PHILIPPINES RECORDS 538 NEW CASES, NATIONAL TALLY BREACHES 2,000-MARK

The Department of Health confirmed 538 new COVID-19 cases in the

Philippines, bringing the national tally to 2,084.

The health department also reported that an additional 10 COVID-19 patients

died in the country, raising the number of deceased to 88.

Seven new recoveries have been recoded, bringing the total number of

recoveries to 49.

CORONAVIRUS THE WORST GLOBAL CRISIS SINCE WW II, SAYS UN CHIEF

UNITED NATIONS, United States — The coronavirus pandemic is the worst global

crisis since World War II, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said

Tuesday, expressing concern that it could trigger conflicts around the

world.

Guterres said that the scale of the crisis was due to "a disease that

represents a threat to everybody in the world and... an economic impact that

will bring a recession that probably has no parallel in the recent past."

"The combination of the two facts and the risk that it contributes to

enhanced instability, enhanced unrest, and enhanced conflict are things that

make us believe that this is the most challenging crisis we have faced since

the Second World War," he told reporters.

The New York-based United Nations was founded at the end of the war in 1945

and has 193 member states.

"A stronger and more effective response... is only possible in solidarity if

everybody comes together and if we forget political games and understand

that it is humankind that is at stake," Guterres added.

"We are far from having a global package to help the developing world to

create the conditions both to suppress the disease and to address the

dramatic consequences," Guterres warned, pointing to unemployment, the

collapse of small firms and vulnerable people in the informal economy.

"We are slowly moving in the right direction, but we need to speed up, and

we need to do much more if we want to defeat the virus."

The UN on Tuesday created a new fund to help developing countries after last

week appealing for donations for poor and conflict-hit nations.

881 FILIPINO SEAFARERS REPATRIATED FROM US

The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in the US,

incoordination with other government agencies, repatriated a total of 881

Filipino seafarers from the United States.

The group of repatriates — 445 seafarers from Norwegian Cruises Dawn and

Encore, and another 436 from MV Magica and MV Favolosa — arrived in the

country early Wednesday.

The repatriates will undergo a 14-day quarantine monitored by the Bureau of

Quarantine.

DSWD TO GIVE CASH SUBSIDIES TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AFFECTED BY QUARANTINE

MANILA — Malacañang directed the Department of Social Welfare and

Development to provide subsidies to low-income households as part of the

temporary emergency measures for the health crisis.

President Rodrigo Duterte on late Monday night announced an unprecedented

P200 billion aid package for low-income households and other sectors hit by

the stringent quarantine measures intended to contain 2019 coronavirus

disease (COVID-19).

The package, described by Duterte as the "largest and widest social

protection program in our countryÂ’s history," will provide beneficiaries

emergency support for two months based on the regional minimum wage.

"This is the largest assistance provided by the government to our people in

our history. It's only now that we are facing a problem like this...(The

package seeks) to make up for the loss of economic opportunities due to the

quarantine measures in place for COVID-19," the president said in a

televised public address Monday night.

"We have allotted 200 billion pesos for low-income households who are badly

affected by the current crisis. They are the informal sector and those who

live day-to-day on subsistence wages or 'no-work, no-pay' arrangements," he

added.

"We have P200 billion given by Congress for us to spend. I will use it and

everyone will benefit...Those who do not have jobs, those who have jobs,

those who are working part-time. The rich are excluded," Duterte said.

The president also vowed to help small businesses and the agriculture sector

cope with the impact of the pandemic.

"The government will provide a recovery package especially to micro, small,

and medium enterprises to help deal with the economic effects of this

pandemic. My economic team is already creating the guidelines for this as I

speak," the president said.

"To our farmers and our fisherfolk: We have not forgotten you and government

is now employing quick response measures to help you during the crisis as

well as ensure food productivity, availability, and sufficiency during the

period of the pandemic. The government is here for you," he added.

A memorandum signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea last March 28

said the emergency subsidy would be extended to 18 million low-income

households and would cost P5,000 to P8,000 per month for two months,

computed based on the prevailing regional minimum wage rates. The subsidy

received from the existing conditional cash transfer program and rice

subsidy will be considered in the computation of the emergency subsidy.

The DSWD was also tasked to expand the government's existing cash transfer

program or come up with another scheme that would provide cash, cash

voucher, or goods to households who have no incomes or savings to draw from,

including those who are working in the informal economy and those who are

not receipients of existing government aid.

The amount to be distributed must be "adequate to restore capacity to

purchase basic food and other essential items during the duration of the

quarantine," the memorandum read.

CHURCHES, SCHOOLS OPEN DOORS TO FRONTLINERS, STREET DWELLERS

MANILA - Several churches, both Catholic and Christian denominations, in

Metro Manila have opened its doors to health workers and other frontline

personnel in need of housing as Luzon remained on lockdown due to the threat

of COVID-19.

Among these are Paco Catholic School, Malate Catholic School, Pius Catholic

Center, EDSA Shrine, and the parishes of St. Don Bosco, Sacred Heart, St.

Paul, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said Wednesday.

"Ang mga binubuksan na simbahan 'yun po ay para sa mga medical frontliners

na kailangan may matirhan," Pabillo told radio DZMM.

"Patuloy ang mga paring nagmimisa pero wala lang public participation. Nasa

online na lang. Hanggang magsabi ang gobyerno kung kailan pwede nang mag

congregate ang mga tao."

Some schools also allow street dwellers to temporarily reside in their

facilities, Pabillo added.

Non-Catholic denominations such as Victory Church also said it opened its

building in Bonifacio Global City as a temporary housing facility for

frontline personnel working in St. LukeÂ’s Medical Center and Rizal Medical

Center.

"We are collaborating with these hospitals to make room for those who need

it the most. Despite what we're facing globally, we are in faith that God

will give us the grace to serve one another in love," it said.

Christ's Commission Fellowship also opened its gym to nearby health workers

and said it would also distribute food packs.

"God is with us in this faith-stretching time, and we trust that He holds

everything in His hands. Indeed, His purpose will be accomplished. God bless

us all," it said.

Caritas Manila, a Church-based nonprofit organization, is also giving away

P1,000 gift checks to those who are in need, in coordination with local

governments, Pabillo said.

"Kaugnayan po natin ang business communities. Sila po ang naglikom ng pera

at pinadaan sa Caritas Manila. Ang Caritas Manila naman pinapadaan sa mga

parokya. Ang mga parokya pumupunta kasama ang local governments para mamigay

ng gift checks na ito," he said.

Priests are taking precautions and are placing themselves under

self-quarantine if they show signs and symptoms of the respiratory illness,

Pabillo said.

"Wala pa namang naveverify na positive. Sila ay nag-iingat na lang, pag may

nararamdaaman sila at hindi pa natetest ay nagse-self-quarantine na lang

muna sila," he said.

As of Tuesday, the Philippines has reported 88 deaths out of its total 2,084

cases of COVID-19.

GOV'T ASSURES FOOD SUPPLY AS LOCKDOWN PASSES HALFWAY POINT

MANILA- The government assured Filipinos in the northern Philippines

Wednesday of enough food supply in markets as the lockdown of Luzon moved

past the halfway mark.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said there is a "sufficient" supply of

basic food needs such as rice, meat, and vegetables in the market, noting

that the movement of cargo should remain unhampered.

"According to the Department of Agriculture we should not be concerned as

basic food requirements nationwide such as rice, fish, pork, chicken, and

vegetables are sufficient," Nograles said in a televised briefing.

"Huwag po tayo mag-alala. Tuloy-tuloy po ang supply ng pagkain," he added.

Stocks of rice meanwhile are enough to last for the next 2 and a half

months, with the government procuring more, Nograles said.

The state grains agency last week said it had 9.3 million bags of rice and

unmilled rice on standby to support demand for the staple grain during the

lockdown.

Luzon's borders were temporarily closed on March 17 to limit the entry and

exit of possible COVID-19 carriers. The lockdown is scheduled to end on

April 12.

PORT OFFICIAL CALLS FOR SWIFT APPROVAL OF ANTI-CONGESTION MEASURE

MANILA -- The government agency in charge of Manila port on Wednesday

appealed to finance officials to expedite their review of proposed measures

to decongest the terminals.

Officials and stakeholders have warned that Manila port risked shutting down

during the COVID-19 quarantine unless the congestion is addressed.

A memorandum that will cut cargo processing time to 7 days from 53 days is

being reviewed by the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Customs,

Philippine Port Authority General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago told DZMM.

“Finalized na po joint memorandum circular. ito po ay nirereview po sa DOF

and BOC. Sana po ay madaliin natin at ng masolusyunan na natin ang problema

natin sa pantalan,” Santiago said.

The Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) is currently utilizing 96

to 98 percent of its capacity from the ideal 70 percent since the entire

island of Luzon was placed on lockdown.

At least 4,000 containers arrive at the port daily. The same number should

be moved out but due to reduced workforces and closed warehouses, the number

of cargoes leaving the port was reduced to 40 percent, Santiago said.

Santiago appealed to business to claim their shipments so as not to disrupt

the supply chain. The port could shut down in 6 to 8 days if the congestion

persists, Santiago earlier said.

"Gawin po natin ang mga responsibilidad natin para umandar ulit ang ating

supply chain," Santiago said.

UP SCIENTISTS MAKING VENTILATORS AS CORONAVIRUS CASES MOUNT: HEALTH DEPT

MANILA - Scientists from the University of the Philippines are designing a

more affordable ventilator that will help patients with the novel

coronavirus breathe, the health department said Wednesday as cases of the

respiratory disease continued to climb.

The UP-National Institutes for Health in Manila has almost finished

designing the ventilator, said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire,

who declined to give more details about the project.

"Hopefully kapag lumabas po iyong kanilang pinag-aralan na ito at ginagawa,

makakuha na tayo ng marami at mas mura po ito," she said.

There are 1,263 ventilators across country, of which about 153 are in Metro

Manila, said Vergeire.

She said her agency was working with the budget department to import 1,500

additional ventilators and find a supplier.

"Kapag ganito po kasi, minsan iyong volume ang nagiging bottleneck natin so

'pag ganyan tinitiingnan po natin kung may makukuha tayong supplier," she

said.

Apart from the UP-NIH, Vergeire said she was not aware of any other

Philippine maker of ventilators.

The institute also developed the first Philippine-made test kits for

COVID-19, which could yield "very accurate" results in 2 hours, instead of

the typical 24 hours with imported kits, the Food and Drug Administration

earlier said.

The UP-NIH on Wednesday will submit the results of a field trial that is

required for its test kits to be mass distributed, said the FDA.

PANGASINAN TOWN MAYOR, WIFE TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

The mayor of Bayambang, Pangasinan and his wife have tested positive for the

novel coronavirus, the mayor said in a Facebook post early Wednesday.

In a statement, Mayor Cezar Quiambao said he and his wife had a medical

check-up last March 16 when they decided to get tested for COVID-19

infection.

"During our 14-day quarantine, we confirmed that we were both positive so we

received proper treatment from the doctors who believe that we have now

recovered," he said.

It is yet unclear if they have fully recovered but Quiambao added that they

will undergo another 14-day self quarantine to ensure that they will not put

anyone at risk.

Jalajala, Rizal Vice-Mayor Jose "Jolet" delos Santos died on Tuesday, almost

one week after testing positive for COVID-19.

7 COPS TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, PNP OPENS QUARANTINE FACILITY

MANILA - Seven policemen have tested positive for COVID-19, the Philippine

National Police said Wednesday as it opened a quarantine facility in its

headquarters in Quezon City for personnel suspected of infection.

The first floor is allotted to health workers while the 2nd to 4th floors of

the building are for policemen suspected of contracting the respiratory

illness.

As of posting, there are 145 policemen considered as persons under

investigation or those who had contact with COVID-positive personnel, while

more than 1,000 are under monitoring.

The Philippines has confirmed 88 deaths out of its total 2,084 cases of the

novel coronavirus, as of Tuesday.

BONGBONG MARCOS INFECTED WITH NEW CORONAVIRUS

Former senator and defeated vice presidential bet Ferdinand "Bongbong"

Marcos Jr. tested positive for COVID-19, his spokesman lawyer Vic Rodriguez

confirmed Tuesday.

According to Rodriguez, Marcos' results from RITM were released on March 28.

"Gumaganda na ang kondisyong pangkalusugan ni dating Sen. Ferdinand

‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. makaraang ihayag sa resulta ng clinical test na

isinagawa ng Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) na siyaÂ’y

positibo sa CoVid19," Rodriguez said.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

KC CONCEPCION SENDS FOOD TO FRONTLINERS

MANILA — KC Concepcion is among the local celebrities who are helping

frontliners amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Concepcion shared photos of the food she

sent to a hospital in Quezon City.

“Done delivering 200 jars of ready-to-eat chicken and pork adobo to our

frontliners at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center. Perpetual Help Medical

Center - Las Piñas, you're next,” Concepcion wrote.

ABS-CBN MUSIC LAUNCHES DIGITAL CONCERT SERIES AMID CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

MANILA — Enjoy free concerts at home as ABS-CBN Music presents “All Music:

Artists at Home Sessions,” a digital concert series headlined by its

artists.

The daily online concert will be hosted by MYX VJs and MOR DJs.

Jake Zyrus, Ana Ramsey and Lani Misalucha are the artists lined up for the

first episode of “All Music: Artists at Home Sessions,” which will start

this Wednesday, April 1 at 8 p.m. on Star Music PH's Facebook and YouTube

Channel.

SYLVIA SANCHEZ, HUSBAND TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

MANILA — Actress Sylvia Sanchez and her husband, Art Atayde, have tested

positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Sanchez made the confirmation in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

Sanchez said she and and her husband went to the hospital last week and were

tested for COVID-19.

"On March 24, my husband and I were brought to Cardinal Santos (Medical

Center) as I was having chills and he had cough and shortness of breath. We

were made to take the COVID-19 swab test and since then, Art and I have

self-isolated. A week later, we finally received the results and we both

came out positive for COVID-19," she said.

Despite the diagnosis, Sanchez stressed that she and her husband are

“getting better each day.”

“We would like to request those whom we saw prior to the community

quarantine to monitor for symptoms of shortness of breath, cough, fever, LBM

and sore throat. Art and I are getting better each day. Although this is

slower than our usual recovery, we know that with prayers and strict

compliance with our doctorÂ’s orders, we will get there. Until then, we will

keep you updated on how this progresses. Stay safe, healthy and take your

1000 mg of vitamin C and 20 mg of zinc daily! Most importantly, stay home to

help prevent the spread of the virus,” Sanchez wrote.

Sylvia Sanchez is the third celebrity to test positive for the novel

coronavirus after Christopher de Leon and Iza Calzado.

De Leon has since been discharged from the hospital, while Calzado is now

free from the virus.

SPORTS

NBA: LAKERS PLAYERS ALL FREE OF COVID-19 SYMPTOMS

Two weeks after news broke that a pair of Los Angeles Lakers players tested

positive for COVID-19, the team revealed Tuesday that all players are

symptom-free after a completing a 14-day period of home isolation.

"All Lakers players are currently symptom-free of COVID-19. The team will

continue to follow the health and safety guidelines set by government

officials, the Lakers and the NBA," the team announced.

On March 19, two Lakers players reportedly tested positive for the virus,

though their identities were never made public. The team originally got its

players tested after four players on the Brooklyn Nets tested positive.

The Lakers played the Nets on March 10. The next day, the NBA announced it

was suspending games indefinitely.

ESPN reported that 14 of the 17 players on the Lakers' roster (including

those on two-way contracts) were tested, and that the tests did not require

the players to get out of their vehicles.

"The thing I think people aren't realizing is how serious of an ordeal this

is and that it's not to be taken lightly," Lakers guard Alex Caruso told

ESPN last week.

"Everybody said the test is uncomfortable, and it pretty much was. They just

stuck a Q-tip through your nose to the back of your mouth."

Earlier Tuesday, the NBA, players and 2K Sports announced a 16-player NBA

2K20 tournament to begin play Friday. Among them is Kevin Durant, one of the

Nets players who tested positive for COVID-19.

ESPN also reported earlier in the day that the NBA and players union are

discussing plans for withholding player pay should any regular-season games

be canceled.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 50.68

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your

eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just

before you. - RL Stevenson