Insurgency: Christmas Day Skirmishes

On Christmas Day the AFP engaged in a firefight with the NPA resulting in ten rebels killed. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1215943

Nine communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed in a series of skirmishes in the hinterlands of Malaybalay City in Bukidnon province on Christmas Monday. 

The Army 4th Infantry Division (4ID) initial report said the series of encounters occurred in the villages of Can-ayan, Kibalabag, Kulaman, and Mapulo. 

Eight high-powered firearms, assorted ammunition, and personal belongings were recovered by government forces from the encounter sites. 

“The 4ID has sustained its military offensives against the communist terrorist groups on Christmas Day,” the 4ID said in a statement. 

The 4ID said three of its Army Battalions under the 403rd Infantry Brigade joined forces in the series of offensives, which started early morning. 

Three of the nine killed were females as the rebels battled it out against forces from the 8th and 88th Infantry Battalions and the 1st Special Forces Battalion. 

As of posting time, pursuit operations were ongoing in the affected villages

A few days later another body was found bringing the kill count to ten. On Christmas Eve the AFP and NPA clashed in Negros Occidental.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/24/army-npa-clash-on-christmas-eve

The military recovered a firearm in an encounter with the New People’s Army (NPA) in Sitio Tayubong, Barangay Puso, La Castellana, Negros Occidental on Christmas Eve.

The Army 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) occurred after it responded to information from civilians regarding the presence of the NPA in the area.

The firefight ensued for about three minutes that resulted in the recovery of a .45 caliber pistol with live ammunition.

In a statement, the 62nd IB said that it is grateful for the cooperation and unwavering support of civilians in Barangay Puso.

These clashes occurred during a self-imposed two-day Christmas ceasefire by the CPP. The AFP says these clashes prove the CPP cannot be trusted and also expose the weakness of the reamaining rebels. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1215950

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the Christmas Day encounter in Malaybalay, Bukidnon that resulted in the death of nine New People's Army (NPA) insurgents highlights the communist movement's general weakness and lack of capability.

"It also signals an urgent need for the remaining NPAs to surrender and abandon their futile armed struggle. It is time for them to take advantage of the government's peace programs and spend time with their families during this holiday season, rather than facing the same fate as their fallen comrades," AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement late Monday.

He added that these losses further eroded the capability of the NPAs to carry out atrocities in Bukidnon and nearby provinces.

"We are thankful for the trust of every Filipino in the AFP for maintaining a peaceful environment. The AFP assures every Filipino that we will remain vigilant during this holiday season as we collectively work towards keeping our communities peaceful and secure," he added.

Nine NPA members were killed during the encounter with the 403rd Infantry Brigade, a field unit of the 4th Infantry Division.

The AFP said government troops initiated a "sustained military offensive against the NPAs" after receiving reports of their presence in the hinterlands of Barangays Can-ayan, Kibalabag, Kulaman and Mapulo.

"During the initial scouring, the operating troops captured eight firearms from the encounter site, with expectations of more to follow as the operation continues. Troops are coordinating with local communities for the identification of the nine deceased NPAs," Trinidad said.

Interestingly the AFP notes that all 13 remaining NPA guerrilla fronts are weakened which means they are no longer able to recruit. 

Aguilar made the pronouncement as he downplayed the current strength of the NPA.

NPA is only left with more than 1,000 members with 13 “weakened” guerrilla fronts, according to Aguilar.

(There were only a few of them in their group, more than a thousand; their guerilla fronts, which used to be almost 90, are now only at 13, and they are weakened at that.)

Previously, Aguilar said the NPA had 1,800 members with 15 weakened guerrilla fronts.

A weakened guerrilla front means it can no longer implement its programs like recruitment and generating resources for the armed struggle as opposed to active guerrilla fronts, according to Aguilar.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1879397/fwd-2-afp-shrugs-off-cpps-ceasefire-declaration

But isn't the public being told repeatedly to beware of NPA recruitment programs? Here we are told by the AFP that they are weakend and unable to recruit. What is the real story? 

According to the AFP there are 1,500 NPA fighters are left.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1879779/npa-down-to-around-1500-fighters-afp

The Maoist New People’s Army (NPA) is now down to more or less 1,500 fighters, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said on Tuesday.

(The strength of the NPA has weakened, more or less, they have 1,500 members left.)

Last July, Aguilar said that the NPA had around 1,800 fighters.

Aguilar said the current strength of the NPA meant that they could no longer generally stage tactical offensives or attacks against government forces.

(So, if we notice that while they are still capable of mounting terror actions, we could see that generally, they could not conduct tactical offensives.)

(Their central committee has no control, as far as we know, they are weak and disorganized.)

(We were surprised about their ceasefire declaration because we don’t take notice of their national leadership because, admittedly, they no longer have leadership.)

That is a very interesting number because in November, 2023 the AFP claimed there were 1,400 NPA fighters left.

Malaya supported Remulla’s statement. “The communist insurgency in our country is already ending with only one remaining active guerrilla front of the New People’s Army with 1,400 armed troops left. We are winning the war against the communist-terrorist groups,” he claimed.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2023/11/insurgency-insurgnecy-cleared-villages.html

Even if the NPA has no leadership someone must still be in control as the CPP has issued a statement refuting these allegations of weakness. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1879860/cpp-refutes-afps-report-of-declining-npa-numbers

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) scoffed at the latest report by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on the allegedly dwindling strength and numbers of the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

“The AFP keeps on saying that the NPA is diminishing, but they can’t wipe them out,” Marco Valbuena, CPP spokesman, said in an online interview Tuesday afternoon (Dec. 26).

He added, “They have a gunpowder mindset. The AFP thinks they can eliminate the NPA solely through their bombs and cannons, and by killing and intimidating the masses.”

Valbuena said the AFP has been making the same claims for years “they sound like a broken record.”

“The CPP is not just one or a few people. As the CPP stated its task goes beyond the lifetime of any one person, and way beyond the capacity of a few people to perform,” Valbuena argued.

In fact top NPA leaders were identified among the dead in Bukidnon. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1880758/top-npa-leadersamong-those-slainin-bukidnon-clash

Two leaders of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and their daughter were among those killed in the Christmas Day operation launched by the military against rebels in the hinterlands of Malaybalay City in Bukidnon province.

The Army’s 4th Infantry Division on Thursday said they were able to identify seven of the 10 fatalities, based on profiles they had of the suspected rebels and with the help of rebel returnees who now work with the military’s counterinsurgency effort.

Among the seven, Beverly Sinunta, alias “Ayang,” was identified to have served as the secretary of the NPA’s subregional command (SRC) 2 which operates in Bukidnon while her husband, Alfredo Banawan, alias “Alab,” served as the deputy secretary, according to Lt. Col. Anthony Bacus, commanding officer of the Army’s 8th Infantry Battalion.

The SRC 2 is under the NPA’s North-Central Mindanao Regional Committee.

That means there NPA is not without leadershipr. Likewise despite saying the NPA is incapable of carrying out tactical offensives the AFP is on guard for retaliatory attacks. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1879820/army-on-guard-for-possible-npa-retaliation-after-10-killed-rebels-in-bukidnon-encounter

The Philippine Army is on guard for possible retaliation by the Maoist New People’s Army after the killing of ten alleged rebels during an encounter in Bukidnon.

The Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) said 10 NPA fighters were killed in the Malaybalay City encounter on Monday, Dec. 25.

“We are prepared [for retaliations],” said Major General Jose Maria Cuerpo in a press briefing in 4ID headquarters in Cagayan de Oro City.

“My instruction to brigade commanders and combat units is to always be vigilant,” Cuerpo said. “Even if we are celebrating Christmas season this month doesn’t mean we have to lower our guards.”

Retaliation implies both organization and leadership. 

It seems the AFP is still caught up in contradictions. They warn about recruitment yet the NPA is weakened to the point where recruitment is not possible. They say the NPA is leaderless and cannot carry out tactical offensives yet warn against retaliatory attacks. They claim there are "more or less 1,500" NPA left while a month previous they claimed there were only 1,400 left.

In October the AFP claimed the insurgency would end this year. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/20/23/defense-official-says-insurgency-in-ph-to-end-this-year

Yet here we are another year gone and another promise to end the insurgency failed. Surely it will end next year. Right?

Assassinated Businessmen October to December 2023

This is a list of assassinated businessmen for the 4th quarter of 2023. And also some attempted assassinations.  

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/535465/kidnapped-chinese-businesswoman-rescued-in-bohol-6-men-nabbed

A Chinese businesswoman was rescued by authorities a day after she was allegedly kidnapped in Barangay Poblacion, Panglao town in Bohol on Tuesday morning, October 24, 2023.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO-7), told reporters that the victim was ‘safe and sound.’ 

Pelare said that the rescue operation also resulted to the arrest of her suspected kidnappers.

“Safe and sound ang atong biktima. Ug ang suspects pud, nadakpan,” he said.

(The victim is safe and sound. And the suspects were also arrested.)

Meanwhile, the police immediately formed a tracking team and conducted a deeper investigation after receiving the report to rescue the victim. 

“Naghimo dayon og tracking team pinangulohan sa atong Police Intelligence Unit (PIU) ug inabagan sa mga unit sa Bohol PPO,” said Pelare.

(A tracking team was then formed led by our Police Intelligence Unit (PIU) and supported by the unit of the Bohol PPO (Provincial Police Office).)

As part of their efforts to safely bring the victim home, the operatives also conducted intelligence monitoring and backtracking of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage in different areas. 

The operation was conducted at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, with the victim rescued and the suspected kidnappers apprehended.

According to Pelare, the victim is now safely in the custody of police and is being assessed for any effects of the incident to her health.

He said that the arrested persons were believed to be members of an organized kidnapping group.

Initial investigation showed that the arrested suspects were from Pasay City, Manila, who came to Bohol Province with the intention to commit kidnapping. 

Pelare said that the group, with the two Filipinos acting as the drivers, monitored the victim before allegedly kidnapping her and taking her somewhere else.

“Presumably, gi-studyhan ang iyahang lihok. Gitan-aw pud og unsay iyang assets. Mao nang kaning mga suspects, they were actually very organized,” he said.

(Presumably, they studied her movements. They also looked at what her assets are. That is what the suspects were, they were actually very organized.)

Police recovered from the suspects two .45 caliber pistols and two vehicles including the vehicle that was owned by the victim, said Pelare.

He said that the police were preparing to file appropriate charges against the alleged suspects.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/11/01/2308069/trader-shot-dead-zamboanga

A businessman was gunned down in Barangay Cabaluay in this city on Monday.

Rodolfo Castro, 59, who was engaged in gravel and sand business, died of a gunshot to the head, Col. Alexander Lorenzo, city police chief, said.

Police said Castro was on his motorcycle on his way to Barangay Lapakan, reportedly to cast his vote, when he was shot by unidentified motorcycle riders.

Lorenzo said responding policemen recovered three bullet shells for a 9mm pistol at the scene.

Probers are looking into land dispute as the motive for the killing.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/8/businesswoman-robbed-killed-in-baguio

A businesswoman was robbed and killed in Fairview Subdivision here on Wednesday, December 6.  

Police Col. Francisco Bulwayan Jr., Baguio police chief, personally visited the victim's house and told her family that justice will be served. 

Bulwayan said they will be able to identify the two suspects from the surveillance footages they gathered during the investigation. 

The body of the 29-year-old victim was discovered by their housekeeper. 

She was strangled with a shoelace and according to the police, the suspects inadvertently left behind pieces of evidence, prompting them to intensify efforts to track down and identify the perpetrators. 

Police urged people of Barangay Fairview and surrounding areas to remain vigilant and cooperate with them and provide relevant information to help solve the case.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/9/businessman-preparing-for-brother-s-wedding-shot

A 38-year-old businessman preparing for his brother’s wedding was shot and critically wounded on Friday night, December 8, in Sitio Pundano, Barangay Talisay, this town.

Police identified the victim as Monching Martinez, a resident of Barangay Paiisa, here.

The victim was walking at the parking area after helping in the preparations for his brother’s wedding when a man appeared and fired at him.

The suspect was wearing black cap, mint green jacket, and black cargo short pants.

He sustained bullet wounds in the head and body and was taken by his relatives to a hospital in Candelaria, this provincial.

The suspect fled on foot.

Three fired cartridge cases for a caliber 9mm pistol were recovered at the crime scene.

Police are conducting follow-up investigation. 

The God Culture: Jesus Did not Finish His Work on the Cross

In an interview with Zen Garcia Timothy Jay Schwab, also known as The God Culture had a stunning revelation. Tim says Jesus did not finish His work on the cross.

Unlocking Hidden Truths with The God Culture - Zen Garcia & Tim Schwab

33:12 There's only one day of judgment and that's when all souls are judged. All of them. Billions. Uh, Messiah's greatest work is to come. Uh, the cross was wonderful and very significant no doubt but he did not complete his work on the cross and no scripture actually says he does. That comes out of our pulpits but actually his greatest works are to come.

What a lot of nonsense. Listen to how he snidely praises the cross by saying oh it was "wonderful and very significant no doubt" but then goes on to belittle Jesus' sacrifice by saying "he did not complete his work on the cross" and "his greatest works are to come." What greater work can there be than Jesus' sacrifice for us which defeated sin, death, and the devil and sealed our salvation and redemption for eternity? 

It is simply a lie that no scripture says His work is finished. Jesus himself said IT IS FINISHED.

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost

God incarnated as a man, kept and fulfilled the law, and defeated sin, hell, death, and the devil by dying on the cross. There is nothing more for him to do. He is sitting on the right hand of the Father this moment because everything has been fulfilled. To say the last judgement has not come therefore "he did not complete his work on the cross" is unbiblical and blasphemous. Take it from the mouth of Jesus Christ Himself. 

Retards in the Government 344

It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.

 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1215962

An incumbent village councilman here was shot dead by a still-unidentified suspect on Christmas Day.

Capt. Eduardo Malicdem, Police Station 4 chief, said village councilman Datu Macmod Lauban and his son were sitting on a waiting shed at 3 p.m. when two men on board a motorbike arrived, then shot them at close range but the son was unhurt. 

Lauban, 59, a resident of Barangay Bagua 1, died instantly, Malicdem said.

“Lauban sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of his body and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital,” Malicdem said.

Responding police found three empty shells of caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene.

The motive of the attack could be “rido” (family feud) or personal grudge, police said.

A village councilman has been assassinated.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/26/sandigan-affirms-conviction-for-malversation-of-public-funds-of-ex-benguet-provincial-cashier

The Sandiganbayan has affirmed the conviction for malversation of public funds involving P4.08 million in 1997 of the former provincial cashier of Benguet.

Affirmed were the judgments of conviction in 12 cases of former cashier IV Esther S. Pagano who was sentenced by the regional trial court (RTC) to prison terms ranging from two to seven years in 11 cases, and from 10 to 16 years in one case.

Pagano was convicted when she incurred cash shortage of P1,051,124.17 and P3,029,675.40 or a total of P4,080,799.57.  She was responsible for collecting cash and checks under the province’s General Fund then depositing these with the depository banks maintained by the province of Benguet.

However, the trial court found that the shortages were incurred because of Pagano's failure to issue official receipts for the purpose of acknowledging several checks intended as interest payments.

Pagano appealed the trial court’s ruling before the anti-graft court.  She claimed that the RTC erred in convicting her because the mandatory element of misappropriation or conversion is absent in this case.

The Sandiganbayan disagreed. "The prosecution proved all the elements of malversation beyond reasonable doubt," it said in its decision dated Dec. 20, 2023.

"Time and again, the Supreme Court has emphasized that an accountable public officer may be convicted of malversation even if there is no direct evidence of misappropriation and the only evidence is that there is a shortage in his/her accounts which he/she has not been able to explain satisfactorily," the anti-graft court said.

The Sandiganbayan has affirmed the conviction of a provincial cashier. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/12/27/2321647/cop-axed-accidental-firing

A police officer was removed from his post and placed under restrictive custody after he accidentally fired his gun in Malabon City.

Col. Jean. Fajardo, chief information officer of the Philippine National Police, said the police officer, whom she did not identify, is under investigation.

“He is under custody and his firearm was confiscated,” she told reporters in a phone interview yesterday.

Fajardo said the incident occurred in Malabon on Dec. 23.

Seven people have been accosted so far for illegal discharge of firearms during the Yuletide season. Two of the violators are police officers, two more are military personnel while the rest are civilians.

Fajardo warned gun holders not to use their firearms in celebrating Christmas and New Year since they would face criminal charges if they are caught.

She also urged the public to report people indiscriminately firing their guns and to document the incident to serve as evidence.

A cop has been arrested for accidentally firing his gun. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/not-alarming-seven-more-provincial-govt-employees-test-positive-for-drug-use

Seven more employees of the Negros Occidental provincial government were tested positive for use of illegal drugs.

This brings the total number to 27 Capitol employees who were found using drugs during its mandatory drug test.

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said Wednesday, December 27, that five of the employees are from the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City and two are from the Cadiz District Hospital.

However, Diaz said he will not reveal how many of them are regular, casual, contract of service, or job order employees.

"We will reveal it only after their confirmatory tests come out in January next year," he said.

The results also show that five of the employees use shabu, while the other two use marijuana.

The results of 16 other employees also showed traces of shabu.

Earlier, 20 out of the more than 3,200 provincial government employees tested positive for drugs this month.

"It is not alarming, but they will suffer the consequences; that was their choice to do what they did," Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson warned.

He added, “we will purchase additional drug testing kits to cover the remaining employees assigned at the district hospitals operated by the provincial government.”

Seven more Negros Occidental employees have tested positive for drugs. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/28/dot-overspent-p2-6-m-in-hotel-accommodations-in-2022-coa

The Department of Tourism (DOT) overspent P2.6 million for its hotel accommodations in 2022, the Commission on Audit (COA) said in its annual audit report (AAR).

In its AAR, COA recommended that the DOT refund the excessive costs incurred by concerned officials and employees and strictly adhere to Executive Order No. 77 when preparing the Budget Estimate or Terms of Reference for the contracts of its programs and activities to avoid excessive expenditures for hotel accommodations and meals.

COA pointed out that Section 5 of Executive Order No. 77 provides the maximum allowable Daily Travel Expenses (DTE) to government personnel. These include local travel, hotel accommodation or lodging, meals, and incidental expenses including the cost for local or inland transportation.

It said that when state auditors reviewed 10 sample contracts from the DOT’s Office of the Secretary (OSEC) for the period of Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, 2022, they discovered that the rates provided in the Budget Estimate of eight contracts exceeded the amount prescribed under EO No. 77 by P1,547,913.80.

"It was concluded that the DOT OSEC's procurement of hotel accommodation/lodging was not in compliance in all material respects with the provisions of Section 5 of E.O. No. 77," the report said.

Similar observations were noted in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Regions III and IX, it said.

The maximum amount allowed per audit for the OSEC was P539,000, but the actual expenses made by the OSEC was P962,679. The allowable amount for CAR was P267,300, but the region spent P560,630. Region III was allowed P1,267,500, but it spent P2,159,450, while Region IX was allowed P608,450 but spent P1,610,769.60. All in all, COA said the DOT overspent P2,611,278.60 for hotel accommodations and lodging.

The DOT overspend 2.6 million pesos in hotel accommodations.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/892346/pnp-at-least-7-incidents-of-illegal-discharge-of-firearms-reported-so-far/story/

At least seven incidents of illegal discharge of firearms have been reported so far ahead of the New Year celebration, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.

PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said two cops, two soldiers, a civilian, and two unidentified persons were involved in these incidents.

“From December 6 to yesterday, we recorded seven incidents of illegal discharge of firearms,” Fajardo told GTV’s Balitanghali.

“Two police officers and two soldiers were included in that list."

The incidents involving two police officers were reported in Davao and Manila.

One of them fired a gun three times on the ground outside of residence due to a family problem. The other cop also shot on the ground when he was ignored by some residents he scolded for being noisy.

Both of them used their service firearms in the incidents, according to Fajardo. These guns have already been confiscated.

Except for the two unidentified suspects, all of them have been arrested and are facing criminal complaints.

Two cops and two soldiers have been arrested for illegal discharge of firearms. 

https://www.ndbcnews.com.ph/news/5-killed-armed-clashes-pikit-north-cotabato

Five gunmen, including a village councilman, who were followers of a village chair and field commander of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were killed in clashes that erupted Saturday afternoon, police here said.

Major Arvin John Cambang, Pikit municipal police chief, said the fighting between Chairman Sindatok Karim of Barangay Lagunde, and Basit Nando, alias Commander Abu Sabaya, head of MILF 118th base command, erupted at about 3 p.m. in Sitio Edzap, Barangay Lagunde, Pikit, North Cotabato.

Barangay Lagunde is one of the 63 villages now under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Cambang identified the fatalities under the group of Chairman Karim as village councilman Malik Karim, Sammy Nawal Salik, a Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) member.

At the same time, those injured were BPAT members Saddam Salaban, 33, and Karnain Esmael, 33, both residents of Barangay Lagunde. Killed on the side of Commander Abu Sabaya were Kena Abdillah, 35 Omar Abdillah, 38, and an unidentified person.

Elements of the 90th Infantry Battalion backed the Pikit PNP in disengaging the warring armed groups and the recovery of the fatalities.

“They are locked in long-standing ‘rido’ or family feud over a territorial misunderstanding,” Cambang said in the vernacular.

Cambang said the group of Chairman Karim claimed that they were working on a barangay road project when the group of Commander Abu Sabaya arrived and opened fire, triggering a firefight that lasted for about an hour.

Cambang quoted Abu Sabaya as telling police probers that the group of Chairman Karim entered his area of operation without coordination.

But Cambang said Abu Sabaya has a grudge against Chairman Karim because he suspected that the village officials’ followers were behind the murder in November of his two relatives.

Soldiers from the 90th IB and personnel from Police Mobile Force Battalion 14 are now in the area to serve as peacekeepers and prevent the escalation of hostilities. Several families have fled to nearby villages.

A village councilman has been slain in a clash with the MILF.

Coronavirus Lockdown: Variant JN.1, Pandemic Recovery Cuts Poverty Rate, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.

A new COVID-19 circulating outside the country may enter the Philippines soon say health authorities. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/12/21/2320387/new-covid-19-variant-jn1-may-enter-philippines

The new COVID-19 subvariant JN.1 now circulating in the US and other countries is expected to enter the country in “due time,” according to an infectious disease specialist.

Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) president Dr. Rontgene Solante stressed the need to closely monitor the new subvariant that could trigger a further rise in cases of the infectious disease.

“I think we need to monitor this one. I don’t know if it has been detected in our surveillance, but given the fact that it is in neighboring countries and we do not have travel restrictions, in due time it will be here as well,” Solante said yesterday in a mix of Filipino and English in a radio interview.

Based on preliminary data, Solante said JN.1 does not have characteristics like that of Delta, which could cause severe infections.

The World Health Organization previously classified the JN.1 coronavirus subvariant as a “variant of interest,” noting that it did not pose much threat to public health.

The rising number of COVID-19 cases at this time, Solante said, should not cause panic since the incidence of respiratory viruses is expected to increase because of the holiday season and the cold weather.

Solante noted that even before the pandemic, influenza-like illnesses (ILI) normally jumped during cold months.

He added that a majority of those who got infected with COVID as well as other respiratory viruses have recovered fast and did not require hospitalization.

He said people need to strengthen their immune systems to avoid getting severe types of ILI and COVID.

Health officials are encouraging people to wear face masks.

"I think we need to monitor this one." Sound scary, right? Not according to one health expert who has downplayed worries over this new variant.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1877876/expert-downplays-worries-over-covid-19-variant

The Omicron subvariant JN.1, which has been driving a resurgence in COVID-19 infections in some parts of Europe and Asia in recent weeks, is not seen to immediately overwhelm the country’s health-care system should it enter the Philippines.

According to infectious diseases specialist Dr. Rontgene Solante, revising COVID-19 protocols may not be necessary at the moment as “we don’t expect a significant increase in hospitalization rates or even mortality or severe COVID-19 [cases.]”

An effective precautionary measure for now is “to remind the public and encourage those who are symptomatic to wear face masks when in crowded areas or when attending gatherings,” he told the Inquirer on Wednesday.

JN.1 is a sublineage of its BA.2.86, which came from the XBB variant. The latest biosurveillance report of the Department of Health (DOH) shows that the parent lineage BA.2.86 as well as JN.1 remain undetected in the country.

Solante, however, noted that “it has mutations in the spike protein … known to increase transmission.” “It has been causing rapid growth in some European countries this November … Because of its growth advantage causing [an] increase in the cases … it is expected to be globally dominant in the next weeks to come,” said Solante, who is also the president of the Philippine College of Physicians.

Dr. Rontgene Solante says people should simply wear face masks as a precautionary measure. Otherwise he does not see it affecting the Philippines in any significant way. 

The Philippines continues to recover from the pandemic as seen in the lowering of the poverty rate. 

https://business.inquirer.net/438157/pandemic-recovery-cut-poverty-rate-at-22-4-in-h1-psa

The proportion of poor Filipinos declined in the first half of 2023, as the Philippines emerged from a pandemic that wiped out years of gains in reducing poverty in the country.

A nationwide survey of 171,588 families showed there were 25.24 million poor Filipinos in the first half of 2023, lower than the 26.14 million recorded in the same period in 2021, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Friday.

That translated to a poverty rate among the country’s population of 22.4% in the first semester of 2023, lower than the 23.7% rate in the comparable period in 2021.

“The decision to fully open the economy has allowed us to recover from the unprecedented impact of the pandemic and government response,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

On average, a family of five would need at least P13,797 per month to meet their basic needs in the first half, data showed.

Meanwhile, 9.79 million Filipinos said their income was not enough to buy even the basic foods they need, equivalent to a subsistence incidence of 8.7 percent, down from 9.9 percent recorded in the previous survey.

Where do they get that data that a family of 5 needs P13,797 to meet their basic needs?  That sounds incredibly low factoring in rent, utilities, and food.

Iloilo is now encouraging the public to wear face masks once more. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1215828

The local government here has ordered the mandatory use of face masks at the city hall and encouraged its use in other enclosed areas in Iloilo City due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases.

"The cases of Covid are rising. The effects of the vaccine wane and we no longer have vaccines to deploy. For enclosed areas the City Health Office (CHO) encourages the use of masks for the protection of everyone. For gatherings during the Christmas season, proper protection should be made,” Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said in a statement issued Friday morning.

Before this, Treñas said in an interview on Thursday that he would not yet issue an Executive Order since the CHO has released an advisory strongly recommending the use of face masks in public places, social gatherings, workplaces, healthcare facilities, outdoor activities where physical distancing is challenging, and public transport.

“I have already talked to so many friends. A lot of them become positive. It is also your protection because you don’t know who is positive,” the mayor added.

CHO medical officer Dr. Jan Reygine Ansino Hortinela said the city recorded 15 new cases as of Thursday, increasing the active cases to 79 out of the 1,290 cases since Jan. 1 this year.

Incredible that the Mayor of Iloilo was even considering an executive order mandating face masks. We are one paranoid delusion away from going back to 2020. 

The nationwide COVID-19 positivity rate is up to 18%. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1878809/covid-19-positivity-rate-in-ph-hits-18-1-as-of-dec-22-octa-research

The COVID-19 positivity rate in the country continues to rise, hitting 18.1 percent as of Friday, Octa Research said.

Octa Research fellow Guido David said on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday that the latest coronavirus positivity rate was based on the December 22 Department of Health (DOH) report of 557 new COVID-19 infections.

David also pointed out that of the 557 new cases, 235 are from Metro Manila. He likewise presented in his X post that the freshly logged coronavirus infections drove the total nationwide cases to 4,132,200, including the 5,569 active cases.

He said earlier that December 23 could see an increase of 500 to 600 new cases.

The latest COVID positivity rate is higher than the 16.7 percent logged as of Wednesday, December 20, and 15.8 percent logged as of Monday, December 19.

All recorded coronavirus positivity rates this week, however, were past the five percent World Health Organization threshold marking viral transmission is under control.

The DOH also reported Friday that 318 coronavirus patients in the country recovered from the disease, raising total recoveries to 4,059,836 since the pandemic hit in 2020. The death toll stood at 66,795 as of December 22.

But health protocols are still not being made mandatory. Not even in Boracay despite the number of rising COVID-19 cases. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/892357/no-restrictions-in-boracay-despite-rising-covid-19-flu-cases-mayor/story/

Boracay Island in Aklan is not enforcing any restrictions yet amid the increasing infections of COVID-19 and flu-like illnesses nationwide, Malay Mayor Floribar Bautista said Tuesday.

(As of now we don't have any adjustments or new health protocols because we haven't discussed the rising number of COVID cases yet. For now we don't have any restrictions regarding COVID-19 in Boracay.) 

Surely all the tourists are thankful for that.