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Art in busy spaces

Nurturing Ubuntu (Connected in our Humanity) by Woman Create

IN a busy business district filled with high-rise buildings, otherwise blank walls are painted with colorful murals that not only beautify the area but also make a statement.

The Bonifacio Global City (BGC) district, through its Public Art program ArtBGC, recently added new murals throughout the area.

The business district began its mural project in 2014. Currently, there are 36 murals, 22 art installations, and 110 pieces of street furniture scattered in and around BGC. The project aims at improving the area’s open spaces with parks and art installations.

In the past year, the Bonifacio Art Foundation commissioned artists to create seven additional murals which carry the theme “Rolling Out a Better World.”

“With all the crises we are all experiencing led by the [COVID-19] pandemic, including those brought on and further deepened by the pandemic, like the crisis in education, culture, environment, we all want our common areas to help shape an attitude that we have the power to roll out a better world,” BGC Arts Program’s Head of Content Maria Isabel Garcia told BusinessWorld in an e-mail.

Ms. Garcia said that muralists can join ArtBGC by signing up with the ArtBGC Artist Pool and submitting the requirements.

Shortlisted artists have to submit a design concept based on the location and theme, and these are assessed. Artists are then chosen based on the approved concept and are awarded a mural contract.

Ms. Garcia noted that their team has “an inventory of BGC surfaces that we got consent from property owners” to paint murals on. The designs, she said, “stems from what the partner stands for” and will be related to the umbrella theme.

“We prioritize surfaces that are new, but when there are partners who would like [to use] surfaces that have existing murals and the partnerships for [those old murals] have already lapsed, we consider those as well,” Ms. Garcia added.

The artists behind the approved mural designs are then given four to six weeks to complete the work after the partnership is sealed.

The new murals will be on display for a maximum of five years, depending on the duration of the partnerships.

THE NEW MURALS
The seven new murals were painted by Glendford Lumbao, Patmai, Zoë Rosal, Deafeye Studio, Kankan Ramos, Elie Quial, and Woman Create. The murals were finished by the end of 2021. They are:

What’s Your Culture? by Glendford Lumbao

W Global Center, 30th street corner 9th Avenue

The mural highlights how different narratives are intertwined to make it part of a bigger picture. It hints the Pinoy concept of “kapit-bisig” (joining arms) to visualize how a community could be of service to one another.

Atin ang Love for All by Patmai

Hobbes-Timezone Corridor, Lane O, Bonifacio High Street

The parallel murals depict images on various kinds of love — love for family, friends, and even pets.

Atin ang Araw by Zoë Rosal

C1 MRF, BHS Central, 28th Street

The mural presents playfulness with large images of animals. Yarn is used to link humans from one side of the artwork to the other.

Let Compassion, Empathy and Kindness Flow by Kankan Ramos

High Street South, 11th Avenue

The abstract mural emulates the flow of waves. With the use of cool tone colors, the piece represents the vibrance of the sea.

Atin ang Bawat Sandali by Deafeye Studio

Kalayaan Flyover, 32nd Street

The collective of fine and digital artists Deafeye Studio said that the mural depicts hopefulness and happiness. “We featured moments and memories that might spark a sense of nostalgia and belongingness to each person passing by, representing people from different backgrounds,” the collective said in an e-mail to BusinessWorld. “It’s a quick reminder before they enter to take it easy, have a break and say that life is kind and beautiful, that they are deserving of a relaxing day.”

The Land We Walk On by Elie Quial

The Flats Parklet, 5th Ave. cor. 34th St.

The mural features a jungle in the middle of the city. “As an artist, I feel privileged to use my art as a voice to bring awareness to issues that I feel passionate about. When Art BGC gave me the opportunity to create a mural concept from the prompt: ‘Rolling Out A Better World,’ what better way to bring to the forefront, the plight of Philippines’ endangered species,” Ms. Quial told BusinessWorld.

The wall features species such as the Philippine eagle, the Palawan peacock pheasant, the Red-vented cockatoo, the Philippine forest turtle, the Philippine tarsier, Walden’s hornbill, and the Visayan spotted deer. A portion of the mural also features the waling-waling orchid with bees pollinating the flowers.

“Among the flora and fauna are sets of giant feet representing our role and intentions in our actions towards our ecosystem. It is a reminder that we create an impact on our surroundings and that we affect the lives around us,” Ms. Quial said.

Nurturing Ubuntu: Connected in Our Humanity by Woman Create

The Flats, 5th Ave. cor. 34th St.

The mural depicts the expansion of oneself through community. Ubuntu is an African philosophy which directly translates as “humanity” or “I am because we are.”

“As someone whose work mainly dabbles on the identity theme, I found it fascinating that the Self becomes fully realized when we recognize the value of other people — living fully the ideals of acceptance, empathy, and connection, despite differences. Ingrained behind ubuntu is the hope that our communities and the world can be a better place if we could see through the lens of others,” Marika Callangan, founder of Woman Create, said of the mural’s design.

The various gemstones scattered across the mural represent healing, strength, empowerment.

To know more about BGC’s public art, a virtual art tour is accessible via https://www.bgcartscenter.org/artsatbgc. For updates on the arts program, visit the official Facebook pages of Bonifacio Global City and Bonifacio High Street.

The project is supported by Yamaha Motor Philippines, Globe Telecom, and Boysen Paints Philippines. The Bonifacio Art Foundation accepts donations to help sustain the art programs. Donors can visit https://www.bgcartscenter.org/support or send an e-mail to programs@artsatbgc.org. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Aces face the Road Warriors in resumption of Governor’s Cup

ALASKA ACES’ JERON TENG — PBA IMAGES

ALASKA coach Jeff Cariaso braces for the Aces’ toughest test in the middle of their farewell tour today when they battle NLEX in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

The Aces have racked up three straight victories, posting two of them last week when management announced the franchise’s exit at tournament’s end, to climb to solo third at 5-2. But standing in the way in the 3 p.m. match are the Road Warriors (5-3), who have been a major force all conference.

“With all due respect to our last two opponents (Rain or Shine and Terrafirma), I feel tomorrow (today) will be our biggest test since our resumption,” Mr. Cariaso said ahead of the encounter that marks the PBA’s Antipolo return after nearly three years.

“They (NLEX) have a phenomenal import (KJ McDaniels) with a very good local support. They’re always a tough opponent.”

The Aces, according to Mr. Cariaso, are embracing the mantra “living the moment” and “staying within what we’re doing” as they continue the final stretch of their PBA journey.

NLEX, for its part, eyes to make it back to back after a 117-97 beatdown of Blackwater and wrest third spot from Alaska.

“We have to come out of the jump ball with high-energy defense,” said coach Yeng Guiao. “Every game, we have to go out and set the tone defensively; if we can do that, we feel our offense comes easier.”

Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer (SMB) (4-3) and Phoenix Super LPG (4-3) break their tie for fifth in the 6 p.m. second game.

SMB guns for its fifth win amid reports it is bringing in Philippine Basketball Association (NBA) veteran Shabazz Muhammad to replace Orlando Johnson, who posted 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the team’s 110-102 victory over Barangay Ginebra last Sunday.

Dominique Sutton and the Fuel Masters are bent on rebounding from their 103-83 blowout loss to pacesetter Magnolia last Saturday. — Olmin Leyba

App offers confidential care for HIV patients

QUICKRES.ORG

By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter

QUICKRES, a digital platform under a global initiative to end the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic by 2030, aims to deliver testing and healthcare services to persons living with HIV (PLHIV). 

“The Philippines is part of a global effort towards ending HIV by the 95-95-95 fast-track targets, which means [getting] 95% of people tested, 95% [of positive cases] enrolling for treatment, and 95% [of those being treated] having the virus suppressed,” said Teresita Marie P. Bagasao, director of Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) Project Philippines, at the app’s launch on Feb. 16.  

Citing epidemiologic data from the Department of Health (DoH), she pointed out that these percentages, as of December 2021, are at 63-63-95 in the Philippines (63% of PLHIV getting tested and knowing their HIV status, 63% of people who know their HIV-positive status on treatment, 95% of people on treatment with suppressed viral loads). 

The QuickRes platform is also part of “Free to Be U,” an HIV awareness campaign backed by DoH and community-based organizations that provide healthcare facilities for PLHIV.  

Through the app, clients can set an appointment in pilot sites in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon). A nationwide online reservation system is among the project’s long-term goals. 

“QuickRes has a call-me-back feature and counselors can contact a person who books an appointment so that they can address all the other concerns of the client. The counselors are also trained to be client-centered,” said Joven R. Santiago, EpiC Philippines technical advisor for social and behavior change communication. 

For HIV case manager and counselor Anthony Louie V. David, case management and education regarding accessible services require more effort in the Philippines.  

“People don’t know that PhilHealth has packages for free viral load count tests and budget for cartridges for viral load aside from what DoH supplies,” he said. “Viral load count is important to see the antiretroviral therapy’s adherence on the body.”  

Mr. David added that he is a living example of treatment rendering HIV undetectable and untransmittable. He and his boyfriend, who tested negative, are proof, too, that a serodiscordant relationship (PLHIV with a negative partner) is possible.  

“We must share knowledge on how to handle HIV stigma and discrimination,” he said, mentioning his own YouTube channel PLHIV Diaries as his own way of doing so. 

EpiC’s Ms. Bagasao said that a “welcoming approach” toward the prevention, testing, and treatment of HIV should be the aim.   

HIV prevention drugs such as pre-exposure prophylaxis and the tenofovir, lamivudine, dolutegravir combination are approved by the DoH and will be procured by the government.  

Their distribution is being scaled up in the Philippines through donations from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the US Agency for International Development, which are also funding the EpiC Project.

Converge seeks better technologies to make internet safe for children

CONVERGE ICT Solutions, Inc. on Tuesday said it is increasing its investments in technologies that would ensure its services are safe from the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

“In the recent months, we invested a lot of money (over P100 million) to have substantial upgrades on our system to ensure that our network is safe against children sexual abuse,” Converge Chief Technology Officer Ronald G. Brusola said during a virtual briefing.

“We will continue to invest more in latest and best technologies available to ensure that the internet service we are providing is safe. We will continue to partner with other organizations with the same goal of reducing sexual abuse and exploitation of children,” he added.

Converge signed a memorandum of agreement with child rights protection group Stairway Foundation, Inc. to advance the cause of preventing the abuse of children online.

“More than curbing the consumption of OSAEC (online sexual abuse of children) content, the market for which is the West, we are making strides to ensure the creation of such content is stopped,” Converge Strategy Officer Benjamin B. Azada said.

“Through programs of rights awareness and education, Converge can more actively contribute to child protection in a preventive, not just a palliative way,” he added.

According to Stairway Foundation, the average age of children first going online is 10 years old. “With the basic education continuity plan of the Department of Education, the number may be much lower. They spend an average of two hours online. The internet is very much ingrained into children’s lives today and we have to be aware of the greater risk involved,” said Ysrael Diloy, Stairway Foundation child protection specialist.

Converge also introduced its own information and awareness campaign, “Undo Filter.” The campaign aims to encourage Converge employees and third-party stakeholders to monitor their children’s activities online.

The company said it has blocked 20,000 websites that host images and videos of child sexual abuse. — Arjay L. Balinbin

‘Artivism’ amid gentrification

PHOTO BY BASILIO SEPE/GREENPEACE

IN CELEBRATION of National Arts Month, Filipino artists called on today’s generation of creatives to continue the dialogue in public spaces and pursue creative forms of activism — or “artivism” — in the new normal.

“Public art can create connections and be a catalyst for change, for creating places for people to evolve,” said AG Saño, a landscape architect turned street artist and environmental activist, at a Feb. 18 webinar organized by the National Committee on Architecture and the Allied Arts.

He added that though public art includes big monuments, its most common form in the Philippines is street art due to the ease of access to spaces and materials.

Some well-known locations that have murals are Bonifacio Global City, the outside of Camp Aguinaldo, and the Balara Freedom Wall along Katipunan Avenue.

“The Tawi-Tawi murals stand out because of the beauty of seeing Muslim kids and Christian soldiers paint together for peace and nature,” he added of the Camp Aguinaldo piece, when asked about the most significant wall art he had encountered in his career.

One of his latest projects was a collaboration with Greenpeace Philippines about climate justice, wherein youth and environmental groups painted on various public walls in Albay, Bacolod, Bataan, Bohol, Iriga, Marikina, and Tacloban in Nov. 2021.

Meanwhile, Angely Chi, a film worker and artist from Davao City, documented the use of stickers as a form of graffiti art in public spaces.

“In this movement of communing through a simple object like a sticker, you get to know people and you get to take their works elsewhere,” she said.

However, public spaces are now shrinking due to the gentrification of many areas in the country, making public art a way to claim space for communication amid their decline.

“Our public activities are becoming activities that are performed in commercial spaces owned by big corporations and business tycoons. Sometimes that becomes the death of the public market and plaza that are really important to our identity,” said Ms. Chi.

She called on today’s generation of artists to stop playing it safe and to take risks when it comes to public art.

Mr. Saño, who gained widespread recognition over the last decade for painting a dolphin on a public wall for every dolphin captured or trafficked from the wild, said that an advocacy can be formed just by putting a message on a wall using paint.

In 2020, during the first few months of the pandemic, one of his works was a mural of the Filipino comic book character Captain Barbell wearing a mask, which was a tribute to frontliners and a call for mass testing painted on the exterior of Sterten Place in Quezon City. — Bronte H. Lacsamana

Some 74% of CIMB’s loan clients are first time borrowers — survey

NEARLY three in four or 74% of CIMB Bank Philippines’ personal loan clients are first time borrowers, its survey conducted in December showed.

CIMB Bank Philippines Chief Executive Officer Vijay Manoharan said the long evaluation process for credit underwriting is among factors that hinder borrowers from getting loans for urgent needs.

“One of the biggest barriers to formal credit is the application itself. Banks would usually ask for a lot of income and supporting documents, which Filipinos working in the informal sectors may not necessarily have,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

To respond to this, CIMB started offering their REVI Credit and Buy Now Pay Later products via online applications processed in less than five minutes. For preselected users eligible to access the product, submitting income-related documents is not required anymore as the bank uses an alternative credit scoring process.

Since REVI Credit was launched in December, CIMB has extended a credit limit of P2 billion to users.

CIMB said it is eyeing to offer REVI to more than a million clients in the next two years.

The service gives clients access to higher credit limits of up to P250,000 and interest rates as low as 1%. There are no annual fees to maintain the credit line as clients only pay when they use it.

The credit line can be used to pay bills and will also soon be available for online shopping payments with installments through its Buy Now Pay Later feature. REVI also allows clients to convert a portion of their credit lines into cash or a term loan at any time, making it ideal for emergency needs.

CIMB has 5.2 million clients in the Philippines to date and over one million lending customers.

Its total assets as of September 2021 stood at P18.833 billion, based on central bank data. — L.W.T. Noble

S. Korea pulls out of FIBA Asian Qualifiers on COVID issue

GILAS Pilipinas will be up against only two opponents in India and New Zealand for the start of the 2023 FIBA World Cup (WC) Asian Qualifiers following South Korea’s pullout due to the team’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) issues.

In an emergency meeting on Tuesday, the Korean Basketball Association (KBA) announced the tough decision after another player tested positive for COVID-19 according to the report of South Korean sports outlet Jumpball.

The development hours before South Korea’s flight to the Philippines prompted the whole squad to be listed as close contacts following the said player’s participation in their tune-up game against Korea University on Monday.

Last week, South Korea already dealt with an initial wave of infections that ravaged its 16-man pool led by naturalized player Ra Gun-A, also known as Ricardo Ratliffe.

South Korea was scheduled to face Gilas Pilipinas (twice), New Zealand and India in the Group A games of the WC qualifiers starting tomorrow until Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, as host, is yet to release a statement on the major development as of writing time.

There is also no official word yet from FIBA, the world basketball governing body, if the four matches of SoKor would be forfeited or rescheduled in the next window in June.

As for Gilas, it will only have two scheduled games against India and New Zealand on Feb. 25 and 27, respectively with South Korea now out of the picture. The Filipinos were to play their South Korean rivals twice on Feb. 24 and 28.

Gilas is already in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) bubble at the nearby Novotel Araneta City along with India following its arrival on Tuesday while New Zealand is expected to follow suit. — John Bryan Ulanday

Heart failure registry, chronic care model can help ease burden of cardiovascular disease

UNSPLASH

WHILE February is known as a time for love and romance, Filipino cardiologists on Feb. 15 shined the light on matters of the heart of a different kind: heart health, specifically heart failure.  

“Nearly a third of patients with heart failure have high risk of hospitalization or cardiovascular death, including those who appear stable,” said Lotis Ramin, country director of AstraZeneca Philippines, which is working with the Heart Failure Society of the Philippines (HFSP) on health programs that will raise awareness of heart disease.  

“Unfortunately, it’s not getting as much attention as it should,” she said at the briefing.  

Heart failure, defined as a condition where the heart can’t pump enough blood to fulfill the body’s needs, includes symptoms like shortness of breath and easy fatigability.   

The Philippine Statistics Authority found that heart disease was the top cause of mortality across the country, accounting for 17.9% of total deaths from January to November 2021. Two major risk factors of the disease, diabetes and hypertension, were also among the leading causes of death.    

“Seventy-four percent of heart failure patients suffer from at least one comorbidity that is more likely to worsen the patient’s overall health status,” said Dr. Chito C. Permejo, a fellow of the Philippine College of Cardiology.  

With hospitalization driving the cost of heart failure, the key to lessening its burden on the country would be a change in the care model, which would require collaboration to back the implementation of health policies.  

“We need to move towards the chronic care model, with multidisciplinary integrated care and patients stratified by need, with more complex patients being ‘case managed,’” he said.  

CAPACITY BUILDING
Dr. Liberty O. Yaneza, head of the heart failure section at the Philippine Heart Center, said that research assistance, education, manpower, and clinics across the country will need beefing up.  

She pointed out that the majority of heart failure clinics are in Metro Manila, with only a few advanced specialists in the Philippines catering to a large population of patients.  

“The plan [to set up more clinics] is already there; it’s just due for implementation,” she shared, referring to delays in capacity building due to the pandemic. “Later on, we need to emphasize that this should be seen as a multidisciplinary entity, not only cardiology.”  

The National Heart Failure Network — an alliance of stakeholders including the HFSP, the Philippine Heart Association, and other regional medical groups — aims to ease the burden of heart failure in the country.  

A registry can help this network as well as the government to be better equipped for the challenge, according to cardiologist Dr. Michael-Joseph F. Agbayani of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine.  

“The registry is a database that collects information that can be used to answer clinical questions and measure quality of care,” he said. “We can use it to generate studies about heart failure in the local setting.”  

For now, the one thing standing in the way of this database being built is funding, which has been difficult to come by due in large part to the pandemic.  

Dr. Permejo noted that the bulk of what can be done now is information dissemination.  

“We must educate people to look into their own profile, family history, and lifestyle. All of these taken together can create cardiovascular disease,” he said. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

Antibodies induced by mRNA shots improve for months; blood cells damaged by COVID cause blood vessel problems

COMPUTER-GENERATED representation of COVID-19 virions via Felipe Esquivel Reed / CC BY-SA

THE following is a summary of some recent studies on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.  

ANTIBODIES IMPROVE FOR MONTHS AFTER mRNA VACCINE
Antibodies induced by mRNA COVID-19 vaccines keep improving in quality for at least six months while the immune system continues to “train” its antibody-producing B cells, according to a new study.  

After vaccination, some B cells become short-lived antibody-producing cells, while others join “germinal centers” in lymph nodes — essentially, a training camp where they mature and perfect their skills.  

“Cells that successfully graduate (from germinal centers) can become long-lived antibody-producing cells that live in our bone marrow or ‘memory B cells’ that are ready to engage if the person gets infected,” explained Ali Ellebedy of Washington University in St. Louis.  

Animal studies have suggested that so-called germinal center reactions last only weeks. But analyses of blood, lymph node tissue and bone marrow from volunteers who received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine showed germinal center reactions induced by the shots lasted at least six months, with antibodies becoming increasingly better at recognizing and attacking the spike protein of the original version of SARS-CoV-2, Mr. Ellebedy’s team reported on Tuesday in Nature.  

They did not test the mature antibodies’ ability to neutralize variants, but in theory, Mr. Ellebedy said, the antibodies should be better able to recognize parts of the spike common to the variants and the original strain.  

More research is needed to know whether this robust germinal center response is unique to mRNA vaccines or if it is also induced by more traditional vaccines.  

RED BLOOD CELLS DAMAGED BY COVID CAUSE BLOOD-VESSEL PROBLEMS
Dysfunctional red blood cells contribute to the blood vessel injuries common in severe COVID-19, according to laboratory studies that also may suggest a way to treat the problem.  

Many patients hospitalized for COVID-19 are thought to have damage to the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels, which can lead to blood clots, organ impairment, and other complications.  

New findings from the blood of 17 moderately ill COVID-19 patients and 27 healthy volunteers confirm “profound and persistent endothelial dysfunction” as an effect of the coronavirus, researchers reported on Wednesday in JACC: Basic to Translational Science.  

Compared to the red blood cells in healthy people, those from COVID-19 patients release fewer beneficial nitric oxide molecules and more detrimental inflammation-causing molecules, said Dr. Ali Mahdi of Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm.  

In combination with elevated levels of a certain enzyme, the inflammatory molecules injure the blood-vessel lining, his team found. As a result, the vessel cannot relax properly.  

The dysfunction is reversed by drugs that restore normal enzyme levels and limit production of the harmful molecules, Dr. Mahdi said.  

Whether test-tube findings can be replicated in people is not yet clear. The experiment was performed on the original coronavirus, so it is also unclear whether red blood cells are similarly affected in infections caused by variants of SARS-CoV-2.  

GLOBAL PROJECT HELPS LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES REUSE N95 MASKS
An international group of physicists, engineers and physicians has designed a cheap, easy-to-construct cabinet with ultraviolet-C (UV-C) bulbs that has allowed health clinics in lower-income countries to decontaminate and reuse over 900,000 protective N95 masks.  

The prototype was constructed using a metal office storage cabinet lined with household aluminum foil, with UV-C bulbs at the front and back, consortium members reported on Wednesday in NEJM Catalyst.  

“You simply load the masks on a rack, put them in the cabinet, shut the doors and turn the device on to apply the right dose of UV-C to inactivate the COVID-19 virus,” said Dr. Nicole Starr, a surgery trainee at the University of California, San Francisco who led the effort. The process takes about 10 minutes.  

Once the group had a workable design, they recruited members of local student chapters of the optics society Optica to build the cabinets, sometimes working with embassies to arrange for shipments of the necessary components. Engineering teams in nine countries and hospitals in 12 countries worked on the project.  

“Overall, 21 cabinets were put into use in hospitals, and we estimate that 930,000 N95s were decontaminated for reuse from July 2020 to January 2022,” Dr. Starr said.  

Decontamination equipment currently used in US hospitals can cost $80,000 per unit, according to the report. The team estimated that their cabinet can be built for about $500 to $1,500 depending on location and can process nearly 5,000 masks per day at maximum capacity. — Reuters

Holcim ramps up waste management initiatives

HOLCIM PHILIPPINES FACEBOOK PAGE

HOLCIM Philippines, Inc. said it ramped up its waste management projects in 2021 and will sustain these efforts in the coming year.

Through its waste management unit, Geocycle, the company converted almost 200,000 tons of biomass and industrial and municipal wastes into alternative fuels and raw materials for cement production through co-processing.

Geocycle also partnered with the Department of Education, Calapan City local government, and Oriental Mindoro’s Federation of Parents-Teachers Association to host waste management awareness initiatives for students and families through webinars.

“Aside from our innovative building solutions, we are proud to help build progress in the country by helping partners in managing their wastes sustainably through our Geocycle and co-processing operations. We made huge strides in this area in 2021 and we are determined to build on these further this year to help in making a Zero Waste Philippines a reality,” Holcim Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Horia Adrian said in a media release.

In September 2021, the cement provider completed storage and processing facilities at its Bulacan plant to increase usage of alternative fuels and raw materials in cement production.

“Using alternative fuels and raw materials in producing cement is a key focus of Holcim Philippines to lower the carbon footprint and consumption of non-renewable resources in its operations. This is aligned with the goals of the global building materials leader Holcim Group to further make operations sustainable,” the company said.

Holcim Philippines is a building solutions provider that utilizes qualified wastes such as non-recyclable plastics and biomass as alternative fuels in cement manufacturing through co-processing technology.

In the third quarter of 2021, Holcim Philippines’ attributable net income increased by 9.1% or P669.3 million from P613.4 million in 2020.

From the January-September period of last year, attributable net income increased 124% to P2.3 billion from P1.02 billion the year before.

On Tuesday, company shares dropped P0.01 or 0.16% to close at P6.28 per share. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

LANDBANK signs agreement with CPFP on loans for agriculture sector

LAND BANK of the Philippines (LANDBANK) signed a memorandum of agreement with agro-industrial company Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corp. (CPFP) to provide financial support to hog, poultry, and aqua raisers.

“We welcome this partnership to advance the competitiveness of swine, poultry, and aqua industry players nationwide. LANDBANK will continue to provide appropriate financing support to meet the growing domestic demand of the agriculture sector towards food security and job generation,” LANDBANK President Cecilia C. Borromeo in a statement.

LANDBANK will provide financial support for the construction of bio-secured buildings and other production facilities to boost productivity.

CPFP’s clustered farmer-fisher groups, cooperatives, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and other agri-enterprises are among the candidates for the loans.

The state-run bank will also extend credit assistance for capital expenditures and working capital to CPFP-endorsed borrowers interested in franchising meat and poultry shops.

As of December, LANDBANK approved P2.36 billion in loans for the Special Window and Interim Support to Nurture Hog Enterprises Lending Program (SWINE) to help the hog industry recover from the outbreak of African Swine Fever.

It also approved a total of P19.5 billion in loans for borrowers engaged in hog-related projects under the bank’s regular lending window.

LANDBANK posted a 27% growth in its net income year on year in 2021 on the back of lower cost of funds and loan loss provisions.

The state-run bank’s net profit grew to P21.75 billion in 2021, up from P17.14 billion a year earlier and higher than its P19.68-billion income target.

LANDBANK’s net income translated to a return on equity of 11.75%, while return on assets rose to 0.88% from 0.78%.

The bank’s net income in 2020 dropped by 7.57% amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. — L.M.J.C. Jocson

Easter Island Moai stone statue begins long journey home

Moai set in the hillside at Rano Raraku — AURBINA /EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

SANTIAGO —  A huge Moai statue, one of the iconic stone monuments from Easter Island, began its journey back home on Monday following a years-long campaign to get it returned to its original setting since it was housed in a museum in Santiago in the 19th century.

The 715 kilogram (0.72 ton) sculpture will be transported by truck to the Chilean port city of Valparaíso, from where it will set sail on a naval ship on a journey of about five days to reach remote Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui.

The initiative is part of a repatriation program seeking to return to the Pacific Ocean island ancestral remains, sacred and funerary objects. Similar negotiations have taken place to try to recover a specimen in the hands of the British Museum.

“For the first time, a Moai will return to the island from the mainland,” Minister of Culture Consuelo Valdes told reporters.

“Without a doubt, this is part of a work that as a ministry we began years ago with the return of various collections and ancestors to their homeland.”

Easter Island, over 2,000 miles (3,219 km) from the coast of Chile, has over a thousand stone statues, giant heads that were carved centuries ago by the island’s inhabitants, which have brought it fame and UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The Rapa Nui community held an act in honor of the icon at the National Museum of Natural History in the Chilean capital, which still retains two smaller sculptures. The statue will be housed in the Padre Sebastián Englert Anthropological Museum on the tourist island. — Reuters

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