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AboitizPower allots P190B to ramp up RE portfolio

ABOITIZ Power Corp. is looking at spending P190 billion to build 3,700 megawatts (MW) of new renewable projects (RE) in the next decade, the listed holdings firm said on Tuesday.

The investment will scale up the company’s “Cleanergy” portfolio, which is expected to make up a bigger share or 50% of its power generation portfolio by 2030.

Cleanergy is the firm’s brand of clean and renewable power.

By the end of 2020, its Cleanergy brand had a share of 21%, while its thermal capacity accounted for 79% of its portfolio. The company hopes to reach a 50-50 Cleanergy and thermal capacity mix by 2030.

AboitizPower hopes to reach a total attributable net sellable capacity target of 9,200 MW in the next 10 years, half of which or 4,600 MW will come from various RE sources.

“[The firm] needs to build around 3,700 MW of additional RE capacity to meet its 4,600-MW goal,” it told the local bourse in a regulatory filing.

At present, solar accounts for majority or 60% of the company’s pipeline projects which are all still in the development stage.

“We are committed to seeing through our 10-year strategy and this is only the beginning. There will be more beyond this pipeline in order for us to reach our target,” AboitizPower President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel V. Rubio said.

He explained that the company wants to help the government achieve its target of ramping up the share of renewables in the energy mix to 35% in 10 years’ time.

On Tuesday, the Aboitiz-led firm said it was optimistic that it could reach its 2030 goal “without building any new coal-fired power plants.”

“As the largest owner and operator of RE in the Philippines in terms of installed capacity together with its partners, AboitizPower continues to invest in other renewable energy projects across the country,” it said.

“The company also aims to pursue its international aspirations with a focus on RE in high-growth geographic markets,” it added.

AboitizPower is the holding firm for the Aboitiz group’s investments in power generation, distribution, and retail electricity services.

Previously, it was recognized for the fourth time in a row as a constituent company by FTSE4Good Index series, a global index that identifies companies which show “strong” environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.

The listed firm said its consolidated net income increased by 136% to P4 billion in the second quarter on the back of commissioning revenues from unit 1 of its new facility GNPower Dinginin located in Marveles, Bataan.

AboitizPower shares at the local bourse were unchanged at P23 apiece on Tuesday. — Angelica Y. Yang

Celebrating biodiversity through art

‘PARA SA KALIKASAN,’ a Philippines-Malaysia Joint Art Exhibition — PHOTO FROM PHILIPPINEFAUNAARTSOCIETY.CARGO.SITE

PORTRAITS of the Luzon hornbill, the Taal sea snake, the Visayan spotted deer, the Camiguin boobook (an owl), the Philippine eagle, the Malaya tiger, the Malayan sun bear, and the Borneo Pygmy elephant are just a few of the images hung on walls — now those of a zoo or conservation center, but of a fancy hotel.

The portraits are included in a physical and virtual art exhibition, “Of Art and Wine: Para sa Kalikasan,” mounted at the Conrad Manila’s Gallery C, organized by the Philippine Fauna Art Society (PhilFAS), and done in celebration of World Nature Conservation Day on July 28.

Artists from the PhilFAS collaborated with Malaysian artists from the Malaysian Art Society, Penang Art Society, and the Universiti Teknologi Mara Faculty of Arts and Design in an art exhibit which aims to raise awareness about their respective country’s native fauna and their protection and conservation.

The exhibit features 161 artworks featuring endemic species from both countries, created by 76 Filipino and 55 Malaysian artists. The works — mostly made with oil paint, watercolor, acrylic, gouache, pencil, Chinese ink, and soft pastel — are labeled with the animals’ scientific names.

“At a time when global warming is wreaking havoc around the world. It is a timely reminder that we, as human beings, must work together to protect Mother Earth,” said Norman Bin Muhamad, Ambassador of Malaysia to the Philippines, at the exhibition opening on July 28, streamed via Zoom.

“This exhibit is highly commendable for another very important reason: At the time when COVID-19 has disrupted our life as we knew it, organizers are willing and courageous enough to bring back colors and beauty to our life. More than ever, we need to be reminded that we need to fight on as the world is full of beautiful and meaningful things,” he added.

“The PhilFAS envisions a Filipino artists’ community that could help raise awareness about Philippine endemic and indigenous flora through visual arts. However, we realize that, as artists, we cannot represent only one percent of our biodiversity,” Willa Freah “Bing” Famoso Tac-an, exhibition curator and founder of PhilFAS, said.

The Philippines and Malaysia are two of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. Both countries are home to more than 1,500 species of flora and fauna, more than half of which are endemic or not found anywhere else in the world. The term “megadiverse country” is used to refer to any of the 17 nations that have been identified as harboring the majority of Earth’s species and which have a high number of endemic species.

“Art is very powerful tool in advocating for conservation awareness. The artists are instruments in raising relevant issues. The energy, passion, creativity, and ideas they transfer in canvas affects the emotions of its viewers,” Ms. Famoso Tac-an said. “More often than not, the positive effects of art and people inspire them not only to think and to read, but moves them to actively participate in the conservation and protection of our rich biodiversity.”

“Of Art and Wine: Para Sa Kalikasan” is open to the public until Sept. 4.  For inquiries on the artworks, call 8833-9999 or e-mail conradmanila@conradhotels.com. Visit the PhilFAS website at https://philippinefaunaartsociety.cargo.site to view the 360-degree virtual art gallery. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Gov’t sells P35B in 10-year bonds amid strong demand

BW FILE PHOTO

By Beatrice M. Laforga, Reporter

THE TREASURY bureau raised P35 billion from reissued 10-year Treasury bonds at an auction on Tuesday, as rates moved sideways amid a strong demand for long-term debt.

The government fully awarded the bonds, which have a remaining life of nine years and 11 months.

The tenor attracted bids worth P70.733 billion, or twice as much as the initial offer, prompting the bureau to open the tap facility to raise another P7 billion.

The average yield on the 10-year bonds was 3.914%, 8.6 basis points lower than its coupon of 4% when the notes were first offered on July 21.

It was also a tad lower than the tenor’s secondary market rate of 3.9006% before the auction.

The sideways movement showed the market’s strong bias on long-tenor debt amid a steady inflation outlook, National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon told reporters in a Viber group message.

A bond trader said the rate had fallen within market expectations.

A BusinessWorld poll of 15 analysts last week yielded a median estimate of 4% for July inflation amid lower meat prices after the government eased import tariffs. This is expected to offset the higher costs of oil and other food items.

This could be the first time inflation would fall within the 2-4% target of the central bank since the 3.5% inflation in December. This would also be slower than 4.1% in June but still faster than 2.7% a year earlier.

The Philippine Statistics Authority will report July inflation data on Thursday.

“Lower yields versus firmer bids were attributed to growth outlook concerns as some parts of the country enter a lockdown,” the trader said in a Viber message.

Metro Manila will be under the strictest lockdown level on Aug. 6 to 20 to prevent the further spread of a more contagious Delta coronavirus variant.

The Octa Research Group from the University of the Philippines on Sunday flagged a fresh surge in coronavirus infections in the capital region, suggesting that the Delta variant was freely moving in the community.

The capital region reported 1,740 infections on July 31, the highest since May 10, it said. The weekly average of new coronavirus cases in the region rose by 40% to 1,279 from a week earlier, it added.

The increase could not be easily explained by Alpha or Beta variants that have been managed, OCTA Research fellow Fredegusto P. David said. There might be 300 new Delta variant infections daily in Metro Manila.

Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro City and Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental will also be under a hard lockdown until Aug. 7 due to rising coronavirus infections.

The Treasury bureau is looking at raising P200 billion from the local market this month — P60 billion via weekly offers of Treasury bills and P140 billion from weekly auctions of T-bonds.

The government seeks to borrow P3 trillion from domestic and external sources this year to help fund a budget deficit that is expected to hit 9.3% of economic output.

Post-stroke, post-surgery rehab essential for full recovery — medical experts

UNSPLASH

THOUGH STROKE recovery starts in an in-patient setting, or once a patient is stable enough to undergo bedside rehabilitation, the first six months afterward — known as the maximal recovery phase — are crucial in regaining mobility, according to specialists from Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) at a webinar on movement-related pain in July.  

“Pain, weakness, and immobility are the foremost reasons a patient is referred to rehabilitation medicine,” said Dr. Eric Sherwin T. Basuil, Chairman of CSMC’s rehabilitation medicine department. “Often each of the three would lead into the other and together would form a vicious cycle that would prevent the patient from functioning optimally.”  

Last year, stroke was the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for 11% of deaths, according to a 2020 report by the World Health Organization. In the Philippines, cerebrovascular diseases, which include stroke, were the third leading cause of death in 2020, accounting for about 59,700 deaths or 10.4% of the total, based on a 2021 report by the Philippine Statistics Authority.  

ADDING LIFE TO YEARS
Rehabilitation is important for post-surgery recovery of any body part immobilized after a procedure. Therapeutic interventions that can help include medicines, exercises, physical modalities like temperature and electroshock, orthotics that protect or stabilize certain body parts, or prosthetics which replace limbs, explained Dr. Basuil.  

“There’s also what we call neuroplasticity. Our body is very adaptive, so even after months or years pass, we still expect recovery from the patient,” added Dr. Romil M. Martinez, an active consultant of the rehabilitation medicine department, on the importance of maintaining rehab after a stroke or surgery.  

Juan Rafael “Nico” C. Montaño, a 21-year-old patient, discovered he was unable to open his right hand after he had surgery to remove a tumor in his spine that caused unbearable neck and back pain. 

Taking Dr. Basuil’s advice, Mr. Montaño went to CSMC thrice a week for rehab sessions with physical therapists who guided him through exercises that would allow him to open his hand and get grip strength back. “With their help, I was able to [recover], and now I’m able to open my hand,” he said. 

Physical therapy is about keeping the patient moving, whether it’s through simple home exercises or with the help of equipment in a rehabilitation center. A specialist can give instructions and create a program so the joints regain range of motion, said Dr. Martinez.  

“[Physical therapists’] primary concern is with movements, making your muscles strong and stretching the limbs,” he added, emphasizing the need to work towards better mobility. “It’s really just movement, stretching, and a little bit of exercise.”  

For post-stroke patients, problems may include writing, eating alone, or grooming and clothing oneself, which occupational therapy can address with activities to develop independence. Meanwhile, those whose speech was affected can get speech therapy, which helps strengthen oral muscles with tongue exercises for better vocalization or swallowing.  

CSMC’s rehabilitation facilities include upper extremity robotics services that allow patients to receive contactless therapy during the pandemic. “Medicine may add years to your life, but rehabilitation medicine adds life to those years,” said Dr. Basuil. — Brontë H. Lacsamana  

DITO says it now has 2 million subscribers nationwide

TELECOMMUNICATIONS service provider DITO Telecommunity Corp. said on Tuesday it has connected two million subscribers in less than five months since its commercial launch in March.

“[I]n less than five months after our official launch, we have just reached two million subscribers, covering around 200 cities nationwide,” DITO said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.

DITO started offering its mobile services in the National Capital Region in May.

In March, DITO Chief Administrative Officer Adel A. Tamano said the implementation of the mobile number portability law would help the company achieve its target of capturing 30% of the telco market.

The commercial launch of the mobile number portability is on Sept. 30.

Telecommunications Connectivity, Inc., the company put up by the country’s dominant mobile network operators to facilitate mobile number portability, expects “a million” subscribers to switch network providers during the initial phase of the implementation.

DITO is currently capable of serving 37.48% of the country’s population based on the technical audit report by R.G. Manabat & Co.

The company’s chief technology officer, Rodolfo D. Santiago, has said 30% of the telco market is “more than enough” for DITO to be profitable.

DITO has a commitment to cover 84% of the population by the end of its fifth year of commercial operations.

The company has committed to invest over P250 billion to improve customer experience in the country.

DITO spent P150 billion last year, and it targets to spend P26 billion more this year. — Arjay L. Balinbin

NCCA honors musicians

A VERY diverse group of people received the same message via e-mail – that they were among the recipients of an award that honors 19 people and organizations whose work across two decades has enriched the world of Philippine music.

They will be receiving the SUDI Award, a National Music award that aims “to recognize outstanding contributions of Filipino musical works, creators, institutions, and researchers across genres and modes of productions with the highest standard and artistic excellence.”

Those honored for their work between 2000 to 2009 are teacher, researcher, instrument maker and performer Prof. Benicio Sokkong; music educator Prof. Carmencita Guanzon Arambulo; the classical music radio station 98.7 DZFE-FM “The Master’s Touch”; singer and ethnomusicologist Dr. Grace Nono; singer-songwriter José Iñigo Homer Lacambra Ayala (better known as Joey Ayala); the Loboc Children’s Choir; composer and conductor Prof. Josefino “Chino” Toledo; concert pianist Dr. Raul Sunico; and the UP Singing Ambassadors.

“We just weren’t sure that it was really for us,” said 98.7 DZFE station manager Tiffany Liong-Gabuya at a During an online press conference on Aug. 2 via Zoom, about receiving the e-mail. “I shared it with my staff, and everybody read it twice before we started jumping up and down.”

“Nagulat ako… hindi ko akalain na  ganito pala kalaki itong award (I was surprised. I did not expect that the award was this prestigious),” Ms. Arambulo said at the same Zoom event.

Meanwhile, those honored for their work between 2010 to 2020, are pop a cappella group Acapellago; the Ateneo Chamber Singers; pop rock musician and songwriter Vincent Ferdinand Dancel (a.k.a Ebe Dancel); conductor Gerard Salonga; rapper-songwriter Aristotle Pollisco (a.k.a Gloc-9); songwriter Jonathan Manalo; folk singer and composer Noel Cabangon; the PETA musical Rak of Aegis; the Philippine Madrigal Singers; and The 70’s Bistro Bar.

His reaction upon reading the e-mail was “At last,” said Jonathan Velasco, the conductor and music director of the Ateneo Chamber Singers.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pollisco, who is not used to formal e-mails, had a companion tell him about its contents. “Sanay lang po ako tumingin ng e-mails for files or kapag ka mga related sa kanta (I am used to look through e-mails for files or those related to songs),” he said.

Eight special citations will be given to the competition Akapela Open, the Elements Music Camp, the Philpop MusicFest Foundation, the Pinoy Playlist Music Festival; the non-profit organization Bayanihan Musikahan; guitarist, jazz musician, and composer Bob Aves; Filipino-American kulintang player, educator, and National Endowment of the Arts National Heritage Fellow, Prof. Danongan Sibay Kalanduyan; and the bar and music venue Route 196.

WHAT IS SUDI?
The SUDI Award was launched in 2020 by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through its Plan/Policy Formulation and Programming Division (P/PFPD)-Arts Section, headed by Ferdinand Isleta.

The award’s name “SUDI” refers to the Ilokano adjective meaning “illustrious, renowned, celebrated, or famous.” The name was proposed by Dr. Felipe M. De Leon, Jr., a member of the SUDI’s technical working group and incumbent head of the NCCA National Committee on Music.

Aside from Mr. De Leon, the technical working group’s members are film producer Noel Ferrer, who chairs the  technical working group, National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, Organisasyon Ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit and Philpop executive director Dinah Remolacio, Elements Music Camp founder Twinky Lagdameo, Homonym founder and managing director Mike Constantino, and Filipino world music artist Bayang Barrios.

The technical working group was aided by the NCCA Committee on Music in the deliberation and selection of the awardees. The 2020 NCCA SUDI Awards jury was composed of Bobby Barreiro, Andre Allan Alvarez, Maria Rachelle Gerodias, Francis Reyes, Lutgardo Labad, Christian Bautista, Dr. De Leon, Dr. Elena Mirano, Melchor Villena, Dr. Jose Buenconsejo, and was chaired by Mr. Cayabyab.

While the original idea was to have one awardee a year, said Mr. Cayabyab, for its launch year, 2020, it was decided that the SUDI Awards would recognize and honor outstanding musical achievements that defined the last 20 years.

The first NCCA SUDI Awards awarding ceremony will be livestreamed via the NCCA’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel in two parts on Aug. 21 and Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.

“These choral groups, they don’t perform for awards, except for competing internationally. But locally, kanta lang kami nang kanta (We just continue singing) … We just spread the good vibes of choral singing everywhere,” Ateneo Chamber Singers’ Mr. Velasco said during the press conference. “So, every time we receive an award, it is so special for us in the choral industry.”

Ms. Arambulo, who has had over 50 years of teaching experience, said she is delighted when she hears of the success of her former students. “Tuloy pa rin ang aking pagtuturo hanggang ngayon (I continue teaching to this day).”

“If we have music luminaries surprised and grateful for the award, how much more for us? We don’t receive music awards. So, I suppose the first thought that came to my head was [that] I’m just so grateful that what we’re doing is seen as a music contribution,” DZFE’s Ms. Gabuya said.

“I’m very honored. Na-prove ko sa sarili ko na… hindi mo kailangang sumakay sa alon ng iba. Pwede ka gumawa ng sarili mong alon para maramdaman ka ng ibang tao (I proved to myself that you do not have to ride the wave of others. You can create your own wave to be felt by others),” said Gloc-9.

In succeeding years, excellence and significant musical contributions shall be recognized triennially. — MAPS

Metrobank Q2 profit lifted by fees, lower cost

PROFIT at Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) rose by 29.9% from a year earlier to P3.9 billion in the second quarter on higher fee-based income and reduced operational costs.

This brought its first-half net income to P11.687 billion, 28% higher than a year earlier, the lender said in a stock exchange filing on Tuesday.

The Ty-led bank’s net interest income fell by 20% to P18.46 billion last quarter, while net interest margin on average earning assets dropped to 3.37% as of end-June from 4.24% a year earlier.

This was partly offset by higher fee-based earnings, which increased by 42.7% to P3.07 billion due to higher transaction volumes and a 63% growth in miscellaneous earnings to P1.86 billion from. Gains from trading activities plunged by 90% to P1.15 billion.

“The recovery in recurring fees helped mitigate the impact of subdued loan demand and margin pressure,” Metrobank said.

Meanwhile, operating costs fell by 2.7% from a year earlier to P14.67 billion in the second quarter.

Metrobank’s bad loan ratio fell to 2.3% at the end of June from 2.4% in March, while the ratio of restructured loans to total loans was steady at 0.5%. Its bad loan cover grew to 179% from 166% in the first quarter.

The lender lowered its provisioning for loan losses by 69% from a year ago to P7 billion.

On the funding side, the bank’s low-cost current and savings accounts rose by 13.5% to P1.3 trillion as of June, accounting for 73.8% of its total deposits. This should help keep its funding costs steady, it said.

Its capital adequacy ratio rose to 20.36% in June from 19.98% a year earlier, while its common equity Tier 1 ratio grew to 19.49% from 18.66%.

The bank booked a 7.32% return on equity ratio, higher than 5.78% a year ago.

“With the sustained progress in vaccination rollouts across the country, we are optimistic of the recovery of the economy,” Metrobank President Fabian S. Dee said in the statement. “We remain driven to keep our growth momentum.”

He said reserves were 179% of bad loans and capital ratios were almost double the regulatory minimum. “With abundant liquidity, the bank is in a strong position to endure prolonged risks. We have the capacity and are looking forward to provide funding support to business activities that will help push economic recovery.”

Metrobank shares rose by P1.10 to P45.20 apiece on Tuesday. — Beatrice M. Laforga

ATI assures ‘normal operations’ during stricter lockdown

ASIAN Terminals, Inc. (ATI) said on Tuesday it will be “business as usual” for its ports during the implementation of stricter community quarantine rules from Aug. 6 to 20 in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces to ensure the unhampered flow of food, medical supplies, consumer goods, and other vital necessities.

ATI will “sustain normal operations at Manila South Harbor and Batangas Container Terminal, following stringent industrial health and safety protocols prescribed by local and international COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) experts, to keep the supply-chain moving,” the listed port operator said in an e-mailed statement.

The company added that port transactions such as settling port fees, container bookings and other inquiries are done online through its e-portal facilities for contactless interactions.

ATI Executive Vice-President William Khoury said: “Port authorities in Manila and Batangas are also on ready status to process cargoes, so we encourage customers to facilitate their shipments to avoid any inconveniences or unnecessary volume buildups.”

“We enjoin other segments of the supply chain to do the same, following the guidelines set forth by authorities, to ensure seamless and uninterrupted trade cycles,” Mr. Khoury added.

The Philippine Ports Authority has issued a memorandum tightening border-control measures in all its controlled ports nationwide to contain the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19.

The agency said it will strictly enforce regulations regarding the notice of arrival for vessels as well as applications for berthing or anchorage. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Meet a pint-size US piano prodigy

FOUR-YEAR-OLD Brigitte Xie plays the piano at her piano teacher’s house in Connecticut on July 31. — REUTERS/ROSELLE CHEN

BRIGITTE XIE reads music, can play Beethoven’s Sonatina in F Major and has won a spot to perform at Carnegie Hall. She is four years old.

Brigitte’s feet dangle above the ground when the petite girl sits on the piano bench, her hands moving gracefully across the keyboard.

With long brown hair in a ponytail and bow, she cast her dark eyes shyly downward when her mother, Nicole Sun, asked if she likes piano and if it was fun. “Yeah, fun,” Brigitte replied.

Brigitte’s father, Tao Xie of Ridgefield, Connecticut, signed her up for piano lessons on Zoom about a year ago to give her something to do during the coronavirus disease 2019  (COVID-19) lockdown.

“At the beginning, I never expected that she’s going to be a prodigy or anything,” he said. “But yeah, it turns out it’s amazing.”

Brigitte was the youngest winner of the prestigious Elite International Music Competition, which earned her a spot at Carnegie Hall. She was supposed to play at Carnegie Hall as part of the American Protégé International Music Talent Competition in Nov. 2020. That got postponed to this November and now to Nov. 2022 due to COVID-19.

Brigitte’s mother gives credit to her piano teacher, Felicia Feng Zhang.

“Brigitte came to me when she was just two months after three years old,” her teacher said. “From the lessons, I observed she has a curious mind and she loves to learn. We call that passion.” — Reuters

Lenders vow to support MSMEs to boost recovery

BANKING GROUPS on Tuesday vowed to lend more to small businesses struggling amid a coronavirus pandemic.

“The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), together with its members will continue to assist micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with their financing needs — whether through cash management services for their operations or loans that are needed for their expansion,” President Jose Arnulfo A. Veloso told an online forum.

These enterprises make up 99% of about a million business establishments in the country, based on 2018 data from the Department of Trade and Industry. They also generated 63.19% or 5.7 million jobs that year.

But these small businesses are among the most vulnerable amid coronavirus lockdowns that forced some of them to shut down.

“We realize the need to offer more MSME-friendly restructuring packages that allow borrowers to allocate more funds that enable them to overcome the financial drawbacks of the lockdown,” Chamber of Thrift Banks President Cecilio D. San Pedro said at the same forum.

Aside from lending to small businesses, microfinance institutions provided support during the pandemic through cash grants to poor households, access to markets and technology, and online training for businesses as they adapt to the so-called new normal, said Allan Robert I. Sicat, executive director of Microfinance of the Philippines, Inc.

“Soon, the country›s economy will be able to bounce back with the help and cooperation not only of financial institutions, but of all stakeholders, bearing in mind one goal of recovering as one,” he added.

MSMEs had to fine-tune their business models amid lockdowns. Many of them had to close shop in areas under a strict quarantine.

Small companies should go digital to survive under the new normal, said Angelito M. Villanueva, chairman of Fintech Alliance.ph.

He noted that financial technology companies have created e-wallets, one-stop apps, withdrawal systems and access points, QR-enabled transactions and digital loan marketplaces to help small businesses adapt to the new normal.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has provided relief measures to support the MSME sector, including allowing banks to count loans to the segment as reserve compliance. The central bank has also cut the credit risk weight for small business financing.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said banks allotted an average of P183.9 billion worth of MSME loans as of June 17 as alternative compliance with reserve requirements.

The central bank also teamed up with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and other banking stakeholders for a credit risk database project that seeks to improve small businesses’ access to loans. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

To keep active during lockdown, do chores — doctors

PIXABAY

AS ANOTHER two-week lockdown looms over the capital, Dr. Reynaldo D. Rosales, an endocrinologist at St. Luke’s Medical Center, recommended exercise alternatives for Manila’s residents such as car washing, floor sweeping, gardening, and window washing. 

For those less inclined to do chores, there’s always dancing, rope jumping, stair walking, and stationary biking. You don’t even need a partner to dance, Dr. Rosales added in a recent webinar about diabetes management. “Just follow the steps on YouTube videos,” he said in the vernacular.  

Physical activities, done in moderate intensity, at least 150 minutes a week is ideal, said Leyden Florendo, president of the Philippine Association of Diabetes Educators, in a separate webinar organized by Merck Sharp & Dohme in the Philippines.   

“Scatter those 150 minutes over the week,” she said, adding that people with diabetes should exercise every day, if possible. “It doesn’t need to be vigorous. Start slow until such time you develop the habit… Don’t use the pandemic as an excuse,” she said in the vernacular.  

By working out and eating right, people who are predisposed to diabetes have a fighting chance of not getting it, said Dr. Aurora “Aouie” G. Macaballug, board member of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (PSEDM), at the same event.  

“Be proactive rather than complacent,” she said, recommending the seated workouts featured on PSEDM’s YouTube channel.  

While restrictions are in place, patients with diabetes are also advised to consult their doctors through telemedicine and text messaging, to maintain a month’s supply of medications, and to monitor their blood sugar at home.  

Regular blood sugar monitoring enables individuals to see what factors trigger the increase or decrease of blood sugar — information that will help doctors plan their diabetes care.  

The typical times to check one’s blood sugar, per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is when you first wake up and before you consume anything; before a meal; two hours after a meal; and at bedtime.  

A typical blood sugar target, or the range to aim for, is 80–130 mg/dL before a meal, and less than 180 mg/dL two hours after the start of a meal. Blood sugar targets, however, may differ depending on factors such as age and other additional health problems.  — Patricia B. Mirasol   

A call for biopharmaceutical innovation 

REUTERS

As governments, biopharmaceutical companies, academia, and international organizations work together to produce 11 billion doses by the end of the year, the industry is setting its sights beyond current research and development.  

The emergence of new variants that diminish the monumental achievements in recent months push the industry to drive further innovation. Some changes to the coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) explained, may affect the virus’ properties such as how it easily spreads, the disease severity, or the efficacy of vaccines, therapeutic medicines, diagnostic tools, or other public health interventions.     

Variants of concern, for example, are the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants. As of July, all these variants of concern are present in the country as reported by the Philippine Genome Center, while the rest of Southeast Asia has become an epicenter of the pandemic. These developments demonstrate that no one can rest on their laurels, and that innovation must once again take center stage.   

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) said that most vaccine manufacturers expect to have a newly developed booster vaccine ready by the end of 2021, another fearless forecast in the name of public health. 

Vaccine manufacturers are aiming at a booster shot specifically to tame the highly transmissible Delta variant and other emerging variants of concern. Meanwhile, another manufacturer is testing whether booster shots can be administered using smaller dosage levels. Booster shots in smaller dosage would allow for faster and cost-effective vaccine production.   

Innovations must also go beyond vaccines. In search for potential treatments, the industry found dexamethasone, as well as others that were initially developed to treat the Ebola virus (Remdesivir) or arthritis (Tocilizumab), as bringing hope to patients around the world. At the moment, there are ongoing research and development involving monoclonal antibody cocktails, new antivirals and anti-inflammatory antibodies to treat COVID-19.  

IFPMA Director General Dr. Thomas B. Cueni emphasized the need for innovation to improve the way we could respond to the current and future pandemics: “Imagine if scientists invented a COVID-19 vaccine that can be given orally, without the need of a cold chain. Or a simple COVID-19 pill to take as soon as the first symptoms appear. Or imagine future generations facing a pandemic and a vaccine or cure can be developed within 100 days. That might seem far-fetched, but these are things that the biopharmaceutical industry can and should strive for. This is what innovation is about — making the impossible possible.”   

Remember that in March 2020, the WHO rang the bell loud and clear: It warned that the world would confront a first-of-its kind pandemic due to its origins — a novel coronavirus.   

Way back then, the international health organization reminded the public that the word “pandemic” must not be used lightly or carelessly. WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus said that “pandemic” is a word which could cause unreasonable fear or signal an unjustified acceptance that nothing else could be done. Now, pandemic has become a word too familiar and one which has enormously changed the way we live.   

With this, the WHO called for a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach founded on a strategy to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and save lives. The strategy is composed of four key areas: prepare and be ready; detect, protect, and treat; reduce transmission; and innovate and learn.   

The biopharmaceutical industry responded swiftly by leading the way in developing and manufacturing vaccines and therapeutics. The industry immediately screened its vast medicine libraries to identify and repurpose existing and test new treatments. It reviewed its massive portfolio having gained experience in developing ways to fight infectious diseases head on. Its decades of work and partnerships in battling MERS, SARS, Ebola and influenza allowed the industry to respond quickly like never before.   

In March 2020, the industry, including the team at PHAP, publicly expressed hopes that a COVID-19 vaccine would be developed by year-end. It was a fearless forecast, knowing fully well the complex and long journey of a vaccine. The industry delivered on its promise and hasn’t stopped innovating. 


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

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