THE national government’s total outstanding debt in January has hit a new record high at P10.327 trillion as the government looked for more funds to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon confirmed to the BusinessMirror that the outstanding debt figure recorded as of end-January was a record high in terms...
CHINESE investors are expected to attend a public-private forum on Wednesday to see how they can do business in the Philippines in time for its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Association for Philippines-China Understanding (Apcu) and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines will hold the first Manila Forum for Philippines-China relations on Wednesday. For...
WORLD travelers have once more recognized Boracay Island’s White Beach and El Nido’s Nacpan Beach among the best beaches in the world.
The recognition was recently published in TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2021 Best of the Best Awards’ Top 25 Beaches, with Boracay and El Nido ranked 12th and 18th, respectively, in the Asian category. Agonda...
FOLLOWING the pilot deployment of the government’s Covid-19 vaccine drive on Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) said only 20 of the 756 vaccine recipients complained of “adverse events” after their inoculation.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Tuesday this was the latest result of their surveillance of the six vaccination sites, which were...
A labor group is seeking a government ban on the "no work, no vaccine" policy of some companies for being discriminatory for workers.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Associated Labor Union (ALU) expressed its alarm over reports that some firms will disallow employees from returning to work if they will not get Covid-19 vaccine...
A senior World Health Organization official said Monday it was “premature” and “unrealistic” to think the pandemic might be stopped by the end of the year, but that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could at least help dramatically reduce hospitalizations and death.
Most mutations are meaningless, but others can make a virus more contagious, deadly or resistant to vaccines and treatment. Health experts are primarily concerned about three variants first detected in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil. They seem to spread more easily and research is underway to see if they cause more serious disease.
With more than 52 million vaccine doses administered in the US by mid-February, the CDC said it hasn't detected any patterns in deaths that signal a safety problem.
Herd immunity doesn’t make any one person immune, and outbreaks can still flare up. It means that a virus is no longer easily jumping from person to person, helping to protect those who are still vulnerable to catching it.
Given the unprecedented and unexpected impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the entire globe, developing economies such as the Philippines are especially at risk of long-term and more devastating consequences of this ongoing public health crisis.
As the government continues to perform its mandate to provide healthcare services and rehabilitation efforts for citizens, the private...
In the US where vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are being distributed, health officials say the two aren't interchangeable even though they're made similarly.
In a recent travel update, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes it clear: Staying home is the best way to protect yourself against the coronavirus.
If you do travel, the CDC says, sharing a rental home with people from your own household is safer than staying with friends or family who aren't...
The World Health Organization says the virus can be transmitted in any kind of weather and that there is no reason to believe that cold weather can kill it.
It’s an intriguing idea, but there haven’t been enough rigorous independent studies to establish whether antiviral masks are better at protecting wearers or preventing the spread of the virus.
Their specifics vary, but many antiviral masks are supposed to be made or coated with materials that have extra virus-fighting properties, such as copper.
Websites for several...
GENEVA—A senior World Health Organization official said on Monday it was “premature” and “unrealistic” to think the pandemic might be stopped by the end of the year, but that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could at least help dramatically reduce hospitalizations and death.
The world’s singular focus right now should be to keep transmission...
YANGON, Myanmar—Police in Myanmar’s biggest city fired tear gas on Monday at defiant crowds who returned to the streets to protest last month’s coup, despite reports that security forces had killed at least 18 people a day earlier.
The protesters in Yangon were chased as they tried to gather at their usual meeting spot at...
LONDON—British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Monday that he understood the “conundrum” faced by developing countries as they wait for vital supplies of coronavirus vaccine.
But Raab urged poorer nations to wait for the “gold standard” vaccines delivered by a UN-backed program rather than opt for shots from China and Russia.
The COVAX initiative, formed...
GENEVA—The new head of the World Trade Organization called on Monday for a “technology transfer” when it comes to Covid-19 vaccines and urged member nations to reach a deal to reduce overfishing after years of fruitless talks as she laid out her top priorities after taking office.
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian economist and former...
Defiant Hong Kong protesters risked arrest outside a local court in the biggest demonstration in months, as dozens of the city’s most prominent pro-democracy activists were jailed on subversion charges and authorities in Beijing moved to limit the opposition’s role in future elections.
The arrests of 47 opposition figures including key protest organizers Joshua Wong,...
Thailand started rolling out its Covid-19 inoculation program with Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s vaccine as the Southeast Asian nation tries to revive its pandemic-hit tourism industry.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha on Sunday presided over the kickoff of the program, with a group of healthcare workers receiving the vaccine, state-owned NBT television network showed in a national...
YANGON, Myanmar—Police fired tear gas and water cannons and there were reports of gunfire on Sunday in Myanmar’s largest city where another anti-coup protest was underway with scores of students and other demonstrators hauled away in police trucks.
The violence erupted early morning when medical students were marching in Yangon's streets near the Hledan Center...
WASHINGTON—The US is getting a third vaccine to prevent Covid-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two.
Health experts are anxiously awaiting a one-and-done option to help speed vaccinations, as they race against a virus that already has killed...
As the coronavirus spread across the globe, so too did speculation about its origins. Perhaps the virus escaped from a lab. Maybe it was engineered as a bioweapon.
Legitimate questions about the virus created perfect conditions for conspiracy theories. In the absence of knowledge, guesswork and propaganda flourished.
College professors with no evidence or training in...
In the health-care industry, the coronavirus pandemic led to big fortunes, fast. Now some of them are evaporating just as quickly.
Take Seegene Inc., a maker of Covid-19 test kits, and Alteogen Inc., a biotech with subcutaneous-injection technology. Their founders became billionaires as the shares surged last year. Fast-forward a few months to the vaccine...
Insurance Commissioner Dennis B. Funa has expressed confidence that pre-need provider Eternal Plans, Inc. will remain a strong ally of the industry in its mission to give Filipinos the courage to face life’s uncertainties in the coming years.
“For four...
SINGAPORE headquartered fintech DigiBankASIA and global digital and consultancy firm Xebia announced on Tuesday a strategic partnership for the launch of UNObank in the Philippines.
Per their collaborative efforts, Xebia will serve as a digital and innovation technology partner in developing further UNO’s digital-first platform, Cognito, by integrating with leading banking products to establish a...
Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC), the property development arm of the Gokongwei Group, on Tuesday said its income last year plunged 39 percent to P5.26 billion, from the previous year’s P8.68 billion.
The company said its revenues fell due to the temporary closures of its malls during the lockdown period. Last year, RLC’s revenues declined by...
Listed trade enabler Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) was recently recognized by its host local government, the historic City of Manila, as its top tax contributor for fiscal year 2020.
ATI was named the city’s top real property taxpayer and third highest business taxpayer.
In an open-air event held at the newly refurbished Inner Garden of the...
The Yanson Group, which owns the country’s largest bus company, on Tuesday said it completed the series of annual meetings of the company’s 10 subsidiaries, which all declared that the group of the family matriarch as its controlling owner.
Countryside Food Resources Corp., a unit Yanson Group of Bus Companies, held its annual stockholders meeting...
Globe Telecom Inc. said on Tuesday it has partnered with the national and local governments to provide mobile phones to fisherfolk in Quezon to help them prepare for typhoons this year.
Through its partnership with the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 4-A (BFAR 4-A) and...
Infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) plans to create synergies in its power companies through its foray into the gas business, which means the group will set up refineries and pipelines for the swift and cost-effective delivery of gas to customers.
Manuel V. Pangilinan, who chairs the conglomerate, said his group is currently studying...
STRENGTHENED by their ordeal to survive two of the major tragedies that happened in the country over the last decade, Yolanda-hit Tacloban seamstresses and Marawi siege victims Maranao weavers have joined forces to fight another battle of their lives—this time the Covid-19 pandemic—to make locally designed protection gears against the deadly virus and, at...
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regional office in Central Luzon is encouraging young people to engage in business ventures that could help them have a better future and contribute to the development of the economy.
During the regional kick-off of the Youth Entrepreneurship Program-Harnessing Our Own Resources for the...
OVER 200 local shops and sellers participated in a virtual trade fair called #TatakPinoy, as part of Shopee and Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) joint efforts to promote and support domestic enterprises and their goods.
“We strongly believe in the importance of uplifting homegrown entrepreneurs. From microbusinesses to SMEs , these local brands all...
THE Australian Government will be financing a P630-million worth project called Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities against Disasters and Climate Change (Shield), which seeks to improve disaster and climate resilience of targeted local governments in the Philippines.
In a statement, the Australian government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines signed an...
CHINA’S top banking regulator said he’s “very worried” about risks emerging from bubbles in global financial markets and the nation’s property sector, sparking fresh concerns about further tightening in the world’s second-biggest economy. Stocks dropped across Asia.
Bubbles in US and European markets could burst because their rallies are heading in the opposite direction of...
RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp.’s (RCBC) financial inclusion app saw an uptick in number of deposits and activities in January with the continued adoption of the digital tool amid the pandemic-induced lockdown protocols.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Yuchengco-led bank reported that its DiskarTech app users more than doubled their daily deposits in the first...
Eight joint research and development (R&D) projects for 2021 were launched online on February 24 under the inaugural Philippine’s Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Joint Research Program (JRP).
The JRP covers areas from health, agriculture and renewable energy. It is part of the Philippine’s and China’s...
"Teenage pregnancy is unplanned, but not necessarily unwanted, and unplanned pregnancy means no regrets.”
These are some of the findings presented by Dr. Gloria Luz M. Nelson, professor of Sociology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, based on her study of 18 teenagers from nine provinces in seven regions in the Philippines who...
Consumers will soon know if their Sagada coffee, Davao cacao, Guimaras mango and halal food are authentic as advertised.
These food are set to be tested for their authenticity with the use of isotope by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PNRI).
This was announced by Dr. Angel Bautista VII...
Good news for entrepreneurs who are into food, dietary supplements or personal-care products made from by-products, such as seeds, leaves and pulp, and also products from top from agricultural produce. Here is a facility that suits your needs.
The Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) inaugurated its Modular...
The satisfaction rating of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) increased to +57 percent in 2020 based on the survey results conducted by a third-party survey company.
The survey found that among the 98 percent of Filipino adults who are aware of the DOST, 66 percent are satisfied with the performance of the department...
For Filipinos interested to learn about the more than 120 research and development (R&D) projects being supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through its Science for Change Program (S4CP), a new web site is now ready to cater to their needs.
Through the web site—s4cp.dost.gov.ph—that was launched through an online news conference...
The use of data science has been growing in the Philippines. It involves developing methods of recording, storing and analyzing data to extract useful information for some functions, such as identification and prediction of disease, optimizing logistics routes, detection of frauds, healthcare recommendations, automating digital ads, and many others.
Eight new data science research and...
Filipinos won the second prize and People’s Choice Award in the 2020 Photo Contest of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca).
“The contest theme ‘Faces of Attain’ is part of the launch of Searca’s 11th Five-Year Plan (2020-2025) focused on Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation,” said Searca Director...
Three Newton Agham PhD scholars completed their doctorate research in January regardless of predicaments caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Having been supported by the British Council through partnerships with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Commission on...
TOKYO—It’s now March, the month when the Tokyo Olympics came apart just a year ago. Will it happen again? Frankly, it seems unlikely.
The start of the torch relay on March 25 from northeastern Fukushima prefecture is just over three weeks away. It will involve 10,000 runners and end in Tokyo at the opening ceremony...
INTERNATIONAL Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champion Jerwin “The Pretty Boy” Ancajas plunged into Day 2 of intense training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, fully aware that Mexican mandatory challenger Jonathan Javier Rodriguez drools over his belt.
“He is really hungry, prepared and motivated to take my world. I see his...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC is gaining on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam standings, and he’s already caught Federer in another significant statistic: As of Monday, Djokovic has been No. 1 in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings for a total of 310 weeks.
That equals Federer’s career record for most time spent...
MIAMI—Atlanta coach and USA Basketball men’s national team assistant coach Lloyd Pierce had a one-day coronavirus scare a few weeks ago and had to stay in his hotel room while the matter was sorted out.
The bad news: He missed practice.
The good news: He didn’t have to miss a USA Basketball staff call that head...
THIS past weekend saw the Abanse Negrense A winning the 2021 Gatorade-Philippine Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge and that feat got me thinking.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, I’ve witnessed four bubbles—National Basketball Association (NBA), Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and Philippine Football League (PFL)—last year. And then the beach volleyball bubble this past weekend.
I cannot even begin...
MEMBERS of a team seeing action in the inaugural Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup and officials of a newly-founded sports marketing organization aimed to help Philippine sports during the pandemic will grace the two-part session of the online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday.
The MJAS Zenith Team led by manager Jhon Santos, player Paolo...
Martin Lorenzo, Aurelio Montinola and Al Panlilio kept their posts as president, chairman and treasurer, respectively, of the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP), while Rolly Romero is the new vice president after the NGAP Annual Council Meeting and Biennial elections at the Alabang Country Club over the weekend.
Romero of Camp Aguinaldo Golf...
THE entire Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) staff will be recognized with a special citation in the PBA Press Corps virtual Awards Night on Sunday at the TV5 Media Center.
The 17-man league headed by Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro will be cited for the admirable, round-the-clock work that they pulled off to ensure the safe and...
Abanse Negrense A’s Alexa Polidario and Erjane Magdato topped Sta. Lucia A’s DM Demontano and Jackie Estoquia, 21-15, 21-17, on Sunday to dominate the 2021 Gatorade-Philippine Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup at the Subic Bay Freeport sand courts.
Polidario knocked down clutch hits in the winner-take-all finals to help the Negrense squad rule the bubble...
You have seen football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic and basketball star LeBron James exchange—and that is putting it mildly—words about using their platform to voice out political concerns.
I have never been for addressing concerns not in its proper forum. It isn’t that I do not have my concerns or gripes about society. I do. And...
"Because I said so!”
As children, this is one of the most frustrating phrases we could hear from our parents whenever we reason with them, and is commonly their final argument when they have run out of reasons: “Because I...
NEW YORK—While dozens of New Yorkers lined up outside in the rain, shopping carts at the ready as they waited for free food, Sofia Moncayo led her team in prayer.
“We’re super grateful for these people here. In Jesus’ name we pray,” she said, and the group of women around her clapped, cheered and replied:...
Five-star ultra-luxury integrated resort Okada Manila recently received its second five-star rating from Forbes Travel Guide (FTG).
The winning streak was made possible as digital health leader Sharecare, together with FTG, awarded the VERIFIED certification badge to the luxurious hotel for “being equipped with industry-leading and comprehensive safety protocols, making it one of the world’s...
LIMA Land Inc.—operator of LIMA Technology Center in Lipa-Malvar, Batangas, one of the largest and best-selling industrial parks in the Philippines—recently held its annual Locators’ Appreciation event virtually amid the ongoing pandemic.
Attended by 127 locators, affiliates, and Aboitiz team leaders and members, the event celebrated 20 years of partnership with long-time locators, as well...
LEADING property developer Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) launches its new residential brand as it revitalizes its partnership with real-estate platform provider Lamudi, whose wide reach is expected to give the former’s latest housing portfolio unparalleled visibility in the market.
The Gokongwei-led property giant is merging its three divisions—the Residences, Luxuria and Communities—into “a single and...
Offices by Eton, Eton Properties Philippines’s office leasing business unit, maintains its resiliency amid challenges posted by the ongoing pandemic.
In a statement, Eton Properties disclosed that a local traditional office signed a contract of lease for two (2) floors of its Centris Cyberpod Five located in the BPO-IT lifestyle hub, Eton Centris along Edsa.
“This...
NEW YORK—With homebound nominees appearing by remote video and hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on different sides of the country, a very socially distanced 78th Golden Globe Awards trudged on in the midst of the pandemic and amid a storm of criticism for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, with top awards going to...
Filipinas Heritage Library and Rick Rocamora, in partnership with Horacio “Howie” Severino, present A Long Road To Dignity, a virtual multimedia exhibition on WWII veterans on February 18 onwards.
A Long Road to Dignity, a virtual multimedia exhibition, features the documentary work of acclaimed photographer Rick Rocamora. It pairs his photos with 1940-1945 images of...
WHAT passes at first glance as an innocent, surrealist depiction of a class picture of white-uniformed students reveals a grim element at closer inspection. Lurking in the background over the shoulder of one subject with a splitting face is the personification of death, its head tilted toward the direction of the unsuspecting young girls...
OVER the past four Mondays, my fellow IPRAns, including Ipra global President Philippe Borremans, have written about topics from the maiden edition of Ipra Philippines’ CommuniTalks webinar series. So far, you’ve read about communication trends this year and beyond, navigating the multichannel universe, and survival tips from the points of view of a PR...
THE past year was definitely memorable that it had to be named twice: 2020. Many could consider it a year of the great upset, when so much was lost: jobs, businesses, travel, even lives. But it could also be the year of the radical reset as it became the fulcrum towards going more fully...
SINCE quarantine was imposed in March last year, I’m sure most, if not all, of us have attended a webinar or two. Regardless of profession or interest, there was surely at least one online learning session for you, mostly offered for free. We have never had so many opportunities to upgrade our knowledge and...
IN 2010, four Israeli friends devised a way to simply solve a very personal yet relatable problem. They decided to initiate talking to each other at no cost. Two of these four friends ended up as couple but the group's simple goal was to offer free calls to Iphone users. Free communication which ended...
Investors in Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation’s (RCBC) unit investment trust funds (UITF) can now manage their portfolio through its mobile banking app, a part of its innovation series in the bank’s aggressive digital expansion.
Clients with existing UITF accounts enrolled in the RCBC Online Retail (ROR) platform may now add and redeem an investment or cancel a...
CITING the World Health Organization (WHO) warning that serious health risks will further demoralize communities already traumatized by Covid-19, Sen. Cynthia Villar urged Local Government Units (LGUs) to properly use the composting facilities from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
She also mentioned the remark of the International Solid Waste Association that “Waste Management is one...
