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ERC to enforce new rules on allowable outages of power plants

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has set new regulations for the allowable planned and unplanned outages of coal, gas, diesel, renewables, oil-fired thermal and combined cycle power plants, it said on Friday.

In a statement, the ERC said these “stringent rules” are meant to ensure the reliability, security and affordability of electric power supply while promoting accountability among generation firms, system operators (SOs), and transmission network providers (TNPs).

Based on its rules on the interim reliability performance indices and equivalent outages per year of generating units, SOs and TNPs should use the ERC’s allowable planned outage days in planning for their Grid Operating and Maintenance programs (GOMP).

“However, if the SO and the TNP shall utilize planned outages beyond what is allowable…the same shall provide a report as to the reason for such consideration,” the ERC wrote. The report must then be included in the quarterly GOMP submission to the ERC.

Meanwhile, the standard for unplanned outages must be “strictly observed”, said the regulator. It added that the unplanned outage allowance in days per year is the maximum cap per power plant technology.

“Not only shall this ensure that the generating plants will be properly maintained, consequently resulting to lesser incidents and occurrences of unplanned outages,” the ERC said.

In a separate statement, ERC chairperson and chief executive officer Agnes VST Devanadera said the parameters set for planned outages will “serve as a guide for the implementation of the GOMP, while the ones for the unplanned outages will serve as the standard for the generating units.”

If people or entities do not follow these rules, the ERC will issue a notice of non-compliance with an order to comply and to explain within seven days of receipt.

“After the Notice and Order shall have been issued by ERC and the person or entity still refuses and fails to comply within the reglementary period of what is incumbent upon the person or entity, ERC shall impose the necessary fines and penalties,” the agency said.

The sanctions, fines and penalties are based on ERC Resolution No. 3 issued in 2009.
The new rules will take effect 15 days after their publication in a newspaper of general circulation. — Angelica Y. Yang

DoE remits P4.15B to LGUs for virus fight

THE ENERGY department has so far remitted P4.15 billion from its Energy Regulations 1-94 (ER 1-94) program to help local government units (LGU) stem the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the agency said in a statement on Friday.

Broken down, P1.05 billion went to the Development and Livelihood Fund, Electrification Fund, P2.07 billion went to the Reforestation Watershed Management Fund and P1.03 billion went to the Environment Enhancement Fund.

Under the ER 1-94 program, power generating companies are required to give one centavo for every kilowatt-hour of sales to their host communities to fund electrification, livelihood and development projects in the area.

Earlier this year, the DoE allowed for these funds to be used in helping LGUs fight the virus. The funds have been used for feeding programs, personal protective equipment, medical supplies and equipment, and the construction of medical facilities, among others.

Initial data from the DoE showed at least P462 million of ER 1-94 funds were directly remitted by generation companies to their host LGUs as of Sept. 30.

The department added that it is processing the transfer of an additional P278 million in ER 1-94 funds to host communities and regions.

“This unprecedented experience has given the energy sector the opportunities for creativity, flexibility and ingenuity to reorganize, on the local and national level, and find innovative ways of providing essential health services to all,” the department said. — Angelica Y. Yang

BSP makes full award of bills

THE CENTRAL BANK fully awarded its offer of 28-day bills on Friday as demand remained strong, with investors positioning amid expectations of recovery next year.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Friday sold the programmed P80 billion in 28-day securities as its offer was oversubscribed, with tenders reaching P127.35 billion.

However, this was lower than the P141.25 billion in bids seen in the previous week’s auction.

This is the 14th consecutive week that the BSP made a full award of its offer of short-term securities.

Rates for the BSP bills ranged from 1.6699% to 1.69%, lower than the 1.68% to 1.7% band logged in the previous auction. As a result, the average rate of the securities dropped to 1.6837%, down 0.84 basis point from the 1.6921% recorded a week ago.

The bills and term deposits are tools used by the central bank to better guide market interest rates and gather excess liquidity in the financial system.

BSP Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila, Jr. said demand for the short-term securities was spurred by strong money supply in the economy.

“The sustained strong market interest for the BSP bills reflect the ample liquidity in the financial system,” Mr. Dakila said in a statement on Friday.

Meanwhile, UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said the decline in tenders this week from the previous auction shows that investors are repositioning based on their outlook for next year, as short-tenored papers used to see higher demand.

“The theme is repositioning for the 2021 recovery. Market is winding down and preparing for a rebound next year,” Mr. Asuncion said in a Viber message.

Bids for the BSP’s 13-day term deposits auctioned off on Wednesday also declined to P334.459 billion, below the P340-billion offering as well as the P401.251 billion in tenders logged on Dec. 9. — L.W.T. Noble

DBP net income down at end-September

The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) saw its net profit drop by almost a third in the nine months to September, amid heightened loan loss provisions during the pandemic.

The state-lender’s net profit stood at P3.24 billion as of September, declining by 26.69% from the P4.42 billion logged in the same period of 2019, it said in a statement on Friday.

DBP Executive Vice President for Corporate Services and Concurrent Head of Operations Marietta M. Fondevilla said the lower income was mainly caused by higher provisioning for credit losses and income taxes.

The bank also saw increased administrative expenses by its field units for their pandemic response, she added.

Meanwhile, the lender’s credit portfolio grew as loans jumped 13.91% to P374.85 billion in the nine months ended September from P329.07 billion a year ago.

“DBP broadened its support to priority industries as we throw our full commitment to rebuild, recover and revitalize the economy that has been battered by the pandemic and the series of calamities,” DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel G. Herbosa said in a statement.

Broken down, nearly half (46%) or P175.72 billion of the loans disbursed went into infrastructure and logistics projects. Meanwhile, P77.23 billion went to social services, P43.12 billion went to environment projects, and P26.48 billion went to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

The lender’s total deposits also climbed 50% to P754.95 billion as of September, backed by the 58% surge in term deposits and the 22% rise in low-cost deposits.

DBP’s assets rose 38.89% to P945.39 billion at end-September from P700.86 billion a year ago. The bank’s net worth was at P64.01 billion.

Total capital likewise inched up P9.49% to P64.01 billion from P58.56 billion. Mr. Herbosa said this was boosted by the P6-billion infusion from the national government under Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.

Its capital adequacy ratio stood at 13.76%, higher than the industry average of 12.39% and also beyond the minimum regulatory requirement of 10%.

“While DBP’s fiscal position remains strong and we are confident of reaching our full-year financial targets, the bank’s focus is to optimally mobilize our available resources not just for recovery but also towards improving the resiliency of our priority sectors against future economic shocks,” Ms. Fondevilla said. — L.W.T. Noble

Peso weakens as BSP expects faster inflation

THE PESO weakened against the greenback on Friday as the central bank said it expects faster inflation this year and in 2021.

The local unit closed at P48.085 per dollar on Friday, shedding four centavos from its P48.045 finish on Thursday, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed.

Week on week, it also depreciated by 1.5 centavos from its P48.07-per-dollar close on Dec. 11.
The peso opened Friday’s session at P48.05 per dollar. It reached a high of P48.04 while its closing level was its weakest showing for the day.

Dollars traded rose to $797.82 million on Friday from $674.59 million the previous day.

The peso weakened versus the greenback due to risk-off sentiment following the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) new inflation forecasts, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said.

“The peso exchange rate closed weaker after higher inflation estimates by the BSP,” Mr. Ricafort said in a text message.

The central bank on Thursday kept benchmark interest rates untouched, as expected. However, it revised upwards its inflation forecasts for 2020 and 2021 to 2.6% (from 2.5%) and 3.2% (from 2.7%), respectively.

BSP Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila, Jr. said the revised outlook was due to the faster increase in food prices and the recent uptick in global oil prices.

Meanwhile, a trader attributed the peso’s depreciation to cautiousness in the market ahead of the holidays.

“The peso depreciated from some market caution ahead of possible developments over the weekend and from the upcoming holiday season,” the trader said in an email. — LWTN

PSEi ends lower as investors sell shares before the holidays

PHILIPPINE SHARES ended lower on Friday as investors chose to pocket their gains as the trading year winds down.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) shed 25.22 points or 0.34% to end at 7,272.80, while the broader all shares index inched down by 0.94 point or 0.02% to 4,349.35.

Summit Securities, Inc. President Harry G. Liu said the local bourse declined due to investors liquidating their stocks as the year comes to a close.

“Some of the investors are closing down their portfolios… There’s a five-day holiday. Nobody can leave, nobody can go shopping. It’s just that those (investors) would usually…take a long holiday. Some of them would sell,” Mr. Liu said in a phone interview.

He added that news about coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine candidates have been “maintaining the market.”

Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Associate Claire T. Alviar said the market declined led by the heaviest firm in the index, SM Investments Corp.

“The 2.65% decline of SM weighed on the performance of the index. Investors are now looking into the development of a COVID-19 vaccine,” Ms. Alviar said in a text message.

Issues regarding vaccine procurement in the country are impeding hopes of a recovery, she said.
“We think that the ongoing issues of the vaccine at home are not helping to lift sentiment, but rather it becomes a hurdle to recovery hopes,” she said.

Sectoral indices were mixed. Industrials rose 74.04 points or 0.78% to 9,551.95; services climbed 11.17 points or 0.72% to 1,548.66; and mining and oil improved 9.46 points or 0.09% to 9,548.44.

Meanwhile, financials dropped 17.53 points or 1.16% to 1,488.69; holding firms fell 49.45 points or 0.65% to 7,511.54; and property decreased 9.18 points or 0.24% to 3,684.52.

Value turnover on Friday reached P11.88 billion with 23.55 billion issues switching hands, rising from the P9.26 billion worth of shares that changed hands in the previous session.

Advancers and decliners were tied at 110 apiece, while 50 names ended unchanged.

Net foreign selling climbed to P1.11 billion on Friday from the net P739.83 million that left the market the previous day.

Ms. Alviar said heavy net foreign selling also caused the PSEi to decline. — A.Y. Yang

Honda officially launched the 5th generation All-New City

The all-new Honda City has advanced features, now sportier with new RS variant

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI), Honda’s automobile business unit in the Philippines officially launched the 5th generation All-New Honda City last Oct. 22, 2020, Thursday evening, via a virtual event streamed on HCPI’s official Facebook and YouTube pages.

Through the launch of the All-New City, with its stylish exterior design, outstanding interior space, and advanced technology, the brand asserts its 2030 vision of leading the advancement of mobility and enabling people around the world to improve their daily lives.

Moreover, the launch reaffirmed HCPI’s commitment to providing mobility to Filipinos especially on its 30th year in the Philippines and continues to expand its presence in the market.

Grand concept

Introduced in the Philippine market in 1996, the Honda City was first launched as an exclusive model for the Asian region and has become HCPI’s best-selling model over the years.

With over 131,000 units sold since its arrival in 1996, the City consistently reflected its core values of smart style, outstanding interior space and strong commanding presence through its sportier exterior, and comfortable and spacious interior that surpasses other subcompact sedans in the market.

Now on its 5th generation, the All-New City was developed under the grand concept of “Ambitious Sedan.”

Exterior

The All-New City’s exterior boasts a cutting-edge sleek design. With its thick long nose, lowered full height, and widened full width, the 5th generation All-New City is now longer by 111mm, wider by 54mm, and lowered by 10mm, compared to the 4th generation City.

It sports a new Chrome Front Grille that is paired with a new Front Bumper. The front fascia is even more stylish now with its new LED Daytime Running Lights across all variants that expresses its integrated solid wing face, and presents Halogen Projector Headlights for other variants. At the back, rear LED Tail Lamp is also now standard across all variants.

On the side, sharp horizontal character lines inspired by the Katana Blade In Motion is visible for a more commanding road presence.

For a more convenient driving experience, the All-New City maintains its Power Adjustable Door Mirrors across all variants, and Power Folding Door Mirrors with Integrated Side Turn Signals for the 1.5 RS CVT and 1.5 V CVT variants.

Interior

The interior styling of the All-New City emphasizes high-quality textures and functional approach to achieve sophistication and comfort for both driver and passengers. Inside, it features a spacious cabin with soft pads and polished textures, plus accents to further enhance its high-class sedan feel.

Adding to the comfort and advanced features, the All-New City gets an upgrade with its new One Push Start System across all variants, specifically Smart Entry Keyless Entry System for 1.5 RS CVT and 1.5 V CVT, and Keyless Entry for 1.5 S CVT and 1.5 S MT variants.

Furthermore, the All-New City is now equipped with an 8-inch Advanced Touch screen Display Audio with Apple Car Play, Android Auto & WebLink, that is now available in 1.5 RS CVT, 1.5 V CVT and 1.5 S CVT variants.

Elevating comfort further, it is also inclusive of a new Air Conditioning Design with Rotary Knobs, Digital Display & Illumination.

The center console offers an ergonomic design that allows passengers to have their essentials within reach.

On the other hand, the 1.5 V CVT emphasizes a posh and sophisticated interior with Ivory accents and a high quality full black interior for the1.5 S CVT variant.

Rear passengers also get to enjoy additional comfort through the expanded leg room and knee clearance. On top of that, the 1.5 RS and 1.5 V CVT variants now include new Rear Ventilation to further enhance the comfort provided for rear passengers.

All-new City RS

The 5th generation All-New City also inherits and embodies Honda’s sporty DNA through its new RS variant. For the first time in the Philippine market, the All-New Honda City is available in a 1.5 RS CVT variant that gives it a sportier and more premium look. The RS variant comes with a complete set of sporty upgrades including a High Gloss Black front grille with RS logo emblem, sporty front bumper and grille, full LED Headlights with LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), LED Fog Lights, Sporty Black Power Folding Door Mirror with Integrated Side Turn Signals, Gloss Black Trunk Spoiler with RS logo, and a newly designed sporty 16-inch Alloy Wheels.

The cabin is fully equipped to reflect a complete look of sportiness with a combination o newly designed leather and suede seat material with Black and Red stitching interior trims, new Sport Pedals, 8 (4 + 4 Tweeters) Speakers, and a Multi-information Display with red illumination that are exclusively available for the 1.5 RS CVT variant.

It is also now equipped with a new Remote Engine Start, which is a first-time feature for the City, while Paddle Shifters are also offered for an engaging driving experience.

For added protection, a Side Curtain Airbag is available to enhance the safety of the passengers. All of these added features give the All-New City RS an even more enhanced sporty image.

Engine and transmission

The All-New City is powered by a new 1.5-Liter 4 Cylinder DOHC i-VTEC engine to provide an ideal balance of performance and fuel efficiency. Coupled with Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT), this powertrain is able to produce up to a maximum power output of 121ps at 6,600rpm and a maximum of 145Nm of torque at 4,300rpm.

For those who prefer driving a Manual Transmission, a wide-range 6-Speed Manual Transmission option is available for the 1.5 S MT variant.

Similar to recent Honda City models, Honda’s Eco Assist System, which consists of the ECON mode and Eco-Coaching Ambient Light is still available to help encourage drivers to drive efficiently.

In addition, all passengers can enjoy their conversations inside the car with the All-New City’s lessened noise and vibration. Moreover, this is the first City to adopt spray polyurethane foam insulation at the bottom ends of the pillars, and the amount of sound absorber adopted for the engine under cover is 3.5 times more compared to the previous model. The thickness of the body is increased and stiffeners to suppress vibration is placed in each position to provide a quiet vibration-less cabin with a high-quality feeling.

Safety

As Honda continues to strengthen its “safety for everyone” global campaign, the All-New City continuously prioritizes safety through Honda’s G-force Control (G-CON) Collision Safety Body that enhances impact absorption for the added protection of passengers in the event a collision occurs.

To add to this, customers may expect top-notch collision safety performance on the All-New City through its advanced safety features that are now available across all variants. This includes Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Agile Handling Assist (AHA), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Hill Start Assist (HSA), and Power Door Locks with Speed Sensing Auto Lock.

Moreover, the 1.5 RS CVT and 1.5 V CVT variants are equipped with a Multi-view Rear Camera with dynamic guidelines.

Aside from the maintained Front Driver and Passenger Airbags, the All-New City further leveled up its safety feature as Side Airbags are applied across all variants.

With these superior safety features, the All-New City boasts a 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating as it gives customers better safety and peace of mind on the road.

Availability and colors

The All-New City is now available at all 34 Honda dealerships nationwide and comes in six (6) colors:

  • Ignite Red Metallic (New color; 1.5 RS CVT, 1.5 V CVT, and 1.5 S CVT)
  • Platinum White Pearl (New color; 1.5 RS CVT and 1.5 V CVT only)
  • Modern Steel Metallic
  • Taffeta White (1.5 S CVT and 1.5 S MT only)
  • Lunar Silver Metallic (1.5 V CVT and 1.5 S CVT only)
  • Crystal Black Pearl
    *Platinum White Pearl- Additional PHP 20,000

As a treat to our customers, Honda will be offering the All-New City at the following Special Introductory Suggested Retail Prices from Oct. 22, 2020 until Dec. 31, 2020: Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-106761 Series of 2020.

Leslie Corporation expands its BBQ Bob franchise amid pandemic

BBQ Bob, a brand under the snack food company Leslie Corporation, is set to expand with more store openings after the announcement of its franchising offer in the third quarter of 2020. BBQ Bob is a small-format store that serves freshly cooked ready-to-eat BBQ and meals at affordable prices. Priority will be given to franchisees who wish to open stores in Metro Manila, Cavite, and Laguna.

“We launched this franchising option to open opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking for a business model that is proven to work even during a crisis. For the brand, this is the biggest change we will be doing,” said Ferdinand Obuyes, senior sales area manager of Leslie Corporation. 

The company surpassed last year’s sales as of September 2020. Network revenues have also grown by 57% as compared to 2019, with a 20% increase in sales across all stores from June to September. 

BBQ Bob’s franchise system is buttressed by the over 35-year franchising experience of its sister brand, Minute Burger, which has more than 700 stores in the Philippines. Like Minute Burger, BBQ Bob’s return on investment is estimated to be 18 to 24 months. 

There are six BBQ Bob stores as of the fourth quarter of this year.

Navigating the various lockdown restrictions was the greatest challenge BBQ Bob had to overcome this year. The brand was able to overcome these by leveraging Minute Burger’s experience, committing to the safety of both crew and customers, and focusing on food quality. 

“We have found a way to consistently serve ulam (viands) and barbecues that are always soft and juicy, with a very short preparation time at the store so our customers are sure it’s freshly prepared shortly before they order,” said Mr. Obuyes

BBQ Bob accepts contactless payments by being an active merchant on FoodPanda, GrabFood, and LalaFood, as well as MenuGo for customers in Cavite. 

FRANCHISE DETAILS

A BBQ Bob franchise needs an initial investment of around P115,000. It includes franchise fees for two stores, initial payments for site processing, and application and documentation processing. The term is for four years and is renewable on a per-store basis. Franchisees can expect to shell out a royalty fee and advertising and marketing fees; BBQ Bob does not take a percentage of sales.

Stores are entirely on a take-out format sans dine-in space. The approximate cost of store construction, based on standard design, is pegged at P14,000 per square meter. Support for growth, operations, and expansion is provided to franchisees through a sales team. The company said the model works when a franchisee is able to oversee more stores. 

Based on their experience with Minute Burger, Mr. Obuyes said that franchisees should aim for three stores.

“We monitor the news and development about the pandemic almost daily,” said Mr. Obuyes. “We feel that ‘post-pandemic’ is still quite a way to go, although we hope it will truly end very soon. While we hope for the best, we are also planning for every worst-case scenario to make sure we are ready for whatever lies ahead of us in 2021 and beyond.” — Patricia B. Mirasol

Early data show two doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine provoked good immune response

LONDON — Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate has a better immune response when a two full-dose regime is used rather than a full-dose followed by a half-dose booster, the university said on Thursday, citing data from early trials.

The developers of the vaccine candidate, which has been licensed to pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca, have already published later stage trial results showing higher efficacy when a half dose is followed by a full dose, compared to a two full-dose regime. However, more work needs to be done to affirm that result.

The latest details from the Phase I and 2 clinical trials released on Thursday made no reference to the half-dose/full-dose regime, which Oxford has said had been “unplanned” but approved by regulators.

Once seen as the frontrunner in the development of a coronavirus vaccine, the British team has been overtaken by US drugmaker Pfizer, whose shots have been rolled out in Britain and the United States this month.

Data published earlier from the later Phase 3 trials showed efficacy was 62% for trial participants given two full doses, but a more robust 90% for a smaller sub-group given first a half, then a full dose.

In its statement on Thursday, the university said it had explored two dosing regimes in early-stage trials, a full-dose/full-dose regime and a full-dose/half-dose regime, investigated as a possible “dose sparing” strategy.

“The booster doses of the vaccine are both shown to induce stronger antibody responses than a single dose, the standard dose/standard dose inducing the best response,” the university said in a statement.

The vaccine “stimulates broad antibody and T cell functions,” it said. — Reuters

Babies born to COVID-19 mothers have antibodies, Singapore study finds

SINGAPORE — All five babies born to women with COVID-19 infection during a study in Singapore have had antibodies against the virus, although the researchers said it is not yet clear what level of protection this may offer.

The findings from a study of 16 women released on Friday also found that most were mildly infected, while more severe reactions occurred in older women with a high body mass index—a trend that is mirrored in the general population.

Of the five who had delivered their babies by the time the study was published, all had antibodies, according to the Singapore Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research Network.

The number of antibodies in the babies varied, and was higher among those whose mothers’ had been infected nearer to the time of delivery, the researchers said. Further monitoring is required to see whether the antibodies will decline as the babies get older, they added. — Reuters

Microsoft says it found malicious software in its systems

SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft Corp. said on Thursday it found malicious software in its systems related to a massive hacking campaign disclosed by US officials this week, adding a top technology target to a growing list of attacked government agencies.

The Redmond, Washington, company is a user of Orion, the widely deployed networking management software from SolarWinds Corp., which was used in the suspected Russian attacks on vital US agencies and others.

Microsoft also had its own products leveraged to attack victims, said people familiar with the matter.

“Like other SolarWinds customers, we have been actively looking for indicators of this actor and can confirm that we detected malicious SolarWinds binaries in our environment, which we isolated and removed,” a Microsoft spokesperson said, adding that the company had found “no indications that our systems were used to attack others.”

One of the people familiar with the hacking spree said the hackers made use of Microsoft cloud offerings while avoiding Microsoft’s corporate infrastructure.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to questions about the technique.

Still, another person familiar with the matter said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not believe Microsoft was a key avenue of fresh infection.

Both Microsoft and the DHS, which earlier on Thursday said the hackers used multiple methods of entry, are continuing to investigate.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies have scheduled a classified briefing for members of Congress Friday.

The US Energy Department also said it has evidence hackers gained access to its networks as part of the campaign. Politico had earlier reported the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which manages the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile, was targeted.

An Energy Department spokeswoman said malware “has been isolated to business networks only” and has not impacted US national security, including the NNSA.

The DHS said in a bulletin on Thursday the hackers had used other techniques besides corrupting updates of network management software by SolarWinds which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies and government agencies.

CISA urged investigators not to assume their organizations were safe if they did not use recent versions of the SolarWinds software, while also pointing out that the hackers did not exploit every network they gained access too.

CISA said it was continuing to analyze the other avenues used by the attackers. So far, the hackers are known to have at least monitored email or other data within the US departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Homeland Security, and Commerce.

As many as 18,000 Orion customers downloaded the updates that contained a back door, SolarWinds has said. Since the campaign was discovered, software companies have cut off communication from those back doors to the computers maintained by the hackers.

But the attackers might have installed additional ways of maintaining access, CISA said, in what some have called the biggest hack in a decade.

The Department of Justice, FBI, and Defense Department, among others, have moved routine communication onto classified networks that are believed not to have been breached, according to two people briefed on the measures. They are assuming that the non-classified networks have been accessed, the people said.

CISA and private companies including FireEye Inc, which was the first to discover and reveal it had been hacked, have released a series of clues for organizations to look for to see if they have been hit.

But the attackers are very careful and have deleted logs, or electronic footprints, or which files they have accessed, security experts said. That makes it hard to know what has been taken.

Some major companies have said they have “no evidence” that they were penetrated, but in some cases that may only be because the evidence was removed.

In most networks, the attackers would also have been able to create false data, but so far it appears they were interested only in obtaining real data, people tracking the probes said.

Meanwhile, members of Congress are demanding more information about what may have been taken and how, along with who was behind it. The House Homeland Security Committee and Oversight Committee announced an investigation Thursday, while senators pressed to learn whether individual tax information was obtained.

In a statement, President-elect Joseph R. Biden said he would “elevate cybersecurity as an imperative across the government” and “disrupt and deter our adversaries” from undertaking such major hacks. — Joseph Menn/Reuters

Philippines can secure up to 25 million doses of Moderna, Arcturus vaccines — ambassador

MANILA (UPDATE) – The Philippines will be able to secure between four to 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna Inc and Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc , the Southeast Asia country’s ambassador to Washington said on Friday.

The U.S. companies were ready to supply the vaccines from the third quarter of 2021, Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said in a statement, if his government found their proposals acceptable.

“We are hoping our government will consider the promising candidates of Moderna and Arcturus for inclusion in our country’s pool of anti-COVID-19 vaccines,” Romualdez said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to grant Moderna emergency use authorization soon. Arcturus expects to start distributing its vaccine in the first quarter of next year after early stage trials showed promising results.

Moderna and Arcturus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At a news conference, Philippine Health Ministry Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire welcomed signs of progress in the negotiations but said each vaccine candidate would need to get regulatory approval to ensure safety and efficacy.

The Philippines plans to buy 25 million doses of a vaccine supplied by China’s Sinovac Biotech for delivery by March. In addition, the private sector agreed last month to acquire 2.6 million shots of a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca in the nation’s first supply deal for a coronavirus vaccine.

The Southeast Asian nation had missed out on an opportunity to buy 10 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for delivery in January, Romualdez said.

With 454,447 infections and 8,850 deaths, the Philippines has reported the second-highest number of COVID-19 infections and casualties in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia. — Reuters

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