Philippines OK’s vaccine mix-and-match trials

November 19, 2021 | 7:09 pm

By Russell Louis C. Ku

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved clinical trials for combining coronavirus vaccine brands, an official from the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) said on Friday.

The regulator approved the study on Nov. 16 and has started screening applicants, DoST Undersecretary Rowena Cristina L. Guevara told a televised news briefing.

The mix-and-match trials would need 3,000 participants including Filipinos who got vaccinated with Coronavac from China as their first dose.

The dry run started last month with results of the study to be made available by the first quarter of next year.

More than 73 million coronavirus vaccines had been given out as of Nov. 18, with 32.9 million Filipinos having been fully vaccinated against the virus and 6,457 booster shots injected, according to data from an inter-agency task force.

Meanwhile, a House lawmaker has called on the task force to do away with RT-PCR tests for interzonal land, air and sea travel because it burdens fully vaccinated travelers.

Party-list Rep. Jose J. Teves, Jr. filed a House resolution asking the government to only require a negative antigen test result for traveling Filipinos who have been fully vaccinated.

“The RT-PCR requirement imposed by several local government units is a burden to fully vaccinated travelers considering its expensive price and long processing time,” according to a copy of the resolution.

The task force said that local governments would decide on testing requirements for travelers visiting their area.

Cities such as Davao and Zamboanga lifted requirements for negative RT-PCR results for domestic tourists starting Nov. 16.

Meanwhile, the Philippines will soon admit fully vaccinated people from low-risk countries to boost its country’s tourism sector.

In a statement, the Tourism department said the task force had approved in principle the entry of fully vaccinated tourists from green list countries.

Fully vaccinated foreigners from these countries only need a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours before departure, according to a copy of a resolution approved on Thursday.

No facility-based quarantine and additional testing will be required, but tourists should self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day after their arrival in the country.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Fatima T. Romulo-Puyat told reporters the guidelines would come out before the end of the month.

“This move will likewise aid in bolstering consumer confidence, which is a large contributor to our gross domestic product growth,” she said.

Meanwhile, the presidential palace said employers and private businesses could still require customers to wear face shields inside their shops.

Acting presidential spokesman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said the relaxation of the face shield requirement “is without prejudice to employers still requiring their use for their employees or workers and customers in their respective premises.”

China accuses Philippines of trespassing

November 19, 2021 | 7:08 pm

Chinese coast guard attacked two Philippine supply ships on Nov. 16 using a water cannon for trespassing, according to its Foreign Ministry spokesman.

The Philippine boats trespassed into waters near Ren’ai Jiao of China’s Nansha Qundao, according to a transcript of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian’s briefing posted on the agency’s website on Thursday.

Ren’ai Jiao is the Chinese name for Ayungin or the Second Thomas Shoal.

The spokesman said Chinese coast guards had followed their mandate. “Chinese coast guard vessels performed official duties in accordance with law and upheld China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime order.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier told China to back off because it has “no law enforcement rights in and around these areas.”

It also warned that the incident could jeopardize relations between the two countries, while citing its Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States.

The Chinese spokesman said the Philippines and China were in talks about the incident. DFA did not immediately respond to a WhatsApp message seeking comment. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Duterte claim vs narco-politician based on intel

November 19, 2021 | 7:04 pm

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s claim that a wealthy presidential aspirant was a cocaine user was based on intelligence reports, his spokesman said on Friday

“The President, of course, has access to many sources including intel reports,” acting presidential spokesman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles told a televised news briefing.

He said law enforcers were probably investigating the presidential candidate now whom Mr. Duterte described as a weak leader. The President also said his only claim to fame is his father’s name.

Mr. Nograles said there are no holy cows in the administration’s war on drugs.

“We do not look at social rank or status,” he said in Filipino. “As long as they’re involved in drugs, we will charge them, arrest them, prosecute them.” Mr. Duterte might name the presidential candidate soon.

Critics have slammed the tough-talking leader for not immediately acting on the report. They said he could have ordered the arrest of the official.

“It is a bit of common knowledge who he is referring to and yet, in the last five years in office, no action was taken until the fellow decided to run for president,” Edwin Lacierda, a former spokesman of the late President Benigno S.C. Aquino III tweeted. “The question is why didn’t you do anything about it?”

The treatment shows that there is a “double-standard with regard to the war on drugs,” said former lawmaker Lorenzo R. Tañada III. “The poor become victims and sometimes killed while the rich get only killed by his words,” he tweeted.

Senator Leila M. De Lima is still on trial for allegedly allowing the illegal drug trade to flourish in the country’s jails when she was still Justice secretary.

Witnesses against Ms. de Lima, who was arrested while heading an investigation by a Senate panel into alleged atrocities committed during Mr. Duterte’s drug war, were drug convicts serving time at the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City.

“While unnamed, it’s pretty obvious who he’s referring to,” Ms. de Lima tweeted. “If that’s true, you should have jailed him, not me,” she said in Filipino, addressing Mr. Duterte.

“Isn’t cocaine included in your drug war?” she asked.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ordered an investigation of Mr. Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs that has killed thousands, saying crimes against humanity might have been committed.

Critics have said that Mr. Duterte’s run for a Senate seat is yet another attempt to evade accountability from the United Nations-backed tribunal.

Meanwhile, Mr. Duterte said his political party could not forge an alliance with Lakas-CMD because it is backing the presidential run of the only son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.

“I don’t think he’s good, he is a weak leader,” he said in mixed English and Filipino at a taped party meeting aired on Friday, referring to ex-Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. “That’s true and I’m not trying to slander anyone. He’s really weak because he’s a spoiled child and an only son.”

Victor D. Rodriguez, Mr. Marcos’s lawyer and chief of staff, did not immediately reply to a text message seeking comment.

The former lawmaker, who lost in the 2016 vice-presidential race, is running in tandem with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the president’s daughter who is running for vice-president.

Philippines to get more Sputnik, Pfizer vaccines

November 19, 2021 | 7:02 pm

The Philippines was set to take delivery on Friday of about 2.8 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, according to the presidential palace.

The government bought the latest batch of Sputnik V two-dose vaccines, acting palace spokesman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles told a televised news briefing.

He said about 5,000 more doses of Russia’s single-dose coronavirus vaccine were also set to arrive on Nov. 19. He added that 609,570 doses of the vaccine made by Pfizer, Inc were likewise expected to arrive on Friday night.

The Philippines has given out 73.92 million doses of coronavirus vaccines. More than 32.99 million or 42.77% of adult Filipinos had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as of Nov. 18, Mr. Nograles said.

The Department of Health (DoH) reported 1,485 coronavirus infections on Friday, bringing the total to 2.82 million.

The death toll rose to 46,698 after 277 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 1,393 to 2.75 million, it said in a bulletin.

There were 23,200 active cases, 59.6% of which were mild, 3.8% did not show symptoms, 12% were severe, 19.56% were moderate and 5.1% were critical.

The agency said 28 duplicates had been removed from the tally, 24 of which were tagged as recoveries, while one was relisted as a death. It said 230 cases that were tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths.

One laboratory failed to submit data on Nov. 17.

DoH said 33% of intensive care units in the Philippines were occupied, while the rate for Metro Manila was 32%.

Meanwhile, DOH said about 2,500 booster shots had been given out to health workers nationwide.

Only 2% of 2,488 workers had an adverse reaction, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire told an online news briefing.

The agency said it needed 160,000 volunteers to ensure the success of its vaccination drive next month.

Ms. Vergeire also said more than 800,000 adolescents had been vaccinated against the coronavirus as of Nov. 17. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

No extradition request yet for Duterte adviser

November 19, 2021 | 6:59 pm

The Philippine Justice department on Friday said it had not received a request from the United States to extradite a Filipino televangelist who is facing sexual trafficking charges there.

Apollo C. Quiboloy, President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s personal adviser who founded a Philippine-based church was indicted along with two US-based church administrators by a federal grand jury for allegedly coercing women as young as 12 to have sex with the religious leader.

Justice secretary Menardo I. Guevara said no sex trafficking charges had been filed or are pending in the Philippines against Mr. Quiboloy “involving the same factual circumstances as those in the recent US indictment.”

“The Department of Justice has not received any request for extradition from the US DOJ nor from the US State Department thru the Department of Foreign Affairs,” he told reporters in a Viber message

A complaint for rape was filed against Mr. Quiboloy last year in Davao City but the case was dismissed, Mr. Guevara said. “That dismissal is now on appeal with the DoJ.”

The Philippine presidential palace said Mr. Quiboloy, as a private individual, is capable of getting proper legal advice.

Acting presidential spokesman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said the Philippines would cooperate if the US requests the religious leader’s extradition.

The US DoJ on its website said Mr. Quiboloy and his officials had been “charged in count one of the superseding indictments, which alleges the sex trafficking conspiracy” and each “charged in at least three of five substantive counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion.”

Citing an indictment, the US DoJ said the victims prepared Mr. Quiboloy’s meals, cleaned his houses, gave him massages and were required to have sex with him in what they called “night duty.” Three of the five victims in the sex trafficking, which started before 2002 and continued until 2018, were minors.

The victims who were obedient were rewarded with food, luxurious hotel rooms, trips to tourist spots, and yearly cash payments that were based on performance, all paid for with money solicited by Mr. Quiboloy’s church workers in the US, US prosecutors said.

Victims who managed to escape suffered retaliation in the form of threats, harassment and allegations of criminal misconduct, according to a copy of the indictment.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles is closely monitoring the case against Mr. Quiboloy.

“The Consulate General is aware of the federal grand jury indictments that were unsealed today and the ongoing investigation by US law enforcement agencies, including the FBI,” it said via Viber message.

It promised to provide support to the US by seeking avenues to extend consular assistance to both the accused and victims. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Peso weakens as central bank flags inflation risks

November 19, 2021 | 6:31 pm

The peso weakened against the dollar Friday after the central bank warned of inflation risks next year.

The peso closed at P50.41 Friday against its P50.23 finish Thursday, according to the Bankers Association of the Philippines.

The peso opened at P50.27, with the high at P50.21 and the low at P50.43.

Dollar volume rose to $1.188 billion on Friday from $1.1274 billion a day earlier.

A trader said in an email that the peso weakened after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) noted potential upside inflation risks for 2022 from transport fare hikes and a strong recovery in domestic demand.

Monetary officials said Thursday that risks to inflation next year include typhoons and fare increases.

Headline inflation last month eased to 4.6% from 4.9% in September following a slower increase in food prices.

This was the third straight month inflation exceeded the 2-4% target band of the central bank. Inflation has topped the BSP target every month this year except in July.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the peso was also influenced by election-related leads that could have triggered profit-taking in other financial markets. The markets, he said, have yet to gain clarity on the policies being proposed by the leading Presidential candidates.

“(The) peso (was) also weaker as global market sentiment (was) partly weighed by the spike in new COVID-19 cases for some countries, especially in Europe,” he said.

Lingering inflation concerns could slow down the global economic recovery, he added. – Jenina P. Ibañez

PEZA given authority to grant 2-year work visas to foreign investors, key employees

November 19, 2021 | 6:24 pm

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said it now has the authority to issue two-year working visas to foreign investors, key employees, and their dependents.

The PEZA said it signed a memorandum of agreement and agreed to the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the visa-issuing process with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday. The agreement allows PEZA to issue working visas to foreign investors, non-resident foreign employees of PEZA-registered ecozone enterprises, and their respective qualified dependents starting Dec. 1.

The processing of visa facilitation and approval was also reduced to 10 days from one month under the memorandum.

In a statement Friday, PEZA said the agreement complies with Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, which authorizes measures to “reduce the cost of doing business and improve the country’s investment growth.”

BI Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said the signing of the agreement and IRR with PEZA “is a major step forward as we expand our services through collaborations with like-minded institutions such as PEZA.”

Enterprises registered with PEZA may submit the visa application of their foreign employees with complete requirements to the PEZA Zone Administrator or Manager in the area where the enterprise is located.

Meanwhile, ecozone companies in Metro Manila involved in information technology-business process outsourcing, tourism, and medical tourism may submit their visa applications at the head office of PEZA in Taguig City.

Requirements for a PEZA visa for foreign nationals include “a notarized application form, notarized company’s letter request addressed to the PEZA Director General, checklist of application for (visa) extension or change of admission, certified true copy of PEZA Certificate of Registration, and photocopy of the foreign applicant’s passport.”

For dependents of foreign employees, the requirements include a notarized application form, photocopy of passport, and a notarized Affidavit of Support/Guarantee executed by the PEZA-registered company’s president or vice president.

Once the new visa is approved and issued, it “will no longer be called the 47 (a)2 visa, but…the PEZA-Visa with two years validity for qualified international employees and their dependents,” PEZA Director General Charito B. Plaza said. – Bianca Angelica D. Anago

NGO coalition urges gov’t to go slow on approving Pasig River toll road 

November 19, 2021 | 6:22 pm

Non-government organizations said the government needs to hold off giving the green light to the proposed Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) until the appropriate environmental impact and cost-benefit studies are performed.

The Move as One Coalition in a letter Thursday noted that the toll road’s design is also still subject to change, complicating the Toll Regulatory Board’s (TRB) job of evaluating its actual impact.

The coalition of 140 civil society organizations also cited the need for consultation, as guaranteed by the Constitution.

“Any assessment of social, environmental, and economic impacts, benefits, and costs can only be made once all project details are disclosed by the Project Proponent,” the coalition said in a letter to President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

PAREX, proposed by San Miguel Corp., will be built on one bank of the Pasig River, connecting the City of Manila to Rizal province. Its stated objective is to decongest roads in the capital.

“Any assessment of social, environmental, and economic impacts, benefits, and costs can only be made once all project details are disclosed by the Project Proponent,” it said in the letter to the Palace.

Premature approval, it added, may give off the impression that the project should proceed regardless of any negative impacts.

The TRB, it said, has yet to conduct an analysis on the economic, environmental, and social costs and benefits of the project.

“Accordingly, the government has no assurance that the benefits of the project outweigh its costs. Given the many concerns about the project that have surfaced in recent months, there is a strong possibility that the project’s negative impacts could far exceed its expected benefits,” it said.

PAREX will entail at least P164 billion in economic, health, and social costs– P97 billion in economic costs due to reduced property prices, and P67 billion from reduced life expectancy due to noise, air, and river pollution, it said.

Attached to the letter were its claims detailing the potential harm caused by PAREX, including increased congestion, degraded ecology, and worsening air pollution.

The group noted that with densely-populated neighborhoods on both sides of the river, many people may suffer from negative health outcomes.

The benefits will accrue mainly to private motor vehicle users who represent a small minority, it added, noting that in the capital region, only about 12% of households own a private car. “The travel time and vehicle operating cost savings of private cars using PAREX are likely to be offset by the costs of more traffic due to induced demand and added congestion in downtown areas.”

“The net gains from vehicle time and cost savings will therefore not be substantial,” it said. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

ADB approves $600 million loan for Philippine UHC program

November 19, 2021 | 6:20 pm

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $600 million loan to support the Philippines’ universal health care (UHC) reform program.

The bank’s Build Universal Health Care Program will help finance government delivery of health services and monitor the performance of health service providers, the ADB said in a statement Friday.

The ADB said the program will expand the use of digital tools in and support the Department of Health (DoH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) as they implement universal healthcare.

The program will also support local government access to health care workers and facilities, especially in underserved areas.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted existing constraints in the country’s health care service delivery, which the government sought to address in its pandemic health response,” ADB Director of Human and Social Development for Southeast Asia Ayako Inagaki said.

“This program seeks to boost the government’s ability to achieve its UHC goals and provide timely and equitable health care services, especially for the poor and marginalized across the country.”

The bulk of government funding for UHC comes from the general appropriations act and tax collections from “sin” products such as tobacco and vaping products.

Excise tax collections from cigarettes rose 31% to P83 billion in the first seven months due to higher tax rates and growing sales after a pandemic-induced slump last year.

“This new ADB program will help the government boost financing for UHC, expand the supply of health facilities and workers, enable the integration of health care providers, and enhance health system efficiency,” ADB Principal Health Specialist for Southeast Asia Eduardo Banzon said.

Meanwhile, the ADB said it will also extend a $2 million technical assistance grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to support health policy reforms in local government units.

“The ADB will provide technical advice as the government prepares to implement the next set of UHC-related reforms by 2023,” the bank said.

Fitch Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research has said the more contagious Delta variant worsened the effects of the pandemic in the Philippines. It said the slow vaccine rollout and pandemic containment setbacks will delay the goal of achieving universal healthcare because of the diversion of healthcare funds to deal with the emergency.

But the Finance department said it does not expect problems with the rollout of UHC even with funding pressures caused by the pandemic, noting the reserves held by the government health insurer. — Jenina P. Ibañez

LGU competitiveness awards to be handed out next month

November 19, 2021 | 6:18 pm

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it will hand out awards to local government units (LGUs) and provinces it deems the most competitive at the ninth Regional Competitiveness Summit on Dec. 7.

In a statement Friday, DTI Competitiveness Bureau Director Lilian G. Salonga said the city of Manila ranked as the most competitive Highly Urbanized City, according to the department’s Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) rankings for 2020.

Manila posted an overall score of 65.98 points, followed by Davao City with 60.04 and Pasay City with 58.65.

In the statement, Ms. Salonga also clarified that the City of Manila’s recent social media post on its selection refers to last year’s ranking. The DTI has yet to compile its list of awardees for this year.

The 2021 Regional Competitiveness Summit next month will be streamed on the DTI’s Facebook page.

Other awards to be handed out are the Hall of Fame selection, Most Competitive Province, Most Competitive Component City, and Most Competitive First to Second, Third to Fourth, and Fifth to Sixth Class Municipalities.

“We hope that as we move forward, more LGUs, national government agencies, private sector and academic communities will continue to support and help us build a brighter future,” Ms. Salonga said. – Bianca Angelica D. Anago

BoI approves Sinoma Energy as new operator of 4.5-MW waste-heat recovery plant in Cebu province

November 19, 2021 | 6:17 pm

The Board of Investments (BoI) has cleared Sinoma Energy Conservation (Cebu) Waste Heat Recovery Co. Inc. to serve as the operator of a 4.5-megawatt (MW) power generating plant in the city of Naga in Cebu province.

Sinoma Energy is a unit of China National Building Material Group Co., Ltd.

The P531.2-million power plant is set to commence operations in the first quarter of 2022 with about 17 employees, mostly from Naga and nearby areas, the BoI said in a statement Friday.

Under a Power Supply Agreement, the plant will provide energy support to an unidentified cement company in the city of Naga by capturing and using heat from the gases emitted by the cement plant.

With the cement company drawing less power from the grid, power supply available for other consumers is expected to increase.

Apo Cement Corp. a unit of CEMEX Holdings Philippines, operates a plant in Naga, Cebu.

The BoI said a report on the Philippines’ Technology Needs Assessment for Climate Change Mitigation in 2018 indicates that the cement industry has three waste heat recovery power plants with a total capacity of 17.5 MW.

One of the three power plants is a 6-MW power plant in the Cemex Antipolo facility, a 4.5-MW plant at Lafarge Holdings (Philippines) Inc.’s Teresa, Rizal facility, and a 7-MW power plant run by Eagle Cement Corp. at an unspecified location. On its website, Eagle describes its San Ildefonso, Bulacan plant as its primary production facility.

The report estimated that the waste heat recovery process reduced carbon dioxide emissions at Lafarge Teresa by 11,800 tons per year. – Bianca Angelica D. Anago

Local shares slip as BSP keeps key rates

November 19, 2021 | 6:09 pm

042321-PSEi-Closing — Philippine Stock Exchange index

Philippine shares dropped for the third straight day on Friday as investors digested the decision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to keep rates unchanged to accommodate economic growth.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) lost 18.77 points or 0.25% on Friday to close at 7,280.57, while the broader all shares index shed 55.59 points or 1.41% to end at 3,878.11.

Darren Blaine T. Pangan, a trader at Timson Securities, Inc., said in a Viber message that stocks finished lower as “investors may be digesting the recently announced interest rate decision by the local central bank.”

After the market’s close on Thursday, BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said in a virtual briefing that the Monetary Board decided to keep benchmark interest rates unchanged at 2% in line with market expectations.

The central bank also revised its average inflation forecast for the year to 4.3% from 4.4%, and set the expected inflation rates for 2022 and 2023 at 3.3% and 3.2%, respectively.

Mr. Pangan said the PSEi’s decline was also “consistent with most markets in Asia” amid investors’ concerns over the unexpected 11.1% drop in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s earnings for the third quarter of 2021.

Globally, stock markets also declined as inflation remains investors’ main concern, said Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan in a Viber message.

He cited New York Federal Reserve Bank President John C. Williams comments that “inflation is becoming more broad-based and that expectations for future price increases are rising.”

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said that “some election-related leads could have also triggered the recent healthy profit-taking in the local stock market.”

He said these leads were the “latest survey results, [and] recent tirades, directly or indirectly.”

Investors have yet to see the details of presidential candidates’ proposed policies, reforms, and platforms, Mr. Ricafort said, thus “a source of uncertainty for the 2022 presidential elections.”

On the last trading day of the week, sectoral indices mostly closed in the red except for property, which went up by 11.76 points or 0.35% to finish at 3,334.36; and services, which gained 1.53 points or 0.07% to 1,980.45.

Meanwhile, mining and oil dropped 272.04 points or 2.84% to 9,308.22; holding firms went down by 46.47 points or 0.65% to 7,011.98; financials lost 10.42 points or 0.65% to finish at 1,578.25; and industrials declined by 3.57 points or 0.03% to 10,707.

Value turnover increased to P22.07 billion with 2.11 billion issues traded on Friday, from P7.82 billion with 882.46 million shares in the previous day.

Decliners beat advancers, 127 against 66, while 49 names closed unchanged.

Net foreign selling rose to P1.82 billion on Friday from the P589.91 million recorded on Thursday.

Timson Securities’ Mr. Pangan said the next support level may be pegged at 7,060, “while immediate resistance may be placed at 7,454.50.” — Bianca Angelica D. Añago