THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) said it has launched a program to train repatriated overseas workers in agribusiness.
At the launch on March 16, TESDA Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña said the program is intended to aid overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the pandemic, while addressing food security concerns.
“There are a lot of opportunities in agriculture. You can also establish your own mini-organic farms,” Mr. Lapeña said.
Mr. Lapeña said the Agri-Negosyo Para sa OFWs program will also open participants’ projects to investment and financing, and assist in creating business plans.
He said 1.2 million individuals registered with TESDA’s online programs in the March-December period, with about 100,000 of them OFWs or their dependents.
In November, a joint memorandum circular was signed by TESDA, the Departments of Agriculture, Trade and Industry, and Science and Technology, and the National Economic and Development Authority to implement integrated programs and services related to agribusiness. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
NEW YORK —Ariana Grande has settled a lawsuit by a hip-hop artist who accused the pop superstar of plagiarizing her 2019 smash “7 Rings” from a song he wrote two years earlier.
Josh Stone, a New Yorker who performs as DOT, revealed the settlement with Ms. Grande and 13 other defendants, including her publishers and several songwriters, in a Tuesday filing in federal court in Manhattan. Terms were not disclosed, and a judge ordered the dismissal of Stone’s lawsuit because of the settlement. Lawyers for the parties did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mr. Stone had claimed that “highly regarded musicology experts” had concluded that the beat, hook, lyrics and rhythmic structure of “7 Rings” were lifted from his song “You Need It, I Got It.”
He said he pitched his song at meetings at Universal Music Group attended by one of Ms. Grande’s producers, the defendant Tommy Brown, and was “not receiving the credit due for the success experienced by ‘I Got It’ and ‘7 Rings.’”
The defendants said ordinary listeners would consider the songs “very different,” and that Stone had no monopoly over everyday phrases such as “I got it.”
Ms. Grande, 27, gave songwriting credit to Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein for “7 Rings” because it borrowed from their song “My Favorite Things,” from the Tony-winning Broadway musical and Oscar-winning film The Sound of Music.
Her song spent eight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, and its video has been seen more than 954 million times on Google’s YouTube.
One of the best-selling pop artists in the last decade, Ms. Grande was as of Sunday was the second-most streamed female artist in 2021 on Spotify, after Taylor Swift and ahead of Dua Lipa. — Reuters
GLOBAL debt watcher Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday kept its Baa2 issuer rating with a stable outlook for PLDT, Inc., citing the company’s “dominant” position in the country’s telecommunications market, with a 49% share of mobile subscribers and more than 50% share of market revenues last year.
“The affirmation of PLDT’s rating reflects its leading market position and healthy margins, which, coupled with the management’s financial discipline, will keep the company’s leverage at around 2.6x-2.8x over the next 12-18 months,” Moody’s Senior Vice President and the Lead Analyst for PLDT Annalisa Di Chiara said in an e-mailed statement.
But she noted that a commitment to shareholder returns and high capital expenditure (capex) levels “will continue to strain” PLDT’s free cash flow over the “next one to two years.”
Moody’s said it expects the competitive telco environment to intensify due to the presence of DITO Telecommunity Corp., but it will not have a significant disruption to PLDT’s operations “over the next 12-18 months.”
“This is because it will still take some time for DITO to build a comprehensive mobile coverage, expand its network and acquire a meaningful subscriber base,” it added.
PLDT is expecting to spend between P88 billion and P92 billion this year to meet the requirements of its mobile and fixed-line customers.
“PLDT’s free cash flow will remain negative over the next 12-18 months, and the company will use debt to fund both capex and dividends, keeping its leverage in the 2.6x-2.8x range. Still, this leverage level is appropriate for its Baa2 rating, given its defendable and leading market position as well as strong margins,” Moody’s noted.
The debt watcher described PLDT’s liquidity as “good.”
“As of 31 December 2020, PLDT reported cash and cash equivalents of P40.2 billion, which, combined with projected cash flow from operations of P75 billion to P80 billion over the next 12 months, and available committed credit facilities, will be sufficient to cover current debt maturities, estimated capital spending and dividends over the same period,” it explained.
PLDT saw its total revenues grow 7% to P181 billion last year, with service revenues increasing 8% to P173.63 billion.
The company’s telco core income went up 4% to P28.09 billion.
It booked an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) margin of 51%.
PLDT, through PLDT Enterprise and Smart Communications, introduced on Thursday a new product called “Smart Bro 5G Plans.”
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.
PLDT shares closed 1.75% lower at P1,290 apiece on Thursday. — Arjay L. Balinbin
CREDIT disbursed to the “entrepreneurial poor” reached P25.1 billion in the second quarter last year, with more banks offering microfinance products, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.
BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said the total was 863% higher than the P2.6 billion seen in 2002, which was the year the central bank issued microfinance regulations for banks.
Central bank data also showed microfinance clients surged to over two million from April to June last year versus the less than 400,000 seen in 2002. Some 149 banks extended microfinance products and services from 119 in 2002.
Meanwhile, credit disbursed by microfinance institutions reached P41.9 billion in 2018, serving 5.2 million clients.
“By continuing to promote microfinance, we support the industry’s clients in getting much-needed financing to rebuild their livelihoods through and beyond the pandemic,” Mr. Diokno said.
BSP Financial Inclusion Office Director Ellen Joyce L. Sufficiencia said interest rates for microfinance credit is usually at around 6% monthly.
“We don’t usually use the annual interest rates because the loans are very short-term and repayments are more frequent, weekly basis,” she said.
Through its involvement with the Financial Inclusion Steering Committee, the BSP will facilitate engagement with the Philippine Guarantee Corp. to explore the development of a loan guarantee program for microfinance institutions, it said.
The central bank added that it is eyeing to extend technical assistance and grants to help microfinance players tap digital solutions.
Low-income Filipinos who are unbanked usually rely on informal schemes such as “5-6” to secure credit for their small businesses. These schemes employ interest rates of about 20% for monthly or weekly credit.
Only 29% of Filipino adults have bank accounts, leaving some 51.2 million out of the financial system and unable to tap credit.
The central bank hopes to bring the banked population to 70% of Filipinos by 2023, backed by the emergence of digital financial services as well as the national ID system seen to address the lack of documents needed to open accounts with banks. — LWTN
We’ve just installed a 360-degree feedback mechanism that allows all workers, my fellow managers, and bosses to give feedback on my work performance. I received an above-average rating from my bosses and other department managers. However, three out of my five subordinates gave me a failing mark in the category of communication. The three workers were in unison in saying that I’m “not an active and persuasive listener” when it comes to their individual concerns. How is that possible when I often visit their work areas to solicit their ideas about almost anything? Is it me or them? — Lucky Strike.
When you see a turtle resting on top of a fence post, what would you conclude? One thing is for sure, the turtle didn’t reach that spot without any help. It’s the same thing with you: you can’t go places without the help of your workers. You need them.
In today’s work environment, many people have become vocal against their bosses’ particular style, more so if they are given the license to comment in a 360-degree set-up. Unlike before, when workers were reluctant to voice their opinions, today’s new breed is making sure its voice is heard. How your communication style comes across depends largely on how your workers perceive it, regardless of what you do when you reach out to them.
There are two issues raised by your employees. One is “active” listening. And two, “persuasive” listening. So, what exactly is the meaning of “active” listening? If I were to hazard a guess, it requires you, as the boss, to ask a lot of probing open-ended questions to get to the bottom of any issues that employees are trying to raise.
Being an active listener requires you to pay attention to your body language. This involves making eye-to-eye contact (subject to health protocols due to COVID-19) with the employee concerned. Better if you and the worker go to a boardroom to avoid being disturbed. This will help you establish the right environment for two-way communication.
The other issue is “persuasive” listening. I’ve seen many managers who are too lazy to explain the rationale behind a particular system or procedure. More often than not, these lethargic managers hide behind the mantle of “management prerogative” to shut out any opportunity for decent, intelligent discussion.
FIVE TECHNIQUES If you’re asking vague and misleading questions, chances are, you will get vague and misleading answers. Sometimes, you get evasive answers if workers think there could be repercussions for being too honest. Even routine matters can turn into a nightmare if the right questions are not raised or carefully phrased.
What can you do under the circumstances? The following techniques can help you get the right answers from people and promote a greater degree of transparency:
One, continue to practice management by walking around. If you do that as a matter of routine, even for brief interactions, you can learn a lot. Do it casually whenever you feel like it. The more natural for you, the better.
Two, start with something neutral and positive. If lawyers need to “lay the predicate,” you can get the ball rolling by talking about common interests, avoiding politics or religion. Such an approach helps put your workers at ease and makes them attentive.
Three, probe with open-ended questions. Do this without signaling that you may have already come to a conclusion about a certain issue. Give the worker a chance to explain and make it easy for you to understand the status of a certain project. Zero in on the subject matter without hinting that you believe a worker may be remiss in performing his task.
Four, rephrase your question if you’re not getting answers. People can be evasive if they know there are problems with their assigned tasks. If evasions persist, go to a private room with the worker to explore what’s bugging him. Then offer your help by saying something like: “What kind of resources do you need from me?”
Last, avoid the temptation of accusing a worker of committing a mistake. Rather than posing a question like: “How come your error rate is more than 10%?” phrase it differently, like: “I will be happy to make your life easy for you.” Doing that will open the door for the employee to level with you.
IT’S THE SITUATION “Sometimes what looks like a problem with a person is really a problem with the situation,” according to Dan Heath in Fast Company (2010). He talks about an important concept in psychology called “fundamental attribution error.” Also known as “correspondence bias” or “over-attribution effect,” psychologists define it as the natural tendency to immediately blame the person, rather than the environment he is in.
Heath tells the story of a manager named Amanda at a Nike factory in Vietnam who was perceived by employees as rude and unwilling to listen. It emerged that she went into meetings trying to multi-task rather than give her workers her undivided attention.
The video is available on YouTube. Judge for yourself. I think the experience will help you improve your active and persuasive listening skills, setting you on the road to improving your management style.
Whenever you’re worried about completing a task or have an important deadline to meet, don’t forget to analyze your work situation and those of your workers. More often than not, there are practical and zero-cash solutions out there to improve your work relationships.
You can’t rely on using technology that leads you to ditch the exercise of basic courtesies. There’s no substitute for face-to-face meetings, again subject to pandemic protocols. There’s simply no better way.
IN CELEBRATION of the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines, the Vatican Office of the Pope’s Worldwide Network (Apostleship of Prayer) has sponsored the Tagalog version of the Pope’s video “Ang Video ng Papa” in the following platforms: YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWjwd6pWuKI401Bp8R-nZnw), Facebook (https://wwwfacebook.com/angvideongpapa), Twitter (https://twitter.com/angvideongpapa), Instagram (https://instagram.com/angvideongpapa), and the Ang Video ng Papa website (https://thepopevideo.org/mga-video-2021/?ang=tl). One can choose another Filipino language from the dropdown menu of languages at https://thepopevideo.org/about-the-pope-video/. To help with one’s prayer routine, download the following apps via App Store and Google Play Store: Click to Pray, Tweeting with God, Online with Saints, and Click to Pray eRosary.
Pregnancy & Beyond forum goes virtual
MAKATI Medical Center (MakatiMed) is taking its popular pregnancy forum series Pregnancy & Beyond online this year. The free monthly lay forum features MakatiMed doctors from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Pediatrics who will provide parents with the information they need to get a better understanding of the responsibilities of parenthood. This is also a chance for mothers-to-be to prepare on what to expect in every stage of their journey. Held monthly every second to the last Saturday via Zoom, Pregnancy & Beyond covers a range of topics scheduled throughout the year. On Mar. 20, experts will discuss Boosting Immunity During Pregnancy through Proper Nutrition. It will be followed by a Breastfeeding 101 on Apr. 17. Then, on May 22, parents will learn about different Pregnancy Yoga and Relaxation Techniques. Offered by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Pediatrics since 2010, this series aim to promote pre- and postnatal care, safe infant care practices, breastfeeding and pediatric development. To register and for further inquiries, parents-to-be may contact 8888-8999 locals 3757 or 3784.
Sustainability tackled in free webinar
SHOES and accessory designer Maco Custodio, global platform Humble Sustainability co-founders Nina Opida and Josef Werber, and multidisciplinary artist-designer Leeroy New will discuss how the interconnected facets of art and fashion lead towards a more sustainable future in a series of free public webinars. The first webinar, which will be held on Mar. 19, 1 p.m., will feature Mr. Custodio discussing his advocacy to help indigenous people by supporting and uplifting Philippine fabrics, sustainable production practices, and how to build a career in the fashion industry. Ms. Opida and Mr. Werber will talk about how their start-up team promotes circular living through decluttering with the belief that “nothing should be useless, everything must be useful.” The webinar will be held on Mar. 20, 3 p.m. Finally, Leeroy New will tackle his design process in diverse relevant art forms, from conceptualization to execution on Mar. 20, at 5 p.m. He will also talk about the role of collaborative effort between artists and communities to address environmental issues. The sessions will be livestreamed on the official Facebook page of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts Fashion Design and Merchandising Program (https://www.facebook.com/BenildeFDM).
PPO’sVirtual Pocket Performancefocuses on Holy Week
THE PHILIPPINE Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) is staging online concerts dubbed as The PPO Spotlight: Virtual Pocket Performances, the latest of which will be streamed on Mar. 19, 8 p.m., on the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Website. The program for the concert, which is focused on Holy Week, features the following pieces: “How Great Thou Art” by Carl Boberg to be played by Roland Guerrero (cello), “Tanging Yaman” by Nonong Buencamino and Manoling Francisco to be performed by Michael Del Rosario (violin), “Ave Verum Corpus” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to be interpreted by Ernani Pascual (French horn); and “Lift Up Your Hands” by Cecille Azarcon–Picasso (arranged by Angelita Pasamba) to be rendered by Christian Tan (violin), Ma. Angelica Uson (violin), Ferdinand Dumlao (viola), and Herrick Ortiz (cello). The PPO Online Pocket Performance Series, which runs until July, is a program of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra that can be viewed from the PPO FB page and the CCP YouTube as platforms.
CCP’sTuloy po Kayo festival holds art market
TULOYpo Kayo, the Cultural Center of the Philippines’s (CCP) largest online multi-arts open community festival, is not just a place for learning in/about the arts and engaging performances, through its Arts Exchange — Palitan — component, it is also a venue for business-to-business exchanges and networking opportunities for Filipino artists and performing groups to expand their reach beyond Philippine borders. Happening on Mar. 19 and 26, Palitan has different activities the public can engage in. There will be a virtual booth for exhibition and business meetings for artists and performing arts companies to establish possible future partnerships with various stakeholders including international partners from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Embassies, Philippine Consulates, the Department of Tourism and its overseas offices, international programmers, arts impresarios, and festival organizers. Each arts company will be available via their company Zoom account when guests visit their virtual booth exhibit.For schedules, visit https://artseducation.culturalcenter.gov.ph/ccpdirectory/categories/tuloy-po-kayo). There will also be pre-arranged business meetings between confirmed performing arts companies and participating international partners and stakeholders. The arts company will present or pitch their works and/or productions in a one-on-one interaction. From 2 to 4 p.m. on Mar. 19 and 26, there will be streams of various productions of the participating performing groups via the CCP Arts Education Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ccpartseducation). A talk about buying and selling productions in the time of the pandemic is slated on Mar. 19, 8:30 p.m., also on the CCP Arts Education Facebook page. A re-branding of Pasinaya, Tuloy Po Kayo 2021 invites the audiences to the artists’ creative spaces.Featuring Palihan, Palabas at Palitan, the online art festival has 500 featured artists, 50 workshops, 200 performances, more than 100 films on nine platforms. The festival can be accessed through the Tuloy Po Kayo site (tuloypokayo.com).
SMDC holds Good Timeconcert series
SM Development Corp. (SMDC) is addressing residents’ need for music and stress management through the Good Times with The Good Guys concert series, held in different SMDC developments in Metro Manila. The concerts will be streamed via SMDC’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/channel/UC3fdgPlvQeaVisEAUiTrE7g) on Fridays. This month, listen to the soothing sounds of Moira dela Torre and groove with KZ Tandingan. Residents and guests of an SMDC property where a Friday night concert is held are invited to be in the audience (following COVID-19 protocols).
String quartet at Robinsons Magnolia
A string quartet will perform at The Garden, Robinsons Magnolia on Mar. 20 and 27, 3 p.m. Enjoy meals al fresco as while listening to renditions of classical pieces, Broadway, pop, OPM, and kundiman songs. For the complete line-up of upcoming performances, events and promos, visit www.robinsonsmalls.comor the Virtual Directory bit.ly/RMallsVirtualMallDirectory.
Korean Cultural Center’s anniversary activities
THE CELEBRATION of the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines’ 10th year anniversary kicks off this March. K-Pop dancer Dasuri Choi is joining K-Dance Power Up!, an online dance tutorial which will feature the most-requested songs on KCC’s SNS such as EXO’s “Obsession,” Twice’s megahit “I Can’t Stop Me,” and IU’s newly released dance single, “Celebrity.” Participants can also join the K-Dance Power Up! Quiz where they would be expected to answer specific questions correctly in order to receive special KCC prizes. KCC has also launched “Kreation: KCC PH’s 10th Anniversary Logo-making Contest.” Participants will work on the theme “10 years of KCC” in creating the logo. The entries will be judged by four judges representing the Bonifacio Art Foundation Inc, the UP Korea Research Center, and iAcademy. The winner takes home P40,000, and the winning logo will be used in all promotional and event materials related to the anniversary. For more information on KCC’s events and activities, visit its official social media accounts: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/KoreanCulturalCenterPH), and on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube via KCCPhil.
LISTED Prime Media Holdings, Inc. said on Wednesday evening that it had entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with RYM Business Management Corp. and New Era Empire Realty Corp. to “revitalize [Prime Holdings] by engaging in business”in several segments.
This development sets New Era to be the majority stockholder of Prime Holdings.
Prime Holdings said after compliance with certain terms and conditions under the MoU, “New Era shall become the majority shareholder of the corporation through subscription to the unissued portion of the authorized capital stock of the corporation by way of a merger, cash subscription and/or infusion of businesses or assets.”
The MoU will allow Prime Media to dive into the commercial and residential real estate development business and real estate leasing with leisure and hospitality.
The collaboration also seeks to engage in the media and entertainment segments through acquiring an existing media or broadcast franchise.
They may also delve into the gaming industry, by applying for a license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. or by entering a partnership with a business licensed by the agency.
Prime Media may also enter an agreement with existing Philippine offshore gaming operators, or POGOs. The MoU also allows for the “provision of allied services” to POGOs.
The parties may also develop or invest in technology providing financial services.
Shares of Prime Media declined by 23.10% on Thursday, finishing at P3.23 apiece from P4.20. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte
THE GOVERNMENT seeks to inoculate more than a million Filipinos weekly against the coronavirus in the second half (H2) as it tries to ensure enough supply of vaccines, according to the presidential palace. Read the full story.
By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Vann Marlo M. Villegas, Reporters
HEALTH authorities on Thursday expressed concern about the weakening capacity of hospitals in Manila, the capital and nearby cities to treat patients after a fresh surge in coronavirus infections.
Several hospitals in the National Capital Region were now at moderate to high-risk levels in terms of healthcare use, Health Undersecretary Leopoldo J. Vega told a televised news briefing on Thursday.
Mr. Vega, who also serves as the country’s testing czar, said 52% of about 7,000 ward beds for coronavirus patients in both private and public hospitals in the region had been occupied. Only 34% of intensive care unit beds in the region were available, he added.
“We have to do appropriate measures on capacitating hospitals in Metro Manila,” he said. Almost 80% of hospital beds in the cities of Quezon, Makati and Taguig were already occupied, he added.
Still, Mr. Vega said the country’s health sector was more equipped to handle the spike in coronavirus infections.
“Compared with last year when we barely had an experience in tackling and responding initially, we are in a better off situation right now,” he said. Health workers and institution know better how to handle hospital bed allocations, he added.
Mr. Vega said the government’s One Hospital Command had also allowed proper referrals so coronavirus patients would receive better care.
He earlier said the surge had prompted the center to refer patients in the capital region to hospitals in Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog.
He also cited the Department of Health’s (DOH) partnership with the Public works department to increase hospital beds by building modular hospitals.
The government might be able to justify tightening the lockdown for April once the country’s healthcare capacity reaches critical levels, presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque told the same briefing. “But hopefully not.”
The OCTA Research Group from the University of the Philippines on Wednesday said the transmission level in Metro Manila had reached its highest level since May last year.
It also said the region had reached 64% occupancy in terms of ICU beds dedicated for coronavirus patients.
DoH reported 5,290 coronavirus infections on Thursday, bringing the total to 640,984. The death toll rose by 21 to 12,887, while recoveries increased by 439 to 561,530, it said in a bulletin.
There were 66,567 active cases, 93.3% of which were mild, 3.7% did not show symptoms, 1.2% were critical, 1.2% were severe and 0.64% were moderate.
The agency said four duplicates had been removed from the tally, while six recovered cases were reclassified as deaths. Eight laboratories failed to submit data on Mar. 17.
About nine million Filipinos have been tested for the coronavirus as of Mar. 16, according to DoH’s tracker website.
The coronavirus has sickened about 121.9 million and killed 2.7 million people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization.
About 98.2 million people have recovered, it said.
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s itinerary would be limited to areas under a modified general community quarantine, Mr. Roque said.
The President on Thursday visited Eastern Samar to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Ferdinand Magellan’s arrivalin the Philippines. He also met with his anti-communist insurgency officials in Tacloban City.
Coronavirus infections may hit a daily record of 11,000 by end-March, the OCTA Research Group from the University of the Philippines said on Tuesday.
OCTA research fellow Fredegusto Guido P. David cited a spike in cases, with a virus reproduction rate of 2.03. This means a sick person may infect two more people.
The spike could be traced to increased mobility, failure to comply with minimum health standards and the detection of more contagious coronavirus variants in the country, he said
The spike started in the cities of Pasay, Malabon and Navotas and has now spread to other cities in the capital region, Mr. David said.
The increase in cases was not just happening in the capital region but also in many areas in Calabarzon including Rizal, Cavite and parts of Bulacan he said. He also cited a rise in cases in Cebu City.
The researcher said a one-week strict lockdown would change the numbers and would “definitely control the spread of the pandemic.”
While he was not advocating a one-week strict lockdown, this could have a bigger impact than health protocols being enforced now.
He called on the public to have a “personal enhanced community quarantine” especially those who can work from home.
MORE than 240,000 people had been vaccinated against the coronavirus as of Mar 17, 3.1% of whom experienced so-called adverse events, according to the local Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
FDA Director-General Eric Domingo told an online news briefing on Thursday 167,798 of 240,297 people who got vaccinatedwere given CoronaVac shots made by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. He added that 72,499 were given vaccines made by AstraZeneca Plc.
Of the more than 7,000 patients who reported adverse events, 3,700 were given Sinovac vaccines. One patient died, 137 were serious and 7,331 were not serious, Mr. Domingo said.
The FDA chief said serious adverse-events refer to death or life-threatening situations, hospitalization, persistent disability, birth defects and any “medically important events or reactions.”
Any untoward medical events after vaccination, even though these had not been caused by the vaccine, are reported as an adverse event, said Rommel Crisenio M. Lobo, vice chairman of the National Adverse Events Following Immunization Committee.
For example, a person who got bitten by a dog after getting injected with a vaccine should report it as an adverse event, he said.
Mr. Lobo said the 47-year-old woman who got vaccinated and later died from the coronavirus had comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and bronchial asthma.
He added that the patient was vaccinated with CoronaVac on Mar. 4 and did not show any symptoms upon screening. She tested positive for the virus on Mar. 8 and was admitted to a hospital two days later.
“Unfortunately she died on Mar. 13 of COVID-19 infection, and the COVID-19 vaccine does not cause, as we all know, COVID-19 disease,” he told the briefing.
Health Director Beverly Lorraine C. Ho said there is no reason to suspend the vaccination program following the death.
“The vaccine is not what caused the death of the healthcare worker,” she said. “Second, as DoH and FDA have continued to emphasize, the benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the risk of us getting COVID-19 particularly severe COVID-19.”
Meanwhile, 97% of coronavirus vaccines had been distributed to more than 950 vaccination sites nationwide, presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said.
The Philippines started its vaccination drive on Mar. 1 using China’s donation of 600,000 vials of CoronaVac and 525,600 doses of the vaccines made by British drug maker AstraZeneca.
Mr. Roque said the private sector would only be allowed to buy vaccines directly from manufacturers once shots are authorized for “general use.”
He said private companies that seek to buy vaccines for their workers must enter into tripartite agreements with vaccine makers and the National Government.
“Even if they try to go straight to manufacturers, there is no vaccine approved for general use,” he said in Filipino.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) on Wednesday urged the government to allow companies to import vaccines without restrictions and taxes as the country faces a fresh spike in coronavirus infections.
PCCI also asked the FDA to fast-track its review of other vaccines for emergency use.
Mr. Roque said Sinovac would be asked to give additional data on CoronaVac’s efficacy before the vaccines could be given to the elderly.
“Steps will be taken to ask the local representatives of Sinovac to present additional data to the FDA so the emergency use approval issued by the FDA could be modified,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.”
He expressed support for the use of CoronaVac on the elderly since it was already being used on seniors in other countries.
Brazil, Turkey and Indonesia are among the countries that have allowed the use of CoronaVac for old people, Reuters reported. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
