In Search of the Truth About the Controversial Dengue Vaccine

Wazzup PIlipinas!

"The majority of the people are not really aware on how Dengue really attacks the body. I do believe if we can educate them the chances of surviving will increase dramatically and we may even reach a point that dengue deaths will be zero. Thus, this advocacy." - Dr. Richard Mata

Sanofi Pasteur, a French multinational pharmaceutical company, led by Dr. Bouckenooghe, Mr. Joshua_Nealon, and Dr. Ruby Dizon, recently conducted a media conference about the dengue vaccine.

The event was held at the Dusit Thani hotel in Makati city on October 20, 2016. It allowed us the opportunity to ask them several questions about the dengue vaccine, including the many issues that has made it very controversial.

While the Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial assured that the newly registered vaccine was safe for use, there has been an awful lot of questions about this sudden, undue haste in providing the dengue vaccine. The vaccine is the first ever approved for use to prevent dengue, a mosquito-borne disease endemic in the Philippines. Should we express concern that children in the Philippines are being used as “guinea pigs” since the country was the first in Asia to implement the vaccination?

The government purchased the dengue vaccine in March this year and was delivered in the same month. The vaccine was just registered by the Food and Drug Authority on Dec. 22, 2015. The Department of Health (DOH) started to give the first of three doses of the vaccine from April to July this year to almost 500,000 children in Metro Manila, Southern Luzon and Central Luzon.

Disney and Globe Launch Disney Princess: I Dare to Dream

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In one way or another, girls all over the world have seen themselves as a Disney Princess. Disney Princesses are an inspiration to most and inspire young girls to dare to dream big and make it a reality.

Inspired by the empowering values of Disney Princesses, in association with Globe, a first-of-its-kind, digital reality-series comes to life with Disney Princess: I Dare to Dream. The producers are calling on all girls aged 9 to 16 years old to join the open auditions to be one of the six that will be chosen for the show.

Auditions will be held on October 22, 2016 at Cortes delas Palmas, Alabang Town Center, and on October 23, 2016 at Ayala Center Cebu, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Disney Princess: I Dare to Dream celebrates the aspirational values of the beloved Disney Princesses who have achieved their dreams, and hopes to encourage and inspire young girls in the Philippines to dare to dream, too. In the web series, the chosen girls will be staying in a house where they will be paired with a mentor who excels in the field that they aspire to be. The audience will be able to join their journey as they take that first step in living their dreams through a 10-episode web series.

“We are proud to bring to our customers our very first original content in collaboration with Disney. I Dare to Dream gives us an engaging platform to that will possibly change the lives of its participants. Not only are we able to give new and fresh entertainment content to our customers, but we also become part of a meaningful project,” says Globe Senior Advisor for Consumer Business Dan Horan.

Apart from the live auditions, interested participants may also submit their video auditions via www.idaretodream.ph. In the video, the contestant needs to introduce herself and talk about her big dream. Submission of entries will be until November 4, 2016.

The time has come for girls who look up to their favorite Disney princess to embrace their ambitions, achieve their potential, and above all, dare to dream!

To stay updated on the digital reality series, just visit www.idaretodream.ph. For more information, just follow Globe and its official Facebook page as well as at @enjoyGlobe on Twitter and Instagram.

DOE Wins Thrust Towards Full Implementation of RCOA, Ensuring Consumer Choice in the Power Industry

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi welcomed the Supreme Court (SC) issuance, which is pivotal to the implementation of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) that gives the electricity consumers the power of choice.

On 10 October 2016, the Department of Energy (DOE) together with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) scored a victory with the recent Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the SC in allowing the full implementation of the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) provision of the EPIRA.

Secretary Cusi emphasized that “The DOE and the ERC are pushing reforms to implement the provisions that gives the consumers the power of choice. But some distribution utilities are preventing it.”

“The Supreme Court saw the need to uphold the role of the DOE - ERC in giving consumers the power of choice,” Cusi said.

“With RCOA in place, “Constestable Customers” or those consuming 1 megawatt (MW) of electricity are now able to choose their power supplier/s to reduce their costs.”

Cusi explained, “In the previous set up, electricity customers were captured by the distribution utilities within their franchise area and were forced to pay the contracted supply of their respective distribution utilities.”

“Currently, the DOE is undergoing the preparatory stage to include consumers consuming 750 kilowatts as Contestable Customers.”

The SC issued a TRO enjoining the Regional Trial Court, Branch 157, Pasig City, from continuing the proceedings in the Petition for Declaratory Relief filed by the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) against the DOE and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

In the said Petition, MERALCO sought to nullify DOE Circular No. DC2015-06-0010 (released 19 June 2015) and related resolutions issued by the ERC, enjoining the DOE and ERC from implementing them. Under DC2015-06-0010, electricity end-users with a monthly average peak demand of at least 1 MW for the preceding 12 months will be the Contestable Market upon initial implementation of the RCOA. Two (2) years afterwards, the threshold level for the Contestable Market will be reduced to 750 kilowatts (kW). Subsequently, the ERC is required to evaluate the performance of the electricity market and gradually reduce the threshold level until it reaches household demand level.