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Globe Virtual Hangouts bridging 5G Hackathon to Pinoy youth

Globe Prepaid’s Virtual Hangouts brings the 5G Hackathon to participants nationwide for a more collaborative and immersive online learning experience.

Virtual Hangouts was first introduced by Globe last year to continue bringing events that Gen Z may have missed like concerts, gaming tournaments, interactive K-experiences & fan meets, and learning summits geared towards different passion points such as music, eSports, K-Culture, and campus life.

This time, Globe Prepaid’s Virtual Hangouts powers the 5G Hackathon Headquarters which houses the enablement workshops starting May 21. These workshops cover a wide range of topics pushing 5G technology and innovations for reinvented experiences and real-world applications.

Students and 5G Hackathon participants will learn from the leaders in various industries such as:

Case Study of Successful Startup that ‘Made it Big’
Jared B. Reimer (President & Founder, Cascadeo)

Social Impact and Innovation
Virgilio Linis (Program Manager, Animo Labs)
Federico Gonzalez (Executive Director, Animo Labs)

SME Innovations in the New Normal
Fay Cruz (Head of Small and Medium Business Strategy, Globe)

The Basics of Pitching
Natasha Bautista (Head of Marketing Communications and Program Management, 917Ventures)

The Evolution of G (Exploring the Possibilities of 5G)
Gerhard Tan (Director of Network Strategy, Globe)

Not only that, participants will further learn from more industry experts from Google, Amazon, Intel, Huawei, and more of Globe’s technology partners.

These workshops will be held in the 5G Hackathon Headquarters’ main hall where the participants and mentors can gather and socialize. The innovative venue also harmonizes learning and play with features such as the Time Capsule where they can voice their expectations and thoughts about joining the hackathon, and a Photo Booth to capture their proud 5Genius moment which they can customize with 5G stickers.

“We continue to seek ways to bring people together through technology.  Globe reinvents learning further by making the sessions more immersive and interactive through Virtual Hangouts. We also created this platform to provide a venue for idea cultivation to further empower the youth,” said Eric Tanbauco, Globe Head of Prepaid.

Ten teams with the best ideas will be selected to present and demonstrate their prototype in the 2-week hackathon following the workshops and pitch competition. The top three winners will not only receive half a million pesos in cash but also a chance to turn their ideas into a business venture under 917Ventures, the corporate venture builder arm of Globe.

The Globe 5G Hackathon is part of the company’s efforts to educate the youth and encourage them to explore the possibilities of 5G technology in improving the future. Globe is committed to supporting 10 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which include UN SDG No. 9 which aims to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.

To register for the Globe 5G Hackathon, visit https://globe5ghackathon.com/.  Download the GlobeOne App and check out the Virtual Hangouts section to know more about upcoming events.

Chinese firm’s COVID-19 drug claims draw skepticism

FREEPIK

Chinese biotech firm Kintor Pharmaceutical Limited saw its stock price jump by more than 20% the day after it announced on April 25 that it had “completed the first patient enrollment and dosing” in a late-stage U.S. clinical trial of its experimental COVID-19 treatment.

It was the company’s latest announcement about the progress of the drug, Proxalutamide. The Hong Kong-listed company’s stock price has nearly quadrupled since March 1 as some analysts wrote about the big sales potential for a COVID-19 treatment. Kintor has seen its market capitalization soar to HK$23.4 billion ($3 billion) from HK$6.6 billion on March 1.

But the company had not dosed any patients as of early May, according to the doctor Kintor identified as its principal clinical trial investigator in documents it posted on a U.S. trials website. The doctor – California-based gastroenterologist Zeid Kayali – also told Reuters he was “not in charge” of the trial, contradicting what the company had said in the documents describing the study. Kayali declined further comment, referring questions to Kintor.

Told of Kayali’s comments, Kintor Chief Financial Officer Lucy Lu said Kayali was merely one of its trial investigators. She declined further comment on the firm’s announcement on patient dosing. Lu declined as well to name a different principal investigator, or the institution overseeing the trial, calling that information “confidential.”

Companies are not obliged to release such information. But many pharmaceutical firms routinely provide details about who is leading their clinical trial and which research organization or medical institution is responsible for ensuring patient safety and scientific validity.

Kintor’s lack of transparency, along with inconsistencies in the company’s statements, raise a “red flag” about the company’s claims, said Stephen Ostroff, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief scientist and two-time acting FDA commissioner.

Another red flag: Kintor has repeatedly touted a Brazilian study of Proxalutamide that claimed an effectiveness rate so high that Ostroff and other pharmaceutical specialists say it is hard to believe.

The Brazil study said Proxalutamide showed a 92% reduction in mortality risk among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, which Ostroff said would be “breathtakingly extraordinary” if true.

Alexandre Cavalcanti, director of Sao Paulo’s HCor Research Institute, called a presentation of the study’s findings by its authors “amateur” and said its claimed reduction of mortality risk is too high to be credible in light of a global struggle to find effective COVID-19 treatments.

Kintor stock turned briefly negative in morning trade in Hong Kong, but was trading up more than 4% at 0303 GMT, putting it on course to its third straight session of gains.

 

STOCK GETS A BOOST

Proxalutamide does not have regulatory approvals and is not available for sale. The Brazil study of the drug has not been peer-reviewed or published, but the authors released a short presentation of its results during a March news conference. Kintor promoted their findings.

“Based on the positive results … we expect Proxalutamide could become an important tool in the global fight against COVID-19,” Kintor’s Chief Executive Tong Youzhi said in a statement announcing the Brazilian results on March 11.

That same day, Kintor’s stock price jumped by nearly 9%.

Lu, Kintor’s CFO, did not answer detailed questions from Reuters about the criticisms of the Brazil study and Kintor’s claims about its U.S. trial.

One of the study’s authors, Brown University dermatology professor Carlos Wambier, dismissed its critics and called its results “very encouraging.”

In an April 2 client note, analysts from Beijing-based brokerage China Renaissance cited Kintor’s progress reports as evidence of the “potentially wider application of Proxalutamide.” They gave the stock a “buy” recommendation and set a target price of HK$50.75. Kintor’s stock now trades at about HK$66, having reached a record high HK$82 in late April.

“The stock price is majorly driven by the COVID-19-related clinical progress,” said Sam Hu, analyst at CMB International in Hong Kong.

One of the study’s authors is a consultant hired by a Brazilian Health Ministry official who is an ally of the country’s President Jair Bolsonaro. The president is a vaccine skeptic and a critic of masks and lockdowns who has promoted discredited COVID-19 remedies such hydroxychloroquine. The health official, Helio Angotti, assigned a team of consultants to find evidence to support Bolsonaro’s unfounded medical claims.

Angotti declined to comment. Bolsonaro’s office did not respond to written questions from Reuters. The consultant who co-authored the Proxalutamide study, Ricardo Zimerman, did not respond to requests for comment.

 

RESEARCH AND POLITICS

Lu said Kintor is in talks with Brazilian federal health regulator Anvisa about conducting its own clinical trial. Anvisa said in a statement that Kintor had not filed any formal request to conduct a trial, but did not comment on any talks between the regulator and the company.

Two Anvisa staffers, speaking on condition of anonymity, questioned the results of the Brazilian Proxalutamide study, saying the authors’ results presentation contained no detailed data or evidence. One of the Anvisa staffers characterized the presentation as more marketing than science. Brazil’s Health Ministry, in a March technical note, concluded that “the available evidence for the drug is still incipient,” with limited information on safety and outcomes.

Kintor originally conceived of Proxalutamide as a cancer treatment, before pivoting to COVID-19. Lu told Reuters that the FDA had allowed the firm to progress to a Phase III trial, skipping Phases I and II, after evaluating its previous oncology studies and the Brazil research. She declined to share any documentation from the FDA outlining that permission.

The FDA declined to comment on Kintor or its COVID-19 drug. Ostroff said it was concerning and atypical that Kintor used earlier-stage oncology trials, along with the questionable Brazil study, as shortcuts to a Phase III COVID-19 trial. The company’s answers to basic questions about its clinical trial, he added, were evasive.

“Most pharmaceutical companies, especially related to COVID-19, will be quite open about what sorts of trials they’re doing,” he said. – Reuters

Images of Philippine tourist spots to be included in Huawei Themes

PHILSTAR

Images of top tourist destinations in the Philippines will be included as wallpaper and home screen options for Huawei devices, after the Chinese tech giant signed a partnership with the Tourism department.

The department will contribute images of tourist spots to the Huawei Themes application. The app homepage displays a “Pinoy favorites” category and will also feature themes created by local artists.

“The popular tourist destinations in the Philippines such as beaches, islands, heritage towns, and deep seas will be featured in the app,” Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. said in a press release on Friday.

The Tourism department will also offer domestic tourism vouchers for hotels, attractions and tours to app users.

“Our strategy for the safe and gradual reopening of tourism in the Philippines will be greatly supported by this digital content partnership as it will offer Huawei users anywhere in the world with glimpses of our country’s beautiful destinations and allow them to customize their mobile devices with images of our tourism offerings,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.

The app reached over 1.8 billion total themes downloads in 2020, Huawei said. — Jenina P. Ibañez

FEATURE | Vaccine lottery: Indian states grapple with how to share COVID-19 jabs

Image via Freepik.com

CHENNAI/MUMBAI, India, May 14 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Arjun Kumar was wary about getting a COVID-19 vaccine until India’s deadly second wave reached villages near his home in the eastern state of Odisha.

Now, like thousands of others scrambling to book a vaccine appointment across the country, his chances of finding one hinge on who different state governments think should be given first priority on limited supplies.

“Initially I wasn’t planning to take the vaccination because people said you could die or get a fever. But now there is death all around, I’m scared,” Kumar, 30, a teacher, said by phone from his home in Nadarpur village.

Alarmed by television coverage of the nationwide crisis and reports about deaths closer to home, Kumar has tried in vain to book a vaccine appointment repeatedly over the last two weeks, both in person and using an online registration system.

“Getting this vaccine seems like a matter of chance,” said Kumar, who became eligible for the jab on May 1, when India opened vaccination for all adults.

India recorded more than 4,000 COVID-19 deaths for a second straight day on Thursday, bringing the total close to 250,000, as a surge in cases overwhelms hospitals in the country of 1.35 billion people.

Cases have exceeded 22 million, though health experts say actual numbers could be five to 10 times higher, fueling calls for swifter progress on the vaccine roll-out.

India is a major producer of COVID-19 vaccines, but by Monday it had fully vaccinated only 34.8 million people – about 2.5% of the population, government data shows. About 130 million have had at least a first dose, offering some protection.

Everyone aged 45 or over is eligible for a free vaccine dose from federal government supplies, with state governments responsible for allocating their own stocks to people aged from 18 to 44.

But as supplies lag far behind soaring demand, state authorities are having to make difficult decisions on how to distribute the few doses they have available.

The federal government’s health ministry said on Thursday it was “consistently and proactively working to secure and enhance the availability of vaccines”, adding that a new national strategy would ensure wider availability across the country.

 

‘POOREST OF THE POOR’

In some states, allocation policies are proving controversial.

In the state of Chhattisgarh, authorities faced a legal challenge for opting to give top priority to “the poorest of the poor” on the grounds they were the most vulnerable, with limited access to health services or benefits such as sick pay.

“In view of the limited supply of vaccines, this was done to ensure equity and social justice,” Priyanka Shukla, director of the National Health Mission in Chhattisgarh, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

After frontline health workers, next in line were low-income and marginalised groups including indigenous groups, single and widowed women, the homeless and former bonded labourers.

But a court rejected the state government’s argument last week following a challenge by a group of residents, and people living above the poverty line will now also be eligible in the first phase.

India announced in April that vaccine makers authorised by the federal government would be able to directly sell 50% of their stock to state administrations and private hospitals in an effort to boost the vaccination drive across the country.

But data collected from the health departments of five states and collated by the Thomson Reuters Foundation showed that the supply of vaccines was not meeting even half of the demand from health departments.

In Maharashtra, one of the states worst affected by the second wave, of the 120 million doses needed to cover the 18 to 44 age group, only about 1.1 million have been received.

Officials in the state, which is home to the financial hub of Mumbai, are considering importing vaccines from overseas to plug the gap. Several other states have made similar announcements.

In Chhattisgarh and the northeastern state of Assam, only a small fraction of the millions of required doses have arrived.

In contrast to Chhattisgarh’s move to prioritise the poor along with essential workers, Assam’s government has given top priority to frontline public sector workers including health sector employees and police, as well as people with chronic diseases or disabilities.

Health officials in the states said they were awaiting additional stocks and would determine targets for priority groups and vaccination rates according to available supplies.

“Exact (delivery) dates are not known. Everything depends on the availability,” said Bijay Panigrahi, in-charge of the immunisation drive in Odisha, which has also received only a small number of the doses it needs.

 

‘NOT FAIR’

The shortages and disparities in state immunisation policies have triggered demands from rights campaigners for authorities to ensure vulnerable groups get fair access.

“Prioritising the marginalised is essential because they inherently have poor health, poor documentation and poor access,” said Edwin, who uses one name and is the trustee of the charity Human Rights Advocacy and Research Foundation (HRF).

Migrant workers are among those at risk of discrimination as some states give priority to their own residents, he said.

Online registration could also lead to inequalities in vaccine access around the country and between different groups, campaigners said.

Many poor Indians do not have biometric identification cards that are often required to access public services, including vaccination registration – allowing those who do to jump the vaccine queue.

In some instances, residents from the cities of Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad have booked slots in rural health centres, driving out into the countryside to get their shots, according to local media reports.

“It’s not fair because the stocks are meant for villagers,” said Sandeep Jathar, a rural development official from Mulshi village in Maharashtra, which has seen an influx of residents from Pune at rural health centres.

He said local officials were helping villagers register online to ensure they were not pushed to the back of the line.

“It’s like stealing a shot meant for someone else, but since slots are allotted online, there’s not much we can do. Also, everyone is scared and it doesn’t seem right to deny anyone a vaccine.” – Reuters

China’s SMIC raises revenue expectations following strong Q1 as chip shortage boosts demand

Shanghai, China - STOCK PHOTO

SHANGHAI, May 14 (Reuters) – China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) said on Friday that demand for chips exceeds supply, and raised its expectations for sales for the first half of the year.

“Our current capacity could not fulfill customer needs, and products in every market segment faced shortages,” Zhao Haijun, co-chief executive of SMIC, said in a company earnings call.

SMIC reported sales of $1.1 billion in Q1 2021, a year-on-year increase of 22%, and gross profit reached $250 million, a 7.1% increase.

The company said it expected revenue of $2.4 billion for the first half of the year, which it called “higher than expected.”

Shares in the company rose as much as 4.4% in Hong Kong.

Speaking with investors and analysts, Zhao said the company was working to rapidly expand capacity, with some facilities moving ahead of schedule.

He added that demand for internet-of-things related chips, such as WiFi modules and micro-controller units, remained in tight supply across the industry.

Backed in part by state funding, SMIC is a key player in China’s efforts to boost its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.

In March, the company announced it would invest $2.35 billion with the government of Shenzhen to build a new fabrication plant capable of producing 40,000 wafers per month.

Last year, the Trump administration placed sanctions on the company that curbed U.S. equipment makers from supplying it.

In an earnings call, Zhao said these restrictions have created uncertainties for its capacity expansion plans. However, Zhao added, the company remains in communication with relevant governments and has seen “lots of progress.’ – Reuters

Pacific Cross celebrates back-to-back golden arrow wins

Pacific Cross Insurance, Inc. (PCII) received recognition at the recent Golden Arrow Awards.
Organized by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), the awards seek to uplift corporate governance standards and practices as well as recognize well-governed publicly listed companies across the ASEAN.

Leading medical and travel insurance provider Pacific Cross Insurance, Inc. (PCII) has received a second consecutive Golden Arrow award from the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) in recognition for its exemplary commitment to good corporate governance.

International benchmarks for corporate governance, most notably the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS), are used to assess companies vying for a Golden Arrow Award. Pacific Cross received ACGS credit scores of above 80 points in both 2018 and 2019. With these back-to-back milestone wins, PCII joins the ranks of the top performing companies in the Philippines under the ASEAN corporate governance principles.

The ACGS looks into areas such as rights and equitable treatment of shareholders, role of stakeholders, disclosure and transparency and responsibilities of the Board as basis for earning the award.

“This recognition is proof of our commitment to good corporate governance, compliance, and effective risk management. It is our aim to constantly be deserving of the trust placed in us by our clients and stakeholders.”, Pacific Cross President and CEO Mr. Daniel Daly said.

Aside from receiving a Golden Arrow Award, PCII has continuously eyed greater heights with its 2018 and 2019 PRS A ratings from the Philippine Rating Services Corporation for the Company’s financial strength. In recent years, PCII has also been a consistent top performer among non-life insurance companies based on Net Income and Net Premiums Written according to Insurance Commission rankings.

 

Pacific Cross is a leading medical and travel insurance provider in the Philippines. For more details on Pacific Cross products and services, please visit www.pacificcross.com.ph, e-mail info@pacificcross.com.ph, call +63 2 8230-8511 or follow PacificCrossPH on Facebook.

Meralco enters into a memorandum of understanding with DILG, PNP and BFP

Anti-Pilferage operations

Powered by the common mission of ensuring public safety and the continuous conveyance of electricity, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Meralco’s Chief Legal Counsel Atty. William S. Pamintuan and Chief Commercial Officer Engr. Ferdinand O. Geluz, Secretary Eduardo M. Año of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), then Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Debold M. Sinas, and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Chief Jose S. Embang, Jr.

Under the MOU, the Parties agree to support each another in implementing relevant laws and government issuances such as the Anti-Obstruction of Power Lines Act, Ease of Doing Business Act, Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act, National Building Code, Philippine Electrical Code, Revised Fire Code, Revised Penal Code, and the DILG Memorandum Circulars (MC) on Road Clearing.

The MOU was officially signed on December 21, 2020, followed by a DILG MC dated January 25, 2021, directing all local government units (LGUs), PNP, and BFP to perform their respective roles under the MOU to achieve its objectives.

Relocations activities

“We are pleased to see this MOU adopted by all Parties as a testament that we are altogether focused on championing the best interests of the public,” Meralco’s Chief Legal Counsel Atty. William S. Pamintuan said.

Meralco Chief Commercial Officer Engr. Ferdinand O. Geluz stated that the discussions among the Parties, which eventually led to the signing of the MOU have been insightful and constructive, saying, “Each Party not only shared a uniquely significant perspective but also extended the extremely indispensable willingness to recognize and respond to such perspective in a manner that will address the challenges we all face together in such an unprecedented time.”

The Parties will officially form an Executive Committee (EXECOM) composed of members from DILG, PNP, BFP, and Meralco, which will be co-chaired by DILG and MERALCO. With the guidance of DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año, BFP Chief Jose S. Embang, Jr., and the new PNP Chief Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar, the EXECOM will regularly meet to operationalize and converge efforts among Meralco, DILG, BFP, PNP and LGUs for proper implementation of the MOU.

On March 1, 2021, the MERALCO Board of Directors passed a Resolution appointing Atty. Oscar P. Moreno, Jr. and Engr. Sante C. Buella as the representatives of MERALCO to the EXECOM as Co-Chairman and as Member, respectively, to lead and oversee the execution of the MOU.

One of the foremost wins for the public within the new MOU, is a provision requiring the creation of Committees and Technical Working Groups that will take charge of supporting the EXECOM and will enact implementing guidelines in line with the four (4) pillars of the MOU: i) Public Order and Safety; ii) Regulatory Compliance and Legal Matters; iii) Strategic Operations and Communications, and iv) Corporate Social Responsibility.

DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año is hopeful that the MOU, the MC, and the ensuing implementing guidelines will send a positive message to the public. “With a strong partnership between the public and the private sectors, we can achieve great results by acting upon the best interests of the public – uninterrupted delivery of electric service and public safety.”

 

 

 

 

 

Insular Life launches Prime Secure Lite, affordable term life insurance with additional COVID-19 coverage

Insular Life (InLife) launched Prime Secure Lite, a term life insurance that gives extra benefits in case of diagnosis of certain critical illnesses and death due to COVID-19.

Prime Secure Lite gives protection for up to P750,000 for a one-time premium as low as P2500.

“Prime Secure Lite is practical as it gives one peace of mind should anything untoward happen. For instance, if one is diagnosed with cancer, heart attack or stroke (CHAS), Prime Secure Lite will make funds equivalent to 40% to 50% of the sum insured available for treatment. This pandemic has also made many realize the importance of being covered so that the family one leaves if one passes away will not have a hard time bearing the consequences of an unexpected death in the family,” said Rosalyn L. Martinez, InLife’s Chief Marketing Officer.

“Prime Secure Lite is payable only once, but will give a one-year coverage. And it is affordable. For those between the ages of 18 to 47, the premium is P2500. Those between 48 to 60 years old have to pay only P3,000,” Martinez added.

Prime Secure Lite also gives additional coverage for the first six months in case of death due to COVID-19, and extended coverage for the spouse equal to the sum insured in case of accidental death of both insured and spouse.

To illustrate, customers, between ages 18 to 47 years old who will avail of Prime Secure Lite will only have to pay P2,500 for a one-year coverage of P300,000 (for 18 to 39 years old) and P200,000 (for 40 to 47 years old.) Those whose ages are between 48 to 60 years old will pay P3,000 for coverage that range from P80,000 to P200,000. Additional coverage for CHAS and COVID-19, as well as in case of accidental death to both insured and spouse, provides more protection not just for the insured, but the family as well.

Prime Secure Lite is light on accessibility as it is light on the pocket. There are no medical examinations required and it is fully available online. To get Prime Secure Lite, customers should simply go to the InLife Store, https://www.inlifestore.com.ph/prime-secure-lite and complete the 3-step application process.

Duterte places NCR Plus under GCQ

Photo by Michael Varcas

by Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

The National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby provinces will be placed under a less stringent quarantine status starting Saturday, according to the presidential palace.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte approved the recommendation of an inter-agency task force to place NCR and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal under a general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions from May 15 to 31, presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said in a statement on Thursday night.

Mr. Roque said Baguio City and the provinces of Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Abra in the Cordillera Administrative Region will also be placed under a general lockdown.

The provinces of Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya in Cagayan Valley will also be under GCQ.

Restrictions in Batangas and Quezon in Southern Tagalog and Puerto Princesa in Region 4-B will be eased.

Several areas in Southern Philippines such as Iligan City, Davao City, and Lanao Del Sur will revert to GCQ.

“All other areas shall be placed under Modified General Community Quarantine until month’s end,” Mr. Roque said.

Meanwhile, the Palace official said only essential travel into and out of the NCR Plus shall be allowed.

Public transportation shall remain operational “at such capacities and protocols” to be set by the Transportation department.

Mr. Roque said indoor dine-in services in the greater Metro Manila area shall be allowed at 20% seating capacity, while outdoor dining shall be at 50% venue capacity.

Outdoor tourist attractions in the area may be opened at 30% “with strict adherence to minimum public health standards,” he said.

He added that specialized markets of the Tourism department will be allowed to operate “following the minimum public health standards and implementation of protocols and restrictions.”

Religious gatherings will be allowed up to 10% of a venue’s capacity.

Non-contact sports, games, scrimmages and personal care services such as salons, parlors, beauty clinics, among others, shall be allowed at 30% capacity, Mr. Roque said.

He said unauthorized interzonal travel from the greater Manila area shall remain prohibited.

Mr. Roque said persons aged 18 to 65 will be allowed outdoors.

Where we are now on road safety

Every year, an estimated 1.35 million people worldwide die as a result of a road traffic crash. That is according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, between 20 and 50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring a disability as a result of their injury.

The organization noted that more than half of all road traffic deaths and injuries involve vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists and their passengers, with the young particularly vulnerable on the world’s roads.

In fact, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged five to 29. According to data, young males under 25 years are more likely to be involved in road traffic crashes than females, with 73% of all road traffic deaths occurring among young males in that age. Developing economies, such as the Philippines, record higher rates of road traffic injuries, with 93% of fatalities coming from low- and middle- income countries.

The loss of life and human suffering caused by road traffic injuries also bears another cost; road traffic accidents also incur a heavy economic burden on victims and their families, both through treatment costs for the injured and through loss of productivity of those killed or disabled. More broadly, road traffic injuries have a serious impact on national economies, costing countries 3% of their annual gross domestic product.

In the Philippines, the Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System (MMARAS) recorded a total of 65,032 accidents in the country’s main metropolitan area in 2020, resulting in the death of 337 people. Broken down, Metro Manila averaged 178 road-crash incidents per day, with 50,230 cases resulting to damage to property, and 14,465 resulting in non-fatal injury.

While this number is far lower than the 121,771 total recorded accidents in 2019 (a drop of 46.6%), it bears noting the nationwide lockdown measures implemented throughout 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reducing the number of cars on the roads. Moreover, public transportation also saw a temporary ban during the lockdown.

This is partly the reason why the top month in terms of accidents in 2020 is February, with a total of 9,315 incidents. This is followed by January and October with 7,283 and 6,285 cases, respectively. Meanwhile, the lowest accident total was recorded in April 2020 during the height of the quarantine, with only 1,535 incidents recorded during the month.

Reflecting the WHO finding about vulnerable road users, the country also saw the number of motorcycle-related fatalities in Metro Manila rise slightly in 2020 in spite of the lockdowns. With the limited availability of public transport and physical distancing requirements, more people have shifted to two-wheelers as a method of mobility.

The 2020 MMARAS data showed that the number of fatal accidents involving motorcycles reached 229 last year, compared with 221 in 2019 or a 3.5% increase. However, the total number of motorcycle-related road crashes were recorded at 22,080 in 2020, versus 31,279 in 2019, still representing a 29.4% decrease overall. Accidents that caused non-fatal injuries similarly fell by 24.9%, 11,032 in 2020 versus 14,691 in 2019.

About 13,004 people were involved in these accidents, or an average of 36 people per day. The corresponding figures for 2019 are 14,553 people in total and an average of 40 per day.

According to the data, the highest number of deaths from motorcycle accidents occurred at night from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., during which 17 fatalities were recorded. Sideswipes caused the most damage to property in 3,420 cases, and injuries in 2,842 cases. Meanwhile, collisions with objects resulted in the most fatalities or 41 cases.

Overall, the massive Quezon City logs the most road crashes in 2020 with 22,494 cases, with Manila following in at a distant second with a total of 6,655 incidents, and Makati City with 4,508 incidents. Pateros recorded the fewest number of accidents last year with just 115.

Towards safer roads
To reduce the number of road accidents is the reason why the country committed to adopt the Stockholm Declaration, which outlines the global road safety goals from 2020 to 2030, aiming to halve road crash fatalities around the world by the end of the decade.

“Road safety is one of the priorities of the current administration… [The Department of Transportation] will take part in the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda,” the department had stated in reports.

The Stockholm Declaration calls for a new global target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030. In addition, it invites strengthened efforts on activities in all five pillars of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action: better road safety management; safer roads, vehicles and people; and enhanced post-crash care. It also calls for speeding up the shift to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable modes of transport like walking, cycling and public transport.

“Political will is needed at the highest level of government to achieve this, both by investing in evidence-based interventions to make roads safe and considering ways to shift to modes of transport that are better for health and the environment and the overall livability of cities,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a speech.

“With the right leadership, transport systems can be configured or reconfigured in such a way as to reduce reliance on cars. However, it is only when countries build in the safeguards and implement the best practices to enhance road safety, that we can offer walking, cycling and using public transport as viable options for most trips. When we are able to ensure this, we help our societies move towards a vision of not only safe, but also accessible, affordable and sustainable mobility,” he added.

Recently, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. 11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, which mandates the use of child restraint systems (CRS) for children 12 years old and below with a height of 4 feet 11 inches and below.

This puts the country a step further towards the 2030 goal. However, implementation of the law had been deferred following the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic taking a harsh toll on Filipinos. It remains to be seen when the law will be implemented, and how significant the effect it will have on the safety of the country’s roads. — Bjorn Biel M. Beltran

Traversing the road with good driving behaviors

Excellent driving skills are fundamental to complete a journey on the road. But to reach the destination should not be the only target of drivers. Every road to take certainly has rules for drivers to follow. And most importantly, drivers should ensure safe travel for themselves and other road users too.

“The behavior of road users is, in fact, the main cause of road crashes and road crash injury and death,” the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on its Practical Guide on Road Safety.

“Among the many risk factors involved in causing road crashes or increasing injury severity, the four most common are: the failure to wear seat belts; the failure to wear crash helmets: driving at excessive or unsuitable speeds; and driving under the influence of alcohol,” it added.

So as drivers sharpen their performance on moving vehicles, they should learn to improve their behavior as well. In a Telegraph report, various driving experts shared good habits to implement when pushing to be a brilliant motorist.

“The first, and perhaps most obvious, thing to say about good drivers is that they know what speed they should be driving at,” the report said.

It observed that although some drivers know their limits, they choose to ignore them. This would plainly result to danger due to a decreased time for the driver to react and less control over his car when unanticipated events occurred in front of him.

“[People who drive too fast] are playing with their own lives and others,” said Sarah Sillars, chief executive officer of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, in the Telegraph report. “They are accidents waiting to happen, and [we need] a major shift in [their] attitudes to think about safety.”

Drivers, therefore, must remember to stick to the limit to minimize the chances of causing an accident. They also need to focus on the road and avoid any distractions.

According to Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), drivers need to resist the urge to respond whenever notified by a text message, email, or call while behind the wheel.

“Research shows that using any type of mobile phone while driving is distracting and dangerous and increases the risk of crashing,” he stated in the report. He stressed on the failure to look properly on the road has caused thousands of accidents in the United Kingdom (UK).

Furthermore, the Telegraph mentioned that using phones is not the only one that could interfere in driving. “The best drivers avoid fiddling with stereos or satnavs or allowing their minds to wander. They keep their focus firmly on the road, and they’re all the safer for it,” it added.

With this guidance concerning speed and view, attentiveness is thus a vital behavior that motorists should consider. However, in some instances, they could lose their concentration on the road during a feeling of exhaustion. Hence, experts told the Telegraph the importance of taking regular breaks, especially when traveling long distances.

“Since driver fatigue is a major factor in road accidents, causing as many as 3,000 a year in the UK alone, it ought to go without saying that the best drivers stop regularly to recharge their batteries and stay alert,” the report said.

Citing motoring association the AA, Telegraph informed that 63% of British motorists do not take effective breaks while in a long-distance trip. And 28% said that they kept driving even when tired because they want to press on to their destination. But the report warned that such actions are inherently risky.

“If you feel tired, stop, drink a strong cup of coffee or energy drink and take a 20-minute nap. You should then find it easier to concentrate for the remainder of your journey,” it advised.

Aside from driving when tired, attentiveness on the road would lose if a driver journeyed under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“Around 250 people are killed in drink-drive accidents every year,” stated RoSPA’s Mr. Clinton. “It is not just the drivers who suffer, but often their passengers, people in other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists, and the families of everyone involved.”

Thus, it emphasized to follow the rule of not touching any alcohol or drugs when a person knows that he is driving.

While motorists understand the need for alertness and proficiency on the road, they should also turn away from being excessively self-assured when driving.

“The key to safety on the roads is not to be over-confident,” remarked Philip Gomm of transport policy and motoring research organization the RAC Foundation in the Telegraph report. “Few people believe they are bad drivers, but thousands of us still have accidents each year. Driver error is a factor in almost three-quarters of all crashes.”

“Complacency is obviously an issue here,” the report added. “Drivers who feel they’ve got it sorted behind the wheel are much more likely to make mistakes than those who are ever-vigilant for danger.”

To avoid any of these issues on driving behaviors, therefore, the previous guide by IFRC recommended short-term measures relating to large-scale information campaigns about road safety, and long-term measures like evaluation and improvement of quality driving teaching when necessary. — Chelsey Keith P. Ignacio

Innovative ‘lifesavers’ on the road

Photo from freepik

As technology progressed through time, innovations have been improving safety on the road. From the three-point seatbelt that car safety pioneer Volvo innovated in 1959, safety features in cars have come a long way as automakers continue to harness the latest technologies to improve how their vehicles protect drivers, passengers, and even pedestrians.

These features can be classified into crash avoidance and occupant protection technologies, according to the US-based Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

Through software that interprets data from sensors, cameras, and radar-based technologies, the organization explained, crash avoidance technologies or “advanced driver assistance systems” (ADAS) allow vehicles to sense the environment around them and to assist drivers by alerting them to impending dangers.

These systems include adaptive cruise control, which keeps vehicles at a set speed but slows down or accelerates to keep a safe distance from the car in front; lane departure warning, which alerts a car when it is drifting into another lane; lane-keep assist, which uses steering to keep the car in the lane; blind-spot alert to alert drivers of vehicles in their blind spots; cross-traffic alert for safer backing out of parking spaces or driveways; and reverse brake assist for avoiding hitting objects behind the car while backing up.

These well-known features are often bundled by car manufacturers. Ford has its Co-Pilot360, while Subaru has EyeSight. Toyota’s safety features are under its Safety Sense brand, Honda’s assistive features are collectively called Honda Sensing, while Nissan’s safety technologies are included in its Intelligent Mobility suite.

Another recent technology in crash avoidance is automatic emergency braking, or AEB, which activates a car’s brakes when it senses an imminent collision — either with another vehicle, a pedestrian, or a cyclist — in order to avoid or minimize an accident.
As vehicle valuation and automotive research company Kelley Blue Book explained, AEB can react faster than a driver can, and it can start working before one hits the brakes. AEB can also brake harder than the pressure a driver applies if it senses the car must stop sooner.

Further guiding motorists against blind spots, the video-based blind spot rearview monitor can be helpful when preparing to change lanes. “These warnings can help prevent you from hitting another car or a person on a bicycle or motorcycle,” Kelly Blue Book’s article read, adding that cars from Genesis, Kia, and Hyundai offer convenient types of these displays within the gauge cluster.

These ADAS are very much regarded to spare drivers and passengers from accidents. Research from global data and analytics company LexisNexis Risk Solutions last year revealed that cars equipped with ADAS showed a 27% reduction in bodily injury claim frequency and a 19% reduction in property damage frequency. In addition, data compiled from US’ Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and manufacturers by CCC Information Services suggests ADAS-equipped cars have anywhere from a 20% to 50% reduction in crashes.

Also, an analysis on the benefits of crash avoidance technologies, published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention in 2019, suggests that the combination of vehicle crash avoidance technologies reduces crash frequency by about 3.5%.

“If vehicle crash avoidance technologies were deployed throughout the light-duty vehicle fleet, we could see crash prevention cost savings of up to $264 billion, assuming all relevant crashes are prevented,” Carnegie Mellon University researcher Corey Harper, one of the authors of the study, explained in an article from Forbes.com.

Crash avoidance systems, nonetheless, are coupled with technologies that protect vehicle occupants.

One of the well-known technologies in this category is the airbag, which has been observed to be much safer and less likely to cause injuries. The basic airbag has upgraded into a ‘smart’ one that uses an array of sensors to determine when it is not safe to deploy the airbag. Joining this advancement are side curtains and rollover airbags that aim to bring further protection for occupants in case of accidents.

More recently, Honda has integrated its Next-Generation Front Passenger Airbag into the MDX crossover and TLX sport sedans from the automaker’s Acura luxury division. The new airbag design, resembling a catcher’s mitt in baseball, was created to offer better protection in frontal collisions.

The airbag deploys into three chambers. Two of these chambers, projecting outwards but remaining connected via a mesh panel, extend out to wrap around the rider and help guide the occupant’s head and upper torso gently into the center of the airbag.

This safety innovation has gained favorable reception. Popular Science, for instance, regards the Acura airbag as the best automotive technology of 2020. “[T]he design promises to reduce the profound rotational forces that slam brain tissue into the skull during a wreck,” the magazine’s article read.

Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, meanwhile, awards Honda’s uniquely-shaped airbag as the Best Safety Innovation this year. In a statement, the association regards the new airbag design as “an important advancement” in airbag development.

Aside from Honda, Mercedes Benz is also stepping up in airbag development as its next-generation S-Class will be the first car to offer frontal airbags for rear occupants. Accompanied by inflatable seat belts, the rear frontal airbags are also designed to adapt to child seats in order to protect both children and adults.

“The frontal airbag for the rear seat deploys particularly gently thanks to its innovative construction using a tubular structure,” the automaker explained in a statement last year. “During severe frontal collisions, the rear airbag can considerably reduce the impact on the heads and necks of occupants on the outer rear seats.”

Cars have definitely upgraded in terms of safety, but the pace of development is expected to continue. According to Research and Markets, the global ADAS market size will increase from $27 billion this year to $83 billion by 2030, growing annually by nearly 12%.

Also, Stuart Mason, editorial director of The Car Expert, sees the possibility for driver monitoring technology to go beyond assessing whether a driver is concentrating enough. “[I]t’s likely that it won’t be too long before your car will be able to detect whether you’ve had too much to drink… and prevent you from starting the car,” he said. — Adrian Paul B. Conoza

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