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PH in for record COVID peak Experts warn of surge in hospitalization, strained healthcare system

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Willie Casas and Vito Barcelo

T

HE ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases will likely hit record numbers, tax the country’s ability to test for the disease, and overburden its hospitals, health experts warned President Rodrigo Duterte Friday.

VOL. XXXV • NO. 327 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Daily infections hit 21,819, positivity rate at high 40%

By Willie Casas THE Philippines reported Friday an all-time high of 40 percent positivity rate and 21,819 new COVID-19 cases, bringing its total to 2,910,664.

Earlier on, the government’s initial projections showed the number of new COVID-19 cases in the Philippines doubled every two days.

“We see that the case doubling time is 2.2 days. This means that every two

days, we see that the number of cases is doubled,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at the Palace briefing.

This data indicates that the Omicron variant may be five to six times more transmissible, Vergeire said.

The 21,819 new cases are the highest since September 12 last year, where the country logged 21,411 new infections. On September 11, the Philippines logged a record-high 26,303 infections.

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In a briefing for the President, the executive director of the Philippine Genome Center, Cynthia Saloma, said although the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems generally milder than other variants, the sheer number of cases could trigger a flood of hospitalizations that could push the health care system to a breaking point.

"Many will be hospitalized so we have to be prepared for this,” Saloma said.

This developed as uniformed medical personnel will be deployed to selected hospitals to augment the health workforce, as the rise in COVID-19 cases continues, the Department of Health said on Friday.

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NOT AGAIN. A health worker attends to a patient admitted to triage at the Dasmarinas Public Hospital in Dasmarinas, Cavite on Friday. COVID-19 cases admitted to the hospital have now ballooned to 50, while 70 of their medical staff have been infected with the virus and are now under isolation, forcing President Rodrigo Duterte (inset) to appeal for more warm bodies from the military, police, and medical interns. Danny Pata/Presidential Photo

Civilians deputized to pursue unvaxxed persons Traders hail no-lockdown gov't policy

By Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo

to deputize civilians to go after individ- bilize civilians… They now become uals unvaccinated against COVID-19, agents of a person in authority,” Duterte in a bid to stop the continuing surge of said in his recent Talk to the People.

He said in the absence of a law, the PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has giv- active cases.

"The barangay captain can also moNext page en the go-signal to community leaders

By Othel V. Campos

CHECKPOINTS GALORE. With the surge of

COVID-19 cases, Filipinos can expect to encounter checkpoints where they will be asked for their vaccination cards, as the government tries to keep the unvaccinated from going around. These scenes played out Friday at (clockwise from upper left) the Cubao bus station in Quezon City, on Palanca Street going to Globo de Oro, and the roads around Quiapo Church. Danny Pata, Manny Palmero and Norman Cruz

DOH issues guidelines on home isolation

By Willie Casas and Maricel V. Cruz THE government released Friday guidelines for home quarantine to prevent hospital congestion as COVID-19 cases continued to rise.

According to Department of Health spokesperson and Undersecretary Maria Next page

THE business community is hoping to nurture the gains achieved when the economy fully opened up several months ago, as it welcomes the government policy on granular lockdown instead of the hard lockdown that were previously imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the domestic economy stands to lose billions of pesos while Metro Manila, the country’s economic center, and its four adjoining provinces are under a more stringent COVID-19 Alert Level 3, the Duterte administration’s economic managers said (read details in Business, page B4—Editors).

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has welcomed the new developments in the light of rapid infection rate and the entry of the Omicron variant Newly-elected PCCI president George Barcelon said the no-lockdown policy would provide stability to business and sustain its recoveryprocess.

“We are happy that the government Next page

2,910,664 21,819

77,369

51,871

129

2,781,424

973

(As of 4 PM, JANUARY 7)

DOF secures P40b financing for booster jabs

By Julito G. Rada

THE Department of Finance (DOF) has so far secured financing totaling US$800 million (about P40 billion) from multilateral development banks (MDBs) to ensure adequate government funds to procure COVID-19 booster shots.

Meanwhile, the DOF may consider Next page

‘Mild’ Omicron also kills—WHO

By Robin Millard THE Omicron variant of Covid-19 is killing people across the globe and should not be dismissed as mild, the World Health Organization (WHO) insisted Thursday.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the record numbers of people catching the new variant—which is rapidly out-competing the previouslydominant Delta variant in many countries— meant hospitals were being overwhelmed.

"While Omicron does appear to be less severe compared to Delta, especially

in those vaccinated, it does not mean it should be categorized as mild," Tedros told a press conference.

"Just like previous variants, Omicron is hospitalizing people and it is killing people," he explained.

"In fact, the tsunami of cases is so huge and quick, that it is overwhelming health systems around the world."

Just under 9.5 million new COVID-19 cases were reported to the WHO last week—a record, up 71 percent on the week before.

But even this was an underestimate, Next page

FALL IN. Military personnel join civilians in lining up to get tested for COVID-19 at the entrance of the Rizal Memorial Stadium Entrance in Malate, Manila on Friday. Norman Cruz

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News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022

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Ping, Win, Dar, AFP chief get virus The Partido Reporma camp of Lacson, who is running for President in the May elections, said they received confirmation that their party's chairman tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus upon the release of his official RT-PCR test results

late Thursday evening.

According to Lacson, he is now feeling much better after experiencing mild symptoms of cough, colds, sore throat, and fever.

But Lacson said he continues to monitor himself on the advice of his doctor, while he

remains in isolation at their residence as part of the mandatory quarantine protocols.

"Insofar as his eldest son and chief of staff, Ronald Jay, and other members of their household who also contracted COVID-19 are concerned, we are told they are all recovering from the mild symptoms of the virus. None of the Lacson family had to be hospitalized over this incident," said Partido Reporma in a statement.

Meanwhile, Gatchalian, who is running for reelection, said: "Following strict health protocols, I went on self-quarantine away from family, friends and the public.”

“So far, I am only experiencing mild symptoms from the virus, and this goes to show that the vaccines are effective

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With the Omicron variant, she said, the rise in cases was very fast.

“We are looking at figures of 5,000, then 10,000, then 70,000 today, and tomorrow it will be much higher. So, it’s very, very important that we manage these numbers as perceived by our public because it will indeed increase," Saloma told the President.

Dr. Marissa Alejandria, director of the Institute of Clinical Epidemiology (ICE), stressed the importance of preparing for the new variant.

She said the concerning feature of this variant compared to Delta, again is its high transmissibility.

"So, our advice to the public is to isolate right away even if with just very mild symptoms. Even if there's still no results, no test, one should isolate because it can spread to the entire household,” she said.

Alejandria also spoke on the guidelines to manage mild cases at home so that they won’t need to go to a hospital.

If milder cases are isolated at home, hospital beds can be preserved for severe and critical cases, she said.

"So that's our appeal to the public. And then wear mask properly when you go out of the house,” she said. She also urged the public to continue washing their hands and avoid crowds and superspreader events.

The DOH on Thursday said it is now preparing for the "worst case scenario" amid the rise in new COVID-19 cases, which is most likely driven by the more transmissible Omicron variant.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said they are prepared to source health care workers from different sectors to aid in the virus fight.

Duque said this includes post-graduate interns and health care workers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“We are making sure that all available healthcare professionals will be on deck and prepare for the worst case scenario," Duque added.

If hospitals in Metro Manila become overwhelmed again due to the high number of people testing positive for COVID-19, his agency would deploy health frontliners from the different parts of the country.

The Philippines is seeing a fresh surge of new COVID-19 cases amid the local cases of the Omicron variant, which studies showed is milder than Delta.

The wave of infections due to the Delta variant last year stretched the country's health care system beyond its capacity, with hundreds of patients lining up outside emergency rooms just to be admitted.

The DOH said Friday that the chances of the coronavirus mutating increase as more people get infected and warned against getting infected on purpose to achieve “natural immunity” in reaction to a statement from the OCTA Research Group.

“If there are more infections, there is a higher chance for the virus to replicate, which is their cycle. They can reproduce,” Vergeire said at a Palace briefing.

“Most importantly, this will give the virus a higher chance to mutate.”

Vergeire made the statement in response to a statement from OCTA’s Fr. Nic Austriaco, a molecular biologist, that the Omicron variant could provide population immunity through the antibodies of those who have recovered.

But Vergeire urged the public to remain vigilant and not voluntarily get infected with the illness due to such statements.

“This is not the direction of our response. We need to be careful; we need to prevent further transmission so we can prevent the variant from further producing,” she said.

Dr. Edsel Salvana and Dr. Anna OngLim, members of the DOH Technical Advisory Group, said the coronavirus has continued to surprise them.

Salvana stressed that the variant is not a vaccine.

“Omicron is a virus. It’s not a vaccine, and it’s not like vaccines that are very

safe and are not contagious. Omicron can cause harm,” he said.

Ong-Lim said that, although there are studies showing that those who have recovered from Omicron have antibodies that are effective against Delta, there is no definite proof that it is effective against other variants of concern.

Ong-Lim said she also cannot say the variant is the end of the pandemic.

“Although we want this to be the last, that there will be no further variants, unfortunately, we cannot say with certainty that this is the end of COVID-19,” she said.

“I hope it’s true, but we should be careful. Don’t voluntarily try to acquire the sickness,” she said.

At present, the Philippines has confirmed 43 cases of the Omicron variant.

Dr. John Wong, a member of the DOH Senior Technical Advisory Group, said the government should prioritize inoculating people who have yet to receive their first COVID-19 shot, as these people are the most vulnerable against the virus.

Wong's statement was made after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered village chiefs to "restrain" and "arrest" people unvaccinated against COVID-19 and are still roaming around.

Duterte appealed to doctors and nurses undergoing internship to help the government contain the rising number of coronavirus infections, as he vowed to increase hazard pay among other benefits.

Duterte said the government has to look at the worst-case scenario and convert facilities into extension hospitals and deploy additional medical workers.

Wong told the President it was most important to vaccinate the rest of the population.

"A lot of the people in the hospitals now... both locally and also globally in many of the countries with Omicron, a lot of people in these hospitals are people without vaccination, not the people who are vaccinated," he said.

Luzon) with 2,084 or 10 percent.

All labs were operational, and 10 laboratories were not able to submit their data on time. Based on data in the last 14 days, the 10 laboratories contribute, on average, 0.8 percent of samples tested and 1.5 percent of positive individuals, the DOH reported.

The DOH also reported 129 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 51,871.

Of the 129 deaths, eight occurred in January 2022 (6 percent), 34 in December 2021 (26 percent), 14 in November 2021 (11 percent), 26 in October 2021 (20 percent), 32 in September 2021 (25 percent), 10 in August 2021 (8 percent), four in July

2021 (3 percent), and one in April 2021 (1 percent) due to late encoding of death information to COVIDKaya.

“This issue is currently being coordinated with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Units to ensure information is up to date,” the DOH reported.

The DOH also reported 973 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,781,424.

It reported 77,369 active cases, of which 2,438 were asymptomatic; 70,321 mild; 2,837 moderate; 1,461 severe; and 312 critical.

The DOH said that, nationwide, 32 per-

cent of ICU beds, 35 percent of isolation beds, 31 percent of ward beds, and 14 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 48 percent of ICU beds, 47 percent of isolation beds, 59 percent of ward beds, and 20 percent of ventilators, were in use.

A total 72 duplicates were removed from the total case count. Of these, 51 are recoveries and one is a death case.

Moreover, 111 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.(See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Bank (ADB) and another US$250-million accord with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in December 2021.

An agreement for a US$300-million loan from the World Bank was also signed in December, said Agabin, who represented Dominguez III during the President’s first televised meeting with select Cabinet officials for 2022.

For the loan accords already signed with the AIIB and ADB, the DOF is waiting for the opinion of the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the effectivity of these financing agreements, said Agabin during the second part of the televised meeting aired Wednesday morning.

“We expect everything, we expect (these loans) to be effective around, towards the latter part of January. So that will give us funds to purchase our COVID booster shots, Mr. President,” said Agabin.

Agabin also reported that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) under the leadership of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero was able to clear shipments of 210.44 million vaccine doses as of Dec. 30, 2021.

These vaccine doses delivered between March and December last year are more than enough to inoculate 100 percent of the country’s population of adults and children aged 12-17 years old. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Civilians...

specifically on the rate of COVID-19 infections in the NCR. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier urged the unvaccinated to get the COVID-19 jab at “the soonest possible time.”

Duque said the government is planning to hold a National Vaccination Day for senior citizens, as it continues to carry out a more aggressive campaign to convince Filipinos to get their primary doses and booster shots.

He noted a study conducted in the UK which shows that COVID-19 vaccines have an 81 percent efficacy rate against Omicron if individuals receive the primary series plus the booster shots.

The Palace on Friday said the President’s order to restrict the movement of unvaccinated people is applicable nationwide regardless of the alert level status in an area.

“His instructions to barangay chiefs is to appeal to those unvaccinated not to go outside their homes unless it’s not essential or not for work purposes,” said acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles.

“If you’re unvaccinated and you don’t have an essential task to do outdoors and it’s not work-related, then do not go out in order to protect the unvaccinated in our community,” he said. With AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

vaccine doses more fairly in 2022, to end the "death and destruction" of COVID-19.

Tedros wanted every country to have 10 percent of their population vaccinated by the end of September 2021 and 40 percent by the end of December.

Ninety-two of the WHO's 194 member states missed the target set for the end of 2021—indeed 36 of them had not even jabbed the first 10 percent, largely due to being unable to access doses.

Tedros wants 70 percent jabbed in every country by mid-2022.

At the current pace of vaccine roll-out, 109 countries will miss that target.

"Vaccine inequity is a killer of people and jobs and it undermines a global economic recovery," said Tedros.

"Booster after booster in a small number of countries will not end a pandemic while billions remain completely unprotected."

The WHO's COVID-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove said it was "very unlikely" that Omicron would be the last variant of concern before the pandemic is over.

In facing the more transmissible Omicron variant, Van Kerkhove urged people to step up the measures they were already taking to protect themselves against the virus. AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATORS Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Sherwin Gatchalian, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Andres Centino, and Agriculture Secretary William Dar all confirmed Friday they tested positive for COVID-19.

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Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said the government has also shortened isolation and quarantine periods for fully vaccinated health workers infected with or exposed to COVID-19 to further augment the health workforce.

The administration is also considering expanding the criteria in determining the alert level for a certain area, to include availability of health workers amid rising cases of COVID-19, the Palace said Friday.

Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles made the announcement, saying: "We have to consider the availability of our healthcare workers in determining alert level, and this is being studied by the IATF," referring to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Citing the experience of other countries where their testing centers were also overwhelmed, Saloma said the country should also be ready to address the long queues.

"So, you will notice, for example, Australia with 92 percent vaccination, 64,000 were positive yesterday or today, and of course, France, with 300,000, and in other countries... These are countries with much, much better resources than us, and yet even their testing centers are stretched.

Sometimes, they ran out of testing kits."

Saloma said the DOH and other agencies should study how to maximize testing to avoid people waiting in long lines outside waiting to be tested.

With vaccination and the observance of public health protocols, fewer people will go to hospitals, she said, but this could be offset by the sheer number of infections and the still large number of people who are not vaccinated.

It was very important that the public be prepared for daily increases in the number of cases because of the nature of the Omicron variant, Saloma said.

Daily...

From A1

The positivity rate of 40 percent was based on samples of 70,049 tested individuals on January 5.

Of the 21,819 reported cases yesterday, 21,656 (99 percent) occurred within the last 14 days, from December 25 to January 7, 2022.

The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were National Capital Region (Metro Manila), with 13,634 or 63 percent, Region 4-A (CALABARZON), with 4,129 or 19 percent, and Region 3 (Central

DOF...

From A1

making additional borrowings from multilateral lenders to fund any increase in the special risk allowance (SRA) of medical frontliners in the battle against COVID-19.

President Rodrigo Duterte said in a taped message Thursday night that he wanted to increase the SRA of medical frontliners upon knowing these health workers were getting only about P5,000, which still depends on their overall work.

The President himself said the amount was "too low considering the danger [the health workers are facing]."

When sought for comment on Friday, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said in a short response that any additional borrowings from multilateral lenders to finance the health workers' special risk allowance would "depend on [the] total amount required."

Dominguez also said he was not open to the idea of selling government assets at the moment to raise additional funds to be used for COVID-19 response efforts of the government.

Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin reported to Duterte on Tuesday that the DOF has signed a US$250-million loan agreement with the Asian Development

“Mild’...

From A1

Tedros said, as it did not reflect the backlog of testing around the ChristmasNew Year holidays, positive self-tests not registered, and overburdened surveillance systems missing cases.

Tedros used his first speech of 2022 to slam the way rich nations hogged available vaccine doses last year, saying it had created the perfect breeding ground for the emergence of virus variants.

He therefore urged the world to share out

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President is called upon to act because it is a national emergency.

“It is my position that we can restrain [the unvaccinated] and that I have ordered the barangay captains [to do this].”

Duterte said he would be happy to answer any legal challenges to his order.

"I’m now giving orders to the barangay captain to look for those persons who are not vaccinated and just would request them or order them, if you may, to stay put. And if he refuses, he goes out of the house and goes around in the community or maybe wherever, can be restrained. And if he refuses, then the barangay captain being a person in authority is empowered now to arrest the recalcitrant persons —that is in addition to the police power, the agents of a person in authority," he said.

The Metro Manila Council, composed of the 17 mayors in the National Capital Region, earlier passed a resolution restricting the mobility of unvaccinated people in Metro Manila.

MMC chairman and concurrent Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chief Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the resolution was made based on scientific data,

and working against it. I enjoin everyone to get your booster shots right away," the senator said.

In a statement issued Friday, AFP spokesperson Colonel Ramon Zagala said Centino is in an isolation facility in Camp Aguinaldo, where he will continue to perform his duty amid quarantine.

“He remains in full command of the AFP, supervising all units in carrying out their assigned tasks through all allowed and available means,” Zagala added.

Centino reminded military personnel to always observe safety measures and follow health protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to Zagala. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

DOH...

From A1

Rosario Vergeire, COVID-positive individuals with symptoms might isolate themselves at home if they have their own room and bathroom.

The DOH also warned the public against complacency and purposely getting infected with COVID-19 to receive natural immunity following an expert's remark that it may act as a "natural vaccine."

JUSTICE ROSMARI D. CARANDANG

SC’s Carandang hangs up robe, retires at age 70

By Rey E. Requejo SUPREME Court Associate Justice Rosmari D. Carandang on Friday hung upher judicial robe as she reaches her mandatory retirement age of 70 on January 9, Sunday.

Carandang leaves the judiciary after serving for 27 years in various capacities—as trial court judge starting in 1993, as associate justice of the Court of Appeals for 15 years since 2003, and as 181st associate justice of the Supreme Court from 2018.

In lieu of the traditional retirement ceremonies, a hybrid retirement Mass followed by a simple, yet meaningful program was held in the morning at the Supreme Court Training Center in Manila.

Among those who paid their tributes to Justice Carandang were Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe, Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, and Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Nine dead, hundreds ill with diarrhea after Odette NINE people have died, and hundreds have fallen ill with diarrhea in areas of the Philippines wrecked by a typhoon last month, with aid officials warning of a health crisis as millions struggle to secure clean water and food.

Three weeks after Typhoon Odette struck southern and central islands, destroying thousands of homes, and killing more than 400 people, relief work continues to deliver supplies to stranded residents left homeless by the storm.

Nine people have died from dehydration caused by diarrhea in the impoverished Dinagat Islands and the neighboring resort island of Siargao, known for its surf spots, the Philippine health department's regional office said.

A total of 895 cases have been recorded there since the typhoon struck, mostly among those left homeless, as the government and aid agencies rush to build emergency water treatment facilities, department spokesman Ernesto Pareja told AFP. "It's hard to say it's under control. The water supply remains irregular. Their food needs have not been addressed," Pareja said. AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Traders...

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is no longer imposing hard lockdowns as a safeguard measure against increasing Omicron cases. Otherwise, it would be difficult again for our economy to recover if businesses will be shut down,” Barcelon said.

Barcelon also reiterated the request of PCCI to be part of the IATF composition to ensure that issues of the business sector are properly relayed and considered.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said during the inaugural call of the new PCCI board that the granular quarantine model may be implemented not only in Metro Manila but nationwide, through the local government units (LGUs) that will issue the implementing guidelines.

He disclosed the IATF was also considering the implementation of homebased antigen testing as an added protection for the asymptomatic.

Test kits should be readily available and accessible in the drugstores, Lopez added.

He assured the business community that the government was doing its best to ensure the safety of its people and country. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) "Let's not be complacent and get infected because of this claim, this is not the direction of our COVID response. We need to prevent more infections in order to avoid producing more variants,” Vergeire said.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has begun accepting applications for certification of self-test home test kits.

"We announce that we are accepting applications for special certification COVID-19 self-administered home test kits," FDA officer-in-charge Dr. Oscar Guiterrez said in a pre-recorded Talk to the People. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022

AT FULL CAPACITY.

IN BRIEF

The Pasay City General Hospital on Friday announced that it will temporarily stop accepting COVID-19 patients because the hospital’s COVID ward is now at full capacity.

Danny Pata

Cash assistance to benefit 1.6m farmers—Villar

By Macon Ramos-Araneta ABOUT 1.673 million small rice farmers would benefit from President Rodrigo Duterte’s signing into law of Republic Act 11598, otherwise known as the Cash Assistance to Filipino Farmers Act, according to Sen. Cynthia A. Villar.

The law was signed by Duterte on Dec. 10.

Villar, the chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, thanked Duterte for the law that would be a huge help to our farmers amid the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their lives.

She pointed out that the country’s rice farmers are continuously facing the challenges brought about by the liberalization of rice importation in 2019 and the series of destructive typhoons that hit their farms.

“I strongly believe that our farmers need more support and assistance to cope with the several challenges, especially now that we are in a pandemic, and their health is also at risk,” said Villar.

“Any amount we give to our farmers will be a big help to augment their income and improve their poor living conditions,” she added.

Toward this end, she said, the state shall provide monetary assistance to the hardest-hit segments of our small farmers in the form of actual giving of cash to them.

Under the new law, the Department of Agriculture (DA) can now give assistance to small rice farmers tilling two hectares of land and below until 2024. It can use funds from the annual tariff revenues in excess of P10 billion under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

The new law also directs the Bureau of Customs (BoC) to directly remit to the DA the said excess funds.

At the end of each year, the BOC and DA are mandated to submit to Congress separate reports on the remittance of funds and actual fund disbursement.

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Law granting lower taxes to schools OKd

Duterte says he will not appoint ‘outsiders’

By Vito Barcelo

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he will no longer appoint an “outsider” to positions in the executive which will be vacated during the remainder of his term.

In his public address, the President said he will only appoint an organic officer who is second highest in rank to take over.

“My policy is I do not take outsiders anymore. Whoever is second in command in that office or department, he will take over,” he said in a prerecorded public address.

“No more outsiders so that it’s easier.

Those who really know the job are those working permanently there,” he added.

The President made the remarks two days after Dr. Eric Domingo resigned

as FDA director-general on Monday.

Duterte named Dr. Oscar Gutierrez as FDA officer-in-charge.

“Anyway, in the coming new administration, they will go back to the chain.

So Dr. Oscar, he will be the one to give the report, he is the OIC,” he added.

The FDA establishes safety or efficacy standards and quality measures for foods, drugs and devices and cosmetics, and other health products.

Malacañang on Friday meanwhile offered its condolences to the family of

National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose who passed away at the age of 97.

The National Press Club of the Philippines also extended its sympathy over the passing of Jose. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) described Jose’s writings since the late ‘60s as “epic”.

The commission highlighted that his five-novel masterpiece, the Rosales saga, captured the “sweep of Philippine history while simultaneously narrating the lives of generations of the Samsons whose personal lives intertwine with the social struggles of the nation.”

According to the NCCA, Jose was also a publisher, lecturer on cultural issues, and the founder of the Philippine chapter of the international organization PEN.

OUT OF STOCK. Many drug stores in the province of Cavite are out of stock when it comes to branded

paracetamol. One customer said he has already visited several drug stores Thursday night but had to settle for generic medicines. Jr Josue

Insurance exec Lopez named to DeMolay Legion of Honor LOS ANGELES, Califority and remarkable leadernia—Los Angeles County ship in your chosen field of Insurance Commissioner Fehuman endeavor. Including lix B. Lopez was conferred adult service to the Order last Nov. 6 by DeMolay Inof DeMolay.” ternational the Legion of As a Legion of Honor Honor award, which is the awardee, Lopez was elevathighest honor given by the ed to the rank and dignity of international organization to a Legionnaire of the Order. its senior members.

He also received the Legion The Supreme Council of Los Angeles County Insurance of Honor Regalia, a cross the Order of DeMolay Re- Commissioner Felix B. Lopez medallion suspended from public of the Philippines a red cordon. bestowed the award to Lopez in recogniThe Order of DeMolay website said the tion of his “outstanding service to human- Legion of Honor “was founded to bring to-

gether a select few out of the millions who have knelt at the altar of DeMolay. Legion of Honor recipients must have actively demonstrated outstanding leadership in some field of endeavor, whether it be a civic, professional, fraternal, or spiritual arena.

DeMolay is an international organization founded in 1919 and dedicated to preparing young men to lead successful, happy, and productive lives. Among its prominent alumni are Walt Disney, John Wayne, Walter Cronkite, football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, legendary Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne, news anchor David Goodnow, and many others.

Bautista urges QC public to strictly follow distancing rules QUEZON City 4th District Councilor Hero Bautista reiterated to his constituents to strictly follow social distancing guidelines and hygiene protocols.

COVID-19 cases have spiked after the holiday season, prompting the government to tighten quarantine restrictions.

Bautista noted that even vaccinated individuals can get infected with the latest variant of the COVID-19 virus and while the symptoms might not be se-

vere enough to cause hospitalization, it would be best to monitor themselves in the event of any symptoms.

“May tinatawag na ‘breakthrough infection’. Ito ang nangyayari sa mga vaccinated na. Nagkakaroon pa rin ng Covid 19 kahit fully vaccinated na. Ang kaibahan natin, we are less likely to go severe. Kaya kadalasan, home care na lang (There is this “breakthrough infection.” It happens to those who are already vaccinated. They can

still have COVID-19. The difference is, the infection is not severe, so only home care is needed),” he said.

Bautista reminded his constituents of the possible symptoms of COVID-19, including headaches and colds that usually subsides after three days.

He further warned that those who experienced these symptoms, especially those who have been fully vaccinated, should not be complacent. Robbie Pangilinan

THE country’s largest associations of private schools thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for signing into law Republic Act No. 11635 that aims to save the education sector from excessive taxes and collapse amid the pandemic.

“On behalf of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), which represents over 2,500 private educational institutions with over 300,000 school personnel; and Davao Colleges and Universities Network (DACUN), Association of Private, State Colleges, and Universities in Region XI (APSCUR XI), Bicol Association of Private Colleges and Universities (BAPCU), CESAFI Association of Cebu Private Schools, we express our profound gratitude to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for signing into law of RA 11635 on December 28, 2021,” said Dr. Anthony Jose M. Tamayo, chairman of COCOPEA. “The enactment of this landmark legislation comes at a critical time when schools are in the middle of preparations for re-opening to face-to-face classes. For many of these schools, the enactment of RA __ gives them the needed boost for sustainability in the school years ahead, and this allows them to fully focus on the Learning Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic that our country is currently grappling with,” said Dr. Tamayo.

Cebu Pacific cancels 30 domestic flights CEBU Pacific Air (CEB) is cancelling more than 30 domestic flights beginning today (Saturday) until Monday after aviation authorities limited the number of arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Affected flights include Kalibo, Legazpi, Boracay, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Cebu and Tacloban.

On Sunday, canceled flights include Bohol, Boracay, Cagayan de Oro, Coron, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, Puerto Princesa and Cauayan while among those suspended on Monday are flights to and from Bohol, Legazpi, Cagayan de Oro, Tacloban, Puerto Princesa, Cebu, Dipolog, and Boracay. Joel E. Zurbano

A4

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022

Lacson tests positive, but staff virus-free

HANDS-ON LEADERSHIP.

Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso gives instructions to officials of the Manila Police District Command ahead of the Traslacion on Sunday as devotees of the Black Nazarene will be barred from going to the Minor Basilica amid the surge in COVID-19 cases. Danny Pata

By Macon Ramos-Araneta PARTIDO Reporma standard bearer Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson tested positive for COVID-19, but none of team members and staff whom he was in close contact with contracted the disease.

“It really paid off that Sen. Ping is very strict about adhering to safety protocols when we have our meetings. None of us so far have tested positive after our meeting last [January] 3. We are all OK. He is also experiencing only mild symptoms, thanks to being fully vaccinated,” said Partido Reporma senatorial candidate Dr. Minguita Padilla.

Lacson received his RT-PCR test results late Thursday evening.

The presidential aspirant said he is now feeling much better after experiencing mild symptoms of cough, colds, sore throat and fever.

But Lacson said he continues to monitor himself on the advice of his doctor while he remains in isolation at their residence as part of the mandatory quarantine protocols.

“Insofar as his eldest son and chief of staff, Ronald Jay, and other members of their household who also contracted COVID-19 are concerned, we are told they are all recovering from the mild symptoms of the virus. None of the Lacson family had to be hospitalized over this incident,” Partido Reporma said in a statement.

Padilla said Partido Reporma is calling on all its members and supporters to take extra precautionary measures as the country grapples with a fresh surge in COVID-19 cases, likely driven by the Omicron variant.

“We express our concern over reports that major pharmaceutical companies in the country are having a shortage of paracetamol, cough remedies, and other medications that could ease some symptoms associated with coronavirus,” she said.

Moreno’s wife takes lead in relief missions ALTHOUGH presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has his hands full preparing hospitals, stockpiling medicines and doing mass vaccinations amid the new surge in COVID-19 cases, Manila City volunteers continue to conduct relief operations in typhoon-affected areas in the Visayas, Mindanao and Palawan.

On Thursday, Moreno’s wife Dynee Domagoso went to Southern Leyte to distribute relief packs to affected residents of Barangay Tampoong in the town of Sogod and Barangay Cabulihan in Maasin town.

In Sogod town, Mrs. Domagoso was welcomed by Sogod Mayor Emi Tan. Thousands of residents went to the multi-purpose covered court in Barangay Tampoong to receive the relief packs from Mrs. Domagoso. The City of Manila had earlier sent relief packs to Sogod town right after Typhoon Odette’s onslaught.

“I personally want to see your condition and I am very lucky because somehow you are in good condition. Your mayor is very good and their family is very good because they do not neglect you,” Mrs. Domagoso said.

Mayor Tan later accompanied Mrs. Domagoso in inspecting the damaged sea wall in Barangay Tampoong.

Mrs. Domagoso earlier went to Bohol and Antique to hand-over relief goods consisting of food packs and bottled water to affected residents as part of “Operation Tabang” of Team Isko Moreno.

In Cebu, volunteers from the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) continue to help residents who do not yet have a clean supply of water. Rey E. Requejo

Marcos in isolation, skips hearing on disqualification

By Rey E. Requejo

P

ARTIDO Federal ng Pilipinas standard-bearer Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. yesterday skipped the Commission on Elections’ preliminary hearing on the petitions for his disqualification from the May 9 presidential race.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon called out the Marcos camp for its failure to provide a medical certificate immediately to justify his failure to attend the hearing.

“He is not feeling well and he cannot go in today’s videoconference,” said one of Marcos’ legal counsel, Hanna Barcena said.

Guanzon said then asked Barcena to have her client show up via Zoom given that no medical certificate was presented.

A medical certificate from the physician of the former senator was eventually presented.

Marcos’ attending physician, Benedict Francis Valdecanas, said his patient has difficulty in speaking due to a painfully congested throat and a fever.

“Upon my examination, Marcos had a temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius and his

throat was hyperemic and swollen,” read part of Dr. Valdecanas’ medical certificate.

Guanzon, however, asked why Marcos could not appear on video, without having to speak, just so his presence can be noted by the court.

“Your Honor, because we are afraid that he might cause the spread of the virus,” Barcena said.

Through one of his closest friends, former congressman Anton Lagdameo, Marcos apologized to the Comelec, particularly to Guanzon, for the inconvenience, if any, caused by his failure to attend the prelude to the disposition of the cases.

“Two personalities who’re with Marcos almost every day have been tested positive of the coronavirus—his chief of staff, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, and his security

Leni seeks more E-Konsulta volunteers

By Rio N. Araja AMID a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases that is likely fueled by the Omicron variant, Vice President Leni Robredo wants more medical and nonmedical volunteers to come forward to join the Bayanihan E-Konsulta program under her office.

“We expect an increase again of those who would need the help of e-Konsulta.

That’s why I want to take this opportunity to call for volunteers,” said Ro-

bredo, who is running for president in the May 9 elections as an independent candidate.

“The last time there was a surge in Metro Manila, we were able to partner with 1,078 doctors and 3,156 non-medical volunteers who responded to our call. We need this kind of effort amid the surge,” she said.

The OVP is in need of medical and non-medical volunteers, including licensed mental health professionals, she added.

“The details are in our Facebook page for signing up. Filipinos need one another’s help,” Robredo said.

Bayanihan E-Konsulta is Robredo’s teleconsultation program launched in April 2021 to help address the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Robredo said the COVID-19 treatment pill Molnupiravir is also available for free from the Bayanihan E-Konsulta for as long as it is recommended by the program’s volunteer doctors for qualified patients.

Poe to LTO: Ensure online portal works SEN. Grace Poe on Friday asked the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to ensure that its online portal for driver’s license application and renewal is easily accessible.

“At a time when we try to avoid faceto-face transactions due to COVID-19, our people are expected to rely on online transactions as the safer, faster and more efficient means,” she said.

“Being denied access to the LTO’s online service is totally unacceptable,” she added.

Poe said reports have reached her office that drivers seeking to renew license or apply for a new one are encountering difficulties in getting through the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS).

The LTMS serves as the online platform for all motoring regulatory services and processes from the LTO. The portal also caters to neophyte applicants who will apply for a driver’s license and vehicle registration for the first time.

“Government portals should be exemplars of reliability. They could not be down when people need their services,” Poe said.

“LTO should fix the problem, or it would be doing the public a disservice and defeating the purpose of the law,” she added. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Angeles City starts COVID booster jabs ANGELES CITY—The city government here under the leadership of Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. has started the inoculation of fully vaccinated residents for booster shots via the Sundo Bakuna sa Barangay program.

Eligible residents are those who received their second dose of vaccines within March to July 4, 2021.

Lazatin said the city is fully prepared for the vaccination of booster shots, having 400 working staff in the inoculation team led by IC Calaguas, the mayor’s chief adviser.

Calaguas said the vaccination of booster shots will be scheduled per barangay at the two mega vaccination sites in the City College of Angeles and the Angeles City National High School.

“We fetch our residents via bus or jeepney and bring them to either vaccination site,” Calaguas said.

All schedules and vaccine updates will be posted on the official Facebook page of the City Information Office. Butch Gunio

Roque: Zero billing for health services

CHALLENGER. Alex Lopez, a mayoralty bet in the city of Manila, talks about his platforms during a media forum of the National Press Club on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022 in Intramuros.

A collective effort: SM’s Operation Tulong Express IN times of calamities, SM always ensures to be one of the first responders that provide immediate relief to affected individuals and families. Through its corporate social good arm, SM Foundation (SMFI), SM activates Operation Tulong Express (OPTE) as the need arises.

Just before the year 2021 ended, Super Typhoon Odette struck the country and left thousands of families homeless.

Staying true to its commitment, SM Foundation, together with SM Supermalls, SM Markets, and other SM affiliates and partners, immediately mobilized its disaster response.

More than 33,000 Kalinga packs have been allocated for the victims of the

escort, prompting the former senator to go in isolation,” Lagdameo said.

The Comelec gave the parties in the two disqualification cases filed against Marcos 48 hours to file their memoranda.

Guanzon, as presiding Commissioner, ordered petitioners Bonifacio Ilagan and Akbayan as well as Marcos to submit through email their memorandum on Sunday.

“Your 48 hours begin at noon today (Friday). You’re to file a memorandum via email. And hard copy the next day.

If the court receives it, it is deemed filed.

January 9 at noon on Sunday via email, then hard copy on Monday, January 10 at noon,” Guanzon said after Friday’s preliminary conference of the cases.

Akbayan, for its part, expressed confidence in the case against the former senator.

“Our petition is about the truth, and Mr. Marcos’ accountability for failing to follow the law. We bring a strong case and the evidence will show that Marcos’ unfitness for public office will eventually come to light. We thank Commissioner Guanzon and the rest of the Comelec for the way they handled today’s proceedings,” Akbayan’s Percival Cendaña said in a statement.

IN BRIEF

typhoon. The packs, consisting of rice, bottled water, and other basic essentials, were distributed to over 35 barangays in the Visayas and Mindanao which were heavily devastated by Odette. Among the recipient areas are Butuan, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, and Palawan.

The relief operations became part of SM’s Christmas drive, “100 Days of Caring,” which was launched in September and aimed to give back to various communities and groups in need during the holiday season.

The humanitarian response to Odette began almost as soon as the super typhoon hit.

“We are one with the nation in bringing

normalcy back to the lives of families affected by Super Typhoon Odette in the VisMin region. It’s already part of our culture in SM to always extend a helping hand to those in need, especially in grassroot communities,” SMFI executive director Debbie Sy said.

Aside from its relief efforts under OPTE, SMFI also partnered with the Philippine Red Cross in providing aid to families affected by typhoon Odette through the donation of P5 million. Through this initiative, SM hopes to reach more affected families by partnering with other humanitarian organizations to fast track and meet the post disaster needs in critical areas.

CORRUPTION in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) threatens the successful implementation of Universal Health Care, which seeks to provides free health insurance coverage to all Filipinos, senatorial candidate Harry Roque said on Friday.

“There is a real threat to the genuine and full implementation of our Universal Health Care law. What we want is zero billing for all patients, but thus is threatened by the corruption in PhilHealth,” the former presidential spokesman said.

Roque said he was studying the implications of replacing PhilHealth with a National Health Service that would guarantee “zero billing” in hospitals, free health services, medicines, and medical tests for those seeking treatment.

“I am studying it carefully if it is time to abolish PhilHealth and replace it with a National Health Service to weed out corruption,” Roque said.

“If necessary, we will file an amendatory law to the UHC Act for the creation of the National Health Service,” he added.

Roque authored the UHC Act when he was still a member of the House of Representatives. The law calls for improving the doctor-to-patient ratio, upgrading hospital bed capacities and equipment, and establishing hospitals in remote areas.

Under the UHC, graduates of healthrelated courses from state universities and colleges or government-funded scholarship programs must serve in the public sector for at least three years.

TURNOVER.

(From left) Photo shows Philippine Red Cross Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla, SM Foundation Executive Director for Health and Medical Programs Connie Angeles, and PRC chairman Richard Gordon during the turnover of the P5 million donation from SM Foundation to the Philippine Red Cross.

Opinion Free mass testing and vaccination drives

OMICRON, the prevalent COVID-19 variant, is wreaking havoc everywhere in the world. Countries are locking down territories because of record-breaking cases daily. As I mentioned in my previous pieces, these countries are able to detect hundreds of thousands of cases because their testing capabilities are much, much better than ours.

Here, the numbers being reported by the Department of Health (DOH) very significantly increase daily although much less compared with what other countries report.

As of Friday, January 21,819 new cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 40 percent.

Some would say that this is not much. However, the 40-percent positivity rate means that four test positive out of every 10 people tested. This is a real cause for worry. The “low” number of reported cases can only mean that we are not testing enough.

From the start of this pandemic, the demand of many has been for DOH to do mass testing. We did not learn the past two years and we are back to square one. Free mass testing is crucial if we are to know the real magnitude of the problem. Again, people are demanding free mass testing.

We can come to the conclusion that a lot more Filipinos are sick than what is reported.

If we go by what we know and what people say on social media, we will surely come to the conclusion that a lot more Filipinos are sick than what is reported. Personally, I know entire families who tested positive for COVID-19 and most of them paid for their tests. Friends and acquaintances are getting the virus, going on self-isolation, and doing whatever they can to get well. Again, I hear ambulance sirens intermittently like last year.

To me, this is always an indicator that people are needing hospitalization.

Another indicator is the fact that paracetamol is out of stock from drug stores and usual sources. It is common knowledge that paracetamol is taken by those with COVID-19 symptoms, especially fever. This is the first time in my life that I have heard of paracetamol being scarce. In fact, someone close to me who is symptomatic could not find any in Makati. I needed to send the only ones I had at home and it was not much.

Just scroll down Facebook or Twitter timeline and surely, one will come across numerous

posts of people saying they have COVID-19 symptoms. It is as if almost everyone is getting it. Are they getting tested for the virus? Many are, but at their own expense. Some choose to wait it out thinking that what they have would go away. This is especially true for those with mild symptoms. However, if they do not properly isolate, they put others in harm’s way.

Tests are not cheap. According to DOH Department Circular (DC) No. 2020-0391, RT-PCR tests can be had for a price tag of P3,800.00 to P5,000.00 per test. This can even go higher when there is a shortage and depending on where one sources it from. Ordinary Filipinos will not be able to afford this.

Imagine spending at least P19,000.00 to test a family of five.

COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Testing is also available and the DOH DC No. 2021-0323 puts the price cap at P960.00 per kit. This is cheaper but some say, less accurate. Still, spending almost P5,000.00 for a family of five will not be easy for ordinary Filipinos especially since this pandemic has brought poverty levels to new highs. Thus, we wonder, how do ordinary families, especially those in congested communities, cope?

No wonder, people are again demanding free COVID-19 mass testing.

Still, the government refuses to do this. Instead, it is planning to curtail the unvaccinated population’s freedom of movement. It is true that the virus, especially the Omicron variant, is highly contagious and per experts, those who are unvaccinated are more at risk to get it. They also have higher chances of needing hospitalization and getting severe COVID-19.

I fully understand that the government has the right to curtail certain freedoms of people if the general welfare and well-being of the whole population is at stake. However, preventing unvaccinated people from going out cannot be the only solution. It is impossible to put in house arrest all those who refuse to or have not had the chance to get inoculated.

Government can go on a house-to-house vaccination drive. I am sure that there are those who want to be vaccinated but just do not know how or where to get it. As far as those who refuse, home visits can facilitate a proper discussion and people can express their apprehensions about vaccines.

This is doable. Some local government units (LGUs) have done home visits to vaccinate the elderly and those with disabilities.

Some form of “ayuda” was delivered right to our doorsteps last year. There are also those that deliver “care packages” to those who are COVID-19 positive and are unable to get their daily needs. Someone I know has received hers from Marikina City. These initiatives can just be expanded for a vaccination drive.

Government cannot just curtail rights and not do other things to address the real problem. Free mass testing and vaccination drives will surely help. @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

Climate and pandemic injustice LAST November 2021, the 26th Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change convened in Glasgow, Scotland.

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UNFCCC Secretariat and the COP Presidency, held by the United Kingdom, had to make significant changes with regard to attendance and participation in the conference. While these efforts have been lauded for their attempts to create what has been initially dubbed the “most inclusive COP ever,” valid concerns have also been brought to the limelight, particularly with regard to the vaccine inequality which led to the palpable lack of representation from participants hailing from the Global South.

Together with Manila Observatory colleagues Joy Reyes and Tonichi Regalado, I wrote about how wide discrepancies in vaccine distribution have made it extremely difficult for countries in the Global South to fully participate in the Glasgow meeting, and while the UK government offered jabs to delegates who wished to attend, there were two hurdles to face. First, it required early confirmation of attendance to the conference, which many participants could not do given the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic; and second, vaccinating delegates did not mean vaccinating entire citizens.

Due to the vaccine inequality, plenty of participants from the Global South were not able to attend the COP, which highlighted not just the reality of lack of access to vac-

cines but put into question the equality of participation in the conference itself. Specifically, this meant that countries in the Global South, historically the least emitters of greenhouse gases and the most climate vulnerable nations, were unjustly deprived of global platforms from which they could demand decisive and just action on climate change.

Why contribute to our own destruction?

The more serious climate and pandemic injustice is of course the one that is playing in the real economy, in the real world where climate change is already wreaking havoc in communities all over the world and where coronavirus variants like Delta and Omicron are infecting and killing people everywhere even as it has made hundreds of millions poorer.

Those of us who work on climate change and disaster risk reduction and response know that Typhoon Odette, that hit the Visayas and Mindanao in December, is not the last and nor will it be the strongest typhoon Filipinos will experience. Storms will be stronger, more destructive, and more frequent. As I always say, we are not a small island state, but we are a country of small islands. Loss and damage is our future.

What is causing this? Not God, not nature. It’s human activities. It’s using coal and oil. It’s cutting trees. It’s not disposing garbage properly. It’s bad, very bad land use like reclamation projects.

It does not take rocket science to address these causes. Doing our fair share of mitigation and reduction of greenhouse gases, starting with ending coal power in the Phil-

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022

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EDITORIAL

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Extra care in COVID surge

OVID-19 cases are surging past the long Yuletide holidays – and the daily scenario has been terrifying.

As of January 7, the Department of Health reported 21,819 new infections, bringing the total caseload to 2.9 million, the sixth highest single-day tally since the public health emergency began in mid March of 2020.

Of the total cases, 2.7 percent or 77,369 are reported active or currently sick, detailed as the highest since October 2021 when 81,641 active cases were reported by health authorities.

What adds to this population anxiety amid the rising cases of infections and deaths has been the declaration by a local vaccine expert that almost all brands

of coronavirus vaccines have decreased efficacy against the Omicron variant of COVID, and that a possible “fourth dose” is already “in the radar” of the government panel.

Let’s continue practicing the safety measures we’ve mastered in the past two years.

Dr. Nina Gloriani, chairperson of the Vaccine Expert Panel, said the idea of a fourth dose had not been discussed in the all experts group, but a study was earlier released indicating that Sinovac’s twodose COVID-19 vaccine followed by a booster Pfizer-BioNTech shot showed a lower immune response against the Omi-

cron variant compared with other strains.

With these givens, we urge the population to practice extra care and those who have not received the jabs as yet to go for inoculation now, continue to practice COVID-19 precautions, stay home as is necessary and stay in touch with local authorities who can provide information on COVID-19 cases.

Anecdotal evidence indicates a much-higher number of actual cases, and this is much scarier. COVID has not only come closer to home but has actually invaded our homes, sometimes several times over. We need to stick to the protocol we already know so well, and practice them with greater diligence than ever.

The present surge in new cases of the coronavirus disease highlights yet once more the need to speed and scale up vaccination programs in the country as, world health authorities say, in other countries.

Blinking hell, let’s not turn a deaf ear.

Why take a neutral stand?

THE political and military advisers of the President made him appear ridiculous when he issued a statement that the country will remain neutral amid the escalating conflict between People’s Republic of China (or China for brevity) and Taiwan. Political analysts were appalled at that sudden pronouncement.

Many were surprised because there is really no room for the Philippines to stay neutral in the heightened tension between the two.

First, the country has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan to make ourselves neutral. Second, there is no conflict yet that exists with either China and Taiwan for us to prematurely declare ourselves neutral. Third, our hasty declaration only exposed how we failed to measure the gravity of our decision. Fourth, a position of neutrality unnecessarily vexed our friendship with China which today stands as our most prosperous and generous economic benefactor.

Fifth, our declaration of neutrality impliedly exposed our motive to commit ourselves to the “One-China” policy as pre-condition to our opening of diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.

For that, the international community is thinking there is something wrong in our policy direction. Why do we suddenly declare ourselves neutral in the conflict between the two warring factions, particularly against Taiwan with which we have no diplomatic relations? Besides, there is no valid and plausible reason why we have to take such a position. The international community will look at our leadership as silly that we cannot make up our mind.

Even if we cite the economic benefits, that decision by President Marcos was made during his visit in June 1976 and there was a precondition that we have to cut ties with Taiwan. In fact, China remained diplomatic when it allowed Taiwan to maintain their economic representatives in Manila despite our blatant violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic protocol. The government cannot be faulted much that it was a political decision to recognize the People’s Republic of China which is nearly accepted ippines. Why contribute to our own destruction? Using coal is assisted suicide.

Adaptation measures need to be accelerated, including getting much better at disaster risk reduction and fundamental changes in land use policy. Absolutely no more land reclamation projects should be allowed - in Manila Bay, in Dumaguete, in Cebu, etc.

Reclamation is also assisted suicide.

There are also many nature-based solutions that we can implement. Improving our mangrove defenses. Large scale reforestation and afforestation focusing more on protecting planted trees, unlike the current National Greening Program. Retooling to make agriculture more climate-smart. Above all, making our cities more resilient, including scaling up urban forestry and agriculture plus smart transportation and infrastructure interventions, and definitely not more than expressways like Parex over Pasig that will contribute only to more carbon and other pollutants in the air and destroy our heritage.

At the international level, we must work tirelessly to get all countries to adopt and implement nationally determined contributions that will enable us to keep the increase

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by all countries except to a handful of countries allied with the US. Besides, President Duterte should be grateful to China for refraining from extending material and moral support to the local insurgency movement, not to mention the enormous developmental, economic and medical assistance provided us during this period of the pandemic. Section 5 for instance of the Agreement to open diplomacy relations with China provides that Filipino-Chinese shall be granted Filipino citizenship and Filipino-Chinese shall renounce the practice of dual citizenship thus enhancing patriotism among Filipino-Chinese and contributing to increase the revenues of the government.

Political analysts were appalled.

The off-the-cuff news that the 2016 arbitral ruling rendered by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that Beijing’s demarcation of the nine-dash line is illegal is out of context in relation to the President’s pronouncement to take a neutral stand in the brewing conflict between China and Taiwan. No matter what happens, our dispute with China over some of the islands in the South China Sea can never be resolved by the outcome of the China-Taiwan dispute. Both countries claim the same area as their territory, and our declaration of neutrality makes us stupid before the eyes of the international community. Rather, we only complicated the issue because of our belligerency in pretending to be neutral but covertly favoring the US position for Taiwan. Others suggest that the country directly negotiate with China just as what Vietnam did to negotiate its dispute in the Paracel islands.

Our pronouncement of neutrality effectively means we are reneging our promise to honor the “One-China” Policy. According Lucio Pitlo of the Asia Way of Progress Foundation, the pronouncement of the President is “confined to the narrow circle of national security; that the use of Philippine military bases under the VFA and EDCA agreement could put the Philippines “in Beijing’s line of fire. This is especially true of US ships or warplanes (that) sail or take off from Philippine military basis.”

Pitlo’s assessment is rather anchored on the presumption that our alliance with the US of global temperature at 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. That means phasing out the use of coal and other fossil fuels faster than envisioned. That means getting developed countries to deliver on climate finance.

Above all, and that is my personal priority and the focus of our policy team in the Manila Observatory, we must really work hard to establish an international loss and damage facility in the next 2-3 years. We needed that facility yesterday and we can’t afford to lose more time.

In the meantime, however, our efforts to address climate change is stymied by a pandemic that refuses to go away. That too is experienced by countries and people differently, where social inequality has been a scourge and a burden preventing sustainable and effective solutions.

My hope is that in 2022, we will finally get a handle on these big issues and just transition pathways become clearer and are implemented.

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is extendable to include and assist Taiwan in its conflict with China. Pitlo forgot that there is no such thing as collateral alliance in our dealings with the US or with any country more so with Taiwan where we have no diplomatic relations. Our military alliance with the US cannot be stretched to compel us to participate in a war we never conceived or anticipated to be a part of our policy like correlating our 70-year alliance with the US to pretend neutrality when in fact, we are not.

Now that Taiwan and the US need an ally, their local dingoes are bowling to come to its defense which according to them, an attack by China on Taiwan could result in loss of jobs to thousands of Filipinos working there. Rather, they are not bothered that in the event of conflict, it is not just the loss of jobs and business opportunity but most importantly the economic and developmental assistance which China can provide because of its rapid economic development.

Director Jay Batongbacal of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and the Law of the Sea at the University of the Philippines is equally delirious in urging the country to come to the defense of Taiwan without analyzing that Taiwan does not enjoy the status of a state. As far as China and its allies are concerned, Taiwan is a part of China’s territory. This means our military ties with the US cannot be extended to that runaway province of China.

The case of Taiwan is complicated because Taiwan stands as a surrogate state of the US. It cannot even qualify as a member, say of the North Atlantic Alliance, because it lacks the status of a state. It is even hard to imagine the US gambling for the defense of its entire population in defense of a nonstate.

People like Batongbacal should have learned how the US have lopsidedly used their military bases in this country since 1946. He knows the Philippines cannot invoke the retaliatory clause provided under the Military Bases Agreement similar to NATO to allow us to collaterally extend our defense to Taiwan. For us to exercise such questionable assistance to non-states is outside the scope of our agreement that could make the country lower in category than that of Taiwan. There is no way we can apply our treaty with the US which has all the substance of a military alliance.

For the US to insist in calling a military agreement an executive agreement is undoubtedly intended to circumvent congressional approval in case of conflict in the Philippines except if it is their desire to go to war as what it did in Vietnam, Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. Notably, our declaration of neutrality already constitutes an implied violation of the “One-China Policy.” rpkapunan@gmail.com

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B2

World

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

More Hong Kong politicians sent to quarantine after birthday party HONG KONG ­ — Four Hong Kong lawmakers and the city’s immigration czar joined another top official at a quarantine camp as a coronavirus scare widened Friday, ensnaring political elite after they attended a large birthday party.

The latest high-profile entries into Hong Kong’s 21-day quarantine facilities have left city authorities red-faced as they install a new “patriots only” legislature, which is scheduled to hold its first meeting next Wednesday.

They are joining Home Affairs Secretary Caspar Tsui, who was sent to the camp Thursday after being deemed a close contact with a potential carrier.

By Friday, he was joined by four other lawmakers and immigration chief Au Kawang -- all of whom had attended a birthday party Monday at a tapas restaurant.

YULE LOG FIRE.

People attend the annual bonfire of dried oak branches, the Yule log symbol for the Orthodox Christmas eve, in front of the Orthodox cathedral in Podgorica on January 6. The branches are carried into the homes and burned on Orthodox Christmas Day, which is celebrated according to the Julian calendar, on January 7.

AFP

“I offer my sincere apology to all people of Hong Kong. I have reflected on this incident and shall be more vigilant in future,” Au said in a statement Friday.

He added he was at the restaurant for a short time and “left immediately after congratulating my friend without having a meal sitting down”.

Officials separately confirmed the lawmakers sent to the quarantine facility will miss the start of the legislative term.

“I feel I acted carelessly and I rather regret it,” lawmaker Duncan Chiu told local radio Friday morning. “This has set a bad example.”

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has said she was “very disappointed” in the large gathering of officials.

It was held to celebrate the birthday of Witman Hung, a member of China’s top lawmaking body, according to local media. AFP

ON ANNIVERSARY OF ‘INSURRECTION’

Biden tears into Trump in searing speech Japan extends W US military aid ASHINGTON—President Joe Biden on Thursday savaged Donald Trump’s “lies” and attempt to overturn the 2020 election, vowing on the first anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riot that he would let no one put a “dagger at the throat of democracy.”

After largely ignoring Trump for a year, Biden took off the gloves, describing the Republican as a cheat whose ego wouldn’t let him accept defeat and whose supporters almost shattered US democracy when they stormed Congress to prevent certifi-

Cambodian PM visits coup-hit Myanmar, junta YANGON—Cambodia’s strongman ruler Hun Sen arrived in Myanmar Friday for talks with the junta—the first foreign leader to visit since the generals seized power almost a year ago.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the February 1 coup which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government and ended the country’s decade-long dalliance with democracy.

More than 1,400 civilians have been killed as the military cracks down on dissent, according to a local monitoring group, and numerous anti-junta militias have sprung up around the country.

Hun Sen, whose country currently holds the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), landed in the capital Naypyidaw with three million facemasks and other medical equipment as a gift for the junta.

He has said he will use his meeting with military leader Min Aung Hlaing to press the “five point consensus” that ASEAN leaders agreed to last year as a means of defusing the Myanmar crisis.

Ahead of his trip, he called for a ceasefire, urging “all relevant parties” to stop the violence that has wracked the country for almost a year.

Rights groups and local anti-junta activists had urged Hun Sen to cancel the two-day trip, saying it legitimised the military regime.

But he called for patience, insisting the visit could have a positive impact.

International powers have piled diplomatic pressure on Myanmar’s military administration—officially called the State Administration Council —­with even traditional allies such as China lukewarm in their support. AFP

cation of the election.

It was a searing speech, signaling Biden’s decision to abandon his previously cautious approach—and it immediately prompted an equally bitter Republican backlash.

“This was an armed insurrection,” Biden declared from Statuary Hall inside the Capitol, where a year ago thousands of people brandishing Trump flags trampled over police to invade the chamber, forcing lawmakers to flee for their lives.

“For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election. He tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power,” Biden said.

“I will allow no one to place a dagger at the throat of democracy.”

Biden’s voice filled with anger as he laid out the dangers facing a country that has long styled itself as leader of the free world.

“Are we going to be a nation that ac-

cepts political violence as a norm?” he asked.

Although Biden deliberately did not mention Trump’s name, he made clear whom he was talking about in a blistering portrait of a man he said scorned democracy because he couldn’t accept defeat.

“The former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election,” Biden said.

“He values power over principle.”

During the assault on Congress, Trump was “sitting in the private dining room off the Oval Office in the White House, watching it all on television and doing nothing,” Biden said, his anger clear. AFP

NEW CORVETTE.

A Taiwan Navy instructor points at the control room during a media tour of the domestically produced corvette class vessel Tuo Chiang at the northern city of Keelung on January 7. AFP

Kazakh leader says order ‘mainly restored’ after unrest ALMATY—Kazakhstan’s president said Friday that order had been mostly restored in the country after days of unprecedented violence that saw a Moscow-led military alliance send troops to help quell unrest.

The interior ministry said security forces had taken all the country’s regions “under increased protection” and that 26 “armed criminals” had been killed and 18 wounded in the unrest.

“The constitutional order has been mainly restored in all regions,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a statement after meeting with top officials.

“But terrorists are still using weap-

ons, causing damage to civilian property,” he said.

“The counter-terrorist operation will continue until the total destruction of the militants.”

Tokayev confirmed that a peacekeeping force from the Russia-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) had arrived in Kazakhstan.

He said it would stay “for a limited period” and ensure “the protection of strategic facilities.”

Tokayev was due to make an address to the nation­—his third this week—later on Friday.

Long seen as one the most stable of the ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia,

energy-rich Kazakhstan is facing its biggest crisis in decades after days of protests over rising fuel prices escalated into widespread unrest.

Protesters stormed government buildings in the largest city Almaty on Wednesday and fought running battles with police and the military, with officials saying 748 security officers were wounded and 18 killed, including two had been decapitated.

Tokayev declared a nationwide state of emergency and appealed for help from the CSTO, which includes five other ex-Soviet states, to combat what he called “terrorist groups” that had “received extensive training abroad.” AFP

2 Haiti journalists killed by gang as country endures security crisis

OUCHIE. A schoolgirl reacts as a health worker inoculates her with the dose of

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the Covid-19 coronavirus for the 12-15 years age group at an educational institution in Colombo on January 7. AFP

PORT-AU-PRINCE—Two journalists in Haiti were killed Thursday by a gang operating on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince, as the country endures an ongoing security crisis six months after the assassination of its president.

Wilguens Louissaint and Amady John Wesley were killed in a shooting, Radio Ecoute FM told AFP. A third journalist, who was with them at the time, escaped.

“We condemn in the strongest terms this criminal and barbaric act,” said Francky Attis, general director of Radio Ecoute FM, which employed Wesley.

His statement denounced the “serious attack on the rights to life” and on “journalists exercising their profession freely in this country.”

Based in the Canadian city of Montreal, which is home to a large Haitian community, the media outlet asked Haiti’s government to “act responsibly to create favorable security conditions for all.”

Gangs in Haiti have recently extended their reach beyond the poorer neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince.

The area of Laboule 12, where the three journalists were reporting on Thursday, is the subject of intense fighting between several armed gangs attempting to secure its control.

A route through the area is the only alternative to reach the southern half of the country apart from the main road, which has been controlled since June by one of Haiti’s most powerful gangs.

Six months ago, then-president Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his private residence in Port-au-Prince, worsening the political and security crisis that Haitians deal with daily.

Haiti recorded at least 950 kidnappings in 2021, according to the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, based in Port-au-Prince.

Underequipped and facing heavily armed criminal groups, Haiti’s police have not organized any large-scale operations against the gangs since March 2021.

On March 12, four police officers were killed in an attempted raid in a Port-auPrince neighborhood, known to be used by one gang as a holding area for kidnap victims. AFP

amid China, Nokor worries

TOKYO­—Japan moved ahead with an expansion of support to US troops as the allies held top-level talks on Friday over tensions with China and North Korea.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the two nations were signing a five-year extension of the support package provided by Japan for the hosting of around 50,000 US troops on its soil.

The new agreement “will invest greater resources to deepen our military readiness and interoperability,” Blinken said at the opening of fourway virtual talks between the allies’ foreign and defence chiefs.

“Our allies must not only strengthen the tools we have but also develop new ones,” Blinken said Thursday in Washington.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, appearing from isolation after a mild case of Covid-19, said the allies were “evolving our roles and missions to reflect Japan’s growing ability to contribute to regional peace and stability.”

Japan renounced its right to wage war after World War II and has since developed a close alliance with Washington, which is treaty-bound to defend the world’s third-largest economy.

Tokyo pays the costs of the US forces in the country as well as utilities. A previous agreement was set to expire in March 2021 but was extended for a year around a change of administration in Washington.

According to the foreign ministry, the new five-year package will amount to 211 billion yen ($1.8 billion) per fiscal year, an increase of about five percent. AFP

Drug turf war kills 10 in Mexico town MEXICO CITY—Ten bodies were found Thursday in a sports utility vehicle left outside a town hall in a northern Mexican state gripped by a turf war between rival drug cartels, authorities said.

The grisly discovery was made in the early morning in the main square in the city of Zacatecas, state governor David Monreal said in a message via social media.

The corpses showed signs of having been beaten, he said.

Monreal later tweeted that the alleged perpetrators had been arrested, without identifying them.

The Mexican security ministry, which confirmed the number of bodies found in the SUV, said it had sent personnel to help with the investigation into the incident.

The notorious Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels are fighting in the area for control of drug smuggling routes to the United States, officials and experts say.

Zacatecas state has seen an upsurge in violence in recent years.

In November, the bodies of six people were found hanging from a bridge and a tree in the city of Fresnillo, prompting the Mexican government to send security reinforcements.

Across Mexico, more than 300,000 people have been killed in a wave of bloodshed since the government deployed the army to fight drug cartels in 2006. AFP

Business PSEi January 7, 2022

TOP GAINERS

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

1 ABSP 13.48 1.28 10.49% 2 CEU 6.97 0.46 7.07% 3 MVC 4.28 0.18 4.39% 4 ALLDY 0.6 0.02 3.45% 5 ION 0.71 0.02 2.90% 6 GMAP 13.5 0.38 2.90% 7 FEU 550 15 2.80% 8 PHR 0.74 0.02 2.78% 9 FPH 71.9 1.9 2.71% 10 GSMI 109.2 2.7 2.54%

TOP LOSERS

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

1 DIZ 4.57 -0.88 -16.15% 2 FJP 2.28 -0.32 -12.31% 3 VUL 0.8 -0.08 -9.09% 4 OPM 0.01 -0.001 -9.09%

B3

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks sink; Puregold, AC Energy lead losers

T

HE stock market sank Friday over worries the economic recovery may stall on further mobility restrictions as daily COVID-19 cases continue to pile up.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slumped 74.41 points, or 1 percent, to 7,011.11 on a value turnover of P5.8 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 136 to 51, with 46 issues unchanged.

Puregold Price Club Inc. of retail tycoon Lucio Co fell 4.6 percent to P36.60, while Security Bank Corp., the eighth biggest lender in terms of assets, dropped 4.5 percent to P104.10.

AC Energy Corp. of the Ayala Group declined 3.3 percent to P9.33, while sister unit and major property developer Ayala Land Inc. decreased 3 percent to P33.85

The rest of Asian equities were mixed Friday as investors battled to instigate a recovery after this week’s volatile start to the new year, with the release of key US jobs data taking centre stage.

News that the Federal Reserve is planning a more aggressive campaign to fight surging inflation rattled global traders, who have enjoyed almost two years of cheap cash that has helped push some markets to record or multi-year highs.

The Fed’s decision to remove the support put in place at the start of the pandemic comes as the world’s top economy continues to show resilience, with unemployment falling, despite supply chain snarls and rising energy costs that sent prices soaring.

Minutes released Wednesday showed the positive view on the recovery led the US central bank to start hiking interest rates sooner and quicker than expected.

There were also indications officials were considering reducing its massive bond holdings, adding upward pressure

to lending costs—Treasury yields are set for their biggest weekly jump since 2020, according to Bloomberg News.

The minutes sent global markets plunging, with tech firms among the worst hit as they are more reliant on debt to fuel growth.

Wall Street extended losses Thursday, though the selling was less severe.

Asia fared a little better, with Hong Kong up 1.8 percent, and Sydney and Seoul rising more than one percent each, while Singapore, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta also rose. Tokyo pared early losses to end flat, with Shanghai, Wellington and Taipei lower.

“We knew coming into 2022 that the Fed was going to be a creator of volatility within the market and we’re seeing that right out of the gate at the start of the year,” Lindsey Bell, at Ally Invest, told Bloomberg News.

“The good news is that... things seem to be stabilizing a little bit after (the initial) knee-jerk reaction.” With AFP

5 OPMB 0.01 -0.001 -9.09% 6 FPI 0.265 -0.025 -8.62% 7 BSC 0.53 -0.05 -8.62% 8 BKR 1.58 -0.12 -7.06% 9 ARA 0.96 -0.07 -6.80% 10 LFM 27 -1.85 -6.41%

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME

VALUE (PHP)

1 ACEN 2 ALI

67,482,000 625,535,571 10,437,800 355,819,490

3 SECB 3,288,160 347,105,026 4 TEL

151,705 280,182,245

5 MONDE 17,097,800 273,176,420 6 SMPH 7,227,200 240,318,540 7 AC

256,040 211,862,085

8 PGOLD 5,596,100 207,235,760 9 ICT 1,001,670 194,160,110 10 CNVRG 5,335,800 164,779,975

LEISURE BOAT. An attendee sits for a demonstration in a model of the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Group’s Avikus

autonomous cruising leisure boat during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 6, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The CES tech show threw open its doors Wednesday in Las Vegas despite surging COVID-19 cases in the United States, as one of the world’s largest trade fairs tried to get back to business. AFP

Metaverse gets touch of reality at US consumer show

By Julie Jammot LAS VEGAS, United States—A jacket equipped with sensors that let wearers feel hugs or even punches in virtual reality was among the innovations giving the metaverse a more realistic edge at the Consumer Electronics Show.

“What is the metaverse if you can’t feel it?” asked Jose Fuertes, founder of the Spainbased startup Owo, which made the jacket.

“It’s just avatars.”

The “metaverse”—a parallel universe where human, augmented and virtual realities are supposed to merge—was a hot theme at the annual gadget extravaganza in Las Vegas, with startups showing off computers, headsets and other gear promising to enhance time spent in virtual worlds.

Owo touts its jacket as able to immerse wearers, whether in video games or in the metaverse, letting them feel “a gunshot, the wind, someone grabbing your arm and even a hug from a loved one.”

The tight-fitting jacket features bands that stick to the skin, with sensors that sync to a mobile application. Before donning a virtual reality (VR) headset, the wearer can choose the intensity of each sensation.

“Our mission is to turn the virtual into reality with a second skin; to add the sense

of touch in the metaverse or video games,” Fuertes said as AFP tried out the jacket.

The Owo garb—to be priced less than $450 when it hits the market late this year—brings to mind the sci-fi novel-turned-film “Ready Player One,” in which people in a dystopian world live alternate lives in a virtual universe.

The science fiction future seems distant given a lack of full body suits and comfortable headsets for simulated experiences, or ubiquitous high-speed internet service to handle such rich data streams.

Nonetheless, the metaverse has become a popular topic since being endorsed by Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg so enthusiastically that the technology company was renamed “Meta.”

Sound of inevitability?

Virtual reality has mostly been used for video games, despite its potential for experiences such as letting people visit museums, landmarks or far-off cities while sitting at home, and even for providing seats literally in the middle of feature films.

While companies such as Meta and HTC have invested heavily in virtual reality headsets, the equipment is still not light and comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time.

“I’m the biggest sort of augmented and virtual reality nerd, but I don’t think we are anywhere close to anything exciting happen-

ing in the metaverse,” said Paddy Cosgrave, head of Web Summit in Europe.

He expects it to take more than a decade for the metaverse to become real.

“Nothing can stop it,” Touchcast chief and founder Edo Segal said of the metaverse.

Touchcast showed off a platform for collaboration between companies in virtual reality, complete with “.metaverse” addresses akin to .com web addresses. But the domains will be registered on a blockchain database, instead of on servers.

“In 1999, it was hard to believe people would buy things online,” Segal said.

“Look where we are today. Humanity is moving in this direction.”

Industry trackers report that sales of virtual reality gear were boosted by the pandemic as people relied on the internet for games, work, learning and socializing.

‘Like a cyborg’ Since the pandemic began restricting people’s movements, Takuma Iwasa has taken to spending weekends on a VR platform where people chat and party in a virtual world with avatars as their proxies.

As the year 2020 neared its end, the young Japanese entrepreneur focused on ways someone’s leg or torso movements can be mirrored by avatars and other ways of making visits to virtual worlds more realistic. AFP

Inflation rate in Germany reached 5.3% in December FRANKFURT, Germany—Consumer prices in Germany rose in December at their fastest pace since June 1992, official data showed on Thursday, pushed up by rising energy costs and supply bottlenecks.

The annual inflation rate climbed to 5.3 percent, accelerating for the sixth month in a row, after a 5.2-percent increase in November, the federal statistics agency Destatis said in preliminary figures.

Over the whole of 2021, inflation came in at 3.1 percent, the highest year-end figure since 1993.

The acceleration had a “number of reasons,” the agency said, including higher costs for energy, supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic and a temporary VAT cut in 2020, which lowers the base against which current price rises are measured.

The December inflation figures were the last to factor in the tax holiday, introduced to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on the economy.

The question that arose was whether inflation had reached its “summit” or if there would be a “further, hitherto unexpected rise,” said Fritzi Koehler-Geib, chief economist at the public lender KfW. “Both are conceivable. There is much to suggest that price growth will cool off as a result of the elimination of base effects,” while it remains “uncertain” how quickly bottlenecks or energy price rises would ease.

Gas prices have surged in Europe in recent months as demand has soared with economies emerging from their COVID-induced restrictions.

The spike has been further fueled by geopolitical tensions surrounding Russia, which supplies one third of Europe’s gas.

Western countries accuse Russia of limiting gas deliveries to put pressure on Europe amid tensions over the Ukraine conflict to push through regulatory approval for the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline set to ship gas to Germany. AFP

Strong employment report lynchpin to Fed rate hikes WASHINGTON—The American economy likely saw strong job gains in the final month of 2021, which could shorten the timeline for the US central bank to raise interest rates.

The Federal Reserve has been setting the stage to increase borrowing costs more aggressively to rein in growing inflation, and that prospect sent markets into a tailspin this week, even though policymakers have telegraphed the possibility of rate hikes in advance.

The COVID-19 pandemic and waves of new variants have buffeted the world’s largest economy, with massive layoffs followed by a strong recovery and business reopenings followed by renewed closures.

Rather than rushing back to work, many Americans, flush with high savings helped by government aid, opted to stay on the sidelines and out of the

labor force, further straining businesses.

In these uncharted waters, supply chain snarls have contributed to a wave of record price increases, all conspiring to complicate the Fed’s policy deliberations.

The central bank has nervously eyed inflation as consumer prices hit their highest level in four decades, and began to pull back on its stimulus programs more aggressively in November.

But when it comes to raising the benchmark lending rate off zero, the Fed is waiting to see the economy return to maximum employment—a difficultto-define target.

The Labor Department is set to release its December employment report on Friday, and the consensus forecast is for a gain of 440,000 jobs—more than double the disappointing November tally. AFP

China not luring African nations into debt traps—foreign minister An attendee demonstrates the Owo vest, which allows users to feel physical sensations during metaverse experiences such as virtual reality games, including wind, gunfire or punching, at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 5, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

MOMBASA, Kenya—China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday rejected suggestions that Beijing was luring African countries into debt traps by offering them massive loans, dismissing the idea as a “narrative” pushed by opponents to poverty reduction.

Wang, speaking ahead of touring Beijing-funded infrastructure projects in Kenya, said China’s considerable lending to Africa was “mutually benefiting” and not a strategy to extract diplomatic and commercial concessions.

“That is simply not a fact. It is speculation being played out by some with ulterior motives,” he told reporters in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa.

“This is a narrative that has been created by those who do not want to see development in Africa. If there is any trap, it is about poverty and underdevelopment,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.

Wang’s three-nation tour of Eritrea, Kenya and the Comoros follows a trip to Africa by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in November that in part aimed at countering China’s growing influence on the continent.

China is Africa’s largest trading partner, with direct trade worth over $200 billion (177 billion euros) in 2019, according to official Chinese figures.

China is Kenya’s second-largest lender after the World Bank and has funded a number of costly infrastructure projects that have raised concerns about Nairobi taking on more debt than it can afford.AFP

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

B4

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022

Business

IN BRIEF

BPI and BPI Family merger now in effect THE Bank of the Philippine Islands announced Friday that effective Jan. 1, 2022, the merger with BPI Family Savings Bank, its wholly-owned thrift bank subsidiary, officially took effect, with BPI as the surviving entity, as approved by shareholders and regulators.

The merger will enable BPI to seize and optimize opportunities to enhance the overall banking experience of customers. As one BPI, customers will have access to the full suite of the BPI group’s products and services, via its digital and physical channels.

“We initiated and pushed for this merger with the best interests of our customers and employees in mind,” said BPI president and chief executive TG Limcaoco.

“One BPI is about changing the way we think and act as one of the country’s trusted financial partners.

More importantly, One BPI is about changing the way we serve our customers relevant to the times.

One BPI is about banking for the future, to enable us to lead the economic turnaround, towards a better and sustainable Philippines,” Limcaoco said.

Post-merger activities will start in the first quarter of 2022, and are targeted for completion by the end of 2022.

PhilWeb sells P750-m preferred shares

FINANCIAL LITERACY. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno (top, left) stresses the importance of arming Filipino soldiers with the knowledge to make sound financial decisions during the turnover of three financial education videos to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Produced under a collaboration between the BSP and the BDO Foundation, the videos are a vital component of a financial literacy program to empower the AFP’s 140,000 personnel and their families. With Diokno are (by row, from left) BSP Economic and Financial Learning Office director Maria Farah Angka, BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito and AFP Brig. Gen. Raul Ciño, chief of the Chaplain Service.; BDO trustees Corazon Mallillin and Evelyn Salagubang; AFP deputy chief of staff for personnel Major Gen. Adriano Perez Jr. and Philippine Navy vice commander, Major Gen. Nestor Herico.

November jobless rate dropped to 6.5%

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE unemployment rate dropped from 7.4 percent in October to 6.5 percent in November, the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the country, as the economy reopened toward greater normalcy and put more people back to work, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show.

The PSA said the November figure was the lowest since January 2021.

The second lowest was in July 2021 at 6.9 percent, followed by 7.1 percent in March 2021 at 7.1 percent. The unemployment rate was highest in the September 2021 at 8.9 percent.

The PSA said the number of unemployed persons in November in terms of magnitude reached 3.16 million, lower by 345,000 than 3.50 million recorded in October.

“The country’s employment rate picked up in November 2021 to 93.5 percent, the highest reported since the start of 2021. This was equivalent to 45.48 million employed persons. In October, it was 43.83 million, and in September, 43.59 million,” the PSA said.

Underemployment rate, or the proportion of the underemployed to the total employed, was registered at 16.7 percent, higher than the October estimate of 16.1 percent, but lower than the 20.9 percent reported in July 2021.

Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate in November was estimated at 64.2 percent, translating into 48.64 million individuals aged 15 years old and above who were either employed or unemployed. This rate was higher than the LFPR reported from January to October,

except in March and June 2021, which were both at 65.0 percent, and May 2021 (64.6 percent).

By broad industry group, the services sector dominated all sectors having the largest share of employed persons with 58.1 percent. The agriculture and the industry sectors contributed 24.5 percent and 17.4 percent of the employed persons, respectively.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa said the lower restrictions put more people back to work in November 2021.

“Economic reopening helped generate job. However, job quality was wanting.

Underemployment rose to 16.7 percent from 16.1 percent while work hours fell.

Lower quarantine restrictions allowed firms to hire more workers but at shorter shifts,” Mapa said.

Mapa said a decent “headway” was made in the past few months as the economy gradually reopened. “However the current level of employment is still well below the pre-COVID unem-

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Smart, GET give 8 electric shuttles to Valenzuela City

Friday, January 8, 2022

-74.41 PTS. 7,011.11

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

647,434,969 80,183

TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP)

5,846,014,802.59

ADVANCES 51 DECLINES 136 UNCHANGED 46

F oreign E xchange R ate

By Alena Mae S. Flores SMART Communications Inc. and eco-friendly transport solutions provider Global Electric Transport Philippines are boosting green shuttle service in Valenzuela City.

Smart and GET Philippines turned over eight COMET electric shuttles to the city government to offer residents a cleaner and greener option to get around.

“This is another example of us providing added values that are relevant to our customers and help build resilient communities. Other than providing free transportation to existing Smart subscribers, this allows us to further take care of our environment as we live smarter for a better world,” said Melvin Consunji Nubla, first vice president and head of Go To Market and Subscriber Management at Smart.

The COMET has a fully electric motor that boasts of Formula-E technology and performance adapted for public transportation. One COMET shuttle cuts harmful carbon dioxide or CO2 emissions by around 40,000 kilograms annually.

The eco-friendly electric shuttle service can seat 20 passengers and accommodate 10 more standing commuters. It can travel over a hundred kilometers on a full battery and only needs half an hour to fully recharge.

“A year of operating the COMET is equivalent to 700 trees. It’s also an economical alternative because the cost per kilometer is less than half compared to that of diesel-powered public utility vehicles,” said GET Philippines president Freddie Tinga.

Initially, COMETs will ply the Puregold Malanday-Ayala 30th route with ten stops in between. Smart subscribers enjoy free rides in 2022.

To ride the electric shuttle service, commuters need to download the GETPASS app from Google Play Store or the App Store, register and join to become a member of the Smart GIGA Organization.

Smart’s commitment to environmental, social and corporate governance principals highlights the company’s support to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals particularly UNSDG No. 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

ployment average [of 5.5 percent].”

Alert level in Metro Manila was eased to 2 from 3 on Nov. 5, 2021 and nationwide in the latter part of the month when senior citizens and minors were finally allowed to go out of their homes after more than one and a half years.

Many businesses industries were allowed to operate at much higher capacity and some industries hit hard since the pandemic started were allowed to operate again.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases after the holiday season to new three-month highs resulted in higher Alert Level 3 from 2 for Metro Manila and other cities and provinces since early January 2022 until Jan. 15, 2022.

Ricafort said this “could lead to some soft patch on employment data that could lead to some slight pick-up in unemployment rate especially in January 2022.”

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022

ABOITIZ RELIEF BOXES. A team member from AboitizPower unit Therma

Visayas Inc. unloads relief boxes for distribution in Toledo City, Cebu. In response to the devastation wreaked by super typhoon Odette on its host community, TVI mobilized a relief operation that helped ease the lives of 2,250 affected families in Toledo. TVI kicked off its program on Dec. 24 with an allocation of P1.7 million to provide families with relief packs containing easy-to-cook food, rice and drinking water to help them in getting by as the midwestern Cebu town recovers. The beneficiary barangays include Bato, Cabitoonan and Awihao.

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.1310

Japan

Yen

0.008634

0.4415

UK

Pound

1.353500

69.2058

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128195

6.5547

Switzerland

Franc

1.085658

55.5108

Canada

Dollar

0.785546

40.1658

Singapore

Dollar

0.735024

37.5825

Australia

Dollar

0.716000

36.6098

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652590

135.6296

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266361

13.6193

Brunei

Dollar

0.732332

37.4449

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.029842

1.5259

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.9223

Euro

Euro

1.129500

57.7525

Korea

Won

0.000830

0.0424

China

Yuan

0.156666

8.0105

India

Rupee

0.013444

0.6874

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237473

12.1422

New Zealand

Dollar

0.674500

34.4879

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036149

1.8483 Source: BSP

Economy to lose P3b weekly under Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila THE interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee said Friday the shift from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3 in the National Capital Region and adjacent provinces over rising COVID-19 cases will result in a gross value added loss of about P3 billion a week.

DBCC is composed of the heads of the National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Finance and Department of Budget and Management.

“The Development Budget Coordination Committee is closely monitoring the impact of the elevated number of COVID-19 cases, especially in the National Capital Region and its neighboring provinces,” it said in a statement.

“We estimate that the shift from Alert level 2 to Alert level 3 for NCR plus, which includes Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, will result in a gross value added loss of about P3.0 billion per week,” it said.

Gross value added is an economic productivity metric that measures the contribution of a corporate subsidiary, company or municipality to an economy, producer, sector, or region. GVA is important because it is used to adjust GDP, which is a key indicator of the state of a nation’s total economy.

The DBCC while the raise in alert level might delay the goal of shifting to Alert level 1, this is a temporary setback and is a necessary adjustment in view of the new

COVID variant.

“As we previously said, we are in a better position to manage possible spikes— we have enough vaccines and funding for booster shots; we have increased hospital capacity; we now resort to granular lockdowns; and, from all indications, the Omicron variant results in less severe cases, especially to those who are fully vaccinated,” it said.

The government said that as of Jan. 5, 110.9 million doses were rolled out. Of the total, 57.3 million and 51.1 million doses were administered as the first doses and complete doses, respectively, while 2.5 million doses were administered as booster doses .Julito G. Rada

GAMING firm PhilWeb Corp. said Friday it raised P750 million from the issuance of convertible preferred shares to two major shareholders.

PhilWeb said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board approved the issuance of 159.269 million preferred shares at subscription price of P4.709 per share to Gregorio Araneta Inc. and PhilWeb Casino Corp. The preferred shares carry a dividend rate of 8 percent per annum.

Cash proceeds from the subscription to the convertible preferred shares will be used for capital expenditure and working capital of the company, it said. A total of 97,260 million shares were issued to GAI, a company owned by businessman Gregorio Araneta, while 62,008 shares were issued to PhilWeb Casino.

Once the preferred shares are converted into common shares, GAI’s stake in PhilWeb will rise to 58.11 percent from 57.78 percent, while PhilWeb Casino’s ownership in the company would increase to 13.73 percent from 10.94 percent.

Jenniffer B. Austria

China Bank cited as best bank in PH

CHINA Banking Corp. was named the Best Bank in the Philippines by Hong Kong-based financial publication The Asset for its strong financial performance and proven expertise in corporate and institutional banking, advisory and transaction banking and environmental, social and governance initiatives.

China Bank bested the other banks in the country, including the largest ones. Meanwhile, China Bank Capital was named the Best Bond Adviser (domestic), winning the distinction for the sixth consecutive year. China Bank and China Bank Capital will be awarded at The Asset Triple A Country Awards in March.

China Bank was the country’s best performing bank in 2020 in terms of profitability, posting fullyear net income growth of 20 percent, while most banks’ earnings dropped. China Bank recorded a 35-percent increase in net profit in the first nine months of 2021 as the economy started to open up.

It is the only bank in the country to record higher quarterly net income year-on-year since the start of the global pandemic. The bank also had one of the best cost efficiency ratios among banks with assets of over P1 trillion. Julito G. Rada

Consumer research study shows broad support for vape bill A STUDY points to overwhelming support for a vape bill approved by the two chambers of Congress aimed at providing less harmful alternatives to combustible cigarettes and helping smokers quit.

Nine of 10 Filipino smokers and nicotine consumers believe the government should enact policies to encourage adult smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives to cigarettes, while also ensuring these products are not used by minors.

The study was conducted by ACORN Marketing & Research Consultants and commissioned by consumer advocacy group Vapers PH in August 2021.

ACORN is the largest independent Asian research network with full-service offices in 11 Asian countries, including the Philippines. The survey had a sample size of 2,000 legal-age smokers.

Results of the survey show that 90 percent of respondents believe that the government should come up with new ways to reduce the harm caused by smoking cigarettes.

Senators overwhelmingly approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2239, or the Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation bill, last month. Once signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte, the Vaporized Nicotine Products Bill will regulate e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and other vaporized nicotine products while ensuring that they contribute to government revenues.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, the main sponsor of SB 2239, said, “It is good public policy for people smoking to shift to these types [vaporized nicotine] of products” as “there will be less death and less expense on the part of society in treating patients.”

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he has a personal reason for voting “yes” for the bill. “My brother was a heavy smoker for 45 years. When he switched to heated tobacco now, he has stopped completely smoking and is very healthy,” he said.

Construction progress rate of MRT Line 7 hits 62% as delivery of new train continues

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Transportation said Friday the construction of Metro Rail Transit Line 7 reached a progress rate of 62.10 percent in early January.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the project’s construction is in full swing in partnership with the San Miguel Group, and that the delivery of brand-new trains from South Korea is ongoing.

MRT-7 is expected to accommodate 300,000 passengers in its first year of full operations and 850,000 by its 12th year.

Once completed, the 22-kilometer railway will link North Ave. in Quezon City and San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan province, reducing travel time from the present two to three hours to 35 minutes.

SMC president and chief executive Ramon Ang earlier said MRT 7 project

aimed to alleviate traffic and pollution, boost economic activity, create jobs and opportunities and improve the quality of life in the metropolis.

“MRT-7 is a vital cog in our longterm goal to develop an integrated and interconnected transportation system where people from all income levels can get around and beyond the metropolis, quickly and efficiently,” said Ang. The project took nearly 20 years

from the submission of the unsolicited proposal before its actual construction.

The unsolicited proposal was submitted to DOTC on Aug. 27, 2001, while the concession agreement was signed on Aug. 18, 2008.

Not a single post was built, and not a single train was ordered or started production as of June 2016,. Actual construction of the project began in August 2016 during the Duterte administration.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022

Aussie Open struggling to live up to a ‘Happy Slam’

People hold placards up at a government detention centre where Serbia’s tennis champion Novak Djokovic is reported to be staying in Melbourne, after Australia said it had cancelled the entry visa of Djokovic, opening the way to his detention and deportation in a dramatic reversal for the tennis world number one. AFP

COVID-19 surge forces POC to reset assembly to Jan. 26 T

HE Philippine Olympic Committee is rescheduling its first General Assembly from January 12 to 26 due to the sudden surge of infections from COVID-19’s Omicron variant.

POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Friday that the body doesn’t want to risk its members and officials from the spike in infections which were recorded after the holidays. The hybrid GA was

B. League halts play, checks teams for infection ORGANIZERS of the B.League are set to call off many games this weekend because of a surge in COVID-19 infections.

According to reports, the entire squad of SanEn NeoPhoenix and the Ibaraki Robots are undergoing close monitoring from organizers.

Players have tested positive of COVID-19 and the infections reportedly took place after SanEn faced Ryukyu, and Ibaraki played against Tokyo last weekend.

Thirdy Ravena and the NeoPhoenix are supposed face Hokkaido this weekend, while Javi Gomez de Liaño and the Robots are to clash with Bobby Ray Parks and Nagoya Diamond Dolphins.

Also being monitored are both Mikawa and Kyoto.

The Mikawa Seahorses’ match against Kiefer Ravena’s Shiga Lakestars this weekend could also get postponed because of the COVID-19 cases.

On the other hand, Kobe Paras and Niigata are waiting for the results of their weekend opponent’s Osaka after two Evessa players have tested positive for COVID-19.

scheduled at the Grandmaster Hotel in Tagaytay City.

The postponement, Tolentino said, deferred the GA’s ratification of the recommendations of the POC Ethics Committee, topped by the

declaration of Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico as persona non grata.

“We just cannot risk everybody’s health and although we have a stacked agenda to start the year, we have to heed protocols,” Tolentino said.

Tolentino said the stacked agenda includes updates and finalization of tasks on the Winter Olympics which starts on February 4, the Hanoi 31st

Southeast Asian Games in May and Hangzhou 19th Asian Games in September.

“The Paris Olympics are just already only two years away but we’re putting priority on the Games,” Tolentino said.

Tolentino added that the GA will also be provided with updates on the POC’s financial aid program on athletes and coaches who were severely affected by Typhoon Odette.

Sealza 2-time winner at CTW tennis festival ALIMODIAN—Elemar Sealza routed Felix Gomez, 8-1, to capture the men’s singles’ division and complete the typhoon-marred CTW Philippine Tennis Association Community Tennis Festival at the scenic coastal municipality of Alimodian in Iloilo Province.

Sealza became a two-time winner after playing with Mario Sealza to turn back the hard-fighting pair of Felix Gomez and Angelo Mondragon, 8-3, in the men’s doubles’ class.

In the women’s singles’ category, Crystal Feb Ojaldon scored an 8-3 victory over Alizee Sulivan. But Ojaldon failed to sustain her winning ways when

her partnership with Faith Alavanzas fell to Alizee Sulivan and Sarah Sangalang, 5-8.

On Christmas Day, Mark Gaco and Maria Divinagracia crowned themselves singles’ champions after defeating separate rivals at the historic Bacolod Panaad shell courts.

Gaco fashioned an exciting 4-3 (9) triumph past Manila-based Reyniel Marcellana to pocket the men’s singles trophy; while Divinagracia blanked Rogen Cerillo, 4-0, to bag the women’s singles jewel.

In Davao City, Andrei Padao turned back Roddick Litang, 3-5, 5-3, 10-7, to claim the men’s singles title at the Flores

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Tennis Club; while Andre Sing nipped JR Nobleza, 3-5, 4-1, 10-8, to win the juniors’ singles’ trophy.

The CTW Philta Community Tennis Festival is a nationwide tennis program implementing the “self umpire” rule with the objective of providing Filipino netters a tougher tournament environment at par with the international junior events.

“The no umpire or self umpire rule is the best preparation for our juniors who will eventually compete in international tournaments,” said former top Negros Occidental netter and organizer Juvan Divinagracia. “Their mental toughness will also be improved.”

MELBOURNE—The rapidly spreading Omicron variant, no Serena Williams or Roger Federer and now the Novak Djokovic saga—the Australian Open is struggling to live up to its “Happy Slam” reputation.

With the tournament just 10 days away, there was the threat Friday of more disarray with the possibility of other players being in a similar predicament to the world number one.

The vaccine-sceptic Djokovic, the Australian Open defending champion, was detained on arrival in the country this week, his visa cancelled for failing to meet tough coronavirus pandemic entry restrictions.

The 34-year-old Serb is now languishing in a Melbourne immigration detention facility and fighting deportation.

Two other players or staff attending the Open are also now being investigated, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said.

Tennis Australia, which organises the first Grand Slam of the year, is in the spotlight for its role in the debacle having been part of the process that got Djokovic a medical exemption from having a Covid jab.

An online analysis piece by national broadcaster ABC said that the Open “is in chaos with arguably the tournament’s biggest drawcard on the men’s side in limbo and the decision-making of organisers and government under intense scrutiny”.

Missing star power The Australian Open is known as the “Happy Slam” for its perfect weather, bumper crowds and party atmosphere at Melbourne Park, which sits beside the banks of the Yarra River.

But like all major sports events since coronavirus emerged in late 2019 in China, the pandemic has come calling.

Last year’s Australian Open was thrown into doubt by Covid and eventually started three weeks late before fans were barred mid-tournament when authorities ordered a snap lockdown across Victoria state.

This year was supposed to be different with the vaccines, but then came Omicron and infection numbers rising fast in Australia and beyond.

Even if Djokovic, who is chasing a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title, does go on to defend his title, the tournament will still be missing some star power.

Federer, who also has 20 Slam titles, will not be there as he battles to recover from a knee injury.

Also absent will be the American Williams, who is managing her workload into the twilight of another of tennis’s great careers.

Rafael Nadal will be there, having recently been “very sick” with Covid, but it remains to be seen if he can compete at his devastating best.

Opportunity knocks But this could be the chance for someone else in the men’s game to really emerge from the shadow of the “Big Three” of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal.AFP

Obiena agrees to PSC mediation with PATAFA William Ramirez on Thursday evening.

“In so far as your directive to pursue a mediation EMBATTLED pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena is among all parties concerned, me, my team, PATAFA (Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association), and finally submitting himself to mediation.

Obiena expressed his willingness to do so through a POC (Philippine Olympic Committee), please note, that letter he sent to Philippine Sports Commission chairman as a true sportsman, I am willing to participate in this

By Peter Atencio

Ernest John Obiena

mediation in order to find a peaceful solution,” said the 26-year-old Obiena in his letter, also posted on Facebook.

Obiena, who has refused mediation at least four times, is currently in Formia, Italy, where he is training for the Init Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe in Germany on Jan. 28.

“As you all know, since my funding has been cut in August 2021, I had very limited financial resources for my training and had been constrained to borrow from family and friends,” said Obiena.

The world no. 6 pole vaulting wonder added that expensive legal fees are now staring him in the face.

“I have nothing more to spare for the exorbitant mediation fees as may be prescribed by the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. (PDRCI). My lawyers and my legal spokesman have all been helping me pro bono and this is one of the reasons that prevented us from immediately agreeing to the mediation by the PDRCI without knowing the full costs it will entail,” explained Obiena.

Obiena said he is leaving it to the government sports agency in its efforts for the mediation process to work out.

“I trust that with your leadership, we will be able to find a solution that will convince PATAFA that I have not pocketed a single centavo from the training fees of my coach, nor have I done anything to be considered a bad example to all the upcoming national athletes,” said Obiena.

The conflict began when the PATAFA discovered in a casual conversation with pole vault great and World Athletics official Sergey Bubka that Obiena’s coach Vitaliy Petrov has not been getting his salary from 2018 to 2021.

Obiena later admitted paying his coach in full only last November, 2021 and saying “paying late is not a crime.”

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor E-mail: jdlacsamana@gmail.com

Home/Design

Bamboo in the dance of construction

B

ASE Bahay Foundation recently held a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminar for 20 architects and engineers, as part of its advocacy to elevate bamboo into a mainstream construction material.

Dubbed “Cement Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT): Features, History, Standards and Components”, the seminar was held at the Base Innovation Center, as part of its Bamboo Academy training initiative.

The seminar-workshop was facilitated

by Base Bahay’s resident experts, who discussed the nature and properties of bamboo that make it a good structural material, the significance of bamboo as a sustainable material in light of climate change, what makes up a bamboo shear wall system, or essentially, CBFT. Exploring the bamboo value chain Part of the discussions were bamboo standards both local and international, on testing, grading, and structural design, said Pablo Jorillo, Base Bahay general manager. Other topics discussed were: the bamboo value chain, focusing on the life cycle of planting, harvesting, treatment, and construction, its significant environmental impact (less than 60 percent compared to conventional construction), and its contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals; the history and types of bamboo architecture around the world and in different periods; and bamboo structures’ specifications, criteria for design, components, connections, and construction process.

Participants toured the Base Innovation Center, where they observed how bamboo components and system testing is done using various tools, including the universal testing machine and the reaction frame. They also toured a model house that showed the different stages of house construction―from foundation to panels to plastering to roofing.

At a hands-on workshop, participants fabricated their first bamboo shearwall panel, including the materials that go into building a CBFT and the connection required to assemble them together.

HANDS ON LEARNING. Architects and engineers at the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminar take a stab at assembling bamboo “The primary load-bearing structure should be made of round bamboo, or a shear wall panel system in which the framing is made of round bamboo. With this, engineers can design up to twostorey buildings that do not exceed seven meters in height,” Jorillo explained.

Lack of materials, training issues tackled Base Bahay also hosted an online training event for 120 engineers and architects. Participants who completed these training programs, which are accredited by the Professional Regulatory Commission, received corresponding CPD points, “One hindrance to using bamboo for professionals is the lack of materials and training for this kind of construction

method,” said Jorillo. “Beginning with this workshop, Base will offer a training series on bamboo structural design each year. While the Cement Bamboo Frame has been approved by the NHA through AITECH since 2018, it is only now that a formal training program will be made public for professionals by the Base Innovation Center.”

Base Bahay is also working with the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines through its bamboo committee to include bamboo in the next version of the National Structural Code of the Philippines.

“I learned a lot of new things from the seminar-workshop,” said Bernadette Manuel, VP for Engineering of Philipps Technical Consultants Corp. “I

particularly liked the topic of structural design which is the field I’m in. I didn’t know that bamboo could be used as the main structural components of the house. In the workshop, we’ve learned how to make even the simplest bracing for bamboo panels.”

Getting a headstart Base Bahay will train more architects and engineers to give them a headstart in anticipation of the standardization of bamboo construction and design and the mainstreaming of bamboo in building codes, said Jorillo.

Contractors and builders can also help fast-track and spread out CBFT in social housing across the Philippines.

As for Base Bahay’s communities, their workers will be given a Technical

panels.

Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) NC-II Certification on conventional and bamboo construction upon completion of the training. This certification can be used by the workers beyond the project.

“As more and more professionals use bamboo, we should be able to depend less on more conventional steel and concrete that has a negative impact on the environment,” Jorillo said. “We shall also depend less on depleting timber products. Knowledge of bamboo design and construction shall propel the bamboo construction industry, benefiting people in the value chain― from farmers harvesting and workers in processing of raw materials, and, ultimately, construction.”

Facebook community buddies boost local businesses IF YOU’VE used the term “budol” when referring to an impulse buy in the past year, then you’re probably familiar with viral Facebook Community Home Buddies from which it was popularized.

Members of the group are always quick to share their budolfinds, eager to share with the community how the purchase has helped them in their homemaking, or in completing the aesthetic of a room.

These reviews and posts have become a go-to for many looking for authentic feedback on products they might’ve had sitting in their carts. And while there are a handful of products “kapitbahays” have been warned to stay away from, the number of positive feedback on affordable and accessible products outnumber them two-fold.

Here are a couple of local shops whose sales were heavily impacted by the power of our Home Buddies kapitbahays.

Adelina Home PH A favorite for Home Buddies looking for the perfect accent piece to complete their #TeamKahoy and boho aesthetic, Adelina Home delivers unique pieces made from rattan, pandan, and other locally-sourced materials.

Their products range from lamps to planters and baby bassinets, all proudly made by Filipino artisans.

The shop has been featured in Home Buddies’ bazaars and is also a constant

recommendation on the Home Buddies page. Here are some finds you can add to cart on their site now!

You can checkout some amazing deals on sale at adelinahome.ph or visit their shop at Congressional Ave, Salitran, Dasmariñas, Cavite from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am - 9pm.

Two:am candle co.

Another business that flourished during the pandemic are scented candles.

Scented candles offer gentle and unique scents you can’t get in a bottle. Two:am candle co. is a small local business that began during the pandemic. Each candle is crafted with a specific feeling and moment captured beautifully in the long-lasting soy wax used.

Two:am candle co. even launched a scent inspired by the home of Home Buddies founder Frances Cabatuando. Named after her “Nobi Home”, the candle captures the relaxing ambiance of a calm and clean space.

In a post by Two:am candle co., they shared how Home Buddies helped their little shop grow and how a number of their loyal customers found them through posts on the group. Beyond inspiring home-makers, the Home Buddies community has inspired small business owners to continue developing and sharing their homemade crafts with the world.

Maria Crafts MNL Crafts MNL sells custom-made home decorations. Having only opened last September, posts on the Home Buddies group have helped introduce the shop to many “kapitbahays”. Maria Crafts MNL makes wooden ornaments with custom carved designs.

Thanks to the support from “kapitbahays” and the many design challenges and trends that go viral in the group, some products and brands have gotten a big boost in their sales as a result. During a time when small businesses are struggling, this boost has helped local entrepreneurs push forward. Aside from Locoupin PH, Two:am candle co., and Maria Crafts MNL, many other small businesses and local artisans have been spotlighted on Home Buddies.

REIMAGINING OFFICES IN THE NEXT NORMAL. Businesses are reevaluating their workplace strategies and preparing their physical offices for a safe and productive business operation in the next normal. Property developers, such as Greenfield Development Corporation (GDC), are highlighting their buildings’ amenities and other value-added features such as the adoption of sustainable office spaces. GDC’s 15-hectare urban community Greenfield District, where it’s 28-storey Greenfield tower is located, champions a myriad of workplace and health features to assure everyone’s safety when they go back to the office. Office spaces have high ceilings, a fresh air ducting system, and operable windows, which promote better air circulation, among others. Temperature scanning for employees and guests, use of disinfectant mats at the Tower entrance, limiting the number of persons allowed inside the elevator, regular disinfection of restrooms, and round-the-clock security, are some of the measures set in place.

BUYING THE HOUSE YOU DESERVE. Caliya

by Ovialand is for people who want to live away from the Metro, but still enjoy the convenience and lifestyle they need. Located in Candelaria, Quezon, just 1.45 hrs from Metro Manila – Caliya is master-planned residential community that offers contemporary homes for families looking for value. Caliya offers a range of house and lot units such as the Townhouse Classic, which has a 45 sqm lot area; the Luxe End Townhouse, which has a 58 sqm area; and the Duplex, the biggest unit with a 63 sqm lot area.

BRIA HOMES EYES MORE ROBUST 2022. Property developer BRIA Homes welcomes 2022 with an outlook buoyed by what it believes is an economy getting back on track, and businesses flourishing once again. BRIA Homes expects a greater demand for their solidly built, value-for-money homes, after learning lessons from the pandemic experience, including the preference of buyers for house-and-lot and condo units that feature upgraded living spaces and support flexible work and learning arrangements. Meanwhile, all fifty-plus BRIA projects nationwide are Internet access-ready. For convenience, BRIA homeowners are encouraged to engage in cashless transactions through E-wallets such as AllEasy, GCash and PayMaya. BRIA’s partner banks likewise enable them to do online payments for amortization and reservation fees. Interested investors can check out various BRIA house-and-lot and condominium options via its 360 Virtual Tours in the official BRIA website.

Tech & Gadgets CREEPY MEETS COOL

Humanoid robots at CES tech show L AS VEGAS—A lifelike, childsize doll writhed and cried before slightly shocked onlookers snapping smartphone pictures Wednesday at the CES tech show—where the line between cool and slightly disturbing robots can be thin.

"Oh! The eyes are very scary," said Marcelo Humerez, an exhibitor from Peru who happened upon the Pedia-Roid, which is designed for medical training, as its eyes went white.

But just a few stands away, a humanoid named Ameca got a decidedly different reception, as it chatted with a curious crowd that marveled at its ability to make a range of stunningly person-like gestures.

"Whoa, robot! I didn't expect that when I turned the corner," said Ricky Rivera, an exhibitor with Canadabased tech company Geotab. "But it looks amazing and it tracked me right away."

Both reactions were, in some ways, exactly what the makers had been aiming for.

Morgan Roe from Britain-based Engineered Arts said the firm created software and technology to make Ameca person-like—though there are limits to how realistic it can be.

"We've designed Ameca to be as human-like as possible in movement," he told AFP while standing next to the robot, whose gray face moved and blinked as he spoke.

"Humans are so complex, so making a robot exactly like a human is almost impossible," he added. "But if we did that, then you wouldn't be

An Ameca model humanoid robot by British company Engineered Arts is displayed at CES 2022 at The Venetian Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ameca was designed as a research platform for human-robot interaction. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, is being held in person, with some companies deciding to participate virtually only or canceling their attendance due to concerns over the major surge in COVID-19 cases. AFP

scared of it because you would just as- Japanese firm tmsuk, which was dissume it was a human." playing the doll.

‘A little bit creepy’ "We want to create a realistic sceJust before perfection, though, is a nario, so that's the reason we added creation that is off in ways that reveal it some of the scary noises, so it will beisn't a living being -- it's a concept called have like a child," he said through a "the uncanny valley." translator.

"It doesn't quite move like a human, The firm's brochure notes the robot it doesn't quite express itself or emote can "realistically simulate the jittery or talk like a human. That's the uncanny movements of a child who is reluctant to valley, that's the scary bit," said Roe. receive treatment."

Yet the slightly frightening aspect At times, the roughly 43-inch of the Pedia-Roid robot was done (110-centimeter) tall robot moaned and on purpose, said Yusuke Ishii from talked, and its legs jerked—though it

can also simulate convulsions or the vomiting reflex.

Ana Kloar, an exhibitor from Slovenia, watched the Pedia-Roid for a bit and found it pretty cool.

"A lot of children are afraid of dentists or doctors in general, and in this way you can practice how to treat them, how to comfort them," she said.

And what about those eyes— rolling back into the doll's head or turning white?

"They are a little bit creepy, but the doll, it's quite cool," she said. AFP

SAMSUNG Galaxy M52 5G as a tool for business WITH the rise of online businesses, entrepreneurs must have the best tools and technology to keep up. The Galaxy M52 5G is designed to help entrepreneurs take the lead and stand out among many growing online businesses.

Maximize productivity with powerful performance The Galaxy M52 5G is the first device in the M Series to bring Hyperfast 5G Connection perfect for on-the-go entrepreneurs to stay connected with clients and customers. Its powerful Snapdragon 778G 5G processor is designed to deliver smooth performance for multitasking, allowing business owners to maximize their time and productivity.

Immersive viewing with a captivating display Managing a business and handling multiple tasks can be tiring at times and business owners need to take short breaks once in a while. The Galaxy M52 5G’s large 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-O display is great for gaming and watching movies. Its super smooth 120Hz Refresh Rate helps with efficient scrolling and navigation.

High-quality content creation with versatile cameras Entrepreneurs can boost their brand’s social media game with the

Galaxy M52 5G's versatile Triple Camera.

It features a 64MP Main Camera for capturing high-quality, sharp, and vivid content. With its 12MP Ultra Wide Camera that gives a 123-degree angle view, it is now convenient to showcase all products in one frame, while the 5MP Macro Camera captures the finest details, perfect for shooting products up close.

The smartphone's 32MP Front Camera also produces clear images that are excellent for online meetings and live selling.

Stay ahead of the grind with the Galaxy M52 5G, now available exclusively in Samsung.com/PH, Lazada, Shopee, Abenson.com and MemoXpress Online, for only P22,990 SRP in Black, Light Blue and White.

For more information about the new M Series, visit samsung.com/ph.

Safe Samsung Shopping Health and safety protocols are strictly followed in Samsung Experience Stores to keep consumers and employees safe. Adhering to the guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Samsung has limited the number of its customers to only 50%, implemented the mandatory use of masks and shields, and performs frequent cleaning in all stores.

Galaxy M52 5G

Samsung Experience Stores also has unique QR health declaration codes to promote a safe and contactless contact tracing process. Product demonstrations are done side-by-side instead of face-to-face while keeping

the required safe distance of one (1) meter to make sure everyone is socially distanced.

Find the nearest Samsung Experience store via samsung.com/ph/samsungexperience-store/locations/.

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Outstanding research institutes recognized THE Department of Science and Technology—Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development, in partnership with global scientific publisher Elsevier, has recognized outstanding research institutes in the 2021 DOSTElsevier Awards.

The awardees were chosen among DOST Research, Development Institutes and Science and Technology institutes and the 10 state universities and colleges, who were given IP-based access to the subscription.

The winners for the Highest ScienceDirect Usage were: • DOST-Forest Product Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) for the Highest ScienceDirect Usage this year under the RDI category; • DOST-Science Education Institute (SEI) under the S&T institutes category; and • DOST Regional Office No. 2 under the Regional Office (RO) category.

The Central Luzon State University bagged the remaining major awards Highest Publications Scopus and the Most Accepted Proposals, both under the State University and College (SUC) category. The Most Accepted Proposals award is given to the institution that got the most number of proposals submitted to DOST. ScienceDirect is Elsevier’s leading information solution for researchers, teachers, students, healthcare professionals and information professionals. It offers millions of full-text publications, including journal articles and books chapters from Elsevier, its imprints and society partners.

From researchers pursuing scientific breakthroughs to academic institutions and government agencies evaluating research, Scopus is the abstract and indexing database of choice.

Worldwide, Scopus is used by more than 3,000 academic, government and corporate institutions and is the main data source that supports the Elsevier Research Intelligence portfolio.

Certificates of Appreciation were also given to all participating institutions as well as to Elsevier Coordinators.

Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, Executive Director of DOST-PCIEERD underscored the importance of comprehensive scientific literature, thus his call to the scientific community to use the platform.

“Science-based researched and science-backed decisions are critical especially at these trying times.

While we navigate our way through the new normal, we wish to increase the numbers of our partner intuitions who will use Elsevier in whatever science breakthroughs they will do in the future,” he said.

“Greater access to high-quality scientific literature is encouraged now that our way of lives has changed amid the pandemic. As we strive to find solutions, all these available resources will help us innovate more,” he added.

Elsevier is the world’s largest scientific publisher of peer-reviewed journals and articles.

For the 4th time, the DOST revitalized its subscription to the scientific publishing giant’s online journals, citation index database, and capacity building of researchers on authorship to scientific journals which allows access of researchers to more than 3,000 journals and 25 million research articles across 26 subject areas and citation index database with over 5, 000 publishers and about 76 million articles.

Shakey’s Pizza partners with leading HCM player Darwinbox SHAKEY'S Pizza Asia Ventures, Inc. (PSE: PIZZA), one of the leading full-service restaurant chains in the Philippines, partners with Darwinbox to empower its team of 1000+ employees with HR tech to bring in operational efficiency and improve business productivity.

Darwinbox, an end-to-end HRMS platform that recently became the only Asian player to feature on Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for HCM suites for 1000+ Employee Enterprises, is set to help Shakey’s thrive in a post-covid world by managing its Human Resources effectively from hire to retire.

As organizations recalibrate work, workforce and workplace, leveraging digital tools and systems that not only help them stay ahead of the curve in the post-covid economy but also future proof for the new world of work becomes imperative. For a forwardthinking company like Shakey’s, investing in its most valuable resource, its people, has always been a priority.

Vicente Gregorio, the President and Chief Executive Officer of PIZZA, said,

“PIZZA is ultimately a guest-centric business where people are front and center.

When our people are well-cared for, it flows through to our guests. Guest-centricity begins at home, thus, investing in our people is a key pillar in delivering sustainable growth. Our partnership with Darwinbox is a validation to this commitment.”

Shakey’s employee-centric work culture is demonstrated in its multiple initiatives. Last year, the company rolled out a program to bring store employees closer to their place of work and reduce their travel time. To date, more than 90% of PIZZA’s

workforce is within 30 minutes away from their place of work.

With Darwinbox by its side now, Shakey’s Pizza now has the power to complement its safe and healthy work environment with tech infrastructure that manages the entire employee lifecycle. With its 1000+ employees under one virtual roof, it is possible for PIZZA to keep record of its employees, provide quick and actionable feedback, and ensure an impeccable employee experience for everyone. Further, Performance Management, Leave & Attendance management, Recruitment, Analyt-

ics and Reporting are some of the key areas in the HCM suite that the food chain plans to adopt over the coming months.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with one of the leading restaurant brands in the Philippines. By providing PIZZA with a digital platform for all their HR needs, we are enabling an uninterrupted and frictionless experiences for employees across its multiple stores, and for the company, it means improved efficiency and productivity,” said Jayant Paleti, Cofounder of Darwinbox. He further added, “We have a lot to look forward to in the first

phase of this partnership. With a one-stopshop for feedback, advanced analytics, company-wide engagement surveys, amongst other things, Shakey’s will find it easier to run smoother HR operations to yield momentous outcomes.”

At Shakey’s, the HRMS implementation continues in full swing with golive scheduled in early Q1 aligned with PIZZA’s reopening moves for 2022. The company is already gearing up for a strong recovery, investing in store network expansion and more than 30 new stores already built in 2021.

Backed by Salesforce Ventures, Sequoia India, Lightspeed India Partners, Endiya and others, Darwinbox is the #1 rated cloud HCM on Gartner Peer Insights with an overall rating of 4.8. Today it serves over 600+ enterprises, 1.3 million employees across 90+ countries including JG Summit Group, Robinson's Bank, NutriAsia, Universal Robina, Delbros Group, Zalora, Straive, Aviva SingLife, Tokopedia, Zilingo, SBS Transit, MAP, Indorama, Kopi Kenangan, and global brands like Nivea, Tokio and Axa.

Motoring

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022

Santos hailed as new Golden Wheel 'Driver of the Year'

By Milo Rivera

T

WO years after becoming the 2019 Philippine Grand Touring (GT) Overall Champion, Lubestraders Shell Helix Ultra Racing ace driver Paolo Santos joined an even more elite motorsport company when he was named “Driver of the Year” in the recently concluded 17th Annual Golden Wheel Awards Night.

Onboard his TS Tuning-prepared Honda Civic FD, Santos steered his way to the 2019 GT crown - defying odds and exceeding expectations by beating some of the biggest names in the national circuit racing scene.

His exemplary feat earned the nod of the whole Golden Wheel Awards Foundation judging committee as the best of Philippine Motorsports, topping the rest of the country’s national crown-holders across all two and four-wheel motorsports disciplines held from 2019 to 2021. The said prestigious awards ceremony was not held last 2020 due to pandemic restrictions.

“Achieving something like this has always been a goal since I started my career in racing yet finally attaining it made things very surreal for me. And with how happy I am after all of this, I can’t thank countless people enough for

Car owners can now monetize their vehicles with Zoomcar Host ZOOMCAR, the largest emerging market focused car sharing marketplace, a n n o u n c e d the launch of Zoomcar Host - the Philippines’ first ever car sharing marketplace, allowing vehicle owners to generate income by sharing their car on the Zoomcar platform.

With Zoomcar Host, Filipinos can rent out their vehicles from six-hour to six-month periods and generate additional income when not in use.

At scale, the Company expects this program to dramatically increase accessibility of cars to urban city dwellers while concurrently reducing on-road congestion and urban air pollution.

Through Zoomcar Host, Zoomcar seeks to transform this idle vehicle capacity to enable better utilization.

In the first three months upon signing up, the company will offer guaranteed payment for every hour that their vehicle is listed, regardless of booking status whether the car is booked or stays idle. After such time, owners enter a revenue-sharing model wherein they share the total booking amount.

Zoomcar Host also features a simple on-boarding process, beginning with online registration and an onboarding

call. A complimentary car health check-up and installation of state-ofthe-art safety devices follows, which would take no more than one day. No warranties are to be voided during the onboarding process.

At its core, Zoomcar’s platform gives owners maximum flexibility in listing their vehicles. Private car owners can list their vehicles to the marketplace in the minimum period of 48 hours. In order to further simplify the car-sharing process, Zoomcar directly credits weekly earnings to the vehicle owner’s bank account.

At present, Zoomcar offers individual vehicle owners a joining bonus of PHP 7000 along with additional incentives tied to high quality host ratings on the platform.

There is also a PHP 5000 referral fee for those who could invite their friends to become Zoomcar Hosts whilst offering enhanced incentives for the host’s initial time on the marketplace.

The new feature comes just two weeks after Zoomcar went live in the Philippines in December 2021. Starting in Metro Manila, Zoomcar looks to launch in other cities such as Cebu and Davao later in 2022, targeting to cover 20 cities across the Philippines by 2023. The company plans to have 1,000 cars by January 2022, with an intention to scale to 20,000 cars on the marketplace by the end of 2022 through a US$25 million investment in the next 12 months.

continuing to be there throughout this journey of mine”, said Santos who sets his sights on rallycross racing this year, as well as defending his 2019 Grand Touring throne.

Aside from recognizing and highlighting those who emerged victorious in the National motorsport scene last 2019 and 2021, the Golden Wheel Foundation, headed by its Chairman Mr. Johnny Tan, also acknowledged those who have made a significant impact in the industry - both locally an internationally. In addition, utmost gratitude was also expressed to all those who contributed to the successful return of the sport in the country after the devastating blow it suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“From the competitors, to the mechanics, to all race organizers, to even the marshalls and officials, and to everyone else who just truly loves the sport, our appreciation for all of you is immeasurable. For it is through absolute passion and action that we were able to bring Motorsports back again. And with this, I am very sure that 2022 and beyond will transition from a revival year to a transcendent one”, said Mr. Tan. Other major awardees of the 17th Golden Wheel Awards Night were Vrei-Ar Suba (Scooter) Marvin Mangulabnan and T.J. Alberto (Superbikes), Norman Agojo (Drifting), Iñigo Anton (Autocross), Estefano Rivera (Slalom), Steve Acayan (Rallycross), Carlos Castañeda and Robert Macapagal (Classic Car Racing), Michael Daulog (Drag), Miguel Quiñones, Bianca Bustamante, and Joaquin Garrido (Karting), and Russ Agapito (2021 Circuit).

BYD powers country’s largest Electric Vehicle fleet CHINESE automaker BYD has recently partnered with eSakay, Inc., a subsidiary of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), to serve as their sole provider of pure electric vehicles (“EVs”) for all their Green Mobility initiatives. The BYD e2 and BYD T3 – both full battery EV models - were the chosen models for the above-mentioned Green Mobility Program.

Through this program, Meralco has initiated its big leap towards the full electrification of its vehicle fleet in the coming years, which is part of the company’s commitment to utilize greener and more sustainable transportation solutions.

During the launch of their new EV fleet last December, Meralco Chief Sustainability Officer and eSakay President and CEO

Raymond B. Ravelo graced the occasion and gave this statement: “Beyond delivering accessible and reliable electricity service to households and businesses, we, in Meralco, are also at the forefront of providing sustainable solutions to our customers. With our important and intensified shift to vehicle electrification, we hope to influence and inspire others to follow suit and to likewise embed sustainability in their operations.”

BYD’s EV and HEV line up consists of the Dolphin, a 5-door fully electric hatchback with a range of 300 kms on a full charge; the T3, a 7-seater fully electric van with a range of 250 kms per charge; the Tang, the premium luxury flagship 7 seater SUV with a range of 600 kms; and the Han, the premium

luxury flagship sedan with a range of 600 kms.

Its cars also include Song Plus, a new generation hybrid SUV that is powered by BYD’s DM-I technology and has a 60km EV range and a 1.5 liter engine that acts as an EV range extender, which also powers the motors and recharges the battery, and only propels the vehicle when speeds are more than 80 km/h.

BYD, which literally stands for “Build Your Dreams”, has been the most aggressive among all Chinese car makers when it comes to EV production and use. The company has led the EV-olution of vehicles in China and is now making its presence felt all over the world.

Its cars use game-changing blade batteries that are safer, lighter, more reliable, and more energy dense.