No money, no honey? No worry dollar is up

By Alex P. Vidal

“The lack of money is the root of all evil.”—Mark Twain

AT the remittance center inside a Filipino grocery store in Queens Boulevard, New York City December 9 afternoon, I noticed the Philippine peso was once again “bellow the gutter” vis-à-vis the US dollar: One US dollar was equivalent to 59.23 in Philippine peso via Ria money transfer.

This meant our peso sank once more to a new all-time low on December 9 to join most regional currencies’ decline against the US dollar on cautiousness before the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, reportedly with bets on a rate cut by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also affecting sentiment.

If peso is down going to the Yuletide season, it’s the right time to remit cash to the Philippines for dollar income earners in the United States.

The local unit slid by 28.5 centavos to close at P59.22 versus the greenback from its P58.935 finish on December 5, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.

This was reportedly a fresh low for the peso, beating the previous record of P59.17 logged on Nov. 12.

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The local currency has reportedly depreciated by P1.375 or 2.32 percent from its P57.845 finish on Dec. 27, 2024 year to date.

Wealth Insights reported that the peso opened Tuesday’s session weaker at P59.08 versus the dollar. Its intraday best was at P59.07, while its worst showing was its closing level of PHP 59.22 against the greenback.

Dollars traded went down to USD 1.097 billion on December 9 from US$1.423 billion on December 5.

The peso dropped along with its regional peers as the dollar was stronger overnight on higher US Treasury yields as markets await the Fed’s policy decision, the first trader said in a Viber message.

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Also, the US central bank was set to begin its two-day policy meeting overnight, where it is widely expected to lower borrowing costs by 25 basis points (bps) for a second straight time.

While a cut this week is already priced in, Wealth Insights added that markets are unsure about the Fed’s future policy moves, especially with Chair Jerome H. Powell set to end his term by May next year and with the latest data showing a mixed picture of the state of the US economy.

The dollar was stronger against most Asian currencies amid escalating tensions between China and Japan, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort added in a Viber message.

“The peso weakened anew past the P59 level as market expectations firmed over a potential BSP rate cut this week,” the second trader said in an e-mail.

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Alice Guo, Casandra Ong, Zaldy Co, James Ang, Eric Yap, Bong Go, Michael Yang, Peter Lim, Atong Ang.

Except for Roque and Bato, Chinese-sounding family names have been dominating the news in the Philippines these past weeks.

They hogged headlines because of their alleged involvement in several criminal activities, not because they are role models for our youth to emulate.

Only Filipino-sounding family names Guanzon (Wengweng because of her infamous Gucci and Rolex-highlighted mall performance), Discaya (Sarah because of malversation case for a “ghost” project in Oriental Mindoro), Duterte (Polong because of his plan to visit 17 countries starting December 15 until February 2026) were able to break the ice.

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Cold sore treatment: what works for fast relief and healing. That annoying tingling on our lip, followed by a painful bump. Cold sores always seem to pop up at the worst times. Maybe we’ve got a big presentation at work or a family photo coming up. Whatever the timing, we want that cold sore gone fast.

More than 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 (or 67 percent of the population) are infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), according to the World Health Organization, so most of us know exactly how frustrating cold sores can be.

But the right cold sore treatment can cut our healing time in half and make the pain much more manageable.

Let’s break down what actually works and what doesn’t, so we can get back to feeling confident about your smile.

Best cold sore treatment options: prescription vs. over-the-counter: The cold sore treatment that works best for you depends on how quickly we catch the cold sore and how bad your symptoms get.

Prescription cold sore treatments that work.

Antiviral pills are our best bet for stopping cold sores fast.

The most common ones are valacyclovir (Valtrex), acyclovir (Zovirax) and famciclovir (Famvir).

These antivirals stop the virus from spreading. When we start taking them within the first day or two of feeling that tingle, they can:

-Cut healing time by 1-2 days

-Make the pain much less severe

-Help prevent the cold sore from getting as big

Prescription creams like acyclovir cream can also help when we put them right on the cold sore. They’re not as powerful as the pills, but they still speed up healing.

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Daily prevention medicine might make sense if we get cold sores more than 6 times a year. Taking antiviral medicine every day can stop most outbreaks before they start.

Over-the-counter options.

-Abreva (docosanol) is the only cold sore medicine you can buy without a prescription that’s proven to work. It can shorten healing time by about a day if you start using it right when you feel the first tingle.

-Pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen help with the aching and swelling. You can also try numbing gels with benzocaine for quick relief.

-Ice packs work great during the first day or two. Put ice on the cold sore for 10-15 minutes several times a day to reduce swelling and numb the pain.

-Lip balm with sunscreen protects your healing skin. The sun can make cold sores worse and take longer to heal.

(The author, who is now based New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)