Singapore Airlines flies AstraZeneca vaccines to PH
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has taken part in the UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative with the aim of providing safe, reliable and timely transportation of COVID-19 vaccines to communities round the world.
In support of this initiative, SIA operated a delivery of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility to the Philippines on flight SQ910, which arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, Manila last May 8 from Singapore.
As part of the UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative, SIA has also delivered Covid-19 vaccines to countries such as Brunei, Papua New Guinea, Soloman Islands and Timor-Leste.
Since December 2020, SIA has been actively involved in the transportation and delivery of Covid-19 vaccines around the world. Several countries have also tapped on SIA’s pharmaceutical capabilities to transport vaccines in support of their vaccination programmes.
To build on its vaccine transportation capabilities, SIA has engaged various stakeholders across the supply chain, and in pharmaceutical export markets, to ensure that it is well-positioned to transport the vaccines with speed and reliability.
Insular Life launches Prime Secure Lite
Insular Life (InLife) launched Prime Secure Lite, a term life insurance that gives extra benefits in case of diagnosis of certain critical illnesses and death due to COVID-19.
Prime Secure Lite gives protection for up to P750,000 for a one-time premium as low as P2500.
“Prime Secure Lite is practical as it gives one peace of mind should anything untoward happen. For instance, if one is diagnosed with cancer, heart attack or stroke (CHAS), Prime Secure Lite will make funds equivalent to 40% to 50% of the sum insured available for treatment,” said Rosalyn L. Martinez, InLife’s chief marketing officer.
“Prime Secure Lite is payable only once, but will give a one-year coverage,” Martinez added.
Prime Secure Lite also gives additional coverage for the first six months in case of death due to COVID-19, and extended coverage for the spouse equal to the sum insured in case of accidental death of both insured and spouse.
To illustrate, customers, between ages 18 to 47 years old who will avail of Prime Secure Lite will only have to pay P2,500 for a one-year coverage of P300,000 (for 18 to 39 years old) and P200,000 (for 40 to 47 years old.) Those whose ages are between 48 to 60 years old will pay P3,000 for coverage that range from P80,000 to P200,000. Additional coverage for CHAS and COVID-19, as well as in case of accidental death to both insured and spouse, provides more protection not just for the insured, but the family as well.
There are no medical examinations required and it is fully available online. To get Prime Secure Lite, customers should simply go to the InLife Store, and complete the 3-step application process.
Abbott, Shopee mark Family Nutrition Day
Abbott and Shopee are coming together to help improve nutrition at every stage of life for people in the country.
Nutrition for the Whole Family, a regional initiative across six countries including the Philippines, will be held on Shopee Super Brand Day in May.
The campaign aims to nurture families to live fuller lives through good nutrition, and through this program, families will receive nutrition tips, engage with a nutritionist and get to select a range of Abbott’s science-based nutrition products for children and adults.
Abbott brands participating in the campaign include Similac GainSchool, Similac TummiCare, PediaSure Plus, Ensure Gold, and Glucerna.
Centro wants to improve cold chain logistics
Truck body builder Centro Manufacturing Corp. is introducing a transport solution to support the local cold chain logistics industry.
Centro recently partnered with leading truck body builder Nippon Fruehauf of Japan to establish Centro Nippon Fruehauf Cooltech Inc. (CFCI) to locally manufacture insulated sandwich panels and assemble refrigerated van bodies in its new plant in Cavite.
CFCI uses lightweight and recyclable aluminum coated sheets for its panels and for its insulation, it uses extruded polystyrene foam which is less affected by water and less heat conductive. With these new technologies introduced in the local market, CFCI wants to provide more transport solutions to the country’s cold chain logistics especially as cold chain is a critical component in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines .
CFCI can thus customize its ref van bodies since the insulated sandwich panels are locally manufactured.
Locally provides Taguig frontliners with immune-boosting natural juices
Medical and non-medical frontliners in Taguig’s checkpoints, vaccination sites, and barangay enjoyed Locally’s blended juice drink, which are made from fruits cultivated by Filipino farmers. The drinks help the frontliners stay hydrated, energized, and protected from illness as they go about their important duties with the juices’ natural vitamin C.
Some residents in Barangay Fort also received Locally Blended juice drink. Recipients include peace and order personnel, emergency & rescue personnel, day care students, employees of the DSWD barangay base, health center personnel, barangay frontliners, and zone coordinators.
This follows NutriAsia’s donation of boxes of Locally to various hospitals around Metro Manila earlier this month.
ER 1-94 program funds help build molecular laboratory
Global Business Power Corp. (GBP), through subsidiaries Panay Energy Development Corp.(PEDC) and Panay Power Corp. (PPC), has supported Iloilo City and its efforts to fight COVID-19 through Energy Regulations 1-94 (ER 1-94) funds.
More recently, the local government of Iloilo City was able to accommodate the development of the Uswag Iloilo City Molecular Laboratory in Molo district, with a total budget of P53 million, using Iloilo City and Barangay Ingore’s ER 1-94 fund share out of PEDC and PPC’s electricity sales.
The molecular lab in Molo can process as much as 600 samples daily with a turnaround time of 24 hours. With the development of the said lab, residents of Barangay Ingore now have access to COVID-19 PCR tests and other lab services.
The ER 1-94 program stipulates that host communities are entitled to financial benefits of one-centavo for every kilowatt-hour (P0.01/kWh) of the total electricity sales of generating companies to finance electrification, livelihood and development projects.
Nat Re earns P120 million in net profit in 2020
The National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines (Nat Re), the country’s national reinsurer, earned P120 million in net income in 2020, down 24% from P157 million in 2019, as stronger underwriting results were weighed down by lower investment income. The company also generated Other Comprehensive Income of P267 million to bring its Total Comprehensive Income to P387 million pesos in 2020.
Gross written premiums grew by 3% to P4.47 billion from P4.34 billion in 2019 due to growth in reinsurance premiums from the life and non-life domestic business.
Net underwriting income before administration expenses rose significantly by 151% to P341.7 million from P136.4 million in 2019, resulting from higher reinsurance premium income and lower loss ratios.
Nat Re’s combined ratio – the sum of loss, commission, and expense ratios and a measure of the profitability of the company’s insurance operations improved to 98% from 104% in 2019. A combined ratio below 100% indicates the company is making an underwriting profit, while a combined ratio above 100% means the company is paying more claims and expenses versus premiums.
DPWH turns over first modular hemodialysis facility at Kidney Institute
The Department of Public Works and Highways has formally turned-over on Wednesday May 5 the first off-site modular hemodialysis facility completed at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI). The new off-site hemodialysis facility has twenty (20) dialysis rooms.
Secretary Villar together with Undersecretary and DPWH Task Force Head Emil K. Sadain handed over the symbolic key of the pop-up hospital and dormitory to Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, Health Undersecretary and Treatment Czar Leopoldo J. Vega, and NKTI Executive Director Dr. Rose Marie O. Rosete-Liquete.
Also present at the turn-over ceremony are IATF Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr., COVID-19 National Task Force Deputy Chief Implementer and Testing Czar Secretary Vince B. Dizon, Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque, and Quezon City Mayor Joy G. Belmonte.
Built using pre-fabricated panels, the modular hospital has 14 regular dialysis rooms, two (2) isolation rooms, and four (4) hepatitis rooms and will cater 60 dialysis patients per day in three (3) shifts.
The facility is fitted with airconditioning, CCTV monitoring and paging system, nurse station, water treatment room, and generator set for alternative power source.
In partnership with the NKTI, DPWH also completed and turned over a modular dormitory with 16 fully airconditioned rooms complete with double deck beds good for 32 frontlinets, with toilet and bath with water heater in each room, living and dining areas, kitchen and laundry for health workers of NKTI manning the hospital operation.
