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Rust never sleeps

PAG-IBIG at Biyaya by Lawton Ladao

Works in a fundraising exhibit for San Sebastian Church incorporate the corrosion which is damaging the structure

THE RUST from corroded sections of the 130-year-old Minor Basilica of San Sebastian has been repurposed and now adds detail to new artworks which will be sold to raise funds for heritage structure’s restoration. Rust from the famously all-steel church was mixed into pigments, suspended in resin, molded into a frame, and topped a finished image.

Better known as San Sebastian Church, it was founded in 1621 after Don Bernardino del Castillo donated the land on which the church stands today in Quiapo, Manila. Don Bernardino, who was a military commander at Fort Santiago, requested that the church be dedicated to San Sebastian, the patron saint of soldiers and athletes. A succession of churches of wood and brick were built on that lot, each of which was damaged or destroyed by a succession of fires and earthquakes. It was rebuilt four times. Designed to be resistant to fires and earthquakes, its current structure (the fifth) was made of steel.

The task of designing the church was given to Spanish architect Genaro Palacios who came up with a plan to use prefabricated steel sections manufactured in Belgium. Belgian engineers supervised the assembly of the church. The stained-glass windows were imported from Germany, while local artists were in charge of the paintings on the walls.

The all-steel church was declared a Minor Basilica by the Vatican in 1890, even before construction had started. The church was declared a National Heritage Landmark in 1973, and a National Cultural Treasure in 2011.

Today, the structure faces new challenges — corrosion from the salt air from the nearby Manila Bay and water infiltration.

In other words, rust.

Water has infiltrated the walls, accumulating inside the hollow columns supporting the roof, corroding the steel causing it to expand and further damaging the structure.

The San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc. (SSBCDFI) was established in 2012 and heads the church’s restoration program. Since then, the restoration program has been conducting fundraisers for its maintenance, emergency repairs, and restoration of the roofing system and the columns, the restoration of paintings and the stained-glass windows.

THE ONLINE EXHIBIT
This month, the foundation is hosting its second “Rust to Art” exhibit (the first was in 2018), titled “Para Sa Ina: Rust to Art” Exhibit. The digital fundraiser, which will be held on Jan. 28, will showcase 22 local artists.

Reredos, an informal group of artists specializing in religious art, had created works for the 2018 fundraiser. The group’s eight members — Juan Alcazaren, Vincent Balandra, Robert Besana, Jood Clarino, Lora Ledesma Domingo, Paolo Icasas, Michael Muñoz, and Pia Soriano —  are participating in this edition.

The foundation also invited new artists to join: Ding Royales, Lawrence Samson Castillo, Joe Datuin, Arlene de Castro Añonuevo, Julius Legaspi, Naning Estrella, Marius Black, Byaheng Lawton (Lawton Ladao), Derrick Macutay, Pol A. Medina, Jr., Al Perez, Danny Santiago, Bianca Tan, and Jun Vicaldo.

The exhibit is curated by Asst. Prof. Mary Ann Venturina-Bulanadi, PhD of the University of Sto. Tomas.

“While we were reviewing the initial list of the participating artists, I felt that we needed to invite more artists to enrich and diversify this year’s line-up,” Ms. Venturina-Bulanadi told BusinessWorld via Messenger chat. “It would be interesting to show how other artists would depict the theme of the exhibit and thereby further enhancing the purpose of the exhibit.”

“With the support of the Director of San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc., Marianne Claire Vitug, I opened the invitation to those artists that I had previously worked with, curating for them in group shows, or even their solo shows. I personally invited each one of them and discussed the cause,” Ms. Venturina-Bulanadi added.

The exhibit features 35 paintings, sculptures, and mixed media pieces that all incorporate rust collected from the church.

Artists experimented with various methods and materials to create works inspired by their reflections on the devotions to Nuestra Señora del Carmen de San Sebastian (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel of San Sebastian) and Nuestra Señora de la Salud (Our Lady of Health), and their history in the basilica.

The rust that the artists used has been collected by the basilica’s restoration team for years.

“[The restoration team] has been collecting rust since before 2018 because they would need to study it. Sometimes we’d send samples to labs to check on the type of metal,” Samantha Pacardo, the foundation’s Fundraising, and Communications Manager, told BusinessWorld in a Zoom interview.

Ms. Pacardo said that at one point in their investigation into the damage the church has suffered through the years, the team had “to cut through the metal and look inside the column” and “had people go inside the column to get samples.”

“It’s a mix of stuff that’s been collected before 2018 up until last year, and so that’s what we gave the artists,” she said.

Ms. Pacardo said the artists were invited to a talk with a chemist from the University of Santo Tomas to have a better idea of what to mix it with and experiment with it.

THE RESTORATION PROJECT
The online exhibition will be open until April, with all proceeds going to support the restoration team and the experts who continue to work on the restoration of the basilica.

“For this year, the proceeds of the ‘Rust to Art’ exhibit will be in support of hiring more people for the restoration,” Ms. Pacardo said, adding that work on the church continued despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns of the past two years, all done in accordance with health protocols.

Ms. Pacardo said that the foundation is looking to raise more than P1 million from the exhibit for the restoration project.

“We’re going to be dividing the proceeds not just for the foundation, but also for the artists,” she said.

The restoration project is divided into three phases and is set to run until 2033. The priority for the current phase is looking into and designing repairs for leaks.

“Phase 1 focuses on the columns, paintings, windows and other elements within and nearby the dome that’s currently closed off. Phase 2 branches out to the other end of the church, and focuses on tower columns, windows and paintings at the choir loft. Phase 3 is focused at the main body of the church, so this would mean the nave and corner columns, windows along the sides of the church, and major paintings,” said Ms. Pacardo.

“Rather than separating it by research and design, what the team did is to separate [phases] by priority areas because we realize that you can stop doing the research altogether, and redesign,” Ms. Pacardo said. “And while it’s good that San Sebastian is so unique, there’s also that this disadvantage that nobody knows quite how to fix it.”

“What we realized is everything is happening continuously. Our experts who’ve been working with us for a long time see the way that the material is changing, different from how they saw it a few years back,” she said, adding that the condition of materials may change depending on the weather and temperature.

“So rather than limiting the things that are going to be done by actions, it’s more [focusing on] areas already,” Ms. Pacardo said. “It also gives the teams space for them to continually study it.”

All this repair work has to take into consideration that San Sebastian Church is not a static building but a working structure that caters to the spiritual needs of the community.

“At the end of all this, the goal is still to have a repaired roof system, columns, windows, paintings, etc. but we approach it by dividing the church into different areas so people can still use it for religious events and needs,” said Ms. Pacardo.

“Para sa Ina: Rust to Art” opens on Jan. 28 and will be available exclusively on the foundation’s website, www.sansebastianconservation.org. The artworks will be available for purchase through the foundation from the opening day until April.

For more information about the exhibit, contact the foundation at officialstore@savesansebastian.org or visit the official Facebook (www.facebook.com/savessbasilica) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/savessbasilica) accounts. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Sinovac regimen gets strong boost from Pfizer, AstraZeneca or J&J COVID shots — study

A THIRD booster dose of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine made by AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, or Johnson & Johnson increases antibody levels significantly in those who have previously received two doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac shot, a study has found.  

The study found that CoronaVac received the strongest boost from a viral vector or RNA shot, including against the Delta and Omicron coronavirus variants, researchers from Brazil and Oxford University said on Monday.  

China-based Sinovac’s vaccine uses an inactivated version of a coronavirus strain that was isolated from a patient in China. It is currently approved in more than 50 countries including Brazil, China, Argentina, South Africa, Oman, Malaysia, Indonesia and Turkey.  

“This study provides important options for policymakers in the many countries where inactivated vaccines … have been used,” said Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and study lead.  

However, another study in December found that Sinovac’s two-dose shot followed by a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine showed a lower immune response against the Omicron variant compared with other strains.  

Viral vector vaccines such as the ones developed by AstraZeneca-Oxford and J&J use a weakened version of another virus to deliver genetic instructions for making proteins from the virus against which protection is sought.  

Pfizer and BioNTech’s mRNA vaccines deliver a genetic transcript with instructions for making viral proteins to teach the body how to defend against infections.  

A third dose of CoronaVac also increased antibodies, but the results were better when a different vaccine was used, according to the latest study that included 1,240 volunteers from the Brazilian cities of Sao Paulo and Salvador.  

Antibody levels were low before the booster doses, with only 20.4% of adults aged 18-60 and 8.9% of adults aged over 60 having detectable levels of neutralizing antibodies. These were seen to significantly increase across every booster vaccine regimen, according to the study, which was published in the Lancet medical journal on Friday. — Reuters 

Converge, ABS-CBN’s Sky Cable top Netflix’s Dec. internet speed index in PHL

CONVERGE ICT Solutions, Inc. and ABS-CBN Corp.’s pay television and broadband arm Sky Cable Corp. are the fastest internet service providers (ISP) on Netflix, the media-streaming company’s December ISP Speed Index Leaderboard showed.

With a speed of 3.6 megabits per second (Mbps), Converge and Sky Cable have topped the list of major ISPs in the Philippines that provide the best Netflix streaming experience.

Netflix, an American subscription streaming service and production company, said that its ISP Speed Index is a “measure of prime-time Netflix performance on particular ISPs around the globe.”

“It is not a measure of overall performance for other services/data that may travel across the specific ISP network.”

Both Globe Telecom, Inc. and PLDT, Inc. ranked second with a speed of 3.4 Mbps for the month of December.

Cable and satellite company Royal Cable was third with 3.2 Mbps.

Converge, SKY Cable, Globe, and PLDT all registered an average speed of 3.4 Mbps in October and November, while Royal Cable recorded a speed of 3 Mbps in both months.

For standard definition quality, Netflix recommends a minimum internet download speed of 3 Mbps.

A minimum of 5 Mbps is recommended for high-definition quality.

“Video streaming is one of the most demanding applications on the Internet. It not only requires speed but high-quality connection as well, otherwise users experience buffering, pixelization and slow-loading times,” Converge Chief Operations Officer Jesus C. Romero said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday.

“We have designed our network to have low-delay or latency, no congestion, no packet loss and minimal outages to ensure that our customers have an enjoyable and uninterrupted video viewing experience. We recognize our position in the Netflix ISP Speed Index Philippines as affirmation of the quality service we offer our customers,” he added.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy back on show in London after 100 years

Thomas Gainsborough’s 18th century painting The Blue Boy — EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

LONDON — Thomas Gainsborough’s 18th century painting The Blue Boy goes on show at London’s National Gallery this week, 100 years after it was bought and shipped from Britain to the United States.

The portrait of a young boy dressed in blue is on display as part of an exhibition opening on Tuesday — 100 years to the day after it was last shown publicly in London.

“The Blue Boy is not only one of the most famous pictures by Gainsborough, I think it’s one of the most famous pictures in British art altogether,” Gabriele Finaldi, the National Gallery’s director, told Reuters.

The painting had hung at the gallery for three weeks in the winter of 1922 before crossing the Atlantic Ocean after it was bought by US railroad magnate and art collector Henry E. Huntington from the Duke of Westminster.

“It is a remarkably beautiful picture, it’s striking, it’s moving, it’s beautifully painted, it’s enormously sort of romantic,” Finaldi said of Gainsborough’s 1770 work.

In order to show Gainsborough’s passion for Anthony Van Dyck, The Blue Boy is on display along with a couple of the Flemish artist’s works as well as two other paintings by Gainsborough.

“Van Dyck was very important for the consciousness of the history of Britain (and) also British painting… And so he (Gainsborough) dresses this anonymous young man, we’re not quite sure who he is — in Van Dyck costume,” Finaldi said.

The London exhibition marks the first time The Blue Boy has been loaned from the California-based Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. — Reuters

Medical groups reassert opposition to vape bill

REUTERS

MEDICAL GROUPS renewed their plea to President Rodrigo R. Duterte to veto entirely the proposed Senate Bill No. 2239 or Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act, which was recently approved by the bicameral conference committee of both houses of Congress.  

Claims by lawmakers that the vape bill will save lives through the regulation of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are false, according to doctors from various medical societies in an online press conference held on Monday.   

“This vape bill will actually break the vow you made to Filipino people to fight addiction,” said Dr. Maricar B. Limpin, pulmonologist and president of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP), one of over 55 medical groups decrying the bill and its supporters.   

In December, these groups, which include PCP, the Philippine Medical Association, the Philippine Pediatric Society, and the Department of Health, called out the misinformation being spread regarding the bill. They pointed out that vaping has always been available to smokers and that the bill will only expand its reach to non-smokers.  

“What will happen is it will increase addiction to cigarettes … Once passed, this bill will deregulate the nicotine industry and go directly against your promise,” said Dr. Limpin.  

Vaping has always been regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through Republic Act 11467 and Executive Order 106, and the Vape Bill only loosens these regulations by transferring it to the jurisdiction of the Department of Trade and Industry, according to a statement from groups opposed to the bill.  

“These products have a pharmacological and physiological effect on one’s body. Thus, the regulatory body needs to be able to test the products for harmful substances, which only the FDA is capable of doing,” said Eric Domingo, FDA’s former director general.  

Dr. Maria Corazon M. Avanceña, a pediatric pulmonologist, added that the bill is also a hazard to the youth since it will remove the existing two-flavor restriction and lower the minimum age of those who can buy vape from 21 to 18 years old.  

“The real motive of the tobacco companies behind this bill is to expand their market by targeting the youth,” she said, zeroing in on the risk given that the Global Youth Tobacco Survey found 1 in 7 Filipino students aged 13 to 15 to be e-cigarette users.  

The bill is essentially a deregulatory measure, the various medical groups said. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

Obiena can still jump at SEAG

OLYMPIAN pole-vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena will get to see action in the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) slated for May 12-23 even if he will not be endorsed by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) and not funded by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham Tolentino on Tuesday said during the online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum that Mr. Obiena was listed in the 80 athletes who will finance their own trip to the biennial event just in case the latter would be expelled from the national team.

“There is a provision in the IOC (International Olympic Committee) charter that emphasized the NOC’s (National Olympic Committee) sole authority to submit the delegation proposed by its NSAs (national sports associations) as the final list in all Olympic, regional, continental and world multi-sports events patronized by the IOC,” said Mr. Tolentino.

“It will not only be based from their performance of athletes but also from their ability to serve as an inspiration to others.

“Let him (Mr. Obiena) play,” he added.

Mr. Tolentino’s statements came just a day after Mr. Obiena formally declined the mediation proposed by the Philippine Sports Commission.

And the decision could pave the way for Mr. Obiena’s expulsion from the national squad as PATAFA’s moratorium on delaying the former’s national team removal and filing of estafa case has expired.

Without PATAFA’s endorsement, Mr. Obiena’s funding from the PSC could also be cut.

“That’s why we have a Group B. EJ is part of the 80. If he isn’t endorsed or given funding, the POC will help him and look for private funding,” said Mr. Tolentino.

PSC STATEMENT
Meanwhile, the Philippine Sports Commission has received communication from Mr. Obiena, sent through his lawyer via e-mail, that Mr. Obiena “will no longer participate in the mediation proceedings.”

As mediation requires for the voluntary agreement of both parties for the process to proceed, we inform you that mediation is temporarily on hold.

Despite this development, we maintain our stand that mediation is still the best option to resolve this matter.

Mr. Obiena has submitted his liquidation reports. The PSC’s accounting office and the Commission on Audit shall proceed with their normal post-audit process of checking and verification on submitted liquidation documents. — Joey Villar

Cemex says co-processing boosts climate initiatives

LISTED construction firm Cemex Holdings Philippines, Inc. achieved a six-time net waste reduction record through co-processing, which is in line with its climate change initiatives.

In a statement on Tuesday, Cemex said it now co-processes six kilograms of waste for every kilogram it generates. From 2016 to 2020, it was able to co-process 214,772 tons of waste compared to the waste generated by its cement facilities at 35,850 tons for the same period.

“Co-processing more than the waste we generate is proof-positive of our solid commitment in ensuring we are drivers of the circular economy, helping increase the use of waste as alternative fuels, reducing greenhouse gas emissions as these wastes provide replacement for fossil fuels,” Cemex President and Chief Executive Officer Ignacio Alejandro Mijares Elizondo said.

In a statement last year, Cemex said its co-processing procedure involves taking the plastic and rubber-based parts of waste materials, which will then undergo a pre-treatment process before being used to manufacture cement.

Meanwhile, the non-recyclable waste is converted into “usable heat to help power the cement kiln.”

“Co-processing helps divert these wastes which otherwise would end up in landfills and waterways,” Mr. Mijares said in the statement on Tuesday.

With the 214,772 tons of waste co-processed within the 2016 to 2020 period, the company said it was able to avoid 327,742 tons of CO2 emissions. That translates to cutting emissions produced by 71,278 passenger vehicles in a year or 362,248 tons of coal burned.

In 2020, global Cemex said 91% of its plants collectively co-processed 2.7 million tons of waste to alternative fuels, which is equivalent to a 25.3% substitution rate and 1.6 million tons of coal replaced.

“We take earnest steps in making sure that we maximize environmental opportunities in our operations, including [the] use of alternative fuels through co-processing,” Mr. Mijares said.

The company has a “Future in Action” agenda that focuses on addressing climate change via cutting down CO2 emissions by 35% and aims to reduce its emissions by 40% come 2030. The company hopes to invest $60 million every year for the program.

Cemex is also trying to improve its production efficiency as part of its climate action initiatives, such as investing in energy efficiency, using alternative fuels, expanding its use of renewable energy, and increasing its use of clinker substitution.

On Tuesday, shares of Cemex Holdings went up 0.93% or one centavo to close at P1.08 apiece. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Sony Music says it acquired Bob Dylan’s catalog of recorded music

Bob Dylan — ALBERTO CABELLO/ EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

SONY Music Entertainment said on Monday it has acquired Bob Dylan’s catalog of recorded music, including his performances of such popular songs as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” as well as the rights to future releases.

The deal is the latest in Sony Music’s six-decade relationship with the artist, and covers Mr. Dylan’s body of work since 1962. Variety cited sources who valued the deal at $150 million to $200 million.

Neither Sony nor Mr. Dylan’s representative would comment on deal terms.

Mr. Dylan, 80, sold his songwriting catalog to Universal Music Publishing Group in December for a reported $300 million. He was among a group of aging artists, including Neil Young, Stevie Nicks, and Paul Simon, who have sold the rights to their compositions to investors, who seek to capitalize on the opportunities created by music streaming.

Sony and Mr. Dylan said they will collaborate on future catalog reissues in the artist’s Bootleg Series, which began in 1991 and includes 14 releases through last year’s lauded Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (1980-1985). — Reuters

Hanoi SEA Games reduced to race to a second place

TEAM Philippines at the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

WITH Vietnam getting all the advantages as host country, the 31st Hanoi Southeast Asian (SEA) Games set on May 12-23 has been reduced to a race to second place for the rest of the 11-nation field including defending champion Philippines.

“It will be a fight for No. 2 among Thailand, Malaysia and us Philippines,” said Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham Tolentino in Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

The congressman from Tagaytay said the Vietnamese would be hard to beat considering they retained the sports they are strong at and even added new ones favorable to them while removing disciplines they are a hard time striking gold.

Add to that the fact that Vietnam did their preparation much earlier compared to the Filipinos who would only resume preparations possibly next month.

“Vietnam never stopped training,” said PhilCycling chief.

Mr. Tolentino, however, said retaining the overall championship is not far-fetched.

“We has a chance to successfully defend, but it would be an uphill battle,” he said.

As host, the Filipinos ran away with the overall crown in the 2019 SEA Games division with a record haul of 149 gold, 117 silver and 121 bronze medals.

Mr. Tolentino mentioned as among the country’s possible gold mines in Hanoi are boxing, Carlos Yulo in gymnastics, wrestling, karate, taekwondo, weightlifting, basketball, and e-sports.

The country will field in a total of 663 athletes including 80 who are self-funded due to budgetary contraints. — Joey Villar

Gov’t makes full award of bonds

BW FILE PHOTO

THE GOVERNMENT made a full award of Treasury bonds (T-bonds) it auctioned off on Tuesday as the tenor’s average rate was close to the secondary market level.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) borrowed P35 billion as planned via the reissued seven-year securities it auctioned off as total tenders reached P55.62 billion, making the offer more than 1.5 times oversubscribed.

The debt papers, which have a remaining life of six years and six months, were awarded at an average rate of 4.689%, up by 22.1 basis points (bps) from the 4.468% quoted when the series was last awarded on Oct. 26, 2021.

The average yield fetched for the debt papers was also slightly higher than the 4.6788% quoted for the seven-year tenor at the secondary market prior to the auction, based on the PHP Bloomberg Valuation Service Reference Rates published on the Philippine Dealing System’s website.

Amid strong demand and with the tenor’s average rate close to the secondary market level, the BTr opened the tap facility to raise another P5 billion via the securities.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon in a Viber message to reporters said the Treasury made a full award of the reissued bonds as there was a decline in the submitted rates from those seen when the series was last offered.

The highest rate submitted when the same bonds were offered on Jan. 4 was 5.2% compared with the 4.75% on Tuesday, she said.

“(The) average tracks secondary level,” Ms. De Leon added.

At the Jan. 4 auction, the Treasury rejected all bids for its P35-billion offer of the same seven-year T-bonds even as tenders reached P41.42 billion. Had it made a full award, the tenor would have fetched an average rate of 4.814%.

Meanwhile, a bond trader said the market is mainly looking at the US Federal Reserve’s meeting on Jan. 25-26.

“The Fed is expected to have a hawkish tone as they may set the rest of the year for rate hikes.”

The Fed is widely expected to raise rates three times this year starting as early as March, median forecasts from a Reuters poll showed.

The Treasury plans to raise P200 billion from the domestic market this month, or P60 billion via T-bills and P140 billion from T-bonds.

The government borrows from local and external sources to help fund a budget deficit capped at 7.7% of gross domestic product this year. — J.P. Ibañez

Prevention is better than cure, says DoH

PIXABAY

THE Department of Health (DoH) is moving toward people-centered primary care from a curative care-focused system, according to a medical expert. 

“Universal health care (UHC) is founded in primary care, which addresses more than 80% of people’s common health needs throughout their lives,” said Christian Edward L. Nuevo, chief health program officer of the DoH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, at a Jan. 18 event by Liveable Cities Lab, an innovation-sharing platform. “UHC is all about the environments individuals are situated in.”   

People-centered primary care, Mr. Nuevo told the webinar, is defined as the matching of every Filipino family to a primary care provider. The primary care provider determines if family members need to receive services in a hospital, or if they can be helped at the primary care level. 

 Primary care, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), covers an individual’s physical, mental and social well-being. In addition, it is “a whole-of-society approach that includes health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.” 

Added Mr. Nuevo: “Why primary care?… It is fair and equitable, and provides people with access to essential health services in their communities.” 

According to the WHO, social determinants of health — such as the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age, and the systems put in place to deal with illness — account for between 30–55% of health outcomes, as shown by numerous studies. 

Mr. Nuevo enumerated six enablers for people-centered primary care: improving health literacy; defragmenting the local health system; expanding primary care facilities; strengthening the competencies of primary care workers; standardizing who does what; aligning incentives, benefits, and financing; and ensuring the interoperability of data within networks.   

FINANCING MECHANISM
It is impossible to finance UHC through the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), according to Dr. Ernesto O. Domingo, a national scientist of the Philippines, liver cancer specialist, and professor emeritus at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine.  

“It must be based on tax money, and that’s what the law says,” Dr. Domingo said at the Liveable Cities Lab event. “The money will come from taxes [such as the] sin tax, be incorporated into a global fund, and entrusted to [local governments] for them to budget in the coming year.”  

Although out-of-pocket expenditure has declined from 2014 to 2020, the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2020 reported that household out-of-pocket payments amounted to P379.7 billion, or 47.9% of the country’s current health expenditure.   

Dr. Domingo said an efficient system will result in considerable savings, pointing out that an executive checkup worth P100,000 is not necessarily better than one worth P10,000.  

“If the healthcare provider is careful and knows what he is doing, then he doesn’t have to have so many examinations to diagnose a disease… Why order a chest X-ray for someone who has the sniffles?” he added in the vernacular.   

Tightening the screws by requiring requests that have to be justified, Dr. Domingo said, will generate a lot of savings in the healthcare system.  

Republic Act 11223, or the Universal Health Care Law, was signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Feb. 20, 2019. It redirects healthcare towards a preventive care-focused system, and guarantees equitable access to affordable and quality health services. — Patricia B. Mirasol

Kai Sotto resets career high with limited minutes

KAI SOTTO — ADELAIDE 36ERS FB PAGE

FILIPINO tower Kai Sotto reset his career-high in the Australia National Basketball League but the Adelaide 36ers still fell to the Illawarra Hawks, 100-89, on Monday night at the Win Entertainment Center.

Mr. Sotto made the most out of his limited action anew, finishing with 12 points on a perfect 8-of-8 free throw shooting plus five rebounds in only 13 minutes of play.

The 7-foot-3 prodigy previously tallied six points and eight rebounds against reigning champion Melbourne United, making up for lost time following a knee soreness issue.

Mr. Sotto missed his team’s first four games due to the said injury before reaching full recovery as Adelaide got sidelined for exactly a month due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) protocols.

Hopes will be high once again for Mr. Sotto this Friday as the 36ers, at 3-5, march to their fourth straight game in a week against the Tasmania JackJumpers. — John Bryan Ulanday

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