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Globe continues to build its 5G network despite GCQ

As the country slowly works its way into the new normal, Globe remains steadfast in building its 5G network for launching in the coming weeks, following the transition of key areas from Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine to General Community Quarantine.

With the heightened role of digital connectivity and the internet during the quarantine period, Globe is aggressively pushing for the expansion of its 5G coverage, a highly anticipated mobile technology, in key areas in the metropolis, specifically in the Makati and Bonifacio Global City Central of Business Districts (CBDs).

After showcasing mobile 5G to select Platinum customers last February 2020, Globe is expected to make the service available to more Platinum and Postpaid mobile customers who are within 5G coverage areas in the coming weeks. The leading telecom provider is also slated to launch more affordable 5G-capable smartphones to the market soon, making the 5G experience progressively accessible to more mobile customers. In its bid to also make 5G more relevant, its eyeing to launch more ways for consumers to enjoy 5G not just with faster data speeds but with newer forms of technology like augmented and virtual reality.

“Globe is doing this in solidarity with Filipinos who are on their way to getting back on their feet. In response to what seems to be increased dependence on digital among our mobile customers, we want to make the 5G experience progressively available to more of our mobile customers at the soonest possible time. As we all look forward to better days, 5G will definitely hasten the digital transformation in the country as businesses, the government, and its people move towards digitalization.,” said Albert De Larrazabal, Globe’s Chief Commercial Officer.

Globe is the first telco in the country to introduce 5G technology in 2019 when it launched AirFiber for its broadband customers. It’s also the first company to offer the first 5G capable smartphone in the Philippines early this year. Globe is also the first telecom provider to do a 5G video call in the country after it completed a three-minute 5G call with AIS, a leading mobile operator in Thailand, from Bangkok also early this year.

 

S&P affirms Philippines’ rating

S&P Global Ratings maintained its BBB+ long-term credit rating for the Philippines with a stable outlook, as it expects the economy to bounce back next year after the coronavirus crisis.

“The Philippines’ economy should achieve a strong recovery from 2021, following a deep slowdown due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic this year. Although the country’s fiscal and debt settings will deteriorate due to the COVID-19 stimulus measures, the government’s long track record of fiscal prudence provides some buffer, assuming a meaningful stabilization begins in 2021,” the global debt watcher said in a statement on Saturday.

The country’s BBB+ rating from S&P – which is a step closer to the country’s targeted A rating – was given in April 2019.

The “stable” outlook suggests that the rating is likely to be maintained over the next six months to two years.

S&P has also affirmed its A-2 short-term credit rating for the Philippines.

“The ratings on the Philippines reflect our expectations that the economy will continue to achieve above-average growth over the medium term, which will drive constructive development outcomes and underpin broader credit metrics… The ratings are also supported by the economy’s sound external settings. These are weighed against the Philippines’ lower-middle-income economy,” it said.

According to the report, the country’s rating strength lies in its external position, the peso’s stability and the increase in the dollar reserves during the crisis.

S&P said it may upgrade the Philippines’ rating depending on how fast the economy recovers.

“We may raise the rating over the next two years if the economy recovers much more quickly than expected, and the government makes significant further achievements in its fiscal reform program, such that the net general government indebtedness falls below 30% of GDP (gross domestic product),” it said.

“We may also raise the rating if we believe the institutional settings that have contributed to the significant credit metric improvements over the past decade or so will persist,” it added.

However, S&P warned a downgrade is possible if the economy suffers a worse-than-expected and prolonged downturn.

In April, the debt watcher has lowered its GDP projection for the country this year to -2% from a baseline growth estimate of six percent in December. Meanwhile, it expects a nine percent expansion rate in 2021 which is higher than its 6.4% initial forecast.

S&P’s latest ratings actions followed Fitch Ratings’ lowered outlook in early May for the country to “stable” from the “positive” it gave in February. It has however maintained the country’s credit rating at BBB.

Meanwhile, Moody’s Investors Service has given a Baa2 rating with a stable outlook for the Philippines in December 2014.

STRONG FUNDAMENTALS

S&P said the Philippines is among the fastest growing in terms of 10-year weighted-average per capita, due to supportive policy dynamics and improving investment climate. It also noted the country’s declining unemployment rate prior to the pandemic.

But S&P flagged that uncertainty in export markets and a “modest, though improving” transport infrastructure as among the country’s major economic constraints.

“As such, ongoing work to close infrastructure gaps and improve the business climate through greater political stability and regulatory reforms should be supportive of economic productivity,” S&P said.

It also noted current proposals under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill will likely weigh on foreign direct investments over the near term.

“In our view, a deeper and more diversified financial and capital market would further boost the effectiveness of policy transmission and facilitate improved credit metrics,” it said.

Meanwhile, S&P said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ measures so far to support growth and cushion the impact of the pandemic is “broadly neutral” ratings-wise as it shows the central bank’s record to manage inflation and history of independence.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the affirmation of the BBB+ rating is “an unequivocal recognition by S&P of the resilience of the Philippine economy to regain its high-growth trajectory in the new normal.”

“We are confident that our government’s four-pillar strategy to deal with the pandemic will see us through this global health emergency as we remain focused on saving lives and protecting communities while gradually lifting mobility restrictions to restart the economy and get people back to work,” Mr. Dominguez said. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Quarantines relaxed nationwide on June 1

THE country will be transitioning into more relaxed lockdowns starting June 1, with fewer restrictions on people’s movement and more outdoor activities and physical reporting to work allowed.

Most areas in the Philippines will be placed under a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) — the least strict lockdown level — the starting Monday, while Metro Manila, Davao City, Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), Region 3 (Central Luzon), Region 4-A (Calabarzon consisting of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), Pangasinan, and Albay will be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ).

The Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) states that GCQ involves the imposition of temporary measures on movement of transportation, industries, and presence of uniformed personnel. However, this is less strict than the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) which was originally imposed on Metro Manila and many parts of the Philippines and allowed only sectors delivering basic goods and services to operate and with public transportation prohibited.

MGCQ is also called the “transition to the normal,” with much fewer restrictions than GCQ.

In areas under GCQ, persons under the age of 21 and those 60 and above, and people who suffer from immunodeficiencies, or have comorbidities or other health risks, and pregnant women, are not allowed to leave their homes unless they are obtaining essential goods and services or have to go to work in permitted industries and offices. The same limitation is imposed on the people living with them. But under MGCQ, everyone is allowed to leave their residence.

The GCQ restrictions on leaving the house do not apply though when it comes to outdoor exercise. Everyone is allowed to do outdoor non-contact sports and exercises under GCQ such as walking, jogging, running, biking, golf, swimming, tennis, badminton, equestrian, and skateboarding as long as minimum public health standards are followed such as the wearing of masks, observing social distancing, and no sharing of equipment.

For MGCQ, both outdoor and indoor non-contact sports and exercises will be allowed. The same minimum health standards should be observed.

Unlike GCQ areas where mass public gatherings are banned and leisure establishments and areas are closed, under MGCQ movie screenings, concerts, sporting events, entertainment activities, community assemblies and non-essential work gatherings, among others, are allowed — but attendees will be limited to 50% of the venue’s capacity.

Under MGCQ, employees of public and private offices can resume physically reporting to work at full operating capacity. All public transportation will also be allowed to operate as long as minimum health standards are implemented, especially social distancing.

No face-to-face or in-person classes will be allowed under GCQ, while under MGCQ, tertiary schools can conduct face to face classes as long as minimum health standards are followed, although the mass gathering of students will still be banned. For those in K-12, the Department of Education’s Learning Continuity Plan, which includes remote and distance learning, will be adopted for areas under GCQ and MGCQ. — Gillian M. Cortez

Senate to focus on Bayanihan law extension, no time to pass other priority measures

SENATE MAJORITY Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said that the Senate may not be able to pass all priority measures such as the economic stimulus act and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE) before Congress adjourns next week due to the limited number of session days left, adding that the upper chamber will be prioritizing the bill extending the validity of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Law instead.

“Out of practicality, I don’t think we will be able to finish all these measures in three working days…. because these are very important and very tedious topics that we really need to concentrate on per sector. So what we have on the table that we will tackle next week is the extension of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act,” he said during a virtual joint hearing of the Senate committees on Finance and Economic Affairs on Friday.

Mr. Zubiri said the Malacañang will issue a certificate of urgency to extend the law.

“I called up our contacts in the Palace, I was told that they will issue a certification on the measure. They’re just waiting for the committee report from the chairperson,” he said.

The Bayanihan law allowed President Rodrigo R. Dueterte to realign the budget for anti-COVID-19 measures. Under the law, low-income households were supposed to get as much as P8,000 in monthly cash aid for two months.

Senate Bill (SB) 1546 seeks to extend the effectivity of the law — which will expire next month — until September. Its counterpart measure, House Bill 6811, was also filed in the lower chamber.

“On the issue of PESA (Philippine Economic Stimulus Act) and CREATE, we are also looking into it, prioritizing it, but it is a little bit more complicated so it may take a bit longer in terms of discussions and debate in the Senate,” Mr. Zubiri said.

PESA, a measure currently pending for second reading in the House of Representatives, seeks to inject P1.3-trillion into the economy between 2020 to 2023 to help workers and businesses cope with the impact of the pandemic.

The CREATE bill, also deemed urgent, is being repurposed as a stimulus measure and accelerates the timetable for bringing down corporate income tax to 25% from the current 30% by July.

At least four stimulus packages have been filed at the Senate to address COVID-19: SB 1417 (P108 billion), SB 1449 (P370 billion), SB 1542 (P548 billion for 2020, P80 billion for 2021), and SB 1561 (P600 billion). The upper chamber has yet to agree on a specific amount and consolidate these measures.

Meanwhile, representatives from various sectors have aired their struggles during the pandemic and proposed several measures for consideration by the committees.

Film Development Council of the Philippines Chairperson Mary Liza Diño-Seguerra asked for the inclusion of film businesses in the targeted mass testing and subsidy efforts of the government, saying that thousands of audio-visual workers are now unemployed.

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Chairperson Danilo Ramos asked that farmers, fishermen, and other agricultural workers be included in the bill for subsidies and zero interest loans. The amount is projected to hit up to P400 billion.

Defend Jobs Philippines Spokesperson Thadeus Ifurung proposed to ban layoffs in the next three months and an additional P30,000 subsidy for those rendered jobless during the pandemic.

Philippine Liner Shipping Association President Mark Matthew F. Parco also asked for government support, saying there has been a 70% drop in cargo volume, while passenger volume has dropped by 90%.

Ateneo School of Government Dean Ronald U. Mendoza said that the government should focus on boosting the country’s health capacity and set aside the CREATE bill until the crisis subsides.

“Our suggestion is to delay implementation of… CREATE. On paper, these reforms, in a world not in crisis and if done right, might help boost the country’s competitiveness. A strong healthcare system and social protection system underpinning the recovery and providing a credible assurance of coverage for all citizens… will also be critical in backstopping the psychology of recovery. That should be the main focus of our stimulus and crisis recovery effort,” he said. — Genshen L. Espedido

DoH to change how it reports COVID-19 cases

THE Department of Health (DoH) said that it will be changing the way coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases are reported to the public, saying that it will identify those that are “fresh” and those that came from “delayed reporting.”

“Kung noon ay pinapakita namin ay simpleng bilang lang ng mga pumapasok at na-va-validate na kaso ng epidemiology bureau, simula po ngayon ay hahatiin na po namin ang numero upang ipakita kung ilan sa mga numerong ito ay fresh or newly validated case kada araw at ihahawalay na rin po namin kung ilan naman ang late o nagmula lamang sa delayed reporting,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said during a virtual briefing on Friday.

(While before we would report the simple count of all the cases that came in and had been validated by the epidemiology bureau, starting now we will divide the number to show how many are fresh or newly validated cases each day, and will separate those that came in late or are from delayed reporting.)

She said that out of the 539 new infections reported on Thursday, only 109 were fresh cases which meant they had been reported in the last three days. The remaining 430 came from “delayed reporting” of cases from the past week.

“Ang balanse na mahigit kumulang na 400 ay mga late cases o mga kaso na ang mga resulta ay lumabas noong nakaraan pang linggo (The balance of more or less 400 were late cases or cases whose results had come out the week before),” Ms. Vergeire said, adding that the reporting of cases depends on how early hospitals or local government units submit their data.

She also said that the daily update of COVID-19 deaths does not necessarily mean that patients died on the same day it was reported.

“Sa mga namatay, 17 ang nireport natin kahapon. Pero hindi ibig-sabihin nito, kahapon lamang sila namatay. Kung ang pagbabasehan ay date of death at hindi death reported, naitala ang pinaka maraming namatay noong March 31 kung saan 30 ang namatay,” Ms. Vergeire said. (We reported 17 deaths yesterday. But this does not mean that they all died just yesterday. If we base things on the date of death and not on the death reported, we could see that the most died on March 31 when 30 people died.)

The release of the daily COVID-19 case bulletin has been delayed in order to validate the number of cases. The DoH usually releases the bulletin in the afternoon.

As of Thursday, the health department reported 15,558 COVID-19 cases in the country, 921 of whom have died while 3,598 have recovered.

Globally, the virus has sickened 5.9 million and killed about 362,000 people, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization. — Genshen L. Espedido

DoLE promises all stranded OFWs will be brought home before Duterte’s deadline

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it will be able to make sure all stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) make it home before the deadline President Rodrigo R. Duterte set, with 19,000 out of 24,000 already brought home.

In an online briefing on Friday, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said that around 5,000 remain out of the 24,000 OFWs who were reportedly unable to return home despite testing negative for the COVID-19 virus and accomplishing the mandatory 14 day quarantine.

“We are just short by about 5,000 OFWs who are still waiting to be transported back home so as to accomplish what we were tasked to do. As of last night, we were able to send home 19,010 OFWs,” Mr. Bello said.

The deadline given by President Duterte earlier this week is this coming Sunday.

The DoLE has set up a command center to prevent any similar mishaps from happening. Mr. Bello also said he has signed an administrative order calling for the establishment of a crisis management center that will address OFW concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be led by former DoLE Secretary Marianito Roque.

Mr. Bello said he expects around 42,000 more OFWs to fly back to the Philippines by June. — Gillian M. Cortez

1,000 stranded indigenious people brought home

ALMOST 1,000 indigenious people (IP) who had been stranded in Metro Manila when the lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was imposed, have been brought back to their homes by the government.

In a Laging Handa briefing on Friday, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Commissioner Jennifer Pia Sibug-Las said they created a special task force to help IPs get back home after they had been stranded in Metro Manila and nearby provinces for more than two months due to the strict lockdown.

Called the “Oplan Bayanihan for Stranded IPs,” Ms. Sibug-Las said, “We already have located 3,121 stranded IPs here in Metro Manila.”

“Ang nasi-serve pa lang po namin of the moment is 937, so mayroon pa kaming 2,184 na un-served stranded IPs (We served 937 of them at the moment, so we still have 2,184 left who are still stranded),” she added.

The program aims to help not only stranded IPs in Metro Manila go home to their localities but also assist those who have been displaced from their work by giving them cash aid and food packs through the Department of Social Welfare and Development. — Gillian M. Cortez

Country should not rely on private sector for COVID-19 tests — Garin

THE Philippines should not rely on the private sector to cover mass testing and vaccines for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and former Health Secretary Janette Garin said.

“Government should spend on this. It should not be passed on to the business sector because the business sector is already suffering much,” Ms. Garin said in a Go Negosyo webinar on Friday.

“If you keep on passing all medical and healthcare costs to the business sector, then you end up [with business] terminating employees.”

Ms. Garin is pushing for House Bill No. 6707 or the Crushing COVID ACT, which would have the government cover the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for asymptomatic Filipinos returning to work or returning from abroad.

She added that vaccines, when they are developed, should be made available and accessible by the government.

“Vaccination is not just a right. It’s the government’s obligation. You cannot let the businesses absorb this,” she said, adding that businesses must invest in health measures for employees.

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman and CEO of Ayala Corp., said that the private sector “fills a vacuum” in the short term, saying that there will be more dialogue between private and public sectors on how they will take on the needed health measures.

“The business community basically rose to the occasion; they tried to fill a vacuum in equipment that was needed. We tried to be helpful as much as possible. But then, as the situation begins to normalize and both the government and the private sector begin to understand the new cost-structure around getting us effectively through this pandemic, then there has to be a decision made on who takes on more responsibilities,” he said.

He said the private sector worked on short-term solutions to make sure employees can safely return to work.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey A. Concepcion said that he believed that quarantine gave the private sector the time to boost its testing capacity.

“We will have to regularly test our employees to create that vigilance,” he said.

Mr. Concepcion spearheaded Project ARK (Antibody Rapid test Kits), a private sector-led project to increase COVID-19 testing that has acquired 1.2 million rapid test kits so far. — Jenina P. Ibañez

22,522 inmates released through video conference hearings — Supreme Court

THE Supreme Court said that 22,522 inmates have been released through videoconferencing hearings.

In a press release on Friday, the Supreme Court said that in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, it had provided some 1,000 trial courts in key cities nationwide with official Philippine Judiciary 365 accounts. These accounts have enabled courts nationwide to receive pleadings electronically, and select courts in key cities to conduct video conferencing hearings.

Supreme Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez said that these 1,000 trial courts were initially authorized to pilot-test the conduct of videoconferencing hearings on urgent matters in criminal cases involving people deprived of liberty (PDLs).

The Court eventually expanded the coverage of videoconference hearings to “all matters pending before (the courts), in both criminal and civil cases, whether newly filed or pending, and regardless of the stage of trial.”

Meanwhile, some 350 more courts were also authorized to conduct hearings via video conferencing, bringing the total number to 1,350 courts.

Mr. Marquez said that while parts of the country were still on lockdown, 3,201 video conference hearings had been conducted. He also said that 22,522 inmates have been released since the lockdown, either through bail or on their own recognizance, or after serving the minimum imposable penalty for the crime with which they were charged.

“All told, the new normal (makes) justice accessible to everyone at all times. We just have to embrace enabling technologies that are reliable, malware-free and COVID-free,” he said.

In March this year, Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta issued Administrative Circular 31-2020 ordering all 2,630 courts nationwide to drastically reduce their operations and to maintain only the necessary skeleton-staff to immediately act on urgent matters brought before them. He however emphasized that the Constitution and the laws were not suspended, and that the “courts are not shutting down in times of emergencies.”

The Supreme Court said that courts all over the country are utilizing videoconferencing technology to eliminate the “safety, security and health risks posed by the personal appearance of PDLs who are considered to be high-risk or afflicted with highly contagious diseases.”

“Such risk is not only posed on the accused but also to judges, court personnel, and the public in general. This will also guarantee the accused’s rights to be present and confront witnesses against them and to ensure the continuity of proceedings in criminal cases,” it said. — Genshen L. Espedido

House OKs bill to spur economic growth in Eastern Visayas

ON THURSDAY evening, the House of Representatives approved on second reading House Bill 6869 which seeks to create the Eastern Visayas Development Authority (EVDA) which is meant to spearhead investment promotion and implement economic development strategies in Region 8.

“With EVDA, we can ensure that our investment priorities and promotion strategies are in sync with our development needs and our regional strengths such as our geographical location, our skilled human resources, and our immense tourism potentials,” Tingog party-list Representative Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and House Majority Leader and Leyte Representative Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, the primary authors of the bill, said in a joint statement on Friday.

By providing an integrated and coordinated direction to agricultural, industrial, economic and social development, the two lawmakers said EVDA will serve as the lead agency tasked to “steer the sound and balanced industrial, economic and social growth of Eastern Visayas and carry on with the speedy rehabilitation in the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan.”

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda), one of the strongest typhoons in recorded human history, flattened parts of Eastern Visayas resulting in great loss of life, livelihood, and property.

Ms. and Mr. Romualdez said that even before Typhoon Haiyan struck, the incidence of poverty in the region had already been worsening.

“While the nation’s overall economic situation has been improving on the average, poverty in the region worsened from 2006 to 2012. In 2014, poverty incidence was at 54.9%; more than half of the region’s population of 4.10 million is now extremely poor and unable to earn the minimum amount necessary to address their basic needs,” they said.

Ms. and Mr. Romualdez said that EVDA will be able to address these issues through its programs and projects that will “increase trade, tourism and investments in the region, encourage private enterprise and advance efforts towards progress and development.”

“Once the promise of a resilient economy is fulfilled, the right economic and social conditions will be realized — one that will provide jobs to the people, especially those in rural areas, increase their productivity and their individual and family income, and thereby improve the level and quality of their living conditions,” the lawmakers added.

The bill seeks P1 billion to cover the initial operating costs of the agency. This will be charged against the unexpended contingency funds of the Office of the President.

The measure will have to go through a third reading before it hurdles the lower chamber. It will be transmitted to the Senate for its own deliberations. — Genshen L. Espedido

Courts in full operation starting June 1

ALL judicial courts will be in “full operation” starting June 1, following the easing of lockdown restrictions in most parts of the country.

“All courts and offices of the courts nationwide beginning 1 June 2020 shall be in full operation from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the National Capital Judicial Region, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Regions 1 to 12, Monday to Friday,” Supreme Court Circular No. 41-2020 read.

Considering that mass transportation is not yet in full operation, the courts may continue to function with a skeleton-staff if necessary.

All inquiries on cases and transactions, including requests for documents and services, will be initially processed only through hotline numbers, e-mail, and/or social media accounts of the courts. No walk-in requests will be entertained by any branches.

Raffling of cases will also proceed regularly. Meanwhile, the raffling of cases through videoconferencing will no longer be conducted.

Hearings of cases, regardless of the stage of the trial, will all be held in-court, except cases involving persons deprived of liberty (PDL) who will continue to appear remotely from their detention facility.

In-court hearings should strictly follow hygiene protocols such as the wearing of masks, thermal scanning, and social distancing. In the case of videoconferenced hearings, justices or judges will preside from the courtrooms or their chambers at all times.

There will be no extensions in the filing of petitions, appeals, complaints, motions, pleadings and other court submissions that will fall due beginning June 1. In addition, periods for court actions with prescribed periods beginning June 1 will not be extended.

The Supreme Court earlier ordered all courts nationwide to “physically close” starting March 23 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. — Genshen L. Espedido

Sanofi says will have COVID-19 vaccine in 18-24 months

PHARMACEUTICAL firm Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. said that developing a vaccine against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could take 18 to 24 months.

“We can be confident enough in saying that within 18 to 24 months, we should have a vaccine ready for registration,” said Sanofi Philippines Country Manager Jean-Antoine ZinsouIn in an online briefing on Friday.

But he cautioned that COVID-19 is still being studied by researchers and scientists worldwide.

“A vaccine is dealing with biologicals. It means we are dealing with living materials which are viruses. Yes, we can project some timelines but there is no guarantee because we don’t know how the virus will react. When you develop a vaccine, there is always a risk of failure,” he said.

He added that even though developing a vaccine against the virus is urgent, Sanofi will still practice vigilance and follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Mr. Zinsou said they began the early stages of vaccine development a few months ago. At the moment, they are doing candidate specification of the vaccine.

Sanofi has partnered with international pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). If they are successful in developing a working vaccine, they will need to produce around 600 million to 1 billion doses every year.

The WHO earlier said that it would take at least 12 to 18 months before a vaccine can be released to the public. — Gillian M. Cortez

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