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Mapua defeats San Sebastian, shares NCAA lead

MAPUA CARDINALS

By Joey Villar

WARREN Bonifacio delivered one of his best performances to date and carried Mapua to a 65-59 victory over San Sebastian and straight to a share of the lead with league powerhouses Letran and San Beda in the 97th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball tournament at the La Salle Greenhills Gym on Tuesday.

Mr. Bonifacio banged his way to his season-highs 16 points and 14 rebounds and topped it with a steal and a block to power the Cardinals to their third straight win and back on top alongside the Knights and the Lions.

The San Simon, Pampanga native was unstoppable inside as he made eight of the 12 shots he took, mostly coming in the key runs bridging the middle quarters that turned things around in Mapua’s favor.

“We just played good defense and we communicated well,” said Mr. Bonifacio, who also instrumental in his team’s 73-67 win over Emilio Aguinaldo College last March 27 and a 59-56 triumph over Jose Rizal University on Friday.

Brian Lacap chipped in 14 points while Paolo Hernandez scattered 12 including a booming three-pointer late that doused cold water on the Stags’ rally.

It was another impressive performance by a Mapua team that didn’t get much pre-season hype compared to the heavily favored Letran, the defending champion, and San Beda, the runner-up three years ago.

“Honestly, we didn’t expect to start 3-0,” said Mapua coach Randy Alcantara. “But the players were hardworking and did what they we told them to do. They’re also fearless and played strong in the endgame.”

And Mapua will have a chance to achieve more as it hopes to pull the rug from under Letran on Friday.

“They’re stronger, bigger and taller than us but we’ll try to find ways to beat them in other aspects,” said Mr. Alcantara.

The Stags fell to 1-2.

The scores

Mapua 65 – Bonifacio 16, Lacap 14, Hernandez 12, Nocum 8, Mercado 6, Pido 4, Garcia 2, Agustin 2, Milan 1, Sual 0.

SSC 59 – Calma 10, Altamirano 10, Calahat 8, Villapando 8, Sumoda 6, dela Cruz 6, Cosari 6, Are 2, Shanoda 2, Felebrico 1, Una 0, Desoyo 0, Loristo 0, Abarquez 0, Gabat 0.

Quarterscores: 7-12; 29-23; 53-41; 65-59.

SLMC adds 300 parking slots, outpatient facilities

DR. ARTURO S. DELA PEÑA, President and CEO of St. Luke’s Medical Center — FACEBOOK/@STLUKESPH

ST. LUKE’S Medical Center-Quezon City (SLMC-QC) completed on March 29 the first phase of its three-phase redevelopment plan, which involved the construction of a five-story parking structure with a roof deck, a hemodialysis unit, outpatient department (OPD) clinics, and outpatient operating rooms.  

The multi-level 14,000-square-meter structure provides more than 300 parking slots to augment existing parking facilities within the compound.   

“Phase 1 of the redevelopment plan aims to improve the quality of healthcare to SLMC-QC patients by addressing areas of improvement and building on our strengths,” Dr. Arturo S. De La Peña, SLMC president, said at the topping off ceremony. “Through this initiative, our patients will benefit from new and enhanced facilities that will cater to their needs.”  

SLMC declined to comment on the total cost of Phase 1.   

Phase 2, scheduled for completion in 2023, entails constructing house operation-related facilities, including a pharmacy, a sterile supply warehouse, and SLMC offices for nursing and engineering.  

Phase 3, scheduled for completion in 2025, consists of a new hospital building with healthcare facilities for various specialties, including nuclear medicine, oncology, and cardiology. It will also house the Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Main Operating Room Complex, and ancillary and diagnostic services.  

“While we celebrate this milestone in SLMC-QC’s history, we know we can do much better through implementing our upcoming two redevelopment plans,” said Dr. De La Peña. “This is why we ask for support from all our stakeholders as we create a better patient-centered experience that SLMC-QC can provide.” — Patricia B. Mirasol

Gov’t partially awards fresh 3-year bonds

BW FILE PHOTO

THE GOVERNMENT partially awarded the fresh Treasury bonds (T-bonds) it offered on Tuesday as investors asked for higher yields in anticipation of a central bank hike in the second half.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) raised just P25.791 billion via the fresh three-year T-bonds it auctioned off on Tuesday, less than the programmed P35 billion, even as tenders reached P53.578 billion.

The debt papers were awarded at a coupon rate of 4.25%, 19.48 basis points higher than the 4.0552% quoted for the three-year debt at the secondary market before the auction, based on the PHP Bloomberg Valuation Reference Rates published on the Philippine Dealing System’s website. The BTr capped bids at 4.37%.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said in a Viber message to reporters that the government made a partial award of the papers as the market was defensive following data released on Tuesday, which showed headline inflation hit a six-month high in March.

Rising inflation could give the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) a reason to push through with its plan to begin dialing back its pandemic-driven easy monetary policy.

“The results of the auction were in line with expectations. The market continues to seek higher yields in anticipation of a rate hike by the BSP sooner rather than later,” a trader said in a Viber message.

A second trader said the coupon fetched for the three-year bond was within the expected range.

“It is understandable that the market was defensive especially as CPI (consumer price index) touches the high end of BSP’s target,” the second trader added.

Inflation rose to a six-month high in March as food, utilities, and transport costs increased amid a spike in global oil prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Preliminary data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority on Tuesday showed headline inflation hit 4% last month, faster than the 3% in February but slightly slower than the 4.1% print in March last year.

This matched the 4% print in October last year and is the fastest since the 4.2% inflation in September 2021. It also matched the 4% median in a BusinessWorld poll conducted last week and was near the upper end of the 3.3-4.1% forecast of the central bank for the month.

For the first quarter, inflation settled at 3.4%, within the BSP’s 2-4% target for the year.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno last week signaled the key policy rate could reach up to 2.75% by next year.

Following the release of March CPI data, Mr. Diokno said the BSP is ready to take preemptive action to anchor inflation expectations.

The central bank kept its key rate untouched for the 11th straight meeting last month despite warning that its inflation target might be breached this year due to surging global oil prices brought by the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The BTr wants to raise P200 billion from the local market in April, or P60 billion through Treasury bills and P140 billion via T-bonds.

The government borrows from domestic and external sources to help fund a budget deficit capped at 7.7% of gross domestic product this year. — Tobias Jared Tomas

Cebu Pacific says cash enough for next 18 months

BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific, operated by Cebu Air, Inc., said it has sufficient cash to support its operations for the next 18 months.

“As of March 30, 2022, the group has undertaken various financing activities intended to ensure availability of sufficient financial resources to enable the group to continue as a going concern,” Cebu Air said in its annual report.

“Its cash and cash equivalent balance of P18.14 billion as of Dec. 31, 2021 is sufficient to support the operations of the group for the next 18 months,” the airline group noted.

It expects to maintain cash and cash equivalents from internally generated cash flows, refund of pre-delivery payments on new aircraft to be subjected to sale and leaseback, and a P16-billion term loan facility with various banks for the next 12 months.

“Accordingly, management has assessed that the group will have sufficient financial resources to enable the group to continue as a going concern for at least the next twelve months from Dec. 31, 2021.”

The company incurred a net loss of P24.9 billion and 22.2 billion for 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The pandemic has “disrupted the business of the group in 2021 and 2020, resulting in significant deterioration of earnings and cashflows, and may continue to significantly disrupt the business activities of the group,” Cebu Air noted.

The airline company also said it will have 53 aircraft deliveries from this year to 2027.

“The additional aircraft will support the Airline group’s plans to increase frequency on current routes and to add new city pairs and destinations,” it added.

At the same time, the company expects to increase the number of its employees this year to 3,678 from 3,046 in 2021.

It aims to restore more than 100% of its pre-pandemic domestic capacity this month.

Cebu Air shares closed 0.63% lower at P47.50 apiece on Tuesday. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Turning the spotlight backstage

SCENES from the documentary Backstage Pass: Life Behind the Curtains. — FACEBOOK.COM/CULTURALCENTEROFTHEPHILIPPINES/

PERFORMANCES scheduled to be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) from March 16, 2020 to Oct. 2021 had to be postponed, canceled, or rescheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic. This displaced a significant number of artists, theater workers and technicians, carpenters, painters, and seamstresses.

While live shows were on hold, the CCP’s theater crew were reassigned to an intensive maintenance program, with some doing research and skills development, as well as designing and fabricating implements needed for their work.

The situation was captured in a short film documentary titled Backstage Pass: Life Behind the Curtains.

Produced in cooperation with Southern Lantern Studios and Daluyong Studios, the 30-minute short feature documentary on the theater crew’s backstage work is directed by award-winning indie filmmaker Joseph Mangat.

“My production team and I were clueless of the amount of work that goes in preparing the theater. Seeing firsthand the dedication and the skills of the theater crew was amazing. I was blown away by the way they work as a team and how in sync they are with one another. What I saw was like a performance and I wanted to showcase this in the documentary,” director Joseph Mangat told BusinessWorld in an e-mail.

The film highlights the back-of-house activities of the CCP theater crew in the lights, fly, and stage areas. It features veteran crew members who share their unique backstage stories, from when they were training until growing dedicated to their work. It also covers the theater crew’s tasks before production ingress, such as the rigging and focusing of lights, installing color filters, and rigging backdrops.

“Our intention was to create a cinematic documentary, a film that captures the artistry in their work and that would frame the theater crew at center stage. We wanted the work they did to be seen with as much care and thoughtfulness, similar to how one would watch a dance or stage performance. Our hope that the audience appreciates the beauty and the craft of what goes on at the backstage,” he said.

According to CCP Production and Exhibition Department head Ariel Yonzon, the CCP intends to make more short documentaries featuring other aspects of backstage work such as costumes, drafting, set construction, props, and front of house.

Backstage Pass: Life Behind the Curtains can be viewed at CCP’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/culturalcenterofthephilippines/videos/392815808986710. Michelle Anne P. Soliman

La Salle tames Santo Tomas; UP barely beats Adamson

UAAP

By John Bryan Ulanday

LA SALLE got back on track while University of the Philippines (UP) gutted out a close one for its fourth straight win to stay gridlocked in joint second place in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Green Archers tamed the Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 75-66, behind Justine Baltazar’s 20 points as rookie Zavier Lucero erupted for a similar output in the Fighting Maroons’ 73-71 escape act over the Adamson Soaring Falcons with fans in attendance for the first time.

Both squads improved to 4-1, paving the way for a crucial tussle tomorrow with a solo second spot at stake nearing the end of the first round.

“It’s very important for us to bounce back coming off a loss against Ateneo. That’s the thing I told the boys. We had to bounce back hard and take care of business,” said coach Derrick Pumaren after absorbing its lone defeat at the hands of unbeaten Ateneo last weekend, 74-57.

With Mark Nonoy struggling for just three points on a dismal one-of-six shooting against his former team, Kurt Lojera (15) and Emmanuel Galman (13) stepped up as La Salle banked on a 42-27 half time start heading home.

For the Fighting Maroons, Malick Diouf hauled down 16 points and 15 rebounds while Carl Tamayo and Ricci Rivero had 11 and 10 markers, respectively, to backstop Mr. Lucero in their near meltdown.

UP actually stared at a cold start, trailing by 11 in the opening salvo, before slowly but surely seizing the driver seat highlighted by a fourth quarter rally to erect a 73-66 cushion in the last two minutes.

Adamson, however, answered right away to threaten at 71-73 with a chance to snatch the match after Mr. Rivero’s missed triple but Jerom Lastimosa buffed a potential game-winning trey of his own at the horn.

“A win is a win but after this game, we definitely need to work on our defense. We had many lapses a while ago. Going forward to our next game, we want to look at that part,” said UP mentor Goldwin Monteverde.

Joshua Fontanilla (20) led the way for the Growling Tigers, whose two-game streak ended to fall at 2-3 while Lastimosa had 18 in the Soaring Falcons’ third consecutive defeat to slip at 1-4.

The Scores:

First Game

LA SALLE 75 – Baltazar 20, Lojera 15, Galman 13, M. Phillips 8, Nelle 4, Austria 4, B. Phillips 4, Nonoy 3, Winston 2, Nwankwo 0.

UST 66 – Fontanilla 20, Cabanero 20, Manaytay 9, Santos 9, Concepcion 4, Ando 2, M. Pangilinan 2, Garing 0, Manalang 0, Mantua 0, Herrera 0, Yongco 0, Gomez de Liaño 0.

Quarterscores: 23-16, 42-27, 61-44, 75-66.

Second Game

UP 73 – Lucero 20, Diouf 16, Tamayo 11, Rivero 10, Cansino 9, Cagulangan 3, Spencer 2, Abadiano 2, Fortea 0, Alarcon 0, Catapusan 0.

ADAMSON 71 – Lastimosa 18, Douanga 16, Zaldivar 14, Colonia 4, Magbuhos 4, Manzano 4, Hanapi 3, Sabandal 3, Jaymalin 3, Yerro 2, Barasi 0, Erolon 0.

Quarterscores: 13-22, 39-39, 55-53, 73-71.

Government should provide free medicines — survey

PIXABAY

MAJORITY of Filipinos believe it is the government’s responsibility to provide free medicines to patients who need them, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) national survey. 

Commissioned by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), the survey showed that 78% said that the government “should definitely” provide free medicines, with another 17% saying it “should probably” do so. 

The study also found that medications topped recuperation expenses, followed by payments for laboratory tests and doctor’s fees. 

“In a national average ranking of four items, expenses for medicines was also found to be the most burdensome hospital expense,” said Gerardo A. Sandoval, SWS vice-president and director for survey design, analysis, and training, at a March 31 press conference detailing the survey results.  

This result was consistent except in the National Capital Region, which cited laboratory tests as the most burdensome expense; among ABC classes, which cited doctor’s fees.   

TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN 
The issue of medicines and government are two sides of the same coin, said Dr. Manuel M. Dayrit, former Health Secretary and professor at the Ateneo School of Medicine in Public Health.  

“The main issues are accessibility and affordability,” he said. “One of the biggest appreciated interventions is having medicines available at Rural Health Units (RHUs), where many patients go for consultation.”  

To frame the issue, Dr. Dayrit pointed out that 11% of the population — or about 400,000 patients a day — were recorded as having visited a public health facility in 2013.   

“Now think about the growing percentage of [those with] hypertension and diabetes who have to take maintenance medicines every day,” he added, citing 2011 research from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies that found 59% of the expenses of the poorest households were spent on medicines.   

Price caps are not the answer to the problem, according to Dr. Beaver R. Tamesis, chairman emeritus for PHAP.  

“Studies have documented that these price caps do not achieve the desired outcome, [which is] improving access,” he said, citing Maximum Drug Retail price research from 2009 and 2020 that instead showed a reduction of manufacturer sales. “This may have implications in the viability of the manufacturers’ presence in the country.”  

The present administration, for its part, revived Botika ng Bayan, now called FOURmula One Plus Botika ng Bayan. It also has a free medicine program for indigents, as well as a flagship primary care program under the Universal Health Care (UHC) program called Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama, or PhilHealth KonSulTa.   

Under KonSulTa, members of the state-run insurance firm PhilHealth can register for expanded primary care benefits by registering to an accredited facility of choice. Registered members can avail of consultation and referral services, laboratory examinations, and select medicines.  

“We provide nine types of drugs for infectious diseases,” said Dr. Israel A. Pargas, PhilHealth’s senior vice-president for UHC policy development. “We also provide six to seven types of antibiotics, and five types of antihypertensives — all for free.”   

Since being implemented in July 2021, KonSulTa has benefited 200,000 individuals through its network of 145 public and 14 private healthcare providers.  

“Everyone is eligible, but there are procedures,” said Dr. Pargas.   

Dr. Dayrit noted that the survey didn’t cover how people coped without medicines — usually through self-care, alternative remedies, and the like.  

The issue of prevention, while very important, is not top of mind,” he said. “What people remember is what they need to do when an emergency hits. When an emergency hits, they want somebody — government — to be behind them.”   

The survey was conducted Dec. 12–16, 2021, through face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults nationwide. — Patricia B. Mirasol

PHL banks’ ratings to see ‘medium impact’ from Russia-Ukraine war

PHILIPPINE BANKS’ credit ratings may see “medium impact” from the war in Ukraine as they already have a negative outlook, Fitch Ratings said.   

“Notably, there are a higher number of banks in India and the Philippines (‘3’) with Negative Outlooks, mirroring the sovereign,” Fitch said in a note on Tuesday.

“As their issuer default ratings (IDRs) are underpinned by sovereign support, a sovereign downgrade would lead to downgrades for the respective banks’ IDRs,” it added.

Fitch in February kept its negative outlook on the investment grade “BBB” rating of the Philippines. This means a rating downgrade could happen in the next 12 to 18 months.

The credit rater said the country’s medium-term growth trajectory faces uncertainties and hurdles to bringing down debt.

Its rating outlook on most banks in the Philippines are likewise at negative to mirror its assessment of the sovereign as their operating environment is expected to be affected by the economy’s downturn amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Fitch in July revised its outlook on rated local lenders to negative. These include state-led Land Bank of the Philippines (BBB) and Development Bank of the Philippines (BBB-), as well as private lenders Bank of the Philippine Islands (BBB-), Philippine National Bank (BB), BDO Unibank, Inc., (BBB-) and Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (BBB-).

Fitch said direct banking system exposure of Asia-Pacific financial institutions to Ukraine and Russia is generally less than 0.5% of total assets and is mostly concentrated in Japanese banks. This means their exposure is unlikely to pose systemic risks.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier earlier said the local financial system’s exposure to Russia is only through the trust department of banks, which did not even reach 1% of the total assets under management of the Philippine banking system.

Tamma Febrian and Willie Tanoto, directors at the Asia-Pacific Financial Institutions of Fitch, said while local banks have limited direct exposures to the conflicted areas, lenders are likely to face “second-order effects on credit and market risks.”

“We expect such pressures to be manageable on the whole for the Philippines’ banking sector, as domestic interest rates remain at an all-time low and rate hikes are likely to be gradual,” they said in an e-mail.

Amid faster inflation due to the war and costlier input costs for businesses, the analysts said growth opportunities will likely be reduced but this is unlikely to drive a sharp increase in loan delinquencies.

“We believe the banks we rate have sufficient profitability and loss absorption capacities to withstand these headwinds under our base case,” they said. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

MacroAsia: Lufthansa Technik’s new hangar starts operation this month

MACROASIA Corp. said the new hangar of Lufthansa Technik Philippines, Inc. (LTP), its joint venture with Germany’s Lufthansa Technik AG, is expected to be operational this month.

The company also reported a net loss of P150.9 million for 2021, a significant decline from a loss of P1.8 billion a year earlier.

“LTP will complete its facility expansion program through a new multi-use hangar that will be fully constructed by Q1 (first quarter) 2022,” MacroAsia said in its annual report.

“This new hangar will be open for commercial operation by April 2022, providing additional base maintenance capacity for LTP,” it added.

The company said LTP’s maintenance volumes are expected to reach pre-pandemic levels this year.

“Foreign airline clients that have opted to delay their heavy maintenance programs in the midst of the pandemic starting 2020 have been recalling their stowed planes into service,” it noted.

LTP provides aircraft maintenance, repairs and overhaul services at various airports in the country, including Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Kalibo International Airport, and Puerto Princesa Airport, among others.

“The line maintenance business, which is essentially airport-flight driven will follow the airport volume growth in NAIA, Cebu, Clark, and Davao where LTP operates,” MacroAsia said.

The company noted that LTP has returned to profitability starting August last year.

LTP said last year that it was expecting to finish its $40-million hangar expansion project in Pasay City in February 2022. The new hangar will allow the company to service more aircraft including Airbus A380.

On its net loss last year, MacroAsia said: “The reversal of impairment provisions, together with the share in net earnings of an associate, principally resulted in the decline in reported loss in [2021].”

“The Infanta Nickel Mine generated advanced royalty receipts from a mining operator, justifying the reversal of impairment provision on deferred mine exploration costs amounting to P217 million,” it noted.

“With the agreement that was signed with this mine operator, it is expected that the nickel mine will operate soon, and is expected to provide recurring cash inflow through royalty payments.”

MacroAsia shares closed 0.35% lower at P5.72 apiece on Tuesday. — Arjay L. Balinbin

If introspection had a face

Encounter with Myself by Mr. S

CARTOONISH images of a little girl and a dinosaur, their bodies morphed together, are hung on pastel pink walls; at the other end of the gallery, the walls are painted gray and hung with acrylic paintings and watercolor portraits of a brooding young boy.

These are the works of Indonesian pop-surrealist artist Roby Dwi Antono and Filipino pop-surrealist Mr. S (a.k.a. Mark Jeffrey Santos) who are holding simultaneous solo exhibitions, “Intensity, Intimately” andReflections” by Mr. S, at  Galerie Stephanie.

‘INTENSITY, INTIMATELY’
Mr. Antono’s career accelerated after a major exhibit at the Art Fair Tokyo. According to his artist bio at Galerie Stephanie’s website, Mr. Antono’s works “evoke pulsating emotional depths, fusing the aesthetics of Surrealism and Classical Renaissance imagery to create a contemporary juxtaposition that’s all his own.” Since the artist’s Philippine debut in the gallery in 2016, Mr. Antono has been a mainstay on its roster. He has participated in Art Fair Tokyo (2016, 2018), Art Fair Philippines (2017, 2018), and the recent edition of Discovery Art Fair Frankfurt.

“Intensity, Intimately” is Mr. Antono’s second solo show, focusing on his inclination towards iconic Japanese characters such as the kaiju, a mythical creature similar to Godzilla. The artist presents the kaiju as a mythical creature with a child forming a “parasocial” relationship with TV characters.

Some of the works —  Us, We are There Together, Epic Battle and Lonesome Hero — were created using black and white oil pastels on canvas, while the child-like illustrations —  such as Hey You!, Don’t be Afraid, and An Asteroid Strike — were done with oil pastel.

‘REFLECTIONS’ BY MR. S
Mr. Santos had a career in video and film before exploring creative work as a visual artist in 2014. His works are described as “steeped in the world of fantasy” and “complete with a dreamlike environment and wide-eyed characters.” Since 2015, Mr. Santos has had four solo exhibitions, and has joined art fairs and group shows in the country and in Taiwan, China, and the United Kingdom.

In “Reflections,” Mr. Santos shows how the pressures of society affect the way we live, how we see ourselves, and how it contributes to our fears.

These messages are depicted through a young boy hiding his face with a mask and facing his inner demons up close. In works such as Encounter with Myself, Mirror Image, and Eye to Eye, the subject finds himself in conflict when trying to appease others.

Tayong mga tao, iniisip natin masyado yung opinions ng iba (We people tend to think too much about the opinions of others). Sometimes, when we want to do things, we are hindered by those said about us,” Mr. Santos told BusinessWorld at the exhibit’s launch on April 1.

Among his paintings, Mr. Santos favorite piece is Looking Down at My Demons, which he said was where he was able to accomplish incorporating the theory of light and how it behaves in its surroundings. In the painting, the subject holds a lamp and looks down and is confronted by his inner demon.

“…’yung naiisip natin is ’yung opinion sa sarili natin, kasi usually hindi naman ’yon ’yung iniisip nila. (What we often think of are our opinions about ourselves, because others usually do not have the thoughts that we assume they do),” Mr. Santos said.

Mr. Antono’s work showcasing popular TV and comic characters represent heroism and power and are juxtaposed with Mr. Santos’ use of Japanese iconography.

“Intensity, Intimately” andReflections” are on view until April 17 at Galerie Stephanie, on the 4th floor East Wing of Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong. For inquiries, e-mail inquiry.galeriestephanie@gmail.com or call 7940-5726. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

PHL will fare well in Hanoi despite pandemic — Fernandez

PHILIPPINE Southeast Asian Games chef de mission Ramon Fernandez has high hopes the country will fare well in the Hanoi meet set on May 12 to 23 despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

“All our athletes are ready,” said Mr. Fernandez, a Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) board member, in Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. “I think we prepared well even during the lockdown and some bubble training.”

The basketball legend said the PSC will fund all the members of the 987-strong delegation including 646 athletes who will try to defend the overall crown, if not, finish in the top three in biennial meet.

The country ran away with the overall title after harvesting 149 gold, 117 silver and 121 bronze medals.

Not all medalists though will get to return as host Vietnam has scrapped a lot of sports events where the Filipinos reigned supreme.

But Mr. Fernandez remained adamant that those who remained could duplicate their feat from last time.

“I’m really relying on our podium finishers from 2019 and I would like to believe several, if not all of them, could retain their gold medal and hopefully improve on the silver or bronze they won,” said Mr. Fernandez.

Mr. Fernandez said the first batch of athletes including those from football and kickboxing would leave on May 1 with some following suit the next few days.

The main bulk will fly to Hanoi on May 10, or a day after the national elections.

“Most of our national athletes can vote,” said Mr. Fernandez. — Joey Villar

DoH to pilot colorectal cancer screening program

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the country. Yet with early detection, colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers.  

This is why the Department of Health (DoH), in partnership with the World Health Organization, Philippine Society of Gastroenterology (PSG), and Philippine Society of Digestive Endoscopy, will pilot the National Colorectal Cancer Screening Program this year. 

To be implemented in line with Republic Act No. 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA), the screening program aims to reduce deaths due to colorectal cancer by promoting early detection through fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and colonoscopy.  

The pilot screening sites are Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Zamboanga City Medical Center, and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. 

“The DoH National Colorectal Cancer Screening Program will benefit the vulnerable population of Filipinos aged 50 years and older. Those who test positive with FIT should undergo a colonoscopy. The FIT kits will be provided for free while the cost of the colonoscopy can be covered by PhilHealth or our Malasakit Centers,” said Dr. Clarito U. Cairo, Jr., program manager of the National Integrated Cancer Control program, DoH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, at the opening ceremony of Philippine Digestive Health Week (PDHW) this March. 

PDHW and National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month are celebrated in March. 

FIT is a simple test that can be performed at home. Recommended yearly, it detects hidden blood in the stool, which can be an early sign of cancer. However, FIT cannot diagnose colorectal cancer. As such, individuals with positive FIT results should schedule a colonoscopy with a gastroenterologist.  

A colonoscopy is an exam in which a long, flexible tube (colonoscope) is inserted into the rectum. A tiny video camera at the tip of the tube allows the gastroenterologist to view the inside of the entire colon and rectum to check for changes or abnormalities. 

The UK National Health Service added that one is usually awake during a colonoscopy, and medicine will be offered to make the person going through the test more comfortable. 

“Polyps are abnormal tissue growths in the colon and rectum. While most are benign or harmless, some polyps can become cancerous. It takes many years for polyps to develop into colorectal cancer, which provides an opportunity for cancer prevention through polypectomy during colonoscopy. The gastroenterologist can safely remove polyps which are sent for histopathologic analysis to confirm whether these are cancerous or have the potential to transform into cancer,” said internist-gastroenterologist Dr. Dulcinea Balce-Santos, PSG public relations officer. 

She added that repeat colonoscopy for surveillance of polyp recurrence is recommended based on the findings of the initial colonoscopy. Regular screening through FIT and colonoscopy are powerful tools in the prevention, early detection, and treatment of early-stage colorectal cancer. 

Dr. Balce-Santos stressed that individuals can lower their risk for colorectal cancer by maintaining a healthy weight; engaging in regular physical activity; eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and low in red and processed meats; and refraining from drinking alcohol and cigarette smoking.

 

Teodoro B. Padilla is the executive director of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), which represents the biopharmaceutical medicines and vaccines industry in the country. Its members are at the forefront of research and development efforts for COVID-19 and other diseases that affect Filipinos.