Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 5363

Alex Eala scores back-to-back wins in qualifying stage

FILIPINO TENNIS ACE ALEX EALA — BW FILE PHOTO

ALEX M. Eala moved closer to barging into the main draw of the W25 Manacor after registering back-to-back wins in the qualifying phase at the Rafael Nadal Academy (RNA) in Spain.

Playing in her first event this year, the Filipina ace made short work of Slovenia’s Ella Hojnik, 6-1, 6-1, over the weekend before beating Mia Chudejová of Slovakia with a gritty 7-6, 6-3 victory late on Monday night.

Ms. Eala was to play France’s Alice Rame in the finale for a shot at entering the main draw, where a number of top-400 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) players are already seeded.

Ranked No. 526 in the latest WTA list this week, Ms. Eala looms as a heavy underdog against the 24-year-old French hotshot listed at No. 375 in the world rankings.

Ms. Rame proved that caliber with easy wins over Germany’s Stella Jurina, 6-2, 6-2, and Italy’s Margherita Viglietti, 6-0, 6-0. But the 16-year-old Ms. Eala is unfazed by the challenge with a mission to make a run for her second title in the women’s professional circuit.

Ms. Eala last year ruled the W15 Manacor for her breakthrough pro championship also held in RNA where she is a scholar. — John Bryan Ulanday

China Telecom’s PHL venture wants to double subscribers

JACKSON DAVID/UNSPLASH

CHINA Telecommunications Corp.’s Philippine venture may double its subscribers this year to reach a target to secure a third of the nation’s communications market as early as 2024.

Subscribers of DITO Telecommunity Corp., which began operations in March, may climb to about 10 million from 5.3 million at the end of last year as the company expands network coverage, according to majority stakeholder DITO CME Holdings Corp.

The company predicts it can attract customers to its solely 4G and 5G network, and wants to avoid getting into a price war with larger domestic rivals Globe Telecom, Inc. and PLDT, Inc., DITO CME President Eric Alberto said in an interview.

“Everyone who needs a mobile phone already has one,” Mr. Alberto said. “We’re just upgrading to a more sophisticated digital capability.”

The company reaffirmed a goal to reach 30% market share, with Mr. Alberto forecasting that could be achieved in 2024 when its network coverage rises to more than 80% of the population from 52.8% last year.

DITO CME, which is undergoing a stock rights offer, is “down to the final stretch” of securing long-term credit to fund a $5-billion five-year investment commitment to build its network, Joseph John Ong, chief finance officer, said.

The company and China Telecom, which holds 40% of DITO Telecommunity, will guarantee the debt based on their stakes in the unit.

The telecom venture may take three to five years to be profitable, Mr. Alberto said. Other units such as marketing firm Global Acuity and analytics solutions provider Unalytics may take less time to make significant earnings contributions compared to rival telecoms’ businesses, he said. — Bloomberg

A new level of vaccine innovation

FREEPIK

With the widespread impact of the various variants of concern, including Omicron, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to assess the strain composition of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, and urges vaccine manufacturers to generate data on the breadth and magnitude of immune response for monovalent and multivalent vaccines. 

In an interim statement released last week, the WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition said that COVID-19 vaccines that have high impact on prevention of infection and transmission as well as the prevention of severe disease and death are needed and should be developed. The global health agency added that until such vaccines are available, “the composition of current COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide WHO-level recommended levels of protection against the various variants of concern.” 

Since the pandemic began, the WHO has named five variants of concern namely Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron. 

Member companies of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) are at the forefront of the global effort to develop safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine candidates of AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer (co-developed with BioNTech) were among the first to receive emergency use authorization (EUA) from regulatory authorities. 

With extensive knowledge on earlier variants, the industry is once again scanning their libraries of vaccines and treatments to determine if they could provide protection against Omicron. Vaccine developers have earlier announced efforts to specifically target Omicron. 

Most recent to announce its preliminary analysis was AstraZeneca which said that data from an ongoing trial showed increased antibody response against Delta, Alpha, and Gamma variants following a third dose of its vaccine. Another analysis of samples from the trial also showed higher antibody response to the Omicron variant. 

Johnson & Johnson, on Jan. 6, announced that its vaccine demonstrated durable protection against breakthrough infection, hospitalization, and admission in the Intensive Care Unit for up to six months. Preliminary data from another study also demonstrated 85% effectiveness for the homologous booster shot of Johnson & Johnson against COVID-19 related hospitalization in South Africa where Omicron was dominant. 

On Jan. 3, Pfizer-BioNTech also said that the US Food and Drug Administration expanded the EUA of a booster dose of its vaccine to include individuals 12 years old and older. It added that the reduction of time between the primary series from six months to five months is supported by real-world data from the Ministry of Health of Israel. 

On Dec. 20, 2021, Moderna said that its currently authorized booster increased neutralizing antibody levels against Omicron approximately 37-fold compared to pre-boost levels. 

Combined with public health and social measures such as wearing masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing, among others, these COVID-19 vaccines have been crucial in preventing severe sickness and deaths, and protecting the health system. 

On top of scaling up manufacturing to ensure equitable access to first-generation COVID-19 vaccines around the world, the research-based biopharmaceutical industry is working on new and next-generation vaccine candidates that could help address the pandemic. Vaccines are considered “next-generation” if these demonstrate an incremental improvement on the first-generation COVID-19 vaccines in terms of efficacy, affordability, and/or program feasibility (ease by which the vaccines are delivered into the arms of people around the world). 

Toward this end, vaccine manufacturers are working on the development of protein-based vaccines for COVID-19, and are exploring new or different adjuvants as well as new components for stronger immune protection against SARS-CoV-2. 

The challenge to the biopharmaceutical industry continues as the world seeks to end the pandemic at the soonest possible time. The approaches and options outlined by the WHO require consideration of continued development of a monovalent vaccine that elicits an immune response against the predominant circulating variant. Another option, the WHO said, is the development of a multivalent vaccine containing antigens from different variants of concern. The ultimate challenge is the development of a pan SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that would be variant-proof. 

The development of any such vaccines is not an easy task, and one which requires a new level of innovation and collaboration of the global scientific community. 

  

Teodoro B. Padilla is the executive director of the 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.

Arts & Culture (01/19/22)

FACEBOOK.COM/WATCH/METPHOFFICIAL/

Ballet Philippines at the MET online

THE METROPOLITAN Theater kicks off 2022 with a performance by Ballet Philippines for the Tuloy ang Palabas sa MET online series. Part 1 of the performance is the Grand Pas from the ballet Paquita, choreographed by Marius Petipa and restaged by Ballet Philippines’ Artistic Director Mikhail Martynyuk, to music by Ludwig Minkus. Part 2 features Bolero, choreographed by Mr. Martynyuk to music by Maurice Ravel. To watch, visit  www.facebook.com/METphOfficial/videos/459180519245584.

On the Job: The Missing 8 CCP screening moved

DUE to the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases and in consideration of the safety of the audience, the third and final installment of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) film series WAGI! Celebration of Filipino Excellence has been moved to February. The Philippine premiere of Erik Matti’s On the Job: The Missing 8 will now be held on Feb. 18, 5 p.m., at the CCP Main Theater. On the Job: The Missing 8 is presented by the CCP in cooperation with the Asian Cultural Council Philippines Foundation, Reality MM Studios, and Globe Studios. There will be a post-screening talkback with special guests. Tickets cost P300 at the CCP Box Office (contact 8832-3704) and will soon be available on Ticketworld (0917-550-6997, 0999-954-5922, and www.ticketworld.com.ph). For more information, visit the CCP Facebook page.

Villamiel exhibit at Mo_Space

“I Wish For Peace,” an exhibit of works by Oca Villamiel, opens Jan. 22 and runs until Feb. 20 at Mo_Space gallery. Open for public viewing starting Jan. 22, Saturday, at 10 a.m., Villamiel’s solo exhibition harnesses the quiet power of invocation as the new year begins on a somber note. In this new series of mixed media works, he gathers and frames hundreds of white paper birds, carefully crafted from silk, handmade paper, and book pages. The resulting works distill labor, prayer, and yearning for respite and redemption. The gallery, found at the 3rd level, MOs Design, B2 Bonifacio High Street 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, is open daily except Mondays, from 10 am to 7 pm.

Cecile Licad holds online concert

MEGAWORLD and Rustan’s present an online musical performance by the pianist Cecile Licad in a concert called Amore: A Post-Valentine Hour with Cecile Licad in New York. Presented for the benefit of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Society, Inc. (PPOSI), the online show will broadcast via Zoom on Feb. 22, 5 p.m. Interwoven with an interview by fellow pianist David Dubal, the fund-raising event headlines a passion-filled repertoire performed by Ms. Licad, including classics beloved from generation to generation. Filmed in the ballroom of the Lotos Club in New York City, the hour-and-a-half virtual show opens with Frederic Chopin’s Études Op.10 No.3 in E major or “Farewell L’ Adieu.” This is followed by Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor, more popularly known as “Moonlight Sonata.” Moving to the refined melodies of the third piece with Sergie Rachmaninoff’s Prelude op.32 No. 8 in a Minor, Prelude op.23 No.6 in E Flat Major, and Prelude op.23 No.5 in G Minor. The second half of the performance showcases Frederic Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, followed by “Soul’s Lament” (“Hibik sa Diwa”) by Filipino composer Francisco Buencamino, and climaxing with the Ballade No. 1 in G Minor by Frederic Chopin. Tickets are P1,500 each or buy 10 and get two complimentary passes. For details contact Lulu Casas (0917-570-8301 / lgcasas@rgoc.com.ph) or Maricar Alamodin (0917-538-4508 / esalamodin@rgoc.com.ph), or visit https://bit.ly/3I6r2Qy.

New episode of Muni-Muni Stories up

THE THIRD episode of the second season of the Muni-Muni Stories podcast is now available on Spotify. Episode 3 features Jazz Nicolas of the Itchyworms and Ciudad’s Mikey Amistoso, Cinemalaya 2012 awardees for Film Scoring, discussing their favorites in the soundtrack of the 2012 film Ang Nawawala. Flowing through the music of Ang Nawawala is the process of healing and reconciliation the family depicted is experiencing. Longtime creative partners, Nicolas and Amistoso reflect on their artistic process and current music scoring projects. Their soundtrack for Ang Nawawala also recalls the story of musicians in a bygone era. They reminisce on closed music spots like route 916 and b-side, all captured in the film. They draw insights formed with the director Marie Jamora, on soundtracking as storytelling. Coming soon is Episode 4 in which Alvin Yapan, Jema Pamintuan and Ada Tayao discuss the music of the 2011 film Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa. Also in the line-up are Glaiza De Castro, Antoinette Jadaone, UDD’s Armi Millare, JP Habac, and more guests. Muni-Muni Stories Season 2 is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and other podcast streaming platforms. Filipinas Heritage Library and Podcast Network Asia can also be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more updates.

Booksale is now online

THE CUT-PRICE book store chain Booksale is now online via Booksale Digital at https://www.facebook.com/officialbooksalepage/. Payments can be made via GCash for books for delivery and pick up, and via in-store payments for orders that will be picked up. Unpaid book orders will only be reserved for three days. Services are currently available only within Metro Manila. To order, visit https://bit.ly/BooksaleDigitalOrder. For inquiries, visit https://bit.ly/BooksaleDigitalFAQ.

New ebooks available in Benilde virtual library

A SIZABLE collection of over 19,700 materials from Wiley, the global leader in publication, education and research, have recently been added to the expanding virtual library of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. The institution’s Br. Fidelis Leddy Center for Learning Resources now carries new digital textbooks that cover diverse disciplines, to include Mathematics and Statistics, Life and Earth Science, Food Science, Health and Medical Science, Psychology and Psychiatry, Veterinary Medicine, Chemistry, Physics and Biology. The wide array of selections also features in-demand and industry relevant subjects on the fields of Computer Science and Technology, Emergency Management, Business, Finance, Engineering and Education. It likewise has the latest editions to the leading titles in Hospitality and Culinary, Graphic Design, Architecture and Interior Design, Social Sciences, Humanities and World Languages, among many others. The growing online database includes exclusive access over 24 million free-to-download e-books, journals, references, collections and industry reports and datasets from reputable agencies, plus another 1.5 million free-to-lend sources from Internet Archive’s online library.

Philippines pulls out of Uzbekistan boxing tourney due to virus scare

THE Philippines will no longer be participating in the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) Asian Under-22 Men and Women Championships slated for Jan. 20-30 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) scare.

“We withdrew from the tournament. Too risky. A lot of other countries have also pulled out,” said Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Ed Picson on Tuesday.

Mark Lester Durens, Ernie Garcia, Junmilardo Ogayre, Jere Samuel dela Cruz, John Paul Panuayan, Marjon Pianar, Mary I.C. Sinadjan and Maricel dela Torre were scheduled to leave the country today if not for the last-minute withdrawal.

ABAP secretary-general Marcus Manalo would have been the head of delegation.

It was a heartbreaking development for the young pugs, who have set aside their Christmas vacation and focused on their preparation for the 11-day Tashkent meet.

The team will be back to training camp along with the rest of the national squad training for the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games set on May 12-25. — Joey Villar

COVID-19 home care and telemedicine programs  

By Patricia B. Mirasol 

Many of the active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country consist of individuals with mild symptoms, which can be managed at home.   

Of the 290,938 COVID-19 cases recorded in the country on Jan. 17, 277,020 (or 95.2%) are mild, meaning these patients experience fever, colds, cough, body pains, headache, and/or sore throat. 

Below is a list of healthcare providers offering home care and telemedicine services for COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms.  

ONLINE 

Go2Health’s COVID-19 Home Intervention for Immune System Strength and Support program is anchored on the Functional Medicine approach and has the following components:   

    • Comprehensive analysis of medical data and history   
    • One-hour online initial consultation   
    • Daily SMS checklist monitoring to reassess progression or resolution   
    • Two-week menu plan designed to contain all micronutrients, macronutrients and phytonutrients to boost immunity   
    • Customized nutrient supplementation for immune resiliency for two to four weeks  
    • Diagnostic recommendations 
    • Functional nutrition physical examination (through submitted photos)   
    • Access to functional medicine doctors, nutritionists and health coaches  

Functional medicine is a form of alternative medicine that determines how and why an illness occurs. It restores health by addressing the root causes of a disease.   

“By addressing the root cause, rather than the symptoms, practitioners become oriented to identifying the complexity of disease. They may find one condition has many different causes and, likewise, one cause may result in many different conditions,” said Rodel A. Lumbo, chief financial officer and chief operations officer of Go2Health, Inc., in an e-mail.  

Go2Health accepts COVID-19 positive asymptomatic patients (with or without comorbidities), COVID-19 positive patients with mild symptoms, or post COVID-19 survivors (with or without co-morbidities) with residual symptoms.   

Because the service is remote, Go2Health has patients from various locations such as Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, Qatar, Dubai, and the US.   

“For COVID-19 patients, our program includes a personalized pack of nutraceuticals which we can ship anywhere within the Philippines,” added Mr. Lumbo. “For outside the country, we provide the prescription for the nutraceuticals which the patient can procure in their own location country.”  

MANILA  

COVID-19 teleconsult for kids (call 09479938210 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.)  

    • Home service lab works  
    • Drive-through lab works  
    • Outpatient imaging  

COVID-19 teleconsult for adults (call 09190653019 for Global City, or 09479938210 for Quezon City from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) Services are the same as for children, with the addition of medicine delivery. 

Post-COVID care clinic (call 09190653019 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) — offers multidisciplinary consultation for patients who have recovered from COVID-19 

    • Direct access to St. Luke’s consultants with a wide range of subspecialties 
    • Follow-up assessment and recovery care for lingering or long-term effects of COVID-19  
    • Drive-through and home service lab works 
    • Outpatient services and procedures.  

Care@Home (09985821357, 09985342768, 09999948594, or 0939919-7061; corpbusinessctr@stlukes.com.ph) assists companies in providing COVID-19-related care to employees. This program aims to provide immediate treatment for company employees experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. It includes teleconsultation, home service RT-PCR tests, home service lab works, and regular monitoring of health conditions. COVID-19 home care kits and medical clearances will also be provided to the patients.

MakatiMed@Home – a program for both COVID-19-related and non-COVID-19 related services, including:   

Diagnostic  

    • Blood tests or routine laboratory procedures (COVID-19 tests; basic laboratory tests like lipid profile and complete blood count; urinalysis and fecalysis)  
    • Electrocardiography (ECG)  
    • 24-hour blood pressure monitoring  

Therapeutic  

    • Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy 
    • Occupational therapy  
    • Physical therapy  

Others  

    • Pneumococcal and flu vaccination  
    • Home visit  
    • Medical and nursing management  

Outpatient COVID Care – allows patients to stay home while receiving Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) healthcare services through teleconsultation.  

Patient screening, monitoring, and guidance are done daily with a primary care physician. Laboratory procedures are done in the hospital through scheduling of the attending wellness staff. Patients outside Metro Manila can avail of the CSMC COVID Assist specifically for laboratory procedures.  

Packages:     

    • COVID Detect – offered to patients who have had previous exposure to a COVID-positive patient but are asymptomatic, and for patients with constitutional, respiratory, and gastro-constitutional symptoms with no RT-PCR nasal swab yet. Inclusions: RT-PCR swab test (via home service), two-day monitoring with a primary care physician via teleconsult, COVID support kit and medical certificate.  
    • COVID Support – offered to confirmed COVID-positive patients with mild symptoms. Inclusions: COVID-19 laboratory panel, chest X-Ray, 14-day monitoring with a primary care physician via teleconsult, COVID support kit, and medical certificate.   
    • Comprehensive COVID Support – offered to confirmed COVID-positive patients with moderate symptoms. Inclusions: COVID-19 laboratory panel, chest X-ray, chest CT scan, 14-day monitoring with a primary care physician via teleconsult, COVID support kit, and medical certificate.  

MANILA AND CEBU  

Clients can book COVID-19 services such as antigen nasal swab rapid tests, antigen nasopharyngeal rapid tests, RT-PCR, and COVID-19 antibody tests. Those whose test results are positive are given a free teleconsultation with a Zennya doctor, who can send a prescription, issue a medical certificate, and prescribe COVID-specific blood panel tests.   

After the quarantine period, another telehealth consultation is recommended to clear the patient from quarantine.  

Zennya also offers business-to-business COVID-19 services to corporate clients. These services are mass testing in offices, large scale COVID-19 vaccinations, and back-to-work services where employers can track symptoms, exposure, and risk levels of all employees.   

“Our app’s GPS trackers also allows for contact tracing among employees inside their offices,” said Gabrielle M. Floirendo, head of marketing of Zennya Health’s business strategy team, in an email. “We also have unique data regarding positivity rates for PCR and antigen tests, and heat maps showing areas where positivity rates are high based on our client’s results.”  

VISAYAS   

QualiMed Hospital Iloilo’s COVID-19 home care program, Covid Care Package, includes tests and medicines specifically tailored for mild to moderate cases of Covid-19 plus teleconsultation. The hospital said its hospital pharmacy is dispensing molnupiravir for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 cases.  

The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) set up the Cebu COVID-19 Telegabai in August 2021 to provide medical advice to people with COVID-19 concerns and integrate the different health systems responding to the COVID-19 response. Its Facebook page is manned by volunteer healthcare workers. 

“Patients may also access the services through cellphone hotlines because barangay captains have expressed that many of their constituents have no access to social media,” said Dr. Helen V. Madamba, chief implementer of the VSMMC COVID-19 health facility. 

An individual who is assessed by the platform’s medical specialists as being “COVID-19 suspect” is contacted by the team every day until the end of his/her quarantine or isolation period. This is to ensure that the patient’s symptoms do not progress and necessitate admission to isolation facilities or hospitals.   

The Cebu COVID-19 Telegabai was patterned after the Philippine General Hospital’s Telegabay and the Office of the Vice President’s e-Konsulta program. Filipinos outside of Cebu can also use the service. 

MINDANAO  

  • Davao Doctors Hospital (call the telemedicine hotlines at 09175045142 and 09175045143, or the COVID hotline on Viber at 09457068348)  

Davao Doctors Hospital (DDH) launched its COVID-19 Homecare in September 2021 upon approval from the city government.  

According to Leo Francis L. Silva, DDH assistant director for nursing services, the current increase in the demand associated with Omicron is felt with the number of enrollees that the hospital has.  

“However, we noticed that more patients now are experiencing mild symptoms and do not have worsening symptoms that indicate admission,” he added in an e-mail.  

Patients enrolled in the home care program are monitored at home by DDH’s homecare team, each with a designated attending physician, and assisted by a telemedicine nurse who does the daily monitoring of vital signs.   

“An adult patient shall be assigned with either a 5-day or 10-day monitoring period, depending on the doctor’s assessment,” said Asuncion Ramos-Alpas, team lead for the COVID-19 Homecare Project, in the same email. Pediatric patients can moreover avail between a three- to seven-day monitoring period based on their doctor’s preference.  

The program also offers a basic homecare kit with gadgets such as a thermometer and pulse oximeter, as well as a medicine delivery service.   

“For now, we are only accepting patients residing in Davao City,” Ms. Alpas said. All patients are managed by their designated referral centers, which in Davao is the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).   

“This means that, [if they are Davao City residents, and] should their condition require admission, they have an option to admit in DDH or SPMC,” she added. 

Manuel J. Santos Hospital (MJSH) has LabExpress, which offers home laboratory extractions (such as rapid antibody and rapid RT-PCR), and MedExpress, which delivers medicines to patients’ homes. Both are available for residents of Butuan City.  

“The LabExpress team normally start their day doing the regular and COVID-19 lab tests prescribed by attending physicians,” said Ralph Jones T. Ciencia, MJSH chief revenue officer, in an e-mail.  

Once the laboratory results come out, LabExpress links with MedExpress, and the prescribed medications are then delivered to patients’ homes via a third party. 

The hospital’s pharmacy updates its list of COVID-19 medicines for the needs of its admitted patients.

How PSEi member stocks performed — January 18, 2022

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Tuesday, January 18, 2022.

Philippines’ jobless rate to trend lower by 2023

THE International Labour Organization (ILO) projected Philippine unemployment numbers at 1.1 million in 2022, about 10% higher than pre-pandemic levels, but warned that unemployment data may undercount the extent to which people exited the work force during the public health crisis. Read the full story.

Philippines’ jobless rate to trend lower by 2023

Grid operator sees potential yellow alerts during elections

THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said on Tuesday that it expects power supplies to be thin during the dry season due to increased demand, possibly affecting the national elections in May.

The grid operator said in a statement that due to the unpredictability of outages, it cannot assure adequate supply even though its maintenance schedule planning scheme, known as the Grid Operating and Maintenance Program (GOMP), is showing no periods in which outages are expected.

The GOMP, which was approved by the Department of Energy (DoE) on Jan. 10, consolidates the preventive maintenance schedules of power plants, indicating how much power will be rendered inaccessible on the maintenance days.

“We have coordinated with the generation and distribution sectors so that we could optimize and rationalize our own maintenance schedules, to ensure sufficiency, at least on paper, of power supply throughout the year,” the NGCP said.

But while the GOMP gave no indication of thinning reserves, yellow alerts were raised over the Luzon grid this month after the power supply failed to meet the transmission grid’s regulating and contingency reserve minimums.

“On paper, there appears to be sufficient supply to meet demand; but the plan on paper, the GOMP, is not always followed. It is when there are unscheduled shutdowns and derations, and extensions of maintenance duration, that grid operations may be disrupted enough to warrant the issuance of a grid alert status,” the NGCP said.

According to the NGCP, the DoE forecast peak demand of 12,387 megawatts (MW) for Luzon to take place in the last week of May, 747 MW higher than the actual 2021 peak of 11,640 MW which occurred on May 28, 2021.

The Luzon grid peaked at 11,344 MW on June 21, 2019 and 11,103 MW on March 1, 2020.

The Visayas grid is expected to peak at 2,528 MW, up from the 2,252 MW peak recorded on Dec. 13, 2021, while the Mindanao grid is expected to peak at 2,223 MW, against the 2,144 MW peak on Aug. 4, 2021.

“As the transmission service provider, we can only give an overview of the current supply and demand situation, and endeavor to dispatch any and all available grid resources. It cannot intervene on matters concerning power generation,” the NGCP said. 

Although the yellow alert issued earlier was just a warning, a red alert can also be issued when demand exceeds supply, which will force the grid to ration power.

The NGCP issued red alerts between May 31 and June 2 last year as unplanned maintenance shutdowns and the derating of power plant output led to rotational brownouts.

The grid company said legislators must enact demand-side measures to head off future power issues in the coming months, particularly during election season in May.

Energy Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella on Tuesday said at a news conference to discuss the restoration of power in areas hit by Typhoon Odette the department will focus on addressing concerns about the dry-season peak next. — Marielle C. Lucenio 

60,000 MT of fish imports approved for typhoon-hit areas

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it authorized imports of 60,000 metric tons (MT) of frozen small pelagic fish in the first quarter to augment supply in areas hit by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai).

“The National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) said we have more than enough supply but based on data from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), we have a potential deficit this quarter of about 119,000 MT,” Secretary William D. Dar said in a televised briefing.

“We cannot just say that the fishing sector will continue to be normal. They are the number one sub-sector hit by typhoon. The capacity of our fishers to catch will be in question,” Mr. Dar added.

Damage to the fisheries sector due to Odette was estimated at P3.97 billion, or 29.81% of total agricultural losses, according to the DA.

Mr. Dar cited inflation, logistics problems, and high prices as the other reasons for the need to import.

“By the end of the day, having considered everything, NFARMC is a body that has the recommendatory responsibility, but we (the DA) take responsibility in terms of ensuring food security. In this case, importing small pelagic fishes,” Mr. Dar said. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

China rail consortium signs PNR contract for South Long-Haul line

PHILSTAR

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) and a contractor from China recently signed a contract for the first package of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Long-Haul Project, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said on Tuesday.

“One of the world’s largest railway contractors from China has signed with DoTr the commercial contract for PNR South Long-Haul Project DB (Package 1) yesterday (Jan. 17),” Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page.

“The $2.8-billion railway, one of the flagship projects under President (Rodrigo R.) Duterte’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program, is so far the highest-funded G-to-G (government-to-government) project between our two countries,” he added.

The Transportation department said in November that only the joint venture of China Railway Group Ltd., China Railway Number 3 Engineering Co. Ltd., and China Railway Engineering Consulting Group Consortium Ltd. had qualified out of three bidders for a P141.79-billion contract for the design and construction of a 380-kilometer railway in the Bicol Region.

The contract covers the first package of the PNR South Long-Haul Project, or PNR Bicol, from Banlic in Calamba, Laguna to Daraga, Albay.

“It will shorten the travel time from 12 hours currently to four hours only,” Mr. Huang said. “It will serve up to 14.6 million passengers per year after (it enters operations).”

The project is also expected to create over 10,000 direct jobs each year and “hundreds of thousands of jobs in related areas by driving economic growth along the line.”

The entire PNR Bicol project consists of a 560-kilometer long-haul rail line connecting Metro Manila to provinces in Southern Luzon.

A segment of the project between San Pablo, Laguna and Pagbilao, Quezon is expected to start operations in the second quarter.

The project is expected to be fully operational by 2025. — Arjay L. Balinbin

ILO sees 2022 PHL jobless at 1.1 million, warns unemployment picture understated

By Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Reporter

THE International Labour Organization (ILO) projected Philippine unemployment numbers at 1.1 million in 2022, about 10% higher than pre-pandemic levels, but warned that unemployment data may undercount the extent to which people exited the work force during the public health crisis.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic triggered “a large exit from the labor force, which does not count as unemployed,” according to Khalid Hassan, director of the ILO Philippine country office.

In an e-mail on Tuesday, Mr. Khalid added: “The employment impact is much larger than what unemployment shows.”

“We now expect people to be returning at a slower pace, as we see the labor force numbers gradually increasing from… 42 million in 2020 to 45.9 million in 2022 and 47.4 million in 2023,” he added. The rate at which workers exit the labor force may be diminishing as workers become less afraid of the pandemic. 

Women, however, will continue to be burdened by the additional home duties needed during the crisis, with the result that the disproportionate impact on women will persist, he said.

Kilusang Mayo Uno Chairman Elmer Labog called the ILO projection “actually a quite generous estimate… because the reality on the ground is very different.”

In an e-mail to BusinessWorld, Mr. Labog, a Senate candidate, said employment data do not reflect many who are either unpaid for their work or self-employed.

“This is not a good sign that the economy is recovering despite what the Duterte administration says. There is no real job creation. People are just making do with what employment opportunities are there — and this is not a way to make a decent living,” Mr. Labog said.

He noted the absence of any industry that can accommodate the growing workforce and prevailing anti-worker policies such as low wages, contractualization, and the non-recognition of union rights.

He also said the government has not put in place safety nets for the unemployed. “We’ve seen how disastrous this has been when millions were thrown (out of work) … without any aid or support from the government.”

Partido Manggagawa Chairman Rene Magtubo told BusinessWorld in a text message that ILO’s estimates are likely on the low side.

The Philippine Statistics Authority’s labor force survey estimated unemployed numbers in November 2021 at 3.16 million, he said, “and given that no robust economic recovery program is being implemented by the present administration this year, I don’t think that the number of unemployed persons in 2022 will settle down to the 1.1 million level as estimated by the ILO.”

Mr. Magtubo said 2022 is an election year, with the winner’s programs not likely to kick in until the new government settles in by “the end of the year.”

Associated Labor Union Spokesperson Alan A. Tanjusay told BusinessWorld in a Viber message that the outcome of the 2022 national and local elections is nevertheless expected to have a major impact on employment, if the right priorities for job creation are pursued.

“A questionable election result, wrong choice of executive government leaders and wrong government priorities will definitely discourage job creators,” he added.

Mr. Tanjusay also noted that the vaccination rate will determine the resilience of the workforce and businesses as COVID-19 evolves. “… An inadequate vaccination rate will sink the economy again (due to) the possibility of an attack of a more powerful COVID-19 variant.”

“Labor markets remain a long way from recovery not just in the Philippines but also in many countries. Challenges related to underemployment, poverty, and a lack of decent work, remain greater than they were before COVID-19 hit,” Mr. Hassan said.

In a separate statement, the ILO noted that its “most negative” labor market outlooks were for Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, while the recovery is expected to be strongest in high-income countries.

The recovery outlook in 2022 was dimmed by the impact of new coronavirus variants, specifically Delta and Omicron, and the uncertainty brought about by the prolonged pandemic, it said.

The projected deficit in hours worked globally is the equivalent of 52 million full-time jobs, higher than the previous full-year estimate made in May of 26 million.

“This latest projection… remains almost 2% below the number of global hours worked pre-pandemic,” according to the ILO World Employment and Social Outlook – Trends 2022 report.

According to the report, global unemployment is expected to remain above pre-COVID-19 levels until at least 2023. The number of jobless in 2022 is estimated at 207 million, higher than the 186 million in 2019.

“Two years into this crisis, the outlook remains fragile and the path to recovery is slow and uncertain,” ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said in the statement. “We are already seeing potentially lasting damage to labor markets, along with concerning increases in poverty and inequality.”

“Many workers are being required to shift to new types of work — for example in response to the prolonged slump in international travel and tourism,” he added.

This damage is likely to require years to repair with potential long-term consequences for labor force participation, household incomes, and social and political cohesion.

“There can be no real recovery from this pandemic without a broad-based labor market recovery,” Mr. Ryder said, “and to be sustainable, this recovery must be based on the principles of decent work — including health and safety, equity, social protection and social dialogue.”

Philippines’ jobless rate to trend lower by 2023

1...5,3625,3635,364...12,670Page 5,363 of 12,670
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube