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- Over 5,000 new infections added to Covid-19 case count
- Batasan complex goes into lockdown for Duterte’s Sona
- Metro Manila mayors lengthen curfew
- 3 dead, 5 hurt as rains pound Luzon
- Quezon City issues permits for Sona protests
- Military ends mourning for PNoy
- Duterte to LGUs: Expedite vax process, find better venues
- Philippines moving closer to daily vaccination target
- Covid-19 deaths jump past 27,000
- M6.6 earthquake hits Batangas
| Over 5,000 new infections added to Covid-19 case count Posted: 25 Jul 2021 02:17 AM PDT THE Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday, July 25, 2021, reported over 5,000 new infections as the daily positivity rate jumped to more than 13 percent, the highest in about a month. In its case bulletin, the DOH recorded 5,479 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), 93 additional deaths and 5,573 new recoveries. The new infections brought the cumulative case count in the Philippines to 1,548,755. Five duplicates were removed from the tally. Three laboratories failed to submit their testing output to the Covid-19 Document Repository System on July 23. Only 47,000 samples were tested, of which 13.1 percent yielded positive results. The additional deaths, which included 50 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries, raised the death toll to 27,224. The case fatality rate remained at 1.76 percent. Total recoveries reached 1,467,269, or 94.7 percent of the total case count. There remained 54,262 active cases in hospitals and isolation facilities, of which 2.3 percent were severe, 1.4 percent were critical, 1.6 percent were moderate, 93.4 percent were mild and 1.2 percent were asymptomatic. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Batasan complex goes into lockdown for Duterte’s Sona Posted: 25 Jul 2021 01:32 AM PDT AROUND 400 guests who tested negative for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will be physically present inside the Batasang Pambansa's Batasan Hall to witness the final State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 26, 2021. The entire Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City has gone into strict lockdown. "Strict security and health restrictions are in place to ensure the safety of the President, members and staff of Congress and other invited officials and guests throughout the activity," House of Representatives Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said after conducting final inspection Sunday, July 25. Special identification cards are issued to essential congressional staff and Sona attendees, who must present their vaccination cards as proof that they are fully vaccinated as well as negative results of their RT-PCR and antigen tests prior to entering the buildings inside the complex. The flow of traffic within and around the Batasan complex are controlled with police barricades and checkpoints, keeping all vehicles, except the most essential, off the key streets around the complex. Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the Sona will be livestreamed at the Malacañang for a wider audience composed of Cabinet officials and diplomats. Before the speech proper, a documentary entitled "Ang Pangulo" will be aired over state-owned PTV and other government media platforms. "Design inspirations from Mindanao will be incorporated in delivering and focusing on the Duterte administration's heirloom legacies," said Andanar. "With our last year in the Duterte administration, we will ensure that this year's Sona will be etched in the hearts and minds of the Filipino people that we've worked hard to serve," he added. Velasco also inspected Sunday the exhibits and a multimedia installation that were set up as part of the tribute to Duterte by the 18th Congress. The exhibits at the north and south portions of the plenary hall highlight the President's landmark legislations and reform programs during the past five years. A multimedia installation will receive the President as he makes his way to the plenary. Fronting the installation is a vessel which is an amalgamation of iconic Mindanaoan motifs such as the kulintang, torogan, sarimanok and balangay. Featured on the multimedia canvas are testimonials and messages of gratitude from Filipinos who benefited from the President's landmark reforms. Earlier, Velasco said they laid out plans to highlight the legislative accomplishments of the Duterte administration that made significant contributions to education, labor, peace and development and the economy. These include the laws on universal health care, free tertiary education, establishment of Malasakit centers, expanded maternity leave, free public internet access and the Bangsamoro Organic Law. Velasco said there were a lot of key legislative measures enacted under Duterte's leadership to help address and cushion the socioeconomic impact of the ongoing public health crisis, such as the Bayanihan laws and Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / Marites Villamor-Ilano)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Metro Manila mayors lengthen curfew Posted: 25 Jul 2021 01:12 AM PDT MAYORS in Metro Manila again adjusted curfew hours to 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. in a bid to stop further transmission of the Delta variant of Sars-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos said the lengthened curfew hours aim to limit the movement of the people. "Since the Delta variant spreads exponentially, we should not let our guard down and implement necessary restrictions to contain the virus," he said. Metro Manila was reverted to general community quarantine with heightened restrictions on July 23. This more restrictive quarantine level will last until July 31, 2021. Health authorities have so far detected 64 Delta variant cases in the Philippines, including 17 cases announced on Saturday, July 24. Of the 17, 12 are local cases, one is a returning overseas Filipino (ROF) and four are under verification. Of the 12 local cases, nine have indicated addresses in the National Capital Region (Metro Manila) while three are from Calabarzon. Also placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions are Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, which were previously under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) until the end of July. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 3 dead, 5 hurt as rains pound Luzon Posted: 25 Jul 2021 12:25 AM PDT THREE people perished and five others were injured when monsoon rains enhanced by Typhoon Fabian pounded Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon last week, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Sunday, July 25, 2021. One was killed when a tree fell on a vehicle along Kennon Road in the Cordillera Administrative Region. Two were hurt in the same incident. Two persons were killed when they were separately struck by lightning in Ilocos region. NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad said the continuous rains caused massive flooding, flashfloods and landslides. The NDRRMC said 19,521 families or 87,493 persons were affected in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Cordillera and the National Capital Region. More than a fourth, or 5,554 families (22,263 individuals) were staying in evacuation centers. The rest sought refuge with relatives. The disaster agency said 345 houses were damaged while 109 were destroyed. Damage to infrastructure was estimated at P2.481 million while P14,593,900 worth of agriculture products were destroyed. The disaster agency also said P924,666 worth of relief goods were distributed to affected individuals on top of the assistance being distributed by their respective local government units (LGUs). The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it deployed 1,000 personnel to assist in rescue and relief operations, and mustered PNP Food Bank resources to augment national and local government support to the evacuees. The PNP Highway Patrol Group also fielded mobile units to assist motorists, particularly cargo vehicles transporting food products, in navigating through detour routes to avoid road hazards. PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar said he has instructed local PNP units to initiate road clearing operations. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said monsoon rains will continue over Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, and Calamian Islands on Sunday due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoon In-Fa (formerly known as Fabian) and Tropical Storm Nepartak, which are now both outside the Philippine area of responsibility. Cagayan Valley, Antique, the rest of Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa will experience cloudy skies with at times moderate to heavy rain showers and thunderstorms. Pagasa warned of possible landslides and flash floods in vulnerable areas due to the continuous rains. The Ipo Dam was scheduled to release water at 12 noon which may result to flooding in low-lying areas near the Angat River bank from Norzagaray, Angat, San Rafael, Bustos, Baliuag, Pulilan, Plaridel and Hagonoy in Bulacan. (SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Quezon City issues permits for Sona protests Posted: 24 Jul 2021 11:53 PM PDT PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Eleazar said the Quezon City Government has issued a permit for the conduct of pickets during the final State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 26, 2021. Eleazar said the protests were allowed on the following conditions: protesters will follow minimum health protocols such as wearing of face mask and face shields, and observing physical distancing; they must stay only in allowed areas; and no children and senior citizens will be allowed to join the program. Eleazar said the protesters will gather at around 9 a.m. in three areas: at the University of the Philippines (UP) compound, in front of the Commission on Human Rights office, and in front of the National Housing Authority at the Quezon City Circle. They will then do a unity march along Commonwealth Avenue toward St. Peter Chapel for the culmination of the event. "What we have to do is to check or monitor kung sinusunod nila ang mga napag-usapan," said Eleazar. "Ito ay pagbalanse sa sitwasyon ngayon. Hindi po ordinaryo ngayon dahil meron tayong pandemic lalo na ang Delta variant. On the other hand 'yung ating constitutional right lalo na yung freedom of expression, 'yan po ay binabalanse natin. We also considered the existing guidelines of the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases)," he added. In a virtual press conference on Saturday, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) spokesperson Teddy Casiño said they will police their ranks to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Among the groups that said they will join Monday's pickets are Bayan, iDefend, Movement Against the Ati-Terrorism Act, Kabataan party-list, Sanlakas, Akbayan, Karapatan, Gabriella, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Piston, Kadamay, Agham, Sandugo, Save Our Schools Network, Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students, College Editors Guild of the Philippines, One Voice One Faith, Gabriela, Movement Against Tyranny, and Concerned Artists of the Philippines. Eleazar said they have yet to monitor any security threat. Meanwhile, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Vicente Danao Jr., said telecommunications signal will be jammed in parts of Quezon City during the Sona as part of security measures. He urged progressive group leaders to keep a list of the attendees for contact tracing purposes. The PNP has enforced a gun ban from July 21 to 28 in Metro Manila. Eleazar said only members of the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who are performing official duties and in agency-prescribed uniform will be allowed to carry firearms outside residence during the said period. A total of 15,000 police personnel will be deployed to maintain peace and order in Quezon City. "I have directed all police district directors to strengthen anti-criminality measures and police visibility operations all over Metro Manila," said Eleazar. "As usual, our police will exercise maximum tolerance but at the same time we are appealing to the militant groups to do their share and police their ranks to ensure a peaceful and orderly Sona. Of course, our police are always alert and would not hesitate to use legal force if the protesters become unruly," he added. (SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Military ends mourning for PNoy Posted: 24 Jul 2021 07:54 PM PDT THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) fired three volleys of fire, removed their mourning bands and lowered the Philippine flags in military camps nationwide to mark the end of the 30-day mourning period for the late former President Benigno S.C. Aquino III on Saturday, July 24, 2021. The ceremony was held simultaneously in Camp Aguinaldo, Fort Bonifacio, Villamor Air Base and Naval Station Jose Andrada in Metro Manila; Fort Del Pilar in Baguio City; Camp Aquino in Tarlac; Camp Nakar in Quezon Province; Camp Ricarte in Puerto Princesa; Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu City; Naval Station Felix Apolinario in Davao City; and Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City. "President Benigno Aquino III's initiatives and advocacies to professionalize and modernize the AFP shall not be forgotten. His untainted passion and dedication for public service is one that we resolve to emulate," AFP Vice Chief of Staff Erickson Gloria said, quoting AFP Chief of Staff Cirilito Sobejana. "As the mandated defenders of the state and the Filipino people, it shall be our distinct honor and privilege to carry on with the former Commander-in-Chief's aspiration of a truly peaceful and progressive Philippines," he said. The former President, known as PNoy or Noynoy Aquino, was the 15th President of the Philippines, serving from 2010 to 2016. He died on June 25, 2021 from renal disease secondary to diabetes. He was laid to rest with full military honors on June 26. The former President's remains lie beside those of his parents, former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon Aquino, at the Manila Memorial Park. (SunStar Philippines from PR)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Duterte to LGUs: Expedite vax process, find better venues Posted: 24 Jul 2021 07:22 PM PDT PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday evening, July 24, 2021, directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government to prod local government units (LGUs) to expedite the vaccination process and find better venues in case of bad weather. Duterte issued the directive after watching news reports about people waiting in line as early as 4 a.m. and wading in floodwaters to get a vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Manila. "The picture that you saw. That ought not to be repeated. I would task the Secretary of Local Government to, I don't know how he would do it but, find a solution to the problem," he said during his meeting with some Cabinet members and medical experts Saturday evening. Duterte said the people risked contracting not only leptospirosis, but also respiratory diseases. "Tama 'yan (That's right), leptospirosis, then you have the influenza, then you have the respiratory (diseases). 'Pag tinamaan pa 'yan ng ano, o, pagka tinamaan 'yan ng a simple cold (If you catch a cold), it can deteriorate into a respiratory problem. 'Pag sinakyan ng Covid, patay na (If it's Covid, it's worse)," he said. The President said LGU officials should be proactive and have the common sense to manage the crowd and look for another venue in case the existing vaccination site becomes unsafe. He added that the barangay captain should have acted as marshal to manage the crowd. "At the end of the line is the government there na they should be flexible enough to immediately look for a place na which is dry and which can house so many people and dividing them into groups and make a head count of how many they can - time and motion nila sa pagbakuna - how many they can inoculate tapos pabalikin na lang ninyo ang iba rather than let them wait there," Duterte said. The President also emphasized the need to expedite the vaccination process so that the recipients don't have to wait in line for five hours before getting inoculated. "The problem is for the local governments to come up with a more sane process of vaccination than allowing people to queue as early as four o'clock in the morning and getting their shots at about nine o'clock in... It seems to be, to me, is not the way to vaccinate people. Nakita ko 'yun kanina sa umaga (I saw that this morning), I was still awake," he said. The government is inoculating priority groups A1 (healthcare workers), A2 (senior citizens), A3 (persons with comorbidities), A4 (workers who need to go out to work) and A5 (indigent). Although the national deployment and vaccination program requires prior online registration before a vaccine recipient could go to a vaccination site, some LGUs have decided to allow walk-ins to combat vaccine hesitancy. As of July 23, 2021, 5,560,029 individuals have been fully vaccinated in the country. First dose inoculations went up to 10,866,238, bringing the total number of doses administered in the country to 16,426,267. The Philippines has received a total of 30,985,130 doses of vaccines against Covid-19, consisting of 17 million doses of Sinovac, 6,858,900 doses of AstraZeneca, 3,034,980 doses of Pfizer, 500,400 doses of Moderna, 350,000 doses of Sputnik V and 3,240,850 doses of the single-dose Janssen vaccine. (MVI / SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Philippines moving closer to daily vaccination target Posted: 24 Jul 2021 03:36 AM PDT THE government moved closer to its target of 500,000 jabs a day as a total of 472,356 doses of vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) were administered nationwide on Thursday, July 22, 2021. The National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 reported that the number of fully vaccinated individuals in the Philippines increased to 5,560,029 on Thursday. First dose inoculations also increased to 10,866,238, raising the total number of doses administered in the country to 16,426,267. "We are now past the crawl and walk stages, as we gradually run towards our goal of inoculating half a million Filipinos per day this quarter. This is a preview of better things to come in the remaining six months of 2021," NTF chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito G. Galvez Jr. said in a statement Saturday, July 24. "Despite the inclement weather, our implementing units have remained resilient and are committed to inoculating more Filipinos. We are grateful to all frontliners in the government and the private sector who continue to serve the public despite the many challenges we continue to face," Galvez added. As of July 23, the Philippines has received a total of 30,985,130 doses of vaccines against Covid-19, consisting of 17 million doses of Sinovac, 6,858,900 doses of AstraZeneca, 3,034,980 doses of Pfizer, 500,400 doses of Moderna, 350,000 doses of Sputnik V and 3,240,850 doses of Janssen. Only Janssen is given in a single dose. The rest are given in two doses. Galvez said around six million doses are still expected to arrive in the last week of the month. The Philippines has been able to secure a total of 164 million doses for 2021. An additional 26 million doses are under negotiations. The government is inoculating priority groups A1 (healthcare workers, mayors, governors and families of healthcare workers), A2 (senior citizens), A3 (persons with comorbidities), A4 (workers who need to go out to work) and A5 (indigent). Galvez earlier said the target for this year has been revised to 77,746,906 fully vaccinated individuals in the Philippines to achieve 70 percent herd immunity against Covid-19. (SunStar Philippines from PR)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Covid-19 deaths jump past 27,000 Posted: 24 Jul 2021 02:28 AM PDT THE Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday, July 24, 2021, reported a high number of deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid) after resolving the technical issues in the CovidKaya epidemiological surveillance system. In its case bulletin, the DOH listed 241 deaths, 6,216 new cases of Covid-19 and 6,778 recoveries. The additional deaths, which included 139 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries, raised the death toll to 27,131. The case fatality rate increased to 1.76 percent. "The unusually high number of deaths reported today can be attributed to a backlog of cases being updated after the resolution of the system error," DOH explained. The new infections brought the cumulative case count to 1,543,281, of which 54,401 were active cases. Two laboratories failed to submit their data to the Covid-19 Document Repository System on July 22. The recoveries went up to 1,461,749, comprising 94.7 percent of the total case count. (HDT / SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 24 Jul 2021 02:26 AM PDT A MAGNITUDE 6.6 tectonic earthquake shook Calatagan, Batangas early Saturday morning, July 24, 2021, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. Phivolcs said the earthquake occurred at 4:48 a.m. at a depth of 116 kilometers. The agency initially reported the size of the quake at 6.7, but revised this to 6.6. No damage was reported, but aftershocks were plotted. The earthquake was felt in the following areas: Intensity V - Calapan City and Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; Sablayan and Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro; Carmona & Dasmarinas City, Cavite Intensity IV - Quezon City; Marikina City; Manila City; Makati City; Taguig City; Valenzuela City; Pasay City; Tagaytay City, Cavite; Batangas City & Talisay City, Batangas; San Mateo, Rizal Intensity III - Pasig City; San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan. Phivolcs instruments also detected the quake at: Intensity V - Calapan City & Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro Intensity IV - Batangas City, Batangas; Carmona, Cavite; Calumpit & Plaridel, Bulacan Intensity III - Quezon City; Marikina City; Pasig City; Las Pinas City; Muntinlupa City; Malabon City; Navotas City; San Ildefonso, Pandi, Malolos, San Rafael, and Marilao, Bulacan Intensity II - San Juan City; Dagupan City; Polillo, Quezon Intensity I - Guinayangan, Quezon; Magalang, Pampanga; Iriga and Sipocot, Camarines Sur; Daet, Camarines Norte; Palayan City, Nueva Ecija; Iloilo City; Kalibo, Aklan; San Jose City, Antique; Bago City, Negros Occidental (JGS)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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