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Ely Buendia tweets a “possible” Eheads reunion “Pag tumakbo si Leni”

September 28, 2021

In a Twitter Q&A as part of promotions for “SUPERPROXIES,” a virtual concert featuring Buendia and Filipino indie rock band Nobody’s Home this October 9th, eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia just broke the internet by hinting of a “possible” Eheads reunion if VP Leni Robredo ‘runs’, though he did not clarify on what position.

The tweet is in response to Ben La Dean (@jaydemaps), who asked him regarding a possible Eheads reunion. Ely, candidly and jokingly, replied “Pag tumakbo si Leni.”

Ely’s tweet have been trending and gone viral receiving 34.9 likes, 6,241 retweets and 2,264 quote tweets.

Here are some of the response that Ely’s tweet got from VP Leni’s supporters and Eraserheads fans;


Ely later clarified that his political views and opinions are his own.

Trillanes to run for President if VP Robredo decided to exit politics

September 27, 2021

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV to run for President if VP Robredo will not run for the highest position in the country, by 12 noon of October 8th.

That’s what the former senator announced on his twitter account Monday, Sept. 27th.

Trillanes’ announcement at a time when VP Leni Robredo is uniting the anti-administration forces and has not made any announcement regarding her plans for the coming 2022 election.

Candidates who plan to run for President, Vice President, and Senator are required to submit their candidacy between Oct. 1st to Oct. 8th.

Lithuania recommends to dispose your Chinese smartphones because of censorship issue

September 22, 2021

Lithuania’s Defense Ministry recently release a statement recommending that consumers avoid buying Xiaomi smartphones and suggests to people to throw away the ones they have after a government report found the devices had built-in censorship features.

Xiaomi’s Mi 10T 5G flagship smartphones, which is sold in Europe, have a built-in ability to detect and censor terms such as “Free Tibet”, “Long live Taiwan independence” or “democracy movement”, Lithuania’s Cybersecurity agency said on Tuesday, Sept. 21.

The built-in censorship features in Xiaomi’s smartphones software is turned off for the “European Union region”, but can be turned on remotely at any time, the Defence Ministry’s National Cyber Security Centre said in the report. National Cyber Security Centre also said that Xiaomi’s phone was sending encrypted phone usage data to a server in Singapore.

A similar security flaw was also found in the Huawei’s P40 5G smartphone but none was found in OnePlus phones, another Chinese phone maker, that has a strong presence in the European Union region.

Huawei’s representative in the Baltics told the BNS news wire its phones “do not process user’s data outside the Huawei device.”

The report added the list of “censored” terms which could be blocked by the Xiaomi phone’s system apps, including the default internet browser, currently includes 449 terms in Chinese and is continuously updated.

Source: Reuters

Isko Moreno to run for President in the 2022 National Election

September 21, 2021

It’s official, Manila Mayos Isko Moreno to run for President in the coming 2022 National election. His running mate will be Willie Ong, this was confirmed by his campaign manager Lito Banayo.

Francisco Moreno Domagoso or more popularly known by his screen name Isko Moreno, gained fame as a matinee idol for being part of part of That’s Entertainment. His political career started when he won as one of the councilor for Manila’s first legislative district in 1998, then was reelected in 2001 and 2004. He became Manila’s vice mayor in 2007 and reelected in 2013. In 2016, he ran for a senator under the Partido Galing at Puso coalition of presidential candidate and Senator Grace. He unsuccesful to win a seat, placing 16th overall.

Isko Moreno currently serves as the mayor of Manila, after winning the position tin he 2019 elections.

Image: IMBD

Willie Tan Ong, is a registered Cardiologist and the chief resident in Manila Doctors Hospital. He became popular because of his television show and his appearances on ABS-CBN’s Salamat Dok. Dr. Ong maintained his online presence thru his YouTube channel in 2007 where he posted video health tips. He currently have 6.54M subscribers on his youtube channel and 16.3 million followers on his official facebook page.

He previously ran for a seat at the senate in the 2019 Philippine elections but lost, finishing 18th in the polls with 7.5 million votes.

Source: Rappler

Philippines received additional 3 million Sinovac vaccine

September 19, 2021

Philippines just received an additional 3 million doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines arrived today, September 19, at 6:00 PM, in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2.

As of September 18, 2021, there have been 41.25 million vaccine administered and around 18.47 million can be considered as fully vaccinated individuals.

Sen. Manny Pacquiao to run for President in the 2022 Elections

September 19, 2021

At the assembly of Pacquiao/Pimentel-led faction of PDP-Laban, Sen. Manny Pacquiao has accepted the nominations of at least 20 PDP-Laban chapter leaders, for him to run for President in the coming 2022 Elections.

“I am a fighter and I will always be a fighter inside and outside the ring. Sa buong buhay ko, wala akong laban na inaatrasan dahil sa ngalan ng prinsipyo, karangalan ng bayan ay tumayo ako, nanindigan at nakikipaglaban,” Pacquiao said during the event.

Manny Pacquiao, the only 8-division world boxing champion, started his political career last 2010 as a Representative of Saranggani then after two-terms as a Congressman, Pacquiao won as a Senator in 2016, under the Duterte-led PDP-Laban. Pacquiao garnered over 16 million votes, landing 7th among 12 new members of the Senate.

You can read the full report of Katrina Domingo from ABS-CBN News here.

Chel Diokno to try and run for Senator again this coming 2022 elections

September 15, 2021

Jose Manuel “Chel” Icasiano Diokno, J.D., a Filipino lawyer, educator, and human rights advocate, will try his luck and will run again as Senator for the 2022 elections. He will run as an independent candidate.

Chel Diokno can often be seen on social media providing free “legal advice” or answering “legal-related” questions from his followers.

Or this tweet, where he answer the question regarding the “the legal age of consent for sex in the Philippines?”

You can also see him reacting to trending topics like this one.

He initially run for Senator under the opposition slate Otso Diretso in the 2019 midterm elections but did not make the cut, ranking 21st in a race for 12 which was dominated by President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies.

GACA issue new guidelines for residents and visitors entering Saudi Arabia and shorten quarantine period

September 14, 2021

Saudi’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) issued today, Sept. 13th, new instructions to all airliners operating in the Kingdom’s airports to update their respective entry mechanism and procedures, for residents and visitors arriving in the Kingdom from permitted countries and to reduce the period of institutional quarantine.

Here’s the official statemenet from GACA;

First: A non-vaccinated person who has received one dose of the approved vaccines in the Kingdom, provided that he submits a negative (PCR) exam of a sample swab taken within (72) hours before leaving to the Kingdom at the latest, and that institutional quarantine procedures are applied to him for a period of five days. Furthermore, a corona exam to be conducted within (24) hours of arrival, and another exam on the fifth day after arrival (the recipient must adhere to the times of the corona examination based on what appears to him in the “Tawakkalna” application in the chronology service). The period of institutional quarantine ends with the appearance of a negative test result.

Second: Arriving passengers who completed one of the vaccines not approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and not approved in the Kingdom, or who completed one of the vaccines approved by the World Health Organization and not approved in the Kingdom, provided that he submits a negative PCR exam of a sample swab taken within (72) hours before leaving for The Kingdom at the highest estimate, and that institutional quarantine procedures are applied to him for a period of five days, and that a corona examination is conducted within (24) hours of arrival and another examination on the fifth day after arrival (the recipient must adhere to the times of corona examination based on what appears to him in the Tawakkalna application, in the chronology service), and the period of institutional quarantine ends with the appearance of a negative test result.

GACA also stated that dependents can also enter the country with their “immune” relatives, in accordance to the following;

First: Unvaccinated dependents under the age of eighteen shall be subject to home quarantine procedures for a period of five days, provided that a corona exam (for those who have completed eight years and above) is conducted on the fifth day, and that they’re committed to applying all precautionary measures determined by the Ministry of Health.

Second: Institutional quarantine procedures are applied to unvaccinated dependents who are eighteen years of age, or older.

These new guidelines will take effect on Sept 23rd.

GCA also stressed the following;

  • Arriving residents must complete the vaccine doses available in the Kingdom after the end of the institutional quarantine period, and whoever completed one of the vaccines approved by the organization and not approved in the Kingdom (currently the Sinopharma vaccine and the Sinovac vaccine) should obtain a booster dose from one of the vaccines available in the Kingdom after arrival.
  • Arriving passengers must register on “Quddum” platform before going to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Isolation procedures will be applied according to the Ministry of Health protocols, for those who will be tested positive during institutional quarantine
  • Recovery from infection with the Coronavirus is not considered as a justification to not undergo Institutional quarantine procedures.

GACA also added that the amendment of the home quarantine procedures also applies to the non-vaccinated, which requires a home quarantine for a period of five days, and a PCR exam will be conducted on the fifth day in accordance to Ministry of Health protocols. A person will not be allowed to all places, activities, events and government and private facilities and the use of public transportation without being vaccinated with one of the approved coronavirus vaccines in the Kingdom.

Source: GACA

Philippine Red Cross releases report for their COVID-19 pandemic response accomplishment

September 12, 2021

A day after President Duterte threaten to stop any government transactions with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), the humanitarian agency releases their first report regarding their COVID-19 pandemic response accomplishment.

These are the numbers so far;

  • Tested 4,199,910 swab and saliva samples, which is 22% of all tests conducted in PH.
  • Vaccinated 205,060, where 31.35% or 64,288 are fully vaccinated.
  • Helped 3,253 patients in isolation
  • Deployed 121 medical tents in 62 hospitals that served 34,660 patients.

Also included in the report are the numbers of patients served by their ambulance and the people who ate the hot meals served by their rolling kitchen. You can also see the numbers for their blood services, dialysis treatments as well as those who received covalescent plasma from PRC.

COVID-19 for Sept. 12th: DOH reports 21,411 new cases with 2 million patient who recovered from the coronavirus

September 12, 2021

In today’s COVID-19 update, Department of Health (DOH) just reported that there are 21,411 new COVID-19 cases and and 168 deaths, with 2 million patient who recovered from the coronavirus, which is a bright spot in the report.

Since the pandemic started, the total number of cases in the Philippines is now at 2,227,36, and the total number of deaths just crossed the 35k mark with 181,951 active cases.

Edson C. Guido, ABS-CBN News Data Analytics Head, also pointed out that the “positivity rate decreased for the 3rd straight day but is still at least 27% for the 10th straight day.” and “ICU bed occupancy rate is at 77%,” the highest to date.

COVID-19 Updates September 9th: Philippine registered 22,820 new COVID-19 case, a new record high

September 9, 2021

After delaying today’s case bulletin, Department of Health (DOH) reported that the country has registered 22,820 new covid-19 case, a new record high. The previous record for the single day tally was last September 6, 2020, with a recorded 22,347 of new covid-19 cases. DOH added that the there have been 12,337 recoveries and 61 died because of coronavirus.

The new report will push the total number of cases in the Philippines to 2.16 million, with 166,672 active cases, 1.96 million have recovered from coronavirus and a total of 34,733 deaths.

According to DOH, the data is from the contribution of 5 labs for the past 14 days.

PDP-Laban Cusi-lead faction official announce its candidates for 2022 National Election

September 9, 2021

PDP-Laban faction lead by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has officially announced the party’s candidates for the upcoming 2022 National Election, headed by Sen. Bong Go for President and Pres. Rodrigo Duterte as his running mate for Vice President. PDP-Laban held their national convention in San Fernando, Pampanga, yesterday, September 8, 2021.

Even though Bong Go already decline the nomination, PDP-Laban officials said that the party will continue to convince him to run for the highest Government position in the country.

Contrary to Sen. Bong Go, President Rodrigo Duterte has accepted and approve his nomination to run for Vice President saying that he is running for “continuity” and his “love of country.”

Cusi’s PDP-Laban also named additional candidates for its senatorial lineup;

  • Silvestre Bello III – the current Labor Secretary
  • Salvador Panelo – Chief Presidential Legal Counsel
  • Lucy Torres-Gomez – currently the Representative for Leyte 4th District
  • Arthur Tugade – Transportation Secretary

Serving as “guest candidates” are;

  • Greco Belgica – is the Chairman for Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC)
  • Rodante Marcoleta – Representative for SAGIP Partylist
  • Harry Roque – the current Presidential Spokesperson
  • Mark Villar – is the Public Works Secretary

The other half of the PDP-Laban which is lead by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III has yet to name their nominees, but we don’t need to wait long, since they are scheduled to have their own meeting later this month.

Source: Rappler

August 2021 Architect Licensure Examination Result

September 7, 2021

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) just release the result of the August 2021 Architect Licensure Examination, five days after the last day of examination.

PRC added that 560 out of 849 passed the Architect Licensure Examination (ALE), which is a 65% passing rate. The Architect Licensure Examination (ALE) was given by the Board of Architecture headed by its Chairman, Arch. Robert S. Sac and board member, Arch. Robert M. Mirafuente. The examination was held in Baguio, Cebu, Iloilo, Koronadal, Legazpi, Lucena, San Fernando (Pampanga), Tacloban and Zamboanga last August 27 and August 29, 2021.

Below are the Top 10 of the August 2021 Architect Licensure Examination (ALE);

Rank Name School Rating %
1 Benson Heinrick Booc Go University of San Carlos 83.5
2 Mark Anthony Veloso Flordelis University of San Carlos 83.4
3 Ryan Rosales Adarlo Batangas State University –  Alangilan 82.9
4 Patris Anneveyle Hernandez Cruz Bataan Peninsula State University – Main Campus 82.1
5 Alyanna Marya Tricia Marquez De Villa Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Tech. 81.9
6 Magdalena Beatriz Lepiten Arriola University of San Carlos 81.6
Gerard Luague Borbon University of San Carlos 81.6
Jose Angelo Solitaria Mangcupang Ateneo De Devao University 81.6
7 Richard Marzan Lictaoa Saint Louis College of San Fernando 81.5
Lester Mark Vitug Manalo Holy Angel University 81.5
8 Renato Tuazon De Guzman Jr. Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology Cabanatuan 81.4
9 Gian Favian Soto Cabrera Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology Cabanatuan 81.3
10 Danielle Gonzales Franco Holy Angel University 81.1
Joshua Seth Magno Jabile Ateneo De Devao University 81.1

Here’s the complete list of passer;

The date and venue for the mass oathtaking of the successful examinees in the said licensure examination will be announced at a later date.

Source: PRC

IATF approves new quarantine classifications on Sept 8th to 30th

September 6, 2021
IATF approves new quarantine classifications on Sept 8th to 30th

Announced during the Palace briefing with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, IATF approves new quarantine classifications on Sept 8th to 30th, which includes National Capital Region (NCR) to switch to a pilot area for implementing localized lock-downs.

The new quarantine classifications was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

These are new quarantine classifications;

MECQ

  • Apayao
  • Bataan
  • Bulacan
  • Cavite
  • Lucena City
  • Rizal
  • Laguna
  • Iloilo Province
  • Iloilo City
  • Cagayan De Oro City

GCQ

* with heighten restrictions

  • Ilocos Sur
  • Ilocos Norte
  • Cagayan
  • Pangasinan
  • Quezon
  • Batangas
  • Naga City
  • Antique
  • Bacolod City
  • Capiz
  • Cebu Province
  • Lapu-Lapu City
  • Negros Oriental
  • Zamboanga Del Sur
  • Misamis Oriental
  • Davao City
  • Davao Del Norte
  • Davao De Oro
  • Davao Occidental
  • Butuan City

GCQ

  • National Capital Region*
  • Baguio City
  • Kalinga
  • Abra
  • Benguet
  • Dagupan City
  • City of Santiago
  • Quirino
  • Isabela
  • Nueva Vizcaya
  • Tarlac
  • Occidental Mindoro
  • Puerto Princesa
  • Aklan
  • Guimaras
  • Negros Occidental
  • Cebu City
  • Mandaue City
  • Zamboanga
  • Sibugay
  • Zamboanga City
  • Zamboanga Del Norte
  • Misamis Occidental
  • Iligan City
  • Davao Oriental
  • Davao Del Sur
  • Gen. Santos City
  • Sultan Kudarat
  • Sarangani
  • North Cotobato
  • Agusan Del Norte
  • Agusan Del Sur
  • Dinagat Islands
  • Surigao Del Norte
  • Surigao Del Sur
  • Cotobato City
  • Lano Del Sur

MECQ

Rest of the Philippines

Lifting of travel restrictions take effect today, Sept. 6th, 2021

September 6, 2021

The lifting of travel restrictions for 10 countries, which President Rodrigo Duterte approves last Sept. 4, 2021.

The 10 countries are;

  1. India
  2. Pakistan
  3. Bangladesh
  4. Sri Lanka
  5. Nepal
  6. United Arab Emirates
  7. Oman
  8. Thailand
  9. Malaysia
  10. Indonesia

The removal of the travel restrictions is approved even though the number of confirmed covid-19 cases have surge passed 20,000 per day.

You can read the official statement released by Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) here.

DICT to launch the sixth Philippine Startup Challenge 2021 this September

September 5, 2021

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is set to launch the sixth (6th) Philippine Startup Challenge 2021 (PSC 2021) this September.

The event is an annual startup competition started in 2016 which aims to encourage and support Filipinos to create innovative and relevant ICT products and services that may develop into viable business ventures and potentially solve social problems.

“Through this initiative, we hope to promote the entrepreneurial spirit among Filipinos that will surely help our country advance in the global digital economy,” DICT Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” B. Honasan II said.
As part of the Republic Act No. 11337 or the “Innovative Startup Act” which was enacted last 26 April 2019, the Philippine Startup Challenge seeks to aid in strengthening, promoting, and developing the Philippine Startup Ecosystem.

The event also aims to bring together experts in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) from across the country to help establish a network of innovators, foster a culture of entrepreneurship in ICT, and discover the endless opportunities catering to vigorously advance science, technology, and innovation.

This year, the competition will be open for submission of entries that cover software and internet-based innovations and will cater to all startups in the ideation to minimum viable product stage.

Ms. Emmy Lou V. Delfin, Director IV of the ICT Industry Development Bureau (IIDB), encourages Filipino professionals and students to participate in the startup competition.

“We are taking the Philippine Startup Challenge 2021 to the next level as we include another category for Filipino professionals in the competition. Hopefully, with our Bureau’s initiatives, we can support Filipino professionals and students further so they can continue to improve their startup ideas,” Director Delfin said.

The Philippine Startup Challenge will be divided into two (2) categories for professionals and students, with a maximum of four (4) members per team. For the entire duration of the competition, the DICT together with its partner organizations and ICT councils, will be guiding and mentoring the winners in preparation for the next rounds.

This nationwide competition will start from regional pitching competitions where three (3) regional winners will be assessed and chosen by the Regional Selection Committee. Regional winners will then advance to the Semifinal Round, where the top ten (10) teams shall move on to the national competition. The Finals for the professional category is set on the third week of November, with the five (5) winners to receive funding proposals.
The PSC 2021 is to be held in partnership with Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), Ignite, QBO, StartUp Village, Spring Valley, Huawei, and Microsoft, among others.

For more information on the sixth (6th) Philippine Startup Challenge 2021, please visit https://dict.gov.ph/philippine-startup-challenge-2021.

Source: @DICTgovph

1Sambayan’s response to Duterte’s VP bid for 2022 election

August 25, 2021

1Sambayan, the opposition coalition that’s compose of former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, SC Justice Antonio Carpio and former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert Del Rosario, to name a few, just release their statement regarding the acceptance of Pres. Duterte for his Vice President nomination by PDP-Laban party.

Here the gist of their statement;

It shows a clear mockery of our Constitution and democratic process. Obviously, this is driven by fear of accountability both from ICC and from our own justice system. The candidacy is both legally and morally wrong, and we trust that the Filipino people will realize his brazen, selfish and self-serving motives.

Sadly, today’s declaration comes at the heels of numerous allegations of corruption and continuing EJK, even as we mourn the death of 30,000 Filipinos due to the a failed COVID-19 response.

The coalition’s statement in both Filipino and in English, to make sure that everyone will be able to read it. I embedded their original post below.

Source: @1SAMBAYAN

President Rodrigo Duterte to run for vice president in the 2022 elections

August 25, 2021

In his weekly recorded public address, President Rodrigo Duterte has confirmed that he will run for the second highest office in the country after serving as the top official in the country this coming 2022 election.

It was previously reported that Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is only running for the position to gain immunity for the law suit that he will face once he step down from the office.

It’s unclear who will be Duterte’s running-mate but PDP-Laban ‘endorses’ Bong Go-Rodrigo Duterte tandem for 2022, or a potential Father-daughter tandem for the two highest position in the country this election.

Philippines COVID-19 Updates August 23, 2021, we now have a new record-high for a single day tally

August 23, 2021

It’s been ages, since I last posted a covid-19 update but since I assume that the cases would go down because of the continuous vaccine drive by the government.

Anyway, as of today, August 23, 2021, Department of Health (DoH) recorded 18,332 of new cases of covid-19, which is a record-high for a single day tally, making the total number of cases to 1,857,646, there were 13,794 recoveries, 151 deaths and the total number of active cases are now at 130,350.

DoH added that this data was contibuted by 3 labs for the past 14 days.

Overseas Voting Registration is still ongoing in the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and VFS Riyadh and Al Khobar branches

August 18, 2021
Overseas Voting Registration is still ongoing in the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and VFS Riyadh and Al Khobar branches

The Facebook page of Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia just posted that Overseas Voting Registration is still ongoing in The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and VFS Riyadh and Al Khobar branches. The Overseas Voting Registration started last May 29th, 2021 and expect to continue until further notice.

The Overseas Voting Registration is still ongoing in The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and VFS Riyadh and Al Khobar branches.

For more information on the Overseas Voting Registration in The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh: https://rb.gy/pjqgr6

For more information on the Overseas Voting Registration in VFS Global Al Khobar Branch: https://rb.gy/vywy8q

To know more about the documentary requirements: https://rb.gy/b3jqma

Former President Benigno Aquino III passed away at 61

June 24, 2021

Former President Benigno Aquino III has died at the age of 61, according to a family member who wants to remain anonymous.

Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is the 15th president of the Philippines, succeeding Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. After his Presidency ended, Noynoy, a known smoker, have been private and out of the public-eye. According to a reports by Rappler, “Aquino had been suffering from various illnesses since 2019. He had been undergoing dialysis for at least five months and had recently undergone a heart operation.”

ABS-CBN reported that He was “hospitalized at the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City on Thursday. His sister, actress Kris Aquino, was seen entering the medical facility but did not give a statement.”

The Aquino family have been silent about the passing of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, but according to his former spokesperson Abigail Valte, the family will release a statement later Thursday.

1SAMBAYAN releases their nominees for President this Election 2022

June 13, 2021

1Sambayan coalition has released their list of candidates for the next presidential polls.

The nominees of 1Sambayan for president and vice president are:

  • Chel Diokno, lawyer (Liberal Party)
  • Grace Poe, senator (Independent)
  • Vilma Santos-Recto, Batangas 6th District Representative and Deputy Speaker (Nacionalista Party)
  • Leni Robredo, Vice President of the Philippines (LP)
  • Antonio Trillanes IV, former senator (Magdalo)
  • Eddie Villanueva, CIBAC Representative and Deputy Speaker (Bangon Pilipinas)

Out of the six, only former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, (Magdalo) has announced his bid to run for the highest position in country but willing to give way should VP Leni Robredo run for the post.

The remaining 5 has yet to officially announce their 2022 electoral bids, VP Leni Robredo did mention, in an article by Inquirer, that she is “open to running for President” and a decision would be reached and announced “at the right time.”

Source: Rappler
Image: @Leni Robredo

Filipino Seafarers are now included in the priority list of National COVID-19 Vaccination Program

April 12, 2021

Good news to all Filipino Seafarers, since Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approves the recommendation of the DOTr to include them in the priority list of the government’s national vaccination rollout.

“This is a very good development for our maritime industry champions— our seafarers. Now, our Filipino seafarers will be given priority to be vaccinated. Paulit-ulit ko pong inilalarawan ang ating maritime workforce bilang mga silent workers ng bayan. They work silently, yet their contribution is as crucial as keeping the economy thriving. Not only are they frontliners, but they are undoubtedly HEROES, too,” DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade expressed.

There are currently 730,651 Filipino seafarers and all are for consideration in the A4 category. You can go here for more details on the groups of persons listed under A4 category.

Here’s the full text of Department of Transportation (DOTr) official statement;

FILIPINO SEAFARERS NOW INCLUDED IN PRIORITY LIST IN THE NAT’L COVID-19 VACCINATION PROGRAM

Filipino seafarers get a closer shot at getting vaccines against COVID-19 as the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approves the recommendation of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to include them in the priority recipients listed in the government’s national vaccination rollout.

“This is a very good development for our maritime industry champions— our seafarers. Now, our Filipino seafarers will be given priority to be vaccinated. Paulit-ulit ko pong inilalarawan ang ating maritime workforce bilang mga silent workers ng bayan. They work silently, yet their contribution is as crucial as keeping the economy thriving. Not only are they frontliners, but they are undoubtedly HEROES, too,” DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade expressed.

DOTr OIC Assistant Secretary for Maritime VADM Narciso Vingson Jr., who also chairs the Inter-Agency Working Group tasked to firm up the DOTr’s proposal on the priority vaccination of Filipino seafarers in recognition of the vital role they play amid the present global crisis, presented the proposal and justification in a meeting with the IATF.
“The working group is in the unified position to push for the prioritization of Filipino seafarers in the country’s COVID-19 vaccination program to secure their employment, and to ensure the safe shipping operations of essential goods amid the pandemic,” Asec. Vingson said.

Aside from DOTr, the working group is composed of officials from the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) through its Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office (MOAO). It also represents the local Licensed Manning Agencies through the membership of the Association of Licensed Manning Agencies (ALMA), Joint Manning Group (JMG), Filipino Association for Mariner’s Employment (FAME), and the Philippine Association of Manning Agencies and Ship Managers (PAMAS).

From falling under B3 (Other essential workers) or B5 (Overseas Filipino Workers) in the Vaccination Priority Framework, the Inter-Agency Working Group has requested for the reclassification of Filipino seafarers to A4 (Frontline personnel in essential sectors, including uniformed personnel and those in working sectors identified by the IATF as essential during ECQ). This makes seafarers move at the top 4 priority groups to be vaccinated.
With the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, the IATF has adopted early this year the prioritization framework and criteria of the national immunization rollout to allocate the first tranches of vaccines given its limited global supply.

Furthermore, the prioritization of seafarers in the vaccination is based on the following grounds: Filipino seafarers are declared key workers globally and locally; Filipino seafarers are considered mobile, who, as part of their jobs, frequently enter various ports across the world; and shipping companies prefer their workforce to be vaccinated to ensure that their operations will remain smooth, unhampered, and somehow immune to the severe effects of COVID-19.

To further determine the specific population to be prioritized, the Working Group classified seafarers into two. Top priority will be given to active seafarers or those with recorded sea service within the last three (3) years, while new seafarers or those with last recorded sea service beyond 2018 shall be ranked second.
Per MARINA and POEA data, there are a total of 549,000 active seafarers registered in their system, wherein around 497,000 are those deployed overseas and 51,000 are serving locally. Meanwhile, a total of 181,000 seafarers are without updated sea service within the last three (3) years.

In summary, there are 730,651 Filipino seafarers who are for consideration in the A4 category.

Philippines COVID-19 Updates April 11, 2021

April 12, 2021
Philippines COVID-19 Updates April 11, 2021
Image from FDA Ph

From DOH, Here’s the latest COVID-19 update for today, April 11, 2021.

  • 11,681 new cases
  • 55,204 recovered
  • 201 deaths

Since the pandemic started, the Philippines had 864,868 of confirmed cases and fast approaching the 1 million mark, there have been 703,40 who recovered from the virus and 14,945 for the total number of deaths.

Earlier today, the Government has downgraded the quarantine classification of NCR + to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting tomorrow, Monday, April 12, 2021. Areas under MECQ will also include the city of Santiago in Quirino province, and Abra.

The areas listed below will be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ):

  • Cordillera Administrative Region
  • Batangas province
  • Tacloban City
  • Iligan City
  • Davao City
  • Lanao del Sur province
  • Quezon province

The rest of the country will be placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

DoH: Philippines COVID-19 Updates April 9, 2021

April 9, 2021
DoH: Philippines COVID-19 Updates April 9, 2021

For today, April 9, 2021, Department of Health (DoH) reported;

  • 12,225 new and confirmed cases
  • 946 recovered
  • 401 deaths – the highest in a single day

The country now have 840,554 of total confirmed cases of COVID-19 and currently with 178,351 active cases, 647,683 have recovered and 14,520 deaths.

You can go to https://doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker, for more details.

NUJP release statement after Military tells media to “Exercise Prudence”

April 9, 2021

National Union of Journalists of the Philippine just release a statement after Military tells media to ‘exercise prudence’ after a Chinese crafts chase Filipino crew who are within the Philippine territory.

For context, a Filipino civilian vessel with the ABS-CBN news team aboard was chased by a Chinese military sea vessel equipped with missiles. You can read the full report here – LOOK: Chinese vessels hound Philippine fishing boat.

Department of National Defense (DND) and AFP then release two separate statements, regarding the incident and said that “The AFP is concerned with the safety and well-being of our Kababayans that we have been forthright and transparent in our reporting about the situation in our EEZ”. Here’s the full report from Rappler – DND orders probe into Chinese ships’ harassment of Filipino TV crew.

You can read the AFP’s full statement below;

DoH: Philippines COVID-19 Updates April 8, 2021

April 8, 2021

Here’s the latest COVID-19 Update from Department of Health (DoH).

As of 4:00 PM, Today, April 8, 2021;
– 9,216 confirmed case
– 598 recovered
– 60 death

In total, there are 828,366 confirmed cases and 646,968 recovered from the virus. DoH reported that there were 14,119 deaths and currently have 167,279 active cases.

You can go to https://doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker, for a more details.

LG to close its Smartphone Business Unit, promises OS updates for 3 years

April 8, 2021

LG just announced the South Korean tech giant will close its mobile business unit, which was approved by its boar of directors (BoD).

In their official announcement, LG made the decision to exit the smartphone business because it’s been an “incredibly competitive mobile phone sector” and that it “will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence and business-to-business solutions, as well as platforms and services.”

LG is expected to complete its “exit” the smartphone business by July 31st.

In a follow-up announcement, LG will support “all premium LG smartphones currently in use will receive up to three iterations of Android operating system updates from the year of purchase.” which means that all LG premium phones released in 2019 and later (G series, V series, VELVET, Wing) while certain 2020 models such as LG Stylo and K series will receive two OS updates.

The company will still manufacture smartphone phones through the second quarter to meet contractual obligations to carriers and partners.

DoH: Philippines COVID-19 Updates April 5, 2021

April 5, 2021

Here’s the latest COVID-19 Update from Department of Health (DoH).

– 8,355 confirmed case
– 145 recovered
– 10 death

In total, there are 803,398 confirmed cases and at least 80% or 646,237 recovered from the virus. There were 13,435 deaths or the 1.67% to the total number of confirmed cases. DoH reports that there are currently 143, 726 active cases.