MANILA – Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Saturday the vaccine vials from the boat that capsized in Real, Quezon on May 13 were intact and are still safe for use. “Naimbestigahan na po natin iyan and apparently itong mga bakuna ay naka-doble ang plastic so hindi sila nagalaw (We’ve already conducted an investigation and … Read More
MANILA – Three close contacts of the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was infected with the SARS-CoV-2 variant first detected in India also tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday. The DOH previously reported that two male OFWs, from Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), caught … Read More
MANILA – The country’s vaccine czar said the government will focus its vaccination drive in high-risk areas identified by medical and economic experts. Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19, said the government, with the help of the private sector, will ramp up the vaccination campaign in … Read More
MANILA – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has condemned PHP763-million worth of forfeited goods for the first quarter of the year. Of the total, PHP364 million were counterfeit cigarettes while PHP197.49 million were forfeited cigarettes and agricultural products, a BOC news release stated on Friday. The other condemned items were unsafe and hazardous food, raw … Read More
MANILA – The national government will not get tired of encouraging all Filipinos to avail of anti-coronavirus jabs to fully eliminate the dreaded infection. Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., National Policy Against Covid-19 Chief Implementer, also happily noted that nationwide acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccine is increasing while there is a downtrend of cases in the … Read More
MANILA – While admitting that curbing corruption in government is a difficult task, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night vowed to continue fighting it until the end of his term. “We are not proclaiming that we have gotten rid of corruption. There is still corruption in this government and any other government that will come … Read More
MANILA – The Philippines is ready to facilitate emergency repatriation of Filipinos from Israel amid the heaviest fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants, Malacañang said on Thursday. In a virtual presser, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Philippine Embassy in Israel and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) are “expert” in ensuring the safety … Read More
MANILA – Weather disturbance “Crising” has intensified into a tropical storm (TS) as it heads towards Davao Occidental and Surigao del Sur, the weather bureau said Thursday. In its 11 a.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said “Crising” now packs maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near … Read More
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday expressed “serious concern” over the escalation of violence in parts of Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, worsened by the aerial exchanges between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants. “The Philippines urges all parties to exercise restraint and seek dialogue to de-escalate tensions and avoid further actions … Read More
MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) has made a fresh interpretation of the law on the declaration of nullity of marriage. During its deliberations on the annulment case Tan-Andal v. Andal, the SC en banc voting unanimously on Tuesday pronounced that “psychological incapacity” is not a medical but a legal concept. Article 36 of the … Read More
MANILA – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Health (CBCP-ECH) on Wednesday reminded the public to always observe safety protocols amid the detection of the ‘double mutant’ coronavirus variant which was first discovered in India. “What we need to do is keep the protocols in mind and as much as possible have … Read More
MANILA – A “nationwide approach” is necessary to stem the spread of African swine flu (ASF) in the country, Malacañang said on Wednesday. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this statement a day after President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of calamity throughout the Philippines for one year due to the ASF outbreak. While Luzon is … Read More
MANILA – No Filipino has been reported to be among the casualties in the escalating exchange of airstrikes and rocket fires between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported Wednesday. In a statement, the agency assured that the Philippine government has contingency plans in place for any developments in … Read More
MANILA – A joint panel of the House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a measure providing a national energy policy and regulatory framework for the use and development of electric vehicles and their development as an industry. The House Committee on Energy, in a joint meeting with the Committees on Transportation and Ecology, approved the … Read More
MANILA – The United Nations has recently honored three Filipino UN staff members who lost their lives while in the line of duty amid the pandemic. In a statement dated May 11, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) named the three as Joanna Abaya, who served at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Dr. Ronald … Read More
MANILA – The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF WPS) on Wednesday said a maritime patrol on May 9 spotted the presence of 287 Chinese maritime militia (CMM) vessels scattered over the various features of the Municipality of Kalayaan, both within and outside the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the country. Bigger … Read More
MANILA – A total of 2,539,693 Filipinos have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine shots, 514,655 of them fully protected with the required two doses, a health official reported Wednesday. During a televised public briefing, Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center chairperson Myrna Cabotaje said there are 2,025,038 individuals who have received … Read More
MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday confirmed it detected two cases of the more transmissible B.1.617 variant in the Philippines. “There were two incoming returning overseas Filipinos, one came from Oman and one came from UAE, sila po ‘yung nag-positive, no history of travel to India, they did not come from India … Read More
MANILA – A total of 8,745 employees of the Manila City government will soon receive their midyear bonus after Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso approved the release of the PHP350 million budget on Monday. The budget will come from the 2021 executive budget. Under City Ordinance No. 8702, or “An Ordinance appropriating the amount of … Read More
MANILA – Authorities have so far apprehended a total of 18,862 individuals for not wearing face masks properly from May 6 to 10, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday said. In a televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte, Año reported that of this number, 9,379 were given a warning, 8,027 were fined, 491 rendered community … Read More