Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube
Home Blog Page 8921

IMI swings to $9-million income

AYALA-LED Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (IMI) returned to profit in the third quarter as its operations started picking up after the coronavirus-related lockdowns were eased.

In a statement on Thursday, the electronics manufacturer said its attributable net income stood at $9.11 million in the July-to-September period, a turnaround of the $5.33-million attributable net loss it saw a year ago.

It saw a 3% revenue climb to $312.44 million, supported by improving demand in the automotive and industrial sectors, along with the growth of the medical sector.

The company likewise booked foreign exchange gains of $1.58 million, reversing foreign exchange losses of $1.32 million last year. Its bottomline accounted for a $2.4 million one-off gain.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, IMI’s revenues grew 42% because of better profit margins of 9.7%. The company attributed this growth to the increasing utilization of fixed overhead and improving manufacturing efficiency.

“As we had expected, the 3rd quarter of 2020 marked the beginning of IMI’s rebound. With industry forecasts showing sustainable improvement, IMI’s commitment to disciplined execution will keep us on this path towards greater profitable growth,” IMI President and CEO Arthur R. Tan said in the statement.

For the nine months beginning January, IMI posted an attributable net loss of $1.6 million, which improved 64% from $4.48 million in the same period in 2019.

Revenues were down 16% to $788.62 million, but foreign exchange gains of $1.41 million against last year’s foreign exchange losses of $3.06 million helped improve its bottomline.

“IMI’s diverse expertise across multiple business segments, along with our wide geographical footprint, has allowed us to rebound from the pandemic stronger and faster than market expectations,” Mr. Tan said.

“With the industry’s global bounce-back only beginning, there is still work to be done but our core long term strategies have positioned us well to take advantage of opportunities that the new normal brings,” he added.

IMI is under Ayala Corp.’s manufacturing arm AC Industrial Technology Holdings, Inc. It operates plants in the Philippines, China, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Serbia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Shares in IMI at the stock exchange closed at P6.78 apiece on Thursday, up 38 centavos or 5.94% from the last session. — Denise A. Valdez

Solar firms want more foreign equity stake

Move comes as DoE opens 100% geothermal projects to non-Filipinos

THE Energy department should craft a policy that removes the 40% foreign ownership cap on solar energy projects, developers said, after the agency announced on Tuesday that it is opening large geothermal development to foreigners.

“There has to be a clear policy on allowing 100% investments on solar so the country will benefit from inflow of foreign investments,” Tetchi Cruz-Capellan, chief executive officer of SunAsia Energy, Inc., told BusinessWorld in a Viber message on Thursday.

She was reacting to a policy change issued by Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi in a speech that an upcoming round for renewable energy (RE) service contracts will allow full foreign ownership in large-scale geothermal plant projects. He defined large projects as those costing at least $50 million.

Ms. Cruz-Capellan described the existing 60-40 ownership rule in favor of Filipinos as a “stumbling block” for what she called the most “environmentally benign renewable resource that can compete with coal.”

James Carlos Buskowitz, the chairman and executive officer of solar energy developer Buskowitz Finance, Inc., agreed that 100% foreign ownership of solar projects is “fine, but the split between local and foreign investors could be different.”

“I definitely agree that it should be a different split, that foreign ownership shouldn’t be capped at 40%, but [foreign investors] should be made available to own up to 70 [or] 80%,” he said in a phone interview with BusinessWorld on Thursday.

“I think that’s very beneficial. I think that’s beneficial… in interest of the Philippines, and from the political and economic side,” said Mr. Buskowitz, whose company provides financing solutions for its customers who prefer solar power.

The Department of Energy (DoE) has yet to issue a circular on its new policy on geothermal energy development.

Solar Philippines Founder and Chief Executive Leandro L. Leviste said in an e-mail that his company will accelerate the development of its solar projects with its partners to meet the demand for solar energy brought about by the DoE’s latest policies.

On Thursday, Solar Philippines announced a “new strategic direction” as it will be starting a separate company that focuses on investing in provincial real estates covered by its solar projects.

MORATORIUM ON NEW COAL POWER PROJECTS
On Tuesday, the Energy department also announced a moratorium on new coal projects.

“The pronouncement of the secretary formalized the weakness of coal in terms of functionality, cost and sustainability,” said Ms. Cruz-Capellan.

She added that the country’s energy mix needed a flexible power system that can respond to a growing number of consumers in an increasing digital world.

“It’s a bold and progressive policy. Quite commendable as it demonstrates our government’s commitment to energy security and sustainability,” Eric T. Francia, president of Ayala-led AC Energy, Inc., said, expressing his support for the DoE move.

Meanwhile, Aboitiz Power Corp. in a statement said it remains committed to grow its renewables portfolio over the next decade.

“We support this initiative of DoE since it helps build a more competitive energy sector. We believe that encouraging healthy competition will lead to EPIRA (Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001) realizing its full potential,” said Emmanuel V. Rubio, AboitizPower president and chief executive officer.

“Not only will this yield more private investments, particularly in the RE market, but will also further drive down the cost of power. Because of this, it is also important to ensure a level playing field as well as an effective and efficient regulatory environment. In the end, it will always be the consumers who will benefit,” he added.

As the DoE halts its endorsement of new coal projects, investors might become wary of holding their investments in companies with coal power profiles, analysts said.

“The move by the government may cause some uncertainty among investors over the stocks that will be affected by the moratorium,” said Darren Blaine T. Pangan, head of online trading at Timson Securities, Inc.

Listed utility Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), which is developing a 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Quezon province through a subsidiary, said it is safe from the endorsement ban.

“The moratorium will not affect our Atimonan project,” Rogelio L. Singson, president of subsidiary Meralco Powergen Corp., said in a message.

Given the change in the regulatory environment, power firms may have to adjust their outlooks and revise their guidance reports for investors, Mr. Pangan said.

“In the long-term, however, we may have to see how the regulatory environment unfolds for the whole sector,” he said.

Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco, senior research analyst at Philstocks Financial, Inc., said he expects a change in investment flows in the energy sector in favor of the renewables.

“The expected gainers here are the ones who have already positioned or are positioning themselves in the renewable energy space,” he said.

“Meanwhile, the permitting of full foreign ownership of large-scale geothermal projects would open up new avenues for foreign investments, which in turn would help the economy of our country. It will also help our energy sector grow further while lessening our dependence from coal-based power production,” Mr. Tantiangco added. — Angelica Y. Yang and Adam J. Ang

Forex gains and better operating income lift Cemex bottomline in Q3

PROFITS of Cemex Holdings Philippines, Inc. grew more than eight times in the three months ending September on the back of improved operating earnings and foreign exchange gains.

The cement manufacturer said in a disclosure on Thursday its third quarter consolidated net income stood at P623.12 million, up 761% from the same period last year.

Its net sales slid 6% to P5.52 billion, but was offset by a 29% increase in operating earnings to P836.67 million, and a turnaround to P133.31-million foreign exchange gains from P146.48- million foreign exchange losses last year.

On a year-to-date basis, Cemex’s consolidated net income is down 13% to P758.15 million, while net sales are 17% lower at P15.14 billion.

The company attributed this to a 12% decline in domestic cement volumes and a 5% contraction in cement prices versus the same period a year ago.

However, on a quarter-on-quarter basis, volume and prices have improved 38% and 1%, respectively. This is due to the resumption of construction work when the coronavirus-related lockdown was eased in key cities since June.

“As the country takes steps towards reopening the economy, the impact of the pandemic remains a concern. We must continue to adapt to the challenges and limitations brought about by COVID-19,”Cemex President and CEO Ignacio Alejandro Mijares Elizondo said in a statement.

“Full execution of the government’s infrastructure plan can help accelerate economic recovery. Nevertheless, we continue to be optimistic on the long-term growth prospects of the Philippines,” he added.

The company is expecting to spend P3.68 billion for capital expenditures this year, where P800 million will go to maintenance expenses and P2.88 billion to the expansion of the Solid Cement Plant in Antipolo.

Shares in Cemex at the stock exchange dipped one centavo or 0.63% to close at P1.58 each on Thursday. — Denise A. Valdez

Earnings of Robinsons Retail down 30% as lockdown hits Q3 sales

ROBINSONS RETAIL Holdings, Inc. (RRHI) posted a 30% decline in earnings for the third quarter due to the two-week strict lockdown in early August.

In a statement on Thursday, the Gokongwei-led retailer said its attributable net income stood at P750 million in the three months ending September, down from P1.06 billion in the same period last year.

Net sales were also lower by 11% to P34.61 billion, while operating income dropped 25% to P1.46 billion.

The company said its main challenge during the period was the reversion to a strict lockdown in Metro Manila and key areas from Aug. 5 to 18. This affected discretionary store formats, on top of mobility limitations that weighed on mall foot traffic.

On a nine-month basis, RRHI’s attributable net income fell 14% to P2.39 billion, while net sales slid 6% to P109.58 billion.

Sales in all existing stores of RRHI dropped 6.4% during the period, while sales in supermarkets and drugstores grew 11.5% and 3.5%, respectively.

“Our (third quarter) financials give us some optimism that the worst may have passed for RRHI and the retail sector,” RRHI President and Chief Executive Officer Robina Y. Gokongwei-Pe said in the statement.

“Compared to (the second quarter), we saw significant improvements in our results across the majority of our formats. We are hopeful that the uplift continues for the rest of the year,” she added.

RRHI ended September with 1,853 stores, composed of 63 supermarkets, 49 department stores, 223 do-it-yourself stores, 481 convenience stores, 521 drugstores, and 316 specialty stores. This excludes the franchised stores of The Generics Pharmacy.

As of October, RRHI has expanded its drugstore network with the acquisition of Rose Pharmacy, Inc. This is expected to boost the company’s top line as Rose Pharmacy has close to P9 billion annual sales.

“(The pandemic)’s impact on people, businesses, and the overall economy is still very much felt and apparent, and our year-on-year numbers remain down. Yet we are seeing signs of recovery amidst an age of social distancing and safety precautions, and all of us are adapting to this new dynamic in retail,” Ms. Gokongwei- Pe said.

RRHI shares fell 60 centavos or 0.92% to P64.40 each on Thursday. — Denise A. Valdez

Netflix growth slows in Q3

AFTER gaining 28 million new subscribers in the first half of 2020 alone, streaming giant Netflix’s growth slowed down in the third quarter (Q3) of the year after net paid subscribers for the quarter hit 2.2 million according to Spanish analytics service ComprarAcciones.com. Meanwhile Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, has reported that it had 60.5 million subscribers in August.

The 2.2 million subscribers is below Netflix’s forecast of gaining 2.5 million subscribers, while research analyst company FactSet had forecast 3.57 million new paid subscribers.

But this may just be a hiccup as Netflix added 28 million subscribers in the first six months of 2020 alone, in contrast to the 26 million new subscribers it gained for the entire 2019. The jump in subscribers can be attributed to lockdown and stay-at-home orders to keep the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic at bay.

Currently, Netflix’s subscriber count is at 195.15 million with the Asia Pacific region accounting for 46% of the global new subscriber total in the third quarter of 2020. The same region’s revenue grew 66% during the period compared to 22.7% growth, globally, making it the fastest-growing region for the platform.

Netflix’s growth in the region comes after the company grew its slate of original content targeting Japan and India such as The Naked Director from Japan and Sacred Games from India.

For the final quarter of the year, Netflix expects to gain 6 million new subscriptions which will bring the total new subscriptions for 2020 to 34 million, a new record for the company since 2018’s 28.6 million.

Meanwhile, Disney+ subscribers have reached 60 million within the three quarters of the year, a boon for the company whose amusement parks were shuttered this year because of the pandemic. The company also had to pause its live film productions and sports programming for the same reason.

Walt Disney reported that it has added about 30 million subscribers from the end of March to August, according to ComprarAcciones. This is also despite the controversies that surrounded the Disney release of its newest live-action remake Mulan, which included controversial statements made by its main star Liu Yifei supporting the Hong Kong police’s violence against protesters and that some parts of the film were shot in the Xinjiang region of China were Uighurs, a minority, are allegedly abused and brought to “re-education” camps which are viewed by many as concentration camps.

The Disney+ service was launched in November 2019.

Solar installations to power San Miguel’s Bulacan airport

LISTED conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) plans to install solar technologies to power its international airport project in Bulacan, its top official said.

Solar rooftop panels will be installed in all terminals, from passengers to cargoes, of the P735-billion project to be built in a 2,400-hectare area in Bulakan town.

“Lahat ng bubungan ng passenger terminals, lahat ng cargo terminals, lahat ng klaseng terminals—puro solar lahat ‘yun, (All the roofs of passenger terminals, all cargo terminals, all kinds of terminals—there will be solar installations)” SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang told reporters in a recent virtual briefing.

“That will be one of the biggest in the Philippines,” he claimed. The official did not further disclose the target capacity of the power installation.

SMC through San Miguel Aerocity, Inc., will build and operate the airport project, part of an ambitious P1.3-trillion “aerotropolis” or airport city project. The construction will include four to six parallel runways, eight taxiways, and three passenger terminal buildings.

The Senate on Oct. 12 passed a measure granting the company a 50-year franchise for the airport development. Within the period, the firm is exempted from paying income and real estate taxes until it can fully recover its investment costs. The measure was also passed by the House of Representatives on Sept. 7.

SMC targets the project’s completion in the next five to six years.

Meanwhile, the conglomerate’s power arm SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. will continue preparing renewable energy projects, including hydropower plants with a target capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW).

Yet, this is still depending on consumer demand, Mr. Ang said. Power demand has dwindled as much as 40% at the height of the strict community quarantine in the second quarter of the year, the Department of Energy said.

The energy company is also pursuing liquefied natural gas (LNG) power projects, eyeing an initial capacity of 850 MW over the next two years.

On Oct. 22, it issued $400 million worth of senior capital securities, which were listed at the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Ltd. Its proceeds will be used to fund investments in LNG projects. — Adam J. Ang

Smart taps Park Seo-Joon as its newest endorser

SMART has included Korean actor Park Seo-Joon to its growing slate of Korean endorsers following Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin as the telecommunications company continues to ride the wave of popularity of Korean dramas and pop culture.

Park Seo-Joon, who rose to fame with dramas such as Itaewon Class (2020), What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018), and Fight for My Way (2017), is the newest face of Smart’s Giga K-Video pack which allows subscribers to have weeklong access to streaming service Viu as well as 1 GB data for the platform and 2 GB open access data for P99.

“Like the two other international endorsers, Park Seo-Joon is popular and well loved by the Filipino audience. He has become a household name in the Philippines,” Alfredo S. Panlilio, Smart President and CEO, PLDT Chief Revenue Officer, said during the media launch on Oct. 28 via Facebook.

Mr. Panlilio added that he has watched What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim and “enjoyed it very much.”

Aside from getting Park Seo-Joon as its newest endorser, Smart has also partnered with Viu, a Korean and Asian content-focused streaming service to give Filipinos access to some of the “latest Korean dramas and shows,” Helen Sou, chief business officer for Asia at Viu, said in the same conference.

The talks about the partnership started in June when Smart asked Viu if it could help bring Park Seo-Joon into the Smart fold. The contracts were signed in August and the TVC (one of three campaigns which will feature the actor) was filmed in September.

And because the previous two endorsers — Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin — were “phenomenal successes” for the company, according to Mr. Panlilio, Smart is keen on continuing its Korean pop culture thrust, with Jane J. Basas, SVP and head of consumer wireless business at Smart, saying “Smart K-Life is here to stay.” K-Life is the overarching program where Smart introduces Korean pop culture content including the online run of the Korean Film Festival and several K-Pop concerts.

Unlike the two previous TVCs with Mr. Hyun and Ms. Son which were described as “very corporate” in the treatment, Ms. Basas said they tried a different tack with Mr. Park’s commercial where they “played up with his fun side and to play up his romantic persona.”

Mr. Hyun was the face of the Simple, Smart ako campaign highlighting the company’s efforts to make access to technology simple, while Ms. Son became the face of Smart Signature, the company’s postpaid line.

The first TVC shows a girl heartbroken after her boyfriend broke up with her on their anniversary when Mr. Park shows up and tells her, “K lang ‘yan,” (it’s okay), and helps the girl recover from heartbreak by watching Korean dramas.

Ms. Basas added that Mr. Park’s two other TVCs may be released in a few weeks. — Z.B. Chua

Central Azucarera de Tarlac net income down 76%

LISTED sugar miller Central Azucarera de Tarlac posted a 76% fall in net income to P85.10 million for its fiscal year ending in June due to lower sugar prices and weaker consumer demand as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a stock exchange disclosure on Thursday, the sugar company said its net income is lower compared with P353.92 million it posted in 2019.

The company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) fell 47.2% to P308.60 million.

Revenues of Central Azucarera de Tarlac fell 5.4% year on year to P1.53 billion against P1.61 billion in the previous year as a result of lower volume of raw sugar used for refining.

“While the sugar composite price softened at the current reporting year at P1,517 from last year’s P1,559, additional volume of raw sugar bags was sold due to the higher tons cane milled, thus net increasing the sugar sales by P52.6 million or 12%,” the disclosure said.

“Refinery operations observed a reduction of P76.0M in revenues or 31% as the company concluded not to import raw sugar for tolling this reporting year,” it added.

Meanwhile, the company’s operating expenses fell 8.7% year on year to P141.88 million due to declines in transportation and travel costs and lower taxes and licenses as a result of a one-time tax settlement in 2019.

Moving forward, Central Azucarera de Tarlac cited estimates from the International Sugar Organization as of August 2020, which projected that global sugar output will reach 173.5 million tons for crop year 2020-2021.

Locally, the company cited the projection by the Sugar Regulatory Administration that pegged sugar production to reach 2.29 million tons for the next crop year.

“The continued lobbying by the government’s economic managers to liberalize the importation of sugar with the purpose of lowering the price of the commodity in the local market remains a threat to industry,” the disclosure said.

On Thursday, shares in Central Azucarera de Tarlac ended unchanged at P11.20 apiece. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Look-alikes, Dolly Parton, and Christmas cookies in Netflix’s holiday lineup

STREAMING service Netflix has unloaded its holiday slate for the Philippines which includes a hefty collection of Christmas movies including the second installment of the The Princess Switch film series starring Vanessa Hudgens.

The Princess Switch: Switched Again, directed by Mark Rohl, drops on Nov. 19 and will follow the story of Princess Stacy of Belgravia coming to the rescue of her look-a-like Duchess Margaret who has hit a rough patch with her boyfriend and another look-a-like throws even more chaos in the mix. Netflix has announced that a third movie is currently in the works with a scheduled release in 2021.

American singer Dolly Parton is also landing on Netflix with Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square which drops on Nov. 22. The film, directed by Debbie Allen, follows a rich woman returning to her hometown to evict residents on the land she inherited from her father and how she gets a change of heart with the help of 14 original Dolly Parton songs.

For those who want to celebrate their holidays with reality shows, competitive baking show Sugar Rush Christmas is back for its second season starting Nov. 27 and will see a new crop of bakers create Christmas treats while going against the clock.

Holiday movies are such an integral part of the season that Netflix is taking an in-depth look into two Christmas films in The Holiday Movies that Made Us, focusing on Elf (2003) and Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). The documentary, which streams starting Dec. 1, will use behind-the-scenes footage and cast and crew interviews to show why these films are so iconic.

A Shondaland documentary, Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, will also be dropping on the service starting Nov. 27 and will follow American actress, dancer, director, and choreographer Debbie Allen and her young group of dancers as they prepare for Ms. Allen’s annual Hot Chocolate Nutcracker production.

Other films that will be streaming for the season include: Over the Moon (currently streaming) which follows a young girl’s dream of proving the moon goddess is real by making her own rocket ship; Holidate, an Emma Roberts-starrer where two people who hate Christmas find each other and promise to be each other’s holiday date throughout the next year (currently streaming); and Operation Christmas Drop (dropping Nov. 5) which follows a congressional aide learning the beauty of Operation Christmas Drop, a decades old tradition of parachuting supplies and gifts to remote islands, through her Air Force guide.

For more information on the Netflix Christmas slate, visit Netflix.com/Holidays. — ZBC

‘Discrimination’ alleged in teacher promotions 

A SENATE committee was warned by a resource speaker of alleged discrimination in the promotion of public school teachers, whose career progression is held up because they have pending administrative cases.

“May mga lumalapit na public school teachers, mga applicants and existing teachers, ano ‘yung policy ng DepEd when it comes to pending administrative cases? (We have been approached by public school teachers and applicants asking about the Department of Education’s policy on pending administrative cases),” according to Joseph Noel M. Estrada, managing director of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations.

Mr. Estrada was speaking at an online hearing Thursday of the chamber’s Basic Education, Arts and Culture committee, which was reviewing the implementation of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, or Republic Act No. 4670.

“Hindi daw napa-process ‘yung appointment because of a pending admin case, we feel it is used as a way to discriminate against them,” Mr. Estrada added.

Fidel H. Fababier, secretary general of the Action and Solidarity for the Empowerment of Teachers, said at times the filing of administrative cases is done to undermine teachers’ applications for promotion.

“Halimbawa, may tatlong contenders, ang gagawin lang ng dalawang contenders na inferior ang qualification, magsasampa sila dun sa superior ang qualification (If there are three contenders for a promotion, sometimes the candidates with inferior qualifications will file a case against the one with the superior qualification),” Mr. Fababier said at the same hearing.

He added that such charges have also been used to delay payment of pensions and other retirement benefits, forcing teachers to settle in exchange for reduced benefits.

“Ginagawa ‘yang harassment tool ng mga legal officers ng DepEd, talagang pinatatagal ang admin case,” he said. “Dapat linisin ang DepEd legal office (The DepEd legal officers are using charges as a tool for harassment. The legal office needs to be cleaned up).”

Education Undersecretary Jesus Lorenzo R. Mateo said applicants are required to declare administrative cases in their personal data sheet, but such information is only weighed after a final ruling on the case is issued.

“Kapag decided na that’s the time na may implication sa application or promotion (It only becomes a factor for applications or promotions when decisions are released),” he said, noting that the education sector will be consulted when the guidelines are revisited.

Undersecretary Tonisito M.C. Umali said the department will take up the matter with its legal office. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

DTI-Grab team up to benefit Cagayan Valley farmers

MORE THAN 4,700 farmers in the Cagayan Valley region are expected to be onboarded to an e-commerce platform to market and sell their products.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and an agri-tech platform are partnering with GrabPay to further develop the online purchase and delivery system for fresh and processed products from Cagayan Valley.

Representatives from DTI, e-commerce platform Mayani, and mobile payment platform GrabPay signed a memorandum of understanding at an online event on Thursday.

The objective of the partnership, the agreement says, is to increase the market access of smallholder farmers, farmer cooperatives, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the region. Products on the platform can be ordered by Metro Manila customers, through the platform’s preferred payment platform GrabPay.

Mayani Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer JT Solis said the partnership will reach 4,761 farmers and almost 500 agri-small businesses.

Before the agreement, Mayani had been working with more than 1,200 smallholder farmers across the country, most of which are from Cagayan Valley.

“So many of our communities are looking toward economic recovery, and it’s just undeniable that digitalization and cashless payments adoption will remain key for micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses to thrive and be more resilient,” GrabPay Philippines Head Jonathan Bates said. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Avoid pet care scares this Halloween

PEXELS.COM

HALLOWEEN is fast approaching and nowadays the spook fest is no longer just for humans; man’s best friend and furry felines have joined the festivity as well. Despite the celebrations being limited to the indoors (often as virtual celebrations) this year, many pet owners will not miss out on the opportunity to dress their four-legged companions in colorful, whimsical, and scary costumes. But owners must be cautious of the dangers that lurk during the Halloween season.

The Pet Food Institute (PFI) shares tips on how pet owners ensure their pet’s safety during the Halloween season.

• Poisons of Halloween. Halloween is known as the candy holiday around the world, which means owners should be on the lookout for sugary treats that can be dangerous for dogs and cats. Chocolate can be toxic to pets and, even lethal in rare circumstances. In addition, Halloween candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also be poisonous to pets. Pets may experience increased heart rate, rapid breathing, diarrhea or vomiting.

• Monsters of Halloween. Nowadays, it is common to see dogs and cats clad in creative and spooky costumes during Halloween. But a fair warning to pet parents: they should be careful and selective in which costumes to put on their pets because some of these costumes may cause them harm. Some costumes contain beads or other small plastic pieces that may cause choking and block their pet’s digestive tract which may lead to more serious health problems such as decrease in blood flow in the bowel. It’s also important to avoid costumes that restrict a pet’s movement or restricts their breathing.

• Dangers Lurking Around Halloween. Pet owners must be vigilant of all the things that can harm their animals. Many can protect their pets from pet-unfriendly treats and costumes but forget the dangers that lurk around their homes. Halloween decorations are a common hazard for pets. For example, candles can be a greater hazard when pets are around who can more easily knock them over. Fake battery-operated candles had been made available in the market to ensure a fire-free and pet-safe holiday.

• PFI, through its local initiative, Well-Fed, Well-Nurtured campaign in partnership with the Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines, advocates for responsible pet ownership.

1...8,9208,9218,922...14,278Page 8,921 of 14,278
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube