More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/06/2360716/duterte-cant-recall-covid-19-fund-transfer-ps-dbm |
Former president Rodrigo Duterte does not remember authorizing the transfer of P47.6 billion to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) for the purchase of COVID-19 protective equipment, as claimed by former health secretary Francisco Duque III.
Duterte, however, conceded: “Maybe what I said is, ‘go ahead.’ ”
“I could not recall, for the life of me. Maybe what you are saying is true,” Duterte said during an interview with social media personalities in Davao City Tuesday night.
But he stressed: “Considering the huge amount of (fund) transfer, I would have insisted as a lawyer to put it in a memo or something.”
Duque on Monday told the House committee on appropriations that Duterte authorized the transfer because of the public health emergency.
While Duterte insists that he “cannot recall accurately” what he said, he conceded that he might have given the transfer a go-signal.
Duterte explained that since it was a pandemic, the government was hard-pressed to find a solution on how to protect the health workers.
“I ordered everybody to do everything they can do,” he said.
Salvador Panelo, who served as Duterte’s chief presidential legal counsel, said that Duterte’s directive was “regular” and was meant to protect the public from COVID-19.
Following calls to include Duterte in the probe on the government’s pandemic supply deals, Panelo said the purpose of the transfer was to do away with the bidding for the purchase of medical equipment like face masks, face shields and personal protective equipment that were urgently needed to respond to the pandemic.
He added that a regular bidding process would have delayed the immediate response required by the emergency situation and would have a “disastrous effect” on the nation.
“It is to the credit of the political will of PRRD (president Rodrigo Roa Duterte) and his decisive action, the enactment by Congress of Bayanihan To Heal As One Act I and II and the people’s disciplined response that saved the lives of millions of Filipinos,” he added.
At a hearing by the House appropriations committee last Monday, Duque said Duterte had ordered the transfer of P47.6 billion in COVID-19 funds from the DOH to the budget department’s Procurement Service, a move flagged by state auditors.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the former president should be included in the investigation into the pandemic supply contracts, since it can be proven that he was introduced to Pharmally officials by Michael Yang, his special adviser in 2017.
Duterte should, at the very least, explain the policy considerations that resulted in his directive to Duque, Hontiveros added.
In a recent statement, Duque said Duterte had been consistent and open in directing his administration to act swiftly and decisively and to do all that it could to fight the pandemic from the very beginning of the public health emergency.
“What has been lost in the political noise is the fact that these CSEs (common-use supplies and equipment) were procured sometime in April 2020, during the very beginning of the pandemic when the only way we knew to protect ourselves, most especially our health workers, from the COVID-19 virus was through face masks, face shields and PPEs,” Duque said.
“Their procurement was not only necessary, but was of extreme urgency. Moreover, having been declared CSEs, procurement of these items through the PS-DBM is mandatory under the law, and not discretionary upon the DOH. It was accordingly on the basis of the foregoing premises that president Duterte gave his approval to course the procurement of the said items through the PS-DBM,” he said.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/06/2360670/senior-citizens-urged-take-precautions-vs-covid-19 |
With the detection of new COVID-19 variants in the Philippines, senior citizens and the immunocompromised are advised to continue wearing face masks and get vaccinated.
There is no reason to panic despite the entry of new variants as they have been classified as low public health risk by the World Health Organization, infectious disease specialist Rontgene Solante said in a radio interview yesterday.
“The vulnerable population, or those aged 60 and above, those with comorbidities, immunocompromised and children must take precaution,” he said.
Filipinos inoculated with bivalent vaccines have better protection against severe symptoms, he added.
Hospitalization rate remains low, he noted.
The new COVID “FLiRT” variants, or KP.2 and KP.3, are low public health risk and less likely to cause severe infection, Solante said.
The public should not be complacent as COVID continues to mutate, he maintained.
Don't panic but take caution.
Animanl bite cases in Bacolod have increased because people bought pets during the pandemic.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1949059/animal-bite-cases-in-bacolod-increase-by-about-50 |
Animal bite patients seeking treatment here have increased by about 50 percent.
Based on the data of the Bacolod City Health Office (BCHO), the number of animal bite patients increased from 9,000 in 2022 to 14,000 in 2023.
Dr. Carlo Ortega, head of the BCHO rabies program, attributed the increase in animal bites to more persons acquiring pets during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the majority of the reported animal bite cases involved pet owners unlike in the past when they were mostly caused by stray dogs.
Do animals suddenly get aggressive after 2 years? This is a huge increase and brings up more questions.
A Bilibid inmate went missing for a few hours. He was later found in the COVID-19 quarters.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1949027/missing-bilibid-inmate-found-in-covid-19-quarters |
A person deprived of liberty (PDL) who was reported missing Wednesday has been found in the New Bilibid Prison’s (NBP) COVID-19 quarters.
Jonathan Villamor, who was supposed to be restricted at NBP’s Dorm A Medium Security Camp was discovered missing around 4 p.m. on June 5, following a final physical headcount.
NBP Acting Superintendent Corrections Head Inspector Roger Boncales reported to Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. that the Medium Security Camp Office was promptly directed to trace the whereabouts of Villamor, who was eventually found inside Site Harry on Thursday.
Site Harry is the area within NBP where PDLs with COVID-19 are quarantined for treatment.
Due to this incident, Catapang ordered all jail facility officers to conduct physical inspections every five minutes, especially of PDLs tasked to do agricultural work.
“In that case, we will be able to track them down immediately to know their whereabouts should they not be on their designated work assignments,” Catapang said.
Is COVID that prevalent at Bilibid that patients need their own quarters?
The St. Paul National Bible Quiz is back after being cancelled by the pandemic.
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| https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2024/06/10/276829/st-paul-national-bible-quiz-returns-this-year/ |
The St. Paul National Bible Quiz is officially back.
Now on its 11th edition, the Bible trivia competition will be returning this September 2024 with the theme, “The Word: Inspiring Minds, Igniting Hearts.”
Organized by the Society of St. Paul, the yearly event was put on hold since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A school may enter one or two teams, each with two members. The participating students are from Grades 7 to 9 (SY 2023-2024); these students will be in Grades 8 to 10 in the incoming SY 2024-2025.
The elimination round on Aug. 22 will be conducted simultaneously online and onsite using the online program developed by Asia Pacific College.
The participants will take the quiz in their respective schools. It will consist of multiple-choice questions, which must be answered within a given and limited time.
The regional finals on Aug. 23 will be at the same venue as the elimination round for the qualifying teams. The questions will be multiple-choice and true-or-false, to be answered within a limited time.
The national championship, featuring the regional champions, will be held on Sept. 14 at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City during the Manila International Book Fair.
Likewise another town festival is returning after the end of the pandemic.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226633 |
After three years of cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic and eruption of Mayon Volcano, the Legazpi City government is now in the thick of preparations for the 33rd Ibalong Festival celebration.
City Tourism officer Agapita Pacres, in an interview on Monday, said they already held a series of meetings with the chairmen of different committees to make sure that the festival events would be successful.
She said they invited different schools and pre-identified partner agencies to join the festival and hold events that would promote Legazpi City and the rest of Albay province and the Bicol region.
Pacres said the nine-day celebration will be held Aug. 9-17, adding that the opening parade would be participated in by schools, private groups, and government agencies.
It will start in front of the City Hall building and end at the Sawangan Park which is sandwiched between Mayon Volcano and the Albay Gulf.
“We are expecting over 20,000 people to attend in the Festival’s opening ceremony featuring the performances of invited bands at the Sawangan Park. There will also be a nightly beer plaza and other entertainments until the last day of the festival,” Pacres said.
She said the events would include the “Mutya ng Ibalong”, a street dance competition, sporting events, and a “bike challenge that would be participated by some local and international athletes.”.
Pacres added Ballet Philippines will perform the epic Ibalong dance as part of the festival events.
The Ibalong Festival is a non-religious event in Legazpi City that showcases the epic story of the Kingdom of Ibalong with three legendary heroes –Baltog, Handyong, Bantong-- and other ancient heroes.
How many more town festivals have yet to return now the pandemic is over?
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