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Autospeedygo Group strengthens Nissan presence in Northern NCR

NISSAN PHILIPPINES further grew its footprint and presence in the northern part of the National Capital Region (NCR) as the Autospeedygo Group over the weekend opened two dealerships of the Japanese car maker: the two-storey Nissan Valenzuela last Feb. 12, and Nissan Caloocan yesterday.

“The group takes pride in gaining this important foothold,” said Autospeedygo Group Vice-Chairman and COO Vincent Licup. “While each dealership has a different management and operations team, all adhere to our group’s tagline, ‘your convenience, our priority.’”

Last Dec. 1, Autospeedygo acquired operational control of Metro Manila’s largest Nissan dealer, Nissan North EDSA, a facility measuring 6,000 square meters. It won the Dealer of the Year Award in 2015 and 2016. Autospeedygo also manages Nissan’s reigning Dealer of the Year, Nissan Marilao, which additionally won Nissan’s coveted Global Dealer of the Year recognition.

“Our Nissan dealerships will have a combined 50 service bays and enough numbers of qualified technicians. We are confident that our customers’ experience at any of our locations will be great,” concluded Mr. Licup.

Rock that colorful winged eye

Now that half our faces are covered with a mask, makeup lovers have to turn their emphasis to the eye.

Here’s an interesting makeup hack one might want to add to their arsenal of techniques: Using bullet matte lipstick to create winged eye makeup. This is an easy way to upgrade a look into something trendier and dramatic as suggested by Blythe by Careline Majestic Matte Lipsticks.

To create a clean winged eye, follow these steps:

Step 1: Using a thin angled brush, angle it from the side of your nose to your outer brow to determine the endpoint of your liner.

Step 2: Mark a small dot just above the eye crease to mark the tip of the wing.

Step 3: Draw a line connecting the dot to the outer corner of your eye. Avoid pulling the skin while drawing the line. Instead, tilt your head back and look down so you can easily trace your lash line.

Step 4: Draw another line connecting the outer corner of the eye to the middle of the upper lash line to create your outline.

Step 5: With the angled brush, fill in the outline using one of Blythe Majestic Matte Lipstick’s four shades: Kelvin, Phoenix, Vixen, and Cosmos.

Clean up any mistakes with makeup wipes or dip a cotton swab in concealer or eye cream to remove any excess eyeliner.

Blythe by Careline Majestic Matte Lipsticks  (P165) are available on Careline’s official Lazada page.

Pilmico Foods plans further investment in hog raising

PILMICO FOODS Corp. said it will continue investing in its hog raising business to participate in the restoration of the hog population, which has been decimated by African Swine Fever.

The Aboitiz-controlled company said in a statement that its initiatives will include increasing sow capacity, improving biosecurity, farm zoning, and refining the pork supply chain.

“These initiatives aim to encourage long-term growth and help secure the future of the livestock industry in collaboration with key stakeholders,” Pilmico said.

The company said it seeks to increase its swine herd and is planning to modernize pork processing in its triple-A slaughterhouse and meat cutting facility in Bamban, Tarlac.

According to Pilmico, its Tarlac Meatmasters facility is capable of slaughtering 1,500 hogs daily and has the latest technology such as a meat management system that ensures the traceability of meat to the animal and the farm that supplied it.

“As a robust support system to the pork supply chain, the facility brings world-class processes, innovative technology and solutions, and the highest standards of food safety and traceability to produce uncompromised quality pork meat cuts,” Pilmico Food Group President Tristan R. Aboitiz said.

Pilmico said it has implemented a campaign to raise awareness of disease prevention among hog raisers.

“Local farmers receive a 10-step guide to ensure strict implementation of biosecurity in backyard farms. Pilmico technical experts, veterinarians, and specialists guide them through the checklist by giving advice and helping them complete the steps,” the company said.

“These include limiting movement of people across sites; establishing decontamination areas for people, materials, and vehicles; setting up centralized transfer stations for hogs to limit exposure; and prohibiting entry of cooked or uncooked pork products in the facilities, among others,” it added. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Style (02/15/21)

Patek Philippe unveils 3 new models

WHEN Patek Philippe launched its first exclusively feminine collection in 1999, it had the busy lives of modern active women in mind — refined, elegant independent women. As such, the Twenty~4 was born; a watch with an assertive personality and an asset to every occasion whether it be at work, at home, or during leisure activities. It is a watch that embodies timeless style complementing fashionable business clothes as well as elegant eveningwear. Patek Philippe has developed three new models for its Twenty~4 collection. The “manchette” or cuff-style models with quartz movements now include a new version in rose gold with a chocolate-brown sunburst dial. The Twenty~4 Automatic, in a round case, offers two new models, one in steel adorned with an olive-green sunburst dial, the other in rose gold, its dial gilded with a rose-gold sunburst. 

Uniqlo to expand its Evia store

JAPANESE global apparel retailer, UNIQLO, will be expanding its Evia store in Evia Lifestyle Center in Las Piñas City starting this month. The expansion aims to bring more shopping convenience and accessibility to its customers. Located at the ground level of the Evia Lifestyle Center, the store was closed on  Feb. 1 for renovations and developments. From 660 square meters, the store will be scaled up to 1,878 square meters selling space and will offer the complete LifeWear collection for men’s, women’s, kids and babies. The number of parking slots will also increase to 1,150, from 500. The UNIQLO Evia Store is set to reopen on April 30. For more updates, visit the UNIQLO Philippines’ website at www.uniqlo.com/ph.

Applications for Lush Spring Prize now open

THE LUSH Spring Prize has opened its virtual doors to applications from around the world. As a biennial £200,000 fund, the Spring Prize welcomes applications from any group working to regenerate environmental and/or social systems. Groups can apply in one of four categories: the Intentional Award for great new ideas and projects up to one year old, to help build knowledge and a solid foundation from which to grow; the Young Award for projects or organizations that are one to five years old, to help develop their environmental and social regeneration work; the Established Award for organizations that have worked towards regeneration for five or more years, to help share knowledge and inspire more people and ideas; and the Influence Award for local, national or international organizations and networks that have a core focus on campaigning or lobbying to influence policy, regulation, or public opinion in support of regeneration. The 2021 Spring Prize is also adding an option for groups to be nominated to apply. Those groups will then be invited to fill in an application form. People are invited to nominate groups from Feb. 5 until March 14. Groups can apply to the Spring Prize until March 31. Each prize year, the Spring Prize team welcomes one Lush customer onto the Spring Prize judging panel. This customer works with the other judges to choose the winners from a shortlist of around 50 Spring Prize applications. Lush customers can register their interest in joining the judging panel until Feb. 27. The Spring Prize has run for three cycles, and has welcomed over 700 applications from every continent apart from Antarctica. Previous winners have included the International Permaculture Education Network (IPEN) which works to increase the coherence and effectiveness of permaculture education globally; and Alianza Ceibo, which is composed of members from four indigenous nations in the western Amazon that are together building a holistic movement to prevent the destruction of their cultures and rainforest territories .

Africa’s winemakers toast China’s row with Australia

CAPE TOWN — For South African winemaker Vergenoegd Löw, the pandemic could have been a disaster but a bitter trade war between China and Australia has thrown the 325-year-old estate a lifeline.

Bottles of its reds, whites and roses piled up when South Africa banned alcohol sales under a strict lockdown and visitors who once flocked to the vineyard near Cape Town to sip wine and snap photos of its famed Indian Runner ducks vanished.

That changed when Beijing slapped tariffs of up to 212% on Australian wine in November after Canberra led calls for an inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak in Wuhan.

It wasn’t just wine. Beijing hit a range of Australian goods with punitive duties, created new layers of red tape and banned some Australian imports outright, giving African suppliers of anything from coal to beef to copper a boost.

“We can now get much greater volumes of sales,” said Shaun McVey, marketing manager at Vergenoegd Löw, which has signed a new Chinese deal. “Instead of sending maybe three or four containers in a year, we’ve upped that to 15 to 20 containers.”

Chinese drinkers bought nearly 40% of Australia’s wine exports before the long-simmering tensions between Beijing and Canberra boiled over and brought the trade to an abrupt halt.

Over the past three months, exports of South African wine to China jumped 50%, according to the Wines of South Africa trade body, and hopes are high for even more sales once Australian stocks are polished off during China’s Lunar New Year holiday.

Martyn Davies, Deloitte’s managing director for emerging markets and Africa, said a protracted trade war would create a wide window of opportunity for miners and other sectors such as agribusiness, though seizing the potential would take work.

The Chinese market presents a range of obstacles, from language barriers and inscrutable bureaucracy to tailoring marketing to its unique social media ecosystem, analysts said.

“Many African companies are significantly behind the curve,” said Deloitte’s Davies. “Australian companies have been engaging China for 35 years.”

The lack of trade deals between China and countries in sub-Saharan Africa also means exporters may face an uphill battle.

Despite its increasingly important role as an investor on the continent, China only signed its first free trade agreement with an African country, the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius, in January.

So while some African products may leapfrog Australian goods in the pecking order, they remain at a disadvantage when competing against exports from countries with preferential Chinese trading terms such as Chile, Peru or New Zealand.

In the mining sector though, China has spent the past decade ramping up projects in Africa to safeguard the flow of raw materials to the manufacturing juggernaut.

Those investments are now paying off and African producer countries are pocketing the royalties as exports to the world’s second biggest economy get a boost at Australia’s expense.

Last year, state-owned Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., known as Chalco, shipped the first bauxite cargo from its Guinea project, and a prolonged trade war between China and Australia is only likely to help the West African country’s economy.

Australian shipments to China of the rock used to make aluminum dropped 22% in the final quarter of 2020 while imports from Guinea leapt 70%, according to Chinese customs data.

That’s after Guinea tripled its bauxite output between 2015 and 2019 as mining projects came online, with most of it going to China. Over the same period, Guinea’s gross domestic product jumped 40%. — Reuters

Higher interbank ATM fees, release of bank NPLs drive profit-taking in BDO stock

By Marissa Mae M. Ramos, Researcher

THE latest banking system data published last week by the central bank and the subsequent profit taking by market players drove BDO Unibank, Inc.’s stock activity last week.

A total of 18.27 million BDO shares worth P2.01 billion were traded from Jan. 8 to 11, data from the Philippine Stock Exchange showed, making it the fifth most actively traded stock in the local bourse.

BDO’s share price dipped 1.8% on a week-on-week basis to P107 apiece on Friday. Year to date, the bank’s share price has gained by 1.9%.

“[I]nvestors digested the latest data about the tempered NPL (nonperforming loans) formation in December as well as the looming increase in fees for ATM transactions,” Unicapital Securities, Inc. Research Head Justin Lawrence J. Tembrevilla said on Thursday in an e-mail.

Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco saw last week’s trading activity as “investors choosing to book gains causing BDO to end the week in the negative territory.”

“In the prior trading week, BDO surged 8.24% week on week to P109,” he said in a separate e-mail.

Last week, several banks announced higher ATM transaction fees starting April 7 as they migrate to a new charging method where a cardholder is charged for a transaction based on the fees imposed by ATM owners. This is in contrast to the current issuer-based method wherein a fixed transaction fee is charged to the cardholder regardless of the owner of the ATM terminal where the transaction was made.

ATM withdrawal fees currently range from P10 to P15. With the new system, these charges are expected to range higher from P10 to P18. BDO is set to charge P11 per withdrawal and P2 per balance inquiry done by non-cardholders in its ATMs.

Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Tuesday gross NPL ratio of banks easing to 3.61% in December from 3.78% as of end-November, but higher than the 2.08% logged in 2019. Still, the latest figure was better than the 4.6% projection by the BSP for end-2020.

NPLs include credit left unpaid at least 30 days beyond the due date, which are considered as risky assets for banks as these have a high risk of default.

The decline in December ended a 10-month streak of increase in bad loans. However, analysts are expecting this to be temporary as the 60-day moratorium introduced by Republic Act No. 11494 (Bayanihan to Recover as One Act) expired in end-2020.

“We believe that its fundamentals remained intact despite the pandemic. We also note that BDO had the cheapest funding cost and the highest net interest margin (NIM) among the ‘Big Three’ as of Sept. 2020,” Mr. Tembrevilla said, referring to the ratio that measures a bank’s efficiency in investing funds by dividing annualized net interest income to average earning assets.

“We forecast full-year 2020 net income to hit P27.8 billion, a 38% decline from 2019, weighed by the accelerated loan loss provisions,” he added.

Philstocks’ Mr. Tantiangco noted that BDO in the nine months to September increased its loan loss provisions by more than five times to P23.8 billion that dragged its net income by 48.2% to P16.62 billion.

“Still, we saw some bright spots in the company’s results. Net interest income in the first nine months of 2020 posted a 13% year on year growth. Net interest margins at that time stood at 4.36%, higher than the same period in the prior year’s 4.12%, and the bank’s 2015-2019 average of 3.54%,” he said.

For the third quarter alone, the listed bank posted a 3.2% year on year increase in its net income attributable to parent to P12.33 billion.

“Moving forward, for 2021, we’re projecting a 17% growth in BDO’s net income attributable to parent. This is hinged upon the expectation that business and consumer confidence… will continue to improve, which in turn, would lead to more bank lending activities,” Mr. Tantiangco added.

He sees the support range from P100 to P103.50 apiece and resistance from P114 to P115 in the coming weeks.

Yields on gov’t debt rise on inflation

YIELDS ON government securities (GS) went up last week as inflation continued to pick up to reach a two-year high in January.

GS yields, which move opposite to prices, rose by a week-on-week average of 6.13 basis points (bps), based on the BVAL Reference Rates published on the Philippine Dealing System’s website as of Feb. 11.

Financial markets were closed on Friday in observance of Chinese New Year.

Yields on benchmark tenors increased on Thursday from their Feb. 5 finish, except for those on the 91- and 182-day Treasury bills (T-bills), which declined by 6.64 bps and 5.55 bps, respectively, to 0.9744% and 1.1489%.

Meanwhile, the rate on the 364-day T-bills edged up by 1.66 bps to 1.4323%.

At the belly of the curve, yields on the two-, three-, four-, five-, and seven-year Treasury bonds (T-bonds) rose by 8 bps (to 1.8632%), 9.64 bps (2.1702%), 8.97 bps (2.43%), 7.40 bps (2.6386%), and 5.74 bps (2.8842%), respectively.

At the long end, the 10-, 20-, and 25-year papers yielded 3.1139%, 4.0656%, and 4.0736%, rising by 8.76 bps, 10.22 bps, and 19.18 bps, respectively.

“Local yields increased [last] week as the bond market mainly reacted from the stronger-than-expected inflation report for January,” a bond trader said in an e-mail.

“With inflation expected to remain on the high side in the coming months, yields have adjusted higher [last week] to cover for higher-than-expected price upticks,” First Metro Asset Management, Inc. (FAMI) said in a separate e-mail.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported earlier this month that January inflation rose for the fourth consecutive month to a two-year high of 4.2%, faster than the 3.5% pace recorded last December as well as the 2.9% a year ago, amid surging food and transport prices.

“As BSP views the uptrend in inflation as transitory, policy rates were kept unchanged. The successful implementation of price caps and relaxation in imports to address the supply shocks is crucial to anchor inflation expectations,” FAMI said.

The three- to five-year bonds saw some volatility following the government’s ongoing offer of fresh retail Treasury bonds (RTBs) that were priced at 2.375% last week, it added.

The Bureau of the Treasury on Tuesday raised an initial P221.218 billion from the three-year RTB during the rate-setting auction. The papers due 2024 attracted tenders worth P284.183 billion, above the P30-billion program, and fetched a rate of 2.375%.

These bonds, which target individual and retail investors, are being offered in denominations of P5,000. These notes will be issued on March 9 and will mature on March 9, 2024.

The government plans to borrow nearly P3 trillion this year from foreign and domestic lenders to help plug its budget deficit seen to hit 8.9% of the country’s economic output.

“In the near term, GS yields will likely continue trading range-bound as market participants focus on the RTB 3-11 issuance and digest comments from the BSP’s (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) policy decision meeting [last Thursday],” FAMI said.

The central bank on Thursday kept benchmark interest rates at record lows to support the Philippine economy’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

In its first policy setting for the year, the Monetary Board maintained the overnight reverse repurchase rate at its record low of 2%. The lending and deposit facilities were likewise kept at 2.5% and 1.5%, respectively.

However, the central bank revised the 2021 inflation average forecast upwards to 4%, hitting the upper end of its 2-4% target for the year, from 3.2% previously amid soaring food prices.

The BSP, meanwhile, trimmed its inflation forecast for next year to 2.7% from 2.9% previously.

“The upward revision of BSP’s inflation forecast for 2021 at 4% from 3.2% seemed to support views of elevated short-term inflation which might push local bond yields slightly higher,” the bond trader said. — Jobo E. Hernandez

Tarlac acquires 30 Hyundai modern jeepneys to boost public transportation

HYUNDAI ASIA Resources, Inc. (HARI), through Hyundai Trucks and Buses Cabanatuan, turned over 30 units of the Class-2 HD50S Modern Jeepney to the Tamogepa (Tarlac-Moncada-Gerona-Paniqui) Transport Service Cooperative. This helps to ramp up public transportation modernization initiatives in Tarlac.

The 36-year-old cooperative is considered a major transport organization in Central Luzon. An additional 45 units of the modern jeepney model are set for delivery within the year. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region III Director Ahmed G. Cuizon, who was present at the turnover, stressed the importance of continuing to modernize the country’s mass transport system to elevate the dignity of the Filipino commuter, uplift the livelihood of numerous PUV drivers and transport cooperatives, and contribute to social progress.

Hyundai Trucks and Buses Cabanatuan President Dennis San Juan expressed the company’s commitment to transport modernization in the region by providing complete after-sales services and other pertinent assistance to maintain the quality and road-worthiness of the Hyundai modern jeepneys.

The jeepney model is powered by a 2.9-liter Euro 4-compliant CRDi diesel engine, which promises better fuel efficiency, reliability, and cleaner emissions. It is designed for enhanced stability and power-to-weight ratio, boasting a 3,415-millimeter wheelbase. The vehicle also features roof-mounted air-conditioning, contactless payment using the Auto Fare Collection System (AFCS), Wi-Fi, GPS tracking, CCTV cameras, a seven-inch monitor, and speed limit warning buzzer. It can accommodate 22 seated passengers as well as up to 10 standing commuters.

The HD50S Modern Jeepney Class 2, along with the Hyundai H-100 Class 1 Modern Jeepney received the Department of Transportation (DoTr) Certificate of Compliance (CoC) in 2019. Last year, the Hyundai HD50S Class 3 was also granted its CoC, completing Hyundai’s power trio of fully certified modern jeepneys that meet Philippine National Standards (PNS).

Just how much is the Philippines’ national response capacity at risk of being overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic?

Just how much is the Philippines’ national response capacity at risk of being overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic?

Peso to extend gains vs dollar on BSP decision

THE PESO will likely strengthen versus the dollar this week on the expected arrival of the vaccines in the country and following signals from the central bank that it would keep rates low to support the economy.

The local unit inched down to close at P48.045 per dollar on Thursday from its Wednesday finish of P48.038, data from the Bankers Association showed. Financial markets were closed on Friday for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Week on week, the peso climbed by 2.5 centavos from its P48.07-per-dollar close on Feb. 5.

The peso closed barely changed on Thursday due to market expectations that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) would maintain interest rates at record lows due to the sustained spike in inflation, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a text message.

The central bank on Thursday kept its benchmark interest rates at their current record lows to support the Philippine economy’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

In its first policy setting for the year, the Monetary Board maintained the overnight reverse repurchase rate at a record low of 2%. The lending and deposit facilities were likewise kept at 2.5% and 1.5%, respectively. The decision was announced after markets closed on Thursday.

Headline inflation reached a two-year high at 4.2% in January as prices of meat and vegetables spiked due to supply shortages.

Meanwhile, the BSP raised its average inflation forecast for the year to 4%, the upper end of its 2-4% target for the year, from 3.2% previously.

On the other hand, it lowered its inflation forecast for next year to 2.7% from 2.9% previously.

Another factor that affected the foreign exchange trading last week was the government’s ongoing retail Treasury bond (RTB) sale, UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said.

The Bureau of the Treasury sold an initial P221.218 billion in three-year RTBs during the rate-setting auction on Feb. 9 as total bids reached P284.183 billion.

The bonds fetched a coupon rate of 2.375%, 200 bps lower than the 4.375% rate quoted for the RTBs sold in February 2020. The offering is set to run until March 4, unless closed earlier.

For this week, the peso will likely tread sideways versus the greenback as the market factors in central bank signals that its policy will remain accommodative.

Monetary Board Member Felipe M. Medalla said last Tuesday that raising the policy rate “is not in the picture” and assured the central bank has a lot of space “for very accommodative policy.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Ricafort said investors will continue to monitor developments on the delivery of coronavirus vaccines. About 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines are expected to reach the country within this month.

Vaccine czar Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. earlier said at least 5.6 million doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca would arrive in the country within this quarter.

For this week, Mr. Ricafort gave a forecast range of P47.99 to P48.09 while Mr. Asuncion expects a wider trading band of P47.90 to P48.10 per dollar. — L.W.T. Noble

Shares to move sideways on profit taking, BSP

THE MARKET is expected to trade sideways this week as investors look forward to the start of the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program and following the central bank’s decision to keep interest rates at their current record lows.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) declined by 91.14 points to close at 6,991.01 on Thursday from its 7,019.18 close on Feb. 5. Financial markets were closed on Friday in observance of Chinese New Year.

The market’s average value turnover went up by 23.97% last week to 12.36 billion.

“The local index closed the week in the red after attempting to head higher through the week. The market’s strength early in the week was likely driven by global investor optimism on renewed recovery and vaccine prospects. However, this strength eventually faded as prices hit resistances, and investors took profits following the gains over the past two weeks,” China Bank Securities Corp. Research Head Rastine Mackie D. Mercado said in an e-mail on Thursday.

“Foreign funds also notably turned weekly net buyers [last] week following several weeks of net foreign selling. It will be important to monitor if this net foreign buying is sustained through the following weeks as this may signal a possible inflection point in foreign fund flows,” Mr. Mercado said.

Meanwhile, Summit Securities president Harry G. Liu said the market’s movement will depend on the economic outlook, which he said would hinge on the government’s COVID-19 inoculation program.

“We’re still trying to develop a reversal on the total market. Basically, I think the important fundamental is [for] the vaccination to be successful in the coming months so that the economy can go back to improvement,” Mr. Liu said by phone on Saturday. “So, I feel for the meantime, the market will still go on in medium- to long-term consolidation,” he added.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in an e-mail that the arrival of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines this month will be a major catalyst for the market.

“For the coming days or weeks, any further measures to reopen the economy would help support better economic recovery prospects as well as investment valuations,” Mr. Ricafort said.

Meanwhile, the result of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) policy meeting last week might cause investors to pocket their recent gains. The BSP on Thursday kept benchmark interest rates at record lows to support the Philippine economy’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

RCBC’s Mr. Ricafort placed the PSEi’s immediate resistance at the 7,100 level. Meanwhile, China Bank Securities’ Mr. Mercado sees the index moving between 6,900 and 7,130 this week.

“We expect the PSEi to trade sideways in the coming week as investors shift their focus to the government’s vaccine rollout. Moreover, we may see some reactive moves on Monday following the BSP’s policy meeting,” Mr. Mercado added. — K.G. Valmonte

Local COVID-19 infections nearing 550,000

THE Department of Health (DoH) reported 1,928 coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 549,176.

The death toll rose to 11,515 after eight more patients died, while recoveries increased by 10,967 to 511,743, it said in a bulletin.

There were 25,918 active cases, 86% of which were mild, 7.2% did not show symptoms, 3% were critical, 2.9% were severe and 0.91% were moderate.

More than 7.8 million Filipinos have been tested for the coronavirus as of Feb. 12, according to DoH’s tracker website.

The coronavirus has sickened about 109.1 million and killed more than 2.4 million people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

About 81.2 million people have recovered, it said.

It added that active cases stood at 25.4 million, less 1% of which or 98,708 were either serious or critical.

The United States had the most infections at 28.2 million, followed by India with 10.9 million and Brazil with 9.8 million. The US also had the most deaths at 496,063, Brazil had 238,647 and India had 173,771.

The DoH on Friday reported 19 more cases infected with a more contagious coronavirus strain, bringing the total in the Philippines to 44.

Of the 19 cases, three came from the Davao region — a 10 year-old boy, a 54 year-old woman, and a 33 year-old male. They had no known links to each other and had mild symptoms.

Two came from the Calabarzon region — a 20 year-old young woman who was swabbed and had an unknown exposure on Dec. 22. The other was a 76 year-old woman who was exposed to a patient on Jan. 21 and had mild symptoms.

Eight others were returning Filipinos from overseas aged 28 to 53 years and tested at different laboratories. Six of them had been isolated, while two had recovered, DoH said.

The agency said more six cases were still being verified if they were locals or returning migrant Filipinos.

“Case investigation and contact tracing shall also immediately be initiated by the DOH through the Centers for Health Development and regional epidemiology and surveillance units, in close coordination with concerned local government units and health offices, local epidemiology and surveillance units, and law enforcement,” it said.

ENTERTAINMENT
Meanwhile, Philippine cinemas would be allowed to operate with up to half their capacity in areas under a general lockdown, according to the Trade department.

Movie theaters can fill half their seats in these areas and up to 75% of seats in areas under a modified general quarantine, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told reporters in a mobile message on Sunday.

The government recently allowed cinemas and other leisure establishments such as arcades, cultural centers, theme parks and tourist attractions to resume operations in areas under a general community quarantine (GCQ).

Movie industry revenues shrank to P1.3 billion last year from the usual P13 billion after cinemas shut during the lockdown, Mr. Lopez said.

He added that about 300,000 workers rely on the industry, which include film production, distribution and movie theaters.

Metro Manila mayors have expressed reservations about the decision, saying local government leaders had not been consulted.

Metro Manila Council Chairman and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin D. Olivarez said the council might appeal against the reopening of cinemas, noting that they are enclosed spaces.

People who stay in an enclosed space for at least an hour with people with coronavirus symptoms could be at higher risk of infection, according to the World Health Organization.

The presidential palace earlier said the Philippines was expected to start inoculating Filipinos against the coronavirus this month as it takes delivery of vaccine orders.

The government expects to vaccinate as many as 70 million citizens against the coronavirus by yearend, vaccine czar Carlito A. Galvez, Jr. said this month.

The country will get about 10 million doses of vaccines under a global initiative for equal access this quarter, including 117,000 doses from Pfizer, Inc. that might arrive this month, he said.

The government seeks to inoculate 70 to 80 million Filipino adults to achieve herd immunity, he added. The vaccine doesn’t need to be given to all Filipinos based on herd immunity, when a large portion of the population becomes immune to the disease, making its spread unlikely. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Jenina P. Ibañez

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