PHILIPPINES EYES JOINING HUMAN TRIAL FOR CHINESE CORONAVIRUS VACCINE

MANILA — The Philippines is in talks to join a Beijing-based biotech firm's

human trial for a potential coronavirus vaccine, the Department of Science

and Technology said Thursday, as the world raced to find a cure to stop the

contagion in its tracks.

An inter-agency task force approved negotiations to collaborate for the

vaccine trial of 4 Chinese groups and a UK firm. Further studies revealed

that the out of the 5, the most advance trial is that of Sinovac Biotech,

said DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña.

Nasdaq-listed Sinovac said in April that its novel coronavirus vaccine

"largely protected" monkeys from infection during an animal trial.

The vaccine, like most others, uses a chemically inactivated novel

coronavirus pathogen to help the body build immunity against the real

disease. It must complete 3 phases of trial for the drug to be approved for

use.

The Philippines is negotiating for a local firm to get license to

manufacture the drug if it joins the clinical trials and these succeed, said

Dela Peña.

"Iyan ay isang paraan din para masanay na ang Filipino companies sa

vaccine," he told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

"Sasali tayo sa tinatawag na phase 2 and 3, most likely phase 3... Iyong

maramihan nang trial, libo na ito ang kailangang volunteers," he added.

Phase 3 testing of the vaccine will need human volunteers who were never

infected with the disease as well as those with symptoms. Sinovac is looking

abroad for test subjects because China now does not have enough reported

COVID-19 cases, said spokeswoman Yang Guang.

Joining the trial will let the Philippines get shots of the vaccine and

expedite the approval of its use locally, said Dela Peña.

SC TO TACKLE ABS-CBN'S URGENT RETURN TO AIR PLEA ON JULY 13

MANILA - The Supreme Court said Thursday it would tackle in July ABS-CBN

Corp's urgent plea to resume broadcast operations, as the shutdown

threatened the jobs of the network's 11,000 workers.

The court waited for comments from all parties involved in the issue and

will deliberate on July 13 on ABS-CBN's prayer for a temporary restraining

order against the shutdown, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said.

By July 13, ABS-CBN would have been off the air for over 2 months.

The country's top broadcaster earlier said it was losing P30 million to P35

million in advertising revenues daily since the National Telecommunications

Commission (NTC) forced it off air last May 5 over its stalled franchise

renewal in Congress.

"If this severe financial hemorrhage is not stopped, ABS-CBN may be

constrained to eventually let go of workers, reduce salaries and benefits,

and substantially cut down on costs and expenses," the network said in May,

when it urged the court to immediately act on its TRO plea.

The NTC, under oath, earlier told lawmakers that it would let the

65-year-old network operate provisionally beyond the May 4 expiration of its

franchise, while lawmakers deliberate on bills that sought to renew its

license.

The commission issued a cease-and-desist order against ABS-CBN after

Solicitor General Jose Calida warned officials that the could face gaft

charges if they issue a provisional license.

INDIA READY TO SUPPLY PHILIPPINES WITH AFFORDABLE COVID-19 DRUGS

India has expressed readiness to supply the Philippines with affordable

medicines and pharmaceutical products used for coronavirus disease 2019 or

COVID-19.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed the commitment during his

phone conversation with President Duterte last Tuesday, a statement by the

Office of Presidential Protocol and Office of Presidential Assistant on

Foreign Affairs said. The 25-minute phone conversation, described by

Malacañang as "engaging and productive," was requested by Indian government.

COVID-19 CASES IN PHILIPPINES CLIMB TO 23,732

The Department of Health said there are 452 "fresh" and 288 "late" COVID-19

cases, bringing the national tally to 23,732.

The department also recorded 10 new deaths and 159 new recoveries.

Meanwhile, The Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday reported more

recoveries than new confirmed cases of the new coronavirus disease among

Filipinos abroad.

Foreign Service Posts recorded 51 new recoveries and 29 new confirmed cases

in the Asia Pacific region and the Middle East. The total number of

recoveries reached 2,346.

Two new deaths were also reported in the Middle East, bringing the death

toll to 382.

PALACE SAYS IT'S DIFFICULT FOR PHILIPPINES TO REPLICATE NEW ZEALAND'S ZERO

COVID-19 CASE

It may be difficult for the Philippines to replicate New Zealand's

achievement of zero active coronavirus cases because of differences in the

area and population of the two countries, Malacañang admitted Wednesday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Metro Manila, home to about 12

million people, is densely populated, making it easy for the virus to

spread.

"I will be honest with you. It is somehow difficult for the Philippines to

achieve that... Its (New Zealand) land area is only as large as Luzon and

its population is only five million," Roque told state-run television

station PTV-4.

"In Metro Manila alone...it's 40 million (sic) so we are congested and

that's the reason why the disease spreads fast," he added.

Roque, nevertheless, said he was happy for the people of New Zealand, which

recently declared victory over the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

CALL SPECIAL SESSION TO PASS STIMULUS BILL, DUTERTE URGED

MANILA — Malacañang has said that without revenue sources, there cannot be

an economic stimulus package.

Still, President Duterte is being urged to call a special session of both

the Senate and House of Representatives for the passage of a P1.3-trillion

economic stimulus that the lower chamber had approved.

“Time is of the essence. We should approve this stimulus package to help

various sectors crippled by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

pandemic,” said Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who chairs the House

committee on constitutional reforms.

“If we wait until August or September after we convene for our second

regular session in late July, we will have wasted precious time,” Rodriguez

added, noting that Congress will resume session only on July 27, when

Duterte delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address.

The affected sectors have to be assisted soonest so that they could start to

recover, according to the administration legislator.

“Financial aid should be available as the economy begins to gain momentum

with the easing of quarantine restrictions in many areas of the country,” he

said.

Rodriguez pointed out that the 1987 Constitution authorizes the President to

call lawmakers to a special session “at any time during a recess.”

Congress went on recess on June 5 and will only be back in late July, while

budget deliberations start by August.

PALACE: ANTI-TERROR BILL HAS ENOUGH SAFEGUARDS

Opponents still hope for RodyÂ’s veto

MANILA — Malacañang said yesterday there are enough safeguards in the

proposed Anti-Terrorism Act against possible abuse, and that President

Duterte would subject the measure to close scrutiny with “public interest”

in mind.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said there are appropriate procedures

to follow under the law in terms of arrest and detention of suspected

terrorists.

He noted that basic rights remain protected under the Constitution. The

courts must also be notified if law enforcers would interrogate a suspect

without charges for several days.

“There are safeguards. There is access to the judiciary, and we want to make

sure that the rights of the accused will not be violated,” Roque said.

There are also strict provisions for the designation of an act as a

terrorist activity, he said.

He again defended the PresidentÂ’s decision to certify the matter as urgent

amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Roque corrected his earlier statement that the President can only sign the

measure or veto it as a whole instead of in parts.

“The President will not automatically sign a law, it is scrutinized.

Although the difference is, you canÂ’t have a line item veto in terms of a

normal legislation whereas you can do it in a budget bill. But thatÂ’s how

the process works in Malacañang,” Roque said.

MARAWI CORONAVIRUS CASES RISE TO 9

MANILA - Another returning resident in Marawi City tested positive for the

coronavirus, raising its total cases to 9, its mayor said Thursday.

All the coronavirus patients are asymptomatic and are returning residents

from Metro Manila and other provinces, Marawi mayor Majul Usman Gandamra

said.

Gandamra urged national and local governments to require stranded

individuals to undergo rapid testing at the minimum before sending them to

their home provinces.

"Nang sa ganun pag dumating sila dito hindi tayo ma-overwhelm ng mga ganung

nagpopositibo. 'Yan po ay talagang nagbibigay ng hazard, di lang sa

kani-kanilang pamilya kundi sa constituents ng city and Lanao del Sur," he

told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

Some 5 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Lanao del Sur towns, Gandamra

said.

As of Wednesday, the Philippines has 23,732 cases of the novel coronavirus,

with 4,895 recoveries and deaths.

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DINE-IN ALLOWED IN GENERAL QUARANTINE AREAS AT LIMITED CAPACITY

MANILA -- Restaurants in general community quarantine areas can now allow

customers to dine in for up to 30 percent of store capacity, in a further

unwinding of nearly 3-month old coronavirus restrictions, Trade Secretary

Ramon Lopez said Thursday.

Accepting dine-in customers will require inspection for compliance with

health protocols from the Inter-agency Task Force on the pandemic, Lopez

told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

The IATF approved limited dine-in for restaurants and fast food branches

late Wednesday on the trade department's recommendation, Lopez said.

"At least makapag-umpisa man lang yung mga trabaho, maibalik agad sa ating

mga kababayang nasa restaurant lalo na itong dine-in operation. Kasi

malaking portion ng mga restaurant ang dine-in, mga 70 to 80 percent po

yan," Lopez said.

Restaurants can accommodate dine-in customers up to 50 percent capacity when

areas shift to Modified GCQ from GCQ. Modified GCQ is the lowest quarantine

classification before the "new normal" with minimum health standards.

Metro Manila, which accounts for a third of the economy and home to a tenth

of the country's 100 million people, is under GCQ.

Food establishments will follow the following minimum health protocols

earlier set by government:

Card

Those who violate health protocols will be warned or closed, Lopez said.

SSS TO MEMBERS: PAY ONLINE TO BEAT JUNE 15 DEADLINE

MANILA - The Social Security System on Thursday said the public should use

online channels to pay their contributions and beat the June 15 deadline.

There will be no further extension to the deadline that was moved several

times due to the coronavirus lockdown, said SSS Acting Vice President Public

Affairs and Special Events Fernando Nicolas.

Members can pay their contributions through banks, online channels and other

collection partners such as Bayad Center, Nicolas said.

FILIPINA STARTS 'AYUDA' IN DUBAI, OFFERS FREE MEALS TO JOBLESS MIGRANTS

DUBAI -- Feby Dela Pena saw her fellow Filipinos standing in line outside

her building in Dubai, waiting for free food. And she was stricken " what if

her family, too, had lost their income amid the COVID-19 outbreak? How would

she have fed her three children?

"We're poor, to be honest," said Dela Pena, who is also unemployed. "But

it's not a reason for me not to help, you know?"

So the next day, she withdrew the money that was supposed to feed her family

of 5 for a month.

When their 11 housemates got wind of her plan " like most migrant workers in

Dubai, the family lives in a shared flat " those who could chipped in as

well. She was able to buy about 500 dirhams' (P6,800) worth of groceries,

including 30 frozen chickens and sacks of rice. And she began to cook.

That is how Dela Pena, 34, launched the project she calls Ayuda " it means

help. Each day, she offers 200 free meals to the hungry of Dubai, all of

them foreigners, like her own family.

Migrants account for 90 percent of the workforce in the United Arab

Emirates. The economic shutdown that came with COVID-19 hit their

communities hard.

"Life is so hard and they don't have anyone to depend on," Dela Pena said.

PISTON 6 SUMAILALIM SA COVID-19 SWAB TEST

MAYNILA - Sumailalim na sa coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) swab test ang

anim na jeepney driver ng grupong PISTON na inaresto matapos magprotesta sa

kakulangan ng ayuda sa Caloocan City.

Inaresto ang mga jeepney driver matapos ang isinagawang “Busina para sa

Balik Pasada” protest na nanawagang payagan nang bumalik sa kalsada ang mga

jeepney. Tumanggi din umano ang mga itong mag-disperse.

Unang nakalabas ang apat na tsuper noong Lunes, habang Martes na nakalaya

ang 72 anyos na si Elmer Cordero at ang kapwa-jeepney driver na si Wilson

Ramilla.

Isa sa mga ikinaso kaya sila hinuli ang paglabag sa health protocol na

physical distancing. Nakalaya ang mga pulis sa bisa ng pagpiyansa.

Para matiyak ang kalusugan, isinailalim na sila sa COVID-19 test, umaga ng

Huwebes.

Di pa matiyak kelan lalabas ang resulta nito.

7,000 HINDI NABIGYAN NG SAP SA TAYABAS BINIGYAN NG TIG-P2,000 AYUDA

TAYABAS CITY – Aabot sa 7,000 residente sa siyudad na ito na hindi nabigyan

ng ayuda sa ilalim ng social amelioration program ng gobyerno ang nabigyan

ng P2,000 ayuda ng lokal na pamahalaan.

Prayoridad daw ng P2,000 ang mga nawalan ng trabaho sa pagiging canvasser ng

iba't ibang produkto, partikular na ang mga galing sa kanilang siyudad na

naglalako sa tourist spot na Kamay ni Hesus na tigil-trabaho ngayong may

COVID-19 pandemic,

"Dito sa Tayabas meron kaming tinatawag na canvassers pero actually vendors

roaming aroundÂ… Naging priority dahil talagang wala silang kinikita during

the COVID-19. Talagang napahinto sila kasi hindi sila makalabas,” ani Diego

V. Narzabal, City Administrator ng Tayabas, Quezon

Naglaan ng P15 milyong budget ang lokal na pamahalaan para sa higit 7,000

benepisyaryo nito sa 66 na barangay sa Tayabas.

Malaking tulong ito para sa mga tindera gaya ni Ana Monica Opiano.

BREWING STORM DUMPING RAINS OVER LUZON: PAGASA

MANILA — A low pressure area or brewing storm will dump rains over vast

swaths of Luzon, which is still under varying virus quarantines, the state

weather bureau said Thursday.

The weather system was spotted 50 kilometers east northeast of Virac,

Catanduanes and may strengthen into a tropical depression in 24 hours, said

PAGASA weather forecaster Ezra Bulquerin.

The LPA might cross northern Luzon on Friday or Saturday, he told ABS-CBN's

TeleRadyo. It will be the second storm to hit the country after Typhoon Ambo

(international name: Vongfong) which followed a similar track.

On Thursday, the weather system will bring cloudy skies and rains over Metro

Manila, Visayas, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and

Isabela, Bulquerin said.

Mindanao and the rest of Cagayan Valley will also experience cloudy skies

and thunderstorms due to winds from the southwest, he said.

The rest of Luzon should expect sunny weather with rains in the afternoon or

evening, he said.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

COLEEN GARCIA REVEALS GENDER OF FIRST CHILD WITH BILLY CRAWFORD

MANILA -- Coleen Garcia held an online party on Wednesday to reveal the

gender of her first child with Billy Crawford.

Garcia, along with Crawford, announced that they are expecting a baby boy

during an online gender reveal party, streamed in various platforms like

Facebook, YouTube, and Kumu.

This was followed by a photo on Instagram, taken by The Boudoir Dolls,

showing Garcia in a concept shoot that had the ultrasound of their child

projected onto her womb, and her wearing blue lipstick.

It was back at the beginning of March when Garcia first confirmed her

pregnancy, with a sweet photo with Crawford showing them cradling her

growing baby bump.

She first discovered that she's expecting last January.

The two have been married for over two years now. They celebrated their

second anniversary last April.

SPORTS

DUTERTE APPROVES BILL CREATING NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SPORTS

MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the National Academy of

Sports Act, which would establish an educational facility designed for

student-athletes, Malacañang said Wednesday.

Republic Act No. 11470 seeks to establish the National Academy of Sports

which integrates secondary education with a special curriculum on sports to

help young Filipino athletes study while training, Presidential Spokesman

Harry Roque said.

"We consider this a good follow-through to our countryÂ’s hosting of the 2019

Southeast Asian Games, where the Philippines emerged as the overall leader

in the medal tally," Roque said in a statement.

"The Philippines has demonstrated that we can be on par with our neighbors

in the region in terms of sports," he added.

With the President's signing of the measure, Roque said the Palace is

"confident that we will be able to raise our student-athletesÂ’

competitiveness in the field of sports and produce world-class athletes in

the years to come."

Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go, one of the principal authors of the measure,

said the new law would help the Philippines in terms of sports development.

"I firmly believe that with this law, we will be able to catch up with the

rest of the world in terms of sports development," Go said in a statement.

PBA CANCELS ALL-STAR FESTIVITIES

MANILA -- The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) on Tuesday confirmed

that it will not hold All-Star festivities this year due to the novel

coronavirus pandemic.

The league was scheduled to hold its All-Star Game and other events in

Passi, Iloilo, in July. As recently as April, PBA commissioner Willie

Marcial was still optimistic that it would push through, and said the league

was exploring an "innovative format."

However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the PBA to cancel the festivities

instead.

"Sigurado 'yun, postponed muna kasi one conference na lang tayo," said

Marcial during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on

Tuesday.

The PBA is hoping to get the go-signal to return to practices, after

submitting a set of protocols to the Inter-Agency Task Force and the

Department of Health last week. If they get approval, the league plans to

continue the All-Filipino Cup later this year, after it was paused in March

due to the pandemic.

The cramped schedule leaves no time for the All-Star event.

"Magbobotohan pa tayo, kakausapin pa natin 'yung venue. Katulad ng venue, as

of now, papayag ba 'yung venue na pupunta tayo doon by October or September,

'di ba?" said Marcial.

"At 'yung mga venues sa probinsya, ginagamit din nila para sa COVID, kung

'di ako nagkakamali," he added. "As of now, cancelled ang All-Star,

ire-resume ulit natin by next year."

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Besides learning to see, there is another art to be learned - not to see

what is not. - Maria Mitchell