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Hedcor told: Keep running Bakun hydro plants

By Angelica Y. Yang, Reporter

THE Energy department told Hedcor, Inc. to carry on with the operations of three hydropower plants in Bakun, Benguet province after the Aboitiz Power Corp. unit was earlier sent a halt order by the government agency on indigenous peoples for alleged issues in obtaining consent from tribes.

In a statement on Tuesday, AboitizPower said it received a letter from the Department of Energy (DoE) dated June 25 advising its unit to “continue operating the Lower Labay, Lon-oy, and FLS hydro power plants due to the shortage of available capacity from the grid and de-rating of other plants.”

In its letter, the department cited an earlier advisory telling all power generation companies to ensure the maximum dependable power capacities and provide support for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine storage facilities and healthcare sites.

AboitizPower said the DoE pointed out that halting the firm’s hydro operations in Bakun would affect the roll out of Energy Regulation 1-94 (ER 1-94) funds, which depend on the kilowatt-per-hour generated by the plants.

Under the ER 1-94 program, power generating firms are required to give one centavo for every kilowatt-hour of sales to their host communities to fund electrification, livelihood and development projects.

AboitizPower said Hedcor is prepared and willing to sit in a tongtongan or gathering with the Bakun indigenous peoples (IPs) to address the issues.

“We recognize the concerns of our Bakun IP community, and our doors remain open for dialogue. We believe that the tongtongan is crucial to the resolution of this issue, not only to protect the welfare of our IPs, but also to fulfill our contribution to ensuring the availability and reliability of power supply for the country,” Hedcor Vice-President for Corporate Services Noreen Marie N. Vicencio said.

On Tuesday, Marlon P. Bosantog, regional director of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), said representatives from his office and the DoE met to discuss the issue.

“According to them, that letter (dated June 25) does aim to stop the CDO (cease-and-desist order),” he told BusinessWorld in a mobile message.

“We will implement the CDO. Thereafter, we hope to rekindle the negotiations with Hedcor and the IPs,” he said.

Based on the halt order issued by NCIP-CAR on June 22, its lifting will be made only if Hedcor submits proof that it has secured the certificate precondition (CP) and the free informed prior consent of the Bakun IPs, as required by the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997.

The IPRA states that project developers may acquire permits and licenses only after receiving a CP from the NCIP manifesting consent from the indigenous community hosting the project.

The CDO directed Hedcor to close its three hydro plants within five days after receiving the issuance.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who heads the Senate energy committee, previously called on the DoE and NCIP to resolve the shutdown of Hedcor’s three hydro plants, saying these are needed to be up and running amid the threat of supply deficiency that could lead to power interruptions.

The three plants have a combined capacity of 11.9 megawatts (MW). Hedcor operates 21 hydropower plants supplying 258 MW of renewable energy.

On Tuesday, shares in Hedcor’s parent firm AboitizPower improved by 0.41% or 10 centavos to finish at P24.55 apiece in the local bourse.

BPI to increase authorized capital stock as part of plan to absorb thrift unit

BANK OF THE Philippine Islands (BPI) has secured approval from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to increase its capital stock to P50.6 billion ahead of the bank’s planned merger with its thrift unit.

The Ayala-led lender said the 2% increase in its capital stock from P49.6 billion previously was approved by the BSP on June 8. This, as BPI’s common stocks were raised to five billion shares from 4.9 billion previously, still valued at P10 apiece.

“The amendment to the articles of incorporation — increase in authorized capital is related to the proposed merger of BPI Family Savings Bank, Inc. (BFSB) to BPI,” the parent bank said in a filing with the local bourse on Tuesday.

BPI announced its plan to absorb BFSB in January. The listed bank said the reduction in the gap in the regulatory reserve requirements between commercial banks and thrift banks was one factor for the decision.

S&P Global Ratings has said the proposed merger will have little impact on the credit profile of BPI and will help boost operational efficiencies for the surviving lender.

In April, the merger was approved by a quorum or at least two-thirds of BPI’s stockholders.

BPI said they expect the Securities and Exchange Commission to approve its Amended Articles of Incorporation by Oct. 31. Earlier, the bank said its merger with BFSB will be effective once the SEC issues a Certificate of Merger.

BFSB had P286.2 billion in assets as of end-2020, based on data from the BSP. Its loan portfolio is mainly focused on the housing and auto sector.

Its parent BPI’s net income declined 21.64% to P5 billion in the first quarter from P6.381 billion a year earlier. This was due to lower revenues caused by a decrease in net interest earnings.

BPI’s shares closed at P88.95 apiece on Tuesday, up by 95 centavos or by 1.08% from its previous finish. — L.W.T. Noble

Devices to detect diarrhea-causing pathogen ready for field testing — DoST

US NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES/CC BY 2.0

EASY-TO-USE, low-cost, paper-based devices called µPADS (Microfluidic Paper-based Analytical Devices) that detect E. coli, a bacterium that causes diarrhea when ingested by humans, are ready for testing.

“We have developed five devices, all to detect E. coli in contaminated water. Hopefully, we can field these test devices and check their efficiency in the next few weeks,” said µPADS project leader Dr. Lori Shayne A. Busa of Nueva Vizcaya State University, at a recent press conference.

Water-borne diseases like diarrhea are among the most documented outbreaks caused by poor water quality after the onset of disasters. Fourteen municipalities in Nueva Vizcaya have been identified for field testing.

µPADS is one of three ongoing projects under the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Health (DRR-CCAH) program of the Department of Science of Technology (DoST).

The other two are eSalba, a health index and vulnerability reduction system, and ready-to-eat food products for one- to five-year-old children.

eSalba, a web-based and mobile application, aids emergency responders in decision-making during disasters. The local government units (LGUs) of Calapan, San Jose, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa are looking into rolling out the app, which already serves Marinduque.

eSalba is designed to help LGUs in health monitoring, route planning, defining evacuation policies, and adapting disaster measures. The app is part of a larger project called D-HIVE (Development of Health Index and Vulnerability Reduction System), which was created to improve the resiliency of island provinces.

“The app is designed for various geopolitical units, from households to barangays,” said D-HIVE project leader Dr. Delia B. Senoro of Mapua University. She added that even households can improve their disaster resiliency by checking the indices in the app. “Our end target is to have this used by the whole country… Information at the household level is important.”

The third project is a program focused on developing emergency food reserves that will address the age-appropriate nutrient requirements of one- to five-year-olds. Made from produce in the Davao region and enriched with essential micronutrients, the ready-to-eat (RTE) food products are being developed to treat possible nutritional deficiencies and the acute malnutrition of children during disasters.

The formulation of a fruit-veggie leather with puffed rice and peanuts, as well as a seed-enriched whole grain biscuit, has already been completed. In the works are an all-veggie monggo (mungbean) meal and an all-veggie cornmeal porridge. Food safety tests and the development of production processes for the four products are ongoing.

In Mindanao, no RTEs are formulated for children, said RTE project leader Ma. Christina B. Ramos of the Philippine Women’s College of Davao. “We needed to develop food that doesn’t need to be cooked, doesn’t need to be diluted with water, so in times of disaster kids can have something to eat.”

Natural disasters render us vulnerable,” added Renato U. Solidum, Jr., DoST undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction – Climate Change Adaptation. “Research and development is a tool we can leverage to lessen their possible impacts.”

The DRR-CCAH program’s research priorities are as follows: science and technology innovation to improve health services during disasters; food innovations to mitigate the nutritional and dietary effects of disasters; research to ensure the health consequences during disasters are reduced; and climate change adaptation in health.

“If you ask us what our primary motivation is, it’s our tagline: ‘Science for the people.’” said DoST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña. — Patricia B. Mirasol

In a scarred Hong Kong, ‘beautiful things are gone’

GRAFFITI has been removed off a fence in Hong Kong’s financial district, the site of many 2019 protests, Hong Kong, China, April 23. — REUTERS/LAM YIK

HONG KONG —  As documentary filmmaker Kiwi Chow walked through a pedestrian tunnel in Hong Kong on a recent day, he spotted a team of cleaners scraping off glue left by illegal ads and scrubbing the walls clean with mops.

It reminded him of the day he became an activist during the pro-democracy protests that galvanized this Chinese-ruled city in 2019. Back then, he had gathered with his young son and some friends to cover another tunnel wall with Post-it notes scribbled with political messages and drawings.

Strangers joined in.

“I was very happy. It was the first time I was an organizer,” he said.

The next day, as he walked past, cleaners were removing the mosaic of notes, known in Hong Kong as “Lennon walls” after the original John Lennon Wall in communist-controlled Prague in the 1980s that was covered with graffiti, Beatles lyrics, and messages of political grievance.

Urged over the phone by his wife, he collected some of the notes from the ground. “Pick as much as you can,” she told him. “Bring back the drawing by your son!”

The cleaners on that day in Aug. 2019 told Mr. Chow that they needed to clear the tunnel wall and photograph it as proof of their work for their bosses. But then they told him that he could put the Post-its back on the other side of the tunnel.

To Mr. Chow, that was the cleaners’ act of resistance, an experience that inspired him to use his own profession for the cause.

“This is the Hong Kong spirit,” he thought, and took his camera out to film the protests. He hopes to finish editing the documentary later this year.

Clearing the Lennon Walls was the beginning of “beautiful things” being destroyed, he said.

“Of course, we feel angry when beautiful things are gone; it’s important, and we need to remember. But the anger can also transfer into perseverance,” said Mr. Chow, now 42. After all, during the protests, the Lennon wall in his tunnel was dismantled many times, but people rebuilt it.

But today, Lennon walls have disappeared. They’ve been risky to assemble since China introduced a sweeping national security law a year ago to crack down on what it deems subversion, secessionism, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison.

People who want a democratic future for the city are regrouping behind an invisible front line that is harder to disrupt with tear gas and rubber bullets, but still, they say, under attack: the memory of what happened in 2019.

Democracy activists charge that those in power are trying to take control of the narrative, and they fear that future generations will hear only the government’s version of events: that the 2019 protests were illegal riots by a minority of people who were manipulated by foreign forces to undermine the rise of China under the successful leadership of the Communist Party.

Public broadcaster RTHK has removed archives containing shows covering the protests or that were critical of the government and investigating those in power, prompting online activists to move backup copies onto blockchain platforms.

Authorities have declared certain slogans and songs illegal, have removed or reframed sensitive topics in school curricula and pulled democracy books off the shelves of public libraries. Cinemas, universities, and art galleries have cancelled screenings or exhibitions of protest-related works.

The Hong Kong government recently enacted new guidelines that allow authorities to censor films on the basis of safeguarding national security. “The censor should be vigilant to the portrayal, depiction or treatment of any act or activity which may amount to an offence endangering national security … and any content of a film which is objectively and reasonably capable of being perceived as endorsing, supporting, promoting, glorifying, encouraging or inciting such act or activity,” the guidelines state.

Chinese and local authorities deny freedoms have been curbed and say their actions are vital to defend the red line of national security, restore stability, and bring prosperity.

Responding to questions from Reuters, a government spokesman said that “no civil society in the world could accept such violence and vandalism” as occurred in what he called the “riots” of 2019. The government, he said, “has no tolerance for illegal acts and strongly decries any attempt to glorify illegal acts using the excuse of freedom and democracy.”

On censorship rules, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said in June that her government had to strike a balance between respecting creative freedom and safeguarding national security and that officials “will discuss with the industry to allay their concerns and anxiety.”

RTHK, the broadcaster, said its new archive policy for social media platforms matches its practice for the official website, which keeps programs from the past 12 months, and that few media organizations would keep entire archives online permanently.

“We fail to see how our archive policy and arrangements for RTHK programs on YouTube are in any way relevant to your story about attempts by some people in Hong Kong to defend and preserve their version of the social event in 2019,” it said.

China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, which comes under the State Council, or cabinet, and the Hong Kong Liaison Office, Beijing’s top representative body in the city, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

It’s not only a battle over the narrative: Since the protests died down last year, the city’s very landscape has changed, leaving familiar places unfamiliar.

Suspended footpaths that protesters used to launch petrol bombs have been covered with fences and barbed wire. Plastic, water-filled barriers surround and protect administrative buildings, forcing pedestrians to cross to the other side or walk through a narrow corridor in between the barriers and police in riot gear standing guard.

Litter bins throughout the city, which protesters used as shields, have been replaced with plastic bags hanging from a metal loop. Paved sidewalks, from which protesters dug up bricks to throw at police, have been repaired with concrete.

“If Hong Kong is a person, the ground is the skin. It’s like they are doing a laser surgery,” said Jade Chung, a 24-year-old freelance journalist whose work focuses on human rights and pro-democracy activists’ struggle for freedom.

Beyond the physical changes, she said that after the government started to crack down, many things became hard to say out loud. That has led to secret codes of resistance against authoritarian rule, she said.

When Ms. Chung asked for the Wi-Fi password at a tiny Hong Kong restaurant recently, she got an answer that was much more than that: 721831101.

July 21, Aug. 31, and Oct. 1 were three of the most violent days of the unrest in 2019, a password connecting Ms. Chung with a past she feels authorities are trying to rewrite after regaining control.

“I guess it is the only way we can express ourselves now,” Ms. Chung said.

She wants to unlock a version of events that won’t be told in history lessons and is fading from public discourse.

“We do not want to remember, yet do not dare to forget. People do many things on the side to protect our collective memory,” said Ms. Chung, who contributed to Road to Hong Kong, a book about the protests. “We did not forget. We may be waiting for a chance to do something.”

In the year since the security law was introduced, minutes before the July 1 anniversary of the former British colony’s return to Chinese rule, China has also overhauled the city’s political system, demanding that anyone holding public office is “patriotic” and loyal to Beijing. Most opposition politicians and democratic activists are either in jail, ensnared by the new law or for other reasons, or in exile.

In mid-April, Hong Kong authorities marked National Security Education Day, with school activities, games and shows, and a parade by police and other services performing the Chinese military’s “goose step” march.

In schools and cultural centers, residents were invited to build national security “mosaic walls,” a top-down, organized version of the 2019 Lennon walls. “Supporting the national security law is not an issue. Support! Support! Support! I hope we can be one with the mainland,” one Post-it on a wall set up at the Wong Cho Bau Secondary School read.

Children were given toy versions of police guns and played with them under the watchful eye of cops in riot gear, including inside a replica of a subway train carriage. To many in Hong Kong, these images were a surreal shadow play of the widely televised scenes of police officers charging onto a train on Aug. 31, 2019, pepper-spraying and hitting cowing youngsters with batons.

BATTLE OF THE SYMBOLS
The fight with the government in the arena of symbols, words, and culture is a sequel to the more chaotic battles of 2019, when petrol bombs were thrown almost on a daily basis for months on end in one of the world’s most peaceful cities, activists say.

This, too, is a battle that authorities are not shying away from.

In early May, as Herbert Chow was ordering dinner, police vans turned up at his new Chickeeduck shop in the Tsuen Wan district. At first, Mr. Chow thought authorities were there to enforce a COVID 19-related lockdown on a nearby building.

But officers wearing “national security department” vests began cordoning the area around his shop, drawing crowds of curious onlookers. They entered the shop, showed him a search warrant and began looking through the items for sale.

“It’s like they were raiding a bar to find drugs,” Mr. Chow recalled, standing near a two-meter-tall bust of a protester wearing a helmet, goggles, and gas mask and holding a yellow rubber duck above his head as if he were about to throw a Molotov cocktail.

Mr. Chow, 57, was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with “Liberate Sausages, Vegetables of our time” and “Five meatballs, no sauce left” imprinted on it — puns that echo slogans of the protests such as “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our time” and “Five demands, not one less.” He said he believed all his ducks were in a row, legally speaking.

Officials have said the “Liberate Hong Kong” slogan is subversive and illegal, a claim that will be tested in coming months in a court case against a motorcycle driver arrested under the new law.

Mr. Chow’s shop also carries “Be water” beers. The product name alludes to a protest tactic of playing cat and mouse with the police to drain their resources, inspired by a quote from Hong Kong martial arts legend Bruce Lee, urging fighters to constantly adapt to the enemy.

Mr. Chow’s food puns didn’t trigger an arrest or any sanction, but the raid was enough to frighten two of his employees, who quit afterward.

“I was very angry — the scale of one to 10, the angry level was nine,” he said. “The remaining one was fear that they scared my colleagues and made them quit, which they did succeed at.”

Police have said officers entered the store with a court warrant after receiving a complaint that the shop was suspected of violating the national security law.

Mr. Chow said he wants his shop to become a place of hope.

“We want to tell people that we still have free space,” he said. “It’s because we see that they might change history.”

Kiwi Chow, the filmmaker, said his children are literal reminders of Hong Kong’s history: His son was born in 2014, the year when protesters of the “Umbrella movement” occupied the main arteries of the financial district for 79 days; his daughter was born in 2019.

“The regime wants us to forget. I hope to use my camera to remember,” he said. “We are resisting in our memories. We are resisting forgetfulness.” —  Reuters

Better infrastructure opens new opportunities for Clark

WITH improvements in infrastructure, Clark in Pampanga province is now seen as an alternative for Metro Manila and as a business opportunity for investors and locators.

“The pandemic has accelerated decentralization and Metro Clark has the necessary amenities and support facilities to support the businesses that needs to be established here,” JLL Philippines Capital Markets Director Ian Perez said in a media briefing to present an overview of the Metro Clark real estate market on Tuesday.

“All roads lead to Clark. We have the improved infrastructure that makes Metro Clark more accessible,” he said.

Around 80 kilometers north of the National Capital Region, Clark may be accessible via major highways such as the North Luzon Expressway and Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3.

Clark, Pampanga includes districts Clark Freeport Zone, Clark International Airport, Clark Global City, and New Clark City. It also has mixed-use developments and residential townships.

JLL said that Metro Clark is offering a diverse supply of office spaces and industrial needs.

“For offices, we see that there’s going to be an additional of at least 280,000 square meters (sq.m.) of space starting first quarter of next year and there’s a dedicated 700 hectares of land across Metro Clark for industrial purposes,” Mr. Perez said.

Offshoring and outsourcing firms remain to be one of the key drivers for the demand in office spaces in Metro Clark, on top of traditional offices.

“There’s still a demand [from] the BPO (business process outsourcing) sector,” Mr. Perez said.

A good number of BPO companies in Clark started their operations in Clark without branching out to Metro Manila, Mr. Perez said. Most of these BPO firms are from Australia.

“The logistics and storage [sector] is also a demand driver, particularly on the last-mile delivery, which has been boosted by our current situation,” Mr. Perez said. “A lot of us are doing a lot of online shopping and that equates to additional spaces and needs coming from these companies.”

There is also a “resurgence” in the demand for spaces to cater to manufacturing firms.

“With all this allocated space and with all the demand and inquiries we’re getting, it’s coming, it will be there soon,” Mr. Perez said.

JLL said rent for space in the area is seen to be steady. Once projects and developments are completed by early next year, a slight dip in rent is expected.

More companies are also expected to look into the Clark or the north Luzon area.

“The entire Northern Luzon region is still untapped in terms of the potential work force that can actually go to those offices,” JLL Philippines Vice-Chairman Joey M. Radovan said.

He said that as Clark builds up more spaces and becomes more attractive for its modern infrastructure and the development’s sustainability, “you would probably see more companies [from Metro Manila locations] put more effort in terms of expanding into the area.” — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Greece recovers Picasso, Mondrian paintings stolen from gallery in 2012

PICASSO’s Woman’s Head, which was stolen from Greece’s National Gallery in 2012, was recovered this week. — WIKIART.ORG
PICASSO’s Woman’s Head, which was stolen from Greece’s National Gallery in 2012, was recovered this week. — WIKIART.ORG

ATHENS —  Greek police have recovered a work of art by Pablo Picasso and another one by Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, both stolen from Greece’s National Gallery in 2012, they said on Monday.

Thieves broke in the gallery and snatched Picasso’s 1939 painting Woman’s Head, donated by the artist in 1949, and Mondrian’s Mill dated 1905.

To mislead the guard, the thieves had activated the gallery’s alarm system several times before breaking into the building in the early morning. The guard turned off the alarm only to later spot one of the thieves through the motion detector. Before escaping, the thief dropped another 1905 Mondrian painting.

Police on Monday found the two artworks hidden at a gorge in the wider Athens area and arrested a Greek man, said a police official on condition of anonymity.

Greek authorities are due to make official statements on the case on Tuesday. — Reuters

Sumitomo to take 5% stake in RCBC

BW FILE PHOTO

RIZAL COMMERCIAL Banking Corp. (RCBC) has received a P4.48-billion capital infusion from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), which will be used to support the local lender’s digital banking push.

SMBC now has a 5% stake in RCBC as a result of its investment, the local lender said on Tuesday. The capital infusion will be used by the RCBC to boost its digitalization drive and its sustainable finance framework.

Credit Suisse acted as the sole financial advisor to RCBC for the transaction, while Clifford Chance and Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles provided legal advice.

The deal also diversifies the bank’s ownership, RCBC said. Taiwan’s Cathay Financial Holding Co. and the World Bank’s International Finance Corp. (IFC) already have minority stakes in RCBC.

“Post-closing, the Yuchengco Group [of Companies] will own 50% of the bank. Cathay will own 22%, the IFC will have 3% and SMBC will own 5%,” said John Thomas G. Deveras, RCBC senior executive vice-president and head of asset management.

SMBC’s investment is likewise expected to bring opportunities for RCBC in the fields of consumer and corporate banking, as well as its digitalization.

“Our digitalization plan is more than just applying for a digital bank [license] which we will be doing,” RCBC President and Chief Executive Officer Eugene S. Acevedo said in an online briefing on Tuesday.

“We have plans for applying for a new license — a digital banking license. Meantime, we are incubating and growing at least one, probably two, businesses that we can potentially spin off in the future as a separate or an independent digital bank,” Mr. Acevedo said.

RCBC launched a mobile app called Diskartech last year where users can create a bank account and make transactions such as deposits and apply for loans without needing to go to a branch.

Mr. Acevedo added that RCBC wants to further expand its digital presence as clients have become more comfortable doing online transactions.

“You probably have noticed that we have closed 70 of our branches last year. It’s not because we want to simply close [these branches]. It is not just because COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) forced us to do so, but what really happened was that customer behavior forced us to follow them,” he said.

Another area RCBC is looking to tap through their partnership with SMBC is boosting its data science team as the Japanese bank has expertise in the area, RCBC’s top official noted.

“Data analytics has been practiced in use in almost all facets of our banking businesses, from credit scoring, to customer acquisition to cross selling,” Mr. Acevedo said.

RCBC’s net income decreased by 31.55% to P1.58 billion in the first quarter from P2.308 billion a year ago amid trading losses and lower foreign exchange gains.

The Yuchengco-led lender’s shares ended at P24.40 apiece on Tuesday, up by P5.40 or 28.42% from its previous close. — L.W.T. Noble

MMC to offer drive-through COVID-19 vaccination

MAKATI MEDICAL CENTER FB PAGE

MAKATI MEDICAL Center (MMC) will set up a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination drive-through facility in the Convergys parking lot on Dela Rosa corner Salcedo Street near the hospital. No definite date has been set for the facility’s opening and there is no word either as to which vaccines will be available. Applications will be done online.

The vaccination facility expands on MMC’s COVID-19 consultation service, which is done in the same parking lot Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Patients can purchase add-ons such as swab tests, chest X-rays, and other lab tests.

“We are going to introduce drive-thru vaccination with our Convergys parking facility,” said MMC Medical Director Dr. Saturnino P. Javier at a recent roundtable discussion. “We have already laid out the plans, including where our patients will park when they need to get monitored after vaccination.”

Pilar Nenuca P. Almira, MMC’s president and chief executive officer, said that the hospital will not profit from the vaccination efforts. “We are not to make money from the help to vaccinate more people. Whatever is the price by which we would be acquiring vaccines, that is exactly just the price that we will be passing on to the patients or to the citizens,” she said.

As of June 24, MMC had already vaccinated 98% of its hospital personnel.

In addition to assisting the government with the vaccination rollout, MMC is sharing services with 100 hospitals nationwide and setting up outpatient centers in residential buildings. It recently partnered with Discovery Primea to offer services wherever Discovery Suites is located.

Home care also includes teleconsultation and telemedicine services geared toward mild and moderate cases of COVID-19. Dr. Javier emphasized the need for early patient monitoring using oximeters that track oxygen levels to avoid hospitalization during surges where hospitals are full.

“For as long as there’s still possibility of a surge and herd immunity has not yet been achieved, we will not let our guard down. Everything will still be there,” he said. — B. H. Lacsamana

SEC clears Alsons’ P3-billion debt securities

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has considered favorably the commercial papers of Alsons Consolidated Resources, Inc. valued at P3 billion, the firm told the local bourse in a disclosure on Tuesday.

The securities will be offered in one or more tranches within three years starting on June 25.

“The first tranche shall be comprised of a base principal amount of P2 billion to be issued and offered for sale to the public,” the SEC said in its order of registration, a copy of which was shared by Alsons.

The first tranche is composed of 182-day “Series O” securities with a discount of 3.25% per annum, and 364-day “Series P” papers with a discount of 3.75%. The securities account for a portion of Alsons’ P3-billion commercial paper program, according to the corporate regulator’s permit to sell.

“As such, these… may now be offered for sale or sold to the public subject to full compliance with the provisions of the (Securities Regulation) Code and its implementing rules and regulations, as amended, revised code of corporate governance and other applicable laws and orders as may be issued by the Commission,” the SEC said.

Last year, the Alcantara-led firm said it would issue short-term commercial papers in 2021.

Alsons is engaged in both power production and real estate. It operates four power plants in Mindanao with a total capacity of 468 megawatts.

Alsons’ attributable net income in the first quarter climbed by around 63% to P92.88 million from P55.08 million a year ago as the economy slowly reopened.

Shares in Alsons at the local bourse shed 0.74% or one centavo to finish at P1.34 apiece on Tuesday. — Angelica Y. Yang

Arts & Culture (06/30/21)

Art in the Park online 2021: Special edition

IN CELEBRATION of its 15th anniversary, a special edition of Art in the Park will be held online from July 25 to Aug. 1. “Art in the Park Online 2021: Special Edition” will feature 63 galleries, four special exhibits, and more than 10,000 artworks priced at P70,000 and below. Since 2006, approximately P20 million have been raised through “Art in the Park” which has enabled the Museum Foundation of the Philippines to set up a grants program for varied cultural endeavors, including publications, support, and international benchmarking tours by executives of the National Museum of the Philippines. For more information, visit https://artinthepark.ph/.

Migs Villanueva’s In the Meantime

PAINTER and poet Migs Villanueva marks her 60th birthday with her 12th solo exhibition,In the Meantime,” at the Art Lounge Manila until July 6. Her exhibition is visually divided into three phases. Like a good story, there is a beginning, a middle, and an end, which is based on our collective wish to the story of this pandemic. “It was such a sudden change. So, I wanted to portray that visually, with a more basic palette, which gives way to more color and more detail, as we progress. I focused on children. How they coped, given that they have been indoors now for more than a year and a half. Children have a natural resilience because their imagination allows them to be anywhere they want to be, even if they’re just in the house. Sometimes, a change of perspective can do wonders to our well-being.  And this is what we can all do, in the meantime” Ms. Villanueva said in a statement. “In the Meantime” is presented by Art Lounge Manila, at the ground floor of The Podium Mall in Ortigas Center. For inquiries, call at 0919-990-1928 or e-mail ian@artloungemanila.com.   

Instituto Cervantes presents literary festival

THE SPANISH cultural center Instituto Cervantes will hold “Benengeli 2021,” an online literary festival, from June 28 to July 1. It aims to promote a dialogue between Spanish-language writers and their colleagues in several English-speaking countries. Organized by the Instituto Cervantes headquarters in Madrid in collaboration with its centers in Manila, Manchester, and New York, the online festival will feature more than 50 videos, 11 podcasts, and three online talks subtitled in Spanish and English, and will count with the participation of almost 40 authors from a dozen countries, including two Filipinos — Jose Dalisay and Jessica Zafra. The entire event can be followed at the Instituto Cervantes de Manila YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/institutocervantesmanila). It will also have a podcast version airing from 2 p.m. daily.

ARTAblado presents Pinta-tonix

ROBINSONS Land’s ARTablad will be hosting a group exhibition entitled “Pinta-tonix: Five Artists on Different Scale Octave” and will feature artworks from five diverse artists namely: Esang Adame, Ismael Esbert, Joji Limayo, Ovidio Espiritu III and Viel Samaniego. “Pinta-tonix” comes from the word “pentatonic” which pertains to a musical scale with five notes per octave. It is a popular music pattern that is versatile, easy to remember and present in all music genres. Though these five artists come from different locations —  Batangas, Tarlac, Rizal, Bulacan, Manila —  and have different subjects and diverse styles, they were able to harmonize their love for art through their display of over 40 pieces. The exhibit will also include artworks of watercolor  painter Rafael “Popoy” Cusi. The exhibit will run from July 1-15 at ARTablado Level 3, Veranda of Robinsons Galleria. For more updates, visit www.robinsonsmalls.com or like and follow ARTablado on Facebook and @artablado on Instagram.

Classics reimagined for Pride

PRIDE@TECH, a non-profit equality organization composed of LGBTQ+ volunteers and allies, in collaboration with Google, Facebook, IBM, Globe, and creative digital agency Propel Manila, celebrates Pride 2021 by making LGBTQ+ stories known through “Retold With Pride,” which retells classic iconic stories with a touch of Pride. The stories have been given LGBTQ+ representation, covering themes of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, love, sex, dating, coming out, and acceptance. The reworked stories include Pride and No Prejudice, Dragula, The Gay Gatsby, Life of Bi, Little Women Loving Women, including local classics like Ibong Adana, Florante at Awra, Si Malakas at si Makisig. The stories were written by Yenee Galicia, Austin, Tan, Eunice Maximo, and illustrated by Hayami Kudo, Nichole Sanchez, Marsh Mitra, Gab Pescadero, Brent Guzman, Ella Mercado, Arnel Villanueva, Roxette Gagal, Yuko Maki, and Third Lorenzo. According to Pride@Tech, even after Pride month, these stories will be turned into videos made available online, with a podcast solely dedicated to retelling classic stories with Pride. To contribute, connect with Pride@Tech or Propel Manila on Facebook or e-mail gheck@propelmanila.com.

Celeste Lecaroz pays homage to Fernando Amorsolo

VISUAL artist Celeste Lecaroz is mounting a solo show, “Repetitio,” which runs from June 30 to July 28 at 1335Mabini in Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Ave. Exte., in Makati City. This exhibit is Ms. Lecaroz’s second for the year and her sixth one-woman show since 2018. “Repetitio” features derivatives of paintings by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. Ms. Lecaroz’s paintings are officially licensed by the Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation and are derived from official copies of Amorsolo paintings cataloged in the books published by the foundation. Ms. Lecaroz chose which Amorsolo paintings she wanted to interpret and began creating the works from the time of NCR Plus lockdown until June. For more information about “Repetitio,” e-mail inquire@the1335mabini.ph or call 8818-0013.

Participative Solar Art exhibit in BGC

AS PART of the Day of Climate Action on July 3 to 4 — presented by Liter of Light, a Filipino-born global grassroots solar lighting movement, the Embassy of Italy, and the Philippine Italian Association — a huge woven participative solar artwork will be set up on 5th Avenue in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City at 6:30 p.m. on July 4. Coinciding with the International Day of Cooperation, July 4, the Day of Climate Action will include socially distant workshops at the tented area of My Street High Street to raise funds to provide a clean and sustainable source of energy to communities that have been affected by lack of tourists due to the pandemic. Liter of Light’s participative solar artwork, built using 1,500 hand-built solar lights, features a symbol for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #13: Climate Action. The artwork is the latest in a series of pop-up artworks that Liter of Light has built across Metro Manila revolving around the UN SDGs in the lead-up to the global climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, this November. To learn more about Liter of Light and its Light It Forward campaign, visit www.lightitforward.ph.

Masterclass in art literacy

ART educators will learn how to heighten the creative educational experience of their students in a full online Masterclass in Art Literacy and Applications, offered by the School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPaCE) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, scheduled for Saturdays on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31 and August 7 and 14, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The module is curated to provide art mentors with an in-depth understanding of the discipline and its aesthetics, the sources and influences that shaped Philippine Art, as well as the significance of art education in the country. The sessions will include discussions on the demystification of art, virtual museum visits, creating an on-site and post-visit guide for gallery, basic cultural mapping and workshops and presentations of online curatorial projects. The sessions will be facilitated by experienced educators and Benilde School of Design and Arts faculty members Lara Angelica Rosario and Angelica Viceral. The module fee is P18,495.

Gov’t fully awards reissued 20-year bonds

BW FILE PHOTO

THE GOVERNMENT fully awarded the reissued 20-year Treasury bonds (T-bonds) it offered on Tuesday even as its rate climbed as demand for the papers was strong.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) raised P35 billion as planned via the reissued 20-year T-bonds, which have a remaining life of 11 years and eight months.

The BTr received P65.265 billion in bids for the tenor on Tuesday, making the offering nearly two times oversubscribed. However, this was lower than the P118.33 billion in tenders seen for the maiden issue of the notes on March 21, 2013.

The strong demand caused the Treasury to open its tap facility to raise an additional P5 billion via the tenor.

The reissued 20-year notes fetched an average rate of 4.187%, up by 55.2 basis points from the 3.635% coupon quoted for the series.

This was also higher than the 3.898% rate fetched for the 10-year tenor at the secondary market, based on the PHL Bloomberg Valuation Reference Rates published on the Philippine Dealing System’s website. This is the closest benchmark to the remaining life of the reissued bonds on offer on Tuesday.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon told reporters via Viber that the result of yesterday’s auction shows investors remain interested in the long end of the yield curve, as seen in the “good” bid-to-cover ratio for the issuance.

Ms. De Leon said the rate fetched for the tenor reflects the market’s expectations of “steady June inflation print,” as well as strong liquidity due to the redemption of government securities worth P31 billion this week.

Headline inflation stood at 4.5% for a third straight month in May, easing from 4.7% in February but still above the 2-4% target range set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The central bank last week raised its inflation outlook for this year to 4% from the previous forecast of 3.9%. This matches the upper end of the BSP’s 2-4% target. If realized, this would be faster than the 2.6% logged in 2020.

On the other hand, inflation is expected to average 3% for 2022 and 2023.

Meanwhile, a bond trader said the increase in the average rate for the reissued 20-year papers still fell within market expectations, noting this “bond required higher yield due to liquidity premium because we don’t expect this bond to be traded daily.”

Tuesday’s bond offer is part of the government’s borrowing plan for July, under which the Treasury is programmed to raise P235 billion from the local market: P60 billion via weekly offers of T-bills and P175 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. — B.M. Laforga

Mobilizing community volunteers as ‘Bakuna Champions’

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

Effective vaccine supply and logistics are vital in implementing a successful immunization program. But it is equally important that the community has confidence in, and supports and demands, safe and effective immunization services, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The Department of Health (DoH) recognizes the importance of engaging the community to address vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos, increase the country’s immunization coverage, and ultimately reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

“Research has shown that one way to address vaccine hesitancy is through social mobilization, which has been proven effective in enhancing health outcomes through immunization in low- and middle-income countries,” said Dr. Samuele Anton Quizon, technical officer of the DoH Health Promotion Bureau during the Health Connect webinar.

Vaccine hesitancy remains an issue among Filipinos following a May 2021 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey which found that only three out of 10 Filipinos are willing to be vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

This survey result reflected a Vaccine Confidence Project which said that the percentage of Filipinos “strongly agreeing” that vaccines are important plummeted from 93% in 2015 to 32% in 2018. Confidence that vaccines are safe also fell from 82% in 2015 to only 21% in 2018 while confidence in the effectiveness of vaccines dropped from 82% in 2015 to only 22%. 

The task is indeed huge since the DoH said that only 62% of Filipino children have completed their routine vaccines in 2020, down from 69% in 2019.

Dr. Quizon, however, cited several countries that have improved their immunization coverage by tapping community-based volunteers. These include India where community-based volunteers were instrumental in addressing a poliomyelitis outbreak; Bangladesh where volunteer “Model Mothers” helped in controlling a diphtheria outbreak; and Pakistan where religious leaders were tapped to help spread vaccination messages within their communities.

“Community volunteers for health can effectively carry out their duties and responsibilities when they are appropriately trained, supervised and incentivized. They can serve as a bridge to support local health workers in advocating for the immunization program,” he said.

Recognizing that social mobilization is an effective means to promote vaccination in the community, the DoH prioritized the development of a training module for community-based volunteers or Bakuna Champions in the Playbook for Immunization.

The DoH playbook was inspired by UNICEF’s Bayani Para sa Bakuna program implemented in the cities of Taguig and Manila. Around 63 Bakuna Champions who completed the capacity-building program received positive feedback from barangay residents. They developed communication plans and presented these to their local leaders. The Bakuna Champions completed on-the-job exercises and documented their accomplishments.

The immunization playbook carries recommendations for a successful campaign. First, create the foundation for a sustainable social mobilization. This can be achieved by empowering a community-based team of volunteers to support local health workers and amplify positive health behaviors on immunization and health.

Second, decrease the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. The social mobilization process may be used to develop local strategies and activities to address vaccine hesitancy.

The Immunization Playbook seeks to be an end-to-end guide to help support local government units in implementing the Bakuna Champions program. It contains a template ordinance that can be adopted and modified by local leaders based on their context; a step-by-step implementation checklist, and a list of basic resource requirements to implement the program and foster Bakuna Champions in their communities.

The playbook also includes a capacity-building outline on suggested modules for program implementation; a template communication plan that contains key messages for key stakeholders as well as samples of communication materials; and a frequently asked questions list for Bakuna Champions and the general public.

Through the immunization playbook, the DoH hopes to equip Bakuna Champions not only with the technical knowledge on immunization, but also with inspiration and motivation to carry out their duties.

 

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