Breaking News from the Philippines: HMOs post massive losses in 1st Semester of 2023. President Blames Dropping Approval Ratings on Rice (and other problems). Child Dies after being Slapped by Teacher

Philhealth hack linked to failure to renew security software. VP Duterte stripped of confidential funds. Parents told not to worry "pediatric vaccination is safe and effective". Spike is cleared!

HMOs Posting Massive Losses in First Semester of 2023 - Is the the Smoking Gun for Mass Disability?

After making a profit in the first semester of 2022, 28 / 29 HMOs are now posting massive losses based on unaudited interim financial statements due to payouts and claims in the same period in 2023, even despite increased revenues in 2023. Perhaps Ed Dowd’s data showing massively increasing disability in the US is being mirrored in the Philippines.

This insurance industry data may now be the smoking gun for the dramatically poorer health of Filipinos in 2023. The Philippines Statistics Authority has yet to post any vital statistics for 2023, already well behind typical schedules for data release which in recent years have started by 2nd to early 3rd Quarter. Perhaps the all cause mortality data and cause of death data will corroborate the appalling health of the nation!

2023 Vital Statistics Data are Still Pending from PSA

Below is the latest data released from PSA, which is still for 2022 (as of May 31, 2023). Note their reference to “regular monthly release”. It is already 5th of October 2023, and there is yet to be any 2023 “regular monthly release”. What is up PSA?

Presidents’ Approval Ratings are Down. He Blames the Price of Rice even as he Lifts the 4th September Rice Price Cap!

The President’s approval ratings are down in the latest survey.

Marcos says his dropping popularity (15% drop) is expected, given the current hardships many Filipinos are facing given rampant inflation with dropping buying power. Life is getting even harder than usual, and many are facing increasing hunger. Increased poverty will worsen the health of the nation even further, over and above the underlying damage that 3 years of pandemic and the genetic modification products have wrought!

Price Caps on Rice are Lifted as Marcos Vows to Help Farmers

After capping the price of rice early in September, the president has now lifted the price cap and is vowing to help farmers. When rices are capped, the farmers cannot recoup theirs costs; if they cannot make a living farming why would they bother to continue to try? A chicken and egg situation as the market spirals itself to extinction, and the nation to mass hunger and ever increasing inflation.

Child Dies of Brain Hemorrhage After Being Slapped by His Teacher

Surely much more to this sad story. Will it be properly investigated, or just blamed on the teacher? It seems strange that a kid would take 6 days to develop a brain hemorrhage, and from a slap, not a beating? Reminds me of parents being blamed for killing their baby via assumed "shaken baby syndrome", which just coincidentally happens shortly after well child visits - which are vaccination visits.

Updates published today claimed the child had suffered a brain bleed, diffuse brain swelling, and also tuberculosis. Brain bleeds take quite a beating to inflict. I somehow doubt that this could be the result of a simple slap. I hope there is fair justice for both the child’s family and the teacher, all of whom must be devastated at this outcome and the findings.

Philhealth Failure to Renew Antiviral Soft Blamed for Hacking Incident

Philhealths’ recent hacking has been blamed on failure of the agency to renew its antiviral software! They blame changes in government procurement procedures for their lapse. No words on this MAJOR failure of oversight and online security, they can’t even get the basic right. What else are they getting wrong?

VP Duterte Stripped of Confidential Funds

After hitting the news over her use of “confidential funds” over the past weeks, VP Duterte has now been stripped of these funds.

VP Duterte is not impressed and is defending her use of the funds, accusing critics of being enemies of the nation”.

Perhaps the main issue is not the use of the funds for security, but instead that these funds are not subject to normal oversight and audit procedures.

Pediatric Vaccination is Safe and Effective [DOH]

DOH tells parents that pediatric vaccination is the best way they can protect their children, and that “mothers don’t need to worry about safety and effectiveness of vaccines”. They lament that the Philippines has many zero dose children, and that vaccine hesitancy is problem for the Philippines.

Philippines pediatric vaccination schedule (via the WHO) is shown. Babies are given Hepatitis Vaccine on the day of birth. This is given without parental consultation. Parents not wanting this vaccine must actively opt out and will be required to sign waiver.

RA10152, signed on 26 July 2010, is the mandatory basic immunization services act. It provides for “immunization” against 10 infections, as well as any others that the Secretary of Health may determine.

Fewer than typical deaths of babies and children were registered with PSA during the Covid-19 pandemic periods of 2020 and 2021, when children could not access well-care visits. There was a 22% drop in pediatric deaths in 2020 vs. 2019. Deaths increased in 2021 but were still 9.4% below 2019 levels. The under 1s showed

A breakdown of the 2022 vital statistics by age is not yet available, to determine if this trending has reversed now that the nation has returned to normal population movement and mobility.

Similar to younger children, those aged 10 to 19 all showed decreased in registered deaths from 2019 to 2020. However, in 2021, the second year of the pandemic older children showed a large increase in deaths, well above all prior years. What could have caused extra deaths in these age-groups, but not younger age groups? Covid-19 vaccination of children aged 12 and above began at the end of 2021. Note that lockdowns were still in place nationwide in 2021 and there was no in-person schooling happening, ie. essentially an extension of the same pandemic measures that were in place in 2020.

Spike’s Owner Died of Heart Attack

A little light relief to end this report. Spike has been cleared from killing his 63 yo owner, who is confirmed to died of a heart attack (still a tragedy for the family). Spike is no longer on the kill list and will be put up for rehoming.

Blessings for the end of the week to all!