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Going back to Prague

By Jessica Zafra
(An excerpt from Jessica Zafra’s new book, Twisted Travels: Rambles in Central Europe.)

IT TOOK me 15 years to return to Prague, half of the lifetimes of the people I was working with. We were in the Czech Republic for eight days to film a documentary. After three nights in Prague, the film crew and I would proceed to Litomerice, Mlada Boleslav, Olomouc, Brno, Cesky Krumlov, and Ceske Budejovice. The itinerary was designed by the Czech Embassy in Manila, particularly Ambassador Jaroslav Olša, who is translating Filipino stories into Czech, including one of mine, and sponsored by the Seoul-based Czech Tourism. I mention these parties because you know what they say about the best-laid plans. It’s the unexpected, unintended developments I look forward to: I travel for the stories, the weirder, the better.
We arrived in Prague in the early afternoon and were fetched by our tour guide Zoran, who announced that taxi drivers were on strike against Uber, there were violent clashes in the city, and massive traffic jams. This is perhaps not the welcoming one wants at the beginning of a packed tour, but it set a bleaky comic tone for the whole trip. There was some discussion in the team as to who our guide looked like. He resembled:

a. the original host of The Crystal Maze

b. one of the War Boys from Mad Max Fury Road

c. the vocalist of the ’80s group Right Said Fred of “I’m Too Sexy” fame

d. Professor Charles Xavier of the X-Men

e. Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise

Zoran introduced himself as a Yugoslav. Apart from being a knowledgeable tour guide specializing in history, he is a photographer and an actor. According to his IMDB page he was in the Tom Hardy film Child 44, where in a bit of typecasting he played “Bald Man.” Unfortunately he could not be on camera because we had not made arrangements with his agent.
He was joined by our driver, Frantisek, a very tall man with wild, curly locks and a feral look. He has four jobs, he informed us later, as he snacked on enough cake to stop the heart of a shorter man: tour van driver, real estate agent, motorcycle mechanic, and motorcycle racer. Later, we agreed that we were being guided around the Czech Republic by Professor Xavier and Logan the Wolverine.
According to the schedule we would drop off our bags at the hotel and proceed to The Castle to start filming. As we had been travelling for 18 hours, this was not going to happen. At this point we learned that the definition of “driver” was different from what we were used to. Frantisek would pick us up from the hotel in the morning and drive us back at night. In between we would walk, schlepping all our equipment up and down the vertical city. I don’t carry equipment other than my journal, but my knee began to stiffen.
The hotel was a rather basic affair called Henrietta, but it was clean and the Wi-Fi worked. After a shower and a brief lie-down, I joined the team in the lobby and we took the tram to the city center.
It was exactly as I remembered it, beautiful and somehow melancholy. Prague is a great city to be depressed in: so much indifferent splendor to taunt your neuroses. It worked for Kafka. Zoran pointed out examples of different architectural styles and markers of how high the water rose during the Great Flood of 2002. On one hand we Filipinos are the last people to be impressed by floods; on the other hand, it might be a good idea to remind people of how high the water rose, because even if they happen frequently we cannot be blase about the danger.
At a stall on the riverbank we had the first of many, many, many sausages. A steady drizzle was falling. We walked past the opera, where my sister and I had seen La Boheme up in the bleachers and nearly frozen our asses off. Dinner was over-seasoned goulash at charming old restaurant called Flavia. We drank absinthe, agreed on the next day’s itinerary, and heard the first of Zoran’s disquisitions on how all our plans could fall apart.
Finally, he took us to the tram stop, told us the name of our stop, and said we could buy our tickets from a machine inside the tram. There was no such ticketing machine inside the tram. Thus we spent our first night in Prague breaking the law.
Jessica Zafra’s Twisted Travels: Rambles in Central Europe will be launched on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2-5 p.m. at Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street, BGC. Twisted Travels will be available at Fully Booked, Shopee.ph, Lazada.com.ph, National Bookstore, and Powerbooks.

PHL signs oil exploration deal with Israel’s Ratio Petroleum

THE Philippines on Wednesday formally awarded a petroleum service contract (PSC) to Israeli firm Ratio Petroleum Ltd. for the exploration of an area in the east Palawan basin, a move which the Energy department said bodes well for country’s upstream petroleum industry.
The ceremonial signing, which took place at the Heroes Hall of Malacañan Palace, was led by President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi on behalf of the Philippines, and Itay Raphael Tabibzada, president and chief executive officer of Ratio Petroleum.
Mr. Cusi said the awarding of the service contract also boosts the economic relations between the Philippines and Israel. The PSC for Area 4 in the Palawan basin is part of the DoE’s fifth Philippine Energy Contracting Round (PECR), which was launched in May 2014.
“The President has been very clear — our country needs to attain energy security and sustainability at the soonest possible time. We are currently experiencing how our dependence on importation has left us at the mercy of price movements in the global oil markets. We need to boost the exploration and development of our own energy resources and the awarding of the petroleum service contract to Ratio Petroleum is a step in the right direction,” he said.
The PECR was established as a transparent and competitive system of awarding service or operating contracts for prospective petroleum or coal areas within the country.
The DoE said Ratio Petroleum would now be able to explore Area 4, covering 416,000 hectares across the east Palawan basin for potential oil and gas resources.
The exploration project is expected to cost $34.35 million, which will be used for studies, data gathering and drilling activities over the initial seven-year contract period.
The DoE said Ratio Petroleum was established in 1992 and has a number of large-scale operations at the Levant basin in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Israel, as well as offshore operations in the Republic of Malta and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
“This is the first petroleum service contract signed under the Duterte administration. In fact, the last service contract awarded was with PXP Energy Corp. This was almost five years ago in 2013,” Mr. Cusi said.
PXP Energy is the operator of PSC No. 75 in north western Palawan under the fourth PECR. The service contract was signed on Dec. 27, 2013. — Victor V. Saulon

Petron planning new refinery in Bataan

By Janina S. Lim, Reporter
PETRON CORP. is planning to add a new petroleum refinery in Bataan that will boost its capacity by 100,000 barrels daily.
“We are set to recommend to the board of Petron to build a new refinery of 100,000 barrels a day,” Ramon S. Ang, Petron chief executive officer and president, told reporters at the sidelines of the 44th Philippine Business Conference and Expo at the Manila Hotel on Thursday.
“Once the board approves we can start negotiating with the vendor and so maybe we can start building by next year,” he added, noting that construction of the facility may take three to four years to complete.
Mr. Ang said the company will shell out an initial $3 billion for the additional refinery that will produce high-grade or Euro 6 petrochemical, diesel and gasoline.
Asked if this is part of the plant’s planned expansion, Mr. Ang responded in the negative, saying this is a “grand new plan.”
Last year, Petron unveiled an expansion project that would boost its current capacity to 270,000 by 2019 from the current 180,000 barrels daily.
Of the new plan, Mr. Ang said this “will address the gasoline and diesel and jet fuel requirement of our country.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Ang said the company can sell diesel at a cheaper price than the diesel that the government plans to import from Singapore.
This was in reaction to the Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp.’s announcement of its plan to import an initial 50,000 metric tons of diesel from Singapore within the month.
“Sabi ko, di na sila kailangan mag-import kasi habol lang nila tax-free, excise tax-free, VAT-free. Eh di bumili nalang sila sa Petron. Mas mababa pa ang presyo kaysa bumili sila sa Singapore kasi wala na silang babayaran na freight (I told them they don’t need to import because they only want to get it tax-free, the excise tax-free, VAT-free. They should buy from Petron. The price would be cheaper than if they buy from Singapore since they won’t have to pay for freight),” Mr. Ang said.
He noted that Petron’s prices would be cheaper without the 12% VAT.
“Kung sila mag-import, di ko alam pano nila idi-distribute. I think kailangan nila pag-aralan mabuti bago sila magplano (If they will import, I don’t know how they will distribute. I think they need to study better before they plan this),” Mr. Ang said.
Shares in Petron climbed 1.55% or 13 centavos to finish at P8.50 apiece on Thursday.

SMHC to pay for right-of-way acquisition, permits for airport

SAN MIGUEL Holdings Corp. (SMHC) has committed to shouldering the costs for right-of-way acquisition and local government permits for its proposed New Manila International Airport in Bulacan in order to secure the go signal from the Department of Transportation (DoTr).
San Miguel Corp. (SMC) President Ramon S. Ang said SMHC volunteered to pay for these expenses just to reach an agreement with the government.
“Sabi ko, halimbawa sagutin na namin lahat ito, sagot na namin yung pagbabayad ng right-of-way, sagot na rin namin yung local government, in short sagot na namin lahat… para wala na tayong pag-aawayan. Dun nagtatapos yung usapan na five hours na yan [I said, if for example we shoulder everything, we shoulder the costs for right-of-way, we shoulder the costs with the local government, in short we shoulder everything… so we would end this argument. That’s how the five-hour meeting ended],” Mr. Ang said during the 44th Philippine Business Conference and Expo at the Manila Hotel on Thursday.
SMHC submitted to the government an unsolicited proposal for the P735-billion New Manila International Airport, which would involve the construction, operation and maintenance of a 2,500-hectare alternative gateway in Bulacan with an annual capacity of 100 million passengers.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the DoTr is set to issue a Certificate of Successful Negotiation for the Bulacan airport project.
He said their target is to get the approval from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and complete the Swiss challenge before the year ends.
“(Next week), mag-iissue ako ng Certificate of Successful Negotiation. Then on that basis pupunta na sa NEDA. Hahabulin ko pa rin yung deadline ko [I will issue the Certificate of Successful Negotiation next week. Then on that basis, it will go to the NEDA. I will try to follow my deadline],” Mr. Tugade told reporters after the business conference.
SMHC’s proposal for the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan has been pending final approval since April, when the NEDA first conditionally approved the project.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III previously said the financial backing of parent company SMC is needed to give the final go-ahead for the project, as SMHC’s total equity of P60 billion in 2016 was deemed insufficient to pursue the project cost if it followed a 70-30 debt-to-equity financing mix.
SMC had said then it is willing to follow the advice of the finance chief to follow a Joint and Several Liability Agreement with the proponent, and just needs the concession agreement to be finalized with the DoTr first to fix the plan. — Denise A. Valdez

Accenture launches online training program to develop ‘soft skills’

ACCENTURE Philippines (Accenture) said it launched the “Skills to Succeed Academy” online training initiative to improve the so-called “soft skills” of jobseekers aged 16 to 24.
The program is part of Accentures’s Skills to Succeed program.
“By the end of 2017, Accenture had equipped 2.2 million with these skills — well on the way to its goal of equipping 3 million people by 2020,” the company said in a statement.
The program, designed and developed by the company, includes three courses and 36 learning modules.
Accenture Country Managing Director Lito T. Tayag during the program’s launch on Thursday said: ”Skills we need now in a digital economy are more than just one area of capability. They encompass a holistic and integrated set of skills.”
Mr. Tayag added in a statement on Thursday, “The Skills to Succeed Academy is part of our continuing commitment to building and upskilling Filipino talent through a technology-enabled employment readiness tool that is focused on the soft skills — an equally important set of attributes around work ethic, attitude as a team player and communications skills.”
Accenture collaborated with the Technological Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) on the Skills to Succeed to Academy which also aims to help technical vocation (TVI) graduates.
Non government organizations (NGOs) backing the program include Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), Philippine Business for Social Progress Inc. (PBSP), Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development, Inc. (FIT-Ed), and Bayan Academy for Social Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Development, Inc.
TESDA Director General Guiling Mamondiong said in a statement on Thursday, “We are delighted to collaborate with Accenture, PBSP, PBEd, FIT-Ed, and Bayan Academy on the Skills to Succeed Academy which aims to help Filipino jobseekers enhance their employability skills.”
He added, “This online learning initiative demonstrates the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors in making education and training accessible to more Filipinos.”
Accenture Advanced Technology Centers in the Philippines Managing Director Ma. Nescel A. Asuncion said during the program’s launch that after a soft launch is August half of those registered had completed one module of the Skills to Succeed Academy.
“We had a soft launch in August. To date, we have seen 4,000 people registered and 2,000 have completed at least one module,” she said, adding that the initiative spread through word of mouth prior to the official launch. — Gillian M. Cortez

Phoenix Petroleum to issue up to P10-B commercial papers

PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines, Inc. said its board of directors had approved the issuance of commercial papers amounting to up to P10 billion, of which an initial series amounting to P7 billion are to be offered this year, the company told the stock exchange on Thursday.
With the board approval, Phoenix Petroleum said the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had accepted the registration of the company’s commercial papers on Thursday in accordance with the implementing rules and regulations of the Securities Regulation Code.
The company has appointed PNB Capital and Investment Corp. as the sole issue manager for the commercial papers program, as well as the lead underwriter and sole bookrunner for the initial series.
Phoenix Petroleum said it will use 70% of the proceeds or around P4.9 billion for the importation of fuels and lubricants. The rest will be used to repay short-term loans with BDO Unibank, Inc., Asia United Bank Corp., Robinsons Bank Corp., United Coconut Planters Bank, and Development Bank of the Philippines, which are due in December.
The company, led by Dennis A. Uy, has been aggressive in acquiring new businesses. It recently said it was realizing the value of the new acquisitions as it maximizes synergies across its portfolio of fuels, lubricants, liquefied petroleum gas, trading and supply, convenience store retailing, and asphalt.
Phoenix Petroleum reported its net income during the first semester rose 59% to P969.8 million, while revenues jumped by 113% to P40.25 billion. The growth was primarily driven by a 63% increase in total volume sold.
In terms of market share, Phoenix Petroleum said it now holds the third spot, with a 7.12% share, citing a report from the Department of Energy as of the first quarter of 2018. — Victor V. Saulon

San Miguel halves food unit share sale, seeks $920 million

MANILA/SINGAPORE — Philippine conglomerate San Miguel Corp. said it is looking to raise about $920 million through a sale of shares in its food unit, slashing the size of the offering by almost half due to weakness in the stock market.
The sale of a minority stake in San Miguel Food and Beverage is part of the parent firm’s restructuring plan that was announced in August 2017.
In a regulatory filing to the stock exchange, the food unit said San Miguel is seeking to sell a total of 523 million shares in a price range of P85 to P95 per share.
This excludes an over-allotment option of up to 15 percent of the offering.
The price range compares with regulatory filing figures of up to 1.02 billion shares on offer and of up to P140 per share, a premium of about 75 percent to the unit’s trading price at the time of the announcement of the plan.
While regulatory filing prices are often set far above expected book building ranges in the Philippines, it is not common for the number of shares on offer to be cut.
Earlier on Thursday, San Miguel President Ramon Ang offered varying statements to reporters about potential pricing, saying both that the shares could be priced at P90 to P100 and that they could be priced between P85 and P100.
“Weakness in stock markets has put further pressure on the pricing,” said one source, who did not wish to be identified as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
San Miguel plans to use proceeds from the share sale to invest in its business, but it did not provide details. The conglomerate is pursuing an aggressive expansion plan that involves venturing into infrastructure, mining, petroleum and power generation to boost revenues. — Reuters

BPO industry association expands availability of career portal

THE Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) said it will expand the availability of its career portal next month after initially offering the program to candidates in the provinces.
In an email to BusinessWorld, IBPAP said it has entered into a partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to offer the portal to candidates living in major cities and in the academe.
The portal provides career guidance on opportunities in the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector.
The portal forms part of the association’s industry and career awareness campaign. It will host an industry awareness fair on Nov. 5. It also provides “career maps” which will allow portal users to learn more about the upskilling required for their jobs.
IBPAP said its Learning Switch program offers courses relevant to an IT-BPM worker.
“This initiative was done in partnership with Cloudswyft and the goal is to make learning accessible to our employees anytime, anywhere. Through it, we have enabled open access to hundreds of courses for various learning tracks which includes Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Administration, Big Data, DevOps, Modern IT Support, Data Science, Modern Software Development, and Web Development,” IBPAP said.
The organization added that more courses in collaboration with Cloudswyft and Microsoft will be available soon. — Gillian M. Cortez

The need for eternal vigilance

By Michelle Anne P. Soliman, Reporter
ACTRESS MARITONI Fernandez had just turned 30 when she went to the US, accompanying her mother who was to take tests for an illness.
“While I was there, I had an uncle who is a doctor and I just mentioned it out of the blue that I feel a lump on my right breast,” Ms. Fernandez said. She got it checked and she was told she had Stage 2A breast cancer. “I went through four rounds of chemotherapy and 26 cycles of radiation therapy, and I was on Tamoxifen for five years.”
*****
Entrepreneur Tony Abad was living in the US. She recalled that back then, the trend of breast augmentations was popular among her peers.
“I was convinced by a friend to get breast augmentation… I left the breast implant in without being vigilant in checking it every year,” Ms. Abad said.
Back in Manila, during a day with her family at a hotel, she felt a sharp pain in her breast. “I felt a really painful throb on my breast, [so bad] that I had to go to the restroom and really cried out. It was so painful,” she shared. “Para kang sinaksak (It felt like I was being stabbed).”
She thought her implants had burst. She went to see a doctor and was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer.
*****
Journalist Alya Honasan was busy with work and various responsibilities which delayed her regular breast checkup. When she took the time to have herself checked and a lump was found, she had everything done within one week. The lump was found on a Tuesday; on Wednesday she went to see a breast surgeon; she had a biopsy on Thursday; and the following week, she was diagnosed with Stage 2A breast cancer.
A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM
According data published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), this September, an estimated 18.1 million new cases of cancer will be reported this year — 2.1 million of which will be breast cancer cases. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide.
The Philippine Cancer Statistics and Estimates reported in 2015 that breast cancer was the leading cancer in both sexes with 20,267 cases.
According to the American Cancer Society, the most common symptom is the presence of a painless and hard lump. Other symptoms include swelling on part of the breast, nipple or breast pain, skin irritation, and redness.
Due to the prevalence of the disease worldwide, October has been designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an international campaign to spread information, mount activities, and raise funds for research on the disease.
In 1992, cosmetics company Avon began its support for breast cancer awareness. Since then, Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women have educated women about the disease and funded breast health screenings for almost 20 million women.
“As part of our Avon Breast Cancer Promise, we are committed help women know the risks, the signs, and ways to take action against breast cancer, starting with the breast self-exam,” Razvan Diratian, general manager of Avon Philippines told BusinessWorld in an e-mail.
In 2017, Avon Philippines started the Pink Minute campaign — encouraging women to perform regular breast self-exams which just take a minute to perform.
For this year, Pink Minute integrated the campaign with the Pink Light Project, using pink light as a symbol to amplify awareness. Avon will be lighting up selected landmarks around Metro Manila in pink “as a reminder to make the breast self-exam a habit.”
Beginning Oct. 20, Avon Philippines will be lighting the Quezon City Memorial Circle in pink. Other landmarks include: SM MOA Globe, the PET Plans Building, Eton Centris, St. Francis Square, Manila City Hall, and the Philippine General Hospital.
“In the future, Avon hopes to bring the project to even more areas across the country,” Mr. Diratian wrote.
As a fund-raising effort, company is also releasing a limited edition Live, Love, Laugh Necklace for women fighting breast cancer. Part of the proceeds will go to the Avon Breast Cancer Fund for the maintenance of the Avon-Philippine General Hospital Breast Care Center. The center provides free breast health guidance, consultations, and check-ups to about 150 women a day.
“Our efforts over the years have allowed us to build the Avon-PGH Breast Care Center, which offers assistance and guidance to approximately 150 women per day. Our efforts benefit the patients here, as well as allows us to do regular breast cancer sessions with survivors to provide support and care. During last year’s Pink Minute campaign, we started a Pink Minute Hotline so that people could talk to someone in case they had any questions or concerns about their breast self-exam. In less than a month, we received over 200 calls from women,” Mr. Diratian wrote.
“Avon Philippines remains committed to the cause of spreading awareness about breast cancer in the future, with the goal to reach 100 million women every year and make sure they all know the risks, signs, and ways to take action when it comes to this disease,” he added.
BREAST CANCER REGISTRY
According to Victor K. Gozali, M.D., president of the Philippine Breast Cancer Society, Inc. (PBCS) — an organization of medical professionals focused on serving breast cancer patients in the country — they aim to “give awareness and expand the noise about breast cancer.”
The organization conducts regular forums and has specialists travel to various cities in the country to talk about breast cancer.
In an interview with BusinessWorld shortly after the Pink Ribbon Day program on Oct. 2 at SM North EDSA, Dr. Gozali said the organization plans to work with the Department of Health (DoH) in creating a comprehensive breast cancer data registry in the Philippines. The registry will be used to keep track of the cases of breast cancer.
PBSC also hopes to conduct further training and education for its doctors about standardized treatments.
Since 2017, the PBSC has collaborated with SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, in spreading their advocacy through the Pink Ribbon Day when it conducts free breast examinations and consultations.
To catch the disease earlier, Dr. Gozali, urges patients to go through a mammogram. “The purpose of mammography is to detect non-palpable breast tissues,” he said.
ADVANCEMENTS IN DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Dr. Mark Richard C. Kho, vice-president for Medical Service Operation at the Manila Doctors Hospital, stressed the importance of getting regular mammographs for early detection.
During the launch of the new Mammomat Revelation system, Dr. Kho told the press that women at the age of 40 are advised to start undergoing regular mammography. Women aged 45 to 54 are advised to have it annually, while women at 55 and above should undergo it once every two years.
This month, the Manila Doctors Hospital acquired the new Mammomat Revelation HD Breast Tomosynthesis system from Siemens Healthineers. With a 50-degree wide-angle, the system provides 3.5 times higher depth resolution compared to narrow-angle resolutions. It is built with PRIME Technology which reduces radiation dose “up to 30% without compromising image quality.” The system also provides ease during examinations due to its soft compression feature.
“The machine offers better imaging of the breast, giving a better visualization of the hidden breast masses that were not delineated in conventional mammography and with essentially the same amount of radiation dose or even less,” Dr. Manuel Tuazon, vice-chairman for the Department of Radiology at Manila Doctors Hospital told the press.
“The machine also allows the user to provide better outcome of the biopsies of the suspicious breast masses due to the superior localization of lesions compared to the previous mammography.”
Elizabeth de Guzman-Dantes, Manila Doctors Hospital president, said that the cost of the treatment is comparable to the conventional mammogram.
In August, Siemens Healthineers launched a radiotherapy system at St. Luke’s Medical Center — Global City called the TrueBeamTM Radiotherapy System, created by Varian Medical Systems. The machine treats cancer with 60% faster image-guided radiotherapy. Compared to previous treatments that may last for 15 minutes, the system allows the patient to lie still for two minutes, giving the patient less exposure to radiation.
CONQUERING THE FIGHT
Alya Honasan, Maritoni Fernandez, and Tony Abad emphasized the importance of undergoing mammography and said that being diagnosed with breast cancer does not hinder one from keeping a positive mind-set and living a healthy lifestyle.
“It will save your life, money, and effort. Don’t be stubborn to get yourself checked and get your regular mammogram,” Ms. Honasan said, talking about the importance of early detection. “Take care of your body. Take care of what you eat, and half the battle is won.”
It has been five years since Ms. Honasan survived breast cancer and she is an active member of the ICanServe Foundation, a breast cancer support network.
For Ms. Abad, it is important to be vigilant. “Huwag natin isipin na, ‘hindi naman ako tatamaan.’ Hindi natin alam ang buhay (Let us not think ‘I will not get it.’ We do not know what will happen in life).” Ms. Abad has been cancer free for 12 years.
Ms. Fernandez also stressed the importance of putting yourself first. “Put checkups first before anything else,” she said. “Kung hindi ka magiging medyo selfish, lahat ng mahal mo kawawa (If you are not slightly selfish, your loved ones will suffer),” adding that our loved ones depend on us too.
During one of her treatments, Ms. Fernandez’s doctor shared encouraging words. She was told that, “Of all the cancers to get, breast cancer is probably the best one because a breast is removable,” she recalled.
In a mixture of English and Filipino, she added, “When you have [breast] cancer, it is such a relief to know that removing one’s breast gives you a chance to survive.”
Ms. Fernandez will be 18 years cancer free in November.

Breast Cancer Facts

• THE PHILIPPINES is at the center of the battle against breast cancer. Several reports show that the country has the highest incidence rate in Asia and is among the top 10 countries with the most cases of breast cancer. The disease is so common that one of every 13 Filipino women are expected to develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
• Breast cancer is a preventable and curable disease. The number of breast cancer survivors is steadily increasing worldwide because of better disease awareness and the practice of regular screening that helps detect the disease at an earlier, thereby, more curable stage.
• The most common sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast. In addition, check for nipple discharge or redness, breast or nipple pain and swelling of part of the breast or dimpling.
• Women who start their menstrual cycle at a younger age (before 12) or go through menopause later (after 55) have a slightly increased risk of developing breast cancer.
• Having no children or the first child after age 30 increases the risk of breast cancer.
• Breast-feeding for one-and-a-half to two years might slightly lower the risk of breast cancer.
• Being overweight increases the risk of breast cancer.
• Use of oral contraceptives in the last 10 years increases the risk of breast cancer.
• Using combined hormone therapy after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer.
• Alcohol use increases the risk of breast cancer, and this seems to be proportional to the amount of alcohol used.
• Research suggests that long-term smoking is associated with increased risk of breast cancer in some women.
• Exercise may lower the risk of breast cancer.
• Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of regular health exams by a health care professional about every three years, and every year for women 40 years of age and over. Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year and should continue to do so as long as they are in good health. — Philippine Society of Medical Oncology

UPS My Choice service introduced in PHL

UPS has expanded its package-delivery management service UPS My Choice to 96 countries and territories, including the Philippines.
In a statement, UPS said the service will be introduced in 13 markets in Asia Pacific, including Australia, China, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
UPS said this was the biggest expansion since UPS My Choice was launched seven years ago. Membership in UPS My Choice has surpassed the 52-million mark worldwide.
“For consumers globally and in the Philippines, the growing demand for convenience and customization are top priorities when it comes to online shopping,” Chris Buono, managing director of UPS Philippines, was quoted as saying in a statement.
“With the UPS My Choice Expansion, businesses and individual customers alike can expect greater control over home deliveries, with planned deliveries that fit their schedule. Through consistent and accurate updates on delivery status, UPS My Choice makes the delivery process even simpler — a plus for today’s busy shoppers,” he added.
UPS My Choice users can receive e-mail and text notifications that the package is on its way, a day before delivery alert and a delivery notification. In some countries and territories where there is an option to make changes in delivery, users can also route packages to another address, opt to hold the delivery, or reschedule for delivery on another day.

GE to pay penalty if it falls short of French job pledges, ministry says

PARIS — General Electric’s new CEO told France’s finance minister on Wednesday that it would stick to his predecessor’s French job pledges or pay a penalty, the Finance Ministry said.
The US conglomerate had committed to creating 1,000 net new jobs by the end of this year when it bought French group Alstom’s energy business in 2015.
Former CEO John Flannery warned French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire in June that the target was “out of reach”, and the government raised the possibility of fines worth 50,000 euros ($57,570) for each job not created.
GE’s new CEO Larry Culp, who took up his post at the start of the month, told Le Maire in a meeting on Wednesday that France remained a strategic country for the company, the ministry said in statement.
“He (Culp) assured him (Le Maire) that General Electric would respect its contractual commitments with the French state,” the ministry said in a statement.
“In particular, GE will pay a penalty of 50 million euros in case the 1,000 net jobs planned are not created.”
Proceeds from the penalty would be used to support jobs and economic activity in the affected regions, the statement said. — Reuters

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