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Arts & Culture (10/27/21)

NICOLE Barroso and Eugene Obille in excerpts from the ballet Le Corsaire — PHOTO BY VICTOR URSABIA

CCP presents Dance On!

FILIPINO dancers and choreographers have responded to the changing times through Dance On!, the culminating performances of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Professional Dance Support Program. Amid the challenging situation brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the CCP initiated a special program to support the professional dance industry in the country. The program is under the mentorship of National Artist Alice Reyes, and dance masters Alden Lugnasin and Nonoy Froilan. Every week until Dec. 5, a series of dance performances will premiere live online on the CCP Facebook and YouTube Channel. The dance videos will remain posted on the CCP Online YouTube Channel after their live premieres. Premiering on Oct. 31 is the dance Light, at the end of, by choreographer Patrick John Rebullida, which explores what it means to value each part of the life cycle in equanimity. With music by Jose Buencamino, dancers John Ababon, Luigie Barrera, Justine Orande, Erl Sorilla, Sarah Alejandro, Stephanie Santiago, Jessa Tangalin, Regine Magbitang, and Nicole Barroso show through movement that all the pain, suffering, and death are but part of an evolution. Upcoming performances are: Nov. 7, Inlababo and In the Midst of Overcoming, featuring the music of Eddie Peregrina and choreography by John Ababon, and Nov. 14, Headspace, by choreographer-dancer Roneldon Yadao; Nov. 21, Re-FORM by choreographer Biag Gaongen; Nov. 28, Now by choreographer Lester Reguindin; and, Dec. 5, I Wanna Say Something by Choreographer JM Cabling. For more information, follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and visit the CCP website www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.

Art Lounge Manila presents ‘Plantitos y Plantitas’

ART Lounge Manila opens the exhibition “Plantitos y Plantitas” with partner plant atelier Arid and Aroids. “Plantitos y Plantitas” is an art-and-plant exhibition where the gallery is also an indoor landscaped garden inside the Podium Mall. It runs until Oct. 30. Presenting their works are painter-sculptor Tet Ureta Aligaen, botanical painter Dindon Cordova, painters Inka Madera, Julie Gil, Anna de Leon, Kristine Lim, Carlo Magno, Christian Mirang, Francis Nacion, Lisa Villasenor and mixed media artist Melissa Yeung Yap. For inquiries, call 0977-839-8971 or 0998-993-7963, or e-mail info@artloungemanila.com. For updates on upcoming shows, visit https://artloungemanila.com.

Consignments accepted for auction

SALCEDO Auctions is accepting consignments until the end of the month for the Under the Tree: The Wish List Gavel&Block Holiday auctions. The auction will be held live and online on Nov. 27. For more details on consignments, visit https://salcedoauctions.com/getting-started/sell. For inquiries, e-mail info@salcedoauctions.com, or contact 8823-0956 or 0917-107-5581.

Intramuros to open venues for exercise

AS INTRAMUROS reopens its sites, museums, and indoor attractions, to provide the public with alternative and safer venues for leisurely activity, the Intramuros Administration (IA) will soon open its open-air sites as venues for morning exercises exclusively for the vulnerable population starting Oct. 30. The vulnerable population, namely the senior citizens, persons with disability (PWD), pregnant women, and persons with health risks will be allotted two hours every Saturday from 8 to 10 a.m., to do their morning exercises at Fort Santiago and Baluarte de San Diego. Through an advance ticket reservation system, vulnerable individuals who are fully vaccinated can avail of this exclusive arrangement. The program for the fully vaccinated vulnerable population is open every Saturday, beginning Oct. 30, and can be booked through the following link: bit.ly/3ilptmu. For more information, the public can visit the social media accounts of Intramuros Administration on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Inquiries may also be directed to tourism@intramuros.gov.ph.

Photo club holds exhibit-sale for kid’s education foundation

THE ZONE Five Camera Club (ZVCC or Zone V) is holding an online exhibit and charity sale at www.zonev.org from Oct. 23 to 31. Called “Images of H.O.P.E. (HELPING OTHERS PROSPER & EXCEL)”, the week-long event will showcase some of the best still camera work by Zone V. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Assumption Development Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the learning development of select youths of Sapang Palay, Bulacan. Featured will be color and black & white prints from its 50 members, including the club’s Ambassadors of Zone Five, a group composed of Jay Camus, Manny Inumerable, Cha Pagdilao, James Singlador, Danny Yu, and Ruben Castor Ranin, who was himself a recipient of an ADF scholarship.

Ateneo Art Gallery holds INK exhibit

ANG ILUSTRADOR ng Kabataan (Ang INK), the country’s first and only organization of illustrators for children, presents a fresh collection of artwork sharing personal experiences of members in response to the prompt: “What is your INK story?” Currently, Ang INK has more than 70 active members who are illustrators, graphic designers, painters, writers, teachers working in educational institutions, publishing companies, and design and advertising agencies. The exhibit, “INK Story: 30 Years of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan,” is ongoing at the Wilson L Sy Prints and Drawing Gallery of Ateneo Art Gallery (AAG). While the AAG remains closed to the public until further notice, Ang INK and AAG will release an online walkthrough of the exhibition through their respective social media accounts and websites. Inquiries about the exhibit and AAG’s reopening may be sent via e-mail at aag@ateneo.edu.

Ateneo lecture tackles gender violence in pop culture

TO CELEBRATE Time’s Up Ateneo’s (TUA) second anniversary, is will hold “Confronting GBV in Pop Culture,” featuring two short lectures, which will focus on care, community, and how to forward anti-gender-based violence in everyday physical and discursive spaces. The lectures will be followed by breakout sessions where audience members can have a discussion with the speakers. The event will be held on Oct. 30, from 8 to 9:30 p.m. via Zoom. Register via this link: https://tinyurl.com/TUAOct30. Links will be sent to registrants a few days before the event. The first lecture is entitled “The Look of Lust: On the violence of the gaze” by Dr. Ninotchka Mumtaj “Taz” Albano, who draws attention to gender-based violence implied by the objectifying gaze in pop-culture (fashion, movies, media) where spectators take part in objectification, sexualization and oppression. The second lecture is “Cancel Your Darlings: Towards a shared reckoning with fraught art” by Bee Leung. Her lecture imagines the possibilities of transformative community readership beyond the poles of cancel culture and separating the art from the artist. If we do not want to deny the harm texts and their creators may cause, then we need the right vocabularies and venues to explore what, if anything, there is to be reclaimed.

Crimson Boracay announces first artist-in-residence

IN LINE with its thrust towards becoming a center for arts and culture in the heart of Boracay, Crimson Resort and Spa Boracay has announced the appointment of its first-ever artist-in-residence, Eric Egualada. This creative residency will run for four months and include a number of activities. Mr. Egualada will be handling on-site painting classes and art-related workshops for guests, local residents, and staff members, as a way of encouraging them to become more creative and expressive. As artist-in-residence, Mr. Egualada will be involved in Crimson’s ARTS in Youth initiative wherein Crimson will sponsor several young students in their artistic education. Other creative pursuits currently in the pipeline for Crimson include a series of art exhibitions and workshops, art and food events, as well as a series of demonstrations by some of the country’s best visual artists. Mr. Egualada, a native of Angono, Rizal, has been painting for over 35 years and is an alumnus of the Jose Rizal University in Mandaluyong. An educator as well as an artist, he taught at the Angono National High School. Likewise, he trained for four years with the Department of Education, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the special arts program of the Dalubhasaan sa Edukasyon, Sining, at Kultura. Visit www.crimsonhotel.com or follow @CrimsonBoracay on Facebook and Instagram for more information.

Filmmaker Richard Somes holds first solo exhibit

FILM and TV director Richard Somes is holding his first solo exhibit in a move he calls is a fulfillment of his childhood dream and a way for him to cope with the pandemic. Mr. Somes, known for films such as Yanggaw, We Will Not Die Tonight (2018) and Historiographika Errata (2017), taught himself how to paint which eventually led him to sideline as a tattoo artist. He became a production designer and a film director with 24 directorial credits to his name. When the pandemic struck in 2020 and the entertainment industry locked down, Mr. Somes took up painting to cope with anxiety and depression. His first solo exhibit, is ongoing at the Secret Fresh Gallery at the Ronac Art Center in San Juan City. It features 10 of his works. The exhibit’s titled Inside the Mind of Richard V. Somes.

Cebu Design Week to hold Art Fair

CEBU Design Week, in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), is presenting the Visayas Art Fair: Connecting the Islands Through Art on Nov. 25-28, at Montebello Villa Hotel, Cebu City. The Visayas Art Fair is part of NCCA’s celebration of Museums and Galleries Month in the month of October. Dates were moved to November because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Visayas Art Fair 2021 is a historical undertaking to unite three regions (Regions 6, 7, and 8) of the Visayas to present their Visayan identity, arts and culture to the world. Simultaneous with the visual arts exhibition will be art demonstrations, art talks, musical performances, among others, showcasing Visayan creativity.

Ayala Land unveils underpass ceiling mural

AYALA Land unveiled a vibrant mural featuring various flora and fauna from various regions of the Philippines at the Legazpi Underpass in Makati. According to the mural’s lead artists Janica Rina and Jerson Samson, “It also tells the story of how humans and nature can harmoniously thrive together and also reminds us to value the natural treasures in our homeland.” They were assisted by displaced artists in completing this mural. The Legazpi Underpass stands parallel to Ayala Avenue at the heart of the MCBD and it connects the Ayala Triangle Gardens and Ayala Center. Other underpasses in Makati that have ceiling murals are the Salcedo Underpass and the Ayala Avenue Underpass. To watch the official unveiling of the Legazpi Underpass mural, visit the Make It Makati Facebook page: https://fb.watch/8JTZf-hCrl/.

Globe’s new sculpture lights up

GLOBE took part in the 2021 National Mental Health Week celebration by lighting up its blue lobby glass sculpture at its headquarters, The Globe Tower, on Oct. 8. The glass sculpture, called The Flow, is a Bohemian hand-blown glass designed by Libor Sostak and developed by Lasvit exclusively for Globe. It is inspired by “The flow of data in virtual and infinite space that are spreading to all directions over the globe.” “Light Up Blue for Mental Health” is an initiative by the Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA) and several other partners to put the spotlight on mental wellness and its importance, especially during the pandemic. The color blue as a symbol of serenity, peace and calmness provided a beacon of hope during this time of health crisis. It was the second time for the annual activity to be held locally. Establishments and institutions that supported the campaign include the Philippine International Convention Center, National Museum, Quezon City Government, Lourdes School of Mandaluyong, DepEd Tayo Kapangan National High School, Ambangeg National High School, Philippine National Police Cordillera, Adamson University, UP College of Public Health, and the Ifugao United Action Force: among others. As an advocate of mental health for almost a decade now, Globe has programs such as HOPELINE, a round-the-clock suicide prevention and crisis support desk created in 2012 with Globe providing the necessary technology for its operations. HOPELINE can be accessed using the HealthNow app’s Urgent Help button on the welcome page. Another initiative is HopeChat, a mental health consultation platform developed with Australia-based Virtual Psychologist for employees. It was piloted to over 8,000 employees back in July 2020 to help them deal with the psychological impact of COVID-19. Globe also partnered with Bantay Bata 163, a child welfare program of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc., which protects disadvantaged and at-risk children through a nationwide network of social services. Bantay Bata #163 and the HOPELINE 2919 are toll-free for all Globe and TM customers.

Cebu Pacific says 14 local destinations offer easier entry to fully vaccinated passengers

BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific said there are now 14 local destinations in its network that no longer require swab tests for travel.

“Bohol, Roxas and Cebu City join the list of destinations in [Cebu Pacific’s] network that have simplified travel requirements and do not require RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) or antigen testing,” the airline said in an e-mailed statement on Monday.

The three destinations now accept fully-vaccinated individuals with valid or verified vaccination certificates.

“More local government units (LGUs) are simplifying their travel requirements as we see more of the country open up,” said Candice A. Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice-president for marketing and customer service.

“This is a welcome development and we look forward to more destinations applying a risk-based approach to travel, as we work together to instill safe and convenient travel within the Philippines,” she added.

The airline also reminded passengers to always check with the LGU of their destination for the latest updates.

Cebu Pacific has brought home over the past two weeks 1,417 Filipinos from Dubai via seven special commercial flights in support of the government’s repatriation program.

The airline said it had flown more than 6,500 Filipinos from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, India, Vietnam, Lebanon, and Bahrain since July.

The budget carrier’s domestic network covers 31 destinations, on top of its eight international destinations. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine protective, safe in young children

MODERNA, INC. said on Monday its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine generated a strong immune response in children aged six to 11 years and that it plans to submit the data to global regulators soon.  

Moderna said its two-dose vaccine generated virus-neutralizing antibodies in children and safety was comparable to what was previously seen in clinical trials of adolescents and adults. It cited interim data that has yet to be peer reviewed.  

It was unclear when US regulators will weigh in on the shot. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for adults over the age of 18 years and is waiting for a response to its June application for children aged 12 through 17.  

It is behind rivals Pfizer, Inc. and BioNTech SE, whose vaccine has been authorized for ages 12 and up since May. A panel of outside advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to recommend Pfizer’s vaccine in children aged five to 11 years.  

Moderna said that in its trial of 4,753 participants, side effects were mostly mild to moderate in severity. The most common side effects were fatigue, headache, fever and injection site pain.  

The company statement did not disclose any new information about cases of heart inflammation called myocarditis, a known side effect of mRNA vaccines.  

The shots were 50-microgram doses, half the strength used in the primary vaccine series for adults and the same as the booster dose authorized for adults. It is higher than the 10-microgram dose Pfizer is planning for its vaccine in children.  

Both the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines have been linked to myocarditis in young men.  

Some studies have suggested the rate of incidence in recipients of the Moderna vaccine may be higher than in Pfizer recipients, perhaps because of the stronger dose of vaccine.  

Sweden has paused the use of the Moderna vaccine for younger age groups because of the higher risk of myocarditis.  

While children rarely become seriously ill or die from COVID-19, some do develop rare complications, and COVID-19 cases in unvaccinated children have risen due to the contagious Delta variant.  

Children can also spread the virus, infecting those who are not protected by vaccines and giving the virus more room to develop new variations.  

Moderna shares rose 2% in morning trading. — Reuters 

Converge expects Bicol subscriber base to grow by nearly 80%

CONVERGE ICT Solutions, Inc. on Tuesday said its subscriber base in the Bicol region is expected to grow by nearly 80% this year, with its pure fiber optic network covering almost half of the region’s population.

The listed fiber broadband provider said it had landed its pure fiber domestic subsea backbone in three points in Bicol.

“These are key landing points in Southern Luzon, which complete the redundancy loop that starts in San Juan, Batangas and passes through Roxas – Mindoro, Boracay, Roxas – Iloilo and ends in Milagros, Masbate,” the company said in an e-mailed statement.

“These loops provide an alternate route for internet traffic to go through in the case of an outage or failure, caused by a natural disaster, on the primary route of the subsea cables,” it added.

Converge also said this development marks its entry into the Masbate province.

“We are the only player in this southern Luzon region with a pure, end-to-end fiber network, and we are aggressively expanding as we continue laying down our domestic fiber backbone interconnecting the Philippine islands and fortifying our entire network,” said Dennis Anthony H. Uy, chief executive officer and co-founder of Converge.

“The solid increase in our customer base in Region V is hinged on our entry into Masbate, and our deeper presence in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon,” he added.

Converge ICT shares closed 0.47% lower at P31.95 apiece on Tuesday. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Gov’t partially awards reissued seven-year bonds

BW FILE PHOTO
THE BUREAU of the Treasury partially awarded the reissued bonds it auctioned off on Tuesday. — BW FILE PHOTO

THE GOVERNMENT partially awarded the reissued Treasury bonds (T-bonds) it offered on Tuesday as the tenor’s rate increased on concerns over inflationary pressures resulting from rising oil prices.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) raised just P19.315 billion via the reissued seven-year T-bonds it auctioned off on Tuesday, less than the programmed P35 billion, even as the tenor attracted P57.215 billion in bids.

The notes, which have a remaining life of six years and nine months, fetched an average rate of 4.468%, 26.1 basis points higher than the 4.207% quoted when the series was last offered on Oct. 5.

Still, the average yield fetched for the seven-year papers on Tuesday was lower than the 4.519% quoted for the tenor at the secondary market prior to the auction, based on the PHP Bloomberg Valuation Service Reference Rates published on the Philippine Dealing System’s website.

Had the Treasury made a full award of its offer on Tuesday, the reissued bonds would have fetched an average rate of 4.584%.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said in a Viber message to reporters after the auction that the government decided on a partial award of the papers to keep its yield aligned with rates at the secondary market.

Ms. De Leon said despite the partial award, the government has sufficient financing buffers as it took advantage of the low rates seen previously.

Improving revenue collections and additional official development assistance inflows will also support the government’s cash position, she added.

A bond trader said in a Viber message that the seven-year papers fetched a higher yield amid concerns over rising oil prices and its impact on inflation, as well as expectations of monetary policy tightening in other economies.

“Rising oil prices continue to contribute to inflationary pressures. High oil prices may also be a sign that economies abroad are recovering implied by the demand for oil. In turn, if recovery is evidenced by good economic data abroad then foreign central banks may decide to raise rates,” the trader said.

Global oil prices on Tuesday were driven up by strong demand in the United States, Reuters reported. Brent crude went up 13 cents or 0.2% to $86.12 a barrel, while US oil rose 5 cents or 0.1% to $83.81 a barrel.

The BTr is looking to raise P200 billion from the local market this month: P60 billion from weekly offers of Treasury bills and P140 billion from weekly auctions of T-bonds.

The government wants to borrow P3 trillion from domestic and external sources this year to help fund a budget deficit seen to hit 9.3% of gross domestic product. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera plots a cautious return to the stage

CAST members stand on the stage after performing on the re-opening night of Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theater in New York City, New York, US, Oct. 22. — REUTERS/CAITLIN OCHS

NEW YORK —  Meghan Picerno was back at work after 18 months of pandemic limbo, overjoyed to be singing and dancing again with her Phantom of the Opera castmates as they rehearsed for the return of Broadway’s longest-running show.

As the musical’s late October reopening neared, sometimes all Ms. Picerno could think about was making it to the first curtain call unscathed by the breakthrough coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases that had sidelined vaccinated actors at other shows.

Outside long days in a chilly mirror-lined rehearsal studio near New York City’s Times Square, Ms. Picerno had put herself back on what she called lockdown.

“I’m a full-on monk now,” she said during a rushed lunch break between back-to-back run throughs.

She knew her job came with risks of exposure. Playing the show’s heroine Christine required Ms. Picerno to kiss two co-stars daily and to sing full-throated love songs with them unmasked and at close range.

“Hopefully, none of us have it, because if one of us have it, we all have it,” she said.

The crowded Broadway theaters, vital to the city’s tourism industry, were the first places closed by the New York government as the coronavirus began to ravage the state. Word of the abrupt shuttering came during a Phantom matinee at the Majestic Theater on March 12, 2020, as some cast and crew themselves were falling sick.

Now, after an unprecedented shutdown, the theaters are among the last workplaces to reopen. Their return this fall is viewed as a test of the city’s efforts to restore some new sense of normalcy.

Reuters watched as the Phantom company prepared for its return. The pandemic left unmistakable marks.

Within a few weeks of the show going dark, COVID-19 had claimed the life of a beloved dresser, Jennifer Arnold, who had been with the show for more than three decades.

After protests filled US streets last year in outrage at the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer, newly unemployed Broadway workers pushed the industry to make overdue changes to increase racial diversity in theater companies.

In August, Phantom producers announced they had cast the first-ever Black actor to play Christine since the show opened on Broadway in 1988. The actor, Emilie Kouatchou, would make her Broadway debut as an alternate for Ms. Picerno.

For the returning cast, there were tweaks to lyrics and staging to learn, making it more straightforward to cast non-white actors in principal roles. The entire company was required to be vaccinated and twice a week went to get their noses swabbed at a nearby theater lobby repurposed as a temporary coronavirus testing site.

Ms. Picerno said she was happy to embrace whatever was needed to get back on stage.

In the dark days of 2020, living back in North Carolina with her parents and claiming unemployment benefits, she said she “almost felt like a failure.” She sang her part every day to keep it fresh in her mind until the singing made her too sad and she stopped.

Emotion again overcame her on the first day reunited with her castmates in late September. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber had swung by the studio to deliver a pep talk to the cast before they sang through the familiar score.

Ms. Picerno’s singing dissolved in tears during the love duet “All I Ask of You.”

“Sing along! Help her!” the conductor urged the masked chorus, whose voices carried Ms. Picerno until she regained her composure.

‘THINK OF ME’
A few days later, the cast practiced dance steps in a mix of street clothes and the bulkier parts of their 19th-century-style costumes.

Ms. Picerno drew a scarf through her fingers as she danced and sang “Think of Me” in her bell-like soprano. Off in a corner of the studio, Ms. Kouatchou silently mirrored Ms. Picerno’s every move.

Ms. Kouatchou, the daughter of immigrants from Cameroon, grew up in the Chicago suburbs. Phantom was the first Broadway show she ever saw, on a trip to New York with her high school. She remembers being transfixed by Christine.

“I could sing that role in my sleep,” she recalled thinking.

Still, she worried about stereotyping, that some would see a mismatch in her voice, an operatic soprano, and her appearance, which was not the sort of “petite white girl” who seemed to always get cast as a show’s ingénue or heroine.

“I didn’t feel like I had a place in musical theater because I didn’t see anyone who looked like me who sung like me,” she said.

COVID-19 had both upended live theater and made space for progress.

“The pandemic was terrible,” Ms. Kouatchou said. “But we wouldn’t be able to have conversations like this and change things like this if it hadn’t been for the pandemic.”

Now, as the Phantom begins making his terrifying presence known in Act One, a frightened ballet dancer turns to the heroine and sings: “Christine, are you alright?”

Before the pandemic and Ms. Kouatchou’s casting, the lyric had always been: “Your face, Christine, it’s white!”

The old, creepy Christine doll that stood in the Phantom’s lair, her features unmistakably white, also was out. A new doll, designed to be racially ambiguous, would debut on reopening night.

Later that week, Ms. Kouatchou got her first glimpse of one of the new Christine wigs designed to match her hair texture.

“It’s curlier and frizzier and I love it,” Ms. Kouatchou said.

‘THE POINT OF NO RETURN’
On the first full day of stage rehearsals at the Majestic Theater, members of the company waited to show vaccination proof in an alleyway lined with trash cans leading to the stage door.

Backstage, masked dressers who help actors quickly change costumes in the darkness of the wings were testing alternatives to the bitelights they had gripped in their teeth pre-pandemic. They experimented with little lamps strapped to their foreheads or on gloves, hoping they wouldn’t confuse audiences by shooting out beams of light across the stage mid-show.

From the orchestra seats, John Riddle, who plays the show’s hero Raoul, marveled at one of the dazzling spotlights high up in the proscenium. Its beam used to illuminate a “constant cloud of dust,” he said.

“The fact that it’s clear now means something to me,” he said. “They say it’s the cleanest a Broadway theater has ever been.”

Even so, there was worrying news from shows nearby. The Disney musical Aladdin was forced to close for two weeks soon after its September reopening because too many actors tested positive for the coronavirus.

Maree Johnson, who plays the black-clad ballet mistress Madame Giry, said she was resigned to the likelihood that Phantom also would record breakthrough coronavirus cases.

“It’s going to happen sooner or later,” she said.

Nine days later, on Friday afternoon, Ms. Picerno was in her dressing room when she opened the e-mail with results of her final coronavirus test ahead of reopening night. Relief washed over her. It was negative.

That night, audience members dressed in evening gowns, bow ties, and the occasional Phantom-style costume crowded the theater doors, fishing out proofs of vaccination.

“Welcome back to Broadway!” chirped the newly hired COVID safety monitors who waved large signs saying “MASKS UP” at the audience inside.

Backstage at the top of a staircase, a few members of the company had placed a vase of flowers and a photograph of Arnold, the dresser lost to COVID-19. Some of the cast and crew paused by the memorial before resuming the final minutes’ rush in nearby dressing rooms.

The house lights dimmed, and the familiar descending chromatic chords of the Phantom theme surged from the orchestra pit. Picerno danced across the stage as Ms. Kouatchou watched from the audience, sometimes mimicking her hand gestures. The new Christine doll lurked in the Phantom’s lair, her face now silver.

At the final curtain call, the audience roared with delight. Ms. Picerno ran to the front of the stage to take her bow, her face crumpled and shining with tears. — Reuters

DoH launches public health information website

HEALTHY PILIPINAS WEBSITE

THE Department of Health (DoH) launched on Monday Healthy Pilipinas, a website that fights the spread of mis- and disinformation by providing accurate and easy-to-understand health information to the general public.  

“Our job is to make sure that Filipinos have enough information about health,” said Beverly Lorraine C. Ho, director of the DoH’s Health Promotion Bureau. “We’re launching the website to provide accurate information, especially now when misinformation is rampant online.”  

The website contains a list of various diseases, their symptoms and treatments, and healthy habits that can combat them. It also has updates on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its vaccines.  

In contrast to the DoH’s main website — which, based on public feedback, is “too serious and scientific” — Healthy Pilipinas provides health information in plain language.   

“The COVID-19 pandemic has renewed the desire of our people to get more information about this health threat,” said Teodoro B. Padilla, executive director of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP). “Thanks to the technology that we have today, people are able to receive and retrieve information and be part of the discourse at an unprecedented time.”  

Aside from PHAP, Healthy Pilipinas is supported by the United States Agency for International Development and the rest of the public health community, which includes specialty societies, medical institutions, and civil society organizations.  

DoH is calling for more of these groups to contribute information on diseases, symptoms, treatments, and medicines.  

The website also contains educational resources, tools, and playbooks on managing healthy environments, for the use of schools, workplaces, local government units, and other establishments in the various industries and sectors.   

‘INFODEMIC,’ A SERIOUS THREAT
Defined as the rapid spread of both accurate and inaccurate information, the ongoing “infodemic” is a real danger to the general public, according to Mr. Padilla.  

“While the spread of factual information can save lives, the proliferation of false and/or inaccurate information is a serious threat to people’s lives and to public health,” he said. “This is why we’ve joined DoH in its campaign to promote the use of verified medical facts to empower people to make health decisions based on accurate information.”  

Medical anthropologist Dr. Paul Gideon D. Lasco added that the campaign puts importance on two-way communication by getting feedback on what people need and understanding their health-seeking behaviors.  

“We have to be critical of the info spreading online and also listen to know what people search for,” he explained. “For example, Filipinos tend to search things they’re hesitant to talk about, like STDs [sexually transmitted diseases] and pregnancy.”  

The health experts at the launch also assured that Healthy Pilipinas will provide offline materials that mirror the contents of the website, so that health information will also reach Filipinos that have no internet access.   

In addition to English and Tagalog, the site will soon be available in Cebuano as well. — Brontë H. Lacsamana 

DFNN unit InPlay.ph reports 61% growth in gross gaming revenue

INPLAY.PH/

DFNN, Inc. subsidiary InPlay.ph reported a 60.84% growth to P64.3 million in third-quarter gross gaming revenue (GGR), higher than the previous quarter’s P40 million as the online gaming industry continues to grow.

“Online gaming is one pursuit that undoubtedly flourished as a form of entertainment and InPlay.ph has definitely captured a respectable share of this market since launching in November 2020,” DFNN said in a disclosure to the exchange on Tuesday.

DFNN said InPlay.ph’s revenue “has consistently shown an upward trajectory” since launching.

For the nine-month period ending September, the company’s consolidated GGR totaled P269.3 million.

Meanwhile, InPlay.ph also saw its gross bets surge by 64.56% to P1.43 billion in the third quarter, up from the second quarter’s P1.43 billion. Gross bets for the nine-month period stood at P6 billion, DFNN said.

DFNN noted that InPlay.ph’s performance is expected to “surpass that of the traditional gaming outlets, which [have] suffered due to the lockdowns imposed because of the pandemic.”

“However, as lockdown measures ease and more gaming outlets reopen, it is projected that revenue from these outlets will start to improve and thus consolidated revenue figures at yearend are seen to be on the positive for the first time since March 2020,” DFNN said.

Shares of DFNN at the stock exchange went down by 2.97% or 10 centavos on Tuesday, closing at P3.27 each. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

BSP’s policy stance appropriate — AMRO

BW FILE PHOTO
THE BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas has kept rates at record lows since November 2020. — BW FILE PHOTO

THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to keep an accommodative stance to help boost credit growth while banks and borrowers remain cautious, the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said.

Dr. Zhiwen Jiao, AMRO’s country economist for the Philippines, noted that credit growth has remained muted despite ample liquidity in the financial system, showing more needs to be done to encourage lending.

“The most recent survey on the issue shows that lending standards remain tight, so policy measures that temper the banks’ aversion to risk should help boost credit growth and support economic recovery,” Dr. Jiao said.

The latest Senior Bank Loan Officers’ Survey showed majority of banks kept their overall loan standards, with net tightening of lending rules seen for both businesses and retail borrowers in the third quarter.

Bank lending in August increased 1.3%, ending eight consecutive months of decline.

The BSP has released some P2.2 trillion in liquidity through the financial system through various policy measures, which is equivalent to about 12.1% of gross domestic product.

Central bank officials have stressed the need to keep monetary policy supportive of growth to boost recovery efforts while demand remains muted.

“This stance is appropriate, given the country’s still large output gap and notwithstanding the high headline inflation which will likely decline to within the government target inflation range,” Dr. Jiao said, noting they expect inflation to go back to within the central bank’s 2-4% target by 2022.

Inflation stood at 4.8% in September, easing from 4.9% in August.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno has said rates will likely stay unchanged until the end of the year as they want to continue supporting the economy, even as other central banks have started tightening due to higher inflation.

The Monetary Board in September kept benchmark rates at record lows, even as it raised its inflation forecast. Two more policy-setting meetings are left this year, which are scheduled on Nov. 18 and Dec. 16. — L.W.T. Noble

Remote-sensing reveals details of ancient Olmec site in Mexico

A VISITOR looks at an Olmec colossal head during the preview of ‘Colossal masterworks of the Olmec world’ exhibition at the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City July 20, 2011. — REUTERS

AERIAL remote-sensing of a large region of Mexico has revealed hundreds of ancient Mesoamerican ceremonial centers, including a large one at an important site for the ancient Olmec culture that is known for its colossal stone heads.

The remote-sensing method, called lidar, pinpointed 478 ceremonial centers in areas that were home to the ancient Olmec and Maya cultures dating to roughly 1100-400 BC, researchers said on Monday. The study was the largest such survey involving ancient Mesoamerica, covering all of the state of Tabasco, southern Veracruz and bits of Chiapas, Campeche and Oaxaca.

Lidar, short for Light Detection and Ranging, uses a pulsed laser and other data obtained while flying over a site to generate three-dimensional information about the shape of surface characteristics. It penetrates vegetation and pinpoints structures that otherwise might not be seen from the air or the ground.

A large ceremonial center was spotted at the early Olmec site called San Lorenzo, which is located in Veracruz in the lowlands near the Gulf of Mexico and was at its peak from roughly 1400-1000 BC. The Olmecs represented the oldest-known major Mesoamerican civilization and are thought to have influenced later cultures, including the Maya.

University of Arizona archaeologist Takeshi Inomata, who led the study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, said lidar spotted a large and previously unknown rectangular earthen ceremonial space at San Lorenzo.

It measures about 3,300 feet by 900 feet (1,000 meters by 275 meters), with 20 platforms around the edge slightly elevated above it. Its purpose remains unclear but it may have been a plaza where large numbers of people gathered for some type of ceremonies, while the platforms surrounding the plaza may have had residences, Mr. Inomata said.

The Olmec heads, each fashioned from a single basalt boulder, are among the most evocative pieces of art from ancient Mesoamerica. The naturalistic facial features are carved in such a way that experts suspect they are representations of actual ancient Olmec rulers.

Ten of the heads have been discovered at San Lorenzo. Mr. Inomata said there may be more of them undiscovered at related sites.

Many of the hundreds of ceremonial complexes identified in the study share common layouts like the one at San Lorenzo. Many appear to have been built with orientations aligned with the direction of sunrise on specific key ceremonial dates.

“These centers were probably the earliest material expressions of basic concepts of Mesoamerican calendars,” Mr. Inomata said, noting that such calendars were based on a unit of 20 days — matching the number of platforms around the San Lorenzo ceremonial center. An even larger ceremonial center, described by Mr. Inomata and his colleagues last year, was found at a site in the Maya region called Aguada Fenix in Tabasco near the Guatemalan border. Dating to slightly later than the one at San Lorenzo, it and others found in the study suggest that Olmecs and other peoples in the region exchanged ideas.

Lidar has proven increasingly useful for archaeologists.

“The advantage of lidar is that it provides a three-dimensional, birds-eye view of the landscape and modifications to it made by humans — ancient and modern — in the form of building, transportation, agricultural and water control infrastructure,” said lidar engineer and study co-author Juan Carlos Fernandez-Diaz of the University of Houston’s National Center of Airborne Laser Mapping.

“Lidar also allows us to ‘see’ the landscape and infrastructure that in many parts of the world is hidden under forest cover,” Mr. Fernandez-Diaz added. — Reuters

Ethical recruitment to address healthcare staffing gaps 

By Patricia B. Mirasol  

THE HEALTHCARE staffing shortage can be addressed through ethical and sustainable recruitment practices, according to Connie B. Dela Cruz, co-founder and chairman of Health Carousel Philippines, a POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration)-licensed staffing firm.  

Ethical recruitment refers to the hiring of workers in a way that protects the rights of each stakeholder in the recruitment process. Sustainable staffing, meanwhile, refers to how both the home country and the country of work benefit from the talent exchange.   

“For us, ethical recruitment means that we reinvest in the sustainability of the nursing profession in our source countries,” she told BusinessWorld in an e-mail interview. “We do this in a variety of ways, including faculty educational programs, nursing scholarships, and local hospital recruitment partnerships.”  

Health Carousel Philippines assists in the nurse upskilling efforts of its partner hospitals, like Southwestern University Medical Center and De Los Santos Medical Center, by sharing its knowledge on nursing best practices.  

It also partners with nursing schools, such as University of Santo Tomas and Trinity University of Asia, and provides skills training to their nursing faculty. The staffing firm also ensures that nurses referred to it by partner hospitals are retained by the latter for at least a year for proper manpower management.  

Filipino healthcare professionals are deployed to the US by the staffing firm through PassportUSA, a POEA-accredited, international staffing program partner. PassportUSA is operated by Health Carousel, LLC, a healthcare staffing company in the US.  

MANPOWER EXPORT
The Philippines is the second largest exporter of human labor in the world, according to a 2017 Human Resources for Health study, and healthcare professionals are one of its biggest groups of migrant labor. Professional development, a higher living standard, and economic need are the reasons often cited behind the decision to migrate.   

This June, Malacañang issued a memorandum increasing the salary of nurses to P36,628 from P33,575. 

In comparison, registered nurses in the US receive a mean annual wage of $80,010 (or P4,065,548.13, at an exchange rate of $1: P50.813), per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)’ 2020 Occupational Employment Statistics Report.  

The US BLS predicts that 11 million additional nurses are needed in the country to avoid further labor shortage. Employment opportunities for nurses in the US are also expected to grow at a faster rate than all other occupations from 2016 to 2026.  

NUANCED CONVERSATION
The World Health Organization projected in 2016 that by 2030, there will be a shortfall of 18 million healthcare workers in low- to middle-income countries. 

Because upper middle-income countries cannot supply the healthcare workers they need from within their country, they will exert a demand pressure on the supply of healthcare workers from low- to middle-income countries, thus challenging these countries that cannot afford to compete financially to retain their healthcare workers.  

The conversation on nursing shortage is quite nuanced, said Ms. Dela Cruz. The settings in which nurses choose to work in the Philippines also influences the available workforce at the bedside, she added.   

“The pandemic arguably magnified the problem of maldistribution, where many Filipino healthcare workers choose to work in different industries instead of hospitals due to the higher wages offered in those settings — such as BPOs, banks, hotels, and resorts,” Ms. Dela Cruz said.  

The solution, according to Ms. Dela Cruz, is working toward win-win practices that benefit all the parties involved, from the recruitment process to the professionals’ deployment in their country of work.  

GLOBAL SHORTAGE 
On a global level, the High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth recommends the following priority actions to address the healthcare worker shortage are the following:  

  • In low-income and some lower middle-income countries, investments in healthcare worker education should be accompanied by an expansion of the fiscal space to fund positions in the health sector.  
  • A shared financing model between countries to finance all these new jobs is likely required if low- and low-middle income countries are not able to pay for the healthcare workers they need — even with moderate domestic fiscal space growth.  

The said commission acknowledged that changing the status quo also requires political will and tough negotiations. Why would high-income countries address their shortfalls in domestic supply, it asked in a 2018 Human Resources for Health paper, if the recruitment of international healthcare workers is cheaper?   

MINDFUL RECRUITMENT
From Health Carousel Philippines’ perspective, a mindful recruitment model is a step in the right direction. Ms. Dela Cruz said her staffing firm created a framework with its aforementioned partner hospitals that helps manage the demand and supply of healthcare staff.  

“Through this program, we help the hospitals retain their nurses for at least two years while their US application is in process,” she added. “We also provide opportunities for nurses to engage in a two-year employment program to gain the local hospital experience required [for their overseas applications, which then] sets them on a course to a brighter future in a premium healthcare facility in the United States.”  

She hopes that an expansion of such practices will eventually stabilize the demand and supply of all the countries involved in the talent exchange.  

That more Filipino healthcare workers opt to work abroad to advance their careers and build a brighter future for their families is understandable, Ms. Dela Cruz said, as the country is rooted in a family-oriented culture.  

“I like to believe that, given the choice, most healthcare professionals would prefer to practice their profession in the Philippines if their career will give them the opportunity to have a comfortable and meaningful life,” she added.  

NEA secures funding for solar projects in public schools

ANDREAS GÜCKLHORN /UNSPLASH

PUBLIC schools in four provinces are expected to post savings by sourcing part of their power needs from solar projects led by the National Electrification Administration (NEA).

In a statement on Tuesday, NEA said it had secured the projects’ P120-million funding after President Rodrigo R. Duterte cleared the release of the funds.

Of the P120 million, P20 million is allotted for 11 public schools in Ilocos Norte, Cebu, and Nueva Ecija, while P100 million is for 33 public schools in Lipa City, Batangas.

With the installation of the solar panels in the 44 schools, NEA said it aims to “generate savings by sourcing a portion of the schools’ electricity demand from solar rooftops and to mitigate climate change through the utilization of indigenous renewable energy sources.”

The approved funds are contained in the 2021 General Appropriations Act or Republic Act No. 11518 wherein NEA was allotted P1.628 billion for its sitio electrification program, and P750 million for the electric cooperatives emergency and resiliency fund.

NEA earlier said that P1.827 billion had been allocated to support the continued implementation of rural electrification projects in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2022.

However, the approved budget is way lower than the P18-billion funding proposed by NEA to energize all households nationwide by June 2022.

The agency previously explained that it would need to connect 12,000 more sitios, which will need funding of P1.5 million per sitio, in order to make energy available to all parts of the country.

For the first half of 2021, NEA Administrator Edgardo R. Masongsong said during a virtual news conference in July that “the NEA has completed the energization of 590 sitios… 77 are located in Luzon, 187 in the Visayas, and 326 in Mindanao.” — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

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