores. We opened a new branch just last Friday in Laguna, 2 more are coming for a total of 6 new stores this year and 4 more are under construction.

Wilcon Depot: A blessing in disguise is that with these lockdowns, people started working from home and they see a lot of things they need to change or improve. When we reopened, business picked up very well.

Wilcon Depot: All stores saw very good sales upon reopening.

Wilcon Depot: This is a big surprise, we just have to be prepared. The one good thing is that Wilcon is always training its people in cases of crisis -- but this one is epic, very bad.

Wilcon Depot: Our stores are very well-prepared. The only problem we encounter is how our workers get to the office. Otherwise, everything is under control.

Wilcon Depot on sales under new normal: We are getting into the digital platform, but most of what we sell are more on things people need to see, touch, and feel.

Wilcon Depot on sales under new normal: We have some products you can get through the internet, we are in the process of getting into internet selling by yearend.

What does William Belo do to relax?

"I love farming, I started a farm four years ago with cows, chickens, pigs. I do plant a lot of fruits and local trees, we also have a pond for a variety of fish. I spend my weekends there."