Agri-Entreprneurs CompleteThe RAPID-KMME Program

Last May 25, the Rural

Agri-Entreprneurs Complete

The RAPID-KMME Program

Industrial Partnership for Inclusive Development (RAPID) Growth Project, together with the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (or Go Negosyo) and the Department of Trade and Industry as the project implementing agency, held the online graduation rites for the 35 beneficiaries who have recently completed the DTI RAPID-Kapatid Mentor Micro Entrepreneurs (KMME) Program.

The conjoining of the RAPID Growth Project and the KMME Program leverages the impact of one on the country’s enterprises in the agricultural sector and the success of the other in empowering micro- and small enterprises (MSEs) and the farmer producers by mobilizing mentors for its 12-module curriculum that covers all critical aspects of business management.

With the support of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the implementation of the RAPID Growth Project has been led by the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) since 2017 with the aim to propel agriculture-based processing enterprises and entrepreneurial communities to become innovative, productive and competitive. Meanwhile, the KMME Program is borne of a public-private partnership (PPP) between the DTI and the Go Negosyo and has capacitated over 9,000 micro- and small enterprises (MSEs) as mentees with the help of its pool of almost 800 business leaders and entrepreneurs who signed up as mentors.

And so the DTI RAPID-KMME Program aims to establish an ecosystem for a comprehensive capacity building using online and offline platforms, capitalizing on experiential and participatory activities guided by modules and webinar or a blended structure of learning procedures. Its end-goal is to equip beneficiary-mentees with knowledge on adaptive business strategies that will enable them to cope with the pandemic and to thrive in the market in the “new normal”.

DTI Regional Director cum RAPID Growth Project Director Edwin Banquerigo opened the program with a message of thanks and an optimistic outlook. He expects that the mentee-graduates will be part of the core group that would really help them in pushing for another batch of DTI RAPID-KMME Program and to be at the forefront of economic recovery since they now have what it takes to be a driver of economic recovery and economic growth. He thanked the mentors and coaches for sharing their real business experiences which were truly remarkable, notable and priceless. His advice to the mentee-graduates is to create jobs and livelihood opportunities that will make many people happy.

Undersecretary for DTI Regional Operations Group, USec. Blesila Lantayona laid out some advice to the mentee-graduates that will help their businesses and cooperatives. She hopes that they will apply the knowledge they have gained to their daily business operations and on pivoting to the new normal. She also mentioned that there are more training or webinars that they are welcome to join for free to deepen their knowledge on any aspects of the business operations. The said partnership will be instrumental in bringing to the next level of the entrepreneurial competencies of the target beneficiaries that will hopefully provide them with the mindset, tools, and support system to scale up their businesses and help achieve the goals of RAPID Growth Project and this milestone will be a step towards achieving their goal of surviving and thriving under this new way of doing things.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo Founder, PA Joey Concepcion gave his keynote message by easing the worries of the mentee-graduates on updating them of the current vaccine efforts from both the private and public sector and how vaccines will serve as the serving glory against this pandemic. He mentioned that when the time comes that the mentee-graduates will be needing help, they may get in touch with Go Negosyo mentors to help them through mentorship on solving their specific problem which they have encountered in their businesses or cooperatives. He also advised the mentee-graduates not to lose hope because Go Negosyo and the Department of Trade and Industry are here to help them.

The 35 mentee-graduates who successfully completed the program were granted confirmation by RD Edwin Banquerigo, USec. Blesila Lantayona, and Engr. Merly Cruz, and received their certifications. After the awarding of the certificates, seven (7) graduates shared their learnings and takeaways from the program through their testimonials.

For Ursolo Dela Pena of Ursing’s Integrated Farm from Region 8, he thanked God for giving them an opportunity to continue learning and to be part of the pilot batch of DTI RAPID-KMME program. As a mentee, this training is a very useful and very important foundation in establishing a business. He also expressed his gratitude to all the mentors for sharing their knowledge and expertise in the field of business.

For Sheena Mae Mante of Alonzo Gourmet Food Products from Region 9, she realized on the first day of DTI RAPID-KMME that there are so many things which she needs to learn. And now, because of this program, she is ready to face the challenges in the world of entrepreneurship. The learning will continue and she sees herself becoming a successful entrepreneur.

For Rico Badilla Kamada of Arc Cooperative from Region 10, RAPID-KMME helped him develop a clearer vision for his coop and helped in formulating strategic moves. It widened his cooperative’s perspective in terms of expansion on its agri-operation which will definitely help a lot of farmers in improving and uplifting their financial capacity and economic status. After joining the RAPID-KMME program, he sees himself more equipped and confident that he can apply the knowledge he has gained.

For Audrey Pancho of Comval Tropical Harvest Trading Company Inc. from Region 11, the program is an eye-opener that made her realize that they are not just small-scale entrepreneurs but also they also have a social responsibility not only to the community but to the whole value-chain itself. Through the program, it helped her identify the key partners and how to optimize the relationships with them. Most importantly, the RAPID-KMME program really helped her realize, to reevaluate, and innovate on the areas that she thinks that they really need to improve. She hopes that in the next couple of years that they are still partnered with the program, RAPID-KMME, that they will together achieve the goals of helping the value chain, and giving back to the communities.

For Abigail Ranera of Nikko’s Brew from Region 12, she gained and learned a lot of knowledge from the program. The program gave a big impact not just to her business but this can also help other start-up businesses on how to operate the business and build partnerships. The RAPID program also helped them in providing machineries, tools they needed for their business. She sees herself expanding her business through the help of the program.

For Panganda Tanggote of Darusalam High Valued Crops Farmer Cooperative from BARMM, the DTI RAPID-KMME and the team behind the program prepared them to adapt to change and challenge. He gives thanks to all the mentors and coaches of the program which transformed them into entrepreneurs and he believes that they could also make it big. The most important thing he learned is that they have already taken the initial steps needed to build a more promising future.

Lastly, for Regan Cacho of Dugmanon United Coconut Farmers Association from Region 13, through the help of the program, he is now more empowered because of all the learnings and knowledge he gained that he can apply to his cooperative. In the coming years after joining the DTI RAPID-KMME program, he would like to see himself watch his organization grow, touching every farmer’s life in his community who will feel their mission by alleviating poverty.

Closing the program, Go Negosyo Adviser for MSME Development, Engr. Merly Cruz congratulated the mentee-graduates and told them that they have set a very good example in the agribusiness sector and hopes that they can do something beyond what they have already done not just for their cooperatives but also for the community. She also thanked the mentors and coaches who actively participated in the pilot batch of the program. It is not just the success of the program but also their own success.

The program was hosted by Joby Linsangan-Moreno, owner of Orange Blush Salon and Go Negosyo Mentor

Proof That The Pandemic Was Planned & With Purpose

September 30, 2020 by Dr James Fetzer

A group of over of  500 medical doctors in Germany called ‘Doctors for Information’ made a shocking statement during a national press conference: 

‘The Corona panic is a play. It’s a scam. A swindle. It’s high time we understood that we’re in the midst of a global crime.’

This large group of medical experts publishes a medical newspaper on 500,000 copies every week, to inform the public about the massive misinformation in the mainstream media. They also organize mass protests in Europe, like the one on August 29, 2020 where 12 million people signed up and several millions actually showed up.

In Spain a group of 600 medical doctors called ‘Doctors for Truth’, made a similar statement during a press conference.

WAS THE PANDEMIC PLANNED?

• Thousands of medical doctors call the pandemic a global crime, and a world dictatorship with a sanitary excuse.

• Two years before Covid-19 came to the global scene, the European Union, the USA, China and other nations suddenly started exporting tens of millions of test kits for Covid-19.

• In 2013 a musician predicts a global pandemic with a coronavirus and says this will happen in 2020. He knew this because of personal investigation of so called ‘conspiracy theories’.

• In 2017 Anthony Fauci guaranteed a surprise outbreak of an infectious disease during the first term of the Trump administration.

• Right before the outbreak of a coronavirus pandemic, Bill Gates organized a global coronavirus pandemic exercise: Event201.

• Right before the outbreak the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board told the world to be ready for a coronavirus pandemic.

• In 2018 the Institute for Disease Modeling announced a global pandemic with a flu virus, originating in China in the area of Wuhan.

• In 2018 Bill and Melinda Gates announced that in the coming years there would be a global pandemic of an engineered virus.

• The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was created in the Bio Safety Lab Level 4 in Wuhan, which received millions of dollars from Anthony Fauci.

• Several movies depicted the coronavirus pandemic with great detail, and even mention hydroxychloroquine as the cure.

• The Summer Olympics in 2012 played a pandemic of a coronavirus during their opening show.

• The investigative journalist Harry Vox predicted in 2014 that a global pandemic would be caused, so the ‘ruling class’ could implement a higher level of authoritarian control.

• The investigative journalist Anthony Patch predicted a global pandemic with a man made virus, that would be used to force a DNA altering vaccine on humanity.

• Dr. Carrie Madej studied DNA and vaccines for decades and says the plan is to use the Covid-19 vaccine to start the process of transhumanism: reprogramming the human DNA.

• The CIA officer Dr. John Coleman studied secret societies and says their goal is to depopulate the earth by means of organized pandemics of fatal rapid acting diseases.

• In the state of Georgia a huge monument was erected in 1980 with ten guidelines for humanity, in eight languages. The first of these ‘Ten Commandments’ is that humanity needs to be reduced to half a billion people.

• Bill Gates said during a TED talk that new vaccines can be used to reduce the world’s population with 10-15%.

• The ‘health ranger’ Mike Adams predicted years ago what we see happening now: the release of an engineered bioweapon, followed by a vaccine mandate, massive government funding for the vaccine industry and a vaccine that is being developed in record time. He also predicted that this vaccine will kill innumerable people over the course of a couple of years.

• In 2010 the Rockefeller Foundation published the ‘Scenario for the future…’ in which they describe a coming global pandemic, that should result in the implementation of authoritarian control over the people, which will then intensify after the pandemic.

• In 2020 they publish a handbook on how to create this world of control, with a step by step guide. They say life cannot return back to normal, until the world has become ‘Locked Down’ with this top down control from authoritarian governments.

• We indeed see that Bill Gates and many others worldwide are right away seizing control in unprecedented ways, with enforcing vaccine ID’s, microchips that will be implanted into people, mandating the wearing of face masks, social distancing, forced lock-downs, extreme contact tracing, and so on.

• Part of this top down control is extreme censoring of every single voice from doctors, scientists or other experts that criticize what is going on.

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International Experts in Artificial Intelligence, Metabolomics and Renewable Energy invite Filipinos to become Balik Scientists

Renowned Filipino scientists from abroad invite Filipinos to become part of the Department of Science and Technology's Balik Scientist Program (BSP), during the BSP’s virtual orientation and public consultation held on Wednesday, June 30, 2021.

DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña led the orientation of the BSP citing its history and goal, “BSP is a brain gain initiative of the DOST and has been instrumental in promoting and implementing science, technology and innovation activities for national development, especially in areas where we have limited local expertise. From its implementation in 1975 until 2020, we were able to work with 564 Balik Scientists through 716 engagements.”

Despite the challenging year of 2020 brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Undersecretary for Research and Development, Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, acknowledged the 34 Balik Scientists who continued to serve the scientific and developmental goals of the Program. 

USec Guevara also added that the program adopted alternative means of engagement for the Balik Scientist, strengthened by implementing the Supplemental Guidelines and Risk Management Plan that allowed Balik Scientists to be virtually engaged during the pandemic when there are travel restrictions.

Three esteemed Balik Scientist Awardees testified that notable engagements for the health, industry, and agriculture sector are indeed possible, amidst the pandemic. 

Dr. Anna Karen C. Laserna, a research fellow at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and a short-term Balik Scientist extended her help to the De La Salle University - Central Instrumentation Facility in becoming a center for research in metabolomics and partnered with the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development’s Tuklas Lunas Program. 

ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) for Excellence in Science Awardee Dr. Lawrence A. Limjuco highlighted how DOST through its sectoral planning councils, research and development institutes, collegial and scientific bodies, and scientific and technological services coordinates science and technology-related projects in the Philippines and formulates policies and projects in support of national development, especially the BSP. 

Dr. Limjuco also shared different practices in promoting a research-based Material Science and Engineering (MSE) subject during his engagement with BSP, including the shift from experimental research to review of related articles, remote learning via international collaborations, on-site activities with strict compliance to safety precaution measures, and continuous learning through remote research.  

A seven-time Balik Scientist Awardee and a consultant to numerous international institutions such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and UN Forum on Forests (UNFF), Dr. Guillermo A. Mendoza imparted his diverse areas of expertise ranging from artificial intelligence to watershed management and hydrologic modelling.

With the use of geospatial technologies, Dr. Guillermo conducted studies in applying precision agriculture principles in potato production and assessing landslide susceptibility.

Sectors of the industry, agriculture and health gravely suffered during this pandemic, and now, more than ever, it is important to increase the number of Filipino scientists, technologists, and experts to be able to help the country move forward and quickly recover. 

It is also through the pandemic that research and development have been more relevant and needed, the DOST Balik Scientist Program offers new avenues and opportunities for extensive and prolonged research and development for the country. 

Regional Director Armando Q. Ganal encouraged experts to apply for the program and called for institutions to host Balik Scientists, “We enjoin you to either be a Balik Scientist and share your learnings and skills to the country or to be a host agency for our Balik Scientists. Either way, it will always be Science for the People”

Machang Day & Dragon Boat Festival Celebration this year 2021 is June 14!

Machang honors ancient poet & an educator at 82-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café

 Machang Day is east Asia’s annual colorful “Duanwujie” or Dragon Boat Festival, which this year 2021 occurs on June 14. Ever since 2020 lockdown, among the new foods introduced by 82-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café in Judge Jimenez St. corner K- 1st St., Brgy. Kamuning, Quezon City to “delight customers” is its now popular Machang glutinous rice dumplings. “Duanwu” Festival is called in Korean as Dano festival, in Japanese it is called “Tango” and in Vietnamese as “Tet Doan Ngo”.

The Fat Kid Inside food blogger Erwan Heussaff  said: “There are a million things you can do with rice. If you want to take things to the next level, you definitely have to try Machang.” The “Wall Street Journal” food writer Fuchsia Dunlop said: 'It's gooey, aromatic and delicious." Also called “zongzi” in Mandarin, “Machang is the Hokkien or south Fujian province language name for this an ancient food created over 2,300 years ago to honor the late great Chinese poet and anti-corruption statesman Qu Yuan (pronounced “Chu Yuan” in Mandarin). 

Machang started to be cooked at Kamuning Bakery Café when owner, realty entrepreneur and writer Wilson Lee Flores was bored during lockdown due to closed restaurants, so he asked staff to try cooking it using an old recipe of his late educator mother Mary Young Siu Tin. When he explained it’s “malagkit” or glutinous rice with pork belly, shiitake mushroom and others slow-cooked and then wrapped in lotus or bamboo leaves, the cooks and bakers said they have not yet eaten it and thought it was “suman”. Wilson further explained it’s not sweet suman, but more like savory paella. The talented cooks tried to cook Machang and finally succeeded on the third attempt.   Kamuning Bakery Café now cooks four varieties of Machang weekly---Special Chicken Pork Mushroom Machang, Special Double Pork Mushroom Machang, Taochang Special Chicken Pork with Mushroom & Beans (“Tao” is Hokkien for “beans), and Machang Premium (Pork Belly, Chicken, Beans, Mushroom, Hebi & Salted Egg). 

 

Guangzhou, Anvil donate P6 million school supplies for 10,000 public school students through Mayor Isko Moreno

Guangzhou City and Anvil Business Club on June 22 turned over to Manila Mayor Isko Moreno at Manila City Hall the donation of seven tons of school supplies worth about P6 million pesos to benefit 10,000 Manila public school students.

Formerly spelled “Canton” in the past, Guangzhou is now a major industrial and financial center, its Mayor Wen Guohui said the donation is Guangzhou’s expression of friendship and solidarity with Manila City and the Philippines. Guangzhou in southern China is a sister city of Manila. Last year in March at the start of pandemic lockdown, Guangzhou had also donated medical supplies to Manila City.

Anvil Business Club is a business and civic organization of young Filipino Chinese entrepreneurs led by chairman Wilson Lee Flores, President Hubert Chua, EVP Kenneth Dee, VP  Richmond Co who is also chairman of this school supplies civic project.

Wilson Lee Flores said: “This civic project of Guangzhou City in partnership with Anvil Business Club seeks to help Manila public school students in this difficult time of lockdown. This donation is our contribution to the future of this great city now under a dynamic mayor and also our tribute to the past, because many of us have ancestors who had started life in the Philippines here in Manila City. This is our gift to the children of Manila and also our gift to Manila on its 450th anniversary on June 24.”

Flores added: “Speaking of the past, it is not true the Philippines had no culture or no economy before the Spaniards had ‘discovered’ this place 500 years ago. Actually, even before the Spaniards came here to colonize the Philippines and to establish Manila City in Intramuros, this area called Maynila was an independent rajahnate doing flourishing trade over a thousand years ago with China of the Sung and Yuan dynasties. And across Pasig River from Maynila was the then pre-colonial independent kingdom of Tondo which also had flourishing trade ties with China and other Asian countries. Before the Western colonizers came, early pre-colonial Filipinos already had trade and diplomatic ties with Asia, and there was also already a vibrant local Chinese community here mostly of traders and artisans. Let us not forget the rich history of Manila and the Philippines as we all help build a great, exciting future.”

DOST launches Artificial Intelligence Technologies for National Roadmap

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) recently launched numerous programs and technologies in support of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) National Roadmap.  In a virtual press conference broadcast at the DOST- Science for Change Program (S4CP) Facebook page, AI scientific outputs related to health, industry, agriculture and aquatic technologies and those for the betterment of society were presented. 

“Since 1958, the DOST has worked on building the country’s research and development (R&D) capabilities, infrastructure and capitalizing on human resource development in identified priority areas in the fields of agriculture and aquatic, health, energy, industry and emerging technologies, among others,” said DOST Secretary Fortunato T. dela Peña. “AI has been included among our R&D priorities since 2016.  It is one of the important technologies that will guide and prepare us in what we call the fourth industrial revolution.”

Themed: “AI for a better normal,” the event premiered the CHERISH Study or the Retrospective Study on the Accuracy of AI-Powered Reading of Chest X-Rays in the Diagnosis of COVID-19 Pneumonia in a Tertiary Hospital.   The technology, nicknamed CHERISH App, from DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) aims to develop and determine the diagnostic accuracy of AI-powered Chest X-ray reading software for COVID-19 pneumonia as a tool for ease of diagnosing the disease. Several studies  suggest that CT-scan combined with clinical conditions, lung lesion density, morphological characteristics and other associated signs, has a high accuracy for the early diagnosis of COVID-19 and acts as the differential diagnosis from Community-acquired Pneumonia.​ This is vital in the triage of patients coming in and out of hospitals, most especially in cases where immediate medical attention is required. 

Another COVID-19 AI technology is a monitoring tool from DOST-National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP) with a graphical user interface that provides at-a-glance views of the number of COVID-19  cases or progress reports across the National and Local Government Units, Regional, Provincial, Municipality, Barangay. Called CCMON for COVID-19 Cases Monitor, the social data gathered from this public online dashboard will provide gender-specific insights based on COVID-19 epidemiological and socio-economic data.  

AI is also used for technologies in aid of food security and economic recovery.  From DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) is the Mechanization Resource Mapping, Monitoring and Data Analysis Sysytem or M3DAS, which is an important aid for mechanization planning, implementation, and policy data generation of government departments and LGUs.  Another agricultural technology is the Automated Furrow Irrigation System which is a smarter automated furrow irrigation system that integrates crop production models, irrigation management strategies, soil and crop sensors and control system that is called, “AutoFurrow.” The system uses real-time and precision farming that can be operated through a mobile app.

There are also significant developments in AI for Traffic Management.  From the DOST-S4CP CRADLE Program and DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD)  is “Driver.PH”.  This project will combine information communication technology (ICT) solutions to monitor and record the driving attitude of drivers such as their sudden acceleration, stopping, swerving, and turning. It will also determine the degree of driving knowledge of drivers through a gamified assessment with emphasis on technical driving and vehicle roadworthiness know-how.

There are also AI technologies specifically tailored to the aid of industry, most specially startups and MSMEs. 

“Through R&D, DOST aspires to aid various government stakeholders develop data-driven AI-enabled solutions that will help enhance government functions and delivery of its services to the FIlipino people,” says DOST Undersecretary for R&D Rowena Cristina L. Guevara.  “AI is bound to change our lives. We need to continuously promote R&D and its useful outputs to ensure that all Filipinos benefit from science and technology.  This is the way R&D can positively CHANGE our country and the world.”

A Race Between The Vaccination andThe Delta Variant

Yesterday, I celebrated my natal day with a simple Zoom meet-up, inviting friends from the private and the government sector to our daily Mentor Me Online (MMO) show for Go Negosyo, which for the past years has been mentoring our MSMEs live, and raffling cash prizes for their Puhunan Pang-Negosyo. Following our Let’s Go Bakuna campaign, this time, we asked our negosyantes to show their bakuna card with their negosyo selfie as we want to encourage our MSMEs to take the vaccines since they are basically multitasked and cannot afford to get severely sick.

Also, just this week, our President ordered the arrest of Filipinos who refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The President, in his address, said that if they will not cooperate with the country’s efforts to end our current public health emergency, it will just be better for them to leave the country. I am with the President on this and I am happy that he is calling for everyone to get the vaccine. It is encouraging that the President is serious about our people getting vaccinated because this is certainly what we need right now. This is the best way for us to attain at least population protection so we can start opening further our economy, then go towards herd immunity.

I am sure the President means well and sees that our solution to this pandemic are the vaccines. Right now, as more variants, like the Delta variant, pose their threat to various nations – such as that which has been hitting India hard, it becomes a race between the Delta variant hitting us soon and our ability to vaccinate as many Filipinos as possible in NCR plus. This is the only way we can prevent the Delta variant’s community transmission. It is good enough that the President has expressed his frustration and that our people listen. Surely, the Delta variant as we have seen in India has caused so many lives, and if we face another prolonged lockdown, this will put a nail in the coffin for our MSMEs. We have more vaccines arriving and more will arrive from both the government and the private sector.

With most of the conversation right now focusing on the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, this was the same topic I discussed with Ed Lingao during an interview last Monday. Talking about the private sector’s suggestion of having areas for the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, this suggestion was inspired by what the United States has been doing, especially in their high-risk areas like bars, movie theaters, arenas, and indoor dining establishments. In our conversation, I presented the main purpose of the suggestion. The suggestion is motivated by the need to reopen the economy as more people get vaccinated – we can start our economic revival at the soonest and safest time possible. Adding to this fact, the suggestion is in recognition of the fact that as we move forward, there are those that will choose not to get vaccinated and there are those that have chosen to be vaccinated to be safer. The suggestion optimizes the conditions for the ‘next normal’ for both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, and as I continuously argue, the suggestion shall only kick in when we attain population protection – at least in certain areas like the NCR Plus. Here are some highlights of that interview:

Ed: Hi Sir, just some clarity with that proposal to have some sort of separation of the vaccinated and unvaccinated people in business establishments.

Joey: Maybe take it to the right context. We have been meeting with Octa Research, Dr. Ed Salvana, and other medical advisers as the private sector is trying to align basically the exit strategy out of this pandemic. What’s very important are milestones—like our population getting at least 50 percent vaccinated, hitting population protection. Now, assuming we do hit such a milestone, how do we open up the economy safely? That’s very important because I think we must open the economy as more people get vaccinated. So the key point here is the number of people being vaccinated, that determines how much you can open the economy. The lesser number of people that are vaccinated, the more unlikely it is that we could open the economy.

Ed: Tell me if I am getting this right, I am trying to look for a parallel, a comparison. Can we say that what you’re looking at is perhaps putting up a premium space for those who are vaccinated, not necessarily to prohibit non-vaccinated people from entering establishments, but putting aside special places for those who are vaccinated?

Joey: No, that is not the intention. Like how there’s no special place in smoking and non-smoking area, there is no special place for the vaccinated or the unvaccinated. There is just the vaccinated and the unvaccinated area, just like having an area for smokers and non-smokers.

Ed: Sir, let’s talk about timetables for this proposal. You mentioned that we are looking for population protection by September or October this year, and hopefully herd immunity by the end of the year. Are we waiting for those two milestones before having this system in place or are we looking for something that will be put in place in few months?

Joey: These are all part of the planning process on how to move towards our exit strategy. Like in the case of America when they hit the 50 percent vaccinated population, we can move towards that direction and allow people to watch live games, go out, and allow more things to happen. Of course, maintaining certain protocols like wearing face masks and social distancing is important. We have to find the solutions; these broad concepts should come into place. So on our part, yes, certain milestones must be achieved before we kick in many of our suggestions. In the end, it is the IATF who will decide whether to implement these things or not, or they will leave the decision-making to the establishments, restaurants, and building owners themselves.