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How to show off crypto art? On flat-screen TVs

ANG HULING HAPUNAN by AJ Dimarucot

SINCE crypto art exists online, how to show it off onsite? On flat-screen TVs.

Twelve artists’ individual works and a collaborative piece will be highlighted at Galeria Paloma crypto art exhibit, “1/1” (read: One of One), which will be held both online and onsite.

The exhibit will be up from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 at Power Plant Mall in Makati. It can also be visited online now on the NFT art platform Foundation (https://foundation.app/@galeriapaloma).

The physical exhibition will display the works of crypto art on Samsung The Frame TV screens.

“This partnership enables us to bring to the fore how The Frame TV can display digital artwork the way they are meant to be seen and appreciated,” Mahir Al-Rubah, Audiovisual Product Marketing Head of Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp., said in a statement.

Mounted in conjunction with Crypto Art Week Asia, “1/1” is the gallery’s second in a series of exhibits of crypto art which are digital artworks minted on a blockchain.

“This series of exhibitions is focused on highlighting crypto art as a genre of fine art,” Galeria Paloma director Kimi Rocha-Delgado said at a press conference at the Power Plant Mall’s The Grid on Sept. 19.
“Digital art has been around since the advent of the computer. But in the past years, it has enjoyed a renaissance due to blockchain infrastructure that now makes it possible for artists and collectors to have a solution for issues it has before” like proof of ownership, authenticity, and royalties Ms. Delgado added.

The exhibition features 12 crypto artists from the Philippines and Singapore.

One of the artists is Luis Buenaventura, who will showcase an animated work that commemorates the recent merge of the Ethereum blockchain. The blockchain holds sentimental value in Mr. Buenaventura’s crypto career — he was one of the artists whose work was included in the first NFT art collection ever minted on the Ethereum blockchain, Curio Cards (2017), which is the first lot in the history of Christie’s auction house that sold in Ether for $1.2 million.

Graphic designer, crypto artist, art director, and illustrator AJ Dimarucot employs artificial intelligence (AI) in his work Ang Huling Hapunan, a tribute to reproductions of The Last Supper. Mr. Dimarucot transforms the image into an electric, expressionist artwork that morphs into a scene of families gathering at a fast-food restaurant.

Win Magsino’s collection, Ghosts of Luggard Road, is made up of photos of trees walking home from Victoria Harbor. Mr. Magsino has won top awards at various international photography competitions. He is also a 2021 NCCA Ani ng Dangal honoree.

Cris Magsino’s Symphony of Stars is an animated image of the night sky, gracefully moving over the turquoise crater lake of the Kawa Ijen volcano. The photograph was awarded the Jury Top 5 selection and Honorable Mention at the 2020 International Photography Awards and Bronze at the 2020 Moscow International Foto Awards.

Painter and co-founder of CryptoartPh Jopet Arias joins the roster with original works on canvas in his signature style — traditional mediums intersected by digital technology.

The award-winning performing and visual artist Raymond Lauchengco will also be displaying his landscape photography. Painter and sculptor Carlos will be exhibiting his paintings which were animated by motion designer Isaiah Cacnio, who will also be presenting his own original work.

Holy Blood, a self-taught graphic designer and artist, as well as collage artist Sheila Ledesma will also be exhibiting their crypto work. Ten-year-old NFT artist Sevi Agregado also joins the exhibit with works on canvas tokenized on the blockchain.

Singaporean visual artist Wyn-Lyn Tan, who has been working on landscapes since she launched her collection on the blockchain last year, is also in “1/1”.

To commemorate the exhibition, a limited edition collaborative NFT titled The Twelve will be produced by the featured artists, to be distributed among the artists and supporters of the crypto art community.

Alongside the crypto art exhibit, Galeria Paloma will also be launching Galeria Paloma Perspectives, an educational initiative that will host talks, panel discussions, and lectures about art and its integrations of Web3 in its practices.

The exhibit runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. at the 2nd Floor Activity Area at the Power Plant Mall in Makati City and can be viewed online on www.galeriapaloma.com and https://foundation.app/@galeriapaloma. For more information, visit www.galeriapaloma.com. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Globe sells 1,350 towers to PhilTower for P20 billion

GLOBE Telecom, Inc. announced on Tuesday that it recently signed a sale and leaseback deal with Phil-Tower Consortium, Inc. (PhilTower) for the telco’s 1,350 towers.

“Globe expects to raise total proceeds of P20 billion from executing this transaction,” the company told the stock exchange.

The tower assets, which are located primarily in Visayas and Mindanao, consist of 90% ground-based towers and 10% rooftop towers. The towers will be leased back to the telco for an initial period of 15 years.

“The first close for this portfolio is targeted to occur by the end of 2022, with subsequent closings happening as and when closing conditions are met,” Globe said.

The company estimates a pre-tax transaction gain of P5.2 billion.

The sale to PhilTower brings the Ayala-led telco’s total tower sold from 5,709 towers to 7,059, with expected total proceeds of P91 billion.

This will be used to finance capital expenditures and maturing debts, according to the company.

Ernest L. Cu, Globe president and chief executive officer,  said these monetization efforts is expected to provide an uplift to the company’s overall value.

For PhilTower, its expansion into Visayas and Mindanao through Globe towers “will give the company a truly nationwide reach.”

“We look forward to growing a long-term partnership with all mobile network operators to bring efficiency, cost savings and faster expansion, and further bridge the nation’s digital divide,” said Devid Gubiani, president of PhilTower.

On Sept. 23, Globe announced that had achieved the first closing with 800 towers out of the 3,529 towers to be acquired by Frontier Tower Associates Philippines, Inc. for a cash consideration of P10 billion.

“The portfolio sold to MIESCOR Infrastructure Development Corp. (consists of 2,180 telecom towers in Luzon) on Aug. 11 of this year is expected to close within the next few weeks,” the company said in a statement.

Globe shares closed 0.18% higher at P2,178 apiece on Tuesday. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Myths, machismo deter men from getting vasectomies — POPCOM

UNSPLASH

By Patricia B. Mirasol, Reporter 

FILIPINO males who get no-scalpel vasectomies (NSV) are getting younger — but uptake of this permanent method of family planning (FP) remains low, according to the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM). 

“It’s one of the least methods being availed of. I don’t know if it reaches 1%,” said Jackylin D. Robel, acting regional director of POPCOM-National Capital Region, who estimated that males electing to undergo the procedure are in their 20s and 30s. 

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. reported 69 vasectomy claims in 2021, up from 27 in 2020, per POPCOM’s 2021 annual report.   

NSV, as opposed to a traditional vasectomy that requires the use of a scalpel, involves a small puncture in the scrotum to cut and seal the tubes that carry sperm. It takes about 30 minutes in an outpatient setting.  

The procedure, among the strategies devised by the National Program on Population and Family Planning to increase male involvement in family planning, is recommended for couples who are satisfied with the number of children they have, Ms. Robel told BusinessWorld in a Sept. 26 Zoom call.  

The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10354) requires family planning services such as ligation, vasectomy, and intrauterine device placement to be available in all government hospitals.  

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MANHOOD 
The country’s machismo culture multiplies the misconceptions surrounding NSV, said Ms. Robel.  

“Men think it may diminish their virility … They have this misconception that something is being cut,” she said. “NSV is not like that. It’s only the vas deferens [the ducts that move sperm away from its storage place in the testicle] that’s being tied.”  

 A vasectomy does not decrease a man’s sex drive because it does not affect the production of the male hormone testosterone. It does not affect a man’s ability to get an erection either.  

Ms. Robel notes that of the 52% of Filipinos who take to contraception, 14% use traditional methods. Figures from the NDHS reflect that use of traditional methods, like the withdrawal method, have decreased to 14% in 2017 from 17% in 2013.  

“We want to improve the use of modern family planning methods among Filipinos,” she said.  

The modern artificial FP methods are subdivided into short-acting (such as pills and condoms), long-acting (such as intrauterine devices and subdermal implants), and permanent (such as no-scalpel vasectomy or NSV and bilateral tubal ligation). Modern natural FP methods, meanwhile, include lactational amenorrhea and basal body temperature charting.  

“Compared to modern artificial methods, it takes more time to train women on modern natural planning,” said Ms. Robel.  

The Health department’s Field Health Service Information System reported 7.5 million users of modern FP methods by the end of 2021. This marks a 2% increase from 2020’s report of 7.4 million FP users.  

The unmet need for FP likewise decreased to 10.1% in 2021 from 10.8% in 2017. As a result, the demand satisfied with a modern method increased to 58.1% in 2021 from 55.6% in 2017.  

Ms. Robel said the pills are the most popular FP method, given their ease of use and convenience. More than half of Filipinos, women in particular, avail of free contraception in barangay health centers, she told BusinessWorld.  

“Responsible parenthood is a shared responsibility of both men and women. Men play a very important role in family planning,” Ms. Robel said.  

MADE Art Awards: Images of recurring realities

Dalawáng Libó’t Dalawáng Pu at Hanggang Kailan? by Raymund Ador III

MESSAGES of hope, human relationships affected by politics, and environmental issues were tackled by the winning entries of the Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE). The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) recognized the MADE awardees through an online awarding ceremony held on Sept. 22.

Now on its 38th year and held for the second time online, the competition carried the theme “Emerge: Step into Your Boundless Future,” focusing on human sentiments and ambition.

Established in 1984 by the late Metrobank Group founder and chairman Dr. George Ty Siao Kian, MADE has served as a platform for the discovery of creative visionaries. To date, more than 400 visual artists and design professionals have been MADE awardees, including such top talent as Elmer Borlongan, Mark Justiniani, Jan Leeroy New, Alfredo Esquillo, Andres Barrioquinto, Yeo Kaa, and Cedrick dela Paz.

“The creative industries play a major role in shaping our national identity and cultural preservation. Time and again, we look for avenues where creative expression and artistic talent thrive as a means to celebrate human experiences,” said MBFI President Aniceto Sobrepeña in his opening remarks.

“The Metrobank Art & Design Excellence or MADE is driven by the purpose to celebrate budding artists and provide a conducive platform for their genius to flourish,” he added.

Of 500 entries nationwide — 59 water media paintings, 79 sculptures, 399 oil and acrylic paintings — 12 national finalists were chosen. Four outstanding works emerged as awardees in the Painting and Sculpture Recognition Program.

The four are recognized for “their technical acuity and brilliant portrayal of the Filipino narrative.”

Underneath by Jun Orland Espinosa won the Special Citation for Sculpture. The wood sculpture is a representation of natural calamity and chaos.

“I challenge others to look for the positive side of things in a chaotic scenario. Despite life’s challenges, if you have faith, there is hope,” Mr. Espinosa said in English and Filipino during the awarding ceremony.

Ninuno by Melvin Pollero is the awardee in the Oil/Acrylic on Canvas Category. The painting’s focal point is a skeleton representing national minorities covered in trees in a forest. The work’s busy images also show fleeing animals and a scene depicting people helplessly fighting off bulldozers.

“’Iyung Ninuno tungkol siya sa kalagayan ng kalikasan natin, kalagayan ng national minorities, at ang kaugnayan nito sa ating lahat (Ninuno is about the state of nature and our environment, the state of our national minorities, and how it relates of all of us),” Mr. Pollero said of his winning piece.

Dalawáng Libó’t Dalawáng Pu at Hanggang Kailan? by Raymund Ador III is the awardee for Watermedia on Paper Category. It shows a young painter sitting in his studio with his head down while holding a skull.

“The message of this piece is about hope and how to solve the COVID-19 crisis, and how we can start again,” Mr. Ador said in English and Filipino.

Politika by Mateo Cacnio is the grand awardee for Sculpture. His piece of two figures fighting, made of aluminum, presents an illusion of fluidity.

“I want them to see that politics has turned out to be this battleground between what is real, what is fact versus what is evil,” Mr. Cacnio said of his work. “I believe that artworks aren’t meant to be explained. Rather they are meant to be felt. That’s why we call art as a form of visual communication.”

This year’s Board of Judges was chaired by visual artist and director of Eskinita Art Farm Alfredo Esquillo. Members of the board included visual artist and co-founder of the Orange Project Charlie Co; visual artist Mervy Pueblo; painter and sculptor Reg Yuson; University of the Philippine College of Fine Arts professor Lisa Ito; visual artist Elmer Borlongan; and visual artist and Philippine High School for the Arts art teacher Marc Vincent Cosico.

The grand prize awardees received a certificate, trophy, and cash prizes of P500,000; while the artist given the Special Citation for the Sculpture Recognition Program received a certificate, trophy, and a cash prize of P100,000.

The continuity of MADE’s program is also reflected in the competition’s new trophy called More by metal sculptor and 2007 Metrobank Foundation Prize for Achievement in Sculpture Juan Zajid.

“[You] have more to offer after winning this prestigious award,” Mr. Zajid said.

The trophy is designed with holes like binoculars to represent focus in one direction. “Through your focus, that’s where you become an authentic artist,” he said.

To expand MADE’s advocacy, it has partnered with the Linangan Art Residency for the first time to provide scholarships for two of the competition’s finalists. They will be mentored by prominent Filipino artists in a three-month curriculum.

“We push forward a specialized curriculum designed not only to equip and nurture emerging artists, but to connect them to a deep sense of purpose and identity that empowers them,” Linangan Art Residency director Alee Garibay said of the program.

For more information and to view the online gallery of winners, visit https://www.madeartdepot.ph/. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

PayerMax to focus on PHL in regional growth goals

ROBIN WORRALL-UNSPLASH

PAYERMAX, a global payment solution provider, said it plans to boost its growth across Southeast Asia (SEA), with a key focus on the Philippines.

The company intends to employ “more resources and manpower while Singapore acts as its strategic foothold,” PayerMax said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday.

Locally, PayerMaxt supports its customers through local payment methods like GCash, TrueMoney, and DragonPay. The company describes itself as a digital payment solution provider “with over 350 payment methods over five continents.” It services online merchants that have ambition beyond borders.

PayerMax said it expects the digital payments landscape in the region to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030.

The shift toward cashless, contactless, and cross-border payments is expected to accelerate.

Online payment is “now the new norm, and players need to recognize this as an opportunity,” said Vicky Gannason, regional director at PayerMax.

“Our key focus in the long horizon is … to build PayerMax’s presence in emerging markets, and we are excited about the growth prospects in a region that is witnessing huge digital payments boom in the years to come,” said Essay Zhu, PayerMax chief operating officer.

The company will “leverage on its private and public sector partnerships in the region to drive and fuel the payment infrastructure of e-commerce, gaming and entertainment while working hand-in-hand with regulatory ecosystems.”

PayerMax is headquartered in Singapore with regional head offices and presence in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Shanghai. — Arjay L. Balinbin

The ¾ rule: recommendations for voluntary outdoor masking

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

By Patricia B. Mirasol, Reporter 

INDIVIDUALS who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), physically distanced, and outdoors may not need to wear their masks, according to an epidemiologist.  

Remember the ¾ rule of voluntary masking when outdoors, said Dr. John Wong, an epidemiologist and chair of the Department of Health drug price advisory council, at a Sept. 23 session organized by the Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 and 702 DZAS FEBC radio.  

The ¾ rule entails asking four questions:   

  • Am I fully vaccinated?  
  • Am I physically distanced?  
  • Am I outdoors?  
  • Do I need to mask?  

“To keep safe, you need any three out of the four conditions,” he said.   

“Vaccination is the easiest to comply with. Once you’ve done it, you can forget about it. All the other behaviors you have to pay attention to,” Dr. Wong said.  

Physical distancing means keeping a personal bubble of 1–2 meters. Masks, meanwhile, have to be high quality, with N95, KN95, and KF94 variants being Dr. Wong’s recommendations.   

Masking has other benefits too, he added, citing fewer deaths due to tuberculosis and pneumonia.  

“The only change in behavior was masking … Even if you’re outdoors, you’re not only protecting yourself from COVID-19 but also from other respiratory diseases,” he said. “The ¾ rule is a good rule of thumb for everyone.”  

WHAT ABOUT INDOORS, IN CARS?
The calculus changes when the setting moves indoors, even if a venue’s occupants get a negative result in their antigen test, which is not as sensitive as an RT-PCR (real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test. 

An indoor space’s carbon dioxide level can be measured with carbon dioxide sensors, Dr. Wong said. If the level is less than the maximum accepted concentration of 1,000 ppm (parts per million or µg/m3), then distancing and masking are encouraged.  

“If you can distance, you may not have to wear a mask. If you can’t, better to wear [one],” he said. 

“We don’t have too many regulations about air quality. … We go to malls, we don’t know what the air quality is,” Dr. Wong added. “I think this needs to be enforced better.”  

 Ventilation is also key when riding in a car with passengers of unknown vaccination status. “To improve ventilation, request that two of the windows are opened at least three inches,” he said. 

Security Bank donates sculptures to National Museum

Model for the Commonwealth Triumphal Arch 1989; replica of the orignal commissioned by Ambeth Ocampo — PHOTO BY MICHELLE ANNE P. SOLIMAN

SECURITY Bank Corp. has donated 14 works by National Artist for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino to the National Museum of the Philippines on the same day as the newly renovated Security Bank Hall at the National Museum of Fine Arts reopened on Sept. 24.

Guillermo Tolentino (July 24, 1890 — July 12, 1976) was a sculptor and professor of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines (UP). Prior to teaching at UP, he earned diplomas in painting and sculpture there in 1915. In 1921, he finished his studies at the Ecole De Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts) in New York City and spent three years studying sculpture at the Regio Instituto Superiore di Belle Arti di Roma where he finished with highest honors. He was active in the Philippine art scene from the 1930s to the 1950s.

He followed the classical style and mainly used plaster and metal for his pieces. One of his most familiar works is the Oblation statue at the University of the Philippines. In 1953, Mr. Tolentino served as director of the UP School of Fine Arts, retiring in 1955 as professor emeritus. He was named as the National Artist of the Philippines for Sculpture in 1973, three years before his death.

During the official turnover and gallery reopening, National Museum Director Jeremy R. Barns explained in a speech how the exhibit of sculptures in the gallery began in early 2011.

“Through the efforts of a mutual friend of my own and [then] Chairperson Frederick Dy of Security Bank, we came together because Mr. Dy said that he had this collection of Mr. Tolentino sculptures that he wanted to place for public display [and asked if] the National Museum would be interested,” Mr. Barns said.

The mutual friend persuaded the former chairman, and now the Bank’s chairman emeritus, to make a donation, so that a special dedicated exhibition hall sponsored by the bank could be established to house the sculptures.

The 14 sculptures had previously been on loan to the museum as part of a permanent exhibit, “Gallery XII — Eskultor ng Lahing Filipino: Honoring the Life and Work of Guillermo Tolentino,” which opened in July 2013.

Early this year, the Bank reached out to the museum and offered to donate the 14 sculptures.

“Security Bank has been a proud advocate of Filipino art and culture for many years and has been a partner of the National Museum since 2013,” Sanjiv Vohra, Security Bank President and CEO, said in his speech. “With the reintroduction of the Security Bank Hall, underpinned by the official handover of Mr. Tolentino’s pieces, we hope to spark a fresh interest in historic art and make these easily accessible to visitors and the community for generations to come.”

The 14 sculptures donated by the Bank to the National Museum are: a model of the Commonwealth Triumphal, busts of President Manuel Roxas, Lapu-Lapu, President Manuel L. Quezon, Gat. Andres Bonifacio, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Bibiano Meer, Luisa Marasigan, Don Jacobo Lim Chitco, a Matriarch, Dr. Jose Rizal and a Boy Scout, the head of a Filipina Lady, and a miniature bust of Dr. Jose Rizal.

Mr. Tolentino’s sculptures were often commissioned by individuals, business owners, educational institutions, and private companies, the museum’s engagement assistant John Lusuegro told guests during a tour of the gallery.

Visitors will be able to see new additions to the exhibit, including memorabilia such as Honorable Mention certificates he received as a fine arts student at UP, the medal given to Mr. Tolentino during his confirmation as a National Artist, and his tools of the trade.

The newly renovated Security Bank Hall is at the second floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts and was opened to the public yesterday. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

German recycling firms seek Philippine partners

GERMAN recycling and waste management firms are seeking business partners in the Philippines following the passage of a law in which producers are given responsibility over plastic packaging waste, a business group said.

“With the newly enacted Extended Producers Responsibility Act of 2022 in effect, we are glad that discussions during this conference will be timely for all stakeholders — especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) — in the recycling and waste management sector,” said Christopher Zimmer, executive director of the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI).

Republic Act No. 11898, which lapsed into law in July this year, requires companies to come up with policies for treating and disposing of plastic packaging waste.

Mr. Zimmer said during the group’s German-Philippine Business Conference on Tuesday that German firms are keen on exploring potential business opportunities in the Philippines.

“We are elated to see again the large interest of German firms by traveling to the Philippines to explore cooperation, engage potential partners, and to see the eagerness of their Philippine counterparts. We hope that this delegation will pave the way for more collaboration in the recycling and waste management industry of both the Philippines and Germany,” Mr. Zimmer said.

Five German firms participated in the business mission, namely: 2G Energy AG, BOMAG GmbH, CUTMETALL plus Carbide Germany GmbH, EUWELLE Environmental Technology GmbH, and Vecoplan AG.

“44,610 tons of waste are produced in the Philippines daily, but we believe that this can be solved,” Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Material Sustainability Founding President Crispian Lao said.

“The need to address the lack of infrastructure is key to attaining the goals of the Zero Waste to Nature Program,” he added.

The Zero Waste to Nature program is a commitment by global and local manufacturers to start and support efforts to reduce and collect waste, in accordance with the 2025 sustainable packaging commitments of some global brands while following science and local economics. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Aston Martin stunt car, Daniel Craig costumes star at James Bond auction

Aston Martin DB5 stunt car — CHRISTIES.COM

LONDON — From an Aston Martin DB5 stunt car to costumes worn by Daniel Craig in No Time to Die, an array of James Bond props and memorabilia are being offered at a charity auction soon as the film franchise celebrates 60 years.

The two-part sale will be held as a live auction on Wednesday and an online auction with bidding open until James Bond Day on Oct. 5 — the date the world premiere for the first film about the suave British secret agent — Dr. No —  was held in 1962.

Leading the lots is the car used for some adrenaline-packed stunts in No Time to Die amid the stunning backdrop of the cave dwellings of the Italian city of Matera.

With a price estimate of £1.5 million to £2 million ($1.62 million to $2.16 million), it is one of eight replicas built for the movie.

“Externally it looks exactly like the DB5 that we all associate with James Bond, internally (it’s) a completely different beast to be capable of all the incredible stunts and the driving that they did in Matera,” Adrian Hume-Sayer, director of private and iconic collections at Christie’s as well head of the James Bond sale, told Reuters.

Other lots include a signed No Time to Die clapperboard, with a price estimate of £5,000-£7,000, as well as costumes worn by the film’s cast members such as Rami Malek as villain Safin and Lashana Lynch as 007 agent Nomi.

Several outfits worn by Mr. Craig in his last outing as Bond also feature, including a tactical costume for his final scenes. It has a price estimate of £15,000-£20,000.

There are also other vehicles, watches and costumes as well as props from different Bond movies.

Proceeds from the two Sixty Years of James Bond auctions, with a total of some 60 lots, will go to different charities.

Various events are planned to mark the anniversary as Bond fans speculate who will next play the character.

“Well, right now we’re not thinking about the next chapter yet, we’re just celebrating the release of No Time to Die and our 60th anniversary,” producer Michael G. Wilson told Reuters.

“And I think when this is over by the end of this year, next year we’ll start to think about where do we go from here.” — Reuters

Half of asthma patients don’t use inhalers properly — study

By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter 

INHALED corticosteroids (ICS), or maintenance inhalers that serve as anti-inflammatory medicine for asthma patients, must be taken on a regular basis (instead of as needed) in order to manage asthma, according to a recent study by global pharmacology experts.  

The study, titled New Versus Old: The Impact of Changing Patterns of Inhaled Corticosteroid Prescribing and Dosing Regimens in Asthma Management, found that daily usage of ICS can reduce inflammation in the lungs, decreasing the number and severity of a patient’s asthma attacks.   

A common problem in treating asthma is that most patients who take ICS don’t actually take them as they’re meant to, said Dr. Dave Singh, a pharmacology professor from the University of Manchester.  

“Key issues are: one, are they using the inhaler properly? About half don’t. Inhaler devices are all different and the patient needs to be taught how to use them properly,” he said at a Sept. 23 virtual roundtable. “Two, half the patients miss doses. It’s called non-adherence or low adherence, something common in all conditions.”  

The modeling study, having looked at various studies on asthma and integrating their data, concluded that better inhaler usage and dosage is the key to managing asthma.  

Asthma, a chronic lung condition that involves the swelling of airways that makes it difficult to breathe, can be found in one in 11 Filipinos. This puts its prevalence in the country at 8.7%, based on data from the 2017 National Nutrition and Health Survey.  

Dr. Singh said that the idea behind studies like this is to come up with guidance for doctors, in the form of the therapeutic index which doctors use in their medical practice to educate patients on therapy, proper dosage, side effects, and the like.  

“In the Philippines, once experts have had a look at the data … then implementation can really begin because, though educational events will be part of it, to really achieve better healthcare will involve a partnership between doctors and patients,” he said.  

“What doctors need to do is very straightforward — form a partnership with patients to educate them about the benefits of proper treatment, and that needs time investment.”  

As opposed to the usual, flexible approach of using ICS on days with more symptoms or asthma attacks, daily treatment will be more preventive and beneficial for the patients in the long run.  

The study recommends the more regular approach for its long-term benefits, namely longer periods with a good level of disease control, Dr. Singh concluded.  

AG&P plans to expand local LNG project

ATLANTIC Gulf & Pacific Co. (AG&P) is planning to expand its liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in the Philippines, its top official said on Tuesday.

“We’re always looking forward at expanding the terminal. We are also looking at breakbulk LNG, adding smaller LNG projects to other smaller islands in the Philippines as well,” Karthik Sathyamoorthy, president of AG&P LNG terminals and logistics, told BusinessWorld in an interview.

Mr. Sathyamoorthy said that the company’s LNG project in the country is expected to begin operation in the first quarter of next year after delays.

“AG&P’s LNG terminal is at the final stage of commission so we are currently looking at the first quarter of 2023 to commission the terminal,” he said. AG&P’s floating storage and onshore regasification unit in Batangas has a capacity of five million tons per annum (MTPA).

According to the Department of Energy’s Natural Gas Development Plan, which was released last week, the total estimated combined capacity for the LNG facilities in the Philippines is 21.7 MTPA. To date, the Philippines has approved six proposed LNG terminal projects.

Mr. Sathyamoorthy also said the company is also trying to come up with new configurations which have been traditionally used.

“The company’s LNG terminal, is a hybrid terminal for storage, on-shore storage and regasification,” he said.

He said that this would increase the reliability of the terminal, especially during typhoons.

Mr. Sathyamoorthy also said that the LNG project will also help the government’s plan to increase renewable energy in the country.

“Natural gas is key support role in increasing the renewable energy in the Philippines energy mix,” he said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Arts & Culture (09/28/22)

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PICC building, artworks designated Nat’l Treasure

A PANEL of Experts convened by the National Museum of the Philippines has designated the Philippine International Convention Center (designed by National Artist Leandro V. Locsin) and several works of art originally and permanently installed in the building collectively as a National Cultural Treasure. The art works are: Anito, a sculpture by National Artist Arturo R. Luz, located at the Courtyard; Grid, a steel sculpture also by Arturo Luz, located at the Plenary Hall and Reception Hall lobby; Pagdiriwang, a painting by National Artist Jose T. Joya, located at the Delegation Upper Lobby; and Carved-wooden furniture by National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva which are distributed in various lobbies and hallways in the building. The official Public Declaration and Unveiling of the Marker for the National Cultural Treasure was held yesterday, Sept. 27, at the PICC Main Lobby.

CCP Met Opera in HD returns

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) relaunches the Met Opera in HD series in cooperation with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, Filipinas Opera Society Foundation Inc., and Ayala Cinemas. Season 7 of the series will feature one Met Opera in HD production every month until February 2023 at Greenbelt 3 in Makati. To be screened are: Carmen by Georges Bizet on Oct. 4, Sir Richard Eyre’s celebrated 2010 production with mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine opposite tenor Roberto Alagna; La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi on Nov. 15,  Michael Mayer’s richly textured new production, featuring soprano Diana Damrau and tenor Juan Diego Flórez; Dialogues des Carmélites by Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc on Dec. 6, The Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads an accomplished ensemble in Poulenc’s devastating modern masterpiece of faith and martyrdom featuring mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard opposite Karita Mattila; La Fille du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti on Jan. 10, with bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena; and Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns on Feb. 7, 2023, with mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and tenor Roberto Alagna in the title roles. All screenning are at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates.

MSO holding preview concert

THE MANILA Symphony Orchestra (MSO) together with prodigy Dadomar Das Castillo will be performing live at the Asia Orchestra Week to a sold-out crowd in Tokyo, Japan on Oct. 5. Filipino audience can watch a preview performance on Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ayala Museum. 

Ballet Manila presents double bill in return to live shows

BALLET Manila will present Rise!, a double bill featuring all the elements of performing arts such as opera, popular, OPM, and orchestral music, on Oct. 7 (8 p.m.) and Oct. 9 (5 p.m.), at the rebuilt Aliw Theater at the CCP Complex, Pasay City. Echoing a message of hope and light amid a time of uncertainty and fear, Ballet Manila’s new show captures the essence of rising through adversities and fulfilling prima ballerina and Ballet Manila artistic director and CEO Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s well-publicized “phoenix rising” pronouncement after their home theater was razed by a fire. Rise! is a double bill show that will begin with a pop program entitled Ballet & Ballads and a retelling in ballet of the opera La Traviata as choreographed by Ms. Macuja-Elizalde. With Gerard Salonga as musical director and orchestra conductor, the show features pop singer Bituin Escalante, opera singer Jade Riccio, and multi-talented singer Ivan Nery. The creative team, led by prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde as overall artistic director, includes theater artist Michael Williams as the stage director, playwright Luna Inocian as scriptwriter and Gerardo Francisco, Jr. and Martin Lawrance as choreographers. There is a 12-person opera ensemble and a 60-piece bespoke orchestra handpicked by Mr. Salonga. Tickets are available exclusively through Ticketworld, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph or call Ticketworld hotline at 8891 -9999.

CCP presents ballet Pulso Pilipinas II

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) presents Pulso Pilipinas II: Alay Nina Alice at Agnes as the second part of the CCP Dance Series (LIVE!) 2022, happening on Sept. 30, 8 p.m. (Gala Night), Oct. 1, 3 and 8 p.m., and Oct. 2, 3 p.m., at the CCP Main Theater. The mixed program presents selected iconic works of two living National Artists for Dance — Alice Reyes and Agnes Locsin. This production will feature Locsin’s Igorot, Moriones,” and Elias at Salome, as well as Alice Reyes’ Carmina Burana. Ms. Reyes was one of the founders of the CCP Dance Company which produced many dancers, teachers and choreographers. Her choreographic works are powerful expressions of the country’s unique history and cultural heritage. She is now the artistic consultant to the newly formed Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP) mentoring and nurturing the current generation of artists and young choreographers. Recognized as the pioneer of neo-ethnic style of dance, Ms. Locsin is a former Artistic Director and chief choreographer of Ballet Philippines, a teacher, mentor, storyteller, and trailblazer. Participating artists are the Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, Guang Ming College Hiraya, and UE Silangan Dance Troupe, and Teatro Baile de Cavite. For tickets, contact ARDP ticketing officer Bonnie Guerrero on Viber at 0915-412-2152, or TicketWorld at https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/show.aspx…, and the CCP Box Office at 8832-3704. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ARDancePH.

CCP partners with Arthaland for exhibit

GIVEN the closure of the Main Theater Building of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) for rehabilitation beginning next year, off-site exhibitions are now lined up to be able to continue showcasing the CCP 21AM collection to the public. As a kick-off to the exhibition roadshow, and in celebration of Museum and Galleries Month, the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division has partnered with Arthaland for an exhibition in October at the ground floor lobby of Arthaland Century Pacific Tower (ACPT) at 5th Ave. corner 30th St., Bonifacio Global City. The CCP’s inaugural off-site exhibition is titled “Details & Abstractions: Selections from the Cultural Center of the Philippines 21AM Collection”.  Arthaland Century Pacific Tower is the first building in the world to be certified by the International Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank Group, as zero carbon under its EDGE program, the acronym standing for Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiency.

Security Bank Hall reopens at National Museum

THE SECURITY Bank Corp. formally turned over 14 sculptures by 1973 National Artist for Sculpture, Guillermo Tolentino, to the National Museum of the Philippines as it re-introduced the newly renovated Security Bank Hall at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila City during a cocktail celebration on Sept. 24. These 14 sculptures were previously loaned by the Bank as part of “Gallery XII — Eskultor ng Lahing Filipino: Honoring the Life and Work of Guillermo Tolentino,” a permanent exhibition, which opened in July 2013. Guillermo Tolentino was born in 1890 and was named as the National Artist of the Philippines for Sculpture in 1973, three years before his death. Mr. Tolentino along with fellow National Artist and painter Fernando Amorsolo, dominated the Philippine art scene from the 1930s to the 1950s. He followed the classical style and mainly used plaster and metal to create his art pieces. The 14 sculptures donated by the Bank to the National Museum are: a model of the Commonwealth Triumphal, busts of President Manuel Roxas, Lapu-Lapu, President Manuel L. Quezon, Gat. Andres Bonifacio, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Bibiano Meer, Luisa Marasigan, Don Jacobo Lim Chitco, a Matriarch, Dr. Jose Rizal and a Boy Scout, the head of a Filipina Lady, and a miniature bust of Dr. Jose Rizal. Security Bank remains to be one of the financial institutions in the Philippines that actively supports the preservation of the country’s culture and heritage. The Bank continues to partner with institutions to commemorate landmark events such as the National Heritage Month and works with various organizations to celebrate the country’s artistic and cultural legacy. The newly renovated Security Bank Hall is located on the second floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts and was opened to the public yesterday. Visitors will be able to see new additions to the exhibit, including memorabilia such as the medal given to Mr. Tolentino during his confirmation as a National Artist and his tools of tradecraft.

PETA restages Batang Rizal 

AFTER Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) staged a string of successful online show streams and virtual workshops during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, the pioneering Filipino theater company is making a big live theater comeback for its 55th Theater Season with Christine Bellen’s Batang Rizal. It will first relaunch online via streaming on ktx.ph from Oct. 14 to 16 and will open PETA’s theater stage on Nov. 25 and Dec. 2. The musical is co-written, directed for stage, and choreographed by Dudz Teraña, with musical direction, arrangement, and composition by Vincent de Jesus. Fifteen years since its original run, the 2022 staging features a new cast, new set, and new animations. The cast includes Tim Mabalot, Yhuan Gatbunton, Gold Villar-Lim, Norbs Portales, Carlon Matobato, John Moran, Teetin Villanueva, Jovy Vieja, Raven Relavo, and Marynor Madamesila. For ticket inquiries and touring packages, contact Mitch Go at 0917-539-1112. For streaming tickets, visit www.ktx.ph/category/batang-rizal.

PHSA thesis exhibit at the CCP

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) is known to be a venue for exhibitions of up-and-coming artists. For many years now, it has also presented the thesis exhibitions of the graduating students in the visual arts from the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA). This year it presents “Homecoming Queens,” a PHSA Grade 12 Thesis Exhibition featuring works by Moon Caharop, Luce Melegrito, and Lei Ortega. The exhibition is ongoing until Oct. 16 at the CCP’s Bulwagang Carlos V. Francisco (Little Theater Lobby). Their batch is the first who finished the entirety of their senior high school program online. “Homecoming Queens” explores the collective growth of the three artists from the provinces of Bulacan, Ilocos Sur, and Leyte, as they found themselves contained within the boundaries of their homes during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. An Artist Talk and Workshop will be held on Oct. 8, 1 p.m., at the CCP Bulwagang Carlos V. Francisco (Little Theater Lobby). Admission is free, but visitors must present their vaccination cards upon entry. Exhibition viewing hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Book of martial law poems wins NY book prize

THE NEW York-based press Singapore Unbound has awarded the 2022 Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize to Jim Pascual Agustin, Filipino poet living in South Africa. The winning manuscript, entitled Waking Up to the Pattern Left by a Snail Overnight, was chosen by judge Yeow Kai Chai, a poet, journalist and editor and the director of the Singapore Writers Festival. In a videoconference with the five shortlisted candidates, Mr. Agustin read seven of his poems from the manuscript, noting that some of them are about Martial Law in the Philippines. He said that Martial Law-themed poems are his response to the proliferation of disinformation about the dark chapter in Philippine history. Chai noted that Agustin’s latest manuscript has what he described as an “exquisite sensitivity” that is both specific and universal. In the prize citation, he noted, “Such perspicacity of mind and heart illuminates Mr. Jim Pascual Agustin’s crystalline poems. Masterfully observed, shone through with Zen penetration, these songs of innocence and experience divine a universe of complex lives lived, torn asunder, celebrated, and mended.” The Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize is awarded annually to an unpublished manuscript of original Anglophone poetry by an author of Asian heritage residing anywhere in the world. The winner receives $1,500 and book publication in the US and Singapore. Gaudy Boy titles are distributed globally by Ingram. The prize comes at the heels of the release of Bloodred Dragonflies, Augustine’s first book published in South Africa. The book is available in the Philippines via San Anselmo Press FB and Shopee pages. Waking Up to the Pattern Left by a Snail Overnight is set for release in Spring 2023.

Cinema ‘76 to move to Tomas Morato

THE MICROCINEMA Cinema ’76 Film Society and Cinema ’76 Café will be moving to Tomas Morato Ave. in Quezon City, its official Facebook page announced on Monday. In the meanwhile, they are still operational at their current location at Anonas LRT City Center, Aurora Blvd. in Quezon City until Oct. 4. For updates and movie screening schedules, visit www.facebook.com/cinema76fs.

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